I Love and Hate Wrestling in Equal Measures

First of all, I realise that the title to this post is somewhat negative. I will break this down in the coming paragraphs and try to spread a little more love than hatred.

Just a brief something else... I haven't written anything for a couple of months now. I'm not entirely sure why; something tells me that I needed a break from writing, not just about wrestling, but about anything. I think my 'hate' of wrestling (hate is a strong word...) caused me to stop for a while. When I think of 'writing', I think of 'wrestling' and this is something that needs disconnecting as I head into 2015. Because of this (and my desire to write about other things), I am knocking wrestling show reviews; 'Positives and Negatives' and any variations that I have used when doing reviews, on the head. It saddens me to announce that but I need to do this to save my wrestling fandom as well as enjoying the shows I go to further by not writing about them. I'm sure I'll do the odd post on a topic that comes up in British Wrestling, but the reviews are over.

Now onto the point of this piece.

I need to break down my wrestling viewing and explain why I love and hate wrestling in equal measures. I'll start with my hatred and move onto my love; starting with the 'bad' news and finishing with the 'good' news, if you will. I don't know if any of you will be able to relate with my experiences this year, but hopefully I'm not alone with my frustrations as well as my hopes and optimism going into 2015. This post will cover WWE, British wrestling and 'other' shows that I have discovered along the way.

Hate

“Hate is a strong word
But I really, really, really don't like you
Now that it's over
I don't even know what I liked about you”

- Plain White Ts

Every so often, my wrestling fandom and viewing changes. I can't remember exactly when it changed, but earlier this year (?) I was watching Raw, Smackdown, Main Event and NXT. This was very time consuming and, after a while, exhausting. I felt that I wanted to do it and needed to do it as I'm a loyal WWE fan. Always have been, might not always be. As the year has gone on I have cut my viewing down to just Raw and NXT and then the actual problem became clearer. Raw was the cause of my reduction.

Don't get me wrong, Smackdown and Main Event have been reduced to throw-away shows in the recent past, but just watching Raw and NXT made it all clear; WWE don't know what they're doing. I know that sounds like a typical IWC/blogger complaint and it will be viewed with the relevant disdain and ignored accordingly, but there must be a reason why I find it easier and easier to NOT watch Raw every week. Admittedly, I watched a good chunk of this weeks show; there seemed to be passable parts of the show and I was intrigued as to why they made certain decisions (bringing back The Authority, for one), but after finishing the cherry picking that I do with Raw, I still felt that I had wasted my time on a show that doesn't seem to know what its doing from week to week.

My biggest issue is that, for the most part, Raw doesn't seem to make sense from week to week. They blow hot and cold on too many people, too often. The examples I'll give are internet darlings and everyone's favourites. I have no favourites or 'horses in the race'; this is probably due to being conditioned not to care about anyone I'm watching. I have come to this conclusion because anytime you put your faith in anyone, they are immediately jobbed out and made to look like a piece of shit. Take Cesaro; he had all the skills to be a top guy as soon as he debuted. He was the US Champion not too long after his debut in 2012. He was a strong, dominant-looking champion for a lot of that time. It seemed as though WWE's lack of main-event guys could be coming to an end. Then he went through a period of being Kofi Kingston (?!) and everyone else's bitch. I forget his 2013 because, as I said before, I'm conditioned to forget about these chumps as soon as I start to care about them. THEN, he went onto win the Andre the Giant Memorial trophy (which I laughed at to start with, but it was a genuine 'thing' that they (WWE) wanted to give to a guy that they seemingly had faith in), a kind-of 'brass ring' in a world where brass rings don't really exist. After this, he seemed to have a huge following and a face run was surely in his future. Nope. Instead he was paired with Paul Heyman in a weird 'anyone we put with Heyman will be the next big thing' situation (because that worked so well for Ryback and Curtis Axel...).

After blowing more hot and cold, Cesaro was then one of the subjects brought up by Steve Austin on his WWE Network podcast with Vince McMahon. Vince, showing wisdom and that he's NOT out of touch, came up with some crap about Cesaro almost being a top guy, but there's still a disconnect with the audience; there's still something that's missing from his game. I know there are those of you that will kiss Vince's ass and defend everything that comes out of his mouth because he owns WWE and has been successful since forever and are the only (big) show left in town, but COME ON, he proved with that segment of the interview that he has no clue how to elevate and find the next 'guy'.

Another guy that has been up and down (even more than Cesaro) is Dolph Ziggler. How many times has this guy got to 'steal the show' (I feel dirty using peoples catchphrases). It is crazy the amount of time this guy has been the best thing going, but he's still in exactly the same spot he was in, like, three years ago. If this was 1997, he would be in the main event picture no questions asked.

And I think that is my biggest hatred of WWE at the moment: Vince and Austin talked about brass rings and doing things that will get you noticed and pushed, but when it comes down to reality, there are NO brass rings and there is a very fine line between doing something that will get you noticed and something that will get you pushed deep down the card or worse, fired. Nobody is going to risk this, apparent, dream job; nobody IS ambitious enough, as Vince said. Everybody is comfortable in their spot, no matter how shit that spot is. I always thought that everyone's goal should be to be World Champion. Obviously, not everyone is going to be that, but everyone should be working as hard as they can so that they MIGHT get that opportunity. I just don't see that anymore. Being 'comfortable' is very apparent with the majority of these guys and the product is suffering EVERY week as a result.

Next on my hatred list is British wrestling. Not all British wrestling, but certain aspects.

Coupled with being disappointed and disillusioned with WWE, British wrestling really pisses me off at times. In 2014, I made it my aim to get around different companies and shows so that I could see what's what and who's good and who's shite. There are very few 'top' companies about. There are also a lot of triers out there and I applaud you. Then there are the absolute shits in 'wrestling' who can't see it or won't admit it. These groups are the absolute f*cking worst and are the reason I use the title of this post. They are the cancer of British wrestling.

Until this group of untrained, disrespectful wannabes goes away, British wrestling, and wrestling in general, will always be seen as a joke and the interest you have that will always attract ridicule and the 'you watch that fake shit?!' comments. I use the word 'disrespectful' because, by attempting to wrestle with little-to-no training and putting shows on - taking peoples hard-earned money – they show disrespect to them show-goers (who, most of the time, have no clue that they're watching the absolute worst in wrestling before it's too late) and it's completely disrespectful to actual wrestlers out there, past or present.

The funniest part of it to me is that the decent wrestlers in this country will still work for these dire 'promoters', giving them justification to run more shows and feel that they are a 'somebody' in British wrestling. Because of the selfishness and back-stabbing in wrestling, I don't see that ever changing. Instead of wiping these crappy, makes-wrestling-look-a-joke 'promotions' out, the complainers (wrestlers) add to the problem by taking, what they see as an easy payday. On one hand, fair play for taking their money, but on the other hand, f*ck you for adding to the problem.

There are other laughable problems in British wrestling, but I'll save them for a later date...

Love

“I couldn't think of a love song that captured my love for wrestling in this part of the post...”

- Jimmo

As negative and angry as the 'hate' section of this post was to write, I do actually have a lot of good things to say about my wrestling viewing in 2014.

As much as I have and will continue to sh*t on WWE, they have one little gem that I hope and pray will remain under the radar; NXT. This show has gotten so good that it recently made WWE's TLC ppv seem like THAT was the developmental show, and a bad one at that! NXT is a simple, short show that is therefore easy on the eye AND the brain. Where they only have an hour to fill, they fill it with good-to-great wrestling, storylines that make sense, go somewhere, and have logical outcomes and consequences that lead onto the next thing for both guys. It has likeable good guys, and bad guys that you have genuine reasons to dislike. So simple.

They also have several additions that are probably BETTER than a lot of the main roster but have to go through developmental because YOU ARE NOTHING BEFORE WWE AND YOU DID NOTHING BEFORE YOU GOT TO FLORIDA!!

I'm really happy that Sami Zayn has remained in developmental for so long because he is being used in the right way and has just completed an epic stroyline that had the appropriate time to be told before being executed. PLEASING! It'll be a sad day when he gets promoted to the main roster to take part in a ginger faction with Sheamus, or some other pointless use.

The women of NXT are also something to behold and respect. That's a rare thing in wrestling as for as long as I've been watching, women have either been sex objects (the first few years of my WWE fandom) or bitchy girls that hate each other (EVERY diva in present day WWE). They are the WORST role models for girls and I'm shocked that any aspiring female wrestler's ambition would be to be a WWE diva. Apart from the fame that comes with it, if you really want to be a wrestler then there are much better places to ply your trade. But I suppose money will always talk louder...

Another place where women (and other groups) are shown in a bright light is Lucha Underground. This has become my newest favourite wrestling thing. It's a TV show that has wrestling as its main thing but has a very different feel to it due to its excellent production; something that WWE should be and wishes it was. It has the best luchadores competing and everyone looks strong even in defeat. Women, Minis and Exoticos join the 'typical' wrestlers in being equals and this is refreshing and great to see. More often than not, the men will win but each of the groups I mentioned have all been built up to make you doubt what you think you know; a little unpredictability is VERY welcome in my wrestling viewing!

My favourite character on the show is Sexy Star. Since her introduction, she has been presented as a strong, no-sh*t-taking fighting female. She mixes it up with the guys and gives as good as she gets. It's so pleasing to see a woman presented in this way; THIS is a role model for girls and women out there – a strong female who kicks ass and doesn't bitch and complain about her fellow women. After years of being conditioned to see women in wrestling as sexy objects, it's one of the best things ever to see them being treated with respect and the way that they should be. I get that WWE made $$ from T 'n' A, but they taught a generation (and some) that women and girls are bitchy and awful, awful people.

The two things that attract me to both NXT and Lucha Underground is the run-time. Take out adverts and each show is just 45 minutes. That is so digestible and easy to watch. I don't care how many extra dollars WWE are making; three hours will catch up with them one day with fewer and fewer people tuning in. 45 minutes is a great amount of time to get your point across and present a pleasing wrestling show. In that time, they make the viewer care about just as many performers as Raw does in three hours. How crazy is that?

I have also given NJPW a chance and have really enjoyed what I've seen so far. It was sold to me that, because the commentary is in Japanese (and I don't speak Japanese), you focus more on the in-ring action. This is very true and as a result, the New Japan action is probably my favourite. It's hard-hitting and 'real' looking. So far the finishes to the matches have ALL been exciting... it's almost like my stone cold heart is melting a little and beating a hell of a lot faster as a match comes to its conclusion! I'm looking forward to the January 4^th NJPW show and a huge part of that is Jim Ross commentating on it. That's the thing that has sold that show to me and I can imagine it will do well in other English speaking countries in the same way.

Whilst listening to The Ross Report, I'm now also very interested in the future of Global Force Wrestling. When I first heard of them earlier this year, my first thought was that I would have nothing to do with them as I am a WWE guy through and through. I'm now in it for myself and if GFW produces a product that has good wrestling, logical storytelling and the best wrestlers doing both of these things, then I will definitely be giving it a chance.

With the improvements of NXT recently and the introduction of Lucha Underground and NJPW (to the American market), as well as GFW starting up, it might be the dawning of a better time with regards to International wrestling in 2015.

On the home front, British wrestling is doing well, too. As I stated in my 'hate' segment, we have a few promotions worth checking out and a few that are... not good. My favourite would have to be Progress wrestling (based in London). My close second would be Chaos wrestling (Bristol). Together, I have come to the decision that these are my 'must-sees' in 2015; that was the beauty of seeing so many different shows this year; I have now whittled it down to my absolute favourites. And now that I have stopped show reviews, I have found that I enjoy a live show a hell of a lot more; not writing down notes all the time has allowed me to just focus on what I'm seeing and I'm happier for it.

Hopefully More Love Than Hate...

Hopefully this has all resonated with you. If not, I still needed to get it off my chest! I will continue to go to wrestling shows (and enjoy them). I will continue to watch what I enjoy and hopefully add things here and there to ADD to my enjoyment rather than irritate me. I really hope that WWE realises its problems, because despite peoples delusions, there ARE problems; basic ones if it is to be the best wrestling show out there. At the moment it's the biggest, but I'm not so sure, with all the other offerings, that it's the best anymore...

Support Wrestling

@jimmosangle

Looking Forward To Wrestlemania 31

Last night, I could have gone to a local wrestling show. After a conversation with a good friend of mine earlier in the week, I convinced myself that my time (and money) would be better suited to doing something that I wouldn't be tearing my hair out over... as easy as it is to get material from the wrestling show in question, I felt that the time had come to move on to things more worthwhile. Instead I went to the gym - one of my new favourite things - as well as doing one of my other, fairly new favourite things: listening to podcasts.

Whilst in the gym, earphones in, I listen to the likes of Steve Austin, Chris Jericho and, my choice this time around, Jim Ross. On this particular episode, he would again refer to the potential Wrestlemania scenario of Brock Lesnar dropping the WWE title to Roman Reigns in a 'passing of the torch'. Although this seems to be the general consensus amongst those in and around wrestling, I can't help feeling that this can't be the only option. For one, I'm still not sold on Reigns being the 'chosen one' just because that's what they want us to believe. He's got a long, long way to go and we're four months away from the biggest show of the year.

JR would also say, as he has done for weeks, that Lesnar's contract might be up right after 'Mania which, inevitably, will do the rounds and become common knowledge, thus confirming the outcome of any such meeting with Reigns at that show not only to smart-ass fans, but everyone else, too. I got thinking about other possibilities and almost came up with half of the card that could be a better option in the long term. I haven't banged on about 'the future' for a while on my blog as WWE seemed to be heading in the right direction with regards to that; finally giving Daniel Bryan his big win, making Bray Wyatt a bigger player (despite the Cena feud), and having all three members of The Shield have relevance as individuals.

The matches below are just some of my ideas that will, hopefully, help following Wrestlemania:

Rusev vs. Randy Orton

This might be a weird match to see but the alternative that is being talked about for Rusev doesn't sound good in the slightest. Rumour has it (as it always does) that Rusev is on his undefeated streak that will lead to a program, and match, with the mighty John Cena at Wrestlemania. Admittedly, that sounds great; a top opportunity for Rusev to step up to the next level and all that. But I really worry for Rusev after this because, in my mind, he's definitely losing that one. It's the ultimate 'Russian guy has been tearing through the roster; who can possibly stop him?... if there's anyone that can, it's John Cena!'. I know that there are those that say that wins and losses don't matter, but in situations like this THEY DO. If Rusev beats Cena then that is a huge feather in his cap as nobody ever beats Cena. Ever. It elevates him. But if he loses then he potentially gets thrown on the scrap heap like everyone else that had an undefeated-something against Cena: please Google Muhammad Hassan and Chris Masters' Masterlock Challenge for examples.

I'm not saying that them two guys were ever going to be top guys, but they had undefeated streaks that came to a crushing end thanks to Cena (not his decision, but you get my point). Bray Wyatt is a strong enough character that he has come back from being obliterated, in feud terms, by Cena earlier this year, but for Rusev things are a little different. It's all about strong wins for him. If, on the lead up to 'Mania, Rusev gets the Accolade on Cena and looks to be a threat then great. But what happens to him once he's disposed of by Cena? I can't keep being convinced that having a feud with Cena, or having matches with Cena automatically 'makes you' or elevates you. If there was a chance of gaining a win from the situation that's brilliant, but if it's just Cena coming out on top EVERYTIME, then how is that productive or making things move forward. It wouldn't hurt for Cena to lose here and there. It literally NEVER happens so if it does, he won't be worse for it; he'll still be the top guy, miles above everyone else. There's literally no downside to him losing one every once in a while.

This is the point of a match with Randy Orton. At the present time, Orton is going to come back as a babyface after the beatdown that he received this week. He's the number two guy in the company after Cena and has been for ten years now. He's at the same level as Cena (just?) except that he's likeable, he hasn't just been a good guy his entire run and his worth as a top guy isn't damaged by losing. In fact it must be even greater as he's the biggest scalp on Roman Reigns' list so far. Therefore if you need a big name against Rusev, why not have him in that role? It showcases Rusev on the biggest stage against one of the biggest names out there with a chance of coming out with a win. Save Cena vs Rusev for a later time where it isn't as crucial. With Rusev vs Orton, you have people wondering who could win. You could have Orton break Rusev's streak and it wouldn't be as much of a roadblock as if Cena were the man for the job. You could also have Rusev win; at Wrestlemania; against one of the top-two guys in the company, and Orton wouldn't lose any value in doing so. Rusev would only gain. WWE would also gain in having an unstoppable heel to go after their newly made star (?), Roman Reigns.

We really need to get away from this pedestalled idea that simply breathing the same air as Cena makes you a star. Sometimes, just sometimes, let's accept that wins are needed to hammer the point home and have that person elevated.

Brock Lesnar vs Cesaro

Now, you're probably thinking 'well if Lesnar's in this spot and Cena's not against Rusev, I know where this is going...' and you'd be right.

IF Lesnar's contract is up right after Wrestlemania and there's no chance of renewal then surely something else needs doing with him. What better use of him than to elevate another guy that has needed such treatment since Wrestlemania this year (and before). There's a link in there with Heyman to make this thing come together, too.

WWE are in dire need of top babyfaces. They have this dream of having Roman Reigns be the next guy but that seems to be the only one that has a rocket strapped to him. Why can't several guys reach that level at the same time? Why can't Dean Ambrose get that sort of attention? What about the ascension of Bray Wyatt? Let's not forget about Daniel Bryan if and when he returns. There's so many guys that could be main event players if the right care and direction is given to them. It just looks like, after Wrestlemania, there will be Cena, Orton and Reigns. That's just one guy different from the year before, or even five years before.

This match, just like the Rusev versus Orton match, could go either way and STILL make Cesaro. Unlike a match versus Cena, it would all be in the performance and a loss wouldn't necessarily kill the person's momentum. If Cesaro is allowed to stand toe-to-toe with Lesnar, have a decent match with him (which he would), trouble Lesnar in places, then after Wrestlemania you'd have another babyface to join up with Reigns going forward. And I say 'babyface' and Cesaro because if he's not already one leading up to Wrestlemania, he definitely will be one after a program with Lesnar (and Heyman).

WWE title: John Cena (c) vs Roman Reigns

As much as people will hate John Cena reaching Ric Flair's milestone amount of World titles, I think it's needed in the ascension of Roman Reigns. If Lesnar is to leave straight after 'Mania then something else needs to happen to make it less predictable for a Reigns win. What better way than to have Reigns have to overcome the biggest test against the guy that “the future has to go through” and all that. Obviously it would be babyface versus babyface with, probably, a portion of the fans in attendance more in Reigns' corner (or maybe a little more than that?!), but it could have a positive outcome in two ways; first, you would give Reigns his big, defining moment against the biggest star in WWE. If he fails after that then he fails. Secondly, you might, and this is a very big might, generate some sympathy and respect for Cena. This is obviously a huge ask and there will be those that still boo the sh*t out of him, but if he were to 'do the honours' at Wrestlemania for the next big star, maybe people would warm to him a little.

OR maybe people won't buy Reigns as the next big thing by Wrestlemania and boo the hell out of both of them?!

A better option?

Conclusion

These are just some of my thoughts last evening and they can be added to all the other fantasy bookers out there. I know it's often said that it's not the result that is important but the journey to get there (Daniel Bryan is a fine example of this earlier this year), but if Reigns isn't ready and they're going to force it upon us (as seems to be the case) then they'll get the reaction that's coming to them.

With Lesnar potentially not re-signing, what better use for him than to elevate a guy, win or lose. It's the same situation with Orton; win or lose, he's not going to suffer from it or have a stigma attached of 'losing to Rusev'. He'll carry on in 2015 doing what he always does. Cena is a different story, though. I hope I haven't come across as a Cena-hater in this piece because I'm really not. I just feel the need to point out the potential damage that losing to Cena could do to up-and-comers.

There seems to be this idea that being in the ring with the guy instantly elevates you. I felt so bad for Bray Wyatt earlier this year because he has such a great character that they can have him around for years. I hate to liken it to being the 'new Undertaker' because I really hope that he'll be the 'first Bray Wyatt' or whatever way you would wish to say he's his own man with his own destiny. He gained nothing from the Cena feud apart from “I had a feud with John Cena”; he had one win over him – not even a pinfall win – due to a creepy, singing kid distracting Cena. I just don't think Rusev in the same position is beneficial to anyone.

If I'm being honest, I don't think that it's NOT going to be Lesnar vs Reigns or Cena vs Rusev, but we can all dream and fantasy book...

One last one: how about Rollins vs Ziggler for the Intercontinental title? It would be one of them classic IC title matches where both guys should be at that level on the stage of Wrestlemania. It would have all the potential to be a showstealer, too. You could even have Rollins attempting to cash-in at the end of the show regardless of the outcome to this match...

I'll shut up now!

@jimmosangle

Tag Teams

After looking through my previous 'match of the day' picks, I realised that I haven't put a tag team match in there yet. Obviously, it's early days and it'll definitely happen, but this also got me thinking of how I view tag team wrestling...

I think that the more and more I listen to JR's (Jim Ross) podcast, the more I'm becoming an old man about my wrestling. A great example of this is agreeing with his view that heels should be heels (cheating, and generally being hated by all fans, as is the job description). Along the lines of this old-school thinking is my view on tag teams. For me, tag teams should be actual teams; they should dress in the same attire (or colours), have a common goal, and, ideally, have a team name. More often than not, this doesn't happen.

Maybe this is just my view and it's been happening forever and I've been blind to it.

When I was growing up, I remember great teams such as The Legion of Doom, The Rockers, The Hart Foundation and The Natural Disasters (maybe not on everyone's list, but at least they had things in common and all the factors that I listed before). Now we have a few 'proper' teams, such as The Usos, The Wyatt Family and... and... I'm at a loss to list more.

Maybe I'm being picky, but Rybaxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and Goldust/Stardust don't quite cut it for me. In both cases, they are TWO individuals that have been thrown together because creative had nothing for them. Proof of this is their current best-of-157 that they seem to be having on weekly TV. In the past, this 'throwing guys together' had a purpose, and maybe it still does; one of the great teams I mentioned earlier, The Hart Foundation, were originally formed as there was nothing for Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart to do. Throw in Jimmy Hart and this team's future wrote itself. Sadly, that same spark hasn't been seen since between two individuals floating in the wind.

There's also been several pairings of individuals for the purpose of furthering a feud. Stone Cold and Shawn Michaels were tag team champions; Stone Cold and Undertaker were, too; rivals Kane and Big Show also captured the gold. My reason for including these examples is that there were two individuals, thrown together, that, somehow, became 'the men' of the tag division at that time.

I realise that to further these feuds, these makeshift teams needed something big to emphasise their demise, and continue their feud, but winning the tag team gold each time from proper teams isn't the way to go, is it? Surely, this weakens the tag division each time? It's probably cool years later to say "did you know that despite having great matches and great rivalries, these two guys were tag team champions with each other, too?", but at the time it says that anyone can team together for a week and beat these other sh*tty tag teams that have been working together for months/years.

Other than being black, what made Kofi and Truth a team?

I read a couple of Brandon Stroud's (uproxx.com) columns on Raw and NXT, and one of his beefs just lately has been proper tag teams losing to two guys that have been thrown together. Not just two guys that have been thrown together, but two guys that struggle to coexist, but STILL manage to pull off the win against guys who apparently SPECIALISE in this type of wrestling.

It's somewhat different on the UK scene, as a show or promotion doesn't have the luxury of having a weekly TV spot. Therefore, if you're a tag team guy then, generally, you're a tag team guy for a long, long time. Teams such as The Alpha Males, Bhangra Knights, London Riots, Magnums and Hunter Bros., are generally booked as a team for the tag team match of a particular show. All these teams have the characteristics that I mentioned earlier in this post.

@jimmosangle

Match of the Day: Austin vs Angle

This is a few days late, as it was a busy last half to last week...

Raw - Monday 8th October 2001 - WWF Championship: Kurt Angle (c) vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

As I continue to look through the Invasion angle of 2001, I was looking through heel turns of the angle. I found this one where Commissioner Regal turned his back on the WWF by setting up the finish to allow Stone Cold to regain the WWF Championship.

This was probably "known" or "predicted" by most smart-arse wrestling fans who like to suck the enjoyment out of it for everyone, but for me it was another great twist to this angle that I enjoyed.

I loved it that Regal ejected Debra and sat at ringside himself to ensure fairness throughout. He then stopped Austin at every opportunity from getting a steel chair. As Austin retrieved the title belt and entered the ring, Regal again entered the ring to intervene, taking the belt from Austin only to turn around and smash Angle with it.

The best part about the finish for me was that Austin didn't get the job done with that belt shot, so was forced to use his ultimate trump card in using the Stone Cold Stunner - how great does it make your finish look if it ends up being more definitive than a chair shot. Superb!

Two other things of note here is that you have two of the best in the ring (three, if you count Regal) along with two of the best on commentary in JR and Paul Heyman; massively underrated as a pairing, playing off each other so well. Heyman, in particular is how a colour commentator SHOULD act - COMPLETELY on the heel's side.

@jimmosangle

How WWE Brings In New Talent

The big news in wrestling this past week is that of WWE signing Prince (Fergal) Devitt. Obviously, with his following in the UK and, probably more-so, Japan, there was always going to be a buzz about him signing with WWE and how great that can potentially be, but it really surprised me that it was an actual story on WWE.com. Maybe I don't check that site too often, but I don't recall any other signings getting that type of news article by WWE, themselves. Kenta is also a notable signing in the last few weeks that falls under this same surprise.

It got me thinking that despite there being no competition to WWE these days, they still made a fuss over someone that is seen as a potential star of the future. It seems that over the years they have signed the best that the indys have to offer and just, quietly, implemented them into the developmental system. There never seems to be any hype made about any signings apart from amongst the fans themselves.

The Way We Were...

This got me thinking of the some of the most high-profile signings that WWE have acquired in the past. Maybe WWE have signed people since but the biggest names that come to mind were Chris Jericho in 1999 and the four 'Radicalz' (Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko and Saturn) in 2000. 'High profile' if you're a wrestling fan, of course.

Perry Saturn, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko

My point here is that when these guys moved across from WCW, I didn't know too much about them. Other fans that watched both WWF and WCW would know who all these guys were, but I was, and still am, a WWF-only kid, so these guys were kind of strangers and unknown quantities to me. The same could be said of Prince Devitt and Kenta.

When Jericho was brought in, he interrupted The Rock - the biggest WWF star at the time - and went onto capture the Intercontinental title not too long after. A little over two years later he would become the FIRST undisputed champion. The four Radicalz all made their mark on their debuts and would be involved in high-level feuds straight away. All four would also be champions not long after joining. Not only were they champions, but highly regarded champions in their individual divisions.

What's Changed?

Obviously, the death of WCW was going to change things. While they were around, WWF talents could jump ship to them and cause a stir and vice versa. After Vince bought them, where would that excitement of new talent coming in come from? Obviously, former WCW guys that were still under contract with Time Warner could wait it out and then make waves down the road - as was the case with Hogan, Nash, Hall, Goldberg, Steiner etc etc - but eventually that would dry up and WWE would become (have become) the only 'place to work'. Them guys weren't exactly 'new', anyway.

OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling) produced a pretty impressive class of 2002, when the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista and Brock Lesnar graduated and, over the course of the next two years, became the future of the WWE that we still see today. These were all young, WWE-bred guys and would be the last crop of truly 'big' stars.

Lesnar with another 2002 graduate, Shelton Benjamin

In the late-2000s, WWE would start to recruit the best that the indys had to offer in Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Cesaro etc. The difference with these guys was that they had to have a name change, as well as being sent to a developmental area - to 'learn' how to wrestle the WWE way. I'm not saying that that's necessarily a bad thing, as I'm sure they were more than happy to learn a new style(s). More importantly, they had a job in the big-time; whatever sh*t came their way, they would eat, I suppose.

The Performance Centre And The Way It Is

In 2014, the WWE Performance Centre is just over a year old. It has loads and loads of potential 'stars of the future' coming and going all the time. I can imagine that it's THE place to learn and train. In turn, NXT is where hopefuls go to try their luck and see if they can make it on that first rung of the ladder. But should everyone have to go through this process?

The main thing that I want to point out in this post is why should the likes of Devitt and Kenta have to start out in NXT? I love NXT, but it is the part of wrestling where you learn and take part in your apprenticeship. Surely, guys like Devitt and Kenta have travelled the world, they have picked up experience along the way (that will, undoubtedly, be invaluable to the future guys coming through the ranks), and could quite easily make an impact on the main WWE roster just like Jericho, Benoit and co. did fifteen years ago?

Fergal Devitt

Why can't this 'developmental system' way of doing things be changed up so that the standout stars, such as Devitt or Kenta have vignettes aired and then be showcased on the main WWE roster; WWE have made the effort of advertising these guys as 'important' by announcing their signings, so why not continue that hype on their major TV slots instead of the show that is only on the WWE Network... or maybe I've just answered my own question...

The Realisation...

Whether this is a business move to get people watching NXT, and in-turn, SUBSCRIBE to the WWE Network or not, the way in which talent is introduced to the 'WWE Universe' (I hate that term for 'fans'!) should be decided by a case-by-case system. If someone has the experience and talent when you sign them - such as the hyped, advertised Devitt or Kenta - then get them on your MAIN TV show. Let the ex-football players, models and others fill up the lower ranks with the second generation guys and lesser indy wrestlers.

Devitt and Kenta are 33-years-old. A couple of years in developmental means that you bring them up to the main roster when they're 35. They THEN have to go through sh*tty gimmicks for a while before finding their feet (Devitt will probably be lumbered with some crappy, racist Irish gimmick or be Sheamus' little buddy!)... they're not 24 like Orton or Lesnar were when they got their break so highlight their talents NOW!

@jimmosangle

THAT Heyman promo...

When Brock Lesnar returns for a run or match, and is flanked by Paul Heyman, we see how mediocre WWE really is from week to week. Heyman is a genius and from a time when you wouldn't just get your promo handed to you on a piece of paper.

For as long as I've seen him, he has probably been one of the best 'promo guys', as they're known, that there ever has been.

For those that didn't see this from Monday night, or aren't into WWE, or whatever, take a look at the best promo in a VERY LONG TIME...

He makes all the points needed heading towards Lesnar's Summerslam match with Cena. He, unlike anyone else in the company today, hits the nail on the head with everything that he says.

This video is missing the couple of minutes before, when Heyman explains why 'Plans A & B' aren't working and the need for 'Plan C'... if you can, find this bit, too, as it just adds to his arguement.

Oh, and one of the best bits, for me, was when Brock's music hits: look at the smile that takes over Heyman's face as his master plan starts to take shape...

Promos like these make the [rumoured] inevitability of him beating Cena worth it; sometimes, if the story is good then predictability isn't the worse thing in the world.

@jimmosangle

Match of the Day: Lance Storm vs Edge (Summerslam 2001)

I've been watching the Invasion angle from 2001 lately, and it's some of the only stuff that has kept me hooked from my random picking of the WWE Network. There's been some really good stuff so far, with matches between guys that you wouldn't have thought about before Vince bought WCW.

With Summerslam coming up next on the PPV calendar, I started watching Summerslam 2001. This was in the middle of the Invasion era and had WWF playing catch up due to them losing the Inaugural Brawl (thanks to Stone Cold turning on them in favour of the Alliance).

Edge was first up, challenging Lance Storm for the Intercontinental Championship, hoping to bring the title back 'home' to the WWF. After hearing Storm on a few podcasts lately, and having a much bigger appreciation for his work, I was eager to get immersed in one of his matches. The tag match that he and Mike Awesome had with Edge and Christian at the Invasion PPV was decent, but the one-on-one match between he and Edge was pleasing just to see him do his thing on his own.

Summerslam 2001 - IC title: Lance Storm vs Edge (part 1)

Summerslam 2001 - IC title: Lance Storm vs Edge (part 2)

Note: Both videos are from Dailymotion. Alternatively, you can find these on the WWE Network.

@jimmosangle

WWE Battleground thoughts

Battleground wasn't that bad really. A few, nice little surprises, if I'm honest.

The Usos and The Wyatts had the match of the night in the opener, but it surprised me that Jimmy and Jey retained. Surely, the script should have been different, given that they've been feuding a while and The Usos retained at Money in the Bank. Next should've been a title change, right? It's kind of due, isn't it?

It was a great match, and The Wyatts have a pinfall - as part of the 2 out of 3 falls stipulation - but that type of match is kind of a feud-ender, no? If so, The Usos have just done to Harper and Rowan what Cena did to Wyatt... yes, he's better for the opportunity of working with Cena, but he was outshined and owned when it was all said and done. Same kind of thing goes for Harper and Rowan.

They're probably drawing this out until Summerslam, though. The wrong Uso probably got the pin or something.

I loved the encounters throughout the night between Rollins and Ambrose. People were a little p*ssed that they didn't have a match but we all need to look at a bigger picture: sometimes the story progresses without a match. With Ambrose crazy-attacking Rollins, even when it was thought that he was gone for the night, and no match happening, it all points towards a Summerslam meeting; a much bigger stage to showcase the most interesting feud that there is at the moment. Now we get a few more weeks of these two and that can only be a good thing - I like long feuds because more layers can be added and more fuel can be added to the fire, which equals more investment into this feud - that's missing WAY TOO MUCH these days so I'm all for it.

Another match that now has some more legs is Rusev and Swagger. They really went out of their way to protect Swagger here, having him lose by countout. Nobody's gotten that close to blemishing Rusev's record yet and Swagger seems to be gaining support each week (even though he's an awkward looking face!). I know that they wanted to feed guys to Rusev and you can't give everyone that countout protection, but I feel that Big E deserved that type of deal against Rusev.

Who'd have thought it would be the less-popular one of the Real Americans to get the main gig against Rusev? AGAIN, these guys will bring the USA vs Russia feud to a bigger stage in Summerslam, where Swagger now has a better chance than we'd have given him before. Ultimately, Rusev will probably CRUSH him to move onto bigger things (a US title quest?).

The Intercontinental title battle royal annoyed me a bit. Loads of people in one match for the sake of getting them TV time. Zack Ryder, Diego, Khali, Woods and R-Truth (amongst other jobbers) were in this match with ABSOLUTELY no chance of winning. Surely they could've gotten enough mileage out of having JUST the main contenders; the ones that are relevant and have been presented as having a chance: Miz has just returned, is a former champ and seems to have a new character that they're getting behind. Sheamus is the current US champ and why not hint that there's a chance of unification? Rybaxel are borderline here, but Axel is a former, cr*p IC champion and Ryback has had feuds with WWE champions; both are still on TV every week. Cesaro is a win away from being something special. Big E is the last former IC champion, so why not? Alberto Del Rio has been pottering around the mid-to-upper card for a couple of years now so why not use his threat? And Dolph Ziggler has such a following of people that think he'll get a chance... one day. Bo Dallas has been getting loads of time lately, too. That's nine guys, who all have a credible claim to the title without putting all these jobbers in that we KNOW will NOT win that title! Nine credible guys only would mean that there'd be a much better chance of unpredictability.

Anyway, it was nice once it got whittled down to the actual contenders. Heath Slater did well to stay and get a pop. AND the ending leaves the door open to giving Ziggler something credible to aim for... hmmmm...

ANNNNNNDDDDD Cena won LOL (and I hate using 'LOL'...)

@jimmosangle

The Stuff That You Hated; I Liked

The WWE Network seems to have tonnes of stuff on, but nothing that keeps my attention for very long. I get five, ten, maybe even fifteen minutes into most stuff and find myself doing other things, so turn whatever I attempted to watch off.

This morning I find myself giving Invasion 2001 a chance, and so far it has my full attention. In fact, it got me thinking about that angle, in general.

Over the years, I've heard a lot of people bitch and moan about that angle, but I remember it very fondly. I was about eighteen at the time and remember being on holiday for a two week period of it, where I would find a TV to watch the Raw or Smackdown that was on that week (and, I believe, a PPV might have been around that time, too).

Most people's beef with the angle is that it didn't involve some of the big-time WCW players; your Goldbergs, Hogans, Lugers etc... this never really bothered me. I never really watched WCW anyway, so Booker T or DDP were more than good enough for me. Ultimately, they were WCW guys no matter how you look at it. To me it felt like an invasion; surely that was the point?

I'm not saying that heel turns should happen all the time, but around that time there seemed to be heel turns happening all over the place and I loved that the most: it was so unpredictable; you didn't know when someone would switch allegiances. Off the top of my head, Regal turned and became the WCW Commissioner, Kurt Angle switched to The Coalition, Christian did, too (although his was coming for a long time due to his uneasy situation with Edge). Obvously, the biggest turn that really started the war was when Stone Cold Steve Austin joined Shane and Stephanie after a short-lived face turn.

There are only about two eras, or long-term angles, that I remember with a smile. My return to wrestling at Wrestlemania XV in 1999 and the attitude that followed that year will always stay with me, and the Invasion angle was a rollercoaster ride that I LOVED. Yes, it could've been better with the addition of all the big boys of WCW, but that's easy to say looking back thirteen years. AT THE TIME, it was completely satisfying watching week after week; the bottom line for me was that WCW and ECW (a decent ECW roster, by the way) were 'invading' and that was the best thing that could've happened after the previous few years of the Monday Night Wars.

Let's face it, that was the end of any competition that WWE ever had. So saviour it for what it was!

I'll finish where I started: If anyone can point me in the direction of something on the Network that WILL keep me interested, please tweet me suggestions!

@jimmosangle

Match of the Day: Cesaro vs Regal

William Regal vs Antonio Cesaro - NXT, 25/12/2013

This week I've picked something that is a little more up-to-date than the previous couple of weeks offerings. This is from over the Christmas period from the end of last year.

If you want some top wrestling action and Raw isn't quite doing it for you, you'd do a lot worse than tune into NXT (either via the Network or find it online) where wrestling seems to matter over the 'sports entertainment' aspect. This is particularly apparent with the current NXT Champion, Adrian Neville, who is undoubtedly a very talented wrestler, but isn't quite the sports-entertainer that he'll need to be to make the step up to the main roster. But I digress...

The match that I have chosen this week is a great mat-based, technical bout between two of the best - one who's been there and seen it all, and one who is just starting out with regards to the bigger leagues of American wrestling (WWE). BOTH are more-than experienced and skilled in what they do, however.

Since this match, I have witnessed similar, mesmerising encounters on the UK scene with Zack Sabre Jr taking on Pete Dunne and Low Ki (both at different Triple X Wrestling shows). I still can't put my finger on what exactly kept me enthralled. Maybe an appreciation for the story being told and the battle that was happening in front of me at the time?

Whatever the reason, I found all of these matches really easy to watch and, also, easy to get immersed in. I felt as if I would be missing out on something by missing a single hold or sequence.

First of all, watch the promos by both Regal and Cesaro, then enjoy their match (third video down):

I'm pretty sure that these guys didn't use the ropes ONCE throughout the match. How often do you see that these days and STILL enjoy a match?

Great stuff...

@jimmosangle

Hiatus: A Lot Can Change In Six Years (Match of the Day)

I want to start doing a regular 'match of the week' here on the blog and this week I came up with the idea of highlighting my falling out of wrestling and then finding it again as the focal point.

I always remember watching WWF as a kid (around the age of nine or ten) as a result of a couple of friends that lived up the road from me. They would lend me video tapes of the latest events. This would stop, for whatever reason, in about 1993. Maybe they knew how sh*t things were going to get in the next few years, and thus, saved me from it?!

Bret Hart vs Yokozuna... my last match for a few years...

The last thing I remember from that time was watching Wrestlemania IX (9), where, my hero, Bret Hart would defend his WWF Championship against the 500lb giant, Yokozuna. Now, in my mind, Bret was NEVER going to lose. He'd done the impossible at the Royal Rumble and locked the Sharpshooter on the gangly legs of Razor Ramon. Yokozuna wouldn't put up any challenge when it came to Bret's match-winning submission, would he?

Unfortunately, he did. Well, Mr Fuji was on hand to throw 'salt' in the eyes of The Hitman, leading to Yoko rolling him up for the pin and win. New Champion. sh*t.

The worst was to still to come.

Following this heartbreaking moment in my young life, Hulk Hogan would come to ringside to check on Bret, but REALLY he was there to sneak his way into another title shot. Luckily for him, Yoko and Mr Fuji extended the opportunity, and who would Hogan be not to accept? In steps Hogan and all that time building Yoko up over the months got sh*t on in a matter of minutes. OF COURSE Hogan would be the guy to EASILY knock the immovable object down?! And, unfortunately, OF COURSE he would be the one to stand tall at the end of Wrestlemania holding his newly won championship.

"What's that? A title match, you say?... see ya, Bret!!"

As young as I was, I'm pretty sure I was sick of Hogan. He always won; it wasn't unpredictable - and I was only nine-years-old?! I'm surprised that the nine-year-olds of today aren't trying to murder John Cena for his EVEN LONGER Hogan-esque run?!

Here is my last memory (without the Hogan part!) before I got back into wrestling:

Bret 'Hitman' Hart vs Yokozuna - Wrestlemania IX

Six long years passed.

I'm not sure what happened between 1993 and 1999, but that was the period of time that I didn't watch any wrestling. Maybe as a kid I had better things to do; bikes to ride; football took over? I have no idea. I will forever be grateful to my pal, Jeff, for letting me watch Wrestlemania XV (15) at his house, as it, in some ways, shaped me into the person that I am today. Despite how PG it has become, I think I'll always be loyal to watching wrestling in some form and that night, in late March 1999, amazed me.

To this day, Wrestlemania XV will always be my favourite Wrestlemania. I got into the Attitude Era a little later than others, and for them, Wrestlemania XIV (14) was the best that they had seen. For me, WMXV had everything. I'd never seen a Hardcore match, let alone a Hardcore Championship match contested in a triple threat. I'd only seen Owen Hart in matches with Skinner (losing). I'd never really seen a friend (Triple H) turn on another friend (X-Pac)... and I hadn't seen anything like the characters and attitude portrayed like that of Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. These guys hooked me in that night, NEVER to let me go.

My Match of the Day this week is that main event:

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock - Wrestlemania XV

I think it's obvious to say that that era shaped a lot of what wrestling fans enjoyed, expected and wanted. Even to this day, them same fans, me included, want something that resembles the passion, attitude and desire to entertain week after week that the product offered back then. It's a hard pill to swallow that that might never happen due to pleasing the sponsors and shareholders, but there you go...

We'll always have the Network and Youtube to provide us with endless hours of memories...

@jimmosangle

Heels acting like heels...

I've really gotten into podcasts just lately, with JR's, Steve Austin's and Chris Jericho's being the top of my list. After listening to several from the last few months, I'm finally catching up and will be up-to-date with the latest ones in the next couple of days!

Today I finished JR's chat with Lance Storm from last week. I only really saw Storm in the WWE (from 2001 onwards) so am unfamiliar with his work in ECW and WCW, but from everything that you hear or read, he seems a great 'student of the game', as JR would say. This podcast was really interesting and brought up two excellent points. The first is one that JR repeats every week on his podcast, but is such a great point and more relevant now than ever before:

Heels acting like heels
I completely agree with JR's take on heels. For him, heels should cheat to win (at times) and portray the bad guy at every turn. He and Lance point out that Bray Wyatt's 'He's Got The Whole World In His Hands' being sung by the audience or Cesaro's Swing (or, for me, Swagger and Coulter having the audience participate in the 'We The People') are detrimental to what they should be trying to achieve - being a hated figure.

Storm points out that if the audience join in with a song, such as Wyatt's situation, then that part of the act should be changed immediately.

Bottom line is, if the heels are being cheered, even a little, then the babyface isn't going to be rooted for as much as he should. If the heel is hated, as should be the case, then the audience will want nothing more than to see them get their comeuppance. The payoff will be that much sweeter.

Wrestling schools
Throughout the podcast, JR plugs Storm's wrestling school several times. This pleased me greatly. I've done a couple of articles on the subject of training and the importance of it, and this furthered that point and, hopefully, pointed some youngsters in the right direction. Storm's school is in Canada, so a little far away for most in the UK. There was also mention of Booker T's school in Texas and The Dudleys' school, too. I'm not sure where others are in America, but it seems that, if you really want to be in the business, there are plenty of REPUTABLE places that you could go to learn your trade.

I hope that the UK can boast the same one day. We do have some schools that are worth your time if you're serious about becoming a well-trained, SAFE wrestler, but there are also the shoddy, should-never-be-touched places that lead youngsters to believe that they are receiving the 'right' kind of training. I get that money can be an issue in this scenario, but don't settle for second (or third or fourth) best - get the best training possible from guys that have been places and know their stuff.

@jimmosangle

Match of the Day: Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect

After a discussion, round a mate's house, about our favourite wrestling matches, I've decided I'll throw a few of my favourites on here. To kick this off, I'll start with the match that got me into wrestling. I'm not sure if I was a Bret Hart fan before this match or if this is what made me one, but their Summerslam (1991) match entertained the sh*t out of me and still makes my hair stand on end!

Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect - Summerslam 1991

I have always been a Bret Hart fan and this was his first crowning glory for me. It was the start of his ascent to the top of the WWF. It was also from a time when the Intercontinental Champion was a fighting champion; a wrestling champion. Whilst the main event was filled with attractions like Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and The Undertaker, the mid-card had Bret, Perfect, Piper and eventually Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon would continue the trend of the belt being contested in the 'workhorse' match on the card. To be the Intercontinental Champion, in some ways, was more important than the World title; to be trusted with this belt was a sign of where you should go in the company. Obviously, some fell at this hurdle, too, but for the most, the Intercontinental Championship was a great challenge to see if you could make that next step up.

@jimmosangle

I Don't Get The Logic...

Roman Reigns will compete for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the next pay-per-view (special event, whatever) in a Fatal Four Way with Randy Orton, Kane and champ John Cena. I don't get it. Why does he have this opportunity?

Was it purely for the pop that it got when Triple H announced it?

It's been a few days since and it still doesn't sit well with me. I even caught the Triple H weekly interview with Michael Cole this morning and his explanation is that it was 'best for business' and all that. He also pointed out: "did you hear the reactions from the WWE Universe for Roman Reigns?". Since when did reactions matter to The Authority? Daniel Bryan got huge reactions for months and months but was never GIVEN title matches against their guy (Orton).

Now, granted, John Cena isn't their guy and they've made that clear, but putting the guy you hate the most (Reigns) in the match doesn't make sense at all. Surely if you want to stack the deck against Cena then the 'hard way' would be Randy Orton, Kane and Seth Rollins, y'know, the other guy that you have in your back pocket. As it stands he doesn't have a match at Battleground (yes, he'll probably be against Ambrose, but as of THAT moment, he didn't have an opponent).

Roman Reigns

If there was a further reason to add to why Reigns shouldn't be in the match, then it's that he is directly feuding with HHH. Bryan was against all of them and the title was the ultimate goal. Reigns has held the belts up etc etc, but his main beef seems to be with HHH (don't let it fool you that Orton is there; they have to give him something to do). That's probably the biggest reason NOT to put him in the match; he is defying YOU.

I regularly read a column by Brandon Stroud (The Best and Worst of Raw - Uproxx.com) and he made the best point of all: Seth Rollins turned on his Shield brothers to 'evolve' and get opportunities; he now has possession of the MITB briefcase, fair enough. But, at the same time, Ambrose had that SAME opportunity and now Roman Reigns will have had TWO title matches on consecutive pay-per-views... who's getting the best deal there??

Was this match made the way it was simply because you have to have two babyfaces and two heels in these types of matches?

@jimmosangle

WWF Magazines For Sale On Ebay

Just to get more eyes on this...

I am currently in the process of putting some old WWF Magazines on Ebay. They are from the back end of 1999 through to the first half of 2001.

The Rock cover; July 1999

I've only put the ones from 1999 on Ebay so far just to test the waters and see if there is any interest... if so then I'll be putting the others on.

The Brood cover; August 1999

If you're interested or know someone that might be then search for me on Ebay and check out the magazines that I have on offer! My Ebay username is 'jimmo2004'... search for this and take a look! OR click this link to get straight to the items: Jimmo's Ebay items (link)

Mick Foley/Mankind cover; December 1999

@jimmosangle

Fantasy Booking

Not done much content on here for a bit so thought I would do something short and sweet...

I've just got through Money in the Bank; really good show, kept me interested for the most (apart from Layla vs Summer... yawn) with two pretty decent ladder matches - especially the MITB ladder match.

Obviously Cena won (anybody in any doubt of that??) and we'll get our Cena vs Lesnar Summerslam match, that, let's face it, is the best it was going to be. Sorry to the people out there that was hoping for a Cesaro or a Wyatt or a Roman Reigns win but that just wouldn't have been the best thing right now. Great to 'make' someone at anytime but now's not that time.

I got thinking about Wrestlemania next year with all the talk of Reigns going for the title then. Fair enough. What gets him to that point, though?

I'm thinking that at Summerslam it's Brock vs Cena for the title, where Brock gets his win back (not that he should've lost to Cena in the first match?!) and Reigns goes up against Triple H to elevate him. THEN, Brock (in his limited appearances) comes back here and there and destroys everyone put in front of him (because, y'know, he broke the streak and should be IMMORTAL now...), even getting to the point where The Authority can't control him so they enlist the help of the only guy that they feel could get the job done: Roman Reigns...

You know, that 'we hated each other, but you proved me wrong and you are someone to be reckoned with' kind of thing... LEADING to Reigns' big moment at Wrestlemania 31 where he beats the unbeatable, streak-ending, champion of this, champion of that Brock Lesnar, becomes a 'star' in the process (?) and hopefully gets a better run than Daniel Bryan had this year...

@jimmosangle

Christian Hating...

And this isn't a religious thing...

So, Christian returned (again) and 'earned' a spot in the Elimination Chamber match. I don't even like The Miz, but to steal his crappy catchphrase - 'REALLY??'.

I know that there are a lot of Christian fans out there that will defend him whatever the case may be, but I really don't understand his appeal OR him being deserving of the spot that he takes up every time he returns from injury. He came back in similar fashion last year to compete in the 'Allstar' Money in the Bank ladder match before having a forgettable feud with Worthless Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio - and that's a dig at the championship rather than Del Rio.

Christian defeats Jack Swagger on Smackdown

This time around he is completely out of his depth as that title has now been swallowed up into a newer, seemingly more prestigious championship - the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. To retain a level of prestige, only a certain few should be challenging for it and deemed a serious contender. Christian isn't one of them.

Let me explain what I think this.

Yes, Christian is a two-time World Heavyweight Champion (let's not kid ourselves thinking him being a two-time ECW Champion means anything) but that in itself is a joke. In my opinion, Edge retired and his little 'brother' was there enough in reality and storyline to warrant a title match - thus prolonging the wait for a Del Rio reign. Christian is Intercontinental or US Championship level; always has been.

And I don't care how long he's been with the company, either (see also Killings, Ron).

If you discount his run in that Mickey-Mouse-organisation (TNA), he's been around the WWE since 1998. This doesn't entitle him to be in the main event (see also Killings, Ron). He was always in Edge's shadow throughout their run and stood out briefly in 2001 when he turned on his brother.

Prestigious title; crap company

The bottom line is he's had his time, he's won a hell of a lot of championships and was one-half of a very successful tag team. Unfortunately, injuries have played their part in killing any momentum that he gains and the last two years have highlighted this further.

As for the other Chamber qualifier - Antonio Cesaro - no, he's not a threat at the moment, but DESERVES a chance to shine. Cesaro's opponent on Smackdown this past week - Dolph Ziggler - deserves even more than that; see video below...

Dolph Ziggler's WWE App promo (Smackdown 31/1/2014)

As I've said in previous articles; the older guys (Christian; RVD) need to step aside and let the younger, hungrier guys have the spotlight (see also Batista, Dave for 'older guy steals spotlight from younger guys').

@jimmosangle

I'd Appreciate Your Input 5: Elimination Chamber

It's been a while since I've done an I'd Appreciate Your Input, but something got me looking ahead to the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view this week.

I know we're just a day away from the Royal Rumble, but it seems unanimous that the returning Batista is a certainty to win it. So that got me thinking "what happens at Elimination Chamber?"...

Batista returns to confront Orton

Let's say for argument's sake Batista does win the Royal Rumble. He is then a fix to main event Wrestlemania and challenge the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Therefore at Elimination Chamber I would have thought a throwaway, make-the-animal-look-strong match will be on offer - maybe Batista vs Del Rio (as a result of all the big talk Del Rio has had for Batista in the lead-up to his return).

What then for the WWE World Championship and the Elimination Chamber?

I know it's not set in stone, but Brock Lesnar laid claim to being the number one contender a few weeks ago. He, along with mouthpiece Paul Heyman, stated that whoever won the Orton/Cena match would face him at Elimination Chamber... therefore what is the point of the Elimination Chamber match this year?

Brock F5s Mark Henry

If WWE are going with Batista to win the Rumble then surely his number one contendership for Wrestlemania isn't in doubt. If Brock is the number one contender for Elimination Chamber then that leaves nothing to play for in an Elimination Chamber match.

I'd Appreciate Your Input on:

• IF it's Batista vs Del Rio and Brock vs Orton/Cena (WWE title) then what do you think the purpose of an Elimination Chamber match will be this year?

• OR will Brock's claim for a title match at Elimination Chamber be contested by others leading to a Chamber match involving say, Orton, Cena, Bryan, Punk and Big Show (likeliest?)?

As with the previous posts; any feedback is welcome in the comments field below as well as contacting me on Twitter - @jimmosangle. You can also comment on the Facebook post on the Jimmo's Angle page.

@jimmosangle