Sports

WWE Predictions: NXT TakeOver- New Orleans

Posted on by nwadeblogs_

NXT TakeOver: New Orleans takes place this Saturday night at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana and I am absolutely FREAKING OUT about it. Just like last year, I will be in attendance for NXT’s biggest show of the year and could not be more excited about it. A transitional year for NXT wounded up being its best yet, and this card proves it. Like……just LOOK AT IT!

If you’re in New Orleans for Mania week, hit me up on Twitter @njwade_

Main Card

Match #1: The Undisputed Era (Cole and O’Reilly) vs Authors Of Pain vs Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne- Triple Threat tag-team match for the NXT Tag-Team Championships

As of this writing, Dunne and Strong are set to face Authors Of Pain in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic this coming week on NXT, with the winners receiving an opportunity at the NXT Tag-Team Championships. Clearly, Undisputed Era are going to interfere in the match, not wanting to face either team. Regal will come out, and we know the rest.

I was personally a huge fan of the Undisputed Era/AOP match from the last TakeOver, so the addition of Strong and Dunne, who are obviously both fantastic, creates a whole new dynamic, and one that keeps it fresh. Not to mention the actual wrestling part of it, which will be superb. I’d like to think AOP are finally set for a main roster debut after Mania so I can’t see them recapturing the titles, nor can I see Strong and Dunne lasting past this gig, so expect Undisputed Era to retain. They’re not going anywhere yet.

Winners: Undisputed Era

Match #2: Ember Moon vs Shayna Baszler- NXT Women’s Championship match

At TakeOver: Philadelphia, Shayna Baszler had the Women’s Championship won. She lost the match due to a rookie mistake on her part, but I do not think that will happen again this time around. Ember Moon has carried the title over the last few months with pride, but the division is a little too thin right now for a face champion. Should Baszler win, she’ll hopefully have some fresh competition waiting for her after her program with Ember is over. A few of the girls from the Mae Young Classic have been working here and there, but do not seem ready for primetime, and with Billie Kay and Peyton Royce seemingly headed up to the main roster, there’s not many options left right now.

I hope the match will be a little more technical this time around. I wouldn’t even mind if a No DQ stipulation was added, in favor of Ember needing the extra edge to outdo her much stronger and versatile opponent. It’ll be interesting to see how they script the match after how one-sided the last one was.

Winner: Shayna Baszler

Match #3: Andrade “Cien” Almas vs Aleister Black- NXT Championship match

It’s crazy to think that with as incredible of a year Andrade Almas has had, this is easily the least interesting match on the card. Black won his title opportunity by defeating Killian Dain in a #1 contenders match on NXT, and since, it’s been a by-the-numbers build to what will EASILY by a show-stealer (they’re all going to be show-stealers, so I’m not sure what the standard is for this particular show). Black defeated Almas at last years TakeOver: Orlando, but of course, that was before Almas’ main-event push began, so that has not been touched upon.

Black HAS suffered a defeat….at the hands of Johnny Gargano in a Fatal-Four-Way match a few months back. However, in one-on-one competition, his streak is still intact, and should stay that way. Almas is a FINE champion, but something about Aleister Black leading the brand just sounds really good to me.

Winner: Aleister Black

Match #4: Velveteen Dream vs Adam Cole vs Lars Sullivan vs EC3 vs Killian Dain vs Ricochet- Ladder match for the NXT North American Championship

Well, this is a development isn’t it.

This match will determine the inaugural North American champion, which is great and all, but let’s forget about that for a second. LOOK at those NAMES, and then think about all of them on LADDERS. I’m convulsing just thinking about it.

There hasn’t been a lot of build between the competitors in this one, mostly because EC3 and Ricochet weren’t even officially on NXT until just this past week, but that’s perfectly fine. NXT’s matches barely NEED any buildup to begin with as the quality of the match is always so stellar, so just expect these six to go out there and tear it up.

Winner: Ricochet

Match #5: Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa- Unsanctioned match

Now…..I mean…..you talk about that last match having no build, and then you get to this. The best storyline in all of WWE right now, and one that has been building for well over half a year.

We all know the history of Gargano and Ciampa as DIY, and if you don’t, then where have you been? After failing to recapture the tag titles from AOP, Ciampa finally completed his long-awaited heel turn, viciously attacking Gargano. He’d have to leave soon after with an injury, but maybe it’s better that way.

Gargano got to then wrestle his best NXT matches against Andrade Almas for the NXT Championship, but failed every time to capture it. Ciampa returned to attack his former best friend after the absolute classic of a match Gargano and Almas had at the last TakeOver, but never stated his reasoning or intentions.

After losing his job after another loss to Almas, Gargano came back for Ciampa, and now the two of them are about to absolutely slaughter each other. Remember the last time we saw an Unsanctioned match in a WWE ring and how incredible that was? Now, double the stakes and double the drama. This is what we have in front of us right now. Go get your fame boys.

Winner: Tommaso Ciampa

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WWE Predictions: Fastlane

Posted on by nwadeblogs_

Fastlane comes to you liveeee from the Nationwide Arena in Colombus, Ohio tonight. It is FINALLY the last major main roster event before WrestleMania and holy crap, I never thought it would come. Raw has been in Mania mode for a few weeks, while Smackdown has struggled to keep any sort of momentum going. Clearly, they’ve turned back to old feuds in an attempt to chug along, but the build to this show has not been the greatest. Hope the boys and girls can turn it around.

Main Card

Match #1: The Usos vs New Day- Smackdown Tag-Team Championship match

These two teams had what was arguably, the rivalry of the year in 2017. I’m all for reopening great feuds when necessary, but not just a few months after a Hell In A Cell match that is supposed to be the be-all, end-all of major programs. Not just for them, but for everyone who participates. How do you compete in “Satan’s structure” and then continue on like it never happened?

That being said, I have no doubt that the boys will deliver yet another classic. This is only happening because there is literally NO competition (with the exception of the Bludgeon Brothers, who I guess WWE does not want to shoot the rocket off of yet) for the Usos and the tag-titles need to be kept relevant. I can’t see what either of these teams will be doing at Mania, which is a shame, because both teams have been the work horses of the company for months now.

Winners: The Usos

Match #2: Becky Lynch and Naomi vs Carmella and Natayla

A throwaway, and most likely a repeat of something done multiple times already. I can only hope that creative has something planned for Becky Lynch for Mania, instead of just sticking her in something random. Carmella STILL has the Money In The Bank briefcase and really done nothing in months to appear like a threat, so I hope that creative at least has SOME idea of what they’re going to do with her.

Winners:

Match #3: Bobby Roode vs Randy Orton- United States Championship match

Never in my life did I think a feud with Bobby Roode and Randy Orton, a match that I’ve wanted to see for years, would include Jinder Mahal. It’s a mystery as to why he isn’t in this match himself so that Orton/Roode proper can happen at Mania itself, but maybe he’ll be added later on. Booby Roode hasn’t had that one great singles feud yet on the main roster to really cement his status, but this could definitely be it. Defeating Randy Orton (I’m assuming), a guy who defines this generation of WWE, will do wonders for him with the casual fan.

Winner: Bobby Roode

Match #4: Shinsuke Nakamura vs Rusev (w/Aiden English)

Welp, this is “the rumble winner needs a filler arc before Mania” kind of thing. It’s a shame it has to be done at Rusev’s expense, but I have no doubt that Shinsuke will give him a lot of shine. I haven’t watched Smackdown in a week or two but apparently the match is happening because Nakamura defeated English in a match and now Rusev wants to avenge English’s “vocal chords”….alright then Road Dogg can you please stop sucking the life out of this show?

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Match #5: Charlotte vs Ruby Riot- Smackdown Womens’s Championship match

I’m actually a huge fan of this match and I wish it wasn’t the last pay-per-view before Mania, where we are sure to see Charlotte vs Asuka, so that we could actually be a little skeptical about Charlotte retaining. Ruby is FAR superior to the other members of her “squad”….she proved how badass she is in NXT and even though she’s been watered down since coming up to the main roster, she’s still coming across as very dangerous. An uninterrupted match between the two of them could be excellent, so let’s see what they do.

Winner: Charlotte

Match #6: John Cena vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Baron Corbin vs Dolph Ziggler vs AJ Styles- Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship

The WWE Championship picture is a literal MESS right now. We know that we’re getting Shinsuke Nakamura vs AJ Styles at Mania, but the crap that we’ve had to go through to get to that point has been unbelievable. We went from a handicap match to a triple threat all the way to six-pack challenge, which is great, but there’s NO mystery to the match whatsoever. The only mystery that surrounds this is whether or not The Undertaker is going to come out on RAW tomorrow night to face John Cena, as the latter teased a few weeks ago. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, who have spent the better part of the last six months dominating and carrying Smackdown, will spend Mania working the Andre The Giant Battle Royal, which I guess they’re ok with, as will Ziggler, and as a major fan of his I’m kind of ok with too, as I can’t see anything else for him at Mania either.

So yeah, can’t wait for Shinsuke/AJ. Have fun with it though boys….kill it.

Winner: AJ Styles

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WWE Predictions: Royal Rumble

Posted on by nwadeblogs_

The Royal Rumble comes to you liveeee tonight from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. As always, NXT delivered in a big way with their TakeOver event last night. WWE’s main roster has some big shoes to fill, but regardless, history will be made tonight.

Main Card 

Match #1: The Usos vs Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin- 2 out of 3 Falls match for the Smackdown Tag-Team Championship

This will most likely be the “sleeper” match of the night. We’ve seen these two teams go at it before, but with this added stipulation, it makes the climb for Gable and Benjamin to try and win those titles, officially, more dramatic.

The only team on par with the Usos in the world right now is the Young Bucks….their heel turn was the best thing that ever happened to them and it has catapulted them to the level that many saw in them from their very first days. Gable and Benjamin, as a team, are not that interesting, but it allows Benjamin to be, whether he wins or losses, an enhancement talent for the younger guys. As much as I don’t want to the Usos lose the titles again, something tells me that the journey Gable and Benjamin have taken over the last few months, coming up short every time, will end with them capturing the belts. If they’re the first tag match of the night, they will need to be on their A-game after the incredible effort from both The Undisputed Era and Authors of Pain last night.

Winners: Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin

Match #2: AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn- Handicap match for the WWE Championship

I’m not a fan of the handicap storyline. Not that I want to see Kevin Owens vs AJ Styles again, but an AJ Styles/Sami Zayn pay-per-view feud, particularly with the freshness of Sami’s character post “heel” turn, would be incredible. The match those two had this past week on Smackdown was stellar, so one can only imagine what they could do on a bigger stage.

AJ is clearly still one of the best in the world, but character and personality wise, he’s not doing it for me right now. Sami and Kevin bounce off of each other so so well, and they are SO over as a tandem. Becoming co-Universal champion would, hopefully, finally put an end to the never-ending game of cat and mouse between those two and Shane McMahon. Shane has had nothing on either of them for months, and the only reason way that would make any of this ok is if Daniel Bryan does indeed get to wrestle at WrestleMania.

I don’t know what being co-Universal Champion means. A Mania match between Kevin and Sami doesn’t seem very exciting considering we’ve seen that 100 times too, so hopefully something else is being considered.

Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

Match #3: Sheamus and Cesaro vs Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan- RAW Tag-Team Championship match

Even with Dean Ambrose out with an injury, Seth Rollins is still continuing this never-ending feud with the boys of “The Bar”. This time, he teams with Jason Jordan, who annoyingly comes off as the biggest doofus you’ve ever seen on TV, but he does a damn good job doing it.

Seth NEEDS something else to do. So do Sheamus and Cesaro, really, even though the injuries Sheamus has been dealing with the last few months have been well documented and Seth’s style has become familiar enough that he knows he’ll be safe. Hopefully a feud with the Revival or even Finn Balor and another member of The Club will come for whoever is champion next….Lord knows that RAW tag division needs a shake-up in the title picture. For tonight though, I can see the rolls being reversed, with Seth Rollins making a mistake that costs him and Jordan the titles.

Winners: Sheamus and Cesaro

Match #4: Women’s Royal Rumble match

I still can’t believe that this is happening. The women’s division on the main roster may be a bit muddled with the same few girls, but the recent NXT call-ups to both brands have helped expand the field just a little bit, with more to come eventually.

As of now, 18 spots in the match are filled. That leaves 12 spots for some huge names of the past or of the future. The wild card in all of this will be someone who hasn’t ever set foot in a WWE ring as a competitor; Ronda Rousey. The slight rise of MMA based competitors in the women’s division over the last few months have created an opening for the former MMA queen to latch onto, and, whether or not her time at the WWE Performance Center has been enough to make her into a viable professional “wrestler”, her name recognition will propel her into superstardom immediately.

Asuka, Ronda Rousey, a possible return from Michelle McCool, Trish Stratus, Lita, maybe even Awesome Kong and so many more make the possibilities of this match absolutely endless. Match the girls of yesterday up with Ruby Riott, Becky Lynch, Naomi and more and you have an incredibly interesting match.

Ronda isn’t even slated to be there, so it’s hard to pick a winner. I’ll leave this one open, but damn, if they do this right, it’ll be magical.

Match #5: Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman vs Kane- Universal Championship match

Brock Lesnar could have been wrestling Finn Balor tonight, but instead is involved in another multi-man match with a guy he’s beaten clean before, and a guy who, as much as I love him, is way past his prime. Perhaps Kane was on Brock’s laundry list of guys he wanted to face and Vince just now got around to it, but with Brock seemingly leaving for good after WrestleMania, now is not the time to match him up against guys he has no shot of losing to.

Strowman is in another crappy position of being up against Brock when he is in no way losing that title….that honor will most likely go to Roman Reigns. I’m looking forward to watching these guys throw each other around, but we know the result.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Match #6: Men’s Royal Rumble match

If WWE can make last years Royal Rumble, which could have been one of the best in history with Taker, Goldberg AND Brock in it among so many other big names, stale and predictable, then I have no idea what they’re going to do tonight. A few months ago I would have thrown Jinder Mahal into the hat of obvious names to win seeing as what the plans for WrestleMania seemed to be, but now there are even fewer names to throw around.

Roman Reigns was only announced to be in the match just a few days ago, and he seems to be the obvious pick with a match against Lesnar so imminent. However, it’s been reported that Brock’s dates are limited between now and Mania, so perhaps WWE will surprise us and have a new, fresh, YOUNG face win the Rumble. That is desperately what this match needs.

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WWE Predictions: Survivor Series

Posted on by nwadeblogs_

Survivor Series comes to you LIVEEEEE from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas tonight. After health issues among a number of superstars forced WWE to make drastic changes to the TLC card last month, almost for no reason at all, the company has continued with this newfound spontaneity going into this PPV. Regardless, it’s a stacked card and after last night’s TakeOver show, they need all the help they can get.

Preshow

Match #1: Kalisto vs Enzo Amore- Cruiserweight Championship match

Easily the least interesting match on the card. There is no doubt that Enzo is a star on the mic, but that’s where it ends for me. In the ring he is just passable, if that, and truly does not do the Cruiserweight title justice after what Neville did with it. Kalisto, thought I certainly would not say he floundered on the main roster, is a great addition to the division, and is a much better representation for what that brand should be. I’d like to see him reclaim the title, and finally move on to another challenger.

Winner: Kalisto

Main Card

Match #1: The Usos (SD) vs Sheamus and Cesaro (R)

The Usos were originally slated to wrestle Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, until of course they lost their tag titles to “The Bar”. That would have been an absolute clinic of a match, but this might actually work out better. Dean and Seth have a tendency to get pummeled for minutes on end until they can make a hot tag, but Sheamus and Cesaro are not those guys, so I can see it being pretty even throughout. It should be an incredibly hard-hitting affair, and aesthetically, considering both are heel teams, it should be a refreshing dynamic. I’d love to see the Uso’s get the win here, further cementing them as one of if not the top team in the business

Winners: The Uso’s

Match #2: Alicia Fox, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax and Asuka (R) vs Naomi, Natalya, Becky Lynch, Tamina and Carmella (SD)

Smackdown’s women’s division has really consisted of the same 5-6-7 women for the better part of a year. Quite frankly, new blood is needed for both rosters, but the Raw team is highlighting Alicia Fox and with Asuka as a new edition, the possibilities are endless. In order to keep her strong, she needs to dominate the smaller girls of SD team like Becky Lynch and Carmella. These ladies always make these matches exciting, no matter how many variations of it we’ve seen, so I expect nothing less tonight. But for me, it’s a foregone conclusion. If there’s one match RAW HAS to win, it’s this one.

Winners: RAW Women

Match #3: The Miz (R) vs Baron Corbin (SD)

I don’t think anyone is foaming at the mouth for this match, but I hope WWE does good by Corbin and allows him to get the win over one of the most “over” guys in the company. Miz will not be affected at all by the loss, but Baron has much more on the line. If they want to keep building him up, he needs to look strong against the guys who realistically, should not be able to beat him in a fight. I’d like to see Corbin take out Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, assuming they’ll be involved somehow, before definitively taking out Miz. It’ll look good on him.

Winner: Baron Corbin

Match #4: The Shield (R) vs The New Day (SD)

The first pay-per-view match for the full Shield in 3 years. That in itself is special. Put them against the New Day, a team who has proven themselves to be just as visceral in the ring as they are on the mic, and you have something special. We don’t see New Day wrestle as a trio very often….lately Xavier Woods has gotten to shine along with Big E while Kofi sits it out, so it’ll be really refreshing to see them all in there. As it will be to see Roman, Seth and Dean back and wrestling together at a big event again….they’ve given us teases of the reunion, but never to this scale. Let’s hope the magic is still there, if not enhanced by all three men soaring to stratospheric heights during the time in between Shield runs. I’d like to see the Shield lose, but I can’t see that happening, especially if this is something that hasn’t yet run its course.

Winners: The Shield

Match #5: Alexa Bliss (R) vs Charlotte (SD)

In a perfect world, we would have gotten a heel vs heel match for this too, but no such luck. Alexa Bliss has done a great job of carrying that Raw title and has really established herself as possibly the 2nd most valuable female wrestler in the company, behind Asuka. Charlotte has fallen from grace since her RAW does, but reclaiming the title, even if it was done with little build, should she hold onto it for a while, is a step back in the right direction. She did the favors for everyone on Raw, and she’s waited months and months to call herself a champion again. I think she deserves the title, and this match against Alexa, would should be stellar. Even with no build, these are two of the best female workers WWE has, so I have no doubt both of their styles and personas will match perfectly. Alexa has stolen plenty of victories, but I think Charlotte will see it coming and pick up the win.

Winner: Charlotte

Match #6: Brock Lesnar (R) vs AJ Styles (SD)

Brock Lesnar vs Jinder Mahal was not a terribly exciting prospect. Brock would have had little to no motivation, and would have assisted Jinder whatsoever. AJ Styles on the other hand, is the perfect opponent to counter all of Brock’s strengths. While he may have only won it recently, he IS the WWE Champion, so a squash is simply out of the question. Brock’s matches against both Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman earlier this year were underwhelming, but I think AJ takes it upon himself to make the match special. Many will look to Brock’s match with CM Punk as his last truly great match, and while that match was very good, CM Punk is nowhere near as talented as AJ Styles. I think this could be the occasion where we finally get something different from Brock….I can see him having to dig down and find old tricks to use when his go-to moves don’t quite work against the slick, crafty AJ Styles. Brock gets the win here of course, but AJ won’t go down easy.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Match #7: Triple H, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Kurt Angle and Braun Strowman (R) vs Shane McMahon, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode, John Cena and Randy Orton (SD)

Is this the most stacked traditional Surivor Series match of all time?? I think it may be. We’ve obviously seen the number of titles between everyone and all of that, but talent wise, I think it’s a perfect mix of nostalgia from yesterday and the new blood of today. How many times will you get to see Finn Balor mix it up with Randy Orton or Triple H with Bobby Roode? Those are just a few possibilities of what we can get, and I think it’s exhilarating. Clearly, last years match needed to have a ton of time with the main event of Lesnar/Goldberg last 1 minute and 26 seconds, but I think that set a precedent. No more should this match be previously feuding teams or whatnot thrown together to continue their programs, but rather a way for the “big boys” to play.

I’d like this match to remain pure, but I certainly would not mind a Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn run-in, even if it just results in the elimination of Shane McMahon. There are a ton of possibilities this could go, but I think after Stephanie McMahon’s emasculation of Kurt Angle on RAW, I think they backed themselves into a corner and sort of made it impossible for RAW to lose.

Winners: RAW men

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WWE Predictions: Hell In A Cell

Posted on by nwadeblogs_

Hell In A Cell comes to you liveeeee this Sunday from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The buildup to this show has been defined by two matches….one with a brilliant, emotional build and one with a boring, predictable build. The other matches here have promise, but none of them have the same amount of anticipation. Let’s break it down.

—————————————————

Preshow 

Match #1: Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin vs The Hype Bros (Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley)

These teams had a match on Smackdown a few weeks ago, which Gable and Benjamin won. So why are we seeing it again now? I don’t know what they have planned for Ryder and Rawley going forward, if anything, but whatever it is I doubt that them winning this match on the preshow will get anyone invested. Ryder is still popular, because wrestling fans don’t know how to let things go, but neither guy has anything going for them. It’s incredibly refreshing to see Shelton Benjamin back after so long, so I don’t want to see him doing any favors. If they have to lose, let Gable take the pin. Please.

Winners: The Hype Bros

Main Card

Match 1: Randy Orton vs Rusev

Honestly, I care about this match probably even less then Randy Orton does. I really love both of these guys, and I think Rusev needs to be in the WWE Title picture after this is over, but he is far from the unstoppable monster that he was a few years ago. For Orton, this whole thing is beneath him, especially with the nonsensical addition of Aiden English who was just thrown in there so that Orton has a body to RKO, but I don’t know where he goes from here. Perhaps a real program with AJ Styles? Who knows. Just get him out of this rut.

Winner: Rusev

Match #2: AJ Styles vs Baron Corbin- United States Championship match

And speaking of people who can do better, we have AJ Styles. I have no idea what Baron Corbin did to get where he is, but man has he fallen flat. I partially blame him for Jinder Mahal’s extended run as champion because if he hadn’t said or done something stupid to put him in the dog house, I am almost CERTAIN he would have been champion at this point. He’s a big, brooding guy who can move….the kind that Vince loves, but yet he’s just been made to look like the biggest asshole over the last month. Heels are sometimes booked to seem desperate, but not in the way that he has been. It’s really embarrassing.

If Tye Dillinger is added to this match, that would make quite a bit of sense. I’d be a little more intruiged, and I’d love to see him walk away with the title. If he’s not, then they’d be stupid to take it off of AJ, but it would not surprise me if they put it on Corbin as a consolation prize. It’s sad that AJ is in this predicament.

Winner: Baron Corbin???? Maybe??

Match #3: Natayla vs Charlotte- Smackdown Live Women’s Championship match

I’m not as excited for this match as I have been for their previous encounters, even though these two are excellent in the ring together. That’s not my problem. It’s just weird to see Charlotte chasing the title instead of the other way around, and part of me thinks that if they don’t want Nattie to come across as just a transitional champion, then they’ll have her chase for a bit longer. I mean, it’s not like they have anyone else of interest to contend for the title right?

I’d love to see Carmella come in for a cash-in during the match itself, only for Charlotte to intercept her but then pinned in dirty fashion by Natayla. It gives Charlotte a reason to try again, and it allows Carmella to hold onto the briefcase for a bit longer. It’s just super predictable if she were to do it right now.

Winner: Natayla

Match #4: The New Day vs The Usos- Hell In A Cell match for the Smackdown Live Tag-Team Championships

If Shane/Owens wasn’t on the card, this would HAVE to be the main event. These two teams are the workhorses of the Smackdown tag division, and they’ve been delivering incredible matches, mostly on pay-pay-view, for months now. They steal the show every single time, whether they’re on the preshow or at the very bottom of the main card, and this program has really given each individual the chance to shine. Not that it was any secret after the program with the Wyatt’s, but Xavier Woods is fantastic, and he’s continued to be. The Usos were not working as heels for me in the beginning, but they’ve taken that change and ran with it. It’s amazing to see.

THIS should be the match with the Falls Count Anywhere stipulation. These are guys who thrive on excitement, high-flying, spontaneous chaos…..all of it. The fact that they are limited to the ring it baffling, but I know they will make the best of it, as usual. For me it’s a toss up, but I’d love to see the Usos win. It’ll be a much more interesting dynamic to see whoever the next challengers for those titles are have to go up against a dominant heel team.

Winner: The Usos

Match 5: Bobby Roode vs Dolph Ziggler

When I saw Bobby Roode lose his NXT Championship to Drew McIntyre at TakeOver: Brooklyn, I could have never seen this match as a possibility so soon after. I thought he’d have a few months at attempted redemption before he was called up, but clearly Smackdown can use any help they can get at this point.

I’m a passionate Ziggler mark and have been since his singles career began. I think he has been incredibly underutilized over the years, even during his best moments, and now the character is acknowledging that. I don’t look into details about contracts and such so I have no idea if his deal is set to expire soon, but if it is, and he’s on his way to Japan or somewhere else, this is a good way to go out. If he’s sticking around, this is a good way to re-elevate his in-ring stature. If the program is to continue, Ziggler could easily score cheap wins over Roode, while still performing at the high level that he does, before losing the blowoff match to the new face of the Smackdown brand. He’s too good of an asset to lose, so WWE needs to be careful with him. He does not deserve to be fodder for the NXT call-ups or a spectacle opponent for the current champion. They need to do right by him.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler (via shenanigans)

Match #6: Shinsuke Nakamura vs Jinder Mahal- WWE Championship match

Jinder Mahal is the wrestling equivalent of a certain pop star whose career faded into nothing after the people realized they were buying into a fraud. You get a gold star if you know who I’m talking about.

On paper, I understand why WWE wants him as champion. They’re trying to expand their market to India, but in the process of doing so are lying to an entire culture of people by having Jinder Mahal, a Canadian, act as the mouthpiece. It’d be bearable if the matches and programs were satisfying, but they’re not. How you work with incredible workers like Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura and CAN’T capitalize off of what they bring to the table is beyond me. It’s embarrassing, and once this experiment is over, I don’t know what they will have for him. I can’t see him doing anything but falling back into obscurity, and then all of this will have been for nothing.

Shinsuke Nakamura, to anyone with a brain, is the obvious choice to win this match. A man who has defeated John Cena, Samoa Joe and countless other future members of the Hall of Fame….surely it’ll be a cake walk. And yet, at Summerslam, he lost in sloppy fashion. It would not surprise me if the same thing happens here, as WWE is set to tour India in the coming months. How nice.

Winner: Jinder Mahal

Match #7: Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens- Hell In A Cell match

This has been an incredible story to watch develop. Say what you will about the McMahon’s, they know how to take someone just on the cusp of glory and give that person the moment that catapults them to the peak of their career. It’s a huge stamp of approval that is needed, and it will be the beginning of a long, prosperous run when Owens defeats Shane inside the cell.

When Shane wrestled The Undertaker in the cell at Mania 32, he was never looked at as a threat. In this match, I see him as the force blocking Owens from immortatlity. If he were to win, which he won’t, but if he was, I would have no objections. Perhaps Owens’ anger gets the best of him, and Shane steals it. Maybe Shane has learned from his mistakes that cost him matches before, only to use his experience to take Owens to school. Those are all viable options, but Owens definitively winning is the right answer. And if Sami Zayn gets involved, and they do it the right way…..Lord help us. That’ll be a treat.

Winner: Kevin Owens

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WWE Predictions: Great Balls Of Fire

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WWE’s Great Balls Of Fire comes to you liveeee tonight from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. I didn’t think it was possible for WWE to come up with a worse name for a show then 2011’s Capitol Punishment in DC, but they’ve outdone themselves. It’s not a half bad card though, so maybe it’ll surprise us. I haven’t watched RAW in full in weeks, so I’ll do my best to break this stuff down.

Preshow

Match #1: Neville vs Akira Tozawa- Cruiserweight Championship match

Another Neville match on the preshow *sigh*. Akira Tozawa isn’t as big of threat to the title as Austin Aries (We miss you already) or even Jack Gallagher, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’ll probably be the best in-ring match of the night. Neville’s matches usually are, so that should be a surprise to no one. He’ll win again here, continuing his domination of 205 Live, if that actually means anything.

Winner: Neville

Main Card

Match #1: Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt

Have not seen much of this buildup at all, but it appears that this is happening because Seth needs something to do. We still have not seen Bray/Finn one-on-one even though they teased, so instead we get this: a filler feud for Seth Rollins. I’m sure it’ll be great, because both of them can work like hell, but as much as it makes sense for Bray to win because he really needs it, you know they’re going to put Seth over.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Match #2: Enzo vs Big Cass

I have never been the biggest Enzo and Cass fan. As entertaining as Enzo an Enzo alone is, they’re not that great in the ring together or separately so the shtick wore out for me pretty quick. Because of that, I just cannot get behind this feud at all. I rolled my eyes at the big reveal that Cass was the one attacking Enzo and that entire segment….it just screams filler to me. Cass is destined to go on to big things as a singles competitor….Vince loves his type, but they’ll probably drag this out till Summerslam so I expect Enzo to get a cheap win tonight. Perhaps by count-out.

Winner: Enzo (by count-out)

Match #3: Miz w/ Maryse, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel vs Dean Ambrose- Intercontinental Championship match

Like I said, I haven’t watched Raw in weeks so I have no clue what Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel have to do with this. Surely they’ll get involved somehow and Ambrose will have to fight the odds in order to regain his title. I expect this to be the payoff in the Miz/Ambrose feud, so I expect Ambrose to look as though he will overcome those odds because he’s the superhero and whatnot, only to fall just short. Miz benefits from having that title for a while longer, whereas Ambrose doesn’t need it to be over.

Winner: The Miz

Match #4: Alexa Bliss vs Sasha Banks- RAW Women’s Championship match

Alexa’s feud with Bayley was a bust. Had Bayley’s credibility been what it once was, they could have done more but the damage was done and the two just weren’t on equal footing anymore. Sasha’s credibility has dropped a fair bit too since her incredible program with Charlotte last year, but she, due to her persona, appears much more of a threat to Alexa’s title then Bayley did. I personally think this a huge money match that should have been held off till Summerslam with Nia Jax getting the shot here, but perhaps these two will go back and forth for a while. Two intense, powerful women going at it? I’m very excited for it.

Winner: Alexa Bliss

Match #5: The Hardyz vs Sheamus and Cesaro- 30-Minute Ironman match for the RAW Tag-Team Championships

Again, another last match of a saga. You can’t go beyond an Ironman match, so this has to be it. I have not seen much of this feud’s progression since Extreme Rules so I have no idea what has or hasn’t changed, but I’m excited at the prospect of see Matt and Jeff in another match that 1. Does not favor them at all and 2. They have no experience in. Sheamus and Cesaro are the favorites here, simply because they are more versatile workers at this stage of the game and can carry Matt and Jeff through, while still allowing the Hardyz to shine. As much as I want to see Sheamus and Cesaro retain, I, and I’m totally in the minority here, think it’s almost inevitable that they drop the titles back to Matt and Jeff. I really don’t know where either team goes from here, but because the Hardyz aren’t going anywhere I think they should take the titles back.

Winners: The Hardyz

Match #6: Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman- Ambulance match

This match honestly scares me. Braun Strowman, way ahead of schedule, returned from injury, a few weeks ago to one of the loudest return pops in recent memory. He, of course, went right back after Roman, because he’s still “not finished” with him. It scares me because there are talks of Roman/Brock being moved from Mania to Summerslam, which would mean that Roman would have to win here. Braun is on way too big of a hot streak to be halted by Roman like that again, and he’s clearly in line for a shot against Brock sometime soon, and losing to Roman in a match that clearly favors him will do him no good. These two will put on a fantastic, brutal match but I want to see Braun standing tall by the end like the monster he is.

Winner: Braun Strowman

Match #7: Brock Lesnar vs Samoa Joe- Universal Championship match

Man, this is a dream match alright. Even better then the fact that it’s actually happening is that the build has been excellent as well. Joe targeted Paul Heyman on Raw a few weeks ago, sending a message to Brock. Brock returned looking for vengeance, only to be thwarted by Joe on two separate occasions. I would have wanted these two to have a brawl as intense as Brock’s brawls with John Cena and The Undertaker, but perhaps what we got is good enough. We’ve never seen Brock face someone so similar to him, and quite honestly, more formidable then Joe, so maybe them not giving away much is a blessing. I do not expect Joe to win at all, though what a moment it would be if he did. I think he needs to win the title at some point during his run, but now is not the time. Braun Strowman has proved that he should be the one to put Brock down, but Joe can come as damn close as he wants.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

 

WWE Predictions: Money In The Bank

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Money In The Bank comes to you live tonight from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Kicking off WWE’s summer season, MITB has always produced excellent matches all across the board. Tonight, we will see the first ever women’s version of the match, so you know those ladies are going to give us everything. Also, Randy Orton returns home for his rematch against Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship. Let’s dive into it.

Preshow

Match #1: Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley vs Primo and Epico

A last minute addition, this will make for a fun opening match. Zack Ryder hasn’t been seen in the ring in months, so his return, like always, will be a big deal for the crowd. No question that him and Mojo pick up the win here.

Winners: Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley

Main Card

Match #1: Becky Lynch vs Charlotte vs Carmella vs Natalya vs Tamina- Money In The Bank ladder match

I can fully see this match opening the show, unless the guys really push hard for the women to go on later. This is the first time women have been involved in a Money In The Bank Ladder match, and judging from the buildup, they’re going to go all out. As much as I would love to see Natalya have one more huge moment, the match belongs to the young bucks. Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Carmella are going to put on a show, while Tamina serves as the “heavy”, pushing others off the ladder at every turn. In the end, in what perhaps will be the show-stealer, I would not be surprised to see Carmella get the win. You’d never expect anyone but Charlotte to walk away from a match like this victorious, but Carmella could be set for a big push.

Winner: Carmella

Match #2: The Uso’s vs The New Day- Smackdown Tag-Team Championship match

While New Day was taking a well-deserved break post-WrestleMania after their year and a half at the top, The Uso’s continued to dominate. Their reinvention has done wonders for them, to the point where they feel as fresh as they did when they first came on the scene. The New Day is their only real challenge at the moment, so I’d try and make this program go as long as possible. Expect a solid match out of these guys. They always deliver.

Winners: The Uso’s

Match #3: Naomi vs Lana- Smackdown Women’s Championship match

As far as I remember, we have not seen Lana wrestle since the multi-women match on the preshow of WrestleMania 32. She was definitely not ready for in-ring competition then, so perhaps the extra year and change has done her some good. We really have no idea of what she can do, but she’s going up against Naomi who has worked so hard for so long to get where she is and is one of the best in the division. It wouldn’t shock me if WWE were to put the belt on Lana….the winner of the women’s MITB match will be quite telling of who wins this one.

Winner: Lana?

Match#4: Dolph Ziggler vs AJ Styles vs Baron Corbin vs Kevin Owens vs Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn- Money In The Bank ladder match

This has the potential to be the best MITB match yet. It will be Corbin’s first, and though he is the favorite to win, you can’t overlook any of the other guys in this. Ziggler, Styles, Owens and Zayn are all spot-happy in these types of matches, so there’s going to be a lot of bodies flying around. It’ll be interesting to see how Nakamura fairs in this type of match, as we haven’t seen him in this type of environment yet in his NXT/WWE tenure. Perhaps the other five will have to carry him through to make him look as strong as he should? He may come close to winning only for someone to throw him off, and that someone may be Corbin, but I actually think Sami Zayn will come away with it. He’s still very new to Smackdown, but the dude is one of the hardest workers in all of wrestling and has earned this win.

Winner: Sami Zayn

Match #5: Jinder Mahal vs Randy Orton

I, like many others, aren’t particularly pleased with Jinder Mahal getting a run with the most prestigious title in the wrestling business, but WWE pulled the trigger on him so we might as well just sit back and let them do their thing. For all we know, he could surprise us, but it’s likely to be a failed experiment. Seeing as Randy Orton is in his hometown tonight, he’ll probably lose, because WWE loves doing that to hometown people. After that, I don’t know where Orton goes, and it looks like John Cena will be returning for a crack at the title, so yeah, that’s a thing. I’m hoping for a decent match, and another funny spot where Orton almost kills a Singh brother on a table.

Winner: Jinder Mahal.

WWE Predictions: Extreme Rules

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WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view takes place tonight at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The buildup for this show has been spotty for many of these matches, but especially the Women’s and Universal championships. Bayley and Alexa Bliss, who was somehow able to save herself from career destruction, were involved in the most atrocious non-wrestling segment I think I’ve ever seen, and after it was announced that Braun Strowman was injured, a new plan was quickly needed to get Brock Lesnar a new contender. I think this will be a show where the in-ring action is far superior to the buildup, but one can only hope.

Main Card

Match #1: Dean Ambrose vs The Miz- Intercontinental Championship match ; If Ambrose is disqualified he will lose the title

The Miz won the opportunity at Dean’s title by winning a fantastic triple-threat against Seth Rollins and Finn Balor early last month. He would win a title match against Dean on Raw a few weeks later by DQ, but of course did not win the belt. So really, the stipulation where Dean loses the title if he is disqualified does not do the match any favors at an event called Extreme Rules, but these two will make it work. They always do.

Winner: The Miz

Match #2: Rich Swaan and Sasha Banks vs Noam Dar and Alicia Fox

I love Sasha Banks, but this match should be on the preshow. Both Dar and Swaan are incredible wrestlers, but they have done nothing of interest for months now so this feels like a 205 Live feud thrown onto a Raw PPV. Banks has fallen from grace quite a bit, clearly not in the position she was in at WrestleMania or during her incredible program with Charlotte. Not expecting much out of it.

Winners: Sasha Banks and Rich Swaan

Match #3: The Hardy Boyz vs Sheamus and Cesaro- Steel Cage match for the Raw Tag-Team Championships

The Hardy Boyz are known for the ladder match, so when given the opportunity to pick the match at hand they choose…..a steel cage match. A match which limits their ability to fly in and out of the ring, and that favors Sheamus and Cesaro who are both brawlers. Weird.

Sheamus and Cesaro already fell to the Hardyz at Payback, but as they have since turned heel, the match will be different. However, I do worry about that, as Sheamus tends to play dirty while he’s heel. He’s been ok recently, but in the heat of a big match who is to say he won’t be reckless? I expect Matt and Jeff to pull through again, as the “Broken” gimmick is still in limbo and they need time to get things settled.

Winners: The Hardy Boyz

Match #4: Neville vs Austin Aries- Submission match for the Cruiserweight Championship

This one is going to be captivating. The pair have had excellent matches thus far at both Mania and Payback, and over the course of the buildup for this particular match, Aries bested Neville, forcing him to tap out for the first time since his rebranding. Not that Neville has needed much help in the ring, working with Aries has helped cement him as a true monster in the WWE as a whole. The two are both extremely technically sound, so I fully expect many different kinds of submissions both in the ring and on the outside area. Aries failed to win the NXT championship while down there, so perhaps tonight will be his first crowning moment in the WWE circuit.

Winner: Austin Aries

Match #5: Bayley vs Alexa Bliss- Kendo Stick On A Pole match for the Raw Women’s Championship

Alexa Bliss, in a “shocking” turn of events, defeated Bayley for the title in her hometown of San Jose at Payback. Bayley will of course be looking for revenge tonight, especially after being beaten down by Bliss at almost every turn since the title loss. The “this is your life” segment may impede the match a bit, as it is still fresh in everyone’s mind, but hopefully they’re able to tune the early onslaught by the fans out and focus on the task at hand. I fully expect Bayley to use the kendo stick at some point, but I think the match greatly favors Bliss.

Winner: Alexa Bliss

Match #6: Roman Reigns vs Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe vs Bray Wyatt vs Seth Rollins- 5-Pack Challenge for the Universal Championship

I haven’t been this excited for a match since AJ Styles and John Cena at Summerslam. The build has been a bit rushed, but the possibilities here are truly endless. The thought of Lesnar/Wyatt finally happening after it was thrown out a few years ago or Lesnar/Joe, a real dream match for me, is very exciting. Even within the match itself, you have Joe and Bray, Bray and Finn, Roman and Joe….so many different aspects that we have either rarely or never seen before.

Rumors about the match being made an elimination match have been thrown out there, which is another huge dynamic. These are all guys who know how to finish. All guys who are main eventers anywhere in the world and yet some would have to lay down sooner rather then later….it would be so exciting should they add that stipulation.

Roman winning is the easy choice, but it appears he won’t get a shot at Brock until Mania in New Orleans. Finn Balor, who is currently my favorite in all of wrestling, winning this one after what he went through last summer would be an incredible sight, but is also sort of predictable, what with Paul Heyman labeling him as his pick to win. So really, I’d like to see Bray Wyatt come away with it. I really think Brock and Bray could be fantastic.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

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Better Late Then Never: WrestleMania and NXT TakeOver Reviews

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WrestleMania33-Aerial-1-642x362As I’m watching Kurt Angle’s Hall Of Fame speech (for the first time) this morning I thought “Shit, did I not do a Mania/TakeOver review??” and low and behold, I didn’t. So yeah, we’re three weeks out and a lot has happened since then, but I just figured I’d get my thoughts out anyway.

I was lucky enough to have attended both TakeOver and Mania in person, and feel so blessed to have been able to do so. Orlando was my 3rd stop on a whirlwind trip, my first traveling by myself to multiple locations, and I could not be happier with the weather, the PEOPLE, of course, and the quality of the shows. 7 Mania weekends in and it never gets old….I cannot thank the WWE and the WWE Universe enough for always exceeding my expectations.

Takeover:

First off, I could talk about how much I love the Amway Center for hours. It is a gorgeous venue conveniently located a quick walk away from a very cool strip of restaurants and all of that. My friend Spenser and I were absolutely thrilled with our seats in the Loge section….those seats are almost too good for the price we paid. If every arena in the country doesn’t go through some changes within the next 10 years and provide that type of seating, it’ll be a real shame.

For my first Mania weekend TakeOver, I was really underwhelmed by what is supposed to be a mostly-international crowd. I’m not saying everyone was dead the whole night, but they’re always the ones shouting about how great they are during the Raw-after-Mania so I expected a bit more.

The event itself was of course, great as always. It wasn’t the best we’ve seen all year, but if we’re just talking in-ring quality I’d definitely put it about TakeOver: Brooklyn II in terms of TakeOver’s I’ve been to.

Sanity vs Ohno/Strong/Dillinger/Riot

I was glad to see Kassius Ohno added to the six-person tag as a replacement for No Way Jose and I really enjoyed that match overall. It was a really nice, fast-paced opener to the show that saw the heels coming out on top, as they should have. Having Dillinger take the pin once more before his swan-song win over Eric Young this week on NXT was the right way to go. Both Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot performed exceptionally, and I’m glad they both got into it with the guys at one point….both of their characters absolutely call for stuff like that. It was my first time seeing Roderick Strong wrestle so that was a treat, and it was amazing to see how over Ohno is with even the most simple of moves. Glad to see him back. Also, I fully expect Sanity to be tag champions and for Eric Young to be world champion at the same point in the near future. So talented.

Andrade vs Black:

Andrade “Cien” Almas is truly one of my favorites in NXT and has been since he came in. Aleister Black is no slouche and did very well himself, but Almas is just so much of the entire package that there’s no one better for them to feed to a newcomer like that. Early on they just wrestled, because they can, and for the rest of it they just kicked the crap out of each other, because they can. Cannot wait to see where Black goes from here….he’s not a conventional-looking champion, even though NXT tries hard to not be conventional, which is why I think there should be a secondary singles title created at some point.

Revival vs AOP vs DIY:

So like, is there any question that DIY/Revival/Authors of Pain was match of the weekend? No? Good. I mean, holy Christ was this great. I cannot say enough about AOP and how much they’ve improved over the last 8 months….they’re still having to be carried by the other guys who sometimes has to direct them on what they hell they’re doing, but they’ve went from monsters who could only squash guys in two minutes or run out of things to do to being able to sustain for well over 20 minutes despite taking every spot imaginable. DIY and Revival teaming up and trading partners for finishers was absolutely incredible, as was the 4-person powerbomb through the table. I was very surprised to see DIY go out first, but even in defeat, I think this was a very nice way to cap off Revival’s incredible run with NXT. Hats off to all those guys.

Ember vs Asuka:

WWE sort of gave away the results of both the Asuka/Ember match and the Shinsuke/Roode match when they released the poster for the UK tour; Shinsuke was not on it, while Asuka was. I think forcing Ember to chase the title against a heel-ish Asuka for another few months will really help her prepare to lead the division once Asuka eventually does get called up. They have great in-ring chemistry and both have the chops to show off both technically and in strength, really making them, at least in Ember’s case, each others greatest opponent thus far. The finish was questionable, as I would have liked to have seen Asuka kick out of 1 Eclipse, but maybe they’ll save that for later.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh vs Glorious:

The main event came off much better on the network then it did in person, even though I enjoyed it immensely in person as well. I like long matches, and this was just under a half hour so I got one, but the live crowd just didn’t keep my interest. Commentary on the network probably allowed for better pacing, but what’re are you gonna do? The match itself was fine, although I think they told a much better story the last time. And honestly, Roode really isn’t a good opponent for Shinsuke stylistically which is why Bobby had to do so much of the work. In the end, Bobby hit the spinning Glorious DDT from the rope and that was sort of it. Great match, but not really the best representation of Shinsuke’s run.

WrestleMania

Holy crap was it hot that day. There were some ominous clouds in the area the whole afternoon but a quick shower would have been awesome. I went from 45-50 degrees in New York to 70 degrees in Little Rock to 92 degrees in Orlando in a span of 4 days and I was just like what the actual hell?

WWE posted a video of New Day revealing the stage earlier in the week but as usual, I didn’t watch it. When I saw it for the first time in person I could not believe it….easily my favorite stage since the New York one from 29. Hats off to everyone involved in creating that.

Preshow:

Neville vs GOAT

When Neville/Aries was announced I thought for sure it’d be one of the last matches on the card, instead it was moved to the pre-show. Aries embraced it enough for the both of them, challenging the guys and girls on the main card to do better

To no ones surprise, the match was great. Neville has been tearing through everyone in the division for months, and Aries is one of the best in the world, so it’s a good pairing. At just over 15 minutes, it was a great mix of ground game, the threat of submissions and high-flying/impact offense, something not many guys can do all at the same time. Neville won the match with the Red Arrow after gouging at Aries previously injured eyes, an aspect of the story that had not been prevalent in the build. Smart.

Andre Memorial Battle Royal:

The Andre Battle Royal was a clusterfuck as it always is. No announcements of who is in the match other then Big Show and Strowman, and no announcement of who is eliminated for the live crowd. Both Show and Strowman were eliminated rather early, leaving Sami Zayn and Tien Bing as the only two I would have given it to at that point. But no, the final two was Jinder Mahal and Mojo Rawley, both of whom I can’t stand. Rob Gronkowski got a good pop, but Mojo!?!?! REALLY?? Kiss my ass WWE.

Corbin vs Dean

Ambrose/Corbin was another one that could have been on the main card. The match they had on Smackdown two days later was so much better, and would have been great on the big stage of Mania. Not to say the one they had here was bad, because it wasn’t, but it just felt so watered-down considering how many weapons and such had been used in the buildup. Putting the belt on Corbin on the preshow would have done nothing for Corbin, so I’m glad they kept it on Dean for now.

Main Card

Here comes da moneyyyyy vs Dis Redneck:

Shane McMahon, man. The dude has got some balls. After the year AJ has had, him being the opening match on the card was a hard pill to swallow, but it was a damn good one. Shane was able to do more with AJ then he was with Taker last year, his MMA-type offense a little bit more believable on a guy of that size. I really do give him credit too, cause AJ’s offense isn’t light and after a good 15 minutes in he was still able to almost jump over that damn announce table and perform an almost perfect Shooting Star Press. AJ won with that forearm that Shane sold like a champ, landing on the opposite side of the ring.

KO-Mania vs Y2J/Break Da Walls:

This was essentially a first time ever match and I really enjoyed it. While it was rather slow, they made it work and they kept the fans invested the whole time. At this point, i think Owens should keep working with younger guys who take longer to get blown up, but Jericho is always fun to watch.

The cannonball spot on the ring post, all the counters to the high-risk moves, and the pop-up into the codebreaker were all really cool spots that were all placed in different spots of the match. That was probably the best part about it; the waves of highs and lows.

Bo$$ vs Just Bayley vs Queen Flair vs She’s Not Like Most Girls:

It was going to be really hard for them to top the Charlotte/Becky/Sasha match from last year, and even though they didn’t, it was still very passable. Nia being eliminated early by all three was smart, but at the time, seeing Sasha eliminated next was questionable. Clearly they don’t want to pull the trigger on her heel turn yet…maybe they’ll wait till Summerslam so that they can do this whole back-to-where-we-started thing.

Charlotte proved again and again in this why she is the absolute best in the division, even though she took the loss. Bayley hitting the elbow was cool, but I wasn’t too pleased with that being the finish.

Gallows and Anderson vs Sheamus and Cesaro vs Enzo and Cass vs The Hardyz:

The Hardyz entrance was easily the loudest pop of the night. I did not know they had lost the ROH titles the night before, so I was VERY surprised to see them out there but what a moment that was. What I saw in person is a blur after that…all I remember is Matt hitting the Twist of Fate off the ladder and Jeff hitting the Swanton from the big motha and that was it. New champions, Matt and Jeff Hardy. In 2017. Damn.

Mr. and Mrs. John Cena vs Miz and Maryse

The buildup to the match was unfortunately better then what we got, but it definitely wasn’t bad by any means. Miz and Cena didn’t do anything special, but it was very nice to see Miz as a threat to John this time around since Mania 27 was so one-sided. Nikki was reportedly injured, but you’d never know it. She took that bump to the outside and did a suicide dive….what a badass. The tandem finishers to end it was really sad to see, cause I really thought Miz and Maryse should have won, but you know….John had plans.

The proposal was honestly adorable. John is such a poetic guy that I don’t know how you can sit there and say you didn’t like it. You’d never do any better. And what balls to do it in front of 75,000 people.

Seth freakin Rollins vs Da Game

Poor Seth….he wanted this match to happen last year but got hurt, and then had to work through another injury this year. The unsanctioned stipulation helped cover his weaknesses, but it was clear Triple H really wasn’t trying too hard to make it any easier. Not that he was intentionally doing anything against him or anything, but I just didn’t get a sense of security.

Do they have a rematch at Summerslam? Does Seth get the title back somehow and then Triple H comes back after him? Stephanie went through the table, so there’s got to be some kind of payback right? I thought that spot was very cool, but then Triple H, who seemed perfectly ok, took one Pedigree and that was it. I thought a hammer shot into a Pedigree would have been fantastic, but just the one move did him in.

Orton vs Bray

Even though I really enjoyed the match, I wanted it to be better. That’s the theme with these two….I want their matches to be better, because the buildup and the characters are so good, but the payoff is just ok.

Bray’s lighting tricks on the ring had no effect on Randy, mostly because couldn’t see them, which was stupid as hell. Why wouldn’t that happen while Randy was standing up so he could actually see the stuff beneath him? The finish was kind of abrupt too, and Randy just kind of sat there for a minute after the RKO and THEN pinned him. I HATE when he does that to guys of that caliber.

Lesnar vs Goldberg

Yo I’m sorry but that was so freakin good. Like honestly. That’s what it had to be if Goldberg wasn’t able to go for 10-12 minutes and they did it perfectly. The crowd was so hot for it (on TV there was like nothing in the middle but live it was sick), and both guys kept them in it with every second just by hitting their big moves and nothing else. I was surprised one F5 put Goldberg down, but hey, that’s what Heyman said would happen.

Props to Goldberg for the promo on the Raw after.

Nattie vs Carmella vs Mickie vs Naomi vs Alexa vs Becky:

After Goldberg/Brock and knowing that Taker was about to go out there and get murdered right after this, I personally had a hard time enjoying it. Naomi won, so that’s cool, but she already had that first big title win a few months ago so even though it was her hometown I didn’t feel like it was a special as it could have been.

Reigns vs Undertaker

*sigh* Yep, that happened. #ThankYouTaker. Full thoughts here:

https://nwadeblogs.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/when-you-go-out-you-go-out-on-your-back/?frame-nonce=45904eb0c5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When You Go Out, You Go Out On Your Back

Posted on by nwadeblogs_

There are certain things in life that you think about one day happening, but push it to the back of your mind because it’s either too painful or you just hope you’re not around to see it. This past weekend, the 70,000+ in Camping World Stadium in Orlando witnessed something that we’ve been talking about for years, but never knew when it would actually happen. That is, of course, the retirement of the absolute greatest in-ring performer in the history of professional wrestling and one of the most decorated athletes in sports, period; Mark Calloway aka The Phenom, The Deadman, the greatest pure striker in the history of the game….The Undertaker.

In November 2006, I turned on an episode of Smackdown and saw The Undertaker slowly, methodically walking down to the ring in an arena with the lights turned off. He was wearing his usual attire….long black trenchcoat, black hat and big black boots, striking gloves, and there was fire spitting up from the stage behind him. His face was stoic, and after making his way up the steel ring steps, he slowly lifted his arms and the lights in the arena suddenly came back on. He stepped inside the ring and removed his coat, then made his way to the middle, and at the climax of his entrance music, removed the hat from his head and rolled his eyes into the back of his head while seemingly growling at his opponent. At just 10 years old, I was absolutely frozen in awe. I was floored by this massive man and the presence he omitted through the TV screen from wherever the hell he was. It was spellbinding. It was like nothing I had ever seen before or would see again. It was the beginning of my love of professional wrestling, and it all began with The Undertaker.

Since then, I have watched as The Undertaker had what was arguably the best run of his career from early 2007 to late 2008, YEARS after he needed to put in that much effort, watched him take a backseat to titles in 2009-10 but highlighted by his classic bouts with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25 and 26 (the former of which I got to attend live) which were easily Match Of The Year, plagued by nagging injuries in 2011 but returning early and still sacrificing his body at WrestleMania 27, returning to form at WrestleMania 28, coasting through WrestleMania 29 against an opponent who did not deserve to work with him, falter and die in 2014 at WrestleMania 30, rise from the dead at WrestleMania 31 and give us just a little hope, struggle to work through what should have been an easy half hour at WrestleMania 32, then sadly show the mortal man behind the character in the last year, highlighted by his performance in the 2017 Royal Rumble where it was obvious that Father Time had caught up to the legend. Throughout all of that, he remained the consummate professional. He came back months too early, put his professional life ahead of his personal life by going under the knife so many times and did everything he could to still be the most reliable, loyal worker the WWE has ever seen….but what’s amazing is that through all his struggles, there was not one person in the professional wrestling business who could touch him. No one could measure up. No one was as much of an attraction as he was, no matter what some fans may tell you. He was the last outlaw.

While my journey with the WWE began in 2006, Mark “The Undertaker” Calloway’s began much earlier then that. He began wrestling in 1984, before making his WWE(F) debut at Survivor Series in 1990. In those 27 years, he did everything there is to do in the business, and so much more. If you want a history lesson, go do some research. But still, 27 years later and he was still giving more of himself in one night then most wrestlers did in their entire careers.

Undertaker is from an era that believed in “going out on your back”, which basically means that when you retire, you do so after a loss. Your shoulders get pinned to the mat for the 1-2-3 and you stare up at the bright lights above you, while the music of the winner, and the vocal reaction of the live crowd, echoes around you. For most guys, this is proper. It’s tradition. But sometimes breaking tradition is hard. When Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak surpassed the 10-0 mark, it really began to be viewed as a thing that the company wanted to latch on to. A few years later, and Taker was winning titles at Mania and the streak would continue. By WrestleMania 23, he was 43 years old and had just won his first title at a Mania in 10 years. At that point, there was no denying that when Taker should go out, it should be at WrestleMania. Sure, WrestleMania had been a big attraction before, but the ever-present Undertaker at the event has always made it feel so much more special. With that said, WWE was backing themselves into a corner with every passing year that the streak would continue. How would the end finally occur? And when? And who could possibly do it? Let’s go back to late 2010-early 2011.

In late 2010, Undertaker was in another program with Kane that started off to be really interesting. Again, if you’re interested, do your research. However, as it went on, it was rumored that Undertaker was injured. So, after three straight PPV losses to Kane, he was written off TV so he could hopefully recover from whatever surgery he may need to be back in time for WrestleMania 27 in Atlanta. In early 2011, Taker returned to TV on Raw and immediately began a program with Triple H. The stage was set. Taker vs Triple H…No Holds Barred….WrestleMania. It sounds great right??? Well, it was great, but it was apparent that he had come back way too fast as the match left him out of in-ring action for a year.

The next year at Mania 28 in Miami, Taker wrestled a brutal Hell In A Cell match against Triple H with Shawn Michaels as the special-guest referee. It was billed the “End Of An Era” match and after the classic that it was, and the hug the three men shared at the top of the ramp after the match, many thought it may be the end.

Nope. One year later, Taker wrestled CM Punk in the match of the night at Mania 29 in New York. Many thought Punk should end the streak that night, so that Taker could leave while giving a the guy who was looked at as “the future” of the business the rub he needed. After seeing Punk beaten down like a small child in his UFC debut over the summer, it was clear WWE made the right decision. Take that how you will.

Then came WrestleMania 30. Brock Lesnar, who had a win-loss record to be desired at that point in his return, needed an opponent. Taker walked out to the ring on Raw to confront him, and that was that. Match made.

The streak was broken that night in New Orleans. I was there for that, and it was painfully obvious a little before the midway point of the match that something was very off. Taker wasn’t calling spots like he usually was, he was barely getting up in the air for basic German suplexes, he wore a vacant expression….it was just off. He had suffered a major concussion after a single-leg takedown on the outside of the ring, and was really in no condition to continue. When the ref hit the 1-2-3 after the 3rd F5 from Lesnar, the crowd at Mercedes-Benz Superdome stood up together simultaneously in complete and utter shock. As emotions rise and fell, Taker was left in the ring alone. He was laying on his back, and I thought that was it. He rose, looked around and slowly walked backstage having suffered the first loss of his Mania career.

That could have been the end, but Calloway did not want the last image of him as an in-ring performer to be the unhealthy, out-of-mind version of himself that stood before us in NOLA. He returned at Mania 31, and worked multiple dates throughout the next few months. He continued his feud with Brock Lesnar, and worked with Kane at Survivor Series against the Wyatt Family at was built up to be the 25th year anniversary show of his debut. His Hell In A Cell match with Lesnar was spectacular, and was a clear indication that he could still go.

Mania 32 was the beginning of the end. He worked an extremely slow Hell In A Cell match with Shane McMahon, aggravating injuries in the process. After the match, he removed his gloves and placed them in the ring, so many wondered if that was a symbol for the end. It would not be the case though, as he would return for the 2017 Royal Rumble. The go-home show for the Rumble ended with a staredown between Taker, Goldberg and Lesnar, Talk about magic.

In the Rumble match itself, Taker appeared mortal. He was moving gingerly, and talks about an injury spread within days of the match, claiming he had badly injured his surgically repaired hip while falling onto the ring apron. It was a simple fall, but for Taker’s body it was just too much. I think that at that point, waiting another year for NOLA would have been pushing it.

Then it was announced that Taker would face Roman Reigns at Mania 33 in Orlando. In the weeks building up to the show, Roman talked about wanting to put Taker down for good, but at least on TV, Taker resisted. I’m sure plans had set in motion by that point.

This past Wednesday, it was rumored that the main event had been switched. Instead of Goldberg/Brock ending the show, it would be Roman/Taker. Why would a match with far less build and intrigue be the main event of the biggest show of the year? “There’s only one reason,” I told myself.

So there we were on Sunday. When the video package for Brock/Goldberg began to play on the screen two matches before the main event slot, we knew what was coming. Taker/Roman would main event, and we knew the result deep down.

At the end of the match, which was surprisingly solid, Roman had Taker down. Taker looked at Roman with hazy eyes and said “You don’t have the balls.” After a 4th or 5th spear from Reigns, he pinned Taker to the mat, 1-2-3.

Roman exited the ring, leaving Taker to do what he needed to do. I haven’t watched what happened next back yet, nor did I record any of it myself, but I got to see it with my own eyes live and in person so if I never got to see it again I think I’d be okay. Taker stood up, and as the crowd wept, cheered, bowed down, etc., Taker began a ritual. With the lights turned off, his music played one last time and he put his coat and hat back on, again, for the last time. He then took off the coat, folded it, put on the ground. Took the hat off, put it on the ground. Took a deep breath, and rolled his eyes into the back of his head, one last time. He exited the ring, and kissed his wife, Michelle McCool, breaking character for the first time in his illustrious career. He walked slowly up the ramp, stood on the platform that he rose up on during his entrance and turned around. I could never begin to read that face of his, but I didn’t sense anguish, I didn’t sense pain, I didn’t sense hopelessness. I felt love. Love for the sport of professional wrestling, for the fans who had stuck with him for so long, for the character of The Undertaker who no longer was. He soaked in the ovation, and for the last time, at the climax of his music, rose his arm to the sky. As did we. And we clapped, and cheered, and cried, and hugged, and felt a piece of us die with him. With smoke billowing from the floor, he began to descend. Descend into a life where he is no longer The Undertaker. Descend away from us as that mystical character. Descend into a world where he no longer has to carry a burden. He slowly slipped away, and then the man himself was gone, while the articles of clothing remained in the center of the ring.

I can never begin to understand how there were people in that stadium that night who felt that they could leave while that was all happening. Streams of people exited from the floor, and many others out of their rows on the upper levels. One women passed me on the way out of my row, and stood in front of me for a few seconds, blocking my view, before I was able to look at her and crack out a quiet “Get the hell out of my way, you bitch.” If you consider yourself a fan of professional wrestling and you did this, or you turned off the TV or shut your laptop, you are not. You failed to pay respect to the man who helped build this industry and carried it on his back for so many years. You failed to pay respect to the greatest performer in the history of the business, and there will never be another like him. You failed, and you as a “fan”, are a disgrace.

I don’t know how I felt that night. I don’t really know what I was doing while that was all happening and I don’t really want to know. My best friend, Graham, met me outside the venue after the show, and his pure joy of being at his first Mania as well as his uncanny ability to understand every aspect of me, made me crack a smile. I loosened up a bit, and I tried to take in my surroundings. I tried to think.

All I was able to think of was one word. Grateful. Grateful to have seen it live. Grateful for the man who was and is the catalyst for my love of wrestling, which has brought me to so many unexpected places and introduced me to so many unexpected people. It has given me a drive for a career path. It has given me a passion to look forward to engulfing myself into multiple times a week. It has absolutely altered my life in so many ways, and it is all because of that incredible man.

So Undertaker, Mark Calloway…..whoever you are now, all I can say is one thing. Thank you.

Ain’t no grave….

taker-m