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http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Sun, 20 Sep 2015 01:35:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

http://www.cheap-heat.com/here-comes-the-pain-the-top-5-moments-from-smackdown-82715/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/here-comes-the-pain-the-top-5-moments-from-smackdown-82715/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2015 16:58:30 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Reviews Brock Lesnar John Cena Seth Rollins Vince McMahon wrestling WWE WWE Network Wwe Smackdown WWE Universe http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13834 From Sunday morning until Saturday night, the WWE will have produced more than 15-hours of brand new content for various networks and its own streaming service. It's not hard to see why some people skip an episode of Smackdown here and there. That's where I come in. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this […]

From Sunday morning until Saturday night, the WWE will have produced more than 15-hours of brand new content for various networks and its own streaming service. It's not hard to see why some people skip an episode of Smackdown here and there. That's where I come in. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this is "Here Comes the Pain! The Top Five Moments from Smackdown." Rather than rattling off a bunch of rest holds and ambiguous storylines, I'm here at Cheap-Heat.com to deliver a discernible list of what to watch, so you have a better idea of what to avoid!

5. Charlotte's Web

Click here to view the embedded video.

Charlotte and Brie mix it up, and lobby for the quick tag from their individual corners. Neither woman is able to achieve assistance, especially when Nikki opted to attack Becky on the apron. Brie went for a finishing move of some sort, but Charlotte rolled her up in a "Bridging Schoolgirl" combination dubbed "Charlotte's Web."

4. Seth Responds to Sting

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A very compelling promo from an individual who's hit-or-miss on occasion. Seth says that he's not afraid of "some freak that walks around with a baseball bat wearing face paint," and says that Sting should be afraid of him. Seth says that Triple H's only regret—in his ENTIRE career—was not finishing Sting once and for all at WrestleMania.

3. Kevin Owens vs. Adrian Neville

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Great back and forth between the longest reigning NXT Champion, and the most dominant NXT Champion. Adrian Neville is able to go toe-to-toe with the much-larger Owens until the end of the match. The action hit the outside of the ring and Neville delivered a debilitating Super Kick. He tossed his opponent into the ring and attempted the "Red Arrow," but to no avail. Owens countered Neville's attempts into a Pop-up Powerbomb for a 1-2-3.

2. The Dudley Boyz Return to Smackdown!

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The Dudley Boyz are back on WWE Smackdown for the very first time since 2005, set to compete with Konnor and Viktor of the Ascension. A fun match with much of what you might anticipate. The Ascension got the inevitable hope spot, but it wasn't long before the Dudleyz hit their signature maneuvers for a decisive first victory back in the WWE.

1. All in the Wyatt Family

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The show kicks off with the Wyatt Family—now stronger than ever with the "Black Sheep" Braun Strowman by their side. Luke Harper starts the show by telling the audience how they've been blinded, and how their ears are clogged to the truth! The Wyatt's are soon met by their most consistent of adversaries—Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. The Wyatt's backed away for the time being, but this wasn't the last time we'd see the new "Face of Fear," "Face of Desolation," nor "Face of Destruction." The Wyatt's returned later in the night to cost Dean Ambrose a victory over Sheamus. Following the match, Roman Reigns came to his friends rescue, but he was once again outmatched by the burling Braun Strowman.

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!

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/and-im-like-reviewing-raw-august-25th-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/and-im-like-reviewing-raw-august-25th-2015/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2015 00:39:31 +0000 Jake Drury Blogs Other Blogs Other Reviews Reviews and I'm like Big E Big Show Bo Dallas Braun Stowman Bray Wyatt Brock Lesnar Byron Saxton Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler JBL John Cena Jon Stewart Kevin Owens Kofi Kingston Lana Luke Harper Michael Cole Miz New Day Paul Heyman RAW Ric Flair Roman Reigns Ryback Seth Rollins Sheamus Undertaker WWE Wyatt Family Xavier Woods http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13788 What is with Tuesdays? I was at the restaurant today, like everyday, and today beat the daily total of Saturday which is our normal busiest day. I happened to have a former WWF Tag Team champion come in today, but I was so busy I didn’t get a chance to talk wrestling!!! Maybe next time […]

What is with Tuesdays? I was at the restaurant today, like everyday, and today beat the daily total of Saturday which is our normal busiest day. I happened to have a former WWF Tag Team champion come in today, but I was so busy I didn’t get a chance to talk wrestling!!! Maybe next time right?

This weekend sure felt like a marathon. The more I thought about it though, the more I think the production crew of WWE is happy. They had the same arena for 3 nights in a row! That has got to be a lighter workload than normal. Season 1 of the Waltons is on while I queue up the DVR, this famous actress needed the Walton’s to help her put on a show so she can afford a train ticket to New York.. Enough chatting onto Monday Night Raw!!

Show Opening- В We start off in WWE Headquarters with HHH getting ready to present Seth Rollins with a statue in his honor. “Seth your not the future of WWE, you are the man”- HHH. We see statues of Bruno Sammartino, Ultimate Warrior, and Andre The Giant.

And I’m Like… wondering what the statue criteria is?

Show opens with its typical crappy song intro, I can’t wait until tonight is the night we change this song. We go over highlights of Summerslam, but not NXT!?!? and then

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman-

As Brock walks out, I notice the Suplex City sign on his shirt says south. I’m not trying to throw snow here, but shouldn’t it be north? Maybe the suplex brings you down so thats why its south?
“Suplex City” chants from the crowd as we look at a battered Brock Lesnar.
Brock is very subdued, its way scarier to me than when he is all bouncy.
This finish really grinds my gears, cause like, when has the time keeper ever rang the bell without command? Even during Montreal ’97 Vince had to say ring the damn bell like 4 times. I’ll take a wait and see approach, but how can we interview the referee and not the time keeper?
Brock does not blame the referee or the time keeper, because they understood that when Undertaker was tapping, ‘Taker knew his arm was gonna break off.
Paul Heyman brings up Undertaker collapsed again, he said he has enough material to last all 3 hours of Raw and the crowd Yes!’s?
Undertaker got that dick kick on lock though, that is Brock’s kryptonite. By the way, I personally still don’t know who gave me that head of cabbage from a few Raw’s back..
Paul Heyman said Undertaker looks likeВ The Gunslinger , he also says Brock challenges him to a fight tonight
BO DALLAS’ music hits!!! Quick side bar here again.. I have a regular named Danny that is a wrestling fan, he will come in everyday and do wrestling catchphrases. He will do them call and response style like this, “It’s Simply Positively..” and I’ll go “A New Day” he says “all you gotta do is..” I say “Bo-Lieve”. Sometimes he does Paul Heyman promos, he always tries to do the Million Dollar Dance with my server too. Bo just reminded me of Danny so I thought I would throw that in there.
Bo told Brock he had good and bad news. Bad news is he passed out, Good news is he woke up and had a dream he actually beat Undertaker. Bo said Brocks dreams can come true if he Bo-Lieves!!
Brock laughs and then DECIMATES Bo Dalls with suplexes from Germany. The crowd chants one more time, Brock adheres to them. They chant it again as he is leaving, he does it again. He tries to leave again and Paul says “an F5 just for me!!?” Brock goes back in and yup F-5.

And I’m Like… That was the main story going into tonight, having Brock just kick someones ass really cleanses the palate of what happened last night. I don’t know where the story is headed, it might be over who knows. That segment was fun though.

Lucha Dragons vs. New Day

Holy Shit!!! New Day is gaining so much crowd support, they are so creative too. This is fun
Xavier Woods playing background music to New Day inspired lyrics to “New York, New York” is something I never knew I needed!!!
Can you cover all the songs New Day?!?! I Love this JBL says “Xavier was trained by Chief Jay Strongbow” Y’all KILLED IT NEW DAY!!! KILLED IT!!
NEW DAYROCKS NEW DAYROCKS!!!
The fun thing about New Day is they are entertaining wrestlers, and their gimmick is still MAD ENTERTAINING you know? Everything you see seems to be amazing, they are even putting Titus in his place while Prime Time Players are on commentary.
How long is Kalisto going to be in a tag? He should be lighting the world on fire with lucha moves soon right?
As the New Day hits their finishing move Xavier Woods does amazing work playingВ Military Taps

And I’m Like… Surprised that the Prime Time Players were not as entertaining as the New Day. That’s how the tag division should be, put the straps on whoever is making the most entertainment with theВ allottedВ time. As I say that THE DUDLEY BOYZ come back!! That is pretty crazy, I don’t think they are needed as full-time tag regulars though, just saw all their signature moves, what more do we need? Tables? Just saw that too! These guys should go do that NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic or whatever. It doesn’t matter, this shit was fun, the whole segment.

That Make-a-Wish video had me in tears.. Bayley/Sasha at Takeover tears… fucking Connor The Crusher tears. For real this shit is so cool. People suffer so much you know, they just go through shit all day. They eat a bowl of shit for breakfast and once it’s done it’s breakfast time.It’s amazing that WWE has the power to make children forget about breakfast and escape the hell that is the hospital, John Cena legit can not turn heel, those kids need him, they really do. They need a super-hero, cause some times, real life is not enough to get you by. Wrestling is great.

HHH and Stephanie- They are in the back looking at Seth’s statue, I wouldn’t comment on this but Seth said something important. “This place is just better with you running it” SEEDS PLANTED, where is ourВ 70 year old farmer ?

Summerslam Rematch: Wyatts vs. Shield

LOL! Last night this was my smoke break match… now we are having it again… WWE will make me watch this no matter what huh? What is really funny is, there is one of those anti-smoking commercials right when they cut to break mid Shield entrance.
There are so many “suicide dives” to the outside in WWE recently, its like become a necessity to dive at someone when they go outside at least once in a match.
Good thing they had that match last night to settle the score right? If they didn’t then this match would no consequences or story, we would watch this match for the sake of wrestling.
Let’s remember this whole feud started cause Bray pushed a ladder that Roman was on over, in a match Wyatt wasn’t in, 3 months ago…. You know how many damn matches have happened since then? I don’t but we both know its alot, yet Roman is still super peeved about that ONE NIGHT!!!
Roman doing fake drinking beer taunts is the Frattiest thing…
JBL says “superkick party” he must watchВ The Young Bucks
A NEW WYATT SHOWS UP!?!? He has a black mask on too!! Please don’t mean Minnesota’s own Erick Rowan is out the family now.. Let’s hope Harper is the mid-card act, Bray is the main act, and the sheep tag.
Since this is the first non-NXT debut in a while, it’s weird to hear the crowd just murmur or be quiet.
New Wyatt is no selling all the offense, he is choking out the Shield while Luke and Bray smile.

And I’m Like… If this doesn’t bring Sting into this feud or at least add a little flavor to this, it will get old fast. This was new fresh and exciting, I hope it doesn’t just happen for four weeks until another turn of events.

There will be a special with Brock in Madison Square Garden on the night of my baby shower!! Guess what I’ll try and make the family watch??!?

Miz TV- PCB

I kept wondering why PCB was such a familiar acronym, turns out I noticed it on my Fish Oil container.В PCB В is a probable human carcinogen… I LOVE IT
I am not into PCB they are the fakes of the division. Bellas are bitches and veterans and they know it and brag. Team B.A.D. seem real when they speak.
Bella’s come out and all we hear is WE WANT SASHA!!! It’s Daniel Bryan chants all over again.
Alicia Fox says she has been here for 9 years and seen em all come and go. It’s true, Becky quit trying to be crazy, just break arms. Charlotte quit leaning on Flair for everything WE KNOW HE WAS IN THE HORSEMEN! and Paige, not everybody wants everything sexualized.
For a Divas revolution, Miz getting cheers when he says “When my hand goes up your mouth goes shut” It does show how we as viewers receive these Diva’s compared to NXT’s women. It sucks that when they made the jump to the main show, they lost all their qualities that made them respectable women.
There is a six diva brawl that is leading to a six diva tag match… Sasha Banks is not in the mix, yet all the crowd says is WE WANT SASHA!!

And I’m Like… If WWE wanted me to not like six women and like three more, they did a great job. What’s bad is that the six I don’t like were on the screen making me not like them more. I am a Charlotte fan when she is real, when she is nerdy and awkward, not when she tries to be cool. Charlotte is tall and lanky, Becky is weird and annoyingly bubbly, Paige is immature. Paige was trying to get Team Freakshow over before PCB stuck, and I’m starting to lean on her side with that name. That would have added a dynamic this 3 team feud needs. The hot bunch (Bella’s) The bad bunch (team B.A.D.) and instead of the “wrestlers? other hot bunch? what is PCB anyways?” they could have been the misfit bunch.В

As I was And I’m Liking the Miz TV segment a Six Diva Tag match started… The crowd was the fun part… They wanted SASHA they did want this match.. I didn’t want this match. What I had to say was said up above. Give us stories that we can relate to please. Team Bella won if you care! Alicia fox looked like she was in pain or mad f’d up…

It was supposed to be Stardust and Cosmic King Barrett teaming but Stardust beat up The Cosmic King. Neville came out and the ref bailed as the brawl started… Neville went for Red Arrow, Stardust ran away.

And I’m Like… WHAAAAT???

Jon Stewart Promo-

His Theme song is the Daily Show theme song haha. That is so not his character for wrestling, just a happy bouncy guitar riff.
Stewart is showered in “Thank You Stewart” chants
Stewart said he apparently upset some people, to those parents who comforted their children, I’ll tell you why I did that.
Jon Stewart said in his heart, he could not let John Cena tie Ric Flair. The crowd was What’ing him until he said he did it for Flair, instacheers. “NOT ON MY WATCH”-Jon Stewart
Flair then styles and profiles his way to the ring, my buddy sent a text last night “I Fuckin Love Jon Stewart” I think I know why now!
Flair tells Stewart he was pulling for John Cena, Stewart sells shock…..
Ric Flair says the record will be broken sooner than later, he wants it to be from someone he respects. “Don’t forget Gods in the house tonight” – Ric Flair He tells people you don’t gotta like it, you gotta love it cause it is coming out of my mouth,
Flair told Stewart he messed up everything… like it was some giant plan that Flair had Cena beat his record…. Stewart is as confused as we are…
John Cena tells Stewart they need to talk, he said “What do you wanna talk about? and *you can’t see me’s him”
The crowd chants Ce NaSUCKS and Cena did something I found interesting, he was talking to either Stewart or Flair and he said “no let them get it out”. Cena has been in front of loud unrespectful crowds for over a decade. It’s amazing what he has learned in crowd control, every crowd will fatigue of any chant, if he let’s them ride it out he will be more impactful in his words when they are spoken.
Cena says that Stewart ended the ability to let new stars shine… That is crazy!!! Why would he think that having a late twenties superstar winning the title ends the ability for new stars? Man is a narcissistic sociopath.
He hits Jon Stewart with an AA too, John said I understand that that’s what you have to do and then just beat him up, that’s some Bully type shit.

And I’m Like… I’m with Stewart, he helped the future. Rollins was right Cena IS a disease. You could tell from Flairs face he felt that the segment fell flat… Oh well, Jon Stewart is totally gonna be in the WWE Hall of Fame Celebrity wing.

Ziggler, Orton, Ryback, Cesaro vs. Owens, Sheamus, Big Show, Rusev

This could be a match, like 5 years from now, we look back on like “WOW they had some stars in that match this should be fun!”, or we could look at it like we do now, “WOW they have some stars in this match, I’ve seen everyone wrestle everyone a bunch this summer, glad its all packed in this eight man instead of an hour of Raw”
Byron says Cesaro is “like the Chuck Norris of Raw” that is beauty.
Ziggler is wearing tights!! He has his Sherri Martel now in Lana, his transformation to Shawn Michael’s complete. I compared Ziggler to Ricky Steamboat and Lana to George “The Animal” Steel last week, maybe this comparing thing is a trend?
Big Show on his Mark Henry Trash Talk game real hard tonight. I’ve grown to re-appreciate Big Show, he will be gone soon, might as well enjoy him while he is on TV.
As Ziggler gets his ass kicked by every guy on the other team, I am really digging his new tights.
A commercial for Subway??? Too Soon you guys.. Too Soon.
My mind is made up on Lana.. She ain’t good. She stands there emotionless, she smiles when she does offense, her character is crap. She is forced as hell like Byrons excitement for Cesaro’s “Uppercut TRAAIINN!!”
The Ryback/Owens match-up seems real fun.. yeah GIVE OWENS THE INTERCONTINENTAL BELT!!! He is Canadian, they know how to represent that belt best!
All the good guys notice Show is all alone so they decide to pick on him.

And I’m Like… The bad guys beat up Big Show, they left Sheamus. The good guys beat up Big Show, they left Sheamus. That’s funny. This meant nothing I’m sure, unless Owens and Rusev team up, they both beat on Show and looked damn good doing it!

Bray Wyatt is in his dark room cutting promos. When Bray rolls his eyes and says heart, his voice dragged and it sounded so eerie, I love his cadence. Bray introduces Braun Strowman the “Black Sheep of Sister Abigail”

The Authority is talking to John Cena about how he is a sore loser and that it is trending, then Security throws him out of the building.

Seth Rollins Statue Presentation-

I just feel like something is in that box besides the statue!!
Steph calls out that Vince turned 70 during Raw and she gets all cry baby like. They sing Happy Birthday shittly too but it was great, which makes me think… Is Happy Birthday allowed to be sung without paying copyright?
I seriously zone out when HHH talks, plus there are two cops talking to my caretaker right now and I’m super nosy… My wife went to investigate, but I’m all wondering what is going on.
I hear something about the Mount Rushmore of wrestling and I am like… what is going on outside my patio? Both squad cars drove away.
ok so I paused it, found out what the deal was, some guy down on the other end of the complex broke into an apartment and the caretaker caught him running out. When I was on my smoke break earlier, I picked some weeds by the apartment and instead of throwing them away, I threw them into the parking lot. She went into the parking lot a bit later to throw the weeds away and saw the guy. So good thing I’m lazy huh??
Rollins is spouting stuff about being the cure, he puts over the fact the for a decade Cena was the man, he then said that ended last night,
Rollins dropped the “to be the man, you gotta beat the man.” Then told ‘Trips’ to unveil the statue
He just keeps talking, THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOMEONE IN THERE!!!
They are taking too long, I almost lost interest….. drum roll…. and STING!!
That is pretty dope.. HAHA I just jumped cause I was startled because my caretaker just opened the door and said some woman broke the window in the bar a quarter mile away, haha this heightened my mood, Sting held the belt up too the WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!
Stings music hit and everyone went crazy, that was really cool, plus WHERE DID STING PUT THE STATUE?!??

And I’m Like… What the hell, that was very fun for me, with the craziness outside my house and on my television, Raw next week will be fun I hope!! Thank you for reading

Y’all have a good one.

-Jake

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/a-history-of-surprise-appearances-by-the-phenom/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/a-history-of-surprise-appearances-by-the-phenom/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2015 19:32:27 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Battleground Brock Lesnar The Undertaker Undertaker wrestling WWE Wwe Raw WWF http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13107 The Undertaker recently returned to the WWE, and I figured it might be fun to take a tour of the Dead Man’s most prolific returns. Let’s start with his debut in 1990, and work our way to this past weekend at Battleground. Debut of the Dead Man – November 22, 1990 – Survivor Series Up […]

The Undertaker recently returned to the WWE, and I figured it might be fun to take a tour of the Dead Man’s most prolific returns. Let’s start with his debut in 1990, and work our way to this past weekend at Battleground.

Debut of the Dead Man – November 22, 1990 – Survivor Series
Up first we have the debut of the Dead Man! The WWE Universe met the Undertaker in the autumn of 1990 when he teamed with Ted DiBiase, Greg Valentine, and the Honky Tonk Man at the fourth annual Survivor Series.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Undertaker versus Undertaker – August 29, 1994 – Summerslam
The Undertaker was well on his way to a second world title when he challenged Yokozuna to a Casket Match at the Royal Rumble in 1994. But Yokozuna brought backup, and the Phenom was "buried" for more than half the year. When he returned, he battled a mirror image of himself—another Undertaker introduced by Ted DiBiase.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The American Badass – May 22, 2000 – Judgement Day
The Undertaker hasn't missed many Wrestlemania's since debuting in 1990, but he was absent for �Mania 2000. He left the WWE due to injury while he was still the Leader of the "Ministry of Darkness." When he returned to television in the Spring of 2000, he was a completely different character. "The American Badass" was born.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Return of the Phenom – March 14, 2004 – Wrestlemania XX
The �Taker continued to wear blue jeans and bandanas for several years, until he was once again buried—this time by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. The American Badass disappeared, and the Phenom resurfaced in time to wrestle his "Baby Brother Kane" at Wrestlemania XX.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Retribution for Randy Orton – November 27, 2005 – Survivor Series
The Undertaker goes away and comes back quite frequently, so it's hard to decide what's worth including. After defeating the "Legend Killer" at WrestleMania 21, the Dead Man went about his own business, and subsequently faded from television. Later that year, he would return at a most inopportune time for Randy Orton.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It's Time to Play the Game – January 30, 2012 – Monday Night Raw
Nowadays Wrestlemania season almost always includes a surprise return from the Undertaker. One of the most memorable also included the "Proprietor of People Power," Johnny "Ace" Laurenitis. Note: There are better quality videos of this moment available, but they're literally 20 minutes long.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Revenge of the �Taker – July 19, 2015 – Battleground
The Undertaker made yet another surprise return this past weekend at Battleground, when he attacked Brock Lesnar with a vengeance, and thus costing him the WWE world heavyweight title.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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 , Gutbusters , and Daily Wrestling News !

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/educated-guess-wwe-battleground-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/educated-guess-wwe-battleground-2015/#comments Sun, 19 Jul 2015 09:11:22 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs AJ Styles Battleground Bobby Fish Brock Lesnar Daniel Bryan Dragon Gate ECW John Cena Lucha Underground New Japan Pro Wrestling NJPW NXT RAW Ring of Honor ROH Smackdown TNA Triple H Wrestlemania WWE WWE Network http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13020 It’s been more than a month since the WWE Network has featured a Sunday night live event, but the wait is over because tonight is BATTLEGROUND! As of this writing—3:30 AM EST—there are only SIX matches announced for the card. The Miz and Big Show might still go head-to-head, but without the Intercontinental title on […]

It’s been more than a month since the WWE Network has featured a Sunday night live event, but the wait is over because tonight is BATTLEGROUND! As of this writing—3:30 AM EST—there are only SIX matches announced for the card. The Miz and Big Show might still go head-to-head, but without the Intercontinental title on the line, as Ryback is temporarily sidelined with an injury. There’ve also been rumblings about a possible Divas match—with Sasha Banks and Charlotte headed to St. Louis, we could very well see them inside the Scottrade Center. Enough about the matches we might see and let’s focus on what’s been announced. My name is Mark Haggerty, and when everybody else is offering up picks or predictions, I’m delivering my “Educated Guess.”

WWE King of the RingВ
King Barrett (K) vs. R Truth
This is the 12th time King Barrett and R Truth have wrestled on television since the start of the Intercontinental Keystone Cops Program began back in March. This is the second pay per view in a row featuring Truth and Barrett competing over what was once a coveted artifact—the King of the Ring crown. In fact, aside from one, every Mountain Dew sponsored Kick Off since Wrestlemania has featured either King Barrett or R Truth. A winner? Certainly not the fans. Here’s my question: will the WWE bump this match up to the main show now that they’re down a triple threat? Or will they make up the time with something else. Let’s get a chant going guys: “Something Else! Something else!” I take issue with the idea of the KOTR crown being traded superfluously on the pre show to a C-rate ‘Network Special. I assume Truth is going to win; Wade Barrett should go to Japan.
Educated Guess: R Truth

Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
I like Sheamus. I like Randy Orton. I do not like Sheamus versus Randy Orton. Baby face Orton makes me sick, and “Are You Not Entertained” Sheamus is not entertaining. For the record, I do not think he looks stupid. I like his music, I like his look, I think he’s a good worker, but his goofy catchphrases are too much. Especially when they’re flagrantly lifted from Oscar winning movies like Gladiator . I have absolutely no emotional investment in this match whatsoever. Not one iota of interest and I’ll more than likely be assembling a sandwich while it’s on. My educated guess? Pepper ham, roast turkey breast, provolone cheese.
Educated Guess: Randy Orton

Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt
If Bray doesn’t win this match, he needs to take some time away from the roster. Bray Wyatt is one of my favorite characters in the WWE, and I’m not as hard on his work in the ring as some other critics tend to be. But I do find it bizarre that Bray Wyatt has seemingly zero wins under his belt. None that matter, at least. It doesn’t matter how many times he beats Dean Ambrose on Raw or Smackdown, the last time he came out on the winning end of a storyline was against Chris Jericho. That was Summerslam 2014—eleven months ago. He’s been caught in a perpetual downward spiral since then and I’m just not sure how I’m suppose to feel about him. A diabolical heel should perhaps rack up a couple of tallies in the “W Column,” but that’s not the case with the “New Face of Fear.” What’s to fear about a guy who only appears on television and never delivers on what he promises? I think this entire thing should end with Roman Reigns tossing a hammer into the Titan Tron as Bray Wyatt is telling the masses: “We shall prevail!” Does anybody get that reference? It would be a nice advertising tie-in for Apple. That’s all I’ll say. Given the WWE and their erratic and almost neurotically balance booking, I’m willing to bet Roman Reigns pulls this one out.
Educated Guess: Roman Reigns

WWE World Tag Team Championship
The Primetime Players (c) vs. The New Day
The “Not Quite Ready for Primetime Players” was the nickname given to the inaugural cast of Saturday Night Live. Did you know that? I like to toss together some random tidbits whenever I can—whenever they APPLY I should say. Unlike the WWE announcers; Jerry Lawler has 6 interchangeable jokes for everybody on the roster, and JBL name drops every pop culture reference whenever he’s given time to talk. Let’s talk about this match though: the Primetime Players are defending their world tag team titles against the proprietors of positivity themselves, the New Day. Big E and Kofi Kingston took on the Lucha Dragons this past week on Smackdown, and it would be assumed that same tandem will represent the clique once more. I’ve said before—I think running with the Primetime Players as tag team champions was the WWE’s way of saying “Thank You” for everything Darren and Titus do. I think it’s probably time for the New Day to regain the straps, but with Summerslam just mere weeks away, I guess I shouldn’t be so sure. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Primetime Players retain their titles, and live to fight another day.
Educated Guess: The Primetime Players

WWE U.S. Championship
John Cena (c) vs. Kevin Owens
The match that most people are more than likely waiting to see is the rubber match between two of the most popular and—yes I’m going to say it— POLARIZING members of the WWE roster. John Cena has offered to put his United States Championship on the line in the past, but Owens has always declined. Until weeks ago, when the man Rusev called a “French American” made it very clear: he wants that US Title, because Cena has it. I feel like there’s a lot of hype going into this match; can their third and potentially final (for a while) battle possibly meet expectation? I’m most certainly optimistic. Given the unlimited potential of Owens and the unstoppable determination of Cena, I think it’s same to say we haven’t seen anything yet. In terms of picking a winner, we need to look a few weeks ahead. I’ll be attending both Summerslam and NXT Brooklyn, both of which are poised to be much bigger shows than BATTLEGROUND . Owens is set to challenge Finn Balor in a rematch for the NXT Championship; is the WWE really going to have the United States champion from the main roster lose to the NXT Champion? I don’t think so—but I also didn’t think Jushin “Thunder” Liger would be on this show. While I can’t predict the future for Owens, I’m having an equally hard time figuring out where Cena might be in a matter of months. Will John Cena MD – Pediatric Thuganomics decide to enter the world title scene any time soon? So many questions, and to answer the one right in front of me: I think John Cena is walking out of St. Louis with the U.S. Championship.
Educated Guess: John Cena

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipВ
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
The Undertaker will be appearing on Raw tomorrow night, and rumors are running rampant that he could be wrestling at this year’s “Biggest Party of the Summer.” While I don’t personally ever want to see ‘Taker again, I get his appeal and I’d rather they use him at Summerslam than just shoehorn him into Wrestlemania during the first week of March. So why am I talking about the Undertaker? Well let me first say, I do not think Brock Lesnar is going to win this match. I’ll speak to my point from earlier—Battleground just isn’t a big enough show. So how could Seth possibly retain his title, especially now that J&J Security are out, Kane is crippled, and Stephanie McMahon is the new face of the Diva’s Division? Well I mentioned the Undertaker. Not only did I mention the Undertaker, but Seth Rollins mentions the Undertaker on a seemingly regular basis while berating Kane. Now that the Demon is out, might the Phenom step up to defend “his baby brother?” There’s talk that the ‘Taker might finally retire in 2016, and if so I think a Seth Rollins program with the title in contention could be a fun way to sail off into Wrestlemania Season. Whether something like that happens remains to be seen, but I definitely think the match will end in a disqualification.
Educated Guess: Brock Lesnar via DQ

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 !

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-b-players-podcast-july-5th-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-b-players-podcast-july-5th-2015/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:12:23 +0000 B+ Players CH Podcast AJ Styles Beast in the East Brock Lesnar John Cena Kazuchika Okada Kevin Owens Shinsuke Nakamura Slammiversary Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12801 LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S EPISODE NOW! It’s another episode of the B+ Players Podcast! The boys are back and visiting their hometown, recording in Mark’s parents garage! This is the first official flagship show in about a month, so there’s plenty to discuss! Mark and Gary welcome “PG” Matt S back to the show, as […]

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S EPISODE NOW!

It’s another episode of the B+ Players Podcast! The boys are back and visiting their hometown, recording in Mark’s parents garage! This is the first official flagship show in about a month, so there’s plenty to discuss! Mark and Gary welcome “PG” Matt S back to the show, as he prepares to take the reigns on the weekly newscast, “The Outsiders’ Edge.” We’ve also got James Thorpey, the host of the brand new “It’s Still REEL to Me” Podcast on Cheap-Heat.com!

The guys are sitting in a circle talking about TNA Slammiversary, WWE Beast in the East, NJPW Dominion, and the top matches from the week. This was an INSANE week for pro wrestling; John Cena wrestled Cesaro, Finn Balor won the NXT title from Kevin Owens, and AJ Styles lost his IWGP Heavyweight Championship to the “Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada!

We’re also answering your questions! We’ve got questions from our loyal listeners Javier Marquez, Chris Malazdra, and Michael Frank!

Stay tuned for this week’s episode of the Last Cast where Mark and Gary will be talking about their next “Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Review,” the Backyard Superheroes and their upcoming tour, and the latest episode of BALLERS! Then get set for the new and improved “Outsiders’ Edge” featuring a more condensed format featuring “PG” Matt S with Mark serving as producer. All that plus the debut episode of “It’s Still REEL to Me,” exclusively available at Cheap-Heat.com!

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S EPISODE NOW!

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-power-hour-podcast-the-smackdown-iron-man-match/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-power-hour-podcast-the-smackdown-iron-man-match/#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:56:08 +0000 B+ Players CH Podcast Reviews Brock Lesnar Kurt Angle Smackdown WWE WWE Championship http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12665 WARNING: This episode of the B+ Players Podcast is especially profane and includes allusions to drug usage, alcoholism, and a whole lot of stuff that you shouldn’t let your kids listen to. However, I’m not a parent, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you how to raise your kids. We’ll be back […]

WARNING: This episode of the B+ Players Podcast is especially profane and includes allusions to drug usage, alcoholism, and a whole lot of stuff that you shouldn’t let your kids listen to. However, I’m not a parent, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you how to raise your kids. We’ll be back to our regular roots later tonight with the flagship show, but as for this–it’s kind of crazy. You’ve been advised!

LISTEN TO THE POWER HOUR PODCAST RIGHT NOW!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pro Wrestling and Beer – they were basically made to coexist, am I wrong? This week the B+ Player Podcast took to the Jersey Shore for a night of overeating, overdrinking, and overindulging in pro wrestling. We sat around my Seaside Park condo for several hours, binge watching wrestling and consuming way more alcohol than any responsible 30-year olds should be. What resulted was an hour-long podcast wherein we had a “Power Hour” and watched Brock Lesnar versus Kurt Angle, in their epic Iron Man Match from Smackdown in 2003.

What is a POWER HOUR, exactly? So glad you asked! A power hour is when you and a group of friends [or just you… I guess…] take a shot of beer every minute–ON THE MINUTE–for one hour. Sounds easy enough, no? You’d be surprised. We go from highly intelligent color commentators to babbling buffoons in a matter of minutes. Why did we post this most EMBARASSING podcast where we sound stupid and make fun of our close friends by name? Because we’re the B+ Players and we keep it 100. All day.

LISTEN TO THE POWER HOUR PODCAST RIGHT NOW!

Join us and sync your WWE Network along to our random ramblings! We go into detail on both Brock and Kurt as performers, we discuss wrestling in general from both 2003 and 2015. We even spend time chatting about Star Wars, James Bond, the beach, women, and so much more. Listen carefully for a very special set of guests direct from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

LISTEN TO THE POWER HOUR PODCAST RIGHT NOW!

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

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

5. Dolph Ziggler versus Adam Rose

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

4. Brock Lesnar's Apology

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

3. Kofi Kingston versus Adrian Neville

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

2. Seth Rollins Gets the Band Back Together

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

1. Kevin Owens and John Cena Speak French (And Chinese)

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

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

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter-smackdown-52815/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/whats-cookin-what-doesnt-matter-smackdown-52815/#comments Fri, 29 May 2015 02:10:35 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Reviews Brock Lesnar Daniel Bryan Dean Ambrose ECW HHH John Cena Kevin Owens NXT RAW Ring of Honor ROH Roman Reigns Seth Rollins Smackdown TNA WCW wrestling WWE WWE Network http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12059 The WWE has been on a roll as of late, I'm not sure if you guys feel the same way or not, feel free to chime in below in the comments. Payback wasn't a dramatically terrible show; NXT Takeover Unstoppable featured the arrival of Samoa Joe and a potential 5-star women's title match; and Kevin […]

The WWE has been on a roll as of late, I'm not sure if you guys feel the same way or not, feel free to chime in below in the comments. Payback wasn't a dramatically terrible show; NXT Takeover Unstoppable featured the arrival of Samoa Joe and a potential 5-star women's title match; and Kevin Owens has been pushed to the top of the card where he will meet John Cena this weekend at Elimination Chamber. I mean—just look at the Chamber itself, and you can see why I'm optimistic about what's to come in the very near future. We've got the first-EVER tag team elimination chamber match—an event that us video game nerds have witnessed before, but never thought we'd see portrayed live! And with six teams involved! And an intercontinental title match—inside the most demonic structure that Satan (Eric Bischoff) could have ever constructed? Sign me up! Seriously guys, all exaggerations and hyperbole aside, it's a good time to be a WWE fan, and Brock Lesnar hasn't even come back yet. Money in the Bank is still one month away, and Monday Night Raw has been consistently splendid for four weeks in a row. What year is this? Where am I? Who is the President? Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this is "What's Cookin' and What Doesn't Matter."

Tonight's episode opens with the "Lunatic Fringe" Dean Ambrose , who makes his way to the ring wearing a t-shirt, rather than a dumb fucking leather jacket. Dean recounts the events of Monday Night when he was arrested so that he wouldn't be able to sign his contract for his upcoming match against Seth Rollins at Elimination Chamber. Dean cuts a very natural promo and says that he was given one phone call whilst in custody and decided to drop the dime on Roman Reigns. He asked Roman to "buy him some time," so that he could figure a way out of jail. Dean then showed a WWE YouTube video, wherein Seth Rollins is caught pushing the camera man into Dean. This was all the cops needed to release the �Lunatic; the New York police officers gave him a ride back to the arena and "even let him drive the paddy wagon." Dean warns Seth that he will beat the hell out of him at Elimination Chamber, and will do the same during their tag team match in tonight's main event. This was about 5 minutes long and didn't lead to any ridiculous dialogue with the Authority, so I was really happy to see the way it turned out. It was COOKIN' for sure.

The first match tonight is a tag team lumberjack match between Kidd and Cesaro and the Lucha Dragons. Tyson Kidd is wearing a baseball cap and Cesaro is wearing a bandana over the bottom portion of his face. Tyson Kidd starts things out against Sin Cara with nine additional athletes positioned around ringside. The WWE tag division has been a shell of its former self in recent years and is finally returning to its past glory, and might even be surpassing previous expectations. Why is that? A lot of it has to do with the quality of the current roster, but much can be owed to the make-up of various teams. In the past we've seen "Super Teams" dominate the tag division; Chris Jericho and the Big Show, Randy Orton and Edge, John Cena and Shawn Michaels, Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin, Steve Austin and Dude Love, the BROTHERS OF DESTRUCTION! While they were awesome teams, clearly capable of securing gold, they were short lived programs that were meant to build to an ultimate singles encounter. These teams are actual tag teams, similar to the Hart Foundation, the British Bulldogs, or Strike Force! Both teams involved in this match are well-versed in tag team competition and know how to utilize their partner to gain the advantage through teamwork. The various teams surrounding the ring are equally dedicated to their tandems and perform better as a result. This was an awesome match, and when the dust settled, it was the former NXT tag team champion Lucha Dragons who held their hands high. Tyson Kidd reversed an attempted hurricanrana by Kalisto into the Sharpshooter, but Sin Cara spring-boarded from the top rope to break things up. The New Day distracted Kidd from the action and Kalisto gets the victory. It's the first match of the night, but this might just be the—uh, well—MATCH OF THE NIGHT! This was COOKIN' like anybody might expect. Definite must-see.

I'm really convinced that R Truth's character is based on a PCP-addicted underground rapper from the New York tristate area. I told this story before, but I'd like to sum it up as a limerick—

"There once was a rapper on drugs,
Who swore he was covered in bugs.
Lost all his wits,
And ate a girls tits.
And he spoke to invisible thugs."

So I mean—R Truth has an imaginary friend, he's irrationally afraid of spiders, he's a rapper. If he consumes a woman's breasts then there's really no question as to where his character comes from. Obviously I'm kidding. Not about the rapper on PCP, that's real. R Truth is wrestling King Bad News Wade Barrett in a preview bout for this weekend's Elimination Chamber match for the intercontinental championship. Surprisingly, R Truth picked up a win, but was immediately blindsided by the Celtic Warrior. Sheamus entered the ring and attacked his adversaries, before leaving with his head held high. This was COOKIN' because R Truth beat Wade Barrett clean, and that was pretty neat to see. It was also short enough that it's worth checking out between segments anyway. Main event? No way. Match of the night? Hell no. But a decent bout nonetheless.

There's a quick backstage promo featuring Lana as she speaks with Renee Young regarding the events on Raw involving Rusev. She says that she is "no possession" of any man, and isn't a prize to be won. Renee asks about her relationship with Dolph Ziggler; Lana says there is no relationship with Dolph Ziggler, despite the footage suggesting the contrary. Lana is interrupted by Rusev and asks if he's there to start screaming again, and wants to know if he's going to keep acting like a child. Rusev smiles: "Why bother? I already had my way with your little Dolph Ziggler. Where is he now? Is he in the medical facility? Is he at home drinking hot cocoa? Or maybe he's just afraid to show up because he knows I'm here." He says he isn't jealous of Dolph, which appears to weigh heavy on his former main squeeze. He leave her with the words: "You dug your grave, now you rot in it." This was fucking ridiculously cool. It was COOKIN', for sure, and lead into the events of the next segment.

Ryback is going head-to-head with the "Bulgarian Brute," who continues to carry the Red, White, and GREEN of his native Bulgaria. If I was Miroslav Barnyashev—Rusev's real name—I would be pretty jazzed to finally carry my own nation's banner to the ring. That's pretty rad. I'm happy to see how Rusev is being treated, especially following that exchange with Lana just moments ago. I was worried that Rusev might be forced into the jealous ex-boyfriend position, set to snap at every given opportunity. I was hoping Lana was playing her part to help Rusev win the Intercontinental Championship. Perhaps she will use her feminine wilds to attract Dolph and put him off his game? But if that was the case, wouldn't Lana be flirting with EVERY one of Rusev's opponents? I also don't think there's much to achieve from a 2-week storyline featuring Dolph Ziggler for no reason. So I'm inclined to believe Lana will remain with Ziggler for the time being. Although it is interesting to speculate on what could be going through the mind of the "Ravishing Russian." Dolph said from the start that he knew Lana was playing games, and that he didn't mind. Now it seems that Rusev doesn't mind either. So what's Lana have to do to get what she wants now that the aforementioned feminine wilds aren't getting the job done? This match was what it was—a "Big Hoss" match between two big bad powerhouses. Ryback is most certainly going to get a visit from Bray Wyatt this Sunday, and as for Rusev? As of this writing, Rusev is reported to have suffered an injury that could sideline him come Sunday. If he does enter the Elimination Chamber, I'm sure he'll fall victim to some sort of tomfoolery involving Dolph and Lana. This match lasted longer than I would have guessed, spanning the one-hour mark and earning both men a chance to look strong in front of a world-wide audience. Rusev lost the match via disqualification after repeatedly slamming Ryback's head into the steel post. Rusev won the battle, but the war will continue this Sunday at the Elimination Chamber. A match that was most certainly COOKIN'!

Up next is a Diva's match between the two women who will simultaneously challenge Nikki Bella for her title at the Elimination Chamber. Paige and Naomi have unfinished business stemming from the Monday Night Raw in England when Naomi attacked Paige after a Diva's Battle Royal. I'm not incredibly impressed with Naomi. Everyone seems to be enamored with her "in-ring ability," and to that I wonder—what IN RING ability? I guess in the grand scheme of Playboy Bunnies and Bella Twins, Naomi is a pretty decent athlete, but context plays a huge part in how good Naomi really is. When facing someone as seasoned and reputable as Paige, Naomi is exposed for how inexperienced she truly is. Paige is the only woman in WWE history to hold both the NXT and Diva's championship. Not only that, but she held them at the same time, until being forced to relinquish her NXT title upon her "promotion" to Raw. Naomi relies heavily on slow-paced rest holds and over-the-top character work that doesn't sell me on her as a wrestler. Paige, on the other hand, is fluid and makes every movement appear almost effortless. The 2-time Diva's Champion hit Naomi with the "Rampaige" for the 1-2-3 and Paige will head into the Elimination Chamber with a psychological edge over Naomi. I hate to say the first and only women's match of the night DOESN'T MATTER—especially since everything up until now has been COOKIN', but I've got to be fair and weight each segment honestly. Following the bell, Nikki and Brie appeared on the stage, and everyone stared everyone else down—who the fuck are the babyfaces? Because they're all coming off like arrogant heels.

Kevin Owens is on Smackdown to talk about his upcoming match with John Cena at Elimination Chamber with Michael Cole. Before Cole can say anything, Jerry Lawler reacts to his appearance on Smackdown by exclaiming: "Ah! Look who it is!" Like Michael Cole isn't on Smackdown all the time, or something. Cole introduces Owens, who receives a mixed reaction from a WWE Universe seemingly unaware of his stardom. Those fans that know Owens are losing their shit, and the little kids who saw him powerbomb Cena and stomp on his title are throwing him the "thumbs down" by the thousands. Owens doesn't care who knows his name, he only cares about fighting and making money, which is why he doesn't give Michael Cole any respect. He points and laughs at the TitanTron during the replay of what went down between he and John Cena and Michael Cole begins by saying, "Kevin you've been in the WWE for two weeks now…" Kevin cut him off, explaining that while he's been a part of the main roster for the first time, he's been a dominant aspect of NXT for several months. In fact, been in this business for fifteen years. "I've competed all over the world—not just competed mind you, but dominated." Michael Cole says that John Cena isn't a normal competitor, but Kevin cuts him off again and lists Cena's accolades himself: "Fifteen world championships, two Royal Rumble Match victories, eleven Wrestlemanias, 57 varieties of terrible t-shirt designs. And over 1000 ways to SUCK. See I am the NXT Champion. Yet, John Cena walks around and acts like I've got something to prove to him, when in fact, if you ask me—John Cena is the one that's got something to prove to me." Michael Cole said he has a unique perspective, and quoted John Cena's earlier words regarding Owens' inability to "finish" a fight. "Why don't we take a look at what I did to Sami Zayn Michael," Owens said, "And you can tell me if I know how to finish a fight." After the video, Cole raised his microphone to respond, and Owens pushed it away. "At NXT Takeover: Unstoppable, I did exactly what I told the world I would do, and that's further my career by taking out Sami Zayn for good. But Sami Zayn is my best friend. Sami Zayn is someone I traveled the world with for ten years. SAMI ZAYN is I was closer to than anyone else on the planet. And that's what I did to him. Now if I'll do that to someone I care about, imagine what I'll do to John Cena." Owens began to turn away and thought again, "Actually you don't have to imagine it, just watch Elimination Chamber and you will witness it first-hand. And once I do that, there will be no question that the REAL champ—is here." COOKIN'! COOKIN'! COOKIN'! COOKIN'!

The next match is the main event tag team bout between Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns and the Authority's Kane and the world champion Seth Rollins. The producers in �Gorilla' didn't wait for Kevin Owens to return through the curtain; Dean Ambrose's music hit as Owens was making his way up the ramp, and the two exchanged looks before going their separate ways. I have to say, I really like the direction they're heading with Dean Ambrose, which is saying a lot. If you're a regular reader, then you know I'm not the biggest fan of the "Lunatic Fringe," but his last few weeks on top of the roster have been a welcome change to the inordinate antics and exceptional losing streak we were privy to just three months ago. Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose have a very interesting relationship, and despite how goofy it was, I actually liked the story about Dean calling Roman from jail and asking him to "buy some time." That's the kind of storytelling I like, quite frankly. I said during my Raw recap this week that Kane is best served in these tag team matches that don't expose his weaknesses and allow for him to remain an ancillary character in support of the principle acts. What does that mean? It means when he's in one-on-one competition he looks like a fucking joke, while tag team competition appears to be his bread and butter. This match was full of really cool moments that weren't so absurd that they rendered the athleticism obsolete. I think the program between Rollins and Ambrose allows for a fair amount of both brawling as well as technique. Rollins and Reigns went one-on-one during the final moments of the match where Roman went for a "Superman Punch," but missed, and instead opted for a powerbomb. The former "Architect" of the Shield wormed his way out of harm's way only to catch that same "Superman Punch" the next time around. Roman dropped for the cover, but J&J Security caused the disqualification before the champion could be pinned. After the match, all hell broke loose involving the participants of the match, and then the New Day! The tag team champions joined in and attacked number one contender and Roman Reigns, but received a slew of signature maneuvers for their trouble before Kane and Seth Rollins finally achieved the upper hand. Seth Rollins hit Dean Ambrose with the Pedigree and another episode of Thursday—er I mean Friday—wait no, yeah Thursday Night Smackdown is in the books.

Smackdown always tends to deliver because it's a taped show full of backstage shenanigans and cosmetic edits, not to mention it's only two hours long. I enjoyed this week's show as much as any other episode of Smackdown in recent memory, but can't help but wonder what—if anything—could get Smackdown to that next level. We can rule out taking the show live unless the WWE wants to completely overhaul their production model. Maybe an exclusive title? What do you guys think? Comment below or feel free to hit me up in social media. 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!

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/i-told-ya-so/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/i-told-ya-so/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2015 15:33:05 +0000 Gregory Iron Blogs Wrestler Blogs Brock Lesnar Roman Reigns Seth Rollins Wrestlemania http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10807 I really don’t want to rub it in, but even a guy with brain damage (cerebral palsy) like myself gets something right every now and then. In my article last week, I said that WrestleMania had the potential to blow the critics away, despite the somewhat underwhelming build up. I’m happy to say that […]

I really don’t want to rub it in, but even a guy with brain damage (cerebral palsy) like myself gets something right every now and then.

In my article last week, I said that WrestleMania had the potential to blow the critics away, despite the somewhat underwhelming build up. I’m happy to say that the 31st installment of the annual wrestling spectacular did just that. Easily the best WrestleMania of the decade, WWE showed that it still has the ability to create a truly special card, from top to bottom.

The Intercontinental Championship match was a wild one. Everyone from Luke Harper to R-Truth risked it all to not only give us an unforgettable performance, but to deliver a match that would help give the I.C. title the prestige it once held so lo no ago. After Dolph Ziggler was knocked from the top of the ladder via multiple headbutts and Daniel Bryan pulled down the championship, I’d like to think the mission was accomplished.

Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins. It was a solid match, and the finish was unforgettable. I love Diamond Dallas Page, and he had some incredibly unique ways to get into The Diamond Cutter. After ‘Mania, I think it’s safe to say Orton has taken his version of The Cutter and made it that much cooler.

Sting vs. Triple H gave us imagery that was surreal. Sure, the New World Order fighting DX would have been something we all would have much rather have seen in, say, 2001. Come to think of it, The Icon vs. The Game would have been something we would have preferred seeing in 2001 as well. In this case, though, I’d chalk it up as “better late than never.” When you talk “WrestleMania Moments,” this match alone had more than it’s share.

The Divas were given their chance to shine at WrestleMania in Tag Team action as AJ Lee and Paige battled The Bellas. The match was pretty sweet, and you can’t give all the credit to A and Paige. It takes two, or in this case, four to tango, and the twins really brought their A game.

John Cena fought for the United States Champion ship for the first time in a decade, taking on the undefeated Rusev. I got two words for ya: Springboard Stunner. For all the crap people give him about his wrestling, you have to admit that Cena is constantly trying to improve and add ridiculous moves to his move set. You never saw that from Hogan– though I will say that I popped hard when he hit an enziguri on Muta back in ’93. Cena won the belt (I can call it a belt because it’s my article) after an intense match.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon confronting The Rock and Ronda Rousey screamed “ESPN Highlight Reel”— as if the publicity they got with Brock’s re-signing earlier in the week wasn’t good enough. I think we only got a small taste of something bigger down the road. Seeing Ronda in a WWE ring has “New $9.99 WWE Network subscriptions” written all over it.

Two long, methodical walks to the ring set the stage for Bray Wyatt vs. the returning Undertaker. The bout started slow, but had incredible storytelling throughout. By the time Bray did that creepy back bridge and ‘Taker sat up, I was hooked. The Tombstone Piledriver sealed Bray’s fate, and The Phenom’s winning streak began once again. The question now is– just how long does ‘Taker plan on extending it?

Brock vs. Reigns was physically intense, and with Lesnar involved, you knew that would be the case. Reigns got his ass kicked, so bad that when he mounted a bit of offense, you kind of wanted to have him put the beating back on Brock– kind of. The IWC read this week that if Lesnar re-signed with WWE, they were thinking about putting the Intercontinental and U.S. belts on Bryan and Cena so that Lesnar could retain the WWE Championship, and Bryan and Cena could headline live events. Bryan and Cena winning the secondary championships made the internet crowd forget about The Architect. When Seth Rollins cashed in, it was the perfect scenario.

Raw the next night was strong. You wanted to see Brock get redemption on Rollins. When they announced the Rollins/Lesnar match on free TV, you wanted to believe it would happen. When it didn’t, you were content with Michael Cole getting assaulted.

Now– we wait for the follow up. Can WWE TV always be this good? What are your thoughts?

See ya later in the week.

-Greg

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/nice-guys-finish-last-5-heel-victories-at-wrestlemania/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/nice-guys-finish-last-5-heel-victories-at-wrestlemania/#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2015 19:46:00 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Indy/Puro/Lucha Other Blogs Brock Lesnar Chris Jericho HHH Steve Austin Stone Cold The Miz Triple H Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10787 Nice Guys Finish Last: 5 Heel Victories at Wrestlemania Written by Mark Adam Haggerty One of the defining dissimilarities separating the National Wrestling Alliance from the World Wrestling Federation was the way in which each promotion booked their world title. The NWA pushed villainous heels such as Ric Flair for YEARS at a time, so […]

Nice Guys Finish Last:
5 Heel Victories at Wrestlemania
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

One of the defining dissimilarities separating the National Wrestling Alliance from the World Wrestling Federation was the way in which each promotion booked their world title. The NWA pushed villainous heels such as Ric Flair for YEARS at a time, so as to tell the tale of multiple heroes chasing the championship. The WWF belt however, was generally possessed by key babyface competitors who sold out arenas by defending the strap against an array of antagonists. It's interesting to note that while the WWE continues to evolve, it's booking practices at the "Granddaddy of Them All" remains the same. Now more than three decades into this annual tradition and only FOUR heels have ever walked away from Wrestlemania with the world title.

Triple H – Wrestlemania 2000 & XIX
Triple H has certainly seen his share of both success and defeat at the "Showcase of the Immortals," and will go down in history as the only heel to leave Wrestlemania with the world championship—TWICE. Believe it or not, babyfaces reigned supreme throughout the first fifteen years of Wrestlemania; from Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart to Shawn Michaels and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, every �Mania from—from one through fifteen—ended on a happy note with the villain vanquished. All that changed when Wrestlemania dropped its numeric value and went by its "New Millennium Moniker"—Wrestlemania 2000 was headlined by a four-way elimination match featuring a "McMahon in every corner." Triple H was escorted to ringside by his then-Kayfabe wife Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, where he proceeded to defeat the Big Show, Mick Foley, and the Rock to retain his WWE Championship. Fast forward 3-years to Seattle's SafeCo Field and the "Game" is once again on the defensive, although this time in a one-on-one encounter with the "Five-Time WCW Champion" Booker T. After a hard-fought battle against the righteous Booker T, the racist Triple H prevailed—still in possession of the "Big Gold Belt."

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin – Wrestlemania X-Seven
Although the "Texas Rattlesnake" enjoyed a far more lucrative run as a babyface, his victory over the Rock at Wrestlemania X-Seven will go down as one of the most dastardly decisions in �Mania history. By the spring of 2001, WWE Creative felt that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin could use a shot of adrenaline and opted to turn him heel for the foreseeable future. But how could the company go about changing direction on THE most popular performer in WWE history? After delivering a debilitating number of steel chair shots to his nemesis—Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson—Steve did the unthinkable and embraced the sinister and sadistic Vince McMahon. Hindsight being 20/20—according to Steve himself—this was probably the wrong move to make in terms of the "Stone Cold" character. The match itself is among the most praised in �Mania history and the events that followed will forever be immortalized as an iconic "�Mania Moment."

Chris Jericho – Wrestlemania XXVI
When Chris Jericho returned to the WWE in 2007, he did so with no purpose or direction—just another silver vest and a really bad haircut. By the time summer 2008 rolled around, Y2J was well on his way toward reinventing himself as a methodical menace to the sanctity of World Wrestling Entertainment. He continued on his slow-talking crusade as a championship contender for the rest of the run, and defended his world heavyweight championship against the "Rated R Superstar" at Wrestlemania XXVI in Glendale, Arizona. Edge and Jericho were a formidable-yet-short-lived tag team tandem before Edge was forced out of action due to injury. When he returned to the WWE, he received a hero's welcome from the �Universe, much to the chagrin of the world champion. Chris Jericho defeated his challenger in true heel fashion by relying on a foreign object—the "Big Gold Belt"—to do his dirty work. He blind-sided Edge and hit him with a "Codebreaker" for good measure, earning the victory and retaining his belt in the process.

The Miz – Wrestlemania XXVII
The Miz is among the most polarizing figures in Sports Entertainment thanks to his lifelong association with MTV and reality television. But that's not to say that Mike Mizanin isn't a qualified world heavyweight champion that held his title for an astonishing 160 days. I was in Atlanta for Wrestlemania XXVII, and I really enjoyed the video package that introduced the WWE Universe to the Miz as a main event talent. The talk of the weekend was the inevitable Cena-victory over the Miz, granting the "Doctor of Thuganomics" his umpteenth world championship. The match was far better than anticipated, and the finale was something nobody could have predicted. The cold and calculating Miz defeated the venerable John Cena in the headlining attraction of the first-and-only Wrestlemania where zero title changes occurred. The show ended with the Miz on his back after receiving the "People's Elbow" from the Rock. This was the last time a heel left Wrestlemania as champion.

There you have it—only four VILLAINS have ever walked away from Wrestlemania with the championship draped over their shoulder. And if you'll notice, aside from "Stone Cold"—who could hardly be considered a heel—every other instance was a successful title defense. Will Brock Lesnar be the next "bad guy" to emerge victorious with his WWE World Heavyweight Championship, or will Roman Reigns continue what has been a near-30 year tradition of babyface dominance? Until next time, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and to follow my podcast on Facebook by LIKING "The B+ Players."

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