- Well, it sure seems like WWE is telegraphing a Dean Ambrose turn based on this week's RAW. He is the only remaining tournament competitor that Triple H did not attempt to recruit. He also wasn't mentioned by The COO during his weekly WWE.com interview. But, again, that could all be a setup to try to throw fans off the scent of Roman Reigns joining the Authority. Either way, it seems they will pull the trigger on one of the two and have them go corporate, even though that is really isn't the best route for either man or the future of the company. What does a Reigns heel turn really accomplish? Unless they are ready to commit to Ambrose or Cesaro or anybody else as a top level face, they need somebody to take on the role and if they truly feel that Reigns is the guy, they should just pull the trigger and see what happens. Give Reigns the title as a face this Sunday. Have Brock Lesnar win the Royal Rumble. The week before WrestleMania, you assess how Reigns has done and make your decision: keep it on him or get it back to Lesnar. Constantly jerking Reigns around does more damage than giving him the title and letting him sink or swim.
- Now...if they are hell bent on turning Reigns heel, why not take this approach: Reigns and Ambrose reach the finals on Sunday and late in the match, Sheamus attempts to cash in, just like Seth Rollins did back at WrestleMania. However, this time Reigns was prepared for that and cracks Sheamus with a Superman punch to wipe him out. However, while distracted, Ambrose comes from behind, hits Dirty Deeds and wins the title. Reigns, having been hosed again in a big title match by a MITB winner, finally snaps and lays waste to Ambrose, turning heel but not doing it in a way where he would be saddled with the Authority or be completely telegraphed. Same result, different journey.
- And one outside the box thought before we move on. What if we get a Roman Reigns/Kevin Owens double turn? All along, Owens thought he was aligned with his NXT supporter, Triple H and was in on the ruse to screw Reigns at Survivor Series. But, in the end he is the Mick Foley in this situation and gets left to dry and now becomes a top face. He is already heavily supported by much of the fanbase anyway, so may be worth giving it a go. Problem there? He is really damn good as a heel.
- I really don't understand why we are getting a straight tag match between the Brothers of Destruction and the Wyatts on Sunday. It is Survivor Series! There are four Wyatts! Lazy booking to not find two more guys to tag with the BoD for this showdown. With the short card announced thus far, I am sure they will chuck together a couple of elimination matches to round things out, but this was screaming for it. Also, pretty cool that Taker is healthy enough to compete on this show, celebrating the 25 years since his debut. Amazing run, all things considered and after Mania, Survivor Series has certainly been a marquee show for him.
- I don't know what to think of the contract signing between Paige and Charlotte. It is cool that they are just giving them the chance to be in that position, but Charlotte still was struggling out there and not many fans seemed to buy it. And if there was ever a time to start throwing stuff at the wall, this is it. The Reid Flair stuff was pretty tasteless, but for a company now often lambasted for how safe and by the book they play things, in some way it was refreshing to at least see them take the chance. I don't agree with the way they did it or the source material at all, but a nudge towards breaking free of their milquetoast shackles would be a welcomed sight for many.
- Based on last night's show, I have seen some wonder if they are sandbagging that third hour of Raw in hopes that USA cuts them back to two hours. On the surface, it seems like they are but in reality I think the roster and booking is in such a weak position, that it just comes off that way. Even though Vince McMahon is on record as saying he hates three hour shows, I would think the lost revenue from USA for that block of programming would put a dent in the coffers during a time that they really need as much cash flow in as possible. The Network is still building its sea legs and cable TV rights fees are still where the big money is... for now, anyway.
- And one last thought... if WWE decided to charge Network subscribers an extra $15 to see WrestleMania, how many would balk and how many would pay up? That should have been the model from the day one. You get all the PPVs except Royal Rumble, WrestleMania and SummerSlam. Those three would come at an additional premium. It would be tough to go backwards on it now, but you have to think they wish they had a mulligan on that one.
- Let Cam dance! They are undefeated! He is playing great! Enough already. And by the way, Andy Dalton still sucks. Way to puke on yourself at home against Houston, Ginger Snaps. And then his lame beef with JJ Watt made me hate him even more.
- Be sure to check out the all new Kevin Kelly Show, with guest Ray Rowe. Kevin talks about ROH's new TV deal, his future announcing for New Japan and this weekend's Survivor Series. Until next time!
Original publish date: 11/17/15
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