The WWE World
Heavyweight Title Scene
This month I
will be discussing the World Heavyweight title scene and who is in line for the
title shot, who will get it and who deserves to get it. Currently, the
Elimination Chamber match includes Chris Jericho, Mark Henry, Randy Orton, Kane
and Jack Swagger. Of these men, each one could conceivably challenge for the
title at Wrestlemania 29 and produce a decent to fantastic match.
Mark Henry
Mark Henry is
the man that I most want to see challenge for the World Heavyweight
Championship. Since returning to action a few weeks ago, he has shown why he
still has a lot to offer, even if his mic work may be lacking slightly, he’s
convincingly ploughed through most superstars and looks in good shape. I would
certainly prefer to see him fighting for the WHC than the Big Show, who is
circulating around the title at the moment, Show looks tired, slow and incapable
of producing his best stuff and there are many people who deserve a push ahead
of him who are nowhere near the title at the moment (Cody Rhodes springs instantly
to mind).
Chris Jericho
Much like the
Rock, Jericho seems to jump in and out of the WWE, although to his credit he
has wrestled more matches since his return at the Royal Rumble, Rock in
comparison has wrestled precisely 0 matches since winning the title, i wonder if
a comparison can be made with how many times CM Punk wrestled in between PPVs
during his title reign. Jericho has looked skinnier certainly than he was during
his previous stint with the company, but that is not a bad thing, he looks more
in shape as a result. His cardiovascular conditioning is clearly excellent, as
we saw during the Rumble, wherein he matched Dolph Ziggler pace for pace.
Having said that, a part of me thinks that he should surely step aside and
allow guys like Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler to challenge for the World
Heavyweight Title instead.
Randy Orton
All talk of
Randy Orton lately has been of a proposed heel turn, which would be welcomed,
Orton is a natural heel and it is where he is best placed, as a face he is
crowd pleasing but never really seems to enjoy the role. If he does turn at
Elimination Chamber, or even better at Wrestlemania it could launch him onto much
greater things. In terms of the likelihood of him winning the title shot at the
Chamber match i can’t see it happening, he has been anonymous since his return,
compared to the likes of Damien Sandow who seems to relish his current role, he
is definitely not at his current best.
Kane
Kane’s inclusion
seems to smack of a filler role, he is just filling a space, admittedly since
re-donning his mask he has been re-invigorated, but team Hell No has too much
of a good thing going to split them up now. Kane has been a vital cog in the
WWE machine for several years and no-one admires his loyalty as much as me and
it seems there is nothing bad to be said about him, but much like Jericho his
role has to diminish to allow others to come through.
Jack Swagger
Completely anonymous
in his absence, whilst I admire Swagger’s amateur wrestling ability and want to
see him do well, he just doesn’t have it,
that star quality that the likes of Michaels or Austin had in abundance, I am
rarely excited to see him wrestle and his teaming with Zeb Coulter is a tad too
nationalistic and xenophobic for my taste. However at least he isn’t languishing
as Michael Cole’s bodyguard anymore and has the chance to showcase his
mat-based ability. I don’t think he will win the Chamber match, but I expect he
may win at least one title this year, a feud with Antonio Cesaro may be good
for his development.
And Finally...
My favourite in
the WWE at the moment is the criminally under-used Dolph Ziggler, he most
definitely has the it factor that Swagger lacks, alongside terrific wrestling
ability his mic skills are better than most and improving. Ziggler still has the
Money in the Bank briefcase and bizarrely has yet to cash it in, it is most
definite that the World Heavyweight Title will be his at some point in the
future and it should hopefully give him the push into the main event title
picture. Although wrestling ability is no indication of that, after all The Miz
has main-evented more Wrestlemania’s than CM Punk has despite having the
tiniest fraction of his in ring talent.
