Opinion
Abe’s 2018 In Review (Part Three): 5 Things to Look Forward To
The wrestling world has already undergone a pretty eventful 2018 in its first 6 months. If you’re having trouble remembering, you can refresh with my Match of the Year and Wrestler of the Year articles. Aside from everything else, I’m here to remind you that there’s still plenty left to be excited about.
NXT UK (Next Tapings July 28 & 29)
After a successful return to Royal Albert Hall, it was announced that NXT would officially be launching its UK brand with Johnny Saint as the General Manager. There are already two storylines with seeds planted from the previous event. Noam Dar won a #1 Contender’s match for Pete Dunne’s United Kingdom Championship in his return from injury. Mark and Joe, the Coffey Brothers, established themselves after the aforementioned match by attacking the remaining competitors. Travis Banks, Flash Morgan Webster, and Zack Gibson left without capturing gold, but it’s safe to assume they are firmly positioned at the top of the card.

Mae Young Classic (Tapings August 8 & 9)
Last year’s tournament gifted us the bright NXT prospects of Kairi Sane, Shayna Baszler, Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae, Sarah Logan and Biana Belair. Tegan Nox, the Welsh wrestler formerly known as Nixon Newell, had to pull out of last year’s tournament due to injury. Fortunately, she’s been training at the Performance Center since last summer. Current Progress Women’s Champion, Jinny, also had to withdraw from the NXT UK special after being injured. I would be surprised if both women didn’t compete in the MYC or the upcoming UK shows. This week it was announced that former Divas Champion, Kaitlyn, and Rhea Ripley will be the first entrants in the upcoming tournament. Kaitlyn will have a similar role to Serena Deeb from last year where we’ll see a familiar face in a new environment.
****UPDATE: During the publishing process of this article, Jinny, Kacy Catanzaro, Nicole Matthews, and STARDOM ace, Io Shirai were announced as the next crop of entrants.

ALL IN (September 1)
One of the most captivating stories we’ve ever seen in wrestling. Those with a ticket know they’re going to witness history. We got to see Cody and The Young Bucks take on something no other group of wrestlers have ever attempted. They used their own money to create and promote an event from scratch. Their goal was to get 10,000 seats and they sold out in 30 minutes. Don Callis agreed on air to do commentary for the event which means it’s going to be streamed for the viewing public. In a card that already features Marty Scurll vs Kazuchika Okada, others already committed include Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Pentagon Jr., Tessa Blanchard, Rey Mysterio, Jay Lethal, and more. The best part is that the event is also being booked by Cody and The Bucks which means there are hardly any creative restrictions. I suggest you clear your schedule on September 1st if you haven’t already.

chrisjerichocruise.com
Chris Jericho’s Rock N Wrestling Rager (October 27-31)
Here we have another ambitious project created as a brainchild of a wrestling great. The sphere of wrestling may actually stand still for the five days this cruise is taking place. Chris Jericho is essentially putting the entire Ring of Honor roster along with the hottest independent stars on a cruise ship filled with bands and comedians. Your next vacation can’t really get more fun than that. It’s really going to be entertaining to hear about all the reports, footage, and stories that are going to emerge from that boat. Hopefully they’ll find a way to stream some of the action. It would be nice to get a piece of the fun. I can only imagine what that week’s episode of “Being the Elite” is going to be like.

G1 Climax 28 (July 14 – August 12)
The G1 Climax is the crown jewel of New Japan Pro Wrestling. And luckily for you, Night 1 will likely be ready for viewing by the time this article is published. Last year was my first time watching the G1 and every day was a treat. Seeing all the different clashes of styles and flashes of creativity within a month’s window is truly pro wrestling at it’s finest. Every tournament always meets expectations by providing multiple MOTY candidates. One interesting thing about this year is that Chris Jericho is the current Intercontinental Champion but he’s absent from the tournament. See, WWE isn’t the only promotion with a belt being held hostage. His placement in future storylines is going to be something to watch. Jericho’s next target is waiting somewhere in this tournament. There are multiple intertwining parts regarding Kenny Omega and the B Block. Omega will eventually have to square off against his fellow Golden Lover, Kota Ibushi in what should be a masterpiece. Newly christened head of The Firing Squad, Tama Tonga will also be looking assert himself over his former Bullet Club comrade. If that’s not enough for Omega to deal with, he gets the tournament favorite, and last year’s winner, Tetsuya Naito in the first night of the B Block.
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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
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SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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