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

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

Unification: Are we turning a corner?

Despite it being last month that the WWE unified the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships, I thought with the Royal Rumble approaching it was about the right time to give my thoughts on the unification.

To start with I just wanted to share my problems with the unification... three things really bothered me going into the match and since...

Firstly, the amount of time they gave to build the 'most important match in WWE history'. Three weeks. That's how much time you give to this type of match (which, if it's that important, why are you having it under TL-f*cking-C rules??!). Luckily, they had two guys (Cena and Orton) who were competent enough to sell the match with that much time until the PPV. Along with the history-video-packages, they did a nice job.

The second problem I had was with how 'prestigious' the World Heavyweight Championship was going into the match. Now that the match is over, it doesn't really matter that it was completely worthless for as long as I can remember; it just gets added to the pile of stuff that happened and is forgotten about, thus letting WWE off for the poor job that they've done with the title all this time. As I've said in a previous article; I LOVE how Michael Cole repeatedly says that the World Title is 'prestigious' and we're meant to listen and eat that crap until it tastes good. The biggest problem with this World Heavyweight Championship is that it is NOT the World Heavyweight Championship that they are claiming it is, which leads me to my third problem...

Chris Jericho was the first Undisputed Champion in December 2001. This happened. I have proof... and yet this has been completely overlooked (apart from an explanation from Michael Cole on an episode of Smackdown where he made reference to it and gave more fuel to the argument's fire). When Jericho unified the WWF and WCW Championships, the newly created 'Undisputed Championship' swallowed the lineage of both titles. The 2002 reintroduction of the World Title was therefore a new title that looked freakishly like the 'big gold belt' from WCW's run (weird, eh?) but would have its own path now.

See! PROOF!!

I also got to thinking that back in 2001, Austin, Rock, Jericho and Angle - the four biggest stars at that time - sold that mini-tournament (along with bosses Vince and Flair (16 time World Champion)) on their own... The 2013 unification match had an ensemble of former World Champions in the ring such as Jack Swagger, Christian and Rey Mysterio - what an embarrassment in comparison.

Luckily, WWE have chosen their words wisely and the title is now called the WWE World Heavyweight Championship - which, I suppose, they can rightly call Randy Orton the FIRST ever holder of.

Now before this spins off into a huge negative rant of what I didn't like about the unification match build, the point of this article is to explore the future and the possibilities that can stem from having only ONE unified champion in WWE.

I think it is a great move provided the WWE gives it the proper attention needed to make it the biggest prize available to WWE Superstars. The same can now be said for the Intercontinental Championship, which should surely be held in a higher regard now.

Intercontinental Championship

With the World Heavyweight Championship unified, it should now be the job of the Intercontinental Championship to be the stepping stone on your way to the main event (as the case always used to be). This should never have been the job of the World Heavyweight Championship in any case: if you hold the World Championship it shouldn't be your test to see if you can then hold the WWE Championship. This is where WWE went wrong with this belt and its decline in prestige was inevitable.

Big E Langston is the current IC Champion and things already seem to be heading in the right direction. He is a strong champion already (only having the title for a matter of weeks). He has had stand-out matches with Damien Sandow and Fandango in his run so far and they have been different from the norm; he has been challenged and tested; it hasn't simply been a walk in the park. He has had to earn his wins; and they have been clean wins. The only downsides to these matches are that a regular program hasn't come from these matches. Despite him defeating Damien Sandow, I felt that a series of matches/feud could've happened to elevate both guys, and the title, further. We'll see as time passes, I suppose...

A clear division is also coming together, too. As I said earlier, with one World Champion on the show, the mid-card title has now got a purpose and a more obvious spot on the show. With this being the case, a group of contenders are vital and I believe that this has been thought about and put together nicely in the last few weeks. Big E (Champion) has already taken on two worthy opponents in Sandow and Fandango. Tied in with those guys is Dolph Ziggler - who, let's face it, with one World Champion about is going to have to earn his stripes all over again to be considered for the main event. WWE also attempted to raise the stock of both Kofi Kingston and The Miz. I think with The Miz' motivation and face/heel dynamic being unclear here, it hurt their program and it didn't pan out as they had hoped. Both guys are kind of back to the drawing board again.

Needed Returns

I did an article a few months ago on the Unneeded Returns of RVD and Christian. As it stands, I was right to say that they were short-term, who-gives-a-f*ck returns as both guys were never really given the ball to run with in their respective WWE/WHC quests.

On the other hand, with Wrestlemania season getting under way, we're going to get some welcome returns, short-term or otherwise. Brock Lesnar made his return this past week on Raw and looked dominant as soon as he walked out. This is the thing I love about Brock; he legitimately looks mean, angry and like he could kill you at any given moment. There just isn't ANYONE around that is like that. He comes back and takes out the biggest hero of the day - that's why it's so easy and natural to hate him. Brock is a straight-up bully; this is how a heel should be.

Seriously, would you f*ck with this guy?

The other upcoming return is that of Batista. Again, he is a presence and someone that you can believe will kick ass from the outset. He'll also seem like a fresh face when he comes back as he's been gone long enough that things have moved along; there are endless opportunities and matches that he hasn't had yet. He is also a multi-time World Champion, with reigns that had worth to them.

...or this one?

The thing that both of these guys have got in common is that being former World Champions mean that they can be inserted into the World Title picture as soon as is needed. This is because they are some of the last group to have a major push - that was 8-10 years ago and things have drastically changed since then. Thinking about this earlier, it dawned on me that this just shows what can happen when WWE does have faith in a particular talent; Brock was gone for 8 years and came back and was a dominant force from the get-go. Somehow, I don't think that Batista will be coming back for a US title match either...

Contenders

The Intercontinental title picture is coming together nicely (at least at the moment, anyway!) and it looks as if the WWE World Title picture is taking shape, too; we have Orton and Cena at the top of the pile. Brock is back and has stated his ambition to win the title. Batista will be coming back and is pencilled in to win the Royal Rumble. If he stays around long-term then he'll probably be in title matches more often than not. Along with Punk and Bryan on the fringes, that's six guys (five when Brock leaves for months at a time) that can realistically lay claim to the biggest prize. This is how it should be.

With this said, the WWE's divisions don't look in bad shape. I don't think we'll see it right away, but in the coming months a clearer picture will become apparent where the ONE WWE World Heavyweight Champion will have its worthy contenders, the IC title will have its contenders and the Tag Team division will also see more traditional teams trade the belts (once the Rhodes brothers go their separate ways).

The Winner of the Royal Rumble match...

Another element that has a chance to regain its prestige (hey Cole, there's that word again?!) is the Royal Rumble winner. I think that over the last decade, the Royal Rumble winner hasn't been as big a deal as it should've been. Whenever the winner has challenged for a title (usually the World Heavyweight Championship) and then had their match in a less-than-flattering stage of the Wrestlemania card, it has diluted the point and worth of winning the Royal Rumble.

With the Rumble winner now being in the position that they will challenge ONE World Champion, it will become a bigger deal and, similarly to if there were only the one Money in the Bank winner, that particular wrestler will be seen as a bigger deal and (hopefully) taken more seriously - with a view to becoming a - or the next - star.

Ah, a logo from the good ol' days...

Things are looking brighter - Wrestlemania season, and the near future, looks intriguing!

@jimmosangle

WWE Raw: Just a few thoughts... (28/10/2013)

WWE Raw - Monday 28th October 2013

I just thought I'd address a couple of issues that I started thinking about after watching Raw this week. Probably nothing crazy or anything you haven't already read or thought yourself but just thought I'd throw it out there anyway...

Shawn Michaels / Daniel Bryan segment
So, just in case you didn't know, Shawn Michaels superkicked Bryan at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, costing him the match and the WWE Championship. After seeing this, along with HBK's conflicted look, I felt that the explanation would be that he was looking after his best pal (HHH) after Bryan delivered a running knee to WWE's COO. I really hoped that this wouldn't be the explanation and that it would be a full-on heel turn (if you're going to do it then go the whole way?!).

Unfortunately, it was the case and HBK explained that he was looking out for HHH as he had done for him in HBK's darkest days. So, does that mean that Michaels was ALWAYS going to do this and we shouldn't have voted for him? I don't know. There are a lot of people saying that this heel turn (from Michaels) was 'great' and it worked. I completely disagree. For me, I didn't feel that this was a heel turn at all. Michaels gave valid reasons for why he did what he did, was conflicted throughout until Bryan wouldn't shake his hand, got a little shitty that Bryan wouldn't shake his hand and backed it up with the 'I'm Shawn Michaels, dammit?!' but there was nothing of any huge aggression in it. It was a babyface explaining that he kind of messed up; not a full-on heel turn. HBK is too 'nice' nowadays (ever since turning to God) for me to buy him turning heel. A little pointless then...

Besides, it's not as if HBK is going to be around for that long to make a heel turn worth it. He'll go away and come back in a few months time loved more than ever?! Oh, and to the people who think that there will be a HBK vs Bryan match in the future: You need to take your hands out of your pants...

The Wyatt's attacks
The short of it is that The Wyatts attacked Daniel Bryan (after the HBK segment) and CM Punk a little later on Raw. In both cases, Bray Wyatt would say that 'the Devil made him do it'.

At Hell in a Cell, Paul Heyman described himself as the 'Devil' and 'Satan of the WWE'... so does two plus two equal four here? Is Paul Heyman going to be behind The Wyatts? I don't see it myself; The Wyatts are a mysterious, 'devil's rejects', hill-billy group that has a more-than-adequate mouthpiece in their leader, Bray Wyatt. Heyman is great, and a genius, but it just doesn't fit. Bring them to the main event scene, but let them do it under their own steam.

My first thought was that the 'Devil' could be Triple H in this situation. If you like, a modern version of 'The Higher Power' storyline of 1999 when Vince McMahon was revealed as the ultimate leader of the Corporate Ministry. Back then, The Undertaker was mysterious and all-powerful; who better to be the only one to have any control of him than the boss himself. So why not here, too? The Wyatts don't need to be part of The Authority (or whatever Triple H and co are calling themselves) but simply do their dirty work in putting Bryan and Punk in their places.

Kane
Hell in a Cell saw the return of Kane. He came to the ring to gain revenge over the guys that had 'kidnapped' him two months ago - aiding Miz in the process as he was taking a beating from Rowan and Harper (there's a lot of Wyatt family in this post eh?). Once he had cleaned house, he turned and delivered a Chokeslam to Miz. Now this was just a standard 'Kane's back and he's just reminding everyone' return, but should we have seen this as a heel turn? If so then WWE need to realise that to turn someone heel they should probably think about using a well-loved babyface to get the point across, not Miz; someone that people really couldn't give a crap about!

Then, on Raw Kane would defeat the jobber-treated Miz in about ninety seconds before calling Stephanie out. He would then seemingly berate her for the pain and suffering that she had put others through in the last couple of months, concluding that it was, in fact, best for business. He would then offer his services to her ('...the monster is yours to unleash') before giving her his mask.

Conclusions
I like that there seems to be new storylines starting/brewing but there are a few unresolved things that I think will be left behind. For starters, Daniel Bryan has been launched into the main event, been screwed four pay-per-views in a row and seems like he will move onto The Wyatts for the meantime? He still hasn't had the payoff that he deserves. Neither have the fans. As it stands, he has proven that he is the B+ player that Triple H and Stephanie have labelled him. He needed to win the title without any screwing or controversy, with a lengthy reign of some sort. Instead he is a two-time champion with a combined reign of about a day. As for the fans; they have paid for four pay-per-views now in the hope of seeing their hero claim the big one. I'm hearing of figures of $200 dollars being paid over that time and there has been no payoff, just continual screwjobs. I'm not saying these people should have refunds as screwy finishes are what you expect in wrestling from time-to-time, but four in a row is a bit ridiculous! By now the babyface should have prevailed otherwise he is a complete loser that we should throw on the scrapheap!

I don't see why I should care about him when he hasn't proved the heels wrong.

Kane's return says to me that when he was taken away (by the Wyatts), he was brainwashed to their way of thinking? Maybe this explains his change of attitude along with Bray Wyatt's 'Devil' talk - maybe Triple H? My hope is that Kane's allegiance to Stephanie doesn't result in him being her hired gun against Big Show. That match is old news and has been done to death over the years. Slow, crap matches, too.

At Survivor Series, Orton needs to be in an elimination match (to give him and the WWE title a rest for a month) and it should be Triple H vs Big Show. I don't see any other way to go unless they're serious about replacing Bryan with Show for a pay-per-view or two. Seems a step back to me, though...

Despite these thoughts, I'm still really into what's going on in the WWE. There are new storylines brewing and there a lot of unanswered questions (Kane's role? Wyatt's 'Devil'?) to be getting on with...

@jimmosangle

100th Post: WWE: A New Hope

This is my 100th post on Jimmo's Angle and is inspired by a text I just got from a mate of mine. It simply said that the WWE has a "new feel" in the last few days. That's exactly how I feel and it was refreshing to hear this from a friend that is usually quite negative about the recent past of WWE. He's been justified at times but now it does seems like a new chapter; something that we can be proud of and really get excited by.

As I've recently said in a few of the posts that I've done, the future is looking brighter than ever. It's a theme I try and run with in a lot of my posts as it's very important to me that the WWE continues to be number one, but also doesn't just rest on its laurels. That's something that it can be accused of in the last few years.

After the screwing: new heels Triple H & Randy Orton

The Orton and Triple H turns at Summerslam are the types of things that I crave and long for. Something to get my teeth into and believe in. Something where I can get behind a true babyface and hate a true villain. Credit where credit is due to John Cena in the last month - he has made Daniel Bryan a believable threat to his title and did what was needed to get Bryan to the 'next level'. Unfortunately for John, the time off he's about to get is well overdue - as most occasions for him usually are. Also, he never gets the 100% backing of any audience. Daniel Bryan, on the other hand, does. This is, possibly, the most important factor to this 'new feel' that WWE has. And it's something that we, the audience, haven't experienced for as long as I can remember - the number one face is someone that the fan's want to succeed; does anyone remember what that feels like?

We finally have ourselves a situation where the chasing babyface is someone that everyone wants to succeed and get the bad guy, and the championship. Bryan's popularity has gone from strength-to-strength in the last few months and it's something that WWE have desperately needed for so long. Many might feel that CM Punk was that guy but he is a popular cool-heely-face, NOT a 100% face. Daniel Bryan is someone that all demographics can support and maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of someone else being the 'face of the company'.

Daniel Bryan's glory was cut short...

What I mean by this is that Daniel Bryan has the potential to be the guy. As crazy a statement as that is, with Cena injured for the next four-to-six months, that leaves Bryan and Punk as the top two faces in the WWE at the moment. This is an opportunity. An opportunity to get behind the remaining two, or at least Bryan, and rocket him to Superstardom - after all, Bryan is a 'wrestler' and would surely commit to the WWE, as Cena has done for the last decade, if made the number one guy.

I'm an Attitude Era kid, but not someone who craves the return of that era. I do, however, want the passion, effort and storytelling from that era to return. I don't care what anyone says: that era was must-see TV. The events of Summerslam and Raw last night have opened up a new door to the possibility that we could have that type of enthralling TV back again.

Part of the reason for this feeling I have is because there seems a very similar feel to the storyline from back then - the evil boss doing whatever it takes to stop the 'unworthy', ultra-popular hero becoming what he rightfully deserves to be; the champion. Back in 1998, Stone Cold Steve Austin was that very guy; although he was the anti-hero (more similar to Punk than Bryan), he was still the fan's choice. Daniel Bryan has that role now, but in our PG-era, he fits the role perfectly for the time we live in. The 'Mr. McMahon' role is played by Triple H (flanked by Vince, himself, and Stephanie), and the new 'Corporate' Champion is the previously hugely-underutilised Randy Orton.

The new Corporation? Vince, Orton, Hunter & Stephanie (a la Survivor Series 1998)

Orton has been doing nothing for at least the last year, probably longer. As predictable as his cash-in was, it was also genius. By beating an exhausted, deserving new champion in Bryan he instantly became the number one villain. Triple H turning heel and aligning with him added fuel to the fire that was already going to be molten-hot. On Raw, their justification of the screwing at Summerslam was a perfect example of a heel-believing-in-his-own-crap. We now have the ultra-popular hero, Daniel Bryan, chasing the dangerous, corporate-backed, 'chosen one' Randy Orton. The very essence of Good vs Evil. The very reason we watch wrestling and suspend our beliefs.

This is an exciting time to be a wrestling fan. Not only for the potentially great storyline that I've outlined above but for many other reasons, too.

With the injuries to John Cena and Sheamus, I hope that Dolph Ziggler gets the nod to chase Orton, too. He seems to have been brought into the mix by having his tweet (about Triple H's deceit) aired and was punished for this. Big Show was also punished for his thoughts; I love that the boss has set a precedent and will attack anyone that speaks against him. Both guys' punishments were handled by The Shield, who could take on a new role of 'hired guns' for the McMahons and Hunter. This would be something new for them, elevate them (again), and add numbers to the new heel boss' cause.

I know it's early days for this but it's created a buzz around the IWC. I just hope that WWE doesn't, as my friend also text me, "drop the ball" on this one. WWE television has been great in the last few months; something I didn't think would happen, so I hope that they continue to raise-the-bar and surprise us further with quality TV and unpredictable storylines that keep us hooked for the rest of the year.

@jimmosangle

Cody and Damien: 'Best Friends'; Better Enemies?

Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow squared off with each other at Summerslam last night with Rhodes coming out victorious in decisive fashion. This match was great for the loyal fan as it was a culmination of a years friendship and need to progress for both men. I looked at how we've gotten to this point and the pleasing aspect of having something play-out for such a long period of time.

History
After having the longest Intercontinental championship reign in almost seven years, and with seemingly no direction in singles competition in mid-2012, Rhodes started to team with Damien Sandow in late August. Damien had debuted his 'Intellectual Saviour of the Masses' gimmick just after Wrestlemania XXVIII and this was a nice step-up for the relative newcomer (he had had a previous stint in WWE a few years earlier).

Around this time, Daniel Bryan and Kane had become the WWE Tag Team Champions and with this, they would need credible teams to challenge them. It's probably no coincidence then that Rhodes and Sandow would defeat Bryan and Kane in singles matches on the September 9th episode of Smackdown before announcing their union, and team name - Team Rhodes Scholars - on the following Raw.

Rhodes and Sandow challenged for the Tag Titles several times

What would follow in the next few months would be very confusing, though. Despite becoming number one contenders on numerous occasions, and even defeating the champions in non-title bouts, Rhodes and Sandow would never become the Tag Team Champions in their time together. They would have no-less-than four attempts at winning the gold - two of which were on PPV - but would not be victorious.

I would take a punt that the WWE had no idea what to do with Kane and Daniel Bryan had they not been champions - they struck gold by teaming them up (due to 'anger issues') and having them become champions but really missed something by not having them drop the championships to the worthy team of Rhodes and Sandow. This is the only reason I can see for not crowning Rhodes and Sandow champions.

Best Friends
After their last attempt at the Tag Team titles at the 2013 Royal Rumble, Rhodes and Sandow would agree to go their separate ways but remain 'best friends'.

Only a few weeks later, though, they would again team up to take on Brodus Clay and Tensai (Tons of Funk) on the Elimination Chamber Pre-show in a losing effort. With the addition of the Bella twins and the Funkadactyls, an eight-person tag team match would be set for Wrestlemania XXIX - one that would not happen due to time restraints. This would be another obstacle in the path of two of the WWE's most talented guys.

Things would start to pick up for the duo as of the Extreme Rules pay-per-view; Cody would compete against The Miz on the pre-show in a losing effort and Damien would be defeated by Sheamus on the pre-show of the Payback pay-per-view. Although they both lost it was a step-up from not being on PPV. The latter match would be a result of a mini-feud that consisted of Damien conducting 'intellectual challenges' on Smackdown - Sheamus interrupting and accepting them. Although these segments were probably designed to elevate Sandow, they would also show a 'bully' side to Sheamus - becoming frustrated and resorting to attacking Sandow.

Sandow in a rare moment; in control of Sheamus

Despite the inevitable loss to Sheamus on pay-per-view, Sandow would have one moment to saviour as he would get the better of Sheamus with a vicious assault. In a WWE filled with Sheamus always getting the last word, this was a very welcome sight. It gave Damien a level of credibility.

Better Enemies?
Leading to the Money in the Bank pay-per-view it was announced that Cody and Damien would compete in the World Heavyweight Championship MITB Ladder match. This MITB contract match would see seven 'future' superstars battle it out for the somewhat lesser WHC contract as opposed to the 'Allstar' WWE MITB Ladder match.

In the weeks building to MITB, Damien and Cody would have exchanges where it would become clear that they agreed that the best man would win, along with the knowledge that, regardless of who won, they would still remain best friends. During these backstage skits, it would be obvious that Damien had a more confident, almost forceful approach that he would be the better man.

If I'm honest, I wouldn't have predicted a Cody or a Damien win going into the PPV. The same would be said for the 'Real Americans' tag team of Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger. I felt that all four had tag team commitments, and futures, and that they were there purely to make up the numbers. My pick was Wade Barrett as he is long overdue a World Title opportunity and had nothing going on at the time.

As it turned out, WWE might actually have struck gold with its decision to have Damien turn on Cody and be crowned Mr Money in the Bank. I'm still baffled how a heel threw another heel (albeit his best friend) from the ladder to win and we're supposed to buy that as a definite break-up, but I'll overlook that! I suppose on the lead up to the finish, the crowd were 100% behind Cody due to an intensity-filled sequence from him before his downfall.

The Sandow-ized MITB briefcase

The Future
On their journey towards Summerslam, both men have been given some quality time on TV to build the feud and have also been positioned at important parts of the show. This is massively important if we're to care about this rivalry. It really feels like WWE want us to get behind these guys - and I haven't felt that about a feud for a very long time. If it doesn't revolve around the WWE or WHC titles then it doesn't normally get the relevant attention on TV.

This feels different. It really feels like the WWE realise that they have to invest in the future earlier. With Cody and Damien they have something unique and different - a feud that has history.

Normally feuds develop just after the last PPV has finished. They then get resolved at the next PPV and the cycle begins again. This feud has been a year in the making; Cody and Damien have been team-mates, best friends, and remained mid-card challengers for a year now and that's uncommon in today's WWE landscape. It also means that, to frequent watchers of Raw and Smackdown, we have been there throughout the journey - and despite them being heels, we've enjoyed the friendship and alliance that these two have shared. As a result, we can really get behind seeing this play-out and establish a definitive winner; where we're rewarded for the time that we've invested in these characters.

Summerslam: Rhodes defeated Sandow

At Summerslam last night, Rhodes pinned Sandow and this pleased me no end. It surely means that the feud will continue, and hopefully that'll mean that the stakes will be raised. Maybe Cody will now challenge for the MITB contract; a match that will raise the stakes and keep Sandow busy (whilst he awaits cashing-in his briefcase). My hope is that whoever the eventual winner is, both men will come out of this elevated and in contention for the World title, or even better, the WWE title (wishful thinking, I know).

@jimmosangle

Summerslam 2013 Predictions

I'm not normally one for predictions on WWE events. For one, I don't like to make myself look a tit by getting it wrong! I also would rather not show what a smarky f*ck I've become by getting the majority right!!

I just wanted to have a quick run through of what I think the outcomes will be tonight. I base these on what I see as making sense after the last several weeks of WWE television; let the smarky-f*cking begin:

Pre-show: US Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs Rob Van Dam
Even though RVD has become popular again (don't worry this won't last!) I think he's there to elevate rather than steal the spotlight. Also, there's something about him not having to do much after 90 days of his contract, so I'm going with an Ambrose win. Or at least Ambrose retaining due to outside interference (i.e Rollins and Reigns causing the DQ finish). This will lead to Big Show and Mark Henry coming to make the save and a potential six-man-tag or even a Tag Team Title match on the main show.
Jimmo's pick: RVD (by DQ); Ambrose still US Champion

Diva's Match
Jimmo's pick: I really don't care. Ever.

Mixed Tag Match: Dolph Ziggler/Kaitlyn vs Big E Langston/AJ
Nice and simple for me - this feud must end, and have a happy ending at that. Therefore I can't see anything other than a Dolph and Kaitlyn win so everyone can get on with their lives. Oh, and also Big E and AJ lost to Khali and Natalya the other day so that convinced me further.
Jimmo's pick: Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn

Ring of Fire Match: Kane vs Bray Wyatt
Again, easy decision for me. Bray Wyatt is one of the freshest characters that WWE has brought up to the main roster. He believes in his gimmick and it is getting over - big time. This'll be a great scalp for him to have going forward. And he'll be beating Kane at his own match - not that he's won many anyway. Isn't this a slightly nicer way of calling it something other than an 'Inferno Match'?
Jimmo's pick: Bray Wyatt

World Heavyweight Championship - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs Christian
Unfortunately for Christian, I don't sympathise with his 'one more match' crap. Bigger names have received chants of 'one more match' that are more deserving and I would agree for them to return. Not Christian, though. Another unfortunate thing for Christian is that he keeps beating Alberto in singles matches just lately (therefore, why the hell should we care for it to be on pay-per-view here?) which tells me that based on this type of pattern leading to a PPV that this is; Alberto will retain. Meaning Christian will have to have ANOTHER one more match. Sigh.
Jimmo's pick: Alberto Del Rio

The Best vs The Beast: CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman)
This has been one of the two selling points of the PPV and it will deliver. Both guys know how to put on a show and a great match. I think this is the last of Brock's allotted matches this year so I have to go with keeping Brock strong seeing as Triple H had to take a win back earlier in the year. Not sure where Punk goes from a loss, though, but he can always keep chasing Heyman in the meantime.
Jimmo's pick: Brock Lesnar

WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs Daniel Bryan
Huge talk has surrounded this match. It should be an epic - I really hope that it is. There are lots of possible endings, too. I think the one likelihood is that Daniel Bryan is finally getting the elevation he deserves. I'd love to see him make Cena tap out, but I'll settle for just a pinfall victory. John probably won't be that giving. The unpredictability lies with what happens after this match. Will Orton cash-in? If so will he be assisted? My hope is for a new style Corporation with Orton being the new Corporate Champion, backed by BOTH Vince and Triple H. The only hole in my plan is that it's probably going to be Vince vs Triple H heading towards Wrestlemania next year so they'll probably need to be on opposing sides on the lead-up. So maybe just Vince helping Orton (with ref Maddox) and Hunter being Bryan's back-up in any future plans.
Jimmo's pick: I'll jump on the bandwagon and say Daniel Bryan new champion followed by the Orton cash-in.

Whatever happens, it's exciting that everyone is SO behind Bryan. It's great that Summerslam has something that makes it the second biggest show of the year - as it always should be presented!

@jimmosangle

WWE Memories: Summerslam 1991

With Summerslam just a couple of weeks away I got thinking of my favourite memories from WWE's second biggest show of the year. A few stick out in my mind such as the 1999 Summerslam where Mankind beat Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H for the WWF Championship in the main event. This was in the same year that I had started to watch WWE (WWF at the time) again after a few years away. Along with 2001, it is my favourite period in WWE history. Speaking of 2001, the Summerslam that year would feature Superstars from WCW and ECW in the 'Invasion' angle.

The Summerslam that will always have a special place in my heart, and is probably my favourite, is that of 1991. Along with Wrestlemania VII (seven), this was one of the first WWF events that I ever saw. This was thanks to a school friend at the time who had Sky Sports (as I did not!). After the events of The Hart Foundation vs Nasty Boys Tag Team Championship match at Wrestlemania, I was firmly a Bret Hart fan leading into his singles career. Summerslam 1991 was the start, and also the crowning moment, in solidifying Hart as a singles wrestler from then on.

This event also saw a lot of legends, future hall of famers and some of the most popular wrestlers in wrestling history take part. It was also a very babyface orientated pay-per-view with all but two matches having the hero come through victorious. The two matches that saw heels come out on top saw IRS (Mike Rotunda) defeat Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) defeat the hugely popular Bushwackers.

The other matches saw some of the most 'ultra'-popular performers end feuds against some of the most hated villains in WWE history.

Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, Texas Tornado & The British Bulldog defeated Power & Glory & The Warlord (w/ Slick)
This was a great match to open the show and 'warm' the crowd up, pitting three of the most popular mid-carders against three of the strongest and meanest. At the time I loved Bulldog, Tornado and Steamboat but was oblivious to their heritage and achievements prior to this event. I suppose that as a kid I saw it exactly how I should have done - three popular 'good guys' beating on the 'bad guys' that they were feuding with at the time. Wrestling was a lot simpler in the early 90s!

Looking back, I realised that Texas Tornado came from one of the greatest wrestling families ever, Ricky Steamboat had been a World Champion outside of the WWE and The British Bulldog had a very successful tag team career with another legend, The Dynamite Kid. It's amazing to think of the careers that these guys had, and the reputations that they had made - I was completely in-the-dark to all of these things.

The match itself was very exciting, with the usual 'face getting the crap beaten out of him' for several minutes before getting the tag to his eager partners. Chaos would ensue before each would perform their finishing maneuver on the heels for the mind-blowing conclusion to the match. The audience loved this outcome and the goal of kicking off Summerslam with a bang had been achieved.

Intercontinental Championship: Bret 'Hitman' Hart defeated Mr Perfect (c) (w/ The Coach) to become the new Intercontinental Champion
To think that this match was on second on the night and, for me, was by far the best, and most emotional match of the night! Again, as an eight-year-old kid all I knew was that Bret Hart was my hero and Mr Perfect was the reigning Intercontinental Champion that stood in the way of Hart starting his singles career on a high note. I think at the time I still saw Hart as one half of The Hart Foundation and didn't think he could overcome the more experienced singles competitor.

I'm still trying to get my head around it when I hear people say that two wrestlers told a 'great story', but I think looking back at this match made it a lot clearer to me - quite simply, Hart and Mr Perfect (Curt Hennig) told one of the best stories I've ever seen; Hart the new singles competitor (at least in the eyes of the WWF) and Perfect was the experienced, tough, hard-to-beat Champion. This is how the story played out, too. There were several ups and downs to this match; Perfect showing his dominance and why he is a great champion; Hart showing that he should be taken seriously and that he is a genuine threat to this great title. A huge feather in Hart's cap was when he kicked out of the Perfect-plex - something that had not happened too often before and also back when kicking out of a finishing move was very seldom and a big deal. There was no quit in Hart, whereas Perfect tried to walk out of the match and save his title - a move which shows everyone watching that he was worried about potentially losing his title to a guy that he thought it impossible to lose to going into this encounter.

The finish saw Perfect try to drop a leg between Hart's, only to have him turn it into the Sharpshooter. This win would elevate Hart instantly into a top position of trust within the WWF, and this was hugely deserved. Hart came from a great wrestling dynasty and would set the foundations for smaller guys to go on and become World Champions in the years following.

Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon) (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated The Bushwackers (w/ Andre the Giant)
As I said before, this was one of only two heel wins on the night. This was not a surprise either, as The Bushwackers, as loved as they were, didn't stand a chance in this bout. In what was a long squash match, The Bushwackers started out with all the comedy that you would normally expect from them before Earthquake would show the power and size that would give The Natural Disasters a convincing victory.

The events after the match would be more important and would set another feud in motion; a more believable feud for Earthquake and Typhoon. After disposing of The Bushwakers, the giants would turn their attention to Andre the Giant, who had been in the corner of the New Zealand natives. When things seemed to be looking dangerous for Andre, The Legion of Doom would enter the scene to protect their fellow babyface. This would lead to a future confrontation between the giant Disasters and the dominant Road Warriors.

Million Dollar Championship: Virgil defeated 'Million Dollar Man' Ted Dibiase (c) (w/ Sensational Sherri) to become the new Million Dollar Champion
I don't recall why this match was for the Million Dollar Championship as the more important story here was Virgil getting revenge on his former employer - something that everyone can get behind. I suppose having Dibiase's title on the line meant that with a Virgil win, he would gain an even bigger measure of revenge.

This wasn't a great match at all; I'm pretty sure Virgil was very green (inexperienced) and limited to what he could do in the ring. This match still got a lot of time, as well as a false finish (Sherri would hit Virgil to try and save the title, only to be kicked out and the match be continued). The end would see Dibiase go into an exposed turnbuckle that he had set up for Virgil, being knocked out as a result and pinned to lose his Million Dollar belt.

From a video/DVD point of view, the commentary from Roddy Piper is priceless throughout this match - screaming encouragement at Virgil. The passion that Piper brings here adds to the sense of suffering that Virgil went through on his way to revenge. So even though this match wasn't a classic, the story and victory was one of the sweetest things about this event.

Jailhouse Match: Big Boss Man defeated The Mountie (w/ Jimmy Hart) - The Mountie would then have to spend the night in jail
This was a great gimmick match with characters that you will probably never see again - The American Policeman, Big Boss Man overcoming his Canadian counterpart, the evil Mountie. The match went back and forth before Boss Man would finish off with an awesome looking whiplash/Alabama Slam to ensure that The Mountie would be serving hard times.

Aside from the match, the comedy of this situation would carry on throughout the night with many skits involving The Mountie's journey to prison and all the procedures that he has to go through before being put in his cell for the night! Great comedy and over-the-top antics in seeing The Mountie receive his comeuppance.

Interviews
Just like with local British wrestling shows that I go to, there seemed to be an interval in Summerslam 1991 before the final three matches would commence. This was the time of the show where there would be several interviews with some of the winners and losers of previous matches. There would also be interviews with the remaining 'important matches' participants.

Sean Mooney and 'Mean' Gene Okerlund went back and forth conducting interviews with angry heels and overjoyed heroes. I always loved interviews and promos from these wrestlers when I was a kid - they were so over-the-top and shouted at the top of their lungs! It would make you listen when Hogan or Boss Man or Hawk from LOD would be talking as they would scream down the TV at you about what they were going to do; I was completely drawn in by every word.

Tag Team Championship (No DQ/No Countouts): Legion of Doom (Hawk & Animal) defeated The Nasty Boys (w/ Jimmy Hart) to become new Tag Team Champions
After the injustice of The Nasty Boys robbing The Hart Foundation of the titles at Wrestlemania VII, I was gunning for the Legion of Doom to take the belts. Legion of Doom were my favourite tag team at the time so this, along with Bret Hart winning, was a must for me on this night.

As is the usual formula for a Legion of Doom match, Hawk would take the pounding for much of the match before getting the 'hot' tag to Animal. Not long after this, there would be a helmet (brought to the ring by Jimmy Hart) shot before the Doomsday Device would finish things off and the crowning of new Tag Team Champions would happen. The Nasty Boys and Jimmy Hart were, quite simply, beaten at their own game.

IRS defeated Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine
This would be the second 'throwaway' match of the night. It would also serve a purpose of bringing the crowd down from the excitement of the Tag title match and give them a breather heading into the main event.

Evil heel tactics would ensure that IRS would cheat his way to a victory over the experienced Valentine. Eventually, IRS would form a very fitting tag team with The Million Dollar Man - becoming Money Inc. This would be IRS' most successful time in the WWF.

Match Made in Hell (3 on 2 Handicap match): WWF Champion Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior defeated Sgt. Slaughter, Col. Mustafa & Gen. Adnan (w/ Sid Justice as Special Guest Referee)
Even back in 1991, Hulk Hogan bored me in the same way that John Cena bores me now. He always won and always overcame - even as an eight-year-old I hated that ultimate hero crap (especially when Hogan would shit all over Wrestlemania IX; but that's another story!). I was never a huge Warrior fan either; he had an exciting entrance and I liked his music but that was all he did for me. Looking back as an adult, I realise that he was pretty atrocious in the ring and was just a roided-up-freak - he definitely had the look but not much talent wrestling-wise.

I also look back and realise even though he wasn't a top tier guy, Sgt. Slaughter had the right gimmick at the right time - the Gulf War was in swing and what better way to make a feud than by having the Sarge defect to the enemy - NUCLEAR heat. Stick the belt on him and you then get the biggest American hero chase him down to reclaim the WWF title. Throw in another legend in The Iron Sheik and you have a (mini) army backing the new super-villain.

This match was as you would expect it; the two most popular wrestlers of 1991 would overcome the odds to stand tall. They would then convince the Special Referee to join in the celebration and possibly set in motion Justice's heel turn a few months later.

Match Made in Heaven: Macho Man & Miss Elizabeth marry
Along with more skits from The Mountie's journey to prison, Summerslam 1991 ended with what would seem a happy ending. But I suppose with the face-heavy victories throughout the event it was only fair that the heels got one over on the faces by the end.

Several shots throughout the wedding party were shown before the opening of presents commenced. Elizabeth would hesitantly open gifts as ordered by her husband before she would open a fairly large box to discover a very unwanted pet - a snake. In what can only happen in early-90s WWF, an Undertaker and a snake-handler would then attack Savage leaving him in a heap on his own wedding night.

The positives I take from this, knowing what I know now, is that it led to other things further down the line. And I don't just mean the imminent reinstatement of Macho Man to the active roster and a feud with Jake Roberts, but it would also lead to Roberts turning on The Undertaker and ending their alliance resulting in one of The Undertaker's many matches in his Wrestlemania streak.

Summary
I love this show and after watching it again recently, it has to be one of my favourite pay-per-views. It started off the singles push that my hero, Bret Hart, got and also had a whole host of greats on the card. Hogan, Warrior, Savage, Undertaker, Roberts, Steamboat - some of the most legendary names in wrestling history.

The commentary is also something that I could listen to over and over again. For Summerslam, there was a three-man team of Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan and Roddy Piper. Monsoon is possibly my favourite of all time; he had that recognisable and authoritative voice that called things in a unique way that only he could. Heenan, as well as being one of, if not THE, greatest manager of all time, was an excellent colour commentator. He and Monsoon on commentary was itself a match made in heaven. I'll always remember when Heenan got so upset about an injustice to a heel that he would sound like he was close to tears! I wish commentators of today would have that same chemistry and emotion when they call matches.

Whilst injured, Roddy Piper would also be on commentary around this period. He would be an awesome addition as he would have plenty to say as well as antagonising Heenan at every opportunity! Obviously, Heenan would give as good as he got knowing that Monsoon would be in the middle of them to get away with it.

@jimmosangle

WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 review 17/2/2013

Elimination Chamber 2013 - Sunday 17th February 2013

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler & JBL

Pre-show

Brodus Clay & Tensai defeated Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow (Team Rhodes Scholars) after big splashes from both Clay and Tensai.

Main Show

World Heavyweight Championship
Alberto Del Rio (c) (w/ Ricardo Rodriguez) vs Big Show
After two Last Man Standing matches, this was the first straight-up one-on-one match between the two. A pin or submission over Big Show from Del Rio was definitely needed to legitimise his standing as World Champion. Leading up to this, Show stated that Del Rio had never pinned him. This would suggest that a pinfall victory would be on the cards to end this match and, in turn, the feud.

In moving forward, Del Rio needed a good showing here - this was produced as the two had another good match. This added to the Last Man Standing matches that the two had already put on. Credit to both guys during this feud - it has been a good elevation for Del Rio after he became a face out-of-the-blue at the end of last year.

More praise should go to Big Show, though. Not only has he put in the best heel performance of his career in the last six months, but he has also elevated Sheamus (further) and Del Rio to be genuinely credible Champions. He has also had some of the best matches of his career in this period.

I did expect a Dolph Ziggler cash-in at the end of this match, which didn't happen. Therefore the Elimination Chamber winner can be narrowed down to either Randy Orton, Mark Henry or Jack Swagger (if Dolph would've cashed in then my pick was Chris Jericho).
Winner (& still World Heavyweight Champion): Alberto Del Rio by submission - Cross-armbreaker

United States Championship
Antonio Cesaro (c) vs The Miz
Until the flat finish, this was a pretty nice, flowing match. The focus was definitely on Miz' injured shoulder (that Cesaro administered on Raw). This was Miz' 'out' if he were to lose and also to gain him sympathy due to trying to fight the odds.

This ended with an accidental knee to the groin, which gave Cesaro the disqualification victory. Therefore, not a definitive end to this feud - there's plenty of time to build these two to Wrestlemania now.
Winner (& still US Champion): Antonio Cesaro by disqualification - low blow

Elimination Chamber match - No. 1 Contendership to the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 29
Jack Swagger (w/ Zeb Colter) vs Kane vs Randy Orton vs Mark Henry vs Chris Jericho vs Daniel Bryan
To start with it should be noted that only four of these guys had a genuine chance of winning this match. Daniel Bryan and Kane have their own issue to deal with heading to Wrestlemania, so were purely here to make up the numbers. This was confirmed when they were the first two to be eliminated from the match.

The other four all had good reasons to win: Chris Jericho, not only has beef with Dolph Ziggler, but also seems to have a history with Del Rio and his family (as discussed on Main Event this past week) - this could've been explored further if Jericho would have won the Chamber. If Ziggler were to have cashed in earlier in the show, then Jericho would've been a genuine contender to win this match. Seeing as Dolph didn't, Jericho was then out of the equation in my eyes. He did, however, put in the performance of the match - lasting thirty minutes and being in the final three.

Randy Orton has been complaining for a while now that he hasn't been in the World Title picture. The stage was set for a possible win for him, and maybe heel turn should he have won.

Mark Henry was a favourite in this match due to his return and reopening of the 'Hall of Pain'. In the last few weeks, Henry has destroyed everyone in his path and has become one of the most dominating monsters again. Unfortunately, his downfall came when Jericho delivered a Codebreaker, followed by an Orton RKO. A positive from this match for Henry is that he decimated everyone when he entered the match. On leaving the Chamber, he returned to deliver World's Strongest Slams to Jericho, Orton and Swagger, before being confronted by referees and GM Booker T. Booked very strong.

The eventual winner, Jack Swagger, entered at number three and put in an impressive showing. He has a new gimmick (Xenophobe), a new manager (Colter) and even new music. There is a genuine mean streak about him, too. These are all positives going forward.

Order of entry: (Started match) Daniel Bryan & Chris Jericho (3) Jack Swagger (4) Kane (5) Randy Orton (6) Mark Henry

Order of elimination: (1) Daniel Bryan (by Henry - WSS) (2) Kane (by Henry - WSS) (3) Mark Henry (by Orton - RKO) (4) Chris Jericho (by Orton - RKO) (5) Randy Orton (by Swagger - roll up)
Winner (& No. 1 Contender to the WHC): Jack Swagger

Note: This is great going forward as Swagger/Colter are Xenophobes and the World Heavyweight Champion is Mexican. Result.

John Cena/Sheamus/Ryback vs The Shield; Reigns/Ambrose/Rollins
Another great showing from The Shield. They look the part and, more importantly, look like they belong in the ring with the three 'Superfaces'. Periods of this match saw them dominate Sheamus and, for the main part, Cena. JBL pointed out again that they are the 'greatest three man team' in the history of WWE.

Chaos ensued towards the end of the match; Roman Reigns delivered an impressive Spear to Sheamus to send him through the safety barrier... shortly after, it seemed that Cena and Ryback were going to deliver stereo-finishers on Ambrose and Rollins, until Reigns entered the ring again to spear Ryback out of his boots, allowing Rollins to fall on him and cover for the three count. A very impressive win for The Shield, solidifying their position. Cena, Ryback and Sheamus were never going to be hurt by this loss - Shield would have been, though - so this was the right result. Ryback really needs something soon, though; he can't keep suffering PPV loss after loss.
Winners: The Shield - Spear from Reigns allowed Rollins to pin Ryback

Dolph Ziggler (w/ AJ & Big E Langston) vs Kofi Kingston
This was an impromptu match set up by Booker T after Dolph complained that he was not booked to compete. Surely, the future of the company should be on every PPV that he can be? I'd have liked a match to have been made leading up to the pay-per-view instead though; not just throwing Ziggler into any old match.

What made this match even more of a last minute thing was the inclusion of everybody's favourite jobber, Kofi Kingston. When he came out I feared that this was going to be the turning point for Kofi - maybe the start of him winning again. I hoped not as Kofi has fallen so far in such a short amount of time that it would have been ridiculous for him to gain a victory over Ziggler. Especially with Ziggler being in the position he is in at the moment.

I was pleased to see that after interference from AJ and Big E, Kofi fell victim to the Zig-Zag. Basically, a drawn out squash match. This could have been saved for a Raw or Smackdown; it was a worthless win for Ziggler as it was thrown in there at the last minute, and was over someone that has lost so much credibility lately that it means absolutely nothing. This segment was concluded when Big E got in the ring and destroyed Kofi. I took great pleasure in this - a good piece of exposure for Langston here, too.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler - Zig-Zag

Diva's Championship
Kaitlyn (c) vs Tamina Snuka
This is probably the best that the Diva's division has - apart from the wasted Natalya. This was my initial thought to this match that was later confirmed when the other divas were shown backstage watching; Aksana, Natalya, Layla and the Funkadactyls; Naomi and Cameron... a sorry looking division compared to years gone by.
Winner (& still Diva's Champion): Kaitlyn - Spear

WWE Championship - If Rock is counted out or disqualified, he loses the title
The Rock (c) vs CM Punk
Not a lot to say here really. The stipulation was put in place to add an element of intrigue into this very predictable match. There was only one time this was utilised, though, with CM Punk Rock Bottoming Rock on the Spanish Announce Table (I say 'on' and not 'through' as the announce table stayed strong for the first time in its career!) before Rock made it back in the ring at the count of nine. As soon as The Rock won at Royal Rumble the inevitable was reality. This match was just to pass the time before the final build-up to Wrestlemania.

A positive to take from this match, and feud, is that CM Punk more than hung with The Rock. He easily won the battle on the microphone and stood up to the challenge in the ring. He also looked strong, especially in this match; kicking out of the Rock Bottom and People's Elbow before succumbing to a second Rock Bottom. He'll also have something to say about not getting the win when he hit a GTS with the referee down. Hopefully, when Rock's left for Hollywood again, Punk will be as strong as ever when he takes up chasing Cena for the belt.
Winner (& still WWE Champion): The Rock - Rock Bottom

Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this pay-per-view. The first four matches were very strong and continued stories and builds of certain individuals.

Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry and The Shield came out of this looking better than ever. The Miz and Antonio Cesaro continued their feud and for the first time I can see this feud having legs. Hopefully WWE will use the next seven weeks to build this to its full potential.

I was disappointed that Ziggler didn't cash-in or get involved in the Chamber to screw Jericho. It would've just been nice to get the ball rolling on their feud leading to Wrestlemania. I was also disappointed that they just threw the match with Kingston together. It was a worthless win due to a worthless opponent. Maybe the intention was to give Big E some time in the ring and show what he brings to the table.

By the main event, I was still hanging onto the memories of the first four matches. I had no excitement or expectations from Rock vs Punk. I knew that the stipulation was added to give the impression that Punk could sneak it but this was just NEVER going to happen. Cena vs Rock has been carved in stone for, quite possibly, the last year. A good match still, but it's hard to invest in a match emotionally when you know the ultimate goal and end result.

Still, not to take anything away from this pay-per-view - a very positive showing from WWE leading up to Wrestlemania.

@jimmosangle

Wrestlemania Season

The Royal Rumble has been and gone now and I think we've all settled down and stopped crying after the inevitable happened - The Rock winning the WWE Championship and John Cena winning the Royal Rumble match - which will lead us to their second encounter at Wrestlemania 29. Nothing more needs to be said - Cena will, undoubtedly, get his win back.

As a result of this, they will need to be separated until they can build towards their up coming money-spinner. This will happen with the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. The Rock will face off in a rematch against former champion CM Punk, while Cena will join forces with Ryback and Sheamus to try to get some retribution against The Shield. The separation between Rock and Cena will be made easier as it appears that The Rock won't be on Raw a hell of a lot - this weeks Raw an example of that - I don't even remember an excuse as to why he wasn't present being made, either.

So what will go down at Elimination Chamber? Well, I can't see anything other than a Rock win against Punk - is it even worth watching? As for Team Cena vs The Shield, I'm not so sure.

There seems to be a lot of rumours/talk that this should be an Elimination Chamber match. This baffles me. Why does it have to be that type of match? The WWE are giving us a Chamber match for the number one contendership for the World Heavyweight Title; they've covered their ass there as far as matching up to the name of the pay-per-view? And anyway, it's a ELIMINATION Chamber match - where you, y'know, ELIMINATE each other until there's ONE winner?! Simply doesn't make sense and is not needed.

For me, this will be a simple six-man-tag match that will be an all-out brawl - and if it's on after the WHC number one contender's match, then I expect to see the Chamber lower, trapping The Shield for the beatdown that they have had coming to them. I hope for this but I also hope The Shield don't simply lose - that could be very damaging to them.

So what should we expect from our Wrestlemania build-up? Who should we expect to face off with each other in the next two months? Let's start with our two mid-card champions;

Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, and United States Champion Antonio Cesaro look to be very dominant mid-card champions. Cesaro in particular has been made to look a strong champion, as well as elevating the belt's worth along with his own. As it stands though, they both have somewhat 'nothing' opponents - Barrett is currently having a small rivalry with NXT up-and-comer Bo Dallas. This has been good exposure for Dallas since his Royal Rumble appearance and subsequent surprise win over Barrett the following night on Raw. This will end soon though; I can maybe see it going to the Elimination Chamber where Barrett retains, teaching Dallas a lesson in the process, before he returns to NXT. But then what is next for Barrett? He has disposed of Kofi, who in turn has jobbed to others or not been on tv. There could've been an Intercontinental Cup Tournament on Main Event to determine a new number one contender, but this was scrapped last minute.

Cesaro is currently feuding with The Miz. This is possibly the most credible opponent that he has faced to date. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that this feud has much left in it as Cesaro defeated Miz in the pre-show of Royal Rumble. This can't be a good sign. Cesaro's reign has been so dominant that it is hard to see someone on the roster worthy enough, as well as believable enough, to dethrone him at the moment. With all this Cesaro 'never being beaten by an American' talk, though, surely he should have a surprise US hero to face (and beat) for Wrestlemania? No one springs to mind though...

Along with these rising stars, there is also questions over the futures of Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes. In my eyes, these were the biggest threat to Kane/Daniel Bryan's Tag Team Championship reign. After the Rumble they decided to remain 'best friends' but part ways to pursue singles careers - which hasn't worked out for them - jobbing to John Cena, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio in the last couple of weeks. Now, some might see this as good exposure; to be seen in the ring with the main event crew; but we've seen this before, haven't we? These talented guys have jobbed to the Cenas and Sheamus' on every outing - most of the time in complete squashes. How is this elevating them?

This brings me to the Tag Team Champions - Kane and Daniel Bryan. It seems very likely that despite the harmony that they have found recently, the end is near for this pair. Maybe it's the right time, too. Recently, the spark and comedy that was once there, is now dying. There's been several examples of tension between the two, and I think this will escalate if both are included in the Elimination Chamber match at the pay-per-view of the same name. There are two shames to this: (1) It feels kind of cheap and predictable that they are going to split-up - the teasing of dissension in the ranks kind of feels like there's no other route to go now that they (WWE) have made the decision. (2) If this was the case, why not keep Rhodes/Sandow together and win the titles to legitimise their team? Then run the Tag Team division with them at the top? If not, who will be the next Tag Team Champions?

The obligatory Elimination Chamber match that the WWE will give us will be for the number one contendership of the World Heavyweight Championship. This match, it seems, will be contested by ONLY former World Champions. So far it seems as though Randy Orton and Fat Rey have been handed spots because they're Booker T's favourites. Daniel Bryan has since been added to the match. This leaves three spots to fill.

It appears that to continue the rift in their tag team, Kane will probably be entered into the match to have a further falling out with Daniel Bryan. The other two spots are still a little debatable. With the returns of Mark Henry and Jack Swagger, it seems that some fresh faces might be added to this match. These are my picks (along with Kane) to fill the remaining spots. I was a little worried that they were going to put Khali in there, but after being disposed of by Henry on the latest Smackdown - hopefully for good - it seems that his chances are over. Good. It would be good to see some dominant heels smash everyone in the Chamber.

Cody Rhodes has also staked his claim at the World Heavyweight Championship. I'm not sure if this is just testing the waters at the moment, though. Although he got put in his place by Alberto Del Rio on Raw, he then went on to beat everyone's favourite jobber; Kofi Kingston, on Smackdown. He also continues to say that he should be in the Chamber match (despite not being a former World Champion); maybe he'll still get in there somehow?

The last two superstars that I'll comment on are possibly two of the most important going forward. Chris Jericho and Dolph Ziggler.

Chris Jericho returned at the Royal Rumble to a HUGE ovation. It was a well kept secret, for once. This led to he and Ziggler going at it for the best part of 50 minutes before Jericho was eliminated. A great showing by Jericho. And a great return.

It's common knowledge that Jericho is only about until Wrestlemania's done. So where will he be used? The good thing with Jericho, over most 'part timers', is that he's here to invest in the future - he proved this last year by putting over CM Punk, Sheamus and Ziggler before being 'exiled' by Ziggler just after Summerslam. What a perfect excuse to resurrect this rivalry.

To keep Ziggler busy until he cashes in Money in the Bank, and to elevate him further, what better way than to have a well put together program leading to Wrestlemania with a megastar like Jericho. Maybe these two can go at it for the next two months - having a match at Elimination Chamber, before having a epic, 'blow-off' match at Wrestlemania that leads Ziggler to be a legitimate, 'ready' contender to cash in.

The other option that I've heard thrown around is that Jericho will turn heel and feud with Ryback. I'm not sure what worth this has? Yes, Jericho is here to elevate but I think he's way too popular for this potential turn. I don't think people would care enough if he turned on Ryback. Also, it would be a desperate move to bring something new to the table as far as Ryback goes. He's kind of lost that momentum he had lately, and is in need of something to get him back on track. At Wrestlemania, I can see him in some kind of match to finally end the feud with The Shield. Possibly he, Sheamus and 'Partner X' to face off with the former NXTers.

I've been trying to figure out how the Wrestlemania card might play out and so far I've got about nine matches noted down WITHOUT even considering Rhodes/Sandow/Barrett/Cesaro... worrying. Someone will be missing out, that's for sure.

@jimmosangle

Royal Rumble rant: The 'Future' Continues To Wait

Ok, I've literally just finished watching The Royal Rumble from last night and I'm livid... don't get me wrong; for once I was excited over a pay-per-view; I was very hopeful that the 'obvious' results wouldn't happen... I was then cock-teased and left disappointed.

The 'Future' has to wait and take a back seat to this shit leading up to 'Mania now.

I'll skim over the results; Alberto Del Rio retained after beating Big Show in a Last Man Standing match - this HAD to be the outcome otherwise the first LMS match would have been for nothing?! Kane and Daniel Bryan (quit the crappy team names) retained over Cody and Damien (quit the crappy team names) - I really thought Cody/Damien would finally get their win here. Instead we got a pretty straightforward title defence that really waters down Cody/Damien's threat to the titles - which is even more of a tragedy as they are/were the biggest and only threats to them titles?!

We saw a clip of the US Championship match between Antonio Cesaro and The Miz that had to settle for being on the pre-show. Obviously, they're not going to take the title off him on a PRE-SHOW match - they might have done it to Santino to give him the belt but there's no way they'll take it from him in such a demeaning way.

I was very hopeful about the Rumble match itself. My balls shrank when SuperCena came through with the win.

And to make matters worse, WWE came up with the ultimate tease when Punk got the three-count over The Rock... only for me to realise that there was 8 minutes left of the show... I thought it was too good to be true - I was right. The biggest travesty was that they took the title away from a 434 day reign with a People's Elbow. A FUCKING PEOPLE'S ELBOW.

So, Wrestlemania will be headlined by The Rock vs John Cena - that's right people; the Royal Rumble winner WILL headline this year. Shock. What a disgrace...

But why am I so surprised? This has been predicted for a while now. But now it's actually happened - this shit became real - it's sickening to think that they have gone down the 'big payday' route instead of thinking about the long term future.

The Rock vs John Cena was meant to be 'Once in a Lifetime' and all that crap, right? But we now have that exact same main event but for the title. The only situation that would warrant another meeting. Convenient. And while these two guys headline another Wrestlemania, the stars of the future - the Dolph Zigglers, Daniel Bryans, Wade Barretts, Antonio Cesaros and even CM Punks - will be in meaningless, shitty undercard matches to fill up the show. When you think of Wrestlemania 29, you'll remember The Rock vs John Cena, probably Triple H vs Brock Lesnar, and whoever Undertaker destroyed. Unfortunately, you won't remember the B-listers that are left waiting in the wings... again!

I think the WWE's take on this will be that there were some positives. I mean Ziggler lasted forty-plus minutes. But Cena still won. And Bo Dallas eliminated the Intercontinental Champion. But Cena still won the match and that's the only thing people will remember.

Is it even worth watching the WWE Title match at Elimination Chamber? Whether it's a straight up rematch between Punk and Rock, or a Chamber match; Rock is walking out the champion still... why would I want to pay money to see that kind of predictability?

Fantasy Booking: Royal Rumble Prediction

This Sunday is WWE's Royal Rumble and it sees the Royal Rumble match itself, as well as the WWE Title match between Champion, CM Punk and challenger, The Rock.

The popular belief is that The Rock will walk out of the Rumble with the WWE Championship. Undoubtedly, this is a money making opportunity that probably won't be missed. But what if they were to do something different?

I've had a scenario in my head for a few days now and after The Shield attacked The Rock on Raw, I'm going to go with it. It's a little hopeful and probably won't happen as I'm giving the WWE (and their creative team) far too much credit but here goes:

Oh, I should point out that I feel dirty writing this as I hate, hate, HATE predictions but, as said before, I have had this festering in my head and I need to let it out!

A way of killing three birds with one stone is this;

Let's assume that the WWE Championship match goes on last at the pay-per-view. That way, anything/anyone can screw with this match. I'm thinking that towards the end, The Shield come down, again with the intention of screwing The Rock - and yes, I know that Vince has said that any Shield interference would result in Punk being stripped - on their way down, their three main foes - Ryback, Sheamus and Orton - intercept them and it appears that the score is even. Now this is the point where some have said that Brock Lesnar makes a shocking return. I'm going with something else here.

For starters, Brock isn't 'scheduled' to be back until February/March time. So... in the panic of The Shield being cut off, Orton returns to the ring and RKOs The Rock, leading to CM Punk doing the unthinkable and retaining.

I know this is probably crazy talk - I kind of think it myself - but it keeps the title on Punk; appeases Vince's wish that The Shield don't get involved; and thirdly, it turns Orton heel. I know there are rumours about this happening and I can't think of too many ways that this is going to happen. Screwing The Rock would achieve this. The alternative would be him turning on Sheamus at some point but I'm not sure this will do it - Orton's RKO'd faces before and it's been seen as typical Viper behaviour. Maybe his motivation is that he's not had any opportunities to get to a title match, whereas The Rock just got one out of thin air?

This won't ruin any plans leading up to Wrestlemania either as they have plenty of time to put the title on The Rock (maybe Elimination Chamber) and they can then go with the Orton heel turn with Sheamus/Alberto Del Rio.

Just a thought; I'm glad I got that off my chest!

@jimmosangle