#Randy Orton (c) defeats The Big Show

[alamhiganelezen]

Shamagi's Wrestling Corner - Bash In Berlin

//Hi! This will be the first in a series where I review real world pro wrestling events in character as my Warrior of Light, as if the events also happened in Eorzea. I will be rating matches on a 5-star rating system, and I promise not to break it like Dave Meltzer did with silly 6 and 7 star ratings.

(Everything beyond this point is in character and in universe, with any out of character clarifications in square parentheses)

Today, WWE held their first ever Premium Live Event in The Black Shroud [read: Germany] with Bash In Gridania [read: Berlin]. This event promised to be a big one, with hometown boy Gunther slated to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against the legendary Randy Orton in the main event. Also on the card was a battle between friends as Cody Rhodes defended his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Kevin Owens, with the biggest narrative being whether they could keep their friendship intact or if the battle for the gold would tear them apart. We also had CM Punk continuing his blood feud with Drew McIntyre in a strap match, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill looking to regain their Women's Tag Team Championships from Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, and Rhea Ripley looking to get revenge of her own against Liv Morgan and "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio alongside her new tag partner Damian Priest.

Without further ado, here's my ratings:

Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) defeats Kevin Owens by pinfall (***3/4)

This wasn't the best match these two were capable of putting on. It had good in ring psychology and the crowd was absolutely electric, but it had a somewhat slow pace and some rather baffling character moments. Come on, KO, I know he's your friend, but when your opponent shows a weakness, you pounce on it! It's a lesson I learned very early in my own fighting career (though I mainly do shootfighting anyway, but even in my worked matches I always go for the injured body part- and I'm a babyface!). Tainted or not, victory was right there, KO, and you blew it. Anyway, it was still a really good match and the perfect opener to a solid show. While they were able to show respect to each other afterwards I'm fully expecting a heel turn from KO soon.

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match: Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defeat The Unholy Union (Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn) (c) - TITLE CHANGE! (***)

Jade didn't get too much in ring time. It feels like WWE are still trying to protect her because she's still kinda green. That said, she looked good in the little time she did get, and kayfabe wise it was tactically sound from The Unholy Union to try and stay away from that absolute unit of a woman who could bulldoze both of them at once without even trying by isolating Bianca as much as possible. Speaking of which, Bianca continues to impress and she absolutely carried this match. She'll always be one of my favourite wrestlers, not to mention she's part of long braid gang. I just wish she could use the hair whip again, especially after both Alba and Isla pulled her by the braid. I would have done that immediately.

Strap match: CM Punk defeats Drew McIntyre (***1/4)

The Four Corners strap match stipulation continues to be silly to me. It's not as bad as being able to win a steel cage match by leaving the cage, but it's still a pretty goofy way to win a wrestling match. That said, it was another solid- if not spectacular- match that should be the culmination of this long running feud. Also, CM Punk really needs a new friendship bracelet. Come on, Phil, that shit was in Drew's trunks. It's probably rancid now.

Mixed Tag Team match: The Terror Twins (Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest) defeat The Judgment Day ("Dirty" Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan) (***1/2)

Ugh, men. Can't live with them, can't live without 'em. My personal feelings aside, though, I was thoroughly entertained by this match and was relieved that the Terror Twins won. Rhea gets some much needed revenge of her own against Liv and Dom, not to mention Damian Priest getting payback against the Judgment Day. Also, please pin me, Mami... wait, Yugiri, why are you looking at me like that?

World Heavyweight Championship match: Gunther (c) defeats Randy Orton (****1/4)

I'll be honest: Gunther could wrestle a broomstick and it would be a 3 star match. He's that good of a worker on his own. So when you put him in a match with the legendary Randy Orton? That's a guaranteed banger right there. They did somewhat underdeliver, however, as the match was rather slow paced, but it still had plenty of excitement, especially when Randy hits the RKO only for Gunther to kick out at 2. I also like that Gunther doesn't have a dedicated finishing move. It keeps you on your toes as you watch his matches as they could end at any moment, and that feeling was absolutely there the whole match. The crowd was also still absolutely electric throughout this match and they really showed up to make their hometown boy proud.

Overall rating: ***3/4

Not an amazing PLE by any means but pretty solid and pretty entertaining overall. No matches were spectacular but no matches were complete duds, either. Plus the crowd was easily one of the best in recent memory. I can't wait to see more of these Eorzean PLEs from WWE.

[wwemindset]

2013-11-08_22-09-54_NEX-6_8385_DxO by Miguel Discart Via Flickr: WWE Live 2013 - Forest National - Randy Orton Vs The Big Show Randy Orton (c) def. (pin) The Big Show For : WWE Championship ( WWE Live 2013 - Forest National )

[placetobenation]

Holy WarGames Batman!

You can never say that you don’t get your money’s worth when it comes to a NXT:TakeOver PPV and WarGames was no exception!

Whether it be Io Shirai flying off the top of the cage with a garbage can over her head or Pat McAfee doing a swanton bomb from the heavens, this one was another classic from NXT. Plus, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher put together one brutal war for themselves too. Johnny Gargano became the first 3-time North American Champion, uncovering his new Scream partner in Austin Theory. You know it’s a really good PPV when an above average strap match between Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes is probably the low man on the totem pole. Grimes continues to get better each and every week with his versatility and strange personality. He reminds me of a bigger Buzz Sawyer.

Injuries? Sure, got them too! Candice LeRae’s broken wrist and Gargano’s split mouth complete with stitches top the charts.

At the end of the day, Raquel Gonzalez gets elevated into the NXT Women’s Championship picture by pinning Shirai. The Undisputed Era remain kings of the WarGames cage. McAfee proves he’s one tough SOB too!

In the end, WarGames is your Star of the Week!

LET THE PARAMEDICS SORT EM OUT #WarGames #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/XTCAwmXZVo

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 7, 2020

NXT: TakeOver WarGames

WarGames: The Undisputed Era defeated The Kings of NXT

WarGames: Candice LeRae, Toni Storm, Raquel Gonzalez, Dakota Kai defeated Ember Moon, Shotzi Blackheart, Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai

NXT North American Championship Triple Threat Match: Johnny Gargano defeated Damian Priest & Leon Ruff to win the title

Strap Match: Dexter Lumis defeated Cameron Grimes

Tommaso Ciampa defeated Dexter Lumis

RAW

RESULTS

RAW Women’s Non-Title Championship Match: Asuka defeated Shayna Baszler

Ricochet & Dana Brooke defeated SLAPJACK & RECKONING

Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin

Cedric Alexander defeated Kofi Kingston

3-on-2 Handicap Match: AJ Styles, The Miz & John Morrison defeated Drew McIntyre & Sheamus

United State Non-Title Championship Match: Bobby Lashley defeated Jeff Hardy

Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton ends in no-contest

Some quick hits for RAW this week:

It’s only a matter of time before we get two-straps Asuka!

"Imagine: Jeff Hardy teams with Riddle, and we become The Hardy Bros!" — @SuperKingofBros #WWERaw @JEFFHARDYBRAND pic.twitter.com/DtSVNnzERB

— WWE (@WWE) December 8, 2020

The Hardy Bros? Hilarious! Riddle’s growing on me. His in-ring work is unquestioned. His antics outside it are becoming funnier each week.

The only RECKONING in RETRIBUTION should be taking the masks off and clearing them of the silly names. It’s Mia Yim. It’s Mia Yim. It’s Mia Yim already!

And like that, business is back in motion! @CedricAlexander picks up the win, and leaves #TheNewDay with a statement. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/tCPwbwufIJ

— WWE (@WWE) December 8, 2020

Cedric Alexander is playing The Hurt Business perfectly. He’s a main event player and is proving it each and every week with back-to-back singles victories over The New Day. How long is it before he says I want a shot at Bobby Lashley’s US Title too?

Is it me or are we headed for a screwjob by The Miz and Morrison on AJ Styles in his upcoming WWE Championship match with Drew McIntyre? Just a gut feeling here.

Things have EXPLODED backstage between @DMcIntyreWWE & @WWESheamus on #WWERaw!!! … Or have they? pic.twitter.com/Kkvj1NBR6N

— WWE (@WWE) December 8, 2020

Having Drew McIntyre and Sheamus fight it out in the back after an inadvertent brogue kick to the WWE Champion led to a loss in the ring was beautiful. Fight each other. Beat up an unsuspecting bystander. Go get a pint.

Really missed Alexa Bliss this week. Sure, Bray Wyatt, it’s for her own safety. But it’s definitely not as much fun without Miss Bliss.

𝐻𝐸's here… #WWERaw #TheFiend @WWEBrayWyatt @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/phjY9qI9Du

— WWE (@WWE) December 8, 2020

Didn’t love the no-contest ending with Wyatt and Randy Orton. We get it, The Fiend is different but the ending just fell flat for me.

NXT

RESULTS

Jake Atlas defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott

Triple Threat Match: Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Imperium & Ever-Rise

Tommaso Ciampa defeated Cameron Grimes

Pete Dunne defeated Killian Dain

Raquel Gonzalez defeated Ember Moon

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒐𝒇 #𝑾𝑾𝑬𝑵𝑿𝑻 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕.@WWEKarrionKross & @Lady_Scarlett13 are here! pic.twitter.com/bUpujMXGrI

— WWE (@WWE) December 10, 2020

It’s a week of returns for NXT. And that’s bad news (sorry Wade Barrett) for the men’s roster as Karrion Kross leads the list of returning superstars. I give credit to Damian Priest for stepping up to the challenge, but that’s a challenge with Kross and Scarlett that he’s going to lose. Kross and his NXT Championship that he gave up due to injury will meet again soon I’m sure.

Back too is Drake Maverick, Malcolm Bivens with Tyler Rust, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Austin Theory and the NXT Champion Finn Balor. It remains to be seen who will face Balor at New Year’s Evil on January 6th, but it seems everyone from Pete Dunne to Kross to Priest to a whole host of others are in the mix.

“The Way” in-ring promo just went on too long and was too forced I thought. Theory and Indie Hartwell just felt like 3rd and 4th wheels out there as they just can’t match LeRae and Gargano on the mic.

Sunday, she pins #WWENXT #WomensChampion @shirai_io to win #WarGames for her team. Wednesday, she defeats @WWEEmberMoon in the main event on @WWENXT.@RaquelWWE is UNSTOPPABLE! pic.twitter.com/LBZpJhXPD4

— WWE (@WWE) December 10, 2020

Raquel Gonzalez looks the part of a big-time player and is finding her way into the spotlight. Funny that just one year ago, we were saying the same things about Rhea Ripley and then the pandemic hit. I’m not sure if Gonzalez is ready for the NXT Women’s Title just yet, but it would be intriguing to see her as champ and how LeRae would react to it.

"Toni, I don't have problem with you. I just don't like you." – #WWENXT #WomensChampion @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/cpP9DBL0nk

— WWE (@WWE) December 10, 2020

Anytime Toni Storm is near a ring, it’s a win for us. Whether it be taking on Io Shirai for the title or Ember Moon to continue their feud, I’m all in.

WHAT…did we just witness? 𝑷𝑨𝑰𝑵.#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/880LZBNuD0

— WWE (@WWE) December 10, 2020

Speaking of all in, holy *$#& Xia Li and Boa! I have NO CLUE where it’s going and I don’t care that I don’t know. I am absolutely loving it! Give me more! NOW!

Suddenly, the tag team division is very competive and we haven’t seen Breezango lately. Kudos to the Grizzled Young Veterans and Imperium for stepping it up a notch.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Dolph Ziggler defeated Montez Ford

Non-title Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn defeated Big E by countout

Liv Morgan & Ruby Riott defeated Billie Kay & Natalya

Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Chad Gable & Otis

SmackDown Championship Match: Carmella defeated Sasha Banks by DQ

It's official. It's @CarmellaWWE vs. @SashaBanksWWE for the SmackDown Women's Championship TONIGHT on FOX! pic.twitter.com/k9mp3SuP8C

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 12, 2020

Loved that the contract signing between Sasha Banks and Carmella to open the show DIDN’T take place in the ring. Something a little different was a bit refreshing having Carmella backstage. Plus, we get a main event title match out of it too! Poor Sommelier!

No surprise that we’re getting a tag team title defense for The Street Profits against Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode after Ziggler pinned Montez Ford Friday night. Good match to advance the feud and set up the title match coming up this Friday night.

Hated the countout victory by Sami Zayn over Big E in a non-title Intercontinental Championship Match. It did nothing for either guy. I like Zayn but here’s hoping this is the start of something big for Big E, pun intended. If you’re going to break him away from The New Day, there has to be a point. First, the I-C Title? Then, maybe a challenge for the Universal Championship down the road too?

.@BiancaBelairWWE brought the *literal* receipts! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/SKtCTajPkK

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 12, 2020

Check the receipts! LOL! Well played Bianca Belair!

An ode to #WWETLC by @FightOwensFight pic.twitter.com/hsAGYn2Lae

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 12, 2020

"Kids, If you don't talk some sense into daddy, I am going to be the guy that takes the food off the table." – @WWERomanReigns to @FightOwensFight's family.#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/jHK6MM2LEm

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 12, 2020

Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns is going to be one insane TLC match. Owens promo was one of his best. Surrounded by his “friends” chair, table and ladder, KO hit hard on his family and just how good Reigns is but that he still vows to get back his Universal Championship. Reigns is so good, just being backstage looking so smug while Jey Uso attacks Owens is priceless. Having Paul Heyman remind him that everything is done on his time instead of running into the ring to fight KO reminds us that less is more. Then, it all turns personal when Reigns finds Owens in the back, beats him down and reminds the Owens family that he’s the one that puts food on the table and that he could take it off theirs. Delicious and well placed right in the middle of the show while the ladies take the main event.

Natalya & Billie Kay. What a waste! We will, though, take a Riott Squad victory anytime we can get it.

Chad Gable is sounding more and more like Kurt Angle and I dig it! I’m hoping Otis is not the only one to join Gable’s training group. Not a bad first pairing either, even in defeat to Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura.

𝒰 𝒩 𝒯 𝒪 𝒰 𝒞 𝐻 𝒜 𝐵 𝐿 𝐸 #SmackDown @CarmellaWWE pic.twitter.com/IKLtCXFLOJ

— WWE (@WWE) December 12, 2020

Carmella’s entrance – absolute smoke show! WOW! The trash talk during the match brought back a little old school feel to it. Carmella was pretty good before but she’s taking it to another level with this latest reincarnation. That was a really good match before the DQ ending. The WWE is relying too much on the DQ finish these days. The aftermath of the match – OMG! Smashing bottles over Banks while sipping champagne – very heelish! Looks like we’ll get round 2 at TLC as scheduled.

#SmackDown @CarmellaWWE @SashaBanksWWE pic.twitter.com/CPDLEMUjgU

— WWE (@WWE) December 12, 2020

SmackDown hands down with the best show of the week!

Parting shots:

Having the WWE ThunderDome travel from Orlando to Tampa had little effect on SmackDown. Moving from the basketball arena to the spacious home of the Tampa Bay Rays, I thought the WWE would use some of that space to its advantage. There may be more screens, but maybe down the road we’ll see some additions but it’s first show in Tampa didn’t look a whole lot different than the last show in Orlando.

TLC PPV – Updated Card

WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles

Universal Championship TLC Match: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Carmella

The Fiend vs. Randy Orton

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka & Lana

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin

Coming up this week:

RAW: Firefly Fun House at WWE ThunderDome

NXT: KUSHIDA & Leon Ruff vs. Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory

SMACKDOWN (on FS1): SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode Bianca Belair vs. Bayley

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND

[hazyheel]

WWE Smackdown Live 8/13/19 Review

Kevin Owens Promo: The crowd was very happy to see Owens, chanting his name loud and proud the second that he came out. He talked about his time in WWE, and how honored he was to be here, and then he put himself over for beating Shane McMahon. Then he started to talk about the King of the Ring Tournament. He said that he needed his name on the list of King of the Ring winners, although he didn’t mention King Barrett, which was funny. Shane McMahon came out to interrupt. The crowd absolutely hated everything that Shane was saying, and he was such a wonderful dick. He really is an effective heel, he just doesn’t need to be in matches so often. Then they talked about what it meant to be a man. Owens said that it was about standing up for what you believe in, but Shane said that none of that mattered because he was a cheater. He also said that Elias was so traumatized by Owens beating him with a chair that he was given the night off. But he also said that, since Elias was a referee during that match, Owens will be fined for attacking him. Owens then said that the fine was crap, because to the little guy like him, 100 thousand dollars was a lot of money, but Shane refused to stop. 

Backstage, Owens burst into Shane’s dressing room, but Shane told him that if he attacked him, then he would be sued. Shane made it seem like the only reason the fine was so large was because he attacked an official, which made Owens so mad that he threw a chair into a TV. 

Grade: B. I was actually kinda into this. Shane’s heel work was really good, and this was a genuinely good way to continue their feud. It makes a lot of sense, but I don’t particularly want to see it continue. Maybe if they do an interesting stipulation it’ll be worth watching. But that’ll take a lot, so hopefully they do a good job. 

Charlotte Flair vs. Ember Moon: the two started with a bit of grappling and some nice looking strikes. Charlotte utilized her power advantage as she refused to let Moon hit any of her big offense. She also wound up the already white hot crowd, and wound up wiping out Moon during a suicide dive as she did. Ember responded with a low dropkick and another suicide dive, but only a near fall. The two then fought to the outside and continued their brutal brawl, as charlotte threw Moon into the barricade and the apron. When we came back from the commercial break, Charlotte had begun to target the leg and soften it up for her signature submission, but that didn’t stop Moon from using her educated feet to stay in control. Moon even hit a sort of codebreaker for a near fall, and tried to follow up with an eclipse, but Charlotte threw her off by her hair. Ember still had some fight left in her, hitting several high impact moves for near falls, but Charlotte was still able to lock in a Figure Eight for the win. 

Grade: B. Another good segment. Lots of back and forth here and some really good wrestling. Moon looked really good in defeat, and Charlotte looks like they have some plans for her coming up. She could be the one to end Bayley’s title reign, but more likely is that she is just the next contender, which makes sense. But Smackdown was off to quite a good start. 

Daniel Bryan and Rowan Promo: The two were mostly out to address the accusations made against Rowan, the ones that Buddy Murphy made about attacking Roman Reigns. Bryan denied the accusation, called Buddy Murphy a liar. He then said that he didn’t blame Murphy, because he would agree to anything if his face was pressed against a wall. The only problem was that he gave the wrong name. He blamed the rumors spreading on social media, and said that in today’s age that rumors become truth because of the internet. They said that they would prove it wasn’t them, before walking away. 

Grade: B. Okay, I’m into a whodunnit. These are really fun if they are done well, and this seems like they are doing it well. Accusing a bunch of heels, one at a time, and having them get super mad. It gives Roman a storyline close to the top of the card without him chasing a title, gives him a nice set of opponents for TV and pay per views, and will probably end up giving us a bunch of good matches that we may not have seen due to Roman’s high status in the company. I am really into the storyline, and Bryan’s promo was fiery and exciting. Good stuff. 

Shane McMahon Interview: he was going to talk about Kevin Owens’ opponent for later on in the night, but Samoa Joe came in and said that he wanted the match. Shane made the match. 

Aleister Black Backstage: he talked about who had a debt to pay to him. Same ‘ol thang, asking someone to knock on his door and pick a fight with him.  He is going to need a real storyline sooner or later. 

Buddy Murphy vs. Roman Reigns: Reigns started things out by forcing Murphy into the corner, but Murphy quickly fought out and nailed a high knee, showing everyone exactly how good he is. The two quickly spilled to the outside, where Reigns chucked Murphy clean over the announce table. He tried to follow up with a drive by, but Murphy dodged it and pushed Reigns into the steel stairs, following it up with a meteroa off the stairs. As the two continued to jockey for control, Reigns hit an awesome powerbomb for a near fall, and Murphy sold it beautifully. Murphy gave him a receit, with several hard strikes to push Roman to the outside and a great tope con hilo. Murphy put Reigns back in the ring and gave him another meteora, but only a near fall. Reigns got himself back into the match after a series of clubbing blows and a superman punch, but Murphy didn’t stay down, giving reigns a pair of high knees, a Kamagoye (like Kota Ibushi, a knee to the head of a kneeling opponent) and then a great brainbuster for a near fall. Murphy tried to go up top, but Reigns gave him a hard right hand to knock him into the barricade. Reigns then gave him a superman punch and a spear that turned Murphy inside out for the win.

Grade: A-. Holy crap, this was a great match! Genuinely great stuff, with a lot of hard hitting action from both guys, Murphy showing his style and some great moves in the process. But Murphy really was the more impressive one. His selling made this match incredible, and I hope that he continues to impress in his King of the Ring matches. Roman looked great too, and the match was so good that I didn’t even mind that Murphy lost. It was a good match to lose in. Match of the night. 

Revival Interview: the two talked about how the New Day were to blame for a whole mob of people ran down during their match on Raw. They say that they are making a mockery of the tag team division. So, they will teach them a lesson. 

New Day interview: Big E and Xavier Woods defended themselves, saying that they did not ruin the tag division, but they ruined a whole bunch of other stuff. Kingston then talked about how he needed to defend his family, so he doesn’t care that he got disqualified. 

Kevin Owens vs. Samoa Joe, with Elias as the special guest enforcer: Owens was pretty pissed when Elias came down. Also, I didn’t mention his earlier, but the 24/7 championship rules were suspended for the night as well. Joe quickly retreated to the outside, where Elias basically refused to let Owens get any offense. So Joe took control during that time, and forced Owens to the ground with work on the neck. Owens was eventually able to put Joe on the ground and nail a swanton for a near fall. Owens then tried for a Stunner, but Joe was able to lock in a Koquina Clutch. Owens pushed Joe away and hit a pop up powerbomb, but Elais pulled the ref out of the ring. Owens and Elias then argued in the ring, and Joe rolled him up. Elias then fast counted him and Joe won the match. 

Grade: C+. Decent match here, and an annoying thing for Elias to do. Good way to continue this mini feud going into their King of the Ring match next week. 

Daniel Bryan and Rowan Backstage: the two walked into the locker room and told everyone to leave, which left just them and Buddy Murphy. Bryan got right up in his face and told him to admit that he was lying. Murphy just sat there as Bryan yelled at him, and eventually Rowan grabbed him and threw him around the room in a brutal fashion. They pushed him right up against the wall and continued to scream at him, and Murphy said that he lied. They thanked him, hit him just a bit more, and walked away. And suddenly as strong as he looked in that match, he looked a hell of a lot weaker. 

New Day vs. The Revival: before the start of the match, Randy Orton came out and insulted Kingston for running away from their fight at Summerslam. He said that he could never beat Orton in a straight up match. Orton said that he took the easy way out, and that his family will be ashamed of him. He said that he would be willing to give him another chance. He suggested that they make the match a six man tag, and that is what happened. 

Orton and Kingston started the match off, and Orton seemed pretty agitated by Kingston’s willingness to fight, so he tagged out to Scott Dawson. The heels had the advantage early on, and beat down Xavier woods in a three on one assault that focused on the arm. . Woods fought back into the match a bit, but was quickly thrown to the outside and planted on the announce table. Woods eventually tagged in Big E, who destroyed the heels with his unbelievable power. Kingston took out Orton with a suicide dive, but when Woods was tagged back in, the Revival quickly gained the advantage back and got the win with a Shatter Machine.

After the match, the heels beat down Big E and Woods. They were going to break Big E’s leg, but Kingston ran in and gave Dawson a Trouble in Paradise. Orton then slid in the ring and dropped Kingston with an RKO. But Orton wasn’t done there, giving Xavier Woods and Big E RKO’s as well, along with a second RKO to Kingston. 

Grade: B+. Really good match and a hot way to close out the show. It was a violent attack from the heels, and actually made me excited to see more of Orton vs. Kingston. Also, a Revival vs. New Day feud is a feud that is happening two years late, so I’m more than happy to watch this play out in that way. Should be an awesome match if they decide to do it at Clash of Champions. Certainly one that I would look forward to. 

Daniel Bryan, Rowan and Roman Reigns backstage: Bryan demanded that Reigns apologize to him for assuming that they were the ones to attack. Reigns looked like he was about to fight, but Bryan told him that they know who did it, and that they will reveal it next week. So Reigns backed off. 

Overall Grade: B

Pros: Reigns whodunnit; charlotte vs. moon; murphy vs. reigns; main event; 

Cons: murphy looks pretty weak right now; more of owens vs. shane

[elmomachete]

Wrestlemania XXXV Predictions.

Yeah, yeah, they don’t use the Roman numerals anymore. They don’t even use regular numerals. Humor me, it’s out of habit. I actually watched most of NXT Takeover last night, mostly live. I’m still not entirely sold on Blackochet or Matt Riddle, but the War Raiders and Velveteen Dream are the tittyballs and so were both matches. I fell asleep during the UK Championship match and intended to finish the show this morning, but then the results were spoiled for me by Cageside Seats in article headlines. Weak sauce, gentlemen. The weakest of sauces. Oh well, I’ll finish the show eventually. Anyway, with a 42 match card, the pre-show is liable to start any minute now so I better get these predictions up before all the poor souls in New Jersey (I’m sorry, I meant “New York”) start freezing their asses off. Let’s get prognosticating, shall we? Fabulous Moolah Memorial Women’s Battle Royale Totally not promoting human trafficking since 2018. Who won last year, Naomi? It’ll be tough to live up to those standards. I’ll go with Lacey Evans as the winner, because I’m sure that makes sense as a payoff to her coming out, doing nothing, turning around and walking to the back in Crazy Uncle Vinny’s mind. It’d be nice to give Asuka something after her seemingly random dethroning, but Lacey seems more predictably random. Cruiserweight Championship: Tony Nese vs. Buddy Murphy (c.) 205 Dead Crowd. I watched the Cruiserweight match from the Rumble pre-show the other day, and Buddy Murphy seems like a pretty good wrestleperson. Let’s say he retains, because he’s marrying Alexa Bliss and the company still loves her even though she’ll probably never wrestle again. Andre Roussimoff Memorial Battle Royale (ARMBaR) Just look what it did for Mojo Rawley! How can they make up for having Braun Strowman win the tag titles with a ten year old last year? Have him feud with two schmucks from Saturday Night Live so WWE can end up on a legitimate sports program the next morning! So either he wins, or after he eliminates the aforementioned schmucks he eliminates himself and chases them to the back leaving it open for (randomly points at list of entrants with eyes closed) Curtis Axel to win. Side thought: I think next year they should bring back Nicholas and rehire Matt Striker, putting them against the Bar, the Usos and the New Day. Striker can tutor the kid on the road, and putting them over the entire division will really solidify Nicholas’ legacy as an undefeated two-time tag team champion. Raw Tag Team Championships: Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins vs. the Revival (c.) The Battle of the WWE Random Name Generator Recipients! ...good lord, they’re actually giving the Edgeheads a Mania match? For the titles? I know the belts don’t matter and that maybe a dozen people give a rat’s ass about both teams combined, but still - Ryder and Hawkins’ whole shtick is that they never win. That ALWAYS gets over. So obviously they have to win here to get their “Wrestlemania Moment,” in their “home state” of “New York.” Smackdown Tag Team Championships: Nakamusev vs. the Bar vs. Blackochet vs. the Usos (c.) Aren’t I so witty with my portmanteau tag team names? I’m glad Wikipedia exists to not only tell me all 107 matches, but to remind me that yes, the Usos are tag champs again. What with them losing in Brooklyn, I expect Black and Ricochet to win the titles to start off their big show (no, not that one) debut with a bang and to finally tie them to Smackdown instead of Raw. they’ll have better matches on that show anyway. Or the Usos retain because they’re related to the Rock, who cares. Shane McMahon vs. the Miz Because Super Shane needs to get his annual hyperventilating stunt show in. God bless the Miz, he may be the best company man since John Cena for doing whatever stupid shit they come up with for him. Case in point: this fucking match. Does anyone besides Shane or Vince give two shits about this? Logic says the Miz wins because he’s (somehow) the babyface, so I’ll say Shane wins and the Miz’s dad hugs him afterwards because even though his son main evented Wrestlemania and defeated John Cena (there he is again) and got married to a smokin’ hot model and had a kid, NOW he’s finally proud of him because he put up a valiant effort against the 50 year old son of the owner of the company. Women’s Tag Team Championships: the IIconics vs. Nia Jax and Tamina vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. the Boss n’ Hug Connection (c.) Who’s got the worse name, the Australians or the champions? I guess Trish and Lita said no, so they dusted Beth Phoenix off and pretend she’s important enough to justify her Hall of Fame induction. Nia and Tamina suck, Billie and Peyton don’t matter, Beth won’t be around the next day and I can’t see them changing the titles so soon after creating them. Bayley and Sasha retain. Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin John Cena Oh, shut up. You know it’s going to happen. Cena beats up Corbin on the way to the ring, spouts some jargon about hustling respect loyally, he drags Angle through three minutes of suck hoping he doesn’t accidentally kill him, somebody wins and they both go away. (Flips a coin) Cena wins, LOL. AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton Fighting because reasons! Um... let’s say AJ wins, because Orton is a made man and they wanna thank AJ for not leaving for All Elite Wrestling (what a terrible name). Christ, how many pointless matches could they trim to make this a show of reasonable length? Not everybody needs a Wrestlemania payday... do those even exist anymore with the Network? United States Championship: Rey Mysterio vs. Samoa Joe (c.) I’ve got nothing sarcastic to say about this match, I’m actually looking forward to it somewhat. Rey Mysterio can still go, and although people say Joe has lost a step since coming to WWE I’m actually a bigger fan of him now than ever. I think he’s benefited a lot from having to tone it down and only do two or three big spots in matches as opposed to a billion, although whether that’s due to the restrictions of the “WWE Style” or age/injuries is up for debate (I felt the same about Cesaro slowing it down going from Ring of Honor to WWE). Rey can survive a loss here and I think they wanna get as much out of Joe while they still can, so he retains. WWE Championship: Kofi Kingston vs. the New Daniel Bryan (c.) Remember when the “World” title wasn’t likely to be in the middle of the show? As much as I’d hate to see the Hempyweight Championship belt go (and no matter what it’ll eventually have to), I think the crowd would riot if Kofi didn’t win. So I reckon Kofi wins, then Big E. and Xavier turn on him right afterwards to piss the crowd off right after throwing them a bone. Y’know what? I think it would be interesting to see a riot at a wrestling show. Fans have threatened it with signs ever since Cena vs. Van Dam, but we’ve never actually seen one. It’d certainly be a “Wrestlemania Moment.” Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre Yay, Roman’s back! And he’s not in the main event again! Yet! I’m as glad as anyone that Reigns seems to have beaten leukemia, but the entire feud with Drew seems like something they threw together at the last minute because they didn’t expect him to come back so soon. I can never tell if they’re behind Drew or not, they seem to change their minds every other week. Roman wins, obviously, then probably goes right back into the Universal title picture. Triple H vs. Batista The epic final battle between Drax the Destroyer and whatever Triple H’s character was called in Blade 3. I’m interested in this match due to sheer sideshow curiosity. Big Dave hasn’t wrestled in however long, and last time Hunter wrestled he ripped a titty off his chest in the beginning of the match. I have enough faith that’ll it be something watchable at least, Triple H’s match with Angle and Rousey was good last year. Batista wins and rides off into the sunset, and Trips “retires” for about a year. Let’s give it a year and a half if we’re being generous. Universal Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar (c.) Prediction for number of German suplexes: 11. Now this one is a sticky wicket. On the one hand, it’d be nice to have the Rumble winner, y’know, win, and have someone with the belt who’ll be around every week. On the other hand, I’m sure Vince is already salivating over the thought of Roman conquering the unstoppable once every four months onslaught of Brock Lesnar. On the THIRD hand, they did make a t-shirt for Rollins that says “Beastslayer” which would be completely pointless to peddle at shows if he lost. I’ll go out on a limb and pick Lesnar, but whoever wins is getting Roman as a challenger  Intercontinental Championship: Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley (c.) Can we get this show over with already? I’m already bored just writing about it. The Demon wins back the title that he just lost for no reason a few weeks ago, Lio Rush probably gets beat up and the crowd continues to go mild for Bobby Lashley. Next. Women’s Championship, winner takes all: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair (c., Smackdown) vs. Ronda Rousey (c., Raw) Becky. Becky, Becky, Becky. Wait, I have to say something other than that about the match? The build for this has been all over the place. Becky taps to Asuka at the Rumble, then takes Lana’s spot to win the Rumble match itself. Becky’s suspended, but she’s on every show anyway. Then she’s not suspended, she and Ronda break the fourth wall on Twitter, Charlotte replaces Becky, then she wins the Smackdown belt from Asuka and it’s a triple threat, and my God I think I’ve gone cross eyed. Who wins will really depend on where they place this match on the card. I know they’ve said it’ll be the “main event,” and if it truly goes on last then they’d be insane not to give it to Becky. I’ve been trying to reasonably predict the order in which the matches will take place. BUT... we all know WWE has been saying double main event, triple main event, whatever for years. If it DOESN’T go on last, it’s probably gonna be Charlotte. She’s already beaten Trish’s record for number of Women’s title reigns, and lord knows WWE wants to make her seem like the best at everything due to her name. I’ll (perhaps foolishly) put all my chips on Becky, but won’t be surprised in the least if it’s Charlotte. Oh yeah, Ronda’s in the match too. How ‘bout that. *whew* So yeah, sixteen matches on what’s liable to be a seven hour show. I’m likely to watch it in spurts, because A) my TV is always at the risk of being hijacked by a six year old, and 2) I’m going to fall asleep if I try to watch it all in one shot. I won’t be drinking, because I’d rather fall asleep due to boredom rather than alcohol consumption this year. I almost don’t want the women’s match to go last, because the crowd will be fucking exhausted by then. Of the sixteen matches, I’m confident about half will be good. So there’s that. We’ll have a couple overblown entrances, some forced “Wrestlemania Moments,” the possibility for an entertaining car wreck or two, maybe an Undertaker appearance. This is the first year though where I’m sort of dreading the Grandest Stage of the Showcase of the Immortally Ultimate Thrill Ride in twenty years of fandom, and that’s pretty disheartening. That Takeover sure was something though, wasn’t it?

[payperreview]

SummerSlam 2018 Results

SummerSlam 2018 Kickoff

1. Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas and Zelina Vega defeated Rusev and Lana. Lana was distracted by Almas, allowing Vega to roll her up and use the ropes for leverage to get the win.

2. Cruiserweight Championship Match: Cedric Alexander (c) defeated Drew Gulak. Alexander retained his championship after a series of roll-ups.

3. Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The B-Team (c) defeated The Revival. Curtis Axel won the match for The B-Team by accidentally countering a small package when Bo Dallas fell into him.

SummerSlam 2018 Results:

1. Intercontinental Championship Match: Seth Rollins defeated Dolph Ziggler (c). Dean Ambrose and Drew McIntyre were at ringside. Rollins connected with a superkick and hit the curb stomp to win the match and become the new Intercontinental Champion.

2. Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day defeated The Bludgeon Brothers (c) by disqualification when Rowan used his hammer on Big E. No title change.

3. Money in the Bank Briefcase Match: Braun Strowman defeated Kevin Owens. Strowman won easily with a chokeslam on the ramp and a running powerslam.

4. Triple Threat Match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair defeated Carmella (c) and Becky Lynch. Flair hit Lynch with Natural Selection while Carmella was in the Disarmher to win the match and her seventh championship. After the match, Lynch and Flair hugged before Lynch smacked her in the face and beat her down. Loud cheers for Lynch, loud boos and “you deserve it” chants for Flair.

5. WWE Championship Match: Samoa Joe defeated AJ Styles by disqualification Joe repeatedly harassed Styles’ wife in the crowd until Styles snapped and attacked him with a chair. No title change.

– Elias was going to sing a song, but then his guitar was broken so he didn’t.

6. The Miz defeated Daniel Bryan. Maryse was in the front row and slipped her husband a pair of brass knuckles. Bryan attempted a dive, but Miz punched him in the face and knocked him out.

7. Finn Bálor defeated Constable Corbin. Bálor brought back The Demon and squashed Corbin in short order.

8. United States Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) defeated Jeff Hardy. Hardy attempted a Swanton Bomb from the top of a ring post to the apron, but Nakamura moved. Nak was able to finish him off with a Kinshasa. After the match, Randy Orton showed up and did nothing.

9. Raw Women’s Championship Match: Ronda Rousey defeated Alexa Bliss (c). Rousey easily destroyed Bliss and won with an armbar to win her first WWE Championship. After the match, she celebrated with her husband — UFC heavyweight Travis Browne — Natalya, and the Bella Twins (for some reason).

10. Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar (c). Before the match, Braun Strowman announced he’d be cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase against the winner. During the match, Lesnar attacked Strowman and threw away the briefcase. Reigns then won with a spear to become Universal Champion. No cash in.

[neoraven]

WWE Money in the Bank 2017 - matches and star ratings!

Before it starts - Fashion Police for tag champs. And what the heck are they doing with Mike & Maria? But click below for the blow off to a months long angle in a 3 minute match, and MORE!

Kickoff Show: Hype Bros d. The Colons in 8:28 ** This is a pretty good match to get the Hype Bros back together, and put them over. The Colons are still pretty bland and don't really bring much in the ring, so they work great to make the Hype Bros look good.

SD! Women's Title MITB: Carmella d. Charlotte, Becky, Tamina, and Natalya in 13:30 *** It was really bad to have a man grab the first women's briefcase. It's stupid. It's awful. James Ellsworth is the least entertaining person on either show. There was a good match going on before that, however.

SD! Tag Titles: The New Day d. The Usos [c] by Count Out in 12:12 **1/2 Both of these teams are better than the botchy mess this became. It recovered a little right before the quick non-ending, but this was transparently an opening match instead of a match to settle anything.

SD! Women's Title: Naomi [c] d. Lana in 7:30 *1/2 Somewhat was bailed out by Carmella's tease, but Lana was just kind of slow and low energy. The crowd being past dead wasn't helping anything either.

WWE Title: Jinder Mahal [c] d. Randy Orton in 20:58 *** Jinder is still not great at all, but this was some effective hiding of his weaknesses. That's about the ceiling of my praise, and probably the best match he can possibly get at this point.

Grudge Match: Fashion Police d. The Ascension in 3:30 *1/4 The best thing I can say is that this was short. The payoff to a month (?), or weeks long angle at any bet, comes in the cooldown match for 3 minutes, with a team that hasn't had a televised match in months. Suddenly the SD! tag scene is crowded. But Ascension badly needs something different.

WWE Title MITB: Baron Corbin d. Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, and Kevin Owens in 28:50 ****1/4 One of the better MITB's, but it still feels like they haven't figured out a way for a  heel to win without it being such a limp ending. Shinsuke taking a big nap was kind of a crappy move to have him get defeated by just one ladder fall. I did love the teases for AJ vs Shinsuke, and the continuation of the Sami/KO blood feud. Ziggler had some cool spots and moves (hello, running up the ladder), but he felt like he didn't belong. Also, a plus that the right person won.

[nerdandgeekyblog]

Hell in a Cell Review

New Day defeat Rusev and English to retain Smackdown Tag Tean Championship. This was a very good match and Aiden English got in some good offense he got the hot tag and came in and brought the fight to the new day. He even tried an Accolade like Rusev does but it didn’t work. New Day eventually picked up the win. Grade B.

Randy Orton defeat Jeff Hardy inside the Hell in a Cell. What an amazing match this was. They used the weapons amazingly like Hardy jumping off the chair to hit Orton and then Orton slamming hardy onto the supports of an upside down ladder. Orton was hit with the studded belt and it cut his back then when he got hit with the swanton bomb onto the chair a sharp piece cut his leg and it looked brutal. But Randy went under the ring and grabbed a screwdriver and put it in Jeff Hardy’s ear and started the twist his lobe around the screwdriver. I could barely watch it happen. It ended when Hardy grabbed two ladders and climbed to the roof and was trying to land on Randy but he moved at the last second and Hardy crashed through the table and Orton pinned him. After I texted my sister saying we watched the match of the night. Grade A.

Becky Lynch defeat Charlotte to win the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Becky worked the arm most of the match like slamming it off the apron. She tried for the disarmher a few times but it didn’t work. I missed the ending live it happened so fast but Charlotte tried a spear but Becky grabbed the arm and brought her down for a roll up and won. Grade B.

Dolph Ziggler and Drew Mcintyre defeat Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships. This was a good match each guy was great and had great sequences. The way Dolph and Seth fought was the way their match at Summerslam should have been. Dolph was trash talking Seth at one point that was a good touch. Seth tried a dive to both Drew and Dolph but they caught him until Dean dove onto all three guys taking them out. Dean is so quick and looks like he never missed a beat. Seth tried a falcon arrow but Drew kicked him with a claymore and had Dolph land on Seth for the win. Grade A.

AJ Styles defeat Samoa Joe to retain the WWE Championship. Joe looked so brutal in the match throwing Styles around with a big boot and clothesline, and diving to the outside. Joe hit a powerbomb to a Boston crab and teased a muscle buster but Styles reversed it. Styles showed desperation and tried hitting Joe with everything like a 450 splash. Joe went for a Coquina Clutch but Styles flipped over and got a 3 count but at 2 Styles tapped out. Joe thought he won but when he learnt he didn’t then he beat up Styles again. Grade B.

Miz and Maryse defeat Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella. It was a decent match but still should have been one on one in a cell. The women brought down the match a bit. Bryan and Bela did double yes kicks I thought that was cool. At one point Brie hit Miz I joked that should have been a DQ, because whats the point of having men face the men and women face the women if the ref doesn’t enforce the rules. Maryse reversed a roll up with one of her owns to win. Grade C.

Ronda Rousey defeat Alexa Bliss to retain Raw Women’s Championship. Was an ok match don’t think the crowd was into it since the winner was known from the start. Ronda throw bliss around a lot but Bliss attacked the injured ribs and hung her upside down on the ropes and hit the ribs again. Bliss tapped after being in an armbar for half a second. Grade C.

Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman ended in no contest. Braun was using the cell to attack Reigns and choke-slammed him onto the apron. Reigns destroyed a kendo stick on Braun. A great moment happened when Reigns was running around the ring but Braun threw the steps into Reigns’ head hit him with it. There was a spear threw the table and both men took a nap for 10 minutes so Dolph and Drew came out trying to get into the cell the Dean and Seth came out and fought them on the cell. Seth and Dolph fell off the side and went through the announcers’ table. Brock Lesnar came out supporting a cool new beard and Paul Heyman sprayed Mick Foley in the face with something. Brock kicked the door down and gave F5s to everyone. Then the match just ended like why couldn’t someone pin somebody. Grade C.

Overall Hell in a Cell was a solid PPV. I liked most of it and had fun watching it. Grade B.

[thenotoriousgib-blog]

Havin’ a Few Drinks and Watching: Judgment Day ‘08

The title of these posts are self-explanatory. Occasionally I will have a few adult beverages and watch an old PPV. All the writing (aside from this introductory paragraph) was written live by me throughout the night and unedited from its original form.

My first reaction of the night is that I already absolutely loathe this PPV’s theme song three minutes in. It is called “Take It All” by some Danish band called Zididada, and I’m convinced that it’s the same line over and over again. I hate it more than I hate myself.

According to research, the dark match for this show was World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly (what) defeating Carlito and Santino Marella. Can’t believe they didn’t air that sure-to-be greatness.

The show starts with JBL fighting John Cena in a match I already regret watching. If you’re curious what period of time we’re in, there’s a sign that says “JBL = EPIC FAIL!” so we’re right smackdab in the middle of when “fail” was A Thing. Another sign says JBL stands for “Judgment Day’s Biggest Loser.” Get fucking wrecked, Bradshaw. John Cena is wearing an NES Cover-inspired T shirt that I wish I owned. This match had some solid heat. The people love John Boy (I believe this is before the “JOHN CENA SUUUUUCKS” chants) and hate JBL (as everyone should). However, everything else is putting me to sleep. I’ve never really enjoyed Bradshaw in the ring, and this John Cena isn’t the Greatest In The World John Fucking Cena we’ve got 10 years later. JBL dominates most of the match with a slow pace. Cena’s selling really looks goofy as hell. JBL’s just destroying Cena at a really deliberate pace, and then out of nowhere Cena hits the FU for the win. Classic “Super Cena” that would get people to hate his overpowered characters before he became Actually Good in recent years. This match was bad and the ending being so sudden and nonsensical didn’t help matters. If we’re rating stuff it’s probably about *3/4.

We cut to Raw GM William Regal as the match is finished. He seems to have enjoyed the match just as much as I did.

We get clips from an episode of “The Dirt Sheet” (which you can see first every Sunday on WWE.com) with Miz and John Morrison. They’re going to face off against Kane (the ECW Champion) and CM Punk (Mr. Money in the Bank) for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Miz-as-Kane and Morrison-as-Punk have potential, but goofy ass sound effects (FART!) take away from whatever comedic value the segment would have had. Miz is wearing a fedora, a “chick magnet” shirt and some goofy-ass short pants (long shorts?) and it’s nice to see an entirely different Miz have the same level of hate-ability. Mike Adamle keeps referring to Punk as just “CM” and it sounds weird. Punk gets taken to Slamtown with a Moonlight Drive after getting distracted by Kane chokeslaming Miz into oblivion. It’s a fine match. There’s not too much that stands out but I enjoyed the ride. **3/4-***.

Third match of the night is Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho, so hopes are high. I’m not as big a Michaels fan as I used to be, but he was still a heck of a wrestler. Combine that with the GOAT Chris Jericho and you’ve got a stew goin’. That scumbag Shawn Michaels faked an injury to get the edge on Batista in a match where Jericho was reffing, which is how we got here. Jericho’s IC champion, but it’s non-title for whatever reason. Match starts out with some nearfall exchanges and Michaels’ smarmy, cocky ass pissing Y2J right off. Slightly off-topic, but no matter how many times I see them, I will never get used to Shawn Michaels’ Jesus-themed assless chaps. Match is fun, and it’s hard to be snarky or insightful when things are simply “fine.” Michaels tunes up the band right into a codebreaker OUTTA NOWHERE which was a fun moment. Ending is kinda weird. Jericho goes for Lionsault, but Michaels has double knees up. Jericho somehow sees that coming and prevents himself from landing on the knees but Michaels reverses into a pinfall. So that’s why it was non-title. This isn’t a classic match like these two could have, but it’s still very good, even great. **** overall methinks. Jericho and HBK shake hands as a show of respect. Regal reacts to the action by staring off into the distance some more.

JBL interrupts Todd Grisham and Mickie James by saying that actually he beat John Cena and not the other way around. Also he’s not mad, he’s actually laughing right now.

We’ve got a Women’s Title match with Beth Phoenix vs. Melina vs. Mickie James. Because this is a women’s match in 2008, everything feels rushed. Even introductions. Lillian Garcia takes absolutely no pauses in the introductions. Just gets it done. You can tell all three women want to get as much of their stuff in as possible in their token 5 minutes of the show, and things are fast-paced but still pretty smooth and REALLY fun. Beth Phoenix lifts both Melina and Mickie for a backbreaker, and it gets one of the best reactions of the night. Mickie finishes Melina with a DDT in less than 5 minutes. They really made the most out of the time they had. They left me wanting more here. ***1/4

Next up is the World Heavyweight Title match, which was stripped from Taker by Vickie Guerrero. Vickie’s fiancée Edge is naturally the one in line for the shot. There’s a sign that says “I only came 4 Edge,” which… extremely same, IF YA KNOW WHAT I’M SAYIN HERE. There’s also a man in the first few rows wearing a very large, floppy sombrero, and I hope whoever was behind him beat the shit out of him after the show. As for the match? It’s an Edge vs. Undertaker match. So just imagine you’re seeing one of the many Edge vs. Undertaker matches, but not, like, one of the BEST ones. Just a good one with some shenanigans thrown in. LITTLE BABBY versions of Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder show up to distract Charles Robinson while Edge exposes a turnbuckle. Undertaker wins by countout, but Vickie makes sure to note that the title can’t be won on DQ or countout. So we get a countout finish and still no champ. Fun stuff! Match is like a ***1/4-***1/2 overall. Taker’s mad so he gives Edge a tombstone after the match for his troubles.

WWE only scheduled six matches for the night, so MVP is out to complain that he’s off the card. He challenges anyone who wants to fight. United States champion Matt Hardy comes out to accept the challenge for his Brother Nero. The crowd’s loving the impromptu Jeff appearance since he had just returned from a wellness suspension. Apparently MVP is the highest-paid athlete in Smackdown history. I like him just fine but that seems like a poor investment, doesn’t seem worth it. Like we just saw a match with Edge and Taker. You’re paying MVP more than them? Is everyone on like crazy cheap Steph Curry contracts where you didn’t know they’d be this good? Anyway, the match is mostly okay, but nothing too special. Weeeeeeeird ending though. Jeff misses the Swanton Bomb. MVP sets him up in the corner, misses the charge, and loses to a Whisper of the Wind literally like 20 seconds after the missed Swanton. Sloppy as hell there. **1/4.

There is nobody I hate more than Sombrero Guy. Seriously. Imagine paying hundreds of dollars to be sit up close at a PPV only for some dude in a floppy ass sombrero to block your view.

I am starting to feel very sleepy. It is 2:15 a.m. as I write this. All that remains is the main event. The main event is Triple H vs. Randy Orton in a steel cage match. There are few things that seem less appealing than this match in this moment. Lillian Garcia pronounces Randy’s last name as “Or-taaaaan.” It starts with a moment where Randy immediately rushes for the door and dives (heh) for the exit before it’s even closed as the bell rings. I’m not expecting too much more where either guy really rushes to do anything, though, because this is a Triple H and Randy Orton main event, and we’re gonna have to sit and suffer through it, dammit. There’s a comment about how these are the kind of matches that shorten careers, but really all this match is shortening is my patience am I right? You know what looks silly as hell? When Randy Orton’s selling submissions and just randomly starts flailing around like a Bayley buddy. When dude’s trying to reach for the ropes he looks like a cat trying to paw at a ball of yarn. A chair comes into play as Randy grabs one while being dragged back into the ring. We get a few spots based around that. Lots of cage-climbing spots down the stretch. I complain, but I do like the overall oldschool feel of the match in that they’re not going overboard and keeping it simple. Lots of focus on escape, no run-ins, only one weapon introduced outside of the cage. How well it works is obviously up to debate. But I give it some credit. The match isn’t bad, honestly. It’s just that Trips and Orton lack the chemistry to bring it a step above “good,” and it lacks consistency because Trips has gotta have his matches be more “epic” than they need to be. I’m tired. Triple H retains with a Pedigree. ***1/4

Overall, Judgment Day 2008 is a decently solid show. There’s only one match that’s too essential, which is the Jericho-Michaels match. However, the Women’s triple threat, Edge-Taker, tag team match and even the main event don’t make me regret watching too much. The MVP-Jeff Hardy match is easily skippable, and the JBL-Cena match is straight up bad. I’m not gonna rush to revisit even the better matches soon, but you could do much worse than this on the Network.

Overall Grade: C.

[placetobenation]

RIP Pat Patterson.

The WWE and the entire wrestling world lost a legend this week with the passing of Pat Patterson at the age of 79. The original Intercontinental Champion was also the creator of one of the WWE’s signature events, the Royal Rumble.

I’ll remember him for his infamous feud with Sgt. Slaughter that led to a classic Boot Camp Match and Alley Match in Madison Square Garden. After an accomplished in-ring career that started out in the Pacific Northwest and San Francisco, continued through the AWA and ultimately the WWE, Patterson moved into the announcer’s chair alongside Gorilla Monsoon and Vince McMahon.

The WWE Hall of Famer actually won the 24/7 Championship, becoming the oldest champion in WWE history at 78. He’s been a trusted ally and producer behind the scenes for McMahon. What’s funny about him being the first I-C Champion is the fact that he “won” it in a tournament that never took place back in 1979 in Mexico City. It was a title created to be the second biggest championship in the company behind the then WWF Heavyweight Championship. The tribute to Patterson on SmackDown was very well done, including him singing “My Way,” a Patterson favorite along with Frank Sinatra. If you missed it, watch it here.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and the entire wrestling community.

RAW

RESULTS

Symphony of Destruction Match: Jeff Hardy defeated Elias

Slapjack defeated Ricochet

Non-Title WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Asuka & Lana defeated Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax

Cedric Alexander defeated Xavier Woods

Sudden Death #1 Contenders Match for WWE Championship: AJ Styles defeated Keith Lee & Riddle

Drew McIntyre & Sheamus defeated The Miz & John Morrison by DQ

Interesting to see both the WWE and RAW Women’s Champions both in tag team action this week.

As I’ve said in previous weeks, I really like Drew McIntyre and Sheamus together. The friendship and backstory is real. Both want to kick the *&$( out of The Miz and John Morrison and it just works. You have the built-in story of the WWE Champion vs. the Money In the Bank holder too. Sheamus as a tweener good guy will work for a bit until he ultimately turns on Drew next year.

The opening A Moment of Bliss with Alexa Bliss and Randy Orton was really good to start the night. Orton was spot on with his mic work defining Bray Wyatt and The Fiend. Plus, Orton didn’t back down when The Fiend appears, instead handing Bliss, who was in Orton’s arms as the lights came on, back to The Fiend while asking “who’s laughing now.” Good stuff as expected.

OH SNAP!#WWERaw #SymphonyOfDestruction @JEFFHARDYBRAND @IAmEliasWWE pic.twitter.com/D54e8k56ol

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

SWANTON BOMB!#WWERaw #SymphonyOfDestruction @JEFFHARDYBRAND @IAmEliasWWE pic.twitter.com/a6HpQqdUBz

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 1, 2020

How the heck did Jeff Hardy not break his neck on the steel steps with that swanton off the top ring post? Damn that was scary! BTW: Didn’t we get a Symphony of Destruction match before with Elias and Braun Strowman back in March of 2018? The RAW announce crew made it seem like it was a first-time thing. Tough night for Elias. Shocked and swantoned!

Dana Brooke joins Ricochet against RETRIBUTION. First Brooke slaps Ali, then accidently knocks off RECKONING’s (Mia Yim) mask before pinning Yim. How the hell the RAW announce team wasn’t screaming “that’s Mia Yim” is beyond me! Should’ve capitalized on it and make it part of the angle. 

I smell a tag team title match coming for Asuka and Lana in the near future! For the second week in the row, Asuka and Lana get the win over Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler. It’s nice not to see Lana roughed up for a second straight week. Jax & Baszler’s act is getting old and I can see the belts changing hands at TLC. Maybe Asuka can ask Sasha Banks & Bayley for two-belt advice!

#WWERaw @CedricAlexander @The305MVP @Sheltyb803 pic.twitter.com/NhLO0ZkDaP

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

Cedric Alexander got the pin over Xavier Woods, but it looks like there could be a little dissention in the ranks of The Hurt Business. MVP and Shelton Benjamin didn’t seem to enjoy Alexander walking up the ramp celebrating his victory without them. Something to watch.

The triple threat number one contender’s match went as expected. Styles pins Riddle after a decent match. So, now we get McIntyre vs. Styles for the first time ever at TLC. Looks like this was the backup plan after Braun Strowman got injured and now suspended for the storyline.

A 𝑷𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒍 outcome!@AJStylesOrg is going to face @DMcIntyreWWE for the #WWETitle at #WWETLC! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/dIIgtOhOIR

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

Let’s just say there was a lot to the main event. Would Sheamus turn on Drew? Would AJ Styles help The Miz to cash in his MITB contract? Would the WWE Champ maintain his dominance over The Miz and John Morrison? Well, let’s just suffice it to see that Sheamus stayed true. AJ tried. The Miz tried and didn’t quite cash in. Now, it’s on between The Phenomenal One and McIntyre at TLC! Awesome line by Drew to close the night – “Jackass and the Beanstalk” – when talking about AJ and his bodyguard. FAS!

You can believe @DMcIntyreWWE wants to cross paths with @WWERomanReigns again down the line… But in the meantime, he looks forward to meeting @AJStylesOrg at #WWETLC! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/8EUG2hnpIM

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

BTW: The thought of a Reigns vs. McIntyre sequel? Yes, please!

NXT

RESULTS

Damien Priest & Leon Ruff defeated Legado Del Fantasma

Cameron Grimes defeated Austin Grey

Jake Atlas defeated Tony Nese

Ever-Rise vs. Grizzled Young Veterans went to a no-contest

Imperium defeated Grizzled Young Veterans by DQ

WarGames Advantage Ladder Match: Shotzi Blackheart defeated Raquel Gonzalez

Now THAT's a #WarGames team!

#WWENXT #NXTTakeOver @RheaRipley_WWE @WWEEmberMoon @ShotziWWE @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/byeDfASCF6

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 3, 2020

I’ll be honest, heading into WarGames this Sunday, I expected a little bit more from NXT. The main event was amazing, especially with the surprise of NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai joining Team Shotzi! Anytime you can add a talent like Shirai to a match like WarGames, it’s a win-win. I will say though that the use of the ladder match is getting a bit overused in NXT these days. There are other ways to do an advantage match.

Sheer GENIUS. #WWENXT #WeAreNXT #WarGames @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/9SDisQ89yE

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 3, 2020

The rest of the show, however, wasn’t really something to remember. Pat McAfee’s promo in the ring, which is usually on spot, went a bit too long and kind of just rambled along. The Undisputed ERA vignette didn’t do much for me to help build the WarGames match. Don’t get me wrong, the match will be amazing, but the lack of build-up Wednesday night was a bit of a letdown.

Tonight, they win as teammates. This Sunday at #NXTTakeOver: WarGames, @LEONRUFF_ & @ArcherOfInfamy fight as competitors over the #NXTNATitle! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/zFNm6TsgD0

— WWE (@WWE) December 3, 2020

.@JohnnyGargano, do you have other friends you're not telling us about?

#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/fcSUspY9su

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 3, 2020

Outside of the main event, the opening tag team match was fun and a good spot to showcase Leon Ruff and Damien Priest’s NXT North American Championship match with Johnny Gargano doing commentary. It was also different to see them in there in a tag team match with NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar leading Legado Del Fantasma. You have to wonder if we see more of the Scream guys too. They’re a hoot!

Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes trading strap barbs was predictable as was Tommaso Ciampa showing up in Timothy Thatcher’s Thatch-As-Thatch-Can distraction session. In both cases, the matches Sunday will be fine, but the road to get there was a bit disappointing.

Giving Ever-Rise a bit of a rub with the Grizzled Young Veterans and Imperium was interesting. I can get into a GYV vs. Imperium feud. That was a pretty good match with an unsatisfying ending with Ever-Rise coming back for the DQ to get back at Imperium for chucking them out of their match with the GYV.

What have @XiaWWE & @Bigboawwe gotten themselves into…?#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/qJN4mvkGhh

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 4, 2020

I have no idea what’s going on with Xia Li and Big Boa! I’m interested but I haven’t a clue as to where it’s going.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Natalya defeated Bayley

Pat Patterson Tribute 6-Man Tag Team Match: Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, Big E defeated Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Shinsuke Nakamura

King Corbin defeated Murphy

Kevin Owens & Otis defeated Roman Reigns & Jey Uso by DQ

.@KaylaBraxtonWWE: Do you fear @FightOwensFight? #SmackDown@WWERomanReigns: pic.twitter.com/5Xiz3puJIP

— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2020

If it’s Friday night, it must be time for Roman Reigns to deliver! Simply put, Reigns is the most dynamic performer right now in the business.

First, trying to belittle Kayla Braxton to open the night for some “shoddy” questions, even when they weren’t. Talk about trying to exude your dominance! Then, accepting Kevin Owens TLC match challenge for two weeks. It’s amazing how good Reigns is in his current role as the Tribal Chief and Head of the Table. Now, with Owens, he’s got a worthy challenger as well. I’m hoping it’s not just a one-off PPV feud. As for the main event tag team match, Reigns of course let Uso start the match by himself before coming in mid-match and destroying Otis. leaving Owens by himself. Nothing starts without the Head of the Table right? Reigns’ utter contempt for Uso’s lack of success in trying to beat Owens was beautiful, but ultimately put a DQ loss on his own team. Just seconds later though, it’s a double-chair beatdown on KO for the knockout to the TLC challenger. What puts it over the top is the attack on his own cousin too! Roman has all of our attention now! Look out Owens family.

"You wanted my attention? Now you have my attention. Now THEY ALL have my attention." – @WWERomanReigns w/ @HeymanHustle to @FightOwensFight #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/cDHMq20xhS

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 5, 2020

Natalya beating Bayley? Well, that was surprising.

The #WWEThunderDome is going absolutely BANANA for this! The Pat Patterson Tribute Match on #SmackDown featuring six WWE Superstars who have held the prestigious Intercontinental Championship has been a sight to behold!#ThankYouPat pic.twitter.com/xYlySieWRw

— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2020

Kudos to Sami Zayn, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Big E, Shinsuke Nakamura and Rey Mysterio for putting on an entertaining 6-man match to honor Pat Patterson. The current and former Intercontinental Champions surely did the first I-C Champion proud with their efforts. Fitting to Mysterious see Bryan pin Zayn with the small package, a Patterson favorite and then Ziggler selling the atomic knee drop after the match too. Well done and it looks like we may get Zayn vs. Bryan again, this time with the title on the line.

"With half the work, I'm BETTER than you." – @CarmellaWWE

#SmackDown @SashaBanksWWE pic.twitter.com/N5cEzdEwsm

— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2020

Carmella vs. Sasha, the War of Words got my attention. Carmella makes every point on how she should be on Sasha’s level. She’s more than just the hot chick who walked into the Performance Center on a whim while Sasha worked her whole life to get there. Fightin’ words my friends! I’d love to see Corey Graves get involved in this one too to take this one to the next level!

We didn’t enjoy part one of King Corbin vs. Murphy. What made the WWE think we wanted a part 2?  Looks like The Forgotten Sons got a makeover to be part of the KC Court and quickly help the King out to a victory in the rematch. There’s no End of Days to this feud apparently.

Parting Shots:

A very interesting week outside the WWE! Former WWE Champion Jon Moxley lost his AEW Championship to Kenny Omega while kicking off a new partnership with Impact Wrestling as Don Callis helped Omega win the title and take the title presumably to Tuesday nights. Plus, Sting debuted in AEW with a shiny new multi-year contract to help out Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin. Are we getting a scenario reminiscent of the old territory days where companies will actually work together to compete with the WWE? If they can get along, it’s a good strategy with lots of possibilities.

It’s a busy Sunday for the WWE with the Tribute to the Troops airing on FOX Sunday afternoon either before or after the NFL game in your market (3pm or 4:30pm) and then NXT TakeOver: WarGames Sunday night at 7pm on the WWE Network.

Tribute to the Troops

WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre vs. The Miz

Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair vs. Bayley & Natalya

Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy & SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. King Corbin, Elias, Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode

NXT: TakeOver WarGames – Updated Card

WarGames: The Undisputed Era vs. The Kings of NXT

WarGames: Candice LeRae, Toni Storm, Raquel Gonzalez, Dakota Kai vs. Ember Moon, Shotzi Blackheart, Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai

NXT North American Championship Triple Threat Match: Leon Ruff vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest

Strap Match: Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes

(Timothy Thatcher vs. Tommaso Ciampa

TLC PPV – Updated Card

WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles

Universal Championship TLC Match: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Carmella

The Fiend vs. Randy Orton

Coming up this week:

#WWERaw @SuperKingofBros @fightbobby pic.twitter.com/SPclLkrlq8

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2020

RAW Randy Orton visits The Firefly Fun House 3-on-2 Handicap Match: AJ Styles, The Miz & John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre & Sheamus Riddle vs. Bobby Lashley (?)

NXT: WarGames fallout

SMACKDOWN: TBD

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND

[placetobenation]

If nothing else, the times are busy in the WWE these days. Two PPV’s within a week of each other with NXT TakeOver: In Your House and Backlash bookending our Sundays, a change in the creative of RAW and of course, the three shows themselves. Never a dull moment indeed.

First, let’s take a look at the NXT PPV.

NXT TAKEOVER: In Your House PPV Results

NXT Championship Backlot Brawl Match: Adam Cole defeated The Velveteen Dream

NXT Women’s Championship: Io Shirai defeated Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley to win title

NXT North American Title Match: Keith Lee defeated Johnny Gargano to retain title

Karrion Kross defeated Tommaso Ciampa

Finn Balor defeated Damien Priest

Mia Yim, Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart defeated Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez

Another solid night as Adam Cole not only survived seeing his two teammates from The Undisputed Era, Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish kidnapped by Dexter Lumis, but triumphed over The Velveteen Dream, cementing his final shot at Cole’s NXT Championship. I thought the Backlot Brawl was well done as I had reservations, they were using the whole cinematic match genre too much lately. But the use of the cars as weapons worked and it brought Lumis into the feud too. Most thought, unlike me in my predictions, that TVD would come out on top, but I like the fact Cole remains on top for his next challenge.

Plus, Io Shirai stole the night and stole a sneaky pin to win Charlotte Flair’s NXT Women’s Championship, flying off the top rope to pin Rhea Ripley while Ripley was in the figure 8 from Flair. Keeps Flair strong and unpinned and brings the NXT Championship back full-time to Wednesday nights.

Karrion Kross destroyed Tommaso Ciampa. A strong performance to solidify Kross’ dominance in his debut on TakeOver.

Surprised that Keith Lee beat Johnny Gargano, but as we saw on Wednesday night, there’s still more to be done in this feud.  And yes, while Damian Priest brought a good fight to Finn Balor, Balor needed the win as he sets his sights a bit higher in the future.

As for the creative change, I was hopeful when Paul Heyman was put in charge of RAW but still thought that it was handcuffing a genius. Heyman is awesome with guiding the edgy storylines and pushing some superstars that need it. We saw that in the rise of Andrade, Angel Garza, Austin Theory, The Authors of Pain and Dana Brooke. But it just seemed like some of the details were missing and we had a lot of 50-50 booking on RAW. With Bruce Pritchard now overseeing both RAW and SmackDown, let’s see if the ideas are still split or if there’s more of an umbrella type booking for the time being. Needless to say, no crowds have hurt and that could be changing with more things opening up around the Country as we try to get back to normal, whatever that is, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A few words of advice for Pritchard move forward – think out-of-the-box, have common sense and don’t forget the details, they matter.  

Star of the Week:

Couldn’t fathom talking about anything else. Today’s #NewDayPod with @AndreasHale. pic.twitter.com/gIXQbJ0z0R

— Florida Man (@WWEBigE) June 8, 2020

The New Day – Kudos to Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods! Not only are they the SmackDown tag team champions, but they are leading the way in the WWE with their leadership and voices they’re leading to the Black Lives Matter movement. Symbolically, Big E and Kofi kneeled with one hand raised during their ring entrance on Friday night. But before then, on their podcast, there were powerful words. I just wish the WWE would put this kind of content on their shows to bring to a wider, mainstream audience than just what’s on social media. Like CM Punk’s opinion last week on WWE Backstage, it would bring a whole new dynamic to the type of change we as a Community are looking and hoping for.

BACKLASH PPV – UPDATED CARD

WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley

Universal Championship Handicap Match: Braun Strowman vs. The Miz & John Morrison

Greatest Wrestling Match Ever: Edge vs. Randy Orton

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Asuka vs. Nia Jax

Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus

Women’s Tag Team Title Triple Threat Match: Bayley & Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. The IIconics

United States Championship Match: Apollo Crews vs. Andrade

Predictions are below….after we take a look at the Week that Was for RAW, NXT and SmackDown.

RAW

RESULTS

Asuka & Charlotte Flair defeated The Iconics and Sasha Banks & Bayley

Aleister Black & Humberto Carrillo defeated Buddy Murphy & Austin Theory

United States Championship #! Contender’s Match: Andrade defeated Angel Garza & Kevin Owens

Bobby Lashley & MVP defeated The Viking Raiders

Charlotte Flair defeated Asuka

Loved it:

THE QUEEN DOES IT AGAIN.@MsCharlotteWWE defeats #WWERaw #WomensChampion @WWEAsuka with the assist from @NiaJaxWWE! pic.twitter.com/hn5qA3coXN

— WWE (@WWE) June 9, 2020

Asuka & Charlotte – Anytime you can get Asuka & Charlotte in the same ring twice in one night, it’s a good thing. Plus, we get the Women’s Tag Team Champions in on the fun as Bayley & Sasha Banks come to RAW for a night. The only downside of the night, and yes, we know it was a predictable one, was Nia Jax interfering in the main event costing Asuka a win over Flair. I don’t love the fact that the RAW’s Womens Champion loses on the go-home show before a PPV, but I understand why they did it.

Peep Show – Christian was spot on putting Edge in his place before pumping him back up for his Greatest Wrestling Match Ever against Randy Orton this Sunday. There’s no substitute for chemistry my friends.

Drew vs. Bobby – Nice build up to their title match Sunday with both looking strong all night. Lashley gets a win with MVP over The Viking Raiders while Drew makes the save after the match. Can’t wait for the physicality Sunday night!

Meh:

Your eyes didn't deceive you.@AndradeCienWWE just pinned @AngelGarzaWwe to earn himself a #USTitle opportunity against @WWEApollo at #WWEBacklash! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/dnCvA1GhTg

— WWE (@WWE) June 9, 2020

Triple A: Apollo vs. Andrade again – Do we really need to see this match again? I’d rather see Crews vs. Kevin Owens get some more time than they did on RAW a few weeks back. Plus, I think we can all see Angel Garza getting a little payback on his faction brother, right?

Just for grins and giggles:

Charly and Angel – Can we just get these back together on the love train already? It was fun with the flirting but it’s kind of been put to the side the past few weeks. Charly Caruso needs her love and so do we! And oh by the way, not enough Zelina Vega this week. The Ariana Grande look rocked, but she was oddly quiet after being “injured” by Andrade.

NXT

RESULTS

Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae defeated Keith Lee & Mia Yim

Indus Sher defeated Mikey Delbrey & Mike Reed

Finn Balor defeated Cameron Grimes

Dakota Kai defeated Kacy Catanzaro

NXT Championship Non-Title Match: Adam Cole defeated Dexter Lumis

Loved it:

TICK TOCK.

#WWENXT @AdamColePro @Lady_Scarlett13 @WWEKarrionKross pic.twitter.com/WF98AASFSX

— WWE (@WWE) June 11, 2020

Tick. Tock. Challenger – That was a seriously special moment to end NXT as Scarlett brings the hourglass to the ring after Adam Cole’s successful NXT Championship Title defense against Dexter Lumis. The look on Cole’s face of fear not that Karrion Kross is in his crosshairs was awesome. This should take the title picture on Wednesday nights to a whole new level.

Kacy gets a shot – Yes, I’m biased since I’ve watched Kacy Catanzaro since her American Ninja Warrior days, but I loved that they gave her some time in the ring against Dakota Kai and actually got some good offense in too. Kacy’s better than just being used as a person in the crowd, so I’m glad they saw that. I hope it continues.

WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED?!?!

#WWENXT @hijodelfantasma @RaulMendozaWWE @joaquinwilde_ pic.twitter.com/jrGVxwkf5J

— WWE (@WWE) June 11, 2020

Hello Mr. Escobar – El Hijo del Fantasma is not only the new NXT Cruiserweight Champion, but now he’s the new Santos Escobar and is the leader of the Mexican Masked Mafia. With an unmasking and a beatdown of Drake Maverick, it’s a whole new chapter for Mr. Escobar.

Can’t wait –

"@RealKeithLee, when you're done playing house, come see me." @FinnBalor has his eyes on the #WWENXT #NorthAmericanTitle. pic.twitter.com/6Y85J0cWCM

— WWE (@WWE) June 11, 2020

Balor vs. Lee – So, Finn Balor wants a shot at the NXT Title he hasn’t won yet – the North American Title. I’ll take it. I wonder what Johnny Gargano thinks of all this as I don’t quite think he’s done with Mr. Lee just yet.

Thank you:

Rhea Ripley – Thank you Rhea for making quick work of Robert Stone! The tough days continue for the Robert Stone Brand.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

SmackDown Tag Team Non-Title Match: Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura defeated The New Day

Intercontinental Championship Tournament Finals: AJ Styles defeated Daniel Bryan to win title

Braun Strowman, Otis & Tucker defeated Dolph Ziggler, The Miz & John Morrison

Loved it:

After an INSTANT CLASSIC, @AJStylesOrg is the NEW Intercontinental Champion!#ICTitle #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/qmfaRCJgbq

— WWE (@WWE) June 13, 2020

Simply Phenomenal – I think we can all agree that if there were to be a Greatest Wrestling Match Ever this weekend, it would not be Edge vs. Randy Orton, but the one Friday night between AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan. Anytime these two hook up, it’s good, but with the I-C Title on the line, this one was top notch. I’m hoping it’s not just a one-off either. Give these guys an Iron Man Match or a best of three series.

The New Day @WWEBigE & @TrueKofi make their entrance on #SmackDown. (via @wwe) pic.twitter.com/HH7dCJtezi

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) June 13, 2020

The New Day – While we didn’t love the champs losing again on TV, something the WWE is seemingly in love with these days with their champions, we applaud The New Day’s tribute to the Black Lives Matters cause as we said above, making them the stars of the week.

Confused:

Well … that’s gonna leave a stench.@JEFFHARDYBRAND turns the table on @WWESheamus’ impromptu urine test. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/xyiU52DSZQ

— WWE (@WWE) June 13, 2020

You’re In – See what we did there?! The Jeff Hardy/Sheamus drug test to start SmackDown was just silly. Shades of the Attitude Era silliness with not enough edge. Plus, you can say “pissed off” but you can’t say “pissed on” on broadcast TV? Well, that just makes no sense. At least the backstage brawling was better to put the spotlight on Sunday’s PPV match.

Didn’t love:

Main event – If the 6-man tag team match with Braun Strowman joining Heavy Machinery to face The Miz, John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler was supposed to make me want to see the Universal Championship Handicap Match at the PPV, it didn’t. There was more of a spotlight on Otis/King Corbin and Mandy Rose than the champion, the Miz or Morrison. A total miss right there.

Quick Pick Predictions for Backlash PPV:  

WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre defeats Bobby Lashley

Universal Championship Handicap Match: Braun Strowman defeats The Miz & John Morrison

Greatest Wrestling Match Ever: Randy Orton defeats Edge

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Asuka defeats Nia Jax

Sheamus defeats Jeff Hardy

Women’s Tag Team Title Triple Threat Match: Bayley & Sasha Banks defeats Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. The IIconics

United States Championship Match: Apollo Crews defeats Andrade

Overall: I don’t see much changing on Backlash as far as titles go. Drew is too strong right now on RAW, but expect the feud with Lashley to continue. It would be foolish for Strowman to lose again in another handicap match. Look for Randy Orton to get some revenge on Edge for WrestleMania. There’s no way Nia Jax is beating Asuka – same can be said for the Women’s Tag Team Titles as the new champs shouldn’t lose their first title defense. Apollo Crews’ push should continue as well.

Parting shots:

Don’t forget, part 4 of The Undertaker series is back Sunday night after the Backlash PPV on the WWE Network.

I’d love to see someone ask Bret Hart about appearing on AEW on this week’s WWE Backstage. Now, THAT would truly make some noise, but I know it would never happen. Kind of surprised Hart is doing the show.

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!

[placetobenation]

A lot has happened since we last met! First and foremost, we hope everyone out there in Place 2 Be Nation is safe and healthy. That’s what’s most important!

Now, as far as the WWE is concerned, there are various developments on many fronts. It’s been reported that the WWE has already taped all their programming through WrestleMania including the RAW and NXT after WrestleMania. That falls in line with the April 9th date that has the Performance Center closed by local officials in Orlando. The April 10th edition of SmackDown is also rumored to take place at the Performance Center as well.

The coronavirus has had many effects on the way to WrestleMania and now has impacted the card itself. According to various reports, Roman Reigns, citing health concerns and his battle with leukemia, has bowed out of his Universal Championship Match with Bill Goldberg.  The Miz, due to being sick, is out of his SmackDown tag team title match. Andrade has been replaced by Austin Theory, who will now team with Angel Garza against The Street Profits in the RAW Tag Team Title Match.

Things are VERY fluid these days in the WWE. Stay tuned as things could (and WILL) change over the next few days. We’ll have to see just how much that has leaked out comes to fruition or gets redone over the next 7 days.

Updated WrestleMania Card (as of 3/28/20 with reported changes):

WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre

Universal Championship: Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns  Braun Strowman

Boneyard Match: The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles

Firefly Funhouse Match: John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt

RAW Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler

NXT Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair

SmackDown Women’s Championship – WrestleMania Fatal Five-Way Challenge Elimination Match: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina vs. Naomi

Last Man Standing Match: Edge vs. Randy Orton

Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins

RAW Tag Team Championship: The Street Profits vs. Andrade Angel Garza & Austin Theory

Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley

Elias vs. King Corbin

Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan

Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match: The Miz & John Morrison vs. The New Day vs. The Usos (possibly a 1-on-1-on-1 match with Morrison vs. one member of The Usos vs. one member of The New Day)

Not announced: Women’s Tag Team Championship Match – Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. ???

RAW

RESULTS

Andrade & Angel Garza defeated Cedric Alexander & Ricochet

Non-Title RAW Tag Team Championship Match: Champions The Street Profits defeated Shane Thorne & Brendan Vink

Aleister Black defeated Leon Ruff

Definitely, a different vibe with RAW tonight with the different camera angle. A more cozy look to the show helps. It was also good to see them finally acknowledge the “tough times” the Country is facing, something they didn’t address last week. It’s ok to be honest with the audience, we can take it.

A #LastManStandingMatch with @EdgeRatedR at #WrestleMania…@RandyOrton ACCEPTS!#RAW pic.twitter.com/EClUDXwjXH

— WWE (@WWE) March 24, 2020

As usual, the promo work from the likes of Paul Heyman, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton delivers home runs in pushing forward their respective matches for WrestleMania. I especially liked the mixing of video directly into Orton’s promo, a nice touch instead of just tossing to a video on the big screen.

What exactly is a Boneyard Match AJ Styles? I’m assuming it’s something to do with a cemetery, right? We’ll find out I’m sure over the next week what it will entail for The Undertaker. BTW: What is his fascination with Michelle McCool anyway?

Interesting that the WWE had chosen to give United State Champion Andrade and Angel Garza a tag team title match without really accomplishing anything as a tag team. But, at this point, it’s all about getting their top stars into matches for the two-day event. Now, with Andrade reportedly out, it’s NXT’s Austin Theory who will get the title chance with Angel Garza.

Also, interesting that they chose to use stars from EVOLVE and NXT in matches rather than current RAW talents. As we’ve said previously, they are taping a lot of content over the course of a few days to maximize time and talents with the coronavirus still spreading. So, it could be just that.

While addressing #WrestleMania, @QoSBaszler just got introduced to a steel chair by @BeckyLynchWWE!#RAW pic.twitter.com/rPeuw4c3jQ

— WWE (@WWE) March 24, 2020

BANG! How did that chair shot feel Shayna Baszler? The Man, Becky Lynch sure delivered a wallop there!

The team of @AndradeCienWWE & @AngelGarzaWwe is out to impress NEXT against @KingRicochet & @CedricAlexander on #Raw! pic.twitter.com/fPWboNXga8

— WWE (@WWE) March 24, 2020

Damn, Charley Caruso sure is getting a lot of airtime these days. What and when will we get a payoff with Angel Garza and “Chuck?”

Finally, continued good use of prior matches to push current stories ahead. The 2015 Royal Rumble match with Brock Lesnar defeating John Cena and Seth Rollins cements further the fact of how dominant he’s been for 18 years. Charlotte Flair’s streak-ending win over Asuka at WrestleMania 30 boosts her stock as well heading into her NXT Championship match with Rhea Ripley.

Overall, an enjoyable show considering the circumstances.

NXT

RESULTS

Tyler Breeze defeated Austin Theory

Killian Dain defeated Tehuti Miles

Cameron Grimes defeated Tony Nese

NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Ladder Match: Io Shirai defeated Aliyah

Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch defeated Shane Thorne & Brendan Vink

NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Ladder Match: Candice LeRae defeated Kayden Carter

Matt Riddle defeated Roderick Strong

On NXT, we get matches again after a week off for some really good storytelling. That definitely helped the ratings get back up with a big boost this past Wednesday night (nearly 669,000 after last week’s 500,000)

Two more additions for the #1 Contender’s Ladder Match as Io Shirai, subbing for an injured Xia Li, joins Candice LeRae for the right to face Rhea Ripley down the road.

Even though it backfired on Austin Theory, loved the use of Tyler Breeze’s cell phone in their match. It was a good back-and-forth between the two to start the night!

.@Malcolmvelli, what have you unleashed upon our #WWENXT Tag Team Division?

@SuperKingofBros pic.twitter.com/UvYvnmF5wP

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 26, 2020

Matt Riddle gets the win over Roderick Strong before being taken out by the returning Malcolm Bivens and his new tag team, “the future of the NXT Tag Team Division.” Way to take advantage of Pete Dunne being stuck overseas!

Two weeks notice. Empty building, referee, @NXTCiampa, @JohnnyGargano. When it's over, it's 𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙍. #WWENXT @TripleH pic.twitter.com/9dNgz23QHs

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 26, 2020

To cap the night, Triple H lays the edict down on Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. They get one last match to end the feud. It’ll be in an empty arena with just a ref to say it’s over! Sounds like we will get one for the ages if their romp around the Performance Center last week is any indication.

Tick tock, @JohnnyGargano & @NXTCiampa…

#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/6PAXiYWt3G

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 26, 2020

But, before they were done, Triple H, Ciampa and Gargano get interrupted to end the show with Tick. Tock. Apocalypse! Killer Kross is coming folks! It’s official! We can only hope that he brings Scarlett Bordeaux with him!

An entertaining show that definitely moved things forward. Quality stuff and some 205 Live mixed it to boot, thanks Tony Nese, even in defeat!

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Drew Gulak defeated Shinsuke Nakamura – Danial Bryan wins Intercontinental Championship Match vs. Sami Zayn at WrestleMania

Alexa Bliss defeated Asuka

The Usos vs. The New Day went to a no-contest when The Miz & John Morrison interfered – The Usos & The New Day win SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match at WrestleMania

Very surprised at how little things changed on SmackDown Friday night given the fact of how much we know things WILL change in regards of WrestleMania. It almost seemed like they were going out of there way not to admit things are changing. I would’ve been up front with it. We all know that COVID-19 has affected everything. They’ve yet to come right out and say it. Just do it!

We still got Triple H hyping up Roman Reigns and his match against Bill Goldberg for the Universal Championship. That came after a replay of Reigns beating Triple H back at WrestleMania 32 in Texas. We now all know that Reigns has bowed out of WrestleMania 36, but the WWE is still hyping the match. In fact, they doubled down after SmackDown by hyping a final confrontation between Reigns and Goldberg on next week’s show.

"Why do you keep hitting me?"#SmackDown @MichaelCole @NikkiCrossWWE pic.twitter.com/gqZC25lkTJ

— WWE (@WWE) March 28, 2020

They’re also still hyping a possible Women’s Tag Team Championship Match for Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross against The Kabuki Warriors after Bliss beat Asuka Friday night in a fun match. Loved Nikki Cross on commentary too! Unpredictable is a good thing!

As for the Women’s Championship, the show opening promo-fest with Bayley, Sasha Banks, Lacey Evans, Naomi and Tamina was nothing short of predictable and did little to gain interest, IMHO.

We knew it was coming – Daniel Bryan gets his I-C Title shot against Sami Zayn after Drew Gulak took out Shinsuke Nakamura, with Bryan’s help.

What did @BaronCorbinWWE just do?! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/PhekgVPuxK

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) March 28, 2020

A couple of things that bewildered me. First, how can Elias really compete at WrestleMania in a week after being thrown off a balcony by King Corbin? Seriously?!

NEXT WEEK on #SmackDown!@JohnCena @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/xWXQ2wZQML

— WWE (@WWE) March 28, 2020

What exactly is a Firefly Funhouse Match? It sounds intriguing as hell, so I hope it delivers between The Fiend and John Cena.

With The Miz & John Morrison doing ringside commentary, do you really need a crowd to fill the noise? Damn, they are entertaining and non-stop!

Parting shots:

There’s plenty of wrestling on TV for the WWE before WrestleMania.

Sunday – 4:30pm ESPN – WWE Behind the Curtain

Sunday – 5:30pm ESPN – Ric Flair 30 for 30

Sunday – 7pm ESPN – WrestleMania 32 from Arlington, TX

Tuesday – 7pm FS1 – Royal Rumble 2020

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!

[placetobenation]

What a week!

Of course, you expect a lot of things to change when the Royal Rumble hits and the Road to WrestleMania begins. But what we got this past seven days from the WWE was simply amazing!

A huge crowd, solid storytelling and a surprise return that’s turned the WWE on its edge is where we begin for that fateful night in Houston.

Roman Reigns keeps his strong Royal Rumble performance going by not only defeating King Corbin in the opening match, but Reigns also goes nearly an hour in the Rumble match itself before being the final elimination by winner Drew McIntyre.

Then, in the women’s Rumble match, Bianca Belair makes her mark with a 33:20 stay and eight eliminations before being ousted. Beth Phoenix not only returns, lasting until the final five, but does it with a gutsy performance that saw her blonde locks turn red after being posted in the back of the head by Belair. In the end, it’s a tremendous finish as Charlotte Flair ousts Shayna Baszler, who eliminated eight superstars herself, with a leg scissors and flip over the top rope. Nice to see Molly Holly, Kelly Kelly and of course, Santina Morella too!

The Fiend outlasts Daniel Bryan to keep his Universal Title. You have to wonder if Roman Reigns is up next for Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania.

Not to be outdone, Brock Lesnar eliminates the first 13 men to start the Rumble match! Now that’s Beastly! In a great bit of detail, Lesnar gets eliminated after Riccochet low blows him (payoff for Brock’s RAW ballshot) and McIntyre claymores Lesnar over the top rope. The shock on Lesnar and Paul Heyman’s face is worth the price of admission. Also, I loved Lesnar’s “who’s this MF’er” when Keith Lee came out at #15. It’s that attention to detail that makes the payoff all the more sweet! It’s almost like we got two Rumbles – the Lesnar part and then the McIntyre part. Well done!

And then, there was Edge! After nine years away in retirement due to his neck injury, Edge comes in at #21 and makes a moment with his former Rated RKO superstar Randy Orton. It wasn’t until one night later that we would see the ultimate payoff in that one.

Get yourself a man like @otiswwe!#RoyalRumble #WomensRumble pic.twitter.com/0dFYJu8lOj

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 27, 2020

Oh yeah, nice save Otis! I’m sure Mandy Rose enjoyed the ride!

Star of the Week:

Edge and Beth Phoenix – How could we not give it to the new first couple of WWE? Both returned to the WWE ring with complete fanfare for their Rumble matches. Both showed amazingly well even despite Beth’s injury. Then, the explanation by Edge as to how he came back and subsequent dastardly, cowardly acts by Orton on RAW gave us an incredible end to Monday night and the beginning to what should be a twist-and-turning Road to WrestleMania in Tampa in April.

RAW

RESULTS

Drew McIntyre defeated The O.C. (Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows)

Rey Mysterio,Jr. defeated MVP

Aleister Black defeated Kenneth Johnson

Raw Tag Team Title Match: Buddy Murphy & Seth Rollins defeated Kevin Owens & Samoa Joe to retain the titles

US Title Match: Humberto Carrillo defeated Champion Andrade (DQ)

Charlotte defeated Asuka (DQ when Kairi Sane interfered)

24/7 Title Match: Champion Mojo Rawley defeated No Way Jose; R-Truth defeated Mojo Rawley; Mojo Rawley defeated R-Truth

Liv defeated Lana

Erick Rowan defeated Branden Vice

What we loved:

R… K… No! Instead of a #RatedRKO reunion, @RandyOrton delivered an #RKO on his former pal @EdgeRatedR. #RAW pic.twitter.com/SaBtASLiDc

— WWE (@WWE) January 28, 2020

The return story – Edge’s explanation, straight from the heart, as to how, why and the struggle to come back to a WWE ring was perfect. And then, to have Randy Orton come out, reunite, hug and then stab his former friend in the back with an RKO left the live crowd and tv audience speechless. Then, a conchairto to further injure Edge’s neck cemented Orton’s dark place in Heelville, a place that suits Orton best. Can’t wait to see how this unfolds.

And if ya don't know, now ya know.#WrestleMania @BrockLesnar @DMcIntyreWWE pic.twitter.com/SVY6onsV9J

— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) January 28, 2020

Drew picks Brock – Why drag it out! Drew wants Brock. Brock wants Drew. Let’s get to the physicality between these two heavyweights! The question will be how do the fill the six weeks until Tampa with enough intrigue.

Charlotte picks … no one – I, for one, am glad they are not trying to shove another Charlotte vs. Becky match down our collective throats. Charlotte vs. Bayley would be nice. But, I’d rather see Charlotte vs. either NXT Champion Rhea Ripley or Shayna Baszler. Those two matches have a big-match feel to them if built up properly.  And oh yeah, BTW, interesting how no one came to Flair’s rescue when she was getting double-teamed by the Kabuki Warriors. Hmmmmm….

MVP’s last WWE match – Even if it was just for 24 hours, we got MVP back and MVP vs. Rey Mysterio, Jr. one more time.

What we didn’t love:

Bye bye Andrade – With his 30-day suspension at hand, you knew they were going to find a way to write Andrade off tv for a month. Humberto Carillo’s face-plant on the concrete floor does that and makes for title match down the road between these two in Tampa. Making chicken salad out of you know what there folks. Had to be done and a title switch was too soon in this feud.

Erick Rowan – broken record for the past countless number of RAW episodes. Squash match, no reveal of the cage. Blah, blah, blah. It better be something good in there!

Liv vs. Lana – After a white-hot wedding, this one’s fizzled out quicker than a candle in a rainstorm. Two minutes for a match and the boys banned from ringside. No payoff on the Liv angle with no story being told. Such a bad follow-up, but not unexpected.

NXT

Finn Balor defeated Trent Seven

Shotzi Blackheart defeated Deonna Purrazzo

Dominik Dijakovic defeated Damian Priest

Tegan Nox defeated Dakota Kai

Kayden Carter defeated Chelsea Green

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: The Broserweights (Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne) defeated Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake)

Things that may you go hmmmm…

What has @NXTCiampa done?!?!?! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/6Ccp0gqMKS

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 30, 2020

Ciampa vs. Cole – Was it me or did Tommaso Ciampa do all the bad stuff yet still got all the cheers? Beating up The Undisputed Era, bullying his way to a title shot and then signing the contract in his own blood. Don’t get me wrong, Cole’s a bad dude too, I just like the tweener role for both guys who are not quite babyfaces and not quite heels. Grey fits them well. Hmmmm……

Balor vs. Seven – Was it me or did Seven look a little too good against Balor? Just sayin. Hmmmm….

NXT Women’s Championship – With no Rhea Ripley or Shayna Baszler, it left me longing for what they will do next. Seemed odd that it wasn’t even addressed, not even a little bit. Hmmmm…..

COOLEST entrance of the decade right here!

Everyone's talking about @Shotziblack on #WWENXT! pic.twitter.com/VApZ7JtRD9

— WWE (@WWE) January 30, 2020

Shotzi’s tank – If you’re a fan of social media (and who’s not), was Blackheart’s ride to the ring in a miniature tank a nod to AEW’s Sammy Guerra’s knock to the old WWF invasion over the weekend in Sammy’s hometown of Houston? Hmmmm…..

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Smackdown Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Match: The Miz & John Morrison defeated The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder), The Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik& Lince Dorado), & Heavy Machinery (Otis & Tucker)

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross defeated Fire & Desire (Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville)

Intercontinental Title Match: Braun Strowman defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win title

Sheamus defeated Chad Gable

Losers Eat Dog Food Match: Reigns & The Usos defeated King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode

What we loved:

Happy Valentine’s Day Otis – Heavy Machinery may not have won the #1 contender’s match for the tag team titles, but Otis My Man has himself a Valentine’s Day date with Mandy Rose. What could go wrong!

January would end like this.#SmackDown @BaronCorbinWWE pic.twitter.com/5cgTkBPyCy

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) February 1, 2020

The end of Reigns vs. Corbin – Here’s hoping with the dog food payoff by Reigns over Corbin, we get the end to this underwhelming and long feud. Both need to move on.

Champion Braun – Well, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen the exposed turnbuckle backfire but it works to Strowman’s advantage as he wins the I-C Title! Plus, could this be the crack that gets Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn? Shinsuke can’t be happy with Zayn’s mistake that ultimately cost him his championship.

This Week in WWE History – Love looking back especially when we get a Rock vs. Mankind empty arena match from 1999’s Super Bowl to look back at. Halftime Heat was really cool back in the day!

What we didn’t like:

Super Smackdown? – I get that FOX wants to make sure that we know that they have the Super Bowl on FOX Sunday, but there’s was nothing really SUPER about this Smackdown. Good, but not great and no real surprises like we had on RAW earlier in the week. A pair of rematches from past Smackdowns and the Royal Rumble does not make a Friday night SUPER my friends. Next week, we get the return of the Dirt Sheet with Miz & Morrison and Firefly Funhouse.

Parting shots:

I know the Road to WrestleMania is just starting, but I wonder if we’ll get exits including The Undertaker or Ronda Rousey this year. Eventually, I’m sure, we’ll get the very final sighting of the Dead Man, but will it be in Tampa, Saudi Arabia or somewhere else in 2020. As for Rousey, I’d love to see her back, although it seems unlikely according to her social media game.

Welcome to RAW Tom Phillips. It was good to hear him replace Vic Joseph as the voice of Monday Nights. Nothing against Joseph, but Phillips is a bit more energetic for my tastes. Not so sure we needed a return of Byron Sexton though. Phillips and the King would be just fine IMHO.

WrestleMania card (confirmed to date): WWE Championship – Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!

[nerdandgeekyblog]

Wwe Extreme Rules 2018 Review

This PPV happened a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t review it then because comic con would happen a few days later. But now its over, and while I still have lots of news, I am getting over an illness and don’t feel like hunting for videos and sources. I am just going to give my opinion and rant a little. 

Kick off show. The kickoff gave us two matches, this usually only happens for big PPV like Summerslam so its neat. Anyway Andrade Cien Almas defeated Sin Cara in a short match which was literally a repeat of the match they had on smackdown a few days before extreme rules. It literally had the same victor nothing else happened at least the feuds over and i hope to see more Zelina Vega on my tv. Grade C.

Tables match Sanity defeated The New Day. Was a decent match pretty back and forth everyone got some offense in. I am impressed with the leg drop onto Kofi Kingston through the table to end the match. Grade B.

Onto the main show. The B-team defeat Hardy and Wyatt to win the Raw tag team championships. Raw needs actual teams they are at the point were they are giving joke wrestlers the belt. They do bring comedy to the show but they aren’t a credible threat. The match was whatever. Grade C.

Finn Balor defeated Baron Corbin. It looked like Corbin had the match won but Balor rolled him up for a victory they are still feuding then why even have this match. Grade C.

Carmella defeated Asuka to retain the smackdown womens championship with James Ellsworth in a shark cage. James escaped but got caught up dangling on the bottom on it so Asuka took the opportunity to kick him like he was a pinata forgetting she was in a match. Carmella ran Asuka’s head into the cage and won. 2 minute match and every second was stupid. Grade F.

Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Jeff Hardy to win the US championship. He low blowed Jeff before the match started the bell rang and he gave Hardy a knee-to-face and won in record time. I hated this at first but Jeff is hurt and this is a way to write him off the show for a while so it makes it better. Oh and Randy Orton returned and hit Jeff below the belt. Grade D.

Kevin Owens defeat Braun Strowman in a cage match. Well he didn’t exactly win as much as his feet hit the ground first outside of the cage. Owens tried to escape a few times but would get caught until he had the brilliant idea to handcuff Braun to the ropes. Kevin Owens was on the cage when Strowman got free and joined him on top of the cage. They struggled for a bit and Strowman launches Owens off the cage crashing 20 feet down through the announcers table.  Grade A.

We are like half way done it wouldn’t be as bad if the matches were actually good. Anyway Bludgeoning Brothers defeat team Hell No to retain smackdown tag team championships. The brothers attack Kane before his match and cripples his leg so Daniel Bryan faces them in a handicap match. He gets his ass kicked Kane arrives to help but does nothing on ones leg. Easy victory for Harper and Rowan. Kane is injured in real life and going back to Tennessee where he is almost mayor so I’m disappointed his last run in WWE ended like this. Grade D. 

Bobby Lashley defeated Roman Reigns I don’t know if anyone predicted this outcome before the match. And not only that it was good too. Both men looked great and hit their big moves. Reigns superman punched Lashley and was going for the spear only to get speared himself and go down for the 3 count. Only down moment is it meant nothing reigns would later face the same man and win for yet another title shot he doesn’t need or deserve and we don’t want to see. Grade B.

Alexa Bliss defeated Nia Jax to retain the raw womens championship in an extreme rules match. Literally the only extreme rules match in the ppv called Extreme Rules. They used chairs and kendo sticks but pretty boring. Ronda Rousey was watching from the audience since she is banned from Raw for hitting Kurt Angle I think. She jumped over the barricade and attacked Bliss but James attacked Ronda with a weapon and kept her down long enough for Bliss to ddt Jax on a chair. Sloppy and messy. Grade C.

Aj styles defeat Rusev to retain the WWE championship. Was a pretty good match they have great chemistry together and pretty back and forth until Styles started to attack Rusev’s leg making it hard for him to lock in the accolade submission. Styles later gave a picture perfect springboard 450 splash to Rusev  who kicked out. Aiden English removed the padding on the turnbuckle so Styles would run into it but Rusev ended up running into it and Styles hit the phenomenal forearm to win. Looks like Rusev is going to drop English as manager I like them together. Grade A.

Main event Dolph Ziggler defeat Seth Rollins 5-4 in a 30 minute iron man match to retain the intercontinental championship. Was a pretty good match Seth got 2 pin falls pretty quickly to take a nice lead which angered Drew Mcintyre so he jumped in the ring and beat the snot out of Rollins which caused a disqualification yes at the ppv called Extreme Rules. The DQ brought Seth up 3-0, Drew is banned from ring side and Dolph pins Seth twice. Rollins tries to fight back but is still hurt from the Claymore and a superkick takes him down again and we are tied up at 3-3. This happens like in a span of 10 minutes and not much happens after so the crowd gets bored and starts to count down the clock every minute like in the Royal Rumble. Both men grab another pinfall to go 4-4 and with a few seconds left Seth Rollins curbstomps Ziggler but before he can pin Ziggler time runs out. We are tied so Kurt Angle comes out and sends us to overtime but Seth gets distracted by Mcintyre again and Ziggler rolls him up to steal the win. Grade B.

Overall most of it was slow, boring, and meaningless but when the matches were good they were a breath of fresh air. Overall grade C.

[placetobenation]

With such a large history to play with, discovering the beauty of Bob Backlund’s charisma or the connection of Bruno Sammartino to the MSG crowd was a new development throughout this project similar to rewatching The Godfather and On the Waterfront to rediscover the genius of Marlon Brando. WWE may not have always been YOUR promotion but for the better part of 50 years, it was THE promotion in the United States and transformed the pro wrestling landscape. This project serves to praise the individuals that best helped shape the vision of Vince McMahon Sr. and Jr. Place to be Nation is proud to present to you a ranking of the Greatest WWE Wrestlers Ever.

– Chad Campbell

Note: Results of this list are based on 118 ballots received between May and December 2017. Voters were asked to submit their list of the 100 Greatest WWE Wrestlers of all time and consider only their WWWF/WWF/WWE career. Ties were broken based on 1) number of ballots a wrestler appeared on and 2) high vote. 

Every wrestler who received at least one vote will be recognized in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned to Place to Be Nation as we reveal all of the honorable mentions right through the cream of the crop. Read the other installments, both written and audio, of this project here.

10. Chris Jericho Total Points: 9,969 Total Ballots: 116 Average Rank: 16.2 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 64 First Place Votes: 1 High Voter: Calvin Crowell

Nuance: Chris Jericho debuted in 1999, so even with years off, he’s had more than a decade and a half with the company, easily checking the longevity box. During this time, he’s been both a babyface and a heel up and down the card. He’s been a singles star and tag team competitor with Chris Benoit, Christian, Edge and the Big Show. Jericho constantly reinvents himself, so there may not be a wrestler that has shown greater flexibility in the WWE. He’s a master of nuance and intangibles, which allows him that character evolution.

Jump Up Moments: Jericho’s WWF arrival may be the greatest debut in company history from the countdown of the millenium clock to interrupting a Rock promo, the entire performance came off great and made Jericho look like a huge star. Things faltered a bit after that, but Y2J was a fixture in the Intercontinental Title picture having excellent matches with Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle and others throughout 2000-01. He opposed Steve Austin and Triple H in early 2001, having a great tag match along with Benoit against the Two Man Power Trip. He then was a key part of the Invasion storyline, leading to a rivalry with The Rock featuring great matches over the WCW title in late 2001. Jericho then defeated both Stone Cold and the Rock in the same night to become the first Undisputed Champion at Vengeance 2001, which he may have mentioned once or twice since. He would lose the Undisputed title to Triple H in the main event of WrestleMania X8 and the two would feud off and on until a Hell in a Cell match at Judgment Day 2002. Jericho would then again become a fixture in the IC title scene and form a tag team with Christian during 2002 and 2003. During this time he feuded with Shawn Michaels and the two had a strong match at WrestleMania XIX, ending with a handshake and a kick to the stones by Jericho. Jericho began a face turn during his storyline with Trish Stratus and Christian that resulted in Trish turned on Jericho during his WrestleMania XX match against Christian. He suggested the concept for the Money in the Bank ladder match and participated in the inaugural match at WrestleMania 21. In 2005, Jericho feuded with John Cena over the WWE title with matches at Vengeance 2005 (also including Christian), SummerSlam and a “You’re Fired” match on Raw that saw Jericho dragged out of the building. Jericho would return in 2007 after vignettes with digital code promoted his return to “save” the WWE from Randy Orton before transitioning to a short feud with JBL. Jericho then interjected himself into the Michaels/Batista feud, leading to Jericho feuding with his old nemesis. This feud was some of the best work of Jericho’s career as he and Michaels had a series of great matches, the feud escalated logically and Jericho developed a new, more ruthless heel character based on the villain from No Country for Old Men. Along the way, Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship, which he traded with Batista before losing it to Cena at Survivor Series. Jericho then began running down WWF legends, defeating Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka and Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania XXV and Steamboat at Backlash 2009 in surprisingly good matches. Later in 2009, he had a stellar feud with Rey Mysterio over the IC title during which Jericho unmasked Rey to pin him, before ultimately losing the IC title when Rey’s mask was also on the line. He then formed the JeriShow tag team and was a fixture in the Tag Title scene through the end of 2009. He was eliminated from the 2010 Royal Rumble by a returning Edge, then won the World Heavyweight Title and had a good match with Edge at WrestleMania XXVI. In early 2012, Jericho began a feud with CM Punk that featured really good matches at Wrestlemania XVIII and Extreme Rules. Jericho was a part-timer from 2013-15, where he would feud with Dolph Ziggler, the Wyatt Family, Fandango and others. In 2016, he was tied with AJ Styles culminating in a match at WrestleMania 32. He then feuded with Dean Ambrose and tweaked his character, wearing scarves and calling people “stupid idiots.” He then formed an alliance with Kevin Owens, doing great character work, before ending in an attack by Owens at the Festival of Friendship, leading to a match for the US Title at WrestleMania 33. Jericho is a former Hardcore Champion, European Champion, two-time US Champion, nine-time IC Champion (which is a record), two-time WWE Unified Tag Team Champion, five-time WWF/W Tag Team Champion, two-time WCW/World Champion, Undisputed Champion and three-time World Heavyweight Champion.

Promos/Character: No one has gone through more character reinventions and tweaks than Chris Jericho and almost all of them have gotten over. From his great debut and promo, the Y2J character was off to the races. He continued to cut smart-ass and entertaining promos, including his work on the Highlight Reel talk show segment. He had memorable character work during the Christian and Trish storyline over the $1 (Canadian) bet for Trish’s affections, and perfectly sold the “You’re Fired” match stipulation. Upon his return, his work escalating his feud with Michaels was top notch. Along the way he developed the ruthless, self-righteous suit wearing character that was both a stark contrast from the Y2J character and maybe the best work of Jericho’s WWE career. His late career reinvention wearing scarves, calling people stupid idiots and making The List of Jericho was fantastic too. He always got stuff over that would not have gotten over in less capable hands. The Owens partnership was a highlight of TV at the time and culminated perfectly.

Workrate: Jericho is an excellent worker, consistent and solid with a long list of very good to great matches. His matches against Benoit throughout 2000-01 for the IC title are all very good, and the tag team match with Benoit against the Two Man Power Trip on Raw was outstanding. His feud with The Rock in late 2001 saw some of Y2J’s best matches, including No Mercy 2001, Raw in November, Vengeance 2001 and Royal Rumble 2002. The Michaels match at WrestleMania XIX was a very good match, and the match against Christian at WrestleMania XX is another fun bout. Jericho’s matches with Michaels in 2008 at Judgment Day, Great American Bash, Unforgiven and No Mercy are all very good to great matches alone and tell a story of the feud progressing until the ladder match blowoff. His feud with Mysterio over the IC title saw excellent matches at Judgment Day, Extreme Rules and The Bash 2009. The WrestleMania XXVI match against Edge was very good, and he had a good showing in a losing effort at Fatal-Four Way against Evan Bourne. In 2012, his feud with Punk saw very good matches at WrestleMania XXVIII and Extreme Rules.  

Staff Thoughts: He’s Y2J, he’s the Best in the World at What He Does, and if you don’t think Jericho makes your list, you might make THE List, you stupid idiot. Nobody has reinvented himself and gotten over more consistently than Jericho. Along the way he had great matches with nearly everyone he feuded with. His run with AJ Styles and Kevin Owens featured good TV and the matches were solid, even if they weren’t up to the standards of his early career. He was the first ever Undisputed Champion, defeating The Rock and Stone Cold on the same night. His tag team with Christian was real good, as was his feud with Cena before leaving in 2005. The list of Jericho, Breaking the Walls Doooooown, it goes on and on. The nine-time IC champion has a nearly two-decade run, which means, Chris Jericho…You Just Made the List! (you knew we had to make that joke, right?) To hear more about Jericho, check out this Making the Cut podcast and this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “Gotta be in the Top 20 for me. I enjoy his ring work just as much now, maybe more, than during the early 00s and as most everyone has already said, the constant reinvention of his persona has added him well. Have enjoyed watching him since the WCW days, but I think the recent “Stupid Idiot/List” period was my favorite run of his yet.” – Mike Andres, June 12, 2017

“Nobody has adapted their character better to stay over and relevant across nearly two decades. Early WWF run produced classic promos and a legendary series of matches with Chris Benoit. Hung as a main eventer with Triple H, Kurt Angle, Steve Austin and especially The Rock as a bonafide main eventer at the close of the Attitude Era. One of my favorite contests ever with Shawn Michaels at Mania XIX. Fun teaming with Christian. Redefined his heel persona upon his comeback and had an all-time feud with HBK plus excellent stuff with Rey Mysterio. Recent comebacks have once again demonstrated his versatility with Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles and Kevin Owens. Seemingly ageless, he’s an all-time great. Top 20 or even top 10; would crack top 5 if he had a better run on top.” – Ben Morse, June 11, 2017

“Jericho is totally a dark horse top spot for me. His history in the ring can not be denied, but the crazy part for me is that I don’t have a big nostalgia factor towards him. So when I put those feelings (or lack there of) aside and go strictly by the numbers, he’s way up there. I’m starting to think my own list is going to surprise me.” – Taylor Keahey, May 29, 2017

9. Undertaker Total Points: 10,544 Total Ballots: 118 Average Rank: 14 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 80 First Place Votes: 2 High Voter: Corey Pierce; Scott Shifflett

Nuance: Wrestling fans born in November 1990 may have spouses, mortgages and kids of their own, but they’ve never known a world where the Undertaker wasn’t in WWF/E. Sure, his part-time status hurts his longevity a bit, but since Survivor Series 1990 fans knew that come sign pointing season, Undertaker would be back for WrestleMania. So he has longevity more than covered. He’s been both a babyface and a heel and has been a singles star and also had tag team success with Kane, Big Show and others. The nuance and intangibles that Taker brings to the table are a huge part of why the character not only survived but thrived when it could’ve easily been a forgotten gimmick of the 1990s. The mannerisms, facial expressions, aura and presence of the Undertaker are second to none and add tons to the character.

Jump Up Moments: Undertaker was one of the rare mystery opponents that worked, when he debuted as part of the Million Dollar Team at Survivor Series 1990. By late 1991 he was trading the WWF title with Hulk Hogan causing the title to be held up and awarded to the winner of the 1992 Royal Rumble. He defeated Jimmy Snuka at WrestleMania VII starting The Streak, which would run until WrestleMania XXX, becoming a focal point for the biggest show of the year by 2005. He had early feuds with Ultimate Warrior and Jake “The Snake” Roberts, turning babyface during the latter. He would feud with various monster heels and thieves who would take his urn, before becoming a more realistic character capable of having better matches. He then had a good WrestleMania match with Diesel and an excellent feud with Mankind, including wild brawls. He would win the WWF Title in the main event of WrestleMania 13 and hold it until SummerSlam 1997 where special referee Shawn Michaels cost him the title, kicking off their feud. Taker and Michaels had a red hot feud, including the first Hell in a Cell match that also featured the debut of his brother Kane. Undertaker would feud with Kane at WrestleMania XIV in a hot angle and that issue would continue off and on for decades. His HIAC match with Mankind at King of the Ring 1998 is one of the most memorable matches of all-time. The Deadman would then be a top challenger for new champion Stone Cold Steve Austin at SummerSlam 1998 in a big time match. He would remain a key part of the main event scene in a number of angles involving Ministries and Corporations and Corporate Ministries and Higher Powers, highlighted by his turn as a limo driver asking “Where to Stephanie?” He would debut the new “Biker Taker” character when he returned in May 2000. He would then defeat Triple H at WrestleMania X7 before becoming part of Team WWF destroying many WCW wrestlers during the Invasion. Undertaker turned heel later that year, becoming Big Evil by forcing Jim Ross to kiss Vince McMahon’s ass, before facing Ric Flair in a no-DQ match at WrestleMania X8. During this time he was a fixture in the main event scene with good matches against Angle, Rock and Brock Lesnar. In 2004 and 2005, Undertaker would be involved in notable moments like Paul Bearer being buried in cement and Mohammed Hassan conducting what appeared to be a terrorist attack. He also feuded with Randy Orton, defeating him at WrestleMania 21 and losing at SummerSlam 2005, and eventually winning the feud in a HIAC match at Armageddon 2005. After an excellent match with Angle at No Way Out and a WrestleMania match with Mark Henry, Taker feuded with Great Khali through 2006. Undertaker won the 2007 Royal Rumble and defeated Batista for the World title in a great match at WrestleMania 23 and continued a damn good feud, before Edge cashed in his MITB briefcase costing Taker his title. He had a good feud with Edge winning the World Title at WrestleMania XXIV and having several rematches throughout 2008. He would then start a feud with Shawn Michaels resulting in an all-time classic at WrestleMania XXV. He would then battle with CM Punk from SummerSlam through Hell in a Cell 2009 and go on to have a great WrestleMania rematch with Michaels. He would face Triple H in divisive matches at WrestleMania XXVII and XXVIII and face CM Punk in a great match at WrestleMania 29, before Lesnar ended The Streak at WrestleMania XXX in one of the most shocking moments in WWE history. Taker would defeat Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 31 before challenging Lesnar in 2015 facing him at SummerSlam and Hell in a Cell 2015. Undertaker faced Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 32 and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33. Undertaker is a Royal Rumble winner, Hardcore Champion, WCW Tag Team Champion, six-time WWF Tag Team Champion, three-time World Heavyweight Champion, four-time WWF/E Champion.

Promos/Character: When the lights went out and BONG… you knew someone was about to Rest…In…Peace. The Undertaker started out in what could’ve been a cartoonish one-note zombie character, but he turned it into the greatest gimmick the company ever had. He evolved that gimmick into a more fleshed out character, evolving it over time (admittedly some reinventions worked better than others). The Undertaker character is iconic, from the eyes rolling into the back of his head to the zombie sit-up to the throat slash gesture to the arms crossed pin with his tongue hanging out. In the early days of the character, Taker was mostly silent merely looking menacing while Paul Bearer did the talking. Later, Undertaker was fine as a promo and played the iconic legend character, adding more gravitas to many of his angles and matches.

Workrate: Here’s a hot take: Undertaker’s workrate is a mixed bag. He’s got all-time classics and all-time classic turds, which are hard to ignore (Giant Gonzalez matches, UnderFaker, etc.). But once he lost the shackles of the Deadman mannerisms, he started having good matches like his WrestleMania XII match with Diesel and his wars with Mankind, including the Boiler Room Brawl at SummerSlam 1996. He would have more good matches with Bret Hart and others before his feud with Shawn Michaels, resulting in a classic in the first Hell in a Cell match. The HIAC with Mankind is an iconic moment, and the SummerSlam 1998 battle with Austin was a huge match. He had a good ladder match with Jeff Hardy on Raw in 2002 and the three-way match with Kurt Angle and the Rock at Vengeance 2002. His feud with Brock Lesnar featured an excellent HIAC match at No Mercy 2002. The match with Randy Orton at WrestleMania 21 was strong and he and Angle had an excellent match at No Way Out 2006. His match with Batista at WrestleMania 23 was great and the next year his battle with Edge was also very good. Undertaker’s match against Michaels at WrestleMania XXV is an all-timer and the rematch a year later was right there with it. His matches with Triple H at WrestleMania XXVII and XXVIII are very divisive and he would have a great match with CM Punk at WrestleMania 29 in the last year of The Streak.

Staff Thoughts: Undertaker is the iconic character in the WWE, which was clearly recognized by voters as he’s the second wrestler to appear on every ballot. He’s been around longer than anyone and he’s got a case for having both the most epic matches and the most dogshit matches in history. His early years saw some dreadful angles and matches, some of which were not his fault as the character was supposed to no-sell as an undead monster, meant to scare the kids. He evolved from there, having good matches when he worked with Mankind, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. He’s been one of the biggest stars of the late Hulkamania era, the New Generation, the Attitude Era and whatever you want to call the time since. The Streak was arguably the most important part in any WrestleMania for 10-15 years, until it was snapped in one of the most shocking moments in company history. The specialness of The Streak led to great matches and made matches with Michaels, Flair, Punk, Batista, Triple H and others. When all is said and done, we can’t argue that the WWE has been His Yard for more than two decades. You can hear more about what the guys had to say about Undertaker on this FYC podcast and this Making the Cut.

From the Voters: “I wasn’t considering him for number one, but maybe he should be considered. The most iconic character in wrestling history who stayed relevant and valuable across the entire span of his career. Great as a heel and face. Delivered as the cartoon demon and demon killer and later as a guy who could have epic matches. Involved in some of the best matches and moments in company history. It got to a point where the top show of the year was built around him right as it became a stadium show with regularity. The Streak was the most important “title” in the promotion for years. Carried SD with Rey for a long time. A truly transcendent star in an era with few stars at all.” – Dylan Hales, June 3, 2017

“Greatest gimmick in the history of the business. Spent his first six years in the WWF working a restricted in-ring style due to his character, but still stayed over. Once he was able to cut loose and use a fuller arsenal, he immediately put on classic matches with Mankind, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and more. Evolved his look and style as time went on giving him the best tenure of anybody on this list. Late career renaissance yielded more great contests with younger stars like Brock Lesnar and Batista as well as contemporaries such as HBK and HHH. WrestleMania streak was one of the most compelling storylines in WWE. Easy top 10, maybe top five; only hurt by the valleys that come with such longevity.” – Ben Morse, June 9, 2017

“Took him a really long time to start having great matches, but once he did there were few big match workers better. His highest highs are well… high. I have a particularly high opinion of his HIAC matches with Brock and HBK and his Mania match with Punk. I also liked both the contemporary matches with Brock (not the mania one of course) a lot. He was also a staple and somehow got over a dark wizard gimmick well into 2017, which is bonkers. My gut says he is top 10 for me, but I can’t see him really outside the top 25.” – Matthew Richards, June 15, 2017

8. Bruno Sammartino Total Points: 10,665 Total Ballots: 112 Average Rank: 11.8 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 76 First Place Votes: 9 High Voter: Grady Blount; Scott Herrin; Chris; Michael DeDamos; Cody; Steve Gennarelli; Timothy Drake; Kelly Nelson; Robert Silva

Nuance: Bruno Sammartino spent just short of twenty years with the company, with his time spanning from 1963 to 1988, so he has longevity covered. He never worked heel and was primarily a singles star, though he would tag with other babyfaces, such as Spiros Arion, Dominic DeNucci and Tony Marino. Sammartino had a charisma, presence and connection with the crowd that had not been seen to that time and rarely since. His tough guy persona gave an aura of credibility to the company and wrestling as a whole at the time that helped build the WWWF into the company that still exists today.

Jump Up Moments: Bruno won his first WWWF World Heavyweight Title from Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds on May 17, 1963 to become the company’s second champion. He would hold the title for nearly eight years and defended the title against the top heels of the era including Killer Kowalski, Gorilla Monsoon, Dr. Jerry Graham, Hans Mortimer, Waldo Von Erich, Bill Watts, Ernie Ladd, Spiros Arion and George “The Animal” Steele. Bruno sold out both the current and previous Madison Square Garden locations with great regularity. When Sammartino finally dropped the title in a good match to Ivan Koloff, it was such a shocking moment that the MSG crowd went silent before rioting in anger. In 1972, Sammartino teamed with champion Pedro Morales, and both were blinded by Prof. Tanaka causing the two to accidentally fight each other. This resulted in Sammartino and Morales facing each other in a 65-minute draw at Shea Stadium. On December 10, 1973, Sammartino defeated Stan Stasiak for his second WWWF Title, which he held for three years, four months and 20 days. During this time, Bruno suffered a legitimate neck fracture in a match against Stan Hansen, returning to face Hansen at Shea Stadium in 1976 and later in a steel cage matches around the circuit. Sammartino lost the title on April 30, 1977 to Superstar Billy Graham who had both feet on the ropes. Graham and Bruno would have many rematches, including a steel cage match in Philadelphia that is the only documented case of Bruno losing in a cage. In 1980, Bruno’s protege Larry Zybszko turned on him, busting a wooden chair over Bruno’s head and leaving him a bloody mess. The two would have an escalating feud that is one of the greatest in company history and culminated by drawing more than 36,000 fans to Shea Stadium to see their cage match blowoff, which Sammartino won. He would then retire until 1984, which is when he would return to tag with his son David on a few occasions. He also had a very good feud with Randy Savage, including beating Savage by DQ in a lumberjack match at the Boston Garden and teaming with Tito Santana to defeat Savage and Adrian Adonis in a cage match at MSG. Bruno would also feud with Roddy Piper in singles and tags and eventually beat Piper in a cage match at the Boston Garden. Bruno also participated in the battle royal at WrestleMania 2 that also included NFL players. Sammartino is a WWWF US Tag Team Champion, a two-time International Tag Team Champion and two-time WWWF World Heavyweight Champion.

Promos/Character: Bruno was a good promo, added an element of believability and sincerity to his promos. The style was different and more serious, but he did a good job of adding to his feuds through promos. The classic feud with Larry Z. is an excellent example of escalating the feud by promo work. His character was an ethnic babyface and legit strongman and tough guy, but Bruno played that character as well as anyone ever has. To say he was over with the Northeast crowds of his time is a huge understatement as they were legitimately shocked on the rare occasions Bruno lost a match.

Workrate: It’s difficult to judge workrate across eras, but Bruno was certainly one of the better workers of his era. He brought a fire and energy to his brawling style that was absent for many other matches and that excited the crowd, adding in an electric atmosphere. His matches with Spiros Arion, Koloff, Stan Hansen, Larry Zybszko and others are very good to great matches. The WWE Network recently had a collection of Bruno Sammartino matches and there is a playlist on the Facebook group as well. Other recommendations include matches with Arion Feb-April 1975 at MSG, Jan-Feb 1976 against Billy Graham at MSG and Ken Patera in March 1977 at MSG, which is on the WWE Network. The matches in the Larry Z. feud are incredibly heated brawls. His matches against Savage and Piper in both singles and tags are also very good.

Staff Thoughts: The WWWF was built on the back of Bruno and if there’s no Bruno we may not be doing this list, because there may be no current WWE. You can say that about a handful of wrestlers, but Bruno is near the top of that list. He’s not called the Living Solid Hand, he’s the Living Legend. Watch any of his matches and they all feature incredibly hot crowds, and he sold out MSG more than anyone. He brought an intensity to his matches most could not match, having very good matches with Arion, Hansen, Zybszko, Koloff and others. The feud with Larry Z. is one of, if not the, best feuds in the history of the company. Sammartino looked, talked, wrestled like a mega star and just oozed pro wrestling out of his pores. The Living Legend held the title for more that a decade during his two reigns! To hear more about Bruno listen to this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “The Zbyszko match got me into wrestling and made me a lifelong fan. He wasn’t on top for so many years by accident. If you grew up on the east coast in the 70s, you knew who Bruno was even if you weren’t a wrestling fan. He brought legitimacy to the sport that, even back then, was seen by many as fake.” – Tim Tetreault, May 29, 2017

“Bruno is a legend. Sold out MSG 20 straight times or something like that..hogan never did that…held the belt for for loooooonng times…having good matches along the way. He is probably in many people’s top 10. Plus he is in the HoF.” – Will Olson, June 1, 2017

“Easy top 10, maybe as high as top 3. He was somewhat limited, but he was a smart wrestler. Sometimes I think he is too quickly dismissed as an in ring performer. It will really depend on how I balance influence and draw vs in ring performance.I can even see it coming down to Bruno and Cena for me. That top tier is going to be tough.” – Matthew Richards, May 30, 2017

7. The Rock Total Points: 10,868 Total Ballots: 116 Average Rank: 10.5 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 95 First Place Votes: 2 High Voter: Nate Milton; Jason Fastkade

Nuance: How do you think the Rock fares in the nuance category? IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK. The Rock was the… BEST… damn Intercontinental Champion there ever was. Is there anyone more nuanced than the Rock? He made the crowd as wet as October with the mere raise of an eyebrow for crying out loud! Wonderful face, but one of the best heels in company history. So great that people went from wanting to see him die to wanting him to be World Champion WITHIN A YEAR. He gets dinged a bit for his longevity but it really is a solid four years of excellence, with bonus appearances where he usually killed it. The Rock can do it all, he CAN DO IT ALLLLLL! He even made those ridiculous boots work which is probably what propelled him to the top ten alone. His greatest ability though, may be his willingness to pivot if something isn’t working. Sure there’s the obvious ones where he bounces off “die Rocky die,” and the city of Toronto, but he even pivots mid match if he feels the crowd isn’t with him. Always the coolest guy in the room, even when wearing a tank top that made it look like he was naked from the waist down.

Jump Up Moments: Let’s skip smiling blue chipper Rocky Maivia, shall we? Except for his debut, which seemed to excited the grumps at the Garden. They would later go on to cheer an old man having a cardiac arrest, so let’s give Rocky some credit for getting over. We have to wait nearly a year for another bright spot, but oh is it ever bright. He joins the Nation and his prolonged breakup with Faarooq is wonderful right down to the Rolexes and portrait. The feud with Ken Shamrock is strong stuff and has at least one moment where Rock is stretchered from the ring with one arm raised in victory. He truly begins to shine in the feud with DX and the SummerSlam ladder match is the jumping off point for both he and Triple H’s careers. He gets so over by the fall they start to build the promotion around him, and his face work before the second consecutive screwjob is inspired. Memorable early feuds with Mankind and Steve Austin pepper 1999, but they just couldn’t keep the man heel. He conquers 2000 with a top-flight feud with Triple H and closes the year with excellent encounters with Rikishi and Kurt Angle. His rematch with Angle at No Way Out 2001 is tremendous and his main event with Steve Austin at WrestleMania X7 is one of the best in company history. The rest of 2001 is somewhat quiet but he does get to tease the tension with Steve Austin by singing him a little song in the build to Survivor Series. Then he fights Hulk Hogan in an all time classic, has a GREAT triple threat with Undertaker and Angle at Vengeance before killing it once again with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Then… we get Hollywood Rock. Which is just the best. The concerts, the spitting in Hogan’s face, screaming HAKU MACHENTE at Hurricane: it all worked. Some convincingly argue that his match with Steve Austin at Wreslemania XIX is the best of their encounters. He then returns to help Mick Foley against Evolution the next year before taking a long hiatus. His first match with John Cena was great, his second was…f ine… the less said about his CM Punk matches the better.

Promos/Character: FINALLY THE ROCK HAS COME BACK TO (INSERT CITY NAME). AND IN FRONT OF THE MILLIONS… OF ROCK’S FANS HE’S GOING TO DRIVE DOWN KNOW YOUR ROLE BOULEVARD, TAKING A SHARP RIGHT ON JABRONI DRIVE AND CHECK YOU DI-RECT-LY INTO… THE SMACKDOWN HOTEL! DO YOU LIKE PIE? OR ANY OF THE OTHER PEOPLE’S PRODUCTS? IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU LIKE! YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR ROLE AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU ROODY-POO CANDYASS! IF YE SMELLLLLLLLAALALALALALALLLLLAAAA WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING!

Come on he’s the best. Even if you don’t think the material has aged well you can’t deny how well he delivers it. There are so many good promos to name. Poor Kevin Kelly still gets called a hermaphrodite every year on the PTB Podcast Christmas Play because of him. Coach is still afraid to pray. Creative beyond measure in a business of lunk heads. We REALLY miss a guy like the Rock while we are stuck listening to twenty minute opening promos every week. Hollywood Rock truly is one of the best runs of all time, and quite a departure from everything else he had done to that point.

Workrate: Rock could bring it in the ring when he needed to. Yes the sharpshooter was awful (except when I heard it referred to as the Scorpion King Deathlock, which will always be awesome). He had strong punches (made even stronger with spit) and was very fluid for a guy his size. That spin around DDT never really stopped being somewhat impressive. His selling could be cartoony at times, looking at you Stone Cold Stunner sell, but he was an interesting blend of cartoon character and legit athlete. Say what you will about the People’s Elbow, but he got that shit OVER. Finally, he was great at changing his ring style based on what the match was. If he was PISSED at Rikishi he wrestled differently. And ran to the ring in anger, which is always bonus points. His matches had stakes because he gave them stakes.

Staff Thoughts: Rock is always just the slightest of tiers below guys like Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and Bruno Sammartino in terms of star power and importance to the business. The ultimate A1 guy. But, no one has ever gone on to greater things than him and it’s easy to see why. He was a once in a lifetime talent who was clearly hungry to grow as a performer and an individual. It’s sad that we as fans now get excited if he is merely going to show up, when we used to get him every week. When you got to see the Rock you were seeing a near blend of comedy, badassery and selflessness, you were seeing perhaps the most poised performer in the history of the business. It was electrifying.

From the Voters: “I think, at the time, people were either Austin Guys or Rock Guys. I was definitely a Rock Guy. In hindsight I love both, but Rock gets automatically and unfairly slotted behind Austin, as you mentioned, and I feel he’s extremely underrated between the bells. Once he figured it out, sometime around late 99, he *really* figured it out and had some gems.” – Greg Phillips, June 5, 2017

“Top ten for me. Came in greener than grass but bettered himself to the millionth degree and became WWF/E’s most successful mainstream star. His work rate tended to be rough around the edges bc he wasn’t a pure technical guy but he always worked his ass off in every match he was in. Nobody could control the crowd the way Rock can. His promos were always the highlight of Raw and SD. Especially in 2000 where he did some of his best promo work. 03 Hollywood Rock is probably his best stuff overall” – Dennis Nunez, June 4, 2017

6. Shawn Michaels Total Points: 11,546 Total Ballots: 118 Average Rank: 8.7 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 51 First Place Votes: 7 High Voter: Brad Faulk; Microstatistics; Jason Sherman; Ash; Andy Atherton; Neil Trama; Henry Rivers

Nuance: Shawn Michaels had an eighteen-year WWF/E career between his two runs. He played a babyface and a heel and he was both a singles star and featured in significant tag teams with Marty Jannetty, Diesel, Steve Austin, Triple H and John Cena.

Jump Up Moments: Michaels teamed with Marty Jannetty as the Rockers from 1988 to 1991, having a very good matches with the Brain Busters, Rougeaus, Orient Express, Powers of Pain and Hart Foundation. Shawn memorably turned on Jannetty, superkicking him then throwing him through the Barber Shop window to open up 1992. Michaels became the “Heartbreak Kid”, won the Intercontinental Title and feuded with Jannetty, having a match of the year contender on the May 17, 1993 Raw. As the IC champion, he faced WWF Champion Bret Hart in the main event of Survivor Series 1992 in a very good match. After vacating the IC Title due to a suspension, Michaels returned to challenge IC champion Razor Ramon, culminating in the first ladder match on PPV at WrestleMania X in an excellent innovative war. He then won the Tag Team Titles with bodyguard Diesel before the two split and feuded. Michaels won the 1995 Royal Rumble and went on to challenge Diesel for the WWF Title at WrestleMania XI. Michaels turned babyface and had a stellar match with Jeff Jarrett at IYH 2. At SummerSlam 1995 he and Ramon had a ladder match as good or perhaps better than the battle at WrestleMania X. Michaels entered into an angle where an enziguri from Owen Hart gave him a concussion, leading to him coming back and winning the 1996 Royal Rumble and having a very good match with Owen in February 1996. At WrestleMania XII, Michaels achieved his boyhood dream by defeating Bret Hart in an Ironman match to win the WWF Title. He defended the title in good to great matches against Diesel, British Bulldog and Mankind among others, before losing the title at Survivor Series 1996 and regaining it at Royal Rumble 1997. He vacated the title on Thursday Raw Thursday, losing his smile in the process, and taking some time off. Upon his return he won the WWF Tag Team Titles with Steve Austin on Raw before facing Austin at King of the Ring 1997. At SummerSlam 1997, Michaels officiated the title match between Bret and Undertaker, accidentally hitting Undertaker with a chair. He would then turn heel, form D-Generation X and feud with the Undertaker, having great matches at Ground Zero and Badd Blood. Michaels would then win the European Title from British Bulldog at One Night Only in a heated match and the WWF title at Survivor Series 1997 from Bret Hart in the Montreal Screwjob. Michaels injured his back at the 1998 Royal Rumble, leading to him leaving the company for four years after dropping the WWF Title to Austin at WrestleMania XIV. At SummerSlam 2002 he faced Triple H in a fun street fight and won the World Heavyweight Title in the first Elimination Chamber at Survivor Series 2002. He faced Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XIX in a very good match, and a year later challenged for the title in a three-way with Triple H and Chris Benoit. In 2005, Michaels had a very good feud with Kurt Angle, including excellent matches at WrestleMania 21 and Vengeance 2005. Michaels had a brief feud with Hulk Hogan, resulting in a match at SummerSlam 2005. In 2006, Michaels feuded with Vince McMahon and reunited D-Generation X. At WrestleMania 23, Michaels challenged John Cena for the WWE Title in a very good match, and had a strong feud with Randy Orton in 2007. At WrestleMania 24, Michaels had a very memorable match with Ric Flair to send his idol into WWE retirement The match with Flair led to a feud with Batista and then Chris Jericho, which would be one of the best of Michaels’ career, progressing naturally and having lots of great matches. He challenged Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV in a classic. DX would reform again and have a good feud with The Legacy. Michaels would put his career on the line and lose to the Undertaker in another great match at WrestleMania XXVI. Michaels is a two-time Royal Rumble winner, a European Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, five-time WWF/World Tag Team Champion, three-time IC Champion, World Heavyweight Champion and three-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion.

Promos/Character: “He’s just a Sexy Boy…” and that character kind of…existed. The characters of Shawn Michaels never really clicked, whether it was as a Rocker, a heel or a face. The one notable exception to his character work is the original incarnation of DX in 1997 where Michaels has one of the greatest heel runs in company history. He got incredible heat every week on Raw and that match with Bulldog at One Night Only was insanity. His return as a legend is pretty generic, though he did great character work to escalate the Jericho feud. Shawn was always a good promo and decent in backstage segments as well.

Workrate: Workrate is the biggest thing that Shawn brings to the table, though his work is divisive among many voters, particularly his comeback catalogue. Still, he has an extensive list of great matches that can rival anyone. The Rockers were perhaps the best in-ring tag team the company ever had, having great matches with the Brain Busters, Orient Express and Hart Foundation to name a few. His Raw match with Jannetty in 1993 was very good as was his match with Bret at Survivor Series 1992. The WrestleMania X match with Razor is fantastic and set the template for ladder matches to come, and the two would have an equally good (or better) match at SummerSlam 1995. His match for the IC title with Jarrett at IYH 2 was a great old-school southern style match. Michaels had a good match with Owen in the build to WrestleMania XII and your mileage may vary on the Ironman match, but it is well-worked. His match with Diesel at Good Friends, Better Enemies is a good weapons brawl and his match with Mankind at Mind Games is fantastic. The tag team match with Austin against Bulldog and Owen on Raw is one of the best Raw matches ever and the King of the Ring match with Austin was also good. The first HIAC match against Undertaker is an all-timer and still stands as one of the best HIACs. The match with Bulldog in England is an incredibly heated match and Shawn does great heel work there and the Survivor Series 1997 match was good until the ending overwhelmed it. Upon his return the SummerSlam 2002 and Raw match in late 2003 with Triple H are very good, other matches with Hunter not so much. The Jericho WrestleMania XIX match is good and the WrestleMania XX title match is great. The matches with Angle in 2005 were both excellent and his SummerSlam 2005 match with Hogan is surprisingly good too. The WrestleMania 23 match and Raw match against Cena were very good. The match with Flair at WrestleMania is incredibly memorable. The feud with Jericho in 2008 progressed logically and had great matches at Judgment Day, Great American Bash, the confrontation at SummerSlam, Unforgiven and the ladder match at No Mercy. The WrestleMania XXV match against Undertaker is one of the best WrestleMania matches ever, and their rematch at WrestleMania XXVI is not far behind and a strong retirement match for Michaels.

Staff Thoughts: Michaels is the third wrestler to appear on all ballots, although discussions regarding his placement vary greatly. Some dislike his in-ring work, particularly since his return in 2002, and there are some legitimate criticisms. But Michaels has such a long list of great matches. He was always given good opportunities but he made the most of them, appearing in the first PPV ladder match and the first HIAC match, hitting it out of the park both times, and as a result both became regular gimmick matches for the company. The Rockers may be the best in-ring tag team in company history. His matches with Undertaker at WrestleMania are all-timers, and the list goes on and on. Michaels had good charisma and was a good talker, before having a historic heel run in 1997. Add it all up and the Showstoppah, the Icon, the Main Event, Mr. WrestleMania finds his way onto the top 10 of our list. To hear the guys talk more about Michaels, check out this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “He was my favorite growing up and while I enjoyed his second run too, his first run was really good, from the Rockers stuff to the angle when he turned into a single, his first title run and the awesome heel 97-98 DX Shawn. For WWF purpose, i have him top 10 and probably top 5 to 7.” – Sean Zern, June 2, 2017

“1995-1997 is my favourite in-ring Shawn, outside of the ring by all accounts he was a flaming imbecile but in-ring he was on fire and match of the night or close on almost all those early PPVs. Jarrett, Diesel (x2), Foley, Razor (x2), Taker, the Rumbles, one of the Davey’s, one of the Sid’s, Vader, Bret (x2). His comeback run had perhaps as many great matches in total, but sprinkled over an 8 year period rather than a solid 2 years. He’s top 10 for me.” – James Derbyshire, June 3, 2017

“My favorite wrestler ever and a serious GOAT contender. Half of one of the most entertaining tag teams in WWF history in the Rockers. Elevated the Intercontinental title as one of the best heels of the mid-90s. Promo skill is virtually unmatched. Works as a babyface just as well as a bad guy. Kickstarted the Attitude Era with DX. His second act from 2002 to 2010 eclipsed most guys’ full careers. Classic matches with Marty Jannetty, Razor Ramon, Diesel, Jeff Jarrett, Bret Hart, Mankind, Triple H, Undertaker, John Cena…I could go on and on. Seminal Royal Rumble performer. His resume is incredible. Only knock is he didn’t draw on top. Easy top five material.” – Ben Morse, June 7, 2017

5. Bret Hart Total Points: 11,794 Total Ballots: 118 Average Rank: 7.5 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 50 First Place Votes: 14 High Voter: Jay Hinchey; Eric Miller; Adam Russell; Andy LaBar; David Carli; Sam Symonds; Andrew Nacelle; Trust Issues; Richard Land; James; Rory McNamara; Andy Halleen; Bret Hart; Ernie Rowe

Nuance: Bret Hart had a 13-year career in the WWF, so he gets good points for longevity. He was a babyface and a heel and had great success as a singles worker and in tag teams with Jim Neidhart and his brother Owen. Bret was a stickler for realism and strived to portray a realistic product in the ring and on the mic, and was very detail oriented focusing on the little things in the ring.

Jump Up Moments: Bret teamed with Neidhart as the Hart Foundation, having excellent matches with the British Bulldogs, winning the WWF Tag Team Titles from them in February 1987. Then, at WrestleMania III the Hart Foundation teamed with Danny Davis to take on the Bulldogs and Tito Santana. Bret was the final competitor eliminated by Bad News Brown in a battle royal at WrestleMania IV. The Hart Foundation defeated Demolition in a two-out-of-three falls match to win their second WWF title at SummerSlam 1990. Their second reign lasted until WrestleMania VII when they lost the title to the Nasty Boys and the team split afterwards. The Hitman’s singles career took off with an Intercontinental Title win in a great match with Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam 1991. He lost the IC Title to the Mountie at the 1992 Royal Rumble, but regained it from Roddy Piper at WrestleMania VIII. At SummerSlam 1992, Hart had an excellent match losing the IC Title to the British Bulldog in the main event at Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 fans. In October of 1992, Hart won the WWF Title from Ric Flair in a shocking title change that did not originally appear on TV, but instead on Coliseum Video. The Hitman defended the title at 1992 Survivor Series against Shawn Michaels and against Razor Ramon at 1993 Royal Rumble. Hart lost the title to Yokozuna in the main event at WrestleMania IX. Bret won the inaugural King of the Ring in 1993, winning three matches (including a classic match against Mr. Perfect) and starting his long feud with Jerry “The King” Lawler. At SummerSlam 1993 Hart faced Doink the Clown, winning by DQ, and then Lawler, losing on a reversed decision when he would not release the Sharpshooter. At Survivor Series 1993, Bret teamed with his brothers to take on Shawn Michaels and his Knights, with only Owen being eliminated from the Hart team. At Royal Rumble. Bret teamed with Owen to take on the Quebecers for the WWF Tag Team Titles, losing by referee stoppage when Bret would not tag Owen. This led to Owen turning on Bret, kicking his leg out from his leg, but Bret would still go on to be co-winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble match. Owen and Bret had an all-time classic match at WrestleMania X, before Bret won the WWF Title from Yokozuna in the main event. Bret and Owen had another good match at SummerSlam 1994. The Hitman lost the title to Bob Backlund at Survivor Series 1994 when Owen convinced Helen Hart to throw in the towel. He challenged Diesel for the title in a very good match at Royal Rumble 1995. He had a rematch with Baklund at WrestleMania XI, and resumed his feud with Lawler in a Kiss My Foot Match at King of the Ring and then defeated Lawler’s dentist Isaac Yankem at SummerSlam 1995. Hart regained the WWF title at Survivor Series 1995 in a great match but then lost the title to Michaels in an Ironman match at WrestleMania XII. Hart would take some time off, before returning to feud with Steve Austin and defeat him in a excellent match at Survivor Series 1996. Bret began showing heel tendencies during this time, and executed a double-turn in his match with Austin at WrestleMania 13, a bout that many consider to be the best WWE match ever. Hart’s heel turn was unique as he was a beloved babyface in Canada and a hated heel in the US. He would then form the Hart Foundation with Owen, Neidhart, Bulldog and Brian Pillman. The Hart Foundation feud with Austin and others was white-hot through 1997, with the main event of IYH: Canadian Stampede being particularly insane. Bret won the WWF Title again at SummerSlam 1997 when Michaels accidentally hit Undertaker with a chair. Hart would feud with the Patriot during the fall of 1997 and at Survivor Series 1997, Hart lost the WWF title to Michaels in the famous Montreal Screwjob. Hart is a two-time King of the Ring, Royal Rumble winner, a two-time WWF Tag Team Champion, a two-time IC Champion and a World Heavyweight Champion.

Promos/Character: The Hitman character had a memorable look with his mirrored shades, pink and black attire and leather jacket. He was a no-nonsense wrestler relying on his Excellence of Execution. Despite claiming to be The Best There Is, The Best There Was and the Best There Ever Will Be, he wasn’t the greatest promo early in his career, but he did incredible promo work in 1997 during the Hart Foundation angle, playing a heel in the US and a babyface in Canada. He also performed excellent character work before, during and immediately after his match with Austin at WrestleMania 13 to execute the double turn.

Workrate: Bret leveraged the “Excellence of Execution” to have very good matches with nearly all opponents, using a realistic technical style. He carried the Hart Foundation to good matches with many tag teams of the time including the British Bulldogs, Killer Bees, Demolition, Strike Force, the Rockers and the Brain Busters. The IC Title win against Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam 1991 is excellent and his match with Piper for the IC Title at WrestleMania VIII is very good and a great moment. The 1992 SummerSlam match with Bulldog is a great carry job by Bret and an excellent match. The 1992 Survivor Series match with Shawn was very good as was the 1993 Rumble match with Razor. Bret put on a great performance at KOTR 1993 and the Mr. Perfect match is a classic. The Owen/Bret match is one of the best matches in WrestleMania and company history and the cage match at SummerSlam 1994 is good, with unique psychology of attempting to escape the cage. The match with Backlund at Survivor Series 1994 had good storytelling. He had good matches with Diesel, with the 1995 Survivor Series match being excellent. The match with British Bulldog at the December 1995 IYH was great. The match with Austin at Survivor Series 1996 is excellent and their WrestleMania 13 rematch is a strong contender for the greatest match in company history The main event of Canadian Stampede is a classic and features one of the most molten crowds you will ever hear. The Survivor Series 1997 match with Michaels is good before the screwjob ending.

Staff Thoughts: The Best There Is, The Best There Was and the Best There Ever Will Be is the fourth wrestler to appear on every ballot. During his tremendous WWF career he carried the ball during some tough times for the company in the wake of the steroid scandal and during a creative slump when interest in the product was low. The fans always believed in Bret, certainly more than the company seemingly did at times. He had a tremendous tag team run with the Hart Foundation, an IC Title run with classic matches with Mr. Perfect, British Bulldog and others and a top notch main event run. His matches with Owen and Austin at WrestleMania are some of the best in company history. The Hart Foundation vs. America angle was tremendous and some of the best work of Bret’s career, before the Montreal Screwjob sent him to WCW and doomed us all to the screwjob finish becoming a regular thing. To hear the guys talk more about Bret check out this FYC podcast or this Making the Cut.

From the Voters: “Bret does not look happy in that picture. Rewatching a ton of 93-97 WWF and Bret’s stock is going through the roof. I think he is the best offensive American wrestler ever. He is the God King of face vs face matches, which is probably the most difficult match structure to pull off. He was honestly the best babyface and heel simultaneously in WWF because he had to wrestle so many face vs face matches. The tag work leaves something to be desired. That main event run is pretty damn sweet. He was the heir to Jack Brisco. He would have made for an amazing NWA touring champion in the 90s if there was such a thing.” – Martin Boulevard, May 29, 2017

“In my top 5, easily. Great work-rate made up for his deficiencies on the microphone. Great matches with Curt Hennig, British Bulldog, and even 123 Kid. Also have to mention his matches with Stone Cold, Owen, and Undertaker. Hell, I’ll even go out on a limb and put Bret Hart as my number 1.” – Boyce Antrim, May 30, 2017

“Bret’s going to be a top 10 guy for sure for me. The question for me is, where does he fall, likely in that 5-7 range. Too many great matches, one of the best and most nuanced heel turns in company history. Wrestled in the best match I have ever witnessed live. I’m thinking 5 for right now.” – David Mann, May 31, 2017

4. John Cena Total Points: 12,007 Total Ballots: 117 Average Rank: 7 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 87 First Place Votes: 14 High Voter: Devon Hales; Kris Zellner; JF Vallee; Martin Boulevard; Patrick Fenton; Boss Rock; Dylan Hales; Dave Musgrave; Steve Williams; James Proffitt; Stacey O’Loughlin; Dean Coles; Steven Graham; Steven Riddle

Nuance: John Cena debuted in 2002 and is still going strong, notching 15 years and running to his name. He actually was a heel early in his run but has primarily been a babyface during his time with the company. He has mainly been a singles star, but has had notable tag teams with Shawn Michaels, Batista, Miz and David Otunga. Cena has a star power that no other wrestler of his era has and his charisma combined with unique fan reactions add a lot to many of his matches.

Jump Up Moments: Cena debuted answering Kurt Angle’s gold medal challenge in 2002 as a white meat babyface. After dressing as Vanilla Ice, he took on a rapper character with an edge, and challenged WWF Champion Brock Lesnar at Backlash 2003. He would later challenge other stars like Eddie Guerrero and he gained momentum as a member of Team Angle at Survivor Series 2003. He won the US Title at WrestleMania XX and defeated Booker T in a best of five series, culminating at No Mercy 2004. Cena won his first WWE Title against JBL at WrestleMania 21, and the rematch at Judgment Day 2005 in a great “I Quit” match. He then moved to Raw and feuded with Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle in feuds that were the start of the mixed fan reactions that would come to define Cena. In 2006, he lost the title when Edge cashed in his MITB before regaining it at Royal Rumble. He successfully defended his title at WrestleMania 22 against Triple H but then lost the title to Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand 2006 in front of a rabid crowd. Cena eventually won the belt back from Edge in a very good TLC match at Unforgiven 2006. In 2007, he faced Umaga at New Year’s Revolution and the Royal Rumble, the latter of which was a true classic. He faced Shawn Michaels in a very good match on Raw and at WrestleMania 23 and kept the title for most of 2007, before injury caused him to be stripped, ending the longest reign in 19 years. Cena won the 2008 Royal Rumble as a surprise entrant, and was added to the WWE championship match at WrestleMania XXIV against Triple H and Randy Orton. He won the Tag Titles with Batista before facing him at SummerSlam 2008. He would defeated Chris Jericho for his first World Heavyweight Title at Survivor Series 2008, before losing it to Edge at No Way Out. Cena regained the title at WrestleMania XXV and he would feud with Randy Orton, trading the title back and forth throughout much of 2009. Cena feuded with Batista at WrestleMania XXVI, Extreme Rules and Over the Limit 2010. He would feud with the Nexus in late 2010, before facing The Miz in the main event of WrestleMania XXVII, losing after interference from the Rock, setting up their match at WrestleMania XXVIII. Cena then feuded with CM Punk having great matches at MITB and SummerSlam 2011. The match with Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII was a great moment and he then faced the returning Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules 2012 in an excellent match. Cena won the 2013 Royal Rumble, then had a very good six-man match against the Shield at Elimination Chamber before winning the WWE Championship from the Rock at WrestleMania 29. He lost the WWE Title to Daniel Bryan in a legendary match at SummerSlam 2013. At MITB 2014, Cena won his 15th World Championship, before getting squashed by Lesnar at SummerSlam 2014. Team Cena defeated Team Authority at Survivor Series 2014 causing the disbanding of the Authority. He faced Lesnar and Seth Rollins in an excellent three-way match at Royal Rumble 2015 and faced Rusev at Fastlane and won the US Title in a rematch at WrestleMania 31, leading to a series of US Open challenge matches. He faced Rusev in rematches at Extreme Rules and Payback before feuding with Kevin Owens at Elimination Chamber, MITB and Battleground 2015. He lost the US Title to Rollins in a Winner Take All match at SummerSlam before regaining it at Night of Champions then losing it to Alberto Del Rio at HIAC 2015. Cena then took a hiatus, returning at WrestleMania 32 helping the Rock fend off the Wyatt Family. He would return to in-ring competition against AJ Styles at Money in the Bank 2016 in a good match and the two would have an even better match at SummerSlam 2016. Cena had a great match with Styles and Dean Ambrose at No Mercy and faced Styles in a match of the year contender at Royal Rumble 2017, winning the title and tying Ric Flair for the most reigns of all time. He lost the title at Elimination Chamber and began feuding with the Miz, including a mixed tag match with Nikki Bella against Miz and Maryse at WrestleMania 33. He would then take a hiatus, but upon his return he had a very good match with Roman Reigns at No Mercy 2017. Cena is a two-time Royal Rumble winner, a MITB winner, a two-time World Tag Team Champion, a two-time WWE Tag Team Champion, a five-time US Champion, a three-time World Heavyweight Champion and a 13-time WWE Champion.

Promos/Character: Cena is a mixed bag as a promo, as he’s certainly capable of delivering good promos, and he began getting over so many years ago due to the edge he showed in his rap battles. Since that time, he too often cuts goofy joke promos. Cena is one of the best at the current promo style, but that style doesn’t always resonate with a large portion of the fanbase. His character has been the superman babyface and has taken many turns that don’t always ring true, like as a saluting marine, for example. That said, he really is loved by some fans, notably kids, and his polarizing reactions have added quite a bit of atmosphere to many of his big matches and moments. That split reaction defines Cena’s character as much as anything, and he has used it to his advantage, for example at MITB 2011 and ONS 2006.

Workrate: Cena’s a top-notch worker, which showed up in his debut match against Angle. The bloodbath in the “I Quit” match against JBL is very good. His matches against Edge in 2006 are all good, especially the TLC match at Unforgiven. The RVD match at One Night Stand 2006 is great for the atmosphere alone. The New Year’s Revolution 2007 with Umaga was very good and their rematch at Royal Rumble is an all-time great, one of the best title matches ever. He even got decent matches out of Great Khali in 2007. The three matches with Batista in 2010 were all good. The MITB match with CM Punk in 2011 is an all-time great match and angle and the rematch at SummerSlam is quite good too. His first match with Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII was driven by an electric atmosphere featuring two huge stars of different eras. The Extreme Rules 2012 match with Lesnar is fantastic. Cena was in the very good six-man against the Shield at Elimination Chamber 2013. His SummerSlam 2013 match against Bryan is a classic and the three way match at Royal Rumble 2015 is great. He had memorable matches during the US Open challenges with Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and others. Cena has had classic matches with AJ Styles at SummerSlam 2016 and Royal Rumble 2017, both match of the year contenders. The Roman Reigns match at No Mercy 2017 was great and felt like a torch-passing match and moment.

Staff Thoughts: Cena’s the most decorated champion the WWE’s ever had and he’s been the chosen one for the company for a decade and a half. His character may or may not hit with you, but his ring work has been top-notch, quieting bullshit about him not being able to wrestle. His list of great matches is too long to list, but the Umaga match at Royal Rumble 2007, Punk match at MITB 2011, the Lesnar Extreme Rules match, the Bryan SummerSlam match and SummerSlam and Royal Rumble matches with AJ Styles are all-time classics. He’s a huge wrestling star and becoming a bigger mainstream star by the day as well. This all shows that while it’s fun to chant “John Cena SUCKS” in time with the music, nothing could be further from the truth. To hear the guys talk about Cena check out this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “Lay up top 20. Where he lands in that 20 remains to be seen. Not called Big Match John for nothing. Much like the Warrior, saved his best stuff for the bright lights. Can wrestle with anyone from Daniel Bryan to the Great Khali. He is decent on the mic and those boos are out of respect. If no one liked him, they would be quiet.” – Jeffrey Thomas, May 30, 2017

“Top 5. Has a chance to be my #1. One of the greatest wrestlers of all-time. The comedy promos during 2010-2012 PG Era can be bad but otherwise an all-time great promo too. Isn’t a naturally gifted athlete or all that impressive with his mannerisms but his work ethic may be unmatched. Has classics every year dating back to 2005.” – Devon Motivator Hales, May 30, 2017

“He’s also my working #1, for all the obvious reasons, and he’ll definitely be #2 at absolute worst for me. He has the total package, body of work, peak stuff, little stuff, intangibles, promos, overness, longevity, everything you’d ever want out of a WWE ace. I don’t think anyone else combines being an important top guy to WWE with actual workrate and matches as well as he does.” – Stacey O’Loughlin, May 30, 2017

3. Hulk Hogan Total Points: 12,359 Total Ballots: 115 Average Rank: 5.5 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 100 First Place Votes: 26 High Voter: Brad W; Jesse; Glenn Butler; Ray Miller; Matthew Mehnert; Chad Campbell; Scott Butler; J.A. D’Amato; Matt Ferrell; Blaise Perrone; Karl Grant; Edwin Ortiz Jr.; Brian Scala; Chris Jordan; Sean Fluharty; Tyler Kelley; Ben Morse; Tim Tetreault; Sean; Steve Bennett; Rick Willard; Greg Diener; Troy Brostrom; James Derbyshire; Eric Boyd; Mike Rudh

Nuance: Hulk Hogan’s charisma and presence were custom-fit for the babyface that Vince McMahon, Jr. needed to take the WWF national, and the rest is history. His intangibles are off the charts, with his very name being synonymous with pro wrestling for a generation of fans. Hogan fills the longevity requirements with a decade long signature run supplemented by an earlier run of about a year and several sporadic returns that add up to another couple years. He was a heel in the 1979-80 run and he returned in 2002 as a heel in name only with the New World Order, but spent the rest of his time with the WWF/E as a babyface. He had signature tag teams with Randy Savage, Brutus Beefcake and Edge, as well as being a top singles star during the majority of his time with the company.

Jump Up Moments: Hogan had a run as a heel in 1979-80 and had notable matches against Bob Backlund and Andre the Giant. He returned and quickly won the WWF Title from the Iron Sheik on January 23, 1984. Hogan faced Rowdy Roddy Piper at the War to Settle the Score, airing on MTV and their manic promos, larger than life personalities and wild brawling ushered in a new era of wrestling to fans seeing the product for the first time. The two would continue their feud main eventing the first WrestleMania with Hogan teaming with Mr. T, a major TV and movie star of the time. He main evented WrestleMania 2 in a steel cage match against King Kong Bundy and then battled Andre the Giant, drawing between 93,000 and 78,000 fans (depending on whether or not you work for WWE) to the Pontiac Silverdome for WrestleMania III. His feud with Andre continued with the controversial loss airing on prime-time network TV at the Main Event. That led to the title being vacated and the tournament at WrestleMania IV, where Hogan and Andre fought to a double-countout. Hogan then joined forces with the “Macho Man” Randy Savage as the Mega Powers, main eventing the first SummerSlam against Andre and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase in a fun match. The MegaPowers would then explode in a classic angle and good match main eventing WrestleMania V. He won the 1990 Royal Rumble before facing the Ultimate Warrior in a title vs. title match at WrestleMania VI, in a match much better than anyone expected. He got crushed by Earthquake before returning at SummerSlam 1990 where he defeated the monster by countout. Hogan won the 1991 Royal Rumble going on to win the WWF Title from Iraqi sympathizer Sgt. Slaughter in another very good match at WrestleMania VII. In late 1991, he faced Ric Flair in a series of house show matches, before losing the title to the Undertaker at Survivor Series 1991 and regaining it at This Tuesday in Texas. Flair interfered in both matches, causing the title to be on the line at the 1992 Royal Rumble where Sid Justice eliminated Hogan, before Hogan pulled out Justice drawing boos from the fans. Hogan faced Justice at WrestleMania VIII, before taking a leave of absence during the steroid trials. He returned to team with Brutus Beefcake as the Mega-Maniacs losing to Money, Inc. at WrestleMania IX. Hogan would later come to Bret Hart’s aid and accept a challenge from Mr. Fuji to face Yokozuna, and he won the WWF Title again. Hogan would lose the title at the 1993 King of the Ring to Yokozuna before leaving the company until 2002. Hogan returned as his “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan character, leader of the NWO in 2002, facing the Rock at WrestleMania X8 in a classic match with the crowd cheering Hogan wildly. This led to a post-match face turn and Hogan winning his sixth WWF Title at Backlash 2002. He remained in the main event scene, battling Undertaker and Kurt Angle before teaming with Edge to win the WWE Tag Team Titles on the July 4 episode of SmackDown. He lost to Brock Lesnar, passing out in his bearhug. In 2003, he battled Vince McMahon in a crazy brawl at WrestleMania XIX, and he began appearing as “Mr. America” afterward. Hogan returned in 2005, feuding with Shawn Michaels resulting in a very fun match at SummerSlam. Hogan would also face Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2006. He would later host WrestleMania XXX having an icon moment in the *Silverdome* with the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Hogan is a two-time Royal Rumble winner, WWE Tag Team Champion and six-time WWF/E World Heavyweight Champion.

Promos/Character: “Well, ya know brother, whatcha gonna do when Real American plays, and the Hulkster brings those 24-inch pythons to the ring, rips off that red and yellow tank top. With all my little Hulkamaniacs training, saying their prayers, eating their vitamins, Hulkamania is going to run wild on you.” Everything in that previous sentence is iconic and the match hasn’t started yet. He delivered his promos with a manic passion that you couldn’t ignore and when he talked, you couldn’t look away. His promos were formulaic, but they worked, as did his angles and matches. Once the Hulkster dropped that big leg for the 1-2-3 brother, you better believe he was going to pose and cup that ear, soaking in the roar of the Hulkamaniacs. 

Workrate: The Hulkster gets a bad rap as a worker, but he had very good matches, particularly early in his career. He had good matches on SNME with Bob Orton, Paul Orndorff and Terry Funk to name a few and his feud with Kamala is very well regarded. The MegaPowers vs. MegaBucks match at the first SummerSlam is a very good, fun match. The Savage match at WrestleMania V is strong, and the match against the Ultimate Warrior a year later is a classic. He had a very good cage match against the Big Bossman on SNME airing in May 1989. The WrestleMania VII match against Slaughter is very good, regardless of your thoughts on the angle. His match against the Rock at WrestleMania X8 is a classic thanks in large part to the crowd reactions, but also due to the charisma of both participants. The match with Vince at WrestleMania XIX is a great chaotic brawl. The SummerSlam match against Michaels is known for Shawn’s crazy bumps, but it’s a really fun and solid match, too.

Staff Thoughts: “When it comes crashing down and it hurts inside…” and the roof blows off the damn building when that music hit, for the majority of a decade and for any return since. Without Hogan, are we making a list like this? Or are we having a WWF regional list and a Mid-South list, and a Mid-Atlantic list and so on and so on? There’s no real answer and maybe someone else would’ve taken the reigns, but we can’t picture anyone else having the success Hogan did. Hogan was not just one of the greatest characters in wrestling in the 1980s, he was one of the greatest characters in pop culture in the 1980s. He very much encapsulated that era in his promos, in his larger than life persona and in the energy he brought to everything he did. In the 1980s you knew you were a big star if you appeared on the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling cartoon, but it was named after Hulk Hogan, leaving no doubt who was the biggest star of all. At times his ring work could be formulaic, but at other times he was a helluva good worker. And even the formula matches still sent the crowd home happy. The WrestleMania III match is no workrate classic, but that angle, that event and that crowd set the template for big main events to come. And Hogan’s charisma made matches better with the Ultimate Warrior and Rock WrestleMania matches coming to mind. To hear more about Thunderlips, check out this FYC podcast while enjoying a nice meal from Hulk Hogan’s Pastamania.

From the Voters: “Without him, there might not BE a WWE. Underrated worker as well. Understood (and understands) how to work a crowd maybe better than anybody.” – Ben Morse, May 29, 2017

“The face of the man who is arguably the reason we are having this conversation right now. Many of his Wrestlemania main events are a little underappreciated. I actually enjoy the cage match against Bundy.” – Wil Gertler, May 30, 2017

“Has to be in the discussion for number one. Kind of an underrated worker. Sure there was a formula but the audience was rabid for him every step of the way. Isn’t that the point of wrestling?” – Aaron George, May 29, 2017

2. Steve Austin Total Points: 12,527 Total Ballots: 116 Average Rank: 4.3 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 20 First Place Votes: 15 High Voter: Lou Spadone; Trent Williams; Ben Halbur; Eric Vejnovich; Steve; Ryan Gray; Jeremy Ray; Jason Hartman; Tony Jurkas; Chris Crane; Vince Male; Mr. P; Jake Imm; Kevin E. Pittack; Owen Waite

Nuance: Steve Austin had a seven-year run as an active participant with some time missed for injuries so he’s about average on longevity, though his peak is shorter than many other top stars. He played both a heel and a babyface, primarily as a singles star, but he had tag team success with Shawn Michaels, Dude Love, Undertaker and Triple H. Austin was a master of facial expressions and body language to add to his matches, promos and segments. He focused on little things and could give incredibly nuanced performances. Austin’s presence and incredible connection to the crowd added more meaning to nearly all his matches, promos and segments.

Jump Up Moments: Austin debuted as the Ringmaster as part of the Million Dollar Corporation, before quickly taking the Stone Cold moniker, which he found more success with. He feuded with Savio Vega losing a Caribbean strap match at IYH: Beware of Dog, causing Ted DiBiase to be forced out as Austin’s manager. Austin would later say he lost the match intentionally to forge his own way. Stone Cold won the 1996 King of the Ring, last defeating Jake “The Snake” Roberts, cutting his iconic Austin 3:16 promo after his victory. Austin began showing his ruthless side, turning on friend Brian Pillman and breaking his ankle with a steel chair in a move that came to be known as “Pillmanizing”. He would also travel to Pillman’s house in the infamous “Pillman’s Got a Gun” segment of Raw. Stone Cold began challenging and taunting Bret Hart, who was taking time off, but returned to battle Austin in an excellent match at Survivor Series 1996. At the 1997 Royal Rumble, Austin showed his star power, often looking at his “watch” while waiting for competition before having a great reaction when Hart arrived. Hart eliminated Austin but the referee didn’t see the elimination, so Austin reentered the match and won it. The results were held up, causing a match between Austin, Hart, Vader and Undertaker at Final Four for the WWF Title. Austin continued his feud with Hart, leading to a match at WrestleMania 13 where Hart defeated Austin and the two executed a perfect double-turn in a fantastic match. Austin challenged Undertaker for the WWF title at Cold Day in Hell after he had injured Hart’s leg in a street fight on Raw. He also teamed with Shawn Michaels to defeat Owen Hart and the British Bulldog for the WWF Tag Team Titles, and later won them with Dude Love in very good matches on Raw. He also had a great match with Michaels at the 1997 King of the Ring. Austin was part of the ten man tag match that main evented Canadian Stampede, where he was a hated heel and the Hart Foundation were heroes in front of the Calgary crowd. Austin faced Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1997 in a very good match, before a botched piledriver broke Austin’s neck. He relinquished the IC and Tag Titles and attacked Owen at a Raw in MSG, followed by giving Vince McMahon the first of many Stone Cold Stunners. Austin regained the IC Title from Owen at Survivor Series 1997, before moving on to a feud with the Rock that saw Austin throw the IC Title into a New Hampshire river. Stone Cold won the 1998 Royal Rumble and set his sights on the WWF Title, which he won from Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV. The Austin/McMahon feud then took center stage, with Austin choosing to do things the hard way rather than the easy way, hitting Vince in the stones and giving out more Stunners. Dude Love became a substitute for McMahon, and challenged for the WWF Title at Unforgiven and Over the Edge 1998. Austin lost the title to Kane at the 1998 King of the Ring in a first blood match, but won it back the next night on Raw before taking to the Highway to Hell to face the Undertaker at SummerSlam 1998. He continued feuding with Kane and Undertaker, and the title wound up being held up and awarded to the winner of the Survivor Series 1998 Deadly Games tournament. Austin finished second in the 1999 Royal Rumble, but defeated McMahon in a steel cage match at St. Valentine’s Massacre, winning the right to face WWF champion the Rock at WrestleMania XV. Austin continued feuding with McMahon throughout most of 1999, and at various points during their feud he gave McMahon a beer bath, kidnapped him firing a gun with a flag that said Bang 3:16 causing McMahon to piss his pants and various other memorable moments. Austin was run over prior to the Survivor Series 1999 main event giving him time off to deal with an injured neck. In late 2000, Austin returned and faced Rikishi, who ran him over at Survivor Series, before turning his attention to Triple H, who was the mastermind all along. Austin won his third Royal Rumble in 2001 and then faced Triple H in a Three Stages of Hell match at No Way Out 2001. Stone Cold won the WWF Title at WrestleMania X7 in a great match against the Rock, turning heel in the process. He then formed the Two Man Power Trip with Triple H, winning the Tag Team Titles and having a great match with Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho on Raw. During the Invasion, Austin joined the Alliance, turning on Team WWF during the main event of the Invasion PPV. Austin would then feud with Kurt Angle, having an all-time great match at SummerSlam 2001, losing the title to Angle at No Mercy in another good match, before winning it back on Raw. The Alliance was defeated at Survivor Series 2001 and Austin turned babyface the night after Survivor Series and challenged for the Undisputed Title at Vengeance 2001, losing to Chris Jericho. He would also feud with Booker T during this time, including the famous supermarket brawl. Austin challenged Jericho for the Undisputed Title at No Way Out 2002, before taking on Scott Hall at WrestleMania X8. Creative differences and other issues led to Austin missing much of 2002, returning in early 2003. He face the Rock at WrestleMania XIX in his last match for the company. He would appear as Sheriff Austin and other authority figure roles, and is still a popular guest referee or special guest. Austin is a King of the Ring, a three-time Royal Rumble winner, a four-time WWF Tag Team Champion, a two-time IC Champion and a six-time WWF Champion.

Promos/Character: “You talk about your Psalms, you talk about your John 3:16, well Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!” And with that one promo countless black and white Austin 3:16 T-shirts were sold. That’s a money promo. While Austin 3:16 is his most famous promo, Stone Cold could be counted on week in and week out to deliver the goods on the stick to deliver promos that both advanced the storyline and electrified the crowd. If you want to hear more give me a hell yeah! OK, his interactions with Vince McMahon helped turn the company around and win the Monday Night Wars, and almost all of that was done through promos and character work, due to McMahon’s limitations inside the ring. Stone Cold’s connection with the crowd as the everyman anti-hero was something that hadn’t been seen before and maybe no one has had as strong a connection since. Giving your boss the double bird before kicking his ass and celebrating by chugging beers is something that resonated with a large portion of the audience that would like to do the same thing. It was wrestling as escapism from real life and it hit big time with the crowd. His later comedy work with Kurt Angle, Vince McMahon and the Alliance was excellent, as well. When it came to character and promo work, Austin could do it all. And that’s the bottom line, ‘cuz Stone Cold said so!

Workrate: Austin was a tremendous worker when healthy and showed great versatility by becoming more of a brawler when injuries slowed him down. His early matches with Savio Vega were good. Austin’s first great WWF match came against Bret Hart at Survivor Series 1996. The match between Hart and Austin at WrestleMania 13 may be the best match in company history. The double-turn was incredibly well done and moved Austin even further down the road to superstardom. The tag team match with Michaels against Bulldog and Owen, as well as the King of the Ring match with Michaels were very good. The main event of Canadian Stampede was fantastic and Austin did a great job playing a heel. The Over the Edge 1998 match against Dude Love was a great match that told a great story. The Three Stages of Hell match against Triple H was very good. The WrestleMania X7 match against the Rock is one of the best Mania main events in history and the bout on Raw with Triple H against Benoit and Jericho is one of the best matches ever on Raw. Austin’s match against Angle at SummerSlam 2001 is fantastic and on the short list of best matches in SummerSlam history too. The WrestleMania XIX match with the Rock is excellent, particularly considering Austin’s health challenges, and it was a great way to end their feud and Austin’s career in the ring.

Staff Thoughts: No star ever burned brighter or hotter in the WWE Universe than Stone Cold Steve Austin. He burned out too soon, due to injury, personal issues and creative differences, but the impact Austin had during his time is undeniable. During Austin’s time on top, the company reached heights of popularity it had never seen before and seems unlikely to reach anytime soon. You can make a strong argument that he’s involved in two of the greatest feuds in company history against Bret Hart and Vince McMahon. The Hart feud saw all-time great matches and moments, particularly the WrestleMania 13 war. The image of Austin bleeding buckets while trapped in the Sharpshooter before passing out is one of the most iconic images in company history. The McMahon feud featured memorable moments nearly every week on Raw, from Stunners to beer baths to pants pissing. He had an in-ring renaissance in 2001 having one of his best years with classic matches against Triple H, Rock, Angle, Benoit and Jericho. Austin’s one of the best promos and characters the company has ever had, from the Austin 3:16 promo to his beer chugging celebrations and even WHAT! All of this adds up one of the best all-around stars the WWE has ever seen. And all our voters said Hell Yeah! To hear more about what the guys had to say check out this FYC podcast.

From the Voters: “In the conversation for #1, but I think he had a strong case against him. Stretching from 97-03, he’s only got six years on top, and he missed one or two due to injury or pouting fits. Post-SummerSlam 97 Austin completely altered WWF main event style from wrestling to brawling, which lasted until Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar and WCW imports like the Radicalz switched it back; that could be an argument for or against, but he was able to hang both ways. Working in his favor, arguably nobody else–maybe Hogan–understood how to maximize their character more successfully. He’s got a cavalcade of great matches against Bret Hart, The Rock, Triple H, Kurt Angle and others. Yes sir, definitely in the discussion…” – Ben Morse, June 5, 2017

“In the conversation for number one. I’m throwing him, Rock, Savage, Shawn and maybe a small handful of others into that category. Could do it all, especially when healthy. Along with the Rock, defined the most mainstream and successful period in company history.” – Greg Phillips, June 5, 2017

“#1 Candidate. His biggest weaknesses are longevity & the propensity to fall under the spell of Attitude Era brawls. Some of those brawls are due to booking, some of it to his lingering injuries. It does hurt him though. Amazing worker in 97 & 01. Arguably the greatest WWE character of all-time. All-time great promo. Of the top 50 or so moments in WWE history he’s probably got about 20 of them. All-time great feuds with Bret/HF, Vince, & Rock. Special wrestler & performer. Once in a lifetime star. Maybe bigger than Hogan at his peak in terms of stardom. Probably had the biggest pops in wrestling history when the sound of breaking glass hit. Top 5 lock.” – Devon Motivator Hales, June 2, 2017

1. Randy Savage Total Points: 12,544 Total Ballots: 118 Average Rank: 4.9 High Vote: 1 Low Vote: 23 First Place Votes: 24 High Voter: Brian Bayless; ElliottPWO; Pete Schirmacher; Taylor Keahey; Jacob Williams; Ryan Everett; Travis Woloshyn; Matthew Richards; Nikolaj; Darren Hibbert; Todd Weber; Brian Meyer; JT Rozzero; Michael Schoen; Jeff; Justin Webb; Aaron George; Matt Souza; Jamie McGleave; D. Macgregor; Scott Criscuolo; Jason Greenhouse; Alexis; Randy Savage  

Nuance: Randy Savage is all nuance. Heel? Check. Face? One of the best in the business. Tag work? They’re called the fucking MEGA Powers. For nearly a decade he captivated audiences with his unparralled intensity. He introduced us to Elizabeth, and to what that male/female act could be. No one moved like him, no one spoke like him, and no one connected to the audience like him. He made you care. Each and every time he was out there. Very few matches were throwaways. They were personal. VERY personal. You always got the impression from Savage that he was a real person. A real person who often wanted to murder his opponents. In a world of cartoon characters and Honky Tonk Men this was by no means an easy feat. He was the Macho Man and he was the God damned best.

Jump Up Moments: His arrival in the promotion was heralded, like the coming of a macho comet. He was desired. Men got in line to plead their case to lead him. In the end, he rejected them all. He rejected the weasels, the loudmouths and the devious men in top hats. He chose HER. He needed her. Perhaps he always had. In them we saw the greatness of madness. He protected her and she helped him reach new heights; opening the ropes for him and always there when he needed her. While warding off animals he began conquering the promotion. First defeating a proud man, to win the first, of what would become many, prizes. The prize obsessed him. For years he needed only to protect her, but now there was gold in his eyes. He fought snakes and old Italian men before seeing a man whose drive rivaled perhaps only his own. He saw the Dragon coming. He lashed out, nearly crippling the red-blooded hero. It mattered not, the Dragon returned, and on the biggest stage conquered HIM. Few had ever looked better in defeat though as he soon found himself embattled with a charlatan with greasy hair and a sequined jump suit. They ganged up on him. Beat him. More importantly though they hurt HER. He needed help. Help came in the form of an immortal friend. Together they formed a power greater than the entire universe. Their handshake shook the foundations of civilization. While he would never conquer the sequined man, he would instead, in one night, banish all the demons of the past year and conquer the entire promotion. Things were good. He and his friend were battling the forces of evil, toppling giants and destroying the corrupt. SHE was with them. However when he looked at his new friend he no longer saw support, instead it was replaced with something more sinister. He saw a fleeting touch, a loving embrace… he saw LUST IN THE EYES. His friend had turned on him, and now not only wanted the championship, but he wanted a greater prize; he wanted HER. They battled and HE was toppled. He fought back. Finding new allies in a witch and a would be god, but it was no use. His friend had won. The title, the girl, everything. He spiraled, becoming royalty but never feeling full. He chased dreams. He beat dreams. He aided in stealing Dream’s African-American friend with benefits. It still wasn’t enough. He needed to reclaim the Ultimate prize that was once his. Now held within the clutches of a mighty Warrior, he requested a chance to, once again, prove his worth. When rejected he took matters into his own hands. In an explosion of rubies and gold he took what was most dear from the Warrior, and ultimately, set himself on a path from which he would not return. He fought he Warrior, valiantly, with his entire existence on the line, and lost. Crushed he laid in the ring, a broken and defeated man. The witch was irate, she began beating him. She degraded him. His salvation came through in a familiar face. It was her. She rid the ring of the witch and stood before the man she once loved. In this moment it became crystal clear that their love hadn’t passed. They embraced, reconciling and once again becoming whole. His obsession had driven her away but now they were together, in love, this time for good. She opened the ropes for him, they would leave and begin their new lives together. He stopped. This time HE would hold the ropes. HE would honor HER. This time would be different. He had grown, he had learned. As she left the ring  he took a moment to say goodbye, and the tears of joy were as loud as the cheers. He was loved again.

They were happy; got married, but there’s always a snake in the grass, waiting to snuff out happiness. The snake ruined the wedding, the snake attacked whenever he could. The snake brought a 15 foot king cobra in the ring and made it literally bite HIM while tears streamed down the face of the child clad in the HULK RULES shirt. He had tried to leave, but now he was back FIGHTING the snake. Trying to KILL the snake. The snake fell but a different kind of snake emerged in the aftermath. One who claimed that he had had HER. What ensued was a hated filled encounter during which HE once again conquered the promotion. Jealousy and madness had led to his demise, love brought him back and now it once again brought him the Ultimate prize.

Then some douchebag friend of his got all pissy because he didn’t visit him in the hospital enough.

Promos/Character: Fair to say he is easily one of the best talkers in company history. He made a promo with a cup of cream work for Christ’s sake. He always felt real. Go back and watch the promo where he talks about what he’s going to do to Crush. It’s quiet, seething and outright scary. Things affected him. He BLAMED HIMSELF for Elizabeth getting slapped, he WAS ALWAYS NUMBER THREE IN THE MEGA POWERS, every word out of his mouth made sense for his character and was delivered in a way which pushed his storylines forward. He was believable. With. That. Voice. He could do it all on the mic and then some. Modern performers should take note of how he understood the basic rules of television blocking and then purposefully broke them for effect.

Workrate: Crisp, efficient worker. Everything was smooth and realistic. His jabs were tremendous, and he rarely meandered as he climbed to the top rope for his trademark stuff. You could go on and on about his offense, but his selling is truly spectacular. He sold a damn leg injury for the better part of 1992 and never once came off hokey for it.  Some may give him flack or knock him for planning out his matches in advance, but once certainly can’t argue the results. Even Ricky Steamboat, who HATED it at the time, can’t fault the system that gave him one of the greatest matches of his career.

Staff Thoughts: Is there anything in the realm of professional wrestling that Randy Savage didn’t excel at? He was a tremendous worker, a top-tier promo and always had the audience in the palm of his hand. He was Mr. WrestleMania before it was a thing. His entire career was essentially one big storyline! That wasn’t due to Pat Patterson sitting by Vince’s pool and plotting out a six year arc. That was Randy Savage being zoned in to his character and meticulously laying out every detail. No one had that type of focus or commitment before, and no one has had it since. You cared about every minute he was on screen. Even when he was in there with George “Mine” Steele. Perhaps his greatest skill though was eliciting an emotional response from the audience. You can sell out the Garden, you can spawn a nationwide mania, you can kick the crap out of your boss every week or you can declare yourself HERE every show but those all pale in comparison to making that guy in the green cowboy hat weep at WrestleMania VII. Randy Savage had it all and the business is better for having had him. He elevated the art form and is still inspiring countless generations to follow in his footsteps. It’s with great pride, and a tear in my eye that we declare that, in this moment in time and with this very specific set of parameters, “Macho Man” Randy Savage is the greatest wrestler in WWE history.

From the Voters: “Short list of guys that could be number one, wont fall out of the top 10. To me, he is the posterboy of 80s WWE. I know Hogan was the draw and all that, but for me Savagerepresented ALL that wrestling was (in ring, out of ring, etc). He was exceptionally well rounded and stole than his fair share of big shows. He also excelled on Saturday Night’s main event. He has a number of quality matches from that show that helped carry WWE TV and I think added a lot of credibility to both the IC and World title.” – Matthew Richards, June 2, 2017

“GOAT candidate, though I’ll argue against him as number one on a WWF list simply because he was never given the ball long enough to run with it. All-time great character who transcended wrestling and infiltrated pop culture. His good matches were great and his bad matches were still pretty good. Maybe had the best match ever against Steamboat. Had classics with Tito, Hogan, Warrior, Flair and others. If he had been handed the reins of the company at either Mania V or VI, this wouldn’t even be a discussion, but he spent too long in Hogan’s shadow.” – Ben Morse, June 6, 2017

“I just wanted to also add I am wearing my Macho Man t-shirt today and have got at least half a dozen comments on it. If that doesn’t warrant Top 10 placement, what does?” – David Mann, June 8, 2017