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/educated-guess-wwe-elimination-chamber/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/educated-guess-wwe-elimination-chamber/#comments Wed, 27 May 2015 22:52:11 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Reviews Adrian Neville Bad News Barrett Big E Bo Dallas Cesaro Chamber Darren Young Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler El Torito Elimination Elimination Chamber IC Title John Cena Kane Kevin Owens Kofi Kingston Los Matadores Lucha Dragons Naomi Natayla Nikki Bella NXT Title Paige Primetime Players R-Truth RAW Rusev Ryback Seth Rollins Sheamus Smackdown Stephanie McMahon Tag Team Wrestling The Ascension The Authority The New Day Titus O'Neil Triple H Tyson Kidd US Title WWE WWE Intercontinental Championship WWE Network WWE Tag Team Championship WWE World Heavyweight Championship Xavier Woods http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12019 Wait—wasn't I just here two weeks ago? Yeah, I could have sworn I've already done an "Educated Guess" for the month of May? Oh that's right! The WWE has gifted us with THREE Network Specials [AKA Pay-Per-Views] over the course of a six-week span. This weekend is the Elimination Chamber, which is the first-ever full-length […]

Wait—wasn't I just here two weeks ago? Yeah, I could have sworn I've already done an "Educated Guess" for the month of May? Oh that's right! The WWE has gifted us with THREE Network Specials [AKA Pay-Per-Views] over the course of a six-week span. This weekend is the Elimination Chamber, which is the first-ever full-length main roster event exclusive to the WWE Network. King of the Ring was only an hour long, and aside from the quarterly NXT specials, we don't get much in the way of LIVE in-ring action that isn't also available through your local cable providers. The �Chamber will go off the air a mere hour before the "Free Month of May" concludes, and will feature the first ever tag team Elimination Chamber match as well as the main roster debut of Kevin Owens. It can be assumed that WWE is planning something to keep the cheapskates hooked through June, but what ever could it be? My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I refuse to make predictions. Instead I collect all the knowledge I can acquire and present you with my monthly—or weekly at this point—"Educated Guess."

Adrian Neville vs. Bo Dallas
Is there any doubt as to what might be the opening bout on the card? I think not. The only question is whether or not the WWE is going to drop the ball on Adrian Neville, by affording Bo Dallas a victory. I can see both sides of the coin, but choose to argue in favor of "The Man That Gravity Forgot." Adrian lost the King of the Ring tournament in the finals and failed to defeat John Cena for the United States Championship two weeks later on Raw. If Adrian Neville is to become a player on the WWE main roster, he needs to be handled with care until more athletes of his ilk arrive, otherwise he could be just another seat filler, a la Kaval or Evan Bourne.
Educated Guess: Adrian Neville

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Divas Championship
Nikki Bella (c) vs. Naomi vs. Paige
For the first time in many months, I've halfway curious about the WWE Diva's championship. The women down in NXT have done a fine job of stealing the spotlight in recent months, but that's no slight against the current crop of women on the main roster. Nikki Bella has been improving by leaps and bounds as of late, and so has Naomi, who has been a top performer since she was first given the chance to prove herself. Those two WWE Divas will go head-to-head-to-head in a triple threat match with the former NXT Women's Champion Paige. The three-way dance formula is perfect if the idea is to strip Nikki of the title without hurting her credibility on the cusp of a possible NXT invasion. But I don't think it's time for Nikki to lose the title. Say what you will about the Bella's, but they've maintained their grip on the purple butterfly belt since the summer. Why build such an impressive streak if you're going to drop the title to Paige, a former Diva's champion, or Naomi, who quite frankly, isn't in the same league as Paige or the incoming crop of talent. I think it'd be smart to leave the title around Nikki's waist until someone like Charlotte or Sasha Banks is promoted to the main roster. I think Nikki should be the symbolic end of the "Diva Era," and affixing the strap to someone like Naomi would be pointless.
Educated Guess: Nikki Bella

John Cena vs. Kevin Owens
I wasn't really sold on an Elimination Chamber event in the smack-dab center of the Spring until this match was announced on Raw two weeks ago. Granted, that might have been the same night the event was announced. It doesn't matter! This is a true dream match that fantasy bookers and wrestling nerds across the world have been discussing since Kevin Owens became a force to be reckoned with in both Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. The way in which Owens' has dealt with the United States champion over the past two weeks has been utterly remarkable, and I really can't wait to see how this match unfolds. Up until now, most of Owens' opponents have been smaller than him, save for NXT announcer Alex Riley. This will be Kevin Owens' greatest challenge since debuting for the WWE, without a doubt. I don't think there will be a winner, and if there is, he'll have his hand raised as a result of a disqualification. I think one of two things will happen; Kevin might lose the will to compete all together. As he's said time and again, he fights for a prize, but the US Title isn't his prize. Kevin Owens might lose interest in fighting John Cena, and could introduce a steel chair to the match, the same as he's done with Sami Zayn. On the other hand, Kevin Owens has quite a few enemies in the WWE. Think about this for a second: in addition to John Cena, Kevin Owens is currently feuding with Sami Zayn, Finn Balor [by proxy of the NXT title], Samoa Joe, and potentially even William Regal. There is no shortage of angry individuals who might interrupt this match, and I for one am hoping to see Samoa Joe.
Educated Guess: No Contest

Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
The New Day (c) vs. Kidd and Cesaro vs. Los Matadores vs. Lucha Dragons vs. Prime Time Players vs. The Ascension
It's the first-ever Tag Team Elimination Chamber Match! Well, outside of a video game that is. We wondered how this match would happen and whether we would get three, four, five, or six teams. We got six! Which means four teams will be crammed into those Plexiglas pods, as they wait for their number to be called. I think the inclusion of Los Matadores, the Lucha Dragons, and the Ascension was a mere formality. I expect a few high spots from each team, especially the Lucha Dragons, but when it comes right down to it, this is a three-team program. The Primetime Players are becoming a very interesting part of what's already been a breakout success between the New Day and the "Best Team Ever." I expect this to come down to the two warring teams, and I strongly believe we'll see Kidd and Cesaro walk away as new-two-time tag team champion.
Educated Guess: Kidd and Cesaro

Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Sheamus vs. Ryback vs. Rusev vs. R Truth vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. King Barrett
I have to say—I really don't care. I know it sounds callous; the intercontinental championship is being featured in an Elimination Chamber match, and I should be excited. The WWE is finally treating its longtime number two title with the same respect that NJPW gives its belt by the same name. But when it really comes down to it, I don't care about three of the combatants, and I don't want to see the other three with the intercontinental championship. Dolph Ziggler could retire tomorrow for all I care, I really don't enjoy his work. I'm sure his program with Rusev and Lana will take center stage as far as the "Show Off" is concerned, so as much as I might like to see Rusev with the white IC belt, I'm assuming they'll continue their feud without any kind of gold involved. Then there's King Barrett and Sheamus, whom I enjoy very much, but I don't want them to be Intercontinental Champion! I want Sheamus in the main event, and I think King Barrett's monarchy is the perfect foil to John Cena's US title reign. Then there's the Big Guy—don't care about the Big Guy. I also assume, since we don't see Bray Wyatt anywhere on the card, that we might get a surprise run in from the "Eater of Worlds," which would in turn eliminate Ryback. So who's left? Who haven't I mentioned? Oh yeah! R Truth—whose gimmick is that he's a rapper who's afraid of Spiders. Okay—here's why that's funny to me. About ten years ago there was an underground rapper who made headlines when he smoked PCP and proceeded to "eat his girlfriends breasts off of her body." In addition, he claimed to have seen and felt spiders all over his arms and legs during the experience. So maybe R Truth's gimmick is that he's on PCP.
Educated Guess: Sheamus

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose is without a doubt a future WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Without question! I don't think however, that Dean Ambrose is winning his first world title on an impromptu �Network special that was only booked so as to trick dumb cheapskates into signing up passed the "Free Month of May." That being said, I expect this to be the match of the night if Kevin Owens and John Cena fail to deliver. Although they will. And who cares? Cena and Owens are newly-christened enemies who are sure to have a match that ends under precarious circumstances. Dean and Seth have a longstanding rivalry stemming from an ultimate betrayal suffered more than one year ago. I'm sure Seth is going to "cheat to win," as was the mantra of the late great Eddie Guerrero, but that doesn't mean the preceding 20-minutes or so won't be an enjoyable thrill-ride. These guys always deliver, and if you don't agree, then watch some of their previous pay-per-view battles available on the WWE Network. Oh but if you watch Hell in a Cell, turn it off before the ghost shows up. No question who's winning, but I look forward to the journey from beginning to end nonetheless.
Educated Guess: Seth Rollins

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/educated-guess-payback-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/educated-guess-payback-2015/#comments Wed, 13 May 2015 20:55:50 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Adrian Neville Axelmania Bad News Barrett Bray Wyatt Cesaro Curtis Axel Damian Sandow Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Elimination Chamber Hulk Hogan John Cena King of the Ring Lana Macho Man Macho Mandow Money in the Bank Neville Payback Professional Wrestling Randy Orton Roman Reigns Rusev Ryback Seth Rollins Sheamus The Ascension The New Day Tyson Kidd World Wrestling Entertainment Wrestlemania WWE WWE Network WWE Payback http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11717 It feels as though I was just writing a predication piece for "Extreme Rules," and yet here we are again for another WWE Network Special. And if that's not crazy enough, take a look at this schedule: this weekend is PAYBACK, followed two weeks later by ELIMINATION CHAMBER, and MONEY IN THE BANK exactly two […]

It feels as though I was just writing a predication piece for "Extreme Rules," and yet here we are again for another WWE Network Special . And if that's not crazy enough, take a look at this schedule: this weekend is PAYBACK , followed two weeks later by ELIMINATION CHAMBER , and MONEY IN THE BANK exactly two weeks after that! We've got THREE pay-per-views set within six weeks of one another, and unfortunately, Payback is the least intriguing of the lot. The �Chamber will feature the first-ever tag team elimination match inside the "Devil's Playground," while MITB will crown the next heir apparent to the WWE title. But Payback?

I like to write my predictions by mid-week and the WWE is still adding to the event as of this posting. Just now I got word that Bray Wyatt will be taking on Ryback, bringing the total number of matches on the card to SEVEN. There's certainly the chance that we might see a Diva's match of some kind, perhaps a tag team bout between the Bella's and Naomi and Tamina. As for the matches that have officially been announced…

The Payback Kick-Off
Macho Mandow & Axelmania vs. The Ascension
The Kick-Off matches have been particularly exciting in recent months; the tag team title match and battle royal at Wrestlemania, King Barrett versus Neville at Extreme Rules—this tag team contest will open the show and will set the precedent for what's to come. I don't know what to make of the "Macho Mandow and Axelmania" shtick. I really enjoyed Curtis Axel's delusional tirades about "never being eliminated from the Royal Rumble," and I've at least chuckled at his subsequent attempts at making "Axelmania Run Wild." I think Curtis Axel is doing a fine job, and I hope that when this program has run its course, he's able to rebound to a more reasonable place on the roster. When Damian Sandow ceased to be the Miz's stunt-double, I think we all hoped to see a more serious side of the former "Savior of the Masses." But instead we're getting the same masquerading hijinks that Sandow APOLOGIZED FOR just two weeks ago on Raw. So my initial qualm with Sandow is what an absolute joke he is becoming, and I can only hope that Curtis Axel isn't affected in the long term. My second nagging gripe with this gimmick is the Macho Man impression in general. Look—Jay Lethal already did this shit. And he did it while the dude was still alive. And he did a far better job than Damian Sandow. Everyone can do a Macho Man impression, why not pick one of Hogan's other partners? I would have much preferred to see Damian the Barber Beefcake. I pray to the wrestling gods—Vince McMahon Sr., Jim Barnett, Jim Crockett, etc—that this is a one-time deal, and that the "Minor Powers," as David Otunga named them, never "explode." I think the ship has absolutely set sail for Konnor and Viktor, and given my hopeless optimism for the future of the WWE, I'm inclined to give my prediction to Macho Mandow and Axelmania. I hope they beat the Ascension, they "Hulk Up" and pose down for a few minutes, and then go their separate ways forever. Is that what's going to happen? Of course not. These guys will be together until Wrestlemania 35.
Educated Guess: Macho Mandow & Axel Mania

King Barrett vs. Adrian Neville
This Sunday we'll be doing our monthly pay-per-view recap show at the "B+ Players Podcast." Last month I gave Barrett and Neville's Kick Off show performance a star rating of three and three quarters. Their match two nights later at the King of the Ring earned a solid four. These two Englishmen are in no way strangers to one another, after mixing it up for the better part of the last month. I'm interested to see what they can accomplish now that their feud has legs to stand on, and is being promoted to the main card of a pay-per-view. I've got to stop calling them that. It's a "WWE Network Special," and not only that—it's FREE again this month! What the fuck man? I've been paying ten bucks a month for 15 months—that's $150 invested in a product that you continue to give away to CASUAL FANS for free on a monthly mother fucking basis. Back to the match. Adrian Neville—because I refuse to call him "Neville"—has been gifted two nicknames since debuting with the WWE. Not only is he being billed as "The Man that Gravity Forgot," but he's also being called "The New Sensation." I can't remember this much hype going into an individual debut since we found out that his name is Finlay—"AND HE LOVES TO FIGHT!" Neville has had some awesome matches in recent weeks with former WWE world champions such as Sheamus and even John Cena. I don't think there's any ceiling set for how successful this guy could potentially be, but I think it's safe to assume defeat is on the agenda for young Adrian Neville this Sunday. Wade Barrett has made the transition from "Bad News" to "King" almost seamlessly, and it's hard to predict a loss for someone just over two weeks removed from winning the King of the Ring.
Educated Guess: King Barrett

Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus
It's a pretty good sign that the show will be good when the match I'm least looking forward to is a one-on-one bout between Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus. I've really been loving the new "Celtic Warrior" dynamic since Sheamus returned to the WWE. He shocked the world when he manhandled Daniel Bryan just days after his intercontinental title win at Wrestlemania, and went on to make life for Dolph Ziggler a living nightmare. Last month was the infamous "Kiss Me Arse" match, where Sheamus refused to live up to his own stipulation, instead forcing Dolph to kiss HIS arse. Two nights later, live on the WWE Network, Dolph Ziggler delivered a receipt in the form of a punishing assault that left the 2-time WWE Champion spewing DNA from his forehead. Their feud hasn't quieted down in any way, and has only served to elevate Dolph Ziggler and further intensify Sheamus. I'm quick to pick Sheamus as the victor in this unpredictable contest, but start to slow my roll after running down the rest of the card. This would appear to be a "Heel-Heavy" night, wherein most matches will end with "Bad Guys" reigning supreme. If there's to be any babyface victory during the event, I would probably have to pick Dolph Ziggler. That being said, we DO have another "WWE Network Special" in two weeks—and another in one month. Maybe we WILL see a night where only evil can prevail?
Educated Guess: Sheamus

WWE Tag Team Championship – 2/3 Falls Match
Kidd & Cesaro vs. The New Day (c)
Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that this will be the match of the night? These teams have produced some of the absolute best matches the WWE has seen—IN YEARS! That's not hyperbole, that's reality. I have trouble investing myself in WWE Superstars because their in-ring ability is oftentimes inhibited by the parameters placed on them by producers. You might see a stellar performance on Raw, and then an embarrassing display on Smackdown, simply because individuals weren't allotted the same time, or "freedom," that they were on the previous show. My point is that these five men could be the exception to the rule, having faced each other in any number of combinations during an assortment of various matches. They appeared during the Kick Off for the Royal Rumble and blew the tag team title match later in the show out of the water; they opened Wrestlemania 31 during another Kick Off appearance as two-fourths of a multi-team championship match; and last month they stole the show in a bona fied 4-Star Match. They've been a consummate part of Raw and Smackdown, and continue to put on "Match of the Night" performances, despite however long or short the encounter might be. I'm completely confident that they'll deliver, especially in this 2-out-of-3 falls match, and will be incredibly surprised if the action falls short. Tune in to our special Payback Reaction Show exclusively at Cheap-Heat where podcaster and sports analyst Dario Rivera has requested to review this particular match.
Educated Guess: The New Day

Ryback vs. Bray Wyatt
The most recent match added to the card is the bizarre brawl bound to take place when Bray Wyatt comes face-to-face with Ryback. Wyatt has been issuing an ominous challenge since losing to the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, but nobody seemed to know to whom he was speaking. I suggested that it could be Roman Reigns, given the clues in Bray's weekly monologue, and was slightly disappointed to discover instead—that it was Ryback. Nothing against the talent and charisma of Ryan Reeves, I just don't see him as a player on the same level as Bray Wyatt. Ryback challenged for the WWE title back when CM PUNK was the champion, and has since played more of an enforcer role in the upper-mid card. Bray Wyatt however, has squared off with both the Undertaker and John Cena at Wrestlemania, and appears to be a far more visible face across the entirety of WWE programming. I also think Bray Wyatt desperately needs a win, and I don't believe it should be at the detriment of ANOTHER WWE Superstar, who ALSO can't afford to keep losing. I think it's a foregone conclusion that Bray Wyatt will walk out with his hand held high, and I'll take it a step further: Rowan and Harper will appear to help the "Eater of Worlds" defeat the "Big Guy." The Wyatt Family will return.
Educated Guess: Bray Wyatt

WWE United States Championship – "I Quit" Mach
John Cena (c) vs. Rusev
This will be the FOURTH TIME IN A ROW that John Cena has gone to war with Rusev, which could quite possibly be a record for WWE in terms of booking. John Cena is currently 2-1 over the "Bulgarian Brute" and "Pride of the Russian Federation." The big story going into this match is Lana; "WHOSE SIDE IS (S)HE ON?!" Remember that? ANOTHER Bobby Heenan reference. Word going around the internet is that Lana will soon lose her Russian accent, and become the "Female Face" of the WWE. While that's certainly possible, I don't think it's time—and I don't think the WWE thinks it's time either. My Educated Guess for this match is a bit more detailed, so please indulge me for a moment: Lana will slip with the American accent during the Kick Off, making us all wonder what's going to happen. She'll continue to smile John Cena's way, and he'll keep making comments to Rusev and the audience about how popular she is. This is all—wait for it—A SWERVE! John Cena won't quit, not because he's in pain and can't continue! Rusev will be out of options, and will grab Lana as though she is his hostage. He'll trap her in the Accolade, while Cena is—for some reason, handcuffs maybe—unable to stop him. Cena will have no choice but to say "I Quit" to save the woman he thinks is starting to see the light of day. Unfortunately, as Admiral Ackbar would say: "IT'S A TRAP!" Do you think Admiral Ackbar will be in Star Wars Episode 7? How long do Mon Calamari live? I think John Cena is dropping his United States strap to the former champion, and I think Lana will reveal herself to be a "Double Agent." That will give her a reason to drop the Russian accent on Raw, while maintaining her evil character for the time being. In fact, it could generate even more heat; a blonde haired, blue eyed American supermodel siding with the SOVIET UNION? I know that's not what they're called anymore. It's all about alliteration with me. That will also put their series at 2 wins a piece, creating all the more reason for a fifth and final battle at either Elimination Chamber or Money in the Bank.
Educated Guess: Rusev

WWE World Heavyweight Championship – Fatal Four-way
Dean Ambrose vs. Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Who cares? With so much going on in the undercard, I couldn't care less about how Seth Rollins retains his title. There's no question as to who is walking away the winner, but how is it going to go down? Actually, that's just as predictable. Let's see what we're working with here: Seth Rollins is definitely winning, right? Okay, that's settled. And Dean Ambrose is only in this match to catch the pinfall, right? Nice, now we're cooking with gas! So the question now pertains to how Randy Orton and Roman Reigns will make their presence felt. I GOT IT! Dean and Randy are wrestling in the ring while everyone else is off somewhere waiting for their cue. Roman appears and attempts to Spear Randy Orton, but hits his former Shield brother instead. After Roman pops up from the impact, he's met with an RKO—OUT OF NOWHERE—from Randy Orton, who immediately goes for the pin, but is robbed by Seth Rollins, who only wins matches when he steals the victory. Which is totally okay with me, it's just mildly predictable at this point. It wasn't right to say who cares, because I do care about this match. But given the fact that Seth Rollins has been given the ball for the foreseeable future, and Dean Ambrose has never been in such a high profile position, it's easy to narrow the field down to declare a winner. Seth Rollins is winning, which means Kane is FIRED!
Educated Guess: Seth Rollins

I said earlier that this show is the least intriguing event of the three we'll be getting in the next six weeks. While that's true, it certainly seems as though this card has what it takes to deliver. I still expect a Diva's match of some kind to be announced, in which case I'll edit this entry. Maybe. Probably not. Remember to check out the "B+ Players Podcast: Payback Reactions" featuring our musical guests Milan Martin and Dave Sloyan, as well as "The Wrestling Broad" Brianne Marie. We're hitting the air immediately after the show ends, and will be featured exclusively at Cheap-Heat.com. Until next time my name is Mark Adam Haggerty, you can follow me in social media on Twitter @TapeTraderz and on Facebook at "The B+ Players."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-1/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/an-interview-with-drew-galloway-part-1/#comments Sat, 02 May 2015 06:58:21 +0000 DPM Interviews Bad News Barrett Drew Galloway Drew McIntyre Sheamus WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11475 Hello everyone. This is the first part of a long interview that my friend Marco Piva made to Drew Galloway, for our italian website, wethewrestling.altervista.org   After a series of botched attempts at this interview, after a number of miscommunications worth of a Mel Brooks movie (only the last one being a man giving me […]

Hello everyone. This is the first part of a long interview that my friend Marco Piva made to Drew Galloway, for our italian website, wethewrestling.altervista.org

After a series of botched attempts at this interview, after a number of miscommunications worth of a Mel Brooks movie (only the last one being a man giving me the wrong directions), after an impressive number of Facebook messages and emails, I'm finally in Ayr, sitting in front of the hottest commodity in pro wrestling today, the one and only, the (formerly?) chosen one, the current holder of no less than six titles, THEE… DREW GALLOWAY . Who, as a teenager, used to work in this very bar to pay for his wrestling lessons. Thanks to that bar too, then.

It won't be easy to hammer our very long chat into the shape of an interview, even split in four parts, but I'll be doing my best. And I promise, I won't cut anything important.

Let's go.

WtW: Just to warm up: where did you train?

DG: When I first started there was no wrestling school here in Ayr – actually, there was no wrestling school in Scotland. I needed to travel twelve hours by train to go to Portsmouth, in southern England, right at the bottom of the country, for three-day or week-long training camps with the FWA guys. I went on every possible holiday I had. And this was when I had just turned 15, fourteen years ago. There were some good trainers there, Doug Williams, Mark Sloan, James Tighe… of course everything was focused on the British style of wrestling, that's how I was trained. Every match was mostly chain wrestling (actually, Robbie Brookside calls it simply "wrestling"), a little bit of heat, a small comeback and that was it.

WtW: In the first part of your career, you had a fantastic feud with Sheamus O'Shaunessy and Stu Sanders, two wrestlers we now know as Sheamus and Bad News Barrett – and then the three of you went together to the WWE; can you tell us how it happened, and how did you help each other to excellence?

DG: The first time I met Sheamus I was working for Irish Whip Wrestling (IWW), who had a TV show on The Wrestling Channel; it was the first season. I went over for a show with my then-manager Charles Boddington. Sheamus was a bouncer at the time. We went for a night out after the show, I was 18 or 19 at the time; I met a girl, disappeared and missed my flight. The next day I finally showed up, Graham [Charles Boddington's real name is Graham McKay] was desperately looking for me. But to get a new flight would have been really expensive, to change flights without a fee I'd have to wait two days. So Sheamus said I could stay with him, we got to know each other, we realised we had similar goals, we wanted to go to America, we both loved the same wrestlers (Bret Hart was our favourite), we had the same philosophy in wrestling, so we became very good friends in those couple of days and we started talking about what we could do together in wrestling. And he's still one of my best friends in the world today.

Then the promoter in IWW wanted to set up a feud between Sheamus and I in the second season of the show; I didn't have Charles with me any longer, so I wanted a faction. He let me know about a big guy he saw in Wales (Stu lived there at the time), there also was a French guy Sheamus liked, Pierre Marceau, who is now in NXT with the name of Marcus Louis: we were The Foreign Legion. Sheamus and I were wrestling all over Ireland, we started trying lots of different stuff, the promoter gave us a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match, we recorded it with Sheamus's own video camera and watched it back to try to get better; then we asked for a Submission Match, and we did that… we watched Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect and we tried to emulate that match… we were constantly testing each other trying to get better. Then, on the TV show, there was The Foreign Legion against Sheamus. At that point he had been undefeated for, like, two years, he had the belt. Finally I defeated him for the belt, which was a big thing.

Then some stuff happened, they kinda forced Sheamus out of the company. Then, when they eventually asked me to drop the belt at a show I said no, because I was unhappy at the way they had treated him, he was and is my friend. So I just gave them back the belt, telling them I didn't think I'd be going back because they f**ked over my friend. They asked me to go over and do a match and I refused to work with them again and I haven't worked for them since. They thought I'd go back because I wanted to wrestle… but Sheamus and I had big goals, we wanted to go to America, no matter what; we were going to help each other get there, and if anybody f**ked us over we'd tell them to go f**k themselves, and that's what I did, even though I was the champion at the time.

Then Sheamus got some information about a tryout for the WWE and gave me all the details, he gave me their email and told me what to do, I emailed the person in charge at the time and got everything set up, we went in at the same time. The first time it was in Manchester, but John Laurinaitis wasn't there. We still wrestled each other, but we were told to go back the next time when Johnny Ace would be present. So the following tour, six months later, we went to London. I was 21 at the time. Arn Anderson put two big guys in the ring, two giants. One was Rob Terry, I can't remember who was the other. They had never wrestled in their lives, so… I mean, this other guy couldn't even do a forward roll. Then he said "You and you", pointing at me and Sheamus. So we looked at each other and said "Sweet, he picked us together, thank God". We had what we fell was a really good match, the agents were really complimentary afterwards, they told Johnny Ace he had to sign us. Johnny grabbed me first, I walked with him towards catering and said to me "I think I'll bring you to America" [here Drew does a pretty good impression of Laurinaitis] , so I looked at him and I said "I'm thinking of letting you". I had just turned 21 at the time, that was amazing. I got signed right there and then. Then I spoke to Stu, he was there as well, and he said he got signed too. So we looked for Sheamus, and Johnny had not spoken to him yet. I told him to go find him, so he did. And he got signed too. All three of us got signed together, which was amazing. We had gone through the whole journey together, especially Sheamus and I.

So we went to the concession stand and got a beer. And then the real journey begun.

WtW: Wow. That was a story. Anyway: when you finally went to America, did you have to change your wrestling style?

DG: Yes, slightly. It was all a matter of listening and learning.

WtW: Anything specific you had to change?

DG: I became more strike-based. Again, that was just me listening to the others. Nobody actually changed me: like with anything, if you are smart you take what you like and disregard what you don't. I was getting taught by so many good people. I mean, in England I had some good trainers, but there everyone was great, and they gave me their different views and told me how to stand out, how to think outside the box. I took what I liked from it to make it a believable style, as I didn't think that the style of wrestling I had at the time was very believable. I wanted people to think "I know wrestling is not real, but when I watch that Drew Galloway I'm having some doubts".

WtW: There you became Drew McIntyre. Why did you choose that name?

DG: On my first week in OVW the WWE writers were there. At the time they only visited every six months, although I thought they'd be there all the time. Just luck. They needed an opponent for somebody, and they decided to take a look at the new guy. So they just threw me in, let me do a promo and a match, clearly they liked me: the following week I was on television, on Smackdown . I had just turned 22. It was insane. Three weeks after getting to America, I was already on television. I was in Gorilla [the Gorilla position is the area just behind the scenes where wrestlers wait to be called for their matches] just before my match, and Stephanie McMahon asked me: "Is Galloway your real name?". When I said it was, she insisted that I changed it, at the time they were making sure they could retain the rights to the wrestlers' names. So Michael Hayes and I ran to Talent Relations and asked somebody to Google for Scottish surnames. I wanted a name with three syllables, it seemed easier to chant. Like GAL-LO-WAY, you see? So we started scrolling down the list.

For a second I nearly was Drew McDonald, but… no, there was already one, you know, and the stories they told about him… well, I really didn't want to be confused with him. Mind, he is… he was a good friend of mine, I miss him a lot, but I really didn't want Vince to think that the stories they told about him were about me, you see.

Then Michael Hayes saw "McIntyre", I looked at him and we both said "That's it", and we ran back to Gorilla for my match. Seconds before I walked out they buzzed the ring announcer to tell him about the change. When I walked out to the ring for my first match, it was against one of the Major Brothers [it was Brett Major, now known as Zack Ryder] , the Titantron was flashing the name "Galloway". You couldn't see it on television, they cut it to make sure you couldn't, but it was.

WtW: Anything else you want to tell us about that match?

DG: I remember the time getting cut. I was not used to that. We were supposed to have six minutes, but when we already were on the ring the referee casually said that we had three. I had never been in a situation in which I had to stick exactly to a time … but I called the match and we did. I had to figure out how to do it, on television, as I went along. Nobody had taught me how to work a hard camera either. I was figuring everything out as I went along.

We conclude here the first part of our long interview with Drew. In the next, he'll tell us about Wrestlemania, 3MB and the end of his working relationship with the WWE. Don't miss it!

To read our others interviews you can check В http://wethewrestling.altervista.org/ .

Bye!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-wrestlemania-31/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-wrestlemania-31/#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2015 17:04:15 +0000 Gary Mastriano Blogs Other Blogs AJ Lee Bad News Barrett Bella Twins BNB Bray Wyatt Brie Bella Brock Lesnar Cesaro Daniel Bryan Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler HHH John Cena Lana Los Matadores Luke Harper Nikki Bella Paige R-Truth Randy Orton Roman Reigns Rusev Seth Rollins Stardust Sting The New Day Triple H Tyson Kidd Undertaker Usos Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10783 HUNCHAMANIA: WRESTLEMANIA 31 Guys…. Guys… GUYS! It's Mania Eve! The second best Eve of the year (although it seriously challenges Christmas and John McMclane). There is a feeling of joy in the air, of hope, of dreams. My head is spinning with thoughts of the promising matches we will see in 24 hours. No matter […]

HUNCHAMANIA: WRESTLEMANIA 31

Guys…. Guys… GUYS! It's Mania Eve! The second best Eve of the year (although it seriously challenges Christmas and John McMclane). There is a feeling of joy in the air, of hope, of dreams. My head is spinning with thoughts of the promising matches we will see in 24 hours. No matter how much we may lament the card beforehand, when the time is upon, you can't help but be excited. This is the best time to be a wrestling fan. And while all eyes of the wrestling world are set upon California, here in New Jersey I am preparing for my Mania party. The Pin the Tail on the Cena has been hung, and the food WWE balloons are being inflated.

WrestleMania this year is shaping up to have tons of memorable moments. The great thing about this card is how hard it is to predict the winners of each match. Aside from the Sting-HHH match I have had an incredibly difficult time figuring who was going to win each match. Kudos to the much maligned WWE booking team for actually setting up an intriguing show, with implications that could be felt in the WWE for years to come. SO…LET'S GET TO THE PREDICTIONS!!! (Seriously though… I have a pin the tail on John Cena).

4 way tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Titles- Kidd/Cesaro (champs) vs Usos vs Matadors vs New Day
I refuse to acknowledge that this a pre-show match. With the advent of the WWE Network there really is no difference between the main show and the preshow. They should just advertise WrestleMania as a 6 hour event. These 4 teams, particularly the Usos and Kidd/Cesaro, have worked hard over the past year to build up the tag team division. The tag titles deserve to be highlighted, and being on the preshow may be the best possible way to showcase them. I assume they will be given more time than if they were actually on the main card. I have heard rumors that New Day may win to bring back the Freebird rule to the tag titles. While that would be really cool, I don't see it happening quite yet. I think Kidd/Cesaro have a long run with the tag titles coming, so I suspect that they retain.

Andre the Giant Battle Royal
As of me writing this the announced participants are: The Miz, Curtis Axel, Ryback, Fandango, Adam Rose, Zack Ryder, Jack Swagger, Titus O’Neil, Darren Young, Big Show, Kane, Erick Rowan, Damien Mizdow, Sin Cara, Goldust, Heath Slater, Mark Henry, Konnor, Viktor, and Hideo Itami. Barring a surprise entrance, that's 20 total participants. After the way Cesaro was handled after his win last year, it is really difficult to determine who will/should win. In theory the winner should go on to have a solid upper mid card run, at the very least. So I will assume that the outcome will lead to big things for whoever wins. So who can benefit the most from a victory? Really the choice for me comes down to 3 guys: The Miz, Ryback, and Curtis Axel. The Miz is always teetering on the edge of the main event, and I really like to think he can break through the main event scene at any time. Once he splits with Mizdow (which will FINALLY be cemented in this match) there is little direction for The Miz. The main event scene could always use another snarky heel. Speaking of guys that are on the edge of the main event- Ryback has always flirted with superstardom. Every time he seems to be on the brink of breaking through, the booking takes a weird turn. He is way over with the crowd. He has the look of a top star. He has had moments where he cut potential career defining promos. Time is short on him to finally break through to the main event, so why not now? As for Curtis Axel, he is the long shot, but sentimental favorite. Axel has been one of the most over performers on the roster since turning his Rumble misfortune into a gimmick. A win for Axel could be the push he needs to get back into the midcard scene. With that being said- I think Ryback takes the win.

Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship- Bad News Barrett (champion) vs Daniel Bryan vs R-Truth vs Dean Ambrose vs Dolph Ziggler vs Stardust vs Luke Harper
I have tried to stay positive about this match. I really have. All signs point to this being a great match. But…man is there a bad vibe surrounding this one. WWE was telling a great IC story with Dean Ambrose and Bad News Barrett, which would have paid off perfectly at WrestleMania. WWE was telling a great story with Goldust and Stardust, which would have paid off perfectly at WrestleMania. WWE was telling a great story with Daniel Bryan that would have…oh wait…they weren't telling any story with Daniel Bryan. At all. He was just kind of around, being the most popular guy on the roster. Now I have no problem with a midcarder being the most over guy, but Daniel Bryan is not a midcarder. I also have no problem with Daniel Bryan NOT being in the main event. But WWE had literally NOTHING planned for him. Like they forgot about him and just used him. Even up until a few weeks ago he wasn't even confirmed for this match. It was like they were waiting for something/someone else to come around to feud with him. Was Sheamus not available? I guess we will never know. Also everything I just said, switch Bryan out with Ziggler.

As for the match itself, the participants themselves will make this a great match I'm sure. Everyone in this match (even R Truth) can produce a great match, so I expect the work rate to be there. I have no doubt this will be a fun bout. I don't see Harper, Stardust, Truth, or Ziggler walking away with the IC title. Ambrose has a legit claim to it and he would elevate the belt for sure. I have heard that the title may be put on Bryan so he can help elevate the title. I am choosing to ignore that theory. Therefore I think it will be Barrett walking away with his title intact. He hasn't actually been in possession of his title during the hot potato storyline in the past few months, so I assume he will ultimately retain.

Seth Rollins vs Randy Orton
I have really enjoyed the build towards this match. Orton's return and subsequent slow burn turn on Rollins was a fresh new build towards this grudge match. This is my pick for show stealer of the night. Orton can always put on a great match when he is motivated, and Rollins has proven in the past year that he will steal every show for the next decade. A loss for Rollins doesn't hurt his character in the slightest. Rollins will continue to be the main focus of WWE programming for the foreseeable future. Orton is hot as a face right now, and an inevitable match with Lesnar is on the horizon. Orton gets the victory here, but this is not the last we see of Mr. Rollins tonight…

The Bella Twins vs AJ Lee and Paige
With all the uproar online about 2 matches being moved to the "pre-show", I have been looking on the bright side. The fact that there are only 7 matches on the main card means that each match will hopefully get a decent amount of time. The recent #givedivasachance movement has seemed to catch on, with longer TV matches in the past few weeks. These ladies are the 4 top performers in the Divas division and certainly can put together a great match if the time is give. The Bellas will continue to be the focus of the Divas division, with AJ and Paige chasing the title until Charlotte makes her main roster debut. Therefore the Bellas pick up the win here, and continue their Diva dominance.

US Title Match- John Cena vs Rusev (champ)
Man this is a hard match to predict. On one hand you John Cena- who is defending America against the big bad evil foreigner. A Cena victory would be a victory for America. On the other hand you have Rusev- who is the latest superstar to have the "winning streak monster" push. Rusev has had a phenomenal rise to this position. Wrestling Cena at his first WrestleMania is a pretty big deal, whether he wins or not. Looking ahead at the remainder of 2015 and beyond, it would seem that Rusev would need the win more. Cena will always be at the top of the card. He selectively puts people over when the time is right. Does Rusev deserve that rub? I think so. I have seen people stating that Cena will carry the US Title back to prominence. And while it would be radical to see Cena in the mid card, I just don't think it'll happen. Rusev gets the win with some kind of shenanigans in another potential show stealer.

Bray Wyatt vs the Undertaker
I have said it before, but I have no problem saying it again. I do NOT want to ever see the Undertaker wrestler…. Ever. Again. Ever. To quote a great man (Hunter Hearst Helmsley) �All you have is the streak. When it dies. You die.' And I completely believe it. The Undertaker has nothing to prove anymore. It is time to move on from the Undertaker era of WrestleMania. Hopefully that is what we will get this year. Wyatt is clearly going to be filling the creepy scary guy for the foreseeable future, so why not use this match as a passing of the torch? At the same time can you see the Undertaker losing two years in a row? I for cannot. I think he wins this year, setting up the rematch/retirement next year.

Sting vs Triple H
One of my first Cheap Heat articles was dissecting why Sting HAD to fight Triple Hat WrestleMania this year. It is really the only match Sting could've had this year. WWE has done a stellar job building towards this epic confrontation. Sting has been treated with nothing but respect by the WWE. I don't think the ending of this match is up for any debate- Sting wins his first WWE match.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match- Brock Lesnar (champion) vs Roman Reigns
Good job WWE. Seriously, you turned a match that I was dreading last summer when the rumors arose, into a legitimately intriguing matchup. Lesnar vs Reigns is probably the most interesting WrestleMania main event we have had in over a decade. Prior to this week, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Brock would be dropping the title to the Samoan Superman this Sunday…but then WWE conveniently announces Brock Lesnar has resigned with the company. Congrats WWE, you pulled a fast one on us by making us wonder if Brock was staying. I always thought he was staying, in fact I think the past few weeks of speculation was drawn up by WWE to gain interest in their main event. The WWE is nothing if not their own biggest promoters, and Vince and Co know how to gather extreme interest in their product. Prior to this week, this seemed like a cookie cutter passing of the torch moment, but now with the announcement that Lesnar is staying for an additional 3 years, it's not outside the realm of possibility that he walks out of Mania with the championship. We can all seem to agree that Reigns is fine to be the next face of the company, but he is clearly not ready for that position. Maybe a loss to Lesnar gains additional fan support, and makes the eventual Reigns win even more. WWE is not known to take risks at WresleMania, especially with their potential main eventers, but this seems to be a great time for them to take that risk. Don't give Reigns the title WWE. Not yet. Lesnar wins in after an extremely hard fought and valiant effort by Reigns. HOWEVER…. I do not think Lesnar or Reigns walk out with the WWE Championship… I predict the Money in the Bank contract is cashed in at WrestleMania for the first time ever, and Seth Rollins ends the night with the WWE title around his waist.

Man that's a lot of intrigue going into this year's WrestleMania. So many match outcomes are up in the air, and WWE is really firing on all cylinders right now. To paraphrase Max Landis "when it's good, it's fucking incredible." I cannot help but agree. The wrestling world is in for a night of great storytelling all around. Buckle up gang!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw-5/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw-5/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2015 23:54:34 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews Top Lists Alundra Blayze Andre the Giant Axelmania Bad News Barrett Batista BNB Booker T Bray Wyatt British Bulldogs Brock Lesnar Bushwhackers CM Punk Curtis Axel Daily Show Daniel Bryan Dolph Ziggler Hart Foundation HHH J&J Security John Cena Jon Stewert Lana Luke Harper Macho Man Madusa NWA R-Truth Randy Orton RAW Rey Mysterio Rikishi Roman Reigns Rusev Seth Rollins Smackdown Stephanie McMahon Sting Strike Force Superstars TNA Triple H Undertaker Wade Barrett WCW Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10176 The Highlight of the Night The Top Moments from Raw Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Wrestlemania is only four weeks away, and tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from my home—the GARDEN STATE of New Jersey! Of course now I live on the West Coast and was in Las Vegas for Ring of Honor […]

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

Wrestlemania is only four weeks away, and tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from my home—the GARDEN STATE of New Jersey! Of course now I live on the West Coast and was in Las Vegas for Ring of Honor when all of my friends were heading to the Prudential Center, but I dare say this was the best episode of Raw since the start of the New Year. I'm certainly apprehensive about the upcoming "Grand Daddy of Them All," but if the next three weeks follow tonight's lead, I think we'll be in good shape by the time the "Road to Wrestlemania" ends right here in California. New Jersey has always been a hotbed for independent wrestling, and I think this episode was staggered in a way so that it appealed to the die-hard fans in Newark. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, with you as always to deliver my "Highlight of the Night"—The Top Moments from Raw. Let's get started with a very special HONORABLE MENTION …

Honorable Mention
Aside from the "Macho Man" Randy Savage, this year's Hall of Fame class leaves quite a bit to be desired. Arnold Schwarzenegger is being advertised based on his one-night appearance on Smackdown in 1999, rather than his close relationship with Superstar Billy Graham and other WWWF Superstars during the 1970s and �80s. The Bushwhackers will always hold a special place in my heart, but can't compare to the British Bulldogs, Strike Force, the Hart Foundation or any number of other teams from that era, who are not in the Hall. Rikishi most certainly deserves the honor, and I'm happy his sons have been tasked with inducted him, but is Rikishi really a big enough name to be the second biggest induction of the year? Tonight the WWE announced another name for this year's class of 2015—a woman who not only belongs in the Hall of Fame, but probably should have gone in long before Trish Stratus and Lita. Of course I'm talking about Madusa AKA Alundra Blayze. I honestly thought that she was blacklisted by the WWE, but I guess that's not the case. Congratulations to the former 3-time WWF Women's champion—I can't wait to see who inducts her in Santa Clara.

5. Bray's Burning Casket
Cheap-Heat's Gary Mastriano is a very talented wrestling journalist, who also happens to be one of my oldest friends—but Gary and I are divided as to how this year's Undertaker storyline is set to play out. When Bray Wyatt appeared in the Undertaker's casket at Fastlane, I received a text from Gary that read: "So am I supposed to be excited by the Undertaker?" Meanwhile, I'm marking out just as much as my first name might suggest. I think this could be a really cool program, however I can certainly understand why Gary has his reservations. The Undertaker has had consistent contests at every Wrestlemania from 23 with Batista, up until 29 against CM Punk. Unfortunately, the "Dead Man's" last outing was such a disappointment that hundreds upon thousands of self-proclaimed "Creatures of the Night" are now turning on the idea of "one more match." Regardless of whether you're excited to see the "Phenom" square off against the "Eater of Worlds," Wyatt has been highly impressive since starting down this path, especially tonight when he set fire to the casket he constructed in honor of the Undertaker. Might we get some sort of stipulation, such as a Casket Match? Will we see the Undertaker before Wrestlemania, or will he save his return for Levi Stadium? Bray's character is so much more defined than the rest of the roster, which could come easier for Superstars playing specific roles, such as a backwoods cult leader in a rocking chair. I'm excited to see how the next three weeks of Raw will go now that Bray Wyatt has already torched one of the Undertaker's signature symbols, and look forward to their meeting on March 29th.

4. The IC Title Belt
Various historians will suggest that the Intercontinental Championship is the most prestigious singles title in the WWE, and while that might have been true once-upon-a-time, the current state of the belt is questionable at best . I remember a six-year period lasting from 2003 until 2008, where the IC championship wasn't defended at Wrestlemania. That's ridiculous—especially when research uncovers an eleven-year streak of defenses broken only by the "Hollywood Backlot Brawl" at Wrestlemania 12. I think it was probably the influx of WCW championships, such as the Cruiserweight and U.S. titles, that watered down the IC belt. When the roster was split, I imagine pushing the Intercontinental Champion as a main eventer might have been the better route to take, rather than introducing a SECOND world championship. All that being said, I think we COULD be on the verge of a new era for the white leather IC belt. Just because the title wasn't defended at one third of all Wrestlemanias, doesn't mean there haven't been an enormity of stellar champions since, including Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, and even Dolph Ziggler. The shenanigans revolving around the "stolen" title belt aside, the opening matchup between Ambrose and Barrett did more than just offer a comedic outlet for R Truth, it introduced each of the key players going forward. I think everyone involved, including the former NWA world champion R Truth, has a good shot at becoming the next champion. I don't want Ambrose to win, as I feel both he and Barrett are the kind of unestablished talent that's tainted the title, especially as Wade has held the belt what—FOUR times, already? Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper are both incredibly talented workers, either of whom I would be happy to see walk out of Santa Clara holding the championship title high. But truth be told, as much as I love Ron Killings, there's no plausible finish that doesn't include Daniel Bryan wearing the belt, leading 70,000 fans in a "Yes" chant. If the WWE plans to build the U.S. championship with John Cena, then who better to bring back a level of dignity to another historic title belt than Daniel Bryan? I also imagine the WWE isn't interested in another mutiny should Bryan fail to win a big match, particularly at Wrestlemania 31. The intercontinental championship might be a consolation prize for now, but I predict exponential growth for the title and its future holders, mainly due to the countless number of NXT stars set to break through to the main roster.

3. Axelmania!
I pick a lot of my moments based on what they represent, or what they might lead to later on—but this was truly a must-see moment that I dare say isn't going to lead anywhere. John Cena came out and addressed the Newark audience, talking about how he wants to wrestle Rusev at �Mania, but will instead enter his name in the "Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal." This doesn't sit well with Stephanie McMahon for SOME reason—did Cena say anything disrespectful? I understood the idea of Stephanie taking offense to Cena throwing around a name like Andre, but he didn't do it in a blasphemous way. He simply stated that he would be entering the �Battle Royal. The back and forth between the fourth-generation McMahon and the fifteen time world champion was outstanding; I love it when Stephanie gets on her moral high horse in situations like this, suggesting that Cena can't just announce he's in a match—"since when do Superstars book their own matches?" This continued until the BIGGEST pop of the night; as Cena argued with Stephanie, the music hit and Curtis Axel appeared, wearing a Hulkamania-style t-shirt with "Axel" replacing "Hulk." What really moved me about this segment was a combination of how over Curtis Axel was, and how great he came across on the microphone. He's clearly been rehearsing in the mirror, as he didn't slip or stumble, and made every word count in making the overture to challenge John Cena at Wrestlemania. Personally, I would really like to see that match—not more than Cena vs. Rusev II, but I think there's true potential in an Axel/Cena squabble, especially if John Cena can capture the U.S. championship. Axel was in the zone, as he mimicked Hulk Hogan's mannerisms PERFECTLY . But John Cena wasn't done talking just because he was set to compete. In a calm and cool tone, Cena warned Curtis that he should really get out of the ring, because if the match starts, he "will not walk out." The match was a squash, but the story of the segment was the shirt-ripping and pandering by Axel. I'll admit that I've been down on this guy since he split from Paul Heyman, but given his extraordinary pedigree, I think we've just now started to see what the "Axe Man" is capable of.

2. Triple H Fires Booker T
While the showdown between Triple H and Sting is sure to be the biggest match at �Mania, I'm not 100% confident in the way that WWE is structuring their rivalry. For one thing, WCW closed FOURTEEN years ago—why is this program based on WWF's feud with World Championship Wrestling? I think there's a story to be told based on what Booker suggested in the ring with Hunter; perhaps the reason Sting never signed has more to do with the political atmosphere in the WWE, rather than his desire to continue on with the NWA. There's been a lot of rumors in the past about Hunter and his "friends" burying talent before they have a chance to get over, so there's certainly a chance Triple H didn't want Steve Borden stealing his spotlight in 2001. With Rey Mysterio now gone, Booker T is the last vestige of WCW, outside of the U.S. championship, so it makes all the sense in the world for him to get involved in a WCW storyline. I thought Triple H's promo was really good, and it helped fill in the gaps between 2001 and the upcoming match at �Mania. I wasn't sure what to expect when Triple H "fired" Booker T. Obviously he wasn't really fired, this isn't TNA—people aren't terminated on television when they least expect it. But I didn't think he was going to invite Book' back to the announce desk so soon. I thought for sure he would have let the �Universe believe that he fired Booker T, only to have him return the following week. But I guess it worked as a part of what Triple H was trying to convey, and that is the greatest extent of his power in the WWE. I hope to hear from Sting before the match, perhaps he'll have some incite as to how the past fourteen years have been for him as an outsider looking in. I think it's safe to say Sting will go over at Wrestlemania, he'll probably hang around the roster for a year, wrestle Undertaker in Dallas, and go into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2016.

1. "The Daily Show" starring Seth Rollins
It's funny how celebrity involvement works in professional wrestling; oftentimes outside personalities get booed off the stage, as was the case with Kathie Lee and Hoda during their Susan G. Komen cross-promotional appearance. But sometimes a guest clicks in a way that even the most ardent internet fans are impressed, and that's what we had tonight with the Daily Show's Jon Stewart. I was confused as to how a TV show from a Viacom network might interact with Universal properties, but was pleasantly surprised when I heard the official Daily Show theme, and saw a pretty convincing mock-set. Seth was pretty entertaining, and made me laugh on occasion with his routine jabs at Jon Stewart's success as a film director. I respect Jon Stewart because he's obviously a wrestling fan. Both he and his pal Adam Sandler can be seen at multiple events on either side of the country. When Jon listed some of the most influential names in history, such as Bruno, Hogan, and Austin, he clearly knew what he was talking about, which made me trust what he had to say relating to Seth's position at Wrestlemania. Leave it to a comedian to get to the point—"What has the Authority done for Seth Rollins?" As Jon said, it's not Seth in the main event at Wrestlemania, it's not Seth challenging for the world title, and no matter what, it won't be Seth who reigns supreme in California. I really liked the brutal honesty from Stewart, playing Devil's advocate, even suggesting that Seth Rollins might be too good for the Authority. I especially enjoyed Stewart's repartee with J&J Security—I imagine the "Katzenjammer Kids" reference went well over the head of the WWE Universe. In the end, Jon Stewart walked the line of sensibility to perfection; he didn't engage in an official match such as Seth Green, but he also didn't half-ass his appearance as did Al Sharpton. He came to Monday Night Raw with a purpose, and that was to use his enormous celebrity to enhance the developing program between Randy Orton and Seth Rollins. He wasn't there to push a book, or a movie, or even his upcoming comedy special that was mentioned in passing after his appearance. Following the low-blow to Rollins, Jon Stewart ran up the ramp swinging his jacket in victory. When he got to the back, he gave the best interview of the night, frantically inquiring whether or not he was safe backstage. Jon Stewart proved tonight that he is more than just a celebrity, he is a member of the WWE Universe, and for one night , he was a SUPERSTAR!

I'm still not sure what kind of main event to expect out of Brock Lesnar, an unpredictable world champion with no contract in place after �Mania, and Roman Reigns, who has yet to connect with the WWE Universe. I'm quite impressed with the WWE's effort in building up the undercard in such a dynamic way. About three months ago I started writing an article about John Cena as IC champion, and how a Superstar of his magnitude could positively influence the title. I ended up scrapping the idea however, as Cena is now challenging for the U.S. belt and Daniel Bryan is in the intercontinental hunt. I'll be the first to admit that the WWE's current landscape is littered with potholes and pitfalls, but it reminds me of that old saying—about breaking eggs to make an omelet? I think I'll leave you with that. Until next week this has been Mark Adam Haggerty reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and to follow me on Facebook by LIKING "Mark Haggerty's Pro Wrestling."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-wwe-fastlane-2015-predictions/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-wwe-fastlane-2015-predictions/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2015 04:04:31 +0000 Gary Mastriano Blogs Other Blogs AJ Lee Bad News Barrett Big Show Brock Lesnar Cesaro CM Punk Cody Rhodes Daniel Bryan Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Dust Brothers Elimination Chamber Erick Rowan Fastlane Goldust HHH Jey Uso Jimmy Uso John Cena John Morrison Kane Kidd Kofi Kingston Natalya Nikki Bella NXT Paige Rey Mysterio Rey Mysterio Jr. Roman Reigns Royal Rumble Rusev Ryback Santino Santino Marella Seth Rollins Stardust Steve Austin Sting Survivor Series The Brass Ring Club The Usos Triple H Tyson Kidd Wade Barrett Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9903 Hunchamania: Fastlane 2015 Folks, we are on the road to WrestleMania 31, and we are driving in the fast lane (see what I did there? I'm so clever). WWE brings us this new "special event" this Sunday, and I must say- there is a lot to look forward to. The February slot in the PPV […]

Hunchamania: Fastlane 2015

Folks, we are on the road to WrestleMania 31, and we are driving in the fast lane (see what I did there? I'm so clever). WWE brings us this new "special event" this Sunday, and I must say- there is a lot to look forward to.

The February slot in the PPV cycle has always been a mixed bag. Feuds were either resolved so top stars could move on to different challengers at the Grandaddy the following month (Austin-HHH 2001), new feuds are set up to take us into Mania (Orton-Rey), or big matches occur that may even be better suited for the big event the next month (the criminally underrated and overall excellent Angle-Taker SHOULD have taken place at Mania 22….thanks a lot Batista).

In recent years we have been subject to the Elimination Chamber PPV. A great gimmick match that felt completely out of place in the pre Mania slot. Not only was the risk of injury to a top star higher in the dangerous match, but it was also a huge gimmick that often felt forced. Challengers like Santino, John Morrison, and Kofi Kingston were always given spots in the match, when we all knew they would barely even make the Mania card the next month. The first few installments of the Chamber match worked so well because there were legit contenders in every pod gunning for the world title. When the match was supplanted to the February slot it lost almost all of its luster. Sure we have seen some fun spots and pairings (the HHH-Taker final 2 comes to mind) overall I am happy to see the chamber go. Hopefully it will return to a PPV that could benefit from it where there are 6 legit contenders who have a claim to the title.

I also thought it was weird to place the chamber at the February PPV because it honestly wasn't needed. It worked well when there was 2 world titles, but the PPV never needed the rub of the gimmick match. The allure of the road to Wrestlemania is enough to sell me on the February PPV. Just use it to end some feuds and start some new angles for the next month and I am sold. That being said, this year's FastLane was looking like a legit throw away PPV at first. We knew Brock wasn't going to be wrestling, and after Royal Rumble it seemed most the top 3-4 matches were already in stone: Sting-HHH, Rusev-Cena, Brock-Reigns all looked like locks for San Francisco. However, WWE has done a pretty great job of making us question the seemingly predictable card. Now I fully believe we will get all 3 of those matches, plus most of the other rumored matches on the card, but FastLane will at least be an intriguing stop along the way, with some fascinating booking decisions I did not expect.

Intercontinental Championship Match- Bad News Barrett vs Dean Ambrose

The theme up and down this card is unpredictability. I think the IC title match, which I suspect with be the hot opener, could really go either way. Barrett has only been back from injury a month and was handed the IC title his first night back. WWE is clearly behind Barrett. The man has been IC pretty much any time he hasn't been injured in the past 2 years. It seems that they really want him to succeed, but injuries and bad luck keep getting in his way. While I am not a fan of his bad news gimmick (just seems more face leaning than heel), I cannot deny that it is over. Also over- Dean Ambrose. The man turns every goofy situation written for him into gold. I've seen people complain that Dean is getting "buried" or tossed aside. This is simply laughable. He has main evented more PPVs than Roman Reigns, and has been a focal point of WWE programming since the Shield split. Ambrose is a great talent, and loses don't really affect him or his character. Ambrose is simply about anarchy. WWE is taking the more classic approach with Ambrose and letting him get white hot in the mid to top of the card. He will be IC champ this calendar year, and possibly challenge for the world title by year's end (although I don't think he even needs to be in that spot to be effective). If the Andre battle royal takes place this year, Dean will win it. But he won't win the IC title, at least not on this night. Bad News Wade retains.

Cody �Stardust' Rhodes vs Goldust

Cheap Heat grandmaster of productivity- Mark Haggerty- and I recently did a mock draft to choose our top 10 wrestlers we want to start a company with. You'll see more on that soon, but I am going to spoil one of my draft choices here- Cody Rhodes. I have been a Cody fan dating back to the Legacy days. I knew he was the break out star of the two young guns, and he has quietly had a great mid card run. Cody has shown how incredibly versatile he can be. He can play the face, the heel, the comedy act, or the bat shit crazy Stardust character. His Dr. Doom character was my personal favorite, the one that led to his all-time best and most underrated match against Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 27. Rhodes can do it all. I have loved the Dust Brothers team, but feel that it has run its course. Every part of me hopes their blow off, and long rumored Goldust retirement match, takes place at WrestleMania. And I hope that match is Cody, not Stardust, taking on Goldust. As far as I can tell the match this Sunday will be Stardust wrestling Sunday, not Cody. Hopefully this leads to the return of Cody for Mania, and finally a major heel push after. One can dream right? Stardust has been a great fun character, and I hope he gets brought back down the line, even in a multiple personality story line at some point. But I think it's time for Cody to return. I see this match ending in NO CONTEST of some sorts, leading to Cody finally dropping the Stardust character for the blow off match next month.

Tag Team Championship- The Usos vs Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

I legit marked out last month when Kidd and Cesaro wore Brass Ring Club shirts to the ring. I am still seriously contemplating purchasing one because… c'mon… that's just cool. Kidd and Cesaro are my favorite team in a long time. Both guys seem to want to prove themselves week after week and they have really lit a fire into the tag team division. What a great booking decision pairing them together. The Usos have been tag champs for … 4 years now? Not sure, but it seems like they will always hold the belts. I don't see a future past a tag team for Jimmy and Jey, and they are way over, so I know they will stick together for a while. However, I think the time is now to reward Cesaro and Kidd with a title win, even if it's just a month long reign- BOLD PREDICTION but Kidd and Cesaro take home the gold Sunday night.

Diva's Championship- Niki Bella vs Paige

When all the controversy came out last year with CM Punk, everyone on the internet seemed to assume days were numbered for AJ Lee. Well, to their credit, WWE has treated AJ with nothing but respect. She was the top Diva last year, holding the belt on 2 different occasions, and winning Diva of the year (do you really think AJ would have won if they weren't behind her?). There seemed to be no retaliation against AJ for the actions of her husband. Anytime AJ has missed seems to be by her own accord, and any time off seems to have been granted. And I am happy WWE were the bigger man here and treated her like the star she was, as opposed to the star she's married to.

With that being said, and with the breaking news of the potentially massive lawsuit between CM Punk and Doc Amman, one has to question- when is it the right time for WWE and AJ Lee to cut ties. I think the time is now. I am a big AJ supporter, but I can only imagine it may be a hostile work environment for her no matter what the outcome of the lawsuit is. Can you imagine if AJ gets inured and Doc Amman has to work on her? I cannot see that being fun. AJ has had a great run, and is easily the top Diva since the Trish/Lita days, but her associations may lead to some uncomfortable and awkward situations. WWE has some of the best female wrestlers in the world down in NXT. Once talents like Charlotte and Bayley, and later on Sasha Banks, are brought up the main roster, we can hopefully expect the Diva's boom we have all wanted for a while. And while I would love AJ Lee to be a part of that…it seems like time has past her by.

As for the current state of active Diva's, it's not actually as bad as you think. Niki Bella has been a surprisingly impressive champion. Her in ring work has been better than it has any right to be. She described herself as the "powerhouse" of the division, and I have to agree. As for her opponent this Sunday- Paige- what can be said? I am happy to see her back at the top of the division where she belongs. Paige is a GREAT in ring talent, and I think this match could go far to elevate the division. It all comes down to time, as with most Diva's matches in this era. NXT has proven that women's wrestling is worth investing in, so why not give your main roster girls a showcase? Alas, I don't think Fastlane will be the night to do so. Niki wins with shenanigans setting up a Mania mutli-lady rematch.

Seth Rollins, Kane, and Big Show vs Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback

Is this match announced? Trusty old Wikipedia says it is, so let's say it is. This feud has been going on since before Survivor Series, with no end in sight. I really think we will see some sort of variation on this match at WrestleMania this year, probably without Rollins. Ziggler deserves his time to shine at the big event this year, but short of the rumored Daniel Bryan match, I just don't see any singles match happening for the Showoff. If you haven't seen the Ziggler-Rollins match from this past Monday's Raw I highly recommend it. An awesome match, and the main roster's response to the great matches happening down in NXT. Check it out. Rollins, Kane, and Big Show win here, setting up a quasi-rematch at Mania.

US Title Match- Rusev vs John Cena

How awesome would it be to have John Cena as the US Champ again? Talk about putting that title back on the map. Despite whatever the "smart" wrestling fan you are friends with is telling, John Cena has actually had a slight character change in the past few weeks. And I don't think many people are seeing the potential storylines that will come out of it. In case you missed it, Cena has slowly been turning into the grizzled veteran who will do anything to protect his spot. His promo work has been great and this feud with Rusev isn't your normal Cena feud- meaning Rusev actually has a chance to win. Even us Cena lovers can agree that John doesn't need/shouldn't get the first victory over Rusev. That seems too predictable. Even if he gets it eventually, it won't be Sunday night. Cena won't tap but I see Rusev winning via more shenanigans or a DQ finish to continue this feud. I stand by my claim from last August that we will see Cena vs Rusev at Mania, with Hogan in Cena's corner.

Sting will respond to HHH's challenge, but HHH will get the upper hand via some sort of beat down on Sting. This will set up Sting' first ever WWE match at WrestleMania 31. This is the match Sting needs and deserves. No other opponent is worthy of Sting's first match but Hunter and I expect this to be a really fun ride.

Number 1 Contender's Match- Roman Reigns vs Daniel Bryan

I have to give credit where credit is due- I did NOT expect that we would see Reigns vs Bryan, especially now. WWE has done a masterful job of baiting us all into this storyline. A lot has been made of Reigns not getting the response WWE wanted. But in all honestly- he has been getting solid responses from non smark crowds. The casual fan is into and behind Roman Reigns. The problem is that EVERY fan is into and behind Daniel Bryan. I cannot recall a wrestler as over as Bryan in a long long long time. And WWE is using him very wisely. Folks- Daniel Bryan will NEVER be the number one face on the roster. Yes, I want him in that role, you want him in that role, the WWE Universe wants him that role. But once you come to accept that he will never be top guy, you can enjoy Bryan even more. Bryan will fill that HBK role of top guy who will always be close to the main event, putting on clinics with just about everyone on the roster. And that IS something to be excited about.

I admit I am not the biggest Reigns fan. But he's the guy that won the Royal Rumble. I DO NOT want another tainted Royal Rumble winner. So for as much as I love Bryan, I want Reigns to win here. Let's give him a shot guys, what's the worst that can happen? Reigns has actually been getting more over working with Bryan.

As for the match itself, I expect an incredibly hot crowd. They will split 70/30 in Bryan's favor, but Bryan will work hard to make Reigns look as good as possible. This is a match designed to make Reigns look good. I expect it to be hard hitting, fast paced, and tons of fun. As for the ending I see it going one of two ways. Either Reigns gets the singles clean victory he desperately needs, or someone interferes and costs Bryan the match (Rollins?) setting up whatever Bryan does at Mania. Either way Reigns wins. No triple threat this year.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter%e2%80%a8-your-weekly-smackdown-breakdown%e2%80%a8-2/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter%e2%80%a8-your-weekly-smackdown-breakdown%e2%80%a8-2/#comments Sat, 21 Feb 2015 00:30:53 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Other Reviews Reviews Bad News Barrett Becky Lynch Big E Big Show Bray Wyatt Brie Bella Brock Lesnar Cameron Cesaro Charlotte Damien Sandow Daniel Bryan Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Erick Rowan Fast Lane Fastlane HHH J&J Security Jack Swagger Jamie Noble Jerry Lawler Jey Uso Jimmy Uso Joey Mercury John Cena Kane Kofi Kingston Konnor Lucha Dragons Luke Harper Mark Henry Michael Cole Miz MizDow Natalya New Day Nikki Bella NWA NXT Paige R-Truth RAW Roman Reigns Ron Killings Royal Rumble Rusev Ryback Sasha Banks Seth Rollins Sheamus Smackdown The Ascension The Bellas The Brass Ring Club The New Day The Usos Triple H Tyson Kidd Undertaker Viktor Wade Barrett Wrestlemania WWE WWE Network Xavier Woods http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9853 What’s Cookin & What Doesn’t Matter Your Weekly Smackdown Breakdown Written by Mark Adam Haggerty It's the final episode of WWE TV until the February "free-per-view," Fastlane. If the free month of November and the Survivor Series are any indication, I think it's safe to say this show will be more like an extended infomercial for […]

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

It's the final episode of WWE TV until the February "free-per-view," Fastlane. If the free month of November and the Survivor Series are any indication, I think it's safe to say this show will be more like an extended infomercial for Wrestlemania, than a standard pay-per-view. There won't be a world title match, the number one contender bout is lacking any sort of momentum, and a talking segment featuring Triple H and Sting will more than likely main event the entire card. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to it just the same as I look forward to every WWE pay-per-view. I feel like a battered spouse sometimes, the way the WWE abuses me from month to month, only to pull-out some grand gesture just before I'm ready to call it quits. But Vince McMahon knows I'll never leave—I just know that I can change him. This week's episode of Smackdown wasn't the sort of spectacle as the previous edition and its tag team gauntlet, but still much more wrestling than you'll find on Raw. When other sites are simply providing results, I provide you with insight as to what not to watch. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, and this is "What's Cookin' & What Doesn't Matter."

Sometimes it seems as though Smackdown is booked like a "Barrel of Monkeys"; all the key components are thrown together and tossed out at random. This week's episode opens with a potential world title challenger at Wrestlemania, Daniel Bryan, as he heads into singles action against another former WWE champion, the Miz. Tonight's show features a ton of prerecorded interview segments, starting with the opening contest and the Miz backstage, explaining how he is responsible for Daniel Bryan's "Cinderella Story." The "Hollywood A-Lister" enters alongside his personal assistant and Michael Cole is quick to point out how Daniel Bryan superseded the Miz during his debut run on NXT, which is strange as that was the same year Michael Cole lived inside a glass box and feuded with Jerry Lawler. Before the match begins, the Miz must remove his sunglasses, and does so via a choreographed ritual wherein he flaps his arms as if preparing to take flight. I love it. On the apron, the Miz's personal assistant Damian Sandow stands by, repeating the gesture, but receiving twice the adulation from the live audience. The Miz, of course, takes issue with Sandow and the reaction he elicits from the crowd, so he orders the former "Intellectual Savior of the Masses" to retrieve an Egyptian cotton towel from the locker room. The match is underway and Daniel Bryan immediately seeks to teach the Miz a lesson for the way he treats "Mizdow." The bout begins with an incredible back and forth featuring everything that Daniel Bryan is known for, combined with the Miz's firm grasp on the endangered art of being a heel. The biggest problem historians such as Jim Ross and Bill Apter have with the current wrestling product as a whole, is the blurred "tweener" territory where most talents tend to reside. The Miz is similar to Triple H, Nick Bockwinkel, and Ted DiBiase, in that he cheats to win and has very few redeeming characteristics. Other "bad guys" like Seth Rollins perform inside the squared-circle with a crispness that helps win support from contrarian viewers, while the Miz is a mediocre wrestler who boasts about his impressive credentials. And impressive they are! I've mentioned before that the Miz is a "grand slam" champion, after capturing every major title the WWE has to offer. Podcasters and columnists alike prefer to run down the potential "ceiling" for a character like Sandow, but I think the sky's the limit for anyone working this close with the Miz. Of course the devilish villain fell by the end of the fall, tapping out to Daniel Bryan's "Yes Lock." Bryan is losing steam with a lot of fans around the world but I still think the "American Dragon" has what it takes to steal the show at Wrestlemania and bridge the gap between this and the next generation. A COOKIN' match given the top-tier talent involved.

The second match out-the-gate is a battle of power pitting the "Big Red Machine" against the "Big Guy." Kane and Ryback begin this slugfest with a stunning display of rapid striking variations and dominant high-impact maneuvers. The bout soon segued into a share of rest holds between superheavyweights whereby Kane managed to fight Ryback down toward the canvas. The audience started getting restless and their inaudible chants soon brought the big men to their feet. Ryback battled Kane into the ropes and hit the former world champion with a Lou Thesz press followed by an enormous splash. A big spine buster and it was almost feeding time for Ryback. The huge muscle-bound brawler lifted the "Devil's Favorite Demon" onto his shoulders and earned his victory with a brutal "Shell Shock" to the mat below. Say what you will about Kane, and despite my own reservations regarding him inside the ring, this year is Glen Jacob's 20th anniversary with the WWE. There's a lot to be said for an individual, especially a "big man," who's able to last so long. Will Ryback be around in 2030? Judging from the way he was huffing and puffing only half-way into this match, I'm willing to say no. Unless Ryan Reeves can upgrade his conditioning for matches on Smackdown, he's never going to be in the main event title picture at Wrestlemania. But maybe that's for the best. This was pretty lame, but fast enough so that Ryback was walking away with the win before the match ever got going, so I'd dare say it was COOKIN'!

The third match of the night is a non-title bout between R Truth and the WWE Intercontinental champion Bad News Barrett. Before the competitors may enter, Dean Ambrose makes his way to ringside where he'll be joining Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Bryon Saxton on commentary. R Truth has been seeing far more action in recent weeks than I can remember in over a year! Last week Truth went to war with Bray Wyatt, and although coming up on the losing end, showed great promise—even earning a faint "You Still Got It" chant. Tonight �Truth is up against the statuesque bare-knuckle bruiser from Britain, "Bad News" Wade Barrett. As the match begins, Dean Ambrose spouts off at ringside regarding Barrett. He says the champion is "not one of those champions that goes down to defend his title every night." I thought that was sort of a strange criticism, as BNB puts his belt on the line just as often as anyone else– far more than the world champion, Brock Lesnar. Barrett commands the pace of the match, providing a preview for Ambrose as to what awaits him come Sunday. At one point, Barrett even took the fight to the outside of the ring where he continued to assault R Truth against the very announce table where Dean Ambrose sat. Back inside the ring, the multiple-time IC champion maintained his lead over the grizzled veteran, until R Truth was able to capitalize on the younger wrestler's error. Ambrose sat with his back to Barrett throughout the match, but it was the end of the bout that Barrett became distracted by Dean at ringside, allowing for the former NWA world champion Ron Killings to roll him up, earning his first television victory in—a really long time. The match was decent enough, but the segment was highlighted by the repartee between Ambrose and the commentators. My favorite of said interactions occurred when the "Lunatic Fringe" became distracted and just had to inform Jerry Lawler how proud he was, that the "King" could pull off such stylish t-shirts. When compared with other matches over the course of the evening, this was toward the bottom of my "Must Watch" list, but absolutely COOKIN' nonetheless.

Between matches we get to see another backstage soliloquy from Bray Wyatt to an unnamed supernatural entity, most likely the Undertaker. I really like the way the WWE is building toward this encounter, but I'd like to see something different for once in regards to an Undertaker match at �Mania. It seems that every year, the "Dead Man" disappears for 11 months, only to return to confront any given Superstar for the promos they've been cutting since the �Rumble. I understand that the Undertaker is getting older and perhaps looking to work a "Brock Lesnar schedule," but we need this program to kick into the next gear by the time Fastlane is over, otherwise there's no juice and therefore it DOESN'T MATTER!

I remember when the New Day vignettes began airing, featuring a revivalist choir and spiritual jaw-jacking regarding the current state of the WWE. It really seemed like this trio would be special, but instead they've become the "Black Job Squad." I hope there's a method to at least some of the madness within the WWE, especially as it relates to Big E, Xavier, and Kofi Kingston. Perhaps they'll lose so much that they grow tired of playing by the rules and revert to the "New Nation" idea we've all speculated on for over a year. Tonight Xavier Woods and Big E Langston are set to go two-on-two against the longest-reigning NXT tag team champions in history, the Ascension. Since debuting on the main roster just two months ago, the Ascension seems to be hitting their stride and working themselves out of the awkward ditch where they were once stuck. The biggest problem with Konnor and Viktor has been their size in relation to some of the biggest stars on the WWE main roster. But the New Day is a perfect transitional team for the Ascension, a smaller-sized group of guys that can help bridge the gap between the Lucha Dragons and the Brass Ring Club. I'm always happy to see the Ascension go over as I see big things for these guys in the near future. The match ended when Konnor and Viktor were able to catch Big E, a former Intercontinental champion, with the "Fall of Man." A three-count later and the Ascension is still riding high toward the tag team titles. I really like the Ascension, despite their obvious downfalls—I'd say this match was darn-near COOKIN'!

Either Daniel Bryan or Roman Reigns will walk into Santa Clara as challenger for the WWE world heavyweight championship; Daniel Bryan will square-off against Roman Reigns this Sunday at Fastlane on the WWE Network—so why was D-Bryan in the opening contest, and why was Reigns featured at the one-hour mark? The champion isn't around, so I don't understand the ideology in not allowing at least one of these Superstars to close the show. At any rate, the next match is ROMAN REIGNS against Luke Harper. The former Intercontinental champion Harper is a strange individual between the ropes, what with his innovative style utilizing both hurricanranas and Gator-rolls. If the idea is to book Roman Reigns against every heel on the roster heading into Wrestlemania, then I'm all for it. Let him wrestle Harper, let him wrestle Barrett, let him wrestle Rusev. Roman Reigns needs further exposure inside the ring as a professional wrestler, regardless of what it takes. Time is the best thing for Roman Reigns right now, but unfortunately he's got 37 days until Wrestlemania. Luke Harper puts him through the ringer, not necessarily by beating him down, but by working at a pace to which Roman needs to adapt. Roman changed the direction of the match with a big Samoan Drop, followed by an attempted Superman Punch. The wily Harper dodged the strike, but Roman pivoted, and caught Luke Harper with a thunderous spear. Another tally-mark in the "V" column for the winner of the 2015 Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns. A decent enough match considering the improvements Reigns has made in just a few short weeks. Luke Harper was phenomenal and I see him playing a much larger villainous role once the torch is finally passed and we enter into a new generation. COOKIN', for sure!

I joke about Kane being old and worn out, but I'm never angry when Kane is on TV. Every time I hear, "Well—well it's the Big Show," I lose my mind! I don't EVER want to see this dude. I sat down last night to watch the WWE's newest DVD release, "Real Giants," featuring some of the largest athletes in wrestling history. Now, I've never been a fan of the superheavyweights, but after watching that documentary, I have a newfound respect for guys just like Paul "The Big Show" Wight. Does that mean I want to see him wrestle? No! He's slow, lumbering, predictable, old, stiff, and disjointed—and that's just his ring-work. I'm also getting sick of listening to the 400+ pound giant on the microphone, touting his own athletic ability every chance he gets. If the Big Show was as good as he says, wouldn't he always be the champion? Why isn't he involved in the world title picture now, if he's such a dominant monster? This dude is famous for breaking a ring, and nothing else. However, if the Big Show is a seven on the 1-to-10 scale of talent, Erick Rowan would be a three. And wouldn't you know it, that's who the Big Show is wrestling tonight on Smackdown! Up until now, this has been a very enjoyable two-hours of television. But this five minutes of brawling following by a two-minute squash match were completely unnecessary, as I have no desire to see Erick Rowan EVER. He's the worst—I'd seriously rather get the Big Show for another ten years, than see Erick Rowan ever win any championship title belt. The match sucked, everything about it was terrible. The worst match of the night was won by the Big Show, and I won't even waste my time telling you why it DOESN'T MATTER!

The obligatory Diva's match is up next, and once again Nikki and Brie Bella have managed to take up residency at ringside. Generally I'd gripe about the repeated guest-commentary spots, but I'm really enjoying the Bellas and what they have to say. The Diva's Division is going through an adjustment phase where a greater emphasis is being placed on ring-work like never before. While both Bellas have managed to improve their bell-to-bell presence, I'm also happy to hear them as they begin to develop defined characters. The match in the ring sees Cameron return to the main roster ring against the number one contender Paige. It's funny how Paige is the only Diva who's been wrestling every week since the start of the New Year, and while I anticipated a train wreck courtesy of Cameron, I was pleasantly surprised to discover what sort of progress she's made since returning to NXT. The Bellas are wearing oversized sunglasses with red frames, claiming that they help reduce the reflection off of Paige's pale skin. Cameron received the brunt of the torture in this bout, as any Diva wrestling Paige over the past few weeks has been a mere prop in her feud with Nikki Bella. Cameron worked economically without risking exposure, however she was successful in several offensive attempts, including a beautiful snap-DDT. Her new style seems more in tune with the current NXT environment, influenced greatly by Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch, and I hope this means we'll see more from the former-Funkadactyl as time goes by. Paige of course picks up the win, making Cameron tap to her dreaded P.T.O. For the record, "Paige Tap Out" is the worst name for a finishing move since the "Attitude Adjustment."

Back from a commercial break and the Uso's are on the stage doing their tribal dance, as Jimmy is set to go one-on-one with Tyson Kidd. This Sunday Jimmy and Jey will defend the WWE world tag team championships against Tyson and his tag team partner, Cesaro. The trio known as the "Brass Ring Club" also includes Tyson's wife Natalya, standing at ringside during this highly anticipated grudge match. The bout is quickly underway, but just as soon as the action would begin, Rusev made his presence felt in a major way. The "Bulgarian Brute" arrived on the scene and dismantled both Tyson Kidd and Jimmy Uso, before turning his attention to Jimmy's brother Jey. Rusev single-handedly demolished both tag team champions despite their best efforts. A number of stiff kicks to both brothers, and Rusev stormed outside the ring where he commandeered a live mic and proceeded to rant in what I believe must have been Bulgarian. Of the dozens of foreign phrases tucked away in his slurred speech, the only two words I recognized were "John" and "Cena." This past Monday night, the Doctor of Thuganomics paid a special house-call where he was forced to sedate Rusev with a fury of rights and lefts. This evening's display of dominance was Rusev's receipt, as clearly the United States Champion isn't concerned going into this weekend's Fastlane. Will John Cena be the first man to defeat Rusev? Or will Rusev managed to destroy Cena just as he has did the Big Show, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry, Sheamus, and countless others?

I've already voiced my displeasure as to how the number one contenders are forced to work the undercard, but the main event was a Sports Entertainment spectacle, nonetheless. Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins met this past Monday night, but the "Show-Off" was soon thwarted by the combination of Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble. Tonight's match features a stipulation whereby J&J Security are BARRED from ringside! Dolph Ziggler is the first man to arrive, soon joined by his opponent, an exceptionally lonely-looking Seth Rollins. Since debuting on the main roster, Seth has never been on his own, whether flanked by the Shield or followed by the Authority, Rollins generally rolls pretty deep. The action gets started with the Show-Off vanquishing the dastardly Rollins to the outside, where they continue waging their war until making their way back between the ropes. A commercial break later, and suddenly Seth is in control with Dolph locked firmly in a headlock. On the outside of the ring, Kane and the Big Show fill in for the barred security team, while Ryback and Rowan are on hand to see that the odds are even. Ziggler sought to sink Seth with a DDT, but was instead repositioned into a powerbomb predicament, which he then re-countered for a sit-down powerbomb-pin of his own. Rollins kicked out, but Ziggler followed up with a Fame-asser for a near-fall. Rollins spilled to the outside where he was then in the direct trajectory of Erick Rowan and Ryback, but was immediately drawn back into the bout by Dolph. The match continued inside, with both the Authority and Dolph's friends lobbying to interject. Finally, Ziggler spring-boarded off the top, but was once again caught by Rollins for a powerbomb. This time the "Architect" was able to heave the "Show-Off" directly into the turnbuckle at full speed. He followed up with a Curb Stomp, earning the victory as he prepares for—uh, no match at Fastlane. Once the bell sounded, the "Stooges" joined the rest of the Authority, which sparked an idea in Rollins. "There's five of us," he said, "And there's three on them." The hounds began to circle their prey as the babyfaces stood back-to-back preparing for a battle. They fought them off as long as they could, but would eventually succumb to the inevitable. Despite another rousing effort on behalf of Ryback, the Authority would win the match and the day, going into Memphis this Sunday with their heads held high.

This week's episode of "Countdown" on the WWE Network featured the "Top 10 Moments from Smackdown," wherein dozens of WWE Legends and current Superstars discussed Smackdown as being the "wrestling show" for the WWE. While I'm happy to hear so many people verify what we already knew, I'm kind of irritated that a wrestling company recognizes how little wrestling there is on Raw, and chooses to do nothing about it. I guess it's a matter of "different strokes for different folks," as I know a handful of people who much prefer the campy monologues of Monday night to the 20-minutes matches on Thursday. I thought this was a fine episode overall, but failed to hit on all cylinders the way WWE ought to be during Wrestlemania season. Let's hope for the best going into the "free-per-view" on Sunday. Until next time, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty with "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/smackchat-january-29th-2015-smackdown-is-war/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/smackchat-january-29th-2015-smackdown-is-war/#comments Fri, 30 Jan 2015 04:53:36 +0000 Gary Mastriano Blogs Other Blogs Other Reviews Reviews Arnold Schwarzenegger Bad News Barrett Bella Twins Big Show BNB Cesaro Cody Rhodes Daniel Bryan Dust Brothers Goldust Hall of Fame HBK HHH HOF John Cena Kane Michael Cole Paige Paul Heyman RAW Renee Young Roman Reigns Royal Rumble Rusev Smackdown Stardust The Ascension Triple H Undertaker Wade Barrett WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9372 Smackchat: January 29th 2015 Smackdown is War So I don't remember anticipating Smackdown this eagerly in a loooooooooong time. Coming out of an extremely controversial Royal Rumble. I do not want to spend much time on the outcome, because it is what it is what it is and I have moved on from it. I […]

Smackchat: January 29th 2015
Smackdown is War

So I don't remember anticipating Smackdown this eagerly in a loooooooooong time. Coming out of an extremely controversial Royal Rumble. I do not want to spend much time on the outcome, because it is what it is what it is and I have moved on from it. I think Triple H summed up everyone's feeling when he said…."Man that triple threat was one of the best matches I have ever seen in my life." I have heard so many people say this over the past few days. Because as badly as that Rumble match was booked, the WWE delivered this amazing match, and almost everything is forgiven. At the end of the day that's all we want- amazing matches telling amazing stories with hard working passionate guys who have earned their spot.

Coming into this episode of Smackdown, the first real TV produced since Royal Rumble, there are so many questions to be answered. How will the WWE Universe respond to Roman Reigns? What's next for Daniel Bryan? How will John Cena respond to Rusev? I am sure at least one of these questions will be answered.

Opening Segment
So Triple H is feuding with the weather? Hunter is in fine form tonight bringing the majority of the world up to speed on why we didn't see a live episode of Raw on Monday. He also comments on Deflategate telling us that WWE loves balls. Triple H is in 2009 era comedy mode, reminding us that no matter how evil he is he can still break the 4th wall and deliver some great one liners. Triple H's comedy act works really well when we don't see it often. He even teases a BIG announcement for Raw.

H comes right out with it and acknowledges that the fans were not happy with the outcome of the Royal Rumble. This brings out The Vest in the World to a mixed reaction. Well not really a mixed reaction, sort of like… no reaction. Not good. A chorus of boos would have been at least some reaction. Say what you want about Cena, but you can feel the electricity when he enters an arena. Always to a reaction by the way. We get preview of the next few months as Reigns goes toe to toe with someone far superior on the mic. Man Paul Heyman is gonna eat this guy alive.

Roman Reigns vs Big Show
Ok… why the hell was Roman Reigns upside down for 1/3 of this match? What the hell was that??? I have never seen Big Show, or anyone, do that upside calve lock. Ok… moving on. This was a smart move though. Roman Reigns needed to come out swinging tonight… he sort of did? I am not sure if Big Show was the best possible opponent. Roman should have went out there and put on a really great match with someone like… Cesaro or Wade Barrett. Someone that could have at least made Reigns look really credible and good. Not taking anything away from Big Show, but his slow plodding style does nothing for Reigns' explosive offense. That Superman punch is pretty over though, can't deny that.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Hall of Fame announcement-
Paige won this video package. I love Paige. I am happy Arnold is going in, although he is only loosely tied to WWE. He hit Triple H once, that's what qualifies you for the Rumble. Remember when he was on Smackdown promoting End of Days? He was rocking that cool beard. End of Days had a pretty good soundtrack.

John Cena/Rusev Segment
You want to know why John Cena is in his words The Face That Runs This Place (awesome btw!)? Because of promos like this one. HOT DAMN! Cena was on fire harkening back to his Thuganomics gimmick! Rusev started out complaining about the Rumble ending with some impressive mic skills of his own. Cena hit the ring with a head of steam and got some great verbal jabs in about pubes and boobs. If this is a preview of this feud, sign me up!!!! This one segment alone got me super excited for this match/matches. That's how your top guy is supposed to handle himself on the mic.

Renee Young is my celebrity crush. So is Paige. They should be my friends…also the Bellas….

The Ascension mid entrance promo sold me on this team for the first time since they joined the main roster. Such a simple easy way to get them over. The early 90s style promo was a perfect balance of tongue in cheek goofiness and honest intimidation. Many lolz for "Olddust".

I like that the Dust Brothers gimmick is that Stardust is now too weird even for Goldust. Cody is golden, no pun intended.

Daniel Bryan vs Kane in a Casket Match
Concessions Kane comes out first. Daniel Bryan follows to a MASSIVE pop. Michael Cole reminds us that Bryan has never been in a casket match. Thanks Cole. Bryan and Kane have pretty good chemistry, but by now I am a little tired of this match. Hopefully this is the last of their series.

The match starts off with Bryan coming out strong. His Yes Kicks connect to the joy of the Hartford crowd. Kane takes control by the time of the first commercial break and Bryan has already been wrestling longer than he was in the Rumble.

After the commercial break we get a few casket teases. It is at this time that I realize this HAS to be the first casket match ever on Smackdown. No hyperbole here- I could watch Bryan wrestle all day. I know I said it before but it seems Bryan hasn't changed his offense at all. I just hope he is 100%. Because if it turns out he came back too early, and he gets another injury, for literally no reason, that would suck. I am confident that there is solid plan for Bryan, but was it a plan that could have waited until after the Royal Rumble? We may not know yet, but fingers crossed. If he continues to deliver excellent matches like this one than I am fine with it. This was probably the 2nd best casket match of all time (HBK Taker will always be number 1). Lots of fun spots, including the multiple casket teases, the Yes Lock in the casket, and Bryan delivering the Knee Plus to Kane on the ropes. The final image of Bryan standing on the casket while the ENTIRE arena chanted Yes was a cool ending to a really great match.

Overall Smackdown produced another solid outing. Between great mic work from Cena and Triple H, fun backstage segments (yo R Truth loves magic), and the 2nd best match of the week as the main event, Smackdown was a must watch this week. A really great 2 hours of TV. The WWE had 3 days to plan this show, and it was overall very well put together. You could tell they were saving most of the big moments for Monday, including Triple H's Earth shattering announcement. The image of Bryan standing tall yet again on an episode of Smackdown once again proves my point that WWE could benefit HUGE from another brand split.

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!"