The Silver Report: April 2019

WrestleMania 35 has come and gone. To be quite honest, I enjoyed this year's show for a good four out of seven hours. The wrestling was solid and despite some silliness, I was thoroughly entertained. Especially when Shane McMahon bounced off the top of that golf cart.

After the show hit its peak with Kofi Kingston winning the WWE Title (more on that in a bit), it just lost all momentum. Other than the main event, which exceeded my low expectations, it was such a drag to watch the last few hours.

While I can dissect this show even further or debate how WWE should shorten WrestleMania until the cows come home, we got a report to dive into.

The Underdog Story

Considering how big WrestleMania Weekend has become over this past decade, it always plays host to an insane amount of feel-good moments. Be it show-stealing matches, awe-inspiring spots, unbelievable surprises, or star-making performances, there is a lot to enjoy about the biggest weekend in wrestling.

Despite all our harping on them, the company that made this weekend a destination in the first place can still create some of the most emotional moments in the business. This year, WWE put on two matches that had many in tears — yours truly included.

The first match came to us on the Friday of WrestleMania Weekend at NXT TakeOver: New York. Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano clashed in a 2 out of 3 falls match for the vacant NXT Championship.

Looking at this match with a critical eye, Cole and Gargano had a very standard WWE multi-fall match, where the first two falls are little more than window dressing for the final fall. What made this match special — and completely overshadowed this big negative — was the crowd and their relationship with Gargano.

At the beginning of the match, the New York crowd completely turned on Gargano because they all decided that Cole deserved to win. Despite the initial boos, Gargano persevered and slowly won the crowd over with every kick out, rope break, and finisher reversal. By the end of the match, the entire Barclays Center was behind the man they vehemently booed earlier. The crowd's slow but organic turn amplified the emotion of the final fall to the point I had to fight back the tears as Gargano locked in the Gargano Escape for the victory.

Despite the obvious flaw of the first two falls doing nothing to build the final fall, you can't help but smile ear-to-ear when watching the final 15 minutes and seeing Gargano finally hoist the NXT Championship. Plus, Ciampa's surprise embrace at the top of the match made it all the sweeter.

The second match was on the big show itself, WrestleMania 35. Halfway through the nearly eight-hour show, Kofi Kingston faced off with Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship.

After 11 years with the company, Kingston finally got his shot at the top prize. Considering the emotional underdog story, nobody was going to accept anything but Kingston walking away with the gold.

As such, everybody in the sea of 82,000+ people in the crowd and the millions watching around the world sat on the edge of their seats for every move, every swing of momentum, and every near fall. Although Kingston and Bryan didn't have the smoothest of matches, the heightened tension made you look past the blemishes and get even more invested in the bout. This tense 23-minute match culminated with Kingston hitting the Trouble in Paradise to a thunderous pop from the crowd.

The cherry on top was the post-match celebration. As the crowd erupted in joy, Big E and Xavier Woods rushed Kingston for a loving embrace. You could even see the tears flowing as Woods lifted Kingston onto his shoulder. To make the moment more magical, Kingston brought his two sons into the ring to celebrate with the New Day.

These were easily two of the best matches WWE put on this past WrestleMania Weekend. From action to drama to emotion, they had everything you need for great pro wrestling. Most importantly, both had excellent stories that the audience could get behind. That's why people couldn't fight back the tears when watching these underdogs win the big one for their respective brands.

Source: Bleacher Report

A Tale of Two Promotions

After All In's sellout proved there's an audience large enough for promotions other than WWE to run 10,000+ seat venues, ROH and New Japan took a big leap by announcing their intention to run a show from Madison Square Garden. Despite some interference by WWE, tickets went on sale for the ROH and New Japan's G1 Supercard in early August 2018 and sold out in record time. With that, WWE's 58-year stranglehold over MSG ended, allowing any wrestling promotion to run "The World's Most Famous Arena."

Although the G1 Supercard made history months before it even began, ROH and New Japan still had the monumental task of putting on a show worthy of its historic moniker. Could they deliver? The answer to that is a little more complicated than you would think.

On the New Japan side of the show, they absolutely delivered. From the strength versus speed matchup of Ospreay and Cobb to the nine-minute joyous spot fest that was the Junior Heavyweight Championship 3-Way to the high drama of Ibushi and Naito, every match that had Gedo's guiding hand was wonderful. Even though I'm disappointed that Jay White's IWGP title reign couldn't make it through one title defense, the quality of the match, the resulting pop from Okada's win, and my confidence in New Japan's booking have me optimistic.

Unfortunately, the ROH portion of the G1 Supercard dropped the ball hard. While there wasn't anything egregiously bad, all of the segments and matches produced entirely by ROH were incredibly underwhelming, especially when compared to New Japan's output.

On top of it all being underwhelming, it all felt uncharacteristic of ROH. The company has always been known for its high-quality wrestling, but you wouldn't know it from this show. More effort was placed on poorly emulating ECW's hardcore matches and WWE-like angles rather than what made ROH in the first place — superb professional wrestling.

Looking at the show as a whole, G1 Supercard was a success. Much like All In did before it, it proved that wrestling fans are willing to support good wrestling on a grand stage. So, hopefully, this isn't the last time we'll see New Japan and ROH (as long as they get their act together) on such a big stage.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Must-See Matches of April

4/5/2019
NXT TakeOver: New York
Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. War Raiders
Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano - 2 out of 3 Falls Match

4/6/2019
G1 Supercard
Jeff Cobb vs. Will Ospreay
Taiji Ishimori vs. Dragon Lee vs. Bandido
Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito

4/7/2019
WrestleMania 35
Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey

4/17/2019
NXT
Buddy Murphy vs. Velveteen Dream

4/20/2019
Sengoku Lord
Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

4/24/2019
NXT 
Johnny Gargano vs. Roderick Strong

4/26/2019
Road to Wrestling Dontaku Night 9
Roppongi 3K vs. Bushi & Shingo Takagi

The Silver Report: March 2019

WrestleMania is just around the corner and if you looked below, I have a whole lot to talk about. Maybe a little too much, but WrestleMania season really gets me in the mood to rant. And to be honest, I'd rather write my frustrations here than screaming at my TV.

Who am I kidding? I'll scream at the TV regardless.

The State of WrestleMania

Maybe it was rose-tinted glasses or a lack of exposure to wrestling outside of WWE, but WrestleMania was the be-all-end-all for the formative years of my fandom. Although shows, matches, and storylines could surpass the Grandest Stage of Them All throughout the year, I always looked to WrestleMania to consistently be the best that wrestling had to offer.A decade ago that idea slowly started to be chipped away with WrestleMania 25.

Despite having arguably the greatest match of all time in Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels on the card, WrestleMania 25 was nowhere near the standard that I held WrestleMania to. A few years later, I eventually started to notice the build to WrestleMania slowly deteriorate. No longer did it feel that WrestleMania was built on the biggest and best feuds WWE had to offer, but whatever matches got the most people and the biggest stars on the card.

WrestleMania lost the spark that made it special in order to appeal the most casual audience possible. While I've reluctantly come to accept this fact, there are ways for WWE to make WrestleMania appeal to both casual and hardcore audiences. WrestleMania 30 and 31 are proof. The problem is that most of WWE — chief among them being Vince McMahon — is out of touch with the companies' fanbase and the current state of the industry, so they don't change their way of booking until they absolutely have to. The "Women's Evolution" is more than enough evidence of that fact.

With the stage set, let me say that the build to WrestleMania 35 has been the worst I've experienced in 16 years watching.

Mainly due to the card not being finalized backstage until early March, the last couple of months have been rudderless. As a viewer, it has felt like stories and possible matches changed dramatically from week-to-week with no real direction. Due to this haphazard approach to booking, the last two months following the Royal Rumble has been wasted. For proof, just look at the main event program.

Over the course of the last two months, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey has gone from one of the most anticipated main events in WrestleMania history to a nonsensical mess. To help demonstrate how insane it has gotten, the build for this match has consisted of:

• Becky Lynch being suspended for not getting her injured knee checked by doctors;
• Becky attacking Stephanie McMahon, which led to Steph further injuring Becky's knee;
• Becky being reinstated after apologizing to Triple H and Steph;
• Vince McMahon suspending Becky until the after WrestleMania because he doesn't like her attitude; 
• Vince placing Charlotte Flair in the WrestleMania match in Becky's stead;
• At Elimination Chamber, Becky outrunning trained security guard while hobbling on crutches to attack Charlotte and Ronda Rousey with said crutches;
• Becky being arrested for doing the same thing on Raw a week later;
• Ronda "vacating" the Raw Women's Championship because she wanted to fight Becky;
• Becky being reinstated to fight Charlotte Flair for the "vacant" Raw Women's Championship at Fastlane;
• Ronda returning to take back the championship she previously vacated (that's not how vacating a title works!!) and turning heel by attacking Becky;
• Heel Ronda going on to remind the world that professional wrestling is fake ad nauseam;
• Becky finally being added to the WrestleMania match thanks to a Ronda rundown and beatdown;
• Charlotte beating Asuka for the Smackdown Women's Championship;
• Steph announcing both Raw and Smackdown Women's Titles will be on the line in the WrestleMania main event, and;
• All three getting arrested for brawling after their match against the Riott Squad.

All of that happened over the course of 10 weeks. Just take all that in. It didn't happen over a six months, a year, or some other reasonable timeline. No, it was all crammed in 10 damn weeks! 

As proved by the build to Survivor Series, WWE had an open goal with Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey. Instead, they overbooked this match way past the point of jumping the shark. They cleared the shark and have completely obliterated my confidence in this match. While the talent may be there, none of the booking has proven that this match won't be as big of a debacle — if not worse.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is KofiMania.

This campaign to get Kofi Kingston into the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania all started with an unfortunate twist of fate. Mustafa Ali was originally meant to compete in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber but had to be pulled from the match following a concussion. Kofi would take Mustafa's place in the match and go onto steal the show in a gauntlet match on the Smackdown before the pay-per-view and in the Elimination Chamber itself.

Despite plans for the WWE Championship already being put in place, these incredible performances along with the thunderous crowd reactions forced WWE creative take notice and give Kofi the chance to finally shine in the main event scene.

While the road to the WWE Championship match being set in stone was a little rough, the story has been a resounding success. Much like Daniel Bryan's road to WrestleMania 30, Kofi's plight has felt organic and heartwarming. Little touches, like the entire face roster cheering on Kofi and callbacks to Bryan's plight with the "B+ player" verbiage, have gone a long way in making this feud feel well thought out and main event caliber. Instead of insulting our intelligence with overbooked nonsense, out-of-touch booking, and drastic changes on a weekly basis.

At the end of this long, long rant, all I really have to say is WrestleMania has the lost the magic that I remember from my formative years of watching. Although I don't hold it to the same reverence, it's not all doom and gloom. For all the underdeveloped stories, overpacked matches, and hotshot booking, there are some glimmers of greatness. You just have to expect it won't be for the entire eight-hour runtime.

Source: Digital Spy

March Madness

You can't talk about wrestling in March without talking about the New Japan Cup. However, this year New Japan's annual March tournament saw a few changes.

First, a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event of G1 Supercard was on the line, instead of the winner getting a shot at the singles title of their choice. With these higher stakes, the field of competitors was expanded from the regular 16 to 32. Considering the entrants doubling for this year's New Japan Cup, entry was given to all comers including junior heavyweights, Young Lions, and champions.

As the biggest New Japan Cup in history, did bigger mean better?

Yes and no.

Doubling the pool of competitors opened the tournament to a lot of variety, be it in style, character, or even move set. Within a three week period, we saw epic strong style slugfests, stunning technical showcases, hilarious comedy matches, and unbelievable athletic performances. Out of the 31 matches, no bout felt the same — a very impressive feat.

Unfortunately, not everything was the best New Japan had to offer. Despite playing host to the best match of the tournament in Ishii vs. Nagata — no joke, it's a bona fide Match of the Year contender — the first round was a mixed bag as New Japan put everybody in this year's Cup including green newcomers, broken down older talent, and Taichi. Plus, some highly anticipated match-ups, such as Okada vs. Ospreay and Tanahashi vs. Sabre Jr., were a little disappointing in my opinion.

Although some may scoff at Okada, an established main eventer, winning the Cup over pushing somebody new into the main event picture, remember that the current IWGP Champion Jay White is that new star in the midst of a push. Plus, the New Japan Cup elevated talent in different ways. Just look at Young Lion Shota Umino's incredible performance against Tanahashi, Ishii getting the best out of Nagata, Taichi, and Yoshi-Hashi, Chase Owens' surprise victory over Juice Robinson, and Will Ospreay defeating two more heavyweights. On top of all that, Sanada had a career-defining run in this year's tournament beating the likes of Hirooki Goto, Minoru Suzuki, and Hiroshi Tanahashi before falling to Okada in the finals.

All-in-all, we won't fully know if the 2019 New Japan Cup was an outright success until we see its fallout at the G1 Supercard. However, we do know it put a spotlight a great wrestling and some upcoming stars.

Source: New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Must-See Matches of March

3/3/2019
Stardom
Momo Watanabe vs. Jungle Kyona

3/6/2019
47th Anniversary
Jay White vs. Will Ospreay

NXT

Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner

#DIY vs. Undisputed Era

3/8/2019
New Japan Cup Night 1
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Nagata

3/10/2019 
New Japan Cup Night 3
Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito

3/11/2019
New Japan Cup Night 4
Hirooki Goto vs. Sanada

3/16/2019
New Japan Cup Night 7
Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

3/21/2019
NXT
Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black vs. Matt Riddle vs. Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream

3/23/2019
New Japan Cup Night 11
Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Sanada

3/24/2019 
New Japan Cup Finals
Kazuchika Okada vs. Sanada

The Silver Report: December 2018

Let's begin this edition of the Silver Report by winding the clock back a year. I'd been at my current job as a copy editor for a year at the time and I felt that my writing was getting out of practice. While I had chances to write on the job, they were few and far between since writing wasn't one of my main responsibilities and because I'm a rather slow writer. So, I thought to start writing on here as a way to keep myself in practice and voice my opinions on a sport that I love, no matter how big or small my audience is.

At the time, I thought it'd be great to keep this up for at least a year just to see if I could do it. Now, here we are at the last Silver Report of 2018. Time flies when you're overthinking professional wrestling storylines and politics.

In all seriousness, writing on here has been very therapeutic as it's given me a chance to write down my feelings and show a vulnerable side of myself through the lens of wrestling. As such, I'd like to thank everybody who has been along this journey with me from liking my social media posts to reading these articles all the way through. I'm just glad this blog exists and it might help somebody somewhere broaden their views on pro wrestling or reignite their passion for this sport.

Considering how everything is wrapping up for the new year, December isn't the most newsworthy or exciting month of the year. While there was still good wrestling happening, just not as much as previous months.

A New Leaf for the American Dragon

With one swift kick to AJ Style's groin, Daniel Bryan's fortune changed for the better.

Before this moment, Bryan was the plucky babyface that fought for his dreams. Unfortunately, those dreams led to lackluster feuds with Big Cass and the Miz and slowly dulling cheers. In summation, WWE dropped the ball with Bryan's return to wrestling. Well until this heel turn.

With a kick to the groin and a running knee, Daniel Bryan captured his fourth WWE Championship while simultaneously throwing away the love and affection of the fans. Exclamations of "Yes!" were replaced by disapproving shouts of "Fickle". Inspiring speeches about fighting for one's dreams were replaced by self-righteous sermons on protecting the environment. You might say it was a "new" Daniel Bryan.

To be honest, my emotions were all over the place when Bryan captured the WWE Championship using nefarious means. I was happy that he finally won the WWE Title while healthy. I was stunned and confused that he would use heel tactics to win. Ultimately, I was worried that this heel turn was ill-conceived; just done as a moment to spike ratings rather than a fully realized development in Bryan's character.

How wrong I was.

From the cutting promos to more vicious demeanor, the ensuing weeks showed just how great this "new" Daniel Bryan is. Much like CM Punk's heel run as the straight-edge saviour, Bryan's eco-preacher persona took an aspect of his life — in this case, his vegan eating habits and belief in environmentalism — and turned it up to eleven. As such, these crazed antics have effectively turned Bryan into one of the best heels in the company, only behind Tomasso Ciampa.

Considering this heel turn is only a month and a half old, the best is yet to for the "new" Daniel Bryan and his hopefully lengthy WWE Championship reign.

Source: Figure Four Online

Must-See Matches of December

12/4/2018
Smackdown
Cesaro vs. Jey Uso vs. Xavier Woods

12/12/2018

NXT

Ricochet vs. Tyler Breeze

12/15/2018

Road to the Tokyo Dome Night 2

Golden Lovers vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Will Ospreay

12/16/2018

TLC

AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan

Asuka vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair - TLC Match

12/19/2018
NXT
Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano - Steel Cage Match

The Silver Report: March 2018

Although the build to WrestleMania and all the big shows happening that weekend was a big part of March, tournaments were the flavour of the month.

205 Live continued its Cruiserweight Championship tournament with a stellar semifinal. Despite not watching it myself, ROH continued their Women's Championship tournament to great fanfare. But it was the 2018 New Japan Cup that stood tall with two weeks of high-quality matches and one great star building performance which I will go into more detail a little later.

So let's get to it!

Do Something

I have to get something off my chest. I hate the build to John Cena vs. Undertaker for WrestleMania. It is redundant, annoying, frustrating, and any other negative adjective you can throw at it. 

It is insulting for WWE to think that their audience would believe that John Cena couldn't get a match for WrestleMania. This is John Cena we're talking about here — the face of this bloody company for over a decade — many would kill for a match with him on the biggest PPV of the year. So, WWE tell me why I should believe this premise when it has more holes in it than a pasta strainer?

If you can get past all the holes in the premise, the entire build for the last month has been nothing more than John Cena calling out the Undertaker to no response ... each ... and ... every ... bloody ... week. Maybe the payoff will make it all worth it in the end. Unfortunately, it is test of patience to sit through a 20-minute John Cena promo where he spews on about how a retired Undertaker should feel sorry for letting down the fans and being a coward because the Undertaker is retired. Not the fact that it hurts Cena's massive ego to be continually denied the match HE wants the most.

And that leads into my final point, the build has been so frustrating because of all the wasted potential. WWE could of easily built this match in a similar fashion to Shawn Michael vs. Undertaker from WrestleMania 26. You have the same story starting from the beginning of the year to Fastlane where Cena is desperate to main event one more WrestleMania, but you change the build from Fastlane onward.

Instead of the redundantly long promos, explore Cena's psyche and how Undertaker's silence affects him on an emotional level. Have other wrestlers, like Kane or Goldust, put aside the gimmicks and talk to Cena about his obsession with calling out the Undertaker. Hell, make mention that Undertaker is retired, so there is no way this match will happen. And when John Cena is at his lowest, the Undertaker answers the challenge. Not because he wants to fight, but to put Cena out of his misery.

Maybe I put far more brainpower into this feud than WWE ever did, but it's so frustrating to see WWE and namely John Cena do nothing to evolve his character after all these years. This reluctance to change has plagued WWE's main roster for a very long time now and this John Cena vs. Undertaker build is just another example of why it isn't working.

WWE should take Cena's pleas to the Undertaker to heart and actually "do something" next time.

The American Dragon Rises Again

March 20 was just a regular Tuesday. Well until WWE dropped a bombshell of an announcement in clearing Daniel Bryan for competition.

As the Internet exploded with pure excitement and elation, I felt conflicted. Seeing Bryan get a chance to finally wrestle again after all his trial and tribulations of the last few years made me feel so happy. At the same time, a part of me was worried that all his issues with concussions haven't fully healed even with his clearance. Also the selfish part of me was disappointed that we wouldn't see Bryan compete in the indies again.

All that worry melted away in the final segment of that SmackDown Live. After firing Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for their assault on Shane McMahon the week prior, Bryan was forced to get physical with the two former roster members. Bryan fired off his signature kicks and corner dropkicks with such force and passion that it made me remember how much I missed watching him perform. Plus, the devastating apron powerbomb Bryan took at the end of the segment showed that WWE has faith in him to take big bumps again.

Bryan's return to the ring couldn't have come at a better time as it revitalized my excitement for this feud between Owens, Zayn, and SmackDown's authority figures, SmackDown Live, and even WrestleMania. It really seems poetic that the spot of Bryan's greatest achievement will be place he makes his triumphant return. Onward to New Orleans!

Just Tap Out!

Debuting just over a year ago for the company, Zack Sabre Jr. made a splash by aligning himself with Suzuki-gun and dispatching eventual 2017 New Japan Cup winner Katsuyori Shibata. Despite the immediate success in New Japan's heavyweight division, Zack didn't make much of an impact during the rest of 2017. While he did challenge for Hiroshi Tanahashi's Intercontinental Championship in September and got a few noteworthy wins in the G1 Climax, Zack was mostly used fill out a spot in tournaments and tag team matches.

Well that all changed this past March when Zack tapped out Tetsuya Naito, Kota Ibushi, Sanada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi (some of the best wrestlers that New Japan's heavyweight division has to offer) on his way to winning the 2018 New Japan Cup. In just four unbelievable performances, Zack Sabre Jr. cemented himself as a viable contender to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and a force among New Japan's heavyweights.

This major push came alongside a chance for Zack to build his character from a skinny British submission wizard to a sharp-tongued torturer. His post-match promos throughout the New Japan Cup were phenomenal, especially the one on Ibushi's recklessness. Add in Taka Michinoku as Zack's hype man for the Japanese crowd and you got one incredible package.

So like Taka exclaims before every match. "He is submission master! He is Z-S-J! He is ... Zack Sabre Jr.!" And New Japan locker room, he's coming to tap you out!

Must-See Matches of March

3/6/2018
46th Anniversary Show
Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay

3/9/18
New Japan Cup Night 1
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Michael Elgin

3/11/2018
New Japan Cup Night 2
Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Fastlane
AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn - Six Pack Challenge

3/13/18
205 Live
Cedric Alexander vs. Roderick Strong

3/16/18
New Japan Cup Night 7
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Juice Robinson

3/18/18
New Japan Cup Night 8
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Sanada

3/19/18
Raw
Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt - The Ultimate Deletion

3/20/18
205 Live
Mustafa Ali vs. Drew Gulak

3/21/18
New Japan Cup Finals
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

3/25/18
Strong Style Evolved
Golden Lovers vs. Young Bucks

3/27/18
205 Live
Akira Tozawa vs. Buddy Murphy vs. Kalisto vs. TJP

Royal Rumble Fiasco

I am going to preface this by saying, I have watched professional wrestling for 12 years now and watched 15 Royal Rumble matches in that time.  In all my years watching, I have never seen a Royal Rumble as poorly booked as last night's match in Philly.  It's not just the fact that Roman Reigns won or Daniel Bryan was eliminated too earlier.  It's the pacing of the match, the handling of major eliminations and the need for a run-in by The Rock to "save" the match.

The match started out fine with a surprise entry of Bubba Ray Dudley and the Wyatt Family squaring off, but slowly lost its momentum when Bray Wyatt started dispatching people left and right.  While things got better when Daniel Bryan made his entrance, that only lasted 10 minutes as the moment Bryan was eliminated, the crowd and many fans at home turned on the match itself.  The atmosphere felt exactly the same as the end of last year's Rumble, but it lasted the majority of the match instead of 15 minutes.  The volatile atmosphere only got worse when Reigns came out as everybody knew he was hand-picked to win the match.  It didn't help that any of the guys people were invested in and should have been part of the final four (Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler) were nonchalantly dumped over the top rope by Kane and the Big Show.  No exciting eliminations or set-up for a WrestleMania feud, just dumped like a piece of trash by two guys that should be putting them over.  Weeks of build wasted in a matter of moments didn't help this match.

When the odds were stacked against Reigns, The Rock made a run-in to help his little cousin.  Something done to clearly win back the crowd did exactly the opposite as it made Reigns look inferior to The Rock.  Why should the audience believe in a babyface like Reigns to beat the indestructible Brock Lesnar when he needs help to eliminate Kane and the Big Show?  It's not that I'm against Roman Reigns winning the Royal Rumble at some point in his career.  Looking at his current in-ring ability and mic skills, Reigns isn't anywhere close to being the successor to John Cena at this point in time.  Reigns needs more time to learn, mature and organically come into the role.  Forcing him down people's throats much like WWE did with Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz will only damage Reigns in the end.

A series of unforgivable creative decisions made the 2015 Royal Rumble the worst of all-time.  WWE understood exactly what they were getting into when they booked the Royal Rumble for Philadelphia, a city filled with hardcore wrestling fans.  It baffles my mind that WWE didn't learn from last year's debacle with Batista.  Yes, the product may be targeted for younger audience, but that isn't going to get buys for the WWE Network.  The people who will buy the Network are the passionate, hardcore, "Internet" fans that WWE despises and the target audience will eventually grow into.  As seen by the CancelWWENetwork hash tag running rampant on Twitter, it isn't smart to alienate the fans which are the lifeblood of your business going forward.  Guess we're in for an interesting WrestleMania season once again.

The Streak is Over

WrestleMania XXX has come and gone.  It was much better than yours truly initially expected following the results of Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber.  More so than in years prior, WrestleMania as an overall show was fun and thoroughly enjoyable.  There were a good number of great moments from Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock all in the same ring and Daniel Bryan's winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after having the odds stacked against him to Cesaro slamming Big Show over the top rope and The Shield's triple powerbomb on both members of the New Age Outlaws.  While a couple matches did not live up to this writer's expectations namely John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt and Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar, it was a pleasant surprise to see the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton exceed my low expectations.  Out of everything that happened at WrestleMania XXX, one moment in particular clearly defined this event and cemented its spot in wrestling history.  That moment was the end of The Streak at the hands of Brock Lesnar.

Over the course of the Undertaker's illustrious career, no accomplishment has been greater than his winning streak at WrestleMania.  As countless wrestlers fell to the Deadman at WrestleMania year-in and year-out, The Streak grew in prestige and importance.  One could easily argue that The Streak was the most prestigious and important accomplishment in the WWE and professional wrestling as a whole.  To break such an unprecedented streak would be greater than winning any match or championship in wrestling.  Considering the lacklustre events leading up to the match between Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, no one could have imagined The Streak would end in that very match.  You would expect the WWE to pull out all the stops and put together some epic build for a result this monumental and polarizing to even considered.  Wrestling fans have been so invested in The Streak that it is understandable to see such a wide array of emotions come from it ending.  Being of the camp that never wanted The Streak to be broken, I am personally surprised at how well I have received it.  Even though Brock Lesnar is a part-timer and has already established himself as a premier athlete, I am perfectly fine with him ending The Streak.  Actually, having Lesnar end The Streak gives the Beast nuclear heat that will never wear off and establishes him as THE dominant force in the WWE.  Also it sets up whoever beats Lesnar next, which better be Bryan, as a bona fide superstar in the WWE.  Personally, I am bummed out that Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar could not develop into a great match.  While it was still a pretty good match at best, they could never take the match to the next level and really get our blood pumping like all of the recent Undertaker matches at WrestleMania.  Not putting on an excellent match to rival the moment of The Streak ending just made things feel surreal and uncomfortable.  The match did show that it is definitely time for Undertaker to hang up the boots for good.  People may be concerned about how WWE will book a possible Sting vs. Undertaker match for next year, but this writer would rather not see that smoke-and-mirrors show become a reality especially since neither Sting or Undertaker can perform anywhere close to the level they use to.

WWE could not rely on The Streak to solely sell WrestleMania forever; now is the time to let it go and make new selling points for WrestleMania.  To launch the WWE into a new era, it is beneficial to honour both the Undertaker and The Streak as an important part of WrestleMania and wrestling history with Raw tonight and the 2015 Hall of Fame at WrestleMania 31.  As hard as it may seem for some, the unthinkable has happened.  The Streak is over and we all have to come to accept it one way or another.  WWE took an incredible risk with ending The Streak, but the only way to know if it was truly the right call or not is to see what happens next.  Tonight's Raw is the first page of this next chapter.  Will you be watching?

End of The Silverdome?

This decision is a hard one to make, but it is time to hang up my wrestling boots for the time being.  Ever since I have gone back to school, I have severely cut back my wrestling consumption.  Before going back, I can watched Raw, Smackdown, Impact Wrestling, ROH and NXT on a weekly basis.  I consumed enough professional wrestling in a week to easily fuel this blog.  That is no longer the case.  Now I only watch Raw on Mondays, casually check the results for Smackdown every other week and read the stories from Lords of Pain that pop up on my Facebook News Feed.  Sometimes with my job, I don't even get a chance to watch all of Raw.  The WWE Network would make it easier to follow all the wrestling I want, but my family doesn't have the internet plan to support that large amount of streaming.  So that option is quite a few years away from being a reality for yours truly.  

On top of my cutbacks, I just don't have the drive anymore to write about wrestling.  In no way am I losing my love for professional wrestling.  I am just very disenchanted with the WWE's current direction.  With such a monumental event like WrestleMania XXX, I had such huge expectations for WWE to take things to the next level (say CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan in the main event).  Disappointingly enough, the WWE has resorted to bringing in the part-timers yet again to build WrestleMania around.  While it was a novel idea the first time around, that doesn't mean people will keep eating up year after year.  We need new talent and fast!  There are glimmers of hope with Daniel Bryan, The Shield, the Wyatt Family and Cesaro.  Due to the WWE's current state of pushing established stars and holding down the rising stars, it is extremely hard not to be pessimistic.  

So is this the end of The Silverdome?  Yes and no.  It is the end of The Silverdome as we currently know it.  No longer will there be any sort of regularity to this blog.  I may go back to weekly or monthly posts, but that will be in the far distant future if it ever happens.  If there is something in professional wrestling I feel compelled to write about, I will post it up here.  It may be in a weeks time or may be months from now.  Thank you to everybody for following, reading, sharing and anything else you did to support The Silverdome.  Until next time, I bid you all farewell.

Year in Review: The Best of 2013

Been a long time since yours truly last posted here on The Silverdome.  Between school and work, it has been hard to follow, more or less, write about anything in the wonderful world of wrestling.  With 2013 coming to a close, there is not much to talk about concerning major wrestling programming (Raw, Smackdown, Impact Wrestling) as big developments stall until the new year and are replaced with an unnecessary amount of holiday shenanigans.  What a better time to reflect on the year that just past both the good and the bad.

As a whole, 2013 was a very mixed year quality-wise.  While nothing is perfect, most of the great stuff about professional wrestling in 2013 came during the first eight months of the year.  Things after September could not compare to the eight months before it, but this writer will elaborate more on this point in The Worst of 2013.  The Best of 2013 did not come from the John Cena's and Randy Orton's of professional wrestling, it came from the up-and-coming stars such as the Shield and Dolph Ziggler and the true main eventers like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.  The Best of 2013 encompasses this writer's favourite matches, moments and angles of the year.  Enjoy the trip down memory lane and happy New Year!

Believe in the Shield
While the Shield debuted at the very end of 2012, 2013 was where this group made their impact.  There has not been a faction as dominant as the Shield in the WWE since the Attitude Era.  In all due respect to Evolution, the WWE's version of the Four Horsemen could never live up to their true potential due to injuries and a severely short reign of dominance.  During this full calendar year, the Shield has remained as one of the top of forces in the WWE even after dropping the Tag Titles to the Rhodes Brothers.  Aside from this faction's dominance, these three young guns have been putting on the most consistently strong performances of anyone on the WWE roster.  Any match the Shield is involved in can easily be considered the highlight of the night.  With or without championship gold around their waists, the Shield has the highest stock among any team or singles wrestler in WWE, which is incredibly impressive for three young wrestlers.

Dolph Ziggler Cashes In
Everybody was hoping to see Dolph Ziggler cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania to win the World Heavyweight Championship because it would have been an insane WrestleMania moment.  Leaving that moment until the next night on Raw, where a much bigger audience than WrestleMania is watching, was even better.  Pitting Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter against Alberto Del Rio in a Handicap Match, it seemed like the opportune time for the Show-off to cash in the briefcase.  Jack worked over Del Rio’s ankle before Alberto hooked in the Cross Arm Breaker to win the match.  Immediately following the Handicap Match, Ziggler would make his entrance to the cheers of the crowd and many fans sitting at home.  It was a short match that saw Dolph and Del Rio go back-and-forth.  There was one point where Del Rio hooked Ziggler in the Cross Arm Breaker that made this writer yell at the top of his lungs, “Don’t you dare tap, Dolph!”  Ziggler escaped the hold by twisting Del Rio’s injured ankle, which set up Ziggler to hit the Zig Zag for the win.  The crowd at the Izod Center exploded in cheers while this writer jumped out of his seat in pure excitement.  It was easily one of the best Money in the Bank cash-ins in WWE history.  In the span of two minutes, the emotions everybody watching this match went from excitement to frustration to ultimately happiness.  It was emotionally draining to say the least, but the best moments in professional wrestling are.  This cash-in was the defining moment of Dolph Ziggler's career and the moment many, including yours truly, believed Dolph had truly received the main event push he has deserved for so long.  Sadly, all great moments have to come to an end.

The Double Turn
A double turn is an extremely rare occurrence in professional wrestling due to the high level of difficulty to correctly pull off.  A successful double turn has a crowd immediately flip their allegiance between the two wrestlers in the match, while an unsuccessful double turn leaves everybody in a state of confusion.  The most successful double turn in wrestling history happened at WrestleMania 13 when Bret Hart would not relinquish the Sharpshooter he had locked on an unconscious Stone Cold Steve Austin.  The most successful double turn in recent memory occurred at WWE's first Payback PPV this past year in Chicago during Dolph Ziggler's first World Title defense against Alberto Del Rio.  Ziggler had been out of action with a concussion caused by a stiff kick from Jack Swagger.  Dolph was still suffering from the lingering effects of this concussion so Del Rio targeted the World Champion's head.  Throughout the match, Del Rio would relentlessly attack Ziggler with kicks to the head.  Ziggler tried to fight through Del Rio's debilitating punishment, but to no avail.  Despite Ziggler's heroic effort, the Show-off fell to the villainous assault of Alberto Del Rio.  Del Rio may have left Payback with the World Heavyweight Championship around his waist, but to the fans all around the world Dolph Ziggler was the real winner.  While Ziggler's title run was cut short, wrestling history was made on Father's Day in Chicago.

The World's Strongest Double Cross
News came the Monday following Payback that Mark Henry would be retiring from the squared-circle.  Henry’s hiatus from the ring during the Spring of 2013 to rest from injuries was sign enough that the World’s Strongest Man would hang up his boots.  Speaking of boots, Henry even placed his boots at the top of the stage during that edition of Monday Night Raw and came out in a bright pink blazer to give his retirement speech.  Henry’s speech induced tears, smiles and even chants as he had the audience wrapped around his finger.  John Cena, who Henry interrupted, came in to give Mark some time with the WWE Championship, a title that Henry has never held according to JBL’s commentary.  It would have been a sweet end for Mark Henry’s career, but the World’s Strongest Man does not go out with a whimper, the World’s Strongest Man goes out with a bang.  Mark Henry drew John Cena in for one last handshake and hit the World’s Strongest Slam instead.  Once Cena plummeted to the mat, the realization hit that Mark Henry was not retiring.  It was all a ploy to lure in the WWE Champion and what a great ploy it was.  In one fell swoop, WWE Creative built a credible threat to John Cena’s WWE Championship and made Mark Henry a devious heel that will sink to the lowest of lows to get his way.  Truly one of the highlights of an incredible summer for the WWE.

The Rise of the American Dragon
After the phenomenal year that Daniel Bryan had in 2012, there was no doubt that the American Dragon would be a bona-fide main eventer someday.  Bryan may not have the unrealistic build that WWE executives love, but he has something even more important-- the unanimous support of the WWE Universe.  Ever since Daniel Bryan turned face as a part of Team Hell No, the fans have flocked to him.  Just listen to the huge pop Bryan gets when he explodes into his signature offensive flurry of kicks and running clotheslines.  Just like in 2012, Daniel Bryan was the most popular superstar in 2013, even winning Superstar of the Year.  Despite being held down by Triple H and WWE Creative, Daniel Bryan won the WWE Championship not once but twice.  2013 was no doubt Daniel Bryan's year.  Bryan consistently put on quality matches no matter his position on the card, made major improvements in his promo delivery and continually received the loudest reactions of anyone on the WWE roster.  While WWE tirelessly tries to push big muscular men such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar and Batista, Daniel Bryan showed this past year that small athletic men are just as or even more entertaining to watch than the stereotypical muscular body that dominates professional wrestling.

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar
Sitting in a theatre of thirty people, this writer laid witness to the Match of the Year, the Best vs. the Beast, CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar.  The build for this match was nuclear from the very moment Brock Lesnar hit the F5 on CM Punk on the Raw following Payback.  In all honesty, I was ready to pay money to watch these two duke it out from that very moment.  As time moved closer to their meeting at Summerslam, this feud just kept on getting better and better.  The verbal duels between Punk and Heyman and the physical brawls between Punk and Lesnar were both sights to behold, but those appetizers could not hold a candle to the main course.  From the opening bell to the finishing splat of Punk's head being F5ed onto a steel chair, Punk vs. Lesnar was both physically and mentally exhausting.  Even though the major difference in size between Punk and Lesnar, the match was incredibly even.  The match could have gone either way as both men hit each other with their most devastating moves.  One of the most intense moments in the entire match came when Punk finally struck Lesnar with the GTS.  I vividly remember everyone in the theatre erupting from their seats once Punk hit the move, counting along with the referee's count and simultaneously crying out in shock when Lesnar kicked out.  CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar was the first match since CM Punk vs. John Cena from Money in the Bank 2011 to get this writer so passionately engrossed in the action happening in the ring.  For that reason, CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar is the Match of 2013.

The Brothers Rhodes
Fall was not so kind to the WWE.  The high that the hot summer months brought slowly but surely dwindled under a slew of missed opportunities.  While the fall was a long slog, there was one thing that made the slog bearable.  That thing was the formation of a tag team between the Rhodes Brothers, Cody Rhodes and Goldust.  The sons of the great Dusty Rhodes first joined forces to fight the Authority for their jobs after Triple H wrongly fired Cody Rhodes for losing a match to Randy Orton.  This feud led to an emotionally charged tag team match against the Shield at Battleground.  With the jobs of the entire Rhodes Family on the line, Cody and Goldust with some help from their father defeated the Hounds of Justice to regain their jobs in the WWE.  The good fortunes of Cody and Goldust did not end at Battleground as the brothers would defeat the Shield for the WWE Tag Team Titles in an incredible tag team main event a week later on Raw.  As Tag Team Champions, Cody Rhodes and Goldust have rejuvenated the WWE's Tag Team Division.  While other divisions in the WWE left a lot to be desired during the last half of 2013, the Tag Team Division was stealing the show.  Be it Raw, Smackdown or the monthly PPV, the tag team matches have consistently been the best part of WWE programming.  Speaking of rejuvenation, this Tag Team Title push has rejuvenated the careers of both Cody Rhodes and Goldust.  Cody has been stuck in the lower mid card limbo since losing the Intercontinental Championship back in 2012.  This push has highly improved Cody's status in the eyes of the WWE Universe and WWE Creative.  On the other hand, this push has given Goldust one final chance to prove to the wrestling world how great a wrestler he is.  Over the past five months, Goldust has made the best of this opportunity and has been the most impressive veteran wrestler on the WWE roster.  As we move into 2014, it will be interesting to see if the spike in quality brought on by the Rhodes Brothers will continue.

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

Under Corporate Rule: Preview of WWE Night of Champions 2013

The Summer was such a high point for WWE this year that the only way to go from there is down.  As much as the new Corporation angle will be a huge launching point of all storylines going forward, it has been quite a one-sided affair where interest is waning and fast.  A slow burn can lead to big dividends in the end, but Triple H and his cronies have been making the Faces look inferior for weeks on end.  Yes, you need to put the Corporation over as this insurmountable force, but four weeks straight of beatdowns and public humiliations is a little too much.  WWE Creative needs to figure out a way to make this power struggle a little less lopsided and get the Faces on even footing with the Corporation.  Seeing a small contingent of superstars led by Daniel Bryan and the Big Show putting together some kind of hit-and-run approach to combatting the Corporation would be an interesting turn of events.  Ultimately, WWE needs to put together something fast to turn around this angle because the way it is going, the only superstars being put over are Triple H and Randy Orton.

With all that said, this year's Night of Champions is in quite an interesting predicament.  Rather than riding off the coattails of a hot Summer for the WWE, it is stuck with all the disinteresting fallout.  All the exciting stuff happened at Summerslam and sadly Night of Champions is left with the cold leftovers.  There should be good matches on this card; it is just WWE has done such a poor job in  building this PPV.  It seems all the effort went into putting over the Corporation rather than building a worthy follow-up to Summerslam.

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

This writer has said this before and he will say it again.  If WWE wants to get Dolph Ziggler over as a face, he should be chasing Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship rather than playing around with whatever mid-card talent WWE wants to throw at him next, no offence Dean.  These two will definitely put a good match; it is just both this writer would rather see Dolph make steps forward with his character rather than taking steps back.  The WWE's focus should be about preparing Ziggler to regain the World Heavyweight Championship, so everything that does not contribute to this end goal is a waste of time.

Prediction:  Dean Ambrose retains

The Shield (c) vs. Winners of the Pre-Show Tag Team Turmoil for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Usually this writer likes to do a separate preview for the pre-show match.  Due to how it directly influences this Tag Team Championship match, it would be easier to include it all in one match preview.  Out of all the tag teams set for the Tag Team Turmoil match (Tons of Funk, the Real Americans, 3MB, the Usos and the Prime Time Players), the best candidates to challenge the Shield at Night of Champions are the Prime Time Players.  The team of Titus O'Neil and Darren Young have been on a roll since Summerslam and it is time for them to get a chance to challenge for the Tag Team Titles.  While the Prime Time Players do deserve this title shot, that does not mean they will best the Hounds of Justice for the Tag Team belts tonight.

Prediction:  The Shield retains

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam for the World Heavyweight Championship

Ever since WWE paused Del Rio's feud with Dolph Ziggler, the World Heavyweight Champion has been in limbo.  Alberto has just been feuding with whatever challenger WWE decides to throw at him.  Last month, it was Christian.  Now Rob Van Dam seems to be the flavour of the month.  Mr. Monday Night has been paired with the returning Ricardo Rodriguez to give the illusion that this feud was planned from the beginning.  The nice thing about this little feud, we will get to see WWE put over Del Rio's viciousness in a good bout against RVD.  Hopefully, Alberto can stop treading water very soon and move onto a full-blown program over the title rather than these little stints.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

AJ Lee (c) vs. Natalya vs. Naomi vs. Brie Bella in a Fatal 4 Way Match for the Divas Championship

Thought we saw the last forced injection of Total Divas into WWE PPV programming at Summerslam?  Well think again because WWE is back at it.  Now they have mixed in the one thing that most wrestling fans hoped stayed very far away- the Divas Championship.  With AJ as champion, the Divas Title seemed to be gaining some semblance of prestige with the best wrestler in the Divas division holding it.  Time to throw in the Total Divas to screw everything up.  If AJ leaves Night of Champions with her reign intact, good for her.  Sadly, this writer does not see such an outcome happening.  Rather go with the best Diva on that stupid show, Natalya, to hold the Divas Title if we have to go with one Total Diva to win this bout.

Prediction:  Natalya wins the Divas Championship

CM Punk vs. Curtis Axel & Paul Heyman in a Handicap Elimination Match

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar last month at Summerslam was a possibly the best match of the year.  With Brock's appearances used up for the moment, WWE has decided to put in Curtis Axel in this feud as a Lesnar replacement of sorts.  The only caveat being that Axel does not have anywhere close to the star power that Lesnar has.  Good thing, WWE has positioned this match around whether or not Punk will finally be able to get his hands on Paul Heyman.  Unless Axel and Heyman win, this writer does not see the Intercontinental Champion getting out of this match some damage to his current push.

Prediction:  CM Punk wins

Randy Orton (c) vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship

At Summerslam, the WWE Championship was stolen from Daniel Bryan's grasp by Triple H and Randy Orton.  Now it is time for the Beard to get some revenge.  Well everybody thought Bryan would get some comeuppance, but the American Dragon has been put through the ringer these past four weeks.  Being put through countless beatdowns on both Raw and Smackdown with only a few real moments of actual resistance, this feud has not currently done much to get Bryan more over than he already is.  Considering this program is set to last for a while, do not expect Bryan to regain the WWE Title just yet.  If WWE wants to keep this feud going without it growing stale quick, they need to start putting over Bryan rather than Triple H and Randy Orton.

Prediction:  Randy Orton retains

The Beard is Now: Review of WWE Summerslam 2013

With all the factors leading into Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena, there was no doubt something big would happen during the main event of Summerslam.  Cena and Bryan had one excellent match which saw each wrestler trade their biggest shots and a few unique maneuvers in a clean match-up.  After twenty minutes of great wrestling, Bryan finally put Cena down with a devastating knee to the head.  The resulting explosion of cheers at the Staples Center and in the theatre yours truly was watching from was incredible.  To finally see Daniel Bryan hold the WWE Championship, even for a moment, was an unbelievable experience.  Bryan's celebration lasted a couple minutes before Randy Orton and Triple H spoiled everything.  With a pedigree to Bryan, Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to steal the WWE Title from the grasp of the American Dragon.  In one fell swoop, Randy Orton and Triple H turned from beloved superheroes to corporate goons.  While Bryan's moment may have been spoiled for the return of the Corporation, this new storyline looks to set-up Bryan as a main eventer in the WWE.  With John Cena out of action and CM Punk busy with Paul Heyman, it is time for WWE to push Daniel Bryan as the ultimate underdog who can stand toe-to-toe with the insurmountable forces of the McMahon's Corporation and their hand-picked champion.

To sum up Summerslam in one word, this writer would have to say exhausting.  Yours truly walked out of the theatre after watching Summerslam exhausted both physically and mentally.  The top three matches on the card (Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena) were extremely tense and incredibly immersing.  Hands down, these three matches are well worth spending your hard earned cash on watching Summerslam.  Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio is a spectacular World Title match.  CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar is a definite Match of the Year contender.  Last but not least, Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena along with the post match theatrics is an extraordinary main event.  The rest of the card is hit or miss.  None of these matches are below average although they are quite underwhelming when compared to the top three matches.

Bray Wyatt def. Kane in a Ring of Fire Match
Rating:  5.5/10

Cody Rhodes def. Damien Sandow
Rating:  7/10

Alberto Del Rio def. Christian to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
Rating:  9/10

Natalya def. Brie Bella
Rating:  5/10

Brock Lesnar def. CM Punk
Rating:  10/10

Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn def. Big E Langston & AJ Lee
Rating:  6.5/10

Daniel Bryan def. John Cena to win the WWE Championship
Randy Orton def. Daniel Bryan to win the WWE Championship
Rating:  9.5/10

Top to bottom, Summerslam 2013 has varying degrees of quality.  While there was nothing absolutely horrendous on the card, it is still a three match show.  Funny thing being that those three matches are among the best matches of 2013.  The varying quality really makes this year's Summerslam hard to put a rating on.  Summerslam delivered with every big match on the card, but fell short with the undercard.  Overall, Summerslam 2013 is a very enjoyable PPV which is definitely worth watching and even owning.  WWE Summerslam 2013 just irks out an 8 out of 10.

The Best vs. The Beast: Preview of WWE Summerslam 2013

The Best vs. The Beast, The Champ vs. The Beard.  These are two tag lines that easily describe this year's Summerslam in a nutshell.  While Summerslam is being built as a two match show, it is understandable when WWE picks the two of the largest matches of the year to headline the second biggest PPV of the year after WrestleMania.  These two matches could single-handedly sell an entire PPV so having both on the same show is unbelievable.  So unbelievable in fact that WWE has sold Summerslam to yours truly on these two matches alone.  Personally, it is the most excited I have been for a PPV since Money in the Bank 2011 and we all know how that PPV turned out.  Looking at the card top-to-bottom, Summerslam does not seem that impressive outside of the two main events.  Hopefully the buzz surrounding both CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar and John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan will inspire WWE creative and the wrestlers to produce a Summerslam worthy of being called the second biggest PPV of the year.  We will have to tune in this Sunday to find out if WWE can pull it off.

Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Rob Van Dam for the U.S. Championship

Most times the pre-show match can be easily dismissed as a throwaway match, but not as of late.  Last month, the WWE Tag Team Championship match placed on the pre-show was said to be a great match-up.  The pre-show match for Summerslam looks to be another exciting affair.  While this writer does have reservations about placing a big draw like RVD on the pre-show, he is a great veteran wrestler to test Ambrose on such a big stage.  Given enough time, these two stars should be able to put on a very entertaining show to lend into the main attraction- Summerslam.

Prediction:  Dean Ambrose retains

Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow

The logic behind this match might be a little wonky considering Damien Sandow never really betrayed Cody Rhodes.  All Sandow did was knock Rhodes off the ladder in  the Money in the Bank Ladder match, which has a free-for-all format, to win said match.  If you take a closer look at it it was not a betrayal, more like the spirit of this competition.  While the storyline might not be the best, this match should be the start of great things for both Rhodes and Sandow.  Having a singles match booked for the second biggest PPV of the year is an excellent opportunity to put the spotlight on both men and their many talents.  We will have to wait and see how things go for both superstars' singles career in the months and years to come, but this writer expects to see their A games come Sunday.

Prediction:  Damien Sandow wins

Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn vs. Big E Langston & AJ Lee

As a huge fan of Dolph Ziggler seeing such a phenomenal talent wasted in a mixed tag match is just disheartening.  Dolph's World Title run was criminally short and he barely got a chance to chase after the title before WWE decided to start this feud with Langston and AJ.  If WWE wants to get Dolph Ziggler over as a face, it is better to have him chasing Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship rather than fooling around with his ex-girlfriend, former bodyguard and the girl he made out with on NXT Season 3.  No offence to the other talent in this match; Ziggler should be in the main event, not the lower mid-card.  The expectations for this match are very low, but this writer is hoping to be surprised by the effort these four superstars give us.

Prediction:  Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn win

Kane vs. Bray Wyatt in a Ring of Fire Match

I never understood the excitement brought from the Wyatt Family vignettes.  I heard a lot of good things about the Bray Wyatt character from NXT online reports, but the vignettes were more odd than exciting.  Then Bray Wyatt and his family made their debut and my opinions on them did a full 180.  The Bray Wyatt character is just so fascinating because his character is so different from most of the cookie cutter faces and heels that permeate the WWE.  Even though the wrestling fan in me was praying for the Brothers of Destruction vs. the Shield for Summerslam, Wyatt's brief feud with Kane has served as a very enjoyable alternative.  Considering this match will be the in-ring debut of Bray Wyatt, there is a little bit of anticipation building inside as we see if Bray Wyatt can live up to the hype.

Prediction:  Bray Wyatt wins

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

After reading the paragraph about the mixed tag team match, I think you know who I wanted in this match instead of Christian.  Actually this writer along with many others thought Christian would be the one challenging for the U.S. Title so to see WWE put him in the World Heavyweight Championship match came as a surprise.  It was a very nice surprise because I am a bigger peep than a Dolph Ziggler fan.  Alberto Del Rio and Christian have had many matches before this meeting and all of them have nothing short of great in my opinion.  These two have the chemistry and the history to put on a highly entertaining and exciting World Heavyweight Championship belt.  While I am a big peep, I do not see Christian walking out with the World Title around his waist at this point in time.  There is much more WWE Creative can do with Alberto Del Rio as World Heavyweight Champion at the moment than Christian can.  Although Christian would make a perfect champion for Damien Sandow to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase on.  Now that is some food for thought.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

John Cena (c) vs. Daniel Bryan with Triple H as Special Guest Referee for the WWE Championship

The Beard is here!  It has been a long time coming, but finally Daniel Bryan is where he belongs- the main event of the WWE.  Bryan has had some stints in the main event holding the World Heavyweight Championship or feuding with CM Punk.  Aside from those brief runs, Bryan has stayed in the mid-card for the majority of his WWE career.  Well times are changing for the American Dragon.  He has gone on a such an incredible roll these last few months, his popularity has skyrocket and he is coming into his own on the microphone.  With everything coming together for Daniel Bryan and John Cena rumoured to be taking time off for surgery, it seems like the best time to put the WWE Championship on him.  While everything would be sunshine and rainbows, there are a couple of complications to this situation.  First is the McMahon situation that seems to now engulfed the WWE Championship feud.  Triple H is now the special guest referee for the match, Vince is trying everything in his power to make sure Bryan does not leave with the title and Stephanie is trying to appease both.  It is a crazy family affair.  Next is Randy Orton and his Money in the Bank briefcase.  Orton has been teased cashing in his briefcase for weeks now.  To see Orton cash in against the winner at Summerslam will not be a surprise.  All-in-all, there are so many moving parts in this WWE Championship match that there is no doubt in this writer's mind that something big will happen.

Prediction:  Daniel Bryan wins the WWE Championship

Natalya vs. Brie Bella

WWE's newest reality show Total Divas may be a success for the company.  That success does not mean that they need to unnecessarily force matches involving the cast on their shows.  It is easy to tolerate the atrocities that the current divas division creates on Raw or Smackdown because you do not have to watch them.  It stings a bit when you are paying hard earned cash to watch these messes.  Please WWE, pull this match from Summerslam and give us Mark Henry and the Big Show vs. the Shield instead.  I promise you it will make a lot of people happy.

Prediction:  Natalya wins

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar

If you told me a few months ago that CM Punk vs. Brock Lesner would be main eventing Summerslam, I would have laughed.  Undertaker vs. CM Punk II all the way!  In all seriousness, I never thought WWE would turn CM Punk face less than a year after turning him heel.  The jury is still out on Punk's current turn, but so far so good.  This feud between Punk and Lesnar has been one of the most exciting feuds of 2013.  Honestly, I have been ready to pay money to watch this match since the Raw after Money in the Bank.  This feud has only gotten better as the weeks have gone on.  The verbal duels between Punk and Heyman and the physical brawls between Punk and Lesnar have both been sights to behold.  The main reason Punk vs. Lesnar is so captivating is due to how unpredictable the match will be.  Aside from a slight advantage to Brock Lesnar due to WWE possibly wanting to preserve his monster persona, this match can go either way.  You can legitimately believe that either wrestler can come up on top.  A match this even does not come around too often in professional wrestling, but it is a special event when it happens.  There is no doubt in this writer's mind that CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar, The Best vs. The Beast, will be something special.

Prediction:  Brock Lesnar wins

The Silver Report: Money in the Bank Fallout

Last week due to some unfortunate circumstances yours truly was not able to put up the Money in the Bank preview that he wanted.  This week I am back in full force to breakdown the incredible fallout for last week's pay-per view event.  From what I gathered from reports and reviews online, Money in the Bank was a good PPV.  It was not a knock out like Payback, but it had enough good matches and major developments to keep wrestling fans entertained for three hours.  Randy Orton and Damien Sandow walked away with the WWE and World Heavyweight briefcases respectively, Rob Van Dam made his triumphant return, John Cena lasted the World's Strongest Man, Alberto Del Rio scrapped a disqualification win over Dolph Ziggler and all hell broke loose in the WWE Money in the Bank Ladder match.  It was one big night for the WWE that got lots of momentum rolling towards Summerslam.  While Money in the Bank had a great number of major developments, it was last Monday's Raw that hammered home the fact that this coming Summerslam should be one to watch.  Personally, I only got the chance to watch the final hour and a half of the broadcast as I worked last Monday night, but what I watched was nothing short of phenomenal.  That hour and half went a long way in single-handedly selling Summerslam to the majority of wrestling fans, yours truly included.  If you missed last week's Raw, it is definitely worth looking for a replay of the broadcast just to experience it for yourself.

Punk vs. Lesnar, Give It To Me Now!!
Ever since Brock Lesnar hit an F5 on CM Punk, it was obvious Paul Heyman would turn on the Best in the World.  Money in the Bank was the implosion of Punk and Heyman's relationship as Heyman repeatedly smashed a ladder over Punk's head, which ended up costing the Straight-Edge Superstar his chance to win the briefcase.  With thirteen stitches in his head and hole in his heart, CM Punk marched his way down to the ring Monday night and demanded Paul Heyman to explain his actions.  What started out as a regular promo between Paul Heyman and CM Punk quickly escalated to downright personal levels.  Heyman made reference to their long standing relationship and how Punk's failures from earlier this year and his actions upon his return hurt the dastardly Heyman's feelings.  To teach CM Punk a lesson, Paul called upon Brock Lesnar to rough Punk up.  Those comments did not sit well with CM Punk as he warned Heyman that no matter who stands between them, Punk will destroy them all one by one starting with Brock Lesnar.  The verbal exchange between Punk and Heyman was bone chilling.  It has been a long time since this writer has seen this much animosity portrayed in the squared-circle and CM Punk and Paul Heyman played their parts masterfully.  This exchange could have easily sold a lot people on Summerslam, but that was not all.  With the call of "It's Clobberin' Time!", Heyman set forth the beast known as Brock Lesnar on Punk.  The ensuing brawl was incredible.  Punk and Lesnar beat the tar out of one another.  Lesnar definitely had the strength advantage as he was tossing Punk around like a rag doll, but the Straight-Edge Superstar was a tenacious fellow as he kept coming back with fists flying at Lesnar.  In the end, Lesnar would get the better of Punk thanks to a F5 onto the announce table, but this feud is not over by a long shot.  We still have four weeks until this two collide at Summerslam, but it is going to be hard to wait.  Already this feud is at a level that it could single-handedly sell Summerslam.  People want to see these two fight as it is next to impossible to tell who WWE will have go over as there is a strong case for both men.  Personally, I cannot wait to see more between Lesnar and Punk in the coming weeks.

Bryan's Chance to Capture WWE Championship Gold Is Here!!
Daniel Bryan may not of won the WWE Championship Money in the Bank briefcase last Sunday night, but he did manage to earn his way into the WWE Championship picture for Summerslam.  After weeks of dominating Raw's heavyweight division and the hearts of the WWE Universe, Daniel Bryan was given the chance to challenge for the WWE Title from the champion himself.  This past week on Raw, John Cena was given the opportunity to choose the next challenger for his WWE Championship by new Raw General Manager Brad Maddox.  Throughout the night, all the wrestlers in the locker room were making their case to be the next one in line for a shot at the WWE Championship.  Out of the entire locker room, Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam made one of the most convincing cases with the wrestling clinic they put on right before Cena came out to do his promo.  As a side note, make time to watch Chris Jericho vs. RVD from last week's Raw as it was absolutely incredible.  After a long winded speech of John Cena teasing the audience with possible challengers, he made the announcement that he wants to fight Daniel Bryan at Summerslam.  It was an announcement that had everyone in the crowd and at home screaming "Yes" at the top of their lungs.  Daniel Bryan has been on one incredible roll this Summer and it would be amazing to see him end it out with the WWE Championship around his waist.  That moment could easily make the crowd in the Staples Center and those watching around the world completely explode in a way very reminiscent of when Punk won the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank 2011.  Hopefully WWE can make these dreams a reality once again.