NXT Toki エネクスチ時3: Toki Toki: April 22 and April 29

Some complications have clogged up the works at Mondo Headquarters. Therefore this past week’s NXT report is delayed, but I am determined to serve it up. Last week’s report also fell by the wayside so we’ll start this edition of NXT Toki with highlights of the show the week before.

NXT 4.22  Highlights

Finn Balor ran through Ty Dillinger in a straight up squash match, establishing a routine series of moves that spell out success for the former NJPW Bullet Club breakout star. Things started with him floating over Ty as he attempted a charge in the corner and chopping him across the chest. We also see Finn hit the Sling Blade (a move in the arsenal of NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi), a massive Drop Kick that blasts the oponents off his feet and into the corner, and the coup de grace (double foot stomp off the top ropes) finisher for the win.

As Balor made his way up the ramp, Tyler Breeze appeared on the monitor to cut a more sulky less arrogant promo on how he is sick of the attention Balor has been getting and plans to return the attention to himself. It’s an effective visual that sets up an interesting program between the quickly made Balor and the long time NXT competitor looking to break out in Breeze.

Bailey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte had a fantastic triple threat match for the number one contender spot to the women’s title. The match started out with the women hitting each other hard. It soon shifted to a battle of submission holds, with Charlotte and Becky both working over Bailey’s legs. 

Lynch tried to get Bailey into a Superplex but Charlotte walked her away from the ropes on her shoulders, setting up for Bailey to hit an elbow off the top as Charlotte dropped Becky with a Power Bomb. This was a huge spot that looked like the Road Warriors’ Doomsday Device at first, but was really something even more devastating. Charlotte later trapped Bailey in an amazing improvisation on the Figure Four called the Figure 8, which finds her applying her father’s classic submission and propping herself way up on extended arms to exert more pressure. Becky, still devastated from the double team move and a Belly to Bailey Suplex crawled over and put an arm over Bailey for the win. 

Hideo Itami defeated CJ Parker in another fairly one sided fight. Most notably, Hideo added a new move to his repertoire: a lightning quick leg sweep that starts with the CJ’s leg being grabbed to set up for a Dragon Screw Leg Whip, but is then switched to Hideo’s other hand as he lowers himself, spins, and sweeps out his leg. I’m fairly certain this is an old move from Itami’s Kenta days as I got a flash of an arcade game I played in a Tokyo Game Center around 1999 featuring All Japan and NOAH Wrestlers. I can recall with near certainty a character with yellow tights pulling off this same sharp looking move.

Kevin Owens once again defeated Alex Reilly. This time, when Owens went to hurt Reilly after the match, Zayn made a sudden appearance and dived onto Owens from the top turnbuckle to break up the attack. It was a moment that got the fans psyched for this red hot feud to once again resume.

And Now for this past Wednesday’s edition of NXT:

The show begins with footage of Owens defeating Alex Reilly and being attacked by Sami Zayn before he could inflict post-match damage injury on his opponent.

Owens comes to the ring, calmly belittles the crowd as they launch into a lengthy ‘ole’ chant in support of Zayn, and challenges the former NXT champion to come to the ring. Regal appears instead and confronts Owens in the ring, followed by the arrival of Zayn himself.

Regal makes a match between the two for the title at Arrival on May 20. But Owens answers with some wonderfully weasel-ish heel techniques, saying he wanted a match but never offered for it to be for the title. He questioned what Zayn had done to deserve it, and even asked how wrestlers can earn title shots just by attacking people by surprise, which is exactly what Owens had done himself in his debut.

Zayn gets in Owens’ head, first suggesting that for 12 years Owens has been living in Zayn’s shadows, and then coming right out and saying it directly.  Owens is goaded into agreeing to the match and the two are set for this much anticipated rematch from the last NXT special.

Carmella is sidled up to by the tag tea champions Blake and Wesley who ask her how she’s doing?  She shoes them away, leading to an Alexa Bliss with shades of an attitude adjustment questioning her manners. Carmella smacks her, and Bliss and the tag tea champs appear as though they may be on the same page. And wow, the WWE Performance Center has a lovely spacious and modern kitchen lounge area, where this vignette took place.

An unhinged Alex Reilly barges into Regal’s office as Zayn signs the contract for his rematch. Reilly demands another shot at Owens to which Zayn suggests Reilly back down for the time being. Reilly, feeling condescended to by Zayne’s suggestion to ‘hang in there’ tells the former NXT Champ to stay out of it, and quickly a match between these two is made.

Enzo Amore and Collin Cassady VS Blake and Murphy

Cass and Amore with Carmella come to the ring. Amore has stepped up his look with a leopard print gangsta kerchief pulled up over his face. ‘Team dubstep’ come to the ring next. Cass and Amore’s promo leads the crowd to chant ‘sweet boys’ at Blake and Murphy.

Enzo starts in the ring against Blake and after a lock up, Enzo is quickly slammed down into the tag team champs’ corner. Enzo tries to hit a big splash on Blake and Murphy but they side step. Blake turns his attention to Carmella, allowing Cass to hit a big boot off the distraction. Amore and Cass hit their finisher, with Cass passing Amore overhead and down onto Blake for the pin. This nontitle match win will likely lead to a title match between the two teams at Takeover.

Becky Lynch has a promo in the back about how much winning the NXT Women’s championship would mean to her.

Bailey is in the backstage area with Devon and is frazzled by a need to find her accessories, which apparently Emma has and prepare for her match.

A video promo is shown of Baron Corbin, yet another wrestler who seems to be getting the attitude adjustment treatment; seems NXT is quick to try something new when members of the roster lose momentum. He has a Sons of Anarchy-esque type font in the background and talks of rules not applying to him.

It’s a battle of terrible sound-alike entrance themes as an Owl City sound alike (Bailey) takes on an Evanescene sound alike (Dana Brooke). As much as I don’t like the themes, both do seem appropriate in matching the energy these wrestlers carry themselves to the ring with.

Bailey puts Brooke in an arm bar but Brooke reverses and slams Bailey down by her hair. Brooke hits an impressive looking slam out of a fireman’s carry on Bailey. Bailey hit a big leaping charge into Brooke in the corner and somersaults backwards out of it. As Bailey is poised on the top rope, her music suddenly hits and out comes Emma with her missing gear. Bailey continues her assault but can’t shake the distraction by Emma. Brooke capitalizes and wins with the Avalanche.

Regal announces a triple threat number 1 contenders match for Takeover between Hideo Itami, Finn Balor,and Tyler Breeze, which is bound to be excellent and very competitive.

Hideo Itami VS Adam Rose

The two lock up. Rose escapes and rolls around and around and around the ring. Itami answers the spectacle with a hard chop. Hideo hits this amazing looking reverse leg sweep after catching his opponent’s leg in what looks like a Dragon Screw Leg Whip set up, also featured in his match on last week’s show. It’s followed by a pose that is strikingly similar to Okada’s Rainmaker stance. The Shot Gun Kick follows soon after for Itami to pick up the quick victory.

Bailey is searching backstage for Emma, telling someone behind a camera that she is getting her stuff back.

Becky Lynch VS Sarah Dawson

The two lock up in a test of strength. Becky gets the advantage and a leg lock, which is reversed into a roll up by Dawson. Becky answers with a drop kick. Lynch locks in an arm bar, which she switches up, putting Dawson’s arm between her legs and wrenching it way back to pick up the submission. It is another display of versatility on the part of Lynch, who has shown off numerous ways to make opponents tap out during her stint in NXT thus far. If things take their course and she has a 1 on 1 match with current NXT Women’s champ Sasha Banks, it is also destined for greatness.

Rhyno is in what looks like a basement by the building’s circuit breaker, for some reason, and says he heard what Baron Corbin is about. Rhyno tells him that he enjoys inflicting pain and these two are also apparently set to collide.

Alex Reilly VS Sami Zayn

The two lock up and Zayn is backed into a corner. The grappling continues with Reilly landing an arm drag and keeping the pressure on Zayn’s arm. Owens has joined the commentary team and in his cool demeanor, runs down both Zayn and Reilly. Reily hits a fireman’s carry into a cutter maneuver and attempts a pin.

Zayn reversed the momentum with a tope onto Reilly on the outside, when he is bashed from behind by Owens. Owens feigns walking away and then he runs back toward Reilly and power bombs him on the ring apron. Owens walks backward up the ramp leaving Zayn hurt as the show goes off the air.

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A LOT is being packed into 1 show these days, with this episode being the most busy of to date, but not at all in a bad way. Matches are few in number but give a good taste of action. There is a good dose of 1 sided matches showcasing the abilities of some talent while slightly more competitive matches are held to build up toward the feuds that will be given a more substantial length to play out on the special. Meanwhile, there are numerous quick moving promos and segments for the short attention span set. The feud between Owens and Zayn has escalated with Zayn referencing the pair’s past and Owens doing a fantastic job playing a calculating villain with signs of insecurities threatening to unravel his demeanor.

Twitter: @mondocurrymark

Facebook: Mondo Pro Wrestling

Your feedback is appreciated.

NXT Toki エネクスチ時 1: April 8, 2015

Thinking about what to do and came to the conclusion: why not recap and comment on episodes of NXT? I wanted to keep things more open and free from structure, to just riff on what got my attention in the wrestling world from week to week. But a couple things have removed other wrestling promotions from the conversation, in a sense.

1)   TNA. I’m just done. I thought there was some excitement when Impact was still on SPIKE and the possibility of it closing its doors was looming. How would the company prove its relevance? And then, when it moved to far less widely known station, Destination America, but with a larger presence there, the question became ‘how would it reinvent itself?’ The answers soon became evident: Not really making much effort to do either. Same silly stories, same rushed pace, same, or perhaps more, investment in goofy promotional campaigns, like ‘superlatives’ that seem like it’s about some generic reality tv project, not pro wrestling. Furthermore,  very few compelling matches and misuse of talent, making the top guy someone who is was past his prime and should be giving the shine to up and coming talent. While I’d be glad to hear about any exciting developments that may happen in Dixieland, I don’t plan to watch or chronicle here for the time being.

2)   Ring Of Honor: Actually, this is a great wrestling promotion, despite whatever may be holding it back from growing. I’m sure I’ll be speaking about it here and there, especially considering its connection with New Japan Pro Wrestling, a relationship that gives both promotions a sense of worldliness and vitality. However, with the mystifying policy of making viewers that don’t have access to it on television pay to see the most up to date episodes of its tv show, which I’m not sure owes more to ROH or its parent company the Sinclair Broadcast Group, reviewing it from week to week seems pointless. Especially when you can live in New York City and its surroundings, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and many parts of California, have cable, and still not receive it.

3)  Lucha Underground has a unique program, but it may be going on hiatus. Besides that, while I enjoy a lot of the show, I can’t help but feel it is a product that exists in a bit of a bubble. There are familiar faces, though many of them are of the past or lacking relevance. Still, after several months I am not a big fan of the overproduced feel, and I liken it to watching a wrestling show within a fictional drama. It is very cool to watch the luchadores from Mexico, but I get a sense that what those stars are doing in heavily affiliated Mexican promotion AAA holds far more weight. I am sure I will give some mentions to some of the more remarkable talent and angles, but I cannot see myself devoting too much time to watching anymore or documenting, with NJPW proving to be so captivating.

4)   And finally, there is WWE. With a presence as major as that of WWE, I am not going to feign disinterest. In many ways, it is the trendsetter. And the path to Wrestlemania, as well as the event itself, held a LOT of intrigue. However, having come down from the huge party, some realizations came into focus. I am a HUGE fan of Brock Lesnar and was looking to his new contract with WWE to mean more involvement. He is still going to be a ghost most of the time. That could be fine, it means when he is in the picture it is more exciting and not played out. But it leaves you to face the rest of what WWE is offering up on its weekly RAW and SMACKDOWN programs, which isn’t much. Storylines and match outcomes are pretty much maintaining the status quo. A mark has been made in terms of new talent coming in from NXT. This improves match quality, so I feel I can keep an eye on RAW and SMACKDOWN for the occasional good match. Beyond that, I’ll probably report on the specials and give the following of RAW and SMACKDOWN a bit of a rest.

So here we are back with NXT, giving a solid hour of wrestling every week to those with the WWE Network, Hulu Plus, as well as those who know how to find their way around the internet. It finds itself in the unique position of being owned, without casting any illusions to the contrary, by WWE,  but growing in stature. Triple H and many of the wrestlers on the roster have made a point of saying, “it is a brand in itself.” So going with that notion, and considering it is home to two key figures in recent Japanese wrestling history in Finn Balor (former Bullet Club member and IWGP Junior heavyweight champion Prince Devitt, and Hideo Itami, who has achieved legendary status wrestling under his real name Kenta Kobayashi in the organizations NOAH and All Japan Pro Wrestling. So let’s start taking a close look at the week to week of NXT, with this especially apropos episode focusing on Itami’s path to his first Wrestlemania.

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The show begins with a look at the buzz of activity among fans and performers, and then the scheduled NXT tournament at AXXESS Wrestlemania, an annual event giving fans the chance to interact with WWE talent held days before Wrestlemania. We are reminded that the tournament winner would go on to participate in the Andre ‘The Giant’ Memorial Battle Royale taking place in the preshow right before Wrestlemania proper began. Highlights of first round matches are shown, in which Finn Balor defeated Baron Corbinn with a surprise rollup, Tyler Breeze beat Bull Dempsey with the Beauty Shoct, Hideo Itami won his match against Jason Jordan with his Shotgun Kick, and Adrian Neville defeated Kalisto with his Red Arrow splash from the top turnbuckle.

The show picks up from here showing the remaining matches in the tournament.

Hideo Itami Vs Adrian Neville

The match: Itami attempted some roundhouse kick's which Neville backed away from. Neville grounded Itami forcing him into a wristlock Wich Itami was able to reverse a few moments later. Hideo hit a big roundhouse kick that sent Neville to the corner to regroup. Itami landed a stiff penalty kick to a seated Neville, and then clotheslined him to the outside. Neville regained control after not giving a clean break in the corner. He hit a snap suplex on Hideo. Hideothen hit an interesting tornado DDT that snapped Neville’s head onto the top row.

Hideo lifted Neville into a GTS position but he escaped to the corner and hit a huge super kick leading to a near fall on Itami. Hideo would pick up the win with his Shotgun Kick, a running dropkick off the ropes with one foot making impact, and the pin. Hideo showed off a much bigger variety of moves then he usually does on the weekly NXT program filmed in the WWE Performance Center. Perhaps being in front of a big crowd charged him up.

Finn Balor vs Tyler Breeze

Before the match: Balor is shown coming to the ring as Tyler breeze looks himself over on his cell phone cam, propped up on a turnbuckle.

The match: Balor mocks Tyler breeze by lying down across the top turnbuckle to pose. At one point, Breeze missed a splash in the corner and Balor kicked him in the chest, sending ‘Prince Pretty’ a few feet into the air. Balor reverses a sunset flip into a huge dropkick to Breeze’s chin.

Balor hits his massive running dropkick that sends Breeze into the corner and then finishes him off with the coup de grace, a double foot stomp off the top turnbuckle, for the win.

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A promo for Dana Brooke is shown, and she will be on an NXT the following week. With Charlotte’s move to the main WWE roster seeming closer and closer, Brooke looks to be ready to fill a top babyface position among the NXT women’s wrestlers. I can see her moving quickly through the ranks to set up as challenger to Sasha Banks at the next NXT special.

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Hideo Itami vs Finn Balor

Before the match: Itami comes in first. Balor is next, without facepaint, but is still making a more theatrical entrance than before his match with Breeze.

During the match: Both wrestlers engage in a quick series of armbar reversals until Hideo takes Balor down with a single leg takedown. Balor hits a big dropkick to Hideo as Itami runs off the ropes. Itami tries the same spinning tornado DDT as in his match with Neville, but Balor rotates Hideo back onto the turnbuckle and hits a big enzuguri.

Itami takes Balor down with a combination of strikes and kicks, but Balor and Itami then both manage to hit pele kicks to drop one another to the mat at the same time. Balor hits his big running dropkick knocking to Itami into a corner. He goes to the top rope but Hideo crotches him, sets up the GTS, but is countered with a roll up. Hideo comes out of the corner with the shotgun kick and pins Balor for the victory.

After the match: Hideo points toward the Wrestlemania sign above the bleachers. He and Balor shake hands and embrace in the ring, still no tease of a feud between these two. It should be noted that this is the second tournament in which the two friends have competed against one another. They now hold one victory each

With the winner of the tournament revealed, for anyone who had not already followed the course of events Wrestlemania weekend, the show shifted gears to focus on Hideo’s journey from signing a contract with the WWE til now. Clips are shown from the press conference in Japan where Hideo, then Kenta, signs the contract, followed by Kenta speaking in front of fans with Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart.

Clips are shown of Triple H and Daniel Bryan speaking about Itami. Bryan focuses on the strength of Itami’s kicks.

Itami is shown backstage after his Axxess win, taking pictures with Triple H, as well as Hall of Fame inductee Tatsumi Fujinami. 

We are then taken to the San Jose University arena where the Friday night live NXT event would be held. Itami is seen taking in the empty arena with his children. Clips from Itami’s match that night with Tyler Breeze are shown, including when he hits the GTS to a huge audience reaction. Clips of more superstars speaking about Itami are shown, including Hogan pointing out that Itami is the originator of the move.

Next, Itami’s limousine ride to Levi stadium on the way to Wrestlemania is shown. Itami is shown early in the day walking around the vast arena and taking photos. Next, cameras zoom in on Itami as the battle royale is in progress. He is shown delivering a series of kicks to Bo Dallas before eliminating him. We are then shown Itami’s elimination at the hands of The Big Show, who delivers a big knock out punch to Itami on the ring apron. Itami is shown walking to the back as fans audibly chant his name. In the backstage area he is congratulated for being in that event by numerous superstars on both the WWE and a next your roster.

What could have appeared like an insignificant appearance was framed as a triumphant success story. It makes it seem as though a lot is being invested in Itami, and he has a bright future ahead of him in the WWE. He has the move set of a crossover fighter with a martial arts and professional wrestling background, and the size to play the underdog that rises to the challenge of more physically intimidating opponents. Perhaps we are building to a Wrestlemania 32 match in 2016 pitting Hideo Itami against The Big Show in a singles match?

Comments and questions welcome in the box below.

Twitter: @mondocurryMARK

A Week in Mondo 11.10-11.14

2 hours in and awakening from a bit of a RAW coma that usually sets in about now, if I decide to watch live. I’ve found skimming through the following day can be a bit less painless. But thought I’d try another alternative: step away from the 180 minute plus marathon (don’t worry, it’s on in the background) and the barrage of live tweeting, and do some writing about the previous week in wrestling. And if they’re all like last week, it would be a pleasure. Between a fantastic NXT, a Smackdown with a couple very bright spots, a Lucha Underground that finds the show coming into its own, and a RAW which, at the very least, shows signs of shaking off some of the shackles of monotony and getting on a few interesting turn arounds and returns. TNA was…there. All this and not a minute left to devote to ROH or New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Let’s start with NXT, the crown jewel and saving grace of the Network, which was firing on all cylinders this past week. If they are turning up the intensity to showcase what prospective subscribers can get as they get their free preview of the Network this November, then job well done and mission accomplished. But since this is a show with several episodes taped at once and in advance, it’s more likely the result of careful planning and inspired booking. Finn Balor , the WFKA Prince Devitt, came out looking ripped, delivered a solid promo to be interrupted by Tyson Kidd, one of the brand’s best talkers who would make a mark on Smackdown this same week. It lead to a swift and satisfying tag team match in which Finn and Hideo Itami, the WFKA Kenta, took out Kidd and Justin Gabriel with a battery of brutal kicks, and an impossibly fluid flying takedown by Finn onto Kidd and Gabriel on the outside.

The Lucha Dragons also defended their titles in a solid tagteam match, with the wrestler presently known as Sin Cara redeeming the name Sin Cara and Kalisto hitting an incredible flip to the outside. I hope these guys are treated right; they are surpassing my expectations when they first started teaming together.

Finally, there’s nothing like a main event that you feel invested in, that features teo very strong competitors, and a result has consequence. This is what we got in Sami Zayn’s match taking on Adrian Neville. After a match that was surely a tease of just how far these two can go, we get a shady screw job of sorts with Zayn checking on Neville, who is claiming an injured knee after missing his brilliant arial Red Arrow finisher from the top. It might’ve felt a bit gimmicky but some smart moves were made keeping things up in the air as far as Neville’s heel status – not quite a full turn – and the fact that the injury could’ve been legit, at least a legit work and not Neville making it up all along. It is likely to build to increasing tension between the two and a very impressive title match between the two at the Next NXT special.

Ok, time for some conjecture. I know the mode of NXT thus far has been to groom and push talent until they are ready for the eventual move up to the main Roster, where they either rise to the top (The Shield, Rusev) or simply round out the roster (Bo Dallas, Adam Rose). But with newly acquired superstars in their own right like Kenta and Devitt, along with mainstays who had come on the scene with their own trail of experience behind them (Zayn/El Generico, Neville/PAC) what if there were a shift to make NXT more of a destination of its own? What if completely in house wrestlers continued to be prepared for the main roster – I can see Tyler Breeze on his way – but keeping the guys mentioned before, soon to be joined by Kevin Steen, as a focal point of a very slick talent-centric brand? Could it function like this in a 2 hour mode? Really make the Network appealing? Bring in other reputable guys from other companies and indies before Lucha Underground and hmmm, maybe Global Force Wrestling grab them up? Have them remain the center of NXT’s action while making occasional appearances on the main roster? I can imagine this rebooted NXT giving us dream matches between, say Devitt and a some day acquired Austin Aries…

Let’s get into the other hour long show to hit airwaves this week, Lucha Underground. Before this third week, I did not have much love for the show. I harped on the fact that it felt overproduced and the audience reactions, a steady level of shouting from beginning to end with no ups and downs, did not feel hard earned, thus not genuine. It did not help that its home, the El Rey Network is not easy to come by. I don’t get it. So, watching it after the fact through dubious sources takes a bit of the shine off the experience. Yet the important thing is week 3 is making the vibe of the show gel together. A bigger assortment of wrestlers have been introduced, with some guys maintaining a steady presence and others adding some nice variety to the mix. Unsurprisingly, the thing that brought it home for me was closest to what an outsider like myself might consider a traditional lucha match: a triple threat showdown between three masked luchadors. It was filled with mind blowing spots. I want more of this. While I appreciate the desire to show something encapsulating a number of styles, I have a lot less interest in the non-lucha guys so far. Am I compelled to make my way to week 4, though? Absolutely.

It’s hard to say much about TNA. Not in it’s lowest of lows, but far from great, it is showing slow and steady signs of improvement that are sadly too late, as it doesn’t seem like it has a future. I didn't see all of it. As for what was worth talking about, I’ve got to shout out Samuel Shaw. After being handed terrible gimmick after terrible gimmick, the guy has maintained a charisma and a decent showing throughout. The crazy couple gimmick he is in now with Brittany is actually pretty good. The black rubber gloves he wears during matches is a nice freakish touch. So, while it may all be moot anyway, it pains me to see them treat him as a throw away character time and again, as in book him to lose. In a decent hardcore match, he lost to Gunner who is physically impressive, but as a well-rounded pro wrestler with a vision, I’m left cold. Him no selling excruciating looking spots does not impress. Neither does yelling crass obscenities in the heel valet’s face, not if you’re trying to get over as a face anyway.  This doesn't strike me as a persona with a future. On the other hand, Shaw and Brittany running wild like Woody and Juliette in Natural Born Killers is an intriguing pair that is far more deserving of a push. Aries was solid as always and helped made the match with Lashley a good one.  To me he is the guy most deserving of greener pastures if TNA can’t make it to 2015.

OK then, as far as the big leagues. Smackdown continues to prove my theory that it has a team of writers and bookers behind it doing better work than the RAW crew. For whatever reason, maybe as simple as the fact that 3 hours is bloated and 2 hours is less excess to muck around with? Matches for the most part seem better, and here I’ll only talk about one: Ziggler vs Tyson Kidd vs Cesaro. This was some of the best spot-filled wrestling action I’ve seen, well worth seeking out and giving a look. Aside from the odd decision to add a stipulation that it was an elimination match, which seemed to only serve the purpose of continuing the burial of Cesaro and giving fodder for the uninspiring commentary team to tee off on Kidd, it was an excellent showcase of their talent.

And finally, the monstrosity, the juggernaut…RAW. After week after week of frustrating booking centered around the same 4 – 6 talents, it is nice to see them putting some new moves in motion. The emergence of Luke Harper on the main event scene was odd, but very welcome. The guy is extremely talented. The return of Ryback, while going through some muddled turns this week, is a nice change up as well. Goes to show, sometimes the best way to make us want someone is to make them go away for a while. Hard to believe this is the same guy who has been in mediocre heel tag team purgatory for such a long time. I wonder how long he will keep our interest? It seems as long as you let people chant feed me more, he’s golden.  For now, it gives much needed options. I’m guessing the absence of Orton will have a similar effect on him when he makes his return.

Last of all, I’ll talk about one of my favorite things to see on Raw and Smackdown: the heel turn of Adam Rose. While not an important figure, I love seeing plans gone awry being problem solved, and the tweaking of the obvious miss of a baby face gimmick into heel territory is a nice correction. Watching him work heel, you can see it is a very natural fit. They could’ve made him disappear completely and return to his South African brutalizer persona once worn in NXT, but I actually think the Adam Rose heel twist is perfect. When I first saw Rose on NXT, he was in fact a heel for me. That generic soulless light beer commercial theme song, the trendy followers all scream heel. I hope he keeps all of this moving forward. All he had to do was grow a bit more facial hair, apply that eye liner a bit more heavily, and make his facial expressions a bit more vain and superficial looking and I’m sold on an entertaining villain. Add in one of my favorite forms of heel heat – beating up the mascot – and we’ve got a really good thing going. One must remember that with WWE, you never know if their end game is what makes sense or the result of other agendas. If they are pushing Rose toward a match with the Bunny, and putting the Bunny over for cheap comedy, it will be seriously painful. Hopefully they get whatever that is out of their system and keep Adam Rose the heel with the empty headed entourage. I can see some solid feuds with Chris Jericho, the new incarnation of Woods, Kofi, and Big E, or even some fodder for the once again fan favorite Ryback being solid wrestling.

I love to dole out opinions and welcome yours. Leave some feedback, let the verbal throw down begin! And catch me on twitter @mondocurrymark