@RoxBlackburn
This week, whilst battling the flu, I watched the WWE Royal Rumble (see my recent review) and Raw. So I guess we’re back to Balor being squashed again? Seth Rollins is a dynamo and I am so excited to see him face Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania but I don’t think he’ll win.
Becky Lynch is still riding a wave of incredible momentum. I just hope they don’t ruin this Wrestlemania match by adding Charlotte or worst….. making Stephanie McMahon the special guest referee (my prediction is that they will do this, just to get Stephanie on the card)
Haven’t got round to Smackdown yet but I have watched NXT UK and the debut of Walter. I don’t get his appeal to be honest so my goal this week is to YouTube his back catalogue. Any recommendations are appreciated.
I think we’ve all got our ears to the ground as the build up to Wrestlemania also gives us contract renewals. WWE have confirmed Dean Ambrose won’t be renewing apparently. It’s odd for them to confirm this so far ahead of time which leads me to think it’s a work. Kenny Omega is a free agent but his social media hints towards AEW. AJ Styles took to twitter to squash contract renewal rumours. Dolph Ziggler tweeted ‘Later, marks’ at the end of last week and then showed up at the Rumble. Hideo Itami is on his way out the door too. I think this is a good move for him, he’s a lovely guy and a good wrestler but I think he needs to regroup.
The lesson here is that although you might check Twitter and Instagram everyday, we are pretty much none the wiser. We’ll only ever know as much as they want us to know.
I’m going to post my NXT UK review, I promise.
The main news for me is the final volume of my ‘Tracking the Territories’ series hitting (digital) bookshelves. The project in total technically began five years ago as a forum post at a couple of wrestling message boards, but I knuckled down to it for the last two and a half years or so. 1984 was such an amazing year of transformation in wrestling that it was real fun to relive for the most part. Some promotions were harder to watch than others, but overall the experience was a positive one. In particular, I came away with a new found love for Memphis and Mid-South as they were often the best shows week in, week out.
The next project is being ruminated on as we speak. Rather than being a collection of reviews, my desire would be to write something far more editorial. With many a good story already being told, it is just a case of finding the rich vein of something interesting. The world of 80s wrestling offers a lot of that and is probably still the area I will be looking at in the long term.
I don’t watch too much modern WWE anymore but I did watch the two Rumbles whilst I was marking books at work. Perhaps it was because I was distracted, but they felt a little on the boring side. The crowd themselves didn’t seem too much into it either, which didn’t help.
All the names potentially moving from the WWE as well as the financial weight behind some of the other promotions out there makes this at least an exciting period of time in terms of what might happen next. It has been many years since it has felt like a viable option could be out there for wrestlers who are fed up with the WWE and that can only be a good thing. What happens in the long run is still very much up for debate, but you feel that this might force WWE to do something in order to turn things around.
@TheCiaranJames
A few years ago, the idea that a legitimate company could offer current top level wrestlers an alternative place to work was unthinkable. AEW is slowly creating its footprint, Cody and the Bucks signing was a given, but the additions of PAC and Chris Jericho made everyone stand up and take notice. Over this past weekend Pentagon Jr and Fenix were invited to wrestle the Bucks, this might not be official as they are signed to other companies but an appearance at Double or Nothing may be on the horizon.
The biggest move if it happens, will be the signing of Dean Ambrose once his contacts ends with WWE at the end of April. Dean is supposedly fed up with his current career direction, it isn’t about money or being the top guy, it’s about artist fulfilment. Dean rose to prominence as Jon Moxley, known for his character work and promos, he was a hot commodity. Mick Foley is a know fan of his work, and months before his official debut with the Shield, Mick wanted to work with Dean. Without scripted promos, and a somewhat structured environment Dean can flourish, the WrestleMania season is looks very interesting indeed.
I last night (2/2/19) traveled to Coventry to watch Kamikaze Pro. The show delivered, I’m not a huge fan of the Empire in Coventry (as I have to stand) but thankfully the product is good enough to endure the numbness. This will be my third year watching and reviewing their events, each year Kamikaze has grown and improved as a promotion. The company has a great mix of international and homegrown talent, most notable matches were Mike Bailey vs Millie McKenzie, AFP vs CCKBLAAAA and Kay Jutler vs Shigihero Irie. I must also discuss the potential of their Relentless Champion, The Elliot Jordan Experience, this man just keeps getting better. He is solid in the ring and gold on the microphone, easily one of the best heels working in the United Kingdom, a hard thing to do in 2019, where every wrestler is cool and loved. Kudos Elliot Jordan
I have also enjoyed this week that insightful conversation and debate offered by PWTorch. The collective trio of Wade Keller, Todd Martin and Bruce Mitchel are so great, their reviews of TakeOver, Rumble, UFC and everything in between is essential listening. A must for all wrestling fans who have a thirst for what goes once the cameras stop rolling and doors are shut.
