Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
As a possible TNA sale to WWE stays in the air at this current moment, I wanted to take a look back at WCW and their best PPVs. Over the years, WCW had some great moments in their short yet storied run, and some of their PPVs were absolutely entertaining. Let's get into this top 5 list and see what ranks at no. 1.
5. WCW Starrcade 1995
-I hadn't witnessed a PPV quite like this one when I tuned into it, but I couldn't complain at all. With the World Cup of Wrestling taking place and some New Japan wrestlers being introduced here, the card gave us some classics. Chris Benoit vs Jushin Liger dazzled me, and Eddie Guerrero vs Shinjiro Otani was yet another solid match that showcased the ring work that lacked in most WCW events. Sting and Sasaki put on a great match early on and then a triple threat between Lex Luger, Sting, and Ric Flair for no. 1 contendership to the WCW Championship led to a nice Randy Savage vs Ric Fair title match that saw Flair win the championship. This event is slept on and one of my favorite WCW events ever.
4. WCW WrestleWar 1992
-Before Fall Brawl, this is where War Games lived. This PPV was truly solid, and had some of the best WCW matches, including the main event, and the match to determine the no. 1 contender to the IWGP Tag Titles. Brian Pillman was the man during this period and his match with Tom Zenk wowed the crowd, but nothing was better than the main event which had Sting, Nikita Koloff, Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes, and Ricky Steamboat taking on Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Larry Zbyskyo, Bobby Eaton, and Arn Anderson. This was really in one of WCW's primes without Ric Flair. The show was great.
3. WCW Halloween Havoc 1997
-This PPV is absolutely one of my favorites minus the clusterfuck of a main event. Piper vs Hogan was reborn here for some reason, but what I love the most about the event is the flow of matches from the Savage vs DDP match, Jericho vs Gedo, Hennig vs Flair, Scott Hall vs Luger, Yuji Nagata vs Ultimo Dragon, and not to mention the epic Cruiserweight Title match between Rey Mysterio Jr. Vs Eddie Guerrero, which is one of my favorite WCW matches ever. This PPV had everything you could look for from WCW.
2. WCW Superbrawl II (1992)
-There are many great events that go under the radar, but when talking purely in the ring action, this probably would be the best event of them all. With a great main event that saw Sting defeat Lex Luger for the WCW Title, this event had some great matches including Ron Simmons vs Cactus Jack, The Steiner Brothers vs Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, Steve Austin and Larry Zbyskyo vs Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes, Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat, and the classic match of the night between Brian Pillman and Jushin Liger. Yet another great event for WCW and my personal favorite.
1. WCW Bash At The Beach 1996
-The greatest WCW event. Why? Because it shaped the course of the company for the rest of the duration it existed. In ring wise? This PPV wasn't better than some others on this list, but it was full of action throughout the night including the amazing Cruiserweight contest with Rey Mysterio and Psychosis. Dean Malenko put on a good contest with Disco Inferno, Konnan and Ric Flair had a nice contest, and the main event was one of the biggest matches ever in WCW history as Hulk Hogan turned heel and created the NWO with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. This changed the course of WCW forever.
-True
Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
Now, let's be honest.... this is far too soon right? AJ Styles has only been in WWE for 9 months and already we can compile a list of his best matches this year on PPV. With a match every month on PPV since he arrived in WWE, certainly he's got some classics right? Yes he does. Today, we rank all of his PPV matches so far this year, minus his Royal Rumble debut. Let's get into it.
8. AJ Styles and The Club vs Enzo & Cass and John Cena
Battleground 2016
-This was a good match, but it was rather uneventful. I'm not fully sold on Gallows and Anderson in WWE and they just don't seem to work as well as expected. Enzo and Cass had fun in this match, but the best interaction was between AJ and Cena in this match before Cena got the pinfall victory in this one.
7. AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho
Fastlane 2016
-This was the first AJ match on WWE PPV and it was pretty good, but you can see that AJ was still getting comfortable in the WWE system and that he would certainly need a little more time to get fully in tune with the whole process of the E, but this was really good regardless. AJ garners a win here in his first PPV match and then he would move on to a rematch with Jericho at Mania.
6. AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho
Wrestlemania 32
-Speaking of that rematch, it was another solid match between the two, and while I think Jericho and Styles had some great chemistry, compared to the rest of his matches this year, this has been the worst series that AJ has had. The thing about that is the worst series AJ has had in WWE has nothing but really good matches in it. Jericho gets the win here and AJ takes a loss in his first Wrestlemania match, but this was very entertaining regardless.
5. Dean Ambrose vs AJ Styles
Backlash 2016
-I think this match is slept on very much. Ambrose was pushed to his limit by AJ and he brought it without a doubt. While not exactly a classic, this match had everything you wanted and more, including a clean finish. The best part of that clean finish? It was AJ coming out on top to win the WWE Championship. All the battles and years that AJ invested seemingly came to a head here as his success finally hit the peak. Congratulations were in order for AJ for sure.
4. AJ Styles vs Roman Reigns
Payback 2016
-I think this match is a great one, but it just missed the mark of a classic as well. AJ seemingly was carrying Reigns in this particular match, and though I'm sure most wouldn't want to admit this, it's pretty clear when you watch this match back. AJ was showing up Reigns and though Reigns picked up the pace some at the end, Styles made himself a true WWE star with his performance here, even in a losing effort.
3. AJ Styles vs John Cena
Money In The Bank 2016
-This match was amazing. It could have been no. 2 on the list, but I have one gripe with this match and that's the finish. I think this should have ended clean, but there was certainly a chance to do the ending better than they did, but the match itself was really great. I think we saw a glimpse of the greatness the WWE could get out of Cena vs Styles, but this match was only a preview.
2. AJ Styles vs Roman Reigns
Extreme Rules 2016
-The rematch was better than the first. Styles and Reigns both showed up to wrestle on this night and I can't say that Styles carried this one. This match is a classic for this era and both men truly showed up here to put on something great. Reigns still walked away with the win, but I was invested in this match the entire time it was on. The ending saw the return of Seth Rollins as well, but it was great to see AJ get another main event and show and prove what he could do.
1. AJ Styles vs John Cena
Summerslam 2016
-The best match this year I'd say. If not the best, it is certainly top 3 this year with no debate. This is what you want at Summerslam. All jokes aside, Cena and Styles put on an absolute classic where Styles would get something that he deserved more than anything: a clean victory. Cena and Styles went for about 30 minutes, with both men giving their all in this contest and after a Styles Clash and Forearm, Styles got the victory. It was much deserved as I mentioned and a shock as most expected to see Cena get the win in this one. I'm happy Styles won as nothing else made sense here. This was truly a classic and one of the best matches for both men period.
-True
Tagged under:
By @MeenHendrix
The title is basic and straight to the point. NXT Champions included, I want to list the pros and cons, likes and dislikes of every current champion in WWE. I'm also going to do this in order of my favorite champions starting from my least favorite to my absolute favorite.
*Smackdown Tag Team Champions: Heath Slater & Rhyno
Pros:
Heath Slater and Rhyno is a random partnership that is somewhat entertaining. By somewhat I mean all Heath Slater. Beauty and the Man Beast are like the Cinderella Story, if there is one in the Tag Team division. Rhyno is the power and the serious one. Heath is the goofy one. What really impresses me is that while Heath has always been a solid worker in the ring, he has really worked well on being a well rounded wrestler and character.
Cons:
I liked the story of Heath being able to buy a double wide for his kids, but we all know it's just a matter of time before they drop the titles. The team will most likely be finished by the time the year ends.
*NXT Women's Champion: Asuka
Pros:
Asuka is dominant. She's run completely roughshod over the NXT Women's Division. Her strikes are vicious and she's possibly one of the top 5 women's wrestlers in the world on her in ring abilities alone. Oh, and her entrance is really bad ass.
Cons:
It's obvious her mic skills is the weakest link. It doesn't bother me that much though and her skills more than make up for it. I'm also tired of people always saying throw a manager on people lacking mic skills. No, they need to learn on their own. Everyone can't be a Brock Lesnar.
*WWE Cruiserweight Champion: TJ Perkins
Pros:
TJP is fantastic in that ring. His theme music is great. He's very deserving of the title. His backstory of him being homeless to becoming Cruiserweight Champion is heart warming and I'm genuinely happy for him. Also, its very impressive that he wrestled in Kobe X hightops once.
Cons:
All the nice things I've said about him is basically it. TJP is a great person, but that's about it. That dabbing is awful. Its dead now, so move on TJ. He has to develop some sort of character progression because he's been lacking that basically his whole career.
*Smackdown Women's Champion: Becky Lynch
Pros:
I love Becky Lynch. I'm a huge Becky fan. She is very good at what she does. She is the perfect face of the Smackdown Division.
Cons:
Nothing. I have nothing bad to say about Becky. I just don't favor her over the people ranked ahead of her.
*United States Champion: Roman Reigns
Pros:
Roman is a super athlete to me. This man moves fast and hits hard and I never get tired of seeing a Superman Punch. I think moving him to the midcard was a great idea. Roman is most definitely the future of this business in some way, whether we like it or not.
Cons:
Most of us don't like it because it feels like he's being forced on us. The guy has reached Cena levels. He gets hit with a big move and a few seconds later, he recovers just in time to hit a Superman Punch as if nothing has happened. Reigns fans had a legitimate gripe with Finn Bálor winning the Universal Title so fast, which is fair. The difference between Finn and Roman is we weren't 100% sure Finn would win the title. No one wants to look at the card and think "Oh this guy is definitely going to win" and that's the feeling you get with Roman before he was moved out of the main event picture. The booking has been better, but nobody wants another Superman running around.
*NXT Champion: Shinsuke Nakamura
Pros:
Shinsuke Nakamura is wrestling royalty. He has been one of the best in the world for years. I was so happy for him winning the title in Brooklyn. He's been in WWE for 9 months and already he has an instant classic on his belt with Sami Zayn, a show stealing match in my opinion with Austin Aries at NXT TakeOver: The End, a great match with Finn Bálor and a fantastic match where he captured the NXT Championship against Samoa Joe. The King of Strong Style is a legit star and I can't wait to see great things from him on the main roster. And his entrance? Top 5.
Cons:
Just like Asuka, his mic skills are weak. But they both barely speak English, so that's okay. I'm also conflicted about how soon I want to see him called up. He just won the belt and as much as I want to see him on the main roster now, I feel like he should really continue to be the brightest star in NXT for at least another 4-5 months (You know Royal Rumble time). He's a very good entertainer so his mic skills won't be an issue at all for me.
*Raw Women's Champion: Charlotte
Pros:
Since dropping her father, Charlotte has really come into her own as a villain. Charlotte was always my favorite out of the Four Horsewomen because she is literally bred to be fantastic at what she does. Sasha may be more entertaining than Charlotte, but Charlotte is the best of the best in the Raw Women's Division in that ring, in my opinion. It also helps that she's 11-0 in singles PPV matches for the Women's Championship. I know it's weird seeing me choose Charlotte over Shinsuke, but I've been able to say I've watched Charlotte's career from damn near start to finish.
Cons:
I absolutely hate the Charlotte and Dana Brooke pairing. It's just trash. It also feels like Charlotte has lost momentum since dropping the Women's Championship to Sasha on Raw about a month or two ago. She was on fire back then, but it was time for her to drop it. Now she has to find a way to regain that lightning in a bottle.
*Intercontinental Champion: The Miz
Pros:
The Miz is a top 5 Champion in this company. He continues to evolve. He was at the top of the world in 2011. He had a big fall from grace and turned into a stale babyface (who's idea was it to make him the host of SummerSlam in 2013?). He went to Hollywood to film a movie and came back a star (sort of) again. Since regaining the IC Title, Miz has done any and everything he can to make that title feel important and keep his hands on it. The Never Ending Intercontinental Championship World Tour has been non stop fun and it really took off during his Talking Smack interview opposite Daniel Bryan where Miz reaffirmed his status as a bonafide star in this company. Maybe now after he drops the title in the future, he may be trusted to capture another World Championship on Smackdown Live.
Cons:
I have nothing negative to say about Miz as the IC Champion. He's a great champion. I just hope one day he will be able to rebound and be the top guy on Smackdown Live in the future.
*Raw Tag Team Champions: The New Day
Pros:
The New Day are just so damn entertaining. Its like a non stop party watching these guys. They have worked so hard to get where they are. Xavier Woods has come a long way from stealing Brodus Clay's entrance to being one of the beat talkers in the business. These guys are a very valuable part of the company regardless of show. There's no wonder why these guys have been Champions for over a year and the longest in WWE History.
Cons:
They aren't as good as babyfaces. They are way better as babyfaces now then they were before, but its still not the same. The jokes have gotten worse at times. They are way better as cheesy heels to me. They have also been untouchable this year. They rarely lose unless its like a distraction or something. I think it's time for these guys to drop the belts and give someone else a chance.
*WWE World Champion: AJ Styles
Pros:
The face that runs the place has been nothing short of Phenomenal. He has beaten John Cena twice! Clean too! I can end the paragraph right here and that's enough for me to sell a casual fan about how great he is. He deserves that title. I've waited 12 years to see AJ Styles in the WWE and sometimes I still can't believe he's here. He is a top 5 wrestler in the entire world and he comes out and shows it every week. AJ has been in the company only 9 months and he is cutting promos better than he ever has in his entire career. He can pull off the babyface and heel roles to perfection because he's just that damn good.
Cons:
Nothing bad to say about AJ but to WWE Creative: Where the fuck is my AJ vs Orton feud? I have been very patient, 11 years worth of patience, and it's time for you guys to pay up. Get your shit together.
*WWE Universal Champion: Kevin Owens
Pros:
Everything. Kevin Owens can do no wrong in my eyes. He is a perfectionist. He has been one of the best since day 1. We've been begging and pleading with WWE Creative to give him the damn belt and we finally got what we wanted. He has delivered fantastic matches with John Cena, Sami Zayn, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Finn Bálor, and many more. He steals the show by himself. He could wrestle with a broom stick and I'd be entertained because he would find a way to roast a fucking broomstick. His trash talk is A1. The way he mocks people as he kicks their ass is A1. Kevin Owens is a fucking star. Not even a star, he's a fucking Super Nova, a Nebula, a fucking Universe or some shit because he is big time. When he steps into the room he has an aura that surrounds you and instantly you know that he is the guy.
Cons:
Monday Night Raw's lack of story progression has been hurting Owens's title reign so far. But like he's done so often before, he is making work very well. I'm ready to see him move on from Seth Rollins also now.
*NXT Tag Team Champions: The Revival
Pros:
Kevin Owens may be my favorite wrestler in the company, but it doesn't get any better than Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder. I've wrote articles about how much of a big fan I am of the Revival because they are that damn great. These guys are genuine throwbacks. Not the fake ones that people call throwbacks because they just punch someone a lot. No, these guys are Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard type Throwbacks. Right down to the old school varsity jackets. Their motto is "No Flips, Just Fists" and they live up to that every time they step in the ring. They want to hurt you. They want to injure you if it means they will hold on to those Tag Team Titles. They are methodical. They find a body part and they attack viciously. They isolate teams and pick them apart. They deliver classics. They have literally never had a bad match since the Dusty Rhodes Classic last year. They are the top guys for a reason. There's no one in the world better to me. The Young Bucks are fantastic. I love those guys but compared to Dash and Dawson? I'd rather see Dash Wilder hold a guy down in the corner while Scott Dawson punches the guy out over a Superkick party. There's a reason why they are the first team to win the NXT Tag Team Titles 2 times.
Cons:
Their call up is coming soon and the only negative is they will have to lose to someone. When it's all said and done, I think I'll be able to say that they were one of the beat teams I've ever had the pleasure of watching.
-Ameen
Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
So, if you're watching RAW last night, you probably noticed something rather different going on. At Clash of Champions, a painstakingly long best of 7 series between Cesaro and Sheamus was supposed to come to an end and the winner was due to get a title shot of some sort. One would expect the winner to get a shot at the WWE Universal Title, and hopefully at a PPV. The problem with this line of thinking is that it makes too sense. It's logical. It's the proper way to handle this storyline so why would WWE do that, right?
One, Mick Foley is an idiot. In terms of the storyline. Simply put. As General Manager of RAW, he's been beyond out of his mind with his decisions, and the booking they've given him is absolutely terrible. Now, Cesaro and Sheamus came at him to say they wanted to seize opportunity on RAW and actually get title shots and show that they were great singles performers. While I'm not the biggest fan of Sheamus, there is no denial that he's a solid in ring worker. We've seen Sheamus go out there and put on really good matches throughout his career, and though I find him to be boring usually, his matches on big stages usually never disappoint much, and it was honestly a good thing to see WWE have Sheamus want to step up. The same could be said for Cesaro.
Cesaro is underrated. As a performer in the ring, Cesaro is one of the best today overall and he deserves a big shot at the WWE Universal Title. He's not really given fair shots and when he had the opportunity to win the US Title and shake things up against Rusev, he was forced to lose due to interference by Sheamus. Instead of trading him to Smackdown, where we could be watching a Ziggler vs Cesaro Intercontinental Title feud, or even AJ Styles vs Cesaro for the title, instead he remained on RAW and then got put into what is now known to me as the biggest mistake in recent WWE booking. Cesaro deserves much better than this and I think it's a waste of his talent for WWE to put him into this storyline. It's as if the WWE is punishing both men for going out there and have a solid 7 match series instead of rewarding them.
Cesaro and Sheamus were put into a makeshift tag team and given a tag team title shot at some point down the line, presumably at Hell In A Cell on PPV. After 7 matches, some of which were really good, all of which were singles matches at that, the big resolution to them fighting so hard that they couldn't continue in the final match is to make them a tag team? Where does this make any sense at all? It doesn't. When Clash of Champions ended, I sat there and wondered how WWE could fuck up this Cesaro and Sheamus thing even more, but there were a few options that seemed even more likely than what we received. There was the idea that both men fought so hard that both men would get a shot at a title of their choosing or that both would get a title shot. One would assume that on RAW the next week, perhaps Cesaro would take on Kevin Owens in the main event for the WWE Universal Title. Then, Sheamus could get a shot at the United States Champion Roman Reigns in a match that same week or the week after. Both men earning a shot at a title and both men getting one. It made sense more than what we got.
The other option that seemed possible was to have a one off match the next night on RAW to determine a winner and make it no DQ or countout so there had to be a winner. The winner would get a Universal Title match. The loser would have still proven to be something special and deserving and they would get an opportunity to fight another challenger the following week for a no. 1 contender spot at the Universal Title. So, the winner gets an immediate shot and the loser of the best of 7 still showed that they could go and earned another chance to get a title shot if they could get beyond another challenger. This way, neither man really loses and while the winner gets a shot first, the loser still gets to be in the picture also. This might have been the smartest way to go, but the WWE refuses to do such things.
Now, Foley gave an impassioned speech to both men about the passion and fire they showed in the matches they had, explaining that if they combined that passion they would be unstoppable and to just try it out. Here's the issue with that. If they showed so much passion and fire, wouldn't that passion and fire be more useful chasing a singles title that they want versus chasing a tag team title that neither man really seemed to want? Cesaro and Tyson Kidd were tag team champions at one point and that was fine. It worked well. Cesaro is beyond shit like this. Sheamus is beyond shit like this. The WWE had two singles stars in Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho, and put them together in an entertaining tag team, which is still shining. The issue with this comparison is that people actually thought Jericho and Owens together would be gold and it is. No one has ever said "you know who would be a great tag team I want to see? Cesaro and Sheamus". No one has ever said "let's make Cesaro and Sheamus tag team champions, that would be great TV". No one asked for this. The majority of fans didn't even want the Best of 7 Series to begin with, and wanted Cesaro and Sheamus to be over with anyways, so why is this a good idea? Why would WWE do this? It's simple: WWE is really full of idiots in the booking department.
If Cesaro and Sheamus beat the New Day and become tag team champions, then what? This wastes both of their talents, just to have a makeshift tag team go over for a few months of a title reign. This is what bothers me. Let's say this experiment fails like it probably will and nothing comes of it. Both Cesaro and Sheamus would be back to square one and have to sit on the back burner. Essentially, this entire Best of 7 Series was a waste of time and this fallout from it is an even bigger waste of time. RAW, WWE, Mick Foley and whoever booked this garbage failed both Cesaro and Sheamus. Trade Cesaro to Smackdown after letting him and Sheamus lose to the New Day. Please do so. It's necessary for his advancement in the company. Give Sheamus some TV time in the upper mid card again and let him shine on RAW. Or trade him to Smackdown too. They deserve better than RAW is willing to give them. This recent storyline is evidence.
-True
Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
The year 1999 in wrestling was strange. WCW suffered and we saw the Finger Poke of Doom. WWF was making money and led by Rock and Austin, but the matches and the shows in general lacked something. For every positive in this year, there could be a case made for a negative. One thing that WWF seemed to do right for the most part was their out of the US events and with No Mercy in the UK, they managed to create an interesting event. No one would have imagined that it would become a regular PPV for WWF shortly after, and as No Mercy prepares to make a comeback in a few weeks, we look back at the very first No Mercy and pay homage. Let's travel to May 1999 and the UK and look at this event.
*Tiger Ali Singh vs Gillberg
-Now.... let's just start off this retro review by saying this: this match wasn't significant and was essentially a squash. Tiger won the match in a little over a minute and this was as close to a joke of a match as you can. Not off to a good start here, BUT it can only get better from here, right?
*The Ministry of Darkness vs The Brood
-It was a bit strange. The Brood decided to take their own path and ended up feuding with the Ministry. While I was a fan of the Ministry and thought Bradshaw and Faarooq were really talented, young True was rooting for The Brood. This match wasn't anything special, but it was entertaining in most ways, as The Brood took the Ministry to the limit, before falling to Bradshaw and a clothesline from Hell. Gangrel would take the pin unfortunately and the Ministry would keep their momentum going.
*Droz vs Steve Blackman
-Another clunker of a match. Man, I always cringe on the story of Droz, but long before his big accident, Droz was pretty decent in the ring, though somewhat sloppy. However, this match added nothing to the event, and while Steve walked away with the victory. This match went about 8 minutes and while it was okay, it represents a problem a lot of WWE events had in 1999: filler. It was a filler match and to be fair, 70% of the card was just filler matches anyways, as there were only three main event or big time caliber matches and the rest of the card fell flat. I'd like to think that some of the roster couldn't make it to this show, thus a lack of Rock, Road Dogg, and some other big names here for this one event. Regardless, Steve Blackman wins.
*Kane vs Mideon
-The less said about this one, the better. Here we have Kane and Mideon going at it while neither was serviceable as a wrestler at this time in general. It lasted about 4 minutes at the very least, and saw both men presumably half assing it in the ring until interference ended it. Looking back on it, this solidified why 1999 is one of the worst years in wrestling, but we will get to that in an upcoming article. Speaking of terrible moments in 1999....
*Tori vs Nicole Bass
-The last time we saw Sable on WWF for 4 years was basically this. Nicole Bass was substituted for her and destroyed Tori in 30 seconds. Nicole Bass was horrible and everything about her (I think it was a her) was just all wrong. No wrestling ability. No charisma. Just big and burly and pretty much a strange character. This was useless and had no purpose. So far, this event is going quite awfully. Maybe the main events can pick the pace up? Please?
*WWF European Championship
X-Pac vs Shane McMahon
-This was one of the more interesting matches, though it was a bit overbooked and seemed a bit too similar to their WrestleMania 15 contest, it was still enjoyable. X-Pac was always good to carry someone to a good match, and this was pretty decent, just had too much interference. Triple H and Chyna interfered and helped Shane retain the title, which like I mentioned was very similar to the finish at WrestleMania 15 minus the shocking heel turn of HHH. Still, exciting stuff to witness, though I would have liked to see less interference.
*Mr. Ass Billy Gunn vs Mankind
-This would have been pretty good to watch if there were partners in this match. However, what we got was two solid workers going at it for about 13 minutes and while this match could have been slightly better, it was enjoyable and the crowd seemed to most be into it. My only issue was that Billy Gunn won this match with a Fameasser, and I felt Mankind should have gotten the victory here. Otherwise it was a solid match that would have been slightly more exciting as a tag team match with Road Dogg or someone else involved.
*WWF Championship Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Triple H vs Undertaker
-To my knowledge, this is the only time this match ever really took place in this manner. Ministry Taker. Corporate Triple H as a heel. Austin in his 1999 prime. While once could say this was a feud somewhat in 2001 when Austin and Triple H teamed up, this was the only time this match occurred. It was interesting, as it essentially was supposed to be a glorified handicap match, but through prime time Attitude Era over booking, Austin managed to get the win in this Anything Goes match that saw Kane, X-Pac, The Ministry, The Brood, and Mankind all get involved. Austin retains his title as expected, and the involvement of so much talent in the main event had to be due to the shortened roster available at the time. Still, this match was good and very exciting, which is what we loved the Attitude Era for.
This almost feels like a WIRTB because the show itself was a bit lackluster overall and had so many unnecessary matches. I'd rank this special UK event as a 5 out of 10 because it had three final decent matches, but mostly everything else was pretty lackluster or not entertaining like that. Blame it on the instant gratification of the time, but the Attitude Era has very little replay value for most of its matches aside from the main event. No Mercy UK was a pretty weak event, with a couple of good highlights.
-True
Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
Raw has suffered since the brand split. Injuries have really done a number on the roster, especially when considering the newest star for the company was supposed to be Finn Balor, who won the Universal Title at Summerslam only to relinquish it the next night. Finn was supposed to be positioned as the no. 1 face for the company as champion and although he is in the record books as the champion, the truth is since May of this year, there was only one choice for the top face in the company. That man is Seth Rollins.
No one wanted to boo Seth when he came back and rightfully so. He was coming back from a long injury, without him the product was lackluster, and he had a 24-7 special that made us all happy for his long awaited return. Through the last few months, we've all wanted to cheer for Seth, but WWE seemingly couldn't help themselves and kept him heel. It was the moment that Kevin Owens won the WWE Universal Title that you knew where this was going and it was about time. Triple H turned on Seth and the world instantly knew where the power was heading. Seth vs Triple H will happen at some point, likely at Wrestlemania and this feud will certainly have a lot of steam behind it. What better way to have Seth get crowned as the top face in the WWE than by defeating the last remaining legend in WWE at Wrestlemania? Well, to be real, Seth winning the Rumble and winning the title at Mania could be much bigger, but that's a story for another time.
Seth now moves into a position that WWE groomed for Roman Reigns, but he failed, and then they groomed Finn Balor for very quickly but he got injured. Can Seth handle the weight of this position? I think so. Seth is easily likable as a performer and can fit firmly into the role of the main guy in the company overall. Seth is personable in interviews and has an appeal for the majority of the world over. His merchandise sales are growing, his fan support has always been there for the hardcore fans and with this face turn, there's a lot that can be done here.
For instance, Seth and Owens can possibly end their feud at Hell In A Cell, but there's some great opponents who can feud with Seth afterwards. Rusev and Seth could be interesting as a feud. So could Seth vs Jericho. There's also the chance to turn Reigns heel and make Seth vs Roman, which could also work well. Then, as guys like Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode possibly come to RAW, you can build from there as well against Seth. Truthfully, Seth as a face champion can be something that really draws in more people as he can make more big time heels feuding with them. However, the purpose of this whole discussion is to confirm what is now official: Seth Rollins is now the no. 1 face in WWE. He's on the no. 1 show, RAW. He's in the main event regularly. He's now the most over singles star on RAW as well.
To further confirm this, the crowd tonight gave Seth a standing ovation after his loss to Kevin Owens. This was documented by WWE shortly thereafter. This could be the turning point for WWE as they haven't a solid top face since Daniel Bryan was out of action. Now, they have a chance with Seth. Let's hope they don't screw it up. We know WWE has a tendency to do that.
-True
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By @TrueGodImmortal
The Clash of the Champions is back. Night of Champions in reality has turned to the Clash and the card this year is exciting. What will come of this year's event? Let's take a look.
*Preshow Kickoff Match
Nia Jax vs Alicia Fox
-The preshow match is usually the most pointless match on the show and this is no different. Nia will win easily. Alicia Fox will go back to irrelevance shortly after this. With Paige and Emma on the way back, I'm sure we'll see Alicia Fox be stuck on Superstars or Main Event.... or not at all.
*United States Championship Match
Roman Reigns vs Rusev
-One match I could care less about. However, I have to give a prediction so here we go. I expect to see Reigns go over and win the US Title, which does nothing for the title or Rusev, but they want Reigns to have some form of gold. Ideally, WWE would make sure Reigns isn't headlining anymore after this one. That would be quite unnecessary to keep him in the main event. Rusev will get a rematch so at least that keeps Reigns busy.
*Sami Zayn vs Chris Jericho
-Possible MOTN candidate. I'd hope that Zayn wins but I'm fine with either outcome. It's sad that we've seen Zayn virtually forgotten after all the things he's been through the last year or two, but with this feud, he could be back on track hopefully. I say Zayn wins and moves on and eventually Jericho goes after Reigns and the US Title leading into the Rumble time. Smart money would say let Jericho win the title off Reigns, but then again I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's see Zayn win here and watch the fallout.
*Tag Team Championship Match
The New Day vs Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
-New Day Rocks. Over a year as champions and I'm not tired of them as the champs. At all. Here's the issue however: WWE seems hellbent on having Gallows and Anderson get a run. Ideally, you'd see New Day retain and eventually go back and forth with Enzo and Cass, but what I expect is Gallows and Anderson to win the belts and New Day then goes on to feud with another tag team for a while, before eventually splitting up after Mania. I'm not ready for the New Day to end because of what it means for the guys in the group after. I don't have faith in WWE to do anything with them. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I'll go with Gallows and Anderson here unfortunately.
*Final Match In A Best of 7 Series
Cesaro vs Sheamus
-Cesaro came back from 3-0 and has tied the series up. No other outcome makes sense here but for him to win this match and the series and get a Universal Title shot at Kevin Owens going forward. Now, I'd expect Cesaro to get beat down most of the match and get a win out of nowhere, which might be for the best. If Sheamus wins, this series has no purpose.
*WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match
T.J. Perkins vs Brian Kendrick
-This should have been Cedric vs TJP, but Kendrick is a heel and they want TJP over as a face. This is the smartest choice and this match will be great, but there's no chance in hell that Kendrick wins this and he shouldn't anyways. TJP retains the belt and hopefully moves on to feud with Cedric or Swann.... or knowing WWE and their white friendly booking, Jack Gallagher. We shall see. Either way, TJP picks up the victory.
*WWE RAW Women's Championship
Sasha Banks vs Bayley vs Charlotte
-This could have been a Survivor Series or Royal Rumble title match. Instead it's wasted here but I hope the match goes as planned and no injuries come along because as far as I'm concerned, Sasha Banks is the one. Bayley needs to wait until Wrestlemania 33 for her title win and pay her dues much like Sasha did the last year that she suffered losses and lack of pushes. Bayley is great, but this is Sasha's time and I'd like to see Sasha win and hold the belt until Wrestlemania. Knowing WWE though, Charlotte will likely win and then go on to feud with Bayley and drop the title to her by winter.
*WWE Universal Championship Match
Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins
-The MAIN EVENT. Owens vs Rollins is a dream match and here we have it as the main event of the first RAW PPV. Simply put, Owens will retain his title. No question. Nothing else makes sense. Rollins should chase the belt for a while and build his babyface clout up because he's going to be a huge face if this is done right. Let Seth get screwed here, and build up to the match with HHH at Mania, making Seth the MAN for real. Owens retains with some form of cheating in a great 20-25 minute classic. This could be a MOTY candidate.
The time is upon us. The Clash of Champions is here. Only time will tell what shall come next and if we will see any new champions at the event. Stay tuned.
-True
