Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Clash of Champions 2020.
Showing posts with label TNA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TNA. Show all posts
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
AEW Revolution 2020 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on AEW Revolution 2020.
Labels:
Adam Page,
AEW,
AEW Dynamite,
All Elite Wrestling,
Chris Jericho,
Cincinnati,
Cincy Fan Zone,
Jon Moxley,
Kenny Omega,
NJPW,
NWA,
Revolution,
ROH,
sports,
TNA,
Wrestlemania,
Wrestling
Monday, January 27, 2020
WWE Royal Rumble 2020 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2020 WWE Royal Rumble event.
Labels:
205 Live,
AEW,
All Elite Wrestling,
Cincinnati,
Cincy Fan Zone,
New Japan Pro Wrestling,
NWA,
NXT,
Raw,
Ring of Honor,
Royal Rumble,
Smackdown,
sports,
TNA,
Wrestlemania,
Wrestlemania 36,
Wrestling,
WWE
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Shots Fired
All Elite Wrestling recently announced that it will air a
two hour television show every Wednesday on TNT. While not the start of a new
Monday Night War, it is definitely the beginning of a new battle for wrestling
viewership.
World Wrestling Entertainment has long dominated the
wrestling indusrtry ever since World Championship Wrestling closed its doors in
2001. Total Nonstop
Action Wrestling was once seen as a potential competitor but
has since fallen into near obscurity and airs on Twitch. Ring of Honor is on
television via syndication, and New Japan Pro Wrestling is on tape delay on Axs
TV. What has truly halted these promotions from becoming legitimate WWE
competitors is exposure. That is what separates AEW from the rest of the pack.
The promotion made headlines with its signings and first
ever pay-per-view, and has seemingly shaken the wrestling industry to its core
with it newly announced television deal. Starting on October 2, 2019, AEW will air
love on TNT from 8-10pm from the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. This is
massive. AEW's roster depth, which features stats such as the Young Bucks,
Cody, Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and Jon Moxley, was already considered to be
a massive strength of the new Wrestling promotion. A live weekly television
deal on a nationally broadcasted cable network will only bolster its popularity
and attract more fans.
For the first time since 2001, WWE has real competition and
that is fantastic for wrestling fans. Competition brings out the best in
people. The Monday Night Wars featured the highest ratings for wrestling
television shows in history. With AEW set to make its television debut in
October, WWE will be forced to step up their game. A few shots have been fired
by AEW in this new wrestling television war. Let's see how WWE responds.
Labels:
AEW,
AEW on TNT,
All Elite Wrestling,
Chris Jericho,
Cincinnati,
Cincy Fan Zone,
Jon Moxley,
Kenny Omega,
King of the Ring,
NXT,
Raw,
Smackdown,
sports,
SummerSlam,
TNA,
TNT,
Wrestlemania,
Wrestling,
WWE
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
"Thoughts on Wrestling" Update
As you may have noticed, my last "Thoughts on
wrestling" video was posted on Tuesday as opposed to late Sunday night or
very early Monday morning. That is because I have decided to no longer make
those videos immediately after the wrestling event goes off the air.
A few months after I started Cincy Fan Zone, I started
posting wrestling review videos immediately after pay-per-views. After about
five years of following this schedule, I have decided to post my "Thoughts
on Wrestling" videos on Tuesdays like all my other videos. The reason for this is the lack of sleep I
get that night is beginning to take it's toll. Factor in the amount of views
that each "Thoughts on Wrestling" video receives, and it becomes
pretty apparent that the effort that goes into publishing these videos as quick
as possible is not worth it.
In conclusion, the "Thoughts on Wrestling"
Videos" should be published every Tuesday like all the other videos on my
channel. Also, there might be more wrestling videos now that All Elite
Wrestling has burst onto the scene. There should be a "Thoughts on
Wrestling" video after every AEW event, however I might also make combo
videos reviewing both WWE and AEW events should they happen in the same week.
If you are one of the few people who watch these videos, thank you for your
support and for continuing to watch them.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
An Elite Challenger
Without question, professional wrestling reached its peak in
popularity during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The World Wrestling
Federation was engaged in a ruthless battle for ratings supremacy and company
survival with World Championship Wrestling. Extreme Championship Wrestling grew
from a small renegade promotion in Philadelphia and became a national
phenomenon and formidable challenger to both WCW and the WWF. All three
companies were putting on excellent matches and pay-per-view worthy television
shows with an unbelievably deep roster. Ratings for pro wrestling television
programs skyrocketed as quality programming became the weekly standard. That
changed when ECW folded and WCW was bought by the WWF.
The battlefield became quiet as Vince McMahon's pro
wrestling juggernaut emerged as the sole survivor. The WWF eventually became
World Wrestling Entertainment and with no real threat to ratings or profits,
the quality of WWE programming began to decline as did pro wrestling's
popularity. It seemed as if the company began to rest on its laurels. Ring of
Honor and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling have since emerged from the rubble
left from the Monday Night Wars between WCW and WWE, but they do. It have the
financial backing or popularity to really be contenders to WWE's throne. New
Japan Pro Wrestling has made strides in garnering the interest of American
wrestling fans, but the time zone difference and lack of a real television deal
is a tough obstacle to overcome for the Japanese wrestling promotion. The reign
of WWE over the professional wrestling world looked like it would last forever.
If a pro wrestling company were to challenge WWE for the crown, it would need
to be an elite challenger. Enter All Elite Wrestling.
Following the success of the independent "All In"
wrestling event that featured wrestlers from promotions such as ROH, TNA, NJPW,
and the National Wrestling Alliance among others, speculation on if top ROH
stars and "All In" masterminds Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks would
start their own promotion ran rampant. Trademarks for "All Elite
Wrestling" were filed for in November and Rhodes, the Young Bucks, and
several other of ROH's top wrestler left the promotion in December. On January
1, 2019, All Elite Wrestling's creation was officially announced. The next day,
the father and son duo of Shahid Khan and Tony Khan were announced as company
investors with Tony also serving as company president. The Khans are
billionaires as well as part owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National
Football League and Fulham Football Club of the Premier League and are
reportedly backing the new wrestling promotion with a $100 million investment.
The first shots of what could be a new wrestling war were
fired on January 8 when AEW held its inaugural press conference at TIAA Bank
Field which is the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wrestling fans packed the
conference as WWE's SmackDown television program was airing live from
Jacksonville later that night. At the conference, AEW announced a working
relationship with Chinese professional wrestling company Oriental Wrestling
Entertainment as well as some of the wrestlers signed to the AEW roster.
Notable wrestlers already under the AEW brand include Christopher Daniela,
Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky, Pac (who competed in WWE as Neville), and Chris
Jericho.
While it is still early and AEW has yet to produce an
official show or announce any sort of television deal at the time that this
lost was written, many wrestling reporters and fans, including myself, see AEW
as a legitimate competitor to WWE. Apparently WWE might be feeling the same
way. The company was reportedly turning away people from the SmackDown airing
in Jacksonville who were wearing AEW merchandise. The company's inaugural
event, "Double or Nothing," is set for May 25, 2019. There is still
plenty of time for AEW to not only announce a television deal and build toward
the event but also sign more wrestlers to its roster. The Revival and Mike
Bennett have recently requested their release from WWE. I wouldn't be shocked
if they wind up in AEW, and if they are first of a number of WWE defections.
As a wrestling fan, I am very excited for AEW. Having
another legitimate professional wrestling company that has both the talent and
the financial backing to compete with WWE is a fantastic development for the
wrestling industry as a whole. Not only does it give fans another option to get
their pro wrestling fix, but it can also bring about a surge in wrestling
popularity and quality. The Monday Night Wars took professional wrestling a to
unprecedented heights. Maybe AEW can be the catalyst to launch another
wrestling boom.
Labels:
AEW,
All Elite Wrestling,
All In,
Cincinnati,
Cincy Fan Zone,
Cody Rhodes,
Double or Nothing,
ECW,
NJPW,
Raw,
Ring of Honor,
Smackdown,
The Young Bucks,
TNA,
WCW,
Wresting,
Wrestlemania,
WWE
Monday, January 28, 2019
Royal Rumble 2019 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2019 Royal Rumble event.
Monday, December 17, 2018
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
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.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
A New Network
SmackDown is once again on the move. WWE's blue brand will
reportedly be broadcast on Fox starting in October of 2019. For the past year
and a half, SmackDown has been airing live on USA on Tuesdays. It made sense for WWE as the company's flagship program, Raw, airs live on Monday nights on USA. With SmackDown
once again moving to another network, how will it affect the current WWE
landscape?
I think the biggest change will be the official end of the
brand split as wrestlers will now appear on both shows. Fox is not a cable
network. It broadcasts over the air for free meaning there are more eyes on it
than USA. With more people watching SmackDown, I would think that WWE would
want to showcase their top stars on a weekly basis and the only way to do that
is to merge both Raw and SmackDown once again. The brand split's end seems
imminent as pay-per-views now feature both brands. The move to Fox could
prove to be the final factor that reunites the Raw and SmackDown rosters.
Another possible change is that SmackDown could go on tape
delay again. Aside from a few special episodes, SmackDown was taped on Tuesdays
and aired on Thursdays and for a few years on Fridays. When it moved from SyFy
to USA, the decision was made to have it air live on a weekly basis like Raw.
Will the move to Fox change that? I think there is a strong possibility as the
last three over-the-air broadcast networks to air SmackDown all aired it in a taped format.
UPN, the CW, and My Network TV all broadcasted the blue brand on tape delay.
Fox is a bigger network though and is grouped together with CBS, ABC, and NBC
as one of the "Big Four" networks. With ratings being king on
television, the only way to ensure good SmackDown ratings every week on Fox is
to have it air live to avoid spoilers being leaked on the internet.
The last factor I'll talk about in this post is the day and
time SmackDown could air on Fox. As of now, the blue brand airs from 8-10 PM on
Tuesday nights. Will Fox change that or possibly change it to a three hour show
like Raw? I doubt that SmackDown will be expanded as Raw faces criticism for
its three hour length. As for the night, SmackDown will most likely end up on
Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Fox will air some Thursday Night Football games this
season and there is absolutely no way WWE will allow it to air on Monday
directly against Raw. I also do not see Friday night as a potential slot as
ratings could fall.
Those are some of the factors that could change both
SmackDown and the WWE landscape. A new network could lead to an end in the
brand split, a new night for SmackDown on television, and the possibility that the
show could go back to a tape delay format. If I were in charge, I'd have
SmackDown air live on Tuesdays and keep it as a two hour show. Hopefully it
will also reunite the rosters and bring about a quality that has been missing
from the blue brand for quite some time.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Elimination Chamber 2018 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Elimination Chamber 2018.
Labels:
205 Live,
A.J. Styles,
Brock Lesnar,
Cincinnati,
Cincy Fan Zone,
Dean Ambrose,
Elimination Chamber,
John Cena,
NJPW,
NXT,
Raw,
ROH,
Roman Reigns,
Seth Rollins,
Smackdown,
sports,
TNA,
Wresting,
Wrestlemania,
WWE
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Lost in Translation
Why can’t WWE translate success in NXT to success on the
main roster? It seems that most of the gimmicks that are considered over in NXT
either lose a lot of momentum when called up to the main roster or they simply
bomb and fizzle into obscurity. As a wrestling fan, it is frustrating to see
wrestlers get over in NXT with a unique gimmick only to see them essentially
wasted once they are called up to Raw and Smackdown.
The Ascension is a prime example of this. In NXT, they were
a dominant tag team that owned the division. Once they were called up to the
main roster, they were squashed and have since been demoted to jobbers. Another
example of this would be Bo Dallas. The guy was a former NXT champion and
looked poise to make a splash on Raw and SmackDown. Unfortunately, he was
presented as a joke and is rarely seen on television now.
Not all wrestlers are demoted to jobbers or vanish from
television. Some just seemingly lose momentum. Bayley was the most popular
woman in NXT. Fans loved her and routinely cheered for her with the “Hey
Bayley” chant. Since coming up to the main roster, her momentum has come to a
halt, and the pops from the crowd are now being filled with a few boos from
time to time. Enzo and Cass are also a victim of lost momentum. When they
debuted on the main roster, crowds would blow the roof off the arena. They
would cut great promos, get the crowd involved, and were easily one of the most
over acts in the company. Since then, the promos have gotten weaker, Enzo
constantly eats pins, and their credibility as a tag team has been dented as
they have never won the tag team titles since being called up the main roster.
While this does not happen to every former NXT star, it does
happen quite a bit. It is understandable that not all NXT success will translate
to WWE success, but it is odd how often former NXT wrestlers have a hard time
adjusting to the main roster. It doesn’t matter if you blame it on the creative
team, the booking, or the wrestlers themselves, the fact of the matter is that
something is being lost in translation during the transition from NXT to WWE.
Monday, April 3, 2017
Wrestlemania 33 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 33.
Labels:
A.J. Styles,
Brock Lesnar,
Chris Jericho,
Cincy Fan Zone,
Dean Ambrose,
Goldberg,
NJPW,
NXT,
Raw,
ROH,
Smackdown,
The Undertaker,
TNA,
Triple H,
Wrestlemania,
Wrestlemania 33,
Wrestling,
WWE
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
My Thoughts on the ROH Rumors
With Wrestlemania 33 just around the corner, I thought it
would be appropriate to write a post that dealt with professional wrestling. I
was thinking of doing a post with my match predictions but ultimately decided
against it because of the latest wrestling rumor swirling around the internet.
It is without question that WWE is the largest professional wrestling company
in the world ever since it bought out World Championship Wrestling in 2001. It
has been 16 years and not a single professional wrestling company has come
close to giving WWE a run for its money like WCW did during the Monday Night
Wars.
That is not to say WWE does not have its competitors.
Overseas there is New Japan Pro Wrestling, and in the Untied States there are
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor. While these are alternatives
to WWE’s product, they still have yet to prove to be viable competition. NJPW
is still trying to broaden its global reach to match that of the WWE, and TNA
has been barely afloat as a company for the past few years. It was even rumored
that WWE was in the process of buying out TNA in the fall of 2016. While the
sale ultimately did not happen, the rumor generated a ton of buzz around the
wrestling world. Fast forward five months and now the rumor is that WWE might
be buying out the other major American wrestling promotion I mentioned earlier:
Ring of Honor.
This was very shocking to me. ROH is currently owned by the
Sinclair Broadcast Group and is aired everywhere a Sinclair station is
broadcasting. For example, I can get my ROH fix on either Saturday at 10:30 pm
or Monday at 12:30 am on Star 64. While the strange schedule and one hour
format of the show does not allow it to compete head to head with WWE, it is
still a viable alterative to wrestling fans that prefer in ring action over
storylines. It is a formula that works for the company as it has garnered a
respectable audience and has been the career launch pad for various wrestlers
such as Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and A.J. Styles
among others. A lot of former WWE superstars have also wrestled for Ring of
Honor such as Alberto Del Rio, Charlie Haas, Shelton Benjamin, the Hardy Boyz
and Cody Rhodes. Needless to say, Ring of Honor has made a significant impact
on the world of professional wrestling. So what would happen should WWE buy
ROH?
ROH is loaded with talent. The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Kazarian, Christopher Daniels, and Lio Rush make up a small sample of the talented roster that makes up ROH. Should ROH become a WWE property, I would think that a majority of these guys end up in either NXT or on the main roster. While the idea of the Young Bucks taking over the tag team division and potential WWE matchups between Styles and Daniels are enticing, an ROH buyout would not be good for guys like Cody Rhodes who left WWE for greener pastures. WWE would also add the ROH video library to its already massive collection of professional wrestling footage. As a diehard wrestling fan, it would be both awesome and extremely convenient to have the ROH video library available on the WWE Network.
ROH is loaded with talent. The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Kazarian, Christopher Daniels, and Lio Rush make up a small sample of the talented roster that makes up ROH. Should ROH become a WWE property, I would think that a majority of these guys end up in either NXT or on the main roster. While the idea of the Young Bucks taking over the tag team division and potential WWE matchups between Styles and Daniels are enticing, an ROH buyout would not be good for guys like Cody Rhodes who left WWE for greener pastures. WWE would also add the ROH video library to its already massive collection of professional wrestling footage. As a diehard wrestling fan, it would be both awesome and extremely convenient to have the ROH video library available on the WWE Network.
While the possibility of WWE buying ROH is appealing in some
ways, I think it would be better for the wrestling industry as a whole if WWE did
not buy ROH. Competition is necessary in professional wrestling. It forces
creativity and innovation and everybody benefits from it. WCW and WWE competed
for ratings and professional wrestling supremacy and it took the industry to
new heights. The product was at its best, ratings were at an all-time high, and
fans were able to soak in a quality wrestling product for years. That is why I
hope ROH does not get bought by WWE. Perhaps the company can rise to a level
similar to that of WCW, compete with WWE at a global level, and rejuvenate the professional
wrestling industry as a whole.
Labels:
A.J. Styles,
Cincinnati,
Cincy Fan Zone,
Daniel Bryan,
NJPW,
Ring of Honor,
ROH,
Seth Rollins,
sports,
TNA,
World Wrestling Entertainment,
Wresting,
Wrestlemania,
WWE
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Oh It’s True!
WWE has been home to some of the greatest athletes on the
planet. Shawn Michaels, A.J. Styles, and Shelton Benjamin all come to mind when
discussing wrestlers who personified pure athleticism. However there is one
wrestler that tops them all in my opinion, and that man is Kurt Angle. After a
long professional wrestling career that started in 1999, the 1996 Olympic Gold
Medalist will take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the
2017 induction class.
During my childhood, Angle was easily the most athletically
gifted wrestler on the WWE roster. He debuted with the company at Survivor Series 1999 and
transitioned from the world of amateur wrestling to professional wrestling with
unparalleled ease. His ability to perform in the ring was apparent very early
in his career, and he went on to have fantastic matches with some of the
biggest names in the industry at the time. His triple threat match at
Wrestlemania 16 for his Intercontinental Championship and European
Championships was a fun bout to watch, and it was the first real sign that
Angle would be a true WWE superstar.
Aside from holding both the Intercontinental and European
titles, Angle also won the 2000 King of the Ring tournament and capped off his
rookie year by capturing the WWE Championship with a win over the Rock at No
Mercy 2000. He is also the only man in WWE history to have defeated the Rock,
Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, and Triple H in the same night as he
retained his WWE title over those four men plus Rikishi in a 6 man Hell in a Cell match
at Armageddon 2000. Angle would continue to win more titles and have more
fantastic matches throughout the rest of his WWE career. His rivalry with Brock
Lesnar for the WWE Championship in 2003 was easily the best feud in the company
that year, and his matches with wrestlers such as Edge, Eddie Guerrero, and
Shawn Michaels were incredible to watch.
Angle had more than just great in ring ability. He was an
excellent talker on the microphone and had a surprising amount of charisma. His
promos ranged from serious to funny, and every time he had a microphone in his
hand people listened. He could annoy an audience by bragging about his Olympic
gold medal. He could make an audience laugh with his rendition of “Jimmy Crack Corn” and
his take on Shawn Michaels’ theme song. He could also intimidate his opponents
by threatening to break their ankles with his trademark Ankle Lock submission
hold. Some of my all-time favorite segments of Angle include his interactions
with Edge during their run with Christian as Team ECK in 2000 and during their rivalry,
which saw Edge shave Angle’s head in 2002. These segments always make me laugh
and showcase the diverse talent of Angle.
Needless to say, Angle is quite deserving of a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. When
factoring in his accomplishments in other promotions such as Total Nonstop
Action Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Angle is one of the most
decorated professional wrestlers in history. He is the only person to have won
an Olympic gold medal, the WWE Championship, the TNA Championship, and the IWGP
Heavyweight Championship. He also held just about every title available in both
TNA and WWE and is regarded by many as the best pure athlete to ever grace a
wrestling ring. I am very excited that Angle will be inducted into the WWE Hall
of Fame, and I cannot wait to see him appear on WWE television one last time.
Labels:
Cincinnati,
Cincy Fan Zone,
Hall of Fame,
Kurt Angle,
NJPW,
Stone Cold Steve Austin,
The Rock,
The Undertaker,
TNA,
Triple H,
Wresting,
Wrestlemania,
WWE,
WWE Hall of Fame
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With a New #Wwe Autograph#SDLive #RAW #nxt #WWENXT #205live #talkingsmack #Wrestlemania pic.twitter.com/64oq1JvrcY— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 11, 2017
Labels:
205 Live,
Autograph,
Cincinnati,
Cincy Fan Zone,
Dean Ambrose,
NJPW,
NXT,
Raw,
ROH,
Royal Rumble,
Smackdown,
TNA,
Wresting,
Wrestlemania,
WWE,
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Wwe Pics#sdlive #raw #nxt #205live #WWENXT #talkingsmack #Wrestlemania #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/LMBGPyWdMy— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 11, 2017
Labels:
205 Live,
Cincinnati,
Cincy Fan Zone,
Dean Ambrose,
NJPW,
NXT,
Raw,
ROH,
Royal Rumble,
Smackdown,
TNA,
Wresting,
Wrestlemania,
WWE,
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Wednesday, November 2, 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.”
Labels:
Brock Lesnar,
Goldberg,
NJPW,
NXT,
Paul Heyman,
Raw,
ROH,
Royal Rumble,
Smackdown,
sports,
SummerSlam,
Survivor Series,
TNA,
Wrestlemania,
Wrestlemania 33,
Wrestling,
WWE
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
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.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)






