Last week, the WWE announced that Roman Reigns was rushed to a hospital and he underwent emergency surgery. The time frame for his return is said to be 4-6 weeks, but with the nature of the injury and the physicality of the WWE schedule, it's possible that it will be a few months before Reigns returns to in ring action. There's much speculation that Reigns is the next top star for the WWE and that he will be the competitor to eventually dethrone Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 31 to win the title. While Reigns has the potential, I don't think the next top performer is set in stone yet and a lot of it depends on the development of some of the younger stars on the WWE roster. In some respects, it's unfair to tout Reigns as being the next main event superstar while he's still relatively new to the WWE landscape and it might be more useful to lower the expectations that Reigns will be the one to get the torch from John Cena until he grows into the role. However, with Reigns on the sidelines, what does the WWE book for the next few months?
The answer is exactly what the WWE did, Dean Ambrose steps into the Authority storyline and it actually might be the right decision, even for a long term basis. It's not anything against Reigns because as mentioned he has the potential to develop into a main event star, but at this point, he seems to lack somewhat on the mic. However, Ambrose has some of the best mic skills on the roster and he's solid in the ring so it's possible that he might be the competitor to get to the next level before Reigns. That being said, the WWE finds itself in somewhat of a transition phase because it seems like Lesnar will be the one to transition the title to the next top name in the company, but there's more to it than just an on screen performance. Many fans don't realize how many different things go along with being the top star in the WWE, which is why John Cena deserves credit for the work he's done for the company. Essentially, the top star has to work every house show, Raw, and pay-per-view. Plus, there's the travel to those events and many media appearances so obviously, the WWE has to make a wise decision when investing the TV time for the next star. As I've said before, John Cena is a work horse and nobody can question his work ethic. The other aspect is that regardless of the cheers or the boos from the crowd, Cena gets a reaction from the crowd. Regardless of if the audience pays to see him win or pays to him lose, the point is they pay to see him. However, who is going to be the next face of the company?
Daniel Bryan is currently on the sidelines and his future is still doubtful, but considering the reaction on Raw when his name is mentioned, Bryan is still over with the audience. In fact, his return could set up for another run at the title, but if he can return, the effects of the injury could shorten his career so the WWE will still probably invest in a younger star. Ultimately, Cena will be the face of the WWE until he retires, but as I said earlier, it's a pivotal time frame for the WWE because Cena isn't going to wrestle another ten years and more specifically, the WWE has used nostalgia acts to draw for Wrestlemania the past few years so it will be interesting to see how they push the next superstar that will main event the biggest show of the year. Don't get me wrong, the WWE has a lot of great talent that have potential to become a draw for the promotion, but with the state of the business as a whole down, it's not an easy task for the next superstar to emerge. NXT has a lot of potential as well, but the talents their aren't featured on the main shows yet so it's doubtful they would be pushed directly into the title picture. As for now, Ambrose seems like a safe bet to book into the main storyline on Raw, but it's still a question mark as to who will challenge Lesnar for the title at the next PPV? While it makes sense for a marketing stand point to keep Lesnar as much of a WWE network exclusive as possible and Paul Heyman does great work to keep him relevant on TV, it can be difficult to launch another feud for the title if there isn't direct interaction between Lesnar and the potential challenger. Despite his solid work on Raw, I don't think Ambrose will be booked for a title match with Lesnar and the DQ finish at Night Of Champions leaves the door open for another Cena rematch so it's possible there could be another Lesnar vs. Cena match in a cell. Since Lesnar will make sporadic TV appearances, hopefully the Ambrose/Rollins feud will continue to get a decent amount of TV time because it can elevate both of their profiles in the process with additional TV exposure. It will be interesting to see the direction of the storylines in the next few weeks and more specifically the direction of the title picture for the next PPV.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
International Imports
Amongst the numerous WWE releases and budget cuts, there were some major signings as well, including some international stars that could provide another set of new stars for the WWE landscape in the next few years.
During WWE's tour of Japan a few months ago, it was announced in Osaka that the company signed Pro Wrestling NOAH star KENTA. The signing was considered a major event as Hulk Hogan was there for the announcement and in some ways, the role for Hogan works well, as his appearance could be considered somewhat of an endorsement for Kenta, even if just from a PR perspective. Originally trained in the All Japan dojo, Kenta is well known for the Japanese strong style, which is very similar to the style of his mentor, the legendary Kenta Kobashi. Shortly after Kenta's AJPW debut, Misawa (and a majority of the All Japan roster) left the promotion and formed Pro Wrestling NOAH, which is where Kenta became a main star in Japan. He also wrestled numerous matches for Ring of Honor, including some great matches with Daniel Bryan that are worth watching if you haven't seen them. After Misawa passed away in 2009, Kenta was one of the staples of the NOAH promotion, which kept it afloat during the infamous Yakuza scandal a few years ago that led to the dismissal of some of the office staff. Now, with the company more stable, it made sense for Kenta to make the jump to WWE, mostly because he accomplished almost everything he could do in Japan and at 33, it's a wise decision for him to shift towards a less risky style. While Kenta is an incredible talent, it's doubtful that he will be booked in a main event spot during his WWE run, specifically because he doesn't speak a lot of English, which could limit options for storylines. That being said, the lack of English could be solved if Kenta was given a manager, similar to the work Gary Hart did when The Great Muta debuted for the NWA, but considering it's usually rare for the WWE to book mangers, it's possible that Kenta might remain a mid carder. Don't get me wrong, I think it would be great to see Kenta/Bryan in a main event spot, but with the emphasis on promos for the WWE product, they probably wouldn't invest the TV time for a main event if the performer doesn't speak English. However, Kenta is still an important asset for the company and he will probably be a major part of WWE's international product, specifically for the WWE network as it continues to expand into different markets. Some fans reading this might not be too familiar with the Japanese wrestling scene, but while it had almost a decade of a decline, there has been a resurgence during the past few years with the expansion of New Japan Pro Wrestling iPPVs. A spin off of the New World Order, which was actually a storyline originally done in NJPW, The Bullet Club is one of the main factions that helped fuel the boost of New Japan. While the Bullet Club mostly consist of foreign wrestlers, the Japanese audience doesn't necessarily buy tickets just to watch American wrestling, which can be seen from the attendance numbers, considering that New Japan shows usually draw a better crowd than the recent series of WWE shows in Japan. However, if Kenta is showcased on the WWE network, the Japanese audience can see one of the main stars from their country and it's a reason for them to get a subscription. During the NXT event last week, Kenta was given the name Hideo Itami and it should be extremely interesting to see his NXT run.
The Canadian veteran, Kevin Steen was recently signed to a developmental deal and while it was a somewhat of a surprising move, considering that he doesn't fit the typical WWE mold, Steen has all the skills to be successful in WWE. The former ROH world champion is charismatic brawler, who was one of the most popular champions in the promotion's history and he always tries to give the fans their money's worth, which is another reason he got over in almost every major independent promotion. The major criticism for Steen that he acknowledged himself was that he had to get in shape if he wanted a chance to sign with the WWE and he did get in shape prior to a WWE tryout in March, which led to the NXT deal. There are some similarities to Mick Foley for Steen because as mentioned, he's not the typical WWE star, but the fans recognize his hard work and he can always get a crowd reaction. Steen has an impressive move list, some of which I doubt he will use in the WWE because they have safety precautions, but the moves are secondary to the reason he was one of the most popular stars on the independent scene. He can generate a response during his matches and he's accessible to fans, using Twitter to take questions for "The Kevin Steen Show" video series that was produced the past few years. During his time wrestling for ROH and PWG, Steen received praise from some of the WWE's biggest stars, including The Rock and Stone Cold for his matches. Obviously, it's a tremendous endorsement and I would guess that Steen has a bright future in the WWE. For those that might doubt his chances at making an impact, he has good mic work and he's somewhat comparable to Bray Wyatt, as they are both mobile big competitors so while anything can happen, Steen will probably be successful.
Prince Devitt is an Irish performer, who was trained with the British style, but made a name for himself in NJPW so he definitely brings a diverse skill set to NXT. In some respects, Devitt was under the radar, as he wrestled extensively in Japan for nearly eight years and he made sporadic appearances in the United States. However, he has all the skills to be a major star and he has a good character, using face paint based on different comic book designs. Devitt has a style similar to Seth Rollins and it should work well with some of the younger stars on the NXT roster.
During WWE's tour of Japan a few months ago, it was announced in Osaka that the company signed Pro Wrestling NOAH star KENTA. The signing was considered a major event as Hulk Hogan was there for the announcement and in some ways, the role for Hogan works well, as his appearance could be considered somewhat of an endorsement for Kenta, even if just from a PR perspective. Originally trained in the All Japan dojo, Kenta is well known for the Japanese strong style, which is very similar to the style of his mentor, the legendary Kenta Kobashi. Shortly after Kenta's AJPW debut, Misawa (and a majority of the All Japan roster) left the promotion and formed Pro Wrestling NOAH, which is where Kenta became a main star in Japan. He also wrestled numerous matches for Ring of Honor, including some great matches with Daniel Bryan that are worth watching if you haven't seen them. After Misawa passed away in 2009, Kenta was one of the staples of the NOAH promotion, which kept it afloat during the infamous Yakuza scandal a few years ago that led to the dismissal of some of the office staff. Now, with the company more stable, it made sense for Kenta to make the jump to WWE, mostly because he accomplished almost everything he could do in Japan and at 33, it's a wise decision for him to shift towards a less risky style. While Kenta is an incredible talent, it's doubtful that he will be booked in a main event spot during his WWE run, specifically because he doesn't speak a lot of English, which could limit options for storylines. That being said, the lack of English could be solved if Kenta was given a manager, similar to the work Gary Hart did when The Great Muta debuted for the NWA, but considering it's usually rare for the WWE to book mangers, it's possible that Kenta might remain a mid carder. Don't get me wrong, I think it would be great to see Kenta/Bryan in a main event spot, but with the emphasis on promos for the WWE product, they probably wouldn't invest the TV time for a main event if the performer doesn't speak English. However, Kenta is still an important asset for the company and he will probably be a major part of WWE's international product, specifically for the WWE network as it continues to expand into different markets. Some fans reading this might not be too familiar with the Japanese wrestling scene, but while it had almost a decade of a decline, there has been a resurgence during the past few years with the expansion of New Japan Pro Wrestling iPPVs. A spin off of the New World Order, which was actually a storyline originally done in NJPW, The Bullet Club is one of the main factions that helped fuel the boost of New Japan. While the Bullet Club mostly consist of foreign wrestlers, the Japanese audience doesn't necessarily buy tickets just to watch American wrestling, which can be seen from the attendance numbers, considering that New Japan shows usually draw a better crowd than the recent series of WWE shows in Japan. However, if Kenta is showcased on the WWE network, the Japanese audience can see one of the main stars from their country and it's a reason for them to get a subscription. During the NXT event last week, Kenta was given the name Hideo Itami and it should be extremely interesting to see his NXT run.
The Canadian veteran, Kevin Steen was recently signed to a developmental deal and while it was a somewhat of a surprising move, considering that he doesn't fit the typical WWE mold, Steen has all the skills to be successful in WWE. The former ROH world champion is charismatic brawler, who was one of the most popular champions in the promotion's history and he always tries to give the fans their money's worth, which is another reason he got over in almost every major independent promotion. The major criticism for Steen that he acknowledged himself was that he had to get in shape if he wanted a chance to sign with the WWE and he did get in shape prior to a WWE tryout in March, which led to the NXT deal. There are some similarities to Mick Foley for Steen because as mentioned, he's not the typical WWE star, but the fans recognize his hard work and he can always get a crowd reaction. Steen has an impressive move list, some of which I doubt he will use in the WWE because they have safety precautions, but the moves are secondary to the reason he was one of the most popular stars on the independent scene. He can generate a response during his matches and he's accessible to fans, using Twitter to take questions for "The Kevin Steen Show" video series that was produced the past few years. During his time wrestling for ROH and PWG, Steen received praise from some of the WWE's biggest stars, including The Rock and Stone Cold for his matches. Obviously, it's a tremendous endorsement and I would guess that Steen has a bright future in the WWE. For those that might doubt his chances at making an impact, he has good mic work and he's somewhat comparable to Bray Wyatt, as they are both mobile big competitors so while anything can happen, Steen will probably be successful.
Prince Devitt is an Irish performer, who was trained with the British style, but made a name for himself in NJPW so he definitely brings a diverse skill set to NXT. In some respects, Devitt was under the radar, as he wrestled extensively in Japan for nearly eight years and he made sporadic appearances in the United States. However, he has all the skills to be a major star and he has a good character, using face paint based on different comic book designs. Devitt has a style similar to Seth Rollins and it should work well with some of the younger stars on the NXT roster.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Wrestling's Bloodiest Wars Review
The producers of "Wrestling's Bloodiest Wars:Emergency Room" asked if I would review the upcoming pay-per-view that is set to debut on various cable systems this week and I took the opportunity to watch the show. This edition of the series features the stars of Combat Zone Wrestling and the action is insane. You won't see action like this on Monday or Wednesday, as the blood flows freely while the combatants are involved with some unbelievable stipulations.
Lucky 13 vs. Scotty Vortex
The show opens with a ladder death match and it proves from the start of the show that these competitors will take some crazy risk during these ultra violent contests. Lucky 13, who is an aerial wrestler, deserves a lot of credit for his efforts in this match, as he was power bombed on a light tube ladder and as a result, he had a very serious gash on his back. Most performers would consider concluding the match earlier, but Lucky 13 actually had the event staff wrap tap around him to stop the bleeding and he continued the match. His opponent, Scotty Vortex is one of the original Nap Town Dragons and he was more than willing to risk injury with a series of light tube spots. After his Sabu style repair, Lucky 13 bridged a ladder between the ring and the guard rail to set up for the next ultra violent scenario. As Vortex was standing on the apron, Lucky 13 attempted what seemed like a reverse hurricanrana, but landed awkwardly on the ladder and it was a rough bump. Again, Lucky 13 continued the match, but Vortex eventually won it.
"The Bulldozer" Matt Tremont vs. "Chainsaw" Joe Gacy
This match featured a variety of weapons including, a bed of nails, barbed wire, and other insanity. This contest will make you concerned for Termont's safety, as he takes some nasty bumps, including a barbed wire board, a guard rail, and other dangerous spots. During the bout, Tremont's arm gets sliced with two gashes that resemble some of the trademark scars of hardcore legend, Mick Foley. As Joe Gacy, who is a good prospect from the CZW dojo, continued the offense, blood poured from Tremont head. A side note about Tremont, he has become one of the top death match wrestlers in the United States in just a few years and he can be credited for keeping the ultra violent style relevant after the genre started to fade a few years ago. After going through a barbed wire table, Tremont used a barbed wire submission to get the win.
Danny Havoc vs. Rory Mondo
Both of these competitors use the hybrid style of wrestling, as there can blend the technical aspect into an ultra violent atmosphere and it's displayed during this match. After a technical exchange, a staple gun, carpet strips, and thumb tacks all became involved in the match. At one point during the bout, Mondo's boot is removed and he was dropped onto the tacks with many of them sticking into his foot. Each wrestler has toured Japan with the Big Japan promotion and the international influence was displayed at the conclude of the contest. Mondo was bleeding profusely, but he set up an open chair upside down and he put Havoc on his shoulders for the next sequence. Mondo hit the Burning Hammer on Havoc onto the open chair, which nearly impaled Havoc on the legs of the chair. After the insane spot, the referee actually stopped the match, but Mondo wasn't done, as he landed a double stop from the top rope onto Havoc while he was on a stretcher.
Devon Moore, Danny Havoc, and Lucky 13 vs. Rory Mondo, Ron Mathis, and Drew Blood
This six man war was complete insanity and it one of the highlights in a feud between these two teams. Ron Mathis, who is one of the younger talents to make a name for himself in recent years took a nasty suplex into the guard rail during the start of the match and he also took a bump with Danny Havoc into a barbed wire board to the floor. Devon Moore, who is a veteran of the independent scene and he did some crazy spots. Moore and Mondo climbed a scaffold that was at ringside and Moore put Mondo on his shoulders for a Finlay roll off the scaffold through a barbed wire board hanging from the ceiling for an insane spot. Moore climbed the scaffold again and he did a shooting star press onto Mathis to win the match.
Lucky 13 vs. Scotty Vortex
The show opens with a ladder death match and it proves from the start of the show that these competitors will take some crazy risk during these ultra violent contests. Lucky 13, who is an aerial wrestler, deserves a lot of credit for his efforts in this match, as he was power bombed on a light tube ladder and as a result, he had a very serious gash on his back. Most performers would consider concluding the match earlier, but Lucky 13 actually had the event staff wrap tap around him to stop the bleeding and he continued the match. His opponent, Scotty Vortex is one of the original Nap Town Dragons and he was more than willing to risk injury with a series of light tube spots. After his Sabu style repair, Lucky 13 bridged a ladder between the ring and the guard rail to set up for the next ultra violent scenario. As Vortex was standing on the apron, Lucky 13 attempted what seemed like a reverse hurricanrana, but landed awkwardly on the ladder and it was a rough bump. Again, Lucky 13 continued the match, but Vortex eventually won it.
"The Bulldozer" Matt Tremont vs. "Chainsaw" Joe Gacy
This match featured a variety of weapons including, a bed of nails, barbed wire, and other insanity. This contest will make you concerned for Termont's safety, as he takes some nasty bumps, including a barbed wire board, a guard rail, and other dangerous spots. During the bout, Tremont's arm gets sliced with two gashes that resemble some of the trademark scars of hardcore legend, Mick Foley. As Joe Gacy, who is a good prospect from the CZW dojo, continued the offense, blood poured from Tremont head. A side note about Tremont, he has become one of the top death match wrestlers in the United States in just a few years and he can be credited for keeping the ultra violent style relevant after the genre started to fade a few years ago. After going through a barbed wire table, Tremont used a barbed wire submission to get the win.
Danny Havoc vs. Rory Mondo
Both of these competitors use the hybrid style of wrestling, as there can blend the technical aspect into an ultra violent atmosphere and it's displayed during this match. After a technical exchange, a staple gun, carpet strips, and thumb tacks all became involved in the match. At one point during the bout, Mondo's boot is removed and he was dropped onto the tacks with many of them sticking into his foot. Each wrestler has toured Japan with the Big Japan promotion and the international influence was displayed at the conclude of the contest. Mondo was bleeding profusely, but he set up an open chair upside down and he put Havoc on his shoulders for the next sequence. Mondo hit the Burning Hammer on Havoc onto the open chair, which nearly impaled Havoc on the legs of the chair. After the insane spot, the referee actually stopped the match, but Mondo wasn't done, as he landed a double stop from the top rope onto Havoc while he was on a stretcher.
Devon Moore, Danny Havoc, and Lucky 13 vs. Rory Mondo, Ron Mathis, and Drew Blood
This six man war was complete insanity and it one of the highlights in a feud between these two teams. Ron Mathis, who is one of the younger talents to make a name for himself in recent years took a nasty suplex into the guard rail during the start of the match and he also took a bump with Danny Havoc into a barbed wire board to the floor. Devon Moore, who is a veteran of the independent scene and he did some crazy spots. Moore and Mondo climbed a scaffold that was at ringside and Moore put Mondo on his shoulders for a Finlay roll off the scaffold through a barbed wire board hanging from the ceiling for an insane spot. Moore climbed the scaffold again and he did a shooting star press onto Mathis to win the match.
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