"Personally, I hope when the time comes for the payoff that Cena will embrace Barrett rather than strike him. Now that would really get some heat."

Kev, do you not think it would water down the Cena heel turn (which I totally agree is coming and necessary) to have him join a heel faction? My envisioning of it has Cena's stipulation to be in Nexus expiring. Barrett then tell him he wants to see what Cena will do and a match is booked between Cena and a very over face. Nexus comes out to do their surround the ring bit, and when they come up to jump the face it seems to be the climactic moment of choice. Cena teases hitting the face, but lays out Nexus instead. Then, when the face and Cena celebrate, Cena turns on him and hits the AA.

I simply don't think the face of the company as a true heel should be playing second fiddle to anyone, but I'd be very interested in your thoughts.

"This time, Kidd was the one acting like a heel. ..."

ummm sorry to say but it was pointed out by the commentators that David Hart Smith at the last moment chose to lock in a sharpshooter instead of helping Kidd with the Hart Attack...

RESPONSE FROM KE: That's true, but did you see Kidd smirking after the match and pushing Natalya away?

It was a strong show. They seem to be giving Ziggler and Bryan more in the way of character development, which is a plus.

It's curious that Hart wasn't featured more prominently.

I suspect where the Cena - Nexus feud will eventually go is that Cena will disobey Barrett and get turfed, only to reappear at ringside for several weeks as a "fan" or wrestle briefly under a mask, making life miserable for Barrett and Nexus until he demands Cena be reinstated for a match. Barrett, btw, has been great in this top spot and the story has given Cena badly needed new material.

You say politics should be left off the show. Sorry Kev, but that train left the station long ago.

Various WWE personalities have appeared at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

Let us also not forget the video appearances made by Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain on RAW during the '08 campaign.

Furthermore, the WWE has been active in trying to increase voter participation, especially amongst young adults, through Smackdown Your Vote. I hope you are not suggesting the WWE should abandon this campaign.

Now if Linda McMahon should win in Connecticut should the WWE act as if she doesn't exist?

Let's face it though. If you look at the arguments against McMahon as a Senatorial candidate they focus not on her electoral platform but on her involvement with the WWE. It has been argued that being in the wrestling business disqualifies her from running for public office. Should the WWE not publicly defend its name and its former CEO on its programming?

As someone who writes about wrestling for a major newspaper I would think you would be more sympathetic. Even if you don't share McMahon's politics I would think that you would be more supportive of efforts to counter the smear campaign against the WWE and professional wrestling at large. If such a smear campaign were successful in garnering a backlash against professional wrestling it might very well result in you having to discontinue this blog. You wouldn't want that would you?

RESPONSE FROM KE: Let me clarify my statement about politics being left off the show. I'm saying that political agendas should be left off. I thought it was great that all three presidential candidates appeared on Raw and that WWE does the nonpartisan Smackdown Your Vote campaign. Bit I don't think LInda's Senate run should make its way onto WWE TV, and up until this point, it hasn't.

"Natalya quickly beat Alicia Fox with the Sharpshooter for the second time in three weeks. The post-match angle was good, as Natalya fought off an attack by LayCool, including reversing the Sharpshooter when McCool had the hold on her. ..."

Wait wait wait...am I reading this right? A WWE wrestler NOT being made to job during a show in their hometown?

That's one of the signs of the Apocalypse, isn't it?

I agree, Wade Barrett is becoming a HUGE star in the midst of all this. In fact, he's been outperforming Cena weekly. I agree with you the Cena/Nexus storyline is simple, yet is turning into one of, if not the most, effective stories this company has done in years. For the most part, Cena is doing a good job, but he is starting to remind be a bit of the Hulkster back in the day, with the over-the-top facial reactions and angst. Barrett is DESTROYING on the mic, and if nothing else good comes from this, they at least have started something significant with Barrett.

I originally thought like you, Kev, but the way this is playing out, I think perhaps they are having second thoughts or changing the plan on a heel Cena. Cena vs. Barrett seems like a natural payoff after all this, and unless they are going to play this out for another 2-3 months, we don't yet have enough reason for seeds planted for Cena turning full-blown heel. Plus, they must be hesitant about the merchandise hit they will invariably take if and when Cena turns. Outside of Austin 3:16 and nWo shirts, heel merchandise doesn't sell as well.

Other thoughts:
* I don't even know why they bother w/ womens' (Divas'...ugh) matches.
* I think a nerdy Daniel Bryan is okay, but only if he remains a technical beast inside the ring. A little more Crippler, little less Santino, please.
* Even after all these years, I think it's still cute how Vince and creative cram the "brand rivalry" down fans' throats. It hasn't worked in 8 years. It ain't gonna work this time.
* When and why did they decide to have Bragging Rights and Survivor Series back-to-back. Can't most of these brand vs. brand matches have happened at what was once one of this company's bigger, marquee PPVs?
* Overall, Raw wasn't as good as last week, but a slightly better show than 2 weeks ago. Although a second battle royal in 3 weeks is not good.
* Big mistake to not have Bret Hart of the TV broadcast. That Calgary crowd wanted it bad. They chanted "We Want Bret" for what seemed like half the night and it was almost distracting. Backfire.

I have more to say on the "Stand Up for WWE" segment, but suffice to say, I agree with you Kev.

LOL i agree with you all the way about the big mouth kid. He was so annoying i was hoping Big Show would have flashbacks of Floyd and give him a ko punch.

As for Cena i'm torn because i'm not a Cena follower but i don't want to see him with Barrett because Wade to me is too much to take. I'd like it better if Cena fools everyone by eventually killing the Nexus and causing them to break up only to turn on the fans and go heel on Taker but i guess that's just a pipe dream because i get the sinking feeling Taker is gonna be buried by Kane leading to yet another match at WM between the 2 big men. Either that or Paul Bearer does another switch of sides lol

This was a very review of the show and I will need to start reading your thoughts more often.

I too like how Cena's character is written now and how good Barrett is portraying the bad guy.

My hope is that Cena somehow someway develops slowly into a heel. I actually hope he forms his own faction or maybe redoes the Nexus.

How bout this... Orton against Barrett for the title but Orton makes the stipulation that if he wins Cena is no longer a member of NEXUS... Orton wins, which allows him and Cena to be pitted against NEXUS for the coming months...

Hey Kev, did you notice during the last segment when Barret said that he would become the WWE Champion, David Otunga rolled his eyes. I think something is going to happen involving him at Bragging Rights.

I agree Barrett's doing a fantastic job as a rival for Cena in the Nexus angle. He's a natural on the mic and his work with Cena is rapidly becoming turning him into a major player and real heat magnet.

I think it's OK for Cena to not be wearing the Nexus gear at the moment. It would lessen the visual impact if he was forced to wear it. If he VOLUNTARILY donned a Nexus shirt, however... well now, can you imagine the reaction? WWE needs to save that visual for a defining moment in the story.

I thought the Ziggler/Bryan segment was one of the highlights of the show. The confrontation (and the nod to a certain Canadian wrestler) was great, but the dance routine was so out of the blue it elevated the entire segment.

Ziggler and Vickie make a great tandem act with their unbelievably fake relationship, and Daniel showed he can be self-deprecatingly entertaining, once again proving Cole wrong. They had a couple of matches at recent house shows, and apparently stole the show, so I'm expecting good things from the pair at Bragging Rights.

Cena should quit and comeback as the
THE MIDNIGHT RIDER

I really see Cena turning on Barrett and then leaving for a month or so. As we all know, when you are "fired" from WWE, you are not fired. You are just off tv for awhile. I think that is what they are going to do with Cena. Take him off the canvas until the royal rumble and then have HHH fued with Nexus. Either way, WWE losing John Cena off their payroll will never happen. And if it does, TNA would turn him heel or put a mask on him and call him the toxic avenger.
Still wondering, who is jumping to RAW at turning point?

I'm of two opinions regarding the Cena angle. On one hand, I like that he's vulnerable and actually showing some human emotion. On the other hand ... do you think Stone Cold or the Rock would let Wade Barrett get away with any of this crap? I don't want to see Cena go all the way from Superman to Superwuss.

What was up with the divas throwing a bucket of glitter at Vikki? Am I missing something.

Also, I really wish that Cena was the special guest referee at for the Barrett v. Orton title match.

I think the Bragging Rights PPV is designed to try to make Smackdown look like it is on the same level of Raw as Smackdown usually dominates the PPV, while Raw dominates the ratings.

Cole kept referring to the Million Dollar Belt as a "Championship" belt? I didn't see any room for a name plate. It should be revealed sometime that Cole and Daniel Bryan are "Half Brothers" ;-)

Was it me or was the material of the raw shirts inferior to those of smackdown? It seemed that every raw wrestler had his red shirt ripped into peices while all the smackdown shirts remained intact. Is it a sign of how strong the two brand teams are, going into the ppv?

I'm beginning to believe that Wade Barrett belongs in the big time. His work in this angle is tremendous. I just hope that they can keep him in fresh, interesting stories.

Barrett is good in his heel role.

If playing this role is helping Cena, then he must have really needed it, because the whole Nexus storyline is pretty ridiculous and hard to believe to start with and them gaining power so easily over the supposed "top guy" is even more so.

At least it is giving some new guys like Barrett and perhaps also Gabriel an opportunity to be pushed.

I like that WWE removed Daniel Bryan from Nexus using that release swerve and are giving him a chance to shine on his own. Being part of NExus would have held him back.

Having Season 2 NXT guys with potential join nexus makes sense for the same reasons.

PLEASE SOMETHING SHOUND BE DONE ABOUT CENA'S CONDITION. I MEAN HE'S THE REASON WHY I WATCH WWE,HE'S MY HERO.THIS IS MY SUGGESTION:LET HIM BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE TO WRESTLE WITH WADE BARET, BUT THIS TIME IN A CELL MATCH VOID OF ANY INTERFERANCE BY NEXUS MEMBER AND IF HE LOOSES THIS TIME, THEN HE BECOMES A NEXUS MEMBER BUT IF HE WINS THEN HE WILL BE OUT OF NEXU

Knowing how the WWE can take a good idea and screw it up. Cena's heel turn will result into a Nexus offshoot (Nexus Wolfpac?). Then Triple H will return and form another offshoot of Nexus. I have this feeling that Nexus will become the next NWO. A great idea that will get watered down and overdone.

McGillicuty and Harris will not join Nexus. They will join up with DiBiasi and form the "Fortunate Sons". That phrase was used again when Dibiase was in the ring with Golddust. By the way, Golddust's finisher is awesome.

The stuff with Cena and Barrett was good (albeit Cena's expressions can border on cartoonish), but the rest of the show was pretty meh. Randy Orton was the hottest performer in the company for most of the year, but since winning the title, he has become a huge afterthought, barely appearing on last week's show and this week playing second fiddle to the Cena/Nexus angle.

The manufactured RAW vs SD beef to annually coincide with the release of the latest reincarnation of the video game series has never caught on with fans and never will. That being said, the way the SD roster has been stacked seems to point to an almost certain RAW victory, perhaps due to issues between Mysterio/Del Rio and/or Swagger/Edge, which was on display Monday. Bryan/Ziggler could be a really great match if given time, but the attempt on Monday to give Bryan personality was an epic fail, as was the failure to have Bret Hart make an appearance.

No one plays the victim quite like Vincent K. McMahon, and it was on full display Monday night. Although by and large the coverage of the WWE has been fair and even though his wife was always a longshot at best, McMahon, being the petulant child that he is, has used this opportunity to rail against the mainstream media opposed to focusing on quality programming.

I appreciate the clarification.

Yet it doesn't change the fact the WWE's reputation is being besmirched as a consequence of Linda's campaign. Does the WWE simply ignore these transgressions? Is the WWE not allowed to defend its brand? Is the WWE not permitted to ask its fans to voice their appreciation for its product?

As for Vince having a political agenda, it's not like Vince asked WWE viewers to make a donation to Linda's campaign.

I HATE U GUYS FOR MAKING CENA JOIN NEXUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW DARE U MAKE HIM JOIN A GROUP DAT IS SO STUPID, WORTHLESS N A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME!!!!!!!!!!!! NEXUS DONT EVEN DESERVE TO BE WRESTLERS, THEY ALL SUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could see Cena turning on Nexus and getting "fired" for a few weeks -- maybe as soon as this Sunday. Why?

His newest movie "Blood Brothers" is currently filming in New Mexico. Has Cena taken breaks from wrestling when he was filming his other movies?

This posting of the Nexus/John Cena storyline is uncalled for, and I think The Baltimore Sun should be ashamed of themselves for posting this story. John Cena is being abused by Wade Barrett, and John Cena does not deserve this kind of treatment from both The Baltimore Sun, and Wade Barrett.

@ Dsilverman: my wife thought the same thing about the Raw shirts. She wondered if they were made by a company that makes strippers' clothing.

At this point, the WWE has done such a good job in building up towards a Cena/ Barrett showdown that I think it would be a mistake to swerve us in any other way. Let me put it this way: that's what Vince Russo would do. You put it very well when you described this angle as simple but effective. It's a throwback to the days when you wanted to see the hero knock the villain's block off, and you were willing to pay money to see it The natural ending to the story is the best option.

But oh, did I love it when Wade Barrett threw water in John Cena's face. Barrett's a wonderful bully, isn't he?

"No one plays the victim quite like Vincent K. McMahon, and it was on full display Monday night. Although by and large the coverage of the WWE has been fair and even though his wife was always a longshot at best, McMahon, being the petulant child that he is, has used this opportunity to rail against the mainstream media opposed to focusing on quality programming."

I just watched it, and I agree with this assessment.

Forgetting about the fact that Vince is basically saying "If you're a good WWE fan then you ought to help the Republican candidate get elected", which is bad in itself, why should I defend WWE? I'm not the diehard fan I once was.

There's a lot wrong with WWE, stuff that I was unaware of when I began watching just prior to the Attitude Era. They work their employees like dogs, they tolerate backstage bullying and abuse, they look the other way if their performers turn to drugs to get through the insane work schedule*, they humiliate their workers regularly (remember having the Tough Enough contestants dress in drag? Or that kissing contest on the second sesason of NXT ?)...no, I'm not going to stick up for a company that operates that way. I may watch the shows sometimes, but I never order the PPVs, and part of the reason for that is because I don't think Vince McMahon deserves any of my money. (The other reasons are that the PPVs often suck and because they are overpriced at forty-some dollars.)

Oh yes, and on a more personal note, Vince kind of alienated me when they aired that Raw in Canada last year with Sgt. Slaughter as guest host and just bashed Canada relentlessly. It absolutely amazes me that Vince will make fun of Canadians in a Canadian city, basically punishing people for buying tickets to the show by insulting them all night, and then wonder why buyrates for his PPVs are down. Hey Vince, if business isn't good maybe it's a lousy idea to anger any of the fans you've got left! Jackass.

*People may mention the Wellness Policy and argue that its very existence is proof that WWE doesn't want its employees using drugs. My response is: WWE has no problem with its employees using drugs. It has a problem with bad PR, though, and the Wellness Policy is just there so that they can suspend somebody every now and then and claim that as proof that they're being vigilant. Well, they're not.

They are trying to make another faction like Evolution and NOTHING! will ever live up to
Evolution days I don't think nothing could replace the history of that stable.

I just have a felling that Nexus will break up most likely at Survivor Series did you notice that Cena keep looking around at the other members probably looking for a weakness .

Overall it was a good show. Cena's segments were entertaining. I think the Bragging Rights theme is lame because there is no payoff for winning. It would be cool to see the winning team get the tag titles on that show for a year. However, the way things are going they should retire the tag titles rather than have things continue on the path they are going. Whoever is writing a Hart Dynasty break up should be fired on the spot.

Hey JimE, Midnight Rider? I'd rather Cena don the mask of Uvalde Slim! Too bad that Cena has never had the wrestling skills of Doink the Clown.

Fox's slaps looked stiff.

She's going to hurt someone for real one day.

I'll be honest, the Lance Storm quote was one of the highlights of the show for me. I love it when guys like Bryan and Punk drop those subtle references and I love it when WWE visits Bizarro World.

Also, I love that you and the now the Sun are getting heat for blogging about Cena/Nexus. I think that shows how well this angle is working.

Finally as to the political stuff, WWE can air 2 hours of straight USO and Wish clips but it won't matter. Those who condemn WWE aren't tuning in every night to see their video packages about being PG. No matter what WWE does there's so much prior material (DX, Katie Vick, etc.) to throw out there that the opponents can spin things however they want. The whole thing seems kind of futile. That said, I'm not surprised by what WWE is doing, nor do I expect it to stop. Vince isn't the type to sit quietly and not fight back.

sucks that CM Punk wasnt in a match and didnt even have a mic. But he still delivered a hilarious line at the beginning. "If he is a chicken then you are a turkey"

we will waiting for john cena revenge over the nexus because the nexus are not gangsters they are below street fighters.

To this detractor of Cena's, there is nothing that could happen to him or that he could do that would make me cheer him. Can't stand his non-wrestling ability in the ring, can't stand his promo/mic skiils, and he's just boring to watch.

There is nothing more I would prefer to see than Wade Barrett to continually get over on him and for all of Nexus to jump Cena and put him out of action for months on end so that he can take a vacation and learn a new gimmick.

Destroy them from within is what Cena wanted to do. There have been hints of dissent within the faction of Nexus for at least a couple of weeks now. I could see how Cena plays the followers of the pack against Barrett and Barrett is kicked out of Nexus by the other members.

Think about it, it solves all the issues. The lesser players (who would be nowhere without the Nexus) would fall flat on their faces and fade to obscurity. Barrett gets out of his Nexus phase and embarks on his solo career, and the old John Cena that some love can come back and be a "hero" again. Yay.

I thing that the General Manager only told Cena he would be fired for not following orders; because the General Manager got beating several times by Cena. This is why he is scared to show his face. What needs to happen is a match between Cena and Wade Barrett , and the if Cena wins he has completed his pledge and is no longer a NXT member if the scared GM has enough guts to do it. With the catch Micheal Core not in the announcer chair but guess announcer Randy Orton WWE Champion. Also NXT band from the ring!

"Vince isn't the type to sit quietly and not fight back."

According to Vince, the steroid trials was just the government out to get him when he had done nothing wrong. And that's the story he's brainwashed his daughter into believing too, since Stephanie famously said on the show right after 9/11:

"A few years ago, some people tried to destroy my family. They attacked my father's reputation, they attacked my mother's reputation, and they attacked the World Wrestling Federation. They tried to rip us apart, but all they did was make my family stronger. And that's exactly how America feels right now. Because on Tuesday, America was attacked. But America is a united nation. And together, we stand strong. I am incredibly proud to be an American citizen, and I will stand up for my rights and my freedom."

-Stephanie McMahon, on 9/13/2001.

Yeah, exactly the same thing, Steph. If Linda's opponent isn't using that clip, he should be.

But anyway, the fact is that there WERE a ton of people in the WWF on steroids, and a lot of them are dead now. Because Vince wanted everybody to be as big as Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. So for all of his protests about how he's just an innocent man running a business with evil and vindictive people out to destroy him, the reality is that Vince is full of crap.

I am not wanting to see politics when I watch wrestling. I live in New York and have to deal with politcs on tv that are mind numbing and really stupid. (Just look at our cantidates for governor)
Is there a way to get rid of the Divas/ Knockouts matches all together? They are so hard to watch. In each division there is only one legitimate wrestler and the rest cant (examples Tara for TNA, Natalya for WWE).
I personally did not miss R Truth.
I kind of like the Cena/ Nexus thing but am still waiting for Cena to wear Nexus colors. And on that note, if Cena is apart of the group, wouldn't barrett want to utilize him instead of treating him like Shark Boy. I, personally, would love to see at Turning Point, Cena help Barrett win the title and turn heel. Not a shade of grey like Austin or the Rock, but full heel.
Are the Miz and Michael Cole having an affair?

This Cena story line has been used before. Shawn Michaels was out of money and had to subjegate himself to JBL to be on JBL's payroll. So for weeks we would see Michaels humiliated having to do whatever JBL ordered him to do.

Now we have Cena having to do whatever Barrett orders him to do, otherwise he gets fired from the WWE. Each Monday night we get to see Cena humiliated having to do whatever Barrett orders him to do.

Is this the best the WWE can give us? Old story lines with new faces?

RE: Chris Butler
Are you the same chris butler who plays for the sabres? And kevin reports what he sees, he may not like it, but he reports it.
To those who are thinking Cena is going to be a part of nexus for life, you are dead wrong. Its a wrestling storyline. It will be over sooner than it started.

It is unfortunate that when john cena was humiliated several times b the so call hudlums nexus non of reason to intervene, but when cena was opportune to stop the beast, cena was said to be banned,well you cant bann cena from the world and plz let wrestling be perfected as it use to be in the 80s

What a strange statistic during the "Stand Up For WWE" campaign - 87% of the audience are over 18 followed by a huge TV-PG logo. The PG-era is due to 13% of the audience?

THE CENA NEXUS STORY IS BECOMING BORING AND EXPOSING WWE AS FICTION AND THIS MIGHT HURT THE RATING PERMANENTLY JOHN CENA BEAT BIGSHOW,BATISTA,HHH,HBK,RANDY ORTON AND YOU WANT US TO BELIEVE HE CANT DESTROY NEXUS SHAME ON YOU WRITERS ,SAVE WWE OR YOU WILL REGRET,REMEMBER YOUR MONEY COMES FROM VIEWERS!!