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chloewatcheswrestling · 8 months

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Wrestling Love Letters

Fireflies in the Dark: A Tribute to Bray Wyatt

I wasn’t going to write today.

But then we lost Bray.

There are some performers who transcend the ring and become more than just athletes. Bray’s mystique and captivating storytelling, undoubtedly made him one of those figures. His unexpected passing has left our community mourning the loss of one of our great wrestling minds who managed to weave enchanting narratives that gripped wrestling fans worldwide.

Bray used the canvas like a true artist, painting his stories with the strokes of a genius. He was the cult leader I would have followed willingly, especially during an "era of lies" where authenticity seemed scarce. In moments when watching WWE grew challenging, his segments became my refuge – a place to immerse myself and search for hidden gems within his narrative. The most recent version of Bray walked down that ramp every week and relayed the same message, and yet, we were still right there, in the palm of his hands. This wasn't just charisma; it was a connection that few could forge. He was an inspiration to anyone who has lost their way, a guiding light amidst the darkness.

Many likened him to the Undertaker but, for me, he was this generations Mick Foley. A man of many faces, he was a unique fusion of wrestling brilliance and raw charisma. The juxtaposition of his eerie presence with a touch of humanity made him a character like few others. My favourite Bray, Firefly Funhouse Bray, was Mr. Rogers-esque, a blend of warmth and macabre that shouldn't have worked, but did – brilliantly.

The night he won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber (2017) is etched into my memory – a moment of triumph that stood as a testament to his talent and dedication. I can vividly recall the chills that ran down my spine as I witnessed The Fiend's debut at Summerslam (2019). The classic horror ambiance he effortlessly created became a hallmark of his performances. The Firefly Funhouse match vs John Cena (Wrestlemania 36, 2020) remains one of my favourites. It wasn't for everyone, but for those who understood its depth, it was a masterpiece. It was a match that came at a time where the world was shut down and we needed an escape from reality. Bray knew his audience – those loyal viewers who craved acknowledgment, who searched for Easter eggs and subtle nods (along with some not-so-subtle winks to camera, talking directly to his fans). Bray Wyatt dared to be bold. In a time when creativity often felt stifled, he fearlessly injected his character with veiled jabs at WWE creative. The Vince McMahon puppet with little devil horns was a testament to his audacity. He thrived on speculation and anticipation, drawing fans into conversations about the identities of the wrestlers behind the puppets and the possibility of a Wyatt Six faction. Bray was more than a performer; he was an architect of engagement.

Beyond his character, Windham was a person who was loved and respected. To his father Mike, his brother Bo, his wife Jojo, and to his children, my heart goes out. The Wyatt family, both the on-screen and off-screen versions, has suffered profound losses with the passing of Brodie and now Bray.

As I watched the tribute videos and teary messages this morning, I stumbled upon his return speech following Extreme Rules and the words he left us with, "This is a version of me that I’ve never got to introduce to you guys before, this is just me… being me, genuine me, for the first time." Those words echo a sentiment many can relate to – the search for authenticity in a world that often demands conformity.

To Bray, thank you for the stories, the captivating moments, the suspense, the pops, your unapologetic creativity and your beautiful mind and thank you, for being you. You always mattered to us and as the fireflies fade off screen, your legacy will continue to shine brightly in the hearts of your fans worldwide.

With pins, submissions, and some tears,

Chloe xoxo

25.08.2023

“...I was in a time of need, and I lost people that were close to me, and I lost my self-confidence and I felt weak and I felt vulnerable. And in this weakest state I found your words Bray, I found your words…”

#braywyatt #wwe #wwe universe #wwe fandom #pro wrestlers #pro wrestling #wwe news #windham rotunda #fireflyfunhouse #thefiend #john cena #extreme rules #Summerslam #Wrestlemania #rip bray wyatt #wyatt family

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theuntitledblog · 16 days

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WWE WrestleMania 40 - REVIEW

What an experience WrestleMania 40 turned out to be and may well rank as the best WrestleMania experience I've ever had even if it may not have been the best WrestleMania I've ever seen. I'm a fan of the 2 night format introduced for WrestleMania 36 and for me allows the overall event to flow better without feeling overstuffed with content. WrestleMania 40 is no different in that regard and featured what I thought was an overall good card although I personally thought it wasn't quite as tantalising as the WrestleMania 38 and 39 cards. The biggest and best thing going for this WrestleMania and made all the difference however was the storytelling. All the major matches on the card had a decent story going in and even the ones that carried my interest the least such as LWO vs. Dominik/Santos Escobar, Biance/Naomi/Jade vs. Damage Contrl and The Pride vs. Final Testament made up for it on the night with some solid performances, comedy elements and/or star power. If I was to judge Saturday and Sunday against each other then I would say that Sunday was the better of the two in but as a complete event, this was a WrestleMania that did not produce any absolute stinkers but rather some generally quality matches with a few absolute stand out moments to say the least.

Whilst this was a WrestleMania that was brewing a number of stories going in (LA Knight/AJ Styles, Bayley/Iyo & Ripley/Lynch) there's little doubt that the whole event was centred around the Bloodline, Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes. Whether Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes was their original plan or not, few could seriously deny that WWE had crafted yet another compelling story from the Bloodline Saga going into yet another WrestleMania. At WrestleMania 38 they marketed the third Reigns/Lesnar encounter as 'The Biggest Main Event of All Time', frankly they could've done that here and it would've actually delivered on that tag line. The Bloodline is perhaps the greatest faction in the modern era of WWE that has dominated the landscape since 2020 and has constantly evolved to keep itself fresh and relevant when it sometimes felt that the story had run its course. The double Bloodline Main Event delivered two classic matches with finishes that felt right and complimented each other leading to the triumph that was the Sunday Night Main Event. Cody Rhodes' 'finish the story' arc has been going on for a lot longer than I think any of us expected. Many, including myself, felt that the WrestleMania 39 Main Event went the wrong way and was a missed opportunity yet the irony is that the result of this event was even more tantalizing because of the previous year. It felt poised for the story to finish but there was always a doubt about whether they would or not. It's testament to the long term storytelling approach of the current era and what makes it all work even more is the genuine emotion behind it. The closing moments of WrestleMania 40 are right up there alongside WrestleManias 20 and 30 yet those moments shouldn't overlook that Cody and Roman worked an an outstanding match to get there as did Seth Rollins and The Rock the night before. Both Saturday and Sunday's Main Events were full of near falls and incidents and the run ins (on Night 2) went completely off the chart with the Undertaker's appearance especially feeling very distinct. I can't remember the last time the Main Event of a WrestleMania was actually the match of the night but with WrestleMania 40, both main event matches stole the show for me.

Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch opened WrestleMania 40 with a very good match that I felt never quite reached the quality that Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair did at WrestleMania 39. I was initially disappointed because I was hoping for an absolute classic but it was later revealed that Becky Lynch was wrestling unwell which changes my perception a lot of this match. It was the predictable but right result and further cements Rhea Ripley as the top female wrestler in WWE today and it certainly didn't make sense for me to move the title onto Becky Lynch who frankly didn't need it at this stage of her career. A strong opening for WrestleMania 40.

Sami Zayn defeating Gunther and ending the longest Intercontinental Title run in history was a big WrestleMania moment for him and turned out to be one of the best matches on the card. Was this better than the Triple Threat Match Gunther had with Drew McIntyre and Sheamus last year? Not for me and I'm still not 100% sure whether Sami was the right person for this but there's no denying the quality of the execution. It was a great feel good moment that was well positioned to balance the card out when you consider how the result of the Main Event tag match was going to go. It was the feel good moment Saturday needed and was the second best match on the Saturday card for me. I'm a huge Gunther fan and while I'm disappointed his run as champion is over, truthfully he's done as much as he can with that title and will hopefully be positioned into the main event scene in the coming months.

The type of match Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre worked was not what I was expecting and reminded me of the sort of fast paced, frantic, finisher heavy encounters that we saw with Brock Lesnar in recent years. Yet it made sense when you factor in the long running injury storyline with Seth Rollins plus Rollins had worked a 45 minute match the previous evening. This certainly set the pace and mood for WrestleMania Sunday that it would be one that they followed all night right into the Main Event. What followed with CM Punk and Damian Priest however I thought was storytelling genius. McIntyre vs. Punk is gonna be a long gestating feud and the inevitable clash is going to be something to really look forward to and that's going to be in no small part due to this moment. Well judged, smart and forward thinking; this was one of WrestleMania 40's best moments.

I love a triple threat match especially when done well with superstars who have great chemistry, timing and creativity. Logan Paul/Kevin Owens/Randy Orton made for a great WrestleMania pairing and it delivered exactly what you would want for an event of this magnitude. It keeps getting said however Logan Paul deserves plenty of plaudits for the performances he delivers and this year is no different. Better than the WrestleMania 39 triple threat match? Still a no for me but then again that was a very different type of match that played out. This match here is one of the best WrestleMania 40 served up.

What a statement this match was. Not only was this match high up on the card but it featured a trailblazer for women's wrestling who finally got her WrestleMania moment against one of the finest to come out of NXT. A real opportunity to showcase the biggest night of the wrestling year and neither of them disappointed. I did wonder whether they had the best chemistry but they put on a great performance and the match was helped by a crowd who were into it from the very start. Very good match.

BEST NIGHT - Sunday/Night 2

BEST MATCH - Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns and The Rock (Night 1)

WORST MATCH - Jimmy Uso vs. Jey Uso (Night 1)

BEST MOMENT - Cody finishes the story

WORST MOMENT - The table accidentally breaks in The Pride vs. The Final Testament match

EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS - LA Knight vs. AJ Styles

SHOULD'VE BEEN BETTER - Naomi, Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill vs. Damage Contrl

BEST ENTRANCE - Seth Rollins (Night 2)

WORST ENTRANCE - Bayley

UNSUNG HERO - Seth Rollins

VERDICT OF WRESTLEMANIA 40

A WrestleMania of generally high quality matches supporting two Main Event matches telling a compelling story. This is a WrestleMania that will rightly be remembered as the night Cody finishes his story in one of the greatest feel good moments in WWE history. A very good WrestleMania but perhaps not the best WrestleMania.

****

#wwe wrestlemania #wwe #wrestlemania 40 #wrestlemania xl #wrestlemania 2024 #cody rhodes #seth rollins #roman reigns #the rock #the bloodline #the tribal chief #the american nightmare #drew mcintyre #undisputed wwe universal champion #world heavyweight championship #the usos #solo sikoa #john cena #the undertaker

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lorecatchup · 5 months

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2015: Cody Rhodes WWE appearances, episode dates and time stamps:

Smackdown January 2: 21:31

RAW January 5: opening

Smackdown January 9: 39:44

Main Event January 13: 1:10

Smackdown January 22: https://youtu.be/NMkJnkE_mhg?si=lXFEdXvbAdypDJQh

Royal Rumble: 1:54:35 #13

Smackdown January 29: 51:33

Smackdown Fallout: https://youtu.be/BSbYO2qCgGc?si=5QbwKd6DU9ngHQvw

RAW February 2: 37:15 "don't call me Cody" starts

Smackdown February 5: 17:02

RAW February 9: 1:17:10/1:22:43

RAW February 16: 29:29/41:43

JBL 117: https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxIDwx3NIBVF9RsmebfD16tyF3UHBC8L9X?si=9hmpJrz2xBda_PIv

Main Event February 17: 10:28

Smackdown February 19: 1:01:39

Fastlane: 27:45

RAW February 23: 1:20:00

RAW Fallout February 23: https://youtu.be/e3T0YFtlW_U?si=nJx7I_qiYColdb6U

JBL #118: https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxErV0mtEAzTsq5S5kcbIui_ZSVm6o71Th?si=v3RaFKhvyVm4bP1D

Main Event February 25: 32:26

Smackdown February 26: 1:03:40

Smackdown March 5: 1:22:22

RAW March 9: 25:00

Smackdown March 12: 10:16/1:09:13

RAW March 16: 1:37:26

Smackdown March 19: 26:55

March 19: https://youtu.be/7NiAl-M-x-A?si=H3p_7FiXt6fkGqFn

RAW March 23: 15:29

JBL Show #122: https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxK4-n4VPU0I_L64V807qVM62QVt0wy0MQ?si=WdrgEB2Q7siKUFFH

Wrestlemania press: https://youtu.be/ubOwDXMMe0g?si=FhhYFFCVHxDJf0X_

Wrestlemania press:

https://youtu.be/WrGwo8ZHOMI?si=pbhfpRU8DXYEZQi6

Wrestlemania press:

https://youtu.be/szwMEu2XAwI?si=EcGfYc45V4li2Nc9

Wrestlemania press:

https://youtu.be/-6lgIvwmU1w?si=WfiFCKIGuPBzW0y9

Wrestlemania press:

https://youtu.be/BvC2kdoZ5Ek?si=QqD3VO1_9g_6O_Yf

Wrestlemania: first match

RAW March 30: 59:21

Main Event April 1: 1:00

JBL Show #123: 0:21

RAW April 6: 48:44

RAW April 13: 1:15:37

Main Event April 22: 19:52

RAW April 27: 52:30

Main Event April 29: 32:02

RAW May 4: 1:16:21

Main Event May 6: 34:04

JBL #128: https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxmz5nofzSJMpnkh-EHnJbBXY8WEL0PvDM?si=0CuWIvoRllHjpCJa

Main Event May 13: 31:28

Superstars May 15: 29:37

Payback kickoff: 27:28

RAW May 18: 1:36:50

Smackdown May 21: 48:54

RAW May 25: 1:02:00

RAW Fallout: https://youtu.be/7Jhnvh6kulg?si=6xFh0GsF9wpTChz3

Elimination Chamber kickoff: 40:05

Smackdown June 4: 28:34

Main Event June 10: 17:20 Last match before Dusty passes

YEAR NINE

RAW July 13: 1:54:16

Smackdown July 16: 53:20

Smackdown July 23: 17:52/23:38

RAW July 27: 35:06

Smackdown July 30: 53:53

RAW August 3: 1:49:00

August 5, 2015: https://youtu.be/GPWyZK_suAk?si=d8VUDTrDQPjndZAky

Smackdown August 6: 55:27

RAW August 10: 1:51:21

August 10:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2544390-stardust-storyline-a-fascinating-case-of-wwe-breaking-the-4th-wall

Main Event August 12: 14:58/32:30

RAW August 17: 1:52:26

Main Event August 19: 16:56

Smackdown August 20: 37:22

SummerSlam:

RAW August 24: 1:12:14

Main Event August 26: 12:56/24:39

Smackdown September 3: 16:36

Superstars September 4: 28:31/34:17

Smackdown September 10: 1:01:48/1:08:53

Superstars September 11: 7:34/29:35

RAW September14: 1:19:18

RAW Fallout September 14: https://youtu.be/mL17o0Nnga0?si=02_sBQRrPJ1p_U_Z

Smackdown September 17: 23:12

Night of Champions Kickoff

RAW September 21: 16:41

Main Event September 22: 16:51

September 26: https://youtu.be/FNKjUOp8Pvo?si=ACf77PcDtUZzkZku

RAW September 28: 1:11:47

Smackdown October 1: 49:24

Live from MSG October 3: 23:19

Battlefront 2 Let's Play, October 8: https://youtu.be/EkBSOapmJpc?si=IUzMj9BOKTAwD4m1

Smackdow October 8: 1:04:51

RAW October 12: 2:05:39

Main Event October 14: 1:13

Smackdown October 15: 14:00

Superstars October 16: 34:23

Smackdown October 22: 7:33

Superstars October 23: 33:54

Hell in a Cell Kickoff: 36:58

RAW October 26: 1:50:43

Main Event October 27: 14:46

RAW November 2: 32:55

Main Event November 4: 11:28/27:45

Seth knee injury

Smackdown November 12: 54:22

Superstars November 13: 24:30/29:43

Smackdown November 19: 19:37

Survivor Series Kickoff: 55:00 Goldust Returns

RAW November 23: 59:24/1:01:07

Main Event November 25: 2:25

RAW November 30: 1:47:51

Main Event December 2: 32:52

RAW December 7: 31:20/1:46:13

December 21, 2015: https://youtu.be/WFlkomAT-RQ?si=46zmq0Pnahkulpu

December 22, 2015: https://youtu.be/qnLUd6e-5NM?si=z6AtRqlfO61CGK7Y get em chewie

Smackdown December 24: 18:49/35:46/54:37

Main Event December 30: 28:45

#dates and times

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danganpoppy · 8 months

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As I've mentioned before i do not normally post about pro wrestling on this blog, but i have been an fan of the sport for years. That's to say a few hours ago it was announced by triple h (real name paul levesque) on twitter that windham rotunda better known by his ring name bray wyatt has passed away from a heart attack at the age of 36. Personally, i (like many fans of wrestling) was a fan of bray wyatt basically from the moment he debuted on the main roster, the idea of this character that was almost impossible to look away from was interesting to me and i was happy as hell when he won the wwe championship despite the ups and downs in his booking i still loved the character. Now i wasn't actively watching wrestling when he was the fiend but i do remember seeing clips of it here and there, and it was cool a reinvention into this new interesting character that was able to breathe life into bray wyatt's career and make him this almost unstoppable force. Come to 2022 and rumor of bray wyatt's return were picking back up, this time with fan footage of the song "white rabbit" playing during commercial breaks of raw and smackdown as well as during house shows, it was again interesting to me as i was getting back into wrestling, and after a bunch of clues the rabbit hole led to one final date extreme rules 2022 after a incredible show (at least to me) i was in my grandma's living roon as the show came to an end. And then the lights in the arena went out, and i lost my mind as "he's got the whole world in his hands" started, i was extremely excited to see the return of the man who was perhaps one of the most creative people in the modern era. Say what you will about his final feud leading into the royal rumble 2023 but i was excited my first time watching bray wyatt wrestle a match in almost 3 years and it was great as a fan of the characters that man would come up with, i was just as excited when he won and then went into a wrestlemania program with bobby lashley, then bray disappeared from television with rumors that he was going through health issues/injury and i was sad he would miss the big show but glad he was taking time off to heal, that time turned into 8 months with rumors he was working towards a return to the ring soon it was looking like all was well. Until today out of nowhere and it sucks, i wish his family all the best in this time of grief. And while this may be overused it will never not be true: remember to tell the people you care about that you love them, you never know what could happen.

#sorry if this is all over the place still trying to fully process it.#RIP bray wyatt #bray wyatt #wwe

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braindead-virtually-tv · 1 year

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WrestleMania Nights 1 & 2 Match Cards

April 1st & 2nd So-Fi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Have your say in the "Who will win" Polls!

NIGHT 1

Singles Match for the WWE United States Champion Austin Theory (c) v John Cena