Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Payback 2020.
Showing posts with label World Wrestling Entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Wrestling Entertainment. Show all posts
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Monday, August 24, 2020
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Monday, April 6, 2020
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Monday, November 25, 2019
Survivor Series 2019 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Survivor Series 2019.
Monday, October 7, 2019
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Clash of Champions 2019 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Clash of Champions 2019.
The Wednesday Night War
A few weeks ago, I wrote about All Elite Wrestling's television deal with TNT in which the new wrestling brand will be broadcasted live every Wednesday night. I mentioned that while not the start of a new Monday Night War, it was definitely the beginning of a television battle in the professional wrestling industry with AEW having fired the first shots. World Wrestling Entertainment did not take long to retaliate by announcing that NXT will move to the USA Network from the WWE Network on September 18.
What was a staple of the WWE Network, and in my opinion one of its biggest selling points, was NXT as it showcased some of the best future stars WWE had to offer. Wrestlers such as Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Beat Wyatt, Kevin Owens, Becky Lynch, Sami Zayn, and Alexa Bliss among others spent time in NXT before being called up to the main WWE roster. It is literally a who's who of current WWE talent that were developed in NXT.
Aside from changing networks, the run time and taped format will change as well. The show will be expanded to two hours and will be live every week. It will then be made available for on-demand viewing the next day on the WWE Network.
NXT has long been considered the best WWE television show for hardcore wrestling fans as it generally does away with goofy segments and instead focuses on the action that takes place in the ring. That idea also appears to be the main focus of AEW so it makes sense that WWE would position NXT in a head to head competition with AEW. Whether or not the expanded run time or change to a live show every week has an effect on NXT remains to be seen. Hopefully Triple H remains in charge of NXT and focuses on the in ring product. If not, AEW might grapple NXT into submission.
If you are a fan of pro wrestling, this is easily the most exciting time in the industry since the late 1990s and early 2000s when the battle between WWE's Monday Nigh Raw and WCW's Monday Nitro was at its peak. AEW is real completion for WWE. NXT could be a viable threat to AEW. The Wednesday Night War is about to begin, and I cannot wait to sit back, relax, and enjoy it.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Stomping Grounds 2019 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Stomping Grounds 2019.
Monday, May 27, 2019
Double or Nothing 2019 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on AEW Double or Nothing 2019.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Mox is Back
Dean Ambrose's contract with World Wrestling Entertainment appeared to expire on April 30, 2019. Around midnight on May 1, his twitter account,which is notorious for its lack of activity posted, a video of him breaking out of a jail cell, climbing over a barbwire fence, escaping through a city, and training inside a wrestling ring. At the end of the video, the word Mox appears and suggests that Dean Ambrose is no more, and Jon Moxley has returned.
For those who are unaware, Jon Moxley was Ambrose's name before he joined WWE. He made a name for himself on the indie scene as one of the best talkers in the wrestling industry and was known for his violent and hardcore matches. The fact that he would reuse the Moxley moniker makes sense as he is no longer a WWE employee. What has people excited and adding fuel to the fire on whether or not he joins All Elite Wrestling are the subtle messages hidden within the video.
Many people claim that Moxley breaking out of the jail cell is symbolic of him breaking free from the "Ambrose Asylum" and WWE. Others are also saying that the pair of dice with the numbers 2 and 5 that are painted on a wall he runs by is a subtle nod to AEW's Double or Nothing pay-per-view which will be held on May 25 in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is also where Moxley currently resides.
Whether or not these subliminal messages are hinting at an AEW debut remains to be seen. Some wrestling fans are even speculating that this is a big storyline from WWE which oddly does make sense. The production value of the video is top notch, and WWE uncharacteristically gave Ambrose a nice exit from the company. Whatever the case may be, it is clear that the return of Jon Moxley has shaken up the wrestling industry and generated an enormous amount of buzz. So where will Moxley end up once he finally decides to return to the ring? We will have to wait and see.
Monday, May 20, 2019
Money in the Bank 2019 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Money in the Bank 2019.
Monday, April 8, 2019
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Adios Ambrose?
The day after the 2019 Royal Rumble, rumors started swirling around the internet that Dean Ambrose was set to leave World Wrestling Entertainment after Wrestlemania 35. Those rumors seemingly turned to fact as WWE released a statement confirming that Ambrose would not be renewing his contract once it expired in April. Reports indicated that Ambrose had grown frustrated with the creative direction of his character and had reached his breaking point with the company.
Ambrose first debuted with the company in late 2012 as part of the faction known as the Shield along with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins with Ambrose capturing the United States Championship in 2013. The trio ran roughshod in WWE before embarking on singles careers after Wrestlemania 30 in 2014. Ambrose would go on to capture the Intercontinental Championship in 2015 and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2016 before winning the Tag Team Championship with Seth Rollins in 2017 making him the first member of the Shield to become a Grand Slam Champion. He missed most of 2018 with an injury and when he returned around SummerSlam, the Shield briefly reunited before Reigns had to leave the company due to cancer. Ambrose later turned heel on Rollins, but the feud between the two and Ambrose’s heel turn never gained any real traction.
With WWE confirming that Ambrose will not be renewing his contract, the top wrestling promotion in the world will be without one of its biggest stars following Wrestlemania 35. This could be beneficial for both sides as Ambrose leaving the company will allow somebody to take his place in the company. For Ambrose, there might be no better time than now to be a free agent in the wrestling industry. New Japan Pro Wrestling is growing in popularity outside of Japan and Ring of Honor has been a nice alternative to WWE for wrestlers looking for a new home. Impact Wrestling is seemingly rising back up the ranks, and the National Wrestling Alliance is starting to make waves in the pro wrestling world once again. There is also All Elite Wrestling which is a very real threat to WWE. It has legitimate big-name stars with Cody Rhodes, the Young Bucks, and Chris Jericho already signed to its roster, and it is backed by the Khan family. The Khans are billionaires and are providing the financial support for AEW. I would not be surprised if Ambrose winds up in AEW as he will undoubtedly become the hottest free agent on the market.
This could also be a work by WWE. Their confirmation of Ambrose leaving the company was uncharacteristically addressed months in advance and was also very pleasant when compared to the statements that WWE released when they parted ways with other wrestlers. I would not be shocked if this all part of a storyline, but I would also not be surprised if Ambrose is truly leaving the company. Either way, it has definitely created a buzz for the WWE and Ambrose. Combine that with the upcoming Wrestlemania 35 pay-per-view, and you have must see TV for wrestling fans.
If Ambrose really is leaving though, it will be a sad day for Cincinnati wrestling fans. Ambrose is the most popular wrestler to come from the Queen City since Brian Pillman. He became the last undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Champion in company history and is also the first member of the Shield to become a Grand Slam Champion. More importantly, he made me heavily invested in pro wrestling again which is something that has not happened since I was a kid during the Attitude Era. Having a hometown favorite to root for in WWE is fun, and I will never forget where I was or how I reacted when Ambrose cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I am and will always be a Dean Ambrose fan, and whether or not he returns to the WWE as Dean Ambrose or wrestles for another company as Jon Moxley, I will always be in his corner.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Royal Rumble 2019 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2019 Royal Rumble event.
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