WWE Power Rankings, Best of 2014

Coming at you from My Couch, and it’s that special time of year.  The time of year when you get to visit with family members that you’ve done your best to avoid all year long.  The time of year when your choice is getting drunk with the adults inside or getting high with the kids out back.  The time of year when you can watch football in the living room but you have to listen to your uncle complain about Obama or you can graze your favorite foods in the kitchen but are bombarded with “So, when are you getting married?” or “How’s work going?”  Tough choices, no wonder suicide rates are so high during the holidays.

But the toughest choice of them all is the Top 20 wrestlers of the year!  I’ve sat down and calculated, using the most advanced metrics and algorithms, the World’s Greatest Power Rankings: Top 20 for 2014.

Additionally, I took my list to Fred “The Oracle” to see if he agreed on this week’s BEARcast - WrestleCast (www.worldofbear.com and subscribe on iTunes).  Check it out and let us know your thoughts.  Maybe you agree, maybe you disagree; either way, let me know by posting a comment or tweeting me @wkbear on Twitter.  

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/world-of-bear/id828777439?mt=2

Before we get to the rankings, I want to thank everyone who’s read this blog all year and to our 10’s of loyal listeners of the podcast.  It’s been a lot of fun and I appreciate everyone’s support throughout the year.  I love hearing from you all.  2015 is going to be a great year and we’re going to grow and grow, so look out for even more content next year.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you. 

So with that, let’s get to the Top 20 Power Rankings of 2014...

1. Paul Heyman – I shouldn’t have to justify my list but I can feel some of you nodding in agreement and others head’s exploding at the thought of Paul Heyman being number one.  I’m sure the biggest criticism is that he’s not a wrestler.  Fine, but let’s list the other ways he’s contributed to the WWE in 2014.  His partnership and feud with CM Punk.  He made Ryback and Curtis Axel a viable thing.  He became the first Advocate of wrestling.  He was the mouthpiece for Brock Lesnar, who would become the World Heavyweight Champion.  And lastly, most importantly, Paul Heyman gave the best promos out of any performer in the WWE.  His work was so good that when I went back to review the various promos he gave, be it his CM Punk-style pipe bomb to Brock Lesnar’s post WM victory lap to his pre-cog warning to John Cena as if it were a soon-to-be murder in Minority Report, Paul Heyman was flawless.  It would have been unthinkable to have the WHC be a part time wrestler but with the help of Paul Heyman, it worked (well, it’s worked as best it can, one can debate the success of putting the WHC on Lesnar another time).  Bottomline, the show is always better when you hear, “Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman…”
   
   
   
   
2. Seth Rollins ( ) – When it was clear that the Shield was going to break up, the one member that I was most concerned for was Rollins.  He wasn’t the prototypical WWE superstar that Reigns is.  He didn’t have the “it” factor and fan support that Ambrose has.  He’d shown tremendous in-ring ability but that doesn’t always transfer to a great singles career.  I was worried he’d be another Sheldon Benjamin or worse, Charlie Haas.  But as it turns out, Rollins can do it all.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s not The Rock or Stone Cold at the peak of their powers.  He’s only been in singles mode and getting the WWE push for less than a year but he’s won the Money in the Bank case and is currently the main event heel for the WWE.  With the absence of Lesnar and the WHC, it’s a split between the IC strap and the MitB holder as to who’s everyone is chasing.  It doesn’t hurt that every time he wrestles, Rollins has a “How the fuck did he do that?!” moment.  
   
3. Dolph Ziggler – Finally, after over two years, Ziggler finally crawled out of the WWE dog house and is getting the push many of us hardcore fans have been asking for.  He’s dialed back his in-ring intensity on a per week basis and learned that it is best to save your 100% for the big matches, like the Survivor Series main event.  As well as being a unique breath of fresh air on social media and other outlets, Ziggler is more than just your 9-to-5 wrestler.    
   
4. Brock Lesnar – 1) He’s the WHC, 2) He demolished John Cena like no one has ever done before and 3) He broke The Undertaker’s WM streak.  Did you hear me, he broke Taker’s streak!  ‘Nuff said.  
   
5. HHH & Stephanie – Just imagine what the show would look like if HHH and Stephanie weren’t on RAW?  They’re the straws that stir the WWE cocktail.  A special shoutout to Stephanie McMahon who, other than Heyman, gave the best promos all year.
   
    
6. CM Punk – “And just like that…he’s gone.”  The Keyser Soze of the WWE.  He was only around for a few months of 2014 but we’re still talking bout him.  Every speculated plot twist and turn always end with some version of CM Punk coming back.  Even his recent UFC announced fight has been theorized as a possible game changing “work”.  People loose their shit talking about him as if he’s the ghost of Wrestling’s past, present and future.  He’s just a man.  Granted, a very talented performer but still just a man.  A man who still gets the biggest pop week-in and week-out on RAW, so maybe he is more than a man…
   
7. Bray Wyatt – This was Bray’s breakout year.  Whether he was wrestling with the Wyatt Family vs The Shield or he was going it alone in some really stellar matches, Bray moved up to the top tier.  His entrance is now the best in the business.  Don’t try to argue, he currently holds that championship.  He’s gone from show stealing tag matches to wrestling Cena and finally headlining TLC with Dean Ambrose.  2015 will be the test.  Does he fall back in a sophomore slump or does he continue to push the limits on promos (they don’t all work but I appreciate that he tries), continue putting on great matches, help usher in a faction like The Ascension, will we get some traction on who / what Sister Abigail is all about or does he do something completely different?  Not having a clear path can be scary in the WWE but if anyone is going to pull it off, Bray Wyatt will. 
   
8. Daniel Bryan – Did anyone have a better first quarter of a year than Daniel Bryan?  This should have been his year but injuries stole it from him (and us).  At least he got his WrestleMania moment, which no one can ever take away.  We’ll always have a ton of “What If’s” for Bryan’s 2014.  Let’s just hope he can get well and come back in 2015.
9. John Cena – While being at Nine might make you think he had a down year, nothing could be further from the truth.  In 2014 you could start chiseling his face on the Mount Rushmore of the WWE.  Boo him or cheer for him, he IS the “Face of the WWE’ and no year personified that more than 2014.  He’s the only one that the WWE felt could face Brock Lesnar.  When ever the show dragged, they threw him at the problem.  He put over wrestlers like Bray Wyatt and Dolph Ziggler.  No one has had better job security than John Cena.  You and I can boo him all day but Cena won.  What makes him great, is that he knows it.
   
10. Dean Ambrose – He was the first Shield member to really break out on his own.  His style is so different it becomes hard to compare him in and out of the ring to other wrestlers.  So what does he do that makes him so special?  He entertains!  You can never say you’re bored when Ambrose is involved.  Like Wyatt, it’s hard to see where he’s going in 2015 but I’m along for the ride.  
    
11. Miz and Damien Sandow / Miz-dow – HUGE late push up the 2014 rankings.  I’ve always been a champion for Sandow.  He’s smart, innovative and willing to turn chicken shit into chicken salad.  He’s also been in the second tier group of guys that were constantly getting buried.  Even in the beginning of the year when he was doing all sorts of goofy shit week after week, at least he was on TV (which any fan of the BEARcast will tell you, is Fred’s first goal to success in the wrestling).  So while he toiled around looking for anything to stick, something unexpected happened.  2010-2011 Miz came back!  There was a time, not long ago, that Miz was headlining WrestleMania and winning World Championships.  I know, crazy, right!  Well, Miz came back and the WWE threw Miz and Sandow together for what was surely just a one or two night gimmick but then something clicked.  Now they’re consistently the most entertaining parts of any WWE show.  No they’re not the best wrestlers ever or the best gimmick of all time BUT they EN-TER-TAIN!!!  The writing is on the wall for them to feud in 2015 and I’ve already predicted that they should be the show opener at WM but until then, I’ll sit back and enjoy every time they’re on.  
    
12. Roman Reigns – Don’t let the last few injured months fool you.  Reigns will be in main events throughout 2015.  Don’t be surprised if they work him into the main event at WM this year.  He is the future of this company, like it or not.  If Vince could build a wrestler, it would be John Cena but right after that it would be Roman Reigns.  It goes to show how great The Shield was if the future Face of the WWE is ranked at #12 and below his fellow Shield members.   
13. Goldust and Stardust – My personal favorites.  Not only has Goldust, who at 45 years old (which is wrestling year is about 136), not only found the fountain of youth but is wrestling better than he ever did in the 1990’s.  The biggest surprise and the person most responsible for The Dust Bros greatness is Cody Rhodes.  He sold this Stardust character like a motherfucker.  This could have gone bad faster than Tensai but Cody sold it.  He went all in, joined his brother in great matches and put a twist on every character trait and move so that Startdust was its own thing.  Brilliant.
    
14. AJ Lee – The next two slots are proof that female wrestlers can be multidimensional, interesting without a love interest, be attractive and can wrestle their asses off.  AJ had to swim an uphill battle for the fact that she’s married to CM Punk and not a match goes by where there isn’t a CM Punk chant, which is tiresome and insulting to the work that AJ Lee as done on her own.  She’s been great on the mic (when given the chance) and stellar in-ring.  
15. Paige – A rookie being on this list?  A rookie DIVA?  Yep!  Paige is all that and a bag of chips.  She came out hot and lived up to the high expectations.  We haven’t seen her a lot at the end of the year but she’s put on more solid matches on RAW than 90% of her male counterparts.  I understand the financial reasons why she’s joining the Total Divas show, for her and the WWE’s sake, but I hope she continues what looks to be a great start to a wonderful career.  Many times I was more excited for the Paige / AJ fight than anything else on a given night’s card.  
    
16. Randy Orton – Totally misused all year long.  There’s no bigger mark for RKO than me but even I had to roll my eyes when his 2014 highlight was yet another battle between him and Cena.  I have to retract that, his highlight of 2014 was all the RKO memes and YouTube clips, to which RKO nor the WWE had anything to do with.  Thank you internet.  RKO is the most gifted wrestler the WWE has and when given the right gimmick / material he can hit home runs.  In 2015, we need to see him go up against other talented wrestlers.  Throw him against Bray, Ziggler, Kofi, Cesaro, Rollins or god forbid Brock Lesnar and let’s see what happens.  Tell me you wouldn’t be excited to see any of the guys I just listed feud with RKO?  At the very least you’ll get some great matches.  
17. The Usos – Slipped a little by at the end of the year.  Let’s not forget they started 2014 hot as hell.  They got the Tag straps and put on great matches.  So what happened?  They got a bit stale, and fast.  Only until these last few weeks of 2014 have we seen any character development.  I understand that they push a lot of merchandise, especially toward the kids, but I’d love to see some shades of grey to their characters.  They don’t have to be heels, but they don’t have to be the generic 80’s florescent face painted tag team.  At least this mini feud with Miz and Jimmy Uso regarding Naomi’s Hollywood dreams has given us some character development which could lead to a number of possibilities.  They’re highlight reels in the ring and always bring their “A” game.  Now that they’re established workers, they need to be more.  Just look at The Dust Brothers.  You may not know if they’re good or bad but they’re interesting.  The Usos can easily get to that next level in 2015.  
18. Luke Harper – This is probably the biggest surprise.  I can’t remember a wrestler that has grown this fast with his in-ring abilities.  At the start of 2014, he was just a Wyatt Family member.  Bray was the start and you put up with Harper and Rowan because they were two big guys who could move a little.  In the summer you started to see a little personality come through his Wyatt Family gimmick.  It wasn’t a 180 change but just slight moments where Harper started to stand out.  Then his portion of the Wyatt matches got really good.  If in January of 2014 you would have told me that a Harper / Ziggler Ladder match would have been the match of the night at TLC in December, I’d have you tasered and taken away by the white-coats.  Also, when I found out that Harper is two years younger than me, I had to take a long look in the mirror and ponder at what a cruel bastard father time is.
19. The Bella Sisters – Once you pull yourself off the floor, let me explain.  I HATE Total Divas.  In 2012, if the Bellas never showed their faces in the WWE again I wouldn’t have cared less.  But in 2014, B-Bella started to put on some good wrestling matches and N-Bella started giving some interesting promos.  They’ll always be linked to their significant others (Brie w/ Daniel Brian and Nikki w/ John Cena) but all of the sudden they weren’t just a novelty act because they were twins.  Could it have been as simple as a pair of fake boobs for Nikki that split the Bellas personality and forced them to each find their own voice?  I’m just as shocked as you but they made it onto this list.  Why?  Because they mattered, which is more than I can say about the likes of Sheamus, Y2J, RVD, Mark Henry, Titus O’Neil, Kane, etc.  All solid performers but who cared about what they were doing in terms of WWE storytelling.  
    
20. A New Day – So here’s where I get to cheat and sneak three of my more favorite performers.  Yes, I’m excited for what TND could be.  Am I worried that all three (Kofi, Big E and Xavier Woods) will be misused and by SummerSlam The New Day will be working security at the B.E.T. awards?  Sure.  But like Damien Sandow, they’re getting a chance to be on TV each week.  Xavier Woods has a lot of promise but we haven’t seen enough of him to really care but Kofi and Big E have been dying to get a push.  Both have been former champs.  Both have incredible in-ring skills.  TND could be a flop or by the end of 2015 we could be looking back at this year’s Shield or Wyatts (probably not, but we can hope). 

Honorable Mentions

SAN-TIN-OOOOOOOOOO!!!! – Unfortunately my favorite performer had to retire due to injury.  You never want to see a young wrestler go out because the business has beaten his body up.  Hopefully the WWE will find ways to keep him involved.  He’s been a great soldier for all these years.  Besides, if I gave you the choice between Santino or the Anonymous RAW GM Computer, wouldn’t you take Santino every time and twice on PPV’s?  Santino for the open Authority slot!

The Undertaker – I couldn’t put someone who had one match on this list.  Even if it will go down as the most rememberable match for a 20 year period.  The Undertake lost his streak and seems to be all but done with the Wrestling Business.  All I can do is tip my cap and say Thank You.  He’s in the discussion for GOAT.

Sting – Of the things that I thought I’d never be able to say, “Sting is going to wrestle a match in the WWE” is one of them.  Sting is in the WWE and in 2015 he will wrestle.  ‘Nuff said.  

Cesaro – The one Honorable Mention / performer that didn’t make the cut, that should have made it on the top 20.  He’s pound-for-pound the strongest and maybe most talented performer in the WWE.  He seemed to be getting a huge push at the beginning of the year but then faded into nothing.  I don’t even remember the last match I saw him in.  Even Vince made note in his Stone Cold Podcast interview that he didn’t know what to do with Cesaro.  My fingers are crossed that they figure it out next year because Cesaro puts on 5-star matches.  That’s what he does.

Side note

Again, thank you so much for all your support.  I appreciate everyone who’s taken the time to read my posts and listen to our podcasts.  I know there’s a million choices that you have and it means so much to me that you spend your time with me.  There’s nothing more valuable than time in this world.  Thank You. 

Please feel free to write or tweet me with questions or comments.  I’ll do my best to add them into the blog and on the podcast.  If you don’t agree with me, even better.  Let me know.  I love a good argument.  

Lastly, 2015 is going to have a lot of new content.  I’m going to work my ass off to do a variety of things not just a weekly wrestling blog and podcast.  Keep checking into www.worldofbear.com or any of my blogs for more info.  

Have a great holiday!  Be safe.  Until next time…

WK

@wkbear

BEARcast - WrestleCast 12/03/2014

BEARcast - WrestleCast 2014-12-03 with Fred "The Oracle" and Dustin

This week’s WrestleCast gets taken over with reaction to the CM Punk and Mr. McMahon interviews.  Drama this big demanded a special call to "The Doc-ta” to get Dustin’s take on all the news.  Besides, RAW was a bit boring and nowhere near as interesting as the two interviews.


Please check us out at www.worldofbear.com and on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/world-of-bear/id828777439?mt=2 and don't forget to Subscribe!  Also, don't forget to spread the word to friends, family and fans.

Thanks,
WK
@wkbear on Twitter or email the show at WorldOfBearBC@gmail.com to send in ideas and comments.
Contact Fred on Twitter @FreddyD15

WWE Power Rankings, RAW 12/01/2014

Coming at you from Tulsa, and let’s be real, RAW wasn’t that great.  What was great?  The CM Punk and Mr. McMahon interviews!  I’ll never bullshit you or waste your time.  You can take about 95% of what I said last week and apply it to this week.  Other than the return of the Anonymous GM, everything was the same.  Aside from a missing Mark Henry, the last three segments of RAW ran back the main event match at Survivor Series.  

Check out our special edition of the BEARcast - WrestleCast (www.worldofbear.com and subscribe on iTunes) for full coverage and breakdown of both interviews.  

The hardest part about this “Cyber Monday” was that I could have ranked only 10 slots or gone up to 30 if I wanted to break the Tag Turmoil and main event apart.  

I had to edit out a lot of Fred and my RAW recap to fit in more time for the Punk / McMahon interview coverage.  The only bit that needs to be addressed is that it is a tad ridiculous that the TLC PPV is being broken down to a T, a L and a C match prior to the big TLC match between Ambrose and Wyatt.  Also I believe there’s a “steel STAIRS” match between Big Show and Rowan.  Do I need to go further?  Steal f’n Stairs?!  Luckily Ambrose and Wyatt in a TLC match is enough to get me to watch.  Also, luckily TLC is only two weeks away so we don’t have to sit through many more odd promos by two guys who should be working together, not against each other.  But I’ll save that for our TLC preview.   

So with that, let’s get to the rankings as of this week’s RAW on 12/01/2014...

1. Bray Wyatt (7) – Bray wrestled and is setting up, what I assume is, the main event at TLC.  In a night of mishmash tags, Bray wrestled.
   
2. Dean Ambrose (6) – Okay, maybe he didn’t wrestle but are you going to be the grinch that is against Ambrose / Wyatt in a TLC match?
3. The New Day (HM) – Yes I know they made an appearance on Smackdown but who watches that?  Their debut didn’t blow me away but also didn’t fall flat on its face like Los Matadors.  Not only did they look like three black Jews ready for their Bar Mitzvahs but Big E is already laying the groundwork for hiding various items down his bra, I mean chest.  A chest that is secured with a supportive fabric that helps keep his breast muscles and fatty deposits that lay on top of the breast muscles in place.  If you want to call that a bra, that’s up to you.  I’m not here to judge nor make enemies of someone who could snap me like a twig.  
   
4. Miz and Miz-dow (4) – I can’t believe I had enough control to leave them at number 4.  By the way, they’re dropping the titles at TLC and will start feuding ASAP.  That’s my first guess because the WWE is too impatient and will have them fighting by the Royal Rumble.  Then their feud will linger all the way to WrestleMania by then I’ll be begging someone to put this gimmick out of its misery.  Until then, I’m loving.  Can I get more manic?  Probably.  
5. The Usos (N/A) – I’ve been saying forever that they need a heel or evil side to them.  The Jimmy (or Jay, who the fuck can tell the difference) fight with Miz and Naomi is a bit lame considering we all know their personal lives thanks to Total Divas.  And even though Miz is lucky enough to be banging Maryse, as the old saying goes, “No matter how hot the girl is, there’s some guy out there that is tired of fucking her.”  
   
6. The Dust Bros. (N/A) – The gold standard of tag teams at the moment.  I’m waiting for your arguments…
7. Dolph Ziggler (3) – Some people can look at his feud with Harper as a step back but I think it gives the WWE time to make sure that he’s deserving of the big push he’s getting and helps solidify Harper at a solid IC level player.  Ziggler can still lose at TLC in an IC title rematch and still be favored going into Royal Rumble. 
8. John Cena (10) – Damn you WWE for making me almost cheer for Cena.  I give him credit for doing his best to put over the likes of Ryback or maybe he just felt sorry for Ryback after CM Punk obliterated him personally and professionally on his tell-all podcast this past week.  
9. Seth Rollins w/ Minions (8) – Like it or not, he’s our top heel and soon he’ll be going against Randy Orton.  JBL said that Rollins with Mercury and Noble are Shield 2.0???  I’m done…
10. Luke Harper (5) – The new IC champ.  The more talented of the Wyatt disciples.  I’m looking forward to a good ole fashion ladder match between him and Ziggler.  It should be great. 
11. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (20) – In what must be the oddest tag team, I feel bad for Cesaro.  He kinda got killed during the post show interview between McMahon and SCSA.  On the bright side, everyone expects great things from him.  I blame WWE Creative is Cesaro isn’t a top tier guy by this time next year.  He’s got all the tools. 
12. AJ Lee w/ ? (16) – And the lucky winner is… Naomi.  And here I thought this was the first “true” fan vote on the WWE app.  Shows you what I know.  *cough *cough BULLSHIT *cough
    
13. The Bellas (17) – Did I just rank them at twelve?  I’ve got to stop this late night drinking.
14. Erick Rowan vs The Big Show (14&11) – ZZZZZZZZ.  Thanksgiving dinner had less sleep inducing drugs.  BTW, when did Rowan add that “k” to the end of Erick?  Who does that?  And we’re supposed to be okay with his international new theme song (which sucks reindeer balls) and that he’s been a hidden genius savant behind that lamb mask?  I should hate all of this but I’m curious and the Wyatt Family brand name has bought enough good will.  Lastly, “Big Red?”  I see Kane, the original Big Red Machine, coming out to set him on fire.  It’s almost as bad as the “The Big Guy” as far as nicknames go.  While I’m at it, is there anyone slower to the ring than Big Show?  I orgasm faster than it takes for Big Show to get to the ring, and I see sex as a race.  First to finish wins.
15. R-Truth (N/A) – If you’re going to job, job to the best / top guys.  Nice to see you back on TV.
16. Rusev w/ Lana (12) – I’ve been a champion for Back in White for Lana each week but I’ll be fine with Back in Black as long as it’s a race between her skirt slip and jacket plunge towards her belly button.  For god’s sake, do yourself a favor and google Lana’s nude pics.  Smoke show, as the kids would say.
17. Jack Swagger w/ Zeb (13) – Poor Zeb got Nancy Kerrigan’d by someone.  Who?  Why?  How?  Do you care?  It’s more amazing that we’re running back Swagger as the US savior.  The WWE clearly doesn’t know how to stop the Rusev beast they’ve created.  Two words: Kurt. Angle.  I won’t get into rumors but it’s too bad Angle and HHH couldn’t get on the same page.
18. Un Matador w/ El Dorito (N/A) – Please give up this horribly executed Matador gimmick.  Take the bull behind the barn and shoot him.  The performers are actually talented but they’re being wasted on bullshit.  Literally bull-shit.
19. Adam Rose and The Bunny (20) – I’m only slightly curious about who this Bunny is and would like to see a heel version of Rose. 
20. Fandango 2.0 w/ Rosa (19) – Rosa, you have one job to do (other than possibly to give Mr. McMahon hand jobs whenever / wherever he so chooses) and that is to show off ‘dem great big boobs of yours.  It doesn’t have to be Sable-Attitude-Era nudity but something more revealing that the window drapes that you had sacked over your body.  The only boob I saw was the one dressed in all black that calls himself Fandango 2.0 (see what I did there?  Bet’cha didn’t see that coming.)  I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY’RE DOUBLING DOWN ON THIS DANCING GIMMICK?!  Ok, take a step back… I’ve been misled before.  Maybe this is going to be great.  But it doesn’t help that I just watched an interview with the head of the company, Mr. McMahon, who has final say over everything and he said he didn’t know what to do with the likes of Cesaro.  Cesaro!  If they don’t know what to do with one of the more gifted and ready-to-push performers, what am I to think of Fandango 2.0? 
    

Honorable Mentions

Paul Heyman – He’s back via satellite but there’s still something missing.  If you can fly Mr. McMahon to Tulsa, Heyman can get his out there as well. 

Slammy Awards – Seth Green hosts next week’s Slammy awards which are back.  Let “awards season” begin.  Next up…The Academy Awards.  What, they’re not on the same level?  How dare you not give MIZ and MIZdow the credit they deserve.  MIZ is a multi-feature movie star.

Saint Mic and Noelle Foley – Congrats on Mrs. Foley’s little boy’s little girl on her official WWE debut.  

Side Note(s)

CM Punk interview, see BEARcast at www.worldofbear.com 

Mr. McMahon interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin, see BEARcast www.worldofbear.com 

Until next time…

WK

@wkbear

WWE Power Rankings, RAW 4/07/2014

Coming at you from New Orleans, while my brain tells me that the RAW after WrestleMania is usually the best RAW of the year, I don’t know if after last night’s WM30 events, my heart will have the strength to watch.  All you need to know about WM30 can be summed up with this one picture that was trending Sunday night…

If you’re a regular reader of the World’s BEST Power Rankings, you know that the opening monologue have very little to do with the current night’s show.  There’s two reasons; 1) I usually write it before I watch the show and 2) It’s to get us all on the same page before getting into the night’s events.  Having said this, let’s get a few things out of the way from last night’s WM30.

By now you’ll have seen and read about all the events that took place at WM30.  Check out the BEARcast on this week for a very interesting WrestleCast.  We tried a little experiment to see if we could capture some of the fun of my crew’s live event parties.  We recorded about 20 minutes of a pre-show / prediction / WM30 match rundown.  It’s very interesting to see how we all felt going into WM30 and then our discussion on the events of WM30.  “They aren’t what we thought they were.  I was wrong.  We were so wrong.” - Elizabeth Shaw from Prometheus.

First off, we need to acknowledge AJ’s win.  It was buried after the shocking end of not just the Undertaker / Lesnar match but also the Bray Wyatt loss to SuperCena.  I understand the booking, to give the show a breather before the main event after the shock of Undertaker losing.  If they would have booked this before the Bray / Cena match, we might all be talking about AJ’s place in not just the Divas division but in the WWE.

Next tip of the cap goes to Cesaro.  No need to delve deep into this one but he’s clearly the wrestler to watch in 2014 and should be headlining multiple PPVs soon.

Ok, let’s get into it.

There was a point in time that we all thought this was going to be the worst WrestleMania of all time, as far as booked matches.  Now, I’ll guarantee that you’ll never forget where you saw and how you felt about WM30.  

Like “The Red Wedding” in Game of Thrones (don’t worry, no spoilers here), it cleared the deck and devastated you.  It didn’t matter what came before or after, for good and / or bad, “The Red Wedding” will be seared in your head.  After the one-two punch of Bray’s loss and then The Undertaker’s loss, everyone was shell shocked.  Up until then, WM30 was “status quo.”  In that sense, at least the WWE creative made you “feel something,” which is the most you can ask for out of entertainment.  

Let’s just be happy Daniel Bryan won because if HHH had somehow “Kliq’d” his way to the WWE championship after Bray and Undertaker loss, there would have been a riot in the Superdome (or Silverdome for all you Hulk-a-maniacs).

The biggest notes that my crew and I took away from the stunning Undertaker loss were as follows (in no particular order):

• This was how the Undertaker wanted the streak to end.  No one was telling the Undertaker that he had to drop the streak to Brock Lesnar.  The Undertaker has so much pull in the WWE that if he didn’t want something to happen with his character, he has the power to veto it OR just walk.  He was down to only wrestling one match per year.  Maybe throw in a handful of pre and post WrestleMania events but other than that, this is what The Undertaker does.  The Streak is all he has.  The Undertaker signed off on this.  If CM Punk left the WWE because he didn’t like something (which give me two-seconds before I get to that) than surely Undertaker could have simply retired if he didn’t want to loose his streak or drop it to Brock Lesnar.  

• Who at the WWE thought this is the way the Undertaker’s streak should have ended?  Sure, Brock is a beast and maybe 10 - 15 years ago, someone like Lesnar would have been a great candidate to beat Undertaker and stop the streak.  But Lesnar is a part-timer and after this current stint we may never see him wrestle again if he so choose to.  At least giving this honor to someone like Ziggler or Miz or Big E or Cesaro or ANYONE who you know will be in your company for a long period of time would make sense.  That’s why when we assumed that Undertaker would beat Lesnar, Fred “The Oracle” stated that next year it should be John Cena to be the one to end the streak.  Love him or hate him, Cena could have made use of the honor for years to come.  If Lesnar wrestles one more year and that it?  You might as well have Undertaker retire with the streak.  

• My guess in The Undertaker is gone.  Retired.  This is the last we’ll see of him.  What does he have to come back for?  Since he never wrestled anymore, all he had to come back for each year was the streak.  Another WM match next year seems like a waste of time.  What’s he going to come back for, to be 22-1?  He’s not involved in any other story lines.  There’s nothing left for him to do.  If this was his retirement, #ThankYouTaker is all that needs to be said.  

• He looked done throughout the whole match.  He’s never looked more out of shape or should I say, never looked more like an old man that he did on Sunday night.  He’s into his 50’s and I would assume he’s financially secure if he’s only wrestling once a year.  If he needs cash, you can’t tell me that he wouldn’t earn 100k per year working the convention scene and doing appearances once or twice a month?  It looked like halfway through the match, he realized he wasn’t into this anymore and decided to quit.  If he whispered in Lesnar’s ear, “Just pin me and put me out of my misery,” I wouldn’t be shocked.  The great ones never know when to retire until it’s too late.  That’s how you get Michael Jordan playing in a Washington Wizards uniform for two years.

• Here’s the biggest question; Did the lack of buildup to the match help or hurt the result?  We all admit that this ‘Taker / Brock match had a terribly small amount of buildup.  So small that we talked about this on the BEARcast and whether it was just due to two part-time wrestlers or poor writing.  Now that we’ve seen the result, would a bigger buildup have made for a better match?  Frankly, I fell asleep during the match because it was slow and I figured Undertaker was going to win regardless.  Luckily my brother-in-law texted me and woke me up just in time.  In the past few years, the WWE has made it seem like there was at least a possibility that Undertaker was going to loose to HBK (x2), HHH and CM Punk.  We were all on the edge of our seats to see if this was the year the streak would end.  This year, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion ‘Taker was winning.  Was the shock a better ending or would the crowd be better served with a more anticipated match and ending?

• Finally, THIS IS WHY CM PUNK LEFT!  There’s been a million speculations to why CM Punk left the WWE but no one really knows for sure.  It may come out in time but we may never know (or believe) the reasons that are given to us.  What I’ll believe, until further corroboration for or against, is that CM Punk wasn’t upset with his current storyline / feud with HHH but rather that the year prior he lost the chance to break Undertaker’s streak and the WWE was going to give it to Brock Lesnar.  It never made sense that Punk would be upset with having to feud with HHH in a SCSA-like feud.  That would put him in the top 3 matches of WM at the very least.  For god’s sake, he just feuded with Ryb-Axel!  If he’s willing to do that, a feud with HHH isn’t what sent him over the edge.  I believe he was pissed that after doing such a great sales job for the Undertaker match and if he was going to be one of the faces of the WWE then he had earned the right to end ‘Taker’s Streak.  After being told “No, you’re not the one to break the streak,” and then to learn that a part-timer in Lesnar was going to get the highest honor / accomplishment that can be bestowed, that’s when Punk felt he’d been passed over again (watch his DVD) and was being misused by the powers-that-be but only this time it was after already establishing that he’s a top guy in the company.

That a lot about one match.  There will definitely be more on WM30 and its fallout so check out the BEARcast - WrestleCast later this week.  In the meantime, as with all things, we must move forward.  There were other matches and plenty of other story lines to address.  Also, as we’ve talked about, this is the beginning of the new wrestling year.  There are very few RAWs that I’m more excited to see than the one after WrestleMania.  All the smart wrestling fans that have travelled from around the world to be at WM usually stay to attend the next night’s RAW.  Nothing makes for a great wrestling show like a great crowd.  

So with that, let’s get to the rankings as of this week’s RAW on 4/07/2014…

1. Daniel Bryan (12) – Congrats to the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.  You can’t say it was a surprise that Bryan won the belt but if you’re “giving the fans what they want” then the WWE can’t do better than closing out WM30 with 80,000 people chanting YES! YES! YES!  It’s good to be Daniel Bryan these days.  You’re the people’s champ, you’ve just won the WWE belt at WM and you’re off to get married to one of the Bellas.  It’s good to be the king and Bryan earned the “you deserved it” chant.  But as we’ve learned from Game of Thrones, staying the king is even harder.  It will be interesting to see how the WWE treats their new champ in 2014.  How long can HHH pull off this whole, “you’re not worthy” gimmick?  How long can the underdog face reign as champ?  While the main event on RAW was technically HHH vs Bryan, what really got the crowd on their feet was the potential Shield vs Kane / RKO / Batista battle.  Bryan is a GREAT wrestler.  His greatest opponent isn’t going to be anyone in the ring, it’s going to be how does he keep his face heat.
   
2. Brock Lesnar w/ his advocate Heyman (5&3) – What can you say about the man who broke The Streak?  Obviously a lot if you have Paul Heyman as your advocate.  Is there any type of shoot that Heyman can’t do?  Watching him work the crowd.  Floating, almost lyrically, from mean shoot / gloating shoot / attacking the crowd shoot / superiority shoot / etc. is an art to itself.  I turned to my girlfriend, who never sits and watches RAW (except for Cena segments) was mesmerized and totally engaged watching Heyman do his thing.  I turned to her and proclaimed, this is who I want to be in wrestling if given the chance.  It was never to be Hogan or Sting or HBK (maybe Flair because it’s Flair) but to be the mouthpiece is what I want to do.  I love the artistry of great wrestling but I’m jealous of the men who can conduct an arena of 15,000 to 80,000 with just their voice.  Being able to work the crowd, stick to an overall script and also being able to ad-lib, there is no one better than Heyman.  Then to know Heymans history, was there anything that must have been sweeter than to throw barbs at Hogan and the Mr. McMahon.  Nothing gets Heyman harder than when he’s shooting on Vincent Kennedy McMahon.  It’s his own personal horny goat weed (don’t know what that is? stay up until 5 am watching infomercials and you’ll find out).  With a shoot like that, maybe I should list them as Heyman, the advocate for Brock Lesnar.
   
3. Bray and The Wyatt Family (9) – No one is more over with the marks than Bray Wyatt.  Again, why did he have to loose to John Cena?  Let’s tackle Bray Wyatt’s loss real quick because this can be and needs to be fixed ASAP.  The last thing that I joked about regarding the Bray / Cena match was that Cena had nothing to gain, Bray and his gimmick has everything to loose, it would take SuperCena to take out the whole Wyatt Family and it just didn’t make sense for Cena to win; so of course all this would lead to a Cena victory.  Karma has a cruel way of messing with you.  I played with fire and got burnt.  Cena won.  Luckily, with such a great crowd at RAW, no one cared about the previous night’s loss.  The crow was still hot for the Wyatt Family and cheered for anything they did especially when it came at Cena’s expense.  It’s not often that you get a crowd to sing You Got the Whole World and chant “Bray’s gonna kill you” in the same match.  I have a feeling that Bray and Cena are far from over.  1) Because Cena seemed to have too much fun with doing something different, so he’s going to pull rank and continue this run.  2) Bray isn’t in need of a title right now which puts him in that rare “island” area that allows him to do anything he wants (i.e. CM Punk, Undertaker, HBK, etc.) and Cena has that same luxury.  3) Who else is he going to feud with?  He’s hot enough to run WITH a top tier guy but hasn’t been around long enough to BE a top tier guy.  Unless said opponent is going to join The Wyatt Family, is the WWE going to waste good heat to have Bray feud with Miz or Sandow?
   
4. The Shield (7) – Almost seemed like they weren’t going to make it on the show but as usual, it only takes a minute for them to tear down the house.  You knew once Kane spilled the beans about HHH being behind their feud, the “Hounds of Justice” were going to turn rogue on The Authority.  It sucked that they had a lackluster match at WM but now that it seems they’re sticking together, I’m guessing they’re going to be involved in ton of high profile matches.  It’s hard to say exactly what they’re going to do because they can do it all, from singles to tag to group (this whole post has a subtle porn primer coat, sorry it wasn’t intentional…or was it ;)).  It’s a sign of their popularity that I’ll be checking out Main Event for the Shield / Wyatt match.  THAT’S how great The Shield is.  I’m watching Main Event just to see them.
   
5. HHH and Stephanie (1&2) – I’d be remiss not to thank HHH and Steph for putting on a memorable WM, a great entrance by HHH (by the way, both times HHH has gone full regalia on his entrance, he’s lost) and Stephanie McMahon looked great and played the “cheerleader” to perfection at WM.  What doesn’t make sense is that HHH is still going after Bryan.  If he was going to beat him, he should have done it last at WM.  I hate to be a Debbie-downer but was I the only one that felt cheated by how quick / easily Bryan beat HHH at WM30?  The only reason I’m not completely turned off by a HHH / Bryan rematch would be that a full “PPV main event” match between the two could be very good, even if the purpose of the match would be redundant.  
   
6. John Cena (8) – The small contingent of Cena fans were vastly outnumbered by “Cena Sucks” fans.  But this is a man who if not loves being boo’d, he’s accepted it and understands his relationship with the crowd and that heat is heat (as long as it’s not X-pac heat).  Again, welcome to the “night after WM mark RAW.”  There was no purpose for Cena to beat Bray except that Cena wasn’t going to loose to a relatively unknown heel at WM, no matter how hot that heel is with the smart fans.  Because I can’t think of anyone else Cena could feud with and because his work with Bray has been really good, why not let them keep going.  Besides, Cena needs to loose to Bray and put him over.
   
7. Randy Orton (10) – I love the idea of RKO tag teaming with Batista, if only for a short time.  They seem to have a friendship off camera that bleeds over on-screen.  RKO has embraced being the top heel so who better to help drag Batista over to the dark side?  RKO seems like he’s been saddled with the same opponents and same stories for the past 10 years.  RKO and Batista would be a devastating tag team on paper.  Just watching them team up with Kane to take on The Shield was a fresh idea for everyone involved.  If the WWE is going to keep him as a solo act, Cesaro would be my first choice for RKO’s next feud.  Cesaro needs a top tier opponent and it would allow RKO to finally have someone with similar size and in-ring ability to show what he can do.
   
8. Batista (11) – If they’re going to finally turn Batista heel, let him work with RKO so he can see what embracing being a heel means.  It’s not like Batista hasn’t been a heel before but just like anything else, if you haven’t done it for a while, you need practice.  Let RKO remind you that it’s ok to have people boo you.  Stick with the “deal with it” line and just become a douche-bag.  
   
9. Cesaro (18) They couldn’t keep him with the Real Americans if they’re going to call him the Swiss Superman so that was your first clue.  The other was that there was no way he could ascend being shackled to Swagger.  The twist that he’s swapped Zeb for Heyman was unexpected and fantastic.  That’s how you bring down the house of a crowd of marks, “I’m a Paul Heyman guy!”  Now there’s no question that he’ll get a run at the top tier in the next few months.
   
   
   
   
10. Big E (16) – This boy can wrestle.  Clearly the most impressive wrestler between the Big E / Sheamus / Cena trio.  Big E was the only fan favorite from the face triad.  Bray vs Big E had a good run in the middle of the match.  IF you could pull Bray away from the Cena Feud and take Big E out of the IC belt contingent then I’d love to see the two of them go on a run but neither seems likely to happen.  Rumor was for a possible IC / US title unification but that too seems unlikely with Ambrose and the rest of The Shield busy doing their own thing.  I’ll still keep my fingers crossed for a Big E vs Ziggler feud.  
11. The Usos (6) – Regardless of how the Usos retained their tag straps, to see them square off against two top tier opponents in RKO and Batista was pretty exciting.  I could have seen this going very poorly for the Usos.  They’ve had a nice month long run and it would be an interesting dynamic for RKO and Batista to be tag champs but luckily the Usos prevailed or should I say, retained.  The question still remains for them, who’s next?  If you’re not going to break up the Rhodes brothers, throw those two teams together.
12. #BadNewsBarrett (N/A) – Finally!  It’s about time.  After what seems like a year long absence, Barrett is back.  You forget he had the potential of being the next big thing.  He looks great and he was lucky to have a hot / favorable crowd for his new “Bad News” gimmick AND a willing rag doll in Mysterio to throw around (and who can only put on a quick three minute match).  
    
13. AJ Lee w/ Tamina (19) – It’s about time she gets back on the mic.  AJ’s better then 75% of any of the other Superstars, male or female.  She came off an amazing win at WM.  If not for Undertaker and Bray loosing, AJ’s win might have been the shock of the night.  Then she came out and killed it on RAW… until it was time to start introducing this years NXT arrivals.  I’m all for a stronger Divas (and mens) division.  I’ve caught a few of the NXT matches on the Network and the young talent is really good.  But did they have to have AJ drop the title on night one?  Is this the beginning of the burying of AJ Lee??  
    
14. Paige (N/A) – Look what we’ve found here… New Divas champion  Pasty white goth female wrestler from England?  I think we found, friend of the show, Ethan’s new girlfriend.  She better bring more than a botched finisher otherwise that belt will be on someone else real quick, or instead of the “paige turner” we’ll be turning the paige on her… (see, I can be a WWE writer too)
    
15. Rob Van Dam (N/A) – I’ll never be mad at an RVD sighting.  For his first match back, RVD looked good.  Needs a few more matches to work off those Girl Scout cookies but other than that, RVD is back.  The world is a better place.
16. Alexander Rusev w/ Lana (N/A) – I’m all for Rusev winning as long at it keeps Lana coming out to the ring.  I’m sure I could have my very own Lana if I just find the right Russian mail order bride catalog.  Until my eastern european bride comes in the mail, I’ll make due with Lana.  Oh yeah, Rusev is a beast too but who cares, let’s get back to Lana.
    
17. Rey Mysterio (29) – At this point, I watch Mysterio matches the same way I play a Street Figher game.  I imagine there’s a health meter in the upper corner and when it runs out, that’s when the match is over.  He can still move, it’s just that the meter is depleted faster and faster.
    
18. SAN-TIN-OOOOO and Emma (N/A) – Yes, I’m favoring Santino over the likes of Swagger and Kane.  Again, this is my list and as long as Santino shows up on RAW, he’s on this list.  Santino is a GOD with a magnificent beard to match.  Emma is really getting a chance to show off her skills.  My question is the same as JBL, Lawler and Cole’s “what’s the deal with Emma and Santino?  How far does the WWE take this with an improving Divas division?
19. Fandango and Summer Rae (23&22) – One year after his introduction at last year’s WM, he’s in full peacock mode (which is where you need to take the character if you’re going to keep this gimmick).  Out of nowhere, Summer Rae has shown some quality in-ring talent.  Oddly, Summer Rae has a higher ceiling at the moment.  Summer is on Total Divas and has a bevy of opponents that she could jump into a feud with.  What’s Fandango doing?  Who’s looking to fight him?  Based on Fandango’s new ring attire, are we sure that we don’t have a Black Swan situation brewing?  Luckily we have cameras on Summer Rae for the Total Divas show but what happens when the lights are turned off??? Run Summer, Run!
    
20. Sheamus (31) – Stuck in limbo.  The fans boo him.  The WWE wants him to be a face.  He doesn’t have an opponent now that it seems that Christian is injured.  He’s fighting with Big E when he should be fighting against him.  He’s on our long list of guys who we’ll have to see what the new WWE season has in store for him.

Honorable Mentions

Kane – Couldn’t crack the top 20 but was 21st runner-up (aka Hogan math).  He didn’t really do anything but he was key to getting all the parties together at the end.  His match with the New Age Outlaws vs The Shield at WM30 was forgettable.  Sorry Kane, you were this close.  It was a busy week.  

Swagger w/ Zeb – Swagger smashed the Andre the Giant trophy like it was the Spanish Announce table.  Bullshit count-out.  This is why Cesaro is trending up and Swagger is a penny-stock.  Buy shares of Cesaro stock now before they are overpriced.  

Damien Sandow ( ) – Finally Sandow gets a real opponent that he can put a good match on with.  I’ll rely on Fred “The Oracle’s” assessment that it’s better to be on screen than hidden.  If you’re on screen, you’re always one match away from relevancy.  Who would you have rather been last night, Sandow or Kofi? 

Zack Ryder – Hey, a Broski sighting.  Good work sneaking on a top RAW show.  His prize?  To job to Rusev but at least we know Ryder is still alive.  I’m trying to be positive this year.

Bo-lieve – Bo Dallas.  I’ve seen his work on NXT.  He deserves at your attention for at least a match or two.  

Adam Rose – The parade of new cast members continues.  They’re passing on Sami Zayn for this guy?  The exotic express?  Why do I have a feeling this is going to be the first gay wrestler gimmick or at least bi?  Those “girlfriends” aren’t fooling me buddy.  I’ve been tricked one to many times with an invite to a windowless party bus, I will not be fooled again.

Ultimate Warrior – You should check out the full Hall of Fame show if you have the time or need help falling asleep.  If you want to learn how Lita traveled by bus across Mexico with just a handful of pesos or how she magically made her way up to a wrestler’s hotel room just because she was a big fan or listen to the oral history of Mr. T’s mother or see Linda McMahon try with all her powers to squeeze something nice out about Warrior, check out the HoF show.  It’s an interesting train wreck.  More entertaining was having Warrior come out to the ring.  I know he’s 100 years old but wouldn’t it have been more funny to see him riding a supercharged rascal down to the ring at top speed.  Warrior matches were shorter than it took him to enter the ring.  All was saved once Warrior put on the Warrior mask and got into character.  That’s when the magic happened!  It was amazing to see how a man transforms from slightly crazed old man to becoming the Warrior.  You just can’t get it out of their blood and these old wrestlers can flip a switch and turn on the old gimmick.

Hulk Hogan – What the hell was he talking about with 30 became 31?  At least he’s able to laugh at himself and poke fun about how he screwed up the area the night before.  Keep cashing those old man checks from Vince.

Side Note(s)

They couldn’t put Shield vs Wyatts on RAW or WM?  Shield was barely on RAW.  I know it was a packed show but The Shield are three of your top guys.  I guess if you want to hear complaining about not being used, ask the Rhodes brothers.  Putting a Shield / Wyatt match on the Network is one way to get people to check out Main Event online.  At this point, all you have to do is say Shield vs Wyatts and you’ll have people checking it out.

Fan of the night has to go to these girls.  Especially the one with glasses that looks like she’s been dragged to a week of WWE events and is ready to get the fuck home.

Until next time…