Friday 27 April 2018

WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Preview

WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Official Poster.jpg 

WWE Greatest Royal Rumble will be taking place this afternoon at the King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Even though there has been criticism over this event, it does look like a really good card. So, let's take a look.

The Undertaker vs Rusev
Casket Match
Yeah, there is no way Rusev is winning this.
Predicted Winner:Undertaker

John Cena vs Triple H
This could be a good match and I feel that Cena will win.
Predicted Winner: John Cena

Cedric Alexander vs Kalisto
Cruiserweight Championship
This could be a good match and I can see Buddy Murphy making an unwanted appearance. I'm going for Alexander to retain.
Predicted Winner: Cedric Alexander

The Bludegon Brothers vs The Usos
Smackdown Tag Team Championship
A tough one to call but I'm going for The Usos.
Predicted Winners: The Usos

Bray Wyatt and "Woken" Matt Hardy vs Cesaro and Sheamus
RAW Tag Team Championship
Cesaro and Sheamus are great to watch but I think that Wyatt and Hardy will become Tag Team Champions
Predicted Winners: Bray Wyatt and "Woken" Matt Hardy

Jeff Hardy vs Jinder Mahal
United States Championship
I can't see Mahal winning so Jeff to retain
Predicted Winner: Jeff Hardy

Seth Rollins vs Hollywood Miz vs Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor
Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship
This is a contender for match of the night and I'm going for Seth Rollins to retain.
Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins

AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE Championship
Nakamura has developed a new attitude since Wrestlemania: debuting a new theme tune, deciding to understand English when it suits him; and making sure Styles can never anymore kids by destroying his balls at every opportunity. It's fucking great. Anyway, I think that Nakamura will destroy Styles' balls again and go on to win the Championship.
Predicted Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns
Steel Cage Match for the Universal Championship
This is a tough one to call. Lesnar retaining at Wrestlemania was a big surprise and it looks like he will be Champion for a little while longer. Will it end today tho? I feel that Reigns lost at Wrestlemania so that he can win today. Therefore, Reigns to win.
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

Greatest Royal Rumble Match
This will involve 50 men, will be probably every men that they can find in the company. It's a tough one to call but I think that Angle will win.
Predicted Winner: Kurt Angle

I won't get to see it til next week as I have finished watching Wrestlemania yet. Until then. I hope you guys enjoy the show.


 


Is the WWE in Saudi Arabia a Problem?

Greatest Royal Rumble 50 Man Saudi Arabia



On Friday at 5pm UK time, WWE will host The Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This event is part of a ten year plan and it has created some criticism.

The event is part of Saudi 2030, an initiative started by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. The plan is to reduce the country's dependence and to diversify its economy. It's an extremely ambitious programme in a country that is known for its oppression of women. Up until recently, women were not allowed to drive or vote, and they could only be accompanied by a male guardian.

The criticism towards WWE has been that there will be no women involved in the event. I'm not sure if that involves people such as Renee Young but it represents a backward step for me. WWE have really developed their Women's Division in recent years and it feels like a slap in the face to them. Triple H has defended it, stating that he hoped the WWE can be a catalyst for change, citing the match between Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss in the United Arab Emirates as an example. In the match, they wore clothing that covered their body, in accordance with Muslim tradition. Things like that are great but Saudi Arabia is more oppressive. Only in the last few years has women been allowed to vote and to run for public office. In June 2018, women will be allowed to drive and there will be women at the event, although they have to be accompanied by a male guardian. WWE will obviously show countless shots of women in the audience and one can argue that they are promoting propaganda.

I share Triple H's desire for the WWE to be a catalyst for change. However, I don't think they are as influential as he believes them to be. Despite my misgivings about it, I will still watch the show. Part of me feels like this makes me a hypocrite. However, this is a history making event and I would like to see that.

Triple H has stated that they hope to have women's matches in a few years in Saudi Arabia. If that does actually happen, then I think it will be worth it. The problem is WWE will be getting a lot of money to host this event and at the minute, it seems like the money is more important right now than equality.

Wednesday 25 April 2018

Bruno Sammartino (1935-2018)

Image result for bruno sammartino hall of fame

On the 18th April, it was announced that Bruno Sammartino had passed away. He was 82.

Bruno was born in Pizzoferrato, Italy on the 6th October 1935 and during the Second World War, he hid along with his mother and siblings in the area in Villa Rocca. When they emigrated to meet up with his father in Pittsburgh in 1950, Bruno took up weightlifting and wrestling and was very close to representing the United States at weightlifting in the 1956 Olympics. Local wrestling promoter Rudy Miller saw him on TV and recruited him into professional wrestling. 

Bruno wrestled in Pittsburgh and then Canada after being suspended for missing dates in Chicago and Baltimore. After suspension, he joined the WWWF (a precursor to the WWF) and defeated Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF Champion, reigning for 2801 days. During his career at the WWWF, Bruno went on to become WWWF Champion once more and a Tag Team Champion 3 times. Bruno retired from wrestling in 1987.

I have never seen him wrestle but I saw him in the corner of his son David at Wrestlemania I. His time at the WWWF/WWF was not always great with him being screwed out of his share of gate receipts amongst other things. Bruno was highly critical of the direction the WWF was going for years. However, in 2013, thanks to Triple H, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame after being satisfied with the new direction that the company was going.

Bruno was dubbed "The Living Legend" during his career and based on the tributes given by people after his death, it's hard to argue with that. Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto remembered him as "one of the greatest ambassadors the city of Pittsburgh ever had". I wish that I had got the chance to watch videos of him wrestle but it is something that I will be doing in the near future.

Bruno is survived by his wife Carol and his three children: David, Danny and Darryl.


Monday 23 April 2018

NXT Takeover: New Orleans Review

NXT Takeover: New Orleans took place on Saturday 7th April at the Smoothie King Center. The card looks awesome plus we will get to see a new Champion crowned. So let's take a look.

The first match of the show is Lars Sullivan, Velveteen Dream, EC3, Adam Cole, Killian Dian and Ricochet in a ladder match to crown the first ever NXT North American Champion. Highlights of the match include: Ricochet doing a springboard shooting star press on Dian and Sullivan; Dian doing a suicide dive on Sullivan; Cole super kicking everyone; Dream hitting a Purple Rainmaker on Sullivan from on top of a ladder; and Sullivan sending EC3 and Dream through a ladder with a Freak Accident. In the end, Ricochet comes close but Cole tips him off the ladder then climbs up to get the belt and get the win.

This match was absolutely amazing with Ricochet standing out, especially after that awesome springboard shooting star press. I'm surprised that Cole won but you could have seen anyone of them winning.
Winner: Adam Cole (0 for 1)

The next match is for the NXT Women's Championship as Shanya Baszler challenges Ember Moon. Baszler punches Moon out of the ring but Moon quickly recovers and tries to win it early. The match goes back and forth before Moon attacks the left elbow. Moon does manage to hit the Eclipse but it was outside the ring. In the end, Moon does for another Eclipse. However, Baszler catches her and applies the Kirifuda Clutch, having to grip her own hair to complete the hold. Moon passes out and Baszler is the new NXT Women's Champion. This was a good match and with Moon now off to RAW, it will be interesting to see how Baszler dowa as Champion.
Winner: Shanya Baszler (1 for 2)

Adam Cole doesn't have very long to celebrate being North American Champion as he has to compete with Kyle O'Reilly in the next match. They face the challenges of The Authors of Pain and the team of Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne and it is for the NXT Tag Team Championship as well as the Dusty Rhodes Classic. Early on, The Authors of Pain powerbomb Cole through the Spanish announce table and it takes a long time before it actually becomes a proper tag team match. The Authors of Pain hit Dunne and O'Reilly with the Super Collider then hit The Last Chapter on O'Reilly but Strong breaks up the pin. The end comes when Dunne hits The Bitter End on O'Reilly. However, Strong breaks up the pin and hits The End of Heartache on Dunne. He then pulls O'Reilly on top of Dunne and The Undisputed Era win. This was another good match and I was shocked that Strong betrayed Dunne and join The Undisputed Era. As for The Authors of Pain, they've been called up to RAW, bizarrely dumping Paul Ellering in the process. Hopefully, they will do well there.
Winners: The Undisputed Era (2 for 3)

The penultimate match is for the NXT Championship as Aliester Black challenges Andrade "Cien" Almas. Black immediately goes after Almas but it's stopped by Zelina Vega hitting Black with a hurracarrana. Later on, Vega hits another hurracarrana but Black kicks out at 2. Black manages to hit the Black Mask but Vega puts Almas' leg on the ropes. Eventually, Vega's constant interference comes back to haunt her. After Black kicks out of a Hammerlock DDT, Vega attempts a crossbody. However, she misses and is caught by Almas. Almas then walks into a Black Mask and Black is the new NXT Champion. This was a really enjoyable match and I'm looking forward to seeing him as Champion. Almas, meanwhile, has gone to Smackdown and I wish him luck there.
Winner: Aliester Black (2 for 4)

The main event is an unsanctioned match between Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. They beat the fuck out of each other with Gargano getting the early advantage. Ciampa suplexes Gargano off the announce table and later on, puts him in a cloverleaf. The match goes back and forth with Ciampa almost winning it with an airplane spin into a powerbomb. Gargano gets Ciampa into the Garagno Escape but Ciampa rakes the eyes to get out of it. In the end, Ciampa tries to hit Gargano with his knee brace but he misses and is put in the Gargano Escape. Gargano then transfers it into a STF, putting the knee brace across Ciampa to get the win by submission.

I was expecting this match to be more brutal and I'm glad it wasn't. It told a really good story and it really had the fans invested. Dave Meltzer gave this one and the ladder match 5 stars. I think the ladder match was better in terms of the wrestling but this match had a better story. The only reason I didn't predict Gargano to win was that I thought it would be a good way to get him to the main roster but it looks like he will be NXT for now. Hopefully, it will not be for very long.
Winner: Johnny Gargano (2 for 5)

This was my favourite Takeover to watch since Toronto. All the matches were really good. The question is, will Wrestlemania continue on that trend?

Sunday 8 April 2018

WWE Wrestlemania 34 Preview

WrestleMania34ALT.jpg


The biggest event of the year, Wrestlemania, will be taking place this evening at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans. There are FOURTEEN matches on the card so be prepared for hours of wrestling. Let's look at the card.

The Women's Battle Royal
There are 3 matches on the Kick Off Show and this was named after Fabulous Moolah. Unfortunately, everyone found out that she was possibly the worst person ever in pro wrestling so that was dropped. Anyway, Sasha Banks and Bayley are the only ones going in with any story so they will probably be the final two. I'm going for Bayley to win.
Predicted Winner: Bayley

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
There are 29 people confirmed to take part and Apollo seems to be the favourite so yeah, why not?
Predicted Winner: Apollo

Cedric Alexander vs Mustafa Ali
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Ignoring the fact that this shouldn't be on the Kick Off Show, this should be a good match. Cedric has a Champion in waiting for months now and I feel that it's his time.
Predicted Winner: Cedric Alexander

John Cena vs The Undertaker  (maybe?)
This story behind this is stupid because I find it hard to believe that a 16-time World Champion and Hollywood actor thinks that he can't get a match at Wrestlemania. Anyway, I don't want Undertaker to turn up but I think that he will and beat Cena.
Predicted Winner: The Undertaker

The Usos vs The New Day vs The Bludgeon Brothers
Triple Threat Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
This should be a good match and I'm going for The New Day to win.
Predicted Winners: The New Day

Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
This will be interesting to watch and I'm going for Angle and Rousey to win.
Predicted Winners: Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey

Randy Orton vs Bobby Roode vs Jinder Mahal vs Rusev
Fatal 4-Way Match for the  WWE United States Championship
I can see anyone of these people winning but I'm going for Rusev to win and it will be on Rusev Day.
Predicted Winner: Rusev

Hollywood Miz vs Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor
Triple Threat Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
This should be a really good match but I'm going for a bold prediction and going for The Miz to retain.
Predicted Winner: Hollywood Miz

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan vs Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
This is a really tough one to call. I don't want Owens and Zayn to lose but I'm going for Shane and Daniel to win.
Predicted Winners: Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan

Cesaro and Sheamus vs Bruan Strowman and TBD
Hopefully Strowman will get someone from NXT and I think he will go on to win.
Predicted Winners: Bruan Strowman and TBD

Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax
RAW Women's Championship
I love Alexa but Nia is going to kill her. Nia to become the new Champion.
Predicted Winner: Nia Jax

Charlotte Flair vs Asuka
Smackdown Women's Championship
This has the possibility to be the match of the night. Part of me is worried that Carmella will find a way to get in the match. If that doesn't happen, I'm going for Asuka to win.
Predicted Winner: Asuka

AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE Championship
Like Charlotte vs Asuka, this dream match could be the match of the night. A really tough one to call but I'm going for Nakamura to win.
Predicted Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns
WWE Universal Championship
Hopefully, this match isn't too long and I'm going for Reigns to win. Yay, I guess.
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

I have a lot of wrestling to watch so it might take me a while to get the review published. Until then,  hope you guys enjoy the show.





Saturday 7 April 2018

NXT Takeover: New Orleans Preview

NXT Takeover: New Orleans takes place this evening at the Smoothie King Center. The card looks awesome so let's take a look.

The Undisputed Era vs The Authors of Pain vs Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne
Triple Threat Tag Team Match for the NXT Tag Team Championship and the Dusty Rhodes Classic Trophy
This is quite a tough one to predict. Any team can win but I'm going for The Undisputed Era to win.
Predicted Winners: The Undisputed Era

Ember Moon vs Shanya Baszler
NXT Women's Championship
Whilst I don't really agree with how quickly she's been pushed, I feel that Baszler will win here.
Predicted Winner: Shanya Baszler

Adam Cole vs EC3 vs Killian Dian vs Lars Sullivan vs Ricochet vs Velveteen Dream
Ladder Match for the inaugural NXT North American Championship
This is a really tough one to call. I can see people like Ricochet and Velveteen winning. However, I'm going for EC3 to win.

Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampia
Unsantcioned Match
This has the ability to be not only the match of the show but of the whole weekend. I really want Gargano to win but I'm going for Ciampia to win.
Predicted Winner: Tommaso Ciampia

Andrade "Cien" Almas vs Aleister Black
NXT Championship
I'm quite looking forward to this one. Whilst Black being Champion would be interesting, I think that Almas will retain.
Predicted Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas

I haven't caught up with NXT yet so I'll watch the show when I've done that. Until then I hope you guys enjoy the show.

WWE Hall of Fame Class 2018

Tonight the WWE will be inducting their Hall of Fame Class of 2018. There are some really good choices and one and two that seem to have come from left field. Here are the inductees.

Mark Henry
Mark Henry represented the United States in weightlifting in the 1995 Pan American Games and the 1996 Summer Olympics. His time in WWE had him as a member of the Nation of Domination and later on, as Sexual Chocolate Mark Henry. He is most recently remembered as a monstrous heel who put people in "The Hall of Fame"; and beating Randy Orton to become World Heavyweight Champion in 2011. Mark will be inducted by The Big Show.

Kid Rock
The Detroit native broke through in the 90's with songs such as "Cowboy". He went to provide songs for some of the WWE Superstars such as Undertaker and Stacy Kleiber.

Hillbilly Jim
Hillbilly Jim joined the WWE in 1984 with his unique look of dungarees and a straw hat. After retiring in the 90's, he went to manage Henry and Phineas Goodwin to a World Tag Team Championship. Fans of the Attitude Era will remember him taking in the gimmick battle royal in Wrestlemania X-7. He will be inducted by legendary manager Jimmy Hart

Jarrius "JJ" Johnson
Even though the lifelong WWE fan is only 15 years old, he has already had 2 liver transplants due to biliary atresia. His courage has led to him receiving honours from the New Orleans Saints and the NBA. He was also the winner of the Jimmy V Preservance Award at the 2017 ESPYs.

Ivory
After being part of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, Ivory made her WWE debut in 1999 being in the corner of Mark Henry and D'Lo Brown. In the Women's Division, in a time when it was more about bra and panties than actual wrestling, Ivory was a standout, eventually becoming Women's Champion while part of Right of Censor. Ivory went on to be a trainer on Tough Enough. she will be inducted by Molly Holly.

The Dudley Boyz
Bubba Ray and D-Von started out in ECW, winning their Tag Team Championship 8 times. Soon after joining the WWE in 1999, they developed an unhealthy obession with putting people through tables such as Mae Young and Trish Stratus. They had some amazing matches with The Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian before continuing their success as Team 3D in TNA. They will be inducted by Edge and Christian.

Jeff Jarrett
Holy shit, I did not see this one coming. Jeff Jarrett spent time in WCW and WWE during the 90's most as a lower mid-carder. His last run in WWE ended acrimoniously in 1999 when he demanded extra money in order to drop the Intercontinental Championship to Chyna at No Mercy. He went to be the top heel in WCW during the Ruzzo Era, winning the WCW Championship 4 times in the space of a few months. Jeff went on to found TNA, in which AJ Styles, Bobby Roode and Samoa Joe had successful careers. He will be inducted by Road Dogg Jesse James.

Goldberg
Goldberg is best known for his streak of 173 matches in WCW, becoming WCW Champion and United States Champion in the process. He was a refreshing change to the fans, who were getting sick of people like Hulk Hogan. His first stint in WWE was only a year but he faced The Rock and Triple H, becoming World Heavyweight Champion. Recently, he became Universal Champion and had matches with Brock Lesnar. Goldberg will be inducted by Paul Heyman

Friday 6 April 2018

WWE Fastlane 2018 Review

WWE Fastlane 2018, the last Pay-Per-View before Wrestlemania, took place on Sunday 11th March at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Will the event throw up some surprises or will it be in a holding pattern before Wrestlemania? let's take a look.

The match on the Kick Off Show is the team of Breezango and Tye Dillinger taking on Chad Gable, Shelton Benjamin and Mojo Rawley. After a little comedy, Gable hits an awesome monkey flip on Breeze to give his team the advantage. Breeze hits an enzurgi on Rawley, giving him the chance to tag in Dillinger. Dillinger goes on to get the win for his team after hitting Rawley with a knee to the side of the head. This was a good match, although there were some obvious botches.
Winners: Breezango and Tye Dillinger (N/A)

The first match of the show was Shinsuke Nakamura taking on Rusev. Rusev takes out Nakamura while he was getting back into the ring to get the advantage. He continues to wear his opponent down but Nakamura makes a comeback with kicks to the head. Rusev comes close a couple of times, but in the end, Nakamura hits the Kinsasha to get the win. I enjoyed this match and it was a fun way to start the show. Shame Rusev had to lose on Rusev Day.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (1 for 1)

We now get our first Championship match as Randy Orton challenges Bobby Roode for the United States Championship. Orton tries to hit a RKO a couple of times but Roode avoids them. After some back and forth, Orton comes close after a hitting a superkick. Roode tries a move from the top rope but Orton hits a Super RKO to become the new Unites States Champion. Afterwards, Jinder Mahal attacks Orton and Roode gives them Glorious DDTs. Whilst I'm not happy that Orton, I really enjoyed this match.
Winner: Randy Orton (1 for 2)

The next match is Naomi and Becky Lynch taking on Carmella and Natalya. Naomi goes for a split-legged moonsault on Natalya but she is distracted by Carmella. This gives Natalya the chance to hit a sit down powerbomb. After a while, Naomi gets out of a suplex and she gets the hot tag to Becky. Becky almost gets the win with a top rope legdrop. However, it was in vain as Becky stops Natalya from giving Carmella the Money in the Bank briefcase and she gets advantage of the distraction to hit a brutal kick to Becky to get the win. This was a good, yet short match.
Winners: Carmella and Natalya (2 for 3)

Now a match that I was really looking forward to: The New Day challenging The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Xavier Woods doesn't see Jey Uso get tagged in and gets blindsided by a super kick. The match goes back and forth with with both teams using moves from each other's arsenal. After The Usos take out all of The New Day with suicide dives, The Bludgeon Brothers come down and fuck everyone up ending the match. I thought this match was really good up until the end. Whilst the appearance of The Bludgeon Brothers has led to having them a Championship match at Wrestlemania, I would rather have a rematch between The Usos and The New Day.
Winners: No Contest (2 for 4)

The penultimate match is for the Smackdown Women's Championship as Ruby Riott challenges Charlotte Flair. Ruby's pals, Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan, make an appearance early on and this gives Ruby the advantage. Naomi and Becky Lynch come down to even the odds. The match goes back and forth before actions by Naomi, Becky, Sarah and Liv fall foul of the referee and they get sent to the back. In the end, Charlotte hits a brutal spear then gets Ruby to submit to the Figure 8 to get the win. Charlotte doesn't get long to celebrate as Asuka comes out to challenge her to a match at Wrestlemania.

The match was pretty good but the main talking point is Asuka coming back. I love Alexa Bliss but I think that Asuka facing Charlotte instead will be the better match. My only worry about is Carmella. There is no way that she is going to cash in and lose, especially after the furor over how she first won it. That, and the fact that I don't want Asuka to lose that way. Hopefully, WWE will find a way to make it work.
Winner: Charlotte Flair (3 for 5)

The main event is a Six Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship. AJ Styles will be facing the challenges of John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Highlights of the match include: Cena hitting everyone but Styles with an AA in the beginning; Styles hitting Cena with the Styles Clash; Corbin hitting Styles with possibly the best Deep Six I have ever seen; and Zayn hitting Owens with a tornado DDT through the ropes. Zayn and Owens come close to winning but Shane McMahon, who was watching from ringside, decides to be a dick and stops those chances from happening. In the end, Owens hits Ziggler with a pop up powerbomb but Styles hits him with a Phenomenal Forearm to get the win. This was a good match although it was tarnished by Shane McMahon. He got accidentally kicked by Owens during the match so I can just about justify him stopping Owens from winning. However, he had no reason to do the same to Zayn. Shane is the worst person on Smackdown right now and this needs to stop doing things like this.
Winner: AJ Styles (4 for 6)

I thought that even though most of it felt like WWE were in a holding pattern, Fastlane was a pretty good event. We are in the final stetch before Wrestlemania and I'm quite looking forward to it.