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After starting of the year with a bang, the WWE seems to be losing all the momentum as we head deeper into the year.
The amount of action and intriguing matches in their weekly flagship show is on a downward spiral at the moment after the creative put together a disappointing lineup this week. The storylines rarely moved and the in ring action seemed repetitive.
There were no signs of Brock Lesnar for the second consecutive week and The Shield- Wyatt Family feud seemed to be the only one worth watching.
Guest host Betty White was also wasted by the stale writers. Lita was inducted into the hall of fame while tag team bouts were the only positive from the night. So let’s take a look at how the superstars were projected this week with the Superstar ratings.
Santino Marella – 3/10
Santino Marella
Santino didn’t look anything more than a launching pad for Emma this week as he suffered a defeat to Fandango. There were no surprises in that either since no one is going to see Santino get a big push and ending up as a main eventer.
Dolph Ziggler- 3.5/10
Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler seems stuck in the lower reaches of the Abyss as he fails to find any way out of it. An embarrassing loss against Alberto Del Rio made him look weak.
The potential tag team pairing with the Miz should be implemented as soon as possible since it might be the only move now that could revive the career of the Show Off.
Mark Henry- 4/10
Mark Henry
Henry is turning into a punching bag for every big name in the company at the moment. His return was not only unimpressive but the match he got involved in was void of any kind of chemistry.
The creative literally has no idea what to do with their giant men as they wander around without any storyline to aid them.
Fandango – 4/10
Fandango
Nothing more than a comic match this time from Fandango as he was booked against Santino Marella. A win however will be refreshing for the ballroom dancer and the amount of subplots that worked between the match stole the shine from his win.
Rybaxel- 4/10
Ryback
A stale show for the weird pairing as they fell against the Usos in a one sided affair. They are not backed by any kind of push from the creative.
The team is also losing its ground in the division with consecutive losses. As for now there is nothing to be said about Rybaxel as they hang on for dear life.
The Real Americans- 5/10
The Real Americans
Enjoy while it lasts because the Real Americans are going through their twilight at the moment. A loss against Sheamus and Christian is nothing to be ashamed of.
The duo worked a solid match and Cesaro in particular stood out for his heroics. Elimination Chamber could be the change of gears for him and its will be interesting to see what the creative does with Swagger.
Rhodes Brothers – 5/10
The Rhodes Brothers
The brothers seem to be out of the title picture for now and were faced with some random booking this week. Teamed up with Rey Mysterio to face the Wyatt Family, they gave a solid match which came to an abrupt end.
WWE needs to be thinking about pushing for a feud between Cody Rhodes and Goldust because else some great talent will be wasted without much of a direction.
Rey Mysterio – 5/10
Rey Mysterio
It was a typical match from Mysterio this week as he was involved in a losing tag team effort. There were no doubts cast on the injury status of Mysterio as he gave a solid match. And it’s fascinating why the WWE is not giving Mysterio any kind of storyline despite him being fit.
Another lose doesn’t help Mysterio any bit and with WrestleMania approaching fast, the company should make better utilization of the former World Champion.
Randy Orton- 5/10
Randy Orton
The lackluster title reign of Randy Orton took another fall this week as the Viper suffered a defeat in the hands of John Cena.
He heads into Elimination Chamber with the least momentum possible. Running the gauntlet is making him look worse. This might work well if the WWE is planning to make him drop the title, however if it isn’t the case then they are digging their own grave.
Batista – 6/10
Batista
The Animal looked vicious for the first time since his return. Attacking Alberto Del Rio might not be a great thing but there were signs of the merciless beast that we were used to seeing four years ago.
Match against Del Rio is made official now and this leaves out Batista out of the title picture for now. However, there is not much heat on this feud which will be something worth addressing.
Alberto Del Rio- 6/10
Alberto Del Rio
A win in the well worked match against Dolph Ziggler and the being prey to the animal, Del Rio had a relevant week this time.
His taunting finally materialized which puts him in a storyline till Elimination Chamber at least. And about the match, though it had two technically gifted wrestlers, the sense of repetition swept that fans and that spoilt a potential show stealer.
John Cena- 6/10
John Cena
A returning John Cena was put into the match against Randy Orton for the millionth time. Though Cena walked out as the winner, there was a been there done that feeling from the start of the match,
A win works well for Cena as he heads into the chamber to face five other men. However, the Cena- Orton matches has run their course and clearly creative needs to invest Cena elsewhere.
The Usos- 7/10
The Usos
The impressive run of the Usos look certain to end with a tag title win as the current champions were scouting the hottest team in the division.
It was not one of the best matches that the brothers have produced but there were a lot of energy burst that made the match memorable.
Christian and Sheamus- 7/10
Sheamus
It was a very odd pair to start with but surprisingly, Sheamus and Christian had some great chemistry which deserves appreciation.
A win in the fast paced match proved to be a great momentum builder for both the men. They also got to be part of the best match of the night which benefited Christian mostly as there were a lot of doubts casted on his inclusion on the Elimination Chamber match.
Wyatt Family – 7.5/10
Bray Wyatt
As usual the creepy guys look amazing inside the ring. Their unorthodox style coupled with in ring psychology blew the roof off.
The Rhodes brothers and Rey Mysterio complemented them well and the win looked impressive as it was against established opponents. The promo which followed after the match was also captivating.
As weeks pass, Bray Wyatt is proving to the world that he is one of the top microphone workers in the company. A good week for the Wyatts and they along with the shield seem to carry the show when everyone else switches off.
The Shield- 7.5/10
The Shield
Dean Ambrose was the only one to be involved in in ring action this week but the trio stood out with their promos and ambush on Mark Henry.
The title defense of Ambrose was a nice touch from the creative team as it exposed the cracks in team much further. The tension with Wyatt Family also rose this week which is sure to make the match an epic one at the Elimination Chamber.
Friction between Ambrose and Reigns will be an interesting subplot to follow us well making it a must watch encounter.
