Rambles about the wonderful world of wrestling.
It’s that time of year again. The time when multiple wrestlers climb into a ring and nearly kill each other for a cheap looking briefcase. I always feel split about these multi-man ladder matches. There is no denying that they are entertaining; but are they worth it? Does Damien Sandow feel like the risks he took in Money In The Bank matches were worth his time?
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.
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.
Fastlane is behind us and despite WWE’s reported resolve to turn it into a big show, it managed to feel like nothing of the sort.  If you were the kind to predict things – like me – you should have been able to get 99% of the results spot on and the in-ring action rarely got above good.  One or two matches aside, this was a bit of a dud.  With that in mind, please read my review.
Fastlane is just around the corner and with WWE truly gearing up for Wrestlemania season it is looking to at the very least, be an interesting show.  Seeds will be planted and more than one of them will sprout come Wrestlemania weekend.  So with all of that in mind, here’s what I think will happen at the last stop before the big one.
Last Thursday I wrote in my Hell in a Cell Preview that you would be better off not bothering. Â Well, despite that advice here I am again, having put three hours of my life into a WWE PPV. Â I am indeed a glutton for punishment. Â My conclusion? Â Hell in a Cell once again proves that if WWE’s creative was half as good as their in-ring talent. Â This period of wrestling could be extraordinary. Â Here’s that, but in much more words.
This weekend WWE will bring us their second Live Network Special, this time airing from Madison Square Gardens.  It’s a packed card of wrestling matches which looks like it will deliver in the ring, but the event as a whole just feels a bit… random.  The last few weeks have been spent building up to it and yet does anyone truly believe that something monumental will happen here?  Surely not even WWE thinks the fans believe that Big Show has a chance of pinning Brock Lesnar?
For the first time in a long time, WWE seem to have decided to make Summerslam a big deal. Â Always seen by the fans as one of the bigger events. Â Recent years have failed to live up to those expectations. Â There have been some big moments, Lesnar demolishing Cena for example, but the event has always felt a few notches below Wrestlemania. Â This year it feels different. Â Not only has the show been expanded to four hours, but we have a huge main event and the kind of celebrity participation that is usually reserved for the biggest show of the year. Â Summerslam feels like a big deal and what goes down this Sunday, could well shape the WWE all the way up to Wrestlemania.
It’s hardly revolutionary to claim that WWE need to cut back on the number of PPVs they do (although with the Network they can’t really be called PPVs now), however Payback was one of those shows that reinforced that point.  The post Wrestlemania season is always a bit flat in WWE, as they take the foot off the gas after the ‘Showcase of the Immortals’ and you can’t help but feel that the long-term implications of Payback are, well nothing.
So in a horrible case of deja vu, last night saw Daniel Bryan turn up on Raw and hand over his Intercontinental Title because of injury. Â Nearly a year on from him doing the exact same thing with the World Title, this somehow feels even worse. Â Two major injuries so close together suggest that Bryan’s body might not be able to keep going and you can’t help but worry that his career is drawing to a close. Â However, as I am not Bryan’s doctor and even if I was would be completely unqualified to talk about whether his injury was career threatening, that’s not what we will focus on here. Â Instead, lets take a look at the IC Title.
Continue reading “The Intercontinental Title: What Comes Next?”
Ramblings About Wrestling 