The short answer, in my opinion, is yes, but it’s a lot more complicated than just a simple one word answer.  Having said that, let’s explore the details around having a women’s tag team championship within WWE.

Why Have A Women’s Tag Team Championship?

WWE have been pushing the women’s division over the last year with more historic moments than ever before.

The latest to feature was Sunday’s women’s elimination chamber match, which is took place after the WWE Universe saw the first ever women’s royal rumble in January.

An alternate way of thinking about the recent developments is to compare them to those of the men’s division.  It appears as though the women’s division is catching up to the men’s, without actually installing anything new or truly ‘groundbreaking’.

The other thing that the elimination chamber match showed was the emphasis on partnerships in the women’s division.  All of the competitors had an alliance of some sort, and although one of the main angles of the match was on betrayal, it also highlighted just how well tag teams could work.

Therefore, if WWE are looking to continue the trend that they’ve shown over the past year or so in the women’s division, the creation of a tag team championship seems like the obvious next step when developing the female roster.  This would also open up new avenues and opportunities (creatively) within women’s professional wrestling which, if done correctly, would have a long-lasting positive impact.

The main reason why WWE may be considering creating a women’s tag team championship is purely due to the recent recruitment drive that has seen the locker room expand and move from strength to strength.  There has been a significant increase in the number of female superstars over the last 2 years, enough to warrant the need for an extra challenge.

Who Would Be Tag Team Champions?

This is the biggest question that will impact WWE.  The likes of Absolution and Riot Squad are pre-made heel teams, perfect to fit in tag team matches straight away.  Thinking historically, another example would have been the Bella Twins who were prime candidates for past champions.

But there will need to be enough legitimate tag teams to make up a consistent field of superstars who will sustain the title race and continuous competition, without detracting from the main Women’s Championship.  Therefore each brand will require at least 8 – 10 dedicated superstars to work as tag teams, in addition to those who are competing for the existing championship title.  With their current numbers (approximately 12 female superstars each) RAW and SmackDown Live aren’t in a position to create their own brand specific tag team titles.

So it seems more likely that a tag team championship would be created in time for, or just after WrestleMania 35.

To make the decision easier, WWE could look at who they want to push for the singles championships.  It seems as though there are a solid 4 superstars who WWE will look keep in the championship picture.

It will be the likes of Becky Lynch, Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Naomi, who WWE could look to when it comes to forming solid tag team partnerships.  Carmella could also work well, but the Money In The Bank contract adds an extra complication.

When And How Would This Happen?

As I’ve already pointed out, the slight short fall in numbers will hold this developmental idea back until this time next year, after further recruitment drives/promotions from NXT.  But a installing a new championship is something that WWE have done extremely recently with the cruiserweight division and the UK championship.

An alternative way to create a tag team championship within the women’s division is to wait until the brand split is over.  There is more than enough strength in depth for a singles and tag team championship if the brand divide wasn’t in place.

And with the new PPVs listed for after WrestleMania, many believe that the brand split is coming to an end.

Conclusion:

Is it possible?  Not without further recruitment/promotion or the end of the split brands.

Is it likely?  The way WWE have been pushing for the women’s division to match up with that of the men’s, it seems more than likely that we’ll see female team tag champions before the summer of 2019.

Is it a good idea?  Without a doubt.  Tag team matches aren’t new to the women’s division, there’s no risk involved if done correctly.  There should be an increase in drive and competition between the superstars as more is on offer for them to compete for.  It would give motivation and purpose to those who may be considered in the mid card of the division.

This isn’t a possibility, this is a must.

After almost squandering an attempt to cash-in her Money In The Bank contract against Charlotte this past Tuesday on SmackDown Live, Carmella may want to review her situation and work out her next steps.

In response to the attempted cash-in on Charlotte, Carmella released the video below, explaining how it was all part of her plan:

#SDLive pic.twitter.com/RRVDXL4jMp

— Mella Is Money 🤑 (@CarmellaWWE) January 31, 2018

Miss Money In The Bank will no doubt be hoping that she doesn’t join the likes of Baron Corbin in failing to win the championship title when she does actually cash in.  The Lone Wolf has lost all momentum in recent months, with a bleak mid-card future in his sights instead of what could have been a WWE Championship reign.

Since Carmella won her Money In The Bank contract, Naomi, Natalya, and Charlotte have been the SmackDown Live Women’s Champion.  While Naomi and Natalya are by no means weak champions, Charlotte represents the strongest and biggest challenge on the SmackDown Live roster for any other member of the locker room.

Charlotte has had 7 different championship reigns:

• NXT Women’s Championship (1)
• WWE Diva’s Chamionship (1)
• WWE RAW Women’s Championship (4 times)
• WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Championship (1)

In total, so far, Charlotte’s reigns amount to 776 days as a champion.  Which, when compared to Carmella, is quite a daunting prospect.  Therefore it makes perfect sense for WWE to use the Money In The Bank strategy to elevate Carmella into a Champion’s position.

In the last year, Carmella is one of the superstars who has been able to carve their own unique path in WWE.  With the help of James Ellsworth, The Princess of Staten Island has developed her persona and position on SmackDown Live into one of great potential.

Unfortunately the current SmackDown Live Women’s Champion has been presented as a dominant competitor, so any cash-ins against Charlotte could result in Carmella losing the title at the next given opportunity.

If you also take into consideration the fact that Carmella was later defeated by Becky Lynch via submission, it seems as though her win:loss ratio isn’t where it should be for that of a potential champion.

To view Carmella’s position from a different perspective and context, we can look at the WWE 2k18 ratings:

1. Asuka 87
2. Charlotte 85
3. Alexa Bliss 85
4. Nikki Bella 85
5. Naomi 85
6. Sasha Banks 85
7. Nia Jax 83
8. Natalya 83
9. Becky Lynch 83
10. Bayley 83
11. Mickie James 80
12. Carmella 79
    
13. Dana Brooke 75
14. Alicia Fox 74
15. Maryse 73

It’s only a video game, but it’s supposed to be based on reality.  Even if they are dated, the figures do not look good for Carmella who is positioned 12 out how the whole of the Women’s division (not taking into account those who have joined more recently from NXT).

The addition of Ronda Rousey, makes Carmella’s chances of making a significant impact on the SmackDown Live Women’s Championship even more slim.  Therefore it is now even more imperative that Carmella evaluates her position and time carefully to ensure that her title reign is not short-lived.

Before Charlotte became SmackDown Live Women’s Champion, Natalya had the title, but her heel persona never gave Carmella the window needed to take advantage.  While Carmella would make her presence known, Natalya often won matches with other opponents via submission, or was defeated by disqualification.  This meant that there were very few times that Natalya was situated in the traditional “ready-to-pin” position in the ring.

One key aspect that potentially held Carmella back was having to share the spot light with James Ellsworth.  Before joining up with Carmella, Ellsworth had successful feuds with AJ Styles and became a household name in a very short space of time.  The Princess of Staten Island was then able to work with Ellsworth and increase her popularity and interest among fans before parting ways, turning on him in front of the rest of the locker room.  It could be argued that without Ellsworth, Carmella wouldn’t be where she is; however Carmella might have been SmackDown Live Women’s Champion by now if she had left James Ellsworth sooner.

The other main aspect that hasn’t gone Carmella’s way is the sheer lack of genuine opportunities.

In terms of matches at PPVs that Carmella could have targeted, there haven’t been that many.  In fact the only real opportunity would have been at Survivor Series, where many speculated that she would betray her team.  There were even theories about Carmella cashing-in on Alexa Bliss and switching brands.  However nothing came from it.  Perhaps the heavy speculation from the WWE Universe put the creatives off a cash-in at Survivor Series.

Carmella’s best opportunity to cash-in her contract on SmackDown Live came on August 22nd where Naomi & Becky Lynch took on Natalya (c) & Carmella.  Although the prospect was teased by James Ellsworth, the tease became more of a reveal when he couldn’t control his mouth, resulting in a detailed explanation of the whole plan in a promo before the match (notice the focus on James Ellsworth, not Carmella).

When it comes to future events, Carmella has 3 PPV events before her Money In The Bank contract expires, as well as 1 key SmackDown Live episode:

• Fastlane (March 11th)
• WrestleMania (April 8th)
• SmackDown Live After WrestleMania (April 10th)
• Payback (May 27th)

It seems unlikely that Charlotte will drop the title before WrestleMania, as WWE would want to build and develop her to make a match in April against Ronda Rousey as big as possible; much like Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar.

So where does this leave The Princess of Staten Island?

In a very difficult situation to be honest.  Carmella needs to focus on what she will become after her time of being Miss Money In The Bank is over.  Whether she’s champion or not, losing the title, that she uses as her Twitter name, will be a blow to her in-ring persona because she’s owned the role and built herself up around it.  Carmella needs to make sure that when she no longer has the briefcase, there’s something else to hold on to and keep her relevant; it would be too easy, and a great shame, for her to get lost in a growing and developing division.

The reveal of former UFC Champion Ronda Rousey at this past Sunday’s Royal Rumble has given WWE some massive massive exposure. Outlets from outside of the wrestling ‘bubble’ are now starting to mention names such as Asuka, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks as potential Wrestlemania opponents for ‘Rowdy’ Ronda and giving the WWE valuable reach into an entirely new audience…something that would certainly not be happening if the cultural phenomenon hadn’t made her way over to the squared circle.

The question marks around Rousey’s full time contract and her upcoming matches are still shrouded in mystery, however it is fairly safe to assume that a match against Charlotte Flair has been considered and a bout against Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka will come to fruition at some point. But outside of the already established names being thrown around who else is there for Ronda to face in WWE?

Here’s three names that we feel should be considered for the ‘Rowdy’ one:

Nikki Cross

Photo Credit: WWE.com

The first name we’re throwing in for consideration is Nikki Cross. The former Pro Wrestling: EVE champion and ICW alum has been an integral part of the Sanity stable since their formation and an eventual call up to one of the main roster shows possibly alongside her stablemates must surely be near.

As a fan of the independent scene there is a good chance that Rousey is already aware of Nikki’s abilities, her fire, aggression and unpredictability all combine to create one of the most intriguing superstars in NXT’s Women’s division.

The likelihood of this happening isn’t exactly high, Rousey will most probably be used sparingly with select dates and specials on WWE Network against the alread- mentioned established main roster names. That said, the Scottish NXT Superstar is ready to make that jump and what a way to establish her on WWE’s main roster.

Mickie James

Photo Credit: WWE.com

What better way to introduce Ronda to the WWE style? Mickie James has been slotted perfectly back into WWE’s ranks and could act as a mentor to guide Ronda through her first few months in a completely new industry. Whilst Rousey is a self proclaimed mega fan of pro wrestling it is a very different prospect when you actually get inside the ring and Mickie’s experience, skill level and name value could see her guide the new recruit.

Out of the three that we will mention this has a fairly high chance of coming to fruition, James can act as the ‘Chris Jericho’ type gatekeeper for Ronda and gaining experience/knowing how to perform for a television audience as well as a live crowd will be essential if Ronda is going to thrive in WWE.

Bayley

Bayley

There are two ways that a feud against Bayley could work for Ronda. There’s no doubt that the insanely popular former NXT Women’s Champion Bayley has been under-utilised on WWE’s main roster, a chance to go toe to toe with Rousey could present an opportunity to either turn Ronda heel, or in a complete u-turn actually finally get Bayley to turn to the dark side.

Bayley could easily use the exposure from a bout against the former UFC Champion, she is a solid in ring performer and has the ability to draw emotion from a crowd of all ages, something that WWE is sorely lacking right now (Cena and Roman I’m looking at you here).

Granted Bayley is so low down on the pecking order that a match against Rousey is probably furthest from WWE’s mind, however if you want to get a crowd to be invested in Ronda then you could do a lot worse then giving Bayley a shot.

Who would you like to see Ronda in the ring with? Let us know in the comments.

205 Live has not been the major success that WWE had envisioned, there are a multitude of reasons that the Cruiserweight show has drawn poorly; the time slot behind Smackdown Live, the lack of genuinely intriguing storytelling and the poor promotional efforts from the company being just a small cluster. Many have suggested that WWE cut it’s losses and look to redistribute the Cruiserweight stars amongst the RAW & Smackdown brands, but with the recent announcement of 205 Live touring shows it is clear that WWE do not want to put this project to bed just yet. So, who could WWE bring into the ‘purple brand’ to attempt to revitalise and boost the programme? We’ll take a look at three names now.

Hideo Itami

Hideo Itami

This is basically cheating…Hideo Itami has been confirmed for 205 Live but I wanted to highlight how the switch massively helps both Hideo and the Cruiserweight show. Itami has been flagging on NXT for an extremely long time and his presence on the de-facto ‘developmental brand’ no longer carries the weight of a major independent star who can shift ticket sales. When Hideo is transitioned to 205 Live (and essentially RAW) then he can be repositioned as an absolute killer amongst the more high flying elements of the show because fans from his KENTA days will tell you he can be absolutely brutal, vicious and devastating inside the ring when the time calls. Whilst Hideo may not necessarily attract the numbers that WWE would be looking for he will be a welcome asset, the prospect of Itami against Gulak, Cedric Alexander and Akira Tozawa is more than exciting and perhaps he can lend a certain in ring credibility that the show (and title) are perhaps looking for.

Finn Balor

Finn Balor

It’s quite incredible to consider where both Hideo and Balor are at this point in their careers, with Finn debuting in NXT to team with the already somewhat established Hideo. That being said a move to 205 Live for the Irish star would be seen by a large majority as a step down, but what needs to be considered is how and where Finn could be used on RAW in the foreseeable future. A rumored nixing of the Universal Title match against Brock Lesnar due to Vince McMahon believing Finn wasn’t ‘over’ has seen Finn referencing and mocking this idea on social media…but realistically what can Finn do between now and next year’s Wrestlemania? There’s certainly opportunities for Finn on RAW but how much of a benefit would Balor be as a temporary star on 205 Live? I really believe that you would see a rise in interest and he would generate a buzz around a completely stagnant show. It wouldn’t be for long and I wouldn’t advocate him winning the Cruiserweight title but a nice run against some of the better in ring stars on 205 Live could do wonders for that show.

Chad Gable

Chad Gable

Last and certainly not least would be Chad Gable. Gable’s isn’t a name that I have heard suggested for 205 Live but at 92kg (202 pounds) he certainly could be on the roster. Whilst his run with Shelton Benjamin has been entertaining within the Smackdown Live Tag Division there does need to be time to transition the former Olympic athlete into singles competition. Instead of possibly getting lost in the shuffle of the Smackdown mid card why not give Chad a run amongst the Cruiserweights? Gable’s unique style would set him apart from other performers on the roster and he could mesh well with the likes of Jack Gallagher (who himself has not had the chance to truly shine), Noam Dar and funnily enough Enzo Amore. Chad has a charisma and ability on the microphone that the other two performers suggested actually lack, his original stint in NXT alongside Jason Jordan garnered praise and comparisons to a young Kurt Angle. Gable has a great sense of timing, humour and could trade off well against Enzo in his own wheelhouse.

Who would you like to see brought over to 205 Live? Let us know in the comments

Remember back to the heady days of the brand split when Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon claimed that Smackdown Live would be the land of opportunity? While the focus of the SD main event scene places the GM and Commissioner on our screens consistently it’s fair to say that several superstars have been languishing this year…and I’m going to take a look at three of those stars now:

Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler

I feel like Dolph Ziggler encapsulates these types of lists. This naturally gifted superstar has all of the physical attributes, has a charisma on the microphone and he has main event level experience…yet he still seems to be languishing.

Dolph himself recently spoke on the Edge & Christian podcast on how he is more than aware of his ‘NXT gatekeeper’ role on Smackdown. This isn’t the worst position in the world to have, it is a clear indication that the company know you’re a ‘good hand’ and can help transition talent from NXT into the main roster smoothly, much like Chris Jericho before him. The real issue for Dolph is that he will forever be tarred with the moniker of ‘bridesmaid never the bride.’ Ziggler’s career heights such as cashing in MITB after Wrestlemania 29, beating John Cena in a ladder match and essentially ‘eliminating’ the Authority are not era defining and are sparsely remembered by most aside from the most ardent fans of the ‘show stealer.’ It’s a shame because if you look at where Cody Rhodes is right now couldn’t that just as easily be Dolph? Maybe it is time to take the independent route.

Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch

‘The Four Horsewoman Who Never Won The NXT Title’ could almost be trademarked at this point. When Becky made her way to Smackdown Live it was the perfect opportunity to make her the number one babyface and build around someone who is more than capable in the ring.

The biggest indication of her being brushed aside? Her tenure as the captain of Team Smackdown seemed like it could be a minor resurgence right up until she was eliminated first in the Survivor Series elimination match…not good. The Women’s division on Smackdown Live has not been stellar this year as a whole, even with the trade of Charlotte Flair to the Blue brand the featured Women’s bouts have not been as prominent as those over on RAW..saying that even the flagship show has it’s problems with the booking of their division.

Maybe Becky will get her run next year? She just seems to be stuck in this position of fiery babyface who gets cheered but no one truly gets behind.

Tye Dillinger

I honestly had to check if Tye Dillinger was on Smackdown Live before I added his name to the list. I feel that it is unfair to lump Dillinger in the ‘catchphrase over, performer isn’t’ category because he is a talented performer and truly more than just the ’10’ gesture dictates.

The groundswell of support that Tye garnered as part of the NXT roster was truly staggering, it more than helped that he appeared in the Royal Rumble and was subsequently beloved by the Wrestlemania weekend crowd but all mentions of the ‘Perfect 10’ seem to have faded away near the end of 2017, incidentally he has not appeared on television since October 8th.

I think that this is not just an issue for Tye, but moreover an issue with WWE’s policy with bringing up NXT talent in general. There are times that it works, Asuka appears to be garnering a really strong following on the RAW brand but there doesn’t appear to be any sort of logic or reasoning to the call ups and it is brushed off on television as behind the scenes contract signings, wouldn’t it be interesting to see a change of tactic and see the heads of both brands ‘courting’ certain talents and have a twice yearly draft for the more high profile NXT stars? Just a thought.

Who do you think that WWE has dropped the ball on this year? Let us know in the comments.

It’s about time isn’t it? Matt Hardy took a loss to Bray Wyatt this past Monday on RAW and he rather unequivocally used his ‘delete’ gesture, heavily hinting that ‘Broken’ Matt would FINALLY be making his way to WWE…

Sadly the WWE does not have an unblemished record when it comes to using ‘gimmicks’ and intellectual property brought in from elsewhere in the pro wrestling world. With such a lengthy absence of the ludicrous and creative character the WWE has the opportunity to truly redesign ‘Broken’ Matt Hardy and bring his broken brilliance to a bigger audience but…there are certain elements of the character that MUST be retained if it is going to work, here are 3 of them:

The Hardy Family

One of the most intriguing parts of Matt’s TNA portrayal of the ‘Broken’ character was the inclusion of his wife Reby, his son Maxel and his father in law Señor Benjamin. These personalities truly took on a life of their own and only added to the lunacy of Matt’s character arc, each adding to the cult like status that Matt and his brother Jeff were cultivating. Maxel recently appeared at the Starrcade event and many believe that WWE will be allowing Matt to work alongside his son as the upcoming storyline progresses…whether Reby and Señor Benjamin will be making appearances remains to be seen, and that’s not even mentioning Vanguard 1…

The Backstage Vignettes

Final Deletion was undoubtably one of the most absurd, creatively dynamic and groundbreaking moments in the history of not just TNA but pro wrestling as a whole. The production style, the overblown scripting and hyperbolic performances of Matt gave viewers a completely different perspective on what professional wrestling actually was and could be. It can’t be disputed that TNA’s Jeremy Borash had a major hand in the presentation of Final Deletion and the subsequent ‘special attractions’ centred around the Hardys but ultimately it was the direction of Matt that gave life to the characters, with a WWE production crew and a budget that likely engulfs anything previously he could easily reinterpret this style in a new, vibrant and exciting way.

The Right Opponent

Bray Wyatt (via Instagram @WWE)

When Matt first made the turn into his ‘Broken’ persona he had a fitting opponent in his brother Jeff Hardy. Interestingly feuds between the two siblings had never quite hit the right note and this was the first time that a Hardy Boys feud had garnered real traction and built intrigue in a genuine way. That being said Matt Hardy will need the ideal opponent to unleash his new persona on the WWE Universe. I believe that Bray Wyatt should be that opponent.

Before Matt reappeared in WWE I truly felt that Wyatt vs Hardy would be a dream bout, the two characters have a unique spin on the traditional pro wrestling fare and with their creative juices flowing surely they could break boundaries and present something completely different for the WWE fans? Wyatt has already taken part in some unique match types this year, his House of Horrors match against Randy Orton did not appeal in the way WWE would have hoped but with Matt’s direction and a new lease of life for the Wyatt character could they breathe life into both superstars and lift both up out of the quagmire of the mid card?

Are you excited for the return of ‘Broken’ Matt? Let us know in the comments

RAW and SmackDown Live superstars have been building to one event over the last few weeks – Survivor Series.  While no titles are on the line (on the main card), almost every match holds some form of value or purpose.  However, Survivor Series has seen it’s fair share of surprises and upsets in the past, and there is even more potential for betrayals and interferences on Sunday’s PPV.

With this in mind, here is a guide to Sunday’s card and the potential curve-balls that could drastically change Survivor Series and the WWE Universe.

The first three matches don’t appear to hold much potential for shocks or surprises.  The Kick-Off Show starts with Enzo Amore looking to solidify his Cruiserweight Championship against Kalisto, while The Miz and Baron Corbin face off in the first of the Champion VS Champion inter-brand matches.  The newly crowned RAW Tag Team Champions then take on The Usos, in a match that doesn’t have any evidence or theories to support interference (other than from The Miztourage) or betrayals either.

The following 2 matches host WWE’s RAW and SmackDown Live Women’s Division.  The main surprise for the Women’s 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match revolves around SmackDown Live’s 5th and final member of their team.  Some rumours suggest a return for Paige, while others have said that Nikki Bella could feature.

However, there is another exciting opportunity for SmackDown Live’s women’s division in the next match, as Alexa Bliss takes on newly crowned champion: Charlotte.  Most predictions see Little Miss Bliss taking the win, which could leave SmackDown Live’s champion open to attack from Carmella – if she were to cash in her Money In The Bank contract.  There will be hints, that audiences could look out for, which will highlight whether Carmella is planning to cash in her opportunity.  The most obvious is if Carmella gets eliminated early in the 5-on-5 Survivor Series match, pointing towards the need to protect her before a cash-in later on.

Much like the first 3 matches, The Shield VS The New Day doesn’t appear to have any obvious, or subtle, surprises or shocks to look out for.  These all came prior to the PPV as the 2 brands battled and built momentum, as well as re-introducing Roman Reigns and The Shield.

The penultimate match, the Men’s 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match, hosts the potential for three main avenues that WWE creatives could have explored before the PPV.

The first option is to involve Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, betraying their brand by interfering and costing SmackDown Live a win.  The brilliant aspect of this option is that it utilises heat they have picked up inside and outside the ring to develop their characters.

KO and Zayn’s development has been clear as they continue to hold an anti-establishment attitude, ever since Hell In A Cell where Sami turned heel to help Owens defeat Shane McMahon.  This gives the two superstars the perfect motive to cause chaos and create an upset at Survivor Series.

The main issue though is plotting a course for the next steps.  Kevin Owens VS Shane McMahon has already been done, so it’s hard to pinpoint where to go after Sunday, or who they would face at Clash of Champions, The Royal Rumble, or even WrestleMania.

The second and third options for storyline curve-balls in the Men’s Survivor Series match come in the form of Jason Jordan.  Last week’s episode of RAW saw Jordan become injured by the hands of Bray Wyatt, and later replaced with Triple H; despite the pleas and tears from Jordan, RAW team captain Kurt Angle said that he couldn’t risk including his son in the showdown.

It is therefore possible that Jordan appears during the match to seek revenge for his dismissal from the team, going after either Triple H or Kurt Angle.  However an alternate version of events could unfold which sees RAW winning the Survivor Series match, with Kurt Angle as the last remaining superstar.  During the celebration, Jordan could enter the arena to congratulate his dad, only to betray him, with an ironic ankle lock or suplex, to set up a feud for The Royal Rumble or WrestleMania 34.

The final twist that could occur during Sunday’s PPV involves Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, and Jinder Mahal.  The Modern Day Maharaja has made it more than clear that he shouldn’t be considered an experiment, and that he worked hard to develop as an athlete.  WWE have a good motive to cause an upset and prevent AJ Styles from winning: it would enable the match to end without a clean win which would benefit both brands and superstars.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbPYTbVDVkl/?hl=en&taken-by=jindermahal

The main problem with Jinder appearing is the question of what would he gain from it?  Mahal already has a contracted rematch, likely to be at the next SmackDown Live PPV, Clash Of Champions.  The interference would certainly create heat and build a feud to lead up to the title re-match, however it’s not necessary, and it may appear as a wasted opportunity for other superstars.

WWE won’t pass up this opportunity to capture our attention, there is too much potential to have the whole event proceed as planned.  Anything is possible in the WWE Universe…

…but please let Jason Jordan come back and attempt to break Kurt Angle’s ankle!

New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 show on January 4th 2018 just got launched into the stratosphere. As well as announcing some high profile title bouts we now have the unbelievable treat of seeing Chris Jericho perform outside of a WWE ring for the first time in decades.

When Jericho appeared in a pre-taped promo video during Sunday’s Power Struggle it ignited the world of pro wrestling, and many fans were left wondering how this will play out. Here are the three questions that we have following the blockbuster announcement:

Is Chris Jericho Done with WWE?

As mentioned previously, Y2J has not performed outside of the WWE umbrella for an extremely long period of time, he has himself mentioned that he didn’t ever intend to wrestle for anyone other than Vince McMahon before he retired. The announcement of the ‘Alpha’ vs Omega has blown this right out of the water…

There have been multiple reports over the past few months of unrest within the WWE locker room, now while much can be attributed to hyperbole it cannot be understated how there’s no smoke without fire. There is a very good chance that we will see Jericho inside a WWE ring once again, remember that it isn’t unprecedented to see someone perform at a Wrestle Kingdom and then appear in WWE as early as the Royal Rumble, AJ Styles performed this feat last year.

This could easily be Jericho just wanting to test himself against one of the best in the world, but there could be deeper issues at play here.

Will This Be The First and Only Match Between These Two?

You may or may not be aware of the upcoming ‘Jericruise.’ Chris Jericho sent out the following Survey Monkey gauging interest for a Rock n’ Wrestling themed cruise and he recently announced that The Young Bucks would be part of the festivities.

The Bucks are very good friends with their fellow ‘Elite’ stablemate…Kenny Omega. There’s a very good chance that after the January 4th bout Jericho and Omega will face off once again in 2018 as part of this off shore event.

Did Jericho want Kenny as part of the cruise and New Japan would only agree if he took part at Wrestle Kingdom? There’s a very good chance of it.

How Will This Impact NJPW’s Global Expansion?

Whether you’re already a fan of New Japan or not, you have to admit that this is the most high profile bout in recent company history. Yes, Omega had one of the most incredible trilogies in wrestling against Kazuchika Okada, but this is a multiple time WWE champion making the jump back to one of his former stomping grounds.

If promoted correctly, the NJPWWorld site could see a huge influx of fans across the United States, Europe and beyond subscribing to see some of the most dynamic in ring work on the planet, even beyond this dream bout.

Are you looking forward to this mega matchup? Let us know in the comments.

When Enzo Amore won the WWE Cruiserweight title against Neville many fans of the product let out a collective groan.

Ever since the Cruiserweight Classic the 205 competitors have not been showcased in the way that many had hoped and while the decision to put the belt on Enzo could be seen as ‘desperate’ this could be a positive for 205 Live and the Cruiserweight Division in general…why? Here’s why:

Everybody Hates Enzo

The Champion always has a target on their back. This has never been more apparent than when Enzo took a beating from the ENTIRE Cruiserweight Division on RAW. There have been rumors circulating for months regarding the temperament of Enzo Amore and how he seems to rub people the wrong way. Corey Graves made it clear on Bring It To The Table, stating that he flat out did not like the Certified G.

WWE has had a tendency to ‘over-bake’ story lines that include elements of reality, however with a personality such as Enzo and how frankly irritable he is why not play on that?

You can disregard Faces and Heels here, if EVERYBODY hates Enzo then you can feasibly put anyone from the division up against him.

He Can Talk People Into The Building

The Cruiserweight Classic was easily one of the best tournaments ever devised by WWE. The highlight packages and the self contained story lines flowing throughout the tournament were clear, concise and added a huge deal to what some see as a ‘spot fest’ style of pro wrestling.

• 205 Live Stars React To Enzo’s Cruiserweight Championship Win

The issue with 205 Live is that you now have a weekly show with no clear end goal, you need to produce content on a weekly basis and give fans a reason to tune in and give them a reason to care about the performers.

Love him or loathe him you cannot disagree that Enzo Amore has a magnetism, his natural charisma and ability on the microphone is something very different for the 205 Live program and it will add a very different dynamic to the show.

While Enzo is obviously not the most technically gifted in ring, he will be able to add a vocal element that no one else on the roster can offer.

WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore (Photo credit: Instagram @WWE)

In The End, Something Needed To Change

Neville was a fantastic Cruiserweight Champion. His portrayal as the King of the Cruiserweight’s completely reinvigorated his career and put him a step above everyone else on the 205 roster.

The issue is this, fans were not watching 205 Live on the WWE Network. It’s a fact that you cannot get past, are you are the sort of fan that believes Jinder Mahal shouldn’t be champion because he isn’t drawing ratings? Then you cannot disagree that Neville wasn’t pulling in the numbers.

I completely see why 205 isn’t securing viewership, it airs at completely the wrong time and it isn’t in front of a hot crowd, but if they won’t change the time slot or the location then what can they change? The Champion.

What they (WWE) believe is this, it doesn’t matter what time slot you’re on, if people want to watch you then they WILL tune in…we’ll see if Enzo is the man to move the needle.

WWE No Mercy is finally upon us. Tonight, WWE presents one of the most highly anticipated ‘brand exclusive’ pay-per-views in recent memory. The card features two WrestleMania caliber matches, with John Cena squaring off against Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar defending the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman.

Lesnar vs. Strowman is one of the most hotly anticipated Universal Title matches since the belt’s inception. Lesnar will be tested by the most physically intimidating challenger of his reign and the one man on the WWE roster who can manhandle him like he dominates the rest of the WWE roster.

Many have predicted that the belt will change hands tonight and I am here to give you 3 reasons why it shouldn’t.

Brock vs Reigns SHOULD happen at Wrestlemania Next Year

There are times where the obvious choice is the right one. Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns are the only men to ever defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania and both men took each other to the absolute limit at Wrestlemania 31 before Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and ‘stole’ the WWE Title.

It makes perfect storyline sense, but I can see why fans would be hesitant to see a Wrestlemania main event where the ‘company man’ Reigns comes out on top once again. Still, this is the match that should, and most likely will, happen.

Braun Isn’t At That Level Yet

Braun Strowman

Hear me out, there have been many times that WWE has put a title on someone FAR too early. Braun Strowman has been on an incredible hot streak over the past year, it is amazing to think how much he has improved physically and technically in ring since his debut in the Wyatt family but I believe that this would be the wrong time for his first ever Universal Title reign.

I can see the reasoning behind a Braun win tonight, a top champion that appears on RAW every week would be a refreshing change of pace but you need to ask yourself this question: “how important is the belt now?” If your answer isn’t “very,” then we have very differing mindsets.

Compare the stature of the Universal Title to that of the WWE Title and it’s champion Jinder Mahal, Brock Lesnar is a part time performer and he feels that much more special when he makes appearances, would you be willing to give that up just for Braun to have a run that more than likely gets derailed at Wrestlemania next year or even before?

The timing just feels completely off to me.

It’s Only The First Match of The Feud

Photo Credit : WWE.com

This is probably the point that is most convincing. Brock and Braun are two powerhouses and as mentioned before Braun is the only Superstar to match and even surpass Brock in terms of strength since Brock’s win against Goldberg.

I don’t think that Brock will win clean tonight, in fact I believe that a Brock Lesnar who has to eek out a win against the physically intimidating Strowman puts him in a unique position. Imagine a Survivor Series main event where Brock goes in as a true underdog for the first time in this run, where The ‘Beast Incarnate’ is reduced to taking shortcuts akin to his advocate Paul Heyman?

I for one would love to see that side of Brock and to make him feel ‘human.’

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What do you think? Is Brock retaining tonight? Let us know in the comments.

The cancellation of Talking Smack represents everything that is wrong with WWE’s product right now. Talking Smack was a weekly show hosted by Renee Young and SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan. It was essentially WWE’s version of a post-game show but with a twist. The show sometimes would feature an attack or altercation between WWE Superstars. I thought the show was much more effective when it aired immediately following SmackDown. Unfortunately, it was bumped back an hour and 205 Live is now aired directly after SmackDown. It has now been reported that Vince McMahon is unhappy with the product and doesn’t believe it is in the company’s best interest to continue to produce it on a weekly basis. Apparently, McMahon also wants to phase out Talking Smack completely in the near future.

I really enjoyed Talking Smack. I thought it was the only place, other than podcasts not affiliated with WWE, where Superstars could be themselves. They could say things off the top of their heads, instead of relying on a script that 40,000 writers created for them. They could speak naturally and avoid the awkward pause we see so much on WWE television when a Superstar tries to remember their lines. They could actually speak words they use in real life, instead of desperately trying to make their way through a corny written promo carefully sculpted by folks that have bored the WWE Universe to tears for years now.

Take a look at a Superstar like Baron Corbin. He clearly possesses talent and looks like a badass. There is absolutely no reason that he shouldn’t be a star in WWE and should have the ability to bring in money just based on his look alone. Corbin is also a good performer in the ring and his End of Days finisher is just awesome. His only issue right now on the main roster is promos. He speaks like a robot and half the time he is rocking back and forth while cutting a promo. He doesn’t look comfortable with the scripted words he is given. However, when you watched Corbin on Talking Smack he came off way better than he does on SmackDown every week. WWE is obviously banking on Corbin being a star as he is currently holding the Money in the Bank briefcase. I could be wrong, but I don’t think having Corbin utter phrases like “sayonara Nakamura” like he did on this past week’s SmackDown, is going to help him all that much in the future.

If you convince a friend that hasn’t watched wrestling for some time to check out the current product, one of the first things they will notice is the poor promos. Obviously the PG rating limits what Superstars can say, but it shouldn’t prevent them from being entertaining. It is hard to be entertaining when you are performing a promo that is not in your own words and is something you do not believe in. Every week I see Superstars just trying to get through a promo. I don’t see intensity or passion for the material, I just see employees trying not to screw up what their bosses have given to them. The Miz is now hosting fake award shows and beating up random people in bear costumes. I’ll take The Miz flipping out on Talking Smack over that any day of the week.

WWE brought in LaVar Ball and the Ball family to RAW because it would get people talking. LaVar Ball is a controversial figure in sports today. Many feel that he is overshadowing his son’s talent and profiting off of his name. Lonzo Ball was drafted by the Lakers with the #2 pick in the NBA Draft this year, but most people are talking about his father’s appearances on shows like ESPN’s ‘First Take’, FS1’s ‘Undisputed’ and his controversial appearance on ‘The Herd’ w/ Colin Cowherd. When Ball appeared on ‘The Herd’, he got into a heated argument with co-host Kristine Leahy. Ball told Leahy to “stay in your lane” and that did not go over well. The media scolded Ball for the next few days and Ball responded by releasing “stay in your lane” T-shirt for $50 on the Big Baller Brand website. Ball also used the joke again during his appearance on Miz TV on Monday night.

LaVar Ball appeared on Miz TV on RAW this past Monday and the promo has been met with a lot of mixed reactions. Those who find LaVar Ball funny thought that the promo was wildly entertaining. Those that are sick of seeing LaVar on their TV every 15 minutes weren’t all that thrilled that he was now invading WWE. You can check out the promo if you missed it in the video below.

Negative reaction from WWE Superstars

Corey Graves posted a photo yesterday on Instagram comparing LaVar Ball to Mama June from ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’. Graves added the caption “Am I the only one who drew this comparison?”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV2wfsejerh/?taken-by=wwegraves&hl=en

WWE Superstar Braun Strowman chimed in and stated that he wanted to stomp LaVar out in the middle of the ring. Strowman username on Instagram is “adamscherr99”.

WWE Superstar Curtis Axel also wasn’t a fan of the appearance:

https://twitter.com/RealCurtisAxel/status/879555457764872192

Baron Corbin posted a response on a photo WWE released to promote the appearance of the Ball family on Instagram:

Reaction from mainstream media

On ESPN’s ‘Around The Horn’, journalists Bill Plaschke and Woody Paige were not fans of LaVar’s actions on RAW. Plaschke believes that LaVar Ball is inadvertently turning Lonzo Ball into “one of these villains in wrestling” and it will cause Lonzo to get booed everywhere he goes. Paige criticized the Ball family for going on RAW during the night of the NBA Awards. On the other hand, Mina Kimes and J.A. Adande thought that the segment was entertaining. Adande stated that LaVar Ball became the star of a WWE program so that is good for the NBA.

On FS1’s ‘Speak For Yourself’, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock, Jason McIntyre and Chris Broussard debated if the Lakers’ GM Magic Johnson should put a stop to LaVar’s antics after his appearance on WWE. The general conclusion of their discussion is that any publicity is great publicity and it will help out the Big Baller Brand.

Conclusion

As I said in my RAW reaction article, I thought the segment was absolute garbage. Personally, I’ve never found LaVar Ball entertaining but it is clear that tons of people do. He is the opposite of politically correct and his boisterousness is something that most people on this planet couldn’t pull off. I mean, who else do you know that could walk down to the ring like this and it would completely fit in with their persona?

The Ball family didn’t bring in the ratings on Monday. In fact, RAW’s ratings on Monday dipped from the previous week. Yet, Miz TV took place at the beginning of the second hour, which happened to be the highest rated hour of the show. WWE isn’t usually discussed in detail on platforms like ESPN and Fox Sports. WWE has partnered up with ESPN and Superstars appear on SportsCenter for brief interviews. The Ball family’s appearance on RAW was discussed on all major sports media platforms yesterday, so it is hard to argue that WWE didn’t get what they wanted out of the segment. From a traditional wrestling fan’s perspective, the segment was a failure. It barely made any sense and was completely random. From a business perspective, it was a success because it became viral and is still being discussed. It is one of WWE’s most popular videos on YouTube right now and is still trending on the site.

WWE is having a hard time building new stars right now. At this point, I wouldn’t be shocked if they brought back RAW guest hosts to try to bring in more viewers. How about an entire episode of RAW hosted by LaVar Ball? I’m sure that will get even more people talking.

Dean Ambrose Needs To Go In A New Direction

Ambrose hit a wall on SmackDown and I thought switching over to RAW would be a positive for his character. That hasn’t been the case and Ambrose is still the same old character that people got bored of on SmackDown. If Ambrose gets a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship, I hope that it happens tonight so it is out of the way. Ambrose didn’t do anything with the IC Title and has needed to hit the reset button for a long time.

Ambrose needs to get away from the IC Title picture and enter in a feud with someone else. The most likely candidate for his next feud seems to be Elias Samson. I honestly don’t care which WWE Superstar it is at this point. I just want to see Dean Ambrose do something else besides fight for the Intercontinental Championship.

Bayley Needs To Get Pissed Off

Alexa Bliss has beaten the hell out of Bayley for several weeks now. While the promo was a disaster, Bliss attacked Bayley’s personal life during the “This Is Your Life” segment on last week’s RAW. Last night at Extreme Rules, Bliss defeated Bayley in a five minute Kendo Stick On A Pole match. Bayley hit the Bayley to Belly and that was pretty much her entire offense in the match. Bliss just dominated the entire match and Bayley has never looked weaker as a character.

Bayley has gotten destroyed by Bliss and has barely fought back. I thought Bayley was going to be a massive star when she arrived on the main roster. She is a character that is pretty much impossible to dislike. Amazingly, WWE has found a way to turn fans against her. The only way to rectify that problem is to have Bayley finally flip out and attack someone tonight on RAW. I’m not saying turn Bayley heel, I’m saying show the WWE Universe that Bayley isn’t weak.

Samoa Joe Needs To Be Built Up As A Monster Again

Samoa Joe won the Fatal 5-Way last night at Extreme Rules and became the #1 contender for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship. If you haven’t watched NXT or Impact Wrestling, you wouldn’t know that Samoa Joe is a badass. The way WWE has booked Samoa Joe since joining the main roster has been boring. He lost a match to Seth Rollins via a roll-up. That should have never happened. Samoa Joe needs to appear unstoppable for everyone to become invested in his match against Brock Lesnar.

Personally, I think Samoa Joe versus Brock Lesnar is a match that shouldn’t feel like a one-off. It is a big time match and should feel special. It cannot be half-assed. Joe needs to start destroying people on the road to the ridiculously named Great Balls of Fire PPV. I doubt Samoa Joe will defeat Brock Lesnar, but I’d at least like to see a competitive match. Samoa Joe made NXT commissioner William Regal’s life a living hell during his time in NXT. I’d like to see Samoa Joe cause some chaos and I’d like to see that start tonight on RAW.

There will be a Fatal 5-Way match this Sunday at Extreme Rules to determine the #1 contender for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship. This match was made after Braun Strowman suffered an elbow injury that required surgery. Strowman was most likely going to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Great Balls of Fire. Thus, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns will compete this Sunday to determine the Superstar that is next in line for a shot at Brock Lesnar.

Here is the list of the potential opponents for Brock Lesnar that are the most intriguing:

5. Bray Wyatt

If this was a month ago, Bray Wyatt may be at the top of this list. Wyatt won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber and was on top of the world. For a brief period of time, Wyatt actually did have the whole world in his hands. His promos actually carried weight because he was winning matches and held the most important title in WWE. Wyatt then went on to have two terrible matches with Randy Orton. He lost the WWE Championship to Orton at Wrestlemania 33, in a match where bugs were projected onto the ring. All of this was done to make Wyatt seem scary and present him as a monster. The problem with that is that Wyatt still lost via an RKO, even though he apparently possesses powers that can turn off lights in the arena and project scary images onto the ring.

Wyatt and Orton followed up their disastrous Wrestlemania match with a “House of Horrors” match at WWE Payback. This was originally supposed to be Wyatt’s rematch for the WWE Championship, but instead turned into a non-title match. Wyatt defeated Orton in a train-wreck of a match, but won with the assistance of Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers. Wyatt then switched from SmackDown to RAW and is still cutting promos as if he is some monster who should be feared. His character is a model of inconsistency. How can anyone view Bray Wyatt as a monster when all of his theatrics usually result in him losing a match? It is already highly unlikely that Brock Lesnar will lose his first Universal Championship defense. If Wyatt wins at Extreme Rules, it becomes impossible to convince yourself that Lesnar may drop the title. It is also difficult to believe that WWE would place the Universal Championship on Bray Wyatt after his underwhelming run with the WWE Championship.

4. Seth Rollins

Rollins picked up a huge victory over Triple H at Wrestlemania 33. After that, he has been battling Samoa Joe for weeks on RAW and had a match against him at Payback. Samoa Joe dominated most of the match, but Rollins was able to counter the Coquina Clutch into a pin and defeated Joe. Rollins and Lesnar could certainly put on a great match, we have seen it before. Rollins defended his WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar at Battleground 2015. Lesnar essentially had the match won, but was attacked by The Undertaker and Rollins was subsequently disqualified. Rollins lost the match but kept his WWE Championship at the time.

Rollins is one of the most popular Superstars in WWE right now. It wouldn’t be a negative if Rolling emerged victorious at Extreme Rules. Lesnar and Rollins have a history, as Rollins cashed in his MITB briefcase during the Lesnar and Reigns match at Wrestlemania 31. It would be entertaining to revisit that feud now simply because Rollins is no longer aligned with The Authority. If Stephanie McMahon and Triple H return to RAW, the possibility of Lesnar aligning with them would be intriguing. It would cast Rollins as the major underdog and the WWE Universe would certainly get behind him heading into his Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar.

3. Samoa Joe

The idea of a match between Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar is exciting enough without a storyline in place. Samoa Joe is a freak athlete for a man of his size and can put on one hell of show with Lesnar in the ring. It would be an extremely physical match and would be a bout most wrestling fans would want to see. Samoa Joe was an excellent heel in NXT and arrived to the main roster as Triple H’s assassin. Joe targeted Seth Rollins and seemed primed to become the biggest badass in WWE. However, Rollins sustained an injury during Joe’s attack and Samoa Joe hasn’t become that monster everyone thought he would be when he arrived on the main roster.

If Samoa Joe wins at Extreme Rules, it would set up an awesome match with Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire. If The Authority returns and has Joe’s back, Brock Lesnar would then be in the unique position of having to overcome the odds. Timing is everything and it simply doesn’t seem like now is the time to have a feud between Lesnar and Samoa Joe. Unfortunately, Joe hasn’t been built up as an unstoppable force on the main roster. All of that could be changed if he wins at Extreme Rules and The Authority returns to RAW. I don’t think that it will happen, but if it does I certainly won’t be complaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsTeLFUaZRI

2. Finn Balor

All signs are pointing towards Finn Balor winning the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules. Paul Heyman made a random appearance on RAW a couple of weeks back and interrupted Finn Balor’s promo. Heyman praised Balor and even said that his client Brock Lesnar wanted to wish Balor good luck heading into Extreme Rules. Balor told Heyman to inform Lesnar that he will win at Extreme Rules and will then reclaim the Univeral Championship that he never lost. Balor became the first-ever Universal Champion by defeating Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016. Unfortunately for Balor, he had to relinquish the title the following night on RAW due to an injury he sustained after being Powerbombed by Rollins into the barricade outside the ring.

Some argue that a match between Lesnar and Balor is ridiculous, simply because Balor is much smaller than Lesnar. I beg to differ, as WWE has already shown that they believe in Balor in the past. Balor defeated Roman Reigns in his main roster debut to earn a shot at the Universal Championship. Balor and Reigns put on a great match and I don’t see why a match against Lesnar would be any different. The days of Superstars being required to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian are gone. Lesnar and Finn Balor can put on an interesting match and it seems like WWE is heading in that direction.

1. Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns versus Brock Lesnar is the match that would attract the most viewers, which is why it probably will not happen at Great Balls of Fire. It has been rumored that WWE has already made the decision that Lesnar and Reigns will main-event Wrestlemania 34. However, plans may have changed after Braun Strowman went down with an injury. The ratings for RAW have dipped and WWE could decide to bump that match up to Great Balls of Fire on July 9th.

Reigns and Lesnar would be the most intriguing match for several reasons. Many WWE fans still cannot stand Roman Reigns and Reigns retiring The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 33 didn’t help that at all. There are also a lot of people that dislike Brock Lesnar as Universal Champion because he doesn’t appear on WWE television every week. Whenever this match does take place, the energy in the arena will be amazing. There will be hatred for both Superstars and their fans will be battling to drown out those chants. Wrestlemania seems like the perfect place to have this match and it wouldn’t feel as special if it were to take place this July. Having said that, it is still the most intriguing out of them all and will be awesome to watch whenever it goes down.

Discussion: Which potential feud for Brock Lesnar intrigues you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

WWE’s Superstar Shake-up was a few weeks ago and a bunch of talent switched brands. The change has certainly benefited some Superstars as they have been able to hit the reset button and were given new opportunities. For other Superstars, the brand switch has either done nothing for them or made matters even worse. Below is the list of every Superstar that switched brands after WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up and what they have done on their new show so far.

From SmackDown to RAW:

Bray Wyatt: Bray Wyatt was having a hell of a run on SmackDown until everything fell off the rails. He captured the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber, only to lose it rather quickly to Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 33. It took years for WWE to put a title on Bray Wyatt. They pulled the plug on his title run really quick and he is now feuding with Finn Balor on RAW. The change of brands may help Wyatt in the long run, but right now it is hard to take Wyatt seriously after the match at Wrestlemania 33 and the terrible House of Horrors match at WWE Payback.

The Miz & Maryse: The Miz had an excellent run on SmackDown. He was the Intercontinental Champion and had a terrific feud with Dolph Ziggler. There is no reason that he shouldn’t be able to continue that success on RAW as he is currently the #1 contender for the IC Title. The only down side of Miz joining RAW is that he will no longer be a guest on Talking Smack. His insane rants towards Renee Young and Daniel Bryan will be missed.

Dean Ambrose: Ambrose is currently the Intercontinental Champion, but absolutely needed a fresh start. Even though he is continuing his feud with The Miz from SmackDown, Ambrose was already more entertaining on this past week’s RAW than he was for the last month on SmackDown. Time will tell if Ambrose will grow stale again, but for now he has benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up.

Alexa Bliss: Alexa Bliss was terrific on SmackDown and has carried that over to RAW. She is the best female talent on RAW when it comes to promos. She also has great in-ring ability and always gets a reaction from the crowd. Alexa Bliss has already become RAW Women’s Champion and is the first female Superstar to hold both the Smackdown and RAW Women’s Championships.

Apollo Crews: Shockingly, Apollo Crews has actually benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up. It is hard to believe that becoming a part of the “Titus Brand” is an upgrade, but it actually is. Crews was doing absolutely nothing on SmackDown. At the very least, Crews is becoming a weekly part of RAW. Crews struggles with promos, so the idea of having Titus O’Neil manage him actually helps him.

Kalisto: Kalisto went from getting beatdown by Dolph Ziggler on SmackDown to getting destroyed by Braun Strowman on RAW. To be fair, Kalisto actually did defeat Strowman in a Dumpster Match, he also happened to get stuffed in the dumpster and shoved of the entrance ramp after the match.

Heath Slater, Rhyno & Curt Hawkins: Heath Slater and Rhyno were the first SmackDown Tag Team Champions. After losing the titles, they faded away into obscurity. Since joining RAW, they have essentially done nothing besides backstage segments. Tune in on Monday nights to see if Rhyno is eating cheese and crackers. Curt Hawkins was getting his ass kicked on SmackDown and the exact same thing is happening on RAW. I guess that is an improvement for Hawkins given that more people watch RAW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGDC-DtppTY

From RAW to SmackDown:

Kevin Owens: Kevin Owens was the Universal Champion for a long time on RAW. However, it wasn’t the best version of Kevin Owens. He relied on Chris Jericho to win matches and consistently looked weak. Once Owens dropped the Universal Championship to Goldberg, he actually became more entertaining. Things really picked up when he turned on Jericho at the Festival of Friendship. Since joining SmackDown, Owens has been declaring himself the “Face of America”. He is back to being ruthless in the ring, while also showing off his impressive promo skills. I think the Superstar Shake-Up has benefited Kevin Owens. The United States Championship may be less important than the Universal Championship, but Owens is much more entertaining in his current role.

The Colons: Formerly The Shining Stars, The Colons have absolutely benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up. Even though SmackDown barely features their tag team division, The Shining Stars was just an awful gimmick and anything would be an upgrade from that.

Sami Zayn: Everyone was hoping for Sami Zayn to join SmackDown while he was on RAW. He was seemingly always coming up short on RAW and SmackDown felt like the perfect show for him. Zayn is gifted in the ring and people believed that he would shine on SmackDown. Unfortunately, that has not been the case at all so far. Zayn’s move to SmackDown has made no difference at all in how he is booked. He is back to losing matches and wrestling people much bigger than him. The Superstar Shake-Up has done nothing for Zayn so far as he seems to be stuck in the same role.

Charlotte Flair: Charlotte Flair is probably the best female wrestler on WWE’s roster. Her athleticism is insane and she can put on a terrific match with anyone. However, Charlotte’s character got old on RAW. Her promos eventually sounded robotic and the WWE Universe was starting to get tired of it. Since joining SmackDown, Charlotte has gone from a heel to a fan favorite. The crowd erupted when she made her way to the ring after being attacked backstage on this past week’s episode of SmackDown.

Jinder Mahal: Without a doubt, Jinder Mahal has been the Superstar that has benefited the most from the Superstar Shake-Up. It didn’t look like that would be the case after his SmackDown debut where he lost to Mojo Rawley. Mahal also took a beer to the face courtesy of Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski. Mahal went on to win a Six-Pack Challenge to become the #1 contender for Randy Orton’s WWE Championship. He even stole Orton’s title and beat him down at WWE Payback. Mahal had an unsuccessful run with WWE and was released from the company. He made his WWE return last year and it looked like it was going to be more of the same. That clearly is not the case and he now has the chance to make a major name for himself heading into his WWE Championship match at WWE Backlash.

New Day, Rusev & Lana: New Day have yet to make their SmackDown debut due to Kofi Kingston being injured. New Day has been boring to me for a long time, hopefully the change of brands brings something fresh to their act. Rusev also hasn’t been on SmackDown yet as he is out with an injury. However, he has demanded a title shot at Money in the Bank. Time will tell if he gets his wish. Finally, Lana hasn’t made her SmackDown debut yet but she will be introducing a new gimmick as seen in the video below.

Discussion: Now that we are a few weeks into it, what are your thoughts on the Superstar Shake-Up so far? Which Superstar do you think has benefited from it the most?

On September 29th, 2016, I wrote an article for SEScoops entitled Why Would Anyone In The WWE Fear Bray Wyatt? For years, Bray Wyatt had been cutting amazing promos. He could control an entire arena with a microphone and always held everyone’s attention. The only problem was that after his promos, he pretty much lost every match he competed in. His promos were then rendered meaningless because he never backed up his words. He was all talk. Wyatt often referred to himself as a god and the “Eater of Worlds”. He was neither in the WWE. He was a glorified jobber for years. It made absolutely zero sense that he was in that position, but he was. Night after night he would lose and it seemed like he was destined to be another wasted talent in the WWE.

Everything changed when the brand split happened. Bray Wyatt got a fresh start on what many people consider the “B” show. Monday Night Raw is considered the “A” show, although many would argue that Smackdown has been the better show since the brand split. In my opinion, Smackdown is the “A” show. It is the place where talents like The Miz, AJ Styles, Baron Corbin and Bray Wyatt can flourish. Monday Night Raw is the place where Goldberg can squash the Universal Champion on the PPV heading into Wrestlemania.

Bray Wyatt was given a chance to be relevant by the brand split. He won his first WWE gold by capturing the Smackdown Tag Team Championships alongside Randy Orton and Luke Harper. He captured his first WWE Championship last night at the Elimination Chamber. He probably will not be given the main event at Wrestlemania, that is reserved for the big-named part-timers, but he is still WWE Champion nonetheless. He defeated both John Cena and AJ Styles with the Sister Abigail. He pinned them clean. Finally, there is a reason to fear Bray Wyatt. Finally, there is a reason to take him seriously. Finally, the WWE is giving him the oppurtunity he has deserved for years.

This Sunday, Brock Lesnar looks to avenge his WrestleMania XX loss to Bill Goldberg at Survivor Series. Goldberg revealed this week that he tweaked his shoulder on RAW and his body feels “horrible,” but you can expect this one to be a very physical encounter.

According to a report from CageSideSeats, Brock Lesnar is favored to get the victory over Goldberg, with a big sendoff for Goldberg planned for after the match. Lesnar going over makes the most sense, with Goldberg declaring Lesnar is “last” – a sign that his WWE return is a one-and-done. There’s huge equity in defeating Brock Lesnar and it makes little sense to cash in on a legend like Goldberg who is at the end of his road.

While Goldberg won’t pick up the win, you can guarantee he is being paid handsomely for this comeback and his wife and child will finally get to see him do what made him famous. A Hall of Fame induction is also likely at some point, a losing effort against Lesnar this Sunday will still be a big win for Goldberg.

As soon as it was announced that Hulk Hogan had come to terms on a $31 million settlement of his lawsuit against Gawker, wrestling fans immediately began speculating about his return to WWE. Fueling the fire, Brooke Hogan told TMZ that her dad is already in negotiations to return at WrestleMania 33, while on last week’s Bauer and Pollock podcast, Court Bauer reported that Hogan has recently been taping talking head segments for WWE Network programming. The idea of the latter is that whenever they air, it’s under the radar enough that WWE can ease into bringing Hogan back, plus viewers don’t really know when those clips are filmed, anyway.

Having said all that, it’s not as if settling the sex tape lawsuit is/was the only hurdle for Hogan’s return. After all, it was, in and of itself, never the issue. The Gawker post didn’t hurt his career; last year’s National Enquirer article revealing his racist comments on a different sex tape (I subsequently located the audio for some of it in April) did. While they’re connected and the lawsuit being settled does chip away at the legs of the racist comments story, the settlement (if approved by the bankruptcy and trial judges) may not be the end for a few reasons.

The biggest is that Hogan still has a lawsuit outstanding that’s centered on the original leak of the racist comments. Filed in May in the same court as the Gawker lawsuit, it named not just the now-bankrupt blog empire (which Hogan alleged was the Enquirer’s source despite no compelling evidence), but also everyone who he believes was involved with the original sex tape leak to Gawker as well as a subsequent extortion attempt using all of the videos as bait. If that lawsuit keeps going, it’s going to keep the topic of his racist comments in the public eye for as long as the case lasts.

So is it gonna keep going?

That’s hard to say right now. Obviously the claim against Gawker, which was tenuous in the first place, is being dropped soon. When reached for comment, Gawker attorney Rachel Fugate said she had “no clue” if Hogan would be dropping the case against the other defendants. Charles Harder, Hogan’s lead attorney on the Gawker cases, did not return a request for comment. So it likely comes down to this: Did Hogan file the second  lawsuit as part of the deal with Peter Thiel to drive Gawker out of business (with the others as collateral damage, albeit people who Hogan had no problem suing), or would he have pursued this case regardless?

While it ramped up after he started needing money in the aftermath of his son’s car wreck and his first wife filing for divorce, Hogan has been a very litigious man for going on two decades now. Ever since he filed an extortion lawsuit against the woman he sued him alleging that he sexually assaulted her the weekend before the first episode of Monday Nitro, he’s been relented. Last year, Amanda Hess wrote this in an article about the sex tape case at Slate:

Hogan is easily aggrieved. When a woman accused him of sexual battery, he sued her; when his ex-wife Linda alleged domestic abuse in her memoir, he sued her; when a series of back surgeries stopped Hogan from inking a last-hurrah wrestling contract, he sued the surgeon; when his auto insurance failed to cover the cost of his tipsy teenage son recklessly driving his sports car into a tree, causing permanent brain damage to a passenger, Hogan sued his insurance company; when that didn’t work, he sued Linda, too, for not forcing him to be better insured; when Hogan’s lawyers sent the bill for their services, he sued them as well.

That’s definitely missing plenty of cases, too. So it’s easy to make an argument for why he would continue to pursue the second lawsuit, but it’s just as easy to argue that it was primarily part of the plan to sink Gawker. The only mark against the latter is that if Hogan’s lawyers foresaw Gawker filing bankruptcy a month after they filed the suit (and it’s starting to look more and more like they did), then the second lawsuit was unlikely to push them further in that direction.

Until they know for sure whether or not this case is going away, though, it’s likely too risky for WWE to bring Hogan back as a an actual character, and not just a talking head on canned streaming shows. If the case is still going, then Hogan’s racist comments will literally be an ongoing issue in the public record until the case is resolved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1xr7lK9Qkk

WWE Backlash is tomorrow and it is Smackdown’s first exclusive PPV. The build has been pretty uneventful leading up to this show. I’m hoping it is not just a throwaway PPV and that something memorable actually takes place on Sunday. As of now, there are only 6 matches on the card. That can be either good or bad. It could indicate that that every match will be given some time on Sunday night. If you take a cynical approach, it could mean that Sunday’s PPV will clock in at 2.5 hours and will stink. Another possibility is that there will be a random match thrown in there or a pointless promo to fill time. For example, Kane gives a Chokeslam to some someone you’ve never heard of.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Tournament Match: The Usos vs The Hype Bros

The Usos turned heel on Smackdown last Tuesday when they brutally attacked American Alpha after they lost in embarrassing fashion. It would make zero sense for the Hype Bros to win this match. The Usos need to win and advance to face Rhyno & Heath Slater in the finals of the tournament.

Predicted Winner: The Usos

Intercontinental Championship Match: The Miz (c) vs Dolph Ziggler

This is a tough one. Personally, I don’t really see the point of giving Dolph Ziggler the IC title right now. The WWE spent the last month building Ziggler up and he lost every big match. It doesn’t make sense to me to just give him the Intercontinental Championship. Ziggler should hold the IC title again in the future. However, now is not the time. I think that the title should stay on The Miz until the WWE elevates someone fresh to take it from him. The Miz will win this match in cowardly fashion and retain his title.

Predicted Winner & Still Intercontinental Champion: The Miz

Smackdown Women’s Championship Six Pack Challenge: Becky Lynch vs Naomi vs Alexa Bliss vs Nikki Bella vs Natalya vs Carmella

The most likely performers to win this match are either Becky Lynch or Nikki Bella. Total Bellas is premiering next month and Nikki Bella is returning from injury. It would make sense to have Nikki Bella be the first Women’s Champion on Smackdown. I’m hoping that is not the case and Becky Lynch wins this match and becomes the first Women’s Champion for the Smackdown brand.

Predicted Winner & Women’s Champion: Becky Lynch

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos vs Rhyno & Heath Slater

I believe that The Usos will have won their qualifying match earlier in the show and that they will win this match as well. Slater and Rhyno would make entertaining champs but I think it makes more sense for The Usos to become Tag Team Champions. This would then allow American Alpha to chase the belts and eventually defeat The Usos for the titles down the road. Heath Slater will have to get his contract some other way.

Predicted Winners & Smackdown Tag Team Champions: The Usos

Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton

Bray Wyatt simply has to win this match. If Wyatt loses yet another match, how can anyone take him seriously? It just becomes silly if Wyatt loses. Bray Wyatt cuts a promo every week on Smackdown and has seemingly never backed it up. I hope that he gets the victory on Sunday and defeats Orton clean. It is more likely that Wyatt will get the victory with the help of outside interference. Luke Harper may make his return or Erick Rowan may get involved. I’d much rather see Wyatt simply defeat Orton on his own but odds are that will not happen. Randy Orton does not need to win this match and it would accomplish nothing if he did.

Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt

WWE Championship Match: Dean Ambrose (c) vs AJ Styles

I have a bad feeling about this match and I hope I’m wrong. It just feels like the WWE is going to try and prolong this feud. I haven’t been that entertained by Ambrose’s title reign so far. I’m not completely against Ambrose retaining. However, if this match ends in a DQ or something along those lines it will be pretty disappointing. Unfortunately, I think that is exactly what is going to happen on Sunday. I think Styles deserves to be WWE Champion. He has made an incredible impact in the short amount of time he has been in the WWE. I just have a hunch that Ambrose will somehow retain his title on Sunday.

Predicted Winner & Still WWE Champion: Dean Ambrose

What do you think will happen tomorrow night at WWE Backlash? Share your predictions in the comment section below.

Summerslam is billed as the WWE’s second biggest show of the year. Are you interested in all of these feuds? Are you interested in any of them? There is one more episode of Raw and one more episode of Smackdown until Summerslam. Is it at all possible to salvage Summerslam? It is certainly possible that Summerslam will feature terrific wrestling matches. However, it seems to be severely lacking storylines that anyone cares about. The crowds that attended both Raw and Smackdown this week were dead silent. Was that just a couple of bad crowds or do you feel like Summerslam has almost zero hype behind it?

Feud #1: Titus O’Neal vs Darren Young

I’m assuming that this match will be featured on the Summerslam card due to both Superstars wrestling on Raw the past two weeks. Titus O’Neil won the first match by rolling up Darren Young and grabbing his tights during the pinfall. On the next episode of Monday Night Raw, Darren Young got the victory by rolling up Titus O’Neil and grabbing his tights during the pinfall. In summary, the storyline here is that two former tag team partners are feuding to see who can grab tights the best and after Summerslam both Young and O’Neil will go back to being irrelevant on WWE programming.

Feud #2: Becky Lynch vs Eva Marie

Eva Marie has yet to wrestle on Smackdown due to an injury and a wardrobe malfunction. Both times she was booked to face Becky Lynch. On last night’s Smackdown, Becky Lynch was distraught that Eva Marie once again weaseled her way out of the match and challenged anyone in the locker room to come out and face her. Alexa Bliss answered the call and got the victory due to an Eva Marie distraction. One can assume that at Summerslam the WWE Universe will be treated to Becky Lynch versus Eva Marie. It is likely that on next week’s episode of Smackdown, Eva Marie will once again have some kind of issue and will not wrestle. Thus, Eva Marie will finally be forced to wrestle at Summerslam against Becky Lynch. Odds are that this match will be less than five minutes and may even be placed on the Kickoff Show.

Feud #3: Braun Strowman vs ??

Braun Strowman has been demolishing local independent wrestlers for three weeks now. I’m guessing that the same thing will happen on Monday Night Raw next week, but someone will come out and challenge him. I’ve watched WWE my entire life and I’m predicting that person will be the Big Show. They are booking Braun Strowman as a monster so it just makes sense to have a giant come out and face him. Hopefully, the WWE isn’t this predictable but I’m guessing that will be the case simply because Big Show was drafted to Raw and we haven’t seen him yet.

Feud #4: Carmella vs Natalya

I thought Carmella had an impressive in-ring debut on the main roster at this week’s Smackdown but the audience literally didn’t care. Natalya has been in the WWE for a long time and it seems doubtful that she would win this match if it took place at Summerslam.

Feud #5: Roman Reigns vs Rusev

Rusev is the United States Champion but the WWE books him as if he’s just another guy. He’s got an attractive wife and gets annoyed when people talk about her. That is Rusev’s character now. Roman Reigns is the face in this match, yet the majority of the WWE Universe don’t enjoy him. Having said that, I think most people would be shocked if Reigns didn’t leave Summerslam as the new United States Champion.

Feud #6: Apollo Crews vs The Miz

Apollo Crews earned a shot at the Intercontinental Championship by winning a battle royal on last week’s episode of Smackdown. On this week’s episode, Apollo Crews wasn’t even on Smackdown and The Miz had a segment with Scooby Doo. What an exciting feud for the Intercontinental Championship.

Feud #7: Baron Corbin vs Kalisto

Baron Corbin attacked Kalisto backstage on this week’s episode of Smackdown. I guess they will have a match at Summerslam that most likely will be featured on the Kickoff Show.

Feud #8: Sasha Banks vs Charlotte

Sasha Banks wanted this match to be a Handicap Match for some reason. However, she defeated Dana Brooke and she is now banned from ringside. Thus, there will be no outside interference in their match for the Women’s Championship by Dana Brooke. Odds are someone else will get involved at Summerslam to try and ensure a victory for Charlotte at Summerslam.

Feud #9: Randy Orton vs Brock Lesnar

Their match at Summerslam will feature a bunch of German Suplexes and maybe an F-5 or two. Orton will hit an RKO and either get the win or Lesnar will kick out and defeat Orton.

Feud #10: AJ Styles vs John Cena

Neither AJ Styles or John Cena were on this week’s episode of Smackdown. Summerslam is less than two weeks away, yet neither of these Superstars were featured on the show. Instead, there was a video package shown. If Styles wins, he can say he is better than Cena. If Styles loses, Cena can say he is better than Styles.

Feud #11: New Day vs The Club

The Club dragged Big E’s groin into the ring post. Oh and the Tag Team Championship is on the line as well.

Feud #12: Sheamus vs Cesaro

Both Sheamus and Cesaro are very talented Superstars whom also happen to generate little response from the WWE Universe. They’ll duke something out at Summerslam.

Feud #13: Finn Balor vs Seth Rollins

Finn Balor earned his spot for the new WWE Universal Championship, while Seth Rollins was just handed the oppurtunity. At Summerslam, Finn Balor will come down to the ring as the Demon King. The first ever WWE Universal Champion will be crowned.

Feud #14: Dolph Ziggler vs Dean Ambrose

As of now, Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan have not been put in a match at Summerslam. On this week’s Smackdown, Ambrose hit the Dirty Deeds on Ziggler to close the show. The Wyatts will most certainly play a role in the Ambrose and Ziggler match for the WWE Championship at Summerslam.

Feud #15: Jericho & Owens vs Big Cass & Enzo Amore

There are no titles on the line here. As of now, it is simply a tag team match between characters that dislike each other.

American Alphas may also have a match at Summerslam and maybe Nia Jax will get one as well. Maybe Heath Slater will make another cameo. Alberto Del Rio may also have a match as well, who knows?

If I missed a feud or a match possibility for Summerslam post it in the comments below. The main point of this list is to get your opinion of this year’s Summerslam card.

On May 21st I witnessed an absolutely enthralling contest between two of the best Junior Heavyweight wrestlers on the planet. Kyle O’Reilly and KUSHIDA have a chemistry in the ring that is impossible to manufacture, and extremely difficult to maintain over a period of time. That is why I believe that the three match series between KUSHIDA and O’Reilly over the past year can be included in the discussion of ‘best ever:’

• Kyle O’Reilly vs KUSHIDA – Best of the Super Juniors 2015 Final
• Kyle O’Reilly vs KUSHIDA – Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Uprising 2015
• Kyle O’Reilly vs KUSHIDA – Best of the Super Juniors 2016 Night 1 Main Event

The enjoyment of wrestling has and always will be based on opinion/perception and not on statistical fact. A 20 minute technical masterpiece to one fan may bore another. The 5 minute ‘spot-fest’ might turn off viewers looking for a gripping story, so if you don’t agree with my assessment then I fully understand.

What makes these three matches so special? Innovation.

Some of the best feuds over the course of history have transcended time and pushed the boundaries of the sport. Rivalries such as Bret/Owen in the WWE, Flair/Steamboat in the NWA and Joe/Punk in ROH.

KUSHIDA and O’Reilly draw inspiration from mixed martial arts to give their bouts a frenetic and brutal feel. This is an evolution of Strong Style, quickening the pace but keeping the traditional elements of respect and honour between combatants.

So let’s take a look at the three matches:

• Best of the Super Juniors Final 2015

The first bout between the two opened the eyes of a lot of fans. Up to this point both grapplers could’ve been considered perennial tag team specialists. The initial takedown attempts and limb-targeting borrowed heavily from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the quick transitions mesmerised the crowd in a way that was unique for the Juniors division. One of the most incredible elements of this bout was the excitement created during submission holds, the crowd were at their most electric when O’Reilly locked in a brutal armbar. KUSHIDA took the win via submission with the Hoverboard lock.

• Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Uprising 2015

This match holds great importance personally as I was lucky enough to be there. This was O’Reilly’s chance at redemption for the loss at BOSJ and both men delivered an incredible back and forth match. The most memorable moment of the bout was O’Reilly catching KUSHIDA in an armbar out of a back hand spring that completely caught the crowd unawares. After a quick paced match that took the physicality of the first up a few notches Kyle took the win following a Triangle choke. I would put this bout as the weakest of the three however this is only by the smallest of margins.

• Best of the Super Juniors 2016 Night 1 Main Event

The final bout would main event the first night of the BOSJ 2016 tournament. This match played off of the technical exchanges of the first two, however the pair adopted more high risk offence, such as KUSHIDA catching O’Reilly in an armbar after leaping from a seated position outside the ring (this has to be seen to be believed), in a moment that harked back to the Rev Pro match O’Reilly caught KUSHIDA in a triangle following a standing moonsault attempt, KUSHIDA quickly transitioned out but it added to the ‘chess match’ feel of the bout. O’Reilly took the win following an armbar after a failed attempt from KUSHIDA to escape another triangle choke.

Words can never do justice to a great piece of art, and I implore you to watch all three of these bouts. I fully expect both these men to meet again for New Japan in a more advanced role on the card in the future. It is difficult to compare modern matches to the classics, as time passes it is almost easier to judge and rank among the greats, however on this occasion I am going with my gut feeling and feel that KUSHIDA and O’Reilly deserve their spot alongside the Flair/Steamboats, purely as they have innovated and pushed the sport into new realms.

You can watch the two BOSJ matches through NJPW streaming service here: http://njpwworld.com

The Revolution Pro match is available to view either on-demand or through their streaming service here: https://www.revolutionprowrestling.com/on-demand

Have you seen these matches? What trilogies would you rank as the best ever? Leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading

Jake

If you enjoyed this column then please check out my podcast: WHO BOOKED THIS CRAP!? below.

For the past few weeks, the WWE has made a conscious effort to mention the “New Era”. If you watched Monday Night Raw last night, you surely noticed how much they said “New Era”. It is beyond obvious that the WWE is requiring it’s superstars to use that term. It has been said over and over since Wrestlemania and I don’t understand why. The WWE is still producing a product that is rated PG. In other words, the product is directed towards children, even though a lot of the audience is adults that love wrestling. Creating a product that is easily consumed by everyone is not something I hold against the WWE. If you take a step back, the WWE being a PG program really does make sense. The Attitude Era was a once in a lifetime thing. Everything aligned perfectly and the truth is that it will never be replicated. I’ve given up on the idea that wrestling will return to that era. However, what the WWE is doing now truly baffles me.

The WWE is literally trying to sell that there is a “New Era” without actually changing anything. Shane and Stephanie McMahon are now “running” Monday Night Raw, but nothing has changed. Every single Monday Night Raw opens with a promo that most of the time will lead into a match. Shane McMahon returning to WWE programming has changed absolutely nothing. He had an entertaining match with the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, but now he is just there. Obviously, there is going to be some kind of feud between Shane and Stephanie McMahon in the coming months, but for now it is just a boring storyline. I sincerely do not understand why the WWE is constantly having their talent say the words “New Era”. If you’ve watched RAW regularly, you would know that this is the same show over and over again. Hopefully, the “New Era” in the WWE is more than just a buzz-word going forward, because right now it means absolutely nothing.

WWE.

You bought a portion of New Era didn't you?

More baseball hats to come.

AJ Styles would be psyched!

— The Life of the Party Jaims Van Der Beek ? (@JaimsVanDerBeek) May 10, 2016

I'm about halfway through #Raw and I think I've heard the words "new era" about a thousand times. Don't ruin this WWE.

— Andrew (@andrew_cottrell) May 10, 2016

https://twitter.com/Jack_McInally/status/729951764770893824

#WWE wants 2 call this a "New Era" yet's it's 2016 & #ChrisJericho is in the MAIN EVENT of #Raw. OK WWE @TNACreative pic.twitter.com/T2687GIPk8

— ??Mugsy Catizone?? (@Mugsysam) May 10, 2016

The British independent wrestling scene has never been better and produced more stars than right now. There are a litany of streaming outlets for domestic and international fans to enjoy and even the WWE have recognised the potential in the likes of PROGRESS and Revolution Pro, asking them to host qualifying matches for the Global Cruiserweight Series.

If you’ve never had the chance to check out the UK scene and the talent we have on offer then here are some names to get you started:

Zack Sabre Jr

As one of the biggest names to emerge from England, Zack Sabre Jr is the modern representation of the ‘World of Sport’ days of UK wrestling. His ability to lock in devastating submissions from multiple angles coupled with an MMA styled striking approach compare to the ROH days of Bryan Danielson and have seen him compete for companies across the globe.

Currently one of the highlights of the ever growing EVOLVE promotion, Sabre Jr looks set to break out onto the world stage as a featured attraction in the WWE Global Cruiserweight Series, check out the episode of Rev Pro TV below to see Zack take on recent NXT signee Shinsuke Nakamura:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q32CmYvWkD8

If you’d like to check some more Zack Sabre Jr matches then these are the ones to hunt down:

• VS Chris Hero at PWG Mystery Vortex II
• VS Roderick Strong at PWG Don’t Sweat the Technique and EVOLVE 45
• VS Prince Devitt at PROGRESS Chapter 13 – (Available for free on Youtube)

‘The Villain ‘Marty Scurll 

Current PROGRESS World Champion Marty Scurll knows what it takes to be a great heel, his transition from ‘Party Marty’ to ‘The Villain’ has completely transformed and elevated his star power to where he is main eventing across the UK.

His feud with Will Ospreay has been one of the reasons the UK scene has such a buzz at the moment, their match at PROGRESS Chapter 25 where Marty took the PROGRESS title started a succession of great contests including a bout at Rev Pro’s High Stakes that arguably stole the show (the main event was AJ Styles against ZSJ) through to their Wrestlemania weekend bout at Wrestlecon.

For a small glimpse of Marty’s brilliance check out this match from Rev Pro TV against his arch nemesis Will Ospreay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWlDnEPL2aM

Other MS matches to check out are:

• VS AJ Styles (C) vs Will Ospreay  – Revolution Pro Uprising 2015 (this is one of the best matches I have ever seen live)
• Vs Will Ospreay  – Revolution Pro Wrestling High Stakes 2016 
• 9 MAN THUNDERB*STARD MATCH – PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter  2016 (purely for Marty’s shenanigans)

Will Ospreay

Having recently signed for NJPW as the newest member of CHAOS, Will Ospreay looks set to rise rapidly to the top, he has an unbelievable amount of athletic ability and being in his early twenties he has a good amount of time to build his reputation on the world stage.

The highlight of his UK run is arguably his match with Jimmy Havoc at PROGRESS Chapter 20. After a year of dominating the main event scene; Havoc dropped the title in spectacular fashion after a gruelling match involving multiple chair strikes, thumbtacks and a 630 Senton from Ospreay.

Check out this match with Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) from Rev Pro TV #8 below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2jLaiMiF9w&feature=youtu.be

Other WO matches to check out are:

• VS Kazuchika Okada – RPW Global Wars UK (the match that got him signed to New Japan)
• VS Matt Sydal – RPW Summer Sizzler 2015 (the first Ospreay match I was lucky enough to see live)
• VS Mark Andrews – PWG BOLA 2015

Thanks for reading, are there any names from the UK scene that you see making it big anytime soon? Leave a comment and let me know!

Shawn Michaels was a guest on Vince Russo’s podcast this week and didn’t hold anything back on his opinion of the current WWE product. When asked if he misses wrestling for WWE, he responded:

“Everybody asks me, ‘Do you miss it?’ No, I don’t miss it because what’s on TV now isn’t what I used to do. So it’s easy not to miss.”

It’s an interesting quote that’s hard to disagree with. To be fair, every generation says that things were better when they were growing up. It is the old “back in my day” argument that has been had millions of times. However, Shawn Michaels was a key figure for wrestling fans who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s so it is a bit shocking to hear him give a quote like that.

Michaels also addressed fans who complain about the WWE on the internet.

“I get what those hardcore fans say and they don’t like it, but at the same time, and I’m going to get a lot of heat for this, but it is true: You do keep watching. The ratings may go down, but we’re not losing you.”

Isn’t that just the brutal truth that all of us wrestling fans hate to hear. If you are reading this right now, I’m guessing you’ve probably said to yourself  “I’m never watching this again” hundreds of times. I know I certainly have. There were so many times I wondered why I was watching wrestling when it seemed like Cena was winning every match. Then, I was reminded why I watch it when I saw Edge beat him at SummerSlam 2006 live. It is the same thing now with Roman Reigns. He is not popular amongst the hardcore fans but there is no way they are going to stop watching.

In case U Missed @ShawnMichaels interview w/ @THEVinceRusso is NOW FREE on @PodcastOne https://t.co/2Yk6LwxCsi … … https://t.co/17iU7cAwCf

— Vince Russo (@THEVinceRusso) April 9, 2016

Wrestlemania 32 is in the books and it is fair to say that there were some….intriguing….booking choices made by the company, probably the most notable was Y2J picking up the win against AJ Styles, a man who as far as I can recall is the only man to have ever performed at Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestlemania in the same year and lose at both events.

More confusing is that the next night on the Raw after Mania they gave the number 1 contendership to AJ in a match where he pinned Jericho following a Styles Clash, driving home the ‘parity’ booking mentality the company seems to rely on heavily. Jericho has certainly lost more than his fair share of matches and has been more than willing to put over newer talent, even if it leads to obscurity for said talent (….Fandango), but for AJ’s first PPV event he really should’ve picked up the win.

After the win against AJ I fully expected Jericho to be placed in a program with Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship, this feud would’ve been an ideal opportunity for Reigns to learn from a grizzled vet and you can guarantee that Y2J would’ve done all he could’ve to try and stop the fans cheering him in an attempt to get Reigns over. But now that AJ has been placed in this slot for the Payback match what is there left for Jericho to do? There are 4 opponents that I would like to see him face off against from here:

• Dean Ambrose – After an underwhelming match with Brock Lesnar at Mania; Ambrose also appears to be a man without a purpose, I have no doubt that an eventual Shield 3 way match for the title is on the cards when Seth Rollins is healthy, but in the meantime I see no reason why Jericho can’t have a similar program to that with CM Punk back in 2012, both are good promos and have the ability to work in a variety of stipulation matches that could re-establish Ambrose as a main event contender going forward, his reactions from the live crowds certainly warrant a prolonged push and I felt he was put in a difficult position with Lesnar as there was no way that they could live up to the Street Fights of yesteryear without the ability to bring blood into their match and that Brock Lesnar should not be losing matches, especially at Wrestlemania.

• Shinsuke Nakamura – Even if they aren’t willing to bring Shinsuke up to the main roster full time just yet we’ve seen plenty of examples of NXT talent having cross-over matches, Kevin Owens benefitted greatly from having a program with John Cena while NXT Champion. The storyline could be as simple as Jericho calling Nakamura another ‘Y2J-Wannabe’ as he wrestled in Japan first, you could easily bring up Jericho’s past in the Super-J cup tournament to create a bit of legitimacy as the company appears to be more willing to acknowledge accomplishments outside of the WWE these days, you could even have Jericho perform at a Takeover show, something I’m sure the Full Sail crowd would not complain about. Really I would love to see Shinsuke on the main roster and a feud with Jericho (the gatekeeper of the WWE ‘style’) could be a great way to introduce him to the RAW audience.

• Cesaro – He had built up quite a lot of momentum before his injury but a placeholder feud before going for a title could be the ideal way to re-build Cesaro. I feel that this is really the time for the WWE to decide if they are going to really take a push in Cesaro seriously and if so they need to put him up against a heel that will go above and beyond to put them over to the next level, I can definitely see a feud between them working as both Y2J and the Swiss Superman are both well travelled veterans and have experience in the European style of grappling. These two could easily have a show-stealing performance at the likes of Payback and while I don’t see this as a multiple month feud it certainly warrants getting a PPV match out of them at least.

• Sami Zayn – Out of the 4 wrestlers mentioned I would say that a program with Sami Zayn is definitely more for further down the road, once he has finished the first (of hopefully) many matches with Kevin Owens I would really enjoy seeing Zayn, who is probably one of the best babyface performers in the world right now, get a feud with Jericho; who could again impart a decent amount of wisdom onto Sami and help him move from the lighter schedule of NXT to the full 300+ days a year main roster workload he will have to adapt to.

Thanks for reading, you can check out the second episode of the R & J Wrestling podcast below looking at the 2008 feud between Jericho and Shawn Michaels:

https://audioboom.com/boos/4403082-episode-2-jericho-vs-michaels