Do over: Money in the Bank women's edition

Preparing for MITB Part 2
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The women of SmackDown Live are getting a second chance to do their historic Money in the Bank ladder match. The first encounter over the weekend ended with James Ellsworth climbing the ladder, grabbing the briefcase and dropping it into the waiting arms of Carmella. 

Returning SDL General Manager Daniel Bryan ruled that Carmella has to hand over the briefcase. The reason: Ellsworth interrupted one of the most important moments in the history of women's wrestling in WWE. The moment will now be "re-lived" on SmackDown Live on June 27.

Ellsworth grabs the case
Courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

All five of the original participants will compete in the match, Carmella, Tamina, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Natalya. In my 1-2-3 cents, Carmella will win again. It makes no sense to take the case away from her and keep her in the rematch. If she cheated and did things that are "unprecedented", wouldn't it make more sense to keep her out of the second match as a punishment? Or perhaps I'm reading too much into it.

The cynic in me wonders if this was the original plan or if WWE is responding to the backlash online. I heard several complaints that a man interfering in the match was a setback for the women's wrestling movement within the company. I don't necessarily agree with that point of view, but I certainly understand it. Remember, it's all a work, no matter how we get to the end result.

Ms. Money in the Bank
Courtesy: WWE

Carmella is the best suited for the Ms. Money in the Bank gimmick. Her character has come a long way since debuting on the main roster and she and Ellsworth work very well together. The promo she cut on the post-MITB SmackDown Live was her best yet. This is just a minor setback for the couple and I have no doubt Carmella will make a fabulous SmackDown women's champion sooner rather than later. You can bank on that.

Superstar Shakeup thoughts

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Everyone has an opinion on the upcoming Superstar Shakeup. Some are calling it a draft, others say it's a trade. Either way, you can bet there will be a lot of unpredictability associated with the shakeup. Instead of saying what I think will happen, I'm going to share what I want to see happen. These are two totally different things, but it's easier to share what I want.

The Revival
Courtesy: WWE

At least one tag team will split up. I'm not a huge fan of this happening like it did the year they split the Dudley Boys and the Hardys. Well established tag teams should stay together. Now that The Revival has been called up and The Hardys have returned we're getting a little diversity in the division. But with Simon Gotch being released, the Vaudevillains are no longer around (personally I enjoyed this team a lot in NXT). 

I thought New Day would be the most likely to be split, but now I'm thinking it could be Big Cass and Enzo. They've played around with doing both guys as singles stars, but I think Enzo would make a great mouthpiece for someone. I still enjoy the New Day and their merchandise. It appears to be selling well, so I'm hoping WWE keeps them intact and maybe tweaks them a little. That could be something as easy as switching brands.

The women (yes I know it's an old pic)
Courtesy: WWE

Beating a dead horse, but the women all need to be under one brand. There's simply not enough ladies on either roster to keep things fresh enough without resorting to the same matches or combination of matches. However, I know all the women on Raw or SmackDown Live will never happen. Sasha Banks needs to turn whether she stays on Raw or moves. She's not believable as a face. I wouldn't mind seeing Mickie James have a go at some of the Raw women and perhaps even a short title run with Charlotte Flair eventually winning the belt again by the end of the year.

I like AJ Styles on SmackDown Live. He's really owned the show and moving him to Raw as some have speculated may result in him getting lost in the shuffle. I'd much rather see AJ regain the championship from Randy Orton in the next couple of months and finish out 2017 as a strong champion.

JR returns
Courtesy: WWE

Other champs need to stay put. As far as announcers go, I'd love for JR to return to weekly TV, but I'm not going to hold my breath for that opportunity. Corey Graves has actually started growing on me. As for the future of the SmackDown Live team, only time will tell.

I know I didn't go far out on a limb, but that's about all that's on my mind at the moment. Honestly, I wouldn't hate it if as one blog I read today by Greg DeMarco suggested that nothing changes at all. With the new call ups and recent departures, WWE has the talent and I believe the creative mind to freshen things up without a Superstar Shakeup. But we shall see soon enough. In closing, if they really do want to shake things up, how about starting the show with a match instead of a 20-minute talking segment?

Glaming up the Hall of Fame

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

It's been announced one of my favorite female wrestlers is going into the WWE Hall of Fame. "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix will take her spot with the Class of 2017 on Friday, March 31 in Orlando. She joins Kurt Angle, The Rock 'n Roll Express, Teddy Long and Diamond Dallas Page in this year's ceremony. I'm sure others will be announced soon too.

Champ
Courtesy: WWE

Phoenix emerged in WWE when the Barbie Doll, non-wrestler look was taking over the women's division. In fact, they were called Divas and it's safe to argue most were there to advance their careers in other avenues. Beth stood out and excelled. I enjoyed the work she and Natalya did. I eagerly anticipated a Beth Phoenix-Kharma feud, but it never happened. 

Meeting Beth in 2008
Courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

It's hard to believe Beth left WWE nearly five years ago. I'd love to see her do a comeback like Mickie James is currently doing. While I liked her better as a villain, I'd love to see her and Charlotte have a match, along with Becky Lynch and even Nia Jax. I had the good fortune to meet Beth at WrestleMania Axxess weekend in Orlando ahead of Mania 24. She was Divas Champion, but that's the year she teamed with Melina in the Playboy BunnyMania lumber jill match against Maria and Ashley. 

Beth & Edge at the Hall of Fame
Courtesy: WWE

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but this ceremony will mark the first married couple inducted into the Hall of Fame. Beth and Edge (inducted in 2012) are married and have two children together. Beth held gold four times in WWE and is one of just three women to have competed in the Royal Rumble match (Chyna and Kharma are the others). Congrats to Beth Phoenix for taking her rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Speaking of Chyna, I'm sure some will argue that she should be going in this year. I do believe Chyna is worthy of the HOF and she will be inducted sooner rather than later. But let's celebrate the accomplishments of The Glamazon and one of the best in the business. 

Bored as Hell

By Chad Smart

@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

Kevin touched on Mick Foley’s passionate anti-Hell In A Cell promo from RAW.  While I agree Foley showed passion in his speech, I had a different take away on the segment. After listening to Mick rant for ten minutes, I was thinking he’s even more crazy than I thought. 

Mick brought up his injuries from wrestling inside (or more accurately, on top of) Hell In a Cell. If there’s any wrestler who can blame injuries on the “demonic cage” it is most certainly Mick Foley. Being thrown off the top as well was falling through the top of the cage (twice), Mick can definitely make the claim the Cell shortens the careers of those who step through it’s menacing door. Except history would refute those claims. 

The first HIAC
Courtesy: WWE

Prior to this year’s Hell In A Cell show which features a TRIPLE MAIN EVENT OF THREE HELL IN A CELL MATCHES, there have been 30 HIAC matches since its debut on October 5, 1997. Of the wrestlers who have competed in HIAC matches, only CM Punk hasn’t had some sort of physical activity inside a wrestling ring in the past two years. For a match that is so dangerous none of the other participants seem to have any long term negative effects. 

Also, if HIAC is so dangerous, why does WWE trot it out every year for a pay per view and treat it as any other gimmick match instead of the feud ending necessity which was it’s original purpose? As Kevin and I discussed on episode 101 of the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast, on this year’s show none of the TRIPLE MAIN EVENT  matches NEED to be inside the cage. The matches are taking place inside HIAC because it would be pointless to have a show called Hell In A Cell and not feature any HIAC matches. 

Courtesy: WWE

While Foley tried to express how dangerous a match that’s treated with as much danger by the participants as any normal squash match, the other aspect of the segment that took me out of the story being told was the look of boredom on both Charlotte and Sasha’s faces. Not only did they appear to not be listening to Foley, when they spoke, they rattled off what sounded like emotionless overly scripted promos. At the end when Sasha told Charlotte, “I’ll see you in hell!” it came off with as much impact as Tommy Wiseau screaming, “You’re tearing me apart Lisa” in The Room. 

While I have no doubt the match between Charlotte and Sasha has the potential to steal the show (and I think it should be the main event), the go home segment did very little to sell me on the intensity or danger of the match itself.

When words speak louder than actions

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The go-home Raw for Hell in a Cell Monday night was full of more talk than wrestling. All participants in the triple main event had time to talk, plus the antics with Chris Jericho pursuing his list, Curtis Axel's promo and the Brock Lesnar-Paul Heyman response to Goldberg meant a lot less in-ring action. While I wasn't a huge fan of all the talk, there was one segment that stood out to me- the contract signing for the Raw Women's Championship.

Not only did Sasha Banks and Charlotte deliver passionate arguments about why they'll win Sunday, but also Mick Foley's call for concern put the segment over the top. Other than the Undertaker and maybe Triple H, no other WWE Superstar has been more associated with Hell in a Cell than Foley. His typically easy going demeanor quickly changed as he warned both women about the insanity they're about to face.

Courtesy: WWE

Mick's emotional recount of all the health problems he's faced through his career resonated with me. It was the best Foley segment I've seen in years. Both women were impacted but remained confident in their resolve. The other thing that made this segment so special was neither woman laid a hand on the other. The contract signing didn't end in the predictable chaos that most signings do. Well done Mick, Sasha and Charlotte. This segment made me even more excited about what I hope will be the HIAC main event. Wooo!

I'm still banking on Charlotte

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Sasha Banks has once again dethroned Charlotte as the Raw Women's Champion. I'm not going to lie, I'm disappointed to see this happen. Charlotte is without a doubt the most talented woman on the roster and I would argue one of the best overall Superstars. Maybe I've drunk too much of the Ric Flair KoolAid, but Charlotte stands tall in among her peers, both female and male.

I'm not surprised Sasha won the gold back. I was actually more surprised Charlotte regained the title at SummerSlam. I would have rather seen her hold on to it before the first loss, but I'm not going to be overly critical of creative because I don't know what's going to happen next. But for My 1-2-3 Cents on the situation, here ya go...

Chad and I discussed this on our draft podcast. We agreed women should have stayed on one show. This would have added depth to the roster and allowed WWE to come up with some compelling storylines that involve more than just the champion and the number one contender each month. Imagine Becky Lynch, Bayley, Natalya, Nikki Bella and the rest of the women all on the same show. Amazing stories could be told each week and ahead of each pay per view. It would also make the women's division more special. But I understand the desire to have women on both rosters. 

While I think the brand split has been overall a good thing, we're still getting a lot of the same when it comes to women's matches on both Raw and SmackDown Live. Now that Emma is returning from injury and Eva Marie's suspension should be coming to an end there's a new woman on each show to add to the equation.

As I continue thinking and typing at the same time, I like the idea of Charlotte becoming a modern day version of her father. Ric Flair was at the top of the NWA for many years, dropping the title only to win it again and in most cases, he was a bad guy doing it. While I'm all for legacy Superstars finding their own niche, the parallels between Charlotte and Naitch are undeniable. 

Enjoy the gold while you have it Sasha. I'm still banking on Charlotte to be the woman one more time. Woo! 

They are women, hear them roar

The revolution begins 7/13/15
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

One year ago the Divas Revolution officially kicked into high gear. Sasha Banks, Charolette and Becky Lynch all made their main roster debuts. I wrote about it the day after in this post. Some people on social media have been critical of the evolution of the women's division since last year's coup. The change was overdue and the division continues to improve.

The only thing I'll be critical about the women's division is the inability to have more than one angle occurring at a time. That was a huge problem with the Divas. It was almost always a storyline with the champion facing a challenger and then moving on after said feud ended. Or creative would just throw them all in some sort of gimmicked battle royal, just so you could see them all at once. The situation has improved with the Charolette-Sasha rivalry brewing as Becky and Natalya engage in combat.

Women's wrestling will continue to evolve in WWE. Removing the term Diva and giving the women more time and better placement and promotion for pay per views has done wonders. There are plenty of hungry talent on the main roster and several ladies ready to make the jump from NXT. However, there are a few familiar faces and a fresh one I'd like to see added to the division first.

Courtesy: WWE

I've wanted Kharma to come back since the second she left WWE several years ago. She's a huge missed opportunity. The company needs to do whatever it takes to bring her in, but they tend to only go with one "dominate" force in that division at a time and it looks like Nia Jax is filling that role.

Courtesy: WWE

The same could be said for Beth Phoenix. She was the total package of women's wrestling. Motherhood is treating her well and while it's doubtful she'll lace up the boots again, it would be nice to see her back even on a short term basis. The women in both NXT and WWE could learn a lot from her as they have from Natalya. 

Courtesy: WWE

Tessa Blanchard is a young, up and coming women's wrestler. She's made a name on the indy scene and has the training of both her famous father Tully Blanchard and step-dad Magnum T.A. Tessa has had a few matches on NXT. With some more seasoning, she will be no doubt be a future WWE Women's Champion. How sweet would a feud against Charolette be?

Don't read too much into this. I'm not discrediting Bailey, Aska or Nia. These women will all eventually be called up to the main roster too. I just wanted to bring in some established talent and a new face to help keep the division viable and growing.

The precious art of managing

"Precious" Paul Ellering is back
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

One of the big surprise appears at NXT Takeover: The End of the Beginning was the appearance of WWE Hall of Famer "Precious" Paul Ellering. He of course rose to fame as the manager of the Road Warriors during their runs in the AWA, NWA and WWF. One can only assume Ellering is back to manage the two men who attacked American Alpha after the tag 
team title match.

The Road Warriors & Ellering
Courtesy: WWE

For long time I've wanted more managerial presence in wrestling. Zeb Colter has been released, Ric Flair isn't with Charolette anymore and Paul Heyman only appears occasionally. So bringing in someone the caliber of Ellering is perfect. But WWE shouldn't stop with the Hall of Famer. Let this be the start of a manager revolution. 

WrestleMania IV
Courtesy: WWE

Look back at WrestleMania IV. There were seven different managers on that show (not counting Virgil and Peggy Sue).  I'm not suggesting we need that many, but three or four along with the development of a couple of stables would be great. During our recent Facebook Live chat and previous conversations, Chad and I agreed Roman Reigns could benefit greatly from having someone else doing the talking for him.

WWE doesn't have to bring back former managers to accomplish this, although I'd love to see Jim Cornette back too. The company needs to start developing a new generation of managers and allow them to learn from Heyman and Ellering now.

My one & only managerial experience

The ball was dropped years ago with Armando Estrada. It's time to pick it up and score big. We're off to a great start. I'd love to be in that class. Remember I once managed Velvet Sky at TNA house show. It's always been a dream of mine to be a wrestling manager. 

How I'd handle a WWE brand extension

Courtesy: vortexeffect.net

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

Speculation has been running wild for a few weeks now that WWE will once again try the brand extension idea.  Years ago, I'll admit I didn't like the way it was executed.  But in 2016, it can work and here's how I'd do it.

NXT: Dallas
Courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

First off, my idea involves more than just Raw and Smackdown.  I am including NXT in my plan because let's face it, it's no longer a "farm league" for WWE.  That being said, I think the company can create yet another brand that would be strictly a developmental "territory" for up and comers.  But I'll save that for another blog.

WrestleMania 32
Courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

There would still be one WWE World Heavyweight champion.  He would defend his title on all three shows.  It would be like when I was growing up and World Class had a champion, as did Mid Atlantic, UWF and Central States.  Then the NWA World Heavyweight champion would visit those areas and defend his title.  I would do the same thing with the Women's and Tag Team champions.  When the title changes hands, the former champ goes to the show from which the new champion(s) came from.  Depending on the talent pool, this could lead to a secondary tag title and maybe even a women's tag team championship or secondary belt too.

WrestleMania 32
Courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

If and when the draft happens, I would not split up any of the current tag teams.  I feel like right now the division is finally getting some love.  The Intercontinental title would be defended exclusively on Raw, the U.S. title on Smackdown and the NXT title of course on NXT.  I'm still undecided on how to handle pay per views, but since the Network is available, there could be monthly specials for each brand.  The Big 4 could be talent from all three shows and feature a few "interbrand" matches.  For example a three-way Survivor Series match with the winning team getting the number 30 pick for the Royal Rumble or the majority of Superstars in the matchup.  

A brand extension can be beneficial to everyone involved.  Fans wouldn't get bored with the same Superstars headlining Raw and Smackdown every week.  Lesser used talents would get a chance to shine.  And with less weekly shows to be a part of, the injury risk would decrease.  I'm very excited about the future for WWE and I think Payback could spawn a new era for WWE fans.  *Fingers crossed*

Controversy Creates Cash or Cry Babies?

Contract signing
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

I realize the title is probably a bit harsh and while I'd like to say it's not my intent to offend anyone, I'm not sure that's totally true.  There's a broad message here, but I'm tying it to a specific wrestling-related event.

Charlotte strikes
Courtesy: WWE

Recently on Monday Night Raw a verbal battle between Divas champion Charlotte and number one contender Paige fired up the Internet Wrestling Community.  Charlotte brought up her brother Reid Flair (not by name) who died in 2013 of a drug overdose.  She told Paige she was in WWE to fulfill his dream.  Paige retorted with "He didn't have much fight in him, did he?" The comment sent Charlotte into a rage and the two Divas brawled around the ring.

The comment seemed to impact fans even more.  The backlash against Paige and WWE has dominated social media.  Fans claimed to be insulted and offended by the remark and that WWE was out of line using another wrestling death to put over an angle.  Some even plan to boycott the company and this weekend's Survivor Series event.

Reid Flair

I don't offend easy.  The remark didn't bother me.  But as a father, I could see where Ric Flair (who says he had no knowledge the remark was going to be made) and Reid's mother Beth are owed an apology.  In my opinion they're the only two who really truly have a dog in the fight.  Considering Ric's relationship with Triple H (WWE COO) I think he was owed the courtesy of knowing the line was going to be dropped.   My question is this: Are fans really offended by the comment or do they feel like they SHOULD be offended?

Craig Kilborn
Courtesy: World Wide Pants & CBS

I remember the day after Owen Hart, who was dressed as the Blue Blazer, plunged to his death in Kansas City, Missouri Late, Late Show host Craig Kilborn made a tasteless JOKE about the incident.  Fans came unglued, but this was long before social media was around. Kilborn and CBS did apologize and we all moved on.  I bring this up because I feel like the Paige-Charlotte incident wasn't meant to insult or degrade the memory of Reid Flair.  It was clearly being used to create heat for Sunday's match, which I don't really think this feud needs, but I digress.

Today's society is looking for things to be offended by.  Skin color, religion, sexual orientation, politics and heck now even coffee cups seem to have divided many of us online. As Ric Flair said on Woo Nation, this "controversy" is nothing in comparison to the events currently happening in the world right now.  So instead of being butt hurt and offended every time something happens that we disagree with, take the high road, turn the other cheek and do something to make the world (or at least your community) a better place.

Hello Ladies

Charlotte, Becky and Sasha join the Divas Revolution

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast
Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

For months fans have been waiting for an overhaul or at least an update in the WWE Divas division.  I think it's fair to say that's exactly what happened on the July 13 episode of Raw.  Three of the best from NXT appeared on the big stage as a part of Paige's Divas Revolution. As I write this Tuesday afternoon, Charlotte, Becky Lynch and NXT women's champion Sasha Banks remain on the NXT roster on WWE's website and are not listed as WWE Divas.

Putting these three young and talented women on the main roster is a breath of fresh air in a often forgotten division.  During the segment on Raw, Michael Cole said "take a look at the future of women's wrestling!"  That statement spoke volumes to me because rarely do you hear the words "women" (it's usually Divas) and "wrestling" (it's usually sports entertainment) on WWE programming.  I don't think the company is abandoning its trademarks, but it was nice to hear a brief break from the norm.

While the presumed transfer of these three women to the main roster is exciting for the division, I do have some concerns.  I hope the moves mean WWE Creative will put more thought into the Divas division, as it seems they focus on just the champion and a particular challenger most of the time.  I also hope that the likes of Natalya and Emma aren't lost in the shuffle.  

Finally, if Charlotte, Becky and Sasha are all leaving NXT, what's next for the few women left there?  Overall that group is so talented but the division is small on NXT.  I understand they're just doing an hour a week as opposed to the five hours the main roster does, plus specials on the WWE Network.  Will Sasha do double duty or drop the NXT Women's title and move on completely?  Time will tell.  I'm going to remain optimistic that it'll be a win-win for everyone involved and hopefully before the end of summer there's a new Divas champion.  Wooo!