Shining a Spotlight 4.05.07: WWE Post-Mania
Posted by Michael Weyer on 04.05.2007
Prediciting what the following year of WWE will be like in the post-Wrestlemania period with tag teams, ECW rising and a new draft lottery.
Somehow, it oddly fits that my 50th column is on Wrestlemania and the fallout. I know, I know, everyone and their brother is talking about it. But seeing as how my steroid column didn't get much mail, I figure I might as well leap on the bandwagon.
This show should quiet a lot of doubters in WWE's future as it was one of the better Manias in a while. Cena/HBK delivered like we knew it would, as did the Money in the Bank match (although I had hoped for CM Punk to win). Having all the commentary teams doing the MITB together was a good choice, lots of great lines (I especially loved JBL when Matt Hardy threatened to give Sharmell a Twist of Fate to get Booker to come down the ladder: "I've dumped plenty of women before, this is a world title!") I also loved the psychology of Matt sacrificing his own brother to get Edge out of it. The big surprise is that Batista/Undertaker, which was predicted to be passable at best, turned into a really good match with Taker fighting like he was at least five years younger and Batista tightening up his repertoire better than '05. 20/20 being hindsight, this might have been a better choice to go on last but then, SmackDown is the "B" show and I don't think even WWE knew how good these guys would make it.
Once again, Vince McMahon earned some respect from his workers last night. I've long been in the camp that whatever else you can say about him, Vince loves his product and is always willing to do what it takes to help it. But still, being shaved bald in front of millions and having that talked about on TV shows is big for him. It's gonna be weird seeing a bald Vince on TV for a while but he deserves major props for letting himself be put through it just to give the fans their money's worth.
True, we had duds like the Women's match and Kane-Khali. I'm still surprised they kept the US belt on Benoit but then, he can still elevate guys with his abilities and MVP showed he could hang a bit with the nice psychology of breaking out of the crossface so Benoit used a flying headbutt to pin him. I know a lot of people would love to see Benoit at the top again but after his injuries and considering his age, it might be best for him to be used to elevate others, which he's still great at.
But this column isn't just about Wrestlemania. It's about what happens next. Because from here on in, the next year in WWE, and thus all of wrestling, is going to be shifted majorly and in new ways.
Wrestling has always been unique in that, unlike legitimate sports or forms of entertainment, there is no off-season. It's a reason I think wrestlers deserve more respect than they get from the mainstream as they're out there on the road performing far more than baseball, basketball or football players. This, of course, means that there's no big "season finale" thing you can build to.
It used to be that you could easily figure the points where WWF would shift storylines. Before 1995, the big shows were seasonal: Royal Rumble in January, Wrestlemania in late March/early April, SummerSlam in August and Survivor Series around Thanksgiving. It was easy to tell when the big payoffs to feuds were going to be. The advent of monthly PPVs changed that, of course, making it harder at times to build properly and making feuds last so long.
But despite that, Wrestlemania remains the capper to the big storylines WWE plans out and can be considered the closest to the start of a "new season" as wresting gets. So the fallout of this year's show promises to be widespread and will change things up for the next year in WWE.
Keep in mind, there are various factors that can change things up, factors even WWE writers can't anticipate. Last year, they didn't know Rey Mysterio's reign as World champ wouldn't be as successful or that Booker T would click as a huge heel with the "King Booker" gimmick. They had planned for RVD taking the title from Cena but of course, didn't know RVD would mess things up with his arrest. That's not counting the slews of injuries or other sudden shifts that can mess up plans. Still, there are various ways the company can go from here.
Let's start off with RAW. I find it delicious that, as he himself said, the one time Scott Keith was pulling for Michaels to win, Shawn did the job. Personally, I think Cena came off great so can't understand the massive fan apathy for him. I also don't get the sudden rush for Shawn to have gotten the title with so many years complaining about "the glass ceiling" that Shawn was part of so long. Cena's good in the ring, a damn great seller, awesome on the mic yet the backlash still grows. One real-time report of the show I saw had the great line: "Cena is the Sunjaya of pro wrestling." So naturally, some are saying it's time to just go ahead and turn him heel but I don't know if that's the right move. Keep in mind, that was said last year but they resisted and the boos decreased a bit. Cena is clearly over, one way or another, so keeping him face is still the way to go.
The question is who they'll get to be the next challenger as he's gone through so many guys on the RAW roster. I do believe we'll see a rematch with HBK for Backlash, since rematches of Mania are pretty much a tradition for that show. Now, it's possible that they might do a title switch there but I doubt it. Although I admit the idea of Shawn with the belt one more time would make for more interesting matchups for the next few months. Plus, getting the belt off Cena might allow the heel heat toward him to lower a bit.
One thing that makes this post-Mania period so interesting is that for the first time in almost a decade, HHH will not be involved. Ever since 1998, when he formed the new DX, Hunter has been a major part of the immediate post-Mania landscape, often as champion. But with months until he comes back (assuming he does), this leaves RAW needing to shuffle the main event a bit. The problem is that Cena has already beaten Edge, Orton, HBK and Umaga so the list of possible challengers is thin at the moment. Not to mention we lose HHH's presence, which has become a big part of RAW, whether you want to admit it or not. That does leave a bit of a hole but hopefully it can be filled in. There's also the fact that we have a third brand this year to be shifted about in the post-Mania plans.
There is the possibility that WWE might take one of the mid-card guys and decide to elevate him big. They did it for HHH, they did it for Orton, they did it for JBL so there is precedence. True, at first none of them were really ready and the fans weren't set for them to get these pushes but eventually (HHH and JBL especially), they grew into the roles well. So far, the only guy on RAW who seems to fit that bill is Johnny Nitro, who could use elevation with Mercury gone. Course, always Shelton Benjamin but that's highly unlikely.
I'll speak more about a solution in a moment. For now, we move to SmackDown. I'm still surprised they put the belt on Undertaker due to his sporadic schedule. But, with rumors he may be hanging it up, it makes sense to give him one last run with the belt. It seems clear to me that his reign won't last long as I see Kennedy using his MITB contract to get the first shot. He's been over for quite a while and ready to be given a try at the top and could get some good matches at the Smack Down main event level.
As for Batista, the heel turn seems ready to finally be made and I think it's long overdue. This guy just seems set to be a monster heel and it could lead him getting his old star luster back. He and Taker might be able to work it out a bit more, especially if Batista costs Taker the belt against Kennedy, setting up a big feud while Kennedy takes on the likes of King Booker, Finlay and others. Kennedy can be good as either a heel or a face so having him as champ will liven SmackDown up a bit.
Over at ECW, things are a bit harder to predict as the brand is still a bit unpopular. The match between the Originals and the New Breed should have been a longer and more crazy brawl with the New Breed going over. It's time fans really accepted that the classic ECW is dead and allowed these new guys a chance to take off. Lashley did have his big showcase but still seems better for either RAW or Smackdown than ECW. What is clear is that CM Punk is hugely over and if WWE would like this new ECW to survive, giving him a run with the belt would be the best move to get the fans going more for the brand. I'm not sure if we'll get another One Night Stand but if ECW can push to a newer PPV with better action, it can establish itself more and maybe win more respect.
Still, it may be time for a shift for the rosters via the draft lottery. I know they skipped it last year but I think another one is just the thing to bring new interest to the brands. New challengers, new pairings, new ways to go, it's just what the company needs. As for who goes where…maybe it's time to switch the big two titles back around.
I know it makes sense to have Cena on RAW as he is the biggest name the company has now and thus would be on the main show. But going to SmackDown would give him some fresh new challengers and thus shift things up. More importantly, it would correct the idea of SmackDown as the B show as Cena being on would lead to a ratings increase and help elevate it more in the fan's eyes. Meanwhile, assuming Kennedy wins the belt and goes to RAW, he'd be a good fit with his arrogant persona and would also face a slew of new challengers.
As for who else can benefit from switching brands? Call me crazy but I think moving the Hardyz around could provide a bit of an interesting dynamic. Maybe Edge and Matt can have their feud right this time and Jeff might get some new challenges on SmackDown. King Booker seems to bring something interesting when he shows up on RAW so moving him over might be good. Orton has been stuck so long on RAW, going back to SmackDown might be good. As for the rest, we'll have to see. The nice part of the switching is that sometimes, guys can blossom bigger than expected (see Shelton Benjamin in '04).
The post-RAW tag team battle royal was unique if only for the fact WWF actually managed to get that many teams together. Putting it back on the Hardyz was logical as fans have been wanting them back together for a while. Not sure how long that reign will last but it's nice to see Matt and Jeff as champs again. For SmackDown, it's way past time to get the belts off London and Kendrick and maybe Deuce and Domino will work well as champs. I do think it's time to push Cryme Time a bit more in the ring. In fact, seeing how well Slick got along with them during the Mania backstage bit, and the big pop Slick got, the idea of "the Doctor of Style" back in the ring and managing CT is actually pretty fun and could lead to some new rise in teams.
I'm unsure whether they should bring back King of the Ring as Booker has made the King gimmick his own so well but it could be a good way to elevate someone in the mid-card. Speaking of which, I'm hoping Rey Mysterio's return will mean a better push for the Cruiserweight division, which really needs to get the belt on someone new in order to remain alive. I know I'm not the only one to harp on this but WWE is really missing the boat not pushing the cruiserweights on a par with the X Division in TNA (of course, considering how TNA has treated the X Division lately...).
What matters is that the next year of WWE is going to be filled with plenty of twists and turns, a lot of which even they themselves can't predict. As I mentioned, so many things can occur, fans might turn to one new gimmick or worker better than expected or an injury/suspension can mar the long-term plans for the upper card. One thing is for sure, the post-Wrestlemania landscape is always a very interesting time for WWE and thus all of wrestling. And this year promises to not only carry on that tradition but be one of the more intriguing and may be the key to helping WWE rise back to some of its former glory. Of course, you can't predict it for sure but then that's what makes it so cool. A little uncertainty is just what we fans can like to keep us pulled into this business.
Elsewhere on 411:
Mania looks are all over the place:
That Was Then looks at the best (and worst) of Mania over the years.
The Fink looks ahead to WM 24.
Top 10 breaks from format a bit to chronicle Mania's moments.
Evolution Schematic talks about the MITB match.
The Goodness notes how Batista/Taker stole the show.
Schmoozes & Screwjobs also shifts to look at just Schmoozes.
Kayfabe Chronicles celebrates April Fool's Day a bit late.
Timewarp imagines how TNA can create their own answer to Mania.
Don't forget Column of Honor, Triple Threat, 3 R's, Navigation Log, Can They Be Champ and the rest.
Hope you all have a nice holiday weekend. For now, the spotlight is off.
