I’m not saying the card for this PPV is terrible, but I think it probably could have been better. I do like both of the world title matches but other than that the rest of the card just seems a little bit off to me. Here’s what I like and with just a little tweaking, here’s what I would have done differently and why.
WWE Championship: Cena vs. Henry
Honestly, up until Henry’s retirement speech I was never a fan of him and this match wouldn’t have really meant a whole lot to me. I never watched any of his reign as WHC so I can’t comment on that, but after that epic promo I’m sold Henry could make for a decent WWE champ. Even if he just had a super short reign and dropped it back to Cena, I think coming off that promo I might go out of my way to tune in to Raw just to see Henry with the title. I like this match and I like how as of right now anyways, there aren’t any stipulations added to it either.
Actually to keep the emphasis on it, besides maybe like a street fight on the undercard or something, I’d argue that the MITB match should be the only gimmick match on the card. Also, considering the grueling battle Cena just had with Ryback at Payback (where stips made sense because the match was supposed to be the ending to their feud) and because of the fact that Henry really only got a title shot by blindsiding the champ I just don’t see the need to add any kind of stipulations or gimmicks to this one.
The only problem I see with this match is the timing of it. Had it happened some other time of the year I could actually see Henry walking out as the champ. With SummerSlam being the next PPV in line though, if I were running the show I would want Cena over Henry as my champ going in and I think WWE is probably thinking the same thing. That and considering Ryback couldn’t take the title off Cena and Ryback was built up to be some kind of unstoppable summer wrecking machine, I don’t like Henry’s chances in this one and I’m kind of disappointed in that. The rumor of Cena vs. Bryan as SummerSlam totally makes me feel better about the whole situation though.
World Heavyweight Championship: Del Rio vs. Ziggler
Again, I like how there aren’t any gimmicks with this one. These two should be able to deliver without it. I also like how (logically Ziggler should get a rematch) but that it keeps Ziggler out of the MITB match.
The MITB match is a serious injury waiting to happen and I wouldn’t put anybody coming off something like a concussion in a match like that. Anyways, I can see this being an exciting back and forth contest with all kinds of interference coming from both sides down the closing stretch and Del Rio ultimately getting the cheap win. Ziggler of course then gets a rematch because he was screwed and at SummerSlam, Ziggler wins his belt back.
So, like I said I do like the way the two world title matches look. Here’s where the tweaking comes in.
WWE Tag Team Championships: The Shield vs. The Usos
I’m sorry but I’m just not buying the Usos as credible contenders to the Shield’s titles, especially not on PPV. Why should I? The Usos have been floating around doing nothing for how long now and even at the height of their fame, and I’m not sure when that was, who cared? Meanwhile, the Shield have been kicking ass and taking names since their debut and taking on the likes of Team Hell No, Cena and Ryback. Compared to the Shield, the Usos aren’t small fish in a big pond, they’re plankton. I would scrap this match completely.
Jericho vs. Ryback
I know the two of them have been going back and forth for a couple weeks now but still this one doesn’t really seem PPV worthy to me. Maybe after some more build up it could be, they both have enough star power that I think a PPV match could be interesting between the two but right now it just feels rushed. Also, I know Jericho has picked up victories over bigger dudes before but considering he’s basically just in and out through the revolving door these days and here to put people over, and Ryback you would think anyways, is somebody they would want to make look good coming out of this, this should be an obvious victory for Ryback, no? I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ryback lose though, which wouldn’t make much sense but look at WrestleMania. If it were up to me I wouldn’t have booked this match, not on PPV, not yet.
Rumored Intercontinental Championship: Axel vs. The Miz
Personally, I’m not a fan of either of these guys. I get Axel’s father was awesome and he’s with Paul Heyman so I should care a little bit about him, but I don’t. He’s as generic as they come. If not for his father, the name Michael McGillicutty is the only thing that ever has ever stuck out about Axel. The Miz on the other hand is more annoying when he’s trying not to be annoying than when he is, which is pretty annoying. I liked him back in his MNM days and I actually didn’t mind his title reign (I was flipping through channels one day and saw him on TMZ with the WWE title, which is something you don’t see every day) but other than that I just find the Miz incredibly bland. Having said all that, WWE has invested in both these guys and this match isn’t the worst thing that could happen. If I were calling the shots, I would still use both these guys on the card, just differently.
Unless I missed something, I’m not sure how Miz came about getting a title shot. I mean, he lost in the triple threat right. He didn’t take the fall, but still he lost. Did he win a number one contenders match? I don’t watch or read everything so if he did my bad, but if not I think it would make more sense to maybe book a number one contenders match for the IC title. Going back to what I put in bold about not putting guys coming off concussions in the MITB match, I think the returning Fandago would make a good opponent for the Miz in this match and it would be logical because both guys have a legit argument as to why they deserve a shot. In the number one contenders match I’d have Miz go over as much as I can’t stand him and then you have Axel vs. Miz at SummerSlam anyways but with a little more build.
Where does that leave Axel? Well I’d have him face none other than CM Punk. If anybody can make me give two shits abour MIgill…Axel, it’s Punk. Not only that but this match would make sense and keep the Heyman/Punk feud going. Also, again it goes back to not putting guys coming off serious injuries in the MITB match. Punk had that knee surgery not too long back and then there were reports of him injuring his knees at Mania with that announce table spot. If I’m booking the show, CM Punk is not somebody I want sitting on the shelf, especially over the summer. They lean on him a lot and rightfully so. If he isn’t going to win it, I wouldn’t put Punk in a MITB match ever. Same goes for Bryan, but all signs point to him winning so that’s cool. Back to Punk/Axel, I’d have Punk end Axel’s undefeated steak, toss his ass from the ring and tell Heyman to fetch him Lesnar.
WWE Championship MITB: Punk vs. Bryan vs. Sheamus vs. Orton vs. Kane vs. Christian vs. RVD
First of all I’ll give my idea for this match.
Bryan vs. Kane vs. Orton vs. Ambrose vs. Rollins vs. Reigns
Honestly, I think this match has money written all over it and it would have been a completely logical way to go about it. A good majority of the programming in general over the past couple of months has been focused around these six going at it and this match would not only kind of be a culmination of a lot of things, but this match could also set up a lot of scenarios going forward. I think just about everybody expects Bryan to win anyways so why not go with this match? Bryan, Kane and Orton are already in the match, Ambrose is in the WHC MITB and Rollins and Reigns are wrestling a pretty predictable and pointless match against the Usos. I already said what I would do with Punk and as for Sheamus, Christian and RVD, I think it’s pretty obvious neither of those three will be wrestling for the WWE title any time soon and none of them really deserve it. They would all make credible WHC contenders though and I think either of their presence would be a big addition to the WHC MITB match.
World Heavyweight Championship MITB: Ambrose vs. Fandango vs. Cesaro vs. Swagger vs. Barrett vs. Rhodes vs.Sandow
Alright, so going off everything else I’ve already wrote my WHC MITB basically boils down to this I think.
Ryback vs. Jericho vs. Christian vs. RVD vs. Cesaro vs. Sheamus vs. Sandow vs. Rhodes
This was actually harder than I thought it would be but basically in the end, Swagger and Barrett get the boot and really the way Barrett has been booked as of late, I hate to say it but does anybody really buy him as a contender anyways? Swagger just had a tired chase for the title, he couldn’t seal the deal and I don’t think anybody is in any real hurry to see him so I wouldn’t say he’s a big loss. In their place I would throw in Jericho and Ryback and then with Fandango (who I don’t want in there because of his concussion) taking on the Miz, all that’s left it to combine the leftovers and that’s how you come up with these eight.
So with some minor tweaking and only having bumped Barrett, Swagger and the Usos from the show, my card would have looked like this:
