WWE News: Reviews, Analysis and Rumors for Week of April 22
With Extreme Rules set to commence on Sunday, the past week in WWE has been spent building toward the first pay-per-view since WrestleMania. With that said, though, many of the headlines have been with regards to behind-the-scenes happenings such as suspensions and releases.
In one of the more shocking pieces of news in quite some time, a high-profile superstar was suspended for 60 days for a wellness policy violation and is just one strike away from being fired. Also, a well-known developmental wrestler in FCW was released from his contract as well.
On top of that, there were more developments in the feud between John Cena and Brock Lesnar ahead of their Extreme Rules match on Sunday. There has been a lot of talk about their contract signing on RAW with differing opinions on its effectiveness and entertainment value.
If nothing else, the past week has proven that there hasn't been much of a hangover in the wake of WrestleMania. The WWE is still going strong with intriguing storylines, and Extreme Rules should be a true treat to watch.
Here is all the news that's fit to print from the WWE for the week beginning on April 22.
Rey Mysterio Suspended 60 Days for Violating Wellness Policy
1 of 5Rey Mysterio had been working his way back from a knee injury with a target return date of May, but that will most definitely be prolonged as he was suspended for 60 days by the WWE for violating the company's wellness policy, according to WWE.com
This is Mysterio's second violation, as he was previously punished in 2009. Because of WWE's three-strikes-and-you're-out rule, Mysterio would be fired if a third offense occurred. It is not yet known whether Mysterio's suspension is due to the use of performance-enhancing or recreational drugs, but it certainly sets him back.
My Take
I've never been a huge supporter of Mysterio, but there is no question that this is a major blow to the WWE. Mysterio is getting up there in age and has lost a few steps; however, there are few guys in the company who consistently put on as many quality matches as him.
On top of that, he can still be a big draw and is among the most popular superstars today. His return could have done a lot to revitalize the mid-card and he would have made for an intriguing rival for someone like Daniel Bryan. Unfortunately, Mysterio won't be back until at least late June.
Mysterio isn't a guy who the WWE wants to get rid of because he still sells huge amounts of merchandise, but you have to give the company credit for sticking to its guns even though Mysterio is a top guy. Hopefully, this is the wake-up call Mysterio needed.
Read More:
Contract Signing for John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar Match Disappoints
2 of 5As advertised, Brock Lesnar and John Cena took part in a contract signing for their match at Extreme Rules on the go-home edition of RAW. The signing was supposed to take part early in the night, but Lesnar wasn't yet in the building. Because of that, it ended up being the final segment of the night.
Lesnar called out Cena, but when he didn't show up immediately, Lesnar negotiated new terms for his contract with John Laurinaitis before signing on for the match. Cena eventually came to the ring with a padlock wrapped around his fist and was berated by Lesnar before signing his contract. The signing ended with Lesnar leaving the ring after being challenged by Cena.
My Take
Contract signings are pretty terrible in wrestling, by and large, but this may have been the worst I have ever seen. It's no secret that Lesnar has never been a maven on the microphone, but his performance was absolutely awful as he continually stumbled over his words, repeated himself and painfully prolonged the segment.
Things didn't get any better when Cena came out, though, as wrapping the padlock around his fist made him look like a scared fool. Even though I'm not particularly a fan of Lesnar and certainly don't like Cena, I'm still looking forward to their match despite the poor segment on RAW.
What this shows me, though, is that Lesnar is in desperate need of Paul Heyman to return as his manager and mouthpiece. When you limit Lesnar's exposure on the mic to short spurts he is fine, but having him talk for an extended period forced him outside his comfort zone.
Read More:
Tough Enough Winner Andy Leavine Released by WWE
3 of 5There have been mixed results when it comes to the winners of WWE's reality series Tough Enough, but it seems as though another contestant can be chalked up as a failure, as Andy Leavine was released from his contract, according to Justin LaBar of WrestleZone.com.
Leavine won the most recent season of Tough Enough, but he was let go due to a lack of progress in the ring, according to LaBar. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was the host of the show and he, along with Booker T, Trish Stratus and Bill DeMott, chose Leavine as the winner over Luke Robinson in June.
My Take
I never like to see somebody lose their job and livelihood, but I can honestly say that I'm not surprised by Leavine's release and I don't believe the WWE has lost anything by cutting him. As somebody who watched the entire season of Tough Enough, it was painfully obvious to me that Luke and Martin were the cream of the crop from the start.
An injury forced Martin from the competition, so Luke was the clear choice. Andy was just kind of there throughout the show and didn't do anything particularly impressive. He had good size but was average in the ring and totally lacked any type of charisma or mic skills. That didn't stop Austin and the other trainers from naming him the winner, though.
I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories, but Leavine had a previous developmental contract with WWE before the show, so I have to believe that the trainers were told to favor him. Aside from that, I have no explanation for why he was picked over Luke.
Read More:
Was Beth Phoenix's Ankle Injury Legitimate or a Work?
4 of 5Beth Phoenix defended her Divas Championship against Nikki Bella on RAW and was just days away from becoming the longest-reigning champion in the title's history. With that as well as the Bella Twins' rumored contract expiration in mind, it came as a big surprise when Nikki beat Beth for the belt.
Phoenix fell off the apron awkwardly during the match and looked like she may have tweaked her ankle. She was then thrown back into the ring by "lumberjills" and pinned by Nikki. According to WrerstlingInc.com, the injury was an angle that was sold well by Beth.
My Take
When the "injury" first occurred, I thought that Beth might have been legitimately hurt based on the way she fell, but as soon as she was thrown back into the ring and pinned, I was confident it was a ruse. The referee never made an "X" symbol with his arms to signify a quick end to the match due to injury, so that was one clue.
Also, it's clear that Beth faked the injury so she wouldn't look weak in defeat. Everything seems to be pointing toward Kharma returning to action. The Bellas' contracts are apparently about to expire, so giving Nikki the title seemed silly. The Bellas harassed Kharma before she went on maternity leave, though, so it makes sense for Kharma to return at Extreme Rules or the night after to squash them.
The ideal feud for Kharma would be with Beth, and putting the title on Kharma would then give Beth license to challenge her. Everything came together quite conveniently in this situation and the injury angle was a good way to transfer the title so Kharma doesn't have to beat Beth to win it.
Read More:
The Miz to Challenge Santino for US Title in Extreme Rules YouTube Match
5 of 5The Miz hasn't been utilized at all since scoring the winning pinfall for Team Johnny at WrestleMania, as he wasn't on RAW for the past two weeks. It was announced that the Awesome One would challenge Santino Marella for the United States Championship at Extreme Rules, though, in a pre-show dark match on YouTube.
This could serve as a way to get The Miz back on track by giving him the title, or he could lose, which would then lead to some other avenues.
My Take
This match has a lot of potential. Not only should the match itself be good, but the result can really help to shape The Miz's future. He has obviously been stuck in a rut since losing the WWE Championship, so some will want to see him beat Santino to re-establish credibility, but I believe a loss would be better.
If Miz were to win the United States Championship, it would just keep him in the mid-card and wouldn't elevate him at all. A loss could, though, as it might make The Miz snap and go after somebody like John Cena or CM Punk the next night.
Also, as a side note, I'm a big fan of what the WWE is doing with YouTube. There was a dark match on YouTube prior to WrestleMania and it appears as though it will now be a regular thing. Anything the WWE can do to spread its reach is a good thing at this point.
Read More:
WWE Extreme Rules 2012: Why The Miz Must Lose US Championship Match to Santino
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
