As promised, here is Part 2, with Abhishek Sen weighing in with his half. He too is a hardcore wrestling fan, as will become obvious when you read this post. He also has his own blog, which you can read at http://scene-unsorted.blogspot.com. So here are his six suggestions for WWE in 2011:
GIVE US MORE OF TOUGH ENOUGH
As the Wrestling year started in April, Tough Enough was being promoted as the newest and next big thing in profesional wrestling. And it did not disappoint with contestants like Jeremiah, from an MMA background, Miss America Rima Fakih, 'Pretty Boy' Luke Robinson, Martin Casuas (personal favorite), & the eventual winner Andy Leavine. The best part of Tough Enough was that it showed what it took to become a professional wrestler. Even non-wrestling fans sat up and took notice at the conditioning, dedication and will it takes to perform at the highest level everyday. The star-mentoring was great, with appearances from John Cena, Big Show, Bret Hart, The Miz, & The Rock amongst others. But the real surprise package was Stone Cold Steve Austin, as the mentor for the contestants and the host of the show. I was a bit circumspect as to whether Austin could carry the mantle of being a reality show host, but he did it with the pure Texan aplomb that made him such a fan favourite to start with.
P.S. Booker T losing his shit with Ryan was a legendary TV moment.
BRING BACK THE MEGA-STABLES
I, for one, love the old school Mega Stables. Major stars, all in one group, under the tutelage of someone who is (or at least thinks he is the) best. WWE has been the home of some awesome stables. Evolution, DX, The Corporation, The Nation of Domination, The Ministry of Darkness, The Corporate Ministry are some of the names which come to mind when you talk of Mega stables. I guess stables are one of the best ways to build up stars (Case in point : Orton, Batista, Chyna, HHH, The Rock, Edge). For a company that has a major problem in starpower, this is one tried and tested method that is almost guaranteed not to fail.
TURN CM PUNK HEEL
This guy singlehandedly made wrestling relevant again. One promo in June was all it took to get the ball rolling and make wrestling fun again. Then HHH and his massive ego completely destroyed his momentum, but 2011 was the year of CM Punk. Firebrand promos, amazing ringwork and brilliant storytelling made this guy the best wrestler in the pro wrestling world in 2011. That being said, I personally feel Punk works best when he is despised. His militant straight-edge views, razor-sharp promos (refer to the Jeff Hardy feud) make him a wrestler fans love to hate. (Remember the segment of him & Randy Orton, in Orton's tour bus or his nefarious manipulation in the Rumble match last year) I would love to see him turn heel personally, though I know its not gonna happen. But it definitely will be a shot in the arm for a company who have a major problem when it comes to finding a Mega Heel.
PRESERVE THE SANCTITY OF SPECIALTY MATCHES AND DON'T USE THEM AS GIMMICKS TO MAKE NEW PPVs
One of my pet peeves, this. WWE has demeaned so many of the matches that were once legendary. Matches like Hell in a Cell, TLC and Extreme Rules were all matches which catapulted lesser beings to immortality and gave us many a 'Holy Crap' moment. I don't understand why the WWE (read Vince McMahon) has chosen to cancel many of the PPVs that the wrestling fans of the 90's grew up watching. Unforgiven, Armageddon, Fully Loaded, Bad Blood are some of the PPVs which come to mind when talking about the old PPVs. I shudder to think what would happen if Iron Man is made into a PPV! Plus, I think we can agree that the older PPV names were much cooler.
GIVE DOLPH ZIGGLER A ROYAL RUMBLE VICTORY
Another guy who had an amazing 2011. Great in-ring work, constant improvement on the mic, and Dolph Ziggler is fast becoming a guy who can draw genuine heat from the fans. The only logical step for the WWE is now to give him an opportunity in the main event. He has been a mid-carder for too long, and personally I would love to see him win the Royal Rumble this year. That would give the WWE a great chance in finding out if Ziggler has what it takes to carry the company. I would agree with my tag partner ADM, that we both see a little bit of Shawn Michaels in Ziggler. So I say give him the proverbial ball and let him run with it.
TURN JOHN CENA HEEL
This HAS to happen. Not only will it make for great TV, but it also will possibly save John Cena's career & credibility. WWE has screwed the pooch with Cena's booking over the past 18 months. He has been made to look like a superhuman, Hulk-Hoganesque, can-rise-above-any-adversity type of character. I completely understand that the WWE's demography has changed, and with the PG thing, it is trying to garner a more mainstream appeal. But they have to realise that Cena has over stayed his run as a face. Its more & more evident each & every week on Raw. I guess with the feud with The Rock at WM coming up, a heel turn seems imminent. But WWE has been changing storylines (or forgetting about them) for quite some time now. One of the best storylines in recent history was Hogan turning heel & forming the nWo. That defined a generatoion & set the tone for what was to be called the Monday Night Wars. With Raw's viewership falling consistently every week & PPV buys dwindling, this is the one change which needs to take place.
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