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Tommasso Ciampa & The Plight of Today’s Pro Wrestling Heel

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Tommaso Ciampa NXT WWE

Tommasso Ciampa’s recent NXT Championship win is the talk of pro wrestling fans everywhere. Some are curious why Aleister Black’s title reign lasted only three months, despite the excellent work he does in the ring. Others are happy to see him drop the belt, mostly because they feel he has less of an edge since becoming champion.

But the real story here is Ciampa. Ciampa is one of those talents that has put in the time and effort to truly establish himself, as many guys around him have. However Tommasso is a genuine storyteller and has never really needed the mic to narrate the story. He does his talking in the ring. There’s no denying that he has earned not only his spot but the NXT Championship as well.

There’s also no denying he is one of the strongest heels working in the business today. There is nothing remotely redeeming about Ciampa’s character other than his work ethic. Tommasso is despicable, his actions are deplorable and his motivations are demented. Ciampa has the perfect level of evil to carry him far beyond the NXT Championship. But is he working in the wrong era?

This is where things get complicated. Some fans believe that everything changed in pro wrestling with the advent of The Attitude Era and this is true to a certain extent. The WWE product became edgier and the Superstars were allowed more freedom to explore who they were and what they could be.

WCW was in firm control and ECW was making waves. WWE had to establish its dominance in the industry and that’s exactly what happened. Vince McMahon’s company evolved past its competition and the rest is history. But that’s not where the business necessarily changed.

Everything changed on December 15, 1997 when McMahon pulled back the curtain and let the whole world see the truth. Pro wrestling was never an actual competition, at least not in the traditional sense of the word. Pro wrestling was nothing more than a TV show. That is the moment when The Attitude Era began. It’s also the moment when the business changed forever.

When fans were smartened up, they perhaps became too smart for their own good. Instead of watching pro wrestling for the drama of good versus evil and right versus wrong, fans tuned in to see the athleticism of the talents in the ring. These were no longer real people; they were real people portraying characters. Fans were not getting lost in the fictional reality happening before them. They were instead getting wrapped up in the overall mechanics of the business itself.

This is the industry that Tommasso Ciampa finds himself in. His job was to turn heel against Johnny Gargano and become as hated as he possibly could be. Ciampa had to do everything imaginable to destroy Johnny Wrestling and show zero remorse in the process. When fans looked at him, they had to see a true villain reveling in the chaos he created.

Ciampa did his job and then some. But when fans look at him, they see a hardworking guy that deserves every accolade that comes his way. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, the truth is some have lost the ability to just watch the match itself and lose themselves in the story. But of course Tommasso is not the only man struggling with that reality.

Anyone working in the business after December 15 1997 has had to deal with this. There used to be a mystery behind pro wrestling and an aura around pro wrestlers. It was a secret society of individuals that adhered to a very strict code. If someone broke that code, then he could expose the business. That just could not happen. If it did, then everything could fall apart.

How many fans praised Dirty Dick Slater or Cowboy Bob Orton when they ran heel together in the 1980’s? Did fans compliment each guy, recognizing their ability to get heat from the crowd? Or did they just sit back and enjoy hating them?

Fans can now see what each man brought to the table and they can respect them for it. But that’s the case all across the board, on every level of the business. While fans are obviously aware of this, an entire generation has come after McMahon’s 1997 announcement and the end of The Monday Night Wars in 2000. Can this generation truly remove itself from the reality of the product long enough to actually enjoy it as fans did during the Territory Era?

The irony of this is that pro wrestling had to evolve. It had to change. Vince McMahon’s announcement was shocking to those behind the scenes. But it confirmed what many fans had already suspected for years. If the pro wrestling industry was going to survive into the future, then the truth had to be told. There was just no wary around it.

Tommasso Ciampa deserves applause for his work in NXT. He deserves recognition for the work he does to get over as a heel. His war with Gargano will continue yet and there’s no way to know just how much more damage Tommasso will do to everyone’s favorite babyface.

But Tommasso Ciampa should also continue to hear the boos. He should feel the hate now, more than ever. He should get the respect he earns as a heel that wants to destroy everyone and everything in his path. Ciampa’s character doesn’t want the cheers and he doesn’t care about them. The same is likely true of Ciampa the man. He and Gargano have created magic together thus far and they will surely make more very soon.

So if fans want to truly praise Tommasso for his efforts, then they should hate him for everything he’s worth. That would definitely be the case in any other era of the sport. Perhaps it will eventually be the case in this era as well.

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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.

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Wyatt Sicks WWE

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!

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!

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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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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 

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WWE Jacob Fatu Roman Reigns Backlash

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

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 MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling) 

THURSDAY - Nefarious Means

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

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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