• Tag Archives: kevin steen

    NXT TakeOver: Rival Preview and Predictions

    Owens vs. Zayn. It’s here.

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

    nxt-owens-zayn

    Baron Corbin vs. Bull Dempsey

    Joey:

    I always confuse these two. One was trained by Tazz and replied to a tweet where I mentioned his name after vanity searching within 20 minutes but I don’t know which.

    Interest Level: 0/10
    Prediction: Bobby Dempsey and Darin Corbin invade.

    Tim:

    This is a big dud but I’m pretty excited to throw out some observational jokes about Baron Corbin’s sour demeanor with my buds online. Bull Dempsey is crap and that is my professional opinion.

    Interest Level: 1/10
    Prediction: Baron Corbin wins.

    Deathlock:

    Guys, I really miss Baron Corbin’s lariat. It was seriously amazing. He never does it now. Who do I talk to about reinstating it? His finisher is okay but it’s the only move he has now that his beautiful lariat is gone. BARON CORBIN BRING BACK YOUR LARIAT WE NEED THIS.

    Interest Level: 5/10 (10/10 if lariat)
    Prediction: Baron Corbin wins via lariat and whatever his finisher is.

    Tom:

    Another NXT show, another bewildering title! Isn’t it meant to be Arrival? AR:Rival? Jesus, I don’t know. Regardless, it’s already my most anticipated show since… well, the last NXT live thing on the WWE Network.

    Also, here’s a secret for you all – I KIND OF LIKE OLD BARON CORBIN. As a fellow big lad, I like to imagine that he is what I would be if I was a wrestler (and also better looking with tattoos, nicer hair and at least some athleticism). He’s not very good but in a charming way. Also, his nickname’s The Lone Wolf? And his entrance theme has motorcycles in it? Come on, that’s pretty adorable.

    Re: Bull Dempsey – fuck Bull Dempsey.

    Interest Level: 4/10
    Prediction: Baron Corbin wins.

    Adrian Neville vs. Finn Bálor

    Joey:

    This one should be very good. I kind of wished they went with Hideo Itami vs. Finn Bálor here but alas it happened last week. Finn Bálor is the most TV ready NXT wrestler right now by a mile. I think he’ll be called up very soon so his ascension (no pun intended) in NXT may have to start quicker than the average NXT star with winning a title shot here. Adrian Neville is good too and should be on the main roster after Wrestlemania so taking the loss here may be fitting.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: Finn Bálor wins.

    Tim:

    Finn Bálor definitely has star quality and presents himself in an incredible way. Neville is superb and I never get tired of watching him wrestle. It’s amazing to see how much he’s grown since NXT started up. This match is one of the many reasons to watch this show. Although his match with Itami was good I still don’t feel like Finn Bálor has had a match that delivers what he can bring to the table in full. I think this might be the one.

    Interest Level: 10/10
    Prediction: Finn Bálor wins.

    Deathlock:

    My saltiness over Hideo not beating Finn to secure this contendership match aside, I’m pretty excited. Their Best of the Super Juniors match in 2012 was great, if you’re into that kind of thing, and it’ll be fun to see what these two can do in NXT. How has time and developmental changed both competitors, if at all? LET’S FIND OUT.

    Interest Level: 7/10
    Prediction: Balor wins, and maybe it’s a good match. Probably no substantial lariats.

    Tom:

    Good lord, this show is really not messing around. I think Adrian Neville had an excellent 2015 and he’s really become a wrestler I consider myself a fan of, rather than just a guy I enjoy (IF THAT MAKES SENSE). Finn Bálor has a disgusting amount of potential to be something special. A little more definition to his character would be nice but he’s got such a presence and an aura and the It Factor and all that other bullshit you hear people go on about on talent shows that maybe it doesn’t matter??? Because maybe he’s just super good?????

    Interest Level: 9/10
    Prediction: Finn Bálor wins.

    Continue reading →

    This Or That (10/21/2014)

    Everybody loves binary decisions, especially wrestling fans! In This Or That, we’ve forced ourselves to choose between two options that relate to wrestling.

    Over four questions, @TimWelcomed, @JoeySplashwater and @TomBlargh will have to choose one of two options and give their reasoning on each of their choices. You can then vote on which one you’d choose, giving you the false impression that you’re somehow involved and we care about your opinion chance to join the conversation!

    Before we start, here’s last week‘s results:

    Which match would excite you more?

    Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins Hell In A Cell – 51%, Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville Ladder Match – 49%

    More likely to be a future WWE World champ?

    Bray Wyatt – 53%, Rusev – 47%

    Which wrestling related service would you rather get?

    TweetSecret – 89%, Vince Russo’s VIP – 11%

    Better PBS show?

    Sesame Street – 54%, Arthur – 46%

    Which new wrestling program are you more likely to watch: British Bootcamp 2 or Lucha Underground?

    Two new wrestling shows debuting in the same week. Is this 1999?!

    bbc-lucha

    Tim:

    I’m really excited about checking out Lucha Underground. I used to watch AAA when I could but I could never figure out what was going on and it seemed like it was edited weird. This has the possibility of being something pretty fresh and different. That’s something wrestling desperately needs. Hopefully it’s not doomed from the get-go and people go into it with and open mind. I mean… It’ll probably end up being shit. That’s how this usually goes but I’m going to try it.

    As for British Boot Camp 2… The first one was okay. It’s a great idea for a show. This one has the best of TNA involved (outside of Al Snow) but I really have no attachment to the TNA product anymore. The “TNA” name is so damaged that I have trouble caring about anything they do, even this show which should actually be watchable and maybe even highly enjoyable.

    Lucha Underground

    Joey:

    When it comes to TNA, I’m more prone to trust productions by Jeremy Borash so I do believe British Bootcamp 2 will be decent. Samoa Joe, Gail Kim and Rockstar Spud should add some interesting aspects as well but honestly, fuck Al Snow. He’s a less respected version of Jim Ross when it comes to being grumpy and close minded about different styles of wrestling so expect lots of elitist Al comments.

    Lucha Underground is something I’m very hopeful for as I’ve started to read more about it. I want to see how a wrestling show works when structured in the form of a season. This is going to be the first time I watch a lucha-based wrestling show and the American talent provide a nice middle ground to try it out.  I’m also looking forward to seeing Ricochet and John Morrison in a setting completely different than where I’m used to watching them.

    I was slightly on the fence but then I found out Drake Bell is a part of the project AND Brad Ward was told by Big Dick Johnson that it would be good. How can you top that?

    Lucha Underground

    Tom:

    I really enjoyed the first British Bootcamp – there was a pretty heavy dose of the usual reality TV nonsense mixed into it, but it was really well put together and it was fun to see a spotlight put on the British indy scene. Series 2 can only be better, since Gail Kim, Samoa Joe and Jeremy Borash are three of the most likeable personalities in wrestling and should be enough to counterbalance that creepy old fuck with terrible opinions about modern wrestling, Al Snow. Also, with some guaranteed Grado time, it’s sure to have some funny moments.

    I know very little about Lucha Underground aside from the fact that it’ll have John Morrison and Matt Striker involved to some extent. Thanks but no thanks.

    British Bootcamp 2

    [yop_poll id=”93″]

    Continue reading →

    Wrestling With Food: Kevin Steen’s Chicken and Pea Pou-Steen

    The WWF Cookbook is a treasure trove of crazy recipes from the Attitude Era, each of which is purportedly the creation of one of the wrestlers. In Wrestling With Food, Sydney is on a mission to try cooking all of them to see if any are actually edible.

    steen-600

    ALRIGHT. Something a little different this time, since not only is this NOT a recipe from the WWF Cookbook, Sydney’s not even the one making it – it’s me, much-maligned husband Tom.

    As you might have heard, Kevin Steen was officially signed to WWE this week. We’re big fans of his here at Wrestling On Earth, and he was actually one of the very first wrestlers to show us any support through his participation in our first 4 on 4. One of the questions we asked him there was “if you had your own breakfast cereal, what would it be called and what would be in it”, to which Kevin answered:

    “It would be french fries, gravy and cheese. It’d be called poutine.” 

    That planted the seed of an idea, so I later reached out to Kevin to ask what his favourite kind of poutine is and things started rolling. After some research (i.e. ripping off a recipe I found online), I’ve now put together something worthy of the WWF Cookbook: Kevin Steen’s Chicken and Pea Pou-Steen. It hits all the marks of the original cookbook’s recipes, in that it’s not actually written by the wrestler it claims to be from, it’s not particularly healthy and it has terrible wordplay in the title. Let’s get going!

    The ingredients:

    steen-ingredients

    Cooking spray

    2 large egg whites

    2 teaspoons paprika

    Salt and pepper

    2 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes, cut  into ¼-inch-thick fries

    1 bunch scallions, chopped

    3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

    ¼ cup all-purpose flour

    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

    1½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken (skin removed)

    ¾ cup frozen peas

    4 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced

    Yeah, I’m not using cheese curds, SORRY KEVIN / CANADIANS / FANS OF AUTHENTIC POUTINE. I couldn’t find them at my local crappy supermarket and I think they might be tricky to get a hold of because of America’s ridiculous health and safety standards. I found an alternative recipe that uses mozzarella instead so… look, it’s fine. It’ll be fine. Continue reading →

    This Or That (5/20/2014)

    Everybody loves binary decisions, especially wrestling fans! In This Or That, we’ve forced ourselves to choose between two options that relate to wrestling.

    Over four questions, @TimWelcomed, @JoeySplashwater and @TomBlackett will have to choose one of two options and give their reasoning on each of their choices. You can then vote on which one you’d choose, giving you the false impression that you’re somehow involved and we care about your opinion chance to join the conversation!

    Before we start, here’s last week‘s results:

    More likely to be the next WWE champ?

    The field – 56%, John Cena – 44%

    Who will step up more in Daniel Bryan’s absence?

    Cody Rhodes – 65%, Dolph Ziggler – 35%

    More valuable free agent?

    Prince Devitt – 69%, Bad Influence – 31%

    Better small meal?

    Sandwiches – 58%, Soup – 42%

    If his estimated in ring return date is Summerslam, should Daniel Bryan be stripped of the WWE title: YES or NO?

    Should he?

    bryan-champ

    Tim:

    I think if this ends up being the case they could easily go the interim champion route or just set it up so that when he comes back he can say he is the real WWE World Heavyweight Champion. That would only be three PPVs without him. It would be a great way for him to return and it would be an easy PPV match set-up.

    NO

    Joey:

    With the WWE Network, you are basically punting on a large number of traditional PPV buys so the emphasis on Payback and Money In The Bank to be amazing are not as great as many would think. From a storyline point of view, you can have Kane run Bryan off next week and steal the titles, going around proclaiming himself champion despite Bryan being the recognized title holder. Summerslam, we see the blow off to the feud and Bryan never “loses” the championship.

    NO

    Tom:

    Bryan holding onto the championship while he can’t defend it won’t do him any favours. It sucks that it has to happen, but nothing would be dumber than having a ‘fighting champion’ who can’t fight. Interim champions are the dirt worst, so none of that, please.

    I’ll admit that seeing him just hand over the belt to Stephanie or whoever will be a bummer, but fuck it, he can do it in a way that still makes him seem defiant and firey. Like, he can throw it in a river or something, that usually works.

    Anyway, rather than messing around with two belts or an interim champ, I think just taking it off him with the guarantee he’ll get a title match once he’s back is the best way option. Ideally, we’ll get a fun tournament to decide the new champ and then a great Bryan return at Summerslam to reset things.

    YES

    [yop_poll id=”18″]

    Continue reading →

    Wrestlers vs. Zoo Animals

    Two things we love here at Wrestling On Earth are pro wrestlers and zoo animals. There have been many photos circulating of wrestlers visiting zoos. We decided to compile the best and put them all together.

    For you, the reader, we will closely examine each of these photos and learn at least one important tidbit worthy of loving, living and sharing. Only because we’re professionals like that.

    Daniel Bryan

    koalabryan

    Featured in our How To Be The Best In The World feature, Daniel Bryan spends some time with a koala.

    What we learned: Everyone wants to hug Daniel Bryan, even koalas.

    The Miz

    mizkoala

    Another wrestler featured on our site in the past, The Miz also spends some time with a (less fortunate) koala.

    What we learned: Don’t feel bad next time you fall asleep during a Miz promo – cute animals do the same.

    Jeff Hardy

    zoohardy

    Jeff Hardy with a snake. The snake looks to be very dangerous.

    What we learned: Jeff Hardy looks way too comfortable with a dangerous animal around his neck.

    CM Punk

    KOALACMpunk

    The koalas are back as CM Punk stares one down.

    What we learned: Judging by their facial expressions, the koala isn’t straight edge and CM Punk disapproves. He probably also feels sorry for it because it doesn’t have any tattoos.

    Triple H

    zoohhhkangaroo

    Triple H feeds a kangaroo.

    What we learned: I know it’s supposed to be about the animal interaction, but is that a FANNY PACK in Triple H’s other hand? Fanny packs confirmed to be THAT DAMN GOOD (and WWE’S COO confirmed as not understanding that you’re meant to wear them around your waist). Continue reading →

    PWG Matt Rushmore Preview and Predictions

    matt-rushmore

    PWG returns with Matt Rushmore. PWG is the best. “If you love PWG so much, why don’t you marry it?” you may ask. We’ve looked it up and unfortunately you can’t legally marry a pro wrestling company.

    Giving their thoughs and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @TimWelcomed, @typicalROHfan and @TomBlackett.

    Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly for the PWG World Title

    typicalROHfan:

    Anticipation for this match has been building for a few months and I’m excited to see it in PWG. I attended the ROH show where these two faced off and Adam Cole was busted open and spitting blood everywhere on his way to the top of the independent wrestling scene. It was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen live but these two have never really had a memorable one on one match since then.

    adamcole

    Expect that to change. I can see this being the best indie wrestling match of 2013.

    Interest Level: 9/10
    Prediction: #AdamColeBaby

    Tim:

    I have been looking forward to this happening in the Reseda setting ever since Adam Cole won the PWG title. I think they’ll have the match that we always knew they could have together. I’m already anxiously waiting on the DVD of this show to be released.

    Interest Level: 10/10
    Prediction: Adam Cole retains.

    Tom:

    Honestly, it was only until BoLA that I was really sold on Kyle O’Reilly as a guy I wanted to see in the PWG main event scene. I guess that’s the whole purpose of BoLA though, so well done PWG! YOU DID IT AGAIN! I was also at the ROH show for the last ‘big’ Cole / O’Reilly match and it was a pretty incredible experience. The crowd was restless and clearly sceptical about the confusing ‘hybrid rules’ the match was competed under, but the way Cole and O’Reilly turned them around was amazing. I’m expecting something different here, but still just as great.

    Interest Level: 9/10
    Prediction: Adam Cole. Continue reading →

    ROH Death Before Dishonor XI Preview

    ROH crowns a NEW World Champ in Philly this weekend. Who will it be?

    Let’s run down the card.

    roh2

    Adam Cole vs. Tomasso Ciampa:

    I can see this being a “Match of the Year contender” very easily. Adam Cole is obviously stellar and is becoming a fixture in the upper echelon of ROH. Tomasso Ciampa has looked excellent since his return to ROH and it would be hard to dispute this is the biggest match of his career.

    This match made the show so appealing to me when I was considering making the trip to Philly that unfortunately fell through. I really expect a special match here and I hope whoever wins is the person to become ROH Champ.

    Interest Level: 10/10
    Prediction: Adam Cole advances.

    Michael Elgin vs. Kevin Steen:

    Much like the other semi-finals match, this should deliver. Michael Elgin has great matches every show and Kevin Steen is the biggest star in ROH at the moment. It’s hard for that to not deliver.

    Unlike the other match where I can see the very slight chance of a Ciampa upset, I don’t think there’s any way Elgin doesn’t advance. We’ll break down the finals later.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: Michael Elgin advances. Continue reading →

    Seven Things: Best 7 Wrestlers On Twitter

    Welcome to Seven Things, a list that will run weekly and consist of very eclectic topics. These are of my opinions and doesn’t express the views of others on WrestlingOnEarth.

    First off, thanks for all the feedback on last week’s debut of Seven Things. I was very appreciated. Much like last week, this week’s list is formed off reading Twitter. Twitter is a great outlet to interact with wrestlers. More than ever, most pro wrestlers are accessible in a way past generations of fans would dream of.

    Some wrestlers use social media well, some clearly do not. If there’s enough readers wanting a list of the seven worst wrestlers on Twitter, there may be a sequel but for now, here’s the seven best wrestlers on Twitter.

    7. A.J. Lee (@WWEAJLee)

    LinkAJ

    AJ provides a rare WWE Twitter that’s entertaining. Most WWE Superstar Twitter accounts feel like robotic beings using their mobile devices as puppets. While playing into the WWE storyline, she finds a way to bring humor and show her clever side despite selling the angle.

    As a female on WWE TV consistently (one DOES exist), AJ has a lot of young female fans and she seems to understand the importance of being a role model. Embracing it, she is often seen interacting with many of her fans.

    Examples:

    AJ1
    (The real hashtag HEEL of her past faction.)

    Continue reading →

    PWG BoLA 2013 Preview

    PWG’s annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament will consist of two shows this weekend. As always, the talent is a mix of the top indy talent from all over the country.

    pwg-bola-2013

    Site members @typicalROHfan, @TomBlackett and @TimWelcomed will give their thoughts and predictions on the weekend’s events.

    Michael Elgin vs. Rich Swann:

    typicalROHfan:

    My favorite thing about the recent (and future) PWG shows are seeing some of the guys I like from the WWNLive Universe facing off with ROH talent. The contrast of Elgin’s power and Rich Swann’s speed are going to make for a great match. I’m rooting for Swann but fully expect Michael Elgin to win.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: Elgin wins.

    TomBlackett:

    Will Michael Elgin hold Rich Swann in a delayed vertical suplex… All Night Long? The answer is definitely not, there’s like 9 matches they need to get through, that would be ridiculous.

    Anyway, this should be very fun. I feel like I’m going to say that a lot because fucking PWG is always very fun. The story of a guy doing flips to not get caught by a guy who does powerbombs is one of wrestling’s best, so I’m looking forward to this a bunch.

    Interest Level: 8/10
    Prediction: Elgin wins.

    TimWelcomed:

    I am always a sucker for strong guys going against fast guys and these two are some of the best of both. I really don’t care who wins because I like both guys a good bit but I’m going to pick Elgin as the winner here.

    Interest Level: 7/10
    Prediction: Elgin wins. Continue reading →

    4 on 4 Fans: TJ Hawke, WellYoureWrong, Shakil, Enrique (PWG Edition)

    Welcome to the latest edition of Four on Four.  As always, we’ve chosen four of the most entertaining and intelligent wrestling fans on Twitter and decided to peer into their minds four questions at a time. This week, we have a PWG theme leading into BoLA weekend. Let’s meet the panel:

    TJ Hawke: Runs FreeProWrestling (GREAT SITE!). Gabe Sapolsky thinks he’s a woman. Is sorry about yo’ damn luck.
    Follow him on Twitter: @TJHawke411

    WellYoureWrong: The dude you see in a fedora marking out at every PWG show. Gofobo master.
    Follow him on Twitter: @WellYoureWrong

    Shakil: Fan of Kassius Ohno’s hipster ways. Lance Storm’s daughter wanted to find him a straight girl.
    Follow him on Twitter: @HipsterKassius

    Enrique: Brings you the best Botchamania intro wrestler vids. Very dedicated PWG fan.
    Follow him on Twitter: @HatingSince87

    1. Who will win BoLA 2013?

    @TJHawke411:

    Kyle O’Reilly. Predicting BoLA is a fruitless endeavor because a) we’re all always wrong and b) indications are that PWG changes their mind on this stuff throughout the actual tournament based on how the crowd is reacting to everything.

    With that being said, I think O’Reilly has a strong chance of winning (he’s quietly been pushed rather strongly since the second night of All-Star Weekend), but I can also see Drake Younger, Johnny Gargano, and AR Fox winning it this year. Younger probably has to be considered the second most likely after Kyle. I’m throwing out Gargano and Fox as well, because I think they could impress enough early on that PWG will audible and make one of them the winner.

    @WellYoureWrong:

    I’m going with somewhat of a  wild card with my winner of BoLA. I got Anthony Nese winning it. I feel it will give Nese a huge boost to becoming not just a bigger star in PWG but I will solidify him even more in the independent scene.

    @HipsterKassius:

    I’m set on one of two people winning BoLA this year, with those people being Kyle O’Reilly and Drake Younger. Actually, I see the finals coming down to those two. Kyle O’Reilly is on a back-to-back show stealing role as of late, and Drake Younger has taken El Generico’s spot as the sentimental favorite in everyone’s hearts.

    I think PWG fans would lose their minds (we will regardless) over a Future Shock title match happening in the future (No pun intended), and the only way I could see Drake Younger not being PWG World Champ by the end of this year is if that match happens. Regardless, one of those two  men are taking that belt home, in my eyes at least.

    @HatingSince87:

    Kyle O’Reilly beats Drake Younger to win the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles. Not to take away from any of the talent in this year’s BoLA but Drake Younger has been hellbent on becoming synonymous with PWG but has been portrayed as the good guy who just comes up short of glory so I see that trend continuing through this year’s tournament.

    PWG lets wrestlers show a side of them not really demonstrated elsewhere and I think Kyle really broke out at last year’s BoLA as Sleazy Kyle. I don’t know how many people realize Kyle’s only lost once in singles competition in his entire time in PWG while also having some of the best matches of the entire card (just wait for his match against TJP from TEN) but Kyle’s setback is that PWG is overflowing with talented individuals having phenomenal matches and breakout moments.

    I strongly feel that this year’s tournament will see Kyle ascending to finally challenge for the PWG World Championship and what better man to face than his own tag team partner.

    I’ve always liked the dynamic of having a tag team splitting up and facing each other. It’s just something so basic that can become incredible to witness when done right and I can imagine both men are more than capable of living up to the expectations already set from their program in ROH. I can already see Adam Cole laying claim to being the breakout star of Future Shock, proclaiming himself as the Shawn Michaels of their pairing, while Kyle can be the intense counterpoint intent on finally seeking the glory and admiration that escapes him. Just imagine what they did at Best In The World 2012 in Reseda but even better. Continue reading →