• Monthly Archives: November 2016

    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.

    http://www.wwe.com/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xxl/public/all/2016/10/20161025_SurvivorSeries_KeyArt--238dca53c9d23f175795748cd0ab727f.jpg

     

    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 →

    NXT TakeOver: Toronto Preview and Predictions

    Are we NXT?

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

    http://www.wwe.com/f/styles/wwe_16_9_xxl/public/all/2016/11/20161015_NXTtakerover_Toronto_tunein_tonight--7ffbedeaa113a9832ca6a1f7b6e486a5.jpg

    Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger

    Joey:

    The rise of Bobby Roode will make his Canada homecoming for NXT a big moment. No disrespect to Tye Dillinger, but Roode probably should have been in a better match. The dude is 40. You can’t slowly build him to the top. I’m not sure how to feel about the match but at least we’ll get a fun Roode entrance and Dillinger is always over.

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Bobby Roode wins.

    Tim:

    As the leader of The Roode Broode I am excited to see Rippity Roberty Roode… oh god. I am so fucking sorry for that. I don’t know what came over me. I could delete it but I should leave it and deal with the repercussions. I need to own this. Anyway, yeah. Roode is great. I am kind of just ready for him and a few others from NXT to get called up because NXT has fallen into Impact and ROH territory as shows I just skim through for the stuff that interests me instead of a show I watch from beginning to end. I hate that this is a thing but there is so much wrestling and I have very little time. I have to watch as much as I can because I am a true fan.

    I wish he had a better match-up because I am just not into Dillinger. The guy is over. I’m not trying to take that away from him but he is not my cup of tea. I haven’t seen him do anything impressive yet. Maybe this will be it? Who knows. I am not a psychic. I never once claimed to be. Quit e-mailing me telling me I should know the future. You have nothing to gain from this. Leave me and my family alone. I will call the authorities.

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Bobby Roode wins.

    Tom:

    Bobby Roode has been pretty underwhelming so far in NXT and, while I like Tye Dillinger, it’s hard to expect too much from this one. I think it’ll be decent enough though, and I’m hoping for a fun atmosphere in Toronto for two good Canadian boys coming home.

    Interest Level: 6/10
    Prediction: Bobby Roode wins.

    The Authors of Pain vs. TM-61 in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

    Joey:

    I watch little to no NXT TV so I have no idea what’s up with these two teams. They had a dark match at TakeOver: Brooklyn and it was quite bland. I’m not a fan of the Authors of Pain from what I’ve seen. I think TM-61 gets the win and moves up in the tag division.

    Interest Level: 4/10
    Prediction: TM-61 wins.

    Tim:

    I like the idea of The Authors of Pain but the guys involved are a bore so far. I’ve been a fan of TM-61 for a long time but within the WWE ecosystem they do seem like another helping of white bread. I know the former TMDK (yeah, that’s right) can break out of that eventually if given the chance but until then I’m not sure I can get into them unless they are going against another interesting team such as DIY (I refuse the hashtag) or The Revival. I can see this one going either way. I think I’m leaning more towards The Authors of Pain pulling it off. Worst outcome, right?

    Interest Level: 2/10
    Prediction: The Authors of Pain win.

    Tom:

    I like the one from TM-61 with videogame tattoos and the longer hair, but the other one looks a bit like a more slender Alex Riley. That might be the extent of my opinions on them??? They seem entirely serviceable as a tag team and like they could do something cool with good opponents, but I’m not sure if the Authors of Pain qualify as good opponents. Paul Ellering being in a shark tank is a weird addition. Is it meant to appeal to the older fans who might remember that? It’s an odd thing to do in 2016 for no real reason.

    Interest Level: 3/10
    Prediction: The Authors of Pain win.

    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 →

    Wrestling Is Bullshit: Six Reasons Why Joey Styles’ Joke Was Fucking Awful

    Much like the majority of other non-shitty human beings who happen to be wrestling fans, I read the joke Joey Styles made at Evolve 72 and thought, “What an asshole. Why is he paid to be on wrestling shows?”

    A ton of wrestling fans expressed their disatisfaction for Joey’s character’s sexual harassment that came in the form of a sexual assault joke. A lot of vocal fans expressed their desire to see him fired. Gabe Sapolsky, not exactly the booker you go to for a history of presently women remotely well throughout his career, fired Joey after the show.

    Naturally, this caused a backlash from wrestling fans stuck in the stone age (ie: the 90s). I even set out to make a list of the dumbest tweets defending Joey Styles because I’m irritated at the moment due to our current President-Elect, and I figured such an activity would probably make me feel better. I made the list. I sent it off to Jonas Wakefield for editing and posting to Wrestling On Earth.

    Continue reading →