The Greatest Pay-Per-Views Of All-Time

What's happening kind people?!  In my time of doing these posts of one of the greatest forms of professional athleticism around, there has never been a list of what I feel are the best events to exist.  There have been so many numerous incredible pay per view events throughout not just WWE but across different promotions such as WCW/NWA, TNA, ROH, CMLL, NJPW, and others that they all deserve their place in history for their contributions as to why wrestling is among the best forms of entertainment and athletic showmanship in the world.  With that being said, let's get to this exciting list.

30. Slamboree '94

Slamboree has long been considered one of WCW's special events.  In '94, this event reached new heights as possibly the greatest one of them all.  This was primarily a brawl for all event, as Tag Team Titles, the Bullrope match between Dustin Rhodes and Bunkhouse Buck, and the Legends Match between Tully Blanchard and Terry Funk were so nuts, but were all executed well.  Plus the main event between Sting and Vader was a nice touch to a heavily favored and acclaimed event.

29.WCW SuperBrawl

The first SuperBrawl took place in '91, and was a stacked card.  Practically from top to bottom, each match served a purpose and were all special.  The main event had Ric Flair challenging NJPW's Tatsumi Fujinami for the NWA World Heavyweight Title, as he had lost the belt to Fujinami in Japan during the tremendous WCW/NJPW Supershow a few weeks earlier. The event was also known for Brian Pillman and Barry Windham in a bloody Taped Fist Match and Beautiful Bobby Eaton winning his first major singles title defeating Arn Anderson for the TV Title. This was a non-stop packed pay per view and one that deserves to be seen if you haven't done so yet on the Network.

28. Wrestlemania XXV

Between Wrestlemanias 22 and 24, the event had become good but not the event of their respective years.  With 21 being the last one great one, the pressure was on for this one to break them out of their slump, and it absolutely did.  Aside from the Money In The Bank Match, and the incredible effort shown by retired legends Jimmy Snuka, Roddy piper, and Ricky Steamboat against an arrogant Chris Jericho, it was Undertaker Vs. HBK that became the signature for this event, and ended up outsting Savage/Steamboat as the greatest Wrestlemania match of all-time, as they delivered a match that will be remembered for generations to come.

27. WCW/AAA When Worlds Collide

If there was ever a truly slept-on pay per view within the early nineties, it was without question AAA's When Worlds Collide.  WCW was put in charge of the production value, plus it was able to get seen in American households, but make no mistake about it, this event was true lucha libre at its finest, and what has been considered one of the single best AAA events of all-time.  Before the likes of Rey Mysterio Jr, Eddie Guerrero, Konnan, and Psycosis were well known in America, they were household names in Mexico, and this event really caputed the intensity and passion of Mexican wrestling, especially in the AMAZING two out of three falls match between Octagon and the iconic El Hijo de Santo against La Pareja de Terror, which was Eddie Guerrero and Art Barr.  Wall to wall classic event.

26. TNA Bound For Glory '06

Between '05-'08, TNA was on fire, but especially in '06 when basically every pay per view they delivered was solid.  None more so than their version of Wrestlemania, Bound For Glory.  All the major titles that were on the line changed hands, but in terms of in ring action, while Sting and Jeff Jarrett out on an excellent Title vs. Career Match, it was LAX (Homicide and Hernandez) against AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels in the Six Sides Of Steel that was the true headliner, as this brawl was a definite MOTY candidate.  Bell to bell, this was arguably the best event all year for that company, which is still saying something.

25. NJPW King Of Pro Wrestling 2013

Perhaps there's no more celebrated and revered rivalry in modern NJOW history than the one involving Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada.  This rivalry is known around the world, and has been considered the greatest rivalry of our generation, regardless of promotion.  In this astonishing event, which was packed with incredible matches, these two tore it down for the IWGP Title, but not to be too much outdone, Marifuji took on WWE's current "rock star" Shinsuke Nakamura in an amazing match as well.  King Of Pro Wrestling is typically one of NJPW's premier events, but this one stands out from any other.

24. WWE Wrestlemania X

For the tenth anniversary of the "Super Bowl of wrestling", Vince took Wrestlemania back to where it all began, at Madison Square Garden.  The event was a very good one overall.  One that started with Bret and his late, great brother Own Hart doing battle in a great back and forth match, and ended with Bret winning his second WWE Title from Yokozuna.  Perhaps the event is best known for the iconic, landmark match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels in not just A Ladder Match, but THE Ladder Match that set the standard for Ladder Matches to this very day.

23. TNA Unbreakable

What a hell of a pay per view.  This has been regarded as the best TNA pay per view of all-time, and that's a very credible argument.  From start to finish, this event was an absolute delight to watch (although we could've done without the Shark Boy match) and showed that TNA was in fact the second biggest promotion in North America.  Every single match was thrilling and memorable.  Although the World Title was on the line between former ECW graduates Raven and Rhyno in a punishing encounter, it was the Triple Threat Match between AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe for the X-Division Title that made headlines as arguably the greatest TNA match ever, and for great reason.  

22. WWE Money In The Bank 2011

Oh the high drama.  The event was in Chicago, and leading up to this event was the now legendary "pipebomb promo" given by hometown hero CM Punk towards Cena and the whole WWE.  He also indicated that he would be a free agent at midnight that night and would leave the company as WWE Chjampion.  Aside from the fact that the event overall was a solid one, it was the main event with he and Cena that was truly worth every penny spent, as this received the last 5-star rating by Dave Meltzer.  The crowd was one of the hottest ever and the match was equally as hot.  If you didn't believe Punk was a bonafide star before this match, you damn sure did afterwards.

21. NJPW Super-J Cup 1994

In the early to mid-nineties, NJPW was on fire, easily as noteworthy as rival Japanese promotion AJPW.  However, in '94, NJPW presented their first junior heavyweight tournament, the Super-J Cup.  This tournament highlighted the talents of Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit), Eddie Guerrero, and others as they displayed some of the absolute best wrestling ever exhibited in the world in one night.  Regarded as "the single most incredible night of wrestling ever" by Dave Meltzer, this event was in fact a masterful showing of some of the world's best, with practically flawless efforts from all involved.

20. ECW Heatwave '98

ECW was riding high in '98, as pay per views such as Living Dangerously and Wrestlepalooza were fun events to watch, but it was Heatwave '98 that served as one of their most intense ever, and that's saying a mouthful.  Dayton, Ohio was on fire (no pun intended) with in ring action, however it was the near riot caused by one of the inflammatory promos ever done in the history of the business by The Dudley Boyz that was arguably as big of a story as the matches themselves.  Fortunately, they got theirs via Dreamer, Sandman, and Spike Dudley, with later assistance from New Jack.

19. WWE Royal Rumble 2000

This highly exciting card was headlined in terms of acclaim not by the Royal Rumble match itself, but by the WWE Title match between then-champion Triple H and challenger Cactus Jack, who had let go of his alter egos Mankind and Dude Love for his most infamous and well-known persona.  This Street Fight match was the match Triple H officially arrived as a star.  In spite of his excessive bloodletting and his ability to sell greatly, Hunter emerged not just with the title still in hand, but the long overdue respect he had been seeking, and he absolutely got it.

18. WCW Bash At The Beach '96

The event that shocked the world.  While we take nothing away from the rest of the evening's matches, as they were mostly excellent matches, especially the Rey Mysterio Jr/Psycosis match, the event was best remembered for the most mind-blowing scenario in decades at that time: the heel turn of Hulk Hogan and the emergence of the New World Order.  The match between Sting/Savage (Luger was in the match too but was taken out due to being knocked out) against Hall & Nash wasn't a bad match, and in fact was very competitive, but once Hogan got involved and dropped the leg drop heard round the world, wrestling would never be the same for the enxt three years.

17. ROH Man Up '07

One of the most talked about and memorable pay per views within ROH's history is without question Man Up of '07.  This event was seen as the best event of the year and rightfully so, as every match was fantastic to exceptional.  The event was highlighted by the INCREDIBLE Ladder War Match between The Briscoes and El Generico/Kevin Steen for the Tag Team belts.  While we will always give it up to E&C, The Dudley Boys and The Hardyz for innovating the tag team Ladder Match, these guys oput on a phenomenal contest that has been extremely hard to top in the sport for tag team ladder matches. Also, who can forget the infamous scene of Jay Briscoe hanging upside down terribly bloodied and Jimmy Jacobs cutting a fantastic promo while drenched in Briscoe's blood?  Not to mention the heated battle between Morishima and Bryan Danielson for the ROH Title.

16. NJPW WrestleKingdom 11

The past several WrestleKingdom events for NJPW have been nothing less than stellar, with Okada and Tanahashi headlining most of them, but with the eleventh year of the event, this was an extra special one.  The main event was Okada against Bullet Club leader Kenny Omega, in what has been considered one of the greatest in-ring wrestling contests in recorded wrestling history.  Clocking in at over forty minutes, it's the longest, but this event, as unbelievable as it already was leading up to the main event, will be remembered as the event that hosted perhaps the greatest main event of this current generation.

15. WWE King Of The Ring '98

Pittsburgh, PA is home to the highly revered NHL team Penguins, as well as multiple Super Bowl Champion Steelers, but in '98, it hosted one of the most memorable pay per views ever with King Of The Ring '98.  The KOTR tournament had been known for pushing Bret Hart, Austin and Triple H into higher levels within their careers, but the event this year was more known for the most iconic Hell In A Cell match of all-time with The Undertaker and Mick Foley's Mankind persona.  We all know what happened with the tosses, and the Superman-like  effort of Foley to even continue despite nearly being killed twice.  Likewise, the intensity in the main event between Austin and Kane for the title made this event legendary, if not just for those two matches alone.

14. WCW/NWA Chi-Town Rumble

This event was just fantastic wall to wall.  There was no sincere filler material in this event whatsoever.  While Barry Windham and Luger battled in what was one of the best matches that year, it was stolen completely away by the first of the trilogy of matches between Steamboat and Flair.  This match has remained in my personal top five over the thirty years I've been watching wrestling, and for great reason.  This match was the perfect cherry on top of a stellar sundae already of a pay per view.

13. NJPW WrestleKingdom 7

WrestleKingdom over the years has stood as the industry standard besides Wrestlemania for entertainment all year, but it stands alone for compelling matches that keep you engaged.  For WK7, this was the strongest WK they had produced in the prior few years, as it was headlined by Okada and Tanahashi in one of their beyond wonderful encounters.  The event was also known for no CMLL representation, but made up for it woith an unreal match between Nakamura and Sakuraba, as well as Prince Devitt (aka Finn Balor) in an outstanding battle with Lo Ki and Kota Ibushi for the Junior Title.  One of the best cards of the decade out of NJPW.

12. ROH Final Battle 2010

Arguably the most revered ROH pay per view ever was the 2010 version of their Wrestlemania, Final Battle.  This was a flawless event in structure and intensity, as the drama level was off the page going in.  No match here was less than 4.5 stars here, which is a feat in itself in terms of consistency, but the hellacious main event between El Generico and Kevin Steen (another one of the sport's greatest and most time tested rivalries to this day as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn), as it was career against mask.  Not to mention the unforgettable World Title match between Roderick Strong and Davie Richards and the rest of the card.  To this day, it's hard for ROH to deliver a pay per view as consistent and heralded as this, although some have come close.

11.WCW Starrcade '89

The event that started it all for the mega pay per views was Starrcade in '83, and since then Starrcade had been the constant go-to for classic matches on the card.  This Starrcade was very different, as the event was focused on an Iron Man and Iron Team.  In a series of round-robin tournament matches, each match was intense, physical, and spirited.  The evening culminated with Sting facing Flair and set the stage for Sting winning his first World Title that following July at Bash '90.  Many have referred to this event as one of the greatest Starrcades of all-time, and that's almost a no-brainer.

10. WWE Summerslam '02

At the end of the ultra-fun Attitude Era, we were in the baby stages of the Ruthless Aggression era, which combined excellent matches with envelope-pushing storylines.  This was the best Summerslam in years, as we saw not only the Brock vs Rock encounter, but the memorable and emotional return of Shawn Michaels, as he collided in a stunning Street Fight match against Triple H.  Also, RVD and Benoit put on a clinic that nearly stole the entire undercard.  This was a damn impressive pay per view that needs to watched and appreciated every chance you get.

9. WWE Wrestlemania III

Is there a more famous and world renown Wrestlemania than the third one?  Not only did this set the indoor house attendance record for years.  Not only was it known for the slam heard around the world, but it was also remembered for Savage and Steamboat competed in one of the sport's best treasures, as for many years it was considered the greatest WM match of all-time.  However, every match was distinctive and entertaining, but thanks to Hogan and Andre, it will also be considered the event Hogan got the torch passed to him.

8. ECW Barely Legal

After acquiring television deals and having quite the buzz surrounding them (even assisting WWE with their programming briefly during this time), Paul Heyman made it happen to get ECW to a bigger stage and with the company's debut pay per view Barely Legal, they officially let the world know they had arrived.  Every match was important and each star fought their hearts out to help get the company it acclaim it needed to have.  Joey Styles has called this event the most important day of his life notwithstanding his wedding day and the day he became a father.  For a locker room, this was an emotional sigh of relief.  For the fans, this event marked a victory for the underdog and showing that ECW can shake up the world.  You know a show is crazy when the fans cause the transformer for the building to go out, thus lost signal to any viewer.

7. WWE Summerslam '92

Out of the "Big 4" pay per views within the company (Rumble, Mania, Summerslam, Survivor Series), this is the only one that went across seas to the UK.  This was an exceptional event and was headlined, not by the WWE Title from Warrior and Savage, but the I-C Title between real life brothers-in-law Bret Hart and the late, great Davie Boy Smith, who was in his homeland of London.  This was the undisputed best Summerslam on record, and stands that way to this very day.  The drama was through the roof,and it made this match one of the best efforts from either man within their respective careers.  The pop Bulldog got when he won the title must be heard and seen to be believed.

6. ECW One Night Stand '05

When the doors shut on ECW in 2001, we thought ECW would remain an amazing moment in time.  A time when the underground entity was arguably the most revolutionary promotion in modern history, and was bankrupt.  Vince had bought ECW and decided to give it a farewell, and he allowed Paul Heyman to be in charge of it.  The result was ECW One Night Stand, and it became quite possibly the best pay per view since its debut pay per view, Barely Legal.  This was like a ten year high school reunion, only they came together in five.  Even contracted WWE talent was a part of it.  It was emotional, highly charged, and overall gave hardcore enthusiasts a very warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

5. Wrestlemania XXX (30)

Sometimes, an event revolves around one central story so well that it basically becomes the event.  Such was the case for Wrestlemania 30, as this became Daniel Bryan's official breakout party.  We all know Vince isn't nuts about smaller guys headlining his big event, but when the fans demanded they get behind them as their champion, he succumbed, and the result was one of the most invigorating nights as a viewer and fan of Bryan's, as he had two excellent matches that night and finally became WWE Champion.  On the flip side, the event was also known for the historic streak of Undertaker ending at the hands of Brock Lesnar, thus making it the single most shocking situation in the history of Wrestlemania.

4. NJPW WrestleKingdom 9

New Japan had been officially the number two promotion in the world by this point on a globally acclaimed scale.  However, those that were NJPW faithful would state they were number one.  This argument was extremely prevalent for WrestleKingdom 9, in what was simply a marvelous event wall to wall.  This was the first time NJPW paired up with Jeff Jarrett's Global FOrce Wrestling, in terms of promoting the event, thus fans in North America were also able to withness this beyond amazing event.  There was ZERO filler here and every match was simply on fire.  Once again, Tanahashi and Okada headlined this nearly perfect card, and although they oput on another classic performance, this night belonged to Kota Ibushi and Shinsuke Nakamura, as they had a PHENOMENAL match and one that ended up putting Ibushi on a whole new level within his career.  Put this, alongside commentary by Jim Ross and Matt Striker for the U.S., and this event was just magical.

3. NWA The Great American Bash '89

Without question, the most incredible pay per view under the WCW/NWA banner ever produced.  This was an event that really made the house that Ted Turned made famous truly an impeccable promotion.  The event was highly competitive and intense the entire ride.  While the event was known for its very intense War Games match pitting The Road Warriors, The Midnight Express, and "Dr. Death Steve Williams" against The Fabulous Freebirds, Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy, and The Samoan Swat Team, the event was also acclaimed for the match between Ricky Steamboat and Lex Luger, and one of the greatest main events of the entire eighties, Flair against Funk for the World Title.  If you wanna see great, spirited wrestling during the NWA/WCW renaissance period, you won't find a better example of how amazing they were than this event.

2. NJPW WrestleKingdom 10

The most fantastic pay per view possibly of this generation from New Japan came in the form of WrestleKingdom 10.  This event was flawless and every match just kept getting better and better as the event went along.  This was a night of simply thrilling wrestling, as over half the event were four-and-a-half-star matches.  However, the event was (yet again) headlined by Okada and Tanahashi, and this match was quite honestly the best match in their truly storied history.  Seen as the Steamboat/Flair rivalry of our generation, regardless of promotion, these guys delivered one of the matches this decade, and this was also seen as Tanahashi passing the torch of "ace" to the younger Okada.  If you've ever heard about how spectacular NJPW is, there's not a better example than this historic event.

1. WWE Wrestlemania 17

The greatest pay-per-view in WWE history, and possibly all of wrestling, belonged to Wrestlemania 17, as this was virtually the perfect wrestling pay per view.  This has entertainment, but also absolute superb action the entire card.  From Angle/Benoit to the UNBELIEVABLE TLC II match between The Hardyz, The Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian to the hard-hitting encounter between Taker and Triple H, this was already up there as one of the best pay per views ever, but it was then capped off by Austin and Rock facing each other in what has to be considered one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches of all-time.  What we didn't exp[ect was Austin turning heel during the match, winning the WWE Title, and shaking Vince's hand, not to mention Jim Ross' EPIC calling of the whole scenario.  This night was brilliant, adrenaline-fueled, entertaining, and enthralling, everything you need to have a perfect event, and Wrestlemania 17 had all this, plus more.

Honorable Mentions

WCW Spring Stampede '94
NJPW WrestleKingdom 8
WCW SuperBrawl II
WCW SuperBrawl III
WWE Wrestlemania XX
WCW Starrcade '88
WWE Wrestlemania XXIV
WCW Beach Blast '92
WCW WrestleWar '90
WCW WrestleWar '92
WWE Summerslam '13
WWE One Night Only '97
WWE Extreme Rules '12
WWE Wrestlemania XVIX
ROH Manhattan Mayhem
ROH Manhattan Mayhem II
WWE Wrestlemania XXI
WWE Wrestlemania XXII
NJPW Invasion Attack '13
NJPW G1 Climax 24
NJPW G1 Climax 26
NJPW G1 Climax 23
NOAH Departure '04
NOAH Navigate For Evolution
WWE Wrestlemania 31
AJW Dream Slam
AJW Wrestlemannpiad IV
AJW Wrestlemannpiad  III
ROH Death Before Dishonor '15
ROH Best In The World '15
CMLL Fantastica Mania '13
ROH 6th Anniversary
ROH Final Battle '04
ROH Final Battle '06
ROH Final Battle '11
ROH Final Battle '12
ECW November To Remember '98
ROH Joe vs. Punk II
ECW Anarchy Rulz '98
ECW Anarchy Rulz '99
ECW Living Dangerously '99
WWE Summerslam '01
ROH Supercard Of Honor
ECW Guilty As Charged '99
DGUSA Enter the Dragon
WWE Royal Rumble '92
WWE Royal Rumble '01
NJPW King Of Pro Wrestling '12
NJPW Destruction In Kobe '14
NJPW New Beginnings '15
WWE Vegeance '05
WCW Starrcade '83
WCW Starrcade '88
TNA Turning Point '05
WWE Backlash '04
WWE Judgement Day '04
NOAH Final Burning In Budokan
WCW/NJPW Supershow '91
WWE Armageddon '00
NJPW Dominion '12
NJPW Dominion '15
NJPW Sakura Genesis '17
NJPW Power Struggle '14
NJPW Best Of Super Juniors XXI
NJPW Best Of Super Juniors XXII
NJPW Best Of Super Juniors XV
NJPW Best Of Super Juniors VIII
AAA TripleMania XVII
AAA TripleMania X

As you can see, I could go on and on, but there are so many outstanding events in wrestling history that have changed with that particular promotion or wrestling in general.  These are all events that, if you never witnessed them, I encourage you to search for them online, whether it be Youtube, Dailymotion, or the like, and witness some history.  For those that you can find on the WWE Network, search for them, sit back, and watch greatness that you don't see consistently like that anymore.  Let's not forget other promotions such as CZW, PWG, Evolve, and RevPro, who also deliver fairly formidable events as well.  For the heartfelt fans of the sport, this list is for you to capture for the first time or recapture the magic all over again.  For casual fans, who think wrestling has lost its way or why hardcore fans are as passionate as they are, check out some or all of these titles and see why for yourself.  Until next time folks!

NXT vs. WWE: Who Won This Weekend's Shows?

What's going on folks?!  It's been almost two years since my last wrestling post, and trust me, I've missed doing them.  I have had a TON on my mind concerning the sport and I'll be back to expressing my thoughts regularly again, starting this week.  This past weekend was an exciting weekend with both the NXT brand and WWE doing shows in Takeover: Chicago and Backlash respectively.  Traditionally, NXT's Takeover shows tend to put Vince's main roster shows to shame, as the NXT guys and girls are able to freely be themselves (for the most part) within their wrestling, and mixed with the grassroots feel of the brand, NXT is almost always the winner of the two.  However, Backlash marked the main roster in-ring debut of Shinsuke Nakamura, as he faced Dolph Ziggler.  How did these events fare against each other?  Let's break each event down.

NXT Takeover: Chicago

The event started in exciting fashion with Roderick Strong facing Sanity's Eric Young.  For those who have followed the indie history of Roddy know just how incredible of an in-ring performer he is.  He has held numerous titles in several promotions including ROH, PWG, Evolve, and FIP.  Likewise, Eric is most known for his touted run in Impact, where he has been Tag Team Champion and World Champion there so on paper, this had the makings of a hell of a match.  Although not a five star classic, this was a pretty good opening match, with Roddy picking up the win.

Next up was the United Kingdom Title, as the current champion, the twenty-year old Tyler Bate faced the man he faced in the finals of the tournament earlier this year, "The Bruiserweight" Pete Dunne.  Folks, this match was EVERYTHING.  These two young men put on a performance the likes of which has only been rivaled by Cena and AJ at the Royal Rumble at the beginning of the year.  Easily a MOTY (that's Match Of The Year) candidate already, there was non-stop action here, but after a nasty miss on the outside by Bate from an attempted over-the-top-rope Poncha, Dunne capitalized with his finisher to become the new UK Champion in the division's undisputed best match.  The WWE presented a UK special that was also a very good event, and the momentum continued with this simply amazing match.  Of course it was that much sweeter with Hall Of Famer, the legendary Jim Ross calling the match with another UK legend, former ROH World Champion, Nigel McGuinness.

Following that match was going to be very, very hard, as Dunne and Bate put on a clinic, but the women were up next, and they would not be denied.  The record-breaking champion, Asuka, faced Sanity's Nikki (Storm) Cross and the young lady formerly known as Heidi Lovelace, Ruby Riot (I'm super proud of seeing her emerge in NXT, as her work is incredible, as is Cross').  The majority of the match was centered on Cross and Riot beating the hell out of each other (as they're no strangers to each other on the indie circuit), but Asuka showed once again why she's the champion of champions, as she nudged out another win, furthering her status as being perhaps the most dominant woman in the game today regardless of promotion.  With Ember Moon, who was originally supposed to be in this mix but was sidelined due to a shoulder sprain, looking on, one has to know that Ember will ultimately be the one that ends the streak and win the title, but until then, Asuka will continue to be THE ass kicker for NXT.

Next was the NXT Championship match, as the champion, Bobby Roode, faced off against Hideo Itami.  Itami, formerly known as KENTA in Pro Wrestling NOAH and one of the in-ring sources of inspiration for the styles of the likes of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan (congrats to him on becoming a first time father BTW), has had quite the span of bad luck since his arrival a couple of years ago.  He suffered a devastating shoulder injury that sidelined him for a year and a half, then returned in 2016, only to sustain a neck injury that occurred at an NXT house show.  Hopefully getting past the injuries and bad luck, Itami had received a shot at the red hot champion, and it was a good match as well.  Between Roode's selling of his shoulder and Itami's selling of his ankle with him missing Roode and dropkicking the steel steps, the storytelling was great, but Itami's aggression in the match was what we had been waiting to see from him since his almost forgotten about debut in 2015.  However, "The Glorious One" pulled out a win and continued his reign as NXT Champion.  In the back, Itami more than expressed his disappointment with the outcome that is on point with a heel turn soon.

The final match was upon us, as DIY faced Paul Ellering's Authors Of Pain for the NXT Tag Team Titles.  We all know Ellering's long and illustrious history with Chicago, managing one of the single most influential teams of all-time in The Road Warriors, so to have his big, young, hungry champions continue his managerial legacy is very profound.  As for DIY, the team of former ROH TV Champion, "The Psycho Killer" Tomosso Ciampa and Evolve Wrestling's icon, Johnny Gorgano has been the darlings of the tag division.  Since their dramatic win over The Revival at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn last year, these guys have been one of the most talked about teams out there, and rightfully so.  They lost the belts to AOP earlier this year at NXT Takeover: San Antonio, and have been struggling to get the belts back.  This match wasn't just a rematch, this was a Ladder Match, and this one was as physical as was expected.  There were several scary spots and bumps throughout the match, including both Ciampa and Johnny Wrestling diving onto AOP from a high ladder and both nearly landing on their heads, as well as a frightening spot by one of the AOP almost beheading Gorgano with the ladder to the face.  At the end of it, AOP retained the belts in a hell of a match, that was the closest to rivaling Dunne and Bate.  The story, however, was after the match, as DIY was on the ramp saying "thank you" to the fans who had given them a rightful standing ovation, and the NXT copyright logo was the screen, which typically indicates the show will end in about five seconds.  WRONG.  Ciampa pulled a MASTERFUL heel turn and destroyed Gorgano, delivering two brutal knee strikes and putting him through a production table, thus causing a stretcher spot.  The ending was superb high drama, and left he crowd surprised and shocked.  Let me just say, this was coming since last year.  Anyone that has followed Ciampa over the past six or so years know that he has spent a large part of his career as a sociopathic heel, and a damn good one at that.  Last year, when they faced each other at Cruiserweight Classic, and Ciampa won, one saw it happening eventually.  I'm surprised it ook this long to pull the trigger but I understand that they wanted to put the belts on them first.

Overall, this event was possibly the best NXT show thus far in 2017.  From start to finish, this event was simply incredible and is now the standard for the Takeover shows.  The past few have been good but not classics compared to others had been, but this one is the best overall NXT show we've had in recent memory.  Kudos to Hunter and the gang for a memorable night.

WWE Backlash 2017 (Smackdown)

How would WWE and the main roster follow the superb efforts of NXT Takeover: Chicago?  Well, their biggest selling points would be Nakamura's main roster debut, and to see how Jinder Mahal would fare in his very first main event against Randy Orton for the WWE Title. Did it work?

The event started surprisingly with the Nakamura/Ziggler match.  Going into it, many felt the match, on paper, should've been a thrilling one.  It was not.  It goes without saying that Nakamura is one of the finest competitors in the world, based off his frequently epic performances in Japan, and even when he was in NXT.  He got to the main roster and...well...he's not the same.  He's as watered down as we knew he would be.  Not saying he's wack by any means.  Far from it.  We just came into this match with such high expectations and it didn't quite measure up.  Nakamura got the win, as we knew he would.

The six woman tag match followed with an overall sub par performance from everyone involved except for probably Natalya, who is finding her rhythm over these past several months and deserves to be mentioned as a contender for the SD Women's Title.  This match was very skippable and was the sloppiest match of the night.  Team Nattie won the match.  Bore.

The Tag Team Title match with The Usos and Breezango aka The Fashion Police was next.  This was surprisingly an entertaining match.  Over the past couple of weeks, Breezango has produced some very humorous skits on SD, as they've been under the guises of detectives going after the ugly and unattractive, much less going for the Usuos titles.  I've been  a fan of Breeze's since NXT, as the former student of Lance Storm is a damn good performer (let's not forget he was former FCW Tag Team Champion with Roman Reigns years ago).  Plus, The Usuos have been delivering some pretty good promos going into this match and has gotten the interest of the fans back, even though their heel personas get chopped and screwed whenever they appear on Talking Smack.  Breeze's performance in the match was, at times, hysterical as he proved he not only knew how to wrestle, he was a great entertainer as well, plus with Fandango, they officially got themselves over at Backlash.  Unfortunately, The Usuos retained the belts, but this match belonged to The Fashion Police for entertainment value alone.

Relative underdog, Sami Zayn, faced off against Baron Corbin, but it wasn't an impressive match by any means.  We all know Zayn can go.  This we know.  Look up his matches in NXT and in the indies as El Generico if you're not aware of his work.  Corbin, although still a little rough around the edges, continues to get better and better since his departure from NXT.  This match, however, was another lackluster match and so far this event is flat.  Zayn picked up the win, but I'm not sure what, if any, impact this had.

One match that we knew would make up for the lack of appeal for this event thus far was the U.S. Title match between A.J. Styles and Kevin Owens.  No strangers to each other, here or in the indies, Styles and Owens did a great job and saved this show from being damn near a complete failure.  Although not their best match against each other, this was still a good match that deserves to see more from these two stellar athletes.  Owens won by countout, which means this rivalry for the belt isn't over and I would expect the former Universal Champ and WWE Champ to give us an even better match or two before Summerslam.

The main event was here.  In what has been a very average to below average pay per view for the SD brand, Randy Orton defended the WWE Title against the most unlikely and surprising challenger since James Ellesworth, Jinder Mahal.  Before I go into this match, I'm not necessarily criticizing Mahal.  He's not a bad in-ring competitor, but the stench of 3MB, which could've destroyed the careers of he, Slater, and McIntyre, plus the fact that when he returned to the WWE, he immediately jobbed to the likes of Finn Balor (did we forget that he also gave Balor a mild concussion that very same match) just doesn't add up to number one contender.  Had he been given a good run before the match that made him number one contender, then it would've made more sense.  No matter the case, Mahal and Orton collided, and kudos to the thirteen time champion for making Mahal look like a million dollars in this match.  One of the most terrifying spots ever witnessed happened when Orton was going after The Singh Brothers (formerly The Bollywood Boyz-former Global Force Wrestling Tag Team Champions), and he attempted to slam one of them, only for this particular Singh brother to land extemely bad on his head and neck on the broadcast table.  Seriously, it looked like it nearly killed him and the look on Randy's face right afterwards reflected it.  However, in what has to be considered the most shocking upset in years, Mahal defeated Orton to become only the second Indian-born WWE star to win the WWE Title (Great Khali won the World Title back in the early part of the decade).  The looks on the people's faces, including Lesnar Guy who was in attendance, were priceless.  Mahal, a relative jobber, and 3MB joke, had become the WWE Champion. 

Folks, the truth is the WWE Title this year has been terribly misused.  The title was won by Cena at The Rumble, lost at Elimination Chamber in February to Wyatt, lost at Wrestlemania to Orton, and now won by Mahal, all within nearly six months.  The booking is makiing this ever prestigious belt look like a non-important accessory, and it's disgraceful.  Once Mahal loses the belt, because he will, and soon, it needs to stay on that guy past a month.  Make the belt mean something.  The Universal Title on Raw isn't any better, as their champion, Brock Lesnar, won it at Wrestlemania, and hasn't been seen since. For a part-timer to win the title and be off televsison and pay per views like he's been is an outrage.  So much for title legacy, huh Vince?

As for these events, NXT clearly provided the beatdown to Smackdown and their pay per view.  Typically SD pay per views aren't extraordinary but they're better than Raw's.  This is the case here too, but not by much at all.  This was the worst SD pay per view yet, and I hope it picks back up for Money In The Bank.  As for NXT Takeover: Chicago, this was a knockout, and let's hope NXT Takeover: Brooklyn will be as good or better than in the past two years.  For the record, every event in the game may have to bow down to New Japan's Dominion in a couple weeks, just so you know.  For now, see you when I see you!

WWE Takes Over Brooklyn: The Winners & Losers

What's happening everybody?!  Glad you're back with me another week.  Last weekend was a big weekend for the WWE, as they took over Brooklyn for three straight days.  The first event was NXT's Takeover special entitled "Brooklyn".  For the first time in NXT's history, the developmental league of WWE was in a major arena for a Takeover show.  The results of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn?  Incredible show...but that's a mute point, as they always manage to put on outstanding shows.  Here are the results:

Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs. Tyler Breeze

This was a special night for NXT in many different ways, but one of the biggest reasons was for the debut of Japanese legend and high flying innovator, Jushin "Thunder" Liger.  The Brooklyn crowd was truly enamored with adulation and respect for the icon, but he was put to the absolute test with the so-called "Sultan of Selfies".  This match somewhat resembled Liger's matches with the late Brian Pillman in the early-mid nineties in WCW.  However, in spite of Breeze's excellent efforts, they weren't enough for the fifty-year-old that showed this young generation that he can still hang with anyone, as he won with the running Liger Bomb.

Winner: Jushin "Thunder" Liger

NXT Tag Team Championships
The Vaudevillains vs. Blake & Murphy w/ Alexa Bliss (c)

The next encounter was for the NXT Tag belts, as Simon Goch and Aiden English, collectively The Vaudevillains, faced off against the rapidly improving team of Blake & Murphy.  They of course had Alexa Bliss in their corner, and this wasn't a bad match.  I continue to see the great chemistry and in-ring work of Blake & Murphy, as they're slowly reminding me of a young Beautiful Bobby and Sweet Stan of The Midnight Express.  Bliss decided she wanted to get involved, and that's when NXT residential favorite, Blue Pants, made her way to the ring to an awesome pop from the fans.  Once BP mobilized Bliss, The Vaudevillains went to work, and as a result, became the NEW NXT Tag Team Champions!

Winners & New Champs: The Vaudevillains

Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger

This was the anticipated debut of the former Uhaa Nation of the indies and Dragon Gate.  Let me tell you, this guy has it all, and that's not being cliche.  He's a power guy that is also a flyer.  Hard to come by these days.  He didn't have it easy though with "The Perfect Ten", but Apollo ultimately defeated him with his Powerlift/standing moonsault combo.  Does he have the makings to be a huge star?  Absolutely.  Will he be?  It's up to Vince and booking.  I have little to no doubt in him.  Nowadays booking tends to be all over the place and not be consistent.  In any case, great debut showing by Apollo Crews.

Winner: Apollo Crews

Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin

This was a battle of two big bulls and this wasn't pretty.  We all know the capabilities of the "Samoan Submission Machine", but now we get to see how he does against a relative rookie in Baron Corbin, who has been very much impressive since his debut just over a year ago.  As good as Corbin looked in this match, in fact getting a few really near falls, Joe was just the man again, and the former multi-time World Champion got the win with the Kokina Clutch.

Winner: Samoa Joe

NXT Womens Championship:
Bayley vs. "The Bo$$" Sasha Banks

All I can say is  WHAT A MATCH!!!  Brooklyn gave the challenger a decent ovation, but Barclays Arena was clearly in favor of "The Bo$$".  This match was one of the most fantastic matches we've seen all year, and it came from the NXT women.  Banks was often times going after the injured hand of the young gutsy challenger and exhibited offense that continues to show why she may be pound for pound the best female competitor in either the NXT or main roster locker room.  However, it came down to a reverse huracunrana and a Bayley-To-Belly to put the NXT Womens Champion down for the three count, and a new champion was crowned.  The crowd exploded over the win, but later gave an awesome standing ovation for Charlotte, Becky Lynch (who both came out to ringside to congratulate Bayley) and Sasha, who tearfully came back in the ring to hug her opponent in a very emotional moment.  These four young ladies represent the change for the women's division for either locker room, and were united as The Four Horsewomen.  A memorable moment that will be remembered as one of the best moments of the year in NXT.  What a wonderful story: the young, underdog challenger who has failed in attempts before to go after the title to finally win the big one, much like Sami Zayn did the NXT Title almost a year ago against Adrien Neville.  Now, this tough lady from Cali won the big one, and what a hell of a match it was.  Not to mention, an emotional post-win locker room interview with her and her family on top of it all.  To Vince and the booking department of WWE: THIS is how you book women wrestling.  Get a clue!  From Charlotte vs. Natalya, Paige vs. Emma, Becky vs. Sasha, and the Fatal Four Way match for the NXT Womens Title, they get it, and it works...damn well at that.  The people are booing this "Divas Revolution" because it's forced, plus there's no need to keep shoving in peoples faces the progression and evolution of women in sports like the Williams Sisters or Ronda Rousey.  I will get into that area next week.  Right now, let's celebrate the much deserved win of Bayley (the fact that she dedicated the match to her mentor and teacher, the late , great "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, by wearing polka dot wrist bands was cool as hell too).

Winner and new NXT Womens Champion: Bayley

NXT CHampionship/Ladder Match
Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens

The women's title match was a hard one to follow, and normally I would say to people to just go home because that couldn't be topped or matched.  I was half right.  The second half of the double main event didn't top it, but it definitely matched it.  Owens is no stranger to ladder matches, as he is well known for his EPIC ladder match in ROH against Sami "El Generico" Zayn.  This was a rematch from WWE's Beast In The East special event in japan, where Balor defeated Owens in a great, great match to win the title.  In this one, the physicality was stepped up in big time fashion, as both men threw all they had at each other.  The end result was Balor's Coup De Grace finisher from the top of the ladder, then he climbed up and retrieved the belt.

All in all, this was yet another victory for the NXT brand, and it's starting to really show that NXT is for the WRESTLING fan, and not the casual sports-entertainment fan.  NXT has grown into a formidable brand alongside ROH ( I can't include TNA because of the disappointing material we've gotten from them on a weekly basis) and GFW.  Kudos to Triple H for bringing back an awesomely worked show and a brand that continues to grow in popularity because of one word: hunger.  These kids in NXT are hungry and aren't totally bogged down by inconsistent, flighty booking teams.  This event gets a 4/5.

The next night, however, was Summerslam.  One would imagine that Summerslam would at least attempt and come close to putting on a compelling show like their minor league brand did.  My hope was for that to happen, and for it to be an impressive show.  Was I wrong?  Truthfully yeah sort of.  Was it a disgrace?  No, but for a lineup and card like it had, it should've been a HELL of a lot better than it was.  Let's get into it.

Randy Orton vs. Shaemus

Typical match opener with two men that we've seen fight over and over and over and over again.  Shaemus got the win, but nothing special here.

Winner: Shaemus

WWE World Tag Team Championship/Fatal Four Way Match
Los Matadores (c) vs. The New Day vs. Prime Time Players (c) vs. Lucha Dragons

This was actually somewhat of an entertaining match.  I didn't say it was a masterpiece of artistic showmanship, I said it was entertaining.  Mostly on the part of The New Day, and their rendition of "Empire State Of Mind" that had to be heard to be believed.  Even the hardcore Brooklyn crown stood up in applause for the humor factor.  Not much of a story here due to too much going on at one time, like these Fatal Four Way matches tend to have happen.  In the end, Kofi got the win to help The New Day win their second WWE Tag Team Championship.  Of course, the next evening, they got new challengers in the returning Dudley Boyz so it'll be interesting to see how things unfold.

Winners & new champs: The New Day

Dolph Ziggler w/ Lana vs. Rusev w/ Summer Rae

Although it was good to see Ziggler back, this match was nothing special and almost walked the lines of a bore.  This was arguably the bathroom break match of the night.  The match ended up on the outside, where both men got counted out, only for the ladies to cat fight inside the ring afterwards.  Yawn!

Winner: None (double count out)

Neville & Stephen Amell vs. Stardust & King Barrett

A little bit of hype over the match as actor Stephen Amell from the Tv show Arrow finally got in-ring time and I must say he didn't look half bad.  For someone with no experience whatsoever, he looked better than some of the Tough Enough kids.  Other than Amell, I wasn't expecting a great deal out of this, and I was right.  Midway through they lost me, and at this time I just wanted to see the "Red Arrow" finisher from the former NXT Champion, and I got it.  Win for "The Arrow Brothers", but otherwise, another yawn!

Winners: Neville & Stephen Amell

WWE Inter-Continental Title/Triple Threat Match
Ryback (C) vs. The Miz vs. The Big Show

This match has been built for the last couple months but got delayed due to Ryback's staff infection.  They finally got off the ground with this, and it was no more great than I thought it was gonna be, which wasn't going to be much.  The match didn't suck, but it was damn sure average.  Show knocked out Miz then got clotheslined over the ropes by Ryback, then Ryback gets on top of an out cold Miz to pick up the win.

Winner and still champion: Ryback

Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. The Wyatt Family

Finally, my interest is starting to rise a little, and I do mean a little.  This was a match I wanted to see because I'm a fan of all involved.  This was physical and was a classic fight, but in the end, it was Ambrose's "Dirty Deeds" finisher, mixed with Reigns' spear to defeat Bray and Luke.

Winners: Ambrose & Reigns

Team PCB vs. Team B.A.D. vs. Team Bella

This is the bullshit I'm talking about when it comes to the "Divas Revolution".  This is nothing against the Divas themselves, as even the Bellas have worked their asses off to at least present somewhat formidable matches lately.  The problem is the booking.  After the phenomenal match Sasha had with Bayley the night before at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, why wasn't there one similar.  Why wasn't Nikki's title on the line in a one on one match?  This shouldn't have been a team encounter.  In any event, the action wasn't bad and each gave good to great showings.  The first team eliminated was Team B.A.D., however it was Team PCB that won with Becky Lynch's Disarmor finisher.  Let's hope this ends when Nikki finally sets the new record for being the longest reigning Divas Champion, which A.J. Lee presently holds but once she left, her legacy was on its way out as well.  Hopefully these teams can part ways and we start getting just some good ol' fashioned competition with GOOD storytelling.

Winners: Team PCB

WWE World Heavyweight Title vs. WWE U.S. Heavyweight Title
Winner Takes All
John Cena vs. Seth Rollins

This is definitely one match I was looking forward to seeing, and up until the end it was a pretty decent match.  The big match feel was clear, and there were no ill-effects from Cena's recent nose surgery from the Rollins jumping knee that caused Cena's nose to shatter.  Both men delivered, although I would seriously just stop using the springboard stunner that Cena likes to use all of the time.  However, what killed it (in a negative way) was the appearance of the host, Jon Stewart.  I'm a big Stewart fan, and was hurt when he left The Daily Show, but him being involved in the match grossly hurt it.  He came out with a chair and teased hitting Rollins but instead gut shot Cena with it and it was enough for Rollins to use the Pedigree on him for Rollins to win the U.S. Title and still be WWE Champion.  Never before has this happened, for someone to simultaneously hold two singles titles, but with Jay Lethal holding both the ROH Title and the TV Title, of course Vince is like "Anything you can do, I can do better", at least in his mind.

Winner and new U.S. Champion/still WWE Champion: Seth Rollins

Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar

Another big fight feel.  This match was a straight up fight, as we knew it would be.  Taker was at times taken to "Suplex City", but Taker looked very good here also.  This was a slightly better match than their encounter at Wrestlemania 30, which honestly wasn't much to write home about.  Lesnar held Taker in his Kimura Lock armbreaker, and the bell rang suddenly.  We all thought Lesnar had once again beaten Taker, until the ref had looked at the instant replay and saw Taker tapping out his view and restarted the match due to the fact he never signaled for the bell to ring in the first place.  Taker then low-blowed Lesnar and put him in the Hell's Gate finisher, and with Lesnar flicking off Taker, he fell unconscious and Taker got the win, albeit controversially.

This event, unlike NXT's Takeover event, was just an average show and should've been a whole lot better.  This shows you the "creativity" of booking and Vince McMahon.  It's starting to be very clear that Hunter gets it, Vince doesn't only not get it, he doesn't care.  Although there weren't any disastrous matches on Summerslam, there definitely weren't any outstanding matches either, which is a shame.  This event gets a 3/5, and I can't say I'm pleased with that rating.

Just a quick FYI: I'm working things out to where hopefully very soon you'll see me with my own youtube channel for "The Wrestling Cypher".  Stay tuned, as I'll be keeping you updated.  For no, thanks for riding with me, and will catch you later this week.  Be safe, and keep being fans of the art of pro wrestling!

NXT Takeover: Brooklyn Previews & Predictions

What's happening kiddies!  Welcome back to the latest opinions from me about the current goings-on in professional wrestling.  Next week I'll have something to say concerning the whole TNA Impact-GFW situation and how this could be either a win-win or a lose-lose situation.  More on that next week.  For now, this week is reserved for what appears to be a pretty good weekend for the WWE.  I've covered Summerslam already and my predictions.  Now it's on to NXT's newest Takeover special entitled "Brooklyn".  As with most NXT specials in the past, this has the potential to be a damn good show.  While Summerslam has the possibility of actually matching up with the entertainment and competitiveness of NXT for a change, this new NXT special could hold up quite well with some of their other specials.  While I don't see it as classic like NXT Takeover or NXT Takeover: R Evolution, this will still do very well.  Let's start shall we?

NXT Title/Ladder Match
Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens

To no surprise, this will and should be the main event.  After their excellent match in Japan at Beast In The East when Balor won the title, one could only imagine how the rematch was going to work.  I couldn't have thought of a better type of match for these two.  Owens' history with Ladder matches has been known with his fantastic, yet brutal, match in ROH with Sami Zayn, when he was El Generico.  Along with the high flying capabilities of the man formerly known as Prince Devitt, this has classic written all over it.  The last time there was a Ladder Match was when Adrien Neville defeated Bo Dallas to become NXT Champion at NXT Arrival.  Expect Finn Balor to get over in this match, thus Owens can really be a full-timer on the main roster.  This could either be a bad weekend for Owens or an okay weekend for him, depending upon if he defeats Cesaro tomorrow at Summerslam.  Regardless, expect "The Demon King" to emerge victorious.  Now about those "Paul Heyman guy" rumors...???

Winner & still champion: Finn Balor

NXT Women's Title
Bayley vs. "The Bo$$" Sasha Banks (c)

I know, I know.  these two have fought before.  Yes they have.  However, this will be the first time they've fought with Banks as the champion.  Yes I'm also aware that this isn't the first time we've seen Bayley have good momentum going into a big match or a championship match and somehow doesn't pull it off.  Call me nuts, but I think this will be different.  Not to mention, Sasha is really turning heads since she has been part of the main roster in the Divas revolution being part of Team B.A.D. (Beautiful And Dangerous).  Chances are this will be her NXT swan song, and Bayley will finally grab the brass ring.

Winner & new NXT Women's Champion: Bayley

NXT Tag Team Championship
The Vaudevillains vs. Blake & Murphy (c) w/ Alexa Bliss

Let's face it, Blake & Murphy were already a pretty good team with chemistry that resembled The Midnight Express.  However, since they managed to get Alexa Bliss on their side, they've been damn good.  At the last NXT special, NXT Takeover: Unstoppable, they defeated huge favorites Enzo Amore & Big Cass.  Now they face the very impressive Vaudevillains.  This past Wednesday, we watched as The Vaudevillains tried to let the challengers what would be in store for them, but every time they tried, they would get slapped in the face by Bliss, so as to not even utter a word.  This humiliation could be all they need to defeat the champs.  Unfortunately, I don't see that happening.  I see Blake & Murphy continuing their forward momentum as champs and staying on top of the division.

Winners & still champions: Blake & Murphy

Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin

This has physical written all over it.  The world-renowned "Samoan Submission Machine" has had a hell of a run with NXT, but now he'll be facing another impressive NXT talent in Baron Corbin.  While some of Corbin's steam has cooled since his debut last year, it damn sure hasn't stopped him from kicking people's asses and defeating them in quick, resounding fashion.  I do expect for the former TNA and ROH Champion to defeat Corbin, but nowhere near in easy fashion.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs. Tyler Breeze

What a historic moment for the WWE and NXT, as Japanese icon Jushin "Thunder" Liger is wrestling against the mega-talented Tyler Breeze.  Liger is far from a stranger here in the States, as his series of matches with the late Brian Pillman in the early to mid nineties have been placed among some of the greatest in the history of WCW.  He also has competed in TNA and ROH, as he faced the likes of Daniel Bryan and Austin Aries.  Seen as one of the revolutionaries of the high flying style so very emulated today, the fifty year old has shown he can still go with the young guys.  No disrespect to Breeze, who's a superb talent in his own right, but the legend who has won thirty-eight championships and multiple tournaments is in a class all by himself and I expect him to get the 'W' in this encounter.

Winner: Jushin "Thunder" Liger

Also, NXT Takeover: Brooklyn will mark the in-ring debut of Apollo Crews, the indie superstar formerly known as Uhaa Nation.  If you've never seen this man compete, you're in for something special, as this man has been compared to the likes of Bobby Lashley and Booker T in terms of athleticism, and then some.  For a guy his size, he can moves like staining shooting star presses and over the top cross bodies like there nothing to do.  In 2009, he suffered a near career ending knee injury that put him on the shelf for over a year, but emerged better than ever.  He'll be facing NXT vet The Dillinger in what I expect to be an impressive mainstream showing for the "One Man Nation".

As you can see, this will be quite the exciting card and one that will serve as one hell of a precursor for the next night's Summerslam.  This will be bittersweet, as this will be the first NXT special without close friend, mentor, and teacher "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, but you know he'll be smiling with that signature smile of his and will be thrilled to see his NXT kids on the biggest stage they've been on yet.  This will be a great night and an even better weekend.  Report back to me next week for the review and reaction of both Summerslam and NXT Takeover: Brooklyn.  Until next week folks, be safe, live life, and enjoy some wrestling!

Summerslam 2015 Previews & Predictions

What's happening peeps!  For once, my post isn't about any deaths or anything morbid.  Instead, it's an exciting time because it's time for the biggest event of the summer, Summerslam.  This year's event will originate from Brooklyn, NY's Barclays Arena for the first time ever.  For the past few years, Summerslam has been contested in California so moving to NY is a change, albeit not foreign.  One of the best Summerslams ever was in MSG for Summerslam '91.  This year's event has been marketed to be more like a summer version of Wrestlemania than ever before, and truthfully this is a card that somewhat reflects this concept and could actually be a fairly entertaining show.  Here is the lineup and my predictions for each match.

Winner Takes All Match
WWE World Heavyweight Title vs. U.S. Heavyweight Title
John Cena (U.S. Champ) vs. Seth Rollins (World Champ)

This has the makings to be one hell of a match, but this match is currently up in the air.  A couple of weeks ago, Rollins violently broke the nose of Cena on RAW, which resulted in emergency surgery for the former fifteen time World Champion.  The grotesque injury has resulted in him being off television since the injury.  As of this time, the match is still unknown due to no clearence from the doctor yet.  IF the match occurs, I expect Cena to come away as a sixteen time World Champion and vacate the U.S. Title.  However, stay tuned to see if the match still takes place.

Winner & new World Champ: John Cena

Return Grudge Match
Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar

Since Wrestlemania XXX (30 that is), Taker has been hearing, like we all have, the constant barrage of Lesnar being "the one behind 21 and 1) from Paul Heyman, and now Taker has rightfully had enough.  Since that awesome pull-apart brawl on RAW a couple of weeks ago, Taker and Lesnar haven't been in the same building, but that may change next Monday on RAW. This is billed as the main event, but here's to hoping this match will be better than the match they had at Wrestlemania.  Taker looks as good as he's looked in years, and he's gonna have to be dealing with a red hot Lesnar.  Taker may take a trip to "Suplex City", but I expect Lesnar to get taken to the "Tombstone" and come away with his first ever win over "The Beast Incarnate".

Winner: Undertaker

WWE Inter-Continental Title
Triple Threat Match

Ryback vs. The Miz vs. Big Show

This match was just announced, as Ryback was recently cleared to compete after a severe staff infection in his right knee.  The match was originally set for last month's Battleground event, but was cancelled at the last minute due to the injury.  Now this rivalry for the belt can finally happen, and although Ryback has gained good momentum as champion, I fully expect The Miz to come away with his third title, and continue to be the insanely egotistical star he is.

Winner & new champion: The Miz

Triple Threat Divas Elimination Match
Team Bella (Brie & Nikki Bella and Alicia Fox) vs. Team PCB (Paige, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch) vs. Team B.A.D. (Naomi, Tamina Snuka, and Sasha Banks)

There is a Diva revolution folks, and they're definitely taking the bull by the horns.  Kudos to Stephanie McMahon for finally getting it, and realizing the potential the Divas division has.  While Divas like Natalya have been off television being ambassadors for the company, the on camera talent has stepped their game up in spades.  Steph brought up NXT women badasses Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and even the NXT Women Champion Sasha Banks to elevate the division.  Since then, we've had fairly fantastic matches from them.  Now it's time to see who's the best crew of the three.  I'm personally a fan of Team PCB, but I see Team B.A.D. as the new, female version of The Shield, but somehow I see Team Bella going out of this with the 'W', thus continuing their momentum.

Winners: Team Bella

WWE Tag Team Championship
Fatal Four Way Match
Lucha Dragons vs. Los Matadores vs. The New Day vs. Prime Time Players

Not really looking forward to this match truthfully because the tag division is back to suffering from sub-par talent.  Actually, I should say sub-par booking.  The Dragons are a great, lucha team with lots of exciting talent.  Los Matadores (the gimmick) is a tired concept and needs to die.  Primo & Epico were good enough without a gimmick, but these Puerto Rican bullfighters need to let it go.  The New Day has grown to be very annoying heels and it's really getting over with the fans and they enjoy booing these guys.  The PTPs have never enjoyed this kind of success, especially the dominance of Titus O' Neill.  I peronally wouldn't be surprised if The New Day beciomes champions again and in fact that's what I'm predicting.  Overall, it'll likely be a joke of a match.

Winners & new champions: The New Day

Family vs. Family
Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. The Wyatt Family

This will be a hell of a tag team match with four superb competitors.  Reigns faced Bray Wyatt at Battleground but due to interference from Luke Harper, Wyatt picked up the win.  It was revealed shortly afterwards that Harper had reunited with his "brother" and that spelled tons of trouble (damn, if only Erick Rowan hadn't injured his tricept, we would have a full-fledged reunion of the entire family).  However, Reigns and Ambrose are Shield brothers and this rivalry between these four has been hard hitting.  I predict The Wyatts to win this one, but definitely not in easy fashion whatsoever.

Winners: The Wyatt Family

Grudge Match
Neville & Steven Amell vs. Stardust & King Barrett

At last, Arrow actor Steven Amell is finally going forward with his feud with Stardust.  Only now, they have backup in terms of Neville and Barrett.  I'm not expecting a classic by any means, and might walk the lines of meaningless, but at least we see how physical this actor can be in the ring with Stardust and Barrett.  I expect he and Neville to get the win.

Winners: Amell & Neville (billed as The Green Arrow and The Red Arrow)

If the Cena vs. Rollins match doesn't occur, there's word that it could be a triple threat match of Rollins, Orton, and Shaemus would be the replacement.Also, there are rumors of Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens, but Owens will also be a part of the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn special facing Finn Balor in a Ladder Match for the NXT Title.  Stay tuned next week for the finalized card but these are the matches advertised thus far.

After the unfortunate debacle that was AAA Triplemania this past Sunday, wrestling needs a great follow-up show.  I expect something very good from NXT but also from Summerslam.  This year's Summerslam, overall, looks like an intriguing show, and I'm expecting good things from this show.  I don't root for them very often compared to ROH events or even the NXT events, but I think this could be a pretty good one.  Am I expecting something as epic as Lucha Underground's Ultima Lucha event, absolutely not.  However, am I expecting something as all over the place as Triplemania XXIII? Not at all.  This event will be right in the middle, and for a change, I hope it's a hit.  Come back in two weeks for my review of the event.  Until then, have a great two weeks!

The Tears Continue

What's happening everybody!  Unfortunately, more sad news to report from the world of professional wrestling and entertainment in general.  We now mourn the passing of WWE Hall Of Famer and  beloved wrestling icon, Rowdy Roddy Piper.  Best known for his feud with Hulk Hogan and with actor Mr. T in the early eighties, Piper would end up main eventing the first Wrestlemania, as Hogan and Mr. T, with another Hall Of Famer Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka in their corner, faced Piper and partner "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, with Hall Of Famer Cowboy Bob Orton Jr (Randy Orton's dad) in their corner.  This match marked the period known as "Rock N Wrestling", in which WWE was crossing over into the mainstream and with MTV.  As part of his superb heel act, he would often feud with globally known Pop act Cyndi Lauper over her music.  Aside from other rivalries that he would later have with the likes of Ric Flair, Adrien Adonis, and even had an incredible match with Bret "Hitman" Hart for the I-C Title at Wrestlemania VIII, he dabbled in acting.  He starred in the horror cult classic, They Live, as "Nada", a drifter who had the ability to see people for who (or what) they really were through his sunglasses.  He also starred in Hell Comes To Frogtown, and had guest appearance spots on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Cold Case, and even on reality shows like Celebrity Wife Swap and Celebrity Ghost Stories.

Longtime fans remember him in the Mid-Atlantic territories and Georgia Championship Wrestling (later called WCW).  He had big time feuds with the aforementioned Flair, Don Muraco, and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.  His rivalry with Valentine skyrocketed into a "Dog Collar Match" at the first Starrcade in 1983 in Greensboro, NC.  This match was seen as the show stealer of the evening, which wasn't bad at all considering the rest of the card and the main event being Flair vs. Harley Race for the NWA title. Although very brutal for its day (not to mention Piper suffered a busted eardrum and ended up losing fifty percent of his hearing), it showed the world Piper was a bonafide star in big match environments.

Highly seen and regarded as one of the best four talkers ever on a microphone (Piper, Rhodes, Flair, and The Rock), he was able to mix intensity with over the top and sarcastic humor with his promos.  Although he's not necessarily known for any one particular promo like Dusty's "Hard Times" promo, anytime he got on the mic you were in for a treat, although there were times he would be a loose cannon and you really didn't know what would come out of his mouth.  Piper had a gift much like Dusty and Flair, in which he didn't need a script of any kind to do a promo.  All he needed was his imagination and his passion.  He likewise is known as one of the best heels of all-time.  His obnoxious, rude, over the top ways were that of legend.  Who can forget when he smashed the coconut over the face of Snuka during the now infamous segment of his trailblazing WWE talk show segment, "Piper's Pit"?  In fact, "Piper's Pit" was such a huge hit, he actually sent it on the road.  Interview segments to later come along like "The Brother Love Show", "Paul Bearer's Funeral Parlor", "Edge's Cutting Edge", and "Christian's Peep Show" all came from the groundbreaking concept of "Piper's Pit".

He still continued in wrestling occasionally after his run in WCW in the late nineties.  He was seen in TNA and even had off and on spots with WWE.  One of his last matches in the ring was at Wrestlemania XXV, when he, Snuka, and fellow HOFer Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat faced Chris Jericho in a three-on-one handicapped match.  We last saw him on a regular basis as part of the Legends House cast, along with Hillbilly Jim, Jimmy Hart, Howard Finkel, Gene Okerlund, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and Tony Atlas.

I'm personally in such an immense state of shock, awe, and grief.  It was just last month we suffered the loss of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, and now this heartbreak that follows it.  I still truly can't believe Dream is gone.  It doesn't sound right nor feel right.  No matter how many tribute videos and on-stage memorials there are, I can't grasp the thought of the sport with Dream.  I'm in the exact same state of mind with Piper.  There was never really a time you never saw him smiling, even as a heel.  He was totally known for his often cheesy grins that would result in potent ass beatings.  There will no doubt be a touching tribute to Hot Rod, as he impacted so many lives in and out of the business.  A multimedia star, a wrestling icon, and an impactful human being, Roderick Toombs will never, ever be forgotten.  Hot Rod, we will always love and cherish you.  Thank you the memories, the non-stop entertainment and influence.  To quote the now late, great folk hero, "Just when they think they have the answers, I change the questions".  May the bagpipes play on!  Rest In Eternal Power Hot Rod!  The Heavenly Battle Royal now has a new entrant!