Author Archives: ryanfoges
Monster Blog: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Floats
One of the staples of Thanksgiving (besides the three F’s: football, family & food) is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since 1924, the parade has taken over Manhattan every Thanksgiving day with floats, balloons, marching bands and celebrities. While it’s always cool to see Mount Rushmore or Sesame Street characters marching down Central Park West, we felt that there wasn’t enough variety in the float department. What floats would we add to the parade? We thought you’d never ask.
James Gandolfini Dressed As The Pope During Mardi Gras
Photo; Huff Post
This is one of my favorite pictures of all time, and if you turn this into a float, the sky is the limit. First of all, you have James Gandolfini smoking a cigar dressed as the pope. That’s one of your all time great foundations for a parade float. I think the ideal choice would be to give it some type of Mardi Gras theme. Beads, booze, cigars, etc. Maybe have a few extras dressed as priests and nuns passing out shots to the crowd. If it’s an especially cold Thanksgiving you can mix it up and pass out Hot Toddies. I think the combo of paying respect to one of the greatest actors of all time and passing out a crap ton of booze will be a big hit for everyone involved.
– Ryan
Bill Paxton
Photo: Comic Con
Earlier this year we lost a talented actor, role model, and friend, Bill Paxton. There’s no doubt in my mind that if we could talk to good ole’ Bill from beyond the grave, he would agree that the best way to honor his memory is to forever enshrine him in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. I couldn’t think of a better float to be thankful for. Maybe it’s him from Twister, or Titanic, or maybe it’s him from Aliens. Hell, it could even be a giant tribute to his entire body of work. Doesn’t matter, it’s still Bill.
– Matt
Five Stars From WWE Raw 11/20/17
Photo: WWE
It’s about time Roman Reigns caught a break.
Average Nobodies note: make sure to follow us on Twitter – @averagenobodies and like us on Facebook – Facebook.com/AverageNobodies. We love talking pro wrestling, so you can comment on this post or reach out to us on social media if you want to join the discussion. You can also find all of our wrestling content by clicking the ‘wrestling’ tab under the banner on our home page.
WWE Raw was live last night from Houston, Texas, the same city and venue that hosted Sunday night’s Survivor Series. Survivor Series was a tale of two shows as certain matches were great (Shield/New Day, Lesnar/Styles) and others not so great (men’s and women’s 5 on 5). But hey, any time you can make HHH punk out guys on both Raw and Smackdown and pick up the win in the main event of a pay per view in 2017 you have to do it, right?
The best thing about WWE is that whether you loved or hated a pay per view, the next night there is always a Raw to keep things rolling. Instead of a traditional review, I’m going to pick out the five best things from last night and hopefully get a good old fashioned pro wrestling discussion started.
5. Samoa Joe
It’s so refreshing having a motivated, bad ass Samoa Joe back on Raw. While it would be nice for Joe’s success to not be at the expense of Finn Balor, victories like last night do sky rocket him up the title contender ladder. The biggest compliment I can give Joe is that everything he does has a purpose. His goal for every match is to lock the Coquina Clutch on his opponent, because when it’s locked on tight there is no escape. Finn and Joe have great chemistry dating back to their NXT days, and while this match isn’t going to blow anybody away, it was crisp and served it’s purpose.
In an era where everyone does the suicide dive through the middle rope, Joe’s might be the best. Not only does he dive through the rope, but he winds up mid dive and finishes it off with a stiff forearm shot. He wore Balor down enough so that when the Coquina Clutch was locked in, Balor was incapacitated and TKO’d. Great opening match.
4. Asuka
I wasn’t a fan of either 5 on 5 match at Survivor Series, but I am glad that Asuka eliminated three members of Team Smackdown and won the match for Team Raw. That was such a layup decision that I’m not going to give WWE any credit for it, though. I’m glad that Asuka is steam rolling through the women’s division, and last night’s match against Dana Brooke is a great example of how she should look from here on out.
Asuka should not just be another member of the women’s division. She should be the one that everyone else fears, and she should stay undefeated, win the women’s title from whichever unlucky soul has it, and then keep winning forever. She’s so good and unique and I love the tweak to her entrance where the arena goes dark and her mask appears on the screen before her music hits. The crowd is already into it, so let’s keep this gravy train rolling and turn Asuka into a cult hero.
3. Paige, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
During the women’s fatal 4 way number one contender’s match, we heard a familiar screech that has been missing from the women’s division for far too long. Paige made her long awaited return, and at first I thought it was odd to come out and cut a promo during an actual match. Thankfully it all made sense in the end, as Paige brought NXT’s Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville along with her to send a message. Deville is a former MMA fighter who also appeared on Tough Enough and had been with NXT since late 2015. Rose is a former bodybuilding and fitness competitor who appeared on the same Tough Enough as Deville and has also been with NXT since late 2015.
Since the brand split the women’s divisions on both shows have been extremely thin, so adding three women in one segment was a smart move. Plus, you’re bringing in newcomers Deville and Rose alongside a household name like Paige, which will ease their transition to the main roster. I also like bringing in some NXT stars that don’t have a track record in NXT, as it gives them a clean slate on whichever show they appear on. The women’s division needed a little chaos thrown in, and this segment plus their backstage attack on Bliss were two steps in the right direction.
2. Roman Reigns
I don’t love the title change in the main event, but with Rollins and Ambrose back to battling The Bar, Reigns needed some type of direction. His two lifelong enemies are either feuding with Kane (Strowman) or dead (Wyatt) so it made sense to send him after the only other singles title on the show. Reigns is becoming the master of the WWE style title match, and while a lot of this match had to do with the brilliance of Miz, Reigns is still very good in the ring. The only thing I ask moving forward is for Reigns to turn into John Cena when he won the US title and defend the IC title as much as possible. He’ll win all of the matches, but he’ll also elevate whoever challenges him.
1. The Miz, Always
Since early June Miz has been the IC champion, and while he hasn’t defended as often as he should have (or wanted to) he and the Miz-Tourage have been one of the best parts of Raw for awhile. Whether it’s Miz TV or being in the main event of Raw or pay per views, Miz has consistently delivered, and I was sad to see him lose the strap last night. I love him, Axel and Dallas and hope that they continue to be an important part of Raw. I’m going to assume that Roman will be champ for at least a little while, but once the time comes for him to move on to bigger things (Brock Lesnar), I wouldn’t hate Miz getting a chance for his 8th reign as IC champ.
-Ryan
Chance The Rapper Played A Reporter Out Of His Element In ‘Sports Announcer’ #SNL
Sports Announcer – SNL
Chance The Rapper took his talents to SNL & studio 8H on Saturday night, and he did not disappoint. Season 43 has featured four first time hosts in the first six episodes, and I’d rank Kumail Nanjiani and Mr. Rapper as my top two. Chance was great in every sketch (especially the Family Feud one), but his best performance was in Sports Announcer. Hockey has to be a wild sport for anybody not familiar with the atmosphere and the rules, and Chance nailed his role here. Hopefully this is the first of many more hosting duties in the future.
If you’re looking for a highlight of this episode not featuring Chance The Rapper, check out Pete Davidson’s hilarious rant on Staten Island from Weekend Update.
-Ryan
#MusicMonday: Francis And The Lights – May I Have This Dance Featuring Chance The Rapper
Francis And The Lights – May I Have This Dance featuring Chance The Rapper
This week’s music Monday pick is a combination of a song I’m obsessed with and Chance The Rapper ruling the world. I’ve been listening to May I Have This Dance like it’s going out of style, and Chance The Rapper had his SNL hosting debut Saturday night (which he killed). That’s a perfect combo for music Monday. Have a great day on purpose everybody.
-Ryan
Let Steve Spiros, Easy Going Guy Carry You Into The Weekend
Steve Spiros, Easy Going
“What’s your name?”. That’s the only thing this poor reporter said before Steve Spiros, quite possibly the craziest man in the world, went on a rant for the ages. Waterloo. Vampires. Humberside. Sleep Walkers. New York, Manhattan. This interview has all of it.
If you come away with one thing from this interview, let it be this: you can’t kill someone with NO BODY.
-Ryan
Five Matches That’ll Steal The Show at WWE Survivor Series
Photo: WWE
WWE will hold it’s 31st annual Survivor Series pay per view on Sunday night, and they have put together quite a card. Since the launch of the WWE Network most of the big 4 PPV’s haven’t had an issue going 4+ hours, and Sunday’s show will not be an exception. There are 8 matches announced, but I decided to look at five of those matches that have the potential to blow the roof (figuratively) of the Toyota Center and steal the show.
Average Nobodies note: make sure to follow us on Twitter – @averagenobodies and like us on Facebook – Facebook.com/AverageNobodies. We love talking pro wrestling, so you can comment on this post or reach out to us on social media if you want to join the discussion. You can also find all of our wrestling content by clicking the ‘wrestling’ tab under the banner on our home page.
Alexa Bliss vs. Charlotte
Photo: WWE
While the Alexa Bliss/Natalya match would’ve probably been good, the Bliss/Charlotte bout is a huge upgrade. That’s not a knock on Natalya, either. Charlotte is an upgrade over anybody on the Smackdown women’s roster, and she and Bliss have the two best characters in the women’s division at the moment. The odd thing about these champion versus champion matches is that their isn’t much of a feud to base it on, but when you have two great characters, it really doesn’t matter. Both of these women are supremely confident and skilled, and neither one will want to give an inch.
One very cool twist heading into this match is Carmella and her MITB briefcase. While she no longer has her lackey James Ellsworth to do her dirty work, she could take advantage of a tired Charlotte after this match and finally cash in. My prediction is for Charlotte to defeat Alexa and have Carmella cash in post match.
Cesaro & Sheamus vs. The Uso’s
Photo: WWE
There are a few matches on this card that were changed last minute, and this might be the only that wasn’t changed for the better. The Uso’s vs. Ambrose & Rollins would have been a great face/heel matchup, but with the title change last week they’ll now face Cesaro and Sheamus. While this is a heel vs. heel match, I think the skill set of both teams will outweigh any alignment concerns. The only question is who will the crowd root for? My bet is for Cesaro and Sheamus, who can easily switch between heel and face depending on the style of match they wrestle. The Uso’s are way too good at being bad guys to switch anything up, so I can see the crowd getting behind Cesaro and Sheamus.
These are two of the best tag teams in the WWE and I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of match they put together. My prediction is for a no decision due to some outside interference by a new team. Authors of Pain perhaps?
The Shield vs. The New Day
Photo: WWE
Cesaro & Sheamus winning the Raw tag titles might have diminished the champion vs. champion tag match, but it gave us The Shield vs. The New Day, so I’ll consider that a win. This will be The Shield’s first match together in over three years, and while Reigns illness forced WWE to call an audible at TLC, this matchup is more exciting. My favorite thing about this is how improved Xavier Woods has been thanks to the Uso’s feud. The Shield are a solid three man team with no weak links, while New Day was always looked at as Kofi and Big E being the A team while Xavier Woods played the trombone on the outside. After the New Day/Uso’s feud, Woods has come into his own and makes the New Day more dangerous than ever.
It wouldn’t make much sense to have The Shield lose their first match back together, so I’m going with Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins.
Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown (Men)
Photo: WWE
I think Robbie Fox put it best on Twitter when he said this match is basically the same as hitting randomize teams on WWE 2K18. The allure of having Asuka beat Team Smackdown by herself almost made me put the women’s match on this list, but then I remembered Tamina was in the match and just couldn’t do it. This match is insanely unpredictable, and encompasses so many different feuds.
Team captains Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon have an almost 20 year rivalry. Roode and Nakamura feuded together in NXT and are on the same team. Same goes for Samoa Joe and Finn Balor. Orton, Cena and HHH have been each other’s throats for over a decade. Braun Strowman wants to destroy every living creature on planet Earth. There’s so much happening in this match it’s almost impossible to analyze.
The one thing I keep coming back to is HHH. He inserted himself into this match and pedigreed Angle’s son Jason Jordan on Monday. Unless WWE doesn’t care about Jordan and wants him to look like a chump, he has to do something to disrupt this match. I’m not really sure why HHH is even in the match, but I can see Jordan getting involved. If WWE really wants to make things interesting, they would have Jordan side with HHH (and chalk up Monday to a misdirect between HHH/Jordan) and have JJ cost his papa the match. That sounds so good I’m going to make that my prediction.
Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles
Photo: WWE
Of all the matches that were changed at the last minute, this is the most improved one. No amount of Paul Heyman promo time could have gotten me excited for Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal, but I’d watch Lesnar vs. AJ Styles even if you told me it’d result in you chopping off my feet. This is one of the dream matches pretty much every wrestling fan has wanted to see, and I can picture it going one of two ways.
Version 1 sees Lesnar bring his working boots and put on a classic Brock Lesnar vs. a smaller guy match. Styles hasn’t had a bad match during his 10 month run since joining WWE, so you’ll know he’ll bring it, but the question mark is always Lesnar. Version 2 is Lesnar sleep walking through this match, and even though Styles could still put together something great, it won’t be as good as it should’ve been.
I hope we get a good to great one on one match, but if WWE wants to make a legit heel, they would have Mahal screw this match up somehow. I can’t imagine anyone was going to tune into this show to watch Mahal fight, but if he robs us of AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar, I will hunt him down and rob him of everything he loves. The only prediction I have for this match is that Styles won’t win clean. Either a Lesnar victory or a Mahal distraction/DQ seems like the way to go.
-Ryan
Your Average NXT TakeOver WarGames Preview & Predictions
NXT TakeOver WarGames is LIVE this Saturday night from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Like most TakeOver events the night before a main roster pay per view, the card is stacked to the gills and will most likely overshadow the show on Sunday night. There isn’t a false note on the entire card, and the show will be headlined by the WarGames match between AOP/Roddy Strong, Sanity & The Undisputed Era.
In addition to the five match card, Pete Dunne will defend his UK title against Johnny Gargano, although that’s already been announced as the dark match. If there is a God, NXT will air that match next Wednesday during the post TakeOver episode.
Average Nobodies note: make sure to follow us on Twitter – @averagenobodies and like us on Facebook – Facebook.com/AverageNobodies. We love talking pro wrestling, so you can comment on this post or reach out to us on social media if you want to join the discussion. You can also find all of our wrestling content by clicking the ‘wrestling’ tab under the banner on our home page.
Kassius Ohno vs. Lars Sullivan
Photo: WWE
Lars Sullivan has been dominating NXT for the past few months, specifically anyone unlucky enough to be his tag team partner. He’s proven to be an unstoppable force no matter the handicap, but Kassius Ohno will be his toughest foe yet. While Ohno has had some stellar one on one bouts since his re-emergence in NXT, he’s still a little bit lost in the shuffle. While guys like Roddy Strong, Aleister Black, Velveteen Dream & Andrade Almas are all involved in marque feuds, Ohno is tasked with trying to corral a young, hungry monster.
It’s not a bad spot to be in, and I have faith Ohno will deliver. He asked for this match to prove to himself (and William Regal) that he belongs in the main event picture, but that picture is already plenty crowded. Sullivan has a Braun Strowman type feel to him, and this is a good spot to give him a TakeOver win against a household name.
Prediction: Lars Sullivan
Aleister Black vs. The Velveteen Dream
Photo: WWE
Aleister Black vs. The Velveteen Dream has had the best build of any match on the card, and I’m fully expecting it to steal the show. Both guys are undefeated on NXT TV, but this match has nothing to do with winning streaks. Velveteen Dream has had an almost trancelike obsession with Black, and it’s crazy to think that the Dream is barely 22 years old. He plays his character so well, and his flamboyance is a perfect contrast to Black’s centeredness. Both guys can bring it in the ring though, and with such a heavy focus on attention and respect, this should be a very hard hitting affair. I really love the Velveteen Dream character, so I’m slightly biased here, but I’m pulling for him.
Prediction: The Velveteen Dream
NXT Women’s Championship: Ember Moon vs. Kairi Sane vs. Nikki Cross vs. Peyton Royce
Photo: WWE
It turns out no one was ready for Asuka, as she relinquished her NXT Women’s title still undefeated both as a champion and as a competitor overall. I really liked the setup for this Fatal Four Way match too, as Moon, Cross and Royce each earned a spot by winning matches and Kairi Sane earned her spot by winning the Mae Young Classic. The beauty of pairing these four together is that it would make sense to pull the trigger and make any one of them champion. The heart wants what it wants though, and this is Peyton Royce’s time to shine.
Royce & Kay, the Iconic Duo, have been two of the best characters in NXT for awhile. I think they’ll thrive on the main roster whenever they make the transition, but Royce deserves at least one title run before that. She’s the superior wrestler between the two and with Asuka gone, this is anyone’s division. With the stipulation being the first woman to score a pin fall/submission becoming the champ, Royce could easily steal a victory here.
I won’t be upset with any result, but if I have to pick a winner, I’m going with the Aussie wonder.
Prediction: Peyton Royce
NXT Championship: Drew McIntyre (C) vs. Andrade Almas
Photo: WWE
The resurrection of Andrade Almas thanks to Zelina Vega has been one of my favorite parts about NXT over the last few months. Almas debuted with all the promise in the world, but thanks to an awful gimmick featuring a fedora and suspenders, he never clicked with the NXT crowd. Once Vega came along, Almas toned down the silliness and amped up the cockiness/confidence and has turned into a legit title contender. McIntyre has only been NXT champ for a little over three months, but NXT likes it’s top title picture to have a little bit of madness in it. As much as I’ve loved Almas’ rebirth, it feels like there’s more story to tell with McIntyre and Fish/O’Reilly/Cole, so I think Drew retains.
Prediction: Drew McIntyre
War Games: The Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong vs. Sanity vs. The Undisputed Era
Photo: WWE
Official rules of the match per wwe.com:
- All three teams will be contained inside separate shark cages by the entranceway, with a member from each team (as chosen by his respective squad) starting the match.
- After five minutes, the remaining members from one team will be released from their shark cage and allowed to enter the match.
- When another three-minute period elapses, the remaining members from a second team are released from their shark cage and enter the match.
- Following another three-minute period, the final team’s members are released from their shark cage and enter the match.
- Once all three teams have entered the WarGames Match, a victory can be attained via pinfall or submission
Starting at TakeOver Brooklyn III, this three way feud has been all about the brawls. They brawled at TakeOver and what seems like every NXT since, so it makes sense for William Regal to put them in a match worthy of all that brawling. The WarGames matches of the late 80s were spectacularly brutal and bloody brawls, and were consistently used to settle rivalries when all other recourses failed. While this match will not turn into a bloodbath, I think a little bit of color, especially out of one of the Undisputed Era, will assist greatly in telling the story. Cole, Fish & O’Reilly have proven they can take guys out when they’re attacking from behind, but in WarGames they might not have anywhere to run to.
The match will take place between two rings, but NXT hasn’t announced if it will also be inside steel cages like the old WCW matches. Sanity already has the tag belts and the Roddy/AOP team has me feeling uneasy. If NXT is smart, this is a great way to introduce The Undisputed Era as their next great faction.
Prediction: The Undisputed Era
-Ryan
Monster Blog: The Best WWE Survivor Series Matches Of All Time
Photo: Daily Wrestling News
Survivor Series is the second longest running WWE pay per view behind WrestleMania, and the 31st annual show will take place this Sunday in Houston. Survivor Series brings together a lot of different pro wrestling elements, from the 5 on 5 traditional Survivor Series matches to dream matches like last year’s Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar bout.
With a history spanning 30+ years, there are bound to be at least a few memorable matches, and that’s where the Average Nobodies come in. We each named our favorite Survivor Series match of all time below, along with a little blurb about why we loved it so much. Enjoy!
Average Nobodies note: make sure to follow us on Twitter – @averagenobodies and like us on Facebook – Facebook.com/AverageNobodies. We love talking pro wrestling, so you can comment on this post or reach out to us on social media if you want to join the discussion. You can also find all of our wrestling content by clicking the ‘wrestling’ tab under the banner on our home page.
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart
When it comes to rivalries within WWE/F, especially in the mid 90s, there are few better than Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart. The crown jewel of that feud is inarguably their submission match at WrestleMania 13, but if you’re looking for an almost perfect wrestling match with a great story that also motivates both guys moving forward, their match at Survivor Series ’96 should be your jam. Austin and Hart had a pretty chaotic feud, as this was the beginning of Austin’s “Texas Rattlesnake” character, but oddly enough, this was the first televised singles match between the two.
This match really kick started their feud, and launched one of the best angles of the 90s, especially when you factor in their match at WM13. The Survivor Series match was a technical masterpiece and featured a tremendous ending, with Hart outsmarting Austin by using the turnbuckle as leverage and pinning Austin while still in a submission hold. The ending visual of Austin giving Bret the death stare while disappearing up the ramp is as good as wrestling storytelling gets.
-Ryan
The Shield’s Debut
My favorite Survivor Series match isn’t a match at all, it’s a moment and the ripple effect that moment would would have on the WWE from then on. The debut of The Shield during the triple threat between CM Punk, John Cena and Ryback at the 2012 Survivor Series PPV is arguably the greatest debut in the history of the WWE. Three guys who would later become, and stay, THE marquee guys in the company. Even with The Shield stealing the show (although it might not have seen like it at the time) this match isn’t something to sweep under the rug. Cena and Punk were magic in the ring and Ryback got put out of commission by the fabled triple power bomb!
What more could you ask for?
-Matt
