Saturday, June 28, 2014

WWE Money In The Bank 2014 Predictions & Analysis

WWE Money In The Bank 2014 Predictions

Money In The Bank has become one of the WWE's biggest PPV's of the years. Many classic moments and matches have taken place at this PPV over the past few years. This year's PPV has the potential to be just as memorable as a new champion will be crowned. Beyond that, the majority of the matches are very hard to predict. Although I do have an idea of what I think will happen which I will detail in this column. Also, this is not neccesarily what I think should happen, to see what I think SHOULD happen click here! Now, without a further a due. Let's get into my predictions and analysis for each match on the show.

1) Goldust & Stardust vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel

It's rumored that WWE's plans for Cody Rhodes as Stardust depend on how well the gimmick goes over with the crowd. Based on the way people have reacted on Twitter, I think most enjoy it. That being said, I think the Rhodes Bros will

Monday, June 23, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - June 23rd, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - June 23rd 2014

The show opens up with Stephanie McMahon and Vickie Guerrero. This was actually a very enjoyable segment. Stephanie challenges Vickie to a match later in the night and if she wins, she won't get fired. Vickie quotes Eddie by saying she knows how to lie, cheat, and steal then accepts her challenge. The crowd gets heavily behind Vickie for the first time in forever! Great opening segment despite my original thoughts on these two opening the show. When this was announced, I was like "Why are they opening with Stephanie & Vickie when they have a PPV to build toward that doesn't involve either of them?" Well, this turned out pretty good so I can't complain.

The Usos came out next followed by Luke Harper & Erick Rowan. They had new theme music that sounded pretty odd. It was a harmonica or something playing the rhythm of "He's got the whole world in his hands" which was pretty cool, but then again it doesn't make sense. Bray started singing that about John Cena so why should it be the theme song of Rowan & Harper when it has nothing to do with them? Hopefully they'll do some work on their theme soon.

The first match was very quick between Harper and Jimmy Uso. Harper picked up a quick squash victory. Then Erick Rowan faced off against Jey Uso.

1) Erick Rowan vs. Jey Uso
This match was longer than the one involving Harper, but it was still rather short. Despite that, it was pretty entertaining. Uso gets the win and chaos ensues after the match

Sunday, June 22, 2014

ROH Best In The World PPV Review

ROH Best In The World 2014 Review

It's Ring of Honor's PPV debut live in Nashville, Tennessee! The show opens up with a Six Man Mayhem Match with the winner earning a TV Title shot!

1) Tomasso Ciampa vs. BJ Whitmer vs. ACH vs. Caprice Coleman vs. Tadarius Thomas vs. Watanabe - Six Man Mayhem #1 Contender's Match for TV Title

This bout started off with a nice exchange between Ciampa and ACH, but other men soon started tagging in. ACH stayed in for the majority of the match then the whole thing broke down into insanity. Watanabe and Ciampa had a stiff strike exchange that left Ciampa with a busted mouth, but he perservered and even hit an uncharacteristic dive over the top rope! ACH was the highlight of the match however as he hit an amazing dive springboarding off the second rope onto three competitors then he headed back in the ring and delivered a 450 splash on Thomas for the victory! Awesome opening match!

Match rating - 7.5/10

2) Jay Lethal vs. Matt Taven - ROH TV Title Match

Taven and Lethal have fantastic chemistry together so it was no surprise to me when these guys put on a great match. The Truth Martini situation was handled very well and it was actually

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Five Reasons You Should Order ROH's Best In The World PPV

Five Reasons You Should Order ROH's Best In The World PPV
Tomorrow night, Sunday June 22nd, Ring of Honor wrestling will make it's live PPV debut. It's available on all major cable and satellite providers including Dish Network and Direct TV (for a full list of companies provided the PPV, click here!) It will feature talent such as Adam Cole, Michael Elgin, Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Kevin Steen, Matt Hardy, and many others.

This is without a doubt an event you don't want to miss. If for some reason you're not sold on the PPV or not familiar with ROH, I'd like to give you five reasons that you should order this big event!


1) The Return of Christopher Daniels and Debut of Frankie Kazarian
After a long stint in TNA Impact Wrestling, Christopher Daniels will be making his return to the place he started off, Ring of Honor. Daniels was in the main event of the first ever ROH show back in 2002. In the following years, he would rise to prominence which led to him getting signed by TNA Wrestling, but the time has come for The Fallen Angel to come home! Daniels is not coming alone however, he's bringing his Bad Influence partner, Frankie Kazarian with him! Daniels & Kazarian will be taking on ROH Tag Team Champions Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish (ReDragon) in a match that has potential to steal the show. Kyle O'Reilly is a unique wrestler reminiscent of strikers like Samoa Joe and technical specialists like Nigel McGuinness. His partner Bobby Fish is no slouch in the ring either and they've dominated the ROH Tag Divison for quite some time having classic matches against teams such as The Young Bucks. Seeing Bad Influence clash with ReDragon will be nothing short of epic.

2) The Grudge Match between The Briscoes Bros and Matt Hardy & Michael Bennett

Over the past few months, the rivalry between The Briscoes Brothers and Adam Cole's entourage of Matt Hardy & Michael Bennett has reached new heights. Hardy & Bennett cost Jay Briscoe the World Championship at Supercard of Honor earlier this year and since then The Briscoes have

Thursday, June 19, 2014

TNA Impact Review - June 19th, 2014

TNA Impact Wrestling Review - June 19th, 2014 - A New Champion is Crowned ; Tommy Dreamer confronts Dixie Carter
The show opens up with MVP, Kenny King, and Bobby Lashley. He calls Eric Young to the ring and we get an impromptu World Title match between Young and Kenny King.

1) Eric Young vs. Kenny King - TNA World Championship Match
This was a fun match and very interesting considering this was the opening match of the show. Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Davey Richards, and Eddie Edwards came down to back up EY since MVP and Lashley were at ringside for King. This match only lasted around 10 minutes, but was a fun encounter. Young retains the title.

After the match, a huge brawl breaks out between

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - June 16th, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - June 16th, 2014

The show started off with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in the ring like normal. They basically came out just to announce some matches for the night including a Battle Royal and John Cena vs. Kane in a Stretcher Match.

1) Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins
The series of matches these two have been having over the past few weeks has been so fun to watch. They are two of the most talented young stars on the roster so it's been a treat to watch them go at it each week. This was fantastic just like all of their other matches have been. Although this one didn't have a finish because Dean Ambrose ran in to attack Seth Rollins. I'm not complaining though because we got a solid 10-15 mins of Ziggler/Rollins beforehand and Ambrose attacking Rollins was so hype.

Ambrose got on the mic and cut one of his great promos basically challenging Rollins to a fight. Triple H came on the screen and said since Ambrose wants a fight, he'll give him one. And out comes Bad News Barrett!

2) Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose
Wow! What a start to Raw! One quality match after another! A very physical brawl would be the best way to describe this. Barrett targeted the arm of

Friday, June 13, 2014

WWE Friday Night Smackdown Review - June 13th, 2014

The show opened with a great in ring promo from Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. They were interrupted by Triple H who appeared on the screen and announced that Ambrose would face Wyatt later in the night while Barrett would face Reigns next.

1) Bad News Barrett vs. Roman Reigns
Good opening match here. Although it ended in a no contest, it was an exciting way to start the show. 3MB ended up running down and getting destroyed by Roman Reigns. The spear that Heath Slater took after diving off the steel steps was epic. Fun start to the evening.

2) Jey Uso vs. Erick Rowan
I'm really enjoying the feud between The Usos and Harper & Rowan. Their match on Raw a few weeks ago was

What's Next for Curt Hawkins, Evan Bourne, Drew McIntyre, & Brodus Clay?

I woke up yesterday morning and logged onto Twitter to find that WWE had released several talents earlier in the morning. I was shocked to learn that Evan Bourne, Drew McIntyre, and Curt Hawkins had been released. Those were the three that stood out to me as I'm an avid fan of all of them. The other names that stood out were Aksana, who was just on Raw this past Monday, and long time worker Teddy Long. Beyond those, Brodus Clay was released as well.

One thing that many of these wrestlers have in common is they were underutilized. Bourne, McIntyre, Hawkins, and Brodus Clay come to mind. And for that reason, I expect these guys to continue to have success in the wrestling business.

Evan Bourne is a veteran on the Indy scene, where he competed under the name Matt Sydal before signing to WWE. I'm sure with all of his connections in the world of independent wrestling, that he will have no trouble finding work.

Drew McIntyre has the "it" factor and I think anyone who has seen him compete prior to his embarassing run with 3MB will notice that. For that reason, I don't think McIntyre will be a free agent for long. Whether he decides to go to TNA or work the Indies, he has a big future ahead of him somewhere. I'm sure he will find a company that will take advantage of the amazing talent that he is. I'd also love to see McIntyre positioned as a top guy in Jeff Jarrett's new company. There are alot of options for the man who was once dubbed as the "Chosen One".

Curt Hawkins is someone who caught my interest when competed alongside Edge on Smackdown. Recently, I also learned that Hawkins was a big independent wrestling advocate and was friends with many indy workers. On top of that, he works incredibly hard and that showed as he has already been booked for several independent shows since being released. His future is the one that I'm most excited about. His story reminds me of Trent Baretta's. Trent got released from WWE and took to the Indy scene where he has became very popular. All Hawkins needs is that opportunity to show what he can do and the Independent Scene will give that to him.

Brodus Clay is someone that most people viewed as a joke while signed to WWE. Mainly because he was positioned as a playful dancing giant. What people don't know is that Brodus was an excellent monster heel down in NXT, but since he debuted on the main roster, that character was pushed to the side for a more "family friendly" persona. Clay then wasted away on the main roster which led to his release. I'm hopeful that another company such as TNA or Jarrett's GFW will pick him up and let him have a run as a monster heel, because he's very talented. Or he could even make a run on the Indies. There are several big guys such as Willie Mack who've found great success there so I'm sure there are going to be alot of opportunites for Clay since being released from WWE.

The whole point of this article was to show that aside from the fact that these guys are losing a job/pay day, this is also a good thing. For them and for wrestling fans. They are finally going to be able to venture into a new area of wrestling where they will most likely be used to the extent of their abilities. The possibilites and opportunites that await these talents are endless. I hope to see them competing soon in companies that will truly appreciate the fine talent that they have.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - June 9th, 2014

The show opened with an announcement segment by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Like them or not, they are attention grabbers and play their characters well. Thus they always deliver quality segments. This was no different. The only thing I didn't like is that they stripped Daniel Bryan of the WWE Title without him even being there. I just think it would have been better for him to tell the fans he truly couldn't compete, but that's just me. They also announced a blockbuster main event pitting The Wyatt Family against Ambrose, Reigns, and a partner if they could find one. Good way to open the show with a bunch of shocking and exciting announcements.

The first match of the evening pitted Bad News Barrett against Sheamus. Although we've seen them face off several times in the past month, this was their best match yet. Hard hitting, stiff outstanding match.

The show went down hill from that point. Ryder jobbed to Rusev yet again. Then WWE buried Damien Sandow even further by

Monday, June 9, 2014

How WWE should handle the Daniel Bryan/WWE Championship Situation

News broke today that Daniel Bryan wouldn't be able to compete at Money In The Bank later this month. That leads many to believe that WWE will go through with Plan B which was put announced last Monday. The plan being to have a Ladder Match at MITB for the WWE Title. There's also rumors of a second ladder match for the actual MITB briefcase.

With all of this breaking news, I immediately began speculating on who the next WWE Champion should be. After a good bit of thinking, I came up with what I believe would be the perfect plan.

At Money In The Bank, Cesaro wins the MITB briefcase while John Cena wins the actual title in the main event of the show. Immediately after the match, Cesaro runs down and cashes in on Cena to win the WWE Championship.

At Battleground, Cena gets his rematch for the title against Cesaro. During the match, Brock Lesnar interferes to help Cesaro retain the championship. WWE never makes Cena look weak plus this sets up a rematch two years in the making between Lesnar and Cena. It's the best and most logical choice for the outcome of the match.

Brock Lesnar and John Cena become embroiled in a feud since Lesnar cost Cena the title. Lesnar's reasoning aside from helping Cesaro was that he wanted to avenge his loss against Cena at Extreme Rules in 2012. A match is made between Lesnar and Cena for SummerSlam. As for the WWE Championship picture, Daniel Bryan returns and wants a rematch for the title he never lost. Bryan vs. Cesaro for the WWE Title will take place at SummerSlam.

At SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar defeats Cena to avenge his loss in their previous match while Cesaro successfully defends his WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan. There may have been some foul play, but Cesaro emerged looking stronger than ever after a 30 minute classic. In the end, Lesnar came down to the ring to distract Bryan which allowed Cesaro to hit the neutralizer for the victory.

After Lesnar distracted Bryan in the main event of SummerSlam, Bryan wants revenge. The two will face off at Night of Champions. Also at Night of Champions, Cesaro will go one on one with Randy Orton who never got his rematch after losing the title at WrestleMania 30.

At Night of Champions, Lesnar defeats Bryan and Cesaro defeats Randy Orton.

After Night of Champions, Lesnar disappears for a period of time while Cesaro dominates the WWE as it's World Heavyweight Champion. Cesaro reigns as the WWE Champion through the fall defending his title against all comers.

The 2015 Royal Rumble rolls around and Brock Lesnar makes a surprise return to win the Royal Rumble meaning he will be facing Cesaro in the main event of WrestleMania 31 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

The 10 month long champion, Cesaro vs. The man who broke the Streak, Brock Lesnar. There's no better choice for the main event of WrestleMania 31. Both men will have dominated WWE during the past year and now they will clash for the most prestigious prize in sports entertainment on the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania.

I think this is the best way to book the WWE Championship over the next year. It builds a new top star and will provide some fresh feuds.

What do you think? Tweet me your thoughts on Twitter @StylesClashx!

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Fantasy Booking: SummerSlam 2014

It's rumored that WWE wants to make SummerSlam the best PPV that they can this year because it's around that time that everyone's WWE Network subscriptions will be expiring. This means that WWE will have to put forth the best product possible to make people want to renew their subscription for another six months.

With that in mind, I decided to come up with my own card for SummerSlam 2014. I personally believe that this SummerSlam has the potential to be one of the best yet. Especially if this ends up being the final card. Below you will find each match that I would book for the show accompanied by the story leading up to the match. Without further a due, let's get started.

Pre-Show Match: The Usos & Sami Zayn vs. Ryback, Curtis Axel, & Titus O'Neil
This match is set up basically so the United States Champion Sami Zayn and the Tag Team Champions Ryback & Curtis Axel can be featured on the show. Zayn won the US Title from Sheamus on RAW a week before Battleground (more info below under Cena/Sheamus match). As for Ryback & Axel, they defeated The Usos for the Tag Team Titles at Battleground. Titus O'Neil came into the picture when he began orchestrating attacks on Sami Zayn the weeks leading up to SummerSlam.

1) Bad News Barrett vs. Chris Jericho - Intercontinental Championship Match
With Jericho rumored to return to WWE soon, I think this would be a great match up for him as well as a solid way to start the show. Jericho has prasied Barrett as someone who should be World Champion so I'm sure he would love to work with him. This would continue to raise the prestige of the IC Title and would do wonders for Wade Barrett. There are several ways that this match could be set up, but the easiest way would be to