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What you need to know
Kane has made a deal with a different kind of devil, joining HHH's Authority. Sans mask, the suit and tie clad "Devil's Favorite Director" distracted The Big Show when he appeared during the new #1 contender handicap battle against The Shield last week. Show may want to get with his legal team and open a new case against WWE. Despite his last one getting him his job back and a shot at Randy Orton's WWE championship, he still ended Raw through the announce table.
The official results may have been in their favor, but CM Punk and Daniel Bryan probably didn't feel like winners after their run-ins with Luke Harper and his "relatives" last week. The First Son of The Wyatts, on the other hand, impressed in defeat. He, Bray and Erick Rowan are making the most of their recent direction, even without more clues about who or what they are working for.
Also making an impression in defeat was Big E Langston. The newcomer dominated an App poll, and then came very close to doing in the Viper.
Tyson Kidd is back! The Workhorse showed up last week and, with his wife Natalya, was victorious over Fandango and Summer Rae. The newlyweds earning a place of prominence wasn't too surprising given the return of Total Divas on E! last night. Other cast members from the reality show were featured on last week's shows as well, with the Bellas, the Funkadactyls and Eva Marie all getting screen time and, in most cases, wins.
Last but not least, new World Heavyweight Champion (WHC) John Cena and tag team champions the Rhodes brothers banded together to defeat Damien Sandow and The Real Americans. Goldust and Cody seem destined to continue fending off Zeb Colter's charges, but Cena was attacked by Alberto Del Rio on Smackdown with no sign of Our Intellectual Savior.
What to look out for
Spoilers will probably be out there before the tape rolls on USA in the USA, but pop in some New Order (or Stone Roses...any Madchester sound will work) to drown them out and get yourself in the mood for action from Manchester, UK.
Will Punk and Bryan make their alliance official? And are two men going to be enough to take out The Wyatts - and whatever power may be channeling their chaotic force?
The hype train for WWE 2K14 is getting up to full speed for the holiday shopping season. Tonight, you'll be treated to a simulation of The Undertaker versus his greatest WrestleMania opponent. Who would that be, you ask? You decide!
Vickie Guerrero told us on Friday night that ADR will receive his rematch for Big Goldy at Survivor Series. What about Sandow? Was a week of working with the Champ the extent of his "push", or could he be headed for a three-way on pay-per-view (PPV)?
What exactly are Kane's job duties? And can someone fire whoever tailors their plus size suits? I haven't seen that bad a fit since Dusty Rhodes last bopped down the ramp in an off-the-rack sportcoat.
What they should do
Regular preview readers know that I, like much of the internet wrestling community (IWC), has a lot riding on the Bryan-Punk-Wyatts program. So forgive me if I get greedy and ask for more than just a direction for Bray and Company, and the fun matches we got last week featuring rising star Luke Harper.
Although I doubt we'll get a proper Survivor Series-style match in two weeks from Boston - out of this feud or any other - I think there's validity to the assumption that a third man will be added to the side of the angels. If, while casual fans get Orton vs. Show because it looks like what they expect a pro wrestling match to look like, and the kiddos get Super-Cena, this is the main event for smarks, let's go ahead and make us really happy by rounding out the two former WWE champs with another up-and-comer we're excited about.
With Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger slated to be at least a part of the tag title showdown on November 24th, the Team Ring of Honor fangasm that some have daydreamed about probably isn't happening. But what about another guy that the powers-that-be have plans for, a man who just recently turned in the midst of the Straight Edged Superstar's last feud?
Let Dolph Ziggler feud with Curtis Axel for that Phantom Zone of a title, the Intercontinental championship. Big E needs some stepping stones toward his eventual place on the main stage, and a supporting role to Punk and The Beard could be one of them...setting the stage to finally besting frequent nemesis Dean Ambrose for the United States championship.
And hey, if there's any group that it would make sense for a good guy to try to hold down beyond a standard pinfall, say for FIVE, it would be the horror movie cast that is Wyatt, Harper and Rowan.
What we're afraid they will do
If they really want to piss off the hardcore fans, there's one man that would do it like almost no other. Well, two, but I already ruled out a turn for The Real Americans, so I don't think they could force Swagger in here, as much as it might tickle Vince McMahon to do so.
No, I'm talking of course about The Miz. Hopefully the rumors of his testing a heel turn in Europe over the last few days mean this is not the direction they're heading. But if they really want to poison the well that smarks are planning to drink from for the next few months, reminding us that The Awesome One is also a former WWE champ by throwing him in with our darlings would be the way to do it.
Can anything top last week's phone calls and legal briefs extravaganza?
Tune in tonight to find out, and snark along with your fellow Cagesiders in the live blog, if that's your thing. And be sure to come back tomorrow for Reaction and all the news and rumors!