Hell in a Cell 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Hell in a Cell 2018.

Boos for Braun?

There are a few certainties in life. Death, taxes, and Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman will always win cleanly no matter the odds. Almost every time I watch WWE programming, both Reigns and Strowman are usually having their hands raised in victory. The only difference between the two is that Reigns is booked to look like an underdog despite his "Big Dog" moniker. Strowman on the other hand is billed as the "Monster Among Men" and is booked like one most of the time. The two have crossed paths before with Reigns playing the hated face and Strowman taking on the role of beloved heel. However, Strowman has since left the dark side of the wrestling world and has been booked to win almost every match he has. Could this cause Strowman's crowd reactions to mimic that of Reigns?

I think it might. Despite being booked as a monster, WWE made Strowman appear as a bit of an underdog at Money in the Bank. Every wrestler in that match teamed together to eliminate Strowman by attempting to bury the monster underneath a pile of ladders. That was not enough to stop him though as he soon emerged from the rubble like Godzilla rising out of the sea and proceeded to destroy everybody in sight in route to winning the Money in the Bank briefcase. There are only a handful of guys I can think of who can overcome odds like that and win: Hulk Hogan, John Cena, and Roman Reigns. All have previously been booked as unstoppable underdogs and all have previously been booed out of the building. If WWE is not careful, Strowman might be grouped in this category.

Let's look at some of Strowman's accomplishments so far this year. At Wrestlemania 34, he easily defeated the Bar with a kid name Nicholas to win the Raw Tag Team Championships. He then won the Greatest Royal Rumble match in Saudi Arabia. He overcame the odds at Money in the Bank, and even though his team lost the next night on Raw, it was Balor, not Strowman, who ate the pin. In terms of professional wrestling, that is an incredible year so far and we are only in the month of June. There are still six months left in 2018 for Strowman to be booked as invincible.

WWE crowds turn on wrestlers they think are overexposed or never lose. While Strowman is not there yet, he's getting awfully close. A lot of people did not like the decision to have Strowman win the Money in the Bank briefcase as they feel like he is already over enough with the crowd. Despite that sentiment, WWE still booked the monster to win and he has already called out Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Everybody thinks Strowman will cash in and finally be the one to defeat the beast. I'm thinking that Reigns and Lesnar clash at SummerSlam with Reigns finally taking the belt from the beast only for Strowman to cash in and take the title from Reigns. This sends the crowd home happy and keeps Strowman on the crowd's good side as he will be feuding with Reigns again. But what about when the Reigns feud is finished? We'll have to wait and see what happens. Hopefully WWE handles Strowman better than they have Reigns so that monster does not feel the wrath of the fans.

Wrestlemania 32 Two-Disc Blu-Ray Set Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. This week's post will look at the Blu-ray version of Wrestlemania 32.

Aside from watching Wrestlemania 32 live on television when it aired in 2016, I have only seen it on Blu-ray on a 16:9 television screen. Therefore I have no idea how the DVD version of Wrestlemania 32 is presented on a 16:9 or a 4:3 television.

This Wrestlemania has the infamous distinction of being considered one of the worst and one of the longest Wrestlemanias of all time. Clocking in at just under seven hours when adding in the two hour kickoff show that aired prior to the main card, the event had to be split up on two Blu-ray discs. The first disc contains most of the Wrestlemania 32 card. It starts with Fifth Harmony performing “America the Beautiful” and ends with the Rock coming to the ring to address the crowd. Also included on the first disc are the three matches that took place on the kickoff show.

The second disc features the Wrestlemania 32 main event that saw Roman Reigns challenge Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I also features the entire 2016 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony that featured a very good class of inductees. New hall of famers included the Godfather, the Fabulous Freebirds, and Sting. Obviously Sting was the headliner for this class as he is undoubtedly one of the greatest stars in the history of professional wrestling. I loved his epic battle with the New World Order in 1997 as he became the silent vigilante for World Championship Wrestling. His induction alone is enough to make this ceremony worth watching. The last feature on disc 2 is a Blu-ray exclusive titled “Fighting for a Legacy.”

The packaging is not really eye-popping. The front features the Wrestlemania 32 logo and the wrestlers that were involved in the biggest matches. The back is very similar to that of the Wrestlemania 31 set as it features a few pictures from the event’s biggest moments. It also a small paragraph that discusses the matches and lists the bonus content as well as the 2016 hall of fame inductees.

The inside packaging is pretty bland as it features a wide shot of a lukewarm crowd response to the WWE title win of Roman Reigns.

In conclusion, this is a really good home video version of Wrestlemania 32. Despite the event definitely not being one of the best of all time and being classified as mediocre, the Blu-ray version does contain every match and the entire hall of fame ceremony. The women’s championship triple threat match, the Intercontinental Championship ladder match, AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho, and seeing Shane McMahon channel his inner Mick Foley in the Hell in a Cell match against the Undertaker are definitely the highlights of this event. If you are a diehard fan of professional wrestling, I’d pick up the Blu-ray version.

Stay tuned for the Wrestlemania 33 Blu-ray review!

Elimination Chamber 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Elimination Chamber 2018.

Roman vs. Brock…Round 2

At the Royal Rumble, we learned that Shinske Nakamura will challenge WWE World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles for the belt at Wrestlemania 34 by virtue of his royal rumble match victory. The Wrestle Kingdom rematch should be one of the best that take place in the Superdome on April 8 and could potentially steal the show. With SmackDown’s main event set, what will Raw counter with at Wrestlemania? I believe that the red brand will showcase Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship.

Much like Nakamura vs. Styles is a rematch, so is Reigns vs. Lesnar. The two previously had a main event battle at Wrestlemania 31 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. While the match itself was fine, the true moment of excitement occurred when Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase during the bout and pinned Reigns to win the title for himself. It was an incredible ending to one of the best Wrestlemania events of all time. A lot of people feel that the enormous amount of backlash that Reigns was receiving from fans caused WWE to call an audible and have Rollins cash in and win the belt.

Even though WWE gave into the demands of the fans in 2015, they did not in 2016 as Reigns defeated Triple H for the title at Wrestlemania 32 to a deafening chorus of boos. Fan hatred for Reigns only grew after last year’s Wrestlemania main event in which the “Big Dog” pinned the Undertaker to hand the “Phenom” only his second Wrestlemania loss. That was the third consecutive Wrestlemania main event that featured Reigns, and I think he is heading for a fourth. Immediately after Wrestlemania 33 ended, I tweeted that it will be Reigns vs. Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34. I’m sticking with that prediction.

WWE has seemingly been building up to this match ever since Rollins cashed in at Wrestlemania 31. They have been building up Lesnar as an unstoppable beast while at the same time packaging Reigns as the only man who can truly conquer the conqueror. Reigns and Lesnar rarely lose cleanly if at all, and they are the only two wrestlers to have defeated the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Reigns was supposed to defeat Lesnar three years ago. WWE made a last minute switch. That will not happen this year. I’m predicting Reigns will win the Elimination Chamber match before he turns “Suplex City” into the latest extension of the “Roman Empire” at Wrestlemania 34. I’m not saying I’m a fan of that decision, but I definitely think it will happen.

Believe that.

Royal Rumble 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2018 WWE Royal Rumble event.

WWE Survivor Series 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Survivor Series 2017. 

WWE No Nercy 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE No Mercy 2017.

Plight of the Cruiserweights

When WWE announced that they were bringing back the cruiserweight division, I was excited. The Cruiserweight Classic on the WWE Networks was producing unbelievable matches, and it was arguably the best cruiserweight action on television since the days of WCW Monday Nitro. The cruiserweight division that WCW had during the Monday Night Wars featured some of the finest wrestling on television at the time and helped propel guys like Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, and Chris Jericho into superstardom. The bouts were often fast paced and filled with high flying action. People were tuning into WCW for the big name wrestlers and New World Order storyline, but they were staying because of the action that the cruiserweights brought to the ring.

I thought a similar style would be replicated on WWE television. I was wrong. The cruiserweight division is struggling. Instead of being presented as an athletic showcase for wrestlers who meet the 205 pound weight limit, the division barely gets any television time on Monday Night Raw, and the 205 Live show on the WWE network generally features two matches with an in ring segment in between. The action is not as quick or as dazzling despite the fact that many of the cruiserweights are some of the most athletically gifted on the roster. Cedric Alexander is a perfect example of this. He is arguably the most athletic wrestler in the division but was involved in a horrendous storyline with Noam Dar and Alicia Fox and really has no direction that enables him to show off his wrestling skill.

If WWE stripped the division down, gave the wrestlers more television time, and focused more on the actual wrestling, I think it would improve. The Cruiserweight Classic proved that fans were invested in matches because of the action in the ring. Short video packages highlighted each wrestler before the match, but the wrestlers did not cut promos or have an in ring segment to get over with the fans. They let their abilities do the talking, and it spoke volumes. If WWE can make the cruiserweight division more like the cruiserweight classic, I think the plight of the cruiserweights will finally come to an end.

SummerSlam 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE SummerSlam 2017.

Who Will Walk Out as Champ?

SummerSlam 2017 will boast a huge main event as Brock Lesnar will defend his WWE Universal Championship in a Fatal 4 Way match against Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, and Roman Reigns. The match should be a war as four of WWE’s most over wrestlers battle it out to determine who is the top guy on Monday Night Raw. So will a new champ be crowned?

Nope. Not at SummerSlam 2017 at least. I predict Brock Lesnar will walk into SummerSlam as champion and walk out as champion. That is not to say he won’t have a tough match ahead of him. Strowman has become the resident monster for the red brand, Samoa Joe was seconds away from choking out the landlord of Suplex City at Great Balls of Fire, and Reigns is the only other guy aside from Lesnar to defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania.

Despite the threat that each of the challengers pose to the champ, they will not take the Universal Championship for themselves. I think that Lesnar will win and hold onto the title until Wrestlemania 34 before dropping the belt to Reigns. The seeds for that match will be planted at SummerSlam as Lesnar successfully retains his title.

WWE GBOF 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE GBOF 2017.

Too Formulaic?

Is WWE too formulaic? I think it is. Every week Raw and SmackDown follow a pattern that map out how the show will progress on television. Don’t believe me? When was the last time Raw or SmackDown started with a match? I honestly cannot remember as a promo is what usually kicks off the show. A wrestler will call out another wrestler, and they will have a war of words. Usually an authority figure appears and sets up a match between the two jawing wrestlers. It happens on a near weekly basis, and the formula is not restricted to just the opening segment.

Contract signings are very formulaic. A table will be set up in the middle of the ring with the contract and a pen on top. There are usually chairs as well, but the wrestlers rarely sit in them. Occasionally there is a moderator such as a WWE authority figure or a commentator to oversee the signing. One wrestler will cut a promo and sign the contract while the other wrestler will respond with a promo of their own before singing the contract themselves. The promos will escalate and before you know it, both wrestlers will be swinging fists at each other. Contract signings don’t always end in a fight, but nine times out of ten the wrestlers will end up going after each other.

Another formulaic approach WWE has is how it books wrestlers leading up to a pay-per-view bout. The wrestler who usually wins at the pay-per-view is usually beat down by their opponent on the show before the event. For example, the last Raw before Wrestlemania 29 featured the Rock and John Cena face to face in the ring. The segment ended with the Rock taking out Cena. What happened at Wrestlemania 29? Cena defeated the Rock. Before Wrestlemania 30, the Undertaker choke slammed Brock Lesnar on the final Raw of Wrestlemania season. At Wrestlemania 30, Lesnar defeated the Undertaker. This 50/50 style of booking is not a guarantee, but it happens a lot in WWE.

Those are just a few examples of WWE’s formulaic approach. While there are more examples of how WWE is set in a pattern of how it presents its shows, those are just a few I could think of off the top of my head. Can the formula result in some lackluster shows? Absolutely. Could WWE think outside the box and throw some more surprises at fans? Without a doubt. However, the formula has proven successful as they are still the undisputed champion in the professional wrestling industry.

Wrestlemania 33 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 33.

WWE Fastlane 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Fastlane 2017.

Royal Rumble 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble event.

Survivor Series 2016 Thoughts

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

Wrestlemania 31 Blu-Ray Unboxing

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

The Money in the Bank Winner Is…

Money in the Bank is one of WWE’s best events of the year. It is usually filled with great matches, and its results set the tone for SummerSlam. The biggest and most influential match at Money in the Bank is the bout that the event was named after in that the results of it are what people care about the most. The winner of the match receives a contract for a WWE Championship match whenever and wherever the victor wants, and when the cash in happens, the crowd usually erupts in excitement. So who should win the event this year? I believe that Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens are the most deserving to win this match. Let’s start with why I think Owens should win.

Kevin Owens has been absolutely incredible ever since he was called up to the main roster from NXT. His rivalry with John Cena was one of the best of 2015, his matches are generally some of the best on the card, and his mic skills as a heel are fantastic. He is so good at being a heel that he gets face reactions. He is currently involved in a great feud with Sami Zayn, and if Owens wins the Money in the Bank ladder match and claims the briefcase for himself, then his rivalry with Zayn could be taken to the next level as the two could be battling it out for Money in the Bank contract. The crowd would also go crazy if Owens cashed in on Reigns, and the rivalry between these two could be epic.

Dean Ambrose also deserves to win the Money in the Bank ladder match in my opinion. He is one of the best talents in WWE today. He is solid in the ring, he is great on the mic, and despite WWE booking him in a questionable manner, he is still over with the fans, receives huge pops every time he enters the arena, and his rivalries with Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Bray Wyatt, and Brock Lesnar have been very entertaining. If he wins the Money in the Bank ladder match, then things in WWE could get very interesting. With Seth Rollins returning to the WWE after his injury and Roman Reigns in the middle of a WWE Championship reign, an Ambrose victory could finally mean that we get the long awaited Shield triple threat match. Also, Ambrose is my favorite wrestler, and I would love to see him win the match and hopefully the WWE Championship with a successful cash in on Reigns, Rollins, or whoever the champion may be.

In conclusion, that is why I think Owens and Ambrose each have equal claim to the Money in the Bank contract. They are both great in the ring, on the mic, and get really good crowd reactions. If either of these guys wins the match, the crowd will cheer and the arena will definitely explode whenever they decide to cash in their contract. While I am a fan of Owens and would really like to see him win, I will be pulling for Ambrose and hope he climbs the ladder, grabs the briefcase, and takes his first step to becoming WWE Champion.

Let’s go Ambrose!