Ambrose becomes legitimate or good guys on smackdown?

Dean ambrose cut a promo on smackdown to start the show that cemented him as a legitimate leader of the the smackdown roster. Ambrose had a cadence to his promo and a control over the crowd that resembled that of a prime dusty rhodes. I'm not saying that ambrose is on the level of Rhodes but that he cut a big time promo on Dolph ziggler that both elevated the champion and helped set the tone for an important smackdown main event at summerslam. Ambrose built himself up as fighter who constantly look adversity in the face and ran through every road block. He mentioned how ziggler was a complainer and used the crutch of people holding him down while ambrose never made excuses always pushing forward fighting to get to the top. Ambrose made himself feel like a true champion and a deserving top star, even it is on the "b show". I was very leary of ambrose being the face of the brand being that John cena will start slowly stepping back. However, Dean ambrose on the second smackdown of the new era made himself a legitimate top star based on the way he carried himself and conveyed an aura over the crowd. 
 

Dolph ziggler was ran down by ambrose as the guy who makes excuses, gets held down, doesn't focus on winning, only tries to pander to fans and steal the show. Ziggler tried to compare himself to ambrose with little success and was thwarted at every turn by the current champion. Ziggler talked about no one believing him and proving people wrong. The problem with this exchange is that ambrose was right about everything he said, all of his points about ziggler were right on the money and Dolph has really been set up for a few years as a second rate contender. Ziggler has been used to elevate guys and has lost quite a few (a lot) matches on television. So becoming a number one contender on smackdown is out of left field and doesn't seem that he should win the title. Therefore, based on the promos and Dolph saying everyone is against him ziggler should turn heel after he loses to ambrose at summerslam. Ziggler is a better "bad guy" than "good guy", it is a more natural fit for his attitude appearance. Dolph can be a chicken shit heel with no problem, he can take the heel bumps with no problem, and should be able to be disliked with no problem. During his career he has found more success as a cocky villain then being the sympathetic hero. His style will also be helped by working as a heel because it will force him to slow down, do less moves and sell.  Changing sides could potentially resurrect his career from being just another mid card guy to being a top tier rogue.
But, if ziggler turns (which is the better option) who is left on the good guy side of smackdown? Holy smokes will that roster be thin on hero's especially if cena becomes less of the focus. You'll have dean ambrose, who is a top guy, and then... Apollo crews? Smackdown does have randy Orton who is coming back hot but he is wrestling brock lesnar at summerslam and the odds of him looking strong at the end of that match are slim. So the top faces on smackdown will be ambrose, cena (becoming part time), Orton and crews? Those house shows will be something. The villain side would become aj styles, bray wyatt, ziggler, miz, and corbin. Aj styles may be the best wrestler in the wwe and bray wyatt could still be a very special type of villain but smackdown shaking up the sides really showcases how the brand split and draft did smackdown no favors to not be the best show. 

Smackdown needs more bodies, quality fan favorites that the wwe universe can get behind. The only guy in nxt that could walk in and be a top hero, immediately,  in shinsuke nakamura. Like, right now. He has charisma to spare, he is an international superstar and a great in ring performer. He is learning English very well and has that swagger in the squared circle that transcends language. Plus, he is fresh to the brand. Every feud he would have on smackdown would be new, unique and refreshing to the wwe audience. Nakamura could be and should be the savior of the brand because he solves a lot of current problems with depth, to many die hard he is a huge name and his styles lends itself to gaining popularity quickly.
If not nakamura to smackdown  (which I don't see in the immediate future) wwe will have to rely on bringing back older stars that are already established. Rumors are always circulating about Kurt angle and bill goldberg which would be a band-aid on the problem but does not benefit the brand long term. Now, if they use the older "legends" as a feature act while they build middle guys to become stars then that is a different story but history shows that doesn't happen  consistently. Smackdown is a work in progress. Hopefully they recognize the issues of top tier talent,  especially on the face side, and remedy the problem. The shows so far have been pretty good but if they want two "a shows" they need to start building likeable stars to become top baby faces otherwise a lot of these shows will revolve around the same stuff week in and week out and really expose a weak roster. I don't have an issue with Apollo crews or even zack Ryder being considered relevant faces but wwe will have to build them to that point. Nakamura is the key, in my opinion, but success will happen over time; which could prove to be smackdown live's toughest opponent. 

That is just this marks remarks and if you like what I have to say or you would like to tell me what you think please subscribe to this blog, like the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/amarkremarks and follow on twitter @amarkremarks thank you very much and please keep supporting.

hell in a cell highs and lows / where do we go next

 Hell in a cell, which most people expected to be lack luster, was a really good show all around. Nothing on the show was really poor, including the women's matches, and the good at times was really good. As a secondary pay-per-view this show offered some closure, build to the future and an ending that creates intrigue.  I'm going to focus on the three major things that happened, in my opinion, last night that hopefully wwe can build on.
 1. It seemed like last night wwe made the decision to finally give dolph ziggler some credibility! Ziggler defeating Cesaro in 2 straight falls last night was Dolph getting the push ad a bonafide champion and added legitimacy to the intercontinental championship. Not to mention, Dolph ziggler was in an excellent wrestling match against an excellent wrestler where ziggler played the role of vulnerable babyface who wouldn't give up instead of generic hip girator who is lost in the mix. Ziggler can separate himself from the crowd if he utilizes his ability while also becoming the face that is minutes away from death but refuses to lose and give up until the crowd is so behind him that they make him dig down deep and overcome the adversity and pull out victories. This is a time tested formula and ziggler has what it takes to make it work. Hopefully last night was a sign that wwe finally has the confidence to let ziggler live up to his potential.

2. The future is now for Seth Rollins and dean ambrose, from a performance stand point. These two guys are main event ready and they answered the call last night and then some. Rollins and ambrose pull out all the stops at hell in a cell and put on a performance that was at the main event level. I still believe these two guys should be protected a little bit more before they are hoisted to the top tier but Rollins and ambrose has what it takes to be the next major players in the wwe and I believe the fan base can believe them in those roles. Aside from USA, ambrose had the loudest cheers of the night and Seth Rollins had the second most heel heat. The two very capable grapplers walked into hell in a cell with a few question marks mainly being could they carry a show and I believe after all the broken tables chair shots, brawling and psychology the former members of the shield walked out of hell in a cell main eventers.

 3. He's here. Bray Wyatt returned at the ending of the main event of hell in a cell. He had an attention grabbing entrance that created an aura that something important is happening, he had a response that said someone important is returning and he had a "feel" that said the monster heel is here. With all the gimmicks and plunder that was in the ring and after all deal ambrose had gone through it was bray Wyatt's finisher, sister abagail, that put dean ambrose down.

There were slight sounds of people singing "he's got the whole world in his hands" but for the most part it was loud negative boos the type that a top heel should get. The atmosphere at the end of the show was not is he a heel or is he a face, it was not let's get behind this guy because he is cool; the setting was that the most dangerous and unknown heel made his triumphant return and his sights are set on dean ambrose.
No matter the direction of the current feuds or what rivalries begin there will be no more interesting or entertaining than bray Wyatt versus dean ambrose. The promos alone will be electric. The groundwork for the landscape of wwe's future is being laid and hopefully bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, dean ambrose and Dolph ziggler are major parts of that future.

 Finally, the rusev versus USA battle that is taking place has some serious legs. The crowd is invested and rusev and Lana are holding up their end of the bargain. However, for this battle to truly reach its appex there is only one man that should finally be able to stop rusev and defend the honor of america. If the only Olympic gold medalist in professional wrestling was able to return to the wwe lower the straps and defend our country against the ravishing Russian and the Bulgarian brute the crowd would go bananas and these storyline would be as hot as anything wwe can produce right now! Wwe should be doing their best to make it happen; it's true, it's damn true.

That is just this marks remarks and if you like what I have to say or you would like to tell me what you think please subscribe to this blog, like the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/amarkremarks and follow on twitter @amarkremarks thank you very much and please keep supporting.

Road to Hell in a Cell / What should happen on Raw

 Hell in a Cell is two weeks away and the card for the show is taking shape.  The card features at least two Hell in a Cell cage matches, which is always an attraction, plus matches that will continue to build storylines as wwe heads toward the end of the year.  The Hell in a Cell pay per view is one of many "big shows" that is headlined by a gimmick match before the participants or purpose is known, which leads to many issues with the current product, but the gimmick match in this particular show usually produces some really good matches.  However, the idea of Hell in a Cell the match was created to lead to a finality to a strong rivalry; the first version being The Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels with the debut of Kane many many years ago.  WWE has produced a laundry list of memorable moments inside (and outside) the cell including Mankind being throw off and through the cell, Mick Foley's first attempt of retirement at the hands of Triple H, The bloody war between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar and so many more. 

Hell in a Cell was created so that the simply saying the words Hell in a Cell made the crowd go crazy and the expectation of the match rose higher, now; wwe has a pay-per-view designated to always having that "special" match.  The result of this show is that the cell is no longer "special" at all.  The match was determined before the participants are which makes Hell in a Cell just another match, further emphasizing this point is the second bout held in the cell being John Cena versus Randy Orton.  Sure, Orton and Cena have a long storied history with each other but this match was made last week on Raw on the premise that whomever doesn't get to wrestle Seth Rollins challenges Randy Orton; so there is no score to settle or grudge to finish, just a match that was made to be contended inside the confines of Hell in a Cell.  So what is more important, the match or the feud? 

I would suggest the obvious answer should be the grudge.  The rivalry should be so heated that the only way to settle differences is by locking the hated combatants inside satan's playground; a bitter feud needs Hell in a Cell, it shouldn't be that Hell in a Cell needs participants.  That is why gimmicky pay-per-views, except Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank, should be eliminated.  This would make stipulation matches seem much more important and mean something to a storyline, instead of crow-baring  a special match into a storyline whether needed or not.  So how can Hell in a Cell be made important?

 First, do something to make Seth Rollins versus Dean Ambrose in a cell must see.  Dean Ambrose is a loose cannon not a cartoon character; he must be treated as such to make him reach his potential.  Not pushing a hot dog cart or magically appearing at ringside but Dean Ambrose needs to be the lunatic fringe that Seth Rollins fears being locked into a cell with.  Seth Rollins doesn't have to get beat up or embarrassed or have gak poured over his head; he needs to be the chicken-shit heel that he can be and get chased down by the brash psychotic Ambrose so that you, the fan, can't wait for Ambrose to finally get his hands on Rollins.  This feud which was very hot for awhile fizzled slightly with Ambrose taking time off and Cena being inserted into it but I believe can be re-energized quickly.  The only question is can a Dean Ambrose versus Seth Rollins headline a wwe pay-per-view?
Secondly, how can you inject some excitement into another John Cena versus Randy Orton match that was really thrown together hap-haphazardly? 

I would include the return of Bray Wyatt into this match where Wyatt and his family produces a vignette that says he will be at Hell in a Cell, he will be in the cell and he will bring down the status quo.  Three weeks of Wyatt taped promos has brought the Wyatt Family back to relevance and hopefully wwe won't allow him to falter again.  Best way to catapult Bray Wyatt to the top?  Insert him into the conclusion of John Cena and Randy and have him leave both men laying.  This will create intrigue as to who he wants to take on and allows Bray Wyatt to be what he is best at: chaotic.  There are less than subtle hints that Randy Orton may be turning baby face and perhaps him taking on Bray Wyatt would be a good first feud and allow Bray Wyatt to cement himself as a legit heel, which based on the video packages is where he is headed.  I believe Bray Wyatt is something special and John Cena or Randy Orton would not be hurt being used as his return to the wwe universe.

 Thirdly, make the secondary matches mean something.  This is the first major show where Brock Lesnar is not defending his wwe world heavyweight championship but there will be titles defended.  Why not make Dolph Ziggler versus Cesaro be important?  Why not hype the idea that the intercontinental title is a major title and two incredibly gifted athletes will belt for the championship?  Ziggler and Cesaro give this card the ability to have an excellent high caliber match that should have people on the edge of their seats from a wrestling perspective, which would be different from the two main attractions.  The same can be said for the tag team title match they should have. 

What is the negative of promoting a tag match that is almost certain to entertain the fans?  The tag team division is a missed opportunity at such a high level because tag team wrestling, even simple tag team wrestling, is so fun to watch.  It is wrestling by the numbers almost every time but the tag team formula is a proven winner and leads to exciting well paced action that typically is a crowd pleaser.  Throw in the soap opera of the Bella twins, decent female wrestling with

A.J and Paige, Rusev's next battle and this show should be pretty good, but is it important?
The problem with the current landscape of professional wrestling, not just wwe but all of professional wrestling, is that nothing really seems important.  This is a major issue especially with the advent of the wwe network and how reliant wwe's success is on the network.  WWE needs to create subscribers and their strategy is by reminding you of the cost, at no end, or by pushing the app or this or that to create interest; however, the best way to create subscribers or product interest is by producing "must see" programming.  All of the boom times in pro wrestling as started with high quality programming involving larger than life characters creating entertaining, intelligent and enthralling storyline that leads to dramatic, athletic and action packed matches.  The product creates the interest; the product has always created the interest and the interest and fan base builds based on the quality of the product.

 In closing, Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, Raw, Smackdown, Main Event and all wwe brand shows have to start feeling important again.  The fan base should be made to feel that cannot miss the next show or the one after that and no way are they missing a pay-per-view. 

The product should be so good that a wwe fan doesn't need to be reminded that there is a wwe network, or wwe has an app or they need to log on to wwe.com; the product should be so good that the fan base can't wait to log on to the website, should be viewing the app during the live weekly shows and watching the wwe network whenever time allows and for every pay-per-view. 
The price shouldn't make the wwe network a no-brainer, the content should.  And, it does; the network is awesome and is a dream come true for any wrestling fan but it is great because of the content not because of the stupid banter between michael cole, jbl and jerry lawler on a weekly basis.

The curious case of John Cena / raw review

 Last night was the "season premiere" of wwe's Monday night raw, which means nothing since the program is a year long episodic show. But, calling this episode the season premiere attempts to build a buzz since last night was the first NFL Monday night of the season, so the competition on Monday nights just got a lot stronger. So how does a wrestling juggernaut contend with football? How about a cage match featuring a top crowd pleasing babyface in Chris Jericho against the future top star and maniacal bray Wyatt? Good move wwe! How about a summerslam rematch against proven villain the viper Randy Orton versus the next big star the uber-aggressive roman reigns? Well played wwe, that will keep the audience glued to its TV. How about a contrived, poorly acted, poorly executed Bella sister segment being mediated by jerry springer? When is kick off?

 When chucking ideas at the story board whomever opted for a Bella twin springer show segment on the first raw against the NFL and two weeks away from a pay per view should fear for his job performance evaluation. But he won't, probably because wwe loves this bellas spectacle that gets worse and worse as the weeks go by, which was only created because total divas the "reality show" wanted a storyline for the newest season.

Yes, that's correct, a reality show is asking wwe to create a storyline so they can then script reality around it. And wrestling fans lived happily ever after. The worst part of this angle with the Bella sisters, and there are many bad things, is that it is going to lead to a match that at its best will be lousy.  With Nikki Bella in a three way match for the diva's championship I think we can all assume that Brie Bella will cause her a loss of some kind and this feud will continue leading to an eventual match for the ages. 
Bray Wyatt and Chris Jericho started off Raw with an entertaining cage match.  It was a well put together match that showcased the steal cage as a weapon at times and concluded with Wyatt walking out of the cage door after Y2J leaped from the top of the cage and in the process hurt his knee.  The Wyatt Family patriarch then took Jericho back into the cage delivering "sister Abagail" to further injury "the ayatollah of rock and rollah" and essentially end the feud between the two
.  I ended up liking this program between Jericho and Wyatt but I am not sure it was as good as the two highly talented performers wanted it to be, I also do not know where Bray Wyatt goes from here.  I feel that a young Bray Wyatt is one of those characters that, initially, always needs feuds to be involved in so his character can continue to evolve.

Randy Orton battled Roman Reigns in the main event of Raw and they had every Orton v Reigns match you've already seen.  This version saw Orton in trouble at the end and he summoned Kane and Seth Rollins to help him.  This featured Seth Rollins propelling himself off the top of the steal cage that was somehow lowered.  Rollins then delivered his curb stomp finisher to Reigns on a steal chair.  So, it seems that Roman Reigns will fight Seth Rollins at Night of Champions where I full expect the authority to involve themselves and Dean Ambrose to appear to throw himself into the main event mix.  Which will help to refresh this Roman Reigns feud because he continues to stall to me and maybe with the infusion of the lunatic fringe Reigns can unload some of the main stage pressure to Ambrose and Roman can continue to improve to get ready for the big match stages. 

 The best thing on Raw last night was the segment involving Paul Heyman, the advocate for Brock Lesnar, and John Cena.  Heyman invited Cena to become more ruthless and leave the fans behind in order to better himself.  Paul Heyman suggested that John Cena cannot beat Brock Lesnar until he he conquers his own demons; most notably the anti-Cena fan base that is so vocal in booing the leader of Cenation. 

Finally, Cena couldn't take anymore talk from Heyman and he delivered another emotionally charged impassioned promo on how Cena believes in himself and believes in the fans that cheer him.  His most rewarding moments are when the kids use him as a moral compass, how he inspires them to do their best, give their all and most importantly he loves the fact that when people (wounded soldiers in this example) who are down and out find motivation from John Cena's mantra of never give up.  This promo, while he did use make-a-wish kids and wounded military member to pull on the heart strings, was a very powerfully executed promo and worked to turn some of the John Cena haters into at least respecters.
John Cena will go down in history as one of the most successful wrestlers of all time.  His run on top out lasts anyone in the modern era of sports entertainment and he boasts gaudy numbers when it comes to the tangible stats that would gauge wrestling success.  His merchandise sales are huge, his headlined buy rates are big for large events, he is a money earner at the box office and most importantly he has given his life up to become the number one top babyface in all of professional wrestling.  The ladder of those attributes is the one that few before him can say they have done like John Cena has done.  In a time in pro wrestling where the workers performer a lighter schedule than 20 years previous John Cena out works everyone on the roster and has a schedule busier than most of those before him. 

Be it granting wishes for seriously ill children, visiting hospitals of wounded soldiers, being parade marshals, pregame coin tosser, bowl game predictor, talk show host guest, red carpet appear-er, charity spokesmen, or wwe brand ambassador John Cena does it and he does most of it when the other superstars are having days off.  This is the biggest reason John Cena will not turn bad.  This is the reason wwe doesn't want to turn John Cena bad.  No matter how loudly the vocal minority of fans jeer against him Cena is too much of a commodity to be anything other than a hero.  On top of his character Cena is also a pretty good wrestler in the ring.  Cena does a lot of the same stuff but that is because he does what people want to see, when needed Cena can work with most everyone and has rarely had a bad match on pay per view.   He is also willing to perform hurt and even injured when asked of him so to entertain the fans.  John Cena is wrestling's top hero for a number of reasons but there is one major reason currently.

 There is no one ready to take John Cena's spot as top guy.  Daniel Bryan couldn't sell the merchandise that Cena can.  Roman Reigns can't deliver the promo that Cena can (not does he perform as well).  Dean Ambrose is not as PG as Cena can be.  And no one is willing to give up their entire lives to be the face of the wwe the way John Cena has.  Until someone is capable of being those things and accepts the challenge of top spot and delivers John Cena isn't going anywhere.  When that spot is eventually taken from Cena, then and only then, John Cena will turn heel and probably make a fortune.  A fortune he will have earned and he probably won't have to make all of those appearances but the fans may finally stop booing him.  That is just this marks remarks.   

WWE fantasy booking towards the new year

 WWE's product has been peaking my interest recently by turning out some intriguing story lines, developing the future talent and putting on quality shows.  Unfortunately, I am the type of fan that isn't going to leave the product; I have lived through way worse in wrestling and will probably live through it again.  However, WWE has progressively lost viewership in the millions since the boom period 15 years ago (holy cow 15 years ago?) and the ratings have seemed to plateau to about 4 million per week.  That number is half of what it was during the attitude era and the Monday night wars.  Which means WWE needs to figure out how to do something to rekindle the fire for over 4 million jaded wrestling fans in order to create another wrestling boom time.  The first question one has to ask is, can wrestling create another boom time and can it be done without direct competition?  If you believe it can, what needs to happen to bring the pseudo-casual fans back to sports entertainment?

I, for one, believe wrestling can have another boom period and I think it can happen now.  I believe there are enough key players on the wwe roster and being developed on the roster to appeal to everything wrestling needs catch fire.  I believe that this boom period and take place without any major competition to the wwe reign over sports entertainment.  WCW and Monday Nitro played a huge role in lighting the fuse for the wrestling explosion with the creation of the nWo.  However, wwe maintained its popularity when wcw was taken over by wwe for a period of time.  I also believe that this boom period can take place with the current product the way it is being presented currently; meaning the "pg style" that raw is being delivered.  Everyone loved the attitude era but i don't believe it was because of the blood and guts style of wrestling, profane language or racy stories; those things may have not hurt but they were not the catalyst of the rise in popularity.  WWE struck gold by pushing a blue collar tough guy giving his boss the treatment every blue collar guy wishes he could, fresh hip characters, compelling story and athletic wrestling matches.  Steve Austin led the way of a roster that included The Rock, Undertaker, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle, Hardy's, Dudley's, Edge, Christian, Eddy Guerrero, and a myriad of secondary talent that made up a very talented roster of talent.  All the while, The McMahon family played super villains and were able to turn the wrestling world upside down.

 So, what needs to happen now to relight that fuse?  Can the wwe recreate an atmosphere that didn't allow its universe of fans to miss an episode of Raw?  I believe that they can, but it is going to take some risks being taken to build that one defining moment that will get current fans talking and catch the eye of the fans that have left the wrestling world.  Below is my fantasy booking, I do not expect it to happen, that may be some direction that would bring fans interest to wrestling back.

 I fully expect Brock Lesnar to beat John Cena at night of champions, not like the manner he did at SummerSlam, but I still think Lesnar will win.  I think that after Cena loses to Lesnar for a second straight time he should be off television for awhile, do a little soul searching before he makes another return.  I also believe that this is the last pay per view that Lesnar will be on for a few months because wwe believes that the Hell in a Cell match can sell the next show and a title match is not necessary.  So let's say at Hell in a Cell the main event resembles something like Seth Rollins and Randy Orton versus Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns in a Hell in a Cell match.  It is an extreme battle that Reigns and Ambrose begin to get the advantage in and this leads to the Authority and Kane coming down to the ring and inserting themselves into the match.  Kane, Orton and Rollins begin to get the advantage and they eliminate Ambrose from the match leaving a three on one situation with Reigns.  As all three men have him cornered John Cena's music would hit and Cena triumphantly returns to help Reigns out and take out the bad guys.  Cena and Reigns stand in the middle of the ring, back to back, challenging the Authority to attack.  At which point Triple H would stand up on the apron and give his famous thumbs down motion and John Cena would turn around and lay out Roman Reigns with an attitude adjustment. 

 Cue the jaws dropping and the authority would pounce on Roman Reigns leaving him laying while Triple H stands tall raising the hands of Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Kane and John Cena!  No one would believe that wwe was finally going to turn Cena bad and that moment would create a "wrestling moment" that would have the wrestling world a buzz.  This would also create another gauntlet of wrestlers Roman Reigns would have to go through before getting to his new target of John Cena, allowing Reigns to hone his skills before he gets to the biggest stage of them all, wrestlemania.  Cena could go on Raw and deliver a promo about how he wrestled for the people and they all turned on him now he is wrestling for himself and for the money.  He could be arm in arm with his girlfriend Nikki Bella who is already with the Authority. 
 He essentially would become Hollywood Hogan and could revitalize his career as a heel and he would become the top heel immediately.  Dean Ambrose would still have his feud with Seth Rollins going that could lead them into the royal rumble and while he doesn't have to team with Roman Reigns they would have common enemies.  I think after Ambrose has finished with Rollins he could set his sights on The Authority as a whole because he is so anti establishment and the rivalry he has with the Authority might look very similar to an Austin versus McMahon feud with Ambrose ultimately going after Triple H, who would hold him down because of his instability and non-corporate attitude.  Triple H would clearly not think Dean Ambrose is best for business. 

 Survivor Series would lead to the perfect set up of Authority versus Reigns, Ambrose, and say, the Uso's in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match where after Ambrose and Rollins eliminated themselves it would come down to John Cena versus Roman Reigns as the last two men where John Cena would simply walk away, like a coward.  This would cement him as the top heel in the business and would only make the fans want to see Roman Reigns get his hands on John Cena even more.  While this is going on I would pair Brock Lesnar up against someone like Sheamus, who can afford to get the tar beat out of him and still make Lesnar look like a beast. 

The storyline going into royal rumble would be that the Authority is going to set up the match so that John Cena wins the rumble match so that he can recapture the wwe world heavyweight title at Wrestlemania with the help of the Authority, because John Cena can beat Lesnar if he is with the Authority and become the corporate champion.  Fast forward to the end of the Royal Rumble match itself; final four men could be Randy Orton, John Cena, Roman Reigns and Cesaro and Triple H finds his way to ringside.  Like every year the four men stand in separate corners as the match resets, Orton and Cena are clearly working together toward the same goal until the sheep mask appears and the lights go out.  Lights return on and the Wyatt family appears in the ring and they attack Randy Orton.  As the three Wyatts are beating on Orton; Cena, Reigns and Cesaro attack each other.  Triple H is livid at ringside because he doesn't know why the Wyatt's appeared and what is going on and he gets attacked from out of no where by Dean Ambrose.  The Wyatt's could eliminate Orton totally screwing up the plans of the Authority which gives Roman Reigns the opportunity to eliminate John Cena from the rumble.  The crowd would go nuts for the elimination and certainly think Reigns is going on to wrestlemania to win the title he is being groomed to win.  However, after a major Cena distraction Cesaro eliminates Roman Reigns and achieves the ability to challenge the champion at wrestlemania. 
Cesaro winning would get a huge reaction for two reasons, first, it would be a huge royal rumble upset and second, the crowd can easily get behind Cesaro; but most importantly, Paul Heyman would be shocked because Cesaro was a "Heyman Guy" so why would he want to challenge another "Heyman guy" for the championship.  Paul Heyman will have the ability to make Cesaro a huge babyface with his promos and Cesaro could do some spectacular power moves against someone the size of Brock Lesnar.

 The top of my Wrestlemania card would look something like this:

Brock Lesnar (champion) vs. Cesaro

Roman Reigns vs. John Cena

Dean Ambrose vs. Triple H

Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton or Wyatt Family vs. Orton, Rollins and Kane

In these four matches you would be creating a new and refreshing world heavyweight champion in Cesaro who would get a huge rub from beating the unbeatable Brock Lesnar.  Roman Reigns is made as top star of the company when he defeats the dastardly John Cena.  Dean Ambrose becomes "the peoples champion" as he challenges the head of the Authority and his boss Triple H.  The Wyatt family is officially turned good, which I believe is what wwe wants, but officially going after the Authority.  So coming out of wrestlemania you have established four major babyfaces of wwe for the foreseeable future and still maintain three top heels (i don't count Kane).  

While all these main story lines are taking place I am building the next tier ready to propel into the main events.  I would focus on the wrestling talent of a lot of these guys to help get them over.  I would turn Dolph Ziggler back to being a bad guy and utilize the return of Daniel Bryan to solidify this switch and simply have them feud over who is the best wrestler in the business.  Continue to showcase the tag team division wwe is so afraid to focus on and allow the middle of the card guys to position themselves.  Mix that in with the expected Undertaker return and a few other surprises my wrestlemania looks pretty good and really features the next wave of wwe and could build a real boom period in wrestling using the extremely talented roster of personalities they have.  My full wrestlemania card, as of now would be:

John Cena of the Authority vs. Roman Reigns

Brock Lesnar vs. Cesaro

Triple H vs. Dean Ambrose

Wyatt Family vs. The Authority

The Undertaker vs. Sting

Rusev vs. Hulk Hogan (or Kurt Angle)

Dolph Ziggler vs. Daniel Bryan

The Uso's vs. Big E and Kofi Kingston

Sheamus vs. Bad News Barrett

Rhodes Brothers vs. Big Show & Mark Henry vs. Rybaxel 

Paige vs. Natalya

some match involving nxt.

 At least in my opinion, this is a pretty effective card and could bring fans back to a product on the verge of breaking out.  I don't expect any of this stuff to happen but I think it could work, fortunately, I believe there are many ways wwe can bring the fans back in droves, ways wwe may actual do.  But for now the fans can only wait patiently, and blog their opinions, until wwe plans the next direction of its product and where they take the fans next.  Based on the current product I think all fans should be optimistic about the future and prepare for wwe's next boom period.  That is just this marks remarks.
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Raw review / welcome to the big time seth rollins and dean ambrose

A lot of good stuff happened on Monday Night Raw last night; Brock Lesnar was decorated with some new gold and Paul Heyman delivered yet another masterful promo to celebrate the beasts winning of the WWE world heavyweight championship, Stephanie McMahon had another stellar performance as she introduced the new wrinkle in her rivalry with Brie Bella by recruited Nikki Bella into the mix, Bray Wyatt delivered another excellent speech to continue his feud with Chris Jericho and we were even treated to the inspirational Bo Dallas telling Jack Swagger all he had to do was Bo-leave.  Raw also featured some solid wrestling in singles, tag and even six man tag form and was really working up to be a very solid show.  Then the main event began.

When Seth Rollins walked down the aisle to compete against Dean Ambrose in a falls count anywhere Summerslam rematch I knew that it was going to be a really good match, however; I didn't plan on forgetting all that happened on the show previous due to the unbelievable showing these two men put on.  This was wwe, whether they planned it or not, showing the universe that two new stars have arrived and we will be watching them perform for years to come and that is okay by me.

Seth Rollins has the walk of a future champion, has the tv presence of a future champion and most importantly has the wrestling ability of a future champion.  He carries himself so well and is so athletic he reminds me of a more skilled Randy Orton, around that time that you knew Orton was going to soon be the next big time guy in wwe.  Rollins makes everything look so easy in the ring, he moves in such a cold and calculated way that you know he knows what he is doing.  He comes across like that arrogant punk that you always want to see mess something up but he never does, the jock who always makes the last shot, the nerd who always gets an A on the test; just that guy who gets under your skin because he is just too good.  That is Seth Rollins to me, the guy who always finds the upper hand and it is done in such an excellent way.  Rollins has all the tools, and the experience and all the positioning to really be pushed as a top villain the same way CM Punk, Randy Orton or even a young Tully Blanchard style heel. All of these comparisons are complimentary and if Seth Rollins can stay on the course he is currently on I see really big things in his not-so-distant future.  

 Then there is Dean Ambrose.  Dean Ambrose, as a babyface, is on fire! If you would have told me that the Shield was going to break up and the guy to come off the break the best as a good guy would be Dean Ambrose I would have given you the crooked eye.  But, Ambrose is hitting on all cylinders and has been absolutely amazing in his role.  He has connected with the audience so quickly and so deeply that the wwe universe hangs on every glance, eye brow raise and crazy look he shoots at them.  His frantic style is done so well and he just shoots at his opponent like a cannonball.  He just fights like a wild man with no precaution and while his style seems so crazy and unpredictable he seems fairly safe in his work.  Whatever direction he is being given he has found that intangible element that few wrestlers find and he is running with it.  Ambrose plays the antithesis of Seth Rollins so well; he appears to be the guy that didn't give a care what people thought of him and if you didn't like him you got a punch in the nose.  While Rollins comes across as arrogant Ambrose is brash, Rollins seems like a punk Ambrose a smart ass.  The wwe universe is behind his every move and he is taking advantage of it by making every minute that he is on television count.  I hate to do it, but he can be compared to Stone Cold Steve Austin.  I know that sounds like a lot of pressure to put on someone just hitting their stride but Ambrose has that attitude that will get him over as a top face antihero that punches the bully right in his face and is too crazy to be scared.  I really like Dean Ambrose, and I really like what he is doing right now and if wwe is not careful Roman Reigns will be chasing the championship while the crowd is loudly and riotously chanting for Dean Ambrose.

These two men, Ambrose and Rollins, work brilliantly together and are helping each other become really big stars.  The Raw match was no different. It was really well paced for a high speed, high octane gimmick match and there was a lot of psychology through out the contest not just weapon shots for the sake of weapon shots.  Each foreign object was introduced into the match with importance and by the end Rollins and Ambrose created a unique violent dance together that really showed what could wrestling can be.  The finish saw Kane help Rollins get the advantage, and while Kane held Ambrose, Seth Rollins curb stomped Dean Ambrose over a stack of cinder blocks that broke on contact.  Seth Rollins stood tall as the victor and Ambrose lay in a heap unconscious.  You could feel the animosity for Rollins from the crowd and at the same time the anticipation for when Dean Ambrose would get his revenge.  This feud, so far, has been pretty close to perfect making both former shield members look very strong and elevating them way up the card.  This is the type of feud, that can create these types of matches, that is the real main event of a card no matter the match placement.  It is Rollins and Ambrose time to shine and they are certainly giving it all they have.  Compelling story, high work rate and charisma brings the crowds in; these guys are loaded with the ability to execute every element.  Every fan should be excited to see the ascension of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose and happy that they will be around for a long time to come.  That is just this marks remarks.