• Tag Archives: Sami Zayn

    WWE Money in the Bank 2017 Preview and Predictions

    Ladders.

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

    The Usos vs. New Day for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship

    Joey:

    New Day returning and The Usos being great heels each helped the Smackdown tag division finally get back on track. The likely American Alpha vs. Fashion Police secondary feud should be good as well. I don’t think WWE can take the titles off The Usos just yet. They are finally clicking as heels. I do think New Day wins the belts by Summerslam, but MITB will be Day One Is H.

    Interest Level: 7/10
    Prediction: Usos win.

    Tim:

    I love WWE right now. It’s running on all cylinders like a finely tuned car. When it comes to The Usos what more can be said about them? They’re the best in the world hands down. The New Day have returned and are also the best in the world too. What happens when these two teams clash will undoubtedly result in a match talked about for decades to come. Needless to say, I am ecstatic about this one.

    Interest Level: 10/10
    Prediction: The New Day wins.

    Tom:

    The  Smackdown tag division has stood out to me for the past month or two because it was probably the one part of the show post-brand split that never quite caught on. I think The Usos are very good in their current roles and The New Day going away for a little while was definitely the right move, as it feels nice to see them back again.

    HOWEVER, my main concern is that The Fashion Police are not involved in this match, and I very badly need for them to stay as a prominent part of the tag scene. I will never get tired of their antics and I will always love them. Feel free to screenshot this if you think you’ll ever be able to use it against me because guess what: not gonna happen.

    Interest Level: 7/10
    Prediction: The Usos win and I will love Breezango 4-ever.

    Orin:

    I’m a big fan of The Usos as disgruntled men in streetwear who may run a prison. Jimmy and Jey have been placed in charge of something called the Uso Penitentiary––some kind of correctional institution that they’re constantly inviting the New Day to visit. They love their new jobs as angry prison guards! Both teams will deliver some sassy one-liners and sick burns and The Usos will retain. Back to jail for you, New Day.

    Interest Level: /10
    Prediction: Usos win

    Continue reading →

    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 →

    WWE Payback 2016 Preview and Predictions

    Not the Mel Gibson movie.

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

    wwe-payback

    Kalisto vs. Ryback for the United States Championship on the kickoff show

    Joey:

    The WrestleMania pre-show match between these two was good but the lack of a crowd hurt it. I think WWE is intentionally putting Ryback on every pre-show for the rest of the year after he made public comments threatening retirement if it doesn’t change. The match should be good but it’s not anything worth going out of your way to get the show on early.

    Interest Level: 6/10
    Prediction: Kalisto wins.

    Tim:

    Oh! Sorry, I was reminiscing about that time John Cena made the United States Championship feel important. I’m not the biggest Ryback fan but I do think he has potential to be an entertaining character. Kalisto can be hit or miss but he’s mostly fun to watch. They’re just not being booked to be cared for. Ryback is already hard to care for as it is so them relegating these two to this feud that barely exists sucks. It sucks that WWE creative sucks but what can we do?

    Interest Level: 4/10
    Prediction: Kalisto wins

    Tom:

    Last month, I was onboard with Joey as far as giving this a chance. Now though? Naw. Naw son. I don’t dislike either guy but I have zero interest in seeing them wrestle again, unless it’s in some kind of match with all sorts of mad stipulations.

    Interest Level: 2/10
    Prediction: Kalisto wins.

    Dolph Ziggler vs. “The Big Breakfast” Baron Corbin

    Joey:

    WWE has a tendency to go with “Even Stevens bullshit booking” in the words of Brad Ward so I am terrified of Dolph Ziggler winning here to ruin Baron Corbin’s momentum. Ziggler doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things so they can’t possibly screw over Corbin. The chemistry between these two doesn’t appear to exist and I’m not excited at all for the actual match unless Big Banter lives up to his name.

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

    Tim:

    Ziggler’s ridiculous selling will make Baron Corbin look good but I see Ziggler coming out on the winning end this time and then a rematch happening next month where Corbin gets the win. I can’t say I am excited about any of this. There’s stuff I like about “The Big Breakfast” Baron Corbin but his wrestling isn’t really apart of that. His finisher is good! Ziggler could retire to The Comedy Toilet tomorrow and I wouldn’t mind.

    Interest Level: 2/10
    Prediction: Dolph Ziggler wins

    Tom:

    Ziggler has seemed to be the go-to guy as far as making an NXT guy’s debut as underwhelming as possible (big shout out to my main man Tyler Breeze), so hopefully this is the first and last PPV match between these two. I really hope this isn’t much more than a squash, I don’t enjoy most longer Ziggler matches and I want to see Breakfast become more established on the main roster.

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Breakfast’s got this.

    Continue reading →

    This Or That (1/20/2016)

    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, @JoeyOnEarth 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!

    More exciting WWE signing: AJ Styles or Shinsuke Nakamura?

    Sorry, New Japan.

    aj-nak

    Joey:

    Nakamura is great but the AJ Styles signing is definitely the more exciting news here. Styles has been one of the best wrestlers in North America for the past decade and has been deserving of this opportunity for just as long. I can’t wait to see how he performs in the WWE atmosphere and want to see him face off with some of the current top stars like Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Finn Balor. All of these wrestlers are at the top of their game and Styles could have a very special run with the company.

    AJ Styles

    Tim:

    I enjoy Nakamura a great deal when he’s going all out in a match. I think he’ll try his best in the WWE system and that will be interesting to see. A lot of the magic behind Nakamura is how he is presented and I can only hope WWE understands that. I think AJ Styles is one of the best wrestlers around. I’ve always wanted to see him in WWE and they have a great roster full of fresh matches for him. While you’ll never see me buying AJ Styles merchandise I can not deny that he’s on a level all by himself right now when it comes to in-ring performances. He’s worked his way to the top of almost every promotion he’s stepped foot in. It’s going to be surreal to see him in a WWE ring.

    AJ Styles

    Tom:

    I am very excited for old AJ to finally get a go in WWE, but he seems like a slightly safer bet in terms of getting a decent run and baby, I am addicted to unpredicatibility and sweet, sweet chaos. WWE still hasn’t shown they know how to use a non-English speaker in a prominent role, so Nakamura’s signing is much more exciting to me – if there’s anyone who can overcome a language barrier through sheer charisma, it’s Nakamura but I still think it’ll be an uphill battle. DO YOUR BEST SHINSUKE MATE, INVEST IN SOME MAD OLD OUTFITS AND KEEP MAKING THOSE FACES.

    Shinsuke Nakamura

    [poll id=”248″]

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    NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable Preview and Predictions

    Who names these shows?

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

    NXT_Takerover_V_Owens_v_Zayn

    Baron Corbin vs. Rhyno

    Joey:

    My interest level rating is based upon Rhyno hitting this jaybrone with a sick GORE GORE GORE!!! If it doesn’t happen, we’re in for a sad night.

    Side note: Rhyno needs to face John Cena for the United States Championship in Philly, Chicago or one of the other places that ECW fans reside in.

    Interest Level: 10/10
    Prediction: Rhyno GORES this motherfucker.

    Tim:

    I’m all in on Rhyno beating the hell out of The Lone Wolf. I want a gore through the NXT set. Unfortunately, I see them letting B-Cor get the win here to help establish him as a completely bland sack of domination.

    Interest Level: 3/10
    Prediction: Baron Corbin wins.

    Tom:

    The Motorcycle Wolf has got this. Hopefully Rhyno breaks the ring apron video screen thing or gores a shopping cart again (STILL THE GREATEST SPOT OF ALL TIME).

    rhyno-shopping-cart

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

    Bayley and Charlotte vs. Dana Brooke and Emma

    Joey:

    This match being made is disappointing. I was expecting Emma vs. Bayley. I love ironic ironic Emma being a parody of her former self blaming the NXT world for her downfall on RAW. I think there’s a great story with potential there. Sadly this tag match could be rotten. I don’t have an opinion on Dana Brooke but people whine about her a lot which means she’ll likely be successful. Charlotte has nothing to do in NXT anymore except main event house shows.

    Interest Level: 2/10
    Prediction: Emma and Dana Brooke win.

    Tim:

    Bailey, Charlotte, and Emma are more than capable of having an entertaining match and being in the ring with these women will only help Dana Brooke who I think has some potential. This wasn’t my ideal match for some of the ladies involved (Bayley and Emma have great characters that should be put in a place to grow here) but I’ll take it as I’m sure it won’t be a stinker. I feel like it’s a toss-up for who is going to win here so I’ll default to them giving the faces a win although more could probably be made out of giving Emma and Brooke the big “w.”

    Interest Level: 6/10
    Prediction: Bayley and Charlotte win.

    Tom:

    I really like Bayley, but I’m not that fussed about anyone else in this match. They’re all pretty good – the jury’s still out on young Dana Brooke, but she seems to have potential – but there’s nothing too compelling about the story behind this. The Emma character is bewildering, though I’m not sure that’s enough for me to want to watch her wrestle.

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Emma and Dana Brooke win.

    Continue reading →

    This Or That (5/6/2015)

    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:

    Should John Cena bring back the “spinner” United States title?

    No – 63%, Yes – 37%

    Current better non-wrestler?

    Dario Cueto – 52%, Paul Heyman – 48%

    More likely to breakthrough?

    Damien Sandow 59%, Fandango – 41%

    Which Marvel film are you more excited to see?

    The Avengers: Age of Ultron – 73%, Ant-Man – 27%

    Will Roman Reigns win the WWE Championship in 2015: Yes or No?

    Will The Roman Empire take over this year?

    reignschamp

    Tim:

    I don’t think WWE has really changed their minds on him outside of giving him a little more time to develop. I’m still not into him but I know a lot of people have changed their minds and would probably welcome it. As of right now I still think him being the face of the company seems like a really boring path for us to be on for the next few years.

    He’s been put in some good spots such as being Brock’s punching bag and getting to break tables with The Big Show. I think he’ll be champ by the end of the year for sure. I can’t help but think about how over someone would be if they had tried as hard with someone people already like and was ready for the position.

    Yes

    Joey:

    If I had to predict, I think WWE is hoping to make Roman Reigns WWE Champion at Wrestlemania 32. You can tell WWE wants Reigns to be “the next guy” to take John Cena’s place and they are being careful in how they present him following the backlash after his Royal Rumble win. I think the plan is to have him win over the fans by chasing the title and falling short a few times before ultimately winning the championship at WM 32. My early guess would be Reigns defeating Cena for the title next year.

    No

    Tom:

    Old Vinny Mac always ends up getting his way so I’m sure we’ll see The Powerhouse with the straps eventually. Not sure if it’ll be this year though – The Fed seems set on having title reigns go a little longer and I’d be surprised to see Rollins lose it before the year is out.

    No

    [poll id=”166″]

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    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 (12/16/2014)

    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 (and despite technical issues), here’s last week‘s results:

    More likely?

    CM Punk wins a UFC championship belt – 70%, Batista wins an Oscar – 30%

    Better Slammy moment?

    Owen Hart steals a Slammy– 56%, Vince McMahon performs Stand Back – 44%

    Which feud bores you more?

    Kane vs. Ryback – 59%, Big Show vs. Erick Rowan – 41%

    Do you enjoy snow?

    No – 54%, Yes – 46%

    Who do you love more: Sami Zayn or El Generico?

    Which loveable redhead do you prefer?

    zayn

    Tim:

    The El Generico character was something very special to me. He got me to care for him through the wackiest gimmick and the energy he brought to the ring was phenomenal. Now take the guy behind that, give him a more grounded persona, and give him a platform to go all out.  There’s Sami Zayn.

    It’s amazing how good his speaking skills are and how comfortable he seems on the mic. His facial expressions are top-notch. No wrestler in the WWE is more exciting for me on a weekly basis than Zayn.

    Sami Zayn

    Joey:

    El Generico was fantastic but the move to Sami Zayn has been perfect. Zayn is my favorite non-Daniel Bryan wrestler right now and I can’t get enough of him. You can see the passion and emotion in him with every move or facial expression in that ring. I don’t think there’s been more than 10 wrestlers in the 20+ years I’ve watched wrestling that I feel emotionally invested/connected to the way I do with Zayn during his matches on the big NXT live specials. Sorry, Generico. At least you had cooler merch!

    Sami Zayn

    Tom:

    What a choice. I was actually thinking about this the other day, specifically in the context that the team of El Generico and Kevin Steen were wrestling’s version of Groot and Rocket Raccoon; Steen was the mouthy, funny one prone to ultra-violence whereas El Generico was the loyal, sympathetic and (mostly) silent character who’s the ultimate innocent and will never give you a reason to hate him.

    Sami Zayn is a more well-rounded and layered character that I think has a lot more main event potential but, in terms of sheer loveability, I don’t think there’s ever going to be a wrestler that tops El Generico.

    El Generico

    [poll id=”103″]

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    Sexy Wrestler of The Week

    It’s time to name The Sexy Wrestler of The Week. You know this!

    The counts have been voted and the name has been winnered! Well, I think I should cut to the chase. This is a huge night for our winner and this will only help. You all voted on someone who definitely deserves it.

    SWOTWZayn

    Sami Zayn is your new NXT Champion but more importantly, he is your new Sexy Wrestler of The Week! It’s like you all could see into the future and decided this week should be all-in for this man. Coincidentally, I have proof that he is a time traveler. Here he is about to buy an old-timey newspaper. Not a huge deal because I’ve time traveled and let me tell you, it’s not too bad except for the Time Police.

    NXT Takeover R Evolution Preview and Predictions

    It’s that time on your calendar again. NXT has a live special with a weird name.

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

    Finn Bálor and Hideo Itami vs. The Ascension

    Joey:

    Finn Bálor and Hideo Itami haven’t stood out much from my skimming through NXT episodes. They come off like just another set of guys. Still immensely talented, hopefully this match is an early breakout performance. I have a feeling Itami will turn on Bálor and the Ascension will get the win before going up to the main roster.

    Interest Level: 7/10
    Prediction: The Ascension win.

    Tim:

    I’m looking forward to seeing Finn Bálor and Hideo Itami wrestle as always but they really need to work on making them stand out more. They’re great talents. The Ascension still sucks. I’m thinking they go with Itami and Bálor will getting the win as The Ascension descend to the main roster.

    Interest Level: 6/10
    Prediction: Finn Bálor and Hideo Itami win.

    Tom:

    Fuck The Ascension! FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF TO SMACKDOWN! Praying for this to be super short and just a strong style (PURO TERM!) showcase of Bálor and Itami having great fighting spirit.

    Interest Level: 5/10
    Prediction: Finn Bálor and Hideo Itami win.

    Continue reading →