WHERE CHATTERS GO TO TALK ABOUT OFF TOPIC STUFF!
WWE's annual Wrestlemania PPV is in 9 days. Like the last two, it will be spread out over two nights, Saturday April 2nd and Sunday, April 3rd. The WWE has announced that this going to be format for all future Wrestlemanias as well, because it allows them to feature more, longer matches. However, with two nights, I don't have any idea which matches are going to be which night, and even I did, they could just change them last minute, so I am just gonna list them all... SmackDown Women’s Championship Match Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey They have been building to this since Ronda Rousey returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble in January. Personally, I think there is only one way they can go with this match. In order for Charlotte to win more titles than her father the Nature Boy, she has to lose titles...and there is literally nobody left for Flair to beat. Prediction: Ronda Rousey wins Smackdown Women's title, if only to keep the Smackdown's women's division remotely interesting. Raw Women’s Championship Match Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bianca Belair On the other hand, in this match, I think the WWE is going to go with the champion retaining. First, for as good as Belair is, WWE hasn't booked her the best, and she feels just like the next chapter in the "Big Time Becks" storyline. Second, rumor has it that Asuka is 100% healthy, and they are just waiting until after Wrestlemania to bring her back to RAW. If Becky were to drop the Raw Women's title, Asuka makes FAR more sense, as they have a natural history against each other, you don't need to build that match up all... Prediction: Becky Lynch retains. "The KO Show" "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to confront Kevin Owens This isn't a wrestling match. Steve Austin is not coming out of retirement. This is gonna be the "cheap pop to the Texas audience" segment of the show. This is going to be one of those in-ring interview things...KO will no doubt be confrontational to Austin, keep insulting Texas, and then the opportunity will come for Stone Cold to give Kevin Owens the stunner...end. Prediction: C'mon. It's obvious. KO gets stunned, Stone Cold drinks beer. Edge vs. AJ Styles I don't really have a lot to say about this one, other than it has the potential to steal the show. This could legit be a 30+ minute, 5-star match. Prediction: Not gonna predict a winner, but I am gonna predict this match is freaking entertaining as hell. Rey & Dominik Mysterio vs. The Miz & Logan Paul Given Rey is the cover of the WWE 2K22 game that just came out, something tells me that the Miz leaves disappointed. Prediction: Mysterios Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin Oh, how the mighty have fallen. How the hell did Drew McIntyre go from being the most dominant force on RAW to having a Wrestlemania match against...Corbin? Squash match. Prediction: Drew McIntyre, and it's not even close. SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match The Usos (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs This match could also be one of those matches to watch out for as a potential show stealer...Normally, I would hesitate before EVER predicting the USOs to lose a tag team title match against just about anyone other than maybe The New Day, but...all of the momentum, all of the indications are, that could change this year. Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boggs win the belts. WWE Champion vs. Universal Champion Winner Take All Championship Unification Match WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns How many times do we have to see this match? They've already faced off five times, including twice at Wrestlemania. The WWE SHOULD put the strap back on Lesnar, but, would they? They are bragging about how long Reigns has been champ, they want him to be the modern Hulk Hogan...that means keeping the strap on him...Right now the tally is Brock Lesnar 3, Roman Reigns 2 in 1v1 matches. Prediction: Roman Reigns retains, setting up a feud (probably) with former Shield teammate Seth Rollins. Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn I don't expect much out of this "match", as such, I don't even care enough to really make a prediction for it. Sorry. No Prediction. Raw Tag Team Championship Match RK-Bro (c) vs. The Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy This match is Alpha Academy's to lose. They have been RED HOT lately, they have been groomed to be the champions, and RK-Bro has to break up at some point. Prediction: Alpha Academy wins titles. Women’s Tag Team Championship Match Queen Zelina & Carmella (c) vs. Sasha Banks & Naomi vs. Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan vs. Natalya & Shayna Baszler Honestly? No matter who wins this, the Twitterverse will bitch about how whichever team that leaves Wrestlemania with the belt doesn't deserve it, because they aren't a real team, just two singles wrestlers being put together as team... No prediction. Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory Outside of major shenanigans going on, no way Austin Theory loses to Pat McAfee. Prediction: Austin Theory Almost guaranteed match that just hasn't been announced yet, because they have kept his return completely secret: Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes Seth is going to get a match at Wrestlemania, and it will probably be against Cody Rhodes...but the WWE hasn't even acknowledged Rhodes has resigned with WWE yet, so they might keep this match secret all the up to the point the wrestlers are being introduced for the match. No buildup at all, saving Cody's return to be a Wrestlemania surprise. Prediction: Match ends as a no contest. They can't book Cody to lose his return match and kill any momentum he might have in his return, but they can't really book Rollins to lose to Cody, either.
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That's right...not Sunday, but this Saturday afternoon...And What does Elimination Chamber mean? It means that when it comes to the "Road to Wrestlemania", you are DAMN RIGHT we are on the right road...
Anyway, on to the preview: First, let me say, I normally love the Elimination Chamber PPV, almost as much as the Rumble...but this year, it's clear that this PPV is basically being used as a place-holder for Wrestlemania, with matches where the outcomes are mostly really easy to predict. I don't expect many surprises...except for ONE possibility... Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz There isn't really much at stake here. As such, this might be the time the WWE pulls the trigger on Dominick Mysterio's heel turn, setting up a father vs. son match at Wrestlemania. Prediction: Dominick turns on Rey, and helps the Miz win. Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss (again?) This is the 2nd PPV in a row for this match, and it's going to have the exact same result. Take a leak or get a snack or something during this match. You won't miss much. Prediction: Drew McIntyre wins in a squash. Smackdown Tag Team Championship The Usos (c) vs. The Viking Raiders The WWE has done NOTHING to make me believe that the Usos will drop the belts to these guys, because they haven't done anything to make people care at all about the Viking Raiders. Prediction: Usos retain. Ronda Rousey & Naomi vs. Charlotte Flair & Sonya DeVille This match basically serves as a warmup for Rousey, just to help her get back into actual match-worthy ring shape. This could go either way, but the actual outcome doesn't really matter, as no matter who wins, the end result will be the same: Set up Rousey/Flair and Naomi/DeVille for Wrestlemania matches. Prediction: Coin flip says Charlotte/Sonya DeVille. Women's Elimination Chamber Match Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Nikki ASH vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Bianca Belair vs. Doudrop Let me put this match this way: It's Rhea Ripley vs. the field. And when the WWE presents matches like that, it's almost always a bad idea to take the field. Prediction: Rhea Ripley wins. Raw Women's Championship Becky Lynch (c) vs Lita Why is this match even happening? Lita isn't back full time, no way they put the belt on her. This match is happening just to give Becky something to do. Prediction: Becky Lynch Universal (Smackdown) Heavyweight Championship Roman Reigns (c) vs. Goldberg On the surface, this seems like a gimme match for Reigns...just like with Lita, Goldberg isn't gonna be around long term...but then again, the last time Goldberg had a title match on PPV, he emerged victorious...This would change the Wrestlemania match to Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg instead of Lesnar vs. Reigns...which, I can actually see the WWE doing, giving us a potential additional match of Reigns vs. Seth Rollins in a non-title capacity... Prediction: Roman Reigns...but I am not as confident about this result as I am a few others... Mens Elimination Chamber Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton vs. Matt Riddle vs. Austin Theory vs. AJ Styles I would LOVE to think this is open ended...but, the WWE has almost flat out told us that the match between Lesnar and Reigns at Wrestlemania would be champion vs. champion. That means there can only really be one outcome here...That doesn't mean there can't be a surprise though...It is entirely possible, that one of the contenders, most likely Riddle or Austin Theory, could be replaced in the match in exchange for the return of...Cody Rhodes. Cody Rhodes had been working for AEW without any contract since December, doesn't have a no-compete clause, meaning he can be used immediately, and is WIDELY expected to have resigned with the WWE...Cody in the Elimination Chamber match would get people talking, could set up a Wrestlemania match for him, even if he doesn't walk out with the title..because even if he ends up a surprise entrant, he isn't winning the WWE title this Saturday. Prediction: Brock Lesnar. As you guys know, outside of Wrestlemania itself, the Royal Rumble each year is by far, my favorite WWE PPV. As a brief reminder, the Royal Rumble is a timed-entrance Battle Royal type match. 2 wrestlers start the match, then every two minutes, another person enters, until all 30 participants have entered. Players can only be eliminated one way: get thrown out of the ring, over the top rope, and have both feet hit the ground. Winner gets a title match of their choice at Wrestlemania. ANNOUNCED MATCHES: WWE Championship -- Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Bobby Lashley Besides the two Rumble matches, this is the match I really want to see. Brock Lesnar has actually been enjoying himself. He's talking, he's laughing, he's actually having fun. This is a Brock Lesnar I can not get sick to death of...and Bobby Lashley had a fantastic run when he was the WWE Champion. Bobby Lashley has been built up properly, if he beats Brock Lesnar cleanly, it's believable. If Brock Lesnar retains, that's believable. What we have here, is a match between two huge guys, both with wrestling training, both with MMA training, both strong as hell. Brock Lesnar is the perfect opponent for Bobby Lashley, and Bobby Lashley is the perfect opponent for Brock Lesnar. Prediction: None. I can legit see this match being won by either competitor, and am not feeling stronger about either man winning. Call it a cop out, but I dunno who I think is gonna win this one. Universal Championship -- Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins My heart really wants me to pick Seth Rollins here, but my head says this is a time killer feud. Roman Reigns isn't losing the belt to Rollins. At least, not right now. If the WWE invested a lot of time into building Rollins back up to the title contender he was in 2020, instead the more comical heel he is now, maybe I'd believe Reign's title run was in serious jeopardy, but this "feud" of theirs just feels rushed, I don't believe it as a viewer. Prediction: Roman Reigns retains the title, and will hold the belt at least for a few more months until Wrestlemania. Miz & Maryse vs. Edge & Beth Phoenix I have a feeling this is just the start of a buildup leading to Miz vs. Edge at Wrestlemania, so having Edge and Beth Phoenix win here doesn't make as much sense as having Miz and Maryse cheat to win...However, Maryse hasn't wrestled in a LONG time, while Beth Phoenix has remained more active in WWE in recent years. On paper, they should be significant favorites. Prediction: Trusting my gut here. Miz and Maryse get the win, by cheating their asses off. Raw Women's Championship -- Becky Lynch (c) vs. Doudrop This is a time killer feud too, just like Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins is. Doudrop isn't winning the title, period. Becky Lynch isn't losing the belt before Wrestlemania. Prediction: Becky Lynch retains. Men's Royal Rumble match Only 15 of the 30 participants have been announced so far: Johnny Knoxville, Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins, Rey Mysterio, Dominik Mysterio, Austin Theory, Sheamus, Damian Priest, AJ Styles, Big E, Happy Corbin, Madcap Moss, Sami Zayn, Kofi Kingston, and Kevin Owens. Half the the Men's Rumble field is still unknown. This could change drastically in the next 9 days, and if so, I will update this post...but right now, out of the 15 guys already announced, I don't see anyone I can predict as the winner, outside of MAYBE Big E. I have heard a rumor that like Mickie James, the Men's Rumble MIGHT have at least one, if not more entrants who are on loan from other promotions. Those are just rumors, though, so I won't speculate who, if anyone from another promotion they are referring to. Anyway, on to the prediction... Prediction: Drew McIntyre wins his 2nd Rumble, so he can face Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania...but, I am NOT confident about this choice at all. Women's Royal Rumble match 21 of the 30 women participating have already been announced. Carmella, Dana Brooke, Nikki A.S.H., Queen Zelina, Rhea Ripley, Tamina, Aliyah, Charlotte Flair, Naomi, Natalya, Shayna Baszler, Shotzi, Brie Bella, Lita, Nikki Bella, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool, Mickie James, Summer Rae, Bianca Belair, and Liv Morgan. Maybe the WWE will add to that list in the next 9 days, as there are still two Smackdowns and another RAW that airs before the Rumble, but I suspect that they are leaving the 9 remaining as a mystery intentionally. Anyway, you have your nostalgia returners like Lita, the Bella Twins, Michelle McCool (Undertaker appearance possibly?) and Kelly Kelly, your regular midcard fillers, but then, there are two names that are really curious...Obviously, if you read my last Garbage Time post, you know about current Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James, but also we see the name of Charlotte Flair...despite her being the reigning Smackdown Women's Champion...What purpose does having Flair in that match serve? I don't know...is it just a swerve, and she will be eliminated, or will she win, possibly setting up a belt vs. belt title match at Wrestlemania against the Raw Women's Champion? Prediction: Naomi probably deserves to win this, but the WWE never really cared much about "deserved"...Only reason I can think of to have Charlotte Flair in this match is for her to win, and set up Flair/Lynch for Wrestlemania. I hate having to predict Charlotte Flair winning, but she's gotta be the odds-on favorite. RUMORED MATCH: Raw Tag Team Championship -- Alpha Academy (c) vs. RK-Bro Chad Gable and Otis have gotten the better of RK-Bro (Randy Orton, Matt Riddle) lately, and if this match happens, it will be to serve one purpose: Break up RK-Bro. Randy Orton isn't meant for tag teaming. He is a singles superstar, and future Hall of Famer. If this match happens, I expect it to either happen on the kickoff show, or very early in the card, and then see both Randy Orton and Riddle be entrants into the Men's Rumble. Prediction : Alpha Academy retains. This is not the Royal Rumble preview post I do every year, as we get on the Road to Wrestlemania, rather, this is going to focus on a single detail the WWE announced last week regarding this year's Royal Rumble. More specifically, regarding the Women's Royal Rumble Match... Last week, the WWE announced 19 of the 30 entrants, and, as is normal, there were a few WWE alumni listed. So, which alumni have been announced? Both Nikki and Brie Bella, Kelly Kelly, Lita, Michelle McCool, Summer Rae, and Mickie James. WAIT. STOP. Mickie James? As in the CURRENT IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James? Who just defended her Knockouts title against Deonna Purrazzo over the weekend? One and the same. One of the entrants in the 2022 Women's Rumble is a reigning champion for another wrestling company. Now, why is this noteworthy? During the territory days, there are lots of examples of companies working together, sharing talent, etc...so, what's the big deal? I mean, the AWA ran multiple SuperClash PPVs back in the late 80s-90s that used talent from WCCW, the NWA and other companies... The WWE has a long standing policy to NEVER acknowledge that other wrestling companies even exist, let alone do anything to promote those shows. You will see Tony Khan over on AEW name-drop the WWE all the time...you will never hear Vince McMahon, Michael Cole or Corey Graves mention AEW on WWE TV, ever. While they hinted at the war between RAW and Nitro during the Attitude era, you didn't actually see the WWE mention WCW by name, until the night they went on TV acknowledging they purchased them...They mocked individual wrestlers from WCW, they mocked Jim Ross, but they did their best to avoid actually saying the words WCW or World Champion Wrestling, Nitro, etc. This isn't technically the first time WWE and Impact have done something together, when the WWE wanted to induct Ric Flair into the HOF, the Nature Boy was contracted to Impact...in exchange for Impact letting Flair appear on WWE programming, WWE sent Christian (Cage) to Impact to work a PPV...but, they didn't actually say Flair was part of Impact when they did it... Yet, we have not only the WWE allowing the Impact Knockouts champion to wrestle in the Rumble, but, the WWE actually ADVERTISES her as the Impact Knockouts Champion on their Twitter account... So, is this a one and done situation, where, after the Rumble, the WWE continues to pretend nobody else exists, or is this actually the beginning of a partnership/talent exchange with Impact? Only time will tell.
- The WWE painted themselves into a silly corner. They drafted the Smackdown Women's Champion to RAW, and the RAW Women's Champion to Smackdown. They have to find some way to swap belts between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, to keep the right belt on the right show. Of course, if they didn't name the belts after the shows, they wouldn't have that problem in the first place...
- NXT's Bron Breakker is gonna be a MASSIVE star in the WWE some day. But it won't be as Bron Breakker. He is a STEINER. His father is Rick Steiner, of the Steiner brothers. In the words of Roman Reigns, ACKNOWLEDGE HIM! - Fuck Crown Jewel. Daytime PPVs are lame. - Nothing against AEW as a company, I wish them the best, but Tony Khan pisses me the hell off. He's a spoiled little rich kid who thinks daddy's money is his. - Paul Heyman apparently has been teasing a new member to "Bloodline"...Gee. I wonder if it's gonna be Naomi??? - Paul Heyman playing Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns off of each other is by far, the best part of Smackdown. - Judging by what the WWE is letting some of the women wear in NXT, the PG era might be on it's way out...and if the WWE women were still doing Playboy, NXT's Mandy Rose would be number uno on Playboy's wish list. - I will never not hate the bedazzled title belt designs. - When Chris Jericho decides to hang the boots up, I would LOVE to see him back in the WWE at the announcer's table in the Bobby "the Brain" Heenan/Jerry Lawler role. Heel color guy to the straight laced face announcer. - Cody Rhodes new wrestling gear is simply terrible. He claims it's not "Homelander" inspired (from the Amazon Prime video series "The Boys"), and ok...so if it's not based on Homelander, what made him think the bastard love child between Elvis Presley and Evel Knievel's jumpsuits was a good idea? Unless he is gonna do a stunt jumping the wrestling ring on a motorcycle, it looks ridiculous. - I don't know what to think about Bianca Belair. Sometimes she is annoying as hell, and other times, she's damn funny. - Carmella is a total butter face. - No matter how many times they have Austin Theory beat Jeff Hardy, I won't care. At all. Beating Jeff Hardy in 2021 doesn't really have the same rub it might have had in 2008...He's enhancement talent now. - And this is more of a personal thing: If any of you watch FirePro Wrestling streams on Twitch, check out WCC, aka Wrestling Cup Classic, and their Discord channel. WCC is an interactive eFed, where owners of the game can create and submit their own unique characters to be part of it. Very fun, and always looking to add more people. And I am not just saying that, because two of my three characters are current title holders in WCC, LOL... Most people reading this won't have any idea who Reggie Parks was...and that's okay, because you have never seen him on TV, his name never comes up in interviews with wrestlers, so why would you know him? Thing is, you may not recognize his name, but wrestling fans everywhere know his work...Here are some of his more famous creations: And perhaps the most famous of his work, arguably the best looking title belt in the history of pro wrestling, the legendary WWF Winged Eagle. About the only belt that mattered to you during your childhood pro wrestling fandom that Reggie Parks didn't create, is the world famous "Big Gold Belt", of the NWA, WCW, and finally, WWE fame. The "Ric Flair" belt. Other than that one though? Pretty much all of the titles you remember were designed by Reggie Parks. And, speaking on a personal level, the WWE could use someone like Parks. Over the last 15 years or so, their championship designs have gotten uglier and uglier. From the spinner belt to the gaudy bling laden garbage design that almost all of the WWE titles look like now, they simply don't look professional. They look like a child designed them. I yearn for the days when championship belts looked important. - First, let me explain my philosophy when it comes to pro wrestling: The more the merrier. While I primarily watch WWE, I wish nothing but the best for AEW, Impact, New Japan, ROH, or any other wrestling organization. That is, I am not a "fanboi" who is all about MY COMPANY IS WINNING, HAHAHA!. In the 1990s, I happily switched between WCW Nitro and Monday Night Raw, based on whatever was more interesting at the time. I watched both equally, and didn't really have a "favorite". I am still kind of waiting for AEW to reach WCW level though. I know AEW fans think they are there already, but outside of the ex-WWE guys they have, nobody outside of the rabid indy fanboy knows who most of their roster is. Sorry, but the truth hurts. I hope AEW gets big enough to be legitimate competition with WWE, as it forces both companies to be at the top of their games...but they aren't there yet.
- Speaking of ex-WWE guys, lets talk about CM Punk. I wonder how quick it's going to take for the shine to wear off when it comes to CM Punk? Here's the thing. CM Punk works as an outsider type, as an agitator, someone who rebels against the corporate way of doing things, etc...He stood out in the WWE, but will that kind of character really stand out in AEW? I mean, that describes 1/3 of their roster...What is CM Punk going to do to stand out in AEW, with that roster, what makes him unique or special? I just have a feeling that once his initial push is over, and he becomes "just one of the boys", he's going to get lost in the shuffle, because his entire schtick doesn't really work with a roster that fit that corporate mentality... - Another WWE guy, Daniel Bryan, aka Bryan Danielson, is also joining AEW. I am going to take the same position as I did when he came back to the WWE: DON'T. PLEASE. This isn't about hating on DB...love the guy. But DB is one wrong move to his neck from being crippled for life. I really don't understand how he continues to take that risk, when he has a wife and two children at home. I understand wanting to come back from a leg or arm injury...even sort of coming back from a back injury...but maybe it's just me, but if I am a wrestler, and I injure my neck to the extent that DB injured his, that's it. I'm done. Period. I would rather see Daniel Bryan retire and enjoy the rest of his life, than risk taking that one bad move that could leave him paralyzed. To me, that risk just doesn't seem worth it. I know he loves performing, but at some point, his health has to come first...better to put his health first now, than wait until it's too late. - That brings us to Shawn Michaels 2.0, aka Adam Cole. If he is truly a FA, and he signs with AEW (his long time girlfriend Britt Baker is there) that might get me to watch AEW more. Vince McMahon was an idiot not to throw the freaking bank at Cole to keep him in the WWE. Adam Cole is going to be a huge superstar, letting him go is/was a HUGE mistake for the WWE, and a blessing for wherever he ends up. Vince should have thrown a shitload of money at him, and then told him as soon as Britt Baker's contract with AEW expires, she's got a job too... - I detest the flowery new NXT logo. It looks like something a 5 year old painted, using nothing but primary colors. Honestly? It looks like it's the 1990s, and it's going to be the name of the next In Your House PPV, hosted by Todd Pettengill...If that logo is a clue as to what the "new" NXT looks like, my days watching NXT might be over. We'll see after tonight's episode. - After checking my notes, I still hate Matt Riddle. - Nia Snacks got a win over RAW Women's champ Charlotte Flair last night...but, to me, it looked very much like something legit happened in that match. Like, at some point, it stopped being kayfabe, and turned into a bit of an unplanned shoot. Nia dropped Charlotte a bit awkwardly (Nia fucking something up? NO WAY!) and Charlotte didn't take too kindly to it... - Damian Priest is growing on me. - It's time for Vinnie Mac to step down, I think. He can still own the company, but I think he is past the point where he can continue to effectively run the WWE's day to day operations as a wrestling company. I hate to say he is turning into Verne Gagne, but he's turning into Verne Gagne. Completely out of touch with today's audience. Time to turn the company over to Stephanie, Shane and Triple H, each with their own unique responsibilities, and get out of the way... KICKOFF SHOW:
Big E vs. Baron Corbin (Kickoff Match) So, the WWE has tried to paint Baron Corbin as being poverty stricken because someone stole his wallet or some shit over a month ago. Yet, he keeps having matches...does the WWE really want the fans to think WWE wrestlers are paid poorly? Because that's the message they are sending...anyway, for some reason, Baron Corbin stole Big E's Money in the Bank briefcase on Smackdown, as if that somehow transferred the win to him, and would allow him to cash in...stupid idea, but it set up the match...not much really to talk about, other than Big E gets the win, fueling speculation that at one of these PPVs, he is going to cash in MITB and become either the WWE Champ or Universal Champ. Honestly, I expected him to do it at Summerslam, but he didn't... Grade: B- Raw Tag Team Championship -- AJ Styles & Omos (c) vs. RK-Bro The first match of the PPV itself. RK-Bro not only get the win, but they pick up the tag titles as well. Match was decent enough to get the crowd going, but it wasn't an all-time classic, either. Grade: B Alexa Bliss vs. Eva Marie Let's be honest here...this match served only one purpose: to let Piper Niven/Doudrop get her break from Eva Marie. It wasn't the total squash match I had predicted, but Alexa had to do everything she could to make Eva Marie look remotely competent. It's a shame, because Eva Marie has absolutely no business being employed by the WWE, let along taking a PPV spot from an actual wrestler. Only reason she's there is because Vince McMahon likes her tits. That's it. She's got a smoking hot body, with absolutely ZERO talent to match. Grade: D. The match itself is probably really a C or a C+, but fuck Eva Marie (figuratively). Match gets downgraded just because she was involved. United States Championship -- Sheamus (c) vs. Damian Priest Ok, now we are talking! A technical masterpiece, this was not, lol. Two big guys were just out there kicking each other's asses. It was wonderful. Maybe I was just in a good mood, because in reflection, this match probably wasn't as good as I think it was, but honestly? I don't care. I enjoyed it. I don't really care about either of these two wrestlers, but it was just a fun, entertaining match. Damian Priest gets the win the US title. Grade: B for the match itself, A- for just how entertained I was anyway. SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- The Usos (c) vs. The Mysterios Well, my coin flip didn't pan out here. The Usos retained their belts, but during this match, something became really obvious. Rey was carrying the load for his son. Dominic simply isn't ready yet. They rushed him through, when honestly? He could have used a bit of time in NXT, even masked, without giving away his identity, because he just isn't as naturally gifted as his father is in the ring. Dominic is 24 years old. Two years OLDER than Rey was when he started in WCW, and isn't nearly as polished as his dad was. This match was really the Usos vs. Rey Mysterio, with a little interference from Dominic every now and then to give Rey a tiny breather. Dominic Mysterio needs more training. Period. Rey did a marvelous job in what was essentially a handicap match though. Grade: Usos: A, Rey: A-, Dominic: D. SmackDown Women's Championship -- Bianca Belair (c) vs. Sasha Banks This is when things started to get a little bonkers. In what MUST have been inspired by the Intercontinental Title match at the first ever Summerslam, the WWE announces that Sasha Banks was unable to compete against Bianca Belair...out comes Carmella as Banks replacement for the match...she makes it to the ring, and the match is gonna be Bianca Belair vs. Carmella...goody...then, HOLY SHIT. NO WAY! THAT'S BECKY LYNCH'S MUSIC!!!!!! Becky Lynch gets to the ring, kindly tosses Carmella the hell out, and lays down a challenge to Belair for a title match, right there and then. Bianca agrees...30 seconds later, Becky Lynch is standing there, holding up the Smackdown Women's Championship. Match itself was garbage, It was literally a missed Bianca kick, a Becky Lynch slam, pin, done. However, Not only did it serve to bring Lynch back, which oddly enough, NOBODY had predicted, despite months of "Is this the PPV Becky comes back at?" this summer, But it was a clear homage to the Honky Tonk Man and Ultimate Warrior match from the first Summerslam. Lots of people loved Becky's return, some are mad that they didn't at least have a real match, that it ended too quickly, and was unfair for Bianca to have to give the belt up in a total squash...Don't care. It was awesome seeing the Irish Lasskicker back in the ring. Grade: Match: F. Overall experience: B+ Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal Not the total squash match I predicted, but pretty close. Jinder at least got a little offense in before McIntyre killed him... Grade: C- Raw Women's Championship -- Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley This match was a lot better than it looked on paper. All three women got in numerous high spots, lots of offense. Charlotte Flair adds another title to her collection, but that isn't what is really important about this match...the WWE did a very good job booking this, so that despite Charlotte getting yet another title, it didn't make either Nikki or Rhea Ripley look weaker to do it. This match was booked as 3 equals, where simply one of them had to win, and it just happened to be Charlotte Flair...It's not very often that you can somehow make a champion look stronger by having them lose their title, but they may have gotten away with doing just that when it comes to Nikki Cross/ASH. Grade: A Edge vs. Seth Rollins Ok...I don't know how much longer Edge can keep doing this...but you know that saying, "I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm a good, once, as I ever was"? That was Edge in this match. Edge and Rollins put on a freaking show. The women's title match that had just preceded it was easily the match of the night...for a brief moment in time, kind of like how U2 owned Live Aid...for an hour, and then Queen took the stage...it was kind of like that. Edge and Rollins put on an instant classic. 20 years from now, when people remember Summerslam 2021, this match is going to be at the top of everyone's list. If you have Peacock Network, Summerslam was worth watching just for this freaking match. Grade: A+ WWE Championship -- Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Goldberg Bobby Lashley retains. That's all you need to know about this worthless match. Ref ended up stopping the match after Goldberg injured his leg, so...expect a possible rematch nobody was asking for, as technically, Goldberg didn't get "beat". Grade: D Universal Championship -- Roman Reigns (c) vs. John Cena This match was a lot better than it had any right to be. For being gone so long, John Cena absolutely brought it...to the point while watching it, I was actually doubting my prediction that Reigns would retain. This match was the main event, and they put on a show too. It wasn't quite as good as Edge/Rollins was, but dammit, John Cena and Roman Reigns went to war. Very entertaining match for both of them. Roman Reigns does end up defending his title, but nobody can say that their match didn't deserve to be the main event...they earned it. Grade: A BUT, we aren't done yet! No sooner did this match conclude, when who should come out, but BROCK FREAKING LESNAR to stare Reigns down! Looks like Lesnar enjoyed his Summer vacation, and is back for at least a little while, as long as Vince pays him... Let me say this: This show was a bit unpredictable at times. It had its high moments, it had some lows, but overall? I had a damn good time watching. WWE PPVs have been rather lackluster during COVID, feeling like they were just going through the motions...but this Saturday's Summerslam actually felt like...SUMMERSLAM. It felt big, like it was back to being one of the WWE's big four, along with the Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and of course, Wrestlemania. Despite the bullshit with Goldberg and Eva Marie, overall, the highs easily outweighed the lows, so I'd give Summerslam 2021 a grade of A-. I think I would have had the Lashley-Goldberg match a little earlier on the card, like before the Raw Women's title match, but other than that, the 2nd half of this PPV was some of the best non-NXT wrestling the WWE has put on in a long time. 3 of the last 4 matches got an A or an A+ from me. On a side note, since I didn't do a predictions thread for NXT-Takeover, if that was Adam Cole's last match in the WWE, Vince McMahon is an idiot for letting him go. He wants superstars? Adam Cole is this generation's Shawn Michaels. The guy is A SUPERSTAR just waiting for his chance on the main roster. One of the best wrestlers in WWE already, and has charisma up the wazoo. He is a once in a generation type talent. If the WWE lets him go, they are stupid. First things first: As a reminder, for only the 2nd time ever, Summerslam will be on a Saturday, not Sunday. If you are thinking about watching, keep that in mind.
On to the matches: Rumored: RAW Tag Team Championship AJ Styles & Omos (c) vs. RK-Bro (Randy Orton, Matt Riddle) If this match actually happens, my gut says, RK-Bro picks up the titles, for a few reasons...AJ Styles is absolutely being wasted in the tag division, he needs to re-enter the singles scene immediately, and Omos needs to branch out as his own individual wrestler too...Also, Giving them the tag titles makes the strain between Orton and Riddle funnier to watch. Orton and Riddle right now are kind of going the humorous route, with Riddle seemingly clueless about the fact that Orton has turned on every single person he's ever teamed up with...by being associated with Orton, Riddle gets the rub. WWE clearly likes the guy (I don't, personally I hate him), so having him win the tag titles with Orton helps solidify his main roster credibility. Prediction: RK-Bro? CONFIRMED MATCHES Added on RAW Alexa Bliss vs. Eva Marie w/Doudrop (Piper Niven) Why is this match here? Eva Marie CANNOT wrestle. Asuka can't get on the card, but EVA MARIE gets a spot? UGH. Prediction: Alexa Bliss gets the easy win. Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal I guess they needed to have Drew on the show somehow...Squash match. Prediction: Drew McIntyre US Championship Match Sheamus (c) vs. Damian Priest This has the potential to be the kind of match that can define Priest's WWE career. Not that it will make him a star, Sheamus certainly doesn't have that ability to rub off on other wrestlers...but a win here by Priest, establishes him as a solid mid-carder on the RAW roster. He's kind of been directionless since coming up from NXT, a win here can fix that. Prediction: Damien Priest wins US title. Edge vs. Seth Rollins This is going to be the first of a few themed predictions....Edge's job here is to make Seth Rollins look good. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns is absolutely going to happen at some point, perhaps this fall/winter as they wait to set up Reigns/Rock at next year's Wrestlemania. Rollins hasn't been doing much since coming back from being with Becky during maternity leave. That ends this Saturday. Edge does the job, Rollins starts moving back into the main event scene. Prediction: Seth Rollins Smackdown Tag Team Championship The Usos (c) vs. The Mysterios Honestly? I flipped a coin here, LOL. I have no idea what WWE's plans might be for this match. Prediction: Mysterios regain titles, because it came up tails. Smackdown Women's Championship Bianca Belair (c) vs. Sasha Banks A Wrestlemania rematch! Bianca's title run has been solid. She's proven to be more than capable of holding her own on Smackdown, after she got called up from NXT. Crowd loves her, she's got a good gimmick, but, you can't be champ forever. At some point she is going to need to drop the belt, and after the way Sasha Banks did her the favor at Wrestlemania, I think Bianca returns it here. Prediction: Sasha Banks regains title. RAW Women's Championship Nikki ASH (Cross) (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley It's been a fun run, hasn't it? Honestly, I love Nikki Cross's superhero gimmick. It's just fun, and she is enjoying the hell out of it. But she doesn't need the belt for this underdog gimmick to work. This is where I would then normally predict Charlotte Flair to get the win, to add to her collection...BUT, I am not gonna do that. While Nikki's gimmick doesn't NEED the belt to work, I think she gets one last PPV out of having it. She drops it next PPV, not this one. Prediction: Nikki ASH, inexplicably finds a way to retain. WWE Championship/WWE Universal Championship Roman Reigns (c) vs. John Cena, Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Goldberg Combining these two matches, because the end results are both going to be the same, as is the reasoning to get to those results...Cena and Goldberg are there to make the Champions look good. Neither are back full time, Neither can really do another title run. Both Cena and Goldberg are there not just as filler, but to help shine the belts with the prestige getting wins over guys of their caliber comes with. Predictions: Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley This is not a preview of next week's Summerslam PPV, I will do a preview thread for that next week...Instead, this is more of a celebration of some of the best moments and matches in Summerslam history.
The first Summerslam PPV completed the set of quarterly PPVs the then-WWF used to complete storylines. Wrestlemania debuted in 1985, Survivor Series debuted in 1987, and both the Royal Rumble and Summerslam made their debuts in 1988. And holy shit, the WWF set the stage for the next few years of storylines in that first event. First, let's talk about the Intercontinental Championship match. The Honky Tonk Man was scheduled to face off against Brutus the Barber Beefcake, but just a few days before the PPV, Beefcake was involved in a boating accident, that forced him to have reconstructive surgery on his face...he was OUT. So, Vince McMahon had to scramble to find an opponent for HTM in the days leading up...Time for the match, HTM comes out, issues an open challenge, and HOLY SHIT, out comes the ULTIMATE WARRIOR!!! 30 seconds later, Warrior is the IC Champ, and his rise to the top of the WWF card was etched into stone... But more importantly, it was the main event of this PPV that people remember, because back then, the WWF knew how to sell a freaking storyline, sometimes planting the seeds more than a year in advance...If you recall, before the events of Wrestlemania IV, we had the twin-referee storyline that saw Hulk Hogan stripped of the WWF title, thanks to the shenanigans caused by Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant...that led to Wrestlemania IV, which took place earlier in 1988, hosting a tournament for the vacated WWF belt, which was won by "The Macho Man" Randy Savage, with Hogan's assistance in the main event. This led to both the formation of the Mega Powers as a faction/tag team, but also the creation of the Mega Bucks (DiBiase/Andre). Those two teams would meet in the main event at Summerslam. The finish to that match involved the lovely Miss Elizabeth removing her skirt as the "perfect weapon" to distract the Mega Bucks...It was completely tame by today's standards, the "panties" she had on were like cheerleader briefs, but at the time, it was a OMG moment...However, the WWF did something very subtle...they had Hogan look at Elizabeth...maybe a little too long for Randy's liking. This was the first seed planted in using Elizabeth to break the Mega Powers up, to set the stage for Hogan and Savage's match at Wrestlemania V. Something so small, so subtle, and yet, brilliant. Summerslam 1991: TELL EM, HAWK! AWWWWWWWHAT A RUSH!!!!!!! When you think of the Road Warriors/Legion of Doom, you are already thinking about one of, if not the greatest tag team that ever was, but this was a truly historic match. The match itself wasn't anything to brag about, but by beating the Nasty Boys for the WWF Tag Team Championships that night, Animal and Hawk did what was once thought impossible. They became only tag team in history to have won the tag belts for the AWA, the NWA/WCW, and the WWF. The Triple Crown. Moving on to 1992...Wembley Stadium, London. IC champ Bret "The Hitman" Hart defending against his brother in law, "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. If you have never seen this match, find it on YouTube, Peacock, wherever. Watch it. Bret Hart and the Bulldog put on a freaking masterpiece. This is easily one of the best matches either man has ever had, and is one of the best matches ever performed in a WWF/WWE ring. Absolutely fantastic, and yet, it never gets talked about. Shame, because it demonstrated just how good Davey Boy was as a wrestler, and not just as a powerhouse. 1994: Another match involving Bret Hart, this time, facing off against his own baby brother, Owen Hart inside a cage with the WWF title on the line. Honestly? This match perfectly demonstrates exactly what pro wrestling can be. You know that Bret and Owen are going to do everything they can to protect each other in the ring, but at the same time, they made it look like they freaking hated each other. This match is both VIOLENT and yet, displayed a good deal of technical wrestling as well. If you want to understand how wrestling matches can simultaneously look like the people are trying to kill each other, yet, knowing it's all just performance, slight of hand, this is a good match to watch. Skipping to the next year, 1995: Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon, in a Ladder rematch. HBK and Razor stole the show at Wrestlemania with their ladder match over the Intercontinental title...It was the first WWF ladder match, and they both tore the Wrestlemania house down with it...however, for as well praised as their Wrestlemania match is, in my opinion, their rematch at Summerslam, was even better. Summerslam 2000: Edge, Christian, the Hardy Boys, the Dudleys. First ever Tables, Ladders and Chairs (TLC) match. Nuff said. If you don't understand the work those three teams put in against each other, I don't have time to explain it... Summerslam 2002: It wasn't at Wrestlemania, but rather Summerslam that the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar, made his mark by completely dismantling the Rock en route to winning the belt for the first time. Watching it now, also serves as a reminder that before he suffered from diverticulitis while he was in UFC, Brock Lesnar was a terrifying Mofo. He was a beast in his post UFC return to WWE too, but that Brock Lesnar, as good as he was, was a mere shadow of his former self. If you started a joke with "Where does 2002 Brock Lesnar sit?" The punchline would absolutely be "Anywhere he damn well wants." The fact they gave us Lesnar's ascension at Summerslam instead of saving it for Wrestlemania, meant a lot. Summerslam 2003: While it gets its own PPV event now, once upon a time, The Elimination Chamber was just a match type. In the 2nd Elimination Chamber match ever, Triple H faced off against Chris Jericho, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels. The men in that match are all current, or future WWE Hall of Famers. The men in that match were all WCW and/or WWF/E World champions at some point in their careers, representing 48 separate WCW/WWF/E title reigns. If this match isn't the best Elimination Chamber match ever, it's damn close. There are lots of other memorable moments and matches from Summerslam, but, these are just a few of my favorites. |
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February 2021
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