BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
This show has “potential”. I don’t know what that really means anymore with the WWE because “potential” seems to be a bad. If a storyline, character, or any aspect of a WWE show has “potential” it is quickly rushed off, revamped, or ruined.
I hate being so negative about the current WWE product but it’s pretty easy to feel this way. I’ve been a fan of the WWE for close to all of the thirty years I’ve been alive. My earliest memories in live involve watching and loving wrestling. It’s just part of being. For better or worse, I have full blown wrestlingitis. I can itch, scratch, swear it off… but I can’t escape the itis.
So I know I should just turn the channel and not watch, but I keep watching hoping things will change. The show is just boring. It’s not just the fact that certain guys are held down and others are pushed farther than anyone demands for. It’s not just the oversaturation of product. It’s not just the lame announcing and overly-assertive branding. It’s not just the lack of original match-ups. It’s not just any of it.
It’s all of it.
The WWE is stale. This is true even regardless of the network and regardless of Daniel Bryan having an amazing run right now. This Pay Per View is VERY important for the WWE history book. It could be the last “traditional outlet” PPV and is the last money show before the biggest WrestleMania of all time.
We all know people are going to be coming back to make their big WrestleMania run. I’m talking about Undertaker, Brock, Jericho, RVD, and the whole “Mania-check” gang. Then we’ve all heard rumors about Hogan, Sting, Warrior, and pretty much everyone under the sun.
Do you think Dolph Ziggler has a hard time getting a spot on the card? Heh.
Elimination Chamber 2014 looks good on paper. I won’t get too in the predictions. Batista is going to destroy Alberto Del Rio. It sucks because Del Rio is great and deserves better, but he’s obviously being fed to the lions here. Big E will take care of Jack Swagger. The New Age Outlaws cheat to win over the Usos. Darren Young sneaks a win over Titus O’Neil. These matches could be at least entertaining, but no one is buying this show to see this stuff.
The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield match is a big one. Everyone wants to assume they’ll pull the trigger with Reigns leaving the group. I think they’ll pull it back a little and let it simmer. The crowd reaction when these two groups go face to face is red hot. People also want to assume Reigns will leave the group, but what if Rollins kicks BOTH Reigns and Ambrose out of the group. It’d be weird, but easily explained as The Shield is about justice and both guy’s egos are in need of being in check… This leaves Rollins to introduce two NEW members and transitions BOTH Ambrose and Reigns into the non-crowd entering roster. I’d just rather see this held off a little. All of this confusion and discussion makes one thing clear, The Sheild wins. Yeah, a twist!
The main event is interesting. It’s got all the basic ingredients of a WWE main event. John Cena looks strong no matter what, Randy Orton looks weak, Daniel Bryan looks sillier and sillier, Sheamus looks useless, Christian is just there for no reason, and Cesaro is benefitting from the annual “hey, let’s see if we can push and depush this guy until the crowd loves him” push that has gone to the likes of Kofi, Dolph, The Brian Kendrick, and others in the past. I like him a lot. He’s one of the most entertaining performers on TV right now, but it’s hard to get excited about his rise up the card knowing it can crash and burn at any time. The crowd can love him, his shirts can sell, and people can pay to see him… but we know these factors don’t matter anymore.
Dammit, call me crazy but I’m going to just go with my gut. Daniel Bryan wins the match and the title. There is the likelihood of Triple H screwing him over and these two facing off at WrestleMania. That’s possible, but to NOT give the fans a Daniel Bryan moment at WrestleMania would be bullshit. Maybe they’ll make him wrestle Triple H earlier in the night and if he wins he gets to be in the title match. Something. Anything.
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