wrestling / Columns

The 3 Bs: Battleground, Brock and Brand Splitting

July 23, 2016 | Posted by RSarnecky
Brock Lesnar UFC Return Image Credit: WWE

BATTLEGROUND PREVIEW

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Pre-WWE Draft Lottery, the promotion billed this match as the “final” time we will see Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn battle each other in a WWE ring. With both men drafted to the RAW brand, that proclamation is about as likely as John Cena vs. The Rock being “once in a lifetime.” Will Owens and Zayn continue to feud after their match this Sunday? Probably not, as it’s the right time for each man to move on to new challenges. Since the draft took away a large portion of the main event depth that the WWE enjoyed, Kevin Owens will probably move up to #2 heel after Seth Rollins. Whereas, I can easily see Sami Zayn moving into the cruiserweight division. Since the WWE likes size, I’m picking Kevin Owens to win the match, and end the feud. WINNER: KEVIN OWENS

New Day vs. Wyatts
I’ve been predicting for months that the New Day would be leaving each pay per view as the former tag team champions. Before the WWE Draft, I was all set to do the same. Then the draft happened. While the New Day was drafted to RAW as a team, the Wyatts were broken up. Bray and Rowan went to SmackDown! while Braun Strowman is alone on RAW. I was set to pick the Wyatts, but then went with the New Day, because the tag championships would be split on the brands if the New Day dropped the titles. However, I just came to realize that the match is a non-title match. Great promotion by the WWE that I didn’t even know it wasn’t for the title until I looked it up. Oh well, I’m still going to go with the New Day as the winners, because they are staying together as a unit after the show. Whereas, Braun Strowman is leaving the Wyatts. The WWE should keep the New Day strong for the team that will eventually take the belts from them. WINNERS: NEW DAY

Rusev vs. Zack Ryder: United States Championship
This is an interesting match-up, if for no other reason than if Rusev loses, the US title will be brought to the SmackDown! brand. You would like to think that Zack Ryder has a chance to win the belt. However, he hasn’t been booked as a serious title contender in the weeks leading up to their Battleground showdown. Plus, Zack Ryder was drafted as part of the WWE Network Draft Central telecast following SmackDown. The WWE should have had he drafted in the Baron Corbin spot to at least give the illusion that they view Zack Ryder as a legitimate title contender. Instead, a reunion with his NXT tag team partner seems more likely than a run with the United States championship. WINNER: RUSEV

The Miz vs. Titus O’Neil: Intercontinental Championship
Here is another inter-promotional match that can see one of the singles titles switch brands. Like with Zack Ryder, RAW drafted Titus O’Neil on the WWE Network show giving the impression that Titus is not high in the WWE’s pecking order. As I mentioned with Zack Ryder, the WWE should at least made us think that Titus, the #1 contender to the Intercontinental Championship, was in their plans. Because of the draft positioning, I’m going to say that The Miz retains the title leaving both secondary belts on the brands that drafted them. WINNER: THE MIZ

AJ/Gallows/Anderson vs. Enzo Amore/Big Cass/John Cena
The good thing about this match is that, even though it’s an inter-promotional match, the feud should continue. AJ Styles and John Cena should continue to have great matches for the SmackDown brand. While on Monday nights, Enzo Amore and Big Cass will feud with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson on RAW. Pre-brand split, I liked John Cena, Enzo Amore, and Big Cass to be victorious. You know the WWE’s penchant for 50/50 booking. However, now that the WWE split Gallows and Anderson away from AJ Styles, I think that the heels may actually win this one. If they do take the match, I think it will be due to the interference of original Bullet Club member, Finn Balor, making his debut. While AJ Styles will be forced to go it alone on SmackDown, Finn Balor will join forces with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to reform the original Bullet Club, now titled the trademarked Balor Club. WINNERS: AJ STYLES/LUKE GALLOWS/KARL ANDERSON

Shield Triple Threat: Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns: WWE Championship
It’s one of the few remaining “dream matches” that the WWE has in their pocket. Instead of saving it for one of the BIG FOUR pay per views, the WWE has decided to give us the Shield Triple Threat match on the final multi-branded non-big four pay per view that will be run until they give up on the brand split. I’m not sure how many people believe that Dean Ambrose will leave Battleground as the WWE Champion. Out of the three competitors, Dean Ambrose is probably the least likely to win the match. With Roman Reigns very freshly returning from his Wellness suspension, I don’t think it’s the right time for the WWE to put the belt back on the “big dog.” However, this is a company that has ignored Brock Lesnar’s USADA double test failure, and continued to promote him for SummerSlam, so it’s possible the WWE doesn’t let the failure affect how they push Roman Reigns. While I don’t believe the WWE win not have Reigns leave beltless because of the suspension, I do believe that Reigns will leave the event without the championship. The main reason is because SummerSlam is the following month. I think the WWE wants Roman Reigns to recapture the WWE Championship on the second biggest show of the year. Thus, Seth Rollins will leave Battleground as the WWE Champion, and SmackDown will leave the pay per view without the WWE’s biggest prize. WINNER: SETH ROLLINS

BROCK IS BANNED????

Well, that was surprising. When the UFC announced on Friday, July 15th that Brock Lesnar failed drug test number six, I was very surprised. Was I shocked that a wrestler failed a drug test? Of course not. However, even though Brock is a beast, I was surprised that he was the one that failed. He never failed a UFC drug test before, and his first five tests all came up clean. If you compare a picture of the UFC 200 Brock Lesnar and put it next to the WWE version of Brock, you will see a noticeable size difference. The UFC Brock is a lot leaner. This had me thinking that it may be a diuretic. After all, steroids would bulk him up, and not make him lose size. The biggest questions with his test failure were: What did he fail for? How long will he be suspended? How will this affect his match at SummerSlam?

Over the past week, there have been rumors that Brock Lesnar failed due to an inhaler that he used. Apparently, someone claimed that worked in Brock’s training camp, and he was using an inhaler that caused the test failure. Early Wednesday morning, CBS Sports reported that Brock Lesnar failed for using Clomiphene, not once, but also on the day of his fight with Mark Hunt. Clomiphene is a non-steroid fertility medication that causes the pituitary gland to release hormones to stimulate ovulation. In males, it’s used to treat problems they may have with their sex organs caused by pituitary or gland problems, or if the male is infertile due to a low sperm count. For a non-illness, it looks like this is used as an estrogen blocker.

According to USADA’s rules and regulations, a first time offender gets a two-year ban for PED use, and can lose 50-75% of his fight purse. Since clomiphene isn’t a steroid, I’m not sure if Brock Lesnar will get a two-year suspension, or if his ban will be reduced. If the suspension will be for two years, then it’s pretty certain that we witnessed Lesnar’s final fight inside of the octagon.

According to previous suspensions, when the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspends an athlete for a specified period of time, all of the other state athletic commissions follow suit. The New York State Athletic Commission is one of the few states that still commissions professional wrestling. Thus, if Brock Lesnar was suspended by Nevada, there was a good possibility that he would also be suspended in NY for not only MMA, but for professional wrestling as well. However, it was announced earlier this week that this would not be the case. The state of New York doesn’t license wrestlers individually. Brock Lesnar would not be suspended from pro wrestling in New York if the NSAC suspends him for his USADA failures. The NY State Athletic Commission stated that Lesnar is not a licensee, and only the promoter, the WWE, had a license. Therefore, Lesnar could only be stopped from wrestling based on the professional medical judgment of the examining physician, or if the WWE decided to suspend him.

From a fan’s perspective, I really hope that Brock Lesnar doesn’t receive a two-year ban. I am hoping that it gets reduced down to six months. While I like seeing Brock wrestle in the WWE, I also enjoy seeing him fight in the octagon. It will be ashamed to be denied that. Brock Lesnar is a big draw. Even though I understand why Mark Hunt would say that he wants Brock’s entire purse, people paid to see Brock Lesnar fight. They didn’t pay to see Mark Hunt. Brock was the draw. Lesnar could have been shooting up in the corner between rounds, and Hunt still wouldn’t have deserved Lesnar’s purse, because Brock drew the buyrate. Now, USADA and the Nevada State Athletic Commission, they may take Lesnar’s purse. That’s a different story

WWE DRAFT

After weeks of anticipation, the WWE finally had the WWE Brand Split Draft. One quick look at the two rosters, and at first glance you would say that RAW won in a landslide. The RAW roster includes the top heel in the entire company in Seth Rollins, the new “face” of the WWE Roman Reigns, arguably one of the top three NXT talents with Finn Balor, the top two women Charlotte and Sasha Banks, part-time wrestler Brock Lesnar, the two most popular tag teams in the company in the New Day and Enzo Amore/Big Cass, along with Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Rusev, and Luke Gallows/Karl Anderson who can all easily move to the main events. Not to mention that they will house a Cruiserweight division.

On the other hand, SmackDown has a big four of Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and eventual part time performer John Cena. Looking over the list of the other SmackDown talent on the roster, only Bray Wyatt, The Miz, and maybe Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio could easily move up to the main events. However, out of all of the young talent between both brands, I think the American Alpha have the most potential. With RAW seemingly getting the better of the draft, I think SmackDown will win the “free agency” battle. Remember those former WWE stars that the federation was talking to? I feel the majority of the performers that return will be on the SmackDown brand.

I think the two biggest head scratching picks of the night were Kalisto moving to SmackDown and Cesaro being on RAW. Kalisto is the prototypical Cruiserweight wrestler. RAW is having a Cruiserweight division. Why wouldn’t they put Kalisto on RAW? Speaking of the Cruiserweight division, wouldn’t it have made sense from a storyline standpoint if SmackDown drafted all of the Cruiserweights to screw Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon out of their Cruiserweight division. It would be the first shot fired in the two shows trying to one up each other.

Since RAW is so top heavy, I felt Cesaro should have gone to SmackDown. I figured that RAW would be the “name” brand, and SmackDown would be the “workers” brand. Aside from John Cena, AJ Styles, and to an extent, Randy Orton, I don’t see many performers capable of putting together a Match of the Year candidate. Having Cesaro on the brand would have given SmackDown one more performer who could work a great match.

During the draft, I was thinking how much better this draft would be if they had the draft as a shoot. It would have been really interesting to see who would have gone where, and what rounds each superstar would have gone in. While the draft wasn’t a shoot, watching the WWE Network Draft Central show seemed like the WWE allowed their performers to talk and cut promos without the scripts that weigh them down on RAW and SmackDown. It was pretty good. Cesaro totally buried the whole commissioner/GM concept by saying that the brand should revolve around the wrestlers and not Stephanie McMahon. That will not win him any favors. However, the line of the night was when Booker T mentioned how the fans hate Roman Reigns. I guess Vince wasn’t paying attention to WWE Draft Central. While it appears that RAW easily won the WWE Draft, there was another winner. Triple H’s NXT is the real winner. Despite losing Finn Balor, who was long overdue for a trip to the main roster, and the American Alpha, NXT’s top talent went pretty much unscathed. Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, Austin Aries, Bayley, Hideo Itami, and Asuka all remained on the developmental brand. I expect that Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Bayley will each be brought up before the end of the year. However, by the time they come up to the main roster, I’m sure the WWE will replenish the talent for NXT to continue to thrive.

2016 has been a very newsworthy year thus far. This week has been one of the most newsworthy week of the year. With over five months left in the year, I’m sure there will be more weeks like this one. This should be fun.