Rambles about the wonderful world of wrestling.
Much like Christmas, WrestleMania weekend seems to get longer every year. We’ve already had Evolve 80 and Hornswoggle taking Grado to Suplex City, and we’re only just getting started. The big show is still a couple of nights away, but despite that, predictions must be predicted, and this is what I think will go down at WrestleMania.
It’s WrestleMania weekend baby! And for all my whining about feeling a disconnect this yearAnd for all my whining about feeling a disconnect this year, I can’t pretend I’m not excited. WrestleMania is still failing to generate a buzz, but nowadays WWE isn’t the only show in town. From Joey Janela’s Spring Break to Evolve, there’s more wrestling than you could shake a kendo stick at. Of course, this also extends to the E’s own developmental brand, NXT, where they will be looking to repeat last year’s feats and steal the spotlight from their older sibling. So, how do we think NXT TakeOver: Orlando will go down?
WrestleMania is within spitting distance, and the card for WWE’s biggest show is taking shape. We have Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg and AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon and I could not give less of a shit.
Ring of Honor is in trouble. While nearly every wrestling promotion has been hurt by WWE’s sweeping up of talent for NXT, they have taken the brunt of the attack. The company that set the template for modern day American wrestling is struggling.
At the start of this year, I made a decision. A decision to no longer spend at least five hours of my week plugging myself into the WWE Universe. While I would still catch every PPV, (I’m not going completely cold turkey) Raw and SmackDown were consigned to the bin, because life is quite frankly too fucking short.
It’s mid-February and WrestleMania season is well and truly swinging. We already have one confirmed match and the next few weeks should see the card begin to be fleshed out. So, I’m going to have some fun. Before WWE ruins everything by booking a load of crap here is the show that I would have broadcast around the world on April 2nd.
For all the hype that surrounds WrestleMania more than a few wrestling fans’ hearts beat towards January. The Royal Rumble may essentially be a glammed up Battle Royale, but oh it makes us sing So what the hell have WWE been doing to it?
Two weeks ago Kenny Omega walked out of Wrestle Kingdom as the hottest thing in wrestling. Ignoring the fact that Kazuchika Okada was as important to that match as he was and that Omega has been brilliant for years, it suddenly felt like the world woke up to The Cleaner. Yet, rather than turn his sights towards a potential rematch with Okada and a chance to become only the seventh non-Japanese wrestler to hold the belt and help spearhead New Japan’s push into the US, he began talking about taking some time off.
Coming into 2017 I made the decision that from now on I was going to watch less WWE. With five hours of Raw and SmackDown and two PPVs a month enough was enough, and it was dampening my enthusiasm for other wrestling. Alongside that, I vowed that this would be the year I finally got into New Japan. I’ve watched a couple of Wrestle Kingdoms in the past, but it is time for me to give it the effort it deserves. With that in mind, the last two days have seen me sign up to New Japan World and tune into Wrestle Kingdom 11 and New Year Dash and as this is the internet in 2017, here are some things I learnt.
There was a time when people questioned whether AJ Styles could make it in WWE. Did he have the charisma and even if he did would Vince see in him what countless others always had? Well, that view looks pretty fucking stupid now.
Ramblings About Wrestling 