EOTR Match Of The Week: Bret Hart vs Diesel

By @Phranchize19

Survivor Series is over now, but I wanted to close out November with a look at one of the best matches at the PPV that wasn't a traditional Survivor Series match. Let's go back to 1995 and take a look at Bret Hart vs Diesel, the classic main event for Survivor Series.

Background
At Survivor Series 1994, Bret Hart had lost the WWF title to Bob Backlund via forfeit. Coincidentally, Diesel turned face that same evening. Three days later, Backlund lost the WWF title to Diesel in 8 seconds. Diesel’s reign as champ would begin in 1994 and he would meet Bret Hart on 2 separate occasions for the WWF Title, once at the Royal Rumble and once at the 1994 King Of The Ring, when Bret was the champ. Each time, their encounters were good as Bret made Diesel work and pushed him to the limit. When Survivor Series 1995 arrived, we had their third PPV match. Let's look back at this match.

The Match
We start with both men taking the protective padding off of two of the turnbuckles. As the match began, Hart would attempt to go after the legs of Diesel but Diesel would take control throughly. Bret would attempt to slide out of the ring only for Diesel to come after him. Diesel would then bring the brutality into the match by striking Bret with a chair. Diesel would attempt a Jacknife powerbomb but Bret would block it then bite Diesel and slowly begin to take control. Bret would attack the legs of Diesel next. Bret would lock a figure four leglock in but then break it and get back on the attack of the legs. Diesel would then regain control but Bret would counter again and take control.

Bret would get a chair and while Diesel would block the first few attempts, Bret would eventually go to work on a tied up Diesel with a chair. Bret would literally wrestle Diesel while his leg was still tied. Diesel would finally counter and throw Bret Hart off the top rope. Diesel would untie his leg and proceed to take control of the match. Diesel would throw Bret into the exposed turnbuckle chest first. Bret Hart would again take control of the match but Bret couldn’t keep him down for a three count. Diesel would then take control and attempt his powerbomb on a seemingly lifeless Bret Hart but Bret would sucker him in and roll him up and get the three count to win the match and the title.

Highlights
-Bret Hart gets thrown into exposed steel hitting the back of the head
-Bret would tie Diesel’s leg to the turnbuckle
-Diesel would knock Bret Hart off the ring apron into a table

Grade and Analysis
When you look at Kevin Nash’s career, he hasn’t exactly had many classics but this was one of them. Bret was one of the few that could make Diesel look great as well as bring out the best in him. Bret was such a magician in the ring and his ring psychology is one of the best ever if not the best. These two crafted a beautiful story and the Diesel heel turn at the end of the match was beautifully done. With a year of teasing it as well as showing signs of stress as WWF champ, he finally cracked.  The announce team of McMahon, Jim Ross and Mr. Perfect sold this story perfectly and the crowd was thoroughly engaged.

Rating: 10/10

-Phranchize 

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Eyes on the Ring 12:38 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: The 5 Best WWE Tag Teams Today

By @TrueGodImmortal

With the WWE experiencing the best run of tag team wrestling in quite some time, it's only right we take a moment and list the best tag teams of today. These are the teams that have excelled the most in the WWE over the last 6-8 months. With a few teams breaking up, some being injured, and some just not being as important, we were able to narrow this list down to the five best, in order. Let's take a look at the 5 best tag teams in the WWE today.

5. Seth Rollins And Dean Ambrose 

-This team makes the list sort of by default. The Authors of Pain haven't been as consistent and the other teams who could possibly make this list haven't accomplished more than Rollins and Ambrose. Since reuniting in late July, the two most over members of The Shield have given the world a lot to cheer for, having an excellent feud with Cesaro and Sheamus for the better part of the last 4 months. They've had matches against The Hardy Boyz, and The New Day, with their success coming mostly in the form of their great matches against Cesaro and Sheamus. They were tag team champions for a little over two months and it seems as if they are heading towards another title run possibly as they seem primed to take on Cesaro and Sheamus for the titles yet again.

4. SANITY

-It is surprising that this group has grown on me in NXT, but the team of Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, and Killian Dain are absolutely great. They are the NXT Tag Team Champions and as a result, they alternate who defends the title between the three. Their gimmick is dark and it works very well for them, and they've been a part of some good matches, from their battles with The Authors of Pain to their inclusion in the epic War Games match, SANITY hasn't disappointed this year and they reign supreme currently in NXT. I can't wait to see how this group does on the main roster.... I hope the WWE actually gets this right when it's time to call them up.

3. The New Day 

-Three years. Three years. The New Day are still rolling. They are still one of the most over tag teams and they don't even seem to be getting stale, especially since they've found new life on Smackdown. It's amazing what a refreshing feud and new perspective can do for you. They've had some good matches against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, as well as The Shield, Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin, as well as Breezango, but of course, the highlight of the year came in the form of their epic feud with The Usos. The New Day have been excellent all year long and they might be one of the best teams ever when it is all said and done. There hasn't been a team as popular, as groundbreaking, or as important in this current era as New Day. They are the cream of the crop in the WWE over the last three years and they seem like they aren't slowing up anytime soon.

2. Cesaro And Sheamus 

-We discussed this team last week, so I won't get too much into the work they have done, but I never would have expected this team to even work. Two great solo performers put together in a makeshift team has turned into the best thing in tag team wrestling on RAW. They had a great feud with The Hardy Boyz this year, but the best moment of the year came with this team feuding with the Shield, Rollins and Ambrose. Over the last four months, these two teams have put in amazing work and as a result, Cesaro and Sheamus have proven why they are The Bar. There's no team on RAW better than these two.

1. The Usos 

-Day One Ish. Whatever that means. Honestly, when the Usos turned heel, I wasn't really sold on them as a top tier team, but they've showed that they can be that and more. They are far and away the best team in the WWE and they don't seem to be letting up anytime soon. After a great feud early in the year with American Alpha, The Usos arrived at the height of their year when they began a few with The New Day in the summer. We witnessed a ton of amazing matches from those two teams, including a Hell In A Cell match that was excellent to end their feud. The Usos are setting up to feud with Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin and due to their great in ring work, they seem to be more tweeners than anything, and that fits them. The Usos are the best team in the WWE and I don't expect anyone to take their spot.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 12:12 AM  2 comments

Eyes On WWE: 5 Great AJ Styles Matches In 2017

By @TrueGodImmortal

Simply put, I think AJ Styles is the best wrestler in the game today. I could put Okada, Omega, and some other names at the top of the list, but if I had to make one choice, it would be AJ. So far this year, he's definitely been the best wrestler in the WWE and today we wanted to take a look at 5 of his best matches this year. Let's get into it.

*John Cena vs AJ Styles
Royal Rumble 2017

-When we look back at the shows this year, one show that is still confusing to me is the Royal Rumble. I would say this match is a true match of the year candidate, as it was just as good as the Summerslam 2016 classic between these two, but honestly, my only knock against this match is the fact that we see far too many finishers here, but honestly, outside of that, it's a great match. I've said time and time again that the best wrestlers bring out the best in John Cena and this was no different. I hated seeing Cena win unnecessarily just to get his 16th title run, but all in all, this match was great to watch and a great culmination to what I feel is one of the best rivalries of the last year or so in AJ vs Cena.

*AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon
Wrestlemania 33

-I was pleasantly surprised by this match, I'll be honest. I didn't expect this match to end up being as good as it turned out and I'm glad that it exceeded my expectations. The action in this one is truly amazing, as AJ literally carried Shane to what might be his best overall match in his career from a wrestling standpoint. AJ ends up winning as he should, but Shane actually  was up to the challenge and gave AJ all he could handle. AJ and Shame went about 20 minutes and stole the show and had what I consider to be the best match at Wrestlemania 33.

*AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens vs Chris Jericho
Smackdown 

-This match was the best match of the feud between Owens and AJ, and funny enough, it featured a third element in Jericho. Jericho showed up as a surprise, and was instantly placed into the match. This was to make it so Owens didn't take the pin in the match so the feud can continue and also add a much needed extra element for a match. Jericho was an excellent addition, as these three men let their chemistry shine, and AJ walks away with the big victory and retains his US Title.

*Finn Balor vs AJ Styles
TLC 2017

-When we look back at this match, I think we'll remember that the WWE had an opportunity to make this even more special and give it at least 22 minutes, but they only gave them 17-18 minutes and AJ and Balor delivered a near classic match. This dream match finally came to life randomly and due to a big health issue to Bray Wyatt, we got a match that will be discussed in many WWE match of the year conversations I'm sure. Balor and AJ took each other to the limit and with little prep time for the match and not much of a build to it, they stole the show and had match of the night with relative ease. Balor won the match, but AJ put on an amazing performance as well, making this a win for the fans more than anyone else.

*Brock Lesnar vs AJ Styles
Survivor Series 2017

-His most recent big time match and yet another dream match for many. Let's think about it. Brock hasn't faced many people we wanted to see him face over his 5 years back in the WWE, as only CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, and now AJ Styles stick out as names that really intrigued us for matches at times. AJ vs Brock could have went one of two ways, and I'm glad it went the way I wanted it to. I personally would have preferred to see AJ win this match, but of course, WWE wasn't going to let that happen. Still, what we get is something special, as we see Brock taken to the limit by AJ in a very competitive match that exceeds the usual time limit for a Brock match (a one on one match at least).  There was a lot of offense by AJ throughout and Brock barely won this match which made it even better. Brock and AJ didn't have a classic, but they did have Brock's best one on one match since Summerslam 2013 against Punk, which says a lot about the level of work that AJ put in.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 12:12 AM  No comment

Eyes On NFL: The MVP Race

By @TrueGodImmortal

Here we are. The NFL season is winding down and the question is now coming up.... who should be the MVP this season? After 11 games for most of the teams in the book, it's honestly a toss up at the moment between two QBs, one of which has been here before, and the other, no one expected to get here, at least not this fast. However, you could also add a few other names to this discussion as well, which leads me to this small list of MVP candidates for this year. To be fair, you'll see a few candidates who likely won't win at all and a few possible candidates left off from winning teams (it's hard to pinpoint a true MVP for the Steelers and the Vikings can't seriously place faith in Case Keenum just yet), but for the most part, this is really a two man race at the moment, but anything can happen in the NFL over the next 5 weeks. Who will win MVP? Let's take a look.

*Todd Gurley

-A long shot? Yes. Deserving? Probably not of the award. But as far as the consistency goes, it's either Jared Goff or Gurley who deserve the credit for their huge success this year and the lead in the NFC West. The beauty of the NFL MVP award is that it changes so quickly due to the fact that one or two games can alter the entire race. Gurley has well over 1100 yards from scrimmage already and has been a huge factor in the Rams being successful. Will Gurley end up as the MVP? Doubtful, but his hard work this season can't be ignored and should at least be somewhat recognized.

*Cam Newton 

-This is a huge long shot.... a huge long shot. However, Cam has shown flashes of greatness and somehow, the Panthers are deadlocked in a tie for first place in what is currently the most competitive division, the NFC South. If the Panthers can win the division and obtain a top 4 seed in the NFC, there might be a discussion to be had about Cam and another MVP. Once again, I don't expect Cam to actually seriously be considered, as this is mostly a two man race, but much like in all sports, there have to be other choices on the outside. Cam hasn't been perfect, but if the Panthers could finish the season at 11-5 or even 12-4, Cam might deserve a mention at least.

*Drew Brees 

-Does Brees deserve MVP consideration? Maybe... but if we had to pick someone, perhaps Kamara deserves it a little more? No? Well, fine. Brees hasn't been his usual stat stuffing self, but it hasn't mattered. He still has over 3000 yards passing so far, and can likely hit over the 4000 yard mark before the season ends, and although his total number of touchdowns are below his average, the Saints are 8-3, and likely a playoff team if they can keep this up. Brees is a big part of that success, as evidenced by his heroics in a recent game against the Redskins. Will Drew Brees be a serious MVP contender? Probably not, but he deserves a little bit of discussion in the conversation.

*Tom Brady

-This is a broken record. Brady likely has a chance to win but I'll be honest, his consistency this season is the main reason why he should be given the top consideration. His numbers this season are amazing, and at 40, the way he controls the game is beyond belief. Where he loses this argument somewhat is the fact that the Patriots haven't shown too many flashes of greatness at times, and they should more likely be 7-4 than 9-2. However, their record seems to be better than the actual team this year, but much like the Cavs in the NBA this year, they'll likely be in the Super Bowl. Brady is the biggest reason for their success and any other year, he would be an easy and undisputed choice for MVP, but I just don't think this year is his year... though he has a big chance to win, there is one player who has rose up to become the man who could steal it from Brady and the front-runner at the moment.

*Carson Wentz

-Let's be honest... Wentz is the MVP and the award is his to lose at this point. While Brady has better numbers as I said, we can't forget that a lot of those early Patriots games saw their defense not get the job done, and the 9-2 Pats should probably be 6-5 or 7-4 heading into week 13. However, enough about Brady. It's time for Wentz now. This is his year and he's owning it. Success can be so fleeting in the NFL, but this year? Carson Wentz  is playing football at a much higher rate than anyone expected. Will Wentz continue playing well into the end of the season? If he does, he's the MVP. No one predicted the Eagles would be 10-1 and the no. 1 team in football, but here they are. They have a tough stretch going forward to close the season, but if they can come out of that with a few more wins and secure the no. 1 seed in the NFC, the MVP award will undoubtedly be his. The Patriots and Brady are exactly where we expected them to be, but the Eagles have exceeded that, exceeded the Patriots and then some. As of now, the MVP award will go to Carson Wentz, but as we know... anything is possible in the NFL.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 10:42 PM  No comment

Eyes On NBA: 5 Young Teams And Their Potential

By @TrueGodImmortal

The NBA is currently full of young talent all throughout the league on just about every team.... except the Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, and 90% of the San Antonio Spurs roster really (they have two younger players with huge potential). Despite this, literally every team has a promising young star under 25 that could really do some damage and continue to progress in the league. For some teams, it's more than just a promising young star... It's majority of the roster. Today, I wanted to take a moment to look at the younger teams today and see what their potential could be together this season and in future years. Let's get into it.

*Chicago Bulls

-This season will be an interesting one for the Bulls as it seems they are prime to tank and hopefully walk away with a top 3 draft pick. Most Bulls fans struggle with knowing what they want, but if I'm the Bulls, I want the no. 1 pick and to be smart, I take Marvin Bagley III. With Michael Porter Jr. already experiencing injury issues and the other possible picks for the team not seeming as promising, I think the plan this year will be to win 20-25 games and go for the no. 1 draft pick if they can't get it. Here's the thing that showcases a possible change in the culture for the Bulls in a year or two. Lauri, their current rookie, is doing well, and has a huge upside as he continues to develop as a player. Kris Dunn is off and on, but he's an amazing defender and Denzel Valentine seems ready to break out and shine. Imagine a Bulls team that can keep those three focused and ready, alongside Zach Lavine, an explosive scorer, when he comes back. Add a top 3 draft pick alongside maybe one or two veteran acquisitions in free agency, and this team could be knocking on the door of the playoffs within the next 3 seasons. Though Gar and Pax don't give us much to be excited about.... I'll attempt to trust the process for Chicago.

*Orlando Magic 

-Coming in just at below 26 years for the team's average age, the Magic are surprising people in a major way. They've slipped below .500 now in the East and likely won't make the playoffs, but when it all starts clicking on a regular basis for this team, they could be deadly. Aaron Gordon is proving to be an important factor for this team and he might be the driving force, while names like Evan Fournier, Biyombo, and Jonathan Simmons could prove to be impactful if they all manage to stick in Orlando. I don't see heavy playoff contention this season or next season for the Magic, but with some more adjustments and additions to the roster, the Magic could very well end up as a team clawing for that 7th or 8th seed sooner than later.

*Boston Celtics 

-The average age of this team is 25 years, but you would think this is a veteran team with the way they play so far this season. Led by the now veteran savvy of Kyrie Irving, the Celtics are poised to run the East, especially when Gordon Hayward is healthy. The improvement of Jaylen Brown and the focus of  veteran Al Horford helps them stay poised and composed, while Jayson Tatum is entering his name in the Rookie Of The Year talks with consistent olay. Terry Rozier has been solid, as has Daniel Theis, and the Celtics havr amazing defense, which has led them this season to a 16 game win streak. Their cap for this season? Likely the Conference Finals, but at very best, a 5 game loss in the NBA Finals. Still, next season, if they can all stay healthy, the Celtics should own the East and maybe years beyond.

*Los Angeles Lakers 

-Don't look now.... but the Lakers are currently in a playoff spot. They're not quite there yet, but with heavy improvement and continued focus on defense, they could make some noise in the stacked Western Conference. Led by Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram, the Lakers may have found their core three guys to run with, along with solid complementary pieces in Jordan Clarkson and Josh Hart. Julius Randle is playing decent so far, but it is likely that his future isn't with the Lakers. Still, without Randle, the Lakers can add more pieces and have enough room to add a huge free agent or two after this season. If Paul George steps into the Lakers uniform and plays alongside their young core, it could see a return to form for the Lakers that many of us didn't see coming for quite some time. They're young and prone to make mistakes so I won't crown the Lakers as a playoff contender yet, but in a year or two, they could be knocking on that 6th or 7th seed spot, aiming for a shot at greatness.

*Philadelphia 76ers 

-Coming in just a little under 25 years as their average age, of all the teams on this list, I have the most faith in the 76ers. They have two future legends in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons if they can stay healthy. If they can remain healthy and keep improving as players, the league might be in trouble. Ben Simmons looks like he's due to be an All Star sooner than later, and Embiid is more than likely going to get voted in this year, as he might be the best big in the East. If Markelle Fultz can get healthy and come back just as good as we hope he will be, alongside the solid Robert Covington, there's no telling what level of greatness we might be able to witness for this team. Add in a wild card like Saric, and the 76ers might be heading to the playoffs and making some moves throughout. I still think they are a year or two away from a Conference Finals and possible Finals appearance, but if they manage to stay healthy and keep developing their players, they have huge potential for the future. The East could be all about the Sixers sooner than we think.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 3:52 AM  No comment