Posted in: Doctor's Orders
Doctor's Orders: WWE Month-in-Review (September 2016) - WWE PPV Length, Night of Champions Review, Wrestler and Match of the Month, and October Predictions
By The Doc
Sep 29, 2016 - 12:00:13 PM



”The Doc” Chad Matthews has been a featured writer for LOP since 2004. Initially offering detailed recaps and reviews for WWE's top programs, he transitioned to writing columns in 2010. In addition to his discussion-provoking current event pieces, he has written many acclaimed series about WrestleMania, as well as a popular short story chronicle. The Doc has also penned a book, The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment, published in 2013. It has been called “the best wrestling book I have ever read” and holds a 5-star rating on Amazon, where it peaked at #3 on the wrestling charts.



QUESTION OF THE DAY: Which PPV was better - Raw's Clash of Champions or Smackdown's Backlash?

The following is a case study of WWE’s product for the month of September 2016.


WWE Pay-Per-Views, I'm Afraid You're Just Too Darn Long

My reputation as a WWE apologist betrays what I would consider to be the reality of my journalistic tone: that I'm upbeat, fair, and willing to pick bones whenever I see fit. Since Brand Split 2.0 began, I think it would be fair to say that Raw has done much better at promoting the must-see atmosphere it had once made its calling card, but that it is still not consistently engaging enough to commit to every Monday night; I think Smackdown has earned its upbeat reputation on a commitment to character development and emphasizing the little details and, accordingly, I have very few gripes about it; I thought both of the brand-only PPVs were very good shows that were paced and spaced well. I have a bone to pick, though, with the 2016 trend toward abnormally lengthy special events.

It is generally agreed upon that Raw is too long. Frankly, there are but a few things that are deserving of three or more hours of weekly attention; a close-fought battle on the gridiron is, but Monday Night Raw is not. Pay-per-view is a different story. It is also generally agreed upon that we as fans would prefer that each match on a PPV be given the opportunity to tell a good and thorough story and that it is much more difficult to do that in 5-7-minutes than it is in a minimum 11-15-minutes. That said, when the average amount of time given on PPV to all of its matches, bell-to-bell, is less than half of the standard 180-minute run time, it seems logical that, for anything other than WrestleMania or Summerslam, three hours is plenty long enough to allow each bout to maximize what it is capable of.

Extreme Rules went longer than three hours; Money in the Bank, Vengeance, and most recently Clash of Champions followed suit. The end result was a dog-tired live crowd and an exhausted live viewing audience, particularly for those of us on Eastern Standard Time, for the most important matches on these programs: the main-event. Fan enthusiasm is a key element to what makes matches intangibly great, but there is only so much enthusiasm that can be pumped into a monthly PPV by the fans. Unfortunately, historical showdowns between Owens and Rollins, Rollins and Reigns, and Rollins and Reigns and Ambrose were reduced in their overall presentation by crowds desperately trying to muster up just a little bit more to give instead of unleashing a full assault of their excitement. Obviously, no mention has yet been made of the Pre-Show matches which only add to the gravitation toward energy depletion by the end of the night.

Recall the reference last month to The Lord of the Ring: Return of the King; that tediously overlong movie reminded filmmakers that, just because you can make a ridiculously lengthy epic doesn't mean that you should. Most films will not eclipse the 150-minute mark by much, allowing for a clear beginning, middle, and end in a format perhaps not short but definitely sweet. WWE would be wise to take a lesson from the Hollywood playbook, as not only have the off-brand events pushed the limits of fan attention spans, but the Summerslam and WrestleMania trends this year have seen the biggest events run four-plus and five hours respectively. Good Lord! I contend that they were not bad shows, but they unquestionably asked way too much of us to expect full engagement across all hours...and we're the most diehard fans on the planet!

The PPV product is by far the best thing about WWE in the Network Era and, therefore, the number of PPVs on the calendar does not bother me at this point, but it is possible to create too much of a good thing in the form of bloated shows that make you check your watch. I'm an old man in wrestling fan years; I've got a wife, two kids, and a clinic to run. I've got no business staying up past midnight (EST) on a Sunday because my wrestling show ran so long. Cut out the monotonous, unnecessary drivel like announcing the twenty-five commentary teams, tell the wrestlers to hustle a little faster through their entrances, reduce the Pre-Show back to a 30-minute talk show or scrap it altogether, change the start time of the PPV to 7PM EST; just do something to be a little more conscious of how ridiculous it is to ask your happily paying 1.6 million Network subscribers to watch ungodly amounts of wrestling in consecutive hours.

WWE Backlash 2016 Review

Clash of Champions: A Night of Really Good Matches


I have noticed a lukewarm attitude toward Clash of Champions from many pundits that I, frankly, do not understand. Though suffering from the length issue discussed above, Raw's first Brand Split 2.0 foray into the brand-only PPV scene delivered several really good matches. I thought it took awhile for the show to get going, as the Tag Team Title match (** ½) amounted to little more than we would have seen in one of Raw's quarter hours and the Cruiserweight Title bout fell off the rails with botches galore despite its solid story, but Cesaro vs. Sheamus (*** ½) in Match 7/7 was the kind of performance that we had been waiting for in their series and it arguably stole the show accordingly.

From the controversial finish to the Best-of-Seven onward, Clash of Champions was a very good show. Sami Zayn helped Chris Jericho to Y2J's best match in 2016. FYI, I would not harp on Jericho's current athletic decline so much if he didn't hype up his own in-ring work as otherworldly, but the match with Zayn last Sunday was mostly void of the timing issues that had plagued Y2J matches this year. Jericho has thrived in these situations before, against the likes of Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston as two examples, and he thrived again (*** ½). The Women's Championship Triple Threat, which I initially was a little down on after having gotten myself so psyched to see the next chapter in the one-on-one Banks vs. Charlotte rivalry, absolutely staked its claim as the best match on the card, offering the kind of chemistry and creativity that perhaps no other trio in WWE – The Shield might be the only exception – could duplicate (*** ¾). Roman Reigns and Rusev then changed the pace to brawling and succeeded on a level that enhanced the show. I quite appreciated their approach, as they could have easily gone out and wrestled a match quite similar to the others on the card, but instead opted for what could be considered the modern day version of the old school “big man” battle (*** ½).

The main-event featuring Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens did not contend for Match of the Month as many might have expected, but it was always going to be the first chapter in an evolving story and it seemed telegraphed since their rivalry began in earnest that their first headliner together would end laden with interference. My biggest takeaway was how comfortable Owens looked in his new role as the Universal Champion; Rollins, meanwhile, is going to take a while to find his footing as he transitions to the more sympathetic character that they're trying to position him to be. I was also extremely impressed with the innovation shown, as not only did they work together seamlessly, but they put together several eye-popping sequences that left me shaking my head in admiration too. Overall, their consistency of character and their intelligent pacing of such a long match combined with pristine execution made for a very enjoyable closing match (*** ¾).

Match of the Month: TJ Perkins vs. Kota Ibushi in the Semi-Finals of the Cruiserweight Classic


There were two primary contenders this month for September's finest WWE match: TJP vs. Ibushi and Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles at Backlash. The Smackdown-only PPV main-event was tremendous, the kind of performance that fans of the old school mindset about match layout would love in comparison to August's MOTM; the only finisher hit was the finisher that actually finished the match. It was refreshing and the kind of match that both Ambrose and Styles could have every month if given the opportunity, a conscious effort to make the little things count and make the big spots stand out to a greater degree. However, it was defeated by a match wrestled in a similar style as Cena vs. Styles at Summerslam, only shorter and featuring the sort of clearly-defined stakes that can take a match to a different plane of excellence. Ibushi vs. Perkins was an instant classic and a legitimate Match of the Year candidate that was fueled by the success of the CWC. It was almost a microcosm of the CWC itself. WWE may never have produced before such a brilliant tournament, meaning that its final night felt epic before the opening bell for the first Semi-Final had ever rung. TJ vs. Kota simply elevated the complete CWC experience and stature that much higher. Ibushi was the clear favorite, both in terms of his reputation and the way that he had been booked, and the story of TJP overcoming the odds to do the unthinkable, knocking off the Golden Star, was incredible to see (and, for the record, to watch again).

Previous winners: Ambrose vs. Owens at Royal Rumble (Jan), Ambrose vs. Reigns vs. Lesnar at Fast Lane (Feb), Dean Ambrose vs. Triple H at Roadblock (Mar), Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn at Takeover: Dallas (Apr), AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules (May), Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins at Money in the Bank (Jun), Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens at Battleground (Jul), and AJ Styles vs. John Cena at Summerslam (Aug)

Wrestler of the Month: Kevin Owens


As a reminder, this award is given to the wrestler that best exhibits the match quality and segment superiority on a consistent basis and on the highest level possible, meaning that most often the monthly winner is going to come from at or near the main-event scene (since that is where the most opportunities are afforded). Owens has been close on several occasions to being named Wrestler of the Month, but someone with more opportunities and more important matches has always inched ahead of him. Not in September 2016! KO had been sitting at the alert 5 position, ready to fly into the main-event at a moment's notice whenever someone went down with an injury or suspension, and the Finn Balor shoulder surgery toward the end of August afforded him the chance to ascend immediately. Owens had been the mid-card MVP of 2016, bettering the product on TV and PPV in feuds with Ambrose and Zayn that spanned the vast majority of the year before Summerslam season. Now, it is conceivable that, given the kind of work he has been putting in since winning the Universal Championship, he could stake his claim for Wrestler of the Year before all is said and done. Arguably, there is not a superstar on the roster who has been more consistent in 2016 than Owens, which informed my nomination of him on the mid-year awards show on LOP Radio in July as a sleeper for WOTY in 2016. KO can do it all – comedy, rivalry-selling promos, and spectacular wrestling – and, with his ascent to the main-event, fewer obstacles than ever before are standing in the way of his confirmation as a Top 5 guy for years to come. Fought Owens has fought and the sky is the limit from here on.

Previous winners: Dean Ambrose (Jan and Feb), Chris Jericho (Mar), AJ Styles (Apr), AJ Styles and Roman Reigns (May), Seth Rollins (Jun), Dean Ambrose (Jul), and AJ Styles (Aug)

October Predictions


With No Mercy just around the corner and Hell in a Cell at the end of the month, October is shaping up to be another engaging four weeks for WWE. I've been really pleased with the competitive vibe since the draft and I think both shows have stepped up to the plate when you evaluate them in totality across 10 weeks.

Smackdown's main-event next weekend is quite intriguing. John Cena's quest for the 16th World Title reign, Ambrose's redemption-seeking, and AJ's continual mission to prove himself on the WWE stage creates for a unique mix of motivations; I'm dog-tired of triple threat matches and I was not particularly thrilled with the logic gap in Cena being given a title shot when he hadn't won a match of significance in a year, but the work produced by all three since the night after Backlash has won me over and I find myself highly anticipating the WWE Championship bout at No Mercy. I expect Styles to retain, but I could make a case for all three and I remain committed to the stance that a little bit of title hot-potato between Ambrose and Styles could ramp up the intensity of their singles feud.

The Miz and Dolph Ziggler's storyline has captured my imagination hook, line, and sinker. I'm in mark-mode for that, as the Show Off's renaissance has reminded me why I once proclaimed Ziggler my favorite wrestler of his generation. The Miz has obviously been incredible in the last two months and was the closest competition for Owens as Wrestler of the Month in September. There is not a better heel in the business right now than Miz. The fact that these two have managed to make their matches must-see again given that, two months ago, I'm fairly certain that most enthusiasts would have said they'd be fine never seeing another Ziggler-Miz match, is a feather in their respective caps. Dolph's career vs. Miz's championship? I envision getting lost in the fiction, desperately hoping that Ziggler regains the Intercontinental Title (but I wouldn't be surprised if he was legitimately done).

“The Doc Says” next week will dive a lot further into No Mercy, FYI, but I'm ready to move onto the Usos as Tag Team Champions and I sincerely hope that Orton vs. Wyatt ends up being good enough to keep their feud moving in more interesting directions; Becky Lynch is just getting started as Women's Champion.

Hell in a Cell hasn't yet taken shape, but a lot of rematches from Clash of Champions will be expected. I am hoping for Banks vs. Charlotte to fight in the Cell, a first for women and a logical progression of their story dating all the way back to Mania season considering all the outside interference that has been a highlight during their feud. They deserve the chance and there's no better combination to pioneer that aspect of the Women's Revolution. Where Bayley fits into that situation, I really don't know, but I'd like to see her fight from the bottom back to the top after they rushed her straight into the mix (most likely due to Sasha's injury putting all plans up in the air).

Owens vs. Rollins should continue to develop nicely. There are a lot of moving parts in that situation that are keeping the end game up in the air. Might we learn in October of Triple H's motivation to give KO the chance at the Architect's expense or get a better understanding of how Stephanie McMahon truly feels? The impression I get is that Mick Foley's role as Raw GM will be temporary given how much they have already foreshadowed his demise, so will that be furthered next month or will he find more stable ground? Rollins being injured is another story to follow, but with Hell in a Cell not happening until the end of the month, he should be good to go with time to spare. The prospect of seeing fresh talents in the Cell is always a fun one for yours truly and, with Seth's stature in the company, it's not inconceivable that he might have earned by now looser restrictions on what he and his opponent might be allowed to do in that environment in terms of violence; we already saw evidence that he is willing to put his body on the line back in 2014 with Ambrose. I find that whole situation to be must-see TV. At the end of the day, Owens will still be champion when the calendar hits November.

I have reasonably high hopes for the odd couple pairing in the tag team division of Sheamus and Cesaro, while my expectations for the Cruiserweight division are lowering by the week; I would much prefer the women to get a crack at the Cell, but I fully expect that the most likely scenario is Reigns vs. Rusev concluding in that environment (and I wouldn't be too terribly disappointed with that); The New Day are on record watch, so if they make it through October as champions, I'd say it'd be pretty much a foregone conclusion that they're breaking Demolition's record.

On a closing thought, I would be very curious to see if any plots begin to take shape for Survivor Series. In years when the Elimination Match has truly mattered in its modern history, the plots that led to its better uses began to be revealed by no later than mid-October. Nothing seems obvious sans for Raw vs. Smackdown, but a bragging rights-type scenario would be too soon for my tastes and I'd hope they come up with something more clever and with more clearly defined stakes for each brand.