Monday 25 July 2016

WWE Battleground 2016 Preview

Official poster for Battleground 2016.jpg

WWE Battleground will be taking place this evening at the Verizon Center in Washington DC. There are some really good matches on the card so I'm looking forward to this event. Let's look at the card.

The Usos will take on Breezdango on the Kick Off Show. I think that The Usos will win here.
Predicted Winners: The Usos

The New Day will be taking on The Wyatt Family in a 6 man tag team match. This is a tough one to call but I'm going for the Wyatts to win here.
Predicted Winners: The Wyatt Family

Zack Ryder will be challenging Rusev for the United States Championship. Yeah, Rusev will win this.
Predicted Winner: Rusev

Darren Young will be challenging The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. Like the US Championship match, I expect The Miz to win here.
Predicted Winner: The Miz

The Club will face the team of Enzo, Cass and John Cena in what could be a good match. I would love The Club to win but I think that Cena and his team will win here.
Predicted Winners: Enzo, Cass and John Cena

Becky Lynch will face Natalya in what could be a good match. I'm going for Natalya to win here.
Predicted Winner: Natalya

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens will face each other one more time. At the minute, I'm not bored of watching these two fight so I'm looking forward to it. I think that Sami will win here.
Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

Charlotte and Dana Brooke will take on Sasha Banks and a mystery partner. I think that it could be Bayley however, I think that it's too obvious. Sasha and her partner will win here.
Predicted Winners: Sasha Banks and Mystery Partner.

The main event is one that I'm really looking forward to. Dean Ambrose will be defending his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. It's hard to believe that it's taken over two years to get to this point. I feel that Ambrose will retain here.
Predicted Winner: Dean Ambrose

I'll


Sunday 24 July 2016

The Cruiserweight Classic: Episode 2

The second episode of the Cruiserweight Classic was shown last Wednesday and we get the return of Tajiri so I was looking forward to this one. Let's look at the matches.

Tajiri (Japan) vs Damian Slater (Australia)
Slater gave Tajiri a run for his money with some brutal kicks and a tornado DDT. However, it was all in vain as Tajiri hit a buzzsaw kick to get the win. Tajiri will be facing Gran Metalik in the next round and that will be an interesting match to see.

T.J. Perkins (Phillipines) vs Da Mack (Germany)
In a back and forth match, Da Mack hit some impressive moves but Perkins hit a body scissors into a knee bar to get the win. I was slightly gutted that Perkins won but it was my favourite match of the night.

Mustafa Ali (Pakistan) vs Lince Dorado (Peurto Rico)
Ali gets the early advantage before Dorado gets back into it with moves such as a head scissors from the apron. In the end, Ali missed a reverse 450 splash and Dorado hits a shooting star press to get the win. Another impressive match with both guys hitting some amazing moves.

Akira Tozama (Japan) vs Kenneth Johnson (USA)
Another back and forth match before Tozama hit an awesome German suplex followed by a bridging German suplex to get the win. Quite a good match between the two and I was impressed with Kenneth Johnson.

So, another good episode of the Cruiserweight Classic and next week we get to see The Brian Kendrick. Come back next week for a review of that epsiode.

Friday 15 July 2016

The Cruiserweight Classic Episode 1

The first ever episode of the Cruiserweight Classic was shown on the WWE Network on Wednesday night and this was an event that I was really looking forward to seeing. I watch very little wrestling outside the WWE so it was a chance to see some of the best wrestlers in the world outside the WWE face off. Plus a chance to see returning stars such as Tajiri and The Brian Kendrick. Let's dive into the first episode.

Ajeandro Saez (Chile) vs Gran Metalik (Mexico)
Some impressive moves by both guys such as Metalik doing a springboard into a suicide dive and Saez hitting a shooting star press from the apron to the outside. In the end, Metalik hit an awesome  fireman's carry into a fisherman's driver to get the win. Good performances by both guys and Metalik advances to the next round.

Hoho Lun (Hong Kong) vs Ariya Daivari (Iran)
Daivari was dominant for most of the match but Lun got back into and hit a German suplex into a bridge to get the win. Not as entertaining as the first match but it was good. On a side note, I found it weird that commentator Daniel Bryan was going on about jet lag for Lun. I don't think that Lun stepped off a plane straight into a match but Bryan wouldn't shut up about it.

Clement Petiot (France) vs Cedric Alexander (USA)
 Like the last match, Petiot was dominant for most of the match almost taking off Alexander's head with a brutal discus clothesline. However, Alexander hit a back suplex into a backstabber out of nowhere to get the win. A bit of an abrupt ending but another good match.

Kota Ibushi (Japan) vs Sean Maluta (American Samoa)
This was a match that I was looking forward to seeing. I had heard a lot about Ibushi but this is the first time that I wll see him wrestle. As for Maluta, I had never seen a Samoan cruiserweight before so this should be an interesting match up. I felt sorry for Maluta at one point as he hit a codebreaker from the middle rope then almost botches a somerault into a suicide dive. Later on, Ibushi hit a pelee kick, sending Maluta off the top rope followed by a dragon moonsault. Ibushi goes to get the win after a last ride sit down powerbomb. Definitely the match of the night and it goes to show why a lot of people are considering Ibushi to be the favourite.

An entertaining first show to kick off the Cruiserweight Classic and next week, we get to see the return of Tajiri so it's looking like it will be a great tournament.

Sunday 10 July 2016

WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Review

The first on the Kick Off Show was the team of The Golden Truth taking on Breezango. Due to the fact Goldust and R-Truth messing with a tanning bed, Fandango and Tyler Breeze have very sore and peeling skin. Remind me again, how are The Golden Truth faces? Anyway, Golden Truth use Breezango's injuries to their advantage, ending up with Goldust hitting the Final Cut on Fandango to get the win. This match was more of a comedy match but I didn't find it funny.
Winners: Breezango (0 for 1)

The second match on the Kick Off Show was The Lucha Dragons facing The Dudley Boyz. The Dragns get the win after Kalisto hits the Salida del Sol on Bubba Ray followed by a Dragon Bomb by Sin Cara 2.0. It was a decent match between the two. Not sure if I want a rematch tho.
Winners: The Lucha Dragons (0 for 2)

The first match of the show was a fatal 4 way match for the WEE Tag Team Championships with Enzo and Cass, The Vaudevillians and Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson challenging The New Day. Enzo and Cass thought they won it after hitting the Booms in Kofi but Gallows stopped the count. Later on, The Vaudevillians hit the whirling dervlish on Kofi but Anderson breaks up the pin. In the end, Gallows and Anderson hit the magic killer on English but Big E stopped the pin. Big Cass sends Gallows out of the ring and Kofi and Big E hit a double team move on Anderson. Jodi then pins English to get the win. I really enjoyed the match. However, this was the wed tag team match in a row so I would have liked a bit more variety at the beginning.
Winners: The New Day (0 for 3)

Next was another match between Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler. Corbin gets the win after stopping Ziggler do a top rope move then hitting end of days. I found it hard hard to get into the match probably because it was at a slow pace and I didn't really care to begin with. Anyway, it was nice to see Corbin get the win.
Winner: Baron Corbin (0 for 4)

We now get another tag team match with Charlotte and Dana Brooke taking on Natalya and Becky Lynch. Charlotte gets out into the sharpshooter by Natalya but Brooke stops it. Becky grabs Brooke and she throws Becky into Natalya. Charlotte then hits natural selection on Natalya to get the win. Afterwards Natalya beats down Becky. I thought it was a good match but a bit short. As for Brooke,this was the first time that I saw her wrestle as she was injured when I started watching NXT regularly. She wasn't bad but I feel that she was called up too early.
Winners: Charlotte and Dana Brooke (1 for 5)

Next was Sheamus facing Apollo Crews. Apollo gets the win after getting hit by a white noise from the second rope and kicking out at 2. Sheamus bitches to the referee and Apollo puts him in a crucifix pin to get the win. A decent match that was longer than than I thought it would be. As for Crews, I thought he did well in his first PPV match. I do feel that he doesn't have much of a character but I think that WWE are using his natural talent to get him over. I think that it's working but it can only go so far.
Winner: Apollo Crews (2 for 6)

Now a match that I'm really looking forward to: AJ Styles versus John Cena. Styles has the advantage for the early part of the match, using his speed and managing to counter whether Cena would throw at him. Cena has the chance to capitalise when he avoids a suicide dive and gets to apply the STF. Later on, Styles gets out of the AA to apply the calf crusher but Cena gets to the ropes. Both guys hit their finishing moves but the other kicks out. After a shitty ref bump, Cena hits the AA but there's no ref. Gallows and Anderson then pay a visit and hit Cena with the magic killer. They then put Styles over Cena and he wins. I really enjoyed the match and it would have been nice if Styles had won clean. However, that rarely happens with Cena and it makes sense to do it to bed in Styles' heel turn.

Winner: AJ Styles (3 for 7)

Next is probably the most open Money in the Bank ladder match ever with Alberto Del Rio, Cesaro, Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn taking part. Highlights of the match include: Zayn hitting an over the top suicide dive; Cesaro doing numerous European uppercuts to Del Rio, Jericho and Ambrose before Owens hits him with a superkick followed by throwing him head first into a ladder; Del Rio pulling Owens off the ladder into a backstabber;  Ceasro doing a giant swing on Jericho then swinging him into a ladder; and Zayn hitting Owens with a Michinoku driver onto a ladder. In the end, a ladder bridge is created and Owens powerbombs Zayn onto it then climbs the ladder. Ambrose stops him and gets him off the ladder then grabs the briefcase to win the match. This was a really enjoyable match and even though I predicted Owens to win, I was happy with Ambrose winning. I thought he might be one of those guys who everyone but the WWE would love to see as Champion. At the minute, it looks like I was wrong.
Winner: Dean Ambrose (3 for 8)

Next is Titus O'Neil challenging Rusev for the United States Championship. As expected, despite a brief flurry by Titus, Rusev gets the win after applying the Accolade. Afterwards, Rusev, because he's a dick, then mocked Titus in front of his children at ringside. The match was ok but nothing special. 
Winner: Rusev (4 for 9)

The main event is for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as Seth Rollins challenges Roman Reigns. In the early stages, Reigns displays some heelish behaviour, which is unusual considering he's technically the face. Reigns hits a beautiful crucifix into a sit down powerbomb but Rollins gets back into it after avoiding a Superman punch and sending Reigns into the turnbuckle. Rollins goes on to hit moves like a frogsplash, a turnbuckle powerbomb and an awesome move when did a superplex straight into a falcon arrow. In the end, Rollins almost wins it after countering a spear into a pedigree. He then hits another pedigree to get the win. I enjoyed this match and Reigns had another good match. I was surprised that Rollins won but I'm glad he did.
Winner: Seth Rollins (4 for 10)

 Rollins' celebrations turn out to be short lived as Dean Ambrose's music hit. Rollins expects him to come down the aisle but he comes in from behind and hits Rollins with the briefcase. Ambrose then cashes in, hits dirty deeds on Rollins and becomes the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I really enjoyed this cash in and it's nice to see Ambrose with the belt. Hopefully he will have a good run with it.
Winner: Dean Ambrose (N/A)

I thought that Money in the Bank was a bit of a mixed bag. There were some really good matches with some great moments, such as the cash in. However, there were some matches that did nothing for me and hopefully we will see less of them in the next event.