WWE: 12 Changes the WWE Should Make in 2012

It's almost 2012, and with a new year comes plenty of changes.

Just like that applies to you and me, it applies to the WWE, too. Well, at least it should.

There are a ton of changes that the WWE should and could make next year to improve its overall product. I'm not talking about the obvious ones, like improved tag and Diva's divisions, moving Smackdown to Tuesdays, longer matches, a John Cena heel turn, etc.

I'm talking about very specific changes we could see the company make in order to benefit the company as a whole.

So, let's take a look at 12 changes I want the WWE to institute in the new year.

Note: I'll likely post a couple of these types of slideshows over the course of the next couple of weeks, so this is just a start. 

12. Scrap Over the Limit, Vengeance and Capitol Punishment Pay-Per-Views

Over the Limit actually featured a couple of good matches this year, but the name is cheesy, and the WWE clearly needs to cut down on its number of pay-per-views.

If I'm a part of the WWE, I remove Over the Limit from the 2012 PPV schedule and have both Capitol Punishment and Vengeance join it.

Capitol Punishment is another cheesy name, one that also pretty much guarantees the pay-per-view will be held in Washington, D.C. I'm not a very big fan of the WWE holding a PPV in the same city every year—I'm looking at you, SummerSlam—because I think other cities deserve a shot at holding them as well.

As for Vengeance, the 2011 version of the show had the second-lowest PPV buy rate in WWE history, despite actually having a decent card.

There's no reason to keep that show around, especially when it's bunched up with a number of other fall pay-per-views, all of which performed significantly better than Vengeance did this year.

11. Get Rid of Teddy Long on Smackdown

I personally have nothing wrong with Teddy Long because he's decent in his role, and there have been far worse authority figures throughout the history of the WWE.

But Long has been the Smackdown General Manager on and off since 2004, and I think the blue brand simply needs a change.

The only real purpose Long serves on Friday Nights is to make tag team matches whenever multiple superstars are arguing in the ring.

Smackdown could use a fresh face as the GM of the brand, perhaps another heel because heel authority figures generally work better than face ones.

Plus, there are other ways to use Long, such as a manager for someone who struggles on the microphone but is good in the ring.

10. Push Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre seems to have a firm spot in the WWE doghouse, but it's time for him to get out of it.

I know that fans seem to be split pretty much 50/50 on the guy formerly known as "The Chosen One," with some who love him and just as many who hate him.

But I think McIntyre has all the tools to be one of the better all-around talents in the WWE. He can wrestle, he's at least decent on the mic and he has a great look.

I'm not saying that the WWE has to push this guy to the moon, but at least getting him on TV every week would be a nice start.

Then, based on how McIntyre performs, the WWE should push him to that United States or Intercontinental Championship level to let him regain some of that momentum he once had.

McIntyre is still only 26 years old, so he has a ton of time to improve and become a big part of the WWE's future.

9. Get Vickie Guerrero a New Main Client

Vickie Guerrero has done a fantastic job in helping Dolph Ziggler get over as a main event level heel.

In fact, Vickie's done so well as Ziggler's manager that I'd argue that he's over enough to the point where he no longer needs her by his side.

Thus, I'd love to see Vickie and Ziggler go their separate way, with Ziggler heading for the WWE Championship scene and Vickie picking up a new client.

I guess she already has Swagger as one, but she doesn't really seem too committed to him. Either Vickie should take on Swagger as her new No. 1 client or take on the managerial duties for another up-and-coming heel who's good in the ring, such as Tyson Kidd.

Vickie generates heat like no other manager in recent history, so she could do wonders for someone like Kidd, who's one of the most underrated talents in the entire WWE.

8. Bring Back King of the Ring

The last time we saw the King of the Ring tournament was in 2010, when it was won by a then-heel in Sheamus.

The Celtic Warrior won the one-night tournament, which was held on an episode of Monday Night Raw, and I thought it would help elevate him. But it actually wound up turning him into somewhat of a joke and really hurting his momentum.

That's the exact opposite of what KOTR should do. It should be used to elevate someone (preferably a heel) to the main event scene.

I'd love to see the tournament return as a pay-per-view, but I'm not sure WWE officials will ever get behind that idea. Therefore, all I'm asking for is that it be brought back and used properly.

Perhaps if the winner of KOTR gets a title shot at the next pay-per-view—or if it's used similar to the Money in the Bank briefcase or the Royal Rumble—then the tournament could be as important as it once was.

On a side note, the last three years in which KOTR took place were 2006, 2008 and 2010. So, if the pattern continues, we should see it again at some point in 2012.

7. Reshuffle the Announce Team

I'm not even going to suggest bringing back Jim Ross because the chances of that happening are slim to none.

But the three-man announce team currently used on Smackdown has to go, something has to be done with Jerry Lawler, and Michael Cole should no longer be the lead announcer on Monday Night Raw.

I personally think Josh Mathews has really improved and should be the lead play-by-play guy on Raw, with William Regal working as the heel commentator. 

I'd then drop Lawler from the broadcast team altogether—because his face character is terrible, and he doesn't even watch Smackdown—while pairing up Cole and Booker T on Smackdown, with Cole playing a toned down heel.

I know this is probably just me dreaming, but I'd love to see the announce team reshuffled in some way that actually makes sense.

6. Bring Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to the Main Roster

Plain and simple, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose are two studs in the ring.

While I may not care for their ring names too much, they seem to be far and away the two best wrestlers in WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.

From what I've watched and read, both Rollins and Ambrose can out-wrestle a majority of the main roster, yet they're still sitting down in FCW.

I wouldn't bring these guys up to Raw or Smackdown until after WrestleMania so that they don't get lost in the shuffle immediately upon their debut.

But I would have them debut on the main roster sooner rather than later, where I'd build them up as legitimate mid-carders right from the get-go.

5. Acknowledge History

This is something very simple, but it's something that the WWE almost never does.

I'm insulted as a fan when we see CM Punk and Triple H embroiled in the most intense rivalry in the WWE one week, and then a few weeks later, they're acting all buddy-buddy and teaming up to take on The Miz and R-Truth.

I also take it as a slap in the face when simply because Sheamus turns baby face, he's able to just instantly coexist with long-time rivals like Randy Orton and John Cena.

WWE officials must really think we're stupid.

The company absolutely has to start acknowledging history more often and stop pretending like things that happened in the past never actually occurred.

Hey, remember when Christian and Edge were brothers? Because I sure find it funny that they ended up becoming just friends as their careers progressed.

4. Stop Giving Away PPV-Quality Matches on Free TV so Often

I have no problem with the WWE giving us quality TV matches, but how many times this year has the company ruined potentially great feuds by giving away TV matches between two major stars before they ever actually feud?

Before CM Punk got into his WWE Championship rivalry with Alberto Del Rio, those two had already faced each other twice on Raw.

I fully expect The Miz and Punk to feud over the WWE title around Royal Rumble or WrestleMania time, but they've also faced each other twice in recent months.

I don't get that philosophy.

It's one thing to put on quality matches, but it's a completely different story to give away top-tier matches on free TV when you know they're going to happen on PPV down the road.

See: Miz vs. Punk, Punk vs. Del Rio, Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton, Wade Barrett vs. Orton, etc.

It makes matches that should feel incredibly special feel like just another match. 

3. Merge the Intercontinental and United States Championships

Both the Intercontinental and United States Championships are basically nothing more than props these days.

Why? Because they're hardly ever defended.

Cody Rhodes hasn't put his IC belt on the line since way back at Hell in a Cell, more than two months ago, and Dolph Ziggler's only notable United States title feud has been with Zack Ryder.

Having one of these two belts is fine, but it's essentially pointless to have two secondary titles when they get defended once every few months, if that.

The WWE brass should seriously considering merging the IC and US titles and keeping only the Intercontinental Championship.

The belt could be defended on both brands, and that way it could both provide the opportunity for a wider range of feuds and be viewed as a more valuable title than it currently is.

2. Turn the Miz Face

Turning The Miz baby face wouldn't work at the moment because Raw is currently lacking in top heel contenders to CM Punk's WWE Championship.

But I think WWE officials should try turning The Miz at some point in 2012, whenever the timing is right.

I know many will think that there's no possible way The Miz can turn face, but how many thought that Sheamus could do it? Better yet, how many thought that R-Truth would be as successful as he was after his heel turn?

You really never know how a wrestler will work in a certain role until you try it, and that's true for The Miz as well.

Let's say that Dolph Ziggler continues rising up the ranks as a heel and the unthinkable John Cena heel turn goes down.

In that case, The Miz might be needed as a top baby face, and I think that his skills on the mic would make him capable of pulling it off.

1. Move John Cena to Smackdown

John Cena has stayed on Monday Night Raw since being drafted to the brand way back in 2005, and he's hogged the spotlight on the show pretty much ever since then.

That has to change. Soon.

The WWE teased that Cena would be sent to the blue brand in the 2011 WWE draft, when he was drafted to Smackdown only to be drafted back to Raw, but the company actually needs to go through with it this time.

With the increasing popularity of CM Punk, Randy Orton and Sheamus as three top baby faces and the expected rise of guys like Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett, you can make Cena on Smackdown work.

Move him to the blue brand with Sheamus, put Orton and Punk on the Raw brand and I think you have a good start with a nice balance of star power.

I'm not sure Cena on Smackdown will happen again anytime soon, but 2012 should give the WWE the perfect opportunity to do it.