@TheCiaranJames
Well once again the wrestling world has been very active this week, from risky segments on Raw & SDLive, then the revelations that a number of wrestlers have requested their release. It seems the business decisions made by both ROH and now AEW have shaken the thought process of many performers, there is now an alternative.
The rumours have not yet been confirmed, but Mike & Maria Bennett and the Revival are the ones that have supposedly asked to leave. The most high profile act of course is the Revival, only two years ago Dash & Dawson were touted as the best team of their generation. They were riding high in NXT, they reigned a tag champions and routinely had the best match of the TakeOver shows. They deserve so much more.
Finn Balor is now the No1 Contender, he will face Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. This will no doubt be one of the matches of the year, but I have my fears that the only reason he’s facing Brock is to placate the fans who want change. Balor could end up being cannon fodder, ideally I’d like to see Balor win and take the title off Lesnar. Brock has been ruined by WWE, he could be so much more at this stage but due to Roman’s sustained push Lesnar was painted as the money grabber not the commodity he so clearly is.
The Nigel McGuinness documentary on the network was one thing the company does do right, it was poignant, thought provoking and heartfelt. After viewing this you can only wonder where Nigel might have ended up, he was easily one of the top workers of his generation. I highly recommend this documentary, every wrestling fan should watch this.
I also must recommend the PWTorch to all wrestling fans interested in the business beyond the ring. The insight and perspective given by Wade Keller, Todd Martin and Bruce Mitchell is exceptional and must for all.
@RoxBlackburn
Another week rolls by in the world of wrestling and what a week it’s been.
WWE Raw unfolded with Braun Strowman being pulled out of the Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. I’m not a huge fan of Strowman, although he appears to be over, for me, he’s still way too green to be holding a major title. After a fatal four way to determine who would take his place, we now have a new match up set for the Universal Title as we kick off the road to Wrestlemania. I make no secret of how much I love Finn Balor and as you can imagine, there was a huge pop in my house when he emerged victorious from the fatal four way match. I believe Finn can overcome Brock and in a supposedly changing WWE climate, I can’t think of anyone more deserving to carry the Universal Title.
In other WWE news, rumours are circulating that The Revival have asked for their release. Disappointing but I’m not surprised. Could we be seeing The Revival vs The Young Bucks before the year is out?
I started properly watching NXT UK this week (please see my recent review) I was hugely impressed by Mark Andrews and his impressive match intuition, style and overall persona. I’m so excited to review NXT UK weekly.
Strolling down memory lane, my hubby and son watched the 2004 Royal Rumble and we’ve had a great time reminiscing the HHH v HBK blood bath of a Last Man Standing match. J is now bouncing round the house doing the RVD thumbs and the Shawn Michaels pose. It’s so cool he can appreciate how good things were back then.
As for next week…. we’re drawing closer to the Rumble and I’m hugely excited for it. Please share your predictions with us. #TheRoxSays #IBelieve
The continued WWE/AEW stories are continuing to light up Twitter and the like with anyone who fancies a hot take or two, but I’m probably one of the few who doesn’t really care what happens. It is always good to have competition, yet it is competition that I am pretty sure I won’t end up watching. I wasn’t someone who particularly cared for All In, so I’m just not really the audience I feel for AEW.
The last Pro Wrestling USA shows of 1984 were my main watches this week as the book looks set to come out in two weeks or so. The artwork has already been done and I am excited to complete a project that has taken over two years in total.
Pro Wrestling USA was an interesting concept, made even more novel due to the tapings being moved around the territories involved in the promotion. Memphis, Mid-Atlantic and the AWA all ran tapings by the end of 1984, with each bringing a slightly different look and feel. Most importantly, they also showcased different wrestlers and job guys which made the shift from place to place fun to watch at least from a modern perspective.
By all accounts the wXw show last night was a blast. Stupidly, I’ve managed to already rush into a number of spoilers, but I will be checking it out. A good cage match or two was perhaps what I needed to get my mojo back with the company, as well as the looming presence of 16 Carat Gold around the corner.
Speaking of wXw, I shall be at the Road to 16 Carat Gold event in London which will be my first live experience for quite a while. Two four man tournaments will decide participants in the 16 Carat Gold tournament, whilst there will also be a wXw Unified World Heavyweight Title Match and some other shenanigans. Looking forward to it already.
