Austin Aries
Aries got a big boost over the past few weeks, and I like that he has been been as good of a babyface/tweener as he was as a heel. Bully Ray was briefly aligned with him but they are involved in a feud right now. I said Aries was good at looking like a bigger jerk than his opponents, but we have an interesting dynamic with Bully Ray being on the opposite side of the ring. Bully Ray, who was also featured in the Spotlight, is a guy like Roode in the sense that you just want him to get his ass kicked. He is picking on Aries for being smaller, and I like that it’s a personal issue and not centered around the X Division. With that being said, I hope Aries ends this feud and goes back to defending his title, or drops it and moves up the card. I like Aries and said I hope he has a long title reign, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of the rest of the division being absent. I think he has done enough in the X Division where he could move up and continue a program with Bully Ray for awhile, then maybe be a contender for the Television Championship. If TNA is serious about featuring that title, Aries would be a great fit to give them a lot of credibility.
Daniel Bryan
Bryan was only featured three weeks ago, but the sour post Wrestlemania taste is gone and like expected, he has not suffered. The fans almost turned him face, but WWE is doing their best to make sure he is hated. Bryan looked great on RAW this week, and he got under Sheamus’ skin and beat him up post match. WWE made the right call in keeping him heel, and he looks to have a great chance at Extreme Rules, but he needs to get away from AJ. I hope her beatdown of Natalya was the start in a new direction, but I can also see things going another way. Bryan might win the title Sunday and be open to ‘taking her back’, but he will still treat her like crap and make her think he did her a favor. It’s a good way to get him heat, but she shouldn’t be with him for the long haul. Macho Man replaced Elizabeth with Sensational Sherry, and Goldust ditched Marlena for Luna Vachon. Each occasion was good for both sides because the men and their new valets got more heat, and you felt bad for the other women. AJ isn’t a valet so she should go back to being a wrestler, but she should get a better reaction after her time with Bryan. I’m not sure who he could get to be at his side, or if he even needs someone, but Bryan is getting a great reaction and continues to be a thorn in the Great White’s side.
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