Opinion

NXT Minus 6: I was there!

I know you’ve read War Games reviews. Here are a few gems the cameras didn’t show you.

Published

4 years ago

November 25, 2019

Brad Abel

I know you’ve read War Games reviews. Here are a few gems the cameras didn’t show you.

Image result for mauro ranallo

6. Pre-show, they call out the announce team one by one. They stand at the top of the ramp and wave to the crowd. Not Mauro Ranallo. He sprints to the announcer table, eager to get to work. THAT is how you stay in character. When the show was over, he didn’t leave. He stayed ringside, clearly concerned about Adam Cole. HHH is the brains of NXT. Johnny Gargano is the heart and soul. Mauro Ranallo is the lifeblood…and Corey Graves can eat a dog shit burrito.

Image result for candice lerae war games

5. I am issuing a formal apology. I had zero expectations for the Women’s War Games match. It was insane. Everybody is talking about Dakota Kai and Rhea Ripley, but the real MVP was Candice Lerae. She started the match with frantic brawl, endured the 2-on-1 beating, withstood the 4-on-2 advantage, got crazy with a Kendo stick and stood tall in victory. Epic performance from Lerae. 4.5 stars

Image result for dain priest dunne war games

4. I find myself saying this about most NXT triple threat matches: It didn’t follow the standard formula of two wrestlers fighting while one plays dead. This was another example of NXT finding interesting ways for all 3 wrestlers to interact. We can add triple threat matches to the list of things that NXT does better than most. 4.4 stars.

3. Pops of the night

Honorable mention: Keith Lee. It wasn’t one pop so much as it was frequent chants throughout the match
5. Rhea Ripley
4. Pete Dunne
3. Finn Balor
2. Undisputed Era. If I had a nickel for every time someone in the crowd yelled “Adam Cole,” I could have purchased a ticket to Survivor Series. Before the show. After the show. In the parking lot. What the Hell?!?!?
1. Kevin Owens

Image result for balor riddle war games

2. It pains me to say Finn Balor versus Matt Riddle was a massive disappointment. Balor was going to expose Riddle. Hurt him. Embarrass him. How did the match start? Collar and elbow tie up. I was expecting a brawl and got a wrestling match. Textbook case of the in-ring action not telling the story. The only saving grace was Riddle’s spear and power bomb. It was a good match for Wednesday night, but not Takeover. 3 stars

Image result for war games ciampa cole

1. I don’t know what else to say about the men’s War Games match. It wasn’t perfect, but after what every man went through for our entertainment, I wouldn’t criticize a single thing. And enough with the imaginary controversy about Britt Baker. She’s still a real person watching her real life boyfriend trying to kill himself. When will Adam Cole learn not to climb to the top of a cage? 4.8 stars

Image result for kevin owens takeover war games

Bonus coverage: After the show, Kevin Owens walks up the ramp and kisses the NXT backdrop. It adds another level to the story and the moment when you know the wrestlers love being where they are and love doing what they do. Once again, NXT proves it is the Black & Gold Standard of professional wrestling. Overall show rating: 4.5 stars and well worth the 5 hour drive.

Double bonus: Special thanks to my wonderful wife for purchasing my ticket for my birthday. I’m a lucky man.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Opinion

King’s WrestleMania Rewind: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka from WrestleMania 34

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

Published

2 months ago

April 2, 2023

Chris King

WWE WrestleMania 34 Charlotte Flair Asuka

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

We look back at Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka at WWE WrestleMania 34. ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’ put her unprecedented and historic undefeated streak of 914 days on the line against ‘The Queen’s’ SmackDown Women’s Championship.

For years, this was considered a dream match while Asuka dominated the roster in NXT, while Flair won numerous championships on the main roster on both Raw and SmackDown. The Empress made her long-awaited debut on the September 11th episode of Raw and began to tear through the competition.

Asuka outlasted all twenty-nine other women in the historic first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match to challenge for the title of her choosing. At Fastlane, she made her choice.

The WWE Universe was so excited for this match myself included. Both superstars delivered a fantastic performance on the Grandest Stage of Them All executing counter after counter. Asuka showed off some nasty-looking kicks to her opponent, and Flair hit a thunderous Spanish Fly off the top rope. Flair was seconds away from defeat at the hands of The Empress but she locked in Figure Eight and Asuka was forced to tap out.

I can’t even begin to explain how shocked I was at this outcome, as nearly everyone expected The Empress to continue her undefeated streak and walk away with the women’s title. This controversial decision was the downfall of Asuka’s momentum. She would ultimately win the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the 2018 TLC pay-per-view in the triple-threat ladder match.

Fast forward to this year when Asuka has recently returned with her Japanese-inspired persona Kana. Kana is dangerous and ruthless and is heading into a championship with Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39. The Empress has regained all her momentum and is highly favored to walk away with the Raw Women’s Championship. Let’s hope that Asuka and Belair can tear the house down and deliver an A+ grade match both women are fully capable of.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

King: Dominik Mysterio Needs To Do This At WrestleMania

Chris King is here with what WWE should do with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania in his long-awaited match against his father Rey Mysterio Jr.

Published

2 months ago

April 1, 2023

Chris King

Chris King is here with what WWE should do with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania in his long-awaited match against his father Rey Mysterio Jr.

On this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Rey Mysterio finally snapped and beat some sense into his disrespectful punk-ass kid Dominik. The member of the Judgement Day came out to push his father again for a match on the Grandest Stage of Them All, this time with his mother and sister at ringside. The ungrateful punk told his mom to “Shut Up,” as a father even I wanted to jump through the screen and whoop his ass.

Back in October of last year, Mysterio made the emotional decision to possibly quit the company but, instead, Triple H persuaded the Lucha libre superstar to move over to SmackDown to avoid his son. This came after Dominik shockingly turned on his father at Clash at the Castle. Mysterio did everything he could to refuse his despicable son’s challenge for Mania but, a man can only be pushed so far. Mysterio will be inducted into the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame and I expect Dominik to embarrass his father during his speech to further this personal feud.

Yes, the WWE Universe hates Dominik and wants to see him get the ever-loving crap kicked out of him but, this feud is missing a special ingredient to capitalize on the biggest heat possible. Throughout this feud, Dominik has made mention of the legendary Eddie Guerrero on several occasions going back to the “iconic” 2005 feud.

I know WWE might not want to go this route but, Dominik MUST come out to Eddie Guerrero’s theme at Mania. The disrespectful punk needs to come out in a lowrider to garner nuclear heat. It doesn’t matter if The Judgement Day comes out and causes interference for Dominik to get the win, all that matters is that both superstars get the biggest payoff of this nearly year-long feud. Just imagine the Roman Reigns heat after he defeated The Undertaker and multiply that by ten. Dominik portrays the perfect heel and he truly is the missing ingredient that The Judgement Day needed to grow and evolve into a top faction.