:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36729048/Wrestler-Wrankings-Logo.0.png){kind=logo}
Wrestling is at its most enjoyable when the combatants are at odds over some sort of personal issue. A grudge serves as a delightful garnish to the entree that is the strictly athletic contest that transpires in the ring. And there is no more appetizing culinary embellishment in sports today than the rift between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.
This week on RAW, The Authority scheduled a dubious Beat the Clock Challenge where Ambrose faced the formidable Alberto Del Rio, while Rollins was challenged by the lowly Heath Slater, who a far superior rock and roll front man than he is a wrestler.
This unbalanced matchmaking is obviously a direct consequence of the Authority's poor opinion of Ambrose and their favoritism of Rollins. But is this morally ok or even smart from a financial perspective?
The Authority claims to always do what's "best for business," but how will they know what's most advantageous for the bottom line if they are continually monkeying with the results? How can a wrestler naturally rise to the top of the heap if they're constantly tied down by capricious outside factors? What if Ambrose is the next Steve Austin? Sure it's a long shot, but we'll never know if he faces impossible odds that prevent his career from taking off. And while Rollins has all the makings of a future star, it's possible he's more Billy Gunn than Shawn Michaels. Of course, his artificially buoyed status could make it difficult to discern the difference for years to come.
The Authority did everything they could to hold down Daniel Bryan because they didn't think he could become a reliable box office draw. He eventually proved them wrong, but the path he was forced to take to the top proved to be his undoing. The Authority unknowingly killed their own golden goose by making his ascent too arduous!
The other problem with taking ethical liberties in an effort to support a desired result is that it prompts unintended blowback in the other direction. Ambrose's actions interfering in the Rollins/Slater tilt were deplorable, but can we really blame him for invoking Hammurabi's Code in an effort to protect himself professionally? Rollins would have done the same thing (likely in a less revolting way) if given the chance. The Authority can't complain since they abandoned the moral high ground with their prior chicanery.
The Authority needs to remember that their best interest is the overall success of the company. They would be well advised to take a step back and allow the roster to prove itself before they step in and try to play puppet master. Surely, a nudge here and there is fair game in the interest of corporate profits, but how can they know where to place their influence if the landscape is in continual chaos?
OFFICIAL WRESTLER WRANKINGS FORMULA
ANY WIN = 2 POINTS
US OR INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE BOUT = 1 POINT
WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT = 3 POINTS
NON "BIG 4" PPV BONUS = 1.5X
SUMMERSLAM, SURVIVOR SERIES, ROYAL RUMBLE = 2X BONUS
WRESTLEMANIA = 3X BONUS
The WWE season begins on the day after WrestleMania 30 and culminates with WrestleMania 31. The wrestler who accumulates the most points over the course of the season, wins the coveted Wrankings Championship!
Monday Night Raw -- 8/4/14
Main Event -- 8/6/14
Smackdown -- 8/8/14
-----------------------------------
WRESTLER WRANKINGS, WEEK 18 *TOP TEN*
1. RUSEV -- 54.5 points
2. Sheamus -- 50.5
3. Bad News Barrett -- 37
T4. Bo Dallas-- 35.5
T4. Cesaro -- 35.5
6. John Cena-- 32
T7. Big E -- 24
T7. Seth Rollins -- 24
9. Dolph Ziggler -- 23.5
10. Roman Reigns -- 23
Thanks for reading, Cagesiders. We'll see you back here next week!