PIC PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #REDS & #BENGALS PICS #beyondthestripes #whodey #letsroar #goReds #MLB pic.twitter.com/9go3HsZsGq
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 19, 2015
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Photo Page Update
Thursday, August 13, 2015
MLB All-Star Kickoff 2015
Sting's SummerSlam Surprise
SummerSlam is
WWE’s biggest event of the summer and its second biggest event of the year
behind Wrestlemania. With this year’s edition being extended to four hours, one
has to expect it be at the same level if not better than Wrestlemania. The card
is shaping up nicely with matches that should be entertaining to watch but one
match stands out from the rest. That bout, of course, is the Wrestlemania 30
rematch between the beast and the phenom.
Brock Lesnar and
the Undertaker are set to square off in the main event of SummerSlam and while
it looks great on paper, I can’t help but worry that this match will drag like
their bout at Wrestlemania 30 did. The only thing memorable about their
encounter at the 2014 edition of the showcase of the immortals was the jaw
dropping finish in which Lesnar ended the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at
Wrestlemania. So how can WWE salvage the match that is going to headline their
second biggest event of the year? Enter Sting.
The vigilante
has not been seen since Wrestlemania 31 after he was defeated by Triple H. What
better way to reintroduce Sting to the WWE universe by having him interfere in
the SummerSlam main event and cost the dead man the match? This is how I would
book the ending of the bout.
After a grueling
battle between the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, the phenom has gained the upper
hand and is about to tombstone the beast and claim the retribution that he has
been so desperately craving since Wrestlemania 30. The Undertaker picks up
Lesnar and slams his skull into the mat. As the dead man crosses the arms of
the beast in rest in piece fashion for the pin, the lights go out as the cry of
a crow echoes throughout the arena.
When the lights
turn back on, the Undertaker is standing across the ring from the baseball bat-wielding
vigilante. The crowd is roaring in shock and excitement as two of the biggest
names in wrestling share the same ring for the first time in history. Then
Sting makes his move. He swings for the fences and misses, allowing the phenom
to pick up the vigilante in preparation for the tombstone. Before he can
deliver the blow though, Sting manages to reverse the signature move of the
dead man into a scorpion death drop. The vigilante connects and stands up and
surveys the carnage in the ring. The lights go out and the cry of the crow
echoes throughout the arena as Sting disappears.
When the lights
turn back on, Lesnar, having recovered from the tombstone, staggers over to the
Undertaker, picks up the limp body of the phenom, and delivers an F5 to the dead
man for the pin and the win. This makes the Undertaker look strong in defeat,
allows Lesnar to still remain undefeated since 2013, and more importantly, it
sets up the long awaited dream match between Sting and the Undertaker at
Wrestlemania 32.
That is how I
would book the ending to the SummerSlam main event. It has shock value,
violence, and it tells an intriguing story that will culminate in the biggest
dream match in wrestling history. Hopefully this prediction I have for
SummerSlam is correct and proves to be more than fantasy booking on my part!
Friday, August 7, 2015
Paul O'Neill Bobblehead Unboxing
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2015 Paul O'Neill bobblehead from the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.
Bobblehead Page Update
#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE WITH A NEW #REDS NODDER @ http://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #GoReds #ATOBTTR #CINvsARZ #Bengals #MLB pic.twitter.com/RZoRkf7uVU
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 7, 2015
2015 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Bobbleheads Review
Earlier this year I wrote a blog post previewing the 2015
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum series of bobbleheads. They gave away
five different nodders on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from April to August
and all were of a member of the 1990 World Series Championship Cincinnati Reds
team. In this post, I will share my thoughts on every bobblehead I received
from the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.
The first bobblehead I got from the Reds Hall of Fame and
Museum was of former first baseman Todd Benzinger. I thought this was an
awesome looking bobblehead and a great way to start of the series as Benzinger
had never been immortalized as a bobblehead. The pose they chose was also
topnotch. It features Benzinger making the final out in the fourth game of the
World Series to both end the game and give the Reds their fifth World Series
title in franchise history.
The second bobblehead was of Joe Oliver. He was the popular
catcher on the 1990 team whose clutch hitting scored Billy Bates in walk off
fashion in Game 2 to put the Reds ahead two games to none over the Athletics.
In fact, that moment is what the bobblehead was based on and in my opinion,
they mirrored that moment almost perfectly.
The third bobblehead of the series was of Billy Hatcher. He
was one of the most popular outfielders on the 1990 team and also serves as the
current first base coach for the Reds. Hatcher being featured as a bobblehead
was a no-brainer because of his record setting performance in the series as he
had a batting average of .750. I’m shocked that he hadn’t been featured as a
bobblehead sooner because he is just as popular today if not more than he was
in 1990 with members of Reds Country. They did a nice job with this nodder, and
it is my personal favorite of the bunch.
The fifth bobblehead was of Ohio native and former Reds
outfielder Paul O’Neill. This was the last bobblehead the Reds Hall of Fame and
Museum gave away, and they picked an excellent player to immortalize as a
nodder. Even though he might be more famous as a Yankee than a Red, he will
always be considered a member of the Redlegs to me and to other members of Reds
Country. This bobblehead looks great and was a fantastic way to end the series.
It was also flying out of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum as its release was
on the same day as the Devin Mesoraco bobblehead game and virtually every fan
who attended the game hit the hall before going to the game. That’s what I did,
and at the end of the night, I left the game with both the O’Neill bobblehead
and the Mesoraco bobblehead.
You probably noticed that I did not pick up the fourth
bobblehead in the series. It was of Tom Browning, one of the pitchers on the
team. The reason I did not go and pick up this one was because I have a
Cincinnati Reds Tom Browning bobblehead that the team gave away in 2008, and I
usually only collect one bobblehead of a player per team.
In conclusion, the 2015 series of Cincinnati Reds Hall of
Fame and Museum bobbleheads were great and the best series of nodders that they
have done to date. My only gripe with the series is Browning being featured as
I thought that should have gone with somebody else other than him as he has
already been featured as a Reds bobblehead. I think Jose Rijo, Glenn Braggs,
and Lou Pinella would have been great choices. Hopefully the Reds or the Reds
Hall of Fame and Museum make bobbleheads of these guys in the future. If you
were not able to get your hands on any of these bobbleheads, then eBay is your
best bet to find them. All fans of the Reds need these bobbleheads in their
collection as they celebrate the only wire-to-wire team in the history of the
Cincinnati Reds.
Make sure you check out the unboxing videos for these bobbleheads by clicking here!
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Photo Page Update
PIC PAGE UPDATE WITH #REDS VS #CARDINALS PICS @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM #GoReds #STLvsCIN #ATOBTTR #MLB #baseball #NFL pic.twitter.com/Lrq4i49lBQ
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 6, 2015
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Photo Page Update
PIC PAGE UPDATE WITH #BENGALS PICS @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM #NFL #TrainingCamp #whodey #letsroar #TC53 #football #mlb pic.twitter.com/KkSzZ2NBlI
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 2, 2015
Devin Mesoraco Bobblehead Unboxing
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2015 SGA Cincinnati Reds Devin Mesoraco bobblehead.
Bobblehead Page Update
#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE WITH NEW #REDS NODDER @ http://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #Mesorocket #PITvsCIN #ATOBTTR #GoReds #MLB pic.twitter.com/oNDlhJtvY3
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 2, 2015
Photo Page Update
PIC PAGE UPDATE WITH #PIRATES VS #REDS GAME PICS @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM #GoReds #PITvsCIN #Bobblehead #MLB #ATOBTTR pic.twitter.com/7IaxMEGaPz
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 2, 2015
Friday, July 31, 2015
Wrestlemania 22 3-Disc DVD 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. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I own.
In 2006, World Wrestling Entertainment presented its 22nd
edition of the showcase of the immortals in front of the always-rowdy Chicago
crowd. It was a fun event that had a lot of memorable moments and as soon as
WWE released it on DVD, I immediately picked it up for my home viewing
pleasure. With this being an individual Wrestlemania DVD set, all three discs
of the Wrestlemania 22 DVD set deal with Wrestlemania 22 in some sort of
fashion.
Disc 1 contains some vignettes, the pre-Wrestlemania18-man
interpromotional battle royal between the superstars of Raw and Smackdown, and
the first few hours of Wrestlemania 22 as it starts with the traditional
singing of “America the Beautiful” before ending with the announcement of where
Wrestlemania 23 will take place. When viewing the first disc, I recommend
watching the battle royal before the actual event in order to get the full
Wrestlemania 22 experience.
Disc 2 contains the rest of the Wrestlemania 22 event as
well as a ton of extras. Should you choose to continue watching Wrestlemania
22, the second disc picks up immediately where the first disc left off as the
very entertaining triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship is
the first match you will see. The extras included on disc 2 are what really
make this DVD set shine. Aside from the home video exclusives that feature Mick
Foley getting stitches and Rey Mysterio celebrating his World Heavyweight
Championship victory, you also get to see the entire Wrestlemania Post Show,
John Cena on Raw the night after Wrestlemania 22 addressing the hostile Chicago
crowd that almost booed him out of the city, and Saturday Night’s Main Event
that occurred a few weeks before Wrestlemania 22 in its entirety.
Disc 3 contains the entire WWE Hall of Fame induction
ceremony that featured the inductions of former Chicago Bear William “The
Refrigerator” Perry, the late great Eddie Guerrero, and Bret “Hit Man” Hart
among others. I enjoyed the induction ceremony and the Wrestlemania 22 edition
had some very entertaining moments that make it worth a watch.
The packaging of this 3-disc set looks very cool as it
features all of the competitors in what were arguably the night’s biggest
matches as well as the classic Wrestlemania logo in which the “R” and the “S”
are connected. Inside the case are the discs and pictures from the event with
the two biggest pictures being of the then World Heavyweight Champion Rey
Mysterio and the then WWE Champion John Cena.
Overall, the Wrestlemania 22 3-disc DVD set is a very nice
home video version of the event. It contains the entire Wrestlemania 22
pay-per-view, the entire pre-Wrestlemania 22 Saturday Night’s Main Event
television special, and the entire WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Most of
the matches on the card were fantastic and had me in awe. Shawn Michaels
dropping a massive elbow on to Vince McMahon from an enormous ladder, Edge
spearing Mick Foley through a flaming table, and the Money in the Bank ladder
match acrobatics are just a few of the cool moments from this event. It is
relatively cheap and easy to find today, so add it to your Wrestlemania
collection.
Stay tuned for the Wrestlemania 23 DVD review!
Friday, July 24, 2015
The Cancelled Bobblehead
Please note that this was written before the All-Star teams
were announced.
If you have been a fan of my website, then you know that I
am a collector of bobbleheads and a diehard fan of the Cincinnati Reds. When
the Reds release their promotional schedule, I always look for the games that
feature a bobblehead giveaway so that I can get tickets for it and add the new
nodder to my collection. One bobblehead on the 2015 schedule that caught my eye
was a special “2015 All-Star player” bobblehead. With the Reds hosting the 2015
midsummer classic, the team decided to give away a nodder of a Reds player that
made the All-Star team with the player being featured in what I would guess to
be the National League All-Star uniform. Unfortunately for bobblehead fans, it
appears that this nodder has been cancelled.
As I was looking at the Reds promotional schedule to see if
the third “Stars of the Queen City” bobblehead had been revealed, I noticed
that the “2015 All-Star player” bobblehead game had been changed. Instead of
giving out a bobblehead, the team is now giving out a figurine of a Reds player
that makes the All-Star team. Talk about disappointing.
This was one of the bobbleheads I had been looking forward
to most this season. Last year, the team gave away what I consider to be the
best Reds bobblehead of all time in that it was a 2015 All-Star Game Mr.
Redlegs nodder. It is a timeless nodder considering that it features a mascot
and not a player, and it has an outstanding look to it. I was expecting
something similar this year when the team announced that they would give away a
bobblehead of a Reds player who made the All-Star team.
If you look at the Reds record though, it is easy to see why
the team has decided to with a figurine instead of a bobblehead. As I write
this, the Reds are in fourth in the National League Central and have once again
been ravaged by injuries. Combine that with frustratingly bad play and the
results have not been pretty. Fans have noticed this too as it appears that
Todd Frazier might be the only Reds player at the 2015 All-Star game. Shortstop
Zack Cozart was having a great year and was in contention to make the All-Star
team, but a terrible leg injury has him on the shelf for the rest of the year,
leaving Frazier as the lone Reds player to possibly make the team.
I would have loved to see Cozart make the team and have him immortalized
as the All-Star bobblehead. Frazier had a bobblehead game very early in the
season, and I doubt fans would shell out the cash for another Frazier
bobblehead or any Reds other player for that matter. As I write this, Phillips
and Votto have gained ground in the All-Star voting for their positions, but
Phillips, like Frazier, has already had a bobblehead game this season, and
Votto seemingly has one every other year.
With it being slim pickings for Reds All-Stars, the team has
decided to play it safe and give out a figurine instead of a bobblehead. The
figurine might turn out to look pretty cool, but bobbleheads are and always
will be cooler. It is out of my hands though, and if I like how the figurine
looks, I might head to Great American Ball Park to get it.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Photo Page Update
PHOTO PAGE UPDATE WITH #REDS vs #CUBS PICS @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM #GoReds #CHCvsCIN #ATOBTTR #LetsPlayTwo #MLB #wwe pic.twitter.com/F4wUDTm5nf
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) July 23, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Photo Page Update
PIC PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #REDS GAME & TODD FRAZIER AUTO SIGNING PICS #Reds #OhioCup #ATOBTTR pic.twitter.com/MJ6JCILYc5
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) July 19, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
My All-Star Week Experience
The 2015 edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game
took place on Tuesday, July 14, and in the end, the American League topped the
National League by a score of 6-3. It was a fun game to watch, and it capped
off an incredible week of baseball activities. I tried to soak up as much of
the All-Star Game festivities as I could, and in this post, I will discuss what
I was up to during All-Star week.
Things officially kicked off with the opening of the MLB
All-Star Game FanFest on Friday. I went to it and was blown away by everything
they had there. They had a lot of cool exhibits that dealt with not only the
Cincinnati Reds but with some of the all-time greats to have ever played the
sport of baseball. There were exhibits about the Negro League, women in
baseball, and the baseball hall of fame. After the All-Star FanFest closed for
the day, I went up to Fountain Square in the center of the city. Buildings and
skywalks were decked out in All-Star decorations, and you could feel the excitement
in Cincinnati building as the midsummer classic drew near. There was a concert
at Fountain Square as the band, Saint Hotel, rocked the heart of downtown after
a baseball themed fireworks display illuminated the night sky. It was a
fantastic day and an excellent way to start All-Star week with a bang.
The next day I went to a celebrity softball game. It was not
the official MLB Celebrity Softball Game. The one I went to was called the
Celebrity Softball Challenge. It featured a lot of local celebrities playing
softball for charity. The game featured Team Johnny Bench taking on Team
Evander Holyfield. Players on the teams included a few members of the
Cincinnati Bengals such as Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill, a Cincinnati radio
DJ named Meat, Tae Bo fitness guru Billy Blanks, and a few members of the
Columbus Blue Jackets. This was a very entertaining game and you could tell
that the celebrities were having fun. In the end, Team Bench destroyed Team
Holyfield.
On Monday, the day of the Home Run Derby, I went back to the
All-Star Game FanFest. The different booths and stations there were giving out
a lot of free stuff, and I managed to pick up some really cool things for my
sports memorabilia collection. I also got the autograph of Amos Otis, a former
player of the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets among other teams. I
also did the “Steal a Base Challenge” in which you race an MLB player on a
screen. I chose to race Billy Hamilton and in the end, I beat him! I also went
to the All-Star Game Block Party. There were games, a zip line, and an
autograph session that featured former player and current co-host of the show
“Intentional Talk,” Kevin Millar.
In the end, I found All-Star week to be a blast and now that
the game is over and all the festivities of the midsummer classic are no longer
in Cincinnati, I’m a little sad. This was the first time I had ever seen the
city and the surrounding area come together and put on a spectacle for the rest
of the nation to see and enjoy. Cincinnati truly shined in the national spotlight,
and I cannot wait to see what happens the next time the MLB All-Star Game comes
to the Queen City.
Check out pictures from All-Star week on the “Photos” page
and keep an eye out for my trilogy of All-Star week vlogs!
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Photo Page Update
PIC PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #ASG PICS #Reds #ASG2015 #AllStarGame #HRDerby #FanFest #FranchiseFour pic.twitter.com/Ac5lKBiTPF
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) July 15, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
Mr. Redlegs 2015 All-Star Game Edition Bobblehead Review
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2014 Cincinnati Reds SGA Mr. Redlegs 2015 All-Star Game Edition bobblehead.
Chapmania!
On Thursday, I got a notification from Twitter that said Aroldis Chapman, the flame throwing closer of the Reds, follows me on Twitter! I'm not too entirely sure if the Twitter account is legit, but based on who he follows and who follows him, it seems real. I got an automated direct message from him saying that he just opened the account so maybe it is actually Chapman's Twitter handle! If he likes it, then you will too! Give me a follow @CincyFanZone!
All-Star Week 2015
For one night in July, Major League Baseball’s best players
will gather at Great American Ball Park as the Cincinnati Reds host the 2015
MLB All-Star Game. It should be a fun week that showcases the city of
Cincinnati and the surrounding area to rest of the nation. After for what
seemed like an eternity of waiting and skyrocketing hype, All-Star week is upon
us, and in this post, I will discuss the various events that will be happening
in Cincinnati for the Midsummer Classic.
The week of baseball festivities kicks off on Friday, July
10, at the Duke Energy Convention Center. This will be the site of the T-Mobile
All-Star FanFest, a big five-day festival in which baseball fans will have the
opportunity to get autographs from some of the sport’s greatest legends,
participate in various activities, and win tickets to some of the other events
happening throughout the week. The FanFest will run from Friday, July 10, to
Tuesday, July 14, and the first 2000 guests each day will receive a free
giveaway item. The giveaway items vary depending on the day and range from a
plush toy of Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and former Cincinnati Red
Barry Larkin to a mini bobblehead of a player from the Big Red Machine.
On Saturday, July 11, the Color Run MLB All-Star 5K will
take place with the race starting at 9 a.m. Also on Saturday is the Budweiser
MLB All-Star Concert. The concert will feature pop star Ariana Grande and will
take place at Paul Brown Stadium, the home of the Cincinnati Bengals, at 8 p.m.
On Sunday, July 12, the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game,
which features the best players in the minor leagues, will take place at Great
American Ball Park at 3 p.m. Following the Futures game will be the All-Star
Legends and Celebrity softball game. The softball game will feature singer
Jordin Sparks, Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, and Cincinnati Bengals
quarterback Andy Dalton among others. Also on Sunday is the MLB All-Star Summer
Pepsi Block Party. This will take place from noon to 8 p.m. and be on East
Freedom Way.
On Monday, July 13, the Gatorade All-Star Workout Day will
happen at Great American Ball Park, which will feature the Gillette Home Run
Derby at 8 p.m. There are new rules for the home run derby this year and with
Great American Ball Park being considered a hitter friendly ballpark, it should
be a fun event to watch.
Tuesday, July 14, will be the conclusion of the MLB All-Star
festivities. The All-Star Game Red Carpet Show will start at 1 p.m. with the 86th
MLB All-Star Game starting at 7 p.m. The entire baseball world will be watching
as the best of the American League take on the best of the National League in a
game in which the winning league will ensure home field advantage for the 2015
World Series.
If you are a baseball fan, Cincinnati is the place to be
from July 10 to July 14. Major League Baseball will take over the city as the MLB
All-Star game makes it triumphant return to Cincinnati for the first time since
1988. Hopefully I can snag some tickets to a few events and the All-Star game.
If anybody is willing to hook me up, leave a comment!
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
Bobblehead Page Update
NEW #BOBBLEHEAD @ http://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #Bengals #LetsRoar #WhoDey #Reds #MILvsCIN #GoReds #ATOBTTR #ASG #ASGWorthy pic.twitter.com/pjeROMNp3M
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) July 3, 2015
Booking Battleground
The beast is back. The champ is in trouble.
WWE's next pay-per-view will give wrestling fans a glimpse
at the possible SummerSlam card, and with Battleground being the site of the
WWE World Heavyweight Championship bout between Brock Lesnar and the champ,
Seth Rollins, the main event of the biggest wrestling show of the summer hangs
on the outcome of the match. So how will Battleground shape SummerSlam's main
event? Allow me to explain.
As we all know, Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank
contract at Wrestlemania 31 and turned the main event title bout between Roman
Reigns and Lesnar into a triple threat match before pinning Reigns and walking
out as the new champion. The following night on Raw, Lesnar went on a rampage
and destroyed everybody in his path, which resulted in him being
"suspended" by WWE. Since then, the arrogance of Rollins has escalated,
and he has stepped on the toes of the Authority multiple times. As a result,
they brought back Lesnar and named him as the number one contender for the WWE
World Heavyweight Championship.
I believe that Lesnar will defeat Rollins and regain the WWE
World Heavyweight Championship. This will allow for WWE to set up two
intriguing storylines that could lead to a SummerSlam pay-per-view with two
main events: Rollins vs. Triple H and Reigns vs. Lesnar.
Let’s start off with why I think Rollins vs. Triple H will
happen. In the summer of 2014, Triple H picked Rollins to be his protégé and
the former member of the Shield has become WWE’s top heel. He became arrogant,
won matches in dirty ways, and has managed to squirm his way out of big title
defenses with his hands still on WWE’s biggest prize. He has essentially become
very similar to the Game and in the Authority, there can only be one Triple H.
Following his defeat to Lesnar at Battleground, the Authority, tired of
Rollins’ attitude and inability to retain his title without their help, will
turn on Rollins, resulting in a SummerSlam bout between the Cerebral Assassin
and his former student.
Now let’s move on to why I think Reigns and Lesnar will take
place at SummerSlam. At the Royal Rumble, Reigns won the Royal Rumble match and
earned a main event title shot at Wrestlemania 31 against Lesnar. Fan reception
to this booking decision was horrible as Reigns was booed every week leading up
to Wrestlemania. This poor reaction is perhaps what prompted WWE to have
Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at Wrestlemania and steal the
title from Reigns and Lesnar. Since then, Reigns has been garnering better
reactions from the crowd and all the boos have seemingly vanished. A
combination of having Reigns constantly team up with the insanely over with the
crowd Dean Ambrose and WWE gradually feeding Reigns to the crowd instead of
forcing him down their throats has allowed Reigns to finally be put in a
position to be crowned champion without receiving a terrible reaction. This
allows WWE to stage a Wrestlemania rematch between Reigns and Lesnar in the
main event of their second biggest event of the year. I think Reigns will then
defeat Lesnar and win the title only to suffer a loss to the new Mr. Money in
the Bank, Sheamus. This allows Lesnar to stay off TV until Wrestlemania season,
and it keeps Reigns busy as he once again tries to capture the WWE Championship.
That is how I think Battleground will shape SummerSlam 2015.
It should be an entertaining main event between Lesnar and Rollins and knowing
how WWE likes to do things, expect a few surprises throughout the match. Thanks
for reading and stay tuned for my “Battleground 2015 Thoughts” video.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Bobblehead Page Update
#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #Reds #GoReds #CINvsNYM #ATOBTTR #NBA #NBADraft #MLB #MLB #WWE #NFL pic.twitter.com/4mUw4Heg5M
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 26, 2015
Wresltemania 21 3-Disc DVD 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. Over the course of the next few
weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I
own.
In this week’s post, I will be reviewing the 3-disc
collector’s edition of Wrestlemania 21. With this being an individual
Wrestlemania DVD set, all three discs in this set deal with Wrestlemania 21 as
opposed to the Wrestlemania anthology series that had one Wrestlemania per
disc. Disc 1 contains the first few hours of Wrestlemania 21 as it goes from
the start of the event until ending with the sumo match between the Big Show
and Akebono.
Disc 2 has the rest of the show on it as it picks up right
where the first disc left off and contains the WWE Championship match and the
World Heavyweight Championship match. Also on disc 2 are a lot of bonus
features such as different promotions for some of the big matches on the card.
Another cool bonus feature is the inclusion of the movie parodies that featured
various wrestlers. Since Wrestlemania 21 was held in Los Angeles, WWE used
wresters to parody famous movie scenes to promote the event. They are
entertaining to watch and worth a look. There are also career highlights for a
few wrestlers, the Wrestlemania week activities that happened throughout the
Los Angeles area, and the preshow Wrestlemania 21 battle royal.
Disc 3 has the entire WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony,
which features the inductions of legends such as the Iron Sheik, “Rowdy” Roddy
Piper, and Hulk Hogan among others. I enjoy watching the Hall of Fame
ceremonies as they feature some of the biggest legends from the professional
wrestling world, and the Hall of Fame class of 2005 was pretty heavy on star
power.
The packaging for Wrestlemania 21 is very nice and plays up
on the event’s tagline of “Wrestlemania Goes Hollywood” as it features various
Wrestlers and the Wrestlemania 21 logo above the famous Hollywood sign. Inside
the case are of course the discs as well as multiple pictures from the event.
The two biggest pictures on the case, however, are of Batista and John Cena as
they won the World Heavyweight Championship and the WWE Championship,
respectively, at the event.
In conclusion, the Wrestlemania 21 3-disc DVD set is a
really good home video edition of the WWE’s 21st installment of the
showcase of the immortals. The packaging is very nice, there are a lot of bonus
features, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony is included, and the Wrestlemania
21 event itself was pretty good. There were some great matches and a very
entertaining “Piper’s Pit” segment that featured Stone Cold Steve Austin. Since
the event happened a decade ago, (which really makes me feel old!), you can
easily find it for a few bucks online. That’s a really good deal for a really
good Wrestlemania.
Keep an eye out for the Wrestlemania 22 DVD review!
Monday, June 15, 2015
Double Posts and Videos This Week
How's it going Cincy Fan Zone fans? You may have noticed that there have been two blog posts and two videos published this week. Usually I only publish one post and one video a week, but I will not be able to publish anything next week so to make up for that, I have published two videos and two blog posts. I hope this makes up for not being able to publish anything next week!
Here is what was published:
Out of Left Field
Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume IV Review
Ken Griffey Jr. Cincinnati Jungle Kats Bobblehead Unboxing
Money in the Bank 2015 Thoughts
Feel free to click the links or scroll down the page to check out the latest posts and videos from Cincy Fan Zone!
Here is what was published:
Out of Left Field
Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume IV Review
Ken Griffey Jr. Cincinnati Jungle Kats Bobblehead Unboxing
Money in the Bank 2015 Thoughts
Feel free to click the links or scroll down the page to check out the latest posts and videos from Cincy Fan Zone!
Money in the Bank 2015 Thoughts
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Bobblehead Page Update
#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #Reds #Bengals #NBAFinals #StanleyCup #CINvsCHC #WWE #MITB #ATOBTTR pic.twitter.com/mxSKCao5hF
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 14, 2015
Ken Griffey Jr. Cincinnati Jungle Kats Bobblehead Unboxing
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Ken Griffey Jr. Cincinnati Jungle Kats bobblehead.
Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume IV 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. Over the course of the next few
weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I
own.
The anthology portion of this series of posts finally
concludes this week as I review Wrestlemania:
The Complete Anthology Volume IV. This is the last volume of the
Wrestlemania anthology DVD set that WWE released. Contained within this volume are
Wrestlemanias 16-20. The editing for these discs are only on Wrestlemanias 16,
17, and 18 and are the same as the edits for Wrestlemania 15 in that there are
musical changes, the muting of the letter “F” when WWF is said, and the
blurring of the WWF scratch logo. Wrestlemania 19 and Wrestlemania 20 are not
as edited since most of the musical licenses had not expired when these DVDs
were released, and WWF had changed its name to WWE when these two Wrestlemanias
took place meaning there are no logo blurs.
This is the only volume in which every disc is double sided
meaning you will have to flip the DVD when the first side finishes in order to
continue watching. If you are a couch potato, then avoid this volume like the
plague.
The packing for this volume is the same as the first three
volumes except for the pictures on the inside as they feature legendary moments
from Wrestlemanias 16-20.
Also included is a program that lists all of the matches and
segments that take place at each Wrestlemania. The picture that they chose for
the faceoff on this program is very obvious as it features the two biggest
stars of the era who were engaged in the best rivalry of the era. The faceoff
is of the Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
This is my favorite volume of the four as it contains five
great Wrestlemania events. Wrestlemania 16 has the breathtaking triangle ladder
match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, Wrestlemania 17 is the greatest
Wrestlemania of all time and features fantastic matches throughout the entire
card, Wrestlemania 18 turns a dream match into a reality as the Rock and Hulk
Hogan had an electrifying bout, Wresltmania 19 was almost as good as
Wrestlemania 17 as it too featured many incredible matches, and Wrestlemania 20
brings the event back to where it began in Madison Square Garden.
If you only buy one volume of the Wrestlemania anthology
series, then I recommend you buy this one. Wrestlemania:
The Complete Anthology Volume IV has a ton of great matches and segments
that will keep any wrestling fan entertained for hours.
You can also purchase all four of the Wrestlemania anthology
volumes as a boxed set. If you do, make sure you get the 2006 version as it
contains Wrestlemanias 21 and 22 packaged in with it. The 2005 version only
adds Wrestlemania 21.
The anthology as a whole is a great way to start your
Wrestlemania collection. It contains fantastic pieces of wrestling history,
epic Wrestlemania moments, and will have the inner wrestling fan inside of you
jumping for joy.
Stay tuned for the Wrestlemania 21 DVD set review!
Friday, June 12, 2015
Out of Left Field
If you are a member of Reds Country, then you already know
that the 2015 campaign of the Cincinnati Redlegs has been less than stellar.
Pitchers have underperformed, the bullpen has been mostly a mess the entire
year, and at times it seems like the bats of the Reds are almost nonexistent. Injuries
have also played a role as Homer Bailey underwent Tommy John surgery, Marlon
Byrd has a fractured wrist, and Devin Mesoraco has a hip impingement. However,
Mesoraco still might play this year, but he will not be behind the dish. At the
time I write this post, the plan of the Reds for Mesoraco, which seemingly came
from out of nowhere, is to have him be the new left fielder.
The hip impingement Mesoraco has prevents him from crouching
in the catcher’s position behind home plate, and he has not caught since April
12. The Reds tried to use him as a pinch hitter when they played in National
League stadiums and as a designated hitter when they played in American League
stadiums before finally placing him on the disabled list on May 25. When the
team pulled the trigger and put Mesoraco on the DL, I thought that meant he
would have surgery on his hip and start rehabbing so that he would be good to
go for the 2016 season. That is not the case however, as the Reds sent him to
Columbus to play with the Louisville Bats on June 8. The Bats are the Triple-A
minor league affiliate of the Reds.
I do not know how I feel about this decision. Part of me is
thrilled at the possibility that Mesoraco could rejoin the team in a starting
role and bring his slugging ability to the lineup on a fulltime basis. However,
another part of me is concerned that Mesoraco could further injure his hip or
another part of his body that could set him back even further. In my opinion,
this is a high risk high reward gamble for the Reds, and if I were in charge, I
would have already shut him down and told him to get ready for next season.
Mesoraco is one of my favorite players on the team and is
the best Reds catcher that I have ever seen. (Please note that I was not born
until 1992 and therefore have never seen Johnny Bench play.) He calls good games,
he hits well, and most importantly and what I like best about him, he is the definition
of hustle for this Reds team. Every time I have watched him play, it seems that
Mesoraco is always giving it his all and is constantly in high gear. That is
why his presence is so important to the Reds. However, is having him on a team
who, at the time this post was written, is currently 13 games out of first
place and seven games under .500 worth the gamble of further injury?
I say no, but the Reds and Mesoraco say yes. In fact,
Mesoraco was open to the idea of playing left field since he cannot catch this
year. (If that does not show his hustle and how determined he is to help this
team win, then I don’t know what does.) It is no secret that left field has
been a huge hole for the Reds over the past few seasons. Will Mesoraco’s
presence in that position be enough to turn it around for the Redlegs? Only
time will tell. All us members of Reds country can do is hope and pray that
Mesoraco does not suffer a debilitating injury and that his new position for
the 2015 season is what ignites this Reds team and sends them on a playoff run.
Go Redlegs!
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Billy Hatcher Bobblehead Unboxing
Bobblehead Page Update
#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE WITH NEW #REDS NODDER @ http://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #SDvsCIN #MLB #NBA #NHL #ATOBTTR #Sports #NFL pic.twitter.com/afTdH1FXKi
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 6, 2015
Photo Page Update
PHOTO PAGE UPDATE WITH #REDS PICS from #FireworkFridays and REDS HALL OF FAME @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM #MLB #NBA #NHL pic.twitter.com/YyN5Ui8Gby
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 6, 2015
Friday, June 5, 2015
All Good Things...
The friendship between Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns has
been well documented by WWE. Ever since the Shield broke up last year, Reigns
and Ambrose have remained friends and have even teamed up on a few occasions.
Most recently, Reigns has served as the wingman of Ambrose and has helped him
seemingly get into the head of the Authority and make a fool out of the WWE
World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins. This comradery between the two former
hounds of justice is too good to be true in the world that is WWE and has to
lead to a dissolution of their friendship and give birth to a rivalry between
these two men.
On the June 1, 2015, edition of Monday Night Raw, Reigns
spoke to the Authority on behalf of Ambrose to open up the show. He told them
that Ambrose wanted a ladder match for the belt at Money in the Bank. Rollins
agreed to it and since Ambrose was not there, the Authority decided to punish
Reigns by making him defend his spot in the Money in Bank ladder match three
times. Reigns emerged victorious in each match and kept his spot, and at the
end of the night, Ambrose showed up to help Reigns beat up the Authority before
once again leaving the arena with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt.
All seems to be perfect but as WWE has shown us before, all good things must
come to an end and for Ambrose and Reigns, and that could happen at Money in
the Bank.
I have two predictions as to how this feud between Ambrose
and Reigns will start. I originally thought these two would feud earlier as I
predicted that Reigns would turn on Ambrose at Elimination Chamber. I was wrong
then, but I have more confidence in these predictions for Money in the Bank. I
think that if Reigns wins the Money in the Bank briefcase earlier in the night,
then Ambrose will win the WWE Championship ladder match only to drop the belt
to Reigns as he cashes in the contract inside the briefcase. If Reigns does not
win the Money in the Bank ladder match, then I think Ambrose will be a
fingertip away from grabbing the belt only to have Reigns inadvertently knock
him off the ladder in perhaps a failed attempt to combat interference from the
Authority. Either way, I believe that the friendship between Ambrose and Reigns
will end at Money in the Bank.
This would allow both men to have a high profile rivalry
while WWE builds up feud between Rollins and a returning Brock Lesnar for SummerSlam.
From there, all three former members of the Shield could possibly become
intertwined in a rivalry that could culminate at Wrestlemania 32. WWE has
teased this triple threat match for a while, and I think they will give it to
wrestling fans at their biggest show of the year. Until that day though, WWE
must focus on SummerSlam and a Reigns versus Ambrose battle could be on the
card.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Elimination Chamber 2015 Thoughts
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)