John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler's TLC Match Stipulation Should Not Surprise Fans

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John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler at WWE TLC.  We all pretty much saw that one coming, right?  But, John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler at WWE TLC with Dolph’s Money in the Bank briefcase on the line? That’s the part that maybe we did not count on, or were hoping was not going to occur.  But the truth is, it’s a scenario that was bound to happen.
Indeed, the moment the announcement was made on the Dec. 3 edition of Monday Night Raw, while it was surprising, it was also somehow expected.
Very expected.
At this point, Cena’s supporters would likely take that last comment to mean that I believe John just slid in and stole Ziggler’s thunder as championship contender.  So, that must mean I’m upset at the guy, right?
Actually, it’s not anger that caused me to write this piece, it was part disappointment, part curiosity.

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Let’s be honest here, the fact is that no one should have been shocked that Dolph was “forced” to put his contract on the line against Cena at TLC.  John is the top guy in the company after all, and despite the fact that he has spent the entire year that CM Punk has been WWE Champion merely chasing the belt, we all knew he would get back to it eventually.
We perhaps just did not know it would happen like this.
For the past few months, Dolph Ziggler has been doing what he always does: building his reputation. Week in and week out, he does nothing but get in the ring and perform.  Match after match, he brings everything he has and proves why he is one of the best hands in the company.

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He does not win every match.  His won/loss record at times is nothing to brag about.  But we as fans get so wrapped up statistics, in who goes over and who doesn’t, that sometimes we end up missing the point.
Ziggler is establishing himself in the ring and earning his stripes in the process.  While we sit back and analyze his matches and his direction, the way we do with so many other WWE Superstars, the better he gets and the more ground he gains.
So, time for the million-dollar question.  Has it all been for nothing?
The thought of Cena taking that blue briefcase away from Dolph is likely too much for some fans handle.  John is Mr. WWE, the man who always comes out on top, but to do it the expense of a younger Superstar who is still trying to grab that main event spotlight?

WWE Needs to Go Old School After CM Punk Injury Changes TLC PPV

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Now that the news has come down from the WWE, and most notably Vince McMahon, that CM Punk has suffered a knee injury that will keep him out of the upcoming TLC PPV, the WWE needs to go in another direction with its champion.
I may not be the first to propose such a move, but shouldn’t the WWE consider a wrestling tournament to decide who will carry the title toward the Royal Rumble and a match with The Rock, or possibly a match at WrestleMania?
In a statement released by WWE.com, McMahon states that his intention is to keep the title on Punk while he is heeling from his injury sustained Monday night.

“CM Punk will be in no condition to defend the WWE Title against Ryback at the TLC Pay-Per-View on Sunday, Dec. 16. However, Ryback does deserve a WWE Title match against CM Punk and will have the opportunity in the very near future.”

Back in the day when the WWF Title was upheld and "The Million Dollar Man," Ted DiBiase, “bought” the championship from Andre the Giant, it was a great thing for the company.  It also showcased stars that the company had within its roster who “had a chance” to win the most coveted title in wrestling.
A title tournament here makes so much sense and makes me question the WWE’s thought process with this unexpected injury.
The writers and management had to think on its feet to make Ryback an instant contender when John Cena was injured. This would certainly be one of those opportunities to prove they can come up with a great idea and stick to it.
The idea that Ryback is now in a six-man match with Team Hell No against The Shield does nothing to get me excited about the TLC PPV.
A tournament that could showcase The Miz, Ryback, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, John Cena and Wade Barrett gets me jazzed just thinking about it. And for once, and I am not trying to steal any of my fellow Bleacher Report F/C C.I.M’s thunder, going old school is the way to go.
It could also lead to a chance for Ryback to challenge Barrett or Ziggler in the final, or maybe we see Cena and Ryback fight it out for a chance to claim the title.
There are so many more options to choose from.
This is a more exciting way for the WWE to end the 2012 year on a high note and have a chance to prepare for 2013.
And if anyone is listening out there, since Punk’s timetable for his recuperation is still unknown, it also means that The Miz could steal the show and go into the Royal Rumble as champion.
Personally, the idea of The Miz vs. The Rock is a great get for the WWE.
After his performance the other night on Raw, it is proof that he could be the next big thing again and headline WrestleMania 29 (against Punk).

WWE Title Winner at Survivor Series Depends on The Rock

All Images Obtained From WWE.com

Deciding who is the favorite to win the WWE title match at Survivor Series is an extremely complex matter, since there is no definitive answer.
This is an extremely exciting prospect for all WWE fans as there can be a genuine debate over the merits each wrestler brings to the table, both in the imaginary world of the WWE and in the fickle world of professional wrestling booking. Every decision that has been made by the WWE over recent weeks has been carefully looked into, and fans are none the wiser to who will walk away as the champion.
Ryback looks to be favorite from a purely wrestling perspective, as the monster has torn through the roster and was only denied at Hell in a Cell because of crooked referee Brad Maddox. Yet his character is under-developed, which is makes his role as champion difficult to envisage, and the lack of credible challengers—after the way he has been booked—may cause additional issues.
John Cena could well slide into the role as champion after being away from the title for over a year. He has certainly beaten a number of top guys in recent weeks and has reformed his character enough that critics would accept him as champion once again. However, Cena is currently in the middle of a scandal angle with AJ Lee, Vickie Guererro and Dolph Ziggler and that would be heavily complicated by Cena being the champion.
The incumbent champion CM Punk looks the weakest on paper, having gotten away with the title—rather than holding onto it confidently—over the past couple of pay-per-views. He was also made to look like the fall guy at the end of Raw. Yet there are plenty of reasons to keep the title on Punk, who would pass the one year mark as champion if he were to retain the belt.

Punk is definitely the strongest heel left on Raw—despite being weakened over the last few months—and has plenty of opponents to go up against. He is also gaining a reputation of being able to get out of almost any situation, and this will be confirmed if he escapes with the title against both Ryback and Cena at the same time. These are compelling reasons to keep him as champion.
Ultimately, the decision over who will win the belt will come down to who the WWE wants to face The Rock in two months at the Royal Rumble.
This means the next champion is unlikely to be Ryback, who does not hold the esteem of his two more experienced opponents, although this does not completely rule him out of a title win. He could pick the belt up at Survivor Series and then lose it again at the Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view, but this would take away from his monster character significantly.
It is more likely that Ryback will be left out of the final decision at Survivor Series—probably as a result of some outside interference—in order for him to continue his development outside the title spotlight.
This leaves Cena and Punk, who are both legitimate candidates to face Rock. The most likely course of action is that one will face “The People’s Champion” at the Royal Rumble, while the other gets a chance at WrestleMania.
Rumors are circulating that Punk may be given the headline spot at WrestleMania 29, after holding the belt for so long, which does suggest that Cena will win at Survivor Series.
However main-eventing WrestleMania does not necessarily mean fighting for the title anymore. Taking on Undertaker and “The Streak” is considered a bigger deal in some quarters, while the man who gets to face a returning Stone Cold Steve Austin—if that ever happens—would have more kudos than any other wrestler on that show.

This would allow at least two big main events at WrestleMania—Punk against whoever and Rock verses Cena II— which would be even more lucrative for the company.
It is likely that this decision as to who should take on Rock is a dilemma that WWE’s officials are struggling with right now.
Of course the belt could change at Tables, Ladders and Chairs, but this is unlikely. The WWE will want some finality to the CM Punk verses Cena feud before reintroducing Rock into the situation, which means a singles rematch between the two wrestlers involved in the decision at Survivor Series.
So there is no certainty over who will win at Survivor Series, although it is almost definitely won’t be Ryback. The most probable winner will be CM Punk—surviving until the Royal Rumble—where he will get his legends payoff match against The Rock.
The one thing that can be said for definite is that this is exciting booking from the WWE as it has everyone guessing.

Steve Austin Says He’s Physically Able to Wrestle

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin appeared on Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Doug Mortman. The program airs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on Sirius 92 and XM 208 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., visit www.facebook.com/bustedopen for more information. Highlights from the interview are as follows:
Could he ever be medically cleared to wrestle again?: “It’s not even about being cleared. I’m 100 percent fine. Once I had my fusion done in 2000 and I went into the recovery phase and then got back in the ring, everything was fine and dandy. I was just running too hard towards the end and had a few issues. It was time to get out. Passing the physical isn’t the issue.”
Is CM Punk the only guy he would come back for to wrestle?: “I think John Cena would be a guy as well. I really like John. He is the face of that company right now and he has done a hell of a job and I got a lot of respect for him. You look at a guy like Triple H, that was one of my favorite guys to work in the ring with. Such a ring general and such a pro. Just an easy night at the office. Undertaker is kind of beat to shreds, kind of like me. Those would be a few guys off the top of my head. Would it just be CM Punk? No. I told you i would like to face John Cena. He is so impressive guy in the ring. he has done alot than any superstar in this Era. I like John Cenaand I have no problem working with him in the ring

WWE Survivor Series Matches Potentially Revealed

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Since 1987, the Survivor Series extravaganza has been an annual staple of WWE.
It started out as a Thanksgiving tradition featuring multi-man tag team competition, became synonymous with the "Screwjob" in 1997 and, just last year, it highlighted The Rock's return to in-ring action.
The 2012 Survivor Series, according to PWinsider.com, has the potential to be another memorable show built around the end of a historic rivalry between the two biggest names in WWE:

Local advertising in Indianapolis for the 2012 Survivor Series PPV is built around a tease for the end of John Cena's feud with CM Punk for the WWE title.
The verbiage also implied Ryback and Big Show would be captaining Survivor Series teams.

It seems logical that Punk and Cena would reengage their feud, which was left in limbo at Night of Champions 2012.
As many recall, Punk retained his title in controversial fashion off a double-pin-ending draw, which would have led to a final duel between the "Best in the World" and Cena at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
Of course, because of an ill-timed arm injury, Cena was shelved and replaced by breakout star Ryback, who has been amassing momentum with each passing episode of Raw.
Thus, because of Ryback's newfound popularity, WWE may decide to break off from its seemingly original plans as alluded to in the Indianapolis ad.
Such a notion is, in fact, gaining traction as the WWE creative team is strongly considering having Ryback unseat Punk's reign at Hell in a Cell (h/t F4WOnline.com).
As a consequence, the company could always provide closure to the Punk-Cena dynamic at another time, perhaps when the heel/face roles are reversed.
However, if the WWE brain trust is intent on maintaining its "linear" course, Ryback will likely have to settle for a feud with Big Show before realizing any WWE Championship dreams.

Backstage News On Ryback vs. CM Punk Finish At HIAC, WWE’s Feelings On Ryback’s Streak Read more: http://www.pwmania.com/backstage-news-ryback-vs-cm-punk-finish-hiac-wwes-feelings-rybacks-streak#ixzz2AVIrvYUe

WWE officials have decided on a finish for Ryback vs. CM Punk for the WWE Title at Sunday’s Hell In a Cell pay-per-view but the source adds that it could change between now and then, according to a new report from F4Wonline.com.
At one point, CM Punk was scheduled to win the match. The feeling was that of Ryback being undefeated and Punk’s run as WWE Champion, Punk’s streak is more important in the sense that they’re building to WrestleMania season with Punk, The Rock and John Cena. Punk going into the Royal Rumble as WWE Champion for one year will be better than him going into the pay-per-view after trading the title with Ryback just months earlier.
It’s believed that breaking Ryback’s streak isn’t the best thing for him but his run has never been built around being undefeated anyway. There’s a feeling that if Ryback loses at Hell In a Cell, as long as they go right back to pushing him super strong and have him run through everyone, he can be rehabbed.
It should noted that the source reported that the finish to the match had been changed again before being decided on. Meaning that both Ryback and Punk at one point have been penciled in as winning within the last four days. Word is that regardless of what happens at Hell In a Cell, Punk will be the WWE Champion going into his match with The Rock at Royal Rumble.

Read more: http://www.pwmania.com/backstage-news-ryback-vs-cm-punk-finish-hiac-wwes-feelings-rybacks-streak#ixzz2AVIUWsZe

WWE ’13: New Entrances, Signature & Finishing Moves (Videos)

WWE ’13: New Entrances, Signature & Finishing Moves (Videos)