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unclewoodstock · 8 years ago

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The Suplex Study: Week Of 24/4/17

This week in the world of WWE, new jackets, dumpsters, belt theft, and a WWE Studios film worth watching

Raw

If you wanna start off the show on a high, Chris Jericho is the man to do it. Jericho attempted to host his show, the Highlight Reel, until The Miz came out to interrupt. As Miz attempted to hijack the segment and transform it into Miz TV, Dean Ambrose appeared. He instead brought in his set, as Miz TV then became the Ambrose Asylum (no Mitch tho, sad). To replace the one he destroyed months ago. Ambrose would gift Jericho a new light up jacket, a regular jacket with fairy lights stuck to it. Miz protested about his segment being taken over, getting hit with the Dirty Deeds for his trouble. So the main event was set, Ambrose & Jericho vs The Miz and a partner of his choosing. I love both Jericho and Ambrose so this opener was gold for me. But this pairing would have another hilarious moment later. Matt Hardy vs Sheamus Last week, we had Jeff Hardy vs Cesaro, so no we have the other tag team partners duel it out. Both men had a solid match, not as good as last week’s one but good in it’s own right. The interesting moments came with the closing of the match. Matt was outside of the ring as he brother came to check on him. Sheamus proceeded to throw Jeff out of the way as he got Matt back into the ring. This led to Jeff and Cesaro bumping heads, as the distraction allowed Matt to hit the Twist Of Fate for the win. Afterwards, both teams argue before cooler heads prevail, and they shake hands. With the tag titles being defended at Payback, lets hope that is the time we finally see the Broken gimmick.

Neville & TJ Perkins vs Austin Aries & Jack Gallagher

Not a bad match, but nothing special either. Neville and Aries have been doing their up most best to keep this division a float. With 205 Live having very bad viewer numbers, I hope that things get better, as their is way too much great talent to squander.

Braun Strowman vs Kalisto in a Dumpster Match Probably the biggest talking point of this week’s Raw. Last week, during Strowman’s rampage, Kalisto was beaten up and thrown into a nearby dumpster. This week, Kalisto challenges Strowman to this new match. Looking at other articles from wrestling sites, alot of people seem to HATE this match. Personally, I couldnt bring myself to despise it so much. Before and during the match, Kalisto in one fell swoop came across as the ultimate babyface. He was disrespected and therefore, wanted retribution. Now one criticism I’ve seen about Strowman is that in his matches, there are many moments he could end the match but doesn’t. This certainly was the case here as Kalisto was able to get a decent chunk of offense, nevermind even being able to win the match. It was at this point where Kalisto to me looked like he was going to be a big star, then that thought went away pretty quickly after. Enraged, Strowman pummeled Kalisto, throwing him in the dumpster. He wheeled it up to the titantron and pushed it off the stage. It makes you wonder what was even the point of having Kalisto win, by a fluke even, if the end outcome is for Strowman to get his heat back seconds later. The match itself I enjoyed, but the outcome just made the whole thing kinda pointless in the end. Alicia Fox vs Dana Brooke To give this a positive, I am happy that there is more than one women’s storyline in this show. It makes the roster alittle bit more fleshed out. That aside, I didn’t care about this match until the ending. Brooke ended the match with a very sloppy looking Michinoku Driver, I went from being uninterested to being enraged. I have no idea who thought it would be a good idea to let Brooke do that move, but I never want to see it again!

Samoa Joe, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs Seth Rollins, Big Cass & Finn Balor The match was going to have Enzo Amore instead, but a sneak attack outside the ring made him unable to compete. Instead, we got Finn Balor instead. The match itself was fine, with Rollins debuting a new finishing move. Problem is it’s been kinda dull seeing Balor return when he has not been in any noteworthy matches. Hopefully things will be alot more entertaining when he is finally able to begin his feud with Bray Wyatt. As for Enzo, well maybe I’m biased but I can’t bare seeing him used a glorified jobber. He maybe still rough in the ring but he is more over then Roman Reigns will ever be. Surely he can be used better than this.

Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss

Before the match, we had a segment with Bliss, Bayley and Banks in the ring. Bliss called Banks apparent friendship with Bayley into question, leading to this match. Banks controlled most of the match, leading to Bliss getting herself counted out. Bayley would try to get Bliss back into the ring but would get blindsided by her instead. Bliss’ character is a welcome sight on TV, but the real feud will be Bayley vs Sasha. WWE haven’t done the best job with this, as no one is buying for a second that Banks isn’t just wanting to get the title off of Bayley.

Curt Hawkins vs Apollo Crews Nothing really to say about this, except it is nice to see Crews actually doing something. Not sure yet how I feel about an eventual Crews vs O’Neil fued, but I think Crews is too underrated to not be on TV, so I’m OK with it for now. Chris Jericho & Dean Ambrose vs The Miz & ???

Before I go into the match, I must say that the dynamic between Jericho and Ambrose made Raw enjoyable for me. The segment where Ambrose tried to get off the list was not only funny, but it had something that is often lacking in WWE, continuity. The pair brought up their history together and the feud they had, which is much better than just pretending like it never happened. This wasn’t really a match however, more of a farce. The Miz’s mystery partner didn’t come out initially when intended, so Miz had to fight in a handicap match. As he tried to leave, Ambrose caught up to him and teased putting him threw the announce table. Suddenly he was stopped by the mystery partner, Bray Wyatt. Wyatt laid out, Ambrose, Jericho and even the Miz to end the show. This made no sense on so many levels. Why would Bray team with Miz? Why wouldn’t he come out at first? Why did the match just end with no resolution? This was a big letdown, no one really looked good coming out of this, not even Wyatt. It would have been fine if it was a straight tag team match, but WWE tried to be more clever then they could pull off. As a go home show before Payback, this didn’t get me excited for it.

Smackdown

We begin with Shinsuke Nakamura coming out to the ring, with Renee Young ready to interview him. Before Nakamura was able to say a word, Dolph Ziggler comes out. Ziggler then cuts an awful promo, comparing Nakamura to Michael Jackson. The segment ends after the two come to blows and Ziggler dodging the Kinshasa before running away. I still have faith in this eventual match stealing the show come Backlash, but this build has been nibbling away at my patience. Nakamura has yet to compete yet since debuting on the main roster, it would really be good to show the audience why this man is meant to be a big deal.

AJ Styles vs Baron Corbin After last weeks countout result, Styles and Corbin went at it again in a rematch. Kevin Owens, once again was on commentary, providing some amazing soundbites. Like last week, this was a pretty good match, Corbin especially seems really comfortable keeping up the pace. Styles would get the roll up win but would be attacked by Owens and Corbin. Sami Zayn tried to make the save, hitting Corbin with the Helluva Kick, but got beat down by Owens for his troubles. My major nitpick is why hasn’t Zayn gone after Jinder Mahal, who cost him a chance at the title last week? It would have made more sense to have Zayn have a grudge match with Mahal, even if it meant jobbing out to make Mahal look strong. Instead, Zayn now has a feud with Corbin (not a bad thing) and Mahal still doesn’t seem like a threat. American Alpha vs The Colons: Beat The Clock Challenge To take on the Usos for their Tag Team Titles, we had two of these matches. While this was a decent match, it’s kind of weird that American Alpha got the win after having trouble with the Colons last week. As for them, The Colons seem to similar to the Usos in gimmick. If this division is to get back on track, alittle distinction between the two would certainly help.

Randy Orton vs Erick Rowan: No DQ match

This was a good match, tables, a kendo stick, lots of plunder to pop the crowd. The noteworthy stuff came afterwards. As Orton beat Rowan, Jinder Mahal came out and did the typical anti-American rant. Himself and the Bollywood Boys beat up Orton, and even stole away his title. In fairness, that is some pretty good heel heat. However, Mahal still doesn’t appear as a threat to Orton. They guy has lost nearly all of his matches since returning to WWE, so it’s a big stretch that title match come Backlash wont be just onesided. There is still time for Mahal to win some matches, have him look like there is a real danger that Orton could lose to him. To add to this tangent, I discovered that Mahal has a pretty large following in India. I can understand the people being happy about a prominent Indian star in the company, but I don’t get how they can be invested in his portrayal. With all the social media posts about tryouts in India and this new market they are pursuing, I feel WWE owe the people of India alittle better in terms of storytelling. The Ascension vs Breezango: Beat The Clock Challenge

To get my biased out of the way, I love Breezango. Fandango and Tyler Breeze are far too underutilized, so it’s great to see them getting a title shot. With that said, it’s still an odd choice. The match made sense, Ascension tried to win as quickly as they could with some hard hitting moves from the start, only for Breezango to steal a win out of the blue. Like with Jinder Mahal, WWE expect the viewers to buy into a jobber at being in contention for a title shot. However, with a face turn, Breezango could go on to be an over comedic team. Even if they don’t win the belts, which I doubt they will. Smackdown Women’s Title Match: Charlotte vs Naomi

Not only did we see Charlotte earn her shot at the Women’s title, but we also saw the seeds sowed for a new stable. The match itself was very good, with two great female workers in the ring. Sadly, it would end with a no contest as Natalya, Carmella and Tamina rushed the ring, beating up the combatants. There haven’t been many women’s factions in WWE so there is a possibility that this could work. One thing going against this though is the small number of women on the Smackdown roster, it would help out if there were more. But giving the women’s division the main event slot certainly helps get the team over, we can only see where WWE takes this. Smackdown was technically the better show, as they set up some new plot threads and began new feuds. However, Raw won me over thanks to the comedic banter of Ambrose and Jericho, despite some extremely bizarre booking in most of the matches. It’s hard to say which show won, but it really should be Smackdown. Raw would have won it if it wasn’t for the fact this is the go home show for Payback. The whole point is to get me excited for the PPV, and after watching Raw, I wasn’t.

Vince McMahon Movie

This week, the news broke that WWE Studios would be producing a biopic of the company’s owner, Vince McMahon. The cynical side of me wonders how detailed are they gonna make this film, or even what moments won’t be featuring. With final go ahead going to the boss, I can imagine certain plot points in McMahon’s life being glossed over. Some moments arguably viewers would be very intrigued to see. With that said, McMahon’s story is certainly a compelling one to tell. I like many self respecting wrestling fan, will make this film an essential watch.

That’s all for this week, let’s just hope the House Of Horrors match doesn’t turn out to be awful.

Till next time

Nay

#wwe #wrestling #chris jericho #raw #smackdown

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unclewoodstock · 8 years ago

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The Suplex Summary: 17/4/17

This week, we had the ring implode, a bizarre no.1 contender choice, and the sad passing of a superhero.

Raw

No time was wasted with Braun Strowman coming out too gloat about the savage beating he gave to Roman Reigns last week. GM Kurt Angle tried getting him to leave the building but Strowman was defiant in staying. As the night went on, Strowman showed his terrifying rage by battering jobbers backstage. He finally got the competition he wanted when eventually, Big Show stepped in stop Strowman’s rampage, making the main event set for the night.

Samoa Joe vs Chris Jericho

To get some retribution for being attacked by Joe backstage a few weeks ago, Jericho would go one on one with the Samoan Submission Machine. Seth Rollins was special guest commentator for the match, building for his match with Joe come Payback. Good match from these two, with Joe especially looking like a vicious killer. Joe powered out of the Walls Of Jericho and put on the Cobra Clutch for the tapout win. My only issue was I wish Jericho didn't tap but it's a nitpick for a fun match. With Joe looking good here and cutting a visceral sounding promo on Rollins, their match come Payback is one to look forward to.

Enzo & Cass vs Gallows & Anderson

The Club were meant to be fighting the Golden Truth, but an attack by Strowman put an end to that, not that I was too sad about it. Instead, Enzo & Cass came out to take on Gallows & Anderson. Standard tag match, with Anderson slamming Enzo into the turnbuckle ropes for the ring. Enzo & Cass still remain crazy over, but it would great to have them get some wins for once.

Miz TV with Dean Ambrose

Before Miz was barely able to speak, Ambrose came out to the ring. The Miz proceeds to berate Ambrose about not being a worthy looking superstar. It ended with Ambrose attacking the Miz as he gets away before the Dirty Deeds. Miz seems to be repeating this same plot, complaining about how he is overlook compared to other superstars. For me, it’s kinda getting a little old. It doesn’t help that we have already seen this feud back on Smackdown, I would rather be seeing these two doing other things.

Jack Gallagher vs TJ Perkins

Both Neville and Austin Aries were at ringside for this match. Pretty good match, with Perkins getting the win with the Detonation Kick. Perkins’ heel turn last week may have been a positive step for his character, but he got no response from the crowd which doesn't help. Pairing him with Neville may work in the long one, but right now Perkins just looks like a high school bully’s comedy sidekick.

No. 1 Contender Match for the Women’s Title: Nia Jax vs Alexa Bliss vs Mickie James vs Sasha Banks

The women’s division on Raw got a much needed shot in the arm last week, as the title seems very hotly contended once again. This was just an OK match, the four didn’t seem to gel well together. As imposing as she is, Nia Jax is still a little green. It will take a few more matches before she can pull of a convincing title run. Alexa Bliss got the win as she stole the pin from Jax as she lays out Banks with a Samoan Drop. Bliss winning was a little unexpected, but she will make a great villainous foe for Bayley. Especially as there is only a week to go before Payback.

Finn Balor vs Curt Hawkins/Wyatt’s Sermon of the Snakes

Both segments were back to back and are related so it makes sense to talk about them together. Balor won quickly over Hawkins, an easy match most likely to help him recover from his concussion last week. As for Wyatt, it dawned on me why his “scary” promos don’t do much for me anymore. They are way too overproduced. When Wyatt first debut, his first promo was so simple. It was him in a dark room with a chair in it. He delivered his lines like a pro and it was so effective. Now however, the camera flickers, there is spooky music, creepy imagery, it’s all just too much. Less is more WWE. Regardless, a Balor/Wyatt feud could be interesting clash of characters and gimmicks.

Cesaro vs Jeff Hardy

This match, both before and during the match, was being billed as a rare first as neither men had faced each other. The hype paid off to a degree as this was a pretty good match. Both men were very evenly matched throughout. Hardy would eventually get the upper hand, finishing off Cesaro with the Swanton Bomb. Both men and their ringside tag partners had a tense stand off before shaking hands after the match. With this subtle post match moment, added with constant fan speculation, we could be seeing the Broken Hardys hopefully very soon.

Braun Strowman vs Big Show

The first time these two had a singles match, they surpassed any expectations cynical fans would have had. Back then, they had a very good match, and this time was no different. Both men showed fair amounts of agility for men their size, Strowman even pulling off a nip-up which was amazing to see. The two traded blows and near-falls, before both men went to the turnbuckle. They had teased it throughout the match, but it finally happened. Strowman had Big Show on the turnbuckle, and with shakey legs, imploded the ring with a superplex! Regardless of the previous times it has happened, it is still an amazing spot to see, especially with the poor ref being hurled out of the ring in the process. The match was a No Contest but we ended the show with Strowman standing tall. This night, very deservedly, belonged to him. Smackdown

Smackdown, in comparison to Raw, was a much more underwhelming show. This included a moment that initially caused me to rage quit watching for half an hour.

The show began with Charlotte coming out, demanding a title shot as the best athlete in the women's division. Champion Naomi obliged, as the two exchanged blows. Shane McMahon announced that if Charlotte could beat Naomi, she would get her title match next week.

Six Pack Challenge. No.1 Contender Match for the WWE World Title: Sami Zayn vs Dolph Ziggler vs Luke Harper vs Erick Rowan vs Mojo Rawley vs Jinder Mahal

This was the rage quit moment for me so strap yourself in. To get the good out of the way, this was a very fun match. Lots of action and close near-falls kept the crowd and myself hooked. The quality of the match outshone the fact that this match was lacking in big names. Zayn and Harper to me, seemed like the only worthy contenders from the start. Rawley and Ziegler at a stretch. But the big moment came at the finale of the match. Zayn had the match won, when he was held back from delivering the Helluva Kick by the debuting Bollywood Boys. In the distraction, Mahal was able to slam Zayn and become the new No.1 contender.

The reasons for Mahal getting the push is due to WWE’s gaining market in India. A big Indian star would help garner more fans in the country. If that was the plan though, would it have killed WWE to not make Mahal such a jobber beforehand? I'm not much of a fan of Jinder Mahal anyway, but I'd be more accepting of him if he hadn't been losing 2-3 matches. To make it even more annoying, he cut an anti-American after the match. It's 2017, the “evil” foreign heel is teeth-grindingly outdated. As much as WWE likes to advertise itself as a global franchise, they still insist on this. Mahal now has a month to look like a rap contender for Randy Orton. NXT’s Bollywood Boys will help, but I doubt it will make the Payback main event an utter bore.

Charlotte vs Naomi

This match helped me get over the last match’s previous outcome, both looking solid in the process. Charlotte winning clean may be annoying for some, but it wasn't too bad for me. As Naomi tried for the Rearview, Charlotte countered with a dropkick, before getting the win. It makes for a better narrative for Naomi to be outmatched the first time, only for her game to be upped come the next encounter.

American Alpha vs The Colons

Plus side to this, the Shining Stars are gone. Now we have Primo and Epico announced simply as the Colons. With a remix theme and no more time shares, the Colons have become a legitimate team again. The problem is with American Alpha, the team has lost a lot of momentum. As the only face team on Smackdown, their loss here leaves the tag team division rather underwhelming until the New Day debuts.

Kevin Owens vs Local Jobber

We got the first of hopefully many “Face Of America” open challenges. Owens won in moments, and made the decision to commentate for the main event.

AJ Styles vs Baron Corbin

It feels like the belts are a little mixed up. The earlier 6 Pack Challenge match would make a bit more sense if it was contended for the US title instead. Instead, Smackdown’s main eventers are fighting over a secondary belt. While it elevates the US title, it leaves less big names for the main one. Regardless, both had a good match. AJ made Corbin look especially good, selling his hard hitting offense brilliantly. Corbin would get counted out, but it was due to a heavy blow by AJ over the barricade. A combination of Owens, AJ and Corbin is money for me.

This past week, Raw won for me. Strowman was made to look like a megastar, while Mahal felt like he could have been picked by throwing a dart at a board. Next week could easily swap around though.

RIP Matthew “Rosey” Anoa’i

This past week, we got the sad news of the death of Matthew Anoa’i, best known in WWE as Rosey. He was 47. Anoa’i is the real life brother of Roman Reigns, but got his start much earlier in 2002. He started as a tag team with his cousin Eddie Fatu, as the tag team 3 Minute Warning. Anoa’i would best be known for his gimmick as the comedic sidekick to superhero wrestler, the Hurricane. Him and Rosey would have success with the team, even winning the tag team titles before his release in 2006. My deepest condolences to all of his family and friends.

Be good to your loved one everyone.

Till next time

Nay

#WWE #Wrestling #Raw #Smackdown #Cartoon #Rosey #Matthey Anoa'i

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unclewoodstock · 8 years ago

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The Suplex Summary: Week of 10/4/17

With Wrestlemania already seeming like a distant memory, we had the Superstar Shakeup to look forward to this past week. A selection of Superstars would be switched over to either Raw or Smackdown from their respected shows. Let's see which brand came out better off...

Raw

Right off the bat, our first new Raw superstars were shown, The Miz (w/Maryse) and Dean Ambrose. Ambrose for me will be a welcome addition on any show, but Miz will very much be missed on Smackdown. His feud with Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack made the show a must watch and gave his character a very thick layer of depth. It was weird as both men seemed to either be starting a new feud or still in the middle of one, Miz with Nakamura and Ambrose with Corbin. It’s likely that both men will be feuding for the IC belt once again, but it will be curious to see who else WWE get them to feud with.

Other new Raw Superstars included Apollo Crews, Kalisto, Curt Hawkins and Rhyno & Heath Slater. Both Crews and Kalisto I feel can be big stars if they both develop their promo skills, especially in the case of Kalisto. As for Rhyno & Slater, it was fun at first but I really dont care about this team anymore. It’s nice to see Rhyno do the Gore but I feel there can be more done with Slater. If Miz regains the IC title, I would have no problem with Slater being bulit up to try for that title. As for Hawkins, I dont care. Elias Samson from NXT also made an appearance but did absolutely nothing.

The women’s division on Raw got a huge boost with the addition of Mickie James and Alexa Bliss. This now opens up the title picture, with most of the women all being in the ring to put their claim on Bayley’s title. I can certainly see Bliss holding the belt before too long, her character has been stellar since joining the main roster. Before then, we look set for a Bayley vs Sasha Banks feud. WWE are probably wanting to recapture the magic from when both women were back on NXT, if so then we should be seeing some good matches. Of course though, we need a heel Banks again, and that’s certainly looking like where this maybe going.

Finn Balor made his in-ring singles return, making short work of Jinder Mahal. However, despite only just coming back off injury, he maybe back on it again with a concussion, thanks to a nasty elbow by Mahal. It’s certainly rotten luck, but I don’t imagine Balor being off for too long, especially with his new feud lined up. After the match, we got the mysterious video calling card of Raw’s new superstar, Bray Wyatt. This was certainly a shock as Wyatt is set for a match still with Randy Orton at Payback, so no wasting time here. I doubt that Wyatt is winning back the WWE title, but it would make a little sense as the Universal title wont be seen again until Lesnar gets paid. Either way, it will be awkward to juggle these two feuds on two different shows, even if it is for a short while.

Last notable thing to talk about was the Roman Reigns interview. Last week seemed like WWE were finally making the most hated man in wrestling (besides JBL) a heel. He came out, ate up the boos and made his uncaring decree that the ring was “his yard now”. This week in a interview with Michael Cole, all that was undone with Reigns stating how much he respects The Undertaker and how sad he was that he now may, very well, be gone for good. It was a sentiment that no one was buying. Things were livened up however when Braun Strowman came out of nowhere to viciously attack Reigns. Strowman kept upping the beating, at one time even pushing a stretched Reigns off a high ledge. The highlight and the best visual of the week in my books, was Strowman lifting up and toppling the ambulance that had Reigns inside. It was a seriously cool looking visual, but this is where the dread sets in. It was all be for nothing if Reigns comes back next week on Raw and beats up Strowman. The boos will only get harsher. Smackdown

As stated earlier, Kevin Owens was the first to become Smackdown’s new member, with US title in hand (and beardless). Sami Zayn was next and he was placed in a match against Baron Corbin and AJ Styles, winner becomes the new number one contender for the Owens’ US title. Great to see both guys on Smackdown, especially Sami. Also this match was excellent, Zayn and Styles were great and Corbin certainly held his own. This puts the US title on very high pedestal with these 3 men all contending for it. Styles would eventually win so he will face the winner of Owens vs Jericho when they both fight at Payback.

Randy Orton had a nothing match with Erick Rowan. With Bray Wyatt now on Raw, their feud may suffer if they just rely on video packages. After then, with Cena away and AJ now fighting for the US title, it leaves the WWE title with not many people to fight for it. While there is a chance that it could be going to Raw, a better outcome would be for Shinsuke Nakamura to go after it. When he is done fueding with Dolph Ziggler, Nakamura would be great in the long run.

American Alpha got their rematch against the champs, the Usos. Good match with the Usos retaining, but Alpha were then attacked by the new Smackdown team, The Shining Stars. Primo and Epico are good workers but this gimmick is death as fans just dont give a damn. They certainly weren't the team I would have wanted to see on Smackdown, but we got the announcement that the New Day will be appearing soon, most likely after Kofi comes back from injury. The Usos would have needed a new team to feud with so the New Day are a good choice for that. I would have preferred Enzo & Cass but what can you do.

The remaining SD women’s roster came out as they were introduced to “the daughter of a Hall of Famer” only for it to be the returning Tamina. Even though it was an obvious tease for Charlotte, this was kinda cruel to Tamina who got NO responce from the crowd at all. Also with the controversy still surrounding her late father, Jimmy Snuka, it’s probably too soon to be bringing him up in conversation. Charlotte would then also debut on the show, and the next title match I bet all money on being Naomi vs Charlotte.

Also now part of Smackdown, Jinder Mahal, Sin Cara, Rusev & Lana. Mahal and Sin Cara will only be there to fill up the numbers, though Mahal has been getting alot of tv time of late. Rusev is a big plus for me, a very underrated wrestler who I would love to see feud with maybe Zayn or maybe Tye Dillenger. Lana is an interesting one as she seems to have a brand new gimmick, a sexy showgirl kind of thing. It looks initially like she will be split up from Rusev which will be a big mistake, but it looks like WWE will finally have their Emmalina gimmick they wanted so much. There was more that happened but the main topic of the week was the shake up and what matches we could see in the near future. Payback, while being a Raw brand PPV, will have Smackdown matches also. The most eye-brow raising will be the “House Of Horrors” match between Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton. No one has any clue what to expect for this, but if it was like the Asylum match last year, I’m not looking forward to it. JBL/Ranallo Bullying Scandal

Last thing I wanted to talk about was the on going speculation of JBL bullying SD commentator Mauro Ranallo off of TV. To summarize, Ranallo has been off TV for several weeks. It was first put down to “sickness” but as the weeks rolled by, speculation from close friends of Ranallo started surfacing. It was being reported that JBL, color commentator of SD, was bullying Ranallo. JBL does have a apparent history of hazing and abusing other wrestlers and personnel behind the scenes, making these new allegations somewhat believable. Ex-wrestlers and employees have come out in defense of both JBL and Ranallo, causing a PR headache WWE probably don’t want to deal with. The likely outcome will be that Ranallo will just leave WWE, which would be awful. He is a great commentator, but this incident showcases an apparent toxic atmosphere within WWE. With all the charity work the company shows off, especially even an anti-bullying campaign, WWE must act and show them drawing a line in the sand. Best way to show that, while maybe harsh, suspend JBL. Thanks for reading, till next week Nay

#WWE #Raw #Smackdown #Superstar shakeup #braun strowman #Wrestling

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unclewoodstock · 9 years ago

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Wrestlers are so fun to draw, for the most part they are so vibrant and colourful. So I drew one of the most colourful right now, Bayley.

#WWE #Bayley #Wrestling

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unclewoodstock · 9 years ago

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The Suplex Summary: WWE Battleground 2016

What a way to start off this new blog then with the final PPV before the draft picks take effect. Tonight results will certainly have an effect on the storylines for both Raw and Smackdown, for better or worse, probably worse.

The Usos vs Breezango

I physically cannot watch the “panel” on the Kickoff Show, hearing Booker T and Lawler just makes me angry. So I always skip ahead to the matches involved, least this time it’s one that could be kind of fun. Breezango have become one of my favourite teams, as a comedy heel act I think they have lots of promise. The action was fast here, with both teams trading hard sounding kicks. Usos looked to have the upperhand but Breeze is able to counter a diving splash from Uso 1 (I have trouble telling which one is which) and rolls him up in a small package

Winner: Breezango

I’m not expecting these guys to be made champions, but I expect them to be used in some fueds with say American Alpha on Smackdown. Short match but got the crowd going, fun stuff.

Charlotte & Dana Brooke vs Sasha Banks & A Mystery Opponent

Interesting spot on the card, opening up the show. It would soon make sense however, as Sasha’s mystery tag partner would be non other than NXT’s Bayley. The crowd lose their minds for Bayley all through the match, chanting and cheering every time she gets involved. Sadly, this is a one night only deal, and she is not on the main roster, not yet anyway. Sasha seemed rather off her game in this match, with a messy looking hurricanrana to Charlotte and a equally messy Flying Crossbody later. Despite this, the match features 3 of the best female workers, with credit to Dana who showed signs of improvement compared to previous matches. Charlotte tries for a Figure 8 but it is countered into a Bank Statement by Sasha. Dana pulls Charlotte out of the ring to save her but eats a Dropkick by Bayley for her troubles. Charlotte is once again put into the Bank Statement, to which she eventually taps out.

Winner: Sasha Banks & Bayley

Not a bad match to start things off. Anyone other than Bayley as Sasha’s partner would have gone down as well as being shot in the balls. Hopefully Bayley will get the same ovation when she eventually debuts on the main roster. As for Sasha, her definitive win over the champion puts her in a very good place going into the inevitable title match. Crowd were behind Sasha all the way and they’re desperate for her to be the new champion. Let’s just hope WWE follow through.

The New Day vs The Wyatt Family

The story into this match was how Xavier was petrified of Bray, fine in this match but the build up was just so over the place. Throughout the match, Xavier and Bray would have these long stare downs, with Xavier being frozen with fear. This meant Kofi and Big E have to do the majority of the match, with Kofi especially getting most of the punishment from the Wyatts. Kofi is able to take out Strouman momentarily with a dive to the outside. This leaves Xavier and Bray in the ring. As they staredown, Xavier is frozen in fear once again. Finally, he snaps out of hit and lays Bray with a series of punches, before hitting him with a top rope splash. As Strouman tries to attack Xavier, he is hit by Big E terrifying tackle through the ropes (seriously, he lands on his head every time, I wince when I see it). Bray then gets Xavier into the Sister Abigail for the final count.

Winner: The Wyatt Family

Kinda slow to begin with, but it soon picked up. Xavier got a big pop for when he attacked Bray, a plus considering I was not a fan of the build up for this match. With the “hypnosis” and the swamp brawl, I was looking very forward to this feud to be done with so everyone can move on. It will certainly be interesting what will happen with a now solo Braun Strouman. He didn’t look that bad in this match, with the New Day having to hit some big moves to keep him down. With a bit more work on his offence and ring presence, he could turn out alright. Or he maybe bollocks, who knows.

US Championship: Rusev (c) w/ Lana vs Zack Ryder

Crowd were behind Ryder throughout, they wanted him not only to beat Rusev but just to do well in the company. They nearly got their wish as Ryder had most of the offence and had Rusev reeling with the Rough Ryder. He follows up with a Diving Elbow but Rusev is able to counter. In the end, Rusev slaps on the Accolade. As Ryder teased getting out of it, Rusev locks it in tighter, causing Ryder to tap out. As Rusev continues to attack Ryder, Mojo Rawley makes his debut to make the save for Ryder, as Rusev walks away.

Winner: Rusev

While Rusev will go on to defend his title on Raw, I can’t help but wonder about Ryder. How long can a wrestler be held a brass ring in front of them, only for it to be pulled out of his grasp? While I would have prefered Rusev to carry on as champion, Ryder does seem to be in this position of having any form of push start and stop. The match itself was nothing special, it will only be remembered for the lukewarm debut of Mojo Rawley, who didn’t even throw a punch onto Rusev.

Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens

With both now on the same brand, I’m anxious that this will not be the end of the fued. However, with the matches they put on, that may not be such a bad thing. The match starts with a brawl outside the ring, trading blows into the barricade. Owens gains control, with a headlock in the ring. Zayn tries to break free as Owen’s keeps it on, even biting Zayn’s fingers to stop him. Zayn gets free, hitting a stiff clothesline and the Michinoku Driver. With Owens on the outside, Zayn tries for a Moonsault on the ropes but lands awkwardly on his arm (Zayn’s had trouble with his shoulder before, hopefully it’s nothing too serious). Still favouring the arm, Zayn is still able to hit the Blue Thunder Bomb. However, Owens gains control with a Superkick. With the bad arm, Owens locks Zayn into a crossface. Zayn reaches to ropes, still favouring the weakened arm.

As Owens rolls outside, Zayn goes to the top rope as Owens catches him. Zayn gets free and hits Owens with a Brainbuster onto the ring apron (holy shit!). Zayn has the upperhand, as he tries for his DDT through the ropes, but is caught with another Superkick. Head draped in the corner, Zayn is hit with a vicious Cannonball to the head. Owens hopes to finish Zayn with a Bullfrog Splash, yet Zayn as the last second still kicks out. The crowd are on their feet at this point, applauding both men in the ring. Zayn lands a DDT and squares up for the Helluva Kick, but once again is clocked with a Superkick from Owens. The Pop Up Powerbomb is thwarted with a series of Exploder Suplexes by Zayn, however Owens finally lands the Powerbomb with Zayn only just getting his foot on the ropes. Owens is close to tears, distraught that he cannot finish Zayn off. As he screams for Zayn to stay down, Zayn hits yet more Exploder Suplexes as he finally lands the Helluva Kick. As Zayn looks on as Owens’ lifeless body, reluctant to make the pin, he hits one more Helluva Kick. Zayn finally goes for the pin.

Winner: Sami Zayn

The only way to spoil this match is if Zayn and Owens continue to feud. This was a perfect way to end this feud with one of the best matches this year in the WWE ring. While the moves were hard hitting and varied, the story behind the match was almost heartbreaking towards the end. You had Owen’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown as he is not able to finish off Zayn, almost pleading with him the stay down. As for Zayn, you saw just before the final Helluva Kick, the look in his eyes as he finally sees that his beloved friendship is officially dead. Owens will go out to be one of the best heels on Raw but Zayn winning will elevate his standing. Good things lay ahead for both men, well deserved from this stellar match.

Natalya vs Becky Lynch

Throughout this match, Natayla would focus her attention on Becky’s leg. Despite valiantly fighting back, being very close in hitting the Disarmer, Becky would soon be locked in the Sharpshooter. Though she is able to break the hold, a second Sharpshooter is enough for Becky to tap out.

Winner: Natalya

Natalya’s heel character is far too similar to Charlotte for my liking, would explain why she isnt so over as a heel yet. It didn’t help having to follow Zayn vs Owens, but the crowd weren't really into this. The match itself however was fine, both worked pretty well with some slick wrestling to show for it. It was just letdown by a lack of energy and drama. Even though both are on the same brand, I can only hope Becky goes on to another feud while Nattie works on her heel persona more.

Intercontinental Championship: Darren Young w/ Bob Backlund vs The Miz (c) w/ Maryse

Young has Miz early on, but a distraction by Maryse changes the momentum. Miz wears Young down but he is soon able to build up steam, slamming Miz on the ring apron. Young tries for the Chicken Wing but Miz slips away. He tries to walk out of the match but Backlund blocks his way, allowing Young to get Miz back into the ring. Maryse then slaps Backlund and falls backwards as she pretends that she was actually the one struck. The Miz confronts Backlund as Young slaps on the Chicken Wing on the outside. For some reason, the match is thrown out.

No Contest

Even before the stupid finish, this match blew. The Miz sucked all the energy out of the match with the long headlocks and the backslide which lasted as long as it takes a planet to orbit around the sun. Young for his part wasn’t too bad, but this pairing with Backlund is still rather head scratching. As for the finish, what the fuck was this!? I have no idea why this match was thrown out, there really was no reason why the match couldnt continue. Now that both are on different brands, the feud seems done with. Just a total waste of time.

John Cena & Enzo & Cass vs The Club

If the hope for the pairing of Cena with Enzo & Cass was for the whole crowd to be behind him, it didn’t happen. Instead, the night belonged to Enzo, who had the crowd eating out of his hand from the very start. Enzo & Cass early on, show their teamwork with Cass catapulting Enzo into Anderson, then Gallows and finally into both on the outside. The Club regroup and work over Enzo who struggles to make the hot tag. He finally does so to Cena who does his 5 moves of doom to AJ, before eating a Pele Kick after a failed AA. Enzo catches AJ with a Tornado DDT, as everyone else hit their finishers also. Enzo tries for a crossbody but hits Cena instead. Cena, still holding Enzo, rolls through and throws Enzo into Gallows. It’s AJ’s turn for a communication breakdown as he hits Gallows by mistake with the Phenomenal Forearm.

The match breaks down as everyone is outside the ring, with Enzo hitting a shuddering flying DDT to Anderson on the outside. AJ hits the Styles Clash to Cena but is saved by Cass. Cass is then taking out with the Magic Killer by Gallows & Anderson, as they target then Enzo. Cena battles AJ on the turnbuckle as he is able to hit top rope AA, getting him the win.

Winner: Cena, Enzo and Cass

Enzo was the star in this match, the crowd serenaded him, chanted his name, and popped for every big move he did. While it’s more likely that Big Cass will get a push when the team eventually disband, Enzo should do well for himself too. The match itself was nothing special, there were some good spots but it followed a similar formula to the night’s previous 6 man tag match. The feud with Cena and AJ certainly isn’t done but I’m pessimistic about the final match being a letdown. AJ still isn't over as a heel and Cena, despite tagging with the most popular team right now, still gets a mixed response. Though their match will be just as good as the one from MITB, a conflicting crowd reaction may suck out any drama the guys try to set up.

The Highlight Reel: Guest Starring Randy Orton

Orton makes his long awaited return from a 9 month injury, touting his upcoming match with Brock Lesnar at Summerslam. He probably has the second biggest pop of the night, the first going to Bayley early on. Chris Jericho, wasting no time, brow beats Orton, saying he hasn’t got a chance in hell in beating Lesnar. After a pretty dull back and forth, we get what everyone wanted to see. Orton fakes out Jericho with an attempted RKO, before hitting the real thing.

The crowd were hot for Orton’s return, making this segment much better than it had any right to be. Orton’s one liners for me weren’t funny, especially the one about Lesnar’s UFC failed drug tests. It’s kinda rich coming from a guy who has failed drug tests himself. Though I’m not much of a Orton fan, it will still be interesting seeing him at Lesnar square up.

WWE Title: Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns vs Dean Ambrose (c)

Before the match, we see both brand locker rooms backstage are watching. This makes sense, as the rosters would be invested in where the main title was heading, nice touch. Ambrose and Rollins get similarly big pops, a harsh contrast to Reign’s return. Nothing has changed with the vocal majority, Reigns was never given a chance with the hail of boos he would receive from start to finish.

One thing that really bothered me in this match was how Ambrose and Reigns are still apparently “brothers”. It would have been much more weighty if all three men despised each other, not just Rollins. However, that is only nitpicking, as all three men showed why they are main eventers. Each man brought something to contrast the others, Reign’s strength, Rollins’ cunning and ring skills, and Ambrose’s aggression. For nearly all of the match, each ex-Shield members would gain the upperhand, only for it to be snatched away again in a beat. The highlight for me being Rollins hitting a kick on Ambrose but being caught with a Superman Punch by Reigns. Before he would realise, Reigns would be hit with Dean’s rebound clothesline as they all lay unconscious to the sound of a thunderous applause from the crowd.

Rollins and Ambrose would soon eliminate Reigns, Powerbombing him through the announce table. Finally having the one on one match he had always demanded, Rollins went to work on Ambrose. Despite several big moves and even a steel chair being used, Ambrose still hung on. Reigns eventually got back to his feet, clearing house and the oxygen from the lungs of the booing crowd. Reigns knocks out Ambrose with a Superman Punch, but was hit with a Pedigree by Rollins, kicking out of the follow-up pin. Rollins then hits a Turnbuckle Powerbomb but being able to rebound from the corner, Reigns hits him with a Superman Punch. Reigns has this match won when suddenly, Ambrose catches Reigns with the Dirty Deeds and goes for the pin. It is over. With the Smackdown locker room celebrating with him, Ambrose is hoisted onto the shoulders of the Usos, as we end Battleground. Winner: Dean Ambrose

As stated before, I do have some nitpicks. The match did seem alittle short, I could have seen another 5 minutes of this. That aside, here you have the new wave of WWE’s main eventers in full force. Booking and characters maybe alittle off to say the least, but the matches they can put on can surely make up for it. Ambrose goes on to be the top draw for Smackdown now after this win. Rollins will do absolutely fine on Raw but the question now is, “What happens to Reigns”. Even before his suspension, the crowd reaction for him was just growing. He may have his fans, but the constant boos at any mention of Reigns cannot be masked. If may not matter to WWE if he is booed mercilessly. But if it does, they will have to build their past golden boy from scratch.

Battleground was a great watch. PPVs post Mania have been pretty solid but this once had a great blend of good booking and stellar matches. There were downs, but they will be vastly outweighed by a Match Of The Year, and the closing of the Shield saga. At least for now anyway.

Thanks for reading, till next time.

#WWE #Battleground #Wrestling #dean ambrose #seth rollins #roman reigns

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