Any Pro-Wrestling Fans Around?

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

Continuing coverage of nights 14 & 15 of the G1. 

Spoiler

B Block

B Block is best block for a reason. 

Sanada beats Yano in a comedic rematch from last year after ripping a section of barricade off, using that to tie Yano up in a modified paradise look, and then tying up Rock Romero over on English commentary to make sure he didn't interfere again. Was even nice enough to put the headset back on while he did it. Kevin Kelly had to fetch the moves inventor, Millano Collection AT, to break Rocky out of the lock.    

Goto wins over Tama via DQ. Nothing special. Though I do like Tonga Roa playing hype man for the BC:OGs. ZSJ def. Juice via tying him up like a pretzel. Looks like we'll be getting a U.S. title match at the next show in Long Beach Sep. 30th. 

And our double main events. Holy crap dudes. Ishii def. Omega in an all out war, ending the champ's undefeated streak in the tournament. I didn't think they could top their US title tournament final last year, but they did. Omega damn near beat Ishii half to death at points but Ishii persevered and brainbusted a bloody Omega for the win.

Naito/Ibushi had quite the match to follow up. And boy did they ever. This match demonstrated how quick and agile both these athletes are. And how they can still walk after being repeatedly dropped on their heads. This match had plenty of brutal spots. Enough to make even a hardened AJPW fan wince. But in the end, Ibushi avenged last years loss with a Nakamura approved Bombaye knee followed up by a Kamigoye strike. Two 5 star matches in one night. How lucky are we? 

Omega- 12 points

Naito- 10 points

Ibushi- 10 points

Sanada- 8 points

ZSJ- 8 points

Goto- 6 points

Ishii- 6 points

Tama Tonga- 4 points

Juice Robinson- 4 points

Toru Yano- 2 points

 

A Block

Hashi def. Fale by DQ, whatever. Makabe and Switchblade had a fun fight, but Switchblade weaseled a win. Hangman and Suzuki had a great fight of young vs old, and Hangman actually got the career upset. Elgin came close to beating Tanahashi, but not close enough as Tana reversed the Elginbomb into a cradle, and a sloppy one at that. And Okada got even with Evil for last years loss in a close bout. 

Tanahashi- 14 points

Switchblade- 12 points

Okada- 12 points 

Evil- 8 points

Suzuki- 8 points

Mike Elgin- 6 points 

Fale- 6 points

Togi Makabe- 4 points

Hangman- 6 points

Yoshi-Hashi- 4 points 

 

And with that we march to Budokan hall, the MSG of Japan. 

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

Oh and a new episode of Being The Elite! 

 

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

Boy aren't we spoiled these past 24 hours?

More Being The Elite! 

 

[BrawnyCharger 513]

Summerslam 2016

For the second straight year in a row, Summerslam takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. First match is Enzo and Cass vs Jeri-KO. I like Enzo's Yankees pinstripes attire. Although the match was solid, I don't care for the outcome. I'm not a fan of jobbing someone out in their hometown, unless it was the right choice. I still would have preferred Enzo and Cass winning. The woman's title match started off sloppy but got better later in the match, maybe injuries had something to do with it. Charlotte regains the title. Next is the Intercontinental Championship match between the Miz and Apollo Crews. The match was just decent, and I probably would have preferred if Crews had won. Next is AJ Styles VS John Cena. Match of the Night by all means. This proves that Cena can put others over and is a good wrestler, and after having a considerably long resume in TNA and Japan,this also solidified AJ Styles as a top WWE star. He's bound to have more great matches and moments in years to come. The New Day defending the tag titles against Anderson and Gallows was just average, Jon Stewart got in the ring and was about to have his groin wrapped around the ringpost but Big E runs in and saves him. The DQ finish hinders it, but it set up the rematch at Clash of Champions. All I can say about the WWE Championship match is that the match between the 3 former Shield members that took place at Battleground should have happened at Summerslam. The match with Ambrose and Ziggler was good, but it shouldn't have happened here. The 6 divas tag match was a bit long. The match to crown the first ever WWE Universal Champion between Finn Balor and Seth Rollins. As stated before I feel Seth should have been competing for the WWE Championship against Dean and Roman here at Summerslam. However on the other hand the match itself was great with Finn Balor winning the championship. The US Championship between Rusev and Roman Reigns never got started. First let me say about Roman getting Lana splattered with the wedding cake on Raw, that I hope it wasn't made at Sugar Cube Corner, I imagine Pinkie Pie would've had a hissy fit over ruining perfectly good cake. TBH The segment of Reigns being aggressive and injuring Rusev here as well as the incident on Raw made Roman look like a heel. But I echo my two previous statements regarding him and the other 2 shield members having their match here at Summerslam. Now for the Main Event. Brock Lesnar VS Randy Orton. Throughout most of the match it was very much in Brock's favor. The match is stopped as a result of Brock busting open Orton with vicious head shots. It ended too abruptly. They should have had Randy keep fighting longer unless the blood loss really was too much for him to continue. 

Overall this Summerslam was good but could have been better. The Styles/Cena stole the show by a long shot. Balor/Rollins was great as well. But still I would have had the 3 members of the Shield battle for the WWE Championship here at Summerslam instead of at Battleground. That would have to result in a rebooking of this show. Plus I think they should have had Lesnar/Orton go on longer, but again unless it was too much.

What did you think of Summerslam 2016?

Next time I review Summerslam 2017 (I got this just a week ago).

[Castle Bleck 19,380]

Shane McMahon and Wile E. Coyote have something in common:

 

 

 

[Sparklefan1234 172,889]

Why isn't Braun Strowman "The Guy" in WWE?

He seems like one of the most kindhearted, genuine people on the roster.

Edited August 10, 2018 by Sparklefan1234

[Patty Thundersnow 4,193]

41 minutes ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

Why isn't Braun Strowman "The Guy" in WWE?

He seems like one of the most kindhearted, genuine people on the roster.

Because Vinny wants to cram Reigns down our throats. Roman isn't a bad rep for the WWE, but Strowman is a better rep for the brand. Strowman will be the man eventually.

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

6 hours ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

Why isn't Braun Strowman "The Guy" in WWE?

He seems like one of the most kindhearted, genuine people on the roster.

 

6 hours ago, Pat 'The Blizzard' Thundersnow said:

Because Vinny wants to cram Reigns down our throats. Roman isn't a bad rep for the WWE, but Strowman is a better rep for the brand. Strowman will be the man eventually.

Because strowman doesn't exactly have Romans lineage or movie star good looks, nor would anyone ever be convinced of him being a heroic underdog. 

It's Vinny's Adonis complex. He wants that good looking patriotic hero who looks chiseled from granite. 

[Sparklefan1234 172,889]

3 hours ago, Denim&Venom said:

He wants that good looking patriotic hero who looks chiseled from granite. 

That worked out really well for Lex Luger in WWE. 

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

1 hour ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

That worked out really well for Lex Luger in WWE. 

Ah, but wwe isn't strapped for cash like it was back then. Ratings don't dictate squat anymore. There's no viable competition (yet) and over 2.5 million still watch every week. 

According to vinces bank account, Roman is the most profitable champion in history. 

[Sparklefan1234 172,889]

1 hour ago, Denim&Venom said:

Ah, but wwe isn't strapped for cash like it was back then. Ratings don't dictate squat anymore. There's no viable competition (yet) and over 2.5 million still watch every week. 

According to vinces bank account, Roman is the most profitable champion in history. 

Yeah, that's true. 

I don't dislike Roman Reigns to follow the crowd, I've just never understood the hype around any of the members of The Shield. 

[Castle Bleck 19,380]

@Sparklefan1234 @Pat 'The Blizzard' Thundersnow

 

When Strowman debuted (as part of The Wyatt Family), I saw him as just another generic Mighty Glacier.

 

...Needless to say, he proved me wrong -- big-time.

[Sparklefan1234 172,889]

Just now, A.V. said:

@Sparklefan1234 @Pat 'The Blizzard' Thundersnow

 

When Strowman debuted (as part of The Wyatt Family), I saw him as just another generic Mighty Glacier.

 

...Needless to say, he proved me wrong -- big-time.

I agree. 

Braun Strowman has proven to be pretty good at what he does despite only having a few years of experience in the wrestling business.

[Castle Bleck 19,380]

1 minute ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

I agree. 

Braun Strowman has proven to be pretty good at what he does despite only having a few years of experience in the wrestling business.

 

He can also be quite the underrated troll sometimes.

 

Just ask Elias, Owens, and The Bar.

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

1 hour ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

Yeah, that's true. 

I don't dislike Roman Reigns to follow the crowd, I've just never understood the hype around any of the members of The Shield. 

Roman could've worked, had he been given time to earn his way up. Have him feud for the mid card belts, earning his way up and gaining expirence. Drop the shield gimmick (cause him still wearing the gear and use the music post break up makes him look like the Jannetty of the team) and keep his aura as a strong silent type in tact.

Instead WWE rocketed him to the top over more deserving guys before he was ready, had him keep the old gimmick, and had him cut horribly written promos in a smug, smarmy tone. Everything that could've been done wrong, was. 

The shield as a whole was big news because it was WWE's first proper cool faction in years, and they worked well as a team. Dean Ambrose had huge hype from his days as the charismatic death match wrestler Jon Moxley. And Seth still had a good following from his days in ROH as Tyler Black. Nobody really gave a damn about Roman at first, mostly cause he wasn't supposed to be there. The shield was gonna be Ambrose, Rollins and Cassius Ohno, AKA Chris Hero. 

Basically the Shield did what the Nexus couldn't. Make new stars. 

 

1 hour ago, A.V. said:

@Sparklefan1234 @Pat 'The Blizzard' Thundersnow

 

When Strowman debuted (as part of The Wyatt Family), I saw him as just another generic Mighty Glacier.

 

...Needless to say, he proved me wrong -- big-time.

Amazing what time and persistence can do for ones career. Big men like Lashley, Wade Barrett, Sheamus, Davey Boy Jr. and even the Undertaker didn't work initially either, being pushed too fast, too soon.

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

Continuing coverage of the G1 Night 16

Spoiler

B Block

Things just got crazy.

Ishii/ Juice was alright. A bit clunky in the beginning but picked up near the end.  Ishii picks up the victory, and with that win, has beaten every champion in the G1. Speaking of beating champs, ZSJ once again beat Goto w/ the European clutch in another okay match. Tama got the upset win over Kota Ibushi with, as usual, BC:OG interference. Which lead to Omega running in for the save and Omega getting double team powerbombed for his efforts. Which leads into Omega vs. Yano.  Which was a nice comedy match, which was also cut short thanks to, yet again, the BC:OGs. This time it was Tama Gun stunning Omega and Yano, draping Yano over Omega for the win. The IWGP heavyweight champ. Lost to Toru freakin Yano, in the biggest points differential loss in G1 history, Kenny at 12 and Yano at 2. And in the main event, Naito defeated Sanada in a counter heavy match.  

So far the only 3 still in contention are Naito, Omega and Ibushi. Omega/Ibushi decides who wins the block final. But if Naito wins his next match against ZSJ and Ibushi/Omega goes to a draw, then he'll scrape by onto the finals ala Goto in 2016.            

Omega- 12 points

Naito- 12 points

Ibushi- 10 points

ZSJ- 10 points

Sanada- 8 points

Ishii- 8 points

Goto- 6 points

Tama Tonga- 6 points

Juice Robinson- 4 points

Toru Yano- 4 points

 

For real this time, onward to Budokan. 

 

[Patty Thundersnow 4,193]

On 8/10/2018 at 2:38 PM, Denim&Venom said:

Roman could've worked, had he been given time to earn his way up. Have him feud for the mid card belts, earning his way up and gaining expirence. Drop the shield gimmick (cause him still wearing the gear and use the music post break up makes him look like the Jannetty of the team) and keep his aura as a strong silent type in tact.

Instead WWE rocketed him to the top over more deserving guys before he was ready, had him keep the old gimmick, and had him cut horribly written promos in a smug, smarmy tone. Everything that could've been done wrong, was. 

The shield as a whole was big news because it was WWE's first proper cool faction in years, and they worked well as a team. Dean Ambrose had huge hype from his days as the charismatic death match wrestler Jon Moxley. And Seth still had a good following from his days in ROH as Tyler Black. Nobody really gave a damn about Roman at first, mostly cause he wasn't supposed to be there. The shield was gonna be Ambrose, Rollins and Cassius Ohno, AKA Chris Hero. 

Basically the Shield did what the Nexus couldn't. Make new stars. 

 

Amazing what time and persistence can do for ones career. Big men like Lashley, Wade Barrett, Sheamus, Davey Boy Jr. and even the Undertaker didn't work initially either, being pushed too fast, too soon.

Strowman definately got pushed into the main roster too fast. Another year in NXT would have been a good idea for him. But now, he's really bloomed into one of WWE's best big men. It's just a matter of time before he achives the brass ring that everyone's going after (and that the worst WWE champion ever has had for WAY too long).

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

Continuing coverage of nights 17 & 18 of the G1.

Spoiler

A Block

Makabe up his score to six against Elgin in a battle of big dudes. Hashi bested Hangman in a nice little bout. Suzuki and Fale brawled  in an ugly slug fest, but as you can guess, ended in a DQ win for Suzuki. Evil halted Switchblade's path of destruction. And in our glorious main event, we had another classic Tanahashi vs. Okada bout. And just like last tiem these two fought, it ended in a time limit draw. Except this time, that one point from the draw was just enough to secure Tana his place in the Final. 

The A in A Block truly stands for Ace after all. 

Okada- 13 points 

Switchblade- 12 points

Suzuki- 10 points

Evil- 10 points

Mike Elgin- 6 points 

Fale- 6 points

Togi Makabe- 6 points

Hangman- 6 points

Yoshi-Hashi- 6 points

Your A Block Winner: 

 

 

C Block

 

Now before we move on to B Block we must talk about the final of the newly established C Block. Competitors not in the G1 now get to fight for a consolation trophy of their own. One match. One fall. One trophy of a golden thumbs up. 

And that was won by Dave Finlay Jr. and Mike Elgin substituting for an injured Jado after the win over Shota Umino and Toa Hanare. Finlay is now the inaugural C Block champion. It's what the people want. 

 

Your C Block Winner:

 

Rumor has it well be getting defenses of that trophy. 

 

 

B Block

Yano beat Tama via DQ. No suprise. What was a bit of a surprise was all the officials gathering to force the Tongan OGs out of the building afterwords. They were even accompanied by Chairman Sugubayashi and President Meij. We might not be seeing the firing squad for a while. Juice finally bested Goto in a champion vs. champion bout. Ishii finished strong against Sanada in a great match. ZSJ shocked everyone after countering Naito's Destino into a Michinoku driver, now rechristened the Zack driver by the inventor himself. And in the much anticipated main event, Ibushi continued his winning ways against Omega in a pretty good bout. 

B Block is still best block.

Ibushi- 12 points

Omega- 12 points

Naito- 12 points

ZSJ- 12 points

Ishii- 10 points

Sanada- 8 points

Goto- 6 points

Tama Tonga- 6 points

Toru Yano- 6 points

Juice Robinson- 6 points

 

Your B Block Winner:

 

Tomorrow I'll be covering the final. 

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

Before I review the Final Night of G1 action, it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you all of the passing of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. 

http://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/24365302/jim-anvil-neidhart-dies-age-63

 

May his legacy live on. 

[BrawnyCharger 513]

Just now, Denim&Venom said:

Before I review the Final Night of G1 action, it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you all of the passing of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. 

http://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/24365302/jim-anvil-neidhart-dies-age-63

 

May his legacy live on. 

That only leaves Bret as the only Hart Foundation member left. I hope that Anvil as well as Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, and Owen Hart get their due in the Hall of Fame soon. Individually or as a faction.

Long live the Hart Foundation!

[Unicorncob 5,703]

BIG DADDY DEAN IS BACK

[Sparklefan1234 172,889]

WWE2K19 will have a Showcase Mode centered around Daniel Bryan this year! 

 

https://wwe.2k.com/news/wwe-2k19-daniel-bryan-showcase/

[Denim&Venöm 19,341]

More Being The Elite! Now 619% more cooler. 

 

[BrawnyCharger 513]

Summerslam 2017.

The 30th annual Summerslam it takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the third straight year. The opener between John Cena and Baron Corbin wasn't all that good. I would have had Baron not cash in the Smackdown before and let him keep the briefcase until a later date, even cashing it in here at Summerslam would have been good. I also would have had Baron win over Cena. Natalya challenging Naomi for the Smackdown Women's Championship match was okay, nothing special just decent. It was cool seeing Natalya win the gold. The Big Cass/Big Show with Enzo locked in a shark cage was a boring. Although It's nice to see Big Cass win in his hometown, he's still not ready for the big push. Best not talk about the Randy Orton/Rusev. The show picks up from here. The Sasha Banks/Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women's Championship was a solid match. It's a shame that Sasha regaining the title would only last a week before losing it back to Alexa on Raw. Next is Finn Balor VS Bray Wyatt. First off let me say that although this is the PG Era, both Bray and Demon King Balor can provide nightmare fuel. Somehow I feel they'd fit in right with the Attitude Era. A good match with a strong performance from Balor. Next is the Raw Tag Title match with the two most popular former Shield members, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins challenging Sheamus and Cesaro for the titles. During the match, a number of the audience in the front rows were playing with a beach ball. luckily I didn't notice it until Cesaro went into the stands to take it away and deflate it. I had to rewind in order to see it. The match itself was exciting with the 2 Shield members winning the titles. Next is AJ Styles VS Kevin Owens for the US Championship with Shane McMahon as special guest referee. The match was very good, but from what I've read, these two have already had many matches with each other in the two months building up to this match. Now for the WWE Championship. Jinder Mahal defending against Shinsuke Nakamura. The match itself was average, but I feel that either Nakamura should have won or Baron Corbin should have cashed in his MITB here and won. I heard from others that Jinder Mahal was not a popular WWE Champion with fans. Now for the Main Event. A Fatal 4 Way match for the WWE Universal championship with Brock Lesnar defending against Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe. This match ties with the Raw Tag Title match for Match of the Night. Strowman puts Lesnar through 2 announce tables and flips the third onto him. I'm at least glad Roman did his part in the match instead of napping. Lesnar returned and retained the title, but the true star of the match was Braun Strowman. I predict an eventual championship reign for him in the future.

Overall I thought this was a decent Summerslam. Two excellent matches but still could have been better, I would have had The Miz defend the Intercontinental Championship here instead of a six man tag on the pre-show, and I would have had either Nakamura or Corbin leave with the WWE Championship. This isn't the worst Summerslam, but could be better.

What did you think of Summerslam 2017?

I'll keep an eye out for copies of Summerslams 2009, 2013, and 2014. I also plan on getting the 30 years of Summerslam 3 disc DVD set.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,193]

On 8/14/2018 at 7:45 PM, Sparklefan1234 said:

WWE2K19 will have a Showcase Mode centered around Daniel Bryan this year! 

 

https://wwe.2k.com/news/wwe-2k19-daniel-bryan-showcase/

About time they brought back showcase mode, and with Daniel Bryan as well. Can't wait.