WrestleMania Lead-Up Part One: Brothers and Best Friends - by Big Vin Vader

                      WrestleMania Lead-Up:  Part 1: Brothers and Best Friends

                                                        follow@bigvinvader

    Once again WrestleMania is right around the corner, and, less fortunately, we once again find ourselves with a mixed bag of a card.  That doesn’t change a thing as far as my interest, and I’m sure many fans are feeling the same.  The point, whether for good or bad, is the spectacle, and even the most technically-sound masterpiece of a match wouldn’t quite belong if it wasn’t a huge deal.  With that said, it’s time to take a look back at one of my—and countless others’—favorite WrestleMania matches: Bret vs. Owen Hart, from WrestleMania X, one of the PPV’s all-time best matches, and arguably the greatest show opener of all time.
    That the match contains some of the best pure wrestling ever seen on WWE PPV is no surprise.  There’s nothing I can say that would add to Bret’s spectacular legacy in the ring. Owen, while regarded as a great worker and underrated talker, still goes unmentioned among the all-time greats, regardless of his tragic death in 1999.  He was a magnificent technician, as well as an impressive flyer, long before either of those were common attributes on such a major stage.  Owen easily rests in my top five favorite wrestlers of all time.
    The rivalry between the two brothers was a fantastic example of an engaging, inspired, long-term storyline playing out in an entirely successful manner.  Owen, forever in Bret’s shadow, knew that he was just as good as his brother, and began to vent his frustrations as Bret cost them a few major matches as a tag team.  Finally attacking his injured brother, Owen’s heel turn signified the true beginning of their intense rivalry.  
     WrestleMania X was their first match as opponents, and it was fiery as hell.  The two put their scientific wrestling skills on display and went for over twenty-minutes at a fast pace, blowing away almost the entirety of the card to follow.  The biggest shock of all came with Owen picking up a clean win over Bret, the clear-cut fan favorite, and securing bragging rights.  Of course, that was far from the end of their rivalry, as Bret continued on that night to win the World Heavyweight Championship and remained in the spotlight.  But for those precious opening moments, not only were both brothers the focus of the wrestling world, but Owen was allowed to triumph as a true star.  His petulant, arrogant heel gimmick was perfectly suited to him, and allowed him a ruthless streak that heated the rivalry to the boiling point.

     Far be it for me to compare the Chris Jericho-Kevin Owens rivalry to Bret and Owen’s, but there are some parallels.  The two Canadians were paired as a tag team late last year, with neither seeming to have any major direction on the roster.  From this undesirable scenario, however, they gave us gold with their “best friends” storyline.  They were entertaining as all hell, and played their roles so convincingly that you could be forgiven for buying it all as real.  Naturally, it was both too good and just cheesy enough that it couldn’t last.  In another example of a long-term build, their divide was teased and hinted at for months before ultimately arriving last month on RAW.  It could be argued that the whole friendship angle harmed Owens’ Universal Title run, but in throwing Jericho into the Jeriton, he proved himself to be the ruthless heel he’s played so well for years, while turning Chris face in the process.
      So, we have two men, not quite brothers, but built up as pretty damn close, driven apart by the temper and ego of the lower-profile wrestler.  And much like in Bret and Owen’s case, both are tremendous wrestlers who can be trusted to deliver a top-notch match on a card rife with unexciting filler.  In fact, as far as I’m concerned, Jericho vs. Owens looks to be the match of the night at WrestleMania 33.  It has the most interesting angle story-wise, as well as two of the best wrestlers on RAW.  It will be a huge shock if the match fails to deliver, which is not to say that I’m expecting a classic such as Bret and Owen delivered, just an entertaining, physical contest between two men in a heated rivalry.
     Also, worth mentioning is that Kevin Owens took his wrestling surname in tribute to his son, who he named for Owen Hart, his favorite wrestler.

WWE Fastlane Recap: Looking Ahead to Wrestlemania - by Big Vin Vader

WWE Fastlane 2017  -  Positives and Negatives Heading into Wrestlemania

It’s hard to write about Fastlane this year, and it doesn’t seem right to run down and rate the entire card.  While there’s been a lot of skepticism surrounding WWE’s direction lately, most PPV shows have been mildly-pleasant surprises that end up surpassing low expectations. Fastlane was a pretty damn terrible show, with zero surprises and only slightly more decent matches.  The main problem going in was the fact that the card was actually pretty well-stacked.  The Cruiserweight title match, Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn, and Bayley vs. Charlotte all promised to be solid matches.  And those three were hands-down the best things on the entire show, although only the former exceeded expectations to truly reach the level of excellence.  The rest of the PPV was just shy of terrible, and some of the matches don’t even necessitate a recap or rundown.  The real issue is the fact that this is the last PPV before Wrestlemania, and that event’s card is still way too up in the air for comfort.  So, for this column, I’ll be looking at the negatives and positives from the show, as well as its impact on Wrestlemania as a whole.

The Negatives

Alright, no secret that this outweighs the positives by a large margin.  Taking it from the top, the second match of the night was Gallows & Anderson vs. Enzo & Cass for the RAW Tag Titles.  I’ll just come right out and say it: I’m not sold on Enzo & Cass.  Their ring work leaves a lot to be desired, and I’m sick of their entrance going on as long as it does, covering the exact same ground each and every time.  If the two cut down their entrance time, maybe RAW and PPVs wouldn’t quite hit a three-hour runtime.  The match itself was far from great, although it did give Karl Anderson more time to shine than usual, and having the Club retain was the right call.  Still, not a rivalry I’d like to see continue.
    Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax was as unremarkable as everyone expected it to be, aside from Sasha’s surprise victory by roll-up.  Coupled with Roman Reigns’ expected win over Braun Strowman, WWE shot down the momentum of their two top monster heels in a single swoop.  Another feud that needs to end.  They followed that up with two unannounced matches featuring the newly-split up Jinder Mahal and Rusev.  The fact that they crammed two filler matches midway through a PPV essentially confirmed that Goldberg would squash Kevin Ownes in the main event.  The matches were downright horrible, and I legitimately wondered what the hell I was watching.
    In my notes, I didn’t even rate Reigns vs. Strowman, I was just so disinterested.  And the thing is, I actually expected a decent showing.  They’re both limited performers in-ring, but the feud at least made some sense.  But Reigns stopping Strowman’s momentum did nobody any favors, and the fans rejected his going over as expected.  So basically, Braun was toppled en route to Wrestlemania, which almost confirms that the Reigns vs. Undertaker match is on. Lucky us.  
    And then there’s the big one: Goldberg vs. Owens.  People have been calling the result for a month now, and pissed off as I may have been when the word “squash” was thrown around, it turns out that was exactly the case.  Jericho’s entrance distracting Owens meant nothing, as their grudge match was already one of the few sure things for Wrestlemania.  What really upsets me is the fact that Owens is one of the best all-round performers on the roster, who was given the brand’s top prize on faith from Triple H.  His title reign featured not a single PPV victory without interference, making him look ineffectual rather than a bullying, sharp-witted heel.  And to top it all off, a past-his-prime part timer knocks him out in mere seconds to win the Universal Title for a match that is likely to last less than three minutes with Brock Lesnar.  Having Goldberg win makes some sense on paper: he’s destroyed Brock in a matter of seconds twice since returning, and Lesnar is supposed to be the biggest, toughest badass in the entire company.  To have Owens go over Goldberg, or even hold his own for a lengthy match would implicitly suggest that he’s tougher than Lesnar, and you can’t have that.  So, what should have happened was an interference that led to a DQ, whether from Lesnar (they teased it with Paul Heyman appearing backstage), or Jericho (more than a brief entrance distraction).  Instead, we got a predictable, awful “match” that will lead only to the two surefire feuds on the Wrestlemania card, and will inevitably sap them of their natural heat.  Part timers don’t need the Universal Title to draw, and giving Owens the U.S. Title as a consolation prize only serves as a demotion in terms of his place in the company hierarchy.

The Positives

With all of that out of the way, there were a few notable bright spots on the Fastlane card which deserve some mention.  Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe have had a number of good matches against one another in the past, and their meeting Sunday promised more of the same.  Interestingly, it was chosen to open the event, and ended up as the second-best match of the night.  It was at least five minutes too short, and wasn’t given enough time to breathe, which definitely was a let-down.  However, there were no sour notes whatsoever in terms of ring work, and Samoa Joe came out looking exactly like the type of destroyer WWE is pushing him as.  Unfortunately, the submission finish was way too abrupt, with Zayn getting choked out in a matter of seconds.  Even in loss, Sami is playing the part of the underdog perfectly, and when he does get his big comeuppance win (and there will be one in the near future), it will be that much more amazing a moment.
    While most expectations held that Joe and Sami would have the match of the night, that spot was amazingly taken by the Cruiserweight Title match between Neville and Jack Gallagher. Neville and Gallagher blew everything since the CWC away, delivering a well-paced, exciting and genuinely unpredictable match.  It was everything I had hoped the division would bring, and hands-down the best thing that’s been done in the division since the tournament.  Neville looked fantastic as the dominant heel, and having him retain the championship was the right call.  Gallagher, a personal favorite and undeniable standout from the tournament, pulled off some amazing work, and actually looked to have a chance of winning at several points.  Most notably, the whole thing connected well with the live audience, which will hopefully inspire such high-quality work in the future.  Sadly, it was all downhill from there, with Bayley and Charlotte’s match ending up as a decent, serviceable affair and little else.  Plus, Charlotte’s PPV streak ended far too soon, as it should have extended at least until Wrestlemania. 

State of Wrestlemania

Everything that happened at Fastlane looks to have little desirable impact on the Wrestlemania 33 card.  On a positive note, it looks like Shaq vs. The Big Show has been nixed, which saves us all that waste of time.  Most notable on the card, of course, is the next chapter of Goldberg vs. Lesnar, something which has been set for months now.  With that kind of build, Lesnar’s crossover appeal, and Goldberg’s hype following his return to WWE, there didn’t need to be any belt on the line.  This kind of match draws on its own, and people were planning to watch before Goldberg ever thought to challenge Owens for the Universal Title.  The way I see it, Lesnar is going over in this one, simply to avenge his string of losses to Goldberg.  That means that he’ll be the new Universal champ, as a part-timer, and the roster will have a hell of a time dethroning him.  Which can only mean that another Roman Reigns title run is in the cards.  Beyond all of that, there’s no chance in hell that the ‘Mania match will be anything approaching decent.  Lesnar is a very good wrestler, when allowed to actually work, which hasn’t been the case for some time.  Goldberg has never been able to truly wrestle, and his return has only emphasized this.  He looks to be in great shape, but he always has, and it was common for him to get winded back in the day going over five minutes.  Things aren’t looking good.
    Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho actually has promise to be one of the better matches currently announced, but even that has some problems.  The story and build between the two is fantastic, and they’re both two of the best all-round workers in the company.  Problem is, the match should have been held with both the Universal and United States championships on the line.  As it stands, it looks like Owens will win the U.S. belt from Jericho almost as a consolation prize, seeing himself demoted to midcard status.
    Roman Reigns vs. the Undertaker is pretty much guaranteed, and that’s nothing to look forward to either.  It seems unlikely that ‘Taker will halt Roman in his tracks given the talk of his imminent retirement.  Which can only mean that he will go under in an effort to further boost Reigns’ stature.  I don’t need to convince anyone that that would be a disaster, and would arguably go over worse than Reigns’ World Title win over Triple H last year.  Regardless of the outcome, the match promises very little from an in-ring standpoint, and the only thing worse than pissing off that many fans is doing it after boring them to tears.  There’s a chance that this one will work out alright for both of them, but I’m not expecting anything at all.
    The triple-threat match between Sasha/Charlotte/Bayley will unquestionably be a good one.  The issue here is that we’ve already seen this.  At last year’s Wrestlemania, in fact, with two-thirds of the same lineup.  Throwing a fresh face into the mix would be a good decision, but the biggest probability there is Nia Jax, who isn’t likely to impress on the big stage.  It seems like this one can really only boil down to Charlotte winning the Women’s Championship back, with Sasha costing Bayley, or vice versa, and finally turning Banks.  That would at least create a good opportunity for a grudge rivalry between the two allies (which was the case in NXT), and would allow all three women to move on from the constant title chase we’ve been subjected to all year.  The SmackDown Women’s Title match looks to be a mess, with every wrestler in the division challenging Alexa Bliss for the title.  This just highlights a big issue with the brand split, namely, there are simply too many performers and titles to give equal time and attention, meaning the importance of certain wrestlers and championships will continue to get muddled as the year goes on. 
    The tag team title matches look to be pretty unexceptional.  Gallows & Anderson (RAW) and American Alpha (SD) are amazing teams, but it all comes down to their challengers and the amount of time they’re given to work.  In the case of the former, if it does end up being Sheamus & Cesaro, the match should be pretty solid, if nothing game-changing.  Alpha’s opponents are still up in the air, so that one really stands out as a question mark currently. 
    On the subject of tag matches, it seems like the intergender John Cena/Nikki Bella vs. The Miz/Maryse is on.  Can’t say I’m looking forward to that one, or that I have any expectations whatsoever.  God forbid we have a Wrestlemania card without John Cena.  It certainly seems like a better idea to me than constructing a last-minute feud for him and Nikki just to fit them onto the card.
    The main event was finally decided, and has the most intrigue and promise of all.  After some back and forth indecision, Randy Orton finally turned on Bray Wyatt, and beat AJ Styles to secure the main event spot that was already his.  While the initial misdirection en route to his feud with Bray seems somewhat unnecessary, this is one of the most interesting stories the company has done in a long time, and both are good enough wrestlers that things look very promising.  Plus, word is that Bray is set for a long title run, and having him go over a tenured star like Orton would make him look fantastic.  Should that actually be the case, 2017 looks to be a very promising one for Wyatt, and hopefully the fans.
    A downside to this main event is the fact that AJ’s place on the card is now up in the air.  Let’s all hope that the proposed match with Shane McMahon does not materialize, as that would be a horrible misuse of a fantastic wrestler.
    As of now, there’s no word as far as plans for Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn, or even Finn Balor’s likely return.  Given that those three are some of the very best talents in the company at this time, and that makes things look a little off.  Hopefully there’s a place for each of them, but the card is already looking a little bloated as it is.  More important is to not give us another five-plus hour spectacle fraught with poor booking decisions and predictable outcomes.
    And, to top it all off, Ravishing Rick Rude has been confirmed as a Hall of Fame inductee, at long last.  So, that’s one definite perk for Wrestlemania weekend.

The Warriors Blew a 3-1 Lead. NBA Mid-Season Update - by Ben Galli

Right around this time of year, usually a week after the Super Bowl and over a month before MLB Opening Day, the NBA takes center stage.  It's called "All Star Weekend."  Well past the midway point of the regular season but still pretty much the official starting point of the NBA's stretch run to dominate the sports landscape.

2017 started with a bang right after the All Star Game itself.  Reports surfaced and were later confirmed of a blockbuster trade sending one of the league's most dominant young players to team up with perhaps THE most dominant young player in the league.  (As with all things, Kristaps exempted.)

The hapless Sacramento Kings traded mercurial star DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins, a 6'11/270 pound offensive force averaging 27 and 10 while shooting a career high 35% from the 3 point line to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he can team with "The Brow," 6'11 Anthony Davis, himself averaging nearly 28 and 12 a game.  This is a big time transfer of talent giving the Pellicans  two superstars in the front court along with point guard Jrue Holiday, it's the Big Easy's, Big Three.

Cousins and Davis are both bigs that can shoot from the outside, and score from anywhere.  It will be interesting to see these former Kentucky Wildcats stars learn to play with each other and exploit match-ups in virtually every game.  And because New Orleans is 2.5 games out of the 8th playoff spot, a first round matchup with the Golden State Warriors looms, a team that has struggled against skilled big men.  

A few more thoughts and questions answered from the season so far.

^^You can fast forward to about the :43 second mark listen to what the fan yells out or you can watch some dunks from Saturday night beforehand.

MVP - This one's hard and perfectly encapsulates the major rift in schools of thought when it comes to MVP debates.  Should it go to the player having the best season or the player helping his team win the most?  Russell Westbrook is AVERAGING a triple double but finds his Thunder team as the 7th seed in the West while James Harden is averaging 29, 11, and 8 for the 4th best team in the entire league this year.  Reminds me of the 2012 AL MVP race when Miggy Cabrera got the Triple Crown.  I don't see how you can't give it to a guy averaging a FREAKIN' triple double and has his team in the playoffs a year after losing their best(?) player.

The Warriors Strikes Back - The Evil Empire franchise of the NBA may reside in the Bay Area now.  Although they'll never reach Lakers levels of being hated (because people are intimidated by sustained greatness) there is plenty of disdain and general jeering in the Warriors direction.

They're doing just fine with the addition of Durant, giving them a Fab Four that simply cannot be matched anywhere in the league, Kyle Korver be damned.  It's fine that they've already lost 9 games, matching last year's record total.  Something tells me the Warriors aren't concerned with breaking regular season records as much as they are on learning how to not blow 3-1 leads in the Finals.  Although I'd never count San Antonio out, barring unforeseen injury, right now, I don't see the Warriors losing in the Western Conference.

The State of the Cavs - The state of the Cavaliers, as always, revolves around LeBron and LeBron's twitter tantrums.  When LeBron takes it to the streets of social media  admirers and detractors alike, shake their heads.  Why does the most powerful player in the world need to post passive-aggressive tweets requesting help when his team already won the championship the year before with the highest payroll in the league?    A couple thoughts on this:

• LeBron doesn't care what you think.  He hasn't for a long time.  He's King James and if kings cared a lot about how everyone felt, they wouldn't have abandoned their homeland to go to Miami to train under a wizard while at the same time setting the stage for a comeback to a team with young talent (and Anthony Bennett).  
• LeBron cares more about his legacy than Dan Gilbert does.  His legacy's rise in stature is directly correlated to the number of banners he raises.  And as he's openly admitted he's chasing Jordan, how important is a championship really to Dan Gilbert's bottom line?  Is it a coincidence that Forbes put out this article soon after Bron's comments?  Both men reaching out in their realms of influence.  Is there a "deep state" working behind the scenes within the Cavs organization?
• Maybe this is how LeBron motivates himself or his teammates.  Maybe he's doing this solely for Kay Felder.  But we've seen this song and dance before.  LeBron seems to think making his concerns known publicly puts pressure on those making the basketball decisions.  And if the past predicts future, LeBron seems to get his way in these situations.

The Cavs have shown some signs of struggle but they've also been a little banged up. I don't see them in any trouble at all and I think they actually have an easier road to the Finals than Golden State.  The East is steadily improving but the West is still the best.  And although it's difficult to advise doing anything to a team that just won a championship, the Empire did just get Sith Durant.  With J.R. and K. Love out for a while, the Cavs are most likely going to make a move.  It will be interesting to see what they give up to get the playmaker LeBron is looking for.  And although Melo would be an amazing addition, it's probably too risky to give up Love for him.  I'd look for a point or combo guard.  Lou Williams would not be a bad pick up.  

WWE Royal Rumble 2017 - Top to Bottom by Big Vin Vader

Royal Rumble 2017    -    Top to Bottom  

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This year’s Royal Rumble was a great example of a satisfying, crowd-pleasing PPV, even if few of the best moments came during the titular match itself.  Thankfully, the Rumble was far from terrible, even with a disappointing line-up and unsatisfactory finish.  The undercard, however, provided an amazing title match from each brand, as well as a damn fine Women’s Championship match and an unspectacular Cruiser Weight match.  Regardless of the show’s downfalls, the Rumble deserves its stature for dictating the course of the coming year.  Not only is the challenger for the main event of WrestleMania decided, but a handful of storylines are set up during the match.  And it’s been a long time since WWE delivered two title matches as satisfying as these, let alone on a single PPV card.  Furthermore, all four of the contests preceding the Rumble were title matches the stakes, which raised the stakes as well as fan interest in each one.

The Undercard

The Charlotte-Bayley feud is still pretty fresh, beginning last month during the Columbus RAW.  There’s a decent story in place between the two, again dating back to NXT, dealing with Charlotte’s undefeated PPV streak and the fact that Bayley has beaten her twice now.  While not as fiercely competitive or developed as last year’s Charlotte-Sasha rivalry, things are off to a good start, and there looks to be plenty of room for the feud to continue to build.
    The two kicked off the Rumble’s undercard with an impressively physical bout that was undoubtedly the best way to start the show.  The match was fast-paced and incredibly hard-hitting from the beginning, so much so that even the obligatory rest hold a few minutes in seemed well-deserved.  Bayley’s offense was credible from the start, and she initially seemed to get the better of the champ.  The best spot came when Bayley hit Charlotte across the jaw with a very Randy Savage-esque elbow drop, drawing blood.  Charlotte was in fantastic form as always, quickly taking charge of the match.  The only problem, and it’s getting to be a reoccurring thing, was the sheer abruptness of the finish, which again saw Charlotte victorious.  Climbing down off the top rope, Charlotte hit a Natural Selection on the apron and put Bayley away before the fifteen-minute mark.  The match itself was terrific, but the ending was way too sudden, and the whole thing would not have overstayed its welcome lasting a few more minutes.

Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns’ feud for the Universal Title has been about as underwhelming as KO’s reign as champion.  Chris Jericho’s interference was put to rest as he was suspended—a la Paul Ellering—above the ring in a shark cage.  There was a lot of buzz that Roman would claim RAW’s top prize, and that speculation frankly pissed me off.  It’s one thing to tell Owens as well as the fans that he’s ineffectual on his own, and another entirely to prove it outright and hand him a definitive loss.  Thankfully, Owens not only pulled off a surprise victory, but both men came out of the match looking great.
    The no disqualification stipulation was met with skepticism—why offer that kind of leeway if you don’t want interference on Owens’ behalf?—but that was all squashed as the wrestlers pulled out all the stops for this one.  Making use of countless tables, chairs, and plenty of vicious brawling on the outside, the match totally delivered.  It was so physical and savage, it’s almost easier to list some of the most impressive moments, including a frog splash from Owens off the top rope sending Reigns through a table, as well as a Stone Cold Stunner from the champ.  On his end, Reigns hit KO with a big Samoan drop through a steel chair, and a powerbomb through the main announce table, nearly picking up the win.  The most impressive spot of the entire night was WWE’s response to the incredible table spot from Okada and Omega’s already-legendary match at Wrestle Kingdom 11.  Owens set up seven steel chairs, house of cards-style, on the outside, and for seventeen minutes the two teased their going through the stack.  Reigns finally punched Owens off the top corner ringpost, sending him through the tower.  It was one of the most painful things I’ve seen in weeks, and I’m amazed Owens was able and willing to do it.  Incredible.
    Reigns had the match won following that, but Braun Strowman came out, chokeslamming him onto another announce table, which refused to give, and ultimately dropped him with a powerslam through a corner-propped table.  This allowed Owens, amazingly, to pick up a clean win under the stipulations and retain his title.  Even without Jericho’s interference, this wasn’t exactly satisfying, but they made the right move in making Owens look vulnerable, yet allowing him a clean win.  Once again, Roman Reigns proves he can deliver very good matches, and while Owens was the true star here, Reigns more than held his own.  Great match.

There was no doubt that John Cena and AJ Styles would put on an incredible match following their SummerSlam classic.  This rematch absolutely delivered, and nearly equaled their contest last August.  The story was built-in, with Cena wanting to avenge his loss, as well as win the World Title in order to tie Ric Flair’s sixteen championship reigns.  This made the outcome hardly a surprise, but even most John Cena detractors must feel the match lived up to its hype.  The Alamodome looked packed, and the crowd reaction was deafening throughout the entire match.
    There was little downtime, and the two traded some excellent back-and-forth action from the start. Cena looked absolutely determined throughout—in fact, half the time John looked downright deranged in his mission to score the win.  On top of that, he pulled off a number of surprising maneuvers he rarely brings out.  There weren’t any huge spots, but both wrestlers used nearly every move in their arsenal to try and put their opponent away.  This led to numerous finishers being hit and kicked out of, most notably AJ talking an AA from the second rope and still managing to escape the pin.  For his part, Cena took several Styles Clashes to the same effect.  Most impressive was a long exchange of submissions in the middle of the ring midmatch, which provided some nice ground action, with Cena locking in a Figure Four in a nod to Flair’s record.
    The sheer number of finishers, power moves, and near falls kept things exciting, and it’s amazing that they went twenty-five minutes given the ferocity of their strikes.  Cena picked up the win after catching Styles on the ropes and delivering another AA.  Not content, John rolled over AJ and dropped him with one more, finally getting the pin.  I’m no big John Cena fan, but even I’ll admit he deserved the win after such an effort.  It remains to be seen what each man’s direction will be in the coming months, but they can sit tight knowing they kicked 2017 off right.

I had high hopes for the Cruiser Weight title match between Neville and Rich Swann, particularly as they’re two of the division’s best pure talents, but I was ultimately let down.  Neville’s heel turn and debut in the division was much-needed, and it was absolutely the right call to have him leave with the title.  The match itself, however, belonged on RAW or even 205 Live, and just served to reflect how WWE have neutered the division since the Cruiser Weight Classic last summer.  There were few high spots and little flying from either man, with the whole thing working more as a stiff ground-based battle.  Still, Neville’s new submission finisher looked absolutely vicious, and it will be interesting to see where he takes the division as champion.  The most disappointing match of the night.

The Royal Rumble

There was a lot of talk about this year’s Royal Rumble, with The Undertaker, Goldberg, and Brock Lesnar all announced as entrants.  On top of that, there were rumors that Kurt Angle could possibly return, same for a rehabbed Finn Balor, and even talk that Samoa Joe would finally debut on the main roster.  Finally, there was the sheer excitement of the fact that there was no single, clear-cut winner going into the match.  Of course, hardly any of that mattered given the way that things were handled.  Regardless, here’s a brief rundown of what happened during the hour-plus match:

The periods seemed to be somewhat shorter than two full minutes much of the time.
Chris Jericho did very little but was in over an hour and broke Triple H’s record for cumulative time spent in Rumbles.
Braun Strowman (#7) dominated the ring for his time in the Rumble, racking up several eliminations, and looked pretty good while doing it.  He’s being properly booked as a monster heel and has a purpose on the roster at last.
Tye Dillinger debuted from NXT at #10, garnering a huge reaction.  Of course, Tye was the only surprise entrant, and even his presence was hardly a secret.  We’ll have to see which brand he gets drafted to (hopefully SmackDown).
Baron Corbin shockingly eliminated Braun, showing that he, too, is being primed for a major push this year.
Sheamus and Cesaro (after losing the RAW Tag Titles on the preshow) eliminated all three members of the New Day, before Sheamus tried to turn on his partner.  Jericho dumped both of them out at once, and they continued to argue, creating the long-expected rift between them.
The Wyatt Family seemed to stick together, until distrustful Luke Harper hit Bray with a big lariat and tried to go for a Sister Abigail.  Orton interfered on Bray’s behalf, proving he’s been loyal all along, and another team split up.  This could sow the seeds for a very interesting storyline, and Harper should be given time to shine now.
Lesnar came out at #26 and proceeded to wreak havoc on everyone in the ring.
Goldberg was #28, eliminating Lesnar in a matter of seconds, receiving the biggest crowd reaction of the show.
That is, until the Undertaker appeared mid-ring as #29, getting an enormous pop from the entire Alamodome.  He took on Goldberg very briefly.
Roman Reigns was the unannounced final entrant, and the boos were deafening.  The Undertaker lowered his singlet straps and looked concerned as Roman headed to the ring, so their rumored WrestleMania match seems to be locked in.  This was only furthered as Reigns eliminated The Undertaker (go back and read that again).  I don’t think I’ve ever heard such an enormously negative reaction.  It was amazing how loud the crowd made their disdain, and rightfully so.
Orton, Wyatt, and Reigns were the final three, and Roman made quick work of Bray.  Thankfully, in a surprise upset, Randy Orton took out Reigns and won the Rumble, keeping the World Title on SmackDown winning yet-another WrestleMania main event.

What Next?

The Rumble itself only set up a few notable feuds for 2017, and raised several questions.  For the most part, the story lines we did get a glimpse of look to be interesting.  Sheamus and Cesaro have been a good odd couple team, and now that they lost their titles to Gallows and Anderson they have little reason to stick together.  As it stands now, it looks like they’ll continue their turn on one another rather than trying to win their belts back.  Of course, this is nothing new as their partnership came out of their Best-of-7 rivalry last year, which may raise some complaints.  I’m willing to run with it, especially given how fun those matches actually turned out to be.
    The most exciting of the new directions, as far as I’m concerned, is the Wyatt family’s dissolution.  Luke Harper never trusted Orton, and it would have made sense for the Rumble to be the place for Randy to turn on Bray.  However, Orton stayed loyal throughout the match, with Luke leaving the ring as the odd man out.  There were a few minutes near the end where it seemed like Orton and Wyatt would have to go one-on-one, but that never materialized.  There’s talk of just how many times Cena and Orton have already faced one another for the World Title, and while that’s valid, I don’t see Cena’s run with the belt lasting all that long.  He’s set to defend it next month at Elimination Chamber, and I’m willing to bet right now that he’ll lose it in that match so he can go on later to beat Ric Flair’s record.  It would be amazing to see Bray win the belt, not just because he deserves it after all these years, but because an Orton-Wyatt main event at WrestleMania would be something unique and truly different.  Of course, as a friend pointed out, “It’s WrestleMania season, which means it’s time to push the Wyatts for a couple months then bury them for the rest of the year.”  Let’s hope not.
    Reigns seems locked in for a short-term feud with Braun Strowman, before he takes the grand stage battling the Undertaker at WrestleMania.  Honestly, this isn’t the worst turn things could take.  ‘Taker is well past his prime, and it would serve better to have him go against a more-limited performer such as Reigns, rather than waste an incredible athlete such as Finn Balor (another rumored opponent) on what will inevitably be an underwhelming match.  It still remains unclear whether Braun is set to challenge for the Universal Title in the upcoming weeks (hopefully not), or if Reigns will come after Owens for another shot (also not preferable).
    Goldberg and Lesnar still look to be set for a final confrontation at WrestleMania, which provides an interesting issue.  Their disaster match at WrestleMania XX had Goldberg go over, just as he did at Survivor Series and now the Rumble.  We need to see a longer match of better quality, which Goldberg has often been unable to provide.  So, will we get a real battle between the two, or will it be another over-hyped squash?  And what does Lesnar think of taking so many losses?
    Jericho and Owens still seem set to face off at Wrestlemania, but there has been no major rift between the two to set it off.  It seems unlikely that the Universal Title would be on the line for such a match, unless the US Championship were also on the line.  If that’s the case, having Owens win the match and hold both titles would be a nice way to settle things definitively.  Hopefully he makes it to Wrestlemania with his title reign intact, it would be great to see him in one of the major matches.  Plus, I’m still holding out the hope that he and Balor square off once again with the Universal Title at stake.  It makes perfect sense for Finn to come after having been stripped of the title, and they’ve had several great matches in the past.
    Finally, John Cena and AJ Styles’ current directions remain to be seen.  Again, I doubt Cena’s title reign will last too long, but it also seems unlikely that AJ will win back the belt so quickly.  Sure, a Styles-Orton main event would be a good match, but it’s hardly interesting from a storyline perspective.  AJ’s future is the one most up in the air after his amazing debut year, and hopefully he’s put back into the title picture soon, but with a real direction

WWE 2016 Wrap Up and a Look into 2017 - Big Vin Vader

2016    -    Best & Worst and What’s to Come  - Big Vin Vader @bigvinvader

2016 ended up being a great year for the WWE, especially after such an incredibly rocky start.  The roster is stronger than ever, and the company wisely reached out to international talents to expand their reach and influence, not to mention the quality of programming.  That we saw events such as the Cruiser Weight Classic, and signings like Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles really shows how committed WWE is to improving their game and embracing the independent and global wrestling worlds.  On top of this, several wrestlers on the roster made marked improvements on their in-ring and promo work.  Dean Ambrose had a number of matches that revealed his growth as a wrestler, moving beyond the wild brawling he usually brings to the table.  The Miz dropped arguably the best promo of the year, then followed it up with a series of incredible matches which proved him to be the fighting champion many assumed he never could be.   And Alexa Bliss stepped up her heel game, standing out among such well-respected peers as Becky Lynch and Sasha and Charlotte, even winning the SmackDown Women’s title in a match that revealed her in-ring prowess as well.
    Things may not have gotten off to the best start, and the company made a number of regrettable decisions, even through the end of the year.  By late summer, however, it was apparent that there were big plans in effect, and the direction we’ve been presented with has been more satisfying than not.  Independent wrestling favorites have been pushed to the forefront as well as trusted with major titles, stupid gimmicks have taken a backseat for the most part, and several stars have proven themselves both for the first time and anew.  Beyond that, NXT is an incredible developmental brand, with several great veteran and younger performers.
    So, here’s my list, entirely subjective of course, regarding the ups and downs, as well as a few of my favorite matches of the year.

BEST

-Kevin Owens—I don’t even know where to begin with Kevin Owens, he’s one of my favorite things right now, period.  His in-ring work is tremendous, making him easily one of the best wrestling talents the company has.  On top of that, his mic work is top-notch, with his promos and backstage vignettes alike proving his all-around skills.  While his title reign hasn’t been great, it still does me good to see that the company (and especially Triple H) have faith in Owens and his abilities by keeping the Universal Title on him for so many months.  Of course, all of that could be squandered come the Royal Rumble if Reigns wins and, effectively, proves the assertions that Owens is an ineffectual champion without Jericho’s help.  Regardless of whether he retains or loses the title at the Rumble, 2017 should prove to be a big year for KO, and he’s already proven himself to the fans and company alike.

-AJ Styles—One of the greatest workers in the world signs with the company he was never expected to join, and somehow manages to take everything by storm.  The fans are totally behind AJ, even as a heel, and he’s put on the most consistent string of matches of nearly anyone on the main roster.  WWE has big plans for him, and at no point has Styles made a misstep to prove them wrong in their confidence.  Nobody else even remotely seems like a good choice to be the World champion, and AJ is so talented that he makes all of his competition look downright ineffectual.  Hopefully with the promise of NXT call-ups and new signings, he’ll be presented with some credible challengers and be able to put on more classic matches (he already has several with both Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura).

-The Cruiser Weight Classic—Too many highs to begin to delve into here, although I do need to mention my introduction to Jack Gallagher and Lince Dorado, my favorites of the tournament.  From top to bottom, the CWC was one of the very best things on the WWE Network this year.  The diversity of the talent pool was amazing, and nearly every performer delivered at least one stellar match.  Some, like Kota Ibushi, Cedric Alexander, and TJ Perkins consistently brought hard-hitting, high-flying action to the table and earned scores of new fans.  The division may feel a bit watered down now that it’s made it to the main roster, but over the summer, there was no better place to go for impeccable technical wrestling.

-Women’s Wrestling—From the presence of the most talented female performers in company history, to the long-overdue move past the insulting Divas belt and title, 2016 was a fantastic year for Women’s wrestling in the WWE.  The matches that Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Bayley, Becky Lynch and others put on this past year equaled and in many cases bettered the performances of the men on the roster.  Not only were there better and more prominent matches on PPV cards, but the fan interest in the division finally equaled that of the men’s competition.  No longer is women’s wrestling filler on the card, and long gone are the days of lingerie and swimsuit competitions.  In terms of consistent quality and longevity, Charlotte and Sasha had arguably the rivalry of the year.  The women of WWE have all the talent in the world and their place in the company finally reflects that fact.  

-The Revival—Like watching a lost mid-80s tag team at the heights of their powers, killing every PPV match and working with the style and psychology of a lost art.  Hopefully they get called up soon, because as great as it is to have them in NXT’s very solid tag division, they have way more to offer the world and the timing would be perfect to continue their rivalry with American Alpha.  Such clear cut heels and faces are uncommon nowadays, especially when you consider how tremendous both teams are as far as technical wrestling ability.  SmackDown has a pretty damn weak tag division, and such smart, dominant heels are exactly what that brand needs to give it a kick in the ass.  They’ve already proven themselves at every NXT event they’ve worked, so why delay in bringing them to a bigger stage?

-Owens-Zayn Rivalry—I wasn’t hipped to their years of battling back and forth on the indies, but it shows exactly where WWE’s minds are at that they continued such a storied feud on their main programming.  Even more inspiring is how impressive the continued rivalry turned out to be on a larger stage, and Owens and Zayn’s matches early last year truly emphasized what top-notch talents they both are.  Indeed, they both stand, regardless of their respective pushes and positions in the company, as two of the best as well as most popular wrestlers in the WWE today.  Also worth noting is just how many great contests they’ve been able to put on since ending the feud for good, which shows just how deep their talents really are.

-RAW Live—It’s no secret that RAW is pretty hit-or-miss most weeks, with a definite advantage going to the latter side of the equation.  RAW’s December show in Columbus was a nice exception, a pretty consistent episode that provided some entertaining segments and some decent matches.  Even the matches that normally would have been filler didn’t overstay their welcomes, meaning the whole thing felt way more satisfying than it would watching from home.

-Hidden Gems collection on the Network—They found the Last Battle of Atlanta, the origin of Hell in a Cell as well as the Shark Cage clause that’s been busted out several times this year.  And that match is as brutal as it is historically important, a type of Southern hardcore wrestling that needed no barbed wire or weapons to make you understand the gravity of the spectacle.  Also included was one of Terry Funk’s finest moments in his “retirement” match with Bret Hart from a live ECW event in 1997.  Don’t miss it, the collection covers modern classics as well as matches of huge historical impact.

WORST

-Vader given 2 years to live—Obviously one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, and an awe-inspiring performer no matter what you think of him.  It’s a shame that he’s in such a bad state now, but his career record speaks for itself.  While I was floored upon reading the news, I hope that Vader is able to enjoy his remaining time, and appreciate the incredible impact he has made on the world of professional wrestling.  From me to Leon White: thank you for all of the entertainment and fantastic matches over the years.

-Wrestlemania 32 & SummerSlam—Somehow the company’s two biggest shows were two of its worst all year.  Add to that the fact that both were preceded by incredible NXT Takeover events, and the whole thing seems even more disappointing.  I had high hopes for both events, and while each did present some great matches (The IC ladder match and Women’s 3-Way at the former, Cena vs. AJ Styles at the latter), the events failed to coalesce as a whole and just felt poorly-booked and generally unsatisfying.  One would hope that WWE has learned from these mistakes, but as the year seems ready to start with another Roman Reigns push, you have to wonder how the major shows will fare.

-Finn Balor’s injury—I was completely on board with the massive push the company were giving Finn Balor, it was one of the best-executed moves of the entire year, and a decision anyone would have a hard time finding fault with.  Of course the whole thing fizzled just as it was beginning, and Balor’s injury at SummerSlam proved just one more disappointing moment on a card full of them.  The sidelining was one of the worst things that could happen to such a hot star, even if it gave Owens the title in the meantime.  Hopefully this year will bring the two former NXT champions together in another classic of a match.  Regardless, whenever Balor does make his full return, you can bet that he will continue to be pushed as one of the company’s top talents. 

-Various Storylines and Issues—As with any year, there are a ton of little complaints I can make about the way things progressed this year.  From the League of Nations, to the Social Outcasts, to “Make Darren Young Great Again,” the WWE showed just how little they know what to do with their undercard talents.  On top of this, there were the various releases of talented, yet misused wrestlers such as Damien Sandow, Wade Barrett, and others.  While the main roster and NXT are seemingly stronger than ever, things like this just stand to remind us of why the company is still struggling to find a place for its entire roster of talent nowadays.

-Daniel Bryan Retires—A tragedy no matter who you ask, this one blindsided fans early in the year.  One of the WWE’s most popular and gifted wrestlers forced to retire due to consistent serious injuries, not to mention the seizures he was reported to be having as well.  It’s nice to have him filling in as a talking head and authority figure, and his commentary work for the CWC was fantastic.  And of course his retirement led to one of the biggest what-if feuds of the year as the Miz continues to taunt Bryan.  Bryan wants to make a comeback, and god know the fans want him to, so hopefully his condition can improve with a little time off.

WHAT NEXT

-Rick Rude HOF induction—One of my favorite wrestlers of all time, a world-class performer and incredibly sound all-around worker.  I’ve watched more Rick Rude matches in the last few months than anyone else, and they don’t fail to entertain.  Seems like it’s possible and people are talking about it nowadays.  I realize Rude’s death reflected the tolls the business can take on performers’ bodies, so it seems possible that he’ll be overlooked in favor of safer options.  Regardless, it would be great to see the Ravishing One recognized on a massive stage just before Wrestlemania.

-Big year for Finn Balor—Not just Balor, but the other many indie wrestling talents on the roster as well.  The push Balor was getting reveals just how behind the former independent workhorses the company is now.  All of these guys, and the presumed future call-ups from NXT and the indies, have more than proved their worth over the past year and have been rewarded for their incredible performances.  On that note, I don’t want to see Kenny Omega in WWE.  Can you imagine a world where bored fans chant “CM Punk” during an Omega match?  I sure as hell can, and the work he’s been doing in New Japan is priceless, and should not be interrupted, especially since he’ll have less freedom in-ring.  Besides, look at how many offers he’s already refused.  That’s not someone eager to sign with the company.

-NXT call-ups: Samoa Joe, Shinsuke, the Revival—In the case of the former two wrestlers, their pedigrees speak for themselves, and it does seem kind of absurd that two world-renowned talents are still stuck in “developmental.”  However, they do have a very unique and important niche carved out in NXT, and it seems unlikely that they could get away with the kinds of full-contact matches and moves they’re utilizing at Full Sail.  The Muscle Buster (for better or worse) would likely have to go in Joe’s case, and we’ve all seen how WWE mismanages Japanese talents on the main roster.  On top of that, consider how important promos are to the main event picture on either RAW or SmackDown, and it seems less likely that Vince in particular will stand behind a wrestler like Shinsuke Nakamura.  In the case of the Revival, they happen to be much more suited to the main roster’s brand of sports entertainment.  My only reservation, however, comes with the fact that American Alpha seemed damn near on their way to being buried before their recent victory to claim the SmackDown Tag Titles.  Should their rivalry with the Revival continue on the main roster continue, we’re in good hands, but I don’t see things going nearly as smoothly as that.
 

FAVORITE MATCHES

-Dean Ambrose/Triple H (Roadblock)—No one expected Ambrose to win, but he put on a hell of a show, performing some impressive technical wrestling he hasn’t shown off since.  Great psychology in targeting Triple H’s leg and his mid-match use of submissions really got me going.  Only quibble, the finish: why have Dean rush in at 9 to beat the count then take a pedigree and go under? It’s insulting, and a count-out loss would have at least had a point.  But despite that, a match that frankly didn’t need to happen ended up being one of the first true surprises of the year, as far as my own wrestling viewing was concerned.  This match alone was more impressive and engaging than much of Ambrose’s (long-overdue, but woefully mismanaged) World Championship run.

-Ziggler/Miz—Career vs. Title (No Mercy)—It was hard to pick just one match from the incredible series these two put on this fall, but in the end this was the most emotional and inspiring of the three contests.  It was one of those few matches that truly seemed like the finish was up in the air.  The rumors about Dolph seeking a production role, as well as the success the Miz found in the latter portion of the year really made it seem like he would retain the IC belt and force Dolph into retirement.  Instead, we got the best, most exciting match I’ve yet seen from the two of them.  Forget about what happened in the aftermath, because the moment that Ziggler won this one was one of the best crowd reactions I heard all year, not to mention one of the most satisfying conclusions to a PPV contest the WWE managed to pull off.

-Styles/Cena—SummerSlam—This one was so good I had to watch it twice within 24 hours.  The fact that Styles beat Cena clean after his heel turn, as well as John’s disappearance from television for a few weeks afterward really stressed the importance of his victory.  It was such an intensely physical, back-and-forth contest that it seems almost impossible not to have been moved by the teased finishers and near-falls.  Another perfect example of why AJ Styles was one of the top performers of the year for WWE, not to mention case in point that John Cena is capable of some truly tremendous matches despite his mixed status with the fans at this stage in his career.  On top of everything else, this was the hands-down best match on the SummerSlam card, and was so exciting it almost made up for what a waste of time that PPV was otherwise.

-Sasha/Charlotte—HIAC—The historical qualities of this match really upped the ante, and despite the disappointment from some quarters, the whole bout proved to be just what we needed to see.  Sure, there were problems, like the injury fake-out that took up far too much time before the match, and the problematic finish, but overall this one was truly impressive.  The match was physical as hell, and there’s no denying that the crowd was entirely behind the two women taking the main event slot.  Charlotte proved yet again that she’s one of the best athletes on the entire roster, and Sasha put up a hell of a fight that made her look great, at least until the ill-advised title change in her hometown.  Hopefully this was a sign of what’s to come in the near future for the division.

-Revival-#DIY—Brooklyn Takeover II & Toronto—This one I wasn’t going to split hairs on since I genuinely feel both matches lived up to the same standard of quality.  The Brooklyn match was the first time I paid serious attention to either team and it instantly made me a fan.  I can’t recall any match holding me enthralled so quickly, and there was not a single wrong move made in either contest.  There was great tag team action, old-school psychology, satisfying finishes, and even the high-stakes addition of the NXT Tag titles changing hands.  This was a fantastic rivalry, the sort you don’t see often anymore, especially given such clear cut roles for both the faces and heels.  That the two teams put on another corker a few short months later, with a double tap-out finish that bettered the Revival’s initial win in August, speaks volumes about each individual’s incredible talents.

Big Vin Vader covers professional wrestling for Pencilstorm. follow @bigvinvader