Fav Five: August and September 2012

Don't you hate it when work stops you doing what you love? Thanks to work, I have not been adding to the blog as much as I would like. In light of that, like I did earlier this year, I have decided to combine two months of the Fav Five into one article. So, here is the Fav Five for August and September 2012.

August 2012

5. Tyler Reks
Unless he changes his mind, this will be the only time that Tyler Reks (real name Gabe Tuft) will be in the Fav Five. His decision to retire so that he can see his daughter grow up and not miss the milestones has enternally gained my respect and I'm sure a lot of people will agree with me. It's a shame that WrestleZone's Mark Madden (who used to commentate on WCW) used that to criticise the WWE in a bizarre article in which he made Reks the wrestler of the year.
4. Paul Heyman
I love Paul Heyman. He is one of the best people on the mic that I ever seen and he was criminally underrated when he was commentating with Jim Ross in 2001. His alliance with Brock Lesnar really helped to progress the feud with Triple H, especially with Lesnar's limited appearances.
3. Kane
Kane has been stagnant at times over the year but the decision to pair him with Daniel Bryan is starting to look like a master-stroke as their Anger Management segments have been really funny.
2. CM Punk
CM Punk has been a lot better to watch since he took out the Rock at RAW 1000. I find it hard to boo him because he has a very valid point about the way he has been treated while he has been WWE Champion. I hope he continues to be for the foreseeable future, instead of John Cena overcoming the odds at the first attempt as per usual.
1. Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan has been awesome to watch over the year and his character development has been really interesting to watch, as well as his segments with Kane.

September 2012

5. Michael Cole
Michael Cole has been annoying to listen to over the last year and a half. However, his professionalism at the time of Jerry Lawler's heart attack has really silenced a lot of the critics. Maybe his background as a war reporter may helped him in that situation but you can't deny what he did.
4. Kane
The segments with Daniel Bryan are getting better and better and better. I do find it weird sometimes seeing Kane do comedy but it's so refreshing to see.
3. Paul Heyman
I thought we saw the end of Heyman when Brock Lesnar quit. However, his alliance with CM Punk and the way it was revealed means that he will be on our screens for the foreseeable future and I'm certainly not complaining.
2. CM Punk
"The Best in the World" has been fun to watch. I find it weird that legends such as Mick Foley are coming out to say that Punk needs to earn respect and I personally think that he has already done that. Despite that, Punk, along with Heyman, are one of the best things to watch right now.
1. Daniel Bryan
I never saw Daniel Bryan as a person who could do comedy but his segments with Kane are the thing that I most look forward to at the minute. Plus, I find them saying "I'M the Tag Team Champions" absolutely hilarious.

Fav Five: July 2012

It's time once again (belatedly) for the Fav Five for July 2012. With two decent PPVs, how will that change the standings?

5. Damien Sandow
Sandow has been one of the best guys to watch on Smackdown. He is an impressive athlete and is probably the best person on the mic at the minute. Sandow was good in Money in the Bank and his appearance at the D-Generation X Reunion at RAW 1000 shows that the WWE may have big things planned for him.
4. Dolph Ziggler
I have been more and more impressed with Ziggler over the last year, especially the way he sells moves. He deserved his victory at the World Heavyweight Championship MITB match and I have really enjoyed his feud with Chris Jericho; making me look forward to their match at Summerslam.
3. AJ
AJ, as always, is fun to watch with her crazy persona. However, since she became RAW General Manager, she hasn't really shown much of that. Hopefully, it may come out over Summerslam and perhaps have a story  where McMahon gets worried over AJ's behaviour.
2. Austin Aries
Austin Aries (the best thing in TNA right now) has stepped up on many levels over 2012. His match in which he won the TNA World Championship at Destination X is one of the matches of the year so far and it's so good to see him at the main event level that he deserves to be.
1. Daniel Bryan
I think Daniel Bryan is a paradox. His 18 second FUCKING LOSS(!!!!) at Wrestlemania would have buried most people. However, he seems to be more over than ever. His evolving persona in which he doesn't like people chanting "Yes!" at him, even going so far as to change his finishing move to the LeBell "Yes" "No" Lock, and  maybe slowly going more crazy than AJ is, has been a joy to watch; and Bryan is, along with Sandow, the guy that I most look forward to seeing on WWE Television.

Fav Five: June 2012

It's time for the Booker T inspired Fav Five for June 2012. In June, we had a so-so PPV from WWE but an excellent PPV from TNA. How will it affect the Fav Five this month? Let's see.

5. CM Punk
The WWE Champion had been fun to watch, along with Kane, Daniel Bryan and AJ. There are still a lot of questions about what is going on between them all, but as long as it doesn't end in a TNA-style clusterfuck, they should  be answered soon.
4. Joseph Park
Joesph Park (brother of Chris? You know, Abyss?) has been a joy to watch over the last month. Chris Parks is the man behind both characters and it's a testament to his ability to go from portraying a man who is a psychopathic recluse to someone who is the complete opposite.
3. Austin Aries
Austin Aries (the best thing in TNA right now) has been flying high over the last month. He had one of the best matches of the year against Samoa Joe at Slammiversary and will be facing Bobby Roode for the TNA World Championship at Destination X. Aries has the ability to be a major player in TNA if they can keep him.
2. Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan has been the best male wrestler to watch in the WWE with the feud with Punk and AJ becoming one of the feuds of the year. Bryan is going for third time lucky against Punk at Money in the Bank but it all depends on the AJ factor.
1. AJ
Can anyone remember the last time a woman (outside of the McMahons) has not just been the best thing to watch in the WWE, but one of the main focuses? No, me neither. AJ insane persona has been so fun to watch and, thanks to the WWE Universe, she will be the guest referee in the WWE Championship between Daniel Bryan and CM Punk at Money in the Bank. I have a sneaking suspicion that she is not as crazy as she appears to be, and if that is true, it will show that the WWE do have Divas that are "smart, sexy and powerful".

Fav Five: April and May 2012

Yeah buddy, after a month off, it’s time for Lo-Down Wrestling’s Fav Five. I never got a chance to publish the one for April; so I decided to do April and May’s Fav Five in one article.

April 2012

5.  John Cena

John Cena has been actually enjoyable to watch in his feud with Brock Lesnar. Their match at Extreme Rules was quite good with Cena pulling out the victory despite Lensar destroying him for most of the match. It made Cena look strong and managed to gain some respect from the Cena Haters. Shame he ruined it the next day.

4. John Laurinaitis

I like John Laurinaitis (did you know that he’s the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and the GM of both RAW and Smackdown?) a lot. However, since he became the Supreme GM, he doesn’t seem to be as enjoyable as he has over the last few months. Despite that, I have enjoyed that he always displays the Brother Love suit that he wore at Wrestlemania and he has effectively made Teddy Long his bitch.

3. Sheamus

Sheamus became World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania and he has been fun to watch. His match with Daniel Bryan at Extreme Rules was one of the best matches of the night and showed how well they work together.

2. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar has been brought in to “legitimatise” the WWE. Since then, he has been destroying John Cena, including busting him open twice. I was surprised when he lost to Cena at Extreme Rules; however, in hindsight, he didn’t really need to win. All Lesnar needed to show was how dominant he can be and he did.

1. Daniel Bryan

As evidenced by my Wrestlemania review, I was just a bit unhappy when Bryan lost the World Heavyweight Championship in 18 seconds. However, instead of being buried, Bryan is more over than ever before and he seems to go from strength to strength. Bryan has improved so much since becoming World Heavyweight Champion and he is now the person that I most look forward to seeing in the WWE.

May 2012

5.  The Big Show

 Even though The Big Show’s heel turn was predictable, Show has been good to watch. The best heels are those that have a genuine reason to be bad and Show does. His upcoming match with John Cena at No Way Out could be a good match to watch.

4. John Laurinaitis

John Laurinaitis (did you know that he’s the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and the GM of both RAW and Smackdown?) has been more fun to watch than he was last month culminating in a match against John Cena which wasn’t too bad. Laurinaitis is still uniquely entertaining along with his employees David Otunga and Eve Torres; and his bitch Teddy Long.

3. CM Punk

The inaugural LDW Wrestler of the Year has been fun to watch over the last month with his rivalry with Daniel Bryan and being the unwilling part of a triangle along with Bryan and AJ. It is starting to develop into an interesting dynamic between the three.

2. Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan keeps going as strong as ever. His rivalry with CM Punk has been amazing so far with a tremendous match between the two at Over the Limit, making it one of the matches of the year so far.

1. AJ

AJ is the best Diva to watch in the WWE and she hasn’t wrestled in the last few weeks. Since Bryan blamed her for his loss at Wrestlemania and dumping her; she fucked up Natalya in a match; bitchslapped Kaitlyn into the following week where she got bitchslapped even harder; and slowly getting insane. Now, AJ has turned her attentions to CM Punk, which was been really fun to watch. 

Fav Five: March 2012

It’s time for the Fav Five for March. I would like to point out that this is based on what happened before Wrestlemania.

5. John Cena

In the feud between Cena and The Rock, I feel that Cena has outperformed him at almost every turn. It seems a little bit that Rock is trying too hard while Cena is just doing it naturally.

4. Dolph Ziggler

Over the last few months, I have grown to really like Dolph Ziggler. I love his Show Off gimmick with the theme music; and, although I like Z! True Long Island Story, I look forward to Ziggler’s “Ask the Heel” segment. Ziggler is a joy to watch in the ring and is, at the minute, the best seller in the WWE.

3. John Laurinaitis

John Laurinaitis (did you know that he’s the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and the interim GM of RAW?), while down from the number 2 position, is still fun to watch. I know that some people don’t like how he says things and the mistakes he makes, but that’s what I love about him.

2. Cody Rhodes

Cody, while a great wrestler, is in the Fav Five for his brilliant videos showing Big Show’s Wrestlemania Lowlights over the last few weeks. I wasn’t really into his feud with Show but the videos have made me interested.

1. Daniel Bryan

The man can do no wrong. He is the best thing to watch on Smackdown right now and his relationship with AJ can be compared to the relationship between Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. I know I’m basing my Fav Five on what happened before Wrestlemania, but the interview that he did in the Pre Show was hilarious.

LDW Fav Five: February 2012

It’s time, once again, for the Fav Five, inspired by Booker T. It has been a decent wrestling month with 2 decent PPVs and some good (and bad) television.

5. Santino Marella(?!)

Even though this is only the second ever Fav Five, I never in my wildest dreams thought that Santino Marella would be in it. However, you can’t deny what he has done over the last month. When he won the battle royal to become the final entrant in the Smackdown Elimination Chamber, I was like “What the fuck?!” However, Santino’s performance in the Chamber match was really good and it made me realise how good a wrestler he can be. I would like the WWE to do one of two things: either cut down on the comedy aspect and evolve him slightly so that he can be a guy at the upper mid-card level; or have him more main event type matches and have him slowly get more serious as it starts to get to his head.

4. Sheamus

Sheamus has been on a roll since winning the Royal Rumble last month. Sheamus has been built well over the last month and I’m really looking forward to his match against Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania.

3. Bully Ray

I know that I always say that Austin Aries is the best thing in TNA right now. However, I have been really impressed with Bully Ray over the last few weeks. He is tremendous on the mic and he has been an excellent performer in the ring. Ray has come a long way from when I first saw him as a stuttering Bubba Ray with the Dudley Boyz at Survivor Series 1999.

2. John Laurinaitis

I love, love John Laurinaitis (did you know that he’s the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, the interim RAW GM and candidate to be the GM of Smackdown?) Along with his legal advisor, David Otunga, Laurinaitis has been such a joy to watch on TV and I really hope he becomes the GM of Smackdown.

1.  Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan is the best thing to watch on Smackdown right now. I love his entrance when he is shouting “yes!” as he goes down the aisle and there was a great bit in his interview last week. Smackdown came from Seattle and Bryan told the crowd that he’s from there (about 110 miles away in Aberdeen) and then says that he went to Las Vegas as soon as possible. I thought it was a great move to get the crowd on his side and then get them to boo him in the next sentence. I’m really looking forward to see how the feud between him and Sheamus over the next few weeks.

Lo-Down Wrestling’s Fav Five: January 2012

Time for me to debut a new feature in which I name my top 5 wrestlers from WWE and TNA over the last month. I know I got this from Booker T but, unlike Booker, it won’t change from minute to minute, just month to month.

5. Kane

Kane, since he has come back re-masked, has been trying to get John Cena to “Embrace the Hate” by attacking Zack Ryder and scaring Eve Torres at every opportunity. I enjoyed the segments involving them on RAW on the 9^th January despite Zack taking decades to change the tyre, and Kane disappearing like Batman when he was attacking Cena before that. Kane, along with Cena, Ryder and Torres, are now one of the things that I look forward every week on RAW.

4. Bobby Roode

I know that I constantly mention that Austin Aries is the best thing in TNA right now (and he still is); however, he hasn’t really been on TV that much so I can’t put him in my Fav Five. The second best thing in TNA at the minute has been World Champion Bobby Roode. Whilst I would have liked his heel turn to be more gradual like Daniel Bryan’s, Roode has been performing brilliantly on the mic on Impact, pissing off everybody including Sting and his own family. I think that Impact has slowly improved over the last month and one of the reasons is because of Roode.

3. John Laurinaitis

I know that he’s not a wrestler but I have really enjoyed watching John Laurinaitis (did you know that he’s the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and the interim RAW GM?) as he has evolved into a credible foil to Punk. What I like about Laurinaitis is the way that he kept on “inadvertently” screwing Punk over in his matches. Then Laurinaitis, aware of his job being under review, had a good role at the Rumble match then had a massive stroke of luck when The Undertaker interrupted his job review when he was about to get fired by Triple H. I’m glad that he didn’t get fired as I like Laurinaitis to continue in his role.

2. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho was been absolutely brilliant since his return and yet he has only said one sentence since then. Jericho is excellent at playing the crowd as he showed when he returned on the 2^nd January. He spent over 8 minutes running round being happy and not saying a word then going off managing to get the crowd go from cheering him to booing him. Two weeks later, he was in a 6-man tag match with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan against Dolph Ziggler, David Otunga and Mark Henry. In probably the best hot tag ever, Punk tags in Jericho, he goes round playing to the crowd, slap-tags Bryan and goes off. He was the runner-up at the Rumble to Sheamus and is starting a possible Wrestlemania feud with Punk so the next few weeks involving Jericho will be very interesting.

1. Daniel Bryan

I know a lot of people think that Chris Jericho is the best thing going in the WWE right now. However, for me, it’s Daniel Bryan on Smackdown. His gradual heel turn since becoming World Heavyweight Champion has been awesome. Plus, I didn’t think that he had the mic skills that he has been showing in him. What I like most about Daniel Bryan is that we all know that he’s a heel, but he is at the stage that he doesn’t believe so. Bryan is using his head as well as his superb technicial skills to help him stay the Champion, provoking Mark Henry and lumberjacks in matches to inadvertently help him out. The best was when Bryan got his new love AJ to come to ringside when he faced The Big Show, and Show accidentally ran her over. Bryan sensed an opportunity and went mental at Show calling him reckless and a bastard. I have been really impressed with Daniel Bryan and I hope that he stays Champion until Wrestlemania.