WWE Looking to Refocus on the Tag Team Division
It’s a tale as old as time, but rumor goes WWE is looking to revamp their tag team division, starting with building up the Usos to challenge the Shield for the tag titles. I don’t see it happening. While I do like the Usos and their work with the Shield, how can you buy them as opponents with even John Cena couldn’t get the job done?
However, I would not mind a more stable-oriented division for those lost in the undercard. It would give them exposure and more matches. If ROH, Dragon Gate and Chikara can do it, why not WWE?
Which leads me to my big question…
Which unused WWE talent would you like to see in a tag team or stable?
I got my hopes up way too much at the start of the Team Hell No saga and tag team tournament. The amazing tag team division that already existed has been completely whittled away to the point that it’s depressing seeing the Prime Time Players in the ring with no more direction. Or Team Rhodes Scholar’s stutter stop as an active team.
It would be great to see a renewed tag division, but after the past year, I can’t hitch my wagon to that star anymore.
So, it seems as though Team Hell No is officially over, at least for the time being. Daniel Bryan will reclaim his place as the most entertaining part of Raw since THN went stagnant around 6 months ago, and Kane will… well, I’m sure he’ll be fine.
The thing that got me was the breakup angle they went with in this story. Their pairing has been marked with a bit more character consideration than I have seen between two people on a WWE program in a while. Starting off with mere hugging, and moving into dimensions of understanding and consideration of each other the likes of which I don’t think I’ve seen in the WWE, maybe ever?
Many people wished the team would never split up. Much like Team Rhodes Scholar, whom I feel should continue being friends forever, and it seems to be hinting at that given their previous public dissolution, reunion, and now seemingly background dissolution. A grand “breakup angle” for THN was something many feared. However, on Raw this past week, I really felt as though they hit it out of the park.
Given the emotions shown in this angle, they gave each character a completely valid reason to grow weary of the other. This wasn’t just a, “uh oh, they are having some miscommunication in the ring, whoah, X just struck Y! Do you think that could have been intentional!?” cue followup match, cue breakup. Kane continues to care for Bryan as a friend, but has enough respect for him to give him space to let him work his own shit out. Bryan is just kinda crazy and needs to prove to himself something or other about not being weak, so he gets to be sick of Kane being around to bail him out or just otherwise exist as someone who wants to “help” Bryan.
I don’t know if there will be much followup to the story of these two in the coming weeks, but hopefully they let the whole situation simmer for a little while, and see where the characters can take that next chapter after they live out their own for a while.
Daniel Bryan debuted in the WWE in 2009. Since then, many of his fans on the indie scene have felt like the WWE has not given him the opportunity to prove he is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world right now. From his debut as “‘the nerd’ - michael cole,” it seemed like the E did their best to hold a future superstar back.
In order to keep this somewhat succinct, after a few years, Bryan got his WrestleMania “break,” by getting booted into oblivion and achieving a huge burst of support from there. Since then, Bryan has easily been one of the most entertaining characters on the show. However, only recently has he shown signs of frenetic-best-in-the-world Bryan: busting out multiple new submissions, kicking brains out, and just generally being a mini-beast. While many complain that this is a long time coming and he should have been able to prove he was the best from the start, I’m starting to maybe understand why this wasn’t the case.
As a fan of Bryan’s work only after he joined WWE, when I then checked out his indie stuff and even managed to see him at his second to last indie date ever in Chicago for Dragon Gate USA, I feel a sense of understand in terms of why WWE wouldn’t want to just give him a golden platter in terms of moveset when he joins up in ‘09. The audience doesn’t know this guy and probably doesn’t care. While people are always impressed by skill, it could potentially backfire, or at the least lead him nowhere. What if people just hadn’t developed an interest in Bryan despite his in ring skill? It sounds dumb but WWE audiences love weird/dumb shit and don’t care about a lot of cool things, so it’s not too far fetched.
So, anyway, here we are 4 years after his debut and why is he only now getting seeming-free reign over the ring and anyone in it? Well, in storyline it totally makes sense: he is completely unhinged, and willing to do anything to prove (to himself, obviously) that he is not the ‘weak link.’ He is so fueled by his own terrified sense of inadequacy that of course he’s going H.A.M. On top of that, I care so much more about Daniel Bryan now than I did in 2009, and that makes all of his performances that much more amazing and entertaining. I’m certain that this is the philosophy “in the back” regarding reserving Bryan’s all out assault persona.
If a tree falls in the woods, and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound? : if a WWE wrestler pounds some skulls, but no one knows the guy, does he make an impact in the WWE?
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Photo of NXT Women’s Title
Not as good as the SHIMMER Championship but much better than the Butterfly belt.
Something to be excited about in WWE. If you’re one of those people that constantly complains about WWE and you only watch Raw, just stop watching entirely or be cool and watch NXT
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“I just generally don’t have any interest real sports and I really don’t like the idea of people intentionally hurting each other for the sake of sport, like in boxing or MMA.
I also much prefer the scripted nature of wrestling as a means of telling a story and creating a production, like something between a play, ballet/dance, and something that is the bastard child of “real” sports.” -me
I’ve never seen a suplex like that before. Like a mix between a German and a Fisherman. Pretty awesome.
Art of human movement
(Source: zackittyelps, via ahroomee)
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