Ah, 2018, where every day is Rusev Day. I don't know why but that has really taken off.
So we've already seen a mini-Bullet Club reunion (though WWE forbids the use of that name) when Finn chose Gallows and Anderson for his partners.
What would you like to see happen in '18? For me, I would like to see Finn have that Universal Championship match he is still owed from back in '16.
I would also like to see some of the Superstars booked way better than they were in '17 (Finn, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nakamura, Becky Lynch to name several).
Asuka will claim the Raw Women's Championship some time this year, that is a given. But will somebody (Paige, maybe) then take it from her?
I would like to see Samoa Joe have a title run. Or two. Maybe get both the IC and Universal titles before the year is out. And let AJ Styles hold the WWE belt for as long as possible.
And I would love to see Jinder Mahal fade back into the obscurity from whence he came.
What say you?
For things coming up soon, I'd like to see Becky Lynch win the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble Match. With the announcement that there will be 30 women in the match, some returnees that I would like to see participate in it are Kaitlyn, Eve Torres, Beth Phoenix, Victoria, Molly Holly, Lita, an Trish Stratus. I believe the most likely of those would be Beth and Kaitlyn.
For the men, as long as Brock Lesnar loses the Universal Championship soon, I'll be alright.
I hope AJ Styles beats CM Punk's 434-day reign with the WWE Championship (not likely).
I hope the Cruiserweights start to mingle more with the heavyweights, as started on Raw on Monday.
Additionally, the first two teams for the Mixed Match Challenge have been named: Alexa Bliss will team with Braun Strowman and Charlotte Flair will team with Bobby Roode.
I would be good with Becky winning the women's RR. I will be rooting for Bayley though.
Trish Stratus was one of my favorites back in the day. I don't know if she would come back for this, but it would be neat.
I have already heard rumors that Kaitlyn is coming back. I also look for possible main roster debuts from current NXT stars Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Nikki Cross and possibly Kairi Sane.
I too am a little tired of Lesnar's part-time status. But Paul Heyman. Man can he sell.
And so far, I'm 2/2 on predicting who's with who on the Mixed Match Challenge.
They will have to find a replacement for Enzo Amore, due to the fact he caught the flu. Will they go with another Cruiserweight, or perhaps someone like Heath Slater may get a chance.
Just for the comedy, they should replace Enzo Amore with Curt Hawkins and then pair Hawkins with Asuka.
Hawkins' losing streak and Asuka's winning streak on the line in the same match. Which one gives?
I just woke up after staying up into the wee hours of the morning to watch Wrestle Kingdom 12 (it started at 1 AM).
My goodness, what a show! Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho delivered a great 35-minute match. Admittedly, I don't follow Japanese wrestling that closely and only subscribed to New Japan World for this match, but I'm keeping my subscription and will follow NJPW more closely from now on.
Two more teams have been announced for the Mixed Match Challenge:
Sasha Banks and Finn Balor, Lana and Rusev.
Makes me 3/4. Got Rusev and Lana right but had Finn with Bayley.
Finn/Sasha will be a good team too however.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on January 03, 2018, 11:20:15 pm
Just for the comedy, they should replace Enzo Amore with Curt Hawkins and then pair Hawkins with Asuka.
Hawkins' losing streak and Asuka's winning streak on the line in the same match. Which one gives?
Hawkins is being considered, but most now think it will be Seth Rollins.
And the fifth team for the Mixed Match Challenge is...
Jimmy Uso and Naomi.
And the sixth team for the Mixed Match Challenge is...
Nia Jax and Apollo Crews.
One has to believe that Crews is Enzo Amore's replacement.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on January 05, 2018, 03:40:33 pm
And the sixth team for the Mixed Match Challenge is...
Nia Jax and Apollo Crews.
One has to believe that Crews is Enzo Amore's replacement.
Yes, that is Enzo's replacement. So I'm going to count that as correct for me, as was Naomi and Jimmy.
5-for-6 halfway home, though I know I'll miss another when Bayley's partner is announced.
The seventh team for the Mixed Match Challenge is...
Asuka and The Miz.
And the eighth team...
...Alicia Fox and Goldust.
Just announced: The winner of a fan vote on Facebook between Samoa Joe, Elias, and Jason Jordan will partner with Bayley in the Mixed Match Challenge.
With all due respect, come on Joe.
Quote from: 1-Adam-12 on January 08, 2018, 09:53:36 pm
Just announced: The winner of a fan vote on Facebook between Samoa Joe, Elias, and Jason Jordan will partner with Bayley in the Mixed Match Challenge.
With all due respect, come on Joe.
I was a big fan of Samoa Joe when he was with Impact. It's nice to see him doing well in the WWE
Quote from: Longfellow on January 09, 2018, 12:40:02 am
I was a big fan of Samoa Joe when he was with Impact. It’s nice to see him doing well in the WWE
He has become one of my favorites too.
The interesting thing about Samoa Joe was that when he was signed to NXT, he was told to never expect to leave NXT for the main roster, as Vince McMahon was not a fan of his. Then Vince saw his body of work in NXT and obviously changed his mind.
And the last Raw team for the Mixed Match has been announced...
Samoa Joe won the fan vote to be Bayley's partner. However, Joe was injured on Raw last night and will not compete in the MMC. Instead, Elias will partner up with Bayley.
Dang.
Elias is pretty capable though. I'm kinda getting used to him. Just wish Bray Wyatt would be put in his place by Matt Hardy and just go away.
Looks like Enzo got hurt too.
Smackdown's next team for the Mixed Match Challenge is Natalya and Shinsuke Nakamura.
And on SD Live it was announced that Becky Lynch would pair with Sami Zayn.
That leaves Carmella awaiting which New Day member will be voted in.
Oh, and this, from December 13, my predictions for the SD Live teams.
SD Live: Bobby Roode/Charlotte Flair; Sami Zayn/Becky Lynch; Jimmy Uso/Naomi; New Day member/Carmella; Shinsuke/Natalya; Rusev/Lana.
;D
The fans have voted Big E as Carmella's partner.
Let the matches begin!
Here are the first round matches in the MMC:
Finn/Sasha vs. Shinsuke/Natalya
Miz/Asuka vs. Big E/Carmella
Braun/Alexa vs. Zayn/Lynch
Goldust/Alicia Fox vs. Jimmy Uso/Naomi
Elias/Bayley vs. Rusev/Lana
Crews/Jax vs. Roode/Flair
Oh, my.
Multiple reports are saying Paige is going to be forced into retirement. Apparently WWE officials will not clear her for in ring competition.
Terrible news for her and her fan base if this is true.
To review, Paige's injury happened at a house show when Sasha Banks kicked her in the back. It was completely accidental and given Paige's previous medical history she would have been more susceptible.
Not a good day for the WWE.
The bracket for the First Round of the Mixed Match Challenge has been released. My picks are bolded
Finn Balor and Sasha Banks vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Natalya
The Miz and Asuka vs. Big E and Carmella
Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss vs. Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch
Goldust and Alicia Fox vs. Jimmy Uso and Naomi
Elias and Bayley vs. Rusev and Lana
Apollo Crews and Nia Jax vs. Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair
My picks for the Quarterfinals:
Finn Balor and Sasha Banks vs. Big E and Carmella
Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss vs. Jimmy Uso and Naomi
Elias and Bayley vs. Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair
And for the Semifinals:
Finn Balor and Sasha Banks vs. Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss
Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair vs. Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch (voted back into the Tournament by the fans)
And for the finals:
Finn Balor and Sasha Banks vs. Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair
I honestly think that the Miz and Auska are going to win it all. They're probably going to capitalize on the The Miz's accolades outside WWE. And Auska's undefeated streak. And possible wrestlemania match.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/953102736324620288
Jey Uso was arrested for DWI in Texas following the Smackdown house show on Sunday night.
I guess you could say that Uso got taken to the penitentiary.
I actually knew a little something about one of the jobbers that The Revival took care of Monday on Raw.
The one wearing the leggings is Bayley's fiancé. He's an indie wrestler from Austin and the other guy is his regular tag partner.
Other than the last match and Braun's antics, pretty dull show overall.
And we have a new United States Champion!
It's a Glorious time as Bobby Roode wins the tournament over Jinder Mahal.
The 25th Anniversary of Raw show was...terrible, and that's putting it nicely. The highlights were the Austin/McMahons segment, the Jericho/Elias segment, and Elias looking like an absolute star.
Also, if the accusations against Enzo Amore are true (and, honestly, I hope they are not), then goodbye Enzo. Permanently, and not just temporarily like his current suspension.
And now it has come across the wire that WWE has fired Enzo Amore.
His release, while charges have not been pressed against him, comes as a result of him "withholding legal proceedings" that have been ongoing since the incident in October. If he had told WWE that he was under investigation back then, he would have been suspended long ago. Instead, he represented the company while being under investigation and did not mention a word of it. This is all on Enzo, not WWE.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on January 23, 2018, 10:04:02 am
The 25th Anniversary of Raw show was...terrible, and that's putting it nicely. The highlights were the Austin/McMahons segment, the Jericho/Elias segment, and Elias looking like an absolute star.
Also, if the accusations against Enzo Amore are true (and, honestly, I hope they are not), then goodbye Enzo. Permanently, and not just temporarily like his current suspension.
Wow, Elias was really put over. I agree. I was at a basketball game and missed about the first hour. Seemed to go downhill very fast after the Miz-Reigns match. Though I really liked it when they brought out the ones who made it what it was.
Trish Stratus still got it.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on January 23, 2018, 01:10:15 pm
And now it has come across the wire that WWE has fired Enzo Amore.
His release, while charges have not been pressed against him, comes as a result of him "withholding legal proceedings" that have been ongoing since the incident in October. If he had told WWE that he was under investigation back then, he would have been suspended long ago. Instead, he represented the company while being under investigation and did not mention a word of it. This is all on Enzo, not WWE.
Wow. Enzo, whether or not these allegations are true, just threw away the best gig he ever had.
This means likely yet another Cruiserweight Tournament, plus they'll have to find another storyline for Nia Jax, and also for Big Cass when he returns.
The final card for NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia:
1) Kassius Ohno vs. The Velveteen Dream
2) Extreme Rules Match: Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black
3) NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly vs. The Authors of Pain
4) NXT Women's Championship Match: Ember Moon vs. Shayne Baszler
5) NXT Championship Match: Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano
My predictions:
The Velveteen Dream
Aleister Black
Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly
Shayna Baszler
Andrade "Cien" Almas
Additional predictions: The Authors of Pain move on to the main roster, Tommaso Ciampa returns to cost Gargano the match, and Black vs. Cole will be the match of the entire weekend.
The final card for the Royal Rumble:
1) Women's Royal Rumble Match
Naomi, Asuka, Ruby Riott, Natalya, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Carmella, Tamina, Lana, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Mickie James, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch, Alicia Fox, and Dana Brooke are confirmed.
2) WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match: Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins vs. The Bar
3) WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Two-Out-of-Three Falls Match: The Usos vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin
4) WWE Championship Handicap Match: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
5) WWE Universal Championship Triple Threat Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane
6) Royal Rumble Match
Elias, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, John Cena, Finn Balor, Baron Corbin, Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt, Rusev, Aiden English, Apollo Crews, Titus O'Neil, The Miz, Tye Dillinger, Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods are confirmed.
My predictions:
Becky Lynch
Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins
Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin
AJ Styles
Brock Lesnar
Shinsuke Nakamura
Additional predictions:
12 women to fill the Women's Royal Rumble spots: Trish Stratus, Kelly Kelly, Kaitlyn, Lita, Eve Torres, Torrie Wilson, Jacqueline, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Molly Holly, Victoria, and Beth Phoenix
13 men to fill the Royal Rumble spots: Roman Reigns, Bobby Roode, Jinder Mahal, Curt Hawkins, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, Mojo Rawley, Zack Ryder, Tyler Breeze, Fandango, Cedric Alexander, Braun Strowman, and Daniel Bryan.
Wish the Women's Rumble was right before the men's instead of first
Quote from: BigLion10 on January 26, 2018, 09:58:38 am
Wish the Women's Rumble was right before the men's instead of first
It could be. I just typed them up in the order that I think they will happen on the show.
Ah, it appears another match has been added to the Royal Rumble card.
Bobby Roode has issued an open challenge for his United States Championship. The match will happen on the pre-show, so hopefully Roode will still enter the Rumble Match.
Also added to the preshow is a tag team match between Gallows and Anderson and The Revival.
Also, a Six-Man Tag featuring Kalisto, Lince Dorado, and Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher, and Drew Gulak.
Roman Reigns has been added to the Men's Royal Rumble.
I have a feeling Heath Slater and Rhyno will be as well.
Don't be surprised to see Kairi Sane and Nikki Cross from NXT in the women's match.
Once again, NXT delivers. TakeOver: Philadelphia ranged from good to absolutely fantastic and one match definitely deserves a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer.
In terms of enjoyment for me:
1) Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano (this should get 5 stars from Meltzer)
2) Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole
3) Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly vs. The Authors of Pain
4) The Velveteen Dream vs. Kassius Ohno
5) Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler
WWE caps off a solid weekend with a very enjoyable Royal Rumble event. In terms of enjoyment for me:
1) Men's Royal Rumble Match
2) Women's Royal Rumble Match
3) The Usos vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin
4) AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
5) Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane
6) Kalisto, Gran Metalik, and Lince Dorado vs. TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher, and Drew Gulak
7) The Revival vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
8. The Bar vs. Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan
9) Bobby Roode vs. Mojo Rawley
And, hello, Ronda Rousey!
Loved seeing all the Women's Legends that came back. Michelle McCool came in and cleaned house for a while.
I'm good with the winners of the two Rumbles; was pleasantly surprised by Nakamura's win. Asuka's I expected.
The one who carried that Women's Rumble was doubtless Sasha Banks. I think we saw the beginnings of her long-awaited heel turn. What convinced me was how ruthlessly she tossed Bayley out, though there were signs even before that.
Though Rousey joining up will bring even more attention to the women, I have a bit of a problem with her being handed a title shot at Mania without lifting a finger. I say make her go through NXT first as Shayna Baszler is doing.
I have a feeling she will go after Charlotte Flair and therefore be on SmackDown or be a free agent like Cena. If she goes to Raw, every other woman from Bayley down will probably be buried.
There was some controversy surrounding Styles vs. KO/Zayn, which I'm sure will be addressed in the coming weeks.
Wow I had no idea I would be seeing Ronda Rousey as a full time wrestler she just signed a WWE contract so the women's division had just took a step up for sure
Quote from: BigLion10 on January 28, 2018, 11:19:08 pm
Wow I had no idea I would be seeing Ronda Rousey as a full time wrestler she just signed a WWE contract so the women's division had just took a step up for sure
She got kicked in the face so hard she had to reevaluate her career choices
Just saw where the Coach Johnathon Coachman has signed a full-time contract and will be joining the Raw announce team starting tonight
The Dudley Boyz have been announced for the 2018 Hall of Fame Class. They join Goldberg, who headlines the Class.
Dave Meltzer did, indeed, give Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano a 5-star rating. It's WWE's first 5-star match since CM Punk vs. John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011.
Watched the highlights of that match and indeed it was spectacular.
NXT just has the main roster beat. That is all.
Three of the best matches I've ever seen came from NXT: Almas/Gargano on this one, Asuka/Ember Moon at Brooklyn 3, and Bayley/Sasha at Brooklyn 1.
Elimination Chamber is the next PPV and it is Raw exclusive.
Three matches so far:
Men's Elimination Chamber match for a shot at the Universal Championship:
Elias vs. John Cena vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. The Miz vs. TBA (either Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt, Matt Hardy or Apollo Crews)
First ever Women's Elimination Chamber match for the Raw Women's Championship:
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville vs. Mickie James
Asuka vs. Nia Jax (If Nia wins she is added to the Raw Women's Championship match at WrestleMania).
Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura.
They are all currently the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship.
Something tells me WWE is not planning on giving us AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura one-on-one at WrestleMania.
That "TBA" in the men's EC became Finn Balor AND Seth Rollins, after they both pinned Bray Wyatt in the last chance match.
The Women's Division looks to be picking up some steam. Bayley/Sasha, Asuka/Nia and Alexa & Mickie/Absolution all have pretty good storylines working.
And Ronda Rousey will sign with Raw at the EC. I still think she should have to go through NXT, but that's just one man's opinion. Leads me to believe that one or more of the Raw women are headed over to SmackDown after Mania.
Also, Rich Swann has been released.
Apparently, Vince is steadily trying to recruit Rob Gronkowksi to retire from football and join the WWE. Gronk has been considering retiring, so this is interesting
How about that Gauntlet Match on Raw last night? It clocked in at just under 115 minutes, making it the longest match in WWE history. It easily surpassed the previous record of 81 minutes, which was held by Bruno Sammartino and Waldo Von Erich way back in 1964.
Also, kudos to Seth Rollins for putting on the performance of 2018 so far.
I don't care if Strowman won the gauntlet match. The real winner was Seth Rollins.
Getting pins on Reigns AND Cena while lasting 65 minutes in the ring? Much, much respect and he has become a favorite of mine.
Here's what I think happens in the EC matches:
Men's: We all know that Vince wants Roman to face Brock at Mania, so I think that's what we will get somehow. Although I would much rather Rollins or Balor win.
Women's: I think Alexa drops the title, either to Sasha (more likely) or Bayley. I just don't see them putting the belts on either of the Absolution girls this early on. Mickie is a possibility as well, but I just don't think it'll happen. Maybe this will be the moment for them to turn Sasha heel and have her feud with Bayley.
Asuka will beat Nia. They have too much tied up in Asuka for it to be otherwise.
Look for another match to be added late, and it will probably be The Bar vs. Titus Worldwide for the tag titles.
I am not too keen on the decision to get rid of brand-specific pay-per-views after WrestleMania. This will leave very little room for anyone who is not in a title feud on those cards.
Most cards will feature two World title matches, two Tag Team title matches, two Women's title matches, two Mid-Card title matches, and a Cruiserweight title match. 90% of the shows will also be main evented by the Universal title, which will automatically make the WWE title seem inferior.
This is how the brand split ended before, and it seems WWE is quickly headed in that direction again.
The best solution would be to have the split-brand PPVs like they used to be:
January - Royal Rumble - both shows
February - No Way Out - Smackdown
March - WrestleMania - both shows
April - Backlash - Raw
May - Judgment Day - Smackdown
June - Vengeance - Raw
July - The Great American Bash - Smackdown
August - SummerSlam - both shows
September - Unforgiven - Raw
October - No Mercy - Smackdown
November - Survivor Series - both shows
December - Armageddon - Raw
There have indeed been two matches added to Elimination Chamber:
Gallows and Anderson take on The Miztourage (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel). This will be on the pre-show.
The other one is the one I thought would happen: Cesaro and Sheamus vs. Titus O'Neil and Apollo (with Dana Brooke) for the Raw Tag Team Championship.
They have dropped Apollo's last name like they did with Elias.
Elimination Chamber in terms of enjoyment for me:
1) Women's Elimination Chamber Match
2) Men's Elimination Chamber Match
3) The Bar vs. Titus Worldwide
4) Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt
5) Asuka vs. Nia Jax
6) The Club vs. The Miztourage
After tonight's goings on, the question does linger:
Are we indeed witnessing a Sasha heel turn....
or a BAYLEY heel turn?
I may be wrong, but after watching the last two weeks and putting it all together, I don't think it's a Bayley heel turn.
Rather, I think it is a much needed evolution of the Bayley character, from the naïve fangirl into someone more mature who now realizes that The Boss has (in her mind) manipulated her, and isn't going to take it any more.
I think she will remain a face, but be more edgy. Still with hugs, but beware anyone who crosses her. As I say, very much needed.
I think we're seeing Bayley vs. Sasha at Mania as a standalone match. We might know who has done what by then, or maybe we'll see the final heel turn by one of them.
Fastlane has come and gone, and it was a pretty good show.
In terms of enjoyment for me:
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev
Six-Pack Challenge
Charlotte Flair vs. Ruby Riott
Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode
The Usos vs. The New Day
Carmella/Natalya vs. Becky Lynch/Naomi
Breezango/Tye Dillinger vs. Chad Gable, Shelton Benjamin, and Mojo Rawley
Daniel Bryan has finally been medically cleared by WWE doctors to return to the ring!
I think when Daniel Bryan told everyone he was cleared, it was the biggest pop anyone got all year.
Just that segment beat anything Raw had to offer last night. It was tough to watch. The matches were unexciting and I couldn't get invested in the Ultimate Deletion.
Bayley gave one of her better promos and was much more aggressive than usual.
I'm calling it right now: Nia Jax takes the belt off Alexa.
Lost in the Daniel Bryan hoopla was the fact that Big Cass has also been cleared. I wonder, with Enzo gone, what kind of storyline will he be put in?
Shane McMahon has been hospitalized with diverticulitis. This is the same illness that Brock Lesnar had when he was in the UFC.
This has been confirmed as legitimate and not part of the storyline, so this leaves the rumored Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan/Shane McMahon match at WrestleMania in question.
WrestleMania Week is almost upon us! Here are the updated cards for the two main shows of the weekend:
NXT TakeOver: New Orleans:
1) NXT Championship Match
Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Aleister Black
2) NXT Women's Championship Match
Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler
3) Unsanctioned Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
4) Six-Man Ladder Match to crown the inaugural NXT North American Champion
Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream
WrestleMania 34:
1) WWE Universal Championship Match
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
2) WWE Championship Match
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
3) WWE Raw Women's Championship Match
Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax
4) WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match
Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
5) WWE Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat Match
The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins
6) WWE United States Championship Fatal Four-Way Match
Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Rusev
7) WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match
Cesaro and Sheamus vs. Braun Strowman and ???
8) WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match
The Usos vs. The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The New Day
9) Tournament Final Match for the vacant WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali
10) Mixed Tag Team Match
Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
11) Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
12) Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Dash Wilder, Scott Dawson, Baron Corbin, Mojo Rawley, Tye Dillinger, Matt Hardy, Dolph Ziggler, Tyler Breeze, Fandango, and others TBA
13) WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan, Naomi, Natalya, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Bayley, Lana, and others TBA
Hitting on a few points:
JMO, I think the Cruiserweights ought to be given a bigger push, as a group.
If Shane can't go, who is going to partner Daniel Bryan?
Charlotte vs. Asuka has the potential to be a dynamite match. There is no question that Nakamura vs. Styles will be. As will Gargano and Ciampa on the NXT show.
Quite a few are unhappy that Sasha Banks and Bayley were not given their own match. My guess is that Bayley turns the tables on Sasha by eliminating her. But everybody ought to watch out for Ruby Riott. She or Bayley are my picks.
In the men's, I would not be surprised at all by a Dolph Ziggler win. But wouldn't it be absolutely hilarious if Tyler Breeze or Fandango pulled it off?
http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2018/0404/638619/wwe-remembers-johnny-valiant-after-sudden-passing/
NXT TakeOver: New Orleans turned out to be the greatest TakeOver of all-time. Being there in person made it that much better. The atmosphere was electric all night, but the opening six-man Ladder Match and the main event between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa were five-stars to me (let's see if Uncle Dave Meltzer agrees). I would then rate Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler as 3.25 stars, Undisputed ERA vs. Authors of Pain vs. Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne as 3.75 stars, and Aleister Black vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas as 4.5 stars.
Lots of swerve at the end of both Battle Royals.
First Bray Wyatt shows up out of nowhere, and HELPS Matt Hardy win! Not many expected that! Are they going to be a tag team now? Sure looks that way.
And in the women's, when Bayley got rid of Sasha and was the only one left in the ring, she, myself and everybody else thought she'd won it. But Naomi had pulled out the oldest trick in the battle royal book, hiding out after going out of the ring not over the top. Nothing against Naomi winning it, but I think WWE dropped the ball.
But what a splash (literally) was made by one of the NXT ladies, Bianca Belair. Amazing 450!
And Cedric vs Mustafa is exhibit A on why the Cruiserweights should get pushed more. Incredible action.
Yea Adam I didnt care for the women's battle royal ending either. NXT girls had a good showing though
Real question is will we see the Undertaker tonight?
Ronda Rousey is here to stay, boys.
Very impressive first outing in the four-sided ring as opposed to the eight-sided one.
Quote from: BigLion10 on April 08, 2018, 06:54:12 pm
Real question is will we see the Undertaker tonight?
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DaTfzPNX0AAzDDn.jpg)
https://twitter.com/NBCSports/status/983156693591879680
WrestleMania was a mixed bag, but overall a good show.
-Men's Battle Royal was fine; surprised that Matt Hardy won. The Hardy/Wyatt tag team will be interesting.
-The Cruiserweight Championship Match was dull, honestly. You can tell someone other than Triple H put it together. If it had happened on 205 Live, it would have been much better.
-Women's Battle Royal was sloppy. Two of the NXT women (Kavita and Taynara) should not have been in; they looked lost. Once again, Bayley and Becky are made to look like jokes. Bayley's elimination of Sasha should have won the match for her, but alas, it did not.
-Intercontinental Title Triple Threat was a great opener. Rollins, Miz, and Balor worked very well together and I would not mind seeing a rematch between all three at Backlash. Rollins joins his Shield brothers as a Grand Slam Champion, too.
-Charlotte vs. Asuka was great, but should have been given more time. I was surprised at the result and that Asuka tapped out. I think Charlotte vs. Ronda will main event WrestleMania 35 in NYC.
-The Four-Way for the U.S. title was dull. Jinder with another win. Yay?
-Angle and Rousey vs. Hunter and Steph turned out to be the match of the night, shockingly. Ronda is a natural athlete and she was the star of the match. Of course, Steph has to break and resist the arm-bar numerous times, because she is Stephanie.
-The Triple Threat for the Smackdown Tag titles was fine. Bludgeon Brothers dominated as they have since they reunited. Could have been a little longer.
-Undertaker vs. Cena was fine. Who would have thought that Cena would be squashed at Mania in 2018? Potential rematch between the two next year, I'd guess.
-Bryan and McMahon vs. Owens and Zayn was good. It was pointless of Bryan to miss the first ten minutes of the match, but I guess they wanted to play it extra safe in his first match back.
-Nia vs. Alexa was too long, but it was a good brawl. With the story they have, Nia should have been booked to beat Alexa in about 2 minutes.
-Styles vs. Nakamura was underwhelming. It just never seemed to get going until the last five minutes. The heel turn for Nakamura will add a good dynamic to the rematch.
-Strowman and Nicholas vs. The Bar was... well, it was a match.
-Lesnar vs. Reigns. More part-time Lesnar title reign... that's all that needs to be said.
Show took a serious nose dive after Bryan/McMahon vs. Owens/Zayn. After that match, I was out of it, the crowd was out of it, and the show dragged. Honestly, 7+ hours is too much for a show. For the first time, I contemplated turning the show off and finishing it tonight, but I powered through.
My favorite match was the first one the triple threat match for the IC title. Great atmosphere and the fans were into it. Awesome athletes as well
Some thoughts:
Once again, they tried to put Reigns over. Once again, they failed. They need to put that belt on Balor, Rollins, Braun, someone who doesn't spend the majority of his time with nothing to do with WWE.
Sure didn't see that Shinsuke heel turn coming.
IC match was great. So was Charlotte/Asuka.
I've gotta say, Nia deserves a run with the belt. She is so happy as I watch her on Raw tonight.
Rousey surprised me pleasantly.
Jinder surprised me unpleasantly.
Ember Moon just got a call-up and wouldn't be surprised if Peyton Royce got one too. Peyton was very popular during the Battle Royal.
They should have left well enough alone at the end of that one. Bayley was getting some major pop and the actual end spoiled it.
Matt and Bray could be very interesting together.
Raw is coming to North Little Rock on Monday, June 11th. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
Imperial Wrestling Revolution coming to MAD (Murphy Arts District - El Dorado)
CLICK HERE (http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/ElDorado/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=ELDNTIMES%2F2018%2F04%2F12&entity=Ar00104&sk=BD58E6C8&mode=text)
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on April 10, 2018, 10:43:36 am
Raw is coming to North Little Rock on Monday, June 11th. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
They'll be in Bossier City the day before:
http://www.centurylinkcenter.com/events/wwe-live-2/
With a superstar shake up coming next week, who do you think will switch between the red and blue brands?
The following have moved, * means I thought they would.
Jinder Mahal. Riott Squad, Baron Corbin, *Natalya, *Bobby Roode, *Breezango, Dolph Ziggler, KO, Sami Zayn, *Mojo Rawley, Zack Ryder, The Ascension, Chad Gable, and Mike Kanellis. Plus a callup from NXT for Drew McIntyre.
Meanwhile The Miz heads to SmackDown, minus the Miztourage.
And did anyone else notice Graves slip up and say "Bullet Club" instead of "Balor Club"?
"The Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino passed away today at the age of 82.
One of the greats, I saw a very few matches of his on TV toward the end of his career.
And moving from Red to Blue, again * meaning I thought it would happen:
*Asuka, *Big Cass, The Bar, *Gallows and Anderson, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe, and *Absolution, along with the previously mentioned Miz.
Also, NXT call-ups *Andrade 'Cien' Almas (with Zelina Vega) and SAnitY, apparently minus Nikki Cross.
I think SmackDown came out the better.
Although, there are those that will say in jest that Sheamus and Cesaro got run off Raw by Breezango.
Rumor has it that the guys in Saudi Arabia are paying WWE $60 million dollars for the Greatest Royal Rumble event this Friday. It goes on to say that WWE will be receiving $60 million per year for the next ten years (including this one) to host the Greatest Royal Rumble there after WrestleMania every year.
I'll have to avoid social media until I am able to watch the show, as it begins at 11 AM our time on Friday. If I had to guess, I probably won't be able to watch it until Saturday morning. According to the WWE Network schedule, the Greatest Royal Rumble has a timeslot from 11AM to 5 PM, so it looks to be a six-hour show.
Beginning October 2019, Smackdown will air on Fox. The deal is for 5 years and ONE BILLION DOLLARS.
That is some serious money to be thrown out there, and for it to be on an over-the-air network. Stunning!
Jeez. I never thought I'd ever see worse than that Alexa Bliss "Bayley This Is Your Life" segment from last year.
I just have, with this Sami Zayn rubbish.
Raw tonight is the cure for insomnia.
Smackdown is returning to its 2016 form. It is very clearly the A Show, and it must continue to be the A Show as it transitions to the Fox network.
No wonder the Superstar Shake-up was so lopsided in favor of SD.
Really and truly, there are not that many talents on Raw that I would call "over" with the fans. Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, perhaps Elias and maybe Drew McIntyre and the Hardy/Wyatt tag team among the men; Ronda Rousey, Ember Moon, Bayley and maybe Nia Jax and Sasha Banks among the women.
They are once again trying to force Roman Reigns "over" by putting him in a program with Jinder Mahal. Still not working. Both are being roundly booed.
I really don't understand the call up of No Way Jose, when they could and should have called up someone like Aleister Black or Velveteen Dream, or maybe shifted the whole Gargano/Ciampa feud to Raw, picking up Candice LeRae in the process.
It is simply amazing that Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa probably wrestled their second five-star rated match against each other in 2018 last night at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II. If it does get rated as five stars, it will also be Gargano's third five-star match of 2018, along with this match against Andrade "Cien" Almas at NXT TakeOver: Philaelphia.
It is also amazing at the stark contrast between NXT and the main roster...
I have to say this....
Alexa Bliss is one of the best heels I have ever seen. And I've been watching a very long time.
RIP to one of the baddest dudes in wrestling in the 80s and 90s.
Big Van Vader passed away Monday at age 63.
It's a shame Vader was not inducted into the Hall of Fame while he was alive. He will likely be the posthumous induction for the Class of 2019.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on June 17, 2018, 09:00:45 pm
It is simply amazing that Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa probably wrestled their second five-star rated match against each other in 2018 last night at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II. If it does get rated as five stars, it will also be Gargano's third five-star match of 2018, along with this match against Andrade "Cien" Almas at NXT TakeOver: Philaelphia.
It is also amazing at the stark contrast between NXT and the main roster...
Meltzer gave Gargano/Ciampa 4.5 stars, the same for the tag championship match, and 4.25 for Velveteen Dream vs Ricochet.
Well, well and well.
They finally pulled the trigger on a Bayley/Sasha feud on Raw last night and it looks like we may have a heel Bayley.
I think it's going to be very interesting to see where this goes. Many say that this is just what Bayley needed.
Former WWE Superstar Matt Cappotelli died this morning after a battle with brain cancer.
Cappotelli won one season of Tough Enough, if I remember correctly, and was pegged as a future main event star. Tragically, he was diagnosed with brain cancer shortly thereafter. He beat the cancer once and was in remission for a while, but it came back. He had surgery one year ago to remove most of the tumor, but they couldn't remove all of it.
Incredibly sad story, but his suffering is over and my condolences go to his loved ones.
That Raw last night was very difficult to watch.
1. 50 minutes of Roman. Enough said.
2. They had gold in their hands after the Bayley attack on Sasha last week and they THREW IT AWAY with this counseling storyline, instead of letting them have it out.
3. Strowman's stuff is getting more ridiculous by the week.
4. No Way Jose grates on me. He should be sent back to NXT.
About the only thing that was any good was The Revival finally getting a push.
Add to that: Sami Zayn is out with a double rotator cuff injury (out for the rest of the year), Ruby Riott is out two months with a MCL injury, and Bray Wyatt was injured in a car wreck.
Not a good week for the red brand.
AXSTV is showing New Japan stuff all day.
It culminates at 7:00 with:
New Japan Pro Wrestling: G1 Special in San Francisco
New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to California for their largest US event to date. Kenny Omega defends the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Cody. The Young Bucks defend the IWGP Tag Team Championship against EVIL and SANADA.
I got in late and was able to watch only the Omega vs. Cody match. I had heard a lot about Omega and had wanted to watch one of his matches.
I was not disappointed. Great match with moments for both wrestlers. As good a match as I've seen all year.
The injury bug continues to hit Raw.
Fandango will be out the rest of the year with a torn labrum, forcing Tyler Breeze to go it alone as the sole member of the Fashion Police for a while.
Thankfully (perhaps hopefully?) the post-WrestleMania lull that the WWE is currently in will be over after Extreme Rules on Sunday. While Smackdown has been enjoyable, Raw has been a bore. The build to SummerSlam should, hopefully, change that.
205 Live and NXT continue to be on fire, as usual. The main event on NXT this week was Moustache Mountain defending the tag titles against The Undisputed ERA. It was one of the best tag team matches under the WWE banner that I can recall seeing.
Extreme Rules has passed and now we are on the road to SummerSlam. In terms or order of enjoyment for me last night:
AJ Styles vs. Rusev
Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins
Kevin Owens vs. Braun Strowman
Bobby Lashley vs. Roman Reigns
Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Sin Cara
The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Daniel Bryan and Kane
Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
SAnitY vs. The New Day
The B-Team vs. The Deleters of Worlds
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy
Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax
Carmella vs. Asuka
Stephanie McMahon is set to make a major announcement on Raw tonight, and rumor has it that the SmackDown women's division have been told to be in Cincinnati for Raw tonight.
I anticipate the announcement of an all-women's PPV, a WWE-wide women's tag championship, or maybe both.
It is indeed an all-womens PPV, called Evolution, to be held at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island on Oct. 28.
In addition to all the current women's Superstars, Trish Stratus and Lita will be on hand.
All of the women's titles (Raw, SmackDown and NXT) will be contested, as well as the finals of the second Mae Young Classic.
No announcement (yet) of a women's tag championship.
WWE Hall of Famer Nikolai Volkoff has passed away at the age of 70.
Also, reports are saying that former WWE Superstar Brian Christopher (better known as Grandmaster Sexay) was rushed to a hospital after he was found hanging in this jail cell. Further, unconfirmed reports are that he has also passed away.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on July 29, 2018, 11:01:50 am
WWE Hall of Famer Nikolai Volkoff has passed away at the age of 70.
Also, reports are saying that former WWE Superstar Brian Christopher (better known as Grandmaster Sexay) was rushed to a hospital after he was found hanging in this jail cell. Further, unconfirmed reports are that he has also passed away.
It has now been confirmed that Brian Christopher has passed away. Also, Memphis Wrestling legend Brickhouse Brown has passed away this morning.
Terrible day in the professional wrestling world.
Yes, awful day. I remember all three of them to varying degrees, with Nikolai Volkoff being the one who stands out most to me.
He and the Iron Sheik were quite a team. I can remember him commanding the crowd to stand for the Soviet national anthem.
(https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38939001_2095609740472608_1825535450702413824_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeECx1h3I02ZoS1J1vQrY9pbs1jsxAb1c3khry2ZXMxZMZyr7zi52crlOPPvB9KmEbk_708rpRdraRhY0HSZDaVPiLfkZIPH4ReZ8ezNkFqa9w&oh=602227c8c38b52838728ddb1c49ac9ee&oe=5C0249A2)
One week from today, I'll be in the air on my way to Brooklyn. SummerSlam is the last of the Big Four that I haven't attended, and I get to check it off the list next week.
I got one of the Travel Packages that WWE does for the Big Four, so I'll be able to take in a meet-and-greet with Sasha Banks and TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 on Saturday, a breakfast session with yet-to-be-named Superstars and SummerSlam on Sunday, Raw on Monday, and Smackdown and 205 Live on Tuesday.
In the middle of all of that, obviously sight-seeing and getting some authentic New York-style food will take place.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DkFhVA0XgAAUail.jpg:large)
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart passed away this morning at the age of 63.
Talk about a rough month for wrestling.
That means there's only one member of the original Hart Foundation left, Bret Hart himself.
Aretha Franklin has passed away. Why am I posting this in the wrestling forum?
She gave a beautiful rendition of "America the Beautiful" at WrestleMania III way back in 1987. Her performance was just a small part in the overall success of that show; a show that catapulted WWE (then WWF) to the forefront in popularity and solidified the company's stance in the sports world.
May she rest in peace.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on August 10, 2018, 09:49:10 am
One week from today, I'll be in the air on my way to Brooklyn. SummerSlam is the last of the Big Four that I haven't attended, and I get to check it off the list next week.
I got one of the Travel Packages that WWE does for the Big Four, so I'll be able to take in a meet-and-greet with Sasha Banks and TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 on Saturday, a breakfast session with yet-to-be-named Superstars and SummerSlam on Sunday, Raw on Monday, and Smackdown and 205 Live on Tuesday.
In the middle of all of that, obviously sight-seeing and getting some authentic New York-style food will take place.
That is pretty sweet. Enjoy yourself!
Met Sasha Banks, Sheamus, and Charly Caruso yesterday at an autograph session. Being in the crowd for TakeOver: Brooklyn was incredible. I had previously been to TakeOver: Dallas and TakeOver: New Orleans, but the Brooklyn crowd was insane.
Met Alexa Bliss and Daniel Bryan this morning at an autograph session. It was a bit awkward meeting Bryan while wearing a Miz shirt, but we joked around about it and he was a good sport!
I just finished watching ALL IN. Man, what a show. Congrats to Cody and The Young Bucks for making it a reality.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DlIzM_TX4AArGj0.jpg:large)
https://www.facebook.com/EldoMAD/photos/a.182734478455052/1975273442534471/
WWE has announced that the Mixed Match Challenge will return in two weeks. It will air after Smackdown Live beginning on September 18th and will last for 14 episodes.
The teams are:
Raw: Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss, Finn Balor and Bayley, Bobby Lashley and Sasha Banks, Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox, & Kevin Owens and Natalya
Smackdown: The Miz and Asuka, Rusev and Lana, Jimmy Uso and Naomi, R-Truth and Carmella, & AJ Styles and Charlotte Flair.
I'm going to go out on a (not-too-long) limb and say the final match will be Strowman/Bliss vs. Styles/Flair.
Renee Young will be replacing Jonathan Coachman on the Raw commentary team full-time, beginning tonight.
Coach will take over Renee's spots as a backstage interviewer and as the host of the pay-per-view kickoff shows.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on September 10, 2018, 02:29:55 pm
Renee Young will be replacing Jonathan Coachman on the Raw commentary team full-time, beginning tonight.
Coach will take over Renee's spots as a backstage interviewer and as the host of the pay-per-view kickoff shows.
I think this was long overdue. Young has brought a fresh perspective to the program. Coach had gotten very dull and predictable.
Here's the order of how I enjoyed the matches from last night's HIAC:
1. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins
2. Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton
3. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
4. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
5. Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan vs. Maryse and The Miz
6. Alexa Bliss vs. Ronda Rousey
7. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns
8. The New Day vs. Rusev Day
definitely think the mixed tag match should've been last place. the new day's match, although not as great, was a lot better than some of the matches. they could've put a different match on the pre show. sad that Roman and braun's match needed an outside brawl and a return to be interesting. also a shame that Braun became the second person to fail a MITB cash in. which means he probably won't win it until Survivor Series in another Triple threat with Brock and Reigns. At least it will be at a major PPV.
Though Becky Lynch is being portrayed as a heel now, not everyone is buying it. There were a bit more cheers than boos on SmackDown after her celebration when she took out Charlotte.
Becky's heel turn, just like many other heel/face turns, happen at the wrong time with the wrong opponent. I think it was the right opponent with her, but bad timing. People were already tired of Charlotte by then. Not quite the Roman Reigns treatment, but people still thinking her sthick is getting old. If anything, I would make becky like a stone cold like character. As far as her not being a heel, but having a no nonsense attitude. But not insulting the fans. Because its not working.
I don't think Becky Lynch is a heel. She takes no nonsense from anyone, whether heel or face. The reactions that she still gets, i.e., the loud cheers, should make it obvious to WWE that she can't be a heel in the eyes of the fans. Plus, they have edited her initial heel promo where she attacked the fans for "not supporting her," and removed all mentions of that. Outside of the brawl with Charlotte where the heels pulled Becky back and the faces pulled Charlotte back, I haven't seen any signs of a heel. Rather, just a person who finally got what was rightfully hers at the behest of her former best friend.
Well, I don't know. Last night on SmackDown, she did a very heelish attack on Charlotte during a photo shoot. And demanding that the photographer take her picture while standing over her. Then how she talked to Lana backstage before their match. So I'm just as confused as anyone about what WWE wants to do with her, as far as what they want to portray her as. I still say the Stone cold method is the best way to go.
Whenever I have free time, I chronologically watch the WWE Network. I started at WrestleMania I from back in 1985 when the Network launched in 2014. Today, I made it to one of my favorite moments from my early teenage years: Eddie Guerrero beating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at No Way Out 2004. I was 13 when it took place. I had goosebumps when it happened live, and I experienced those same goosebumps watching it again today.
I do the same thing as well. I think around wrestlemania 2000, after that, they were all sorta hit or miss. I also follow certain wrestlers careers from pay per view to pay per view. Like the undertaker, triple h, Cena, Orton, and others. Just seeing the progress and looks of them from year to year.
If you ever noticed during the evolution days, triple h looked a little thicker. And not in a muscular way. Lol. His face seemed a little fatter. Lol.
WWE Super Show-Down is this Saturday. It will air at 4 AM here in Arkansas. Do I sacrifice sleep to watch it live, or sacrifice seeing spoilers and waiting until later in the day to watch it? Decisions, decisions... Anyway, here are my predictions for the show.
1. Bobby Lashley and John Cena vs. Kevin Owens and Elias
2. WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. The Bar
3. Six-Woman Tag Team Match: Ronda Rousey and The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
4. #1 Contender's (WWE Championship) Match: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
5. WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy
6. Asuka and Naomi vs. The IIconics
7. Six-Man Tag Team Match: Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre vs. The Shield
8. WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
9. The Undertaker (w/Kane) vs. Triple H (w/Shawn Michaels)
10. WWE Championship No Disqualification, No Count-out Match: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
I have decided to brave the element of potentially waking my wife up at 3:45 in the morning with my alarm so that I can get up and watch Super Show-Down live. If this is my last post, it has been nice knowing you all... ;D
So that plan didn't come to fruition, haha. Couldn't pull myself out of bed. I actually woke up at about 3:30 without an alarm, but just couldn't get up. I'm watching Super Show-Down right now, though.
Finished Super Show-Down.
Here is how I would rank the matches in terms of enjoyment for me:
1) Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre vs. The Shield
2) Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander
3) AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
4) Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
5) The Undertaker vs. Triple H (went a little too long, in my opinion, which is why it's here)
6) The Bar vs. The New Day
7) Asuka and Naomi vs. The IIconics
8) Bobby Lashley and John Cena vs. Elias and Kevin Owens
9) Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
10) Ronda Rousey and The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on October 06, 2018, 03:17:36 pm
Finished Super Show-Down.
Here is how I would rank the matches in terms of enjoyment for me:
1) Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre vs. The Shield
2) Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander
3) AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
4) Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
5) The Undertaker vs. Triple H (went a little too long, in my opinion, which is why it's here)
6) The Bar vs. The New Day
7) Asuka and Naomi vs. The IIconics
8) Bobby Lashley and John Cena vs. Elias and Kevin Owens
9) Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
10) Ronda Rousey and The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
What in God's name is WWE Doing? They Ruined the Curtain Call with Taker/Trips from Mania. Now this garbage? Mayor Kane and Old Man Taker vs Bald Headed DX is not want people want to see.
Yeah. It's all a big thing for them to perform at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. Those guys paid all that big money to get the guys that they want to see. So obviously, wwe is going to oblige. Just like when they took rusev off of the last one, and the Saudi president and officials said to put him back in. No other venue or country has the power to make WWE change their card on a dime. They demanded Brock Lesnar, paid him a boatload of money just to show up. Money talks. Im pretty sure they're doing it for Shawn michaels, and the undertaker.
Quote from: jbtiger73 on October 08, 2018, 06:16:25 pm
Yeah. It's all a big thing for them to perform at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. Those guys paid all that big money to get the guys that they want to see. So obviously, wwe is going to oblige. Just like when they took rusev off of the last one, and the Saudi president and officials said to put him back in. No other venue or country has the power to make WWE change their card on a dime. They demanded Brock Lesnar, paid him a boatload of money just to show up. Money talks. Im pretty sure they're doing it for Shawn michaels, and the undertaker.
The rumor on the Internet was the Saudi prince was paying 20 million to ensure The Rock was at Crown Jewel to win the Title. Can you imagine that conversation
Vince: Hey Roman
Roman: Sup?
Vince: You're going to drop the title at Crown Jewel
Roman: No.
Vince: It's okay you know him very well
Roman: Strowman or Lesnar?
Vince: Dwayne
Roman: and I get it back on Raw right?
Vince: Sure.
Yeah. Because it just makes perfect sense. Lol. And of course, we have also the no talent Bella's back in the title picture. Yaaay.
Too many PPV events crammed together here in the fall.
HIAC was in the middle of September.
Super Show-Down was this past Saturday.
Evolution is October 27th.
Crown Jewel is November 2nd.
TakeOver: WarGames II is November 17th
Survivor Series is November 18th.
TLC is December 16th.
And somehow, the same Superstars appear on every show...
This is why every PPV being dual-brand is a bad idea.
Back when I was a teenager, the PPV schedule was perfect:
January - Royal Rumble (both shows)
February - No Way Out (Smackdown)
March - WrestleMania (both shows)
April - Backlash (Raw)
May - Judgment Day (Smackdown)
June - Vengeance (Raw)
July - The Great American Bash (Smackdown)
August - SummerSlam (both shows)
September - Unforgiven (Raw)
October - No Mercy (Smackdown)
November - Survivor Series (both shows)
December - Armageddon (Raw)
Wish they'd go back to that. Each show with 4 individual and 4 co-brand shows. 12 total.
That was a bombshell.
Brings the world of wrestling back to reality.
Whether you like Roman Reigns' character or not, it's time to forget all that.
Go beat this monster called leukemia, Joe.
The pop that Roman Reigns gets WHEN (not if) he returns, is going to be MASSIVE. And I cannot wait to hear it.
Evolution was a very fun, very entertaining show. Each match had its moments that didn't make anything feel dull. In order of enjoyment for me:
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler
Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm
Bayley, Natalya, and Sasha Banks vs. The Riott Squad
Battle Royal
Nikki Bella vs. Ronda Rousey
Alicia Fox and Mickie James vs. Lita and Trish Stratus
100% agree with that order of enjoyment. I just hated that rousey and bella was the main event. But I guess they wanted rousey to end the show with the stage shot with all the women's wrestlers and triple h. Lol
As seen on Raw last night, John Cena was removed from the Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia after refusing to take part in the show. If the rumors hold true, Daniel Bryan will be giving up his WWE Championship Match against AJ Styles at the event, as he is refusing to go as well.
Yep. Just as we expected. Bryan out of crown jewel ppv. Very good match and even more impressive quick return for samoa joe. As much as I love AJ, I hope they don't screw up and have Joe lose again. I'm sure they'll put the strap on him, have him wrestle babyface braun stroman at survivor series, then have him carry it over into extreme rules and the rumble and lose it there. On a side note, Shane McMahon said that which ever SmackDown superstar makes it to the world cup final and loses, they're going to be off of SmackDown. Very interesting to see which one could possibly be on their way out. I can really see Bobby Lashley winning the tournament, to validate his monster heel status. Unless Seth Rollins makes it to the finals and Dean Ambrose screws him out of it before hand. Wether in the first round or the finals. It's gonna happen probably.
Another interesting note, Renee Young has been confirmed as a color analyst for Crown Jewel. Also I'm curious to see her reaction and her thoughts about her husband's actions a couple weeks ago. Could they involve her in the storyline. Especially since Cole was bashing Dean for being selfish. Just a thought. Because she was awfully quiet everytime the subject came up on Monday night.
Here are my predictions for Crown Jewel. I won't be able to watch the show until later tonight due to work.
WWE United States Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev
WWE World Cup Tournament First Round Match: Bobby Lashley vs. Seth Rollins
WWE World Cup Tournament First Round Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Kurt Angle
WWE World Cup Tournament First Round Match: Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz
WWE World Cup Tournament First Round Match: Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: The Bar vs. The New Day
WWE World Cup Tournament Semifinal Match: Kurt Angle vs. Seth Rollins
WWE World Cup Tournament Semifinal Match: Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz
WWE Championship Match: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
Singles Match for the vacant WWE Universal Championship: Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE World Cup Tournament Final Match: Kurt Angle vs. The Miz
D-Generation X vs. The Brothers of Destruction
Well, Crown Jewel was... well, it was a show. It wasn't all bad, but the majority left me with a "meh" feeling. Here's the order that I enjoyed the matches:
1. Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins
2. Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz
3. Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
4. The Bar vs. The New Day
5. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
6. Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio
7. Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz
8. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kurt Angle
9. Bobby Lashley vs. Seth Rollins
10. D-Generation X vs. The Brothers of Destruction
11. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar
12. Dolph Ziggler vs. Shane McMahon
One person owned Raw tonight, and that person was Becky Lynch.
Heck, she might be the biggest thing in WWE right now.
Her beating the you-know-what out of Rousey with a bloody face (apparently from Nia) was an iconic moment.
Poor Becky. All of this momentum and it is stopped because of a concussion and a broken nose suffered at the hands of (shocker) Nia Jax.
Jax has a reputation for being sloppy, and it reared its ugly head again. Lynch has been removed form the Survivor Series card, and something "big" is going down on Smackdown Live tonight.
It has been a long time since anyone, male or female, has been more over than Becky and it's a darn shame she won't be able to compete.
I have maintained ever since Bayley lost her title shot last year because of Nia that the latter needs to go back to the Performance Center for more seasoning. Now this. Nia is going to get some major heat because of this.
Charlotte Flair will take Becky's place.
And that "big"? Daniel Bryan took the WWE Championship off AJ Styles and then turned heel. That's pretty big.
NXT TakeOver: WarGames II has come and gone, and what a show it was! Even the quick squash match to open the show was entertaining for what it was. Here is my order of enjoyment for the matches:
1) Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Velveteen Dream
2) Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano
3) WarGames
4) Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler
5) Kassius Ohno vs. Matt Riddle
Good luck to everyone on the Survivor Series card for having to follow WarGames.
Survivor Series was good show. There wasn't a bad match, per se, but man, oh man, did they screw over Smackdown or what?
Here is the order that I enjoyed the matches:
1) Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan
2) Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey
3) Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
4) Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali
5) Tag Team Raw vs. Smackdown
6) AOP vs. The Bar
7) Women's Raw vs. Smackdown
8. Men's Raw vs. Smackdown
Rest in Peace to The Dynamite Kid, who passed away yesterday, and Larry "The Axe" Hennig, who passed away today.
TLC was a pretty good show last night. Here is the order that I enjoyed the matches:
1. AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan
2. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
3. The Bar vs. The New Day vs. The Usos
4. Drew McIntyre vs. Finn Balor
5. Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander
6. Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
7. Natalya vs. Ruby Riott
8. Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio
9. Nia Jax vs. Ronda Rousey
10. Bobby Lashley vs. Elias
11. Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman
12. Alicia Fox and Jinder Mahal vs. Carmella and R-Truth
Lots of changes in the WWE it seems. No more GM's for either of the main shows, lots of fresh match-ups, and call-ups to boot.
Lars Sullivan, Lacey Evans, EC3, Nikki Cross, and Heavy Machinery will be on the main roster soon.
And how about Mustafa Ali? Moving up from 205 Live to be a permanent member of the Smackdown roster...AND getting a pinfall victory over the WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan, last night.
However, the McMahon Family seems to be a prominent fixture on television again. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I'm ready for a big change in WWE, I really feel like the writers of the company really are clueless.
Miz vs Daniel Bryan match should had turned into a bigger fued that lead all the way to WM with the WWE championship at stake in a iron man match.
Get rid of Brock Lesnar, him being champion is bad for business. Make Seth Rollins the top guy, he had a great run his first time. He can do it again, instead his with a fued with Ambrose that means nothing.
Do something with Jinder, Dolph, and Drew. Those three are being poorly used. Move those guys to Smackdown. Bray Wyatt deserves a good story and not lose all the time. He will be a perfect heel to have as a championship. Not to mention you got Braun Strowman here with this Baron Corbin crap.
WWE has a lot of talent. There's no stables that has that IT quaility that's been lacking. It can be done if people will sit back and think real hard with the story they want to show us.
At least they have the women's tag team titles now
Quote from: jbtiger73 on December 27, 2018, 09:33:34 pm
At least they have the women's tag team titles now
Which is going to be a joke. They had that before and didn't last long. WWE is so title heavy. Get rid of all the two shows champions. The title that Lesnar has is a curse, get rid of it. Get rid of Lesnar. Raw is a joke without a real championship. Every time Lesnar shows up to RAW, he jumps around for 5 mins Paul run his mouth and go home. Been a long time since he had a match on RAW.
The women tag titles are going be a joke, Ronda was given the title way too soon. Having R-Truth at #30 in the Royal Rumble is going be a joke.
I just think the quality of the women's wrestlers now are well above and beyond the talent from back then. Plus with all of the already made teams, (riott squad, IIconics, sasha and bayley, mandy rose and Sonya deville, ect.) With the chemistry between them all, I think it could work this time around.
Quote from: jbtiger73 on December 28, 2018, 09:04:48 pm
I just think the quality of the women's wrestlers now are well above and beyond the talent from back then. Plus with all of the already made teams, (riott squad, IIconics, sasha and bayley, mandy rose and Sonya deville, ect.) With the chemistry between them all, I think it could work this time around.
You do have a point, but what will the women's championship mean anymore? Usually the ladies don't last long in WWE. I'm very surprised how well Alicia Fox has lasted. I think she is one of the most underrated ladies in WWE.
Instead of starting a new thread for 2019, I changed the title of this thread to reflect the New Year.
First show of 2019 will be Smackdown Live tonight. I avoided spoilers for it, so hopefully it'll be good.
WWE Hall of Famer and legendary ring announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund has passed away.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on January 02, 2019, 10:24:59 am
WWE Hall of Famer and legendary ring announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund has passed away.
He was good, I remember watching him as a kid when he would interview Hogan at WCW. Won't be another one like him that's for sure.
Also had some legendary interviews with Ric Flair. When he would say, "Mean "Wooooooo" Gene."
Also was nice to read that a lot of wrestlers said that they credited him with helping them with their promo skills. Like Chris Jericho and William Regal. Just think. He knew zero about wrestling when he first started. Was asked to stand in for the original backstage interviewer when they got sick. Then was very instrumental in the formation of the NWO. I remember Nancy "Woman" Benoit would always make advances at him during his interviews with Ric Flair. A couple of interviews, I noticed he would pay her on the butt some and have his arm around her waist during the interview. Thought that was amazing. Especially since I always thought she had a nice body anyway. Mean Gene will definitely be missed.
Royal Rumble Picks
Mandy Rose will win the womens Royal Rumble
Seth Rollins will win the Royal Rumble
Bryan will retain his title
Lesnar will retain his title
What I really would love to see is Miz win the Royal Rumble go on to face Bryan at WM that turns into a nasty fued. The fued with them last year in 2018 didn't end the way it should have. There was more to go on but the writers gave up and moved on to something else. Have Miz win at WM against Bryan for the WWE championship let him hold it for 6 months or so.
Lesnar needs to lose ro Strowman and Strowman should lose the title at WM against Seth Rollins or Dean Ambrose. Rollins should be the new face of the company since Roman is out and not Lesnar he is at home sitting on his couch.
Mandy Rose should fight Ronda at WM and cheat and win the womens championship.
http://mykisscountry937.com/new-japan-pro-wrestling-is-coming-to-dallas-in-2019/
Quote from: bleudog on January 05, 2019, 10:10:28 am
http://mykisscountry937.com/new-japan-pro-wrestling-is-coming-to-dallas-in-2019/
Looks like I'll be heading to Dallas.
When I first read what you posted about mandy winning the rumble, I kinda laughed a little. But since Vince is enamored with her and is looking at her to be the be the next Trish Stratus, I figured that would be a move that he would make. Plus, given that trish had limited wrestling ability in the beginning of her career, I feel that he looks at her in that light. Besides, they did put the title on Carmella. And had her beat Charlotte twice and Auska. So I guess anything is possible. Even though I think that it's the wrong move
Kenny Omega is leaving NJPW. Let the rumors begin.
Will he sign with WWE or the new promotion that his friends, Cody and The Young Bucks, are starting, AEW?
The first Network event of the year comes to us this Saturday, as NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool airs at 1 PM. I won't be able to watch it live, as I'll be working at the UCA Men's Basketball game, but I'll watch it later on. The card that has been put together is pretty good for the first UK TakeOver, and with Triple H and co. in charge we know it'll be a good show.
-Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks
-No Disqualification Match: Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis
-Tournament Final Match to crown the inaugural NXT Tag Team Champions: James Drake and Zack Gibson vs. Moustache Mountain
-NXT UK Women's Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Toni Storm
-NXT United Kingdom Championship Match: Pete Dunne (c) vs. Joe Coffey
Seen Jericho sign with AEW at the rally in Jacksonville, Florida. Also rumored is that Goldberg is gonna sign with them as well. Could they be bigger than WWE, probably not. But with the 100% health benefits and equal pay for men and women, its definitely a viable option for those who have contracts coming up in WWE and Impact. Although I believe that somehow, AEW will have some type of relationship with Impact wrestling. Which personally I think is not a great idea. Because it makes it look like another one of the partnerships that impact has, instead of being it's own thing like how WWE is. WCW was successful because of that. The only connection that they had sorta, was with AAA to get guys like Rey, Eddie, Konnan, and others.
Just finished NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool, and what a show it was! Here's the order I enjoyed the matches:
1) Joe Coffey vs. Pete Dunne
2) Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Moustache Mountain
3) Finn Balor vs. Jordan Devlin
4) Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm
5) Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis
...plus a debut (I will not say who for those that still need to watch)
Do yourselves a favor and watch this show.
Big weekend of shows for WWE and NXT this weekend.
NXT TakeOver: Phoenix
-Kassius Ohno vs. Matt Riddle
-NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong vs. War Raiders
-NXT North American Championship Match: Ricochet vs. Johnny Gargano
-NXT Women's Championship Match: Shayna Baszler vs. Bianca Belair
-NXT Championship Match: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Aleister Black
Royal Rumble:
-WWE Cruiserweight Championship Fatal 4-Way Match: Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami vs. Kalisto
-WWE United States Championship Match: Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
-WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: The Bar vs. Shane McMahon and The Miz
-WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match: Asuka vs. Becky Lynch
-WWE Raw Women's Championship Match: Ronda Rouseyvs. Sasha Banks
-WWE Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Finn Balor
-WWE Championship Match: Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles
-Women's Royal Rumble Match: Carmella, Ember Moon, Natalya, Bayley, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Alicia Fox, Zelina Vega, Naomi, Mickie James, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Charlotte Flair, Tamina, Dana Brooke, Lana, Nia Jax, Nikki Cross, Alexa Bliss, Lacey Evans, and 7 other Superstars to be announced.
-Men's Royal Rumble Match: R-Truth, Drew McIntyre, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Seth Rollins, Jeff Hardy, Dean Ambrose, Bobby Lashley, Samoa Joe, John Cena, Elias, Baron Corbin, Jinder Mahal, Apollo Crews, Andrade, Mustafa Ali, Rey Mysterio, Titus O'Neil, Randy Orton, and 10 other Superstars to be announced.
My guesses for the 7 women who have not been announced: Becky Lynch, Brie Bella, Maryse, Nikki Bella, Sasha Banks, Victoria, Trish Stratus...
...and the 10 men who have not been announced: Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura, Pete Dunne, Killian Dain, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Mojo Rawley, Sami Zayn, Aleister Black, EC3
*My picks are in bold.
(https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/50813536_2497457407188125_4151044634128154624_n.png?_nc_cat=1&_nc_eui2=AeGXwF-nrDn3CiDT3oB2h3XNPSUnFItZItJi9vTdRJble3gqv7Q4tUXH6qzS92C7aC9yQ6xpttIKEbjmuGDjjFYfwqGudd_0Psjm1u0ngL7cJw&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=7fd9653d378d7cf92b106f2a15f92ef1&oe=5CBACA2E)
NXT TakeOver: Phoenix was, as TakeOvers usually are, awesome. Matches in order of enjoyment for me:
1. Johnny Gargano vs. Ricochet
2) The Undisputed ERA vs. War Raiders
3) Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa
4) Kassius Ohno vs. Matt Riddle
5) Bianca Belair vs. Shayna Baszler
The Royal Rumble was a pretty good show. One of the better main roster PPVs recently. Here's my order of enjoyment:
1. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch
2. Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks
3. Akira Tozawa vs. Buddy Murphy vs. Hideo Itami vs. Kalisto
4. Women's Royal Rumble Match
5. Men's Royal Rumble Match
6. AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan
7. Brock Lesnar vs. Finn Balor
8. Shane McMahon and The Miz vs. The Bar
9. Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
10. Bobby Roode and Chad Gable vs. Rezar and Scott Dawson
Dean Ambrose put in his notice and will not be re negotiating his contract. Possible signs point to AEW. I doubt his wife will follow suit. Leaving on good terms, so a return is definitely there.
Hideo Itami asked for, and was granted, his release at the Smackdown tapings last night. He has already changed his name on Twitter back to KENTA.
https://mindenstjude.com/product/wrestling-memorabilia/
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on January 02, 2019, 10:24:59 am
WWE Hall of Famer and legendary ring announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund has passed away.
He was a good one
Wow, Kofi Kingston sure put on a show on SmackDown. May not have won that gauntlet match, but it may be time to give him a push.
Elimination Chamber was alright. I was there in person and, boy, were we deflated at the conclusion of the men's Elimination Chamber Match. Here's the order that I enjoyed the matches:
1) Men's Elimination Chamber
2) Women's Elimination Chamber
3) Akira Tozawa vs. Buddy Murphy
4) Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor
5) Shane McMahon and The Miz vs. The Usos
6) Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman
7) Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott
Roman Reigns is returning to Raw on Monday to provide an update on his battle with leukemia. Here's to hoping it's the best possible announcement!
Fastlane was a solid B-tier PPV. In terms of order of enjoyment for me:
1. Daniel Bryan vs. Kevin Owens vs. Mustafa Ali
2. Andrade vs. R-Truth vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Samoa Joe
3. Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre vs. The Shield
4. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. Bobby Roode and Chad Gable vs. The Revival
5. Big E and Xavier Woods vs. Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura
6. Shane McMahon and The Miz vs. The Usos
7. Asuka vs. Mandy Rose
8. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
9. Bayley and Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax and Tamina
10. Kofi Kingston vs. The Bar
WWE has announced that the main event of WrestleMania 35 will, indeed, be Becky vs. Charlotte vs. Ronda.
Well-deserved for the women.
This makes me wonder if WWE is going to unify the two womens' championships. After all, no matter who wins, either one champ beats the other or Becky beats them both.
Just got word Becky Lynch will not be in the main event after all. Tested positive for banned PEDs. Stephanie McMahon to make announcement about main event tonight on RAW
Quote from: 1-Adam-12 on March 31, 2019, 09:10:10 pm
This makes me wonder if WWE is going to unify the two womens' championships. After all, no matter who wins, either one champ beats the other or Becky beats them both.
I think that is the route they are going, but it doesn't make since.
Fox has already told WWE that they do not want anything to do with cross-promotion with Raw or its Superstars when Smackdown moves there in October. It seems pointless to me to unify the women's titles for six months, only to have to separate them back once Smackdown moves.
Big weekend coming up with NXT TakeOver: New York and WrestleMania 35.
15 matches currently scheduled for Mania, with an additional match for the Raw Tag Team Championship being rumored. The show, on the WWE Network schedule, is scheduled for 7.5 hours... oy vey.
Just watched TakeOver: New York from last night. As usual, it was a fantastic show. In order of enjoyment for me:
1. Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano
2. Matt Riddle vs. The Velveteen Dream
3. Pete Dunne vs. Walter
4. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. War Raiders
5. Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai vs. Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler
Some idiot jumped into the ring and attacked Bret Hart during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech for The Hart Foundation's induction. The guy was dealt with immediately in a rather physical way. Travis Browne (Ronda Rousey's husband) connected with a few body shots, while Dash Wilder caught him with a Mike Tyson uppercut as security was carrying him out.
WrestleMania 35 was a good show, though it was far too long. Here's how I enjoyed the matches:
1. Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston
2. Shane McMahon vs. The Miz
3. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey
4. AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
5. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Bar vs. The Usos
6. Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder vs. The Revival
7. Buddy Murphy vs. Tony Nese
8. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins
9. Batista vs. Triple H
10. Bayley and Sasha Banks vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. Nia Jax and Tamina vs. The IIconics
11. Bobby Lashley vs. Finn Balor
12. Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns
13. Baron Corbin vs. Kurt Angle
14. Rey Mysterio vs. Samoa Joe
15. WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
16. Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Now it's being said that Sasha Banks wanted to quit after Wrestlemania. She found out at the last minute that they were dropping the titles to the IIconics. They were hoping for a lengthy title run, due to her and Bayley advocating for the titles for the longest. But we all know how Vince feels about the international presence in WWE. That's what they were aiming for. But the IIconics though?
In the end, The IIconics were the only choice. Beth Phoenix by now is only a part timer and they knew Nia was going to have double knee surgery. So the Australian duo it was. And with Bayley moving to Smackdown, strangely enough it all makes sense.
It won't be long before Asuka and Kairi have the belts though.
The IICONICS, while their wrestling skills are Somewhat limited, they're very entertaining and charismatic. More so than Bayley and Sasha. They're a natural tag team. Something that's rare in women's wrestling period. I think just like with the men, they want to create natural tag teams. Overall, it will make the division a lot better.
Former WWE wrestler Ashley Massaro passed away today at age 39. Absolutely tragic. Far too young.
Reported it was from an apparent suicide. She was dealing with depression.
Watched All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing PPV tonight. Production issues and a bad pre-show aside, the actual show was top notch. If they keep it up, we may be headed for WWE finally having some major competition in the United States again.
Oh, and Jon Moxley (formerly known as Dean Ambrose in WWE) showed up.
Oh my stars. Bayley finally went heel.
Yes. I feel the same way. What's crazy, is that Bayley started her career as a heel with the hugger character. Basically playing an annoying and crazed fan girl. Kinda like the Mickie James character when she was obsessed with Trish Stratus.
Chris Jericho is the inaugural AEW World Champion. He won the title on Saturday night...but, the title was legitimately stolen out of a limousine.
The end of an era. Smackdown wrapped up its time on USA last night, and the first broadcast on Fox will be next Friday.
The card for the Fox debut is stacked already:
WWE Championship Match
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
Bayley and Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Loser Leaves WWE Ladder Match:
Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on September 25, 2019, 10:37:31 am
The end of an era. Smackdown wrapped up its time on USA last night, and the first broadcast on Fox will be next Friday.
The card for the Fox debut is stacked already:
WWE Championship Match
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
Bayley and Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Loser Leaves WWE Ladder Match:
Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon
KO to AEW?
The new Wrestling War officially began last night. I watched both AEW and NXT. Both had their strengths and weaknesses, but overall I felt NXT was better. I will imagine AEW will win the ratings war, because most people who want to watch both will wait until Thursdays to watch NXT when it gets put on the WWE Network.
(http://cwatix.com/20191012finalposterarn.jpg)
http://www.cwatix.com/
Well, WWE HIAC happened last night. Going into it there were only four announced matches, but there ended up being 11. Here's the order I enjoyed them:
1. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks
2. Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan and Luke Harper
3. Ali vs. Randy Orton
4. Chad Gable vs. King Corbin
5. Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair
6. Lacey Evans vs. Natalya
7. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs. Asuka and Kairi Sane
8. Braun Strowman and The Viking Raiders vs. The O.C.
9. Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins
*Note, matches 10 and 11 were two 24/7 Championship matches. Carmella vs. Tamina, and Tamina vs. R-Truth. Not ranking those.
Apparently, Bray suffered a minor injury. but did appear after the show went off the air. but Sasha's injury may be a little different. they're keeping it under wraps as of now. that's why you had no retaliation from banks or bayley on Monday. as far as my wrestling vent for the week, I really hated how the Universal title HIAC match ended. but I am glad they kept Rollins off of raw this week, due to what happened at the end of the Sunday's match. I'm okay with the champion not wrestling every week. showing up, yes. but wrestling week, and proving to be this heroic "fighting champion". I know he's a babyface, and that's what they do. but eventually, if not careful, you can have the Hulk Hogan or John Cena effect. where fans get annoyed with the goody two shoes attitude. Hogan was smart enough to turn heel, and revived his career. and ultimately was able to go back to the red and yellow, with a little of the "hollywood" flare behind it. and Cena, was so charismatic, he was able to embrace the people saying that he sucked when they mocked his theme song. so much so, that as much as you hated him for being so white bread and cheesy, you couldn't help but to love him as a performer. unfortunately, I don't think Seth has the charisma that Hogan or Cena has to stay on the fans good side once the fans grow stale of his character. I just feel the only way for him and others like him to be liked, is to turn heel. Cena never had to turn heel once his Hustle, loyalty, and respect thing got stale. and still remained relevant. Seth seems like the type of person that would take fan's criticism to the heart and let it get to him. I like Seth, but you have to have thick skin in the entertainment business all together.
Bayley went all out heel and that may well have been what she needed. She had gone with the fun-loving persona for four years and it was getting dated. She needed a reboot and I think she got it.
Finn Balor went over to NXT and he has now gone heel as well. It remains to be seen how that will work out.
AEW Dynamite beat Smackdown in the ratings last week, shortly after Seth Rollins referred to AEW as the "minor leagues."
Smackdown aired on Fox Sports 1 last week due to the World Series, and only had 888,000 viewers. Yikes.
fake
Quote from: 50Yarder on October 30, 2019, 02:32:57 pm
fake
Aren't you edgy?
Also, in case you didn't know... scripted and fake don't have the same definition.
Now, go along and do whatever you do.
What a mess for the WWE. They ran another one of those controversial Saudi Arabia shows yesterday, and now most of the talent that went is STILL stranded in Saudi Arabia. Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman, Hulk Hogan, and all of the high-level Smackdown Superstars reportedly made it out, but the Smackdown Superstars new chartered flight is not going to make it into Buffalo in time for the show tonight. This has caused a wrench to be thrown into the Smackdown plans tonight, and NXT talent have been flown from Florida to Buffalo to fill the gaps.
With the announcement that NXT will be a part of Survivor Series this year, I guess they'll probably to some kind of NXT invasion tonight.
Funny that back then a move from Raw or SmackDown to NXT was considered a demotion. Now most think it's a lateral move.
WarGames and Survivor Series have come and gone. Here is the order I enjoyed the matches on each show:
WarGames:
1) Men's WarGames Match
2) Finn Balor vs. Matt Riddle
3) Women's WarGames Match
4) Damian Priest vs. Killian Dain vs. Pete Dunne
5) Angel Garza vs. Isaiah Scott
Survivor Series:
1) Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne
2) Men's Survivor Series Elimination Match
3) AJ Styles vs. Roderick Strong vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
4) Women's Survivor Series Elimination Match
5) The New Day vs. The Undisupted ERA vs. The Viking Raiders
6) Daniel Bryan vs. The Fiend
7) Bayley vs. Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler
8. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto vs. Lio Rush
9) Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio
10) Tag Team Battle Royal
(https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/s960x960/77012714_2216911471934853_7824051630025736192_o.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_ohc=AWG-NQUi8DkAQkXUlq-luAkrjHMBBZ8mb6dErqB-qlEY3px3yzEIJ31hQ&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=a89c0c0578caaea4d53a5163fa8ae988&oe=5E40109B)
I have those posters as well. Hopefully we get a full house. Matt Rivera is very underrated heel in the indy ranks.
Watching WWE TLC last night, it was easy to tell that WWE used it as a complete throw-away show. Here is the order that I enjoyed the matches:
1. The New Day vs. The Revival
2. Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy
3. Andrade vs. Humberto Carrillo
4. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair vs. The Kabuki Warriors
5. King Corbin vs. Roman Reigns
6. Bray Wyatt vs. The Miz
7. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. The Viking Raiders
8. Bobby Lashley vs. Rusev
Renamed this to 2020 for the new wrestling year.
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NXT Worlds Collide was tonight. My order of enjoyment:
1) #DIY vs. Moustache Mountain
2) Imperium vs. The Undisputed ERA
3) Finn Balor vs. Ilja Dragunov
4) Angel Garza vs. Isaiah Scott vs. Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks
5) Kay Lee Ray vs. Mia Yim
6) Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm
(http://www.cwatix.com/20200321.jpg)
Forgot to post this after the Royal Rumble, but here's the order I enjoyed the matches:
1. Men's Royal Rumble Match
2. Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan
3. Women's Royal Rumble Match
4. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch
5. King Corbin vs. Roman Reigns
6. Andrade vs. Humberto Carrillo
7. Sheamus vs. Shorty G
8. Bayley vs. Lacey Evans
NXT TakeOver: Portland was last night. Here's the order that I enjoyed the matches:
1. The Broserweights vs. The Undisputed ERA
2. Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano
3. Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee
4. Adam Cole vs. Tommaso Ciampa
5. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley
6. Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox
This was a very good show and, possibly, the best TakeOver ever. It was very difficult to rank these matches, because not a one of them was bad.
The Dakota Kai and Knox match was very, very good. The ending was underwhelming though. The Ripley and Belair match played out the same way. Great match, but ho hum ending.
Also, the Gargano heel turn was kinda weak, and poorly timed. Just my opinion though. But yes, I agree that this was probably was the best Takeover yet. Can't wait to see what Takeover Tampa has in store.
The Fiend is Creepy!...Goldberg is a Beast!...should be a great match!...
Just hope it's not some cheap Lesnar like squash match. The Fiend is so over right now, that would kill all momentum he has. Even if he retains at Wrestlemania. He'll have still looked like crap for losing to a nearly 60 year old man with diminished in ring ability.
Quote from: jbtiger73 on February 25, 2020, 05:15:41 pm
Just hope it's not some cheap Lesnar like squash match. The Fiend is so over right now, that would kill all momentum he has. Even if he retains at Wrestlemania. He'll have still looked like crap for losing to a nearly 60 year old man with diminished in ring ability.
Vince will mess it all up!...The Fiend if Vince is smart will dominate Goldberg!... anything less than total domination by the Fiend will kill bray wyatts career imo!...
Just heard that the Undertaker is in Saudi Arabia also. Whatever the Saudis want from Vince, is what they get. Brock, taker, and goldberg are gonna get the major payday for 2 to 3 minutes of work. They're paying WWE 55 million to come. They go twice a year also. Major cash grab for Vince.
Told you Vince would mess up bray Wyatt!... that was hard to watch!... his career was literally just flushed in 3 minutes!...
I wish I could say I am shocked, but I am not.
At least we have AEW.
I'm done. With a half hearted jackhammer. And 4 of the weakest spears on earth. Very hard and gut wrenching to watch. The entire show was actually. The women's match, both tag title matches, and the Garza-Carillo match were the best matches. All the rest were D+ or F
I do not watch the Saudi shows for a number of reasons. Booking decisions like what I read about while reading the results of the show are just one of those reasons.
Heard they were trying to set up Roman vs. Goldberg and Cena vs. Fiend at Mania, Beth & Natalya vs. Kabuki Warriors, and Edge vs. Orton. I'm gonna nickname this, nostalgia mania.
AEW Revolution is tonight. It's strange. I have no problem paying $49.99 for the show, but I don't think I could let myself pay that for a WWE show anymore.
Seems like WWE is looking to deal with the major PPV's going to be shown on ESPN+. Probably at $50 or more dollars depending on the deal.
What a PPV last night. AEW's Revolution was fantastic. Here's the order I enjoyed the matches:
1. Adam Page and Kenny Omega vs. The Young Bucks
2. Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley
3. Orange Cassidy vs. PAC
4. Cody vs. MJF
5. Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara
6. Dustin Rhodes vs. Jake Hager
7. Kris Statlander vs. Nyla Rose
8. Dark Order vs. SCU
(https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/s960x960/84583573_2281919845434015_1828798569285419008_o.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=3qa3BHtdM5YAX9EsGYL&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&_nc_tp=7&oh=fc31fdae518b9d8a7c101745a37ff241&oe=5EE96A9C)
WWE held Elimination Chamber last night. It was a decent show. Here is how I enjoyed the matches:
1. Aleister Black vs. AJ Styles
2. Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak
3. Tag Team Elimination Chamber
4. Andrade vs. Humberto Carrillo
5. Women's Elimination Chamber
6. Murphy and Seth Rollins vs. The Street Profits
7. Braun Strowman vs. Cesaro, Sami Zayn, and Shinsuke Nakamura
8. Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder vs. The Viking Raiders
I would definitely swap #1 for #2. And definitely place #5 at the bottom with the pre-show match.
Tomorrow's Smackdown will take place in the Performance Center in Orlando with no fans in attendance.
Next week's Dynamite and the 3/25 Dynamite have moved locations. Next week's is moving to Jacksonville, Florida, and will have little-to-no fans in attendance. The new location for 3/25 has not been revealed.
The City of Tampa Bay has told WWE the decision to hold or cancel WrestleMania is up to the company, but if a decision is not made within a week the city will make the decision.
My goodness.
With WrestleMania being taped this week, a lot of news has come out.
Roman Reigns, who was scheduled to challenge Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship, told WWE management that he is no longer comfortable wrestling during the current pandemic due to his previous health battles with leukemia.
In addition, Goldberg tried to back out of Mania after Reigns decided not to wrestle, but WWE management convinced him to stick it out and found hm a new opponent.
Other names who are rumored to be out of Mania, either because they are sick or because they decided not to wrestle: Dana Brooke (reportedly sick), Rey Mysterio (reportedly sick), Bobby Lashley (reportedly in quarantine after coming back from South Africa), The Miz (reportedly sick), John Morrison (pulled because Miz is reportedly sick), Jimmy and Jey Uso (reportedly decided not to wrestle after Reigns decided not to), Kevin Owens (reportedly decided not to wrestle), and Edge (reportedly decided not to wrestle).
Several of those I'd heard of (Roman, Dana, Rey, Miz, Lashley) but I had heard nothing of the others not going.
Feel really bad for Dana in particular. I don't think she would've won but just for her to get a chance showed something to me.
Also, Andrade had to be pulled due to injury. He will be replaced by Austin Theory from NXT to team with Angel Garza in the Raw tag championship match vs. Street Profits.
They may have been better served moving it to another weekend and scrap one of the B-list PPV's.
Night 1 of WrestleManie 36 is in the books. Here's the order I enjoyed the matches:
1. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins
2. AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker
3. Jimmy Uso vs. John Morrison vs. Kofi Kingston
4. Daniel Bryan vs. Sami Zayn
5. Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler
6. Cesaro vs. Drew Gulak
7. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs. The Kabuki Warriors
8. Elias vs. King Corbin
9. Braun Strowman vs. Goldberg
10. Mojo Rawley vs. R-Truth
Wow. WWE has released a bunch of their talent.
Rusev, Gallows and Anderson, Drake Maverick, Curt Hawkins, Heath Slater, Lio Rush, Sarah Logan, the Colon brothers, EC3, Zack Ryder, No Way Jose, Mike and Maria Kanellis, Erick Rowan, Aiden English, Eric Young, Deonna Purrazzo and referee Mike Chioda.
Plus a lot of their back room staff and trainers like Road Dogg, Kurt Angle, Fit Finlay, etc.
Just wow.
Rumors there are more to come. Won't get into names bc that wouldn't be fair rn.
All of the road agents are furloughed. So, eventually they'll be back. Not all at once though. But the wrestlers are definitely released. A few like Gallows and Anderson might be back.
Looks like they are giving some mid to lower card wrestlers a push right now such as Dana Brooke and Apollo Crews, who have both qualified for MITB.
Dana and Carmella also have a tag championship match on Friday vs. holders Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross.
Tonight's Smackdown will be the last live WWE show through, at least, July. Beginning Monday, they will begin taping everything, including pay-per-views, through the July 10th Smackdown.
Money in the Bank has already been taped.
Becky Lynch announced during Raw that she was pregnant and relinquished the title to MITB winner Asuka, which makes Asuka the second women's Grand Slam Champion after Bayley.
And Sami Zayn has been stripped of the Intercontinental Championship with a tournament to crown a successor to start Friday night on SmackDown.
Otis. Mr. Money In The Bank. I have no words, but happy for him.
I'm happy for him as well. But I was just like you in that manner about Otis. Apparently, Triple H is very high on Otis. And Vince likes him a lot as well. Kinda like the modern day Hillbilly Jim, with a major push. I would hope for a slow burn with Otis. Instead of pulling a typical babyface move and getting suckered into cashing in early. Making him look like a goof in the process. But I'm also wondering if they're using the angle to set up a match with Dolph where he puts his contract on the line. That usually sounds like a typical babyface MITB winner.
Former WWE Superstar Shad Gaspard has gone missing after being caught in a rip tide off the coast of California. Gaspard was swimming in the ocean with his son when a group was swept away by the rip tide. Lifeguards got into the water, and Gaspard told them to save his son first. Gaspard was not located yesterday, and the search was called off. The search has resumed as of an hour ago. Incredibly sad story, and one that, I fear, will have an even worse outcome.
Quote from: VHSCoach2 on May 18, 2020, 12:11:36 pm
Former WWE Superstar Shad Gaspard has gone missing after being caught in a rip tide off the coast of California. Gaspard was swimming in the ocean with his son when a group was swept away by the rip tide. Lifeguards got into the water, and Gaspard told them to save his son first. Gaspard was not located yesterday, and the search was called off. The search has resumed as of an hour ago. Incredibly sad story, and one that, I fear, will have an even worse outcome.
After a few days, Shad Gaspard's body was found on shore at Venice Beach. Absolutely tragic. He died a hero at 39 years young. At least the family will get some form of closure with his body being found.
After working hard for many years with nothing to show for it, Apollo Crews finally got his due. He is the new US champion after beating Andrade last night.
First Becky Two Belts, now Bayley Two Belts.
Sasha Banks pinned Nikki Cross on SmackDown and therefore the ex-hugger turned "Role Model" has the tag belt to go with the SD Women's Championship.
NXT TakeOver: In Your House was last night, and it was a great show. Here's how I enjoyed the matches:
1. Johnny Gargano vs. Keith Lee
2. Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor
3. Charlotte Flair vs. Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley
4. Adam Cole vs. The Velveteen Dream
5. Karrion Kross vs. Tommaso Ciampa
6. Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, and Raquel Gonzalez vs. Mia Yim, Shotzi Blackheart, and Tegan Nox
Kairi Sane has left WWE and returned to Japan.
Won the Tag Championship twice with Asuka. But could have been so much more.
I'll be honest, many of the storylines have gotten ridiculous in the last month or so. True, they are limited in what they can do because of Covid, but even in a non-Covid world most of the storylines border on laughable IMO.
My following of wrestling has always been on and off. At this point I'm think I'm going to take a step back and not watch for a while.
Roman Reigns is now a Paul Heyman Guy.
A much-needed change of character for Reigns.
Road Warrior Animal passed away at age 60 late last night.
I'm going to get back in for a minute and talk about not WWE, but Impact.
They recently had a PPV, for which there was supposed to be a women's title match between Deonna Purrazzo and Kylie Rae.
Kylie was a no show and today she came out on social media saying that she was retiring from wrestling due to mental health issues at age 28.
Not being very familiar with her I looked her up. She was a face and very Bayley-like in her actions before Bayley made her transformation. Always smiling and happy. A favorite with a lot of fans and very competent in the ring.
Sometimes you've got to get yourself straight before you can press on with what you are going to do.
Wishing her all the best in whatever she chooses to do from here on out.
Jon Huber, known in WWE as Luke Harper, and, more recently, in AEW as Mr. Brodie Lee, has passed away, suddenly, at age 41. His wife said on Instagram that it was a non-Covid-related lung issue that he was being treated for at the Mayo Clinic.
Incredibly saddening news.
All the tributes pouring in from all over the industry, just shows how great he was at his profession. Great family man, and even better person. Bray wyatt's tribute on Twitter was very powerful and moving. Rest in Power Jon.
Today's another "future endeavors" day in WWE.
The biggest names I saw were Samoa Joe, Peyton Royce, Tucker of Heavy Machinery, and Bo Dallas. Rumored that Mickie James is gone too but not confirmed.
EDIT: Confirmed on Mickie James, also Billie Kay is out.
Other than NXT and PPV events, I cannot recall the last time I watched an entire WWE show. This is partly due to a lack of interest in the product, and waking up at 5 AM every day to get a workout in before work.
On the other hand, I go out of my way to make sure to watch every second of AEW Dynamite, whether live or later on.
WWE released their remaining tour dates for the year. Friday night Smackdown will be live from Simmons Bank Arena on Friday, August, 27th. Also, SummerSlam will be on a Saturday this year. It will be live from an outdoor destination. Something like WCW did back in the day for Road Wild and one of the Bash at the Beach events. Seems like it will be a great experience for those in attendance. I will definitely be in attendance for the smackdown event.
Got tickets to the AEW show in Dallas since I will be there for my anniversary anyway. It'll be the first AEW show I attend live.
Might attend Smackdown in August. Just depends on finances at the time tickets go on sale.
It's another "Future endeavors" day at WWE.
The big names to go this time were Braun Strowman, Ruby Riott, Aleister Black, Murphy and Lana.
Rumors running rampant that CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have signed with AEW.
Big, if true.
Bray Wyatt/The Fiend was released over the weekend. That caught a lot of people by surprise.
When Alexa Bliss came out tonight, a small chant of "we want Wyatt" got going, from what I heard. I had other things going on and couldn't watch.
CM Punk is, indeed, All Elite!
Ruby Soho, Adam Cole, and Bryan Danielson all debuted in AEW at All Out tonight.
Game changing.
Another round of "future endeavors" in the WWE.
Karrion Kross, Keith Lee, Ember Moon, Nia Jax, Eva Marie, and Lucha House Party were the biggest names on the list.
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/04/03/wwes-the-undertaker-thanks-wife-for-leading-him-to-jesus-during-hall-of-fame-speech/
One of my favorites of all time.
Well, this hasn't been updated in a while.
I feel like AEW has regressed (a lot) with the injuries, dating all the way back to Kenny Omega. Plus, Tony Khan buying ROH, using all of the ROH guys on TV, and running a cross-promotional show with NJPW took away a lot of the focus and momentum that AEW was building. Not to mention, CM Punk being injured and needing surgery less than a week after he won the title.
Khan needs to focus on AEW, hire someone to book and look over ROH for him, and not worry about NJPW. Only the really hardcore fans were invested in that cross-over show anyway. They were bringing in over a million viewers every week until all stuff I just mentioned starting happened, and now over one million happens once in a blue moon.
----
On the other side, how about all the allegations against Vince McMahon causing him to retire? I think WWE might be in for another boom with Triple H running the show now. Time will tell, but I do believe I may start paying a little more attention to the Fed for the first time since pre-pandemic times.