WWE Rumors: Monday Night Raw Falls Flat Again with John Cena and Bella Twins Storylines

Last week on Monday Night Raw, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena promised that he would go to Night of Champions not to beat Brock Lesnar, but to "beat Brock Lesnar's ass." After this week's edition of Raw, it's still hard to tell the difference.

Before we get into the meat of the discussion here, let's address a major problem among some of the fan base. Less than three weeks ago, we praised WWE for what they did at SummerSlam. Now, fans are threatening to revolt or stop watching because "WWE has no idea how to tell a story" or "they keep delivering the same crap over and over again." If you feel that way, then stop watching. Complaining about it accomplishes nothing, and the hyperbole fans have used in the last two weeks is absurd. The only way to send a message that you are unhappy is to take money out of the company's pockets so they have to make a change. Otherwise, all you're doing is telling them they're on the right track.

Anyways, Raw once again underwhelmed this week. The biggest problem with the story, and I'm a huge John Cena fan, is that Cena is supposed to be undergoing this transformation and finding this inner power he needs to beat Brock Lesnar. To paraphrase what Paul Heyman said on Stone Cold's podcast, does Cena have to become evil (or, at the very least, change his approach) to fight evil? This should be an exploration of the inner workings of Cena's character and should lead to discussions about his beliefs and philosophies. He should be questioning his beliefs, doubting himself and ultimately coming out stronger because of it.

But instead, all we've gotten is words, promises that he will win. It's the same thing he's been saying for years. Granted, this time there are actual odds for him to overcome. Cena truly does feel like the underdog in this fight, which is a rare accomplishment and one for which WWE should be commended. But the 15-time champion is still mostly the same guy he was before SummerSlam, which is a major problem for the story.

The promo Cena cut on the Raw before SummerSlam was fascinating because he directly addressed the major knocks against him. When does he turn? When does he stop being a walking merchandise stand? When does John Cena unleash hell? He promised to do it at SummerSlam, except Lesnar obliterated him before Cena even knew what hit him. Cena now needs to follow through on his promise at Night of Champions. He needs to get violent. Not John Cena violent. Brutal. He needs to act like he's fighting for his life, not for a title. Lesnar might still beat him, but at least the story will improve.

Another story that needs major work is the feud between Brie Bella and Nikki Bella. This should be an extremely compelling story, and it actually has been for brief moments since SummerSlam. Nikki turning on her sister was a shock, and she has berated and abused her ever since. It's a simple story to tell. One sister is jealous and resentful of the other, so she turns her back on her. The problem is in the execution.

For starters, the Bellas are...let's say rough...on the microphone. They're not as bad as fans make them out to be, but they're not great. Stephanie McMahon compounds this problem because she's so brilliant that she makes everyone else look like amateurs by comparison. The segment on Raw this week illustrated that. If you're going to put the Bellas out there, then you have to leave Stephanie out of it.

Secondly, Jerry Springer is going to appear on Raw next week for a segment with the twins. If fans didn't think this story was lowbrow and trashy before, then Springer's presence should help drag this thing right into the gutter.

Lastly, this feud should have NOTHING to do with AJ Lee, Paige and the Divas Championship. This should be, to paraphrase Jim Ross, a personal conflict settled in the ring. It doesn't need the title to tell the story. All that does is marginalize AJ and Paige and complicate matters. Plus, AJ and Paige have a nice feud developing, and this could easily knock that off the rails.

That said, I still have hope for this feud because Brie and Nikki could probably put on a decent match. They've both improved in the ring and are clearly influence by their significant others, as Brie has a more agile style while Nikki goes for power. Now we just have to wait to see when WWE decides to put them in the ring together.

What were your thoughts on Raw this week? Let us know in the comments section.