#Becky would be a worthy opponent

[dirtydxxds1]

Ring of Destiny: Love, Wrestling, and Everything In Between

A Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley Fanfic

Chapter 1: Breaking Barriers - A debut to remember

I had finally reached the pinnacle of my wrestling journey. Breaking through glass ceilings and overcoming every obstacle in my path, I had earned my place in the WWE. Tonight marked my debut on Smackdown, a moment I had dreamed of since my days as an NXT Women's Champion. The opportunity to contend for the vacant Smackdown Women's Championship against the likes of Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch was both thrilling and nerve-wracking.

As I stepped into the locker room, I couldn't believe I was sharing the space with legends like Mickie James. She had been my inspiration since I was young, and her mentorship had shaped me into the wrestler I had become. With her guidance, I had honed my skills and incorporated elements of her signature moves into my own repertoire.

But amidst the excitement of my debut, my mind couldn't help but wander to another wrestling icon – Dean Ambrose. Ever since his explosive debut alongside Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns in 2012, I had been captivated by his presence. Obsessed and infatuated, I knew I had to make my mark in the WWE, not only for myself but to catch his attention. No obstacle or opponent would deter me from my goal of meeting him, of proving myself worthy of his admiration.

"Rory? How’re you feeling?" Mickie's voice interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back to the present. I greeted her with a smile, grateful for her support and guidance.

"Hey Mick! I'm feeling a mix of nerves and excitement," I confessed, knowing that tonight would be a pivotal moment in my career.

Mickie gave me an encouraging smile. "It's natural to feel nervous, but you've got what it takes, Rory. Just go out there and show them what you're made of."

Her words bolstered my confidence, and I nodded in determination. "Thanks, Mickie. I won't let you down."

As I made my way to the arena, the anticipation and adrenaline coursed through my veins. The roar of the crowd echoed in the distance, a reminder of the electrifying atmosphere awaiting me. Tonight was my chance to prove myself on the grandest stage of them all.

Standing in the gorilla position, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the momentous occasion. The stage lights illuminated the entrance ramp as my music hit, signaling my debut. With a surge of adrenaline, I stepped through the curtain, greeted by the deafening cheers of the audience.

The match was a whirlwind of intensity and emotion as I faced off against Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch. Every move, every strike was executed with precision and determination, fueled by the desire to seize the championship title.

Despite the odds stacked against me, I refused to back down. With Mickie's teachings guiding me, I fought tooth and nail, refusing to let anything stand in the way of my dreams.

In the end, victory was within reach as I delivered the final blow, pinning Alexa Bliss for the win. The referee's hand slapped the mat for the three-count, and the crowd erupted into cheers as I was declared the new Smackdown Women's Champion.

The moment was surreal as I held the championship title high above my head, tears of joy streaming down my face. In that moment, I knew that all the sacrifices and struggles had been worth it.

But amidst the celebration, there was one person on my mind – Dean Ambrose. As I glanced towards the backstage area, I couldn't help but wonder if he was watching, if he had seen me achieve my greatest victory yet.

As the night drew to a close, I vowed to continue chasing my dreams, knowing that with determination and perseverance, anything was possible. And perhaps, one day, I would have the chance to meet the man who had inspired me from the very beginning.

[rhxpleys]

a ramble on rhea's reign

i have been ruminating on rhea's booking recently, but recent events on raw, plus a bit of news from fightful, has really got me thinking and well. i think rhea's reign is going to be LONG.

totally incoherent thoughts are below lol

so. she has been sparsley used in a wrestling capacity--especially post backlash--falling primarily into a manager role, which for people like me who really love to see her wrestle, is annoying as hell... but i digress. her insistent interference with dom's matches in particular works in a narrative capacity--because it ultimately shows that dom cannot get a win without her. she is frequently involved in the mens side of things by proxy of being apart of TJD, and whilst it was fun for a while, people are really starting to get annoyed by it--myself included. but ultimately, it keeps her name in people's mouths and she is on tv every single week. the numbers she pulls on social media are excellent, she gets great crowd reactions, has some of the best selling merch--like, the girl is ooooover.

(i do wish that they would pull the trigger on some intergender stuff with her--because rhea has been vocal about wanting to make history--and she has experience with it from RCW... but anyway.)

i have wondered, for a while, what the deal was here? but given some recent bits of info from fightful it's becoming a bit clearer. it seems that rhea is minimising her time spent in the women's division so that the scene outside of the title can flourish--and that seems pretty obvious now that becky/zoey/trish, is The women's story on Raw. The women's tag stuff on RAW has especially gotten a lot more time recently... and i would say that a lot of that is to do with rhea happily taking the backseat and only really being invloved with TJD stuff.

She is seemingly unconcerned with is going on with her own creative which is fairly honourable (also, A Choice imo)... and given how much Rhea is liked backstage, how often other women want to work with her, how often she is put over by other talent, how that comment about her allowing her opponents to get more offense in would-be squashes, how often she appears all over RAW? Yeah, doesn't surprise me how she has opted for this atm--she's too fucking nice, and tbh, a consumate professional. (during the royal rumble, rhea bumped and sold like a maniac for every woman who got in the ring...... it is really a wonder she's in the position she is? nope) BUT... does it piss me off that she is being used in this way? oh yeah. but after becky ripped her a new one the other evening in a delicious promo, i don't envision it being like this for much longer (i hope). becky (theoretically) getting into her head about being a 'main event sidepiece', and how she isn't worthy of the title, and then in a promo from the week prior she gets sort-of put down by raquel... like, my goodness, finally, a bit of set-up for some stuff down the line? crazy.

rhea, the "dominant" champion actually having to prove herself to would be competitors is an interesting narrative, given that she is THE division heel? fun, her character work in TJD has been great--lets do more. ...and then rhea, despite being the champ, is not being treated as the main-eventer in her own faction--and i think bringing up a bit of bitterness on her end would be a good idea.

(and oh my god... when she or dom eventually turn on one another? sgdhjjddjdjddk) people are blaming this on her knee and saying that she should be stripped of the title (LOL)... which i think is kind of hilarious and disingenuous given that nattie has been deadlifted into a riptide all over the house show circuit, and that she can just casually pick up damian's big ass. you cannot do that shit if your knee is absolutely fucked. girl has been working with these injuries since she was a teen by the looks of it, and well, it hasn't stopped her yet.

but ultimately... i think this is going to be a slow burn reign. and given that we are three months in and rhea has done nothing but piss people off, it can only improve. they're not throwing the women's roster at her to beatdown, because who is she going to wrestle for the next 'x' amount of months if everyone is already beaten. they're only lightly teasing her feuds with raquel and becky, and they're reaaaaaally dragging out this nattie feud. competitors need to be built, and RAW, despite what certain IWC members say, has plenty of women who can go toe-to-toe with rhea--and best believe, rhea can--AND WILL--go out of her way to make her smaller opponents look credible.

Candice, Indi, Zoey, Piper, Tegan, will all make great opponents, but there needs to be some investment in them, and we have actually seen this with Zoey in particular. Becky and Raquel (and maybe Trish) are currently the big two (three)... but i am also hoping for Beth Phoenix to turn up again--and that is a match that Rhea is on record wanting quite badly.

(i am also expecting some roster jiggery at some stage because the Smackdown side is absolutely crammed with all the upper-card gals...)

anyway, they aren't firing on all cylinders yet--because this is going to be a long reign imo. they aren't exhausting all the feuds right off the bat, because there is a real risk of burnout if it all goes a bit too fast.

right, that's all i got. this is too fucking long already.

[mrawkweird]

Top 5 favorite Male and Female Wrestlers and Why?

Edge: I think he can be responsible for officially getting me back into the world of wrestling full time back in 2004-05. His run towards becoming a champion and how psychotic and obsessed it made him was just really cool to me. The night he cashed in the MITB contract to become WWE Champion was just so special for many reasons. it solidified what that briefcase could mean for years to come, it gave the people someone that could actually topple "Super Cena" and it finally gave Edge the very thing he's burned every single bridge to get. He's the first and for a time only bad guy that ever made me actually root for them. Not to mention he had the most badass theme and entrance on the roster and today that still holds true. It is impossible for anyone to be cooler than Edge to me.

Victoria: She was and always will be not the lady to mess with. Victoria was right up there with Edge for me in the realm of psychotic badasses. Hell, I even hoped they would end up being paired together before Lita came and showed why that spot was hers. I always really enjoyed Victoria's character though and her finisher Widow's Peak is some sick shit. Best believe I had her wrecking everybody in SVR 2009.

The Miz: As far as I'm concerned anyone that can bring themselves to actually dislike The Miz and think he hasn't earned every right to achieve the things he has hasn't been paying attention. WWE themselves are even sleeping if they honestly think they shouldn't let him have a real run with THE title again. He has more than proved countless times that he can carry a show, carry a feud and carry a championship to absolute relevancy. Miz is a main event caliber star and as the music states he is in fact AWESOME. Punk's jealous-ass can kick rocks.

Mickie James: That woman has accomplished so much in the industry and for the industry that she is worthy of every single flower you could give her. And to top it all off she's not even remotely close to done. With everything that she's doing now it should cause the person that picked up that trash bag to cut their hands off out of sheer shame. She should be right up on that pedestal with Trish and Lita and so should Victoria. Not to mention she is finer than any wine you could find in a cellar 'cause GOODT LORDT.

Bray Wyatt: Truly the definition of infinite potential because you know that mind and his creativity will never stop rising. There is no such thing as a glass ceiling no matter how much WWE wanted it to be there. I look forward to seeing what he does next because from swamp cult leader to devil incarnate to demonic Mister Rogers to slasher killer Bray has hit shit out of the park every time. Everyone should be scared and excited for what comes next because that creative monster is loose and as he says; you can't kill it.

Jade Cargill: That woman is a goddamn amazon directly from Themyscira. She has not been in the game long but damn if she doesn't have my utmost attention every time she's on screen. She just captures it like she captures her opponents in the ring because she is as advertised and that is DAT BITCH. I look forward to seeing her rise in the industry and only getting better.

Roman Reigns: If star power was a person it would be Roman Reigns. He is someone that was always capable of having that very thrown around "IT" and it took WWE such a long time to actually let him utilize that to it's fullest potential. He is the "Head Of The Table" and the "Tribal Chief for a reason. People like to bring it up in discussion about who's the better champion for their company; Roman Reigns or Kenny Omega and for me that's always been a very easy question if I had to choose. Nothing at all personal against Omega but to quote Reigns himself there are levels to this. Levels that nobody else is touching right now as THE champion of their respective company. At least not to me. Honestly in the end you have to appreciate that it took WWE such a long time because now it makes his current persona all the more sweeter.

(I'm going to cheat a bit but I have to put these 2 together..) Asuka & Kairi Sane: When I tell you that these 2 became a match made in heaven the moment they turned heel to win those Tag Team Championships you have to believe me. Their initial face run was all a bit questionable. As questionable as the name "Kabuki Warriors" was itself but it was that heel run that made it all gel so perfectly. They were fucking magic together and just played off each other so well. Hell, they did so well they were the main event of TLC against Charlotte and Becky AND they fucking won. I still feel bad about Kairi in that match though. She earned every right to get to enjoy that moment and unfortunately she couldn't. Kabuki Warriors 5 Life.

LA Knight: In my head it's always going to be "E-LI DRAKE" but he is another person that just oozes the vibe that "This is your guy, this is who you should be building your brand around" and if the company he's in doesn't get that same vibe then they better not waste his time. He is honestly what got me back into watching Impact Wrestling with just how good he was every time he was on screen. He was THE reason to watch anything they were doing and I'm not saying that to be insulting; it's just a fact of life. No matter what's about to happen to NXT I hope to see him still be able to get to the level he should be there which is at the very top. His career is something I intend to follow no matter where he goes.

Hikaru Shida: She's all around just a personal favorite of mine. When it comes to her I ain't even gonna try to be unbiased. Her look and her in-ring style just had me hooked from the get go. So much so that when they introduced the AEW Women's Championship for the first time it just seemed destined for her and best believe I was ecstatic when she finally won it. I'm always going to really wish she got more TV time during her reign as champion though. And it may just be me wishful thinking but I feel like she might be up to something on Dark Elevation and the day she finally comes back to the main show I think she's going to bring something new with her.

[caitsbooks]

12 LGBTQ+ Reads 

IT’S PRIDE MONTH!!! The best month of the year!!! In celebration, I’ve compiled a list of 12 amazing LGBTQ+ reads that are perfect if you’re looking to read the rainbow this month.

These are a mix of my personal favorites, plus some that I’m dying to read.

Read more for details on each book!

Blog || Goodreads || Bookstagram || Twitter  || Reviews

YA Contemporary

AUTOBOYOGRAPHY BY CHRISTINA LAUREN

Tanner Scott moved from California to Utah, and from being out of the closet as bisexual, to temporarily back in. He can’t wait to graduate and get out of Utah, but when his best friend convinces him to enroll in his high school’s prestigious Seminar class, where students attempt to draft a book in a semester, he meets Sebastian Brother.

Autoboyography has everything you could want in a YA contemporary, adorable romance, great family relationships, and memorable characters, however, what really makes it stand out to me is how well it handles religion.

“A God worthy of your eternal love wouldn’t judge you for who you love while you’re here.”

QUEENS OF GEEK BY JEN WILDE

Queens of Geek follows two perspectives. Taylor is a nerdy girl on the autism spectrum, and secretly in love with one of her best friends, Jamie. Charlie is a bisexual vlogger and actress promoting her next movie. When the three friends go to SupaCon, Charlie discovers her long-time crush on a fellow actress may not be unrequited, and Taylor must decide whether or not to keep playing it safe.

“You can’t pick and chose whose equality you support.”

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA BY BECKY ALBERTALLI

On the off-chance you haven’t heard of this book, or the movie, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is about Simon Spier, a closeted teen in high school, who’s private emails to the anonymous “Blue” get discovered by one of his classmates. Simon will do anything to keep them from being shared, outing him and scaring Blue away.

This book is pretty hyped, but I had to include it on the list (however, if you’ve already read it but want more like it- check out What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera).

“Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it shouldn’t be this big awkward thing whether you’re straight, gay, bi, or whatever. I’m just saying.”

[Related: Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (Review)]

YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy

OF FIRE AND STARS (OF FIRE AND STARS #1) BY AUDREY COULTHURST

Princess Dennaleia has been betrothed to the prince of Mynaria since childhood, but she has a secret that could threaten the alliance. She possesses an Affinity for fire- but magic is forbidden in the prince’s kingdom. While trying to hide her magic, she must also learn the ways of Mynaria- including learning horseback riding from her betrothed’s sister, Mare. When an assassination shocks the kingdom, Mare and Denna must join forces to solve the puzzle, however, as their friendship grows into something more, conflicts grow that make the alliance between the two kingdoms crucial.

“An Affinity, much like a heart, cannot be changed.”

ASH BY MALINDA LO

After her father dies, Ash is left with her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, she dreams of fairies stealing her away. Her wish is close to being granted when she meets the dangerous fairy Sidhean. However, then she meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, and their friendship reawakens her desire to live and love. Claimed by Sidhean, Ash is forced to choose between her dreams and her love.

I’m ashamed to admit that I still haven’t read this book yet. However, it’s such a staple in the LGBTQ+ YA community that I had to include it here, and I’m really hoping to dive into it soon.

“To charge someone with love is a great responsibility; there will be an equal yet unexpected reaction.”

THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE (MONTAGUE SIBLINGS #1) BY MACKENZI LEE

Monty has vowed that his Grand Tour of Europe will be a time for parties, gambling, and all of his favorite types of fun with his best friend and “the unrequited love of his life”, Percy. He’s determined to still enjoy it even though his younger sister joins him. However, the trip takes a turn when his reckless decisions lead to a manhunt across Europe, and threaten the relationship with the one person who matters most to him.

“I’ve always been of the mind that subtlety is a waste of time. Fortune favors the flirtatious.”

[Related: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Review)]

2019 Releases

ONCE AND FUTURE (ONCE AND FUTURE #1) BY AMY ROSE CAPETTA AND CORI MCCARTHY

I honestly can’t describe this better than the synopsis from Goodreads: “When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind. No pressure.”

“I think people need heroes. I think you're a hero. It's that simple to me.���

I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST BY MASON DEAVER

Ben is thrown out of their house after coming out to their parents as nonbinary. Struggling with anxiety, Ben focuses on just surviving their new school, until Nathan decides to take Ben under his wing. As their friendship grows and develops into something more, Ben realizes they might have a chance at a new, better life.

“Guess we need to talk, huh? Because I can’t exactly call you my boyfriend, can I?” I hadn’t even thought about that. “I guess not,” I say. “Is partner a little too cowboy for you?” I tip an imaginary cowboy hat. “Yee haw.”

SMALL TOWN HEARTS BY LILLIE VALE

Babe thought this summer would be dedicated to spending time with her friends before they leave for college, but when one mistake causes the three of them to break up, and her ex-girlfriend comes back to town, her chances of having the summer she dreamed about are slim. But when Levi arrives for the summer, Babe knows she shouldn’t get close to him. After all, he’ll be leaving come fall, but keeping her distance is becoming harder and harder.

“Because the strength of a lighthouse is from its being alone. From being a beacon of light in the darkness, a finger showing you which way is home.”

[Related: Interview with Lillie Vale, Author of Small Town Hearts]

Extras!

THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER BY JEN WANG

[Genre: YA Graphic Novel]

Prince Sebastian’s parents are looking for a bride for him. Sebastian, however, is too busy hiding his secret life, where he puts on daring dresses as Lady Crystallia. Frances is his secret dressmaker, but she her dreams are too bright to stay hidden. How long can she ignore them to help her friend?

“Some days I look at myself in the mirror and think, “That’s me, Prince Sebastian! I wear boy clothes and look like my father.’ Other days it doesn’t feel right at all. Those days I feel like I’m actually a princess.”

GEORGE BY ALEX GINO

[Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary]

“When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she’s not a boy. She knows she’s a girl.” When George’s teacher announces that their class will be putting on the play Charlotte’s Web, George dreams of playing Charlotte, but her teacher says she can’t try out for the part because she’s a boy. So George and her best friend come up with a plan, not only to play Charlotte, but to show the world who she truly is.

“George stopped. It was such a short, little question, but she couldn’t make her mouth form the sounds. Mom, what if I’m a girl?”

RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE BY CASEY MCQUISTON

[Genre: New Adult/Adult Romance]

Alex, First Son of the United States, has always hated Prince Henry. But when a confrontation between the two of them cause a stir in the press, he’s forced to fake a friendship with his nemesis. Except, Prince Henry isn’t what he thought. Alex must battle his mother’s political opponents, his own dreams of working in politics, and his growing feelings for the Prince he used to despise. However, a secret relationship with Henry could cause serious problems for his mothers reelection campaign, and Alex must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice.

“But the truth is, also, simply this: love is indomitable.”

[Related: Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston – The Perfect Read for Pride Month (Review)]

I’m hoping to read more LGBTQ+ books before this month ends (and just in general, because everyone’s life needs to be a little gayer), so do you have any recommendations? What’s your favorite LGBTQ+ book?

Blog || Goodreads || Bookstagram || Twitter  || Reviews

[hazyheel]

Monday Night Raw 5/20/19 Review

We opened with Heyman and Lesnar, who still has that briefcase for some reason. Apparently the two planned this when they saw Zayn beat Strowman on Raw last week. And I guess Lesnar was actually in that match, because of some negotaitions backstage, and I’m glad they addressed it. Heyman cut a really good promo about how both world champions should be paranoid. Seth Rollins then came out. Rollins insulted Lesnar for being a terrible champion. He challenged Lesnar to cash in the contract now, which Heyman desperately tried to stop from happening. But Heyman basically just said that it wouldn’t happen, because Rollins is on their time. Heyman kinda insulted Rollins by saying that he didn’t main event Wrestlemania while his girlfriend, Becky Lynch, did. I didn’t know they were dating, so that was lovely to hear. I’m a sucker for wrestling couples. Anyway, Heyman said that Lesnar may cash in on Kofi as well, because Rollins isn’t worthy of being in the ring with Lesnar. Kingston came out, and said that he doesn’t mind fighting Lesnar, and even challenged him. Heyman said that since both champions were asking Brock for a match, which kinda makes him more important than both titles. He didn’t cash in, but he said that he might at any point in the night.

Backstage, Kingston and Rollins talked to Triple H about what they’d be doing later, which was them teaming up for the main event against Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin. Ugh.

Grade: B. Super good promo, but it didn’t actually give us anything new. I always love to hear Heyman on the mic, and I like that dynamic where Brock is so important that both champions want to fight him. Its interesting. Honestly, Brock having the title is exciting, because he is an exciting talent. I want to see where this ends up going. Personally, I think Kofi is gonna get his ass beat by Lesnar, because he has a fairytale story that is worth ruining to get Brock over more. Hopefully, that’ll be later rather than sooner.

Then we had Braun Strowman vs. Sami Zayn. Zayn ran away before the match could even start. They brawled a bit backstage, and Zayn got his ass beat. Strowman was face to face with Bobby Lashley, but they did not come to blows. Strowman literally carried Zayn back to the ring. Zayn kinda had the advantage by the time the match actually started, but Strowman flattened him and hit a running powerslam for the win.

Grade: B+. This whole segment was super fun. Zayn’s acting here, where he was just ridiculously terrified of Bruan was entertaining. I am not usually into this, but the way that Sami sold everything was pretty funny. I don’t think they should make a habit of this kind of thing, but this was good in isolation.

Lars Sullivan then had an interview, which before I even heard I felt was detrimental to his character. Charly seemed really scared, which was good, and then we saw a video package of him since his debut. Charly asked about his goals, but the Lucha House party came out ot interrupt him. They wanted to fight him, and the three of them together were actually able to beat him to the ground. However, one on one he had an advantage. He was able to outlast each other them by waiting for the team to split up and he attacked them one at a time. Sullivan was able to stand tall once again, although not in as dominant a way as at Money in the Bank.

Grade: B-. A discount version of last night, with the added dynamic of the Lucha House Party being able to take down Sullivan when they worked together. But given that I saw it literally last night, I am gonna be a bit harsher.

Next up was Ricochet vs. Cesaro. Cesaro had a new entrance that was very generic. The match happened because Cesaro called Ricochet weak for having his back hurt in the ladder match last night. So naturally Cesaro worked over the back. At one point, Ricochet literally jumped onto Cesaro’s shoulders and then backflipped off of him.  That is insane control from both guys. Ricochet hit an awesome suicide dive, but the spot was kinda ruined by the commercial for the secret life of pets ad. Cesaro was able to get the win here with a neutralizer.

Grade: B-. Not a lot of time here, but some pretty good spots. I think that they can do great stuff together if they are given some faith.

Backstage, Charly interviewed AJ Styles about his loss, and he was pretty humble about his loss. Corbin then showed up and they trash talked back and forth, and it ended with AJ slapping Corbin. Corbin just said that he would pay for that, and then the segment just ended.

Roman Reigns then had a promo, but before he could even start, Shane McMahon came out to confront him. Shane said that he was totally done with the Miz, and he said that he was still pissed about how Reigns attacked Vince a while ago. Reigns then said that he wanted to fight Shane tonight, but Shane refused. Instead, Drew McIntyre came out, and just sorta stood next to Shane for the rest of the promo. However, he then said that he accepted the challenge for Super Showdown.

Grade: D+. This was really boring, and they teased McIntyre vs. Reigns (I still have hope that it’ll be good sometime) and then didn’t give it to us. Figured Reigns vs. Shane would happen at some point, but it will proabably suck unless they give it a stip.

Backstage, McIntyre and Shane were walking around backstage, and Miz confronted them. McIntyre kinda said that he would protect Shane, and then Miz challenged McIntyre.

Next up was the Usos vs. The Revival. Wilder jumped Jimmy before the bell, and then beat the living crap out of him. Jey got a huge hot tag and beat down both heels. Jey and Dawson slugged it out in the middle of the ring at one point, culminating in a double superkick and a near fall. On the outside, Wilder nailed Jimmy with a tornado DDT, and then Wilder got hit with a vicious suicide dive.

Grade: B. Almost a B+, but not quite competitive enough. This really is a dream match, and I cannot wait to see them actually able to cut loose. I want to see them pull off a really good match. For now though, this was the match of the night.

Backstage, Alexa Bliss confronted Nikki Cross about losing the ladder match last week. And then the Revival came in and were being annoying, and then the segment ended.

Then came the firefly funhouse, and all it was was the themsong glitching out a bit.

Then was a moment of Bliss, with Nikki Cross as the guest, as well as Becky Lynch. Lynch was over as hell in this venue. Cross just stood there awkwardly as they talked. Before Lynch could say anything, the Iconics came out. They said she was Becky One Belt, which is still better than most can say. Lynch wasn’t having any of their BS, and actually challenged them to a match for the Women’s Tag Team Championship. Lacey Evans came out and was being mean, and Becky said that she already beat Evans with only half her attention. She then challenged Evans and the Iiconics to a six woman tag. Cross volunteered to be on Lynch’s team, and Becky said that Alexa would also join. Alexa tried to protest, but Lynch told her to stand around and look pretty. I laughed out loud.

Grade: B+. Not quite an A- because it was a little too crowded, and everyone else brought the quality down, but Becky was sure as hell on point during this. She was tough, she was funny, and it felt like one of her twitter wars. I missed this Becky

In the actual match, Nikki Cross was in the ring a little bit, but really was only fighting so that Becky could get a hot tag. Evans immediately left when Becky got in the ring. She beat the crap out of the Iiconics, and she beat them with a top rope leg drop. Bliss and Cross celebrated in the ring, but Lynch just walked out and held her title high

Grade: D. I was going to grade this and the promo at the same time, but this match sucked. The only reason that it got some points in my book was that Becky really shined, and there were some funny moments, like Alexa just drinking coffee on the outside and one point when Becky hit Billie Cay really hard, and Royce yelled her named, followed immediately by a huge “oof” because Becky Knocked her off the apron. Funny, but not good.

Then we had Mick Foley with a huge announcement: the next title in the WWE. He talked about what being a champion meant, and then he brought out the 24/7 title, which is basically a neutered version of the hardcore championship. The crowd knew that too, and they booed. He resorted to saying the name of the city to get a pop.

The inaugeral champion was crowned by a scramble for the belt, and a bunch of the lower card guys ran down to try to get it. Corey was gonna run out and get it, but Cole and Renee told him to sit down. This was just wild and stupid fun, nothing of note really happened. Titus was able to grab it, so he is the first champion. But then Robert Roode ran out and rolled him up, so Robert Roode won it.

Grade: B-. I don’t think the smark in me can give this any higher than a B-. But I loved this to death. It was so dumb and awesome. The promo kinda flopped when it wasn’t the hardcore championship, and I genuinely don’t think that this belt is worth anything, but it is kinda a kick in the ass that will make me want to watch. I think that it’ll be less exciting then the Hardcore championship given the lack of weapon shots to the face and head, but it’ll still be stupid fun.

Next match was Miz vs. McIntyre. I don’t know why this match took place in the dark, but they changed the logo mid show and it made the stadium look a bunch darker. Miz desperately fought against his bigger opponent, trying to take him out at the knees but not really standing much of a chance. Miz continued to work the knee and eventually locked in the figure four for a submission sequence. Miz tried to attack Shane on the outside, but Shane ran away, which allowed him to run back and attack him when the ref’s back was turned. McIntyre followed up with a claymore for the win.

After the match, Shane went for a coast to coast on Miz, but Roman came out to fight him off. He hit McIntyre with a superman punch and stood tall.

Grade: C. This was very meh. Just felt placeholder, and there was no reason for Miz to almost be able to beat McIntyre.

Backstage, Robert Roode ran past Corbin and Lashley, told them they didn’t see him, and then ran again. The rest of the low card chased him, including Drake Maverick, who hurt his back during the scramble cuz Titus threw him out of the ring. He was limping, and just sort of apologized to the heels. I love this belt, it is so dumb.

Samoa Joe then addressed his attack on Rey Mysterio, who apparently was injured during the attack. Basically he said that Mysterio deserved it.

Robert Roode hid inside of R-Truth’s trunk, who was helping him. Then Truth attacked Roode, and won the title. I love this.

And in the main event, Kofi Kingston and Seth Rollins took on Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin in a no disqualification match. The heels jumped the faces before the bell, and they were tagging in and out for some reason when the match started proper. At one point, Lashley and Corbin were going to superplex Kingston, but Rollins attacked them both with a chair. Kingston was able to get the win with a trouble in paradise.

Immediately after the match, Lashley speared both faces. Brock Lesnar then walked down to the ring, but did not end up cashing in.

Grade: B-. This match was kinda bland, but the no DQ stip was a good change of pace. I liked that, but the match didn’t do much for me. But it was still a cool thing to have in the main event. I definitely never thought that Brock was cashing in, so that didn’t bother me.

Overall Grade: B-, because most of this show was just meh.

Pros: opening promo; strowman squash; usos vs. revival; moment of bliss; 24/7 championship

Cons: shane mcmahon promo; 6-woman tag; Miz vs. McIntyre

[baejstyles]

What did you think of Wrestlemania last night?

overall, i really enjoyed mania last night!! minus the last two matches i thought it was really good.

the ending to the men’s battle royale was good and i really wasn’t expecting it! it’ll be interesting to see where they go with matt hardy and bray now.

the cruiserweight match was amazing and definitely was main card worthy. cedric and mustafa are so great together and although i was rooting for mustafa a lil, cedric alexander really deserved the win

the women’s battle royale was cool!! although the entrances were messy af, i loved the whole nxt vs the main roster thing, it’s a shame becky got eliminated so early tho. also i deadass thought bayley won lmfao

the triple threat ic match was good to kick start things off, i loved finn’s entrance and gear and seth’s too! all three men were involved all the way through and i’m glad seth finally got his grand slam

charlotte and asuka was great and although i didn’t really want charlotte to be the one to break asuka’s streak cause like i feel that title could have gone to someone who really needed a boost and a push in the women’s division. the moment after the match was a really nice touch also charlotte’s gear was amazing wtf

i didn’t really care for the us title match as a match with those 4 competitors is never going to be really amazing and exciting for me personally. i would have liked rusev to win but i’m fine with jinder

although i still don’t care for ronda i really enjoyed her match with kurt vs stephanie and triple h. lmao like it was just so silly at times and stephanie was so funny?? like idk i really enjoyed it though

the sd live tag team triple threat was pretty lame tbh. i didn’t want the bludgeon brothers to win cause like idk i just don’t like them that much. it sucks that the usos had to lose in their first wm match

john cena vs taker was unnecessary and that’s all i gotta say on that

dbry and shane vs kevin and sami wasn’t anything special tbh. it was great to see daniel bryan back in the ring again but it annoyed me that he was lying outside the ring for so long lmfao. i enjoyed his moments with sami too but they’re still fired? tf? like idgi

nia and alexa was alright, like neither of them are the most exciting wrestlers so i didn’t expect much. i’m happy nia won though and alexa’s reign of terror is finally over

aj vs shinsuke......... (i know this is going to be a very unpopular opinion and if anyone actually reads this pls don’t hate me this is just my opinion thank) i’ve seen a lot of people saying that match was underwhelming. whilst it still should have been the main event, shinsuke has been very average since coming up from nxt. unfortunately for me he’s all character and entrance which is fine but like... i don’t think he’s THAT good. and as my friend put it, it was like watching aj trying to get blood from a stone. i still enjoyed the match and it was pretty even. i totally didn’t expect aj to retain so that was a nice surprise for me lmao

braun vs the bar was wild af. imo it shouldn’t have been that high up in the card and whilst having that kid be braun’s partnet was fun and silly it just seems like an insult to the rest of the raw tag team division. you have plenty of brilliant tag teams that could have been the bar’s opponents but nooo... you gotta have braun do this smh

brock vs roman was WHACK. idk if it was just cause everyone was so sure that roman was going to defeat the evil and become universal champ. but like it was just so sad and disappointing. roman built and carried this feud on his own and it was just so weird to have the build up be that good for the match and outcome to be that disappointing it just doesn’t make sense 2 me

[ryanonwrasslin-blog]

Wrestlemania 33 Review

RI’m going to keep this relatively short because I’ll have the full review of the week later on, but as one of my gimmicks around here is ranking things, I thought I’d put together the definitive ranking fo the matches from NXT and Wrestlemania, along with some assorted thoughts, from worst to first, and grouped together by category.

Terrible

18. Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt

There were a couple of letdown matches on the main card that I came into with high hopes, but nothing compares to this one. Against the right opponent each of these guys can have fantastic matches. But neither has a style that meshes well with everyone, and unfortunately it’s now clear that they just don’t have chemistry with each other in the ring that’s even 1% as interesting as their chemistry outside of the ring. I don’t know what Smackdown’s plans are, but the air really felt like it was let out of this feud last night.

17. Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker

Poor ‘Taker. And honestly, poor Roman. The Big Dog has mostly had good matches for the last year-plus no matter what his critics might insist. But I don’t think even a wizard like Shawn Michaels or AJ Styles could have pulled something worthwhile out of the Dead Man last night. We’ve seen this deterioration in the ring really since the Mania loss to Lesnar, but ‘Taker was always able to at least give us something. Last night was dreadful and thankfully it’s the end for ‘Taker. That spot with Taker turning to putty as Reigns tried to put him into the Tombstone hurt to watch. In all honesty, he shouldn’t have gone past the CM Punk or first Lesnar match. Thank you for so many good moments, ‘Taker, but it’s time to rest in peace.

Mostly Dull

16. Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin

I don’t think I’ll ever understand why this wasn’t made under like hardcore, No-DQ rules. I get that there were multiple other matches that made use of no rules, or bent the rules, but there’s always a place for a schmozzy match that battles backstage and uses lots of props and barely resembles a technical match. That’s what this needed to be. Instead, it was a perfectly okay pre-show match where, for some reason, Dean Ambrose retained.

15. Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Even a bad battle royal is still perfectly fine, and that’s more or less what this was. I liked the strategy involved in getting Strowman thrown out. That kind of stuff needs to happen every now and then to keep fans from complaining too much about how dumb the wrestlers are. And Mojo is an interesting choice. I can’t see a world where he’s ever even worthy of being more than a placeholder for a midcard belt, but hey, the guy is fun to have around and it takes all kinds to build a wrestling company.

Too Long By Half

14. Seth Rollins vs. Triple H

Woof. This match. Why in God’s name was this match the longest on the card and yet Samoa Joe still didn’t show up? There were basically zero shenanigans you wouldn’t see in a typical episode of Raw. If they wanted to book it this way, they should have shaved probably eight-plus minutes. And if you wanted it to be 20-plus minutes several hours into a card, you needed to do something more interesting than a typical Triple H cerebral assassin match. They’ve known this match was coming for like eighteen months, so thank God it’s over, and I’m sure that’s why they made it this epic battle, but sometimes you’ve go to realize how that sort of thing will play in-house and this crowd was not interested and neither was I. Also, I know Seth hitting Trips with the Pedigree was the money move, but how you gonna deflate the goddamned Phoenix Splash by kicking out? That 100% needs to be a Rollins finishing move going forward.

Left Something To Be Desired

13. Alexa Bliss vs. Natalya vs. Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James vs. Naomi vs. Carmella

On the one hand, the shortened time led to a frenetic pace that, this late in the show, was needed to keep the crowd from utterly dying. But on the other hand, I would have liked to have seen this get at least another 2-3 minutes so that it wasn’t entirely a spot fest and didn’t feel as much like a throwaway. They do gain points for making the right call in the end result, with Naomi being one of the best calls to win of the night.

12. Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax

At some point we need to have a discussion about Bayley, right? I mean she’s not outright bad or damaging for sure, but she is just not working as well as she should be on the main roster. People want Sasha to win big, and are perfectly happy to hate the hell out of Charlotte. But this was not a good match after the fun of taking out Nia was accomplished. And if they turn Sasha tonight, I’m concerned fans are not going to be nearly as behind Bayley as you’d expect. Sasha is an amazing heel, but she’s also a brilliant character that fans respect the hell out of. 

11. SAnitY vs. Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, Kassius Ohno, and Ruby Riot

The mixed tag rules still leave us in such weird places. Unless the match is booked damned near perfectly, at some point it always turns into a frustrating plot point. I do wonder if NXT ever comes close to pulling the trigger on Dillinger. It almost feels like too little too late after another L.

10. John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse

I hoped for more from this given how phenomenal the booking leading up to the match was. Instead they mostly protected Maryse, let Miz have a couple nice minutes, and then it was time for the Cena family to get their shit in and get to the real point of all of this: the proposal. Fine for what it was, but given how good 3 of the 4 in this match are in the ring, and how Maryse’s ring rust could have played into Nikki’s strong style dominance, I hoped for better.

Perfectly Fine, And That’s Okay

9. Aleister Black vs. Andrade Almas

Almas has settled in as a nice mid-card hand in NXT and a welcomer to the card, and this showed why. It was a nice match, showed off both men’s skills, and put Black over as a force to be reckoned with in the months ahead in NXT. At some point, I hope they get on the Almas train. That dude has it figured out now and needs to get something of a push.

8. Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens

I wanted this to be Savage/ Steamboat. I wanted it to steal the show and make it impossible to follow in every way. But this just never clicked as much as I wanted it to. That’s not to say it was bad. It wasn’t. It was a strong story of two guys who know each other’s moves so well that they constantly have the moves and counters scouted. That’s a fine story, but it needed more to really work. We didn’t quite get there, I’m sorry to say.

Fun

7. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar

This was the best possible version they could have done of Goldberg/ Lesnar. I didn’t want another 2 minutes or less affair but asking these two to go ten or more minutes is not being realistic about what you have in them, and it’s risking the crowd turning on it. Instead, both guys got to hit their combined four moves, it told a coherent story, and was a lot of fun. Everyone involved deserves serious kudos for stretching this out to just the right length and making it as good as it could possibly have been.

6. Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

This was a far better version than their first matchup. Roode is developing a nice tendency of working smart, dare I say cerebral, matches. The knee work to neutralize the Kinshasa was good, as was his ready counters. Shinsuke’s matches in WWE have all been fine, but not one has ever lived up to the man’s hype, charisma, and most of all his entrances. I hope that changes on the main roster.

5. Neville vs. Austin Aries

In terms of technical skill on both sides of the bout, this was certainly the winner at Wrestlemania. Just a well-booked, entertaining match all around. Neville continues to be both smart and devastating, and this didn’t take any shine off of Aries. Let’s do this again with these two.

4. AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon

If I could get past the booking oddity of making Shane McMahon look on the equal of AJ Styles, this would almost certainly be the match of the night, and I can’t believe that’s something I just typed. AJ is a demigod in the wrestling ring, and full marks go to Shane McMahon for learning from the worst parts of the overlong Undertaker affair. This was fun, relatively strong from a technical perspective, and should cement AJ as a goddamn miracle worker in the ring to the decision makers at WWE.

3. The Club vs. Cesaro and Sheamus vs. Enzo and Cass vs. The Hardys (!)

I gave this match shit for using up the ladder stipulation for three team who seemed in capable of making it worthwhile. But the, things got a little bit Broken. Without a doubt the biggest pop of the night went to the freakin’ Hardys showing up at Wrestlemania. From there it turned into 11 electric minutes. Everyone got cool spots, crazy ass Jeff Hardy jumped off an enormous ladder, and the crowd lost their shit repeatedly through it all. It won’t score high by any technical measure, but goddamn if this wasn’t a ton of fun.

These Are The Actual Good Matches

2. Asuka vs. Ember Moon

It seems like I like this match more than most, even though I don’t have a ton to say. And yes, I know that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. The tag match was hot fucking fire, but this told a strong story and made both women look great. Ember is coming for Asuka, and coming soon, but Asuka’s surprise semi-turn tonight was beautiful.

1. The Authors of Pain vs. The Revival vs. #DIY

A great, possible swan swong, for what has been the best division in all of WWE for over a year. I have to think at least one of Revival and #DIY are being promoted, and honestly they both should be. I’m not sure AOP can keep this up without them, but that’s a question for another day. For Saturday night, we got brilliance from the three teams. The combo finishers, the frenemies dynamic between the two smaller teams, and AOP’s just incredible physicality. My only issue is just how much damage AOP had to overcome to win. It got to be too much when whichever Author sat in double submissions for forever without tapping, and within another minute or two was up hitting his moves. That was a step too far, and the only thing that kept it from being another all-time classic.

[truesportsfan]

WrestleMania 36: What to follow in WWE with one month to go

WWE Elimination Chamber is behind us and WrestleMania 36 is less than a month away. Here are 36 observations as we get ready for the big show on April 5 in Tampa, Fla.:

1. Edge versus Randy Orton feels like the main event at WrestleMania — but it won’t be. This is a superb, clear and emotional story, and Edge reminded us on “Monday Night Raw” that he can go to that dark place, just like Orton. We are in for some theater from these masters.

2. I know WWE likes to announce things in advance in hopes of popping a rating, but did we really need to know Edge was going to be back on “Raw” on Monday? How about making his return a surprise, get a big pop and make people feel they need to watch the show to not miss moments like that.

3. The women’s Elimination Chamber match was not a great match and under-delivered in many aspects, but it was the best booking of Shayna Baszler we’ve seen on the WWE main roster: The quick tapouts and her brutalizing of Liv Morgan gave us a glimpse of the killer we loved to hate in NXT. You can make the case they didn’t go far enough with how she ran through her opponents. Break and bend some limbs. Maybe leave one opponent bloodied.

4. Baszler is starting to build the heat she needs going into WrestleMania. She will need it for her persona to better translate to the Raw audience, which will want nothing more than for their hero Becky Lynch to send Baszler back to NXT. If not, a Baszler-Asuka feud could be waiting.

5. Does anyone else feel as if Lynch is Rocky Balboa in “Rocky III” before he got destroyed by Clubber Lang? The Man has been positioned as overconfident, strutting her GOAT status. Her promo to open “Raw” did set a great tone going forward and finally brought Ronda Rousey into the storyline.

6. Why should the audience care about the implosion of the Riott Squad when WWE continues to treat them like jobbers and fails to let their story truly play out in the Elimination Chamber? Ruby Riott, not Liv Morgan (so much for her push), can be the breakout star of the group. Just give her time.

WWE

7. Say what you want about Brock Lesnar, but the last two years, he helped leave his WrestleMania opponents (Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) in better standing than he found them. The cheers for Drew McIntyre keep growing, and Lesnar told McIntyre to grab the title while selling a beatdown from last week’s “Raw.”

8. I’m all here for Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg and The Fiend vs. John Cena at WrestleMania. I just wish the former was simply Spear vs. Spear, New vs. Old (without the belt) and the other was Cena going for The Fiend’s WWE’s title, which would be his record 17th world championship.

9. Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley is one of WrestleMania’s most intriguing matches. Flair, who has run through pretty much all of the main roster, would benefit taking the title: She would get fresh matchups in NXT, could help ratings and be used to put over Bianca Belair. Otherwise Ripley gets a big rub from beating WWE’s Golden Girl at WrestleMania. Either outcome has big implications.

10. Undertaker’s surprise appearance at Elimination Chamber was exactly how you should use him and added to the anticipation for his WrestleMania match with AJ Styles.

11. I do have a challenge for WWE: Get me an Undertaker WrestleMania feud that isn’t just about the next guy calling him out for a match. That may be asking a lot from a company that long-term booked Erick Rowan’s cage holding a giant fake tarantula, which McIntyre quickly destroyed.

12. What if this whole Undertaker-Styles feud is about getting Aleister Black a star-making rub? Black also went over Rollins on Monday’s “Raw.”

13. Black Mass is one of the best finishers in WWE. Tell me otherwise.

14. Rollins feels very natural in his Monday Night Messiah role, but how many multi-man tag matches can one wrestler be booked in?

15. Happy Sami Zayn finally earned a singles title on the main roster. It’s about time. But did it have to come at the expense of Braun Strowman so quickly? Strowman has been waiting for a championship run, too. WWE didn’t pull the trigger on him as a world champion a few years ago. Not sure he can afford another start and stop.

16. WWE playing hot potato with the Intercontinental Championship, even in a 3-on-1 handicap match, continues to devalue the once-proud title. It easily could flip back to Strowman at WrestleMania.

17. The feud among Andrade, Humberto Carrillo, Angel Garza and Rey Mysterio has been compelling and fun in the ring, even with being built around Andrade’s Wellness Policy suspension. But it is time to get to the next phase of this story. Any one of them is a worthy U.S. champion. Andrade and Carrillo are the front-runners. Would WWE think about doing Andrade vs. Zelina Vega’s real-life husband Aleister Black if Andrade retains?

18. As good as Andrade and Carrillo are in the ring, you can make the case the charismatic Garza comes across the best on screen. WWE could turn him babyface and make Vega choose between him and Andrade in a post-WrestleMania feud.

19. What Daniel Bryan is doing with Drew Gulak is fantastic. They told an excellent story during their match at Elimination Chamber in Gulak’s hometown of Philadelphia. Bryan also got Heath Slater and Curtis Axel some TV time. Hope the plug isn’t pulled too quickly on this, but WWE could want a more marquee match for Bryan in Tampa.

20. “Who sent Otis the text to spoil his Valentine’s Day date with Mandy Rose?” is a storyline WWE needs to make more prominent, despite Rose telling Otis she’s moved on. Otis vs. Ziggler needs to end with either Otis getting the girl or Sonya Deville being the one who sent the text. If not, what was the point?

21. At the least, WWE has an increasingly over, non-New Day babyface tag team in Heavy Machinery. Will they capitalize on it? Heavy Machinery was the second team out of the Elimination Chamber after getting a huge rub from the gauntlet match on last week’s “SmackDown.”

22. The SmackDown tag team match was the best on the pay-per-view as the division continues stealing the show. Please continue to give them the time and respect they deserve and keep them off kickoff shows.

23. John Morrison and his acrobatic move set has been a fun addition to the WWE roster. How soon until he turns on Miz and starts a singles run?

24. Thank you WWE for giving us more of Robert Roode’s glorious entrance. It used to be one of the coolest in wrestling, and is still up there.

25. Props to Lince Dorado for that shooting star press from hanging from the roof of the Elimination Chamber. Crazy.

26. Ricochet has been relegated to matches on Main Event. He deserves better than the burying he’s getting right now.

27. Does WWE actually have a women’s tag team division? The 24/7 title has gotten more or equal TV time in recent months. At least the Kabuki Warriors were revived on Monday.

28. The Raw tag team match at Elimination Chamber featured two singles stars in Rollins and Murphy against the Street Profits in a match that was more about advancing Rollins’ feud with Kevin Owens.

29. When does Kevin Owens get to work his magic at the top of the card or is he destined to be an upper-midcard storytelling star?

30. The Street Profits are fun, they bring energy and they have a great connection with a live crowd. They are stars. WWE needs to start booking them that way.

31. King Corbin feuding with Elias sounds about right.

32. The Revival’s contracts in WWE should be up in June. If and how they are booked for WrestleMania 36 could be a telling sign about their future.

33. Jeff Hardy is returning to SmackDown this Friday after a long hiatus. It was wonderful to see Hardy look refreshed and healthy on “WWE Backstage” last week.

34. Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder almost made it to the pay-per-view Sunday, but lost on the kickoff show instead.

35. WWE said last week WrestleMania 36 is going on as planned in Tampa, Fla., though they are monitoring the outbreak of the coronavirus. If other major sports, such as the NBA, NCAA or NHL start forbidding fans from attending games, at some point you have to take a long, hard look in the mirror and reevaluate.

36. Stone Cold Steve Austin returns to Raw for 3/16 Day. Oh, hell yeah!

source https://truesportsfan.com/sport-today/wrestlemania-36-what-to-follow-in-wwe-with-one-month-to-go/

[wrestlemethis]

Thoughts on RAW

There were some high points, there were some low points. Pretty on par with most RAWs so far this year.

1. I feel like there were better options for the RAW side of MiTB. Drew is necessary, Ricochet will be great and get lots of cool spots, but both Baron and Braun already won and failed. They don’t feel like credible threats to win. It could have been a good opportunity to put in someone they wanted to give a fresh start to, like new heel Robert Roode or newly single Cesaro.

2. The match between the MiTB heels and faces was good. Standard tag match until Drew finally got fed up with Corbin. If they’re heading into a Corbin vs Drew feud, I have no clue how they’ll do that. Drew cannot turn face but going against Corbin could hurt his crowd reaction.

3. The Usos/Good Brothers was a really good match but I hope they have more plans for The Good Brothers than them occasionally showing up on RAW just to lose. The whole backstage segment with The Revival was just weird. Usos, why are you bringing a camera into the showers? What if their towels fell? This is the same cringe-worthy humour the AoP had to endure when Drake peed his pants. It doesn’t make either team look good and WWE doesn’t have a great track record.

4. Like with the men, I feel like there could have been better options for the women for RAW’s MiTB contenders. I like that Dana is getting a chance but it would have been nice to see a little more build up in her character so she felt like a threat. Nattie feels like she’s in there to have a veteran who can call the match as the ring general. It would have been nice to see someone like Sarah Logan, who just had a great showing at Mania’s battle royal. It definitely feels like it’s an SD girl’s year to win.

5. The Becky segment wasn’t horrible, she at least wasn’t as dismissive of her opponents as she was last week, but really, it shows why they have to separate Becky and Charlotte from each other. Becky is just repeating the same stuff she always says about Charlotte and it does neither of them any favours. And having Becky call or even just hint that Lacey is the new Charlotte doesn’t do anyone any favours either. Let their feud stand on its own.

6. The Rey/Joe match was just plain weird. Or at least the finish was. Joe was that close to the ropes, almost right under it, but he didn’t grab it to stop the pin. I’m supposed to believe that Rey could hold Joe down the way he did when Joe showed no sign of being tired or shaken up from the match?

7. Bray Wyatt continues to be terrifying and awesome.

8. I liked the Seth/AJ segment but I think Seth’s promo came off better than AJ’s. That might be because they had AJ balancing between respectful face and hints of a heel turn. AJ thinks he’s going to beat Seth because Seth is a workhorse who never stops so his body isn’t at 100%...kind of implies AJ isn’t a workhorse. AJ also seemed to hint at a reunion with The Good Brothers by saying Seth is all alone, no brothers to hold him up. Which again, implies AJ thinks Seth needs the Shield and his reign is vulnerable without them. The whole segment seems to signal either a heel turn for AJ or at least AJ using dirty tactics to try to win. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for the next couple of weeks. I doubt WWE will want them facing off in the ring until the PPV but they could tease it with their ever-beloved 6-man tag match that never sees AJ/Seth in the ring together.

[ihatewrestling]

I’m Gon’ Book Dis

So here’s the deal. WWE is as talented now as they’ve ever been. All the 40 year olds out there will say “No way! The Attitude Era was way better!” Then their dads will step out from the shadows and say, “Ho, ho, ho. Good one, son. But let me introduce you to the Mega Powers.”

There’s no mistaking it, those where great times. However, they had a distinct advantage: Total Autonomy. The writers, bookers, and talent could do whatever WWE wanted. Now we are enjoying, or not enjoying, what is incorrectly referred to as the PG-era. It’s not the PG-era. I’d say it would be more accurately described as the Corporate Era.

More than ever WWE has to answer to those outside of the company. Among those are parents. They’ve always been around so I wouldn’t say their influence has changed much. They also have to adhere to sponsor wishes. Some would say they’ve always had to listen to them, but in the words of Captain Barbosa,“...they are more like guidelines, than rules.”

In the Attitude Era, things would get out of hand, sponsors would get mad, WWE would say, “Oops”, the ratings would come in, and all would be forgiven. Not so much anymore. Sponsors are much more valuable now that the company is publicly traded. Losing sponsors means upset shareholders and that is a real problem.

Right now I’m watching Smackdown from May 2, 2017, and it’s booking has prompted me to vent. Jinder Mahal has just defeated Sami Zayn, which I’d normally be cool with, but there is a glaring problem. 

They book Sami Zayn as a fan favorite. He was used in this match to underline how big of a heal Mahal is, but this is how they always use Zayn, and he always loses. He isn’t a legitimate threat. His ability to hang with Mahal isn’t enough to make me think he is a worthy precursor to Randy Orton. 

If they want to do a squash match, use a local guy to do it. Oh wait, they did that and it has turned into a disaster. Stupid James Elsworth.

The next match was Aiden English vs. Ty Dillinger. English began singing and started to draw some decent heat, before being interrupted by Dillinger. All of this was very good, and got me thinking: I hope English wins. 

They are both very good, and had English cheated to win, he’d have drawn more heat, and the people would have gotten behind The Perfect 10 even more. They just won’t book that anymore. They book every new guy to win, which makes everything boring and predictable. They then followed it up with a backstage shot of English crying. 

I don’t know what to make of this. I think he could get that gimmick over if given the chance, but who wants to be the guy that gets crying over. Poor guy.

Next came the women’s tag match of Smackdown Champion Naomi, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch vs. Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina. The heel squad dropped Charlotte and Becky Lynch backstage, leaving Naomi to fight by herself. 

This was a great booking. Charlotte and Lynch eventually made their way out as faces to save the day, but they didn’t. Other than Charlotte being a face, I liked everything about it. I’m not sure what has made her a face, but I guess she is now.

I like that the heels look tough. A face without a strong opponent is a cupcake humping a butterfly. That makes sense. I’d book heel women winning leading to Backlash because the good guys need mountains to climb.

Speaking of Backlash, I’m very excited to see Dolph Ziggler vs Shinsuke Nakamura, so naturally they booked Ziggler vs Sin Cara for Smackdown. The match ended as I write this sentence and I knew who the winner would be before it started. Ziggler is Sami Zayn’s Mexican cousin because they seem to keep him around for kids to cheer and heels to beat. Hashtag lame.

I’m now waiting for Jericho vs. Owens to start for US Championship. AJ styles is banned from ring side. That stipulation makes me think he will show up, cost Owens the Championship, and then the three will have a triple threat for it later that AJ will win, and Owens will feud for. This will let Jericho disappear while setting up the other two. Prior to that stipulation, I expected Owens to win, but the wrinkle changes things for me. I mean the guy’s gimmick changed to the face of America. How could he not be US champion?

Let’s see what happens.

So the stipulation was pointless, and I guessed right. I mean, they booked so good. 

[naturalmeadows]

Smackdown 4/25/17 Gists

Shinsuke Nakamura, Dolph Ziggler Segment - Cringe worthy, semi build hype for their match at Backlash

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Baron Corbin vs AJ Styles, Kevin Owens Commentary - Commentary was good. Corbin looked good. Owens Shouldn’t have gotten involved (Taints this good match). The end of the match beat down should have ended in Owens and Corbin standing tall. Sami Zayn shouldn’t have gotten involved (should have had a one off match to build momentum for himself).

- Side Note - I would like to see Chris Jericho on Smackdown (champion or not). I think there is enough people/stars on Raw

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Beat The Clock Challenge/ #1 Contender for Tag Team Titles

- I like Beat the Clock Challenges. I wished it was advertised last week. It feel random and last minute for it to happen this week.

American Alpha vs The Colons - 5:17 - Okay Match

Breezango vs The Ascension - I love that Breezango won, new #1 Contenders. That’s it. (but are they heels?)

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Erick Rowan vs Randy Orton - there was some nice spots but it buries Erick Rowan. Orton cuts a promo that makes me wonder why WWE is still trying to go through with this match. Interrupted by Jinder Mahal and the Bollywood Boys that ended with Mahal taking and leaving with the title (well that’ll explain why the House of Horrors match isn’t for the title)

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Main Event!! 

Women’s Championship Match: Naomi vs Charlotte - No Contest

- First off they Smackdown should have hyped this up more. This is the first time a Women’s match went on last on Smackdown Live/ Main Event (no Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch title match a few months back doesn’t count; it wasn’t last) --- Then again I like that it was casually on last; it should the complete difference between Raw and Smackdown

-Side Note - I liked that Naomi tied her hair back in the beginning of the match; she’s taking this match Seriously 

- Naomi’s should use the different version of the GTS -- fireman’s carry into  drop, kick on her opponent’s head

- They both looked like fierce competitors. If you ever doubted Naomi before, those doubts are gone. 

- Then the match had to be RUINED by Natalya, Carmella and Tamina interfering... I wanted to see how the match would have concluded. IDGAF about their pettiness about a title shot. BTW the audience didn’t boo because they were attacked; they booed because they enjoyed the match and shenanigans ruined it. They could have don’t this AFTER the match ended. Come on this isn’t Raw like I stated earlier, which I am redacting. We can’t a  good thing. This is the MAIN EVENT it totally dampers the entire show. I’m  glad Becky Lynch wasn’t involved.