You just have to feel bad for Seth Rollins. He was on the massive roll. Probably one of the best I have seen a wrestler have since CM Punk. I am not kidding. The guy was money at everything. Owned the mic, killed it in the ring, you could love him and hate him simultaneously.
Alas, this is the wrestling business, and like in any sport, such as football or Frisbee, you can and likely will get hurt. This type of hurt though, has put the now former WWE Champion on the shelf for six-to-nine months. Honestly, give the guy a whole year off. You get an injury where you shred up every ligament in your knee, you need to take the time to heal and heal right. You do not want to come back too soon, and risk re-injury. I am sure they, meaning Rollins and the WWE staff will be smart.
Very nice column on WWE.com where Rollins shows his appreciation to the WWE fans for their hashtags and showings of support for his recovery. Heel or face, fans really do appreciate the work these guys do.
What happens next is anyone’s guess. WWE may have scrambled fast to plan out Survivor Series. With only two weeks to go anything can happen. Major storylines could change, plans for the Survivor Series matches could be changed, everything as we know it may never be the same. Ha.
Congrats to CM Punk on the release of Drax #1.
Anyway, this tournament could be an opportunity to be a game changer. We could see some turns, we could see the triumphant return of Zack Ryder, or perhaps Roman Reigns will look strong and win the tournament.
Then turn heel. Or get cashed in on by Sheamus.
1998 was a pivotal moment. The Rock gained notoriety when he won the tournament for the vacant championship, but competed throughout the night as a face, only to reveal himself as a heel as he aligned himself with then-bad guy boss, Vince McMahon as the corporate champ. Could we see something like this at Survivor Series this year? Totally.
Been catching up on NXT. Keeping a close eye on Chad Gable and Justin Jordan. They have had some spectacular matches, and one against Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano was fantastic. These guys are what I love about watching NXT. This is pure indy talent given the WWE exposure. Even better, less storyline focused, and more on letting them have the chance to wow the crowds. They do. The inevitable heel turn by Samoa Joe took place, but it was the best way to keep the NXT Championship on Finn Balor during his match with Apollo Crews. This guy is a wrecking machine and smart not to give him the title right away, despite the insane push. Too fast too soon is a bad idea. Then everyone expects a quick promotion to the main roster and then it goes downhill.
One thing to keep in mind. While NXT is certainly a great training ground, it is also a perfect playground for guys to do what they can to entertain without the big main event pressures. Of course there is always pressure, but the live crowds are different and more appreciative.
Lastly, let’s talk about Asuka. When the crowd chants “Asuka’s gonna kill you,” this is serious. I do not recall the last time the “…gonna kill you chant” was given to a female wrestler. Samoa Joe is gonna kill you was fun, the Taz is gonna kill you in ECW was always great. Asuka is has a fast arsenal like a switchblade. She will hit you with any of her invisible tools before you can blink. She is fantastic.
