WWE: My Hopes For 2010

The coming year promises to be an exciting one in the WWE; Bret Hart has made a never-expected return, new stars are being handed their shot at the big time and the allurement of another Wrestlemania is almost upon us. No-one knows exactly what the future will bring, but here are my wishes for the next 12 months.
1. The Bret Hart programme to be handled the right way
It is not just the majority of England that has been swarmed with ice, Hell has also frozen over. It must have – the Hitman is back. The temptation will be to put Bret on Raw as much as possible but it is vital that he does not overshadow everything else. Keep his in-ring time to minimum – preferably just the inevitable bout against Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania – and ensure the vocal segments are strong and purposeful, and, more importantly, not too frequent, so that other storylines are given suitable exposure. Bret’s marquee name has generated intrigue, the creative team must sustain it.
2. ECW to remain in place
There have been plenty of rumours that the Tuesday brand is destined for demise but I would implore the decision makers to keep it alive. ECW may not garner the ratings of Raw or Smackdown, yet it is a fundamental part of the WWE. Frustrated mid-carders are given a new lease of life, upcoming starlets are allowed to hone their craft, while veterans are handed a final run in the spotlight as reward for helping the new boys develop. Change the name, change the personnel, but please, don’t exterminate the show.
3. The continued resurgence of tag team wrestling
Last year’s unifying of Jeri-Show not only made Chris Jericho the most viewed man on WWE programming, it also transferred the tag team titles from an afterthought into a truly desired possession. Formerly used to appease superstars lacking any direction, the gold enjoyed a renaissance in 2009. Wrestlers wanted to earn it, fans cared about who was battling for it and December’s TLC pay-per-view was even main-evented by a match for the titles. Maybe Vince has finally realised the passion that exists for tag team bouts – let’s hope it continues in the future.
4. More mangers to be utilised
Now here is a tradition that seems to have been phased out. In the past we had a plethora of charismatic ringside supervisors, who played a major part in helping wrestlers get over with the crowd. These days, however, they have all but been extinguished, and I do not get why. Look at the effect Armando Estrada had on the late Umaga, his dynamic management one of the premier reasons the taciturn Samoan achieved such success. There are a number of other introverted WWE performers who could do with the same treatment and with the likes of James Mitchell, Jamie Noble and even Abraham Washington lurking around, there is hardly a dearth of orators who could fill the role.
5. No-one to expect Shawn Michaels v Undertaker II to better version 1
All fingers point towards a rematch between the Showstopper and the Deadman at Wrestlemania 26. Whether it is lazy work from the writers or an inspired choice, the two warhorses are likely to put on one hell of a show. It will, however, have to go some to top last year’s stunning encounter and that may be beyond Michaels and Taker, regardless of how talented they are. The bodies are ageing and the limbs are not as swift, so if they do lock horns once more, I just ask you not to moan that the 2009 meeting was better. We may never see a match of that quality again.
6. The end of the Raw guest-host saga
Do not get me wrong, some of the weekly general managers have been a success. Mark Cuban and Seth Green were surprisingly sterling, Ted DiBiase and Dusty Rhodes were – as you would expect – brilliant and Jesse Ventura was exceptional, but a lot of the other temporary anchors have been woeful. I know Vince wants to branch out into the realm of celebrity but Raw is lacking a definitive head honcho, someone to bring consistency to deciding matches and a target for annoyed superstars’ gripes. So come on WWE, chose a GM and stick with them.
7. Christian to move to one of the top two brands
I am not alone in saying this but the time is nigh for Captain Charisma to spread his wings and fly over to the bright lights of Raw or Smackdown. The Canadian has done an excellent job during his stint on ECW, proving to be an entertaining title holder and meshing brilliantly with an array of opponents, and must surely have shown Vince that he is worthy of a high-profile place on one of the ‘A’ shows. Perhaps give Christian his Wrestlemania moment, by letting him walk into WWE’s biggest night of the year with the ECW strap, but when that excitable evening has reached its climax, let the man wave his goodbyes and make his return to the big leagues.
8. One more HHH v HBK series
They may be best buddies now, swaggering around with the tag team gold, a new leprechaun mascot and endless streams of substandard merchandise, but hopefully a feud between HBK and HHH is being plotted behind the scenes. It has been quite a while since they last did battle, so for the younger fans it would represent something fresh and for the older ones, a rivalry steeped in history. The story would be easy to concoct and knowing each other so well, the DX partners would undoubtedly put on some stunning matches and promos. If Michaels played the heel, it would be even better.
9. MVP to go back to Smackdown as a heel
When the Franchise Playa roamed Smackdown earlier in his career, he looked like being the next big breakout star. The bling, the cocky persona and the ever-improving in-ring skills, it seemed just a matter of time before he reached the apex. A face turn and switch to Raw later, MVP has lost all his momentum and is now nothing but a jobber to the stars. There is still hope though. Let him go back to being a heel, move him from the congested, star-filled Raw roster to his spiritual home on Friday nights, and give him the chance to flourish. A new main-event option you may make.
10. Surprise returns to be just that
WWE lacks a lot of mystery these days as the comeback of Christian showed. His re-emergence was rumbled by an assortment of online sources, meaning that when he finally turned up on TV, there was a joyful cheer as opposed to pulsating frenzy. In this digital age it is extremely difficult to maintain secrets but not impossible, so whether it’s Kurt Angle, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Doink the Clown or Sylvain Grenier (I don’t know why him, he just popped into my head) who make a return, I want it to be kept under wraps. Nothing beats a good old wrestling shocker.