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Welcome back to the EXCELLENCE IN COLUMN WRITING exclusively here at LordsofPain.net / WrestlingHeadlines.com. The column that causes so many emotions is back with some Money in the Bank predictions and other goodies. Yeah, emotions... Y'all do realize that this is a wrestling column, right? It's not real life or something to get worked up about. Hell, because I write a column that contrasts with people's opinions, that somehow makes me hated by some. What, do you want me to write a column that plays it safe or is politically correct? Or do you want a column that is authentic and pulls no punches? And I don't get paid for this, so you know that I write because I *want* to write. You won't see me shilling for WWE products or angles... That's why most of you tune in each and every week whether you like me or not. Now... Two things worry me about the WWE as the recent rumor mill has been reporting: (a) USA Network wants to add a 3rd hour to Smackdown on Tuesdays. (b) Besides the "Big 4" Pay Per View months (Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, SummerSlam, and maybe Survivor Series), there could be 2 Pay Per Views per month to watch on WWE Network. Ouch... Do you guys really have all of the free time in the world to watch excessive amounts of WWE content? Who has the time to potentially watch 9 hours of WWE wrestling per week (Pay Per Views, RAW, Smackdown - ON CONSECUTIVE DAYS) while also considering another hour for WWE Superstars and another for NXT. 11 hours! And it would be one thing if the QUALITY was there... Each week, I watch 1.5 hours of the condensed Monday Night RAW on Hulu and I'm struggling to get through that. Then, I look at the RAW results and I'm amazed at the utter garbage that has been cut from the show. How on earth is the WWE going to justify splitting the rosters into 2? How are they going to fill an additional 3 hour Pay Per View? Let me just state this for the record... I'm seriously considering following ONE brand only (whatever brand Roman Reigns is NOT on) while if the WWE moves to 2 Pay Per Views a month, screw it, I'll just watch Pay Per Views. If RAW/Smackdown are just becoming infomercials for Pay Per Views, then why watch? I'm looking for WRESTLING and not scripted talking segments. Corporate WWE is presenting a wrestling product that SUCKS, period. Storylines are poorly formed or cut-off too early, midcard titles are poorly pushed, and the scripted dialogue is a chore to sit through. New Day is a complete outlier as they have some creative freedom over their characters and promos. Ditto with John Cena although he doesn't put up much of a fight for whatever Corporate WWE asks. NOTHING is authentic on the WWE roster right now and it's not the wrestlers' faults. They are picking up nice paychecks to not go elsewhere and in return, they do and say whatever the WWE Corporation wants. There is ZERO creativity within the storylines right now even with someone like Paul Heyman existing on the WWE roster as just a manager. As I've said many times now... You can bash Vince McMahon all that you want, but the environment surrounding him has changed. He went from listening to ALL TIME great wrestling minds like Pat Patterson, one of the greatest creative minds ever for matches and characters, and Jim Ross, one of the best assemblers of talents ever... To listening more to his Communications Major daughter, television producer, and bunch of Corporate hires who know nothing about pro wrestling and think only about marketing. Worse yet, Vince listens to the Comcast corporation and its USA Network executives to ensure that his product remains "PG". This isn't Pro Wrestling anymore... It's a Corporate Gang Bang with each "independent contractor" acting like robots for whatever the WWE Corporation tells them. It makes for AWFUL television shows and Pay Per Views being the last true salvation for actual pro wrestling. Thankfully, WWE Network is free of being "PG" although Michael Cole will apologize quickly for the TV-MA cartoon they're running. That being said, I'm half amazed that Money in the Bank 2016 looks pretty decent as a show... The RAW episodes heading into it have been a complete dumpster fire, the matches look pretty good. I like the hype of "Wrestlemania-esque matches" by the announcers. Money in the Bank has replaced Survivor Series as one of the "Big 4" Pay Per Views, in my opinion... The Ladder Match is always fun but WWE somehow puts a secondary Main Event level match (or 2) on the show. This year's show looks pretty good... ================================================== Mr. Tito's PHAT WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Predictions Pre-Game Match: Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews OK, let me lump these matches into one prediction... Does any WWE fan actually care about Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews on the main WWE roster? Both of them just appeared on the WWE roster one day without any hype, build up, or thought given on how to present these talents to a wide audience. To me, their call-ups are just filling roster voids made by injuries and recent cuts... But both guys are struggling on the WWE roster because they have no heat. In NXT, they were presented as main eventers but in the WWE, they are much lower on the card and wrestling guys whom the WWE has burned out (Sheamus, Ziggler). Completely botched debuts here by WWE management. It's getting to the point where getting upgraded to the WWE roster is a demotion. Can you tell me anyone who has benefited from joining the WWE roster from the NXT brand since the Shield call-ups? OK, Charlotte... But besides her. WHO SHOULD WIN: Honestly don't care. WHO WILL WIN: Baron Corbin, Sheamus ---------------------------------- Charlotte/Dana Brooke vs. Natalya/Becky Lynch Let me state that it is an utter shame that Dana Brooke and Emma couldn't continue their NXT chemistry on the main roster. Brooke with Charlotte has been OK, but the on-screen chemistry on Emma's entrance was just so hot... But anyway, you cannot stop the injury bug from biting you. This feels like a throwaway tag team match as I'm AMAZED extensive that the WWE has made this Charlotte vs. Natalya feud. I'm not bashing Natalya, don't get me wrong... For one, WWE doesn't have feuds any longer. Most are "one and done"... But at least let Natalya overcome Charlotte and take her Women's Title at an event. Charlotte can win it back... However, with the AWFUL commentary that Natalya and Becky Lynch gave on RAW this past week, they should lose! My ears are still bleeding from hearing their poor abilities to communicate their characters. WHO SHOULD WIN / WHO WILL WIN: It's a tag match in which the Women's Champion is involved... Heels will lose to put heat on a potential Charlotte vs. Becky OR Charlotte vs. Natalya match in the future. Odds are that Dana Brooke might get pinned... Either way, babyfaces win here to get the heat on Charlotte. I wouldn't be surprised if Ric Flair appears and helps Natalya/Becky win... ---------------------------------- US Title: Rusev vs. Titus O'Neil For the life of me, I still don't get why they had Titus turn heel a few years ago... He could have been a decent babyface and may have risen to the top. He has the look, athleticism, charisma, and he's a hoss... What's not to love, Vince? Oh, well, getting grabbed during a Daniel Bryan ceremony. To me, I think you could stretch this feud out over the next few months... Where I think WWE has an opportunity is with Lana... Lana costs Titus the first match and in response, Titus finds his own female companion... Hmmmm... Who isn't doing something right now? WHO SHOULD WIN / WHO WILL WIN: Rusev with help from Lana. ---------------------------------- Tag Titles: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. The Vaudevillains vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. The New Day Just too many storylines going on at once in this feud, which is pulling the New Day to be either heels or babyfaces. Vaudevillains have no chance but the other 2 teams have real shots at winning WWE Tag Team championship gold. Man, the WWE has a good money midcard feud in Enzo/Cass vs. New Day... I'm just not feeling Gallows & Anderson. Just not. It's quite hard to imagine the New Day without the Tag Team titles... WHO SHOULD WIN / WHO WILL WIN: The New Day ---------------------------------- John Cena vs. AJ Styles Should be an absurdly great match... AJ Styles can flat-out wrestle while John Cena can too... Better yet, John Cena brings heat from the crowd to help boost this match. The Jericho feud did too, don't get me wrong... But what I think works with Cena and Styles is that their abilities contrast whereas Styles and Jericho are very similar as wrestlers. We have real potential to see a "Match of the Year" candidate here if all things play out correctly. WHO SHOULD WIN / WHO WILL WIN: John Cena. WWE needs his starpower and they need to catapult him back on top of the WWE roster as champion. I like Styles, but he's not a mega draw for the WWE corporation like John Cena. ---------------------------------- Money In the Bank Ladder Match: Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens vs. Alberto Del Rio YIKES! This one is actually tough to call. To me, it's between Ambrose and Owens with a slight chance of Chris Jericho (still see Jericho vs. Reigns happening). My buddy Doc is pushing for a Shield 3 way match for the WWE title and if Dean Ambrose wins, he could make that happen for SummerSlam possibly. But I can see Triple H pushing for Kevin Owens to win it hard backstage. Seems that Owens is the vocal point of this match and he'll carry the briefcase proudly like a prop. WHO SHOULD WIN: Cesaro. I'll never understand why the WWE doesn't get this guy. WHO WILL WIN: Dean Ambrose with a slight chance of Kevin Owens. That RAW segment together tells me that the Shield colliding is where the WWE might try to go in the near future OR even at Money in the Bank itself (Main Event becomes 3 Way) although the Brand Extension could limit this... It wouldn't surprise me if Alberto Del Rio steals it with how much WWE is paying that guy. Many other WWE wrestlers ought to flirt with joining Lucha Underground. --------------------------------- WWE World Heavyweight Title: Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns Expect lots of cheers for Seth Rollins in this match. No doubt. Fans HATE having Roman Reigns shoved down their throats. They are tired of him... WWE Creative is trying every trick up their sleeve to get heat on Seth Rollins but the fans boo Reigns louder. And that's not "good heat" either. RAW viewership is barely holding on to 3 million right now and houseshow attendance is under 3,000 per show when Reigns headlines. Now granted, Seth Rollins lost RAW viewers during 2015 but I would argue that his booking, especially the bickering with Corporate Kane and jobbing repeatedly to John Cena, hurt him. Roman Reigns is booked like Superman and it's NOT drawing. Fact. WHO SHOULD WIN: Seth Rollins. Get that damn title off of Reigns! WHO WILL WIN: Roman Reigns. WWE wants him as champion when the brands split because Vince McMahon foolishly things Reigns is a draw. ================================================== THE LAST WORD Last week, I wrote a column about Brock Lesnar joining UFC 200 as a fighter. In doing so, I speculated why both the WWE and UFC would want this arrangement to happen. I commented on the business end of things and not the fighting part. That's all I discussed... Business. Because I work in the financial world and in case you haven't noticed, my columns heavily discuss the business side of things. Thus, I analyzed why Lesnar would join UFC 200 and NOT whether or not he'd win/lose. But oh no... Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) took exception with my column and went on the attack... Once again. It seems that every time I even mention MMA or UFC, loyal fans of the sport go on the attack. It's like they are doing Google searches for "MMA" or "UFC" on an hourly basis and looking for anyone who might say something suggestive about their sport. Ditto for searches on Twitter. What the hell? And again, I'm NOT commenting on the UFC events or how good MMA fighters are. I don't care. No offense, but I'm not a fan of Mixed Martial Arts. I've tried buying several events and following specials on network television but it does nothing for me. Just a personal preference... I like Pro Wrestling better because I get more "bang for my buck" on events and not be disappointed by a letdown of a fight. It's not must MMA... I've been burned so many times by Boxing, for example, that the sport has completely lost me. I foolishly bought into the Manny/Floyd fight last year and I completely regret it. Never again for boxing! With MMA and Boxing, since I'm not into either sport, I just don't comment on it. That's the best way of handling them... If you don't like something, ignore it or give it no attention whatsoever. My issue with UFC in particular is how they don't market to casual fans... I have no idea who the fighters are, who the contender's lists are for each title, etc. I don't see their results clearly from a newspaper or a sports website. Sure, I could follow UFC on Twitter and study their website... But why should I do all of the work? They should want to reach out and appeal to me. I don't have time to sit down and study how their promotion works. I'm busy with family, work, and wanting to spending my free time on things other than online research. That, and UFC pushes BRAND hard... Aside from Ronda Rousey, and that blew up in their faces when she lost, UFC doesn't let anyone become a major sports celebrity that transcends UFC. I would struggle to name more than 5 fighters in UFC right now. Seriously. But again - I don't watch UFC, so therefore I don't cover it in my column. Simple logic, eh? For you, MMA fan, to attack me because I simply commented on a WWE CONTRACTED WRESTLER joining your UFC 200 event... Yikes, you're a little uptight in your loyalty to MMA. Again, I don't care if you enjoy it. Go hog wild in watching as much UFC or other MMA promotions as you choose. I don't care... But don't go bonkers when I discuss business of UFC. Gee, they have a UFC 200 event which they want lots of buys and they've signed Brock Lesnar to fight. Oh, and legitimate sports organizations are reporting that UFC might be up for sale. So... Popping a good UFC 200 might help that out? That's all I said... The funny thing is that many of these MMA fans who attack me claim to be experts. Just because you're a loyal fan and watch hours upon hours of MMA doesn't make you an "expert". It's much like NFL fans... Living around Pittsburgh, I often hear "FIRE Mike Tomlin" even though the guy has made 2 Super Bowl appearances and repeat playoff appearances. From who? Devoted "fans" who tune in every week? If they were so knowledgeable about pro football, why are they just spouting off online and on radio shows? Why not try to become a coach or better yet, General Manager? At the very least, make a successful career as a journalist or columnist if you're so smart. Watching excessive amounts of something does not make you an "expert". Period. Now - Many will ask about me as an "expert" to pro wrestling... Well, you have 17+ years of written word to comb over to consider what I am. And as you'll see with my track record, it's not bad... I was the first to call out how CM Punk and Daniel Bryan were getting screwed by WWE Creative and how smitten WWE was with Roman Reigns more than 2 years ago. And I have received lots of hatred for predicting those 3 events but in hindsight, I was right. I'm an innovator of thought and am often an early adopter of a position on a particular wrestling topic. BUT - could I run my own wrestling promotion? Should the WWE hire me? I don't know... That's for YOU to decide and as readers, you keep coming back. That's an appreciated endorsement. I have NOTHING against Mixed Martial Arts... Geesh. Quit harassing me on that topic anytime I rarely discuss it in this column. You should appreciate the fact that I don't discuss which fighters are good, which are bad, or whether or not UFC cards look good. Because I don't like something, I just ignore it... Funny how that works... If there's something you don't like, just ignore it. Such a simple concept. SO JUST CHILL... 'TIL THE NEXT EPISODE! Comments and feedback are welcome. Follow and Tweet me @titowrestling or login in below to post comments. © Mr. Tito and LordsofPain.net/WrestlingHeadlines.com - 1998-2016
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