The Spring/Summer should be used to test the waters out on new champions

[James]

You know a few years ago exactly after WM Jack Swagger was given the World Heavyweight title to see how well he could run with it. I for one thought it was interesting especially to see a pure wrestler hold the title, but his microphone made him kind of "not so good" according to others. I liked Jack Swagger's reign because it was new and different. I got tired of seeing the same people with the title(other than Edge and Jericho).

Where am I going with this? What I am trying to say is that WWE should take more risks from April to October. They should build new and upcoming stars. I wanted to see Miz with the title during the summer, but he got lucky to be the champion during the pick up months of WWE's season.

There are more guys that should be champions right now, screw Sheamus and CM Punk. I want something fresh such as Cody Rhodes or Dolph Ziggler. Nothing would've been more perfect than to have Dolph Ziggler beat Sheamus and hold the title over the summer. That way could get some experience with it for a little while(3 months), then WWE could see what mistakes were made. The next time he became champion it would've been a perfect run.

Even though The Miz has already been WWE champ like I said, I'd love to see him hold it over the summer. You have extreme rules, MiTB, Over The Limit, No Way Out, and/or Fatal 4 Way. You stack The Miz against all the odds at these events. He could be a paranoid champion especially thinking that someone will cash in on him. At Fatal 4 Way how could he win against some people like (Orton, Sheamus, Cena, Big Show, Jericho, CM Punk, Kane, etc). Extreme Rules, Miz isn't really hardcore so this would be another underdog event for him. There are waters to explore with The Miz, but they don't see this.

Cody Rhodes as champion is the ultimate goal to me. I'd love to see him have a nice 7 month reign(April to October). He has the skills, the looks, the heat, and the microphone. I feel like Cody Rhodes could be the first genuine Champion we've seen in a long time. Why do I say genuine? He comes from a family with talent, he is an all around superstar, he's dashing. Hell a good storyline could be putting him against superstars from other families(Ted, Randy, Goldust, etc).

Lord Tensai could've been a beast like Mark Henry, but they're repackaging him. I thought we would see him de-crown CM Punk and carry the title for a while. That is something I was looking forward to seeing.

Although The Swagmeister has been on a losing streak I feel like WWE could make him more serious and just ferocious as a champion again. That is all he needs. When he started slicking the hair over I was in awe because I thought they were gonna do something else with him. What could be interesting is he and Dolph Ziggler feuding over the title. Give it to Swagger and let DZ chase as a face because the crowd is really over with him. And just to add more damage to the situation have Vickie betray DZ and side with Jack. That was Swaggy will have the person he needs to speak for him. Or even have Jack and Jericho finish what they started. Heel V Heel would be cool for this. And Jericho can make anyone look good.

Hell even Christian could have another interesting run, but not as a face. Face Christian is boring.

But yeah I've always thought the summer should be the time to do things fresh and step away from the big stars. How else can you build new stars when you don't have anything interesting for them to do? Especially when you completely ignore your 2nd tier championships(Santino is still the motherfucking champion. At least Cody and Christian are keeping things interesting).

 

[DDelaware2009]

I like the spirit of your post but I think the folks at WWE are going with the right strategy and not trying to be overzealous in pushing certain talents. People are salivating to see Ziggler get a title run- perfect- keep dangling that carrot for the fans and the key is pulling the trigger at the right moment (something WWEs track record is not famous for but hey, trying to be optimistic).

Miz is a guy who desperately needs to refresh and go to Smack Down- not sure what he did to get in the doghouse but with the thin roster, can WWE really afford not to maximize all of its talent.

Cody Rhodes is a guy who people are fairly 50/50 on right now. I think he's not quite there yet. He's very, very close though. He needs a big face to put him over.

Cant say I agree though on Swagger and Tensai. Swagger is a great wrestler but his stock seems to be headed south- I hope they do something with him before he gets "future endeavored". And Tensai, another solid competitor but his character does nothing for me.

Overall the spirit of your post is something I think a lot of fans share the feeling towards. That said, an article went up yesterday on WZ saying the company is looking to go with CM Punk/Cena at SummerSlam, reason being they dont want a guy like Cena who is a top draw stuck in the 4th most-important feud (behind HHH/Lesnar, the WWE title, and the World Title). So essentially, if theres a logjam for a guy like Cena, think about where that leaves the Zigglers, Rhodes, Miz's of the world, plus Jericho, Mysterio, Orton, and Barrett all come back in the next two months.

If you want to point a finger, I say point it at the WWEs mindset of bringing back thugs like Lesnar for a one-off match that may sell PPVs but does nothing for the company long term

 

[JoeMallard]

Santino would be more interesting then daffy duck i mean cody rhodes being champion.............this whole fucking post is a joke just like the mods here

STUPID! They just need to feed Santino to Ryback. Unlike Santino, Cody Rhodes would make a great champion because he is interesting to watch and he can actually wrestle!!

 

[whoopin' ass]

problem is wwe just doesn't trust people now. wrestlezone mentioned that Orton will get a megapush when he gets back because wwe doesn't feel Sheamus can be the main babyface on Smackdown. they guy has been one of their main stars for a few years, when are they going to trust him? and is it really better to have someone who was suspended for drugs in that spot(no matter how you cut it, a wellness violation is for taking an illegal substance, i.e. a drug)?

wwe has become corporate. they can't have 3-6 months where business is down because they are establishing a new champ. before, didn't matter because they were planning 6-12 months down the road so they knew it would take time to build the person. in wcw, turner didn't care if they made any money so they could do the same thing. now, wwe is a company and companies need to make money all year round to keep the investors happy. they may try things with other titles, they may even try with the World Heavyweight title, but you probably won't see them doing any experimental with the WWE title. Right now would be the perfect time since most other sports are done, most tv shows are over for the season - ripe pickings to get a new audience with a new champ.

 

[whoopin' ass]

STUPID! They just need to feed Santino to Ryback.

they just need to get rid of Santino. nothing against the wrestler but the character is a joke. there is no way you can reinvent him and have people believe it. he is the EY of wwe and why they keep the US title on him is beyond me.

 

[DDelaware2009]

For those who are fans of up-and-comers like Dolph, your best hope is that once the WWE goes to the 3-hour RAW they stack RAW with alot of these returners and stop the "SuperShow" concept so TV time isn't taken up by veterans and guys crossing over to both shows

 

[H33LTurn]

1. Swagger had the worst championship reign in the history of the title.

2. They cant do this during the summer because with people vacationing and going out more often WWE is in a constant struggle for ratings. Its not a time when you take a gamble with someone. Dont you realize all the good rivalries happen during the summer? Cena/Punk, Nexus, Orton/Cena.

 

[BillNyeQuil]

To those of you saying it can't happen because WWE won't make enough money, I understand where you're coming from, but if they can work on getting back to a good wrestling entertainment product the money will tend to make itself a lot more. This idea is great in the aspect of developing characters who will last in the WWE. Real plots need to be written around more characters for fans to become more attached to what's going on. I get having larger story arcs, but the smaller stuff needs to at least have a little purpose to it too so that people don't become disinterested.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

1. Swagger had the worst championship reign in the history of the title.

Ha. Swagger's championship reign is far from the worst. Show me why it was so bad and I'll prove you wrong.

2. They cant do this during the summer because with people vacationing and going out more often WWE is in a constant struggle for ratings. Its not a time when you take a gamble with someone. Dont you realize all the good rivalries happen during the summer? Cena/Punk, Nexus, Orton/Cena.

JBL, Orton, Mysterio, Booker, and Del Rio are numerous examples of them experimenting during the summer months. Besides, Nexus was one of the best angles they had in recent memory and the title wasn't involved. You can have a good summer angle and still test waters out with new champions. Jericho/Michaels proves my point. They still had that angle going and tried Punk out as champion to see how it went. It's not going to be a guaranteed success each time but it doesn't hurt to try.

 

[cult_of_icecream_bar]

They actually do test new guys with titles on the start of a year for some years.2009 had hardy,2010 had sheamus,2011 had the miz and this year it was daniel bryan.even in summer they've tested new guys 2010 sheamus(once again),2011 had christian,henry,del rio and punk.So saying that they don't give newer guys the chance isn't right.And for your point,the only new guy good enough to wear the title is wade barrett.dolph can have a go.But rhodes needs to have some bigger feuds before jumping in the title pic.

 

[Headman]

Actually there should be no set time to test the waters on new champions. People just shouldn't get the belt until they've proven they're ready to carry it. No more taking chances on guys or putting the belt on someone to give them a rub. If you don't draw without the belt you're not going to draw with it.

 

[H33LTurn]

Ha. Swagger's championship reign is far from the worst. Show me why it was so bad and I'll prove you wrong.

It was insignificant. Its often forgotten, and it brought nothing special to the table. No interesting matches, the rivalries were bland, and thats saying something when the people involved in the matches were Punk and Mysterio. I know I'm not alone in this dude. Swagger's been a fail so far in his career, how you can even attempt to argue that is beyond me.

[/JBL, Orton, Mysterio, Booker, and Del Rio are numerous examples of them experimenting during the summer months. Besides, Nexus was one of the best angles they had in recent memory and the title wasn't involved. You can have a good summer angle and still test waters out with new champions. Jericho/Michaels proves my point. They still had that angle going and tried Punk out as champion to see how it went. It's not going to be a guaranteed success each time but it doesn't hurt to try.

All of these guys that you mentioned were established stars when they held the title. They were proven money makers. That a huge contrast from guys like Swagger and Dolph who have continuously failed to deliver on all the opportunities they were given the ball and told to run with it. Dont get me wrong, they're great athletes, but with WWE being on an all time low ratings wise and going into one of WWE's toughest seasons I think the titles should stay on guys who can rake the fans in.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

It was insignificant. Its often forgotten, and it brought nothing special to the table. No interesting matches, the rivalries were bland, and thats saying something when the people involved in the matches were Punk and Mysterio. I know I'm not alone in this dude. Swagger's been a fail so far in his career, how you can even attempt to argue that is beyond me.

1. He never faced Punk during his championship reign.

2. Swagger had good matches with Orton and Morrison. The only feud he really had was as champion was with the Big Show and do you really want to argue in favor of the Big Show. Only problem with Swagger was how he was booked after his reign, not the reign itself.

All of these guys that you mentioned were established stars when they held the title. They were proven money makers. That a huge contrast from guys like Swagger and Dolph who have continuously failed to deliver on all the opportunities they were given the ball and told to run with it. Dont get me wrong, they're great athletes, but with WWE being on an all time low ratings wise and going into one of WWE's toughest seasons I think the titles should stay on guys who can rake the fans in.

JBL was a midcard nobody before he had his gimmick change and feuded with Guerrero. Orton was just a pretty boy in Evolution and Booker T was fighting for the U.S. Title and feuding with the Boogeyman before he won King of the Ring. Those three have never proven to be money makers in the slightest but yet got their opportunities.

 

[H33LTurn]

1. He never faced Punk during his championship reign.

Heres a crappy tribute video of the match
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe492x_rey-mysterio-vs-c-m-punk-vs-big-sho_sport

2. Swagger had good matches with Orton and Morrison. The only feud he really had was as champion was with the Big Show and do you really want to argue in favor of the Big Show. Only problem with Swagger was how he was booked after his reign, not the reign itself.

When someone has a good championship reign you can easily point out a stellar match they had during that reign. Cena vs Edge was a good one, Cena and Punk last year is another, but no one match sticks out from Swagger's reign. Maybe there was one match, but who would remember from such a mediocre title reign? His main rivalry during his title reign was against the Big Show, that should be enough to tell you that it was pure crap.

JBL was a midcard nobody before he had his gimmick change and feuded with Guerrero.

JBL's gimmick change got him the heat required to be a great champion. And then to top it all off he was facing Eddie, another fan favorite.

Orton was just a pretty boy in Evolution

He was feuding with Flair and HBK prior to that as the legend killer. The match with Foley solidified him as a star.

and Booker T was fighting for the U.S. Title and feuding with the Boogeyman before he won King of the Ring. Those three have never proven to be money makers in the slightest but yet got their opportunities.

I know you did not just say that the 5 time WCW champion wasnt a draw. The feud with Boogeyman was just something on the sidelines to get Boogeyman over. Booker was a legend before ever holding the WWE WHC.

Also keep in mind that all these guys got their shot during a time in which WWE was doing pretty good. You cant compare the Ruthless Agression era to the "lets dump the US title on Santino for the lulz" era.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

JBL's gimmick change got him the heat required to be a great champion. And then to top it all off he was facing Eddie, another fan favorite.


He was feuding with Flair and HBK prior to that as the legend killer. The match with Foley solidified him as a star.

I know you did not just say that the 5 time WCW champion wasnt a draw. The feud with Boogeyman was just something on the sidelines to get Boogeyman over. Booker was a legend before ever holding the WWE WHC.

Also keep in mind that all these guys got their shot during a time in which WWE was doing pretty good. You cant compare the Ruthless Agression era to the "lets dump the US title on Santino for the lulz" era.

1. They put the strap on Orton and his face turn bombed. They did everything under the sun to try to get him over as a face but he just sucked at it and turned him heel six months later.

2. Booker T was a slightly better version of Kofi Kingston. Just a midcard title holder on Raw and Smackdown. The only time I'll put "Booker T" and "legend" in the same sentence is the one I just typed.

3. We're talking about the 2003-2005 era which sucked and had to have Cena bring us out of basically. People complain that Guerrero got the strap because Brock was leaving and there was no else. Same could have been said for JBL. 2004 was an experimental time for the WWE as they were waiting for the next big stars. Shit, I'll take this era over the Ruthless Aggression era so I won't be subjected to bad TV every week.

 

[thebarber]

1. Swagger had the worst championship reign in the history of the title.

Really??? Pretty sure Dolph Ziggler's reign was a hell of a lot worse, The Great Khali;s was freaking rubbish.......Swagger was refreshing, unexpected and entertaining, something we cannot say for Mark Henry's reign.

 

[Headman]

1. He never faced Punk during his championship reign.

2. Swagger had good matches with Orton and Morrison. The only feud he really had was as champion was with the Big Show and do you really want to argue in favor of the Big Show. Only problem with Swagger was how he was booked after his reign, not the reign itself.





JBL was a midcard nobody before he had his gimmick change and feuded with Guerrero. Orton was just a pretty boy in Evolution and Booker T was fighting for the U.S. Title and feuding with the Boogeyman before he won King of the Ring. Those three have never proven to be money makers in the slightest but yet got their opportunities.

As far as Swagger goes he went from jobbing in January to world champion in the spring. His booking as champion had nothing to do with it, because they basically put the title on a jobber and expected the stench of losing not to mention his natural awfulness to just be wiped away by championship gold. And then you point out Orton. Orton's first title run was a huge failure. It's not like they took a chance and it paid off. They took a chance and it bombed, but luckily Orton eventually grew into a main eventer. Not with the belt, but with actual improvement and a string of decent feuds without the title. JBL is a guy who got heat. That's all a heel champion has to do. You can't compare him with Jack Swagger because Jack Swagger didn't get heat. He didn't make his opponents look better. Nobody gave two shits about Swagger and that was the problem.

 

[TempestH]

For those who are fans of up-and-comers like Dolph, your best hope is that once the WWE goes to the 3-hour RAW they stack RAW with alot of these returners and stop the "SuperShow" concept so TV time isn't taken up by veterans and guys crossing over to both shows

I love Dolph and he is a talented performer, but he's one of the worst offenders when it comes to taking up TV time on both shows. Even Cena only rarely shows up on SmackDown.