WWE News: Reviews, Analysis and Rumors for Week of April 15
Although Brock Lesnar didn't make a live appearance this week with the WWE doing shows overseas, that didn't stop the company's recent momentum in the least. The past week has been a wild and entertaining one and it kicked off with what you might call one of the more surprising upsets in recent memory on RAW.
John Cena's recent cold streak continued and it will be very interesting to see how things play out as he heads into his match at Extreme Rules with Lesnar in a week. The rest of the Extreme Rules card has taken shape as well and it appears as though the event should be a good one with several intriguing WrestleMania rematches.
On top of the hype surrounding Extreme Rules, there have been old stars teasing returns, new stars debuting and all kinds of other buzz as well. There was some concern that there would be a major lull following WrestleMania as there so often is, but thanks to the return of Lesnar and so many other things, the WWE is in a great spot right now.
Here are all the biggest news pieces and rumors that have been emanating from the WWE over the past week.
Lord Tensai Shocks WWE Universe with Win over John Cena
1 of 5When promos began airing for new superstar Lord Tensai more than a month ago, he became the most talked about thing in wrestling. Expectations were tempered when it was revealed that he would be played by Albert, and many were unimpressed by his debut squash matches. Just three weeks into his tenure, however, Tensai has a win to his credit that most wrestlers can only dream of.
Tensai defeated John Cena in an Extreme Rules match on RAW as he spit green mist in Cena's eyes to score the win. Tensai got help from his manager, Sakamoto, as well as David Otunga, but any win over Cena is a good one. It's obvious that there are big plans for Tensai and it will be interesting to see what his next move is.
My Take
Many WWE fans were getting impatient with Lord Tensai after his methodical squashes of Alex Riley and Yoshi Tatsu, but his win over Cena gives people a reason to care. I personally didn't have an issue with the squash matches since it's a bit of a lost art in wrestling today in terms of getting new guys over, but I'm quite happy that he already has a legitimate win to build off of.
I don't take any issue with Tensai needing help to beat Cena either. Cena has been the top guy in the company for nearly a decade, so the manner in which somebody beats him really doesn't matter. It was an Extreme Rules match so Sakamoto and Otunga interfering was as legal as a wrist lock. There will still be some that say Tensai can't get over because of his past as Albert, but as long as he continues to look strong, he'll be able to put that in the past and carve out a new niche for himself.
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"Stone Cold" Steve Austin Continues to Tease a Possible WWE Return
2 of 5Ever since his appearances on WWE television last year and his little run-in with CM Punk, there have been rumblings that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin could wrestle one more match. Austin certainly hasn't put those rumors to rest in any way either as he has continually said that he could still wrestle and that he wouldn't rule out a return match.
That continued as he told Zoo Magazine in an interview that he wouldn't be against stepping back into a WWE ring if the right situation presented itself.
""…If the right situation, the right opponent and the right circumstances came up for the WWE, then it would certainly be something worth considering. Could I have another match or two? Yeah. Physically I am in really good shape right now. People seem to think I am half-dead!"
"
My Take
From the very moment Austin and Punk stood face to face on RAW last year I concluded that they had to have a match at some point. The two gimmicks are simply made to feud against one another as they are both anti-heroes, but one of them is a swashbuckling drunkard while the other is a straight-edge savior. When Austin talks about the "right situation," I have to believe that a match with Punk at WrestleMania is what he's alluding to.
Austin does his own stunts in his action movies and that can't be easy, so you know that he's still in good physical condition. Austin has said that his neck is well enough to work another match or two, so I don't see anything stopping the WWE from throwing a ton of money at him. There may be some question about whether or not Punk can headline a WrestleMania, but if you put him against Austin, people will eat it up.
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Antonio Cesaro Makes WWE Debut on SmackDown
3 of 5Although it may have seemed like somewhat of an unimportant happening on SmackDown, Antonio Cesaro made his on-screen debut in a backstage segment. Cesaro showed up with Aksana hanging all over him, but Teddy Long couldn't do anything about it since John Laurinaitis forced him to act as a Queen's Guard who couldn't talk or move.
Cesaro entered Laurinaitis' office presumably to discuss a contract, so he may very well be making his in-ring debut sometime soon. Cesaro is one of four top-flight, former independent stars currently in FCW and it appears as though he will be the first one to get his shot at the big time.
My Take
This is certainly an exciting time in WWE as new talent is often introduced in the weeks following WrestleMania. I don't pretend to be a big fan of the independent scene, but I'm always behind new talent getting a chance to shine, and from what I've seen of Cesaro in the ring and on the mic, he should be a fantastic asset on the main roster.
I can't help but think that Cesaro's debut is a gateway to more, though. Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Kassius Ohno are the other three developmental talents with indy roots that appear to be on the verge of debuting as well, and this may open the door for them. It would be tough to introduce four new stars individually and place them all in relevant storylines, so I have to believe that John Laurinaitis will lead them in a stable which will be labeled as the future of the company. This opens tons of possibilities and will really help all four of them get over immediately.
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CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho Chicago Street Fight Set for Extreme Rules
4 of 5After losing to CM Punk in a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania, Chris Jericho didn't give up in his pursuit of Punk's title. The very next night he attacked Punk and poured whiskey all over him and has subsequently tried to force Punk to spurn his straight-edge beliefs. The feud has turned quite personal and it may be settled at Extreme Rules in a Chicago Street Fight.
Jericho announced the match type on RAW much to the delight of Punk. Jericho showed some video footage of Punk entering a pub in London to further his claim that Punk was becoming a drunk. This has been one of the more interesting and personal feuds in recent memory and how things play out at Extreme Rules is anyone's guess.
My Take
I'm extremely happy that Punk and Jericho are continuing their feud since they are two of the best in the business in the ring and on the mic, but I don't love the stipulation. I feel like it would have been far more effective had it been made an I Quit match. Jericho tapped out to the Anaconda Vice at WrestleMania after applying the Walls of Jericho several times, so they could have easily played off of that in their match at Extreme Rules.
I have to believe that the creative team decided against an I Quit match because Jericho is going to win. Heels typically don't win I Quit matches because having a face quit is thought to make them look weak. Seeing as Punk is now near or at the top of the company, there isn't any way he would be made to tap out. Even so, I believe the WWE could have worked Punk's family into the mix somehow by having them sit ringside and allowing Jericho to goad Punk into quitting by threatening his family in some way. That wouldn't have made Punk look weak and it would have made Jericho seem even more dastardly.
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WrestleMania XXVIII Officially Sets WWE PPV Buys Record
5 of 5When it was announced a year in advance that the main event of WrestleMania XXVIII would be John Cena vs. The Rock, it was obvious that interest would be through the roof. When CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho and The Undertaker vs. Triple H were added, though, there was some thought that it could be the biggest and best WrestleMania in years.
People will have differing thoughts about the card's quality, but it cannot be argued that it wasn't the most successful ever WrestleMania from a numbers standpoint. According to WWE.com, WrestleMania XXVIII broke the company record for pay-per-view buy rates as it generated an estimated $1.3 million buys. When you consider how many of those buys resulted in multiple people watching, it's tough to fathom precisely how many people across the world witnessed WrestleMania XXVIII.
My Take
The amount of pay-per-view buys may not really matter much from a fan's perspective, but I for one am happy to see that WrestleMania XXVIII was a success. Everyone always seems to be doom and gloom about the WWE's prospects because the ratings for RAW and SmackDown aren't what they once were, but I maintain that those numbers are inconsequential, and this just confirms that.
This isn't the Monday Night Wars, where WWE needs to score massive ratings to beat out WCW. The WWE's main competition right now is TNA and ROH and neither of them are anywhere close to being a threat. As long as the WWE continues to sell merchandise and generate this type of interest in big pay-per-views, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about. The WWE is an institution that is sure to be around for a very long time.
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