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WWE NXT TakeOver: XXV Preview/Predictions
Photo courtesy of Deviantart.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
All Elite Wrestling grasped the wrestling world after their first Pay-Per-View last week, topped off with a Five-Star Rhodes Brothers match, Awesome Kong, a tag team classic between The Young Bucks and Fenix/Pentagon Jr. and of course, Jon Moxley (the former Dean Ambrose of WWE fame) at the end.
Anybody who looked to WWE for an answer was left hopeless on Raw and SmackDown, side for a surprise mention by Sami Zayn on Raw.
The only true competitor with WWE’s name is its NXT brand, spearheaded creatively by Triple H. The 25th TakeOver event celebrates all that has happened before while also giving us another five-match standout card to feast on.
The essence of TakeOver is the heart of NXT itself – it’s where the up-and-comers showcase their true potential. Who knows where we would be if we didn’t get Zayn-Shinsuke Nakamura, Bayley-Sasha Banks, Johnny Gargano-Adam Cole and The Revival-#DIY, amongst other countless memorable bouts? It’s matches like those that have elevated NXT to the bar that has been set for wrestling expectations in 2019.
TakeOver has become more than a live event. It’s a movement. Beyond that, it has happened in America, United Kingdom, Canada and other places. It has brought NXT to the conversation of actual world domination.
Triple H’s formula to build stars, sign big names, focus on wrestling and characterization is one for success. It’s hard to believe there have been 25 TakeOvers, but we don’t think anybody will disagree that NXT can make 25,000 more TakeOvers for all we care.
WWE WrestleMania 35 Preview/Predictions
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
NXT TakeOver: New York (or TakeOver: Brooklyn V?) came, conquered and impressed everyone in all its glory.
300-pound Heavyweight Hanson performed a handspring back elbow and a top rope senton to the floor, Velveteen Dream was the GODDAMN STATUE OF LIBERTY and the main event between Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole delivered more wows than a summer blockbuster.
To be frank – WrestleMania will pale in comparison to its NXT counterpart and that’s to put it nicely, despite the fact that Mania will run more than twice the amount of time and contain more than three times as many matches.
Below are our predictions to shape Mania into a halfway decent show. If you’ve followed the Raw side (without falling asleep), the build has been abysmal while SmackDown has held themselves together better thanks to Kofi Kingston’s journey, but there are still some flaws here and there.
Let’s get to it.
WWE Backlash 2007 Reaction
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
Fresh off the thriller that was WWE WrestleMania 23, that year’s Backlash had plenty to offer itself.
Let’s start with the Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Champion The Undertaker and Batista that actually stole the show.
That would’ve been the main event if you ask us.
There were other moments that you probably didn’t realize happened here – Vince McMahon was crowned ECW World Champion (eye-roll), WWE Women’s Champion Melina and Mickie James traded fists while in splits and a Batista spear literally brought the stage down.
This made us realize that 2007 maybe wasn’t so bad after all, as veterans like Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker delivered gutsy performances.
Now, let’s get to the nooks and crannies of “WrestleMania 23: The Important Stuff Part II.”
Worst 10 Of 2016
Graphics by Salwinder Singh.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
2016 was possibly professional wrestling’s most newsworthy year.
Whether it was “Broken” Matt Hardy, Chris Jericho’s transformation into a walking meme, Goldberg’s unexpected return or the Cruiserweight Classic, everywhere you looked, there was something to talk about.
For all those moments however, came some head shakers.
With the unenviable task to cover every single 2016 episode of Raw, SmackDown (even before it was “Live”), NXT, Impact Wrestling and Pay-Per-View/Live Specials (all 29), we’ve seen things that cannot be forgotten.
We’re here to bring them to light.
The RSN Wrestling Podcast – WWE Draft
*A RSN Wrestling Podcast Exclusive*
Check out this recent episode of The RSN Wrestling Podcast, where “Big Guy” Rich, “The Mastermind” Sal and “C.O.O.” Nick (PWO’s own) break down the pros and cons of the WWE Draft past and present and what could be done in future drafts!
Listen Below:
Brand Split Decision
Photo courtesy of YouTube.
By Anthony Zevoteck
Randomly, one Wednesday this past May, WWE shook the wrestling community when Shane and Stephanie McMahon both announced via social media there’d be a roster split to create two completely different shows with Raw and SmackDown.
The news was coupled with another announcement that SmackDown would be moved to Tuesdays and to air live, which would start Jul. 19.
Expectedly, the double bombshell was met with equal cheers and jeers from WWE fans alike. For longtime fans, this wasn’t new territory, as WWE had once split the roster before in 2002 upon a sudden influx of talent from the defunct World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling promotions. It was also due to the fact that at the time, four hours of weekly television time was too little to establish new talent and called for a difference between shows.
Notes In Observance – WWE Smackdown 7/9/15: A Running Champion
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 7/9/15)
A Running Champion
– The thing about Smackdown that sucks is that it’s starting to feel like a throwaway show with repetitive matches and recaps. Besides the first segment, this was utter filler that could’ve easily been missed. The main event, which had a fair amount of build, was quickly given a DQ result. WWE needs to think of a better way to showcase Smackdown, because it’s all a condensed version of Raw with subtle progress. Fans are dependent upon Raw as “must-see” TV of the week because that’s where all the big angles happen. The most Smackdown can offer is longer quality matches of what we see on Raw, but even that’s been on a shortage as of late. At the least, the opening video highlighted the talk of the week: Brock Lesnar wreaking havoc on both a Cadillac and J & J Security.
