WWE Smackdown Live - 7/3/18

WWE Smackdown Live
7/3/18
Century Link Center, Omaha, Nebraska

Quick Results:

1. United States Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) defeated The Miz to retain. 
2. Asuka vs. James Ellsworth ended in a double countout. 
3. Non-title Match: AJ Styles defeated Aiden English w/ Rusev by submission. 
4. Becky Lynch defeated Peyton Royce w/ Billie Kay by submission. 
5. Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) defeated The Usos (Jimmy and Jey). 

Blog:

Smackdown opened up with one of the most debated topics in the WWE; Team Hell No. Some fans hate to see Daniel Bryan doing comedy and feel he should be protected until he challenges for the title, while others believe the nostalgia act will help Bryan get more over until he is moved to the main event (assuming he signs a new contract).

Personally, I believe this is a great direction for Daniel Bryan. He is naturally funny and has great chemistry with Kane. Fans have fond memories of the dysfunctional yet successful tag team so this is a good way to draw interest to Smackdown. During Bryan's rise, the tag team division was on fire with the Shield, Usos, Wyatt Family, and Rhodes Bros., so there is no doubt that, even five years later, Team Hell No and the Bludgeon Brothers will steal the show at Extreme Rules.

The bickering between Kane and Bryan was funny and a good callback to their roots. The main event against the Usos was also a good reminder to the matches Team Hell No had in their first run.

Jeff Hardy and The Miz had the second best match of the night. No one believed Miz would win but the crowd was happy to see Jeff Hardy. I am enjoying the "open challenge" so far but would like to see Nakamura with the U.S. title. He needs something to light his character up and he can bring a lot of value to the belt. A long term feud with Jeff Hardy would be great, as both are charismatic and exciting in the ring.

It's good to see Rusev playing a definitive heel. Fans have been wanting to cheer him but will choose AJ Styles over him every time. Rusev laying out AJ after his victory was a good way to heat him up for the title match. The real test will be how Rusev is booked after Extreme Rules. I doubt he will win the title so I am hoping he does not end up back in the lower mid card as a comedy act. AJ continues to be booked well, with a quick submission victory over Aiden English.

On the undercard, Becky Lynch continues her win streak, with a quick win over Peyton Royce. The Iiconics are a great duo but do not need to be protected in the ring in order to get over. Becky is a fan favorite but fans need to see her win in order to believe in her. It is unclear where she is headed, but I am hoping to see her face Asuka for the title.

I am hoping for better things for Asuka and that should start with a win over Carmella for the title. Her segments with Ellsworth were entertaining and I like the vignette featuring the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis game in order to set up the match. However, Asuka has cooled off a lot since her days on Raw and needs the title win in order to gain back her momentum.

Other Thoughts:

I was happy to see Sanity interrupt the New Day's pancake eating contest. New Day is becoming very stale and I find myself not looking forward to their segments anymore. Their matches are solid but their act just doesn't make people laugh anymore. The "internet" wants to see Big E break away from them and go on his own, without an official breakup, which wouldn't be a bad idea. However, there is currently no indication of that. A six man tag against Sanity at Extreme Rules can be fun but I am not looking forward to promos featuring New Day make fun of Sanity.

It's good to see Nakamura should be ready to compete at Extreme Rules despite his dog bite at a house show about two weeks ago.

Match of the Night: Team Hell No vs. The Usos.

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WWE Monday Night Raw - 7/2/18

WWE Monday Night Raw
7/2/18
Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Quick Results:

1. Curtis Axel w/ Bo Dallas defeated Matt Hardy. 
2. Authors of Pain (Akem and Rezar) defeated Titus Worldwide (Titus O'Neil and Apollo Crews)
3. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins defeated Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre by DQ. 
4. Ember Moon defeated Liv Morgan w/ Sarah Logan. 
5. Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley defeated The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) by DQ.
6. Nia Jax w/ Natalya defeated Mickie James w/ Alexa Bliss. 
7. Braun Strowman defeated Kevin Owens by countout. 

Blog

Holiday editions of WWE programming are usually uneventful and this edition of Raw almost continued that trend until the closing segment.

Kurt Angle officially announced Lashley vs. Reigns at Extreme Rules, and while this match does have sort of a "big fight feel" to it, I would like to see this billed as a number one contender match in order to make it feel more important. The dialogue between Lashley and Reigns, calling each other "ego maniacs" is just weak. Both of them are natural heels but are being held back by portraying babyfaces and being heavily scripted in their promos.

Rollins and Reigns taking on Ziggler and McIntyre was easily the match of the night, despite the non finish. Rollins continues to put on excellent matches and he had some great talent in the ring with him. They did a great job limiting the interactions between Drew McIntyre and Reigns, making fan want to see a one on one match between them. I didn't mind the finish at all, as The Revival attacked Reigns for the dq. This made sense for the match later on in the show with the Revival taking on Reigns and Lashley.

While it would have been great to see Lashley and Reigns have a straight up match against the Revival, the story here was Reigns refusing to tag Lashley in. I am not sure why Reigns hates Lashley so much but the story here was Reigns was "too proud" to tag Lashley in. I am hoping to see Lashley turn full on heel and just attack Reigns going in to their match at Extreme Rules and lighting a fire in their program.

The big visual from Raw was Braun Strowman throwing a porta potty containing Kevin Owens off of the stage. Following this, the ring announcer made it clear that Strowman won the match by countout, taking away the seriousness of this angle. While this segment alone was good, the lead-up to it could have been better. Owens, wearing a Baron Corbin hoodie, made a valid point in asking Angle to send Strowman to counseling like he did to Bayley and Sasha Banks. He also asked Angle to suspend Strowman or fire him. Angle instead makes a match between Owens and Strowman. I am not sure why Angle is condoning Strowman's actions, such as crushing Owens' rental car, but hopefully next week, he will make a logical decision regarding Braun Strowman's actions. Strowman remains a comedy character in the upper mid card so hopefully a conflict with Kurt Angle with heat up Strowman for a future title match against Lesnar. I feel Strowman should be the one to dethrone Lesnar for the Universal title.

I was glad to see Dr. Shelby conducting the counseling between Bayley and Sasha, as it brought back fond memories of the early days of Team Hell No. Unfortunately, these were a big let down. Bayley and Sasha have a believable and relate-able feud, with Bayley constantly getting stabbed in the back by her best friend. Her attack on Sasha last week was well done but this segment was a huge step back. It worked with Kane and Daniel Bryan, who were in a comedy feud, but this was anything but funny.

Speaking of comedy, Finn Balor is someone who should not attempt to be a comedy character. His joke about Corbin's haircut wasn't funny but I am glad he was able to get the upper hand on Corbin. These are two guys that have potential to be big stars but need the support of creative to do it. Both guys are in their mid 30's so hopefully that support comes sooner rather than later.

Other Thoughts:

The AoP are on a good run right now, running through teams, and I hope it is a few months or so until we see them challenge for the titles. The B Team continue their winning streak, but with Bray's injury (due to his wreckless driving), it will be hard to keep people interested in this feud with just one on one matches.

I am not sure how many suspended wrestlers are given promo time on Raw but that was a good way to keep Ronda Rousey in people's minds. Until she returns, the women's division seems to be on hold. No one expects Mickie James to win and I doubt Nia Jax will defeat Alexa Bliss at Extreme Rules, as the real match fans want to see is Rousey against Bliss.

I would not mind seeing a cruiserweight match on Raw every now and then just to see some fresh faces on this show.

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Impact Wrestling Redemption: Predictions - 4/22/18

Impact Wrestling Redemption: Predictions
4/22/18
Universal Studios, Orlando, FL

Wrestlemania 34 Predictions - 4/6/18

WWE Wrestlemania: Predictions
4/8/18
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Match Card:

1. Kickoff Show: Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
2. Kickoff Show: Wrestlemania Women's Battle Royal
3. Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali
4. Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
5. Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
6. Smackdown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (c) vs. Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) vs. New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods)
7. Raw Tag Team Championship: Sheamus and Cesaro (c) vs. Braun Strowman and a mystery partner
8. Smackdown Women's Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Asuka
9. Raw Women's Championship: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Nia Jax
10. United States Championship Fatal 4 Way: Randy Orton (c) vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal w/ Sunil Singh vs. Rusev 
11. Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat: The Miz (c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
12. WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
13. Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman vs. Roman Reigns
14. Unadvertised: John Cena vs. The Undertaker

Predictions:

Wrestlemania 34 is probably one of the best match cards since Wrestlemania 30 featuring Daniel Bryan's title win and Undertaker's first loss at Wrestlemania. WWE's roster is stacked right now and they are making the most of it at the "grandest stage of them all". This truly feels like a culmination of storylines and a showcase of some of the top talent. While this does not apply to all matches, this Wrestlemania is going to be a great show.

So far, it looks like both Battle Royals will be on the Kickoff show, which is a good move. This is going to be a long night and fans will not care regardless for these matches, but it is better to get them out of the way early. Looking at the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, the only participants that really stand out are "Broken" Matt Hardy, Baron Corbin, and Dolph Ziggler. Since Corbin already won, I don't see him taking this. Ziggler's return has been as significant as his departure, so that narrows down my prediction.

Prediction: Matt Hardy wins the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

The biggest story going in to this match is the fact that WWE decided to change the name of the match. The second biggest story is the feud between Bayley and Sasha Banks. I can see Bayley taking this one in order to give the fans a "feel good" moment in the opening moments of the show and hopefully her character will get a fresh restart.

Prediction: Bayley wins the Women's Battle Royal

Speaking of fresh restarts, 205 Live feels like a completely different show. The additions to the roster as well as the tournament have made the show feel important. Matches actually seem to matter now and hopefully that trend will continue. I was surprised to see Mustafa Ali in this role as he was a background character since the Cruiserweight Classic. Cedric seems to be the man that management has their eye on and, given his experience, I believe he should be the one to lead 205 Live as they are still rebuilding.

Predictions: Cedric Alexander wins the Cruiserweight Championship

There have been much speculation as to who Strowman's partner will be. Popular names have been Bray Wyatt, Kane, Big Show, James Ellsworth, and even Alberto Del Rio (Alberto El Patron). This one is rather difficult to pick but I also feel the tag team division is a step down for Braun Strowman. While he plays the comedy role well, he should still be somewhat of a main event character. I am going with Bray Wyatt at his partner, due to the previous "Wyatt Family" connection and see them winning the tag team titles. 

Prediction: Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles. 

I was a big fan of the Usos/Wyatt Family matches prior to the brand split and there is no doubt in my mind that this match could steal the show. These are the only 3 relevant teams on Smackdown Live (aside from maybe Gable and Benjamin) and I can see a title change here in order to place the Usos in a title chase. The logical team for the Usos to chase would be the Bludgeon Brothers. Harper and Rowan have been kept strong throughout their return and are the best choice to win this match.

Prediction: Bludgeon Brothers win the Smackdown Tag Team titles. 

In a similar situation to Braun Strowman, I see the Intercontinental title as a step down for both Rollins and Balor. Rollins won the world title three years ago and was a main event player. When he returned in 2016, he was the top babyface of the company, even as a heel. Now, he does not have any major storylines and is stuck in the midcard. Jason Jordan's injury might have halted his storyline, but he should still be in a different spot. Finn Balor, at 36 years old, might not have the support from management he needs and unless the Balor Club takes off, he might not move up the card. Miz is great in this role and he actually makes the title seem valuable. However, I feel he needs someone to chase the title on a consistent basis until they finally win it. Miz should keep the title here and keep his feud with either Balor or Rollins going.

Prediction: The Miz retains the Intercontinental title

The U.S. title match is one of the matches I am least looking forward to. The buildup has been pretty standard but it does not make good television. The tag matches involving Jinder have been dragging on television and I doubt management will give him the title. Orton just won the title and the RKO will get a great pop, so he is my pick for this match. 

Prediction: Randy Orton retains the U.S. title. 

Alexa Bliss has become of the best promos on Raw and she has a great partner in Nia Jax. Despite being significantly smaller than Jax, she has made Jax a sympathetic character that fans can connect with. It's interesting to see Mickie James on her side as she was in Jax's shoes during her previous run with the company. I think the feud is great but it is too early to take the title off of Bliss. This feud can stretch out a little more and there is no challenger ready for Alexa following this. 

Prediction: Alexa  Bliss retains the Raw women's title. 

Of the two women's title matches, this is the one that fans are anticipating the most. Despite the weak buildup, this match has a rare "big fight feel" to it. Charlotte is regarded as the best women's wrestler in the business while Asuka's undefeated streak has gotten her incredibly over. Asuka won the first ever women's Royal Rumble and should not lose her Wrestlemania match. 

Prediction: Asuka wins the Smackdown Women's title. 

The biggest story for wrestling fans going in to this show is the return of Daniel Bryan. Fans knew how badly Daniel Bryan wanted to wrestle again and could not wait for his contract to expire so he could return to ROH or wrestle for NJPW. However, WWE did the unthinkable and cleared him to compete. The storyline with Owens and Zayn has taken up the bulk of television time on Smackdown and this feels like the proper culmination of that storyline. Daniel Bryan losing his return in a tag match seems reasonable and extending this storyline might lead to a great match between Bryan and Owens. 

Prediction: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn win. 

This is the match that WWE's investors want to see. Ronda Rousey is a big signing for the company and will get them a lot of media attention. The storyline between The Authority and Kurt Angle has been built well but I am tired of seeing Stephanie and Hunter in charge. They take away a lot of credibility from people like Kurt Angle who never have a chance to shine against them. Ronda Rousey is not someone that The Authority will put down so there is no way she will be losing here. They will keep Rousey strong for the duration of her tenure until it is time for her to get someone over. 

Prediction: Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle win. 

Since Nakamura and AJ Styles' signing in 2016, fans could not wait for these two to clash. No one expected it would be a featured match, let alone a featured match at Wrestlemania for the WWE Championship. This match might be the best one on the entire show. With Nakamura winning the Rumble, he needs to win the title in order to remain a top guy. AJ Styles won't lose anything in defeat and can easily bounce back. A rematch between these two would also make for a strong pay per view following Wrestlemania. 

Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura wins the WWE Championship. 

For years, WWE wanted Roman Reigns to be the guy to defeat Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Giving Reigns the win against Undertaker last year seemed like the obvious foreshadowing that Reigns would face Brock here. However, the storyline instead has seen Reigns fed up with Lesnar's part time status and lack of regard for the business. Reigns delivered his promos well but the crowd is still not firmly behind him. I see the Wrestlemania crowd cheering Brock more than Reigns but that crowd does not stick around for the entire year. Therefore, Roman Reigns is WWE's guy and he is the right guy to win the title here. 

Prediction: Roman Reigns wins the Universal title. 

While this match has not been officially announced, I do believe we will get this match. At the very least, there will be a confrontation between John Cena and The Undertaker which I believe will lead to a match. The feud has been teased and there is no way WWE will not deliver on The Undertaker after weeks of John Cena putting him down. There has also been speculation of the "American Badass" returning, fueled by the induction of Kid Rock into the Hall of Fame. I do not think this version of Taker will return in full but I do believe we will get some combination of the "Deadman" and "American Badass". That said, there is no way he will lose consecutive Wrestlemania matches.

Prediction: The Undertaker will defeat John Cena.

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NJPW New Beginning in Osaka - 2/11/18

NJPW New Beginning in Osaka
2/10/18
Osaka, Japan

Quick Results:

1. Yuji Nagata defeated Katsuya Kitamura
2. Non-title Match: Suzuki Gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) w/ Rocky Romero. 
3. Togi Makabe. Michael Elgin, KUSHIDA, and Rysuke Taguchi defeated Suzuki Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Taka Michinoku, Taichi, and Takashi Iizuka). 
4. Chaos (Jay White, Toru Yano, and Tomohiro Ishii) defeated Juice Robinson, David Finlay, and Toa Henare. 
5. Bushi defeated Gedo. 
6. Tetsuya Naito defeated Yoshi-Hashi. 
7. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay (c) defeated Hiromu Takahashi to retain. 
8. NEVER Openweight Championship: Hirooki Goto (c) defeated EVIL to retain. 
9. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Sanada to retain. 

Blog:

Going in to this show, I do not believe the crowd expected a title change. However, Sanada's (and Okada's) performance in the main event did a great job in making the live crowd believe that this would be Sanada's night. The undercard featured about 3 premier matches while the rest were sort of there to just further some stories.

I like the trial series that Kitamura is going through, as working with veterans is a good way for him to polish up in the ring. His match with Nagata was a solid opener, however I would have liked to see him get the win here. He is in prime shape while Nagata is on the tail end of his career. They could say that Nagata's experience won him the match but I was not a fan of the result.

The Jr. Heavyweight tag match probably would have been a better opener. 3K and Suzuki Gun had a great match that told the story of Sho's back injury, causing his team to lose by submission. This was great, as every time 3K looked to end the match, Sho's back would give out, making him unable to perform a move. This will probably lead to a tag title match for Suzuki Gun but I hope to see 3K retain the belts. 

It was strange that Desperado and Yoshinobu did not stick around for the next match. The babyfaces attacking Suzuki-Gun before the match was a great call, since Suzuki Gun usually jumps them. The match was pretty much a showcase for Makabe and Suzuki, as everyone else did not really contribute much. Makabe will eventually challenge Suzuki for the Intercontinental title. This wasn't a good use of Elgin and KUSHIDA who could have had a better match elsewhere on the card. 

Jay White getting his own entrance despite being a member of Chaos was great and it made him seem like more of a star. His "Switchblade" character is coming along great, despite a slow start. He was the star of this match and his finish via ref stoppage was great. He refused to get the pin and instead kept striking Henare until the referee stopped the match. 

Rey Mysterio appeared on the big screen and challenged Jushin Liger to a match. This is a great get for New Japan and should get them a lot of buzz.

Bushi and Gedo had a better match that I expected. LIJ is very over in Japan so the evil looking Bushi was treated as a babyface. Gedo played heel while trying to rip off the mask while Bushi had hedge clippers to cut off Gedo's beard. As ridiculous as it was, I enjoyed this match.

 Yoshi-Hashi and Naito had the match of the night up to this point (and the same would hold true for the Ospreay/Takahashi match). Yoshi-Hashi dominated most of the match before losing to two Desitino's by Naito. Yoshi-Hashi looked strong here and looks to be moving his way up the card. The announcers brought up how he has never won a title in New Japan and that can be a great storyline moving forward. Naito was attacked by Taichi after the match which the announcers acknowledged but then quickly moved on. A storyline feud between LIJ and Suzuki-Gun can be great but this was a strange start to it.

Will Ospreay continues to impress while Hiromu was able to hang with the "Aerial Assassin". This was a fast paced match in the beginning that slowed down at times to sell an Ospreay neck injury but then it continued. Hiromu had some good nearfalls after blocking the Oscutter twice. While I can't name all the spots in this match, Ospreay hit a reverse rana off the top rope and an inverted 450 while Hiromu hit a great Canadian Destroyer type move. Ospreay finally gets the win following an Oscutter and this was again, the match of the night up to this point.

Evil and Goto had to follow this match which was not an easy task. Goto gets the win but this match was placed poorly here.

As mentioned earlier, on paper it looked like Okada would win but both men worked hard and gave Sanada some believable nearfalls here. Sanada hit a piledriver on the entrance ramp and one in the ring later on in order to weaken Okada and give the sense that the champ was in danger. Sanada even hit a Rainmaker while Okada locked in the Skull End dragon sleeper move. The crowd was buying Sanada as a main eventer here. Okada got the win as expected but this match was unbelievably good. This was a long match timewise but it flew by. They had the crowd from start to finish. Okada will compete in the New Japan cup this year.

Overall, this was another strong card from New Japan. The order of matches could have been changed up a bit but the show itself was great. Most matches served a purpose, whether it was to set up a title match or to highlight a certain talent. The eight man tag was the low point of the show for me while the Jr. Heavyweight and Heavyweight title matches were the two standouts.

Match of the Night: Tetsuya Naito vs. Sanada
Honorable Mention: Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi

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WWE Royal Rumble

WWE Royal Rumble
1/28/18
Wells Fargo Arena, Philadelphia, PA

Quick Results:

1. WWE Championship Handicap Match: AJ Styles (c) defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to retain the championship. 
2. Smackdown Tag Team Championship 2 out of 3 Falls: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (c) defeated Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin in two straight falls to retain the titles. 
3. Royal Rumble Match: Shinsuke Nakamura last eliminated Roman Reigns to win the match. 
4. Raw Tag Team Championship: Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan (c) to win the titles. 
5. Universal Championship Triple Threat Match: Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman defeated Kane and Braun Strowman to retain the title. 
6. Royal Rumble Match: Asuka last eliminated Nikki Bella to win the match. 

Blog:

I assumed the Smackdown tag title match would be the "hot open" to the show so I was surprised to see the WWE title match on first. I was not a fan of this move but it did not matter in the end given the finish, as it looks like this feud with continue. The match was entertaining and it doesn't look like Owens was seriously injured while working this match. He might be a bit banged up but he performed well here. The finish with AJ pinning the illegal man was interesting but I am personally getting tired of seeing Owens and Zayn in the main event scene. 

The finish of the Smackdown tag title match was a bit shocking. The Usos won in two straight falls. The first fall went pretty long but the second fall happened soon after. While the match wasn't bad, it was hard to get into, as I don't think anyone bought Gable and Benjamin winning here. 

The men's Royal Rumble was the best rumble match in recent years. The surprise entrants (Rey Mysterio, the Hurricane, Andrade "Cien" Almas, and Adam Cole) were great. Hurricane put on a little weight but Rey Mysterio looked to be in phenomenal shape, leading to speculation about a full time return. I like the idea of filling the rumble with NXT talent as well as talent from the past, but Aleister Black should have been here instead of Cole, given his victory. The other "surprise" entrant, Dolph Ziggler was the only downside to this match. He returned at #30 and got a decent pop but did nothing in the match before quickly getting eliminated. They did an angle with Ziggler relinquishing the title, that got a little interest, and did nothing with it. Aside from that, the rest of the match was very good. The face off featuring Cena, Orton, and Mysterio against Balor, Nakamura, and Reigns got a great reaction from the crowd and was my favorite moment in this match. The crowd was great too, as they were there to enjoy the show and not "hijack" it. The crowd cheered heavily for Rusev but did not boo the rest of the match once he was eliminated. Rather, they cheered for who they liked and booed for who they disliked, rather than choosing to hate the show. 

WWE also seems to finally be listening to fans and committed to pushing Nakamura. The fans really did not want Roman Reigns to win and rather than shoving him down the fans throats, they will give him a different road to Wrestlemania. As for Nakamura, fans will get the Wrestle Kingdom rematch at Wrestlemania, as he will be facing AJ Styles. There is no doubt that this match will steal the show. 

The Raw tag title match got little to no reaction due to the crowd being exhausted from the Rumble. There was a story here with Rollins working most of the match due to injury but the crowd was just not into it. I like that the tag titles are back on Sheamus and Cesaro but Sheamus did not need to be eliminated in 2 seconds during the Royal Rumble match. This could have been a spot given to Curt Hawkins but not to a former Royal Rumble winner who is wrestling for a championship on this show. 

The Universal title match also suffered the same effects although not as bad. The fans were into this match but were also anticipating the women's Rumble match. Brock Lesnar pinning Kane was a given and it looks like Strowman will be kept in the title hunt. Strowman is still very much over but WWE needs to strike while the iron is hot, otherwise he will turn into Bray Wyatt and lose every big program he is in until the fans no longer care. 

I was excited for the women's rumble for many reasons. The novelty of this being the first ever women's rumble, the possible nostalgia returns and NXT entrants, and of course, the suspense of who the winner will be. Starting the match with Becky and Sasha was a good surprise as it started the match off hot. The next few entrants really showcased that while the women's roster has numbers, it lacks a lot of depth. Lita's return was done well and I was surprised to see her pull off a Moonsault (and even the Twist of Fate). Her time in the Rumble didn't need to be long. Kairi Sane was another surprise entrant here and her time in the Rumble was not really memorable. The other surprise entrants were Torrie Wilson, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Ember Moon, Beth Phoenix, the Bella Twins, and Trish Stratus. I was looking forward to a staredown between Trish and Asuka which we didn't get, however we got two moments which I really loved. First, Asuka had an exchange with Ember Moon, who had her arm wrapped up. Asuka mocked her injury, which would have been a heel move but Asuka can get away with it. The other moment was a great throwback between Mickie James and Trish Stratus. The match getting down to Asuka and Nikki Bella made it obvious that Asuka would win but the Basement Dropkick from the apron was a clever finish to the match. 

The only thing I did not like about the women's rumble was that a lot of wrestlers who were still in the match were recovering outside of the ring. While this is a good tactic for a heel to gain an advantage or for a babyface to get sympathy, this served no purpose. It made it hard to keep track of who was still in the match. While there was criticism over Torrie Wilson being in the match despite her lack of in ring credibility, there is no doubt that she was the most over woman on Smackdown during the initial brand split. 

Ronda Rousey's appearance was great and I am sure it got a lot of media coverage. I am glad she was not in the actual match and I am curious as to where this goes. 

Overall this was a two match show, as the other matches were just there to fill the card. However, both world title matches were good but were overshadowed by the rumbles. 

Match of the Night: Men's Royal Rumble

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NXT Takeover: Philadelphia

NXT Takeover: Philadelphia
1/27/18
Wells Fargo Arena, Philadelphia, PA

Quick Results:

1. NXT Tag Team Championship: Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly (c) defeated Authors of Pain (Akem and Rezar) w/ Paul Ellering to retain. 
2. Velveteen Dream defeated Kassius Ohno. 
3. NXT Women's Championship: Ember Moon (c) defeated Shayna Baszler to retain. 
4. Extreme Rules: Aleister Black defeated Adam Cole. 
5. NXT Championship: Andrade "Cien" Almas (c) w/ Zelina Vega defeated Johnny Gargano to retain.

Blog:


NXT Takeover events are shows that never seem to drag. While the weekly show is usually a hit or miss (more often a "hit"), the Takeovers always deliver. Takeover Philadelphia was no exception. The quality of this show was enhanced by a great crowd in Philadelphia that showed genuine appreciation for the wrestlers, rather than chanting out of boredom.

The "roll-up" finish for the tag title match made perfect sense, as a way for the Authors of Pain to retain credibility while losing to the much smaller Fish and O'Reilly. The match was really good, as O'Reilly and Fish bring a sense of legitimacy to their moveset with their "mma" style. They are able to successfully incorporate that style into pro wrestling and make it look convincing. I was surprised by the dueling chants, as Authors of Pain have really grown on the NXT audience. This was a great way to kick off the show.

While Velveteen Dream did technically "knock out" Ohno within thirty seconds, I do not see how anyone gained from that little angle. It served no purpose for the rest of the match. Dream needed a rebound win following losses to Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano and this was it. Ohno is not going to win the NXT title in the near future so Dream is the clear priority here. While some spots were botched, as Dream seemed to have trouble lifting up Ohno, this was another good match.

The women's title match was one where I did not like the roll-up finish. It made sense within the match, as Ember Moon was selling a shoulder/arm injury and could not outpower Baszler, but the whole storyline was based on Baszler dominating the division and Moon planning to stop her. This will most likely lead to a rematch but Moon needs to look a little stronger in the coming weeks. 

The Extreme Rules match would have been the match of the night had it not been for the main event. The interference was expected but it was kept very minimal, as Fish and O'Reilly were quickly taken out by Sanity (including a great Suicide Dive by Dane to the outside). Adam Cole and Aleister Black put on a great match that featured too many spots to name, including two that really stood out. Black tossed Cole. back first onto 2 steel chairs that were set up, causing Cole's back to hit the top of the chairs. The other main spot saw Black drive his knees onto Cole through the announce table. The only downside here was how quick Cole recovered to Superkick Black but Cole won with the Black Mass. 

Gargano and Almas put on an excellent main event. I did not expect Gargano to win here but the nearfalls were so believable. The most convincing being when Vega hit a hurracanrana to Gargano, sending him into the steps, followed by a Hammerlock DDT by Almas for a nearfall. This also led to Candice LaRae (Gargano's wife) making her debut, attacking Vega after she tried interfering again. There was a sick spot where Almas hit the double knees on Gargano, who was seated on the apron with his head against the post. Almas got the win soon after. This was an excellent match and one that is worth seeking out if you do not watch the entire show.

EC3 was shown at ringside and this might confirm that his fate will be NXT rather than the main roster. Whether this was a red herring so people do not expect him for the Rumble remains to be seen, but he will be successful no matter where he ends up.

Match of the Night: Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano

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Royal Rumble 2018 Predictions

WWE Royal Rumble
1/28/18
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

Note: The Pre-show matches are not included in this post.

Match Card:

1. Smackdown Tag Team Championship 2 out of 3 Falls: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (c) vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin. 
2. Raw Tag Team Championship: Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan (c) vs. The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro). 
3. WWE Championship Handicap Match: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. 
4. Universal Championship Triple Threat Match: Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman vs, Braun Strowman vs. Kane
5. 1st Annual Women's Royal Rumble Match: 30 Participants. 
6. Men's Royal Rumble Match: 30 Participants.

Predictions:


The WWE has not done a great job building up to the 2018 Royal Rumble, making this a difficult event to predict. One might argue that their focus is currently on declining television ratings leading in to Raw 25, but the Royal Rumble is the official start of the "Road to Wrestlemania". Recent Royal Rumbles usually have one or two wrestlers with a ton of momentum going in, making it a fairly easy one to predict but that is not the case this year (at least for the men's rumble match).

The Smackdown tag title match might be a show stealer. Gable and Benjamin have gelled well together while the Usos are the best duo in all of WWE. With that said, I feel the WWE will keep the titles on the Usos and push this feud a little longer, going in to Wrestlemania. If anything, I feel the newly babyfaced Usos will end up facing the Bludgeon Brothers at some point.

Prediction: The Usos will retain the Smackdown Tag Team Championship.

The Raw tag team title match should be entertaining, only due to the dynamic between Rollins and Jordan. They each play their roles really well, and while the match should be good, I do not see it being better than the Smackdown tag title match. Since Rollins and Jordan are a reluctant team, and due to the frequent tag title changes, I do not believe they will win here. Sheamus and Cesaro are a better act with the tag team titles anyway.

Prediction: Sheamus and Cesaro will win the Raw Tag Team Championship. 

Usually, World titles matches at the Royal Rumble are easy to predict, and this one is no different. Owens and Zayn are a great act, but neither of them come off as "main eventers" in this current role. Owens is a top level talent, no doubt, but this comedic character should not be the champion during Wrestlemania season. Zayn is a top level babyface who has not been given a chance yet. AJ Styles is the best wrestler in the WWE now and he should be facing someone like Nakamura or Orton at Wrestlemania, defending his title.

Prediction: AJ Styles will retain the WWE Championship. 

The Universal title match is probably the biggest non-rumble match on this show. Strowman has gained a lot of momentum recently with his actions on Raw, such as dropping scaffolding, flipping over a truck, and throwing Michael Cole off the stage. This extra emphasis on Strowman leads me to believe he will not win and is just being built up in order to be protected. The consensus is that Kane will be pinned by Lesnar and I have no reason to doubt that. WWE has too much money invested in Brock to take the title off of him here.

Prediction: Brock Lesnar will retain the Universal Championship.

The first ever women's Royal Rumble match has already gotten criticism. Virtually no one is a fan of the way Stephanie McMahon introduced the match, causing babyfaces and heels to stop brawling and chant "Yes". The loss of Paige also hurt this match. However, I do believe this match will be memorable. The talent in this match, without Charlotte, Alexa Bliss, and Paige is still great. Becky Lynch, Naomi, and of course, Asuka, along with surprise entrants, are going to make this match great. As for the winner, there is no one on the roster as strong as Asuka. As much I would like Becky Lynch to win here, there is no doubt WWE is behind the Empress of Tomorrow.

Predicion: Asuka will win the first ever women's Royal Rumble match. 

As for the men's Rumble, there are still a lot of empty slots available. While the women's rumble will most likely feature surprise entrants and NXT call-ups, I see the men's rumble being filled with lower card wrestlers. I can see Strowman entering the match but that is about it. Roman Reigns is the clear favorite to win this match, leading to a match against Lesnar at Wrestlemania. The other likely (albeit less likely) favorite is Shinsuke Nakamura in order to face AJ Styles for the WWE Championship in a Wrestle Kingdom rematch. Finn Balor, believe it or not, is also a strong candidate given his recent push on television. With all of this said, the WWE firmly believes Roman Reigns is "the guy" and that is all that matters. He will win the Royal Rumble and will face Brock Lesnar in a Wrestlemania rematch.

Prediction: Roman Reigns will win the Royal Rumble match. 

Predictions for the Future: Reigns will most likely dethrone Lesnar at Wrestlemania. I also believe we will get AJ vs. Nakamura at Wrestlemania but through other means (maybe a tournament on Smackdown). Asuka will win the title from Bliss while Charlotte will spin off into a feud with Becky Lynch. The next big act in the WWE is the Balor Club and I believe they will have a six man tag at Wrestlemania, against Miz, Sheamus, and Cesaro.

Let's see how this goes...

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UFC on Fox: Jacare vs. Brunson 2 - 1/27/18

UFC on Fox: Jacare vs. Brunson 2
1/27/18
Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC

Main Card

1. Frank Camacho (12-5) vs. Drew Dober (18-8, 1NC) - Welterweight Division

Round 1: Camacho scored two takedowns during the round by inside trip, making me see the fight 10-9 for Camacho. 

Round 2: This round consisted of striking by both fighters but Dober was able to outland Camacho. 10-9 round Dober. 

Round 3: Camacho scores another takedown but Dober escaped. Dober landed significant strikes but Camacho dominated the final minute. 10-9 round for Camacho. 

Decision: Drew Dober wins via Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds. 

2. Jordan Rinaldi (13-5) vs. Gregor Gillespie (10-0) - Lightweight Division

Round 1: Gregor Gillespie scored a takedown and landed strikes for the TKO win in the final 15 seconds. 

Decision: Gregor Gillespie wins via TKO in the 1st round. 

3. Andre Fili (17-5) vs. Dennis Bermudez (16-7) - Featherweight Division

Round 1: Fili landed significant strikes followed by a single leg but Bermudez was able to escape. Bermudez landed leg kicks but gets taken down by Fili. Bermudez was able to escape before the round ened. 10-9 Fili. 

Round 2: Fili lands a double leg but Bermudez immediately escapes. Bermudez lands more leg kicks but gets caught with a left hook by by Fili. Fili is able to secure another takedown by Bermudez once again escapes. 10-9 Fili. 

Round 3: Fili lands a big uppercut. Bermudez accidentally knees Fili in the groin. Bermudez lands strikes and secures a takedown to win the round. Bermudez 10-9. 

Decision: Andre Fili wins via Split Decision after 3 rounds. 

4. Jacare Souza (24-5) vs. Derek Brunson (18-5)

Round 1: Souza lands a head kick and strikes on the mat for the Knockout win. 

Decision: Jacare Souza wins via KO in the 1st round. 

Blog:

The announcers noted that the judges at cageside were boxing judges and questioned if they had ever seen a takedown following the decision of the Camacho/Dober fight. I had scored that fight for Camacho and the takedowns were a big part of that. 

Gregor Gillespie remained undefeated here and will definitely be a featherweight contender in the near future. 

Andre Fili had a good performance during the first two rounds, reading the leg kicks and timing his takedowns accordingly. He seemed to be tired out during the third round, so the cup shot might have been a lucky break. I was afraid the results would be similar to the Camacho/Dober fight, with the judges disregarding takedowns, but the right fighter won here. 

Jacare looked happy and calm going in to the cage today. His confidence was evident in his performance. While I guessed he would win, I did not think it would be a first round knockout. Tough break for Brunson but this was a dominant performance by Jacare. 

Fight of the Night: Andre Fili vs. Dennis Bermudez

Performance of the Night: Jacare Souza

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