A Look Back at Andre the Giant

Andre was of the most popular of the wrestlers for the 70s all the way into the 90’s. If were still alive today, he would have turned 70. He was billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World. He was both a wrestling and movie star. Outside of the ring, he was beloved by those who knew him. The condition that made him a star was also a burden on his life.

Andre’s main claim was a wrestler. He was the most popular of the seventies. With his size – which the World Wrestling Federation exaggerated to over 7 feet – Andre benefited from a DECADE-long winning streak. As crazy as that sounds, in the days before weekly wrestling on TV, things did not happen as quickly as they do. Title reigns lasted years and while monsters like Rusev will go undefeated for a few years, Andre’s undefeated streak lasted YEARS. Also, while big men are usually portrayed as monsters – which makes sense because David/Goliath storylines are easy to book and make the David of the story look like a hero – Andre the Giant was portrayed as a lovable, gentle giant.

Realistically, Andre was not 100% undefeated. He was disqualified and counted out every now and then, but he was never pinned or made to submit. His other big gimmick was that he always won battle royales – After all, if someone needs to sell the idea of someone being monstrous and undefeatable, a good way to do that is to have him crush hundreds of people in one match. It also portrayed him as someone too enormous to be thrown over the top rope. Andre remained popular into the 80’s and had a hugely popular feud with Killer Khan. As the Rock n Wrestling Movement became popular, Andre still remained popular, appearing at the first two Wrestlemanias, but for Wrestlemania III, he would embark on the feud of his career.

The stage was set for Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant – the biggest star of the 70’s was clashing against the biggest star at the time. It was Hogan’s world title against Andre’s undefeated streak. While hardly a technical classic, the match is fun to watch, especially for Hogan bodyslamming Andre. Andre the Giant did eventually claim the WWF championship (or World World Championship as Andre called it). He won it on The Main Event (Before monthly pay per views, wrestling promotions often hosted televised supershows) by using a twin brother Earl Hebner. Andre’s moment in the sun did not last too long. As soon as he won the world world championship, Andred IMMEDIATELY handed the championship over to Ted Dibiase – as he was instructed to do in storyline.

Throughout the rest of the 90’s the once undefeated Andre the Giant started losing more often as a way to put over other talent. He retired from the WWF in 1990, but kept going a few years in Japan before fully retiring from wrestling in 1992. Andre’s size was catching up with him. It caused him constant pain and injuries. These problems piled up so severely that Andre was reduced to using a wheelchair when he wasn’t on camera. Because of – and likely because of the pain his size caused him – Andre was a hardcore drinker. In his youth, Andre could drink six beers and still be the designated driver. According to wrestlers such as the Fabulous Moolah, Andre would drink over 100 beers. Drinking did lead to problems for the giant as he was arrested in 1989 for attacking a cameraman.

Wrestling was not the only thing Andre the Giant was known for. He also had a career in acting. He played monsters on TV shows such as the Greatest American Hero, the Six-Million Dollar Man – where he played Bigfoot – and Conan the Destroyer – where he is buried in make-up effects despite being one of the most recognizable wrestlers in the world. However, all of those pale in comparison to the role of a lifetime as Fezzik in The Princess Bride. Not only is Princess Bride a stone classic, but Fezzik feels like the role Andre was born to play. As the filmmakers pointed out, there are few real life giants. Andre looked the part, he showed incredible comedic timing and chemistry with his co-stars. Not to mention, he had some of the funniest lines in the movie (“Anybody want a peanut?”)

The gentle giant role was not just a character Andre played. Despite his drinking and pain problems, Andre was one of the most beloved people in the wrestling and film business. Robin Wright relates stories of how Andre helped keep her warm on the set of the Princess Bride. Andre was also a notorious practical joker. Longtime friend Bobby Heenan often told stories of Andre cutting the cheese in elevators (Editorializing for a second, I shudder to think of what Andre passing gas sounded or smelled like), then blaming little girls.

Unfortunately, Andre the Giant passed away in 1993 in Paris from heart failure. His death was contributed to size. (Think of it like a big car needing more fuel and needing to work harder to carry a heavier load.) The man was only 46 at the time of his passing, but he left behind a legacy of being loved by fans, friends and inspiring big men wrestlers ever since.

WWE Extreme Rules Predictions

Can you feel it? It’s that time of year, the time when the rules are thrown out of the window and so are the wrestlers. It is time for Extreme Rules. Only 3 weeks since Payback, the matches at Extreme Rules seem to benefit from this short gap between the pay per view shows. The feuds have not overstayed their welcome as they have had a shorter lifespan and it seems that the 3 weeks since May 1^st have been used to intensify the feuds leading into this barbaric (hopefully) pay per view. Now as this is the first pay per view that will be covered on the site it feels necessary to explain the structure. The monthly pay per views are going to be previewed/reviewed by both me and the resident Smackdown reviewer and my best friend/bitter enemy Parzy. As there are 8 matches for Extreme Rules we will take 4 matches each to write a preview and review. Though we will both give our predictions and scores for all 8. I know it’s a bit confusing but sharing is caring guys.

Parzy Match 1 – Dolph Ziggler vs Baron Corbin (No Disqualifications)

In what will most likely be the pre-show match, we’ll have Ziggler getting over Corbin on the grandest stage of all (New Jersey). Gather all of your friends and family to watch The King of Strong Sells get buried by the up and comer. This match suffers in comparison to the rest of the card since the feud has received no attention at all, even less than attention than the Golden Truth storyline. In all likelihood, the culmination of this feud will actually be very impressive, especially since the two have the most to prove to the WWE Universe out of everyone on the card. This fight could decide Corbin’s bookings for the next year, the crossroads between a Kevin Owens opening year and a Tyler Breeze opening year. Hopefully, the two can put on a match that will put the AGMBR winner on the road to Corbinmania.

Parzy’s Prediction: Baron Corbin

TheRealDills’ Prediction: Baron Corbin

TheRealDills Match 1 – Jericho vs Ambrose (Asylum Match)

So first off it is the dreaded ASYLUM MATCH! Now this match can definitely go either 1 of 2 ways, the first possibility is that we will get Dean Ambrose going back to his CZW roots and bring Jericho to his hard-core limit. The second possibility is that we will get a repeat of Ambrose’s match with the Beast at Wrestlemania 32. Which would be dull, boring and worst of all not extreme. Whether the match is good or bad the winner will hopefully be Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe was beginning to become synonymous with the phrase ‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride’ and there was truth to that. However with his win over Jericho at Payback, it seems that WWE may finally be attempting to build momentum for Ambrose

TheRealDills’ Prediction: Dean Ambrose

Parzy’s Prediction: Dean Ambrose

Parzy Match 2 – The Club vs The Usos (Tornado Tag Team)

The last Tornado Tag Team stipulation on the WWE main roster  occurred almost three years ago at Extreme Rules 2013 where The Shield beat Team Hell No for the Tag Team Titles. I think that this stipulation hasn’t been wasted for this match, as shown by the inability that these teams have to wait for tags on Raw and Smackdown. Both teams are experienced, talented athletes with long histories, so it’ll be good to see them wrestle without the shadows of AJ Styles and Roman Reigns at ringside stretching over them. This match should be a long one, provided that they work as teams rather than immediately splitting into two one on one matches. So far The Club’s talent has been squandered in favour of the Usos winning matches, so I hope that all those losses will end in one big win on Sunday night to get The Club fully over in the eyes of the WWE Universe.

Parzy’s Prediction: The Club

TheRealDills’ Prediction: The Usos

TheRealDills Match 2 – Rusev vs Kalisto (United States Championship)

The US title has been through a difficult time in recent years. Cast your minds back to the lead up to Wrestlemania 31 and the then champion (now challenger) Rusev was an unstoppable monster. Then after the Rusev train was stopped by the one and only John Cena, we got an amazing run with the US Open Challenge. Ever since his departure back in October at Hell In A Cell, the US title has slowly moved its way down the card and into the pre-show. Kalisto’s run as the champion has not been able to regain the value that the title recently held, this is why my prediction is that Rusev walks away champion.

TheRealDills’ Prediction: Rusev

Parzy’s Prediction: Rusev

Parzy Match 3 – The New Day (C) vs The Vaudevillains (Tag Team Championship)

This matchup has had one of the biggest build-ups out of all of the card, with the Number 1 Contender contest starting…. Holy shit it was only a month ago, this build up has felt like its been going on for much longer, with the debut of Enzo and Cass and The Vaudevillains kicking off the  contest and so much going on since then (The Dudley Boys/Enzo and Cass feud, the Enzo and Cass/The Vaudevillains feud, Enzo’s injury and  The Vaudevillains/The New Day feud). Even though this match has had so much build up I expect the New Day to win, The Vaudevillains are too fresh for a championship already and The New Day are only 11 days off of the record for longest Tag Team Title reign (As of 20/05/2016). I love the New Day as champions so I hope that they hold on to the titles this time. The belts would look great on The Vaudevillains in the future, though.

Parzy’s Prediction: The New Day

TheRealDills’ Prediction: The New Day

TheRealDills Match 3 – Natalya vs Charlotte (Women’s Championship)           

      

The match between Charlotte and Natalya at Payback was a really solid match with the only flaw being the ending, and it was a very big flaw. The way the match ended at Payback was so unnecessary and frankly a bit disrespectful towards Bret and Natalya. The solution that was offered for Extreme Rules was the added stipulation that this will be a submission match. It does make sense as this will prove who truly able to outlast the other. I am pretty confident when I say that Charlotte will be able to get the win as her reign is clearly heading for bigger things. Hopefully, with the added stipulation that Flair cannot be at ringside, we do not get a repeat of the events of May 1^st.

TheRealDills’ Prediction: Charlotte

Parzy’s Prediction: Charlotte

Parzy Match 4 – The Miz (C) vs Cesaro vs Zayn vs Owens (Intercontinental Championship)

This match is my most anticipated match of the night, with each contender equally worthy of the title, it’s the least predictable match-up on the card. I can also now confidently say that this match has had the longest build-up to the match, starting way back when KO lost his title to Zack Ryder at Wrestlemania. Even though we have seen these four fight each other again and again over the weeks, I still feel invested in the story, and these four can definitely put on a great match together. This match would definitely benefit from a longer run time than some of the other matches on the card, with each superstar given time to flesh out the rivalries on display in the match up. Although this match’s results are up in the air, I think that Sami Zayn could be the surprise victor here, especially since KO is more compelling when he’s working for a title and Cesaro has nothing to prove. It would also set up a great one on one Sami vs KO feud in the coming weeks, which would be perfect without any other superstars diluting it.

Parzy’s Prediction: Sami Zayn

TheRealDills’ Prediction: Cesaro

TheRealDills Match 4 – AJ Styles vs Roman Reigns (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

Let’s not kid ourselves here guys. We all know that Roman Reigns is leaving this match with the title. Despite the fact, he is still not, and probably never going to get the crowd reaction that Vince and co want is clearly not deterring them. The Roman Reigns project is in full effect. I expect this match to be a great match, AJ is, in my opinion, the best in the world at pure wrestling and Roman is half bad in the ring either. There is also the extreme rules stipulation which means things are bound to get out of control. Normally the lack of a clear face/heel in the feud would lead to an unpredictable match. But this is Roman Reigns we are talking about. Sure Styles definitely deserves a victory as not only is he the better wrestler but also a fan favourite, but Roman is not dropping that belt before Summerslam. My only real question is, are we going to see Finn Balor? Please let it be so.

TheRealDills’ Prediction: Roman Reigns

Parzy’s Prediction: Roman Reigns

So there we go, those are our predictions for WWE Extreme Rules. Do you agree with me or are you more inclined to agree with Parzy? Maybe you disagree with both of us and if so be sure to leave a comment and tell is what you think the outcome of Extreme Rules will be. You can follow me on twitter @THEREALDILLS and Parzy @oliverwoodster.

Smackdown – 19/5/2016

Welcome to your weekly coverage of Smackdown, tonight is the last live event before Extreme Rules so with all the matches set, there shouldn’t be too many surprises outside of stipulations or progressions. So,while Kane is weeping in his bed, let’s get to the Smackdown of May 19th.

Kevin Owens vs Cesaro

We get straight into it with Kevin Owens vs Cesaro with Sami Zayn and The Miz as guest commentators. So far I’ve really enjoyed the run up to the Intercontinental title, even with Zack Ryder’s burial, but there’s only so many times these four can fight each other before the title match this Sunday.

While both of these athletes are incredible in their own right, I think that the two of them have the least chemistry out of the match ups in this foursome. Most of the entertainment of this match up comes out of the arguments on the commentary table, with the match only working as a formality before Sunday. Even though this is the case, Owens and Cesaro are still giving everything they have to this match, showing their mettle as two of the most talented athletes in the company. It’s good to see that they aren’t fighting a subpar match to prevent injuries before Sunday, still showing great moves like Cesaro’s standing dropkick.

I can’t wait for Sunday because all of these interruptions affecting the outcome of the matches are starting to get tiring.

Winner by pinfall, Kevin Owens

Rating 7/10

Dana Brooke vs Paige

Next up we have Dana Brooke vs Paige with Becky Lynch guest commentating. Even before the match starts we have Lynch putting in good remarks on the commentary ‘getting poked in the eye is the worst injury I’ve suffered since it gives me double vision and I had to see Dana’s face twice.’ Even though her commentary might be good, I question the camera man’s need to keep switching focus to her while the match is going on. The match is over in minutes,  with what feels like more focus on the commentary team than the match.

It’s great that Dana Brooke is getting such a good push but it sucks that Lynch and Paige are getting jobberfied in the process. If the WWE want to give the women’s division a better push, they need to give more time to these matches, it seems like the only matches that go over ten minutes involve Ric Flair which is miserable considering how good these athletes are.

Winner by (slightly botched) pinfall, Dana Brooke

Rating 3/10

Next up we have a backstage promo from Rusev and Lana. Rusev has really improved since the dissolution of the League of Nations, but his backstage promo leaves a lot to be desired. Lana is a good manager for him though,  getting the finesse that’s needed for a promo outside of ‘Machka’ chants.

Dolph Ziggler vs Sheamus

Speaking of the League of Nations, Sheamus has also greatly benefited from it’s absence. He can actually fight properly without having to lose every match he’s involved in, showing why he was made the world heavyweight champion six months ago (only 6??). While Sheamus may be getting more recognition, Dolph Ziggler really needs a push, the former champion has spent the past six months getting over NXT stars, it seems like such a waste of talent, especially since his last project (Tyler Breeze) has only been making sporadic appearances on mid card matches.

The match has both men putting in their all, the two former world heavyweight champions showing why they got their titles in the first place. They seem energised by their opportunity to fight a new opponent. Ziggler is the underdog in every match he comes up against, mainly due to his status as the king of sells (his sad punching of Sheamus‘ shins was great). The finish of him falling onto Sheamus was a great end. Corbin’s promo at the end of the match makes me hope that there’s something bigger in his future, a US championship run at least.

Winner by Pinfall, Dolph Ziggler

Rating 6/10

We have a promo for the Asylum match on Sunday now, with Jericho visiting the Asylum. Although Jericho is one of my favourite superstars, with what seems like 40% of this years best lines coming from him (‘You Stupid, Stupid Idiot!’), this feud just seems contrived to me. Sure the stipulation is good, but Jericho and Ambrose should be doing bigger and better things. Jericho’s excellent mic skills (‘Quiet quiet quiet quiet quiet’) are going to waste in this feud. I enjoyed Jericho’s going through the available weapons and days that Ambrose will spend in hospital was a good bit.

Ambrose’s attack was a good twist to make the night more interesting, if he had just ran in, the promo would have been a waste. The commentary team running clean up on the asylum’s inability to keep Jericho caged was enjoyable. ‘the door will be locked on Sunday’.

There is no way in hell I’m mentioning anything about these miserable life lessons with Backlund. They just seem messy and poorly filmed.

The New Day and Big Cass vs The Vaudevillains and the Dudley Boys

While I’m enjoying Cass’ revenge against the Vaudevillains, and I’m glad that he isn’t being buried, until Enzo comes back he should be having solo matches with mid carders, he seems a bit wasted as the white shadow of The New Day.

And in contention for the most obscure reference I’ve made to date…..

We’ve definitely seen this match before and it isn’t the freshest feud on the card at the moment, but I am always a slut for The New Day. The match is a good one, with the struggles for the tags actually coming across as tense and The Dudleys screaming at The Vaudevillains is always great (‘I WANT YOU TO WATCH’).  Big E throwing Kofi at Gotch was great, throwing caution to the wind in the injury prevention before Sunday. The match’s finale was great.

In a way I’m not looking forward to an eventual New Day/Enzo and Cass feud, I like Cass’s chemistry with them and I like both tag teams as faces.

Winner by Pinfall, Big Cass and The New Day

Rating 7/10

Roman Reigns (With the Usos) vs Luke Gallows (With Karl Anderson and AJ Styles)

How many times do we have to watch these match-ups? It’s getting sad to watch The Club get murdered by The Usos week after week. After seeing the match up so many times, setting Reigns vs Gallows as a main event on Smackdown really shows how much they need this feud to end. The feud could have been interesting if The Usos were allowed personality, or if it was formed by anything other than misunderstanding that are only seen in romantic comedies. The sad thing is that all of these athletes have talent, you can see that in Reign’s driveby on the side of the ring alone, they’re just being ran into the ground by this meaningless feud.

This match shouldn’t have been booked as a singles match, it’s far too predictable, if they wanted this match to mean anything, they should have booked a series of handicap matches starting with Raw. Reigns vs The Club on Monday (Styles and The Usos banned from ringside), Styles vs The Usos on Thursday (Reigns and the Club banned from ringside) ,then the title match on Sunday (The Usos and The Club banned from ringside). At the very least, it would be less predictable, they could even make Styles look more strong by having him beat The Usos while Reigns loses to The Club. As it stands, I don’t think anyone believes that Reigns leaves without the title on Sunday, it’d at least be less predictable if WWE made any effort to make Styles a threat to him.

Match ends with a No Contest after Anderson attacks Reigns 

Rating 4/10

If anyone was confused by how Smackdown just sort of ended mid fight, WWE have the actual ending on their Youtube account, which was actually much more interesting, setting the final stakes for Sunday.

Overall, this was a pretty meaningless Smackdown, only serving to show the final relationships going into Extreme Rules on Sunday. although this was to be expected.

Rating 5/10

Highlight

You can follow me on Twitter @Oliverwoodster, tell me what you think about Extreme Rules, I’ll probably be tweeting during it.

The NXT Review – May 18th 2016

Whats Up Wrestling Peeps! Finally – we get Bayley back in action against a worthy opponent. Her TakeOver London rival Nia Jax no less.

But first we got the return of those sparkle pants in the form of Austin Aires and his mystery partner – Shinsuke Nakamura. Okay, I was surprised by this too. Like many in the crowd, I though we would see Bobby Roode.  Yes I know, had this happened Twitter would have lite up on the news of his arrival, being pre-taped and all. But Hey, this is NXT. Anything could happen after all.

Never-the-less this was a nice surprise too. I mean c’mon, like I’d complain over more Nakamura? To that point, Blake & Murphy made excellent sparring partners for the veterans and I’m never going to moan over an Alexa Bliss appearance.

More on the match though and it was too short for my liking with a confused ending to boot when Aires wanted in on the match before Nakamura took the win for himself. But rather than setting up some feud between the two (no-matter how awesome that would be), ultimately this was the story of Alexa leaving “her boys” high-and-dry after yet another loss.

Surprising still however was Blake following soon after, bringing an end to one of my favourite Tag Teams on NXT. #TotesAmosh

But I’m choking back the tears and choosing to look on the bright side because although brilliant together, all three competitors can go forward and excel in single competitions. Perhaps a title shot is in the cards for Alexa, here’s hoping.

She might have to wait in line though as Carmella seems to have the title in here sights and a push behind her. Peyton Royce didn’t stand a chance from the vastly improved Princess of Staten Island whose confidence in the ring grows as much as her repertoire in the ring.

I could easily see Carmella making a name for herself on the main roster but the key to her assent lies in NXT. Given another year to hone that ring-psychology, she may yet be remembered as ushering-in the next era of Women’s wrestling on NXT alongside Asuka, Nia Jax and Bayley too.

Loving how NXT have been embracing their Indie-side with cell phone footage of last Sunday’s live event mayhem. WWE has always embraced social media but when it comes to the Main Roster it often feels forced and (ironically) fake.

When it comes to the Finn Balor and Samoa Joes feud on NXT, it adds credence to this ongoing hatred for one another that threatens to over flow anytime, anywhere, any-place. Leading to the moment that I have been waiting for so long now. The announcement of Balor and Joe … inside a Steel Cage at TakeOver.

Thank You Wrestle Gods.

I heard the rumours and I let myself believe them but damn, so pumped for this one. Even if it could mean Balor moving on the Main Stage, this needs to happen and it feels right for these two to finish this War with an epic-conclusion inside a Steel Cage.

Speaking of War. The cold one that Bayley is fighting against Nia Jax may be the unwritten feud of the night. With 6 months passing since the last time these two met, the aggression that Nia has for the former Women’s Champ doesn’t seem to have been satiated by the number of wins she has collected since her loss at TakeOver London.

This match could almost be called TakeOver London: Part Two with Nia’s sheer vengeance towards the Huggable underdog as menacing as her dominance in the ring. Once Bayley was able to get Jax to her knees the match transformed into a solid back-and-fourth as Bayley elevated her strategy, taking big risk with combination of hard-hitting strikes and submission moves.

Unfortunately for the former Champ, the outcome this time round was in Nia’s favour, whose exploitation of Bayley’s buckled knee resulted in a big win.

With Jax closing the book on her first big loss to Bayley, this must mean that Nia will be facing Asuka for the title next right? With a number of matches already lock-up for TakeOver in 3 weeks time, the answer to that question may come next week.

Talk about leaving a bro hanging.

For all your NXT News & Reviews, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

Lucha Underground SN2 EP13- ‘Monster Meets Monster’

Hey everybody! I’m back with another Lucha Underground review. The bright side of me getting behind on these is that you’ll get more than one this week. We know this main event for this episode will be Mil Muertes facing off against the Lucha Underground Champion Matanza. This will be a battle of Goliath versus Goliath. Let’s get to the episode!

The show begins with Cueto speaking with Fenix, Drago and Aero Star backstage. He tries to convince them to team. He did this last week with Mundo, Taya and Cage. Cueto decides against putting the team together and instead decides to team Fenix with P.J. Black and Jack Evans. Drago and Aero Star will be up against each other for one of the Aztec medallions.

The first match of the night is Aero Star versus Drago. I haven’t been able to speak much about Drago since I started doing these articles, so I’m happy to see this match taking place. Drago was one of my favorite wrestlers on the first season of Lucha Underground. These two men are about to put on a show stealer!

The two attempt multiple pins towards the beginning of the match. The match goes back and forth until Drago is able to take Aero Star down with a kick. Aero Star is able to recover and hit Drago off of the top turnbuckle. Aero Star attempts a handshake but Drago goes for a kick instead. Aero Star attempts to jump off the ropes but falls down hard. Even the most talented wrestlers can make mistakes ladies and gentleman!

Drago then throws Aero Star into the rafters. They both go back in the ring. Aero Star attempts a similar move to the one he made a mistake on before and fortunately hits it this time. Drago hits a move reminiscent to Aero Star’s very quickly after. Man these guys are fun to watch!

Both are back inside the ring now and Drago attempts a pin on the clearly injured Aero Star. Aero Star is able to kick out. Aero Star is still doing these crazy aerial moves even though this injury seems to bother him quite a bit. He hits one final top rope move and is able to get the win. I find it remarkable that Aero Star’s mistake made his win even more spectacular.

We get a vignette involving Taya and Johnny Mundo next. As I mentioned in my article for the previous episode, these two never fail to steal the show. Taya tells Mundo that he will be facing Cage next week in a match for one of the Aztec medallions. It will be a steel cage match!

Match two is upon us and its Fenix, P.J. Black and Jack Evans versus Catrina’s Disciples of Death.

Black and Trece start off the match inside the ring. Fenix attempts to tag in but Black pulls his hand away. It’s nice to see Black do well since leaving WWE. He was one of my favorites on that first season of NXT but WWE eventually had him playing a dude in a bunny costume. Evans has now tagged in.

Evans is one of my favorites on the Lucha Underground roster. The Disciples of Death now triple-team P.J. Black. Fenix is able to finally get into the match. He hits his typical high-flying moves on the Disciples of Death and looks like he is getting close to a win. He attempts a pin but the Disciples of Death kick out and get some hits of their own on Fenix.

The Disciples of Death continue to beat the hell out of Fenix. Fenix is able to tag in Evans. Evans is fantastic everybody! Fenix is back in the match now. The Disciples of Death attempt a pin but Fenix kicks out again. Fenix, Evans and Black have been a much better team than I would have guessed. Right after I write that, Fenix and Black begin to argue. Fenix makes a tag as Black jumps over the ropes. Evans won’t let him enter the match. Evans does a similar move to Black onto the Disciples of Death. Fenix finally enters the match and gets the pin and the win.

I honestly enjoyed these three as a team quite a bit. They were wonderfully dysfunctional!

A backstage segment is next in Dario’s office. He is speaking with Angelico, Son of Havoc and Ivelisse. He reveals that they are now in the Trios tournament and that whoever wins the tournament become the new champs. Just for the record, in my opinion they are Team Ivelisse.

Another backstage segment follows involving the Disciples of Death. I mentioned last week how much I love the special effects the use on these three so it was nice to see again. Catrina is pissed and berates them. Holy crap you guys! We just witnessed a double murder on Lucha Underground! That was insane and so different from everything else you see in wrestling.

The main event between Mil Muertes and Matanza for the Lucha Underground Championship is finally here! I expect some great things but I don’t know if I’ll enjoy anything this episode I much as I enjoyed that last scene backstage.

The match is about to begin. Who needs Batman Vs. Superman? We have Matanza vs. Mil Muertes here in the Temple!

I can’t remember a time where I saw two behemoths like this face off. Mil Muertes gets the better of Matanza to start off the match. I could be wrong but I believe that’s the first time we’ve seen Matanza on his knees and back. Matanza is able to get up and throw Muertes into the turnbuckles.

They are throwing haymakers at each other! We are only a few minutes in and I already love this match! Matanza hits some suplexes on Muertes but Muertes is able to reverse and throw Matanza outside the ring. Dario Cueto gets involved at ringside. Muertes grabs him by the neck. Matanza is able to stop a violent assault on his brother but Dario does get hurt in the process.

Muertes goes to the commentary table with Matanza. Catrina is now involved. Matanza stalks Catrina and grabs her by the neck just like Muertes had done to his brother. Before he can do anything, Muertes hits him with a chair.

They are in the audience now. The violence in this match is incomparable. They make it to the top of Dario’s office. They fight back and forth on the top trying to throw each other off. Oh my god! Muertes and Matanza have fallen through the ceiling into Dario’s office! The match is now a no contest.

The episode ends with my guy Joey Ryan’s boss aka the police chief talking with someone. That someone just happens to be played by Lorenzo Lamas. I find this very distracting as someone who has seen Lamas in so many other things. Imagine seeing Bob Saget on WWE TV playing a role that wasn’t himself. It would take you out of it. You’d just say “Oh hey that’s the dad from Full House”. You’d then forget whatever happened and wouldn’t take it seriously.

The gist of the scene though is that the guy Lamas is playing suggests to the detective/police chief that she stop her investigation

It was another fun episode of Lucha Underground with a great cinematic backstage segment and a really entertaining main event. I’m looking forward to seeing the Trios championship match in the next episode!

WWE RAW Review: 16th May 2016

It is less than a week until the next pay per view, Extreme Rules! Tonight we are in North Carolina also known as Flair Country! I didn’t have high expectations for this week’s RAW as it is the ‘Go Home’ show for Extreme rules, but pretty much every storyline has been established. So I was left wondering would there be a spanner in the works? Or would RAW just coast into this Sunday’s pay per view?

OPENER

The commentary team tells us that tonight we will get Gallows and Anderson vs The Usos in a tag team match. Do you remember what I said about coasting? This is the seventh time, if you include both RAW and Smackdown, that The Club has faced The Family in some form. The night starts off with AJ Styles coming out to the ring. Styles aims to set the record straight, he is not using his friendship with Gallows and Anderson to unfairly win the WWE title. Roman Reigns comes out to interrupt Styles, with a chorus of boos to welcome him. Reigns isn’t believing anything AJ is saying. This segment is already beginning to drag honestly, and the crowd obviously agreed as we got a “We want Rollins” chant (Don’t we all). There is some more back and forth, AJ hates Reign’s “The Guy” speech as much as we do it seems. Also, The Family is no longer ‘The Family’, instead, the name has been replaced with ‘The Bloodline’. There are worse names I can think of so I’m not too fussed with this choice. Well, every good thing (and boring in this case) must come to an end as The Club come out to give AJ moral support, but the Usos are a step ahead as they enter the ring before The Club gets a chance to make their way down. The segment ends with a screaming contest between AJ and Roman.

• Ambrose to call out Jericho tonight
• Contract signing between Natalya and Charlotte also announced for tonight

SAMI ZAYN vs CESARO (NO CONTEST)

Before the start of the match, The Miz and Maryse make their way down to the ring as they will be joining the commentary team (I love heel Miz so this is fantastic). Things get even better when we see that not only is Miz going to be on commentary, we are also graced with Kevin Owens’ commentary which is always a joy to hear. Miz and Owens waste no time in bickering, continuing during the entrances of Zayn and Cesaro. The match gets underway as Sami and Cesaro feel each other out, however, the spotlight is quickly stolen by Kevin Owens, who attacks The Miz at ringside, leading to a brawl between the two. This an opportunity that Zayn and the Swiss Superman can’t afford to pass up and they both get involved in this brawl. The match ends in a no contest.

But wait! Here comes the money! It’s Shane O Mac! Shane quickly restores order and sets up a tag team match, Zayn, and Cesaro vs The Miz and Owens (Hilariously Owens screams that he has been given the worst partner). However, more craziness ensues when Stephanie McMahon decides to chip in, claiming that given the outcome of the same match on Smackdown the better choice is Cesaro and The Miz vs Zayn and Owens (Wait what! Zayn and Owens?!)

ZAYN & OWENS def. CESARO & MIZ

As we return from the break we find that Cesaro and Owens begin the match, with Cesaro quickly gaining the upper hand. The sassiness between the team of Zayn and Owens is wonderful both clearly despising each other. The match is very well paced and shows off the strengths of each competitor, especially Cesaro. Kevin Owens’ constant running commentary throughout the match is absolutely brilliant. This match was brilliant throughout, the Kevin Owens cannonball was great, and the spot in which Miz and Cesaro used each other’s finisher was entertaining. Surprisingly, in the end, it is the team of Cesaro and Miz who cannot cooperate causing Zayn to pick up the win after a Helluva kick on Miz. Unsurprisingly though the celebrations do not last long as Sami eats a superkick from Kevin Owens.

• Jericho is interviewed by Renee Young telling her that he is giving Dean Ambrose one chance to apologise.

THE SHINING STARS def. JACKSON & KENNEDY

After weeks of waiting it turns out those Puerto Rican video packages weren’t just a holiday advertisement, but actual wrestlers. Primo and Epico debut their new gimmick tonight, as The Shining Stars. What exactly they are meant to be is beyond me. Their match with Jackson and Kennedy (nice job on their tights by the way) is exactly what you would expect, a squash match. As expected The Shining Stars received no crowd reaction. At least their finisher is nice (Even if it is similar to The Ascensions).

• Ambrose comes out to the ring and calls out Jericho (what the hell was Jericho wearing?). Jericho who is still furious at Ambrose heels it up for the crowd and demands reparations for his jacket. The main thing we take from this segment is that this match will be an asylum match (basically a Clockwork Orange House of Fun match from TNA).
• Dana Brooke absolutely humiliates a random backstage guy. Brutal!

DANA BROOKE def. BECKY LYNCH

With the upsetting news of the back injury to Emma, it seems that Dana Brooke is being thrown into the deep end, even more than she was before. When Dana Brooke debuted on RAW last week, every NXT fan was left wondering, is it too soon? This week would be her gauntlet by fire it seems as she is left completely on her own against Becky Lynch. Well if this was her test then, unfortunately, Brooke did not pass. The crowd could not care less about Dana Brooke in this match, instead chanting “We want Sasha” whenever Dana was on offense. Dana looked sloppy in the ring and hesitant during the match, she definitely could have used more time down in NXT.

• Another ‘Make Darren Young Great Again’ video package. This one didn’t make any sense, are we just meant to laugh at Bob Backlund for being old?
• Stephanie and Shane are still trying to stay on good terms, but the cracks are there. The Dudley Boys interrupt the awkward tension in an attempt to get an easy match, which backfires leading to one of the Dudley’s facing Big Cass.
• Golden Truth video package (YOU WILL NEVER MAKE ME CARE ABOUT THIS)

BREEZANGO def. GOLDEN TRUTH

Well if you had thought that the troubles between R-Truth and Goldust were over then you will be disappointed after tonight. After a dominant showing from Goldust, the chaos in ring lead to R-Truth accidentally kicking Dust in the face with a corkscrew scissor kick, Tyler Breeze quickly took advantage of this clearing Truth from the ring and getting the pin on Goldust. It seems the trouble is far from over with the Golden Truth (but more importantly ANOTHER WIN FOR TYLER BREEZE!)

• Truth and Goldust vow to remain a team
• Now for the best part of the night, The New Day! This whole segment was gold. Absolute gold. From old school Kofi to Derriere Squares, this segment was brilliant. The Vaudevillains were also made to look very strong in taking out The New Day.

THE USOS def. ANDERSON & GALLOWS

There is nothing wrong with this match if you look at it from a technical perspective, both teams work well in the ring and have good chemistry. However, we have seen variations of this match so many times by this point that I am sick of it. This week’s version is the same as the previous matches that have taken place over various episodes of RAW and Smackdown. The Usos continuously dab, Style and Reigns trash talk and The Club look weak. I have to question the choice in having the Usos come out victorious, so far The Club has not looked like a threat at all during their feud with The Bloodline, and this has not helped at all. The all out brawl at the end of the match even feels stale at this point, even if the Styles Clash on the chair was cool.

BIG CASS def. DEVON DUDLEY

Holy shit! Cass was made to look really strong here. From start to finish this match was exactly 1 minute long. It seems even without his partner in crime Enzo, the WWE are invested in Big Cass’ future (as they should be).

DEL RIO def. KALISTO

This was a pretty good match between the former and the current United States Champion. Del Rio does a fantastic job at being the heel this week especially that swing into the barricade. It seems that some bonds are not easily broken as Del Rio forces Kalisto to watch former LON team member Rusev dismantle Kalisto’s partner Sin Cara. Alberto is able to control the pace of the match, with various bouts of offense from the Kalisto in response. Eventually, Rusev and Lana make their way to the ring while Rusev bullies and torments Sin Cara. This distraction costs Kalisto the match as Del Rio gives him a backstabber to pick up the win. That’s not the end for Kalisto however as Rusev then places him in the accolade, almost as if he is intent on snapping his spine. I for one am very glad to see that Rusev is being portrayed as a monster again. Hopefully, we can put this last year of love triangles behind us and return to the Rusev we know and love.

CLOSING SEGMENT

Can we take a moment to point out that a women’s segment is closing the go home Monday Night RAW? It seems that the era of bra and panties matches is long gone and it is a relief to have good women’s wrestling. Well, it is time for a good ole fashioned contract signing! With Shane and Stephanie acting as mediators, we have them introduce (or TRY to introduce in Charlotte’s case) the champion and the challenger. Now considering this is Flair country, Charlotte had to work very hard to get some heat tonight, but by god she did it. Charlotte had to resort to calling herself a goddess and silencing her own father but she was able to silence the boos. As expected with a WWE contract signing things get out of hand quickly. It is revealed that the contract has a clause. If Ric gets involved in the match against Natalya at extreme rules, then Charlotte will lose the Women’s Championship, and if Charlotte doesn’t sign she will forfeit the title tonight. Not much choice for the Women’s champion. This gets the Nature Boy heated as he berates Stephanie and tried to take on Shane (I don’t care how old he is, I will always love Flair). Flair gets a bit too angry though and ends up eating a slap from Stephanie McMahon. All this commotion in the ring leads to Nattie giving Charlotte the sharpshooter and we end the show on Natalya standing tall.

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP:
• Match of the Night: Zayn & Owens vs Cesaro & Miz
• Moment of the Night: The New Day time machine segment
• They have definitely pulled the trigger on Dana Brooke too soon.
• I’m definitely not imagining it, there is definitely a weird tension between Shane and Stephanie

In the beginning of this review, I questioned whether this week’s RAW would make some interesting changes or if it would just coast into this Sunday. Well considering that of the 8 matches tonight we have seen 7 of these matches before with a few slight changes. Not a good sign for the New Era. This week’s RAW gets a 5/10

As always you can follow me on twitter @THEREALDILLS, I am also considering making a private account so I can stalk Becky Lynch in peace.

TNA Review: 10th May 2016

OPENER

So this week we open up the show with the Charismatic Enigma Jeff Hardy and his awful theme song (I’m going to point this out every week). Jeff gives the usual baby face promo to fans telling them he does everything for the “creatures”. The promo is swiftly interrupted by Decay who come out and tell Jeff a few things. 1. They have nothing against him 2. They would even like him to join Decay and 3. They were paid to attack him and who paid them will be revealed in time. Jeff is not so easily swayed to the dark side, however, reminding Decay he “doesn’t sell out he sells in” (What does that even mean?) The conversation between Hardy and Decay doesn’t stay civil for long and with the numbers game on Decay’s side it doesn’t go well for Jeff. But wait! It’s James Storm! Strom runs out to save Jeff and the match is set, Hardy and Storm vs Decay for the tag team titles.

DECAY def. HARDY & STORM (TAG TITLES MATCH)

The newly put together tag team of Jeff and James perform well together in the match, James Storm is a clear crowd favourite, therefore, the crowd is constantly cheering him on whether he is on offense or defence. Jeff is a seasoned veteran at this point and he may not be what he once was but he knows a tag team match like the back of his hand and is utilises the hot tag very well. The match is what you would expect it to be. The titles are on the line and the match is fairly even with James Storm and Crazy Steve looking impressive in the ring. However, things change when suddenly the lights go out. As the viewer stares at a blank screen we hear the delightfully creepy laugh of Rosemary and when the lights come back on it is someone we would never expect, Willow! (For any in the audience not aware Willow was a character that Jeff Hardy has played in numerous companies including TNA). The commentators and especially Jeff are as confused as the viewer, how can Jeff be in two places? Well clearly he can’t, it seems that the targeting and toying of Jeff Hardy has only begun. Due to this distraction, Abyss is able to hit the Black Hole Slam to pick up the win.

• Backstage a very pissed off Jeff Hardy is determined to find out who this fake Willow is. He tells us he will unmask him tonight.
• We get a weird vlog of Mike Bennett and Maria at a Billy Corgan concert, I have no idea why this is a thing.

DREW GALLOWAY def. ELI DRAKE (WORLD TITLE MATCH)

Champion Drew Galloway comes out to the ring and calls out Lashley. The Champ and Challenger trade insults back and forth, with the number 1 contender clearly trying to get into Galloway’s head. In my opinion, Lashley is definitely better as a cocky heel. He’s a freak of an athlete and he knows it. Lashley puts Drew on notice, in a week’s time he is coming to get his title. This fight has definitely got a big match feel, and the anticipation keeps getting higher. After Lashley leaves, none other than Eli Drake makes his way from behind the curtain. Drake makes his intentions clear, he wants titles and he wants them all (way to put down the X-Division by the way).

The match tonight was good from both Drake and Galloway. It was clear from the pace of the match and from the commentary that this was a match that Drew was trying to end quickly. The Captain didn’t waste any time pulling out some big moves such as a belly to belly suplex or a beautiful scoop power slam (eat your heart out Orton). Drake is by no means a pushover, however, he displays his cunning by trying to distract the ref in order to attack Drew with his Money in the bank fan replica. However things do not go to plan and Galloway is able to put the match to bed with a Claymore Kick into a Future Shock DDT. The Champion doesn’t have much time to celebrate however as he eats a spear from the Destroyer Lashley, who is becoming desperate for the title.

• EC3 tells us backstage that tonight he has business with The Miracle Mike Bennett and that he will not leave until it is settled.
• Backstage we see Maria talking to both Gail Kim and Jade. Maria sets up a Knockouts title match between the two with Sienna to serve as an enforcer. (The Dave Meltzer reference in this segment was laughable)
• EC3 is so over that it is preventing him from doing his job. The Ass Kicking Machine calls out The Miracle and his wife Maria. (HE’S MAKING MEMES)

JADE def. GAIL KIM BY DQ (KNOCKOUTS TITLE MATCH)

The Knockouts title match between the reigning champion Jade and challenger Gail Kim was a fairly decent match tonight. The in-ring work from both girls was very technical and the match had a slow but steady pace. Sienna’s role in the match honestly didn’t work for me. Sienna is clearly being portrayed as one of the next big obstacles in the Knockouts division and it just doesn’t fit. Sienna is by no means small, but she simply doesn’t have the presence of other monster heels in wrestling history such as Kong or Chyna.

• Al Snow is a madman. Not much more that needs to be stated really.

 

• EC3 is pumped, so I am too.

SHERA def. AL SNOW

Al Snow is crazy. I stated that moments ago but his promo before Shera came out proved it for me. Apparently his new gimmick is Donald Trump (Say what you want about WWE and “Make Darren Great Again” but at least they were very slightly subtle). This match and the entire direction of Al Snow’s character is frustratingly stupid. Apparently Snow is meant to be the protector of good ole fashioned wrestling. So why then is he using weapons and choking people with wrist tape? Al Snow proceeds to dominate the match against Shera in boring fashion until Grado runs out to turn the tide in Shera’s favour. Even the lovable Scot can’t make me care about this.

• The Willow segment backstage was so weird. The only thing we were meant to take away from that segment was that there are now multiple Willow’s. So fine it did its job. The question I am asking is, what the fuck is going on?
• More Al Snow rage.

EC3 def. ROCKSTAR SPUD

This week Impact Wrestling decided to end the show with the EC3/Bennett storyline, which while it may deviate from the traditional main title in the main event formula, I actually liked. Both EC3 and Mike Bennett are clearly going to be in the main title picture for a while and it seems that TNA is not going to hide that. The match itself, however, was a bit lacklustre compared to last week’s main event in my opinion. Rockstar Spud was very good in tonight’s main event, however maybe a bit too good. I have to say if I was not aware of the ongoing story of EC3 I would think that he was in a major angle with Spud. I know they have a history but the focus of the match seemed to be focused on Spud almost as much as EC3. Well, in the end, EC3 is victorious after hitting the one percenter and the inevitable rematch with The Miracle is one step closer.

FINAL NOTES/SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP: EC3
• Match of the Night: Drew Galloway vs Eli Drake
• Moment of the Night: “I’m making memes?!”
• Al Snow may be crazy be we all know that Dixie is the Trump of TNA

I have to say this was a really lacklustre episode this week. The matches were average but this week felt very fillerish, I do have high hopes for next week, however. Final Score 5/10

Oh yeah also follow me on twitter @THEREALDILLS. I don’t tweet much but that can change. I might even be nice about wrestling for a change

The NXT Review – May 11th 2016 – ‘Clean Cut Hardy Boys’

Whats Up Wrestling Peeps! Boom or a Whimper? That is the question regarding the handling to the aftermath of NXT’s longest reining Champ Finn Balor’s lose to Samoa Joe. I somewhat subscribe to the later given that the wound still smarts with how that lose occurred offscreen. But I can’t let-go of the hope that NXT will give a big payoff to a feud that has dragged on for many months. Especially if that oh-so-tantalising rumour of a Steel Cage goodbye Match for Balor is set in stone.

Oh baby, pleases all round.

The perpetual show openers, rabble-rouser or ‘The New Day‘ of NXT, American Alpha, got this weeks show off the blistering start. Who’d thunk that giving the most over guys on the developmental Brand the Tag Team titles would go over so well? It’s almost like giving fans what they want seems like a good idea or something. Who knew!

Okay, snarkiness aside, it takes more than being a crowd pleaser to ascend to the next level once you own that coveted title. But these guys – like The New Day – have used the fans goodwill and championship gold to catapult them to the face of the division, rather than resting on their laurels.

I could bang on about their in-ring skill and their willingness to try new things, but that’s old hat at this point. In fact, it is American Alpha’s commitment to their pro-wrestling background, a gimmick that altogether is old hat too (hello Kurt Angle, Jack Swagger and The Worlds Greatest Tag-Team), that has reinvigorated the NXT Tag Division.

Whereas the The Vaudevillians took the old timey too far, perhaps cementing themselves as a gimmick with a limited shelf life. American Alpha is old-skool exciting whose gimmick and mass-appeal lies in their talent in the ring.

Think a cleaner-cut Hardy Boys. Now doesn’t that get you excited for this teams future?

Could this count as a goodbye match for Alex Riley?

I know I’ve had some unkind words for Riley in the past but I won’t Sh@t on dude on the way out because simple fact is, the style of matches he produces just don’t do it for me. It’s not his fault and neither should he conform to suit any one individuals opinion. But there just isn’t anything new since he debuted with The Miz back in the day. A glaring fault in Riley’s repertoire highlighted when paired against the ever-entertaining Shinsuke Nakamura.

Of course Nakamura got the win here as he continues to rack up the points before the final boss in the form of Samoa Joe. A match that I hope we will see on NXT before the two inevitable rise to the Main Roster. I would have liked to see Nakamura and Balor face-off for the title but guess I’ll have to wait for a future WrestleMania match or … you know … WWE2K17.

Sidenote, I absolutely agree with Austin Aries observation that Blake & Murphy with Alexa Bliss is a marketable improvement.

Because EVERYTHING is better with Alexa Bliss.

Alexa’s ‘Blissed-off’ expressions is constant gif-worthy gold. Her total lack of enthusiasm for Rachel Ellering’s entrance was everything you want from a mean girl of her calibre.

So why is she being wasted on newbies?

My love for the Bad-Pixie of NXT is no secret. And my girl needs to be put in a storyline of substance. I’m not saying she is NXT Women’s Championship material just yet, due in part to my inability to watch Asuka wreck that smarmy little face of hers. But she deserves something better than this.

With her boys matching up against Aries and a partner of his choosing next week. Maybe – at the very least – she’ll get some airtime going forward.

Baby steps Alexa, I can wait for that eventual push.

Main event time and back to that Boom or Whimper pondering. But first … Erm, stop wasting the former NXT Champ on the drifter Elias Samson already.

I’m sorry but I just can’t get it up for this guy. It’s that bad, I only just realised that I’ve been spelling his name wrong since he debut. Oops my bad, but can you blame me? Ugh, so boring.

Anywho, Balor got the win, William Regal got angry and Balor went flying over the top rope right smack-boom on Samoa Joe’s face. A full stop on the episode that set up a title rematch for TakeOver.

No Steel Cage stipulation just yet but there’s always time.

Make it so Regal. Get your trusty ol’white board out and make it so.

 

For all your NXT News & Reviews, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx.com

WWE RAW Review: 9th May 2016

It’s a new era in WWE. That’s what they want us to think anyway, and despite the fact they bombarded the audience with this new phrase ‘new era’, it’s hard not to agree with them as of recently. Since Wrestlemania 32 things have changed drastically in the biggest wrestling company in the world. Whether it’s calls ups from NXT or imports from other promotions the main roster seems to have gone through a shift. This week’s episode of Raw has honestly been quite difficult for me to pin down. The show had solid matches and new talent (hence the new era) however, the booking was odd, to say the least. We had 4 out of 4 champions who wrestled tonight lose. Why? Well, it wouldn’t be WWE if I didn’t question the booking.

OPENER

The show starts with Chris Jericho’s highlight reel. Firstly I have to point out something that cannot be overstated. Chris Jericho is a perfect heel. Jericho quickly brings the crowd to life, managing to get them to chant the name of a plant pot. Pretty impressive. Jericho’s monologue can’t go on forever though as Big Cass comes down to the ring to shut up Y2J. Even with the absence of Enzo Amore the tag team of Enzo and Cass is over like crazy, Big Cass didn’t even need to say the catchphrase “And you can’t teach that” as the crowd was saying it for him. This segment ends with a boot kick that could be heard around the world onto Chris Jericho.

• Jericho then speaks to Stephanie but against his wishes, she puts him in the main event with Big Cass. Wow! Big Cass in the main event? Things are going well so far.

CORBIN def. ZIGGLER

Our first match of the night is Dolph Ziggler against Baron Corbin. The match itself was as good as their opener at WWE Payback, but this time the right man wins, Baron Corbin. The match starts off with a good pace. Ziggler clearly tries to use his speed to counter Corbin’s size, while Corbin portrays the monster opponent with great moves such as that amazing deep six. The moment of the match was when Ziggler played possum in order to use the fameasser for a near pin. This showed the veteran that Dolph has become.

• Backstage we see another instance of someone trying to turn Shane and Stephanie against each other. Once again they fail to do so.

 

• Jojo interviews The Club, hopefully soon to be renamed the Balor Club (please). AJ is pissed at last week and the lines between face and heel get blurrier by the week.

TRUTH def. FANDANGO

How long has this Golden Truth angle been going on for? It feels like babies have been conceived and born while this feud has been going on. At least Tyler Breeze is getting screen time. This match was the definition of average.

• Backstage we get an IC title debate. Miz, Owens and the sharpest man in wrestling Cesaro all make their case to Stephanie and Shane, but Stephanie eventually tells them how it’s going to be. A triple threat match at Extreme Rules for the title. However Zayn has yet to present his argument and when he does we get another match scheduled for tonight. Zayn vs Miz, if Sami wins he gets a place at Extreme Rules.

PAIGE def. CHARLOTTE

Having been the face of the division in recent years it is good to see Paige back on Raw after a long absence. The match was very back and forth, Paige and Charlotte looked even. The match ends when despite being banned Ric Flair makes his way to ringside to confront Natalya, however, this distraction costs Charlotte the match. The way this was booked was extremely confusing honestly. It seems purpose of the match was to show Charlotte’s weaknesses without her father, but all it did was make it seem like the Nature Boy was a distraction. The glaring issues though was the commentary. JESUS CHRIST, THE COMMENTARY! This week Natalya was a special guest commentator and somehow things got even worse. The constant bickering between all 4 commentators was extremely distracting, and this proved that while she is an expert in the ring it, unfortunately, seems as if Natalya will always remain poor on the mic.

ZAYN def. MIZ

This match is a prime example of two superstars who know their characters. Sami Zayn is the ultimate baby face. A true underdog and before the match even begins we hear ole chants from the crowd who are all behind Sami. The Miz, however, is a true heel right down to his core and he plays the role like he was born to. This match was great tonight and though only the fourth match of the planned eight it is an early contender for match of the night. Zayn especially looked great, from his barricade moon sault to his as always brilliant Helluva Kick, Zayn was on form. After Sami gets a pin on The Miz we see footage of both Kevin Owens and Cesaro watching the match, the Intercontinental Championship match at Extreme Rules is going to be great no matter what.

• Renee Young interviews Becky Lynch backstage asking about her match with Emma the previous week. She tells Renee that she will give Emma a lass kicking but is suddenly interrupted by Emma and a debuting Dana Brooke, who proceed to ambush Becky.

• Another Make Darren Great Again segment. Am I weird for laughing at these? They don’t seem like they should be funny at all but I can’t resist chuckling.

• Oh yeah! Upupdowndown getting the recognition it deserves? About time! Oh, wait… W-What’s happening… is that pizza hut? Really? God damn it.

• The backstage segment shows Zack Ryder pleading his case to Shane O Mac as to why he should be in the fatal 4 way at Extreme Rules. Kevin Owens interrupts the two and after getting in Shane’s face the match has been set, Ryder vs Owens for a place in the fatal 4-way match

SIN CARA def. RUSEV

If we cast our mind back to Wrestlemania 31 Rusev was one of the strongest wrestlers on the roster in both kayfabe and talent wise. However since he lost the US title he has been on a downward spiral that hit rock bottom with the League of Nations. Hopefully, his chase of the US title helps him reclaim former glory. The match between Sin Cara and Rusev was standard, it helped heat up the feud which is all that it needed to do. You can’t go wrong when you have Rusev’s acting ability.

THE FAMILY def. THE CLUB

The Club make their way down to the ring, the team of Styles, Gallows, and Anderson seem like a formidable unit, and despite their differences in the previous weeks, they seem ready to take on The Family. Said Family make their way down to the ring (I don’t even need to mention the boos at this point). The match starts and I have to say both teams look very comfortable working with each other. This shouldn’t be surprising giving the ties all the respective teams have, but it was nice to see how well they gelled for this match. It is obvious that Roman and AJ are being kept away from each other as they should early on. The Usos and the team of Gallows and Anderson put on a good show with the club being able to pick up the first elimination on one of the Usos (I can’t tell them apart). As Newton’s third law tells us though there must be a reaction from The Family as Anderson quickly follows Jimmy/Jey. After this, we go to commercial break only to come back to see that another elimination had happened and that we missed Styles hitting a spectacular phenomenal forearm. Eventually, we are down to only Styles and Reigns when all hell breaks loose. Both men quickly exit the ring and it seems we might get a repeat table spot from last week. However, eventually, The Club and then the Usos return to support their teammates. After a chaotic brawl and one intense stare down we are left with Reigns staring down Styles while lifting the title. As a professed AJ mark, I have to admit I am ecstatic about a WWE World Heavyweight Championship rematch in 2 week’s time.

OWENS def. RYDER

The stipulations of this match were established earlier by Shane McMahon, and while I love me some Long Island Ice Z, Owens winning was the correct outcome. It seems that Vince and the rest of WWE do not have any long-term plans for Ryder and I have to come to deal with that I guess. The match was good, Ryder was able to get in some good near falls and looked threatening, but in the end, Owens did not seem troubled by Ryder as he hits a pop-up power bottom to get the pinfall.

• Big Cass calls tonight, “the biggest match of my career” and dedicates it to Enzo (aww). He then flirts with Renee (no one tell Dean)

DUDLEYS def. NEW DAY

The Dudley’s defeating the New Day really wasn’t necessary, even if you give the reasoning that it created more heat. Too many champions lost tonight. I have no comment on the “people like us” line.

ENDING SEGMENT

Well, this week’s Raw has been hit or miss so far but we have a great match to close the show. The one and only Big Cass will be main eventing on Raw for the first time in his li- sorry what’s that? Dean Ambrose? Fuck…. Well, it seems like we are closing on an Ambrose/Jericho brawl instead. There was nothing wrong with this brawl but it seemed like an odd way to close the show. Definitely, could have close with Styles/Reigns instead. Also, if I was Ambrose my number one priority would be the limitless amounts of scarfs, not the jacket.

FINAL NOTES/SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP: Sami Zayn
• Match of the Night: Sami Zayn vs Miz
• Moment of the Night: AJ/Roman staring competition
• As much as it pains me to admit I have lost all hope for a serious Ryder push. At least he got his WM moment.
• Did anyone else get a weird vibe between Shane and Stephanie? It wouldn’t be the first time Vince wanted an incest story.
• Despite the fact we all miss him, Big Cass does not need Enzo to be cool.
• New Era, New Era, New Era, New Era, New Era, New Era, New Era, New Era…..

As I said earlier this week’s RAW was very hit or miss. The show contained some very great technical ability but it was ultimately let down by its booking. This week’s RAW gets a 6/10 from me.

King Khan Impressive But Cannot Dethrone Alvarez

Referee Kenny Bayless waves off the count as Khan is out cold

 

In arguably the most anticipated fight of the year thus far. Amir Khan and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez duked it out, until the end came in the 6^th round, well before the scheduled 12. This to most book makers, boxing experts and ourselves at skatronixxx came as no real surprise, and although the knockout was extremely devastating, the fight was meant to be as brutal a beating and as one sided as Chris Brown and Rihanna’s relationship. Yet the fight was intriguing and not as one sided as the devastating KO loss on Khan’s record would suggest.

Amir Khan’s heart has never really been a question. At 17, as an amateur, following his Olympic Silver medal in Athens 2004, he had many chances to sign as a pro with lucrative contracts to earn himself a ridiculous amount of money at that age, yet delayed these opportunities for another year to avenge his gold medal final defeat to Cuban Mario Kindelan, in arguably the most watched Amateur boxing contest ever in the UK. Also Khan has shown some incredible courage in great victories whilst being knocked down and badly hurt against the likes of Willie Limond, Michael Gomez and most notably Argentine Marcos Maidana in 2010’s fight of the year. Yet with 2 particularly brutal KO losses as a pro, to World Welterweight champion Danny Garcia, and a 54 second destruction from unknown Colombian Breidis Prescott, these defeats have earned Khan a fairly justified reputation as having a vulnerable chin.

Coming into this fight against Saul Alvarez, who’s record stood at 46-1-1 (his only loss coming to Floyd Mayweather Jr.) with 32 KO’s and coming off the back of an incredible performance against the unheralded 160lb Middleweight champion and future boxing Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto, and a sensational 3^rd round KO of the dangerous James Kirkland, Alvarez had all the momentum. Khan had fought just once in the past year in a mediocre performance against Chris Algieri, who was spectacularly KO’d by Errol Spence just a few weeks back (as covered by Skatronixxx).

So the only real question was WHEN the KO would come for Alvarez, not IF. Yet from the opening bell, if you had not ever seen these two fight before, it would have been almost impossible to tell who the favourite was meant to be. Despite the year lay-off for Khan, the Brit started with electric speed. Canelo, who clearly had a size advantage as expected, looked particularly slow footed to start, which has been a problem of his in previous fights. Khan exploited this and within the first 30 seconds landed a crisp left right combo, which brought 2 of Canelo’s nieces in the front row of the audience to tears. It was a shock to everybody, and the thing that shocked most observers was the fact it seemed to move Canelo. Khan was meant to have a speed advantage, yes; but nobody anticipated Khan having the power to move or hurt Alvarez. The rest of the round Khan used his superior hand speed and took the 1^st in very impressive fashion. 10-9 Khan.

The second again followed the exact same pattern, some extremely fast hands from Khan, and with 4-5 punch combinations, which landed on Canelo’s arms and gloves did enough to win the round, because Alvarez still was too slow to be in range to land any shots on Amir. 10-9 Khan.

Khan landing a stiff jab square on Alavarez’s chin

The 3^rd round was a lot closer than the previous two. With Canelo moving slightly quicker and being closer to Khan, he was able to land a few shots. There were two significant moments in the round, both which strangely favoured Khan. I say strangely, because Canelo landed a clean left hook. This was great news for Khan for the fact it didn’t hurt him. Khan was meant to crumble as soon as Alvarez landed anything on his chin, yet his signature left hook didn’t move Khan. The second moment was with the last 10 seconds of the round, Khan landed a fast 2 punch combination on flush on Canelo’s face, popping the Mexican’s head back, giving a lasting memory of the round that Khan probably won it. So a close round but we gave it to Khan 10-9.

With Khan in the lead, Canelo’s corner looked nervous and were shouting conflicting instructions at the superstar. However this seemed to beam life into Alvarez, whose line of attack certainly changed in the 4^th. With Alvarez focusing his attacks more on Khan’s body, this disrupted the Brit’s flow and rhythm. The scintillating speed wasn’t as troubling to Canelo who was able to time Khan’s attacks better and land big body shots. Giving him a foothold in the fight. And the first clear round of the fight. 10-9 Canelo.

The 5^th followed an identical pattern to the preceding round. This pattern was startlingly identical to the Danny Garcia fight for Khan in 2012, where he was KO’d. However this Khan under trainer Virgil Hunter is a more defensive minded fighter, and a more intelligent fighter. Khan still tried to use his superior movement, but was trapped on the ropes a couple of times in the round. The combinations Khan threw were few and far between, and the brief interludes on the ropes where Canelo imposed his size and whacked Khan’s body, were more telling and the Brit was visibly slowing. 10-9 Canelo.

By the 6^th the frantic pace Khan set out from the start with may have caught up with him. Canelo’s timing was a lot better, but mid-way through the round Khan showed his heart, yet again which has typified his career landing a crisp combination. Canelo imposing his will and Khan’s movement was seizing up. Then BANG, with a lazy, slow jab, Canelo countered perfectly with a blistering overhand right, ending the fight in emphatic fashion. On first impressions the KO looked devastating, thankfully Khan got up and after an overnight stay in hospital for precaution, he has emerged unscathed and in fine physical condition.

So what’s next?

For Canelo it’s simple. GGG – for those who don’t know, that’s Gennady Golovkin, the other 160 lb world champion, and the number 1 pound for pound puncher in the sport. This is the fight the fans want to see and the only thing that can stop this fight is a dispute between promoters. Both fighters seem eager to fight one another, so there’s no logical reason why they shouldn’t. Unlike Mayweather-Pacquiao, this Golovkin-Canelo fight, would be the perfect time for these two to fight, two of the greatest fighters in their division, in their prime. It could be a classic, for either the end of 2016, or Cinco de Mayo (Mexican Independence Day, May weekend) 2017. For the good of boxing, we all pray it does take place.

Canelo and Golovkin a potential 2017 dream match up

For Khan, it’s hard to gauge where his career will go. As his venture up to 155 ended in such cataclysmic fashion, I think the move back down to 147 is inevitable, trusting he can still make the weight. But the courage, boxing ability, and heart he showed in this fight, and the undeniable talent the man possesses means he will still be a very tough fight for any elite level 147 pounder. The only question that remains, as was before this fight will be, can he be elusive enough to avoid the big punches in any of his fights to become a 3 time world Champion? A ‘tune-up’ fight would be recommended after such a heavy loss, but he’s still a world class athlete and a potential rematch with Garcia, or a mega domestic showdown with IBF Welterweight Champion and fierce rival Kell Brook could still be on the cards for him in 2017. Has Khan’s bravery to fight the elite caught up with him? It’s hard to know if this is the case as he fought against the world’s best 160lb fighter, as his natural weight is 147, that statement will only be confirmed or debunked when we next see him in action. Whenever that will be, it’s safe to say it will be an entertaining fight nonetheless.