WWE SummerSlam 2020 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE SummerSlam 2020. 

Way Too Early Wrestlemania Prediction

Please note this was written before Reigns relinquished the Universal Championship and before Ambrose turned heel.

It's a little early to predict the main event of Wrestlemania, but I'm thinking the Shield will have a triple threat match with the Universal Championship on the line. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns have previously faced off in a triple threat match at Battleground 2016 in which Ambrose retained his WWE Championship over his Shield brothers in an exciting main event. That match was worthy of headlining Wrestlemania. It was odd for WWE to relegate it to smaller pay-per-view in the middle of the summer. Wrestlemania 35 will be the stage for the battle of the Shield round two. Here's how.

As I write this, WWE is building the card for Crown Jewel and teasing a Dean Ambrose heel turn. He most recently left Rollins and Reigns in the ring after being pinned by Drew McIntyre in a six-man tag team match that also featured Braun Strowman and Dolph Ziggler. I think Ambrose will turn into a full-fledged heel by the Royal Rumble but no earlier than Survivor Series. 

If it happens at Survivor Series, I can see him snapping should the Shield lose a match or perhaps he costs his team and is the reason they come up short. Either way, he will be the one to break the Shield. He will then battle mainly Seth Rollins through the Royal Rumble while also having a few encounters with Reigns. I think Reigns will be Universal Champion at Wrestlemania, but how will both Ambrose and Rollins join him in the main event? I have two scenarios. 

Option one has Rollins winning the Royal Rumble and putting his main event title shot on the line against Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe will win the match via nefarious means and steal away Rollins' title match. Rollins will then be added to the match because of how Ambrose won and the Shield will be set up for a triple threat at Wrestlemania. Option two has both Ambrose and Rollins winning the Royal Rumble via a double elimination. Reigns, being the fighting champion that he is, will agree to face both of them at Wrestlemania and the Shield will headline WWE's biggest event of the year.  

The question everybody will be asking is who will win this potential Wrestlemania 35 Shield triple threat match for the Universal Championship? We all know how the crowd reacts to Reigns as an individual star. While I wouldn't put it past WWE to have Reigns walk out with the belt, I feel like WWE will continue to push Reigns as an unstoppable underdog and having him lose the title will allow the company to continue to position Reigns in that role. Rollins has arguably been WWE's best in ring performer throughout 2018, and the crowd adores him. He gets one of the best pops in the company, and he will undoubtedly garner a huge reaction should he win. He's already done that however, as he walked out of Wrestlemania 31 with the WWE Championship. That leaves Ambrose. While all three have been World champs, Ambrose is the only one who has not won the title in a Wrestlemania main event and there would be no better way to solidify Ambrose as the top heel in the business by having him defeat his two former Shield brothers for the Universal Championship in the main event of Wrestlemania 35. 

That's what I think will happen at Wrestlemania. The Shield will implode, Ambrose and Rollins will somehow both get a title shot at Wrestlemania against Reigns, and Ambrose will walk away with the belt. In my option, WWE has been doing a good job on teasing Ambrose's heel turn. It has been a slow build and hopefully the payoff is memorable. Should it lead to a Shield triple threat at the showcase of the immortals, then it could result in some of the best storytelling WWE has ever produced. If this is the route WWE is heading, I cannot wait to watch it play out on television. 

A Brilliant Heel Turn

Without question, the October 22 episode of Monday Night Raw was one of the most emotional episodes that WWE has ever produced. Roman Reigns revealed he is battling leukemia and had to relinquish the Universal Championship. It was a very real segment that separated Joseph Anoa’i the man from Roman Reigns the character. I wish nothing but the best for Reigns and hope he is able to beat the cancer. The emotional announcement was capped off by an embrace from his Shield brothers Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins and a Hounds of Justice triple fist bump at the top of entrance ramp. 

After the announcement, it appeared that the Ambrose heel turn that has been hinted at for weeks was put on hold. He and Rollins were set to challenge Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler for the Raw Tag Team Championships later in the main event, and the two members of the Shield cut a promo before their match that pretty much stated they were fighting for Reigns. The match itself was very entertaining and worthy of being in the main event. In the end, Ambrose and Rollins emerged victorious and came away with the tag title belts. It seemed like a night that began with heart wrenching news would end on a brighter note. That was not the case.

The emotional victory celebration was cut short as Ambrose hit Rollins with a Dirty Deeds much to the shock of those in attendance as well as the world-wide audience watching on television. The beating continued. Ambrose unloaded a storm of punches on Rollins before tossing him out of the ring. The assault continued at ringside before a cranium cracking Dirty Deeds to Rollins on the exposed arena floor left the Lunatic Fringe satisfied with the damage he had done to his co-tag team champion. Boos and A$$hole chants were reverberating off the walls as Ambrose tore off his Shield vest and exited the arena through the crowd. 

In my opinion, it was one of the most brilliant heel turns WWE has ever had. The emotion was real throughout the night and to see Ambrose destroy what would have been a feel-good moment to close a show that had a somber beginning generated a massive amount of very real heat. It was the heel turn everybody saw coming at the moment nobody expected to see it, and that is why it will be remembered as one of the best in professional wrestling.

Survivor Series 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Survivor Series 2018.

Hell in a Cell 2018 Thoughts

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

The Hounds Are Back

The Monday Night Raw after SummerSlam 2018 was one of the best episodes of Raw in recent memory. The show kicked off with a bang when Finn Balor accepted Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship challenge and the momentum seemingly carried throughout the show. Ronda Rousey nearly ripped out Stephanie McMahon’s arm, Elias avoided ending Curt Hawkins’ losing streak, and Dean Ambrose had his first match back from injury in a very entertaining bout against Dolph Ziggler. All were great moments, but all paled in comparison to the return of one of wrestling’s most dominant factions: the Shield.

After a thrilling main event that saw Reigns successfully defend his title against Finn Balor, the stage appeared to be set for Braun Strowman to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. He delivered a big boot to the Universal Champ, handed his briefcase to the referee, and the ring announcer proclaimed that “Monster Among Men” was cashing in for a Universal Title shot. Before the bell could ring, a familiar tune echoed throughout the Barclay’s Center. The crowd erupted when Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins stormed down to the ring in their traditional black gear as the Shield theme music played over the speakers. 

Reigns stood up in the ring as Ambrose and Rollins climbed onto the apron. Strowman looked around at the Hounds of Justice and, despite knowing he was outnumbered, went on the attack. It was a futile attempt as the numbers game proved to be too much for the monster to overcome as the Shield easily handled Strowman and capped off their reunion by triple powerbombing him through the announce table. It was a fantastic ending to what had been a great episode of Monday Night Raw. 

So is the Shield heel? That remains to be seen. While Strowman is one of the biggest faces on the roster, so is the Shield. WWE could be setting up for a face versus face rivalry, but imagine how much more fun it would be to see a heel Shield run roughshod over WWE similar to what they did when they burst on the scene nearly six year ago. Only time will tell if the Shield is face or heel, but there is one thing that we do know and that is to always believe in the Shield.

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.

Money in the Bank 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Money in the Bank 2018. 

Face or Heel?

Dean Ambrose has been out with an injury since December. He was in the midst of a storyline in which and he his Shield brother Seth Rollins were battling the Bar for the Raw Tag Team Championship. The injury brought an abrupt end to what had been an abbreviated Shield reunion and has left Raw without one of its biggest stars and storylines. Rumors were swirling that Ambrose was going to turn heel and betray Rollins in a rivalry that would lead to a Wrestlemania match between the former tag team champs. I was hoping the rumors turned out to be true. A heel Ambrose vs. a face Rollins could have been the rivalry of the year. When Ambrose does return, should he be face or heel?

Aside from the early days of the Shield, Ambrose has been a face during his time on the main roster. When the Shield broke up, Ambrose became the breakout face of the group. Reigns garnered boos despite being positioned as the main good guy of the Shield while Ambrose consistently revived great crowd reactions. The Lunatic Fringe gimmick worked as he tweaked it to become more goofy than unpredictable and it worked for the most part. The act did get stale though and Ambrose was in need of a character change. That change came in the form of the Shield reunion. The goofy aspect of The Lunatic Fringe was dropped as Ambrose embraced his unpredictable side once again. His promos were more intense and he regained the "mox" that made him a fan favorite on the Indy wrestling circuit. 

But what if Ambrose took that attitude and unpredictability to the next level? As a heel, I believe that he can. The Lunatic Fringe could morph into Jon Moxley. He could blend the CZW style of violence with WWE wrestling and run roughshod over the WWE roster. The promos he could cut as a heel would be some of the best in the business. Ambrose has always been one of the best promo cutters in WWE and as a full fledged heel, he could be one of the best promo cutters on wrestling history. He has an ability to demand your attention and make you hang on every word when he has a mic in his hand. As a he, his promos would be even better as he wouldn't have to suck up the crowd or try and make people laugh. He could be serious, intense, and real.

So should Ambrose return as a face or a heel? In my opinion, Ambrose should come back as a full force heel. WWE has a lot of face wrestlers at the moment and is in need of a true top heel. Ambrose can fill that role. The Lunatic Fringe character could thrive as a heel and make WWE much more interesting.

WWE Backlash 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Backlash 2018. 

Wrestlemania 33 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 33.

Aside from watching Wrestlemania 33 live on television when it aired in 2017, 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 33 is presented on a 16:9 or a 4:3 television.

With people complaining about the length of Wrestlemania 32, Wrestlemania 33 seemingly said, “hold my beer.” When including the two hour kickoff show, Wrestlemania 33 clocked in at about 7 hours and fifteen minutes. However this event was much more enjoyable than the 2016 edition of Wrestlemania, so watching it straight through is not as bad. The length caused the event to once again be split up across two discs. The first disc contains most of the Wrestlemania 33 card. It starts with Tinashe performing “America the Beautiful” and ends with the announcement a new Citrus Bowl attendance record. Also included on the first disc are the “Total Bellas” segments that showcase the Miz and Maryse mocking John Cena and Nikki Bella.

The second disc features the Wrestlemania 33 main event that saw Roman Reigns challenge the Undertaker in a No Holds Barred Match. It also features the entire 2017 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony that featured a stacked class of inductees. New hall of famers included Diamond Dallas Page, the Rock ‘N’ Roll Express, Beth Phoenix, Rick Rude, and Kurt Angle among others. This is easily one of the best hall of fame classes of all time as the inductees truly left an impact on the professional wrestling industry. This ceremony is must see TV for wrestling fans. There is no additional content on the second disc.

The packaging for Wrestlemania 33 is great. The front features the Wrestlemania 33 logo and a collage of wrestlers in front of a roller coaster track. The back looks really cool as well as it too has a nice collage of wrestlers as well as a paragraph highlighting the event’s biggest matches. Also included is a listing of hall of fame inductees.

The inside packaging looks good as it features a wide shot of the Citrus Bowl with fireworks.

In conclusion, this is a good home video version of Wrestlemania 33. I say good because it does not include the three kickoff show matches. The Cruiserweight Championship match, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and the Intercontinental Championship match all took place on the kickoff show. To me, not including these on the Blu-ray home video version of the event is unacceptable. Due to the lack of those matches, the event is much shorter than when it originally aired. Despite the absence of those matches, Wrestlemania 33 was still a solid event that featured some great matches. The return of the Hardy Boyz, AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon, the Universal Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, and the possible curtain call of the Undertaker make this event worth watching.

Stay tuned for the Wrestlemania 34 Blu-ray review!

Wrestlemania 34 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 34.

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 TLC 2017 Thoughts

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

Release the Hounds

Sierra

Hotel

India

Echo

Lima

Delta

SHIELD.

Three years ago, the most dominant faction in WWE history imploded as Seth Rollins slammed a chair into the backs of Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. The Shield was destroyed and each man embarked on a successful singles career. All have been WWE World Heavyweight Champion and all became triple crown champions with Amrbose being the only member so far to become a grand slam champion. Despite that success, many people felt that that the “Hounds of Justice” broke up too soon. They were easily one of the hottest factions in professional wrestling and were coming off an epic rivalry with Evolution. Instead, they went their separate ways and had off and on battles with each other over the next three years.

However, WWE always dropped hints of a potential Shield reunion. Ambrose in Reigns teamed together quite often, Rollins and Reigns worked together toward the end of 2016, and all three briefly reunited at Survivor Series 2016 for an epic triple power bomb. A reunion finally began to take shape when Ambrose and Rollins, bitter enemies during the post Shield era, reunited in time for SummerSlam 2017 in route to capturing the Raw Tag Team Championships. Fast forward two months and Roman Reigns is having issues with the both the Miztourage and the Bar, two factions that played a key role in reuniting Ambrose and Rollins. The tag champs were having a problem with Braun Strowman, a huge rival to Reigns during the early months of 2017. Their paths finally crossed and on October 9, 2017, in the same city where they were destroyed form within, they reunited and sent wrestling fans around the world into a frenzy.

It didn’t take them long to find their old footing as a unit as they crushed the Miztoruage, the Bar, and Strowman in the same night. This led to a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at the TLC pay-per-view between the Shield and the team of the Miz, Strowman, and the Bar. I cannot wait to watch this match as Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns have tremendous chemistry together and routinely put on fantastic matches during the Shield’s first run. I expect them to continue that trend during their second reincarnation.

I just have one question about this reunion. How long will it last?  I initially thought that the Shield would not get back together for a long time as I thought that Ambrose would turn heel on Rollins which would lead to a Wrestlemania 34 bout and that Reigns would challenge Lesnar for the Universal title. That could still happen, but would it be worth reuniting the Shield? Wrestlemania is about 6 months away and if the Shield were to break up before then, why have them reunite for such a short period of time? I also thought the reunion was going to be a one night only event at TLC, but with WWE selling brand new Shield shirts, it appears that is not the case either. Hopefully WWE allows the Shield to have a lengthy run together. They are my favorite faction and I would love to see them destroy everything in their path once again. It felt like they had unfinished business and now that the hounds are together again, nobody in WWE is safe from their wrath.

Believe that.

WWE No Nercy 2017 Thoughts

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