Saturday, May 31, 2014

WWE Payback 2014 Preview & Predictions

WWE Payback 2014 Predictions

1) Big E vs. Rusev
After weeks of competing in squash matches, Rusev finally has some credible competition. Some have criticized me for not jumping on the Rusev bandwagon, but my reason for not joining in on it is simple - Rusev hasn't proven himself on the main roster yet. Give him a credible opponent and I'll gladly give him an opportunity to win me over. This is that time. Not only is this match an opportunity for Rusev to win me over, I think it's a time that Rusev could win a lot of the WWE Universe over. Big E is an exceptional wrestler and I expect him to bring the best out of Rusev. I'm actually excited for this match since I've heard so much about Rusev. Beyond that, it's always exciting seeing two young talents get showcased on a PPV. Predicting this match is pretty difficult. I'm thinking they may have this feud run for another month so I think that Big E should go over here. But that's what I think SHOULD happen. Will WWE have Big E win? I don't think so. Rusev wins here.

Who I think will win - Rusev - continues his dominant streak

Who I think should win - Big E - continues the feud; Rusev wants revenge for being dethroned

2) Wade Barrett vs. Rob Van Dam - Intercontinental Championship Match
Van Dam's return has been a success thus far as he has been putting people over since coming back. I think the trend continues here in the form of Bad News Barrett. This has potential to be a very good match and I think this will be big for

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of May 26th, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of May 26th, 2014
 
  1. Michael Elgin (@ROHMichaelElgin)-In the most hotly contested vote EVER in the history of the Indy Power Rankings (in its current system), “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin came out on top. While he did lose to Shane Mercer at IWA Mid-South in a battle of the monsters on 5/22, he bounced back by winning the AIW JLIT 2014 Tournament after beating Eddie Kingston, Heidi Lovelace, Eric Ryan, and Tim Donst & Ethan Page in a 3 Way Final. Not only that, he retained his AIW Absolute Title throughout the tournament. He is also ½ of the AAW Tag Team Champions.
 
  1. AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg)-After being ranked #2 last week, AJ Styles defended his IWGP Heavyweight Title vs. Kazuchika Okada on 5/25 and was successful in doing so. For many voters, that was enough to get him the #1 spot this week. Other voters weren’t convinced and he came up just short of getting the #1 spot this week, but that being said, “The Phenomenal One” continued his dominance since returning to the independent wrestling scene.

  1. Tommaso Ciampa (@ProjectCiampa)-He was ranked #4 last week and he moved up one spot this week after beating last week’s #5, Jay

Monday, May 26, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - May 26th, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - May 26th, 2014

The show starts with Triple H & Stephanie McMahon. They deliver one of their typical promos about Bryan having to surrender the title later in the night. Then they tell Brad Maddox to come out and they fire him after Kane delivers a chokeslam and tombstone piledriver. Pointless segment in my opinion. Maddox hasn't been a key part of Raw in months - why bring him into it now and expect everyone to care that he got fired?

1) Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro
This is the 3rd time these two have faced off on Raw and they continue to develop better chemistry together. Their first match was sloppy (mainly because of some RVD botches), their second match was good, and this match was even better. Despite Van Dam having some interaction with Barrett at ringside - this was still a good match. Very enjoyable and

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Fantasy Booking: TNA Slammiversary 2014

As many of you know, I haven't been that interested in TNA lately. I recently wrote an article depicting what I thought TNA could do to make the product better. Well, they didn't do exactly what I said, but it seems as if they are moving in the right direction.

I will say that when the MVP/Eric Young storyline began a few weeks ago, I didn't like it whatsoever. In fact, at the time I thought I wouldn't watch TNA again until it was over. I just had no interest in the story. Then this past Thursday's episode of Impact Wrestling caused some buzz on social media which immediately caught my attention.

For the first time in nearly a year, I really regretted not watching TNA. I got online and caught up on what happened was immediately interested. The first thing that caught my eye was the fact that Austin Aries is back in the main event scene and Kenny King is getting his first shot in the spotlight. These are two wrestlers that I said TNA needed to put in the limelight to improve the product and sure enough they've done it.

The MVP/King/Lashley stable is a great idea. I'm hopeful this storyline will continue to be as good as it's began. With all that said, since my interest has really been peaked in TNA, I began thinking of how TNA could continue making the product better.

I love doing Fantasy Bookings and I just so happen to come up with a full card for TNA's next PPV, Slammiversary. Only two matches have been announced thus far, so I've included them although I made a few tweaks to them. This is how I would book TNA Slammiversary 2014:

1) Mr. Anderson & Gunner vs. The Bro Mans
I think this would be a good opening contest. Anderson has recently been

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of May 19th, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of May 19th, 2014
 
  1. Adam Cole-Honestly, there was very little debate this week at the #1 position among the official voters. Cole’s consistent track record over the last couple of months, his holding of the ROH and PWG World Titles, along with his victory over Jushin ‘Thunder Liger (by submission no less) on 5/17 at War of the Worlds easily cemented him as the #1 this week. It is surprisingly his first #1 ranking in 2014, but with the way he has been picking up victories recently, it’s likely to be just the first of many. This was about the time in 2013 that he really started setting the world on fire. Let’s see what the rest of 2014 brings for the champ. #7 in the online poll.
 
  1. AJ Styles-The only other option at #1 this week behind Cole for the official voters was a man who has been dominant everywhere he’s gone in 2014. His TNA release has done absolutely nothing to slow down his success rate and this week, he proved it once again after defeating Michael Elgin and Okada to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title on 5/17 at War of the Worlds. Not one to rest on his laurels, he then travelled to 2CW where he defeated Cheech in a hard fought battle on 5/18. “The Phenomenal One” is looking to get his first

Thursday, May 15, 2014

PWG Mystery Vortex 2 DVD Review

PWG Mystery Vortex II Review

Date held: March 28th, 2014

1) Cedric Alexander vs. Andrew Everett vs. Trevor Lee
Here we have some fresh faces appearing in PWG. This was both Andrew Everett and Trevor Lee's debut in PWG and it was Cedric Alexander's first appearance in PWG since 2010. Since Alexander is the only one of these men to ever compete in PWG, the crowd was heavily behind from the start as "ALEXANDER!" chants flooded the legion hall. Andrew Everett got a decent response when he was introduced as well, but Trevor Lee being the least known competitor got a mixed reaction, including "Who are you?" chants. Regardless of what the fans thought of Lee before the match, it was all changed when these three guys tore the house down! Mid-way through the match the "Who are you?" chants turned into "TREVOR LEE!" and "THIS IS AWESOME!" Everett and Lee won over the PWG crowd while Alexander proved he's still just as great - if not better - than when he last competed in Pro Wrestling Guerilla. This was just an amazing opening match with alot of jaw dropping moments. Everett hit what was literally one of the highest dives I've ever seen, he was so close to hitting the roof, it was insane. This was just an all around awesome match with tons of action. I'm glad to see these three amazing young wrestlers in PWG! As Rick Knox said on commentary "We may be looking at some future PWG superstars here." I agree. After this great performance and the way the crowd responded, I'm excited to see what the future holds for each of these men in PWG. One hell of an opening contest!

Match rating - 8.5/10

2) Peter Avalon & RockNES Monsters vs. B-Boy, Willie Mack, & Joey Ryan
PWG normally has a six man tag like this as a show opener, but tonight we got a triple threat in that slot instead. Regardless of it's position on the card, this match was just as great. PWG six man tags are so much fun and this was no different. From all the dives to Willie Mack running and knocking Yuma & Goodtime in two different directions - it was all around

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of May 12th, 2014

Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of May 12th, 2014
 
1.       Juicy Product (JT Dunn & David Starr)-It’s really quite remarkable what this team has done over the last 3 weeks. While they were certainly nothing to sneeze at over the last few months, no one could have predicted this type of success for them. They are the CZW and FIP World Tag Team Champions and on 5/10 they defeated The Beaver Boys to retain those CZW titles. That makes 4 wins in 3 weeks for this team and their 2nd time at the top. Look out, everyone, you’ve got a new tag team to contend with who don’t appear to be going quietly into the night any time soon. #4 in the online poll.
 
2.       Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson)-Surprisingly, despite their consistency in at least getting mentions, this is the highest recent ranking for the tag team that is widely considered the best tag team in the world. On 5/10, they helped prove that point by

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of May 12th, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of May 12th, 2014
 
  1. Biff Busick-Last week Busick was unranked and to be honest, if you had told most people he’d be #1 this week, there’s a good possibility they would have scoffed at the notion. He hasn’t had a GREAT 2014 due to some injuries and other issues, BUT this was HIS weekend. He went into EVOLVE 29 and knocked off the 5 time former #1 in the Indy Power Rankings in Johnny Gargano and then he took his talent to CZW where he defeated CZW World Champion Drew Gulak to capture the gold for the very first time. On the IPR 2013 year end show, Busick stated emphatically that his goal in 2014 was to win the CZW World Title and be #1 in the Indy Power Rankings. Guess what? Mission accomplished. #6 in the online poll.
 
  1. Adam Cole-The ROH/PWG World Champion once again gets a high ranking, but not quite the #1. Perhaps next week will be his week? Regardless, his win this week on 5/10 at Global Wars was a huge one as he turned away the challenge of former 5 time #1 in the Indy Power Rankings in Kevin Steen. While Cole has certainly improved his win-loss record over the last couple of months, it’s possible that his schedule is keeping him away from the #1 spot at the moment. It’s likely the cream will rise to the top very soon. #2 in the online poll with 370 votes.
 
  1. Mickie Knuckles-It’s almost impossible to argue against her success this week on any level. 5 victories. That’s almost unheard of for a single weekend. The Resistance Pro Women’s Champion defeated Paloma Starr at WSU Secret Show on 5/9 and then teamed with Matt Tremont to beat J

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - May 12th, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - May 12th, 2014

The show opens up with a great segment from The Shield. They vow to attack Evolution when they arrive and they do just that as Evolution's limo pulls up. The Shield run backstage and attack Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton. They leave them laying as security pulls The Shield off them.

1) Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger
Zeb cut a promo on Adam Rose and told him to keep his distance only for Rose to come out and antagonize Swagger. This allows RVD to kick Swagger and hit the five star frog splash for the victory. Good storyline development. Looks like we'll be getting Rose vs. Swagger at Payback, which is fine by me. Swagger is a very underrated wrestler and if given time, he could bring out the best in Rose. I don't know much about Rose, but I've heard he's really good so hopefully we'll get a good match out of this feud and it won't just be a squash. For Rose and Swagger's sake.

2) Paige vs. Alicia Fox
Prior to the match, Alicia Fox cut a surprisingly good promo on Paige before shoving her to the ground. Paige however agrees to continue with the match and I'm glad she did. This was a solid match which saw Fox really come out and show her potential. She hit a beautiful Northern Lights Suplex which immediately impressed me. Beyond her in-ring work, she began to

Friday, May 9, 2014

WWE Smackdown Review - May 9th, 2014

WWE Smackdown Review - May 9th, 2014

1) Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose - United States Championship
Ambrose and Sheamus start the match off on the mat with a brief technical exchange. I was hoping the whole match would be like that because Ambrose is very talented in that area, but I was interested to see how Sheamus would fare. None the less, the match turned into a physical brawl as the battle spilled to the outside where Ambrose suplexed Sheamus on the floor, but Sheamus returned the favor by running and slamming Ambrose to the floor. This was a really good match that met my expectations. I was expecting it to be very good and it was just that. Sheamus retained without making Ambrose look weak as the match was very competitive. The prestige of the US Title begins to build.

Match rating - 7.5/10

2) Wade Barrett & Cesaro vs. Big E & Rob Van Dam
On paper this looks like it would be a really good match, but they weren't given enough time to create what could have been a phenomenal bout. Van Dam and Big E's entrance didn't even get shown on TV. It's like WWE just crammed this segment in. Didn't like how it came across as just a jobber segment as there are four top mid carders here who deserved much more time than they got here. Hopefully we'll see a rematch on Raw sometime in the future.

3) Alexander Rusev vs. Kofi Kingston
The misuse of Kofi continues as he once again is placed in a position where he has to be a punching bag for a debuting big guy. I've never liked the idea of debuting

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Fantasy Booking: Separating RAW & Smackdown and The World Titles

The WWE roster is more packed than it's been in a long time. It has alot of depth with many talented superstars. Having the whole roster on both Raw and Smackdown means less talent is able to be featured each week. For this reason, I think now is the time to separate the brands and bring back the draft.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, back in 2002, WWE separated Raw and Smackdown into two separate brands. Every wrestler was assigned to a brand and could only compete on that particular brand's shows. Each brand got their own PPV's and championships. Bringing this back would allow more young talent to be showcased and given a chance to utilize their abilities.

In this article, I will present how I would separate the WWE & World Title again, separate the brands, AND build a new top superstar all at the same time. It's a process that I feel should begin around SummerSlam.

Brock Lesnar broke The Undertaker's streak at WrestleMania so a shot at the World Title is inevitably in his future. I'd have Lesnar return before SummerSlam to challenge Daniel Bryan for the World Heavyweight Title. The previous week, Bryan was allowed to choose his opponent for SummerSlam and to return the favor from last year, he picked John Cena. Bryan tells Lesnar and Heyman this, but they have an offer for him. Heyman says if Bryan is the fighting champion that everyone claims him to be, he'll put both titles on the line in separate matches. Heyman says Bryan is a small little runt that doesn't deserve to be called a Heavyweight Champion and that Brock Lesnar is the definition of a Heavyweight Champion. Heyman antagonizes Bryan to the point that

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of May 5th

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of May 5th, 2014
 
  1. Uhaa Nation-“The One Man Nation” finally got the #1 spot! He’s been ranked countless times but he finally cashes in a #1 ranking this week after over a year. Last week he teamed with Akira Tozawa to defeat Masaaki Mochizuki and Dragon Kid on 4/28 and then lost to YAMATO & Cyber Kong on 4/29. He then teamed with Shingo Takagi & Akira Tozawa to defeat T-Hawk, Eita, and Flamita on 5/3 and then teamed with Ricochet and Akira Tozawa to defeat YAMATO, BxB Hulk, and Cyber Kong on 5/4. He has won 21 of his last 25 matches and has a very impressive 32-14 record in 2014. It truly is Uhaa’s time. Next up is EVOLVE and then it’s on to the UK for the big man. #10 in the online poll.
 
  1. Matt Cage-Not that he was chopped liver in 2013, but in 2014, he has been absolutely “Money” as the AAW Heritage Champion has had an impressive reign as champion. Over the weekend he managed to defeat CJ Esparza on 5/2 to retain the title and then he went to DREAMWAVE where he scored (arguably) a big upset, defeating Chris Hero on 5/3. He’s looking for his 3rd #1 ranking, but in order to achieve that, he’ll need to pick up a few more wins in the upcoming weeks and try to remain flawless.
 
  1. Matt Cross-“M-Dogg” has been on fire as of late. First he won the ECWA Super 8 and now he has added a little gold to his trophy case. He is the NEW (and 1st ever) Smash Wrestling Champion after defeating Johnny Gargano and then outlasting Takaaki Watanabe, Kevin Steen, Chris Hero, and Josh Alexander to win the gold on 5/4. With his vast array of aerial skill, he’s been teaching all of his opponents to fear the beard. #8 in the online poll.
 
  1. Ricochet-While he may not be the king of the

Sunday, May 4, 2014

ROH TV Review - May 3rd, 2014

ROH TV Review - May 3rd, 2014

1) Tommaso Ciampa vs. Roderick Strong

What a wonderful way to start the show. Both Strong and Ciampa are hard hitters so this was a very enjoyable match. Ciampa is one of the most promising young stars in ROh and it showed once again here. He put on outstanding match with the veteran Strong. Adam Page accompanied Strong to the ring and ended up being an important factor in the match as he interfered, but received a stiff kick to the head from Ciampa. Cedric Alexander ran down and nailed Strong in the head while the ref was distracted allowing Ciampa to get the victory.

Match rating - 8/10

After the match, Strong called Cedric Alexander back to the ring only for Alexander to get the upper hand once again. Alexander then cut a promo saying he will beat Strong at Global Wars. Great segment. Loving the feud between these two. This whole Decade thing is brilliant. Alexander is the future of Ring of Honor.

2) Romantic Touch vs. Silas Young

Romantic Touch is easily my least favorite ROH wrestler, but I've really been impressed with Silas Young lately. That was the

Friday, May 2, 2014

WWE Extreme Rules 2014 Predictions & Analysis

WWE Extreme Rules 2014 Predictions
Coming off the heels of one of the best WrestleMania's ever, WWE is presenting it's first PPV of the new era. The event is headlined by The Shield vs. Evolution and Daniel Bryan vs. Kane for the WWE Championship.

Before going into my predictions I'd like to mention how impressed I am with the consistency of this PPV card. On paper it looks like a very solid show. Besides the Alexander Rusev handicap match, every bout has potential to be really good. The build for every match has been spot on and there's alot of things to look forward to on this PPV.

Now on to my predictions:

Pre-Show: El Torito vs. Hornswoggle - WEELC Match

Matches like this exist just for pure fun and entertainment. In all honesty, I enjoyed the contract signing segment on Smackdown this Friday. If this was on the main card, I might be a bit annoyed, but with it being on the pre show - there's nothing really to complain about. It will probably be kind of silly and be filled with JBL's annoying outbursts which have become common during recent weeks. Despite that, it should be a fun way to start the show. Since Los Matadores are accompanying El Torito and they're babyfaces, I predict him to win.

Who I think will win: El Torito

1) Big E vs. Wade Barrett - Intercontinental Championship Match
I think it's safe to say that the Intercontinental Title #1 Contender's tournament was a success. It produced several great matches and it made the championship feel important again. The rise of Barrett back to prominence has been refreshing. I never thought this "Bad News" gimmick would elevate back to what he once was, but it's caught on with fans and he's recieved a push because of it so I can't complain. Big E's reign hasn't been that good, but he's consisently put on good matches when defending the title. His title defenses against Fandango and Swagger were both quality bouts. I expect this one to be no different - if not better. Barrett and Big E are both heavy hitters. They are very physical