May 11, 2019 - Evan Luebbe

Wild Card Rule

May 12, 2019May 11, 2019 by Evan Luebbe

WWE desperately needs to combat the consistent drop in TV ratings it is been experiencing for the past couple of years. A complete reboot of the show’s format may not be a terrible idea, which may mean not featuring the McMahon family as much. Can the McMahon family look at options, new formats and more to give the universe the boost it needs to continue thriving? It’s not about control or who manages everything or who gets the most air time, it could simply be putting people, resources and storylines in place to optimize the business.

In reality, the reason Vince McMahon came up with the wild card rule is to attempt to provide a solution to the low TV ratings in the recent past. SmackDown has experienced a 13% drop in viewership over the past year and Raw has experienced a very similar drop, which is pretty significant over just one year’s time.

Nonetheless, it was still great to see the top three superstars from SmackDown Live on Monday, particularly since I was in attendance. A Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan rematch was a great idea that was initially assumed to transpire at Money in the Bank. It seemed a little unnecessary to have a title match on Raw, but no one should be complaining.

Also, despite the fact that it has not been announced, a rematch between Shane McMahon and The Miz appears to be inevitable. I can’t be certain as to why Roman Reigns appeared on Raw because he did not necessarily help to further any storylines, but I could never complain about seeing him. It is perfectly understandable for WWE to want to try to fight through this period of very low TV ratings with its biggest star spearheading the Army, but WWE needs to be very strategic in the amount that Reigns is exposed to audiences because overexposure could lead to boos once again.

What fans are really demanding is innovative storytelling in order to build new and compelling stars, which is exactly what occurred during The Attitude Era to build up people such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and The Rock.

Sami Zayn and Braun Strowman gave us a funny segment in which Strowman threw Zayn into a dumpster. Samoa Joe also displayed his ridiculous promo skills by intimidating Rey Mysterio’s son Dominik. We will have to wait and see if Mojo Rawley’s segment turns into anything more.

It was good to see Ricochet pick up a victory against Robert Roode. Now the two are even, and a third match is sure to take place at Money in the Bank. It’s somewhat surprising WWE did not elect to change Roode’s entrance music, as Vince contemplated changing it down the road when Roode first came to the main roster because he didn’t think a heel could get over with such a catchy entrance track.

The Viking Raiders appear to have earned their way into a match for the Raw Tag Team Championships by defeating the champions Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins. They look poised to dominate the tag team division for quite some time, despite the fact that WWE can’t seem to figure out that their name was really good as War Raiders. WWE seems to spend too much time contemplating superstars’ names and perhaps unnecessarily shortening them.

Wild Card Continues

May 12, 2019May 11, 2019 by Evan Luebbe

Kofi Kingston has to be awfully tired after defending his title again tonight. That guy must have a ridiculous amount of endurance because last night’s match was probably better than Monday, which was incredibly good. It’s great to see some fresh faces in the WWE Championship scene, notably Sami Zayn.

Sami appears to be quickly coming into his own and rising to major superstardom, both with the push he is receiving and the authenticity with which he is delivering his promos combined with the fantastic matches he puts on. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him hit three Blue Thunder Bomb’s in the same match.

Another great thing to see is new SmackDown Tag Team Champions in Daniel Bryan and Rowan. Let’s be honest, The Usos were probably featured on the show simply in attempt to combat the weak SmackDown Tag Team division because it does not have very many teams. WWE also seems to be trying to turn Shane McMahon into a carbon copy of his father. The creative team should potentially look to come up with a more creative idea rather than simply recycling what has worked in the past.

It will be beneficial for WWE to only use the Wild Card Rule every once in a while, otherwise superstars may get burned out physically. This is a tiring load for them to carry. It also would not feel like a very big deal if it’s done all the time. It can be used every few weeks but definitely not every week.

Vince Ceding Control

May 12, 2019May 11, 2019 by Evan Luebbe

It may not be a bad idea for Vince McMahon to give consideration to the idea of giving Triple H more control of the main roster in response to the recent drop, and I mean over the last couple of years rather than just a week or two. Look at what he has done with NXT over the last few years because it is thriving (It just aired its 500th episode a few weeks ago). WWE is likely in need of a complete overhaul when it comes to creative formatting rather than a few minor tweaks, and Triple H may be the man to enact these changes.

NXT TV had another unbelievable main event this week featuring Adam Cole and Matt Riddle. The end of The Undisputed Era appears inevitable with tension between its members at an all-time high, specifically Cole and Roderick Strong. Matt Riddle’s stock is quickly rising. WWE should look to capitalize on this, perhaps by putting him in a big match at WrestleMania next year. An interesting match for him would be against Brock Lesnar, considering they are both former UFC fighters. Riddle could retire Lesnar to get his career on the main roster off to a start, which would solidify him as a main eventer right from the start.

Congrats to Raul Mendoza, but the real story is that Riddick Moss has finally found a character that works for him. If he stays the course with this character, great things are sure to come for him.

Side Note: It’s amazing that WWE was able to re-sign Mauro Ranallo, who may be one of the greatest play-by-play announcers out there today. The energy he brings to any NXT event is unparalleled. This will surely be a huge signing for WWE from a business perspective, specifically NXT.