Sunday 24 September 2017

WWE No Mercy 2017 Preview

WWENoMercyPoster2017.jpg 

WWE No Mercy will be taking place this evening at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. There are 2 really big matches on the card plus some interesting Championship matches. Let's look at the card.

Apollo Crews vs Elias
Elias will take some time out of his World Tour to take on Apollo Crews. I hated Elias on NXT but I've heard good things about what he's doing on RAW so let's see how it goes. I'm going for him to win.
Predicted Winner: Elias

Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt
Yay, we're getting this again. I really don't want him to but I think that Wyatt will win.
Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt   

Enzo Amore vs King Neville of the Cruiserweights
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
There is no fucking way that Amore will win this. If he does, that means that WWE are just trolls.
Predicted Winner: Neville

Jason Jordan vs Hollywood Miz
WWE Intercontinental Championship
I don't think that Jordan will win, especially with Miz having the Miztourage to help him, but you never know.
Predicted Winner: The Miz

Nia Jax vs Emma vs Bayley vs Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss
RAW Women's Championship
This has the potential to be good or a clusterfuck. I think that Alexa will find some way to win.
Predicted Winner: Alexa Bliss

Cesaro and Sheamus vs Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins
RAW Tag Team Championship
I enjoyed their match from Summerslam and I'm hoping for the same here. I think that Ambrose and Rollins will win.
Predicted Winners: Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins

John Cena vs Roman Reigns
Even though I'm not a fan of these guys, I'm really looking forward to this match. I'm going for Reigns by some questionable method.
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

Braun Strowman vs Brock Lesnar
Universal Championship
This is a tough one to call as I can see both guys winning. I think that Strowman will fuck Lesnar up but Lesnar will find some way to win.
Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

I won't get to see til later in the week so until then, I hope you enjoy the show.        

Monday 18 September 2017

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (1944-2017)


Yesterday it was announced Raymond Louis Heenan ,better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, passed away. He was 72.

Heenan started his wrestling career selling refreshments at events and carrying bags for the wrestlers. After dropping out of school, his first break in the industry came as a manager in 1965. After time in the World Wrestling Association and the American Wrestling Association, he joined the WWF in 1984 as the manager of Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Heenan went on to manage numerous wrestlers, including Andre The Giant who faced Hulk Hogan in Wrestlemania III.

Heenan then moved onto commentary, and he formed a brilliant partnership with Gorilla Monsoon. After leaving WWF in 1993, he was approached by WCW and he did their commentary until 2000. His last commentary was with Mean Gene Okerlund for the Gimmick Battle Royal at Wrestlemania X-7.

I will always remember Heenan as one of the best commentators of all time and his partnership with Gorilla Monsoon is something that I don't think WWE appreciate as much as they should. One of the reasons that I find Wrestlemania VIII When I got into wrestling in 1992, I only knew him as a commentator and when I saw some of the old Wrestlemanias when he was a manager. He was such a joy to watch and it's a shame that his neck injury meant we didn't see more of it. Heenan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 and he is regarded as one of the best wrestling managers of all time. Not only that, He will be sorely missed by everyone in the wrestling world.

Heenan is survived by his wife Cynthia, his daughter and two grandchildren.

Tuesday 12 September 2017

WWE Summerslam 2017 Review

The 30th WWE Summerslam took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday 20th August. There are some matches that look pretty good on paper so will they live up to the hype? Let's take a look.

There were 3 matches on the Kick Off Show and the first was The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan taking on Hollywood Miz and the Miztourage. Curtis Axel stops Jeff Hardy going to the top rope to give his team the  advantage. Eventually, Matt Hardy does get tagged in but in the end, Jason Jordan goes to hit a suplex on Axel but Miz had already blind tagged himself in and hits the Skull Crushing Finale to get the win. The match was ok but considering the talent involved, I was expecting a little better.
Winners: Hollywood Miz and The Miztourage (0 for 1)

The second match was King Neville of the Cruiserweights challenging Akira Tozowa for the Cruiserweight Championship. The match goes back and forth with some exciting offence. In the end, Neville avoids a Senton Splash and hits the Red Arrow to get the win and regain the Championship. This was a good match and whilst I'm happy with Neville winning, it does raise the question of the point of Tozowa being Champion for 6 days. As for Neville, it looks like his next challenger will be Enzo Amore and I'm not looking forward to it as he is nowhere near the Neville level.
Winner: Neville (0 for 2)

After a concert by Elias, we get our Kick Off Show main event: The Usos challenging The New Day for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Jimmy Uso counters a jump off the top rope by Xavier Woods with an uppercut to get the advantage. Woods reverses a back suplex to hit Jimmy in the head, giving him the chance to tag in Big E. Both teams come close to winning with double team moves and at one point, Woods applies a submission move. The New Day hit the Up Up Down Down but Jimmy breaks up the pin. In the end, The Usos hit multiple superkicks on Big E followed by a double Uso Splash to get the win. This was another great match between the two teams and it's a shame that it wasn't on the main card. I hope they have another one soon.
Winners: The Usos (0 for 3)

The first match of the event was John Cena taking on Baron Corbin with his new shit music. Cena acts as a cocky dick at the beginning, and Corbin proceeds to beat the crap out of him. He goes on to keep Cena down while slagging off the crowd and the referee. Despite hitting moves such as a Deep Six, Cena gets the win after hitting an AA. I thought the match was pretty good and I start to wonder if this is the beginning of the end for Baron Corbin.
Winner: John Cena (1 for 4)

We now get our first Championship match as Natalya challenges Naomi for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Natalya starts by slapping Naomi and goes on to dominate after catapulting her from the apron to the post. Naomi does make a comeback but Natalya gets her in a sharpshooter after avoiding a split-legged moonsault. Naomi is forced to submit and Natalya is the new Champion. This was quite a good match and I was surprised that Natalya won. Hopefully she will have a decent reign, but with Carmella waiting in the shadows to cash in at any time, that might not be possible.
Winner: Natalya (1 for 5)

Next is Big Cass taking on Big Show with Enzo Amore for some reason in a shark cage. Enzo does not shut the fuck up while Big Show is attacking Cass. Eventually Cass focuses on Show's injured hand. Enzo manages to get out of the cage and Cass murders him with a big boot. Cass goes on to hit 2 big boots followed by an Empire Elbow on Show to get the win. The match was ok I suppose. Unfortunately, Cass fucked up his ACL the following day, which will keep him out for at least 8 months. I wonder if they will change his gimmick when he returns.
Winner: Big Cass (2 for 6)

Next is Randy Orton taking on Rusev. Rusev attacks Orton during his entrance. When the referee makes sure Orton is ok, the bell rings and Orton dodges a punch and hits the RKO to get the win. Ok, seriously what the fuck? The match lasted about 10 seconds. I hope that this isn't a burial of Rusev. As for Orton, he can get fuck himself.
Winner: Randy Orton (3 for 7)

Our second Championship match is for the RAW Women's Championship as Sasha Banks challenges Alexa Bliss. After they exchange some blows, Alexa gets the advantage, focusing on the neck. Sasah hits a running knee, giving her the chance to make a comeback. Alexa injures Sasha's shoulder and goes on to hit Twisted Bliss but Sasha kicks out. Sasha then manages to apply the Banks Statement to make Alexa tap out and Sasha Banks is the new RAW Women's Champion. This was an enjoyable contest and I would congratulate Sasha on winning the Championship. However, she lost it back to Alexa 8 days later. Hopefully this isn't the start of the Championship yo-yo-ing like last year. 
Winner: Sasha Banks (4 for 8)

Next is Finn Balor in Demon Mode taking on Bray Wyatt.  Wyatt struggles to cope with Balor before he hits a snap suplex to the outside to get the momentum. Wyatt tries to hit Sister Abigail a couple of times but he's stopped each time. The match goes back and forth before Balor hits the Coup de Grace to get the win. The match was ok and hopefully Balor will get the fuck away from Wyatt in the future.
Winner: Finn Balor (5 for 9)

Now we get a mini Shield reunion as Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose team up to challenge Cesaro and Sheamus for the RAW Tag Team Championship. Rollins and Ambrose work together before Cesaro and Sheamus catch Rollins attempting a suicide dive and throw him to the floor. They continue to beat down on Rollins while taking a moment for Cesaro to destroy a beach ball that was being thrown amongst the crowd. Eventually Ambrose gets tagged in and they come close when Ambrose hits a super plex followed by a splash by Rollins on Sheamus, but Cesaro breaks up the pin. Later on, Cesaro does on giant swing on Ambrose followed by a sharpshooter, which he transitioned into a crossface. In the end, Rollins hits Sheamus with his high knee followed by a Dirty Deeds by Amborse and they become the new RAW Tag Team Champions. This was a really good match and hopefully we get a rematch at No Mercy.
Winners: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (5 for 10)

Next is Kevin Owens challenging AJ Styles for the United States Championship with Shane McMahon as the Special Guest Referee. As usual, the match is an entertaining affair and Owens gets the advantage after hitting a brutal clothesline. Owens goes for the pop up powerbomb but Styles gets out of it to hit a fireman's carry neckbreaker for 2. Styles goes for a 450 splash but Owens pulls Shane on top of him to take the hit. Owesn hits the pop up powerbomb but it only gets 2 and Owens goes ballistic at Shane. Shane gets hurt again when Owens kicks Styles into him and he goes out of the ring. Styles comes close when he hits a Styles Clash and Owens thinks he won after a pop up powerbomb; but Shane waves off the pin when he notices Styles' leg on the rope. Owens and Shane start pushing each other and this gives Styles the chance to hit a Phenomenal Forearm followed by a Styles Clash to get the win. This match was pretty good and a lot better than their match at Battleground.
Winner: AJ Styles (6 for 11)

The penultimate match is Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship. Mahal struggles to cope with Nakamura's offence. Luckily, the Singh Brothers distract Nakamura long enough for Mahal to get some momentum. Nakamura makes his comeback but when he goes for the Kinshasa, the Singhs interfere. Nakamura beats the fuck out of them and this gives Mahal the chance to hit the Khallas to get the win. I found this match to be a disappointment. First of all, this match was only 11 minutes. Secondly, once again, Jinder's match ends the same way: Singhs interfere, gets the fuck beaten out of them, Mahal hits the Khallas to win. Fuck WWE, at least change the ending next time.
Winner: Jinder Mahal (6 for 12)

The main event is for the Universal Championship as Bruan Strowman, Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe challenge Brock Lesnar in a Fatal 4-Way Match. Strowman seriously fucks up Lesanr in this match. He powerslams Lesnar through the Spanish announce table; then again through the Smackdown announce table. Then, he tips the German announce table on top of Lesnar. Lesnar is taken away on a stretcher and Strowman turns his attention to Reigns and Joe. Later on, Lesnar comes back and beats up Strowman. After numerous finishing moves and near falls, the end comes when Reigns hits 3 Superman punches on Lesnar. When he goes for a spear, Lesnar picks him uo and hits a F-5 to get the win. This was a good match and it made everyone look good, especially Strowman.
Winner: Bruan Strowman (6 for 13)

I thought that Summerslam, with a couple of exceptins, was a good event. WWE have been a mixed bag with their PPVs this year. Hopefullly, this can be the start of some good stuff from them.

Sunday 3 September 2017

NXT Takeover Brooklyn III Review

NXT Takeover Brooklyn III took place last Saturday at the Barclays Center. The last few Takeovers have been pretty decent so will this be better? Let's take a look.

The first match was Johnny Gargano taking on Andrade "Cien" Almas with Zelina Vega. Almas occasionally displays some of the arrogance that Vega is trying to get rid of; and he gets the advantage early on. After they exchange blows, Gargano comes close after a beautiful slingshot DDT. In the end, Gargano is about to go for his finisher when Vega throws a #DIY T-shirt at him. This somehow gives Gargano a traumatic experience and Almas hits a running dropkick followed by  hammerlock DDT to get the win. This was a really good match and without a doubt, Almas' best match since joining NXT. It would have been nice to see Gargano win but I feel that Almas needed it more and hopefully this will continue.
Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas (1 for 1)

Next is the NXT Tag Team Championship match as Alexander Wolff and Killian Dian from SaNitY challenge The Authors of Pain. Razr and Akam don't fuck around and attack their opponents before the bell rings. When the referee regains control and the match officially starts, Young replaces Dian, which I assume is ok. There was an awesome bit when Nikki Cross attempts a cross body but she's caught by Akam. Dian then does a running cross body, sending all of them through a table. This gives Young and Wolff the chance to hit a belly-to-back suplex/neckbreaker combo to pin Razr and become the new NXT Tag Team Champions...? Holy shit, I didn't expect this. Unofrtuantely, their celebrations were short lived as Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly turn up and fuck everyone up.

This match was probably the one that I was least looking forward to yet this was a very pleasant surprise. MVP of the match definitely is Alexander Wolff. I didn't think he had it in him but he was amazing. Well done to SaNitY for winning their first Championship.
Winners: SaNitY (1 for 2)

Our 3rd match is between Hideo Itami and Aleister Black, and they spent the early part of this kicking the shit out of each other. Itami hits a guillotine knee drop to get the advantage and keeps him grounded. After a very back and forth match, including Itami hitting a flacom arrow from the top rope, Black hits a Black Mask to get the win. It was a bit slower than I expected but despite that it was a good match.
Winner: Aliester Black (2 for 3)

The penultimate match is one that I'm really looking forward to as Ember Moon challenges Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship. Ember dominates Asuka to begin with. However,  Asuka sends Ember into the steel steps then suplexes her onto the steel ramp to get the advantage. Asuka focuses her attack on the shoulder that she injured earlier in the year, with moves such as an octopus lock. The match goes back and forth, with Ember having to adapt due to her shoulder. In the end, Asuka manages to apply the Asuka Lock and Ember eventually taps out. This was a really good match and I was quite surprised that Asuka won. I was going to write about where they would go with Asuka. However, it was revealed that she got injured and is out for a few months. Therefore, she has vacated the Championship and she will be on the main roster when she comes back. A shame that no one in NXT got to beat her. However, I'm looking forward to seeing how she does on the main roster.
Winner: Asuka (2 for 4)

The main event is Drew McIntyre  challenging Bobby Roode  for the NXT Championship. After some back and forth between the two, McIntyre manages to hit a Future Shock and a Claymore utring the match but Roode kicked out each time. Roode goes on to a Glorious DDT but McIntyre kicks out. Roode then hits another Glorious DDT and immediately hits a third. However, McIntyre gets out of it and hits a second Claymore to get the win and become the new NXT Champion. Afterwards, Adam Cole along with Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish, interrupts McIntyre's celebrations and fucked him up.

This was a decent match between the two and I'm looking forward to seeing a McIntyre/Cole feud. As for Roode, I was looking forward to seeing him face Roderick Strong in the near future. However, he got called up to Smackdown a few days later so I guess that might not happen.
Winner: Drew McInytre (3 for 5)

I really enjoyed Takeover: Brooklyn III and it has been the best Takeover of the year so far. Even though two of their Champions are going up to the main roster, I feel that NXT is in a good place right now and will stay there for the foreseeable future.