Styles Clash: The WWE meets The Phenomenal One

While Triple H may have walked out with "the strap", the biggest news to come out of this year's Royal Rumble event was the debut of A.J. Styles. Rumors had circulated about A.J. jumping from New Japan to the 'E, but until his music hit as the third entrant into the Rumble match, I refused to believe it. It could be because some of those same rumors also stated the rest of the Bullet Club would be joining him, which they did not. Now with A.J. delivering the flying forearm and the Styles clash on Raw and Smackdown, I wouldn't rule anything out.

American audiences may remember A.J. from his time in TNA or even his various runs with Ring of Honor. He's risen to the top level in every promotion he's worked for, wowing crowds around the globe for nearly twenty years since his humble beginnings in the Georgia-based National Championship Wrestling, but he still might be a new face to some. What can WWE fans expect from the Phenomenal One? We've already gotten a taste, with great showings against Chris Jericho, Curtis Axel, and The Miz. A.J. is a classic cruiserweight who can grapple like a big man. His offense is deceptive. His finishing move, the Styles Clash, is a potentially crippling face-first slam that will hopefully be protected by the 'E's booking/writing team.

To understand just what the rest of the WWE roster might be in for, let's take a look at the history of the former Bullet Clubber. After working the independent scene in the late nineties, A.J. would appear on undercard shows like WWF Velocity and WCW Thunder. He even teamed with Air Paris to compete for the short-lived WCW Cruiserweight titles, losing out to Elix Skipper and someone else I can't recall at the moment. This was A.J. in his early days, and his particular brand of swagger and in-ring style were still forming.

A.J. first became a real "contender" in the now-defunct NWA Wildside promotion. Soon the promotion and most of its assets would morph into the Jarret family's TNA, which still limps along today as Impact Wrestling. The sad story of TNA's rise and fall is for another time, though. Against Jeff Jarret himself and other rising stars like Christopher Daniels, A.J. forged his unpredictable and innovative offense, borrowing the best bits he could from Stampede style, lucha, and puroresu. He would take these skills the fledgling Ring of Honor promotion circa 2003, fighting the world title and feuding with the likes of Alex Shelley and Jimmy Rave, the latter of whom even tried to steal Styles' signature move, renaming it the Rave Clash.

I personally became a fan of A.J. during his time at TNA. The three way feud between Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Samoa Joe for the X Division belt energized me at the time, renewing my interest in international wrestling. The work of guys like A.J. Styles had me scouring the 'net and DVD dealers to find the foreign wrestling these men had "stolen" from. Ah yes, those were my smarkiest days by far.

There was a period of a few years where A.J. seemed to play second fiddle to names like Kurt Angle and Christian. It would've been infuriating for an A.J. supporter if not for the fact that those aren't bad wrestlers to play second fiddle to. A.J.'s star could have risen much faster, in my opinion, if the latent curve in TNA at that time hadn't been so harsh. Feuds with groups like Bad Influence and Aces & Eights kept Styles busy for a time, but eventually there was nowhere for A.J. to go in TNA, and it seemed almost natural that he would transition back to ROH and New Japan, seeing as TNA's writing and booking were lacking in their logic and quality. And that's really saying something in the world of wrestling.

A.J.'s most recent, dominating streak in NJPW as the figurehead of the Bullet Club has seen Styles find an edge he never seemed to have previously. Reports of the damage his Styles Clash maneuver had caused to several competitors gave him an intimidating aura, made all the more fascinating to me by A.J. not actually being all the big physically. It was the kind of thing you rarely get to see in the WWE; a smaller wrestler with the threatening pre-match presence of a Brock Lesnar. Entire matches were built around A.J. hitting the Styles clash, my favorite of which has to be his match with Naito at last year's Wrestle Kingdom.

I guess what we can draw from this, if anything, is that A.J. Styles is a wrestler who continues to evolve. It remains to be seen what long-term effects working under the WWE banner will have on A.J.'s offense and defense. "Indy darlings" like Styles are forced to slow down a bit and work the 'E match style, where stories tend to be told simply and with few long, chain wrestling sequences. To counter this, A.J. has a sturdy arsenal of high flying strikes and acrobatic moves that younger, impatient fans will eat up. As we saw in the match with Jericho last Monday, being paired with a vet or a truly gifted worker means A.J. can safely "turn it on", utilizing the stuff that made him "phenomenal" in the first place, but wouldn't necessarily mesh well with guys like Eric Rowan or The Big Show.

"What lies ahead?" I always ask myself when a popular Indy wrestler joins the ranks of the WWE. A great debut isn't hard; the WWE is very capable of making someone look like a huge deal at first glance. Hopefully, he won't be saddled with The Miz and the #Socialoutcast guys for too long. Get him chasing a title and you have a winner of a feud, period.

And Kevin Owens did eliminate him from the Rumble . . . .

Words by me, Chris B (@ChrisBComics)

Photo from 411mania.com

WrestleMania Predictions and Fantasy Booking

The annual road to WrestleMania is officially underway. The Royal Rumble has come and gone, leaving us with a new World Heavyweight Champion in Triple H and possibilities for new and (possibly) exciting match-ups at Fast Lane and the big show in April. AJ Styles has made his debut, following rampant speculation following his loss to Shinsuke Nakamura at Wrestle Kingdom. The Wyatt Family may have made a dangerous enemy in Brock Lesnar during the Rumble match. The Rock has announced he will "be involved" with WrestleMania in Dallas, but to what extent, we do not know yet. Even down in Florida, potentially big things are going down for WWE's NXT brand with Sami Zayn turning up in the Rumble and a red-hot main event scene with killers like Samoa Joe in the hunt. The year is off to an interesting start to say the least, so let's hash it out and see if we can't put a possible WrestleMania card together. It's time to play armchair booker!

In a few weeks’ time at Fast Lane, WWE's next PPV event, former champ Roman Reigns will meet Rumble runner-up Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar in a triple threat match to determine a new #1 contender. Who should be "the guy" to face Triple H at 'Mania? Roman kinda needs to confront Triple H one on one following the arc of the last few months. Triple H is the fighting figurehead of the Authority, and Roman can get the comeuppance he was denied at last year's WrestleMania. Roman was looking good attacking Triple H in his business suit and trading verbal barbs with Vince, but I can't say with confidence that the fans are ready to embrace him as The Face Who Runs the Place. Dean got a big pop when he almost won the Rumble, and his rise to fan favorite status has felt more organic than Roman's since The Shield broke up in 2014. Dean vs. Triple H does seem like something we'll see in the future, but I don't think it's a 'Mania main event. Brock vs. Triple H is a safe match, but I expect Brock to get screwed by the Wyatts or the League of Nations during the match. My prediction (and hope) is that Roman Reigns goes over in the triple threat and has the big title match he was denied last year.

Or Seth Rollins could show up again and ruin it for him. That would be pretty funny.

For a strong opener, to our imaginary WrestleMania card, I'll nominate Kevin Owens vs. A.J. Styles. This feud can easily spring from Owens eliminating A.J. from the Rumble match, and his ensuing jabs at him on the mic. Owens can easily slip into bashing A.J. for "stealing his thunder" or whatever, and boom!, you have a solid rasslin' match for the show of shows. This can (hopefully) shut up the IWC peeps who come out, as you're pairing two ultimate Indy darlings against one another. Give them 15-20 minutes. You won't be sorry, WWE. Both men had great showings in the ring this week as well, with Owen and Dean Ambrose putting on one hell of a match at the Rumble and A.J. making his singles debut against Chris Jericho in a solid match on Raw. They seem to be focusing on A.J.'s offense rather than any character gimmick, which is the best way to go. A.J. can cut a promo with the best of them, but not when he's having to play a character.

With Roman taking the #1 contendership in my prediction for Fast Lane, that leaves the Beast looking for a foe. I think Brock vs. Bray Wyatt has potential, as both parties have a solid presence on the mic and in the ring, thanks to Bray's army of hosses and Paul Heyman advocating for Brock. Brock can do lots of power spots against Bray's goons. Bray can get a win here against one of the last truly threatening personas in the 'E. This is middle of the show or co-main event for me.

We know the Rock will be involved at WrestleMania, but we don't know how. This is an outside-the-box kind of guess, but after seeing him interact with The Usos on Raw, I'd propose a six-man tag for mania pitting The Rock and his cousins against The New Day. Like the potential Wyatt/Heyman stuff I mentioned before, this match could build on the mic like no other on the card. New Day antics vs. The Rock's very presence will get the arena back into the show at any point in the show. The added bonus is the faces can win here without getting the belts from The New Day, preserving the proper title rubber match for some point in the future.

Of course, the path already set by WWE for the Diva's Title needs no proofreading from me. Charlotte is transitioning from fighting Becky to fighting her old nemesis Sasha Banks, but now the face/heel roles are reversed. Given time and freedom from overbooking, a match between these two will represent the best that WWE's women have to offer on the biggest stage the promotion offers. Nothing but admiration for both ladies, and I can't wait to see what Daddy Flair does ringside. Ric Flair is always a hoot.

To get some more of the WWE regulars on the card, I'll turn to the old WrestleMania standby: the Money in the Bank ladder match. This match will suffer from the loss of Kofi (since he's in my imaginary Rock/New day match), but to fill the void and get people talking, we'll call up Sami Zayn from NXT. Dean Ambrose is here, still fuming after coming so close to the title two times in a row. Dolph Ziggler is a given here. Chris Jericho can go on and on about inventing the damn thing. To fill out the heel side, the League of Nations enter the match, promising to work as a unit and get Sheamus the briefcase, but with egos like Alberto Del Rio's in play, the team dissolves. I'd give Dean or Del Rio the briefcase.

For the last match, I'd like to offer up something that probably WILL NOT happen, but I think is a cool idea. At the big shows like 'Mania and Summerslam, have an NXT title match. And since we're into full-on fanfic mode here, I's like to see Finn Balor defend his title in a fatal four way with Samoa Joe, Baron Corbin, and Apollo Crews. I expect these three to pretty much make up the NXT title scene in a few months’ time, so the lineup seems right to me.

That's seven matches I would be legit excited for and don't seem out of the realm of possibility. I saved the eighth match for last because I think it should close the show and if rumors of Undertaker retiring sooner rather than later are true, where better to have it than a WrestleMania in Texas. The last match should be The Undertaker vs. John Cena. I throw this one out there for no other reason than these two haven't had an issue in many, many years and Cena has come a long way from his old Thuganomics persona. Cena will be booed mercilessly, and The Undertaker can dissect him with all of his signature moves. Then Cena is on the rebound; both men prove unbeatable. Undertaker finally seals the deal with a desperation choke slam or tombstone pile driver, proving one last time that the Deadman is synonymous with WrestleMania and yadda yadda yadda. I know Rock vs. Taker might make more sense, or even a returning Seth Rollins vs. Taker, but I'm a mark at heart and I like the idea of Cena taking him on more than his other potential challengers.

So let's recap. My Fantasy card for this year's WrestleMania (from top to bottom) is:

John Cena vs. The Undertaker

Triple H vs. Roman Reigns

The Rock & The Usos vs. The New Day

Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks

Brock Lesnar vs. Bray Wyatt

Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho vs. Sami Zayn vs. Sheamus vs. Rusev vs. Wade Barret vs. Alberto Del Rio

Kevin Owens vs. A.J. Styles

What do you think? What matches would YOU like to see this year? Hit me up on Twitter at @ChrisBComics and thanks for reading!

Worlds Collide (Again) at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10

The only wrestling show today with the presentation and star power to rival WrestleMania is New Japan's yearly opus Wrestle Kingdom. Earlier this month, the tenth annual event exploded from the Tokyo Dome, feeling like a continuation of two key storylines from last year's event: the Bullet Club saga and the rise of the "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada. I'm a bit late with this review since I didn't get around to watching the event until this week. Champions and contenders from America's Ring of Honor promotion came out in full force, putting Young Lions and NJPW legends alike on notice.

That aforementioned crossover is where my love with this promotion begins. Nothing in the current pro wrestling landscape makes me quite as happy as the union between New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor. Both companies stress in-ring ability over photogenics, forging iron on iron with some of the best young talent the world of wrestling has to offer. It's no wonder ROH alumni like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Seth Rollins go on to such staggering success by the time they make their way to the 'E. Ring of Honor and NJPW are the places you go when you want the very best. If this piece on Wrestle Kingdom is overflowing with gushing praise, it's only because the show is that damn good. Especially when compared to the tired product the 'E is peddling right now.

The show kicks off with an interpromotional battle royal. Crafty veteran Jado won the Royal Rumble-like affair, but the breakout star here, in my opinion, is ROH's own Cheeseburger. The featherweight grappler passes out plush burgers to kids in the crowd before paying his dues in a ring full of grumpy older New Japan vets. He takes lickin' and even gets in a little offense of his own. Cheeseburger has gained a cult following within the ROH community, but seeing him on this grand a stage doing his thing made the kid seem like the real deal. He isn't strong, he isn't all that fast, and he's not too smart when picking his fights, but the Burger Man has heart, and that's the ingredient fans of New Japan's fighting spirit empathize with.

Following the battle royal, the show begins in earnest with Matt Stryker from Lucha Underground and Kevin Kelly from Ring of Honor TV at the announce table. Yoshi Tatsu joins them for some perspective and additional color commentary, but sadly, he doesn't add much. Maybe it's the language barrier or maybe he's too timid on the mic, I can't say for sure. I'm not as excited for this year's announce team as I was last year, as Jim Ross did not return. Of the nine matches remaining on the card, eight of them are title matches. One of which will be for the Ring of Honor title! Can you imagine the WWE strap being defended in a foreign promotion? No, you cannot.

The main show begins with a four-way tag team match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles between the reigning reDRagon, the Young Bucks, Aerial Dogfight, and RPG Vice. Several of the competitors here were in the same match last year, and from what I recall, it was a fast and furious affair with lots of high spots crammed into a ten minute opener. This year, the four way tag went for a solid fifteen minutes and the parties involved were able to slow down and build some genuine heat during the match. The Young Bucks' Nick Jackson and Matt Jackson steal the show with their superkick party antics and ultimately steal the titles, bringing the gold back to the Bullet Club. Everyone got their stuff in, and even underappreciated guys like Rocky Romero got a chance to shine. This seems to be the go-to opener for New Japan PPVs; it gets the crowd warmed up and acts like a highlight reel of the kind of tag team action you can get on the regular if you watch ROH weekly.

The first thing you might notice if this is your first New Japan show is how quickly the action moves along. Whereas a WWE show will cut the action with backstage segments and other promo bits, the next match at Wrestle Kingdom begins as soon as the performers from the previous match leave the ring. There's a never a lull or dull moment to be found. I don't know what a ticket to Wrestle Kingdom 10 costs, but it's probably the best dollar-to-wrestling value around. The second thing you might notice is how relatively quiet the fans are. You hear occasional pops and chants, but for the most part the New Japan crowds are truly entranced with the in-ring action, so much so that many matches in the "strong style" (i.e. very physical) create a stunned silence as fans eagerly anticipate the fates of the wrestlers. There is genuine suspense and drama. The crowd can buy it as a "real" contest because the wrestlers themselves make it so. Treat your art seriously--What a concept!

Next up is the introduction of another NJPW concept as well as the awarding of a new belt: the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship. Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a tag team title for teams of three. The NEVER Openweight division within New Japan is kind of like a "hardcore" wrestling division. Although not every match results in a blood bath, NEVER matches are a bit stiffer, and usually involve more less-than-savory tactics. ROH representatives Jay and Mark Briscoe teamed up with the Santino Marella-like Toru Yano to face Team Bullet Club, consisting of Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tongo, and Yujiro Tanahashi. What defines the Bullet Club as villains in the eyes of New Japan purists is their swagger, and that is on full display here in the form of Yujiro Tanahashi. With his "Bullet Babe" Shiori in tow, he struts to the ring in a manner that reminds me of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash during the glory days of WCW's New World Order. In fact, there are many parallels between the NWO and the Bullet Club, but that's for another blog post. This contest was fun to watch, and a great platform for the Briscoes to do their thing in front of a larger audience. The Briscoes and Yano win the new belts after a carefully choreographed spot fest involving all of the competitors' signature moves with a little NEVER openweight edge. Not a bad match, but not truly memorable, especially with some of the real barn burners later in the show.

The New Japan crowd gets a taste of the best that Ring of Honor has to offer with the next contest, a match between reigning champ Jay Lethal and "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin for the ROH World Title. Elgin is a former champ himself, albeit briefly. After his short run with the belt, his "Big Mike" persona began to manifest. Whereas the old Elgin was a no-nonsense grappler in the vein of Dean Malenko, the new Elgin is bitter, hungry, and more focused on using power moves to rattle his opponents into submission. The champ Jay Lethal is a man on a quest to become known as the greatest first generation wrestler, preaching the word of Truth and heralded by his manager/advocate Truth Martini. Lethal runs circles around Elgin for a spell, but eventually Big Mike is able to slow down the pace. In the end, Lethal marks his NJPW debut with a victory, soundly going over the challenger and backing up his claims. At this point, Lethal is a dominating figure in ROH and I wouldn't be surprised to see him chase down some New Japan gold. Maybe he'll make a run for one of the IWGP belts at next year's Wrestle Kingdom . . ?

The Bullet Club's battle for supremacy continues in the next match: Kenny Omega vs. Kushida for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Matt Striker informs us there is a 225 lb. weight limit on competing in the junior division, so think of this belt like the old WCW/WWE Cruiserweight title. Except, as with all the titles in New Japan, it's a serious prize to be sought and holding ANY title in this promotion means you are one of the absolute BEST. No dud belts here, true believer. This time last year, Kushida was teaming with Alex Shelley as the Timesplitters, and while that team has parted ways for now, he's still keeping the Back to the Future-inspired gimmick alive. There's even a guy cosplaying as Doc Brown who introduces him. Silly stuff like this reminds me of the more outlandish gimmicks that the indy promotion Chikara employs. His opponent, Kenny Omega, is a loud-mouthed, arrogant, leather duster and sunglasses wearing certified prick who lives up to every reverse moral the Bullet Club stands for. And remember, when talking about a wrestling heel, words like "arrogant" and "prick" are actually compliments. This was the first match on the card I was genuinely looking forward too, as the ascension of Kenny Omega as a singles star, with or without the Bullet Club, has been fun to watch. He has every tool a good bad guy needs, and they are all on display here. He does the favors for Kushida though, dropping the belt after an intense match that saw the champ bully poor Kushida around the ring, only to have it thrown back in his face by a very game Kushida. Solid stuff.

Now it's time for the obligatory "hoss fight". Two of the heaviest teams on the card in terms of pure tonnage, G.B.H. (Great Bash Heel) and the Bullet Club team of Doc Gallows and "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson clashed for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team titles. G.B.H.'s Makabe and Honma are a couple of NEVER Openweight regulars who care about dishing out pain and punishment just as much (if not more) as they care about winning titles. Honma is the sillier of the two, specializing in accidental headbutts and other goofy attacks. This time last year, Honmamania was running wild, but now he's a bad guy I guess(?). They're a perfect opponent for Gallows and Anderson, who act as the muscle of the Bullet Club mafia. Matches like this and Shibata/Ishii match later on pay homage to the strong style classics of old, mixing stiff shots with displays of strength. This match is more about who can take the most punishment and is a far cry from some of the more technical encounters that played out in the last two matches. This is the second year in a row I've seen Gallows and Anderson defend the tag titles at Wrestle Kingdom, but this time the challengers come out on top. As the show goes on, we see the Bullet Club starting to slip. Is New Japan fighting back? And what of this CHAOS group we're hearing rumblings about throughout the night? It seems Japan is looking to counter the Bullet Club by fighting fire with fire. I expect/hope to see a full-on faction war between the Bullet Club and CHAOS during the year.

The next match isn't for any title, but rather the continuation of feud stemming from another NJPW event, last year's World Tag League. Hirooki Goto went one on one with Naito in a solid singles match, build around showcasing the recent changes to Naito's style and demeanor. Last year, Naito lost against A.J. Styles and this year he doesn't fare much better, coming up just short against Goto, even with his comrades Bushi and Evil in his corner. Goto and Naito were also a part of Ring of Honor's War of the Worlds event last year, which saw Japanese talent invade American soil to bring the fight to us. Good match, but I'm not familiar enough with the paths of either man to comment on where we'll see them next.

Shades of the big man tag match earlier are present in the NEVER Openweight Title match between Katsuyori Shibata and Tomohiro Ishii. Ishii is a big, bad, bald man with a penchant for putting on 4 and 5 star matches despite his size and the slower pace of his offense. What makes his great is his intensity; there's no doubt in your mind that Ishii and his opponent are struggling. He creates a big fight atmosphere with his fighting spirit and the Japanese fans really respond to it. He's a great match for Shibata, a former tag champ and accomplished mixed martial arts fighter. There's a sequence in this match where both guys play, "Thank you sir, may I have another" with flesh-searing kicks to the back, attempting to one-up each other. It gets to be a bit too much for Ishii, who clearly disrespects and underestimates his smaller opponent. Shibata takes the NEVER Openweight belt after a grueling marathon of chops, stiff lariats, and shin kicks.

The battle between New Japan and The Bullet Club came to a head with the first of two big main events when A.J. Styles took on arguably the hottest talent in wrestling today, Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Title. Styles is a household name, even in the states, thanks to his lengthy runs with TNA and ROH. Nowadays, he's the scion of the Bullet Club, picking up where former leader Prince Devitt (that's Finn Balor ya'll) left off. His finishing move the Styles Clash has resulted in several (kayfabe) broken necks and he's known for putting Japanese wrestlers on the shelf with injury if the opportunity presents itself. Most of his matches are structured around the move, with opponents nervously scrambling to avoid the Clash, only to end up on the receiving end of one of Styles' thousands of other methods of attack. He can mat wrestle. He can fly. He can do it all. Nakamura is the fastest rising star in New Japan's stable, with the exception of Okada. He's a hybridization of Ric Flair and Freddie Mercury, and if the relatively new IWGP Intercontinental belt has any value, it's due to his hard work. The self-proclaimed "King of Strong Style", Nakamura combines the functional with the flashy, wearing down an opponent mentally with japes and mockery and wearing them down physically with stomps and stiff forearms.

As an aside, one of my favorite moments from all of wrestling last year was Nakamura mocking the ROH pre-match handshake at last year's War of the Worlds. He shakes his opponent's hand, the referee's hand, and then rolls out of the ring to shake the hands of random fans before getting back in to face his opponent. This guy's a card, I'm telling ya.

I can easily say the match between Nakamura and Styles is my favorite match since . . . let's see here . . . oh! It's the best match I've seen since Nakamura's match at last year's Wrestle Kingdom. But seriously, these two don't pussyfoot around. It's fast and frantic from bell to bell, with A.J. only opting to slow things down at one point during the match to build up some heel heat. Nakamura retains the title, giving New Japan the edge over the Bullet Club as their leader stands defeated. Both men are rumored to be showing up the WWE soon, so stay tuned for that I guess. Despite their treatment of KENTA (Hideo Itami), I'm always a little worried about how foreign talent are booked and utilized when they go to the 'E. Styles is probably the biggest wrestling star to never wrestle in a WWE ring since they signed Sting, now that I think about it.

And finally, there is a passing of the proverbial torch between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. Last year, these two met in the main event for the IWGP Heavyweight Title as well, but the roles were reversed. Now the "Rainmaker" Okada is champion and Tanahashi has to make the climb. It appears he earned this title shot by winning a contract in a briefcase, a la WWE's Money in the Bank. Tanahashi is embraced like a manga superhero by the crowd, and when he strikes his signature pose, the Tokyo Dome comes unglued. Okada literally makes it rain on his way to the ring, as Okada-bucks with his face on them rain down from the ceiling. He's flanked by his manager Gedo, who behind the scenes is actually the head booker for New Japan. This match is wonderfully put together. Spots like Okada's running dive on the outside and his lariat set-up echo events of last year's match, but with both men bringing fresh counterattacks to the table. They obviously looked at last year's match over and over when putting this one together. After a thirty-six minute high-power slugfest, Okada retains his title, securing his spot as "the man" in NJPW.

Hmm . . . I didn't think I was going to go on quite that long but hell, if the WWE would put together a show with that many noteworthy matches I'd write more about them. The recent resurgence New Japan has found thanks to streaming PPV's and English commentary has made the product accessible to a slew of new fans. And if you've found the current WWE product lacking, look no further than NJPW or Ring of Honor.

All right, my head hurts from making all these words appear on the computer. Thanks for reading, as always, and follow me on Twitter @ChrisBComics for more rasslin' and whatnot.

"Where the big boys play!"

Over the holidays, while most were with their families, I got to spend some quality time with the WWE Network and its back catalog of great (and not so great) wrestling content. Whereas last time I binged, I looked at WWE pay-per-views of the early 2000's, this time I picked out a string of WCW shows from the mid-nineties, beginning in the spring of 1996, when the landscape of World Championship Wrestling would be changed forever with the formation of the NWO.

So I plowed through Slamboree, The Great American Bash, and Bash at the Beach. And you know what? I liked most of what I saw. For some reason in the years since, I'd come to retroactively think of WCW as a cut-rate WWF with more hillbillies. But rose-tinted glasses be damned, the more I watch the more I think the opposite is true. I'm beginning to wonder about the legendary "Attitude Era" and if what was gained during that time is worth what the wrestling business lost in the long run.

Even with modern WWE, the legacy of Vince Russo's "crash television" booking techniques can be felt. The Attitude Era/Monday Night Wars brought about big ratings and paydays for those fortunate enough to see which way the wind was blowing, but the constant need to shock and engage a weekly television audience meant that long-term (sometimes spanning years) storylines and feuds had no place.

But I digress . . .

But before Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan could hijack the promotion, WCW was already a pretty good alternative to the WWF in term of in-ring action. Cruiserweights like Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Dean Malenko provided a killer undercard while still-vital ring veterans like Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Kevin Sullivan filled out the main event scene. Of course by '96, Sting and Flair had been on top for a while, so I can understand why the NWO shakeup was necessary. Those watching at the time might have been a little bored with the Nature Boy.

The raw talent here really is staggering: Harlem Heat, Konan, Jushin Thunder Liger . . . It reminds me of TNA. And didn't Eric Bischoff eventually worm his way into that promotion as well? Hmm . . .

There is a listlessness to the shows just before Bash at the Beach '96, where Hogan would "turn heel" and recolor himself as the Big Bad of WCW. Jimmy Hart and The Dungeon of Doom felt like a heel stable from ten years prior. Hulkamania could still pop a crowd, but even fans could see through The Giant (now known as the Big Show) parading around as Andre's son. WCW just kind of existed in this period, not doing anything too differently than they had for the last fifteen years.

I'm going to continue my trek into the NWO saga until I lose interest. I think once Hollywood Hogan starts teaming with Dennis Rodman, I may tag out. Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter at @ChrisBComics.

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.