Tagged under: Beer Money, DIY, El Generico, Kevin Steen, Shawn Michaels, Tag Team Breakups, The Rockers
By @AmeenKnows
Tag Teams are like relationships. In fact, they are clearly relationships. They have their highs and their lows. In professional wrestling no matter how great your team is, your destiny is to one day break up and test the waters as a singles performer. Sometimes only one person can be a star. Maybe both can become successful individuals, but more often than not, the breakups go bad and they get put back together (example. Cryme Tyme, Prime Time Players). My list is about what had a lasting effect on me. I loved each of these teams dearly (Well not each of them but I liked them).
Honorable Mention: Christian and Y2J
-I wanted to go with Edge and Christian, but I just didn't feel like I cared about it as much as this one. Jericho and Christian were underratedly entertaining in Raw's midcard scene. They were World Tag Team Champions, but they allowed a woman to come between them.
5. The Rockers
-I added this one for pure historical significance. I didn't care about the Rockers as a kid because they were gone with the wind when I was born. Luckily for me I have that good ol' WWE Network (which you too can secure for the low fee of $9.99!) so I can go back and watch these fantastic clashes with the Rockers and one of my all time favorite teams, The Brain Busters. There are many stories about the break up being caused by a backstage incident with one stating Marty Jannetty quit on behalf of both himself and Shawn Michaels because of monetary issues. Nonetheless, the break up on screen was iconic. Shawn Michaels super kicking Jannetty and sending him through that glass window was a image that lasted forever in the minds of wrestling fans. After the break up, Michaels would go on to become one of the greatest singles stars in Professional Wrestling history. Janetty also had a solid career worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, but he didn't become nearly half of the star HBK was. Their break up also coined the phrase "The Jannetty" where whenever a team breaks up, the lesser superstar becomes known as the Marty Jannetty of the team.
4. D-Generation-X (2002)
-I thought about posting this in the Honorable Mention section but this one cut me deep. It was the July 22nd edition of Raw. Eric Bischoff had gotten Triple H to come over to Raw and HHH and HBK gave us a DX reunion. The crowd's going wild, they're giving us the cool jokes and catch phrases. Then out of nowhere, Triple H just buries Shawn with a Pedigree and my first thought is like "what the fuck"? Then a week later, Triple H smashes Shawn's head through a car window and it led to one of wrestling's more intense rivalries. This break up proved once again no matter how great you are, you are destined to split. This rivalry gave us a classic street fight, Three Stages of Hell and a Hell in a Cell match.
3. Kevin Steen and El Generico
-This break up was kind of expected for me anyway because I've always looked at Kevin as the short tempered, hot head of the two. So when you have a talented team like those guys, you'd expect them to win a lot, but the Briscoe Brothers just wouldn't allow it. Time and time again, close loss after close loss, they just could not beat the Briscoes. When the ROH Tag Team Titles were vacated, it seemed as if these guys would finally get there chance. They beat Go Shiozaki and Nigel McGuiness in round one, Chris Hero and Adam Pearce in round two, but once again fell short of the gold against Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black in the finals. They finally did capture the belts in a rematch and held them for 203 days before losing to the American Wolves. After failing to win the titles again, the stage was set at Final Battle 2009. This time after a loss to The Young Bucks, it seemed as though Steen was going to retire. He hugged his best friend then gave him a low blow and a chair shot. He proceeded to call El Generico the weakest link multiple times and started a new team with Steve Corino. This act of betrayal left a lasting effect on me because what came of it was an intense and brutal feud that lasted an entire year and ended with Steen being forced to leave Ring of Honor. It would not be the last time Steen (Kevin Owens) betrayed Generico (Sami Zayn). On his first night in WWE at NXT Takeover: R-EVOLUTION, Owens viciously attacked Zayn after his NXT Championship match with Neville, once again throwing away his friendship in the pursuit of winning.
2. DIY
-I considered putting this at number one for the emotional impact this breakup had on me. Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano were basically inseperable. They were like a married couple. They were so in sync with each other that every double team and follow up move flowed together like silk. I always felt like these guys are just too damn good to be together forever but it still blindsided me seeing Ciampa deliver a running knee to his partner. Earlier in their Ladder match with the Authors of Pain, Gargano saved Ciampa from being hit with a ladder and he took the ladder hit straight to the face. So with that image in mind, it was almost impossible for my brain to process what the hell Ciampa was doing. What keeps this from being number one is Ciampa's injury will keep him sidelined so this feud won't be kick-started just yet but I feel with the way these guys perform, it will be truly epic.
1. America's Most Wanted and Beer Money Inc.
-I went with this one for number one because they both came completely from nowhere. Well kind of. America's Most Wanted was one of the greatest Tag Teams ever. The Wildcat Chris Harris and The Cowboy James Storm were the pioneers of Tag Team Wrestling in TNA. 6 Time NWA World Tag Team Champions. Multi time Tag Team of the Year. These guys set the standard for greatness that other teams in the company would have to follow up on. They were so cocky and confident they could regain their titles back from young and upcoming LAX that they put their Tag Team status on the line for the titles on the December 14, 2006 episode of Impact. They were well on their way to winning when James Storm suddenly smashed a beer bottle over the head of Chris Harris. This allowed LAX to retain and Storm to go his seperate ways with Harris. After accomplishing so much you just thought there was no way Storm would rather split than be a Champion again, but we were wrong. However, karma always comes back to haunt you and boy did it get James Storm good. 5 years after Storm betrayed the Wildcat, he was riding high in Beer Money Incorporated with his good buddy Bobby Roode. Storm had finally won his first TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Kurt Angle and these guys were the best tag team in all of TNA at that point. Roode had previously failed to defeat Angle for the Championship and Sting gave away his opportunity to face Angle one more time to Storm, who as we know, defeated Angle. The stage was set for the November 3, 2011 episode of Impact. Roode and Storm are in the Main Event for the title just straight up killing it. When the match was reaching its final stage, Roode took one of Storm's beer bottles and smashed it over Storm's head. Not only did it end their team but it ended Storm's World Heavyweight Championship run. The moment was built up all too well with Roode pretending to be happy for his friend and then ultimately betraying him in the pursuit of Gold. What we got from it was Roode finally becoming the Guy for the Company, something I knew he had been destined to get to for years. James Storm had turned Chris Harris to his Marty Jannetty and Roode would betray him in the exact same fashion five years later. It was simple and effective story telling that played out perfectly and elevated Storm after his betrayal of Harris and later on Roode after he betrayed Storm.
-Ameen
Tagged under: Austin Aries, Brock Lesnar, Cesaro and Sheamus, Extreme Rules, Finn Balor, Neville, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, The Hardy Boyz, WWE
By @TrueGodImmortal
Baltimore, MD will get another PPV and it happens to be the Raw exclusive Extreme Rules. Usually, Extreme Rules comes with a lot of great matches and excitement and honestly, this year it is devoid of it. Why is that? Well, aside from the absence of a Universal Title match, it lacks the star power, the actual Universal Champion, good stipulations, and it feels like a forced card honestly. With a few rematches that came from Payback, this PPV doesn't look too promising, but could we be wrong? Could we see the next chapter of Goldust and R-Truth and their breakup? More Enzo/Cass vs The Revival business? Only time will tell. Let's take a look at the announced card so far.
*Rich Swann and Sasha Banks vs Noam Dar and Alicia Fox
-This feels like an attempt to get Sasha's help in getting the Cruiserweight storyline over. I'm not interested in this match at all, but I think it could really have some good momentum and could be a fun watch for all. Swann and Noam have in ring chemistry and this could be fun to see. I don't expect Sasha and Alicia to get much ring time, but I do expect Swann and Sasha to pick up the win. Hopefully Swann gets another shot at the Cruiserweight Title, but I find it unlikely after this match. Swann and Sasha pick up the win.
*Submission Match
Cruiserweight Championship
Austin Aries vs Neville
-Aries and Neville have a solid feud. I like both and I think they could put in quite the classic feud if given the right push and promotion. However, it's been relegated to not being as prominent and honestly I hate the idea of a Submission Match instead of the other two choices I had. A Ladder or TLC match sounds like the perfect culmination to this feud or any title feud in the Cruiserweight Title picture, but unfortunately, that's not the plan here. I think Neville ends up retaining unfortunately, and Aries somehow gets one more rematch, in a 2 out of 3 Falls contest at "Great Balls Of Fire" in which Aries finally wins. Neville retains.
*Steel Cage Match
Tag Team Championship
The Hardy Boyz vs Cesaro and Sheamus
-The Hardyz aren't Broken yet. They need to be. It seemed like we were getting the Broken Hardyz after Cesaro and Sheamus turned heel, but they've held off due to the Impact lawsuit and battle. Honestly, I'm surprised Cesaro and Sheamus are still together, and honestly, I don't expect them to win this match. I think the team to defeat the Hardyz are the team that is currently out of commission until the next month or so, The Revival. I predict the Hardyz retain here in a solid yet slightly sloppy contest and then Cesaro and Sheamus move on to feud with another face team, or they do what I thought they would have by now and broke up. The Hardyz will retain the championships.
*Kendo Stick On A Pole Match
Women's RAW Championship
Bayley vs Alexa Bliss
-There's not a match on this cars that been horribly built quite like this one. After the terrible promo between the two on RAW this past Monday, and the lack of empathy for Bayley as a main roster face, one has to assume that the eventual plan is going to be Alexa vs Sasha Banks, the biggest star on the roster for women. Bayley just isn't working as the sympathetic face and while I expect her to get her share of "revenge" in this match, I think we see Bayley come up just a tad short and Alexa continues her blissful reign.
*Intercontinental Championship
The Miz vs Dean Ambrose
-Nothing says Extreme Rules like a match that could end in a disqualification..... and cause the champion to lose his title. It's honestly a stupid stipulation and that's the basis of this entire card really. Nothing on this card really sticks out to me as being solid minus the mega main event and this match was one we watched for months on Smackdown just a few months prior so it was very pointless for it to be here yet again. The stipulation makes me believe Ambrose will win cleanly and retain, making the Miz look weaker by design since he couldn't even get Ambrose to get himself DQed. However, I'd rather Ambrose retain cleanly than to lose it on a disqualification. So, I predict Ambrose to retain.
*Fatal 5 Way Match For No. 1 Contender Spot
Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt vs Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins
-The only match I'm interested in seeing on this show really. This match will be the MOTN and in reality, there's essentially nothing about this match that is predictable. The booking has been done very well, and it seems that even after unnecessary wins over Finn Balor and Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns still isn't a favorite to win. Samoa Joe has momentum, Bray Wyatt has momentum, and even Finn Balor had momentum too. This match essentially could go either way, but based on the Heyman and Balor promo, there's a small feeling within me that Balor will end up walking away with the victory and going on to face Brock at the next PPV. Still, there's money in a huge Samoa Joe vs Brock match as well, and those two are my top choices. Either Joe or Finn win, and we get an actual dream match of sorts no matter how it turns out with those two. If Reigns or Bray actually do win, it would actually feel slightly like a waste, but you never know with WWE. Seth is the long shot to win, but he could pull out the victory too in a slight swerve. However, I predict Finn Balor wins, with Samoa Joe as my fallback pick. It should be a great match regardless.
There may be more matches added as the week progresses, but as of now, Extreme Rules doesn't seem to be very enticing, but who knows, WWE tends to surprise from time to time. Will this end up as a great event? I guess we'll have to tune in and find out.
-True
Tagged under: Bobby Heenan, CM Punk, Gorilla Monsoon, Greatest wrestling commentators, JBL, Jerry The King Lawler, Jim Ross, Joey Styles, Tazz
By @DisAppAintFree & @Phranchize19
Commentators in professional wrestling provide insight and credibility to the matches they call. Not to mention, it's their job to sell what's going on in the ring. Now there's been many commentators that have done extraordinarily well and there's been some who quite stink at their job. Today, me and @Phranchize19 give you some of professional wrestling's best commentators!
12. JBL
-Whether you love him or hate him, he's pretty great at playing the character he's been given, and mainly as a heel is where JBL shines best. As @IOnlySayFacts had recently touched on, John Bradshaw Layfield is one of the best heels in professional wrestling due to his dedication to his heel gimmick and mic work. As a commentator this is no exception, as half of the time he often makes a good job vouching for heel wrestlers and providing necessary comedy for heel wrestlers. He's full of charisma and capable of keeping viewers interested through programmings.
11. Randy Savage
-Savage is without a doubt one of the greatest wrestlers/WWE legends, but many fans feel his commentary gig is underrated. While it is forgotten mainly cause it was overshadowed by Savage's ring accomplishments and the short stint it was, Savage did make the best of it. His voice already being the golden document of how a professional wrestler should cut promos would be beneficial as a commentator. Whether he says "WHAAAT", "OOOOH YEEAAAAH" or any simple line, he carries the insight of every viewer and how they react to what goes in the ring. He had great delivery and timing. He is without a doubt underrated.
10. Tazz
-Probably Smackdown's best color commentator. Opposite of his tough scary demeanor in ECW, Tazz showed a lighthearted side as commentator, as he was always cracking jokes and barely caught not smiling. He was somewhat of a tweener as he would root for faces ("LATINO HEEEAAATT"), but root for heels while justifying their actions most the time. Nevertheless, being the in ring veteran he is, he spewed a lot of in ring knowledge and he was the only broadcast partner of Michael Cole to make him sound good. That's saying something.
9. CM Punk
-Speaking of wrestlers with short stints, CM Punk within 3 damn months proved why he's the best at what he does! His ring career temporarily on hold, Punk filled in as a commentator and despite his inexperience, he nailed it. From his sarcasm, smark comments, and verbal abuse to fellow commentators, CM Punk provides comedic gold on the booth. I wish I could put him higher, but I can't grade consistency due to the short stint. Regardless, it goes without saying, Punk is definitely one of the best wrestlers on commentator duty.
8. Vince McMahon
-I honestly wished Vince had his heel charisma as color commentator as sometimes he can get bland. However, for the most part, Vince was pretty great at commentator duty as a face. He was often unbiased and called it how it is, whether he commends the likes of Hart or Stone Cold, both who hated him onscreen. While he wasn't Mr. Personality until later on his career, he did have memorable calls to classic matches. His call as Shawn Michaels captured his first title at WM 12 is iconic. He knew his stuff and captured important details of what's going in the ring and kept the viewers well informed. Sometimes we forget how much of a scholar McMahon is on actual wrestling as his smarts is downplayed by his poor booking decisions nowadays.
7. Paul Heyman
-As Paul E. Dangerously, Heyman showed potential as a color commentator. Nearly a decade later, soon after the fall of ECW, Paul filled in for The King who left because of personal reasons. For NINE MONTHS, we the WWE(F) Universe, had the best commentary duo with Ross and Heyman calling it down the line. "HEY JR GUESS WHAT?!", "what..", "WASSSUUUPPPP!" he would say as The Dudleys perform their signature headbutt move on their opponents. Not only did Paul big up his former employees (even when they were jobbing), but he did a helluva job as voice for The Alliance, who were heels. Why didn't he lead the ECW alliance? That's really WWE's dumbass writings, but it doesn't take away from the charisma, comedy, and extra insight he provided to the fans. Unlike average commentators who reach to the viewers, Heyman reached to the FANS!
6. Joey Styles
-For nearly 7 years, Styles have singlehandedly detailed every aspect of what went on in a fast messy environment that is known as ECW. It's not easy being a one man commentator and announcer, but Styles nailed it. Whether showing off his scholarly knowledge of professional wrestling, "A quick scoop of a slam", "TAZZ LOCKS IN THE KATAHAJIME" or his most famous reaction "OH MY GAWWWDDDDDD", Styles has a knack of displaying every single great aspect that a color commentator should have. He delivered the same magic in WWE though he was downplayed alot and mistreated as he was always replaced by Ross during a PPV. Luckily he was able to call the classic Hardcore match between Edge & Foley at WM22.
5. Gorilla Monsoon
-The epitome of a face color commentator. Though at times he seemed biased towards the faces and outshined by his broadcast partners, Monsoon always had charisma. He provided a great voice and delivered calling classic matches. Whether with Heenan or Ventura, he was the perfect face half of color commentary, thus benefitting the heel half when calling a match.
4. Jerry "The King" Lawler
-An unfiltered Jerry Lawler is gold. Lawler made commentary so much fun. Whether he was bashing guys such as Stone Cold or Bret Hart or fantasizing over women such as Debra, Sunny or Sable or making some of the greatest jokes ever, Lawler is a mainstay when it comes to announcing. His greatest work was in the 90's where he ranged from a heel, in which he verbally slaughtered the Hart family, to a comedic perv when he lusted over Debra's "puppies".
3. Jesse Ventura
-The man who originally played the heel commentator, Ventura's style of commentating was well received by Vince. He is arguably the greatest heel color commentator as he often would root for the villain and diss the good guys. His gripe against Hogan is one of the reasons
his heel commentary worked because he truly hated him (Hogan snitched on him to the boss about forming a labor union), so he did everything in power to bash him. For the most part it made sense, Hogan used to cheat but never got called out on it but Ventura was always on his ass. WM5, WM6, and Survivor Series 1987 main event are great examples of his commentary work.
2.Bobby Heenan
-Bobby Heenan was arguably wrestling's first comedian. He made a legendary duo with Gorilla Monsoon. Heenan had jokes for days and made commentary fun with disparaging remarks towards all the babyfaces especially Hogan and fans whom he was constantly referring to humanoids. Besides being a legendary manager, he became a legendary commentator and even in his WCW days, where he was more rational, it was great TV. He's one of the best ever and always remember to "be fair to Flair".
1. Jim Ross
-When one thinks of announcing in the wrestling industry, they tend to think of Jim Ross. Many, if not all people consider him the best announcer in the business. His storytelling and antics with Jerry Lawyer made matches so much more enjoyable. Jim Ross has called so many legendary matches and elevated them with his superb play by play. He's the most respected announcer and is looked at as a mentor/inspiration by several on screen employees. He always spoke his mind and never kissed anyone's ass, especially Vince, who fired him a lot. And of course he has quotables for days:
"STONE COLD STONE COLD!"
"TOUGHER THAN A TWO DOLLAR STATE"
"BONAFIED SLOBBERKNOCKER"
"THE AUSTIN ERA HAS BEGUN"
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THATS ENOUGH"
"STONE COLD IS SHAKING HANDS WITH SATAN HIMSELF"
The list goes on.
-EOTR
Tagged under: British Bulldog, European Championship, Hart Foundation, Owen Hart, WWF
By @Phranchize19
It's always exciting to see new championships created, but the European title was the first new title introduced in the WWF in over 18 years (at the time). Titles can be made or broken by their first champion and they way that they won that title.
Background
The European Title was introduced in 1997 and a tournament was held to determine a new champion. The tournament was held in Germany and came down to the British Bulldog (who's actually from Europe) and Owen Hart (Bulldog’s brother in law). In an ironic twist, these two men were not only brother in laws but tag partners and the reigning WWF Tag Team champions. The story practically wrote it self. Hints of jealousy were dropped in as well as their family ties were used to sell this story.
The Match
Owen and Bulldog would start out with basic wrestling holds. Both men sold each other's offense as well as showed great athleticism. There was chain wrestling, brawling, high flying, and taunting. Owen would eye rake his brother in law much to the dismay of the Germans. British Bulldog would come out on top after a reversal on a roll up attempt.
Phranchize Rating And Analysis
This match was perfect. The crowd was hot for Bulldog and it showed. These are two of the greatest technicians ever and they went out there and put on a show. Bulldog coming out the victor was the right move and it didn't damage Owen's credibility. The announce team did well by selling their history and selling the tension the two have had (Could've done without Honky Tonk Man even though I'm a huge fan). This was the perfect match for a new title.
Rating: 9.5/10
-C. Yates
Tagged under: AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Dolph ziggler, Kevin Owens, Money In The Bank, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, WWE
By @TrueGodImmortal
Smackdown is bringing back the MITB PPV this year as an exclusive, and they've announced two matches so far. One, the WWE Champion Jinder Mahal (wow....) will defend against Randy Orton, who will be looking to have his rematch. However, despite that horrible match, what we will see that's sure to be a lot of fun is the 6 Man Money in The Bank Ladder Match, featuring what some of us have christened the new "Smackdown 6". Baron Corbin, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles, and Shinsuke Nakamura will do battle in a few short weeks for the most important briefcase in WWE, the Money In The Bank briefcase. So, with the match official and the participants announced, who will walk away with the win? Let's take a look at each participant.
*Baron Corbin
-I think there's a huge chance that Corbin will walk away with the victory and the briefcase, as his momentum continues to dwindle with back to back losses to Sami Zayn after losing a feud to Dean Ambrose. With that behind him and knowing WWE booking, Corbin is definitely a favorite to walk away with the briefcase, and if I'm being honest, I could very well see him cashing in the same night or perhaps at Battleground (the next Smackdown PPV) or on a summer episode of Smackdown. If this were to be case however, it would totally ruin the plans that I thought WWE had of Orton vs Styles for the WWE Title in a huge dream match feud, and puts Corbin in the driver seat that I don't think anyone wants him to be in.... yet. Though, in a weird scenario, we could see Corbin cash in, win, then drop the belt to soon to be returning John Cena..... which sounds oddly realistic. No one wants that, which means WWE will likely do it.... of course.
*Sami Zayn
-All of a sudden, Zayn is building momentum up after being reduced to a talented jobber these last few months. The move to Smackdown hasn't paid off yet minus two wins over Corbin, but he's still painted as the underdog. So, as the underdog, he'd have to have a shot to win this briefcase, right? Right? Not at all. There's literally no chance that Zayn walks away with this briefcase and I think he truly has the lowest odds possible of winning the briefcase of all the competitors honestly. If Zayn does win, I suspect he'll end up in that rare club of stars who lost their MITB cash in.
*Dolph Ziggler
-Right below Zayn is Ziggler in terms of who has the smallest chance of winning. Ziggler and Zayn are in the match to fill out the rest of the lineup and make the match more exciting and intriguing. Will Ziggler have a chance to win? Who would he feud with over the title? Nakamura? Orton? Owens? Styles? While those matches aren't bad to watch, Ziggler hasn't been a viable option in a while and is only in the new Smackdown 6 to fill his role as the good worker who can sell for guys. He's the WWE veteran in this "new era" and he will end up selling for all of the guys involved in this, which could end up being a lot of fun to witness, but he has no chance to win and he shouldn't anyways.
*Kevin Owens
-Surprisingly, I think Owens has a great shot at winning this match even as the US Champion and my reasoning is simple: Owens vs Orton in the future for the title. Now, don't get me wrong: I think there's a chance he doesn't win, but I do think if he won, it would easily make him the biggest heel on the brand, and since we know Jinder Mahal is a novelty act sure to fall off in the next few months, what better way to make Owens the man in the WWE by giving him the briefcase as well as the US Title. Truthfully, I think Styles vs Owens will happen again and Styles will take the US Title from him, which will see Owens move up into the WWE Title picture if this was to happen. Owens cashing in to beat Orton or someone else who holds the belt would be amazing to witness and his crowning would put him in the driver's seat again.
*AJ Styles
-In any other match, I'd say Styles would be the smartest choice for winning this match but something tells me he will end up getting a title shot soon anyways. AJ vs Nakamura is the match we need for Wrestlemania and I think the WWE could do one of two things, and that's pull the trigger early at SummerSlam, or let Styles begin another lengthy title run and start the Nakamura push to the main event and an eventual Royal Rumble win. It makes so much sense that I don't see Styles winning this match, but still getting a title shot very soon, likely at SummerSlam. It makes so much sense, but unfortunately with WWE, that means you won't see it happen. I'd love AJ to win, but something tells me he doesn't get the briefcase here.
*Shinsuke Nakamura
-Nakamura should be your favorite. Though I think he won't win, I do think he should be the favorite. He's the hottest thing in the WWE right now and the biggest star on Smackdown next to AJ Styles. The fact that Nakamura has come in and instantly gotten over is a testament to his greatness, but the reality is, Nakamura is on a path to greatness with the WWE Title sooner than later and a briefcase win would put him square in the driver's seat.
So who wins? My pick? Corbin or Owens. I think the heels of tomorrow need to win, as I can't see Styles or Nakamura winning, but if they did, I'd not be mad at it. I just hope we get Styles vs Nakamura at Wrestlemania 34 for the WWE Title. It might be the biggest matchup possible for the Smackdown brand. However, we have a MITB match to look forward to, and it should be one hell of a contest to witness.
-True
