Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (September 16 2016)

Image Source: Rolling Stone

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Here are this week's Wrestling Thoughts: off-screen, not too much has happened, but a fair amount has gone down on-screen, so let's get to it!

• Backlash exceeded expectations greatly last Sunday. It wasn't the best PPV by any means, but considering the house show-esque line-up for SmackDown's first PPV in the modern era, further weakened by Randy Orton not being cleared to compete against Bray Wyatt, the show was pretty good. It was a simple, logical, well-paced show which highlighted everybody to a suitable standard. Of note, The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler was their best match to date, there were feel-good title wins for Becky Lynch and the team of Heath Slater and Rhyno, and AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose was a great main event with Styles becoming WWE Champion in a turn of events that seemed unfathomable a year ago. And with the main event for No Mercy, the next SD PPV, already set (AJ vs. Ambrose vs. John Cena), the blue brand has the chance to top this show on October 9.

• On the subject of SmackDown: the verbal feud between The Miz and Daniel Bryan is an unusual one. Miz is chastising Bryan for not treating him like the superstar he is, and antagonising Bryan, the SmackDown General Manager, because he can no longer compete. Normally, this would be the set-up for a big one-time return by Bryan. But it's well-documented that WWE has no plans to clear Daniel to wrestle again, and apparently Bryan had a mental breakdown of sorts upon his injury-enforced retirement, meaning that this can't be fun for him to participate in knowing that he genuinely can't compete again in WWE. Perhaps Bryan has been told he can wrestle one more time, and Miz is a suitable opponent, ironically because of a complaint Daniel lodged against him a few weeks ago; the "soft" style which prevents Miz being injured, but would also probably prevent Bryan getting injured. Or maybe Bryan will find the "right" opponent to take Miz down at some point, with Bryan possibly being able to trap Miz in the Yes! Lock as a minor form of revenge. Or could it be that this is WWE's way of punishing Bryan for repeatedly suggesting he could leave WWE and wrestle elsewhere, thus making the company look bad (in their opinion) for not clearing Bryan for WWE combat? Who knows, but it's a fascinating tale to observe. I will say that if the end result is not going to see Bryan wrestle, even in a basic injury-free exhibition, then it's slightly cruel to keep throwing jabs at his inability to compete considering his true opinions on the matter, but the whole plot has given Miz great momentum, and he is currently hotter than he has been at any point since his WWE Title reign ended more than five years ago.

• Whilst SmackDown had an artistically-successful Backlash and an eventful if wrestling-lite TV show, Raw still showed signs that it is struggling. The three-hour format is hindering it more than ever with the roster chopped in half (or 60%-40% as it turned out). The new main storyline that has crowned Kevin Owens as Universal Champion and Seth Rollins as the brand's top babyface has helped, and developments involving Triple H (who has still yet to resurface following his assistance to Owens two weeks ago) will create intrigue in the coming weeks and months. But much of the rest of the show feels like filler, and whilst the Women's division is currently the second most interesting thing to follow on Raw, it was weird to see Bayley pinned so soon into her Raw career. Even stranger was how Sasha Banks actually ended up pinning herself whilst defeating Bayley, and it wasn't acknowledged at all, unless it is revisited next week to set up Charlotte-Sasha-Bayley at Clash Of Champions. Either way, Raw is not having a peak period right now, although Chris Jericho is as entertaining as he has ever been in recent weeks, and we do have the Cruiserweight division coming to Raw next week, which will hopefully improve things for the red team.

• Speaking of which, congrats to TJ Perkins for winning the Cruiserweight Classic and, as a result, the new Cruiserweight Championship. He and many other CC entrants will begin appearing on Raw, with plenty of interest stemming from the Classic. The Network-exclusive tournament has been a big success, and a great way for a lot of talent previously unknown to the WWE audience to be introduced in a vibrant, more modest setting. I'd like to see WWE do something similar for tag teams and/or females in 2017; one of these tournaments every six months will make the Network a must-see platform for the stars of tomorrow to shine, and that doesn't even include NXT. From a talent perspective, WWE is thriving right now; the creative team just has to find a way to match the efforts of its wrestlers, which would increase ratings, attendances and overall interest in the company. With the more flexible Triple H managing such ventures, there is reason to be optimistic about these and about WWE's future, should the day ever arrive when he finally has the keys to the castle, so to speak. On that note, wouldn't it be something if WWE, via HHH, were to strike a deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling or Ring Of Honor (TNA is not an option for obvious reasons) for a Network-exclusive show or series of matches? What seemed extremely unlikely a few years ago now has a real chance of happening; let's see if it does.

• NXT is currently in its transitional phase between Takeover specials, with Brooklyn now firmly in the rear-view mirror and with its November special in Toronto officially announced. I still expect a Shinsuke Nakamura-Samoa Joe rematch to headline Takeover in Toronto, with the likely result being a Nakamura victory and a subsequent promotion for Joe to Raw or SmackDown. Or maybe that battle will happen in the meantime, allowing the GLORIOUS! Canadian-born Bobby Roode to challenge for the title on that show (although I think it would be too soon into his NXT run, in my opinion). Whatever the case, I've noticed that some fans are souring on the lack of depth to NXT's roster right now, but that's why it remains a developmental brand on some level; by the time Toronto Takeover comes around, I'll bet that several names who were unknown around the time of the Brooklyn show will be more familiar to fans and will be received very well on the night in the Great White North. When it comes to developing talent, NXT is currently setting the blue-print, most of the time anyway. Whether WWE does anything with those stars once they come up to the main roster is another story, but its track record in that area is still better than it has ever been.

• In other news, there's been some confusion about whether Paige would follow her boyfriend Alberto Del Rio out of the WWE door. It looks like she is staying put, with her suspension about to end later this week. I won't comment on the brouhaha other than to say that hopefully Paige will be involved in some meaningful situations on Raw over the next few months, because in the wake of the Four Horsewomen taking the women's scene in WWE by storm, Paige - who helped establish what would become known as the Women's Revolution - has largely been forgotten. That being said, some could argue that she hasn't had that really good match on the main roster in a long time. The next few months are crucial for her, but at least she is young enough that she should still have a long career ahead of her. To WWE management, though, all eyes will be on her after the problems involving her and Del Rio recently. It'll be interesting to follow, but perhaps not for positive reasons.

• There was sad news at the unexpected death of a trainee at Seth Rollins' wrestling school, but this has been overshadowed by Smith Hart (one of the Hart brothers) savagely criticising Rollins for this. Some have tarred Bret with the same brush because he has been critical of Seth and the injuries he has caused, but it's unfair to do so because this is a separate story (even if Smith may have been motivated by what Bret has said about Seth). Two things: Rollins wasn't even there when it happened, and for Smith to tear Rollins apart for him supposedly causing the incident immediately after it happened is pretty low-class. The victim's family are going through a terrible time right now and Rollins must be distraught, so for Smith to say such things with a somewhat unfair perspective is - well, I'll be polite and just call it ill-advised, as well as disrespectful to the victim's family.

• On a lighter note, the release of WWE 2K17 is drawing ever closer. All of the non-DLC wrestlers have been announced, some nifty new/returning features are announced, and the in-ring gameplay and the depth of tools in the Creation Suite suggest that this could be a fantastic wrestling game. The lack of a central mode is still going to hurt this game, though; although it should be a lot better than the critically-acclaimed 2K16, it stills feels like a stop-gap game for this reason. Perhaps a few rabbits will be pulled out of the hat in the final few weeks before 2K17 hits stores, which could off-set the lack of a Showcase or a Season mode. I'm looking forward to playing it, but if it did boast that one big central mode, 2K17 could have ended up being one of the best wrestling games since the mid-2000s peak of the SmackDown! series. Or maybe it will anyway given what we already know about the game; I guess we'll have to wait and see.

• CM Punk was ultimately beaten in his UFC debut, and quite handily, by Mickey Gall. Credit to Punk for having the courage to do this, but even two years of training could not prepare him for the Ultimate Fighting stage. What Punk's next move will be is unclear: will he have a second UFC fight (which is apparently unlikely)? Will he pursue MMA on a smaller scale? Will be abstain from fighting altogether and concentrate on other interests, such as his (well-received) comic book writing? After years of people anticipating Punk in UFC, it feels weird to now consider what comes beyond that initial scrap for Punk. A wrestling return seems like a false hope to have, especially in WWE, but you never know; the next couple of months will likely determine what Punk does for the next few years, with his UFC dream achieved albeit in defeat. Those still bellowing "CM Punk!" at WWE shows probably won't get what they want, but what Punk actually will do from here is unknown right now.

• Anyone else notice Hulk Hogan (well, his voice) being used more than once in a WWE Network commercial at Backlash? Might this be the beginning of a Hogan return, which at one point was considered a ridiculous notion to have? Hmmm ...

• Just before I begin to wrap things up for this week, it's worth noting that the ratings for Raw and SmackDown are almost on par, although it's because Raw's numbers are slipping (an annual autumn occurrence with Monday Night Football returning in the States) and with SmackDown's figures rising. It should be very interesting to see what happens if SmackDown starts beating Raw in the ratings, and doing so consistently; it would be great for the blue brand, but pretty bad for the red side. It may only be at this point that Raw is rejuvenated enough to try and maintain interest during a generally dull part of the year, and with three-fifths of the roster to mix and match with over the course of three hours. Of course, many will say that this should have already happened, but that's beside the point.

• To finish off, here's my WWE Network recommendation for this week. I haven't really touched upon the golden era of the 1980s/early 1990s in this section, so here I'll recommend two of my favourite vintage shows: Royal Rumble 1990 and SummerSlam 1991. Rumble features an incredibly star-studded cast of entrants, along with some brilliantly hammy pre-match promos. SummerSlam, meanwhile, has a classic Mr. Perfect-Bret Hart match for the Intercontinental Championship, and appearances by many huge names like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, The Legion Of Doom and more. For those who were watching the WWF back then, both shows provide a great dose of nostalgia.

That's my random round-up of wrestling opinions this week; I'll return with my thoughts next week, including my predictions for Clash Of Champions!

Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (September 9 2016)

Image Source: Fox Sports

Written By: Mark Armstrong

This week's Wrestling Thoughts will be a little shorter than usual, as this has been a less eventful week after a whirlwind of events in and out of the ring since SummerSlam weekend. Nevertheless, here are my opinions on the week in wrestling, as well as predictions for Backlash this Sunday.

• Although Raw opened with a fiery debate that officially began Seth Rollins' babyface turn, and both Rollins vs. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn were very enjoyable matches, the rest of the show felt like a drag; there were four consecutive segments that achieved almost nothing or were painfully average, and the sound-on-paper pastiche of The New Day by "retirement home" geniuses Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (with three fake pensioners playing "The Old Day") turned out to be awful. The talent is there and the main event scene has plenty of potential directions, but Raw is still struggling to find its groove since the Draft; right now it's largely a mixture of the very good and the poor or, in some cases, very poor. With the NFL season having resumed in the States, the ratings have already begun their annual autumn slide. I hope that WWE can inject some excitement and find a way for the "new" Raw to succeed after a promising start the night after Battleground. If not, then the next few months could be a struggle on the red side. Perhaps Clash Of Champions on September 25 will establish what we can expect moving forward from the Raw team, hopefully for positive reasons. (Incidentally, I felt that many overreacted to the teased retirement by Sasha Banks; sure, some performers have retired due to injury, but how many people truly expected 24-year-old Sasha to call it quits from injuries that we were told would only keep her out of action for a limited time?)

• On that subject, there's a rumour that the Women's Championship match between Sasha and Charlotte may headline Clash Of Champions. It would be a tremendous moment for the women if that were to happen, but it feels like WWE is speeding up the process right now. We have seen on NXT how good these women are and that they are worthy of main eventing big shows, but on the main roster, it could be argued that the Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 32 and Sasha-Charlotte from the July 25 Raw have been the only really good matches since the "Revolution" began in July 2015 (and that's not a knock on the women involved, as they were given more time and more logical booking on NXT). Therefore, it feels like WWE are telling us that the women should main event a PPV, rather than the fans feeling that way themselves. We'll see what happens; but I should mention that Bayley suddenly being booted from the title picture in light of Sasha's earlier-than-expected return is a sign that perhaps her much-anticipated call-up was premature, and that it remains frustrating for WWE to paint the picture that all of the credit for the new perception of women in WWE comes directly from Stephanie McMahon, who merely tried to take credit for the success of the women on a show (NXT) operated by her husband Triple H. (That HHH wasn't on Raw this week was a real head-scratcher and a reason why most disliked Raw overall this week; surely he will be on hand next week?)

• As for SmackDown, it was more or less a filler show with its first PPV of the Brand Extension II era, Backlash, just days away. To that point, WWE Champion Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton all had speaking roles rather than matches, whilst Dolph Ziggler merely provided commentary while his opponent The Miz took on Apollo Crews. The show still had its moments, most notably the long-awaited heel turn of The Usos on American Alpha, which took them out of the SmackDown Tag Team Title tournament to put heat on Jimmy and Jey and establish a big doubles rivalry on the blue side. To me, the most memorable moment of the show was a clear production gaffe whereby a commercial break ended with the usual we're-introducing-a-pre-tape speech from the commentators being drowned in darkness and the show suddenly fading to black with Mauro Ranallo asking JBL if he wanted to say any more about the tag situation (at least he didn't let out a swear word thinking he wasn't still live!), followed by an awkward pause and then a second take of the same segment being done, which this time went to plan with correct lighting and the desired video coming on afterwards. There was also some sort of botch with the one-by-one arrival of the women in the opening segment, as more than one female appeared to come out too early. Yeah, it was a rough night for the usually-topnotch WWE production team. But if those were the key moments for me, then it illustrates why SmackDown wasn't must-see this week.

• In TNA, the inevitable sequel to the infamous Final Deletion has just aired in the United States. Known as Delete or Decay, this battle of sorts between the Hardyz and Decay will have no doubt pulled out all the bells and whistles in order to be even more memorable than Final Deletion was. Regardless of whether or not you approve of the movie-esque approach that TNA has taken to matches involving the brothers Hardy in recent months, it is a positive that the promotion is being talked about by fans who are genuinely excited about the product for the first time in many years. If this "match" achieves another big rating on Pop TV for TNA Wrestling, then perhaps the promotion has real hope for the future, and the company could continue to promote extravagant matches going forward. If that does represent TNA's new direction, then it provides a new meaning to TNA being considered an "alternative" to WWE.

• Arguably the only other wrestling-related story of real value this week, besides Backlash on Sunday of course, is the debut - at long last - of CM Punk in UFC this Saturday when he fights Mickey Gall. Ever since Punk suddenly left WWE the day after Royal Rumble 2014, it has been a fascinating journey as an assumption that Punk would return to WWE turned into hope, then wishful thinking, and then a false dream as it became clear that Punk was done. Following his enlightening yet controversial podcast appearance in November 2014 where he detailed why he left WWE, his sudden UFC signing suggested a summer 2015 debut; but due to injuries and his inexperience in legitimate fighting, only now, over 31 months after Royal Rumble 2014, is Punk finally entering a ring for some combat once again. As weird as this may read, no UFC fight has ever been more anticipated by WWE fans; it's taken a very long time to get here.

• As for the outcome? Many UFC die-hards want Punk - the "phoney wrestler" - to get destroyed. It's worth noting that many wrestling fans feel the same way, because of Punk having such a negative attitude to wrestling since he left WWE and, to a lesser extent, because he suddenly abandoned wrestling in the first place. Punk's huge fan base are hoping that he can find a route to victory against an opponent who was essentially hand-picked for him in Mickey Gall. But Punk is no Brock Lesnar, the mountain of a man with amateur wrestling experience and who still lost his first UFC fight. And Punk, who has never been considered "old", is nearing the age of 40 as he finally enters the Octagon. I personally predict that it will be a close contest, and while a Punk victory is possible, I slightly give the edge to Mickey Gall and therefore predict that Punk will lose. It'd be nice to see him win for having the courage to enter UFC, and given how long he's waited to make his MMA debut, it'd be a huge let-down if he were knocked out within the first few minutes.

• The result will have a big impact upon what happens next with Punk. Should he win, then he has the basis to form a career in UFC, however long that may last and however successful it could be (I would assume that a UFC career would be done by 2020 or 2021, if it were to be a long-term thing, due to Punk's age and physical wear and tear from wrestling). Should he lose, then his second UFC fight could be make-or-break. And if Punk is defeated in spectacular fashion, then it could even be a one-off fight by the "Best In The World". One thing is for sure: even if Punk does get pounded in the Octagon, a WWE return anytime soon is simply not happening; there's no way that Punk would return to WWE anytime soon, if nothing else for the huge damage that it would do to his famously-large ego. If WWE somehow tries to support Punk during his UFC tenure, then perhaps a part-time return could be a possibility in a few years, but for those who continue to chant his name, they should not be expecting their hero to resurface at next year's WrestleMania, regardless of whether or not he is triumphant in his UFC debut. It will be very interesting to watch, though.

• As mentioned, Backlash - the first single-brand PPV in WWE since 2007 - is this Sunday. The card looks a bit weak right now, so I'm expecting one or two more matches to be added between now and the weekend. Of the matches announced, I'm expecting new heels The Usos to beat The Hype Bros and to dash the dreams of Heath Slater and Rhyno to become SmackDown Tag Team Champions, I think Nikki Bella will win the six-women match to become the first SmackDown Women's Champion, I see The Miz retaining his Intercontinental Championship against Dolph Ziggler, I envision Bray Wyatt getting a sneaky win over Randy Orton perhaps with some assistance (a returning Luke Harper, maybe?), and with momentum on his side and to give this event a buzz, I predict that AJ Styles will beat Dean Ambrose to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It's very strange that WWE would rather have John Cena compete on a house show in China than to compete on a PPV event for his home brand, but Styles-Cena III for the WWE Title at No Mercy in October is a possibility, and could be set up by AJ beating Ambrose on Sunday. I'm expecting the main event to be a great encounter, but I think this will end up being a one-match show: Orton vs. Wyatt is a fresh match, and the other bouts are by no means of a low standard, but once Backlash is over, it's almost a certainty that we'll mostly be talking about Ambrose vs. Styles.

• I finish with my WWE Network recommendation, which this week has two parts. Firstly, the Last Battle In Atlanta was a famous Cage match from the 1980s between Tommy Rich and Buzz Sawyer which, for whatever reason, was never seen on television in any form after it originally happened. But that match is now on the WWE Network in the Hidden Gems section, so any longtime fans will want to check this out. And with Backlash returning on Sunday, I recommend some Backlash classics: Triple H vs. The Rock from 2000, Mick Foley vs. Randy Orton from 2004 (the match that made Orton's career, really), John Cena vs. Edge vs. Triple H in an underrated 3-way from 2006, Cena facing Shawn Michaels, Edge and Orton in 2007, and Cena once more battling Edge in a great Last Man Standing match from 2009. Cena has a pretty good record at Backlash, making it more inexplicable that he won't be at the latest Backlash event this Sunday.

That's my random round-up of wrestling opinions this week; I'll return with my thoughts next week, including what I thought of Backlash and the fall-out to CM Punk's UFC debut!

Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (September 2 2016)

Image Source: Fansided

Written By: Mark Armstrong

I noted last week, during an extremely eventful SummerSlam weekend along with its wealth of fall-out, that this current week wouldn't be anywhere near as exciting. While that proved to be the case, there has still been plenty going on in wrestling, including a major angle and an unsurprising departure from the WWE roster, so let's get to my thoughts on another week in the wacky world of wrestling.

Before I begin, it was sad to hear that Mr. Fuji had passed away at the age of 82. Although Fuji was an accomplished wrestler and a multi-time Tag Team Champion in the WWWF, I knew him more as a devious, evil yet entertaining and almost lovable rogue manager from the boom period of the late 1980s for the WWF. He managed the likes of Demolition and Yokozuna to championship gold, playing a vital role in Yoko's first WWF Title win at WrestleMania IX, and cutting a humorous promo on Hulk Hogan to set up Hogan's impromptu title win ("Come on, ya yellow-belly, come on!"). He was also well-known for practical jokes, some of which went a bit extreme (Roddy Piper recounted one such tale on a Q&A tour in 2014, which involved Fuji, another Japanese wrestler and a dog, which is probably best not repeated here). But Fuji was unquestionably a legendary name, and fittingly entered the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2007. RIP Mr. Fuji.

• Now onto developments in WWE: the big news came from Raw, and the Fatal Four Way match to crown a new Universal Champion in the wake of Finn Balor's injury. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Big Cass all delivered strong performances in an excellent main event match, aside from Reigns hitting a laughable number of increasingly-ineffective Superman Punches (the move is virtually dead after this bout). But the talking point was Triple H's shocking return (I guess it isn't Game Over after I suggested such a possibility last week), Pedigreeing Reigns to cost him the match, and then in a major swerve, also Pedigreeing former Authority golden boy Rollins, allowing Owens to win the Universal Championship. The look on HHH's face, and the shocked expressions sported by Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley, suggest that a HHH/KO alliance is upon us, contrary to Stephanie's support of Rollins and, erm, can Foley be a babyface while endorsing Seth?

• Anyway, this extremely exciting shock conclusion to Raw was arguably the show's best moment of the year (depending how you rank it over Shane McMahon's return and the sudden rise of Finn Balor), and it sets up plenty of intriguing developments going forward. I am guessing that we'll see Owens vs. Rollins at Clash Of Champions, with Reigns either battling HHH in a WrestleMania rematch or resuming his feud with Rusev. Rollins is surely a babyface after these scenes, and I wouldn't bet against Stephanie siding with HHH, leaving Foley as the man to back The Man. Owens is now a true main eventer and the face of Raw, a lot earlier and in a very different fashion that people would have anticipated, and there's no reason why KO can't rule the Raw roost for months to come, especially with HHH backing him (not to mention the potential for one final Owens-Sami Zayn showdown, this time for a major championship). As for Rollins vs. HHH? If WWE is smart, that match will be saved for WrestleMania 33, which alongside potential matches pitting John Cena vs. The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg, already give us a mouth-watering card for next year's Mania.

• Annoyingly, some people still found a way to criticise this angle, complaining about HHH making it all about him. While more people were talking about HHH than Owens to some extent, his involvement was crucial to the new storyline being laid out. Really, what those fans wanted was for Owens to pin Reigns and Seth clean to become Universal Champion, but doing that doesn't enhance KO as a villain, which he is meant to be. Having HHH help him win, and at the expense of the popular Rollins, increases the chances of Owens being booed regularly going forward, even though a lot of fans respect his talents and his hilarious banter. One man who does come out of the situation in a pickle is Roman Reigns: that 30-day suspension has been a real anchor to his career, as the best Roman could now hope for is a title shot against Owens at, say, Survivor Series. He could be selected to eventually face Owens at WrestleMania, but that's only going to continue the perception that Reigns is shoved down people's throats as a babyface. The path that Roman really should take is for him to become a heel, but this major angle means that such a development is probably not imminent. While he's not in the main event, fans are a bit more tolerant of good guy Roman, but WWE wants him in the main event long-term, so it's a tricky catch-22. One final note on that match: Big Cass looked quite impressive, and even he basically admitted that he wasn't ready to become Universal Champion, but if he can grow as a performer, then he may have major gold in his future, say in around 18 months' time.

• The Four-Way was the obvious highlight of Raw, which aside from the main event situation was pretty much run-of-the-mill. Cesaro vs. Sheamus was an enjoyable second entry into their Best-Of-Seven series (Sheamus backdropping Cesaro into the ring post en route to victory was a unique move), but otherwise there was nothing must-see before the headline bout began. It was actually more notable for a couple of awful moments: the attempts to made Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson a "funny" team aren't working due to crap material, and Dana Brooke isn't very good at acting or wrestling at this stage, based on her contributions to Monday's show. And the feud between Titus O'Neil and Darren Young is actually playing out worse than their 2014 conflict, which is some achievement since their previous feud wasn't much, and their current storyline has more of a story behind it (well, Bob Backlund is involved). For Titus, at least he came out of Raw looking better than he did last week where he cut the most botched promo of the entire year on WWE television.

• SmackDown was okay for the most part, but there was nothing that would be described as essential viewing. AJ Styles has now taken to calling himself "The Face That Runs The Place" to mock John Cena, and fans are taking to him almost too well, considering that he remains a heel. With a ton on momentum, and another win on SD over Apollo Crews (which admittedly had a lame set-up based around spelling), Styles is red-hot right now, and almost everybody wants to see him become WWE Champion when he faces Dean Ambrose next Sunday at Backlash. Ambrose had a decent bout with Baron Corbin to main event the show, but yet again it felt like Dean is, I don't want to say phoning it in, but he is coasting to some degree. I can't remember the last time that fans were wowed by an Ambrose match, in singles at least (I'd hazard a guess at it being vs. HHH at Roadblock). Looking closely at this match, the problem seems to be that Ambrose's offence at times is a bit slow, his strikes only barely connect, and he almost looks like too much of a performer; Shawn Michaels used to hit flying forearms regularly, but he might punch them head-on, he might dive forward like Superman, he might have to hit more than one against a larger opponent; basically, he slightly modified his offence each time depending on the situation, something that Ambrose doesn't do. It's not like Ambrose is in a bad place; he is the WWE Champion, after all. But right now, fans would much rather see AJ win the gold, and since so many wanted Ambrose to become titleholder in the first place, that is a sign that Ambrose isn't meeting expectations on top. I am anticipating a great match between Dean and AJ at Backlash, but Ambrose needs to give people a reason to want him to win, otherwise his title reign will be seen as a disappointment, should it be curtailed against Styles next weekend.

• The rest of SD wasn't much to speak of. The Miz followed up his electrifying promo last week with another strong effort here, but diverting him into another feud with Dolph Ziggler isn't the best follow-up (mind you, who else could WWE have chosen to face Miz from the SmackDown roster?). The other stand-out aspect was the very unexpected WWE comeback of The Headbangers, presumably brought in as a one-off for Heath Slater and Rhyno to defeat. Will Slater regain his job by virtue of him and Rhyno winning the Tag Team Titles at Backlash? I still envision an American Alpha-Usos final, but a lot of people are hoping for Slater to win, for possibly the first time in his entire career. Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt was also confirmed for Backlash, which will probably be the first of a series of matches between the two, since it's a fresh feud and it should deliver some good action. Overall, though, Raw beats SmackDown this week due to that amazingly unpredictable angle to close out a fantastic main event match.

• Elsewhere, NXT is just moving on from Takeover: Back To Brooklyn, although the smart money is on a rematch between Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe for the NXT Title at the next Takeover (the date for which has yet to be confirmed). The Cruiserweight Classic is nearing its finale, and fans are becoming excited by the fact that seven CC entrants have been announced as a part of Raw's upcoming Cruiserweight division. Expect this to be hyped up heavily by WWE over the next few weeks.

• It's been reported that, as expected, Alberto Del Rio will be leaving WWE after his suspension ends (his contract had a clause allowing him to leave in September if he were so inclined). ADR's second WWE run was a pretty big let-down, really: aside from his surprise comeback win over John Cena for the United States Title at Hell In A Cell 2015, it's been downhill all the way for ADR. While the booking of Del Rio was poor throughout this year, meaning that you couldn't blame the guy for leaving, there's still something about Del Rio that prevents him connecting with fans: we're six years on from his WWE debut, and he hasn't evolved much at all. In fact, he's gone backwards, since Ricardo Rodriguez and the flashy car entrance were removed from his act. He showed fire as El Patron in Lucha Underground and elsewhere, but he couldn't do the same in WWE. I don't expect him to return to WWE outside of a potential cameo appearance in a few years time, but he could contribute to other promotions should he modify his style and show more charisma. TNA would certainly have him if they can afford ADR, as that would be further evidence of the promotion making something of a comeback after several years of almost impending doom. Some have wondered if Paige will follow her boyfriend Alberto out the door; whilst I don't see that happening anytime soon, it wouldn't surprise me if she was no longer with the company by this time next year.

• Other than that, the only other standout topic from the week has been the news that Bill Goldberg is apparently having serious talks with WWE about a comeback of some sort, following his WWE 2K17 appearance. If all goes to plan, I imagine that we'll see Goldberg take on Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33, as mentioned earlier: if WWE does go with Brock vs. Shane McMahon, it'll either be that Shane drafts in Goldberg as his representative for a major fight, or Lesnar fights Shane and pounds him into oblivion, only to be interrupted by the return of Da Man. It's too early to say for sure, since Goldberg hasn't officially returned yet, but one more match at WrestleMania is plausible, with Lesnar being an ideal opponent. A Hall Of Fame induction in 2018 would likely follow, which coincidentally could be the weekend of Lesnar's own final WWE match at WrestleMania 34 based on his current contract - but we're getting ahead of ourselves now.

• I was lucky enough to attend a Q&A event with Eric Bischoff in Manchester last Friday. Bischoff was a nice guy and pleasant to everybody there, and answered plenty of questions ranging from stories from the WCW days and his WWE run to his opinions on wrestling today. Although Bischoff's career as a wrestling personality is pretty much done, one can't help but think that the very knowledgeable and business-savvy Bischoff could still have a role to play in wrestling. His TNA stint didn't do much, admittedly, but perhaps Bischoff could help Ring Of Honor or another promotion to find increased television exposure, given his contacts in the world of TV. Alternatively, a role in helping the WWE Network to expand or hosting a show on the Network might be options. Either way, the Bischoff story doesn't feel like it's quite over yet, although Eric seems more than happy if the book on his time in sports-entertainment were to be at an end.

• Finally, a WWE Network recommendation. There was an episode of Raw from the Attitude Era which I watched a while ago that bears another viewing, and that is the March 26 2001 Raw. Not only was it the last episode before WrestleMania X-Seven, but it was the landmark night when the WWF and WCW had that simulcast across Raw and (the last) Nitro. It's obviously worth watching for historical value, but the show as a whole has such energy, and the roster was so loaded at the time, that it isn't hard to realise why the boom period was still alive for the company at the time, and it firmly prepares the viewer for WrestleMania that Sunday. Ironically, things would begin sliding for the WWF after WM X-Seven with Steve Austin turning heel at the same time that The Rock began his first major movie-related departure, and the wrestling industry would never be the same again. Still, at least you can relive the glory days, and a very historic show, before things took a downturn. Some would argue that things took a downturn because of the events of March 26 2001. It's the end of an era, whatever way you look at it.

That's my random round-up of wrestling opinions this week; I'll return with my thoughts next week, including my predictions for Backlash!

Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (August 26 2016)

Image Source: Bleacher Report

Written By: Mark Armstrong

So much has happened in the world of wrestling - or, more specifically, WWE - over the last seven days that it is almost impossible to keep on top of it all. Nevertheless, here are my thoughts on the many events of the last week, although this week's Thoughts will not refer to the Cruiserweight Classic or non-WWE promotions, just because of the sheer volume of activity in WWE in recent days.

• Working in chronological order, NXT Takeover: Back To Brooklyn was another fantastic showcase of the NXT brand. Of the six matches, three were very good or excellent, and even the other three were of a strong standard. We had Austin Aries provide No Way Jose with his best match to date, a good debut for Ember Moon against Billie Kay, a GLORIOUS! (Google it if you're unaware why this makes sense) first NXT match for Bobby Roode against Andrade 'Cien' Almas, an outstanding NXT Tag Team Title defence for The Revival against Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciappa, an exciting NXT Women's Title clash between Asuka and Bayley that was an improvement on their previous Dallas collision, and Shinsuke Nakamura unseat Samoa Joe as NXT Champion in a worthy main event (during which Joe suffered a broken jaw; Aries was also injured with a ruptured eardrum after a post-match GTS by Hideo Itami). All of that in one brilliant wrestling show meant that Takeover: Back To Brooklyn was another knockout evening for the brand. Concerns may be raised for the future with this marking Bayley's exit from NXT, and with speculation that Samoa Joe could also soon move up to Raw or SmackDown; however, NXT's strength has been its knack for finding perfect replacement when performers move on, and the wrestling product is as good as ever. Expect the NXT buzz to continue; this was incredible.

• As for SummerSlam the following evening, well ... this wasn't exactly a home-run for WWE. It had the potential to be the best PPV in years, but a combination of questionable booking, disappointing performances and an extremely distracting crowd meant that the majority of the card didn't live up to the hype. It did, however, boast a classic between John Cena and AJ Styles, and a main event that, for better or worse, will be talked about for a long time to come. You can click here to read my full review of SummerSlam; it wasn't great, we know that, but it was better than some may have you think.

• On the subject of that top-liner: Brock Lesnar's violent, bloody pummelling of Randy Orton was a jaw-dropping sight in the PG era. Initially, one was disappointed in how things transpired, with the main event curtailed and the heavy nature of the beatdown raising genuine concern amongst fans. Amongst those worried was Chris Jericho, who allegedly had a mini-scuffle with Lesnar backstage after the match, with producer Michael Hayes refusing to inform Jericho whether the extent of the beating had been pre-planned and if Orton really had been knocked out leading to an argument and a confrontation between Y2J and Brock.

• However, the more I think about it, the more I think that it was executed brilliantly. If a wrestling match really did degenerate into a real fight, then the planned finish, extending the match length and providing a show for the fans wouldn't be in the minds of the combatants; they'd just want to pummel each other, right? Had this been 20 minutes in and Brock began beating on Orton, everybody would realise that it was planned. But the abrupt nature of the assault and the sudden end to the match created that element of doubt amongst fans as to whether it was real or not. In 2016, that's a pretty good achievement, especially when it manages to fool some of the talent as well. Ironically, Jericho's near-fight with Brock ensured that everybody knew that what went down had been planned, rather than people still wondering if Brock had taken liberties. I still don't believe that Orton was meant to bleed as much as he did, but it was undeniably gripping to watch, even if the crowd understandably disliked it at the time.

• Between this, Lesnar's unscripted swearing on Raw last week and his previous instances of over-enthusiasm (like hurling a car door into the audience last year), Brock is a genuinely believable loose cannon, whose matches are predictable (Suplex City) whilst also being unpredictable, as the guy could flip the switch at any moment. Some say that Orton was damaged by this, but a regular defeat probably would have done more harm. As it is, Orton's reputation was enhanced if anything due to his courage to take a genuine beating from Lesnar. Jericho's rep has also increased by being ballsy enough to confront Lesnar without any cameras present (he also once beat Goldberg in a real fight, making him tougher than a lot of people would believe).

• What's next for Lesnar? Currently, a match with Shane McMahon is being teased, but it's more likely that Shane would draft somebody in to face The Beast. Could it be Goldberg, who has hinted at a match with Brock himself? Or could it be Triple H? Who knows at this point; however, I would urge WWE to draw a line under the "Lesnar-is-unstoppable" storyline by WrestleMania 33. If it continues any longer, then all of WWE's main event scene will have been devalued by the part-time Beast Incarnate. WrestleMania would be a fitting stage for somebody to finally take Brock to task; who the conqueror of The Conqueror would be is anybody's guess. It'd be hilarious if it ended up being Roman Reigns, although Roman is actually the only man who Lesnar has faced since he returned in 2012 that he hasn't yet beaten.

• As fans were still digesting the news of a real-life Jericho vs. Lesnar showdown, it was revealed that Finn Balor had to vacate the Universal Championship which he'd only just won at SummerSlam due to a labrum injury that could sideline him for 4-6 months. It's a huge setback for Balor, right after the biggest win of his career. It is hoped that WWE will resume his big push upon his return; fans have certainly accepted him as a major player on Raw. That his injury was the third inflicted by Seth Rollins over the last 13 months (and the second via the Buckle Bomb, even though it was into a barricade and even though Balor arguably caused the injury by stretching his arm out instead of allowing his back to absorb the blow) has led to many hoping that one of Seth's biggest moves is banned for being too dangerous. Ironically, his old finisher, the Curb Stomp, was outlawed for the same reason despite having never injured an opponent.

• Bret Hart, who has previously been critical of Rollins for causing injuries, once again pointed out his opinion on Seth after the latest incident, which led many fans to criticise Bret. Hell, the man has a point: injuries happen, but when you injure three major wrestlers in little over a year (and one of those, Sting, saw his career end because of it, although his age and condition played a role in that outcome), questions need to be asked. If Seth avoids the Buckle Bomb then things should be fine going forward, but the backlash to Bret's comments shows the hypocrisy of a section of the fan base: legends like Bret and Vader (for his views on the Will Ospreay-Ricochet match) can't have an opinion, but anonymous fans on Twitter can. If you read the aforementioned SummerSlam review, you'll see a sample of my frustration with some so-called "smart" fans right now, in relation to the PPV itself. Not all fans are like this, don't get me wrong, but a lot of fans may not realise just how they're coming across right now.

• All of this overshadowed Raw for the most part, where the Universal Title was vacated pending a Fatal Four Way next week. We also had the long-awaited debut of Bayley (Sasha Banks is nursing some injuries, hence her Women's Title loss at SummerSlam; try telling that to some fans, though) and the apparent retirement of The Dudley Boyz. After a storyline where Bubba Ray and D-Von had some miscommunication, everybody expected Bubba to turn heel on D-Von here, especially with the two having reportedly signed new contracts recently. But no: this segment (which was interrupted by The Shining Stars, and ended with the Dudleyz being attacked by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) apparently did end their latest WWE tenure. No idea why, or if it's a swerve, but assuming that this is all true, hopefully the Dudleyz will be rewarded for a great tag team career (and solo adventures at various points) with a future WWE Hall Of Fame induction.

• On the topic of Raw, we nearly had another injury when Sami Zayn appeared to tweak his ankle, and wrestled in obvious pain throughout. Apparently, that wasn't the case, and Zayn simply put on an outstanding sell-job. His match with Rollins was a good one, enhanced by the believable injury suffered by Sami. This selling was evidence of what has been missing from WWE too much in recent times; hopefully we'll see similar sell-jobs in the future, when appropriate. Another quick Raw note: Enzo Amore was the only person who put themselves forward for a Universal Title opportunity that wasn't entered into the mini-tournament, but Neville (who didn't come out at the start with the other entrants) was. What's the thought process behind that? We do know the thought process behind Big Cass being entered into it before Enzo (hint: he's 7-foot tall, and you can't - oh, never mind). One final point: I've noticed that fans are beginning to slowly turn on the very popular Enzo and Cass now by ripping Enzo's wrestling skills and Cass being in the Universal Title match at all. Those fickle wrestling fans, eh?

• SmackDown threatened to feel like an after-thought, given all of the drama elsewhere in WWE. Fortunately, it stood out by being a strong two-hour show, with a great AJ Styles-Dolph Ziggler main event and a pretty good American Alpha-Breezango doubles match. SD introduced the SmackDown Women's and SmackDown Tag Team Championships, both of which will be decided at Backlash. That PPV will also host AJ vs. Dean Ambrose for the WWE Title, a match that many want AJ to win, given his outstanding performances and Ambrose's general apathy in recent months. Whether he wins the title or not, Styles has to be the front-runner for Wrestler Of The Year as things stand. By the way, fans reacted positively to the designs of the two new SD prizes, despite being different coloured versions of existing championships, which is more than can be said for the reaction to the Universal Title for the same reason; again, see my SummerSlam review for more info on this.

• As if all that wasn't enough to have the hardcore fans thinking, the post-show Talking Smack on the WWE Network ended up being utterly compelling due to two seemingly unplanned incidents: a Carmella beatdown on the returning Nikki Bella, which was played out very realistically, and a simply outstanding shoot-style rant from The Miz towards Daniel Bryan. Some called it the best promo that Miz has ever delivered. You'll see plenty of footage from said verbiage in the coming weeks, and it could open doors for Miz to ascend up the ranks again, rounding off what has to be his best year since his WWE Title run ended in 2011. Credit to WWE: between the Lesnar assault of Orton and Miz's promo here, the product feels unpredictable and exciting again, and these two combined with Sami's apparent injury on Raw have caused fans who supposedly know the in's and out's of everything WWE-related to question what is real and what isn't. As noted earlier, that's something to be proud of during the current era.

• I'm out of breath now after recapping all that! Next week won't be anywhere near as exciting, although we may get the fall-out of certain events and injuries. We will get the crowning of a new Universal Champion (Seth Rollins seems like the current favourite), and we'll learn more about what to expect at Backlash and Clash Of Champions. Before I begin to wrap things up, I'll just mention that Eva Marie (who was suspended last week along with Alberto Del Rio and Paige) trying to appeal her suspension may not have an ideal outcome for All Red; The Rock vs. Vin Diesel, which some are speculating might happen at WrestleMania with their supposed beef being a cover-up for such a match, would be an awful idea; Booker T is making me laugh a lot by repeatedly referencing CM Punk's upcoming UFC fight on the Pre-Show programmes on the WWE Network; and it occurred to me during NXT Takeover that everybody has forgotten about Triple H (he appeared in a short clip to reveal the Cruiserweight Classic trophy), considering that he was heading up the on-screen Authority for so long, he main evented WrestleMania and he was rumoured to face Shane at SummerSlam. As things stand, HHH is likely to resurface during the run-up to WrestleMania, with his power perhaps not being an issue. Or might it finally be Game Over, at least from an on-screen standpoint?

• I'll round off this busy edition with my WWE Network recommendations, which this week focuses on what we have just witnessed. If you haven't seen it yet, you must watch Cena vs. Styles from SummerSlam, and take in Lesnar's violent destruction of Orton to close the show. Check out Miz's amazing (or awesome!) promo on Talking Smack. And from NXT Takeover ... you know what, just watch the whole show; you won't regret it.

That's my random (and exhausting) round-up of wrestling opinions this week; I'll return with my thoughts next week, but don't expect it the next seven days to be quite as eventful in the wacky world of wrestling!

Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (August 19 2016)

Image Source: WWE

Written By: Mark Armstrong

SummerSlam weekend is upon us, so my thoughts this week will heavily consist of predictions for the big supershow on Sunday, as well as the second annual NXT Takeover: Brooklyn the night before. In the meantime, though, there have been other wrestling developments which have caught my eye ...

• In one of the more unusual suspension-related stories, both Alberto Del Rio and Paige were suspended for violating the Wellness Policy on the same day. Why is this unusual? Because ADR and Paige are a real-life item, and because it just happened to be Paige's birthday when the news came through. We know that both Del Rio and Paige were Drafted to separate brands, and that injuries have kept Paige out of the ring. It is also rumoured that ADR is unhappy with his current status in WWE (can't blame him) and may leave the company as soon as next month. In other words, when you add it all up, there's more than meets the eye regarding this dual suspension. Did Alberto and Paige deliberately violate the system to get a month together away from wrestling? Could the two have gone a bit over the top in celebrating Paige's birthday? Have the two gone out of their way to receive a suspension because of unhappiness with their roles in WWE? Or is this one giant coincidence? I don't know; however, at this stage I would be very surprised if we saw ADR in a WWE ring again, and depending on the severity of Paige's injuries, it could be a long time until she resurfaces too - if at all. This should be interesting to follow, although I can't envision a happy ending for any of the parties involved.

• We've finally been given some detailed information about what to expect in WWE 2K17 and, with one exception, it's shaping up to be a very promising game. And with further news still to come, including the remainder of what will apparently be the largest roster to date, the hope is that 2K17 will be the best wrestling game in a long, long time. Click here to read my further thoughts on what we know so far from 2K17.

• Raw was a slight improvement over last week's show, with a strong verbal segment involving Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and Heath Slater, an intriguing stand-off between Finn Balor's Demon character and Seth Rollins, and a basic yet hilarious backstage promo involving Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. The show hasn't quite matched the initial excitement generated by the first post-Draft episode of Raw, but with SummerSlam now days away, the focus may switch back to wrestling next week, and from there the three-hour programme should hopefully generate more interest from fans. In fact, the post-SummerSlam edition of Raw from Brooklyn last year was one of the best of the entire year, so there's a standard that many fans will be demanding, never mind expecting, from the Brooklyn Raw this coming Monday.

• SmackDown was an enjoyable programme again; after a shaky start in the post-Draft era, SD has found its feet by largely keeping things simple and emphasising certain character traits. From the rehabilitation of Dolph Ziggler as a serious player to Heath Slater's previously-unimaginable popularity rise as he strives to earn a contract to Eva Marie's "accidental" methods of avoiding matches (this week, Eva was supposedly stuck in traffic, hence her not facing Naomi as planned), along with familiar faces such as John Cena, AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose and new call-ups like American Alpha, the show is once again making the most of what it has and placing a clear emphasis on wrestling, as it did in previous years. Raw may be the longer and more prestigious show, but with the exception of the post-Battleground episodes, SmackDown has been superior to Raw every week so far, and this trend is currently likely to continue. (While writing this article, news came through that Eva Marie has also been suspended, which kills her push for the time being. Perhaps there was a wild party to celebrate Paige's birthday which got out of hand. Or maybe the roster got too excited at Rusev and Lana's wedding. Either way, what a strange series of events this has become.)

• NXT was all about promoting Takeover: Back To Brooklyn, so I'll reserve comments this week; in the meantime, the Cruiserweight Classic continues to impress. The CC has been so good that many fans will be sad to see it end in a few weeks' time, although that blow should be softened by the upcoming return of the Cruiserweight division (and the Cruiserweight Championship) on Raw.

• I have to mention something which I noticed on Twitter this week. Sasha Banks had taken a photograph with a fan who met her at an airport, and he Tweeted the pic, thanking Sasha. In response, though, The Boss dismissed him as an "airport creep", and she didn't look very happy on the photo either. This isn't the first time her attitude towards fans has been questioned, but many tried to defend her comments. If the guy actually had stalker tendencies, then fair enough. On the surface, though, it looks more like Sasha had made the fan look like an idiot in front of the (online) world (and he was thanking her for the photo; it wasn't like he was slating her). Considering that Sasha is currently playing a babyface character and that many fans genuinely like her, and it is their support which has hoisted Banks to her level of stardom, I felt it was unnecessary at best, and quite cruel at worst for Sasha to do this. Sure, there's a time and a place for fans to approach wrestlers, but it came across really badly, and I'm hoping that the likeable Sasha isn't letting her fame truly get to her head. As for those defending her regardless: I am planning to write an article in the future where I look at how the average wrestling fan has changed in recent years, and I'll refer back to this point then, because in many ways, the fans have played a key role in wrestling as we know it today - but not entirely in a positive manner.

• TNA Wrestling now has a new President in Billy Corgan (yes, that Billy Corgan). Will this reverse TNA's financial fortunes after a pretty awful couple of years? It remains to be seen; however, the bizarre yet compelling feud between The Hardyz (including the infamous Final Deletion match), the debut of Damien Sandow (now competing as Aron Rex) and now this shift in power all give TNA some momentum for the first time in ages. Truthfully, I don't see TNA ever coming close to competing with WWE again, and it may not even reach the heights that it achieved in the late 2000s and early 2010s. But considering how many people were writing the company off as far back as 2013, the fact that TNA now appears to have a fairly bright future is a pretty impressive achievement.

• Although many fans were up in arms, I loved that Vader defeated Will Ospreay in their long-awaited match. Really, why should a genuinely arrogant and disrespectful competitor, who hasn't been wrestling for very long, triumph over a long-established, well-respected and legendary competitor, even if Vader is in his 60s now? There will likely be a rematch where Ospreay will get the victory. Besides, credit to Vader for actually flying over to the UK and facing Ospreay when it could have been left as nothing more than a Twitter war.

• Now onto my predictions for SummerSlam weekend, beginning with NXT Takeover: Back To Brooklyn. I'll keep my predictions brief and say that newcomer Ember Moon will beat Billie Kay; Austin Aries will vanquish No Way Jose; Bobby Roode will have a "glorious" victory over Andrade "Cien" Almas; The Revival will retain their NXT Tag Team Titles against Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa; Asuka will lose the NXT Women's Title to Bayley (but regain it at a later date to officially mark the end of Bayley's NXT tenure); and Shinsuke Nakamura will unseat Samoa Joe as NXT Champion. I also predict that either Bayley, Nakamura or Joe will debut on Raw the night after SummerSlam (probably Joe), and that this card will be another great NXT event. I don't think it will be as special as last year's NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, but I do see it being the best NXT show of the year so far.

• However, SummerSlam might see the main roster finally defeat the NXT crew from a quality standpoint, after last year's Brooklyn show bettered SummerSlam 2015 and Takeover: Dallas was superior to WrestleMania 32. From an in-ring standpoint, SummerSlam should be the show of the year, and it actually has the potential to be the best main roster wrestling show in several years. But who will win the big matches? Here are my predictions ... Becky Lynch's team will win the six-woman match, especially with Eva Marie now absent. The Miz will retain the Intercontinental Title against Apollo Crews, but may taste a countout or disqualification defeat to do so. Sheamus will beat Cesaro to give him a chance in their Best-Of-Seven series (which begins here at SS). Enzo & Big Cass will defeat Jeri-KO, but their feud will continue onto Clash Of Champions (a Raw PPV in September). The New Day's long reign as WWE Tag Team Champions will finally be ended by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Sasha Banks will retain the Women's Title against Charlotte in what promises to be a great contest, setting Sasha up to face Nia Jax in the near future. Rusev will find a way to defeat Roman Reigns, but a post-match assault by Roman will keep their United States Title conflict going. John Cena will defeat AJ Styles, but Styles will leave Cena laying to set up a feud-ending match in the future (which may not be for a while, since Cena is apparently set to take more time off soon). Dean Ambrose will defeat Dolph Ziggler to retain the WWE Title, but Ziggler's title chase won't end here, with a probable heel turn coming prior to Backlash (the next PPV, which is SmackDown-exclusive). I predict that Seth Rollins will beat Finn Balor to become the first Universal Champion; Rollins was Raw's #1 Draft pick, but Balor has come out on top in all of their exchanges, and a sneaky win for Seth allows the Balor-Rollins feud to continue for the Universal Title into the autumn months. And Brock Lesnar will defeat Randy Orton (it'd be hilarious if free agent Heath Slater tried to interrupt the match after being laid out by both this week, but it's very unlikely); I suspect that Lesnar's next opponent could be determined on Raw the following night, with some whispers that none other than Goldberg (who is in town to promote WWE 2K17) could confront him, as both have exchanged threats to promote 2K17, with the intention of setting up a major showdown in the future (possibly at WrestleMania 33). Admittedly, this sounds like a fantasy scenario, but it very well could happen. And SummerSlam could very well become one of the most memorable PPVs in recent times. If the matches live up to the hype, the event should be a classic.

• Finally, my weekly WWE Network recommendation. Since SummerSlam is days away, it's only right for me to recommend some classic SummerSlam moments. Check out the unforgettable Bret Hart-British Bulldog main event from Wembley Stadium in 1992, the brutal Boiler Room Brawl between The Undertaker and Mankind from 1996 that has a shocking conclusion, the first TLC match (an incredible stunt show) from 2000, Shawn Michaels' tremendous comeback match against Triple H in 2002, or almost all of the outstanding 2013 card which boasted a strong Alberto Del Rio-Christian scrap, a superb CM Punk-Brock Lesnar war and a very good John Cena-Daniel Bryan, with the totally unexpected post-match shenanigans giving birth to The Authority. There are plenty of others to seek out too; I suggest squeezing in viewings of these and other top SummerSlam moments to prepare for the big show on Sunday.

That's my random round-up of wrestling opinions this week; I'll return with my thoughts next week, including what I thought of NXT Takeover: Back To Brooklyn and SummerSlam!

Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (August 12 2016)

Image Source: WWE

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Some quick comments about wrestling-related developments over the last seven days, and a few random ones too:

• Dean Ambrose accusing Brock Lesnar of being lazy in regards to their WrestleMania 32 match during his Stone Cold Podcast appearance is not without merit. Given Lesnar's lack of motivation inside WWE rings so far this year, his preference to fight in UFC again, his doping test failure and his continuous part-time status for which he remains highly paid, one has to ask if Lesnar is really worth the money to WWE anymore, and if fans would really miss him if he left? Unless Brock plans to utilise more of his once-excellent wrestling repertoire in the future, WWE might be best served having Lesnar finally lose cleanly for the first time since he ended The Streak no later than WrestleMania 33, and prepare for Brock's exit should he leave when his current contract expires after WM 34.

• The first showing of CM Punk's documentary to promote his debut UFC fight underscores that his much-anticipated UFC bow is now only a matter of weeks anyway. Strange as it may sound, this could be the most intriguing wrestling-related showdown all year. One thing is for sure: far more wrestling fans will be watching this fight than any other UFC showdown to date. Can Punk prove his naysayers wrong, or will his first combat battle since WWE Royal Rumble 2014 end in disaster?

• On a final UFC note, Conor McGregor upset many wrestlers past and present with his anti-wrestling comments on Twitter. If he has jeopardised a future UFC/WWE partnership, then his 140 characters caused a lot of damage. But it's still reassuring to see that the wrestling community will still come together as one to defend their art, at a time when the business has never been more exposed.

• Raw was fairly uneventful this week, with the big names either absent or only contributing verbally, and no real stand-out match despite Cesaro pulling double duty. I assume that next week's edition will be a lot busier, but hopefully this isn't a sign that the three-hour show will be a drag in these post-Draft times. That Stephanie McMahon was also absent, and yet the show was still underwhelming, is worrying because it adds weight to the idea that Raw somehow needs the incredibly annoying Stephanie heel character.

• SmackDown was the superior show this week, although it was slightly inferior to last week's episode. This was likely due to the absence of John Cena and AJ Styles, who were on an international tour with the Raw crew (don't ask). Nevertheless, the Tuesday show is making the most of talent from the top to the bottom, including Eva Marie via her "accidental" mishaps to avoid actually competing. The show could still improve, but SmackDown is now relevant for the first time in years, which is a big positive.

• NXT is fast approaching its second Takeover: Brooklyn show the night before SummerSlam. Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura could be the Match Of The Year, and Asuka vs. Bayley will be well worth watching too. Add to that the recent arrival of Bobby Roode and his already-legendary theme music, the debut of Kota Ibushi and the continuing success of players such as The Revival, and it's clear that Takeover: Back To Brooklyn should be another fantastic offering from the always-motivated NXT crew.

• That being said, the Cruiserweight Classic has been the hidden gem of the WWE Network in recent weeks. Halfway through the series, the action has been very warmly-received, with several memorable matches on the first five episodes. Hopefully this will become an annual thing, and the CC will hopefully serve as a preview of what's expected to be a thriving cruiserweight division on Raw.

• Ryback finally leaving WWE was not a surprise, but it was unexpected to hear that WWE.com head Joey Styles had been released, possibly for some controversial comments during a Facebook live interview. With the exception of Paul Heyman, Styles was the last link to the original ECW in WWE, so his exit is the end of an era in some ways. That said, his announcing career was curtailed in 2008 (WWE somehow preferred Mike Adamle), so if his release allows him to once again commentate outside of WWE, his exit might not be such a bad thing.

• Although TNA Wrestling is still struggling by all accounts, it's good to see that Damien Sandow has joined the group. Sandow is a perfect example of somebody who WWE did not use to his full potential, and since he has built up such a large following, Sandow should make a big impact (no pun intended) in TNA. I envision him winning gold in TNA possibly before the end of the year, assuming that the promotion can continue on in its current form.

• Each week, I'll add a quick note on another wrestling-related news item, and one relevant point at present is the imminent battle between Vader and Will Ospreay, stemming from Will's criticism of Vader's criticism of Will's infamous match with Ricochet. Vader may be in his 60s now, but since Ospreay genuinely comes across as being disrespectful outside of the ring, part of me hopes that the Mastadon of old resurfaces for one night only, if you catch my drift (if you don't, never mind).

• I'll preview SummerSlam properly next week, but I'll say here that the show has the potential to be the best of the year so far. There are plenty of potential show-stealers booked on the card, and no doubt the participants will be aiming to make sure that their bout is the one that fans are talking about when it's all said and done. Suffice it to say, SummerSlam weekend should be a pretty memorable one, especially when you add in Joe vs. Nakamura 24 hours earlier.

• And I will finish with a retro opinion of sorts. If you are ever bored and looking for something to watch on WWE Network, have a gander at the content of WCW Nitro and PPV events from 2000, especially the April-to-August period. Yes, it's mostly awful, but it's almost so bad that it's good (okay, maybe not). From Vince Russo shooting on Hulk Hogan to the desperately-dangerous stunts to the daft gimmick matches (remember when Goldberg refused to take a Powerbomb from Kevin Nash in a "real" moment that was part of a storyline, as daft as that sounds?), it's fascinating to watch, if only to see how far the company had fallen from its 1996-1998 peak. It's a first-hand demonstration into why Vince Russo receives so much criticism from hardcore wrestling fans.

That's my random round-up of wrestling opinions this week; I'll return with my thoughts next week, including my predictions for SummerSlam!

WWE Extreme Rules 2016 now available on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

Image Source: Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The New Era takes competition to the extreme at Extreme Rules! In a rematch from their epic encounter at Payback, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns puts the richest prize in sports-entertainment on the line against “The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles in an Extreme Rules Match! The family feud between the Flairs and the Harts writes another chapter as Natalya challenges for the WWE Women’s Championship against Charlotte in a Submission Match. And for the first time ever in WWE history, Chris Jericho and Dean Ambrose face each other in a match more twisted than “The Lunatic Fringe” himself… an Asylum Match!

Visit our DVDs sub-page for full article by clicking here

Predicting The WWE Draft 2016

Image Source: Wikipedia

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Exciting times are imminent with the 2016 WWE Draft, marking the second brand extension for the company, and the first time that the WWE roster will be split in nearly five years. With plenty of speculation as to who will end up where, this is my attempt to predict what will happen and what surprises, if any, may spring up as WWE prepares to chop itself in half.

To begin with, it's clear that Raw will have the largest roster of the two, primarily because of its three-hour television slot. At two hours, SmackDown could afford to utilise a similarly-sized roster to Raw, but many of its stars would either have minimal time for their matches or be ignored altogether. Therefore, I will design my fantasy rosters with a slight advantage for Raw. That being said, WWE will ensure that the line-ups remain equal, so from a quality standpoint, hopefully one won't be too superior to the other.

With that out of the way, let's address the other elephant in the room: the title situation. When it was announced, it was assumed that, with the exception of the Intercontinental and United States Titles, each champion (or champions, in the case of the doubles straps) would roam between both brands. However, given the news that both brands will hold a PPV event every month, with the exception of the "Big Four", this now seems less likely. Although I don't consider it to be the best option, I think that WWE will provide each brand with its own World Champion; it's the only feasible way to deliver 20 PPV events a year without over-exposing the talent. However, I predict that the Women's and Tag Titles will each find a home on separate brands along with their respective divisions.

Okay, now let's predict the rosters. When the split was first announced, most assumed that John Cena and Roman Reigns would each be separated, and given the chance to be the leading face of their respective brands (even if, in Roman's case, the babyface push is proving futile). But recent developments have changed everything.

Cena has only wrestled once since his return on May 30, unless we count his unnecessary squash match with Karl Anderson a few weeks back. He's also apparently set to compete on only select live events in future. Therefore, Cena as the face of Raw or SmackDown seems less likely, since each brand's figurehead would theoretically have to be available for any and all dates. Meanwhile, Roman's suspension in late June has called into question whether he will receive the same push as he previously did, especially since fan reactions will be worse than ever upon his return. Adding to the confusion, Brock Lesnar could be facing a suspension of his own given a potential violation prior to his UFC 200 fight with Mark Hunt. Therefore, the Draft is now much harder to predict.

Since he is the current WWE Champion, I would have to suggest that Dean Ambrose is the undisputed first pick as things stand; and, since Stephanie McMahon loathes Ambrose, Shane (or the yet-to-be-named SmackDown General Manager, depending on who gets to make the picks) is most likely to pick up the Lunatic Fringe, bringing the WWE Title to the blue brand. The immediate reaction by Stephanie (or the also-unknown Raw GM) will be to choose someone who Shane felt wouldn't be touched by his sister, that being the suspended Reigns. As well as providing a mini-surprise, it also opens the door to a potential Reigns heel turn, aligning himself with Stephanie (which surely has to happen soon given recent events). SmackDown will then cover its bases ahead of the all-Shield main event by picking Seth Rollins (who will openly question why his old Authority pal didn't automatically select him from the beginning).

I mentioned earlier how John Cena is now less likely to be the face of a brand, meaning that WWE could now have him and Reigns co-exist on the same brand, which could also set up a future big-time main event, which is why I predict that Cena will be Raw's second pick. This may make SmackDown look weak, but no worry: the Tuesday show has an ace up its sleeve by picking Brock Lesnar (who was meant to return on the Draft show, before news leaked of his potential violation). Raw's third pick will be AJ Styles, for two reasons: to guarantee a strong wrestling presence on Monday nights, and to allow the Cena-Styles feud to continue until SummerSlam, where a new World Heavyweight Champion will be crowned. Where that leaves Reigns for SummerSlam is unknown; but unless WWE is planning a multi-brand Shield rematch for SummerSlam, at least one of the former Hounds Of Justice will have to find a new opponent before the biggest PPV of the summer.

The same logic for keeping Cena and Styles together will be used to explain Randy Orton being named SmackDown's fourth pick ahead of his currently-scheduled SSlam battle with Brock. In response, Raw will look to capture the biggest name possible, and that comes in the form of The Undertaker, who I believe will make an appearance, but will be attached to Raw in name only, at least until the hype begins for a probable Undertaker-Cena match at WrestleMania 33 (and this pick keeps both men on the same show). Having sealed some top names, SmackDown will look to the future for its fifth pick by selecting Kevin Owens, who won't be impressed that Shane will still technically be his boss. His mood will change, however, when Raw reacts by picking Sami Zayn, guaranteeing that the Owens-Zayn clash at Battleground will draw a line (for now) under their feud.

Because Kevin Owens still wants his Intercontinental Title back, KO will convince Shane or the SmackDown GM to pick The Miz next so that the IC Title is on SmackDown (assuming he beats Darren Young at Battleground, which he probably will), which in turn will persuade Raw to make sure that Rusev and the United States Title are on the red brand. The stakes are raised slightly next as SmackDown's seventh pick is Charlotte and her Women's Championship, with Raw responding by capturing The New Day and their WWE Tag Team Titles (they will be the only team who can be selected as such, because they're currently titleholders). Next up is a surprise selection as SmackDown looks for one of its past stars to recapture their past form, with that man being MVP (who has been rumoured with a WWE return lately). Not choosing to go down that route just yet, Raw's eighth choice is Bray Wyatt, whose Family remain at loggerheads with New Day. SmackDown establishes itself as the home of the women's division by picking Sasha Banks next, whilst Raw decides that it requires a big name next with its selection of Chris Jericho (drink it in, man). SmackDown rounds off its first ten picks by selecting Cesaro, who could challenge either male champion down the road. Raw's tenth and final pick is a big one, though: with an eye on the future, this is the moment that Finn Balor is finally introduced to the main roster, and its previous Bullet Club ties set up a ready-made storyline with AJ Styles sometime after SummerSlam.

Before the Draft show goes off the air, fans are informed that the remaining talent will be picked in the form of a lottery live on the WWE Network after this episode of SmackDown concludes. However, there is one final twist as Triple H makes a shock return and confronts Shane McMahon. HHH's reasoning will be that in his absence, Shane has disrupted the control of the Authority and taken away many of WWE's top names, as well as its heavyweight title (the resurrection of the WHC won't be announced until after Battleground). This acts as a set-up for HHH vs. Shane at SummerSlam with control of SmackDown at stake, with The Game's attempts to wrestle (no pun intended) control back to The Authority proving unsuccessful due to outside interference; perhaps it could be due to his one-time protégé Seth Rollins, reacting to the Authority snub in the Draft, which in turn lays the groundwork for an inter-brand HHH vs. Seth match at WrestleMania?

I won't go through the full details of why each of the remaining wrestlers will end up where, but I will make a few points before providing my full roster lists before. Firstly, as the above picks imply, Raw will be home to the tag team division, whilst SmackDown will be the base for the women's talent (which also increases the likelihood of a Women's Title match main eventing a PPV in the future). That being said, I envision some tag teams being split up, and possibly a couple of females ending up on Raw for shock factor (although they are likely to be valets or Superstars-level talent). On that subject, Superstars will go to Raw, and Main Event will belong to SmackDown.

Let's not forget, also, that WWE will throw in some shocks, regardless of the logic, just to make sure that fans are left surprised. Some of the NXT call-ups and former names that you see in the list below will be confirmed at Battleground or shortly afterwards, so that their promotions/returns have an impact, rather than on Draft night. In addition, the Raw roster will be slightly larger because of its third hour, but in terms of quality the two line-ups will be fairly equal (or as equal as WWE will allow, since it's inevitable that Raw will somehow end up the stronger of the two). I should mention here that The Rock will not be included because, let's face it, Rock will show up as and where he chooses, regardless of the Draft. Any stars that I list below as being NXT call-ups or returning names are just my guesses, so don't take this as evidence that these promotions or comebacks are 100% happening. Oh, and I forgot: I envision that WWE will have a shake-up of its announcer positions. I see Michael Cole and Mauro Ranallo switching places (so Cole to SmackDown and Mauro to Raw), and because Byron Saxton currently announces on both shows, his position on SmackDown will be filled by ... Corey Graves.

Finally, I will predict who the General Managers will be. It's inevitable that Shane and Stephanie will pick someone who shares their face/heel alignments. There are heavy rumours that Daniel Bryan will be the SmackDown GM, but for Raw, I feel that we could have a major shock, with that brand's leader being a familiar face, in the form of (drum roll) ... Eric Bischoff!

There's no guarantee that any of the above will happen, but this is my prediction for how the Draft will turn out, and below are my predictions for the future Raw and SmackDown rosters. Hopefully you enjoyed this preview, and hopefully WWE will give us a Draft and a roster split to remember!

Image Source: PW Mania

Raw Roster:

Roman Reigns
John Cena
AJ Styles
The Undertaker
Sami Zayn
Rusev
The New Day
Bray Wyatt
Chris Jericho
Finn Balor
Triple H
Karl Anderson
Sin Cara
Carlito (to be re-introduced after Battleground)
Darren Young
Erick Rowan
Fandango
D-Von Dudley
Summer Rae
Braun Strowman
Tyler Breeze
Enzo Amore
Kane
Tajiri (who will return after the Cruiserweight Classic)
Luke Gallows
Tye Dillinger (called up on Raw the night after Battleground)
Big Cass
Titus O'Neil
Shelton Benjamin (a late summer return)
Baron Corbin
Alberto Del Rio
Aiden English
Jack Swagger
Mark Henry
Konnor
Sheamus
Heath Slater
Tamina
Alicia Fox
Bo Dallas
Ryback (if he returns, which is unlikely)
Eva Marie
Viktor
Rosa Mendes
American Alpha (they won't debut until after SummerSlam, but this will be their home brand)
Lana
Bob Backlund (manager)

Commissioner: Stephanie McMahon
General Manager: Eric Bischoff

Championships: World Heavyweight, United States and Tag Team

Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, John Bradshaw Layfield and Byron Saxton

Ring Announcer: Lilian Garcia

Secondary Show: Superstars

Image Source: Wrestling News World

SmackDown Roster:

Dean Ambrose
Seth Rollins
Brock Lesnar
Randy Orton
Kevin Owens
The Miz
Charlotte
MVP
Sasha Banks
Cesaro
Bubba Ray Dudley
Becky Lynch
Goldust
Kalisto
Dolph Ziggler
Bayley (to be introduced as Sasha Banks' partner at Battleground)
R-Truth
Zack Ryder (his and Darren Young's homes will cast doubt on the mid-card title bouts at Battleground)
Paige
Big Show
Luke Harper (the only Wyatt to be separated from the Family upon his return from injury)
Neville
Natalya
Primo
Brian Kendrick (who will return after the Cruiserweight Classic)
Simon Gotch
Apollo Crews
Dana Brooke
Jimmy Uso
Nikki Bella
Jey Uso
Epico
Naomi
Curtis Axel
Emma
Maryse
Paul Heyman (manager)

Commissioner: Shane McMahon
General Manager: Daniel Bryan

Championships: WWE, Intercontinental and Women's

Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Corey Graves

Ring Announcer: JoJo

Secondary Show: Main Event

What are your Draft predictions? Tell us by leaving a comment below!