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Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy: Old School Pro Wrestling Done Right

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Jeff Hardy will face off against Randy Orton at WWE Hell in a Cell on Sunday, September 16. The two men have been feuding since July and now that feud could possibly conclude inside Satan’s Structure.

But if this indeed the end, then many fans will likely be sorry to see it happen. This has been one of the more intense rivalries that WWE has produced in quite some time. For casual fans, it’s sadistic violence on a whole new level. For old school fans, it’s the perfect throwback to the rough and gritty days of professional wrestling.

This is what some would argue has been missing from WWE. The company delivers some of the best matches in the industry featuring some of the top talents working today. But sometimes those matches become a bit too formulaic and the storylines behind them are weak at best.

However Orton versus Hardy is propelled forward by raw emotion. On one side is The Viper, one of the most despicable heels in WWE history. He’s coldhearted, he’s vindictive and he’s merciless. Randy Orton attacks his prey indiscriminately and he doesn’t care how much damage he does, only that he does it.

Unlike other talents around him, Randy has no difficulty playing his part. He totally embraces his character and lives it to the fullest on camera. He’s not a popular heel like Kevin Owens, who seems to want the audience’s approval. Randy Orton wants fans to hate him because that’s what he’s supposed to do. He has no redeeming qualities and if any positive traits do exist, they’re outshined by his cruelty against the babyface he’s working.

In this case, the babyface happens to be one of the most popular of his generation. Picking a fight with Jeff Hardy is akin to picking a fight with Ricky Morton in the 1980’s. Morton had so much heart and was so beloved by NWA fans that anyone who touched him was an automatic heel. 

This is precisely what’s happening with Randy and Jeff. Randy Orton can baby out anyone on the WWE roster because when it comes time to do business, The Viper does it like no one else can. 

So when he targeted Jeff Hardy, he immediately drew the ire of WWE fans from all walks of life. Orton brutalized Hardy at Extreme Rules, setting the tone for what was to come. Randy was more vicious that he has been in quite some time and the WWE faithful hated him for it.

Hardy is seen as the embattled star, the man that didn’t ask for a war but who is now forced to fight. Jeff’s motives are pure. All he cares about is entertaining the crowd and making them leave happy. He’s everything a babyface should be and much more. In many ways, Jeff is still the same 25 year old trying to prove himself against The Undertaker on Monday Night Raw.

A star was born on that night, as Jeff rose to the occasion and forever cemented his reputation among WWE fans. Perhaps Jeff will always be seen as that hungry fighter, frozen in time alongside one of WWE’s icons. For those that saw it happen in real time, that memory has never left. It probably never will.

But standing across the ring from Jeff at Hell in a Cell is arguably WWE’s best heel right now. Randy Orton doesn’t care about Jeff’s reputation. He also doesn’t care about Hardy’s heart or passion for the business. The only thing Randy Orton cares about is decimating Jeff Hardy and leaving him for dead inside Hell in a Cell.

A key point for fans is the fact that Hardy and Orton’s showdown on September 16 does not involve a championship. No titles are on the line and the winner doesn’t get a title opportunity either. It’s not a gimmick match for the sake of having a gimmick match. This is about two guys with a score to settle and they will do so inside of a steel cage.

This is Professional Wrestling 101. The draw is the match, not the gimmick. The feud is the story, not what comes afterward. Orton and Hardy are not necessarily doing any of this to further their individual careers. This is happening because WWE indeed has a story to tell and what better characters to tell that story?

Orton and Hardy are keeping fans interested due to the intensity of the rivalry. While there may not be an obvious direction after it ends, there really doesn’t need to be. This one is not about the future, it’s about the here and now. When it comes to classic pro wrestling feuds, this one is as traditional as it gets.

But it’s working and of course it is. The basic formula for pro wrestling always works when executed properly. It’s not extremely hard to understand and it’s the easiest way to draw money in the business yet it doesn’t always happen. But it will happen for Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy at Hell in a Cell. It’s a feud that fans will not soon forget and the same should definitely be true of their match on September 16.

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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!

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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!

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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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