Declaring Michael McGillicutty the next world champ may seem like it’s a pretty bold claim, and it is. Saying that he will pull off the upset after his attack of Ted DiBiase Sr. may seem a little premature, and it is. I admit that it’s possible that I’m getting ahead of myself, but at the same time I’m not saying anything that is impossible. McGillicutty has momentum on his side right now heading into the triple threat and I’m not sure Ted will be able to stop him. History has set the precedent and there is one simple fact that those who disagree with me is forgetting: Ted DiBiase does not perform well under pressure.
Yeah, he’s the world champ and all, but who did he defeat for the championship? Justin Gabriel. The man who looked like he lost that edge he had when teaming with Wade Barrett and who hugged and shook DiBiase’s hand and probably even gave him a good luck kiss before, during and after their match. Now I don’t want to call out Gabriel on his effort, but after a year of dealing with Barrett and chasing the title, he looked to be content, passive even, after he finally won the title. It would be understandable for Gabriel to be burnt out after all that but it came back to bite him because he quickly lost the championship before he could enjoy having it. Being Ted’s best friend isn’t how you beat him. Even if you do respect him, you don’t show it when you’re standing across the ring from him. If you treat him like he’s beneath you and you bring the fight to him from the word go then you’ll be able to get inside of his head and may be on your way to a victory.
I’m not sitting here pretending to know more than a wrestler does, but I’m just making it known what I see. The Rock realized that if you take it to Ted you’ll have him right where you want him, and though Ted tried to put on a brave front he never really stood a chance as shown when he lost at Final Stand. Ted DiBiase comes across as a softy, which isn’t a good thing when you’re top dog in a division filled with people who would do everything and anything to take you down, or when you have a girlfriend who cares more about her shoes than anything else. I’ll bring it up again that he tried to act tough when dealing with The Rock, and he almost had me fooled, but in the end he couldn’t keep it up. Ted’s a guy who likes throwing parties, and taking pictures with his fans, not someone who’s capable of being extremely violent and aggressive. Ted has the in-ring ability to beat anyone in the company but that’s negated when his opponent is so far in his head that he can’t even think straight. I’m not trying to take away anything or discount Ted’s accomplishments, but unless he’s planning to wrestle a bunch of Justin Gabriel’s for the title then his reign in trouble.
I’m not saying that you have to take it to the extreme like The Rock did and now like Michael McGillicutty has done. As evidenced by superstars such as Triple H, you don’t need to be a heel that walks around kicking people in the balls and spitting on fans. You can be a tough and aggressive man who sticks up for himself and is willing to do what he has to do to get the job done right while still having the fans on your side. CM Punk is in that same category. Is it merely a coincidence that he’s the one man that DiBiase couldn’t pin in the elimination chamber?
But McGillicutty is no Triple H or CM Punk and he went about getting into Ted’s head in his own special way. He visited the DiBiase family home and savagely beat DiBiase Sr. as if his first name were Mitch. His goal? To get DiBiase to agree to a triple threat match at Unforgiven, which he did of course, and that’s great because DiBiase has shown no signs of letting his title reign get to his head… at least not yet. So now at Unforgiven we have Ted DiBiase defending against Michael McGillicutty and Justin Gabriel and as far as I’m concerned this is McGillicutty’s title to win, not Ted’s to lose. The ball is just lying there in his court, and it’s up to him to pick it up and run with it. If McGillicutty loses this match it’s for one of two reasons; he either a) choked plain and simple and couldn’t pull through when it mattered most or b) Justin Gabriel took advantage of DiBiase and McGillicutty focusing on each other to steal his title back.
McGillicutty’s money in the bank case shouldn’t even come into play after this. If he doesn’t win at Unforgiven when the odds are in his favor then he doesn’t deserve to be champion and he should just toss the case like a bouquet and let someone else get a shot at glory. A bit harsh? Sure, but McGillicutty’s been on a roll and Unforgiven should be the culmination of everything he’s been through. He’s been to war with Ted before and learned from that experience, he went head to head with Chavo and made him look like a rookie, not to mention his impressive Xtreme Championship reign where it took a gauntlet to get the belt off of him and then he bounced back to beat five men in a money in the bank match. McGillicutty has shown incredible potential even if you don’t like the way he carries himself. He knows how to handle to mic and how to get down in the ring, and it wouldn’t be a crime if he walked away as the new XWL Heavyweight Championship. Unless he completely loses his ability to feel, DiBiase will be shaken up about what happened to his father, and Gabriel just seems out of it lately. Things couldn’t get any easier for McGillicutty and a loss would say more about him than it would about the current champ.
Time is ticking before that fateful match at Unforgiven, and though anything can happen between now and then, I honestly can’t imagine McGillicutty slowing down. If Ted wants to successfully retain his title, then he needs to avoid letting his emotions get the best of him, but some things are easier said than done.
[S3]
Feud UpdatesWho’s been getting on each other’s nerves lately? 
AJ Styles vs. Joey RyanJoey Ryan may have thought he escaped from Styles by getting drafted to Redemption, but after an interview Styles made it clear that the ex-intercontinental championship is still on his radar. Styles will have to wait until after his XWL 15 match against Triple H, but what does he have in store for the Man o’ Sleaze?
The Rock & Vince McMahon vs. CM Punk & John CenaThe Rock made it known that he isn’t quite done with CM Punk and John Cena yet. In fact his goal is to rid XWL of them completely. Rock attacked Cena in his match against Batista costing him the match with a little help from Vince McMahon, but Cena won’t just take that lying down. So how will he respond on Breakdown? And will Punk be available to lend a helping hand?
Batista vs. Brodus Clay Brodus wasn’t around last week, but Batista still has some pent up anger and aggression that he looked to take out on John Cena. But he may not be satisfied after a controversial ending to the match, so is Brodus still in danger.
Alex Shelley vs. Chris Jericho Shelley made the trip to Redemption to attack Chris Jericho after his match after not being seen since a week before Bad Blood. What business does he have with Jericho?
James Storm vs. Jeff HardyStorm announced he was injured, and Hardy made sure he wasn’t faking it as he viciously attacked Storm’s knee. Hardy looks to be in the clear now, but Storm won’t be gone forever.
Daniel Bryan vs. Shawn Michaels HBK thought he had seen the last of Daniel Bryan but Bryan made his presence felt before the show went off the air. Is HBK’s reign in danger? Or will he find a way to come through at Unfrogiven?
Cody Rhodes vs. Zack RyderCody couldn’t stop Zack from winning the Xtreme Title, in fact Cody was embarrassed after getting hit with the Rough Ryder. These two men have been going back and forth for weeks now. Is a clash at Unforgiven inevitable?
Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker Some would say Orton went too far when he went at Paul Bearer, but Orton probably thinks he hasn’t gone far enough. With Taker scheduled to appear on the Redemption will he retaliate? Or is Orton still not worth his time?
Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H Lesnar got the best of Triple H once again savagely beating him while Johnny Ace watched. Lesnar believes that Triple H is hogging the spotlight, while Triple claims that Lesnar was born in it. Will HHH risk jail time to get some revenge, or does Lesnar have him beat?
Christian vs. Davey Richards Christian won a shot at Richards’ newly won Intercontinental championship, will he end Davey’s reign before it starts? Or will be the first on the list of many to fall to Richards?
Ted DiBiase vs. Michael McGillicutty DiBiase watched in horror as McGillicutty beat his father. Can DiBiase regain his composure? Or has McGillicutty successfully gotten in his head?
Chavo Guerrero vs. Alberto Del RioIs there a reason Chavo was seconds away from attacking Del Rio? What does the Mexican Warrior want with the Mexican Aristocrat?
John Morrison vs. David Otunga These two traded some words before Morrison’s match against Ryback. Will this escalate into something more? Or were these two just blowing off steam?
[S4]
Diva’s CornerQuick peak at what the Divas have been up to. 
The divas division in XWL always has been a vital part to the league’s success. With Layla as the new champ after defeating AJ Lee at Final Stand, the division could definitely be heading in an interesting direction. Speaking of Layla, she lost her triple threat match against Mickie James and Eve, the latter being her challenger at Unforgiven. Her reign may be in jeopardy with Eve starting to pick up steam, but Layla is resourceful and there’s no doubt she’ll find a way to retain her belt.
Miss Money in the Bank Madison Rayne hasn’t been heard much from since winning her case at Final Stand. Is the pressure getting to her now that she’s in prime position to win the title? It doesn’t seem likely, Madison seems too sure of herself to disappear like that. She could be suffering from an injury, or perhaps she’s just biding her time until she’s ready to cash in. But if there’s one thing to be certain of it’s that it won’t be too long until we hear from her again.
Michelle McCool and Kaitlyn made their disdain for each other known on Breakdown last week when Kaitlyn sought to take McCool down a peg as McCool still believes she’s the best thing to happen to XWL. McCool didn’t take kindly to Kaitlyn’s words and made sure that she lost her first match back against the debuting Maxine.
It was a great debut for Maxine, even if you didn’t like her comments towards perverted men and the loosely dressed women. She has attitude and the in ring skills to boot and she may be a force to be reckoned with if she keeps it up.
Maxine wasn’t the only diva to return, The Bella Twins made an appearance on a talk show belittling the host and praising themselves. We’ve seen what LayCool and The Chickbusters were able to do when they worked together to dominate the diva’s division, so will The Bellas follow in their paths?
It wasn’t a great week for Maryse at all. Not only did she get into an argument with Ted DiBiase, but it looks like she may be on the ever intimidating Kharma’s radar. How is she going to get by a problem that can’t be solved by buying a new pair of shoes?
[S5]
Rumor Mill/Inside Scoop The top ten stories that have been floating around the water cooler. Is the end near? It’s being reported that Justin Gabriel may not return after his contract is up at Unforgiven. Of course this will be affected by whether he wins his title back or not, but the word going around is that if he loses he isn’t coming back.
It is also being reported that Joey Ryan will soon be calling it a career in XWL after his championship loss. There are reports that he doesn’t feel that the women on the roster are up to his standards so he’s going to find a job where the women are up to par.
Alleged returns It has been reported that Kurt Angle, The Brian Kendrick and John Bradshaw Layfield have all been signed to contracts and that they may be making their returns sooner than you think.
There have also been reports that Mason Ryan is considering a comeback after bowing out disgracefully with back to back losses against Shawn Michaels and John Cena. He’s hoping that he can get another streak going and there’s word that he’s looking to seek revenge against those that shamed him.
Trouble backstage There have been rumors that Ted DiBiase was spotted crying backstage after what happened to his father at the hands of McGillicutty after his match against Jack Swagger. After he calmed down he hopped in his car and drove to the hospital most likely to visit his father.
Ezekiel Jackson allegedly tore up his locker room in a blind rage after losing his match against Zack Ryder for his Xtreme Championship. It hasn’t been confirmed if he will be punished at all or if he will be given a free pass, but it’s likely that that rage will carry over and Ezekiel’s next opponent should be weary.
Legal TroubleThere has been a rumor floating around that Zack Ryder, host of the hit show Z! True Long Island Story, has been consulting with lawyers and may be planning on taking legal action against Dolph Ziggler. Zigger has hacked Ryder’s show on a number of occasions and has made slanderous comments against the host.
Fraudulent Actions Shawn Michaels sent us a letter claiming that he saw Daniel Bryan eating a double cheeseburger after Breakdown with his own two eyes. We weren’t able to get ahold of Bryan for a comment.
Injuries afoot Brock Lesnar may have really hurt Triple H during his attack on Redemption. If there’s truth to this then The Game may be in trouble when he defends against AJ Styles on Breakdown.
Was Jeff Hardy right about James Storm faking an injury? It hardly matters now because there are reports that Storm’s knee may now be legitimately hurt now and he’ll have to take some time off to heal. We will update as we get more info.
[S6]
Interview: The Rock Hey there, everybody! I managed to catch none other than The Rock briefly after Breakdown ended to get a quick word about what he’s been up to lately with CM Punk, his friendship with Vince McMahon and his future championship plans.
Interviewer: Rock, I thank you for taking time out of what has to be an extremely busy schedule to join me here tonight. How's everything going with you?
The Rock: Okay let The Rock just start off by setting one thing straight, he didn't take time out of his schedule to join you tonight, he took time out of his schedule because he was promised he would be paid for this...So go on...hand it over!
[The interviewer seems reluctant but after a moment he pulls out an envelope and hands it to The Rock.] 
The Rock: Alright good, now that's out of the way The Rock says this, just how stupid are you that you have to ask how things are with The Rock? Do you have any idea what it's like to be The Great One? No! Of course you don't, it's just constant perfection, twenty four seven! Did you see the way The Rock laid out John Cena tonight ? Now, now he's on his way to the biggest party in town, so with that in mind, do you still wanna ask The Rock how he is?
Interviewer: Yes, Rock we all saw what you did to John Cena. Do you mind telling me what kind of party you're heading to?
The Rock: What kind of party is The Rock going to? The kind that a forty five year old virgin like yourself wouldn't get into! You'd walk up to the front door with your little name badge that reads, hello my name is Bert, you'd prod your little microphone into the bouncers face and you'd say, "Hey I'm here to join the party, I'm fwiends with The Wock!" And then, then The Rock would come barreling out from the front room with two hot chickas on each arm, he'd tell them both to stand aside, he'd take your little microphone, he'd grab your little name badge and he'd roll them up into a ball...shiiine it up real nice...turn that sum'bitch sideways and shove it straight up your roody poo Candy Ass!
Interviewer: While we're on the subject of being friends with the Rock, you seem to be getting pretty close to Vince McMahon. What is the nature of that relationship?
The Rock: Woah! Woah! Woah! Woah! Woah! What in the blue hell are you trying to insinuate?
Interviewer: Rock, I'm not trying to-
The Rock: IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO INSINUATE! The only thing that matters is that The Rock and Vince McMahon are business partners and the business that we attend to is on a need to know basis and you, Mr. Community College, you don't need to know!
Interviewer: Sorry Rock, I didn't mean to offend you, but in my opinion it looks like you're depending on Vince to get the upper hand on CM Punk and John Cena.
The Rock: Are you even watching the same show as the rest of the world? The Rock doesn't need Vince McMahon to beat these two wannabe children’s television presenters, if anything it's those two who've banded together because they're afraid of The Rock! Vince McMahon is on The Rocks side because he done him a favor at Final Stand, we had an agreement and together we are an unstoppable force in XWL, like it or not.
Interviewer: Would it be too much to ask of the nature of that agreement? You help Vince rid XWL of Punk and Cena and in return you get... a World Title shot maybe?
The Rock: A World Title shot? You think that's what The Rock wants? Don't forget that The Rock beat the current World Heavyweight Champion at Final Stand not once, but twice, if The Rock wanted a shot at that title all he'd have to do is click his damn fingers! No, I help Vince get rid of CM Punk and John Cena and in return...there is no more CM Punk or John Cena, that is all the satisfaction that The Rock needs.
Interviewer: I can't help but notice that you couldn't bring yourself to say Ted DiBiase's name just now. Could it be that you're a little jealous of what he's accomplished despite what happened at Final Stand?
The Rock: Jealous?! Jealous?! What in the name of Jeebus does The Rock have to be jealous of a man who's ringtone is the Powerpuff Girls theme tune! The Rock has said it before and he'll say it again, if he wanted to go after The World Heavyweight Championship after Final Stand, he'd be sitting before you, World Heavyweight Champion make no mistake about it! Ted DiBiase won a match against Justin Gabriel and people are calling him a true champion? The man is a true jackass and it won't be long until he goes to defend it for the very first time and once again realizes that he just... isn't... good... enough! He is a small boy in the big leagues and the sooner he packs his bags and runs home crying to daddy the better!
Interviewer: What's your relationship with your father like? Is he proud of the way you've been acting lately?
The Rock: Don't you dare talk about The Rocks father, you think that my dad would ever be disappointed in him? The Rock joined this industry with the sole goal in his heart to make his family proud and there's not a family meeting that goes by without The Rocks dad telling him that he's the best thing that's ever shot out of his or any other man’s testicles! The Rocks may not have been in touch with his dad in a couple of months but you can bet your World Of Warcraft account that he is as proud of The Rock as he's ever been!
Interviewer: Come on Rock, not all nerds play World of Warcraft. Surely there's a game out there that you like to play on your free time.
The Rock: Yeah it's a lot like that one The Sims...It's called real life Jabroni! What you do is, you grow up, you go to school, you go to college which leads to getting laid, you become a Hurricane! You then pursue your passion in life whatever it may be until you have done it all! Then, you make movies, you make millions and you get everything that you've ever dreamed of in the palm of your hand!...Oh and The Rock likes Sonic.
Interviewer: Some people would say that after you attacked Cena you ran as fast as Sonic to get out of harm's way when you noticed Batista stirring. Is it possible that The Rock fears The Animal?
The Rock: How are you not getting this? The Rock fears nothing! The Rock fears no kind of animal whether it's a kangaroo, a tiger, a pigeon or a six foot six two hundred and ninety pound bitch from Washington! The Rock has fought and beat Batista in the past and if anyone has anything to say The Rock has no problem with doing it again in the future.
Interviewer: What about Vipers? Would you ever want to cross paths with Randy Orton? Or are you worried he may go after your dad too?
The Rock: The only time The Rock would cross paths with Randy Orton is if The Rock started selling oiled goods, otherwise? He isn't worth The Great Ones time! Also another thing, if Randy Orton went after the great Rocky Johnson? My father would slap that son of a bitch so hard that the voices in his head would fly out of his ear!
Interviewer: Okay, okay I get it Rock, you're afraid of no man. So how do you do it? How do you make yourself believe that you're the best and everyone is beneath you?
The Rock: Once again your ignorance amazes me, The Rock doesn't do anything to make himself believe it...it's simply the truth of the matter. Everyone IS beneath The Rock and it would benefit you to remember that if you ever happen to interview him again, there is not another man, woman or child on this earth who even comes close to touching The Rock, in the ring, on the microphone, in the bedroom, at scrabble or even knitting, The Rock doesn't care what you put in front of him, he's the best at it.
Interviewer: So you're saying that you wouldn't mind coming on the show again? That's quite the honor, Rock, it's good to know you enjoyed yourself.
The Rock: Enjoyed himself? You think The Rock has enjoyed himself? The only thing keeping The Rock in his damn chair is camera three, have you seen the rack on that hot momma?"
[Giggles can be heard coming from the camera woman which only sets The Rock off more.]The Rock: Oh...you like that don't you! We got a feisty one over here! What are you doing tonight? Wait, don't answer that, The Rock doesn't care what you had planned, as of now you're coming with The Great One to the party of a lifetime!
Interviewer: Could I tag along too?
[The Rock laughs at first but then his expression quickly turns serious, then Rock lunges at the interviewer causing him to flinch. The Rock laughs again as he walks over to the women behind camera three and takes her arm in his before the two walk away together.]
[S7]
Power 15 1)
(13.5)
After an impressive win over Intercontinental Champion Davey Richards and a disturbing promo featuring an attack on Undertaker’s father, Orton claims this week’s top spot. 2)
(11)
Edge had some success against a champion himself as he put down Shawn Michaels and his cameo on Zack Ryder’s show gives him a little boost to the second spot. 3)
(9.5)
The World champ looked strong against Jack Swagger and his confrontation with McGillicutty left us on the edge of our seats. 4)
(9)
Lesnar had some tough words for Triple H and Wade Barrett and he had no problem backing it up when he beat up the former and pinned the latter. 5)
(8 )
Morrison exchanged some words with David Otunga and went on to defeat the monster Ryback in a hard fought contest. -)
(8 )
Maryse put her issues with Ted to the side long enough to capture a win against Alicia Fox. Will she be able to do the same next week? 7)
(7.5)
Bryan showed some heart kicking out of a Shooting Star Press and then making the former world champ Evan Borune tap out. Will he be able to do the same to Shawn Michaels at Unforgiven? 8 )
(5)
Del Rio picked up a win against Chris Jericho but his silence when confronted by Chavo Guerrero hurts his positioning this week. -)
(5)
Roode is in the same boat as Del Rio, he picked up a nice win but the lack of a promo hurts his chances of moving up. -)
(5)
The Heartbreak Kid suffered a disappointing loss against Edge, but his entertaining meeting with Mick keeps him from dropping down too low. 11)
(4.5)
Cena certainly had some interesting things to say, but The Rock ruined his chances to back it up causing the loss. -)
(4.5)
Steen didn’t have a match this week, but his inner conflict definitely left people wanting more as the former US Champ tries to figure himself out. -)
(4.5)
McGillicutty wasn’t I the arena this week, but what he did with his off-time was enough to boost him into the top 15. 14)
(3.5)
Brock Lesnar made sure Triple H wasn’t able to compete on Redemption, though he had a great war of words with Johnny Ace. 15)
(3)
Rhodes made up for his lack of a match with an entertaining promo with Zack Ryder, though he ended up on the losing side of their mini-battle.
[S8]
Wrap-up/Voice of the People And that’s that for this installment of the newsletter. Questions? Comments? Thought? Feel free to share them. Also, I thought I’d give the community a chance to share their thoughts so feel free to PM me the answer to this question either in character or as just yourself:
Do you agree that Michael McGillicutty is the next World Champion? 
Subject: XWL Newsletter 5/13: Michael McGillicutty is the next World Champ 
Sun May 13, 2012 10:27 pm
Orton at 1
