Yeah, I know, it’s been forever, but here I am with a lot on my mind thanks to the latest developments in the WWE regarding the Wyatt Family, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and more.
Here.
We.
Go!
On his blog this week, former WWE announcer and talent development executive Jim Ross addressed the Wyatt Family feud with two former WWE and ROH World Champs…
Anxious to watch CM Punk and Daniel Bryan team to face the Wyatt’s down the road. This will help the Wyatt’s develop more villain nuances and give them the proverbial ‘rub’ that they need. Right now the Wyatt’s are only villains because they are battling two, established fan favorites and not because of the style of work of the bizarre trio. I have great expectations for the Wyatt’s in the future but I see them as character, fan favorites at this time.
Plus, if Punk and Bryan team…they could some day break up and have a series of classic matches that no one in WWE could follow. That’s my fantasy booking for the day. Follow that, guys.
Not trying to top anything, but here are some thoughts on what I think is the most potentially compelling storyline on WWE television today (sorry, Big Show fans — although I do like how they fixed his character after the crybaby silliness).
1. Just when you thought the feud was over… Recently the Wyatts have had a penchant for taking out former WWE/ROH Champions and Indie/IWC darlings CM Punk and Daniel Bryan for no apparent reason other than “the devil made me do it.” Hmm. Could that have just been an innocuous reference to Bray’s cult-leader persona? Or, particularly with Punk as a target, might the Chicago Made superstar’s nemesis Paul Heyman – a man who has referred to himself as the devil – be involved?
2. What about Kane? Yet, lest we forget: one of the Wyatts’ first victims was Kane, who until the brief, arguably “throw-away,” run in at the recent pay-per-view – during which Bray & co. were chased away – had been written out of storylines with Wyatt-induced injuries. Frankly, I find it interestingly odd that the absence (and subsequent corporate heel turn) by the Devil’s Favorite Demon has yet to be addressed. Could this be intentional? Could the Wyatt Beatdowns and Libertarian Kane (TM, Scott Keith) be related somehow?
3. “The Devil” Wears Converse All-Stars? – Kane… CM Punk… Daniel Bryan… What do these men all have in common?? Or should I say, WHO do these men all have in common? Could this all just be a revenge play by the Divas Champion? Or is Miss Lee an innocent beneficiary of a plot hatched by Kane and influenced by that first Wyatt Beatdown?
4. As intriguing as #3 sounds, I do admit that it’s likely the result of my misguided desire for WWE to show some storyline continuity and/or realization of how much fun a Kane-and-the-Wyatts versus Bryan-Punk-and-Ziggler match would be at Survivor Series.
5. The one thing that throws a wrinkle in the Kane and/or AJ-as-mastermind theories is the rationale for Mister Jacobs’ sudden alignment with THE AUTHORITY. I haven’t figured that one out quite yet. Was Kane originally supposed to be in the Big Show’s role as “the giant who was offended by HHH and Stephanie’s treatment of Daniel Bryan” (boy would that explain a lot of plot holes)? Are they simply turning him heel for No Good Reason (TM, WWE Creative Team) because of See No Evil 2?
6. When all is said and done, the Wyatts’ treatment of Kane and Shield’s treatment of The Undertaker has to go somewhere… and perhaps this is all an unrelated ruse by Corporate Kane to get vengeance by breaking down the McMahon-Helmsley Era 2.0 from within…
7. CB has jumped on board The Shield’s inevitable breakup train, but I’m not sure I’m there yet. Sure, there are some subtleties that began with HHH verbally running the three down just around the time they became the APA redux, and have continued through some recent Shield promos, particularly in the facial expressions of The Rock’s kinda-cousin, Roman (no relation to Luther) Reigns. Thing is: I think WWE is going to try to turn Roman babyface… and I think that may backfire. Ambrose and Rollins are SO good (by the way, I think Reigns is much-improved) – in the ring and on the stick – and the fans may turn on their tall partner should the execution be timed even the slightest bit wrong. Here I am fantasy booking again, but the idea of Reigns as a heel (something WWE sorely needs) and a de facto Bryan/Punk/Rollins/Ambrose faction has a nice feel to it. The sound you’re hearing is the IWC’s anger at me for putting that idea in print, thereby ensuring it will never happen.
8. Speaking of factions, should I bother mentioning CM Punk’s treatment of Bray Wyatt when he was Husky Harris, brief member of Punk’s version of the Nexus? This went ignored with Curtis Axel, so I think I just answered my own question.
9. Of course, one potential “devil” has gone unnamed thus far, and that’s Vincent Kennedy McMahon, Chairman of the recently-back-in-storylines WWE BOARD. The Wyatts couldn’t possibly be on Vince’s payroll, right? I mean, all rumors have pointed towards McMahon coming back as a babyface, fighting for control of his company, right? RIGHT? (Man, it’s too bad Shane’s no longer involved…)
10. When all is said and done, whether Vince or Hunter or Stephanie… Kane or Undertaker… Heyman or AJ or – I donno – Brie Bella is behind all of this, here’s my final thought for now: whatever one thinks of a Big Show/Randy Orton main event at Survivor Series, or even a Big Show/HHH match at WrestleMania XXX, the current storyline will lead to some great in-ring performances by some of the best in the business today. If you would have told me the day Bryan Danielson got suspended for choking Justin Roberts that both he and Punk would be former WWE Champions getting tons of TV time along with the opportunity to steal the show on a weekly or monthly basis, I would have said thank you. Add in some great workers in The Shield, a potentially very interesting group led by third-generation superstar Bray Wyatt, and yes, even HHH and Randy Orton and an inspired John Cena, and regardless of the scripts, WWE’s got a chance to be a regularly fun wrestling promotion for the first time since the Smackdown Six had their run a decade ago…
What do you think? Let me know by commenting below.
