Rambles about the wonderful world of wrestling.
Last Tuesday night WWE sent Jinder Mahal (a heel whose main motivation is the fact he’s Indian) down to the ring to make a series of crass jokes about Shinsuke Nakamura. He made fun of the Japanese tendency to pronounce ls as rs and referred to Shinsuke as Mr Miyagi. They were dumb, insensitive jokes and screamed of something that Vince McMahon would find hilarious. They also speak to a problem at the heart of WWE.
Two years ago today, Charlotte Flair defeated Nikki Bella to win the Diva’s Championship. While it wouldn’t become the Women’s Title till WrestleMania the next year, this was Charlotte’s first reign and was the symbolic end of the Divas. Since then, Charlotte has gone on to become a four-time Raw Women’s Champion and it’s safe to say that on the whole, women’s wrestling in WWE is much better off, but how much better off is it?
Oh dear, it’s happening again. Just a few months after it seemed like Impact Wrestling/GFW had got their act together, the train has not so much fallen off the tracks as backflipped off them in an explosion of chaos. Jeff Jarrett has been sent home due to personal issues (and whatever they are, I obviously hope he sorts himself out sooner rather than later) while rumours are swirling that Anthem already wants out. On top of that – in classic Impact style – they hadn’t completed the paperwork for their merger with GFW, which considering Jarrett’s position, may now never happen. Basically, it’s a disaster.
No Mercy 2017Â is shaping up to be one hell of a night. You’ve got the new vs the old as Roman Reigns clashes with John Cena and a war of monsters when Braun Strowman does battle with Brock Lesnar. Underneath that, you’ve got a fatal four-way for the Women’s Title with three of the bigger stars of the division and a tag match between two of WWE’s better sides. It’s a guaranteed night of good wrestling, so why does it feel like WWE still don’t know what they are doing?
WWE has released this news into the wild already, but, if you want absolutely no spoilers from the most recent NXT tapings, stop reading now. You stopped? Good. After over 500 days and an undefeated streak that must be around the 200 match mark, The Empress of Tomorrow, Asuka, has relinquished her NXT title. The news came at a time when she is believed to have suffered a collarbone injury, but WWE is treating it as being the set-up for her move to the main roster. Where, if they have any sense, she will do it all again.
After months of build up, New Japan has announced the first batch of matches for their G1 Special (which has nothing to do with the G1) in Long Beach next month. On the first and second of July American fans (plus anyone who decided to make the journey) will be treated to two nights of wrestling featuring the incredible talents of Okada, Omega, Naito and… Billy Gunn.
Continue reading “New Japan Are Taking The Ass Man To Long Beach”
Jushin Thunder Liger has always been a mystery to me. Growing up I never watched WCW, and I’ve only got into Japanese wrestling in the last six months. Liger, therefore, was a distant God. Someone who I caught glimpses of but who was shrouded in mystery beneath his mask. I respected his obvious talent, and I was sure there was a reason he was as loved as he was, but on an emotional level he was locked away under that full body suit. Cold and untouchable. That is until the last few weeks.
Ah, Mr Wyatt, you had so much potential. The cult leader with the golden tongue. The man who begged us to follow the buzzards to salvation. In you, we saw a new Phenom. A new figure of dread to reign supreme over the world, or should we say Universe?
What a difference a few months makes. If you’d asked a hundred wrestling fans who they have expected to get a push coming out of WrestleMania, I’m willing to bet not one would have said, Jinder Mahal. Mojo Rawley, Curt Hawkins and The Drifter would have been surprising, but even that would have made more sense than Jinder’s sudden rise to the top.
Over the weekend the news began to spread that not only were Katsuyori Shibata’s injuries following his match with Kazuchika Okada not a work, but that they could potentially put an end to his career. According to Dave Meltzer, the combination of that now horrifying headbutt and dehydration led to Shibata’s subdural hematoma, and he was temporarily paralysed down his right side. While he is now communicating and recovering in the hospital, it is believed that the chances of him ever being cleared to wrestle again are low.
Continue reading “Katsuyori Shibata And A Wrestling Fan’s Guilt”
Ramblings About Wrestling 