WWE News: Reviews, Analysis and Rumors for Week of June 10
With No Way Out set to go off on Sunday, this was a pivotal week for the WWE as it attempted to round out the card and build anticipation for what is considered a throwaway pay-per-view by most. Even so, the creative team did a nice job, as it produced a solid, three-hour edition of RAW to get the fans excited for the event.
The big draw was the return of Vince McMahon, as he showed up to give a job evaluation to general manager John Laurinaitis. Vince teased firing Laurinaitis and just as he was about to, Big Show came to the ring and stopped it. That resulted in a melee in which Show accidentally knocked out McMahon while trying to hit John Cena.
In the end, it was determined that Laurinaitis would be fired if Cena were to beat Big Show on Sunday. In addition to that, a new No. 1 contender was named for the World Heavyweight Championship, as Alberto Del Rio will be unable to compete at No Way Out due to a concussion. Also, a former WWE superstar made a shocking one-night-only return to the squared circle.
When you add to that all of the usual rumblings and rumors, there is no question that it has been a very busy week in the WWE. Here is my analysis on all the latest happenings and speculation regarding the company for the week beginning on June 10.
Dolph Ziggler Becomes No. 1 Contender, Will Face Sheamus at No Way out
1 of 5Alberto Del Rio was prepared to take on Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but due to a significant concussion, he wasn't cleared medically to take part in the match. Because of that, a Fatal 4-Way match between Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Christian and Great Khali was set up on RAW to determine a new No. 1 contender.
Not surprisingly, Ziggler came out on top, as he eliminated both Swagger and Christian from the match. A push of Ziggler has been teased in recent weeks and Del Rio's injury seems to have sped up the process. Now Ziggler will have the opportunity to become a World Heavyweight Champion for the second time in his career.
My Take
Even as a fan of Del Rio when most people aren't, I'm very excited by this development. Del Rio is already a two-time WWE Champion, and while I don't consider his title reigns to be a major flop like most, he has already had his chance.
Ziggler is a guy who has been showing up every night and putting on incredible matches on a regular basis, so he deserves an opportunity to prove that he can compete with the big boys.
Ziggler's world title reign lasted only 11 minutes, so I don't really even consider him a former champion. There is no doubt in my mind that he will win the title at some point, though. I don't expect him to come through against Sheamus, but hopefully the loss pushes him over the edge and forces him to get rid of Vickie Guerrero. Vickie has done a good job garnering heat, but it is time for "The Show Off" to take flight on his own and establish himself as a main-eventer.
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John Laurinaitis' Fate to Be Decided at No Way Out
2 of 5Vince McMahon made his triumphant return to WWE television on Monday, but the show was truly about advancing the storyline involving John Cena, Big Show and John Laurinaitis. Big Johnny escaped getting fired for about the 10th time during his tenure, as Big Show interrupted just before Vince was about to say his famous catchphrase, "You're fired!"
McMahon had a change of heart and decided that if Big Show loses to Cena in a Steel Cage match on Sunday, then Laurinaitis will officially be fired. Yet another wrinkle was added on SmackDown when Cena punched Laurinaitis in the face. That caused Laurinaitis to say that he would fire Cena if he loses to the Big Show. So one way or another, somebody is going to get fired.
My Take
Initially, I thought that the firing Laurinaitis stipulation made it blatantly obvious that Big Show would win, but adding in that Cena would be fired if he lost made things a lot more interesting.
Of course, Cena has been fired and rehired about a billion times from a storyline sense, so I could easily see him losing and coming back right away. At the same time, though, Laurinaitis could get fired after a Cena victory and weasel his way back in somehow.
I have been convinced that Big Show would win throughout this whole process, but at least there is a little bit of doubt now. The most interesting scenario would be Vince working with Laurinaitis to screw over Cena on Sunday. It could be revealed that McMahon was the puppet master behind Laurinaitis all along and that he was working behind the scenes to get rid of Cena. That could lead to a full-time return for Vince and a new rivalry between Cena and the boss.
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Vince McMahon Receives Backlash for Impersonation of Jim Ross
3 of 5Taking shots at legendary WWE announcer Jim Ross on air is nothing new, but many believe that Vince McMahon went too far on Monday. McMahon put on a cowboy hat and distorted his face, which was a clear jab at the Bell's palsy that can cause temporary paralysis of Ross' face. He then proceeded to speak with an over-the-top Southern accent.
This came a week after Hornswoggle dressed up like Ross and came to the ring on SmackDown. Many wrestling fans get offended when the WWE takes shots at Ross because he is considered by most to be the best wrestling announcer of all time. The question is whether Vince's impression had malicious intent or if it was all in good fun.
My Take
I understand why some people get bent out of shape when JR is made fun of because I consider him to be an absolute legend in the business, but I believe that the outrage is a bit unnecessary. People like to bring up the WWE's "Be a Star" anti-bullying campaign as a reason for why they shouldn't make fun of Ross, but the two have nothing to do with each other. The WWE is a television show that isn't comparable to real-life bullying, so that shouldn't even be an issue.
Nobody is really sure how Ross truly feels about the jokes that are made at his expense, but the way I look at it is if he's willing to continue making guest appearances and to sell his barbecue sauce on WWE's website, then he can't be too broken up about it.
Ross continues to profit off of the WWE and if he had a real problem with Vince and others who poke fun at him, I have to believe that he would end his relationship with the company.
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Vader Returns to WWE Programming on RAW
4 of 5In what was probably the biggest surprise of the night, former WWE and WCW star Vader returned to the ring on RAW, as he defeated Heath Slater in an entertaining squash match. It was announced that a former WWE superstar would return to action on RAW every week leading up to the show's historic 1,000th episode on July 23.
I wouldn't say that Vader looked to be in great shape, but he moved around very well in the ring and reminded fans of the Vader of old. Although he entered the WWE with a bang in 1996, his run with the company was largely considered to be a disappointment, as he degenerated into a glorified jobber when he continued to pack on the pounds. Perhaps his latest return will allow him to depart WWE on better terms, though.
My Take
As somebody who started watching wrestling in 1995 and has a great appreciation for the business stretching back to the 1980s, I always love to see past superstars return in some capacity. When I was a youngster, Vader was one of the main antagonists against my favorite wrestler, Shawn Michaels. I didn't like Vader at the time, but I appreciated his fantastic skill and athleticism and over time, I came to know him as one of the best big men the business has ever seen.
Vader's return was great because the crowd was red hot for him and he got an incredible reaction. One of my favorite parts of the Royal Rumble is when a blast from the past makes a surprise appearance, so I know I'm going to love the weekly-return segment leading up to the 1,000th RAW.
At the same time, though, I wouldn't bring back Vader on a full-time basis, as many have suggested. He is in his 50s and couldn't handle that type of schedule, but I would have no issue with the company bringing him in once in a while like Sgt. Slaughter, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and others.
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Sting Says He Was Close to WWE Deal, Would Have Faced Undertaker
5 of 5Despite the fact that he has been one of the biggest names in the wrestling business over the past couple decades, Sting has yet to set foot in a WWE ring. There have been plenty of rumors in the past regarding Sting joining the company, but nothing has ever come to fruition. According to Nick Paglino of WrestleZone.com, though, Sting said that he came to close to signing with WWE and still wants to face The Undertaker.
Sting is certainly an all-time great, but if he never joins the WWE, then there will always be a stigma that prevents him from being considered for the title of the best ever. Sting may not have much time left in the business, so if he is ever going to get involved with the WWE, he has to make a move soon.
My Take
I have never been a huge Sting fan, and while I wouldn't hate seeing him in the WWE, it isn't something that I'm desperate for, either. A match at WrestleMania between Undertaker and Sting would garner a ton of interest, but I'm not sure it's really a dream match like people tend to say it is.
They both wear black and have darker characters, but aside from that, they aren't really similar at all. Because of that, I view of this as more of a pipe dream.
Also, if Sting is going to come to WWE, he has to work more than one program. I have a hard time believing that he would join the company only to put Taker over at WrestleMania in his one and only match.
On top of that, if Sting really wanted to work with Undertaker, he would have signed with the WWE years ago. He is only a shell of his former self at this point and although he and Taker could probably put on a good match on the big stage, I'm not all that interested.
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