WWE Survivor Series 2016 Review

Survivor Series is second only to Wrestlemania in WWE’s oldest PPV… and it’s often the most underwelming. That’s not saying Survivor Series is a bad PPV – events like 1998, 2007 and especially 2002 are examples of how good the November event can be. However, after years the traditional Survivor Series match has began to feel like more of an obligation. There have been moments of true inspiration – see the epic 2014 Team Cena vs. Team Authority (no seriously, see it. It’s good). However, usually it seems like an excuse to put random mid-carders on the show.

This year is different – with the brand split, the company is focusing on a big Smackdown vs. Raw motif. It is an unusual mix as both sides have heels and faces intermingling so we have very few battles of good vs. evil – “heroic” Seth Rollins isn’t gonna conquer the evil Kevin Owens when they’re on the same team. But there is still a dynamic. Can these people who don’t normally like each other function as a team? Now really is the time to do this sort of thing: We’ll probably see drafts in the future so this is the time where we really have guys defined as Raw Smackdown guys. And with the brand split fresh in people’s minds

Plus we have the much ballyhooed (but mostly maligned) return of Goldberg. Also this show has to live in the shadow of the nearly flawless NXT Takeover: Toronto. For the sake of fairness I’m not gonna compare this show to that utter masterpiece.

Team Smackdown (Becky Lynch, Naomi, Natalya, Alexa Bliss, Carmella) vs. Team Raw (Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte, Alicia Fox and Nia Jax)

As recently as two years ago, I would have called a match like this filler or a bathroom break match. With these talented women, this match is anything but filler. Before the match, former team captain Nikki Bella was attacked and replaced by Natalya. Time will tell whether this was all story or if it was to cover a real injury. I wouldn’t have minded Nikki Bella in the match since I think she’s improved and a match with this many women would have covered her, but I do think Natalya’s a trade up.

This was a pretty solid match. They did the thing where the women on both teams didn’t always get along. One highlight was when Nia Jax laid waste to Naomi outside the ring and let her just get counted out. What put this moment over the top was the way Jax just stood there, gloating over what she did. I was surprised to see how early Banks was eliminated, but also grateful that she didn’t do anything to shorten her career. The final moments came down to Becky needing to defend herself against Charlotte and Bayley – probably the best choices for survivors. Even in defeat, Lynch looked amazing (in more ways than one) as she fended off both women before being defeated by Bayley. Charlotte and Bayley celebrated before Charlotte beat up Bayley. This works as it makes Bayley look good by being the one who wins the match but setting up a feud between her and Charlotte

Overall rating: 3.5 stars (Out of 5)

Sami Zayn vs. The Miz – Intercontinental Championship

This was another good match. It kind of lacked drama because it didn’t quite have the drama of the previous Ziggler/Miz matches. There was a fun blend of Zayn’s more indie style with Miz’s more traditional style. This match was also fun because there was an atmosphere where man could have won. Both men also showed off their in-ring trash talking: Zayn taunted Maryse while Miz mocked Daniel Bryan’s taunts. I was worried we’d see Montreal rehash #9,823 in wrestling. But instead we saw a repeat of Austin/Undertaker from Cold Day in Hell ’97. Maryse wrang the bell while Zayn had Miz in a submission hold, tricking Zayn into thinking he won, only for Miz to sneak in a dirty pin. I disliked this at first, but the more I think about it, the more I liked Miz’s chicanery.

Overall rating: 4 stars

Team Raw (The New Day, Sheamus/Cesaro, Enzo and Big Cass, The Shining Stars, The Club) vs. Team Smackdown (Rhyno/Slater, The Hype Bros., American Alpha, Breezeango, The Usos)

Before the match, The New Day and Enzo/Cass did their usual promos. I bring this up because Big Cass claimed that he was running on Tim Horton’s coffee so he wouldn’t run out of energy. I’ve had Tim Horton’s coffee, and I can honestly say that’s not energizing anyone.

I was happy to see Breezeango in a high profile match. The match began with them playing fashion police – with hats, shades and tickets. Then they were almost immediately eliminated. So much for those two being treated like a big deal… Then the New Day was eliminated! On one hand, I kinda disliked that these guys who have been losing a lot (plus I’m a fan) were beaten so quickly, but I did like the “this can happen to anyone” vibe this match created.

This match had some insane action. Pretty much every team (that wasn’t eliminated early) got their big moves/spots in. This match would have earned high praises if just for that, but the last few minutes put this over the top. The last teams were Cesaro/Sheamus and the Usos. These last few minutes were an absolute nail-biter where it felt like either team could have taken it home. Cesaro pulled a big swing on Jey Uso that went on for an almost comical amount of time. There were dozens of moments where I thought one of these guys had it but their partner made the save or they just narrowly made a kickout. Cesaro won it for Team Raw with a sharpshooter. Cesaro and Sheamus have been doing an alright odd couple story, but have retreading Miz/Sandow with both asking for cheers and Sheamus receiving boos.

Overall rating: 4.5 stars

Brian Kendrick vs. Kalisto – Cruiserweight Championship

The story going into this match is that if Kaliston won, he would not only win the Cruiserweight championship, but the entire division would be moved to Smackdown. The match was pretty with both men gaining their finishers. Sadly, the crowd was inexplicably disrespectful during this match. The most noteworthy spot was when Kalisto performed a Spanish Fly of the apron. It looked amazing, but I hope he never e-e-ever does that again.

The match ended when Baron Corbin interfered and attacked both men. Hmmm, ruining a good match to make things about himself? Corbin apparently played the role of the crowd. I was ticked because I dislike seeing inconclusive matches at PPVs, but I’m hoping this leads to bigger things for Corbin. I feel like the man has a good look, good gimmick and is decent in the ring, but hasn’t gotten over because he’s directionless.

Overall rating: 3 stars

Team Smackdown (AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Shane McMahon) vs. Team Raw (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Braun Stroman)

If a match is going to go on for nearly an hour, people are going to expect something special. Did this match deliver? And how! It should be no surprise that a match with this much talent delivered. Shane and Stroman seem like the outliers, but Shane can do some crazy stuff (as we’ll find out) and a multi-man match like this can hide Stroman’s limitations. This match got off on the right foot – normally in long matches, guys would have to pace themselves in the beginning – which makes sense, they wouldn’t want to tire themselves out late in the match. However, with all these men being able to take turns, the action started off fast.

This match was filled to the brim with great spots. Owens eliminated everyone with a top rope cannonball. Shane performed the elbow drop on Stroman to the announce table. Stroman’s elimination was one of the most entertaining. He tried to re-enter the ring only to get caught by James Ellsworth – for a comedy spot in a big match, that was well-done. One of the best and most worrisome spots was when Roman countered Shane’s coast-to-coast into a spear. That was awesome. Less awesome was that Shane seemed legit injured. There was an awkward moment where Roman had Shane pinned but the ref stopped the count and Shane was declared eliminated.

Dean Ambrose was the first guy eliminated. I have to credit that they did this without making him look weak. Ambrose was caught up in fighting with Styles. This distraction allowed Stroman to pin Ambrose. Dean didn’t look like a loser, he just looked hot-headed. This opened the door later for Ambrose to return and form a mini-Shield reunion when he, Reigns and Rollins performed the triple powerbomb on Styles. This lead to the elimination of Styles – again, taking one of the top stars out of the match without making him look like a loser.

I have to hand out a demerit here and there for a few things. There was a moment where Owens got himself DQ’d for using the list of Jericho as a weapon. It seemed absurd for the Universal Champion to get eliminated in what felt like a glorified comedy spot. Jericho was eliminated almost immediately after because he was torn up at seeing his life work destroyed. This match showed the right way to do comedy spots and how to have big names eliminated – this was definitely the wrong way to do that. There were some laspses in logic, such as the way people seemed to be out of the ring for an eternity without getting counted out, but I’m willing to put on my suspension of disbelief glasses for that sort of thing.

The end of the match was exciting when Orton took Reigns’s spear for Bray Wyatt so Wyatt could get the win for team Smackdown. This match was just a perfect storm of great wrestling and great drama with nary a dull moment to be found.

Overall rating: 4.75 stars

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar

So here it is, after years of speculation, after their notoriously disappointing Wrestlemania match, after a month of buildup, these two finally meet. And it ends after a two spears and a jackhammer.

I admit I was upset at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how clever this was. First of all, I must admit I HATE the idea of any PPV ending with a squash match, but this kind of worked. First of all, Goldberg was known for squashing people in micro-matches: That was his thing. Second, I was honestly dreading this match. In his prime, Goldberg was exciting, but the man was not the best worker in his hayday and the man is not a spring chicken anymore. Combine that with Lesnar’s growing apathy (more on that later), and this match was looking to be a disaster. So yeah, by making this a short squash, at least it didn’t have time to get boring. Lastly, it was kind of satisfying. George Carlin once said he wanted to see a big climatic fight where the guy just got beaten up, and there was something cool about seeing someone go in, crush the other and leave.

Some may wonder if this is gonna make Lesnar look bad. I don’t think it makes him look bad from a kayfabe story – He’s been a monster for so long and if booked right, he could be an even bigger monster. However, I don’t think this is gonna improve his reputation of being lazy. I heard through the grapevine it was his idea to get crushed by Goldberg to make him look good. I’m sure the prospect of making bookoo money without really doing anything swayed his opinion.

Overall rating: 2 stars (Look, it was satisfying, but it was still a squash match)

Overall, Survivor Series was a great show. There were two match of the year candidates. There were some weak moments – but the end of Kendrick/Kalisto was hardly a dealbreaker and Goldberg/Lesnar was satisfying in its own way. Survivor Series may now be neck-and-neck with Royal Rumble as best (non-NXT) PPV of the year. Between this and Takeover: Toronto, WWE may have presented the most entertaining weekend of wrestling one could ask for.

WWE Legend Bret Hart Takes Aim At Seth Rollins….Again!

I want to say that Bret “The Hitman” Hart is my favorite wrestler of all-time, so if this comes off a little biased, I apologize. As someone with the mantra “Best There Is, Best There Was, Best There Ever Will Be,” you’re going to have a few opinions on what you do for a living. Seth Rollins recently was in a match for the WWE Universal Championship with Finn Balor at SummerSlam. In the match Finn Balor was injured and had to relinquish his Universal Championship due to an arm injury. This has brought out once again a firm belief from Bret Hart, that Seth Rollins is unsafe and dangerous in the ring! This is the third wrestler Seth Rollins has injured significantly in a match. He broke John Cena’s nose, injured Sting forcing him to retire and most recently Finn Balor at SummerSlam.

Now, no wrestler will intentionally go out and hurt someone on purpose, that is not what the intention is in a match. Bret Hart has been very upfront on how he wrestled for years, never seriously injuring someone. Seth Rollins has injured 3 major wrestling icons in a matter of two years. Seth is by far, one of the best wrestlers in the world right now and will be at the top for a very long time. But Bret may have a point here. With the same turnbuckle powerbomb move, he significantly injured Sting and Finn Balor. Which raises the question about the move being banned for a while from WWE. Samoa Joe retired Tyson Kidd with a Muscle Buster move in NXT and continues to use it as his finisher, which Bret doesn’t like either. In today’s wrestling it does seem to be strange that a big number of the top wrestlers seem to be on the shelf for months and months following injuries. Is it todays wrestling style or the wrestlers being unsafe?

On Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter Podcast he claims, that he is a huge fan of Seth Rollins and just wants him to wrestle cleaner and a little bit safer. Something or someone is always to blame when a wrong turn is taken. Bret has placed this on Seth following the history of Rollins in a WWE ring. WWE has ironically stayed mute on the situation and has not acknowledged anytime a wrestler is hurt upon a move. I wish Tyson Kidd and Sting were still wrestling but freak accidents can also occur, so it is somewhat unfair to flat-out put the blame all on Seth Rollins.

There are many factors that go into a match and dangerous spots do take place for the sake of entertainment. Bret has made a valid point, but as someone who was at the front of the business for a long time, he doesn’t seem to be considering all angles. It is a different era, and a way different vision for the WWE these days so it’ll be interesting to see what comes out of this whole debacle of a situation. The train might move to fast for some WWE legends to understand that change is good for the business. From my view I know Seth Rollins has injured 3 favorite wrestlers and Tyson Kidd can no longer compete. But once again, no athlete is purposely trying to destroy somebody’s career and take them out of the game. Unless of course you’re in the main event at SummerSlam, Cough*Cough*, Brock Lesnar. I assume nothing will come of this and will just end up being another wrestler’s opinion going unnoticed. WWE needs to improve on their writing and all wrestlers should be extremely safe in the ring! The first priority should be protecting each other, which any wrestling fan can agree with.

Smackdown Live 24/8/2016

Hey guys I’m back! Y’know me…. Parzy? Ok its been a long month and a lot has changed so I’ll forgive you. This is where I’d say that Smackdown is hot off of Summerslam but to be honest, are we? I mean what did Smackdown do during Summerslam? A subpar WWE title match with no title change, a forgettable Intercontinental match, an alright women’s match, Randy Orton’s bleeding all over the ring. There’s nothing reall- JOHN CENA LOST CLEAN! God that match was so damn good, AJ Styles kicking out of that Super AA nearly gave me a heart attack.God I love AJ Styles.

We open in the locker room, superstars are chatting, including Corbin and a masked Rowan, until someone enters. The new face that runs this place, AJ Styles, he gloats as he puts Cena’s armband on his head (Cena’s biceps are so fucking big) before noticing Dolph Ziggler sulking. AJ tells him that he hates losers before Dolph erupts and attacks him, the two are quickly seperated before the opening credits role.

The Tag team and Women’s division line the ring with some new belts in the center, both of which looking better than the Universal title. The titles are great but there are really so little people to contend for the titles, I mean six women for the title sort of diminishes its importance. The Tag Team division is looking more full though, with any team being possible champs, though some more than others (American Alpha man). Shane and Daniel are interupted by top free agent HEATH SLATER. He announces that he wants a title of some kind. When told that he isnt equipped to get the Women’s title, he announces that he’ll find a tag team partner and win the Tag Team title at Backlash. As he runs backstage to get a partner, AJ Styles comes out infuriated. As he lambasts the Tag Team division, the women’s title and the g- Dolph Ziggler! Obviously the locker room comments were too much for Dolph to handle, as he attacks AJ, starting another feud that he’s sure to lose. We go to adverts as they’re held apart.

Becky Lynch vs Alexa Bliss

Our first match of the night sees Lynch fighting Bliss as Naomi and Natalya commentate. Naomi has been so over since her rebrand, it’s unreal. It’s great too, the women’s division didn’t hhave time for a character who’s entire gimmick was ‘She has a big ass’. I wonder if Tamina will get similar treatment when she comes back. Natalya doesnt really do much. Lynch and Bliss put on a good match to open the night, with Bliss tapping out to Lynch after a short bout.

Winner by Submission: Becky Lynch

Next we get our first Slater backstage promo which had me laughing. Slater is surprised by a shockingly happy Miz as he agrees with Slater’s  proposal, saying that it’ll launch his career to new heights. Then he takes off his hood and reveals his bluetooth headset, he was accepting a job offer from Spielberg to be the new Indianna Jones. I’d prefer a movie of his chicken character from Summerslam but beggers can’t be choosers. Slater’s quest goes on.

Tag Team Tournemant Round 1: The Uso’s vs The Ascension

We start the tournemant with a battle of the jobbers, while The Usos are less jobberly, I hope The Ascension at least get to the second round of this tournemant. They desperately need a push of some kind. It pleases me that the crowd is so alive for this match though, chanting in response to Jey’s ‘OOOS’ yells and gasping where appropriate, maybe these teams are back on the up and up, at least to this crowd. The match ends with the Usos’ getting a win after an impressive finisher gets the pin for them. As The Usos advance and stand next to the titles (They look so good compared to my expectations) We find out that Randy Orton will be back to explain Summerslam’s ending tonight.

Winner By Pinfall: The Usos

AJ Styles, clad with Cena’s sweatband on his arm walks out to the ring and pulls out a mic. He gloats about his victory over Cena and allows Cena fans to look to him as their new idol. Felt like when when Harry Potter died and Voldemort invited people to look to him as a role model. God I love AJ’s heel work so much. As AJ yells at the crowd, Dolph Ziggler once again comes out, before being stopped by security. Daniel Bryan announces that they’ll fight tonight, if AJ wins, he faces Dean for the WWE Title at Backlash, if Dolph wins, so does he. I honestly don’t know what I want.

Carmella comes out, the crowd is almost silent. Why doesn’t the crowd like Carmella? she deserves so much more. At this rate she won’t get a pop until she shares a promo with Enzo and Cass. Nikki Bella comes out and completely crushes her pop, as she starts an interview with Renee Young, Carmella attacks. Maybe a heel run will get her the attention she requires. Oh shit it does. The Bella Buster she performs on Nikki actually gets her a cheer. This could be a good rivalry. Face Nikki vs Heel Carmella is what they both need right now, especially since being face did nothing for Carmella.

Randy Orton comes out to thunderous applause as he sports 1o staples in his noggin. Randy is annoyed, that Shane intervened in his match, believing that he could have went on, but he’s confident that they’ll have a rematch one day. He can’t say anymore as he is interupted by Bray Wyatt. God I love Bray Wyatt. His accent just puts me behind his promos instantly. ‘How’s your head randy?’ He compliments Randy’s fortitude, but chalks his loss up to his limits as a man. While Bray himself is a god. Bray begins to remove his jacket before he disapears, leaving the rocking chair empty.

We go backstage as Shane Mcmahon is interviewed, accusing Stephanie of not taking the incident with Brock seriously enough. He says that a $500 fine is a miserable punishment, and that he isn’t finished with Brock. Oh god, Team Shane vs Team Brock at Survivor Series please.

Heath Slater’s quest  for a partner continues, as he asks his final potential partner, Arn Anderson. Anderson declines, but tries to set him up with something before Slater lets slip that he was his last hope. Anderson leaves and Slater is crushed, until a new partner enters the picture. Rhyno!

‘I bet a Tag Team Title could pay for an above ground pool’

‘Did we just become Tag Team Partners?!’

This could be good.

Tag Team Championship Tournemant Round 1: American Alpha vs Breezango

Both of these teams should have went through to the next round over the Usos and The Ascension, instead  we’re probably losng Breezango so AA may live. American Alpha dominate, completely pumping the crowd up to give out USA chants. even though they’re sure to lose, Breezango put on their best performances, with breeze selling like a champ to the armbar. After the adverts the match gets elecric, with both teams stepping up their game, with huge moves and tonnes of exchanged near falls. Breezango have come a long way from their sunburnt match with The Golden Truth. However, an Alphaplex to a  Grand Amplitude puts Breeze in the ground, allowing Alpha to get the pin.

Winner by Pinfall: American Alpha

Dean Ambrose comes down from the casino to make an appearance as he’s interviewed about what he thinks of the #1 contenders match at the end of the show, he seems wholly unconcerned with it, although he will provide commentary.

Dolph Ziggler vs AJ Styles

Loving these new ringposts, the new look just makes the show feel more fresh, I was hoping they’d stay after Summerslam and I’m glad they did, definitely a good addition. The same goes for the grey mats. Oh yeah also the main event is on. Ambrose compliments Ziggler as the match goes on, bringing up his new aggressiveness and power since they started their feud. It shows as he dominates the early match, could this be the start of a new heel turn for Ziggler? Then again, the aggressive nature is making this match sloppy as hell, just like it did on Sunday. Hopefully if he goes heel he’ll at least put some more finesse into it. Ambrose completely outshines Otunga and JBL on colour commentary, showing them up at their own game. Those two have been terrible tonight and Ambrose’s success with limited experience shows that off really well.

The ending of the match is ridiculously close, with multiple near calls and masterful last second kickouts, the closest being Dolph’s pin after superkicking Styles. This completely  picks up the drama and draws ‘this is Awesome’ chants from the crowd. This main event is probably better than the title match on Sunday. In the end though, Styles is too much for Ziggler.I feel so bad for Dolph though, this may have been his last push for a title and it ended at this match. I hope he gets something after this.

Winner by Pinfall: AJ Styles

Overall, that was a great Smackdown, setting up interesting storylines and introducing great looking titles (although a bit too similar to the Raw ones). While, I won’t make a habit of this, I have to bring attention to the destruction of Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack.

That has to have been the best promo of The Miz’s career and it wasnt even on the main show. I originally saw Talking Smack as a cash in on the Talking Bad/Talking Dead formula but if it blurs the lines between shoot and work like this so often, I need to watch it some more and so should you. Other highlights of Talking Smack included The Usos being allowed personality and more expansion on the Bella/Carmella feud. Great Smackdown, great Talking Smack, watch the clip again.

Have a good one, and find me on Twitter @Oliverwoodster

Dean Ambrose Calls His Lesnar Match at WM “Lazy”

Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose was one of the most highly-anticipated matches at this year’s Wrestlemania. Lesnar and Ambrose are two of the most over guys in the company. Being a commodity that only appears at a few big events per year, Lesnar matches rarely under-deliver. Both men have rough-and-tumble brawling styles that were expected to gel in a way to not only produce the match of the night, but also a match of the year candidate. Just a month prior, the two tore the house down at Fastlane – it was in a triple threat that also involved Roman Reigns, but the match was a classic that showed the kind of clinic these two could pull off. The match itself… was a bit underwelming.

Realistically, the match was not bad. It was good, with some exciting spots. When Dean smacked Brock with the the chair during a German Suplex and when Ambrose paid tribute to Terry Funk by burying Lesnar in chairs. However, standards and expectations were high – sky high. When an A+ is expected, a mid-B feels a little disappointing. The match was decent but lacked innovation. Lesnar did Suplex City and there were a lot of weapon hits – all of this is good but nothing new. Plus the ending of fan favorite Dean Ambrose going down by one F5 was a tad anti-climatic.

Dave Meltzer called it one of Lesnar’s weakest matches since his comeback – however, he gave it a score of 3.5 stars, which is respectable (and fair for that match). Realistically, Lesnar has had much worse. However, there was usually something in the way – his streak-ending match against the Undertaker was mostly disappointing because ‘Taker suffered a mid-match concussion. Dean Ambrose was recently interviewed on the Stone Cold Podcast. When he was in the mood to talk, Dean Ambrose was critical of his match at Wrestlemania. In particular, he accused Lesnar of being lazy. This is noteworthy because Daniel Bryan recently made a similar accusation of Lesnar.

Is it fair to accuse Lesnar of growing lazy? He hasn’t had a full match since the Ambrose match and will not be seen again until this month’s Summerslam. Before Wrestlemania, Lesnar had some insanely good matches with the Undertaker in the Summer/Fall of 2015. Lesnar’s attitude may be changing for the worse. After he came back, he had superb matches against Cena and Punk early on. These matches were not only exciting and brutal but also featured some unique spots. Ambrose said in his interview with Austin that he pitched several ideas which were all shot down.

There may be reasons for Lesnar’s attitude. When Lesnar came back in 2012, he worked only a few shows a year. Since then, he his schedule has gone up – more big shows, Network specials and even house shows (albeit rarely). Wrestlers such as Ambrose and former wrestlers such as Bryan may not find Lesnar’s attitude acceptable as they not only work their tales off, but guys like Cena work year round – and even someone like Chris Jericho whose stance as a permanent member of the roster is questionable is full time when he’s there. Lesnar also recently made a one match return to UFC, which may have lead Lesnar’s mind to be elsewhere. Either way, these factors may have lead to Lesnar being less adventurous in the ring.

These accusations about Lesnar also reveal a lot about Dean Ambrose’s attitude about his matches. The Wrestlemania match could be described as good but not great, so it says a lot Ambrose that he is disappointed that his match was anything BUT great. It makes one wonder what he thought about that disappointing Asylum match from Extreme Rules, but in his and Jericho’s defense, the absurd gimmick hurt that match – Ambrose and Jericho were good for their parts.

UFC Star Conor McGregor Hates The WWE

Conor McGregor is going to speak his mind when he wants, that is the reason we love or hate him. His latest enticing comments on the WWE prove once again, Conor is always going to be entertaining and fun to listen to. TMZ a few days ago, reported a promotion call  Conor had for UFC 202. A couple quotes from McGregor…. “for the most part those WWE guys are p****ies” , “they’re messed up p****ies if you ask me.” Also adding that he thought Brock Lesnar was “juiced to the f****n eyeballs.” (Listen to the audio here!)

Now words mean very little in today’s world, so I wouldn’t even be that surprised, if Conor showed up on Monday Night RAW anytime soon. He has every tool the WWE looks for in recruiting talent. Great mic skills, international popularity, along with a unique fighting style/look. UFC and WWE have come around as buddy-buddy in the present, so who knows what type of relationship they will have going forward. Conor said the WWE is a show business, and UFC is clearly a fight business. He did add that he believes the McMahon’s and Triple H are Dons in what they do. Personally I want to see McGregor stay in the UFC as long as possible and become a long reigning champion. He is good, entertaining and shows a lot of heart.

CM Punk and Brock Lesnar made the jump to UFC, which is a lot harder than going from UFC to the WWE. Conor has a lot of wrestlers pissed off, including the legend Ric Flair. Ric Flair tweeted out that Conor copied his persona and questioned where Conor got his antics from. Very true considering Ric Flair did it brilliantly as we all know, becoming a 16 time World Heavyweight Champion. Conor retaliated with a tweet, promising that he didn’t disrespect the WWE fans, but he would definitely destroy everyone on their roster, slapping their heads off. Roman Reigns, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho joined in with the twitter war bashing Conor McGregor.

Although after UFC 202, Conor might have to defend his words against the lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Eddie Alvarez came forward as of today, also reported by TMZ, telling Conor to watch what he says. Defending WWE athletes and calling them the real deal. Eddie stated that he wants the winner of the super fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz.I am a fan of UFC and a fan of the WWE, so all I can see is dollar signs written all over this for both companies. The only thing that happens now is more WWE fans will watch UFC, and more UFC fans might pay closer attention to the WWE. Conor is a genius at promoting, so he might just be doing what he does best. McGregor is calling a 2nd Round TKO on Nate Diaz, who submitted Conor the first time around. Conor has made a few new enemies this past week, but the only enemy he needs to focus on is Nate Diaz at UFC 202, August 20th.

WWE 2k17: What We Know So Far

If you’re a gamer and especially a wrestling fan, to say these games have been a rollercoaster is an understatement. One year it’s amazing and then the next year the game sucks. I feel every time I enjoy the game, nobody else does, and vice-versa. This year’s game will be on close watch after last year’s game didn’t do so well. I enjoyed it, but a lot of complaints came from the new button system and the length of career mode. The folks at 2K have ramped up on the pre-order editions, releasing an NXT version, which is honestly one of the best bonuses I have seen in a while. If you only pre-order the game, you will receive, one of my favorites, Bill Goldberg as a playable character. BUT if you pre-order the NXT edition this what you get………

NXT Edition Pre-Order
*NXT Enhancement Pack
*Exclusive Canvas2Canvas lithograph autographed by NXT Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura
*Exclusive eight-inch “Demon” Finn Balor collectible figurine
*One Exclusive Topps NXT TakeOver: London Mat Relics card – Includes a piece of authentic ring canvas from the event
*Goldberg Pre-order Pack

If you have been buying games for years like I have, this is definitely worth the extra money compared to other games! Pre-Order fast because they are selling out!

As far as the roster goes, ign.com will be releasing these type of easter egg, cryptic photos to announce the roster!

If you look closely you can try to figure out exactly who the names will be. Below is a list of the names confirmed so far in this year’s game:

Brock Lesnar
Sasha Banks
Shinsuke Nakamura
Nia Jax
Apollo Crews
Brie Bella
Nikki Bella
Jimmy Uso
Jey Uso
Goldberg (Pre-Order)
Ultimate Warrior
Shane McMahon
Stephanie McMahon
Vince McMahon
R-Truth
Heath Slater
Brian Pillman
Booker T
Aiden English
Simon Gotch
Larry Zbysko
Konnor
Viktor
Epico 
Primo
John Cena
Jim Neidhart

Now of course since Finn Balor has a statue, he is more than likely in the game, along with your obvious top superstars. Over time ign.com will slowly reveal the roster up until the release date of October 11, 2016. It is very possible the roster can contain over 100+ superstars with some names like Bayley sure to make the cut. Not many details have been revealed about the gameplay or game modes, but with the high-demand and wrestling recently trying to maximize the audience, I don’t see how they can put out a crappy game this year. I will be in-line getting the game when it comes out, praying that this year’s game, does the real true wrestling fans justice!

Lilian Garcia Leaves WWE

After 15 years, Lilian Garcia will no longer be our voice in WWE. In a lengthy post on Instagram August 1, 2016 Lilian Garcia announced she will no longer be working with the WWE. (view here) The main reason is because her father has been battling two different types of cancer. Lilian describes in the post that her father needs her and traveling every week with WWE, just isn’t a good idea at the moment. She has been the main voice on Monday Night RAW and Smackdown.

Personally I think this should be bigger news than people are making it out to be. Lilian has been a part of every big match in recent memory. It has been really different to hear announcers other than Lilian Garcia or Howard Finkel for me. I mention this because they actually did have a match, evening gown against tuxedo match! Look it up! How could we forget her backstage interviews with The Rock, that made everyone laugh and feel awkward? I was at WrestleMania 31 and when Paul Heyman took the mic from Lilian, to announce Brock Lesnar, of course it was awesome, but it got me thinking. Have we really appreciated the lovely voice of Lilian Garcia?

There has been numerous occasions where Lilian has been embarrassed or made fun of right in front of our faces on television. She always hangs in there and takes it, and for that she should be rewarded. I mean, being involved in a love storyline with Viscera should immediately give you a salary raise! Wrestlers have disrespected her and in some cases even injured her. Lilian always smiles and rubs it off, coming back every night introducing the matches in a professional matter.

We catch some sneak peeks of her life on Total Divas but, it leaves you wanting more. Such a nice person filled with love and compassion for the business, flying way under the radar. She has recorded albums and even sang National Anthem’s at the most prestigious arenas, such as Madison Square Garden! It is unfortunate as to why she needs to depart WWE right now, but her life may be just beginning. Clearly having a talented voice and sense for song writing. Lilian Garcia is a Hall of Famer in my view and I wish her an even better life after WWE. Lilian Garcia you will truly be missed! P.S. We all hope your Dad kicks Cancer’s ASS!

WWE Raw Review: 1.8.2016

OPENER

So after last week’s Raw, this Monday had a lot to live up to. The New Era had got off to a great start with fresh new matchups and surprising swerves, could this week live up to the hype? I was sceptical.

The show opens with the arrival of the new Women’s Champion Sasha Banks, already a great start as the women starting off the show is a great way to shake things up. The audience in attendance at Atlanta was welcoming to The Boss as they all celebrated with her. However, there was one person in particular who was less than pleased, the former Women’s Champion Charlotte. The current and former champs argue in the squared circle about the results of last week’s match as well as addressing the upcoming rematch at Summerslam. Unexpectedly it is Chris Jericho who interrupts the two, Y2J lends his support for Charlotte (after some great heel work telling the crowd to be “Quiet”). The pair of Jericho and Charlotte berate Sasha by calling her “selfish” and a “brat”, this prompts the certified G himself Enzo Amore to come to support/flirt with the “Bauce” (sorry Mikaze I officially ship Sashzo now). Our GM Mick Foley comes out to set up a mixed tag team match between the two pairs (and to plug his new show, ugh).

CHARLOTTE & JERICHO vs SASHA & ENZO

Kevin Owens joins the commentary table and the weirdest thing happens, for once there is more than once good commentator on the desk as Graves and Owens make a great pair. For the first portion of the match, the face team of Banks and Amore dominated the heels as they hit them with fast past action and lots of high flying moves (Enzo does love that top rope crossbody). However, this did not last long as the heels are able to gain momentum and eventually the win as Charlotte’s crony Dana Brooke got involved and distracted Banks. The match was good if not a bit formulaic and predictable, with another Dana Brooke interruption. Unsurprisingly the men and the women in the matchup did not touch aside from one slap by Banks onto Jericho, and this match was obviously used to further/create two separate feuds, the women’s title picture and Jericho taking on Enzo and Cass.

• After the match, Jericho attacked Enzo before being chased off by Cass

STROWMAN vs JOBBY MCJOBBER

Another week another squash match in favour of the baby-faced giant Braun Strowman. If you saw last week’s Raw then you would know how this match turned out, if you didn’t then just imagine a really bad reverse chokeslam.

• Backstage Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley are getting on well when they have to tell Mark Henry that his time in the limelight is over and he should be taking a mentor role the former strongman believes he still has some left in the tank and makes his case to Foley. Mick, being one for second chances, gives him that opportunity tonight in a US title shot.
• The Golden Truth try to be relevant with Pokemon GO. Yawn.

THE SHINING STARS vs THE GOLDEN TRUTH

After last week’s interruption from the Golden Truth in their match with Enzo and Cass, the Shining Stars are looking for revenge as they take on the Golden Truth, at least one of the Golden Truth as R-Truth is too concerned with Pokemon GO. Truth’s obsession with Pokemon costs Goldust the match. Honestly, I’d rather forget this whole ordeal.

ADVENTURE TIME WITH FINN & SETH

We get the first confrontation between the two contenders for the WWE Universal Championship, Seth Rollins, and Finn Balor, this occurs when Finn makes his way out to ringside to be interviewed by Michael Cole. The announcer does not last long however as the Man journeys down to the ring. We get some back and forth between the two as they list their accomplishments including Seth’s many firsts and Finn’s travels all over the world. It turns violent as most things do in the WWE when Rollins tries to surprise Balor with a sneak attack but the Demon is able to counter driving him back. This segment is passable considering Finn can be quite stale on the mic as a face. I am still insanely hyped for this match as Rollins and Balor are my 2 favourites in the world right now and whoever wins I will be thrilled.

RUSEV vs MARK HENRY (US CHAMPIONSHIP)

There is a big focus on the marriage of Rusev (Lucky bastard) and Lana who comes out in a wedding dress, it seems that this will be heavily featured on the next season of Total Divas. Henry comes out in American gear ready to reclaim the title for the good ole United States. The World’s Strongest Man gets in more offense than I would have expected but as we all expected he is not able to win the matchup leading to yet another Rusev rant about Eastern Europe being superior to the western world, with some extra controversy due to the Russia Olympic scandal. So who comes out to stop Rusev? It’s Roman Reigns! WAIT, WHAT? Roman in the US title picture?! This cannot be happening, Roman has finally been pushed down the card, and they seem to be committed to giving him time away from the spotlight. Reigns comes down to the ring and after a stare down with the Bulgarian Brute, they begin a surprisingly even brawl which ends with a victorious Roman.

TITUS O’NEIL vs DARREN YOUNG

Forget the SHIELD triple threat, this is the true match we have all been waiting for, player vs player in a clash of former tag team champions. This match was created after Titus insulted the Make Darren Young Great Again campaign when he questioned when Young was great in the first place (someone has been listening to what we have been saying). In the match, it seems that Titus has the slight edge as he is able to use his size and strength advantage to counter Darren’s mat wrestling tactic. However, in the end, Titus resorts to cheating to pick up the win when out of frustration he grabs the tights to gain the pinfall victory over his former partner.

• More of the backstage friendship between Foley and Steph when Sheamus arrives and demands to know why he didn’t get a title shot like Henry. He is not the only one who is confused however as Cesaro joins them to complain about the exact same thing. Mick sets up a match in which the winner will get a future championship match.
• Bob Backlund screams at Titus backstage for cheating and when O’Neil is about to lose his cool Darren Young attacks him both for revenge and to protect his mentor. It seems that this is an undercard feud that will get a lot of attention.

NIA JAX vs MRS MCJOBBER

This is another typical squash match as we saw with Braun earlier on in the night. Not much to say about the result but I have to say that Nia Jax is still looking very green in the ring. She clearly needed more time in NXT despite the massive improvements she did make. Jax has a lot of potential to be a star but the experience and skill are just not there yet.

• In an interview with Tom Phillips (who was definitely crouching), Sami Zayn promised to beat Rollins tonight.
• The New Day will be facing The Club tonight but with the stipulation, they picked fruit from a sack and the member with the odd fruit out will be sitting out of the match, which turned out to be Xavier.

THE CLUB vs THE NEW DAY           

This was a weird match, the Club, who are just being announced as Gallows and Anderson now, controlled throughout, as they were easily able to isolate Big E from his partner Kofi Kingston, but one cocky too sweet ended up being their undoing as Big E was able to get a roll up win. The weirdness about the match stems from the focus that a win for The Club would put them directly in the title picture, instead, it seems they are intent on having them ambush their way to the title as even after Xavier Woods came to support his team the New Day were left decimated.

CESARO vs SHEAMUS

Nothing to say about this really, it was a good clean match between two big and strong guys. The Swiss Superman and the Celtic Warrior put on a solid match as Sheamus worked the heat while Cesaro continues to astonish with his in ring ability (I’ll never get tired of that springboard uppercut), in the end, a surprise gotch neutraliser is able to allow Cesaro to pick up the win.

• After coming back from break we see that Cesaro and Sheamus have had to have been separated by security, and Heath Slater and a returning Jinder Mahal take advantage of this by storming the ring demanding to be signed to Raw. Foley comes down but reveals there will be a match between the two for a contract.

JINDER MAHAL vs HEATH SLATER

1, 2, 3 Jinder Mahal wins. That’s all you need to know.

• Backstage Jericho goes off on Enzo and Cass and reveals that they should be scared of him as he does have someone to watch his back when asked who he clearly makes up a name until Kevin Owens shows up and declares he will support the Ayatollah of rock n rolla. Man I love heel Jericho

SETH ROLLINS vs SAMI ZAYN

As anyone could have predicted Zayn and Rollins are able to put on a great match, I’m pretty sure at this point these two guys could put on a good match with anyone in their sleep. This match had plenty of great spots including the close falls with the blue thunder bomb and the Michinoku driver from Sami Zayn. In the end, Rollins is able to avoid the helluva kick and hit the pedigree to pick up the win. I have to commend WWE on their treatment of Seth since he returned. He may not be the face that a lot of us wanted but the cowardly heel character has been erased, pinning Roman and now Sami Zayn clean.

THE BEAST RETURNS

All night the teasing has been leading up to the return of the Conqueror Brock Lesnar, who returns for the first time since UFC 200. Brock returned with the advocate Paul Heyman who praised the Beasts triumphs and called out the Viper Randy Orton ahead of their match at Summerslam. Paul completely refutes that there is any possibility that Orton can win at Summerslam, claiming that the Randy being one RKO away from a victory is a myth when concerned with Lesnar. Coincidentally while saying this we see a very shocked Brock Lesnar ambushed by Orton with an RKO from literally outta nowhere. The show ends with Randy escaping through the crowd being chased by security and screamed at by Stephanie McMahon. Some are claiming that this has damaged the brand split but I was a huge fan of this. All the little things were so great such as no theme music for Orton, the security chasing him into the ramp and the surprise of Lesnar who actually acknowledged the change in crowd reaction when Randy turned up.

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP: Seth Rollins
• Match of the Night: Rollins vs Zayn
• Moment of the Night: Orton’s escape into the crowd
• Sashzo 4 lyfe
• It seems that they intend to completely ignore UFC 200 after the PED scandal.
• Randy Orton is snek

This show definitely had a lot to live up to after last week and did it succeed? No definitely not. But was it a bad show? No definitely not. Despite a lot of short/squash matches this show had a good start and a great ending. This week gets a 7/10 from me.

Rumor Mill: Kurt Angle WWE Return?

Kurt Angle is a name everybody wants back in WWE. Now that Shelton Benjamin is returning to Smackdown, and team American Alpha being drafted, it would be so easy to stick him in a storyline immediately. Is he coming back or is it just more rumors? About a month ago in an article quoted here! by Justin Barrasso of si.com, Kurt says that he has been talking with WWE, but nothing seems to be lined up just yet. Paul (Triple H) Levesque has been in contact with him and it seems we are about a year out, from a return with the Olympic Gold Medalist in WWE (quoted in the article). WrestleMania is always a possibility for the beloved wrestler, considering Vince McMahon always has a few tricks up his sleeve.

In a more recent post on inquisitr.com Click Here! by Joe Burgett. A deal is already rumored to be in place. Maybe Kurt is just playing innocent to make his comeback even more epic! All of this is just speculation but WWE is definitely reaching out to a lot of former talent. Either way, Kurt Angle I believe, inevitably will appear in a WWE ring sooner rather than later. Fans will go wild, as it will be well deserved, for all of his hard work in the wrestling business. Feuding with Brock Lesnar again would blow the roof off of any building. There are some characters that just have that “it” factor. Kurt Angle is the poster boy for being wrestling, being entertainment and most importantly, an American Olympic Gold Medal Hero. Come Back Kurt! WWE Needs You! Do you think Kurt Angle will come back sooner? Or Later? Let me know in a comment below or on twitter @MAK10GATOR !

Is Shane Carwin Returning To UFC?

Last night on Twitter the former UFC interim Heavyweight Champion posted this tweet:

Shane Carwin hasn’t fought in the UFC since 2011 when he lost a unanimous decision to Junior Dos Santos. With injuries plaguing him for the next 2 years, forcing him to retire from MMA. We assume that he is contact with matchmaker Joe Silva, considering he tweeted about it. We all remember his classic unforgettable match with WWE superstar Brock Lesnar at UFC 116, which some may argue, the fight should have been stopped. Carwin has an MMA record of 12-2 according to sherdog.com. With only one of his fights going to decision (Dos Santos). Even though he is 41 years old, he has beaten the likes of, Neil Wain, Gabriel Gonzaga and Frank Mir! If Dana White does pull the trigger on signing Carwin, I think we might be in for a few treats in the Heavyweight Division at UFC. Will we see Carwin vs Lesnar 2 (pending allegations on Brock)? Even a rematch with top contender Junior Dos Santos? Either way I hope we see Shane soon, because if anybody can bring some excitement to the octagon, it is this man!