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Cook’s Top 5: 2014 Wrestling Memories

Steve Cook has a little bit of 2014 introspection, and also goes over some of the biggest memories he has of the year! Cook’s celebration of Fandom continues!

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2014 was almost the last year I wrote a proper wrestling column.

It wasn’t that I’d fallen out of love with the sport, or anything like that. There were plenty of moments I fondly remember that missed the cut this week. It was just one of those things where I felt like I’d run out of things to say. We all reach that point from time to time. Back in 2014, I figured my time as an Internet wrestling writer was about done, and it was time to move on to something more serious.

That didn’t quite happen. But here are five things that did happen in 2014!

5. Ultimate Warrior Gives His Own Eulogy

In yet another sign that you can never say never in pro wrestling, the Ultimate Warrior returned to the WWE family and accepted a spot in the Hall of Fame. He was mending fences with a lot of the people that he hadn’t seen eye to eye with over the years, and WWE had gone from saying he self-destructed to calling him a legend. Warrior made his first appearance on Raw since 1996 the night after WrestleMania, and it seemed like he was going to be around in some capacity.

Then he wasn’t. He had a heart attack and passed away the day after Raw. If you listen to his speech on Raw, it’s like Warrior knew that his time on Earth was coming to an end. He summed up what the Ultimate Warrior meant to the fans, and how the fans kept his legend running forever. It’s all very eerie, and difficult to forget.

4. The End of the Shield

WWE had been dominated by the group of Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose since their debut at the 2012 Survivor Series. They started out as bad guys, but soon became beloved by the fans for their work & dedication. You knew they would have to split eventually because that’s what every group does.

Most people didn’t expect Seth Rollins to split the group. Dean Ambrose was the top suspect since he was a bit of a lunatic. Roman Reigns getting too big for his britches and leaving his friends behind seemed more likely as well. Instead, it was the Architect destroying what he created. Rollins became one of WWE’s top heels for most of the next few years, with a babyface stint mixed in there. Reigns became The Big Dog, and I have no idea what happened to Dean Ambrose. Probably went back to Cincinnati or something.

3. CM Punk Exits WWE

Things happened pretty suddenly in 2014. One day, CM Punk was a featured performer on WWE programming, one of the top faces and seemingly in line for a big feud against Triple H, who was the on-air boss. The next day he was gone, never to be seen in a WWE match again, at least as of the time this column will be published.

What happened? Punk told Colt Cabana & us all about how he was burnt out, injured and basically went home. WWE officially fired him on his wedding day. There were legal proceedings. There was a UFC stint. Punk would eventually return to the wrestling business as a contributor to WWE Backstage on FS1. To say people were underwhelmed by that being his big return would be an understatement. At one point, people thought a Punk return would be a big deal. In any event, even though Punk’s career ended earlier than expected, the man still made an impact on pro wrestling.

2. The WWE Network Debuts

WWE Network

We had heard the hype about the upcoming WWE Network for the previous couple of years. Thousands of hours of WWE & classic wrestling content available with a simple click or two. New programming. A price of $9.99 per month! It all seemed too good to be true, but it happened.

It went even further than we originally thought. All WWE’s PPV events aired on WWE Network. Instead of paying $60 to watch WrestleMania, you could pay $9.99. Or get a free preview! I waited a couple of days after the launch before taking the plunge. 411 needed an NXT review, and I happened to be home that evening. NXT’s first live show on WWE Network ended up being one of my last 411 articles for a couple of years. WWE Network saw many great NXT moments over the next several years, including the start of their TakeOver series that was worth the $9.99 on its own.

This was probably the most important thing to happen to wrestling in 2014. It changed everything. However, I’m going with something else in the top spot because I’m biased.

1. That WrestleMania XXX Ending

What is it about WrestleManias with numbers ending in zero that leads to long-respected fan favorites finally getting their due on top and getting a big celebration at the end? WrestleMania X saw Bret Hart regain the WWF Championship from Yokozuna and assume his spot on top of the mountain. WrestleMania XX ended with Chris Benoit winning the World Championship and celebrating with WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero. You had to know that once WrestleMania XXX rolled around, another long-respected fan favorite would get their moment in the sun.

This time around, it was Daniel Bryan. One of my favorite moments in wrestling, and for a long time I convinced myself that Bryan’s career ended that evening & the year or so after that big win never happened. Now that he’s wrestling again I’m ok with all of it.

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) 

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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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!

 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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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

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) 

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)


Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

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