Random Ring Remarks: Kofi, HHH/Bret Hart, Royal Rumble, Cena a Heel?, & More

Welcome to the third installment of Random Ring Remarks.

The format is simple. You ask the questions. I give the answers.

The response so far has been phenomenal. In fact, it's been a bit overwhelming, and I may have to trim my answers a bit.

If you missed the first two installments, you can view those here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/449387-rrr-undertaker-divas-nxt-wwe-night-of-champions-miz-daniel-bryan-kaval.

And here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/447665-random-ring-remarks-wwe-pg-salaries-wrestlemania-rock-vs-cena-triple-h

As I've said, I'll answer anything that Bleacher Report will allow me to post, so don't be shy with your questions. 

You can ask those questions at http://www.formspring.me/BOestriecher or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/B_Oestriecher. The answers I provide on Twitter will obviously be much briefer.

Anyway, let's get started. Here is the third installment of Random Ring Remarks, where the readers provide the content.

I have a question about Kofi Kingston. He has just came off of a long and impressive IC Title reign, he's also developed a mean streak as of late.

Does this maybe mean bigger things for Kofi? When do you see Kingston winning the WWE/World Championship?

I might be totally wrong on this one, but I'm going to have faith in the WWE for once. I think the main reason they've had controversial endings to his Intercontinental matches with Dolph Ziggler lately is to keep him looking strong.

I'd expect Kofi to lose to Ziggler at Night of Champions, and put that feud behind him so he can be catapulted into the main event scene on Smackdown.

I don't need to tell you that Smackdown needs new main eventers, and I think Kofi is one of the most logical choices. He's over with the fans, his newfound intensity has been really refreshing for his character (as you've said), and he could be the next big African star in WWE if pushed right.

I actually read that WWE had plans to turn either Kofi or MVP heel. I personally think they both need it, but I'd be really interested in seeing a Kofi heel turn.

Have him drop the music, keep that intensity and start attacking some of the bigger babyfaces. That would be phenomenal.

As for when he'll win a World title, I answered a question earlier on this site where I predicted the Wrestlemania card. I had Kofi winning the Royal Rumble, and facing Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania (after Edge moves to Smackdown when it goes to SyFy).

If the WWE really wants to elevate new talent, Wrestlemania is the perfect stage to do it. Kofi Kingston defeating Edge (not to mention winning the Rumble) would skyrocket his career.

What about Triple H? Is he coming back and when?

Triple H will definitely return. Most reports say he'll be returning anywhere between October and December because he had surgery on a torn triceps a few months back.

Of course, the WWE could be playing us, much like they did when John Cena returned several months early at the Royal Rumble a couple years ago.

But I'll stick with those reports being accurate and say that Triple H will probably return for Survivor Series (or for the buildup before it) with Hell in a Cell being possible as well.

If he returns as a face, I think he'll either get involved in the Nexus feud or resume his feud with Sheamus. If he returns as a heel, I think he'll be revealed as the leader of Nexus. But that group could be done by then, so you never know.

Of course, the WWE could bring him back sooner if plans are to reveal him as the GM. There are so many options to bring him back.

But if I had to guess, I'd say he will make his in-ring return at Survivor Series (as a face) for a match with Sheamus.

Do you think John Morrison will get a World Title soon? You think he'll become the next Matt Hardy/Christian?

Right now, it looks like WWE has absolutely no clue what to do with John Morrison.

He hasn't done anything of note on Raw, and I honestly think there's only two ways to change that. Send him back to Smackdown or turn him heel.

Some people are just more natural in a certain role, and Morrison was born a heel. His face character is just too bland for him to be in the main event picture.

As you pointed out, it indeed looks like Morrison may be headed into the Matt Hardy/Christian direction right now. But he's only 30 years old, whereas Christian and Hardy are 36 and 35 I believe, so there's still hope for Morrison.

After all, someone like Jeff Hardy didn't win his first title until he was 31, and wrestlers tend to peak around that age.

However, I don't think Morrison in his current character will win a World Championship. He's not very good on the mic as a face, so a heel turn would do wonders for that aspect of his character.

The stuff he did with The Miz was the best mic work of his career. I think Vince McMahon and the creative team need to pull the trigger on a Morrison heel turn. His in-ring work is already very good, but if you turn him heel, he'd be a much better mic worker as well.

Why do you think Miz is getting pushed to the moon? Because of his mic work.

So Morrison needs to improve his speaking ability to be a main-event caliber talent (like Cena, Triple H, Jericho, Edge, CM Punk, etc.). The only way to do that is to turn him heel.

Why does randy orton act like such a B***h costing Kofi his main event push and making the miz seem like hes bad. He was a fresh face only a few years ago. What do you think of Orton doing this

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the question (although I doubt that's many people), Randy Orton is basically the only reason Kofi Kingston's main event push ended.

Orton told WWE management that Kofi "wasn't ready" after he screwed up a couple times in their matches.

Orton also complained to management about The Miz because Miz apparently made it too obvious that Orton was about to hit him with the RKO. Don't forget that Orton was also the reason Mr. Kennedy was fired from the WWE. 

Now that you have all the details, I'll offer my opinion on each situation. In the case with Mr. Kennedy, I can see Orton being upset that Kennedy almost injured him because several wrestlers have noted that Kennedy isn't careful in the ring.

I'd be upset too if someone dropped me nonchalantly on my surgically repaired shoulder, especially when it isn't the first time he did something like that.

There are enough ways to get injured in a wrestling ring without having your opponent working in an unsafe manner. I think Orton was justified in voicing his frustrations in that case.

As far as derailing Kofi's push, I remember watching those matches. Kofi definitely was not on his A-game in a couple of their matches, and he even screwed up the finish of a match that he and Orton had on Raw.

That was the infamous match where Orton yelled, "Stupid! F*****g Stupid!" before pinning Kofi. You can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-kxxFjiD6s.

In this situation though, I do have a problem. The way Orton acted was completely unprofessional.

He should be able to hide his frustrations a little better than that, and address Kofi backstage after the fact. I also don't agree that one miscue on Kofi's part means he isn't "ready."

Everybody screws up, Randy. Even you.

As for the situation with The Miz, Orton didn't like the way he telegraphed the RKO, but nothing ever came out of it. It still looks like Miz is being pushed to the moon, and he didn't lose his job like Kennedy did.

I don't have a problem with Orton talking to Miz about what he felt went wrong with the segment, as long as he doesn't act like he did with Kofi.

Orton is one of the most respected guys in the locker room, so people will listen. He doesn't have to make a scene to get his point across.

evan bourn has been a wrestler since age 17, that's 10 years he tapped out for the first time on the 900th episode do you think he is just used as a force to be reckoned with or do you see him in the u.s. and/or wwe championship route

Like many fans, I thought Evan Bourne was in line for a big push just a few short months ago. But I couldn't have been more wrong.

He was left off the SummerSlam card, and he's pretty much been used as a jobber ever since. Bourne even had the backing of John Cena, which is one of the main reasons why I am surprised his push has fizzled out.

I actually thought he would face The Miz at SummerSlam for the United States Championship, but obviously that didn't happen.

Now, I look for The Miz and Daniel Bryan to have a lengthy feud with Bryan capturing the title in a few months, so that The Miz can concentrate on his Money in the Bank briefcase. I'll say that Bryan will probably capture the US title around Survivor Series. 

So where does that leave Bourne? Probably out of the US title picture. I can't see two faces feuding over the belt, and there are also rumors the WWE will unify the Intercontinental and US titles.

As for a WWE Championship run, I just don't see it. The main even picture on Raw is incredibly crowded with Sheamus, Cena, Wade Barrett, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Edge and The Miz. It looks Like Bourne will wait a while before that happens, if it ever does.

With rumors of The Rock's return (if only for one night) constantly surfacing and then dying as each important show comes and goes without a "If you smell-" blaring on the loudspeakers, when do you think the Great One would make his return?

I know a lot of people are waiting for The Rock to come back even just temporarily, but I really doubt it's going to happen.

WWE loves to tease its fans with promises of something big happening, and then fail to deliver.

There have been teases of The Rock, Stone Cold, and Triple H being revealed as the anonymous General Manager, but I think Triple H is the only realistic possibility. Stone Cold and The Rock are busy making movies now, even if they're not very good.

However, never say never in the wrestling business. I think it's much more likely that The Rock would guest host Raw one night, but I do believe there is a very slight chance The Rock would return for a prolonged storyline (if the money was right).

As the anonymous GM, though? I doubt it. That would take a longer commitment on his part, and I don't think he'd be able to do it.

If The Rock returns in a role other than guest host, I would have him come back some time around the Royal Rumble.

That would give him just over two months to form a solid storyline with none other than John Cena, and have the feud culminate at Wrestlemania. I think that match would draw huge pay-per-view buys.

Do you think The Undertaker will ever wear his classic grey/purple gloves-attire again? For me that is the ultimate Undertaker look.

At this point, I wouldn't expect to see any changes to the Undertaker's gimmick or attire. He's 45 years old and probably has less than two years before he retires, so I wouldn't expect to see any drastic changes to his character.

I agree with you in thinking that his purple glove attire is the look I'll never forget. When I first started watching wrestling, that's the attire he wore, so I'll always remember it.

But I don't think we'll ever see that look again or the "American Badass" gimmick for that matter either. He's just too old to worry about changing anything.

how is vince mcmahon and brets relationship and does bret get along with HHH?

From everything I've read, Bret Hart and Vince McMahon have at least been formal with each other since 2002 when Vince called Bret after he suffered a stroke.

I'd believe that, considering Bret was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, and then returned to the WWE in January. 

The fact that Bret is still working with WWE tells me that he and Vince have moved past the Montreal Screwjob incident and "buried the hatchet."

In fact, Bret even defended Vince and WWE when Martha Hart, the wife of the late Owen Hart, filed a lawsuit against the WWE for using Owen's likeness.

He has backed Vince, and supported WWE rather than his brother's widow, which leads me to believe that the fences are mended on both sides.

I can't say the same about Triple H. If you noticed during the entire Bret-Vince-Shawn Michaels storyline during Bret's latest WWE run, Triple H was conspicuously absent from any promo or confrontatiion between Bret, Vince, and Shawn.

Apparently Triple H and Bret did not and have not spoken since Bret's return, and they likely never will. Unlike with Shawn and Vince, it doesn't seem that Bret will ever have any type of friendly relationship with Triple H.

On the 900th edition of Raw, CM Punk kind of tested us on The Rock. I really felt like he was gonna enter any second or in the near future. Do you think The Rock is the GM? I think it's HHH if not The Rock, I'd like to hear your opinion.

I kind of touched on this (see two questions below), so I won't go into too much detail. But I don't think The Rock is the Raw General Manager.

Accepting that position would require a pretty big commitment on his part, and I don't think he has the time to do it. He is too busy making Oscar-worthy films haha. 

I think that the teases from the anonymous general manager's emails are just that: teases.

Many fans are optimistic that the GM will be someone huge like The Rock or Stone Cold, but I don't think that's the case. I honestly doubt the WWE knows who the GM is yet, which is why he remains anonymous.

Personally, I agree with you in thinking that it might be Triple H (it makes sense for so many reasons), although I wouldn't be surprised if it was Michael Cole, either.

This is WWE though, so if Abraham Washington wound up being the GM, I wouldn't be shocked. Pissed? Yes. Surprised? Not really.

who do you think will win the 2011 RR?..and wen shud john cena turn heel and how??

If you look at the past four Royal Rumble winners, they've all been won by former World Champions: The Undertaker, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Edge.

But I think the WWE finally realizes there is a need for new stars, so I'm actually expecting an up-and-coming wrestler to win it this year, although that could change if an injured superstar is returning.

Still, I'm going to go with either Kofi Kingston or Drew McIntyre. Kofi was almost a main eventer last year before Randy Orton derailed his push, so I think he's a realistic pick considering he just dropped the Intercontinental Championship.

I think Drew has a shot because it would be the perfect chance to elevate Drew into a feud with Triple H, much like the one he had with Sheamus this year. I'm not very high on McIntyre, but the WWE needs new stars.

Winning the Royal Rumble is one of the best ways to elevate young talent. Plus, when's the last time a heel won the Royal Rumble?

Now moving on to Cena, I thought the WWE missed a PERFECT opportunity by not turning him heel at SummerSlam. That would have been epic.

Now he has that new purple and yellow attire that is sure to make even more money for the WWE cash cow, so I don't think he'll be turning heel anytime soon.

He is the company star, and its biggest merchandise seller. Until someone can rival his popularity with the young kids, he'll be a babyface.

The only one close to him in popularity right now is Orton. If Orton continues as the tweener/face, I think he'll be the only one with a slight chance to take over as the company's top babyface. When would that happen? Probably in the next year or so, if ever. 

So if Orton can be built up into a HUGE fan favorite, then Cena could turn heel. I think the best time to do that would be when Cena is on a team, like at Bragging Rights or Survivor Series (What a dumb decision not to do it at SummerSlam!).

Have him turn on his team, maybe even one specific babyface, and cost them the match. It gets instant heat.

We all know that the tag team division is not what it was. Do you think the tag team division will get back the teams of E+C, The Hardys etc.

With WWE always putting random people together what teams would you put together and what would you call them.

I don't think the tag team division will be as good as it was back then anytime soon, if ever. I'm too young to remember teams like the Rockers, Demolition, Legion of Doom and the Hart Foundation, so the tag team division during the Attitude Era is as good as it gets for me.

Edge and Christian, The Hardys and the Dudley Boys defined tag team wrestling during that period. Just look at the first two TLC matches between those three teams. They are two of my favorite matches of any kind. Ever.

The WWE roster today just doesn't have enough tag teams, and the ones they do have aren't even close to the level of E&C, the Hardys, and the Dudleys. Plus, I don't think the tag team division is a priority for Vince McMahon and the creative team.

Personally, I love tag team wrestling, and I think there are some promising teams in WWE's tag division. They just aren't used right. As for teams I'd put together, here's my list.

Joey Mercury and John Morrison with Melina (MNM): If you're not going to use Morrison right, put him back with Mercury. I always liked that team, and Mercury isn't ever going to get a push as a singles wrestlers, so I think this team makes sense.

Matt Hardy and Christian (Not sure on a name): It doesn't look like they're going anywhere right now, so why not make them a tag team? They may be a little older, but they're tag team veterans. They could really help some of the younger teams.

Skip Sheffield and Justin Gabriel (Can't think of a name either): The powerhouse and the high flyer. Plus, Sheffield's better than people think.

Ted DiBiase and Michael McGillicutty (The Perfect Sons): Two second-generation wrestlers with a gimmick similar to Legacy. Their mic work might suck, though. 

Husky Harris and Cody Rhodes (Dashing Destruction): Rhodes takes his NXT rookie under his wing.

There's probably more, but I think this could be a good start.

I watch Raw and Smackdown and honestly i think smackdown is so far behing in excitement i like cody rhodes push and i would like to see cm punk and drew mcintyre get a push who do you see coming to smackdown october 1st do you see drew cody getting push?

I actually wrote an article on what I'd like to see happen when Smackdown goes to SyFy. You can see that here:http://bleacherreport.com/articles/444959-smackdown-to-syfy-how-the-wwe-can-instantly-improve-its-rosters. 

I had a lot of people switching brands, including Drew McIntyre and CM Punk going to Raw. I'm not saying that's going to happen as much as I'm saying I'd like to see it happen.

But about their respective pushes, I think Cody Rhodes already has a pretty decent push going, but I wouldn't expect him to enter the world title picture just yet.

He's only been a singles wrestler for about four months or so, and he needs a little more time to develop.

That being said, his gimmick is a bit flamboyant and over-the-top, but I actually don't mind it. I think he'll remain in the Intercontinental Championship picture for a while.

As for CM Punk, I think the WWE is wasting him right now by having him feud with Big Show. Not to mention, I don't think breaking up the Straight Edge Society is a smart move.

In my opinion, he is the best heel in the company right now and he deserves a huge push. Will he get it? I think he will eventually.

Personally, after the Undertaker-Kane feud, I'd put Punk in a feud with the Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship, and hope the WWE does a better job than the last time those two feuded.

I don't think that's too unrealistic of a wish. I also don't think Punk is necessarily being de-pushed, but rather the Undertaker vegetation storyline is hogging the main event.

Moving on to McIntyre, I think he's lost in the shuffle now, but I actually see a pretty bright future for him.

He's growing on me as of late, and is one of my early picks to win the Royal Rumble. A feud with someone like Undertaker or Rey Mysterio could be good for him.

I've heard a snip of MVP's new theme song, I wonder if this means a potential push for him? I'm not sure, what do you think?

I heard the same clip too, and it sounds like a decent theme song. I was originally hoping MVP's new theme would be more heelish. Is that a word? Sure. But it has the "Ballin!" catchphrase he's been using, so it looks like he might stick with being a face.

I personally don't think he'll ever get a big push as a face. Yeah, he's pretty over with the crowd, but his character is just too stale. His most recent "feud" with Jack Swagger is an example of that.

Do you remember when MVP debuted? He came in with an awesome gimmick, and he was such a natural heel. He was born to be the bad guy.

I also think his matches were better as a heel. He had two great feuds, with Matt Hardy and Chris Benoit. That was some of the best work of his career.

Now, he's in a lame, pointless feud with Swagger and hasn't done anything of note since I can't even remember when. So unless this new theme song comes accompanied with a heel turn, I see no chance of a push for MVP.

What would be the easiest way to get into the WWE? You may not know, haha, but I was just wondering. I'm 17 now, and I want to make it there by at least 22-23. 

Haha. I wish I had a formula to give you, but I don't. Of course, having connections in the business helps. Just look at all the second and third generation superstars. But the biggest thing is working hard.

Wrestling may not be considered a "sport," but it requires a great deal of stamina, athleticism, and most importantly, worth ethic. If you don't work hard, you aren't going to make it. Plain and simple. 

I'd also make sure that you eat right, train hard, and go to a wrestling school that WWE will actually look at. I'm not sure how you feel about relocating, but the obvious choice would be Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE's developmental school. 

There's also Ohio Valley Wrestling, Dory Funk's school in Ocala (Fla.), the ROH Wrestling School, Harley Race Wrestling Academy, Killer Kowalski's Pro Wrestling School, and a few others that are legit, well-known schools.

Don't go to some crappy school that no one's ever heard of. You won't get noticed, and some "trainers" don't know anything about wrestling.

I've seen so many phases with attitude era the invasion evolution and several others and one of my favorites is a heel champion who generates alot off heat like jbl and hhh and there are none I can really think of who generate heat who do you think can?

If you're talking about current wrestlers, I think there are several. Wade Barrett, Sheamus, Edge, Chris Jericho, The Miz, CM Punk, and even Kane can generative MASSIVE heat right now. 

Notice that all these guys are good on the mic. That's the biggest way to draw heat. Be so good on the mic that people literally despise everything about you. I think all these guys can do that.

Just check out what happens to Jericho at this house show:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLFni1-gEOo&p=BBA7EA6945847683&playnext=1&index=11. 

Or watch this CM Punk promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhzwhAYy5hA.

I'm not sure why you can't think of any wrestlers who can generate heat, especially since the WWE is heel-heavy right now.

I remember when jbl was champion the amount of heat he received and everyone just knew he would find a way to win and everyone hated it who do you see in WWE who can be next jbl out of nowhere like he transitioned after APA?

I'll ignore the fact that Alberto Del Rio is the Mexican version of JBL, right down to wearing a scarf (or towel in JBL's case) around his neck. 

If I'm restricted to someone coming from a tag team who was never a main event talent before, I'll go with Tyson Kidd.

After The Hart Dynasty breaks up, I think Kidd could be a star in the WWE. He's very good in the ring, and we've already seen he has heel potential from his time on ECW.

Do you think WWE will pull another Sheamus with Alberto Del Rio? Meaning, do you think they'll push him to main event and win a World Championship his first year with the company?

It certainly looks that way. The important thing to remember is that both Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus were in their early 30s when they debuted, so they probably wouldn't have been pushed so quick if they were a lot younger.

Anyway, the WWE plans to push Alberto Del Rio as a top heel on Smackdown before turning him face (in a year or two) so that he will replace Rey Mysterio as the company's top Mexican superstar when Mysterio retires. 

As of right now, I wouldn't be surprised to see him capture a World Championship within a year. He's only been around a few weeks ago, and he's already getting a lot of heat from the crowd.

Plus, putting him in a feud with Mysterio right away shows the WWE has faith in him. However, Del Rio already has a reputation backstage as a bit of a hothead.

The only thing holding Alberto Del Rio back is Alberto Del Rio. If he can stay in WWE's good graces though, I think he'll be a World Champ by next summer.

Final Thoughts

That'll do it for the third installment of Random Ring Remarks.

Remember, you can ask questions on http://www.formspring.me/BOestriecher.

Comment away.