wrestling / Columns
411 Fact or Fiction Wrestling: Will Balor Defeat Rollins at Summerslam?
Welcome back to the latest edition of 411 Fact or Fiction, Wrestling Edition! Stuff happened, people loved/hated it and let everyone else know. I pick through the interesting/not so interesting tidbits and then make 411 staff members discuss them for your pleasure. Battling this week are 411’s Nicolas Marsico and Jeremy Thomas!
1. You have no faith in WWE tackling LGBT storylines with any sort of class.
Nicolas Marsico: FACT – Not even a nugget of hope, let alone faith. WWE has shown time and time again that the powers that be have no idea how to handle any sort of relevant social topic in a respectable manner (I’m tired of blaming a writing team who have been proven to have their hands tied). All Middle Eastern characters (whether they are actually born of a Middle Eastern nationality) wear outfits, have theme music and behave like the exact negative stereotypes that have pervaded society, especially in the United States.
Rusev has been an anti-American character since his debut, even representing Russia for most of his initial run. On RAW this week he actually had to get on the microphone mid-match because people were cheering him (not just booing Reigns, but straight rooting for Rusev) by out-and-out telling them that he should be getting booed because he’s not from here. That was embarrassing.
Evil foreigner gimmicks have not been a draw since the 80s and chances are very low of that ever changing. Vinny Mac just doesn’t understand that.
That all said, I don’t base any of my opinion on the HLA segments from over a decade ago, because it was a tactic done specifically with the intent to draw ratings, not social commentary or anything deeper than trying to cater, fairly unsuccessfully, to their main demographic, which they had been losing hand over fist at the time. Billy and Chuck became a reach for ratings eventually as well, just in a different way, and there is very little possibility that WWE could have paid off that angle any worse than they did.
The reasons that I know it won’t be handled with class, dignity, sensitivity or with any entertainment value at all are multiple. The most important reason is that they are doing it at all. This is not a theme that fits within the context of modern day WWE (arguably during any period in WWE), and it’s going to feel forced and managed ham-handedly. There is no need for a “gay” wrestler. Gay people are just people. Darren Young is openly gay and very proud. Does he run around acting like the mainstream stereotypical Will and Grace gay man? No. Nor does he talk about being gay on the TV show. Because his sexuality is unimportant and irrelevant to his job.
Another big reason is that I’m not sure if the WWE fans are ready for something like this. Say they went very simple with it. Darren Young eventually breaks away from Bob Backlund with the former WWE Champ’s blessing. Not long after, Young winds up with a younger, different manager and at some point we find out that they’re romantically involved. They could go very simple and just have them share a kiss for good luck before each of Darren’s matches. It would be smart to go no further (that simple act is empowering on its own) and God forbid they turn heel. Ticking time bomb.
Let’s also not forget the report that Stephanie McMahon had the writing team meet with representatives from GLAAD for some training on sensitivity and the importance of using the right words among other things. That may appear to be a responsible approach but it really just illustrates that WWE’s writers are not well equipped to put anything in TV ”in the near future” as Stephanie recently stated.
Jeremy Thomas: FACT – I think it’s fair to say the idea of WWE taking on LGBTQ storylines is a topic that I have more than a bit of trepidation about. But to be fair, it’s not only WWE that worries me when they try to include storylines referencing non-straight characters. Narrative television often has issues with it too, whether it’s the oft-reported prevalence of the “Bury Your Gays” trope or severe cases of tokenism. Some shows do a much better job than others, but the point is that a notable portion the entertainment industry still hasn’t quite gotten its head around the topic. And they’ve been working at it for twenty years now. Meanwhile in WWE, LGBTQ storylines have basically consisted of HLA, terrible stereotypes like Billy and Chuck or Goldust being queer just to freak out other wrestlers. Honestly, their best LGBTQ storyline has been Darren Young because he publicly came out and has talked about it in interviews, but they’ve never brought it up. And that’s not a storyline because there’s no evidence that Darren Young’s sexuality correlates to his on-screen persona (similar how Dustin Runnels doesn’t share Goldust’s). In order to actually have an LGBTQ storyline, a character would have to be acknowledged as such on-screen during Raw or Smackdown. And I’d even be willing to give the writing team some credit that they could make it work — if they had the screen time. I don’t think there’s enough on-screen time to make a character LGBTQ (outside of a throwaway line that is never addressed) and not make it the single defining point of his character, and if that happens then it destroys the idea of tackling the storyline with any sort of class. I hope they can do it, but I don’t have faith that it will turn out.
2. Finn Balor will defeat Seth Rollins to become the first WWE Universal Champion at Summerslam.
Nicolas Marsico: FACT – This is honestly a tough call. It’s probably not a good idea to have Finn lose his first main roster PPV match, especially with the big implications behind it being for a brand new title that is likely to soon be portrayed as the top prize in WWE. They won’t full on call it the most important title, but it will be heavily implied, just like any World Title on RAW has been made a top priority since the original brand split.
That actually makes a good argument for Rollins getting the belt, though. He is WWE’s number 1 bad guy and arguably the best bad guy as well. He had a 9 month reign with the WWE WHC when it was the only World Title and WWE does trust him with that responsibility. Seth winning the match solidifies his spot as The Man, and the fact that he stood up to Balor as the Demon King on RAW says that he isn’t afraid to take the fight to roster newcomer and could win the title clean in the middle.
Balor losing in his first main roster match as the Demon King could kill the aura before it has a chance to gain any traction.
Jeremy Thomas: FACT – Man, I know I’m going out on a limb here and I’m fully expecting to be wrong. But there’s something about this that makes me think they might somehow pull the trigger. I mentioned in a Fact or Fiction last month when Balor debuted that there was virtually no way he was winning, but I’ve come around on that and it’s partially because of my other statement in that column: that WWE has handled new talent in a different way than they used to. AJ Styles is a good example of someone who’s been allowed to stick as a main eventer without the inevitable depush that would have come by now in the past. Balor’s been over like a maniac since he debuted and he’s facing Seth Rollins, not someone who is generally untouchable like John Cena. I’ve loved Rollins since his return (and before he was injured, of course) and I’d be fine with him as champion, but I just kind of feel this one. Which is very poor evidence, but there you have it.
3. What is your current excitement level for the NXT Takeover: Back to Brooklyn special and why?
Nicolas Marsico: 7 out of 10 – I would probably go higher if I followed the show more closely (I generally just catch bits and pieces every week on WWE’s YouTube channel) but as a match card it does look strong. NXT never fails to deliver when it comes to the Takeover specials and this will be no different. Nakamura and Joe are so different (in a complementary way) character wise, which will make their stellar in ring performance that much better. I’m also expecting Nak to take the clean loss to Joe, which will be a big deal. Asuka and Bayley, which we’ll discuss momentarily, may indeed be Bayley’s swan song in NXT, and that puts this already great matchup on a higher pedestal.
Ciampa and Gargano rule the world, and I think that they will tear the house down with The Revival. Nah, I know they will. We all know this match is going to be balls out great. C&G are going to win the straps and then likely retain them in a rematch on NXT TV before Dash & Dawson hit the main roster (hopefully RAW). Johnny Wrestling and the Sicilian Psychopath will lose the belts after a short reign before one or both of them get called up to RAW to be part of the Cruiserweight Division.
Almas is really good and Roode is great. Big time personality style clash, which will be good for their physical clash. Ditto Aries vs. No Way Jose. I wonder if The Dirty Heels are going to reunite in NXT. They would be the ideal choice to take the titles from Ciampa & Gargano. Ember Moon is going to impress people and could rocket right up to a program with Asuka coming out of this show.
All in all, it’s going to be very good, and a great continuation of the remodeled NXT.
Jeremy Thomas: 7 out of 10 – I’m incredibly excited for the NXT Title and NXT Women’s Title matches, because those will both be amazing. The rest of the announced card looks good, but I’m not gaga over. There isn’t a bad match on the card, at least on paper, with the possible X-Factor exception of Ember Moon vs. Opponent To Be Announced. I’m just not hugely invested in the Aries vs. No Way Jose feud, nor the build to Roode vs. Andrade or Revival vs. Ciampa/Gargano. These are all going to be very good matches I’m sure, and I’m definitely excited for it; it’s just not on the level of NXT’s best Takeovers to date.
SWITCH!
4. Dolph Ziggler will fail to win the WWE Title at Summerslam, leading to Ziggler turning heel.
Jeremy Thomas: FACT – I think it’s what makes the most sense. First off, I have very little doubt that Dean Ambrose is retaining the title. Ziggler’s great and he should have been elevated to this level long ago, but he’s not at a point that he’s a viable champion and Dean’s not ready to lose the belt. And if Ziggler’s not going to win, I think that a heel turn will do great things for his character. It’ll give him new feud partners and a fresher character, which is exactly what he needs. So yeah, I think this is likely.
Nicolas Marsico: FICTION – He’s not winning the belt, but he’s not going heel either. Not yet at the very least, but I don’t think this year. They appear to be setting up a four way for Backlash (maybe not the best idea with the limited roster for their first solo PPV) with Ziggler, Ambrose, Orton and Wyatt to establish the main eventers, and I expect Ziggler/Wyatt and Ambrose/Orton for the belt after that. If Ziggler goes heel it will be after having to stretch his limits against Wyatt. He will grow even more aggressive and it will lead to a surprise turn on Randy Orton. Whatever way they do go, it still doesn’t start with Ziggler turning. Volatile and aggressive, but not a heel.
5. Bayley will win the NXT Women’s Title at the NXT Takeover: Back to Brooklyn special.
Jeremy Thomas: FICTION – My assumption is that she’ll lose the match and then find herself heading up to the main roster. That’s been rumored for a little while now and it’s what makes the most sense. Asuka is holding down the fort quite effectively with the title around her waist and the NXT Women’s roster is building back up, so now is a good time for Asuka to run roughshod over the women a bit until someone else is built up enough to really threaten her for the championship. With the reaction she got at Battleground, I think WWE would be wise to pull the trigger and get her on Smackdown to boost that roster a bit before a Smackdown Women’s Title is introduced.
Nicolas Marsico: FICTION – Her time is over in NXT. Asuka is going to continue being the ace of the NXT Women’s division and lead the new set of girls while Bayley moves up to RAW for good. Bayley will likely get the big send off inside the same building in which she solidified herself as a superstar. Asuka pins her this time rather than tapping her, then they embrace and the champion leaves Bayley alone in the ring to receive her standing ovation. Just as special as last year, but in a different way.
6. WWE giving Finn Balor’s demon entrance away on Raw was a great plan to get the fans behind him.
Jeremy Thomas: FICTION – I feel like the crowd was already behind him, and I think this was the wrong week to put him out in the Demon makeup. I understand the point and it plays to the storyline, but (no offense to the city) Corpus Christi, Texas isn’t really a place I think of when I think of hot crowds. And the audience pretty much proved that on Monday. Balor’s entrance is one of those things that works great and should get the crowd really hyped thanks to years of training around Undertaker and the Wyatts’ entrances. Debuting it at SummerSlam would have been perfect, but Monday just seems like it was the wrong time.
Nicolas Marsico: FACT – Absolutely. In the era that saw PPV buys as a big driver of profits, this would have been the wrong move. Not only are you making people pay for the title match but also to see the big debut of Finn’s alter ego, which gives extra incentive to drop $50. That’s no longer how it works, though, so this was the way to go. WWE makes their money with TV.
The pay-per-view model is being kept in place because WWE wants people to subscribe to the Network on a monthly recurring basis — getting for just $9.99 something you used to debate and scrutinize dropping 5 times that amount. Since television is the most important medium for WWE currently, it is necessary to ”give away” moments that would previously have been saved for paying customers only.
NBC/Universal is the paying customer until WWE can dump everything and go Network-only, which is a long, long time away (if it ever happens). Same goes for something like Reigns vs. Rusev this week. Yeah, they’re wrestling on Sunday, but since there’s no huge incentive to save the match. If it was for the title, then it would have been the wrong move. They had another reason to fight on Monday (not a great reason, but cake the face is certainly worse than spilled coffee — well it’s not, but I’ll continue to propagate the joke), so the rematch on Sunday isn’t a waste because something tangible is on the line at SummerSlam. Oh, and I thought the match was great, save for them never confirming that the opening bell ever rang and the dumpster fire of a tacked on finish. Just felt like making that note.
One more point about the Demon King reveal — they let the people see what it looks like and gave them a very small taste of the aggressive nature of the character. Instead of waiting for the unknown, now the fans get to anticipate the total experience that is Finn Balor’s alter ego.
7. What is your current excitement level for the WWE Summerslam PPV and why?
Jeremy Thomas: 8 out of 10 – This is WWE’s chance to really let the Brand Split and “New Era” shine and the possibility has me excited. I’m well aware that I may be let down, as WWE doesn’t do a great job at actually following through on New Eras. But even if they don’t, most of the matches look great on paper whether it’s Balor vs. Rollins, Ambrose vs. Ziggler, Cena vs. Styles, Banks vs. Charlotte, New Day vs. Anderson & Gallows and so on. Even the matches that don’t have enormous potential should at least be fun; Orton vs. Lesnar should have the big match feel and Rusev vs. Reigns could really be good for the latter’s rehabilitation with audiences. So yeah, I’m pretty excited about this one.
Nicolas Marsico: 8 out of 10 – Probably closer to 7.5, but I like to deal with whole numbers, so I’ll round up and give the benefit of the doubt. It’s a solid but not quite stacked card, but if they don’t add anything more and take two of the existing matches for the 2-hour Kickoff show, then they have themselves a very strong 9 match card with at least 4 hours to play with.
I might even say they should add a third match to the Kickoff so American Alpha can get a quick showcase in there. Along with Miz-Crews and the six-woman tag you’ve got a good pre-show, then you start the PPV proper with Jeri-KO vs. Enzo & Big Cass and go from there.
When Randy Orton was named as Brock Lesnar’s opponent I was left very cold. Neither man had any momentum (Brock’s UFC fight was much too far out from August 21 and Orton returned in an unspectacular manner with a PPV interview segment) and although it’s a fresh matchup, I felt that using a guy like Rusev would have been the way to go. Not only would they have a war, but it’s a match they would be incredibly unlikely to schedule for WrestleMania, so it felt like a now or never situation. The RKO #outtanowhere followed by the F5 the next night gave me a bit of a spark, but it’s the amazing video package they’ve aired a few times now that got me interested. Now I want to see them fight. I don’t care about Viperville or how it only takes one RKO (which totally choreographs Brock kicking out of an early RKO and probably a second one later on in the match), I care about the history and their very different attitudes coming into the match. None of that has been portrayed outside of that video package, but now I’m hooked.
Balor-Rollins will be a great match but I’m not on the edge of my seat begging for it to be Sunday so I can see it. I also don’t have a preference for a winner nor will I be surprised at either man being the victor. Ambrose-Ziggler will be really good as well, and I’m more excited for that match because not only do I have no idea who will win, but I’m interested in seeing if they’re going to cut Ambrose short to try Ziggler out one last time.
Cena vs. Styles will be great and I’ll be jumping up and down over the near falls, guaranteed. Sasha and Charlotte will have a good match, I’m just dreading the possibility that it could be slotted into a dead zone between two hotly contested men’s matches. Finally, I’m hoping to see New Day retain against Gallows & Anderson and I think the Sheamus-Cesaro series that starts on Sunday has a ton of potential. I just hope they spread it out a bit instead of just having them go one on one every week until there’s a winner.
So yeah, SummerSlam should be pretty sweet. With the right pacing and match placement it could rival the 2002 edition. Them’s some big words right there.
