Royal Blunder

The Royal Rumble is a good picture of why the WWE is totally unwatchable right now.  The Royal Rumble was for the WWE World Title, which was kind of weird since the Rumble is usually used to help hype a main event for WrestleMania. 

So Roman Reigns enters first having to win against 29 other guys to remain champ.  Reigns is a not very well liked by the fans babyface champ that the company wants to put over.  Okay, we can follow this story.  How can you mess it up right? 

Well, you mess it up by continued use of people going back in after being eliminated and trashing still in the Rumble competitors.  I am fairly sure there was at least one instance of them actually eliminating a guy with no objection from the ref.  Crazy.  Worse.  You use the guys to beat up Reigns so bad they take him out of the competition.  NO KIDDING!  He spent the majority of the match resting backstage!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the chance to take the belt off of Reigns and help his status with the fans.  I can understand that they do not want Reigns getting booed as he has for the last few years being near the end, so I get it.  It says something the guy you want to have the title gets booed as a face, but hey, it is the WWE.  The way I would have done it is have HHH actively sending guys to the ring to try and eliminate Reigns.  He handpicks when the league of nations guys go in to fight Reigns.  When he thinks it is good, other guys go in like Styles and Owens and Zayn.  By the way the Zayn return to eliminate Owens was awesome.  As Reigns overcomes the odds and eliminates all HHH's guys, he takes off the shirt and hits the ring.  Finally after 50 plus minutes of actually being in the ring, he is tossed by the multi-time champ.  Who can blame Reigns for that loss.  And it might make us want to see Reigns vs. HHH in a straight up match.  With Reigns actually wrestling for 50 minutes many would have been impressed.  And yes, you could still do threw the table spots.  Have HHH whisper in Rusev's ear and as Reigns waits near the ropes for Rusev to enter the ring, Rusev pulls him out under the ropes by his feet.  Big outside the ring brawl ending in a table spot with no one coming back to the ring or breaking the rules.  Then they roll him into the ring and they try to get him over the ropes, but they can't.  Maybe Dean breaks up a toss out, or they have to fight a few faces off (maybe even tossing a few) before they can get to trying to toss Reigns and he stops it himself.  Something like that to make it believable and keeps Reigns in the match to show giving it his all.  As it was Reigns did some early work, took a beating went to the back and then returned refreshed.  It managed to get him to avoid Styles, Owens, and Zayn, but he could have had one of those time out moments where he and his foes are kind of down or isolated so those guys could shine. 

I am not a fan of having HHH as the champ.  It is sad.  You currently have on your roster, Owens, Styles, Zayn, Lesnar, and Ambrose (all of who are more over than Reigns and HHH).  You also have Samoa Joe on the NXT roster. 

In fact, I would have used Samoa Joe.  I would have him come up and win the World Title.  You need a heel to have the title and he is a pretty good heel.  Owens could have worked, but not after that brutal match earlier.  Plus Owens vs. Zayn needs a year long feud in WWE concluding with their WrestleMania moment, which should include the world title.  Anyway, Joe would be that energy and ratings boost.  He is pretty decent on the mic, so you can turn it over to him on Monday.  You could then go a few ways for WrestleMania.  It allows you to have HHH vs. Reigns as Joe vs. anyone would look good at Fast Lane.  Joe vs. Styles is a 5 star match waiting to happen, but probably needs more build up and you don't put Styles in to lose so fast.  Joe vs. Jericho could work.  If you bring Jericho back because you need big name guys in main events let him try to sell out one as the main event with the champ.  Joe vs. Ambrose could also work.  Joe vs. a soon arriving Nakumura is also possible, but lack of knowledge could hurt that match up.  Then if you still super desire to have Reigns with the WrestleMania moment as champ, Reigns vs. Joe would allow you to put over Reigns without long term damage to people you have been building up like Ambrose, Zayn, or even Styles. 

Either way a Rumble with the title on the line where Styles shows up, Zayn shows up, and Jericho participates should be a sure fire thing, but with an absent champ and HHH walking out on top makes for a sad, sad night. 

National Title change and Santana Garrett's future

There is a new National champ and it is John Saxon.  Saxon is an interesting choice.  He is big in LA and Mississippi, and pretty good on the mic.  I thought he should have had the World Junior Title last year when they decided to hand it on Steve Anthony (which was also a good choice).  So, I think he is a decent choice for a title run.  He won it at a Mid South show where there was a battle royal to crown a new champ.  I am unsure, but I assume this means Arrick Andrews is injured.

And Santana Garrett does not appear to be involved in the NWA in the near future.  She is touring Japan and then later India.  She does make some shows in Florida, which is disappointing that she does not have a NWA Signature Pro show in there, but it is all Shine and I Believe in Wrestling.  She does have a scheduled NXT appearance, but nothing following up that show.  The only possible NWA show she would be on in the Las Vegas CAC show, which would technically be a Pro Wrestling Vendetta show.  She is scheduled there for two shows, but the NWA is not the only promotion putting on a show there.  It would be a great place for a NWA Women's title rematch with Amber Gallows.  We will see as April approaches who her opponent is for that show. 

Wrestle Kingdom 10

This was a great collection of individual matches, the culmination of a great story and a crowning moment for Okada.  However, it is also a bad show.  Frankly, it is the Bullet Club.  They need to end.  Let me explain.

Great matches. I want to say that again. 

Skip the New Japan battle royal.  It doesn't matter.  The next match involves the Bullet Club members the Young Bucks and a title.  Cody Hall cheats and Bullet Club gains a title.  Second match involves the Bullet Club members Fale and Tanga and Takahashi and a new title.  Now we know Tanga's father is in the house, he was in the battle royal.  No cheating, and the Bullet Club loses.  Why the difference?  Then there is an ROH match on the card.  Cheating keeps the title on Lethal.  Moving on.  Bullet Club member Omega in a match to keep the title.  No cheating and Omega loses.  Next match involves Anderson and Gallows Bullet Club members escorted to the ring by Gallows's wife who is the current NWA Women's Champ.  No cheating and Gallows and Anderson lose the titles.  Why would the Women's world champ not help?  I don't know.  Another match no Bullet Club members, but cheating occurs.  This time the cheating fails.  Another title match no Bullet Club.  No cheating.  Good match.  Nakamura vs. Styles the leader of the Bullet Club.  No cheating and Styles fails to win the title.  Then you get the great main event.  No cheating in that by the way. 

So overall there is way too much cheating.  Way too much.  Especially for the biggest show of the year.  Three of eight matches involved cheating.  I don't mind breaking rules, but outside interference is over the top and should be kept to a minimum.  Still, I get it.  Bullet Club forever right?  Well, why don't they cheat every time?  They did to win the Jr. Tag Titles.  Why not cheat to win the Intercontinental Belt or to keep the Jr. Heavyweight title or to win the new titles?  There is no logic to it.  None. 

Also you can note in this that the Bullet Club lost when they did not cheat and won only when they did. 

New Japan does not need this.  As you can see from the Okada-Tanahashi main event they are just fine without it.  There are a lot of good wrestlers in this promotion.  And a lot in the Bullet Club.  Time to break up the band and let some of those guys fight each other now.  Styles does not need them to put on a great show or win.  Let Anderson and Gallows fight each other or go against the Young Bucks.  Plenty of stories in their break up.  But be done with this massive group that cheats, but then forgets to cheat too.