Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: WWE's Crowded Calendar Hurts Storytelling

1. WWE Offers a Feast of Events, Scarce Amounts of Buildup

In what appears to be an attempt to answer the question, "How much of a good thing is too much?," WWE is cramming as many big shows as it can into its schedule. 

The company announced on its official website that the Elimination Chamber event is returning. It's set to arrive on May 31, just two weeks after Payback. Another two weeks after that, Money in the Bank hits screens. Good luck trying to generate any decent hype in between. 

The strategy is designed to up the number of WWE Network subscribers, giving fans as many reasons as possible to get hooked on the network.

Business-wise, that may be the right answer. From a storytelling perspective, though, it makes it nearly impossible to succeed.

Take a look at the lack of electricity surrounding Payback. WWE has had minimal time to develop the narratives involved in the pay-per-view, and it shows. The event is set to feature a number of bouts with little to no story.

The New Day's rivalry with Cesaro and Tyson Kidd offers very little in terms of subplots. The former champs want to reclaim their titles. That's as far as the story goes. 

There are have been too few opportunities to escalate the intensity between these squads or to add new narrative elements.

Neville is set to face Bad News Barrett after colliding with him at both Extreme Rules and in the King of the Ring finals. What's the story of this third match? Where's the hype?

Don't brush it off by saying that it's just a midcard match. Fans have seen plenty of great buildup lower on the card. There's just been such a small space to work with that WWE has struggled to make this feel significant at all.

The same is true for the main event.

Should Seth Rollins survive the Fatal 4-Way this Sunday, WWE has to turn around and start building toward his opponent at Elimination Chamber, followed by another two-week build for his title match at Money in the Bank.

Credit: WWE.com

The Rock and John Cena's yearlong build, this is not.

WWE's overloaded schedule puts big pressure on its writers to churn things out quickly. It leaves little room for anticipation. Vince McMahon, though, will likely tell you it's how to make money. 

The glut of programming will still be fun, but it won't be high-quality storytelling. There's just no time for that.

2. Record in the Chamber 

Chances are, whoever steps inside the Elimination Chamber at the end of May will be in search of his first victory inside that structure. Few Superstars have done well in Satan's Prison.

The wrestlers can rest easy knowing that John Cena, a three-time Elimination Chamber winner, is not likely to compete this time around. He has the best win-loss record in that bout among active wrestlers:

• John Cena (3-2)
• Jack Swagger (1-0)
• Daniel Bryan (1-2)
• Randy Orton (1-5)
• Bad News Barrett (0-2)
• Kofi Kingston (0-2)
• R-Truth (0-3)
• Sheamus (0-3)
• Big Show (0-4)
• Kane (0-5)

The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry and Cesaro all have entered just one of these bouts and lost in those single opportunities. 

WWE will decide the vacant Intercontinental Championship via the Elimination Chamber. Unless Cena gets thrown into that mix, history doesn't favor any of the potential challengers.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Daniel Bryan

With Bryan's future so murky—he stung his fanbase on Monday's Raw with the words, "They [doctors] said I might not be able to ever wrestle again"—it's hard to not start thinking about what he's done in the past.

If he is indeed done wrestling, he will leave no shortage of classic matches behind. Many of those came against Nigel McGuinness when the two grapplers both worked for Ring of Honor.

Their chemistry was always electric. Their matches were always top-notch. This clash from 2008 was no exception:

One wonders what McGuinness' career might have looked like had injuries not slowed him down so much. Bryan's career is beginning to feature a similar narrative. 

4. One Promotion's Castoffs...

WWE didn't want them. TNA offered them a chance to revive their careers.

Eli Drake once worked as Shaun Ricker in WWE's developmental system. Mica earned little traction at either WWE or NXT as Camacho. Drew Galloway, known as Drew McIntyre with WWE, found himself in a comedy trio at the bottom of the card.

Things have since shifted for the better, and as The Rising, this group is catching fire at TNA.

As the leader of this outfit, Galloway has stood out the most. He's shown more charisma than he ever did at WWE. He's looked good in several outings against Low Ki.

How much of that is passion born from rejection, and how much of that is a result of increased opportunity? 

It doesn't matter. The result is that Galloway is thriving, and his newest position beats the hell out of being in 3MB. 

5. TakeOver in Trouble

NXT bookers are going to have to do some scrambling. With the next live special just a week away, two key stars are hurting.

Both Hideo Itami and Sami Zayn may not be able to compete at the show. 

Credit: WWE.com

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports, "The belief among WWE sources we have heard from is that Sami Zayn suffered some sort of rotator cuff injury." And according to PWInsider, Itami could be out as long as eight months with a shoulder injury.

Itami is supposed to face Tyler Breeze and Finn Balor in a Triple Threat match to determine the No. 1 contender to the NXT title. Zayn is set for a showdown in the main event against NXT champ Kevin Owens.

The injuries look as if they will force officials to make major changes. Of course, that's good news for prospects waiting in the wings. NXT will need someone else to step up, which spells a major opportunity for whoever gets their name called.

6. If Only There Was a Cruiserweight Division

Among the many audition videos for Tough Enough floating around, John Silver's is among the most entertaining. He will most certainly have WWE's attention with this funny clip:

The trouble is, he's just 5'7''. So despite competing for companies like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Combat Zone Wrestling and EVOLVE, having a good build and an excellent sense of comic timing, it's going to be an uphill climb for Silver to make it to WWE.

Too bad that the division that once hosted men like Jamie Noble and Funaki isn't around anymore. 

7. Vacated Titles

Bryan joins a star-studded club after vacating the Intercontinental Championship. It's a title that once saw champs get hurt three years in a row:

Wrestler	Date Vacated	Length of Reign (in days)	Injury
Ahmed Johnson	Aug. 12, 1996	50	Kidney
Steve Austin	Sept. 8, 1997	36	Broken neck
Triple H	Oct. 9, 1998	40	Knee
Edge	Sept. 6, 2004	57	Neck
Bad News Barrett	June 30, 2014	57	Separated shoulder
Daniel Bryan	May 11, 2015	43	Unspecified

WWE must have felt like the championship was cursed by the time Triple H went down. The company will be having similar thoughts if an IC titleholder heads to the disabled list in 2016 as well. 

8. When the Brothers Battled Together

Erick Rowan and Luke Harper have become allies once again. That's excellent news for each man, as WWE didn't seem sure how to book either of them as solo acts. They now get to tear into a tag team division in need of added talent.

Their history has shown that they produce excellent results as a pair. Refresh your memory of what Rowan and Harper are capable of with these bouts:

• Rowan and Harper vs. CM Punk and Daniel Bryan—Survivor Series 2013
• The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield—Raw, March 3, 2014
• The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield—Main Event, April 8, 2014
• Rowan and Harper vs. The Usos—Money in the Bank 2014
• Rowan and Harper vs. The Usos—Battleground 2014 (2-out-of-3 Falls)

They had fantastic chemistry with The Usos. Each time it looked like they had reached the pinnacle of that feud, the two squads topped each other.  

That's an option WWE should turn to again once Jimmy Uso's shoulder heals.

9. Eventually an Upset

The John Cena open challenge for the United States Championship has to result in his losing the title. There's a chance there to create a massive, memorable moment and have some emerging star shoot up the ranks.

It's been entertaining to see the likes of Sami Zayn and Neville push him to the limits. Someone has to topple him at some point, though.

Credit: WWE.com

Fans are now conditioned to expect the challenger to do well but ultimately fail. WWE should push back against that expectation and elevate someone in the process.

Few victories are as powerful as a clean one over Cena.

Want to make use of the popularity Damien Sandow gained as The Miz's stunt double? Looking to find a way to capitalize on the buzz ESPN's WWE: Behind the Curtain special created around Adam Rose? Let one of those men take down Cena. 

10. Wrong About Rusev

Rusev apparently had his backstage critics before he debuted on the main roster. In a new blog post, former WWE writer Kevin Eck reflected on how he and the creative team handled Rusev's rise. Some of the writers didn't think the powerhouse could be anything more than comic relief.

He didn't see Rusev as top-monster-heel material. Triple H did. Score one for The Game here; Rusev has been a valuable addition to the team. 

Eck recognizes that Rusev outdid what he projected for him. He writes on his blog, "Rusev was everything that Triple H thought he would be."

All match statistics from CageMatch.net.