The NXT Review – September 14th, 2016 – Grumpy-Joe Has landed!

Whats Up Wrestling Peeps! What about that Cruiserweight Classic huh? Boy was I (and the rest of the Dirt Sheets) wrong about that. For what its worth, I’m glad. You know wrestling shouldn’t be obvious, I mean its great when the Babyface overcomes the odds and gets the win that everyone saw coming (a’la Daniel Bryan’s YES-Mania 30). But I’m a simple guy, mostly I just want it to make sense. And a TJ Perkins win is whats best for business.

What isn’t however is allowing for a disgruntled employee to beat up your World Champion.

I mean “C’mon Regal“. Read the tea leaves, get out that Big-ol’ White board of yours or perhaps watch your own product back because a Grumpy-Joe breakdown has been on the radar for a while now. And I think the storm has landed.

After a moving speech proclaiming that NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura was worthy enough to hold the title, I’ve got to be honest, I saw a glimmer of a Face turn for Joe … silly me. Perhaps I was just as naive as William Regal because shortly after the King of Strong Style excepted the former Champs rematch, Grumpy-Joe was unleashed and Nakamura was stretchered out of Full Sail.

Yikes!

Oh I set myself up for a segue there because Yikes is exactly how I describe Liv Morgan calling out the NXT Women’s Champ for a match (I assume) next week.

I’ve gotta say it. I don’t favour little Morgan’s odds here when you take into consideration that Asuka is not only a total badass but also undefeated in NXT. Yes her days are numbered when you factor in other Superstars undefeated streaks. I mean, if they can end Undertakers dominate run, anything can happen right?

We will see.

I know he has just come back for a lengthy injury but we don’t get enough of Hideo Itami. So any match with him in is something to savour.

I so feel for this guy given his journey with WWE. Not only does he enter NXT with a huge push which included a WrestleMania appearance but I am in no doubt if hadn’t been benched, that NXT Title would’ve been around his waist already. But that’s okay because if we had to wait for us to get an Itami Vs Austin Aires feud. Fates … you are forgiven.

Of course that isn’t what we got tonight but I’m enjoying the foreplay to their eventual match. Just don’t wait too long NXT, I don’t know if have the staying power.

So yeah, I’m just going to skip over The Authors of Pain yet another beat down of a randomly paired team of Superstars because we have the infinitely more entertaining Tye Dillinger.

Is this a push? Do I dare believe that The Perfect 10 may be on he cusp of greatness? To be fair when did Dillinger last get a backstage segment. And I know that House Shows doubt count as cannon, unless a pivotal Title Happens (yeah .. I’m still bitter ’bout that). But I’ve got to believe that pairing Tye with two of the biggest stars of Yellow Brand in the shape of Asuka and Nakamura means that the Big-Wigs are finally picking up what I (and countless NXT fans) have been laying down.

Last night, I performed along side some incredible talent. Let's do it again soon 🔟 @WWEAsuka @ShinsukeN #NXT @WWE pic.twitter.com/YqihvpaWI3

— Shawn Spears™️ (@ShawnSpears) September 9, 2016

The only thing lacking from this picture is Championship Gold around the waist of The Perfect 10.

Make it happen WWE.

Congratulations NXT! The only way I’m ever writing about No Way Jose is when paired against a Supertar worthy of a review and that defiantly  is The Glorious Bobby Roode.

Damn I’m so excited to have Roode in the WWE, and I say that with no previous TNA experience, so this is what I’m judging the guy on and he is just knocking it out of the park. Not that he brings anything new to the table, an arrogant-Heel, erm yeah … that’s new. But his conviction to the character is akin to other Superstars like Edge and Chris Jericho, whose Heel runs in WWE are the stuff of legend.

It’s no secret I’m a sucker for a Heel but I’m all in of Roode’s run in NXT.

Its gonna be Glorious!

Sorry, I had too.

For all your NXT News & Reviews, stick with @mitchrated and the entire #SkatronixxxWrestling team on Twitter and Skatronixxx.com

Jeff Hardy Says He Is Coming Back To WWE In 2017

According to an article written by Joe Burgett on inquisitr.com (View Here) Jeff Hardy is coming back to World Wrestling Entertainment. As reported his contract appears to be up around February 2017, which as we all knew is right around WrestleMania season. If this does turn out to be the case it’ll be very interesting to see which Jeff Hardy shows up?

Unfortunately Jeff’s career has been a rollercoaster ride with as many highs (literally) as lows over his wrestling tenure. His return seems all good and well, but of course last night at BloodyMania 10 he had some weird, strange actions after his match. Announced by Nick Paglino from wrestlezone.com which you can see by Clicking HERE! Jeff Hardy looked like the one we saw versus Sting which is pictured above where he was drunk. Breaking tables Sabu-Style with no opponent above or below the objects he was destroying. We all know if Jeff shows up at WWE like that, Vince McMahon will certainly have none of the nonsense he has shown in his dark past.

On the other side of things if we get the entertaining daredevil we had from the Hardy Boyz it could prove to be a huge addition to beef the roster up at WWE. I personally hope he is doing well and does make a return, which could lead to many rivals and matches that we know he can perform well in. Finn Balor comes to mind possibly if he returned as the ENIGMA WILLOW (pictured below) from TNA! I can’t even think of a scenario where they would have a bad match together except for the obvious which nobody can control but Jeff himself. Another opportunity could be against Bray Wyatt, in which his brother Matt Hardy recently took offense to. Responding to the Wyatt Family Compound segment WWE had a few weeks ago in a negative way via twitter.

All in all, I am rooting for Jeff to make a return to WWE. I was a fan of him, especially those tag team matches he had at WrestleMania with the Dudley Boyz, and Edge and Christian. By far some of the best entertainment to this day, I can re-watch those matches all day! Nobody should wish bad upon him and only time will tell if this is another rumor, or we do hear his music hit one day in the WWE. Some might say he is already lined up for the WWE Hall of Fame if he is to come back. But I think one more strong run would solidify him and clear his name of the negativity that have poisoned people’s memories of him. Jeff Hardy Please Come Back Stronger Than EVER!!

WWE Studios Interrogation Trailer Drops And It ‘Reeks Of Awesomenss’

WWE Studios is a juggernaut that has been slowly gaining momentum in recent years and why not? After all, we all know that the WWE superstars and divas are trained actors and actresses, oops I mean “professional athletes”. Although WWE is going through a resurgence of sorts, it still doesn’t mean that it can’t have it’s figures in many pies outside the world of wrestling and this is where WWE Studios comes into play.

Yes sadly some of the films have tanked (Knucklehead) but some have done surprisingly well (The Marine) and proved to us that quite a few wrestlers are good actors (Sorry Hulk Hogan and Triple H). The transition from full time wrestling to full time acting is one that has done very well by very few aside from the most obivious Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson you are struggling to find more  people other than Dave Bautista  (Guardians Of The Galaxy )and Robert Maillet (Pacific Rim).

One guy who has crept under the radar and earned his acting stripes is none other than ‘The Rated R Superstar’ aka Edge aka Adam Copeland. Adam was forced to retire from wrestling whilst in his prime at a relatively young age due to a serious neck injury. Adam then went on to join cult SyFy TV show Haven playing the role of Dwight Hendrickson. As a wrestler although he ‘reeked of awesomeness’ he actually kinda annoyed me and I was less than optimistic about his chances of joining the acting world. However his performance of Dwight quickly proved I was wrong and he can act well!

Until recently Adam stayed away from WWE films and I think that’s the right move, he was allowed to grow and learn his craft before returning to his home of the WWE to try his hand at a feature film. Had he gone straight into WWE movies, I sadly think the outcome would have been different.

You may recognise his co-star as the smoking blonde bombshell otherwise known as Lana aka C.J. Perry. As well as supporting her man Rusev ‘The Bulgarian Brute’ she was also a model, dancer and actress prior to entering the WWE. This acting experience clearly shows when watching the trailer for the film.

The film’s synopsis reads:

‘After the FBI receives a threat that endangers the entire city, an interrogator (Copeland) and an IT specialist (Lana) are plunged into a series of mind games with a criminal mastermind, desperately racing against time to uncover the villain’s true agenda as they fight to protect thousands of lives.’

I have a sneaky feeling that this film may be surprise hit of the year for WWE Studios and Lionsgate.

 

The NXT Review – 3rd March 2016

Whats up Wrestling Peeps! We are firmly on our way to WrestleMania but with so much time between now and then (and a WWE Network Special known as “RoadBlock” in place), everything is up-in-the-air in NXT.

With that in mind, the superstars of the yellow brand step up their game in a bid to get notice, with the Tag Team division proving no exception. Talking of the division, is it just me or did that security footage of Dash & Dawson attacking Team SAWFT look a tad old skool 8-Bit video gamey to you? The artificial slow-down to the footage just made the guys look jumpy in a classic Super Mario Bros. dealio.

Damn it! Every-time Enzo goes high risk now i’ll have the Boooop sound in my head. Have to say, not hating it. Amusing.

Given the rotation of wrestlers, as NXT wants to do, it means that we get the cold hearted Aussie Emma back on our screens this week (yay). With the jacked-up Barbie Doll with a screeching feature (Batteries not included) Danna Brooke in tow (boo!).

Having the opportunity to see Emma’s ringwork against Auska at TakeOver London, its criminal how underutilized the mat technician is within NXT. I mean it is probably smart to pair Emma with a the fairly-green Santana Garrett, wrestle safe and all that. But why on Earth is she not in title picture? Of course I wouldn’t want to bump anyone out of the scene, meh perhaps Eva Marie maybe. But to have Auska move up without Emma is leaving Dollars-at-the-door. Wheres the follow-up to TakeOver London? A blow-off match. I’d take a good ol’fashion grudge match without the title involved even (remember those WWE) rather then nothing. Okay granted they may have put a pin in it but then don’t taunt me with Corey Graves and Tom Phillips mentioning the feud between the two because thats … thats just … mean.

So after spoilers on the internet because you know, internet-gonna-internet. Austin Aries finally arrives in NXT. Now of course I know who Aries is because Google has eliminated the need to ask people things and make yourself look like a pop-culture-recluse. But I haven’t seen him wrestle ‘cus I don’t watch TNA and haven’t got round to YouTube-ing his ass at this point because, you know, life.

But Aries inside a WWE ring seems like a big deal so I will cheer or boo appropriately with relation to his Face-Heel O-Meter. But for now, I remain neutral and underwhelmed. Not even under because thats harsh, just Whelmed.

A Young Justice reference for the kids there.

On to the Main Event and I feel the need to bemoan the use of Neville on NXT. Its sacrilege because the name is crap. It just sounds nerdy to me. More-over I’m probably sensitive that they didn’t go ahead with the dual persona idea I mentioned last week but you know. Whatever.

Moving on. Its good to see Neville back on the brand that established him as the legit badass Gravity-defiying Motha-F’er he is. He is after all the longest reigning NXT Champion (So far), with this match celebrating that fact because I have no doubt that Finn Balor is being positioned to supersede that in the future.

That aside, this match lived up to hype. Both men being well-matched in a reversal heavy performance apropos of their skill-set and the fast story telling that the reality era has become accustomed too. That begin said (and it may be just me), but hasn’t Balor been wrestling Heel-style for some time now or what? And its not even flagged by Graves or Phillips, so in the world of WWE my opinion is non-canon, but I get the slight whiff or arrogance of late.

Its feasible that Balor is simply growing in confidence, which kudos to him because his matches are some of the more exciting on the roster. His skill set and repertoire also befitting an aggressive style could be throwing me off. But speaking as an Edge fan, everyone loves a Heel Champion. So it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. Just don’t bring back Vicki Guerrero anytime soon because ain’t nobody got time for that.

His gracious win at the end puts a kibosh on that idea for now of course.

But a guy can dream, right?

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