This and That

It's that most wonderful time of the year for WWE fans, as we head along toward the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania Texas beyond that. We have a new champion in Roman "Believe That" Reigns and a new less-than-effective heel stable in the League of Nations.

That's my first rub, right there. Sheamus, Del Rio, Barret, and Rusev working in tandem should be a scary things to the likes of Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. It should terrify the locker room and the League should be racking up wins left and right in both singles and tag matches. We all know this won't be the case. Roman's going to Superman punch his way through all of these guys like they were jobbers.

It also doesn't help the League that there are already two stronger-looking heel groups on the roster. Both the Wyatt Family and the New Day dominate (for the most part) in their respective roles. I realize they needed to do something with the likes of Barret and Rusev, but maybe putting all the villains together in a hastily constructed bad guy team wasn't the best thing to do right now.

But that's enough about the 'E. Get to the Rumble already . . .

Ring of Honor's latest PPV event went down last Friday, with War Machine winning the tag titles from The Kingdom and Jay Lethal retaining against AJ Styles. There was also a passionate match between Bobby Fish and Roderick strong for the ROH TV title, with Strong retaining. As usual with any ROH show, each match was great, all the way down the card. The only adjustment a WWE viewer might have to make when getting into ROH is the slightly faster pace the guys work at and the pacing of the show in general. Seldom is there ever a "popcorn match" on an ROH show. The talent is trusted to get themselves over with the crowd and whole thing feels less produced.

This was my first ROH show in a few months. I'm currently working on a spotlight similar to my Samoa Joe post about one of ROH's alumni. Also want to try and cover some New Japan stuff, as well as some Lucha Underground once that returns. If you want a wrestling show with a very different flavor than Raw or Smackdown, I urge you to check out Lucha Underground. I know a few fellow fans who would've dropped wrestling like a bad habit if not for that show.

Anyhoo, thanks for reading and follow me on Twitter for weekly NXT reactions and other shenanigans at @ChrisBComics

The Demon Prevails - A look at NXT Takeover London

Unlike my experience with the TLC event last Sunday, my viewing of NXT Takeover was fraught with peril as my internet seemed to dry up and vanish just as the pre-show was starting. I caught a replay and was able to watch half the show until the internet God frowned on me again and I had to catch the second half of the show the following day. I'm glad I stuck it out, as it was a great show and I'm bummed I didn't get to live tweet through the madness.

The London crowd was rowdy and burst into chants at even the slightest manuever. The 10,000 plus fans in attendance sounded like a group ten times their size and made the show feel even bigger than the average WWE pay per view. Nearly everyone was "over", to borrow a term from the smart marks.
Asuka and Emma opened the show with a great match, clocking in at almost fifteen minutes. Asuka's kicks and submission holds were too much for the evil Aussie to comprehend, and even after some devastating counters and an attempted weapon interference from her partner in crime Dana Brooke, she was K.O.'d by the smiling assassin. Asuka approached Nia Jax backstage after the match, setting up what will surely be a physical encounter down the road. Seeing Asuka "chop down that tree" should be pretty entertaining.

Dash and Dawson retained the NXT tag titles against Enzo Amore and a returning Colin Cassiday in a messy, but fun tag match with a lot of crowd momentum. Dash and Dawson work together like classic southern heels, and used every trick in the book to hoodwink the challengers. It's uncertain to me at this point where Enzo and Cass will go from here. They're in the same awkward spot as the Vaudevillains at this point. I expect the next challengers to be Jordan and Gable, who've been putting on fantastic matches and are both big prospects from the world of amateur wrestling.

Sami Zayn also returned, but his match was either a dark match or a part of the pre-show. Glad to see him healthy and kicking ass again, but part of me wishes they would've saved his return for the Royal Rumble.

Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews worked the midcard grudge match. Corbin is a bully with a cool entrance that you love to hate and his heel-isms and disses were on point, even if his ring work still seems very limited. Crews is a beast athletically, but his smiling rookie persona is already starting to wear thin. We saw a meaner side of him in the build up to this match, and in that intensity lies his future. Time for Apollo to get mean. Corbin won, and will most likely be the next opponent for Finn if he and Joe are finished feuding.

Bayley and Nia Jax clashed for the NXT women's title in an encounter reminiscent of Shawn Michaels vs. Vader from back in the 90's. That seems fitting too, since Shawn was apparently one of Bayley's big inspirations growing up. Jax made a ragdoll out of the plucky underdog champ for a good ten minutes or so until Bayley forced her to tap in the center of the ring with a chokehold. Both ladies understood their roles in the match well and (nearly) everything Jax did looked effective and dangerous. More of this.

The main event between Samoa Joe and Finn Balor was a satisfying "indy" style match with many false finishes and momentum changes. Joe started by playing the big man, but both men looked to be on equal footing later on. There was a wide arsenal of moves and ring psychology on display here, as Finn and Joe were careful to give all four sides of the ring a great (and unique) show. There were even a few times where I thought Joe was going to steal a victory. Ultimately, Balor prevailed and Joe left frustrated. Something in his gaze said "cage match". Do it. This CAN'T be the only time these two meet. As good as the match was, I felt like they were just getting warmed up.

And yes, Finn's Jack the Ripper look was pretty cool too.

Overall, this was a great 2-hour wrestling experience, despite my own technical difficulties. Five matches featuring the best and brightest that WWE developmental has to offer. I saw screw the haters, the WWE has a bright future ahead. At least when it comes to talent. Now what they decide to do with these guys when they bump them up to Raw or Smackdown, that's another story . . .

Hmm, that might make a nice topic for a future post. Anyhoo, thanks for reading and you can always give me a virtual slap and let me know how wrong I am at @ChrisBComics on Twitter.

Taking Over London

Later today, the warriors of WWE's NXT brand will take over London for what I'm sure will be a helluva show. To be honest, I'm more psyched for this show than I was for TLC just a few days ago. Here's the final card (but these things are always subject to change):

-Finn Bálor (c) vs. Samoa Joe (NXT Title Match)

-Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax (NXT Women's Title Match)

-Dash & Dawson (c) vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady (NXT Tag Title Match)

-Apollo Crews vs. Baron Corbin

-Asuka vs. Emma

Nothing new here. These are all the matches that have been advertised and built up to thus far. I expect to see at least one more match thrown in. Perhaps something involving the Hype Bros? WWE does seen to invest a lot of time in Mojo Rawley in their non-wrestling programming. Maybe the Hype Bros. vs. Alexa's Boys?

I'll be live tweeting the event at @ChrisBComics and providing my own special brand of drunken commentary. The show starts at 3pm today across the pond, but working folks rest easy! WWE will replay the show at 7pm.

Joe's Gonna Kill You

There's a killer in the NXT locker room at Full Sail University. A Samoan monster who has left a trail of choked-out, muscle-busted bodies across the entire globe. An uncompromising, intense individual. And he's fast for a big man. Too fast.

His name is Samoa Joe.

This past May, Joe made his debut at NXT Takeover, defending Sami Zayn from the cruelty of Kevin Owen. Owens had dominated since his own debut, and had a knack for putting his opponents on the shelf with a his signature powerbomb on the ring apron. Joe arrived and K.O. stopped dead in his tracks. There would be a few more exchanges between these two alpha predators, a prelude to a larger feud we've yet to see.

Joe played the hero at first. You might even mistake him for a laid back, fun loving kind of guy, what with his funky theme music and all. But fans of the wrestling world outside the 'E knew the truth: Samoa Joe's arrival meant hard times were ahead for the NXT roster.

Joe isn't Rikishi. He isn't Umaga. He isn't Yokozuna. He's more like ECW legend Taz, but add an arsenal of Muay Thai kicks and a more subdued demeanor. The Raw and Smackdown audience will soon learn what Finn Balor is about to learn in London this week: Joe is not a man to be taken lightly.

Joe's journey begins in 2000, where he got his professional start wrestling against a young John Cena in WWE's developmental territory Ultimate Pro Wrestling. Legend has it talent scouts like Bruce Pritchard and Jim Ross told Joe he had "no future" in professional wrestling. Even the experts are wrong sometimes. And boy were they wrong.

Joe would wrestle in Japan after that, until a promoter there wanted him to take on a more "gimmicky" character. Joe would return to the states frustrated, and was able to vent those frustrations on many poor souls in Ring of Honor as Christopher Daniels's "hired assassin". He would then break out on his own and climb all the way up to the ROH Championship, where he reigned for nearly two years. Joe and the fledgeling C.M. Punk would have a trilogy of title matches that took the dirt sheets and pundits by storm (see picture below). Joe had become, at least in the eyes of fans and reviewers, an elite worker who could steal the show from any spot on the card.

Joe's opponents during this time reads like a who's who of international wrestling today: Bryan Danielson, Tyler Black (Seth Rollins), Takeshi Morishima, Kenta Kobashi. This was a magic time for ROH and indy wrestling in general, when notions about what a wrestler "should look like" started to change. Body builders are impressive to look at, but lethal grapplers come in many shapes and sizes.

Then comes TNA.

The most unfortunately named promotion in wrestling history would become Joe's stomping ground for several years, beginning with an undefeated streak that would see the company's "X Division" outshine the main event scene. Wrestlers like Joe, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Sonjay Dutt, Chris Sabin, and Alex Shelley (just to name a few) would turn the division into must-see television for wrestling fans of any stripe. During a time when fans were starting to grow bored with John Cena, Triple H, and Batista headlining shows in the 'E, TNA's X Division was a breath of fresh air.

While in TNA, Joe would clash with legends like Sting as well as veteran WWE alumni like Christian and Kurt Angle. He fought his way up and down the card for years, suffering through the Hulk Hogan and Eric Biscoff era of TNA only to leave the promotion and return to ROH for a short stint earlier this year.

Now Joe has arrived in NXT, and although his offense has changed a bit to reflect the PG-era's sensibilities, he's still a monster. Good Luck, Finn. I'll send you some of those Legos you like so much to play with while you recuperate.

Wonder what Bruce Pritchard and Jim Ross think now?

Thanks for Reading! Follow me on Twitter: @ChrisBComics

Roman gets real and The New Day gets silly - WWE TLC 2015 Review

WWE's annual TLC pay-per-view event has come and gone and in the words of good ol' Jim Ross it was "a slobberknocker". We saw a different side of Roman Reigns, the crowning of a new Intercontinental Champion in Dean Ambrose, and Kalisto dropping one of the Uso brothers through a ladder with an epic Solina del Sol from twenty feet in the air.

This was my first time watching a live event on the WWE Network, and despite some hiccups in the beginning (during the pre-show mostly) the service was excellent. This was also my first time "live tweeting" a televised event, and randomly connecting with strangers (and old friends) across Twitter over the hype of pro wrestling added another layer of enjoyment. Also, I had a couple of adult beverages during the night which didn't hurt the experience either.

First off, the triple threat ladder match featuring New Day, the Usos, and the Lucha Dragons was a bombastic opener. Xavier Woods on commentary was a brilliant move, as his antics in the world of gaming have allowed the 'E to invest in a little bit of viral marketing and cross promotion. I nearly spit  my beer out when he called himself a bard and explained to Micheal Cole that he uses his trombone to "buff the team". Speaking of the trombone, Xavier chucking it at another guy was my runner up for moment of the night. New Day got it done, winning the belts and outshining everyone involved, save for poor Kalisto. Fella put his body on the line the way Jeff Hardy or Sabu would.

The midcard matches were all solid encounters, save for Ryback vs. Rusev, which felt like a Raw match shoved onto the card to keep both guys looking "important". I would've bumped this one to the pre-show and replaced it with the excellent Beck Lynch vs. Sasha Banks match. Those ladies can go. I even enjoyed this match more overall than the Divas title match (please rename this title), although my moment of the night simply HAS to be Charlotte and daddy Flair turning heel to keep her belt. They even set up an angle with Becky backstage after the match, so expect the former friends to be one another's throats in the near future.

The Wyatts took on Team ECW as well. It was a nostalgia trip for me, but ultimately this match was just a series of cane shots and table spots designed to remind everyone the Wyatts are 2 STRONG when they work together. Hope we see more of Rhyno and Tommy Dreamer in the future, as having vets like them around is always good for the younger guys.

The main event TLC match with Roman Reigns and the current champ Sheamus was a hard-hitting, stiff-as-hell hoss fight, just like I imagined it would be. Roman even bopped Sheamus early on with a right that landed a little too well, which resulted in a very visible shiner that the Celtic Warrior wore like a glowing target for the rest of the night. They had to win back the Cena-craving Boston crowd, and did so by throwing themselves at one another full stop for twenty minutes. The League of Nations ran interference allowing Sheamus (and The Authority) to secure the World Title for one more show.

Post-match, Reigns took out his anger on the boss, Triple H, showing a new level of intensity and dare I say authenticity that his character has been lacking up to this point. I'm not with the Roman Empire yet, but a few more showings like that and I will be.

All in all, it was a good show. I wonder what the plan is now that we're on the "road to Wrestlemania". Triple H vs. Roman? Will Sheamus have the belt? What will the Wyatts do next? Where the hell was Tyler Breeze?

To close, I'd like to pitch this as a main event for Mania: Cena comes back and gets the belt like he always does, only to be challenged by the Undertaker. Taker puts everything on the line now that The Streak is no longer a thing; if Cena wins, he'll ride off into the sunset for good. Wrestlemania is in the Deadman's back yard this year, so it makes sense to me.
What do you think?

This week is the NXT Takeover show from London, and if all the stars align, I'll be live tweeting the event. You can join in on the fun and frolics by following @ChrisBComics on Twitter.

Thanks for reading!

The Network Life

I've been a lifelong wrestling fan, but only recently did I sign up for the WWE Network. Let me tell ya, this is the best money I've spent on hobby related stuff in a while. For ten bucks a month you can lose yourself in the WWE's video archive, and within the first few days I already felt my ties to family and friends slipping away.

First thing I did, after signing up and installing the app on my laptop and PS# and whatnot, was dive into what I fondly remember as my wrestling viewing glory days. With my school chums Matt and Brad I used to watch Raw and Smackdown religiously during the "Brand Extension" era. It was then I became a true mark. I wanted nothing more than to see Booker T or Rob Van Dam knock that blue blood bastard Triple H off the hill on Raw, or watch Los Guerreros lie, cheat, and steal their way to victory on Smackdown.

Y'see, the brand extension was a result of the inflated roster WWF/WWE was burdened with after acquiring the dying WCW promotions talent and pulling folks in from OVW and ECW as well. Without a real rival like WCW Nitro around, the 'E competed against itself, splitting the roster in two and holding a draft lottery every year to determine who would be on which show.

While the roster was split in half, the number of title belts doubled. Paul Heyman's monster Brock Lesnar had secured the main WWE title from The Rock at Summerslam 2002, so Raw General Manager and WCW castaway Eric Bischoff reintroduced the old WCW belt as the World Heavyweight Championship. The title was "awarded" to Triple H who would go on to hold the belt for a long, long while, much to my ire.

Anyway, once I fired up the network I jumped right into a string of 2002/2003 pay-per-views from right around the start of the brand extension initiative. First thing I noticed was how stiff the work was back then as opposed to now. I mean it, the guys (and gals) were really laying their shit in, and blood was present in nearly half the matches on every card in this pre-PG WWE era.

I also witnessed some fueds from that time I'd completely forgotten about. Chris Jericho and Ric Flair. Edge and Kurt Angle. Booker T and Goldust vs. The World. The average age of the guys in the ring at that time was a little higher too, and it shows in the work. Babyfaces and heels alike knew how to work the crowd and work with another. That's not intended as a diss, it's just a side effect of having so many crafty ring veterans in the same promotion at the same time. The current WWE is a younger, and unfortunately greener, place.

And UFC wasn't quite a thing back then either . . .

Tonight I'll be taking advantage of what is possibly the best feature on the WWE Network: live streaming each new pay-per-view as it drops. Tonight I'll be able to watch TLC from Boston live, and it won't cost a damn thing. When I think of how I used to spend fifty or more dollars on each monthly pay-per-view, I want to travel back in time and kick myself. Not to mention, thirty bucks for each of those dvd sets I used to gobble up.

The only issue I have with the service is that sometimes it doesn't work too well on my PS3, but that may be a problem on my end. The video will randomly skip ahead or scroll back without my control. Does anyone else have this problem? It works fine on my laptop, so I'll make due. First world problems.

I'll be knocking back beers and live tweeting during the TLC event tonight. If you want to join in on the fun, look for @ChrisBComics on Twitter!

Countdown to Gimmick Night

Here's what will most likely be the final card heading into this Sunday's TLC event from Boston. Anything look good to you?

Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus (World Title)
Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens (IC Title)
The Usos vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. The New Day (Tag Titles)
Paige vs. Charlotte with Ric Flair (Divas Title)
Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio (US Title)
Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan vs. Tommy Dreamer, Rhyno and The Dudley Boyz
Ryback vs. Rusev (Sandwich Title)

Personally, this is my annual "lull" period when it comes to the WWE. Their product usually gets a lot more interesting heading into the annual Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania after that. Still, seeing Dreamer and the Dudleys head up an impromptu ECW reunion against the Wyatt Family should be a hoot. Expect the obligatory round of "E-C-Dub" chants and I'll be right along with them.

Howdy, Grapplers!

With this blog, I'm going to chime in on the lastest wrestling news, rumors, and results that interest me. I've got a variety of content in mind and a lifetime of watching and analyzing the artform of professional wrestling to hold this whole thing aloft. As a warm up, let's scan the interwebs for some wrestling headlines:

TNA has been in dire straights for a while now, and the recent move to Pop TV and the loss of several key talents haven't been encouraging to fans of the brand. But . . . if you're interested in seeing what direction the floundering promotion plans to take with their main event scene, then the matches scheduled for their live January 5th show might interest you. Matt Hardy will take on Eric Young and Bobby Lashley will take on EC3, with the winners facing off for the world title.

Bret Hart and the WWE are at it again, this time throwing down over the Stampede Wrestling episodes the 'E has been showing on their network. Hart owns the episode he's featured in, but various claims from both sides indicate this matter may be taken to court. Oh, who are we kidding? Of course it will be.

Daniel Bryan warns that his wrestling days may be done, but his career with the 'E is far from over in a recent interview. Even if his neck issues keep him from being on the active roster, his skill and experience in the ring should be treated as a precious resource by management, especially with so many green guys making their way up through NXT. Any old timer will tell you the death of the territory system has negatively impacted the quality of the work in-ring overall, and having a hand like Bryan around who forged his own path before working within the WWE system to work with younger guys should be paramount.

Speaking of the 'E, this year's TLC event is in just a couple of days. The promotion has taken hits recently for falling ratings and the rather predictable route things took following Seth Rollins's injury and Sheamus cashing in on long-term project Roman Reigns. These gimmick-laden PPVs usually struggle in this PG era, but two big hosses like Reigns and Sheamus could put on a hard-hitting main event if given the time and booked to look strong. Expect the League of Nations (which I should be more excited about) to pick fights and set up storylines to get everyone to the Royal Rumble next month.

That's what caught my eye this morning. Expect frequent updates like this one where I may give my two cents on the news or a recent storyline. Also, I hope to cover events like the aformentioned TLC show in more detail. I might even dive into the network and look up some of my favorite classic matches.

Peace out.