http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Sun, 18 Oct 2015 05:06:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

http://www.cheap-heat.com/here-comes-the-pain-top-5-moments-from-smackdown-917/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/here-comes-the-pain-top-5-moments-from-smackdown-917/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2015 17:41:32 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Top Lists Adam Rose Big E Big Show Brie Bella D'Von Dudley Dean Ambrose Hulk Hogan John Cena Kevin Owens Kofi Kingston Michael Cole Naomi Night of Champions Nikki Bella Roman Reigns Ryback Sasha Banks Seth Rollins Sheamus Smackdown Sting The Dudley Boyz The New Day The Wyatt Family Total Divas Triple H WWE Xavier Woods http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=14253 Welcome to “Here Comes the Pain” — Cheap-Heat.com‘s official Smackdown Countdown, brought to you by B+ Players Radio. When you don’t have the time to sit through an entire Thursday night edition of pre-taped content, we’re here to give you the “Top 5 Moments” in VIDEO FORM! Big thanks to WWE and their awesome YouTube/internet department who always post […]

Welcome to “ Here Comes the Pain ” — Cheap-Heat.com ‘s official Smackdown Countdown , brought to you by B+ Players Radio. When you don’t have the time to sit through an entire Thursday night edition of pre-taped content, we’re here to give you the “Top 5 Moments” in VIDEO FORM ! Big thanks to WWE and their awesome YouTube/internet department who always post exclusive content immediately. It makes our job a lot easier!

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/highlight-of-the-night-top-five-moments-from-raw/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/highlight-of-the-night-top-five-moments-from-raw/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2015 17:59:49 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Reviews Adam Rose Brock Lesnar Dolph Ziggler John Cena Kevin Owens Michael Cole Monday Night RAW RAW Roman Reigns Seth Rollins Triple H wrestling WWE Wwe Raw http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12569 Ladies and Gentlemen good evening! You've seen that seeing is believing—remember that? The Saliva joint that adorned Wrestlemania 23? One of my favorites, without a doubt. What's crack-a-lacking today? It's your boy Mark Adam Haggerty, coming to you from the EAST COAST for the first time uh—EVER! Granted I lived here for the first 23 […]

Ladies and Gentlemen good evening! You've seen that seeing is believing—remember that? The Saliva joint that adorned Wrestlemania 23? One of my favorites, without a doubt. What's crack-a-lacking today? It's your boy Mark Adam Haggerty, coming to you from the EAST COAST for the first time uh—EVER! Granted I lived here for the first 23 years old my life, but since starting with Cheap Heat and Daily Wrestling News, I've been a West Coast Kid. I'm in New Jersey, to be specific—staying in my parents' house—and had the chance to watch Monday Night Raw with a high school buddy. He helped me decide on the top five moments of this week's episode of Raw, so without further ado, let's kick this bitch into top gear!

5. Dolph Ziggler versus Adam Rose

Believe it or not, I was pretty happy with the interaction between Dolph Ziggler and Adam Rose this week. I've never been a huge fan of either individual, but really enjoy the darker edge Adam Rose seems to be walking along in recent memory. My friend asked me: "Wait—did they mix Adam Rose up with Fandango? Why is Rosa Mendez out there?" For those who might not remember, Rosa Mendez officially joined up with Adam Rose in favor of Fandango several weeks (months?) ago, when Fandango turned heel. Adam Rose's mustache was on point tonight, as was his promo about "true love." When he kissed Rosa, there was an absolutely disgusting trail of spit leading from Rosa's mouth to Adam's. True love at its finest! Now, the match was what it was—but I can't fault either man for his work ethic between the ropes. I might not like Dolph Ziggler, but he's a hell of a hand, and Adam Rose seems to finally be coming into his own as part of the main roster. Dolph inevitably gets the victory over the perpetual party animal, and then convinces Lana to take her hair down. I guess that solidifies her turn from the dark side? A skippable match, but when hard pressed to name five moments, I'm inclined to include this segment.

4. Brock Lesnar's Apology

Brock Lesnar returned to WWE last week and when he did, Michael Cole's reaction was uh, non existent? He dropped a classic—or VINTAGE—Michael Cole: "Oh My," but didn't make mention of the fact that Brock F5'd him into a lawsuit the night after Wrestlemania. I had a sour taste in my mouth about Brock's acclimation to the main roster following a 3 month sabbatical, as nothing was mentioned about the Michael Cole situation. That changed this week, probably after assholes like me tweeted Cole about it, when Brock Lesnar was forced to come out and apologize to the announce team. It was obviously against his will, but it gave me closure on a subject that's been irking me to no end over the past several weeks.

3. Kofi Kingston versus Adrian Neville

I had to start Raw a little late, and then went back through my DVR to catch up on the rest of the show. I thought this was probably the best match of the night, involving two breakout superstars in singles action, but that's not to say the New Day weren't entirely entertaining at ringside. At one point Xavier Woods acquired a camera from the nearby photographer and took a series of action shots featuring Kofi's dominance over Adrian. As we were watching, my buddy goes: "He's going to miss that Red Arrow one of these days." Well, it wasn't today! The referee ended up ejecting the New Day from ringside, allowing Adrian the chance to hit the Red Arrow for the victory. Adrian Neville is on fire and I just hope he saunters down Seth Rollins Street instead of Evan Bourne Boulevard.

2. Seth Rollins Gets the Band Back Together

Seth Rollins is set to wrestle Brock Lesnar at Battleground in just about one month, and it's clear that the current world champion is beginning to worry about the "Beast." He approached Triple H and Stephanie, requesting the help of the Authority, but Triple H needed more than pure groveling. He told Seth that if he wants to get the support of his former "family," then he'd need to say the three little words they're all waiting to hear: "I am sorry." Seth appealed to Kane, Joey Mercury, and Jamie Noble, but they opted NOT be befriend their former ally. That's when Brock appeared. The Authority left Seth alone in the ring with Brock—but only for a moment. Kane hit the ring and yanked Brock off the apron; J and J Security sprang into action and put the boots to the former champion, but it wasn't enough to keep Brock from reaching Seth Rollins. He made it back into the ring, but Kane and J and J returned. Kane chokeslammed Brock and Seth delivered what might have been the WORST pedigree in the history of wrestling. When the dust settled, Brock was no longer located in Suplex City, but on his back. The champion stood above the former champion holding the belt high in the air. Can Seth Rollins beat Brock Lesnar in one on one competition, or will Brock become champion once more? We'll find out at Battleground in July!

If Kevin Owens and John Cena are doing something together on Monday Night Raw, you better bet your bottom dollar that they'll secure the number one spot of the night. This week Cena came out to sell rally towels and t-shirts, oh and that fly ball cap. I like that one, to be honest. The yellow stitching is pretty rad, if I do say so myself. John came out and gave a whole speech about how Kevin Owens beat him, but the war is far from over. That's when the current NXT champion made an appearance. He told John that since the United States title means to much to him—he wants it. Kevin Owens wants the United States Championship because it's important to John Cena, and for no other reason. He then went on to tell the fans that he'd do something to ensure the fans would boo him and cheer Cena. He proceeded to give the rest of his promo in his native French-Canadian tongue. The fans booed, of course, because who doesn't hate the French? But Cena wasn't beat for that bullshit; John came back with a little French of his own, and then went on to break it down for Kevin Owens in CHINESE! When all was said and done, John Cena told Kevin Owens that if he wants some, to come get some—in what he referred to as "Good old Indianapolis Americana." Which for the record, is known to the rest of the world as ENGLISH. Very powerful, and exceptionally fresh with Kevin Owens using his knowledge of another language to earn heat from a number of fans that'd otherwise cheer him.

Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook , and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/strange-and-stimulating-superstars-32-random-wwe-facts/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/strange-and-stimulating-superstars-32-random-wwe-facts/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2015 04:45:48 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Adam Rose Aiden English Bad New Barrett Big Cass Bram Byron Saxton Cameron Carmella Charlotte Christian Christian Cage Cody Rhodes Colin Cassady Corey Graves Daniel Bryan Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Erick Rowan Hunico Jerry Lawler John Cone Kane Kevin Owens Mark Henry Maryse Michael Cole NXT Paige Renee Young Sasha Banks Sheamus Sin Cara Summer Rae The Miz The Undertaker TNA Tyson Kidd Wade Barrett William Regal WWE Zeb Coulter http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10853 Strange and Stimulating Superstars 32 Random WWE Facts Written by Mark Adam Haggerty I'm always compiling countdowns and lists of data for my work here at Cheap-Heat, as well as my podcast "The B+ Players." But there are a lot of random bits of information regarding the current WWE roster that don't seem to fit […]

Strange and Stimulating Superstars
32 Random WWE Facts
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

I'm always compiling countdowns and lists of data for my work here at Cheap-Heat, as well as my podcast "The B+ Players." But there are a lot of random bits of information regarding the current WWE roster that don't seem to fit anywhere in particular. Some are sad, others are funny—but most are just downright surprising. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and these are "Strange and Stimulating Superstars: 32 Random WWE Facts."

Christian
"Christian Cage" is a combination of the names Christian Bale and Nicholas Cage.

Sheamus
When Sheamus was a boy,В he sang in the Palestrina Choir in Ireland until the age of 13 and upon graduating from college worked as an IT technician.В

The Undertaker
The Undertaker has appeared in more video games than any other wrestler—EVER. More than Hulk Hogan, the Rock or even “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. And that includes games outside of the WWE Universe.

Summer Rae
Before she became a WWE Diva, Summer Rae was the captain and cornerback for the Chicago Bliss Lingerie football team.

Renee Young
After high school Renee Young began training in improvisational comedy, and moved to Los Angeles at 19 years old to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.

Adam Rose
Adam Rose's theme song was used by the NHL's Ottawa Senators as part of their goal horn during the 2014-2015 season.

Zeb Coulter
In August 2012, Zeb Coulter’s 16 year old grand-daughter Amelia died in a car accident. The other driver, who had drugs in his system, was on parole, and running from the police at the time. Less than one year later, Tennessee legislators signed Amelia’s Law, which requires parolees—whose crimes were related to drugs or alcohol—to wear a monitor that would test the parolees blood every half hour. The law went into effect on July 1, 2014.

Kevin Owens
French-Canadian NXT Champion Kevin Owens credits Jim Ross’s WWE commentary for teaching him how to speak English.

Corey Graves
Cory Graves is aВ professional piercer, having trained under a friend who needed to hire a full time piercer in his tattoo shop.

Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler was involved in a romantic relationship with standup comedian and Comedy Central personality Amy Schumer.
В
Kane
Glen Jacobs, better-known as Kane, is an outspoken libertarian, and was even approached by several Tea Party organizations to run for senate in Tennessee.В

Sasha Banks
Although she’s cousins with Snoop Dogg, Sasha Banks has stated her favorite type of music is “Korean Pop.”

The Miz (and Maryse)
The Miz and Maryse were married at the One & Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas—the same resort featured in James Bonds’ Casino Royale.

Paige
Paige first entered the wrestling ring at 10 years old—training under her mother and father—and made her professional debut at just thirteen.

Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan has Vitiligo, a dermatological condition that alters the level of pigmentation in one's skin.

Sin Cara (Hunico)
Sin Cara AKA Hunico worked as a funeral director before becoming a full-time professional wrestler and even attained his embalming license in Juarez, Mexico.

Cody Rhodes
In addition to being the son of Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes is the nephew of Fred “Shockmaster” Ottman and Jerry “Nasty Boy” Sags.В

Byron Saxton
Byron Saxton was in the same Virginia kindergarten class as his former Raw Pre-show host Alex Riley.

Jerry Lawler
Jerry “The King” Lawler owns a replica Batmobile from 1960s Adam West series.

Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose dropped out of high school a year into his wrestling training.

Referee John Cone
WWE Referee John Cone owns a donut shop called “The Donut King” in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.

Big Cass
After graduating from NYU, Colin “Big Cass” CassidyВ started a ticket brokerage company, specializing in events atВ Yankee StadiumВ andВ Madison Square Garden.

William Regal
William RegalВ was once arrested on a flight from Japan to the United States when he drunkenly urinated on a flight attendant. He claimed to be so drunk that he could not remember the incident and woke up in a cell inВ Anchorage, Alaska.

Erick Rowan
Erick Rowan’s family immigrated to Minneapolis from Norway and in 2010, Erick finished third on the first season of the Norwegian reality series “Alt for Norge.”

Bad News Barrett
Before becoming a wrestler, Bad New Barrett was a celebrated bare knuckle fighter. One night following an especially lucrative prize-fight, Barrett was stabbed with an eight-inch blade by an assailant trying to steal his money. The thief was said to have incurred serious injuries, and Barrett escaped with the cash.

Michael Cole
Before he was the “Voice of the WWE,” Michael Cole was a news reporter and was among those camped outside the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas in 1993.В

Tyson Kidd
In 1996 at the age of sixteen, Tyson Kidd wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation on a house showВ in Calgary that also includedВ Teddy HartВ andВ Harry Smith.В

Cameron
Cameron double-majored at California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor's of Arts in Marketing. Before she was signed to the WWE, she worked as a behavioral therapist for autistic children in North Hollywood.

Charlotte
Ashley Flair AKA Charlotte is married to TNA wrestler Thomas Latimer AKA Bram.

Aiden English
Aiden English became involved in professional wrestling after studying stage combat in college.

Mark Henry
Mark Henry was as one of the pallbearers for actorВ Michael Clarke Duncan’s funeral inВ September of 2012.

Carmella
NXT Diva Carmella is the daughter of former wrestler and WWE enhancement talent Paul Von Dale.

There you have it—32 inexplicable facts about the current roster of Superstars, Divas, referees, and broadcasters. Until next time this has been Mark Adam Haggerty reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat, listen to my podcast "The B+ Players," and follow me via social media: @TapeTraderz on Twitter and "The B+ Players" on Facebook.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter%e2%80%a8-your-weekly-smackdown-breakdown%e2%80%a8/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter%e2%80%a8-your-weekly-smackdown-breakdown%e2%80%a8/#comments Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:52:17 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Other Reviews Reviews Adam Rose Alicia Fox Big Show Cameron Damien Mizdow Damien Sandow Daniel Bryan Eva Marie Fandango Fast Lane HHH Jeff Farmer Kane Konnor Los Matadores MizDow NXT Paige Roman Reigns Sheamus Smackdown Sting Summer Rae The Ascension The Bella Twins Triple H Undertaker Viktor WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9675 What’s Cookin & What Doesn’t Matter : Your Weekly Smackdown Breakdown Written by Mark Adam Haggerty The week is coming to a close which means the WWE is back with another episode of the second longest-running episodic television series in broadcast history. The events of Raw are still fresh in the mind of the WWE Universe […]

What’s Cookin & What Doesn’t Matter : Your Weekly Smackdown Breakdown
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

The week is coming to a close which means the WWE is back with another episode of the second longest-running episodic television series in broadcast history. The events of Raw are still fresh in the mind of the WWE Universe as fans wonder what to expect as we hit the blinker and move into the Fastlane on the Road to Wrestlemania. Despite far more matches on Monday Night, Smackdown maintains its reputation as the main roster's wrestling show. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, here as always to navigate you toward what's good—and direct you AWAY from what's bad on Thursday Night Smackdown. I'm going to tell you what was COOKIN', and what simply DOESN'T MATTER!

Smackdown opens with a locker room full of tag team competitors preparing for the upcoming Tag Team Turmoil match. Generally �Turmoil is reserved for a title defense, but tonight's contest is designed to sabotage both Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns as they get set to go one-on-one in ten days at Fastlane. The WWE tag team champions the Usos are on hand with the Ascension, Los Matadors, and Slater Gator to name a few. Kane and the Big Show lead the meeting which makes me reconsider my question from Monday night about who's in charge of the Authority when Triple H and Stephanie are nowhere to be found? I hypothesized a scenario where Kane shared control with Seth Rollins, but perhaps the Big Show has some sort of Kayfabe sway inside the stable as well.

The opening credits roll and Michael Cole welcomes worldwide audiences to the number one television series on SyFy—it always strikes as strange, the way a global company makes so many national references on TV shows that reach across an entire planet. The "Eater of Worlds" Bray Wyatt is first on the scene, preparing to go head-to-head with R Truth. I enjoy �Truth and think there's a tremendous upside to booking Ron Killings in a stronger sense. His evil alliance with the Miz in 2011 was the beginning of something great, but like all things wonderful on the mid-card, his presence within the company fizzled away into obscurity. I thought the pairing of Wyatt with Truth was awfully peculiar, and jokingly wonder if the WWE is reading my columns where I insist they vary the competition. More matches per hour is a great first step, but if I had to see Wyatt wrestle Dolph Ziggler again I was going to—well, I wasn't going to do anything because I'm a dedicated wrestling fan, but it would have been annoying. R Truth's music is infectious, even after 8 years, and gets both Byron and the King dancing in their seats at ringside. Michael Cole then proceeded to tell Byron that he was "embarrassing himself," and said nothing to Jerry Lawler. This match was more even-sided than I might have anticipated with plenty of impressive offense from �Truth, and not just that stupid split spot he does. Bray is getting much better at the upside-down crab-walk, but does Lawler really need to bring up Linda Blair and the Exorcist every time we see it? First of all, that's an incredibly dated reference—that movie came out 42-years ago. Second, I'm pretty sure Bray got the idea from the Exorcist so saying that is just oversaturating the mystique of what he's doing. Nobody on WCW TV ever said, "Man Sting reminds me of Brandon Lee in �The Crow.'" Everybody was talking about it backstage and at home, but Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay never said, "What he's doing on our TV show is from a movie." Following his demented crab-walk, Bray zeroed in and finished the former United States champion with Sister Abigail. On a scale from Cookin' to Doesn't Matter, I'd place this opening match somewhere in the middle as it didn't really do much other than give Wyatt a chance to show how good he's getting at walking upside down on his hands.

The Bella's are once again at ringside providing commentary, which is oftentimes hilarious but Mike McGuirk and Renee Young they are not. I think it would behoove the WWE to consider launching an "All-Diva" program on the WWE Network similar to Superstars and Main Event but featuring nothing but women's matches. There is most certainly a market for high quality female wrestling competition, and that industry is currently dominated by independent outfits such as Shine and Shimmer. If the WWE wants more programming on their Network and also seeks to widen their potential audience, it would be a smart move to start booking an all-Divas show. Imagine a program with 3-4 matches featuring Nattie Neidhart, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, the Bella Twins, Naomi, Blue Pants, Bayley, and Becky Lynch. The biggest issue with the women in the WWE now that they've become confident between the ropes is the consistency in storylines from week to week. I for one have trouble following just what the heck is going on between Nikki and her sister Brie, and when exactly did Paige enter the fray? Is she a replacement for AJ Lee? The WWE could film the matches before and after Smackdown and Raw and use that show to build multiple angles that could then translate to the main roster and NXT. This would also allow for Diva's on Raw and Smackdown to intermingle with the up and coming women of NXT, which would greatly benefit both parties should they have a chance to learn from each other. If you look at the Bellas, Cameron, Eva Marie, and Alicia Fox, there's plenty of room for improvement but the desire to grow and prosper within the industry is there. Think back to an era dominated by Kelly Kelly and Candice Michelle when the best we could hope for was a "Bra and Panties Match." The women on the main roster today all appear to be getting better and that definitely includes Paige's opponent tonight Summer Rae. I went into this match without any elevated expectations, other than to hear a few funny one-liners out of the Divas Champion Nikki Bella. But Summer Rae most certainly delivered, keeping up with Paige and landing a flurry of impressive kicks and submission holds. Summer almost had the former champion beaten with an innovative half-figure-four that put all of Summer's weight down on the left leg of Paige. Summer continued the onslaught while Nikki didn't disappoint on commentary. When asked to comment regarding "spray-tanning" Paige on Raw last week, Nikki said, "I was trying to make her pretty. I didn't know it was a bad thing." Inside the ring Paige screamed in agony as Summer Rae repositioned herself over her opponent, applying more pressure to the hold and shoving the heel of her boot in Paige's throat. But Paige, determined to succeed both tonight and at Fastlane, fought out of the predicament and applied her very own P.T.O., which as the name suggests, caused Summer Rae to "tap out." In case you couldn't tell, I thought this match was considerably Cookin'!

This many Sheamus promos, two on Raw and then another pair this evening on Smackdown, lead me to believe the "Celtic Warrior" will be back in a big way. But will we get the smiley goof that's proud to resemble a Muppet, or will we get the rugged Irishman that Jerry Lawler says, "Loves to fight." While I first thought the King slipped up and gave Sheamus a tag line belonging to Dave "Fit" Finlay, it seems that's also a phrase now attributed to Sheamus. Of course that gets the wheels in my head turning as to how I'd love to see a reinvigorated, no-nonsense Sheamus mentored by the Belfast Bruiser. Add Finn Balor and Becky Lynch to the ensemble and we've got a formidable force of Irish-born Superstars that could be a cross between the Truth Commission and the Bullet Club.

It's party time all the time, but more importantly it is party time RIGHT NOW! Adam Rose is on his way to the squared circle surrounded by several Rose Buds who Rose deems unworthy of his traditional trust exercise, instead heading straight through the ropes and into action against Fandango. This is a rematch from last week's embarrassing display by Rose, losing to Fandango after being distracted by his own entourage. This evening Rose is working with less spring in his step and more fire behind his fists. He stomps Fandango down and capitalizes with expertly-timed mat-based moves, until Fandango is able to counter the offensive. The action continued to see-saw with Rose coming within an inch of victory before falling victim to Fandango's flying leg drop nicknamed "The Last Dance." Rose left the ring in a fit of anger, threatening the nearest Rosebud, instead choosing to stomp away in defeat. This match doesn't matter, but I'd be willing to watch it again because it was somewhere in the neighborhood of three minutes long with well-produced comedy spots before and after the bout.

One of the most intriguing elements of WWE TV in recent months has been the developing rivalry between WWE COO Triple H and the "Vigilante" Sting. The mysterious man in black cost Triple H and the Authority on two occasions, first at the Survivor Series and then on Monday Night Raw when he offered the distraction, enabling John Cena to reinstate his fired friends. I've long said that Sting and Triple H is the match that I want to see should Steve Borden only wrestle once while under contract. I don't think the Undertaker would have enough left to push Sting to where he needs to be, and I don't think any of the younger talent has earned the right to be the one WWE Superstar who gets to wrestle Sting. This Monday we heard Triple H describe his love for the WWE, which is equal to the level of hatred he feels for the Vigilante. The "Fake Sting" that caught Triple H off guard might not have been Jeff Farmer, but the events of Monday Night and the carefully constructed Vignette on tonight's Smackdown make me nostalgic for an era where storytelling was paramount to the overall product. I wouldn't generally take the time to review a vignette on a weekly TV show, but the build to their epic confrontation at Wrestlemania has been cleverly-conceived and I look forward to the prologue to their story in just over a week at Fastlane. This vignette was COOKIN'!

Am I the only one that thinks Daniel Bryan's hair is getting way too long? I'm hoping against hope that this situation with Roman Reigns will lead Bryan down the path to a villainous heel run similar to his time as champion in Ring of Honor. Should Bryan turn I think a shave and a haircut would be the wisest way to convey his transformation to the entire WWE Universe. Bryan and Roman are both getting set to square off against a number of top-tier tag teams in the WWE in Tag Team Turmoil. Both men pace about the ring awaiting their first challenge which comes in the form of The Miz and his personal assistant Damian Mizdow. Roman and Daniel show signs of cohesive functionality, albeit tagging one another into the bout via less than cordial circumstances. The Miz and Mizdow are still operating in "Creative Limbo," where the audience isn't yet sure what to make of the new "personal assistant" role. A series of blind tags and finishing maneuvers lead Bryan and Roman to their first pinfall. While I think there are fans around the world unhappy with the result of the 2015 Royal Rumble, I definitely think there's merit to an argument about geographic popularity. Tonight Smackdown is in Ohio where Roman is a far more favorable commodity than he was in Philadelphia. I think the combination of international super fans and casual California locals will make Roman Reigns presence in Santa Clara an especially interesting experience. The second team set to take the stage is the championship combination of Jimmy and Jey, the Usos! I initially figured the WWE didn't put much stock in its own tag team title holders. The champions entered second and within a matter of moments were bested just the same as the Miz and Mizdow. But by five minutes into the fall I began to realize that this encounter would be more than just a standard-squash. Roman has trouble tying up with his cousins and reverts to Bryan, allowing the former world champion to enter the match and contend with the well-conditioned, fast-tagging tandem of Jimmy and Jey. Bryan used his battle with the Usos to "teach" Reigns moves while he stood on the apron, snapping Suplexes and saying, "That is a suplex." The Usos put Bryan through his paces, but it's not long before Roman is back in the action and able to get the upper hand. By the end of the fall, Daniel had both Usos on the outside where he laid into them with incredibly stiff kicks to the gut. Reigns left his perch on the apron and tore Bryan away telling him that he'd seen enough, and that the Usos were hurt. Bryan tells Reigns, "We have to win," which leads Roman to say, "You can't win out here! Get him in the ring and do it the right way!" Bryan took exception to Reigns, but the match would continue back inside the squared circle until the potential challengers combined their efforts to defeat the Usos with a "Yes Lock" by Bryan.

The third team set to try their hand at defeating the hopeful number one contenders is Los Matadores, who enter the arena amidst an argument between Bryan and Reigns. Fernando starts things off on a positive note for his team, laying into Daniel Bryan with a few educated feet, but soon falls considerably short to Bryan in the martial arts department. Within minutes it's clear that Los Matadores are nothing but filler designed to ease Bryan and Reigns out of their fall with the tag team champions and into another considerable challenge. Bryan administers a textbook Mexican surfboard to the Puerto Rican Superstars who pretend to be Mexican. Unless there are matadors in Puerto Rico, which there very well could be. Inside of four minutes Daniel Bryan capitalizes without the effort of his tag team partner and single handedly defeats Los Matadores and FINALLY it's Slater Gator! Titus O'Neil struts to the ring barking alongside Heath Slater who is sporting a very close, much more stylish haircut. They head into action right around the half-hour point in the match, hoping FOUR could be their lucky number. Just the same as Daniel Bryan managed to defeat Los Matadores, so too did Roman Reigns vanquish the dynamic duo of Slater and Gator with a Superman Punch and a Spear. Now tied with equal bragging rights, the unlikely pair of Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan were faced with their fifth and most formidable challenge—the longest reigning NXT tag team champions, the Ascension. Unlike the previous two falls, this showdown with the Ascension proved problematic as Konnor and Viktor wasted little time in resorting to underhanded, double-team tactics to isolate each individual. The Ascension used the ringside environment as a third tag partner, sending both Bryan and Reigns into the steel surroundings until neither man could stand. Despite all four participants being outside of the ring for quite a while, the referee never called for the bell, which allowed the Ascension to single-out Bryan and nearly-decapitate him with the Fall of Man. The dominant tag team from NXT attempted to capitalize on Bryan, but were soon informed by the official that they had been disqualified for their unruly behavior. Of course Konnor and Viktor snapped, continuing their warpath this time against Reigns. They were eventually separated by a sea of striped shirts, and that's when the music hit: "Well it's the Big Show!"

I suspected that the "Big Nasty Bastard" and the "Demon" Kane might be the final challenge for Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. Despite generally having a distasteful opinion of both Glen Jacobs and Paul Wight, I was rather excited to see these two monsters arrive on the scene to further punish Reigns and Bryan after being laid out by the Ascension. The former tag team champions Kane and Big Show began the match with an early advantage earned by the hardcore assault by the Ascension. Despite working the previous five falls at constant odds, Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns seem to find common ground against their shared enemy in the final moments of this main event. Kane is the first one in for his team and keeps firm control over his former friend Daniel Bryan, while Big Show and Roman Reigns stand idly by on the apron. �Show entered the fight giving both members of the Authority opportunity to dominate Daniel Bryan. Big Show took his time in slaughtering Bryan, refusing to go for any kind of cover. Kane looked at his partner and as earnestly as he could said, "Finish him �Show." Big Show laughed and yelled back, "I'm having fun!" I feel like I'd be less down on these two if their characters continued to develop past 2006. Instead the WWE just switches them from heel to face and back again each year. Let's explore the dysfunctional dichotomy between the conservative Kane and the much more-brash Big Show. The divide between the Authority leads to a blind tag and an argument, allowing Daniel Bryan the chance to capitalize and apply the "Yes Lock" to Kane. Big Show blind tags back in and signals for the chokeslam. Bryan once again attempts to lock in his famous submission, only to be interrupted by another argument between Kane and Big Show. This time �Show had enough of Kane's reasonable suggestions and responded with a riotous right hand directly into the Demon's jaw. Kane went down and Roman Reigns used the distraction to catch the Big Show with a Spear. Now Daniel Bryan, the legal man in the ring, finished the Big Show and pinned him for the final fall of the match.

I thought this entire 6-fall contest was really interesting. It lasted nearly an hour and put Roman Reigns through his paces like never before. Bryan did most of the work for his team, but Roman did a fine job of working each of his opponents without blowing up in a seriously noticeable way. I think this Tag Team Turmoil match was of course intentionally devised to help get Roman over the stigma of being an unworthy heir apparent to the throne. I was confused when it started so early in the card but after the intense battle with the Usos, I realized the timing would work out perfectly. The emotional encounter between Reigns and Bryan and the Usos was a wonderful way to contrast the ruthless nature of Daniel Bryan and sensitive naiveté of Roman Reigns. Even in the final moments of Smackdown when they each stared off at the Wrestlemania 31 banner, Reigns showed signs of sportsmanship while all through the bout Bryan insisted on winning at all costs. This match was the most COOKIN' thing I've seen on Smackdown in quite some time.

Where does the WWE go from here now that Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan are just one week away from their catastrophic collision in Memphis at Fastlane? I thought tonight's episode of Thursday Night Smackdown was really good; exceeding my expectations seems to be a common trait for what's long been considered the secondary broadcast in WWE. People like to say Smackdown should go live, but I believe the taped nature of the program is key in delivering so many impressive in-ring moments. The live Monday night show is used to swerve the audience with talking segments, while Smackdown relies greatly on the athletic ability of the WWE Roster. An entertaining night on the SyFy Network, especially the second hour which included the must-see Tag Team Turmoil match pitting Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns against the entire tag division. That's it for me this week. Please remember to bookmark my author page to catch up on hundreds of reviews, columns, and countdowns exclusively available here at Cheap-Heat. Until next time, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been "What's Cookin' & What Doesn't Matter."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter-your-weekly-smackdown-breakdown-3/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter-your-weekly-smackdown-breakdown-3/#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2015 00:33:33 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Other Reviews Reviews Adam Rose Alicia Fox Bad News Barrett BNB Cesaro Curtis Axel Daniel Bryan Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Fandango Goldust J&J Security Miz MizDow Paige RAW Roman Reigns Rosa Mendes Royal Rumble Ryback Seth Rollins Smackdown Stardust Survivor Series Tyson Kidd Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9571 What’s Cookin & What Doesn’t Matter Your Weekly Smackdown Breakdown Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Two weeks removed from the Royal Rumble and gaining tread on the Road to Wrestlemania, the WWE is back with another 2-hour broadcast courtesy of the "Thursday Night Delight" known simply as Smackdown. "Blue Raw" is fast becoming the show […]

What’s Cookin & What Doesn’t Matter
Your Weekly Smackdown Breakdown
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Two weeks removed from the Royal Rumble and gaining tread on the Road to Wrestlemania, the WWE is back with another 2-hour broadcast courtesy of the "Thursday Night Delight" known simply as Smackdown. "Blue Raw" is fast becoming the show to satisfy wrestling fans as it is comprised almost completely of in-ring excitement as opposed to the scripted TV we're privy to each and every Monday. This week's show was another welcome change as it depicted professional wrestlers wrestling instead of working on their comedy act for Showtime at the Apollo. But with the good comes the bad and that's why I'm here each week to help steer you away from the unwatchable; my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this is "What's Cookin' and What Doesn't Matter: Your Weekly Smackdown Breakdown."

The show is off to a sizzling start when the Miz and his personal assistant Mizdow make their way to the ring for this week's installment of Miz TV. Tonight's edition will feature the two men who will head into Fastlane eager to be named number one contender to Brock Lesnar's WWE World Heavyweight title—Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. Before his guests arrive, the Miz must first put his former stunt-double in his place, but it's not long before Roman Reigns enters and teaches the Miz a similar lesson by Superman Punching the A-lister off of his own show. Bryan stood-by smiling, however it wouldn't be long until the comradery turned to talk of the title. As the two babyfaces set to square off right then-and-there on Smackdown, Seth Rollins and the Authority emerged through the curtain to once again play the greater evil in the WWE. Seth acted on behalf of the Triple and Stephanie by making plans for later in the evening, including a three-on-one handicap match pitting Daniel Bryan against Rollins and J&J Security. While I still groan at the idea of opening each and every main roster show with drawn-out dialogue, I must marvel at how well-paced the opening segment of Smackdown is compared to Raw, allowing time for SEVEN matches. A COOKIN' segment especially the initial interplay involving the Miz.

The idea of pairing Dolph Ziggler with Ryback strikes me as a curious decision perhaps brought on by a lack of creative direction for either character. Both men are established as upper-mid card entities and after the Survivor Series and subsequent firings, it would behoove the WWE not to promote these Superstars. Although working as a part of a tag team leaves little room for creative expression, the recent alliance between Cesaro and Kidd could mean the WWE is attempting to resurrect a seemingly dead division. We could very well see Dolph Ziggler and Ryback battling Cesaro and Tyson Kidd at this year's Wrestlemania in Santa Clara—what a phenomenal tag team contest that would be! As for tonight's brawl with the Rhodes Brothers, the real story coming out of Smackdown is the continued crisis on �Team Dust.' Monday night Cody snapped at his brother for calling him by his name rather than "Stardust," and tonight Cody left Goldust to be slaughtered by the brute force of Ryback. Could this be another Wrestlemania match in the making; will we finally see Cody Rhodes and his big brother Dustin duke it out at the Granddaddy of Them All? Some might say that the potential rivalry has passed its prime, but I beg to differ and hope to see the combustion of the Rhodes boys at Wrestlemania 31. While this match was nothing to brag about, it did further the story between Cody and Goldust, and introduced fans to the combined forces of Dolph Ziggler and Ryback, so I'm inclined to say it was COOKIN!

Curtis Axel is back with the same �axe' to grind about the Royal Rumble and the way he was treated this past Monday night on Raw. He stormed the ring, demanding his title shot at Wrestlemania, pointing to the �Mania logo like an utter bafoon, until the chainsaw-like chord ripped through the arena and the music of the Lunatic Fringe began to play. Dean Ambrose entered a packed house looking to make a name for himself in terms of the intercontinental title picture. Dean made short work of Axel, and was ultimately met by Bad News Barrett transmitting live from the BNZ studios across the enormous Titantron. Their feud, although mere days old by this point, is heating up and it'll only be a matter of time until Dean Ambrose is challenging Bad News for the coveted white championship belt. Although we got a glimpse at the potential BNZ gimmick and a view as to what this program is all about, I wasn't really feeling anything outside of the comedy courtesy of Curtis Axel. I have to say this segment didn't matter.

Two matches down and a third set to begin before the one-hour mark—this Smackdown is moving forward at full speed. Inside the squared circle is the rechristened, darker Fandango who's dancing alongside his newest squeeze, Rosa Mendez. The music hit and the one group of people on the planet that know it's party time ALL THE TIME made their way to ringside. Once upon the apron however, the unparalleled Adam Rose began to second guess whether or not he should trust his entourage to catch him during their routine trust fall. He finally gave in and his worries were justifiable when the entire group plummeted to the ground. Rose was livid and attacked the closest members of the Party Posse, singling out the human hotdog before finally heading into his match with Fandango. The darker side of both individuals seems to work to their credit and this was an enjoyable contest that saw Fandango get the better of an understandably distracted Adam Rose. I love Adam Rose, so by default, this match and the hijinks therein were 100% COOKIN!

This past Monday I spoke as to why the Miz is a perfect person for someone like Damien Sandow to work with in order to achieve the greatest possible success. The Miz is a Triple Crown Champion having held the three most prestigious belts in WWE history in addition to the alternate world tag titles, the United States championship, as well as the Money in the Bank briefcase. It would be hard to find a Superstar as decorated as the Miz currently working on the main WWE roster, and if Sandow were to work with someone such as John Cena or the Big Show, he'd most certainly be squashed inside of a month. But the Miz is a perfectly malleable worker who is capable of elevating his opponents through his own selfless dedication. His match this evening with Roman Reigns was maybe Reigns' best singles contest outside of his match with Randy Orton at Summerslam. It also made sense that both men would care to engage in battle after the events of Miz TV earlier in the evening. The WWE gets ridiculed for constantly beginning programs and letting them die without warning, and this was a prime example of tying up loose ends and using ones assets to their advantage. This was my match of the night with special consideration going to the Miz who doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves, but with plenty of positives out of Roman Reigns as well. If the Samoan with the Superman Punch can continue to have contests like these between now and Wrestlemania, we might be privy to a compelling showdown at Levi's Stadium. COOKIN' without a doubt!

I'm generally much higher on Rusev and his performance both in the ring and on the mic, but I thought his match with Rowan was borderline boring. It was exciting enough with all of the powerful high spots both big men are known for, but it never hooked me the same way some of the other matches this evening did. I also don't find Rowan terribly interesting as a babyface character, I think it's akin to when Mankind stopped being hardcore and starting hanging out with clowns. This was a miss-able match, one that Rusev most certainly won as he gets set to walk into Memphis to take on John Cena at Fastlane—it doesn't matter.

After the WWE decided to paint Paige brown on Raw, she's back in action against Alicia Fox once more, this time without any outlandish outside interference. I really enjoy Paige and even Alicia Fox to a degree, but the young �Brit' makes me especially excited for what may be ahead in the WWE's Diva Division. Charlotte recently gave an interview in which she said she'd like to headline a pay-per-view one day; could that be in the cards for the women as the main roster product continues to evolve, and might Paige be daring enough to take on the daughter of Ric Flair on such a grand stage? While that remains to be seen, what does not is the rest of this match which goes in favor of Paige who is now burning on all cylinders preparing to challenge Nikki Bella for the Diva's championship in just two weeks at Fastlane. For fans of female wrestling this might not have been your favorite altercation, but in the wacky world of sports entertainment, I thought this exhibition between Paige and Alicia Fox was pretty good—COOKIN' in fact!

What began as an exciting night of innovative and progressive wrestling, ended with the same contrived brand of predictable handicap booking we've come to expect from the biggest name in the industry. I've learned to take the good with the bad when it comes to WWE, and although the main event was flooded by a deluge of unnecessary set-ups and high spots, I can take solace in the fact that Daniel Bryan was victorious. He fought the odds and battled Seth Rollins, Jamie Noble, and Joey Mercury to a comically precedented victory, only to fall at the hands of Kane. The biggest takeaways from the main event were the uncanny physical attributes and charisma of Mercury and Noble who could very well join the active roster tomorrow and be in line for a mid-card singles run. This match would have been better positioned on Raw, because after the one-on-one between Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins that closed the show Monday, I was in no mood for this overly booked Hollywood-writer bout—I wanted a wrestling match! I suppose it was worth watching until the end as the finale of Raw and Smackdown tend to lead directly into the next episode, but for all intents and purposes, you could have very well stopped watching Smackdown after Reigns wrestled the Miz. That means it doesn't matter!

Nothing groundbreaking on the SyFy Network, but a much more enjoyable ride than the likes of which we've been stuck on since around Survivor Series. The WWE appears to be working programs from the inside in a way that takes advantage of the dying days of Kayfabe. What may lie ahead for Daniel Bryan, for Roman Reigns, and what might we expect going into a highly volatile situation with the King of Kings and the Sting of Stings ? The WWE is picking up where they left off with compelling storytelling and robust personalities; let's hope for the best as we continue along the bumpy street heading into Santa Clara, California. Until next time my name is Mark Adam Haggerty reminding you to keep it here at Cheap-Heat for all the latest and greatest columns, countdowns and coverage spanning the world of professional wrestling.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/top-5-talking-points-from-royal-rumble-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/top-5-talking-points-from-royal-rumble-2015/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2015 22:54:43 +0000 Bill Wright Blogs Other Blogs Top Lists Adam Rose Antonio Cesaro Bella Twins Boogeyman Bray Wyatt Brock Lesnar Bubba Ray Dudley Cesaro DDP Dean Ambrose Diamond Dallas Page Dolph Ziggler John Cena Kidd Miz Natalya New Age Outlaws Paige R-Truth RAW Royal Rumble Ryback Seth Rollins Smackdown The Ascension Tyson Kidd WWE Zack Ryder http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9281 The results are in, the Road to Wrestlemania has arrived, and the fans are in a revolt! While some of us greatly enjoyed this yeara event, others are ready to boycott WWE. В So lets dive into the top five talking points and go over the good, bad, and most memorable moments from this years Royal […]

The results are in, the Road to Wrestlemania has arrived, and the fans are in a revolt!

While some of us greatly enjoyed this yeara event, others are ready to boycott WWE. В So lets dive into the top five talking points and go over the good, bad, and most memorable moments from this years Royal Rumble.

#5: Tag Team Undercard
Ok so the New Day faces Cesaro and Kidd for tag team pride, with Adam Rose and his party posse in their corner.

While this match was good, and ended with the better team on top, it was also the best of the Undercard.В The rest is all tag team, and all a weak delivery for the PPV.

PPV starts out with Ascension jobbing out the New Age Outlaws who did not participate in the Rumble (just a wasted opportunity). В Then you get Miz and poor (never gonna live this gimmick down) Damien Mizdow in a complete lack luster match for the tag belts.

And finally another Smackdown level match where Paige teams with Natalya against the Bella Twins for the Diva Tag Team championships… Oh wait, they don’t have Diva Tag belts, guess this match was more filler with out purpose.

While I enjoyed the rumble I am the first to admit the whole undercard lacked substance and purpose.

#4: Ascension Descends
Speaking of purpose, here is a team that could’a had a shot but now WWE has to do damage control.

Starting these guys on Raw and Smackdown as Job Monsters was mistake one, two was making them Egyptian Road Warriors (please get the upside down pyramid eye of Horus reference there), and third was booking this match with no build up. В And No! Raws reunion beating of the Ascension is not a set up for a match taking place on this years first big event!

You better get Ascension a better finisher and some legitimate heat before they have to go for gimmick rehab!

#3: Comeback City
So Diamonds are forever, and so is DDP.В  A big return for a much smaller Page nailing three solid cutters. That is the kind of stuff we watch the Rumble for.

Also Bubba Ray Dudley getting great response, until it sunk in that Devon was being replaced with R-Truth. Sadly half the return it should’a been.

Boogeyman returning to get jobbed by Wyatt was cool for half a second.

And Woowoowoo, even Zack Ryder returns to get his job on.

But with all this surprise talent, so much of our favorite talent got wasted. В There is your source of heat, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, and even Ryback had almost as much time as the jobbers did. В Thus taking what could have been the best Rumble ever, and once again showing fans that WWE does what they see as best for business, and only act like they care what fans say.

In fact WWE even surveyed on who in nXt should enter the rumble, and in response blacklist the whole brand. Well done masters of missed opportunity!

#2: Architects Goes All Out
What I can say about the main is… Well a lot, I for one loved every bit of this match. Watched it twice already.В  And while Rollins took a beating, he proved he belongs.

Not only did he put up a good show, some may argue he stole it.В Not only was the Flying Suicide Elbow amazing, but who corkscrews into a 450?!

Well done Seth you looked great in this match, even John Cena was impressive, but one man stands above the rest.

#1: Lesnar as The Beast
This was exactly what WWE needed to solidify the reign of their Beast.

If the rematch with Cena left you curious about who would come out on top, this should have resolved your curiosity.
Lesnar starts the match by taking both challengers apart.В Like a monster he shredded through both men and J&J Security within minutes. В Then after 4 AAs and a Curb stomp, Lesnar is still kicking out while Cena or Rollins make the save. В Then he gets speared through the barricade and driven by an insane elbow drop through the table.

You feel this could end Lesnar’s run as champ but he comes back out of nowhere to destroy both men again.

Rollins using the MITB briefcase twice still gets caught in the F5 tornado that is the unstoppable Beast.

Now the question is, will the plans with Roman Reigns work out or will WWE reconsider in damage control mode?В Either way WWE is building Lesnar a legacy as the most dominant champion ever.

Now let your voice be heard, give us your good, your grievances, and even your suggestions below. В You are the Universe so let your voice be heard!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-royal-rumble-2015-predictions/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-royal-rumble-2015-predictions/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2015 04:37:38 +0000 Gary Mastriano Blogs Other Blogs Adam Rose Alberto Del Rio Antonio Cesaro Big E Big Show Billy Gunn Bray Wyatt Brie Bella Brock Lesnar Cesaro Chris Jericho Damien Sandow Daniel Bryan DDP Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler HBK Jey Uso Jimmy Uso John Cena Kidd Kofi Kingston Konnor Miz MizDow Natalya New Age Outlaws New Day Nikki Bella Paige Randy Orton Road Dogg Roman Reigns Royal Rumble RVD Seth Rollins Shawn Michaels Sheamus Steve Austin The Ascension The Bella Twins The Miz The New Day The Usos Tyson Kidd Undertaker Viktor Wrestlemania WWE Xavier Woods http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9242 Royal Rumble Predictions   Pre show-Cesaro, Tyson Kidd and Adam Rose vs the New Day There has been a nice little feud developing between the new day and the Party Masters (stable name copyright Gary Mastriano 2015). Not really sure why they are feuding, but it feels like a good old fashioned mid card feud […]

Royal Rumble Predictions

Pre show-Cesaro, Tyson Kidd and Adam Rose vs the New Day
There has been a nice little feud developing between the new day and the Party Masters (stable name copyright Gary Mastriano 2015). Not really sure why they are feuding, but it feels like a good old fashioned mid card feud from the late 90s. I suspect a New Day win, and all that all 6 of these men will show up in the Rumble later on in the night. Adam Rose will have a comedy spot, probably involving the being thrown over the top rope and caught by his posse only to be dropped by the Bunny. And I cannot imagine a Rumble without a crazy Kofi spot.

The Ascension vs the New Age Outlaws
I think this match may open the show with a guaranteed crowd pleasing Outlaws pop. This feud kind of came together last minute last Monday. The Ascension has struggled to get over on the main roster and a feud with the Outlaws may be the way to do it. I don't know about you guys but I thought Billy Gunn looked great on Raw. The Outlaws proved last year that they could still go, so I suspect a fun little match that won't take up much time. The Ascension needs and gets the win here.

The Bellas vs Paige and Natalya
Did TNA have women's tag champions? I wonder if that would ever work in WWE. With the increase in talented ladies I think it may be worth a shot. Paige and Natalya, easily the top workers in the Divas division, make an awesome tag team. Niki Bella's in ring work was a pleasant surprise in the second half of 2014, therefore I think this COULD be a good match. However I don't see this match getting much time either, like most Diva's matches. I am not sure why WWE doesn't give their ladies more time to shine, especially their Total Diva stars who can actually wrestle. The Bellas steal a victory here, possibly leading to Fatal Four way at WrestleMania for the title.

Damien Mizdow and the Miz vs the Usos
I've seen people predicting the demise of the Miz/Mizdow for months. I think the WWE will continue to run with duo until Mania season. I think Miz and Mizdow will have a ton of fun in the Rumble match later on in the night, with the seeds of a break up happening there. I find it interesting that every under card match is a tag match, and not a single match on the entire PPV is a one on one contest.This has been another fun mid card feud. But with the Mizdow break up on the horizon, I cannot see the Usos losing in this one. They will hopefully move on to a well-deserved spot on the WrestleMania card proper.

Royal Rumble Match
I have spent the last week rewatching every Rumble match ever in anticipation of this one. I have noticed there are 2 types of Rumble match- one where the winner is extremely obvious (HBK in 96, Austin in 98, Orton in 09), and another with a much wider field of potential winners (Taker in 07, Del Rio in 11, Sheamus in 12). Obviously the latter is a much more fun match. This year I would say fits into that category. The top 2 choices have to be Reigns and Bryan. Bryan has been getting the most Rumble based storylines heading into Sunday, while Reigns has only mentioned that he wants to win while being occupied with the Big Show. While these two are the front runners, and have the most upside to winning, there are actually a few other candidates.

-Dolph Ziggler has to be considered the #3 choice to win the Rumble. He is on a spectacular roll the past few months, and is finally getting the push that he and many other think he deserves. Ziggler has always connected with the crowd, and delivered in the ring. Now he is finally involved in a main event storyline that has made him one of the top faces in the company. I would not be surprised at all to see him have a surprise Cinderella win.

-Dean Ambrose is another face on the verge of superstardom. Having Ambrose win the Rumble may be a better play than his Shield brother Reigns. Reigns may not be ready to main event WrestleMania yet, nor may Ambrose for that matter. But a failed Ambrose push is easier for WWE, and the Lunatic Fringe himself, to recover from. Pushing Reigns too soon may result in a Randy Orton 2004 situation.

-Bray Wyatt has been rumored to face the Undertaker in March for months. I for one have ZERO interest in seeing that match. Undertaker's in ring career died with the streak, and nor he or Wyatt benefit from a feud together. Wyatt could be a surprise winner of the Rumble leading to a potential rematch at Mania with Cena, this time for the WWE championship?
As for some other Rumble highlights, I think we will see Ziggler and/or Ambrose be the long man this year putting in great work. After Smackdown this week I believe we will see Ambrose be the first entrant. I am sure we will see a few great surprise entrants to delight the Philly crowd. If I had to guess I would say DDP, RVD, and maybe even Jericho show up Sunday.
Needless to say there are a ton of options for potential winners at this year's Royal Rumble. It is really difficult to pick a winner, especially between Bryan and Reigns. I really cannot pick a winner, but I personally want Daniel Bryan to win, so I will go with him.

WWE Title- Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins vs John Cena
Just like the Rumble match, the WWE title match is wide open. I could see any of these three men walk out of Philadelphia with the strap. Cena is always a safe bet to carry the strap into Mania. Seth Rollins has the insurance of the briefcase on his side. But I cannot imagine Brock Lesnar losing anywhere but WrestleMania. Lesnar has been built up like too much of a monster. His victory over Undertaker pretty much assures that whoever beats him will be a made man. Sure fantasy booking can tell you that Lesnar can win the match, only to lose to Seth Rollins, but I see Rollins walking into Mania with the case still intact (although I don't think HE will leave with it…). Lesnar gets the W here in a match I am eagerly anticipating.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/educated-guess-royal-rumble-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/educated-guess-royal-rumble-2015/#comments Sat, 24 Jan 2015 05:10:54 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Adam Rose Bad News Barrett Bella Twins Big E Big Show Billy Gunn Bray Wyatt Brie Bella Brock Lesnar Cesaro Cody Rhodes Damien Sandow Daniel Bryan Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Fandango Goldust J&J Security Jey Uso Jimmy Uso John Cena Kane Kidd Kofi Kingston Konnor Luke Harper Mike Chioda MizDow Money in the Bank Natalya New Age Outlaws New Day Night of Champions Nikki Bella NXT Paige R-Truth Randy Orton Rey Mysterio Ric Flair Rick Rude Ring of Honor Road Dogg Royal Rumble Rusev Ryback Seth Rollins Smackdown Stardust Ted DiBiase The Ascension The Miz The Usos TLC Total Divas Tyson Kidd Viktor Vince McMahon Wrestlemania WWE Xavier Woods http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9209 Educated Guess: Royal Rumble 2015 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty It's the most wonderful time of the year! When the belt is defended—the mayhem is splendid! As �Mania draws near! It's the most wonderful time of the year! Ladies and gentlemen we are approaching our first stop on the "Road to Wrestlemania." Please gather your […]

Educated Guess:
Royal Rumble 2015
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

It's the most wonderful time of the year!
When the belt is defended—the mayhem is splendid!
As �Mania draws near! It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Ladies and gentlemen we are approaching our first stop on the "Road to Wrestlemania." Please gather your belongings as we head into the home of hardcore wrestling. Philadelphia has been the site of some magnificent moments in the history of this great sport, and this Sunday the "City of Brotherly Love" will once again host a groundbreaking event like none other. This will be the 28th annual Royal Rumble extravaganza, and for some the stakes couldn't be higher. Brock Lesnar will walk into the Wells Fargo Center with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but who will be in possession of the title by the end of the night? And what's more intriguing—who will challenge the champion for the precious prize once we're out of the "Fast Lane," and safely inside Levi's Stadium? There are six scheduled matches this weekend, including a preliminary six-man tag and the Royal Rumble battle royal. Who's going to win? Well I can't predict the future, but I can most certainly venture an Educated Guess.

New Day vs. Cesaro, Tyson Kidd, & Adam Rose
Before I begin, there are quite a few tag matches this evening, huh? Everything outside of the �Rumble and the triple threat are tag team bouts. Seems mildly excessive, although I guess this could be Vince's answer to critics claiming tag team wrestling is dead. "Then we'll give �em four tag matches, damn it!" This match will go on during what use to be known as the Free-for-All, the preshow exclusively available on the WWE Network. Last month I watched TLC from a local tavern that was playing the event over regular old cable TV. I was dumbfounded to discover the preshow for pay-per-view audiences features Scott Stanford in the WWE's Connecticut Headquarters, versus the live panel and opening contest you see on the WWE Network. Here we will have the chance to watch the highly talented trio known as the New Day head up against the hodgepodge conglomeration of Cesaro, Tyson Kidd and Adam Rose. I really like the latter three, especially Adam Rose as I think now is the time for Leo Kruger to make his violent return. He's been teasing nuances of his former persona for weeks, and since teaming with Tyson and Cesaro we've seen a ruthless side of Adam Rose, the likes of which we've not be privy since the early days of NXT. Although my favorite team is that belonging to the Swiss Superman, I'll have to go with Big E, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston inside a quick 5 minute match. I don't expect it to go much longer than that, as the Royal Rumble panel is promised to be quite an affair in itself.
Educated Guess: The New Day

The New Age Outlaws vs. The Ascension
It's hard to tell what's going on with Konnor and Viktor. The Ascension appear completely clueless on TV each week, lacking any self-awareness as to how ridiculous and outdated their entire gimmick truly is. What was it they said to a ring full of Legends and Hall of Famers? "Born and bred to rip and shred?" Something like that? Come on—this has to be a rib! Could this be the most tongue-in-cheek booking the WWE's attempted since the Attitude Era? Allow the Ascension to demolish each and every enhancement talent on their way to the top, only to lose whenever they face a legitimate team. And I don't mean a physically imposing team, I mean like… Los Matadores. Or have Too Cool come back again only to snap the Ascension back into shape. But where does that lead? Unfortunately I think the Ascension has fallen victim to an all-too-common ailment known colloquially as "Not Having It"—according to Vince McMahon. I mentioned in a previous article the rumors circulating regarding Vince's hidden agenda to dismiss Triple H's NXT all-stars; since arriving in the WWE the Ascension seems to have gotten goofier by the week. I don't think there's any way the Ascension walks away with a victory. I think this will be a short match with Road Dogg's usual dancing spiel and Billy Gunn's "Fame-Asser" for the win. If the Ascension does happen to emerge with their hands held high, I'll be surprised and highly impressed with the WWE for putting a younger gamble ahead of a worn-out guarantee.
Educated Guess: The New Age Outlaws

The Bella Twins vs. Paige & Natalya
As far as the main roster, there aren't two Divas more formidable than the duo of Paige and Natalya. Both come from decorated wrestling royalty in Canada and the UK respectively, and are without question the most technically-sound women the WWE features on either Raw or Smackdown. I don't think there's any Diva in the locker room who could tangle with either woman in a shoot fight, but this isn't fighting, this is professional wrestling—that's why Nikki Bella is the champion. And what a magnificent champion she really is. Both Bellas have come an extraordinarily long way since starting with no wrestling credentials to their name, but especially Nikki. This time last year I think we'd all agree that Brie is the more mat-savvy of the two, but within the last twelve months Nikki has found herself and hit her stride between the ropes. She plays the classic heel archetype perfectly, the same as Ted DiBiase or even Ric Flair. She has a defined skillset that she puts on display when it's at her advantage, but would much rather win a match through trickery and deceit. I see her cower when her opponents loom near, and it makes me think of how many times Rick Rude would walk around the ring before he was finally set to meet his adversary head-on. I think Nikki is one of the most successful female heels in modern WWE history because the heat she garners comes from a genuine place. While I don't think either Brie or her championship twin sister could hold a candle to their thoroughbred rivals, I imagine the Diva's title holder will be on the winning side of this encounter when the night is through.
Educated Guess: The Bella Twins

WWE Tag Team Championship
The Usos (c) vs. Miz & Mizdow
In case you haven't had your share of comradery and team-work, the next match is—another tag match! This time however, the gold is on the line. Or the bronze. Can we talk about this for a moment? How hideous are those tag team titles. I'm hoping Cody Rhodes returns to his �Dashing' former self, wins the tag titles with someone equally tailored, and proceeds to exchange another gaudy piece of shit for the classic design. Seriously, I don't like to use profanity in my writing but those belts are just the worst. Absolutely dreadful, why would anyone want them? They're not even the real tag titles that can be traced back to 1971, they're apart of the fake lineage started in 2002 with Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. That's complete and utter horse-shit. So about this match—I really do love tag team wrestling; I think we can all agree that tag matches tend to be faster paced thanks to the various combatants involved. I heard a stat courtesy of Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio, stating that this will be twenty-some-odd times that these two teams have battled since the beginning of their rivalry. I imagine this has to be the final blow-off, because their feud has reached a point where options are limited. The Usos need to start working with another tag team, perhaps Cesaro and Kidd, while the Miz and Mizdow focus on the inevitable break-up program they'll work heading into �Mania.
Educated Guess: The Usos

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins
Brock Lesnar has only wrestled five matches in the past year, four of which he won, the other he lost by disqualification. Outside of his lackluster blowout with the Big Show at last year's �Rumble, each of Brock's matches has been marred with uncertainty. Of course nobody expected the "Beast" to break the Streak at Wrestlemania in New Orleans. And who could have predicted the way he demolished John Cena at both Summerslam and Night of Champions? This match is just as precarious but brings with it the added element of a third participant—Seth Rollins. I wrote a feature article here at Cheap-Heat, in which I explored the three most plausible outcomes for this match, with a different man emerging victorious in each scenario. While I could make a case for anybody to leave Philadelphia with the championship belt, I think the smart bet is with Mr. Money in the Bank. The only strike Seth has against him is never having held the world title before. Otherwise I think he'd be a much stronger favorite amongst odds makers. I think the most likely situation would feature Seth as a sacrificial lamb, slaughtered from bell to bell by both John Cena and Brock Lesnar, until Cena pulls out an upset by pinning Rollins rather than Lesnar. As any Beast would do, Brock loses his mind and decimates Cena for stealing the championship that nobody could beat him for. Brock then walk out, leaving Seth inside the squared-circle standing across from a dismantled 16-time world champion. With J&J screaming from the sidelines, Seth hands his briefcase to Mike Chioda, and then Lilian Garcia lets us know that Seth Rollins is cashing in his Money in the Bank. It's a predictable proposal that everybody's already pitched, but outside of a clean victory for either John Cena or Brock Lesnar, I think this is Seth's best shot.
Educated Guess: John Cena and then Seth Rollins

The 2015 Royal Rumble
As of my writing this on Friday January 23rd, there have only been seventeen of a total thirty competitors announced for the �Rumble including: Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Rusev, Bad News Barrett, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Goldust, Stardust, Big Show, Kane, The Miz, Mizdow, R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, Fandango, and Luke Harper. Not among those listed is of course Erick Rowan who failed to defeat Luke Harper in his qualifying match on Smackdown. Who might fill the additional thirteen empty spots? I'd guess a handful of legends, probably one if not all of the commentators, and potentially the return of Randy Orton. In the mystical fantasy that is my everyday thinking, I'd really like to see some surprise returns from Superstars long-since gone. Maybe Rey Mysterio will be met with more jubilant fanfare this year, as long as he doesn't "steal" Daniel Bryan's spot again. I guess I might as well get down to my prediction as to who's going to win the Royal Rumble and headline Wrestlemania in Santa Clara. After much consideration and weighing the options, I think we will see a final four consisting of Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, and Kane. The final two, after having vanquished the diabolical heels, will be Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. Now I could definitely see a Royal Rumble 1994 situation, whereby both individuals fall out of the ring simultaneously, therefore each getting a shot at the belt in the Bay Area. But if I had to choose one winner—I say, "Yes! Yes Yes!" to Daniel Bryan winning the Royal Rumble. As the moments wane and the battle wages, Bryan will use his size and agility to outwrestle and outwit the imposing Samoan with the Superman Punch. Daniel Bryan might also present the greatest number of possibilities as far as championship opponents. If Brock retains, Daniel can play David to his Goliath and overcome the odds. If Cena becomes a 16-time champion, the WWE can play on their real life friendship that's already been exhibited on Total Divas. And if Seth wins his first WWE World Heavyweight title, we'll see two former Ring of Honor champions wrestling on the biggest platform in the entire sport. I think Bryan and Brock would have a phenomenal match; I think Bryan and Cena would have an interesting program; but I can't come up with anything more intense than Daniel Bryan challenging Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event at Wrestlemania 31.
Educated Guess: Daniel Bryan

Though the �Rumble might seem fairly predictable, the outcome of the title match is still anybody's guess. And just because we assume to know who's walking out of Philly the winner, there's always the chance Batista could come back and win it instead. Seriously though, Bryan and Reigns have been tapped for success, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the high octane excitement of a 30-man battle royal. I'm very much looking forward to this Sunday's event as the Royal Rumble is usually one of the best pay-per-views of the year. Remember you can catch all the action through your local cable or satellite providers, or by signing up for the WWE Network for just $9.99. I'm fairly certain the �Network is available in most places, so nobody has an excuse not to check out the 28th annual Royal Rumble. Thank you for joining me again, and I'll see you next month with my Educated Guess about "Fast Lane!"

http://www.cheap-heat.com/highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw-2/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw-2/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2015 04:55:42 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Adam Rose Andre the Giant Bad News Barrett bellator Big E BNB Bray Wyatt Brock Lesnar Bunny Cesaro Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Erick Rowan HHH Hulk Hogan John Cena Kane Leo Kruger NXT Owen Hart Papa Shango RAW Rosebuds Ryback Seth Rollins Shawn Michaels Stephanie McMahon The Authority Triple H Tyson Kidd UFC Vince McMahon Wade Barrett WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8620 Highlight of the Night The Top Moments from Raw Written by Mark Adam Haggerty If the devil is in the details then I'd like to meet the sanctimonious show-runner responsible for keeping up continuity. After last week's landmark effort I was convinced the WWE had turned a creative corner, but unfortunately I was again too […]

Highlight of the Night
The Top Moments from Raw
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

If the devil is in the details then I'd like to meet the sanctimonious show-runner responsible for keeping up continuity. After last week's landmark effort I was convinced the WWE had turned a creative corner, but unfortunately I was again too quick to jump the gun. Let me first preface this week's edition of "The Highlight of the Night" by saying I had to scour tonight's card in order to find Five Moments that weren't utter disappointments. The in-ring action was scarce to say the least, however the matches we did see were ripe with staged high-spots and sensational desperation. Why would the WWE book an entire three-hour broadcast around The Authority? I fear the Creative Powers might be attempting to swerve the WWE Universe on an incredibly lofty scale—of which the size might prove too much to balance, thus alienating a large segment of long-time fans. Whatever the case may be it's my job to report on the events as they happen, and if this episode of Monday Night Raw did anything—it happened. Let's get right to it and break down The Top Five Moments that I didn't completely hate.

5. A Triple Threat Saves the Day

Ironically enough my Fifth Moment of the Night might have actually been the most important thing that happened during the entire broadcast. The second Raw hit the airways, we the viewer were privy to an enormous sea of WWE Superstars flooding the twenty-by-twenty squared circle. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder inside the ring and of course the first thing I thought was, "Oh I hope Vince McMahon is coming out to give a �Ruthless Aggression' speech." But it was the King of Kings and The Billion Dollar Princess set to regale the guys and gals with the new law of the land. I'm not so keen on segments depicting heroes and villains intermingling like average employees working in some office building. The human-resource skits in which Triple H scolds Superstars in front of one another are entirely too reminiscent of "Office Space" and makes me see the members of the main roster as human beings which can prove to be problematic to the product. People use to see Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant as Super Heroes and that's where hyperbolic terms like "Superstar" came from. Nobody ever fired Andre the Giant and made him cry; nobody ever beat up Hulk Hogan's dad; nobody ever wrangled an entire locker room of WWF athletes and lifted the curtain for the world to watch. Call me old fashioned, I just think there are ways to evolve without sacrificing key fundamentals. However though it may be dim, there is some sun peeking out from behind that cloud, in the form of Triple H announcing the WWE World Heavyweight Title match at The Royal Rumble will now be a Triple Threat—with Seth Rollins. Huge news no matter how you feel because this will be the first major opportunity for Rollins to take home the gold. And if you recall, Seth is currently in possession of the Money in the Bank briefcase meaning he could conceivably lose the match and then try for a second pin after incapacitating the winner. It's also important because it breaks up the monotony of Cena versus Lesnar which I, for one, am sick of seeing. I think Lesnar will more than likely retain when the night is at an end, but anything is possible considering The Beast Incarnate is said to already be in talks with both UFC and Bellator.

4. Party Time All the Time

During what amounted to an all-around impressive outing between Big E and Adam Rose, I couldn't help but think, "Wouldn't it be funny if I put this match on my list." I've been convinced for weeks now that Adam Rose is but a guise constructed for Leo Kruger to gain the trust of the WWE Universe. His attitude and mannerisms have been completely-Kruger and I was sincerely impressed with what he offered during this matchup with the New Day's resident Powerhouse. I wasn't actually planning to list them as a Top Moment of the Night though, are you crazy? But then something spectacular happened when two faceless Rosebuds entered the ring and proceeded to demolish Big E and The New Day on behalf of Adam Rose. Despite ongoing reports of NXT talent debuting as The Bunny, these Rosebuds were none other than Tyson Kidd and Cesaro. I don't know what this means for the two highly-skilled singles stars, and question whether it's the beginning of an alliance with Rose or rather retaliation against The New Day. If the team of Kidd and Cesaro can absorb this momentum and continue forward at a top rate of speed I have no doubts that we could be looking at the next WWE Tag Team Champions. Finally, I think it could be time for Adam Rose to ditch the rest of the Party Posse and send them back to the Exotic Express. Unless he insists upon fixing his gimmick soon, I fear it may be too late and he will forever be relegated to Santino Marella Territory.

3. The Ambulance That Looked Like Papa Shango

Okay let's put the brakes on and address the inconspicuous voodoo shaman in the room—am I the only one who thought the ambulance looked like Papa Shango? I know I'm not because there were a ton of tweets regarding the same exact Magic Eye that I seemed to be drawn to—and it wasn't a sailboat! Anyway, let's discuss this match. There was a lot of WWE-hate going into this contest as all across Twitter, smarks rang out with their collective complaint: "They're billing this as the first ambulance match but there have been ambulance matches before." Oh Internet Wrestling Community how quick you are to disregard what's right in front of you! This match was in fact billed as the, "First-ever Ambulance Match on Monday Night Raw." Now as far as that being true I have no idea, it's just been bugging me since the match was first announced. Uh—not much to say except what a waste of time and an utter detriment to both Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose, not just as men but as enthralling TV characters. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as we here in The �States see Raw on the USA Network, known for their �Characters' and the absurd situations in which they find themselves. I was just hoping the bogusness of Barely Legal wouldn't bleed through into something I treat like a religion. I thought they went to the ambulance a little too fast, although in a �shoot' Ambulance Match I assume the number one priority would be getting to the Ambulance so no logistical qualm with that. I refuse to believe there are any white folding tables with big red crosses painted on the top being used in the world of legitimate medicine. What the hell purpose would they serve, other than to maybe hand out vaccines but the TRUCK-LOAD? But that can't be what they're for because this was taped in The United States of Vaccinations, not Azerbaijan! So once again, I want to know what's up with these painstakingly comical pieces of furniture. Perhaps they're commonplace among the colleagues of Dr. Amman, but I think it's more likely they were spray painted white as an afterthought, and then Vince saw them and said, "Put a big red cross on �em, that'll look official." Though the match itself was overly-scripted and saturated with weaponry, the feud between Ambrose and Wyatt appears to be reaching a boiling point and I'm happy Bray walked away victorious. I assume the two will meet once more at The Royal Rumble, although to what end I cannot predict. Maybe there's a bigger match on the horizon or even some sort of spot in the �Rumble itself. I just hope Dean gets a singles win on pay-per-view in 2015.

2. Bad News for Dolph Ziggler Fans

Don't be a jerk and ask me to pick a match of the night because it would have to be a default drawing and the winner would likely be Bad News Barrett versus Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship. What is up with the IC belt nowadays, I mean does anybody give a damn about it anymore? It's been passed around more freely than an unmarked orange bottle of pills at E.D.C. and once again a new champion has been crowned "King of the Inter-continents." The WWE has become unquestionably predictable and as soon as this one-fall matchup was kicked back into gear as a two-out-of-three falls contest, I knew we'd see Bad News Barrett walk away champion. The best fall was the third as the first was rushed in an apparent effort to have Kane come down to announce the added stipulation. And the second was a squash serving only to tie the score at one victory-a-piece. WWE Superstars are such peculiar character specimens, just as I mentioned before with Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose. Take Bad News Barrett for example: he was a heel who went away due to injury and garnered an impressive following, he returned on Raw last week to seemingly defend the WWE Universe against Cesaro, and now he's being pushed like any brute-force bad guy doing the bidding for The Authority. It goes back to what I said initially about consistency and this company's inability to monitor its own program. I'm extremely happy for Bad News as I consider him a far more deserving champion and a more lucrative team player than Ziggler. I thought the match was well contested despite the twists that made the action nearly impossible to follow. I've said it before and I'll say it now with a little bit more conviction: the WWE needs to get rid of Glen "Kane" Jacobs as soon as they can get him on a plane to Stanford. He's outlived his usefulness and it's only a matter of time before he starts costing more money than he's bringing in. Plus there was so much Kane on this show, especially during matches such as this that should only rely on the chemistry between those involved. An earnest effort on behalf of Dolph Ziggler and the New Intercontinental Champion, but hardly worth a re-watch.

1. Let's Get to Those Consequences

The WWE never ceases to amaze me in their segmented approach to storytelling. I can't remember the last time I listed anything other than the final moments of Raw as Number One here on "The Highlight of the Night." It's consistently the most compelling piece of business on the card which isn't a good thing when there are barren pockets of airspace in every single episode of TV. However, as much as I'd like to see a contract signing or hostage negotiation placed somewhere else on the show, tonight's finale was fitting and couldn't have happened at any other time aside from the final fifteen minutes of Raw. Let's get the cringe-worthiness out of the way right now: "You're fired." Okay is everybody done shaking out the shudders? I think it's a safe bet we'll see all three Superstars by the time the Rumble gets here in less than a month. So either they're going to spin this program in a way that makes no sense, or they're going to keep three rising stars off the second-maybe-third biggest show of the year. It was far too goofy for what I'd like to see from the WWE in 2015, and made an otherwise humorous few moments feel awkward. As for "Cena Appreciation Night"—I love John Cena so in my house, every night is John Cena Appreciation Night! I've heard some rather harsh criticisms regarding Mr. Cena's acting in the waning moments of television, but I thought he was as good as ever. If you're really setting aside time to take shots at a wrestler's acting ability on Monday Night Raw, then perhaps you'd better assess what you actually enjoy about pro wrestling because your priorities seem to be a bit skewed. I loved the final seconds of Raw, and laughed like a lunatic during the initial music cue that brought hundreds of balloons down upon the WWE Universe. Just as John Cena's friends are fired, Stephanie and Triple H present the Doctor of Thuganomics with the big thumbs up and a rousing rendition of Stars and Stripes Forever—What a brilliant moment in wresting comedy that didn't need to be edited or altered. It was perfect and helped to add an exclamation point to an otherwise boring string of sentences.

When I can't come up with anything to say as relates to the matter at hand I usually cop out and share a personal anecdote. The first time I was allowed to "stay up late" and watch Monday Night Raw was the episode in which Shawn Michaels collapsed after receiving an educated kick care of "The King of Harts" Owen Hart. What a captivating way to engage an audience, especially younger viewers such as myself who were far more convinced of Kayfabe. I'm not asking the WWE to send "Stone Cold" into someone's house with a gun or to blow up another limousine, I'm simply yearning for the same unpredictability that had me hooked as a third grader in 1995. I think I sold everyone on my disdain for tonight's Raw already, so I don't see a need for any sort of snappy send-off. This episode was atrocious and I'm only hoping it was some sort of seat-filling train wreck that needn't be referenced going forward. The Royal Rumble is less than three weeks away and nothing has been announced other than a Triple Threat Title match and a few entries in the �Rumble itself. Can the WWE pick up the pace in promoting one of the Big Four Events, or will they fall flat just as they did with the Survivor Series? Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark Adam Haggerty, join me next week to discuss what I'm hoping against hope shan't be another abysmal failure on behalf of the "Leader in Sports Entertainment."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter-your-weekly-smackdown-breakdown-122015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter-your-weekly-smackdown-breakdown-122015/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2015 02:08:31 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Adam Rose Alexander Rusev Big Show Bray Wyatt Brian Pillman Christian Curtis Axel Dean Ambrose Dean Malenko ECW Edge Goldust J & J Security Jamie Noble Joey Mercury Kane Kofi Kingston Konnor Miz MizDow Mr. Perfect NWA NXT Phil Brooks R-Truth RAW Rhodes Brothers Ring of Honor Roddy Piper Roman Reigns Royal Rumble Rusev Ryback Seth Rollins Smackdown Stardust Steve Austin The Ascension The Authority The Giant The Usos TNA Viktor Vince McMahon WCW WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8500 Let me be among the first columnists here at Cheap-Heat to wish you and yours a wonderfully Happy New Year and welcome to 2015! Thus far things feel pretty much the same when compared to last year but let’s not jinx ourselves because boring is better than any number of alternatives—am I right? I feel […]

Let me be among the first columnists here at Cheap-Heat to wish you and yours a wonderfully Happy New Year and welcome to 2015! Thus far things feel pretty much the same when compared to last year but let’s not jinx ourselves because boring is better than any number of alternatives—am I right? I feel good, so let's skip the ceremony and talk about Smackdown! Monday Night Raw was a white knuckle thrill ride up until the last segment so I’m optimistic that my breakdown of Smackdown might yield equally exciting moments—granted I usually write this intro blindly before I even tune in, so we're all going to find out together! My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I’m ready to report on the first Smackdown of 2015. More importantly I’m here to tell you What’s Cookin’ and What Doesn’t Matter!

You think you know us…

The reception couldn't have been hotter this past Monday when the former tag team champions and innovators of TLC opted to host the final Raw of 2014. However if I know the WWE the way I think I do, they'll try and take what worked for the USA Network and reimagine it on SyFy—and that's exactly what they did. The reaction to the hosts of The Cutting Edge and Peep Show respectively was far less energetic than the live response on Raw, but it's still good to see both Edge and Christian regardless of what the arena may have to say. Christian is a captivating character to me for a variety of reasons, unfortunately not all of which are positive. Back in 2005 when he broke from the �Fed and jumped ship to TNA there were a lot of people convinced that Captain Charisma was a far bigger deal than Vince ever allowed him to become. In hindsight it appears that Christian was just the first major WWE talent to sign with TNA, however his NWA World Heavyweight title reign helped to cement him as a main event superstar in millions of minds across the world. I appreciate Christian for everything he's done in the WWE, in TNA, on the independent circuit and beyond but I refuse to pretend that Jason Reso and Adam Copeland are anywhere close to one another when it comes to accomplishments. During the opening segment in which both former world champions made their way to the ring, I was privy to a plethora of Tweets, many of which questioning why Edge is always upstaging Christian. Uh—it's because he's better than Christian. And that's really all there is to it. That being said, I do think Christian deserves more of a championship send off than the quiet retirement he's been otherwise relegated to. Unlike Raw which had a hodgepodge of well-constructed backstage segments, Smackdown was forced to make due with Edge and Christian's boring blend of sophomoric stunts. Speaking of which: what the hell did they even draw on the photo of Stephanie and Hunter? If I had to tell you whether the interplay between Edge and Christian was Cookin' or Didn't Matter, I'd be inclined to give it the thumbs up as it is sure to tickle at least one of your funny bones and could prove to be the most exciting fifteen minutes of the entire show.

J&J Security is the New APA

Okay that's not exactly true, but I'm enjoying Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury quite a bit, perhaps just as much as I did the beer swilling antics of The Acolyte Protection Agency some 15 years ago. When the limo pulled into view I was almost certain we were going to get our first taste of The Authority in 2015, but as soon as I saw the disheveled driver I said, "There's no way Triple H would stand for that." And sure enough it was The New Stooges—2015's answer to Brisco and Patterson! Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble are two of the most talented wrestlers of the past ten years and beyond. In fact while many might remember Mercury for his tag team title victories, fewer can recall Jamie "Noble" Gibson's 2005 reign as Ring of Honor World Champion. It's an honor for WWE to present these venerated icons on TV each week, I just hope it leads to an appearance by their fellow producer and similarly decorated wrestler Dean Malenko. Not much to say about these two and their role on tonight's show other than to praise the work they do alongside whomever they're positioned. The repartee between the Stooges and E&C was some of the best organic comedy to have come from WWE TV in a long time and it makes me wonder if the company is utilizing any of these four talents in teaching timing to the kids down in developmental. In terms of overall talent, Jamie and Joey are two of the most formidable members of the main roster and it's only fitting that the promotion continues to feature them. If I had to narrow down the asinine antics of J&J to just one moment, it would most likely be when the duo commandeered Edge and Christian's pose-down gimmick, choosing to instead pose themselves—for the benefit of everybody with flash photography, of course. All around a cookin' display by two future Hall of Fame candidates.

“Lay down Rowan! We’re not meant to fight!”

When I released my "Top Fourteen Wrestlers of 2014", I was immediately criticized for not listing Bray Wyatt—not even as one of my SIX honorable mentions. Wyatt is an exceptional talent when Creative cares to provide him with provocative and oftentimes controversial material with which to work, but outside of his feud with John Cena during the first half of the year, I thought 2014 was a rather lackluster year for the next generation Varsity Club Member. The quiet dissolution of the Wyatt Family might have made sense in regards to protecting Luke Harper but it's done nothing to explain the current mindset of Erick Rowan. When this match kicked off, the audience could hear Wyatt plead with Rowan, heaving heavily-worded epitaphs to their former friendship at the monster, and protecting himself only with the phrase, "We are not meant to fight." This leads me to wonder what kind of contact the two "brothers" have even had since the confusing way in which their stable disbanded. I'm hopeful that 2015 will be a landmark year for young Windham Rotunda—quite frankly any sort of spotlight would spell a more successful several months for Rowan. I'd like to see Rowan built upon in a more respectable fashion, perhaps by engaging himself with Rusev once his streak has been squashed. If Erick Rowan can walk away from TV with a handful of victories this year, the next clash between Big Red and The Eater of Worlds might prove to be far more fascinating than this, a segment which I must admit does not matter.

Rhodes and Rose versus Truth and Usos

To truly get the most out of that title you'll need some cursory knowledge of iambic pentameter—it's a poetry thing, it doesn't matter. When I wrote my review for Raw I made mention that while there wasn't a whole lot of work going on from bell to bell, the few matches we did witness were enough to offset an otherwise unbalanced broadcast. The same cannot be said for Smackdown however as the shorter show had just as few moments of mat work, but lacked severely by comparison in regard to promos and production. If I had to choose a match of the night I guess it would be this six-man encounter featuring the new Tag Team Champions teaming with R. Truth as they battle The Rhodes Brothers and Adam Rose. I thought this match was incredibly entertaining despite the commercial breaks that only hindered my enjoyment; whenever I find myself fully invested I'm forcefully ejected from the moment by a commercial for Dig or Haven or whatever other bogus chicanery SyFy feels wrestling fans might be keen on. The Uso's were named the number one tag team in the WWE by many podcasters and columnists, but not without disclaimers disowning the tag division as a whole, thus declaring Jimmy and Jey winners by default. While I can agree the WWE is severely lacking in competition for the now-two time champions, it isn't fair to discredit a deserving team based solely on the company's lack of direction. I think a common complaint is that the Uso's might be making liberal use out of their over-the-top aerial maneuvers, but what else can you fault the duo on other than an unbelievable work ethic? Adam Rose is becoming one of the more interesting members of the roster in my eyes, and believe me—I know how insane that sounds! I think the reemergence of Leo Kruger is all but imminent at this point, though I'm not sure whether he'll change his name or simply remain Adam Rose. This has more than likely been a case of a character not clicking with the audience outside of developmental, but half of me still holds hope that Adam Rose is a cover-persona concocted only to help introduce Kruger in a more meaningful way. This match was definitely cookin' by comparison as it offered the best back and forth storytelling of the evening. Other matches may have featured higher profile players, but this contest was perhaps the only on the card to consider Kayfabe and therefore suspend anybody's disbelief.

Well it's the Big Show…

The Big Show "broke into" the WWE just about 16 years ago and if you would have told me that THE GIANT would be wrestling more than twenty years after his WCW debut, I'd have called you a dirty liar. Who thought Paul Wight would even be alive in twenty-fifteen, much less engaged in one of the more important programs leading into Wrestlemania season? It's absolutely absurd to consider the fact that this guy was the ECW Champion nine years ago, and even then was said to be on the backside of his career. I think it's about time for the "Big Nasty Bastard" to consider accepting a Hall of Fame ring in return for his spot on the main roster, because his presence on the card is getting ugly. I'm not trying to bury the Big Show, but when evaluating what's really wrong with Raw and Smackdown, you shan't look any further than the Big Show to find one hell of a problem. One of the biggest complaints about Vince McMahon and the way he's chosen to run his company is the stigma he inevitably attaches to independent and international talents who were established elsewhere; I think as long as superstars such as �Show and Kane are willing to continue, there will be no shortage of high profile programs available for them. But can we stop putting them through tables? Anyway—I've always been a proponent of using established main eventers to put over deserving young talent, especially in the case of an individual such as Ryback. But I question the logic involved in using The Big Show to sell both Ryback and Reigns simultaneously. A loss on either side cheapens the program going in the Royal Rumble for everybody, all while forcing Ryback into a tough spot with very little hope for a positive outcome. This time last week I was trying to give the WWE the benefit of the doubt as the annual calendar change generally yields lower ratings, but now that we've fully entered another year and Smackdown is set to switch time slots, I have little left in the way of empathy and I implore WWE to start treating their B-show like a live event even if they know it's not. I suppose if you're interested in the further development of Ryan Reeves and The Ryback character this segment might have a few standout spots but it is my professional opinion that this match and the hype associated therein simply does not matter.

Curtis Axel… oh wait no, just kidding…

You get it, because it looked like Curtis Axel was going to compete, but then didn't? Remember? Go ahead and rewind because it happened so quickly that I'm assuming a good deal of Facebook Junkies and Twitter Addicts missed the 30 seconds of ring time and began taking notice again once The Lunatic Fringe started speaking his peace. I can't very well argue that The Big Show shouldn't be squashed and then offer up no opinion on who deserves to do the job instead. Curtis Axel is the perfect superstar for this type of role because he's got name recognition, he's a very talented worker, but nobody gives a Phil Brooks about him! I always wondered why Creative chose to bury guys like Kofi Kingston when Mr. Perfect's sourly untalented son was around, more than happy to get any sort of TV time. I was actually pretty intrigued by the direction this segment took as it introduced Dean as a man willing to handle his business, but still determined to take vengeance on Bray Wyatt. Dean Ambrose gets compared to Steve Austin on a regular basis and while I can see the similarities plain as day, I think Dean may instead lay somewhere between Roddy Piper and Brian Pillman, perhaps with some Scott Levy thrown in as well. I think his movements in the ring in addition to his very distinct facial features are reminiscent of Raven, while his vocal delivery and unpredictable nature are more akin to Roddy Piper. Everybody appears to introduce the uncanny comparisons to Pillman when it comes to the "Loose Cannon" aspect but I more so see Flyin' Brian in Dean's temerity and tenacity inside the ring. As pertains to the program with Wyatt and Ambrose, I couldn't care less about their relationship to one another; I love both characters and I'm inspired to tune in thanks to the thought of where both men might be following this career-defining feud

The Ascension Sucks

I had to get that out somehow without pulling any punches and the facts are simple: The Ascension Sucks. When I first started working for Cheap-Heat I was given an assignment that stated: "Make a case for the Ascension on Team Authority." It was an arduous adventure to say the least as I've never been impressed with either individual and have no faith that they'll ever make it out of 2015. I think their success on NXT was owed greatly to the size difference between developmental and main roster talent. There's been an obvious shift in criteria when it comes to how big a professional wrestler has to be, but the main roster hasn't yet caught up with the rest of the wrestling world the way NXT has. I had a hard time believing any of the action that went on during their debut against The Miz and Mizdow, and I'm sure I'm not the only one as this Friday's match had Konnor and Viktor pitted against an unknown pair of jobbers. To their credit however, the jobbers did a marvelous job of selling the Ascension as well as their finishing move "The Fall of Man" which is basically just "Total Elimination" as performed by amateurs. I don't have much positive to say about The Ascension as their gimmick seems to rely heavily on their ability to dominate. Who are they going to dominate when high flying teams such as The Uso's and Los Matadores are even bigger than they are?

Roman versus Rusev: Protecting Nobody

I understand that Christian wanted to compete with Edge in the coolness category, but Captain Charisma just cannot hold a candle to the Rated R Superstar, even when Christian makes outlandish main event announcements like when he booked Roman Reigns and the United States Champion Alexander Rusev. The most casual of fans has to know that Rusev isn't ready to relinquish his incredibly impressive litany of wins since arriving in the WWE, and it certainly won't happen on a taped show set to broadcast on the second day of the year. At the same time, Roman Reigns has been behind the eight-ball for several months during a time initially deemed the cotillion for twenty-nine year old Leati Anoa'i. The match itself was tolerable enough, but knowing the outcome may only unfold in one of but a few ways inhibits one's ability to get behind either Superstar. I think Rusev is without question the most athletically superior new face on the main roster. A lot is to be said for Seth Rollins but pound for pound, skill for skill—my money is on The Bulgarian Brute. I'm still not sold on Reigns, and I hope the powers-that-be have finally come to terms with the fact that this shouldn't be Roman's year. If he's pushed now, it could tarnish whatever natural momentum he might be privy to in the future. I really think the best thing to do is engage him with the Big Show and stay the course; work him alongside established stars and fellow powerhouses so that by Summeslam he's more suited to challenge Seth Rollins for the title I predict the Architect will be in possession of come August.

Compared to its flagship counterpart this episode of Friday Night Smackdown failed to ever hit a peak with which I felt comfortable declaring a break out moment. There were several moderately interesting occurrences that succeeded in driving the overall story arch forward, but nothing ever clicked with me. I’m a pretty jaded puroresu and indie fanatic, but I usually give WWE the benefit of the doubt. I’m having a hard time believing Smackdown can ever be viable unless it ever goes live, which seems to be too much to ask from a roster of wrestlers already spread far too thin. Whatever they do, I hope the WWE does something to shake up their B Show because it’s becoming little more than 90 minutes of meaningless exhibitions spliced together alongside footage from Raw. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty; if you only make one resolution this New Years, have it be to bookmark my page here at Cheap-Heat. You'll like the way it looks—I guarantee it.