SummerSlam A to Z: Nexus

Nexus vs. Team WWE
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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The summer of 2010 saw one of the best debuts of new talent in recent years in WWE.  The eight young men from the show NXT showed up during the main event of Raw featuring John Cena versus CM Punk.  Wade Barrett, Daniel Bryan, Heath Slater, David Otunga, Darren Young, Michael Tarver, Skip Sheffield and Justin Gabriel beat the hell out of Cena, Punk, Luke Gallows, Jerry Lawler and even ring announcer Justin Roberts.

Nexus with the advantage
Courtesy: WWE

The group identified themselves as Nexus and continued to attack WWE Superstars and Legends, including the company's CEO Vince McMahon in the weeks leading up to SummerSlam.  Along the way Daniel Bryan was fired from the company in real life because he choked Roberts with a tie. But the storyline was that Nexus kicked Bryan out of the group.

Skip Sheffield takes on John Morrison
Courtesy: WWE

Eventually Daniel was rehired by WWE and joined Cena and other WWE Superstars who'd had enough of the of the violent tactics by the Nexus.  This lead to a seven-on-seven elimination match in the main event of SummerSlam 2010.  Cena and Bryan were joined by Bret Hart, Edge, Chris Jericho, R-Truth and John Morrison to defeat the Nexus.  

Winner!
Courtesy: WWE

Cena was the sole survivor, having come back from a two on one disadvantage.  I thought the match should have gone the other way and given Nexus more solid footing.  In the months that followed they floundered in singles and tag matches against other established talent.  Another reason I didn't like this being an elimination match is because it too close to Bragging Rights and Survivor Series, which both featured multi-man elimination matches.

Bryan vs. Barrett
Courtesy: WWE

I think it's fair to say probably half of the Nexus alumni enjoyed success.  The other half is either MIA or not with the WWE anymore.  Bryan, Barrett and Sheffield (now Ryback) have enjoyed singles championship success.  Young and Titus O'Neil of course are the current tag team champions.  They've come a long way over the last five years.

Feuding Over Movies: Where's David Otunga?

David Otunga in "The Call"
Photo by WWE Studios

By Chad Smart

@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter

Based on events over the past couple of weeks, The Miz and Wade Barrett are feuding over which WWE Superstar is in the better movie or which one is the better actor. Or maybe they’re feuding over what is the better movie snack. For those that aren’t aware, The Miz is the lead actor in the latest WWE Films direct to DVD movie The Marine 3. Wade Barrett plays Henchman #4 in the theatrical release Dead Man Down starring Colin Farrell and Terrance Howard.  Neither man should really be crowning himself the next Dwayne Johnson based on these projects.

Wade Barrett & The Miz argue
Photo courtesy: WWE

I have not seen any of the Marine movies so I can’t really comment on The Miz’s performance. Though, I will say, bragging about being a star in a movie that may already be in the discount bin at Wal-Mart isn’t saying much.  I did see Dead Man Down and thought it was good, but too slow paced.  The big shocker though is that the newest addition to the WWE Films library is also one of their best. 

The Call, starring Halle Berry opened this past weekend and placed number 2 at the box office with an estimated $18 million. While the previews had me thinking this would be an uninspired paint by numbers action movie, it turned out to be a pretty tense thriller.  The bigger surprise was the actor playing the partner of the main cop, who knew David Otunga was a good actor? I initially didn’t recognize him because he wasn’t wearing a bowtie or holding a thermos of coffee.

Otunga serves as backup
Photo courtesy: WWE Studios

Now don’t start thinking Otunga stole the movie, as his role was only slightly bigger than Wade Barrett’s role in Dead Man Down. Even so, if there’s going to be a feud over who’s the better C-level actor in WWE today, then David Otunga should come out on RAW tonight and demand an Intercontinental title shot at Wrestlemania. 

There have been some feuds started over odd happenings (Edge/Booker T. fought over a Japanese shampoo commercial, Chris Jericho/Kane fought after Jericho spilled coffee on Kane) but I think feuding over who is the better actor in a movie few people know about and less people saw has to be up there with some of the flimsiest reasons to fight. 

Playing Second Fiddle

Secondary champions
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

With the world watching and waiting for Wrestlemania 29 to unfold, I think many fans have noticed the undercard is more than lacking at the moment.  As of this post, Wrestlemania is 24 days and right now there are only four matches.  The Rock vs. John Cena, Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger, The Undertaker vs. CM Punk, and Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H (we're still awaiting Triple H's official response, but I think we all know he's going to accept).  Rumor has it another match will be announced on SmackDown! and without giving it all away, I can tell you who ISN'T a part of it...

Intercontinental champion Wade Barrett,  United States champion Antonio Cesaro,  tag team champions Tell Hell No, and Divas champion Kaitlyn have yet to be announced for the biggest show of the year.  I'm disappointed by this, but not surprised.  Part of me wonders if they'll all even be a part of Wrestlemania this year.  Let's examine the past few years...

Epico, Primo, & Rosa
Photo courtesy: WWE

Wrestlemania 28:

The tag team titles were defended on the pre-show with Epico and Primo beating the Usos and Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel.

U.S. Champion Santino Marella at least made the show, but the title wasn't defended as he lead a losing team representing Teddy Long against a team representing John Laurinaitis.

The Divas title wasn't defended either, but champion Beth Phoenix was in a tag match with Eve against Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos.

The IC, WWE, and World heavyweight (18 seconds) titles were all defended on the show.

Bryan vs. Sheamus
Photo courtesy: WWE

Wrestlemania 27:

The pre-show match was the U.S. Title match that had been announced as happening on the show, but didn't.  Heck, it really didn't end up being a pre-show match either as Sheamus and Daniel Bryan brawled with the lumberjacks, setting up a battle royal that ended up being won by the Great Khali.

No Divas title match nor did the champion Eve wrestle on the show.  Instead it was Snooki and Trish Stratus (a celebrity and a retired Diva) getting the spotlight.

IC champion Wade Barrett and tag team champions Heath Slater (he held gold!) and Justin Gabriel were in an eight man tag match with Corre member Ezekiel Jackson against Santino, Kane, Big Show, and Kofi Kingston.

Drew McIntyre in MITB
Photo by My 1-2-3 Cents

Wrestlemania 26:

The Miz was the U.S. and tag team champion.  He and the Big Show beat John Morrison and R-Truth.  No U.S. title match though.

The IC champion was Drew McIntyre.  He wrestled in the Money in the Bank match that year.  I can kinda understand that, but I'm have an old school mentality, and would like to see my champions defending their titles on the biggest show of the year.

Maryse was the Divas champ and a part of the 10 Diva tag team match that took Vickie Guerrero to new heights.

You get the picture here.  I know the roster is bigger than it was in the early days of Wrestlemania.  The WWE has also put more focus on the Undertaker's streak and adding guest celebrities to matches than some of their secondary champions.  I understand their desire to get main stream media attention and continue building on the legacy of the Undertaker, but I really wish guys like Cesaro, Barrett, and Bryan would get a chance to shine too. If the Divas title gets defended at 29, it'll be the first time that title has been on the line since Wrestlemania 23.  I know it's early in the planning stages, and in just over three weeks, we'll know who will step on the biggest stage of them all.

Barrett Will Be Better This Time

Your new Intercontinental champion, Wade Barrett
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I'm a big fan of Wade Barrett.  I'm also a big fan of Kofi Kingston.  So as you can imagine, it was bitter sweet for me to see Kingston drop the Intercontinental title on the New Year's Eve edition of Monday Night Raw.

It seems like for years the WWE has gotten behind Kofi for a bit and then pulled back on him.  He's not yet broken through to the "next level" you hear so many superstars talk about.  Will he ever?  Was dropping the IC title the beginning of the end for this talented superstar?  I hope not, but the reality is I could see Kofi once again getting lost in the shuffle.  What I'd really like to see happen for him is Evan Bourne to return (healthy and drug free) and Air Boom pick up where they left off more than a year ago.  The two are extremely talented and completed each other well.  I think they were set to be the foundation for the rebirth of the tag team division.

Now on to Wade Barrett.  Yes, he beat Kofi for the IC title nearly two years ago only to drop it relatively quickly to Ezekiel Jackson.  That was a time when the title was being used like a prop more so than it is today.  I really think that Cody Rhodes winning it in 2011 helped to restore some of the prestige to the championship.  Sure it was traded like a hot potato in 2012 with six different men wearing the gold, but I feel like all six (Cody, Kofi, Wade, Christian, Big Show, and The Miz) added something to the title.

Barrett pins Kofi
Photo courtesy: WWE

2013 should be a banner year for Barrett.  Winning his second intercontinental title should be the tip of the iceberg.  Of course I don't want to rush things for the brawler.  I don't expect him to win the world or WWE championships this year, but I certainly hope that he will make his presence known once again.  He seems reinvigorated after returning from his injury.  I hope the WWE gives him some time to continue that development of a main event player that we know he can be.  When it comes time to drop the IC title, it needs to be to someone who the company has faith in.  We don't need another year of "where are they now?" guys holding the belt.  Any belt for that matter.

Even though Kofi's door is closing, it doesn't mean the end for him by any means. I hope that he continues to flourish in 2013 and doesn't get bogged down in some sort of silly mid card feud or rejoins forces with R Truth.  That team never did anything for me.

But this is about Wade Barrett and seizing the opportunity that he has been given.  He's earned it.  Now to continue on that path and go for the big prize.  His matches in 2012 with Sheamus proved to me that he deserves some time with "the big boys" and not just a play toy for the likes of John Cena or Ryback.

Raw Memories: #6 Nexus Forms

Raw Memory #6:
The Nexus Forms
Photo from WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

The summer of 2010 saw the formation of one of the best angles in recent years in the WWE.  The rookies from the newly created NXT show rallied together to take on the entire locker room.  The main event of Raw was coming to the closing minutes (it was CM Punk vs. John Cena) when the rookies hit the ring.

Not only did they hit the ring, they hit everyone in it too.  Luke Gallows, who was in Punk's corner got assaulted as did Punk.  The group of eight then focused their efforts on Cena.  Not one to fall victim, Cena struck first, but was quickly overpowered and beaten.  Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler did a great job selling the assault.  In fact, members of the super group headed outside the ring and beat down the King as Cole scurried away.  That move lead some to believe Cole was the brains behind the group, but thankfully that never turned out to be the case.

Justin Roberts gets choked up.

Ringside officials were also attacked.  Ring announcer Justin Roberts was choked with his own tie by Daniel Bryan.  It's a move that allegedly lead to Bryan's brief termination from the company.  The members of Nexus tore about the ring, the barricades around the ring, and the announce tables.  It was probably the most destructive and damaging attack in the history of the WWE.  I thought that night couldn't have been done any better.

Of course in the weeks and months that followed, I think the WWE creative team dropped the ball.  That's a topic for another time, but I wanted to focus on the moment this group formed and how well their destructive behavior came across that night.

Honorable Mention:
Ho, ho, oh no!
Foley takes on Santa

Honorable Mention:  'Twas days before Christmas... and Mick Foley was booked in a match with Santa Claus.  But this was no ordinary match.  Stephanie McMahon and Triple H were running the show.  They booked Foley (or Mankind) into a boiler room brawl with the Jolly Old elf.  Before the match even started, the Mean Street Posse beat Foley and tossed him in the room.  That lead to the famous phrase "Did I just get my ass kicked by the Mean Street Posse?  That's embarrassing."

Foley asked Santa to just walk out of the room and win the match.  As he turned his back to let Nick when, he was jumped by several other Santas.  Foley fought them off, but eventually was confronted by more men in red and white.  Billy Gunn and the Road Dogg were among them.  Just when it looked like things were going Foley's way when he got nailed by one last Santa.  This time it was Triple H who whacked Mankind with a bag full of something.  Trips then walked out of the boiler room and was declared the winner by referee Teddy Long.

The European Union

The European Union (photos from WWE.com)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

Editor's note: I don't have WWE 12 the video game, I've never played it, and had no idea this was one of the storylines.  Thanks!


It seems as if the WWE has something up its (their) sleeve for Drew McIntyre.  At least I hope they do.  His losing streak as of late has been the focus of a mini storyline.  Maybe it's going to take him to bigger and better things, but if it doesn't, I submit this plan for your approval.

It's by no means an original idea, I've talked about it with friends before and I'm sure others have had similar thoughts.  But I think this idea would bring several missing elements in the WWE back to the table. I would create a new stable called "The European Union", members would include of course McIntyre, along with Wade Barrett, Mason Ryan, Layla, and manager William Regal.  I considered adding Sheamus into the mix, but right now the WWE seems pretty high on him as a face, so I'll let them have him.

Barrett & McIntyre in FCW 2008 (photo from My123Cents)

Barrett of course would be the world title contender for the group.  I would have McIntyre and Ryan work together as a tag team.  This would allow both men to get some time in the ring and develop their characters.  While I still see McIntyre with a bright future, let's face it right now he's being wasted away and the WWE tag team division is still on life support.  Layla of course could be the Diva of the group, both wrestling and serving as a co manager to Regal.  Regal could still do some wrestling, but I'd like to see him turned into a manager.  I think it's a role he'd be great at and could help this group of young wrestlers become future champions.

Of course putting this plan into place would require the WWE creative team to come up with storylines and angles for the EU and not botch it up.  Considering the track record of the Nexus, the New Nexus, the Corre, and the Straight Edge Society; I'm not too hopeful.

Drew as IC champ (from WWE.com)

I miss the days of the factions, managers, and heck tag team wrestling.  This new group could help bring back all three elements.  Plus it would give someone like Drew McIntyre a chance to shine.  At the start of 2011, I picked him as one of my stars of the year.  While he's done a lot of jobbing lately, I think he's still got the potential for greatness.  So please, WWE consider this idea.  And if you're hiring, I'd gladly come work for you.  :D

What do you think?  What other factions would you create?  Post comments here or on Facebook or Twitter.  And don't forget to subscribe to My123Cents on YouTube.

Survivor Series: The Good

Barrett vs. Orton (from WWE.com)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

Instead of writing up a negative review of the Survivor Series (which I find myself writing more about the negative things in wrestling), I've decided to write some of the things about the show I enjoyed.  And I'm only going to include the things I really enjoyed.  Afterall, I love wrestling and the original intent of this blog was to share my love for it with you and generate a dialogue.

Still the champ (from WWE.com)

I enjoyed the opening match up between Dolph Ziggler and John Morrison.  I know there was some people anger that Zack Ryder wasn't in the title match, and that's something I address briefly in my video wrap up (the link is at the bottom of this blog).  Dolph and JoMo are two of the best workers in the company right now.  The action was fast paced and well done.  I was glad to see Dolph retain, however, I would not have been opposed to a U.S. title run for Morrison either.

Awesome move! (from WWE.com)

One of my favorite moves of the night came in the Divas title match.  Props to both Beth Phoenix and Eve for the Off the Top Rope GlamSlam (I think that's the name of the move).  Beth looked dominant in this match, just as she should.  I like her as Divas champion.  I really do hope she gets a bit of a run with the belt this time around. And I still maintain a match between she and Kharma would be epic.  I'm hoping that happens at Wrestlemania (assuming Kharma is back by then.) Although some are hoping for a Natalya-Beth matchup.  I prefer these two working together as heels.

Out of action (from WWE.com)

Ouch to Sin Cara.  Hope he recovers quickly, although the estimates I've seen have him on the shelf for up to nine months.  I wonder if they'll go back to having Hunico under the mask and have his character disappear, or will they get another luchador to work the gimmick.  I would imagine Sin Cara is a pretty marketable character among children.

Survivors! (from WWE.com)

Thank goodness Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett survived.  My original picks here were Cody and Dolph, but it appears that Barrett may be getting a decent push finally.  Barrett impressed me in the early days of NXT and even when the Nexus first formed.  But things quickly went south for the superstar.  I hope now they're going to move him to the next level.  I always like to see fresh talent being used at the top, so this is a good thing (or so it appears).  And of course Cody is the Intercontinental champion, and looks pretty impressive so far.

Up, up, and away (from WWE.com)

Big Show took a big risk climbing the top rope.  I must admit, I was quite impressed.  I don't ever recall seeing him do something like that before.  I'm not going to lie, I was nervous as well while he gingerly climbed up to the top rope.  I think the entire room stopped talking to see what was going to happen next.  Thankfully, he didn't meet the same fate as Sin Cara.  I'm glad to see Mark Henry is still the champion, but with the indecisive nature of the outcome, I'm guessing these two will wrap things up at TLC next month.

New champ! (from WWE.com)

CM Punk is the new WWE champion and all is right with the world.  This is not just a good thing, it's a great thing.  Although he's not the original renegade character he was back in the summer, I still enjoy the work Punk does.  Here's to hoping for a long, uninterrupted title reign.  Also, I have to note the awesomeness of bringing Howard Finkel back too. I miss the Fink.

Early Wrestlemania? (from WWE.com)

The Rock is back.  At least for now.  Or at least for Survivor Series, and then again at Wrestlemania.  However, I imagine we'll see him again between here and there.  Some criticized the Rock's return.  I thought he looked great, probably in the best shape of his life.  He more than held his own with the Miz and R-Truth.  While I'm glad he's back, I also am leery about too much praise, as I've said before, where will we be in one year?  Will Rock be competing still?  Doubtful.  But R-Truth and the Miz will, so I worry about the effects on them.  I also liked the reaction John Cena received from the crowd.  I hate to jump on the bandwagon, but I think it's time to turn the guy heel, at least for a bit.  It would be a natural evolution of his character.  And I believe Cena can make it work.

So there you have it, a mostly negative-free Survivor Series analysis.  I get a little more particular in my video post.  Please check it out and subscribe to the YouTube channel.

Who's Bad?

The Future (IMO) from WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

I'm working on a fantasy blog on how I'd book the 2011 Survivor Series and in making these 5 on 5 elimination matches, I've discovered, or maybe rediscovered something.  The WWE is really lacking right now in the heel department.

Right now the company is crawling with big name faces.  Now that the Rock is coming back, at least temporarily and the return of Triple H to the roster, the WWE could really use some high profile heels now.  Add John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Sheamus, and the Big Show to the list of top faces.  On the heel side, really Mark Henry is the biggest star on the dark side.  And he's been around for more than 15 years now.  The WWE is trying hard to push the Miz and R-Truth as top heels along with Alberto Del Rio, but at this point, I still don't think these guys hold a candle to the star power of the Rock, Cena, Orton, or Triple H.

It appears they're also grooming the likes of Wade Barrett, Dolph Ziggler, and Cody Rhodes, but again at this point, there are no legitimate threats in my opinion to those big stars on the face side of things.  I'm also assuming that Brodus Clay is going to return to some kind of push.  At least that's how it appears from the vignettes we're seeing with him.  And I'm cool with that.  I've always talked before about the need for that big monster heel type. 

So as we head into the Survivor Series, which is in my view the true start on the road to Wrestlemania, can we expect some changes?  Will John Cena finally turn heel?  Is it necessary?  I think there needs to be at least one heel turn from one of the big stars.  But more importantly, the WWE needs to focus on guys like Ziggler, Barrett, and Rhodes so it's more believeable when these guys get a shot at the main event.  Same goes for current WWE champion Del Rio and former champs, the Miz and Chrisitan.

Evan Bourne pins Chris Jericho (from WWE)

Another thought bringing back someone like Chris Jericho.  I love Chris, but I think bringing him into the mix as a top contender again might not be the best idea.  I felt like in his last run with the WWE, he did a great job putting over the younger talent.  He'd be great in that role as a mentor and heck, I think even as a manager.  I know Kevin Nash will presumably have another go, albeit a brief one, at least I hope.  But again, these are guys who need to be preparing the next group of superstars to carry the torch.

What are your thoughts?  Weigh in here, or on Facebook or Twitter.  Also, be sure to check us out on YouTube.

Rhode(s) Blocked

Photo from WWE.com

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

As of this writing, Thursday evening, September 15, Intercontinental champion Cody Rhodes is not booked for the WWE pay per view Night of Champions.  I suspect that he will be put into a match, but with three days prior to a PPV, why wait so long to add this contest?

This seems to be a trend, announcing matches online mere days before the event.  Or even worse, they add matches to the PPV after the show has started.  Personally, I miss the days when we knew weeks in advance who was wrestling on the show.  The WWE always did a good job of promoting its events and built up the anticipation.  "Mean" Gene Okerlund and eventually Sean Mooney would sit in the Update Center and run down the card.  I always looked forward to seeing that and what new matches would be announced.

Some former IC champions.

My other question is, why have all the other matches been announced but not that one?  Is there an aversion to the IC title these days?  Is it something against Cody?  Maybe it's all storyline related.  I'm not sure, but I'm old school and think the IC title needs to have some more of the spotlight.  I was hoping Wade Barrett's reign would be a bit more meaningful, and now I've pinned those hopes on Cody.  He needs to be booked better as the champion.  And all matches for a PPV need to be announced more than a week before the show.  Just sayin'...

Okay, check out my other thoughts on Night of Champions... Thanks for reading.

Wasting Wade

Wade Barrett with Chad & Drew McIntyre at FCW 2008

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

Thirteen months ago I think most fans would agree that Wade Barrett was the hottest prospect in the WWE.  He was the leader of the renegade group The Nexus.  The 8 members attacked John Cena, CM Punk, Luke Gallows, Justin Roberts, and Jerry Lawler on the June 1, 2010 edition of Monday Night Raw.

The attack was the talk of the wrestling world for the weeks that followed.  This group was made to look like unstoppable.  They were ruthless and attacked other wrestlers and Hall of Famers in the months that followed.

Photo courtesy: WWE

Barrett was put in charge of the group.  It was a role that made sense at the time.  He had just been crowned the winner of the first season of NXT.  He had a good look.  He was decent on the mic, and he could wrestle.  Then for some ridiculous reason they fed Wade Barrett and the rest of the Nexus to John Cena.  One by one, Super Cena made all these future superstars look like chumps.

The group teased several breakups, and by the start of 2011, they had fractured and CM Punk took the reigns of Nexus.  Barrett moved to SmackDown! with Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel.  The trio was joined by Ezekiel Jackson to create the Corre.  I think they chose that name because it rhymes with bore.

They got booked into some crappy angles, including a mini feud with Apple.  Ugh.  During this time, Barrett did win the Intercontinental championship.  But for the most part it was a pretty lackluster run.  He didn't defend the title at Wrestlemania.  Instead, he and the Corre were booked in a 92 second match against Kane, Big Show, Kofi Kingston, and Santino Marella.  By the way, Snooki's match went longer than that.  Just sayin'...

In the few months that have passed, Barrett has now dropped the IC title to former Corre mate Ezkeil Jackson.  And most recently, he jobbed to Kane on SmackDown!  There's nothing wrong with losing to Kane, but when you've got a guy who is climbing up through the ranks, I think a guy who's been around for 14 years should put him over.  That's a big problem in the WWE right now.  They've lost top talents like Undertaker, Triple H, Batista, Shawn Michaels, and Chris Jericho, yet they've still not pushed anyone into those spots.  We've still got Cena and Randy Orton as the companies top two.  But after that, who is there?

When I first started this blog in September 2010, I wrote about ending the Undertaker's streak and named Wade Barrett as the man to do it.  I have since change my opinion to say that I don't think the streak should ever end, and I definitely don't think it should be Barrett to do it.  This is no fault to Barrett.  He just seems to be lost in the shuffle.  I had hoped the IC title run would have been a bit more dominate and would have propelled him to the next level.

But what I think happened with him and all the original Nexus members is they got caught up in that early feud with John Cena.  That should have come further down the road.  Besides attacking and beating up guys, they weren't put over anyone in the ring.  It hurt their credibility.  It's still having an effect on Wade Barrett, the most gifted one of the group.

Wade & Drew in 2008 at FCW

Now that it appears he's through with the Corre, I hope they put a focus back on him as a singles competitor.  Quit trying to make him the leader of a group.  Instead, pair him  up with a manager.  In the past I've suggested William Regal, and I stand by that idea.  Push him as the tough guy he really is.  Or there's the option of killing two birds with one stone, and give him a tag team partner.  Actually, kill 3 birds and team him up again with Drew McIntyre. You give two guys who have a ton of potential something to do and help to revive the tag team situation.

I still think there's hope for Wade, but the company needs to get behind him, and he needs to run with the ball if and when they finally hand it to him.  Not that I think he's reading this, but Wade you can do it!

To everyone else, thanks for reading.  Check out the Facebook page.  Follow our tweets on Twitter.  And check out the amazingly awesome videos on YouTube.  While you're there, hit "Subscribe"

Dream Over, Or Just Beginning?

Photo from: WWE.com

By Kevin Hunsperger

I will be the first to admit, I rushed to judgement after reading the results from the May 6th episode of SmackDown!  My rant can be seen here on my YouTube channel.   That's the problem with reading spoilers and not actually seeing the matches.

I felt like Christian and Randy Orton told a good story in the ring.  While I'm still disappointed with the outcome of the match, I'm getting the impression that this may be the start of a big feud between Orton and Christian.  My guess is the former Brood member will go back to his heel days.  And let's face it, that wouldn't be a bad thing.  The SmackDown! roster is lacking a good heel these days.  In my opinion some of Christian's best work came as a heel, especially when he and Edge were still together.

The way they played up the title win from Sunday night, and the way they stayed on Christian after the match tells me that this isn't over.   And I'm glad for that.  My first thought after reading the results was that this was a quick passing the title over, but I'm not so sure that's the case.  I really think if they book this right, a Christian-Randy Orton feud could be enjoyable.  It gives us a new face in the title hunt, even though Christian has technically been the champ.

Let's look at the other possible contenders on the heel side of the roster:

Sheamus:  We've already seen he and Orton feud and the results weren't all that exciting.


Mark Henry:  I don't think anyone will ever take him as a serious threat to the World title.  He spent too many years as the guy putting over other talent.  And there is talk of him retiring when his current deal expires.

Cody Rhodes:  I like Cody.  But I don't see him as a contender to the World title yet.  Maybe a run as Intercontinental champion first.  Besides, Orton pretty much buried him and Ted DiBiase after Legacy imploded.

Wade Barrett:  I had high hopes for Barrett after NXT and the formation of Nexus.  However, I feel like the WWE kinda dropped the ball with him.  While he is the IC champ right now, it's hard for me to buy him as a World champion.  At least right now.

The World Title

There are a few on the face side of the roster who could be considered contenders, but the E tends to still stick to the face vs. heel formula.  The WWE has an interesting task before them.  They need to do some major work in developing these younger talents I've mentioned and make them credible threats to the world champions.  I can accept the Christian title loss if it leads to a feud with Orton and another run as champ.  Unlike others in the WWE Universe, I'm not calling for anyone's head on a platter.  While the Internet fans may not like Orton, the crowd reaction to his win Friday night was pretty clear who they support.

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Champ or Chump?

The forgotten titles

By Kevin Hunsperger

Unless there's a couple of matches added to the Extreme Rules pay per view, which begins in less than 3 hours, there will be no U.S., Intercontinental, or Tag Team title matches.  This shouldn't be a surprise though.  I've done a little research, and here's what I've discovered.

The last time the U.S. title was defended on PPV was at Survivor Series.  That was November.  Daniel Bryan defeated Ted DiBiase.  The WWE had scheduled a U.S. title match between Sheamus and Bryan at Wrestlemania, but it was dropped from the card and was the dark match of the night, but quickly turned into a battle royal instead.

The last time the Intercontinental title was defended on PPV was at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs back in December.  Not quite as long ago as the U.S. title.  Dolph Ziggler beat three others in a fatal four way match.

The tag titles were defended more recently, at Elimination Chamber, in February.  But prior to that, the tag straps hadn't been up for stakes on PPV since Bragging Rights in October.  In case you forgot, John Cena and David Otunga beat Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre that night.  Ugh.

Why does the WWE have champions if they never have them defend their titles on PPV?  I remember back in the day, you saw the champion defending their title on each PPV.  I can understand why no tag team title match.  That division is horrendous right now, and there's no way you could construct a PPV quality match that we haven't already seen on Raw or SmackDown! already.  But why not introduce Wade Barrett and Sheamus to a new challenger tonight?  I really thought they'd have at least one of them defending against a Raw guy to take one of the belts to that show.  To be fair though, WWE has been known to throw together a match like that at the last minute.  Maybe they're just waiting... that's a complaint for another post.

What do you think?  Should the tag, US, and IC belts be defended more regularly on PPV?  Weigh in here or join us on Facebook or @my123cents on Twitter.

I See No IC Title Match

The old WWF Intercontinental title

By Kevin Hunsperger

We are 8 days away from Wrestlemania, arguably the biggest day in wrestling, and no Intercontinental title match has been announced.  Friday night on SmackDown! Wade Barrett won the belt from Kofi Kingston.  I don't know if they're waiting to do a last minute announcement or if there won't be a title match on the card.

This is disappointing to me.  Look at the lineage of the IC title. It was once considered the WWF's second most important belt.  The holder of it was the number one contender to the world title.  Heck, 21 years ago at Wrestlemania VI, it was Intercontinental Champion the Ultimate Warrior who beat World champion Hulk Hogan.  That's how much value was placed on the belt.

Think back to other Wrestlemania IC title matches.  Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage stole the show at Wrestlemania III with their title contest.  Roddy Piper and Bret Hart had a great showdown at Wrestlemania VIII, and Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels tore the roof off Madison Square Garden when the hooked up in a classic ladder match for the Intercontinental title.

Now think to recent years.  JBL and Rey Mysterio went about 30 seconds in their IC title match at Wrestlemania 25.  At last year's Wrestlemania Drew McIntyre was the champ, but didn't defend the title.  At least he was on the show and a part of the Money in the Bank match.  The same can be said about Wrestlemania 24 when Chris Jericho wrestled in MITB and didn't defend the belt.

You get the picture.  A title that was once revered and held in high regard now seems to be an after thought.  But you could probably argue that most titles these days are treated like a prop and have little prestige.  I guess there's still time to add an IC title match, it's sad to me that the card isn't completely in place already though.

Oh well, we'll see you in Atlanta in 8 days.  Peace out.

Writing on the Wall...

Please note this post contains a spoiler from Friday Night SmackDown!  If you don't want to know what happened on the show, read a different post from My 1-2-3 Cents.  Thanks!



Can he climb the ladder of success anymore?

 By Kevin Hunsperger

Kofi Kingston has been on a bit of a losing streak lately.  And that's not a good thing when you're the Intercontinental champion.  He lost to Alberto Del Rio at the Elimination Chamber pay per view, and then in a rematch on SmackDown!  Kofi did the job to King Sheamus (is he still a king?) on SmackDown.  And at the latest SmackDown! tapings he dropped the IC title to Wade Barrett. 

Normally, I wouldn't think much of that, but couple it with the fact that ALL of his merchandise on WWE Shop is now greatly reduced, I'm wondering if the former U.S., IC, and tag team champion is about to be "future endeavored."

I hope not.  When he first appeared on ECW a few years ago, I wasn't really in to him.  I thought the Jamaican gimmick sucked quite honestly.  But the more I watched him, the more I felt like Kofi connected with fans.  He works well in the ring.

While he's not the best on the mic, he makes a great upper midcard face.  Kids like him, he's got a lot of energy, and he can work in the ring.  I was really disappointed when they all but killed his push to the top in the program  he worked with Randy Orton.  Kofi would have added a new dimenision to the main event scene, not your typical "cookie cutter" main eventer. 

But maybe I'm just reading too much into things.  Of course though, when Wrestlemania ends, the WWE typically lets go of lots of folks.  And with the roster full of NXT alumni I would assume those not written into a compelling storyline will find their way to the unemployment later, and later on TNA.  Adding the rookies on Tough Enough and guys who haven't had much going on are in danger too.  I'd suggest David Hart Smith, Tyson Kidd, and JTG have their bags ready...

Thanks for reading, and check out My 1-2-3 Cents on Facebook and YouTube.  Subscribe and comment and tell all you friends too.

Game Over?

Triple H at Wrestlemania 25 (Chad Smart photo)

The wrestling business is full of rumors.  Lately we've heard a lot of talk about Sting coming to the WWE.  If that isn't big enough, the rumor mill is churning out that the former WCW world champion will face the Undertaker at Wrestlemania.

Now there's a new rumor out this week.  And while the Sting marks are still holding on to hope, I think this rumor has a little more chance of happening.  Actually a lot more.

Word is Triple H and Undertaker are both returning to the ring soon and will face each other at Wrestlemania 27.  And this will be another Streak vs. Career match. Oh yeah, and Shawn Michaels will be the special guest referee.
  
Remember though this is a RUMOR.  But I'm going to voice my opinion anyway.  With less than 2 months to Mania, there's not a whole lot of time to build up something here.  Especially since the Undertaker seemingly has unfinished business with Kane and Wade Barrett and Triple H still needs to seek out revenge on Sheamus.  And we won't see who's behind the 2/21/11 (Undertaker) promo for another 10 days.

Also, Triple H and the Undertaker have already faced each other at Wrestlemania.  It happened back at 17. I'm not a fan of repeating Wrestlemania matches as I've written about before.  However, adding the career vs. streak stipulation makes it somewhat intriguing.  Throwing Shawn Michaels into the mix will also give it a "Wrestlemania" feel.

Let's be honest, this year's event is looking pretty lackluster.  But I will keep a positive outlook until AFTER Elimination Chamber when the card will be a little more concrete.

Back to the HHH vs. Taker possibility, if this is streak vs. career, would this really be the end for Trips?  I know he's doing more behind the scenes and office work, so it would be interesting to see a WWE without Helmsley on camera.  I guess he could tie things up with Sheamus in between the Chamber and prior to Mania.  It's just hard to believe that HHH would go out this quickly after returning from his injury.

Again, this is all speculation, but at this time what other viable opponent does the Undertaker have for Mania?  Ending the streak has become just as big as winning the world title.

Wade Barrett was a front runner, but it just doesn't feel like a Wrestlemania match.  I just don't think he's ready and that's not a knock against Barrett.

Sting was in that discussion too.  It's not going to happen.  Sorry to burst the bubbles of Sting fans.  I would love to see it myself too, but I'm being realistic.

Kane vs. Undertaker has been overdone to the max.  It's already be at two Manias too.

I believe really, John Cena is the only guy on the roster that Taker hasn't had a feud with who could possibly end the streak.  Or at least appear to be a threat to it.  But I doubt that will happen as it appears we're going to see the Miz vs. Cena at Mania.

What do you think?  Could this really be the end of Triple H's wrestling career?  Who should face the Undertaker?  And do you still think Sting will someone be involved in Wrestlemania?

No matter what, I'll be at the Georgia Dome ready to offer  My 1-2-3 Cents here and on YouTube.  Thanks for reading and watching.

Something Old, Something New

Courtesy: WWE.com

Spoiler Alert: If you haven't watched SmackDown! yet and don't want to know what happened yet, read a previous post.  Maybe my thoughts about the Miz or my quest for a Wrestlemania costume idea.

Otherwise, let's go on...

It appears that Wade Barrett is picking up on SmackDown! where he left off on Raw.  Laying waste into the faces of the WWE.  And now he's got some help.  Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel, who chose not to beat each other with kendo sticks on Raw, have moved to Friday nights now to help Barrett in his fight.  And the trio has a new ally.  Ezekiel Jackson has apparently joined the "new" SmackDown! version of the Nexus.

I like this idea for a couple of reasons.  One, I'm glad they didn't go with the Wade Barrett face turn on Raw.  I think it's too premature for that.  Barrett works well as a heel and has a lot of potential.  SmackDown! is in need of a shakeup.  Raw had gotten all the overflow of the NXT guys from all the members of Nexus and Alex Riley.  All SD got was Kaval, and we see what happened to him.

Also, I always thought Zeke worked better as a heel.  I liked him a lot when he was under the tutelage of "King" William Regal.  Hopefully this new group will stick together and the four of them can grow and develop together.  I think it might be a good idea to give them a manager too.  If the rumors of Regal's retirement from the ring are true, I think he'd be a natural fit for this situation.

I liked they way the group (I'm not sure if they're still considered Nexus or not) manhandled the Big Show.  Zeke definitely provides some muscle the Raw version didn't really have.  I had heard that Wade, Justin, and Heath were being joined by someone else tonight, and my fear was Skip Sheffield was coming back.  I'm glad that wasn't the case, but I know it's only a matter of time before the Stone Cold wanna be is back in the ring and on my TV.

Besides the formation of this new faction, SmackDown! didn't really stand out to me.  Not sure why R-Truth (from Raw) is feuding with Alberto Del Rio (from SmackDown!)  I was kinda surprised to see Del Rio and Cody Rhodes lose to Rey Mysterio and R-Truth.  Seems like the guy you're grooming to be the next "Mr. Wrestlemania" would have had a better showing.  At least he wasn't the one who got pinned.

The Cutting Edge segment at the end was predictable and lame.  I get tired of these love triangles in wrestling.  I guess it truly adds to the "male soap opera" element of sports entertainment.

How soon before Beth Phoenix turns heel again and goes after Natalya?

I'm glad to see Kofi Kingston successfully defend the Intercontinental title.  I really like Kofi's potential and feel like he's got something to contribute.  Jack Swagger is no slouch either. I just think he got pushed too soon last year and wasn't ready to win Money in the Bank, let alone the World Heavyweight championship.

Final thoughts on SmackDown!, I dislike it when any show opens with talking heads and ends with talking heads.  That's what we got tonight.  Remember a couple of weeks ago when Raw started off with John Morrison vs. the Miz?  That's the way a wrestling show should be.  You don't have to have a high paced, action packed match like that open every show, but every once in a while it would be nice.  We know that Kofi and Swagger have a history, why not just start the show with them?  They could have set the pace for the night.

It's just my 1-2-3 Cents, and you're reading this, so you wanted to know, right?  Thanks for reading, and I invite you to check out My 1-2-3 Cents on YouTube too.