Superstar Sagas

R-Truth is doing some incredible work and was recently voted as WWE’s most entertaining champion. This is a real testament to Truth, with a little help from Carmella. Vince McMahon has always had a liking for him even now he has been in a comedy role within WWE since 2011 when he received a push, facing John Cena for the WWE Championship and ending at Survivor Series of that year when they faced Cena and his WrestleMania opponent The Rock.

I feel compelled to say something about the massive success that Jon Moxley (formerly known as Dean Ambrose) is having in NJPW and AEW. He wrestled his first official match on June 29 for AEW and appears to be getting much more creative freedom and given the ability to improvise on the microphone more than WWE allowed him to do.

This is a character is much more reliant on mic skills as opposed to in-ring abilities, and WWE has a history of being perplexed when faced with the task of managing these characters because Vince McMahon likes to rely too much on micromanagement to allow these characters to improvise on the fly and truly be themselves in order to best get over with the WWE universe.

Not that this is a bad thing at all, I am simply writing down what I have observed and read over the years. Nonetheless, whether it’s with WWE or not, I’m extremely happy that my Cincinnati boy is finally getting the opportunity to be 100% himself.

It might be useful for WWE to consider the possibility of turning Seth Rollins heel. He is doing surprisingly well as a face, but it simply cannot be argued that he has done his best work as a heel. It is completely understandable why WWE is opting to keep Seth as a babyface, as he is in a state of constant paranoia with the possibility of a Brock Lesnar cash-in looming, but WWE may want to seriously look into turning him heel again once that threat dissipates.

There is just a very cool and authentic quality about that slow, maniacal laugh. If this were to take place, it would also foretell of a Becky Lynch heel turn since WWE typically likes to keep couples on the same side of the face-heel dynamic. This shouldn’t be very difficult since she is basically already a heel, kind of like Stone Cold Steve Austin back in the day.

This possibility seems further away with each passing week because neither superstar is young in his career (Styles is nearing the end of his career) and they’re still on separate brands three years into the current brand split. It would be a shame, however, if WWE didn’t capitalize on the rich history between AJ and Finn, with both being leaders of the famous Bullet Club at different times in Japan (which WWE oddly doesn’t acknowledge).

The only time they’ve ever met in WWE history was in October 2017 at the TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs event in an impromptu match after Bray Wyatt, who Balor was supposed to face, came down with a case of the mumps. The match between Balor and Styles was extremely well-received by fans (including myself), signifying that delving deeper into a storyline between these guys would draw much intrigue and money to the company.

It doesn’t even necessarily matter if a rivalry between the superstars individually develops or, if the superstars perhaps were to form a group with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows as heels or babyfaces. Maybe faces would be a better option right now to give fans something different to sink their teeth into because The Undisputed Era is currently a heel faction and is still under the WWE umbrella despite NXT being a completely separate brand.

Vince McMahon would probably need to do a brand unification if that were to ever happen because they are currently on different brands. This does not matter that much anyway, because at this point, the Wild Card Rule seems a bit pointless. I just thought I’d throw the idea out there because SummerSlam is quickly approaching, and this would be a huge money match. I’m also fully aware that I am not the first person to suggest this idea. This would give WWE a new direction and a brand-new feel that would always be welcome in a business that prides itself on constant evolution (just ask Triple H since he was a part of the group Evolution).

Vince McMahon and WWE clearly love AJ Styles and his in-ring abilities, and while Finn Balor does not have the look or the size of a typical WWE superstar, he has an it-factor that clearly resonates with crowds.

One element I would like to address is the rivalry that is growing between Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. This is one of the best storylines going right now in WWE, but it’s taking a while to build which is necessary in order to get people to actually care about it. The momentum of the story may very well carry right into SummerSlam, culminating with a match between the two women.

This particular storyline is being done so effectively because WWE is exercising a great deal of patience and not rushing any element of the story. The company is giving fans an adequate amount of time to become familiar with Nikki Cross after being promoted to the main roster from NXT. This is the first storyline she has been involved in that has given the WWE universe the opportunity to get to know her character as it develops. It also significantly helps that Alexa has been involved in a story somewhat similar to this with Nia Jax.

Perhaps the time has come for Roman Reigns to finally undergo a character repackaging post-leukemia return. If I were handling the operations of WWE, the character repackaging would’ve taken place right after WrestleMania. This is probably contributing to the reason why WWE is losing viewers from its weekly TV shows, and the solution to this problem will not be found with Vince McMahon inserting a “wild card” rule to give him an excuse to overexpose Reigns. This may cause fans to revert back to the way they behaved towards him for the last several years up until just a few months ago – by greeting his entrances with boos. It may be helpful if a personal touch was added to his character.

He could come out on Raw or SmackDown and cut a few heartfelt promos with a personal touch and that would surely deepen his connection with the WWE universe. Vince McMahon cannot be afraid to evolve his character, because the way I see it, it will only help the WWE product. All Vince has to do is look to the past to find evidence of this working – Stone Cold Steve Austin evolved; John Cena evolved. There’s a reason he’s not known as the Dr. of Thuganomics anymore.

Lesner’s Cash-in

Stephanie McMahon is reportedly upset that Paul Heyman didn’t inform the WWE universe in advance of Lesnar’s cash-in. It makes no sense to be upset, however, because the whole point of the Money in the Bank contract is to add `the element of surprise’ to WWE programming. A surprise cash-in (and unfortunately a probable win by Lesnar) will get a massive pop from the crowd before the reality of having a part-time Universal Champion for a while longer sets in. No one knew Edge, Dolph Ziggler, or Seth Rollins were cashing in either, and those were some of the greatest moments in WWE history. The goal of cash-ins should be to hit the WWE universe like an RKO Outta Nowhere.

Lio Rush apparently has a rocky relationship with multiple superstars’ backstage, specifically Finn Balor. There was one incident when Balor noticed that Rush’s wife was almost always around during training or other events specific to WWE superstars. Balor, attempting to be a friend and mentor to Rush, simply pointed out to him that Vince McMahon may not take very kindly to Rush’s wife being present so exclusively when she is not a member of the roster. Rush responded by getting very defensive and that incident, along with a couple of others, rubbed the locker room the wrong way.

It makes sense in a way because Lio Rush is reminiscent of a toned-down version of Enzo Amore (although the conditions surrounding his departure are a little bit different, with rape allegations and all of that mess).

Regardless of the presence of Lio Rush, WWE might want to make a concerted effort to maintain the momentum of Bobby Lashley. This could really help to bolster the quality of the product. It may be tough to accomplish with the mental energy of the creative team going towards pushing newer people like Ricochet, Robert Roode, the returning Bray Wyatt, and Lacey Evans, but Lashley is so much of a physical specimen. It’s been said that WWE can’t afford to relegate someone like him to Midcard mediocrity.

I realize this may sound off-the-wall at first, but Roman Reigns may make the jump to SmackDown Live during the Superstar Shake-Up. Roman, might jump along with Baron Corbin, because that is who he’s scheduled to feud with next (I know, I’m bummed too). From WWE’s perspective, it would destroy his babyface persona which is newly established after winning his battle with leukemia.

It would be destroyed because he would undoubtedly be pitted in a feud for The Universal Championship with Seth Rollins, and since Seth is a bigger face than Roman, and has been for longer, the audience may side with him. Rollins can work with new stars on Raw, while Reigns does the same on SmackDown. It also may freshen up his character the same way it did for AJ Styles in 2016.

After Corbin, he could feud with “The face that runs the place” before being put into a title feud. Reigns could then win the major title on Smackdown and form a heel faction with his cousins The Usos, and, at go at it from the angle of how they are not appreciated enough for all the work they put in. This could be a great way for Roman to expand his character.

From the perspective of FOX, as a big network, they thought they might be getting Ronda Rousey on SmackDown weekly, but now that is not the case anymore due to her desire to take a break from WWE and try to start a family with her husband, and with Roman Reigns being the company’s next biggest star, FOX will likely jump all over that. This is purely speculation, but it might be a good idea for WWE to put this plan into action.

Daniel Bryan is one of the most influential and inspirational people in the wrestling/sports entertainment industry today. This recognition spans from his days in the independent scene and Japan to his career with WWE. He has fought through countless head injuries over the years and is an excellent role model to us all when it comes to not giving up on your dreams and maintaining the fire within through thick and thin.

Daniel Bryan first decided he wanted to pursue wrestling when he was a sophomore in high school. He decided to train at Dean Malenko’s wrestling school in Florida, but it closed down by the time he graduated in 1999. He instead enrolled in Shawn Michaels’ wrestling school at the Texas Wrestling Academy (TWA) and subsequently debuted later in 1999.

He then toured Japan with Lance Cade as a tag team under Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling. Daniel Bryan (real name Bryan Danielson) was signed to his first WWF (World Wrestling Federation) contract in 2000, albeit a developmental deal, and was assigned to Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW), where he worked with William Regal. He is still very close with to this day to him and credits him for being extremely influential throughout his career.

Bryan developed his moniker “American Dragon” during this short stint. After 18 months, he was released in July 2001. He revealed in his 2015 autobiography that he was close to being called up to the main roster in the 2001 Royal Rumble match and being used in the new cruiserweight division inspired by WCW. He went on to make a few non-contracted appearances for the company in 2002 and 2003, and subsequently would not make another appearance in WWE for over five years. Bryan wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling after his release from the WWF, as he worked on his American Dragon persona.

In 2002, Daniel Bryan joined Ring of Honor, which was just starting at the time. He was instrumental in helping the company get off the ground, as evidenced by the fact that he competed in the main event at ROH’s debut event on February 22, 2002 and is considered one of the company’s “Founding Fathers.”

In 2005 he became frustrated with ROH and the industry in general because, despite the fact that he was having success, he had not yet won the ROH World Championship. Bryan ended up quitting the company, although fans believe it was due to the storyline because he still had dates booked elsewhere. He ended up winning the ROH World Championship in September 2005. At the beginning of 2006 there was an inter-promotional feud between Bryan (he went by his real name with ROH) with Chris Hero (Kassius Ohno) of Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). Bryan held the Championship until the end of the year in 2006 with 39 defenses.

He then stepped away for a while to heal a shoulder injury. He signed with WWE in 2009 after a successful few years post-injury, and he wrestled his final match for the company against Nigel McGuinness who at the time was also wrestling his final match with Ring of Honor. Bryan competed in many other promotions across the United States, Europe, and Japan. There are so many I won’t include them all, but I have developed a great respect for his dedication to what he does, and it truly cannot be overstated how admirable that is for any profession.

Bryan made his official televised debut for WWE on the inaugural episode of NXT with his mentor being The Miz. He was let go from WWE for being too violent during the attacks by The Nexus. WWE apologized to him for his release and incorporated it into a storyline. Fortunately, after returning to the independent scene for a couple months, he was signed again by WWE in August 2010 after being released just a couple months earlier. He already had some dates booked though, so for a short time he was wrestling for WWE and a few independent promotions. Bryan returned to WWE at SummerSlam and won the United States Championship from The Miz in September. The storyline he had with The Bella Twins is funny in hindsight because Brie is now his wife.

Daniel Bryan then earned a spot in Booker T’s “Fav Five” and won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match in July 2011, which led to him cashing in the contract in December at TLC to become the World Heavyweight Champion. Booker T had him match at WrestleMania XVIII against Royal Rumble winner Sheamus, which he lost in 18 seconds.

After failing to regain the title, he went on to engage in a feud with CM Punk in which they put on some fantastic wrestling performances. Bryan then went on to have issues with Kane which ultimately led to them attending anger management therapy with Dr. Shelby, forming “Team Hell No,” and winning the Tag Team Championships, subsequently holding them until after WrestleMania and losing them to The Shield.

Bryan also developed a great friendship with Kane during this time. The Yes! Movement then begin, with Bryan receiving overwhelming support despite Vince McMahon not seeing him as a top superstar and deciding to push Randy Orton as the face of the company. The WWE universe also completely rejected the returning Batista. Daniel Bryan was originally scheduled to face Sheamus at WrestleMania XXX in about a 10-minute match, and he ended up having two matches against Triple H and then against Randy Orton and Batista, ultimately winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

After holding the title for a little over a month, Bryan had to undergo a cervical foraminotomy procedure to decompress a nerve in his neck. He returned to WWE for the Royal Rumble in 2015 but unfortunately left again in May because doctors were not sure about the health of his head. He officially had to retire in February 2016, and he became the general manager of SmackDown Live in July, doing that for a couple of years.

Bryan finally made his return to the ring at WrestleMania 34 in a tag match with Shane McMahon against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. He stayed in the same character for several months to get the WWE universe re-acclimated to him before turning heel right before Survivor Series 2018 and winning the WWE Championship, ending AJ Styles’ year-long reign.

He then began introducing himself as “The New Daniel Bryan” and recruiting Rowan, an old Wyatt Family acquaintance, to be his protector. This leads us to where we are today, with Kofi Kingston about to challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.

This is a touchy topic as the title states, but it doesn’t intimidate me. Instead, it gives me incentive to talk about it. I feel that Chris Benoit is one of the most underappreciated pure wrestlers in the history of the wrestling industry, and it’s a shame that he is not talked about more.

With that being said, it is more than justifiable as to the reason no one talks about him. A murderer cannot be glorified, even if it was partially because of repeated head trauma, which is why I’m just going to stick to his wrestling career.

Benoit made his name in NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) first starting in 1986 and gaining valuable experience before heading to ECW with Paul Heyman. He earned the nickname “The Crippler” after a match with Sabu in which Sabu was nearly paralyzed. He departed ECW just before Heyman was about to strap the ECW World Heavyweight Championship on him when his work visa expired.

Starting in 1995, Benoit signed for a second time with WCW (World Championship Wrestling). It got somewhat dicey with the main booker for WCW, Kevin Sullivan, because Benoit developed a real-life affair with Sullivan’s wife in a storyline. Even when Benoit ultimately left the company in 2000, they did not really want him to go. They even tried putting the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on him, but due to disagreements with management and to protest the promotion of Kevin Sullivan to head booker, Benoit left the next day along with Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn to debut with WWF/E as the Radicalz later in the year 2000. He received major Title matches during the early part of his WWE tenure, but the feud he is most known for during this time was the feud with Chris Jericho.

He ultimately needed to take a year off due to his broken neck. The highlight of his career clearly came into 2004 when he won the World Heavyweight Championship after winning the Royal Rumble as the number one entrant. He would hold the title until SummerSlam, Losing it to Randy Orton. The final Title Benoit would win in his illustrious wrestling career was the United States Championship. He was scheduled to win the resurrected ECW World Heavyweight Championship on the night of his death, but Johnny Nitro (who later became John Morrison) was inserted in his place.

It’s unfortunate that one of the top 5 or 10 pure wrestlers in history is never discussed. As I said earlier, it’s more than understood and fully justified as to the reason why, I personally wanted to write an article and tribute to him on my blog. I’m very appreciative to have been exposed to his wrestling style thanks to the WWE network, because without it I would’ve never seen him since I was a little young when he was at the top.