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.
My God, that was long. I watched three wrestling shows over the weekend (TakeOver and ROH’s show in Edinburgh being the other two), and I could have watched both of those again in the time that it took me to watch all of Summerslam and its pre-show. But, I survived and have come out the other end a wiser and more cynical man. Let’s hand out some stars.
Money In The Bank has become one of WWE’s better PPVs. In the last few years, it’s tended to be notable and not just because of the briefcase that’s on the line. However, with the brand split era meaning these Network Specials are becoming less and less unique, it’s tough to build up enthusiasm for events you don’t care about, and WWE’s booking sometimes suggests that they agree. Don’t let that put you off too much, though, as here are ten observations that we made about Money In the Bank.
I almost can’t be arsed writing this. WWE obviously couldn’t be arsed putting much effort into Backlash so why should I bother? This PPV (are they still PPVs? What do we call them now?) was a massive waste of time, and while the crowning of Jinder Mahal will help people to forget that, it’s still true. However, I’m nothing if not a pro with a lot of time on their hands so here is eight things I observed at Backlash.
Last year’s WrestleMania TakeOver was an incredible show. Not only did you have that outstanding Zayn vs. Nakamura match but we also got Asuka vs. Bayley, American Alpha vs. The Revival and Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor. It was a perfect night of wrestling and lived longer in the memory than WrestleMania 32. Despite that, NXT TakeOver: Orlando seemed a bit of an afterthought. It’s been an average year down in WWE’s developmental and they are looking to regain the buzz they’ve lost. Did they manage? Well, here’s what we were thinking.
Continue reading “5 Observations From NXT TakeOver: Orlando”
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?
Last year’s TakeOver event in Brooklyn was one of NXT’s crowning moments and arguably features one of their greatest ever matches when Bayley won the Woman’s Title against Sasha Banks. This year they returned to the Brooklyn Bowl with a new look line-up sprinkled with some recognisable faces.
NXT TakeOver: The End has proven to be many things, but despite rumours it does not seem to signal the end of NXT. For one thing, they have a TV taping tomorrow so that would be a massive waste of time. What it definitely was, is yet another great wrestling show for WWE’s supposed developmental territory.
NXT TakeOver: The End has set some people all a tither. With the brand split now confirmed rumours have been swirling that The End might be more literal than we thought. While I can claim no insider knowledge, I think it’s safe to say that idea is mental. WWE’s developmental system is one of the most entertaining wrestling shows on the go and getting rid of it would rank in the top three dumb Vinnie Mac ideas. Which considering he once tried to take on the NFL is impressive. Whatever is due to happen in the months following The End, it is tough to see this being anything but another brilliant NXT show.
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”
Ramblings About Wrestling 