Stock Check: 7/24/14
Yes, my last Stock Check was almost a month ago, so I have quite a bit of ground to cover here. The original goal was to do this every two weeks, as it would be easier to chart the progress of all the wrestlers. Every week would be a bit of an overkill, as it takes time for things to develop. Hopefully I'll be able to do one of these every two weeks from now on. The main focus on this Stock Check: WWE Battleground. While this was by no means a marquee pay-per-view, a lot happened to affect the stocks of some superstars. Let's take a look at how it affected them.
Up:
Brock Lesnar: In the last month, Lesnar has only appeared once in a WWE ring and hasn't even competed. But that one appearance was on the most recent Raw episode, where he was named the #1 Contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At SummerSlam, he will take on John Cena for the title, and by all accounts, he is expected to win.
Xavier Woods: The former NXT star hasn't made much of an impact in the WWE since his debut in 2013. Now however, that looks set to change. Woods cut the best promo of his career on Raw when he spoke to Kofi Kingston and Big E. It looks like a new heel faction with Woods in charge is set to take form.
Austin Aries: The TNA star beat Sanada to win the X Division Championship on the July 10th episode of Impact. He then successfully defended it a week later in a gauntlet match. On today's episode of Impact, we will see whether Aries will vacate the title in order to get a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
The Usos: Jimmy and Jey put on one of the best (if not the best) matches of their career at WWE Battleground. This marks yet another win for them in their rivalry against Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. These two have proven they are more than capable of being upper carders.
The Miz: The Awesome One has had a good last two weeks. On last week's episode of Raw he pinned the United States Champion Sheamus and then won the vacant Intercontinental Champion at Battleground. It looks he will be launching into a feud with Dolph Ziggler in the coming weeks.
Even:
Adam Rose: The former NXT star hasn't lost a singles match yet, but hasn't had a serious feud either. He did beat Fandango in a match that lasted only a few minutes on the WWE Battleground pre-show, so that gives him a little bit of momentum. But if he doesn't get any real storylines soon, there'll be real trouble in store for him.
Zack Ryder: Yes, I know. Who ever expected Zack Ryder to have any momentum whatsoever this year? He's not great in the ring, he can't cut a great promo, and he doesn't have the look. BUT, he did beat Fandango on Raw, so that's something right? Just don't expect it to mean anything.
Chris Jericho: Y2J shocked the WWE Universe by beating Bray Wyatt at Battleground. According to some reports, Jericho was supposed to win, but Vince McMahon changed it shortly before the match. But Jericho doesn't get a spot in the "Up" section because he's still expected to lose the war.
Down:
Bray Wyatt: Oh, where to start with Wyatt? Let's go back to June. The Eater of Worlds did compete in the main event at Money in the Bank, but he was a complete afterthought in the match. He was outshone by just about every other competitor in the match. Then, we got to Battleground, where he lost to Jericho. Granted, Wyatt will emerge from the feud victorious, but that doesn't change the fact he's lost four of his last five PPV matches. ON TOP OF THAT, Wyatt is beginning to be outperformed by Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, at least in the ring. If he's going to stay the patriarch of the Family, he needs to be top dog. Oh, he also got "boring" chants on the Richmond, Virginia Raw, something that's never happened to him before. Was that an isolated incident, or are fans really getting fed up with Wyatt? Only time will tell.
Bad News Barrett: Just one day after the vacant WWE World Heavyweight title was won by John Cena, Barrett was stripped of the Intercontinental Championship due to injury. This is quite disappointing for his fans, as he was on a nice hot streak that could have led him to the top of the card. Here's hoping he returns soon.
Alberto Del Rio: ADR competed in the main event at Money in the Bank, but then was a total afterthought in the battle royal at WWE Battleground. It looks like his short time in the main event is done, though he could work his way back up there. A bright note though: his Last Man Standing match against Sheamus for the US title was really good.
Cesaro: A month ago, Cesaro was one of the hottest superstars on the roster. Now, he's a midcarder with absolutely no direction. In the last four episodes of Raw, he's lost to Kofi Kingston twice and lost to Big E once. This is really sad to see, as Cesaro is a phenomenal talent that should not go to waste. There is a good possibility that he will work his way up the card again though.
Eric Young: Ever since dropping the TNA World Heavyweight title, EY has really dropped down the card. His rivalry with MVP is still going strong, but he's being overshadowed by other faces like Bobby Roode, Jeff Hardy, and Austin Aries. It'll take something big to get him back on track.
Know any other superstar on an up or down path? Comment and let me know.
Up:
Brock Lesnar: In the last month, Lesnar has only appeared once in a WWE ring and hasn't even competed. But that one appearance was on the most recent Raw episode, where he was named the #1 Contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At SummerSlam, he will take on John Cena for the title, and by all accounts, he is expected to win.
Xavier Woods: The former NXT star hasn't made much of an impact in the WWE since his debut in 2013. Now however, that looks set to change. Woods cut the best promo of his career on Raw when he spoke to Kofi Kingston and Big E. It looks like a new heel faction with Woods in charge is set to take form.
Austin Aries: The TNA star beat Sanada to win the X Division Championship on the July 10th episode of Impact. He then successfully defended it a week later in a gauntlet match. On today's episode of Impact, we will see whether Aries will vacate the title in order to get a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
The Usos: Jimmy and Jey put on one of the best (if not the best) matches of their career at WWE Battleground. This marks yet another win for them in their rivalry against Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. These two have proven they are more than capable of being upper carders.
The Miz: The Awesome One has had a good last two weeks. On last week's episode of Raw he pinned the United States Champion Sheamus and then won the vacant Intercontinental Champion at Battleground. It looks he will be launching into a feud with Dolph Ziggler in the coming weeks.
Even:
Adam Rose: The former NXT star hasn't lost a singles match yet, but hasn't had a serious feud either. He did beat Fandango in a match that lasted only a few minutes on the WWE Battleground pre-show, so that gives him a little bit of momentum. But if he doesn't get any real storylines soon, there'll be real trouble in store for him.
Zack Ryder: Yes, I know. Who ever expected Zack Ryder to have any momentum whatsoever this year? He's not great in the ring, he can't cut a great promo, and he doesn't have the look. BUT, he did beat Fandango on Raw, so that's something right? Just don't expect it to mean anything.
Chris Jericho: Y2J shocked the WWE Universe by beating Bray Wyatt at Battleground. According to some reports, Jericho was supposed to win, but Vince McMahon changed it shortly before the match. But Jericho doesn't get a spot in the "Up" section because he's still expected to lose the war.
Down:
Bray Wyatt: Oh, where to start with Wyatt? Let's go back to June. The Eater of Worlds did compete in the main event at Money in the Bank, but he was a complete afterthought in the match. He was outshone by just about every other competitor in the match. Then, we got to Battleground, where he lost to Jericho. Granted, Wyatt will emerge from the feud victorious, but that doesn't change the fact he's lost four of his last five PPV matches. ON TOP OF THAT, Wyatt is beginning to be outperformed by Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, at least in the ring. If he's going to stay the patriarch of the Family, he needs to be top dog. Oh, he also got "boring" chants on the Richmond, Virginia Raw, something that's never happened to him before. Was that an isolated incident, or are fans really getting fed up with Wyatt? Only time will tell.
Bad News Barrett: Just one day after the vacant WWE World Heavyweight title was won by John Cena, Barrett was stripped of the Intercontinental Championship due to injury. This is quite disappointing for his fans, as he was on a nice hot streak that could have led him to the top of the card. Here's hoping he returns soon.
Alberto Del Rio: ADR competed in the main event at Money in the Bank, but then was a total afterthought in the battle royal at WWE Battleground. It looks like his short time in the main event is done, though he could work his way back up there. A bright note though: his Last Man Standing match against Sheamus for the US title was really good.
Cesaro: A month ago, Cesaro was one of the hottest superstars on the roster. Now, he's a midcarder with absolutely no direction. In the last four episodes of Raw, he's lost to Kofi Kingston twice and lost to Big E once. This is really sad to see, as Cesaro is a phenomenal talent that should not go to waste. There is a good possibility that he will work his way up the card again though.
Eric Young: Ever since dropping the TNA World Heavyweight title, EY has really dropped down the card. His rivalry with MVP is still going strong, but he's being overshadowed by other faces like Bobby Roode, Jeff Hardy, and Austin Aries. It'll take something big to get him back on track.
Know any other superstar on an up or down path? Comment and let me know.
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