Opinion
Cook’s NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021 Betting Odds
NXT In Your House is tomorrow! So Cook brings out the betting odds to see if there’s any money to be had in this event!
NXT In Your House is tomorrow! So Cook brings out the betting odds to see if there’s any money to be had in this event!
I was more than a little worried I wouldn’t have anything for you guys this weekend. None of the usual sources had NXT TakeOver: In Your House betting odds on Thursday, which says something about the interest level going into the show. I know we’re all hyped up here at The Chairshot, but the general public? Hard to say. Even WWE doesn’t seem particularly interested, as the main shows & Peacock are busy selling us on Hell in a Cell.
It is kind of funny though. I can remember when NXT fans whined & complained after it looked like Vince McMahon was finally paying attention to the brand. The theory was that the more Vince paid attention, the worse the show would get. So you would think they’d be happy that Vince seemingly stopped caring at some point during the Wednesday night beatdown, right? Or at least optimistic that the show would improve?
I mean, if nothing else, we don’t have to worry about Velveteen Dream or Drake Wuertz appearing anymore. I consider that a win. Let’s see who will win on this show, with odds provided by BetOnline. As a reminder, this column is for entertainment purposes only.
Xia Li (-950) vs. Mercedes Martinez (+500)
I must say, it’s always nice when wrestling remembers something that happened more than fifteen minutes ago. Xia Li never forgetting what Mercedes did to her makes sense, and it’s a good way for her to get a big win. As for Mercedes, it seems like her future plans don’t involve NXT, but perhaps an Evalution. Even if they don’t, Xia’s the one that has more upside and should go over here.
Six-Man Tag Team Match for the NXT North American & Tag Team Championships
Bronson Reed & MSK (-850) vs. Legado del Fantasma (+450)
I could see LdF winning this if the titles weren’t on the line, as it’d be a good way to build to eventual title matches. However, Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza already lost a title match to MSK, and Bronson Reed hasn’t even properly defended the North American Championship yet. It’d be some pretty Russo-level stuff if he lost it here to Santos Escobar in a six-man tag. If Russo was booking, the title change would be a smart bet. As far as I know, he isn’t, so Bronson Reed & MSK have nothing to worry about.
Ladder Match for the Million Dollar Championship
Cameron Grimes (-125) vs. LA Knight (-115)
We’ve talked before about how NXT overuses the ladder match stipulation. If I never see another one I’ll be perfectly fine with it. At least this one feels different, as it’s for one of the most prestigious prizes in the game, and the ladder has dollar signs on it. It kind of reminds me of when Wrestling Society X had the blinged out ladder. It also helps that two of NXT’s biggest characters are in the match. LA Knight’s always known how to talk, and Cameron Grimes has learned on the job & become one of the most entertaining wrestlers during the process.
It could go either way, but we all know the old saying of the money being in the chase. When you think of the Million Dollar Championship, you think of money. LA Knight holding it makes sense, and Cameron Grimes chasing it makes even more sense.
Women’s Championship Match
Raquel Gonzalez (-1000) vs. Ember Moon (+550)
NXT really did their best to make you think that Ember has a chance in hell of defeating Raquel on this show. The oddsmakers didn’t buy it, and Raquel is a heavy favorite. Frankly, the oddsmakers are right. Nothing wrong with Ember Moon, she’s what the wrestling experts would call a good hand. It’s Raquel Gonzalez‘s time, and we know she isn’t losing that championship without defending it against her best friend Dakota Kai.
Fatal Five Way for the NXT Championship
Karrion Kross (-110) vs. Adam Cole (+275) vs. Kyle O’Reilly (+400) vs. Johnny Gargano (+500) vs. Pete Dunne (+600)
This five-way build has done the trick of making three guys look completely irrelevant, which is pretty impressive considering that one of them is Pete Dunne. Lots of problems going on here…how has Kyle O’Reilly gone from seeming like a big deal after beating Adam Cole to looking like just another goof? Part of the answer is he looks like a goof. Orange Cassidy’s wardrobe doesn’t work for everybody.
Speaking of street clothes, Karrion Kross’s wardrobe isn’t working for me either. When he showed up in NXT with that incredible entrance and Scarlett lip-synching like a crazy person, he seemed like a different cat that was bad news for everybody. Now he seems like a bouncer at a gentleman’s club that’s banging one of the entertainers. In a way it makes sense, as all four of his opponents have been accused of hanging around the NXT Club way too long. Is it time to bounce them out? Probably, but the NXT Club is so appealing.
Here’s the thing: We need to pick an underdog here at some point. Gotta make things interesting, right? There’s only one guy that hasn’t looked like a piece of crap during this build, and it’s the guy that Shawn Michaels, Triple H & Greg DeMarco agree is the future of the business.
ADAM COLE BAY BAY is our pick to make a little money here. Why not? Kross can take him on at the next TakeOver after SummerSlam, or he can move on to other things or whatever. It’s not our biggest concern at the moment, we’re about the money. The money is with Adam Cole.
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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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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!
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