I have been a wrestling fan, particularly of the WWF/WWE, for over 20 years now. As the above title suggests, this is my weekly blog looking at the latest developments on WWE TV and PPV. Note that this is a quick overview of all the week's key events, as opposed to show or match reports.
Before I get started, I realise that not everything in WWE is real. So, I will look at events as a fan, but at the same time not under the impression that certain events aren't somewhat prearranged.
I also want to state that, as I live in Liverpool, England, most WWE action doesn't come on TV until the end of the week. So, expect this to be a report that you read every weekend.
Finally, I do watch the other shows like NXT, Superstars and Vintage Collection (which is sometimes the highlight of the week's WWE viewing, to me anyway), but as many fans do not, I will concentrate solely on Raw, SmackDown and any Pay-Per-Views. That said, I'll make passing references to the other shows, if necessary.
I'll start with SummerSlam last Sunday. Beforehand, it didn't seem like a major event (not compared to past 'Slams, anyway), and prior to the World Title Match it felt like it bit of a disappointment. Fortunately, the No Holds Barred match was a memorable one, and assuming that it is the end of the Christian/Randy Orton feud, it was a great finale. Edge's appearance beforehand was a surprise, although it wasn't so unexpected that The Viper won the championship from Captain Charisma. There may have been one more bout left in the rivalry, but after four months, it may be time to go onto new things, for both Orton and Christian.
The main event, Cena vs Punk with HHH as referee, was a good one, although a bit inferior to the Money In The Bank headliner. I had a feeling Punk would win, since the pre-SummerSlam developments may have made a Cena victory too obvious. That said, Kevin Nash's return to powerbomb the new/still champ afterwards was a shocker, which led to Del Rio cashing in MITB and winning the WWE Title. It's interesting to ponder events in retrospect, and realise the subtle hints thrown for such an unexpected occurence (Del Rio's failed attempt at MITB, Punk beating Alberto on Raw).
However, on Raw Punk basically ended any sort of involvement with Del Rio and the Title - at least for now. Instead, he interrupted Kevin Nash's explanation for what he did, and although a few humorous insults were fired, the interview never really answered any questions - nor did Triple H's speech at the beginning. Speaking of which: he entered John Cena's locker room - and we know nothing else about it. As for Cena himself: he attacked Del Rio after he beat Rey Mysterio and attempted to injure him, which appears to set up a Cena vs Del Rio Title showdown in the short-term. Long-term, though, anything could happen.
The above paragraph may seem confusing, but that's mainly because Raw was, well, confusing. Recent events look like the early stages of a major WWE development - and it appears at this point like anybody could be on either side. Are Nash and HHH together? If so, are they aligned with Stephanie and John Laurinitis (who is popping up more and more on Raw)? Where does Alberto Del Rio fit in? Are John Cena and CM Punk now aligned? And has everything (from Punk's initial attempt to leave WWE, to Vince McMahon being "relieved of his duties", to the SummerSlam controversy) all been designed to allow HHH a full-on takeover of WWE - which could lead to some shocking twists, turns and comebacks?
It's hard to say. At this point, I would guess that HHH, Stephanie, Nash and Laurinitis are secretly aligned, with Del Rio being their crown jewel Champion. If they were to recruit other stars, like Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger (who could both be managed by Vickie Guerrero soon), and oppose the likes of Cena, Mysterio and Punk, who would be led by a dominant leader (Vince McMahon? Mick Foley? Shawn Michaels?), it could be one of the biggest stories on Raw in a long time. It would be even better if it included a major gang fight at, say, Survivor Series, wherein someone like John Cena turned on his partners and joined HHH's alliance - which just happens to be the night where we will apparently hear from Cena's WrestleMania 28 opponent, The Rock. So, although this week's show was a bit hard to follow, it does seem like the intention was to leave more questions than answers - answers which look to be provided, in a big way, in the near future.
As for SmackDown: without Christian, the show felt it was lacking something - especially when Mark Henry won the Number One Contender's 20 Man Battle Royal. I can understand that Orton and Christian couldn't fight for the rest of 2011 on every PPV, but after 15 years of not doing much in WWE, I doubt there are many people who tune into SD to see Mark Henry. Hopefully, if it leads to a PPV match, Orton will beat Henry at Night Of Champions - and then move on to a different opponent for Hell In A Cell. Could that see Christian have "one last shot" at the Viper, finally ending their rivalry? It may sound repititive, but I bet it'd be better than a Cell match with Orton and Henry. Besides, the Cell was originally designed to end major feuds - not give an excuse for a contender who probably won't become Champion to get a(nother) shot.
Daniel Bryan fought Del Rio on SD too, in a match which was an improvement on their display last week (partly because it seemed Bryan got injured on the SD before SummerSlam when fighting the "Mexican Aristocrat".) Although DBryan lost, which doesn't bode well for a MITB winner, other briefcase holders, like CM Punk in 2009 and The Miz in 2010, had losing streaks before capturing the title. Incidentally, I have a sneaking suspicion that Bryan may not wait until WM 28 to cash it in. Something tells me he will cash it in on an unsuspecting champion (e.g. Orton) a few weeks before Mania, turn into a full on bad guy in the process, and then defend the title, rather than hope to win it, at WM 28. But you never know.
So, an interesting week in WWE. SummerSlam 2011 wasn't the greatest SS ever, nor was it likely to be - but did create a few memorable moments. The Punk-Cena story is over - but the HHH storyline has taken a new direction, and there are many different ways it could go. It could lead to comebacks, betrayals or even retirements. It's definitely a story that will develop slowly, and once everything is in place, it is likely to dominate Raw for the remainder of the year. SmackDown looks less inspiring, due to the absence of Christian and the fact that Mark Henry has yet another World Title shot lined up - but SD has always been about wrestling as opposed to stories, so if the same amount of quality matches are on display (such as Bryan vs Del Rio last night), it should chug along okay.
I conclude this column with a few choice quotes from WWE TV this week. You can decide which one is the funniest of the week - whether intentionally or unintentionally. (By the way, they're not word-for-word.)
CM Punk to Kevin Nash: "Do you wanna see the text message my sister sent to me? Here it is: 'OMG, Kevin Nash, WTF, thought he was dead, LOL!'" - CM Punk with a darkly comical dig at Kevin Nash
"Eventually, Del Rio, you are going to have to defend that Title." - John Cena to Alberto Del Rio, moments after he HAD successfully defended the title (and successfully) against Rey Mysterio, in Rey's hometown, and without cheating
"I celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary this year. I remember my wedding like it was yesterday. If it was tomorrow, I'd cancel it." - William Regal to Todd Grisham on NXT
I finish with words that you'll often hear on WWE TV: "We'll see you next week, good night everybody!"
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