Money In The Bank 2016 Review

The Vaudevillains vs. Enzo and Cass vs. The New Day vs. The Club – Tag Team Championship

Both Enzo and the New Day started out this match with some laugh-out-loud funny promos. The Fatal Four-way set-up gave this match the chance to never slow down. There were some exciting spots, though I must confess that after Payback I winced when Enzo took a spill on the floor (especially since he grasped his head). The New Day won, which I’m split on. I like the New Day as much as the next guy, but I felt that after recovering from his serious injury, Enzo Amore was a legit hero and his team winning would have been more satisfying.

Overall rating: 3.75 (Out of 5) Stars

In between matches was another outright hilarious promo between the Money in the Bank compeitors

Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler

I was honestly floored that this made it to the main show when it reeked of pre-show. Despite the “boring chants”, I thought this match was… tolerable. Tolerable is not exactly high praise, and I think I only felt that way because I have missed most of their televised matches. If this had been the only filler match on the card, I could have forgiven it, but sadly filler piled up, making my opinion about this match dimmer.

Overall rating: 2.25 stars

Becky Lynch and Natalya vs. Charlotte and Dana Brooke

This match was also okay, but honestly with the women involved I expected better than just okay. I wish they had the chance to show how talented they really are. Then again, when I feel like complaining, I remind myself of the dark days where Bellas and Kelly Kelly matches were the norm. This match is mostly noteworthy for Natalya turning on Becky after the match.

Overall rating 2.75 stars

Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews

Yup, ANOTHER filler match. Both of these guys are normally extremely talented (though I can’t help but notice Sheamus only seems to bring his A-game when he’s in A-matches) so seeing these two duke it out in a match that felt like it belonged on The Main Event disappoints me. I heard McMahon sometimes goes through mood swings on who he likes/dislikes and Sheamus is a perennial victim of this – not too long ago, he was world champion, now he’s jobbing to new guys. I can’t call this match completely worthless as there were a handful of cool spots such as an off-the ring moonsault. Plus, I’m glad a young guy got over – mediocre match or not.

Overall rating 1.75 stars

John Cena vs. AJ Styles

Yeah, now we’re playing with power! This was one of the matches that had a lot of hype and for good reason – these are two tip-top talent, and the fans knew it. Like Cena or not, it’s hard to argue his matches usually have a big match feel. These guys are such names that the fans were cheering them even when they were just standing there, which gave them chances to pace themselves. As the match built up, they both had chances to perform, escape and kick out of each others’ finishers. Despite the buildup, the Club interfered after a ref bump. After doing SEVERAL clean jobs (including to Kevin Owens) I’m not going to play the Cena ego card, but I would have liked to have seen a clean victory. However, I do acknowledge that they could be building to SOMETHING so I’ll let time tell how this one is going to go. Tainted victory and all, these two put on a clinic – not the 5 star classic I expected, but a clinic nonetheless. I look forward to the great matches I know they’ll have.

Overall rating 4.25

Money in the Bank – Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn vs. Alberto Del Rio

Methinks I realize why there was so much filler on this show – half the A-talent was locked into this match! Being the type of match this is, WWE can usually throw one or two guys like Kane and Big Show into the fray as there are usually enough top guys and plunder to hide their limitations, but this year, they went for broke in putting the best guys on board – not to mention, most of these guys were actually believable as winning. (Only Jericho – who is on borrowed time – seemed like a dark horse.) This was the usual spot fest fans have come to expect from this match, but everyone was on point with some insane bumps. The one that made me cringe was when Zayn performed a Michinoku Driver to Owens onto a ladder. I only have two gripes with this match – In any money in the bank match, I’ve grown tired of spots where the person can clearly grab the briefcase but obviously stalls for time. Also, the ladder bridge did not add up to match. Dean Ambrose won the match, and while I’m a fan of everybody in that ring, Ambrose felt like the right guy – especially after years of his “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” push.

Overall rating 4.5 stars

Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil – US Championship

If I can praise Cena again, I kinda miss the size and importance he gave to US Championship matches. There were a lot of bad matches on this card and this may have been the best of the worst. Rusev is a great old school villain and one of the more talented big men. But still, this match had a “this should be on Raw” vibe to it. Giving credit where it’s due, the post-match promo where Rusev taunted O’Neil in front of his kids was classic heel behavior.

Overall rating: 2.5 stars

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins – WWE Championship

Here’s another match I was pumped for, and it delivered… sadly, you wouldn’t know that by the crowd reaction. I don’t know if WWE lowered the crowd mic (again) or what was going on, but this crowd was inexplicably not into what was a stellar match. Putting aside opinions on how I think Roman is treated unfairly by the fans, I chalk a lot of the lukewarm reaction to the fact that both guys have been playing shades of grey. I praised the WWE for giving Roman more grey to his character since he wears that attitude well, but when both sides are showing signs of being kind of good and kind of bad, it leaves the fans without a clear hero.

Both men deserve that praise because this match was stellar. There were some cool spots such as Rollins countering a spear into a Pedigree. Rollins showed off his aerial abilities – again, kind of uncharacteristic of a heel. Reigns ran into the barricade during a spear attempt – again making me wince after one too many injuries. There was also a ref bump which saw Rollins kick out of the spear. Rollins did pin Reigns after a Pedigree so his stance as a clean victory is borderline.

Overall rating: 4 stars

However, the real story is what happened after the match. Admittedly I saw this coming as soon as Rollins won the title, but Ambrose came out and cashed in his money in the bank briefcase. As much as I would have liked to have seen Ambrose win the title in an actual match (but alas, I knew it would never happen), I am happy to at least see a fan favorite get his due.

Money in the Bank was… a mixed bag. The good parts were excellent while everything else felt like Raw fodder at best. Ambrose winning the championship admittedly helped put a positive shine on this event, but the filler is hard to ignore – especially since those matches caused the show to go into overtime. Check this out for Reigns vs. Rollins, Cena vs. AJ, the money in the bank, the tag four way, and Ambrose winning (and the women’s match if you have time to spare) and skip the rest.

WWE Raw Review: 13.6.2016

OPENER

Tonight we start with your WWE World Tag Team Champions the New Day, who cut a promo about the upcoming 4-way tag team championship match at Money In The Bank, though the main talking point was Kofi’s old man shoes. We are soon joined by Enzo & Cass who have a few things to add about Kofi’s shoes and some very serious allegations about a certain trumpet. The WWE Universe has been waiting for a long time for this battle of wit but it seems we have to wait longer as we are interrupted by The Vaudevillains and The Club who each claim they are the future of the tag team division. This was a fun segment even if we had to get a terrible Camp WWE joke from The Club, I am definitely curious to see who walks out of MITB as champion.

THE CLUB & VAUDEVILLAINS def. NEW DAY, ENZO & CASS

This was a good match where everyone played their parts well. As usual Enzo and Cass stuck to their scrappy fighter and big man roles, while the New and Big E especially got the crowd working. The Club and The Vaudevillains both played dirty in order to gain the advantage. Luke Gallows is able to get the win after they use the magic killer on Kofi Kingston due to some tag confusion with Karl Anderson. It’s refreshing to see the opening segment and match focused on the tag team division as we have been used to a Reigns/Authority/Stephanie promo at the start of the show. After this match, it seems if anyone beats New Day at MITB it will be The Club but that tag titles record is getting ever closer.

• Yet another Make Darren Young Great Again promo. Someone needs a Hilary Clinton gimmick where they get arrested by the FBI every match.
• Backstage we see Stephanie and a returning, Shane McMahon. They bicker some more about who gets what brand but stop when a returning corporate Kane makes an appearance offering to lead Smackdown. He even has a letter of recommendation from his brother The Undertaker (which is hilarious to think about). I noticed two fire references and wasn’t even paying attention.
• Zack Ryder is backstage talking to random guys in suits about
• The Shining Stars are still a thing apparently
• Titus O’Neil is about to make his way out for a match but is ambushed by Rusev who proceeds to annihilate Titus.

AMBROSE ASYLUM – SHEILD REUNITED

Dean Ambrose comes out and immediately puts over the upcoming PPV for being a possible Wrestlemania card, which is true. Dean introduces his guest, “scum of the earth” Seth Rollins and then Roman Reigns. The trio eventually begins reminiscing about the old times and Seth even gets a little emotional as he says that the best times he has ever had in this ring was with Dean and Roman (gotta love the Bootista chants). Despite Seth’s kind words it’s not long before Rollins sours it by claiming the very best times was when he betrayed the SHEILD and cashed in his briefcase against Brock and Roman. There is some back and forth between Roman and Seth who both claim they are the rightful champion, but we finally get a tease of what have been waiting for 2 years now. A SHEILD Triple Threat match tease, after Ambrose, points out that he could win the briefcase. Seth Rollins ambushes Dean and Roman as he leaves which results in a Superman punch on Rollins and a Dirty Deeds on Reigns.

• In punishment for making the Ambrose Asylum segment all about himself, Stephanie sets the main event for tonight, Ambrose vs Jericho

PAIGE def. CHARLOTTE

What has happened to a decent women’s storyline? We have had Charlotte feuding with Natalya for 3 months now and adding Becky Lynch into the mix doesn’t change that. Now they have been relegated to a 3-minute match on Raw where the champion loses cleanly to the same woman as she lost to last month. Screw Natalya and Becky, I’m wondering why Paige hasn’t demanded a match for the Women’s Championship. Not a fan of what is happening to the women’s division recently and I my only hope at this point is that by Summerslam things take a turn for the better.

• Renee Young tried to interview Cesaro about MITB and his match with Sami Zayn tonight but the underdog Zayn interrupted which led to a heated exchange between two former friends.
• Charlotte and Dana Brooke argue backstage with the Women’s Champion making it clear that with her there is little room for failure.

SHEAMUS def. ZACK RYDER

Ryder puts up a good fight as he is able to hit both the Broski boot and the Elbro drop but it is simply not enough to put away Sheamus who is able to end things quickly after he hits Ryder with a Brogue Kick. Not surprising that Sheamus gets the win as he is the only one of the two that is involved in a programme at moment. Post-match Sheamus takes his anger out on Ryder but Apollo Crews comes out to make the save and chase off Sheamus.

• Kevin Owens comes to complain about Alberto Del Rio being late and campaigns for Del Rio to be taken out of the Money In The Bank ladder match. Alberto shows up to make his case, as he believes KO is responsible for his lateness. Well, our favourite demon in a suit (not that there is much competition) Kane comes to the rescue and sets up Del Rio and Owens in a tag team match against the Luchadragons.

SAMI ZAYN def. CESARO

Cesaro is able to take control early on in the match, as he is able to uppercut Sami in the ring and then post commercial break we see him work down Zayn in the ring. Sami momentarily gains the upper hand with a cross body but an uppercut train derails Sami’s progress. After this point, the match becomes a lot more even with both men trading blows and manoeuvres. Eventually, Zayn is able to hit a beautiful code red onto Cesaro to pick up the win. This match was short but great. Both men displayed how talented they are and in such a short match they were able to show off what they could really do.

CONTRACT SIGNING STYLES AND CENA

Big match John Cena is the first to make his way out to the ring and before AJ Styles can make his way out John cuts a promo about the Money In The Bank PPV. Ever the company man, Cena puts over the show as another Wrestlemania, but he also criticises them for preventing AJ from joining. John goes all CM Punk on us as he lists ROH, PWG and NJPW as the places that AJ Styles has been and proven how good he is (never TNA though). Styles makes his way out and he and the WWE Universe learn he has two options a contract for 1 on 1 with Cena or a contract in which he is backed by The Club. Luckily he chooses the former.

OWENS & DEL RIO def. THE LUCHADRAGONS

Adding the stipulation that if Owens and Del Rio lost this match they would be out of the MITB ladder match made this very predictable. It was obvious who would win. Straight out of the gate the team of Del Rio and Owens are off to a rocky start and for most of the match, they are constantly fighting. The Luchdragons are able to dominate Del Rio for most of the time, despite an awful miss of a Swanton bomb from Sin Cara. Owens is able to pick up the win with a pop-up powerbomb on Sin Cara. After the match Del Rio takes out Owens with a kick. Overall this was an okay match, Sin Cara and Kalisto got to show off some flashy moves (with a few botches) and I am always happy to see a sassy Kevin Owens.

• We get a video from Miz at the set of Marine 5 (why did we keep the IC title on someone who isn’t here).
• Kevin Owens complains to Steph about Shane letting Sami Zayn on commentary for the main event so in return Kevin Owens demands a place on commentary which he is given. As it turns out now Del Rio feels left out so Stephanie allows him to be the special guest time keeper.
• Stephanie and Shane McMahon are arguing about the ringside MITB participants and then Shane reveals Cesaro will be special guest ring announcer (gee I wonder why all the participants are going to be in the same place?). They also discuss Kane who makes his way over to join the discussion only to be told that he is not getting the job, (good to see some continuity with Shane and the car battery reference).

AMBROSE def. JERICHO

The first thing that has to be pointed out is how funny Del Rio looks sat within the time keeper’s area. Especially as he is only wearing his trunks and no shirt. The match between Jericho and Ambrose was pretty average. Not only have we seen this specific matchup multiple times now but also this match honestly felt like a distraction to the real main event, Kevin Owens on commentary. Owens roasted everyone other than JBL, reminding everyone how poor the quality of Raw commentary is compared to him. Ambrose is able to win the match after multiple Dirty Deeds teases and to the surprise of no one, this leads to a brawl between all of the MITB participants. Zayn is able to take out everyone apart from Jericho after he dives from the top rope. Raw ends with Chris Jericho climbing to the top of the ladder and removing the vital briefcase. What does this mean? Well for sure it means that Jericho isn’t going to win this Sunday as he was the last man standing on the go home show.

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP: Kevin Owens
• Match of the Night: Sami Zayn vs Cesaro
• Moment of the Night: Dean Ambrose hits Reigns with the Dirty Deeds
• Owens is so sassy and I would have it no other way
• I hope we never get an answer as to why Del Rio speaks in Spanish so much
• Bootista is Bestista

This was a good go-home show for Money In The Bank on Sunday and I feel like though there are some clear favourites a lot of the matches on the card are still open for many to win. I am going to give this Raw a 7/10.

TNA Review: Slammiversary 2016

Well after weeks and weeks of waiting it is finally time for SLAMMIVERSARY! All 5 titles are on the line for this major PPV tonight and we also have two massive feuds that come to a close, Bennett/EC3 and Matt/Jeff. For reference I am writing this before the show starts so here are my predictions:

• The Tribunal def. Grado and Shera
• Maria def. Gail Kim
• EC3 def. Mike Bennett
• Jeff Hardy def. Matt Hardy
• Andrew Everett def. Trevor Lee, Eddie Edwards, and DJ Z
• Eli Drake def. Bram
• Decay def. BroMans
• Sienna def. Jade
• Drew Galloway def. Lashley

EDDIE EDWARDS def. TREVOR LEE, ANDREW EVERETT & DJ Z (X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP)

Immediately after all 4 men make their entrance into the ring, the referee announces that Gregory Helms has been banned from ringside for this match, a decision that is celebrated by the commentary teams, fans and just about everyone besides Trevor Lee and Andrew Everett. Both Eddie Edwards and DJ Z waste no time in taking advantage of all this commotion as they ambush both Lee and Everett with a baseball slide towards the outside of the ring. All 4 men in the match impress, as they are able to tell a clear story. DJ Z and Eddie Edwards try to team up in order to even the odds against the so far dominating Helms Dynasty. In the end, Eddie was able to pick up the win against Trevor Lee after he counters into a roll up. This was a fitting end for me as the Edwards was able to steal the win from Trevor Lee after weeks of the reverse happening. Great match with great spots and we have a new X-Division champion.

• EC3 cuts yet another intense promo against Mike Bennett. He’s awesome as usual

THE TRIBUNAL def. GRADO & SHERA

Before the match Al Snow comes out with an attempt to get even more heat than he already had by telling everyone he planned to follow in the footsteps of his idol Donald Trump and make wrestling great again. This match was definitely a step down from what we just had with the X-Division title match as this definitely tried to make The Tribunal the dastardly heel and Grado and Shera the loveable babyfaces. The problem is that we have not seen enough of any of these guys besides Grado. The Tribunal are victorious in this match and while I have not enjoyed this feud I will always enjoy when Al Snow breaks down in tears of joy after a meaningless match.

• Braxton Sutter talks backstage with James Storm
• Gail Kim comes out to finally finish this feud with Maria despite her injured leg but it is revealed that Maria has to pull out of the matchup due to her own injury. Looks like this feud is going to go even longer than it already is. Kim is added to the Knockouts title match tonight,

SIENNA def. GAIL KIM & JADE (KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP)

Despite this title match having only been created a week prior to this and had another competitor added mere moments before the start of the match, there definitely has been a build. Champion Jade may have been relegated to a rare sight in TNA but both Gail Kim and Sienna have had plenty of screen time over the last few weeks, setting both women up to be worthy challengers for the title. At the start of the match both Kim and Jade team up in order to take down Sienna who has been portrayed as a monster in the women’s division as of recently. Things are not smooth sailing for former and current Knockout champion as Kim and Jade also brawl with each other as well as they brawl with each other. Kim continues to sell the leg that was injured in last week’s episode of Impact. After an eat defeat on Sienna it appears that Kim has the win but Allie and Maria get involved in the match up leading to Marti Belle to come down and take out Jade allowing Sienna to pick up the win, we have another new champion. This match was okay but there was one massive underlying problem. The crowd. There were multiple big moments in this match such as the near pin, the Maria/Kim confrontation and Marti Belle’s involvement yet the crowd didn’t seem to care at all.

• In an interview, Lashley cuts a cocky promo explaining how knockout or tapout is his world.

JAMES STORM def. BRAXTON SUTTER        

Storm comes out and cuts a promo about how the Cowboy is an original TNA guy as he has been at every single Slammiversary. James Storm tells the crowd that he wants to give someone an opportunity like he was given all those years ago. Well enter Braxton Sutter someone who has a lot of potential and we saw earlier talking to Storm. The match between Storm and Sutter was a very fluid match with lots of arm drags, hip tosses and running of the ropes. Sutter is able to get some good moves in such as the crossbody or the suplex into the turnbuckle. However, Storm picks up the win with his superkick the last call. Though BS lost this match tonight I still see this as a possible passing of the torch matchup, which was supported by the beer sharing during the celebrations.

• Eli Drake cuts an arrogant promo. So usual Eli

ELI DRAKE def. BRAM (KOTM CHAMPIONSHIP)

Drake is a great heel and everyone who has watched TNA in recent times knows this and Drake immediately displays this tonight as he heels it up by acting the coward against Bram. At one point Drake decides that he has had enough of this match and walks out of the matchup only for Bram to chase him up the ramp in order to bring him back. Bram has his own share of punishment however as he has to deal with a backdrop on the concrete after his plans go awry. In the end, Eli Drake is able to get the victory after he surprises Bram with blunt force trauma. Drake retains.

• A promo from Mike Bennett as his match nears

EC3 def. MIKE BENNETT

This match is as heated as you would expect from a feud with this much build up and intensity. EC3 vs Bennett may not have been a title match but this definitely felt like it was worthy of the main event and both of these guys could easily be in the title picture. Carter goes all out in this match with fiery attacks from the outset, whereas The Miracle seemed to have a specific tactic he was sticking to. Try to incapacitate Ethan. The DDT from the security gate was a great spot early on that looked vicious. Though some may not see this as that great of a compliment but this match reminded me of the Cena vs Orton matches. Bennett like Orton using calculating moves such as the kicks to the head (The Miracle even hits an RKO/Cutter out of nowhere) and Carter uses the strong moves such as that sit out power bomb. Both Mike and Ethan looked strong as they kicked out of big moves, the one percenter, and piledriver respectively. Maria does get involved in the match preventing the pin by throwing in a chair. Bennett uses this distraction in order to hit the miracle in progress but that was not enough it seems and Carter hit the third one percenter in order to win the match. This was a good match to end a great feud, and I can only assume Carter moves back into the title picture after this and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bennett go there with him.

• Matt gives a crazy promo to go with all the other ones
• I’m upset that the video package for Matt/Jeff video package didn’t involve Matt’s gardener

JEFF HARDY def. MATT HARDY

Matt’s wife comes out to introduce Broken Matt Hardy (does she ever put that kid down?) luckily he has new music fitting his eccentric character. Jeff is not even able to get fully down the ramp before the fighting between Matt and Jeff starts as the younger Hardy goes straight for the bins. The weapons were a huge part of this matchup with the Hardy with multiple spots involving a weapon of some kind especially the splash onto the long ladder. The ultimate spot came at the end of the match when Jeff hit the Swanton bomb on Matt through a table picking up the victory. Technically the match was fine as both Hardy’s are veterans and know how to put a match especially a hardcore match. However, the match was never going to live up to the craziness that has been the promos we have been getting.

• Abyss is beautiful apparently. Someone give him a mirror.

DECAY def. BROMANS (TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP)

I have to say I really like the Decay theme music. Maybe it is because these mystical nightmare theme songs are always my favourites (Bray Wyatt at the top of that list). No matter who Decay faced in TNA they needed to win this match, as they are by far the hottest thing going in the tag team division. It has reignited Abyss and given the other two members a chance to shine. This was a well-worked match unsurprisingly as all 4 men are great in ring technicians. Jessie Godderz continues to stand out to me as does Crazy Steve. The only problem with this match for me was the finish that made Decay look weak as Steve tapped out and as a team, they were not good enough to beat the BroMans.

• Man, I called some of the earlier promos intense but they didn’t have anything on the one that Drew Galloway did before the main event.

LASHLEY def. DREW GALLOWAY (WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)            

Right out of the gate Galloway is able to hit the Claymore kick on Lashley, which would set the tone for this matchup. This was a fast paced match from the outset, as both men were determined to win. Both men hit hard and fast looking for a possible knockout at all opportunities, however, we also saw a vast amount of submissions used specifically the iron maiden from Drew Galloway, the same move that made Kurt Angle tap out. This was a clash of two heavyweights, both Galloway and Lashley hit big moves all match in and outside of the ring, the Celtic cross from Galloway on the steel steps looked especially nasty. Lashley is one tough SOB as after that Celtic cross, a sharpshooter, and another claymore kick Lashley will not stay down and when Drew tried to put Lashley through a table he missed putting himself through the wood. Ultimately Lashley is able to pick up the win after Drew passes out in a submission. WE HAVE A NEW WORLD CHAMPION! While Galloway is my favourite wrestler in Impact Wrestling I do not have a problem with the result of tonight’s main event. Drew is already established as a title contender and Lashley is a monster heel that can dominate the division convincingly.

FINAL SCORE & NOTES

• Tonight’s MVP: Mike Bennett
• Match of the Night: EC3 vs Mike Bennett
• Moment of the Night: Lashley winning the world title
• Many of the wrestlers tonight had great performances, and while TNA has a long way to go before the glory days of Styles and Joe they have a good foundation to build upon.
• I got 7 out of the 8 predictions (taking out the Maria match for obvious reasons) right, in the end, my only wrong prediction being the main event.
• I cannot wait to see the fallout this week on Impact after 3 title changes in one night.

Slammiversary 2016 had a very good second half of the show, the last 4 matches were all great especially the main event and EC3 vs Mike Bennett, however, it is important to note that the first half was pretty lacklustre (besides the X-Division) overall. As this is meant to be one of TNAs biggest shows of the year I have to be harsher than usual but this still gets a 7/10.

The NXT TakeOver: The End … Review

Whats Up Wrestling Peeps! TakeOver: The End is here and with it comes a whole host of new question, new opportunities and new talent to our little brand.

But those are wonderings for another time – lets stay focused shall we – because the talent on display was Main Roster worthy, and really put some of the top stars to shame. But that is NXT. When it comes to TakeOvers  they just seem to give a little extra each and every time. And lets face it, that’s what makes a PPV or Network Exclusive different from weekly programming Because otherwise, why bother?

So lets dive right into it with “Flash! Ahhh Ahhh“! Dude, I doubt The Ming The Merciless attire was what The Perfect 10 Tye Dillinger was going for, but my main complaint is how budget the overall get up looked. Sorry 10, love you and all that but damn that glowing 10 box on the back … I’ve got to stop.

Moving on.

After appealing to GM William Regal for a Match at TakeOver, Dillinger got his wish in the form of a debuting Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas. Now of course with a debut you think “well he is gonna win” … and you would be right.

For a match that was spectacular I was let down by allowing Almas to go over the uber over Dillinger. Again, maybe its my fan-boy status when it comes to the mega popular Heel, but I’m going to stop using that as an excuse for the higher-ups failings. Lets get The Perfect 10 into the big leagues. For a guy whose Gimmick could be considered hokey – like an Elias Samson – he has proven that with skill and the ability to entertain. He is more than just superficial wrapping, he is the complete package.

That sounded vaguely naughty.

I’m going to get this going #GiveDillingerAChance.

Feels like American Alpha have been Champions for ages, given how comfortable they feel atop the Tag Division. So the fact that tonight was their first title defence felt special, which translated into a fast-paced and entertaining match. Would you expect no-less from Jason Jordan & Chad Gable though?

Side note moment. Two matches in and three superstars have utilised the rip-away pants for entrance attire. No hater here but Cesaro take note. Royalties to be collected son.

What a match. Too many high spots to mention here but worthy mugging for the crowd from Jordan & Gable. These guys were pumped – as were the crowd for that matter – so perhaps it was fitting for The Revival to get the win. Especially considering the beat down American Alpha received at the end of the match.

Speaking of Ming, Hello Paul Ellering.

On to the match that I tipped to steal the show. And Boy did it deliver.

Some of the better matches are simply to find out ‘who is better’ and my heart went out for Austin Aires, who I tend to agree with, has been overlooked since stepping into NXT. He has won matches, don’t get me wrong, but ultimately has plateaued. So a win over Shinsuke Nakamura meant more for his stock within the company than The King of Strong Style.

Surprisingly this match was slower than expected, which perhaps worked more for the aggression that Aires brought to the match-up. It was as if Ol’ Sparkle pants had taken a page out of Nakamura’s book, punishing the flamboyant star with knees, forearms and kicks galore. And that barricade buster though. ouch!

For all the control that Aires had at the first half of the match, he couldn’t maintain as the match-up went deep and Nakamura pulled out all the stops. Ultimately however it was Aires eagerness that cost him the win leading to yet another win for Nakamura.

As many of my loyal readers will know, for me, the NXT Women’s Championship match is more than winning the title. Its a chance to find an opponent that can convincingly match-up against the Champ Asuka, a feat that so-far only Emma – in my opinion – has been able to do.

Nia Jax’s methodical pace was in step with Asuka, which like the match before it, made for a hard-hitting affair that allowed both women to showcase their strengths. Unlike Asuka’s last TakeOver match this one felt more concise but that was mostly down to the champ playing the underdog role with Nia dominating as she is want to do.

Of course Asuka was destined to retain but Nia did not make it easy for her, which leads me to believe that her involvement at the top of the ranks won’t come to end just yet.

Triple Threat with Bayley perhaps? We will see.

Main Event time and how fitting for The Demon Finn Balor to actually climb into the cage like some Spider-Demon hybrid. And I totally digged the allusion to the Venom make-up of Balor’s indie past reminding us just how far he has come since joining NXT.

For Samoa Joe, this is the only way for his war with The Demon to end. He has known for some time now that he is better than Balor but this was his time to prove it. By breaking down the challenger and taking his time to exit the cage, he showed dominance over the former-Champ in the early going. But Joe’s arrogance to not end the match via escaping allowed Balor to get a few high spots in, with a particular high spot from the top of the cage that Samoa Joe was able to turn into a Muscle-Buster from the corner.

This was perhaps one to the shortest matches between these two but this wasn’t about showcasing each others skills, this was about ending a feud that has taken these men to limit, with neither men backing down.

The biggest takeaway from tonight is the future of Finn Balor. With the arrival of The Club on the main roster, many have been predicting The Demon’s call-up. With a loss such as this, it would seem sudden for the top brass to move Finn over to the main stage with that on his resume. Not that continuation means much of anything over there but we fans would know that Balor has unfinished business on the yellow brand.

Best case scenario – and my best guess – we see Finn Balor getting drafted in the Brand split in July.

All I know for sure, Balor’s days in NXT are numbered.

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

WWE Raw Review: 6.6.16

OPENER

We start the show with a big confrontation in the ring between the MITB ladder match participants. Each of the 6 are placed on ladders as they each get a chance to plead their case as of why they are going to win the MITB ladder match. Once again the star of this segment was Chris Jericho who rightfully points out he is the innovator behind the MITB ladder match but falsely claims he won the 1^st and the 6^th (Edge and Swagger by the way). Well, I say Jericho was the star of the segment, but I was just referring to wrestlers. The real man is someone who is very close to my heart, the mac militant himself Teddy Long. The former Smackdown manager makes his way out to throw his hat into the ring for the possibility of running a live Smackdown come July 19^th (something that would please me immensely). Teddy also tried his hand at booking the 6 men in the ring into a variety of matches, well Stephanie McMahon made her way out in order to put a stop to Teddy’s fantasy booking. Steph claimed that there was no concrete decision on the GM for either show yet and that each of the 6 MITB contenders would be facing each other tonight in singles matches. Overall I loved this opening segment, not only because of the Teddy Long return but also on the ladders each of the 6 showcased their characters extremely well. From what they said to the way they stood while saying it.

CESARO def. JERICHO

The first of our MITB contestant matches was a verY solid contest between the Swiss Superman Cesaro and Y2J Chris Jericho. It feels like I say this every week but once again Cesaro amazed with his athletic ability and technical prowess. His uppercuts looked impactful and the great feats of strength such as the super plex. Jericho was able to keep up with some great moves of his own such as the reversal codebreaker and many dropkicks. Cesaro is able to pick up the win after he swings Jericho into a sharpshooter and made Y2J tap. This was a great match between two great competitors and will take a lot to be topped tonight.

• We get a video package on Seth Rollins’ side of the story between him and Roman Reigns. This details the debut of the Shield, its eventual breakup, Seth’s road to the World Heavyweight Championship and how he lost it. WWE are obviously trying to keep Seth as the top heel but they are going about it in a weird way. On one hand we see Seth as the backstabber of the Shield but on the other we see the WWE24 special.

RUSEV def. JACK SWAGGER       

The United States Champion Rusev takes on hometown hero Jack Swagger tonight in a non-title match. Titus O’Neil joins the announce table for this matchup. The match is fairly balanced to begin with as both men are renowned for their big power moves. The Bulgarian Brute is able to pick up the win by count out after a ginormous collision with Swagger outside the ring, leading to Rusev pushing the Real American into Titus at commentary. The 3 men brawl after the match with Rusev being chased from the ring. It seems that Swagger may have possibly been added to this title contention after this. I guess we will find out. However, my interest in this feud is pretty low as it is clear that Titus and Swagger, if he competes for the title at all, are definitely not going to be the winner as they are obvious paper challengers.

CENA TALKS TO AJ

John Cena makes his way out to the ring and the first thing he does is address how big of a moment last week was. He even compares the electricity with AJ Styles to the same he felt with The Rock. Cena is quick to put this over as a dream match but he is also concerned with Styles’ actions last week and why he thought it was necessary to get the Club involved. Well AJ answers his call and makes his way out with Anderson and Gallows behind him. At first, AJ sticks to what people like Punk and Bryan said to Cena, that he is not as good of a wrestler. Cena is quick to point this out and tells AJ that he has underperformed since coming to the WWE and questions why this feud is Cena vs The Club and not Cena vs Styles. Well AJ has an answer for this too, he tells John that he has done it all over the world and has nothing to prove, but he knows that people like Cena bury people like AJ (META AS FUCK). Styles’ promos as a heel are completely different as a face and his heel work really give him a chance to shine. The numbers are against Cena as he alone has to take on the 3 members of The Club but luckily the New Day come to the rescue making it 4 on 3.

THE VAUDEVILLAINS def. ENZO & CASS (DQ)        

Before Enzo and Cass even come out to the ring we see a replay of the concussion that Enzo suffered at the hands of The Vaudevillains during Payback. After this Enzo and Cass make their way down to the ring and as usual they cut a promo that’ll knock your socks off, this one being very Ali inspired. Enzo then starts the match with Simon Gotch, and Gotch is very quickly able to get the upper hand. Both Gotch and Aiden English take turns in beating down Enzo when English decides that it would be a good idea to recreate said Payback injury. Well, this was one of the worst ideas of all time because it got Cass so enraged that he got himself and Enzo disqualified by beating the living shit out of both of the Vaudevillains. This match was definitely used to heighten the tension between both teams as it is becoming a fierce rivalry. This also demonstrated the bond between Enzo and Cass.

• Tom Phillips interviews Sami Zayn about his upcoming match against former MITB winner Alberto Del Rio. Sami points out how he is the underdog but this win would mean a lot for him. Del Rio makes his way over to put down Zayn’s chances in their match tonight.
• Teddy Long is grooving out to his killer music backstage when he runs into Stephanie and advises her to make a 4-way tag team match at Money in the Bank for the titles. The Vaudevillains vs Enzo and Cass vs The New Day vs The Club. Steph proceeds to kick Teddy out (aww) and steal his idea.

ALBERTO DEL RIO def. SAMI ZAYN

This match never really takes off the way the match between Cesaro and Jericho. Though both Sami and Alberto are world class performers it did not seem to flow as naturally as the first match on the show. Zayn misses his barricade moon sault early on but other spots in this match were well performed such as Zayn’s crossbody and Del Rio’s backstabber. Del Rio is able to reverse the Helluva Kick and pick up the win with his terrible corner stomp finisher.

• Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens confront each other backstage, with Owens trying to get into Ambrose’s head.
• We get the Roman Reigns version of the Sheild promo that played for Seth earlier. Roman’s differs from Seth as it is obviously from the perspective of the face who was betrayed then robbed. Reigns’ video package, like Seth’s, is very good and my hype for the MITB only gets bigger. They will say it until they run out of breath but this is truly a Wrestlemania main event worthy match.

AMBROSE def. KEVIN OWENS

Both Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens started this match at full speed as they have faced each other many times by now so they’re both knowledgeable of the other in the ring. Things get taken outside almost immediately as Owens throws Ambrose over the announce table. The fight continues outside as Owens is attacked as he tries to berate Byron Saxton. Back in the ring, the two men continue to go full speed ahead as they try to end this match quickly. As usual Ambrose’s offense is a mixed bag as most of his moves are smooth but his punches continue to look weak and his lariat clothesline continues to look forced even when countered. Ambrose is the victor of this match after he hits a Dirty Deeds out of nowhere, which felt a little rushed seeing as he was outside the ring being beaten down moments earlier. For me this match was a battle between the two biggest contenders of the MITB ladder match and I would not be surprised if either won the match on June 19^th.

• Another Make Darren Young Great Again video, I wonder what this is actually leading to?

THE DIVAS REVOLUTION IS BROKEN

The Women’s title match at Wrestlemania 32 was a high point for the Women’s division. They had ditched the term Diva and that joke of a belt and the performance they put on was possibly the match of the night. Sadly it has all been downhill since Mania and this segment proved it. This segment can be reduced to two words, bickering women. It’s such a shame that this catty mentality WWE has for women is still around. Also as a side note, no one should be made to perform in a wrestling ring if they are wearing high heels.

TYLER BREEZE vs R-TRUTH (NO CONTEST)

This match between R-Truth and Tyler Breeze goes on for 40 seconds before Goldust and Fandango get involved causing a double DQ and the result is a no contest. This is the feud that will never end people. I fear that in 10 years’ time I will still be watching these 4 wrestle.

• HOLY SHIT IT’S TEDDY LONG. AND 4 PEOPLE IN THE RING. COULD THIS BE A TAG TEAM MATCH? OH GOD HE SAID IT! Wait, security please don’t do this. We need Teddy and his tag team matches.
• Teddy Long is being escorted out of the building and is confronted by Stephanie who reveals that it will be her running Smackdown, not Teddy and not Shane. While this is huge news I am just bummed for Teddy. #TeddyLongRunningSmackdownLive
• The Club are in the middle of the ring when the New Day come out to start their match, beforehand, however, they cut a promo on The Club telling them that the only club that matters is being WWE Tag Team Champions. This leads to a brawl in which Xavier Woods gets hit with a Styles Clash on the outside causing him to miss the 6 man tag.

THE CLUB def. THE NEW DAY

Despite a strong start by Kofi Kingston and The New Day, The Club is able to take advantage using the numbers advantage. Big E specifically got beaten down by The Club as Gallows especially was able to use his size in order to keep Langston away from his corner. Eventually, Big E is able to get to Kingston who mounts an impressive comeback momentarily taking out Anderson and Gallows and hitting an amazing SOS on AJ. However he is unable to get the pin instead AJ picks up the win with a phenomenal forearm.

• After the match, The Club continues to beat on the New Day, but someone comes to their rescue AND HIS NAME IS JOHN CENA! (Sorry). Cena makes the save only to be ambushed by AJ Styles, however, The New Day return the favour as they save Cena from The Club and Raw ends with The New Day standing tall with John Cena.

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP: Teddy Long
• Match of the night: Cesaro vs Jericho
• Moment of the night: The return of Teddy Long
• I am so sick of the Golden Truth/Breezango
• This MITB is looking amazing despite a weak US match and no IC match so far.

While this Raw was by no means perfect it was definitely an improvement on what we have been getting recently. The Cesaro/Jericho match was a great start, the Cena/AJ feud it really heating up and we even got a surprise return. I give this Raw a 7/10. Holla Holla.

TNA Review: 31.5.2016

OPENER

This week’s TNA opens with Dixie Carter talking to a mystery man who we cannot see due to the camera being on his back. Carter claims that tonight’s show has to be under control and then gives the mystery man complete power over tonight’s episode of Impact (this should go well). The Miracle Mike Bennett and Maria make their way out to the ring to complain about this as they feel that they are the rightful choice to take control. Bennett calls out whoever is in charge of Impact wrestling tonight and before he can even finish his sentence he is answered by tonight’s manager, my personal hero, Ethan Carter III. EC3 reveals that in order to keep The Miracle in prime condition for their match at Slammiversary he is giving him the night off from wrestling. He does not have the night off from work however as he has been giving toilet cleaning duties and his very own mop and bucket. Carter also tells Maria that her position as head of the knockouts division is currently under review. Strangely Lashley makes his way out of the ring to confront EC3. No idea why, but we also find out that the Ass Kicking Machine has delegated his power to Drew Galloway regarding Lashley’s opponent tonight. Is this power hierarchy going to go on forever?

• EC3 and Mike Bennett evaluate the toilet situation. “Poop jokes are funny” seems to be the motto for tonight.
• Galloway tells Lashley that his opponent for tonight is the King of the Mountain champion

BRAM def. LASHLEY (DQ)

Bram and Lashley are two big competitors so it comes to the surprise of nobody that this is an extremely physical matchup, with the two preferring to trade blows rather than wrestle a technical style. While both can be classed as powerhouses the two demonstrated very different styles as Bram showed his brawler background whereas Lashley used his athleticism and speed for effect. The Destroyer seemed confused by the madness that is Bram and after his attacks did little to discourage Bram, Lashley went for the chair and giving Bram a DQ win. Lashley proceeds to spear Bram two times before Drew Galloway came to defend his chosen wrestler, chasing the destroyer out of the building. What happened to Bram then? 3 syllables, E-LI DRAKE.

ELI DRAKE def. BRAM (KOTM CHAMPIONSHIP)

Eli Drake makes his way down to the ring (with no crowd reaction) and cashes in his money in the bank replica briefcase. Drake goes for the immediate pin on Bram but due to the wait between the most recent spear, he is able to kick out. Bram tries to fight the good fight but the damage has been done and Eli Drake walks away the winner (again with no crowd reaction). Both men came off looking good here, Drake looked the like cowardly heel who waited for the opportune moment to cash in and Bram looked like a tough champion who wouldn’t go down without a fight.

• We see the BroMans with Raquel. Basically, she’s hot, and that’s all we need to know apparently.
• EC3 commends The Miracle on a job well done and after we see Earl Hebner finish taking a shit (you got there pretty quick Earl, you just reffed a match) EC3 tells Bennett that he is reffing the next match.
• Eli Drake is a smug jerk backstage and it is glorious.
• Later tonight we will see the events that took place at Matt Hardy’s home between him and his brother Jeff. What the fuck is Matt doing? Please stop.

THE BROMANS def. SPUD & TYRUS

As EC3 ordered this match is referred by The Miracle Mike Bennett who does not seem too thrilled about his newly appointed role. It is also revealed by commentary that the winner of this match will be the number one contender’s for the tag team championship at Slammiversary. The team of Spud and Tyrus is all of 1 week old as an official tag team so it’s pretty bad that they are a go to team for a title shot. Who else is there I guess? The BroMans have early momentum as Robbie E and Godderz are able to dominate Rockstar Spud. After an early pin attempt, it is clear that the special guest referee is not committed to acting as an impartial and fair official. Tyrus is able to gain the upper hand but ultimately the BroMans are able to prevail with help from Raquel. This match is saved by Mike Bennett, whose complete lack of care makes it fun to watch.

• EC3 interrupts a call between Billy Corgan and Maria the job evaluation is next.
• EC3 joins Maria and her band of followers in the ring but immediately makes Sienna and Allie leave the ring as he wants to speak to Maria one on one. EC3 sets up a match at Slammiversary between Maria and Gail Kim (which has been a long time coming) and also a match tonight, Gail Kim and Jade vs Sienna and Allie.

JADE & GAIL KIM def. SIENNA & ALLIE

Allie’s screaming has to be the most annoying sound in the history of the human race. I know that is the point as it gets her heat but it pissed me off so much. Also, why are the commentators and the rest of TNA trying to act like Allie has never wrestled before? Most people know that she is Cherry Bomb and has even wrestled and won in TNA before. Jade and Kim worked like they were their own tag team and completely outclassed the other team in the ring. After a package piledriver, Jade & Kim pick up the win and it was clear Allie was there just to eat the pin.

• I’m going to talk about the Matt and Jeff stuff at the end of this review. I need to go through it in detail.
• Mike Bennett has had enough of EC3 and his orders. In response, EC3 puts Bennett in a match with James Storm.

MIKE BENNETT def. JAMES STORM         

I have to question the booking of this match. The in-ring action was solid as both Storm and Bennett are solid workers, but James Storm looked dominant for the most part despite having no reason for this. Storm is not in a programme during this time and Bennett might have got the win but he could have used this match to make himself look strong going into Slammiversary. As I mentioned the match was solid with some goof brawling between The Miracle and The Cowboy, as well as some fiery offense from Storm, Bennett ultimately gets the win with a schoolboy after a distraction from Maria.

• EC3 tells Bennett that the games are over and come Slammiversary Carter will end this feud by beating the Miracle. This rivalry is definitely heating up as we approach its conclusion.
• Al Snow introduces the Tribunal, he is still claiming that he is winning using no weapons only wrestling moves (bullshit). Pretty soon Grado and Shera come out to interrupt Snow and tell him that he is a liar. We get a few old man jokes and I hate myself for watching this segment.
• Video package introducing Braxton Sutter. Not much to say.
• Lashley reveals Drew Galloway will be facing Decay in a handicap match.

DREW GALLOWAY def. THE DECAY

Now this match could have possibly worked if they had used a different team, not that there is an abundance in TNA. However at no time is it ever necessary to job out your TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS to one guy. No matter who that person is. This made Decay look like fools as they are unable to defeat one man, even if that is the world champion. If you wanted to kill any interest in the BroMans match anymore then this was it. Rosemary even got involved in the matchmaking it 3 on 1 meaning this win was even more unnecessary.

AN ATROCITY OF A SEGMENT

So I saved THAT segment last because I needed to do a detailed review of the entirety of the video package not just cut up parts. Where do I start? Everyone else has been talking about this all week and I don’t know what else I can say. Let me just start off by saying that this fucking accent that Matt Hardy is doing has to fucking stop. What is it? Seriously it’s bloody stupid. Second thing is that this might be one of the worst shot things I have ever seen whether it be in film, television or professional wrestling. Hell, most home videos have better camera angles (maybe that’s what this was meant to be the entire time). Also, some of the shots definitely could be redone. Matt rolling out of the ring and getting caught in the ropes was absolutely hilarious. Now while the directing is bad, the acting is terrible and the accent is even worse there is one underlying problem with this. That is that the entire premise is fucking ridiculous. Why is this happening? What is Reby doing with a fake baby? Why does Matt love the piano so much? WHY WAS THE GARDENER INVOLVED? I’m so done this week.

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• Technically the blame for this terrible show should be laid at the feet of EC3 as he was in control tonight. However I will let him pass as not only am I a giant fanboy but his parts were genuinely the best
• I have only just realised how much Mike Bennett looks like Aaron Paul
• I have watched the contract signing video and the parody video a combined 100 times by now. Doesn’t make it easier.

Where do I start with this week’s show? It was bad. The matches were poorly booked, the time code was badly used and the contract signing was a new low. I give this week a 3/10

Brock Lesnar Returns For UFC 200

So it has been announced today that Brock Lesnar will be returning to the UFC for his first fight since his loss to Alistair Overeem back in December 2011 at UFC 141. Lesnar will be taking on Mark Hunt at UFC 200 and here is what he had to say about finding out his opponent.

“Why not? It could be anybody. I didn’t care,” Lesnar said of the announcement. “If Dana White called me and said, ‘You have opponent X, Y, and Z, who do you want?’ He never gave me those options. This is the guy that we want you to face, I said, ‘Great. This is what I’m going to do.'”

Lesnar record in the UFC before illness forced to retire from the Ocatgon included a 4-3 streak and a 2 time defense of his Heavyweight title. Mark Hunt is currently on a 2 fight winning streak both via knock out his latest being a first round knock out of Frank Mir.

The UFC 200 even is due to take place on the 9th of July at the Las Vegas T-Mobile centre. The event will feature the light heavy weight title unification fight between Jon ‘Bones@ Jones and Daniel Corimer.

Snuka Ruled Mentally Incompetent To Stand Trial

For those of you like me that have not heard of Jimmy Snuka untill now, he was a professional wrestler for several promotions from 1970s to 1990s but most known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF now WWE) in the early to mid 1980 and is credited with introducing the high-flying style of Wrestling to the WWF and was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1996.

Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka  – Photo courtesy of Sportkeeda.com

So why is he on trial and why is he not mentally fit to stand trial?

Jimmy Snuka – Photo courtesy of cnn.com

Well it goes back to May 10, 1983, after defeating José Estrada at a WWF TV taping at the Lehigh County Agricultural Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Snuka placed a call for an ambulance, when emergency personnel arrived at Snuka’s room at the George Washington Motor Lodge, they found that his girlfriend, Nancy Argentino had been injured. Nancy was transported to Allentown’s Sacred Heart Medical Center, where she died shortly after of “undetermined craniocerebral injuries”. The coroner’s report stated that Miss Argentino, 23, died of traumatic brain injuries consistent with a moving head striking a stationary object. The autopsy findings show Miss Argentino suffered more than two dozen cuts and bruises – a possible sign of “mate abuse” (Domestic violence) – on her head, ear, chin, arms, hands, back, buttocks, legs and feet. The forensic pathologists at the time Isidore Mihalakis who preformed the autopsy, wrote that the case should be investigated as a homicide untill proven otherwise.

Snuka & Nancy – Photo courtesy of mcall.com

Snuka was the only suspect involved in the subsequent investigation, although charges were not pressed at the time against Snuka, the case was left officially open. In 1985, Argentino ‘s parents won a $500,000 default judgment against Snuka in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia but Snuka appears not to have ever paid, claiming financial inability to do so. On June 28, 2013, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced that the still-open case would be reviewed by his staff. On January 28, 2014, Martin announced that the case had been turned over to a grand jury.

Nancy Argentino – Photo courtesy of  The Daily Beast

On September 1, 2015, 32 years after the incident, Snuka was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for Argentino’s death. It is the oldest case to result in charges in Lehigh County history. On October 7, Snuka’s lawyers agreed to forgo a preliminary hearing, which would be a waste of court resources, given the thorough grand jury investigation. In return, they received transcripts and other evidence from that investigation.

Crime scene – Photo courtesy of NY Daily News

On November 2, Snuka pleaded not guilty before judge Kelly Banach. A hearing to determine Snuka’s competency for trial began in May 2016. Snuka’s Attorneys argue that in May 2015 a forensic psychologist found Snuka’s mental and physical health to be deteriorating but prosecutors countered by showing a tape of Snuka performing wrestling moves at a May 2015 match. On June 1, 2016 a judge ruled that Snuka is not mentally competent to stand trial for the murder and that a new hearing will be held is six months to re-evaluate his competency, though his attorneys maintain that his condition won’t improve over time.

Jimmy Snuka – Photo courtesy of topropepress.com

Well clearly someone dropped the ball on this case 32 years ago and that in itself raises questions; in particular – how were charges NOT brought against him given Argentino’s injuries and the fact he was the ONLY suspect? So he is deemed incompetent to stand trial, and given his health I doubt he will ever be deemed fit for trial nor will he see the inside of jail cell. In my opinion he should stand trial with Ill health or not, If he was truly innocent of this crime then wouldn’t he want to protest and prove his innocence? To me its seems like the usual act, but this has gone on long enough for the Argentino family, they need answers after all its been 32 years of not knowing,  I’m not a parent but I couldn’t imagine how heartbreaking the last 32 years has been and now even more so as they open old wounds.

TNA Review: 24th May 2016

Matt looks how I feel

OPENER

Welcome to this week’s review of TNA Impact Wrestling, last week we were left with a standoff after the lumberjack world championship match between Lashley and Galloway, this week we see the fallout of that and more. So with that said let me jump into a review with a very serious question. What the fuck has happened to Matt Hardy? He comes out in front of the TNA crowd and announces that he has “evolved”, whatever that means. For some unknown reason, he is speaking with a seriously strange accent which I can’t quite place. Matt goes on to tell the audience that if “Brother Nero” signs the contract for their match at Slammiversary then he is signing his own deaths sentence. Crazy Victorian poet Matt Hardy isn’t alone for long as his former followers Rockstar Spud and Tyrus make their way out to the ring, clearly as freaked out as I am. After the pleading from Spud and Tyrus, Matt decides that if they can defeat Jeff Hardy in a ladder match tonight he will not fight him at Slammiversary, if they fail, however, Matt will no longer associate himself with the pair. I have another serious question. Where the hell is Dixie Carter? In kayfabe (and real life) she has to be the worst authority figure out there, the wrestlers seem to have all the power.

EC3 def. MATT HARDY

The match opens with Matt quickly gaining the upper hand on EC3, driving him into the corner and savagely beating on him, a fitting move set for his change of character. Other than that, however, this is a standard match for an aging Hardy, he uses the same move set he always does and is quite slow in doing so. EC3 however as usual is on good form and noticeably quicker than his opponent. The match continues for roughly 5 minutes before Mike Bennett makes his way out to observe the matchup and eventually he is responsible for the finish as he attacks EC3 resulting in a DQ finish.

• The Miracle claims that as EC3 was not able to pin Matt Hardy (I wonder why?) he will not get a rematch at Slammiversary.
• Allie comes out to serve as the hype woman of Maria, who comes and cuts a promo about the “brighter future” of the knockouts division. This infuriates Gail Kim who makes her way down to the ring to set the record straight and challenge the leader of the knockouts division to a match.
• Grado is determined to teach Al Snow a lesson. Shera just wants to eat lunch
• The BroMans continue to be dumb. The logistics behind the phone call didn’t even make sense, they can’t be that dumb? Oh, wait…
• In an interview, Gail Kim says that Maria is pissing her off and that she is ready to take her down.

AL SNOW def. GRADO (STREET FIGHT)

I have to admit, I really enjoy watching Al Snow. His hypocritical opinion on weapons in matches is a great way to get heat and hiding during Grado’s entrance made me laugh out loud. After a dastardly sneak attack on Grado, Snow immediately goes after the recovering arm of Grado as it is his obvious weak spot. As this match was beginning I was excitedly thinking to myself that this is quite a good start for a comedy match, Snow slowly beats down Grado until he tries a moon sault on the Scotsman, however, he is ultimately unsuccessful which gives Grado a chance in this matchup. From this point on the match becomes a spot fest, from the powder to the chicken leg (I hate wrestling sometimes). Sylvester LeFort (now Basille Baracca) and Marcus Louis (now Baron Dax) come out to the ring to distract Grado allowing Al Snow to pick up the victory. This feud is clearly not over and I am extremely conflicted about how I feel. While I do find the odd moments like Al Snow breaking down in tears at the end of this match funny, the actual matches themselves are very lacklustre and I grow tired of seeing them.

• Matt’s wife Reby tries to talk some sense into him but to no avail. Matt’s kid Maxell is also in this segment. I wonder how Hardy will explain that accent to him in the future.
• Lashley tells the audience that he is pissed about what happened last week on Impact and says that he should be champion right now. Obviously, Drew Galloway is off a different opinion and he swiftly makes his way to the ring to express that. This almost leads to another brawl but President Dixie Carter puts a stop to this announcing that the title match will take place at Slammiversary (wow that’s surprising) in a match that can only be won by knockout or tap out. Oh and they brawl anyway with Lashley standing tall.

TREVOR LEE def. ANDREW EVERETT, DJ Z AND EDDIE EDWARDS (ULTIMATE X)

The matches in the x division are often the highlight of TNA and they have often stolen the show when given the opportunity. This week is no different as the Ultimate X match was definitely the best match on the show. However the fact that we have seen little to none of the x division for a long time really hindered this match. The question of why we even got an Ultimate X match can be asked as we had no build towards this match. All men in the match work a fast and well-paced contest, the spot of the match has to be the top rope hurricanrana, though the DDT from the top rope by DJ Z was very impressive too. Despite Eddie Edwards being the man to remove the belt from the ropes, Trevor Lee is able to retain the title. During the match the seeds for a Helms Dynasty split has been set as Andrew Everett almost goes for the title for himself.

• Maria gives a pep talk to her girls, Allie, and Sienna.
• EC3 is not a man who is easily deterred and he tells The Miracle that. EC3 claims he is about to make a phone call “I do not want to make”.

GAIL KIM def. SIENNA

For this match, the first lady of wrestling Maria and her assistant Allie stand at ringside watching the match in the corner of Sienna. It doesn’t take long for Kanellis to get involved in the match as she helps out Sienna early on at ringside and later in the match up she prevents Gail Kim by hitting her off the top rope. This intervention by Maria is not enough however as Kim is able to pick up the win by a surprise roll up that allows her to keep her job. Gail is particularly impressive in this match, she pulls off some good spots earlier on such as the crossbody from the top rope or the headscissors to the outside of the ring. As for Sienna, I have to admit she has begun to impress me a lot more than her debut did a few weeks back. While she did take the loss here it did not make her look weak and therefore her position in the knockouts division has not changed. This segment ends with a beatenGail Kim lying in the ring surrounded by Maria and her pair of knockouts.

• Matt Hardy’s wife Reby tells Rockstar Spud and Tyrus that they have to beat Jeff to save Matt.
• The BroMans go to meet their Guru that was mentioned earlier and it turns out that this Guru is Raquel (who cannot even wrestle herself), who proceeds to work Robbie and Jessie to the bone.

JEFF HARDY def. TYRUS & ROCKSTAR SPUD

I am very concerned that the only reason that this match was made was to make a fat joke about Tyrus. It legitimately scares me that this is what wrestling has come to. The match begins as Spud lands a surprise attack on Jeff Hardy while he is making his entrance. I couldn’t get into this ladder match. At no point during the 10 minutes that match was going on did it feel like Jeff was going to lose. Tyrus and Rockstar Spud felt like jobbers compared to Hardy and the twist of fate ending on the ladder was weird as the commentary claimed that Jeff was sacrificing his body, but he looked just fine. Well despite my gripes with this match, I cannot argue that the result was necessary, Jeff vs Matt as Slammiversary is going to happen.

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP: The X Division for proving how good they are in the ring.
• Match of the Night: Ultimate X Match
• Moment of the Night: Double hurricanrana
• Did the TNA writers go to a bad Shakespeare play before writing Matt’s promo?

That’s it for last week’s (sorry for the lateness) episode of Impact. I’m not really sure how to feel about this episode as it had some high such as the Knockouts match and some lows such as the final match. I think I will give this week’s episode a 5/10, very average.

The Social Outcasts Announced As Stars Of ‘The Marine 5: Battleground’

Watch out Tom Cruise, Chris Pratt and Robert Downey Jr.! You fellas may have some competition in the acting world now.

A few days ago, it was announced that Heath Slater, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel will be starring alongside the Miz, Maryse and Naomi in ‘The Marine 5: Battleground’. This news surprised and confused many people but for me personally, I was ecstatic. For those who don’t know, the Social Outcasts are my favorite part of WWE TV every week. They are fantastic at what they do!

Just watch this week’s episode of Main Event and see how wonderful these guys are at what they do. On Main Event, they had stolen Xavier Woods’ ring gear so he had to compete in Big E’s gear. On top of that, they came out to a New Day style entrance with Dallas, Axel and Slater backstage screaming like Big E. The difference was they were not even sure what town they were in.

These three men are perfect in the roles they are currently in. It’s a shame everything happened with Adam Rose because he was great in the role as well. Unfortunately I feel these men go unappreciated, so let’s take a look at each of these three men!

Heath Slater is the biggest WWE veteran of the three. He’s been with WWE since the first season of NXT and would eventually join groups like The Nexus and The Corre. After those groups, he went out on his own and I must say he became my favorite part of Raw every week. On the way to Raw’s 1,000th episode, Slater would face the likes of Doink the Clown, Bob Backlund and many others. He consistently stole the show and it showed that WWE had a lot of faith in him in that role.

He then joined 3MB along with Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre. Slater ended up being the only one left with WWE after the group ended. After that, he had a memorable win in the main event of Raw against Seth Rollins thanks to help from Dean Ambrose. Slater then spent time with Titus O’Neil as Slater Gator. They disbanded when Darren Young came back from an injury. Slater now seems to be the leader of The Social Outcasts and its great to see him on my TV every week again. Slater excels at everything he does and may just be the most underrated performer in all of WWE.

Let’s look at Curtis Axel now.

Curtis Axel is a third-generation superstar and the son of Curt Hennig. He originally showed up on WWE TV on the second season of the original NXT. He was stuck with and awful name and never given many opportunities. He spent a good amount of years as that character but then things changed.

One day he became Curtis Axel and he was beating the likes of Triple H. He became Intercontinental Champ quickly after that. Since then, he has been in tag teams with Ryback and Damien Sandow. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I loved Sandow and Axel as Hogan and Macho Man. I honestly feel they would still be doing that gimmick today if the whole Hulk Hogan scandal did not happen. But now, Axel is in The Social Outcasts and able to show his worth next to Dallas and Slater.

Last but certainly not least is Bo Dallas aka my spiritual savior and the greatest man who ever lived.

For those who do not know, Bo Dallas is my favorite wrestler in the world today and he has been for many years. He first showed up on the new version of NXT as arguably the most hateable babyface of all time. A fantastic change was eventually made to the character in which he still thought he was a good guy but did bad guy type actions inside and out of the ring. He was given a long run as NXT champ but wasn’t given much to do on the main roster prior to joining The Social Outcasts. I must say that I’m very happy for Dallas that he is part of a group that appears on television on a consistent basis.

It will be interesting to see these three in a WWE film. For every John Cena and The Miz, you get a Mr. Kennedy or a Ted DiBiase. Who know if one of these men could be the next Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. All I know is, I BOlieve!