Wednesday

Two weeks ago, there was a flurry of excitement over Ring of Honor's television show being broadcast on Destination America, an outlet with far more reach than their already existing home of Sinclair, and already host to rival pro wrestling promotion TNA. Last week, the Ring of Honor did in fact precede TNA's Impact. People watched, tweeted, cheered, moaned, and now things are moving along like it's business as usual.

As someone with a lot of excitement over ROH's arrival on a television station I can actually view, I will make no bones about receiving last week's show with a bit of disappointment. This reaction is tempered, though, by factors that not all may be aware of, but should keep in mind, and overall optimistic for some very good things to come. That is, if the forces behind Ring of Honor gives some careful consideration to how they hope to be perceived and act on them in a hurry,

There was very solid wrestling on the program, kicking off with Kushida taking on Will Ferrara in a match from the final night of the Global Wars series. Once again, I can't resist taking the opportunity to point out how much Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling can benefit from continuing to highlight their connection. Case in point here, it should be made widely known that Kushida just emerged as the winner of NJPW's annual Best Of The Super Jr's tournament built around smaller and extremely agile wrestlers, thus adding a lot of prestige to having such a wrestler appear on their show. While we're at it, lets also note that ROH regular and one half of the tag team reDRagon was the other competitor in the finals against Kushida, an incredible match available to view via NJPW World. The transition sequences and opening credits seemed a bit more spiffed up from what I am used to seeing on ROH's website, made available 1 week after the Sinclair tv airing. There was a throw away match emphasizing Moose's rise in the ranks, which featured something that actually put the segment in the negative column (I'll get into that afterwards), and a tag team match essentially adding to the build to the next PPV main event match between Heavyweight champion Jay Briscoe and Television  champion Jay Lethal. The show was also marked by the inclusion of promos that were a bit more colorful than usual - getting outside the building indeed helps - also banging the drum for the upcoming champion vs champion match and effectively making it out to be a big deal.

The disappointment I had with the program was not over this being a bad show. Rather it was a 'just ok' show. This is fine, but not what you hope to see as a program makes what is in effect a 'debut.' Expectation levels for me and others were very high, though, and sitting back and watching the show broadcast on television, suddenly I found myself realizing the types of things that seem indispensable wrestling program in a prime time television slot: A clearly defined roster. As a casual viewer, I had no qualms about tuning in to see impressive matches between wrestlers from around the indies and ROH regulars. For a program to be followed routinely, I want to know who is an important focus of the show, who will be there from week to week, and what is their place in the scheme of things. Part timers are welcome, but a large degree of continuity is important, and for first time viewers, I would hope for a large number of characters to be established or even just partially introduced through quick vignettes, promo cutting, interviews as well as matches. The show was very thin in this department.

While we did see the Briscoes in actions, whose names have come to be synonymous with Ring of Honor, their opponents lacked character. They are up and comers, and their association with Lethal and the House of Truth roster makes them logical opponents for Jay and Mark. But, this being a debut show for many, vivid personalities on both sides of the main event would make for a stronger... errr, what's the word I'm looking for...im....pression, impression, yeah that's it.

In regard to these stumbling blocks, there are some reasonable defenses to keep in mind. Namely, numerous sources have reported that the deal between ROH and Destination America came together very quickly, and it was an impromptu scheduling of the premiere. Rather than plan a relaunch, Ring of Honor has probably simply taken a show that was already plotted in the course of its run on Sinclair, perhaps already produced even, and dressed it up a tad bit before putting it out on its new cable home. The move may have caught Ring Of Honor by surprise, but they now have a chance to gear up and if they do it quickly, they stand to impress and pull in a much wider audience.

I eluded to another issue I had, one that does not concern the fact that this was its debut. During a match that was supposed to be between the leader of The Decade, BJ Whitmere and Moose, Whitmere dodged his would be opponent and put young boy (wrestle speak for an apprentice who is treated like an indentured servant) Colby Corino, son of veteran wrestler and current commentator Steve Corino, into the unenviable position of facing off against the physically dominant Moose. During what could only be considered a match in the loosest sense of the word,the younger Corino was dismantled with extra physical abuse heaped on, including being repeatedly Power Bombed into the ring apron on the outside of the ring. Anyone seeing this would think TNA was not the only wrestling program on Wednesday night whose repercussions should have included an obituary.

It was peculiar not only in that CC was not collected on a stretcher, but that papa Steve, sitting right there on commentary, showed hardly a bit of concern. One would think at the least he would stand up, hold his head. I would've found it most appropriate if he came running to the scene of the crime to plead with Moose and his associates to call off the attack. How confusing it must've been for a new viewer, accustomed to serial pro wrestling where all or most characters on the scene participate in the story being told.

I feel like this does a huge disservice to the suspension of disbelief while watching pro wresting, and undercuts all of the stories told during match. It's important to keep in mind, although Colby is supposed to be portraying a wrestler in trainer, he does not have a wrestler's build in the slightest. He looks like a typical guy....no, a kid sitting in the audience, and a scrawny one at that. Before this show, I'd seen a similar scenario go down during the second War of the Worlds show in Philadelphia. After interference from Corino during a match between The Decade's Adam Page and Watanabe, the Japanese wrestler hit a German Suplex to the kid on the floor and after the match, floored him with a lariat. Even that seemed like it ought to have incapacitated him. What can come of this is that moves that are supposed to devastating will feel trivial down the line. In both cases, these were spots that were meant to elicit a pop from the audience, but they should be reserved for special occasions and the after-effects should keep with the perpetrator of the attack as well as its victim.    

So, there was some good wrestling but room to improve and some aspects of telling a credible story, at least in terms of the pro wrestling realm, that should be considered as ROH pushes onward. Meanwhile, as far as the potential war between the two brands sharing a cramped home, no shots were fired. At least, not really. Matt Hardy took to his own forum to declare TNA the victor in the eye of public perception. I don't know about that. I think if you searched enough, you could find fans shouting out ROH and some continuing to wave the TNA flag. While I did not watch it, I did hear on the Review-An-Impact podcast hosted by Brothers Nate Milton and Brian Mann, on the LAW Network of combat sport related shows, an account of a largely disappointing show. While not your typical TNApologists, I feel they are fairly easygoing in their assessment of Impact. Hearing them in critical doesn't bode well for the show in my estimation. What they and plenty of others discussed is the once entertaining angle in which part time deranged cult leader James Storm has been cunningly making a play for Magnus' wife Mickey James, being abruptly fast forwarded by an off set depiction of Storm pushing James off a high up ledge onto train tracks...Talk about killing a story. If this kind of overkill is what's to be expected from the competing cable pro wrestling options on Wednesdays, I may be spending my evening with NXT.

Here's hoping Ring of Honor continues to ramp up the action in some areas while showing a bit of restraint, the kind that TNA never manages, in others.

Twitter: @Mondocurrymark

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The Destination Game

A while ago, I would take to this forum to riff, free form, with my takes on goings ons in a few different companies. This was not a sustainable path to follow, unweildy and almost impossible to stay on point. Things shifted to more conventional reviews of my favorite organizations' shows. That has had to go on the back burner as well. And while taking stock of the various promotions out there is no easier a task, events of this past week make it a good time to weigh in on a couple things.

One thing that my rants almost always included, which cannot continue to be, is a complaint about the scope of Ring of Honor's television show being limited to areas receiving Sinclair broadcasts with online viewing opportunities 1 week behind. I suppose I should pat myself on the back for my campaign of frustration paying off because last week, ROH and Destination America announced the unlikely alliance that has ROH's show, now syndicated, appearing on the more widely accessible cable channel Wednesday nights right before TNA Impact. While I may be exaggerating my role in this game changing turn of events, I'm celebrating all the same.

The most notable aspect of the announcement was how soon things would go into effect. Just 1 week from the announcement, tomorrow night! This is especially awesome timing coming from the point of view of a proponent of New Japan Pro Wrestling like myself, as the ROH/NJPW joint shows happened a scant few weeks ago - I am still shaking off the effects of a trip to Philadelphia to see War Of The Worlds night 2 (I hope to put together some kind of account of it soon) - and the final day, presented as Global Wars night 2, was a TV taping. In the near future, Destination America could very well be bringing us a dream match like Roderick Strong  (who had an extremely impressionable match against Hiroshi Tanahashi at War of the Worlds night 2) VS Shinsuke Nakamura, a one of a kind curiosity like Jushin 'Thunder' Liger VS buzz worthy Dalton Castle, and maybe even a match straight off of a typical Korakuen Hall card like Bullet Club members AJ Styles and the New Bucks taking on CHAOS' Kazuchika Okada and RPG Vice. It's a match that plays directly into the upcoming Dominion Show with a main event pitting Styles against Okada with the IWGP Heavyweight title on the line (available to overseas viewers via the NJWP World streaming service). ROH's continued connection to New Japan is, to me, a serious sign of the US upstart company's legitimacy. NJPW has come to be known as a symbol of wrestling excellence internationally, and the ROH talent keeps up, the exchanges going both ways. While this deal is great, it brings up questions over whether it will lead to wrestlers in the ROH camp that have already featured prominently in the Destination America campaign, like Styles, the Bucks, Rocky Romero, and reDRagon will be asked to spend more time stateside to double down on their Ring of Honor presence and diminish NJPW's star a bit. There is,  after all, have a program on another cable channel AXS, showing somewhat older recorded NJPW matches, and another cable network is kinda the competition....

On the other hand, they may let things play out naturally. The popularity of the Bullet Club has certainly flourished organically, and has been benefiting both ROH and NJPW by letting the talents involved in the name do their thing so to speak, not by trying to bottle it and shove it down people's throats. Letting that continue seems logical, and hey, if that generous spirit adds a little luster to Jeff Jarret's somewhat underwhelming Global Force Wrestling venture, by way its inclusion of Anderson and Gallows on some of the tapings they have scheduled, then what's the harm?

Having looked at the positive potential of Ring of Honor's relocation to Destination America, let's talk about the other side of the coin: the curious case of the other company who's been crashing on the Destination America floor, if not moving all the way into the master suite, TNA. It's a strange turn of events to say the least, if for nothing else, the way it went down with most if not all at TNA seemingly in the dark til the rest of us were. Even though some would like to look at as nothing but roses at their favorite hanger on of a promotion (TNA fans, I tell you, they seem to me as blindly devoted as the most toxic doomsday cult's followers). Here's a few things to keep in mind, though...

There is a reason we have rarely, if ever, seen two wrestling promotions share the same broadcast network as their primary outlet: such companies are competition. While some mutual gain can sometimes be achieved, as in the aforementioned case of ROH and NJPW, being on the widely received platform of television is where brands try to establish themselves, and when they do that, they are asking for your time and resources, and that is time and resources that other brands by their nature are asking for the same.

Sure, Destination America is trying to play the mutual gain card, let's all get along and make lots of money, and promoting Wednesday as pro wrestling night in their neck of the television woods. And while it makes a bit of sense that people who already check out one company would stick around to see a bit of the other, there are some things about the companies' past crossing of paths that may suggest a bit of a less sunny disposition on the part of all parties. For instance, and I should say my source for this were the excellent MLW and Bauer and Pollock podcasts, there was a time when TNA had decided to abandon all code of honor, and legal business conduct, and pursue business with contracted TNA talent. There is also the fact that these promotions would seem to be on polar opposite trajectories. Ring of Honor is clearly on the rise, while TNA is well... It stands to reason that ROH is going to approach the new move with a bit of swagger, while the Impact Zone is likely to be riddled with insecurities. Already the reactions among those on the TNA roster have ranged from criticizing their leadership and taking other bookings to welcoming the new addition to the 'family' and engaging the other company in in-character banter. Meanwhile, on the ROH side there has been a united front, a singular focus on acknowledging only themselves and their new opportunity.

Any manner of excuses could be made, but when it comes down to it, for team TNA to not know about this move beforehand is a pretty crappy way to treat a friend, if that's what you want to consider what they are to the network that welcomed them so heartily some months ago. A heads up could've easily been given. I suppose this could've left a liability of details getting out too early because well, when it comes to TNA, discretion and shrewd business moves haven't really been part of the vocabulary.   While people can cast aspersions on those who have a reputation for reporting professionally for years and years, or write things off as rumor, I don't think you can reasonably ignore the general lack of harmony between Destination America and TNA that's been hinted at throughout the bulk of them. Basically, it's a bit reactionary to think that the Discovery subsidiary made the move to bring in ROH purely as a 'suck it' gesture to Dixie Carter and her show, but their way of handling it certainly suggests a bit more than passive aggression. It does not seem all that implausible that TNA's days could be numbered.

I suppose it could sound as though there is some negativity being expressed here toward TNA. Maybe just a bit. Watching fumble after fumble from this company, I am a bit mystified by its ability to stumble forward. I find it difficult to look away completely, with its almost car crash like cringeworthy embodiment of disaster. The company has shown a lack of ability to properly promote events or talent, it's put together shoddy matches that fail to showcase its' talent roster's talent, and has dropped the ball on so many of its impact players...many of whom Ring of Honor or New Japan have gladly scooped up. The only thing I find more incredible is the way a dedicated segment of TNA viewers just continue to pump their support into the product, at least vocally, while in lockstep, bashing whatever comes on WWE programming. In fact these same wrestling fans seem to take to ROH, looking forward to some synergy on Wednesday nights. I suppose that's a plus, but I just don't get it and feel a need to challenge it. If anything TNA seems like WWE, or at least trying to be, with long drawn out stories and dissatisfying inconclusive match finishes. To me, TNA and ROH have nearly diametrically opposed philosophies on presenting pro wrestling. It is hard for me to imagine someone thrilling to the in ring storytelling presented by those ROH and NJPW stars mentioned above and then taking the 4-5 minute rush jobs on TNA seriously. Sure there are exceptions, but it seems like that is the wrestlers, whom i acknowledge in many cases are very good, getting themselves over in spite of the creative and booking agents' direction, not as a result of it.

Only a few things are certain in the realm of pro wrestling, and I'd assert that here too. One of them is it will be very interesting to tune into Destination America Wednesday nights to see how this rocky relationship starts off. The other is that there will be 'F-ck TNA' chants. I wasn't at the taping, but I almost 100 percent guarantee it. With shows that could on any given episode include excellent wrestlers like Franky Kazarian and Christpher Daniels (as The Addiction), AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe (though his recent signing with WWE may put the kybosh on his tv time), all of which TNA unceremoniously dropped the ball on or undervalued, fans in attendance  of the strong brand's shows will more than likely shout out their show of solidarity. It will be interesting to see if the chants grow louder and more frequent due to shared telivision stage.

twitter: @mondocurrymark

A Few (Chair) Shots on the Current State of Pro Wrestling

Been tough for me to sustain focus on things, so as we roll into a fairly crucial WWE Special Event, that being Fastlane, I’ll throw out some quick (chair) shot reflections on the state of this and that.

The WWE made a quick save when they came up with the Bryan vs Reigns angle to add some question, let reactions to Reigns’ victory cool a bit, and reformulate the Wrestlemania plans. Unfortunately much of the intrigue seems to be unintentional. I cannot make out which behaviors are supposed to be heelish and which ones noble. They both seem kinda jerky in different respects. If I had to lean one way or other, I’d say it leans more toward Bryan being ‘the man’ and Reigns being the ‘bad man.’ Bryan has behaved rather petulantly in past angles; look back at how he spewed tantrum-like at Cena in their angle leading up to the eventual formation of the Authority, and its feud with Bryan. It kinda fits him, though it doesn’t make him feel like a top star. Meanwhile, when you have a wrestler with Roman Reigns’ size advantage, anything he does to antagonize Bryan is going to make him come off as a bit of a bully. When he plays ‘mind games’ (oh brother), for instance signing autographs during Bryans’ match, it makes him look like a lazy bully, and as a result, arrogant, because with his strength, he should take issues on directly. Still, I cringe as I come to the conclusion WWE’s intent is that we see these guys as rivals on equal footing doing clever things to outwit one another as they deliberate over how to put together a good wrestlemania.

Meanwhile, almost everything else on the program in general just feels boring, predictable, and very inconsequential. Wrestlers that felt special and intriguing to watch like Dean Ambrose, Wade Barret, Cesaro, Ziggler, or anyone associated with the Wyatt family are just kinda taking up time and space. Not for lack of talent, but due to an absence of feuds that give them any sense of being impressive or caring. A BIG overhaul is overdue.

Yet NXT shines. Up and coming talent are given a chance to practice and improve. On specials, like the most recent Arrival, those who are developing are near the beginning of the card, those while extremely suspenseful and amazing technically sound matches are put near the main event. The women wrestling on NXT are impassioned and put on wow-filled matches for their skills, and they have you believe they care about the championship they compete for. Sasha Banks carries her newly won belt as though it were a highly coveted prize. Her move set looks as devastating as that of the male wrestlers. Finn Balor and Adrian Neville had a match that balanced careful pacing and awesome high flying spots. The match between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens informed anyone that didn’t already know that these two have an amazing chemistry, and their feud will surely go to incredible places. Their were some obvious shades of the surprising Lesnar vs Cena match at Summerslam, with Owens dominating, but it wasn’t as simple as that. Zayn got in plenty of offense, more than it may have seemed afterwards. That is because of Owens’ expertly played villain routine, hitting one devastating move, the power bomb, over and over again, taking his time between each one, until the referee stopped the match. It was very dramatic and leaves us craving the rematch. But meanwhile, a match between Owens and Balor is another very exciting program to behold.

I really think there should be an NXT match at Wrestlemania. They have earned a big spot like that. It doesn’t have to be their best work or one with any crucial circumstances, but a chance for the champion of the moment, presumably Owens to go out there with another NXT wrestler and showcase their skills on that huge platform is well deserved and would be an exciting moment on the card.

NXT is right up there with New Japan Pro Wrestling, in my opinion, though it lacks the latter company’s history of course. That and New Japan blurs the lines between matches being predetermined and extremely competitive. They are so physically intense, suspense of disbelief is easy. The New Japan World service has been amazing in the opportunity it has created the possibility for immersing oneself in the buildup to the incredible rivalries happening now. I hope to spend more time here detailing this. There is so much incredible in ring work from up and coming talent, not to mention those who have arrived. You can watch Finn Balor go at it with other high flying technicians when he was Prince Devitt in the Bullet Club. You can see Prince Puma of Lucha Underground in matches as is usual persona, Ricochet. I have not left the general 2012-2014 time period left, still eagerly devouring whatever I can of current conflicts between Tanahashi, Shinsuke, Ishii, Shibata, Nagata to name a few.

I wonder if a guy like Kenny Omega, now in the Bullet Club doing a smarmy heel gimmick and currently holding the IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship, would follow in Devitt/Balor’s footsteps and join the ranks of NXT? He would certainly make a good addition, showing rather cartoonish personality and wild levels of agility.

Ring of Honor has been holding a pretty steady course. It was pretty shocking seeing the Bullet Club (AJ Styles and The Young Bucks) as the actual Bullet Club appearing in a six man tag team match, which appears on the tv episode streaming on their website now. This is very smart cross promotion. It will turn heads in the direction of New Japan World and make Bullet Club fans aware of Ring of Honor. My problems keeping up with them is availability and cost. Said tv broadcast is apparently a week old; it originally aired on actual tv, somewhere…not in New York, but…somewhere. Accessing the latest tv episodes for a fee seems unreasonable, when it’s not much in the production department. I’d be more up for the PPV events but to be honest, the value is not in keeping up with the curve with NJPW and WWE’s specials being available as part of their streaming services. If ROH made their tv shows more readily available, including the back catalogues, I and perhaps others would be more willing to shell out for the PPV’s. I think they’d gain in the long run. If they got their own streaming subscription going with PPV events and access to past shows, even better.

Lucha Underground is fun but is in need of specials to make big matches feel like something with a proper build that is set apart from the norm. It’s young though so maybe they are planning to work on this. The more classically lucha libre masked luchadors like King Cuerno, Pentagon Jr., and Mil Muertes are a joy to watch. The overly produced storylines take me out of the moment at times. The insistence on having women wrestling men isn’t having the desired effect on me. NXT has got the right idea: put women against women in highly competitive matches emphasizing their talent. What Lucha Underground has done so far, especially on the latest episode, has been more condescending than anything. It’s more like patting females on the head saying ‘hey, look you really can do anything by putting Sexy Star in a match with odds ridiculously against her and having her win in incredulous fashion. It is good on the other hand to see aspects of Triple A crossing over into Lucha Underground with Alberto El Patron, formerly Del Rio, and Texano taking their feud from the Mexican promotion into this show.

TNA still sucks and Samoa Joe will surely face a brighter future by leaving. It is exciting to think of where he may land, with my money being on ROH where a reunion with some of his peers could go down and there is plenty of opportunity for him to enter the New Japan scene by proxy.

Twitter: @mondocurry

OverReactions & The Rest of the Rumble

In my last post, I made a point of not focusing on the extent of people’s reactions to the Royal Rumble fallout. Grieve how you will. I just wanted to point out what I felt really was at the heart of some bad decision making on the part of the WWE.

In part, I was inspired for a dislike of those that complain about the complainers, and insist that whatever the company decides is best and we should all just accept the status quo. It’s a ridiculous notion in my opinion because, if you do any amount of reading into pro wrestling news, analysis or history, you’ll find the business is riddled with prejudices and agendas that are not in the best interest of fans or some of pro wrestling’s hardest working talent. Having the ability to voice dissent is an awesome power to have in this day and age, and if you look at WWE programming, as often as it might prove to be a thorn in their side, they use it as the basis of a lot of their content.

So, now that I’ve defended the average wrestling fan’s right to rage, I’m going to say that having experienced my fair share of agita over the Royal Rumble match, I’ve vented, come to peace with it, and now I have reached a point of disgust with a certain level of audience reactions. It’s the kind of stuff that makes the critics look bad and does more damage than good to the cause of bringing about a more interesting wrestling product. I’ll highlight a few of these offenses and then be so bold as suggest a way of trying to bring about change in a more constructive manner.

·      Don’t make up imbecilic hate mongering twitter handles. It’s painful to see people put their creativity toward inventing online monikers with the subtlety of a bowling ball being dropped on one’s foot to put someone down. Attaching Roman Reigns’ name to whatever nasty unoriginal epithet you can think to get attention on twitter is not a way to change the course of things. It’s just a self-serving way of getting attention. It’s a ‘look at me, look at how clever I can be’ mentality that emphasizes the worst elements of social media.

·      “Don’t hate the player...” Lambasting one talented wrestler for the role he has been thrust into is something like a personal assault on someone undeserving of your wrath. Roman Reigns didn’t appear out of nowhere. He would not be thrust into the spotlight he is in if he has been doing subpar work for the past year. Instead, understand that WWE is short on superstars, they are trying to bring guys into top dog positions I a ‘homegrown’ fashion when their past is marked by pro wrestlers who achieved top spots after years of experience both in and out of the WWE. The WWE needs to figure this out and find a balance of guiding new talent and letting them find their own voice. Destroying a very talented and hardworking individual’s psyche by heaping nasty misguided campaigns against them does not lead to this happening.

·      DO support other outlets for pro wrestling that contain the qualities you would like to see WWE have. It doesn’t have to be one or the other; you can always enjoy both, or all 3 or what have you. Voice your support LOUDLY, yes, loudly enough for the WWE to hear. Vince may not be just a tweet away, but plenty of folks in the WWE machine certainly are. I hope to highlight a lot of these other organizations in this space, but you need look no further than the WWE owned NXT. Chances are, if you’ve been upset with WWE’s recent booking and also have the WWE Network, you are probably an NXT viewer already. If not, then you have no excuse to not be checking it out. It offers an amazingly different alternative to the way WWE does things. Tweet about it, bring signs to shows about it, call out for the talent there to be called up to WWE, or for NXT to have a more prominent spot in WWE programming, and the message will be clear: It’s time for them to start thinking about adapting those positive policies on the main stage. Whether they actually listen or not, it’s another story.

Now that the Reigns and Bryan breakdown has been put out there and then some, the triple threat match with Brock and Rollins and Cena has been praised to the heavens, the haze is clearing and I am recalling other things happening in the Royal Rumble to think about. Let’s recall just a few.

·      Bubba Ray Dudley has returned. Based on his achievement of pretty high status in TNA and his not so cheery parting of ways with the company, it’s safe to guess he is back in WWE long term. I was doubtful of this happening because of the way he seemed to throw his weight around in TNA; whatever angles it lead to, none of them could’ve been that good because frankly, none of the angles he was in on TNA were good. In his Rumble there are signs of him taking direction and doing his thing as an in ring performer. He will probably get a lot of babyface applause in his return, but could make a great heel. His vinegar-like promos in TNA are testament to that. WWE’s playing field of heroes like Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, and Eric Rowan could use some formidable antagonists to go up against.

·      Bray Wyatt looked fantastic. A lot of attention was given to him, making him seem like a major threat. I can only hope this continues, leading to a very strong feud and match at Wrestlemania. Although it made for a momentary buzz of excitement, I hope this does not lead to a Wyatt Family reunion triple threat match thing. It has a bit of entertainment value but would be more of a spectacle than a strong wrestling match. Wyatt deserves better. All 3 of them deserve a shot at unique matches that highlight their individual qualities.

·      While not making the intended splash it was supposed to because of everything else going down, Dolph Ziggler had a brief but impressive charge in the Rumble. I have an image of my head of many super kicks being delivered, and a huge double DDT before being tossed out to clear the way for the lumbering story that was set to happen. I hope he is further catapulted to a very important spot on the Wrestlemania card.

·      Cesaro, Wade Barret, and Dean Ambrose were all there at the end, but it did not necessarily do anything for them, not like it should have. These are all very capable wrestlers with personas able to draw big crowd reactions. Upon returning, Barret knocked out Cesaro in a quick match and took Ziggler’s intercontinental championship. Other than that, he’s been given nothing to work with and his time in the Rumble was brief and negligible. He should really be give better. Cesaro and Dolph had an interesting bit of battling on the outside of the ropes; an impressive spot but nothing too memorable. Ambrose had a good look of intensity preparing for battle side by side with former Shield ally Reigns but did very little before being thrown out by Kane and Big Show. His allegiance to Reigns seems to be overshadowing his individual traits, which WWE has been striking out with by casting in goofier shades than they should. He should be given a good opponent to trade wins and losses with, accompanied by a credible story that doesn’t lead us to roll our eyes.

There are a lot of pieces to be positioned leading up to Wrestlemania. Let’s hope WWE gets it right with these mid-to-top level talents that could and should matter.

Mondo Pro Wrestling on Twitter: @MondoCurryMark

React, reply, or rebut: leave a comment!

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