Wrestling: The Kayfabe Countdown - 05/26

#1 Randy Orton [--] (30-11-1)
Another week, another pair of Randy Orton & Sheamus tag appearances! I really am starting to think there's something to this team, after all. Even though I never once find myself believing they have any intention of doing anything more than beating a common foe. If stats are anything to go by, there'll be no difficulty picking a captain -- but if you asked any WWE fan to pick the two most successful wrestlers in the game today, I'm not sure either would be up for the top spot. Easy come, easy go.

#2 [--] Alberto Del Rio (27-5-1)
#3 [--] Sheamus (26-10-1)
#4 [--] Kane (19-15-0)
#5 [+2] Bryan Danielson (19-16-0)
#6 [--] Mark Henry (18-6-0)
#7 [-2] Jack Swagger (18-8-2)
#8 [--] Ryback (17-6-1)
#9 [+1] The Miz (15-7-1)
#10 [-1] Big Show (15-15-1)

#1 [--] Kane & Bryan Danielson (13-7-0)
#2 [--] Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (12-1-0) [Tag Team Champions]
#3 [+1] Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns (10-1-0)
#4 [+1] Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (10-1-0)
#5 [-2] Sheamus & Randy Orton (10-3-0)
#6 [--] Brodus Clay & Sweet Tea Tensai (6-3-1)
#7 [--] Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso (5-4-0)
#8 [--] Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow (4-6-1)
#9 [--] Sheamus & Big Show (3-1-0)
#10 [--] Randy Orton & Big Show (3-1-0)

Superstar Spotlight:
#44 Curtis Axel (2-0-0)
The difficulties of Brock Lesnar's limited schedule and CM Punk taking a post-Wrestlemania hiatus force an unusual turn of events. Paul Heyman opts to unveil a brand new client. The Next Big Thing in WWE? Not bloody likely!

Curtis Axel is better known to the kids watching at home as Michael McGillicutty. Former NXT booster and man who seems doomed to never fully capitalize on his heritage as the son of late Intercontinental Champion: "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig.

Far from perfect: Axel made for a sorry substitute in a segment that put over the lasting effects of Triple H's Extreme Rules loss to Brock. A Smackdown encounter with Sin Cara (5/24) did little to depict this guy as a future star of any description. Only time will tell if there's a hidden gem to exploit here, but the slave name sets him off to a bad start -- and he isn't exactly oozing advantages to begin with.

The Kayfabe Countdown is based on the cumulative tally of wrestler win/loss records. Tallied results only include matches broadcast during WWE 2013 programming. At present, this includes RAW (Mondays), Main Event (Wednesdays), Smackdown (Friday), and monthly Pay-Per-View events.

Wrestling: The Kayfabe Countdown - 05/19

#1 Randy Orton [--] (29-10-1)
As if to confirm their status as the top 3; Randy Orton, Alberto Del Rio & Sheamus teamed up on the final Smackdown before Extreme Rules. Needless to say, their shared victory kept the ranks much the same. Orton's TV run ins with Antonio Cesaro continued on RAW (5/15), inconsequential in The Viper's ultimate revenge against Wrestlemania partner-turned-nemesis: Big Show.

#2 [--] Alberto Del Rio (26-4-1)
#3 [--] Sheamus (25-9-1)
#4 [+2] Kane (19-14-0)
#5 [--] Jack Swagger (18-6-2)
#6 [-2] Mark Henry (18-6-0)
#7 [--] Bryan Danielson (18-15-0)
#8 [--] Ryback (17-6-1)
#9 [--] Big Show (15-14-1)
#10 [RE] The Miz (13-7-1)

#1 [--] Kane & Bryan Danielson (13-6-0)
#2 [+3] Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (10-1-0) [Tag Team Champions]
#3 [-1] Sheamus & Randy Orton (10-2-0)
#4 [-1] Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns (8-1-0)
#5 [-1] Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (8-1-0)
#6 [--] Brodus Clay & Sweet Tea Tensai (6-3-1)
#7 [--] Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso (4-4-0)
#8 [--] Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow (4-6-1)
#9 [--] Sheamus & Big Show (3-1-0)
#10 [--] Randy Orton & Big Show (3-1-0)

Superstar Spotlight:
Extreme Rules (2013)
The superstar spotlight arguably belongs to The Shield alone, but the Extreme Rules tossed up a few points for consideration that couldn't be missed.

The week of the event should be recorded as the first 3-man loss for The Shield (RAW; 5/15)..That might've been regarded as a crushing blow to the group, had they not claimed a championship belt each over the weekend. Dean Ambrose will be the solo star, it seems, taking the US Championship from uninspiring holder, Kofi Kingston. One might deduce that the bizarre switch from Antonio Cesaro to Kingston [04/21/2013] was orchestrated for the sole purpose of giving Ambrose a face to crush. Whatever the reason, here's hoping it suggests a reinvigoration of the US belt, as opposed to a relegation (by way of the team's pack tactics).

Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins shot up the Tag Team ranks; breaking from their fellow to more firmly establish themselves as the great tag team hope. They ended the almost year-long reign of Kane & Bryan Danielson (Team Hell No) -- not a minute too soon! One wouldn't anticipate Hell No reclaiming the belts any time soon, leaving the door wide open for a proper reinvigoration of the tag division, by way of a Shield domination of queuing contenders. Considering The Usos' role in establishing them as a duo (Smackdown; 5/17), it seems reasonable to expect them to be the first babyface challengers. I'd love to toss up Sheamus & Randy Orton, but that just doesn't seem likely, win/loss record be damned!

It's nice to see Chris Jericho get a win on PPV. He took it back from Fandango, who would've otherwise been expected to lose at Wrestlemania to the more seasoned veteran, rather than in the follow up. Whatever the logic, I don't think this loss hurts Fandango, as much as his association with lesser comedy skit in previous appearances. Like The Undertaker's win over Ambrose [04/28/2013], Jericho is still a good rub for the newer star.

Less positive an association was that of John Cena and Ryback.
How Ryback even emerged as the top contender (after his loss to Mark Henry at Wrestlemania) is beyond me -- but worse still was the fact that it was another dud finish. Ryback started as a simple enough project. The Bill Goldberg formula for an impossible win streak was something I was very excited to see done in WWE, in 2013. It started so well, with local no-names jobbing before the Ryback cracked WWE bottom run talent. The gradient should have continued just like that. Instead, Ryback has been on a dry spell on PPV since October 2012. I don't for a minute think Ryback should've won the WWE Championship here. Love or hate him -- logical demands Cena have a credible run after defeating his demons at Wrestlemania (against The Rock). The problem is putting Ryback in this situation to begin with. Easily avoided with a little common sense. As the result suggests, no man was left standing after that result.

The Kayfabe Countdown is based on the cumulative tally of wrestler win/loss records. Tallied results only include matches broadcast during WWE 2013 programming. At present, this includes RAW (Mondays), Main Event (Wednesdays), Smackdown (Friday), and monthly Pay-Per-View events.

Wrestling: The Kayfabe Countdown - 05/12

#1 Randy Orton [--] (26-10-1)
The Viper keeps ahead of the pack: pulling double duty with wins over Damien Sandow (RAW; 05/06) and Antonio Cesaro (Main Event; 05/08), this week! Sheamus was back in action and keeps his foot in the door, while Alberto Del Rio does much the same with a non-title win over World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler. It's worth remember Ziggler took the title from ADR via his long held Money in the Bank contract. We asked questions about the legitimacy of the win, moving forward, in a previous Countdown [04/14/2013]. At this point, it's getting fair to say Ziggler and the World title are far from a convincing match.

#2 [--] Alberto Del Rio (24-4-1)
#3 [--] Sheamus (23-9-1)
#4 [--] Mark Henry (18-4-0)
#5 [--] Jack Swagger (17-4-2)
#6 [--] Kane (17-13-1) [Tag Team Champion]
#7 [--] Bryan Danielson (17-14-1) [Tag Team Champion]
#8 [--] Ryback (16-6-0)
#9 [--] Big Show (15-12-1)
#10 [--] Wade Barrett (13-15-1) [Intercontinental Champion]

#1 [--] Kane & Bryan Danielson (12-5-0) [Tag Team Champions]
#2 [--] Sheamus & Randy Orton (9-2-0)
#3 [--] Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns (8-0-0)
#4 [--] Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (8-0-0)
#5 [--] Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (8-0-0)
#6 [--] Brodus Clay & Tensai (5-2-1)
#7 [RE] Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso (4-3-0)
#8 [-1] Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow (4-6-1)
#9 [-1] Sheamus & Big Show (3-1-0)
#10 [-1] Randy Orton & Big Show (3-1-0)

Superstar Spotlight:
#19 Antonio Cesaro (8-23-1)
I put Antonio Cesaro under the spotlight less than two months ago [03/31/2013]. At that time, he was the US Champion. Shortly after Wrestlemania, he lost the belt to Kofi Kingston in one of the biggest WTF booking decisions of 2013 [04/21/2013]. I wouldn't say things have gone from bad to worse for Cesaro, but WWE's capacity to create missed opportunities is a source of great dismay and disappointment.

As they always say, win/loss scores don't matter much in pro wrestling. Cesaro may have only won a single match since that last spotlight, but he's been competing to a high standard week after week, enjoying a Main Event match with Randy Orton on Wednesday, shortly after the aforementioned win on RAW [against Zack Ryder]. There's hope to be found, however fleeting it may turn out to be.

I think his no nonsense, classic wrestler style is refreshing and he carries it off well. The problem is his surroundings. For that style to work you need to plug it into interesting match-ups, rivalries and storylines. The US title was an initial strong endorsement, but it went nowhere. Somewhere after holding the belt for a while he should've found himself an arch-rival, been involved in a decent feud or two, and had a good reason to drop the title.

Even if the situation had been something like Ryback destroying him for the belt - it would've connected him to something of significance. He would've been a passive participant in it, but a loss with a purpose rubs off well. It could've been parlayed into a new push for Cesaro as a pure competitor, fighting his way back to the title (making the title significant, building his character, filling a few months with easy matches, building to another big title bout).

Maybe they'll build something out of the Kofi situation, but personally, I'm not feeling it. Dropping the belt to a guy who's been off the radar that long just further diminishes Cesaro - particularly after relegating him off PPV and even out of pre-show matches. He needs someone to grapple with and a situation of significance. His surprising strength is great, his no nonsense catch as catch can is a really refreshing change of pace. He just needs equal competitors to build a legacy. Situations that mean something - to Cesaro, or others.

The Kayfabe Countdown is based on the cumulative tally of wrestler win/loss records. Tallied results only include matches broadcast during WWE 2013 programming. At present, this includes RAW (Mondays), Main Event (Wednesdays), Smackdown (Friday), and monthly Pay-Per-View events.

Wrestling: The Kayfabe Countdown - 05/05

#1 Randy Orton [+1] (24-10-1)
For the first time in 2013: Randy Orton goes outright #1!
He held equal top billing with Sheamus for two weeks of The Kayfabe Countdown earlier in the year [Jan. 27, Feb. 3]. The Celtic Warrior doesn't just concede his top ranking status, but slides all the way down to third, giving way to former #1: Alberto Del Rio!

Even with the shuffle, it remains a three-man race, but the likes of Mark Henry and Jack Swagger are closing in! Kane & Bryan Danielson couldn't be counted out, but it seems the wheels are shaking loose on the long reigning Tag Team Champions. Of course, it seemed like they were heading for a split a few months ago, so weakness is only worth as much as the next match.

#2 [+1] Alberto Del Rio (23-4-1)
#3 [-2] Sheamus (22-9-1)
#4 [--] Mark Henry (18-4-0)
#5 [+2] Jack Swagger (17-4-1)
#6 [-1] Kane (17-12-1) [Tag Team Champion]
#7 [-1] Bryan Danielson (17-13-1) [Tag Team Champion]
#8 [--] Ryback (15-5-0)
#9 [--] Big Show (14-12-1)
#10 [--] Wade Barrett (13-14-1) [Intercontinental Champion]

#1 [--] Kane & Bryan Danielson (12-5-0) [Tag Team Champions]
#2 [--] Sheamus & Randy Orton (9-2-0)
#3 [--] Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns (7-0-0)
#4 [--] Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (7-0-0)
#5 [--] Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (7-0-0)
#6 [--] Brodus Clay & Tensai (5-2-1)
#7 [--] Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow (4-6-1)
#8 [--] Sheamus & Big Show (3-1-0)
#9 [--] Randy Orton & Big Show (3-1-0)
#10 [--] Brie Bella & Nikki Bella (3-1-0)

Superstar Spotlight:
#21 Fandango (6-1-1)
Wrestlemania crowds propelled the Fandango entrance theme to the top of UK iTunes charts, but is it really a good thing to have your song be that over? Initially, I would've said it was a great start for a guy making his in-ring debut on the grandest stage of them all. A month later, I'm not so sure.

Fandango might be the kind of gimmick that gets under the skin of your average American pro wrestling crowd. He's pretentious, effete, fey, a dancer. He's also the kind of instantly identifiable gimmick WWE have lacked for many years and I think that makes him a valuable asset. He won't remain that way for long, however, if he's thrust from a Wrestlemania debut against Chris Jericho, into dancing comedy feuds with The Great Khali.

I like the Dancing with the Stars pop cultural reference. The song really is damn catchy, and the entire presentation of the entrance is sublime. The only thing that's missing is the competitive wrestling that should be the backbone of so many more storylines and characters. The guy can move and is easily a chance for an Intercontinental Championship run somewhere down the line. I just want to see that character entangle him with better rivals, to in turn showcase more than just dancing.

The Kayfabe Countdown is based on the cumulative tally of wrestler win/loss records. Tallied results only include matches broadcast during WWE 2013 programming. At present, this includes RAW (Mondays), Main Event (Wednesdays), Smackdown (Friday), and monthly Pay-Per-View events.