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WNS Column: Studs & Duds 4

Posted By: Quinn Smith on Jul 26, 2014

WNS Column: Studs & Duds 4

IWC, itā€™s been some time.Ā  As I sit here listening to the gnarly tunes from WWF Forceable Entry, itā€™s inspired me to pick my lazy self up and pump out an article. How have yā€™all been after this week of what we call wrestling. STUDS & DUDS is back. Letā€™s do this. Enough chatter.Ā 

STUD ā€“ Usos/Wyatt feud

This feud has panned out to give us some memorable matches. Most of their matches include a ā€œTHIS IS AWESOMEā€ chant. Their last match had even stolen the show at Battleground (donā€™t try to dispute this, I wonā€™t listen). Whatever their chemistry may be, it works and gives us incredible matches that captivate us, the WWE universe, as a collective whole. The styles that both The Usos and The Wyattā€™s bring blend and work so well together that I hope it puts notice in the back that the tag scene doesnā€™t just flat out suck (yet). Very promising things are on the rise, as NXT teams look good. New factions are seemingly being made with Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E. Itā€™s only a matter of time until Mark Henry joins and Iā€™m intrigued about it and hope it succeeds. Xavier Woods looks like he could be a great, annoying pest that continually runs his mouth. Heā€™s going to be a solid mouthpiece for that faction.

I honestly wouldnā€™t mind if we are only treated to their matches on PPVā€™s while continuing the feud for the later part of the year. Wyattā€™s are deserving of holding the belts and I believe their break will come at Summerslam. Once they grasp those titles and the feud ends with the Usos, we may see them as a face team that gets targeted by the new, upcoming faction of Woods, Kingston and Big E who will be portrayed as the heels.Ā 

DUD ā€“ The MizĀ 

The only thing AWWWWWWWWESOOMMMMMMMME about the Miz is when heā€™s not on camera. This guy is completely irrelevant and notice how every time he comes back he says, ā€œIā€™m baaaaaaaaaaackā€ as if weā€™re anxious to see him back. Having him win the IC title makes no sense. Ziggler shouldā€™ve been the winner of that battle royal plain and simple. Iā€™ve expressed my interest in Ziggler and how I continue to think heā€™s a top talent that doesnā€™t deserve to be where he is at the moment. But having bit the injury bug a couple times, puts him back down the totem pole as far as relevancy. Blah, Iā€™m getting off track.Ā 

Back to a man that epitomizes irrelevancy. I donā€™t think the WWE universe could care less about the Miz or anything he does. I can only hope we get Barrett/Miz 3 and we get to see a truly AWWWWWWWESOOMMMMMEE sight ā€“ bull hammer to that ā€˜Hollywood faceā€™.

STUD ā€“ Luke Harper

Luke Harper is one of the next extraordinaire big men of wrestling. At his size, Iā€™m sure more than most expect him to just use clubbing blows, a couple slams and size to intimidate his opponents. Aside from being a terrifyingly big, big man, Harper continues to wow us with his wide array of moves. Letā€™s get real, the last time you saw a man of Harperā€™s size perform a plunge like his is one thatā€™s on his way to retirement (Undertaker). Luke Harper looks good on the mic and has a delusional, lunatic personality yet itā€™s a calming, intellectual personality. Itā€™s very similar to promos that Kane used to make years ago. And letā€™s face it, WWE doesnā€™t have another Kane/Undertaker like character thatā€™s a big man that can intimidate as well as captivate the audience by their presence. Iā€™m not saying he will be as big as either Kane or Taker, but heā€™s going to be a significant player in the game as the yearā€™s progress.

For a big man, what stands out is that he has a healthy balance between his wrestling skills and mic skills. I would like for him to get more mic time as heā€™s proven he can talk, given that brief stint (one week I think?) where Bray was absent and Harper was on the mic for a promo on Raw and Smackdown. The man can also sell a move. I remember him taking 2 superkicks from Jimmy Uso and on the 2nd kick he whipped back and sold it incredibly well. Harper also does little things in the ring that add to his character like the way he looks upon the crowd with some widen glazed look, or the way he flicks his hands towards the air like some lunatic.

JBL said it perfectly when describing him ā€œWhat a deceiving athlete this Luke Harper isā€.

STUD ā€“ Dean Ambrose

This guy is brilliant. Everything he does is brilliant and the feud with Seth Rollins (a former STUD from my first article) is great. I canā€™t wait for it to lead to a cage match between the two at Summerslam. I suggest that because it can tie in with Deanā€™s crazy style and suggest that he trap him like a ā€˜caged ratā€™ thus announcing a cage match. I see it panning out like that but I could also be very wrong. Ever since his departure from the Shield, I was concerned with how Dean will do after and he has not disappointed since. His wrestling is a brawler, hard-hitting style that sets him apart from other stars on the main roster and I could watch Dirty Deeds be hit on just about anyone all day. He, much like Bray, has his own style while delivering promos that raises the bar for others in the back to compete with. Heā€™s a genuinely interesting wrestler to watch his work inside and outside of the ring.

Heā€™s needing a secure victory at some point soon because having him lose continually will hurt his character over time. Could very well do the opposite and get a Daniel Bryan scenario where he gets more momentum with losses. Where he goes after the feud with Seth is left to my imagination and imagination of those within the WWE universe.Ā 


HONORARY MENTIONS

DUD ā€“ Seth Rollins attire

What in the BLUE HELL is he wearing? Great wrestler but cā€™mon man. That outfit doesnā€™t look like it suits him AT ALL. Heā€™d be better off with going back to his wrestling tights where it was just the underwear with kneepads and boots.Ā 

STUD ā€“ Dean Ambroseā€™s attire

Jean Ambr-I mean Dean Ambroseā€™s attire suits him/his character to a T. Brawler style so why not wear street clothes. Or maybe that was just from the budget cut and it was done on accident. Who knows but all I know is that Iā€™m a fan of it.

STUDĀ  - Luke Harper/Eric Rowanā€™s theme music

I feel as if Iā€™m alone when I express my genuine enjoyment in the theme. The twang-y, southern banjo style-like theme works for their personalities and it also just generally excites me for when they approach the ring.

DUD ā€“ Cesaro

Sad considering the amount of talent this man has. More work on the mic, along with making himself become relevant again by the end of the year will save his stardom. Iā€™m not saying he will go down to job level, but Iā€™d hate for him to turn into a Del-Rio like star.

Stud - Heath Slater eliminating Cesaro at Battleground battle royal

Not going to lie, I lost my damn mind when I saw Slater toss Cesaro over the top rope. Tampa Bay marked out for Slater and you know what, for a guy thatā€™s job is to job for others, Iā€™m happy that he got an ovation like that. Heā€™s an entertaining superstar. The IWC lost their mind in a negative way, moaning and groaning how ā€œSlater doesnā€™t deserve that and neither did Cesaro.ā€ Multiple wambulances were called for all the butts that were hurt by that elimination. Really though, Slater and Cesaro are on two entirely different spectrums. Slater wonā€™t achieve what Cesaro will so why not give Slater something he can hold on to for his career.Ā 

Other Goodies:

This week also featured a shocking appearance of STING at comic-con that nearly everyone and their grandmother marked out for coming out in his full costume, signature face paint and bat that would have Michael Cole screaming ā€œVINTAGE STINGā€. I have ideas of where they could put Sting in so that his first WWE run is a memorable one, but Iā€™m interested in being surprised as well. Iā€™m intrigued with WHEN he also debuts. My guess is that it happens at the start of the New Year. Maybe the Raw after Royal Rumble, maybe AT the Royal Rumble, the possibilities are endless!

Regarding my question from my last article on which feud Iā€™m most excited for, itā€™s a tie between Rusev/Swagger and Ambrose/Rollins. Both feuds offer something familiar themed feuds (former friends, betrayal, patriotism, honoring a country) and it works for me.

What I thoroughly about the Rusev/Swagger feud is that this revitalizes Swaggerā€™s character and brings him back into relevancy again. Considering this is the first time weā€™ve seen a face Swagger, Iā€™d say heā€™s playing it off well. If this feud is done correctly (although itā€™s considered being pulled) both stars could benefit from it.

Ambrose/Rollins make for great television. Having such a great chemistry during the Shields 2 year tenure, itā€™s bled into this feud and makes it incredibly interesting to watch. Ultimately this has to end with Rollins on top, but have Ambrose look huge also. The sky is the ceiling for these both and I see future WWE champs in both of them.

One new addition is the beginning of a new faction that features Xavier Woods as a mouthpiece, Kofi and Big E (and soon to be Mark Henry Iā€™m sure). This could be a faction that launches both Big E and Kofi into more of a main event status rather than their current mid-card status. Iā€™m not saying it most definitely will, but seeing a new attitude from Kofi where heā€™s more pissed than anything will be interesting to see it pan out. Iā€™m a stickler about faction names so Iā€™m intrigued to see what name is brought out for this group.

Question time!
Given that we are on almost the eve of Summerslam (having it be 3-weeks away) where do you see the product and what it has to offer within the next 6 month. Whoā€™s on top in the WWE? What feuds will there be/what oneā€™s would YOU WANT to see?

Be vocal, be heard!

Thanks for the hangs, IWC.

As always, stay classy

Quinn


Tags: #column #quinnsmith #studs #duds

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