My Breaking Point

If you read this blog over this past year and a half, you have probably noticed how conflicted I've been about WWE's main roster. Despite having the most talented roster in company history, the product is the worst it has ever been in my opinion — and I watched through John Cena's entire reign of terror. 

Although I knew the product was at its worst, I still hung on. There are still a bunch of talented wrestlers in the company. There were a couple storylines that I actually enjoyed. There was still hope — or so I thought.

I can confirm that after almost 16 years of watching, WWE has finally broken my resolve. I no longer have the will to watch a product that so vehemently despises its audience. It's not worth wasting my time, money, and brainpower on a wrestling show booked by an out-of-touch lunatic that has no desire to change with the times.

So what got me to this point? What made this rabid wrestling fan turn on the company that got him into pro wrestling in the first place?

Well, it was the main event of Hell in a Cell 2019. Seth Rollins was set to defend his Universal Championship against "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in the titular structure. 

Leading up to this match, Wyatt's Fiend persona was built up to be a movie monster. This meant he was both physically unstoppable and psychologically terrifying. In fact, The Fiend's mask looked to be inspired by horror movie classics and he carried a lantern made of his former self's severed head. The aesthetic was there, his debut match blew everybody away, and he was used sparingly to build the mystique. There was no way in hell WWE could have screwed this up.

Long story short, they did. And in glorious fashion too.

Objectively, Seth Rollins vs. The Fiend was a good match. Hell, it was an excellent match. 

Built around making The Fiend look absolutely indestructible, the match did its job to perfection. Rollins literally hit The Fiend with everything but the kitchen sink — and The Fiend kept kicking out. Fifteen plus curb stomps, kendo stick shots to the ribs, multiple weapon shots to the head, nothing could put The Fiend down for the count. 

Then the ending happened. 

With The Fiend's head buried under a ladder, steel chair, and metal toolbox, Rollins decided to take a sledgehammer to his opponent's cranium. Before swinging the sledgehammer, the referee stepped in to tell Rollins that "This is not who you are". After a minute of inner turmoil, Rollins used the sledgehammer to strike The Fiend's head. As Rollins made contact with the pile of weapons, the ref called for the DQ — in a fucking Hell in a Cell match where there are no rules!

While the ending was horrid, the post-match was even worse. As chants of "AEW", "Restart the match", and "Refund" rang through the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, The Fiend would resurrect to attack Rollins. This attack ended with The Fiend applying the Mandible Claw as fake blood poured out of Rollins like a fountain. 

At that very moment, the entire mystique, terror, and wonder surrounding The Fiend dissipated as I began to laugh. Not the reaction you want for your horror movie monster. 

The Fiend officially jumped the shark. And with that, I officially jumped ship.

I've been angry at WWE booking before. Hell, I lived through the 2014 and 2015 Royal Rumbles, Brock Lesnar's stranglehold of the Universal Championship, and the insufferable Roman Reigns push. In fact, you can look back into the archives of this very blog to find most of them. 

What makes this one different is WWE isn't the only game in town anymore. Look at NXT, AEW, New Japan, Stardom, Impact, PWG, or many others around the globe. There is a promotion to satisfy any fan of professional wrestling. 

So, I'm done clogging up my time to keep up with supposed "big leagues" when it doesn't satisfy me anymore.

The Silver Report: September 2018

To be honest, I do quite a bit of rambling this report, so I am going to keep this intro short and (too) sweet.

As I will go into more detail briefly, September was a huge month for independent and alternative wrestling. We now live in a world where companies that aren't named WWE can sell out a 10,000+ seat arena, where wrestlers are more concerned with satisfying the fans than lining their pockets, where men and women are quite literally changing the world of wrestling as we speak. In short, we live in a post All In wrestling industry and that is gosh darn exciting.

Going "All In" on Independent Wrestling

Love it or hate it, you have to admit it that All In was special.

Like mentioned above, it quite literally changed the wrestling industry. While independent wrestling may not be on the same level as the WWE (and probably never will be), All In and its success made the mainstream take notice. It introduced the talents and styles of many different wrestling organizations to a larger audience than ever before via streaming services, pay-per-view, and WGN America. Hopefully, this exposure will lead to new and lapsed wrestling fans tuning into their alternative of choice over or in addition to WWE. Believe me, All In's impact will be felt for years to come.

Although All In will definitely be remembered for its impact on the industry, that's not all it will be remembered for. From Zero Hour to the main event — which finished only seconds before the broadcast was cut — it was a celebration of wrestling's past, present, and future. You had Stephen Amell throw himself through a table, an old-school NWA championship match with boxing-style entrances, Hangman Page carried out of the arena by penis druids, Chris Jericho attacked Kenny Omega while dressed as Pentagon Jr., a 30-minute match condensed into a non-stop 12 minutes, just to name a few great moments.

Looking at the show critically, All In was a great show. Some may even say it was one of the best shows of the year. Personally, I say All In is on the lower half of that list due to its rather slow start and some of the angles and gags being a little too hard for those who haven't caught up on Being the Elite to understand. Despite my qualms with the show, things kick into high gear once you hit the Chicago Street Fight and the show doesn't let up for a second.

In summation, huge thumbs up to Cody and the Young Bucks for putting this show together, the talent that put their bodies on the line for our entertainment, and the staff that made the broadcast possible. Without everybody's hard work, this incredible show would never have happened.

Source: Sports Illustrated

Bad Form in the Cell

I went into Hell in a Cell with low expectations. Like most main roster PPVs, the matches looked good on paper, but considering WWE's track record, there's always the chance that they'll find a way to screw it up.

Going into the main event, Hell in a Cell was doing better than the average main roster show these days. There were a couple stinkers in the Raw Women's Title Match and the Mixed Tag Team bout, but there was enough okay to great matches to counteract the bad. And the main event was Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman in a Hell in a Cell match. What could possibly go wrong?

Other than Mick Foley botching a two count, everything was all good until Roman speared Braun through a table. After the proceeding kickout, Roman and Braun would lay in the ring as all hell broke loose around them.

First, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre ran down to bully their way into the cell, only for Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins to stop them. The two teams would fight outside and on top of the cell for a good eight to 10 minutes before Rollins and Ziggler put each other through the announce tables at ringside. Then a returning Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman stormed the cell. Lesnar kicked down the door while Heyman maced Foley's eyes. Brock would then go on to F5 Roman onto Braun. After Lesnar made his quote-on-quote statement, he and Heyman left as a substitute referee called off the match right before the show cut to black.

It's hard to summarize how angry this debacle of a match made me. WWE quite literally flushed away all the work they did to try to rebuild the Universal Championship and Raw's main event scene. And just to bring back Brock Lesnar of all people! Seriously, WWE needs to move on because this over-reliance on Lesnar is doing serious damage to their product. Not only did Brock Lesnar's return at Hell in a Cell ruin a perfectly good main event, it made a mockery of the Money in the Bank contract (not that they've already done that multiple times in the past month) and made the top face and heel on Raw look like total chumps.

While these shenanigans may make a memorable moment, they'll also get people to take their money elsewhere. Especially in this post All In wrestling industry.

Source: India Today

Chaos in Kobe

Ever since Jay White returned from excursion late last year, the Switchblade has stirred up a whole lot of drama in New Japan, especially for Chaos.

Originally White was brought into the faction following WrestleKingdom by Kazuchika Okada as a challenger for midcard heavyweight titles like the IWGP Intercontinental and U.S. championships. Lately, the silver-tongued fiend has made an effort to challenge Okada's leadership at every turn. From his mind games with Yoshi-Hashi to trying to instill a killer edge in younger members Sho and Yoh, White's anarchist antics went unpunished as the faction concerned itself with the G1 then Okada's opportunity to win Hiroshi Tanahashi's place in the main event of WrestleKingdom.

With Chaos' attention diverted away from the problem child, nobody clued into what would happen next. Following Okada's loss to Tanahashi in the main event of Destruction in Kobe, White made his intentions clear — he won't be apart of a Chaos led by Okada.

White would take care of Tanahashi with a swift Blade Runner before turning his attention to the defeated Okada. As White's attack began, Yoshi-Hashi ran down for the save only to be dispatched by White almost immediately. Following Yoshi-Hashi's run-in was longtime Chaos member and Okada's former manger Gedo. Considering their former partnership, Okada turned his back to a chair-wielding Gedo as he readied to gang up on the mutinous White. Unfortunately for Okada, Gedo would blast the Rainmaker with a chair shot and align himself with the Switchblade to bring an end to Destruction in Kobe.

Although I haven't been a big fan of White's in-ring style since his return from excursion, I have to say that he has tremendous potential as New Japan's trickster, a character that uses his greater intellect to trick others for their own amusement. This manipulative nature has come across perfectly in White's antagonistic tenure in Chaos and his incredible promo work. Add Gedo into the mix and there's a lot of ways the Switchblade can make his ascent to the main event of New Japan.

So, will you breathe with the Switchblade?

Source: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Must-See Matches of September

9/1/2018

All In

Hangman Page vs. Joey Janela - Chicago Street Fight

Kenny Omega vs. Penta El Zero M

Golden Elite vs. Bandido, Fenix & Rey Mysterio

9/5/2018
NXT
Johnny Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream

9/7/2018

Road to Destruction Night 2

Golden Lovers vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Will Ospreay

9/15/2018
Destruction in Hiroshima
Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii

9/16/2018
Hell in a Cell
Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose

9/19/2018
NXT
Pete Dunne vs. Ricochet

9/23/2018
Destruction in Kobe
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada

9/30/2018
Fighting Spirit Unleashed
Will Ospreay vs. Marty Scurll
Golden Lovers vs. Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii

Straight to Hell... in a Cell: Preview of WWE Hell in a Cell 2013

Ever since Triple H pedigreed Daniel Bryan and handed Randy Orton the WWE Championship at Summerslam, we were firmly placed upon this road straight to Hell in a Cell.  The journey has had its peaks and valleys, but it has all led to this one climactic match-- Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton in Hell in a Cell.  The result of this one match will heavily influence the Authority storyline from this point forward as well as the directions for Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, Big Show and Triple H leading to WrestleMania XXX.

Considering how Battleground felt less like a PPV and more like an episode of Raw, the storylines surrounding Hell in a Cell have been cooking for well over a month now.  Even though there are only five matches announced for this show, Hell in a Cell hits all the major feuds taking place in the WWE right now.  Creative will definitely add a match and/or segment to pad out time for the PPV and create buffers between big matches as it is very rare to see a five match card from WWE nowadays.  Personally, I cannot fully articulate my feelings about this PPV.  I am cautiously optimistic as Hell in a Cell feels like the climax of many ongoing storylines.  At the same time due to this PPV being such a pivot point in all these feuds, this writer is worried that WWE in their infinite wisdom will find a way to screw it up.  It is a very interesting predicament as in actuality Hell in a Cell can either make or break the rest of the year for WWE. 

Cody Rhodes & Goldust (c) vs. The Shield vs. The Usos in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match for WWE Tag Team Championship

The trials and tribulations of the Rhodes Family has been the most enthralling program in WWE today.  WWE has legitimately made the audience care so much for Cody and Goldust that they were able to take the tag titles from the Shield, something this writer did not think we would see for a long while.  While this writer does not want to get hopes up for the resurrection of WWE's Tag Team division, putting the Rhodes Brothers as the champions of this division seems to have given the tag team division a much needed shot of adrenaline.  Quality tag team matches have been main eventing Raw for the last two weeks and there are a good number of heel tag teams to challenge for the titles (The Shield, Wyatt Family and Real Americans to name a few).  If there is more variety needed, WWE can easily bring a few tag teams up from NXT to fill the void such as Kidd & Gabriel and the Ascension.  This Triple Threat Tag Team Match can be the first step in putting the spotlight firmly on tag teams once again as it could easily steal the show.  WWE needs to figure out fast that this push cannot be sporadic.  It has to be a major focus of WWE programming going forward in order for this push to truly work.

Prediction:  Cody Rhodes & Goldust retain

AJ Lee (c) vs. Brie Bella for the Diva's Championship

No matter how hard WWE tries the Bellas will not magically garner support when there has been no official face turn on WWE programming whatsoever.  Other than comfort Daniel Bryan after beatings, they have done nothing to categorize them as face.  Handing the Diva's Title over to Brie will not automatically correct the crowd's view of the Bellas either.  Just get us out of this lame program and move AJ and the Diva's Title onto something worthwhile.

Prediction:  AJ Lee retains

CM Punk vs. Ryback & Paul Heyman in a Hell in a Cell Match

While this writer does love both CM Punk and Paul Heyman, this feud has gone on long enough.  One can only go so long seeing Punk almost get his hands on Heyman just to be cut off by Curtis Axel or Ryback at the last minute.  At first, it was entertaining; now it is boring.  It is time for Punk to get his revenge on Heyman and move onto the WWE Championship.  Considering this is a handicap match taking place in the confines of Hell in a Cell, do not expect a spectacular wrestling showcase.  This match will be a brutal manhandling of both Ryback and Heyman and nothing more.

Prediction:  CM Punk wins

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. John Cena for the World Heavyweight Championship

When John Cena announced he needed to take time off for surgery, nobody expected him back before Royal Rumble.  Correction, nobody wanted him back before Royal Rumble.  It is not very often that wrestling fans get a reprieve from John Cena's endlessly tiresome antics that when it does happen, we cherish it.  John Cena may be able to compete, but just two months after leaving for surgery seems too soon to risk possible re-injury of WWE's top star.  While Raw ratings might be down, there is no need for WWE to bring back John Cena to be an unnecessary addition to storylines already in motion.  Also the incredible lack of hype for the announcement of Cena's return makes this entire situation seem very shortsighted on WWE's end.  Placing Alberto Del Rio in the middle of this return is just a waste for the World Heavyweight Champion, which should be taking on actual contenders instead of being fed to the wolves.  Maybe Cena's pairing with Del Rio at Hell in a Cell will introduce a new storyline about Cena returning to action too soon as his elbow has not properly healed yet.  One can dream.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan for the vacant WWE Championship in a Hell in a Cell Match with Shawn Michaels as the Special Guest Referee

If there is one match to watch this Sunday, it is Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan in Hell in a Cell.  The ultimate showdown between Bryan and Orton has been building for two months and it is finally time to close the curtain on this chapter in their rivalry.  Although the intensity of this feud has not built to the point that Hell in a Cell is particularly needed in this writer's opinion, the Cell adds a sense of finality to the match.  Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton are trapped in an impenetrable cage with any sort of weapon at their disposal.  If you thought their No Disqualification match from Raw a few months back was brutal, expect this Hell in a Cell match to turn the brutality up to eleven.  Two men will enter the Cell, but only one will emerge with the WWE Championship around their waist.  Do not forget that Shawn Michaels is officiating this match and has a history with both men.  The Heartbreak Kid will definitely be a factor in the finish for this match.  While Michaels trained Bryan, there is a possibility for HBK to turn on his pupil as Triple H hinted at on Monday with his comment that HBK will do what is "best for business".  Big Show may also play a factor in the result of this match for better or worse.  Nonetheless, this match has high expectations to live up to.  Hopefully, WWE can pull it off and successfully start a new chapter of the Authority storyline.

Prediction:  Randy Orton wins the WWE Championship

The Frontline of the WWE: Preview of WWE Battleground 2013

It seems that WWE never learns.  One pay-per view a month is plenty.  Adding these unnecessary PPVs in no way helps the product; in fact, it dilutes the product because you break the focus from building entertaining and engrossing storylines to promote a PPV that does not seem anywhere close to important.  Especially with Hell in a Cell set for later this month, WWE's newest PPV Battleground feels like a generic throwaway PPV.  Personally, this writer never hopes for any show to be a throwaway, but that is the nature of things.  When establishing a new PPV, WWE needs to really make a strong first impression or risk going the ways of December to Dismember, Breaking Point or Capitol Punishment.  There are some interesting storylines heading into Battleground; the one caveat being that Battleground feels more in lines with a big episode of Raw than a major PPV event as it is stuck in the middle of two pivotal PPVs (Night of Champions and Hell in a Cell).  Well the wait will not be that long to see if this new PPV sinks or swims as Battleground originates from the First Niagara Center in Buffalo this Sunday evening.

Kofi Kingston vs. Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt has not had much to do since WWE Creative wrote Kane off of TV at Summerslam.  Given the incredibly unique talent of the Wyatt Family, this writer would have thought WWE would spring at the opportunity to put together a little feud to keep them busy for the time being.  No, all viewers got were more cryptic messages and squash matches.  It seems WWE is stalling until they decide to bring Kane back into the fray.  Speaking of the Big Red Monster, this match would be an excellent opportunity to bring Kane back into his feud with Bray Wyatt in some capacity.  Be it an opponent or follower, Kane is desperately needed to give the Wyatt Family some much needed direction.

Prediction:  Bray Wyatt wins

Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. The Shield

The feud between the Corporation and the Rhodes Family has been the most entertaining television on any current WWE programming.  All starting with Triple H prematurely firing Cody Rhodes for losing a match to Randy Orton, this feud has slowly escalated over the past month to involve the entire Rhodes Family (Cody, Goldust and Dusty).  In a last ditch effort to eradicate the Rhodes threat, Triple H gave them a proposition they could not refuse-- beat The Shield and Cody and Goldust get their jobs back, lose and the entire Rhodes Family is banned from the WWE.  These huge stakes along with the great set-up make this match worth paying attention to this Sunday.  With the right intensity, environment and direction, this simple tag team match could steal the show.

Prediction:  Cody Rhodes & Goldust win

AJ Lee (c) vs. Brie Bella for the Diva's Championship

Well, it was wishful thinking that mixing the Diva's Title scene with the cast of Total Divas was just a one shot deal.  WWE is back at it again this month.  Now WWE will be cycling through the cast to individually challenge AJ.  Outside of Natalya, this writer does not see any of the other divas taking the title away from WWE's resident crazy chick.

Prediction:  AJ Lee retains

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam in a Battleground Hardcore Match for the World Heavyweight Championship

With such a short period between Night of Champions and Battleground, it would not have been the best choice to build up a brand new challenger for Alberto Del Rio.  The easiest and smartest choice was to continue this decent feud with Rob Van Dam and Ricardo Rodriguez especially after the disqualification ending to their match at Night of Champions.  Given RVD's history of excellent hardcore matches and Del Rio's developing mean streak, this match should be an exciting bout to say the least.  With RVD set to be taking a break after Battleground, this writer has a feeling Rodriguez will once again be joining forces with Alberto Del Rio.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

Curtis Axel (c) vs. R-Truth for the Intercontinental Championship

It really is hard to preview this match as there is absolutely no story or real significance for it.  R-Truth beat Curtis Axel in a non-title match on Raw so guess that win warrants him a title opportunity.  The only purpose for this match serves is being the buffer between the bigger matches on the card.  Being the buffer is just what this match is going to be as it should be an average bout at best.

Prediction:  Curtis Axel retains

CM Punk vs. Ryback

Placing Ryback into the hands of Paul Heyman was ingenious.  There was no real direction for his character other than the obligatory Ryback bullying segment that appeared on every episode of Raw and Smackdown for the past few months.  After Curtis Axel and Brock Lesnar, it was hard to think of somebody to keep CM Punk busy with Paul Heyman.  Ryback fits the bill perfectly as there is history and chemistry between the two and he has nothing else to do.  As it is only the first match between Punk and Ryback, expect the newest Paul Heyman guy to get the win in some underhanded way.  Heyman needs to keep winning in order for this feud to continue.  If Punk wins, he can finally exact his revenge against Heyman thus end of story and end of keeping Punk away for the WWE Title picture.

Prediction:  Ryback wins

Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton for the vacant WWE Championship

Speaking of the WWE Title picture, it has been an interesting three weeks.  At Night of Champions, Daniel Bryan reclaimed the WWE Championship from Randy Orton, but things were not right in the world.  When Scott Armstrong went to count the winning pinfall, he made an obviously quick count.  This fast count was used by Triple H to strip Daniel Bryan of the WWE Championship the next night on Raw.  While it was obvious Triple H orchestrated the entire fast count fiasco, you do have to applaud WWE for thinking of a neat way to extend this feud between Bryan and Orton without damaging the standing of either superstar.  The Corporation storyline has made considerable strides in making the faces look on even footing with the heels, but all paths lead to a climactic multi-man match at Survivor Series.  In order to get to that climax, there needs to be some adversity for the new leader of the locker room, Daniel Bryan.  In some way, shape or form, Randy Orton has to leave Battleground as WWE Champion to keep this major storyline on course for Survivor Series.

Prediction:  Randy Orton wins the WWE Championship

The New PPV on the Block: Quick Preview of WWE Payback 2013

Almost every Monday night for the past month, this writer has been busy with one thing or another.  Between hanging out with friends and watching the E3 press conferences, I have been slacking when it has come to tuning into the latest episodes of Monday Night Raw.  I have been following enough to somewhat understand what is going at this current point, but not enough to do a full-on preview of this upcoming PPV, Payback.  Instead this article will be a quick preview of the event with my predictions and thoughts on Payback as a whole.

Well, the WWE found a replacement for the abysmal Over the Limit PPV.  Funny enough, it is just another generic PPV by the name of Payback.  WWE has done a commendable job of taking the name of this PPV and making it the theme of most of the matches on the card.  Each match on the card has some sort of bitter feud behind it.  It is a nice parallel to the name of the PPV, but it is not enough of a selling point for Payback.  The real selling points will be the big matches on the card especially CM Punk’s return match against Chris Jericho.  While the WWE has not done much build for this match outside Jericho’s initial challenge on the Highlight Reel, it will still be a major match this Sunday.  This match will set the course where the WWE takes CM Punk leading into one of the most important times of the year, the summer.  There are rumours of some sort of double turn taking place at Payback, but this writer does not know for sure.  Personally, I would love to see Punk stay heel and go onto challenge the Undertaker to a rematch at Summerslam or Night of Champions in order to lead to a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell PPV, but we will have to wait for Sunday to see.  CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho will easily be one of the best matches on this card especially considering Payback will be in Chicago, one of the hottest wrestling cities in the world and Punk’s hometown.  Another match that should gain plenty of attention this Sunday is John Cena vs. Ryback in 3 Stages of Hell for the WWE Championship.  As much as this writer has his fingers crossed that Ryback will finally win the WWE Championship at Payback, reports say otherwise. This 3 Stages of Hell match will be used to make Cena look strong heading into the summer months and a potential feud with Daniel Bryan.  At least, we should get a very physical and hopefully entertaining match out of Cena and Ryback.  Looking at the card, Payback seems like a fine show.  It is not the WWE’s best offering as this writer believes they are holding out until Money in the Bank and Summerslam to really knock us out, but with the backing of the phenomenal Chicago crowd Payback should be a fun PPV.

Wade Barrett (c) vs. The Miz vs. Curtis Axel in a Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Championship

Prediction:  Curtis Axel wins the Intercontinental Championship

Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Kane for the United States Championship

Prediction:   Dean Ambrose retains

The Shield (c) vs. Daniel Bryan & Randy Orton for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Prediction:   The Shield retains

Kaitlyn (c) vs. AJ Lee for the Divas Championship

Prediction:   AJ Lee wins the Divas Championship

Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship

Prediction:   Dolph Ziggler retains

CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

Prediction:   CM Punk wins

John Cena (c) vs. Ryback in a 3 Stages of Hell for the WWE Championship

Prediction:   John Cena retains

Since 2009, the WWE has gone through quite a few different PPVs with only a few actually sticking.  June has been a hard month to hammer down a PPV for.  Hopefully, Payback does well enough to be the regular June PPV from now on because this writer does not want to have another brand new PPV next June. 

The Silver Report: April 14-20

As we move farther away from WrestleMania, we move closer to the WWE’s next PPV extravaganza, Extreme Rules.  The fallout from the Biggest PPV of the Year always gets settled at the event where all the rules are thrown out the window.  Programs begin to gear up for big gimmick matches that will either enthrall fans with excitement or alienate them with their absurdity.  Hopefully, WWE can put together a card that has a set of gimmick matches that fans would pay to see like Ladder and Extreme Rules matches rather than Blindfold and Tuxedo matches.  Where WrestleMania has become much more focused on the entertainment side of sports-entertainment, Extreme Rules is WWE’s chance to focus more on sports side.  Keying into what the core fan is looking for could easily make Extreme Rules one of the best PPVs of the year yet again.

Step Aside Cena, Ryback’s Time is Now

The Raw following WrestleMania 29 ended with the image of Ryback standing over a Shellshocked John Cena with WWE Title in hand.  While many fans could care less if Ryback is face or heel as long as he kicks as much butt as possible, the commentators pushed the question of why Ryback would attack John Cena.  The simple answer would be Ryback wants a shot at John Cena, but the WWE decided to go in a different direction.  The WWE decided to construct this John Cena vs. Ryback feud from past encounters between John Cena, Ryback and The Shield.  The taped promo of Ryback explaining his actions was very well done.  It got the point across that Ryback is sick and tired of being held down and is now only out for himself.  The “John Cena turned his back on Ryback” part of the argument would have been a little more effective if the WWE did more to build an actual friendship between Cena and Ryback in the months leading up to WrestleMania other than teaming up on a few occasions.  While there is some nitpicking about Ryback’s new heel persona, I personally believe it is the best direction the WWE can go with the character at this point in time because they have exhausted the options they could go with the Goldberg-lite face persona.  At least, having Ryback work as a heel gives him some more character than his one-dimensional “Feed Me More” act.  With the direction the WWE has gone with Ryback since last October, it is about time to give this behemoth from Sin City a crack at holding the WWE Championship.  Ryback has lost every PPV match he has been in since Hell in a Cell, give the guy a break and let him beat Cena for the WWE Title.  Wrestling fans have seen enough of Cena as WWE Champion so it is time for him to step aside and give a rub to a guy that could possibly be one of the next big stars in the WWE in Ryback.  Love him or hate him, all roads lead to Ryback leaving Extreme Rules as WWE Champion.  If Ryback does not beat John Cena at Extreme Rules, WWE would have buried Ryback deep into a hole that he will never recover from.

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H, Round 3

Brock Lesnar won the first round last summer in Los Angeles.  Triple H evened up the score at one apiece at WrestleMania 29.  After making a surprise appearance this week on Raw by dismantling 3MB, Brock Lesnar and his manager Paul Heyman made the challenge to Triple H for their third and hopefully final match at Extreme Rules.  This match will not be anything goes or no holds barred like their two previous encounters; Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H III will be set inside the annals of a Steel Cage.  We still have to wait until Triple H officially accepts the match before saying anything is set in stone, but WWE would not waste an appearance by Lesnar if this match was not going to happen at Extreme Rules.  While yours truly has not been very enthusiastic about the last two matches between Brock Lesnar and Triple H, I was caught completely off-guard by this challenge that I am actually looking forward to this match.  Even if this match falls flat on its face, it is a big match that will easily get more buys for Extreme Rules than any other match on the card.  Now WWE just needs to find a way to get Team Hell No and the Undertaker vs. The Shield in some type of gimmick match on Extreme Rules if they really want to see buys for Extreme Rules skyrocket.

Once in a Lifetime: Review of WWE WrestleMania 28

When something is hyped up so much, it is extremely hard for it to live up all the hype.  John Cena vs. The Rock along with WrestleMania 28 had close to a whole year of hype, the only question was could it live up to this incredible amount of hype.  Built as the greatest WrestleMania of all-time, WrestleMania 28 was supposed to blow every wrestling fan’s expectations.  If you were hoping for WrestleMania 28 to be the greatest WrestleMania, you would have been incredibly disappointed.  If you kept your expectations realistic like yours truly, WrestleMania 28 was an entertaining show that was a little better than last years’ anticlimactic event. 

Where most of the big matches at WrestleMania 27 did not live to the hype, the top matches at WrestleMania 28 sure did other than Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus, which was only given 18 seconds.  John Cena vs. The Rock was great though the wrong guy went over, CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho started out a little slow then built into an incredible technical match with one incredible ending and last, but not least Undertaker vs. Triple H was just legendary, easily the Match of the Night and possibly the Match of the Year.  Undertaker vs. Triple H is well worth the price to buy this PPV on iTunes or on DVD, it is that amazing.  The rest of the card is hit or miss.  Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus was disappointing only because WWE gave them 18 seconds, Kane vs. Randy Orton was a good back-and-forth match, Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes was just plain boring, the Divas Tag Match was the definition of sloppy wrestling and Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy was a highly entertaining match that could have been a bit better if it went a little longer.  From top to bottom, WrestleMania 28 was a mixed bag, but overall an entertaining four hour wrestling PPV.  It is by no ways the greatest WrestleMania of all-time; also in no ways is it the worst. 

Sheamus def. Daniel Bryan to win the World Heavyweight Championship

Rating:  5/10

Kane def. Randy Orton

Rating:  7/10

Big Show def. Cody Rhodes to win the Intercontinental Championship

Rating:  5.5/10

Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos def. Beth Phoenix & Eve

Rating:  2.5/10

Undertaker def. Triple H in Hell in a Cell

Rating:  10/10

Team Johnny def. Team Teddy

Rating:  7.5/10

CM Punk def. Chris Jericho by submission to retain the WWE Championship

Rating:  9/10

The Rock def. John Cena

Rating:  9/10

Overall, WrestleMania 28 is a good entertaining PPV.  It did not live up to the massive hype that WWE put on it, but still pulled out to be a better show than my least favourite WrestleMania, WrestleMania 27.  The top three matches on the card all delivered in spades and should not be missed by any wrestling fan.  At the end of the day, WrestleMania 28 is worth watching or even owning on DVD or iTunes.  My rating for WWE WrestleMania 28 is 7.5 out of 10.

The Road to WrestleMania 28 Part 6: Once in a Lifetime

Well WrestleMania 28 is here.  Actually it’s happening right now as I write this quick preview.  Would have loved to do a whole in-depth preview today, but life happened and I got stuck at work much longer than I expected.  I will not be watching WrestleMania live this year as March has been an expensive month for me.  Just see my video game blog (silvergamebit.blogspot.ca) and you will know why.  I will be bringing you a short preview of WrestleMania 28 as the final part of The Road to WrestleMania 28 series.

WrestleMania comes once a year and no matter all the build, all the hype or lack thereof, you always get excited come WrestleMania Sunday.  WrestleMania is an event like no other and no other wrestling PPV or sporting event can compare to the majesty, the grandeur.  No matter if you like the product WWE offers or not, it pulls you in.  It consumes all us wrestling fans to the point that even if we are not watching we are frequently checking WWE.com or other wrestling websites for updates.  This year’s event is no different.  The card may not be as stacked as other years; the build has not been as great as in previous years.  The fact remains that we are all still excited to watch WrestleMania 28 for one sole reason, The Rock vs. John Cena.  The fact that we are mere hours away from this dream match becoming reality will give any wrestling fan goose bumps.  There are also three other main event caliber matches happening on the same card that will certainly rock the huge crowd in Miami and the millions watching at home.  The rest of the card does not look that great, but being WrestleMania WWE could pull out some big surprises for us fans.

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Big Show for the Intercontinental Championship

Prediction:  Cody Rhodes retains

Randy Orton vs. Kane

Prediction:  Randy Orton wins

Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix & Eve

Prediction:  Beth Phoenix & Eve win

Team Johnny (David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre & the Miz) vs. Team Teddy (Santino Marella, R-Truth, Booker T, Zack Ryder, Kofi Kingston & Great Khali) to determine the General Manager of both Raw and Smackdown

Prediction:  Team Johnny wins and John Laurinaitus becomes GM of both Raw and Smackdown

Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship

Prediction:  Sheamus wins the World Heavyweight Championship

CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship

Prediction:  CM Punk retains

Undertaker vs. Triple H in a Hell in a Cell Match with Shawn Michaels as Special Guest Referee

Prediction:  Undertaker wins

The Rock vs. John Cena

Prediction:  John Cena wins

All-in-all, WrestleMania 28 should be an exciting show no matter the outcomes.  Hope everyone who is watching right now enjoys.  I will watch it when it comes out on DVD.

The Road to WrestleMania 28 Part 1: Undertaker vs. Triple H III, Hell in a Cell

“We do this, we go all the way.  I will face you at WrestleMania under one condition… Hell in a Cell!” –Triple H to the Undertaker

The moment Triple H said this sentence on Raw, this writer among many other wrestling fans exclaimed in joyous surprise a big loud, “WHAT?!”  While the Undertaker and Triple H rule the Hell in a Cell and their records in that demonic structure are unfathomable, nobody ever thought in their lifetime we would see them face off in Hell in a Cell.  It is a dream match that many thought would just remain a fantasy cooked up in their head.  It is now reality and this match sure as hell beats Undertaker vs. Triple H, Streak vs. Career with Shawn Michaels as Special Guest Referee that many wrestling fans including yours truly thought would happen at this year’s WrestleMania.  With CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus, John Cena vs. The Rock and now this match announced for the card, WrestleMania 28 looks to be a show that you should not miss.

Let us rewind one year to the infamous 2/21/11.  Hoping it would be something more than the return of the Undertaker, possibly Sting finally coming to the WWE, WWE gave us the return of Undertaker.  Immediately following the Undertaker, Triple H made his return to the WWE and Undertaker vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 27 was born out of a stare down.  In the weeks that followed, the build for this match felt forced to the point that WWE was trying to sell fans on the match through video packages of other WWE superstars and divas talking about the match.  Undertaker and Triple H had no actual interaction until the Raw before WrestleMania where WWE gave us an excellent promo between Taker, Triple H and Shawn Michaels that actually had the story develop farther than Triple H wants to end the Streak and the Undertaker wants to continue the Streak.  It was too late as this story developments should have happened in the weeks before.  Undertaker vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 27 turned out to be a great match (I personally gave it 9 out of 10), but it felt more like the opening chapter of a feud than the climactic clash it should have been built as.  At the end of the match, the Undertaker had to be stretchered out of the Georgia Dome, which things up for a return match at some point.  Fast forward about 10 months, Triple H, now the COO of the WWE, was about to fire John Laurinaitus only to interrupted by the return of the Undertaker.  Looking for revenge for what Triple H did to him at WrestleMania 27, the Undertaker challenged Triple H to a match at WrestleMania, but the COO of the WWE declined.  The following weeks leading up to Elimination Chamber, the Undertaker would push the issue saying that their feud was not.  Shawn Michaels even made his voice heard on the issue, calling out his best friend, Triple H on declining Undertaker’s challenge.  All roads lead to Triple H finally accepting Undertaker’s challenge last Monday night on Raw in one of the best moments on this year’s Road to WrestleMania.  Now we will have to see where this feud goes from here, but hopefully the WWE uses the next month to build the enormity of this match.  It truly could be an end of an era in the WWE.

It is really funny how one year ago I hated how WWE handled this whole Undertaker vs. Triple H feud and now a year later it is the best thing about the Road to WrestleMania 28.  Sorry about the late post, was not up to writing last night, I was really tired.  The Road to WrestleMania 28 series will return next weekend.  Next weeks’ topic will be a more opinionated piece as I will give my opinions on both The Rock and John Cena as we lead up to their big main event at WrestleMania 28.

Hell on Earth: Preview of WWE Hell in a Cell 2011

Here we are once again.  You might think that this writer seems like a broken record, but in all honesty I have to state what I feel.  Again the WWE has done a horrible job of building a PPV.  It might not be a surprise yet it has to be stated.  We are only two weeks removed from Night of Champions and the WWE has done close to nothing to convince fans to pay another forty to fifty dollars on a PPV. 

The WWE has announced five matches for the event and done little to build their importance on this card.  It would have been so much easier to have a three hour Raw with this exact card than have another PPV.  It would definitely give the WWE more time to build to their next PPV, Vengeance, which will be in three weeks time.  Also the WWE would not have to further tarnish the reputation of the once great Hell in a Cell match.  You cannot throw just any two competitors into that steel structure, the feud between those two superstars has to be worthy of the Cell.  The fans have to believe that these two superstars NEED to settle their differences in Hell in Cell.  Ever since the WWE started the Hell in a Cell PPV back in 2009, no feud has been worthy to be put in the Cell.  Not to say there were any good matches that took place in Hell in a Cell during the last two events, there has, but none of them have felt like they needed to be in Satan’s Structure.  At the moment, there is not much going for this year’s edition of Hell in a Cell.  We will just have to see if WWE can make this Sunday’s event that originates from the New Orleans Arena much more than a throwaway PPV.

Blue Mask Sin Cara vs. Black Mask Sin Cara

There is only room in the WWE for one Sin Cara, so this Sunday at Hell in a Cell both Sin Caras will battle to determine who deserves the right of being the real Sin Cara.  This match should be one great high-flying show, which is perfect for the opening match.  You have to give the WWE credit where credit is due.  The WWE has done a great job in giving each Sin Cara its own colour scheme.  This addition will definitely prevent confusion for all those watching this match.  It looks like this feud has only started so expect the evil Black Mask Sin Cara to triumph over the Blue Mask Sin Cara to continue this feud between luchadors.

Prediction:   Black Mask Sin Cara

Mark Henry (c) vs. Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell Match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Want to know what feud would have been perfect for Hell in a Cell?  That feud is Randy Orton vs. Christian.   The feud’s intensity got to the point that it deserved to be in the Cell.  All the WWE needed to do was keep Christian off of all WWE programming until the Smackdown after where he would challenge Orton to a final match in Satan’s Structure.  It also would have had plenty of build due to Orton and Christian’s history.  This writer believes it would have been an incredible match, but we are left with Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton for the World Title.  It should be a very physical match.  The only thing is that this match does not even deserve to be a Hell in a Cell match.  It would have been much better to have a No DQ match instead.  Just hope Mark Henry retains because this writer is getting seeing Orton as World Heavyweight Champion.

Prediction:   Mark Henry retains

Kelly Kelly (c) vs. Beth Phoenix for the Diva’s Championship

For the third straight PPV we have a match between Beth Phoenix and Kelly Kelly and for the third straight PPV this writer will hope Beth Phoenix wins the Diva’s Title.  What once inspired so much excitement from the WWE Universe has completely fell flat in the WWE’s attempt to create the Diva’s version of John Cena.  There are only so many times us fans can watch Kelly Kelly beat Beth Phoenix with a sunset flip.  If Beth Phoenix does not win at Hell in a Cell, this writer will officially give up on the Diva’s division until Kharma makes her return next year.

Prediction:   Beth Phoenix wins the Diva’s Championship

Christian vs. Sheamus

The WWE has been hinting at a match between these two for a month now and it has now come to fruition.  Other than both men costing each other a shot at a championship, be it the World Title or Intercontinental Title, there has not been much animosity between Sheamus and Christian.  It feels like WWE Creative just thought, “Hey, Sheamus is a face and not doing anything and Christian is a heel and he’s not anything either.  Let’s throw put them in a feud.”  Even though this match and feud seems like it was thrown together because the WWE could not think of anything better to do with these two superstars, it should be a pretty good match.  Expect Sheamus to get the win in order to push the Celtic Warrior towards an evident World Title match.

Prediction:   Sheamus wins

John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Triple Threat Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship

This match should have been the main event for Night of Champions considering the way Summerslam ended.  Sadly to our displeasure, the WWE decided to jump the gun on CM Punk vs. Triple H and we were left watching Cena bury Alberto Del Rio and his main event status.  Now with no way to build a worthy main event, the WWE decided to keep things quick and easy by announcing this match as the main event for Hell in a Cell.  Like Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton, this match does not need to be in Hell in a Cell.  With the talents of CM Punk and Del Rio carrying Cena, we should be in store for one great main event.  We will just have to see if these three can make this Triple Threat match a great Hell in a Cell match.   Later this month the WWE will be heading to Mexico to tape Raw and Smackdown, so expect the Mexican Aristocrat to win the WWE Title.

Prediction:   Alberto Del Rio wins the WWE Championship

Personally, I have not seen a successful wrestling PPV with only two weeks of build, so it is extremely hard to get excited for Hell in a Cell.  When talking wrestling, never say never because you will never know how things turn out.  The WWE could possibly pull it off, but chances are slim.  Unless you really enjoyed Night of Champions, there is not much reason to pay another 50 dollars to watch WWE Hell in a Cell 2011.