Rumor Mill: WWE Bringing Back MVP/Shelton Benjamin?

An article by Mike Killam of wrestlezone.com which you can view by clicking HERE! states that the former WWE veterans may be making in-ring returns. A podcast called the Gerwick Report, recently had former Smackdown GM Teddy Long as a guest on it. Teddy Long had spoken with MVP and rumor has it that he has already signed with the company and is waiting to hear back from the doctors to be cleared for in-ring competition. Teddy also implied that the return of Shelton Benjamin is on its way also which could bring back recognition to the lesser United States and Intercontinental Titles.

Shelton Benjamin could definitely be an awesome addition to the team of recent Smackdown Draftees American Alpha (Jason Jordan, Chad Gable). Shelton is a world-class athlete who could teach some of the upcoming NXT wrestlers a thing or two. MVP would open opportunities in every title situation as he has shown his wide range of skills from tag teaming to singles competition. Let’s be honest for a second, the stuff MVP did with TNA was not that bad! Unfortunately not too many eyes were on the product at the time but again as a boss in TNA or a star in Japan, it is a great addition for WWE if they do add both of these awesome veteran wrestlers.

Will Ospreay Reportedly Signs WWNLIVE Contract

According to an article posted by pwtorch.com Click HERE to read it. The rising star Will Ospreay has apparently signed a contract with WWNLIVE. At Paul Heyman’s One Man Show in the U.K. over a week ago, Paul gave Will Ospreay an envelope telling him when he is done with New Japan to “give him a call.” If this turns out to be true it could open many doors for Will as he has been the hottest wrestler in the business over this past year.

Although he has some unfinished business with the man they call “Vader.” Ironically this feud started over Twitter, which nowadays doesn’t sound so weird to say. Still kind of blows my mind the attention people get from social media but that is today’s world. Vader had aggressively critiqued the match between Ricochet (Prince Puma) and Will saying matches like that will eventually kill the business and seemed more like a dance routine. Will responded with a tweet saying ” Just throwing it out there I would absolutely love to face @itsvadertime people think I hate him but i don’t, I genuinely want this match.” 

If these rumors are true and Will Ospreay does eventually become business buddies with Paul……..Heyman! I can’t even wrap my head around how excited I would be if he eventually got a gig in NXT/WWE someday. Endless possibilities and the “Pop” for his performance every night would make WWE that much better of a product. Paul Heyman is a very persuasive voice in the industry with a savvy like nobody else to negotiate. I am excited just thinking about it! Anything is possible with the shift that these wrestling companies have recently showed in their product. The first step for the hottest wrestler Will Ospreay is taking down Vader on August 12th, in the York Hall Bethnal Green at Revolution Pro’s UPRISING!

UFC Confirm Brock Lesnar Has Failed Drug Test

The UFC have confirmed that Brock Lesnar has failed an out of competition drug test.

Lesnar beat Mark Hunt by unanimous decision at UFC200 in his return to the sport, the UFC had made an exception letting Lesnar fight as usually they do not let a retired fighter fight until they have passed 4 months worth of tests before they are cleared to fight.

Lesnar had submitted eight tests to the USADA in his lead up to his fight with Hunt but a test that was taken on the 28 of June flagged a violation. It has not yet been confirmed what Lesnar tested for but he has vowed to “Get to the bottom of this”.

Lesnar earned $2.5 for the fight and now Hunt has now said he is entitled to half of Lesnar’s earnings and has threatened to walk away from the UFC if this demands are not met. Hunt also commented by saying “the cheaters get a slap on the wrist and walk off”

“What penalty or deterrent is there to make them think twice? Nothing. And the [Nevada Athletic Commission], why should these [expletive] get anything? They are not the ones who had to fight with Lesnar or lose [to him]. I lost.”

Nevada State Athletic Commission executive officer Bob Bennett confirmed that Lesnar could be stripped of his earnings from the fight.

“We can fine and suspend,” he said.

“I’m not saying his whole paycheck will be taken away, but he could be suspended and fined upon his case being heard and all the facts being presented.”

Lesnar has not failed any drug tests in the past, but Hunt stated ahead of the fight that he thought his opponent was “juiced to the gills.”

As always for all your Octagon ground pound needs stick with @Deadpool_1984 only at skatronixxx.com

 

Yes, Yes, Yes! Is Daniel Bryan Your New Smackdown GM?

With the news of the impending WWE roster split aka brand draft we found out last week that Vince McMahon’s children Shane and Stephanie will be in charge of each of the main shows, with Stephanie taking charge of Raw and Shane taking charge of Smackdown.

However trust Vince to never make things as straightforward as that. After announcing the news that they would be in charge of their shows, he also made this announcement.

So as well as having Stephanie and Shane in charge they have to bring back the dreaded role of General Manager aka GM *groans*, can I ask what is the point of having two authority figures, either Stephanie and Shane will sit back and let their GM’s do all the work or will their GM will become a glorified and overpaid assistant?

So who would they pick? Would it be the playa Teddy Long, the screech queen Vickie Guerrero, or a new name like Bret Hart or The Rated-R Superstar Edge? Well it seems like Shane has already made his pick with the news leaked on the WWE App, implying that none other than Daniel Bryan has been appointed as GM of Smackdown.

What’s my response? Well to quote Daniel Bryan? Yes, Yes, YES!!!

Will this be an indication of things to come? That once again Smackdown will focus more on the wrestling content rather than the entertainment value? Only time will tell and who will be in charge of Raw! My personal fave would to be bring back William Regal.

However with Shane-O-Mac and The Goat in charge of Smackdown one thing is certain, things will get a lot more interesting!

 

Smackdown – 14/07/16

Welcome back to our weekly Smackdown reviews. This one is a special Smackdown as this is the final Thursday night Smackdown. That’s right, it’s finally here, next week we start up Live Tuesday Night Smackdown with the Brand Extension draft. Before that though, let’s see what we have in store for our final taped Smackdown.

We open with some replays of the pre show, with Kevin Owens complaining about a birthday card to his son from Sami containing only 20 Canadian dollars. He brings up how that is a pitiful amount for a kid’s godfather to give to him. Can you revoke someone’s right to be Godfather or is that for life? We also get Charlotte cussing out Sasha, Miz talking about Darren Young and Ambrose talking about how he’ll annihilate Kevin Owens. Can you tell that I thought the Owens promo was the best one?

Dana Brooke vs Sasha Banks

We open the show with Sasha Banks coming out to the ring with Dana and Charlotte following on. It’s another match between Sasha and Dana everyone! :(. While the match goes on we get a stunning observation from Mauro. ‘Charlotte isn’t afraid of any female in the women’s division’. By god, are there suddenly some males in the women’s division that I wasn’t clued in to? Is Charlotte gonna get Brogue kicked by Sheamus on her next title defense? I’m sorry, this match is just so overdone that I need to go on these tangents to bring some enjoyment out of it. Brooke taps out to another Bank Statement before Sasha takes a Big Boot from Charlotte. Then she’s thrown into the announcement team while Charlotte yells out some wooden ‘You’ll never beat me’ statements. This is going on past Battleground by the way. battleground is another tag team match. Man if it goes on to Summerslam I want a Sasha vs Charlotte and Dana handicap match.

Winner by Submission: Sasha Banks

Rusev vs Dolph Ziggler

Before Smackdown goes live, Ziggler wants to try and up his value to become a better prospect, he chose to fight Rusev for this value. I’m glad that they’re being conservative with the Rusev/Ryder matches before Battleground, if they overdid that, Ryder would be mush by the time he challenges for the title. After all, we remember the condition of Kallisto going into his title match against Rusev.

Oh god we get the injection of pop culture early in the match with the poignant statement ‘Unlike Pokemon Go, a fight against Rusev isn’t a walk in the park.’ Ah man. Dolph Ziggler fights like only Dolph Ziggler can, selling every hit to the level that it deserves. He also follows the only tactic that seems to work on Post-LoN Rusev, the sleeperhold. I hope that whoever beats him doesn’t manage it through that, it’d lose some of the impact on whoever’s career that manages it.I hope its Ryder. Speaking of, a ‘Woo Woo Woo’ plays as Ryder walks out to distract Rusev and help Ziggler get the pin. I’m glad Ziggler took it, they have to make Ryder winning at Battleground somewhat plausible to put on a good match.

Winner by Pinall: Dolph Ziggler

Then there was a replay of the Breezango vs Luchadragons match from Raw

Then there was a replay of The Wyatt Compound

I liked the Wyatt compound the first time I saw it, I really did, but filling up so much of the LAST taped Smackdown with Raw replays is kinda stupid.

We get back to the Smackdown action with

AJ Styles and Karl Anderson vs Enzo and Cass

This Cena Styles feud was completely revitalised by Enzo and Cass, I’m so glad they came into it. The big talk starts immediately with Enzo roasting them immediately. ‘I’m sick of your “Too Sweet” talk, I suppose at the end of the day, a cup a’ salt looks like a cup o’ sugar’ and Cass just saying that they’re only fighting them tonight since there’s nothing else for them to do. It’s a good motivation as motivation goes. As usual, all 4 guys showcase their skills as top athletes in their field, though I still cringe when Enzo gets reckless. Surprisingly, Enzo puts on some of the most impressive work in the match, taking the big hits and putting on some great moves before finally submitting to AJ, the tag going unmet as Cass is beat up outside the ring as AJ revitalises himself to attack Enzo.

Winner by Submission: AJ Styles and Karl Anderson

Tyler Breeze vs Kallisto

Oh hey, this again.I’m glad that Breeze is using what hes been given to try and claw his way up to relevance. I’m not entirely sure if this is Breezango moving up or Lucha Dragons moving down though. Either way, Kalisto was US Champion like three months ago, and he’s successful enough on his own, a match against him should give Breeze the help that he needs. Even though it resulted in a loss. Eh.

Winner by Pinfall: Kalisto

Oh my ever loving Christ, is that Darren Young’s entrance? Bob Backlund’s rasping voice and a trump-esque Titantron stand in? That poor fuck. He deserves more. Darren Young is then immediately ignored in his own Miz TV interview in favour of a Backlund retrospective. Man I really hope he wins at Battleground. His highlight reel only strengthened that. There was none. Miz shows how great of a heel he is, actually making me support Young. The face off actually gives this feud some heat as Young scares Miz out of the ring.

A faux injured Banks is then approached by Charlotte and Brooke to tell her that she needs to find a tag team partner for Battleground, that’s right, two months no title defense. Yaaaaay. I hope its Paige or Bailey.

Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens

Seth Rollins comes out just before the match starts and attacks Ambrose approximately two minutes into the match, then Sami Zayn comes in for a piece of Kevin Owens. The match is turned into a tag team match.

Dean Ambrose and Sami Zayn vs Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens

I’m ok with this change in programming. It’s a god main event to end taped Smackdown for good. The teams work pretty well, with Ambrose and Zayn coming off as pretty good tag team partners throughout the match, with good synchronised moves and synergy throughout. The match is predictably insane as the match gets towards the end, with the odds going either way on the winner as it gears up, the match ends with a pedigree on Zayn before Rollins gets the pin for the win. KO then tries to get one over on Zayn outside the ring before Ambrose defends him then fights with Rollins in ring. Man these tag teams made more sense than I could have imagined. I hope we see more team ups in these four, but the brand extension makes that unlikely.

Winner By Pinfall: Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens

I think that the final taped Smackdown represented Thursday Night Smackdown as an entity, Alright.I can’t wait to see how Smackdown evolves as it’s importance grows with the new brand extension on Tuesday. I’ll be seeing you earlier on in the week from now on, but you can always catch me @oliverwoodster on Twitter.

 

 

 

 

WWE Raw Review: 11.07.2016

INTERCONTINENTAL NUMBER 1 CONTENDER BATTLE ROYAL

This week we start off with the battle royal which will decide who will face The Miz for the IC title at Battleground this month. There were many people in the battle royal but it was clear from the start that there were some obvious choices to win the match. This Battle Royal genuinely left me curious as of who would win as there were numerous people who had a legitimate claim, such as Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio who were focused on heavily throughout the match, also Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews who are recent call-ups who could be given a chance to shine. In the end, it is revealed that the Make Darren Young Great Again promos were actually leading to something as the former Prime Time Player picked up the win, resulting in an overjoyed Bob Backlund. As Battle Royals go it was quite good, with few botches and a steady rhythm. Once again Alberto Del Rio turned it on for this match proving that at any time he can return to the World Class performer we once knew. Please do it more often. As for Young picking up the win, I am unsure what to think. On one hand, the promos have been repetitive but at least they finally have some direction. If Darren Young is going to be a plain white meat babyface I will not be happy.

• Backstage Shane and Stephanie McMahon discuss the arrival of Vince McMahon. Seth Rollins interrupts to make his case as the number 1 draft pick and also inform the siblings that he has exclusive footage of Roman Reigns being disrespectful to the WWE Universe that will be shown on the Rollins Report (NOT EVERYONE NEEDS A FUCKING TALK SHOW)
• Cole and co. go into detail about Brock Lesnar’s win at UFC 200 and his match with Randy Orton at Summerslam. Orton will return at Battleground to discuss the match.
• Zack Ryder seeks out Rusev about a possible championship match with the Bulgarian Sheamus interrupts Ryder telling him they have a match next.

SHEAMUS def. ZACK RYDER

Zack Ryder gets off to an early start overwhelming Sheamus who pleads for Ryder to calm down in the middle of the ring. However, Ryder’s great start doesn’t last as in no time Sheamus is able to turn the tide and once he hit the Brogue Kick getting the pinfall. As soon as the match finishes Rusev comes out to put Zack into an Accolade saying he’s accepted his challenge. It may have come at the expense of a loss but I am thrilled to see Zack Ryder get a title shot after he was robbed by Miz the night after Wrestlemania.

BREEZANGO def. THE LUCHADRAGONS

This was a surprisingly good match considering it involved Breezango who have been stuck in a terrible Goldust feud for 5 months and the other team being the underused Luchdragons who have been underused as a team for months. The match was quite even with back and forth, but despite this, there were some rough parts to the match especially where Kalisto nearly badly hurt himself with a botched springboard. In the end, Breezango picks up the win by pinning Kalisto.

ROLLINS REPORT

Seth channels his inner talk show host as he hypes up his footage of Roman Reigns. Seth proceeds to show the interview with Roman which is definitely fake as Reigns still has the title. The interview is quite funny but the only problem is they have done it before when Kurt Angle interviewed the Rock, and the first time was much funnier. After the interview WWE Champion Dean Ambrose makes his way to the ring, the arch rivals argue back and forth about who will win at Battleground. Dean delivers a promo that will knock your socks off. Seriously this is the Dean Ambrose that became the crowd favourite that he is. Less wacky Dean and more serial killer Dean, please. The end result is that we get a 1 on 1 match for the WWE title next week on Raw.

• Sami Zayn comes out to the ring to serve on commentary for Kevin Owens’ match, but KO refuses to make his way down the ring until Zayn is gone, which Stephanie accepts.
• Sami is removed but as Owens makes his way down to the ring they briefly brawl before KO flees to the ring.
• We see Vince McMahon’s limo arrive and Renee Young’s interview reveals that Vince is here to reveal the Commissioner for Raw and Smackdown (don’t call the Commissioner name new. There has been 6 in the history of WWE.

KEVIN OWENS def. CESARO

As usual Kevin Owens and Cesaro are able to put on a great match, and easily the match of the night. Both men looked impressive nad pulled out some big moves to put away their opponent, from the corner dropkick from Cesaro to the cannonball from KO. There were many near falls from the two as they crawled their way through this exhausting matchup. In the end, Kevin Owens is victorious after he hits the TKO on Cesaro. I am glad that we are getting some more variety in the ways wrestlers are finishing their matches, instead of just using their finishers. It adds some suspense to these matchups and when a finisher is used it seems more special. The commentary was terrible in this match, constantly trying to force the draft discussion and ignoring the in-ring action.

• After the match, Owens gives a Punk like a promo about he is the best at everything he does, but he is then attacked by Sami Zayn who comes out from the crowd.
• Renee Young interviews The Club backstage who claim that John Cena doesn’t care about anyone other than himself shown by the fact that he has ditched Enzo and Cass for the Espy awards.

TITUS O’NEIL def. HEATH SLATER

This match was clunky, clumsy and careless which is usual for Titus who is a poor worker. Heath Slater and the Social Outcast tried to build heat against Titus, but there is nothing sympathetic about O’Neil who has done nothing to earn the support of the WWE Universe. Titus picks up the win with a Clash of the Titus.

• Renee Young interviews Sasha Banks about her match with Dana Brooke, and Sasha claims that she is going to shut Dana up.

THE WYATT COMPOUND

In the wake of TNA’s final deletion, it seems that for once WWE is on the back foot as they decide to imitate their smaller opposition in an attempt to cash in on the deletion’s hype. The New Day take a visit to the Wyatt’s Compound where they engage in a 3 on 3 brawls with the members of the Wyatt Family. The fight doesn’t go too well for the WWE Tag Team Champions as at the end of the fight they are chased off by the Wyatts and their fireflies. Now while they definitely were inspired by the Final Deletion it would be unfair to say that they copied TNA as the tone of the two video packages were completely different in tone, and the only thing especially strange about the Compound was the ending and that god awful filter.

ENZO & CASS def. THE CLUB

After the mandatory Enzo and Cass entrance, the duo explains that while everyone wants John Cena’s spot but unlike the Club, they are going to earn it. Styles gives them the chance to walk away but to no avail as the match goes ahead. For the first few minutes Enzo is dominated by various members of the Club, he is able to escape from Karl Anderson with a tag to Big Cass who is able to even the odds and tag Enzo back in. However, Enzo continues to get dominated when Luke Gallows is tagged in and he throws Enzo around. The match continues with this pattern but ends early when AJ Styles attacks Cass giving Enzo and Cass a DQ win. The Club surround Enzo in the ring for a 3 on 1 assault but despite what everyone had claimed John Cena was here tonight and he makes the save for Enzo as he and the tag team drive The Club from the ring.

SASHA BANKS def. DANA BROOKE

I’m sick and tired of seeing Dana Brooke wrestle. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt but she is greener than grass and it really shows. Even when she is able to get her moves correct they look so clumsy and disjointed. She definitely needed more time in NXT. The match was pretty even which isn’t doing Sasha any favours as she is miles better than Dana and her struggling against Brooke makes her seem weak. After Sasha picks up the win Charlotte declares that this week on Smackdown she will need to beat Dana again (For fucks sake. I’m sick of this shit).

MCMAHON VS MCMAHON

So after all this anticipation Vince makes his way out to the ring to announce what will be happening with the brand split. Vince tells his children that while they have done a good job he is upset that they have not been as ruthless as he had imagined. This spurs Stephanie to reveal the true backstabbing character she has always been, as she berates Shane, who stays true to his convictions by thanking the fans. Shane also makes his case that he should be the leader for Smackdown, he successfully convinces Vince but at the cost of his Raw duties being relieved as Stephanie is given the flagship show. So it seems we get Stephanie and Smackdown reviewer Parzy gets Shane. Great. At least we have the reveal of the GMs to come.

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• MVP of the Night: Dean Ambrose
• Match of the Night: Kevin Owens vs Cesaro
• Moment of the Night: Rollins Report
• The commentary really sucked this week, Miz was the only person who knew how to put people over
• Rumours of Daniel Bryan being the Smackdown GM and HHH being the Raw GM. I am jealous of Smackdown but if HHH is like he is in NXT then I am all good.

Coming off a terrible July 4^th episode of Monday Night Raw this week’s definitely restored the natural order. The natural order being very average. This week gets a 5.5/10.

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.

 

My Day At Championship Wrestling From Hollywood

It’s been awhile since I did a wrestling article but I really felt the need to after attending what possibly was the most enjoyable wrestling show I’ve ever been to.

So today I headed to Championship Wrestling From Hollywood’s Red Carpet Rumble. I originally planned on going alone but my roommate and my roommate’s family member wanted to head there with me as well. Let me preface this by saying, neither of them are really wrestling fans but one specific wrestler may have made both of them fans today.

Lets do my recap in order (at least in the best way I can remember it (: ) and as spoiler-free as possible.

The first match of the night featured Scorpio Sky up against Peter Avalon. Now I was pretty familiar with both of these guys already but they put on a fun and entertaining match for the Heritage Heavyweight Championship.

Don’t quote me on this but I believe what came up next was Eric Watts facing off against Julius Coleman. You may remember Watts from the “Stone Cold” Steve Austin season of Tough Enough. You may not know the name, Julius Coleman yet but I think you will very soon. That guy oozed charisma. It was a pretty quick and one-sided match but I enjoyed this match quite a bit as well.

What followed was an unannounced women’s match between Ashley Grace and Raze. Now let me tell you something jack, Raze has what I think may be the best nickname in pro wrestling today. She goes by “The Equal Opportunity Ass Kicker”. This match was pretty one-sided as well. On a side note, Ashley Grace is so darn likable. She has an awesome underdog feel to her.

If I remember correctly, the next match was for the tag team titles involving The Friendship Express, Los Primos Rivera, The Classic Connection and PAC-3. Now this is where I get to what I mentioned earlier. The two people that attended with me are not wrestling fans but the second Jervis Cottonbelly came out they both said to me, “I love this guy!”.  He made the show such an enjoyable experience for them and I. I also enjoyed PAC-3’s heel antics. One of them blew a whistle throughout the entire match and it sort of gave me Spirit Squad vibes. This match was fun and one of my favorites of the day.

Also on the show was Hammerstone vs. Bad Dude Tito. This match was an all- out war between two pretty large guys and I had a good time watching two big guys battle it out. Damn, did that make me sound like Vince McMahon?

We were also treated with a match between Drew Gulak and Timothy Thatcher. I was already a fan of both of these guys and enjoyed this match quite a bit. Make sure to remember those two names. You’ll even see Gulak on the WWE Network in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic very soon.

Now if you’ve read any of my previous wrestling articles on this site, you know of my love for Joey Ryan. I find him to be one of the most entertaining wrestlers out there. I got the chance to talk with him and get a pic before the show and that made me an even bigger fan of his. He faced Willie Mack. This was probably my favorite match of the night. The two people I were with couldn’t have been more impressed with Willie Mack for a man of his size.

.

After the match, Joey Ryan was treated with a bachelor party from his Vermin teammates. Let me say, the guy next to me really enjoyed those girls. And my roommate was ecstatic to see Joey Ryan perform the move that made him a household name.

The last match before the Red Carpet Rumble was between Bateman and James Morgan in a Title vs. Career match. This match got pretty brutal because it was no disqualification and Bateman seemed to be bleeding pretty badly. I’m a big fan of his character and look forward to seeing more of him in the future.

Not to get into too much details but a speech was made after the match that made me proud to be a wrestling fan.

Now we’re on to the main event, the Red Carpet Rumble! This match had so much going on that it’s difficult to describe. Thirty men enter at different times. One difference between this and the Royal Rumble was that when there were only two competitors left, the match became a regular singles match. The highlights for me were members of PAC-3 switching in and out as well as a battle between a very tight-knit faction. I’ve always wanted to go to the Royal Rumble but I’m not even sure I’d enjoy it as much as I did this match.

After the show, I got the chance to meet Hobo and Jervis Cottonbelly. My buddies were ecstatic to meet and take a picture with them (even though one of them may not look that way). I also got the chance to meet Drew Gulak after the show and have a nice little conversation with him. That guy is one heck of a class act.

To summarize all of this, if you get the chance to go to a Championship Wrestling From Hollywood show, GO! Or watch it on your local stations! I had a blast and this was honestly the most fun I’ve ever had at a wrestling event. I just moved to the area and knew I had to check it out. I will now be attending every show and I can’t wait!

TNA Review: 05.07.2016

Well, it is finally time. The Final Deletion, an event that has truly surpassed the very show that it is on. In years to come people will remember not the title reign of Lashley instead they will recall the epic battle between Brother Nero and Broken Matt at the Final Deletion. Though I am eager to start the tasking mission of reviewing The Final Deletion I will leave it until the end as it is something that deserves my undivided attention and in its entirety

OPENER

We are presented with the gift of Mike Bennett and his Maria to introduce the show. Both of them make their way out to the ring and The Miracle once again refers to himself as the greatest X-Division Champion of all time (come on Mike… I like you but come on). Bennett once again tells us he intends to use option C and get his world title opportunity tonight, which causes TNA President Dixie Carter to make her way down to the ring. Dixie claims that he will be able to use option C but he must defend his title beforehand, this leads to an Ultimate X match against the entire X Division roster. This match got me hyped up immediately, and this Ultimate X match feels more appropriate than last time.

ULTIMATE X MATCH (X-DIVISION TITLE)

Looking at the X-Division there are immediate favourites to win this match up. Of course, Mike Bennett and Eddie Edwards are the favourites due to their story involvement but you cannot count out Trevor Lee either. As for my prediction, I went with the dark horse Braxton Sutter, thinking they might be strapping the rocket to his back already. The earliest big moment was an incredible leap from DJ Z to outside the ring, that guy continues to impress me every match, next up we had Sutter kicking the teeth out of Rockstar Spud’s mouth. In the end, simplest option was the best and Eddie Edwards regained the title in a thrilling Ultimate X match. The match felt a bit rushed at first but ultimately it worked well and all of the X-Division were able to showcase their skills. Slowly but surely the X—Division is regaining the former prominence it held in the company.

• We see that last week after the main Drew Galloway and EC3 got into a brawl backstage. Feud incoming.

JAMES STORM def. ELI DRAKE (KOTM CHAMPIONSHIP – DQ)

This was a classic babyface vs heel match up which is unsurprising considering the wrestlers in the contest. On one hand, you have E-LI DRAKE who is easily the best comedic heel in TNA and one of the most charismatic in the world of professional wrestling today. On the other hand, we have James Storm, a TNA original (one of the few left) who is adored by the fans. Drake is able to gain the upper hand early on however after trying unsuccessfully to cheat with the belt, Storm is able to recover and for the rest of the match, he is able to control the flow. That is until another attempt at cheating costs Drake the match but lets him retain the title. Storm was definitely the right choice for a feud for Eli Drake. The cowboy inspires loyalty from the fans and is one of the most over faces on the roster. This makes it all too easy for Drake to crank the heelish antics up to 11.

JADE def. MARTI BELLE (STREETFIGHT)

The tone for a street fight is set immediately as both competitors come down to the ring wearing jeans rather than traditional wrestling gear. This match though wasn’t so great. Jade dominated mostly, despite some good moves from Marti Belle. For a streetfight this underwhelming and extremely tame, despite the attempt at being extreme by using nunchucks. Jade picks up the win with a package piledriver which will surely see her back in the title picture.

YOU OR ME? x1000

Mike Bennett and Maria are very pissed about the result of the Ultimate X match earlier and demand that Dixie Carter comes out to speak to them about The Miracle being in the main event for Destination X. However it is Billy Corgan who comes out instead, and after Maria tries to suck up to him and take the president spot, Corgan tells her to fuck off (paraphrased a bit). Carter comes out to join the fun but Maria needs to know which one it is going to be? “You or me?” (she says this a lot). Everyone calls Maria’s bluff but Bennett claims he will ruin Destination X. This has been building for a long time and it will be interesting to see the payoff, even if I don’t care for Billy Corgan at all.

• Lashley talks some shit about Eddie Edwards.

BROMANS def. DECAY

Before the start of the match, the BroMans reveal to the crowd and the other members of the Decay, footage of Rosemary backstage locking lips with Bram, which is able to distract the tag team champions for long enough for the BroMans to get the jump on the team. The match begins with Rosemary in the ring against Raquel as they brawl all over the ring. We then are treated to some Abyss domination as he is able to destroy Jessie Godderz for a while until Jessie is able to make the crucial reversal allowing the hot tag to Robbie so that he can turn the tide in favour of the BroMans. Raquel and Rosemary continue to fight outside the ring, but eventually, the match ends when a BroDown is used to get the pin on Crazy Steve. I can only assume that the BroMans are soon to get another title shot.

• Eddie Edwards is asked whether or not he will use Option C and before he can reveal that decision he is interrupted by the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Lashley. The current champion warns Eddie that if he does use option C then he will be making a grave mistake. Lashley takes the decision out of Eddie’s hands as he proposes a champion vs champion match in which Lashley will rip the heart out of the X-Division. After a brawl Eddie stands tall with both titles and my interest for this match has increased by 100%

• Drew and Ethan are interviewed from home and they argue about who is the rightful challenger for the World Heavyweight Championship. Galloway claims that he is the better wrestler compared to Carter who is just an entertainer. EC3 claims that no one has a right to the title but he has earned a shot. Match for Destination X scheduled.

THE FINAL DELETION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now to what everyone has been waiting for, the epic climax of the Matt/Jeff rivalry, THE FINAL DELETION. It is hard, to sum up, the final deletion in words such as good or bad, in fact, The Final Deletion transcends wrestling as a whole. Despite how crazy it was, I absolutely loved it. From the very beginning, I knew that I was in for a treat after Matt’s reaction to the xylophone for his son Maxel, however, it only gets better from here. Everything Matt does to Jeff is glorious, the Hardy drones, the orgasm on the lawn mower and of course the dilapidated boat (my favourite thing in wrestling in recent years). Amidst all the family fighting a true star emerged, however, and his name was Senor Benjamin. This man has captured the hearts and soul of the wrestling community, his loyalty to Broken Matt, his expert battlefield prep and his choice of xylophone are qualities for a true hero of the fanbase. Now some people have been more negative about the Final Deletion, criticising the camera work and the insane amount of cuts or criticising the finish in which Jeff loses after falling onto some sand, but I really think they have missed the point of The Final Deletion. It was meant to entertain and more importantly it was meant to intrigue. No matter what anyone says, as a community, we will be talking about The Final Deletion for a long time.

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP: Matt Hardy
• Match of the Night(year): The Final Deletion
• Moment of the Night: IT’S A DILAPIDATED BOAT
• The Eddie Edwards vs Lashley situation is one of the few times a title vs title is necessary
• Seriously who the fuck is Billy Corgan?
• BroMans vs Decay was unexpectedly good
• Surely the winner of the EC3 vs Galloway feud goes for the title next.
• So Impact is moving to Thursdays? Coincidentally when  Smackdown goes to Tuesdays. Hmmmm….

Wow I knew I would love the Final Deletion but I didn’t expect the rest of the show to be quite so good. The Ultimate X would have been match of the night on any over recent episode of Impact Wrestling and the story progression is meaningful. This week’s episode gets an 8.5/10.

WWE Raw Review: 4.7.2016

OPENER           

So it is July 4^th and any long time WWE fan will know what that means. Murica. Tonight’s RAW opens with what seems an extremely boring Independence Day celebration party, however, everyone is in attendance (minus the main eventers, e.g. Dean Ambrose). Things quickly get out of hand largely thanks to The Miz, and we are treated to a food fight. Great. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world and many people would argue it was all in great fun, but to me, this was just a massive waste of time. The highlight was definitely Kevin Owens though as he hides under the table eating food and at the end of all the commotion he is the final victim of the food crimes that had been committed.

RUSEV def. TITUS O’NEIL (UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP)

Of course, as it is the most American day of the year, the US title had to be defended on this show. Once again the task of defeating Rusev fell to Titus O’Neil who after failing his family on father’s day, was given a chance to fail his country. If this is meant to be an apology push after the unnecessary suspension, then I never want to get an apology from Vince. Ever. The match was exactly the same as it had been the previous times and I am absolutely tired of seeing it. Rusev is able to get the win as once again Titus tapped out to the Accolade, I wish this would put an end to the feud but I am not too optimistic considering how long some recent WWE feuds have been. The real question WWE have to ask themselves is why does Titus deserve the opportunity to challenge for the title? He’s repeatedly lost to Rusev and the only win he has picked up was by count out. Titus should be at the back of the line.

ENZO & CASS def. THE SOCIAL OUTCASTS

In case the July 4^th food fight, the US title opening match, the national anthem and the American flags all over the place wasn’t enough to remind you that today is Independence Day, the Social Outcasts come out to the ring dressed in Colonial outfits. Enzo and Cass come make their entrance and Enzo quite impressively lists every single president of the United States (44 names). The match starts and the Social Outcasts do not remove their costumes indicating that this is going to be a short affair, which it is. Enzo sells a beatdown by the Outcasts but he is able to tag in Big Cass who, as usual, wrecks house picking up the win only 3 minutes after the match had started.

CHARLOTTE SCREAMS… A LOT

Charlotte with Dana Brooke cuts a promo on Sasha calling her jealous and claims that she has done nothing whereas Charlotte has been an excellent champion. While Charlotte says it in a shrieking tone that would annoy a bat, she does have a point. What has Sasha Banks done to earn a title shot? Sasha does make her way out in order to defend herself and remind Charlotte that she is unable to stand on her two feet without help from others. A messy brawl ensues. Overall this was a pretty weak segment as it displayed how weak Charlotte’s promo skills are, how green Dana Brooke’s in ring skills are and how forced Sasha has been into the title picture.

DEAN AMBROSE def. THE MIZ

Earlier in the show, this match was hyped up as a rare champion vs champion match up and once again we are told this just before the match starts. It seems that no one is really watching Smackdown then as this happened last week. This brand split cannot come soon enough for Smackdown. The match on Smackdown was by no means spectacular so why they chose to repeat it on Raw is beyond me, lazy writing perhaps? Ambrose has been putting in some good work since his win at Money In The Bank but this match was very underwhelming as he seemed lazy and failed to properly sell any of The Miz’s attacks. Ambrose picks up the win, as he should as the WWE Champion, but the problem is that the cost of this win is devaluing the Intercontinental Championship. Also, this week could have definitely should have been used to set up and Intercontinental title feud, something that has been missing since Extreme Rules back in May.

• Before Dean has the chance to leave, Seth Rollins makes his way out prompting a stare down between the two. Ambrose fakes a run in, instead joining the Spanish announce table.
• Brock Lesnar’s Summerslam opponent will be revealed at this week’s Smackdown (my guess is Randy Orton)

SETH ROLLINS def. DOLPH ZIGGLER

This is easily the best match of the night, there is clearly a structure for this match as it both competitors has motivations and goals that are expressed in the ring. Seth was very clearly distracted by Dean Ambrose at ringside, which could be seen by the frustration from Rollins as well as the glances at the commentary table. As for Dolph Ziggler, his game plan is to try and keep the notorious high flyer on the ground using mat wrestling, which is highlighted by Cole and JBL. Both men are amazing in-ring competitors, which is shown in this match, with Dolph’s bumping second to none as usual and Seth being in the position of the larger competitor for a change. Seth is able to pick up the win after he hits Dolph with a pedigree (which of course Ziggler sells to perfection). It is matches like these that make me love both of these wrestlers, and while Seth is the main eventer he should rightfully be, Dolph is still a jobber to the stars and it appears that will never change.

• Rollins hops up onto the announce table to rant about the upcoming triple threat match at Battleground. While he disguises very well by using textbook heel insults he does actually make a great point. Roman shouldn’t be in the triple threat, he shouldn’t be a role model and Rollins (and Ambrose) are the ones putting the hard work in. Not Reigns. Dean joins Seth on the tables and the brawling commences.
• We get a video from the Wyatt Family compound. Bray and the gang send an invite towards the New Day for them to visit a place of fear.
• A Baron Corbin video package.
• Fucking hell. Vickie Guerrero is back, I know she’s a brilliant heel but that voice is just too much for me. Well, Vickie makes her case for why she should be the next Smackdown General Manager.
• Big Show delivers a speech to Team America backstage. Why wasn’t it Jack Swagger?
• Vickie Guerrero pleads for Dolph to save her from being escorted outside, despite former their former relationship Ziggler doesn’t really care.

GOLDEN TRUTH def. THE VAUDEVILLAINS

Wow. I feel so bad for Simon Gotch and Aiden English. How could they have possibly fallen so far so soon? The fact that the WWE creative team think that this Golden Truth storyline is a bigger priority than a new fresh tag team is a joke, the Vaudevillains have been putting on good matches and despite an odd gimmick, they have made it work.

• Another week, another Make Darren Young Great Again promo

#BEATUPJOHNCENA

John Cena aka the real life Captain America comes out and tries to get the crowd pumped up which as expected brings out the duelling Cena chants. The Doctor of Thuganomics recalls his first in-ring moment with AJ Styles fondly remembering the electricity of the event. However, Cena puts down Styles as he claims that when you fight one member of The Club, you fight them all. The Club comes out and Styles calls Cena a cry-baby, and he makes another burying reference. AJ and the club then detail how on every holiday they are going to have fun by beating up John Cena (also Karl Anderson apparently has a hot wife), this was quite well received prompting the #BeatUpJohnCena on twitter. The Club walk towards Cena in order to make good on their promise to beat up Cena but my boys Enzo and Cass make their way out to the ring in order to save John. It seems that at Battleground we will get a 3v3, with Enzo and Cass backing up John Cena. I never knew I wanted this until now.

• The Shining Stars still exist

BECKY LYNCH def. SUMMER RAE

Despite both Becky and Summer Rae being great workers this match was quite sloppy. The obvious example of this was the botched suplex that looked like it really hurt Becky Lynch, however, there were minor mistakes for a lot of the match. At least Becky got the win.

• Jericho tries to unite Team International but is unable to inspire comradery in a team with such a mix of heels and faces, especially when some of these are currently feuding such as Owens and The faces try to unite but it is clear that this team will suffer from in-fighting.
• Enzo and Cass advertise the $5 Sonic Boom Box. I hate these forced advertisements as much as everyone else does but man Enzo and Cass are so charismatic, they just make it work, the cuppa taters line was absolute gold.
• The New Day come out, and Big E and Kofi Kingston talk some trash about The Wyatt Family, most specifically that they are all inbred. The Wyatts show up on the screen to again invite the New Day to their compound. The New Day accept but Xavier Woods has his doubts as he recognises how big of a threat Bray Wyatt is. Good to see Woods with some serious stuff for a change.

TEAM AMERICA def. TEAM INTERNATIONAL  

It is clear what they are trying to tell us about the teams in this match by the entrances. The international team is conflicted, each entering separately, unlike the American team who is united in their entrance. The match itself wasn’t great due to the complete suspension of disbelief. Time and time again key members from each team were being pinned or submitted but no one in the team made an effort to prevent them from being eliminated. The match was a bit all over the place, the commentary team even acknowledged how confusing the Kevin Owens and Kane disqualifications were. There were some cool callback spots such as the Cesaro and Jack Swagger moment. Team U.S.A gets the win unsurprisingly with Zack Ryder scoring the pin on Sheamus. I will forgive this match if it is a catalyst for a Ryder push (I just want him to be good dammit).

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP: Seth Rollins
• Match of the Night: Seth Rollins vs Dolph Ziggler
• Moment of the Night: Enzo and Cass save Cena
• JBL points out something very important. The state of Dean’s hair
• “Yeah, I lost again. But I tried really hard.” Ziggler has the potential to be hilarious
• #BeatUpJohnCena
• I wanna try some certified cheese

This week was a rough episode of Raw, there were some good parts such as the Rollins/Ziggler match, and the Cena segment but the overly American theme, the cartoonish food fight, every other match being average – terrible and most importantly Titus’ American gear means that this Raw suffered a lot. 4/10