Rambles about the wonderful world of wrestling.
A mere handful of weeks after WWE Payback we are back with the next PPV/whatever it is you call a show that is mainly watched via the Network. Special show? Who knows. Either way, there is a sense of deja vu about this. In many ways, this is just a rehash of what we got at Payback and even as someone who enjoyed that show, it all feels a bit lazy.
In recent months, I have been lax. Whereas in years gone by I have been a regular viewer of ROH, I have quite frankly just not had the time. It’s meant that I am woefully behind on the product and apart from occasionally reading show reports online, don’t quite know where they are at this point in 2016. However, this morning (because once again, UK time zones, etc. ) I caught up with ROH Global Wars, their latest partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
WWE has spent the last few weeks promoting the so-called ‘New Era’. This era has been characterised by an influx of new talent all of whom are – to put it simply – rather good. In some ways, it is a brilliant time to be a wrestling fan. When you have AJ Styles, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens being staples of WWE TV then you know that something is going right. However, underneath that surface sheen, it appears that this new era isn’t that different from the last one. In fact, it’s pretty much the same.
Continue reading “The New Era Looks Suspiciously Like The Old”
WWE’s build up to Payback has been surprisingly enjoyable and on paper, this show had the potential to be one of the best WWE shows of the year. So did it deliver on the night?
It says a lot about WWE’s build up to WrestleMania that the normally pointless Payback already feels like a much better show. With the introduction of Shane McMahon and a load of new talent, suddenly WWE seem to be on a bit of a role, and it’s hard to see this show failing. Not only do we have established like Cesaro back in the fold but exciting new feuds featuring Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin. WWE might just be headed in the right direction.
Since WrestleMania, I have started doing something I haven’t done in years. I have been tuning into Raw on a weekly basis. As I write I have last night’s Raw on the TV (I live in the UK so watching it live would still be insane) and I am to a certain extent, enjoying it. Now don’t get me wrong, there are still problems. For one thing, it is far too long, and I am thankful that by recording it I can fast forward through both adverts and the tedious parts. But, something is working on WWE TV right now, and a whole lot of that is down to the decision to throw Shane McMahon into an authority position.
The Big One itself. Now that we are a few days removed from WrestleMania it is easy to reflect on this year’s event as a bit of a dud. A crappy build, some strange booking decisions and a flat main event all make for a show that it is hard to get too excited about. However, that doesn’t mean there was nothing good to take from this year’s show.
Continue reading “WrestleMania Weekend Part 4: WrestleMania”
WrestleMania weekend long ago leapt passed being a time for just WWE fans to get excited. Wrestling companies all over the world attempt to grab a hold of the buzz that ‘Mania brings by putting on shows of their own. Hence why, just a few hours before WrestleMania itself, I headed through to Glasgow to catch ICW’s effort: Barramania 2.
There is something great about the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. It invites new fans to discover legends of the past and with the WWE Network actually go out and watch their matches. This year was no different, as several men who should have been enshrined in that hall long before finally made their way into it.
Continue reading “WrestleMania Weekend Part 2: Hall Of Fame”
Rather than throwing my thoughts on everything that happened during WrestleMania weekend into one big post I thought I’d space them out. So over the next few days, I shall be giving the lowdown on everything I felt about the Grandest Show of Them All and all the hoopla that surrounds it. We start with NXT TakeOver: Dallas. Arguably, at least out of the ones I saw, the best show of the weekend.
Continue reading “WrestleMania Weekend Part 1: NXT TakeOver”
