Blog Archives
Bray Wyatt Was Injured At A WWE Live Event Last Night & The World Is A Cruel, Terrible Place
WWE confirmed that Bray Wyatt suffered a right calf injury in the match with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns tonight in Italy. As noted, the injury came when Wyatt was backing out of the corner after the referee’s 4 count. He slipped on the mat, landed bad and was unable to continue. A correspondent in attendance called it a freak accident.
WWE wrote the following:
Bray Wyatt suffered a right calf injury on Wednesday, WWE.com has learned. The injury came during Wyatt’s match on the first Live Event of WWE’s European tour in Milan, Italy.
We will keep you updated on Wyatt’s status.
– via Wrestling Inc.
God damn it. If you’ve watched the last two Raw’s, hopefully you’ve noticed a shift in character for THE most underutilized guy on the roster, Bray Wyatt. On the Raw after WrestleMania, Wyatt and his Family attacked the League of Nations, a heel faction. On this past Monday’s Raw, Wyatt tagged with the sweet handsome prince Roman Reigns in the main event, and even secured the winning pin fall. The crowd loved him both times, and it finally seemed WWE got the memo that Wyatt was too charismatic and unique to be a heel, so they let him do his thing and let the crowd be enamored with him. But since we can’t have nice things, Wyatt got hurt at a stupid live event last night, and it was one of those non contact injuries that haunt my dreams. Whenever something is described as a ‘freak accident’, it’s never a good thing, but I really hope Wyatt isn’t seriously hurt. It seems like they’re positioning him to chase the title after the Styles/Reigns feud, so maybe giving him a few weeks off to have him fresh for Extreme Rules wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. If he is seriously hurt, I’m going to light myself on fire.
-Ryan
Could Making Shane McMahon The Raw GM Really Be The Catalyst For The Best Era In WWE History?
BREAKING: Due to overwhelming social media support, @shanemcmahon will once again be in control of #RAW TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/kxjYBqeMge
— WWE (@WWE) April 11, 2016
I know it’s only been two weeks, and the Raw after WM is always great, but how GREAT have these last two Raw’s been? Ignoring Shane’s match with The Undertaker at WM, this has been a great storyline. Ideally they would have had Shane come back and say he wants to take charge of the WWE, only for Vince to give him a shot on a trial basis. Shane would succeed, and the WWE Universe would support him, and eventually he would take over as Raw GM full time. Since WWE is not an ideal universe, they had to throw Shane vs. Undertaker at WM in there, have Shane lose, and then have him become Raw GM anyway. Maybe Vince really wanted to see him jump off the cell? Either way, the WWE is on an upward swing creatively for the first time in forever. Let’s look at what’s happened these past two Raw’s:
- No Authority, meaning no long winded promos that accomplish nothing.
- A logical, showing his work GM that sets up feuds and matches that make sense
- The debuts of Apollo Crews, Enzo & Cass, Baron Corbin and Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows
- Two of the four debuts above have instantly reinvigorated the tag team division
- A tag team tournament (with actual tag teams!) to determine the #1 contender for the belts
- Cesaro returning and becoming the #1 contender for the IC belt against a great heel with a new valet who he has great chemistry with (Miz and Maryse)
- AJ Styles becoming the #1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
- Bray Wyatt finally getting a chance to look like a main event talent, which gives Reigns another contender beyond Styles
- Kevin Owens entering a feud with Shane McMahon – yes, please
There’s so much happening right now, and all of it makes perfect sense. Giving Raw a GM who has little to no ego and who explains why he’s doing what he’s doing allows us to just sit back and let the performers perform. Instead of trying to connect the dots and wonder why things are happening, we get to see the men and women interact in logical stories. This is such a great improvement over pre WM Raw and I really hope it keeps going. You can even have The Authority return over the summer and have them feud with Shane, and don’t forget that we haven’t seen Brock Lesnar either. You also have Rollins, Cena, and Orton coming back soon. I know it’s only a few Raw’s in a row, but this is a big step in the right direction. Let’s hope they keep it rolling.
-Ryan
Your Average WrestleMania 32 Preview & Predictions
Before we get into it, how amazing does that set look? I can’t wait to see the finished product. WrestleMania 32 is live this Sunday from Dallas, Texas. If you need more hype than that for WrestleMania, you’re in the wrong place. Let’s get to the preview and predictions!
Pre-Show
Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
This one is kind of a toss up. You’d think if WWE was serious about Braun Strowman, they’d give him a ‘WrestleMania’ moment without having him actually have to wrestle a match. That moment should be right here. Big Show has already won it, and the rest of the guys in this match are literal throw away characters. There are reports of Cesaro returning and entering the battle royal, but he already won the inaugural one, and if Cesaro is coming back. they should put him in a more important spot than a pre-show battle royal.
Prediction: Braun Strowman eliminates everyone and wins.
Natalya, Paige, Brie, Alicia, Eva vs. Lana, Naomi, Tamina, Summer, Emma
The only two people I care about in this match are Paige and Evil Emma. I’d much rather them have had a weeks long feud that ended in a one on one match at WM, but I also understand that you want to get as many people on the card as you can. I have to assume Team Total Divas wins here, because they’re the only team with a team name. As long as Evil Emma gets some good spots, I’ll be happy with either outcome.
Prediction: Team Total Divas
The Dudley Boyz vs. The Uso’s
Give me a flaming table. That’s all I’m asking for in this match. No one has to go through it, but I want it and I need it. Heel Dudley Boyz are far and way the best Dudley Boyz, and they are really only here to put over other tag teams, which is fine. Bubba Ray and Devon helped revolutionize the tag team division 15 years ago at WM17, so I don’t think it’s too much to ask to give them some cool spots this year. Regardless of the outcome of this match, Enzo & Cass are showing up on Raw Monday night and taking over.
Prediction: Uso’s
Main Card
The League of Nations vs. The New Day
If you need visual proof that the WWE tag team scene is awful, look no further than the fact that the tag titles aren’t being defended at WM. Thankfully we’re still getting our New Day fix, even though it is against the League of Nations. Personally, I think this would be a perfect spot for The Rock. You want New Day to get over as good guys, so why not bring out the most popular guy in the world and have him even the odds? Chances are Rocky will come up and cut a promo, but this would be a fun and unexpected cameo that would help New Day immensely. League of Nations are bad, and I refuse to pick them to win either way.
Prediction: New. Day Rocks.
Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles
If you can ignore the fact that this feud has been centered around crowd chants, it’s been pretty entertaining. Much like the Dudleyz, Heel Jericho is forever the best Jericho, and he’s been great during his most recent run. Pairing Styles with a veteran like Jericho for his first WM feud and singles match is very smart, and I fully expect these two to put on a show. I think Styles goes over, and has his first big time WM moment with a Styles Clash win.
Prediction: AJ Styles
US Championship Match: Kalisto (C) vs. Ryback
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been digging the simplicity of this feud. Ryback is enormous. Kalisto is not. Kalisto is champion. Ryback is not. And just like that, you have a David & Goliath feud with the good guy champion and the logical heel. The only thing that really makes Ryback a heel is that he wants to beats up the guy we’re rooting for. He has every right to win matches and become the #1 contender, but we like Kalisto better so Ryback is a jerk. It’s refreshing to see WWE build up a feud without having the two competitors wrestle each other every week to see who will eventually win a wrestling match. Also, the less Ryback speaks the better off we all are. As far as the outcome, this one could really go either way, but if they’re serious about Ryback again, they should give him this win.
Prediction: Ryback
IC Championship Ladder Match: Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler, Sami Zayn, The Miz, Stardust, Sin Cara, Zack Ryder
Picture this: five guys are laid out on the floor, the two remaining guys are slowly ascending up the ladder. They both reach the top at the same time and start trading punches. Who are you picturing? Zack Ryder & Sin Cara, right? HAHAHA. Sorry, I had to do that. But yeah, the only two guys who matter in this match are Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, and if you think otherwise you’re wrong. Much like last year, this match does include seven very talented guys who are all looking to have their WM moment, so I expect some crazy stuff to go down, especially since they know Shane/Taker is going to be insane. I don’t see any other outcome than having the last two standing be Zayn and Owens, and from there I’m happy with any outcome, because these two will be feuding until they’re 100 years old.
Prediction: Kevin Owens. KO Mania lives!
Diva’s Championship Match: Charlotte (c) vs. Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks
This is the match I’m the most excited for. The three main events will all be wonderful, but I started really getting into NXT during the Paige/Emma/Charlotte/Becky/Sasha/Bayley era and I feel emotionally invested in all three of these women. I’ve seen them start as NXT Divas and transform into the cream of the crop not only in NXT, but throughout the world. Now they’re in a Diva’s title match at WrestleMania and have a chance to tear the house down in front of 90,000 people. That’s pretty surreal. As much as I like Charlotte and Becky, this is Sasha’s time. They’re supposedly debuting the Women’s title on Raw the night after Mania, and there is no better pick than Sasha to be the champion. She is the rare combination of the most over female on the roster and also the best wrestler. Have Ric Flair interfere only to be taken out by Snoop Dogg. GIVE THAT TO ME, WWE.
Prediction: Sasha Banks
Street Fight: Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose
Just typing ‘street fight’ followed by ‘Brock Lesnar’ makes me nervous. I don’t know what’s going to happen in this match, but I know it’s going to be brutal. I honestly think the right call is having Lesnar win, and having Ambrose get stretchered out only to walk out under his own power. Give him all the crazy spots in the world, but one mortal man should not be able to defeat Brock Lesnar. Ambrose is going to come with his wagon of weapons, which I’d bet my life on Brock Lesnar picking up and heaving at him at one point during the match. This should be a spotlight for Ambrose, who has been a shining star during this insane stretch of injuries, but I don’t see him beating Lesnar. Between this and Shane/Taker, I really hope no one gets seriously hurt.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar
Hell in a Cell Match: Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker
This is hands down the oddest match on the card, and if you told me 10 years ago that WM 32 would be semi main evented by The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon I’d say I like you, but you’re crazy. But here we are, and to be honest, I am scared. Shane McMahon gave The Undertaker a flying elbow drop through a table during the opening segment of RAW, so what the hell are these two going to do at WrestleMania? I sincerely think Shane is jumping off the cell. I won’t be mad if he doesn’t, because that is very dangerous, but he’s jumping off something really high that’s going to make me watch through a hand over my eyes. Besides the insane spots, I want this to be like HHH vs. Sting last year. There’s no reason to make these two carry a 25 minute one on one match. Get the Mean Street Posse out there. Give me Stone Cold, HBK, Vince, Mick Foley. Let’s just go bananas. This is going to be as fun as it will be scary, and I cannot god damn wait. The added stipulations of Shane winning and taking control of Raw and Undertaker losing making it his final WM are intriguing, but this is definitely not the last year for Undertaker at WM.
Prediction: The Undertaker
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: HHH (C) vs. Roman Reigns
WWE really likes this Roman Reigns guy, eh? For the second year in a row, Reigns is in the main event of WM, and for the second year in a row, the majority of fans are not having it. Last year WWE made the last second change to have Seth Rollins cash in his MITB briefcase and it was executed perfectly. This year, they don’t have Seth Rollins or the MITB briefcase to fall back on. They can’t just have Reigns win clean, especially if he overcomes the odds of interference, but having him lose the main event title match two years in a row isn’t great either. You can’t really pull off a double turn either, because HHH is also the evil authority figure that is integral to so many storylines on Raw. Apparently there has been discussion about putting on Taker/Shane last, which might be the better call, especially if they have some insane stuff planned. Even if this isn’t the main event, the goal cannot be to have the crowd mercilessly boo your new champion. I have no idea what’s going to happen. Maybe Cena shows up, but then what? Maybe the Dudleyz interfere, but then what? Don’t sleep on Bray Wyatt either, who could cause a DQ finish or take one or the other out. He doesn’t have a match on the card, and if he’s not featured at all that would be a huge mistake.
Prediction: if I’m forced to pick, I’m going to go with Reigns. I just don’t know how.
-Ryan
Sasha Banks Getting Emotional Seeing Herself On The WrestleMania Logo Is My Favorite Video From WrestleMania Week
I think my favorite thing about watching all the men and women come up from NXT and be stars is how relatable it is. When I was a kid, I loved wrestling, but a five year old can’t really relate to Hulk Hogan or Shawn Michaels or The Undertaker. They were mesmerizing, sure, but it’s not like I saw myself as an undead zombie biker man. But with people like Kevin Owens or Sasha Banks it’s different. I’m their age, and while I’ll never be a WWE superstar, the feeling of fighting for a dream and accomplishing it is very relatable. That’s why this video is so great. Sasha busted her ass to get to NXT, buster her ass to become the NXT Women’s Champion and THE BOSS, and now she’s in a Diva’s title match at WrestleMania and her face is plastered on the side of AT&T Stadium. I can’t wait for her, Charlotte and Becky to tear the house down, and then the next night on Raw THE BOSS will be the new Women’s Champion.
-Ryan
NXT TakeOver Dallas – Preview & Predictions #NXTTakeOver
This Friday night, two days before WrestleMania 32, NXT will run it’s biggest and most important show to date. While this won’t be as big of a crowd as NXT Brooklyn, this is the first TakeOver event during WrestleMania weekend. NXT Takeover Dallas will air live on the WWE Network at 10pm. On paper, it has the ability to blow WrestleMania out of the water and force Vince and WWE to pull out all the stops in order to top it. Let’s get to the preview and predictions!
Apollo Crews vs. Elias Samson
This match was set up last week after Johnny Gargano beat Samson, and Samson beat him down post match. That post match beat down brought out Crews for the save and alas, a match was born. Even if NXT is giving Samson the Baron Corbin treatment (short, quick wins even though he has the ability to wrestle anyone on the roster and look good) this should be a squash win for Crews. He lost at the last TakeOver special to Corbin, and he has really hasn’t had much character development since debuting. He’s got a boat load of potential and is a phenomonal athlete, so I can see him winning rather easily here to get on track. Samson, on the other hand, has been underwhelming since debuting both in the ring and as a character. I hope we see a little more character work here, but I still think Crews should take it.
Prediction: Apollo Crews
Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin
This is a really interesting match up. You have an Indy darling making his NXT in ring debut vs. a guy who has a lot of momentum going for him after his win vs. Apollo Crews. This match will most likely be great, and I’m excited to see Corbin in there with a smaller guy, which is where he has done his best work so far. Aries excelled in TNA, but it’s not a given that his transition will be smooth. I think Corbin will be next in line to challenge either Joe or Balor, so look for him to pick up the win here. The best thing about NXT: Aries will look like a star in defeat.
Prediction: Baron Corbin
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn
Just to get this out of the way, this will be the match of the night. I love American Alpha and I think they might pull out some stuff that could be match of the night worthy, but this match gives me goose bumps. Nakamura is one of two guys debuting at TakeOver Dallas, and no offense to Austin Aries, but this is BIG. NXT being the wonderful thing that it is has matched up Nakamura against the perfect opponent – Sami Zayn. This is one of those matches where alignments don’t matter; it’s just two guys who are excellent at what they do going out there and putting on a show. Of all the matches, this one is the easiest to predict, especially now that Zayn has an IC title match at WM and is pretty much a permanent member of the main roster. Out of all the things that are going to happen at TakeOver, Nakamura’s debut is what I’m the most excited for. He’s fought in Japan his whole life, so outside of YouTube compilation videos, I’ve never gotten a chance to see him perform. The good news is that everyone who has ever seen him wrestle says he’s not only great in the ring, but his charisma is off the charts. Anyone who considers Freddie Mercury an idol is OK in my book. Anyway, the outcome of this match isn’t in doubt, but the match itself is going to be bonkers.
Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura
NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Revival (C) vs. American Alpha
In what will be the 1A match of the night, American Alpha takes on The Revival (formerly Dash and Dawson) for the NXT tag belts. This is the match I’m the most emotionally invested in, because American Alpha are my jam. They’re the best tag team on any WWE related roster, and they came from out of nowhere. Remember when Jason Jordan was looking for a tag team partner and this short, dorky guy with a ‘ready, willing & Gable’ towel was following him around? Yeah, well that guy ended up being Chad Gable, the second coming of Kurt Angle and one hell of a wrestler. I have to imagine Enzo & Cass were slotted to win the tag belts at one point, but once HHH and the rest of the NXT brain trust saw the momentum Gable & Jordan were creating, it was impossible to put them anywhere but in this slot. The Revival are very old school in their approach and in ring styles, and I love that it feels like they can lose the belts at any given moment. They remind me of Ole and Arn Anderson, who were never the focal point of the tag matches they were in, but they always came out looking great. With that said, I will be devastated if American Alpha doesn’t win the tag belts. This is the perfect team at the perfect time, and Dallas is going to go INSANE for Jordan and Gable. I have complete confidence NXT will do the right thing.
Prediction: American Alpha
NXT Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (C) vs. Asuka
Is this match card real life? There isn’t one bad match on the card and there are 4 or 5 REALLY good ones. From the day Asuka debuted and started beating the crap out of everyone, you know this match was an inevitability. Bayley is the crown jewel of NXT, but she’s running into an oncoming train. I think this match and the main event will have the crowd’s split pretty evenly, because all four competitors are just so good. Asuka has yet to be defeated in NXT, and I love that they aren’t beating that point to death. Undefeated streaks in wrestling, except for maybe Taker’s WM streak, are the most overrated thing in the world. Asuka’s seems different, though, and I think it’s because she’s so different from any other women in the division. Her attire is different, her entrance is difference and her wrestling style is different. She doesn’t really speak, but when she’s in the ring, she is kicking and back handing you until you collapse in a heap. Bayley is probably the best ‘character’ in NXT, and I put character in quotes because she seems like the same person in real life. A wrestling fan who got to live her dream, and who ended up being great at it. This match could go a few different ways, but I’m rooting for a Bayley win and a post match beat down from Asuka, which sets up a dynamite heel/baby face rematch.
Prediction: Bayley
NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor (C) vs. Samoa Joe
This main event is going to be so good. SO GOOD. Joe and Balor had a decent match at TakeOver London, but they’re capable of so much more. At NXT’s biggest show, I think we’re going to get a classic. Balor is the second longest reigning NXT Champion, and he’ll be 17 days behind Adrian Neville’s reign by the time this match starts. Do they want to make Finn the longest reigning champion, or do they want the reign of Samoa Joe to lead them into the next chapter of NXT? Either outcome won’t be wrong, because both guys are great, but I sense some kind of swerve coming. The one thing NXT hasn’t really done is use a swerve to determine a main event at a TakeOver. Owens attacked Zayn after he won the NXT title, but that was post match. Every Finn Balor main event has been him winning clean. Here’s what I think goes down: Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows debut, but they turn on Finn and start the new version of the Bullet Club with Samoa Joe as champion. Maybe they were mad at Finn for leaving Japan without them, or maybe they want to get out from underneath his shadow. Finn and NXT have been teasing the Bullet Club for awhile, and I wouldn’t put it past them to swerve us. This will go down as the greatest NXT show ever, and I cannot wait to watch it.
-Ryan
P.S. We’ll be live tweeting the event, which starts at 10pm on the WWE Network.
The Wyatt Family Rang The Opening Bell On The NYSE Because WrestleMania Week Is The Best Week
How amazing are those pictures? The traders on the NYSE floor haven’t been this scared since Bane and his henchman broke in and started smashing skulls. WrestleMania week is great for a lot of reasons, but I can’t think of any reason being better than a cult leader and his bearded monsters ringing the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange in full character. Now let’s just get Wyatt to play an integral role in a main event match Sunday and all will be well with the world.
-Ryan
Shane McMahon & The Undertaker Turned Up The Heat Ahead Of Their Hell in a Cell Match On Sunday
Is it weird that the match I’m worried about the least is between a guy who hasn’t fought a match in 7 years and a guy who hasn’t fought full time in almost 4 years? Well any doubts I had were alleviated in the opening segment of Raw last night, as Shane and The Undertaker beat the hell out of each other, culminating in a top rope flying elbow drop through the table by Shane. As happy as it made me to see Shane McMahon flying through the air again, last night was kind of a scary sign for WrestleMania. If they’re willing to do THAT on Raw, what the hell do they have planned for WrestleMania? Seriously. I’ve seen The Undertaker throw a guy off the top of and through Hell in a Cell. I’ve seen Shane leap from the god damn top of the Titantron. They may agree to whatever they have to agree to backstage, but these are two insane, seasoned performers who pride themselves on giving the audience something special. I don’t know what that something special is going to be, but I can guarantee you it’s going to blow us away.
-Ryan
