http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Thu, 24 Sep 2015 01:42:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

http://www.cheap-heat.com/lackluster-start-to-gfw-vs-tna-feud/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/lackluster-start-to-gfw-vs-tna-feud/#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2015 20:58:58 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Indy/Puro/Lucha http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13474 When I read that Jeff Jarrett’s GFW group of wrestlers was going to be on Impact wrestling to start a rivalry with TNA Wrestling, I was interested. I didn’t delete the episode from my DVR like I normally do. And as I watched with excitement for what this angle could bring, my hopes were shattered […]

When I read that Jeff Jarrett’s GFW group of wrestlers was going to be on Impact wrestling to start a rivalry with TNA Wrestling, I was interested. I didn’t delete the episode from my DVR like I normally do. And as I watched with excitement for what this angle could bring, my hopes were shattered right from the start.

Jeff Jarrett’s announcement, just like when he showed up a couple weeks ago, was boring.

There was no fanfare. There was no heat. There was no emotion in his voice. There was just volume.

Things picked up only slightly when Eric Young showed up, but at that point, they had failed to explain why this was happening or why we should care.

Oh, and then the brawl that ensued. Why? I can understand the GFW roster showing up to save Jeff Jarrett from the Eric Young beatdown, but then once EY was out of the ring, being dared to go back in, a portion of the TNA roster showed up and rushed the ring. The only reason I can see for them doing that is because they didn’t like the “invaders” in “their” ring.

If they had wanted to start the show off hot, they could’ve had NO explanation for what was happening, instead they could have just showed the GFW guys showing up as part of a “cold open” with no commentary. Then have the GFW crew head to the ring and get Jeff Jarrett to establishВ the factВ that it’s NOT an invasion, but a rivalry born from his grudge with TNA. Was Jeff Jarrett just inducted into the Hall Of Fame? Yeah, and he should probably have a grudge with TNA over the length of time it took them to induct him. He’s got his guys, the second time he has started a wrestling company, and he’s going to show them that they should’ve never parted ways with him.

Then have Jeff say that the first match is going to be Sonjay against Tigre Uno, and that TNA officials already agreed to the match that’s about to start. Anyone who watched Nitro back in the day, or TNA Impact more recently than that, you know that there’s few better ways to start off a show than to have two fast guys battling each other at a frantic pace.

Starting things out the way they did, it felt like they were holding our hands through the process that had a lame payoff to end the segment. No offense to Awesome Kong and Lady Tapa, but their match is better suited to wait until things are already rolling. Give extra meaning to the match by explaining the ramifications. If Lady TapaВ wins, does GFWВ take a commanding lead orВ are things getting all tied up?

I’m not going to review the entire show, but the point is that TNA Wrestling continues to disappoint with their failure to execute on otherwise interesting concepts.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/can-wwe-money-in-the-bank-be-worth-watching/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/can-wwe-money-in-the-bank-be-worth-watching/#comments Sun, 14 Jun 2015 22:03:40 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Cena Bleeds Dolph Ziggler John Cena John Cena Bleeds Kane Kevin Owens Money in the Bank Naomi Nikki Bella Paige Prime Time Players http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12393 The last big event feels like it was just a week ago. If you drank enough during the WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER event, the effects of the hangover could almost still be looming. Do I hate the idea that WWE Money In The Bank is happening just two weeks after we last had a Sunday evening […]

The last big event feels like it was just a week ago. If you drank enough during the WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER event, the effects of the hangover could almost still be looming. Do I hate the idea that WWE Money In The Bank is happening just two weeks after we last had a Sunday evening event? No, but I had to look at the card really hard to find reasons to watch this instead of the season finale of Game Of Thrones. Here's what I came up with:

Prime Time Players might FINALLY get their due.

Titus O'Neil and Darren Young have always been a quality tag team. Even before they showed how entertaining they could be on the mic, they had shown to have great chemistry with one another and a catchphrase that fans can chant along (and bounce along) with. I'm not saying they're going to be on the list with the top tag teams of all time, but they're one of my favorite teams in the past decade, and they deserve the chance to run with the belts. With Cesaro And Kidd sidelined, now would be a GREAT time to have The PTP get the gold. The promo work between them and New Day will be entertaining. I'd look forward to a feud they could have with The Wyatt Family, The Ascension, The Lucha Dragons… The PTP have the potential to be the next DX, and it could all start tonight at Money In The Bank.

Paige could end the monotony.

So long as Nikki Bella has the WWE Diva's Championship, the monotony will continue. Sure, a lot of guys probably head to the fridge when the Diva's Title Match starts, but there's tons of potential in that division. For as long as I can remember, anyone NOT named Bella, Paige or AJ has been treated like little more than an after-thought. Naomi feuding with Paige could be a really good thing headed to SummerSlam, with tons more potential – in-ring or on the mic – than Nikki standing in Paige's shoes. If Nikki retains tonight, either we get more Paige / Bella feuding, or Paige gets unjustly put on the backburner and we'll either get another Battle Of The Bellas or the Bellas will turn heel again to give an NXT Diva some main-roster time.

Kevin Owens could make Cena bleed.

Even now that the PG Era is mostly a thing of the past, WWE doesn't typically have its wrestlers bleed in the ring. By all accounts, wrestlers who blade (cause themselves to bleed during the match) get reprimanded. While it seems fairly obvious that John Cena is going to be victorious tonight, I'm expecting another top notch match between these two, and it would be great for Kevin Owens to make John Cena bleed. It becomes a feather in Owens' cap, provides a great visual (even if they will only show it in black and white), and leaves a lasting impression for the second match between the duo. KO is being established as a guy who likes to fight, and the loss won't detract much if he leaves Cena with at least a partial crimson mask.

Go DIFFERENT with the Money In The Bank Briefcase.

If Randy Orton wins the MITB Briefcase, it'll be a huge waste. Continuing the feud between he and Rollins and The Authority is getting played out. Giving it to KANE ? Now THAT could be interesting, even if there's obviously no intention of giving him the belt again before he retires. Neville doesn't deserve it yet, but it would certainly add intrigue to what comes next for The Man Gravity Forgot. Kofi Kingston winning it would be really interesting, especially in light of the New Day's claim that Kofi winning it means that their entire team wins it. Would they use the cash-in on the tag titles, or one of the singles titles? Sure, that would detract a bit from the main event situation, but it would be GREAT for whatever other division is involved. Dolph Ziggler finally getting another chance to make a major impact atop the card could be really cool, as he was red hot the last time he was holding a briefcase, and a victory for Ziggler would be a huge surprise in my book. Sheamus winning tonight would feel really awkward, unless somehow The Authority decides they'd rather have him in the driver's seat instead of Seth Rollins… but it also seems too early for that to happen. Roman Reigns taking the briefcase would be really, really interesting, especially if he cashes it in on Dean Ambrose…

Dean Ambrose could become champion. For real.

Sure, Dean Ambrose has been carrying around the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt, but he's not ACTUALLY the champ. Whether he leaves the pay per view with the belt or not, having him at least officially become champion tonight would be incredible. Though others have become champion for a short-term basis in the past, never to sniff a real opportunity again for years, this would give Ambrose a considerable amount of legitimacy.

This article originally appeared on GuysNation .

http://www.cheap-heat.com/king-of-the-ring-ranking-past-brackets/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/king-of-the-ring-ranking-past-brackets/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2015 03:47:51 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Top Lists King of the Ring http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11367 It had been a long time coming, but WWE finally brought back the King Of The Ring tournament. The bracket-driven concept was easily one of my favorite events of the WWE calendar through the 90s. It effectively pushed forward guys into spots of prominence and allowed for a creative way to switch things up and […]

It had been a long time coming, but WWE finally brought back the King Of The Ring tournament. The bracket-driven concept was easily one of my favorite events of the WWE calendar through the 90s. It effectively pushed forward guys into spots of prominence and allowed for a creative way to switch things up and added a new dimension to feuds. And when characters took on the “King” persona… those were the good old days.

Starting with the inaugural pay per view incarnation in 1993, I took that and the subsequent brackets, analyzed them and came up with an overall ranking of the brackets themselves. I factored in who was in the final 8, the quality of those seven matches, and gave extra weight to the winner as well as their finals opponent. Did the winner go on to be a big deal, or did they squander the opportunity and fizzle out? Would the finals opponent have been a better option? Were there matches along the way that lasted fewer than 4 minutes, and did they take the easy way out by giving someone a bye?

Those were the factors I weighed… here’s what I came up with, listed worst to first:

1999 – Easily the worst of the tournaments. Billy Gunn winning the whole thing, beating X-Pac in the finals? Seriously?! Neither of the semi-final matches went more than 6 minutes (nor did the finals). Two of the first-round matches didn’t hit the 4 minute mark. The prior year’s winner, Ken Shamrock, got eliminated in short order in the first round – a fight that would’ve been better served late in the tournament. The tournament felt like they were trying too hard to push the DX feud.

1995 – The finals were terrible, even worse than 1999. MABEL vs SAVIO VEGA?! I was very tempted to name this as the worst of the brackets, especially with the BYE that Mabel got in the semi-finals, but there was some decent talent in the quarterfinals. Savio Vega found a way to defeat Yokozuna in the quarterfinals… a match that should’ve been in the semis instead of putting The Roadie in the final 3. I actually remember from 20 years ago the match between Kama and Shawn Michaels and how it ended in a time-limit draw. Mabel getting the victory over The Undertaker in the quarterfinals – in addition to the fact that the whole thing took place on pay per view – keeps this from being in last place.

2008 – I’m a fan of William Regal. The guy deserved far better than he received throughout his WWE tenure. I would’ve loved to see him get World Title shots… but having him win the 2008 bracket is truly regrettable… primarily because his opponent in the finals was CM Punk. The semifinals were decent enough… with a short match between Regal and Finlay resulting in a knockout, and Punk pinning Jericho after six minutes of action. The quarterfinals is what really kills this tournament. Sure, MVP and Matt Hardy are decent opponents, but the fact that this tournament was on RAW meant that the matches had to be short, and neither of those guys got more than 5 minutes. And in Regal’s half of the bracket…. Hornswoggle and The Great Khali. If it weren’t for the top half of the bracket, this one might be a SERIOUS contender for worst bracket ever based on what they could’ve done… especially had it been stretched out to more than just one night. Had Punk won and the matches been given more time, it would’ve been higher.

2010 – Sheamus beating John Morrison in the finals is a disappointment, primarily because there were plenty of better options on the other side of the bracket. Alberto Del Rio…. Cody Rhodes… and a guy by the name of Daniel Bryan. On Sheamus’ side of the bracket, sure a victory over Kofi Kingston is an alright way to get things started, but giving Sheamus a BYE in the semi-finals is terrible. Rey Mysterio, Big Show, MVP, Tyson Kidd and Alex Riley each could’ve been utilized to help put over Sheamus, and instead they gave him an extended rest.

1994 – The setup was perfect. Owen Hart trying to get out of the shadow of his older brother Bret, who had won the King Of The Ring the prior year. Owen had Jim Neidhart watching his back the whole way. At the time, it absolutely seemed like Razor Ramon could win the tournament, and he had a strong showing getting to the finals. Owen beat Tatanka, then The 1-2-3 Kid by submission. What really sells this bracket is the fact that The King Of Harts was born from it, and it added quite a bit to the feud between the Hart brothers. Had Lex Luger advanced, that would’ve added something special to Owen’s resume with a victory over one of the other guys who co-main evented WrestleMania X a couple months prior. Instead, they had Luger lose to Jeff Jarrett… by count-out. Scott Steiner also failed to reach the quarterfinals.

1998 – I understand that WWE was trying to take advantage of the emergence of Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC, but they took it a little far with this tournament. The finals featured The Rock against Ken Shamrock… and the MMA-star was the victor. A guy who went on to NEVER hold the World Title – or even have a memorable pay per view match – got put over arguably one of the top WWE Superstars of all time. Sure, The Rock defeated MMA star Dan Severn in the semi-finals, but only after The Beast had made Owen Hart tap out in 3 minutes in the quarterfinals. Shamrock defeated the likes of Mark Henry and Jeff Jarrett on the way to the finals. Fairly disappointing, from start to finish, but with plenty of potential.

1997 – A twenty minute match between Triple H and Mankind in the finals, with the Hardcore Legend rightfully putting over Triple H to help advance his career to the next level. The prior rounds were a bit lackluster, but some decent names were involved. Jerry Lawler being in the semi-finals was a couple years too late, and Ahmed Johnson looked impressive at times but ultimately amounted to nothing. And having it take nearly 20 minutes for Triple H to beat CRUSH in the first round? Not the greatest of tournaments.

1996 – Stone Cold was born when he won this tournament by defeating Jake Roberts. He was absolutely the right choice to win that year – even by Triple H’s own admission – because Austin was ready to take the brass ring, and winning gave him that clout. Vader should’ve been the one to get to the finals, and his semi-finals loss to Jake Roberts – in less than 4 minutes, nevertheless – is regrettable. Marc Mero defeating Owen Hart in the quarterfinals robbed us of an opportunity to see Austin fight the younger Hart brother in his semi-finals match. Had they let Yokozuna, Triple H or The Ultimate Warrior get out of the Round Of 16, this tournament could’ve been really incredible.

2000 – Sure, the finals between Kurt Angle and Rikishi was lackluster, but Angle was definitely the right guy to win the tournament. The other guys in the semi-finals are certainly questionable. Crash Holly… not Hardcore Holly, but the smaller version of the duo… and Val Venis? They had Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho in the final 8. Why not get one of those guys into the semis? A finals match between Angle and any of those three guysВ would’ve been classic.

2006 – The fact that the everything but theВ tournament finals took place on Smackdown certainly detracts from the overall luster of the event. At the time, Bobby Lashley was looking like he was going to be a Hall Of Famer, so having Booker T defeat him in the finals was refreshing.В Kurt Angle having to forfeit in the semi-finals, giving Booker T a bye right to the finals is a bit disappointing. They could’ve had Booker find a way to take advantage of Angle’s injury. Finlay vs Benoit went 20 minutesВ andKurt Angle got Randy Orton to tap out in the first round, rounding things out for a fairly solid tournament. The transformation involved in King Bookaaaah and the way he ran with that character actually made this tournament all the better.

2002 – It was inevitable that Brock Lesnar was going to win the tournament, but having Rob Van Dam as his finals opponent was a good option. Having Test as Lesnar’s semi-finals opponent isn’t terrible, but it’s a disappointment when you realize that Lesnar’s first-round opponent was Booker T… who lost in less than 4 minutes when Test got an 8 minute match. Rob Van Dam vs Chris Jericho in the other semi-finals? I’ll take that any day. The other talent was disappointing, with X-Pac being the only other decent talent there, with Val Venis and Hardcore Holly filling spaces.

1993 – Initially I expected the first King Of The Ring Pay Per View to be in the top spot, but it gets to the penultimate spot. Bret Hart carried the WWE from the Hulk Hogan era into a new generation, and it could be argued that this was the event that started that transformation in the business, especially because it’s the event where Yokozuna defeated Hulk Hogan for the belt. But Bret Hart going the entire length of the tournament, putting on great matches with Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect and then Bam Bam Bigelow in the finals. Three Hall Of Fame opponents defeated, two of the matches going over 18 minutes… all in one night! The draw between Lex Luger and Tatanka in the first round was actually good in the context of their feud. The aftermath of the tournament, with Jerry Lawler attacking The Hitman during the coronation ceremony and turning it into a good filler angle for a few months was also an added bonus. This event made me interested in all future King Of The Ring tournaments.

2001 – It doesn’t get much better than Edge beating prior year’s KOTR winner Kurt Angle in the finals, both guys future Hall Of Famers and legitimate stars at the time. Both semi-finals matches went beyond the 8 minute mark. Only one of the first round matches went less than 4 minutes. The potential drama of Christian making it to the semi-finals and almost having a finals match against his tag team partner added to the tournament. Though Jeff Hardy, Perry Saturn, Tajiri and Rhyno aren’t necessarily Hall Of Fame bound, they’re all talented and exciting performers, making for a excellentВ tournament matches. Two rounds on television and two rounds on pay per view, no cheap finishes, no BYEs? Great stuff.

So how does the 2015 King Of The Ring stack up? I don’t thinkВ true analysis can be done until a few years from now where you see how the winner evolved because of their victory, and to see how the other competitors in the bracket look with a bit more seasoning to their careers. What will their resumes look like when 2018 rolls around? How will the landscape of WWE be affected by the events of the 2015 bracket? Time will tell!

~~~This article originally appeared on GuysNation.com ~~~

http://www.cheap-heat.com/wrestlemania-madness-final-four/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/wrestlemania-madness-final-four/#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2015 00:02:10 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Other Blogs Top Lists WrestleMania Madness http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10764 Sixty superstars from the history of WrestleMania have been eliminated from this tournament, and we're now down to the final four competitors. Three final matches to go, and some epic matches. So what happened in the Elite Eight? Here’s the scoop, based on the hundreds of votes we received! The West Coast Bracket When Hogan […]

Sixty superstars from the history of WrestleMania have been eliminated from this tournament, and we're now down to the final four competitors. Three final matches to go, and some epic matches. So what happened in the Elite Eight? Here’s the scoop, based on the hundreds of votes we received!

The West Coast Bracket

When Hogan hit Bret with the Big Boot, The Hitman crashed into The Hulkster's planted foot, knocking him over. Hogan got up, staggered into the ropes, rebounded and went for the Leg Drop. Bret rolled out of the way and Hogan landed awkwardly. Hart got up, locked Hogan in the Sharpshooter, and after being locked in the hold for over a minute, Hogan passed out.

The Connecticut Bracket

The duo went back and forth the entire match. They each rolled out of the way as the other attempted their version of the top rope elbow drop. CM Punk gained the advantage, hoisted Shawn up onto his shoulders, but before he could hit the move, HBK dropped out of the fireman's carry position, backed up and hit the Sweet Chin Music to score the victory.

The Death Valley Bracket

The Rock was so sure that he was going to put his career into a Legendary stratosphere that he mocked the crowd every time he got the advantage, and that didn't end well for him in this match. The Undertaker being the resilient competitor that he is, his attack never relented and after two Tombstone Piledrivers, a Last Ride powerbomb was the nail in the coffin.

The Armed Forces

John Cena fought tooth and nail, but nothing he did was good enough to keep Austin on the mat for more than a two count. Try as he might, Cena also was unable to even lock in his STF submission hold. After an escape during the third attempted В Attitude Adjustment, Austin spun Cena around, hit the Stone Cold Stunner to advance to the Final Four.

The Final Four Matches

Bret “The Hitman” Hart vs “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels

They battled it out for an hour in the main event of WrestleMania, and that wasn't enough. If it were to come down to overtime yet again, who would you pick to win?

The Undertaker vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

Despite the number of times they battled over the world title, Stone Cold never squared off with The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Could Austin have been the one to end The Streak back in the late 90s or early 2000s if they had squared off on the big stage? You decide.

To vote in these matches before the polls close tonight (Saturday), visit the page where this article originated over on GuysNation !

http://www.cheap-heat.com/wrestlemania-madness-tournament/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/wrestlemania-madness-tournament/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2015 04:03:30 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs tournament Wrestlemania Wrestlemania 31 WrestleMania Madness http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10714 The NCAA doesn’t have aВ monopoly on huge tournaments in March, and because WrestleMania week is one of the greatest weeks of the year, I took both concepts and put them together into one big, awesome tournament. Though the first couple rounds are done, the epic matches of The Elite Eight deserve your attention. The Seeding […]

The NCAA doesn’t have aВ monopoly on huge tournaments in March, and because WrestleMania week is one of the greatest weeks of the year, I took both concepts and put them together into one big, awesome tournament. Though the first couple rounds are done, the epic matches of The Elite Eight deserve your attention.

The Seeding

After hours of research, I listed out all the men who either main evented a WrestleMania, had a title match at a WrestleMania, or had a hugely memorable match at The Grand Daddy Of Them All. I dug through the details, I weighed different factors, and at the end of the day, I narrowed it down to 64.

The Deciders

For each match, I let wrestling fans pick who they thought should win. 32 matches in the first round. 16 in the second. Now after eight matches in the third round, we have eight superstars left standing, and the matches arguably can’t get bigger than the ones we’ve got.

The Brackets

Batista went into his match with Hulk Hogan with too much bravado. The one main time he got the advantage in the match, he didn't capitalize fast enough, and Hulkamania ran wild. The Hulkster kept Batista on his heels, hit the Big Boot, then the Leg Drop and got the three count.

The battle between The Hitman and The Beast was far closer than the other match in its bracket. It came down to the wire, with Bret Hart escaping the F-5 on numerous occasions, each time attacking Brock's lower back right after he escaped. The final F-5 attempt wasn't blocked or evaded, but Lesnar couldn't directly follow up with the pinfall. Returning to his feet, Lesnar tried to pick up The Hitman in hopes of finishing him off, but Hart locked his opponent into a small package and got the pinfall victory.

The West Coast Bracket Elite Eight Match
Hulk Hogan vs Bret “Hitman” Hart

Though the match was fast-paced and featured quite a few reversals and counter-moves, Chris Jericho never really held a strong advantage against The Heartbreak Kid. After flipping out of a side suplex attempt from Shawn, Jericho looked confident that he'd get back on the offensive, but as he played up to the crowd, Shawn popped up and hit the Sweet Chin Music for the victory.

Before his match with CM Punk, the crowd got to hear from Triple H about how his match in the Elite Eight against Shawn Michaels was going to be one for the ages. CM Punk must have taken umbridge with the comments, because he seemed extra motivated for their match. A couple times it looked like Triple H was going to win, but he couldn't put Punk away… and got hit by the Go 2 Sleep to ruin his plans.

The ConnecticutВ Bracket Elite Eight Match
CM PunkВ vs Shawn Michaels

It's his time of year, and although he's not completely unbeatable at WrestleMania, it's still one of the hardest things in the world to accomplish, and Daniel Bryan learned that first hand as The Undertaker took the man who looks like a lumberjack to the woodshed.

In the closest match of the round, the battle between Macho Man and The Great One lasted until the very last moment, going back and forth the entire way. With The Rock on the mat, Randy Savage went to the top rope, lifting his arms into the air to signal for his elbow drop, but The Rock forced himself back to his feet. Savage spotted his opponent recovering and switched gameplans, instead going for his double axhandle. The Rock side-stepped, grabbed Savage and hit The Rock Bottom for the victory.

The Death ValleyВ Bracket Elite Eight Match
The UndertakerВ vs The Rock

The Ultimate Warrior held the advantage during the first half of the match, but John Cena didn't let himself get pinned, and when Warrior started wearing down due to his naturally frantic pace, that's when Cena took over. It took a couple Attitude Adjustments, but John Cena was able to get the pinfall victory.

Edge tried everything he could think of, but the frustration he was feeling was very apparent on his face, as Stone Cold held court. When it was all said and done, the Stone Cold Stunner put Edge out, and Austin advanced to yet anotherВ battle of two cornerstones in WWE history.

The Armed ForcesВ Elite Eight Match
John CenaВ vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

Does it get any bigger than those four matches? I couldn’t have planned it better if I had tried… and I didn’t.

Hogan vs Hart will test how your Old SchoolВ loyalties fare. They are extremely different competitors, and for many of us, it’s a dream match for the ages.

CM Punk vs Shawn Michaels would be a match with golden promos leading up to the opening bell. Neither man is willing to give an inch of respect, and it sets up perfectly with Punk getting what some would consider to be an upset victory over HBK’s fellow DX member Triple H the round before, ruining a match HBK and HHH undoubtedly would’ve wanted to have in this tournament.

The Undertaker vs The Rock takes two guys who have both had epic moments on the biggest pay per view event of the year… but never once did they square off against one another at WrestleMania despite their careers overlapping the entire time The Rock was in the business.

John Cena vs Stone Cold Steve Austin takes two guys who each singlehandedly took the WWE to new heights with runs atop the card which lasted years. They serve very different fan bases, so this vote could be dependent on who shows up at the polls.

To vote in the Elite Eight , follow this link to the article on GuysNation .

http://www.cheap-heat.com/shocking-potential-of-wwe-fastlane/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/shocking-potential-of-wwe-fastlane/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2015 22:14:24 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Other Blogs Fast Lane Prime Time Players Sting http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9952 Mostly being seen as a “filler” pay per view, being the only big event between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, WWE FastLane actually has the potential to have a shocking things happen in most of its matches. What could take place in Memphis tonight could lead to an even more intriguing WrestleMania 31 than expected. United […]

Mostly being seen as a “filler” pay per view, being the only big event between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, WWE FastLane actually has the potential to have a shocking things happen in most of its matches. What could take place in Memphis tonight could lead to an even more intriguing WrestleMania 31 than expected.

United States Champ Rusev (c) vs John Cena

It’s widely assumed that John Cena will be the one to finally end Rusev’s streak, giving the Bulgarian Brute his first pinfal loss in the WWE. But does WWE really want John Cena to take a step back by having him be the United States Champion? It would significantly elevate the championship which has been largely overlooked since John Cena last held the belt a decade ago. That would be great for WWE as a whole, as it could breathe serious life into that division, but I’m not entirely convinced they’re going to do it… which is why they absolutely should.

Intercontinental Champ Bad News BarrettВ (c) vs Dean Ambrose

Another match where the winner seems really obvious, putting the belt on Dean Ambrose isn’t exactly the big shocker that this match could produce. They could turn Dean Ambrose heel in this match, playing up to his unhinged nature by having him fly off the handle and badly injure Barrett in the process. The fans already seem to want to cheer BNB, enjoying his antics, and it would freshen up his character (which is badly needed at this point). The double-turn isn’t the shocker I’m predicting, however.

Title unification is what some have been predicting WWE is on track to do at some point, and why not have the winner of this match – whether it’s Barrett or Ambrose – get on the mic and challenge John Cena to a unification bout at WrestleMania? While it seems like WWE would be more likely to make this “announcement” on RAW, it could very well happen on the pay per view. Why not give more people a reason to want to pay the $9.99 for the WWE Network?

Divas Champ Nikki Bella (c) vs Paige

Wait…

Before you skip this part, this might actually interest you, even if you don’t care about the Divas.

Where has A.J. Lee been lately? And what happened to all the pent-up strife Brie Bella had for the way Nikki treated her during the month of hell after their SummerSlam match? Tonight could answer both of those questions. Nikki could cheat to beat Paige, and in the process make it look like she’s not going to let Paige survive for a rematch at WrestleMania… and then A.J. Lee could show up to make the save… leading to Brie Bella getting involved, seemingly to help Nikki… but then Brie could lay out her sister with an eventual announcement of a Fatal Fourway at WrestleMania.

Tag Team Champs The Usos (c) vs The UpperCats (Kidd & Cesaro)

Having the belts change hands wouldn’t be shocking, as WWE likes to play hot potato with the tag straps. What could be really shocking would be a heel turn by The Usos, with Kidd and Cesaro getting to go the fan favorite route. The UpperCats probably best served to be heels, how about The Usos get some help from the Prime Time Players… only to have Titus O’Neil & Darren Young be the ones to turn heel? Getting the duo back together AND having them be elevated to the top heel tag team in WWE, primed for a spot at WrestleMania? That’d be a shock!

Goldust vs Stardust

The battle of the brothers seems better suited for WrestleMania, especially because the two have mentioned in previous years that they’d like to face each other at the flagship event. There’s not much that’s shocking they could do here, aside from possibly a Dusty Rhodes heel turn. Perhaps The American Dream likes the fact that Cody Rhodes finally found his stride as Stardust and wants to support him… but maybe it’s Goldust who gets help from his Hall Of Fame father to defeat his brother in a match that could setup for a rematch at WrestleMania… especially if Goldust is the heelВ coming out of FastLane.

Six-Man Tag: The Authority vs The Resistance

Oh the shocking things they could do with this match… Kane seems to be on the outs with Big Show, so those two don’t necessarily have to be part of The Authority going forward. Featuring Dolph Ziggler heavily in this match wouldn’t be extremely shocking, given what they did at Survivor Series a few months ago, but it could be PART of a shocking outcome. What if Dolph Ziggler seemed to make short work of The Authority… only to have Ryback get involved and turn on Dolph, completing a heel turn and setting up a big match between the duo at WrestleMania?

Bonus: Bray Wyatt isn’t targeting The UndertakerВ

These creepy vignettes from Bray Wyatt seem to indicate that he wants to fight The Undertaker at WrestleMania… leaving many to wonder whether The Dead Man is going to be able to do much of anything inside the ring… or even if it’s worth it for him toВ return at all now that The Streak is over. But what if Bray Wyatt isn’t talking about The Undertaker?

When the Wyatt Family debuted in the Summer Of 2013, the first person they targeted was Kane. If you’ll recall, they carried Kane away after defeating him in a Ring Of Fire match at that year’s SummerSlam, and then the feud fizzled. If Kane is actually heading into his last WrestleMania, why not pass the torch to Bray Wyatt and end the feud once and for all? Wyatt showing up and issuing a challenge for a WrestleMania Casket Match could be a huge shock at FastLane… but not if you’ve been paying attention and have been awaiting the payoff to the feud the two started 18 months ago.

Roman Reigns vs Daniel Bryan

This match wreaks of a non-finish resulting in a three-way a WrestleMania 31… which is why the shocking thing to do is to have Daniel Bryan win this match outright. It’s shocking because it would be the first time since 1992 that the Royal Rumble winner didn’t get a championship match at (or before) WrestleMania. It would also be shocking because the opinion at large is that the booking team (see: Vince McMahon) doesn’t care who the WWE Universe likes… especially if that person is Daniel Bryan.

Sting and Triple H

This face-to-face meeting is almost certainly going to lead to a match between the duo at WrestleMania, so something significant needs to happen tonight to help push things in that direction. As it stands, Triple H just wants to tell Sting to stay away. Sting hitting Triple H with the Stinger Splash, the Scorpion Death Drop and possibly even locking him into the Scorpion Deathlock would be shocking to actually see… though shocking in a long-time-coming type of thing that some of us never thought would happen. Triple H hitting Sting with The Pedigree would be the same type of thing. Having NEITHER happen? THAT might be shocking.

This article originally appeared on GuysNation . You can follow us….

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/royal-rumble-2015-winning-odds/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/royal-rumble-2015-winning-odds/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2015 01:03:42 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Other Blogs http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9254 There are 30 wrestlers who will compete in the Royal Rumble tonight, but only one of them will win (unless it's a repeat of 1994). Here's a breakdown of just how likely it is that a competitor will be headed to the main event at WrestleMania 31. Highly Doubtful Ryback – There's no indication that […]

There are 30 wrestlers who will compete in the Royal Rumble tonight, but only one of them will win (unless it's a repeat of 1994). Here's a breakdown of just how likely it is that a competitor will be headed to the main event at WrestleMania 31.

Highly Doubtful

Ryback – There's no indication that they're willing to have this guy represent the company as its champion, and his mic skills absolutely need to improve.

Big Show – If he were going to get pushed into this spot, he would have done better in his feud with John Cena and he would be featured more prominently on the shows. He might eliminate some people to help him move up on the all-time list, but someone's going to use him to make themselves look awesome, and Roman Reigns is the best candidate for that.

Sting – As much as people want to see the former WCW franchise player enter the Rumble while he still has some juice left, the big payday for him at this point would be a WrestleMania match against Triple H, which means winning the Royal Rumble would be pointless (and counter-productive).

Jack Swagger – The guy draws heat as a face against Rusev and as a heel against a foreign-born opponent. That's it.

Cesaro – He just started teaming up with Tyson Kidd, whose only involvement on television the past few months has been Divas-related. I wouldn't say that WWE has given up on him, but he is certainly on a down-side of the push-rollercoaster.

Maybe Next Year

Rusev – There are too many other good storylines to build surrounding the main event scene this year. Rusev doesn't fit into any of The Authority storylines, especially with Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar filling the heel roles atop the card. He should just keep drawing attention to the European… I mean United States Championship.

Wade Barrett – It's obvious that WWE wants to do something with Barrett, and he's got all the tools to be in the main event, but he needs to stay healthy for a bit and work himself into some high profile feuds. Until he even sniffs the World Title, winning the Rumble isn't a possibility for him… though it seems it will inevitably happen.

Dean Ambrose – When The Lunatic Fringe is on top of his game, he's as good on the mic as anyone, and he does a great job of telling a story through his matches. With a couple more high profile feuds like the one he's had with Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins, he'll be primed for the next step.

Sheamus – If he's not injured, there's always the potential that he could turn heel and win the Rumble, but I think WWE will want to bring him back, see how fans receive him, and then go from there. He's won it before, and he's still capable on the mic and in the ring.

Decent Odds

I'd be surprised to see these guys win the Royal Rumble, but it's certainly not out of the question.

Dolph Ziggler – He's a former World Heavyweight Champion and the fans are largely behind him. The feud between he and The Authority is established, and this would allow him to take center-stage for a bit. Given the potential for Cena to be the champion at WrestleMania, you have to consider the possibility of a Dolph Ziggler heel turn, especially because he's better as a Heel Ziggler than as a Face Ziggler.

Bray Wyatt – Last year at the Royal Rumble, he defeated Daniel Bryan. He has beaten John Cena. He fares well against the (former) members of the Shield who are now in prominent positions. Going into WrestleMania, you couldn't rule out the possibility of him leaving with the gold, which is something a good challenger needs.

Seth Rollins – If he doesn't win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and can't cash-in the briefcase for some reason, then perhaps The Authority can get him entered into the Royal Rumble and establish a very interesting situation where he could have a guaranteed title shot at WrestleMania AND hold the Money In The Bank briefcase.

The Undertaker – Think he's done? I wouldn't fully count him out. What better way to get revenge for losing to Brock Lesnar a year ago than to defeat him for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship? We've already seen that the guy with the top strap doesn't HAVE to be around every week (or even every month), so this schedule fits The Dead Man, whose last match really SHOULD be in a Casket Match.

Top Odds

These are the guys you should just assume are probably going to win it if any of them ends up in the final 3.

Randy Orton – He could be aligned with The Authority or he could be one of their opposition. He's got enough clout to be in the main event of WrestleMania and could have a built-in storyline with Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, or Roman Reigns (among others) who might have the belt heading into The Grand Daddy Of Them All.

Roman Reigns – He was in the final two last year, and most people will agree that in the closing moments, they were getting excited at the prospect of him eliminating Batista. Injury sidelined him, but it's clear that the WWE has big things in store for Reigns. He has better odds of eliminating 10+ superstars than he does of winning it, but he's still one of the more likely options.

Daniel Bryan – There was a huge outcry last year that he didn't win, and the way things shaped up, 2014 was supposed to be Daniel Bryan's year to shine. His time with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was cut short due to injury. Winning the Royal Rumble puts him on track to main event WrestleMania two years in a row and puts him in prime position to pick up where he left off.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/charlotte-de-flaired-at-nxt-takeover-r-evolution/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/charlotte-de-flaired-at-nxt-takeover-r-evolution/#comments Sat, 13 Dec 2014 00:12:27 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Reviews WWE Network Reviews Charlotte GuysNation Wrestling Podcast NXT NXT TakeOver Ric Flair http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=7954 If it’s one thing WWE loves, it’s a second- (or third-) generation wrestler. Now that they have a championship on one of them over on their developmental NXT brand, why is it that they’re De-Flair’ing Charlotte? It’s a topic I touched on brieflyВ in my review of NXT TakeOver R Evolution, but it bares more discussion. […]

If it’s one thing WWE loves, it’s a second- (or third-) generation wrestler. Now that they have a championship on one of them over on their developmental NXT brand, why is it that they’re De-Flair’ing Charlotte?

It’s a topic I touched on brieflyВ in my review of NXT TakeOver R Evolution , but it bares more discussion. I first noticed it during the promotional hype video for the feud between Sasha Banks and Charlotte, they played it up like Sasha Banks was not JUST a former “BFF” of Charlotte, but that Sasha Banks also “taught (Charlotte) everything (Charlotte) knows”.

Oh really? The daughter of a guy who won more than 16В World Championship belts learned more from Sasha Banks than she did from “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair?В

Charlotte should’ve scoffed at the notion. The moment Sasha said it, that comment should’ve been laughed at. A heel exaggerating her importance on the career of a second-generation competitor, the current NXT Women’s Champion. It’s absurd. She’s a FLAIR… despite the fact that her NXT name is “Charlotte”, not “Charlotte Flair” for reasons unknown.

At NXT Takeover, Ric Flair accompanied his daughter to the ring for her championship match with Natalya, then celebrated with her, tears in his eyes, when she won her first title belt. I certainly didn’t expect NXT to pay Ric Flair an appearance fee for every title defense his daughter makes, but when they do use him, I expected more than what we saw at R Evolution. Ric Flair showing up backstage before the match was a good way to remind people who Charlotte’s father was, but The Nature Boy didn’t escort her to the ring, nor do I remember him congratulating her after the match. Why not? Would that cost extra? Showing that he’s in the building but not having him do anything other than stop by for a quick word almost makes it seem like he doesn’t care about her.

That’s far from the extent of the issue, because there are plenty of ways to sell the idea that Charlotte is the daughter of a legend than to have him make appearances with her.

About the only thing Charlotte does anymore to connect to the Flair heritage is to use a Figure Four variation, a remixed theme song and she’s got a reference to the “Flair” name on the back of her signature tshirt. Where’s the fancy robe during her entrances? Why not “WOOOO” when she chops someone? How about a variant on the signature in-ring strut?

Though there are still some traces, WWE is distancing Charlotte from the Flair name. In a segment of the business which could use some flare, the NXT Women’s Division is missing out by not allowing theirВ champion to bask in the proper amount of spotlight.

I will be discussing this topic with my co-host on this weekend’s edition of the GuysNation Wrestling Podcast, which makes its triumphant return after a frustratingly long hiatus. We’re available on iTunes , RSS and through direct download.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/guys-nation-perspective-wwe-missed-an-opportunity-with-adam-rose/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/guys-nation-perspective-wwe-missed-an-opportunity-with-adam-rose/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2014 05:01:53 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Other Blogs Adam Rose Main Event RAW Rosebuds Smackdown The Bunny WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=7607 There's still a glimmer of hope that the WWE might not entirely miss out on this opportunity, but they can't catch the full impact of what a tag team featuring Adam Rose and The Bunny could've been. That's right, I said The Bunny is part of a missed opportunity. Currently booked for Survivor Series is […]

There's still a glimmer of hope that the WWE might not entirely miss out on this opportunity, but they can't catch the full impact of what a tag team featuring Adam Rose and The Bunny could've been.

That's right, I said The Bunny is part of a missed opportunity.

Currently booked for Survivor Series is a four-corners tag match for the top tag team championship in the business, and Los Matadores are wasting a spot which should've been filled by Adam Rose and The Bunny. That duo should've been booked to become huge fan favorites as a duo, and it should've started months ago.

In Mid-September, The Bunny built up some heat with Heath Slater, leading to the two squaring off in a tag match involving Adam Rose with his Rosebud and Titus O'Neil putting together Slater And The Gator. That small feud should've been the start of a pairing between Adam Rose and The Bunny which should be running strong still this week, as we head into Survivor Series – a pay per view built around the concept of teamwork.

Now the best they can do is to temporarily quell the animosity between the duo, sparked by some spotlight-stealing spots by The Bunny. We've already seen Adam Rose get into physical altercations with The Bunny, recently kicking him in the stomach for distracting him against Tyson Kidd. Even if the duo makes amends and tries to come back together to be a tag team, there will always be the idea that Adam Rose is going to turn on The Bunny.

Instead of putting time, energy and creative brainpower into building up that partnership, for which the groundwork was already laid, WWE "Creative" went with the stale Los Matadores.

Kids don't care about Los Matadores. If they did, that ship has sailed. They've had their chance to make their mark on the WWE Universe, and they've plateaued. Any success they were going to gain, they reached it. But a gimmick where a guy is dressed up like a bunny, partnering with a guy who eats lollipops all the time and doesn't seem to have a care in the world? That's something that kids can enjoy, and yet the drug over-tones and attractive, costumed women escorting the duo to the ring are sufficient to keep the key 18-48 male audience.

I'm not saying that the duo had to ever hold the WWE Tag Team Championships, but they should've been given a chance to partner up and rise through the ladder of the tag team division. It would've certainly sold some tshirts in addition to plenty of other unique memorabilia. Stuffed bunnies? Lollipops with rosebuds on them? Necklaces with rosebuds on one side and a crossed-through lemon on the other?

Forget the entertainment value of it all… WWE missed out on an opportunity for merchandising dollars.

This article was originally published by our friends @ GuysNation.com .

http://www.cheap-heat.com/how-seth-rollins-could-re-energize-the-wwe-at-hell-in-a-cell/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/how-seth-rollins-could-re-energize-the-wwe-at-hell-in-a-cell/#comments Sat, 25 Oct 2014 22:44:24 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Other Blogs Brock Lesnar CM Punk Daniel Bryan Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Elimination Chamber Hell in a Cell HHH HIAC John Cena Money in the Bank RAW Roman Reigns Royal Rumble Seth Rollins Smackdown Stephanie McMahon Survivor Series The Authority Triple H WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=5325 WWE could use a jump-start right about now to make things a bit more energized. The current feuds are getting a bit stale or are lacking in the way they were built. It makes sense to use a Hell In A Cell for Ambrose to put a cap on their feud, but there seems to […]

WWE could use a jump-start right about now to make things a bit more energized. The current feuds are getting a bit stale or are lacking in the way they were built. It makes sense to use a Hell In A Cell for Ambrose to put a cap on their feud, but there seems to be no real reason to get the same treatment on the other main event. What about John Cena vs Randy Orton would warrant a Hell In В A Cell match, other than the fact that it happens to be the highest profile match on the pay per view which celebrates the innovative cage match?

With Daniel Bryan still injured, CM Punk completely distancing himself from professional wrestling, and Brock Lesnar sitting out this event (and every episode of RAW since late September), the WWE right now is in a bit of a slump. It's getting BORING, but there's plenty of talent which could be utilized to re-energize things, and Seth Rollins could be the key, and this weekend is the time to kick things into the next gear.

Seth Rollins is probably not ready to hold the WWE World Championship.

Disagree with me all you want, but you'll have to show me an example of a time when he proved that he could stand in the ring with a championship belt and actually sell himself as the top of a division. The run he had as HALF of the World Tag Team Champions doesn't really count, because he had two other guys in his group and the burden of seeming like they belonged atop the division was split between the trio.

Given time and the right amount of time in the spotlight, Seth Rollins will likely seem to be a viable superstar to hold the top championship in professional wrestling. When people look at Rollins, they need to think of him as a champion who belongs among the top names in the business, not just a guy who is holding the belt because he has the political backing of the guys in charge.

At Hell In A Cell, not only could Seth Rollins take the next step towards being viewed as a champion, but the WWE as a whole could help re-energize itself and increase the perceived value of one of its greatest assets.

Following a loss to Dean Ambrose in the first half of the show, Seth Rollins should sit backstage and wait for Dolph Ziggler to barely defeat Cesaro in an epic 2-out-of-3 Falls match, and then hit him with a briefcase during the celebration. From there, it should be a simple matter of getting Ziggler's lifeless body into the ring and pinning him to win the Intercontinental Championship.

That's right, Seth Rollins should make history by being the first person to cash in the Money In The Bank briefcase on the Intercontinental Championship.

Why not have Rollins cash in on Lesnar (or whomever it is that defeats Lesnar for the belt)? Because then the WWE has an unproven commodity sitting atop the wrestling business, he'll have heat with the only other wrestler in The Authority, he has Brock Lesnar looking to take him out, will have to deal with John Cena, and still has Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose looming. All with the pressure of being the top guy.

By having Seth Rollins cash in to become the Intercontinental Championship, a championship which actually meant something 25 years ago will once again rise to prominence as the top most sought-after title on RAW. There's no World Championship to focus on. Even if Brock is competing at Survivor Series, he won't be in the ring every week. He'd likely be sitting out the majority of RAW episodes between now and Survivor Series even if he does return. And if Survivor Series is when the World Champ returns, we're likely just getting another rematch between The Beast and John Cena, which is a match we've already seen the build for 100 times, so there's no new ground to cover in the weeks leading up to the return match.

One interesting aspect would be the dynamic between Randy Orton, who would have failed to earn a shot at the World Title, and the reigning Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins, who Triple H is treating as the focal point of RAW on a weekly basis as the top champion on the show.

As the only champion showing up each week, and most superstars agreeing that they don't want to be the next victim for Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins has the chance to defend the belt against some of the most talented wrestlers in the business in heavily promoted matches with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at his side.

When John Cena, Roman Reigns or Daniel Bryan eventually get the WWE World Championship – because it will inevitably be one of those three (barring the unlikely return of CM Punk) – Seth Rollins could easily be sold as the top contender to the belt. In the past, the Intercontinental Champion had been considered the #2 guy in WWE, so there's precedent. Even if there wasn't, The Authority could just book a match between Rollins and the WWE World Champion because they're The Authority.

There's also The Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber which could help put Seth Rollins back into the WWE World Title picture again, and at that point he could have some valuable experience atop the WWE landscape without the pressure of being seen as the World Champion.

All by cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase on the Intercontinental Championship.

And that doesn't even begin to speak to what happens for the belt even after he's held it, and what it does for Dolph Ziggler as he chases Rollins to get the belt back, or what it does for the guy who eventually defeats Rollins to win the belt.

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