There is still plenty of time to go in 2014 as we cross the halfway mark. Thus far it has been one of the least predictable years in recent memory. What other shockers and/or surprises await the WWE Universe? Let’s dust off the crystal ball and see if the rest of 2014 will be full of just as unpredictable.
[adinserter block=”1″]If you were to make predictions at the start of 2014, I would have missed out on some of the bigger stories of the year. Would you have predicted that Daniel Bryan would ascend at WrestleMania only to lose the title due to a legitimate injury? Would you have predicted that Seth Rollins would be the one to turn on the Shield and unite with Triple H? Would you have predicted that the Shield going over Evolution twice? Would anyone have predicted that CM Punk would walk out and retire within the first 30 days of 2014? Maybe you would and maybe you wouldn’t but it is fair to say that most of the big stunners were missed.
Dolph Ziggler will get a push – The pressure is starting to mount. Recent reports reveal that Ric Flair has gone to management and suggested they push Ziggler. The voices are growing and the sounds of fan support get louder and louder every time he is in the ring. He is hands down one of the most talented guys they have inside the ring and rarely if ever has a bad match. Why he isn’t utilized more is one of wrestling’s biggest mysteries. I think it happens, not at the top, but more mid-upper mid card by year’s end…at least I hope it does.
CM Punk will not be back – I think it is time to close the door and throw away the key. If Punk ever comes back it isn’t going to happen for awhile. We have all heard the different theories on why he walked but have yet to hear it directly from the horse’s mouth. Punk’s colleagues continue to predict his return, yet those who know him best say otherwise. The irony is that Punk probably walked at one of the most inopportune times during his WWE career. With Daniel Bryan out, Cena stale, and the new crop of babyfaces not quite ready for the top spot, he would have had the run of the kingdom up top if he stuck around. He knows that and the fact he’s still not here tells you he doesn’t care. I think the next time you see him in a ring will be on some indepdent show for charity or having fun with his friends. It won’t be in a WWE ring.
Kurt Angle will be back – Punk may not be back but I am betting that Kurt Angle will be back. I will be the first to admit that this is more wishful thinking than anything else. The WWE have a new class of young stars ready to ascend to the next level. Unfortunately what they don’t have are many established veterans to put them over and give them that stamp of approval. Angle provides that in and out of the ring. Angle’s outside of the ring troubles are certainly cause for concern and those issues will likely be the only thing that prevents his return. He is still one of the most entertaining personalities in the business and when he is on in the ring, he is on. It all boils down to how big of a gamble the WWE want to take on him. I think they go all in!
Dean Ambrose will make a bigger imapct than Roman Reigns – It is no secret that Roman Reigns is the “chosen one” to become the next John Cena according to numerous reports. Yet it would appear at this point that his biggest threat is coming from his old Shield teammate Dean Ambrose. In the few weeks that Ambrose has gotten time as a singles, he has consistently delivered the best promos among the wrestlers in the company, only second overall to Paul Heyman. In the ring he has more charisma and versatility than Reigns and has more of the tools to produce long, main-events on the special events. It is going to be real interesting come December which is when we’ll have an idea who is being positioned for the WrestleMania spot. As of now all of the money is on Reigns. The more I hear Dean talk and the more I see him in singles action the more I think that could change.
Daniel Bryan will not have another WWE title run – This isn’t much of a bold prediction but it appears that Bryan won’t be stepping back in the ring any time soon. The decision has yet to be made as to whether he will need a second surgery so I am basing this on Bryan coming back without a second surgery needed. I think the ship has sailed on Bryan and the WWE are moving forward with Reigns, Ambrose, Rollins, and Wyatt which leaves Bryan out in the cold. The Yes Movement was lightning in a bottle and you can already hear the chants getting softer. The WWE finally has their out and Bryan was never their guy. This isn’t to say that Bryan won’t get another title run in 2015 or 16, I just don’t see it happening in ’14 if he does return to the WWE rings.
Bray Wyatt will be a top babyface – The booking of Wyatt has been one of the strangest WWE creatives in awhile. He was pushed to be one of the top heels of the company yet he’s been booked like a babyface. This all came full circle at Money in the Bank when he received one of the biggest reactions upon his entrance to the match. I will be the first to admit that I missed this one. I never expected a character like this to resonate with fans but I am dead wrong. The people absolutely love him. Reigns not only has to worry about Ambrose nipping at his heels, he has to worry about Bray. I predict Bray goes full-fledged babyface by year’s end and goes into the Rumble as one of the top five favorites.
[adinserter block=”2″]Prince Devitt and Kenta will not live up their potentials – The news is out and it appears that these two international stars are WWE bound. The WWE are scheduled to hold a press conference to announce the signing of Kenta in a few weeks. Does this sound familiar? These guys are both two incredibly talented wrestlers but that was outside of the WWE. I think the track record is pretty clear on how these kind of international stars fare in the WWE. They don’t do well. The only guy to break the mold in recent years was Rey Mysterio and he had a fresh coat of WCW seasoning on him. Maybe they live up to their potentials down the line but I think that these guys have a ton of hard work ahead of them to do so. It won’t happen this year and it may not happen at all which is a damn shame.
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I tend to agree with those points, although the Ambrose situation could go either way. I love what he is doing right now and I feel like Reigns is a little exposed without the Shield. However, if the WWE has committed to Reigns they could bury Ambrose pretty quickly, but who knows. My favorite on the list is Kurt Angle. Every time Lana and Rusev start talking a think about how amazing it would be to hear Kurt’s music play. “Oh it’s true, it’s damn true!”
Some really good, strong and logical points made in this article.
On Ziggler: I think he performed really well at MITB, when doesn’t he perform well anyway? But rumours abound that many at the top think he’s injury prone and therefore a risk if he were to be placed back in the top half. Time will only tell.
On Punk: He’s a different personality to those who’ve walked out on the company in the past, he could very well stay true to his convictions. Come the 17th of this month (when his contract expires) the picture will perhaps get a little clearer.
On Kurt Angle: Anytime a return to WWE is brought up the guy seems intent on letting the company know he’s interested but his physical (not to mention mental) well being has deteriorated over the past few years so whether he’d pass a medical is up in the air.
On Ziggler: The big trouble the WWE seems to have with pushing Ziggler, in my estimation, would be the same reason Mysterio, Hardy, and even Christian didn’t get very long runs at the top. The fast-paced, flashy spots type of performances they give (not to mention Hardy’s drug problems) make them liabilities to the title. WWE prefers stability, they don’t like the idea of giving the belt to someone who could get injured on any night and make them re-write in-depth stories. Ziggler is great in ring, but can he pull back the reigns on his spotfest style long enough to succeed longterm?
On Angle: Bringing him back to WWE could be a great idea to put over the young guys,ut I am very interested to see where his current position in TNA is leading now. I wonder if expecting him back before the Rumble might be too soon?
Fully agreed on Ziggler. I don’t see why he couldn’t ease up a little and still put on great performances, I mean you only have to look at the first half of Shawn Michaels’ time in WWE where he exaggerated bumps just as much and after his back injury he toned it down a bit.
With Angel there’s been rumours the past year of a return this Autumn, if he can pass a medical it’d be great to see him back in the ring. Especially if we get to see him perform against Bryan, Ziggler, Del Rio, etc.; a Royal Rumble surprise entrance wouldn’t be out of the question.
http://wrestlechat.net/report-kurt-angle-turns-down-contract-off-with-tna-wrestling/
You might be right after all