Impressions on Wrestling

Last night was the go-home edition of RAW before we hit Extreme Rules this Sunday. I just wanted to post some of my thoughts and promote discussion about the show. -John Cena's first promo of the night was very good and set the right tone for the events to follow.  I like the concept of John Cena questioning the fans for backing Wyatt and not other young and exciting talent.  Cena was strong in the opening segment... -.... and so was Bray.  We had singing children and creepy lamb masks on dozens of children surrounding the ring.  This was a very cool image and really brought home the story of Bray taking John's audience away. Creeeeeeeepy. -The Usos had a nice match with Rybaxel.  The crowd was hot for most of it and they told a nice story with Jay getting hurt and building the suspense of a title change and causing the Tag Champs to take it to another level. -To get this over with, the Hugh Jackman bit was not good. It was too long, and it was... ...

In what feels like forever... we finally have episode #2!!! We go over Wrestlemania XXX, the current product, preview Extreme Rules, and have random moments featuring Unforgiven 1999.  Check it out! Listen to this episode Download this episode (right click and save)

I have taken a few days to relax after a crazy Wrestlemania week.  I wanted to take the time to digest the crazy events of this past week.  I also started to realize that we might be seeing some amazing things in the near future.  Is it possible that after all this time, after so many let downs and the company relying on Cena being the only guy, that we are heading into a new "era" in WWE?  They are certainly acting like it, and hell they are even saying it!  The "Reality Era" has been mentioned in the past by CM Punk and wrestling journalists.  It wasn't until recently, when Triple H stated we were entering the Reality Era, did I think that was possible.  On top of that, Wrestlemania XXX and the Raw afterwards felt like the biggest breath of fresh air in over a decade. I was have a debate of sorts with my friends about whether this was the start of a new "era" or if it had already begun long ago.  Jesse, one of the guys who will be joining o...

I am in shock. Less than 24 hours after appearing on Raw, the Ultimate Warrior left this earth.  Full details have not been released at this time. It is reported that he collapsed outside of his hotel in Arizona. I am deeply saddened by this news, and my heart goes out to his wife and children. RIP Warrior.

I am on cloud nine.  Last night was had a little bit of past, a good amount of present, and an enormous amount of future.  Before I get into my specific thoughts, I wanted to thank WWE for this show.  This show was a beacon of hope for all of the people that wanted something new and fresh.  This show was it. I would love to do a segment by segment breakdown in order, but I didn't want to take notes. I was enjoying the show way too much. Instead, I will post my thoughts on big moments throughout the night in no particular order. We had a hot opening segment with Daniel Bryan getting the praise he deserves.  "You deserve it" is the truest chant that has ever been given by a crowd. I am happy that Daniel Bryan got to the top of the mountain, because he does deserve it.  No matter what happens in the future, nobody can take April 6, 2104 away from Daniel Bryan, or the hero's welcome he received the next night.  Triple H came out and informed Bryan he had...

I think Wrestlemania XXX will go down as one of the more memorable Wrestlemanias in history. There were some very happy moments, some confusing moments, and one downright shocking moment.  I look forward to talking about this show for years to come. Starting at 6:00 pm EST was the Wrestlemania Pre-show that delivered a very fun match.... The Usos def. Rybaxel, Los Matadores, The Real Americans for the WWE Tag Team Championship This match delivered as for the Pre-show.  It was fast paced and had some fun moments.  The last few minutes were the highlight of the match.  The Usos won with a double splash on Cesaro .  This then led to a post match face turn for Cesaro. Crowd was really hot for Cesaro's giant swing on Swagger.  Very good stuff. Rating : *** The main show opened with a long but very fun intro with Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the Rock.  Hogan messing up and saying Silver Dome was hilarious, as was Steve Austin and the R...

Sorry this review is coming late. My body made me sleep.  So here is my quick review on New Japan's Invasion Attack 2014.  Historically, I am a casual New Japan fan at best.  I have been paying more attention this year and have been watching highlight matches.  This was my first live PPV.  I really enjoyed the show on multiple accounts.  The action was great, the presentation was strong, and the booking was very smart. New Japan does one thing better than any other promotion... They treat their "secondary" titles with respect and make them feel like a big deal.  WWE should look to NJPW on how to get their Intercontinental Championship and US Title to the level of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship or the NEVER Open Weight Championship.   Hell, they main evented two major PPVs with the Intercontinental Championship. That's awesome! Their tag divisions are also treated very well.  It's nice to see matches mean something. With that being ...

Earlier tonight, the WWE presented the WWE Hall of Fame in it's entirety on the WWE Network.  It was a very interesting evening with quite a few highlights. One thing is for sure, this show went really, really, really long.  I have been fortunate enough to attend a Hall of Fame ceremony and it was nowhere near the length of this ceremony. The major reason for that was three very long speeches. The first long speech was from the first inductee, Lita.  I am a big Lita fan and I am extremely happy that she was honored.  That being said, her speech was over thirty minutes.  There was a fun highlight of Arn Anderson and Rey Mysterio getting Miller Lights that she owed them.  Overall though, I would just say that this speech ran too long. The best speech of the night came from our second inductee, Jake Roberts.  DDP had a nice speech to welcome Jake out that featured some funny stories.  Jake then came out and provided a moving, truthful, harsh, ...

Hello everybody!  Tomorrow is the show of shows and I can't wait to see the spectacle from the Super Dome.  Today we are covering the Friday of Wrestlemania Weekend.  Due to work, I was unable to watch any of the independent IPPVs last night and I will attempt to watch some of the shows in the coming days and give quick reviews. What I did end up watching was Wrestlemania Today and Legends of Wrestlemania.  Wrestlemania Today was more of the same from Thursday with more interviews and match rundowns.  The biggest reason to watch? Part two of the Shield interview.  Truly awesome and these videos are truly making the Shield feel more special than they already are.  Other than that, everything felt business as usual.  There were some funny moments with Fandango's interview as well as Dolph Ziggler walking around the Axxess floor. The highlight of Friday for me was Legends of Wrestlemania.  It started off as just typical hype for classic star...

Sunday night is looming, but there is still so much more happening before then.  Last night marked the beginning of the Wrestlemania Weekend coverage from the WWE Network with Wrestlemania Today.  It is a two hour talk show hosted by Josh Matthews, Alex Riley, Booker T and others.  I just wanted to take the time today to break down my thoughts on the first night of the show. First off, this is awesome.  The show feels slightly chaotic with people talking over each other, but it feels fresh.  Different wrestlers come up to the panel and get interviewed and give their thoughts on their matches or other matches on the Wrestlemania card.  There are also exclusive taped interviews and video packages.  The funniest moment on the show was the video package of Big E going around New Orleans getting his fortune told, meeting fans, and hilariously eating beignets at a cafe.  In a few short minutes, Big E was able to show how much personality he has. ...

It has finally arrived! 2/3 of the crew has assembled for the first episode.  Lars and I break down the Wrestlemania XXX card and give our predictions as well.  There is also a ridiculous into that you could argue is immortal... brother. Listen to this episode Download this episode (right click and save)

The day is drawing near. Wrestlemania XXX is three days away. Today is our last match preview.  Before we get into it, we have some fun announcements.  We will have our first podcast release later on today with our audio preview and predictions for Wrestlemania XXX.  We also have launched our twitter account  @IOWrestling .  If that's not enough, we have also launched a Facebook fan page ! Now that our plugs are out of the way, we will be covering two matches today, as they go hand in hand with each other and seem like the main matches on the show. Let's get do this! Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H This match has been building since Summerslam, when Triple H cost Daniel Bryan the WWE Championship.  Bryan finally gets his chance at revenge this Sunday.  This match didn't just happen either, they had to get to this match in a very different way. Triple H explained to the fans that he screwed Daniel Bryan because it was "best for business" and...

My goodness, we are inching closer and closer to Sunday and the little kid in me is giddy.  I can't help but find it strange that two months ago I didn't care about the show.  I feel there are several factors that led to this Wrestlemania feeling different and special.  There is the Daniel Bryan factor, which is a big deal, there's also the WWE Network hype.  One other thing that feels special and is this surge of young talent in big spots.  One talent in particular is skyrocketing to stardom this year... Bray Wyatt. That leads us to today's match. John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt Legacy. That word is being used a lot in the build to this match. That certainly could be because of Eminem, but it is also very fitting.  John Cena has crafted a legacy unlike any other.  He has been scrutinized by many fans, but has also been a symbol of hope for many children.  Love him or hate him, there is no denying the man's passion for WWE.  He wanted to ta...

We have gotten off the highway on the road to Wrestlemania and we are pulling into New Orleans this Sunday. Last night we had the go-home edition of Monday Night Raw. While the show was not the best, it ended well and I am still looking forward to Wrestlemania. I will say the WWE Network has a lot to do with that, but that's another discussion for later this week. Let's get on with our match preview! Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar The Streak vs. The Beast Here is a match that I am looking forward to, but I feel disappointed in my lack of excitement. This should feel like one of the biggest matches on the show, and it feels like it's in fourth place on my match listing, in regards to my excitement anyways. That being said, I have faith that these guys will put on a hell of a show. Undertaker is the man, and Brock is truly a freak of nature. Undertaker's Streak of 21-0 at Wrestlemania is truly something special. The "Streak" will never happen again...