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Season’s greetings, wrestling fans!
December is traditionally an creative low-point in WWE, but this week delivered plenty of memorable moments. As the holiday lights go up, recent storylines have proven to be an early Christmas gift for some, and a stockingful of coal for others.
A few wrestlers have been pushed up the card by smart booking and timely momentum. Missed opportunities are making the season far less merry for others. Who’s thriving in WWE’s holiday season, and who’s in greatest need of a New Year’s reset?
Rising Star of the Week: Austin Theory
Austin Theory is back after injury forced a five-month hiatus, and he’s poised to be more relevant than ever. Theory’s greatest asset is evident – he looks like a boy-band heartthrob on steroids. His ringwork is solid, but unremarkable.
The story of Theory’s career thus far is that of “the next big thing” that never happened. Vince McMahon reportedly saw Theory as “the next John Cena.” Shortly after debuting on the main roster, Theory won the United States Title, followed by the Money in the Bank briefcase. He even defeated John Cena at WrestleMania in what should have been a passing-of-the-torch moment.
As a character, Theory never quite clicked. In the months following his WrestleMania win, he suffered losses to Rey Mysterio, L.A. Knight, and Kevin Owens. His pairing with another young obnoxious heel Grayson Waller failed to produce much in the way of chemistry, and the duo spent over a year teasing a breakup which never materialized.
Theory’s injury in July may have been a blessing in disguise. His character, defined downward by two years of failure, was in desperate need of a refresh.
WWE history has shown that some wrestlers find success after repeated failures (e.g., Liv Morgan) while others fall short no matter how many chances they’re given (e.g., Lex Luger, the Great Khali).
Theory’s return as the “masked man” responsible for The Vision’s WarGames victory finally thrusts him back into Raw’s spotlight. An alliance with the hottest stable in WWE gives Theory his best possible chance to become relevant. Working with Paul Heyman certainly won’t hurt.
Does Theory have what it takes to get over at a high level in WWE? This remains to be seen, but for the first time in years, he’s being positioned for bigger things.
Runner-up: C.M. Punk
Bron Breakker said he wanted the 2011 C.M. Punk, and in a way, his wish has been granted.
Punk was on fire on this week’s Raw, cutting his best promo in years. He was passionate, brutal, witty, and intense. The insults landed fast and furious, calling Breakker a “cross eyed neanderthal nepobaby,” referring to Logan Paul as the “YouTube Scaammer” and labeling the Steiner brothers “Dumb and Dumber.”
This is the C.M. Punk that fans have craved since his 2023 return to WWE. This is the C.M. Punk that deserves to be called the best in the world. The Second City Saint still has what it takes on the mic. This level of fire more than compensates for Punk’s physical limitations in the ring.
More of this, please.
Second Runner up: Gunther
The Ring General is flying high.
His four televised matches in the Last Time Is Now Tournament were excellent, elevating each of his opponents even as he defeated them. Saturday Night’s Main Event gave him the greatest victory of his career.
I question the decision to have him beat John Cena by submission, but it gives Gunther the most impressive bragging rights since Brock Lesnar ended the Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak.
…and brag he has. Gunther’s promo to start off Raw was pitch-perfect, enough to whip the Hershey crowd into a frenzy of boos.
Unfortunately, the follow-up was less impressive. Backstage, Gunther went on to be stared down Otis, called a piece of trash by R-Truth, and degraded as an “asshole” before being ordered out of the arena by Adam Pearce. While this sequence was meant to portray Gunther as morally bankrupt, his lack of any response made him look weak.
WWE should seize the moment to take full advantage of Gunther’s momentum. A World Title win or Royal Rumble victory feels not just logical, but necessary.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Fading Star of the Week: John Cena
John Cena’s legacy is tarnished by his final match.
Losing certainly isn’t the problem. Cena has lost to lesser talents in recent years (e.g., Theory, Solo Sikoa). Putting over a top star like the Ring General match makes good sense. Gunther will benefit from bragging rights, where Cena isn’t hurt by a loss, even a clean one.
The problem is the way Gunther won. “Never give up” has been Cena’s mantra for 20 years, one that his on-screen character has embodied in multiple ways. This Axiom has helped define him as a character and make him a role model for countless fans. Cena’s tapping out is a betrayal of his principles.
What’s worse, he tapped out to a sleeper hold, of all things. Submissions typically happen when a wrestler cannot escape a hold which is causing agony or likely to cause injury. A sleeper makes opponents pass out, but its not thought to cause a great deal of pain or lasting damage. The only reason to tap out to a sleeper hold is to avoid the embarrassment of going unconscious.
Tapping out to a sleeper makes sense for a heel like Gunther, who places little value on honor and less on being a role model. Why would Cena tap out to a sleeper? Passing out would be far less embarrassing for him than the cowardly hypocrisy he showed by giving up. Cena let down millions of fans, and for what? If creative was determined to have Cena tap, Gunther should have used a painful submission hold.
Cena’s expression before tapping out was nearly as perplexing. Far from the expression of a desperate man with no options other than to betray his ideals, Cena actually smiled.
I can’t fathom what story he was trying to tell, but it flopped.
The Rise of Skywalker had a better ending.
First Runner-Up: The New Day
After 13 world tag team title reigns, the New Day are the most decorated tag team in WWE History. Without Big E, are Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods still the New Day?
Not really. In the three-and-a-half years since Big E’s injury, the duo has never come close to achieving their former glory or relevance. As entertaining as Grayson Waller is, “Big G” is no Big E, and hasn’t proven to be the missing ingredient.
Barring an unlikely Big E return to in-ring action, a New Day revival seems impossible
Yet another clean loss on Raw removes them from the tag team conversation.
For this version of New Day, the forecast looks grim.
Second Runner-Up: Uncle Howdy
Howdy’s lame, awkward promo on Smackdown was the absolute last thing the Wyatt Six needed. Howdy came off as a pale imitation of his brother. The Wyatt Sicks’ feud with the MFTs is cold and getting colder by the week.
All attempts to follow the buzzards have seemingly led to a dead act.
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