Biggest Disappointments
3. Ziggler/Bryan pushed then de-pushed - Both Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan won World Championships this year in spectacular fashion; Ziggler cashed in his MITB to a HUGE crowd reaction and Daniel Bryan defeated Super Cena cleanly to win the WWE Title. These were both fantastic moments from this past year but unfortunately, they didn't last long. Ziggler was quickly injured after winning the strap and lost the title while turning face only after two months of holding the title. Bryan defeated both Cena and Orton at back-to-back PPVs while winning the WWE Championship, but both titles reigns were less than 24 hours. After that, Bryan lost in his battle against The Authority and was placed in a program with the Wyatts. Ziggler, on the other hand, hasn't had direction since his World Title loss. It's really ashame because both of these guys are superbly talented and deserve to be and STAY in the top spots but aren't because of their size, not their talent. Bryan looks to be starting to gain stream again but time will tell if that's just to start with his rumored program with HBK or because they realize they need to capitalize on his popularity now. Ziggler is still without direction though, but we can only hope that something gives in creative that puts Ziggler back in the main events like he deserves.
2. Cena/Rock main event AGAIN!/Rock wins WWE Title, not even on Raw/Punk's reign ends - Once The Rock announced that he would be receiving a WWE Title shot at the Royal Rumble, speculation of a Cena/Rock rematch began. When it was confirmed that Punk would be defending against Rock, it looked like the rematch wouldn't happen at the Rumble, but again at Wrestlemania. Once Cena won the Rumble, it was all but confirmed that Rock would be taking the belt off Punk, which is of course what happened. We ALL knew the rematch was inevitable as long as The Rock stayed on good terms with WWE, but to see it happen was a little underwhelming. Don't believe? Re-watch the main event from Mania again. The crowd was pretty much taken out of it. I would've much preferred a Triple Threat with Punk/Cena/Rock but Punk had a fantastic match with Taker so I can't complain. While it was a great match, it didn't have the same energy as the first match. Rock and Hogan had a rematch, but it was on a smaller PPV, to build to Wrestlemania. Why couldn't they have just done that?
1. Titles unified on B PPV/Death of World Title - Randy Orton VS John Cena for both World Titles was one of the main events that I thought could end Wrestlemania XXX, simply due to the star power and the amazing build to the match. What we got instead was a rushed 3 week feud which led to a horribly boring ending, though it had steam the last Raw going into it. Why was this pushed up? The only real explanation I have is that WWE has battle main events in store for us. MUCH BETTER than Orton/Cena but only time will tell. The 2nd point is the death of the secondary World Title. The World Heavyweight Championship was like the starter World Title. Many guys held that championship first before going onto bigger and greater things, INCLUDING the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton. I hope down the line that WWE will split the titles again because it's going to be hard for guys like Ambrose, Rollings, or even a hopefully soon to be coming in Prince Devitt to succeed.
Best Things WWE Did in 2013
3. Tag Division - For the past couple of years, the tag division keeps growing and growing. Honestly, I remember when I could count all the tag teams in WWE on one hand but now, there seems to be a huge number of them. You have The Brotherhood, The Usos, The Prime Time Players, The Real Americans, Woods and Truth, Ryback and Axel, Harper and Rowan; the list goes on. It's really the most open division right now. And there are still more tag teams to be made in the future. Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards could come up and wrestle as a tag. The Ascenscion from NXT could make their debut, the options are infinite. What about guys who aren't doing anything wity a lot of potential, like Tyson Kidd, Fandango, Wade Barrett? This division is very exciting and will definitely be something to watch in 2014.
2. Year of the American Dragon - There was no other superstar as hot as Daniel Bryan in 2013. His Yes chants were heard all throughtout the year and even derailed a segment on Raw a couple weeks ago. He was in the tag team title match at Wrestlemania and fought for the WWE Title at SummerSlam. The kid just kept rising higher and higher and it's hard not to see why. His in-ring ability is top notch, he's exciting to watch and he's good on the mic. His promo with Cena where he called him a parody was probably his best work. He was also the guy to end The Shield's undefeated streak in 3-on-3 matches. He beat WWE golden boys John Cena AND Randy Orton in back-to-back PPVs and won the Superstar of the Year award as well. Unfortunately, creative wasn't always behind him, especially at the end of the year, but the fans won't stop chanting Yes at every arena. Daniel Bryan's popularity is insane and WWE needs to capitalize on it more in 2014.
1. Young Talent Rejuvenated - The youth really shined this year didn't they? The Shield DESTROYED everyone who came in their path. They defeated the Super Team of John Cena, Ryback, and Sheamus BEFORE Cena had a match with The Rock at Wrestlemania. Are you kidding me? If that doesn't show that the youth is coming through, I don't know what will. The Shield weren't the only youth to succeed as guys like Fandango had some spotlight for a bit, Swagger and Cesaro resurged by forming a team together, Michael...excuse me Curtis Axel was repackaged abd won the IC Title within a month of coming back, The Wyatts terrorized the WWE locker room and Big E Langston looks to be the next big man face of the company. With 2014 looming, will more youth come through? There are PLENTY of NXT guys just waiting to get called up and join the main roster. Adrian Neville maybe? Sami Zayn? Solomon Crowe? Who's going to be the next guy to get a break-out?
Superstar most likely to win 1st World Title in 2014
3. Bray Wyatt - Some people can't be repackaged correctly. The transition from Husky Harris to Bray Wyatt has been fantastic. Not since he first joined the main roster have I remembered that he was Husky Harris and that's a good thing. His gimmick is so bizarre, so creepy, so different than anything else WWE has right now so I'm really excited to see how far he gets. Wyatt hasn't really had a breakout one-on-one match and I hope he get that with Bryan eventually because that will determine IF he gets the eventual shot at the title. Bryan will bring out the best in Wyatt. Whatever wrestling skills Wyatt has will come out. Anyway, Wyatt will probably win the WWE World Title mainly due to his intriguing gimmick and size. I can't say for sure about his wrestling ability just yet, but don't be surprised if you see the guy holding that WWE Title or titles I guess sometime next year.
2. Cody Rhodes - To be honest, they kind of missed their opportunity with Rhodes plenty of times, most recently with this whole Authority storyline. Why couldn't Cody have been in Big Show's shoes? This guy should have held the World Title already. From his great gimmicks back on Smackdown, to feuding with Mysterio, to his eventual IC Title reigns, the kid has proven himself. And he's only getting started. Rhodes has the pedigree that says he'll be champion but his in-ring skills is what backs it up. Rhodes isn't the best on the mic but he's very fun to watch in the ring and can play either a heel or a face. The only thing holding him back is his size. Had Rhodes been 3 inches taller and 30 pounds heavier, I wouldn't even be typing this entry. Rhodes will win a World Title in 2014 due to his time in the company. It has to happen soon and why not when you have plenty of momentum?
1. Roman Reigns - Surprise surprise huh? When The Shield first formed, Reigns was the last guy I thought would win a World Title first. Ambrose and Rollings were proven guys from the indies, internet darlings even. Surely they would get the nod before a green rookie right? Wrong. Reigns has been on an absolute tear lately. He's the monster of the group and went as far as basically eliminating the whole opposing team at Survivor Series. 4/5 members from the other team ain't bad at all. There's really no reason WHY Reigns won't be World Champion in 2014. He has the look, the wrestling heritage flowing through his blood and the ability. This guy could potentially have a mega break-out year. The Royal Rumble will let you know how Reigns will do for the rest of the year, trust me. Do I smell 12 eliminations from the big man? The best way to capitalize on him is to turn him face and have him win at Wrestlemania in a Triple Threat against his other Shield members unless the rumored Goldberg match actually happens. Roman Reigns will be World Champion during 2014. It's not a question of if, but WHEN.
Best Matches of the Year
3. Punk/Cena - Raw - Winner faces Rock at WM - I've said it before and I'll say it again, these two guys are incapable of having a bad match with each other. They really pulled out the kitchen sink for this one though. I think what makes matches between these two so amazing are the storylines going into them. This felt like a PPV quality build for a Raw main event. Punk claimed Cena couldn't beat him, Cena put everything on the line, winner faces Rock in the main event for the WWE Championship; it really doesn't get much better than that. Everything about this match was great. The reversals, the outlawed piledriver, and of course, the absolutely horrible hurricanrana. It was symbolic though. Cena was willing to pull out all the stops to retain his right to face for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania. It was a sight to see. Cena won and of course won the title at Mania but not without having another classic with CM Punk.
GIFSoup
2. Bryan/Cena - SummerSlam - This was easily the match I wanted to see most in WWE since last year and their meeting was really inevitable. The hottest superstar since CM Punk against the top guy in the company for the richest prize in the business. Many say John Cena can't wrestle but he damn sure puts on great matches with guys who can. Bryan showed that he belongs in the main event with this match alone. One thing I like when two big faces wrestle is that they like to interrupt each move combinations. Like when Punk kicked Cena during the Five Knuckle Shuffle? Bryan did that to Cena. It's just nice to break the norm once in awhile you know? I loved the sequence from Cena's STF to Bryan's Yes Lock. It's just the little things that make me appreciate matches like this. How about Bryan's superplex to Cena, only to keep his legs entangled on the ropes so he could deliver a flying headbutt? Everything in the match flowed well and you could just fell the chemistry between the two. Cena stopping Bryan's running corner kicks with a haymaker of a clothesline was sick. The ending of the match is probably my favorite part just due to the unexpectedness of it all. I didn't expect Bryan to introduce a new move to beat Super Cena but he did and it was just as unexpected as Bryan beating a top guy like Cena. The rush, the build, the match. This is what pro wrestling is ALL about. 2014 needs to see the rematch between these two.
GIFSoup
1. Punk/Lesnar - SummerSlam - This was an absolute war. Leave it to Punk to give Lesnar his best WWE match since Wrestlemania XIX. These guys pulled out all the stops to even upstage the main event. It was just a hard hitting fight. Though it was a No DQ match, they barely used any weapons but they STILL managed to have a fantastic match. This is how David VS Goliath matches should be in WWE. This is the quintessential example of one right here. Punk willingness to not give up, even though he's throwing everything at Lesnar is admirable and makes you root for him. Lesnar has Heyman, which makes you hate Lesnar for just being associated with him. And add the fact that Heyman keeps interrupting, it just made for a good dynamic in the match. The ending was a brutal one, like most of Lesnar's matches since he's returned. A F5 right onto a chair. And it was landed PERFECTLY. It was the perfect ending to the brutal match. WWE couldn't have done it better. They struck gold with this match. Why there hasn't been a rematch yet is beyond me but hopefully these two gladiators meet again. Not at Wrestlemania though. I think we've had enough of the same matches happening at big PPVs correct?
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BOLD Predictions for 2014
3. Big Attitude Era Star gets inducted into Hall of Fame - The 1st person who is announced for the HOF is usually the class leader. Edge and HBK come to mind of big names who deserved their HOF ballots. With Wrestlemania coming around, it's almost time to see who will be the top ballot. With this being the 30th WM, it has to be a BIG NAME. Someone the ENTIRE WWE Universe knows. While Macho Man Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior are big names, I think a star from the Attitude Era will get the nod and man, are there still some major names left from this era. Triple H, Kane, The Rock, and Undertaker are still not in the HOF, mainly due them still wrestling on a part time basis. I think it's time to change that. I'm going to say The Undertaker FINALLY takes his rightful position in the Hall of Fame. He can't keep going forever so why not have his final match at Wrestlemania 30 WHILE getting the ultimate honor of being entered into the Hall of Fame?
What a Class this would be. Could match 2013's amazing class. Maybe...
2. Roman Reigns wins WWE World Championship - I've already sung the praises of Reigns and mentioned that he will win the World Title in 2014. I can't make that more clear than by saying it again. Roman Reigns will hold the World Championship in 2014. It doesn't get more blunt than that. With his size, look, and wrestling pedigree, it's bound to happen.
1. Wrestlemania card will feature current stars VS past stars - Wrestlemania 30 will feature the best from the past versus the best of today. Batista will return to challenge former Evolution member Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Daniel Bryan will clash with his mentor Shawn Michaels. CM Punk will continue to buck authority by facing his boss Triple H. John Cena will try and do what no man has done and end the undefeated streak of The Undertaker. If we're lucky, two massive titans of men will clash when Big E faces his father, sorry, Mark Henry. Yes, these are all very unlikely matches right now but how AMAZING of a Wrestlemania would it be to see all these matches?
What to look for in 2014
3. What acquisition will WWE acquire next? - WWE needs to acquire some talent from different companies. Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards are two potential guys coming over in 2014 but who else will join the biggest wrestling company in the world? Prince Devitt has apparently been on WWE's radar but he definitely won't show up until sometime after Mania. He's got a big match this January. Look him up when you have the chance. What about someone like Matt Morgan? Maybe even Adam Cole? Who knows? The sky's the limit.
2. Will part timers compete at other PPVs BESIDES WM? - Triple H and Undertaker are legends, no doubt, but they only wrestled at Wrestlemania this year. I understand the draw of the part timers so why not feature them on B PPVs? It would most certainly drive up the buy rates. Hopefully someone like Batista will be on the smaller PPVs as well. Triple H wrestling a couple PPVs after Wrestlemania would be best for business! And PPV buys!
1. Will WWE capitalize on Bryan's popularity? - The big thing to see is if WWE will pull the trigger on Bryan again. SummerSlam's buyrates were low and they blamed Bryan for that. I'm sorry, I guess he was wrestling HIMSELF in the main event. And his size doesn't help him either but the WWE Universe is solely behind Bryan and he's fantastic in the ring! Shouldn't that count for something? It doesn't as he only had two very short WWE Title reigns before being put in a program with The Wyatts. Bryan is the most over superstar in recent memory. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to do the right thing. PUSH BRYAN!
Superstar of the Year
DANIEL BRYAN
Was there really ever any doubt? The man had an absolute tear this year. He went from being in the tag team title match at Wrestlemania to the main event of SummerSlam. Bryan had many great matches this year from Cena to Cesaro. Put him in the ring with a broomstick and it would be great. No superstar has been as OVER as Daniel Bryan has been. It has been amazing to see him rise from NXT Rookie to WWE Champion. Nobody deserves the honor more that this man. Daniel Bryan has many great years to come in WWE and hopefully, WWE doesn't let his size distract them from his natural in-ring ability and amazing connection with the crowd.
Well, that's it. My 2013 in WWE post, condense version. Hope you enjoyed! Please continue to follow me all throughout next year and comments are ALWAYS appreciated! God Bless you all and have a safe and Happy New Year!
P.S. My 2013 in Video Gaming post in coming soon! Be sure to look for it!
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