Bengal Graphs 2016 Part 3

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different autographs he has gotten from the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2016 NFL season.

2016: Goodbye and Good Riddance

With the new year approaching, I thought I would take a retrospective look at 2016 for this week’s post. A lot of people I know here in the Cincinnati area are saying that 2016 sucked, and I have to agree. Aside from a few highlights such as the debut of FC Cincinnati, Adam Duvall’s breakout year with the Cincinnati Reds, and Dean Ambrose winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in his career, 2016 was an awful year. While I remember 2015 as being a fun and solid year overall, 2016 is a year I would love to forget. It all started in January…

My beloved Cincinnati Bengals rode a 12-4 record into the postseason where they faced their AFC North rival and the most hated football team in the Queen City: the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two teams met in the first round of the playoffs in a rematch that was 10 years in the making. Despite the Bengals playing without starting quarterback Andy Dalton, the team managed to grab the lead late in the fourth quarter. An interception by Vontaze Burfict seemingly ended a playoff win draught that plagued the franchise and the city for 25 years. Then the implosion happened. All the Bengals had to do was run out the clock, but Jeremy Hill fumbled the ball and the Steelers recovered. The defense committed two nonsensical and costly penalties, which put the Steelers in field goal range. The kick was good, and the Bengals were once again bounced from the playoffs in the first round in the most heartbreaking fashion.

Fast forward to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. March Madness was in full swing and the tourney was producing some heart-stopping moments. The University of Cincinnati became a victim of one of those heart-stopping moments. After falling in the American Athletic Conference tournament in quadruple overtime thriller to the University of Connecticut, the Bearcats fell in the first round of March Madness to St. Joe’s in another exciting game. With the Bearcats down two points, Ocatvius Ellis appeared to have tied the game with a slam-dunk as time expired. Replay showed that the ball was still in the hands of Ellis as time ran out on the clock. The bucket did not count, and the Bearcats lost 78-76.

The University of Xavier Musketeers also suffered a heartbreaking loss to end their season. After arguably their best regular season in school history, the Musketeers secured a two seed in March Madness and looked to make a big splash in the tournament. Unfortunately that would not happen. The Musketeers battled the Wisconsin Badgers in the second round of the tournament. The game was tied at 63-63, and the Badgers inbounded the ball. Bronson Koenig threw up a shot from behind the arc that fell through the net as the buzzer sounded. The Musketeers lost and were denied a trip to the Sweet 16.

After March Madness came baseball, and the Cincinnati Reds were pitiful to watch. I understand that it was a rebuilding year, but I personally didn’t think they would be as awful as they were. The team finished with a record of 68-94 and missed the playoffs for the third straight year. Players were seemingly getting injured everyday, the performances on the field were generally poor, and the season just left a bad taste in the moths of Reds fans.

For as bad as the Reds were, there was a tremendous bright spot during the summer for Queen City sports. Cincinnati’s United Soccer Leauge team began to make a lot of noise on and off the pitch, and soccer fever reached record highs in the city. However, FC Cincinnati was not immune to disappointment. Despite setting numerous attendance records and qualifying for the playoffs, the team fell in the first round of the postseason in front of a record setting home crowd at Nippert Stadium. While not as heartbreaking as the Bengals playoff loss, it was still sad to see such an amazing debut season end with defeat.

Once the soccer season and the baseball season were finished, attention focused back to the Bengals. Almost everybody expected them to compete for the division title and once again be a top team in the NFL. That was not the case. The team has had a very disappointing 2016 season that makes the playoff loss from January even tougher for Who Dey Nation to swallow. Star players such as A.J. Green, Giovani Bernard, and Tyler Eifert having their seasons end prematurely due to injury was like rubbing salt in the wound. The team will finish third in the AFC North and will have a lot of work to do in the offseason if they hope to make the playoffs next year. It is fitting that a year that started with disappointment from the Bengals ends with the Bengals once again disappointing the city.

2016 was a rough one for Cincinnati sports. The Reds have fallen from being division champs to basement dwellers, FC Cincinnati, the UC Bearcats, and the Xavier Musketeers suffered heartbreaking postseason losses, and the Bengals started and ended 2016 with disappointment. I have personally hated 2016 and cannot wait for the fresh year to start. Hopefully it is a much better year for the city of Cincinnati, and its sports teams.

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#whodey #letsroar #NFL #MNF #TNF #football #BALvsCIN #sports pic.twitter.com/JUl6vPDYTG

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 28, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey  #LetsRoar #BALvsCIN #MNF #TNF #NFL #BeyondTheStripes #football pic.twitter.com/rJpeUk1Nht

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 28, 2016

Will The Shield Ever Fully Reunite?

Factions have and always will be big factors in professional wrestling. For those of you who do not know, a faction is a group of wrestlers that are tied together through some sort of alliance. Whether that alliance is from the sharing of a manager or a common goal, factions generally stick together and will try to eliminate everything that stands in their way. Even though factions usually rise to power before breaking up, a reunion between the faction’s members down the line is usually inevitable. From groups like the Four Horsemen, the New World Order, and D-Generation X, factions have proven that even though it appears that the wrestlers that formed the group have parted ways, there is always a possibility of a reunion.

In the current WWE landscape, the most successful faction has been the Shield. The trio of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns burst on the scene in 2012 as a group of renegades that set out to right the wrongs that they believed tainted the WWE. The Shield was booked as a three man wrecking crew that steamrolled opponents such as Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Ryback, and John Cena among others. They made waves by triple powerbombing the Undertaker through an announce table on SmackDown and by capturing the United States Championship and the Tag Team Championships on the same night at Extreme Rules 2013.

As the trio rose in power, so did their popularity. It became more apparent with each passing week that this faction was destined for greatness as Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns began to become some of the most popular wrestlers on the roster. After dominating 2013, the group looked to do the same in 2014. They waged war with the Wyatt Family, the New Age Outlaws, and Evolution, and it appeared that the era of the Shield would never end. That is until Rollins leveled Ambrose and Reigns with a chair and dismantled the brotherhood that he helped bring to power. Rollins aligned himself with the Authority, and Ambrose and Reigns embarked on singles careers while still remaining tag team partners.

Even though the Shield went their separate ways, their careers continued to intertwine as they battled each other multiple times in their quest to become the best in the professional wrestling business. All three eventually captured the top prize in the industry: the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins won his first title at Wrestlemania 31, Reigns would earn his first championship at Survivor Series 2015, and Ambrose would finally become champion at Money in the Bank 2016. In fact, Money in the Bank 2016 was the night that each Shield member was WWE World Heavyweight Champion as Reigns was defeated by Rollins who was then defeated by Ambrose after Ambrose cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. The Shield battled for the title in a triple threat match at Battleground 2016 with Ambrose once again emerging victorious.

Since Battleground 2016, Ambrose has been on SmackDown while Rollins and Reigns have been on Raw. The faction briefly reunited at Survivor Series 2016 when they triple powerbombed A.J. Styles through an announce table, and they shared screen time during 2016’s Tribute to the Troops special. While hints have been dropped of a Shield reunion, it still has not fully happened. The trio continues to pursue singles glory, and any interaction between the three wrestlers has been brief aside from a few tag team matches and a recent alignment of Reigns and Rollins on Raw.

As it stands now, a Shield reunion does not appear to be happening anytime soon. Ambrose is on SmackDown, Rollins is gunning for Triple H, and Reigns is in the midst of a feud with Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal Championship. That isn’t to say a full-fledged reunion is out of the question. As WWE has proven before, never say never. The New World Order reunited in 2002 and D-Generation X in 2006. With all three wrestlers currently being faces, all it would take is for them to be on the same show. Ambrose could easily be traded to Raw, or WWE could decide to end the brand extension. Until then, the only thing WWE fans can do is wait for the hounds of justice to once again reign supreme over WWE.

Believe in the Shield!

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#whodey #letsroar #NFL #MNF #TNF #football #CINvsHOU #sports pic.twitter.com/IMVmzk3gey

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 21, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #LetsRoar #CINvsHOU #MNF #TNF #NFL #BeyondTheStripes #football pic.twitter.com/UGFYrTeuxL

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 21, 2016

WWE Roadblock 2016 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Roadblock 2016.

Redsfest 2016 Day 1

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about his experience at day 1 of Redsfest 2016.

My Redsfest 2016 Experience

Redsfest is the massive fan fest that the Cincinnati Reds hold every December. It is a great way for fans to meet some of their favorite Reds players of today as well as some of the future stars of tomorrow. Throw in a couple of legends from Reds teams of yesteryear and you have an epic weekend that is like heaven on Earth. I was fortunate enough to get to go to Redsfest again, and I will share my thoughts on this year’s edition in this post.

When it came to autographs, I did pretty well. I managed to get over 30 autographs from past, current, and future players. In terms of players signing autographs, the selection was pretty good. There was a good balance of players spanning many generations to get autographs from and the system of obtaining autographs that the Reds organized for fans worked well for the most part. I was able to get the signatures of Dave Parker, Glenn Braggs, and Nick Senzel among others.

The only autograph complaint I have is of how the Lou Piniella autograph signing was handled. It seemed that word had gotten out of when Piniella would be signing, and the line for his autograph booth was already full before it was officially announced that he would be signing autographs. This was really unfair as it prevented everybody from having an equal shot at getting Piniella’s autograph. Hopefully that does not happen next year.

I also really enjoyed the exhibits. There were some game used memorabilia to check out and buy, the Redsfest main stage with Q and A sessions and game shows, and the Reds Hall of Fame section with the World Series trophies and bobbleheads are just a few of the exhibits Redsfest had to offer. There is a lot to look at and immerse yourself in at Redsfest, and I highly recommend going on both days in order to get the full Redsfest experience.

You can see pictures from the event that I took as well as autographs that I got on the photo page and the autograph page on this site. You can also check out my Redsfest videos on the CFZ Vlogs playlist that can be accessed through the video page.

In conclusion, Redsfest 2016 was another great event that was well executed by the Cincinnati Reds. There were autograph opportunities, the chance to meet some of your favorite Reds players, and the two-day celebration of Redsfest is one that every true Reds fan should experience. Hopefully I can go again in 2017!

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#whodey #letsroar #NFL #MNF #TNF #football #PITvsCIN #sports pic.twitter.com/DUKgtllV19

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 14, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #LetsRoar #PITvsCIN #MNF #TNF #NFL #BeyondTheStripes #football pic.twitter.com/xlJGZ4Rhls

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 14, 2016

Too Much of a Good Thing?

I am a die heard professional wrestling fan. I was hooked on the violent form of sports entertainment ever since I was a kid when guys like Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock were the top stars of the industry. In fact, the professional wrestling industry was at the height of its popularity as World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling were battling for television ratings and the title of the top professional wrestling company in the world. WCW was eventually bought out by WWE leaving Vince McMahon’s wrestling empire as the undisputed champion of sports entertainment. WWE has since gone on to launch the WWE Network, and the amount of weekly programming WWE produces has increased drastically. While more programming sounds good on paper, is it a good idea in all actuality?

I do not think it is. During the height of professional wrestling’s popularity, WWE’s weekly programming consisted of two hours of Monday Night Raw, two hours of SmackDown on Thursday, and a three hour pay-per-view one Sunday a month. Let’s compare that to the current amount of WWE programming.

Monday Night Raw has since expanded to three hours with a 30-minute kickoff show, which is streamed, on YouTube and the WWE Network, that precedes each episode. SmackDown is still two hours long, but it too has a 30-minute kick off show that streams on YouTube and the WWE Network as well as a post show called Talking Smack that runs about 20-30 minutes on the WWE Network. WWE recently launched 205 Live to showcase its cruiserweight division. The show airs on the WWE Network after SmackDown, and the debut episode was about 50 minutes long. NXT, a show featuring WWE’s developmental system, airs for an hour every Wednesday. Pay-per-views have since increased to about two a month that run an average of three hours long. There is also a one-hour kickoff show for each pay-per-view unless the pay-per-view is the Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, SummerSlam, or Survivor Series in which case the kickoff show is two hours long.

That is a massive amount of weekly WWE programming to watch each week. For hardcore fans, watching that much wrestling a week is not a big deal. However WWE often tries to attract non-viewers and casual fans to its product, and I think this much programming in one week can be overwhelming. I consider myself a hardcore wrestling fan, and I have trouble keeping up with all the weekly wrestling shows WWE produces. I can only imagine what a casual fan must go through when trying to understand the storylines playing out on WWE programming.

I think WWE should consider cutting back on the amount of programming it produces. Perhaps reducing Raw back to two hours or eliminating the kickoff shows could help the situation by eliminating the feeling of being overwhelmed. Back when WWE had its highest ratings, it had only a few hours of programming a week. Maybe WWE could reflect on what made it so popular and try to expand upon that instead of its amount of weekly television shows.

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals & #Reds Autographs#whodey #letsroar #redsfest #letsgoreds #CINvsCLE pic.twitter.com/QAj2woVTNO

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 7, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals & and #Reds Pics#WhoDey #Redsfest #LetsRoar #CINvsCLE  #LetsGoReds #TNF #NFL pic.twitter.com/ALdZ2dQlx7

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 7, 2016

WWE TLC 2016 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE TLC 2016.

Mr. Red Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a Mr. Red bobblehead that was part of a 2002 credit card promotion.

2017 Cincinati Reds Bobblehead Predictions Part 2

Please note that this was written before any bobbleheads were announced.

With Redsfest just around the corner, I thought it would be an appopriate time to share my predictions for the 2017 series of Cincinnati Reds bobbleheads. One post will cover the line of nodders that the team will give away to fans during the season, and another post I will write will discuss the bobbleheads I think the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give out during 2017. Please note that these are just my predictions and not an actual list of bobbleheads the Reds are producing. In this post, I will discuss the bobbles that I think the Reds Hall of Fame will hand out to fans this upcoming season.

My first prediction is a bobblehead of Lou Piniella. The legendary manager of the 1990 wire-to-wire World Series Championship team has yet to be immortalized as a Reds bobblehead. To me, that is a huge travesty as the team won its first World Series since 1976 with Piniella at the helm. Since Piniella is more involved with the Reds organization now than in years past, hopefully this is the year Reds fans finally get a bobblehead of “Sweet Lou.”

Another Reds legend I predict that the Reds Hall of Fame will give to fans as a bobblehead is Johnny Vander Meer. Vander Meer is famous for being the only pitcher in MLB history to throw consecutive no-hitters, and he helped the Reds win the World Series in 1940. Vander Meer is another player whose lack of bobblehead from the Reds baffles me. Since he has not been immortalized as a bobble yet, I predict that this is the year we finally see the only man with back-to-back no hitters as a bobblehead.

Third on my list of predictions is Ted Kluszewski. “Big Klu” is another Reds legend who I thought should have had a bobblehead a long time ago. Known for cutting the sleeves off his jersey, Kluszewski was a widely popular favorite among Reds fans. After his playing days were over, Kluszewski became a hitting coach for the Big Red Machine and helped the team win consecutive World Series Championships in 1975 and in 1976.

My fourth prediction is Jose Rijo. The 1990 World Series MVP has yet to be featured as a bobblehead. Rijo’s incredible pitching during the 1990 World Series was key in propelling the Reds over the Oakland Athletics. Reds fans have not forgotten his contributions either as he received a great ovation at the 1990 World Series reunion game in 2015.

My fifth and final prediction is that the Reds Hall of Fame will give out a bobblehead of Aaron Boone. Boone was one of the biggest stars on the team during the late 1990s and early 2000s before he was traded to the New York Yankees. Boone was a favorite of mine when I was a kid, and the popular “Booooooooooone” chant echoed throughout the stadium whenever he came up to bat. The Reds never gave out a bobblehead of him during his playing days, so hopefully the Reds Hall of Fame rights that wrong this year.

Those are my predictions for the five bobbleheads the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give out to fans. Should my predictions prove to be true, I will be heading to the Reds Hall of Fame once a month to get each bobble. These are only predictions though, and no official bobblehead giveaway has been announced by the Reds Hall of Fame at the time that I wrote this. Until then, us Reds fans can only speculate and guess what kinds of bobbleheads the Reds Hall of Fame has planned for 2017.

Go Redlegs!

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #PHIvsCIN #TNF #MNF #nba #nhl #sports pic.twitter.com/nxyVQSFuiQ

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 30, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #PHIvsCIN #football #nba #NFL #NHL #sports #TNF pic.twitter.com/Ss4Ck6JdCZ

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 30, 2016

2017 Cincinati Reds Bobblehead Predictions Part 1

With Redsfest just around the corner, I thought it would be an appopriate time to share my predictions for the 2017 series of Cincinnati Reds bobbleheads. One post will cover the line of nodders that the team will give away to fans during the season, and another post I will write will discuss the bobbleheads I think the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give out during 2017. Please note that these are just my predictions and not an actual list of bobbleheads the Reds are producing. Let’s start with the bobbles that I think the team will hand out to fans this upcoming season.

One of the few bright spots on last year's team was Adam Duvall. The left fielder made his way to the Reds by way of a trade with the San Francisco Giants in 2015, and he had his first full season as a member of the Redlegs last year. He quickly burst on the scene with great defense in the outfield and an impressive bat at the plate. He also represented the Reds in the 2016 Home Run Derby and in the MLB All-Star Game. Based on his fantastic Reds debut last year, I think it's a no brainer that he will be featured as a bobblehead in 2017.

Another possible candidate to be featured as a bobblehead is Reds pitcher Raisel Iglesias. Although he spent some time on the disabled list because of injuries last year, he managed to bounce back and pick up right where he left off in 2015 albeit from the bullpen instead of the starting rotation. He seemingly became the heir apparent to Aroldis Chapman as Iglesias was largely used as a closer. Due to his solid 2015 and 2016 campaigns, I could definitely see the Reds featuring the young pitcher as a nodder for the upcoming season.

Speaking of young pitches, Brandon Finnegan is another potential player to be featured as a bobblehead. With this team undergoing a reconstruction period, Finnegan was without a shadow of a doubt the most consistent young pitcher in the starting rotation. He flirted with a no hitter and was always reliable whenever he took to the mound. Finnegan is a guy the Reds can build a starting rotation around, and I believe he deserves to be immortalized as a bobblehead.

The most exciting player on the Reds roster last year was Billy Hamilton. While he is known for struggling at the plate, his speed and defensive prowess have made him a favorite player among Reds fans. His reckless abandon in center field added many impressive catches to his defensive highlight reel and cemented him as one of MLB's premier outfielders. Even though he has already had two bobbleheads given out by the Reds in the past, I do not doubt that the team will go back to the Billy Hamilton well once again when you consider the lack of established stars the team has.

The fifth and final bobblehead I predict the Reds will give out is a Star Wars themed nodder. Last season, the team gave a bobblehead of Mr. Redlegs flying an X-Wing, and it was really cool and easily one of the best nodders the Reds have ever given out to fans. With Star Wars themed bobbleheads being a growing trend among MLB teams, I expect the Reds to give out another Star Wars themed bobble. My guess is a bobblehead of Gapper that looks like Chewbacca.

Those are my predictions for the five bobbleheads the Cincinnati Reds will give out to fans. Should my predictions prove to be true, I would attend every bobblehead game except the Billy Hamilton one as I already have a nodder of Hamilton in my collection. These are only predictions though, and no official bobblehead giveaway has been announced by the team at the time that I wrote this. Until then, us Reds fans can only speculate and guess what kinds of bobbleheads the team has planned for 2017.

Go Redlegs!

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CINvsBAL #TNF #MNF #nba #nhl #sports pic.twitter.com/vdR85wnK9j

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 23, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CINvsBAL #football #nba #NFL #NHL #sports #TNF pic.twitter.com/KV2utTYda4

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 23, 2016

Survivor Series 2016 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Survivor Series 2016.

Bengal Graphs 2016 Part 2

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different autographs he has gotten from the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2016 NFL season.

My Top 5 WWE Fantasy Matches

With WWE’s Survivor Series event hyping the “fantasy” matchup of Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg II, I thought that this would be a good time to share five fantasy bouts of mine. Some of these matches have a slight chance of happening while others can only take place in the world of WWE video games. For the sake of variety, I will not repeat wrestlers for this post. Without any further ado, here are my top five WWE fantasy matches.

5. Brian Pillman vs. Dean Ambrose

Being a Greater Cincinnati native, I would love to see the two most famous wrestlers from the Queen City square off in the middle of the ring. Pillman’s high flying maneuvers that earned him the nickname of “Flyin’ Brian” combined with his “loose cannon” gimmick would make for a very interesting wrestling mash up with Ambrose’s hardcore reputation and “lunatic fringe” character. As I said in my introduction, some of these matches can only take place in video games, and this match is one of them as Pillman tragically passed away in 1997.

4. Randy Orton vs. The Rock

This is a bout that I have played many times on my WWE video games. The “Viper” and the “Brahma Bull” would no doubt tear the house down if they ever met in a ring for a one-on-one match. They did have a previous encounter at Wrestlemania 20 in a 3-on-2 tag team match when Evolution took on the Rock ‘n Sock Connection, but these two third generation wrestlers have never battled each other in a singles match. Orton’s slow and calculating approach would clash wonderfully with the charismatic and electrifying tactics of the Rock. This match has a pretty good chance of taking place as Orton is still an active wrestler, and the Rock usually comes back to the WWE once a year.

3. John Cena vs. Hulk Hogan

I think this match is a no brainer as Cena, the self-proclaimed “face that runs the place,” is today’s version of Hulk Hogan. The similarities between their two characters are obvious as Cena’s mantra of “hustle, loyalty, and respect” is a modern twist on Hogan’s motto of “training, saying your prayers, and eating your vitamins.” Both are notorious for turning matches around in their favor with Hogan “hulking” up and Cena utilizing what have become known as the “five moves of doom.” These two teamed up with Shawn Michaels in 2005 on an episode of Monday Night Raw with Hogan going on to face Michaels instead of Cena later that year at Summerslam. A matchup between these two wrestling titans likely will not happen due to Hogan’s back issues and the fact that he is currently not with WWE.

2. Goldberg vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Two of the biggest names to come out of the Monday Night Wars of the late 1990s and early 2000s have never exchanged fists inside the squared circle. Goldberg was arguably the biggest star in WCW, and the same can easily be said about Austin in WWE. Both of their onscreen characters were legitimate tough guys, and their look, wrestling style, and appeal to wrestling fans are eerily similar. Unfortunately, Austin’s history with neck injuries has made this matchup impossible to happen. These two just missed squaring off in 2003 as Goldberg made his WWE debut the night after Austin had his final match at Wrestlemania 19.

1. Sting vs. The Undertaker

To me, this is the ultimate dream match. Sting and the Undertaker were the two cornerstones for their respective companies during the Monday Night War. The stinger never left WCW, and the dead man remained loyal to WWE. Both of their characters evolved during this era of professional wrestling with Sting transitioning from a colorful surfer like wrestler to a silent vigilante reminiscent of “the Crow,” and the Undertaker morphing into the sinister leader of the “Ministry of Darkness” and eventually the intimidating reaper who rode motorcycles to the ring. After WCW was bought out by WWE in 2001, everybody thought that Sting and the Undertaker would finally meet. However, Sting would not appear in a WWE ring until 2014 when he made his WWE debut as the silent vigilante at Survivor Series. During Sting’s absence, the Undertaker had gone back to his dead man character, and these two wrestlers with similar gimmicks seemed destined to clash at the “Showcase of the Immortals.” It looked like the dream match between the Undertaker and Sting was on the verge of becoming a reality at Wrestlemania 31, but Sting faced Triple H and the Undertaker battled Bray Wyatt. A neck injury then forced Sting into early retirement, making this dream match just that, a dream. Sting has hinted that may have one more match left in him, but a bout between the icon and the phenom will most likely never happen.

Those are my top five WWE fantasy matches. I think that each match would be an exciting bout to watch and would easily be a match of the year candidate. There are more dream matches that I would like to see such as D-Generation X taking on the New World Order or Austin and Hogan meeting for the first time, but as I said in the introduction to this post, I was only listing one wrestler per match for the sake of variety. Hopefully one of these matches does indeed happen in the future, but until then, I will continue to play out these bouts in the form of video games.

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOD1kG With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #BUFvsCIN #TNF #MNF #nba #nhl #sports pic.twitter.com/dGLyhSlIuy

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 16, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdx14fU With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #BUFvsCIN #football #nba #NFL #NHL #sports #TNF pic.twitter.com/pKT3d0kZ3T

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 16, 2016

2015 All Star Mr. Redlegs Bobblehead and Bobblestache Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2015 All-Star Mr. Redlegs bobblestache and bobblehead. 

The Streak Still Stings

In the world of sports, nothing lasts forever. The Chicago Cubs proved that last week when they ended a drought that had plagued the north side of the city for over a century by vanquishing the “curse of the goat” and bringing Wrigley Field its first Commissioners Trophy since 1908. While Chicago celebrates, Cleveland mourns as their search for their first World Series championship since 1948 continues. Cincinnati is in a similar situation.

Though not as a drastic as the title woes of the Indians, the Cincinnati Reds are now closing in on a 30-year gap since they last won the World Series. The previous time the Reds won it all was 1990. Under the tutelage of Lou Piniella, guys like Eric Davis, Barry Larkin, Billy Hatcher, and the Nasty Boys spearheaded a World Series sweep of the Oakland Athletics to cap off a wire-to-wire season. Since then, the Reds have only made it to the postseason in 1995, 2010, 2012, and 2013 and have failed to win the World Series all four times.

2012 was the year I thought the Reds had the talent necessary to win it all. Unfortunately an injury to ace pitcher Johnny Cueto in Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series and a three game collapse at Great American Ballpark ended what had been the most successful season since the 1995 campaign. With the Reds in an era of reconstruction, the streak of seasons without a World Series championship for the Queen City does not appear to be ending soon.

When it comes to the gridiron, the Cincinnati Bengals are still searching for their Super Bowl victory in franchise history and their first postseason win since the 1990 season. Despite reaching the Super Bowl twice in the 1980s, the Bengals fell to the San Francisco 49ers both times. Following the 1990 season, the team fell into an abyss that members of Who Dey Nation know as the “Dark Ages of the 1990s.” Marvin Lewis was then hired and began to lead the Bengals out of the wilderness and into the promised land in 2003. The team has reached the playoffs seven times with Lewis at the helm.

Unfortunately the Bengals were defeated in the first round of the postseason all seven times and are not only still trying to win their first Super Bowl but their first playoff game in nearly 30 years. The Bengals have made the playoffs for the past five years, and the 2015 season appeared to be the season of destiny for the team. They finished with a record of 12-4 and had the city dreaming of a Super Bowl victory. A December thumb injury to Andy Dalton and an infamous implosion in the playoff game derailed what had been the most successful Bengals season of my lifetime and extended the playoff win draught.

Like the Indians, the city of Cincinnati knows all about postseason streaks that result in heartbreak. The Reds and the Bengals haven’t had real postseason success since 1990 as that was the last year the Reds won the World Series and the final time the Bengals notched a playoff victory. Hopefully this streak of postseason misery comes to an end soon so that Cincinnati sports fans can once again feel the joy of a win when it matters most.

Go Redlegs and Who Dey!

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CINvsNYG #TNF #MNF #nba #nhl #sports pic.twitter.com/yBv3mLCx5K

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 9, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals & #Bearcats Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CINvsNYG #football #nba #TNF #NFL pic.twitter.com/9ZMvuAtJeX

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 9, 2016

Goldberg vs. Lesnar II: Survivor Series or Wrestlemania?

For months, rumors had been swirling that WWE was in negotiations with Goldberg for a return bout against Brock Lesnar, and a recent ESPN interview all but confirmed that the man who had compiled a record of 173-0 in World Championship Wrestling was indeed set to make his return. WWE hyped up the interview on its social media outlets and on its weekly television programs before Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, issued the challenge to Goldberg. The next week, Goldberg made his return to Monday Night Raw after a 12 year absence and declared that Lesnar was “next.” WWE then announced that Goldberg and Lesnar would square off at Survivor Series in November.

For Lesnar, it is a chance to right the lone blemish on his list of wrestlers that he has been able to conquer throughout his WWE career. For Goldberg, it is an opportunity to prove that he can still hang with the best that the wrestling world has to offer. A match of this magnitude should be reserved for the grandest of stages. Survivor Series is one of WWE’s biggest shows of the year, but is it big enough for Goldberg vs. Lesnar II?

Personally, I don’t think it is. Survivor Series is regarded as the smallest of WWE’s “Big Four” pay-per-view events behind the Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, and Wrestlemania and is known for its traditional five on five elimination tag team matches. Wrestlemania on the other hand is known for its marquee bouts that often feature wrestling legends. Goldberg vs. Lesnar II is a marquee match that should be saved for Wrestlemania. This would allow WWE to slowly build up the story with the payoff match being at its biggest event of the year. They could continue to build up Lesnar as “the beast” by having him steamroll opponents, and they could also build Goldberg up by having him start a new winning streak before putting it on the line against Lesnar.

The slow build would entice fans and help make the anticipation for the match reach a fever pitch. The Wrestlemania setting would also play a natural role in the story as Goldberg defeated Lesnar in their first encounter at Wrestlemania 20. WWE could bill this as a Wrestlemania rematch 13 years in the making, and it would easily increase the amount of buys and hype for the pay-per-view. That is not to say that it would not affect Survivor Series in a similar fashion, but WWE prides itself on having Wrestlemania being the one event of the year that shatters records. Goldberg vs. Lesnar II would no doubt help WWE do that.

That is why I think WWE should save Goldberg vs. Lesnar II for Wrestlemania 33. Survivor Series is a big show, but Wrestlemania is bigger and having the bout take place there would be more beneficial for both the match and WWE. The story could build slowly which would heighten anticipation, the Wrestlemania setting would play right into the buildup of the match, and the bout between Goldberg and Lesnar is defiantly worthy of being contested at the “Showcase of the Immortals.”

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #WASvsCIN #TNF #MNF #WorldSeries #mlb pic.twitter.com/cyVltBLLJi

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 2, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #WASvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes #TNF   #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/iij3XdOkKs

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 2, 2016

WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Hell in a Cell 2016.

Wrestlemania 31 Blu-Ray Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Blu-Ray edition of Wrestlemania 31.

TNA’s Trials and Tribulations

The wrestling industry has never been the same since the fall of WCW in 2001. Vince McMahon has ruled the professional wrestling world for the last 15 years with ease as the closest thing to competition the WWE has had is Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and that isn’t really saying much. TNA started with promise as its blend of veteran talent with young and up and coming stars looked poised to make the company a credible threat to Vince McMahon’s wrestling empire. Unfortunately a series of bad contracts and storylines have seen ratings for its weekly “Impact Wrestling” show decline as well as many of the company’s stars leave for greener pastures. Things have gotten so bad that the future of the company is in limbo.

About a month ago, TNA’s version of Wrestlemania, Bound for Glory, was in danger of being cancelled as the company was scrambling to find funds for the pay-per-view. The company is currently for sale, and the two leading candidates to buy the company from owner Dixie Carter in the week leading up to Bound for Glory were McMahon’s WWE and TNA president and Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan. It was expected that news on who purchased the company was going to break on that Friday.

Twitter was buzzing as it was widely speculated that McMahon had purchased TNA, and he would once again be able to put another notch in his belt of competitors he conquered. However, neither company confirmed the purchase and on Saturday, it was being reported that TNA had managed to attain the funds needed to pay for both Bound for Glory and its Impact Wrestling tapings for the rest of the year. According to reports, neither WWE nor Corgan funded the pay-per-view, and Bound for Glory went off without a hitch, and TNA was also able to tape enough Impact Wrestling shows for the rest of the year.

A few days later, reports began to surface that WWE and Carter had reached an agreement in which WWE would buy TNA, but apparently Carter backed out at the last minute and still owned the wrestling promotion. It was then reported that WWE had purchased the TNA video library, and Corgan had purchased TNA with the intent of rebranding and rebuilding the company. Those reports turned out to be false however, and Carter is, at the time that this article was written, still the owner of TNA. The drama is not over though as Corgan is now suing TNA despite being the company’s president. In the latest development, TNA’s funds for Bound for Glory and the Impact Wrestling tapings reportedly came from Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Anthem Sports & Entertainment owns Fight Network which is in a global distribution partnership with TNA.

Needless to say this is the most interest TNA has garnered in a long time. The drama of whether or not the company would be able to stay afloat as well as the interest of Vince McMahon in the company set the wrestling world on fire with rumors and speculation. Part of me wants to see McMahon buy TNA so that some of the TNA wrestlers could go toe to toe with the WWE roster and so that the TNA video library could be added to the WWE Network. The other part of me wants to see Corgan buy the company so that TNA can get a second chance at being a credible threat to WWE. That would then hopefully usher in a period of creativity and innovation that has not been seen since the Monday night war between WCW and WWE. Until a report of TNA being sold is confirmed to be true, wrestling fans are left to speculate and wonder about the future of the company. Hopefully something develops in the near future.

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOD1kG With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #WASvsCIN #TNF #MNF #WorldSeries #mlb pic.twitter.com/GCAu3yS8oc

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 26, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #WASvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/1pcO8mdpcG

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 26, 2016

Bengal Graphs 2016

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows off the different autographs he has gotten through the first four weeks of the 2016 NFL season.

The Gift of Jericho

WWE Raw can feel like a chore to watch sometimes. It may be the third hour of programming or the lack of character development that wrestlers such as the cruiserweights have, but sitting through Raw every Monday night can be a tough thing to do. The brand split has changed the dynamic of WWE by making SmackDown the premier WWE show as its programming is very well done and is a joy to watch every Tuesday. Despite the blue brand overcoming Raw in terms of quality, Raw has something that SmackDown does not: the gift of Jericho.

Chris Jericho has been the best part of Monday Night Raw ever since the draft, and he seemingly gets better each and every week. Even though he is a veteran on the roster and one of the last active wrestlers from the Attitude Era, Jericho has never been more entertaining than he is right now, and that’s saying something. From an in ring perspective, Jericho has been and still is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He usually delivers with solid action and a great performance no matter who his opponent is. However, his work on the microphone is what is really making him standout from the rest of the pack of the red brand.

Ever since his feud with Dean Ambrose resulted in Jericho replacing his light up jacket with a vest and scarf, Jericho has been adding layers to his character that make him one of the most interesting and entertaining wrestlers in WWE. His ability to turn the phrase “stupid idiot” and the word “it” into part of his gimmick is on par with Stone Cold Steve Austin turning the word “what” into an arena chant that is still said by wrestling crowds today. His latest additions to his arsenal of catch phrases in “you just made the list” and “quiet” have caught in with the WWE Universe rather quickly, and I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before WWE capitalizes on this by releasing merchandise featuring Y2J’s popular sayings.

Another great aspect of Jericho’s character is his “best friend” Kevin Owens. Like Jericho, Owens is a great in ring performer and is excellent on the microphone and when paired with Jericho, a segment that would otherwise seem like boring filler becomes instantly entertaining. WWE refers to them as Jeri-KO, but Jericho calls themselves Team Chris and Kevin and Owens says Team Kevin and Chris. It’s little details like this that display the great chemistry Owens and Jericho have with each other. Owens will often tell Jericho to put somebody on the list which Jericho does, and Jericho refers to himself and Owens as the WWE Universal Champion by constantly using the pronoun “we” when discussing the title despite the fact that Owens is the actual champ. This “friendship” with Owens is another great element of Jericho’s character that both gives him somebody to play off of while planting the seeds for a future rivalry.

In conclusion, it is plain to see why Jericho is the best part of Monday Night Raw. Despite being one of the oldest wrestlers on the roster, he can still perform in the ring like he did when he first burst on the scene. He continues to prove why he is regarded as one of the best talkers in the industry, and his ability to play off Kevin Owens is fantastic. However, words cannot do Jericho justice and to truly see how entertaining Y2J is, tune into Monday Night Raw so that you can drink in the gift of Jericho.