• Tag Archives: WWE

    WWE TLC 2016 Preview and Predictions

    Don’t go chasing waterfalls.

    Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeyOnEarth, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlargh.

    tlc-banner

    Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin in a Chairs Match

    Joey:

    I like Kalisto. I like Baron Corbin. I don’t care about this match. The booking here seems lazy. Both guys deserve something more noteworthy. I think they can pull off a decent match, but chairs matches usually stink.

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Baron Corbin wins.

    Tim:

    Kalisto is enjoyable but I think I like the idea of Baron Corbin more than the guy himself. Also, who gives a damn about a chair? I hate how they feel like they have to throw that in. This is just them spinning their wheels and I have no attachment to it. I assume Baron Corbin will win because they seem way more focused on him than Kalisto. There’s some deep analysis for you.

    Interest Level: 2/10
    Prediction: Baron Corbin wins.

    Tom:

    I actually think the build to this has been really pretty good – Corbs has been a prick and Kalisto has been solid at being rightfully furious about it. Chairs matches are kind of lame, but maybe The Big Breakfast will utilize that big chair Big Show once used? Remember that? I think I talk about that whenever there’s a chairs match to discuss. Anyway, these two could be a decent match, but neither one has really had a stand-out performance in WWE yet.

    Interest Level: 6/10
    Prediction: Kalisto wins.

    Nikki Bella vs. Carmella in a Street Fight

    Joey:

    Nikki Bella vs. Carmella has actually been one of the best feuds of the year for WWE. The street fight feels like the right stipulation for this feud. Carmella telling off fans chanting “how you doing?” at her made her a new favorite of mine. I think Nikki is getting the win. Carmella is still the real winner for not having to be around Enzo Amore anymore.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: Nikki Bella wins.

    Tim:

    I’m really into this feud. I have never doubted it or gotten bored by it since the moment it started up which is rare for anything with WWE writing behind it. Carmella keeps getting better every week. I’m glad they made this a street fight. This is wild but I am going with Carmella getting a big win here.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: Carmella wins.

    Tom:

    I agree that the rivalry between these two has been F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S *winks at camera*, but I’m not expecting much from the match. I think Carmella is the weakest of the Smackdown women in terms of in-ring ability, so even though I’m expecting good moments, I don’t think it’ll be much to write home about.

    Interest Level: 6/10
    Prediction: Nikki Bella wins.

    Continue reading →

    ScoopZone Elite: November 21, 2016

    We’ve consulted our inside sources to bring you the best and most EXCLUSIVE dirt on your favorite wrestling promotions from around the world. Unlike other sites, we’ll only bring you 100% accurate and truthful wrestling news every week. We’re still working on our paywall, so please only read these stories if you’re an elite member.

    [WELCOME ELITE MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THE SUBSCRIPTION!]

    News for The Week of November 21, 2016

    WWE

    • The Authentic Untold Story of ECW debuts on the WWE Network later tonight where we will hear new information about ECW like “Paul was a genius” and “the crowds were insane.”

     

    • James Ellsworth eliminating Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar losing a match in 2 minutes is all part of the upcoming WWE 24: Freaky Friday special.

     

    • Having exhausted nearly every idea to make Dolph Ziggler interesting WWE is trying to talk him into getting a bionic arm.

    -Advertisement-

    g60

    NXT

    • WWE is trying to figure out a way to get Tye Dillinger into the Cruiserweight Division so that the guys can do high spots off the top of his vest collar.

     

    • Arn Anderson is legitimately concerned with The Revival referring to him as their “Uncle Arn” backstage.

     

    • Shinsuke Nakamura will start wearing remote-controlled buzzing devices on each of his limbs so that someone can buzz it to remind him to sell the necessary body part during matches.


    -Sponsored Links-
    Click Here To See Taz Say He Almost Pooped His Pants

    Other

    • Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay each winning the ROH Television Championship this weekend were both last-minute decisions after management failed to find first choice Roderick Strong backstage.

     

    • There are at least eight more wrestling streaming services launching in 2017.

     

    • Lance Storm is painfully jealous of Chris Jericho‘s friendship with Kevin Owens.

     

    Survivor Series 2016 Preview and Predictions

    Raw vs. Smackdown

    Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeyOnEarth, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlargh.

    https://i0.wp.com/www.wwe.com/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xxl/public/all/2016/10/20161025_SurvivorSeries_KeyArt--238dca53c9d23f175795748cd0ab727f.jpg?resize=621%2C350

     

    The Miz vs. Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship

    Joey:

    I was looking forward to Sami Zayn kicking Dolph Ziggler’s smug fucking face off but this is the better match. Zayn being the hometown favorite against the most hated heel on the show sets up a great scenario. I definitely think Zayn is winning here and bringing the Intercontinental Championship to Raw. The potential of the two titles on the line switching shows would benefit all involve.

    Interest Level: 10/10
    Prediction: Sami Zayn wins.

    Tim:

    I’m down for this. These two could put on a show stealing match if given the time.  I am really just glad Sami Zayn is being used in an important way. I hope they go with Zayn winning the championship here in front of this crowd. Daniel Bryan has been talking about trading Miz to Raw a whole lot with Cesaro and Zayn being the two names he brings up the most. I doubt Smackdown gets to keep the Intercontinental Championship and gain the Cruiserweight Championship. So, I’m going to predict something off the wall here to keep things spicy even if it doesn’t quite make sense. Daniel Bryan has already made the deal to trade Miz for Zayn to Raw because he doesn’t believe Miz will win. Stephanie McMahon thinks Miz will beat Zayn and agreed to the deal. Miz will defeat Zayn, prove Bryan wrong, and take the belt to Raw.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: The Miz wins.

    Tom:

    The Toronto crowd utterly rejecting Ziggler would have been a beautiful thing to witness live, but I think Zayn/Miz might actually be the better match! Zayn is the closest thing to Daniel Bryan on the current roster, so I’m excited to see what he can do with Miz, and I’m sure the crowd will be hot for it. I don’t think Miz has become the revelation that some people think, but he’s definitely improved and he’s capable of having excellent matches with people who are better than him.

    Storyline wise, I’m expecting the result to see Miz moved to Raw, though I still think Sami will be winning the title.

    Interest Level: 9/10
    Prediction: Sami Zayn wins.

    The Brian Kendrick vs. Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Championship

    Joey:

    This is another cool match that has been worth the wackiness of the brand split. The Raw vs. Smackdown matches feel somewhat important, especially the ones with something on the line. WWE needed to go with a face to be the face (HAHHAHAHAHAAH) of the division and TJ Perkins completely bombed. Kalisto could have a better shot as someone the fans are familiar with.

    Fun fact: The crowd at a MSG house show in March went fucking nuts for Kalisto. The kids are big into the LUCHA LUCHA LUCHA thing. He’s the guy.

    Anyway, something needs to change here. Smackdown getting the cruiserweight division would make up for the lack of talent depth and make it nearly must-watch.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: Kalisto wins.

    Tim:

    Kalisto can be very messy but I can’t help but enjoy him under the right circumstances. Kendrick and the Cruiserweight Division as a whole have been a huge disappointment on the main roster. Hopefully going to Smackdown and getting their own show will help put them back in the great place they were during the CWC. Raw just wasn’t working out. Kalisto will be a good encapsulation of what the division is for now.

    Interest Level: 7/10
    Prediction: Kalisto wins.

    Tom:

    I’m excited for this! I enjoy Kendrick but Kalisto seems like a much better representative of the division, or at least while it’s still taking off. It’d also be nice to see Neville pulled in, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see on that. Anyway, should be a fun match and something to provide a nice break from all the multi-man business.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: Kalisto wins.

    Continue reading →

    The Merch Table: WWE Slam Crate Special

    Wrestling companies make merchandise. It’s usually pretty bad, but sometimes, it’s terrible. Welcome to The Merch Table.

    Every so often, @TomBlargh will look at some of the awful merch that someone expects you to buy. Up this week: WWE SLAM CRATE SPECIAL

    Everybody loves a mystery, and while things like Loot Crate, the Funko Pop boxes and assorted other bi-monthly collections of random bullshit are a relatively new phenomenon, wrestling promotions have a proud history of taking advantage of their fans being idiot rubes – just consider TNA’s infamous Brown Bag Special, as previously covered here on The Merch Table.

    So, it was inevitable that WWE was going to get into this and they teamed up with LootCrate to do their own mystery box of nonsense called the WWE Slam Crate, which goes for about $30, plus another $5 for shipping. I am a professional merchologist, so I was delighted to sign up to see what kind of stuff they’d send. SPOILERS: I hated it!

    OKAY. So, as advertised, it comes in a crate. Kind of?

    It’s technically just a box, but whatever, they’re the same shape. It has that classic “black on black” style so it’s close to impossible to read the text.

    When you open it up though, you’ll see that there’s a surprising amount of crap in this thing!

    open-box

    WOW WHERE TO BEGIN. I guess with the bigger items? Let’s see how that goes. Continue reading →

    WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 Preview and Predictions

    It’s a cell full of hell.

    Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeyOnEarth, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlargh.

    hell-in-a-cell-banner

    Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Sin Cara vs. Tony Nese, Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari on the kick off show

    Joey:

    The cruiserweight division has been okay. Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann have been the most exciting stars. Tony Nese, Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari feel like the jobber unit of the division. Cedric’s team is pretty cool here. Sin Cara and Lince Dorado looked good in that tag match a few weeks ago. Good choice for a pre-show match, but I wish Swann was involved.

    Interest Level: 7/10
    Prediction: Team Cedric wins.

    Tim:

    For a division that gets different ring ropes every time they wrestle and came fresh off one of the best tournaments I’ve ever seen, the Cruiserweight Division has been pretty underwhelming. Cedric Alexander is a top-tier wrestler so I’m always excited to see him do his thing. Tony Nese looks alright once every six months or so. Gulak can either be really boring or really good but he will always wear that garbage jacket to the ring, so I don’t know what to think. This should be a fun pre-show match but we’ll just have to see. There have been numerous cruiserweight matches on Raw that I would have put money on being good beforehand only to lose that money and my big ass boat.

    Interest Level: 4/10
    Prediction: Alexander and The Lucha Cats win and then form a band.

    Tom:

    I made a face when I saw this match and I’m not sure why! Like, I GUESS this is why we have the cruiserweight lads, to have fun, meaningless matches with flips and Drew Gulak’s terrible jacket? I just wish we could do a little better. Also, where’s Rich Swann? People actually seem to like him.

    Interest Level: 6/10
    Prediction: Cedric and pals win.

    Bayley vs. Dana Brooke

    Joey:

    Dana Brooke may very well be the worst wrestler in the world but in a good way. Bayley clearly needs the win here. The Survivor Series team match will help prolong her eventual build to the WrestleMania title shot against Sasha Banks and/or Charlotte.

    Interest Level: 3/10 (Sorry, Bayley.)
    Prediction: Bayley wins.

    Tim:

    I get a big kick out of watching Dana Brooke do anything but I’d rather watch Bayley wrestle anyone else on a big event. We like to have fun here but I prefer good matches to having a laugh. Heck, I like good matches that make me laugh a lot too but those don’t happen often at all. Bayley has to go over here. It has been a rough month for everyone on Raw but especially Bayley. She took a clean L from Brooke when she messed up the cheating finish and then got “boring” chants thrown at the segment she was in the next week. That is wild stuff to happen to one of the best and none of it should really fall on her shoulders. Hopefully she gets into a good feud next month. This one was a huge miscalculation.

    Interest Level: 1/10
    Prediction: Bayley wins.

    Tom:

    HELL YEAH, DANA BROOKE. I wish Dana had the “I’m not like most girls” theme song, except it should be expanded to be “I’m not like most people” because I don’t think there’s anyone else on the planet like Brookesy. Almost everything she does makes me laugh and I am excited to see what she does.

    P.S. Yes, I feel bad for Bayley too, but at least we get to see Dana being crazy.

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Bayley wins.

    Continue reading →

    WWE Clash of Champions 2016 Preview and Predictions

    Belts.

    Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeyOnEarth, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlargh.

    clash-of-champs

    Nia Jax vs. Alicia Fox on the kickoff show

    Joey:

    Nia Jax squashing local talents really helped introduce her on Raw. The segment with her throwing around Alicia Fox a few weeks ago was quite entertaining. Nothing but love for Foxy who judged a pizza eating contest with Big Show in Brooklyn last month. Respect was earned.

    Interest Level: 3/10
    Prediction: Nia Jax wins.

    Tim:

    I’ve never really found Nia Jax appealing until she did the beatdown on Alicia Fox. Fox, who has been supremely underutilized for most of her career, really sold Jax as a beast. I want more of that here but I’m expecting it will just be a boring pre-show match.

    Interest Level: 3/10
    Prediction: Nia Jax

    Tom:

    The stipulation should be Nia Jax gets Foxy’s place on Total Divas if she wins. I have no other thoughts.

    Interest Level: 2/10
    Prediction: Total Divas returns Fall 2016.

    TJ Perkins vs. The Brian Kendrick for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

    Joey:

    TJ Perkins is a real goof, but he has been unbelievable in the ring over the past few months. The Brian Kendrick added more emotion to the Cruiserweight Classic than anyone else. This was the right match to put on the PPV. I’m rooting for Kendrick but TJP is definitely pulling off the win to start a credible reign.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: TJ Perkins wins.

    Tim:

    I was at work the other day and the janitor was cleaning up near me. I looked at him as he was throwing a Capri Sun pouch away and said “you should throw TJP away while you’re at it.” He didn’t know what I was talking about and seemed kind of scared but if he was a wrestling fan he would have died laughing or at least smirked at me knowingly. TJP has always been pretty good in the ring and seems to be rolling at a whole new pace now. Kendrick was my favorite character in the CWC and brought that emotional weight to all of his matches in the tournament. That run pretty much exemplified what I want from wrestling. TJP is most definitely winning here (as he should) but I’ll be rooting for Kendrick. This is an exciting one.

    Interest Level: 7/10
    Prediction: TJ Perkins wins.

    Tom:

    I don’t like really like TJP as a person or a wrestler! I know everyone seems very high on him this year, but he just doesn’t really do much for me on any level. However, Brian Kendrick is fantastic and I look forward to him slapping old TJ around for a while. I’m even going to predict that Kendrick wins, because I love being set up for disappointment!

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: Brian Kendrick wins.

    Continue reading →

    WWE Backlash 2016 Preview and Predictions

    The blue PPV.

    Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeyOnEarth, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlargh.

    2016-09-08 13_32_36-wwe backlash 2016 - Google Search

    The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship

    Joey:

    The Miz’s short-lived stint with relevancy came to an end just one week later thanks to Dolph Ziggler. Nothing perfectly sums up a “Smackdown brand PPV” like Miz and Ziggler having a long match.

    Interest Level: 0/10
    Prediction: The Miz wins.

    Tim:

    The Miz has had a wild month. Too bad it ended here.

    Interest Level: 0/10
    Prediction: Miz wins.

    Tom:

    No thanks!

    Interest Level: I’m okay!/10
    Prediction: Take care!

    Continue reading →

    WWE Summerslam 2016 Preview and Predictions

    Jon Stewart is back!

    Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeyOnEarth, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlargh.

    summerslam-2016-banner-new

    Preshow: American Alpha, The Hype Bros and The Usos vs. The Vaudevillains, The Ascension and Breezedango

    Joey:

    I wish it was American Alpha vs. The Usos or Breezedango. I think this could be fun but who really cares?

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Good boys win.

    Tim:

    It’ll be nice to see American Alpha do some stuff, I guess. This’ll be forgettable I’m sure.

    Interest Level: 1/10
    Prediction: The Uso Alpha Bros win.

    Tom:

    Aw yeah, let’s kick this off right! Tag team action! Oh yeah! Oh YEAH!!

    Interest Level: 6/10
    Prediction: American Alpha and pals win.

    Preshow: The Dudley Boyz vs. Sami Zayn and Neville

    Joey:

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Sami Zayn and Neville wins. Bubba turns on Devon.

    Tim:

    I’m going to take this time to say this whole Sami Zayn being in a thrown together tag match on the pre-show thing is incredibly lame. He’s had a great year in the ring and won his biggest match to date in my favorite match of the year so far just last month. All of that and this is where he’s at? You could’ve been creative and somehow worked into him and Owens tagging for a while instead of Jericho or something. ANYTHING. If this is what you were going to do with him why not just let Owens beat him again?

    The Dudleyz are for the trash and I don’t want to watch two great wrestlers take on boring garbage people in a pre-show match. They’ve done nothing interesting since they’ve returned to the company. I’m pissed! I’m letting the world know.

    Interest Level: 0/10
    Prediction: The Dudleyz win because this is shit!

    Tom:

    Poor Sami. Poor Neville. Get them damn Dudz outta here. Hopefully Sami and Neville use the “fighting spirit” they learned in Japan to shoot on Big Bubba with some signature strong style strikes! Minoru Suzuki! MAMMA MIA!!!!!

    Interest Level: 4/10
    Prediction: Sami and Big Adrian win.

    Cesaro vs. Sheamus (Match 1 in their Best of Seven series)

    Joey:

    There’s nothing wrong with either man and they have decent matches. The problem is it gets extremely repetitive and we all know this will likely culminate in nothing. I can’t say I’m overly excited but it could be good. They have to put this in the opening slot or on the pre-show while the crowd is still hot.

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Sheamus wins.

    Tim:

    These two are awesome wrestlers. They really are… but Sheamus can suck the life out of me despite that. It is some sort of weird magic he has. It doesn’t help that I’ve seen them wrestle more times than I ever needed to. The story hasn’t been compelling at all. They threw in Zayn beating Sheamus for some reason. It’s just strange. We have six more of these to go. I’d rather Cesaro be doing bigger and better things at this point. It just seems like a roadblock and not a match I can be excited about despite wanting to be.

    Interest Level: 3/10
    Prediction: Cesaro wins.

    Tom:

    It’s hard to comprehend this being their first match in a best of seven series because it already feels like they’ve wrestled enough that there shouldn’t be too much question about who the better guy is. IT’S CESARO, LADS. EVERYONE KNOWS THIS.

    Speaking of which, it’s testament to how great Cesaro is that I have any interest in this at all!

    Interest Level: 4/10
    Prediction: Cesaro wins. Continue reading →

    ScoopZone Elite: July 26, 2016

    We’ve consulted our inside sources to bring you the best and most EXCLUSIVE dirt on your favorite wrestling promotions from around the world. Unlike other sites, we’ll only bring you 100% accurate and truthful wrestling news every week. We’re still working on our paywall, so please only read these stories if you’re an elite member.

    [WELCOME ELITE MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THE SUBSCRIPTION!]

    News for The Week of July 26, 2016

    Raw

    • JBL is suspected of being a mole for Stephanie McMahon. Earlier today Mauro Ranallo followed cowboy boot prints to a trash can where he found his precious notebook full of pop culture references that had been missing all afternoon.

     

    • WWE is considering the first brand trade of Raw sending The Shining Stars and James Elsworth to Smackdown for John Cena, Daniel Bryan and the giant fist from the 2002 set.

     

    • WWE is waiting for Roman Reigns to drop down to 205 lbs before officially starting the new cruiserweight division.

    -Advertisement-
    PWTLesnar

    Smackdown

    • The drafting of the Smackdown roster was done to imitate the upcoming hit movie Suicide Squad.

     

    • Shane McMahon is demanding all Smackdown talent wrestle in Air Jordan sneakers at all times.

     

    • In order to make the WWE World Heavyweight Championship sound more important than the WWE Universal Championship, Daniel Bryan will be renaming it the WWE Multiversal Championship.

    -Sponsored Links-
    Here’s this for whatever reason.

    Other

    • Triple H has offered an exclusive NXT contract to Sonny Boy.

     

    • Dixie Carter has been begging Matt Hardy to get her one of those “flying cameras.”

     

    • Lance Storm enjoys wearing crocs, peeing in the wind and making eye contact while eating bananas.

     

    WWE Battleground 2016 Preview and Predictions

    We are doing something again! This time, flags are involved!

    Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeyOnEarth, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlargh.

    we-love-flags

    Rusev vs. Zack Ryder for the United States Championship

    Joey:

    Noted Donald Trump supporter Zack Ryder is trying to make wrestling great again by sending Bulgarian superstar Rusev behind a wall. Classic WWE storytelling. Hopefully Rusev beats Ryder so badly he has to team with a meathead that jumps up and down like a complete goof for the rest of his career.

    Interest Level: 4/10
    Prediction: Rusev wins.

    Tim:

    The story has been boring and actually made Ryder look worse than he already did a few times. Rusev is great so hopefully after this they put him in a more interesting feud. Any bit of interest I have in this match stems from the hope that Rusev yells some funny things during it.

    Interest Level: 1/10
    Prediction: Rusev wins.

    Tom:

    I feel like I’ve already seen everything I need to from these two. There’s something kind of sweet about Ryder getting another chance to succeed, but it’s a good five years too late and he just isn’t particularly interesting to watch. SOZ ZACK MATE, ALSO SOZ TO ZACK’S DAD, ALSO SOZ TO ALL THE FANTASTIC PEOPLE OF LONG ISLAND.

    Interest Level: 3/10
    Prediction: Rusev wins.

    The Miz vs. Darren Young for the Intercontinental Championship

    Joey:

    As great as Miz has been and as wonderful as Darren Young can be, I hope this turns into a verbal debate between Maryse and Bob Backlund. The Miz deserves a longer reign with the Intercontinental Championship. Let’s be honest – this Darren Young gimmick is ending in a month or two.

    Interest Level: 4/10
    Prediction: The Miz wins.

    Tim:

    The Darren Young gimmick isn’t working for me and I don’t think it will work for many in the long-term. Backlund can be funny at times but that’s about as far as it goes for me. The Miz should be Intercontinental Champ for a good while. He’s perfect for where he is and they should really let it be for a while more. I’m not so interested in the actual match between these two. Actually, I’m not interested at all.

    Interest Level: 0/10
    Prediction: The Miz wins.

    Tom:

    I’ve enjoyed the Darren Young / Bob Backlund partnership a lot more since Backlund has been allowed to be his spontaneous, weird self on TV – he’s really only enjoyable when he seems to be about three syllables away from saying something truly insane and awful, which I sincerely hope happens in this match! Young isn’t much as a wrestler, but I like his theme song a good bit so that’s something.

    Miz and Maryse are both good stuff, but Miz is always better when he’s in the ring with someone markedly better than him – that sounds like I’m being unkind or just stating the obvious, but he’s always been better at raising his own game, rather than someone else’s. Anyway, another one I’m not particularly looking forward to, but I won’t be issuing any sorries this time.

    Interest Level: 3/10
    Prediction: The Miz wins.

    Continue reading →