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daleisgreat · 3 years

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WrestleMania 36

Welcome to my annual WrestleMania-week entry where I recap the previous year’s WrestleMania (WM). Please indulge me for a bit, because the 2020 show had so many unprecedented circumstances going into it that it will require a bit of a prologue before I evaluate the card. For those that remember 2020’s installment of WWE’s biggest PPV of the year, it will be remembered as a WM like no other (hopefully!). For the better part of the latter half of WM history, the event has transpired in mammoth outdoor stadiums and/or sports arenas, oftentimes with inflated attendance numbers of well over 50,000. WWE would spare no expense with elaborate entrance stage sets, live band/artist performances, major celebrity/sports guests, etc. That all changed with 2020’s WrestleMania 36. WWE was set to roll forward with a pirate-themed WM, with countless pirate-themed ads, signage and a meticulous CG montage of WWE wrestlers decked out in pirate gear, and animated waves splashing against them while doing heroic sword-slashing poses to open the show. However, as we all know by now plans drastically altered, when with under a month before WM36’s original date of April 5th, the worldwide Co-Vid pandemic was declared on March 11th. This promptly shutdown a majority of travel and businesses internationally for the better part of the next two months before businesses and travel restrictions started to ease up, at least here in the United States. No one knew how long the shutdown was going to last, so WWE hastily taped the matches at their Performance Center training facilities, while rumored the tapings lasted up until the final hours before the lockdown went into effect in Florida.

This would mean for the first time in WM history, the even would be taped, and not on a short several hour delay ala Summerslam ‘92, but taped a couple weeks in advance! WWE officials allegedly were warning of severe consequences if spoilers leaked. Upon re-watching this WM36, it is still jaw-dropping to see the show associated with said large sports arenas and near six figures of fans was now emanating in front of ZERO fans in a small black-curtained off area of a training facility. Since the Network-era of WM PPVs in 2014, most of the events have went notoriously long around the six-to-seven hour mark when factoring in a two hour pre-show. While WWE was marketing yet another loaded 16-match card that would likely last that long, it seemed highly undesirable to force fans to watch that long of a show with zero fan atmosphere so WWE for the first time split WM into two nights on April 4th and 5th. On previous WM recaps here I advocated for two-night WMs because those one night marathons pushed alert limits to new levels, so I was relieved to hear WWE announce the two-night event. Keep in mind this was a few weeks into the pandemic, well before WWE started experimenting with NXT talent as fans for a couple months before eventually settling on the ubiquitous video walls of virtual fans at the Thunderdome that major WWE telecasts currently transpire in.

Usually the yearly WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is included with the BluRay as a bonus feature, but the 2020 ceremony that was slated to happen on WM36 weekend was postponed a year, and transpired earlier this week the same night with the 2021 inductees. Out of sheer habit and self-imposed obligation, I will give a quick breakdown of the 2020 half of the ceremony. It took place at the Thunderdome with Jerry Lawler back hosting, and in order to breeze through so many inductions there was no inductors, and some inductees like the Bellas were told they had a five minute time limit for their speeches. The 2020 Hall of Fame class is the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman), British Bulldog, Jushin Thunder Liger, Nickie & Brie Bella, Justin Bradshaw Layfield, Warrior Award winner Titus ‘O Neil and representing the celebrity wing: William Shatner. Dave Batista was supposed to be inducted too, but he postponed his induction because of a scheduling conflict and wanted to accept in person. It was kind of odd seeing the Hall of Fame done with virtual fans, but WWE did their best with piping in artificial fan noise at appropriately timed references and jokes, and even fake chants when the hall of famers hit their catchphrases. A nice video recap aired for each inductee, and then most inductees gave roughly five minute speeches. JBL kicked off, and for a five minute speech he hit as many key highlights as he could in that short time allocated, and had a nice closing where he teased a heartfelt apology to locker room rivals. Some inductees like Shatner and Liger could not attend, but sent in brief, pre-recorded acceptance speeches. One inadvertent positive side effect was Liger’s speech was translated through subtitles, and there was no pauses to wait for the translator that would happen if it was done live. Shatner’s breezy speech took a fun jab at Lawler, and was to the point. Between each induction, brief backstage interviews were done with current WWE stars acknowledging how big a night this was for the legends and shared past stories and memories. Davey Boy Smith’s son, Harry, alongside Bulldog’s widow, Diana and Matilda’s granddaughter, Huffy, gave an affectionate induction to his father.

The “Legacy Wing” of the Hall of Fame occurred next, and the 2020 class was represented by Ray Stevens, Brickhouse Brown, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, Baron Michele Leone and Gary Hart. A very deserving Titus ‘O Neil was recognized with the annual Warrior Award for his countless philanthropic efforts, and Titus gave an inspirational and heartwarming acceptance. The Bellas were expectedly on brand with their speeches, and each of the four nWo members shared some fun Monday Night Wars tales, except for Scott Hall who said only about 20 words. Hogan teased he never lost the nWo Title and that he would make a return to defend it. All told the 2020 portion of the ceremony was about an hour and a half, making it the shortest WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in quite some time! 2020 was undoubtedly a tough year on everyone. Come that WM36 weekend I, like many others, was in a rough place. Being a few weeks into the pandemic I had no idea what to make sense of on the news. I originally had a vacation planned for a week starting a few days before WM where I was going to be travelling out of town for a retro videogame convention I try and hit up most years, and it would have conveniently wrapped up shortly before WM started. As anticipated, the convention was cancelled, and in a crazy coincidence the day before I originally was planning to leave a water pipe burst in my home and my place had all kinds of water damage and furniture moved around for several days before it was all put back into place and cleaned up. Adding to the coincidental timing, night one of WM happened to be on my birthday, and this was early in the pandemic before masks were widely available and a lot of adherence to the lockdown and social distancing was being recommended and I felt gutted when family members wanted to celebrate and all I told them I felt safe doing was briefly visiting a few of them on my driveway. Needless to say, with all that going on my headspace had seen better days, and having WM36 to selfishly fall back on that weekend was a modicum of respite I desperately needed.

Thank you for indulging me with all that prefacing. With that all out of the way, it is time to move onward to looking at night one of WM36. Both nights of WM36 had a half hour kickoff show, with one match on each kickoff show that are included as BluRay bonuses. Night one saw Cesaro and Drew Gulak tear it up in a hard-hitting, five minute technical showcase with Cesaro getting the win with a momentous Airplane Spin. Stephanie McMahon gave a special introduction to the unique circumstances that were forced upon WM36 once the show officially began. I will give props to WWE for their contingency plan when their planned special artist to sing “America the Beautiful” could not make the event, and instead WWE went with a medley/montage of all past WM artists and bands like Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, Boyz 2 Men, Ray Charles and many more singing the anthem that traditionally kicks off WM. From there, four-time Super Bowl winner and host of WM36, Rob Gronkowski welcomed everyone, and his real-life friend and WWE star, Mojo Rawley, joined him in the hosting balcony. The first official WM36 match was for the Women’s Tag Titles with Asuka & Kari Sayne defending against Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross. I miss Kari Sayne, and am still in disbelief how WWE wrote her off TV a few months later via implied murder! Kari & Asuka’s foreign taunting and screaming helped fill the void of no crowd noise to an extent, but was not enough for them to retain after Alexa pinned Kari with her Twisted Bliss to win the gold for her and Nikki. Baron Corbin faced Elias who Baron thought would be unable to compete after recently tossing him off a balcony, but Elias made it in time to whack Baron with a guitar, and eventually Corbin’s jawjacking with the ref got the best of him as Elias capitalized with a roll-up for the win in this brief fan favorite arc of his character. Becky Lynch defended the RAW Women’s Title against Shayna Baszler next. Becky was near the end of her red-hot year+ long reign as champ here, but this bout had a peculiar build highlighted by Shayna bloodily biting Becky’s ear. This also-peculiar match saw Becky mostly taking a ground attack beating from Shayna until Becky pulled off a reverse pinning combination for the sudden win.

Sami Zayn defended his Intercontinental Title next against Daniel Bryan. Zayn was accompanied by Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura while Bryan was seconded by Drew Gulak. Interference from all three played a factor throughout this intense battle, with a distracted Bryan falling victim to Sami’s Haluva Kick for the victory. The Smackdown Tag Titles were on the line next in a triple threat ladder match, but with only one member from each team due to Miz being quarantined for Co-Vid symptoms. So that meant John Morrison defended the tag titles solo against Kofi Kingston of the New Day and Jimmy Uso. The three did not disappoint with many creative highspots and sequences, with a unique finish that saw all three unhook the tag titles at the same time and Morrison collapsing off the ladder with the titles after a tug-of-war battle with them to successfully retain the titles. Seth Rollins faced Kevin Owens next, and Owens continued his awesome tradition of paying homage to vintage WM posters, with a nod to WMIV’s poster design on his shirt. Rollins DQ’d himself early in the match after using the ring bell, but Owens goads Rollins into restarting the match with No DQ. This time Owens repeatedly hits Rollins with the bell to lay him out long enough for Owens to climb on top of the WM sign to deliver a Cannonball Splash through the announcer’s table in an eye-opening spot. Owens then dragged a lifeless Seth to the ring to execute a Stunner for the win. A WM host check-in with Mojo and Gronk was interrupted by Hardcore 24/7 champion, R-Truth, who was seeking refuge from all comers up in the host balcony, but instead fell to a gut-punch from Gronk, only to see Mojo sneak in a quick pin and run off from his hosting duties as the new 24/7 champ.

The Universal Title match was up next that was scheduled to have Bill Goldberg defend against Roman Reigns. Several days before the WM tapings however, Roman Reigns shocked everyone by legitimately pulling out of the match due to understandable Co-Vid concerns from having underlying health issues from being a two-time Leukemia survivor. With such short notice, WWE did not have time to build a storyline replacement for last minute substitute, Braun Strowman, and only briefly publicly declared the substitution during a rundown of all the matches the day before on Smackdown. The match was a quick smashmouth flurry of finishers, with Goldberg unable to pin Braun after four straight spears, and instead Braun achieving the pin and Universal title after unleashing four straight powerslams.

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The main event for night one of WM36 was the cinematic “Boneyard Match” between AJ Styles and The Undertaker. For those not keeping up with pandemic-era WWE, the first few PPVs of the pandemic saw the inclusion of one or two matches on each PPV shot in the form of a movie, often without commentary and instead ambient music in the background. I embedded the match above (or click or press here to check it out) for those who have not seen it, because if you are a lapsed fan and have not witnessed it yet, the match garnered surprise acclaim from both wrestling and non-wrestling fans. It saw AJ and ‘Taker duke it out in a dilapidated graveyard, complete with Eastwood-esque trash talk, mystical druids, old-school ‘Taker dark magic, Good Brothers, motorcyles and Metallica. It was freaking great, and a much needed distraction from the empty arena. The finish saw ‘Taker big boot AJ into an empty grave, and dump a truckload of dirt on him to gracefully exit the “Boneyard” on his motorcycle with Metallica singing him out. As of this writing, this was Undertaker’s last match, and going by his latest interviews it sounds like he is indeed hanging it up for good this time, especially after WWE threw him a “final farewell” retirement-esque ceremony on the character’s 30th anniversary several months later at Survivor Series. Still with me for night two coverage of WM36? Take a break, grab a Steve-weiser, and relax for my night two coverage! The kickoff match saw Liv Morgan usurp Natalya with a reverse roll-up after a solid back-and-forth match. Night two officially started with Rhea Ripley defending the NXT Women’s Title against Charlotte Flair. Sorry to report that I am not a big fan of either of these two, and this match did not sit well with me either as it was mostly Flair working over Rhea’s leg until she locked in the Figure-Eight for the tapout win. Charlotte’s NXT title run wound up being a disaster, and she did not put over anyone while she was champ there. Onto better things as Aleister Black and Bobby Lashley squared off next. I completely forgot Lashley was married to Lana at this point in his character, but that would change soon after this as Lana urged Lashley to switch up finishing moves on Black, which backfired and saw Aleister connect with his Black Mass finisher for the pin. Next up saw Dolph Ziggler face Otis in the apex of a meticulous storyline where Otis fell victim to Dolph’s treachery when trying to win the heart of Mandy Rose. Mandy’s former friend Sonya Deville was assisting Dolph throughout the match until Mandy ran out to take care of her, which set up Otis to hit his outrageous Caterpillar finish for the win, and the happy uniting with Rose which tried its darnd-est to be on the same level with Randy Savage and Elizabeth from WMVII.

The next match was Edge’s big return singles match against Randy Orton after coming back at the Royal Rumble a couple months earlier. The buildup to this bout was impressive too, with Edge, Orton and Beth Phoenix all having emotional and investing promos leading up to this. This was a Last Man Standing match that saw the two battle all over the Performance Center throughout the backstage area, offices, training facilities and parking areas before reaching its final act on top of a semi where the two traded finishing moves until Edge hit a con-chair-toe for the 10-count win. The match held up much better on second viewing, and is best to watch it on its own as it lasted nearly 40 minutes. Shortly after this, Mojo Rawley re-emerged into the ringside area fending off 24/7 Title pursuers. Gronk took this moment upon himself to leap onto the pile of wrestlers from the host balcony and pin Mojo to win the 24/7 Title, a belt he would hold for a couple months until shortly after un-retiring from football where a sneaky R-Truth would roll-up Gronk for the title in his yard while filming a Tik-Toc video….seriously. Titus ‘O Neil would shortly arrive later to wrap-up hosting duties for Gronk for the remainder of the show. The RAW Tag Titles were on the line next with the Street Profits defending against Angel Garza and Austin Theory, who was a last minute sub for an injured Andrade. This was a quick five minute recharge bout, with the four competitors all staying in third gear throughout it for a non-stop action affair. Angelo Dawkins pinned Theory after a surprise splash from Montez Ford. The Smackdown Women’s Title 5-Way Elimination match followed with Bayley defending against Lacey Evans, Sasha Banks, Tamina and Naomi. Sasha and Bayley team up for a lot of early success, until their teamwork fails and Sasha falls victim to Lacey’s Women’s Right leaving it down to Lacey and Bayley. Right when it looks like Lacey has Bayley’s number, Sasha returned with a Backstabber on Lacey, which allowed Bayley to follow that up by driving Lacey down to the mat for the win.

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The cinematic match of the second night was a “Firefly Funhouse” bout between “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and John Cena. I have no idea where to begin describing this one. Essentially, Bray Wyatt suffers from multiple-personality disorder, and in this match Cena journeys to Wyatt’s multi-dimensional funhouse. It is filled with decades of pro-wrestling references that sees Cena and Wyatt cut Saturday Night’s Main Event-era promos on each other, join the nWo and relive Cena’s debut against Kurt Angle. I swear I am up not making any of this up! Just check out the embed above or click or press here to see for yourself! This cinematic match did not quite measure up to the Boneyard match, but was still an entertaining spectacle to experience with the deluge of references and callbacks to wrestling history. Eventually “The Fiend” pinned Cena with his Mandible Claw (while Bray Wyatt counted the pin, just roll with it), and the live feed then cut to a confused Titus ‘O Neil proclaiming what we all were thinking “I have no idea what we just saw.” The main event of night two saw Brock Lesnar defending the WWE Title against Drew McIntyre. This was built up as Drew’s big redemption story after being fired from WWE several years earlier, and it taking him 16 years to win his first major championship. It was too bad it all played out in the empty performance center, but the duo made the best of it with another instant hard hitting affair similar to the Braun/Goldberg match. After a little bit of early brawling, Brock hit three F5s which Drew all kicked out of, and then Drew countered with three straight Claymore kicks to be crowned the WWE champion for the feel-good closing of the show. What aired on RAW the next night, but actually transpired about 20 minutes after the Brock match and is on here as a BluRay bonus feature is Drew coming back to the ring for a victory interview only to be interrupted and challenged for the title by Big Show. Drew accepts the challenge, and after taking a pounding from Big Show for several minutes, Drew recovers and fires back with a Claymore for his first successful title defense. Drew has went on to be “the guy” for RAW for the better part of the next year, and while it feels he has been fulfilling that role, it is impossible to tell without a live, paying, audience, and I am curious to see how Drew is received at WM37 this weekend against Lashley.

The WM35 BluRay had the 2019 Hall of Fame as a digital bonus feature, and on the disc it had the entirety of the next night’s RAW, and a couple segments from the next Smackdown. The WM36 BluRay went down a different road with its bonus features, and aside from the two bonus kickoff matches and the post-WM Drew/Big Show match, there is about two hours of accumulated interviews, promos and segments from the previous two months of RAW, Smackdown and NXT. I watched them all, and it was a nice refresher of all the rivalries, although awkward at the same time, because about half of the segments still have fans in the arena which felt weird to see again after so long with empty/virtual arenas. Some highlights include a couple vintage Paul Heyman hype promos, AJ Styles and the Goodbrothers messing with Undertaker, the awful Rhea Ripley/Charlotte Flair interactions from NXT and Randy Orton’s epic must-see promo on Beth Phoenix for why he attacked Edge. It would be unfair of me to give a traditional yay/nay grade to WrestleMania 36 due to how the event barely came together at the final hour in the early stages of the pandemic. Seeing a lot of these matches in the empty Performance Center simply feels weird, and proved constantly difficult to suspend disbelief and get into the pro-wrestling fan mindset during viewing. The two cinematic matches are what essentially helped get me back into “fan mode” and get invested in the unique nature of those two bouts, and if you have to watch two matches from this show, then those two are the way to go. The two “slobberknocker” world title brawls are also quick, intense matches that are worth checking out. Once again, I love the two-night concept as it serves as a perfect break point for watching at home, and I am thankful WWE is doing that again for this year’s WM. All things told, this will go down as a historical achievement that WWE managed to put this together, and probably worth one day going back to watching to see how far we have come from those early dark days of the pandemic before we knew what the next eventful year had in store for everyone.

Past Wrestling Blogs Best of WCW Clash of Champions Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 2 Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 3 Biggest Knuckleheads Bobby The Brain Heenan Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes Yes Yes DDP: Positively Living Dusty Rhodes WWE Network Specials ECW Unreleased: Vol 1 ECW Unreleased: Vol 2 ECW Unreleased: Vol 3 Eric Bishoff: Wrestlings Most Controversial Figure Fight Owens Fight: The Kevin Owens Story For All Mankind Getting Rowdy: The Unreleased Matches of Roddy Piper Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection Hulk Hogans Unreleased Collectors Series Impact Wresting Presents: Best of Hulk Hogan Its Good to Be the King: The Jerry Lawler Story The Kliq Rules Ladies and Gentlemen My Name is Paul Heyman Legends of Mid South Wrestling Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story Memphis Heat NXT: From Secret to Sensation NXT Greatest Matches Vol 1 OMG Vol 2: Top 50 Incidents in WCW History OMG Vol 3: Top 50 Incidents in ECW History Owen: Hart of Gold Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of the Macho Man RoH Supercard of Honor 2010-Present ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Scott Hall: Living on a Razors Edge Shawn Michaels: My Journey Shawn Michaels: The Showstopper Unreleased Sting: Into the Light Straight Outta Dudley-ville: Legacy of the Dudley Boyz Straight to the Top: Money in the Bank Anthology Superstar Collection: Zach Ryder Then Now Forever – The Evolution of WWEs Womens Division TLC 2017 TNA Lockdown 2005-2016 Top 50 Superstars of All Time Tough Enough: Million Dollar Season True Giants Ultimate Fan Pack: Roman Reigns Ultimate Warrior: Always Believe War Games: WCWs Most Notorious Matches Warrior Week on WWE Network Wrestlemania III: Championship Edition Wrestlemania 28-Present The Wrestler (2008) Wrestling Road Diaries Too Wrestling Road Diaries Three: Funny Equals Money Wrestlings Greatest Factions WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2017

#Wrestling #Wrestlemania #WWE #john cena #drew mcintyre #Brock Lesnar #daniel bryan #rob gronkowski #goldberg #braun strowman #drew gulak #cesaro #becky lynch #shayna baszler

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placetobenation · 5 years

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SmackDown on Fox Episode #1

SmackDown Episode # 1,050

Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center

10/4/19

It has been over a year since the announcement was made and now we have finally made it to the night when SmackDown returns to network television on Friday nights as it makes it’s long awaited premiere on the Fox network. Not only will SmackDown be celebrating the move to Fox but it will also be celebrating its 20th Anniversary. This won’t just be any season premiere as WWE announced that this will be a star studded event with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Undertaker, Steve Austin, and the man whom’s catchphrase the show was built around Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson featured on the show. In addition there is a stacked card for the show including a WWE Championship match that features Brock Lesnar wrestling on TV for the first time in 15 years.

Prior to SmackDown there was a half hour pre show from outside of the Staples Center that showed the superstars arriving at the arena and walking the blue carpet. There were also several interviews with various superstars who gave their thoughts on SmackDown moving to Fox. Renee Young and Booker T interviewed New Day which led to the big reveal of the brand new SmackDown set which is huge and looks better than the new Raw set that was revealed earlier this week. WWE did a great job of using both their own announcers as well as announcers from Fox to conduct these interviews, I hope this continues as it makes WWE feel major league to have real sports announcers like Erin Andrews involved in the product. I will give the Fox announcers credit as on this night it felt like they were treating this show as an equal to any other sport they cover and didn’t come off as if the show were below them which was a relief after the Rey Mysterio and Nacho Libre comparisons that were made last week.

SmackDown opens with Vince and Stephanie McMahon coming out onto the stage to welcome us to the show and then it cuts to the new SmackDown intro video which looked really good and the theme “Are You Ready” by AC/DC was a really good choice of song for the show.

We are shown the announcers and much to my surprise there is no Renee Young. I was under the impression that she would still be at the announce table but would have a different role, but that wasn’t to be so to say that I was disappointed to only see Michael Cole and Cory Graves sitting there would be an understatement. The fact that SmackDown is now a two man booth has to mean that Jerry Lawler eventually gets the boot from the Raw announce team pretty soon and that will be a great improvement as I do believe that Vic Joseph and Dio Maddin can handle things on the red brand all by themselves.

“The Man” Becky Lynch comes out to start the show and talks about how much she loves SmackDown and how SmackDown is where she broke through the glass ceiling and became who she is today and the fans helped her the entire time and she wants to repay the favor by kicking some ass tonight. Becky is interrupted by King Corbin, but before he can even enter the ring he is interrupted by “The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment” The Rock.

The Rock and Becky make jokes at Corbin’s expense which include Rock calling him a “broke-ass Burger King on crack”. Corbin tries to retort but it’s no use as Rock and Becky tear him a new one at every chance. Rock tells Corbin not to take the whole king gimmick so seriously, after all you don’t see Becky walking around carrying a giant pair of testicles to which Becky replies that if she did, they would be way bigger than the set that Corbin has. The Rock actually let Becky hit his “It Doesn’t Matter What You Think” line which got a nice pop from the crowd. Rocky runs down Corbin’s accomplishments and Becky suggests that Rock is trying to say that Corbin is a Super Tough Dude and Rock agrees with that, in fact, he says that from now on when Corbin enters any arena the fans will be chanting STD at him and Becky replies that that will indeed stick to Corbin for life. Corbin starts taking off his robe and crown and then goes to attack Rock but Becky grabs him and both Becky and The Rock beat up on Corbin with Becky hitting her rotating leg drop and The Rock hitting both a People’s Elbow and a Rock Bottom before closing the segment with “If Ya Smell What The Rock Is Cooking” and celebrating with Becky.

This was a really fun way to open the show and a great use of The Rock to put Becky over even more than she already is as she went out there and was seen as equal to one of the biggest stars in WWE history and currently one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. This segment added more fuel to the rocket that is pushing Becky to the moon. According to rumors this segment was originally supposed to be just Rock and Corbin, but The Rock requested to work with Becky, if this is true that is huge for Becky as this would be the third WWE legend to endorse her on tv as both John Cena and Steve Austin have done so previously with Austin even allowing Becky to give him the Stunner on his own “Straight Up Steve Austin” show.

We come back from a commercial and we cut to the crowd for the first of many celebrity sightings of the evening as we see the beautiful Trish Stratus, Lita, & Maria Menounos who is now rocking pink hair. Match #1: Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair vs Sasha Banks & Bayley

Bayley takes a cheap shot at Becky, who is in the corner, but Charlotte makes her pay for that as she delivers some chops and kicks to Bayley in the corner. Charlotte tries for her version of the snap suplex, but Bayley counters and slams Charlotte to the mat by her hair before dragging her into the corner and tagging in Sasha. Sasha and Bayley send Charlotte hard into the corner and then Sasha follows up with a snapmare and a running meteora to a seated Charlotte which got a 2 count. Charlotte comes back with a series of chops until she loses focus for a second which allows Sasha to get out of the ring and onto the apron where she tries for a shoulder block but Charlotte moves and lands a couple of kicks that send Sasha to the floor. Charlotte goes up to the top but Bayley tries to cut her off only to be knocked to the floor by a forearm from Becky, however Bayley quickly recovers and shoves Charlotte off the top and to the floor as we go to commercial with Sasha and Bayley celebrating what they had just done to Charlotte.

As we come back from commercial Charlotte is in the ring with Bayley and it seems like Charlotte must have been worked over during the break as we quickly get a hot tag to Becky. Becky hits a clothesline on Bayley and then goes after Sasha but she drops down off the apron Becky delivers some strikes in the corner on Becky and then takes her down with a running shoulder block. Becky catches Bayley and hits her with a Bexplex before attempting to lock in the Dis-Arm-Her but Sasha comes in to distract Becky and this allows Bayley to take control for a second before Becky is right back in control with a kick to the head and a leg drop off the middle rope on Bayley for a 2 count. Becky turns her attention to Sasha which allows Bayley to attempt to get a surprise win with a school girl rollup but Becky kicks out and hits a basement dropkick on Bayley. Beky runs at Bayley but Bayley is ready for her as she flapjacks her down onto the top rope, thankfully for Becky this happened near her team’s corner so Charlotte makes a blind tag into the match. Charlotte hits a charging Bayley with a backbreaker and then hits Natural Selection which could have gotten the win, however Sasha breaks up the pin. Becky gets back to her feet and we have a staredown between Becky and Sasha before they start trading punches which is broken up by Bayley momentarily until Charlotte comes over and now all four women are fighting it out. Charlotte hits the snap suplex she was looking for earlier on Bayley while Becky takes down Sasha and then comes off the top with a dropkick that sends Sasha rolling out of the ring for a breather. That breather wouldn’t last long as Charlotte climbs up top once again and takes out both of her opponents with a diving moonsault. Charlotte rolls Bayley back into the ring and locks Bayley into the Figure Eight and it isn’t long before Bayley is tapping out giving the babyfaces the win. Becky and Charlotte celebrate their win while Bayley and Sasha lick their wounds on the outside. Winners: Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch Match Rating: **3/4

When these four women are in the ring together you are never going to have a bad match, however compared to other matches they have had, this match was just ok as it wasn’t anything really special or groundbreaking but it served its purpose of showing the new Fox audience that the women in WWE are just as good as the men and that they are to be seen as on the same level as the guys. This match also did a good job of hyping the Raw Women’s Championship match between Sasha and Becky this Sunday at Hell in a Cell, it also gave a reason as to why Bayley and Charlotte will be facing each other Sunday (the match between Bayley and Charlotte was announced later that night) for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

We cut to the back to Erin Andrews who is interviewing The New Day about Kofi’s big WWE Championship match later on in the night. Erin asks Kofi his thoughts about people considering him the underdog in the match against Lesnar, Kofi explains that he has been considered the underdog in every match he has had since winning the WWE title but he just looks at every opponent as a mountain to climb and Brock Lesnar just happens to be that next mountain to climb and overcome. Erin asks if Xavier and Big E will be out there with Kofi and Xavier explains that Kofi wants to do this on his own, the interview finishes with the usual New Day hip swivel with Erin dancing along with them.

As we come back from break they show Tyson Fury in the crowd and then some highlights of the blue carpet event earlier in the evening. They then show Hall of Famers Mick Foley and Kurt Angle watching the show from ringside.

The WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins makes his way to the ring, but out of nowhere we are treated to an edition of the Firefly Funhouse. Bray introduces the Fox audience to all of his friends in the Funhouse including Ramblin Rabbit who is alive once again after being killed on Raw. Ramblin Rabbit is dressed up like Seth Rollins and says he is Seth’s biggest fan and warns him not to step inside Hell in a Cell with The Fiend. Bray decides to use Ramblin Rabbit to show Seth what will happen at Hell in a Cell, Ramblin Rabbit it placed inside a cage with Mercy the Buzzard who will be playing the part of The Fiend. Mercy rips Ramblin Rabbit into pieces before Bray picks up Ramblin Rabbit’s body and decapitated head and warns that history has a way of repeating itself and that it’s time for Rollins to hurt because everyone in the Funhouse has been hurting for too long.

Shinsuke Nakamura along with Sami Zayn make their entrance as we go to commercial break.

As the show comes back we see Hogan making his way to his seat beside Ric Flair.

Match #2: Seth Rollins vs Shinsuke Nakamura w/ Sami Zayn As soon as the bell rings Nakamura locks in a flying armbar, but Rollins quickly powers up and gets to his feet before sending Nakamura into the corner. Nakamura rolls to the outside of the ring looking to regroup but Rollins takes him down with a series of suicide dives. Rollins rolls Nakamura back into the ring before Sami Zayn momentarily distracts Rollins allowing Nakamura to figure out a game plan. Rollins goes to pick up Nakamura but is met with a flurry of strikes, Rollins avoids being hit with a sliding knee and then hits Nakamura with a Slingblade. Nakamura is in the corner and sends a charging Rollins outside to the apron and tries for a kick but Rollins blocks it and hits one of his own that dazes Nakamura enough for Rollins to be able to hit a springboard knee and then a superkick that just glances off the side of Nakamura’s head. Rollins is looking for the Curb Stomp but before Nakamura can even get in position the lights start going out as The Fiend is fixing to make an appearance.

Winner: No Contest Match Rating: **1/4

The lights start flashing and both Seth Rollins (who has made his way up the ramp to the stage) and Nakamura who is still in the ring start looking around trying to find The Fiend before he finds them. The Fiend shows up behind Rollins and locks in the Mandible Claw before tossing Rollins off the stage.

I thought this whole segment from the Firefly Funhouse to the point where The Fiend locks in the Mandible Claw was really well done. The only complaint I have is that Rollins being thrown off the stage didn’t really connect as well as they wanted as it was kind of hard to tell what was going on due to the darkness and flashing lights. One thing about the Firefly Funhouse that I am interested in (other than wanting to see if they ever turn the puppets into actual characters) is what the deal is with Ramblin Rabbit as he is the only one who repeatedly goes against what Bray wants to hear and keeps pissing him off to the point where Bray is now killing the poor Rabbit on a constant basis and also we need a backstory as to why Rabbit has so many lives. As far as the actual match between Rollins and Nakamura I thought it was really good for the very short time they were given and would like to see more matches between these two.

Match #3: Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon (Ladder Match – Loser is Fired)

Kevin Owens doesn’t even get an entrance as he is already in the ring when we comes back from commercial. Shane makes his way to the ring but KO meets him in the aisle with punches before sending him into the steel steps. KO bridges a ladder between the ring and the barricade and slams Shane’s head into it multiple times. KO sets a ladder up in the ring and goes to climb it, but Shane quickly pulls him down and hits him with a Russian leg sweep. Shane then goes to climb the ladder but is pulled down quickly as well as KO hits him with a headbutt and then looks to throw a ladder at him but Shane ducks and the ladder goes flying to the outside. KO goes for a Stunner but Shane pushes him away so KO levels him with a clothesline instead. KO goes out and grabs the ladder he threw and then of nowhere Shane hits a baseball slide sending the ladder into KO. Shane hits KO with the ladder before cleaning off the announce table and laying KO on it, Shane beats KO down and hits him with the top piece of the announce table before going up top and delivering his signature elbow sending KO and himself through the table. We then go to commercial.

As we come back from commercial KO has miraculously recovered and has Shane laid out on the ladder he set up earlier between the ring and barricade, KO hits a big frog splash from the top rope through the ladder. KO sets up a new ladder in the ring and goes to climb it but somehow Shane is able to stop him by hitting him in the back of the leg with a chair. Shane hits KO with a couple of chair shots before setting him up in the corner with a ladder propped up against him and then Shane goes up and hits the Coast to Coast sending the ladder into the face of KO. Shane climbs the ladder once again and somehow KO musters the energy to get back to his feet and powerbomb Shane onto a ladder that was set up horizontally in the corner. KO climbs up and grabs the briefcase which saves his job and sends Shane O’ Mac to the unemployment line. After the match KO grabs Shane and tells him he’s fired before delivering a stunner. Winner: Kevin Owens Match Rating: **3/4

If you are looking for a ladder match full of psychology and limb selling this is definitely not the match for you, but if you are looking for a crazy spot fest with hardly any transition moves in between those spots then this is for you as these two played their greatest hits and put on a wild match with crazy bumps. I look forward to seeing where KO goes from here and whether or not he will keep up the Stone Cold lite gimmick now that he won’t be feuding with a McMahon. We also have to wonder just how long it will be before Shane shows back up on tv, I’m giving it until next week as he will most likely be the Raw representative picking talent for the draft.

Kayla Braxton interviews Paul Heyman who talks about what happened on Raw when Brock Lesnar destroyed both Rey Mysterio and his son Dominick and says that both of them were in Brock’s way just like tonight Kofi is in Brock’s way and tonight Brock will get rid of Kofi Kingston.

Match #4: Braun Strowman, The Miz, & Heavy Machinery vs AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, & Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler and The Miz start things out and immediately Ziggler is able to hit a Zig Zag. Ziggler taunts Miz and looks to hit a Superkick, but Miz catches the leg and hits Ziggler with a DDT. Miz makes a hot tag to Braun who comes in and makes easy work of Ziggler as he squashes him in the corner, Braun goes for a cover that gets broken up and that is when everything breaks loose as we get everyone trading moves with the bigger stars getting to hit their finisher. Everyone is out of the ring except Braun and Ziggler. Braun runs around the ring hitting all his opponents with shoulder blocks. Braun then goes face to face with World Champion boxer Tyson Fury and Braun puts his fists up looking for a fight until Ziggler comes off the apron with an axe handle to the back of Braun which only stuns him momentarily as he quickly grabs Ziggler and sends him into the ring post and then into the barricade right in front of Tyson Fury and causes Fury to fall back into his chair. At this point Fury is getting pissed as Braun just laughs at him but this distraction allows Ziggler to hit one superkick, but as he goes for a second one Braun snatches him up and hits the powerslam for the win.

Winners: Braun Strowman, The MIz, & Heavy Machinery via Pinfall Match Rating: *1/4

As Braun is celebrating with his team Fury jumps the barricade and immediately security steps in to hold him back as Braun laughs in the ring.

I’m not sure if this match was really needed as there had to be some other way to set up Strowman vs Fury as it made guys like AJ Styles, Randy Orton, & The Miz feel so insignificant to be in a match where they were barely even in the ring, why couldn’t they have just used lower card guys instead of making some of their bigger stars look like extras in a movie. I thought at first that this will be a fun WrestleMania match for Braun that they just set up, but the fact that they are giving Fury a live mic on Raw must mean that they are going to do this match sooner than WrestleMania and that can only mean that we will be getting Strowman vs Fury at Crown Jewel in Saudia Arabia on Halloween Night and that is quite disappointing as this is a match that could’ve been a big draw for WrestleMania, but instead it will be wasted on a show that nobody cares to watch.

As we come back from commercial we see antics from earlier in the night where EDM DJ Marshmello is accidentally pushed into Carmella and ends up winning the 24/7 title.

Daniel Bryan will be on commentary for the next match.

Match #5: Roman Reigns vs Erick Rowan (Lumberjack Match)

Roman and Rowan lock up and Rowan is in control early as he hits Roman with a boot that sends him to the outside with the lumberjacks who beat up on Roman before rolling him back into the ring. Roman escapes a powerslam attempt and then ducks a clothesline only to deliver one of his own that sends Rowan to the outside where the lumberjacks were waiting to roll him back into the ring, but Rowan starts fighting with the lumberjacks. Roman runs around the ring looking for the Drive By but Rowan catches him and sends Roman into the barricade. The heel lumberjacks start attacking Roman until the babyfaces comes over and make them roll Roman back in. Roman gets to his feet and is met with a spinning kick by Rowan for a 2 count as we go to commercial.

As we come back from commercial Rowan has Roman in the two fisted vice which Roman is able to fight his way out of with some gut punches and a couple of uppercuts. Rowan sends Roman into the corner where he misses an avalanche and this allows Roman to hit his series of corner clotheslines followed by a leaping clothesline and a Samoan drop which gets him a 2 count. Roman looks to go for the Superman Punch but Rowan catches him momentarily before Roman elbows out of his grasp and then charges at Rowan who is able to get a boot up, but Roman just bounces back off the rope and hits the Superman Punch. Harper comes down to the ring and attacks the lumberjacks until Bryan runs over to attack Harper only to get thrown into the barricade. It’s time for the trope of all the lumberjacks fighting until Roman dives over the top taking out everyone. Rowan grabs Ali and uses him as a projectile as he sends him into Roman. Rowan rolls Roman back into the ring and hits a running crossbody for 2.

Roman is able to get out of the Iron Claw slam and hit another Superman Punch on Rowan but as he turns around he is leveled with a Discus Clothesline by Harper only for Bryan to take Harper down with a running knee. Rowan grabs Daniel and looks to hit the Iron Claw slam on him but he leaves himself open to get speared by Roman and this was enough for Roman to pick up the win.

Winner: Roman Reigns via Pinfall Rating: ***

After the match Roman and Bryan shake hands and are ready to take on Rowan and Harper this Sunday at Hell in a Cell.

Match #6 Kofi Kingston © vs Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman (WWE Championship)

As soon as the bell rings Kofi runs at Brock and tries for some kind of jumping clothesline, but Brock catches him and hits the F-5 and wins the match in less than five seconds.

Winner: Brock Lesnar via Pinfall Match Rating: DUD

As Lesnar is celebrating his big title win Rey Mysterio’s music hits but this time it isn’t Dominick who he comes to the ring with but rather it’s former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. Cain gets in the ring and takes Brock down before delivering a series of mounted punches on the new WWE Champion. Brock escapes up the aisle and keeps teasing that he wants to go back in, but thinks better as the first SmackDown on Fox closes with Rey Mysterio and Cain Velasquez in the ring as Brock is on the ramp with fear in his eyes.

I really don’t understand why Lesnar needed the title if his next feud is going to be against Cain Velasquez as that feud doesn’t need a title surrounding it as there is plenty of story to tell without it. I thought when Cain came out that Dominick had cut his hair and got some tattoos because I had no clue who Cain was as I don’t watch any UFC or MMA unless it is involving Paige Van Zant. I do hate that Kofi had to lose the title as he was doing a fantastic job as champion and there was still so much more he could’ve done in that role, but we all knew that once SmackDown went to Fox it wouldn’t be long before the strap was around Lesnar’s waist as they want the champion to be someone the mainstream Fox audience is familiar with. I am interested to see where Kofi goes from here, hopefully he is able to stay at the top of the card and not slide back down. I could see him and the rest of New Day possibly going over to Raw in the draft and them being the top babyfaces on that brand as it is expected that a lot of the current top guys over there such as Rollins and Styles could be going over to SmackDown. I think New Day could do some really interesting things with Bray Wyatt over on Raw.

This first episode of SmackDown on Fox was a miss for me as I had much higher expectations than what they gave us, first off they pretty much bait and switched everyone as other than The Rock none of the legends did anything after being advertised to be on the show for weeks and weeks. If Fox wants SmackDown to be more in ring action and less story driven they definitely failed on that aspect tonight as all of the matches were really short and other than Rowan vs Roman none of the talent got to really show what they are capable of. Ten years from now this episode of SmackDown will be remembered more for the “real” sports stars getting involved in angles rather than anything the WWE stars did on this night and for the first night on a new network I’m not sure that is the impression that you should’ve left the fans with at the end of the night. Next week will be somewhat of a big show as well and also probably minimal in ring action as it’s time to shake things up with the draft and who knows what WWE will look like when that is over.

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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wweextremerules-2018 · 6 years

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Early Predictions for Entire WWE Extreme Rules 2018 Main Event

WWE Extreme Rules 2018 will be the bridge between two major events: Money in the Bank and SummerSlam.

An event known for having multiple specialty bouts, particularly among the biggest matches on the card, this year's Extreme Rules could be intense come July 15.

Most of the card is still up in the air, but there have been significant hints about which stars will be fighting to earn major spots at SummerSlam on August 19. Almost every championship is certain to be on the line.

Still, there are questions about what stipulations the confirmed and expected matches will have as well as what will come of these exciting contests to kick the WWE summer into high gear.

Kickoff: Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin

This card is going to be stuffed with talent, so it's hard to say how Finn Balor will fit.

His feud with Baron Corbin has been developing nicely, but unless the No. 1 Contender multi-man match is reinstated, these two cannot fit on the main card for Extreme Rules.

The Kickoff match has often been used to keep Raw feuds moving, so Balor and Corbin could have their first match here before the rivalry takes off. The Irishman could certainly put on a show that makes WWE officials regret wasting him.

Corbin's resurgence as The Constable has been fun to watch, but he's still not being treated as the same type of talent as Balor, who will eventually be in the world title scene.

Corbin may not win any matches in this feud.

Prediction: Balor wins

Raw Tag Team Championships: Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt (c) vs. The B-Team

It was a surprise when this tag team match was not announced for Money in the Bank, but a limited card has forced this feud to be delayed until Extreme Rules. Now the two tag teams can finally clash and hopefully show why they deserve a greater spotlight.

The Woken tag team champions are popular and entertaining, but they are still waiting for someone to step up as a real threat to them. While it has been fun to watch Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas recreate themselves without The Miz, they do not come off as legitimate rivals for the champions.

Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre or The Authors of Pain should be next in line for an opportunity come SummerSlam. Hopefully Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt will prove in this contest why they are worthy tag team champions.

Prediction: Hardy and Wyatt retain the Raw Tag Team Championships

SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. Team Hell No

Until Tuesday's edition of SmackDown, it was hard to say who would help Daniel Bryan in his fight against The Bludgeon Brothers, but Kane answered the call.

Credit: WWE.com Team Hell No have reunited and hopefully will bring some needed excitement to the blue brand's tag team division.

As stacked as the division is, not much has been done with Harper and Rowan since they won the tag team championships. They should pair up well with the entertaining alliance of Bryan and Kane, who should give the monsters a good fight.

In the end, though, this comes off as a temporary team battling a dominant alliance. It will be fun while it lasts, but The Bludgeon Brothers will not fall just yet.

Prediction: Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships

WWE United States Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

This match was expected to happen on SmackDown Live, but a freak accident led to Shinsuke Nakamura getting injured. This means fans will have to wait until Extreme Rules for The Daredevil to get his hands on The Artist.

This pairing is the perfect connection of athletic ability and pure charisma that should make for an excellent match. The United States Championship has been underutilized lately, but this rivalry can be the catalyst for the title returning to relevance.

While Hardy makes sense as champion, Nakamura is in desperate need of a win. He couldn't capture the WWE Championship, so the U.S. title is a solid consolation prize.

The Rockstar is too good not to get a chance to be a major attraction on SmackDown.

Prediction: Nakamura becomes new WWE United States champion

WWE Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins

On Monday's edition of Raw, Seth Rollins and Ziggler put on a show in the main event without a definitive winner. It only makes sense they get a second chance at Extreme Rules, but this time Drew McIntyre would have to be banned from ringside.

The two could have an even better match than before, giving Rollins another great bout to add to his banner year. Ziggler, meanwhile, has seen resurgent in his alliance with McIntyre, and the two can only get better with each passing week.

Ziggler and McIntyre still have unfinished business in the tag team division, so this may be the end of their Intercontinental Championship detour. Rollins can regain the title, while the two heels go on to take the Raw Tag Team Championships.

Prediction: Rollins regains the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Steel Cage Match: Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens

The feud between Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens has been a fun diversion on Raw lately, but it now needs to reach its climax. What better way to settle a feud in which KO is always trying to escape than inside a steel cage?

Credit: WWE.com These two are among the best on Raw right now, and Strowman has the Money in the Bank briefcase. It makes sense for their bout to be one of the few on this card without a title on the line, although The Monster Among Men could convince KO to compete by putting his briefcase up for grabs.

Whether the case in on the line or not, Strowman is on too much of a roll to lose now. It is likely he will be Universal Champion by the end of the summer, while Owens spends much of the next few months annoying other upper midcard faces.

Prediction: Strowman wins

SmackDown Women's Championship Handicap Match: Carmella (c) and James Ellsworth vs. Asuka

The last time Carmella fought Asuka, it took a surprise return from James Ellsworth for the SmackDown women's champion to retain her title. It stands to reason then that their next clash should give Asuka a chance to get back at The Chinless Wonder.

A mixed gender handicap match is a rarity in wrestling, but Ellsworth could pull it off by playing punchbag for Asuka. This also protects Carmella and The Empress of Tomorrow, who can continue their feud into SummerSlam regardless of the result.

Significant time has been spent building up The Princess of Staten Island as a top competitor on SmackDown, so it is likely she will keep the title a while longer.

It is hard to say who will next step up if Asuka fails here and at SummerSlam, though.

Prediction: Carmella retains the SmackDown Women's Championship with Ellsworth's help

Raw Women's Championship Falls Count Anywhere Match: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Nia Jax

The rivalry between Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax began in force before WrestleMania 34, and the two women have had two solid heated matches in that time.

With The Goddess of WWE stealing her title back from Jax at Money in the Bank, the feud has reached its climax.

This match should be the last chapter in this rivalry, with the two getting the necessary stipulation to showcase their hatred for one another. Falls Count Anywhere is a rarely utilized stipulation that would be perfect for these rivals who could battle throughout the arena.

While Jax has won every encounter with Bliss to date, the story has shifted back to Litttle Miss Bliss, who is on the verge of a rivalry with Ronda Rousey when the former UFC star returns from suspension.

It will likely take more than a few tricks, but Bliss will walk out still champion at the end of Extreme Rules.

Prediction: Bliss retains the Raw Women's Championship

WWE Championship Strap Match: AJ Styles (c) vs. Rusev

This match is already set after Rusev's surprise win in the gauntlet match, outlasting more likely contenders such as Bryan and Samoa Joe. Now The Bulgarian Brute needs to prove he deserves more opportunities like this going forward.

Credit: WWE.com AJ Styles can have a great match with anyone, but it has still been a bit hard to see this as more than a filler bout. Rusev is unlikely to win, which makes him just a placeholder before a bigger challenger comes along. Even if it is a quality fight, this contest may not stand out on this card.

That is why the two need a stipulation to help them take this bout to the next level. However, it is more likely the stipulation they are given will just add more ridiculousness to the proceedings as has often happened in Rusev's career.

A Strap match is a bizarre stipulation that has the benefit of keeping the wrestlers close together and physical. It would add some heat to this clash even if it would also add more silliness.

Prediction: Styles retains the WWE Championship

No. 1 Contender Extreme Rules Match: Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

The original plan for a Six-Pack Challenge match has seemingly been nixed, which may be for the best. More interesting bouts are possible if the expected competitors move into singles matches.

The two men most benefiting from the decision are Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley, who can now have their first-ever one-on-one match. The two could have a stellar physical bout together, but the crowd in Pittsburgh may not be interested.

Even if it becomes an Extreme Rules fight, with the two allowed to battle through the crowd and with any weapons they can find, it will take some strong storytelling to convince anyone to invest in two underwritten and overbooked characters.

Either man could win to set up a solid main event at SummerSlam, but Brock Lesnar vs. Lashley is an easier sell, especially with The Beast on his way out of WWE.

#WWE Extreme Rules 2018

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allthingstailoredlive-blog · 7 years

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WWE: WrestleMania 33 Endless Early Predictions

The road to WrestleMania is well on its way with the Royal Rumble less than three weeks from taking place. While this year is likely to be one of the largest Royal Rumbles in history, with the pay-per-view running four hours, it is safe to say that this year could very well be the biggest WrestleMania that we have ever seen. Each year WWE has gone out of their way to try and make WrestleMania bigger and bigger and this year shouldn’t disappoint. Below I have listed my very early projections for this year’s WrestleMania 33 Card. Being I plan to be in attendance, some of these are more so matches I would personally like to see. Others are based on WWE programming where I could see the possible storylines present taking us. I have rated each match on a scale of highly unlikely, possible, very likely. Let the showcase of the immortals begin. *Warning: This card contains close to 20 matches, so I am quite aware that all of these will not occur, but it is very tempting to dance with the possible options at this point.

WrestleMania Kick-Off Show: Multiperson Elimination Match for Cruiserweight Championship to be won by Nelville or Cedric Alexander: The cruiserweight have had some extremely poor booking on Monday Night Raw, but some excellent chemistry on the 205 Live show! With Nelville now an addition to the roster, and the impeding rising star that is Cedric Alexander, there’s no reason to think either shouldn’t have their big moment at the grandest stage of them all. Expect Tajiri, The Brian Kendrick, and Rich Swann, amongst others to also be involved in this match. Chances: Possible

Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn: The match that we were supposed to see at Survivor Series that would’ve definitely stole the show is the showdown between two of the most overlooked and underutilized men on the entire roster. Zayn is in need of a career shift, so moving him to SmackDown! Live would be huge for him. Ziggler is in the midst of a heel turn that has been so longly anticipated. What better way than for the two to develop a story and steal the show before it even begins? Chances: Highly Unlikely

Andre the Giant Memorial Day Battle Royal, Big Winner: Another NXT Call Up or Apollo Crews: For the fourth year in a row, this battle royal will return to WrestleMania. Last year’s winner, Baron Corbin, is no doubt on his way to finally chasing superstardom on the main roster. Expect this year to produce another breakout star from NXT. If it is a main roster talent to win, the likes of James Ellsworth or Apollo Crews would be pleasantly welcomed. Chances: Very Likely

Tag Champions vs. Tag Champions: American Alpha vs. Cesaro & Sheamus: While I don’t really anticipate Sheamus and Cesaro to still be RAW’s champions, I won’t write them off in this posting. The tag team division hasn’t been properly presented on the grand stage dating back to WrestleMania XX. It would be a great change of pace to see the two premier teams of the company do battle in a compelling match based solely on which team is the best. Chances: Highly Unlikely

Ladder Match to Earn a Future Women’s Championship Opportunity: Naomi vs. Nia Jaxx vs. Emmalina vs. Paige vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya: The women’s evolution continues to prosper by leaps and bounds, with a great assistance to some of the groundbreaking matches form 2016. 2017 should continue to thrive on those risks and what better way than the first ever women’s ladder match similar to the Money in the Bank. And to make it more credible, put all women who should be in conversation long overdue for championship opportunities. The match should put over hometown girl, Naomi, or the likes of Emmaline, Paige, Nia Jaxx as a threat to whomever walks out Women’s Champion. Chances: Highly Unlikely

WrestleMania Main Show: Intercontinental Championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Baron Corbin: While the timing of Ambrose’s most recent mid-card run comes as odd, the success he attained as a mid carder shatters his as a credible world champion. He provides a sense of prestige to the IC Title. And then you have Baron Corbin– who since his epic Chairs Match with Kalisto at TLC has been on an absolute role. What better way to present him as a future big championship contender, then winning his first singles championship at WrestleMania. Chances: Possible

United States Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strauman: In a fashion much similar to the match prior, Braun looks like a legit threat in the eyes of the WWE Universe. He has been on a legit roll. While he doesn’t pose a threat just yet for World Championship contention, he does for Reigns US Championship. Even if he were to defeat Reigns prior to Mania and this be a rematch, a showdown between the two has the potential to be ridiculously physical. Strauman’s star should shine on this night. Chances: Very Likely

Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Nikki Bella: Wisely enough, Nikki Bella has yet to have a legitimate storyline challenging for the SmackDown Women’s Championship due to other high profile feuds. What that has done is created the opportunity for someone who was never considered as the face of the division to emerge: Alexa Bliss. With the popularity both of these women possess, an interesting dynamic could make this a significant match for both women, especially with Nikki’s road to recovery and challenging for the top prize. The star of the night, however, should be a focus to continue developing the shine of Bliss. Chances: Very Likely

Big Show vs. Shaq: This match is all but basically confirmed to be apart of WrestleMania and has been teased for years. I would argue this match is the primary reason for the Big Show’s recent return to Monday Night Raw a month ago. This one won’t be long and will be to plug the celebrity, similar as many other WWE Celebrity match bookings. Chances: Very Likely

Triple H vs. Seth Rollins: Similar to the previous, there’s almost no way this match isn’t occuring. WWE has been slowly painting a picture for this match which will no doubt be a show stealer. There is absolutely no reason for a Triple H victory, similar to his controversial victory over Sting at WrestleMania 31. This match should put Seth Rollins back on the track to be a legitimate challenger for the World Championship and close out this feud he has with the authority. Expect some twists to involve Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley as well. Chances: Very Likely

Sasha Banks vs. Mickie James: There has been so much buzz surrounding why Sasha vs. Bayley is not the marquee women’s match for WrestleMania. While it is clear Vince’s theory is invested in Bayley and Charlotte, there’s no way to keep a huge star like Sasha off of the card. There is no woman on the RAW roster truly worthy of having a match with Banks the caliber of WrestleMania. SmackDown, however, definitely does and there would be no greater pot stirrer a collision with veteran Mickie James. Before the triple threat match between Charlotte/Sasha/Becky, Mickie James and Trish Stratus had the greatest Women’s Championship match in WrestleMania history at Mania 22. If these two phenomenal performers collide, expect a match rich in charisma, mystery, and big spots that could be the best of the entire night. Chances: Possible

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar: While this will be the third encounter between these two, there’s no doubt it would easily have to be their best. Their first collision was a major letdown, on the heels of both men leaving WWE. Their second was less than a minute long, because Lesnar thought a bigger program between he and Goldberg would draw money for the company. If this third and final installment does come about, expect Lesnar to finally conquer Goldberg, and a likely Hall of Fame induction going into 2018 for Goldberg. Chances: Very Likely

Street Fight: The Miz vs. Shane McMahon: This match may be a little far fetched to some, and come off as a stretch. But hear me out first… there is no star on the main roster who is more deserving of a major push than The Miz. 2016 he completely proved that. He has had an increasingly long feud with Daniel Bryan, which unfortunately can’t result in a one-on-one match up for medical reasons. Still, that hasn’t stopped WWE from teasing us. Rumors have swirled that WWE wants to include Shane McMahon in action this year as well. Why not have him defend his partner on Tuesday Nights in a match that he knows best: a Street Fight. This match could be the crutch The Miz needs to finally catapult himself into true title contention. Should Shane lose, this could also produce friction between he and Daniel, which will be highly interesting to watch unravel in weeks to follow Mania. Chances: Possible

Kofi Kingston vs. Big E, Special Ref- Xavier Woods: The New Day has completely owned the tag team division in the last two years. They literally turned a gimmick that didn’t stand a chance into absolute royalty. Even with the titles no longer in their possession, they are a major draw to the company. However, 2017 should see the end to the dynamic trio. Big E has main eventer written all over him. He has proven that with his contributions to the New Day. Arguably, Kofi Kingston is far overdue for a main event single’s push too. Have an ego driven feud take place between the two that will ultimately result in a one-on-one showdown at WrestleMania to resolve their issues and see who the greater man of the trio is. Then, have Xavier turn on both men and walk out after the match…further separating the trio into individual stars. Chances: Very Likely

WWE World Championship Triple Threat Match: AJ Styles vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton: I have gone back in forth in my mind about the possible showdowns that occur in both World Title pictures. When examining the SmackDown roster, there are few worthy of putting on a compelling match Mania caliber with Styles that would still general great fan interest. Corbin nor Ziggler will be ready, especially both as heels. I had thought of having the Undertaker and John Cena in the mix, but those two deserve a one on one showdown at the stage for the immortals. The Wyatt/Orton feud is just beginning to reignite, and produced excellent storytelling in the fall of 2016. Neither man has ever competed one on one with AJ Styles for that matter. The drama and in ring action that could ensue with this showdown is limitless. The match could either prompt Orton back to the top of the mountain, further progress the star that is AJ Styles, or create a new one in Bray Wyatt. Either way, I’m intrigued at the idea. Its possible, right? Chances: Possible/Highly Unlikely

Raw Women’s Championship: Charlotte (c) vs. Bayley: One storyline that is obvious from the backstage segments, the promos, the commentary, is recreating the magic that was Daniel Bryan’s big moment at WrestleMania XXX in giving Bayley the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 33. This one is about as predictable as it gets and would be highly unlikely for WWE to change its plan, unless they plan to include Emmalina, Nia, or Sasha in the mix. Expect Bayley to not only win the big one, but end Charlotte’s flawless single’s pay-per-view record. Chances: Very Likely Universal Championship Match: Either Kevin Owens (c) vs. Chris Jericho vs. Finn Balor, Kevin Owens (c) vs. Chris Jericho, or Kevin Owens (c) vs. Finn Balor — This is the match I probably went back and forth on the most. Kevin Owens no doubt needs to go into WrestleMania as the Universal Champion. This friendship with he and Chris Jericho shows great chemistry, but WrestleMania is the time for all of that to change. Owens and Jericho’s partnership needs to conclude at Mania one way or another. It could culminate with Jericho challenging Owens for the gold. If this is the option, a return from Finn Balor at the conclusion of the match would be dynamic; its a fresh rivalry to the main roster and the continuation of a great one from NXT. If Balor returns before Mania, having the three of them battle for the championship would be a very athletic display. Balor never lost the Universal Title and will most defiantly be involved in title contention when he returns. And the final option, Balor vs. Owens, with Jericho costing him the championship. It could even be accidental, with Owens turning on Jericho after he costs him the title. Endless possibilities but all can be confirmed that Jericho and Owens will implode on the grandest stage of them all. Chances: Possible

John Cena vs. Undertaker : A match that was supposed to occur at last year’s WrestleMania, John Cena and the Undertaker. John Cena has evolved and arguably has become the biggest name in the history of WWE, even over that of Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan, and The Rock. He has earned that status night in and night out. But when you get to that level, there’s only one other option for you to face at Mania: The Undertaker. With the Undertaker’s days on the main roster numbered, this match becomes less and less likely. However, this match is a draw that will easily outdo that of either man’s most recent WrestleMania opponents. This should conclude the night’s show with either the Deadman putting Cena to rest, or Cena giving Taker is second lost at his show. Chances: Possible/Very Likely

What do you think? Drop your comments below.

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