Royal Rumble Predictions

Purely from a "fanboy" perspective, the Royal Rumble is arguably the most fun pay-per-view of the year, simply due to its unpredictability.  I don't think anything gets me more excited for the pay-per-view or Wrestlemania than listening to fans and critics argue over who might go into the Show of Shows gunning for the World (or Universal) Championship.

And, lest I disappoint, I'll be throwing my hat into that ring as well (no pun intended).

(No, wait...pun definitely intended.)

WWE has made no qualms about where the Royal Rumble stands in its pantheon of monthly extravaganzas.  They've stretched both the kick-off show and pay per view itself so that the entire event will span approximately six hours.

Six.  Hours.

If you're a WWE die-hard, best get your walking in beforehand if you plan to slog through this marathon.

It's also curious that WWE has made the Royal Rumble now the same length as their biggest event, Wrestlemania.  I guess when it comes to WWE Network, all shows are created equal.

The thing is, even with the Rumble itself taking up approximately an hour of screen time, that still leaves five other matches to power us through the remaining three (that's not counting the TWO--yes, just TWO--matches on the kick-off show).  I'm not sure how WWE plans to fill this void, and I sometimes shudder to think of the vignettes we'll have to endure to get to the end.

KICKOFF SHOW

Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax

Okay, it's not Sasha vs. Bayley, but it's better than having Sasha sit out while Charlotte and Bayley enjoy the spotlight.

The build has even been pretty well done: a simple series of attacks by a Nia Jax that will no longer be ignored.  Sasha has taken some shots of her own to Jax on Raw, but she's still clearly on crutches, which gives her the perfect protection for Jax to win while she rehabs what we hope is not a serious injury.

WHO WILL WIN: Nia Jax
WHO SHOULD WIN: Nia Jax

WWE RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus vs. The Club (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson)

It may not be the popular decision, but The Club desperately needs this win.  After a run in Japan that made them true tag team badasses, WWE has done little than use them for bathroom humor and as patsies for the New Day.

Meanwhile, the slapdash team of Cesaro & Sheamus have become a popular act in spite of their lack of apparent chemistry.

While Raw isn't exactly starving for main event players, breaking up Cesaro & Sheamus could go a long way in strengthening the midcard, particularly now that Chris Jericho is the United States Champion.  It does leave the tag division one team shorter, but that's more a call for WWE to step up their game creatively than any fault of the talent (or lack thereof).

WHO WILL WIN: Sheamus & Cesaro
WHO SHOULD WIN: The Club

SIX-WOMAN TAG TEAM MATCH

Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella & Naomi vs. WWE Smackdown Women's Champion Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, & Natalya

Well, it is what it is.  It's a shame that as Raw seems intent to elevate their women to main-event status, Smackdown seems to take two steps back for every step forward.  Just two weeks ago, we had an historic Steel Cage Match for the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.  Alongside that, we've got an entire other storyline with Nikki Bella and Natalya.  Rather than put each of those feuds on display (particularly on a show that's stretching to four hours), WWE decided to just land them all in a tag team match, faces vs. heels.

Becky Lynch and Naomi clearly have a problem with Alexa Bliss (and by proxy, Mickie James), but Nikki Bella and Natalya have virtually nothing to do with it.  Why they've been smushed into a single match is beyond me.

There's nothing at stake here, and I really don't have a reason to care who wins or loses.  I hope this means WWE is saving something truly special for Wrestlemania, but to say that this matchup is disappointing with such a talented roster is an understatement.

WHO WILL WIN: Alexa Bliss, Mickie James & Natalya
WHO SHOULD WIN: Alexa Bliss, Mickie James & Natalya

WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann vs. Neville

While 205 Live hasn't lived up to the precedent set by the Cruiserweight Classic, it has given someone like Neville a platform on which to reinvent himself and become relevant again.

I mean no disrespect to Swann's in-ring ability, but he just doesn't grab me as a viewer.  He dances out to the ring, he dances in the ring, he dances after he wins.  Then, suddenly, a guy like Neville shows up and suddenly we're supposed to believe Swann is taking things seriously.  It doesn't jive.

Neville, meanwhile, has become one of the best heels on any of WWE's growing number of rosters.  If fans could stop chanting over him because they can't understand his accent, they would see a man frustrated with his place in WWE and determined to change it.  He's yet another of the NXT stars who were drafted to the main roster and subsequently destroyed.  Now he's back to take control of his career once again, and that puts the happy-go-lucky Swann right in his crosshairs.

Characters aside, if given the right amount of time (which shouldn't be a problem on a show that is four hours), these two could have a show-stealing match, showcasing everything we loved about the Cruiserweight Classic and taking another step toward making 205 Live must-see TV.

WHO WILL WIN: Neville
WHO SHOULD WIN: Neville

WWE RAW WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

WWE Raw Women's Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley

In case my point about the prestige of women's wrestling on Raw vs. Smackdown wasn't clear enough, let me reiterate: I'm probably more excited about this match than any other match on the card--including the Rumble.

I love Bayley.  You love Bayley.  Everybody loves Bayley.  Once again, WWE proves that the "Keep It Simple" mentality is what works best when it comes to these matches.  Using Bayley's "everyman/woman" connection with the audience to accentuate her as the underdog while also strengthening Charlotte as a prodigy of wrestling royalty may seem a little too high-brow for the audience, but it's thus far struck a perfect chord.

Charlotte has become arguably the best heel in professional wrestling.  From her ring-presence to her mic skills, she's become the total package.  Whereas in her NXT days she did everything she could to prove she'd made it on her own, she's now flaunting the Flair name and insisting that the door to WWE was opened to her because of it.

Once again, this match should be given the proper time.  A good 20-25 minute back-and-forth battle could set Bayley up for bigger things and establish Charlotte as one of--if not the--greatest women's wrestlers and champions of all time.

It's doubtful that Bayley will come out the winner here given that WWE may save that for a true Wrestlemania Moment (tm), and that's perfectly fine with me as long as Bayley is given a chance to prove that she belongs in the same conversation with the other three Horsewomen of NXT now that they've all been given a chance to shine on bigger stages.

This could very well be the match of the night.

WHO WILL WIN: Charlotte Flair
WHO SHOULD WIN: Charlotte Flair

WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP

NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH

(WWE United States Champion Chris Jericho will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage)

WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens vs. Roman Riegns

I want to believe that Roman Reigns will not be gaining his fourth (FOURTH!) world championship on Sunday.

I really want to believe it.

But I can't.

Anyone can see from a mile away that the real build is to Owens vs. Jericho at Wrestlemania.  That's good news for fans who aren't into the Owens/Reigns feud, but bad news for anyone who was expecting Reigns to disappear from the main event scene.

Owens and Jericho is a great friendship that should make for a great feud.  The only problem, where Reigns-haters are concerned, is that the feud doesn't require a title to be at stake, which leaves the door wide open for a Reigns win this Sunday and a showdown with...someone...at Wrestlemania.

If Reigns wins, we can see Rollins--assuming he's not already embroiled in fisticuffs with HHH--chasing his former Shield brother for the title in a bid for "The Game's" attention.  Of course, with Rollins and HHH's feud inevitably culminating at Wrestlemania, that begs the question of who would take on Reigns for the title at the Superbowl of Wrestling.  That question could be answered at the Rumble as well, but we don't know.

If Owens wins, it's unclear how we'd get into a feud with Jericho, as Jericho has a title of his own.  I'm sure WWE could conjure some way to have Y2J cost KO the title, or vice versa, but I can't see Owens going into 'Mania as Champion when the feud works just as well without it.  It also leaves Reigns out in the cold with nothing to do, unless he's gifted one title or the other in the process.

I don't envy Chris Jericho, whose job it will be to basically sit (or stand) in a cage for twenty minutes or so and bark about how unjust his imprisonment is.  I'm also not clear how any of that will factor into the outcome of the match.

Two things that /are/ clear: WWE really wants us to like Roman Reigns.  They also have no idea how to make that happen besides giving us no alternative.

WHO WILL WIN: Roman Reigns
WHO SHOULD WIN: Kevin Owens

WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

WWE World Champion A.J. Styles vs. John Cena

No matter what happens Sunday, AJ Styles may go down as having the single best rookie year of /any/ WWE Superstar.  This Sunday will mark the anniversary of Styles' debut, and perhaps the end of his incredible reign as Champion.

To WWE's credit, you almost forget that we've seen this match a couple of times already.  There really are only two questions to ask, and they go hand-in-hand:

1.) When will John Cena get his record-tying 16th World Championship?

and

2.) How much faith does WWE have in AJ Styles?

AJ hasn't had such great luck when it comes to contenders for his title.  Dean Ambrose (a lot), Dolph Ziggler, and (ugh) James Ellsworth are arguably his most memorable feuds.  That's partly due to the Cena's absence and the thinness of the Smackdown roster.  So Cena's return from hiatus not only re-invigorated /Smackdown/, it gave Styles a clear objective: either overcome Cena once again, or say goodbye to your title.

Much like the WWE Universal Championship match, anything is possible.

If Styles retains, it could set up a great Wrestlemania match, regardless of who he faces (Cena, The Miz, and Bray Wyatt are some popular names to throw out there).  Even in defeat, seeing AJ walk into Wrestlemania with the gold around his waist could be a career-defining moment.

A loss makes things a little muddy for the Phenomenal one.  He would certainly be entitled to a rematch, but it most likely wouldn't happen at Wrestlemania, given that there's two months between the events and a 30-day defense clause (supposedly) in a champion's contract.

So in the event Styles loses, there are two routes: he can have his rematch and lose, which seems most likely.  Rumors of a Styles/Undertaker match at 'Mania would then be free and clear to pollute the internet at will.

However, there is one person we're neglecting in this calculation, and that's John Cena and his record-tying reign.  If Cena were to win at the Royal Rumble, it would set up Styles for a rematch.  A rematch Styles could win.

This does a couple of things: First, it keeps Styles as a fixture of Smackdown's admittedly tiny main event scene.  Next, it gives WWE and John Cena an easy way to eclipse Ric Flair's record in a matter of weeks instead of years.

With AJ as Champion in say, the middle of March, that leaves him as the guy walking into Wrestlemania, and John Cena owed a rematch.  It easily sets up Cena to win his 17th World Championship on the Grandest Stage of Them All, and gives AJ his Wrestlemania moment.

Unfortunately, for that to happen, he has to lose this Sunday.

WHO WILL WIN: John Cena
WHO SHOULD WIN: AJ Styles

ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH

Okay, here's the big one.  I'm gonna make this as succinct as possible.

Here's everyone slated for the Rumble as stated on WWE.com:

The Undertaker
Golberg
Brock Lesnar
Big Show
Dean Ambrose
The Miz
Sami Zayn
Dolph Ziggler
Big E
Xavier Woods
Kofi Kingston
Bray Wyatt
Randy Orton
Luke Harper
Mojo Rawley
Braun Strowman
Chris Jericho
Baron Corbin
Cesaro
Sheamus
Big Cass
Rusev

That's 22 participants, leaving 8 vacant slots.

We can safely assume that Lesnar and Goldberg will eliminate each other.  The Undertaker will like be eliminated by his Wrestlemania opponent.  Dean Ambrose doesn't need a Rumble win, nor does Ziggler, or any member of the New Day (they will die simultaneously in costume).  The Wyatt Family is busy with their own drama, Sheamus & Cesaro will either be champions or enemies coming out, and please don't get me started on the lunacy of having BIg Show or Mojo Rawley as your victor.

That leaves Sami Zayn, Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Baron Corbin, Big Cass, The Miz, and Rusev.

If I had my pick of the "Final Four" from this list, we've got Zayn, Jericho, Miz, and Rusev.  Of those four, Jericho and Miz have the strongest chance of winning, but it all depends on how the night's title matches shake out.

Then there's the those eight empty spots.  There's been a lot of talk about who could be filling them.  You can bet WWE will be digging into its pool of Hall of Fame and Alumni for some of them.  So who is most likely to show?

Triple H: He was last year's winner, and he's got a beef with Seth Rollins.  It only makes sense he would find his way into the match, even if it's just to set up Rollins/HHH at Wrestlemania.

Samoa Joe: The only high-profile member of the NXT roster without a match Saturday's Takeover, and someone who has been soundly exiled from the NXT Championship picture.  This is almost a given.

Kurt Angle: I know this seems like a lay-up for most, but WWE has only inducted one active wrestler into the Hall of Fame, and that was Ric Flair.  It'd be odd to put Angle in that category.  Even if Angle did have "one more match" in him, I doubt WWE would waste it on a Rumble appearance when he's probably least likely to win.

Finn Balor: Just like Angle, this seems obvious, assuming Balor is in condition to compete at all by Sunday.  Reports were swirling that WWE would know the answer to that question in the next 24 hours or so, but assuming Balor /is/ ready to compete, do you want to take that chance that he re-injures himself in the Rumble rather than save him at full strength for Wrestlemania?  I seriously doubt it.

Kenny Omega: This is perhaps the farthest reaching of all the rumors, particularly when you consider Omega will still be under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling until February 1st.  John Cena has been posting pics of Omega all over social media, which is great for getting a buzz from your audience, but may be more of a courting gesture than any hint that a deal has been finalized.  Omega has also gone on record that he doesn't particularly enjoy WWE's creative directions and would rather be known as the greatest wrestler to never appear in WWE.

Shinsuke Nakamura: This largely depends on how Takeover pans out, but even if Nakamura were to lose to Bobby Roode, he'd be due a rematch.  You're much more likely to see Nakamura debut the week following Wrestlemania than make a brief Rumble appearance just to slide back down to the developmental brand.

Bobby Roode: Again, this depends on what happens Saturday night, but even should Roode lose to Nakamura, I don't see WWE draining the already small NXT talent pool for the sake of a Rumble appearance.  Even if they did, the odds that they would shoot Roode right to the main event of Wrestlemania with a Rumble win is astronomically unlikely, making his appearance here little more than lip service for the NXT faithful.

Even were all these men to appear, that still leaves an open spot for a surprise entrant to be named later.  And that's what makes this match so exciting: it's truly impossible to predict who will appear and when.

WHO WILL WIN: Chris Jericho
WHO SHOULD WIN: Finn Balor

FINAL THOUGHTS

The difficult part about predicting any outcome of any match in January is that Wrestlemania is just around the corner, and while we should be living in the thrill of the moment, the truth is that we are all dissecting what happens here so that we have a better idea of what to expect come the spring spectacular.  Whereas most other events can be considered self-contained, what happens this Sunday will more than likely have far-reaching consequences as WWE seeks to build toward the biggest event of their calendar year.

NXT Takeover: San Antonio Predictions

Oh, NXT, how we love thee.  It's a shame I can't get as excited about this edition of Takover, but that's what happens when Big Brother raids your talent pool and leaves you with a roster that--while certainly very talented--hasn't had time to properly come into its own.

Still, the Royal Rumble is around the bend, and NXT Takeover: San Antonio is hot on its heels.  By proxy, that means it's time for guys like me to whip out the keyboard and begin my vain attempt to predict what will happen this time around.

Roderick Strong vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas

The sad part is, I totally forgot Roderick Strong was even part of NXT.  He's been such a mainstay at Ring of Honor (he was nicknamed "Mr. ROH") and I vaguely remember him debuting in rather non-auspicious fashion on WWE's yellow brand, but not much has been made of him since.  The folks in Stamford have been getting more lenient when it comes to acknowledging the indy resumes of guys like Strong, but not so much, apparently, to the point where they will let it characterize the person.  That's a shame, because Strong should be someone we are anxious to see perform, and instead he feels more like a man getting lost in the sauce ala James Storm.

Meanwhile, we have Andrade "Cien" who, from what we've seen so far, is a guy that wrestles.  I'm not big on WWE's caricatures (this guy's a plumber, this guy's a prince), but I'll take No Way Jose over "Cien" anytime for the simple fact that I at least know what I'm getting.  Again, that's a shame, because from what I can tell, "Cien" is the better wrestler of the two, but he doesn't get nearly enough screen time to prove it.

All of that adds up to a match that is begging to steal the show.  Take these two relative NXT "unknowns" and let this be the moment that defines their WWE careers.  This could be their Savage/Steamboat: a match that will change our perceptions and their fortunes.

Bonus points if it becomes a long-term feud that keeps us glued to the WWE Network.

WHO WILL WIN: Roderick Strong
WHO SHOULD WIN: Andrade "Cien" Almas

"The Perfect 10" Tye Dilliniger vs. Eric Young

This may be my favorite angle in all of WWE.  It's a simple story with two clearly-defined characters and we know which one we are rooting for.

"Join the dark side, Luke!"  Tale as old as time.

So what should we expect?

I'm a little surprised there wasn't an added stipulation to this match that if Tye loses, he's forced to join sAnitY.  That could make for weeks or even months of great television.  That being said, it's probably better for Dillinger--who's been on something of a losing streak when it comes to big-time matches--to take the win here simply to re-establish his credibility.  After all, you can't be the "Perfect 10" if your record is 1-9.

But if I'm the head of Creative, I let Young get the pin, and spend the next several weeks watching sAnitY haunt Dillinger at every turn.  You could even have Dillinger compete in a #1 Contender's Match for the NXT Championship and then have sAnitY screw him out of the victory.  Build this up to Wrestlemania weekend, where we can watch Dillinger exact revenge in grand fashion and restore himself as a force to be reckoned with in NXT.

WHO WILL WIN: Eric Young
WHO SHOIULD WIN: Eric Young

NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

NXT Tag Team Champions #DIY (Jonny Gargano & Tomasso Ciampa) vs. The Authors of Pain (Rezar & Akam) w/ Paul Ellering

I still get chills thinking about NXT Takeover: Toronto, and the epic showdown between #DIY and The Revival.  I don't expect that kind of magic to be replicated here, but The Authors of Pain present a nice challenge for Ciampa and Gargano.

There's no telling how WWE will structure its tag team division going forward, or how long it plans to keep Gargano and Ciampa atop the mountain.  However, with a decidedly thin roster of challengers, it might be better to keep the Authors of Pain looking strong and paint a comeback story for the indy underdogs going into Wrestlemania weekend.

Of course, you have to give the edge in this match to Rezar and Akam, thanks to the lurking presence of "Precious" Paul Ellering at ringside.  As with sAnitY, when in doubt, the strength always lies with the numbers.

WHO WILL WIN: #DIY
WHO SHOULD WIN: The Authors of Pain

NXT WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

FATAL FOUR-WAY MATCH

NXT Women's Champion Asuka vs. Billie Kay vs. Peyton Royce vs. Nikki Cross

August 2015.  That's how long Asuka has been in NXT.  That's pretty insane considering most of the women she's faced there have now moved up to become Raw and Smackdown Live mainstays.  Emma, Dana Brooke, Eva Marie, Bayley, Nia Jax, and Mickie James have all graduated, and yet Asuka continues to hold down a women's division that takes a ton of credit for having revolutionized women's wrestling.

In the same way that X-Division defined the early days of Impact Wrestling, the women's division defined NXT for almost two years.  They're struggling to keep that flame alive with a roster that's almost devoid of established talent.  While the other names in this match are certainly great in-ring, they don't hold the same weight on the marque as many of Asuka's past competitors.

The sheer chaos of a Fatal Four-Way match makes any kind of prediction here ring hollow.  There's also the looming spectre of Wrestlemania around the bend and the knowledge that truly big changes generally happen on the grandest stages.

If I had to guess, I'd say this is Asuka's final "hurrah" before doing the favor for whoever the powers that be deem to be the next face of their division.  It should prove a strong showing and there's no doubt that when Asuka inevitably departs for the main roster, one of these women will be there to fill the power void.

WHO WILL WIN: Asuka
WHO SHOULD WIN: Asuka

NXT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode

No disrespect to Bo Dallas, Neville, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, or Samoa Joe: Shinsuke Nakamura is the single biggest star to hold the NXT Championship.

I'm not talking about his resume going in to NXT.  I'm talking about what he's been able to do since holding it.  He's turned a developmental promotion into a spectacle, and drawn eyes onto the product that may otherwise have lost interest once those other names left.

Then there's Bobby Roode: one of the last TNA originals to make his way over to WWE.  Once again, WWE proves that your talent is only as good as the platform you provide them.  While Roode was a former World Champion over on Impact, he also floundered in the midcard toward the end of his run there.  Meanwhile, WWE has allowed him to skyrocket to the main event on their hottest brand and he once again looks as though he belongs with gold around his waist.

Not to mention both these men have incredibly popular entrance themes.

There are rumors swirling, of course, that Nakamura will make a "surprise" entrance into the Royal Rumble match, assuming he loses to Roode the night before.  That's certainly a possibility, as a loss to Roode and a Rumble debut could set Nakamura up for an incredible Wrestlemania moment similar to AJ Styles in 2016.

The problem, as appears to be the case with most of these championship matches, is that the roster is simply too thin to send Nakamura packing just yet.  Who would you have contending for Bobby Roode's title?  There simply hasn't been enough time for NXT to reload after the main roster draft.

That's not to mention that Nakamura would technically be entitled to a rematch in the event he loses to Roode, which would make a Royal Rumble appearance rather premature.  We've seen Kevin Owens work double-duty.  Could we see the same for King of Strong Style?

WHO WILL WIN: Shinsuke Nakamura
WHO SHOULD WIN: Bobby Roode

SURPRISE RUMBLE ENTRANTS

A lot has been made of WWE's "surprise" Rumble entrants over the years.  Legends return and stars debut, whether coming from WWE's own farm system, or getting plucked off the independent scene.

A lot of names are getting thrown around as possible entrants this year: Nakamura, Roode, Dillinger.  But all these men are already scheduled for combat the night before.

However, there is one NXT star conspicuously absent from Saturday's card: Samoa Joe.

I would bet money at this point that Samoa Joe makes an appearance this Sunday in WWE's premiere battle royal.  He won't win, but hopefully his presence is enough to spark some interest from Raw and Smackdown authorities.

But we'll leave that talk for my Royal Rumble predictions...

Goldberg's Return Highlights WWE's Biggest Problems

From the moment he started promoting WWE 2K17, there was little doubt in the mind of any wrestling fan that we'd eventually see Goldberg make his way back to WWE TV.  Last night, that self-fulfilling prophecy came true.

I was never a big fan of WCW.  I can appreciate the historical significance much more twenty years later than I ever did at the time.  WWF always had a more polished product, and I've always been a sucker for flash over substance.  Subsequently, while I was well aware of the phenomenon that was Bill Goldberg, I was too busy riding the wave of Steve Austin and The Rock to pay any real attention until he came to WWE in 2003.  At that point, WWE did such a poor job of presenting Goldberg to a non-WCW audience that whatever remaining spark was left from the late 90's was almost gone.

Instead, Vince & Co. seemed intent on using every WCW name they could sign to build up Triple H.  While Goldberg became one of the few to defeat The Game for the World Heavyweight Championship, he lost it just as quickly.  After kicking around WWE for another year, he bid us all adieu in that ill-fated Wrestlemania XX match against fellow departee, Brock Lesnar.

Twelve years later, Goldberg is looking to make one last comeback against the man he beat on his way out.  And while the promo that ended Raw did much to heighten my interest, there are a few glaring issues with this scenario that I'm sure WWE and its fanbase would love to ignore.

As noted in a video package on Raw, Goldberg debuted in 1997, and though I would love to believe the 90's were just a decade ago, the truth is that it's been 19 years since.  It's great that someone like Goldberg--whose time in wrestling was relatively fleeting--can come back almost two decades after his first appearance and receive this type of fanfare, the fact of that matter is that Bill Goldberg is positioned better than 95% of WWE's current roster.

How many of today's WWE Superstars would receive the same adulation if they were to come back twenty years from now?  John Cena, perhaps?  We see glimpses of it with Lita, who debuted a whopping 15 years ago and is still considered more capable than many present-day female Superstars (I'm looking at you, Dana Brooke).  It's become painfully obvious that WWE has done a terrible job of building new stars.

I've been preaching this since the "Ruthless Aggression" era: the lack of competition--true competition--in the wrestling industry has allowed WWE to rest on their laurels and simply churn out new talent.  Talent, mind you, that has been continually fed to established veterans like meat on a conveyor belt.  John Cena's career is filled with examples of men who ascended to the top of the ladder only to be gobbled up by the WWE's Superman.  Sheamus, Ryback, Bray Wyatt, and Rusev are all men whose futures looked bright until they ran into the John Cena buzzsaw.  Go back and watch Cena/Wyatt at Wrestlemania XXX and try not to cry as you reconcile it with the man stuck on Smackdown mumbling nonsense and losing to another established name, Randy Orton.

Another sad reality is the state of Superstars--specifically men--who have come up from NXT only to have their characters changed or to be steamrolled by others already on the Raw and Smackdown rosters.  I'm not even going to get into the Nexus debacle.  Just look at men like Neville, Tyler Breeze, and Bo Dallas.  These were NXT mainstays with cult-status followings and they all came up to the main roster to become the lower mid-card filler.

The baffling part of it all is that WWE seems to bury these stars even when they know they have something good on their hands.  I understand that you can't allow fans to dictate your programming, but you also can't openly ignore the feedback you're getting.  I'm not talking about comments on Facebook or some smarky tweet.  I'm talking about the live feedback you get from an arena full of fans.  Roman Reigns is the whipping boy for the WWE Universe right now because of how poorly he is booked, yet WWE's booking of Roman doesn't change.  Meanwhile, the team of Gallows and Anderson came in with all the fan support you could dream of and they spent months pretending to be doctors and making testicle jokes with The New Day.

So while we should have spent the last fourteen years building the next generation of stars, the truth is the main event picture in WWE hasn't changed all that much.  The proof?  Triple H was the WWE Champion going into Wrestlemania 32.  Why?  Because WWE hadn't built up a proper heel to get Roman Reigns over as a face.  Even now, with Kevin Owens as WWE Universal Champion on Raw, Triple H is still heavily embroiled in the main event storyline as the man that "handed" him the title.

WWE wasn't shy about touting the 2016 Draft as the dawn of a "new era."  Much like the "Divas Revolution," it sounded great on paper, but when Raw is being headlined by Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, it's hard to take that moniker seriously.  John Cena is still at the center of the world title picture.  That's probably due to Smackdown's lack of star power, which in turn goes back to the original argument of WWE's failure to establish big-name stars over the last decade.

Finally, for all their talk of making Raw and Smackdown equal shows, WWE has made it painfully obvious that Monday night is still where the flagship resides.  I'm going to set aside the fact that Raw is 3 hours long to Smackdown's 2, and that Raw got to draft 50% more wrestlers than Smackdown during the draft.  Raw may not be getting the astronomical ratings of the Monday Night Wars (and those ratings continue to slip), but Smackdown still lags behind in exposure and viewership.  WWE has tried to combat this in recent months by having top stars like Brock Lesnar appear on Smackdown and even drafting John Cena exclusively to the blue brand.  But is that really enough?

With Survivor Series coming up, WWE is taking the quick and dirty route for their main event and doing the tried and true "Raw vs. Smackdown" tag team elimination match for...I don't know....bragging rights or something.  That being said, you could easily have made this a cross-promotional feud between Goldberg and Lesnar.  With Brock already drafted to Raw and the announcemnt that Goldberg would be answering Brock's challenge live, why not have Shane and Daniel Bryan swoop in and declare that they've signed Goldberg as an exclusive member of the Smackdown roster?

Then tell Steph and Mick that Goldberg will be making his return to WWE on Smackdown.  This does two things: 1.)  It gives Smackdown some much-needed star power.  That should help even out the ratings for the short term (you'd have to back it up with some fantastic ring work to keep viewers hooked).  2.)  It keeps Brock and Goldberg away from each other.  I know that doesn't sound like exciting television, but it will make the inevitable payoff of their encounter that much more rewarding.  WWE will probably throw this match away at Survivor Series, but with Royal Rumble returning to the Alamodome this year, I'd love to see a nice, slow burn as these two boil to a head in January.

And I'm excited for that encounter.  Really.  More excited than I thought I would be going into Raw last night.  But there's no denying WWE's continued reliance on part-time and past talent in an age where they've failed to grow new stars of a meaningful and long-lasting caliber.  Fans are more pumped now to see a rematch of something they booed out of Madison Square Garden twelve years ago than any other match on the card.  If that doesn't speak to WWE's lack of creative depth over the last twelve years, I don't know what does.

WWE's New Era: How New is it, Really?

I'm going to forego analyzing how WWE likes to pretend that this "brand extension" is the first of its kind.  I'm also going to forget the fact that we've all fallen for this before and it bore out less than stellar results.

I'm going to pretend that the concept of WWE breaking up its rosters into two unique "brands" is completely new, and we'll go from there.

Cashing In and Splitting Up

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins

WWE's Money in the Bank special may have been touted as a card worthy of Wrestlemania, but not everything was as grand a spectacle as what you'd hope to see on the "Grandest Stage of Them All."  To make up for it, we got at least three matches that we'll not soon forget...just in time for a looming draft to put a monkey wrench into the entire roster's prospective future.

Kickoff Matches

I won't waste a lot of time here.  In fact, I didn't even watch the Kickoff Show.  Apparently the Golden Truth defeated Breezango and somehow the guy making up tag team names still has a job.  The Lucha Dragons defeated the Dudley Boyz and somehow Bubba Ray still wants a job.  Aside from reminding us that there are more than four tag teams in the entire division (which is important going into the brand split), these matches do absolutely nothing for anyone, so while we can appreciate the effort, we likely won't remember they happened when we see the obligatory rematches tonight on Raw.

WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Match

WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day defeated Enzo & Cass, The Vaudevillains, and The Club (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson)

This was a solid show-opener, with lots of rapid-fire action.  Sure, there were at least two major clunks in between: the late interference by Gallows to break up what was clearly a clean three-count for Enzo & Cass, and a confusing Trouble in Paradise that saw Enzo fall forward instead of back, but overall this was a solid showing for a strong division that might see its best days behind it heading into the brand split.  If we count the four tag teams (I use that term loosely in two of those cases) from the Kickoff Show, that gives eight tag teams to split between Raw and Smackdown (nine if you're counting the Shining Stars).  Assuming American Alpha makes the rumored ascent from NXT, we could get five teams per brand, but how they maintain the momentum for each of those teams is just as important--if not moreso--than simply filling out your roster.

Baron Corbin defeated Dolph Ziggler

The outcome of this match shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, but the match itself might be.

As a young up-and-comer who supposedly made a statement by winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Corbin should be showing me something new every time a WWE Network special comes around.  Instead, I see more of the same, and in this case, something a little worse.

I get that there is a particular pace to a "David vs. Goliath" match: typically the giant stalks his prey as the tinier combatant stumbles around the ring, selling everything thrown at him.  Ziggler is perfectly tailored to this.  Nobody sells better.  But Corbin's slow and plodding pace failed to look dominant, instead lulling the crowd into a round of the infamous "boring" chant.

With little in the way of structure or flow, it's a surprise this match even made the main card.  I'd expect something of this caliber on the Kickoff Show, but it's extra insulting to see it used as "filler" during the event itself.  It's a shame that two guys with so much to give have given me so little reason to be invested.

Also, can someone please tell Ziggler it's not okay to use Sweet Chin Music?  Because it's not.

Ever.

TAG TEAM MATCH

WWE Women's Champion Charlotte & Dana Brooke defeated Becky Lynch & Natalya

Even as I write this, I'm racking my brain for one memorable thing about the contest itself.  For the life of me, I can't come up with anything.  The Champ and her cohort are on the ropes when suddenly Dana Brooke causes Becky and Nattie to collide in what looked like a truly painful bump, and thus costing them the match.

Pretty standard fare, but nothing noteworthy.  Everyone's tired of seeing Charlotte drag someone around to help her win.  She's clearly capable of handling herself, so let her do that, even as a heel.

The most interesting thing about this match is Natalya turning on Becky afterward.  Nattie has a chance to really shine here and elevate Becky to the next level.  Let her come out and complain about how she was left behind in this whole "Divas Revolution," and she's tired of having to share the spotlight with women who (presumably) aren't good enough to lace her boots.  Let her and Becky go back and forth, and let Becky get her shot at Charlotte when it's all done.

Of course, that leaves the question of who will be facing Charlotte for the Women's Championship in the meantime.  That depends on how this draft shakes out and where the title ends up (and if a second title is created).  Paige recently pinned Charlotte on Raw, and we haven't seen Sasha Banks in a while.  Both would be excellent contenders, and since there's no guarantee where everyone will end up after July 19th, you might as well pull those triggers now.

Apollo Crews def. Sheamus

Once again, I can't think of anything notable about this match.  It was a solid effort, but so was every match on this card.  Similar to Corbin vs. Ziggler, it's a shame that a talent like Crews has failed to stand out on the main roster.  Say what you want about Sheamus, he's a very good performer and a perfect guy to help get the next generation of stars over.  Unfortunately, it's hard to do that when you're given limited time and virtually no story to work with.

A.J. Styles defeated John Cena

For me, this was the match of the night.  It was clearly Styles' best showing since coming to the main roster, and it was helped by John Cena's willingness to sell everything Styles hit him with.  Honestly, I haven't seen Cena sell a beating like that since Brock Lesnar.

Obviously, letting Styles win was the right move as it elevates him to main-event status.  People will complain that the win wasn't "clean," but--newsflash, everyone--AJ is a heel.  It's what heels do.  Don't believe me?  Go lookup the Four Horsemen.  I'll wait.

The match was all about Styles, but major props should be given to John Cena, here.  For all the flak that he takes for burying talent (something Styles himself mentioned a few weeks ago), he's one of the few guys on the roster whose credibility is such that when he loses, it makes the victor look a million times better than he did before.

The two told a great story.  Cena simply couldn't get any momentum going as Styles seemed to counter everything he did.  At one point, Styles even took time to literally run circles around WWE's golden boy.  After taking Cena down to the mat for what felt like the hundredth time, Styles looked to the crowd and yelled, "Is that all he's got?  Sh*t!"  Both men played their parts perfectly.  The Club's interference guarantees that Cena's integrity is protected and cements Styles as the biggest heel in professional wrestling.

Hopefully we get a couple more bouts from these two.  I'm sure John Cena will be looking for revenge come Monday night.

MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH

Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Sami Zayn

If you couldn't decide who you wanted to win this match, you probably weren't alone.  Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, and Dean Ambrose all made strong contenders for the top spot, here, and all put their bodies through hell to get there.  One particularly nasty spot saw Kevin Owens go spine-to-spine with a ladder, and I honestly thought for several moments he was seriously hurt.

The backstage promo between Owens, Jericho, and Del Rio was magic.  In particular, I think Owens and Jericho have a tremendous chemistry that could carry them forward in a feud that is as much about words as it is about wrestling.  Their confrontations in the ring last night seemed to indicate we are headed there, and that could only mean one thing:

Dean Ambrose emerged as Mr. Money in the Bank.

The rest (as you will see) was academic.

WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP

WWE United States Champion Rusev (with Lana) vs. Titus O'Niel

There is an art to match placement that goes largely overlooked in the business of pro wrestling.  When done properly, it allows an event to slowly build as the stakes are steadily raised until the tension explodes in the main event.

When done poorly, two solid performers get thrown to the wolves when they are smashed between two truly epic matches.

Rusev vs. Titus O'Niel had all the makings of a solid bout, particularly with Titus' family at ringside.  That fact alone lent itself to a good story, but it was a story that was scarcely told in the less than ten minutes the match lasted.  Though his feats of strength were impressive, Titus never got a chance to look strong in front his children (in particular, he never got to do his trademark barking from the corner).  Never at any point was I convinced Titus had a chance of winning, and that's a shame because rather than looking like "enhancement talent," O'Niel could have looked every bit Rusev's equal.  Even if he was going to come up short, there's a difference between getting completely dominated versus having the victory slip from your grasp.

Now of course we have to wonder who Rusev's next opponent will be, and we likely won't find out for another month.

WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

The wrestling in this match was very, very good, but it's also probably the best story Roman Reigns has ever told in or out of the ring.

The most surprising aspect of this match was the hints of a "double-turn" right from the start as the alleged babyface Reigns beat down underdog heel Seth Rollins, even going so far as to palm his face away and call him names.

Suddenly Rollins was fighting from underneath instead of looking like the dominant champion he used to be.  Reigns' facial expressions were key, because you could see the disgust in his face as he glared at his former Shield brother and listened to the cascading boos that fell on him whenever he hit any kind of offense.

These two worked magic together, and if it weren't for Cena vs. A.J. an hour before they may have had the match of the night.  Their efforts may be overshadowed by what followed, but if nothing else these two men both proved they deserve to be main-event stars; and yes, that includes Roman Reigns.  It may be the "in" thing to boo Roman every chance you get, but anyone who goes back to Survivor Series 2015 when Roman won his first title will see a clear difference in the quality of his wrestling and his storytelling ability in the ring.  I'm still not going out to buy his t-shirt, but I simply find it hard to dislike the guy when he's worked so hard to prove himself a fickle generation of merciless fans.

Giving Rollins the win was key, as it was Seth's first match back from what seemed a career-ending injury.  More importantly, it set up what followed that night, and what is inevitably waiting around the next bend.

WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

People were chanting for Dean Ambrose before the final bell had rung for Reigns and Rollins.  From the moment "The Lunatic Fringe" captured the precious briefcase, we all knew what would happen next, even if we weren't sure how the night would end.

From the looks of things, the fans weren't the only ones expecting Ambrose to cash in.  The second Dean's music hit, Rollins was waiting in the ring with the look of a hungry wolf waiting for his next prey.

Unfortunately for "The Architect," Ambrose's attack came from behind as he smashed the briefcase over Rollins' head, knocking him virtually unconscious.  Ambrose then cashed in the weapon as Seth got back to his feet just in time to be met with Dirty Deeds.

In an unprecedented turn of events, each member of the Shield held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a single night, and with Reigns and Rollins both owed a rematch, one can only assume a Shield Triple-Threat is in the works for Battleground.

The Draft and Battleground

Of course, this is all assuming that all three ex-Shield members wind up on the same brand after the draft.

Perhaps more interesting than any outcome from the night itself is the prospect of the draft and how the landscape of WWE will change after everyone is assigned to their respective roster.

As much as we'd love to see these feuds move forward and continue, chances are some of them will be disrupted by the flow of talent from one side to the other.

Obviously, the creation (or rebirth) of a second World Championship is eminent, but how that champion will be determined is a big question.  Will we see a second Women's Championship, a second tag team title?  Where will the Cruiserweight Championship fit in to all of this?

Tonight's Raw may hold some clues as to the future of WWE's roster, but there will be a lot of question marks until the draft shakes out and we see who gets a chance to be a bigger fish in a much smaller pond.

What's Next for Nakamura?

Despite their reputation for notoriously short memories, I'd be surprised if most fans didn't hold the Austin Aries vs. Shinsuke Nakamura from last night's NXT Takeover: The End as a Match of the Year candidate by year's end.  The epic encounter is a classic example of perfect pacing, hold-your-breath moves, and superb athleticism from two men who have virtually done it all in the business.

That being said, the shakeout from the event is arguably the most intriguing aspect of the entire affair.  I don't think anybody acquainted with these two wrestlers doubted their match last night would steal the show.  By most accounts, it was the most anticipated bout of the evening.  Nakamura's victory, coupled with his already overwhelming popularity with fans, assures him the sky is the limit; but is now the time to make that future a reality?

Shinsuke Nakamura is not new to hardcore fans who have followed his career through New Japan, but his arrival in NXT has now made him a household name among the casual fan as well.  He's managed to back that up with two stellar performances at consecutive takeovers against Sami Zayn and Austin Aries, assuring us that the hype is to be believed.  But there's precious few other "big" stars to wrestle in NXT (particularly with rumors swirling that the roster will be largely dispersed to feed the Raw and Smackdown brand extension).  There's only one person left on the roster with the sort of name recognition deserving of a main-event-style billing, and he just so happens to be the same person holding championship gold.

A feud between NXT Champion Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura is inevitable, especially now that Finn Balor has officially failed to recapture the belt and seems destined to reappear on one of the main rosters (perhaps to reclaim the Club he founded).  Nakamura as NXT Champion is all but a certainty to happen sooner rather than later, but how soon is too soon?

When answering that question, it's important to consider three people.  The first, of course, is Nakamura himself.

"The King of Strong Style" is by far the greatest showman NXT has ever seen, and his oozing charisma has weaved its way into the fans' hearts at rapid-fire pace.  Despite being a product of the "indie scene" (if you can call New Japan an indie promotion), Nakamura is the epitome of Vince McMahon's sports-entertainment: a larger-than-life presence with world-class athleticism and a die-hard passion for pro wrestling.  As the most popular star on his roster (with the possible exception of Bayley), it seems only logical to gift him with the most coveted prize that roster has to offer and make him your Champion.

So why shouldn't you?

It all comes down to the age-old wrestling paradox of whether or not a particular star needs the title.  As pointed out by many greats of the past like Steve Austin, Bret Hart, and Shawn Michaels, there's a huge difference between "the title making the man" and "the man making the title."  In the case of Nakamura, it's probably more of the latter as he brings with him his body of work overseas and infuses it into what he's established her in the States.  Nakamura would elevate the Championship, no doubt, but his meteoric rise to prominence suggests that he doesn't need the title to be your main event.  His work speaks for itself.  His charisma speaks for itself.  He speaks for himself.

Better yet, by keeping the title away from Nakamura, you have the chance not just to build him as an underdog scraping from the bottom, but the chance to elevate other stars on your roster, especially with the obligatory injection of new blood coming as much of the upper card moves to the main roster(s).  What could a match against Nakamura do for men like Tommaso Ciampa or Johnny Gargano?  Even in defeat, these fledgling stars could be given a chance to truly showcase their skills and prove that they can "go".  It helps their careers and proves to the fans that the future of the brand is in very capable hands.

The second person to consider is Austin Aries, who will go largely uncredited for the masterpiece of last night's match, but deserves almost as much, if not more applause for the effort.  Aries has a tremendous story to tell: a devil-may-care heel with a chip on his shoulder because he came in just in time to be eclipsed by someone who was deemed a bigger draw.  His match against Nakamura was by far his best showing since coming to NXT, and hopefully fans who haven't gotten a chance to know him will now take notice and see the merit in his words.

Whereas letting Nakamura flounder in the mid-card for a while could elevate the unknowns of your roster, the same cannot be said for Austin Aries.  It's not because he lacks the ability; but the loss to Nakamura means "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" ends up looking less than great.  A victory over Aries at this point would be the equivalent of kicking a man when he's down.

Instead, Aries needs to be the one to ensure Nakamura never attains that NXT Championship.  Despite not qualifying for a title match himself, he can be the thorn in Shinsuke's side.  Every time "The King of Strong Style" seems to have a title victory in his grasp, Aries is there to spoil it.  Eventually, Samoa Joe gets fed up with Aries and decides to put his title on the line against A-Double in an effort to shut him up for good.  And that's when Aries wins.  Suddenly Aries sits atop the mountain, triumphantly clad in the Championship that was always meant to be his: everything he's ever said is true.  All the doubters see their folly.  All the naysayers are forced to acknowledge him as truly "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived."

Now enter an enraged Nakamura who's tired of being screwed out of every opportunity and sees the man who has thwarted his every attempt to be Champion holding a title he doesn't deserve.  Nakamura returns and beats Aries for the Championship, cementing himself as the brand's biggest star.  Samoa Joe can then return to insist on a rematch for the title that was stolen from him, and that's when we get the inevitable Joe vs. Nakamura match.

The most important thing here is that everybody wins, everybody looks good.  Aries doesn't look like a loser.  Nakamura still looks like a hero.  Joe still looks like a badass.  Nobody has to "job out" or fade away.  With a thin top-card, NXT needs all three of these men to carry their brand forward until the next crop of superstars is ready to take the mantle.

Finally, there's Samoa Joe.  Similar to Aries, the biggest issue for Joe is that there are few stars on his level that qualify as legitimate threats to his title.  For this reason, it's probably obvious to stick he and Nakamura in a feud immediately.  But since we have a couple of months til NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 2016 at Summerslam, I'd suggest that Joe spend at least a few weeks just running through the lower card enhancement talent and asserting that there's nobody left on the roster to threaten him.  That's when the above scenario kicks in and a Joe/Nakamura feud can ensue, eventually bringing Austin Aries to the fore as your NXT Champion.

WWE is famous for their short-term memory, but even more infamous for their short-term booking.  In a time where the NXT brand is jeopardized by the expansions of Raw and Smackdown, a slow build of the next big star is what's needed while the new blood gets their sea legs under them so they can one day carry their fellow stars to the next generation.  Last night may have been The End, but it's really just the beginning.