What you need to know
Triple H loves being a heel and messing with us internet fans. Daniel Bryan and his fans traded in a future of happiness for one, big YES Movement occupation of Raw last week. But now The Authority head is done protecting him and his fans - come WrestleMania 30 The Game promises to end our dreams and "bury" The Beard.
Still no word on if Aitch has addressed the potential for a Mania triple threat with WWE World Heavyweight champion Randy Orton or Royal Rumble winner Batista, both of whom we anxious to speak to him last Monday. Presumably, the ever-confident Hunter doesn't believe there will be a third man in the title bout come April 6th, so he probably doesn't see a need to address anything.
If it was Director of Operations Kane's plan to drive The Shield back together by questioning their ability, he's succeeded. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns were 3 - 0 last week and even busted out the triple powerbomb on poor Damien Sandow. Unfortunately for The Big Red Executive, it seems that he's also motivated The Hounds of Justice to screw him whenever presented with the opportunity, as they did in allowing The Big Show to get a choke slam win before spearing him for disrespecting them on Friday night.
Big E is still the Intercontinental champ, and that still means a lot less than it should.
Cesaro and Jack Swagger just can't get on the same page, and it's increasingly looking like Zeb Colter can't do anything about it. They do agree on agree on taking their frustrations out on men who just defeated them in tag team competition, as Cody Rhodes learned last week. Luckily for The Brotherhood, the tag champ and fellow bros Jimmy and Jey Uso slid in to stop the beatdown.
Nikki Bella is beginning to look a lot like the #1 contender for AJ Lee's Divas title. And just in time for the launch of Total Divas season two!
The Show Off got time to do just that last week, defeating Alberto Del Rio in a long match and getting time to talk before the contest on The App and afterwards in the ring. He's joining a rapidly-growing Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal line-up. Is the two-time World Heavyweight champ also getting a bit of a push?
Bray Wyatt's path to John Cena continues to be littered with fallen challengers, and riddled with chilling speeches that don't always make sense but that sound bad ass. Cena has Hulkamania on his side, though, so he may not be overly concerned with buzzards and what not.
What to look out for
Triple H has promised to deal with Daniel Bryan tonight - hopefully D-Bry won't have to make a last stand in San Antonio!
It's unclear if Hunter plans to come after The Beard himself, or if he'll deploy some troops to try to soften him up before New Orleans. The COO's former Evolution stable-mates will also have a vested interest in making sure Bryan is an easy target for their former leader, and will probably be coming after the head of the YES Movement themselves.
The retribution-loving Authority will also have The Shield in their sites, as Kane can't be happy with how Smackdown ended last week.
What other 24 Superstars will join Big E, Ryback, Curtis Axel, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, and Fandango to round out Hulk Hogan's match tribute to the late, great Andre?
And will Cena respond to The Eater of Worlds with jokes or intensity? Regardless, it will probably make more sense but not sound as cool as what Bray has been spitting his way.
What they should do
Poor Randall Ortman.
The dude has really stepped up his game since being given the shot at last year's Money in the Bank and SummerSlam shows. The insecure, paranoid heel titleholder role suits him so very well - probably better than any other skin The Viper has slithered into throughout his long career.
It's a shame that no one seems to care.
Yes, he looks like what you think of when someone says the phrase "WWE Superstar" to you. But as someone like Lex Luger can tell you, the look is only one part of the package. As an impressive specimen, Randy has never moved the needle much playing a generic babyface or heel. He's finally found his niche, but it's one that requires those around him to be more interesting than him.
And for both real world and in-story reasons, Bryan vs. The Authority and Batista/Bootista are both more compelling that Orton alone. The irony is that both angles make the champ better by giving him something to paranoid and insecure about.
So, for a guy who is about to have to do a lot of heavy lifting in the Mania main event before probably eating a pin to lose his title, it would be nice if he could get a little recognition.
I think that the opportunity to work with another of the hottest acts in the company, The Shield, coming out of his championship program might be a nice way to keep him in the spotlight. Perhaps as the first major feud for Roman Reigns (or whoever comes out of the dissolution as a good guy) following the break-up? Or as a mentor and partner to whichever guy(s) remain rudo? Both?
If there's ever been a character and a guy who could make a heel's case for injustice, it's The Viper. There's a grain of truth in it - even when he is the guy, he's been overshadowed. But there's also more than enough entitled bullshit to it to want to boo him all the more.
Spending the summer and the fall watching this version of Randy Orton whine about not being treated fairly while working with some of the best young talents the business has ever seen seems like an entertaining option to me. And a just reward for a veteran doing some of the strongest work of his career.
What we're afraid they will do
It sure would be nice if WWE could figure out how to produce a solid three hour show on Monday nights. A great first hour in Chicago quickly fizzled out to a controversial ending. Last week's show featured one of the best segments in history coming off of a dreadful opening hour.
Maybe this week we could put together three above average hours, even it means not hitting the highes of the past two shows?
How do you follow up a momentous achievement like Occupy Raw?
Find out how they try along with all of your friends in the Cageside Seats live blog of tonight's show. Then stay up late with Geno, Roth and myself for Cageside Live as we talk about the show, which should put you first in line to read The General's reactions as soon as they're posted!