So let me get this straight. On Raw, they had Seth Rollins open the show and address the Wellness Policy suspension handed down to Roman Reigns last week. To my knowledge, this would be the first time WWE has actually mentioned a Wellness suspension on the air.
Right idea, wrong messenger.
Of course, Rollins used this to cut a promo on his former partner, demanding that Reigns be removed from the WWE title 3-way that was announced right before Reigns' suspension was made public, the match to take place at Battleground. It would've made more sense if Vince or Stephanie McMahon dropped character for a moment and addressed the audience in a pre-recorded video at the start of Raw and explained the Wellness Policy, which would help explain why Reigns is gone for a month. After all, this was big enough to get mentioned on ESPN's SportsCenter.
The narrative during the course of the evening in relation to Stephanie vs. Dean Ambrose, the current champ, sounded like a rehash of Vince vs. Steve Austin, nearly 20 years ago. One thought raced through my head.
Here we go again.
Another example of Vince not being able to let go of the Attitude Era. This time, using Stephanie once again as a ventriloquist dummy to convey his own in-character feelings in relation to another "working class hero", although Ambrose has been presented more as the 2nd coming of the late Roddy Piper than Austin. It's another reason why people don't tune in the way they used to, because, unless I'm wrong, a lot of folks see this the way I do. The same storylines being redone with new characters, expecting that a lot of those who are watching won't remember past incarnations of the angles.
Long distance ventriloquism doesn't work, Vince. Trying to be a poor man's Jeff Dunham just doesn't cut it. Stop treating Stephanie like she's a living puppet, and let her do her own thing. Oh, that's right. You did that when she was Smackdown's original GM, and six months in, decided to horn in on her administration and ran her out because you didn't like her going against your wishes. You don't want that to happen again, but guess what, old man? It has to happen!
"Mr. McMahon" and the Attitude Era that spawned him are well past played out. You have a former champion, Bob Backlund, still doing the "Nutty Professor" gimmick from the 90's, which, oh by the way, bombed during a brief stint in TNA a decade ago, trying to mentor Darren Young in an angle that's already trending downward because of the usual Uncreative stupidity. As champion (1978-83), Backlund was a role model kids could look up to. Today? You'd rather have a cowardly thug, as Seth Rollins is presented to the audience, with no believable redeeming value, as champion, instead of the latest "working class hero" archetype embodied by Dean Ambrose. Ambrose is Austin crossed with Piper, and that bothers you, doesn't it, Vince?
Of course, it does.
And, then, there is the continuing misuse of the Club.
Rollins was matched vs. John Cena, while Ambrose had a non-title match vs. AJ Styles. Both matches are better off letting the athletes in the ring tell the stories themselves, but no. You couldn't do that, could you, Vince? Nope. You had outside distractions cost Cena and Styles, denying the fans what could've evolved into a 5-man scramble for the title, further protecting the returning Reigns, at Battleground.
By all rights, Luke Gallows, back with WWE after 6 years away, should've been rewarded with the tag titles 9 days ago at Money in the Bank, along with partner Karl Anderson, and they would've joined an exclusive, ahem, club that has two members, the Road Warriors and the Dudleys, a club whose members have been both WWE & IWGP tag team champions. But, and this is just a guess here, because Gallows has the toxic-to-Vince acronym TNA on his resume, the Club was denied gold. No, you want to tease the internet fans again by positing the Wyatt Family as the next challengers to the New Day for the tag titles. The Wyatts have been found wanting enough times already, and the best athlete in the group, Luke Harper, is still on the DL.
Get this through your pruned brain, Vince. The wrestling business doesn't revolve around you anymore. The more you tease and don't deliver, the more the ratings are going to drop. And that's my bottom line.
