The Slammy Awards themselves, besides being largely pointless, made some unnecessary problems for WWE’s production and directing on Monday night. Presenters would come, announced the awards, and then before the winner could be revealed, opponents started coming down for various matches. Then we – and more importantly the folks live in attendance – would have to sit through a commercial break, then the announcement for the Slammy Award, and then finally get to a match they no longer cared about. It killed the momentm for almost every match of the night, which is ridiculous when you consider how hot Washington’s “12th Man” can be for live events.
There are a few positive things I wanted to point out about WWE’s product right now. There are three minor feuds running currently without the assistance of a championship in the picture; when was the last time that happened? What started as the slowest heel turn in pro wrestling history has resulted in a fun rivalry between The Miz and Kofi Kingston, that feels totally organic. Brodus Clay has also been separating himself from Tons of Funk, that has also helped put NXT star Xavier Woods on the map. And lastly, Sin Cara has been “reborn”, picking up huge wins over former world champion Alberto del Rio. This mini-feud is totally based around wins and losses, price and arrogance, and is a great way to get a star nobody cares about back into the mix. Sure, none of these three non-title programs are going to sell a PPV for you, or for me, but it’s nice to see more of the roster given material to work with.
Big E Langston’s Intercontinental Championship reign is off and running, as he will face Damien Sandow at TLC this Sunday. I fully expect to see Langston retain, and as I said last week in this editorial, I believe there’s money to be had in a WrestleMania feud with Dolph Ziggler. The champion was on commentary for both Raw and Smackdown, which I simply cannot support enough. Not only does it give Big E some time on the mic to grow and get comfortable with the sound of his own voice, but talking up the history of his own title belt makes it mean that much more.
I doubt anyone will disagree with me here, but Raw’s main event “ascension ceremony” was not only the highlight of the night, but one of the best moments in WWE programming this year. Before this segment, the major championship match at TLC wasn’t feeling particularly special. I would never have come up with the idea, but surrounding both belts with about two dozen former champions – including Hall of Famers like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels – was magical. The really cool thing to watch was how John Cena and Randy Orton dealt with the Washington crowd. Daniel Bryan’s hometown crowd would not relent, which at first frustrated me, because the title picture isn’t about Daniel Bryan. But Triple H perfectly and professionally quieted down the chants, getting back to business. Randy Orton then used their momentum to build a ton of heat, and Cena played up to the Bryan fans getting a lot of haters on his side. That’s on-the-fly promo work, and it was the best Cena and Orton have looked all year long.
One segment sold me on dropping $60 this Sunday for TLC. Now all WWE has to do is deliver a clear finish that makes sense. It almost seems too big to fail, but a lot of balls have been dropped leading up to this point. When I say “clear finish” I don’t necessarily think that has to mean either Cena or Orton walks out the champion, although that would be nice. I’ll give WWE some creative freedom to come up with something interesting and unique, if they go that route, but it’s all about leaving the customer satisfied after too many PPV events where some of us may have felt cheated.
One final thing that people have been asking me all week long: is there any chance that John Cena turns heel and aligns with The Authority at TLC? I would have given you an emphatic “no” until the closing moments of Smackdown. As Randy Orton questioned Triple H’s faith in him, again there was teased issues between the two. Orton accidentally taking out Stephanie during the Raw brawl certainly didn’t help any. But it’s what the Game said – “we know exactly where our faith lies” – that got me questioning the outcome of Sunday’s TLC match. It certainly feels like a big enough match, should WWE finally choose to pull that trigger. And doing so would certainly give them enough ammunition to book a truly special WrestleMania 30 main event. I’d say the odds are better than they have been, but I wouldn’t waste your money betting on your wish to come true. Like I’ve always said regarding the matter, if it happens it happens, and I’ll figure out what I think of it if/when that time comes.
