Biggest Disappointments
5. Tag Division drops - When The Usos held the belts and were going against Harper and Rowan, the division was on fire. Those two teams had such amazing chemistry and the sky was really the limit. After The Usos dropped the belts, it just got kind of boring. Maybe because the Usos/Dust Brothers feud wasn't nearly as fun as the previous tag title feud but it just went down fast. It's not the worst thing of the year but it was annoying to see, especially after those AMAZING title defenses from The Usos. I was kind of hoping they would continue that momentum but hey, it's not their fault. It looks like the division is trying to do something again, with WWE putting the belts on the most over guy in company, Mizdow. They also have new teams such as A New Day and the hopefully more than one night team of Cesaro and Tyson Kidd. We'll see if 2015 is the year WWE can finally nail the tag division. I think I say that every year now.
4. Punk walks out - Punk leaving the company wasn't as bad as many would think. Sure, WWE lost one of their top guys but his departure paved the way for Daniel Bryan to get his Wrestlemania moment. I'm not going to dwell on this topic too much because I already did a whole post about it but with all the indy and international stars coming in, it sucks to see Punk gone. All of the guys coming up would have had fantastic matches with Punk. You can never rule out a return in WWE but for now, it doesn't look like we'll ever see him again. Punk's happy with his life right now so let him continue to be happy. WWE will go on without him and the stars will step up in his absence.
3. Cena forces Bray to start over - Bray Wyatt was one of the most successful stars of 2014. He feuded with just about every big star possible this year. Bryan, Cena, Jericho and Ambrose just to name a few. His feud with Cena put Wyatt over as a major game player for years to come. That was, until he and his family had to deal with Cena again, this time, after Cena was absolutely destroyed by Lesnar. WWE had to have Cena look as strong as possible heading into title rematch with Lesnar. So what do they do? They feed Cena the Wyatts! While the match was a 6 Man tag, things broke down and Cena went into super hyper mega drive mode and started giving each member of the Wyatt Family German Suplexes and Attitude Adjustments. It was disgusting. It was in that instant that I knew what was happening; Cena was squashing the Wyatts. And he did because WWE starting airing videos of the repackaging of the Wyatt Family on their own. Looking back on it, it's not the worse thing, as Wyatt came back into a much anticipated rivalry with Dean Ambrose, Rowan is getting a push and Harper won the IC Title. At the moment though, it sucked because I knew the three guys were better than that. It seemed to have helped each one of them though, especially Harper.
2. Lesnar wins title, holds it hostage - Brock Lesnar winning the WWE Championship was inevitable. He's the one behind 21-1. He had to get the championship to back up his shocking victory over The Undertaker. I was all fine and well with him winning. What I'm not fine with is the fact that he's only defended the title once and that WWE is going on like the title doesn't exist anymore. Sure, so far, they've been having great main events without it, like Ambrose/Rollins and the traditional SS match, but the main championship is STILL gone. I know that in the long run, it's best for business as they say, but the hurt is apparent now. Seriously. Roman Reigns will definitely look like a huge hero once he does dethrone Lesnar at Mania 31 but for now, it's a hard pill to swallow.
1. Injury Bug - Man, the injury bug hit where it hurt this year didn't it? There were plenty of injuries in the year, like BNB hurting his arm again thanks to Swagger RIGHT when he was in the middle of a resurgence. That really drained me, I can't lie. I'm a huge fan of Barrett's and it seems like the guy can't catch a freaking break. Roman Reigns' surprise injury surely shook the WWE to their core, seeing how this is the guy they're going to pass the ball too. Easily the biggest and most disappointing injury this year was that of Daniel Bryan. He was the hottest superstar in years. His title win at Wrestlemania XXX was epic and showed that WWE might just be changing their mind to guys who look like Bryan and then, he got hurt and we haven't seen him wrestle since. It sucks SO MUCH because you have guys like the NXT 5, Rollins, Ambrose, Wyatt, etc that are all coming up that could've used Bryan as inspiration to move up. It's more likely with a guy like Bryan being champion to succeed than with Super Cena carrying around the championship. So yeah, injuries suck and dropped the year a bit for WWE. Guys like Bryan, Reigns and Barrett all missed this Authority storyline, which Bryan and Reigns were actively fighting. It's a bummer but that's what happens in the business.
Best Things WWE Did in 2014
5. Cena squashed - I like John Cena. I like that he's always there for WWE, wrestles while injured and will occasionally lose to a younger star. I'm not a diehard fan of his but I'm not the rabid hater I used to be of him. I've come to accept that he is John Cena, the face of the franchise and I'm actually one of the few that can't wait until he gets past Flair's record of 16 World Titles. Wait until I tell my kids. Anyway, that's why his complete squash at SummerSlam was so refreshing. For years, Cena has been beat up by heels. Guys like Umaga, Miz, The Great Khali, the list goes on and on. Cena would take the punishment only to come back to win in the end with his signature 5 Moves of Doom. Not this time. Lesnar hit a F5 within SECONDS of the match starting. It was crazy. He then proceeded to throw Cena around the ring. And he did it again. AND AGAIN. As Heyman puts it, SUPLEX REPEAT. SUPLEX REPEAT. SUPLEX REPEAT. It was a massacre and I loved every bit of it. Was it a good wrestling match? No, but it was a very different main event than we were used to seeing and you know what? I liked it. It capped off a beautiful SummerSlam, which may be the best PPV WWE has had all year, besides big brother Wrestlemania. While I don't want to see a squash type of match when Reigns faces The Beast at Mania, it was nice seeing this type of main event once.
4. Mizdow - When Damien Sandow won the Money in the Bank in 2013, I thought it was a huge mistake. I would have been fine with anyone else winning that match, except Swagger of course. There were just too many other guys in that match that deserved it more, like Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett. Regardless of the decision, I was looking forward to him being World Champion because I'm all about the youth of the company. Sandow, unfortunately, tried cashing in on a just returning from injury John Cena, who won the World Title the night before. It didn't look good for Sandow. He lost the match and his career had been on a downward spiral since. He started doing various impersonations of superstars and then he struck gold. The Miz was coming back to WWE and his new gimmick was a Hollywood one since he filmed Marine 4 in his absence. Miz being so vain needed a stunt double and in comes Damien Sandow, who changed to Mizdow. The guy is one of the greatest things about Raw each week, simply because the gimmick works. Anytime Miz is hit, Mizdow acts it out, even if it means flipping off the steel steps to do it. It's amazing to watch. The gimmick even landed Mizdow his first title in WWE, the Tag Team Championship with The Miz. Eventually, Mizdow will get tired of it all and probably end up facing Miz at Mania but until then, let's just enjoy the magic that is Mizdow.
3. Pulled trigger on Bryan - If you watch the Royal Rumble again, you'll see the fans clear disapproval of Daniel Bryan not being included in the Rumble and their obvious disdain of the winner Batista. They made it known that the most popular superstar should be in the main event of WrestleMania. WWE played the job of devil's advocate very well and kept Bryan down every chance they got. Fans wanted him in the Rumble, they have him lose to Wyatt. Fans pull for him to win the Chamber, they hold him down again. He wants in the main event of Mania? He has to defeat The Game to get the spot. It was all leading up to one of the biggest and most satisfying payoffs in WWE history. Bryan went on to defeat 75% of Evolution in one night to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. A true and utter miracle. If Bryan kept to that great pace, who knows how the rest of the year would have went? I know he would've ran straight into The Beast Lesnar, but about him and Cena and the whole Authority storyline? It's an interesting what if. Anyway, WM 30 kept with tradition. Any Wrestlemania that ends in 0, excluding 2000, had the guy who worked the hardest in the company win the big one in the main event. Bret Hart at 10, Chris Benoit at 20 and now it's Bryan at 30. He definitely deserved it.
2. WWE Network/NXT - I know the network had its share of problems. I watched WM XXX on the thing so I know first hand. It's still an amazing value for WWE fans. $10 a month and you get all the on demand content you want and all the events. I don't even care if the events are bad anymore because of the value that I'm getting them for. There have been some stand out events with the network though. Wrestlemania was good, SummerSlam was a fantastic show and Hell in a Cell was the sleeper event of the year. Easily the best thing about the network is the inclusion of NXT. NXT is the best thing WWE has going. The live specials have all been spectacular. They only had 4 but each one was special. The first one showcased that NXT was here and a serious brand of WWE. Takeover showed the true wrestling ability of stars. F4W showed they could handle multi man matches and R Evolution showed that NXT IS the future of WWE. The NXT 5 were all on display and will lead the WWE into a new day. NXT continues to prove that while the main program may be filled with a lot of sport entertainment, WWE still knows how to put on wrestling matches. NXT will be the best thing going in WWE in 2015, mark my words. If you watched NXT R Evolution, you know I'm telling the truth. It was easiest the best show WWE has put on ALL year. From the beginning to the end, the show was fantastic. From Owens' amazing debut, to Balor's FANTASTIC entrance, to Charlotte and Sasha stealing the show to Zayn finally reaching the mountain top only to be attacked by Owens, it was all awesome. It was a show MADE for wrestling fans. This show only enforces my claim of NXT being the biggest thing in 2015. NXT needs a presence on WWE PPVs to simply make them better and to expose the rest of the WWE Universe to how awesome this brand is. The 200-300 people in the crowd sure loved it and I'm sure if others got to see it, they would too. I feel bad for the main roster guys who had to follow R Evolution. It's almost not fair. With all the original content, hours of on demand shows, ALL of WWE's PPVs and their ace in the hole, NXT, the WWE Network will be just fine.
1. The Future - Wrestlemania XXX was the start of looking ahead for WWE. A lot of the younger talent in the company were in big spots. Cesaro's win in the Battle Royal, The Shield's impressive display, Wyatt's career defining battle against Cena and Bryan's victory over The Authority were all signs that WWE were perhaps finally prepping for life after John Cena. It didn't stop there as NXT started to get exposure thanks to the WWE Network and with more eyes now focused on the brand, major signings started to take place. Guys like KENTA, Prince Devitt and Kevin Steen all signed to the WWE's NXT brand with the intention to bring them up to the main roster. They join other stand out talents Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville and are now dubbed the NXT 5. 5 of the brightest stars in the world are now under the same brand in WWE. Combining all of these players together and you really have an interesting future. It's going to be awhile before all of these guys are on Raw but it's going to be awesome waiting for them to debut. The future is only going to get brighter. Reigns is all but confirmed to win his 1st World Title at Wrestlemania 31 and after that, change begins. It's like WM 21 all over again. I'm looking forward to all the possible mega match-ups in the future, like Reigns/Ambrose/Rollins, Reigns/Wyatt, Owens/Zayn, Devitt/Bryan, Neville/Rollins, Cesaro/Itami etc. There's SO MANY great main event matches in those guys. And they aren't the only stars left. You still have plenty of other great guys like Corbin, Dempsey. English, Gotch, Kallisto and not to mention the great Divas of NXT. I'm literally salivating to see Charlotte and AJ or better yet, Aj/Paige/Charlotte. The company has the stars to make this the best wrestling company in the world. And with NJPW coming to American TVs in 2015, you best believe it's time to step it up a notch.
Biggest Surprises
5. NXT being the best thing around - When I ordered the WWE Network in February, I knew of NXT by name only. I would read the live results and I did watch one show on Hulu around this time last year but I wasn't an avid fan of it. When they announced the live special NXT Arrival, I was quite curious as Paige was wrestling on the show and so was Neville, who I read plenty about but never saw wrestle. I watch Arrival and liked it, but wasn't sold fully on it. That changed after NXT Takeover. All the main events delivered, especially the Kidd/Neville match. It was a wrestling masterpiece and after that, I became a weekly viewer. I read the results and STILL watched the shows. The last two live events aired the same weeks as WWE PPVs and both ended up being better than the PPV that followed it. I read a comment online that said NXT R Evolution was basically the Wrestlemania of NXT and it's hard to disagree. Everyone was on their best game that night and I know many will probably disagree, but Sasha and Charlotte had the match of the night for me. NXT showed that the future is bright and that no matter what division you like, the future has you covered. Will it transition well into the main roster? Time will only tell. It's unfortunate that WWE's main roster can only dream of putting a card like R Evolution but it shows that the main creative team has a lot of work to do to match NXT.
4. Batista's return bombing - They announced Batista's return to Raw in December last year and to be honest, I was looking forward to it. I've always liked Batista's in ring work and his natural big match dynamic. When he finally returned, it was nice but you could clearly see being out of the ring for 4 years did not help him at all. Then came the Royal Rumble and the rest is history. Batista was heavily booed that night, to the point where the crowd cheered for Reigns to win the Rumble while being heel. It was not to be as Reigns was thrown over the top after a great performance. The crowd in unison disagreed with the decision and proceeded to boo Batista out of the building. though he returned as a face. Batista ate it up after the Rumble went off the air, mocking Daniel Bryan and giving people the middle finger. He's very good at drawing heat. Anyway, the dream match of Orton/Batista at WM that Triple H thought up was then changed to a Triple Threat that saw Batista tap out to Bryan. Batista didn't really do anything well in his return, except winning the Rumble and letting Bryan go over him. With the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, it's unlikely that we'll see Batista back in awhile. Ah well. WWE tried and they failed with the return of the Animal much to my surprise.
3. Rollins turns heel - Everyone knew that The Shield would end in 2014. It's just one of those inevitable things that happen in pro wrestling. When they split though, everyone thought it was going to be because of Ambrose who, out of the three, just had the natural heel look and feel about him. We were all wrong. After The Shield's sweep of Evolution at Payback, Rollins showed his true colors and turned his back on his Shield brethren, starting one of the greatest runs of the year. During this time, he won the MITB briefcase and main evented 3 PPVs in a row. Rollins turning heel did wonders for his career but it also provided that shock value that WWE doesn't always hit on. It was sad to see The Shield disband but all three members are better from it. Rollins is obvious, Ambrose is basically one of the top faces of the company and Reigns is a couple of months away from ascending to his rightful throne. WWE couldn't have written the Shield's exit any better.
2. Signing of international stars - WWE has a great roster, there's no denying that. From longtime company man John Cena to Internet darling Daniel Bryan, they pretty much have every fan in mind covered. They continued that trend in 2014. WWE signed three international stars to their developmental brand NXT and I couldn't be happier. First, they announced KENTA, now given the name Hideo Itami, was coming to WWE and they did it in grand fashion by having none other than Hulk Hogan himself introduce the signing of him. If you have Hogan endorsing you, you have to be a big deal. Itami will add the style that Punk brought as Punk basically fashioned many of his moves after Itami. Maybe we'll see the GTS from Itami at one point. Itami was only the start because WWE also go Prince Devitt to come to NXT under the name of Finn Balor. Out of all the people signed to NXT, Devitt is the one I'm most excited about simply because I know what he's capable of. I followed this guy when I was watching NJPW. He immediately caught my eye and then he turned heel and formed the Bullet Club. It was interesting to see after being a fan favorite for such a long time. Anyway, I always wanted him in WWE and I'm getting my wish. The last guy they signed was Kevin Steen, now under the names Kevin Owens in recognition of WWE and Canadian great Owen Hart. Owens is the most intriguing. He's a bigger guy that WWE likes but he's agile as anything. It's a very interesting mix of styles. So in one year, WWE got big stars from Japan, Ireland and Canada and they're all considered the future of WWE. I can't wait to see how they all pan out.
1. Eat, Sleep, Conquer, Repeat - Taker's streak ends and Cena gets squashed - The Undertaker's Streak was like a given at WrestleMania. No matter the circumstances or who he was against, you knew he would win because he was The Undertaker and losing at Mania was kind of wrestling blasphemy. Well, Brock Lesnar brought everyone to reality this year. After 3 F-5s, the legendary Streak of Undertaker was broken. The fans were all shocked, I was shocked, it was an amazing moment. Now, as of December 2014, I don't understand why Lesnar OF ALL PEOPLE ended the Streak but like I said earlier, with Reigns looking to dethrone Lesnar at Mania 31, it makes sense. I certainly don't see why they could have had a younger guy just end it and push them that way. Ah well. Lesnar didn't stop there. After that, he rightfully got a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and then won it in convincing fashion. He destroyed Cena and as Cole said, it wasn't even close. Lesnar's complete dominance over WWE's elite made him look like a complete monster and whoever does beat him, will look like a complete savior to the entire WWE. Don't mess this up Reigns.
Superstar most likely to win 1st World Title in 2015
5. Rusev - Rusev hasn't been defeated by pinfall or submission in 2014. Yeah, not once. He's on that Umaga/Khali tear of the WWE right now. If those guys are anything to go on, you can be sure Rusev will get a title match sometime in 2015. And he should. He has the look, the attractive mouthpiece and a hard hitting style. I don't know about you but I love Rusev's in ring work. He's got a nice move set and he moves around the ring like a lightweight. Rusev is rumored to be facing Cena at Wrestlemania 31 this year and I'm looking forward to seeing the match. It will put Rusev in the main event scene and I'm sure he'll give Cena a fight. He's another guy that will prove a worthy foe to Reigns and their battles should be memorable for all. A World Title reign all but inevitable for him.
4. Dean Ambrose - In wake of all the injuries to top faces of the company, Ambrose really stepped up as the #2 face near the end of the year. He's got the anti hero gimmick that everyone loves and no regard for his own safety. He likes to hurt people and the fans just eat it up. With the gimmick comes losses as Ambrose hasn't won a PPV match since The Shield broke up. Ambrose also has a smaller frame, which we all know the WWE is not in favor of. Despite that, I still think due to his in ring skills, feisty promo work and support of the WWE Universe will be enough to let him hold a World Title one day.
3. Bray Wyatt - Wyatt has already feuded with former World Champions for most of 2014. He proved in those feuds that he could carry the top belt of the company. Out of everyone on this list, Wyatt has all the tools needed to succeed. He's proven he can go in the ring, putting on great matches with Bryan and Jericho, His gimmick feels the void of not having The Undertaker around and his promo skills are the best of any of the future stars. Wyatt will definitely prove to be a worthy adversary to golden boy Reigns when the time comes and their feud will probably be THE feud of the new WWE generation. During said feud, I'm sure Wyatt will capture gold at least once. After his stellar 2014, I don't see a reason why he wouldn't.
2. Seth Rollins - This is a pretty obvious one. Rollins is the holding onto a guaranteed title shot with the MITB briefcase so him winning the championship is all but a given. I don't think they would have built the guy up as the top heel of 2014 to only let him be the 3rd guy to lose it. The only thing is the timing of it all. Reigns will win the belt in March and Rollins has until June to cash in. That's going to be a short reign for Reigns. Regardless of title reign lengths, Rollins' title reign is coming.
1. Roman Reigns - It's not much of a prediction, more of a spoiler. Reigns is penciled in to face Lesnar at WrestleMania 31. Lesnar is the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and probably will be at Mania. One would think that Reigns wins the Rumble and then finally wins his 1st World Title at Mania. I mean, who else could beat Lesnar? Who else would stand with him in the main event? It writes itself and WWE is high on Reigns. Reigns winning the belt will start a new era for WWE. It starts the era of stars like Reigns, Wyatt, Cesaro, Ambrose, Rollins and the NXT 5. Reigns is the start of it.
Best Matches of the Year
5. Charlotte VS Sasha Banks - NXT Takeover R Revolution - The best women's match from WWE all year, hands down. These two ladies went all out for 12 minutes, which is like triple the amount of time they would have gotten if they were wrestling on Raw, Smackdown or a PPV. The reason I liked the match so much was because of the build. It was a 3 month in the making match that started at the last NXT event. They built Sasha up like a strong contender for Charlotte's title and Charlotte like a strong champion. The match could have gone either way. The match itself was amazing. It was hard hitting, intense and a nail biter. Sasha played the heel very well, mocking Ric Flair and even stole Charlotte's Figure Four Headlock. Sasha even did a suicide dive to Charlotte! Are you kidding me? Even the way the match ended was epic, A Natural Selection from the top rope! Everything about this match just clicked and lined up for a fantastic match between the two and to be honest, it was my favorite match from NXT this year. Way to go ladies.
4. Dean Ambrose VS Seth Rollins - ANY of their matches - When two guys can have 3 really great and distinct matches, you know you got something good on your hands. That was the case of Rollins and Ambrose this year. These guys waged war in a Lumberjack match, a No DQ match and a Hell in a Cell match. Each match was entertaining and provided memorable moments. In the Lumberjack match, could could forget Ambrose's crazy dive in Rollins AND all the Lumberjacks? It made for the best Lumberjack match WWE has ever put on. How about the night after in the No DQ match and they did the Superlex onto all the chairs? Who else is taking bumps like that in this era? And who could forget the double table crash at HIAC? The best bump of the year hands down. And each match they had was competitive! Either could have gone to Ambrose or Rollins. This is easily going to be a great wrestling feud over a World Championship one day.
3. The Usos VS Harper/Rowan - 2/3 Falls - Battleground - These teams have amazing chemistry and made me care about the tag division again. They met each other blow for blow. Usos do a dive, Harper matches with his own dive. Usos hit a big move, Wyatts come right back. It was a perfect picture of what the tag division could be like if they just have teams put on matches like this. There's really not much more to say. These guys went all out and knew each other move for move. The double splash finish was incredible and showed that the Usos really needed to go all out to put these two monster away. This is tag team wrestling done right. Fantastic encounter between the two teams.
2. Daniel Bryan VS Bray Wyatt- Royal Rumble - This was Wyatt's first big one on one match on PPV. He fought Kane in that Inferno match but this was completely different. Bryan was super over at this time and for Wyatt to face him at the big event was good for Wyatt's career and set up his feud with Cena perfectly. This is Wyatt's defining match. It showed he could hang with the big boys and that he is one of the future stars of the company. It was the perfect way to start the new year of PPVs. Bryan really made Wyatt look good. Best part of the match was definitely when Wyatt caught Bryan for the Sister Abigail into the ring barricade. It was an excellent reversal to a move Bryan does frequently. Wyatt eventually won the match of his life and went onto to feuding with Cena but without Bryan, it wouldn't have been possible. Fantastic match up and along with Bryan/Cena, this is a match I want to see again on PPV.
1. The Shield VS The Wyatt Family - Elimination Chamber - Where to start with this one. It's really telling that at the end of 2014 all 6 of these guys are solo now and it works solely because of what these guys did here. The Wyatts VS The Shield wrote itself. The WWE had two 3 man stables, both dominant in their own way. It was the dream of the WWE Universe to see these guys collide in the ring and somehow, we got it. It didn't disappoint like I thought it would and turned out to be the match of the year. You know you got something amazing on your hands when the crowd chants, 'This is awesome' even before the first blow is thrown. The match was a war, exactly what you'd expect from two groups. All the spots were great. The double flapjack to Rollins was sick and the ending was even better. Reigns fighting back and then being grounded by Wyatt was symbolic of what's to come. That's the next top feud right there and we better get used to seeing them. Reigns taking the fall for his team didn't hurt him in the slightest but the win for Wyatt was everything. He had Super Cena to prepare for and he needed it. Anyway, it was a fantastic match and stood out because it not only lived up to the hype, but showcased the talent of each guy in the match who will definitely be representing the future of WWE. The rematches are great as well, especially the 2nd match. That boot to Ambrose and the suicide dive to Reigns onto the table, MAN. I knew this was match of the year when I saw it and nothing else could top it in the coming months. Truly an amazing match. The images won't do the match justice. GO WATCH THIS MATCH.
BOLD Predictions for 2015
3. Ziggler resurgence - Ziggler had a great 2014, ending in a great ladder match to win his 4th IC Title. As a fan of Ziggler's, I want to see more from him. He has amazing in ring skills, great mic skills and has already has exposure to the main event. With the current crop of superstars coming in, he fits right in. So, here's the prediction; Ziggler will rise to fame again. He will get back into main event form which will lead him to a WWE World Heavyweight Title match. Ziggler against any of the NXT 5 spells Match of the Year so it makes sense to put Ziggler back in the spotlight for when future does start to take shape. Plus, he's super over. Anywhere they go, he's loved. We could be seeing the next Daniel Bryan type of pops for him. Speaking of Bryan, I would LOVE to see Ziggler/Bryan one more time. I've been craving a match between the two since their epic encounter at Bragging Rights all those years ago. So yeah, Ziggler will be back in the main event, where he rightfully belongs, which will lead to a World Title match. Maybe not a reign, but definitely a match.
2. An all Shield Rumble - Since breaking up, all 3 of the Shield members haven't been exposed to one another, which is a good thing. Sure, we got Reigns/Rollins briefly and of course Ambrose/Rollins but all three haven't come together since the break up. So here's the prediction, what if those guys had a showdown at the Royal Rumble as the last 3 guys in the match? With Cena busy with Lesnar and NO ONE else but Reigns looking likely to win, it makes sense. I would personally cheer for this as I'm sure many of the WWE Universe would as well. I think it would be a nice touch, especially if Reigns is going to win it. Hopefully Wyatt is apart of the Final Four...
1. NXT's success - NXT will be the greatest weapon WWE has on their network in 2015. Why? If you haven't been reading the rest of the post, let me enlighten you. The future of the company is there. In 2015, a feud that has spanned different federations will write its next chapter in NXT as Zayn/Owens will be the focus rivalry for the first half of the year. Also, you still got Neville for a bit until he gets called up and not to mention Balor and Itami who will be around for a bit. Lord knows who else will be coming in 2015. Anyway, NXT will be the best thing in WWE. What I'm predicting is that NXT will get more focus on the main product. Maybe a NXT Title match at Wrestlemania, some NXT guys in the Rumble, and a full blown WWE VS NXT feud at a PPV, maybe SummerSlam. After R Evolution completely upstaged TLC, there has to be some battle lines drawn. What better way than have the guys compete? Zayn/Cena would be an interesting match-up and would once again be like Cena's previous battles with indy stars. Anyway, if you don't watch NXT, do yourself a favor and check it out. When it looks grim and WWE is constantly putting on crappy 3 hour shows each Monday, give a hour to NXT on Thursday to remember that change is coming soon.
What to look for in 2015
5. A better Women's division? - Just as NXT has great male superstars, they also have a line of great female talents. Charlotte is the leader of the pack. The daughter of Nature Boy Ric Flair is no slouch in the ring and has been defeating every person in her path. She's a great ring technician and her matches with Natalya and Sasha Banks are her finest work this year. Bayley is the lovable loser of NXT. She's adorable and fun to watch. Sasha Banks has the heel persona down to a science. The way she carries herself, talks and performs all scream top heel Diva and after R Evolution, I'm fully convinced of her in ring skill. She was with Charlotte every step and gave her the fight of her career. And I must say, Sasha is definitely my newest crush....not important but with those 3 women alone will give depth to the women's main roster. You have others like Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss and Carmella who haven't proven themselves yet but in due time, they will be the ones featured on NXT's live events. If they can just transition the hard hitting style of NXT to WWE's women division, they'll be alright. Just looking at Sasha/Charlotte for R Evolution and AJ/Nikki from TLC clearly show there's a distinction in styles. They need that hard hitting one to succeed.
And yes, I will now use this time to show off some of these women...
Crushing hard right now....
4. More acquisitions? - Though WWE is on the right track with their talent pool in NXT, there are still PLENTY of guys wrestling in ROH, TNA, NJPW and even Lucha Underground that fit right in with that crop of guys. I've been hearing a lot about Adam Cole from ROH. I've never seen his work but he's from Ring of Honor and that tells me everything I need to know. Most of the guys I like now where in ROH so he must be one of the best. What about The Young Bucks? I know they were used wrongly by WWE before but they would do well in NXT. Kenny Omega is another guy like Devitt. The Wolves had a tryout match in NXT already! How didn't WWE get those guys! As you can see, there are plenty of guys still worth getting. The NXT 5 can only be in NXT for so long before they are needed on the main roster. They'll need another group of guys within a year's time to continue to carry on the greatness of NXT. If WWE could get Adam Cole, Kenny Omega, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards and maybe Roderick Strong and you got another group of fantastic indy stars who will carry NXT to a bright future. Even if they don't get all of those guys, they definitely better get Omega. The guy is pure gold.
3. Retirement of Taker? - The Undertaker lost at Wrestlemania this year. It's happened. He looked bad in the match and his age is starting to show. There's nothing left to prove from Taker. It's time to officially announce a retirement and take his rightful spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. Taker deserves his own section after all these long dedicated years to WWE. I know there are some rumors of Taker getting a match with Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania and that would definitely be a top match in 2011 but unfortunately, it's past. And Wyatt would look weak if he lost to Taker and I'm sure they wouldn't have Taker lose in back to back Wrestlemanias. The Undertaker has had a storied career in WWE. It's time to close it.
2. Changing of the guard - A dawning of a new day is coming in WWE. This is the first time in awhile where there are a lot of superstars right on the brink of breaking up. You have Seth Rollins, who became the top heel in the company. You have Dean Ambrose, who has become the lovable hero who always loses. You have Bray Wyatt, who is easily the most gifted on the microphone of the bunch. You have Cesaro, who puts on fantastic matches with just about anyone he competes with. You have Rusev, who's got the size WWE just loves. And of course, you have Roman Reigns, who has already been claimed as the next top star and with his pedigree and natural talent and look, it's hard to see why not. Daniel Bryan started this change at WM30 when he won the WWE World Heavyweight Title but now, it's time for the full conversion. That will happen on March 29th, 2015 at Wrestlemania. Roman Reigns will be crowned the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion after felling the Beast Brock Lesnar and WWE will go from there. They will have a fresh face superstar as World Champion and they can start lining up his challengers. Sure, you'll get the boring matches against established stars, such as Kane, Big Show and Mark Henry but what I'm looking forward to is Reigns facing people in his own class, like the guys I've mentioned. I also want to see how long before they do Reigns VS Cena because that's easily THE money match for WWE. If they can hold off until WM32, that would be great. Anyway, the new era begins once Reigns gets the three count and will only get better from there.
1. NXT/Call ups - I'll keep saying it until this post is finished. NXT is amazing and is the best thing going. You know what would make 2015 a great year for WWE? If some of those guys got to mix it up with the main roster guys and started to get more exposure. Right now, that's the thing I'm looking forward to most, to one day see one of my favorite wrestlers debut on the main roster and chase the dream of being World Champ. Of course I'm speaking of Fergal Devitt AKA Finn Balor. That's all I got now. The NXT guys have to succeed. They just have to. If they don't, I'm not optimistic about the future of WWE. Besides call ups, the general NXT programming will be great in 2015. Starting off with a Zayn/Owens feud is money and it will only get better from there. Charlotte is still the Women's Champ so you can expect more of the same from her. And you can't forget about the live specials they're sure to have. NXT's 2015 is looking very promising and if they can just apply the same effort with the eventual call ups to the main roster, then WWE will thrive in the coming years.
Superstar of the Year
5. Daniel Bryan - The guy was on track for an even better year than his 2013 run. The fans basically told WWE they weren't happy with anyone but Bryan in the main event of Wrestlemania and WWE responded. He won the championship in one of the biggest moments in WWE history and it looked like WWE was on a different path, a new era even. The story took an unfortunate turn as Bryan was forced to vacate the title in June due to injury and he still hasn't come back to the ring or even announced a timetable for his return. It's horrible to hear this as Bryan was generally getting what he deserved for working so hard. I hate that he had it all ripped away from him. Whenever he does come back, IF he comes back, I'm really looking forward to him taking his position as one of the top faces in the company.
4. Bray Wyatt - Bray Wyatt went up against some top names in 2014. He started by defeating the hottest superstar Daniel Bryan. CLEANLY might I add. He started his program with John Cena and managed to sneak a victory over the Cenation Leader at Extreme Rules. Jericho came back and Wyatt won his feud over him. He then started feuding with the hottest rising star Dean Ambrose and beat him twice. Simply put, it was a great year for Wyatt, one that made him a household name. He didn't win the World Title this year in his only shot at it but he was relevant for most of it. The repackaging hurt him and messed up his momentum but in 2015, expect this guy to be the best villainous heel in WWE.
3. Roman Reigns - Roman Reigns' 2014 was all the prep him for his ascension to the throne. The throne of Golden Boy status. Reigns had a nice year from Shield powerhouse to future star of the company. He was around for most of the year, spearing anybody he could. He broke the record for eliminations at the Royal Rumble and was runner up to Batista. He helped his Shield brothers defeat Evolution twice. He had his breakout singles match against a game Randy Orton at SummerSlam and won in his most impressive outing of his career. Reigns then beat Rollins on a Raw before Night of Champions and then unfortunately had to take time off due to injury. He was only gone 3 months but unlike Wyatt, his momentum is higher than ever. He's still getting great reactions from the crowd and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to seeing what he does in the Royal Rumble this year. Reigns looked good this year, as he should have. He's going to be World Champion in 3 months so I would expect nothing less. Maybe next year he can win the Superstar of the Year award for real.
2. John Cena - The golden boy had another great year in his career that included winning his record 15th World Championship at Money in the Bank 2014. Cena is still the top draw, the headliner, the guy who runs the place so it's not surprising. Cena took time to feud with some of the newer guys, like Wyatt and Rollins while reigniting his feud with Brock Lesnar during the summer. There's really not much else to say about it. Cena stayed healthy all year long, had a 9-3 record on PPVs and showed no sign of losing steam yet, even after wrestling for 12 years for the company. In 2015, I'm sure Cena will feud with other young stars, most specifically Rusev and of course, win title #16. 2014 was another good year for the golden boy.
1. Seth Rollins - Easily the best and most consistent superstar WWE had on their roster. No injuries, no reairing of promos to bring him back to TV. Seth Rollins was on TV at the start of the year and ended the year the same. Let's talk about his yer. He had an impressive showing in the Rumble, basically foreshadowing to his appearances to come at the big event. He was apart of the match of the year at Elimination Chamber against the Wyatts. He helped in destroying the Attitude Era at Mania. With his Shield brethren, they swept the returning Evolution in their feud. Rollins turned his back on his Shield brothers and started his corporate rise, which led to victories over Ambrose three times, (yes, I'm counting the forfeit) Reigns, (also counting the forfeit) and of course, the Money in the Bank briefcase. Rollins went undefeated at PPVs from Wrestlemania XXX to Hell in a Cell. That's a 8 PPV winning streak. Quite impressive if you ask me, seeing as the last person I can remember doing that was John Cena. Not only did he win, but his match quality was fantastic as well. Like I said, he was apart of the war that was The Wyatts/Shield I and his matches with Ambrose showed off why this guy is the future of this company. With the MITB briefcase, the sky is really the limit for this guy. He's pretty much guaranteed to win his 1st World Title next year and I can see him in his first big profile Wrestlemania match at 31, maybe against Mr. Randy Orton. Rollins started the year as an afterthought, just the lowest ranked member of the awesome Shield faction but at the end of it, easily the most successful member of the group and the top heel in WWE. I did not see this coming.
There you go, WWE in 2014. Not a bad year but not an amazing year either. As many good things WWE did this year, like NXT's rise, prepping for the future and launching the WWE Network, there was a downfall, like Lesnar holding the title hostage, consistent lackluster Raws and just bad booking decisions. 2015 will start the Roman Reign, an era that will feature Reigns and Wyatt as polar opposites but great rivals. An era where size won't hold you down from the main event because everyone looks alike. An era where guys will succeed based on athletic ability, not size....
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! 2015 will feature Cena winning his 16th title, people complaining, and several superstars will be buried. Bright side, we all know one will succeed, that one being Reigns. There's a chance the others will get their shot too but we will just have to wait and see. I'm ready for 2015 and the Royal Rumble, which I WILL BE ATTENDING! It's going to be sick, I can't wait!!!
Well, come on back in 2015 where we will continue to talk all things WWE! Best of 2014 gaming post is coming, just gotta finish some of the late candidates, like Shadow of Mordor, Alien, etc.
