tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69918576538800852982024-02-20T18:33:36.655-08:00The Wrestling GodIt's time for an honest and impartial view on the business we all love. With your Wrestling God, you get 100% truth and facts whatever the subject may be. I am your Wrestling God. Follow me to the promise land.THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-8132566519714919812015-07-22T06:43:00.000-07:002015-07-22T06:43:28.049-07:00THE NEXT CHAPTER<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve
been sitting here looking at a blank piece of paper for nearly thirty minutes.
And I still don’t know what to say. It’s been brewing for some time now. The
closure of this blog and whilst I’m writing this with tears in my eyes, let’s
be honest, it’s been a long time coming. I don’t have as much time to put into
this blog anymore and that has shown in the last few months. The entries haven’t
been as good as I’d have liked them to be but that’s because I don’t have the
time to dedicate to you people any longer. Which is why I have come to the devastating
decision to say a final farewell.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I
opened this blog three and a half years ago, it was to revolutionize the
wrestling industry. To tell you the truth about what was happening, why and
what should occur instead. Because we’re all bored of being spoon fed crap that
we know is wrong. And whilst I have a strong urge to continue, I can no longer
put my life on hold weekly to write to you good people. We’ve reviewed the good
and the bad releases, we’ve pondered over what should change in wrestling and I
like to think that we’ve at least had an impact on the profession. Because as I
take my final bow, WWE are changing their ethos for the better. At least a
small part of that we can take credit for. It hasn’t been a complete waste of
time.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
have been many reasons I decided to stop this whilst we’re on top and that is
one of them. I have read too many books and blogs that were brilliant but then
carried on needlessly and ruined their reputation. I’ve never been that person.
I never will be either. I would rather stop whilst we’re on top and leave you
wanting more with fond memories rather than have you sigh every time a new post
pops up. That’s the right way to go. There were other reasons as well, namely
my life which has been dedicated to this blog for three years and you good
people.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I need
to move on. Wrestling has been my life for as long as I can remember. In fact I
don’t recall a time in my life when wrestling hasn’t been there. And whilst it
will always be a massive part of my life other things have stated to happen for
me. I’ve found someone special. I’m not yet in the place I want to be career
wise but it has to happen some day. And for once, I’m verging on being happy.
That’s never happened before. And hey, maybe it won’t last. Maybe it’s just a
fleeting thing whilst something better readies itself but right here, right
now, I don’t need this blog in my life. And that’s a sentence I never thought I’d
say. Am I sad it’s ending? Of course. Not as sad as I should be though because
for a while it’s been more a hindrance than a pleasure, but it’s always been a
joy to talk to you. My minions.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
you’re also part of the reason this blog is closing. You see, I’m not willing
to keep writing this for people to have it for nothing. They say that if you’re
good at something then never do it for free. So a new chapter in my life will
now begin with never doing anything I’m good for, for free. I never charged you
for this blog. I never asked any of you for a penny or a cent towards this site
because its not how wrestling should be. The truth shouldn’t come with a price.
But I soon realised that you wanted something for nothing. I lost count of how
many times I asked the thirty five thousand plus of you to contribute with
letters and questions for a new monthly feature to replace Review Corner. And I
only ever got one question. You couldn’t be bothered and neither can I. I’m not
having a go at you, it’s your choice. But you know what the old saying says.
You use it or you lose it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I like
to think that this blog has been important to some people. The numbers have
been beyond my wildest dreams. When I set this up I thought I’d be talking to
myself, not over thirty five thousand people on a weekly basis. We’ve said
things that can never be taken back and whilst there have been the idiots who
tried to ruin it for us because they weren’t talented enough to do it
themselves, you have been absolutely awesome. You listened to me when no one
else would. You agreed with me and at times shook your head at my opinions but
you never abandoned me. This blog has grown because of your support and for
that you have my eternal thanks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve
been looking around the shops recently and seen books by vloggers on the
shelves. This gets me mad. Why are vloggers getting book deals when they
plainly haven’t worked hard for it like an actual writer has? Why are they
being picked above people who actually want to write? I’ve been here three
years, we’ve been popular and yet I’ve never been offered one book deal or a
chance to write for a wrestling magazine. It’s part of the reason I’m quitting
as well. Why should I continue to slog my guts out on this blog when people
bypass me for giving make up tips and advice? People who never even wanted to
be writers or put the work in. People who just want to be famous? It’s not
fair, and I can’t keep doing it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
blog has given me joy over the last three years. Immense joy, but it’s also
made me a better writer. A better person and more focused in what I want from
life. You’ll never know who I am, but that’s okay. Something’s you never need
to know. Because it would take the magic out of it. I have loved you all,
sometimes I haven’t been so fond but I couldn’t have done it without you. A
writer is nothing without his audience. So to those of you who have been with
me since day one, god bless you. You’re the people I do this for. You’re the
people I write for and strive to make a better business for. For those who have
only just joined us for a fleeting ride, then thank you for opening your minds.
The pleasure has been all mine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
could gush for hours, but we all have homes to go to. And so on we go. It’s
time to say goodbye for the final time. There was a point before I sat down to
write where I contemplated carrying on, but if I’ve learnt anything from a disappointing
and lacklustre life it’s that everything ends. Everything good, anyway. If you
would like to say goodbye, then you can send your messages to @TWGISHERE. Be
quick, this address will be closed at the end of August but the website will
remain up so you can read old posts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Goodbyes
are always hard. For the sole reason it’s an ending. Farewell means that you’ll
see each other again some day. Goodbye is pretty definitive that you won’t. I
would like to think that we’ll link up again. Some day in the future when the
business needs us again, but maybe it never will. Sign up for alerts because
maybe I’ll be back one day if I miss it too much but for now, with a sense of
accomplishment, I say finally, our job here is done. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we
go onwards and upwards, I will say goodbye my friends. I wish you good health,
good luck and I hope all of your dreams come true. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From
beginning to end, the pleasure has been all mine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thanks
For Everything and Goodbye.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Wrestling God…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RmAKi7FYfhA/Va-dMYxmIkI/AAAAAAAADwE/GM8oUhJOOGg/s1600/6a00d8341c5fd253ef017ee662ddbf970d-450wi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RmAKi7FYfhA/Va-dMYxmIkI/AAAAAAAADwE/GM8oUhJOOGg/s320/6a00d8341c5fd253ef017ee662ddbf970d-450wi.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8jft2Z7H-_c/Va-dMjEaWFI/AAAAAAAADwI/XRKP5FYqbzE/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-89905677040593405542015-07-16T01:36:00.001-07:002015-07-16T01:36:32.127-07:00THE PENULTIMATE BATTLEGROUND<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some of you may have noticed that I
haven’t been around for a few weeks. That’s because I promised to leave the
review of the book up for a while to increase sales for the writer and because,
well, it breaks me to say this but I believe this will be the penultimate blog
of this sites existence. I hope you brought the book in your droves, it really
is a cracking read and if you would like to know more about signed copies or
other merchandise (T- shirts, mugs, mouse mats, limited edition prints from the
book etc) then you can contact Matt Tennant at @10antfuturedw or on </span><a href="mailto:teenagelife10ant@yahoo.co.uk"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">teenagelife10ant@yahoo.co.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> with ‘Book Merchandise’ in the subject
line. I’ve seen some of the merchandise being crated for the book and it looks
really good. With that said, I hope you’ve been buying the book. As you can now
order it from Waterstones and the wrestling shop in Portsmouth may be stocking
it in the weeks to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, let’s get into what I believe will
be the penultimate post of this blog. And with Battleground approaching, there
really is only one subject fitting for this week and that’s the event that lies
ahead of us. Because you see, events in previous weeks have made sure that what
was once a ‘B’ level pay-per view, will be one of the most eagerly anticipated
in 2015. Of course, there are some throwaway matches such as Prime Time Players
vs The New Day which holds no interest with anyone thanks to a needless Tag
Team Championship change and the triple threat match for the Intercontinental
Championship. I believed that Ryback was on his way up the ladder when he
pinned Sheamus to capture the title at Elimination Chamber. Judging on his
storyline with The Miz and Big Show, I was wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Also, there is the overwhelming
predictability about the event with matches such as Roman Reigns vs Bray Wyatt.
I don’t expect Wyatt to defeat Reigns even though the pair are due to clash
again at SummerSlam in a stipulation bout. This feud has been built for the
sole reason to build Roman up for a strong end to the year and a WWE World
Heavyweight Championship reign in 2016. Bray Wyatt’s message of ‘Anyone But
You’ is something the audience have echoed, however, this is WWE’s way of
knocking back our cries through a storyline. Basically, WWE are telling us that
Roman Reigns will succeed whether we like it or not. There is a strong
possibility that Wyatt will defeat Reigns at Battleground so Roman can score
the big victory at SummerSlam.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As of yet, as I post this, there has
not been a Divas Championship Match announced though I expect Nikki Bella to
defend her title against either Naomi or stroll out at Battleground to issue an
open challenge. If that happens, then expect Charlotte to answer the call and
make her main roster debut, echoing Paige’s achievement of winning the title on
her debut. However, the latter is unlikely to happen with Nikki Bella signing a
new contract with the company, I am lead to believe one of her stipulations was
to hold the title for at least one year before she handed it over. If this is
true, then Nikki will be Divas Champion until at least Survivor Series when she
will be dethroned at last.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The biggest two matches going into
battleground though are of course Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE
World Heavyweight Championship and John Cena vs Kevin Owens for the United
States Championship. The first will surely be a stunning display of technical
wrestling at its best, though do not get your hopes up if you expect Brock to
leave with the title. As far I know, WWE have no plans to have the title off of
television again for months at a time and though Brock will be at SummerSlam,
possibly in a rematch, The Authority will almost surely screw Brock out of the
gold somehow. The way WWE have built Seth Rollins over the past few months,
there’s almost certainly no way the company will allow him to go over Lesnar by
himself. There will be help. But the most important part of this match is that
Seth pins Brock to win the bout and doesn’t walk away with the title by other
means. And whilst we’re on the subject, Brock Lesnar really can’t win by
count-out or disqualification.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course, there is another, exciting
possibility from this bout which could see it end in a no-contest. With Triple
H rumoured to do battle with Sting at SummerSlam in a WrestleMania rematch,
there is always the possibility that Sting could return at Battleground to help
Brock Lesnar stave off The Authority. It’s an age old story. Heels gang up on
face, give him a beat down and then the lights go off, the crow sounds and
Sting comes tearing down the aisle to set up his match with Triple H next
month. Never say never, it’s a distinct possibility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But of course, the real talking point
of Battleground is the third instalment of the thoroughly excellent feud
between Kevin Owens and John Cena. Over the past two months, both men have put
on two stunning displays. Each better than the last. I didn’t believe John Cena
had it in him, but hey, we’re all wrong sometimes. Hell, John Cena has even
taken that momentum into two brilliant exchanges with Cesaro on Raw. I’m liking
this new John Cena between the ropes and hope that once this feud is over, he
can carry on the performance side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was surprised by Kevin Owens’ loss of
the NXT Championship. I’m a massive Kevin Owens supporter and I feel he almost
needs a title for his character to shine. His aura needs to be superior to
everyone else he fights otherwise what’s left? He’s a cracking wrestler but
he’s at his most loathsome best when he’s flaunting his title over others and
telling them they haven’t earned a shot. I believe the loss of the NXT
Championship paved the way for Owens to knock Cena off his perch at
Battleground. With a wrestler unable to hold two pieces of gold at once from
two different brands, it was almost signposted that Owens would do the
unthinkable. I hope I’m right. I’m not so sure his image could suffer two
massive losses in such a short amount of time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course, there’s also the question of
what happens to Kevin Owens if he loses. What do WWE do with him? He has a
rematch against Finn Balor at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn on August 22nd but won’t
recapture the gold because I believe Owens has outgrown NXT in a very short
amount of time. Which means he has to move up. But if he does, then what
happens to his feud with Samoa Joe? WWE have no intention of moving Joe up in
the foreseeable future so it would just disappear. In hindsight, WWE should
have pitted Kevin Owens vs Samoa Joe for August 22nd in a Loser Leaves NXT
bout. This would have given Kevin Owens the perfect opportunity to move on to
better things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don’t know what lies ahead for Kevin
Owens should he lose at Battleground. The options are limited. So for once in
his career, I hope John Cena and WWE do the right thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Onwards and upwards…</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-29517859420582329712015-07-01T01:38:00.001-07:002015-07-04T02:29:32.210-07:00REVIEW CORNER: A LOVE LETTER TO THE MAT - THE COMPLETE STORY OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING ON PAY-PER-VIEW - VOLUME ONE - 1985 - 1989<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2l3NUhfYJJg/VZOmTZXtQrI/AAAAAAAADvw/IYhMDyxlHhw/s1600/IMG_1118.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2l3NUhfYJJg/VZOmTZXtQrI/AAAAAAAADvw/IYhMDyxlHhw/s400/IMG_1118.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">A – Excellent</span></b></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">B – Good</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">C – Mediocre</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">D – Avoid </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Release Date:</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"> Out Now</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Available From:</span></u></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Waterstones (Order in Store or Online)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://completelynovel.com/books/a-love-letter-to-the-mat-the-complete-story-of-professional-wrestling-on-pay-per-view-volume-1-1985-1987">http://completelynovel.com/books/a-love-letter-to-the-mat-the-complete-story-of-professional-wrestling-on-pay-per-view-volume-1-1985-1987</a></span></u></b></span></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Letter-Mat-Professional-Wrestling/dp/1849146837">http://www.amazon.com/Love-Letter-Mat-Professional-Wrestling/dp/1849146837</a> (USA)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Letter-Mat-Professional-Wrestling/dp/1849146837">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Letter-Mat-Professional-Wrestling/dp/1849146837</a> (UK) </span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Price: </span></u></b></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">£33.99
(Online)</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">£39.99
(High Street)</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">$64.99
(USA)</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">What It’s About:</span></u></b></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Collecting
together all twenty one professional wrestling pay-per view events between
1985-1989 with brand new illustrations in the form of pay-per view posters,
this book takes an in-depth look at the matches, the rivalries, the fallouts
and the unknown stories of each event. Complete with a chapter on the war
fought between Vince McMahon and Jim Crockett as well as a heartening look at
those who passed during this period. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because
this is an unusual Review Corner and we don’t usually look at books and the
only reason I’m doing so this time around is because the author was very
persistent in his pursuit of this blog and is a loyal reader, things will be a
little different. Thanks to the length of the digest, there would be no way I
could scrutinize everything because it would take me months to do so. Usually,
I review every chapter of a release but here you’ll find the very best and the
very worst of everything instead of literally everything. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Strengths:</span></u></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though
nothing to do with the subject of the book, the first chapter we’re treated to
is of course the introduction. Because we don’t know the author and it indeed
is his first book, Matt Tennant relays to us a tale of his inception into the
industry via his late grandfather. The nostalgic value here is great. Going all
the way back to the old VHS tapes and their faults as well as referencing some
unforgettable pop culture is a nice touch, but I will warn you now that those
who cry easily may want to have a tissue or handkerchief on standby. Whilst
Tennant goes through wrestling not being cool to the industry eventually
winning out in the end, the excellent first chapter draws to a close with one
final piece about the man he credits for inspiring this volume. It’s touching
and will bring a lump to your throat. In many ways, it sets the tone for the
entire book which is both funny and touching whilst wholly intriguing. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
the introduction, we’re given a chapter entitled ‘Vince McMahon vs Jim
Crockett: The Forgotten War’. This chapter also heralds the beginning of the
excellent illustrations as chapter points which run throughout the entire book.
Considering the size of the book, it would have been easy for Matt Tennant to
skip through this only tying together the later facts such as Vince McMahon
attempting to sabotage Crockett’s pay-per view endeavours. However, that isn’t
the case. Taking the time to delve back into history, Tennant takes us into the
1960’s and back the very beginning of what was the World Wide Wrestling
Federation before laying the foundations with some gripping history which will
bring back wonderful memories for those around during this time. Charting Bruno
Sammartino’s rise to stardom and everything up to the sons of the fathers
taking over the reigns of their separate companies, this chapter thrives on its
history before it takes a look at the blatant sabotage attempts by Vincent
Kennedy McMahon. No stone is left unturned here. A lot of writers wouldn’t have
included this, but it’s to its credit he has as it gives background to the
reason wrestling took the step onto the medium in the first place. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Delving
into the main body of the book, you won’t be able to help yourself digesting
everything with abandon. Each pay-per view event featured here is cut into
three segments ‘Setting the Stage’ which looks at the events leading up to the
event, ‘On the Night’ which of course is self explanatory and ‘The Fallout’
which as you can guess spotlights the many happenings which stemmed from said
event. It’s a clever and easily accessible way for the readers to get through
the meat and bones of these pages. Helpfully, there is no confusion as to what
happened when as those details which had nothing to do with the event in
question but lead into the next event or sets the stage for one later in the
book is included separately at the end of each of the three segments depending
on when it occurred. I must also add, that many of the mid-card matches were
terrible pieces of work however when Tennant chooses these to spotlight as the
ones to describe in detail, he has the knack and ability to make them sound ten
times as thrilling as they actually were.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘The
Wrestling Classic’ begins the main segment of the book. It’s meaty, thrilling
and whilst you may believe that it’s impossible for Matt Tennant to effectively
convey detail on all the participants involved in what was the forgettable
Wrestling Classic tournament, you’d be wrong. Where possible, Tennant has
included their debut dates and the beginning of this segment even stretches
back to the beginning of 1985 in order to add meat to the bones of the Hulk
Hogan vs Roddy Piper feud. From beginning to end, it’s meaty and thrilling with
the massive detail which makes up the ‘On the Night’ segment regaling the
pay-per event to us as if we’re there. This is a common theme for every event
which really adds a nice touch where other tomes may have skipped through the
detail, seeing the event results as enough information. It’s nice to see that
the author hasn’t made the common mistake of adding WrestleMania I as the first
event as it was never classed a legitimate pay-per view.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘The
Big Event’ is an unusual but brilliantly funny segment in some parts. Taken
seriously as every event here should have been, the author seems genuinely
annoyed with Vince McMahon who classed this event as a legitimate pay-per view
only after the WWE Network launched. Telling us of how he’d completed the WWF
sections of the book before the WWE Network launch and how he had to go back
and add this, Tennant is a ball with his digs at the owner of the company
though to his eternal credit you’ never know this is a late addition. Focusing
on Hulk Hogan’s feud with Paul Orndorff and the heel turn which came from ‘Mr.
Wonderful’ after Hulk Hogan had saved him from a beating at the hands of The Heenan
Family, it slots seamlessly into the running order. In fact had I never
mentioned it, then no one would have ever known.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘Starrcade
1987’ is a wonderful segment of this book as it doesn’t jump straight into the
event itself and its hype but theorizes on why Jim Crockett left it so late to
bring his product to pay-per view. I will add here, I have skipped several
events in the quest to get this review done but that is only because there is
so much goodness to divulge, as mentioned, it would take us months to get
through it all. Here, Matt Tennant raises some legitimate questions as he puts
Universal Wrestling Federation and their affiliation with Crockett under
scrutiny. It’s a clever, thought provoking and wholly gripping opening to a
segment. Add onto that charting Ric Flair’s rise to stardom whilst adding ample
information to almost every feud on the card, this is an excellent way to being
what would become WCW’s inclusion in the book. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the subject of Ric Flair’s rise to stardom, this is a point in history which
has been covered over and over again, which means you think you may have heard
it all before. Refreshingly, this isn’t the case. Occurring before any detail
on other feuds, its clear Matt Tennant’s research has gone beyond just the
plain facts as he tends to skip over what we already know and focuses on the
little things which make this special. He’s a more than able storyteller who
seems to have a grasp on what we want to read as wrestling fans and what we
never want to hear about again. From Ric Flair’s near career ending plane crash
to his ascension from the NWA United States Championship to the NWA World
Heavyweight Championship, this segment included in the Starrcade 1987 segment
looks at ever known and unrecognized reign of Flair’s up until the story of the
book kicks in as it approaches Starrcade 1987.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Keeping
on the subject of Starrcade 1987 and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Match, this segment as well as almost every segment on every feud before we get
into the event itself doesn’t just take a look at the facts about what lead up
to the bouts on weekly television, it also offers insight into why it really
happened behind the scenes as well as castigating promotions for their terrible
choices. People are named and shamed in these segments which are a ball to
read. Sticking to the subject here, as Matt Tennant fills us in on Ron Garvin’s
challenge for the gold and eventual reign he also subsidises this tale with
theories on why Ron Garvin was a flop as champion as well as unbreakable
booking alternatives which make sense and could have made Garvin a star. In
many ways, he’s a man after my own heart if you know what I mean. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though
they may be two completely different events, both Starrcade 1987 and Survivor
Series 1987 went out on the same night thanks to Vince McMahon’s attempts to
sabotage Crockett’s first ever pay-per view event. As any great writer would,
Matt Tennant has a ball with this and uses the playground to once again bring
up some excellent points whilst pointing out where Jim Crockett went wrong and
could have actually trumped McMahon in the knowledge they were both going out
on the same night. Though the information is spread over two separate events,
Tennant makes an excellent point with the line, “Those who don’t adapt or
evolve perish at the expense of those who have the foresight and ingenuity to
do what is necessary to survive.” It’s something Vince McMahon should take
notice of as I assume that at some point or another, this tome will fall onto
his desk. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘Bunkhouse
Stampede’ carries on the story from Starrcade 1987 and though it’s a short
piece when compared to the rest of the book it’s still deeply involved in Lex
Luger’s rise to the top which is a gripping tale to read. Though the detail
setting the stage dictates mostly House Show happenings, there is a lovely
piece detailing two matches which have never been widely released in the
present day on DVD. The Bunkhouse Stampede bout itself and Ric Flair vs Hawk
will be foreign to most people as they’re only available on the WWE Network, so
the level of detail on show here makes both sound more exciting than they
actually were. It’s not going to thrill you this segment, but is necessary to
carry on JCP’s side of the story. It doesn’t focus heavily on Ric Flair which
is a nice change, though the events which do are more in depth than the rest,
and had Tennant omitted this then it would have been an incomplete tome. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both
‘WrestleMania IV’ and ‘SummerSlam 1988’ are the real beginning points for Randy
Savage’s heel turn on Hulk Hogan. Together with the rest of the events, they
paint a wonderful picture of a jealous man not just in the storylines. Though
both events here are exceptional in their own unique way with the latter having
a great illustration to kick it off, both are excellent for their focus on the
real subject in hand and that is the rise and fall of The Mega Powers. Just
when you think this all about kayfabe storyline, Tennant turns the wheel yet
again and surprises by getting very personal about Randy Savage’s feelings and
overprotection towards Elizabeth. Thankfully, he has the skill not to focus the
segments on this fact but there’s more than enough here to engage those who
wanted to know more about what went on behind the scenes at this time. And
those who purchased the recent Randy Savage release will be able to corroborate
everything the wordsmith says. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘The
Great American Bash 1988’ is, for those who don’t know, Jim Crockett’s final
event before his company went out of business. His finale few months are
covered in much depth whilst Matt Tennant begins this event by pointing out
where Jim Crockett went wrong and how he could have at least extended his stay
which in turn may have been long enough to find a solution to save his
business. Tennant is spot on when he points out that Vince McMahon didn’t have
to oppose this show because the damage had already been done. There are many
more valid points here than you’d originally think and if you can’t find them
on first glance then it may be worth giving this part a second read.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Keeping
on the subject of The Great American Bash 1988, Lex Luger’s story continues in
the same fashion as before. His rise comes off as something special which it
was seeing as Dusty Rhodes tried to sabotage it for his own selfish gain and
there is a real sense of disappointment by Tennant when he recounts the
terrible ending to the main event which turned fans off of Luger and the
promotion. It’s warranted. This could have been Lex Luger’s moment even though
the promotion didn’t want him as champion and they naused it up. The mood and
moments of the era are captured perfectly here and are brought to life by
Tennant’s effective method of storytelling. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
we move on and I know this isn’t strictly in order with how the book flows, but
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book’s creator had taken ample time
to touch upon the subject of Dusty Rhodes’ terrible booking throughout the era
covered. Most haven’t been brave enough to point out what a complete failure
Rhodes was in his role but Tennant doesn’t pull the punches when pointing out
his many flaws. Opining that Crockett could have found another way to turn Lex
Luger face without having him lose to Rhodes at the inaugural Starrcade and
that a Champion vs Champion Match with Ric Flair at The Great American Bash
would have been much more effective, Tennant is a man on form and is correct
when he says that Rhodes booked his victories at the expense of younger talent
out of nothing but pure selfishness. Placed deep within The Great American Bash
1988 segment, the opinion that Dusty Rhodes should have been removed from his
position before booking the hideous and damaging ending to Lex Luger’s main
event brawl is of course justified. His tirade against Dusty Rhodes is
entertaining and just. Even better, it doesn’t get samey or boring. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Credit
has to go where its due and staying on the subject of the 1988 Great American
Bash, Matt Tennant has gone to the trouble of looking at The Varsity Club vs
The Garvin’s which was a banal feud at the time, and I can attest to that as
someone who sat through it, but in his own words the author makes it sound
exciting and interesting. It just goes to show that some things are better in
print. It’s a sequel to the Bunkhouse Stampede fallout which has a great
bearing on how you view the rest of the event. Very well done. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Switching
company’s we arrive at AWA SuperClash III which was a terrible event but has
overtones of grandeur here thanks once again to the way it’s worded. Now, I
know from personal experience that there isn’t a lot on this event to be known
and indeed this doesn’t follow suit of every other event included by putting in
television results because as I’ve been told by the author there were none he
could dig up. I myself have attempted to look for these results when writing
‘The Unforgettable Rick Martel’ and could find none either. Instead, Matt
Tennant concentrates on the importance of what should have been the main event
in Jerry Lawler vs Kerry Von Erich. Their respective careers are delved into,
whilst it’s engaging and fascinating to find out just how many titles Jerry
Lawler has held in his career. This includes a little sadness when touching
upon the Von Erich history but excels further when it moves away from the
previous subject and looks at the little known title reigns within the AWA and
WCCW which made up the card for this event.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though
the fallout of the event is short, thanks to very little detail being
available, its still notable for the detail on the merger and then the split of
the AWA, WCCW which had become the WCWA and CWA. It’s an interesting little
moment to find out how and why the business relationship went sour and makes up
for anything that may be missing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Skipping
past a lot of good, which once again I cannot include because of time,
‘Survivor Series 1989’ makes some more excellent points with one being, “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">To be seen and treated as a headline act by those who
pay hard earned money to witness your rise through the industry a wrestler must
be pushed like star by both the booking and creative committee, who are equally
responsible for a talent’s position on the card and the strength of their
storylines respectively. To expect a wrestler to climb those greasy rungs
unaided is career suicide and therefore its the responsibility of everyone to
assure their jobs are done to the very highest so that those they play God with
have the best possible chance of succeeding. No professional wrestler can be
seen as a legitimate main event personality if he’s constantly plying his trade
in the promotion’s mid-card or battling enhancement talent week in and week
out, therefore needing the exposure a main event position provides.” It’s one
hundred percent correct.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In the fallout of Survivor Series 1989, Tennant
once again provides a nice twist by looking at Dusty Rhodes’ entry into the
company and his feud with The Big Boss Man. Asserting that Boss Man was the
perfect first real opponent for Rhodes isn’t a fact I every thought about until
it was raised here but looking at it now, he’s correct. Larger than Rhodes and
with a fearsome reputation thanks to his feud with Savage and Hogan, Boss Man
was the perfect first rival for Rhodes even though they never had a decent
match. Veering away from this feud, the fallout also covers the</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
‘No Holds Barred: The Match / The Movie’ event in detail to its credit, which
wasn’t a wrestling pay-per view in general though shown on the medium. As the
final event of WWF’s section of the book, it’s insightful and wraps up the
promotions participation in this book to perfection. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
‘In Memory’ section is a heartbreaker on a whole different level. It will make
you feel and even make you cry at some points during its retelling and
remembering those who fell during the era the book covers. There isn’t an exact
date for some and the cause of death is missing for a few but looking at how
much effort Tennant put into the book, I’m sure there was no shirking here when
it came to researching each and every name which must have taken him days to
do. For the main segment of the book, it’s a wonderful and poignant note to a
thoroughly absorbing read on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
are many more excellent things about every chapter and event here but too many
for me to mention. So I’ll allow you to discover the joys for yourself.
Instead, I’d like to take you through other things which are great about this
tome. The first thing I noticed was the company tense it was written in. Instead
of referring to McMahon’s promotion as WWE, Tennant instead goes with the old
WWF name which is historically correct. This gives the book a even further
nostalgic feeling as had he refereed to the company in its present moniker than
it may have taken the glare off of what was special about the era. It’s a
clever way to keep lapsed fans engaged and please those who believed that the
company did their best stuff under the previous name. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Almost
every match Matt Tennant has chosen to cover in detail in ‘On the Night’ is
detailed and exciting to read. Even those bouts which didn’t thrill on the
events are made to sound more exciting than they were. It’s quite an incredible
feat to make something dull sound riveting. Some match descriptions are shorter
than others whilst some are more detailed but that adds to the book’s
quirkiness. I must point out here, that Tennant has described every match on
every event from bell to bell but rather chosen one or two to describe in
complete detail. The rest of the bouts are included in short descriptions to
leave you in doubt what type of bouts they were as far as good or bad goes.
There isn’t one match he’s missed in some form or another.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Across
the course of this review, you’ll have heard me mention the alternate pay-per
view posters which are used effectively as chapter points. Each has its own
unique style and subheading relating to a storyline which happened at that
particular event. The design and subheadings were created by Matt Tennant and
drawn by Josh Wright, as you’ll have read in my exclusive interview with the
author previously. I have to say that whilst there isn’t a bad drawing amongst
the whole bunch, the Halloween Havoc poster is just out of this world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Weaknesses: </span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Believe
it or not, this is the part I hate most of all. Usually, it’s easy to drop
something into this category especially with WWE’s releases which usually miss
something or other out. But occasionally we get a really good release such as
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman’ or ‘Macho Man: The Randy Savage
Story’ which you hate to bash. But in the interest of being fair, then I must
find something about everything which isn’t that great even if its something
small or you just think I’m being picky which I am with ‘A Love Letter to the
Mat’. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
thing you may notice across the course of this book, though if you’re not
actively looking for it then it may pass you by, is the repetition. I know this
is a book of over 1,000 pages and as Matt Tennant says in the Afterword, it’s
almost impossible to write something of this length without repeating yourself
or a certain word several times but for a select few people there is a chance
one word repeated at length may annoy you. However, you’d have to be really
picky to find this a problem as there are plenty of excellent adjectives in
between so you should rarely recognize this fact. Hey, what can I say, I was
desperate for something to put here. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Conclusion:</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘A
Love Letter to the Mat: The Complete Story of Professional Wrestling on Pay-Per
View: Volume 1 – 1985 – 1989’ may be a lengthily title for a book but that
doesn’t quash its quality in any way or form. Collecting together every
wrestling pay-per view event from the mentioned era along with little known
facts and backstory on every major and minor feud to take place on each event,
this superb digest is exactly what it says in its title. A love letter to
professional wrestling, which ranks amongst the very finest wrestling books
ever to be released.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
I was asked to review this, I was hesitant at first. I’ve read so many crappy
books on wrestling that don’t deserve to be published that it’s unbelievable.
The majority of them come from WWE themselves who bastardise their history
beyond recognition to suit what their product is at the time. Yet when I tucked
into ‘A Love Letter to the Mat’, I was refreshingly surprised at how detailed,
honest, intriguing and gripping the elements were. For a first book for a new
writer, this is nothing less than a stunning debut and as you read through its
fascinating pages with its bracing illustrations the time it must have taken
author Matt Tennant to source every detail, won’t be lost on you and makes it
an even more enjoyable read.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
hard to pick out just one stimulating facet of this book because there are so
many, however it’s the smallest detail which has been so cleverly woven in
which you may not even realize is there that makes it such a joy to read. For
starters, the sections on each separate company are designed differently with a
unique heading given to WWF, Jim Crockett Promotions / WCW and AWA which makes
them feel separate to each other instead of continuous chapters. More grungy
and gothic, the WWF chapters as good as recapture the feeling of watching the
company during the eighties whilst the Jim Crockett Promotions and World
Championship Wrestling segments have a more regal and upper class look to them.
It serves the book well that Matt Tennant has taken the time to make each
promotion featured feel different to others.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
of the best things about this entire tome is that instead of doing what every
other writer would have done and lump together tired facts about every event
featured in this book, Matt Tennant has taken the time to delve back into the
history of professional wrestling and before the main body of this book gets
underway, we’re treated to a chapter on the Vince McMahon and Jim Crockett war
and after you’ve digested its meaty main body, you can then take a breather and
pay tribute to the fallen in a touching and thought provoking memorial segment
which will tug at the heart strings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
this book succeeds where all others fail and that’s in the main body’s detail.
It would have been so easy for Matt Tennant to leave out everything that others
may not deem necessary and just include the important background on major
feuds. He hasn’t done that. Instead, he’s included almost every occurrence to
do with every feud from weekly television including the broadcast and recording
dates which give this book a wholesome feel that you’re not missing anything as
you traverse the years. There are even feuds here which had nothing to do with
the events in question. Granted, the Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship
Wrestling sections aren’t as long as the WWF ones but that is a very minor gripe.
Even though they’re not as lengthily, they still provide ample information for
new and old fans alike.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Away
from the book’s subject, one of the most stirring facts is the language used to
convey each rivalry and how important the medium of pay-per view was to
professional wrestling in the nineteen eighties. Words which you may not have
known existed are employed to great effect in a funny, involving, touching and
at times sad collection of pages which don’t just spend their time explain
wrestling jargon but also have a generous amount personal memories from the
author which are used to exceptional effect. His introduction to the book which
takes in his personal introduction to professional wrestling in 1989 via his
late grandfather is both informative and tender whilst its Afterword is a
lovely piece of writing all on its own. Those who are easily touched will need
a hanky ready.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
book also features over twenty two brand new illustrations of pay-per view
poster which are just a sight to behold on their own. Illustrated to
perfection, these depict the large and sometimes smaller stories of each event
and are good enough to know who the wrestlers are but not exactly spot on as to
have an issue of copyright. Some are better than others of course, but the
striking front cover and the Halloween Havoc 1989 pieces are particularly
exceptional.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reading
like a story instead of just another non-fiction diary also gives this book an
edge which others don’t have. We have all seen wrestling books on the shelves
of our local book stores titled ‘The History of...’ so I’m pleased that Tennant
didn’t go down this route. Had he done so then it may have taken away from the
personal touch this book possesses. ‘The story of...’ lends it a much more
individual identity and for the most part, it seems as if the author is talking
to you personally instead of a mass group of readers. Pleasingly, there is also
a perfect balance of story and truth, meaning that whilst the bouts are
described as if they were legitimate fights to advance the story of the digest,
Tennant then breaks kayfabe elsewhere to make sure wrestling fans don’t grow
tired of things being described as if they were real. It’s quite unique.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the end, as I’ve already said, I was greatly surprised by this offering and
there are not enough good analogies in the English language to use to describe
it with. True, like anything and everything else in public circulation it has
its shaky moments such as a little repetition here and there but let’s be
honest, you can’t write a book of this size without a little repetition. Also,
it is a wordy piece so those who do not possess the attention span or don’t
like to read bulky projects may want to give it a miss. Though, even if you
don’t like the latter, purchasing the book for reference only can also be
beneficial as you have a handy information log at your fingertips which gives
even more information than you can find on the internet. Standing above its
peers and competition, ‘A Love Letter to the Mat’ may be a pricey purchase but
its one of the rare ones that actually warrants its price tag. I’ll even go as
far as to say that for the information, nostalgic feeling and detail on show it’s
a bargain which would get an ‘A+’ if Review Corner offered one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Annoyingly,
because this is self published by the author the likelihood is that you’ll only
be able to purchase it online from Amazon or the website it was published
through Completleynovel.com. However, it's now come to light that you can also order it from Waterstones either in store or online. This may also be true with other high street bookshops. This means that it won’t
be knocked down even though a number of smaller bookshops will carry the title,
so you should be able to purchase it from those as well. That it couldn’t find
a publisher when it stands head and shoulders above those that did is a
miscarriage of justice but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t sell well,
because it absolutely deserves to. Whether you’re a new fan, a long-time fan or
a lapsed fan you’ll get something from this book, which can also be used as a
reference piece for any future knowledge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If
you’re going to buy one book this year, then make sure it’s ‘A Love Letter to
the Mat: The Complete Story of Professional Wrestling on Pay-Per View: Volume 1
– 1985-1989’. You won’t be disappointed and will be left craving a second
volume which we’ve been told will only happen if this one sells well. So get
the word around to people who don’t know its there and people who don’t read
this blog. It’s epic, grand, very absorbing and easy to read. You’ll laugh and
cry at the same time. It’s almost as if you can hear Matt Tennant throwing down
the gauntlet to WWE to produce something better with as much honesty and
forthright humour. That of course won’t happen, but I can’t wait to see how he
handles Volume 2 should there be one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
all is said and done, ‘A Love Letter to the Mat: The Complete Story of
Professional Wrestling on Pay-Per View: Volume 1 – 1985-1989’ deserves it place
as the definitive wrestling tome of our time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Rating:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">
A</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards...</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2l3NUhfYJJg/VZOmTZXtQrI/AAAAAAAADvw/IYhMDyxlHhw/s1600/IMG_1118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-27722060726160523532015-06-22T03:50:00.001-07:002015-06-22T03:50:23.464-07:00A BEASTLY ERROR<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here
we are again my friends and as I’m hoping to bring you what will be the final
Review Corner in our history next week concerning the book can currently see as
our background, from the writer whose interview you read a few months back,
this week we’re going to take a brief look at one of the major issues
surrounding WWE this week. I say a brief look because this week I’m uber busy
with certain things. The first being a date your Wrestling God has with a
certain beauty on Saturday. It’s my first date in a long time and though I have
to take a near three hour coach trip to Leeds and stay the night, I think it
will be well worth it. Plus, I have other projects on the go so let’s get
cracking.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sometimes
in wrestling, you get three or four things to talk about a week. This time
however I’m going to concentrate on the subject of Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar
at Battleground for the WE World Heavyweight Championship. And I’m going to see
if I can’t change your mind as to why this is a bad idea all around. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania and curb
stomped Roman Reigns to capture the title, it was always a given that WWE were
have Brock Lesnar hunt a rematch for his gold seeing as he wasn’t actually
pinned. We knew that was coming. We also knew that Brock Lesnar was on a
part-time contract which meant it was unlikely he would stick around after
WrestleMania to get that shot. It transpired that WWE conjured up the storyline
that Brock Lesnar was indefinitely suspended until further notice. This gave
Lesnar the excuse to go home and await the next agreed upon date in his
contract. Not only that, but it gave Seth Rollins a chance to establish himself
as Champion before taking on his greatest ever challenge.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
the latter didn’t happen. Since WrestleMania, Seth Rollins has been as good as
buried by WWE on weekly television. Losing matches to people who no other
Champion would ever consider looking at the lights for. He’s lost to J and J
Security. I mean come on. When a Champion loses to two retired wrestlers then
he’s surely hit the bottom of the barrel. Away from that, when he hasn’t been
losing to anyone and everyone, Seth Rollins has been needing help to win
pay-per view matches. The overall impression is that Seth Rollins couldn’t do
it on his own and whilst that is what WWE wanted us to believe so he could
vanquish Brock Lesnar single handily, it has put Seth at a disadvantage in his
career.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
are other ways WWE could have gone about this. Had Seth Rollins been allowed to
win matches on Raw and Smackdown and gone unaided in his victories on pay-per
view then he would have built an undefeated aura which would have suited his
feud with Brock Lesnar perfectly. On a technicality, Brock Lesnar is unbeaten
in ten months. Imagine the hype that could have followed. The unbeaten Champion
against the unbeaten challenger who hasn’t been pinned in a WWE ring in nearly
two years. It would blown the box office apart. That is if Seth Rollins had
posed a challenge to Brock Lesnar. At the moment he doesn’t.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At the
sheer mention of Brock Lesnar’s name he quakes in his boots. He backed away
from Lesnar like a coward on Raw last week and seems to need The Authority to
back him up. It’s no wonder fans jeer him. He’s been treated shoddily and made
to look like a weakling. However, had Seth Rollins nailed Brock Lesnar with the
title and driven him into the canvas with a Curb Stomp last week, then that
would have been something to back up his claim that he can defeat Lesnar.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
last thing I don’t agree with is the setting for the bout. Battleground is a
b-list event. It doesn’t warrant an A-list main event. Surely WWE should have
dragged this out until SummerSlam where the bout would have capped the biggest
event of the summer perfectly. Now, if WWE are planning a rematch when Seth
Rollins defeats Brock Lesnar which he has to otherwise it’ll make him seem
worthless if he loses the gold back to Lesnar on his first try, then WWE will
have stripped all the magic from the bout. This should be a one time thing and
it should have happened where the world was watching. Not at Battleground.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Seth
Rollins vs Brock Lesnar could be the match of the year. In fact it may even
come close. But at Battleground it won’t get the audience it needs to thrive.
For me, this is shoddy booking by the company just obtain a large number for an
event which never usually gets one. I hope that on July 20th, that Vince doesn’t
regret what will surely be a spurned chance.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-88020260039416567632015-06-15T04:40:00.000-07:002015-06-15T04:40:07.647-07:00A LOST DREAM<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
we get onto our main subject this week, namely the passing of Dusty Rhodes, I
would just to talk briefly about a couple of things which transpired at Money
in the Bank. I was surprised about how good the event was barring one or two
bouts which let the side down, but there were some decisions which both shocked
me in a good and bad way. I’m sure the majority of you watched the event, but
for those who didn’t or for those wondering what all the fuss was about then
let me fill you in. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
unusual for me to comment on an event so soon after its finish, usually we have
something else to talk about. But when I’m so impressed by something or so
outraged by a happening then you know me, I have to speak out about it. First
off, what I’m about to say will shock some people who know how much I despise
John Cena. But, after his excellent bout with Kevin Owens, I have to say that I’ve
gained some respect for the leader of the Cenation. I know, I never thought it
would happen either. But the way John Cena conducted himself on the night; I
was actually in agreement about the result of the bout. It shocked me as much
as it shocked you believe me. But thanks to the excellent lay out of a
tremendous bout not to mention the edge of your seat finale, John Cena actually
earned the victory rather than just being given it because he’s John Cena and
as we all know, John Cena has to have some redemption regardless of what it
does to other talent.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Going
into this bout, I knew there was only one outcome. John Cena was always going
to win. But I never thought that I’d come out of a Cena match having a new
found respect for him, or that the pair would ever top their Elimination
Chamber bout. But they did. In fact they blew their previous effort out of the
water. Unusually, the loss didn’t hurt Kevin Owens because of what John Cena
gave him during the bout. The near falls, the excellent moves and the gripping
reversals all added to the drama. But there was one overriding factor which
made this so good that it could possibly be the match of the year. And that was
John Cena’s willing nature to add new moves to his arsenal and try something
different. Kevin Owens was so good, that John Cena was forced to up his game.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
didn’t stretch to his selling, but that can be overlooked on this occasion.
Because John Cena vs Kevin Owens was all kinds of stunning. Though John Cena
may not have bothered selling much during the early going, his portrayal of a
beaten man who couldn’t put down the contender to his throne was totally
believable as was his completely believable selling of an injury when Kevin
Owens nailed him with a Powerbomb on the apron. Now, because I’ve never seen
John Cena sell anything as good as this as well as the awkward limp up the
aisle, this leads me to believe that John Cena is legitimately injured and that
he landed on his ankle wrong on the decent. If this is true, then he could be
out for months. WWE could do so much with three months of John Cena free.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
now though, John Cena vs Kevin Owens in the match of the year thus far and
though there has to be a third and deciding bout between the pair, there’s
unfinished business there, for now, I’m happy enough to leave it at a draw.
Maybe next time the pair clash, if not at SummerSlam, it will be for the WWE
World Heavyweight Championship.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
onto the negative, and that came in the form of the winner of the Money in the
Bank Ladder Match and the winners of the WWE Tag Team Championship Match. We’ll
deal with the former first. If you read last week’s blog, then you’ll have
known my dissatisfaction at having four former champions in the bout in the
first place. But to have one actually win the bout, it was just beyond
ridiculous for several reasons. The first being that Sheamus is so unpopular
that it was clear WWE only gave him the contract to bump him up the card. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
true that Sheamus has been languishing in the mid-card for a long time and this
is WWE’s way of telling us they have big plans for him. But let’s be honest,
Sheamus has become such a mid-card player that it could only do the title harm
if he was to cash in this year and take the gold. Does anyone want to see
Sheamus as champion? I don’t. His matches have become rather predictable and as
far as I can see, he has nothing left to bring to the table. WWE should have
given the contract to Roman Reigns or Neville. Either man could have done so
much more and though WWE will make Roman Reigns champion at or by WrestleMania
32 because his story is clearly the man who came close but never managed to
achieve, there were other ways Roman Reigns could have won the contract and
still had his feud with Bray Wyatt.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second terrible decision WWE made at Money in the Bank, was the Prime Time
Players capturing the WWE Tag Team Championships from the white hot The New
Day. What are WWE thinking? I mean, this is the second time this year WWE have
taken the titles from a hot team and given them to someone else. In this case
though, it’s clearly not going to work. Prime Time Players means so little to
wrestling and the audience that there can be no good in this situation. They’re
not great in the ring and it was the sleeper match of Money in the Bank. All
the hard work that Kidd and Cesaro and The New Day did with the gold is about
to be undone unless WWE swap the gold back quickly. It’s a poor decision, maybe
the worst WWE could have made.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
finally, onto the real reason of this blog. Last Thursday, the wrestling world
lost a leading light when Dusty Rhodes passed away at just sixty nine years
old. Everyone knows my thoughts on deceased wrestlers and the great wrestling
ring in the sky, and now it has another participant as the strains of ‘American
Dream’ echo through that ever filling arena. Dusty Rhodes may have been an
overly selfish booker during his time in charge of Jim Crockett Promotions and
WCW, but he was one of the top ten greatest wrestlers in the history of the
industry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over
the next few weeks you’ll hear no end of good will aimed towards Dusty Rhodes
so I won’t drag this out too long. Dusty Rhodes was often referred to as ‘The
Common Man’. It wasn’t a bad thing. Amongst an era of steroid induced physiques
and men who looked like gods, Dusty Rhodes gave us hope that to be great you
didn’t have to have a good body or stunning looks. All you needed was heart and
passion. In Dusty Rhodes we saw ourselves. Just a normal person striving to achieve
something extraordinary. And that was the core of his appeal. Dusty Rhodes
paved the way for men like Daniel Bryan. Men who didn’t have the settled upon
look to be a star but certainly and the skill and the drive. Maybe, more than
his NWA World Heavyweight Championship reigns, this is the greatest legacy he
could have left.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Grab
a dream, hold onto it, and shoot for the stars” were the inspirational words
Dusty Rhodes used to use when talking about following a dream. Those words came
from a man who did just that. In the end, Dusty Rhodes was a common man, the
son of a plumber who worked hard to live his dream. He was an excellent talker,
an even better wrestler and now the wrestling world will be much worse without him.
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dusty
Rhodes may be sadly missed, but right now, as we sit down here trying to make
our lives better, he’s up there, wining and dining with the kings and queens of
professional wrestling who have left us thus far. He was the true American Dream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thank
you Dusty.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards.</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-58684981874495390592015-06-10T03:05:00.000-07:002015-06-10T03:05:12.651-07:00MONEY, MONEY, MONEY<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
here we go again. The computer is fixed and we can concentrate on fixing the
world of professional wrestling once more. Though I hasten to add, that fix is
a long term measure and not something we can ever accomplish in a short amount
of time. However, I would like to think that we’ve done at least some good in
our time together and will continue to do so until we fade away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
focus of this week’s blog is of course going to be Money in the Bank. For those
who don’t realise, Money in the Bank this year is the fourth pay-per view event
in the space of just one month and I think WWE have overdone it on the offerings.
Less is more so I’m told and staging Payback, NXT Takeover, Elimination Chamber
and Money in the Bank in such a short space of time can surely only serve to
diminish the effect the company has on the medium. I mean, I’m all wrestled out
and I’m someone who will sit and watch old events in my spare time. WWE really should
have structured their product more carefully so they didn’t have a whole
conglomeration of events in such a short amount of time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Still,
this is what we have now and Money in the Bank is set to give us our next,
future, WWE World Heavyweight Champion with the victor of the match of the same
name. Now, as I would with the pay-per view previews, I can concentrate on all
of the participants of the bout because there are way too many. But for the
first year, I don’t agree with nearly any of them. You see, Money in the Bank,
and this is something I have stated before, should be for those who have never
won the big prize in the company and almost every star in this match has either
won the bout itself or the title at some other point in time. Dolph Ziggler,
Sheamus, Kane and Randy Orton have all captured the big prize so what do WWE
hope to get from them participating in this bout? The answer is simple.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WWE
have put these four men in this bout, even though they don’t belong here,
simply to get big names on pay-per view once again.WWE have seen that Dolph
Ziggler vs Sheamus has run its course. Randy Orton has no part to play on the
roster now that his feud with Seth Rollins is over and Kane, well, what can we
do with Kane that doesn’t involve firing him and giving his spotlight to someone
younger and more deserving. The same could be said for Big Show further down the
card who will challenge Ryback for the Intercontinental Championship, but Big
Show has at least had some really good matches as where I cannot conjure up the
last time Kane thrived in a bout.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
this begs the question of whom should have been in the bout instead of these
participants. There are so many to choose from, whilst Roman Reigns, Neville
and Kofi Kingston are all wise choices. Though I get the feeling both of the
latter have been chosen solely to provide the memorable moments. Red Arrow from
the top of ladder anyone? I’m sure you have your own thoughts on who should
have been in this match instead of the four previously mentioned but with Roman
Reigns set to win the bout, then this is the Money in the Bank Ladder Match I
would have liked to have seen. Roman Reigns vs Neville vs Kofi Kingston vs Bray
Wyatt vs Wade Barrett vs Ryback vs Kevin Owens.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
last pick for many will be a contentious one because he’s still an NXT star,
but things have happened with Kevin Owens over the last few months which make
me believe he’s a jugganaught on the way to superstardom. You see, Kevin Owens
is going to be fed to John Cena once again at Money in the Bank and whilst I
have a horrible feeling WWE are going make Owens lose to Cena when he could gain
so much more by defeating him, Kevin Owens could have gained so much more
momentum by winning Money in the Bank and holding both the contract and the NXT
Championship. Just think about it as a storyline for a moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kevin
Owens, now a regular NXT star on Raw and Smackdown comes out week in and week
out to defeat the top stars on WWE’s roster. Siding himself with The Authority
but winning bouts clean in the middle of the ring, Kevin Owens as the Money in
the Bank winner goes on to Battleground, SummerSlam and Hell in a Cell to
defeat John Cena, Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar clean in the middle of the ring
whilst slowly supplanting Seth Rollins as Triple H’s pet project in The
Authority. And then all that built up tension between Rollins and Owens spills
over into who is the best wrestler. As Survivor Series approaches, Kevin Owens
tells Seth Rollins to prove his worth and instead of sneaking into claim the
title, cashes in-in advance and challenges Seth Rollins for the title at
Survivor Series where Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins would surely be the match of
the year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Brock Lesnar defeated and out of the picture and clean wins over the biggest
stars of the company, Kevin Owens would then also put his NXT Championship on
the line in a Champion vs Champion bout. It would be massive for NXT and WWE.
Pushing someone that new into the title picture that soon would bring about
millions more than the current plan. And then at Survivor Series, without
cheating or interference, Kevin Owens, after a stunning clash pins Seth Rollins
to lift both titles with his Pop-up Powerbomb. It would be the greatest moment
in two decades. Because NXT would rule the roost and holding both titles, Kevin
Owens could then safely drop the NXT Championship to Samoa Joe in 2016 and move
full time to the main roster.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Just
think about it. Just think about what it would do for NXT talent to defeat the
WWE World Heavyweight Champion for the NXT Championship. And even the knock on
effect. You’re looking at instant stars here. Because whoever defeated Samoa
Joe for the NXT Championship would be seen as the man who defeated the man who
defeated the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and so on. It would do wonders for
the business on every level and show that WWE has the future at heart. Once he’s
down to one title, Kevin Owens could have been one of the longest reigning
Champions on all time. People love him and this would have been a fool proof
plan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of
course, this could still happen. If Kevin Owens vs John Cena goes on before the
Money in the Bank ladder match and Kevin Owens wins the bout which he should,
then there would be nothing to stop WWE filming a quick angle backstage in
which Triple H rewards Owens for his efforts by entering him in the bout. Even
if this doesn’t happen, WWE could still initiate this storyline without the
Money in the Bank contract in Kevin Owens hand. It would be massive and pardon
the pun, but it would be money in the bank.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-10245357397095818542015-06-01T02:54:00.001-07:002015-06-01T02:54:34.884-07:00FIGHT OWENS FIGHT<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I know
that these blogs are usually up Wednesdays now, but the computer has to go in
for a short fix and I won’t get it back until next week. So you lucky people
have it early this week. And this time around, we’re going to take a short look
at the biggest decision of Elimination Chamber, Kevin Owens’ massive victory
over John Cena. Because let’s be honest, with the exception of Ryback’s
Intercontinental Championship victory, everything else whilst very good, was
ever so slightly predictable.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Kevin Owens walked down that aisle with the NXT Championship over his shoulder,
I began to believe that events wouldn’t go his way. After all, even the most
die hard John Cena fans can’t deny that the United States Champion has a
reputation of breaking careers rather than making them. I just couldn’t see John
Cena agreeing to lose to Kevin Owens and if he did, certainly not cleanly.
Should Kevin Owens triumph, then it certainly wouldn’t be cleanly in my mind.
How wrong was I for once? Well the answer to that would be very wrong. Because
not only did John Cena lose cleanly without Kevin Owens having to cheat, but
John Cena actually leant a hand in making his first ever star and for that he
has to be complimented. Because quite frankly, I never saw it coming.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was disheartened
by the reaction to Kevin Owens on the night from the WWE faithful, there were a
lot of them that didn’t seem to think Owens belonged in the same ring as Cena
and showed that. This is something we will come to in a moment. But first, I
would like to address the match itself. Clean, crisp and thoroughly engaging,
John Cena’s selling of Kevin Owen’s moves wasn’t brilliant and at times looked
laughable when he simply sprung up from moves which would have brought the
house down in NXT, but overall, I can’t fault John Cena for his commitment of
getting Kevin Owens over. It wasn’t only John Cena’s best match since Fastlane,
but it was also a genuine shock when Owens drove Cena into the canvas with his
Pop-Up-Powerbomb and covered him for the victory.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
not often you can say this about WWE, but this match provided a genuine shock.
And for that, everyone involved deserves a huge round of applause. None more
so, than Triple H. Because he stood up to Vince McMahon and quite rightly made
the WWE owner see that if Kevin Owens lost to John Cena, then it would have a
knock on effect to NXT and devaluate everyone Owens has ran through there. It
would have made them seems flimsy. But Triple H stood up for what he believed
in and it’s a sign of things to come when he takes the reigns. Maybe the future
does have a place under Triple H after all. He’s someone who can see that the
new blood need massive victories under their belt.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
onto two points which give me cause for concern. The first is the aforementioned
reaction to Kevin Owens, who received a worrying number of jeers from the
audience when he stepped into the ring against John Cena and even more so when
he pinned Cena to take the victory. It seemed as if John Cena’s fans and a
majority of the WWE Universe itself didn’t agree with the result, but I have to
ask myself why. Surely these people can see that the future has to be cemented
now and as much as those dim Cena fans wanted their idol to prevail they must
be able to see that this result is for the best? If John Cena had won, then it
would have severely hurt the future of this business. They need to get into
their heads that you can only rely on old hands for a certain time before a
change is needed.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second is the rematch at Money in the Bank. For me, this should have been a one
off for now. Kevin Owens vs John Cena should have been a special attraction for
Elimination Chamber only, a result which WWE used to propel Cena into another
storyline with this loss hanging above his head. It could have opened other
avenues for him in 2015, unable to get over the loss to a better talent. But
WWE are once again milking the cow dry and instead of saving this for another
year until Kevin Owens makes it to the main roster proper, WWE are preferring to
wheel it out now.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
the wrong decision. Because like WrestleMania after Fastlane, presumably it’s
been booked so John Cena can gain some revenge on Owens which isn’t going to do
the company or the NXT Champion any good at all. If Kevin Owens looses to John
Cena one week after beating him so brilliantly then it’s going to render
Elimination Chamber pointless and make Owens look like a flash in the pan. That
cannot be allowed to happen. WWE booked this, they’re going to have to swallow
their pride and do the unthinkable which is have John Cena lose twice in a row
to someone he would usually be permitted to defeat. Because if John Cena
defeats Kevin Owens at Money in the Bank then it’s going to need a third match
to decide the feud and we all know how that usually turns out.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
now though, Kevin Owens’ words after he defeated John Cena ring true. John Cena
is the past and his time should be over. The world now knows Kevin Owens is the
future and, fingers crossed, WWE are more bothered about the future than the
past. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-87119837776309145572015-05-27T01:46:00.000-07:002015-05-27T01:46:20.475-07:00SURVIVING THE ELIMINATION CHAMBER<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we
edge ever closer to Elimination Chamber, the only pay-per view to be solely
shown on the WWE Network, designed solely to draw people into the Network and
subscribe, this week we’ll look at some of the decisions which need to be made
on the night in order preserve the future of the industry and give them the
best possible chance. As regular readers will know, the traditional pay-per
view preview has been thrown to the cutting room floor as we prepare to end
this blog for good. That however is a few more weeks in the future so let’s
concentrate on the here and now.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
first point I would like to bring up, is the Elimination Chamber Match for the
WWE Tag Team Championships which seems like a really good idea. It’ll be the
first bout in Elimination Chamber history where tag teams compete in the
structure and though no one knows how it’ll work yet, I believe that the best
way to kick this off will be with a five way as one person from every team
begins in the ring with the other member of each team entering at five minute
intervals. I don’t believe that having two members crammed into a chamber and
then enter together would be productive. However, that isn’t my biggest gripe.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
brought this up because of those chosen to participate in the bout itself.
Tyson Kidd and Cesaro, The Ascension and Lucha Dragons I agree with. However,
could someone tell me how Los Matadores made it into this bout when they’ve
been as good as absent from the picture for as long as I can remember. The
artists formerly known as Primo and Epico and The Prime Time Players may have
had small parts to play on Raw and Smackdown but mainly have been regular features
on Superstars and Main Event. As far as I can see, they’ve had no part to play
in the title picture over the last few months and don’t deserve a place here.
WWE should have stuck with the running theme of this event and put a team from NXT
in the chamber and Damien Sandown and Curtis Axel.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ever
since Sandow split from The Miz, which I predicted would happen, he’s been
teaming with Curtis Axel as a Mega Powers tribute act. It’s not going to do
anything for their careers and they’re not going anywhere fast, but at least
they’re popular right now. More so than either Los Matadores or The Prime Time
Players who just make up the numbers in this bout. It’s a poor decision by WWE
and one which should be fixed as soon as possible. No one would complain if WE
axed either team from this bout for Sandow and Axel and it should be a decision
made on or before the night. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Either
way, I doubt it’ll matter. This bout has been set up to further The New Day vs
Tyson Kidd and Cesaro feud. The tag titles should be kept between these two
teams for the foreseeable future until Kidd and Cesaro take back the gold. With
The Usos due back in action any time now, this feud could turn into a gripping
triple threat in time for SummerSlam. That is something I will willingly pay
9.99 a month to see. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second point coming from Elimination Chamber is the Intercontinental
Championship bout which is suffering from the same hindrance as the tag team
title match. Namely, lack of meaningful participants. I agree with everyone in
the match apart from R-Truth. I wish someone in WWE would wake up and smell the
coffee where their roster is concerned. R-Truth is no longer a contender to the
title and should never have been mentioned within the confines of this bout.
There are so many more participants who could have used this bout to their
advantage and gained something from it such as Neville, Bray Wyatt and Luke
Harper. WWE should have seen this and rectified their mistake before announcing
to the public.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
sure we’d all have liked to see Bray Wyatt lift the Intercontinental
Championship at the end of the night or Adrian Neville hit the Red Arrow from
the top of a chamber. It’s just so annoying that WWE have put Truth in this
bout instead of someone who could have done something with the spot. I firmly predict
that Truth will be the first man eliminated in the bout but that doesn’t
matter, because there can be only one winner and his name is Rusev. If WWE want
Rusev’s career to flourish after the John Cena debacle where he lost three in a
row then Rusev needs to lift the title and have a long and meaningful run with
the gold. If he doesn’t then I don’t see any future for Rusev and he’ll go the
same way as everyone else John Cena has ruined.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">John Cena
vs Kevin Owens is one if not the most important match of the entire event. And
we all know why. Kevin Owens has been thrust into the main roster on a part time
basis so early in his career, that he cannot lose to John Cena in any shape or
form. WWE must get this correct if they don’t want to devalue NXT and its
Champion. One wrong move and Kevin Owens is going to find it difficult to
progress in WWE especially when he gets to the main roster full time. If Kevin
Owens submits to John Cena or is pinned after the Attitude Adjustment following
a devaluation of his arsenal then this match will be wholly pointless and only
exist to give John Cena a massive ego boost. In fact, this is true so much so
that there will be no point in WWE having any more NXT wrestlers challenging
Cena because it’ll be predictable how it’ll end.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
gives me hope that WWE have made this a non-title match because there’s no way
WWE would allow Kevin Owens to take the gold back to NXT and work a double
schedule. This should mean that John Cena has nothing to lose and everything to
gain with a loss, putting over a man who has been hand picked to take his
throne. If Kevin Owens pins John Cena following a beating and a Powerbomb then
it will mean so much for his career and go a long way to making amends for what
WWE allowed Cena to do with Rusev over the last few months. Kevin Owens could
use this victory to springboard him to better things as NXT Champion and onto
his feud with Finn Balor and Samoa Joe which will be a marvel in the making. I
literally can’t wait for Kevin Owens vs Samoa Joe. It’ll be massive.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the
other hand, what could John Cena possibly gain from defeating someone looking
to make his name? Another notch on his belt which he doesn’t need isn’t a good
reason to ruin a brand new talent. WWE have to get this correct, otherwise they
may not only hurt a brand new talent but they could lose a lot of viewers in
the process. There a lot of people who love Kevin Owens and want to see him
succeed. This is one of those times WWE are going to have to swallow their
pride and accept defeat, or they may find a down turn in viewership and that
would disastrous for NXT and the future of their business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-88986486061386738272015-05-20T03:15:00.000-07:002015-05-20T03:15:08.278-07:00THE PAYBACK OF PAYBACK<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
week, we’re going to take a brief look at the results of WWE Payback and what
they mean for the company. So let’s crack on with this week’s musings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
first of our subjects is what transpired at Payback this past Sunday. For those
who didn’t see the event, which I know won’t be many of you now the WWE Network
seems to be running just fine on almost every device, then it was once again a
worthy event. In fact, it was the third enjoyable WWE pay-per view in as many
months with last stinker being Fast Lane in February. However, several things
stood out for me at Payback which could do with addressing further down the
line. The first was the WWE Tag Team Championships which were contested in a
thrilling two out of three falls out between The New Day and Tyson Kidd and
Cesaro. Now, those who have been regular readers of this blog will know my thoughts
on The New Day and even more so on them taking the titles from Kidd and Cesaro
at Extreme Rules.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wasn’t
a huge fan of The New Day for the longest of times when they formed. Why you
may ask. Well the truth is that it looked as if WWE had cobbled together three
men who meant nothing to the company anymore just to keep them in the
spotlight. Xavier Woods was as good as heading for the exit door, he was
present that little in the company and the last thing I remember him doing of
any substance was losing comprehensively to Rusev in a two on one handicap
match at last year’s Extreme Rules. Big E’s career had stalled drastically
after being forced to submit twice to Rusev twice on pay-per view and Kofi
Kingston was so stagnant on the roster that he’d been crying out for a makeover
for at least three years. It really did seem as if WWE were scraping the barrel
for ideas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
since capturing the tag titles at Extreme Rules last month, I have revised my
opinion of the trio as have WWE. You see, they’ve been thoroughly excellent in
matches with Kidd and Cesaro and even been given the honour defeating Roman
Reigns and Randy Orton in tag team matches on Raw. This is huge for The New Day
who I am now convinced can do excellent things if WWE keep them relevant and
pit them against teams who can get a great match out of them. Kingston and Big
E will defend the titles inside the Elimination Chamber and should they hang
onto the gold then, without wishing to use the pun, it really could be a new
day for WWE’s doubles division.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second thing to come out of Payback was just how sparse WWE’s divas division is
getting. With A.J retired and Paige gone for the foreseeable future to take up
a role as trainer on Tough Enough, Nikki Bella is really struggling for
challengers to her throne. Which is why WWE should either give Naomi a decent
shot at the gold as she seems to be Champion elect or bring up some new talent
from NXT. Right now, the prime choice would be Charlotte, who is beginning to
tread water in NXT.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
those who have watched NXT over the past year, Charlotte has done some amazing
things inside the ring with women like Sasha Banks and Natalya so it’s only
right WWE bump her up the ranks to their main roster. Charlotte may actually be
able to have to gripping bouts with Nikki Bella, Naomi and Natalya should WWE
give her the time she needs in the ring. If Triple H were to oversee the divas
division then it could be a tremendous part of WWE’s product, because the man
knows the talents of his women and knows the time it will take for them to get
over in the ring. Like Kevin Owens vs John Cena at Elimination Chamber, if
Triple H were to convince Vince McMahon to allow Charlotte to make her main
roster debut against Nikki Bella on pay-per view then it could be massive for
her career.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
that leaves the quandary which is Naomi. The real life Trinity is a beautiful
girl and a hell of a wrestler, there’s no doubt about that. But there’s the
question of whether she can withstand WWE’s usual treatment of its female
stars. Naomi isn’t a star yet but could be if WWE give her a long and involved
run with the title. This however would be a result of the audience’s reaction
to her on a weekly basis. If Nikki Bella was to lose the title, there’s no guarantee
Naomi would be accepted as Champion without good reason. Which is why I’m
suggesting WWE delay the switch for two months until SummerSlam, have Naomi
defeat some reputable divas by pinfall and then by the time she gets to the
title match, she’ll be good to go.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
biggest thing to come out of Payback however, is the announcement that NXT
Champion, or at least he is as I write this before tonight’s NXT pay-per view,
will challenge John Cena at Elimination Chamber in a non-title match. Now, I
know what you’re all thinking. It’s what I was thinking when it was announced
on Raw. But this could be massive for NXT and Kevin Owens. It could also be a
turning point for John Cena. You see, John Cena has made his last few weeks
about fighting younger, up and coming stars. He disrespected Sami Zayne in a
really good bout by not selling his moves properly and did the same to Neville
but rightly lost via disqualification. Now, on pay-per view, WWE cannot allow
John Cena to do this and neither can they have him devalue their brightest NXT star.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kevin
Owens is awesome. We all know that. His NXT run has been so good that he’s the
natural born successor to John Cena’s throne. However, he has to get over this
hurdle first. John Cena would be respected the world over by wrestling fans if
he lost clean in the middle of the ring to Kevin Owens at Elimination Chamber.
Cena has won the last three pay-per view bouts, it’s time he lost one and made
up for the damage he did to Rusev. If Kevin Owens was to defeat John Cena as he
should, then it opens up an avenue down the line when John Cena predictably
regains the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. You see, Kevin Owens will be
NXT Champion for a very long time, it’s written in the stars. Which means WWE
could build Kevin Owens as the man John Cena cannot defeat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If
both were to clash off of this encounter in a title vs title match for the United
States or WWE World Heavyweight Championship then Kevin Owens could defeat John
Cena again, take his first main roster title and make the transition to the
main roster as easy as blinking. WWE cannot waste this opportunity and Triple H
needs to fight for his star. John Cena can only prosper from doing such a job,
anything less would diminish Owens and his reign and standing in NXT. This is
the time for John Cena to do the right thing and we know he’s capable of it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-50239151184434187832015-05-13T01:44:00.001-07:002015-05-13T01:44:13.827-07:00A LITTLE PAYBACK<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we
amble ever closer to the end of this blog, this week’s offering will take the
place of the usual pay-per view preview which has been a monthly staple of this
site since its inception three years ago. Those who read the Extreme Rules
preview will know that was that last one I was willing to write as we slowly
but surely take this blog off of life support and bring it to its natural
conclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, for now anyway, we
have a job to do and though there may not be a preview of Payback, we are going
to take a short look at the only two match announced for the event as of
writing this, which are Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins vs Randy Orton vs Roman
Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and John Cena vs Rusev in an
I Quit Match for the United States Championship.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We’ll
begin with the latter and though everyone knows my thoughts on another John
Cena vs Rusev bout, WWE feel that they need to bring it to its natural
conclusion after Rusev has been a complete write off after WrestleMania. But
then, what did WWE think would happen when they fed yet another promising
career to John Cena? Did Vince really believe that Cena would treat Rusev any
different to the rest of those he’s had a hand in ruining? Of course not. They
knew what would happen but booked themselves into a corner with the whole
American pride angle they conjured up for the feud. Had the company not made
this about national pride, then Rusev could have easily defeated John Cena at
WrestleMania and Extreme Rules, only to have this bout contested under
different rules which meant he could have escaped with his title and undefeated
streak still in tact. That would have been the clever thing to do. But then
this is John Cena we’re talking about, and WWE still believe that Cena will be
damaged by not winning a bout in a feud.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
mentioned before, WWE should have preserved Rusev for as long as possible. His
streak could have lasted well into 2016 and not come to an end until he lost
the WWE World Heavyweight Championship which it seems he will now struggle to
capture. But, do WWE have an ace up their sleeve to preserve Rusev’s image? I
think they do and it lays with Lana at ringside who I’m confident will turn on
Rusev at Payback and throw in the towel to preserve his image and standing
going forward. Rusev has now lost at two consecutive events and cleanly at
that. If WWE were to book controversy at the conclusion of this bout then it
may go some way to helping Rusev carry on after this feud is over.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
don’t quite know where Rusev vs Lana could go, though it would be a safe bet
that Lana would side with Rusev’s next foe or bring up a star from NXT to
oppose him, Baron Corbin maybe? If not, then there’s no life in the obvious
turn on its way. And it’s coming. All those times Rusev has mistreated Lana
over the last few months has made sure of that. It’ll be interesting to see
where Rusev goes from here. Whether WWE have the courage to do something mind
blowing with him after John Cena or whether they bury him in the mid-card and
forget he ever held a threat to everyone in the locker room. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whilst
we’re on the subject of this bout and John Cena, did anyone see how he treated
Sami Zayne on last week’s Raw? I watched in disbelief as John Cena paid Zayne
no respect whatsoever and just crushed him after permitting the challenger to
kick out of his Attitude Adjustment. For those who missed it, Sami Zayne leapt
through the bottom turnbuckle to hit a sumptuous swinging DDT on the matting
outside the ring only for John Cena to leap back up and hit him with a second
Attitude Adjustment seconds later. It made Zayn seem weak and not up the
challenge at this level. If you’re keeping count, that’s two NXT stars John
Cena has now ruined. These guys and girls are meant to be the next generation
of star. Not cannon fodder for John Cena to run thought when he’s been through
everyone else on the main roster.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Seth
Rollins is in trouble as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Every week since he
won the gold at WrestleMania, Rollins has been either defeated or humiliated on
Raw and Smackdown. It’s simply not good enough. WWE have advertised Seth
Rollins on their November UK tour as Champion which means he’ll be the man
around these parts for the foreseeable future. He’ll overcome the challenge
which awaits him at Payback and also Brock Lesnar in the summer. But how much
will all that mean if WWE don’t push him as the biggest star in their company?
There’s no way we’re going to buy into him for that long if Rollins is kept
down by men like Randy Orton and Roman Reigns.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
almost seems like a joke by WWE now. Bury the new talent that fans want to see
and then they can turn around and say we know nothing, and that they were right
all along. But this is business now, Rollins is the future of the industry and
what message does it send out if the company he represents is continuously
trashes him weekly? The perfect set-up for Payback would have been to have Dean
Ambrose qualify one week previous and then allow Seth Rollins to defeat Randy
Orton and Roman Reigns in singles competition in one night, without help. That
would have stood him in good stead with the fans and proved he was a force to
be reckoned with. Instead, J and J Security have been there at Seth’s beck and
call to aid him and he really doesn’t look like a capable Champion.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
after Payback, Seth Rollins will move on to pastures new and begin a new war
with Kane as has been signposted for weeks now with the Big Red Machine working
against Rollins and The Authority. Though it may have happened before you read
this, when Triple H and Stephanie return to WWE television they will turn on
Kane and expel him from their side. This will cause Kane to put back on his
mask and vest, which is for the best because I don’t know if I can stare at
that body much longer, and battle against those who have wronged him. Of
course, this also means Kane back in the main event once again whilst Dean
Ambrose, Randy Orton and Roman Reigns fight it out amongst themselves for a
number one contendership, but if it’s a means to an end and a bridge to
something better then we put up with it for a month or two.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
I end this week’s musings, I would just like to mention the man everyone is
overlooking in this scenario and that’s Dean Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe isn’t
the first candidate that would come to mind when mentioning a replacement for
Seth Rollins, simply because of the way his former Shield partner has been
treated as Champion. But fans have taken to Dean Ambrose more so than they have
Rollins or Reigns it would seem. So, I’m not saying this will happen, but if
WWE decided that they wanted to shock the world this weekend then there’s a
stark possibility that Dean Ambrose could leave Sunday night as WWE World
Heavyweight Champion. It’s not likely right now, but just ask yourself why WWE have
put him in this situation when it would have been easier for them to book
Ambrose vs Luke Harper in a Steel Cage Match or another stipulation bout.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
is Payback, maybe WWE are going to take it literally and give us what we want.
A WWE World Heavyweight Champion we can finally believe in.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-65360130765704017942015-05-06T14:50:00.001-07:002015-05-06T14:50:32.900-07:00KINGS AND DEMONS<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
this week’s blog, we’re going to look at two happening which went on through
the WWE Universe this week. Each as different as the other. I will say that the
last one on the agenda transpired on the WWE Network, which I have now gotten
to work on my Xbox 360. However, just because I can now access NXT and
everything on the Network, it hasn’t changed my mind about bringing this blog
to an end over the coming months. Sometimes, things end and that’s how it has
to go.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
first item on the agenda this week is a certain absence from WWE which most of
you will have noticed if you watched Extreme Rules last Sunday. Originally
meant to be Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett for the WWE Intercontinental
Championship, rumours had been circulating the WWE Universe in the days prior
to the event that Bryan wouldn’t make it to the Allstate Arena in Chicago
because of an mystery illness which had kept him out of action. From what I
read before Extreme Rules, it was touch and go and the wrestling world seemed
geninually worried about Bryan. Naturally, your Wrestling God passed it off as
an excuse to cover for an injury Bryan had sustained on Raw or Smackdown. I believed
it would be a heat builder for Bad News Barrett when he refused to stop wailing
away on Bryan in the match itself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
whole thing stunk of a set-up, to add more believability to the Daniel Bryan
character. Over the last few months, there have been some rebellious members of
the WWE Universe who haven’t taken to the Yes Movement as they did last year.
When Daniel Bryan was seen to be possibly added to the WrestleMania main event
in his feud with Roman Reigns, some fans actually booed him. It was noticeable
at WrestleMania as well. In short, the message from fans to WWE was that they
were pushing the Daniel Bryan pity party too far and having him try to crash
other people’s spotlight wasn’t what they wanted to see from the man who made
it big one year previous, thanks to working for his fame instead of trying to
steal it from someone else.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
that in mind, WWE had to do something to make Daniel Bryan seem the underdog
again. After all, that’s part of the reason we fell in love with him in the
first place. He could have been us. Anyone reading this blog who has been held
back because of other people. That was the appeal. What WWE did with him in the
pre-WrestleMania season was just stupid. Hence the belief that Daniel Bryan’s
latest ailment was a storyline set-up so Wade Barrett could look like the
merciless son of a bitch when he concentrated on the injury or illness in their
bout. But I was wrong. When Daniel Bryan failed to appear at Extreme Rules as
advertised, I suddenly realised that the illness and or injury was serious. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I
write this, it’s not been brought to light exactly what is wrong with Daniel
Bryan but there’s always the possibility that he could be back in action as you
read this. But by the sound of it, I doubt that will happen. Bryan is sicker
than anyone first thought which means he may have to forfeit the WWE
Intercontinental Championship. I was thinking about this the other day and
suddenly came to realise that Daniel Bryan has had some really bad luck after
WrestleMania’s in the previous couple of years. Last year at WrestleMania XXX,
Bryan bested Randy Orton and Batista to capture the WWE World Heavyweight
Champion. Days later, Bryan came down with a serious broken neck which he
managed to carry on with until after Extreme Rules. Following the event, Bryan
was withdrawn from television and forced to undergo neck surgery which not only
kept him out for the majority of 2014 but also ensured he had to forfeit the
WWE World Heavyweight Championship.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s
no doubt it was a disappointing end to his journey, but when the devil pisses
in your kettle then there’s not much you can do. This year, Bryan and his
millions of fans believed things would be different. Seemingly with no injury
going into the event, Daniel Bryan captured the WWE Intercontinental
Championship in a brilliant Ladder Match. And then weeks after lifting the
title, once again Bryan is stuck down by a mystery illness which if it goes on
much longer means he’ll have to forfeit his latest piece of gold also. Daniel
Bryan has had some terrible luck after WrestleMania events. It make me wonder
if there’s a curse hanging over his head. It doesn’t matter how well he does on
the grandest stage of them all, he’s cursed with bad luck following.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whatever
his ailment, I’m sure you’ll all join me in wishing him a speedy recovery.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
last thing on the agenda this week is a return to WWE. Not of a wrestler or
someone we love, but rather something which has been missing from the product
for way too long. I am of course talking about the King of the Ring tournament
which made a welcome return this week on the WWE Network. First sprung upon us
at Extreme Rules, I was a little sad to see that the qualifying rounds were
held the previous night on Raw with just the semi-finals and final on the WWE
Network. WWE could have done so much with the return of the event that I
believe whilst what we were given was a bonus, the company also dropped the
ball here.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Years
ago, King of the Ring was a staple of WWE. It was one of the big five events of
the year. Yes, it dwindled away with a new century and the company attempted to
resurrect it on Raw over the years, but I don’t believe there’s ever been a
better chance to bring it back to pay-per view than 2015. There are so many
wrestlers who need elevating that a great showing on a King of the Ring pay-per
view could have been the making of men like Neville. Would we really have
moaned had WWE done away with Payback or Battleground in order to stage the
first King of the Ring pay-per view in thirteen years? No, of course not. Also,
what better way to keep those viewers who only tuned in for WrestleMania than
to give them back that nostalgic feeling with King of the Ring?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Had
WWE scrapped one of the aforementioned pay-per view events in favour of a return
for the tournament, then they could have began hyping it at WrestleMania with
both promos as well as the first qualifying match on the card. Those lapsed
fans who only watch WrestleMania for the nostalgic feeling would have been
intrigued as to the return of an old favourite, and a qualifying match at
WrestleMania would have signalled intent that WWE were taking it seriously.
This course of action would have forced those lapsed fans who were interested
into watching Raw and Smackdown and Extreme Rules to keep up with the product
in the run in to King of the Ring. Those two months, WWE could have provided
the lapsed fans with killer material keeping them with the company once again
after the event had finished. It was a fool proof plan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead,
we were given a thrown together event which may have been good in the ring but
was a huge missed opportunity. Next year, WWE must restore King of the Ring to
pay-per view with the quarter finals also being held on the card. This is what
made the tournament great and would again if WWE concentrated on the event
itself instead of its main event. Restoring this event, King of the Ring could
be the making of younger stars looking to make a name for themselves in WWE.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As for
this year, Bad News Barrett reigned as King on the show defeating Neville in
the final. For those who didn’t see it, it was a really good outing which
Neville should have won seeing as he’s new to WWE’s main roster. I feel like
Bad News Barrett has done everything he can in WWE and whilst a royal gimmick
may help him out, it would have done much more for Neville who I believe would
have been better staying in NXT. The guy is a hell of a talent, but he’s too
small and too different for Vince McMahon to take seriously. Sometimes, we have
to be thankful for what we have. And in NXT, Neville had it made.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-87974673412372164372015-04-28T14:40:00.000-07:002015-04-28T14:40:23.803-07:00RETURNS AND RELEASES<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
this week’s blog, we are going to take a short look at three subjects which
have revolved the wrestling world this past week. With no more regular weekly
blog to give you, then this will be a regular occurrence until the time comes
for us to finally say goodbye. So, without wasting any one else’s time, let’s
crack on with the first subject.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First
up this week, is the issue of a former WWE and WCW star who has announced his
return to the squared circle. I am of course talking about Bill Goldberg, who this
week announced to a television station that he would once again strap up his
boots and return to a wrestling ring. It was a surprise announcement for
Goldberg, simply because when he left the industry after a soul destroying run
in WWE in 2004, Goldberg made it clear that he was done with wrestling once and
for all. And who could have blamed him eleven years ago? Once a noted name in
the business, Goldberg had come to WWE in 2003 in order to add to his legend.
What he actually got, was a series of meaningless feuds which only devaluated
what he’d already done.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Expecting
feuds with the likes of The Undertaker, Goldberg was first fed The Rock in the
latter’s final long stint with the promotion for nearly ten years. Goldberg vs
The Rock culminated in one of the most disappointing main event matches in a
decade at Backlash 2003, but it wasn’t all bad news for Goldberg who swiftly
moved onto a more promising endeavour with Chris Jericho. His feud with Y2J
wasn’t completely awful, but Goldberg refused to treat Jericho with the respect
he’d earned in the company and therefore never took him seriously as a rival.
And then, we wee presented with Goldberg vs Triple H, the lengthily main event
feud over the World Heavyweight Championship which Goldberg had been hoping
for.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh
dear, is the only thing I can really say about the pair’s coming together.
Though it may have looked promising on the outside, what the pair delivered in
the ring was less than satisfactory. This was due to a number of things. The
biggest being that as the feud came around, Triple H was carrying a legitimate
groin injury which meant he was limited in the ring. Not many fans cried when
the feud ended for the simple fact that it was the pits, but a more promising
feud awaited him with Brock Lesnar. It was something which the wrestling world
stood up in their droves for.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As two
massive behemoths of the industry who were heading for the exit door at the
exact same time, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar should have been massive to leave
the fans with something to remember. The build up was dross and the bout at
WrestleMania XX was unsightly to the point where almost nothing happened.
Neither man could be bothered to put on a show on their final night with the
company and so phoned in their performances. More than his foe, Goldberg
received the measure of flack for this and swore that he was done with the
business for good. And why not? He’d made his mark and his money; there was
nothing left for Goldberg to do in professional wrestling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
this latest announcement is somewhat of a shock. Not least because Goldberg ahs
promised that he will not return to the WWE. So who does that leave? Does
Goldberg really want to give his career to TNA who would struggle to inform him
anyway? I know I wouldn’t. Ring of Honor is no place for a legend such as
Goldberg which leaves Japan. New Japan Pro Wrestling could do something with
Bill if he’s willing to put over some of their new talent before capturing
their top prize. But I doubt that will happen. You see, Goldberg has an ego.
Just like others in wrestling, he believes he’s too good to lose to younger
talent and that they should be doing the job for him. If Goldberg is going to
Japan, then he needs to revise his attitude before the audience cast him out. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Could
this be a ruse by Goldberg to attract interest by WWE again? He may have
promised to never go back, but should they offer him the same contract they
offered Brock Lesnar and Sting, then can he really resist eight million dollars
per year for a handful of appearances? The answer of course is no. I believe
that Goldberg wants one last memorable run on his own terms before he steps
down. The only real place he’s going to get that is WWE. To attract interest in
him once again, Bill Goldberg hopes to thrive elsewhere before the WWE agents
come calling.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second subject this week is one of Bray Wyatt and those cryptic messages he’s
been sending out on Raw since WrestleMania. I doubt I’m alone in the assertion
that Wyatt should have defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania; it would have
done wonders for his career. However, it seems that WWE are more bothered about
pushing old stars than new ones once again and Bray fell in a decent outing.
But the question has risen since then, of whom the cryptic messages are aimed at.
Well, if you’re one of the people asking that question then I’m afraid you’re
going to be underwhelmed by the answer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead
of pitting Bray Wyatt against someone stature enhancing within the company, I
can reveal that Bray Wyatt’s messages are for Ryback. The man he will initiate
his next feud with after Extreme Rules. So let’s get this straight. After
losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania, WWE believe that the way to get Bray
Wyatt back into a main position on the card is to have him wage war against
Ryback. A man who could be huge in 2015 if the company stopped jobbing him to
anyone and everyone. Can the person who booked this step forward and please
receive a slap by everyone who reads this blog? You complete and utter retard.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whilst
Bray Wyatt vs Ryback may be a decent outing when it hits the ring, I doubt very
much the pair will be able to pull anything meaningful out of the hat. With
this, it just affirms that WWE have lost interest in Wyatt and are scraping the
bottom of the barrel as far as something to do with him is concerned. Can Bray
Wyatt make it big in WWE now? If so, it’s going to take a lot of work which the
promotion don’t seem to want to put in.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
finally this week, news has reached your Wrestling God that WWE have released
five NXT talents from their roster. Those departed haven’t been taken from the
main NXT roster, thankfully but are those in development looking to move up to
the roster. This is a dumb move. Especially when there are so many more
deserving of the sack on WWE’s main roster who would have saved WWE even more
money. I think it’s time WWE got their priorities straight. Releasing brand new
untapped talent and keeping the ineffectual old faces just isn’t going to cut
it in 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-85291473162360451062015-04-23T04:06:00.004-07:002015-04-23T04:06:33.829-07:00EXTREME RULES 2015 - THE BEGINNING OF THE END<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And so
here we are once again, in the first real fallout of WrestleMania WWE present
us with their annual hardcore spectacle where every match is meant to have a
stipulation tagged to it in order to draw in more viewers in the
post-WrestleMania period. In recent years, Extreme Rules has been the jewel in
WWE’s crown, always providing value for money before the quality takes a dip
and we’re presented with several mediocre events for our money.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
year, we have a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion and new WWE Intercontinental
Champion not to mention the title changes which hopefully will take place at
this event. I would just like to add however, that Extreme Rules 2015 marks
another history note in this blog. If you’ve been reading regularly then you’ll
know that little by little, I will be closing this blog over the next two
months. This will be the final pay-per view preview as I continue to take this
blog off of life support, so enjoy because it’s been a hell of a ride.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
would like to add however, that this isn’t the final blog. We will continue
until my obligations have been met and once this blog does close you will be
notified with one final farewell blog.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So,
for the last time, from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois on April 26th
2015, this is WWE Extreme Rules 2015.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Steel Cage Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE World Heavyweight
Championship Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c) Seth Rollins vs Randy Orton</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yq55IsD7vhc/VTjP2_g5qPI/AAAAAAAADu0/DAVDiwnLadY/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_RollinsOrton.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yq55IsD7vhc/VTjP2_g5qPI/AAAAAAAADu0/DAVDiwnLadY/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_RollinsOrton.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like
every other wrestling fan who watched WrestleMania 31 on March 29th, I was
hoping that Roman Reigns would not leave the event with the WWE World
Heavyweight Championship around his waist. You see, despite the fact that I
predicted him to win the bout in my preview; I did also say that I wasn’t
convinced that either he or Brock Lesnar would walk out champion. And I was
right. However, without wanting to be party pooper or spoil sport, we could all
see this coming when Brock Lesnar broke a thoroughly unprofessional Roman
Reigns on the night in question. I won’t go into Roman Reigns performance
again, at least not here. If he’s announced for this event which he will be
then we’ll take a look at it in his match preview, this space is reserved for
champions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the first time in many years, I was on the edge of my seat when Seth Rollins’
music hit and he ran to the ring to cash in the briefcase which he has been
carrying around with him for too long. I could feel the company touching the
face of a new era or new stars. An era the likes of John Cena and The
Undertaker no longer believe in and it was about time as well. I would have
understood had WWE kept the title around Brock Lesnar’s waist and indeed Seth
Rollins will retain the title until SummerSlam at least when he fight Brock
Lesnar in what will surely be an eagerly anticipated rematch. However, until we
get there, Randy Orton’s challenge for the gold will be a much welcome
distraction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Seth
Rollins vs Randy Orton at WrestleMania 31 was utterly brilliant. One of the
matches of the entire night thanks to both men being willing to put on a show.
Seth Rollins was keen because he knew what he was booked to do later in the
night and Randy Orton, in the knowledge that he would be the number one
contender was eager to put on a show. And they didn’t disappoint. If we can get
a replay of that with a different outcome at Extreme Rules then it will tear down
the house. The ending of their WrestleMania 31 bout was stunning in every sense
I’m sure you’ll agree. I don’t know how long WWE can drag this feud out for,
but it’s either going to be until SummerSlam or in some shape or form for the
rest of the year with Roman Reigns involved in triple threat bouts at Payback
and beyond.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
this blog nears its conclusion and the end of its natural life almost four
years after it first opened, I am genuinely excited about the future of this
company and the future of wrestling on the whole. It’s a wonderful thing to see
the future overtake the past and though John Cena is holding that back as much
as he can with Rusev, Seth Rollins has to be the man WWE invest in. It was
going to be Roman Reigns, but that is at least another year away now as those
who predicted his failure are grinning all over their faces. However, Randy
Orton will not be the making of Seth Rollins and even though Rollins will not
lose a Championship match in this feud it will be August when he really comes
into his own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Brock Lesnar now gone from the company until SummerSlam, WWE are banking on a
Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar rematch for the biggest event of the summer. That
is what the Royal Rumble was all about, that is what the tangle after WrestleMania
was for and it should be the making of Seth Rollins as a star. All WWE have to
do is build Rollins well and not make him out to be a coward and then when he
goes over Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam he will rocket into the stratosphere. I
boldly predict a long and successful reign for Seth Rollins in 2015; in fact I
can’t see him losing the title until WrestleMania 32 when he will drop it to
Roman Reigns. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Seth Rollins handpicked as Triple H’s real life pet, the opportunities for him
are endless. With the right treatment, Seth Rollins could be the man to
overtake C.M Punk’s epic title reign and go further if WWE want to make him a
star. It could be so good, if the company can just see their way past making
their heels cowards. This isn’t 1992 anymore, we’re not stupid. We know heels
can be powerful and unbeatable without running from every challenge like a
wimp. Make Seth Rollins the first in many years to be this. Though I can see
Vince McMahon objecting to a Seth Rollins long title reign, after all, like
Daniel Bryan before him, Rollins is just the next in a long line of wrestlers
to come who have fought on the independent circuit and now reign as WWE World
Heavyweight Champion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s a
new day in WWE and in professional wrestling as a whole. The youth movement is
upon us, the time is now and after years of bitching and complaining we should
be looking forward to what is to come. Because it’s going to be epic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction: Seth
Rollins</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Russian Chain Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE United States Championship
Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c) John Cena vs Rusev</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jK7ZTqJ1Agk/VTjP1nqFBbI/AAAAAAAADuo/JnDfJhu2URs/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_CenaRusev.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jK7ZTqJ1Agk/VTjP1nqFBbI/AAAAAAAADuo/JnDfJhu2URs/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_CenaRusev.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As far
as I’m concerned, I’ve made my feelings on this match clear. For me, it’s a
pointless bout which John Cena will inevitably triumph in. Why should I believe
anything else when John Cena was so selfish and lazy at WrestleMania? And
before you point out that he added another move to his arsenal with the
Springboard Stunner, I already know that. But one good move doesn’t make up for
putting a career back six months. But then should we have been surprised that
John Cena ended Rusev’s winning streak at WrestleMania? This is the man who has
never made one career in his time in WWE, but ruined countless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
see, WWE were onto a really good thing with Rusev. His undefeated streak didn’t
have to end for another year and with that behind him as well as his undeniable
skill between the ropes, ‘The Bulgarian Brute’ could have gone to the very top.
Yes, I agree that he had to lose the United States Championship before he went
any further but that could have been remedied by either stripping him of the
title after an attack on Cena or someone of note in the company. Rusev didn’t
have to be pinned to lose the gold and neither did he need to lose to John
Cena, but WWE booked themselves into a corner yet again and this is the result.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
WWE began to build this feud around patriotic glory, there was only way it was
going to end for Rusev and that was badly. Vince was never going to allow a
foreign star to upset America and especially against their top star. However,
had the feud been booked solely over the title then it could have been a
completely different outcome. Many won’t care, but this is how Rusev’s career
should have been booked from the beginning of the year. And we begin with the
Royal Rumble Match. In January, Rusev should have been one of the most dominant
figures in the Royal Rumble bout. He shouldn’t have been eliminated by Roman
Reigns and to begin his feud with John Cena, ideally the pair would have had a
confrontation before the match, Cena should have ran down and eliminated Rusev,
brawling to the back with him. That would have spared Rusev any blushes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During
the build up to their feud at Fast Lane, Rusev should once again have been
built as a dominant force. Attacking John Cena and making him his bitch for as
long as fans wanted to see it. Their bout at Fastlane was perfect so no need to
change that. At WrestleMania, Rusev should have once again defeated John Cena
to retain the US Championship in convincing fashion before beating him at
Extreme Rules to end their feud. Following three defeats, not only would John
Cena have had no business battling Rusev but he would have done something to
help make a career. And yes, he does have the power backstage to say that he
doesn’t think he should win a match. Vince will do anything to keep John Cena
happy as he’s proved already.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
WrestleMania, things would have inevitably slowed down for Rusev. With Seth
Rollins as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, that would be a given. But,
after Seth Rollins was done with Randy Orton it would have been a good idea to
have Orton battle Rusev and help further his image with losses on pay-per view.
To save his own image, Randy Orton would have had to defeat Rusev in tag team
matches by pinning his partner and looking strong in brawls but when it really
mattered he could have lost and handed Rusev a big boost. And then would come
SummerSlam where Rusev would have been inserted into the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship picture. Rusev would have been put into a triple threat match
against Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins which would slowly begin a face turn and
instead of lose the bout he would have no part to play in the outcome. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
SummerSlam, Rusev would tangle with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins before
winning the Royal Rumble Match and winning the gold at WrestleMania 32. You see
how it easy it is? Rusev’s undefeated streak wouldn’t last forever, but it
could last until August 2016 when he’s finally defeated by an up and coming
star to lose the title. A victory over a man who could seemingly not be
defeated would instantly make another star, someone from NXT could have really
benefited from this type of booking of Rusev.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
instead, WWE have stripped all the intrigue from one of their most important
and talented wrestlers. Now Rusev has lost once, who is going to care about
him? Especially when he loses to John Cena again here. By giving Rusev John
Cena, the company have all but taken away everything that was special about him
and even more ridiculously, they seem happy to sacrifice someone who could be a
massive star for someone who no longer needs the spotlight and someone who
could do better helping others take a step up the ladder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction: John Cena</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE Intercontinental
Championship Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c) Daniel Bryan vs Bad News
Barrett</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns1UL-S1RKM/VTjP1VGMllI/AAAAAAAADuk/zUfnwNi7rKY/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_DBBnB_HP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns1UL-S1RKM/VTjP1VGMllI/AAAAAAAADuk/zUfnwNi7rKY/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_DBBnB_HP.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
the right result at WrestleMania. Having Daniel Bryan win the WWE
Intercontinental Championship in the opening Ladder Match of the show. Let’s be
completely honest, who else in that match could have made the title mean
something again? Bad News Barrett had his chance and through a string of lousy
performances and bad booking he couldn’t make a dent in the effort it will take
to get the title back to where it once was. Other competitors such as Luke
Harper, Stardust, R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler and the rest had their opportunity but
went the same way as Barrett thanks to WWE not investing in them. The only
other prospect was Dean Ambrose, but seeing as WWE jobbed him to John Cena the
night after WrestleMania, it would have been a quick death for the title.</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Daniel
Bryan was the only man who had the backing of the booking team and will
continue to have. As Intercontinental Champion, Bryan won’t be jobbed to anyone
and everyone because fans won’t stand for it. Around his waist, the title has
the chance to once again become something stature enhancing. However, WWE will
have to resolve to keep the title on Bryan for at least seven months and have
him defend the gold against all comers and in gripping matches on pay-per view.
Thankfully, this should be the first of many unforgettable title defences on
the road to redemption. WWE have taken the insurance policy of putting their
smaller and more insignificant titles on bigger stars of late and it’s a
welcome strategy. Now both the Intercontinental and United States Championships
are around the waist of unshakable talents and former WWE World Heavyweight
Champions, surely the only way is up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
idea of putting both titles around the waist of stars that are seen as main
event talents is flawless. WWE are hoping that having the straps defended by
higher card talents in better positions other than the pre-shows will give
their image a boost. And it should. Because once its time for both men to lose
their respective titles, those lower card talents who finally beat Daniel Bryan
and John Cena will be given a massive boost the likes of which no other
recipient would normally be given. That has to be looked upon as something
positive even though many believe that it will damage the lower card wrestlers
who usually vie for the gold when they’re forced to lose to both men. That may
be true, but the positive far outweighs the negative.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do I
believe that Daniel Bryan and Bad News Barrett can contest a gripping rivalry
over the WWE Intercontinental Championship? Part of me wants to scream no,
because I don’t believe they will be given ample time in which to build a
gripping contest. However, I may be proved wrong and if they are given at least
fifteen minutes then the pair could produce something spectacular. You see, the
whole point of this exercise shouldn’t be to advance Daniel Bryan. He’s in a
position now where almost nothing could harm his image or standing with the
fans. The entire point of this bout should be to elevate Bad News Barrett and
help get him to the place he was at last year before going down with an injury.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
2014, Barrett was having excellent matches with mid-card talent and really
looked as if he could be a genuine contender for the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship before Roman Reigns. He has the looks, the height and the build
Vince McMahon prefers his top guys to have. He was making headway with the
Intercontinental Championship but then once again, bad luck struck and he was
shelved. His gimmick disappeared from television completely and instead of
booking him for non-wrestling television appearances once or twice a week in
order for the character to capitalize on the momentum he had, WWE allowed him
to disappear altogether and didn’t even give him the good grace of a hyped
return. It was an opportunity wasted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
though, WWE have a chance to make amends for messing up and in a big way. Bad
News Barrett can’t defeat Daniel Bryan at Extreme Rules because it would
devalue the title, changing hands so often. But if Barrett is allowed to look strong
in the bout and in their return war at Payback, then it would do wonders for
him. The trick is going to be not allowing Barrett to fade from the title
picture and adding to the feud as it goes along with Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler.
This could be the best spell of momentum for the WWE Intercontinental
Championship in years, let’s hope it turns into something which gives us back
that once legendary Championship.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Last Man Standing Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Roman Reigns vs Big Show</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2LRAmUa-1cA/VTjP2qAKYwI/AAAAAAAADvc/12VNubtGUeQ/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_ReignsBigShow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2LRAmUa-1cA/VTjP2qAKYwI/AAAAAAAADvc/12VNubtGUeQ/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_ReignsBigShow.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jK7ZTqJ1Agk/VTjP1nqFBbI/AAAAAAAADuo/JnDfJhu2URs/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_CenaRusev.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Out of
every match announced for Extreme Rules this year, Roman Reigns vs Big Show was
maybe the most predictable. Right from the very end of February when WWE began
to announce matches for their then upcoming tour of the UK with the pair
squaring off every night, it was clear how Roman Reigns’ WWE World Heavyweight
Championship Match was going to end and what he’d be preoccupied with after it
was over. I mean, this is 2015, it was either that or it meant Vince McMahon
was going to hand another main event spotlight to Big Show which no one wanted to
see. If this isn’t what it meant, then it would have had promoted a Roman
Reigns vs Seth Rollins feud for the tour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
many ways, out of every match to take place at Extreme Rules, this is the one
I’m looking forward to the least. Not because Roman Reigns will be trying extra
hard to make up for WrestleMania which he still hasn’t been reprimanded for or
because it will feature the Big Show in a position he should have relinquished
years ago. But because this has been done over and over again to the point that
we’re bored with it. Roman Reigns and Big Show have been doing this all over
the world and will bring out the exact same routine again at Extreme Rules,
with little differences to suit the match type. You see, this is a regular
practice with WWE house show events. Wrestlers fight each other every night
sticking to the same match layout because no one in the next town can prove
otherwise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
they get to pay-per view, they take that routine to the next level whilst
keeping to the basics because only those who attended in person can testify to
the fact they’ve seen this before. Those of us who didn’t attend the live
events in the UK or around the world will believe it’s a new layout for a new
show. However, maybe that’s best for Roman Reigns at the moment. With his
shoddy and unprofessional performance at WrestleMania 31 as well as his lack of
care or effort in the weeks following the event, Roman Reigns doesn’t seem to
be in the frame of mind to come up with anything for himself and neither would
I allow him to. I understand that Reigns was disappointed with his big
WrestleMania moment and that fans haven’t exactly taken to him thanks in part
to the stupid things he’s said, but there’s a right way and wrong way to deal
with it and this isn’t going to earn him any brownie points.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">History
is littered with numerous wrestlers who thought they were going straight to the
top and then never made it or had a brief spell in the mid-card when it failed
to materialise. But that doesn’t mean to say that he’ll never get there because
he will. It just so happens that Roman Reigns isn’t ready yet, but could take a
massive step forward at Extreme Rules. I’m unsure at the moment as to whether
Reigns will win this match because the extent of WWE’s punishment for him for WrestleMania
hasn’t been uncovered yet. But if Roman Reigns loses then it’s clear his
punishment has begun. However, Roman Reigns doesn’t a victory at Extreme Rules.
He only needs to put on an excellent showing which steals the night. It won’t
be easy with Big Show as his opponent, but it’s not impossible. If Alberto Del
Rio can do the job then so can Reigns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Without
a doubt, this will be an education for Roman Reigns. Unlike Brock Lesnar, he
now has an opponent who may not be a great wrestler but has the years of
experience in the business to help give him a leg up. Big Show can help
wrestlers look good if he doesn’t himself these days. Maybe that’s the best he
can hope for at this point in his career, twenty years after his debut. For
Roman Reigns, the path back to where he was at WrestleMania won’t be an easy
one. It’s going to be fraught with hurdles and detractors but he’s got the
looks and will have the talent by the time he gets there. It’s not going to be
easy. It’s going to take patience and a willingness to put on great matches
every week which is something Roman Reigns doesn’t have the want to do now. But
acting as he has been is only going to see him rile the audiences who will have
the final say on where his career ends. It’s about time Roman Reigns began to
give them what they wanted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction: Roman
Reigns</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE Divas Championship Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c) Nikki Bella vs Naomi</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
is it, you know. It has to be. For nearly five months we’ve been forced to
endure Nikki Bella as the WWE Divas Champion and it’s been a low spell for the
division. Whilst she’s a stunning woman as is her sister, Nikki Bella should
never have been allowed to carry the title because she’s weak in the ring and
hasn’t been allowed to do anything with it. I’m not saying this to get at Nikki
because she has done the best she can including adding to her arsenal. But the
fault here lies with WWE. The entire reason for making Nikki Bella Divas
Champion was to help expand the Bella brand and make them the John Cena of the
Divas division where merchandise was concerned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
that hasn’t happened for various reasons. The main one being that Paige is far
more popular with the fans. But this could have been so different. You see,
with the whole reason behind Nikki’s reign being to sell more merchandise and
add to the Bella brand, WWE have shown a complete lack of care. If you have a
specific target in mind then it stands to reason that you do everything you can
to help that cause. Instead, WWE have allowed Nikki to tread water and deprived
her of a gripping feud. By rights, her feud with Paige and A.J Lee should have
set the division on fire. Certainly, both her opponents had enough skill to
make up for what she lacked and Nikki’s own skill set which she has added to
admirably was enough to pull of several great outings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
that hasn’t happened. WWE have instead saddled those involved with little time
and no story and that has made for some terrible matches on pay-per view. I
watch Total Divas and I see how little interest WWE has in its female stars
when booking their matches or coming up with ideas for its female talent. This
has never been more evident than when the hopeless and seemingly lifeless Mark
Carrano is dealing with the women. For those of you who haven’t seen the
programme then this guy seems clueless. So much so that I’m beginning to wonder
why he even has a job with WWE when there are so many people who could his job
with their eyes closed. He doesn’t see WWE’s women as talent, just eye candy
and whilst this guy is in charge then the division is going nowhere. He looks
as if a goldfish could beat him in an IQ test.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nikki
Bella has been Divas Champion before and it didn’t work out well. Admittedly,
she was a worse wrestler back then to what she is now but with that in mind,
WWE should have provided her with every assistance they could have done. At the
Royal Rumble, The Bella Twins vs Paige and Natalya was dreadful. Nikki Bella vs
Paige at Fastlane was horrendous. The Bella Twins vs Paige and A.J Lee at
WrestleMania was a marked improvement but this has to be the end. Nikki Bella’s
time as Champion is over and now with A.J Lee retired Paige is surely the only
woman on the roster who can help mend the damage which has been done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once
Nikki loses the title, I don’t see what else The Bella Twins can do in WWE. There’s
only so many times Nikki can have a rematch before it becomes dull and so maybe
its time for The Bella Twins to take another break from the company. Let people
miss them before coming back. Either that, or have Nikki turn on Brie yet again
and try to steal Daniel Bryan in a storyline. Something has to be done with the
twins if they’re to stay around in the company. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As for
Naomi, Paige’s replacement is now in prime position to capture the WWE Divas
Championship after taking out the Brit on Raw. Though Paige’s replacement isn’t
the star she should be, maybe a reign with the gold will change all of that. I
know Naomi is still rough around the edges but she can be moulded into the
wrestler that WWE need her to be. Plus, why else would the company have booked
her in this bout if not to capture the title and then wage a war against Paige
once she returns. Though I originally wrote this section to include Page, I
endorse WWE’s decision of pushing someone else into the picture instead of
those who have occupied it since the turn of the year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Naomi
has so much raw potential. She was the stand out star when she teamed with
Cameron but WWE never allowed her to take it any further. This has to be her
time. Naomi is on the verge of a killer heel turn which she could play and
build on and which WWE could harvest into something unforgettable. Right now,
with the Divas Championship around her waist, Naomi could be the best heel diva
in the company. And it’s not every day WWE have that on their hands. They
should use it to their full advantage whilst it lasts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction: Naomi</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Kiss Me Arse Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Dolph Ziggler vs Sheamus</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KeYnNyE9i90/VTjP14sWr_I/AAAAAAAADuw/tLvPS52Rsro/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KeYnNyE9i90/VTjP14sWr_I/AAAAAAAADuw/tLvPS52Rsro/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is it
me, or does this bout just seem like a convenient way for WWE to bury Dolph
Ziggler even more and therefore try to prove to us that we’re cheering for the
wrong man? I know that sounds cynical of me, but ever since Sheamus returned to
WWE and attacked Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler, I just can’t help but the
shake the feeling that Dolph Ziggler is going to be used as an example once
again. Worse still, if Dolph Ziggler loses this match which I believe he will,
then WWE are basically saying to us that we can cheer for who we want but the
company don’t care what we think and will do as they want. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
the return of Sheamus, WWE have already stuck it to its fans by pushing someone
who has been injured and will no doubt be again, ahead of a man who has given
almost everything in pursuit of a push and still hasn’t received one. There’s
no justice in that and judging by the reaction to Sheamus both before and after
his return, fans have clearly lost interest in the Irishman and no longer wish
to see him in WWE. I know that the thought of a Sheamus match currently turns
me off especially when it’s as seemingly predictable as this one. I might be
completely wrong and Sheamus may be headed for a loss in order to extend this
feud, but judging by how WWE treated Ziggler when he battling Sheamus a few
years ago for the World Heavyweight Championship, I expect nothing else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since
his return to the company, Sheamus has made an impact and finally turned heel
which should have happened last year when he was United States Champion. His
new found attitude, beard design and hair cut shout heel at the top of their
voice but don’t necessarily make him the man who can elevate himself back to
the main event. You see, Sheamus has been chained by WWE and forbidden to show
what he can do in the ring. Last year as US Champion, Sheamus was ineffective
and his best bouts came against talent such as Cesaro with whom he had rousing
and brilliant brawls with. Apart from men who could match his skill, Sheamus
was stuck and looked bored. Whilst this new heel turn may have given him a new
lease of life and it shows, one has to question exactly how far it will take
him in 2015.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead
of a boring Kiss Me Arse Match which has been named for Sheamus’ sake and
designed for him to embarrass Ziggler, surely it would have been much better to
have Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler injected into the Intercontinental Championship
picture in order to keep up the image that more people wanted that title than the
company’s top prize. A fatal four way here fought under Ladder Match or Steel
Cage rules would have been massive and both men would have been able to add to
what Bryan and Barrett bring to the table. I would much rather have seen that
than this and I know all you would have done also.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
such a shame that WWE are wasting good talent like Sheamus and Ziggler on petty
and unimportant matches such as this. There’s so much better they could do
elsewhere. Whilst this feud is designed to help propel Sheamus back into the
main event picture, I find it hard to see where it’s going to leave Dolph
Ziggler. Right now, WWE plan to turn either Dolph Ziggler or Daniel Bryan heel
to initiate a summer feud between the pair over the Intercontinental
Championship. That’s a decent move on the promotion’s half, something needs to
be done with Ziggler before its too late, but how much weight will his
challenge carry if he’s forced to job to Sheamus on a weekly basis and on
pay-per view? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who in
their right mind is going to believe that Dolph Ziggler is still a challenger
if Sheamus runs him down without care? Unlike Roman Reigns, Dolph Ziggler needs
big victories because great performances aren’t going to do him any good,
anymore. Dolph Ziggler is looking like a man who has the good but can’t win the
big one again and that doesn’t lead to anywhere great. WWE cannot allow Dolph
Ziggler to fade away just to push a man no one wants to see. They deserve
nothing but criticism if that were to happen. And then they call kiss our arse
when they’re proved to be wrong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction: Sheamus</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Chicago Street Fight</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Dean Ambrose vs Luke Harper</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mF7beSab_ZA/VTjP3UvAFCI/AAAAAAAADu4/IXymnhssN70/s1600/20150420_EP_ExtremeRulesAmbrose_HOMEPAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mF7beSab_ZA/VTjP3UvAFCI/AAAAAAAADu4/IXymnhssN70/s1600/20150420_EP_ExtremeRulesAmbrose_HOMEPAGE.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
not going to spend too long on these final two bouts, for the sole purpose that
this week’s blog is nearly at an end and therefore so I am. The truth is, I
have better things to do as do you and I won’t be sorry to see this blog close
when it eventually does. However, that isn’t yet. Because Dean Ambrose’s career
has been on the slide ever since the turn of the year when he was booked to be
eliminated weakly in the Royal Rumble bout. He had such promise in the latter
stages of 2014, but since then it’s been all downhill for The Lunatic Fringe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Undoubtedly,
WrestleMania was the best thing Dean Ambrose did so far in 2015 and his
powerbomb through the ladder by Luke Harper was stunning even though it cut Ambrose’s
head open upon landing. Now, we can see why the move was booked for the bout,
all so the pair could build a match for Extreme Rules. The night after
WrestleMania, Dean Ambrose was handpicked to lose to John Cena and his
participation since then has been worthless. WWE were on a good thing with Dean
Ambrose but have thrown it all away for nothing. Right now, Ambrose isn’t in a
position to make his way to the main event and is in fact more a mid-card
player than he’s ever been. I don’t believe the sings are encouraging for
Ambrose and fail to see where he can go from here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Luke
Harper’s career has been almost identical to Dean Ambrose’s. After a string
2014 when he was ejected from The Wyatt Family, Harper was on a roll until the
Royal Rumble match when his participation passed without bother. He should have
been booked strong in January, but WWE were careless with him and the resultant
feud over the Intercontinental Championship did nothing for Harper either. He
was barely involved in the exchanges which saw the title stolen weekly. So what
did he get out of it? The answer is nothing and it was a complete waste of
time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t
quite know what Luke Harper will get out of this match with Dean Ambrose. It
may be gripping and the match of the night as far as we know but where’s it all
going to lead to? Neither man can profit from this bout or the victory they may
attain. Luke Harper would have been much better being booked in a feud with
Bray Wyatt than Dean Ambrose. Because right now, Dean Ambrose does not have the
image needed to elevate anyone. So all in all, this bout is a complete waste of
time, just booked for filler.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction: Dean
Ambrose</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Extreme Rules Kickoff Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE Tag Team Championship
Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c) Cesaro and Tyson Kidd vs
The New Day</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7narO6oHmjQ/VTjP3_z9eBI/AAAAAAAADu8/Xh5-H02cZ9o/s1600/20150420_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_Kickoff.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7narO6oHmjQ/VTjP3_z9eBI/AAAAAAAADu8/Xh5-H02cZ9o/s1600/20150420_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_Kickoff.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I knew
this would happen after The Usos lost the titles to Cesaro and Tyson Kidd. It
was inevitable. As where The Usos had a future with the titles, Tyson Kidd and
Cesaro were always going to be used as filler material. It happened at
WrestleMania and it will happen for as long as the company don’t care about
their doubles division or they have a tag team that they actually want to push.
I’m afraid that isn’t Cesaro and Kidd who are just biding time in the company
until either something excellent comes their way of they’re fired in the culls
still to come.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WWE
should be ashamed of themselves at what they’ve done to the doubles division,
especially after The Usos did so much good. It would seem as if the company
have put everything else above their doubles gold and left it to rot. After
all, why else would they voluntarily leave teams like The Ascension out of the
picture and keep pushing lost causes like The New Day? It doesn’t make sense
and WWE need to rectify this before too much damage is done, if it’s not too
late already.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t
see where the tag titles are going from here. They’re just too damage now.
Would WWE be better off scrapping them altogether? Maybe. Who would even know
or care that they’re gone? WWE haven’t invested in the gold in a long time and
just when it looks like something great may happen with it, nothing occurs and
everything goes back to the way it was. WWE have pushed their luck here as far
as it will go, now it’s time to put up or shut up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction: Cesaro and
Tyson Kidd</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And so
there it is. I won’t be completely sad about losing this article or having to
stop write it. In truth, it’s been a pain in my backside for months now, having
to take time out of my day to put words on paper especially when I feel like I’m
just repeating myself. With the end of this blog nigh, this article has been a
regular but now its over. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it and don’t forget, we’re
not gone yet. We will be around for weeks to come until the end finally dawns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns1UL-S1RKM/VTjP1VGMllI/AAAAAAAADuk/zUfnwNi7rKY/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_DBBnB_HP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KeYnNyE9i90/VTjP14sWr_I/AAAAAAAADuw/tLvPS52Rsro/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jK7ZTqJ1Agk/VTjP1nqFBbI/AAAAAAAADuo/JnDfJhu2URs/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_CenaRusev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yq55IsD7vhc/VTjP2_g5qPI/AAAAAAAADu0/DAVDiwnLadY/s1600/20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_RollinsOrton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mF7beSab_ZA/VTjP3UvAFCI/AAAAAAAADu4/IXymnhssN70/s1600/20150420_EP_ExtremeRulesAmbrose_HOMEPAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zlNOGoBeQjQ/VTjP4sob3uI/AAAAAAAADvA/tq5O1qFNNlA/s1600/Extreme_Rules_2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-50027799377127745202015-04-13T02:14:00.000-07:002015-04-13T02:14:07.663-07:00AN INTERVIEW WITH A WRITER<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
December 2013, I was contacted by reader of this blog and first time author
Matt Tennant who was in the process of writing a book named ‘A Love Letter to
the Mat: The Complete Story of Professional Wrestling on Pay-Per View Volume 1:
1985 – 1989’. Upon explaining the book to me and asking if I could include it
in Review Corner upon completion. I was hesitant at first; having read so many
inferior wrestling books in my time but relented eventually. Over the course of
the last year I have been reading each chapter of the book as it became
completed in order to bring it to you in a comprehensive Review Corner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Spotting
an opportunity to add something new to this blog, I hit upon the idea of
interviewing said author about the book and his experiences in professional
wrestling the result now sits in front of your very eyes. Matt Tennant was keen
also; as it meant free publicity for the book which he is self publishing. I
have to say before you scroll down to read, this interview turned out better
than I could ever have hoped. More than just a topical look at wrestling today,
it really gets to the heart of the author and actor who has many forthright
opinions on everything he’s involved in and more. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
interview was conducted across a live email web chat, so read on to find out
about one of the most anticipated wrestling books to hit the market in decades,
Matt Tennant’s opinion on professional wrestling in the present day as well as
his thoughts on television today and just how and why we got in a debate about
Doctor Who and Tennant’s dream to one day step about the Tardis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NOTE:
because this blog is so long, it will be up for 2 weeks.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WG:
Firstly, welcome to the blog. I think my readers would like to know what
possessed you to contact me to review your first piece of work? After all, I
have been criticized as having a very strong opinion even by my own readers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MT: Of which I’m one. And thank you for having me, if you’d have
told me when I began writing this book in 2013 that I would be doing interviews
about it here and there I’d have laughed in your face and called the funny farm
to come and take you away. What really urged me to contact you when I began
this process were the reasons you mentioned above. Your strong opinion! Writers
and indeed actors, which I also am even though nothing has taken off for me
yet, are very insecure people. We either all want to be loved or know why we’re
not by people who criticize us. As a long time reader of your blog I knew I’d
get that from you. If you liked it then I knew others would trust your opinion
and if you didn’t, I also knew that you’d give a reason why. I have contacted
wrestling magazines for them to review it also but they want hundreds of pounds
for advertising also which as a new writer I just don’t have. I am trying to
save and raise the money for a month spread which will cost about £450 but it’s
not guaranteed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Did
it annoy you that other books from other people get reviewed in wrestling
magazines and in particular the wrestling magazine we’re not allowed to mention
for legal reasons, but you couldn’t get yours into their pages?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh, immensely. But this is nothing new. I’ve written many scripts
for television which I have been told are great, but because I’m a new writer I
can’t get them commissioned. So I’ve encountered this type of prejudice before.
Its water off a duck’s back now but it still grates on your nerves that when
you pick up a wrestling magazine and see books by other people reviewed in
there who haven’t paid for advertising when you’ve been personally told that
you can’t get your own on their pages without paying money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, I contacted other writers who have done
the same thing as me in self-publishing wrestling books and whilst they
originally said they would put the book on their site, when it came to it, they
didn’t want the competition and went back on their word.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why
is that do you think?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s all to do with new writers and in the book I mention ‘New
Writer Syndrome’ which I believe exists even though people you approach with
your work completely deny it. Even though they can see you have talent which
would get better with their help and input they’re adamant and they can’t find
anything about your work to criticize, they still believe that new writers
won’t be as good as known writers. Known writers who I don’t believe are coming
up with the goods any longer. It’s immensely frustrating every time I see a new
drama commissioned because I know that should be me up there, but because it
seems no one in the industry has any balls to take a chance anymore it’s a
continuous uphill battle to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the most ridiculous thing’s I’ve ever heard was from someone
at the BBC who shall remain nameless. A few years ago I sent them a script
which they liked, in fact I got nothing but positive comments for it but when
it came time for them to make a decision the reason I got as to why the
couldn’t commission me was that they didn’t give new writers their own series.
I was told that a new writer isn’t going to be as good as the beginning of
their career as they are in the middle, which I can totally understand but what
I have trouble getting to grips with is that fact that they’re not willing to
give you a chance to get better with experience writing for television so how
are you meant to improve without that experience?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
a writer myself, I know the agony of trying to get something commissioned and
getting palmed off with excuse after excuse. Have you tried any other avenues
to get your work on television?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You name it, I’ve tried it. I did spend a long time, maybe too long
trying to get someone at the BBC to see sense and I realize now that I wasted
my time. All I got were pathetic excuses. I’ve sent numerous works to the BBC
Writersroom which is a joke in itself. In fact I sent the same work to the
Writersroom that others higher up than those who work there said was very good.
It was amusing to see how little they actually knew when they told me it was
all no good when others who know more than them said otherwise. I just think
BBC Writersroom is a pointless endeavour. When you log on you get told that
less than 1% of material sent to them will get commissioned so what’s the
point? They don’t know what good drama is and they certainly don’t know how to
do their job properly.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Other avenues I have perused were Amazon, which I’m currently
writing a pilot to send to them and I sent numerous sample stories to Doctor
Who books but they didn’t seem to like what I’d written so passed on me. The
frustrating thing there is that I know what I sent them was good and though
they are entitled to their opinion, they still rejected me on the premise that
I wasn’t strong enough. I could except that if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve
read countless reviews of their stories in Sci-fi magazines where they have
been slated for things I did better in a simple sample story. I think all these
people have one script to work by when new writers come to them looking for
help and their either too small minded to deviate from the script or too scared
that what you have will actually be better than what they’ve done or currently
got. No one likes to be proved wrong after all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve currently given up on sending material straight to channels
because like I said they’re just full of crap. I got told by someone at BBC
Wales couldn’t commission me because they didn’t like how I wrote a script. If
they were as committed to helping new talent as they say they are then they
should know that scripts are constantly rewritten and with their help it could
have been made better. They’re just unwilling to help anyone but themselves. So
upon guidance from others I’ve begun to send things to production companies,
though that in itself like banging your head against a brick wall as some of
these people used work for the channels. I’ve lost count with how many times my
agent has been told that my material has been lost by these companies and could
I re-send it. It’s just not good enough, its people’s lives they’re playing
with here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
couldn’t agree more. We’ll come back to that point later on, but now tell us
about your book, ‘A Love Letter to the Mat: The Complete Story of Professional
Wrestling on Pay-Per View Volume 1: 1985 – 1989’ and how it came about.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have to admit, I don’t buy many wrestling books myself because
they’re not the type of thing I want to read. I don’t think I’ve purchased a
book on wrestling in years, though I have read a few good reviews about some of
them which I thought I might buy but never got around to thanks to money being
tight and all that. I know that my family have brought me WWE’s latest version
of their encyclopaedia and the book celebrating 50 years of WWE because they
were cheap and I thought they would be something to keep for prosperity even if
they turn out to be complete rubbish. The real reason I don’t buy many books on
the subject of wrestling is because they’re filled with either lies or kayfabe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I first hit upon the idea of doing a book which was centred around
pay-per view events five years ago when I was reading Power Slam magazine. They
used to have a section in their pages called ‘The Complete History of
Professional Wrestling on Pay-Per View’ and I loved reading it, but always
found it too short. Because they only had a limited amount of space they
couldn’t get in-depth with it so I correctly came to the conclusion that
wouldn’t be a problem for someone writing a proper book on the subject. I
always like to read things which I’ve lived through or at least seen countless
times and just thought this subject was the perfect one for a first ever book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saying that, I never intended to write a book because I’m a script
writer; it’s how I trained myself and it’s what I always wanted to be. But when
I got the bee in my bonnet about this idea I had to act upon it and now I’m
glad I did. As for you’re question about what it contains, it’s a book
chronicling not just the events themselves because let’s face it anyone can
look them up if they’ve got half and hour free, it’s also about the unknown
stories from wrestling during that period, the feuds and occurrences from
weekly television which hyped the matches we all know and love. So it’s more
than just facts on something we think we already known about, there’s a deep
history there to which many new and even long time wrestling fans won’t even be
aware of.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Was
there anything that surprised you when writing this book or anything that you
wanted to put in but either didn’t have the room for or had to sacrifice?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh god, yes. I like to think of myself as a perfectionist and
therefore in my mind, unless I’ve crammed every single detail into a project it
isn’t complete for me. I did try and get literally everything in but if I had
have done the book would have been about 2,000 pages long and it’s nearly half
that as it is, so I absolutely did have to leave out some things. But saying
that they were only little things which won’t make a difference to anyone and
hopefully people won’t even know has been omitted. I tried so hard to source,
research and include the important results from weekly television shows but for
some such as the WCW and AWA episodes, there was some detail missing and
nothing on the internet or in books to fill those gaps so I had to glaze over
those otherwise I’d have been making them up and annoyed my target audience.
For others, there was just too much. WWE used to run shows for local television
networks and had shows like ‘WWF on MSG Network’, ‘WWF on NESN Network’, ‘WWF
on PRISM Network’ and ‘WWF on Z Channel’ and whilst I could have put them in,
all they were, were results. I wanted to go deeper than that and put in things
that actually happened so there was a bit of prioritizing as to what went in
and what got left out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As for being surprised by anything whilst writing, I though, like
every long time fan with an ego out there and not all of us have, that I knew
almost everything there was to know about wrestling and I mention this in the
afterword of the book. I was wrong. I found out some facts, be they small or
large, that I never knew existed and that quite surprised me. But they weren’t
facts about big matches or events, rather about the smaller happenings. For
example, I had no idea that Greg Valentine and Don Muraco had a feud going
heading into an event they never clashed on. It was just tiny things like that
and in fact writing this book has helped me add to the already overwhelming
knowledge I had in the first place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I also learnt that I’m capable of being quite sentimental. I don’t
cry very often, in fact I haven’t cried in nearly ten years. Even when my
grandfather passed away I didn’t cry because he wouldn’t have wanted me to, he
was a very open man with his feelings and he always told me that crying is fine
if you want get out those frustrations but it won’t bring anyone back and he
was right. You could cry over someone for fifty years but in the end you’ve
just wasted your life on something that can’t make a difference. Instead of
crying and showing emotion in that sense I write. Everything I feel goes onto
the page and it was the same with this book. The ‘In Memory’ section really
choked me up because I was writing about those heroes we’d lost and some of the
circumstances in which they passed away in were truly terrible. Another chapter
that really got to me was writing about my grandfather, I struggled to fight
back the tears when sitting down to recount my introduction to professional wrestling</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
think we should mention your grandfather. The book is dedicated to him and the
‘Introduction’ centres around him introducing you to the business when you were
a child. It’s a touching opening to what is a very entertaining, poignant and
stark book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well thank you very much! He was a wonderful man and I miss him very
much. Like you say and this is all in the introduction to the book, he was
responsible for getting me into the wrestling business. I won’t recount the
tale fully now because I know you have other questions, but the bare bones of
the story is that when I was three he was babysitting me and brought home a
video of WCW’s Chi-Town Rumble. Where he got it from I’ll never know because
WCW pay-per view wasn’t on any channel we could get in the UK, so I assume he
got it from a friend. My grandfather loved Ric Flair and on this particular
occasion I remember him forwarding the VHS tape to the main event which saw Ric
Flair vs Ricky Steamboat and that was it for me. The first ever wrestling match
I ever saw and I was hooked. Have been for twenty five years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was only right to dedicate the book to him. He educated me
throughout the years on the business, brought me the tapes, the figures the
shirts when they were available. Without him, I may not even know what
wrestling is and to think of never having it in my life is just a step too far,
because others weren’t keen for me get into it. But hey, it paid off in the end
and it wouldn’t have been possible without him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
book has a very long title. Have there been any mix-up’s with the name of the
book?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You mean the ‘A Love Letter to the Mat’ part?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Numerous! When I first approached publishers with the idea for the book,
all of them thought the ‘Mat’ refereed to me. So in essence they thought I was
writing a love letter to myself which is just ridiculous when the synopsis
clearly stated that the book was about wrestling on pay-per view. But I guess
people just don’t listen or read things properly. It’s a good excuse for them
not to take something by simply saying that they didn’t understand it. Though
if they can’t understand a one paragraph synopsis then they may be in the wrong
job.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
anyone still confused, I think we should clarify that ‘A Love Letter to the
Mat’ certainly doesn’t refer to you, but the canvas on which wrestlers fight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s been such a huge part of my life that I wanted to do something
to show that, and I think I have done. I’m not saying it’s a great or flawless
piece of work but it’s certainly something I’m very proud of.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
you should be, it’s certainly one of the finest tome’s I’ve read in many years.
Moving on, was there anything about the book or the process of writing it that
you didn’t enjoy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think with anything you do there’s going to be a certain amount
you just grit your teeth and get through because you’re not keen, but I
wouldn’t say there was anything I absolutely hated about it. I certainly found
the revision the hardest part because it was just hours of every day sifting
through results and title changes and dates and old footage. When you just want
to sit and write that’s a painful process which is why I prefer scripts. No
revision needed. But looking at the finished article, it was all worth it in
the end. Even if it doesn’t sell very well I still have a piece of work that I
can be proud of.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
first heard about this book in December 2013. We’re sitting here now in 2015,
almost one year and three months after you first told me about the project. Why
has it taken so long?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How long have you got? Initially, I’d finished several of the WWF
section by Christmas 2013 and thought I could forget about them and move on
which I did for ages. But as worked through the book, the events gradually got
more and more detailed and I realized that by the time I got to the end of the
book with the WCW events, which I wrote separately instead of writing them in
order though fans shouldn’t worry they do all appear in chronological order in
the book, I found those events were more detailed than the WWF ones. So I went
back and literally re-wrote what turned out to be nearly 600 pages of the book
with more detail. And that is what I mean by being a perfectionist. If I
wasn’t, I’d have sent the book out as it was, but for me it didn’t represent
value for money, now it does.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wanted this book out for Christmas 2014, which was the goal. But
with the re-writes and everything else that wasn’t possible. In fact I had only
finished writing the book one week before Christmas 2014. That’s how close to
the deadline I came. And I wanted to get it finished before Christmas because
I’d been writing for a year without a break and I really wanted to get back to
the scripts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There were also issues with artists. I think I found about three who
all messed me about and did some drawings for the book and then stopped
contacting me because it was too much trouble and too much work. I found the
majority of them on Deviant Art and whilst they said they wanted commissions
they weren’t willing to put in the hours or the work. And then I literally
struck gold. So I would just like to take this moment to mention the wonderful
Josh Wright, who stepped into what was a very big breach with some demanding
work needed to get this book up to scratch and did it impeccably.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Upon
your request, let’s talk a little about your artist. Josh’s drawings are
perfect for this type of book. How did you find him, was your business
relationship smooth and did he have any problems with the work needed?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After I was messed about by other artists, including paying a fee to
join to Freelancer.com where I found my first artists who dropped out without
any warning and never answered me back, I was browsing Deviant Art for someone
else. I didn’t find Josh straight away, which I wish I had because it would
have saved a lot of hassle, and instead went with the first person I could find
in someone else. The guy did a drawing, it wasn’t particularly good but I was
in a rush and then I sent him a detailed description on what I’d need for the
rest of the book and he fobbed me off by saying he’d contact me after finishing
an ongoing project and never contacted me again. I waited about two months for
him before being forced to move on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So I went back to Deviant Art and there was Josh. If anyone reading
this has seen his art on his page then you’ll know how good he is and if you
haven’t then you must take a look at his work at www.mitchatt.deviantart.com. I
was very lucky to find him and I mean that. His style was so unique that I knew
he was the guy to take over this project and fortunately for me he was asking
for commissions. I emailed Josh with what I needed and he didn’t panic. He drew
me up a rough sketch of ‘The Wrestling Classic’, it was brilliant as all of his
pictures have been for this book and I paid him for that one picture. The
transaction went smoothly and it’s been a harmonious business relationship ever
since. So if he’s reading this interview, then Josh, you have my eternal
thanks. And should there be a volume two I will use him again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being messed about by other is really why the book took so long. I
did want it out for Christmas 2014 as I said but by the time I’d dealt with
unprofessional artists and found Josh that was never going to be a reality as
much as we all hoped it would be. Saying that, I was perfectly happy to wait
for Josh’s creations and think that by doing so I have a better end product
than I would have had I had him rush the illustrations. So it’s all worked out
well in the end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
is a lot of truth running throughout this book. Why did you decide to go down
that avenue instead of following the herd?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve never followed the herd. I think to do what everyone else is
doing is a terrible thing. It means you’re not being yourself and just living
life one particular way because that is how others think it should be lived.
That’s rubbish. Life is what you make of it and if you want to do something
that isn’t cool then do it. If you’re in a group of three or one hundred people
and everyone but you wants to go bungee jumping, that doesn’t mean you have to
do it. Be your own person, because life is tragically short even if you live to
be 100 years old. That is why I didn’t follow the herd, if I had have done then
this book would have been faceless and similar to everything else out there. I
don’t want that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I set out to create a book that was truthful regardless of whom it
may upset and it will upset a lot of people within the wrestling industry. I
don’t think I pull any punches in the pages. Yes, the matches are described as
real events because they were, they actually happened but if something I didn’t
agree with occurred within them then I continually break the kayfabe of
storytelling to point it out. In the end, people will either love it or hate
it. And if they hate it then maybe the truth isn’t for them and they’re not as
secure as they though they were. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
agree, and I also believe that you will gain the respect of a lot of wrestling
fans for the truth you have told. You’ve decided to self-publish this book,
why?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was simple in the end; no publisher would take it because unless
it’s written by a known writer who has proven himself by writing for magazines
for years then it’s seen as a taboo subject. The amount of excuses I got citing
wrestling not being a popular enough subject in 2014 was amazing. Even when I
tried to explain it was a billion dollar industry it was as if they were
dismissing that fact and laughing at me. In the end, it was obvious these
people who thought they were something they clearly weren’t knew nothing about
how to do their jobs and by the time I’d received the rejections I’d already
written too much to just axe it. I did receive an offer from a vanity
publisher, who charge you to publish your book but they wanted like £4,000 and
that is something I just don’t have.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I could have spent another six months to a year trying to find a
publisher for it but as I’m classed a new writer and considering how people
view wrestling still in 2014, there was no guarantee anyone would pick it up. I
didn’t want to spend so long on the book for it to just sit on a computer for
ages so I looked into self-publishing and it was a cost effective way of
getting the book out there. With self publishing, everything falls onto you and
if you’re writing a novel then all you really have to pay out for is the cover
and the subscription to the website you self publish through which is less than
£20 a month. I paid a little more for the illustrations, but as I said that was
worth it. The hardest part of self publishing a book is getting out there to
people. The plan I took does come with a little help in that it lists the book
on Amazon so people can get it there and it will be available on the shelves in
a number of the smaller bookshops both here in the UK and in America, but if
you can’t find those shops then you’re going to have to buy it from the website
(completleynovel.com) or you may be able to order it through Waterstones or WH
Smith who we’re trying hard to get to stock it also.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moving
on from your book for a second, let’s talk about the current product being
offered to wrestling fans worldwide. What’s your opinion of it and what if
anything don’t you like about wrestling today?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think there’s so much to hate and so much to like at the same
time. I didn’t watch TNA for years because I’d constantly read that it was
rubbish so I had better things to do with my time anyway. But I’ve started to
watch it in the last year or so and it’s all over the place. I don’t think the
management really has a clue what they’re doing anymore and are just grateful
to have a product on television. Though saying that, I am a huge fan of the one
legged wrestler they have who’s name slips my mind at the moment. TNA are
missing a trick there. If they were to build the company around younger stars
like him instead of ex WWE stars then it would be a much more refreshing
product to watch. The aforementioned ex soldier with one leg could help put TNA
on another level; you can’t see WWE doing that type of thing without trying to
ridicule the star in question. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
WWE?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s the company I watch most simply because it’s the one I grew up
with. I love WWE with all my heart, even through the bad times and there have
been many. Don’t get me wrong, I’m never in full support of everything they do
and I’m the first to jump on their backs when something goes awry but it’s
still a magical thing to watch even though I’m nearly 30. There’s something
about it that brings back your childhood every week and we don’t get enough of
that. Though I will point out their consistency is terrible as is their star
making ability. They have so many young and capable athletes on their roster
today that making use of hardly any of them is a crime.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t think that WWE will truly be able please everyone ever
again, not how it used to and certainly not how it did through the years my
book covers. But then times change and people change with them. Like yourself,
I want WWE to be better than it currently is but I think that whilst Vince
McMahon is in charge nothing will truly change because he’s set in his ways. As
far as he’s concerned his way is the right way and that is the end of it. Maybe
it’s just a case of riding out the era we’re in because there has to be
something better on the horizon. Though saying all of that, it’s not a terrible
product by any means and there is an awful lot to still like about it. For long
time fans, it’s always going to be the greatest regardless of what anyone else
says.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is
there anyone you particularly like in WWE at the moment, more than others?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Daniel Bryan is a breath of fresh air, Randy Orton still has that
factor and even John Cena has gotten better over the last year or so but right
now it looks like WWE are going with the youth movement and it’s about time. To
answer your question, I think every other hot blooded male would agree with me
that Paige is the hottest woman in wrestling right now. I’ve fallen in love
with her a little bit, but what are the chances of anything remotely romantic
happening? I think she has a bright future ahead of her.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If
we could just break away from professional wrestling for a moment, I’d like to
talk about the struggles of being a writer. Now, everyone I’ve talked to who
hasn’t attempted it and indeed some people who read this blog may not think
that it’s that difficult to do. Could you give us your thoughts on the industry
and do you think you’ll ever get a television programme commissioned?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Firstly, it’s the hardest job in history. I’ve heard teachers say
that their job is tough but I have worked in a school and it was a doddle
compared to being a writer. You go through so much rejection and frustration
that I can see why seventy percent of aspiring wordsmiths give up. There are times,
when you’ve worked yourself to near mental exhaustion and you see other, less
deserving people getting all the breaks that you feel like giving up and doing
something else. Whilst I appreciate you can’t keep doing the same thing whilst
getting the same result, if you really love writing and it is something you
have to love with a passion, then you’ll continue. Because you can’t fail
forever! It’s part of the reason why I created this book. To show those small
minded people who don’t think new writers can do this job as good as or better
than known writers, that they’re dead wrong.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, let’s not make people think this is something to get into on a
whim or just because you have one good idea. It’s not. If you’re resolute,
willing to sacrifice and go without then this isn’t a business for you. When I
began writing, I was told that it was so difficult to get anywhere in this
industry because of the opposition you face. I never thought in my wildest
dreams that it would be this hard. I have starved, gone days without a proper
meal because I had no money, just to carry on doing what I love. I can’t do
something that I find boring; a normal job isn’t for me. But I have fought for
ten years to do something that I love and I do believe that sooner or later I
will get what I deserve. I know I’m good enough and right now I’m working to
make what I had before even better. People can’t keep saying no.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They make it so hard to make a living or live your dream in this
business. Even sending a script to production companies is a lengthily process.
You’re told that you’re only meant to send your work to one company at a time
but it could take up to four months for those people to reach a decision. Well,
that means if it’s a continuous ‘no’ then you could spend 20 years of your life
just sending it to half of the companies out there. It’s wrong and it should be
changed. BBC has an initiative for new singers and musicians to come through
and live their dreams they should be doing the same for actors and writers.
Like I say, their Writersroom doesn’t work only for the very slim majority
which makes it pointless. They have a course you can apply to go on where
you’re tutored by the very same man who turned me down because he said they
couldn’t give new writers their own television series, but to get onto that you
have to send them your work to be evaluated and then they choose only a handful
of writers to go forward onto this course if they think you have talent. If
they’re so closed minded and don’t know what they’re doing which they clearly
don’t, then you’re not going to be chosen because someone who has just come out
of university and thinks they know everything about what a good script is doesn’t
like your work because they couldn’t do it themselves. If you get onto the
course, then you could spend years writing for Eastenders or Doctors before
getting your own series.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BBC are trying to get people to write the way the corporation wants
and likes, without letting them have the freedom to explore their own talent.
It’s not right. Unless you’re Jimmy McGovern, Kay Mellor, Steve Mofatt or Mark
Gatiss then the BBC don’t seem to want to know.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
are you thoughts on the current state of British and American television today?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">America have some excellent programmes, I don’t think they’re
television scene is in a bad a state as ours is in Britain at the moment. The
difference between America and Britain is that whilst its equally hard to get
commissioned in both countries, America have the sense to know when something
isn’t working and fix it before it become a problem. We don’t have that in
Britain. There are countless programmes on British television which should
never have been commissioned. Awful programmes like ‘The Only Way is Essex’,
‘Geordie and Jersey Shore’ or ‘Made in Chelsea’ which glamorize stupid and vein
people and make young girls idolize this airheads who are at least 50% plastic
thanks to all the surgery they’ve had. They’re not role models and they
certainly don’t deserve their celebrity status. They’ve not worked as hard as
someone like me or you or the majority of other people struggling to get into
the business in order to make something of their lives. It makes me so angry
that people like that are getting the breaks that people who deserve it more
aren’t getting. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think Britain has really dumbed down its intellectual viewing
level in recent years. I don’t know who watches crap like ‘Gogglebox’ but I
have seen nothing more fake or infuriating in my entire life. I don’t watch it
but have seen adverts with it in. Some little obese woman sitting on her sofa
with her family and pretending to throw a tantrum when something doesn’t happen
in a drama that she wants; I’m afraid if you think that is what people do when
they watch television without a camera pointed in their face you’re sadly
wrong. The exaggerated expression those morons pull when watching something
make me want to punch them. It’s done for television purposes only. They
wouldn’t do it if the brainless weren’t watching them.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Something else that gets on my nerves is those documentaries or
dramas which spotlight killers or the worst people in humanity. People who kill
children or people who ruin innocent lived with rape or mass murder something
horrendous like that. Isn’t it enough that it happened? Why do you have to make
programmes glorifying these monsters? You’re giving them what they want.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As far as drama and comedy go, it’s nothing special. Adaptations are
usually the worst. That shouts to me that channels have nothing original or new
to put on because they haven’t gotten the balls to take a chance on new talent.
There’s no good reason for it either. The majority of things on British
television are mindless crap. They don’t make people think and they don’t keep
people entertained. Worse, I’ve heard people slam murder mystery that actually
makes you use your brain. It’s just another example of how we’ve become lazy
and undemanding as a nation, it’s time that changed and I aim to change it with
my writing. All my scripts require some degree of thought to solve fictional
murders or mysteries. Even my comedies have some type of thought process
required. We should be demanding more stuff like that, rather than sit back and
allow these channels to peddle out crap which we have to pay a television
license to see. I rarely watch BBC these days apart from for Match of the Day
and Doctor Who. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speaking
of Doctor Who, I believe you’re a massive fan? Personally, I think it has gone
so far downhill that it’s impossible to retrieve to the throne it used to
occupy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To a degree, you may be correct. As a fan of Doctor Who I will
always watch it, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it always. I’m a lifetime
WWE fan but I don’t always like it. Doctor Who is difficult to lump into any
one category because one week it can thrilling and the next it can be rubbish.
I believe it has a lot to do with BBC being resistant to new talent yet again.
You have to consider that Doctor Who is written by a group of known writers,
some of which have run out of good ideas which means we get awful episodes
written by known writers when new writers could clearly have done a better job
given the chance. It’s the same with the range of books as well.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I fell out with Doctor Who after Matt Smith left for no other reason
than I felt it was wholly nepotistic. My agent requested an audition for me,
for the 12th Doctor but I never got the chance to go and try to live my dream
because as far as I understand only Pete Capaldi got an audition. They’d already
made their mind up before opening up auditions to other people. Even if they
had been that closed minded they could have at least held auditions to see what
new talent was out there. They may have found someone better than Peter
Capaldi, they’ll never know now. I was really annoyed by that fact and it
turned me against the series for about six months. But I watched the new
series, I wasn’t bowled over but I wasn’t completely disappointed either,
except by the finale which was a let-down.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t think you can completely say its rubbish because it does
have its moments, but I would agree as a far it not being as good as it once
was. New blood is needed, without a doubt, but unless the writers and BBC start
to open up their eyes and see where they’re going wrong then it’s doubtful that
will happen. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the subject of Doctor Who, I believe your other ambition apart from to be a
writer and actor is to be The Doctor himself? It’s something you certainly
mention in ‘About the Author’ in your book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apart from having and starring in my own series, Doctor Who is the
dream. In fact, it was the first ambition I had except being a professional
wrestling. Which of course never happened! I didn’t want to write until I was
much older, but to be The Doctor was always the biggest goal ever since seeing
Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant do the job. I was trained
as an actor first and foremost so I know what I’m doing though I haven’t done
it for ages because I concentrated on my writing career, and I actually went
off of the idea of being The Doctor until 2005 when the series returned. It was
the latter two names who really inspired me to get back into the game as it
were.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One day, I do dream of being The Doctor and standing in that Tardis.
It’s not an impossible task even if it may seem one at the moment. One day
it’ll be there on your television screen ‘Matt Tennant as The Doctor’.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
mentioned wanting to be a professional wrestler. Did you ever seriously
entertain a career in the industry?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Believe it or not, I did. When I was in school, apart from wanting
to be Doctor Who it was my big goal. I was adamant that I would do anything I
could to be one of the two but it just never worked out. Something always
seemed to get in the way. I did come very close to a career as a professional
wrestler on one occasion when a former school friend of mine told me that he
and his brother were going to have lessons and be trained and asked if I wanted
to come. I would have loved to have gone, if for nothing else than the
experience but it cost and we weren’t a rich family. Still aren’t. So I
couldn’t go. Schools don’t teach professional wrestling in their sports
curriculum and I think they should. Once again it’s people who don’t really
know about the industry, who have one preconceived idea, about what it is that
don’t understand that teenagers actually want to do this as a job. If they gave
lessons in training later in your school run, from fifteen onwards then it
would help people in all areas of their life, including to get and maintain
fitness.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was a point that I thought I might just borrow the money from
someone and go these lessons but then my friend dropped out because it was too
hard and I didn’t want to be there with people I didn’t know, so I didn’t
bother. It’s actually a regret I have. Had I done so, how far I’d have gotten
is another story. I have a high pain tolerance so it wouldn’t have been that
which sunk me, but I don’t have a six pack and pecks and writing this book I
have put on weight. I don’t look like the traditional professional wrestler so
if by some stoke of luck I had have made it to WWE then the problem wouldn’t
have been my fitness or skill level because I’d have put everything into it I
could have, but it would have been the people and the faux authority they have
over new talent. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m really not sure if I could have turned a blind eye to the
politics backstage or serve under someone who thinks they know what the public
want when it’s obvious they want something else. Being underused if I had the
talent would be another problem. I’m not someone to hold my tongue when
injustice is apparent so I’d have probably been fired for insubordination by
now anyway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Would
you ever consider returning to wrestling as a career option, even if it was
just one time to fulfil the dream?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’d never rule it out. If I was cast in a drama about wrestling then
I’d pay or at least have the programme pay for proper wrestling training so I
could carry off the part effectively. But actually getting into the ring
professionally, even just once would take something special to make me do it
now. I have a dormant fracture in my ankle which flares up if I do too much
physical activity and I’d need to drop several stone in weight which I’ve put
on since writing this book, which I do intend to start doing now I’ve finished,
and spend six months in the gym just to get into shape. It seems barely worth
it for one match.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saying that, I never say never about anything in life. You live
once, so if I became a major name in Hollywood in the next fifteen years which
could happen if my pilot were to take off and WWE invited me to have one match
at WrestleMania as they do with celebrities sometimes then I’d never be able to
live with myself if I turned it down. Of course I’d say yes, what self
respecting fan wouldn’t? I can’t see that happening, but you never know.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You’re
a long time wrestling fan of at least two decades. With that in mind, a simple
question for you now. Hulkamaniac, Warrior or Madness Member?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Easiest question I’ve been asked so far, Madness Member. Even as a
child I could spot a bad wrestler, it was the way my grandfather brought me up
in the business and I mention it in the book. I would just like to add that did
have parents, it wasn’t just my grandfather. But my father was a useless prick and
it was the best day of my life when he left and my wonderful mother is the
nicest person you could ever meet but wasn’t keen on me getting into wrestling.
So wrestling for me and my grandfather, something we could enjoy and bond over
together. Though my mum has sat through countless hours of wrestling over the
years both when I was a child and now I’m an adult. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back to the point, Randy Savage was always better than The Ultimate
Warrior or Hulk Hogan for me. And not just as a wrestler. His personality stood
out and even when he was a heel there was a certain something about him. So,
Madness Member was my designation and always will be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
we’re coming to the end of this revealing and frank interview, I’d like to ask
you about what you’d pass on to someone about being a writer. If someone came
to you now or when you finally make it and told you they had a computer, an
idea and a will to succeed what would you say to them?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All the very best of luck!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
simple?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think that’s all there is to say. I’ve said enough about how hard
it is to break into the industry. For me to do so I’ve had to starve, sacrifice
and finally make my own way when others weren’t willing to help. I wouldn’t
want others to go through that but they will and it’s a worthy journey if you
can whether all the bad there is before the good. I haven’t even gotten there
yet but I know the good is coming and it will taste even better when I arrive
at that destination. I know the struggles new writers are going through right
now, some won’t make it even though they have excellent ideas and that’s a
shame. But I wouldn’t want to go back to the beginning knowing there was an
eleven year struggle ahead of me. It’s hard enough moving on now, after publishing
my own book. I don’t envy them at all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
all that said, are there any plans for a Volume 2?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes and no. You have to understand that this volume cost me a lot of
money to produce and a lot of time to write which means I have to see some
reward for it first. I’d be stupid to begin work on a second volume before this
one has gone on sale. Even real publishers don’t ask for a second book until
some sales figures have been produced, so I’ll have to wait and see. At the
moment, I’d love to do number two and am even thinking about it as we speak,
but for it to happen this would have to sell extraordinarily well. I have a
figure in mind which would have to be reached for number 2 to come about, but
because this is self published then I’m not sure it will reach that number.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, if people buy this book because of this blog, or because of
word of mouth which I’ll be relying on so tell your friends or anyone you know
who loves wrestling then absolutely I’ll do another one. You never know, now
this is out, if it sells well we may even get a publisher to pick up any future
volumes. I’d love to do the whole set, right up until the present day but like
I say, people have to buy it first to show me there’s a want for another
volume.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally,
now you’ve completed volume one and its ready for public consumption, what’s
next for you as a writer and actor?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s back to what I know and love which is writing scripts. I have
seven great scripts to touch up and make better which I’ll then send to
production companies in the hope they can see the potential in them. Out of
seven chances, one has to get taken sooner or later. I apply for acting jobs
regularly and even had success in a film that was meant to happen in September
2014 but because of budgets it kept getting put back and back until it didn’t
happen at all so that was a shame. Really, I just want some success. I think
after all the hard work I deserve at least a little. I also have several ideas
for novels which I may look at sending to publishers in 2015. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are many things I’d like to do. I’d like to think that even
though ‘A Love Letter to the Mat’ isn’t a novel, it’s enough to get me invited
to write a Doctor Who book or even short story for their eBook range. But it’s
not likely. First and foremost though it’s the television scripts; they’re my
main priority. After that it could be an open book if this project sells well.
That’s the one great thing about being a new writer; you just never know what’s
around the corner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘A
Love Letter to the Mat: The Complete Story of Professional Wrestling on Pay-Per
View – Volume 1: 1985 – 1989’ will be available to buy from June 2015 and
pre-order from May 2015. You can pick up your copy of the most anticipated
wrestling book in many years from Completleynovel.com or Amazon. I will mention
in the Review Corner to come whether you can order this from bookstores.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-91609494608770982612015-04-05T02:26:00.002-07:002015-04-05T02:26:39.141-07:00FATEFUL DECISIONS<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I didn’t
quite know what to write for this week’s blog and then I decided to make it
about the decisions that were made in the world of wrestling over the last week
and yes, that means at WrestleMania as well. You see, last week’s NXT Report
was the last NXT Report on this blog because I am no longer a subscriber of the
WWE Network. I was having so much trouble loading the Network on my Xbox One
that I almost missed WrestleMania and didn’t get to see the pre-show. I
informed WWE of this problem before Fastlane and they assured me they were
getting the app on the Xbox fixed. But lo and behold, come the end of March and
they still hadn’t bothered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
not going to continue to pay for a service which I cannot access and haven’t
been able to in at least three weeks. The morons at Network services don’t seem
to be able to comprehend the problem when you ring them and think that if you
leave it alone it will get better on its own. News flash, it won’t. The disappearance
of the NXT Report is just one of the reasons behind a major announcement later
in this blog. For now, let’s take a fleeting look at WrestleMania and the wrong
decisions made at the best WrestleMania in many years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Firstly,
the event was excellent. I think we can all agree on that, almost every match
had something worthy in it with the exception of John Cena vs Rusev and I was mightily
impressed with Sting even though he lost. And that is where we will begin. Up
to Triple H vs Sting, the night was flowing smoothly. Yes, Seth Rollins should
have defeated Randy Orton in order to put him in a better place to win the WWE
World Heavyweight Championship at the end of the show but that is a minor gripe
and we will take a look at where Seth Rollins can now go in our Extreme Rules
preview later this month. But it was Sting’s match which really hammered home
the differences in what long time fans and new fans expect. You see, new fans,
who maybe weren’t aware of what Sting was in professional wrestling didn’t
really understand his aura or hype. Whilst those who have been watching sting
for thirty years know better.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
really expected Sting to beat Triple H at WrestleMania, after all it was his
first match in WWE and his first of two appearances at WrestleMania before he
retires next year. I understand the need for WWE to set up another Sting vs
Triple H match at SummerSlam, but surely it would have been better for Triple H
to lose, be unable to let go of the loss and challenge Sting to a rematch in
August. That is the role of a heel after all. For me, a face coming back to
bitch and moan about his loss on the biggest night of the year is just
pathetic. I believe WWE got this decision wrong on the night and should have
reversed it. Whether it was Triple H’s ego that got the better of him or not,
WWE should have planned for the future here.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
that brings me to the second wrong decision of WrestleMania and that was John
Cena’s now pointless victory over Rusev. Why pointless you may ask, well if you
haven’t kept up to date with WWE this week, then John Cena vs Rusev has already
been announced for Extreme Rules which makes his victory over Rusev at
WrestleMania an ego boost rather something which was best for business. Knowing
that the pair would clash again a month after the event, WWE should have bitten
the bullet and booked Cena to lose at WrestleMania in order to preserve Rusev’s
character and aura. Because now he’s lost once, what is left for Rusev to do in
WWE? His whole character and purpose was the man who couldn’t be beaten and
that should have been amplified at WrestleMania.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
just for John Cena to lose, but because it would have helped WWE draw a massive
number for Extreme Rules if WWE had booked it as John Cena’s last shot. Just
think how much better it would have been to see John Cena lose to Rusev at
WrestleMania and Fastlane and then either lose to John Cena at Extreme Rules of
carry on his undefeated streak. That is what would have been best for business.
Hell, WWE were onto such a good thing with Rusev that he could have carried on
for another year. Fans loved him, and he didn’t really need to be beaten until
it was time for him to lose the WWE World Heavyweight Championship which he
would have been in a position to win later this year had he beat John Cena at
WrestleMania.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bray
Wyatt vs The Undertaker was the last real wrong decision WWE made at WrestleMania
and like Rusev, had Bray Wyatt won then he would have been immediately catapulted
into the main event. But that isn’t what happened and what we got was an okay
match in which The Undertaker looked old. Even more so at the end than when he
came into the bout. Putting that decision behind us, I truly believe that The
Undertaker’s time is done in WWE and as a wrestler. Last year was bad, this
year was worse. I don’t recall ever being so uncomfortable watching someone
wrestle as I was at WrestleMania. Every time he fell it was touch and go if he
was going to get back up and I believe Taker should have bowed out last year
rather than put himself through this again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As The
Undertaker made his way to the ring, Michael Cole commented on what type of
Undertaker this was. Was it an Undertaker coming back to rule the yard or an
Undertaker coming back so he could bow out on his own terms. I don’t think
anyone watching this was in two minds that the latter was true. The decision to
come back this year was a plan by Mark Calloway to go out on his own terms. He
will be back next year but for his retirement match. As WrestleMania 32 will be
held in Texas, Taker’s home town, I can think of no better place to bow out and
put an end to an unforgettable career. It’s better to be remembered for what
you did and go out on one final, stunning performance rather than have another
five or ten mediocre performances and destroy your legacy completely.
WrestleMania 32 will be The Undertaker’s last ride and it should be a more than
fitting ending.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though
it may not be obvious to some, WWE’s final wrong decision at WrestleMania was
to push Roman Reigns. Now, I know that he was booked to be destroyed by Brock
Lesnar on the night and that isn’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about
his blatant laziness and unprofessionalism in the ring. Knowing he would
eventually be bested by Seth Rollins, Reigns just didn’t bother and was sloppy
when he did. Within ten seconds he’d cut Brock Lesnar by mistake with careless
right hands. Following that he bust Lesnar’s lip with careless knees which
weren’t placed where they should have been and then he cracked Lesnar’s skull
open by shoving him carelessly into the camera wire taped to the ring post.
They walked through this match before hand, Reigns knew where the wire was and
yet aimed Lesnar for the wire anyway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On a
PG rated product, there’s no was Vince would have sanctioned the use of blood, especially
since the company will now have to show this match in black and white when
recapping in the future. And on top of all that, Roman Reigns had the cheek to
laugh his way through the punishment. He looked ridiculous doing so and not
even John Cena showed Brock Lesnar this amount of disrespect. All of this only
went to affirm what everyone had been saying all this time. Roman Reigns wasn’t
ready and now he should be dropped to the mid-card in order to start again.
What an idiot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
all that said, I would now like to direct you to the new background we have on
this blog. For those of you who haven’t been reading properly, the cover is of
the book which is due out soon by a reader of this blog. It’s the book I have
been reviewing for a while and it’s worth every penny and cent for over a
thousand pages of sheer entertainment and brilliance. This is the book I’ve
been calling the most anticipated wrestling book of the last decade and it will
not disappoint. There is no release date for it yet, but take a good look at
the cover because you’re missing out if you don’t buy it. There will be a
special interview with the author in the coming weeks followed by a one off
Review Corner of the book once I receive a release date.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally,
at the beginning of this blog I promised you a special announcement and here it
is. For a while now I’ve been thinking of shutting this blog down. Those long
time readers will know that this has been a decision I’ve been toying with for
nearly a year. I’ve made my decision and whilst the blog isn’t going anywhere
in the next month or two because of a promise I made, I have made the fateful
decision to close this blog once my obligations are fulfilled. I won’t go into
the reasons now because I will do so in a special farewell blog to my minions
down the road. But we’re not even nearly done yet, there’s a lot more to come
before the end so keep reading. I won’t just disappear, I will inform you of
our end when it comes. But it is coming. For now, we’ll carry on as we have
been. Heading towards a fitting finale.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards.</span></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-52483170308997138542015-03-30T02:42:00.001-07:002015-03-30T02:42:21.377-07:00THE NEXT REPORT - EPISODE 269<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Episode 269 – Arnold Sports
Festival Special – March 18th 2015</span></u></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NOTE: this was written before the events of March 25th. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
week before the next NXT event, the event comes to us for the
first time on the road. Away from the confines of the NXT Arena at Full Sail
University, there was no doubt that it was a risky strategy taking performers
weren’t used to doing their jobs away from their comfort zone, but its also a
necessary evil for WWE to do so. The way wrestlers learn their craft, the ins
and outs, is on the road and not performing once every two or three weeks. This
was a brilliant idea by Triple H and I hope to see more NXT house shows in the
future. They are after all the stars of tomorrow and they can only get
themselves ready by performing four days a week in different towns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
the NXT stars aren’t performing on television, they sit dormant in the back or
in development trying to develop their skill. With house shows which would be
guaranteed to sell out, those stars who aren’t performing for a few weeks at a
time on television could be honing their craft elsewhere. It’s a fool proof
idea. Here, at the Arnold Sports Festival, we would get a small sample of what
could be possible if Triple H took these men and women on the road and though
the LC Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio was as drastic change from the NXT Arena in
that the stage was almost touching the ring apron and the capacity was larger,
it still screamed NXT from its very core.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
the action kicked off, the show began with a video package highlighting the
main event of show which would be a non-title grudge match between Kevin Owens
and Alex Riley which only began a few weeks prior and hadn’t yet been given the
time to blossom. We were also shown a match plate promoting NXT Women’s
Champion Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss in yet another non-title match.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tyler Breeze vs Kalisto</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
opening bout of this week’s NXT programme was a departure from what we were
used to whilst also highlighting what could be possible if NXT introduced a
fourth division into their ranks, that being a cruiserweight or light
heavyweight ranking for its smaller and more agile stars. Now that titles
actually mean something in promotion and every belt is fought over with passion
and given a decent storyline before its thrown on television unlike WWE’s main
roster prize’s, an NXT Light Heavyweight Championship would be yet another
jewel in the crown of the brand. It would give its smaller talent something to
fight for because men Kalisto are never going to be NXT Champion, and whilst
the action is regularly gripping, this could be something which further sets
NXT apart from Raw and Smackdown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Columbus, Ohio it was Tyler Breeze who was the favourite with the new NXT
audience. His aura screams future star but I’m not convinced it’s on WWE’s main
roster. He looks like Dolph Ziggler and his character has been done to death. I
can’t see a massive future for Tyler Breeze on WWE’s main stage because of his
size and there are very little opponents with whim he could have a stunning one
on one bout with because Vince McMahon doesn’t believe that cruiserweight
action has a place on his main brand, but here in NXT there are numerous
opportunities for Breeze to shine. One day I believe he will be NXT Champion
because that is what the audience want. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kalisto
in singles action brought about a different feeling to this week’s NXT show.
We’re used to seeing the masked luchadore compete in tag team action with Sin
Cara, but as Sin Cara was prepping for what will ultimately turn out to be a
pointless appearance at WrestleMania 31 as a participant in the second annual
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in which he’ll be eliminated without
fanfare of care before returning to NXT the following week, Kalisto stepped out
on is own to open the show and judging by the performance he put in here then
Kalisto could make it as a singles performer and there is a place for a future
feud between the masked marvels.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Beginning
the bout with the usual Lock Up, it was the bigger Tyler Breeze who gained the
upper hand by using his power to force Kalisto into the corner. Instead of
following the referee’s orders to break the hold before the count of five,
Tyler Breeze used his initiative and twisted his momentum into an Armbar.
Lording it over Kalisto, Breeze was too busy posing to the audience to notice
Kalisto wriggle his way out of the hole with a simple roll which allowed
Kalisto to flip Tyler to the canvas. Nursing only wounded pride, Tyler Breeze
backed his way into the corner regrouping his game plan. After a few moments,
both men initiated a second Lock Up which Tyler Breeze used to his advantage in
order to apply a Headlock.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Trapped
in a tight predicament, Kalisto gripped and clawed at anything he could get his
hands on in order to escape. After several attempts which came up short,
Kalisto found a hand full of hair useful in persuading Breeze to break the hold
and used that momentum to fire his narcissistic foe into the ropes. As the tide
seemed as if it would turn in the Mexican’s favour, Breeze once again used his
savvy to sway the momentum in his direction and floored Kalisto with a Running
Shoulderblock as he rebounded from the ropes. With a swagger which befits a
character such as the selfie loving Breeze, Tyler went to the well once more
but was forced to change his plan at the last moment and Leapfrog Kalisto when
the luchadore found his feet and ducked Breeze’s attack.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Flinging
himself into the ropes, Kalisto’s attack was thwarted by a second Leapfrog
which saw Tyler Breeze roll backwards in order to execute a head scissors which
ended when Kalisto telegraphed the manoeuvre and hit a forward roll through
Breeze’s legs and landed on his hands. Walking on his appendages in a neat
looking move, Kalisto stunned the LC Pavilion with a Jumping Springboard
Headscissors Takedown which looked the bee’s knees. Firing in kicks and slaps
to the legs and chest, Kalisto took flight once more with a Springboard Armdrag
from the top rope before Tyler Breeze rolled to the arena floor in order to
escape the onslaught being aimed his way. Slowing the pace of the bout down to
one which suited him, Tyler Breeze was shaken by a Suicide Dive attempt by his
smaller rival which turned out to be a mere threat when Kalisto hit the ropes
with his neck and shoulders to stop himself flying to ringside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Climbing
back into the ring after a short rest period, Tyler Breeze acted upon and
advancing Kalisto with a Backdrop over the top rope which put Kalisto on the
ring apron where he clocked Breeze with a stunning kick to the head over the
top rope. As Breeze clutched his money maker and staggered into the middle of
the ring, Kalisto lined up his opponent and hit a Springboard into the ring
only for his attempt to be countered with a perfect Dropkick to the abdomen. It
looked really professional. Scampering to take advantage of his counter, Tyler
Breeze covered Kalisto for a near fall and when that didn’t work was forced to
conjure up a different strategy. Pulling Kalisto up by his mask, Breeze hurled
the masked marvel into the turnbuckle where he proceeded to stomp away on his
foe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Kalisto seated in the corner, Tyler Breeze stuck his foot into the throat of
Sin Cara’s tag team partner and choked him with all the might he had left. Not
allowing Kalisto time to recover, Tyler Breeze threw his smaller victim over
the middle rope and proceeded to choke him once more, driving the wind from his
lungs. Dragging Kalisto from the rope into the middle of the ring, Tyler Breeze
covered Kalisto for a Leg Drop and count of two as if just choking someone
would get the job done anyway. Using his frustration to synch Kalisto into a
Rear Chinlock, the programme took an early break in order to hype Sting vs
Triple H at WrestleMania 31. Coming back from the ad break and Tyler Breeze was
still in charge. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Breaking
the Rear Chinlock, Tyler Breeze drove his knee into the gut further winding his
rival. Ducking a Running Clothesline, Kalisto was able to execute and connect
with a Springboard Spiral Crossbody and his Kalisto Kick before charging into
the ropes and slamming Breeze with a Hurricanrana Face Plant as Breeze was
knelt in the middle of the ring. It was a lovely series of moves which kept the
bout chugging along nicely. Though his efforts only garnered him a count of
two, Kalisto was on a roll and following a stiff Running Knee in the corner he
attempted an STS which was countered by Tyler Breeze. Pushing Kalisto into the
ropes, Breeze’s Clothesline was again ducked and as he more agile star
rebounded with what would have been a stupendous Handspring Crossbody, ‘The
King of Cuteville’ proved he wasn’t just a pretty face when he countered the
move with his Super Model Kick. It was excellent and the fans believed so to
with chants of ‘That was gorgeous!’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
despair that one of his best moved only managed to get him a heated near fall,
Tyler Breeze allowed his emotions to get the better of him and following more
stomps in the corner, Breeze failed to spot a Kalisto fight back brewing which
began with a double foot kick to the jaw. Finding his was back to his feet,
Kalisto cracked Tyler Breeze with a nice Dropkick to the knee and a thrilling
Inzaguri which put Breeze on the canvas. Slowly scaling the top turnbuckle,
Kalisto puffed and panted as he stood on the summit and surveyed his
surroundings. With Tyler Breeze dormant below, Kalisto flung himself from the
turnbuckle with an unforgettable 450 Splash for a killer near fall which Tyler
grabbed the rope to break.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
fans thrilled beyond compare, Tyler Breeze made his way to the ropes and a
vertical base as Kalisto attempted an Irish Whip. Clutching onto the rope to
counter the Irish Whip, Breeze finally lost his grip and found himself hurled
into the opposite rope. With time running short, Tyler Breeze was forced to dig
deep into his reserves and as Kalisto executed a Handspring Kick he countered
with The Beauty Shot for the victory. It was an excellent opener full of
counters and thrilling moves which was just the ticket to open NXT’s first
endeavour away from the NXT Arena. Not only that, but this further affirmed my
belief that a Light Heavyweight division would be a profitable and enhancing
venture for NXT to delve into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alex Riley’s Revenge</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Tyler Breeze was making his way back to the locker room, we were shown the
match plate for the main event of the show in which Alex Riley would battle
Kevin Owens. Though we all knew this was coming, none of us really thought it
would come this quickly. After all, we all remember William Regal telling Alex
Riley before he signed his talent contract that he would only get Kevin Owens
when Regal believed he was good and ready. Yet, Alex Riley had only had one
match since returning to the ring so how could WWE possibly justify Riley being
ready?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Worse
still, the video package which followed the match announcement included the
William Regal statement. Why show that? Why make everyone who has been
following this brand loyally suddenly question if those in charge knew what
they were doing? There couldn’t have been anyone watching NXT who asked the
very same question. By last week’s showing which was edited down in this video
package to make Riley look good, The Miz’s former right hand man was months
away from being ready to challenge the great Kevin Owens and his match should
have been the culmination of months of hype. Not given away after just three
weeks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alexa Bliss Interview</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
the video package highlighting Alex Riley’s revenge in the main event of this
broadcast, we were shown an interview backstage with Alexa Bliss who had one
hell of a tan job from the week previous. Honestly, she looked like she’d been
tangoed it was ludicrous how orange Bliss was and I’m sure the audience in her
home town noticed it also. Here, Alexa Bliss was speaking on her upcoming bout
with NXT Women’s Champion, Sasha Banks:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I am
so excited to be here in Columbus, Ohio. My home town! I’m so excited for
Columbus to see what Alexa Bliss is all about and what Alexa Bliss is capable
of. But on a more serious note, I am facing the NXT Women’s Champion in Sasha
Banks. And she knows I’m gunning for her. And Sasha Banks is going to find out
what Alexa Bliss is capable of.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
a standard interview which possessed nothing in its main body. It was as if the
NXT writers had run out of things to say and were pushed for time to write her
something of note. Even more off putting was the way Alexa kept referring to
herself in the third person. This isn’t what is expected of an NXT talent even
if they’re not great on the mic. However, Bliss isn’t completely blameless on
this occasion. Yes, she could have suggested something more gripping as
according to Triple H the NXT talent have that power but the blame lies with
creative. They know these wrestlers need something more concrete and they
failed to give it to her on this occasion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NXT Weekend Highlights</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead
of another match, NXT instead aired edited highlights of their weekend in
Columbus, Ohio at the Arnold Sports Festival. It wasn’t necessarily what we
wanted to see because we tune into NXT for the gripping bouts and not what goes
on outside the ring. We get plenty of that with Raw and Smackdown and pay-per
view events so it wasn’t necessarily needed here. However, the video package
proved to be useful in giving us a glimpse of the people behind the characters
and none were more charming than Sasha Banks who was shown taking time out of
her schedule to spend a day at a children’s hospital.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
beautiful Banks is usually bitchy and self serving, but the woman behind the
character is both loving and charming. She gives off the aura that you really
would love to get to know her with the character present. If Sasha Banks keeps
this up, then she’s going to fit into WWE’s main roster perfectly and whether
she’s a heel or a face then she’ll fall into the hearts of fans be they, men,
women or children. This was enlightening to see and credit to WWE for including
this and not allowing us to believe that Sasha was a cold hearted bitch through
and through. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apart
from the children’s hospital meeting, we were shown other highlights of the
weekend activities which included exclusive matches and Triple H being inducted
into the International Sports Hall of Fame by Arnold Schwarzenegger for his
services to the public. The honour will be repaid on March 28th when Triple H
inducts Arnold into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2015. Throughout these
highlights, an interview with Triple H was played over the action in which
Hunter provided some eye opening comments. Telling us that inspiration leads to
great things, Triple H tells us that NXT is now a brand on its own and no
longer a developmental brand to breed stars for Raw and Smackdown.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These
comments were welcome. For anyone who isn’t an NXT regular viewer, it’s easy to
tune into the show on the WWE Network and form the judgment that these stars
are just here to be made for future use on the main roster. This is what we
needed to hear from the man who will take the reigns of the company when
McMahon finally steps down. Maybe the future is in the correct hands after all.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alex Riley and Finn Balor
Discuss Kevin Owens </span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Returning
us to the activities of the broadcast, we were shown Alex Riley gearing up for
his battle against Kevin Owens in the main event of the show. Approached by the
man who will challenge Kevin Owens for the NXT Championship, Finn Balor, the
two friends discussed Kevin Owens and Alex Riley’s need for vengeance with Finn
Balor giving Alex Riley a warning:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Riley,
what’s the crack mate? Listen, I know you got Kevin Owens tonight but I’ve got
him next week and just so you know, I’ll be watching tonight like a hawk. “</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alex
Riley interjected:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Good.
I want you to watch. Because everything that Kevin Owens has done to me I’m
about to do to him tonight. I’m going to humiliate the NXT Champion. For Kevin
Owens after tonight, there isn’t going to be a tomorrow, because it’s time to
rage.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
one last warning, Finn Balor tried to warn Alex Riley about the NXT Champion:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Listen,
do not overlook Kevin Owens. We all seen what he done to Sami Zayn at takeover
and we haven’t seen Adrian Neville since he faced Kevin Owens. So do not
overlook Kevin Owens or for you, there will be no tomorrow.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
wasn’t a thrilling confrontation. I mean, the pair said everything you’d expect
them to say and Alex Riley looked really pumped up when talking about what he
was going to do to the NXT Champion but sadly it was never believable. After
just three weeks of hype, no one believed that Alex Riley stood a chance and
that is how it would prevail when the time rolled around. What I would have
preferred to see would have been Alex Riley confront Finn Balor about not
coming to his recue when Kevin Owens first attacked him weeks prior.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Had
Alex Riley stood up to Finn Balor and questioned him about standing and
watching him get his arse handed to him it would have been a much more
interesting piece. Especially had Alex Riley accused Finn Balor of being a
coward and only thinking of himself. This way, when Finn Balor came out at the
end of the main event Alex Riley could have turned heel and attacked Balor
setting up a triple threat match for the NXT Championship somewhere down the
line, thus keeping Riley in the public eye.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wesley Blake vs Colin Cassidy</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
a look behind the scenes of NXT which gave us a rare insight into how the show
is staged, we were presented with our second bout of the evening as Colin
Cassidy challenged one half of the NXT Tag Team Champions who he and Enzo Amore
will battle on March 25th where the fate of the doubles gold will be decided.
As I’ve said before, I believe that Carmella will turn on Amore and Cassidy in
order to prolong the feud and give NXT its first real, meaty tag team rivalry
which could last until summer especially since not every star competes every
week.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
recent weeks, though we haven’t seen it on camera, it has been said that Enzo
Amore has been ultra protective over Carmella in that he hasn’t wanted anyone
talking to her or going near her without him present. I believe this is NXT
laying the foundations for a Carmella turn though she’s already a heel so it
would just be a betrayal and not a surprising one. It’s believable that she’d
betray Cassidy and Amore to escape his protective nature and side with the NXT
Tag Team Champions. Of course, this will eventually lead to Blake and Murphy
losing the titles but not before a lengthily and interesting feud.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
this match got underway, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy who were accompanied by
Carmella began the bout with their usual patter before the subject turned to
Blake and Murphy who were in the ring before Carmella’s men made their way to
the ring. Getting their ‘you can’t teach that’ speech out of the way, Colin
Cassidy took to the microphone in order to flex his verbal talents which have
been less than satisfactory over the past few months:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Columbus,
Ohio we are here for the Arnold. And Arnold liked to pump iron. We, we like to
pump fists. And you Wesley Blake, you better pump the breaks because you’re
about to run into a fricking road block!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Enzo
Amore then took the microphone:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“And
as for the Australian kid, why don’t you diggery-do yourself a favour while you
still have that NXT Tag Team title, kicks rocks and flip flops, break a toe and
skedaddle sweet boy!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thankfully,
after Enzo Amore had spewed forth his bullshit for which he garnered laughs,
Colin Cassidy resumed control:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You
two are looking at the next NXT Tag Team Champions. And there’s only one word
to describe you and I’m going to spell it out for you…”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We all
know where it went from here so I won’t bothered transcribing the rest for you
and we’ll jump directly into the bout which wasn’t as bad as your Wrestling God
originally believed it to be. Once again beginning the bout with a Lock Up, it
was Wesley Blake who took control of his towering rival by turning the Lock Up
into a Wrist lock. Admittedly, it wasn’t the best course action for Wesley
Blake to take and there was no way he was going to outmatch Big Cass for power
but credit to him for trying. Almost laughing off his rival, Cassidy plunged his
hand into Blake’s face and drove him into the corner.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
the initiative before Colin Cassidy could gain the upper hand dictate the flow
of the bout with his strength and superior height, Wesley Blake slipped from
the corner and applied a Waistlock which he ably turned into a second Wrist
Lock. Unfortunately for one half of the NXT Tag Team Champions, Colin Cassidy
wouldn’t be controlled and responded by shooting Blake into the ropes with the
intention to blast his opponent with a Clothesline and Back Elbow which were
both ducked. Gaining momentum as he dodged the giant Cassidy’s attack, Blake
became over confident and ran directly into a hard knee into the gut. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pulling
Blake to his feet, Colin Cassidy rammed a second knee into the gut and pounded
away on his back as Wesley Blake stumbled into the corner where he became
ensnared in Cassidy’s trap. Following in on his offence, Amore’s partner drove
in a several hard right hands to the stomach driving the wind from his rival.
This was a repetitive occurrence which happened in two corners before Big Cass
hauled Blake across the ring with a thunderous Hip Toss. Revelling in his
dominance, Colin Cassidy hurled Wesley Blake into the opposite corner and
pitched him into the air with a Backdrop which the recipient sold well. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Selling
his back with conviction, Wesley Blake rolled to the ring apron to stop the
punishment but was forced to think on his feet when Cassidy just kept coming.
As Colin grabbed his hair in order to bring him back into the ring, Blake clung
onto Cassidy’s head and drive him throat first over the top rope. Finally, one
half of the NXT Tag Team Champions had a foot hold in the bout and he wasn’t
about to let it go or go down without a fight. Rushing back into the ring as
Cassidy began to stumble; Blake clattered into his knee with a Chop-Block and
aimed kicks into the appendage with the intention to take Cassidy off of his
vertical base where he was most dominant. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Strangely,
after working over the leg of Colin Cassidy, Wesley Blake left the target alone
and even allowed him to climb back to his feet. Using the ring ropes as
leverage, Blake executed a perfect Springboard Forearm Smash for the count of
two. Needing to keep Cassidy grounded, Wesley Blake applied the Million Dollar
Dream for a lengthily break in action while Big Cass got his breath back.
Recovered and ready to complete the remainder of the bout, Colin Cassidy fought
his way to his feet and broke the hold with a massive Back Suplex which he
followed up with two bone shattering Shoulderblocks. Losing the momentum he had
previously, Wesley Blake needed to find an exit route and quickly. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Staggering
to his feet, Wesley Blake was hurled into the corner and pelted with hard elbow
shots and relentless punches. Backing away into the opposite corner, Colin
Cassidy charged at his prone target and connected with a sweet Corner Splash
which looked dismal but he made up for that with a cracking Sidewalk Slam. With
his tag team partner in dire jeopardy, Buddy Murphy jumped onto the ring apron where
Carmella joined him and the pair argued. Receiving a Big Boot for his troubles,
Buddy Murphy’s distraction was ample enough to allow Wesley Blake to sneak up
on Cassidy, force him against the ropes and roll him up for the victory. During
the fracas, Carmella was knocked from the ring apron and supposedly injured her
knee. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
a decent enough bout for two men who aren’t used to competing in singles
action. There wasn’t a lot of flow or back and forth action but Wesley Blake
managed to sell Colin Cassidy’s threat and power which should hold he and Enzo
Amore in good stead when they meet Blake and Murphy for the NXT Tag Team
Championships in the near future.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dana Brooke is Coming</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
we were presented with the grudge match between Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss,
NXT aired a match plate promotion Dana Brooke who is said to be the next big
thing in NXT’s women’s division. We’re told that Dana Brooke is ready to make
an impact in NXT and then shown video footage of Brooke in action over NXT’s
weekend in Columbus.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
was problem with Brooke’s participation however. The video footage didn’t show
her in wrestling action once. Instead, it showed plenty of footage of Dana
Brooke pumping weights and competing in the bodybuilding tournament as well as
posing on stage and in the ring. For me, this was ill advised. You see, an NXT
audience likes to see a talent’s passion for the business and not anything
else. The only impression one got from this video package was that Dana Brooke
really cares about bodybuilding and little else. An NXT audience could be
forgiven for believing that Dana Brooke is using NXT as a stepping stone to
better things. If that is the case, then she won’t make it far in the brand or
in WWE.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
the video package, we were shown a promotional poster advertising Dana Brooke.
It read that Dana Brooke was coming soon to NXT.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
were mixed feelings about this contest. You see, Alexa Bliss has only been back
in NXT for one week and already she’s eyeing the NXT Women’s Championship as
her next goal. Don’t get me wrong, her ambition is admirable but this smells of
yet another Alex Riley storyline where NXT have rushed a talent into a feud too
quickly. Instead of making it a slow burner where Sasha Banks avoided Alexa
Bliss for weeks until Bliss forced her hand and made her accept a match, NXT
have rushed Bliss into the picture when she hasn’t actually earned it. By
staging a non-title match between the duo, NXT risk irking their audience with
Alexa Bliss.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whilst
Alexa Bliss is meant to be a babyface and possibly the next big sensation in
NXT, the chances of fans accepting her as such if they believe she’s pushing in
the line are slim. You see, there are several other women in line for shot
first including Becky Lynch and Bayley who have worked hard in order to get a
leg up the ladder. Many fans believe that Alexa Bliss has been pushed this in
front of everyone else because of her looks or a potential relationship with
someone backstage and I have to concur. It simply isn’t fair that she gets this
opportunity one week after returning and her skills in the ring leave a lot to
be desired.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thankfully,
the NXT audience agree with me. Even though Alexa Bliss was competing in front
of her hometown crowd, the reaction to her was luke warm at best. In contrast
to the overwhelming reception Sasha Banks received, Alexa Bliss has a long way
to go before she’s accepted by the NXT fans and there is no way she can even be
considered as the next NXT Women’s Champion in the next year. With that said,
you can already guess that the bout began with a Lock Up and seeing as she was
at home it was Alexa Bliss who was permitted the early advantage by blasting
Sasha Banks with forearms to the face which were supposedly designed to break
Banks’ nose as she had been said to have done to Bliss months earlier.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Clocking
a dazed Banks with her forearms shots, Alexa Bliss changed tact and executed a
very messy heel trip which cast doubt over her ability in the ring. It looked
horrible. With Sash Banks face down on the canvas, Bliss jumped on her back and
rode her hard whilst pounding her face into the mat with the nose being the
target. Pulling Banks up from the mat, Bliss lacked ring savvy and didn’t see
an oncoming knee being propelled her way which was buried into her mid-section.
Posing to the fans, Sasha Banks took too long to follow up her offense and
allowed Alexa Bliss to shrug her off. Feigning anger which looked as real as
John Cena’s STF, Bliss strode across the ring only for Sasha to grab her by the
trunks and pull her face first into the middle turnbuckle.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Giving
herself a reprieve, Sash Banks took great pleasure in sticking her boot into
the back of Bliss’ head and forcing her face first into buckle. The early going
of the bout focused heavily on the injury Bliss was meant to have suffered
months prior. Leaving alone the nose injury, Banks dug into her playbook early
and set Bliss up on the middle rope before driving her knees into the
mid-section with the leverage of the ropes. Pulling her challenger into the
middle of the ring, Banks only managed to hold Bliss down for a count of two
before the woman who was looking to snatch the NXT Women’s Championship; this
was a non-title bout, kicked out. Annoyed that one of her most famous moves
didn’t work, Sasha Banks slowed down an already crawling pace with a Rear
Chinlock.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sat in
the centre of the ring for a sensible amount of time may not have been
thrilling to watch, but at least it limited what Bliss had to do during the bout.
Finally fighting back to her feet, Alexa Bliss bridged out of the move but her
effort landed her on the knee of Banks who bent her rival across the limb with
the move still applied. It looked decent but wouldn’t last as Bliss broke out
of her tortuous position with shots to the gut and countered a Clothesline
attempt with three forearms to the face. Unable to rock the NXT Women’s
Champion, Alexa Bliss was quick in ducking another Clothesline and landing one
of her own knocking Banks off kilter.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As both
women climbed back to their feet, Alexa Bliss ducked a third Clothesline
attempt and swept Sasha Banks’ legs out from underneath her. Feeling a victory
coursing through her veins, Alexa Bliss nailed her Bliss Blitz Moonsault for
what she sure was a massive win. Sadly for Bliss, Banks lived up to her title
and kicked out on two. As Sasha Banks made her way into the corner, hurting
from the collision, Bliss charged her and executed a lovely Springboard Roll Up
for another close near fall. Banks was losing control of the situation and time
was beginning to run out as Bliss hit a very weak Dropkick. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rolling
underneath the bottom rope to take refuge at ringside, Sasha Banks wasn’t ready
for more onslaught and turned directly into an Alexa Bliss Crossbody from the
ring apron. If Sasha Banks was going to go down then she wasn’t going to make
it easy for Bliss to stand triumphant and in a repeat of the beginning of the
bout, Banks grabbed a handful of tights and pulled Bliss face first into the
ring apron. Grabbing Bliss by a handful of hair, Banks’ attempt to roll Alexa
back into the ring was reversed and the number one contender rammed Banks face
first into the ring post as the referee neared a count of ten. Rolling back
inside, Bliss beat the referee’s count but the NXT Women’s Champion failed to
do so handing Alexa a victory and advancing their feud.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
wasn’t pretty, but it was better than expected and seeing as it wasn’t given
much time to flourish both women did their very best to put on a decent show
and tell a sensible story. Yes, it paled in comparison to Sasha Banks vs
Charlotte two weeks previous but this was all meant to a set up an NXT Women’s
Championship Match one week later which would be announced later in the
broadcast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kevin Owens Interview</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moment
before his match with Alex Riley, a pissed off Kevin Owens was brought to task
for his actions in the previous weeks. He had this to say about stepping into
the ring with Alex Riley:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Tonight,
I’m going to make Alex Riley wish he’d never quit that nice cushy commentary
job of his. But you know, I understand why he did it, he’s got to prove to
himself that he can still do this but the fact is he cannot. Not against
someone like me anyway. Not at this level. And as far as Finn Balor goes, next
week is the match everybody has been waiting for including me. Because I
honestly cannot wait to take him out and show everybody that no-one and I mean
no-one is taking this away from me and my family.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
usual, Kevin Owens shined in his role as annoyed NXT Champion. He didn’t have
to shout or threaten, the look in his eyes are enough to unsettle anyone
watching. I know I say this every week but Kevin Owens is a headline star in
the making and should he advance onto the main roster then there’s no way he can
a mid-card talent. Kevin Owens is going straight to the top.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alexa Bliss Interview:</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In a
second interview following her victory over Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss spoke
about defeating the NXT Women’s Championship:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Oh my
gosh this is incredible. I beat the NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks in my
hometown Columbus, Ohio. I told Sasha I was gunning for her and that I was
going to beat her and show her who’s boss.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
this point, Alexa Bliss was interrupted by the NXT Women’s Champion Sasha
Banks:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Excuse
me? Who’s Boss? You’re looking at the boss sweetheart. You never pinned me, I’m
the NXT Women’s Champion.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
further the confusion, NXT General Manager William Regal got involved in the
confrontation:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Ladies,
ladies! There’s easily one way to settle this. Next week on this show Sasha
Banks you will defend your NXT Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
a predictable announcement but one which was sure to irk the NXT audience. In
the space of a few weeks, Alexa Bliss had gone from absent to number one
contender without really doing anything of note. She hadn’t earned her spot or
her opportunity. If this continues then fans are going to start turning on
talent that NXT wants to go far.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Main Event</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kevin Owens vs Alex Riley</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I know
how many times I’ve said this over the course of this one blog, but Kevin Owens
vs Alex Riley came too soon. For NXT, this was a rushed job when it should have
been a drawn out story of frustration for Alex Riley. Instead of William Regal
promising Alex Riley a match when the General Manager believed he was ready and
then giving him the bout one week after his return to the squared circle when
he plainly wasn’t ready, Riley should have been given longer and livelier
matches for three of four months in order to prove that he was ready for the
challenge and then approached William Regal for the match he so urgently
desired.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During
those months, Kevin Owens could have kept taunting Alex Riley in promos and
even appeared on stage during his matches to remind the audience that he hadn’t
forgotten about Riley and NXT hadn’t forgotten about the feud. Then, after Alex
Riley had gone to William Regal begging for a match, the Brit could have
refused him the bout telling him that he still wasn’t ready. Annoyed with
William Regal, Alex Riley would have then taken the situation into his own
hands and attacked Kevin Owens which in turn would have cost him an important
match. Kevin Owens would then have gone to Regal and demanded a match with
Regal then insisting that Owens put the NXT Championship on the line. The match
would then have been set after a slow build and an interesting story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead,
this was just rushed. It felt like something presented in order to just fill
time instead of an actual rebirth for Alex Riley and once the bout had ended it
was hard to see where the road panned out for the challenger. Fought under
non-title rules, it was plain and clear that Alex Riley wasn’t ready for the
task ahead of him when he entered the LC Pavilion to take up the challenge. He
looked nervous and shaky as if he’d bitten off more than he could chew. It was
obvious to everyone inside the arena that Riley wasn’t main event material and
therefore this lacked the main event aura that other NXT programmes had as they
came towards the end of their broadcast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
undeniable who the favourite was with the Columbus audience as floods of ‘Fight
Owens Fight’ chants bombarded the NXT Champion as he stood toe to toe with Alex
Riley in the middle of the ring. The sentiments of one week previous had well
and truly been washed away and now Alex Riley wasn’t just another competitor,
he was a road block on Kevin Owens’ path to immortality. The message was
simple. He had to be removed and removed he would be. Breaking tradition, the
bout began with a shoving match as both men carried off the aura of hate. For
one of the first times in WWE in months, we had a believable rivalry on our
hands. Following the heated shoving match, both men initiated in a Lock Up to
kick off proceedings properly where Kevin Owens came out on the receiving end
of Alex Riley’s rage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Using
the built up anger over the last few weeks, Riley managed to harness some
reserved energy and forced Kevin Owens into the ropes and corner from the Lock
Up. Releasing the move, a second shoving match ensued which ended when Owens
feigned a second Lock Up and caught Riley square with a hard kick to the gut.
With the NXT Champion in full control so early on in the contest, things looked
very bleak for Riley who for the longest time showed no sign of battling back.
Punishing his challenger for stepping up against him, the NXT Champion pounded
him with hard right hands, kicks and Chops to the chest. Alex Riley looked no
match.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sizing
his newest muse up, Kevin Owens took delight in driving his fist into Riley’s
face and watching him flop to the canvas without resistance. With the momentum
on his side, this match would have been over in minutes if Alex Riley couldn’t
find his way back into the bout. Planting his boot firmly into Riley’s rib
cage, Kevin Owens retrieved his play thing from the canvas and attempted a
Short-Arm Clothesline which Alex managed to duck and avoid having his head
taken off. Applying a Waistlock instead of hitting Owens with a heavy offence, Riley
was taken by Owens’ momentum as the NXT Champion charged into the ropes and
shrugged off his oppressor. Rolling backwards across the ring, Alex Riley
climbed to his feet in time to duck a charge and connect with a crisp Dropkick
as Owens rebounded off of the ropes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
up his momentum with a Running Elbow Splash, Riley came up short yet again when
Kevin Owens caught his foot off of kick and nailed a big foot to the hamstring,
which knotted up his muscles. Grabbing Riley by the head, Owens drove him into
the turnbuckle with enough momentum to send Alex crashing to a seated position.
Backing away, gathering speed, Owens launched himself from one corner to
another with a Cannonball Splash which fully connected. Standing over Alex
Riley’s prone body, Kevin Owens sold hatred better than anyone I’ve seen in
months and the scathing look on his face was one to behold. If looks could
kill, Alex Riley would be the latest wrestling tragedy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Soaking
up the ‘Kill Owens Kill’ chants which sounded raw and baying as if a crowd of
savages had gathered to see the slaughter of a traitor, Kevin Owens blasted
Riley with a Short-Arm Clothesline putting him on his back once again. Alex
Riley had no friends here. Standing over Riley again, Kevin Owens provided the
laughs by mocking his opponent. With open arms, Owens shouted at his victim,
‘Come on Riley! Rage!’ It just goes to prove that Kevin Owens doesn’t have to
be physically active to be entertaining. For good measure, Owens dropped a big
elbow on his prey for a count of two. As Alex Riley kicked out of the pinfall
attempt, Kevin Owens slowed the pace of the bout and applied a Rear Chinlock
which Riley clearly needed to regain his breath. He was heavily blow up by this
point. It looked too easy for Kevin Owens. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Letting
go of the move, Owens kicked Riley in the back only for Alex to battle back out
of desperation with a Forearm shot across Owen’s face. The collision worked out
better than Riley could have hoped for as Kevin Owens dropped to the canvas and
rolled to the apron, where Riley took advantage and knocked the NXT Champion to
ringside. Had Alex Riley been able to capitalise on his momentum the bout may
have panned out differently, unfortunately for the man who hoped to extract
vengeance on this night Kevin Owens was first back to his feet and slowly
climbed back into the ring with a look of annoyance on his face. With Riley
still trying to get up, he seemed to be no match for a rampaging Champion who
propped Alex in the corner only to miss a Cannonball Splash.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Harnessing
every piece of strength he had left, Alex Riley pulled himself to a vertical
base and nailed an excellent Spinebuster which would be his biggest
contribution to the bout. Selling the move to perfection, Kevin Owens staggered
to his feet and came to rest against the ring ropes where Riley went all or
nothing with a Big Splash. Crashing and burning, Riley’s Splash was dodged and
in turn he hung himself up in the ropes. Now, there was no more time for
messing around for Kevin Owens. Thoroughly annoyed that he was taken advantage
of, Owens went on the rampage and squished his rival with three heavy Senton
Splashes. Instead of pinning Riley which should have brought about the end of
the clash, Owens sought further punishment by hurling Alex from the ring.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
the fight to the arena floor, the NXT Champion was in his element. Pulling Alex
Riley to his feet, Kevin Owens rammed the returning star into the steel
barricade twice before rolling Alex back into the ring. The match was as good
as over. All that was left were formalities. Sliding back into the ring, Kevin
Owens allowed Alex Riley to be the architect of his own downfall. Pulling
himself back up, Alex Riley charged at Owens only for the NXT Champion to hoist
his rival in the air and drive him home with a Powerbomb. With a smirk on his
face, Kevin Owens covered Alex Riley for the victory as it became clear he was
never any match for the man standing atop the NXT mountain. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
those weeks of hype, it was almost embarrassing to watch Alex Riley go down so
easily. All the talk, all the rage and all those promises came to nothing in
the end. They were washed away by a far superior athlete who helped ruin Alex
Riley’s chances of making it big in NXT. But it wasn’t Kevin Owens’ fault. He
was just doing his job. The fault here lies with WWE. They pushed Riley before
he was ready and he looked terrible for ninety nine percent of this bout. It
was damaging to his career, image and NXT as a whole. Now, it’s hard to see
where Alex Riley goes from here. Does he disappear from television in order to
hone his talents more and then have one final crack at Kevin Owens? Or does he
return to the announce desk and try to forget what went down here?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
the bout, Kevin Owens decided it would be a good idea to send a message to Finn
Balor who was watching backstage and who despite not being in action during
this broadcast was dressed to wrestle. Fetching Alex Riley to ringside, Owens
attempted a Powerbomb onto the apron only for his number one contender to come out
and halt the attack. After a stare down, Finn Balor dived from the stage and
connected with a massive fist as Kevin Owens and Finn Balor battled around and
inside the ring. Levelling Owens with a his double foot Dropkick, Balor went to
the summit but found Owens rolling out of the way of his Coupe de Grace.
Finally, the pair had come to blows one week before their NXT Championship
Match and it promised something bigger and better the following week.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Summary</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Episode
269 of NXT was a cracking romp through fifty seven minutes of action, only let
down by the poor performance of Alex Riley in the main event after weeks of
hype. It was a dumb decision and NXT should have altered their plan in order to
hype Riley as a serious threat. Because the moment Owens pinned Riley without
trouble, the last few weeks were all for nothing. WWE could and should have
done better. Had Alex Riley pinned Kevin Owens or even defeated him via
disqualification it would have at least set up a triple threat or NXT
Championship bout somewhere down the line. Now, Alex Riley has a mountain to
climb and I doubt he can manage to get even half way up it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apart
from that fact, the show was a very good piece of work. Tyler Breeze vs
Kalisto, Wesley Blake vs Colin Cassidy and Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss were all
excellent to good and a great advert for NXT on the road. The future is bright
indeed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QpUXOpb25Y8/VRkaMY7vogI/AAAAAAAADtI/LCmtyoPYjFM/s1600/The%2BNXT%2BReport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-72907478510308344192015-03-25T03:03:00.000-07:002015-03-25T03:03:23.997-07:00WRESTLEMANIA 31 - RISE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMsW1_2sUYU/VRKEzl4crPI/AAAAAAAADsY/wcUdcssjk5E/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMsW1_2sUYU/VRKEzl4crPI/AAAAAAAADsY/wcUdcssjk5E/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Thirty one years ago, Vince McMahon had
a vision to change the world of professional wrestling as we knew it. In order
to put Jim Crockett out of business, McMahon had a vision and three decades
later that vision is the most celebrated and anticipated night in the
professional wrestling calendar. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t get excited
about WrestleMania and even the lapsed fans who refuse to watch the current
product, not that the present day fans can most days thanks to the ever
infuriating WWE Network, tune in for the feeling they get from WrestleMania.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In previous years, we’ve seen legends
made on the grandest stage of them all and this year the likes of Roman Reigns,
Bray Wyatt and Rusev to name but a few will step into the most important night
of their career’s looking to make history. And all of them can if they perform
to the very highest level. WrestleMania has given us countless moments to
remember forever and let’s hope 31 will be no different. Of course, for you
Wrestling God and for you minions, WrestleMania 31 marks a different stage in
our lives. This blog has officially been alive for three years and whilst a
question mark hangs over its head as we look to the future, it’s not a bad run
to have for a blog which began with just one reader.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From the Levis Stadium in San Francisco,
California on March 29th 2015, this is WWE WrestleMania 31.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE
World Heavyweight Championship Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c)
Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns</span></u></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76V6n7I6hLg/VRKExyQJkjI/AAAAAAAADr8/pJRapt1PmxQ/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BBrock%2BLesnar%2Bvs%2BRoman%2BReigns.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76V6n7I6hLg/VRKExyQJkjI/AAAAAAAADr8/pJRapt1PmxQ/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BBrock%2BLesnar%2Bvs%2BRoman%2BReigns.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I say this at least once per month, but
I’m going to say it again. It was always coming to this. Roman Reigns has been
the apple of WWE’s eye since he made his debut on NXT several years ago. A
relation of The Rock and part of one of the most famous families Samoa has ever
produced, the former member of The Shield was earmarked for success right from
the very beginning. Vince McMahon saw it, Triple H saw it and with a little
work on his all around game, the fan saw it also. Roman Reigns is the heir
apparent to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and at WrestleMania 31 he
will finally climb that illustrious mountain and claim the prize that his
cousin The Rock first captured at Survivor Series 1998. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many believe that Roman Reigns isn’t
ready, still, after nearly two and half years in the business. But I couldn’t
disagree more on this occasion. Roman Reigns has worked his balls off to stand
where he currently does today and deserves everything that is coming his way.
WWE’s programming has been building to the rise of a new star for a while and
even though their plans were derailed when Roman Reigns was forced to take a
leave of absence due to injury in 2014, this is the crowning glory on top of
all their plans. However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because Roman
Reigns, whilst ready, hasn’t been totally thrilling in all of his recent bouts.
Leaving 2014 behind, Roman Reigns has been saddled most weeks on Raw with Big
Show in matches that didn’t do him any justice whatsoever. His performance in
the Royal Rumble was sedated and the only gleaming gem Roman Reigns has had
these last few months are his confrontations with Daniel Bryan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At Fast Lane on February 22nd, Roman
Reigns vs Daniel Bryan was the best match on the card despite transpiring at a
slow rate for most of its duration. Their confrontations on television before
hand were excellent, by far the most convincing brawls in wrestling in a long
time. But the big question now, is can Roman Reigns sustain that going into
WrestleMania? I truly want to say yes, but there’s something inside me right
now doubting whether Roman Reigns can sustain such momentum and have a truly
memorable main event match with Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania.
You see, this isn’t me being the pessimist because I know Reigns can put on a
hell of a show. All this doubt stems from one place. And that place is WWE’s
creative department.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since splitting from The Shield in 2014
and his feud with Randy Orton later in the year, Roman Reigns has been pitted
against wrestlers who WWE would describe to us as monsters. Big Show, Kane,
Mark Henry and now Brock Lesnar. With the exception of Daniel Bryan, all of
Reigns’ foes have failed to give him a gripping or technically sound match.
Now, I know that WWE wanted to pass Reigns off with a Superman aura by dropping
big men all over the place, but this has and could still have an adverse effect
on Roman Reigns’ performance at WrestleMania. Reigns hasn’t been tested like
others before him in technical wars, which means he could struggle greatly to
match Brock Lesnar who is verse in any and all forms of fighting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After all of this hype and build to
Roman Reigns big moment, the one thing WWE cannot do now is allow him to take
it easy and treat a WrestleMania main event of this magnitude like he’s
battling Big Show or Kane on Raw. A percentage of fans have already taken
against Roman Reigns thanks to the Royal Rumble and Fast Lane results as well
as his stupid comments about fans on a radio show, which WWE really should have
guided him through. What would disastrous for Roman Reigns right now, would to
be to come this far only to be booked out of the arena on WrestleMania night.
Sadly, this is a real possibility because you can never dictate what an
audience will do at the best of times, let alone on one of the biggest nights
of the years which they spend literally thousands of pounds each on. In
essence, WrestleMania is our night and we can make it or break it as we wish.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There’s another thing we’re capable of
on a night such as this and it’s changing the rules as WWE have barely laid
them out. You see, Roman Reigns is pencilled in to win the WWE World
Heavyweight Championship as I write this in February. But WWE will be keeping
an eye on his progress and the fan reaction to him on the remaining miles on
the road to WrestleMania. If those reactions aren’t favourable, then there’s a
massive chance that plans will change and either Roman Reigns will turn heel at
WrestleMania on Daniel Bryan who may be inserted into the ending of this match
to stop The Authority costing Reigns the gold, or neither Brock Lesnar nor
Roman Reigns will walk out Champion at WrestleMania. Because there’s always
plan-b.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can’t shake this feeling that WWE
have kept Seth Rollins hanging onto the Money in the Bank briefcase for a
reason. We’ve heard him over the last few months spout that there is always a
plan-b but I get the feeling he wasn’t talking about himself. He was talking
about WWE. Seth Rollins is WWE’s plan-b. He’s the man WWE will look to cash in
on Brock Lesnar or Roman Reigns should the plan not be going as WWE wished.
That’s the great thing about WrestleMania, there’s always an unknown entity
waiting in the wings. Would fans mind if Roman Reigns’ opportunity is stolen
away from him at the last minute? Some would. Others wouldn’t care because they
feel Roman has been given the breaks that the likes of Dolph Ziggler have
worked harder for. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brock Lesnar was an open book in
January 2015. Before his match with John Cena and Seth Rollins which was the
best thing about Royal Rumble 2015, there were rumours that Brock Lesnar may
shirk extending his contract with WWE amid desires to return to Ultimate
Fighting. After Brock Lesnar left the Royal Rumble as WWE World Heavyweight
Champion, those rumours grew bigger until WWE could no longer ignore them.
Brock Lesnar’s future was a source of debate on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s
pod-cast with Triple H as guest. As informative and insightful as he could go,
Triple H admitted that he didn’t know if Brock Lesnar would be around his
contract expired after WrestleMania, however now it seems that Lesnar will be
around for another two years at least amid rumours that he has or will have
done by the time you read this, signed a new contract with WWE.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can’t decide if that’s good news or
bad news. It could be bad news for Roman Reigns, because if Brock Lesnar has
signed on the dotted line that could mean an extension to his WWE World
Heavyweight Championship run came as part of the deal. However, at some point
Seth Rollins will cash in his contract and the pair, should Lesnar prevail at
WrestleMania, will do battle. The problem with having Brock Lesnar around
another two years is that there’s nothing left for him to do in WWE. He has
done everything possible which means he’ll be treading water and repeating what
he’s already done. Could WWE book a programme between Brock Lesnar and Sting?
Maybe, if Sting is willing to put his body in the hands of a man who has been
described as careless and brutal in the ring even though the business is
predetermined. I have heard numerous wrestlers complain that Brock Lesnar is
too rough over the past few years, including John Cena. A man who never
complains about anything.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Looking at the available options for
Brock Lesnar, I believe a title change is going to happen at WrestleMania.
Let’s face it, WWE can’t keep having Daniel Bryan say that he never lost the
title and then castigate him on commentary for not defending his title in the
time allocated for a wrestler to do so if Brock Lesnar isn’t defending it every
month and only appears one every few months as champion. It’s hypocritical and
makes members of the WWE Universe mad. This is a sure fire way to turn business
away at the door if I ever saw one. The WWE World Heavyweight Championship
needs to be the focus of the programme and even though its absence has allowed
the United States Championship to take a step forward and take some much needed
spotlight, WWE needs it back on a wrestler who is there full time.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though everything is still up in air
concerning the ending to the bout and whether Roman Reigns will walk out
champion, I can’t help but think this is thirteen years in the making. Whether
you like to believe it or not, the truth is that Brock Lesnar was a star
because The Rock helped him to be one at SummerSlam 2002. If it wasn’t for The
Rock being so willing to put a new star over that night, Lesnar may have found
it difficult to find an audience. It wasn’t guaranteed The Rock would drop the
gold as willingly as he did that night, he could have been a diva, insisted the
match end on a dq or count out and then vacate the title the next night before
leaving for Hollywood. There would have been nothing Vince could have done
about it because he wouldn’t have wanted to upset The Rock, with him returning
a year later. But he didn’t. The Rock gladly put a brand new star over with all
the professionalism he had on the night and it worked. Brock Lesnar has never
paid The Rock back for that but WrestleMania 31 could be the night it happens.
What better way to give back for that night than willingly putting over Roman
Reigns, a new star and a blood relative of the man who helped make ‘The Beast’
a star all those years ago?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whatever WWE are planning for
WrestleMania 31, care and attention is needed. It’s all very well treading a
stable path to the event, but one wrong move could be disastrous for the night
in question, the participants in the match and the rest of the year. Move one
wrong foundation and the Roman Empire may yet crumble in from of Reigns very
eyes.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners
Prediction: Roman Reigns</span></u></b></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE
Intercontinental Championship Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Ladder
Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c)
Bad News Barrett vs Dean Ambrose vs Dolph Ziggler vs R-Truth vs Luke Harper vs
Stardust vs Daniel Bryan</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e_U9ZXzhbe8/VRKExYlx7cI/AAAAAAAADr4/-hOyrBiQzB0/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BBad%2BNews%2BBarett%2Bvs%2BR-Truth%2Bvs%2BDean%2BAmbrose%2Bvs%2BLuke%2BHarper%2Bvs%2BDaniel%2BBryan%2Bvs%2BStardust%2Bvs%2BDolph%2BZiggler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e_U9ZXzhbe8/VRKExYlx7cI/AAAAAAAADr4/-hOyrBiQzB0/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BBad%2BNews%2BBarett%2Bvs%2BR-Truth%2Bvs%2BDean%2BAmbrose%2Bvs%2BLuke%2BHarper%2Bvs%2BDaniel%2BBryan%2Bvs%2BStardust%2Bvs%2BDolph%2BZiggler.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I met the announcement of this bout
with both enthusiasm and a degree of confusion. There is no doubt, that the
Intercontinental Championship being put up for grabs in what should be one of
the most thrilling bouts of the night will be a highlight not just for WrestleMania
but also for the lineage of the gold. In recent years it has been forgotten
about as a mere time filler, something to throw on the card when you have a
spare ten minutes and to the detriment of its holders. Men like Bad News
Barrett would have been headline stars by now had this the 1990’s because that
was the power the Intercontinental Championship had. Thanks to WWE’s shoddy
treatment of the title, no one takes it seriously anymore.</span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maybe though, WrestleMania 31 will be
the night all of that changes. I would expect the ladder match to go on near
the beginning so it doesn’t suffer from a worn out crowd that are recovering
from one match and saving their energy for the main event, and should WWE give
it ample time to flourish then we could see a resurgence in the gold’s
interests. Once an audience who are only caring about to tier stars see what
the smaller divisions are capable of, then there should be demand for the title
to regularly appear on pay-per view forcing WWE to do something with it. Whilst
many don’t believe this will happen, I firmly have hope that WWE must do
something with the belt otherwise they face losing it. And after all, this is
the year WWE’s resurgence is meant to begin again after WrestleMania’s 30th
anniversary. It’s possible they will elevate the title back to where it used to
sit.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whilst there’s no reason for the title
not to be one of WWE’s main prizes again, I was deeply shocked at the
announcement that R-Truth would be one of the participants in this bout. And
it’s the rapping Truth that we shall start with first because apart from the
Intercontinental Champion, he was the first name announced for the clash. Now,
anyone paying attention to WWE’s product over the last four years will have
noticed that R-Truth has done next to nothing of note on the roster apart from
job to wrestlers better than him. That was his designated role in WWE and he
seemed happy to fulfil it in any way he could. Because as we’ve discussed,
anything is better than working for TNA, this would be the result if R-Truth
left WWE. Just as Brodus Clay, he looks miserable.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In four years, R-Truth’s biggest
participation came in the form of a main event feud with John Cena which came
to a head at Capitol Punishment in 2011 in a stagnant and boring outing. Since
then, Truth’s turned face and been very low on WWE’s priority list. Some fans
had even forgotten he existed as he’s been plying his trade on Superstars and
Main Event. It’s fair to say that Truth has been a pointless endeavour in WWE’s
crown and that is why giving him a WrestleMania position at this level is all
the more baffling. There are wrestlers out there who actually need this spot
and have the ability to do something with it. Ryback for example. WWE could
have switched the pair and had Truth take Ryback’s place in the second annual
Andre the Giant memorial battle royal and vice versa. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When R-Truth pinned Bad News Barrett on
the first Smackdown after Fast Lane, it was always apparent that the company
were lining him up for yet another push even though he doesn’t deserve it. This
close to WrestleMania, they wouldn’t have the Intercontinental Champion lose to
a nobody if they weren’t going to set something up for the grandest stage of
them all. But that doesn’t have to mean we like it, because the majority of us
don’t. I would prefer to see anyone else in this position because the simple
fact of the matter is that R-Truth has no future in WWE and therefore it’s
wholly unbelievable that Ron Killings will not come out of this match with a
victory or a path to walk when it’s all said and done. When WrestleMania is
over and we’re looking to Extreme Rules, I’m betting that R-Truth won’t even be
in the picture.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Luke Harper has been a no one in WWE
since his Intercontinental Championship feud with Dolph Ziggler at the business
end of 2014. The former Wyatt Family member hasn’t had the luck or the push
that he deserves in WWE since December and is suffering for it. He’s been
almost invisible on weekly television battling names who no longer matter in
WWE, when he’s booked at all, and his inclusion here seems like an afterthought
rather than a plan to ignite his career following WrestleMania. Whilst it’s all
about what will happen on the night right now, WWE have to be looking to their
post-WrestleMania season and in the months where they cannot count on returning
stars to make the money for them, it’s men like Luke Harper who should be at
the forefront of WWE’s plans.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Okay, so Harper may not have the looks
and build that Vince McMahon would usually choose for a star for his company
but the man is an excellent wrestler and for someone of his size, that talent
should be guarded with everything WWE have. He’s unnerving and the look in
those eyes screams main event talent. Hell, this is a man who has had good matches
with John Cena in the past and there aren’t a whole lot of people you can say
that about. So why hasn’t he had the luck and push that someone as good as him
may usually get? Well the answer to that is simple. WWE have become
unimaginative and they have nothing for him to do. That’s a shame because Luke
Harper, with a killer storyline could be a massive draw and if he had the
Intercontinental Championship in his possession then even better. The title
could mean something once again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So what do I suggest for Luke Harper?
This is how WWE would be wise to go forward with Luke Harper in the months
after WrestleMania. After WrestleMania, Luke Harper should take some time away
from WWE in order to allow fans to miss him and forget about him. It may not be
an ideal action because when fans forget about you they generally don’t care
anymore. But Luke Harper has something about him that fans want to see. We can
spot a great wrestler when we see one. In the meantime, Bray Wyatt would turn
face after his victory or loss at WrestleMania to The Undertaker and strange
messages would begin to air for Wyatt stating that Sister Abigail isn’t pleased
with his behaviour and that he’s betrayed the buzzards.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This could go on for two or three
months until Bray Wyatt is either kidnapped on television or Luke Harper is
revealed to be his tormentor. Harper would then tease and stalk Bray Wyatt as
the pair became involved in a series of creepy mind games leading to a battle
at SummerSlam. Now the finer details haven’t been ironed out yet but that is
the general gist. Luke Harper vs Bray Wyatt would be massive for both men. Not
just because they’d be able to have some excellent matches, but because Harper
would be able to take the next step forward following the feud. Something drastic
has to be done now, because a talent like Luke Harper is just too good to
waste.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If there’s one man I feel sorry for in
WWE, it’s Dolph Ziggler. I’ve said this over and over again but nothing seems
to be being done about it. For all tense and purposes, it seemed as if Dolph
Ziggler would be inserted into a massive storyline when he was the sole
survivor of Team Cena at Survivor Series and then fired for his actions. The
stage was set for him to do something bigger but when he was reinstated, look
what happened. His appearance in the Royal Rumble was a flop. Instead of
allowing him a good showing to rid the rumble of The Authority which would have
been a good lead-in to any future feud, he was eliminated two minutes after he
entered by Big Show and Kane. Then at Fast Lane, he was on the wrong end of the
result in the six man tag team match.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It just doesn’t seem as if WWE are
bothered about Dolph Ziggler anymore. If they were, they’d have given him
something bigger than this to compete in on the night. Don’t get me wrong, even
though this is set to be the highlight of the night, what awaits Dolph Ziggler
afterwards? Could he really profit from another reign with the title? I don’t
think he could. His previous reigns have come to an abrupt end so why should we
believe another would go any different? The fans are firmly behind Dolph
Ziggler but WWE just don’t seem to want to know, so what can we do to change
their minds? On this occasions, nothing. Because unlike Daniel Bryan, Vince
McMahon just doesn’t believe in Dolph Ziggler and thus he’s destined to be the
man who comes close to the brass again but never again grabs it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WWE could have altered this. If you
cast your minds back to January, Dolph Ziggler challenged Daniel Bryan to a
match at WrestleMania on Twitter. WWE could have made something out of this and
pitted the pair against each other in singles competition. Daniel Bryan vs
Dolph Ziggler would have been stunning bout on the grandest stage of them all,
but out of fear that they’d be proved wrong and we’d be proved right once
again, WWE ignored that idea even though it was a popular one with those who
pay to see the event. It strikes me that WWE haven’t yet realised that if they
don’t give us what we want then we won’t buy the event. Dolph Ziggler needs
something better and gripping. He can still reach the main event if WWE push
him now, but it has to be done quickly otherwise the chance will pass him by.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dean Ambrose is an enigma to me. One
moment he’s riding high in his feud with Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt and then
suddenly the year turns and he’s a minor player in WWE. It looks to me as if
WWE have gotten what they wanted out of him and just dumped him like a third
wheel. It may be a controversial topic, but I believe that Dean Ambrose
deserved the main event spot at WrestleMania and not Roman Reigns. It was ‘The
Lunatic Fringe’ who stood in for Roman Reigns when WWE had no one else and this
is what he gets in the way of thanks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You’ll read below why I wasn’t
impressed by Dean Ambrose vs Bad News Barrett at Fast Lane, but since then I
have been impressed by the passion Dean Ambrose has shown for the
Intercontinental Championship. Where others would just fight for the gold when
they’re told to, the fact that WWE have had Ambrose and other steal the title
really makes it look like an important piece of gold to own. No longer does it
seem like the title is just something to be defended when WWE have nothing else
to put on a card, once again it’s beginning to resemble something important and
that can only be a good thing. But will it benefit Dean Ambrose, who has to be
the favourite to leave this match with the gold around his waist?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The answer is, maybe. Dean Ambrose is a
great talent and his interest in the title has meant its elevation in recent
weeks. If Dean Ambrose scales that ladder and claims the Intercontinental
Championship then its vital WWE keep the momentum rolling and don’t stop it
dead after the event. Dean Ambrose must defend the title at Extreme Rules and
in the weeks between WrestleMania and April’s event other wrestlers must state
their desire to hold the crown as they have in the weeks leading up to
WrestleMania. If WWE play their cards right then this could be a new beginning
for the strap under the guidance of the future of the company.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stardust was a surprise entrant in this
bout for me. I really thought that WWE would have put Daniel Bryan in this bout
instead of Cody Rhodes and whilst that still may happen, I’m writing this on
March 11th, I just can’t see where the company are going by including the
seemingly incompetent Stardust in one of the biggest matches on the card. This
may seem unfathomable to some, after all Cody Rhodes has been included in some
of the most memorable ladder matches in the last ten years and possesses the undeniable
skill to put on a hell of a show here, but just think about what happens if he
wins and what that would mean for the Intercontinental Championship.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As Cody Rhodes, Stardust was a flop as
Intercontinental Champion on several occasions. There was the one reign where
he really looked as if he was giving back something to the lineage of the gold
and was credited with re-introducing the old style belt, but then it all went
wrong. And I have no doubt that will happen again. Stardust is a bizarre and
increasingly frustrating character, I’m even sure that Cody Rhodes is
embarrassed to play him. Under the war paint, Rhodes has had some of the worst
matches of his entire career as the character doesn’t allow him to express his
full arsenal. His WWE Tag Team Championship reign with brother Goldust was
terrible as were their matches and his recent feud against Goldust produced a
mind numbing, tedious battle at Fast Lane which the fans in the arena couldn’t
wait to end. So someone please tell me how Stardust has earned a place in this
match, on this night.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just having Stardust associated with
the Intercontinental Championship is damaging to its image right now, when the
belt needs something to elevate it into the stratosphere. No one wants to see
Stardust compete at WrestleMania and whilst he may very well thrive with other
people around him I’m one hundred per cent sure that Daniel Bryan would have
been a better option. Had WWE replaced Rhodes with Bryan, it would have done
the same for the belt as it has for the United States Championship now John
Cena is battling for it. There is no sensible solution for WWE with Stardust.
The character has to go and soon if Cody Rhodes is going to make a comeback
under his own name and really try to reach the top. Hopefully, by this time
next year everyone will have forgotten the name…Stardust.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bad News Barrett may be the reigning
WWE Intercontinental Champion, but his time under the banner of a title is
coming to an end. The signs have been there since the very beginning if anyone
has cared to read them. Had WWE wanted to make Bad News Barrett their next main
priority then it would have done so by now. Instead of pushing Barrett who
could have been something huge in WWE, the company have constantly undermined
him at every turn and that wasn’t any clearer than at WWE Fast Lane. Now, I
predicted that Dean Ambrose would win that match because I saw no future for
Barrett as champion as WWE were booking him. But I was wrong. It doesn’t happen
every day but now and again I get things wrong.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, it was the manner in which
Dean Ambrose was allowed to walk over Bad News Barrett which alarmed me.
Instead of an even and gripping fight, both men seemed to be distracted with
something else and though not overtly long, the title match was pointless.
Completely set up so Dean Ambrose could steal the title when he lost via
disqualification. In turn, that would set up a string of bad luck for Barrett
which would follow the event. Firstly he lost to R-Truth on Smackdown and then
Dolph Ziggler on the following weeks Raw. I’m sure we’ve all been following
Barrett’s decline since then so I’ll skip the rest of this tragedy and move
onto the point.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wade Barrett may have been popular with
the fans, but that seems to have disappeared when he went down injured last
year. When he came back, there was nowhere near the amount of enthusiasm for
him and it showed in both fan reaction and booking reaction. WWE have done a
disservice by allowing Barrett to fester when he could have flew. As
Intercontinental Champion, I believe Wade Barrett will only further harm the
title and his own future. He needs to be taken off of television and made into
something better. Something stronger. He needs to be reinvented as top tier
star because he’s too good for where he is now and WWE don’t know what to do
with him. I have no suggestions for Wade Barrett at time of writing, but I’m
sure I’ll have come up with a few if he’s announced for Extreme Rules.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Daniel Bryan is a late addition to this
match and though I’m writing little piece on him on March 12th, I believe that
he will be the last entrant into the bout otherwise WWE risk overloading the
match and the time it would take to showcase each wrestler would detract from
the time they would have in the ring on the night. It’s a wise decision to add
Daniel Bryan into the mix, after all, what else were WWE going to do with him
at WrestleMania? He lost to Roman Reigns at Fast Lane in an excellent bout and
after that, everything seemed to cool off for Bryan. Something had to be done
before he missed out on WrestleMania completely and that would be a massive
injustice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s a comedown for Daniel Bryan, of
course it is. Last year, he was competing in one the most memorable storylines
in WrestleMania history. His rise to the top of WWE was a momentous and joyous
moment in time to behold and one year later, he finds himself way down the
card, competing for a title which no one really cares about anymore. But that
could all change if Daniel Bryan walks away with the WWE Intercontinental
Championship. You see, Bryan has the aura and the skill and the fan base to
make this gold important again and it’s almost as if both this and the United
States Championship have finally come into Vince McMahon’s priority list,
because at WrestleMania 31, when both titles would usually be contested in a
pointless mid-card match or relegated from the show altogether, they have major
names fighting for them. That’s progress.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The sky really could be the limit for
Daniel Bryan as Intercontinental Champion. He’d have ready made feuds with Bad
News Barrett, Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler just waiting and if played
correctly they could carry him through the rest of 2015. On weekly television,
Daniel Bryan could contest gripping fifteen minute bouts with others who wanted
to dethrone him before having classics on pay-per view and if Bryan walks away
with the gold then the title would be a regular feature on events each month
because WWE won’t leave Daniel Bryan out of the mix. Six months of this and no
stupid booking could see the Intercontinental Championship return to prominence
and then WWE really would owe Daniel Bryan a debt of gratitude.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whether WWE decide to follow my
instructions to remove Barrett from television after WrestleMania and reinvent
him as something unforgettable remains to be seen, but either way, at
WrestleMania 31 we see a new WWE Intercontinental Champion crowned. It has to
happen if the title is going to take a step forward from March 29th onwards.
It’s a natural progression and that is the way WWE are going in 2015. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners
Prediction: Daniel Bryan</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Sting
vs Triple H</span></u></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DCuNjLMUafs/VRKEzPyBACI/AAAAAAAADsQ/fgfn-47aEHU/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BSting%2Bvs%2BTriple%2BH.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DCuNjLMUafs/VRKEzPyBACI/AAAAAAAADsQ/fgfn-47aEHU/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BSting%2Bvs%2BTriple%2BH.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you listen to Triple H, and many
people do, he would have you believe that this match is thirteen years maybe
more in the making. For the past month, we’ve heard numerous times about how
Sting represents WCW and Triple H is the beating heart of WWE, but do we really
need all that for what is, in itself, a dream encounter? You see, this is one
of the major problems with WWE in 2015. They over think everything and sometimes
it’s not to the advantage of the programming or the fans buying and watching
the events. We’d have been just as content had Sting entered WWE to rid the
company of The Authority or needing that one dream match to complete an
otherwise iconic career. This time, there was no need for a long, complex or
overbearing storyline.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But that isn’t how WWE do things and
never have. Instead of something refreshingly simple, Triple H and WWE have
tried to convince us that Sting has waited fourteen years to try and sink WWE
like they sank WCW and defeating Triple H will do that even though there is a
lack of stipulations that state the winner will get control of WWE or the fact
that even if there was, Sting would have no real claim on the company because
it doesn’t belong to Triple H. If Sting really wanted to put WWE out of
business as Triple H says he does, Sting would have targeted Vince McMahon and
we’d have another invasion angle on our hands which hopefully would be handled
much better than the one in 2001. Hell, even that would have been a better
storyline than the one we are getting now. But regardless of what story both
men are peddling to us, this is WrestleMania and for the first time in 31
years, Sting will compete on the grandest stage of them all.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like many UK viewers, I watched Fast
Lane on Sky 1 because WWE Network wouldn’t let me in again. Actually, I tell a
lie. Because after nearly an hour of trying to bypass the error message by
holding the X button, what I got was a Fast Lane pre-show which was blurred and
buffered even though it was a live stream. So instead of watching it on the
Network I tuned into Sky 1 to watch the event because WWE had worked a deal
with Sky to allow UK users to watch the event on a free Sky channel instead of
making us pay another fee for it on Sky Box Office. It was generous of them.
But what else could they do? Demand that even though we subscribe per month, we
pay another £19.99 out to watch the even on Sky Box Office even though the
fault is on their end? They would have had an uprising.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyway, I divert from the point.
Re-watching the event, someone poised me a question which I had trouble
answering for the first time in a long time. As Sting and Triple H stood face
to face in the middle of the ring, the question was asked of what was the
better wrestler? At first I was going to say Sting because of his time in the
business which has been longer than Triple H’s, but then you have to take into
account Sting’s age and Triple H’s physical appearance. I don’t believe that at
this time in his career, Sting can out wrestle Triple H in fact I don’t even
think he can outshine him with his years of experience. Triple H certainly has
the edge and will carry Sting through what should be a historic match. But
let’s not count Sting out just yet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes, years of toiling away in
meaningless matches in TNA have done nothing for his in-ring skill, but this is
Sting and when it really counts he can put on a hell of a show. Even though his
age and physical condition will be against him, I believe that Sting has one
last excellent match left in him and it will come at WrestleMania. However,
that is just one night and the question has been rife ever since Sting signed a
WWE contract of what he could in a more long term capacity. It’s a good
question. Sting doesn’t have long left as an active in ring wrestler and so WWE
need to make the most of their time with him. There’s no doubt in my mind that
Sting will retire in WWE but would it be a proper retirement without Sting
winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship first? I don’t think it would.
People may say he’s past it but let’s face it, he’s been WCW and TNA World
Heavyweight Champion, whether you think it’s right or not, Sting should hold
the gold even if it’s only for one month.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As mentioned above, Sting vs Brock
Lesnar is a possibility. It would mean that on their contracts, neither would
have to be around an extended amount of time and therefore could remain a main
attraction for however long they stay around. But in the long term, Sting and
Triple H won’t conclude their business at WrestleMania and are likely to do
battle again at SummerSlam before Sting does the ultimate honour and provides
The Undertaker with his final match at WrestleMania 32. That’s Sting’s path
right now and it’s a decent one. If WWE can keep the storyline of Sting trying
to get rid of The Authority flowing through to August without Sting being
present then fans will buy into Sting’s story. But the big question is who will
get to retire Sting when the time comes?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like The Undertaker’s streak, Sting’s
career will end with a bang. Though unlike The Undertaker’s streak, it
shouldn’t end to someone who can not profit from such a claim. John Cena would
be the likely candidate but then what can he do with the victory? Nothing is
the answer to that. WWE needs someone like Bray Wyatt to finish off Sting when
it comes and should Wyatt be able to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania or
even at SummerSlam then it would be a massive springboard from which to launch
Wyatt into the stratosphere. But that is in the future and we’re looking to the
present.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WWE haven’t brought Sting in to lose.
That’s not what he’s agreed to and so ‘The Stinger’ will prevail at
WrestleMania one way or another. Maybe that’s Triple H’s role now, putting over
younger and older talent to do what’s best for business. Maybe there is some
weight behind his claim after all. Sting vs Triple H is momentous and
regardless of whether the match is terrible or stunning, fans will love it all
the same because it will mark Sting’s first ever match in WWE. That in itself
is a WrestleMania moment to hang onto until the end of time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners
Prediction: Sting</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Bray
Wyatt vs The Undertaker</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l_fig7fJzJk/VRKEzVKfDWI/AAAAAAAADsU/qLKRELYo-Xo/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BThe%2BUndertaker%2Bvs%2BBray%2BWyatt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l_fig7fJzJk/VRKEzVKfDWI/AAAAAAAADsU/qLKRELYo-Xo/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BThe%2BUndertaker%2Bvs%2BBray%2BWyatt.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whether you know it or not, this is a
massive bout for WrestleMania even though it’s slightly diminished thanks to
Brock Lesnar ending The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania XXX. True, it would
have meant a whole lot more had the streak been in tact and Bray Wyatt the man
picked to end it, but we have to accept that fact that The Undertaker had
earned the right to choose who finally put him down and he chose Brock Lesnar.
Right decision or wrong decision, it was his right after twenty four years of unblemished
service. However, The Undertaker’s choice at last year’s WrestleMania has been
covered enough over the past year and so it’s a subject we shall leave alone
for now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, one last note on the subject
is that The Undertaker’s career is coming to end. That is obvious even if
nothing else is surrounding Mark Calloway right now. The question however, is
when will he finally bow out and leave us with one of the greatest and most
memorable legacies in professional wrestling history? If you believe hype and
rumour on the internet then it’ll most likely be at WrestleMania 32, though
there is a train of thought that tells me that Mark Calloway would rather carry
on for five more years and retire at WrestleMania 36 which would be his
thirtieth year with the company. He’s been wrestling a lot longer. If the
latter is Calloway’s plan then I would question his method greatly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Undertaker is a physical wreck,
which is common knowledge. Over the past few years he’s been forced to take a
whole year away from the ring in order to recover from one match and reliable
sources have even stated that Calloway collapsed for real backstage after his
bout with Brock Lesnar last year. To me, that doesn’t sound like the actions of
a man who can carry on for another five years, even if it’s just one match per
year. If The Undertaker is collapsing after matches, having to take a whole
year to recover his body and have numerous surgeries just to hold his joints
together, then I’m sure you’ll join me in saying that he’s no longer fit to
wrestle and the best thing for him and his career would be to bow out this year
or next. No one wants to see The Undertaker ruin himself for one match per year
and though Mark Calloway is an incredibly intelligent gentleman, I fear that he
keeps coming back not for his legacy but for the fans.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Twenty five years after he first walked
that aisle at the 1990 Survivor Series, The Undertaker has nothing left to
prove to us or anyone else. I would rather see him inducted into the Hall of
Fame and wrestle one final, memorable bout as Ric Flair did, or was at least
supposed to do, and bow out rather than ruin himself just to keep us happy.
That isn’t what wrestling is meant to be about and to be quite honest; I just
don’t think The Undertaker has the passion for the business anymore. You may
read that sentence and think that I mean this in the worst possible way. But I
don’t, in fact quite the opposite. We’ve had the pleasure of The Undertaker for
twenty five glorious years. He never faltered, he never jumped ship, he
remained loyal to us from the beginning to the end. He’s given us everything he
has and if he’s lost the passion for the industry then so be it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At home, The Undertaker has a stunning
wife and a child to spend his days with. He’s a successful businessman, a
millionaire and a legend to millions of people. The Undertaker doesn’t need
professional wrestling anymore and the industry has coped without him well
enough. So maybe it’s time. Time for Mark Calloway to hang up his cloak and
allow his legend to rest in peace, because there’s nothing worse than someone
coming back year after when its clear they’re not needed. The Undertaker was
never that type of wrestler and it would be a sad sight to watch him become it
now. At the conclusion of his bout with Brock Lesnar last year, The Undertaker
looked a shell of his former self; many predicted we wouldn’t see him in a ring
again. They were wrong. I just hope that The Undertaker isn’t wrong about
coming back this year. Regrets are the worst things for professional wrestlers
to have.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I write this, there is still two
weeks until WrestleMania goes live which means there’s ample time for WWE to
add a stipulation to this bout. If The Undertaker is going to call it a day
then it would be a wonderful moment in time if he were to put his career up
against Bray Wyatt and hand the same courtesy to the future of the business as
he did to Brock Lesnar last year. If we’re being honest, wins and losses no
longer mean anything for The Undertaker at WrestleMania and therefore he’s got
nothing to lose by giving Bray Wyatt a massive victory on the grandest stage of
them all. Would that make the fans inside the arena happy on the night? It’s
doubtful. They want to see The Undertaker return to form. But sometimes we have
to prioritise about what’s best for business.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So what’s next for Bray Wyatt after
WrestleMania? Well, that all depends on what happens between those ropes on the
night. After suffering a defeat to John Cena last year, I don’t see how Bray
Wyatt’s career can take another massive hit. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with
losing to The Undertaker on such an occasion, there’s the risk that with
another loss Bray Wyatt will become known as the man who just can’t get it done
on the main stage. Sure, he can defeat mid-card wrestlers such as Dean Ambrose
and Chris Jericho but if Bray Wyatt isn’t seen to be able to beat the biggest
and the best when it really matters, then the chances of him ever being pushed
further than he is now are very slim indeed. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don’t want to believe that The
Undertaker is selfish. Someone who only puts over his friends when he feels
like it but that’s how it could come across if he beats Bray Wyatt at
WrestleMania, because every wrestling fan worth their salt knows that bigger
and better things lay in wait for Bray Wyatt after WrestleMania, including a
main event programme for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Bray Wyatt vs
Brock Lesnar could be massive, the two men who defeated The Undertaker at
WrestleMania battling for the title. Imagine how that would look. Or even Bray
Wyatt vs Roman Reigns for the title. Hell, a three way between Wyatt, Reigns
and Rollins would also be good for business. But that all relies on one result
and if goes the wrong way, well, Bray Wyatt can kiss goodbye to any hope of
climbing that ladder again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course, there are advantages to have
Bray Wyatt go over The Undertaker apart from the fact that he needs this to
advance his career. I’m sure that the mindless on the WWE.Com forums will
saying that Wyatt has no chance and that The Undertaker has the right to beat
him, but they’re not looking at the bigger picture. If it’s true about what
people are saying about The Undertaker retiring next year at WrestleMania, then
what better story to go into the bout with than blaming Brock Lesnar for
setting him on a downward spiral? Losing against Bray Wyatt would give The
Undertaker all the ammunition he would require to challenge Brock Lesnar to one
final career ending bout next year, where ‘Taker would do the one thing he’s
never done on a main stage. Defeat Brock Lesnar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whatever WWE have planned for this
bout, make no mistake it’s a huge moment in wrestling history. It’s past
meeting the present and WWE’s chance to prove to us once again that they are
serious about leaving what was behind. I would love nothing more to see another
Undertaker victory at WrestleMania, but I’m also clever enough to know that
things have to change and things have to move on. Bray Wyatt is the future, The
Undertaker was the past. Like I’ve said before, follow the buzzards and they
will lead us to a better and brighter horizon.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners
Prediction: Bray Wyatt</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE
United States Championship Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c)
Rusev vs John Cena</span></u></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BSyMr8eheKE/VRKEyYZIYZI/AAAAAAAADsI/tbynvf6glhw/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BRusev%2Bvs%2BJohn%2BCena.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BSyMr8eheKE/VRKEyYZIYZI/AAAAAAAADsI/tbynvf6glhw/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BRusev%2Bvs%2BJohn%2BCena.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I really would like to believe that
this match won’t just herald the rise of Rusev to WWE’s main event picture, but
also the night and the moment WWE revise their attitude to sinking a new talent
on the iceberg Cena. You see, many people have theorized about this match and
putting aside what it means for the United States Championship now a renowned
main event talent seems to want the gold more than the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship, WWE have the opportunity this year to right the wrong of last
year. We all remember John Cena vs Bray Wyatt and the chance WWE had to propel
‘The Eater of Worlds’ into the stratosphere, but refused to take it just to
furnish Cena’s WrestleMania record with another victory. That cannot be allowed
to happen this year.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On Raw a few weeks ago, Stephanie
McMahon strolled out into the ring when John Cena announced that he would
compete in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal to announce to John Cena
that despite what he believed, he wasn’t the face of WWE and that he wasn’t the
be-all and end-all of the WWE Universe. This was refreshing to hear and would
have been all the more believable had John Cena not then proceeded to dismantle
Curtis Axel in less then thirty seconds. But it set my mind racing as to if
they company really meant it and if that small speech heralded a new beginning
in WWE. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though none of us really believe that
John Cena is willing to put Rusev over at WrestleMania and WWE creative believe
that if John Cena loses his star will fall, which it won’t, there is a chance
that we could be wrong. You see, WrestleMania is the night when surprises can
happen and miracles can take us by the hand and stun us into silence. Look at
last year, Brock Lesnar ending The Undertaker’s streak. No one saw that coming.
And that gives me a small glimmer of hope that WWE are actually sensible enough
to have John Cena lose this year and hand Rusev the biggest victory of his life
on the grandest stage of them all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m not going to get my hopes up,
because we did that last year and look what happened. But just think about it
like this. What could WWE possibly do with John Cena as the United States
Champion? The title is for lower league talent to get a foot in the door on
their way up the ladder. If John Cena won the title at WrestleMania then he
would have to take a dramatic drop down the roster in order to defend the gold
against up and coming talent. Some of whom cannot hold their own and rely on
the Champion to carry them through the first stages of a feud. WWE must have realised
by now that in thirteen years, John Cena has not made one career and had ruined
twice as many. Also, that John Cena just isn’t capable of carrying anyone.
Surely WWE wouldn’t be dumb enough to hand the title to John Cena in the
knowledge that it would all but sink Rusev.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another reason I believe that WWE are
favouring Rusev this year, is because he’s an excellent talent who they are
banking on to reinvigorate their main event scene. What good could possible
come of Rusev losing to John Cena right now? Last year, Bray Wyatt’s career
took a nose dive because he lost the wrong match on the wrong night. It took
almost one year to get Bray back to a position where he could sensibly
challenge one of the greatest superstars in wrestling history. All the hard work
WWE have done with Rusev over the last year will be unravelled if John Cena is
allowed to walk over Rusev at WrestleMania. Plus, who is going to believe that
WWE are committed to pushing their future stars if a second falls to John Cena
in a second consecutive year? It’s going to look like WWE are prizing Cena over
the future of the company. No one can buy into a star or a promotion who
doesn’t look like they’re moving forward.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I know it’s unlikely, but if someone
from WWE is reading this blog then I implore you not have John Cena go over at
WrestleMania. It’s not the right time for Rusev’s winning streak to end. I’m
not saying John Cena can’t go over Rusev, because he can and Extreme Rules
would be a much better time for him to do so. Just not when it matters most.
John Cena can not profit form beating Rusev at WrestleMania and all a result
like that can do is damage another thriving and promising career. That WWE are
even considering doing this just to keep John Cena happy is pathetic. How far
is this going to go? Is John Cena going to be so selfish as to beat every new
talent that comes his way thus hindering the progress of the company just so he
can stay on top? Or is he going to be a man for once and voice his opinion to
WWE that Rusev should go over and his revenge can wait for another day? And
before people tell me he doesn’t have that type of power, you’re dead wrong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">John Cena vs Rusev at Fast Lane was
really good. In fact it was so good that it was beaten only by Roman Reigns vs
Daniel Bryan for quality. For once, it wasn’t just Rusev putting in all the
effort as John Cena really gave us a show and his effort was visible from
beginning to end and this is just the level of performance that we need to see
from John Cena at WrestleMania. Not only must he lose, but to get the respect
from the audience which he needs, John Cena really has to help Rusev look a
star. He must sell well, time his moves to perfection and most of all not break
The Accolade. John Cena’s revenge can and should be kept for another day. I
just hope that WWE sees that for once and gives us what we want, when their
company needs it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve been looking on the WWE.Com forums
over the past few weeks and something alarming has come to my attention.
Instead of focusing on what this could mean for a company the people who post
on these forums will be watching long after John Cena has gone, all their
bothered about is John Cena. I’ve seen some ridiculous posts from the biggest
morons wrestling fandom has to offer but some of the messages on that forum
were just ludicrous. People saying that if John Cena wasn’t at WrestleMania
then they wouldn’t watch it and that John Cena was the only entertainment in
WWE; well I don’t know what they’ve been watching but it’s certainly not the
same as everyone else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Instead of focusing on John Cena,
though the crowd will be guilty on the night as always by chanting ‘Let’s Go
Cena, Cena Sucks’ which is a chant which once again forgets the opponent by not
mentioning their names and just concentrates on people not wanting Cena to win
regardless of who his foe is, it’s time we focused on something more. Rusev is
the future of this company; he’s an excellent talent and could well be an
opponent for Brock Lesnar if Lesnar retains at Wrestlemania. I can easily see
both men doing battle at SummerSlam for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
even if that is very unlikely to happen. Putting aside Brock Lesnar, Roman
Reigns vs Rusev for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship later in 2015 would
be massive for business because it would be two new talents fighting for the
company’s top gold and when’s the last time that happened without John Cena,
Triple H, Randy Orton or Brock Lesnar in the picture?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The opportunities for Rusev are
endless, but he must be allowed to defeat John Cena first. I will accept that
WWE want John Cena to come out of this feud as the star he seems to be, but it
shouldn’t always have to be at the expense of those WWE will rely upon to
supplant him. There are other ways to do this. Let Rusev have his day and hand
John Cena an eventual victory at Extreme Rules or Payback, an apt name for a
stage on which a feud should end. The most we’ll settle for is John Cena
breaking The Accolade as a moment of magic in this match, not a John Cena
victory. I’m not paying my money to watch this event to see John Cena win yet
again. Like everyone watching WrestleMania with the exception of the women,
children and emotionally stunted men, we’re watching to see the future thrive
for once and if John Cena does win then I see little hope for the next
generation of stars.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners
Prediction: Rusev</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Paige
and A.J Lee vs The Bella Twins</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4TDWwNMKTME/VRKExce8AbI/AAAAAAAADs0/LROSV3hQFVw/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BA.J%2BLee%2Band%2BPaige%2Bvs%2BThe%2BBella%2BTwins.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4TDWwNMKTME/VRKExce8AbI/AAAAAAAADs0/LROSV3hQFVw/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BA.J%2BLee%2Band%2BPaige%2Bvs%2BThe%2BBella%2BTwins.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once again, WWE’s divas division has
become an enigma to me. For months now, the company have been doing sterling
work with their women’s division down in NXT to the point where the likes of
Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Bayley and Becky Lynch have put on some of the best
matches, male or female, in WWE over the last year. Yet, when it comes to their
main roster counterparts WWE doesn’t seem to be able to transfer that quality
to those paving the way for those names previously mentioned. I’ve had many
people ask me why this is over many months and my answer is always the same.
Simply put, divas no longer matter in to WWE’s main roster staff and for them
to do so again will take an upheaval in personnel. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So what can WWE do to rectify their
female division and get people involved and excited again? Well, it’s going to
be a tall order. Firstly, unlike the NXT audience, WWE’s main roster audience
aren’t at all bothered about ninety eight percent of WWE’s current divas
division. They’ve been jaded and trained to expect short, meaningless matches
with no content. In fact I’ve heard the divas bouts referred to as toilet
breaks by many people because its time they use to go and make a coffee or
empty their bladders. Yet, puzzlingly, a large percentage if not all of the NXT
audience view WWE’s other flagships shows on a weekly basis. So why are they
more enthused for NXT’s women’s division over their main roster colleagues?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The answer is both simple and on
display for everyone to see week in and week out. NXT have taken ample time to
develop their women and plot out their matches to precision. Not to mention
their women can actually wrestle. Paige and Natalya vs The Bella Twins at Royal
Rumble and Paige vs Nikki Bella at Fast Lane were terrible. Slow, boring,
uninvolving and pointless. Compare that to the women’s bouts NXT have showcased
in that time. Charlotte vs Sasha Banks vs Bayley vs Becky Lynch at ‘NXT
Takeover: Rival’ was excellent. Full of drama, near falls, well executed
offense and a gripping storyline running through the middle. The same goes for
Charlotte vs Sasha Banks on the March 4th NXT. NXT are better and WWE should be
striving to improve their divas division for when these women make the leap.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have been disappointed with Paige
over the past two months. As stated, her performances against Nikki Bella and
Brie Bella have been way below par for someone who began with so much promise.
I know that The Bella Twins border on disastrous inside the ring. They have no
flow, rhythm or knowledge of how to execute a gripping bout but Paige does.
She’s done it time and time again and WWE needed her to step up to the plate in
2015 and do something memorable with Nikki Bella. But as of yet they haven’t
gotten what they want. I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong with Paige. She
just doesn’t seem to be trying anymore. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At Royal Rumble Paige looked bored with
her current position on the roster and treatment at the hands of WWE. I can’t
blame her, she’s been treated shockingly recently and a girl of her skill
shouldn’t be jobbing to The Bella’s. But professionals do not allow that to
enter into their in ring product. We’ve seen the results of allowing backstage
politics into your matches before with men like Tensai and Brodus Clay and its
not pretty viewing. When Brodus Clay allowed his treatment to effect his
wrestling, it showed on his face. He didn’t seem to care about anything and
it’s an attitude he’s taken with him into TNA. I’ve never seen a wrestler look so
bored in my life and Paige has to be careful that doesn’t happen to her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was expecting something brilliant
from Paige at Fast Lane. Finally a chance to get to show what she can do one on
one with an inferior talent. But it didn’t happen again. I could have sworn
that the Brit was on auto-pilot and it looked as if the pair were working
through a routine rather than making it seem spontaneous. Her match with Nikki
Bella on Raw, on the night A.J Lee returned to the fold was barely better. WWE
are on their way to ruining Paige as a wrestler and a character. She’s gone
from face to heel to face in less than a year and hasn’t been allowed to find a
steady personality change to hold onto. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her loss
record is alarming over the last six months and her constant Divas Championship
switch with A.J last year didn’t help either.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But then should we be surprised that
Paige has ended up here? We know what WWE does to its women when they have no
ideas for them. It buries them deep and only a select few can find their way
out again. Paige should be battling for the Divas Championship at WrestleMania,
not stuffed in what will be a short, meaningless tag team match which may not
even go on in the first place if something overruns as it always does and not
just to prolonged a feud which has had its day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m pleased to see A.J Lee back in
action. Her absence from the divas division has been more than noticeable these
last few months and I’m sure it will give Paige a boost to have her friend and
idol back by her side. Let’s face it; it can’t do any harm because as said
above, Paige has been drastically under performing. The last time we saw A.J
Lee was at TLC when she battled Nikki Bella for the WWE Divas Championship. It
was noticeable in December that Lee was carrying some long term knocks that she
was having trouble performing around. Her knees were beginning to hurt and she
was having some pain in her back and other areas. She had to leave even though
it would mean the deterioration of the divas division.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Had Paige carried on in the state she
was in, in December then she’d have been a physical wreck by now. WWE didn’t
want that because it would have mean and even longer prolonged absence
following WrestleMania even if the storyline leading up to the event would have
been more solid. Though that wasn’t WWE’s only reason behind the decision. You
see, it hasn’t escaped Vince McMahon attention that C.M Punk has recently
acquired a new profession in the form of ultimate fighting. Even though Punk is
no longer a WWE superstar, that hasn’t stopped Vince McMahon hoping to work
with him again one day and allowing A.J Lee time off of television to recover
her injuries and be with her husband is an olive branch extended from McMahon
to the Punk family. Had he refused her request to walk away, the only thing it
would have done was annoy Punk more and put an even greater distance between
the parties.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whilst A.J Lee wants to be with the
company and wants to wrestle, Vince McMahon knows that she has to be treated like
royalty. Anything else would jeopardise his chances of getting C.M Punk back in
the fold and believe you me, McMahon now knows how much C.M Punk is worth. Had
fans forgotten him and not been bothered about seeing him again then A.J Lee’s
treatment would have been one of punishment for her husband’s actions. But that
isn’t the case. Fans have never forgotten C.M Punk and his name can be heard in
chants around arenas regularly. A.J Lee is onto a good thing as long as her
husband keeps entertaining the idea of returning to WWE in the near future and
I wouldn’t bet against the Chicago native being the big name announced for the
WrestleMania 32 card in 2016.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What can one do or say about The Bella
Twins that is even remotely complimentary? Well, the answer to that is not
much. You see, over the last few months, Nikki and Brie have been bounced
around the storylines, much like Paige, to the point where no one really cares
about them anymore. The writing on the wall was way back at SummerSlam when
Nikki betrayed her sister and joined Stephanie McMahon. It was obvious what was
coming, though I never expected WWE to switch gears and side Brie with Nikki
after what she did. That was just plain stupid and instead of reuniting The
Bella Twins, it would have made much more sense for WWE to have Nikki defeat
Brie after SummerSlam and instead of Brie becoming her personal assistant for
the time period, have the Brie Bella leave the company for several months to
build a comeback.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In those months, Brie Bella could have
learnt well from her husband and been sent back to development with the aim to
brush up her skills for a WrestleMania match with her sister. That would have
resulted in Brie being a better wrestler and Brie winning the Divas
Championship from her sister on the grandest stage of them all. Now, that would
have been a story people could have brought into. The one we’ve been watching
for what seems like ever isn’t half as interesting to anyone and I wouldn’t be
surprised if this bout is short and met with stunned silence when it goes on at
WrestleMania.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is no future for WWE’s divas
division with Nikki Bella as its champion. The Bella Twins aren’t horrible in
the ring but they’re nowhere near the standard needed to reinvigorate the
female talent on WWE’s main roster. I’ve said this time and time again and I’ll
say it now. Nikki and Brie Bella are only where they are on the roster because
of who they are romantically linked to. Without Daniel Bryan and John Cena,
these women would be nothing in WWE and everyone knows it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The best thing that can happen to the
divas division post-WrestleMania is for Nikki Bella to drop the Divas
Championship to either Paige or A.J Lee and allow WWE to sort out the mess
they’ve created. The introduction of a new NXT diva to the main roster would be
ideal, but only if WWE are willing to give those females who can do the job the
time in the ring to pull off something unforgettable. One stunning fifteen
minute bout on pay-per view would open the eyes of the main roster crowd to what’s
possible and I dare say quell those long periods of silence which seem to greet
the current female matches on display.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners
Prediction: Paige and A.J Lee</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Randy
Orton vs Seth Rollins</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FbkX-ox0caw/VRKEyOpy9kI/AAAAAAAADsA/_2V0OvHClnM/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BRandy%2BOrton%2Bvs%2BSeth%2BRollins.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FbkX-ox0caw/VRKEyOpy9kI/AAAAAAAADsA/_2V0OvHClnM/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BRandy%2BOrton%2Bvs%2BSeth%2BRollins.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I really don’t want to sit here and say
that I was right again, but come on people, look at the evidence. I had Randy
Orton vs Seth Rollins written down on this list when Randy Orton returned to
the company from filming ‘The Condemned 2’ at Fast Lane in February. It was
always on the cards, from the moment The Authority turned on Randy Orton in
2014 and rightly so. After all, when you look at the evidence then only Randy
Orton could have been Seth Rollins’ opponent at WrestleMania. Not only were
both men fighting to be the face of The Authority, but over the past year,
Randy Orton has been instrumental in making new stars for the company.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you don’t believe me, then let’s
take a look back. A trip down memory lane if you like because after all, WWE
have done nothing but try to remind us of the lineage of the event for the past
three months. Randy Orton’s journey to WrestleMania 31 began all the way at
WrestleMania XXX when he lost the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to Daniel
Bryan in a thrilling main event. Going into the match knowing that Daniel Bryan
had been gifted the honour of winning the belt on such a grand stage could have
worked against the match itself. It wouldn’t have been the first time Randy
Orton didn’t bother to put in the effort when it was really needed. He’s done
it on a number of occasions be they on house show events or television. So the
fact the Randy Orton put in a massive effort in order to kick start Daniel
Bryan’s reign with such power was a marker of things to come.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the night, Randy Orton was
stupendous. As The Authority’s main man, Orton sold like trouper for Bryan and
didn’t bitch and moan about it as I imagine Batista would have done behind
closed doors. He was professional and he was enormously important in Bryan’s
storyline going into the event. That was just one example of how Randy Orton
helped to cement a star in WWE over the past year. Following WrestleMania XXX,
Randy Orton was thrown into a storyline with Triple H and Batista as the trio
attempted to take out The Shield. What followed were two stunning six man tag
team matches which really helped put Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth
Rollins on the map. The fact that three legends of the business were willing to
put them over spoke volumes to the audiences that The Shield was going places.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For those people who haven’t yet seen
these matches then search out Extreme Rules and Payback 2014, they are
excellent examples of what Randy Orton is capable of when in the right mood.
Following the break-up of The Shield, Randy Orton was treated like muck by The
Authority but given a mammoth task of readying Roman Reigns for his main event
run and his WWE World Heavyweight Championship victory here, at WrestleMania
31. It wasn’t an easy job. In fact it was a mammoth undertaking for Randy Orton
because instead of being fed men like John Cena where it didn’t really matter
if he put in a great solo performance or not the match was still going to be
terrible, he was faced with someone who had the talent but wasn’t quite sure
how to use it. Randy Orton had to put in the effort with Roman Reigns otherwise
he’d have come across as a selfish and lazy wrestler who wasn’t bothered about
helping the future of the company.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It didn’t begin well for Randy Orton
with Roman Reigns. Reports of their house show matches flooded in to every
wrestling website present on the internet and the news didn’t look good. Randy
Orton was chastised and even warned by management to do better with Roman
because he was the man who would replace Orton. Their matches had apparently
been slow, uninvolving and down right pathetic. Instead of taking Roman Reigns
by the hand and taking him through a exciting match every night and let’s not
forget that house show matches are all identical because no one in other towns
has any way of seeing the bout from the night previous, Randy Orton filled
their matches with rest holds which bored audiences. Many were perplexed about
why Randy Orton would do such a thing with theories coming to light that maybe
Orton wasn’t ready to let go yet and hand Reigns his spot or that Randy Orton
just didn’t care anymore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though they couldn’t be sure why Randy
Orton had underperformed, WWE management gave ‘The Viper’ one last chance to
make Roman Reigns a main event calibre star at SummerSlam 2014 when the pair
squared off in a singles outing. Orton was given very specific instructions by
management as to how they needed Reigns to look at the outcome and under
intense scrutiny, Orton performed as well as he ever has. The match wasn’t
perfect, but it wasn’t half bad either and more importantly Roman Reigns came
out of it looking like a star. The job was done and now Randy Orton was
permitted to leave the company to begin filming on yet another WWE Films flop.
But not before he laid the foundations for his WrestleMania 31 participation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Over the last year, Randy Orton has
made several stars and was the correct choice to do the same with Seth Rollins
at WrestleMania 31. You see, over the last few months, Seth Rollins has been
stuck in a rut. Yes, he’s been given the spotlight on several occurrences but
WWE seem to believe that as long as they keep him in the public eye, it’s okay
to have Seth Rollins lose week in and week out regardless of the damage its
doing to his chances of holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At TLC
in December, Seth Rollins lost to John Cena. Despite putting in the performance
of the night at Royal Rumble, it was Seth Rollins that Brock Lesnar pinned to
retain his title when it should have been John Cena. John Cena would not have
been hurt by another pinfall loss to Lesnar but Seth Rollins was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fast Lane was his only victory on
pay-per view in four months and it just wasn’t good enough for someone who will
be WWE World Heavyweight Champion by summer. I can see a pattern emerging here.
Seth Rollins is Randy Orton six years ago. He has the skill and the talent in
bundles but WWE would rather push Roman Reigns as they did Batista in 2009. We
all remember Randy Orton being WWE Champion for mere weeks before losing it to
Batista. That is what WWE are doing with Seth Rollins. They have two main stars
to push, but don’t have the time or patience to simultaneously push them
together. And that doesn’t sit well for Rollins who will inevitably be the man
who loses out to the bigger Reigns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Over the past few weeks, Seth Rollins
has been involved in some of the worst storylines imaginable. His rivalry with
the host of The Late Show was cringe worthy and smelt of sheer desperation. His
constant losses to Roman Reigns on Raw have severely brought his star crashing
down and even the feud with Randy Orton has seen him embarrassed on several
occasions. WWE don’t even trust Seth Rollins to win matches on his own, because
they did they wouldn’t have Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury accompany him to the
ring. WWE aren’t stupid, despite what they do to convince us they are. They
know the impact a dirty victory has on a heel yet they still do it regardless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At WrestleMania 31, Seth Rollins has to
beat Randy Orton. I can’t see it being clean, but it’s what has to happen. Seth
Rollins has lost so many matches over the past few months that if he was to
lose to Randy Orton at WrestleMania then it would put him back a whole year. I
don’t believe that Seth Rollins’ career can withstand another major loss and if
he was to look at the lights for Orton then he may as well hand back that
briefcase because no one will believe in Seth Rollins as WWE World Heavyweight
Champion. But that could all change. All these months of losses could have a
positive effect on Rollins especially now Roman Reigns is hearing the jeers
from the audience. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have an unshakable feeling that Seth
Rollins will leave WrestleMania 31 as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Brock
Lesnar isn’t booked for the post-WrestleMania season and may not compete again
until SummerSlam. The easiest way for WWE to write out his rematch and begin a
feud between Rollins and Reigns would be for Roman Reigns to defeat Brock
Lesnar for the belt at WrestleMania and then have Seth Rollins cash in his
briefcase and defeat Roman Reigns. It’s what needs to happen. That way, Brock
Lesnar would not have a solid claim on a rematch and WWE wouldn’t have to pay
him to turn up for the next month and their main prize would be contested
between two brand new stars. Can you remember the last time that happened?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whether he likes it or not, this is
Randy Orton’s job now. He has to make Seth Rollins and ready him for a run with
the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Maybe Randy Orton isn’t in WWE’s main
event plans anymore but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If Randy Orton can
look at Seth Rollins holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship aloft at
the end of the evening and say ‘I helped him do that’, then his input will
still be a valuable one and he will have a huge part to play in WWE in 2015,
giving back to the industry and readying stars for the future.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners
Prediction: Seth Rollins</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Andre
the Giant Memorial Battle Royal</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">The
Miz vs Curtis Axel vs Ryback vs Fandango vs Adam Rose vs Zack Ryder vs Jack
Swagger vs Titus O’Neil vs Darren Young vs Kane vs Big Show vs Eric Rowan vs
Damien Mizdow vs Sin Cara vs Goldust vs Heath Slater vs Mark Henry vs Konnor vs
Viktor vs NXT Wrestler</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dvFrn4SN8nU/VRKExXRygBI/AAAAAAAADr0/eHB5mCVyWM0/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BAndre%2Bthe%2BGiant%2BMemorial%2BBattle%2BRoyal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dvFrn4SN8nU/VRKExXRygBI/AAAAAAAADr0/eHB5mCVyWM0/s1600/WrestleMania%2B31%2B-%2BAndre%2Bthe%2BGiant%2BMemorial%2BBattle%2BRoyal.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As we did for the Royal Rumble, I won’t
go through every participant in the second annual Andre the Giant Memorial
Battle Royal because there are so many we’d be here forever. So instead of
trawling through everyone which would bore us both, I’ll pick out a select few
who may be able to benefit from a win such as this and use it to their
advantage in 2015 if at all possible. You see, I don’t believe that after the
way WWE treated Cesaro after claiming victory last year that anyone reading
this or watching WrestleMania will truly believe that a victory in this bout
will do anyone any favours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If we take a look at where a victory in
this very match landed Cesaro last year, countless months spent toiling in the
mid-card to no avail before being put in a duo with Tyson Kidd which at the
moment is looking super hot, then can WWE really break their trend and push the
winner of this year’s match or will they live up to expectation and bury the
winner to prove the fans that those we cheer for aren’t worthy of a push, and
therefore in their own ridiculous way prove to themselves that the audience
don’t know what they want? That question will only be answered in the weeks and
months which follow WrestleMania, however if this is going to be a regular
occurrence at WrestleMania then WWE will need to do something with the winner
before fans treat this as just another run-of-the-mill battle royal to get
jobbers on the card.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ryback is the first pick from the bunch
who stands a fair chance of triumphing in the second annual Andre the Giant
Memorial Battle Royal. Since splitting from Curtis Axel who has no future in
WWE whatsoever and breaking up the dire Rybaxel team which went nowhere fast,
Ryback has flourished as a face in the company and even upped his game to the
point where his matches are no longer totally terrible. Ryback has a method to
his game now where it’s not just ground and pound though there is a lot of that
still going on. Ryback is now getting a hold of the technical side of the
business and those in charge have begun to take notice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Picked to be part of Team Cena at
Survivor Series, many could see Ryback’s career beginning to take off again.
He’d been stuck in a rut for so long that it was unfathomable to think of him
advancing past the tag team division for the rest of his career. It was a
breath of fresh air to watch Ryback harness his new lease of life and the
storyline with The Authority doesn’t just fall onto anyone’s shoulders. WWE
booked that story for three people who they believe they will be able to push
in 2015 and it worked. Because after Ryback was fired along with Dolph Ziggler
and Eric Rowan for helping Team Cena defeat The Authority, fans really backed
‘The Big Guy’ and for the first time in nearly two years cheered for him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s progress. Though he wasn’t given
a big job at Royal Rumble which could have given him even more steam to push
ahead, WWE didn’t forget Ryback when it came to Fast Lane where his performance
in the six man tag team bout wasn’t brilliant but it wasn’t horrible either. At
WrestleMania, Ryback has a massive chance to pave the way for himself in 2015.
He has the size and the look WWE want to push into the main event but his all
around game needs to be upped. If Ryback wins at WrestleMania then a series
against an athletic heel would do him wonders and force him to adapt his game
even more, before he’s pushed into a main event feud with either Brock Lesnar
or Triple H at SummerSlam.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m not banking on WWE doing the right
thing with Ryback, but if they do take the risk then surely the rewards will be
evident. Who knows, with some investment and serious time put into the character,
Ryback could be a contender for WWE World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania
32.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Damien Mizdow may not be an obvious
choice to win this second annual Andre the Giant memorial battle royal, but
he’s certainly going to be one of the favourites on the night. You see, and I
don’t say this often, but I was wrong about Damien Mizdow, wrong about the
crowd reaction to him and completely wrong about how far it would get him in
WWE. Those of you who remember reading my Hell in a Cell Review Corner will
also remember me criticising the artist formerly known Damien Sandow for his
actions when interviewing The Miz on the Hell in a Cell pre-show. And to be
fair, he looked and continuously looks ludicrous. But the fans say otherwise
and those are the opinions that really matter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The reactions to him in 2015 have been
just phenomenal, matching those of Daniel Bryan and people like John Cena and
Bray Wyatt. Though he stood no chance of winning the Royal Rumble Match, Damien
Mizdow was clearly one of the most popular entrants on the night and that
reaction to him was not a one off. Every week, Mizdow has been one of the most
popular stars on the roster and even though WWE seem like they’re ignoring that
response, I don’t believe anything could be further from the truth. Over the
past few weeks, The Miz has grown gradually fed-up with his personal assistant
/ stunt double. To the point where he’s fired him several time only to
embarrass him and re-instate him to teach him a lesson.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the classic build for star to finally
see the light and break out on their own. It’s been noticeable that Damien
Sandow has become bored of the treatment at the hands of The Miz and the fans
want Sandow to once again branch out on his own, whether that’s a wise idea or
not. WrestleMania is the perfect time for Damien Sandow to reclaim his name and
get rid of The Miz as a partner and this is how WWE should do it. The Andre the
Giant Memorial Battle Royal boils down to The Miz and Damien Mizdow. The Miz
orders his so called friend to eliminate himself so The Miz can win. With the
fans chanting for Sandow to finally turn on The Mix, Sandow steps onto the
apron as if to eliminate himself and The Miz turns his back, celebrating a
victory. Sandow would then ideally re-enter the ring and eliminate The Miz thus
winning the bout.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It would be the best possible beginning
for Damien Sandow to branch out on his own. He has the skills to prosper if WWE
decide to push him and he’s not short of fan support. Unlike Cesaro last year,
this win could actually matter for Damien Sandow. A ready made feud with The
Miz just waiting and with Money in the Bank right around the corner it could be
second time lucky for Sandow who would be a massive fan favourite. Everyone
though the die was cast for Damien and that the damage had already been done; I
disagree. If Damien Sandow does win this bout, then maybe all the sacrifice and
the ill treatment by WWE will have been worth it in the end.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners
Prediction: Ryback</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thirty one years on and WWE don’t show
any sign of slowing down. It’s true that the company have taken a relaxed view
to their newer and younger talent in recent years, preferring to allow
returning stars such as The Rock to help them sell their WrestleMania buy-rate
but this year everything feels different. With the Intercontinental
Championship Ladder Match, Bray Wyatt taking on The Undertaker, Roman Reigns
set to triumph in the main event and a whole host of other younger talent set
to shine, the year after the thirtieth anniversary is set to be where WWE
begins again.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can feel it in my bones people; this
is what we’ve been waiting for. WWE are finally ready to cast aside the
established talent in favour of its future and it’s about time. This is
WrestleMania ladies and gentlemen and it’s a time for miracles to happen and
unforgettable memories to be made. So here’s to the future and may it be a
bright one.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Onwards and upwards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
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THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-47974445660772089832015-03-19T03:35:00.003-07:002015-03-19T03:41:13.998-07:00THE NXT REPORT - EPISODE 268<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Episode
268 – March 11th</span></u></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NXT Tag Team Championship No.
1 Contenders Match</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy
vs The Lucha Dragons</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Episode 268 of NXT kicked off, many were refreshed to see that instead of
several segments which talked instead of provided the action we’ve come to
expect of NXT which will surely come with Episode 269 as the format of NXT
seems to be all action one week and an abundance of verbal abuse the next, we
were given action from the offset as Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy, minus Carmella
on this occasion, battled Sin Cara and Kalisto in tag team action with the
winner earning an NXT Tag Team Championship Match against Buddy Murphy and
Wesley Blake at NXT’s next pay-per view event on March 25th. Four days before
WrestleMania.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In all
honesty, this match was redundant in its presence. For those of you who have
kept up with goings on over the past three weeks, you’ll know that Enzo Amore
and Colin Cassidy have been on a collision course with Murphy and Blake for
quite a while now and forcing them to compete in a match of this sort only
served to enhance the predictability factor. Even the most inexperienced
wrestling fan could tell you that WWE would be stupid to waste weeks of
television time by having Amore and Cassidy lose to Sin Cara and Kalisto. Thus,
this match was just crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s. It was a formality in
case any of the NXT audience began to turn against the regularly baffling
babyfaces for not earning their shot.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
we get into the bout, I would like to mention how NXT could have gone about
this better. In the weeks since ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’, the grungy looking Enzo
Amore and the giant Colin Cassidy have been on a two man crusade against the
current NXT Tag Team Champions and a Championship Match between the two teams
has always been on the cards. Will the faces prevail? On this occasion I don’t
believe they will because I think it’s quite obvious that Carmella will turn on
her men and join Blake and Murphy. However, that isn’t the point of this
section. NXT could have really extended this feud beyond March 25th and taken
away that rushed feeling which the feud currently has. It all seems a little
convenient. As if NXT had nothing in the pipeline for Blake and Murphy and so
they rushed through a tag team feud against popular rivals.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We may
be entering fantasy booking here but surely the following would have been a
much more organic and enjoyable way of getting Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy to
the doubles straps. In recent weeks, the two have defeated The Lucha Dragons,
spoiler alert, and The Vaudevillains; the latter in a short and disappointing
effort two weeks ago. Instead of booking these teams as what appeared to be a
second thought, surely it would have been a much better idea to allow a feud
between the three teams to grow organically over the NXT Tag Team Championships
instead of having Amore and Cassidy plough through the competition and
devaluate them along the way. The three teams could have done battle in what
would have been a thrilling No. 1 Contenders Match on March 25th with the
winner challenging Blake and Murphy on April’s NXT pay-per view.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
way, it would have been much easier to instigate a feud over the actual titles
for Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy, instead of drawing on the age old feud of
another team targeting their valet. It’s been done to death and though I’m sure
the feud between the teams won’t end on March 25th, it still would have been a
much better way to organise the feud and execute it so as it was both
believable and anticipated. I don’t believe the match between Blake and Murphy
vs Amore and Cassidy in two weeks will be that imaginative, even if it can
steal the show. On this occasion, I believe NXT has gotten it wrong.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Still,
that’s still to be proved and we really should be concentrating on this week’s
action and happenings. After all, that is what we’re here for apart from my
wonderful company. Beginning as usual with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy’s
annoying ‘You Can’t Teach That’ speech, the duo decided that they would treat
the viewers to a pre-match promo before they locked horns with The Lucha
Dragons and had this to say. Note, I translated what I could, but both men
seemed to speak in riddles and muffled their words. It wasn’t a great promo by
either:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EA:
“…and as for The Lucha Dragons…”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CC:
“…dragons? You call yourself dragons?”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
above sentence was delivered in a childish and somewhat embarrassing voice and
followed up by an offensive comment by Enzo Amore, but unfortunately I cannot
bring you that line because I neither know what it was or what it referred to.
I have rewound that moment seven times and still can’t understand what Enzo
Amore is muffling or talking about, but then that’s nothing new these days.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CC:
“Save us fifteen percent or more on our auto insurance or get the heck out of
our way!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EA:
“There’s going to be an accident.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CC:
“Because we’re on the road to the NXT Tag Team titles and anybody that stands
in our way, there’s only one word to describe them and I’m going to spell it
out for you! S.A.W.F.T.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Just
for future reference if anyone from NXT is reading this report, stop these two
talking. Hide the microphone when you book them to wrestle because the only
thing that comes out of their mouths is bullshit of the highest calibre. I’ve
sat through many promos by the pair and understood very few of them and what’s
worse, WWE used to shoot down The Ultimate Warrior for gabbling his words and
speaking gibberish. Now, I’m all for wrestlers going off script and having a
mind of their own but some should just stick to what they’re given. And if this
garbage is being written for them that person needs his or her hands removed
and firing instantly. Worse, the NXT audience seem to lap this rot up. I just
can’t see the appeal of Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy, though the latter’s
height at nearly seven foot tall has obviously sparked some type of excitement
within Titan Towers.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
with the match and it was a relief when the duo were cut short for the
introduction of Sin Cara and Kalisto who I still don’t believe will make it big
on WWE’s main roster, largely thanks to Sin Cara’s previous treatment, but as
stated can do exceedingly well in NXT. Sin Cara has the skill to become the
brands Ultimo Dragon. As the bout kicked off and NXT officials cut off Enzo Amore’s
microphone, it was Kalisto and Amore to begin the action on this week’s NXT
amongst chants of ‘How You Do-in?’ My worst fears have come true. These grease
balls have become popular with the NXT audience.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dodging
a Lock Up, it was Kalisto who took the early advantage with a Forward Roll
across the ring before being forced to lock up with Enzo Amore, who to his
credit did look as if he’d at least been introduced to a bar of soap this week.
Breaking the Lock Up, both men became entangled in a second with Kalisto once
again outsmarting his foe and grabbing a quick Waistlock to throw the eventual
No. 1 Contender off of his game. Clinging onto the waist Enzo Amore for dear
life, Kalisto could clasp no longer for whatever reason, maybe it was for fear
of catching fleas, and the masked Lucha Libre master caught Amore with a decent
looking Roll Up for a count of one.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Angered
that someone smaller could get the better of him, Enzo decided to dole out a
taste of Kalisto’s own medicine and locked in a Waistlock on Sin Cara’s tag
team partner. Wasting no time in finding an escape route, Kalisto rolled from
the move and countered into a second Roll Up before a second count of just one.
Seemingly in a zone which Amore and Cassidy couldn’t find thank to their minds
being on the NXT Tag Team Championships, Kalisto displayed further knowledge of
the business and ducked what would have been a hefty punch to ground Amore with
a lovely looking Armdrag and Armbar as the beginning of the bout slowed to a
crawl. This is usual for Kalisto. He has a set routine. Every bout he’s worked
over the last two months has had this sequence of events in it. It’s about time
he added something new to his arsenal.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fighting
back to a vertical base, Enzo Amore attempted to fight out of the move by
blasting Kalisto with elbows to the gut. His endeavour was a short one as
Kalisto tagged in Sin Cara and the playing field became even. Initiating a
double team manoeuvre, Kalisto dropped Amore with a Snapmare and a kick to the
chest before Sin Cara hoisted his partner and dropped him across Enzo with a
Springboard Splash. It was very well worked by the masked duo. Attaining only a
count of two for his efforts, Sin Cara backed Enzo Amore into the corner where
he proceeded to wail away on the chest with slaps and chops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believing he was firmly in command, Sin Cara
allowed his guard to drop and opened the avenue for Amore to strike back when
he countered a Slam attempt, grabbed a hand full of mask and dragging his
opponent into the corner where Colin Cassidy was introduced into the affray.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">An
impressive specimen no doubt, its Colin Cassidy’s height that has made Vince
McMahon and others sit up and take notice. It’s certainly not his wrestling
ability which is severely lacking. In fact, Cassidy is employed more as a
problem solver than a wrester. His contributions to matches are usually short
and effective. WWE cannot rely on him to carry a match or be involved in a
marathon bout by himself. He wouldn’t last ten minutes. Storming into this tag
team offering, Colin Cassidy used his sheer power to trap Sin Cara in the
corner whilst Enzo took flight with a Clothesline. Swinging his tag team
partner over the top rope where he connected with the masked marvel on the way,
Cassidy made the move look very crisp indeed, before scooping up a staggered
Sin Cara and planting him hard with a Sidewalk Slam.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Getting
only a count of one for his efforts, Colin Cassidy tagged out of the match and
brought Enzo Amore back into the action. Putting his body into his partner’s hand,
Amore allowed Colin Cassidy to lift him into the air and Slam him onto Sin Cara
for a count of one. This far into the bout, the flow was shaky and the pacing
off. Something better had to happen to make this a success. Sticking his boot
into Sin Cara’s face, Amore raked the eyes with his soul before applying a Rear
Chinlock which completely killed the pacing of the bout and brought it to a
near halt when it needed to begin picking up in action. Not a good call. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Battling
out, Sin Cara attempted a Back Drop but found his exertions all for naught when
Enzo Amore landed on his feet and caught Sin Cara’s boot when the artist
formerly known as Hunico attempted a kick. Cleverer than Amore gave him credit
for, the stalwart in a bright mask outsmarted his rookie colleague and blasted
him with a cracking Inzaguri allowing Cara to make the tag to Kalisto. Using
the momentum of the top rope, Kalisto flew into the ring with a Springboard
Crossbody and rolled through a Roll Up to belt his challenger with a kick to the
chest. As Amore made it to his knees, the smallest competitor in the fight
struck with a divine Hurricanrana Face Slam. Crawling over his foe, Kalisto
gained a decent near fall. Stoked that his stab nearly earned The Lucha Dragons
another shot at the NXT Tag Team Championships just weeks after losing them,
Kalisto maddeningly applied an Armbar instead of keeping the action flowing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bringing
Sin Cara back into the bout, Kalisto held Amore for a Sin Cara kick before the
luchadore backed Enzo Amore into the corner and reigned down punches and kicks
on the man who looked to stand in the position Sin Cara was in four weeks ago.
Delivering a Snapmare out of the corner, Sin Cara applied yet another Rear
Chinlock which seems to be the most popular move in WWE developmental, which
Amore managed to release with several hard elbows to the gut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Riding his own momentum, Sin Cara took flight
off of the ring ropes with a Springboard Headbutt which failed to put Enzo
down. Stalking his foe, Sin Cara planted his boots into Amore’s face with a
Dropkick and forced the man who hoped to gain a No. 1 Contenders spot to take
refuge at ringside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rolling
under the bottom rope, Enzo received support from Colin Cassidy who actually
decided to do something other than stand there and look useless. Coming to see
if his partner was okay to continue, Cassidy was bombarded with a Double
Suicide Dive by The Lucha Dragons putting him somewhere he wasn’t used to
being, namely on a horizontal footing. Rolling Amore back into the ring, Sin Cara
turned a Roll Up into an impressive Powerbomb before tagging Kalisto back in to
initiate the match ending sequence. Scaling the turnbuckle, Kalisto was wrong
footed by a returning Colin Cassidy who clocked Sin Cara with a Big Boot which
sent one of WWE’s biggest main roster flops flying into the ropes thus pulling
them out from under his partner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Landing
hard on the top turnbuckle crotch first, Kalisto was powerless to stop Colin
Cassidy dragging Enzo Amore into their corner and forcing the tag. Striding
across the ring, Cassidy scraped a hurting Kalisto from the mat and destroyed
him with a Sidewalk Bomb before ending his participation in the bout with yet
another tag to Amore. Standing guard in the corner, Cassidy allowed Amore to
climb to the summit before aiding him by launching his partner from the apex.
Crashing down on a defenceless Kalisto with a huge Splash, all that was left
was for Enzo Amore to hook the leg and claim a future NXT Tag Team Championship
Match for him and Cassidy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
wasn’t a classic tag team match by any means and the four men could have
inserted more technical and high flying action into the mix to replace the long
rest holds which slowed down the action when it needed something to liven it
up. However, this was a much better showing from the new No. 1 Contenders to
prove they can hang in a longer match. It’s Colin Cassidy that worries me. He
barely did anything in this bout. WWE will be looking at Cassidy as a potential
singles star on their main roster thanks to his height and his looks, but at
this present time he’s in no position to take up that mantle. In fact, if Colin
Cassidy doesn’t do more in these tag team matches then he may never be in a
position to rise to the challenge.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alex Riley Returns</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Turning
attentions away from the opening bout of the show, the time had come for NXT to
hype the in-ring return of Alex Riley. Reminded of the attack which spurred
Alex Riley to quit his job as a commentator and lace up those boots once again,
we were shown a match plate to hype his comeback and informed that Alex Riley
vs C.J Parker would take place later in the show. Maddeningly however, after
all of the hype and storyline it wouldn’t be the main event.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
the announcement of the bout for later in the show, we were then given a video
package on next week’s NXT special which will come from the Arnold Sports
Festival. In order to make the special sound just that, it was announced that
Alexa Bliss would battle NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and Alex Riley would
finally get his hands on NXT Champion Kevin Owens. Now, like me, you may be
reading this and wondering what all the fuss was for surrounding Alex Riley’s
in ring return. You see, the whole point of this was to get Alex Riley back
into the ring to face Kevin Owens at the culmination of a long feud. Not after
just one week of action.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If NXT
were going to do that then there was no point of bringing Riley back as a long
term competitor. If they were going to give Alex Riley a bout against Kevin
Owens this fast then they may as well have brought him out of inactivity for a
limited time only and then returned him to the announce table where he can do
the most good, judging on what he displayed later in the show. Last week,
William Regal told Alex Riley that he would get Kevin Owens but not until the
NXT General Manager believed Riley was ready for the task ahead of him. How can
Alex Riley possible be ready after two years of inactivity and one week back
between the ropes? It defies belief and these type of lies only serve to
undermine what the brand tells us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the
subject of Alex Riley’s return, NXT went all out for the occasion by compiling
a video package on his former career on WWE’s main roster. We were shown
fleeting highlights of Alex Riley’s career with The Miz and his short,
unmemorable solo run before he decided that he was going nowhere and that he
could do better behind an announce desk. Which he didn’t. Throughout the video
package, Alex Riley could be heard hyping himself with some crazy comments
including comments such as if you want to know why he’s so good then just ask
and that he’s here to be WWE Champion. And if you listen to this whilst looking
out of your window, then you’ll see a pig travelling through the air at a
hundred miles per hour.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Carmella vs Alexa Bliss</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In an
attempt to hype the returning Alexa Bliss for her singles run with Sasha Banks
for the NXT Women’s Championship in the very near future, the beautiful Bliss
was given Carmella in her return bout which may have looked like a good idea on
paper but would actually turn out to be a mistake in practice. Alexa Bliss
should have been eased back into action instead of being thrown into long
marathon match like this one and been given the courtesy of a better opponent
than Carmella. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t
get me wrong, Carmella looks the part and she’s not completely horrible in the
ring but she could benefit from another six months of training. She’s beautiful
and she’s sexy and any male would be mad to kick her perfectly formed bum out
of bed, but as we’ve discovered looks don’t always carry over to talent.
Carmella has skills, that is obvious but WWE must nurture them and not just
throw her out and hope for the best. Carmella can learn whilst she appears on
camera. There’s no need to take her off of NXT altogether. With this extra
training, Carmella could be an excellent female wrestler who would be better
than Paige and A.J Lee in a few years time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Strutting
down the aisle to begin the bout set out in front of her, Carmella sent mixed
messages to the NXT Universe. She acts like a heel but is part of a face group.
NXT haven’t quite got this facet of her correct. She can’t be a bad girl in a
good faction, it doesn’t work. Carmella can have attitude but she can’t come
across as a heel that’s just madness. This part of her character makes me
believe that she destined to betray Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy on March 25th
and side with Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy. It would make for a better
storyline and bigger meaning to the victory when Amore and Cassidy defeat Blake
and Murphy for the titles later in the year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back
to the action on display and Carmella swaggered to the ring with a microphone
in her hand ready to deliver her opening address. Pursing the microphone to her
delectable lips, Carmella had this to say:</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“My
name is Carmella and I am a princess of Staten Island. And the mist fabulous
diva in NXT! Badda bing, hottest chick in the ring!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Profound
stuff I think you’ll agree, though I doubt Shakespeare will be worrying in his
grave just yet. Before we get into the action I would just like to mention the
usage of words once again. Instead of drumming it into their female talent that
they’re part of a women’s division, NXT seems to be concentrated on only
grooming them for a future as a WWE diva. I think we’ve all come to the
conclusion by now that being a main roster diva isn’t beneficial for anyone’s
career so why would you be in a rush to attain that status when you have a
respectable one already? That would be like Wayne Rooney mentioning in a press
conference that he cannot wait to leave Manchester United and join Burton
Albion. I realise that comparison won’t be clear to our foreign audience and
only British readers will most likely get that analogy, but it’s the best I
could think of at the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As the
opening bell of the contest rang, neither Alexa Bliss nor Carmella seemed too
bothered about actual wrestling and spent an ample amount of time posing to
outdo each other. Thankfully, this ended when the duo began the bout with a
Lock Up as seems to be the standard action to begin a match in NXT. Maybe they
could think about mixing up the beginnings of bouts from time to time so they
don’t become samey. Taking the initiative, the returning Alexa Bliss came out
on top when she snatched a Headlock from the Lock Up only for Carmella to
attempt a break with a Back Suplex. Hoisted into the air, Bliss used her quick
thinking to move her weight in the air and counter the Back Suplex attempt with
a rolling Headlock. This is turn was countered by Carmella with a Headscissors
attempt which Alexa found her way out of.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Setting
themselves again, both women were hooked into a second Lock Up. This time
Carmella wasted no time in evening the playing field, synching Alexa Bliss in
her own Headlock. Squeezing Bliss tight, Carmella may have believed that her
efforts were enough to hand control of the match to the Staten Island native
but she was horribly wrong. Finding an escape route, Alexa Bliss countered the
move with a Headlock of her own. The beginning of the match had been all Alexa
Bliss, but her momentum wouldn’t last. It never does you know. Struggling to
find her way from under Bliss’ arm, Carmella used all her power to shoot Bliss
into the ropes only for Alexa to leap her foe and counter a Hip Toss. Jostling
for advantage, both women attempted to execute the move until Bliss once again
outsmarted her female counterpart with a second Headlock Takedown and Armbar.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
the match slowed to a near crawl, it was paramount that Alexa Bliss and
Carmella kept the audience engaged and didn’t lose them as their main roster
colleagues had done so many times before. That meant no stalling or rest moves
and a full on pace which was both engaging and worth our time. It shouldn’t
have been a stretch of the imagination to expect this; after all, it is what
they’re trained to do. That’s one of the best things about WWE’s development in
2015. Wrestlers aren’t trained the WWE way, they’re given free reign to develop
their own style and skill which means not every wrestler looks and wrestlers
like they’ve come off of the same production line. With Carmella sealed tight
in a Headlock and flailing like a dying puppy on the canvas, Alexa Bliss mixed
up her offense by breaking the hold and executing a flawless Victory Roll for a
count of one.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Losing
the lead, Alexa Bliss was stunned when Carmella buried several knees into the
gut and pushed her oppressor into the turnbuckle in order to relieve her
punishment. Hitting the turnbuckle hard, Alexa Bliss left herself open for
attack but possessed enough wherewithal to counter a Carmella charge with an
elbow to the face. Nursing her looks after having Bliss’ elbow driven into her
mug, Carmella was helpless to stop Alexa ascending the turnbuckles and perching
herself on the second rung. Attempting to bring her foe crashing to earth with
a Hip Toss, Carmella watched helplessly as Alexa landed on her feet and
countered the transfer into an Armdrag and pinfall.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Angry
and rapidly losing her cool, Carmella began to fight with anything she could
pull out of the bag and once back on her feet swung wildly with a Clothesline.
Telegraphing the move, Alexa dodged the move and caught her blonde challenger
with a lovely Spinning Headscissors. Confident in her approach and feeling a
victory creeping up on her, Alexa Bliss went to the well once too often and
instead of planning her next move carefully just went in like a bull in a china
shop. Intending to drag Carmella back to the middle of the ring, Bliss instead
ate turnbuckle when Carmella grabbed a handful of tights and pulled the
returning Bliss into the corner.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Spotting
her opportunity, Carmella went to work and opened a window of opportunity which
was previously closing. Driving in merciless knees and kicks to the back,
Carmella allowed Alexa Bliss to crawl her way to the middle rope for support
and sat on her opponent which drove the throat across the middle chord. It
wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. As the referee attempted to remove
Carmella from Bliss’ back, the princess of Staten Island showed spunk and kicked
the bottom rope hard, driving it back into her throat. As Alexa Bliss struggled
for air, Carmella snatched a handful of hair and pulled her backwards for a
pinfall and count of just one. Punishing her foe further, Carmella pulled Bliss
to a vertical base only to send her crashing back down with hard forearms to
the back.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
great pleasure in her dominance over Alexa Bliss, Carmella seemed in no great
rush to get on with the action and displayed an awful lot of posing. When she
did resume the action, the siren of Staten Island mounted Bliss and drove
closed fists into her face. I have to say, that as slow as the action was at
this point Carmella looked smoking. I love a woman who can take charge. In full
control of her enemy, Carmella impressed Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy who were
watching backstage with a Dropkick which only got her a count of two. But that
wasn’t good enough for a princess and Carmella proceeded to cover Bliss three
times, each with the same result.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Carmella fastened Alexa Bliss into a Rear Body Scissors, the focus of the bout
changed slightly to what was to come. Instead of concentrating on the bout in
hand, those serving on commentary this took a page of out Michael Cole’s book
and hyped Alex Riley’s return to the ring. Now that was fine, at least the
camera stayed on the action or lack of it. But what was more than puzzling and
made the backstage crew look completely inept was the announcement which came
next. Looking ahead to Alex Riley vs C.J Parker which was coming up next, the
commentators bizarrely stated that if Alex Riley wanted a match with Kevin
Owens then he would have to impress William Regal later in the broadcast. What
did they mean ‘if he wanted a match’? It wasn’t ten minutes earlier that we
were being told that Alex Riley vs Kevin Owens would happen next week from the
Arnold Sports Festival. Now the commentators were contradicting what had
already been announced and would be announced several more times during the
broadcast. Don’t these people listen or even take note of what’s going on
around them?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back
to the match and with Alexa Bliss still bolted in the Rear Body Scissors, it
became evident that the hold had lasted way too long. Fans were beginning to
lose interest and even though Bliss sold the move to perfection it was holding
the bout up and had brought the action to a halt. Digging into her repertoire,
Alexa Bliss harnessed the pain and forced herself backwards in order to force a
pinfall which Carmella could only kick out of by breaking the move. Worn and
tired, Alexa Bliss rolled onto her front believing it would immobilize any
further damage but didn’t count on Carmella’s resilience. Climbing onto all
fours and crawling across the ring in a way which would have pleased many a
teenage boy, Carmella proceeded to driver her knees into Bliss’ head over and
over again.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
receiving a count of 2 for her head strikes and the resultant clubbing blows to
the back, Carmella impelled Alexa into the corner with a shoulder in the gut
and thrust that same shoulder into her mid-section over and over again as her
rival was trapped in the buckles. Carmella may have been confident about her
predicament but it would be that same self assurance which would be her
undoing. Pelting Bliss with kicks in the corner, Carmella went to the well once
too often and found her final attempt caught by an angry Alexa. Smashing
Carmella with a Forearm to the face, Alexa Bliss successfully ducked a
Clothesline and swept Carmella’s legs out from underneath her.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
the match drawing to a close, the women received the signal from the referee to
wrap up their brawl and Alexa Bliss didn’t hesitate, connected with her Glitz
Flip which is a basic Standing Moonsault where the knees are driven into the
abdomen instead of the body. Driving the wind from Carmella’s lungs, Alexa was
shocked when her enemy kicked out at the culmination of a good near fall.
Pulling her tired frame from the canvas, Alexa Bliss went all-in and climbed
the turnbuckles one last time. Launching with her Sparkle Splash Moonsault,
Bliss crashed onto Carmella for the victory.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
wasn’t a particularly great match and certainly not one which would have
endeared new fans to NXT’s women’s division thanks to being bitty and
disjointed in places, but it wasn’t completely bad. Both women displayed some
impressive knowledge in the ring and pulled out a few decent moves. However, I
wouldn’t want to sit through it again in a hurry and really, both could have
done much better judging on this evidence.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week, I wasn’t very complimentary to Alex
Bliss. I stated that she’d never had a good match on NXT and whilst my beliefs
were based in reality, watching this I have to say that my mind was slightly
altered. She wasn’t brilliant and she wasn’t outstanding, but with Sasha Banks
behind her then the pair could contest a memorable series of matches which may
culminate with Alexa Bliss walking away with the NXT Women’s Championship.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
I must first voice caution if this is NXT’s plan. Unlike WWE’s current divas
division, the NXT Women’s Championship should only be put around the waist of a
female who can wrestle with the best. The Champion has to be able to match
Charlotte and Becky Lynch plus many more in skill. They cannot rely on other
people to carry them through a great match. They have to be the ones to do the
carrying. If Alexa Bliss isn’t ready for this which I believe she isn’t, then
NXT should reserve the title for someone who is. Sasha Banks is doing work at
the moment and her character necessitates a long and successful reign before
she passes the baton onto her successor.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
successor must be ready, because if she’s not then not only will it show
between the ropes but it will also drag the women’s division down. Just look at
what the divas division has become with a host of female wrestlers who can’t
get the job done. NXT’s women’s division is something very special; it must be
protected and cannot be allowed to deteriorate just because someone backstage
fancies one of the performers.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alex Riley Interview</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Continuing
the hype for Alex Riley’s in ring return, we were taken to the NXT locker room
where a pumped up Alex Riley was waiting to speak to an interviewer who stood
off camera. The nature of his interview would of course be his impending return
to the ring which as coming up next. With more passion and fire than I’ve ever
seen him display inside the ring, Alex Riley was asked about his thoughts on
returning to the ring:</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What
are my thoughts? Maybe I can put this into terms that you can understand. What
if you were locked in a cage for two years? Starving! Watching every single
person around you eat, every single day of your life! Locked in this cage
watching, being told there’s no room for Alex Riley. ‘Hey kid, maybe next week’
and the entire time your approach doesn’t change. You’re dedicated to this
business. You’re hoping and praying for one chance to fight for your life
because honestly you don’t know what’s going to happen. You have no idea where
your life is going to go. And you can’t even fight. You’re stuck in a cage. You
know, I’ve got to tank Kevin Owens for this. He gave me a reason. He talks
about having a wife and kids that he fights for, well I have no family! My
family is out there! And it’s time I go join them. It’s time I fight for my
life. It’s time to rage.”</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was
shocked and surprised in equal measure with this promo. Alex Riley was never
known for his promos and certainly this extended to his commentary. It was
dire. But here, two years worth of anger and miss opportunities all came
flooding out and he sold it beautifully. You didn’t have to try and believe
Alex Riley here because you knew every word he was saying was the truth. Finn
Balor and some more NXT talent should study this and take notes, because this
was the most impressive thing Alex Riley has done in professional wrestling to
this day. Excellent job, now I just hope he can keep this momentum rolling.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tyler Breeze Selfie Interview</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though
it had only been sparsely mentioned during the broadcast, the main event of NXT
would be Hideao Itami vs Tyler Breeze in another extension of their
entertaining feud. This selfie interview by Tyler Breeze was meant to help
drive the ill feeling forward. The image obsessed grappler had this to say
about his rival:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Hideao,
Hideao, Hideao! It didn’t have to come to this. It didn’t have to get ugly.
Well, considering you were in it, it did have to get ugly. But now, the fact
that it’s me and you one on one; it’s time for you to find out that the King of
Cuteville is not just a pretty face.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
can’t remember the last time a promo made me physically cringe. You know when
all the hairs on your body stand up as one and the goosebumps prickle on your
skin? This was simply awful. Its execution was fine, but the words and Tyler
Breeze’s expressions were childish. Bringing up someone’s looks is just
juvenile. This is a wrestling business, not a playground. It’s the type of
thing I’d expect to hear from children in a playground. Surely WWE’s writers
can do better than this.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alex Riley vs C.J Parker</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
dislike C.J Parker with a vengeance. He looks like a hippie stoner who doesn’t
care about anything or anyone and his cry-baby character isn’t at all original.
I understand the need for new stars to stand-out amongst a new and emerging
crowd, but if NXT creative couldn’t have come up with something better for
Parker then they should have allowed him to stay in development until something
came up, because anything is better than this. Every time Parker opens his
mouth I want to immediately be sick. His words are pointless and like everyone
else who pays to see NXT, I’m tried of hearing him bitch and moan. The
character isn’t getting him anywhere.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
could WWE do to aid Parker’s career? Well firstly make him get a hair cut. I’m
not adverse to long hair on a man, I myself have long hair but I wash mine. C.J
Parker looks like he hasn’t touched a bottle of shampoo since 1996. The biggest
change WWE have to make though is the character. It’s been done to death and
only successfully on very rare occasions. I can tell you now; it will not work
for C.J Parker. If by some miracle he does make it onto WWE’s main roster then
he’ll be demoted to Superstars within a month. He has no charisma and no spirit
on the microphone where his character is meant to thrive the most. C.J Parker
reminds me a lot of Bo Dallas. Only Bray Wyatt’s brother had the character to
match his skills and look what happened to him. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even
though this wasn’t meant to be about C.J Parker and how life has kicked him
firmly in the testicles, it didn’t stop the hippie protestor grabbing a
microphone as he stepped through the ropes to inform of just how unfair life
had been to him:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Yeah,
yeah let’s talk about the world for a second. Let’s talk about my world. Let’s
talk about my world and how it isn’t fair…”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thankfully
at that point, Alex Riley’s music hit and cut off the constant moaning and
whining of C.J Parker. The kind of reception that Alex Riley got from the NXT
arena is the type of reaction he could only have dreamt of on the main roster.
The NXT audience welcomed Alex Riley back to in-ring action like he was a
conquering hero. It was impressive and somewhat touching as Riley would show at
the conclusion of the bout. I have to say, that for someone who hasn’t competed
in two years Alex Riley looks to be in excellent shape. He’s a little ragged
around the edges and doesn’t possess the same physique anymore but given a few
months to readjust to life between the ropes, he’ll be back in shape in no
time.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Walking
to the ring, Alex Riley looked like an NXT star. He’ll fit in perfectly amongst
the brand’s elite but he has to be booked better than he was in this bout. As
the bell sounded to mark Alex Riley’s first proper wrestling match in two
years, the chants of ‘Riley’ were overwhelming and it was obvious that he had
been missed. By whom I can’t quite tell you, but everyone seemed genuinely
pleased to see him. How long it’ll last until the novelty wears off is anyone’s
guess. Instigating a Lock Up to begin the bout Alex Riley had the look of Stan
Hansen about him as C.J Parker brought him crashing down to earth with Headlock
Takeover; giving the bout a distinctively repetitive feel to both bouts which
had gone before.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Alex Riley threw his arms and legs about in an effort to sell difficulty to the
watching audience, the commentators once again tried to sell the fact that Alex
Riley had to impress William Regal if he wanted a shot at Kevin Owens. This
came after several adverts promotion Kevin Owens vs Alex Riley at NXT’s special
at the Arnold Sports Festival next week. Morons! As Alex Riley lay on the
canvas in what was an overtly long Headlock, resembling an upturned crab many
were willing the returning Riley to do something of note before all the beliefs
of his previous wrestling career came true. And believe me, a minute and a half
into the bout and the warning bells about Alex Riley were already beginning to
sound. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the sake of mercy, the Headlock did eventually end when Alex Riley managed to
climb back to his feet and drive C.J Parker into the ropes. If Riley has hoped to
gain the advantage on a rebound then his day was about to get worse, when
Parker took Riley off of his feet with a Shoulderblock. Cocky and confident, it
made a difference to see C.J Parker doing something other than bitching and
moaning, though he made the mistake of trying to repeat what worked for him
moments earlier. Using the ropes for leverage, C.J Parker hurtled himself at
Alex Riley only to receive a stunning looking Dropkick for his troubles.
Feeling the fire burning inside, Alex Riley threw caution to the wind and
hoisted the infuriating NXT member onto his shoulders only for Parker to escape
and boost Riley into the chords surrounding the ring.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hitting
the ring ropes with some force, Alex Riley was nailed from behind and C.J
Parker regained his advantage with two big right hands after pulling Riley to
his feet. Looking at the lights once more, Alex Riley felt the cold press of
Parker’s boot on his skin as the protestor raked the eyes with his rough soul.
Clutching his visual receptors, Alex Riley managed to crawl to the rope for
assistance in returning to his feet but his own plan worked against him as C.J
Parker set about choking his foe over the second rope. Thus far into the match,
Alex Riley had looked jaded and full of ring rust. He’d had one decent
offensive manoeuvre and that was all. At this point in the bout, Alex Riley
certainly wasn’t the conquering hero.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
‘A-ry’ balanced over the middle chord, C.J Parker took flight and came crashing
down on his rival backside first, copying what Carmella and Alexa Bliss had
done previously. Pulling Alex Riley back to the canvas, C.J Parker covered his
opponent expecting a quick and fairly effortless victory. It wasn’t to be his
day. Kicking out at the referee’s two count, Alex Riley allowed C.J Parker to
build his momentum to a peak before striking and as the latter signalled to
break Riley’s nose, The Miz’s former partner countered the attempt with a
Backdrop. Ducking Parker’s Clothesline, Riley smashed the remonstrator with two
massive Clotheslines of his own before putting Parker in the corner.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Charging
at C.J Parker, Alex Riley managed to hit a very weak Splash which looked
terrible. I know Alex Riley isn’t the best wrestler in the world and he’s been
away from in-ring activity for a long time, but at least he’s had the
experience. However, on this occasion there are people who have never stepped
into the ring before who could land that move better than Riley did. It looked
pathetic and nearly missed its stationary target. Putting the near miss behind
him, Alex Riley dropped C.J Parker with a nice looking Swinging Neckbreaker
before climbing to the summit and ending Parker with a shaky Block-Buster where
Riley came close to landing on his head.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
a frail and feeble effort by both men, there’s no two ways about it. The match
was short and unimpressive. For the majority of the duration, Alex Riley, the
man who was meant to be the returning hero spent his time on the canvas taking
abuse. He didn’t look remotely impressive and if this is the very best he can
then Kevin Owens will tear him apart both in the storyline and in the ring. NXT
should have booked this bout better. C.J Parker means so little to the company
and the audience that it wouldn’t have mattered had he been completely destroyed
by Alex Riley because he’s going nowhere. In fact we could say that C.J Parker
is NXT’s first real jobber. After so much hype last week and throughout this
broadcast, it was a bitterly disappointing effort and now I’m glad NXT didn’t
put it on as their main event.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
the bout, as Alex Riley caught his breath in the middle of the ring, Kevin
Owens’ music hit and the NXT Champion strolled out onto the stage to inform
Alex Riley of his mistake:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Alex
Riley, it’s a good thing you look as good as you do because you are the dumbest
man in NXT. And if that horrible tattoo on your back is not enough to prove
that, the fact that you put an end to your own career as a commentator to fight
me sure does. Because now, I’m going to end your in-ring career too! And when
I’m done with that, I’m going to out an end to the rise of Finn Balor. Trust
me.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet
another accomplished promo by the best mic man in NXT was delivered with ease.
Kevin Owens needs to wrestle more on NXT, he’s too goo to be a one in a while
attraction. And as NXT Champion he should be the focal point of the product,
regardless of who else the brand wants to push. If NXT need to push certain
wrestlers then they should either extend NXT to ninety minutes or prioritize
their roster. It’s getting maddening that the likes of Finn Balor, Adrian
Neville and Hideao Itami only compete once every two or three weeks and the
Champion less. NXT is so popular that it could survive a time and format change
this early on in its existence.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Kevin Owens made his way back to the locker room, Alex Riley absorbed the
adulation of the NXT audience and became overcome with tears. It’s not often
you see a grown man cry in a wrestling ring. This was one of those moments.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Main Event</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hideao Itami vs Tyler Breeze</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the
continuation of the feud between the Japanese superstar and NXT’s resident
vanity king, NXT’s main event this week staged yet another match between he
pair, only four weeks removed from their last meeting at ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’.
Personally, I believed this to be too soon for the pair to meet in the middle
of the ring yet again and if NXT continue to put both men together in singles
competition then it’s going to severely diminish the effect the feud has on NXT
programming over the next few months. There is too much of a good thing and
Triple H must tread carefully before both of these stars run out things to do
between the ropes.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
course of action would be to have them battle in tag team action if the idea of
having them attack each other has been vetoed by NXT creative. That way, WWE
can continue the feud in front of the audience but not have them clash directly
for a prolonged period of time. Another course of action would be for Tyler
Breeze to attack Itami one week and then have Hideao leave NXT for a while but
keep his profile up weekly by having him play mind games with Breeze by leaving
presents for him. Then when he returns in a few weeks time, fans would be hot
for yet another collision between the pair.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like
every other feud in WWE history, this will end. It can’t run forever but I
would advise NXT to think about a different type of bout for the pair other
than singles one on one. Tyler Breeze has been campaigning for an NXT
Championship shot for months now, so when WWE do finally get to the feud ending
bout why not have it fought as a Ladder Match under No. 1 Contender rules? Both
men could do wonders with another element involved. Even a cage match would
suffice. Because if NXT keep booking the pair in plain old singles bouts, soon
rather than later it’s going to become samey and then the brand will be forced
to end the feud prematurely which would be a travesty as its been a highlight
of the product so far.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
week, everything about the feud seemed different. Tyler Breeze may have attacked
Hideao Itami two weeks ago on NXT with the Japanese star then chasing Breeze
away, but this bout came out of the blue. Unlike other NXT main events, this
wasn’t announced one week prior and we didn’t find out about the match until
half way through this broadcast. It seemed as if the brand were short a main
event match and just threw the pair on last so as to keep the feud rolling. It
was weird feeling as both men trudged down the aisle; it didn’t feel like a
main event match and it didn’t even feel like a proper feud. There had been
very little build between the two in the four weeks since ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’
and it just seemed as if this came out of the blue thus making it difficult to
really get into the action.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like
every other NXT match on this broadcast, the bout began with the customary Lock
Up or would have done had Tyler Breeze been able to stay in the ring long
enough to begin what should have been a thrilling main event. As Hideao Itami
went to initiate the opening sequence, Breeze rolled under the bottom rope and
spent an irritating amount of time on the arena floor. Playing mind games with
his foreign foe, Breeze eventually made his way back into the ring ready to
begin the match properly but fooled Itami for a second time by ducking back to
ringside when Hideao tried a second Lock Up. The avoidance on the part of Tyler
Breeze may have been a measure to drag the bout out, but it only made the
Scandinavian star look like a coward. He’d lost to Itami twice before and
seemed to be scared of falling again.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Eventually
returning to the squared circle where the match would begin for real, Tyler
Breeze broke the tradition of the night and kicked off the bout by driving his
shoulder into the gut of Hideao Itami and forcing him backwards into the
corner. With his rival trapped in the corner like a bear in a trap, Breeze
levelled Itami with several hard Shoulderblocks in the corner. As Itami held
his aching gut as a result of the previous flurry, Breeze took full control by
placing Itami in the ropes and nailing him with several right hands. Clutching
Hideao by the hand, Breeze fired the artist formerly known as Kenta into the
ropes but found his offence wanting when Itami reversed to move.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Flinging
Tyler Breeze into ropes, the selfie stick obsessive managed to duck two Big
Boots but couldn’t escape the line of fire when Itami drove a knee into the
gut. Lining up the man who had smashed him in the jaw with the Super Model Kick
a fortnight earlier, Hideao repaid Breeze with a lovely looking Running Kick
which once again sent the blonde haired sensation rolling to ringside. This
time, things would be different. Instead of allowing Tyler time to recoup and
come back stronger, Hideao went out in pursuit and clocked Breeze with a
Running Clothesline on the hard and unforgiving arena floor. Rolling on
momentum, Itami stuffed Breeze back into the ring and backed him into the
corner. Taking a few steps backwards, Hideao charged at Tyler and cracked the
vanity lover with a beautiful Running Knee.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pulling
Breeze from the corner, Hideao hopped to the second turnbuckle in the hope of
delivering a Spinning DDT. However, his attempts were thwarted by Tyler Breeze
and when the Japanese sensation took flight; Breeze used his own momentum to
cast him over the top rope where Itami landed on the apron. Climbing to the top
rope behind his opponents back, Hideao was surprised by when Breeze backed into
the ropes and brought his foreign oppressor crashing onto the top turnbuckle
crotch first. Dragging Hideao down from the summit, Tyler Breeze bowled him
into the opposite corner and peppered him with kicks. With Itami seated in the
corner, Tyler stuck his boot into the throat and proceeded to chock his main
rival.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Feeling
firmly in control of the situation, Tyler Breeze pulled Hideao to his feet only
to put him back on the canvas with a Snapmare. Successfully executing a Leg
Drop for a count of two, Breeze slowed down the pace of the match with a Rear
Chinlock which wasn’t a welcome sight for the audience as they’d already seen
their fair share of rest holds throughout the broadcast. After a commercial
break which once again hyped next week’s NXT special, the video feed resumed
with Tyler Breeze still in control of proceedings. Having broken the Rear
Chinlock, Breeze scooped Itami onto his shoulders and placed him onto the top
turnbuckle. Joining Hideao on the top rope, ‘The King of Cuteville’ meant to
attempt a Superplex but instead was felled with fists from a battling Hideao
who then launched with a great Flying Clothesline.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
both men on the canvas and attempting to recover from what they believed to be
an exhausting confrontation, it wasn’t but they had to sell something, Hideao
Itami was the first of the two to make his way back to a vertical base and
clobbered Breeze with a Clothesline to gain control of the bout. Shaken and
unstable on his feet, Tyler Breeze attempted a kick but found his leg caught by
Itami and before he knew it, Breeze was looking at the lights after having his
legs swept out from underneath him. Unable to stand and rapidly losing control
of the contest, Tyler Breeze rolled to the ring apron but couldn’t fool Hideao
Itami into walking blindly into a Shoulderblock.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dodging
a Shoulderblock from the apron, Hideao Itami attempted a kick which countered
by Breeze into Neck Snap over the top rope in a very fluent sequence of
reversals. Finally given a few moments to gather himself after an onslaught of
seemingly never ending offence, Tyler Breeze climbed back between the ropes but
found Itami recovered ahead of time. Blocking a punch, Hideao connected with
yet another Clothesline for a good near fall. With the bout coming to a close,
Itami’s intention was to execute an Irish Whip but his endeavour only found
resistance when Tyler Breeze held onto the top rope for dear life. A few stiff
knees to the gut weakened that resistance though Breeze once again outsmarted
his foe and snatched a handful of chord to stop himself rebounding as he was
shot across the ring.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Daring
Hideao to bring the fight to him, Tyler Breeze stuck a boot into Itami’s face
off of a charge but failed to connect with a Clothesline. Ducking the incoming
missile, Hideao Itami applied a Waistlock with Breeze countered into one of his
own. However, Tyler wouldn’t have time to turn the advantage into anything
meaningful as the Japanese marvel was already charging into the ropes before
shrugging Breeze off. Rolling backwards across the ring, Breeze was ready and
Itami charged him the Japanese marvel almost knocked teeth out when he
connected with the Super Model Kick for an excellent near fall. The bout may
not have been gripping and tense throughout its run time, but the final
sequences were a marked improvement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Seizing
the legs of his rival, Tyler Breeze slipped under the bottom rope and pulled
Hideao around the ring post crotch first. Intending to give him painful
misgivings, Breeze was stunned when Itami pulled backwards and drove Tyler’s
face into the cold steel. After nursing his looks, Breeze found his way back
into the squared circle but couldn’t counter a Hangman Suplex across the top
rope which set him up for a Diving Knee from the top rope. As Hideao Itami
scaled the summit, Tyler Breeze found himself entangled in the chords
surrounding the ring and could only watch in terror as Itami plunged knees
first, driving them into the back of his head for yet another near fall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Propping
Tyler Breeze up in the corner, Hideao Itami was the architect of his own
downfall. Lining up a Running Dropkick, Itami missed the move and found nothing
but turnbuckle. Staggering from the corner, Tyler Breeze managed to clout the
man he’d so far failed to defeat with The Beauty Shot for the victory. It was
the correct result. Tyler Breeze had already lost to Hideao Itami twice in the
last six weeks; it would have ended the feud completely had he gone down yet
again. A Tyler Breeze victory had to be on the cards and here we were given the
next stage in a gripping war.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sadly,
the match wasn’t all that even though both men received the customary ovation
from the crowd that NXT stars are used to. Unlike their other bouts, this
lacked any real flow and that big fight feel. Rather than another must see
chapter in their feud, this felt like a convenience and that stopped us really
getting into the action. It wasn’t a truly bad main event but it could and
should have been twice as good. This was the worst main event in six weeks on
par with Finn Balor vs The Brian Kendrick. It’s simply not good enough for the
reward that people sit through a broadcast to get. We expect better than this
and I hope normal service is restored next week.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Summary</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
four matches on show and none of them particularly brilliant, Episode 268 of
NXT wasn’t the most impressive of shows to behold but one gets the feeling that
the company are saving all the special in their locker room for Episode 269 at
the Arnold Sports Festival. Regardless, that is no reason to book a less
entertaining piece of work as we expect something brilliant every week and NXT
has the talent to produce it regardless of Triple H or NXT’s booking committee
believe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If NXT
was short on wrestlers to fill spots then I’d understand why NXT are holding
back on the quality. There’d be no sense in pushing the few good stars you
possess to do the same things every week. People would get bored. But NXT have
a wealth of talent as proved by the fact their best names only complete
fortnightly or less. There’s no sensible reason for NXT not to go full pelt
each week to keep us entertained. As it stands, Episode 268 stood somewhere in
the middle of those that have appeared in The NXT Report so far though it could
have gone close to the top had we not been given a underdeveloped main event
which was the weakest in five weeks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-78773959971378185902015-03-09T02:50:00.000-07:002015-03-09T02:50:08.848-07:00THE NXT REPORT - EPISODE 267<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cCyemac8sSc/VP1sEaMdn-I/AAAAAAAADrM/LfsPzXD5Nv0/s1600/The%2BNXT%2BReport.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cCyemac8sSc/VP1sEaMdn-I/AAAAAAAADrM/LfsPzXD5Nv0/s1600/The%2BNXT%2BReport.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Okay,
so we’re now into the second week of our NXT Report and already I have
implemented a change to the schedule. As you will have read, the NXT Report was
meant to be a fortnightly feature for this blog which replaced Review Corner.
However, upon further analysis of this blog and the success of part one of this
regular feature, I have decided to make it weekly. Not only does it save me
rambling on about other events which a lot of people have no interest in, but
it gives you something to keep up with. So from now on this will be weekly but
of course will take a break for pay-per view views, but will continue as up to
date as possible. In short, you will never miss an episode from now on.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Episode 267 – March 4th
2015</span></u></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NXT Recap</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Episode
267 of NXT opened with a recap of last week’s events with Kevin Owens’ attack
on Alex Riley being the main focal point. There would be a reason for focusing
heavily on this fact and that’s because it would be the main storyline running
throughout the core of this week’s episode. Amongst the highlights were Finn
Balor vs The Brain Kendrick, however WWE were mistaken showing this as it did
Balor no favours whatsoever. As a babyface who will battle Kevin Owens for the
NXT Championship on March 25th, Balor just stood by and did nothing whilst a
commentator was attacked by his new nemesis. NXT should have permitted him to
come to the rescue.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NXT Opening</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead
of an actual match to kick things off as most would have preferred, NXT
reverted back to the booking it displayed the week after ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’.
In a segment which could have been saved until later in the show, William Regal
granted Alex Riley an audience who was suitably annoyed about his treatment at
the hands of Kevin Owens last week. Now, we don’t get to see enough of William
Regal on NXT these days and his appearances on WWE’s main roster are sparse to
say the least, so whenever we do get a glimpse of the Brit it’s a treat. Not
only is he good value for entertainment but as previously stated, he’s
perfectly suited this role.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many
of you reading this will be able to hark back to the days a younger William
Regal served in the same role on Raw. Back then, he was in better condition and
could wrestle but he was always entertaining. I often think that he was born
for these types of roles and as his wrestling career comes to an end it would
be a great move for WWE to promote Regal to Raw as its General Manager once
again when The Authority has had its day. For too long now has the brand been
suffering from the same type of storyline and a fresh approach would do it the
world of good. William Regal is popular with all audiences and having him serve
as General Manager for a few years would bring about fresh storylines and new
angles.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of
course, that leaves NXT manager-less but the problem is easily solved by
employing Paul Heyman in the role. He needs something to do between Brock
Lesnar’s appearances and should Triple H hand over the reigns behind the scenes
as well, NXT could be taken into new waters. I know that Triple H handing over
the reigns is unlikely. He’s done a sterling job as head of NXT behind the
scenes, but one can’t help fantasise what Heyman could do with the brand. It
wouldn’t have to be a new ECW, Paul Heyman knows what he’s doing and if he
doesn’t have to handle the financial side of things then he’s free to create
something special. However, thank to him being blamed for the demise of WWE’s
version of ECW, I don’t see this happening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyway,
back to the matter in hand. Seething from his attack at the hands of Kevin
Owens seven days earlier, Alex Riley canvassed William Regal for a fight with
the NXT Champion at his earliest possible convenience:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AR:
“Look Regal, you are the General Manager of NXT, okay? I need a match with
Kevin Owens after what just happened to me okay? We’ve got to find a way to
make this happen!”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WR:
“Alex, you either be a competitor or you can be a commentator.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AR:
“No, no, no! You did both. I watched you do both!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WR:
“And look what happened to me. I faced Cesaro when I was a commentator and I
got destroyed. In fact I’ve never competed again since.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AR:
“Look Regal, no disrespect, but I am still in the prime of my career. I have
years to go in this place and I have a lot to contribute.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WR:
“You can have Kevin Owens but you have to make a choice. Do you want to be
competitor or do you want to be a commentator? You cannot prepare to be a
competitor with all the pressure you have on your mind that you have to be a
commentator. It’s up to you.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
that, Alex Riley stormed out of William Regal’s office to make his decision. It
wasn’t a particularly great coming together and the script could have been much
better, but this was all designed to begin the come back of Alex Riley as an in
ring talent. It may be laughable to many and indeed I couldn’t stop laughing
when Riley told William Regal that he still had a lot to contribute, yet in
NXT, a land where everyone is equal and there is no pecking order, maybe Alex
Riley can thrive as an in ring talent. He obviously still has the passion to
perform otherwise he’d have vetoed the idea of lacing up his boots again, when
he had a comfy job on commentary. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whilst
I’m not convinced an Alex Riley vs Kevin Owens feud will sell, or that Alex
Riley’s second crack at stardom will end any better than the first, we have to
give him the benefit of the doubt. Certainly, he’ll need to up his game from
last time and forget any pipe dream about making it big on the main roster
because that certainly isn’t going to happen for him now. But with a character
change and a strong push by those in charge and he could make waves. I guess
only time will tell so watch this space.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Adam Rose vs Tyler
Breeze </span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
thing I have to give WWE credit for is spotting when a star’s career is on a
downward spiral. Instead of allowing them to fester on Superstars or Main Event
which just aren’t up to scratch these days, now WWE bosses are allowing their
main roster stars to drop down into NXT in an attempt make them better
wrestlers and see if there’s any hope of their career being revived. It works
with some and isn’t so profitable with others but at least WWE are attempting
to do something in order to keep their stars on the right track. It’s a
positive sign of things to come from the company.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the last few months, we’ve seen main roster stars such as Emma, Titus O’Neil
and Tyson Kidd to name but a few return to NXT in an attempt to re-kick start
their careers. It wasn’t successful with Titus O’Neil simply because he didn’t
possess the quality needed in the first place. With Emma, the results are still
inconclusive as she’s only competed in one bout since returning, but the method
worked with Tyson Kidd. Punted into NXT’s main event picture in latter stages
of 2014 and early 2015, Tyson Kidd’s battle to be NXT Champion had its benefits
on his main roster career. Not only was he in better condition when he
returned, but Tyson Kidd also managed to capture the WWE Tag Team Championships
with Cesaro at Fast Lane which was a step forward for the Canadian.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
not advocating the return to NXT of a mass of main roster stars because that
will inevitably take away from the younger talent on display. However, it could
advantageous for a few more if WWE were to portion them out right and not just
bundle them in en mass. The likes of Jack Swagger, Cesaro, The Miz and Damien
Sandow could greatly benefit from a stint in NXT and even make those in charge
re-think their positions when they were to return to the main roster months
down the line. In particular, WWE could do with dropping some of its female
talent into the mix in order to get them ready for a resurgence of the divas
division later in the year. Someone has to show them how it’s done and that you
don’t just have to rely on a pretty face. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
week, it was Adam Rose’s turn to step back onto the NXT stage where he was once
so successful and popular and it was a good decision. On WWE’s main roster,
Adam Rose has been defunct. There has been no point to him as WWE haven’t taken
the Brit seriously at all and treated him as a comedy character with his Exotic
Express. In many ways, Adam Rose has stepped into the shoes that Santino
Marella once occupied and for a wrestler who has actual potential, it simply
isn’t good enough. I can’t say with any authority whether Adam Rose will
benefit from another stint in NXT, but it can’t hurt his career any more than
WWE already have. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
the bell rang for the opening bout of this week’s episode of NXT, neither
competitor seemed too bothered about putting on a high flying, technical
masterpiece to show the booking and creative committee what they were capable
of and instead decided the best course of action would be to pose and waste
time which could have been filled with something impressive. Laying on the top
turnbuckle in an attempt to psych out his foe, Tyler Breeze oozed charisma but
wasn’t too happy when Adam Rose matched his mind games by perching himself on
the top turnbuckle opposite. It wasn’t a promising beginning but the audience
made their own entertainment by chanting ‘Ninja Turtle’ at a member of The
Exotic Express who was dressed as a hero in a half shell.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kicking
the bout off for real, Adam Rose made a lunge for Tyler Breeze but found
nothing but air as the selfie obsessed character dodged an attack. Taking Adam
Rose by surprise, Tyler Breeze snatched a Headlock Takedown but released the
move in order to partake in more stalling. Standing in the corner and watching
his foe recover, Tyler Breeze took flight with a running jump but found Rose’s
grasp was too tight to wriggle out of. Caught in mid-air, Tyler Breeze was
brought down hard on his opponent’s knee with an Inverted Atomic Drop. In
control, Adam Rose clutched a handful of hair and rammed his oppressor face
first into the turnbuckle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Tyler Breeze clutching his face, Adam Rose took the opportunity to fly and
elevated himself to the second turnbuckle. Launching with what was meant to be
a Double Axe Handle, Adam Rose was caught short when Tyler Breeze dropped to
one knee and Rose landed square on the appendage crotch first. Making the eyes
of every man in attendance water as Rose clutched his crown jewels, the leader
of the Exotic Express soon shook off the effects of such a ruinous act and
rebounded with a Chop to the chest before balancing himself on the middle rope
where he warded off any Tyler Breeze attack with the treat of two feet to the
face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Throwing
caution to the wind, Breeze charged his foe and ate leather as Adam Rose’s boots
were planted firmly in his face. Staggered, Tyler Breeze was unable to stop
Adam Rose knocking him to the canvas with three Shoulderblocks. Scrambling to
make his way back to a vertical base, Tyler Breeze was caught with a heavy Slam
and battered with a Corner Clothesline. Reeling from his recent attack, Tyler
Breeze was savvy enough to spot an oncoming missile from Rose and as the gothic
look-a-like rebounded off of the ropes, Breeze nailed him with The Beauty Shot
for the victory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
truth, the bout wasn’t much to look at and suffered from a massive amount of
stalling. When the action did get going, it was laboured and neither man looked
really bothered about putting on a show. It felt more like watching a wrestling
match on Superstars rather than an exhibit of the future of the company. Had
Adam Rose and Tyler Breeze been given ten more minutes, it would have been an
excellent start to the programme and an indication of what Adam Rose can do in
the ring. As it stands, maybe WWE were right to send him back down a level
because I certainly saw nothing to the contrary here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Enzo Amore, Colin
Cassidy and Carmella Interview</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
what would become a standard for this episode of NXT, we were taken to the
backstage area where Enzo Amore, Colin Cassidy and Carmella awaited their
interview. After being interrupted by Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy the
previous week, where the NXT Tag Team Champions offered Carmella a place by
their side, the trio responded to comments about their next move against Blake
and Murphy. First up for comment was Enzo Amore:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You’re
talking about sweet boy frosted Wesley Blake? I tell you what, he got loose
cheeks and every time they speak I hear bowl movements. They need to wipe the
crap off of their lips!”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Next
up was Colin Cassidy:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“They
want to talk to Carmella? They want to address Carmella? No! You talk to us two
first. Nobody talks to Carmella like that.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Carmella
then interjected:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“They
made me throw up in my mouth!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Colin
Cassidy continued:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Because
they’re ugly and they’re disgusting.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Carmella
continued:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“They’re
pathetic pigs and you two need to beat them.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Colin
Cassidy then finished off the interview:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“After
we become the number contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championships, we’re going
to beat the bacon right off of their backs.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was a somewhat baffling interview. Amongst the distinguishable comments which
really weren’t all that important, we had to make do with Enzo Amore adding
nonsensical comments into the fray as well. In short, this was a complete mess.
Out of the three, Carmella looked the best and most comfortable talking on
camera whilst Enzo Amore once again looked like he’d been fished out of a skip
where he’d been sleeping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
it was Colin Cassidy’s remarks that really annoyed people in the crowd.
Referring to Blake and Murphy as dirty and disgusting, Cassidy did so with a
straight face whilst sitting next to a man who looked as if he hasn’t washed in
six months and who was clearly stoned out of his face. There’s a double
standard here. In 2014, WWE made an example of Daniel Bryan for his appearance.
Yet they’re perfectly happy for a potential future star to look like he’s
sleeping rough? And believe me, it’s not a part of his character.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WWE
need to do something with Enzo Amore’s appearance and soon. He may have a
popular catchphrase and t-shirt but that’s where the appeal ends. Neither Amore
or Cassidy have yet displayed anything to make me believe they will go far in
WWE or be main players on the main stage. The first thing you should want to do
when you see Enzo Amore is cheer him, not chase him with a wet cloth and a bar
of soap. And the fact that WWE allowed Amore to conduct this interview under
the influence of narcotics is a worrying sign indeed.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alexa Bliss Interview</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead
of following a dull and somewhat baffling interview with a stunning technical
war which would have raised the spirits of everyone in the NXT Arena and
watching on the WWE Network, WWE decided to go completely in the opposite
direction and follow it up with yet another interview with a talent that people
don’t really care about. I have to say that on a show about the future, this
isn’t what is expected from WWE. I know they have to get in interviews and
promos so the stars can hone their skills but having sat through the previous
interview and Alex Riley sounding off against William Regal at the beginning of
the show, this was just one more instance to make you sigh.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
those not familiar with Alexa Bliss, the performer has been gone from NXT for
some time now, ever since she was said to have suffered a nose injury at the
hands of Sasha Banks. Her absence hasn’t made the heart grow fonder and she’s
been gone for so long that I actually forgot she existed. The common belief is
that Alexa Bliss didn’t in fact suffer a nose injury and was sent back to
development to hone her skills, because she was so bad in the ring. I can
easily believe this. Alexa Bliss has never been able to hold a candle to the
Women’s division in NXT and desperately needed someone to show her how to hang
properly. She was embarrassing herself and her opponents. Let’s just hope that
this stint in development has done her some good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Responding
to the question of where she’s been and what the future holds for her, Alexa
Bliss had this to say:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Uh,
well, since my series of matches with Sasha Banks you know I suffered a nose
injury. So I just needed to take some time to heal physically and mentally. But
I feel like I’m a good place now. And tonight is a very important night in NXT
history; Sasha Banks vs Charlotte for the NXT Women’s Championship in the main
event. Whether Sasha retains or not, I’m gunning for her. It’s about time
someone showed the boss who ‘s really in charge.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
may have gotten to the point that Alexa Bliss wanted to tear Sasha Banks apart
piece by piece for causing her nose injury and costing her time away from the
ring, but this only took time away from the in-ring product. Had WWE wanted to
get over that Alexa Bliss was back for revenge then it would have been much more
effective to have Bliss attack Sasha Banks after her main event match with
Charlotte. Actions speak louder than words and that would have been a statement
of intent, especially with NXT’s next pay-per view event right around the
corner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wesley Blake and Buddy
Murphy vs Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
is the first time Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy have been included in this NXT
Report as they didn’t compete in the first two weeks after ‘NXT Takeover:
Rival’. The seemingly mismatched pair who currently hold the NXT Tag Team
Championship have convinced me that they have a bright future in WWE. Their
performances over the past few weeks have been nothing short of brilliant and
their series against The Lucha Dragons was mightily impressive and would have
been even more so had Sin Cara and Kalisto not botched several moves during
their bouts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both
slick and technically gifted, Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy could be one the
best tag teams to come out of WWE’s developmental league for quite some time. More
impressive between the ropes than the likes of The Ascension, I can see a main
roster feud between The Usos and Blake and Murphy going down a storm over the
WWE Tag Team Championships. Hell, WWE don’t even have to wait until Blake and
Murphy graduate to the big league. It would be the easiest thing in the world
to bring The Usos to NXT for a few weeks to have a series of matches against
the reigning NXT Tag Team Champions which would tear the house down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
for Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy’s opponents for this match, both Sawyer
Fulton and Angelo Dawkins were making their NXT debut and brought back memories
of Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Hass, even down to Fulton wearing the Rick
Steiner amateur wrestling headgear. I can’t imagine how the pair will fit into
the programme looking like this as their image is one of wholesome men who
still live with their mothers and are saving their virginity until marriage.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that at all but it just doesn’t
work in WWE. It’s not what people want to see.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
the toll of the opening bell, it was the rookie duo who struck first blood in
an attempt to impress Triple H watching from the gorilla position and as Buddy
Murphy began with Sawyer Fulton, it was the less experienced of the warriors
who came out on top. Initiating a Lock Up, Fulton struck with lightening
precision and shuffled his way around the back of one half of the NXT Tag Team
Champions in order to fell his opposition with a double Waistlock and Slam.
Regaining his composure, Buddy Murphy underestimated his rookie foe and turned
straight into a very impressive Fireman’s Carry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sawyer
Fulton and Angelo Dawkins looked impressive in the early going, they were
controlling the Tag Team Champions with ease and their more experienced
opponents were graciously selling like troupers for a team who were looking to
supplant them. Forcing Buddy Murphy to stay on the canvas, Sawyer Fulton
applied an Armbar but soon found his efforts in vein when he was clocked with a
Back Elbow. Unable to budge his larger oppressor, Murphy threw a second Back
Elbow which ducked and reversed superbly into a Headlock.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the defensive wasn’t a position where the NXT Tag Team Champions were used to
being, especially with a new and upcoming team. Synched into a decent looking
Headlock, Buddy Murphy climbed back to his feet and managed to back Fulton into
the corner, where the inexperienced pretender to the crown just seemed to let
go of the hold and allow Murphy to make the tag to Wesley Blake. Double teaming
Sawyer Fulton, Blake and Murphy fired their foe into the ropes and executed a
sublime Double Leapfrog before catching him on the rebound with a Double Back
Elbow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Seizing
control of the bout, Wesley Blake slowed the pace of the bout by applying a Rear
Chinlock but once again found the newer Fulton slippery when he rolled his way
out of the hold. Enraged, Blake let his guard down and was caught with a neat
Throat Thrust which opened the door to a tag to Angelo Dawkins and forced
Wesley Blake to bring Buddy Murphy back into the ring. Bursting into action
with an enthusiasm I haven’t seen from a new wrestler in many months, Dawkins
clouted Murphy with a bone shaking Clothesline after which Buddy Murphy missed
one of the his own. Ducking the Clothesline, Dawkins stung Murphy with a series
of Dusty Rhodes inspired jabs but made a rookie mistake by turning his
attention to Wesley Blake on the apron.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dodging
an Angelo Dawkins attack, Wesley Blake provided enough of a distraction for
Buddy Murphy to connect with a Calf Kick. Tagging Wesley Blake back into the
encounter, the clock struck midnight on Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins’
Cinderella story when the NXT Tag Team Champions sealed a victory as Buddy
Murphy dropped Dawkins with a nice Brainbuster and Wesley Blake scaled the top
rope, launching himself halfway across the ring with an excellent Frog Splash
for the count of three. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once
again, the bout wasn’t a stunning example of what NXT is capable of but was
good enough to exhibit how much better NXT’s tag team division is than WWE’s
main roster. Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins look like decent additions to the
ranks, but need an overhaul before anyone in NXT can take a shine to them.
Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy are a shining example of what can be attained in
a developmental territory with hard work and investment. These two are going
far.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bayley and Emma
Confrontation</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
yet another break from the action, even though the fans had made it clear that
more wrestling was required, we were taken to the locker room where Bayley was
stood with Charlotte ahead of her NXT Women’s Championship Match against Sasha
Banks in the main event of the show. Talking her friend up, Bayley had this to
say to Charlotte:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You
look great. You got your side pony and your smile. I know we haven’t really
been best of friends lately, but I want to wish you good luck in your match
with Sasha tonight.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bayley’s
well wishes however, didn’t seem to sit well with the former Champion who
seemed slightly taken aback by her friend’s comments:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Sasha
is the one who is going to need the luck.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Barging
out on Bayley, seeds of some type of heel turn for Charlotte were sewn. But
Bayley wouldn’t be alone for long when her former ally, Emma, made her presence
known. After a fist bump, Bayley thought she was being nice to the returning
Emma:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What’s
up? You want to go use the bubble machine, like old times?”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
Emma refused her offer, Bayley once again tried to extend the olive branch to
her friend:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Me
neither, I was just talking to Charlotte. She has a main event match with
Sasha. You want to come and sit with me? We can watch together?”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead
of just turning down Bayley’s proposal, Emma cut a scathing and bitchy promo on
her former friend. The tone she used signalled something bigger to come and was
obviously meant to set up a future rivalry between the former friends:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You
want to watch that match? The one that you should have been in but weren’t
because you lost at Takeover? Walking around, giving everyone high tens and
throwing out headbands and hugging people. It’s just like you. It’s cool
though, it’s cool, it’s like I mean look at me. I did the same thing when I was
on Raw. Being really nice and look where that got me. Back here at NXT. Just
something to think about!”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bayley
vs Emma which will be presented in the next few weeks should be a good feud to
sit through. However, I have to say that Bayley’s treatment over the last few
weeks has been unusually shoddy for NXT and instead of building her steadily to
something enormous which I’m convinced she’ll thrive at, WWE have used her to
facilitate the push of others. Bayley may not be the best female wrestler yet
but she’s certainly better than how WWE are using her at the moment. Bayley
needs to be winning matches, not losing to anyone and everyone WWE believes
needs a victory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Baron Corbin vs Tony
Briggs</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
a second bout in a row, we were given an established NXT star against a debut
wrestler who was taking his baby steps on the brand. As I’ve previously
explained, Baron Corbin has the looks and the build to go far in WWE but Tony
Briggs has no chance whatsoever. You may think that it is too early to form a
judgment, but there are some wrestlers you just look at and know. Tony Briggs,
who was dressed like a member of the Spirit Squad for this bout, is just too
ordinary and chunky to make it in WWE and even in NXT. He has no charisma and
no disenable talent. Though I will say that this bout was so short that it was
hard to judge his skill level; however like I said, sometimes you can just
tell.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
think it’s fair to say that no one in the NXT Arena was expecting a long and
intricate match, that isn’t Baron Corbin’s style. In this respect he’s like
Ryback and Goldberg before him. Short matches in which he decimates opponents
without them putting up any fight at all. And that is how this match went as
well. Unfortunately, like Ryback and Goldberg before him this method of booking
won’t do Baron Corbin any favours at all. For him to flourish on WWE’s main
roster, because that is where he is heading, the company need to book him in
longer bouts. Otherwise it’s going to be history repeating itself when he gets
to the main stage and burns out in minutes because he’s unable to compete in
marathon bouts which are the staple of pay-per view.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Beginning
what would be a blink and you miss it encounter, Baron Corbin participated in a
traditional Lock Up with Tony Briggs only to overpower the inferior warrior by
shoving him into the ropes. Now, this is where WWE made a mistake. They took
the focus off of the action in order to concentrate on another feud happening
elsewhere. Cutting to the announce table, an unaware Alex Riley had been joined
by Kevin Owens who had obviously heard what the commentator had to say about
him at the beginning of the programme. Now, this is where I have a problem.
Alex Riley acted as if he couldn’t see Kevin Owen, thus giving us the big
reveal at the end of the bout. But the commentators watch the same feed we do
at home and we were watching them. How could WWE expect us not to believe that
Alex Riley didn’t see the footage of what was waiting behind him?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back
to the fleeting action and Baron Corbin and Tony Briggs tangled with another
Lock Up which came to a close when Corbin repeated the action of throwing
Briggs into the ropes. This time though, he’d catch Briggs on the rebound and
belted him with the End of Days for the victory. It was a pointless match only
booked to heighten the rivalry between Alex Riley and Kevin Owens who would
nearly come to blows when the final bell rang. In a brilliantly hilarious
silent sequence, Alex Riley became aware of the NXT Champion when Owens reached
across the commentator and took his water. Taking a sip from the bottle, Kevin
Owens then poured the contents over Riley’s head. Standing face to face with
Owens, Riley was held back by Jason Albert as Kevin Owens walked away
unbothered.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kevin
Owens is going to be a massive hit in WWE, his execution is flawless and his
timing is perfect. This man is the future of WWE. You can bank on that.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sami Zayn Addresses the
NXT Universe</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last
week, a match plate was shown advertising Sami Zayn’s first appearance in NXT
since his mauling at the hands of Kevin Owens. Now, like every other fan
watching NXT this week I expected Sami Zayn to be in the arena live and address
the NXT Universe face to face. After all, he managed to make the tour of Dubai
as part of WWE’s main roster because it’s meant to be his home town. It was
reasonable to expect that if he could make that tour, then he could make it to
the NXT Arena to explain his status following ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once
again, what WWE promises isn’t always what they deliver and instead of Sami
Zayn live in the arena, telling us how he was going to get his own back on
Kevin Owens and calling out the NXT Champion thus teasing a triple threat match
at the next pay-per view, we were instead shown video footage of Sami Zayne on
the streets of Montreal, Quebec, Canada where he cut a promo into a handheld
camera which was meant to make up for the lack of a personal appearance. So
what inspiring insights would Sami Zayn have to impart on us? This is what the
former NXT Champion had to say:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Hey
guys, this is Sami Zayn. And as you can tell I’m not in Abu Dhabi anymore. I’m
back home in Montreal, Canada. The tour went great, Abu Dhabi was great and in
my very short time away from NXT in these past few weeks I can’t help but
notice and fell the landscape of NXT is changing dramatically and in a hurry.
New faces like Solomon Crowe and returning guys like Rhyno and The Brian
Kendrick, a new number one contender on Finn Balor, you know new Champion Sasha
Banks and of course at the top of the mountain is Kevin Owens. I’m sorry I’m
not there in person, face to face to tell you guys this but today is March 1st
2015 and today marks my 13 year anniversary in this industry. For the first
time in 13 years, I feel like I’m not mentally prepared to be there right now
and that’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m walking the streets of Montreal at two
in the morning. I came home to get some perspective because this is where it
all started for me. There’s the story of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens starting
here a dozen years ago. So I haven’t watched footage back from ‘NXT Takeover:
Rival’ just yet, the conclusion of my match with Kevin Owens, but I plan on it.
And when I do maybe then I can put into words what I plan on doing to Kevin
Owens when I come back.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
that was it. Three weeks wait for that and he wasn’t even in the arena to tell
us. It really looked like Sami Zayn had tucked his tail between his legs and
headed home. He couldn’t even be bothered to tell us in person. You see, this
is why a lot of WWE stars do not get over in the company. Because of booking
like this. It was Sami Zayn’s anniversary, he should have been there and by not
turning up he short changed everyone who came to see him that night. In all
honesty, it appeared as if Sami Zayne was more bothered about his main roster
prospects rather than the people in NXT that made him.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t
get me wrong, Sami Zayn is ready for the main roster. His skills are honed and
perfected but if this is the beginning of the end for him then instead of
having him spout any old rubbish and listing Champions who have actually
bothered to turn up, have him ponder his future in NXT. Have his story be one
of self doubt until he either returns to NXT or announces that he’s leaving to
try his luck on the main roster. Many doubt he’ll make it there but I’m
confident fans will treat him the same as they have done Daniel Bryan. You
never know, Sami Zayne could be WWE World Heavyweight Champion in a few years
time.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
for the actual interview, it was lazy. Sami Zayn sounded uninterested and
grabbing at straws for something to say. If WWE or even Sami Zayn couldn’t find
the words to keep us hooked then why have him say anything at all? Why not
write him a storyline where he disappears from WWE altogether for a while,
don’t show us the footage of his tour with the main roster and make us believe
that after the beating he suffered he’s gone into hibernation. After three
months of only competing on WWE main roster house shows, Sami Zayn could then
return to NXT to get his revenge on Kevin Owen. After losing the feud ending
bout, he could leave the company step up to WWE’s main roster. This stuff isn’t
rocket science so why do WWE get it wrong on so many occasions? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Worse,
it was announced last week that Sami Zayn would address the NXT Universe and
this footage was apparently recorded on March 1st. Meaning that it appeared as
if Sami Zayn saw the announcement and couldn’t be bothered to make the trip in
advance. The entire thing looked staged and that isn’t what NXT is about.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alex Riley’s Choice</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back
in William Regal’s office and the NXT General Manager was listening to a
wrestler I believe to be CJ Parker, sound off about getting attacked from
behind. Looking at his nails as if he didn’t have a care in the world, William
Regal played his part to perfection here, seeming as if this was one complaint
too many. This is what I mean when I say he’s suited to this role rather that
continuously lace up his boots at his age and condition. His timing is just
perfect as are the looks he gives when he clearly couldn’t give a damn about
what someone is saying. Fortunately for William Regal, a more pressing matter
would bring itself to his attention.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Barging
through William Regal’s door, Alex Riley had finally made his decision about
whether he wanted to return to the ring or not. Enraged about what had just
occurred with Kevin Owens following the Baron Corbin vs Tony Briggs bout, Alex
Riley informed William Regal of his decision:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AR:
“Regal! Did you not see what happened?!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WR:
“No I didn’t. He was talking to me. What?”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AR:
“Kevin Owens is running roughshod over this place. That’s it. I quit being a
commentator. I want Kevin Owens in the ring, right here, right now, make it
happen.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WR:
“I respect your decision, but you will have to sign a talent contract and I
will not give you Kevin Owens until I…do you understand me…I, think you are
ready.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
this point in time, Alex Riley turned his attention to CJ Parker who was
laughing at Alex Riley behind William Regal’s back.</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AR:
“What are you laughing at?”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CJ:
“Well, you and Kevin Owens. Give me a break, Riley, come on. The only person to
ever do anything to Kevin Owens is me. Look at the star on his nose. Who was
that from? It was from me!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WR:
“Alex, you will get Kevin Owens when I think you are ready.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AR:
“That’s fine, because next week I’m starting with you and I’m kicking your
ass.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alex
riley was of course referring to CJ Parker and suddenly next week’s main event
is settled. I’m not sad to see Alex Riley leave his commentary job and return
to the ring because he was horrible to listen to. As I’ve already stated, free
of the shackles that were placed on him by The Miz and in a position other than
jobber for stars on Superstars, Alex Riley could ignite his career with this
feud against Kevin Owens but WWE have to treat his comeback with respect and
seriousness. If Alex Riley was to lose matches here and there until he reached
Kevin Owens then it would be a waste of time and talent.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If
WWE want us to take Alex Riley seriously ever again then the first thing the
company must do is make us forget about his previous treatment. This is easily
done with promos on his training to get back in shape for his career and
excellent technical matches to follow against some of NXT’s best. I for one
would like to see Alex Riley mix it up in NXT’s main event matches with the
likes of Finn Balor, Hideao Itami, Tyler Breeze and Sami Zayn before he gets
his hands on Kevin Owens. Whether you know it or not, Alex Riley is more than
capable of becoming a star in NXT though his re-introduction back into the
roster means that the outcome of Kevin Owens vs Finn Balor is already decided.
No one will want to see Alex Riley battle Kevin Owens if it’s not for the NXT
Championship. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Solomon Crowe vs Bull
Dempsey</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
wasn’t totally impressed by Solomon Crowe’s debut two weeks ago. You may have
picked that up by my words on the subject. I didn’t have a problem with Crowe
per se but the way WWE handled his first steps onto the brand. After weeks and
weeks of hype and vignettes which promised much, the outcome actually delivered
very little and was laughable in its execution. So what was needed now would be
a stunning debut bout against one of NXT’s biggest wrestlers to really show
what Solomon Crowe was capable of. I can say with some certainty, that after
Bull Dempsey’s recent showings in the ring, hopes weren’t very high.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
may be very early on in his career, but I just can’t warm to Solomon Crowe. His
personality is erratic and not at all original; his behaviour is a cross
between Raven and little Spike Dudley and strangely, he looks a lot like TNA
wrestler Eric Young. He’s yet to find a niche in which he slots into and I can
see him struggling in weeks and months to come. Certainly, he’s not NXT
Champion material and brings to mind a mid-card ECW wrestler from the late
1990’s. Times have moved on, stop trying to give us someone that would have
fitted in twenty years ago.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bull
Dempsey has been bitterly disappointing over the last few weeks. His bout with
Baron Corbin at ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ was weak and though billed as a No
Disqualification brawl featured little to no hardcore brawling. It needed to be
longer and filled with more action to display Dempsey’s anger and talent. His
bout against Hideao Itami last week was passable thanks to the Japanese star’s
talents and so this week it was up to Bull to pull something out of the rookie,
to show that he could be relied upon to put on a show when it matters. For
those who haven’t seen Bull Dempsey yet, he looks a lot like Rusev and is
rotund rather than formed but that hasn’t stopped WWE from placing their hopes
on him for future success.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Crossing
their fingers, the NXT bigwigs sat back and watched with massive amounts of
expectation as Bull Dempsey took the newbie for a ride. With the opening bell
came the premier sequence and Bull Dempsey immediately assumed control with
hard kicks to the gut, wasting no time. It was nice to see a match which didn’t
begin with a Lock Up for one, but trust me when I say this bout wouldn’t be
able to uphold the optimism and would soon take a turn for the worst. Losing
control of the bout in the early going, Solomon Crowe possessed enough
knowledge to know that he needed to battle back quickly if he was going to find
a footing in this bout, and found the mark with hard right hands to the dome
which currently sits around Bull Dempsey’s waist.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shaking
off Solomon Crowe’s weak punched, Bull Dempsey schooled the rookie in how to
throw a punch when he battered him with merciless Forearms to the back and
stuck his boot in Crowe’s face one NXT’s newest star was on the canvas. With
his dominance giving him a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>metaphorical
erection, Bull Dempsey scooped his opponent from the canvas and pushed him into
the ropes in a messy sequence which looked as if both men had just got involved
in a fight outside a bar. Catching Crowe’s foot as he rebounded from the ropes,
Dempsey spun Solomon but found his foe’s elbow planted firmly in his face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Bull Dempsey temporarily staggered, Solomon Crowe drove in two headbutts which
didn’t have the desired effect and found himself on the canvas once again when
Dempsey responded with a massive headbutt of his own. Mounting Crowe on the
canvas, Dempsey drove in several fists before pinning Crowe to the mat with a
forearm in the face which looked slightly odd when it went on and on. If any
two wrestlers ever looked as if they were having a nice hug halfway through a
match, this was it. Shouting at Solomon Crowe that this was his house, Dempsey
yanked his opponent from the canvas by his hair but got a hard punch for his
trouble.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Possessing
a highly optimistic nature, Solomon Crowe attempted to lift Bull Dempsey from a
vertical base but found the weight too much to cope with. Toppling Crowe with
his frame, Dempsey came crashing down on the waiting body of NXT’s newest
recruit for a lacklustre near fall. Settling behind Crowe, Bull Dempsey wailed
away on the broken conscript with some unforgiving Crossface punches before
returning to the unexciting kicks. Surely this droning affair couldn’t get any
worse. Hence, it did. Just when the bout needed a spark to bring it to life,
Bull Dempsey displayed no originality by applying a Rear Chinlock as audible
groans could be heard from the audience. Thankfully the move wouldn’t last long,
as Solomon Crowe backed Dempsey into the corner and rolled free from what
seemed to be a slackly applied hold.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Attempting
to build some momentum, Solomon Crowe charged into the ropes but found nothing
but Bull on the rebound when Dempsey smashed him hard with a Standing Splash.
Steadily climbing to the top rope, Bull Dempsey looked to mercifully end this
bore with a Flying Headbutt only to find canvas upon landing when Crowe rolled
out of the way. Finally, the bout had some intrigue. Heaving his frame from the
canvas, Bull Dempsey took refuge in the corner where Crowe blasted him with a
weedy Running Knee which C.M Punk would have laughed out of the building before
putting Dempsey on the canvas with a pathetic Running Elbow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fortunately,
that would be all the doctor ordered as Solomon Crowe hit his Slingshot Splash
from the ropes which came very close to missing for the victory. This as the
first real repugnant NXT match I’ve seen in many months. There was no flow, no
interest and both men appeared to be working to a very strict routine and
showed it. If this is meant to make us warm to Crowe then it fell wide of the
mark, on this evidence I’ll give him six months in NXT tops. As for Bull
Dempsey, another disappointing bout only further adds to diminish his star. WWE
need to do something with him quickly before we lose all hope on someone WWE
are banking on being their next big monster. Hell, if Rusev can drag a good
match out of John Cena then its not a stretch of the imagination to expect Bull
Dempsey to be able to carry a newcomer who wants to impress, to something
halfway decent.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Main Event</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NXT Women’s
Championship Match</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(c) Sasha Banks vs
Charlotte</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
finally after several lacklustre matches and too much talking for a show which
is meant to be about the future, we arrived at what was a hotly anticipated
main event match and one which would signal a historic moment for the brand.
Triple H has put a lot of faith in NXT’s women’s division over the last few
months to the point where he’s now lobbying to get WWE’s divas more time on
television. This however, was the ultimate leap of faith by Triple H. NXT’s
women had proven themselves lower down the card but now they had to reward the
faith shown in them by executing a brilliant main event. And you better believe
that Vince McMahon and those yes men he employs were watching this, just
waiting for Triple H to fail so they could veto his idea of giving the talented
amongst WWE’s divas more time to shine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
am warming to Sasha Banks. Her character isn’t completely original but she’s
stunning and her wrestling skills are getting better and better by the week.
She still has a lot to learn between the ropes and makes the odd mistake, but
there is something immediately likable about the NXT Women’s Champion who
should have a long and successful reign if WWE want her to move further up the
ladder. I’m not sure how she’d survive on WWE’s main roster thanks the current
state of WWE’s diva’s division, but if WWE can keep her in NXT for another year
it would give them a chance to sort out their problems higher up. And the same
goes for Charlotte. The daughter of Ric Flair is one of the best female
wrestlers to pass through NXT since Paige and if WWE’s divas division can begin
to display some really gripping matches then both women will find a good home
on Raw and Smackdown. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
the crowd split between both women, the main event began as Charlotte looked
for revenge for losing the title to Sasha Banks at ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’. As
the fifteen minute time limit began to count down, it was Ric Flair’s baby girl
who began the bout on the offensive by attempting several grab attempts which
Sasha Banks dodged. Playing the fearful Champion perfectly, Banks even took
refuge behind the referee before the match began for real when the NXT Women’s
Champion went for a kick only to find her leg caught by Charlotte, who spun the
Champion and leathered her pretty face with an elbow. Staggering into the
corner from such a blow, Sasha Banks found herself in a world of trouble when
her challenger ripped a page from her father’s playbook and went to work on the
woman who took her gold with Chops to the chest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was an impressive beginning to a match with Triple H was relying on working out
for the best. If this failed, then how could Vince McMahon or any of his
creative take any suggestion Triple H made seriously again? It was a big
gamble, but one which was about to pay off. Taking hold of her rival, Charlotte
shot Banks into the ropes only for Sasha to hold onto the chord which
facilitated her escape from harm. Sliding to the arena floor, the flurry of
moves which Banks had been unable stave off got the better of her and she
decided to live to fight another day. Grabbing her NXT Women’s Championship,
Sasha Banks headed for the locker room and told the referee to count her out.
Unwilling to allow the title she lost three weeks prior to slip from her grasp
again, Charlotte ignored the referee’s advice and went to ringside after the
Champion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bringing
Sasha Banks back into the action, Charlotte physically removed her from the
aisle and scooped her into a Bearhug before driving her back first into the
apron. Rolling Sasha Banks back into the ring, Charlotte remained on the ring
apron and drove Banks’ head into the top turnbuckle. As Sasha held her face in
pain, Charlotte dived through the ropes and connected with a beautiful Diving
Roll Up for a one count. Annoyed that her endeavours hadn’t worked, Charlotte
went to work on Banks’ pretty face with heavy knees before going into her
father’s playbook and applying a Figure Four Leg Lock. Adding her own personal
touch with a lovely bridge, Charlotte could feel the Women’s Championship
coming back home but was dismayed when Banks found the resolve to grab the
ropes and break the move. Rolling to ringside to recover, this was the signal
for WWE to take a break.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
coming back from the announcement that Kevin Owens would defend his NXT
Championship against Finn Balor at NXT’s next pay-per view event on March 25th,
it was Sasha Banks who was in control with a Snapmare. With a stunned Charlotte
seated, Banks tore into the ropes and came back with a Slap of all things which
looked terrible. Grabbing Charlotte by the hair, Sasha Banks pulled her opponent
to a vertical base but found her Irish Whip reversed but managed to counter a
Tilt-a-Whirl Suplex into a stunning Crossface for what was an ultra tense
submission attempt. Pulling back on the hold, Sasha Banks’ efforts looked
better than John Cena’s and the leader of the Cenation should pay attention to
how these things are really done. With Charlotte almost bent doubled in the
move, the NXT arena came alive as fans sensed that a submission may be
imminent.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Charlotte’s
predicament looked really painful. Sasha Banks had her bent backwards almost
double but Flair managed to live up to her family’s reputation by countering
the Crossface into a pinfall attempt which only brought her a count of one. The
action didn’t stop there as Sasha Banks managed to reverse the pinfall into a
Crucifix pin attempt which also got her nowhere. The action was coming thick
and fast now and you could almost see the grin on Triple H’s face from where
the hard camera was located. Applying another Crossface, Sasha Banks’ hopeful submission
turned into a nightmare when Charlotte found the energy to climb to her feet
with Banks sprawled across her shoulders. Standing tall, Charlotte couldn’t
stop Banks from wriggling into a piggy back position, but halted any further
attempt at harm by nailing a fine Sit-down Jawbuster.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fans
in the NXT Arena were loving the action on display but you couldn’t help get
the impression that somewhere deep in Titan Towers, Vince McMahon was seething
that someone in his own family knew more than him for once. As Sasha banks
nursed her jaw and counted to make sure she had all her teeth left, Charlotte
began to scale the turnbuckles and took flight with a Moonsault but landed on
her feet when Banks rolled out of dodge. Attempting a Standing Senton, Charlotte
landed square on Banks’ raised knees thus forcing the tide of the bout to turn
again in a brilliant sequence. Desperate to hold onto her title, Banks drove in
the boots to Charlotte and choked her in the corner with a boot to the throat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
reining down punches on her challenger, Sasha Banks balanced Charlotte on the
middle turnbuckle and drove her knees into the sternum. This was a woman on a
mission and she looked so good doing it. Two weeks ago, Sasha Banks stepped
into the ring against Blue Pants in a short, useless bout which made her look
incompetent. Against a far superior foe, Sasha Banks rose to the challenge and
looked like a Champion. This was exactly what she needed. Retrieving Charlotte
from the canvas, Banks slipped from the ring and pulled her number one
contender underneath the turnbuckles by her arms and legs, stretching her
across the ringpost in a fine looking effort.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rolling
Charlotte back into the middle of the ring, Sasha Banks managed to attain a
count of two. Delving into a knowledge that few knew she had, ‘The Boss’
smashed Charlotte with a Backstabber and hooked in a Cross Arm Surfboard Coke
which looked amazing. Even more so thanks to the torque Banks got on Charlotte.
Once again, Sasha had a move applied properly and looked more professional
doing so than some of WWE’s main roster talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pulling back on the move, fans were hooked into the gripping action and
most managed to miss the obvious spot calling from Banks to Charlotte which she
must work on in future. Thanks to the quality of the bout, I’m willing to
overlook it on this occasion. Breaking the hold with some degree of difficulty,
Charlotte snatched a Roll Up for a count of one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unable
to gather her bearings in time, Charlotte walked into a Dropkick which handed
Sasha a good near fall before the NXT Women’s Champion cracked the Falir family
member with her Bank Statement finisher which looked out of this world thanks
to a combination of her professionalism and Charlotte’s wonderful selling. It
looks like the next generation of Flair picked up one or two things from her
daddy. Believing she had the match won, Sasha Banks let her guard down and
allowed Charlotte to reverse the hold into another pinfall attempt which Banks
countered back into the Crossface section of the Bank Statement. I’ve run out
of adjectives to describe just how good this looked. After a prolonged and
gripping struggle to escape Sasha’s clutches, Charlotte forced the Champion to
break the hold by grabbing the ropes for dear life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both
weary and beaten, it was time for the pair to begin the final journey home. The
Champion and challenger had put on an exceptional show thus far; anything more
at this point would be a bonus. Charging her challenger, Sasha Banks could do
nothing to stop Charlotte stepping aside and could only helplessly watch as she
sailed through the middle rope and hit the arena floor hard. Pulling herself
back into the ring, Sasha Banks and Charlotte initiated the final sequence of
the bout by trading hard right hands. Ducking a Clothesline, Charlotte cracked
a Standing Neckbreaker which didn’t fell Banks but the resultant Spear which
nearly took the Champion out of her boots, did. The near fall which followed
was transcendent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Refusing
to lay off the pressure, Charlotte used what had to be the last of her raw
power to hoist Sasha Banks into a Suplex attempt only for the NXT Champion to
counter and land on her feet. Pushing Charlotte into the ropes, Sasha Banks and
her challenger botched what should have been a Rolling Cradle pinfall when
Charlotte failed to tuck her head and Banks had to think on her feet. Salvaging
the moment, Sasha planted Charlotte with what resembled a Springboard Styles
Clash for another inspiring near fall. It wasn’t perfect and the mistake was
obvious, but Sasha Banks covered well and displayed a knowledge for the
business well beyond her years. More than any moment in this match of any
others, this is the moment people will look upon in years to come when they
search for the moment Sasha Banks came of age as a wrestler. She should be
lauded for turning an awkward moment into a respectable one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wanting
to defeat her foe with all the style that she’d become known for, Sasha Banks
attempted a Figure Four Leg lock of her own. Spotting the move coming a mile
away, Charlotte kicked Banks into the ropes only for the Champion to try a
stiff Back Elbow which the challenger reversed. Knocking Banks to the canvas,
Charlotte decided to dish out some revenge and pulled the NXT Women’s Champion
underneath the bottom turnbuckle where she applied a Figure Four Leg Lock
around the ringpost, to a massive ovation and chants of ‘This is
Wrestling’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back inside the ring,
Charlotte made her final mistake by heading to the top rope for Natural Selection
where she was pulled from her perch by Banks, who hooked Charlotte’s legs and
pinned her shoulders to the mat with her own feet on the ropers for the
victory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
mattered not that Sasha Banks had cheated to win the bout, because the match
itself was so uplifting and exciting that everyone overlooked the outcome. Both
women put on a hell of a show and I could imagine Triple H dancing in
jubilation when the referee counted to three. His biggest gamble yet had paid
off and NXT fans could see the advantage in getting emotionally involved in a female
bout and feud. It was a brilliant ending to an average show. Now all that’s
left is for Triple H to convince Vince McMahon to do this on WWE’s main roster,
if he can then maybe we’ll finally see an upturn in divas action with NXT’s
current crop of talent leading the way.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Summary</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s
a pattern emerging to NXT’s weekly television show. One week it’s average or
below and the next it’s a great product to watch. This has been a regular
occurrence for three weeks now and I hope it stops. Like two weeks ago, Episode
267 was mediocre in its approach and saved solely by its excellent main event.
Once again, there was too much talking and it felt like an old 1990’s episode
of Superstars where known wrestlers would battle enhancement talent in short
and useless matches. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NXT
needs to find a happy medium with its output before fans start seeing it as
just another extension of WWE’s product. It’s a brand all on its own now and in
the weeks to come I would like the see the product run on one exciting level
instead of dipping in and out on alternate weeks. If Triple H can steady this
ship then the sky really is the limit for NXT.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-32152645244896638832015-03-02T03:35:00.000-08:002015-03-09T02:50:57.958-07:00THE NXT REPORT - EPISODE 265 & 266<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
so here we go. For those of you who haven’t read the blog lately and are just
coming back after a break, then this new fortnightly feature will be replacing
Review Corner which was brought to an abrupt halt by a severe falling out
between your Wrestling God and the inept at Fremantle Media and Fetch. Fm.
Whilst that is now in the past, we look to an uncertain future for this blog
and we do so by highlighting the future of the wrestling industry. NXT is WWE’s
best programme by far, trumping Raw, Smackdown, Superstars and Main Event for
quality and quantity and now those of you who cannot regularly access its
wonders will be able to read a detailed report of each weeks show right here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NXT
airs on the WWE Network around the world but seeing as WWE have had their fair
share of problems with said Network, namely fans not being able to access it
through certain devices thanks to problems with the technology, then NXT has
slipped a lot of people by. This report beings one week after the excellent
‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ event which saw Kevin Steen defeat Sami Zayn by referee
stoppage for the NXT Championship in a fitting main event, Sasha Banks roll
over Charlotte, Bayley and Becky Lynch for the NXT Women’s Championship in a
thrilling Fatal Four Way and Finn Balor down Adrian Neville in a high flying
marvel to claim the Number One Contendership to the NXT Championship. Of
course, these are just three matches from an entire show, but they were the
pick of the bunch and if you haven’t yet seen ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ I urge you
to do so.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Episode 265 – February
18th 2015</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Coming
fresh off of ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’, the show opened with a neat highlight
package featuring the three best matches of the entire night; Kevin Steen vs
Sami Zayn, Finn Balor vs Adrian Neville and Charlotte vs Sasha Banks vs Bayley
vs Becky Lynch. Every other match is of course featured but in a lesser role
and the highlight package ends on the shocking and controversial moment when
Kevin Steen brutalized and injured Sami Zayn and the medical professionals made
the referee stop the bout, thus awarding the NXT Championship to Kevin Steen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">General Manager
Announcement</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
the highlight package had finished, the arena fell silent as NXT General
Manager William Regal appeared on screen from a set meant to mimic his
fictional office. Opening the main section of the show with a special
announcement regarding Kevin Owen’s NXT Championship victory, William Regal
looked wholly serious as he explained that claiming a title by referee stoppage
is legal in WWE and whilst Kevin Steen may be the current NXT Champion, his
belief that he could whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted was misguided. In a
role that befits William Regal, the Brit stated in no uncertain terms that it
was he who laid down the law and not Kevin Owens before announcing a non-title
match for the main event of the show where Kevin Owens would battle Adrian
Neville. After William Regal had finished his speech, he proclaimed that this
was a new era for NXT and it began now. I truly believe this is the very best
role for William Regal in WWE in 2015. His body is so battered and beaten that
he can no longer wrestle with any authority and in an age where new blood is
breaking through at a rapid pace, there’s no place for him in the ring anyway. As
NXT General Manager, William Regal is enjoyable and effective as he was in his
role as WWE Commissioner in the 2000’s.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Opening Promo</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cutting
back to the Full Sail University Arena where NXT is staged weekly, Kevin Owens’
entrance music hits and the new NXT Champion strolls down the ramp with his
newly won gold over his shoulder. Despite massive backing at ‘NXT Takeover:
Rival’ one week earlier, the crowd reaction to Owens on this night was mixed. Much
like John Cena’s reception, Kevin Owens who used to play his trade in Ring of
Honor as Kevin Steen was greeted with chants of ‘Fight Owens Fight’ and ‘Sami Zayn’.
It was expected after his manhandling of Sami Zayn seven days previous. Taking
the microphone, Kevin Owens looked cool and collected as he regarded the
crowd’s rabid chants. He truly resembled a man ready for the big time even
though that chance will not befall him for another year or so. Speaking on his
victory and opponent, Kevin Steen had the following to say: </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It
seems a lot of people have a problem with what I did at NXT Takeover and the
way in which I won this NXT title. And quite frankly, most people have no right
to be mad about anything because the fact of the matter is that I haven’t lied
or pretended to be something I am not. From the moment I got here, I made my
intentions very clear. I said I would fight anyone and everyone to make things
for my family better and that is exactly what I did!” At this point during his
speech, Kevin Owens received a massive ovation from the crowd. He continued;
“Who I beat or how I beat them is irrelevant. What matters now is that Sami Zayn
is the past. And when you’re done with the past, what do you do? You look to
the future and that is Finn Balor. Finn, I’m well aware that you are the number
one contender to my NXT title and I am here to tell you to go to William Regal,
pick a date and I will be there. But you must know what happened at NXT
Takeover, it’s going to happen to you. Because nobody is going to take this
(title) away from me or my family.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Kevin Owens stood in the middle of the ring and absorbed both fan adulation and
jeers which included chants for Finn Balor, he exuded the heel aura which is
sadly missing from WWE’s main roster today. You see Kevin Steen is an excellent
fighter and a force to be reckoned with; he will make waves when he reaches
WWE’s main stage and maybe a new star will be born. There’s something intangible
that makes you punch the air with joy when Kevin Owens wrestles. I’ve not
experienced anything like it since Randy Orton really came into his own in
2009. You want to like him. You want to be his friend but foremost you can
understand him wanting to do it for his family. That is why Kevin Owens will go
far in WWE. But that’s in the future. We have Kevin Steen vs Finn Balor to look
forward to at a future event and wouldn’t it be a sign of the times if that
event was WrestleMania 31? If not, then I expect it to transpire at a future
Takeover event and it should tear the house down.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
Kevin Owens has had his say, we’re shown Rich Brennan, Jason Albert and Cory
Graves at the announcers table. After bleating on about Sami Zayn’s injury the
previous week, the trio ran us through the most important sections of the
upcoming show which included mentioning the Kevin Owens vs Adrian Neville bout
which was set of the main event as well as Sasha Banks vs Blue Pants for the
NXT Women’s Championship. I’ve criticised announcers in WWE before and their
criticism is warranted. But these three are a different class altogether. WWE
swap up their announce team weekly but should never put these three emotionless
stooges together again. Rich Brennan is the very best of the trio and with
better partners or even on his own could become the Joey Styles of NXT. But
Jason Albert and Corey Graves spout so much mindless pap on a regular
occurrence that it’s hard to fight the urge to press mute on your remote
control.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rhyno vs Elijah Santa</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
took nearly ten minutes of nothing but talking to get the audience to the first
match of the evening, but unfortunately it wouldn’t be the usual fare that we
had become accustomed to. For those who have never seen NXT, then the opening
bout is usually a gripping technical war between two of the promotion’s finest
talents. It sets the tone for the rest of the show and serves to immediately
draw in those unfamiliar with the product. You see, the majority of the people
who tune into NXT for the very first time have this common preconception that
NXT is going to be like Raw, Smackdown, Superstars or Main Event. And who can
blame them? Every WWE television show until NXT followed the same pattern. But
for the last few months, NXT has risen above that and concentrated on the
wrestling instead of the rubbish.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the first match since ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ fans were given and left with a
sense of both adulation and disappointment. The former because it heralded the
return to WWE of Rhyno and the latter because the bout couldn’t have lasted
more than thirty seconds from bell to bell. There were chants of ‘Holy Shit’,
‘Gore’ and ‘ECW’ as Rhyno made his way down the aisle to battle a man whose
name I believe to be Elijah Santa, his name was never announced, but the
momentum for Rhyno stopped there. You could see what was coming, it was
terribly predictable to the point it’s not even worth mentioning the action
because there was so little of it. A few kicks and punches here and there until
Santa was stunned with a belly-to belly suplex out of the corner and gored out
of his boots, handing Rhyno his first victory since rejoining the company.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many
people will have mixed feelings about Rhyno and other former WWE stars
returning and particularly to NXT. But I believe it’s a good thing. The
announcers keep telling us that NXT is the home of WWE’s future generation as
well as well as a home for those wrestlers looking to re-invigorate their
careers. Rhyno has been gone for a long time and whether he’s going to be a
main stay on NXT or jump back to the main roster where nothing really awaits
him, he can do a lot of good in NXT. When he was in ECW, Rhyno was a breath of
fresh air. He honed his skill in WWE before leaving the company almost twelve
years ago. Okay, he never reached a massive level in the company and both of
his real life best friends in Edge and Christian are no longer around to help him
get a foot in the door. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rhyno
can be very beneficial to the NXT stars should he stay in the brand after
returning. Rhyno vs Kevin Owens for the NXT Championship would be awesome not
to mention what he could with younger talent. A victory over a wrestler as
tough as Rhyno would do talent wonders. Use him correctly and this could be the
beginning of a new era for ‘The Man Beast’. It’s certainly good to see him back
where he belongs. However, as far as the match was concerned it was a squash.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finn Balor Interview</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Backstage,
we were shown Finn Balor being interviewed and replying to comments made by
Kevin Owens at the beginning of the show:</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Kevin
Owens is the new NXT Champion. After the destruction he caused at Takeover, I’m
sure he has a very high opinion of himself. But guess what? I’m the number one
contender and I’ve got a very high opinion of myself too. I’ll face Kevin Owens
anywhere, any place and any time. You know, Kevin says that he’s a prize
fighter and I’ll fight for a prize too. The NXT Championship!”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
which point, Finn Balor was interrupted by Rhyno who walked around Balor,
smiled at him and then left without saying a word. This was a pointless
interview which told us nothing about Balor’s quest to stand atop the mountain.
He sounded and looked like a drone; WWE must do better with Finn Balor if he’s
going to supplant Owens one day. The entire segment felt like a set-up for an
upcoming storyline between Rhyno and Balor.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Vaudevillains vs
Colin Cassidy and Enzo Amore</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hoping
that the length and stuffing of Rhyno vs Elijah Santa was a one off to get
Rhyno over again, the fans finally settled into awkward flow of the show. Next
up was Aiden English and Simon Gotch who are otherwise known as The
Vaudevillains and they would be pitted against Colin Cassidy and Enzo Amore who
were accompanied to the ring by Carmella. As is the usual with any Cassidy and
Amore match, the pairing did their usual <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Can’t Teach That”</i></b> speech, however
I’m not convinced this act is going to make it on WWE’s main roster which is
where every NXT wrestler works to make it to. Whilst the speech is very popular
with the NXT crowd, I just can’t see it mixing with WWE’s current crop of
stars. Plus, neither man has the looks main roster fans would buy into.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Colin
Cassidy looks like a cross between Edge and Test with the appeal of neither,
whilst Enzo Amore gives off the image of a man who has been fished out of a
skip where’s he’s sleeping rough to wrestle. It’s a weird look and combination
for the pairing which harks back to ECW talent rather than main roster WWE. I
may be wrong, but The Vaudevillains are much more capable at the moment of
slotting into WWE’s tag team division and would fit perfectly. Simon Gotch has
something of Santino Marella about him whilst Aiden English could be the
spitting image of Cesaro and has the talent to match.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
tag team match was meant to produce a future set of challengers to NXT Tag Team
Champions, Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy. To do that, it was reasonable to assume
that it would be allocated at least fifteen minutes to flourish and build to a
stunning conclusion. However, sometimes these things never work out in practice
and seemingly in a rush to get this over and done with, WWE booked another
short squash which impressed no one in the arena and produced no legitimate
challengers to the NXT Tag Team Championships.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
should have been a scorcher began with yet another meaningless tussle but did
perk up when Aiden English nailed Enzo Amore with a cheap shot, which allowed
Simon Gotch to take control of the match. The action was ugly but The
Vaudevillains’ freak show, circus act works as a heel team and it wasn’t long
before Gotch brought English back into the fray. It’s apparent that as good as
The Vaudevillains are, they need some more work and serious investment. Aiden
English appeared to be out of his depth when forced to take control of the
bout, but it wouldn’t matter on this occurrence because Colin Cassidy brought
an abrupt ending to the bout when he connected with a big boot to English
behind the referee’s back, allowing Enzo Amore to cover him for the victory. It
was a pointless endeavour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
the bout, Blake and Murphy appeared on the titan tron to mock Enzo Amore and
Colin Cassidy before offering Carmella a place on their team. Whilst Carmella
protested, she did a little too much and I can’t help shake the feeling that
once Amore and Cassidy have lost an NXT Tag Team Championship Match to the
current holders, Carmella will switch sides to get her hands on gold. It’s an
age old story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
for The Vaudevillains, this is the second NXT television show in a row they’ve
lose short, pointless matches. It’s simply not good enough for a team who could
help restore WWE’s tag team division.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Adrian Neville
Interview</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
another unwelcome break from the action, we were taken to the locker room where
Adrian Neville awaited with yet another promo. Speaking on his thoughts about
the match ahead, the Newcastle born Neville who once plied his trade as Pac on
the indi circuit had this to say: </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Last
week, I had an opportunity to be number one contender for the NXT Championship
and I failed. I fell short and it’s hard to take. But in a weird way it’s kind
of like a relief, because here in NXT I am very used to being hunted and now I
feel like the roles are reversed. I get an opportunity to be the hunter. I get
to prioritize what is personal to me and is personal to me is Kevin Owens. You
see, last week I had to watch whilst Kevin Owens destroyed my good friend Sami Zayn
and before that, the last time I faced Kevin Owens in the ring I left Full Sail
University on a stretcher. Now, you cannot think I have forgotten about that.
And after tonight, Kevin Owens will not be able to forget what I do to him.”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
I understand what they were trying to do with Neville, but instead of getting
us more excited about the match than we were already, all WWE managed here was
to make us question why Adrian Neville didn’t come to Sami Zayn’s aid at
Takeover, especially when Owens had sent Neville packing in a similar way
previously. Apart from that fact, it a competent promo though Adrian Neville
really needs to work on this side of his art.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘NXT Takeover: Rival’
Fallout Promos</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
a cracking Fatal Four Way war for the NXT Women’s Championship at Takeover which
easily trumped any Divas match on WWE’s main roster for years, we heard
pre-recorded promos from two of the participants in that bout, Bayley and Becky
Lynch. Bayley stated that whilst she failed to capture the title, she got into
the ring with three of the best and would one day find the heart to win the
Women’s Championship. The beautiful Becky Lynch unhelpfully informed us that
she would have won the title had it not been for Bayley and that she’s glad
Charlotte didn’t retain the gold. This was completely unhelpful unless WWE are
to begin a women’s feud between Lynch and Bayley with the winner facing Sasha
Banks for the title at some point in the future.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Solomon Crowe Debuts</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
up yet more time which could and should have been used for matches and to
display what the brand was capable of, the redundant CJ Parker marched to the
ring with a picket sign and proceeded to cut a promo on how unfair he’d been
treated in NXT since arriving on the scene. Not that anyone had noticed because
he’s been used so sparsely and had little effect when he did appear that no one
really cares about him anymore. Mostly everyone in NXT seems to be making
headway towards some type of push, but no CJ Parker. He’s going nowhere and
taking up precious space that someone else could use to their advantage.
Speaking on his treatment, CJ Parker had this to say:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I’m sick and tired of this! You’re going to
have a special on the NXT, you’re going to have a special and I’m not going to
be on it? No, that’s bull crap. That’s bull crap. I’m tired of it. I hate all
of you people. I hate NXT and it’s over now because I’m taking it hostage.”</i></b>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
promo was dire. Full of stuttering and repetitive words which held no meaning
and the fans didn’t care. CJ Parker’s delivery was awkward and all it achieved
was making him look like a spoiled brat. Wrestling fans aren’t dumb. Week in
and week out we see wrestlers on WWE’s main roster not get the push they
deserve. How many times do you see Dolph Ziggler coming out on television and
bitch and moan? None. He gets on with it. If WWE wanted to do CJ Parker a
favour they’d have had him on camera every week, in his wrestling gear, begging
William Regal to let him fight. That would have relayed the message to us that
he’s willing to put in the work to be here and that he doesn’t expect it and
take it for granted. On top of all of this, CJ Parker looked as if when he was
done, he was heading to the beach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Living
up to his word, CJ Parker proceeded to take NXT hostage and after propping his
sign up on the apron covered the ring in ‘Caution’ tape. Of course, this was
all a set-up for the debut of Solomon Crowe. For those who haven’t been
watching NXT regularly, then WWE have been airing vignettes for Crowe for weeks
now and they always interrupted a match or an entrance as if someone was trying
to hack into the feed. They were unnerving a lot of the time, but sadly Solomon
Crowe in person, wasn’t. It’s fair to say that he didn’t live up the hype.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Storming
the ring in a leather jacket and a leopard print, double strap, singlet,
Solomon Crowe looked laughable as a character. He brought back memories of
Raven in ECW but had nowhere near the impact Raven did. Beating up CJ Parker to
the relief of everyone in the arena, Solomon Crowe nailed an impressive Reverse
Springboard Splash from the ring ropes before grabbing the microphone and
announcing that normal service had been resumed. And that was it. The weeks of
hype all came down to this. It was bitterly disappointing.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sasha Banks vs Blue Pants</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Match
three saw brand new NXT Women’s Champion, Sasha Banks, take on one the most
absurdly name wrestlers in history. Before we get into yet another
devastatingly short match, I would like to take you back to ‘NXT Takeover:
Rival’ for those of you who didn’t see it and the superb Fatal Four Way Match
for the NXT Women’s Championship. I hadn’t been impressed by Sasha Banks in the
weeks leading up to the event on February 11th. Her character was similar to a
thousand that have passed before in every company; bitchy, self obsessed and
possessing a misguided sense of self worth. Her matches weren’t particularly
impressive. But for once, she blew me away. Sasha Banks was ultra impressive at
‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ and deserved to leave with the gold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back
to the present and with Kevin Owens vs Adrian Neville waiting in the wings,
this non-title match needed to set the stage and blow the opposition out of the
water. There was no reason Sasha Banks couldn’t do what she did one week
earlier again, even though it was singles competition. What should have been a
memorable beginning to her reign as NXT Women’s Champion turned out to be yet
another forgettable time filler. Little action and too much stalling was the
downfall of this bout, not to mention the bizarre Blue Pants whose name sounds
like the creative team were pushed for time.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Blue
Pants may have been popular with the crowd in the NXT arena but her wrestling
skill didn’t match up the reception. Maybe it would have if the women weren’t
allocated just three minutes, but in that small window of time the main
objective was to get Sasha Bank over as a force to be reckoned with. Showing
her brazen attitude towards anyone who steps into the ring with her, Banks’
character shone through as she sat on the middle rope and held it open for Blue
Pants to exit. Bellowing at Blue Pants to get out of her ring, Sasha Banks was
met with a stiff kick to the face which sent her sprawling to ringside. Blue
Pants’ momentum wouldn’t last.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once
back inside the ring, Sasha Banks lost her cool and beat on her opponent with
right hands. Pinning Blue Pants to the mat, Banks wailed away with stiff rights
and didn’t look impressive doing so. In fact Sasha Banks looked ropey in
control, but that may have passed most people by thanks to the brevity of the
bout which concluded seconds later with the Bank Statement which is a
Backstabber into a Crossface for the tap-out victory.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
is a match I’d expect to see on Raw, Smackdown or pay-per view from WWE’s
current divas. Not a brand which champions new talent and has done so much with
its talent up to now. Yet another disappointing bout ended when Sasha Banks was
asked on what it means to be champion. This is what she had to say:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“What does it mean? That everyone and I mean
everyone including Bayley, Becky and Charlotte, knows I am the best diva in
WWE”</i></b>. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
hate to disagree with her, but on this evidence she’s wrong. At ‘NXT Takeover:
Rival’, Sasha Banks was all of that and more. Here though, she was another
disappointment; one in a long list that had transpired in this night. Even more
worrying was the words Banks used to describe herself, ‘Diva’. In NXT, there
are no divas only female performers. This says to me that WWE are trying to
phase out what it means to be a legitimate female performer and attempting to
plant in the female’s minds that a WWE diva is what they need to be. WWE divas
are on the whole terrible in the ring and unimportant to the company. Why would
you want young talent to be one of those?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unseen Footage</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
a best forgotten NXT Women’s Championship Match, WWE aired unseen footage from
after ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ went off of the air. As predicted, this was all of
Sami Zayn being helped from the ring and to the locker room where he was said
to have been looked over by trainers and sent to the hospital nursing a severe
concussion. Once the footage was over, we heard from WWE trainer Doctor Chris
Amann who spoke at length about Sami Zayn’s condition. No one was interested.
It was in the past. Amann had nothing interesting to say apart from what
everyone expected to hear and that was Sami Zayn had made a full recovery and
was ready to return to the ring.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyone
in the NXT Arena could have told you that. WWE have invested so much in Kevin
Owens vs Sami Zayn that they’re not about to bring it to a premature end. At
some point in the next two months, Sami Zayn will receive his re-match whether
it’s at WrestleMania 31 which would be groundbreaking for the brand or at the
next Takeover event. WWE saw the potential in a feud when both men feuded in
Ring of Honor, it’s going to be the leading feud of 2015 and before its all
said and done Sami Zayn will be NXT Champion again, like it or lump it.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Main Event</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kevin Owens vs Adrian
Neville</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
won’t lie, the first episode of NXT after ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ had been a
terrible way to keep viewers on the WWE Network interested in the brand. And by
the time it came to the main event, not many people cared. Thankfully that
would all change when Kevin Owens and Adrian Neville stepped into the ring for
a re-match of a collision the pair had two months previous. At this point,
forty five minutes into the show fans needed a massive pick-me-up and the last
thing NXT needed was for both men to capitulate and waste the time they were
given. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
a little while, it looked exactly like both men were going to follow in the
footsteps of everyone else on the card and put on a boring display to cap off
the episode. As the bell rang, Kevin Owens repeated his mind games of ‘NXT
Takeover: Rival’, slipping from the ring and waiting Adrian Neville wait. But
this time around, the Brit had Owens well scouted and went out after him. The
opening of the bout took place on the arena floor as both men traded right
hands in a lacklustre display before Adrian Neville returned the NXT Champion
to the ring. Sliding back under the rope, Neville was met with Kevin Owens’
boot which unsuccessfully attempted to stomp on the Geordie only for Neville to
roll out of the way, retaliating with a stiff kick to the head which rocked
Kevin Owens.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Spotting
the NXT Champion on the defensive, Adrian Neville decided to try and seize the
early advantage and fought with brought him to the dance. Namely his speed and
ariel ability. Going to the ropes, Adrian Neville cracked Kevin Owens with a
lovely Hurricanrana which was followed up by a crisp Calf Kick. Before Kevin
Owens landed with a thud, it was clear that this was going to be the one match
on the entire show worth sticking around for. Going to the well once too often
would be the downfall of Adrian Neville in the end and the signs of that were
clear from the outset. Attempting to retrieve Owens by the head, Neville found
himself hoisted onto the champion’s shoulders and blasted with an excellent
Gutbuster.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
the control of the match once again switched to Kevin Owens, little did fans
know that it would be a long time before Adrian Neville regained control. Full
of pent up frustrations, Kevin Owens pounded on Neville with hard shots and a
Senton Splash. His offence was unforgiving but then a huge question mark hung
over Kevin Owen’s ability to carry out a fluent match. Instead of carrying on
the flow of the match with big moves and intense reversals, everything went
dead when the NXT Champion applied a banal Rear Chinlock which felt like it
went on forever. It was a very weird moment in the match because the action
which came before didn’t warrant being broken up a rest hold. Neither Kevin Owens
nor Adrian Neville looked tired and the move felt like a way to wind down time.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finding
the strength to battle out of the Rear Chinlock, Neville quickly lost his
momentum when Kevin Owens threw him over the top rope. Soaring like a Pegasus,
Neville took the bump expertly and it added to the drama of the bout.
Frustratingly, the match was interrupted by an advert for the upcoming Fast
Lane and when the action returned we’d missed a little bit of the middle as
both men were back in the ring, with Kevin Owens’ continuous domination running
rife.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sensing
the end drawing near, Kevin Owens executed a pitch perfect Snapmare which was
followed by a strong kick to the spine and a pinfall attempt which garnered the
NXT Champion a count of just one. This was the moment to go all out and trade
reversals and high energy moves, but instead, the experienced Kevin Owens
applied a second Rear Chinlock which didn’t last as long as the first but came
close to matching it. It was unneeded. Not only did it break the flow of an
exciting bout but everyone knew both men were capable of filling fifteen
minutes with non-stop actions.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fighting
out of the Rear Chinlock for a second time, Adrian Neville attempted to find
his footing in the match only to be ejected from the ring a second time.
However, on his way over the top rope, Neville managed to hang onto the top
rope and bring himself back into the bout with what was meant to be a
Springboard Splash. Thwarted by his foe, ‘The Man That Gravity Forgot’ was
caught on Owens’ shoulders but miraculously managed to reverse a Gutbuster into
a sumptuous Spinning DDT. At last, the affray was picking up and catching fire,
not before time either. Finding their way back to their feet, Kevin Owens and
Adrian Neville traded further right hands until Owens found himself on the
arena floor.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
was meant to be an attempt to regain his composure turned into an opportunity
for Adrian Neville to strike at the heart of the NXT Champion. Ascending the
turnbuckle, Adrian Neville flew with an outstanding Moonsault which connected
with Owens but almost came up short. Neville’s face was inches away from
striking the ring apron on the descent. With time ticking down, both men made
their way back between the ropes for Adrian Neville to execute a cracking
Enzuigiri which was countered into a Backdrop over the summit. Holding on once
again, Neville threw himself at Owens with a Springboard Dropkick for an
excellent near fall. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rolling
to ringside, Kevin Owens couldn’t escape the onslaught of his foe when Neville
caught him square in the head with a Running Double Dropkick on the apron
before hitting what was an outstanding 450 Splash from the ring apron to the
arena floor. In a time when very few risks are taken by the stars we’re used to
seeing, this was a sight to behold; one which Kevin Owens sold to sheer
perfection. It’s refreshing to see someone actually take the time sell a move
in 2015. With the ending fast approaching and both participants back inside the
ring, Adrian Neville began to conclude his part in this bout with an absolute
stunning German Suplex as Kevin Owens rebounded off of the ropes before
bringing the crowd to their feet with an impressive feat of strength, pulling
off a Deadlift German Suplex which has to be seen to be believed.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
just like that, with fans reigning down the ‘This is Awesome’ chant on the
twosome and willing to watch another twenty minutes which would never come, the
bout would draw to an exciting finish. Countering his foes offence with a hard
Back Elbow, Kevin Owens proceeded to miss a charge into the corner and was
dropped with one of the best moves I’ve seen in twenty years, namely the
Reverse Hurricanrana. However, the move only garnered Adrian Neville another
gripping near fall. It was time to burst the balloon and send people away
happy.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Kevin Owens prone at the foot of the turnbuckle, Adrian Neville went with what
brought him to the dance once to often and again climbed the turnbuckles.
Flying with his patented Red Arrow, no one was home when Adrian Neville
plummeted to the canvas and when ‘The Man That Gravity Forgot’ got up; he
turned into a crushing Powerbomb from Kevin Owens which handed the NXT Champion
a hard fought victory. It was a jaw dropping effort by both men. This is what
NXT is all about.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Summation</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Episode
265 of NXT was a let down for forty five minutes. Coming off of the back of a
Takeover event, I expected something revolutionary from the brand but instead
what we got was a short episode of Raw; way too much talking and not enough action
in the ring. The three mid-card matches were all terribly short thus not
affording their participants ample time to get over with the crowd or put on a
real show, whilst the majority of the promos with the exception of Kevin Owens’
meant nothing. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
main event which saw Kevin Owens defeat Adrian Neville in a wonderful effort
saved the programme from being completely worthless, and in future I hope
Triple H refrains from booking this jewel in WWE’s crown as if he’s booking
WWE’s main shows. He’s not. He’s booking something completely better in every
way. Let’s hope this was a one off and Episode 266 returns to normal.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Episode 266 – February
25th 2015</span></u></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hideao Itami vs Bull
Dempsey</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unlike
the week previous, we were greeted upon the opening of the show with a proper
bout to kick things off. Straight off the bat it seemed as if WWE had realised
their mistake from the previous week and rectified it immediately. Hideao Itami
is a sensation in the ring and anyone who has been witness to his stellar
performances since he joined WWE can attest to the fact that he’s going places.
Only I don’t think it’s in WWE. The artist formerly known as Kenta has the
skills and the looks to make it in WWE but not the size. Vince likes his guys
to be big, strong and muscular not to mention the fact that Itami has the tag
of former Japan wrestler to contend with as well. During this match, the
commentators say that Itami is Triple H’s golden boy, but I can only envisage
Itami being given the Lo-Ki treatment of a few years previous.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bull
Dempsey on the other hand has at least the looks to make it big in WWE;
possibly as another Rusev character should WWE book him correctly when he gets
to the main roster. If you’ve never seen Bull Dempsey in action then at the
moment I can’t say you’re missing anything special. Dempsey looks like the
pervert neighbour that live down the road and never goes out. The kind of guy
you wouldn’t allow your children near. On top of that, Dempsey’s arsenal isn’t
the greatest and unlike Rusev before him, the guy relies on sheer power to get
the job done instead of a carefully weaved move-set of technical skill.
However, this isn’t your Wrestling God saying that it can’t happen for Dempsey.
It’s just going to take some work to get him to where Vince McMahon would like
him to be.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
the bell rang, both men became hooked in a standard Lock Up in the interest of
fairness, but it was Bull Dempsey who would naturally seize the advantage with
his size and height advantage. Forcing Hideao Itami into the corner, Bull
Dempsey pounded the Japanese star with hard right hands and cracked his smaller
opponent with a Clubbing Forearm Blow to the back as he tried to escape the
corner. Things looked bleak for Hideao, but his star would get a chance to rise
as the match wore on. Lining Itami up for a devastating blow just second into
the bout, Bull Dempsey propelled his more agile counterpart into the ropes only
to miss an intended right hand, but connect on the rebound with a violent
looking back elbow.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Hideao Itami reeling on the canvas, Bull Dempsey heaved up his challenger and
stuck his fingers into the eyes. Temporarily blinded, Itami found himself
hurtling into the corner once more but managed to counter a freight train
charge with boots to the face. Spotting his first real opening of the bout,
Itami revved up the engine and raced towards the larger Dempsey only to be
felled once again by a stiff Shoulderblock which attained Dempsey a count of
two. Keeping the firecracker on the canvas, Bull Dempsey fired in several hard
elbow shots and applied a Rear Chinlock. Feeling the bout slip from his grasp,
Hideao Itami rallied back and successfully reversed a Backdrop before
temporarily rocking the man mountain with a Clothesline. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despairing
at the thought of losing an important bout so early, Hideao Itami went to the
well once too often and on his second rebound ran straight into a Standing
Splash by Dempsey which put him on the canvas. Ever the spirited warrior, Itami
didn’t let the splash keep him down for long and battled back with Forearms and
kicks to the chest, finishing off the series with a lovely Spin Kick and Punch
combo which put Bull Dempsey on his backside in the corner. Gaining momentum,
Itami rocked the NXT Arena with a Running Dropkick to the seated Bull. Against
the flow of the bout, Hideao Itami managed to seize the opportunity and caught
Bull Dempsey with a devastating Dropkick for the victory.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Celebrating
with the crowd, Hideao Itami forgot his ongoing feud with Tyler Breeze and paid
the price. Reaching the top of the entrance ramp following the bell, Itami
turned into a Breeze Superkick and lay dormant until the talented Breeze had
taken a selfie of the pair on his selfie stick. The angle was booked purely to
advance the feud between both men which has been entertaining up until now, and
I hope WWE can keep their momentum rolling. Their matches are rewarding. Once
back to his feet, Hideao Itami struck back and both men brawled to the ring
where Itami got the better of Breeze and sent him running for the shelter of
the locker room.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
match wasn’t great but it wasn’t hideous either. Largely thanks to the
inability of Bull Dempsey, Hideao Itami was hindered in his quest to execute a
barn burner to open the show. However, both men did justice to the story they
were trying to tell and it was a lively way to open the show.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Match Announcement</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Hideao Itami celebrated in the middle of the ring, the camera cut to this weeks
announcer, Tom Phillips, who was serving time with the plain Corey Graves and
the pointless Alex Riley who should feel lucky to even have a job with WWE more
talented wrestlers and personalities have been released. Breaking a major
announcement, Phillips informed us that next week on NXT, Sasha Banks would
defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Charlotte in what should be a
stunning encounter.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sasha
Banks was mightily impressive at ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ but failed to produce
anything of note last week against Blue Pants. Whilst Sasha Banks’ personality
is a winner, I get the feeling that she’s going to be one of these performers
that needs a better talent in front of her to shine and not someone who will be
able to take a lower level of talent and make them a star. Charlotte, former
NXT Women’s Champion, is the perfect person to oppose Sasha Banks for the title
and really kick off her reign with the gold.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
well as the NXT Women’s Championship Match announcement for next week, we were
also informed that later on in the broadcast Bayley vs Becky Lynch and Finn
Balor vs The Brian Kendrick would take place. The latter would signal the
return to WWE of The Brian Kendrick.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tye Dillinger and Jason
Jones vs The Lucha Dragons</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sin
Cara and Kalisto who make up The Lucha Dragons, were frowned upon by many of
the WWE Universe when it was announced a while ago that the pair would form a
team. Many believed that Sin Cara’s time in WWE was over and even though the
wrestler portraying the character had changed, the character had no future in
the company. I was one of them. Sin Cara’s treatment at the hand of WWE on the
main roster was terrible and shoddy but then so were the majority of his
performances. We all lost count of the amount of mistakes Sin Cara made in
matches, but then when the wrestler changed and WWE fired the original Sin Cara
replacing him with Hunico. Overnight, Sin Cara had a chance once again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But,
if we’re being brutally honest here, the guy doesn’t have a chance on the main
roster regardless of how long he spends in NXT; which is why NXT is the best
choice for him. Hunico by now, must realise that it doesn’t matter what he does
in the ring, WWE are never going to push him as a serious wrestler so would be
wise to forget about making it big on the main roster and concentrate on being
the best in NXT instead. It’s a far more reachable goal especially in front of
an audience who wants to see the type of wrestling both Sin Cara and Kalisto
provide. The latter on the other hand is carbon copy of his partner only
smaller and certainly won’t make it higher up the food chain which is why I
believe it would be an excellent idea for WWE to introduce an NXT Light
Heavyweight Championship. That way, when The Lucha Dragons do eventually split
up they will still have relevance within the brand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
The Lucha Dragons in the ring, the spotlight fell on Tye Dillinger and Jason
Jones as the partners made their way to the ring. However, their treatment at
the hands of WWE’s shaky creative department was signalled when the company
willingly interrupted their entrance with a broadcast from Solomon Crowe who
was show sitting on some stairs in the darkness, just live Raven would have
done in ECW. But this wasn’t just done to sabotage Jones and Dillinger’s
chances of making it in NXT, Solomon Crowe had a message for the NXT Universe
which was that last week was only the beginning and that his mission won’t stop
until he’s NXT Champion.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kindly
cutting back to the action that we tune into NXT each week for, the match began
with Sin Cara and Jason Jones. Tussling for advantage, both men looked tired
and somewhat lazy as Jones managed to wrestle the advantage from his masked
colleague with a lift which culminated in throwing Sin Cara to the mat. It
wasn’t stylish but it did state at least some intent on the behalf of the
rookie duo. As Sin Cara climbed back to a vertical base, he was grabbed from
behind by Jones but managed to escape by launching several Back Elbows into the
mug of his attacker. With Jones’ grip relinquished, Sin Cara held onto the head
and propelled himself backwards, running Jones into the turnbuckle after
landing on his feet.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reversing
the attempt, Jason Jones put Sin Cara in the corner but couldn’t prevent the
former NXT Tag Team Champion from tagging in his much smaller partner. Fans
watched on in anticipation of a mistake as Kalisto sprinted into the match. At
‘NXT Takeover: Rival’, Kalisto had many several errors on high flying moves as
the duo battle Blake and Murphy for the doubles gold, fans wanted to see if
that was a one off or if Kalisto has turned into Sin Cara circa 2011.
Thankfully, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ was a
one off and Kalisto wouldn’t have to wait to contribute as Jason Jones hauled
the Mexican into play with a impressive Hip Toss over the top rope and into the
ring upon where Kalisto just about managed to land on his feet.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Swinging
the momentum the way of The Lucha Dragons, Kalisto outsmarted a rapidly angered
Jason Jones by reversing a Slam attempt into a thrilling Armdrag, before being
caught in two large Slams which attained the rookie duo a count of two. Tagging
in Tye Dillinger, Jason Jones watched from the apron with wicked intentions as
Dillinger controlled Kalisto with an accomplished Snapmare which he followed up
with a stinging Stomp to the face. Mocking Sin Cara, Tye Dillinger gave Kalisto
time to recover and upon a Slam attempt found his advantage severely cut when
the Lucha Dragon executed an Armbar and tagged in Sin Cara.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
Tye Dillinger at their mercy, The Lucha Dragons nailed a gorgeous Senton
Splash. Pulling Tye Dillinger from the mat, Sin Cara belted the wrestler across
the chest with several slaps before tagging Kalisto back into the bout with an
excellent Elevated Moonsault. Keeping up the pressure on Dillinger, Kalisto
attempted to ground his foe with an Armbar but wasn’t strong enough to keep the
tag team wrestler down and as Tye broke the grip his smaller compatriot tagged
Sin Cara back into the match. The quick tag format has been used to hype drama
in wrestling for years, but on this occasion it looked as if Kalisto wasn’t
good enough to deal with their challengers on his own.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
wouldn’t matter however, as the match drew it its conclusion. As Kalisto
tripped Tye Dillinger, Sin Cara dropped him with a tope and the news was to get
worse for the rookie who hopes to make it big. Wriggling free of Sin Cara’s
grasp, Dillinger made it back to his corner only to watch in despair as Jason
Jones abandoned him and walked to the locker room. Alone and against two hungry
dragons, Dillinger failed to counter a Sin Cara Senton Splash which secured
another tag team victory for The Lucha Dragons.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
first tag team match since ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ was a good advert for NXT’s
double division. Fast, powerful and rarely coming to a close it showcased what
the likes of Sin Cara can do when then shackles are taken off. I know most
people are privy to this already but NXT’s tag team division is ten times
better than WWE’s and it would take much for these teams to move up to the main
roster and revolutionize WWE’s main tag division with the likes of The Usos.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finn Balor Interview</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
wasn’t impressed with Finn Balor’s lacklustre interview last week. When
compared to that of Kevin Steen, it was terribly short and brief. Worse, there
was no real backbone to it because it was blatantly set-up to start something
between Finn Balor and Rhyno. But, having watched Balor in action I sat through
his recent attempt with an open mind. Speaking on the subject of where he sits
mentally and the looming threat of Kevin Owens, Finn Balor had this to say:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Kevin
Owens? I’ll deal with Kevin Owens in due time. Tonight, I’ve got a match with
The Brian Kendrick. He’s a former WWE Tag Team Champion and that is something I
can’t look past. So if you don’t mind, I’ve got a match to prepare for.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once
again, Finn Balor was given material which said nothing anything about his
drive and desire to be NXT Champion or his character. The words Balor spouted
in his Irish accent were meaningless and even worse; it appeared as if he
brushed off his challenge for the NXT Championship as a mere trivial matter. I
know that WWE had a match to hype but there’s no way a one off bout was more
important than the honour Balor won at ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ and his words
should have reflected that. How are we meant to care about Balor’s challenge if
it sounds like he doesn’t? WWE need to do better with Finn Balor and fast. Give
him something to get his teeth into.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tye Dillinger vs Baron
Corbin</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Coming
back from the adverts, most were surprised that Tye Dillinger was still in the
ring and hadn’t moved since being pinned by Sin Cara. In a fit of rage,
Dillinger took the microphone and addressed his now former partner Jason Jones:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Shut
up! I’m not going anywhere. Not until Jason Jones gets back out here and
explains why he left me high and dry. I don’t care whose match is next, I’ll
fight the man, and I’ll whoop that man. He can’t even lace my boots. Jordan!
Get back out here now!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
effort by Tye Dillinger was a decent one. After all, he’s a jobber in NXT right
now and doesn’t get many chances to get on the mic and show what he’s capable
of. Whilst delivering the promo, Tye Dillinger looked serious and acted the
part of the hard-done-by partner to perfection. However, even though WWE will
try to get something out of this new feud between tag team partners neither personality
is strong enough to make it big. I predict both Tye Dillinger and Jason Jordan
will be distant memories by the end of 2015.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hoping
to rouse something in the man that had abandoned him, Tye Dillinger waited
impatiently for an answer. But he didn’t get the response he wanted when the
imposing and impressive Baron Corbin made his way to the ring. Accepting the
challenge of Dillinger who was about to eat his words by spouting that he would
take on whoever was next, Baron Corbin methodically made his way to the ring as
fans anticipated a beat down. They wouldn’t be disappointed.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Baron Corbin and Tye Dillinger stood toe to toe, the pair greeted the opening
bell with a Lock Up which Corbin turned into a tight Side Headlock. Forcing
Corbin’s grip to loosen, Dillinger managed to stun Baron into the ropes but was
railroaded with a Shoulderblock before Baron Corbin mashed him with the
excellent End of Days finisher for the victory at just over fifteen seconds.
Losing two matches in one night, Tye Dillinger may as well have had ‘Jobber’
tattooed on his back. Judging by the evidence, he’s going nowhere in WWE.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
for Baron Corbin, it’s only going to get better. Standing at well over six feet
tall and sporting an impressive physique as well as a unique look, the sky
really is the limit. If he continues to break his way through NXT’s talent then
he’ll reach the summit before summer and a Kevin Owens vs Baron Corbin bout for
the NXT Championship could be dynamite especially if it was to put Corbin on
the map. He’s not completely ready yet, but with constant exposure and a
guiding hand from Triple H then Baron Corbin could make his main roster debut
in the 2016 Royal Rumble Match. How historic would it be if he was to win the
match and head to WrestleMania on his debut? That is how you build a star.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Charlotte Interview</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the first time since ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’, Charlotte Flair, the daughter of
wrestling legend Ric Flair appeared on NXT minutes the title she lost in the
Fatal Four Way Match to Sasha Bank. The focus of this interview as you could
have already guessed was her impending re-match for the gold:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Look,
I’m not trying to take anything away from Sasha Banks, but she’s never beaten
me one on one. Nothing is guaranteed in life, but what is, is that the NXT
Women’s Championship is coming back where it belongs.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was short but got to the point and made Charlotte actually look as if she cared
about the prize on offer. I have no doubt that the match will be an excellent
technical war and once again pout WWE’s divas division to shame. NXT creative
need to take a look at this promo and apply the same desire to Finn Balor, it
would be ten times more impressive.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tyler Breeze Selfie
Promo</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
his attack of Hideao Itami and subsequent high tailing when the Japanese star
fought back, Tyler Breeze appeared in a selfie promo which was designed to
further his feud with Itami which could be a lasting highlight if WWE can play
their cards right and not milk it:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Hideao
Itami, did you really think that you got one over one me? Because I don’t
really see it that way! I see it more like…you fell right into my trap. And
soon enough, you are going to be squished in it, like the little cockroach you
are.”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hideao
Itami has now defeated Tyler Breeze twice, one in the Number One Contender’s
Tournament before ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ and at the event itself. Whilst it’s
usually not practical for this to happen as fans can believe the losing party
isn’t good enough to sustain a feud with the victory, the losses add to Tyler
Breeze’s anger and in certain situations this method can work. However, the
next time both men face off, Tyler Breeze must take the victory otherwise this
feud is dead in the water before it’s had a chance to breathe.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sami Zayn Announcement</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wishing
to break up the action, the next segment on this weeks NXT was an announcement
that Sami Zayn would appear on next week’s programme to address the NXT
Universe after his beating at ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the announcement was made, footage of
Zayn appearing on house shows in the U.A.E was aired which didn’t do Zayn any
favours. It made it look as if it was a relief for him to drop the gold just so
he could move up to the main roster for a week to tour the world. And that when
he was cleared for action, the first thing he did was abandon the fans that had
paid to see him in favour of furthering his career.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Its
little mistakes like this which can sink a wrestler’s career by WWE. All that’s
needed is one person to take offence to Zayn being willing to wrestler on the
main roster elsewhere and not appear on a show he was Champion of not two weeks
ago, and these things snowball. At least next week we’ll get some clarification
as to where Sami Zayn stands in NXT. The announcement will either be of his
intention to challenge Kevin Owens for the NXT Championship again or a goodbye
speech which will allow him to move up to the main roster on a full time basis.
He can’t sustain both.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bayley vs Becky Lynch</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
both women’s excellent displays at ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’, two of the three
losing parties met a fortnight after their Fatal Four Way Match following
comments the previous week from Becky Lynch, that Bayley cost her the NXT
Women’s Championship. You see, this is where NXT trumps WWE’s main roster.
There’s no way I could see WWE’s main roster fans putting up with two or three
separate female feuds because they women get so little time to flesh out their
characters and matches. When they do get a singles match on weekly television
or pay-per view, it’s hindered by bookers who believe they know best when it’s
obvious they do not.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
NXT, the women are told what is needed of them and are allowed to express
themselves in which ever way helps their character. They’re given an outline
and a time frame and kicked out to sink or swim. That is the way it should be,
because you’re only going to know if a performer can get the job done if
they’re not acting upon direct orders from management. It’s raw and it’s pure.
WWE have something special here and it can’t be allowed to fall into the hands
of those who would gladly change it to fit the main roster blueprint. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Serving
as the penultimate match of the show before Finn Balor stepped into the ring
with The Brian Kendrick, the grungy, girl next door Bayley made her way to the
ring first but was clearly not as popular with the fans in the NXT Arena as
Becky Lynch who would get a massive reception when she came out second. Just a
note on Bayley before we can begin. Though her wrestling skills are getting
better and she clearly needs more time to hone her craft, Bayley has the type
of fun character which could go far on the main roster. She’s likable and
possesses the same qualities Paige does though she’s not as good a wrestler as
the British siren.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Becky
Lynch came out second and last and it’s evident from watching her in the ring
that her attitude is sound and her character and talent as good as flawless.
With the current state of WWE’s divas division, I have no doubt that if Becky
Lynch was called up tomorrow she’d be able to handle the rigours of main roster
life with aplomb as long as she wasn’t made to ‘pay her dues’ by jobbing to
anyone and everyone to prove she really wanted it. As the bell rang on this
bout, it was evident that the fans preferred Becky Lynch to Bayley but
wrestling fans are never predictable and the chants would soon be split down
the middle.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Initiating
a Lock Up to kick off the action, it was Bayley who got out of the traps first
by attempting to outsmart her opponent. Spinning out of the Lock Up, Bayley
locked in an Armbar which she proceeded to turn into a Sleeper Hold. It was
nice to see someone like Bayley implement obvious changes to her arsenal even
if they wouldn’t last very long. Feeling her opponent out, Becky Lynch looked
at ease as she effortlessly reversed Bayley’s Sleeper Hold into a Wristlock
followed by a Hammerlock. The action looked promising in the early outset and
hadn’t yet lagged as some female matches have a tendency to do. Keeping up the
standard of reversals, Bayley turned Lynch’s Hammerlock into a Snapmare and
pinfall, which Lynch bridged out of. It looked brilliant.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Failing
to pin her foe with early reversals, Bayley went on the offensive with a series
of Shoulderblocks but found her efforts thwarted when Becky Lynch sent Bayley
careering into the corner. Charging at the smaller and less able Bayley, Lynch
got an elbow in the face for her troubles, which was the set-up for something
more impressive from the future divas sensation. Taking flight, Bayley looked
liked a Lucha Libre as she threw her frame at Becky Lynch and tackled her with
a Flying Armdrag from the middle turnbuckle. Attempting to escape the
onslaught, Becky Lynch crawled into a corner and was savvy enough to spot an
incoming dive from her attacker. Moving at the last second, Becky Lynch dropped
to the mat and Bayley ate a face full of turnbuckle, missing a Corner Splash.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Spotting
that Bayley was reeling from her connection with the turnbuckle; Becky Lynch
acted on her avenue of opportunity and hooked the colourful character into a
Pumphandle Slam which she altered into a sumptuous Pumphandle Suplex for a
count of one. The moment was very easy on the eye as was Bayley’s selling. She
hit the mat like a sack of bricks and sold the move like it was the end of her
career. Enraged that such an attractive move hadn’t worked to secure her the
bout, Becky Lynch went on a rampage and attacked with two decent Running Leg
Drops and a Standing Leg Drop with stunned the already hurt Bayley. Covering
Bayley, the Irish Lynch only managed to rack up a count of two.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Slowing
the pace of the bout down a little before both women ran out of steam, Lynch
dropped to her knees behind Bayley and paid homage to Ted Dibiase by applying
the Million Dollar Dream. It was a wise move. When you have two firecrackers that
are capable of filling the amount of time allocated then stalling and rest
moves aren’t generally advised because they slow down the pace of the bout. But
Becky Lynch and Bayley aren’t two of those people. You got the feeling watching
this that the women would run out of both steam and ideas if they didn’t take a
short break from the action. Credit goes to booking and the women for spotting
this and doing something about it. The rest hold brought the pair enough time
to complete the rest of the intended bout.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fighting
back to her knees, Bayley broke the Million Dollar Dream with hard elbow shots to
the gut but nearly found her head rolling on the mat next to her when Becky
Lynch blasted her with a devastating Uppercut. In sheer desperation and with
the bout slipping from her grasp, Bayley had to do something quickly and took
matters into her own hands by throwing Lynch to the apron when the Irish native
went to grab her to inflict further damage. With several Forearm blows to the
jaw, Bayley forced Becky Lynch from the apron as the recipient hit the apron
face first. Fortunately this was planned and not some mishap. Rolling under the
bottom rope, Bayley heaved her tiny frame from ringside and underneath the
bottom turnbuckle with a Slide Dropkick before rolling Lynch back into play.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mustering
her last reserves of energy, Becky Lynch caught Bayley with a hard knee to the
gut as the lively female made her way back between the ropes. Firing Bayley
into the ropes, Lynch made the mistake of bowing her head which allowed the
recipient to reverse the hold and instead of a stiff kick to the face or chest;
Bayley simply threw Lynch into the ropes for a hell of a Clothesline on the
rebound. Trying her luck once too often, Bayley missed a second Clothesline allowing
Becky Lynch to perform a neat Rolling STO Punch Combo. However, a second wind
would serve Bayley well as wound a Shoulderblock and several Rear Corner
Splashes. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Feeling
a victory in her clutches, Bayley hoisted Becky Lynch to the top rope but
failed to make sure her foe was properly secured before joining her on the
perch. Pushing Bayley from the summit, Becky Lynch traded several reversals
with her oppressor which saw Bayley end up on the middle rope and in prime position
for a Flying Back Elbow for a very good near fall, all things considered.
Holding her shoulder, signalling a faux injury from the bump, Bayley attempted
her Bayley To Belly Suplex with an injured wing only for Becky Lynch to counter
with a lovely Reverse Cross Arm Breaker which looked brilliant. With an injured
shoulder, Bayley was forced to tap out handing Lynch a hard fought victory.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet
another good advert for female wrestling in WWE, this was a pointer of what is
possible when two women aren’t constrained by rules and a ridiculously short
time limit. You see, fans will sit and watch women wrestling without falling
silent and heading for the toilet if the story is good enough and the wrestling
is good enough. On WWE’s main roster at the moment, there are only a few women
capable of putting on a great match without having the audience lose interest,
but they’ve got to be given more time and investment. Becky Lynch and Bayley
shone here and will do so if Triple H can revise Vince McMahon’s attitude to
his divas division. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rhyno Interview</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
a short break before the main event of the evening kicked in, NXT showed us
Rhyno backstage with one of NXT’s many interviewers. Responding to comments
about why he had come back to WWE and more importantly NXT, Rhyno had this to
say:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why
am I here? Everywhere I go I hear about NXT. I hear NXT this, NXT that so I
tuned in and what I see when I look at the superstars, I see intensity in their
eyes, I see the fire and the drive they have to be the best. Then I looked at
myself in the mirror and what did I see? I seen the same intensity I’ve always
had. I’ve felt the fire I’ve always had. So if you want to make a statement you
go to a place like NXT. And I’m here to climb to the top. And how am I going to
do that? I’m going to do that by ripping people in half, with a gore! Gore!
Gore!”</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
wasn’t a particularly impressive promo by Rhyno, full of oddly phrased words
and terrible English but it once again got the point across. A former WWE star
coming back to NXT and not the main roster because NXT is the place to be spoke
volumes to those still in doubt about the brand. It got over how important the
brand was to WWE and the future of the company, though for future reference I
would put someone with Rhyno to do his promos for him. He looks awkward in
front of camera on his own and at several points during the interview he could
be seen reading his piece from an autocue. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jason Jones Interview</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
the main event kicked off, we were shown footage supposedly recorded before the
break of Jason Jones marching down a backstage corridor moments after his turn
on Tye Dillinger. With an interviewer in pursuit, Jason Jones responded to
comments as to why he walked out on his tag team partner:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
did what I did and I’ll give you and explanation when I’m ready.”</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
didn’t give much away and points to the fact that NXT are planning a feud
between the tag team partners. But one has to question how much interest they’ll
be in a feud between two jobbers.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Main Event</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finn Balor vs The Brain
Kendrick</span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
those people who don’t know either of these stars, then your Wrestling God is
here to once again inform you and save you from wrestling obscurity. Let’s
begin with WWE’s future in Finn Balor. The Irish sensation used to compete on
the independent circuit in America and was a massive part of New Japan Pro
Wrestling under the name Prince Devitt. Leader of NJPW’s hugely successful
Bullet Club, Finn Balor decided to come to WWE when there was nothing left for
him on the Indies and it was probably the best decision of his entire career.
With his unique ring skill and athletic ability, many fans have taken to Finn
Balor like a duck to water. The majority knew who he was before he stepped foot
in a WWE ring, but he’s done a great job of adhering himself to those foreign
to him since his debut.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Brian Kendrick was a surprise for me when it was announced on WWE.Com that he
would be returning to WWE to compete in NXT. You see, when Kendrick who used to
be known as Spanky in WWE was fired by the company because they had nothing for
him to do and he was taking up space other wrestlers needed, he was a spare
wheel. Fresh out of a tag team with Paul London, Brain Kendrick was a Brian
Pillman type character and not overly popular. Don’t get me wrong, his skill
between the ropes was as good as anyone but WWE weren’t using him correctly. So
it’s surprising to see him come home, but a nice surprise. You see, I have a
great belief that Brian Kendrick can do good things in NXT if he can find the
passion for the business that he lost when travelling the independent circuit.
He’s a great talent, let’s just hope he can help keep the light of NXT burning
and not be the inclusion to put it out. At this very moment, his path is
uncertain.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Already
informed that The Brain Kendrick would be making his WWE return this week, fans
were deprived of the shock of another return, the likes they got with Rhyno
last week. However, The Brian Kendrick was warmly received when he made his way
down the aisle and he didn’t look as if he’d lost a step. ‘Welcome Back’ chants
greeted Kendrick as he stepped inside a WWE ring for the first time in several
years, though I think that it’s worth pointing out if WWE carry on bringing
back former stars into a brand meant to be for new talent then they run the
risk of turning into TNA. A few here and there are good, but every week just
won’t do. There’s not enough room for everyone in NXT and even the big stars
only compete one per fortnight so they can have their share of the spotlight.
WWE cannot trade old for new otherwise NXT will become a shell of its former
self.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
The Brian Kendrick made his way to the ring, we were shown Kevin Owens who had
joined the commentary team in preparation for his upcoming match with Finn
Balor whose entrance was up next. If you’ve never seen Finn Balor’s entrance
then you owe it to yourself to do so. It’s an event all by itself, though I’m
surprised with WWE’s strictness on what fans wear that the NXT team allowed
fans into the arena wearing Bullet Club T-shirts. They refer to a time in Balor’s
life that WWE would rather not have mentioned on camera. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Brian Kendrick and Finn Balor began the bout with an enthusiastic Lock Up which
came to an abrupt end when Balor forced Kendrick against the ropes and broke
the move. Getting into their groove, the pair partook in a second Lock Up which
began proceedings properly, when Balor turned the move into a Waist Lock but
couldn’t secure his grip quick enough to stop Kendrick reversing the hold into
a nice looking Wristlock. Searching for ways out of the hold, Balor dug deep
into the Owen Hart playbook and flipped and rolled his way into a further reversal
by synching in an Armbar. Like the women’s bout before it, this had gotten off
to a speedy and interesting beginning. It boded well for the rest of the collision.
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
his arm in a Half Nelson, The Brian Kendrick had to find an escape before
feeling his shoulder pop. Coming across the escape route which would lead him
to freedom, Kendrick reversed the Half Nelson into a Headlock. Spending less
than thirty seconds in the hold, Finn Balor shook off The Brian Kendrick and
fired him into the ropes but was surprised by the dexterity of Kendrick who
instead of charging Balor and ending up on his backside, sprung from the ropes
with a lovely Sunset Flip which Finn Balor rolled through before catching his returning
foe with a Double Dropkick to the face. It was brilliant. Clutching his face,
The Brian Kendrick stumbled into the corner where Finn Balor lined up him for
what would be a miscellaneous Big Boot when Kendrick moved out of dodge.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the roles were reversed and Finn Balor was
in the corner, The Brian Kendrick charged his younger and newer opponent but
found himself flying through the air when Balor Backdropped him over the top
rope. Instead of plummeting to ringside, Kendrick attained a decent grip on the
top rope and steered himself to the ring apron. With a Shoulderblock to the
gut, Kendrick found his way back into the ring via a Rolling Sunset Flip but
landed hard on his ankle and went down feigning an injury. Feeling sorry for
his foe, Finn Balor was fooled hook line and sinker and drawn into the trap
when he attempted a Test of Strength. Clutching hold of Balor’s hand, Kendrick
snatched a vice grip and rolled through Balor’s momentum into a lovely looking
pinfall. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Failing
to achieve a count of three, The Brian Kendrick halted the momentum of the bout
with a Side Headlock Takedown which lasted longer than most would have liked,
especially for a bout with an eleven minute time limit. Still, like as all the
best ones do, Finn Balor found his way out of a tricky situation by propelling
Kendrick into the ropes and after a series avoidances blasted his foe with a
Standing Dropkick. Receiving a face full of leather didn’t do anything for
Kendrick’s complexion and he rolled to ringside in the hope of avoiding any
further punishment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
break in the action was the signal for other events to begin and the attention
suddenly turned to the commentary table where NXT Champion Kevin Owens had
become embroiled in his own little spat with Alex Riley. It was quite the
verbal piece as Owens lambasted Riley who attempted to fight back but didn’t
have the brain or the wit to do so. Kevin Owens destroyed Alex Riley with his
words and the latter came across as easy pickings. WWE need to allow their
commentators to fight back when they receive criticism on air. They refused to
allow Josh Matthews to do so and he was forced to sit week in and week out
taking JBL’s abuse. This is 2015, everyone is meant to have freedom of speech.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back
to the action and The Brian Kendrick made his way back into the ring, catching
Finn Balor with a sharp Calf Kick for a count of one. Applying a Double Arm
Surfboard, Brian Kendrick allowed the action to once again swing back to the
announcers table where Kevin Owens retrieved his NXT Championship and left the
table because of Alex Riley. It wouldn’t be the last time we saw Owens on this
broadcast. Returning from an advert which hyped next weeks NXT Women’s Championship
bout and Finn Balor was propped in the corner awaiting a Brian Kendrick charge.
Spotting the oncoming freight train, Balor raised his knees and cracked
Kendrick with two accomplished Clotheslines.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moving
the action back to the corner, Finn Balor stuck hard with two stinging Chops to
the chest which brought tears to the eyes as it became visible that the months
of inactivity and a slower pace were having an effect on Brian Kendrick, who
was beginning to blow up badly. Obviously not learning from history or his past
mistakes, it was Finn Balor who charged at Kendrick in the corner only to get a
boot in his face and open the door to Kendrick who hopped to the second
turnbuckle and dropped Balor with a Tornado DDT which brought about the first
near fall of the entire bout. A Flying Dropkick and Tiger Suplex followed for
Kendrick who still failed to keep Balor down for his first victory in WWE in
many years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
time beginning to run short for the pair, they initiated the match ending
sequence which began with Finn Balor reversing The Kendrick into a Clothesline
before snapping The Brian Kendrick with his Slingblade Neckbreaker. Pulling
Kendrick into position, Finn Balor rose to the top rope and soared with his
Coup De Grace finisher which is a Double Foot Stomp and looks painful for its
recipient. Teaching The Brian Kendrick that talent had moved on since his day,
Finn Balor covered his foe for the victory. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
the bout, Kevin Owens sauntered back out onto the stage and a stare down
between the pair ensued. In an effort to send a message to Finn Balor, the NXT
Champion attacked Alex Riley on commentary and threw him across the announce
desk. It was a strange moment because the face Balor didn’t even attempt to
rescue Riley and just stood in the ring as NXT went off of the air.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
match was another good effort even if it didn’t live up to the standards of
last week’s efforts and was slow in places. The audience didn’t warm to the
pair until the end which leant a weird ambience to the proceedings and in parts
it sounded as if the match was playing out in front of silence. Maybe Finn
Balor isn’t ready in the audience’s mind yet or maybe the novelty of another
returning WWE star has well and truly worn off.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Summation</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Episode
266 was a marked improvement on its predecessor. Full of gripping action, not
one of the bouts disappointed and more importantly the storylines from each
were highlighted so the brand can carry on down the path it’s currently going. Out
of the two, I’d recommend Episode 266 for new viewers but in the cold light of
day WWE can and have done better with NXT and I look forward to seeing what
heights it reaches in the near future.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-78237429752717623652015-02-23T02:29:00.000-08:002015-02-23T02:29:33.263-08:00WRESTLEMANIA 31 AND AN AXE TO GRIND<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">This week, before we
hopefully kick off our new fortnightly column with ‘The NXT Report’ which will
be heading your way next week as long as I can access the WWE Network on my
Xbox One and not spend hours bypassing the error message which greets me when I
load up the app, I would like, as promised, to take a look at some comment made
by Chris Jericho regarding WrestleMania 31 and how he would book the event if
he was in charge. Many of you may think this is just patching over the cracks
and you’d be right, because thanks to the shallow minded at Fremantle Media and
Fetch.Fm who handle WWE’s media releases, it’s confirmed that Review Corner is
no more apart from special one off features which will appear here
sporadically. I would for a moment just like to stray away from the first
intended subject this week and tell you a little about the people who are
handling your WWE media material. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, because someone who
believes they are more important than they are and their staff who clearly
don’t have any idea what they’re doing and that you good people don’t deserve
to know the truth about what they’re releasing, I’m forced to find something to
fill the gap between now and The NXT Report. From now on, you’re going to have
to read reviews in magazines and other websites which almost all slanted in
favour of WWE and will almost always say that every release is brilliant when
we all know different. So whilst you’re reading those biased articles that say
every WWE release is excellent and when you buy them and they’re clearly trash,
think of your Wrestling God, and how much money you could have saved had the
feeble minded who ignored me and failed to reply because they didn’t want to
believe their staff were nasty and unprofessional when I complained about the
lack of professionalism from staff, not turned a blind eye to their flaws.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">You see, these are people
who don’t take complaints well. The man in charge who thinks that he knows
what’s happening with his staff actually had the cheek to turn around to me and
sever the association because I sent him an official complaint detailing that
his staff were ignorant when they clearly were. It’s clear that these pathetic,
small minded people don’t know what they’re doing and WWE made a mistake by
choosing them to handle their media output in the UK. Maybe they should have
gone with someone more professional and not someone who can’t take criticism
and someone who tells you never to contact them again because they cannot handle
their own staff or the truth, before childishly pointing out one spelling
mistake you made in an email as if that makes the idiots better than you. I
certainly know how to spell the four letter word I have in mind to describe
them correctly.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s pathetic. To this end,
I will no longer be purchasing WWE related material directly from the shelves
or the muppets who produce them in the UK. I will wait to find them on Ebay or
in one of the various second hand DVD shops across the country. I refuse to
give these people my money when they have been so unprofessional, closed minded
and want everyone to think their product is just brilliant. I would urge you to
do the same. If I wanted to be convinced their products were all excellent and
there was no problem with any of them, I’d read reviews of WWE material in FSM
magazine.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was wrong two years ago.
The future of WWE’s releases in the UK isn’t in good hands. To be honest, you
wouldn’t have gotten this with Silvervision and it’s clear now that those
currently in charge couldn’t handle a proverbial piss-up in a brewery. So to
hell with the lot of them and if one of them should be reading this, I
apologise for the lack of pictures to follow what’s going on and suggest you
revise your attitude to business and your clients who can either make or break
your sales. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now that is out of the way,
let’s cast a keen eye to why we’re really here. Chris Jericho’s comments on a
radio show two weeks ago sparked outrage and heated discussion amongst the
internet community. Not because Chris Jericho suggested doing out of left field
but because his comments included the idea of turning Daniel Bryan heel.
Obviously, this wasn’t a popular suggestion with the WWE Universe who
immediately revolted and lashed out at Jericho, and though I condemned the idea
two weeks ago I have recently been looking online and gauging the WWE
Universe’s reaction to Bryan. Instead of being staunchly behind him like they
were this time last year, some fans are starting to accuse Bryan of stealing
the spotlight from other stars who have worked for their push. And do you know
what? I kind of have to agree with them.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Chris Jericho’s suggestion
was that because Vince McMahon doesn’t class Daniel Bryan as a McMahon
prototype wrestler, which Roman Reigns is, it would be a good idea to turn
Daniel Bryan heel on Roman Reigns and when Reigns wins the title at
WrestleMania which most seem to believe he will, have him and Bryan feud back
and forth throughout 2015 for the title. It’s not a bad idea. I know that it
wouldn’t work for everyone because people love Bryan and some would refuse to
treat him as a heel. But there could be something to this suggestion because
lets face it, with Roman Reigns riding high with some after his forthright
comments on fans and what they should believe which wasn’t a wise move. Could
Daniel Bryan be as popular as a heel as he is as a face? Maybe. He was a few
years ago when he displayed a ‘No’ chant instead of a ‘Yes’ chant.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Of course, there’d have to
be an overriding factor behind Daniel Bryan’s heel turn, though WWE have
inadvertently given themselves an out here by already having him lose important
matches. The Royal Rumble would have been the perfect catalyst for this to
happen as would a loss at Fast Lane should it have happened. I have no idea as
this blog is being written on the morning of February 22nd. Should Daniel Bryan
begin to lose important matches only to see Seth Rollins cash in is briefcase
and win the title over him, if that hasn’t happened already, then it would be
the perfect moment for Bryan to join The Authority and take Brock Lesnar’s
place. You see, Brock Lesnar is out of contract after WrestleMania and though
he may have signed a new contract by the time you read this, WE are still
unsure whether he will stay around or not.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let’s face it. Why should
he? Brock Lesnar has been with WWE for his second run since 2012 and has done
just about everything he could do. Comprehensively defeated John Cena in
payback for Extreme Rules 2012, ended The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania,
won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and sold events as he was paid to
do. There is nothing else Brock Lesnar can do in WWE should he stick around and
anyway, Lesnar has been keen to return to Ultimate Fight for a while now. His
urge to return to the octagon has been given weight since C.M Punk took up the
art form and many would pay millions to see the pair do battle in a real life
fight. Right now, Brock Lesnar has to do what he believes is right for him. If
he’s going to sign a new contract then he needs to make sure WWE has something
for him to do otherwise it’s pointless.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Something has been playing
on my mind recently and it’s a comment that transpired two weeks ago on Raw.
When Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns were in the ring with Triple H and Stephanie
McMahon, deciding who should get a title shot and later when Bryan and Seth
Rollins JBL commented that Daniel Bryan was stripped of the WWE World
Heavyweight Championship because he couldn’t and didn’t defend the title in the
allocated time. Now, the allocated time for wrestlers to defend any title in
WWE is 30 days depending on who is deciding the rules. However, I would now
like to draw your attention to the double standard. You see, WWE castigated
Daniel Bryan for not being able to defend the title in those allocated days but
said nothing about Brock Lesnar not defending the gold from September to
January. Madness. So, by JBL’s logic and WWE’s Brock Lesnar should have been
stripped of the title like Daniel Bryan. Talk about double standards.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Before we wrap up this week’s blog, I have a few
notes to inform you of. The first is some much needed funding for the wrestling
tome you have heard me speak about in recent months. Whilst no release date is
yet available for the book, the writer has set up a Kickstarter project to
raise funds for the publicity of the book. As someone who is reviewing this
book for a special Review Corner, I can attest to the quality of this book and
can promise you that it’s worth funding. It would be a crying shame should a
book like this not find its way into the mainstream book stores or to its core
audience. I’ve been reliably informed that the funds raised will be put solely
to publicity for the books, so adverts in magazines etc, and there are some
wicked and rare rewards on offer for those that pledge if the total is met. The
T-shirt promised should be something. If you have a spare few pounds, dollars,
roubles, kroner, yen or whatever your currency is then pledge some money. Not
only do you get a signed copy of the book but depending on your price range
there is something for everyone. If you should wish to pledge your money then
click on the second link to the left hand side of the page or go to </span><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1963701503/a-love-letter-to-the-mat-the-story-of-pro-wrestlin"><span style="line-height: 115%;">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1963701503/a-love-letter-to-the-mat-the-story-of-pro-wrestlin</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">
to do your part for a fellow reader and wrestling fan.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Next on the agenda is this month’s Q&A. You
naughty, naughty people. Once again, I have received no questions to my Twitter
feed except the one I got a few weeks back. Needless to say this simply isn’t
good enough for an article you chose in your end of year poll. So this is what
is going to happen. You have one more month. If I receive no questions by March
20th then I’ll axe the idea. I don’t waste my breath for nothing. This was
meant to make your experience more enjoyable but you’re not holding up your end
of the bargain. This is what I don’t understand about you good people. You’ll
willingly send your questions into wrestling magazines but not to me. Why?
Don’t be shy and get your questions into #Q&AWGISHERE before we lose the
section forever.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Finally, one last reminder that next week’s blog
will see the beginning of our NXT Report which will replace Review Corner as
the regular feature. I won’t promise you the report as a matter of fact because
my WWE Network is heavily unreliable on the Xbox One to the point the app won’t
even open without an error message and every time I try to bypass it with the X
button, it just pops up again. But I will do my best to get the report done in
as much detail as possible and delivered on time. As of yet, I don’t know what
form the report will take and I will change it up as we carry on. But it will
be detailed and with all the usual honesty you’ve come to expect from your
Wrestling God.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Onwards and upwards.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-71797616831435588292015-02-17T04:55:00.001-08:002015-02-17T04:55:48.334-08:00WWE FAST LANE 2015 - BIG SHOES TO FILL<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I’m
not convinced that it was such a good idea to scrap Elimination Chamber. The
event was a much anticipated one on the Road to WrestleMania where fans could
look forward to some action that wasn’t classed as the normal. Between Royal
Rumble and WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber was a welcome release, unlike
every other pay-per view event throughout the year. Now though, it’s been cast
aside and replaced with what I can only see to be another run of the mill event
designed solely to cash in on the ever changing image of WWE’s fan base. It was
a wrong move.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
we’re now stuck with it and after what can only be described as a lacklustre
Royal Rumble event which was only notable for its thrilling triple threat WWE
World Heavyweight Championship Match, WWE must produce something unforgettable
and legendary in order to convince people to buy WrestleMania 31 and the WWE
Network which seems to be as difficult to access as a safe with no combination.
If you’re ordered the Network then you’ll know the frustrations of error
messages and buffering which we don’t expect from something that is out to
impress. Still, this is WWE’s chance to set up WrestleMania for the lapsed and
loyal fans. One chance. But are they up to the challenge?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From
the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee on February 22nd 2015, this is the
inaugural WWE Fast Lane. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Number 1 Contender’s
Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winner Faces Brock
Lesnar at WrestleMania 31</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Roman Reigns vs Daniel
Bryan</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FvVWF3822Ps/VOM40lqkiWI/AAAAAAAADqI/QyIXQSnPLFA/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B2015%2B-%2BRoman%2BReigns%2Bvs%2BDaniel%2BBryan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FvVWF3822Ps/VOM40lqkiWI/AAAAAAAADqI/QyIXQSnPLFA/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B2015%2B-%2BRoman%2BReigns%2Bvs%2BDaniel%2BBryan.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
Roman Reigns won the 2015 Royal Rumble Match, it should have been one of the
highlights of the year not to mention his entire career. Despite the fact that
the Royal Rumble Match was uneventful and mostly dull, it was clear by the way
WWE booked the bout that it was Roman Reign’s time to shine. And as predicted,
he won the thirty man over the top rope elimination spectacle and most believed
he was headed to WrestleMania. But, just like last year, WWE’s plans have
altered once again thanks to their lack of foresight and the reaction from the
audience which all but necessitated this match take place at Fast Lane. Just
like 2014 when Batista triumphed in at the Royal Rumble, fans have spoken out
against he who was chosen for greatness and seem to no longer require Roman
Reigns as their top draw in 2015. Once again, Daniel Bryan is the top of the
tree as far as the WWE Universe is concerned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Can
WWE blame us? Of course not. You see, Daniel Bryan has been out of action for
over six months when he returned to WWE in 2015. His victory over Randy Orton
and Batista at WrestleMania 30 was one of the most celebrated and memorable
moments in WWE history in the last twenty years. It was the culmination of
everything he’d worked for and everything us fans had pushed for with our
rebellious nature. Special moments like that don’t come along too often and
we’re resplendent with joy when they do. Even more so when it’s of our own
making. But there was a problem with Daniel Bryan leaving to recover from his
neck injury and that was he never lost the title which we pushed WWE to put
around his waist. Of course WWE needed someone to stand in for Bryan when he
was on the sidelines but did the company really believe that we would just
forget that he never lost the gold and move on? The answer to that is yes, of
course they did. Because this is WWE.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Vince McMahon and his family found out at the Royal Rumble, they were once
again wrong in their assertion that Roman Reigns was to replace Daniel Bryan in
2015 because anyone who watched the event and saw the surprising reaction
Reigns got when Daniel Bryan was eliminated will be able to attest to that. I
was shocked when Roman Reigns was jeered out of the building at Royal Rumble.
It was at that moment I realised<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roman
Reigns was only a babyface for as long as he steered clear of Daniel Bryan. The
moment Reigns met ‘The Yes Man’ or attempted to overtake him, there was always
going to be trouble. Which is why WWE have devised this match and it could go
one of two ways.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
first way is that WWE have booked this bout solely to do what they could not in
2014 and try to prove to us, in their own pathetic little way that Daniel Bryan
isn’t WWE World Heavyweight Champion material. Let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be
the first time that they’ve attempted to change our minds on someone we’ve
backed all the way. Look at how Dolph Ziggler has been treated over the past
few years because we’ve voiced our opinion that he should be further up the
card. That has lead to WWE rebelling against its audience and booking Ziggler
to fail in almost every situation he’s been put in. I’d hate to think it, but
this could be the situation we find ourselves in with Daniel Bryan in 2015.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
have no doubt this will be a stunning bout and if Roman Reigns is going to go
over Daniel Bryan here then it would go some way to backing up his claim to
being ready for a main event spot at WrestleMania. However, if Daniel Bryan
carries this bout then fans will further rebel against Reigns and there’s
always what will be a stark reality that when Reigns enters WrestleMania he
will once again be booed out of the stadium and fans will cheer for Lesnar.
This will and could happen even if Reigns contests a gripping bout with Bryan
and only just comes away with a victory. WWE cannot stop this and so this is
what should be done before Roman Reigns’ career is tainted by the audience.
It’s a simple process and it involves Roman Reigns turning heel. WWE won’t do
it, but if they don’t then Reigns and his victory at WrestleMania will be
tarnished. As will his resultant reign as champion which will be met with
revile for months after WrestleMania.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
think it’s clear that WWE cannot afford that to happen to Roman Reigns and so I
believe that this bout has been set up, with its stipulations, to create a
triple threat or Elimination Chamber match for WrestleMania which would suit
Roman Reigns better than having to ride the tidal wave of jeers he’d get for
defeating Daniel Bryan. I can’t say for sure, but with the winner advancing to
WrestleMania, it would be best all around if Brock Lesnar was to run in at the
conclusion of the bout and wreck both men thus causing a double
disqualification. That would mean both men would advance and should WWE be
planning an Elimination Chamber Match then it could involve a mass brawl
involving John Cena, Rusev, The Rock and or Seth Rollins. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
know that Roman Reigns has earned his title shot at WrestleMania, he has waited
patiently but sometimes that isn’t how things work out. Sometimes, fans really
do have the final say because after all, if we don’t want to see someone as the
main star then we won’t pay to see them. WWE may find that out the hard way and
if that happens then it’s a possibility that live attendance and the WWE
Network will suffer also. The best course of action right now isn’t the one WWE
will want to take but it may be the one they have to bit their lip and put up
with. Allow Daniel Bryan to triumph at WrestleMania and then have the reign
that he was supposed to have in 2014. Once fans have gotten this out of their
system, WWE will be able to have him drop the title to Roman Reigns in late
2015 and everyone will be happy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
Fast Lane, it’s vital that WWE don’t push their fan base too far. What they
can’t have now is fans take umbrage against the promotion, unsubscribe and fail
to pull in an outstanding buy rate for WrestleMania. We all know that business
and money is the most important thing for WWE, so now is the time that they
really do what is best for business.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction:
Draw</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Rusev vs John Cena</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4o34T_P12QU/VOM4xhYSCBI/AAAAAAAADp4/tlwD5Lqtufk/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B2015%2B-%2BRusev%2Bvs%2BJohn%2BCena.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4o34T_P12QU/VOM4xhYSCBI/AAAAAAAADp4/tlwD5Lqtufk/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B2015%2B-%2BRusev%2Bvs%2BJohn%2BCena.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> If
I’m not mistaken, then I was correct about this match all along. Last year, I
said that Rusev was being built to battle John Cena and here we are. Months
later with my prediction come true. Now, don’t get me wrong, maybe this isn’t
the correct course of action for WWE to take right now because Rusev has had a
few shaky months and really needed something more solid before taking on John
Cena. He was eliminated at Survivor Series and then tossed in the Royal Rumble
by Roman Reigns like he was nothing. That isn’t how Rusev deserved to be
treated by WWE after being solid in the ring for almost a whole year. However,
WWE obviously believe that Rusev is in a place to accommodate John Cena’s flaws
and I kind of have to agree with them. At least, Rusev will be able to come out
of this looking better than he goes in. He has the skills to ride the John Cena
train and not be devaluated by its outcome.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
think we all know where this is going by now. WWE line them up and John Cena
knocks them down. It’s the way it’s worked in WWE for a long while as we saw
with Bray Wyatt last year. But something has to change. Something has to give
at some point and WWE can’t keep willingly ruining new talent just to further
enhance someone who doesn’t need the exposure in the first place. So until I’m
proved wrong, I’m going to believe that things will be different this time
around and that Rusev will be the man to receive the majority of the spotlight
here. John Cena doesn’t have to be willing, he never is, but what matters is
that WWE are adamant on having Rusev defeat John Cena here and push him to the
next level.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First
thing’s first though. No one is going to believe that Rusev is a major player
with the United States Championship draped over his shoulder. That title is a
career killer and everyone knows it. The first thing WWE should have done by
the time you read this, or at least by the time Rusev and Cena clash again at
WrestleMania is have him drop the title. I don’t care how he does it or in
whatever hokey circumstances, but the important thing is that he does so and
quickly. No one is going to be seen as a main event star with that gold around
their waist. The second thing WWE need to do is remember what’s at stake here.
With Bray Wyatt in 2014 the company failed to do that and the result was months
of wasted opportunity as Wyatt was taken back to almost square one. Remembering
where they’re going and not where they’ve been will be a major factor in
Rusev’s development during this feud.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
is however one vital thing WWE must do with this feud that they haven’t done
with any so far. That’s take John Cena to one side and demand that he play
ball. WWE haven’t done this with John Cena in any circumstance except
SummerSlam and it’s about time they did so again but with a new star opposing
the Cenation leader. WWE must explain to Cena that this isn’t about him anymore
and that it’s about the good of the company and its future. John Cena must go
into this feud realising that he’s previously done wrong and with the mindset
to put things right. It’s the only way Rusev will shine, because if this
doesn’t happen then John Cena will do here what he’s done with everyone so far.
And that’s disrespectfully ruin their careers in the belief that he’s the only
one who deserves one. Like I said, something has to change sooner or later. Why
can’t this be it?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
don’t believe that WWE want or are willing to throw everything they’ve done
with Rusev in the trash. That can only be good news. Maybe this time WWE will
follow through and have Rusev be one of the only men that John Cena hasn’t or
will never beat. If that is the plan then there’s only way WWE can go about
booking this and it follows a similar path as SummerSlam. John Cena must be
mostly dominated before passing out in The Accolade. WWE will never permit him
to tap out so this is the only way to maintain the move and its reputation.
Especially if they want to hype a gripping match for WrestleMania. Should John
Cena break out of the move like its nothing then it will diminish Rusev and his
image going forward into 2015. That simply cannot be allowed to continue.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whilst
we’re on the subject of Rusev’s image in 2015, the Royal Rumble Match did
nothing to help him in his quest to withstand John Cena. The bout was slow and
boring, one of the worst in many years but Rusev could have made a difference
especially had WWE allowed him to shine by eliminating a host of stars. Instead
of that, Rusev seemed like just another face when it could and should have been
so different. Had WWE allowed him to be the monster, then fans would have
believed that he was the favourite making Roman Reigns seem even more
indomitable when he finally eliminated Rusev. But instead of that, Roman Reigns
easily speared Rusev and tossed him like he was nothing. This only served to
diminish Rusev and now WWE are looking to John Cena to make up for that.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WWE’s
plan for Rusev wasn’t clear until the Royal Rumble Fallout. For those who saw
it on WWE.Com and WWE Network shouldn’t have been surprised that he and Cena
came face to face, but more than that I was still a little confused about
Rusev’s role heading into WrestleMania. The Royal Rumble ending could have
meant several different things and still could. When you combine that with The
Rock and Rusev’s 2014 face off on Raw, then it’s a possibility that WWE will
have Rusev defeat John Cena at Fast Lane and then have him battle The Rock at
WrestleMania. ‘The Great One’ hasn’t come back for nothing and it’s likely he
will compete at WrestleMania in what could be his final ever match. But then
considering the fan reaction to Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, there may be
another sequence of events on the cards.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Elimination Chamber has been removed for a reason. WWE wouldn’t willingly ditch
such an attraction on a whim when they know that it’s such a huge draw each
year. The possibility lingers that Vince McMahon will see the fans reaction to
Roman Reigns and like last year be forced to change plans. Though Roman Reigns
will win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31, it doesn’t
mean that he has to be the only challenger in the bout. An Elimination Chamber
match which pits Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns vs John Cena vs Rusev vs The Rock
vs Daniel Bryan could be momentous at WrestleMania and would be something to
draw in the buy rate numbers.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Right
now, though WWE are settled on their own plans, everything could still change.
Rusev vs John Cena could be the first of many events to alter the landscape of
WWE as we know it, especially if John Cena were to turn heel or WWE pulled the
trigger and allowed Rusev to defeat John Cena clean in the middle of the ring.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction:
Rusev</span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Triple H Will Call out
Sting</span></u></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tySvZVL3WJI/VOM41__jvSI/AAAAAAAADqQ/b1hfgpA08lk/s1600/20150126_EP_LIGHT_fastlane-matches-HP_stinghhh.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tySvZVL3WJI/VOM41__jvSI/AAAAAAAADqQ/b1hfgpA08lk/s1600/20150126_EP_LIGHT_fastlane-matches-HP_stinghhh.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
so it begins. When Sting made his WWE debut at the 2014 Survivor Series and
targeted Triple H and The Authority, it was always going to come to this. Only
the most naïve wrestling fan would have failed to miss the signs that at some
point down the line Triple H and Sting would come to blows. And this is the
beginning of what should be a tremendous WrestleMania match. Why else do you think
WWE have waited so long to make Sting’s debut count? Any sooner and the novelty
would have worn off as WWE failed to string out his appearances. So far,
Sting’s appearances have been monumental to WWE and got fans talking but it was
vital that the company used him sparingly. Otherwise his appearances would
become the normal and WWE would have no leverage left to tempt fans to
WrestleMania.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
fact that Sting’s presence has been announced before Fast Lane means that WWE
are relying on yet another legend to sell a pay-per view event but why?
Consider this. Those people who haven’t subscribed to the WWE Network may be
persuaded to fork out big bucks to see the event with the promise of Sting, but
those of us who do have the Network don’t need any persuading. We pay money for
a Network which hosts many hours of programming, so why would miss out on one
of the major perks of being a subscriber? Nonetheless, WWE are attempting to
lay the foundations for things to come down the road and this is just one of many.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
think its clear what the plan is here and how it will pan out at Fast Lane.
Triple H will call out Sting with the sole purpose of challenging ‘The Stinger’
to a match at WrestleMania before Sting drops him with the Scorpion Death Drop
or Triple H and The Authority beat down Sting forcing him to accept Triple H’s
challenge. Either way, by the time Fast Lane is finished, Triple H vs Sting
will be set for WrestleMania. But why I hear you scream. Well the answer is
simple. This was meant to be Sting vs The Undertaker that WWE were pushing, but
at this present moment of writing, no one seems to know The Undertaker’s future
plans including Mark Calloway.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
could have heard different by the time you read this but The Undertaker is
nowhere to be seen. I’m assuming that those in power have some idea of what The
Undertaker will do before WrestleMania and if he doesn’t compete this year then
it’s almost a certainty that he will contest his retirement contest at
WrestleMania 32 against either Sting or Brock Lesnar. After all, The Undertaker
needs revenge against the man who broke his streak. However, The Undertaker’s
health is shaky at best. His physical condition continues to deteriorate and
some question whether he should return to the ring. My answer to that is yes.
He should. It’ll look like he’s running away of he doesn’t, but maybe it’s best
The Undertaker gives himself an extra year’s rest before coming back one final
time. Anyone who saw the excellent WWE Network Original about behind the scenes
of WrestleMania 30 will know that he was carried off in an ambulance after
battling Brock Lesnar.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
The Undertaker waiting in the wings, Sting has been given a boost in what will
be his first WWE match. Triple H is probably the best possible opponent he
could have hoped for considering his age and in the knowledge that he only has
to put in one excellent performance every so often, we should see the best of
Sting coming out of this bout. Triple H will no doubt be on top form as will
the audience if both men put on a modern classic despite the fact the odds are
against it. Fast Lane will begin something truly historic for Sting in what has
to be his final run in professional wrestling, presumably culminating in the
WWE World Heavyweight Championship to complete his collection.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE Divas Championship
Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c) Nikki Bella vs
Paige</span></u></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WvzuCpHTMg0/VOM4zGDGnmI/AAAAAAAADqA/fih5qpcMiz0/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B2015%2B-%2BNikki%2BBella%2Bvs%2BPaige.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WvzuCpHTMg0/VOM4zGDGnmI/AAAAAAAADqA/fih5qpcMiz0/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B2015%2B-%2BNikki%2BBella%2Bvs%2BPaige.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
feel so sorry for Paige. Looking back on all the good work her and A.J Lee did
in 2014, none of that is apparent in early 2015. WWE’s divas division has been
taken in a different direction than it needed to go and once again, WWE have
diverted it away from pure wrestling and turned it in the direction of reality
television for the sole purpose of promoting Total Divas which both competitors
are now apart of. Regardless of whether you believe Paige belongs in Total
Divas or not, and for those who care, she doesn’t. I’ve never seen someone more
out of their depth or awkward in an artificial scenario and that includes John
Cena, Paige has a massive future in WWE but it doesn’t involve Nikki or Brie
Bella.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Let’s
just take a look at The Bella Twins for a moment. There’s no doubt that Nikki
and Brie are beautiful women. But does that really qualify them for the current
spot they possess in WWE? Of course it doesn’t. A lot of people have watched
Total Divas by now and for those who have will notice that Brie Bella seems the
more approachable one thanks to her marriage to Daniel Bryan whilst Nikki comes
across as a devious and selfish bitch who WWE cannot take to heart. This isn’t
what WWE should be doing with a reality show. It borders on entertaining at
times but is wholly inconsistent. For example, in an episode entitled ‘Rumble
Road’, Brie Bella admits on camera that she quit her job in the storyline only
to take care of Daniel Bryan. Then in a scene which shortly follows, Nikki
Bella is playing her on screen character in real life. It’s maddening. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Believe
it or not, I have been giving The Bella Twins situations and futures a lot of
thought lately when it came time to write this up. I’ve been asked by friends
and fans who have no idea of my Wrestling God identity why WWE even employs
them and where they could possibly go. And the answer is always the same. I
don’t mean to sound repetitive but both women are employed by WWE for two
reasons only. The first is their connections to Daniel Bryan and John Cena. The
second is for their looks. Brie and Nikki Bella have ridden the luck train
about as far as it can take them and getting by on their looks is no longer an
option. It’s obvious to everyone who tunes in to WWE that there are better
female wrestlers on the roster now and that The Bella Twins are being outshone.
I’ve even heard the opinion that they no longer belong in WWE or inside a
wrestling ring. On what I saw at the Royal Rumble and in months previous, I
have to agree.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
what is their future in WWE? Well that’s the million dollar question because I
don’t have an answer. If Total Divas is to be believed and please do take
anything and everything on that show with a pinch of salt, because millionaire
Daniel Bryan pleads near poverty on the programme when his bank account is
bulging with more money than he could possibly spend, then both Brie and Nikki
Bella want babies with differing reactions from their partners. Now, I don’t
know the Bella’s. I could be completely wrong about them and Nikki Bella in
reality could be the nice one and Brie Bella could be the bitch. Or they could
both be nice or nasty in equal measure. But could you really see someone as
selfish as Nikki Bella portrays to be with a child? Let alone John Cena, who
likes to horde his money; be responsible for anyone else but himself. Maybe
this is the best course of action for The Bella Twins. There is nothing WWE
could do with them now that would make the audience warm to the pair and whilst
the Divas Championship is in their camp, it’s only going to serve to diminish
it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
think everyone is agreed that Paige is the future of WWE’s female division but
to show that, she needs an opponent who can really bring out the best in her. Without
a foe of equal talent, Paige can get complacent in the ring as we’ve seen on
different occasions over the last year. We’re not seeing the best of Paige and
we should be. Which is why the next course of action is required if WWE want to
salvage anything from a division which is once again failing when it had the
tools to thrive. Nikki Bella has run her course as champion so Paige must
defeat her at Fast Lane and take the title into WrestleMania 31. Putting aside
the inferior divas in WWE, the company should book a champion vs champion bout
which would pit Paige vs Charlotte assuming Charlotte has or at least can take
back the NXT Women’s Championship before March. An influx of new female talent
who can wrestle and are given the time in the ring to do so in the ring would
light up 2015 and it all being with Paige.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fast
Lane has the opportunity to make a difference in the WWE calendar where mostly
every other event fails to do so. If Paige can walk away with the title around
her waist then there is a future for the divas division and we can at last turn
the page on a new era for WWE’s female performers.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction:
Paige</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE Tag Team
Championship Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c) The Usos vs Cesaro
and Tyson Kidd </span></u></b></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UlHYRfNDlYA/VOM4wapl4mI/AAAAAAAADpk/d5WTxIxsF9Q/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B-%2BThe%2BUsos%2Bvs%2BCesaro%2Band%2BTyson%2BKidd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UlHYRfNDlYA/VOM4wapl4mI/AAAAAAAADpk/d5WTxIxsF9Q/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B-%2BThe%2BUsos%2Bvs%2BCesaro%2Band%2BTyson%2BKidd.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
was always expected. I mean, to be honest, The Usos have no more challengers in
the tag team division who can put on a thrilling match with two men who have,
to be fair, have contested memorable if samey bouts over the last few years.
Don’t get me wrong, The Usos have been the highlight of WWE’s tag team division
over the last few years but their matches have a samey flavour to them and
always go the same way unless they have more than one team to deal with in the
same match. They start slow, build to a pacy beginning before ending on a high
full of ariel spots and breathtaking moves. As good as The Usos are, I think
sometimes they could vary their game and have a bout which is all out from the
beginning. Tiring as it may be for them, it would set them apart from the
standard WWE team and make the audience appreciate them more.</span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Right
now, I’m looking at what the future holds for The Usos and their current face
persona. It’s something different I’ll give you that, but seeing as how WWE is
full of popular and memorable heels at the moment and that seems to be the way
to go, I wonder if it would be a good idea for WWE to turn The Usos heel and
make them a badass team who has the supporters backing. I mean let’s be honest;
there are very few heels today who aren’t popular. Kevin Owens over in NXT is
thriving on his mean attitude whilst the likes of Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar
may as well be faces for the amount of audience backing they receive as heels.
It seems to be the way to go for WWE in 2015. Because let’s face it, how much further
can Jimmy and Jey go as faces when there’s a lack of serious heel opponents on
WWE’s roster?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
anyone who saw the Royal Rumble Kickoff Match, it would have been clear that
Cesaro and Tyson Kidd, though meant to be heels were widely cheered by the
capacity crowd even though The New Day were meant to be fan favourites. This
just proves my point. You can’t count on the fans to go one way or another and
therefore its best WWE take a risk on status now and again and allow the
audience to decide which side of the fence they sit. There’s no guarantee that
if WWE keep The Usos as faces, the fans won’t turn on them as they have other
so called good guys. And like I’ve said before, The Usos could be major heels
if WWE treat them correctly along the way. Jimmy and Jey have had phenomenal success
as WWE Tag Team Champions as faces, if WWE were to turn them heel and give them
a slightly darker edge then maybe they could break through that glass ceiling.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
one course of action I do not condone is splitting the pair up which I believe
has crossed WWE’s minds more than once. Jimmy and Jey would not succeed or
thrive in singles competition because of their size. WWE management would lose
interest in them as singles wrestlers in mere weeks. No good can come of
splitting the twins so WWE must keep them together. For regular readers of this
blog, you will have heard me in past express my opinion that WWE could make a
new Headshrinker or new Wild Samoans of The Usos and whilst they would do a
sterling job as always I have revised this opinion. The last thing WWE needs
now is to wind back the clock when the future is the focus of their product. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tyson
Kidd and Cesaro have surprised me as a tag team. They shouldn’t work. Both men
possess two different styles of wrestling which shouldn’t melt together but do.
And I have been gripped by the majority of their matches thus far as a team.
Their bout against The New Day on the Royal Rumble kickoff was the second best
match on the entire Rumble card and together they may have a future. Since
signing up to the WWE Network, I have been viewing a lot of their original
content including the constantly excellent Stone Cold Steve Austin podcast. If
you’ haven’t seen these yet then you owe it to yourself to watch them. They
break kayfabe and test Vince McMahon and Triple H to their breaking point.
Those of you who have viewed this excellent programme, then you’ll have heard
Vince McMahon bring up the subject of Cesaro.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
was surprised when Vince McMahon brought up Cesaro as a subject when Steve
Austin quizzed him about why wrestlers aren’t getting over. I mean, it’s not
every day that McMahon admits his failings but he deserves credit for doing so
here. Admitting that he doesn’t know what to do with Cesaro, Vince seemed
humbled when he told the world that Cesaro had everything needed to succeed but
was missing one vital component which even McMahon didn’t know what it was. I’m
not so sure about this, however. You see, if Cesaro was missing a component to take
him to the main event and WWE World Heavyweight Championship then fans wouldn’t
back him and he wouldn’t be able to put on the spectacles that he has in the
past. I feel that Vince is making excuses just so he doesn’t have to push
Cesaro because WWE are worried that we’ll take to Cesaro as we have Daniel
Bryan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
may think this is a poor excuse but it’s something WWE really don’t want to
happen. Do they need main event stars? Of course they do, the wheel has to keep
revolving, but WWE have already had one smash hit indi star come in and take
the main event by storm, I’m convinced they don’t want another indi star
proving them wrong. You see, it’s been apparent for years that WWE have a
problem with indi wrestlers making it big in WWE, that was why the company
constantly put down Daniel Bryan in his quest for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
They hoped we’d agree and turn on Bryan so they could push Batista as Champion
at WrestleMania 30. But that isn’t how we saw it and thus history was made.
There is a market for Cesaro and even thought I don’t think it’s in a tag team
with Tyson Kidd, this is a positive step forward.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
can one say about Tyson Kidd? He’s such a talented performer and deserves to be
higher up the card than he currently sits, but his height and weight won’t
permit him to go any further than a curtain jerker and that’s a shame. If you’ve
been watching Total Divas, then you’ll know that Tyson and Natalya have been
having their difficulties with their marriage. How legitimate that is, is still
open for negotiation, however it does pose the question of why feature Tyson
heavily in the programme if you’re not going to give him a push on television
each week? I don’t know what would be best for Tyson Kidd right now, but here
is something that could be successful if WWE implemented it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whilst
Tyson Kidd and Cesaro will no doubt clash with The Usos again at WrestleMania,
in a fatal four way match with The Ascension and possible The New Age Outlaws,
WWE should concentrate on the one brand where titles actually mean something
and that’s NXT. Tyson Kidd has been appearing on NXT more and more lately and
so WWE could use that as a springboard to boost Tyson up their roster.
Introduce an NXT Light Heavyweight Championship which Tyson Kidd would hold and
defend against the cream of the crop in NXT. Titles mean something in NXT so if
Tyson Kidd is going to get over, it’s going to be there. Once he’s reigned as
NXT Light Heavyweight Champion for seven months, push him on the main roster
and see where he goes. It can’t hurt. Because right now, he’s languishing in a
league which can do nothing for him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction: The
Usos</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WWE Intercontinental
Championship Match</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">(c) Bad News Barrett vs
Dean Ambrose</span></u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9od8X6zk4w/VOM4w4YEg7I/AAAAAAAADps/z3zD5LnKlgA/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B-%2BBad%2BNews%2BBarrett%2Bvs%2BDean%2BAmbrose.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9od8X6zk4w/VOM4w4YEg7I/AAAAAAAADps/z3zD5LnKlgA/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B-%2BBad%2BNews%2BBarrett%2Bvs%2BDean%2BAmbrose.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Like
many of you reading this, I am wondering what WWE have done to Dean Ambrose in
the last few weeks since Royal Rumble. The man dubbed ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ has
gone cold and had a reduced part to play on Raw, when he’s featured at all. For
me, Dean Ambrose should also be in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
picture along with Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns and would be an
ideal candidate if WWE were to book an Elimination Chamber bout for the gold on
the grandest stage of them all. Let’s look at what Dean Ambrose has done over
the past few months.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Firstly,
Dean Ambrose was the man who stood in for Roman Reigns when The Usos’ cousin
sat at home with a nasty injury. Roman Reigns was due to be booked in a feud
with Seth Rollins which is now slated for post-WrestleMania, but WWE had to
change their plans quickly and Dean Ambrose was there to step into the void.
Was it a total success? Of course not, very few things in WWE are today but at
least it was memorable. Without Dean Ambrose, WWE would have had a hard time
finding something for Seth Rollins to do and it’s likely he’d have been wasted
by fighting John Cena. Where would he have been then had his feud with Cena
lasted months longer than we had to endure? WWE have Dean Ambrose to thank for
keeping Seth Rollins in the public eye and that alone deserves at least a main
event run.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Next
up was Bray Wyatt. Returning from injury, Bray Wyatt needed someone hot to
battle against otherwise he’d have sunk into the mid-card and been forgotten
about altogether. Yet, once again Dean Ambrose was there to pick up the pieces
and even tough their feud wasn’t stunning it still provided some memorable
moments and pushed Bray Wyatt onto better things. So where did all that leave
Dean Ambrose? Right back at square one. WWE weren’t bothered about rewarding
him at the Royal Rumble despite the fact fans were more willing to accept him
as the winner than Roman Reigns and heading into WrestleMania, Ambrose looks to
be addled with the Intercontinental Championship which I don’t believe will
help him at all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t
get me wrong, the title used to be a stepping stone to bigger things and is synonymous
with some of the most legendary stars in history, but can it really help Dean
Ambrose? The answer is no. Simply because WWE have treated it so poorly in the past
that it means nothing in the present. I would be surprised if Dean Ambrose
doesn’t walk out of Fast Lane as Intercontinental Champion, but I would be even
more shocked should he be able to do anything meaningful with the gold and
Ambrose as we head into WrestleMania. I could be wrong on this one. Dean
Ambrose could defeat Bad News Barrett and go on to be one of the most popular
champions of all time, but for that to happen a lot of work is needed. Work WWE
don’t have the time to dedicate to right now. If WWE are planning a battle
royal or a Bad News Barrett vs Dean Ambrose match for the title at WrestleMania
then they may as well write the title and Ambrose off now. Something major is
needed and fast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve
lost count of how many times I’ve said that I felt sorry for Wade Barrett.
Plagued by injuries, stop / start booking and a lack of care by WWE’s booking
team have seen him fall into mid-card obscurity with little hope of climbing
out of it. Once seen as a future main event star and WWE World Heavyweight
Champion, Barrett is no longer a priority in WWE and seemingly has no hope of
advancing any further than the spot he currently occupies. That’s sad because
Barrett has the skill and even the backing of the audience, but much like Dolph
Ziggler, Wade Barrett is no loner seen as a legit player in WWE. So, where does
that leave him?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meaningless
feuds are like cancer to wrestlers. Slowly but surely they kill off any hope of
getting further up the ladder before ending your career completely when
management and the audience lose interest in you. Sadly, that’s what Wade Barrett
is looking at right now. WWE have no major plans for him and when he loses the
title to Dean Ambrose at Fast Lane, Wade Barrett is going to be staring at an
uncertain future which will most likely see him fade into the background before
being made to headline Superstars. If there’s clearly no future in WWE it makes
me wonder why stars stay in the company, but then it’s clear that a job with
TNA is a soul destroying prospect as anyone who has seen Brodus Clay in TNA can
attest to. Wrestling in TNA as a supposed monster heel, Brodus Clay looks dead
inside. Un-concerned about his job and just present to make some money. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wade
Barrett doesn’t plan on going to the same way. Wade Barrett knows his worth and
he knows that if he hangs on and keeps pestering WWE management then maybe
something better will come along for him. Right now, it looks like a long shot
but it could happen despite my fears for Wade. Wade Barrett has no intention of
going to TNA or Ring of Honor and whilst New Japan Pro Wrestling would likely
snap him up, a British wrestler going to Japan is a culture shock and unless
Barrett makes it big over there it won’t be a profitable venture. So treading
water in WWE really is the best option for Barrett right now, otherwise without
a job in America he’d be forced to return home to England, where his wrestling
career would surely come to an abrupt end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Winners Prediction:
Dean Ambrose</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve
been surprised with the lackadaisical hype for Fast Lane that WWE have shown
over the past few weeks. Instead of loading their card with what should have
been excellent and much looked forward to matches; WWE left it until six days
before the event to announce all but three matches. Not only does this give the
event a shoddy look but it also makes everything and everyone on the card seem
unimportant compared to Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns who this event has been
built around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
was expecting more matches for Fast Lane, especially since its replaced Elimination
Chamber which was a popular event on the road to WrestleMania. I’m writing and
posting this on Tuesday February 17th so there is a chance more matches will be
added after Smackdown on Thursday night, however, if they’re not then WWE are
missing a massive opportunity to book Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Eric Rowan in a
bout to set them up for what should be a six man tag team bout at WrestleMania.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
this is the first ever WWE Fast Lane. It looks promising and by the end of the
night we should have at least two WrestleMania matches set. But can it really
fill the gap left by Elimination Chamber? I’m not convinced it can, but it
should be interesting watching it try.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rU1H2VGlAk8/VOM4v3mnUnI/AAAAAAAADpg/SwWdC_AKNdU/s1600/wwe_fast_lane_poster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UlHYRfNDlYA/VOM4wapl4mI/AAAAAAAADpk/d5WTxIxsF9Q/s1600/WWE%2BFast%2BLane%2B-%2BThe%2BUsos%2Bvs%2BCesaro%2Band%2BTyson%2BKidd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-88791883623609407042015-02-10T02:02:00.003-08:002015-02-10T02:02:37.153-08:00YES MEN AND OTHER STORIES<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now
that Review Corner is no more, thanks to the ignorant staff at Freemantle Media
and Fetch.Fm who refuse to deal with their petulant employees who seem to think
they can mess people around and get away with whatever they like, I have been
forced to find something to replace Review Corner which will now only appear as
a special article every so often when I have something to review. The next time
Review Corner will appear on this blog, for now at least, will be the review of
the aforementioned wrestling tome in the next few months written by a reader of
this blog. I’ve been reading the final chapters and I promise that it won’t disappoint.
Until I receive a final release date for the book, I have to find something
else to fill these pages with and I think I’ve found it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
March 2nd, a new fortnightly article will begin entitled ‘NXT: The Review’. As
the title implies, it will document the last fortnight of NXT beginning with
the first two episodes after February 11th’s NXT Takeover event which is live
on the WWE Network. So look out for that on March 2nd as we run down in detail
every little detail of the episodes for that fortnight. After that, the article
will appear every two weeks as stated so those who don’t get WWE Network and
can’t watch NXT will get a full picture of everything going on with WWE’s
future stars. That’s next month however, so this week we’re going to look at a
recent decision made for WWE Fast Lane and what effect it could have on
WrestleMania’s main event. Also, I would like to touch upon the subject of
dangerous ground WWE are currently treading with Daniel Bryan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chris
Jericho has been speaking this week at length about how he’d book WrestleMania
31 and his beliefs on Daniel Bryan. I won’t go into them this week as they’ll
be the focus of our blog next week, but I will say this. Chris Jericho has put
forth an interesting idea in which Seth Rollins chases in at Fast Lane,
assuming Brock Lesnar turns up, and then Daniel Bryan battles Brock Lesnar
whilst Roman Reigns defeats Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship on the night in question. There is weight to this idea, but then
Chris Jericho mentions something which may seem good on paper but in practice
would be an epic fail if WWE ever put it into action.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the interview, Chris Jericho suggests that WWE turn Daniel Bryan heel and then
allow him and Brock Lesnar to go on a run together. It’s an interesting idea
which would extend Brock Lesnar’s time in WWE and stop him going back to UFC
for millions of dollars, but can you really see WWE’s fans treating Daniel
Bryan as a heel? That would mean getting rid of the ‘Yes’ chant which everyone
is so fond of and doing something with Bryan which could damage his chances of
fans loving him in the future. It’s just not a viable plot even though it would
give Bryan something else to do other than try to muscle in on someone else’s
glory.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t
get me wrong, I’m glad WWE are at least attempting to re-do the wrong which
they booked for the Royal Rumble, but they must be careful now. Because whilst
everyone loves Daniel Bryan, he’s the most popular WWE star in the last ten
years, but it really is beginning to look like Bryan can no longer earn his own
title match and has to push his way in to other people’s. That isn’t good for
Bryan and could only serve to turn his fans against him, if they begin to
believe that Bryan is an opportunist who can’t stand to watch people be pushed
ahead of him. Many don’t believe this will happen thanks to Daniel Bryan’s
connection with the fans which pushed him to the main event of WrestleMania
XXX, but as wrestling fans we know different. Just look at what happened with
The Rock when he left to do something else. Fans turned on him. It took years
for them to forgive him and accept him back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WWE
cannot afford for the same to happen with Daniel Bryan. He may not have left,
but we have a great sense of injustice as fans. If Bryan is seen to be taking
someone else’s spotlight then there’s a chance we could turn against him. Vince
McMahon may want that to prove his ridiculous point that Daniel Bryan isn’t the
wrestler that people want to see, but it will certainly see a downturn in
business and revenue if people stopped buying Daniel Bryan’s merchandise. He’s
better than a mid-card spot and more than that, more than fans turning on
Daniel Bryan they could resent WWE for doing that to him. That would be even
more catastrophic for business.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
other WWE news, Randy Orton has finally returned to action and should be back
on the screen by the time you read this. The man who has been away filming ‘The
Condemned 2’, which will surely be another flop for WWE in the financial
department, returned to action at a live event this week. So what does this
mean for Randy Orton’s WrestleMania prospects? Well, it’s fair to assume that
Randy Orton will be inserted into a feud against The Authority on his return to
television which means he could battle Seth Rollins on the grandest stage of
them all, if Rollins doesn’t cash in before then, but more likely, Randy Orton
will lead a team of misfits including Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose
against Triple H’s squad and align with Sting to bring down The Authority once
and for all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
won’t be an easy or short storyline and could stretch into SummerSlam or
beyond, but at some point in time Triple H and Stephanie McMahon will fall and
the best possible storyline to come out of this would be the re-emergence of
Vince McMahon to WWE television who comes out of the woodwork to claim back his
company and recruits Orton, Sting, The Rock, Reigns and Ambrose to get back
what is his. If planned carefully, Randy Orton could be the main event star he
once was again and WWE could have another main event player ready to go in
2015. They could even make up for the Invasion debacle of fourteen years
pervious. However, if this opportunity is wasted then Randy Orton will fall
further than he ever has in the past.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
sure you’ve heard the rumours by now, but just in case they passed you by,
Jonathan Coachman has been talking about a possible return to WWE nearly a
decade after he departed to become a sports news anchor. This wouldn’t be huge
news normally, but considering the state of WWE’s announce team in 2015, then
Coachman could be a welcome addition. He left as a heel after being inserted
into a storyline with Eric Bischoff and now I assume WWE fans will welcome his
return. Hell, he now has the knowledge and skill to take over from Michael Cole
as lead announcer some day. I’m sure Coachman wouldn’t half as annoying if he
marked out for everyone Vince McMahon told him to. Nothing at the moment is set
in stone, but nothing is impossible either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lastly
this week, I would like us all to take a moment to send our best wishes to
Diamond Dallas Page, who was hospitalized with a major health issue concerning
his throat. The usually healthy Diamond Dallas Page recently participated in
the 2015 Royal Rumble Match, but now faces a long battle ahead of him to return
to full health. I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing him a speedy and successful
recovery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-89662057748671151532015-02-03T02:01:00.001-08:002015-02-03T02:01:18.721-08:00A PARTING OF THE WAYS?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
come to you this week, my minions, with some sad news. Though nothing has been
finalised it appears our association with Freemantle Media and Fetch.FM has come
to an end after several years. Like I say, nothing is certified yet but after
disagreements on both sides it appears that Review Corner will only be
appearing as special one off blogs from now on. It all came about when I once
again failed to receive Review Discs for ‘Live in the UK: November 2014’, ‘The Best
of Raw and Smackdown 2014’ and ‘Survivor Series 2014’ and contacted one small
minded employee at said company who was nasty and verbally abusive, basically
stating that she didn’t appreciate being contacted over such matters even
though every email I ever received ended with the phrase ‘please do not
hesitate to contact me if the review discs do not arrive’. And these are the
people we’re trusting to handle our WWE media output. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking
into account this argument with the small minded individual who plainly doesn’t
know how to do her job, Review Corner is indefinitely suspended until I know
for sure what is happening. Should Review Corner disappear from this blog,
barring one or two special returns for the previously mentioned and much
anticipated wrestling tome which will be released later this year, then I will
of course look into replacing it with something else. Hell, maybe I’ll contact
Clearvision and enquire about reviewing their TNA DVD’s. I’m sure they’re much
nicer and easier to work with than some. Should I decide against this then I
will of course replace said column with another regular addition. Watch this
space.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
if your Wrestling God does have his ties cut with these people, then it’s safe
to say I will no longer be purchasing WWE related product brand new and giving
them my money, after the way I have been treated after years of loyal service.
If they cut me adrift, then they do not deserve my money or yours. Instead, I
will buy the releases second hand from Ebay, thus not giving them a penny.
However, now there’s the small issue of this week’s blog and I’m happy to say
that one person has come forward with a question and I hope the rest of you
will follow. Details of how and where to send your wrestling related questions
can be found at the end of this column.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: The 2015 Royal Rumble was such a
flop. In your opinion why was that? WWE had all the tools succeed.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">@10antfuturedw</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A:
The answer is both quite simple and intricate in its explanation. The main
reason the 2015 Royal Rumble failed as an overall event is simply because WWE
planned it around one person and that was Roman Reigns. Roman Reigns’ 2014
injury put his main event push back months and had it not happened then it’s
feasible that he may have been WWE World Heavyweight Champion by now. If not,
then he’d at least have been in a stronger position to triumph than he was on
the night. It’s correct that WWE had all the tools necessary to put on what
should have been the most memorable Royal Rumble event in years, but they
failed to use them because Roman Reigns was the centre of their attention. WWE
were so adamant that Reigns must be pushed into a strong position to challenge
Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31, everyone and everything else including common
sense went completely out of the window.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WWE
once again underestimated the power of its audience. They believed that Roman
Reigns was a fan favourite heading into the event, that we’d treat him as such
when the bout got underway. What the company forgot to calculate for was the
love we hold for superstars more popular than Reigns and who we believe
deserves the push awaiting the winner, more than the former Shield member.
Three of those in question were Bray Wyatt, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler who
had the perfect story heading into the event but was treated like an absolute
jobber on the night. WWE believed that we would forget about these young stars
and agree with them that Roman Reigns was the winner elect. They were wrong.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
booking was also a major problem. The way WWE booked the entire event was
shabby in its entirety. From the outset, there seemed nothing special about the
Royal Rumble this year and booking three consecutive tag team bouts, four if
you include the kickoff show, drained the audience before the Royal Rumble
Match even got underway. The New Age Outlaws vs The Ascension was pitiful
considering Billy Gunn and Road Dogg knew how to get Konnor and Viktor over but
never bothered. The opener was rushed and not in the least bit interesting. In
fact it was so predictable that many weren’t even in their seats when the match
ended because they had no interest in seeing the bout.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Usos vs The Miz and Damien Mizdow was better but not excellent. Considering it
was for the WWE Tag Team Championships, both teams should have strived to tear
the house down. Damien Sandow’s reaction was momentous, it appears his stuntman
gimmick is working and maybe it could help him get a push in the future. WWE
certainly didn’t expect us to take this attitude with Sandow who will surely do
battle with The Miz at WrestleMania when their team breaks down at Fast Lane.
Following that, Paige and Natalya vs The Bella Twins was utterly repugnant.
None of the four were able to do anything with the time given to them and Paige
hardly got into the bout. For once, they were given too long and did nothing
with it as most predicted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Three
tag team bouts were too many, but thankfully the saviour of the show was the
triple threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Seth Rollins
was the standout star of the show and his performance sowed he was capable of
more than hiding behind someone else. But there was a problem with this
terrific bout. And that was its quality. So good was it, fans were drained by
the time the Royal Rumble bout came along and had little left to give. Maybe
the Royal Rumble match should have gone on before and the triple threat last.
But it was the Royal Rumble Match which proved to be the greatest drain on the
event, because nothing of note happened. I will even go as far as saying that
the audience helped ruin the match for the wrestlers and fans watching on
pay-per view.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bray
Wyatt was dominant for a while and then faded away. Daniel Bryan’s
participation was too short and Dolph Ziggler had no time to do anything but
get knocked out after a flurry and dumped over the top rope. Fans mercilessly
jeered Roman Reigns from the outset because there were others we preferred to
take the spot. But when Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Bray Wyatt were
eliminated too easily it didn’t do Reigns any favours. He never stood a chance.
Big Show and Kane didn’t deserve to be in the final four and fans would have
much preferred to see Roman Reigns, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, Rusev and Bray
Wyatt in the finale. Roman Reigns may have stood a better chance with the live
audience had he attempted to thwart an Authority attack on Ziggler and Bryan
before winning the bout. When you combine that with a dull hour of action and
too many legends when the Boogeyman certainly wasn’t needed and the spot could
have gone to a younger star, WWE were destined to fail. It says something that
The Rock’s appearance was one of the most cheered of the night.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
there we have it. Our first Q&A column completed, but I hope it won’t be
the last. I await your questions on Twitter at @TWGISHERE where you can message
them to me direct or you can use the hashtag #Q&AWGISHERE to put your
questions. All questions sent to me before February 20th will appear in
February’s Q&A column. Any I receive after will appear in March and so on.
Get writing minions.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards</span></div>
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THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6991857653880085298.post-33747405909221549672015-01-27T01:28:00.002-08:002015-01-27T01:28:42.147-08:00Q & WHO?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
you should be looking at now is this month’s first ever Question and Answer
section. A segment that you, my minions voted for in 2014’s poll and one I
expect you to fill with questions for me to answer since it was you who chose
it. It’s not even as if I forced you into the decision because there were
plenty of options for you to choose on what you wanted to see on this blog in
2014. But alas, despite my searches I have found no questions from you on
Twitter and I know a lot of you are on there. So, this is what we’re going to
do. Because there is a lack of questions for this month’s column, I’m going to
suspend it for this month and carry it through to February. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
has recently come to my attention that the hashtag I put out there for you to
send the questions to clashes with another hashtag someone else has set up. So
this is what we’re going to do. I’m going to change the hashtag. So take not of
this to send your questions to. The hashtag for questions for this monthly
column used to be #ASKTWG. But now that is taken and we run the risk of getting
your questions sent to someone else, the new hashtag for questions will be
#Q&AWGISHERE. Make a note of it. Because out of the near thirty thousand
people who read this blog I would have at least expected some questions. So if
you have any wrestling related questions to anything that has, is or may happen
in WWE or any other wrestling company then send me them.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unlike
other wrestling magazines or websites, I will answer any and every question as
long as it’s not the same question by different people. We want this column
full at the end of February so get your questions into #Q&AWGISHERE by
February 20th so I can write up the column for the end of next month. Don’t be
shy. If you’ve ever wondered who was under a mask, the true story of an event
or storyline that happened or you want to know my opinion of something that is
currently happening in WWE, TNA, Ring of Honor or over in Japan then don’t
hesitate to get in touch at the hashtag above or tweet me direct. Your questions
will appear here next month.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
a completely different topic, the WWE Network has launched in the UK after its
November 2014 cancellation and your Wrestling God has subscribed to the channel
in order to bring you even more content for this blog. Now, I will be able to
talk at length about things which happen behind the scenes of WWE and for one
of the first times this week I sat and watched an episode of Total Divas.
Though this wasn’t on WWE Network but on the Sky channel E! I have commented on
this series in the past as being nothing but a scripted and false show, where
its stars aren’t allowed to express themselves because WWE fear they will break
kayfabe so script their lines for them. Now, I’ve see bits and bobs of the show
but never had the stomach to sit through a whole hour of it. But this time I
did and it was an episode where Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella seek out
alternative employment just in case they should decide that the business which
has made at least him a millionaire isn’t right for them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve
never felt completely cringe worthy when watching a programme before. Doctor
Who has come close on many occasions and certainly aspects and poor plotting of
2014’s Christmas special certainly sent shivers running up my spine and not in
a good way. However, the blatantly scripted show which makes fools of its stars
is totally false as are all the performances displayed in it. Daniel Bryan and
Brie Bella looked completely out of their depth and seemed to put forth a real
passion to do something more with their lives other than wrestle. Though the
millions of dollars the forthcoming Daniel Bryan DVD and Blu-ray which will be
released in 2015 won’t be turned away by Bryan and Brie. On top of that, we
were treated, if you can call it that to John Cena and Nikki Bella’s personal
relationship which anyone will tell you is destined to fail.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
reassuring to see that John Cena is apparently as emotionless and wooden in
real life as he is on WWE television and in those awful movies he keeps on making.
Now we know that he is useless in all aspects of his life and not just putting
it on for the camera each week. Nikki couldn’t have looked more false as she
tried to get John Cena to part with money and should have spoken to his
ex-wife’s divorce lawyer if she wanted to see how hard it was to get money out
of the leader of the Cenation. If you haven’t seen this piece of garbage then
you really must watch it. Because for all the tripe that’s on show which does
involve Natalya having what is obviously a pretend cat-fight with a diva who
slips my mind now, it’s actually strangely entertaining in its own way.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
those of you who haven’t noticed by now, news is circulating that Jerry Lawler
is, or at least will be removed from the Raw announce team on a full time
basis. This should have happened by the time you read this. I can’t deny that
this is best for business all around. It was apparent for some time that Jerry
Lawler was well out of his depth alongside Michael Cole and JBL who were
outshining him at every available opportunity. Jerry Lawler no longer had
anything relevant to say or bring to WWE’s product and it’s best he departed
his on screen duties for the company before it began to effect his legend. It’s
not clear where Jerry Lawler will go from here though it’s believed that he
will take up some type of backstage role, maybe booker or road agent. His
knowledge of how to set up a gripping match would benefit the younger
generation coming through. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0mm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
is still a chance that Jerry Lawler could make a special appearance now and
again, both in a wrestling and commentary capacity. If this is WWE’s plan then
Jerry Lawler would be a welcome addition to monthly pay-per view if he was to
stay off of television every week and should he want to retire properly then I
can think of no greater honour for WWE to bestow upon him than allow him the
WrestleMania victory that ‘The King’ so richly deserves. However, this could be
a mere fantasy as one of the reasons cited for Jerry Lawler’s removal from Raw
has been his declining health. I won’t deny that he hasn’t been looking well
for a long time, though I don’t expect WWE to release any statement to say why
Lawler was really removed from the product.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even
if Jerry Lawler never appears on a WWE screen again, it won’t be the last we
see of ‘The King’. WWE have lined up a three disc DVD and two disc Blu-ray
release on Lawler’s life and career for 2015 which will precede releases on
Daniel Bryan and one final release on The Ultimate Warrior. It’s an anticipated
release from WWE home video, Jerry Lawler’s career has spanned far and wide and
now WWE own all the footage I expect to see some rare bouts and some of his
very best. There will really be no excuse if WWE fail to pull through on this
one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
was originally going to write a few paragraphs on the effect Sting has had on
WWE since making his debut at Survivor Series, but since I’m having to write
this before the Royal Rumble goes live in preparation for posting on Monday or
Tuesday, I can’t fully tell you until seeing the event itself. You’ll know by
now whether I’m right but I’m anticipating some type of inclusion for Sting,
whether it’s to stop The Authority cheating to win the Royal Rumble Match or
being an entrant himself. Either way, I think it’s quite obvious that we’re
looking at a Sting vs Triple H match at Wrestlemania 31. WWE are saving Sting
vs The Undertaker for what many believe will be The Undertaker’s final battle
at WrestleMania 32 in 2016. They’ll be much more on Sting in 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s
it for this week. I can’t say I’m not disappointed about the lack of questions
for a column that you chose but having failed to interact with me in the past
I’m not surprised. So do something about it. There’s no point in choosing
something and then not following through. It could be beneficial for us both.
So get your questions coming through to #Q&AWGISHERE. Any questions which
appear before February 20th will be included in February’s Q&A. Any after
February 20th will be material for March’s and so on. Anything you want to
know, I’m here to answer. I look forward to hearing from you all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Onwards
and upwards…</span></div>
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THE WRESTLING GODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06029226782651915088noreply@blogger.com