ZWrestleTalk's newest writer JD explains what's important at WrestleMania 34. Much like the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and World Series, WrestleMania is the culmination of a full, long year of action. Every April, 70,000+ people pile into one of the premiere football stadiums around the country to witness WrestleMania, and millions more around the world watch at home. Despite wrestling’s status as a niche interest to most people, WrestleMania is something everyone can enjoy, whether you haven’t watched wrestling since 2002 or have never watched in your life. The perfect combination of athletics, lights, fireworks, live music, and larger-than-life personalities, WrestleMania is undoubtedly the greatest live event in entertainment today. I’ll be ranking every match by importance to help anyone interested in watching the eye-popping spectacle this Sunday in New Orleans better understand the pageantry that is the 34th annual WrestleMania event. 14. Women's Battle RoyalWhat is it: There is one thing notable about this match, and that doesn’t even apply anymore. The original name of this match was the “Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal,” named after one of the earliest women’s wrestlers The Fabulous Moolah and intended to be the female counterpart to the all-male Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Well, it turns out that Fabulous Moolah might not have been worth commemorating, as reports over her mistreating trainees (including that she would pimp out students to make money) caused major uproar, eventually forcing WWE to change the name of the match. Hopefully this ends a little bit better than the last WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal, which was actually won by a man in 2009. Classic WWE. Why it’s important: It isn’t. This match is for the women who weren’t good enough to get a real match on the real show. I’m probably not even going to watch this match. My pick: Sasha Banks 13. Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal What is it: This is the 5th annual Andre Battle Royal, with the first one actually taking place in New Orleans as well, at WrestleMania 30. This is maybe the most inconsequential match in WrestleMania history. The winner receives no incentives besides a big trophy, and no Andre Winner has ever received a legitimate push (move up to the main event, holding championships, more TV time) after winning. This year’s match has a very lackluster lineup as well, with Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Matt Hardy being the only notable names scheduled to participate. Why it’s important: Once again, it isn’t. I promise I will get more positive from here on out. Until WWE commits to pushing the winner of this match, it won’t mean anything. My pick: Some surprise return/debut. None of the guys who have announced they’ll be in the match are consistently booked well, so I have no reason to believe they’ll win. 12. Tournament Final for the Vacant Cruiserweight Championship – Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali What is it: Although this match is taking place on the pre-show, there is a high probability it will be match of the night. WWE’s Cruiserweight division consists of young competitors less than 205 pounds, and high-flying, fast-paced action is the division’s specialty. After former champion Enzo Amore was released by the company in late January, a 16-man tournament was organized to crown a new champion, culminating at WrestleMania. These two men were the most impressive competitors in the tournament and deserve this match at Mania. Why it’s important: These are two of the best professional wrestlers in the world, and they’ve worked their entire life to compete at WrestleMania. Both men are young, in top-shape, and look the part of a wrestling champion. This also features a battle of arguably the two best finishers in WWE today, Mustafa Ali’s Imploding 450 Degree Splash, and Cedric Alexander’s Lumbar Check. My pick: Cedric Alexander 11. RAW Women’s Championship Match – Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Nia Jax What is it: For the past year, other than a short 8-day reign over the summer from Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss has been RAW Women’s Championship. Debuting at only 25 years old and standing at only 5 feet tall, Bliss was often overlooked in favor of stars like Charlotte Flair and Banks by fans, but since debuting on the main roster, Alexa Bliss has been the most successful woman in WWE. What Bliss may lack in size, she makes up for on the mic, as she is one of the best female talkers WWE has ever had. Her opponent, Nia Jax, stands at 6 feet tall and weighs over 270 pounds. Why it’s important: I honestly am not that excited for this match. It’s important because it’s for the Women’s Championship and is the culmination of a long-term storyline between ex-best friends Jax and Bliss, with Bliss assuming the role of “high school mean girl” making fun of Jax’s weight. However, these women aren’t particularly good wrestlers, and the size difference is staggering. I expect this to be no longer than 5 minutes. My pick: Nia Jax 10. Triple Threat Tag Team Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships – The Usos (c) vs. The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and/or Xavier Woods) vs. The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) What is it: I’m expecting this match to be a showcase for The Usos, the best tag team on the planet. For years, The Usos were slaphappy, dancing, white meat babyfaces. They put on great matches, but couldn’t connect with the crowd. Frustration over lack of connection caused The Usos to become more aggressive and turn heel, attacking opponents after matches and cutting scathing promos. Since this attitude change, The Usos have gained the respect of fans worldwide, with much thanks to an insane 5-match series in 2017 vs. The New Day that ended inside Hell in a Cell. Why it’s important: The Usos and New Day are all great wrestlers who have impeccable chemistry with one another. It’s impossible for them to have a bad match together. Throw in the 6’5”, 275-pound Harper and the 6’8”, 315-pound Rowan of the Bludgeon Brothers and you have combustible elements that should make for a fun match. My pick: The Usos 9. Fatal 4-Way for the United States Championship – Randy Orton (c) vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Rusev What is it: Ever since Dolph Ziggler vacated the title (for absolutely no reason at all, I may add) in December, the United States Championship picture has been cloudy. Roode defeated Mahal to win the vacant title in January, but lost to Orton, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of this century, last month. Mahal claimed he deserved a rematch with Roode before Orton got his opportunity, leading to a scheduled Triple Threat match at Mania. Hardly anyone cared about the match however, so fan-favorite and leading merchandise-seller Rusev was added. Why it’s important: Before Rusev was added, this match was somewhat important for one reason and one reason only: Randy Orton. Orton has dominated WWE for over 16 years, and won the WWE Championship last year at Mania. He will always have a high-profile match at the event. However, Roode and Mahal have not inspired much hype. Roode is about as bland a character as there is in WWE right now, assuming a good-guy character that just doesn’t fit his personality. Mahal is one of the most scrutinized wrestlers in the world, with fans saying he “doesn’t deserve what WWE gives him,” although I think he’s hilarious (if he enters Mania on an elephant, I will die). Thanks to the Rusev addition, who is one of the hottest acts in the company due to a silly gimmick where he declares every day as Rusev Day, fans have warmed up to the match just a little bit. My pick: Rusev 8. RAW Tag Team Championship Match – Sheamus and Cesaro (c) vs. Braun Strowman and TBD What is it: Ever since turning from bitter enemies into best friends in 2016, Sheamus and Cesaro have dominated the RAW Tag Team scene, having won the titles on four different occasions. Due to this dominance, Sheamus and Cesaro went on Raw, Twitter, and Instagram begging for better competition in the tag division. Who would answer the call? The 6’8”, 400-pound monster among men that is Braun Strowman. Strowman won a number one contender’s tag team match by himself, and was told he must find a partner in time for Mania. Why it’s important: While Sheamus and Cesaro are wily veterans who are some of the best performers in the company, this match is all about Strowman. Over the past calendar year, Braun Strowman has been the hottest act in all of WWE, and many people argue that he should be in the main event of WrestleMania instead of this match. Over the past year, Strowman has tipped an ambulance, a semi-truck, broke the ring (twice), and beaten up a grown man with a cello. When Braun’s on the screen, your eyes are glued to it. My pick: Braun Strowman and TBD 7. SmackDown Women’s Championship Match – Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Asuka What is it: Since being signed to NXT in 2015, Asuka has been the single-most dominant person in wrestling history. The woman is being booked like prime Goldberg. Having never lost a match in NXT, Asuka was called up to Monday Night Raw in October and has still yet to lose a match, including the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match, guaranteeing her a title opportunity at Mania. Asuka chose to switch brands and challenge SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, daughter of wrestling legend Ric Flair. Charlotte is a 5-time Women’s Champion, and the most athletically gifted woman on the roster. Asuka has beaten almost everybody, but at WrestleMania, she’ll face Flair for the first time in her career. Why it’s important: These are two of the most dominant stars in WWE today, and they should pull out all the stops in what could end up being one of the better matches of the night. Asuka works a strong, stiff style and Flair has a dominating presence and varied move-set. While I think Charlotte could be the right pick to break Asuka’s streak, it’s not a great idea for her as a babyface. My pick: Asuka 6. Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Championship – The Miz (c) vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins What is it: The Miz, an 8-time Intercontinental Champion, has always loved to claim that the Intercontinental Championship is the most prestigious championship in WWE. Being the holder of this prestigious title, he demanded a worthy challenger to face him at WrestleMania. He got 2 challengers: Seth Rollins and Finn Balor. Rollins, a genetic freak athlete in his prime, is a 2-time Heavyweight Champion and made history when he cashed in Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 31. The Irish Balor was one of the biggest stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling and is arguably the most charismatic star in WWE today. Both Balor and Rollins scored wins over The Miz, so this was made into a Triple Threat. Why it’s important: Another match of the night contender, Rollins and Balor have already proven they are a great pair in the ring, including a thrilling match just this past Monday on Raw. The Miz is always entertaining, and while he can’t go in the ring quite like the other 2, he will definitely be a pivotal piece in this match. The entrances in this match should be a sight too, especially if Balor assumes his Demon alter ego. If so, we’re in for a treat. My pick: Finn Balor 5. Mixed Tag Team Match – Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon What is it: Former UFC Champion and Olympian Ronda Rousey, one of WWE’s most prized signings ever, made her debut at the Royal Rumble, while signing her Raw Contract at Elimination Chamber with Raw General Manager Kurt Angle and WWE Executives Triple H and Stephanie McMahon present in the ring. Ronda signed the contract, Kurt Angle became the biggest snitch of all time and revealed the McMahons true intentions when signing Ronda, and next thing you know Ronda put Triple H through a freakin’ table. The beef only got worse, and Rousey used her contract to team up with Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle to face Stephanie and Triple H. Why it’s important: Ronda Rousey is quite possibly the biggest name in WWE today. Her debut match is going to be very important, and is going to have a lot of close eyes on it. Rousey has been a mixed bag thus far in WWE, with flashes of serious badassery sprinkled in with awkward moments. This match could be a train wreck; it could have the hottest crowd reaction of the night, but no matter what it’s going to be fun to watch. My pick: Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey 4. Tag Team Match (If Owens and Zayn win, they are rehired by WWE) – Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn What is it: Ever since coming to SmackDown last April, Kevin Owens has had it out for SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon. Owens accused McMahon of costing him the United States Championship at SummerSlam, challenged him to a match inside Hell in a Cell, and enlisted the help of best-friend-turned-enemy-turned-best-friend-again Sami Zayn to defeat McMahon. Since that victory, Owens and Zayn have done everything they could do to get Shane McMahon off SmackDown, but they’ve met their match in the form of SmackDown General Manager and 4-time Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, who is coming out of retirement for his first match in 3 years to team up with McMahon and stop the rebels once and for all. Why it’s important: Daniel Bryan! Bryan is one of the most popular stars in WWE history, and him coming out of retirement has sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling world. Bryan will make his return in the same place he won the main event of WrestleMania 4 years ago. Any match with Bryan would be important, but the compelling long-term story between him, McMahon, Owens, and Zayn makes it even sweeter. My pick: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn 3. WWE Championship Match – AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura What is it: In 2016, the signings of AJ Styles and Shinusuke Nakamura, both former stars in Japan, changed the landscape of WWE. Styles was a rare immediate-call-up to the main roster and quickly became WWE Champion, while Nakamura became a 2-time NXT Champion before being called up one year ago. Since Nakamura got called up to SmackDown, fans have clamored for a match between him and Styles. The two faced off in the Tokyo Dome two years ago in a classic match, and the dream rematch became a reality when Nakamura won the Royal Rumble in January, cashing in his title shot against Styles at Mania. Why it’s important: To the hardcore fans, this is the most anticipated match on the WrestleMania card. Styles and Nakamura have wrestled for every promotion around the world, gaining a steady following before signing to WWE and taking their star to the next level. Styles is the best all-around wrestler in WWE today, and Nakamura is a charismatic, mysterious, hard-hitting veteran who has been long been regarded as one of the best big match performers in the world. There are a lot of expectations for this match, and we’ll see Sunday if they live up to it. My pick: AJ Styles 2. Universal Championship Match – Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns What is it: The new top star and face of WWE, there has been no wrestler in history as controversial as Roman Reigns. The 6’3”, 265-pound Reigns was bred to be WWE’s next top guy, beginning with his WrestleMania main event match in 2015 vs. Brock Lesnar. The fans had different ideas, though. Reigns ascent as a heroic babyface was met with horrendous reaction from fans, and WWE had to book Seth Rollins to cash in Money in the Bank and steal the WWE Championship. 3 years later and despite all the haters, Reigns is the new top star of WWE, and after winning inside the Elimination Chamber, finally gets another crack at beating Brock Lesnar. Why it’s important: This match has been rumored for well over a year, and has been presented by WWE as the top storyline heading into Mania. For all the hate he gets, Roman Reigns is WWE’s most consistent performer today, and has an aura around him that only top stars have. Brock Lesnar has long been one of WWE’s most dominant figures, but with a potential UFC return looming, this could very well be his last wrestling match. This won’t just be a match; it’ll be a fight. My pick: Roman Reigns 1. John Cena vs. The Undertaker "not confirmed"What is it: The unquestionable greatest performer in WrestleMania history is The Undertaker. Rattling off a never-to-be-duplicated 21 straight wins at WWE’s flagship show before losing to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30, The Undertaker once again suffered defeat at WrestleMania last year, losing to Roman Reigns in the main event. After his second WrestleMania loss, the aging left his hat, gloves, and jacket in the ring, presumably retiring. Undertaker was never heard from again, never even to confirm his retirement. After John Cena lost the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and WWE Championship Match at Fastlane last month, he needed to find a way to have a match at WrestleMania. So, he called out the Undertaker. Every week for the past month, and a half. The Undertaker has not responded yet, and Cena says he’ll be at Mania regardless of if Taker shows up or not.
Why it’s important: Just look at those names. John Cena is quite possibly the greatest professional wrestler of all time, and The Undertaker has been a leading force in WWE for almost 30 years. A match between the two has been a pipe dream for wrestling fans for a long time. Undertaker’s match versus Roman Reigns was presumed to be his last, but the match was sloppy and left a melancholy feeling in fans’ hearts. Now, thanks to Cena carrying the feud with promos attacking Taker and provoking every week, fans are as eager to see The Undertaker as they’ve ever been. If this match happens, it will go down as one of the signature moments in WrestleMania history. My pick: The Undertaker I'm pumped to be writing for ZWrestleTalk. Readers, you can expect more content from me after WrestleMania. What's your thoughts on WrestleMania 34? Leave a comment below.
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ZWrestleTalk's Dom Bouchard gives his quick takes on WrestleMania 34. Women's Battle Royal
Winner: Naomi Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Winner: Big Cass Cruiserweight Title Mustafa Ali vs Cedric Alexander I see this match as a potential best match of the night. I truly hope the crowd will show them the respect they deserve. Ali is a wonderful wrestler and very cool guy and so is Cedric. I expect a high flying and technical masterpiece. Winner: Mustafa Ali Raw Tag Team Championship The Bar vs Braun Strowman and ? Here comes James Ellsworth. Just kidding! I predict Big Show to be the surprise tag team partner. Cesaro and Sheamus will find a way to steal this one by pinning Big Show which will push Braun to destroy the three guys and create a new Braun destruction clip. Winners: The Bar SmackDown Tag Team Title Match The Uso's vs The New Day vs Bludgeon Brothers This is finally the first Uso's WrestleMania main card match. I see them dominating and proving without a doubt that they are the best team in the world. It will be a four star affair. Winners: The Uso's Intercontinental Championship The Miz VS Finn Balor VS Seth Rollins It will be the best match of the night. Seth is the best Raw wrestler by far, and he will keep his string of awesome matches going. Finn is also an amazing performer, and The Miz can follow them. Winner: Seth Rollins RAW Women's Title Match Alexa Bliss VS Nia Jax 30 second squash match. Winner: Nia Jax SmackDown Women's Title Match Charlotte Flair VS Asuka I see Carmella trying to cash in similar to Seth Rollins but getting pinned by Asuka to protect the streak and Charlotte Flair. Winner: Asuka Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle VS Stephanie McMahon and Triple H What a waste of time! This will probably be a terrible match on a otherwise stacked card. This contest involves a stiff rookie whose ring skills we do not know about yet. Plus two old, "over the hill" guys, and a 45 year old woman who never wrestles. Disaster incoming for this. Winners: Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn VS Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan To me this is the co-main event of the show. It will be a show stealer. Daniel Bryan will make the crowd go wild. He is the most over guy in the company by far. Kevin Owens is the most underrated wrestler in the world. Sami Zayn will do his part to create a magical WrestleMania moment. Winners: Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon John Cena and The Undertaker segment I expect Taker to come out and kick Cena's ass, and challenge him for a later date. Elias segment Although reports say The Rock isn't showing up. Let's hope he shows up for this. United States Championsip Randy Orton vs Jinder Mahal vs Rusev vs Bobby Roode It might be a sleeper match. Roode and Rusev are both capable of going hard but I think Mahal will steal the match. Winner: Jinder Mahal WWE World Title Match AJ Styles VS Shinsuke Nakamura The true main event in my opinion. Nothing but a five star match is to be expected. Shinsuke is a shell of his former New Japan self but I think he still has one great match left and with AJ Styles it is the time to do it. Winner: AJ Styles Brock Lesnar VS Roman Reigns This match will be a hard hitting affair. Reigns will prove once again he has three moves in his arsenal. So expect 33 german suplexes, 37 superman punches, 17 spears, and 12 F5's. Okay I am kidding I forgot punches and samoan drops. Damn. Still it will be a hard hitting match with Roman Reigns kicking out of an F5 and winning after his 12th spear. Winner: Roman Reigns Follow @domghosthunter ZWrestleTalk's Dom Bouchard gives his quick takes on the NXT TakeOver New Orleans event. Which will be a truly groundbreaking event for NXT. What an amazing card we have. This is the wrestling fan's dream card. Ember Moon vs Shayna Baszler Baszler will win in a very tough battle. I expect Ember Moon to move to the main roster pretty soon. Six-Man Ladder Match for North American Championship Adam Cole vs Velveteen Dream vs Lars Sullivan vs Killian Dain vs EC3 vs Ricochet The title has an old school feel to it. It truly fits the vibe NXT is trying to create.
I can't wait for this one. Two debuts in one match which is totally unheard of. Ricochet, is one of the most athletic and spectacular wrestlers in the world, and EC3 is one of the most charismatic. The Dream is the next big thing, and Dain is the next big monster. I am not sold yet on either Lars Sullivan nor Adam Cole. I think Cole is a very ordinary talent,and Sullivan still needs to keep improving but wow what a match. It might be the second best match of the weekend. I believe Dream will walk out with the championship. The Undisputed Era VS Authors of Pain VS Pete Dunne and Rodereick Strong This will be a wonderful all out brawl. Authors of Pain are on their way out. So I expect Fish and O'Reilly to keep their titles. Even though the best wrestler in the world Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong are to remain together which would surprise me. Dunne is so good on his own. Maybe NXT is keeping them a team until they build a stacked Tag Team division post-Mania draining. Johnny Gargano VS Tommaso Ciampa This is without a doubt the "Match of the Year" coming up. Nothing short of a six star match will be a disappointment. The only question is if Ciampa is 100 percent. Even at 80 percent he is still one of the best in the world. I think Johnny Wrestling takes round one of this thrilling feud. Andrade "Cien" Almas VS Aleister Black This will also be a possible show stealer. Almas is without a doubt a main event player and Black is the one of the future faces of the WWE. It will be violent and spectacular. I'm going with the upset of Almas winning. Follow @domghosthunter on Twitter. Triple Z was live at NXT Detroit. The show had an interesting mix. Overall the show delivered. Lars Sullivan defeats Kassius OhnoBefore the show even started. WWE played the "Then. Now. Forever" clip they show before television events. One fan shouted "OH NO WE'RE STUCK WATCHING RAW?" The crowd erupted in laughter. The fans were on fire that night. I'm not a Kassius Ohno fan. He seems super overrated. I don't think I've cared about him since his first run in NXT. Maybe even far enough back to when he fought CM Punk in that pull barn. Lars Sullivan has the skills. I wouldn't be surprised to see him rushed to the main roster soon. Vince loves his big guys. Overall the match was great and started off a good card. Who's over more? Kassius Ohno Most Main Roster Potential: Lars Sullivan Dakota Kai defeats Lacey EvansKai and Evans can wrestle. Lacey Evans has a great character. Dakota Kai brought the intensity in this matchup. Terrific match, very surprising these two were on the road trip though. Who's over more? Lacey Evans Most Main Roster Potential: Lacey Evans SIDENOTE: Last time NXT came to Detroit they brought all their top people. This time it felt like they experimented a bit. I mean how do you not bring Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon, Sanity, Authors of Pain, and Roderick Strong on this road trip? Angelo Dawkins defeats Cezar BononiThis is what I was trying to get at with the sidenote above. NO ONE KNEW WHO CEZAR BONONI IS. Except for one guy in the crowd chanting that we would know him if we watched NXT. Okay yeah sure bud. I get it he showed up on NXT once or twice. Why is he on the tour? I get the point of NXT is to prepare and develop the superstars of tomorrow but shouldn't he be competing at the local NXT events first? NXT Detroit lost an opportunity to see someone else. Which is a shame. Bononi all in all was alright. Nothing that caught my eyes. Angelo Dawkins on the other hand. He had the look, the gimmick, the mic skills, and the in-ring knowledge to back it all up. The Street Profits have a bright future in NXT. Dawkins cut a promo where he shouted "Detroit" and the crowd would cheerfully respond with "Basketball." Dawkins couldn't of asked for a better scenario that night. Other then of course being in action with his tag partner. Who's more over? Angelo Dawkins Most Main Roster Potential: Angelo Dawkins Adam Cole defeats Christopher DijakDijak competing was also fascinating. Most of us know him from Ring of Honor so it made sense he was on the tour. NXT has to take advantage of its natural wrestling talent. Especially the ones who are use to performing in front of a indy-like crowd. Dijak is a monster. Once he reaches main roster Vince will drop the "Christopher" and he will just be known as Dijak. It's cleaner and WWE loves single names. Adam Cole is incredibly over. Very glad he was at the show. Dijak and Cole went on to have a fun match. Both competitors looked very good. Who's more over? Adam Cole Most Main Roster Potential: Christopher Dijak (Surprised? Dijak is a monster. WWE loves their monsters.) The Undisputed Era defeats Heavy MachineryHeavy Machinery are over. The fun duo has a lot of potential to go far. The Undisputed Era still have it. Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly received help from Adam Cole to win their match. This group should dominate NXT for a long time. I still fear their main roster potential though. We have seen a lot of NXT greats fall flat. Otis Dozovic is a star. His worm was incredible. Dream match for Heavy Machinery would be The Revival. Two old school teams meet. Who's more over? The Undisputed Era Most Main Roster Potential: Heavy Machinery Shayna Baszler defeats Kairi Sane by DQLet me start off by saying Shayna Baszler is so bad. Like this match was so boring. Poor Kairi Sane did her best to make it work. The crowd went in complete silence. How does a fired up Detroit crowd just die? Make Shayna Baszler compete. Then Dakota Kai saved us all as she came in and attacked Baszler due to a previous attack earlier in the night. Sane has SmackDown written all over her. Sane could also still have a prosperous career down in NXT. All depends on what they want to do with her. By far this was the worst match of the night. Which was a surprise due to the crowd being in love with Kairi Sane. NXT needs to figure out Shayna Baszler though. Who's more over? Kairi Sane Main Roster Potential: Kairi Sane Aleister Black defeats Velveteen DreamThis match makes up for the amount of NXT talent that didn't appear on the card. A rematch from NXT TakeOver War Games. Dream came out to a huge pop. So did Aleister Black. The two had a absolute stellar contest that resulted in Black coming out on top. Fun psychology and crazy moves made this another classic. Velveteen also cut an amazing promo about Detroit sports prior to his match. Who's more over? It was a tie. Main Roster Potential: Tie Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae defeat Andrade Almas & Zelina VegaJohnny Gargano may be WWE's second coming of Daniel Bryan. Gargano may be a even better version. Gargano has a innovative in-ring style. Charisma is also on his side. Candice LeRae is fantastic. She should be next in line to hold the NXT Women's Championship. Gargano and LeRae could easily become WWE's It couple. If WWE was truly forward thinking. They have to play the hot NXT act every year. WrestleMania 35 could be Roman Reigns (who has held the title for a full year) taking on underdog Johnny Gargano. Gargano wins, and a life time achievement is accomplished. A phenomenal celebration would ensue. Next night on RAW. Enter Tommaso Ciampa. You repeat a big NXT feud again. Although WWE has tons of talent. If they kept playing the hot talent from NXT fans wouldn't get bored. Although I had high praise for Gargano/LeRae. It doesn't mean Almas and Vega aren't as impressive. Zelina Vega turned Almas around. The once joke of NXT became the rightful champion. Saving us from a boring reign of Drew McIntyre. THANK YOU ALMAS. The duo is ready for main roster but I have no problems having them dominate NXT. The actual match that night was everything you wanted in a Tag Team match. Great storytelling from all of them. Mixed Tag Matches are another thing NXT can do better than main roster. Facebook has to get involved in order to have mixed tag matches. After the main event. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae shook people's hands and took pictures. True blue babyfaces. LeRae could be the most over Women's wrestler in 2019. Not to mention that she can go toe to toe with the men. The future is bright for these four. Who's more over? Johnny Gargano Most Main Roster Potential: Candice LeRae The event had all the action, emotion, and excitement you want out of a pro wrestling event. Despite some NXT stars not showing up, but the show still delivered. NXT realistically could tour the midwest every single year and they would sell out. WWE please take note.
Follow @TripleZ_87 on Twitter. Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter. Triple Z recaps his favorite moments from last night's epic Royal Rumble event.
The first ever event to feature two Royal Rumble matches did not disappoint. The men's Royal Rumble went on early. The men's Rumble going on early is similar to when Undertaker does his entrance in the daylight it just doesn't feel right. Rusev is super over with the crowd. Funny how that happens when WWE least expects it. Finn Balor came out at number two. The beginnings of this match had Baron Corbin attacking everyone. Elias singing to the crowd before our first surprise entrant Adrien "Cien" Almas came out. Sami Zayn ended up stealing Tye Dillinger's spot at 10. The eventual winner Shinsuke Nakamura came out at 14. The New Day spot later in the match was great. Kofi Kingston having his foot be saved by Xavier Woods was hilarious. Then The New Day air lifted him back into the ring. Only to have Kofi quickly eliminated by Andrade "Cien" Almas.
I thought it was unnecessary to have Sheamus, Cesaro, and Seth Rollins in this match. We knew none of them had a shot because they had a match next. I'm glad WWE was aware that having Jason Jordan in the Royal Rumble would've been a bad idea. The final ten entrants in the match are a weird mix of characters. At 20 we have John Cena. Followed by another surprise with The Hurricane who I was convinced was going to eliminate a big name. Aiden English came out at 22. English only lasted two minutes in the match. Yet RUSEV DAY was still over with the crowds this even lasted to when Lana came out in her Royal Rumble match. Adam Cole who was banged up from NXT TakeOver on the previous night entered the match. The arena popped and he had a nice showing. Randy Orton, who was last year's winner, entered at 24 looking to make history and tie Stone Cold Steve Austin's three Rumble winner record. The next entries were Titus O'Neil and The Miz. Then boom another surprise. Rey Mysterio comes back and looks better then ever.
Now this was a moment. What a final six. The final three would become Cena, Reigns, and Nakamura. With Shinsuke Nakamura eliminating Reigns to win the Royal Rumble. I was convinced Reigns was going to win.
I feel if Roman Reigns ever wins another Royal Rumble match he will have to start off at number one to make it interesting. When Reigns came out at number 28 I thought it was over. So it was a nice surprise to see Nakamura pull it off. I'm excited for the possibility of seeing Rey Mysterio in WWE again. This was a Royal Rumble that had great moments, fun surprises, and a true surprise outcome. So overall this is one of the better Rumble's I've seen in years. Shinsuke Nakamura will challenge AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. Which has every intention to become match of the year. Speaking of WrestleMania we move onto Brock Lesnar VS Kane VS Braun Strowman. Nothing out of the ordinary. The match was typical Brock fare. Lesnar of course got the W. This most likely meaning we are getting Lesnar VS Reigns II at WrestleMania 34 unless something wild happens at Elimination Chamber. The first ever Women's Royal Rumble relied on nostalgia, and it worked. I don't know how WWE will top it for next year. Hopefully they can get some of the former wrestlers back for it. Lita was pretty crazy almost killing herself on that moonsault. It's all for the fans am I right? Molly Holly looks like she could come back full time. I wouldn't put it past Kelly Kelly or Torrie Wilson to be surprises every so often. All of the free agents and Hall of Famers looked impressive. Trish Stratus especially was impressive. Give that woman a match at Mania. She could still go with Mickie James and or give her Sasha Banks. WrestleMania is a 7968 hour show anyways, so would adding another big match hurt? Asuka was the right winner in the end. Despite how cool it would of been to see a free agent or Hall of Famer win. On top of a great match we got to see the debut of Ronda Rousey in the WWE. It will be interesting to see where she ends up at WrestleMania. I'm predicting Asuka will challenge Charlotte for the SmackDown Live Women's Championship. Just to make it a big match feel. WWE has been building towards that for awhile. Both Royal Rumble matches could of been a lot worse. WWE got it right and now the excitement heading into Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania is at a high. Jonathan Coachman returns to RAW commentary tonight. Ronda Rousey is in the WWE. Rey Mysterio returns to WWE. All is right in the world of wrestling. Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ZWrestleTalk Dom Bouchard gives his bold predictions for WWE in 2018. Triple Z either agrees or disagrees with his prediction, and makes some of his own bold predictions. Let's BeginDom Bouchard: Usos will firmly establish themselves as the best tag team of all time. Feuds with Gable and Benjamin, Bludgeon Brothers, and Authors of Pain will keep them busy. Triple Z: Wait did you really just drop "best of all time?" This one I have to disagree with. The Uso's have been able to constantly reinvent themselves. I'm predicting the duo will be traded to RAW which will likely result in a downfall. Disagrees The New Day will break up. Well kind... They will simply go their separate ways. Kofi will return to mid-card status. Big E will make a splash and feud with Roman and Braun. Xavier could do very well on 205 or in the upper mid card on SD. This is another one I can't get behind. The reason The New Day formed was because WWE couldn't do anything creative with the trio. Now that WWE discovered the talent they have within The New Day it will be tempting not to split up the group. Reasoning why I disagree with this is because WWE needs The New Day merch. This would be cool to see creatively if they all stayed on the same brand of SmackDown. Have Xavier win the tag titles with Big E, and then have Kofi Kingston finally get his shot as world champ. Disagrees Brock Lesnar will re-sign and remain a main event player. But he will lose to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. Yeah, this is likely. Brock Lesnar is wrestling a light schedule and he's making $12 million doing it. Some NHL, NBA, and NFL players don't even make that type of money and they work a full season! Brock will lay down for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. Agrees Authors of Pain will make an impact on Raw and dominate the tag division. These guys are beasts. Whenever Authors of Pain debut they will dominate, and if they don't WWE is creatively lost. Paul Ellering coming back to pro wrestling is one of the most underrated topic in the past year or so. I'm excited to see what they do. Agrees Ricochet will become a main event wrestler in a short time either on NXT or on Raw. This is like a kinda-agree. I don't have confidence in WWE's handling of Ricochet on main roster. On NXT that's a different story. I don't see Ricochet making it automatically up to main roster just yet. Also it does kinda help when you are buddy buddies with The Rock on Twitter. Kinda-Agrees Big Show will retire along with R-Truth and Goldust. I'm skeptical about R-Truth retiring. He can still entertain and he's only 45. Even though he's getting up there he can still contribute. The same could be said about Goldust but I think his time is coming to a close. I think we have seen the last of Big Show. Similar to how Mark Henry abruptly retired. I also expect Kane to retire this year. Especially if he wins mayor. Agrees John Cena will win his 17th world title. Probably against Styles or Nakamura. This is a safe bet for 2018. John Cena is used as a transition champ now. I have a feeling we won't see him against Nakamura again especially after that bad botch. Agrees Nakamura vs AJ Styles at Wrestlemania will be awesome and the king of strong style will prevail. Hmm. I'll go with agree despite a lot can change on the road to WrestleMania. Agrees Jason Jordan will become the new Roman Reigns everyone rejects him but they continue to push him. The kid is an amazing athlete. Jason Jordan is a good athlete. His run has been unimpressive and really uninspired. It's not his fault there was a reason he worked inside a tag team. WWE randomly picking him as the second chosen one is very strange. This is a 2018 prediction that already came true in 2017. So I definitely agree with this one. Agrees Chad Gable will be the revelation of the year and push his way to a mid card championship. I can fully get behind this. Soon WWE is going to want Shelton Benjamin to compete in the singles divisions. WWE has to utilize the man for Money in the Bank. So that will leave Gable without a partner again. His rise has been natural different from his former partner in American Alpha. Agrees Mojo Rawley will fail as a heel. He will falter after his feud with Ryder who will leave shortly after that. Zack Ryder leaving the WWE? I strongly disagree. Mojo won't fail as a heel because the fans already dislike him. Mojo will continue to scrap on the low card similar to Apollo Crews on RAW. Disagrees Braun Strowman will be a dominant beast all year and may beat Brock at SummerSlam, and then feud with Killian Dain. Dom, this is a super confusing prediction. Not the Strowman being a beast part. The Killian Dain part. I don't see WWE pushing Sanity up that quick. Not quick enough for them to embark on singles feuds anyways. Braun had a great 2017 I see him fading a bit in 2018. Disagrees. Johnny Gargano will become NXT Champion, and he will be the first guy to say no to join the main roster after seeing how they treated Neville and Bo Dallas and Sami Zayn. I agree on the part where you say Johnny Gargano will become NXT Champion. This is another moment where I screamed "DOM" real loud at my computer. There is not a chance on earth Johnny Gargano would turn down the opportunity to be on the main roster. That's the only way he could live the dream of being at WrestleMania among other things. Disagrees Drew McIntyre will be a dominant force on SDLive and re-establish himself as the true chosen one. Strongly disagree his last run in NXT was unappealing. Fans overhyped him and he's not exciting in the ring as everyone thinks. I do see him getting the call up because you can't linger in NXT forever. I'm looking at you Kassius Ohno. Eventually he will get the call up but he will fizzle. Disagrees Aleister Black will dominate NXT and make a splash on Raw as a very cool character and extraordinary athlete. Yes this is a pretty simple agree. As long as WWE doesn't throw him with 205 Live. He will become a great main roster edition. Especially on RAW where he could embark on feuds with Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Elias, and The Miz. Agrees Sanity will become a mid card stable on Raw. They scream SmackDown to me. So I'm going to have to disagree. Although with a brand shake-up they could end up on RAW. Disagrees Daniel Bryan will not wrestle in WWE again. Daniel Bryan will not wrestle in the WWE but he's definitely going to show up to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Bullet Club Daniel Bryan all the way. WWE should just let him wrestle all though it's literally a gigantic medical risk. Just take advantage of while you got him instead of losing him to NJPW. Agrees We will see to much of Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon. Agree. No further elaboration on this topic. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will end their "friendship" and feud again. This will provide us with some good matches so I'm all for it. Agrees AJ Styles will stay the best in the world. Unless he runs into Velveteen Dream. Sorta-Agrees Triple Z gives his Bold Ten PredictionsI give my ten bold predictions and Dom responds with agrees or disagrees. WWE gets a show on Facebook Watch after the success of the Mixed Match Challenge Ronda Rousey will appear in the WWE. 2018 is this year CM Punk returns to pro wrestling. WWE does a test run streaming on Twitter. The Elite hosts a second "All In" event by the end of 2018 Daniel Bryan wrestles again in NJPW Finn Balor captures the Universal Championship WWE announces the second Cruiserweight Classic to generate interest Eric Bischoff and the NWO are inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Vince McMahon resurrects the XFL In a shocking twist... Dom Bouchard agreed on everything.
Well that's it for now. Thanks for reading ZWrestleTalk! Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter Follow @TripleZ_87 on Twitter Follow @domghosthunter on Twitter Dom Bouchard gives his awards for this year in WWE. All awards will be split into categories by brand. Which consists of NXT, RAW, and SmackDown. Let's get to it. Feud of the YearNXT: Bobby Roode VS Roderick Strong Roode VS Strong was a great story of a man looking for a chance to prove that he belongs. Strong was going up against an established star in Bobby Roode. SmackDown: The Uso's VS The New Day The Uso's and The New Day were the MVP's of the year. Consistency and time after time delivering in the ring. RAW: Braun Strowman VS Roman Reigns The feud was a violent clash between two goliaths every time they met in the ring. Wrestler of the YearNXT: Drew McIntyre The return of the chosen one. Drew McIntyre had a short reign as NXT champion but has proven that he has what it takes to be the face of NXT. SmackDown: AJ Styles AJ Styles proved to everyone he is the best wrestler in the world by a mile. Give him a big match and he will deliver. It's great to see the title back on him. RAW: Braun Strowman Just a absolute monster that really got to break out in 2017. His confrontation with Triple H may be the defining moment for Braun. He's the unexpected main event breakout of the year. "Rookie" of the YearVelveteen Dream. Patrick Clark proved he was the real winner of Tough Enough. Along with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville of course. His character should carry him for years to come. Hopefully the main roster doesn't give him the "Tyler Breeze" treatment. Although if you look at it. Breeze has once again risen to the top. The future is bright for the dream. Match of the YearNXT: Aleister Black VS Velveteen Dream Aleister Black and the dream created magic in their short feud and worked a tremendous match. SmackDown: New Day VS The Uso's Pure magic every time these two teams meet in the ring. RAW: The Shield VS The Bar, Kane, The Miz, and Braun Strowman The match that was made out of unexpected circumstances turned out to be a crowd pleaser. Kurt Angle became an honorary member of The Shield and the fantastic talent created one of the matches of the year. Women of the YearNXT: Asuka One word. Undefeated. RAW: Alexa Bliss Bliss was able shine in the lackluster RAW women's division. SmackDown: Naomi WWE and Naomi finally figured each other out. She became a key player in SmackDown's women arsenal. Tag Team of the YearNXT: Authors of Pain Just a dominant force that tore through NXT. Their impact was huge. RAW: The Bar The tag team of Sheamus and Cesaro finally got a name and personality in 2017. The team had a interesting year but for most of it they were holding gold. SmackDown: The Uso's The Uso's reinvented themselves once again to stay fresh with the WWE audience. The duo delivered solid matches throughout 2017 and has had a reign with the titles. Worse of the YearNXT: No Way Jose Just a failed attempt down in NXT. Similar to Andrade "Cien" Almas before he got reinvented with Zelina Vega. Will No Way Jose figure it out? RAW: Titus O'Neil Currently adds nothing to the table. SmackDown: Randy Orton Orton is becoming so boring I just switch channels. "WOW!" Moment of the YearNXT: DIY Betrayal This broke everyone's heart. Superb storytelling by two amazing performers. SmackDown: Jinder Mahal wins the championship Jinder created a very cool character for himself and he is only improving in the ring. This particular moment launched him into stardom. This also shows that WWE still has what it takes to create new main event wrestlers. If the story is good the fans will follow. A lot of the credit should go to the creative team of SmackDown for pulling off such an intriguing twist. RAW: Braun destroys the Big Show Sheer, mass destruction as the young gun finally destroyed the longtime legend of the ring. Only one true giant remains in the WWE and that is Braun Strowman. Character Development of the YearNXT: Johnny Gargano The once tag team partner in DIY became a fan-favorite and honorable singles star in 2017. Gargano will continue to chase NXT and UK championship gold. SmackDown: Jinder Mahal Mahal was once a joke. Most assumed that he was brought back post WWE draft to be a jobber. After upstaging Rusev on RAW. Jinder Mahal made the move to Tuesday nights and became a main event superstar. Jinder would go on to become one of WWE's top heels. RAW: Braun Strowman Strowman was easily the superstar that the WWE creative team wrote best for. Thanks for reading!
Follow @domghosthunter WWE recently sent out a survey detailing possibilities for the WWE Network. After taking a look at the survey I realized they are on a full out quest for content domination. Which makes perfect sense. If they are able to add more exclusive content then they might be able to add in tiers for pricing. The survey included special live events, original scripted dramas, TNA, Ring of Honor, and house shows. So let's review the survey's first options. Special live events make sense. Give us shows from unique locations. I am all for that! Like how WWE was planning a live version of Bash at the Beach. Having a WWE event on a beach would be insane to watch. That's what made events like Tribute to the Troops cool. Seeing WWE in a different setting. Original scripted dramas is the section I'm going to dive right into. This is what it says from the survey. Wrestling-themed series inspired by wrestling's colorful and rich history such as a WWE's version of Game of Thrones. How much cocaine do you have to do to pitch a WWE version of Game of Thrones? Maybe WWE got the wording wrong on the survey. They could of meant they wanted to do a prestige television series similar to Thrones, Walking Dead, or Breaking Bad. Wouldn't that essentially be GLOW from Netflix. Most likely, and I don't think that will be a selling point for the network. If WWE thinks of a scripted drama they could pull from their own history. Have a biographical series on Eddie Guerrero, a show about the Wyatt family mythology, or even adopt the BROKEN Hardy Universe. A live-action, drama series about the Monday Night War would sell. Anything mentioning the Monday Night War sells.
Ring of Honor and TNA programming could be fascinating for some viewers. I laugh that WWE worded TNA with a bunch of slashes. TNA/Global Force Wrestling/ IMPACT even WWE doesn't know what's going on. Ring of Honor has always been WWE's secret developmental territory. We could call it NXT Jr. at this right. TV-14 in-ring show. WWE is sending out floaters about possibly resurrecting ECW. Possibly, a new edgier promotion that would have a weekly show. This is WWE just teasing us at this rate. Many fans have argued that WWE is at its very best when they are allowed to push the envelope. The PG rating limits the ability to tell stories and push exciting promos. No way does squeaky clean WWE do a TV-14 show in 2017. We live in a different world now. ECW would get hammered by critics. We have politically correct WWE fans that would hate the direction of the show. WWE Director's Cut was another suggestion on the long list of programming ideas. Basically where wrestlers, commentators, referees, and those who were there give their commentary and analysis. So for example Hulk Hogan narrating WrestleMania III. WWE then once again goes on to suggest "Other Promotions" this time including ICW, PROGRESS, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. There is no way NJPW would sell out to WWE. Not now with NJPW World, the streaming service taking full force. I could see ICW and PROGRESS going on the network but that kind of move really benefits the little guy involved. It won't move the subscriber's needle when it comes down to it. Very few would pay more than $9.99 just to get PROGRESS and ICW. The Audio Channel section of the WWE Network cracks me up. It's a streaming network and you want to add audio? WWE just go out and create your own podcasting network. I'm sure hardcore fans would pay for it. In my personal opinion I rather watch a Edge and Christian TV show instead of listening to one of their podcasts. Although I do enjoy their podcasts. Plus I'm sure WWE could snag the podcasting rights to Steve Austin, Jim Ross, and other important wrestling figures. Although I think the audio channel section is mostly unnecessary but some aspects gained my interest. Like play by play of pay-per-views this could be good for someone who is driving somewhere and can't stream or watch the pay-per-view. The music playlist is eh. Sports radio show is another boring option. I really dig the play by play option though. It would be interesting to see how WWE implements this in the network if this option tallies enough support. Original scripted comedies.... ah yes probably the same executive and or writer who suggested the WWE version of Game of Thrones. This time saying a WWE version of The Office. The format for that show would be extremely interesting due to the amount of breaking kayfabe the crew would have to do. A mockumentary inside the already zany world of WWE may be enticing for some fans. For others it doesn't push the needle that much. WWE Superstar Roasts hosted by The New Day. Now that is a scripted comedy worth tuning into. As the survey continues it gives the option for more reality TV shows. Something that I'm sure is already planned for the WWE Network. I mean within the survey they gave a working title for Legends House- Season 2 The Attitude Era. I bet the show has already started pre-production. WWE Cribs has potential to be a watchable entry. WWE-style Apprentice is a hard pass. (Unless Vince convinces his buddy The President to do it. Then it becomes a must watch for the American public and Twitter.) WWE in the survey introduced the premium priced features. Here are some examples. Social viewing would be watching WWE Network and having a social experience with friends. Next option is the download to go option which has already started to appear on Netflix. This option would definitely add value to a higher price network. Having the ability to watch the content offline would truly be worth the upgraded price. WWE's next option was social sharing which would allow users to share playlists, and clips from there favorite shows on the network. Alternate audio was another option that was discussed for the new premium network. Which as a example would allow Jerry "The King" Lawler and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin would call a pay-per-view. This leads to a interesting development. The alternate commentators would need to be briefed about the past events to coherently commentate a past pay-per-view. This feature isn't the most exciting but it shows how hard WWE is trying to diverse the network. Speaking of making the network more diverse. WWE listed a option for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality for the WWE Network. This will give viewers the ability to view content like you are sitting at ringside for historic and current WWE events. This feature would use a headset and would also feature computer-generated graphics. WWE is continuing to push the premium pricing for the network. These next set of options continue the trend for a more expensive yet personalized network. Which the first option is ironically personalization. This feature would allow you to change the overall look of your network and how you assemble your playlists. Also designs could be based off of your favorite superstars and eras of wrestling. WWE may introduce a rating system for the network. That would grade matches and events out of five stars. So basically the future of the network someone may click WrestleMania and they will see WrestleMania III with a five star rating, WrestleMania 32 with a one star rating, and WrestleMania 33 with a four and half star rating. Those could be examples for this rating system. WWE could also do a Rotten Tomatoes style interface but I doubt WWE would want fans dissing the product. WWE continues with the alternate theme. Alternate viewing may become available on the premium network. Alternate viewing options would allow viewers to watch WWE in-ring shows using different camera options (gorilla cam, drone cam, Go-Pro cam.). The feature will also allow viewers to view in 360. Very similar to the earlier virtual reality feature that I discussed. The last section of the survey discusses details on non-watchable ideas that my eventually get integrated into the WWE Network or the future WWE Premium Network. Preferred pricing that would include deals on WWE VIP deals and offers from WWE sponsors. The ability to listen to WWE's monthly conference calls. WWE executives Stephanie McMahon and Triple H would be on the call talking about WWE's operations and business. The ability for "Sweepstakes Entries" that would allow fans the ability to win unique experiences from WWE. These features also include early access on merchandise and free shipping from WWEshop.com. Early access to tickets, fan voting on match participants, Hall of Fame inductees, and Slammy winners. Loyalty program that would give back to the loyal consumer of the product. The final option is get "Breaking News First" that could be interesting but the people who receive it would just leak it and hype it up. I mean you think Sports Illustrated, Pro Wrestling Sheets, Cageside Seats, and my good friends over at Daily DDT wouldn't break the news before WWE sends out that alert? I mean all of these websites have sources and they can break stories probably faster than WWE wants them released. ------ Also why use that WWE breaking news feature when ZWrestleTalk has accurately reported many WWE happenings. I didn't nickname my Twitter the "Woj of Wrestling" for nothing. I will continue to due my very best to cover WWE for the loyal followers of ZWrestleTalk. ------ The WWE Network is on a quest for complete content domination. To paraphrase a quote from one of the founders of the sports website The Athletic. "WWE sees Ring of Honor, IMPACT (TNA), ICW, and PROGRESS all as empty calories." WWE is truly trying to enhance user experience on the network. The company according to this survey is looking for innovative and also wild solutions to keep the WWE Network fresh. The company obviously has a goal to do a premium version of the network. WWE is just taking their sweet time to make that $11.99 or $14.99 a month worthwhile for the average wrestling fan. I'm still betting that most will stick with the cozy $9.99 package unless WWE starts to screw with the lower priced tier. WWE trying to think of innovative ways to watch the product is brilliant. The possibility of watching matches in virtual reality is a exciting development. New ways to experience WWE will keep fans curious about watching the network. The more wild approach from WWE is trying to create TV series similar to The Office or Game of Thrones but themed to WWE. I just don't see that working out for them. Just bring back Breaking Ground, the show that captivated audiences with NXT superstar who were hungry to make it into a very hard business. That show was so fascinating due to the fact it was real. The people that were introduced on the show made you enjoy their characters on NXT more. You also got to witness the harsh realities of the business. So WWE Network needs to bring Breaking Ground back as part of getting more content for the network. WWE's quest to have endless content is now very noticeable. Will WWE figure out how to make a pricier network? Will they lose subscribers if they remove content from the lower tier network? So many questions that should be answered as WWE continues to dominate their own content model. On their quest to dominate content and the entire wrestling atmosphere. Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ZWrestleTalk Despite low attendances and low ratings, the WWE is in a very good position right now. RAWThe only problem on Raw is its almost non-existing mid-card division. Filled with over twelve legit main event wrestlers including Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, Brock Lesnar, The Miz, Cesaro and Sheamus, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt, and The Hardys. The only mid carders are Jason Jordan and Elias. The tag team division is also non existent besides the two top teams and Gallows and Anderson. Heath Slater, Rhyno, Apollo Crews, Curt Hawkins fill up the lower mid card. This is where Smackdown has the big advantage. The writing team is stuck on neutral with the same guys facing over and over again. Filling three hours of TV should be easy with the depth of the whole WWE, but they seem to write on the fly which is inexcusable, and is the reason why a lot of wrestlers want out, like Neville. The Cruiserweight division should only be on their own show, which would avoid the overexposure of Enzo and Kalisto. The writimg team seem to be handcuffed by Vince and that's why SDLive is way more organic and fluid, because Vince is not such a control freak on that show which leaves Road Dogg and his team more creative freedom and it shows. SmackDown LIVEI feel Smackdown has the perfect roster. AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Jinder Mahal, Randy Orton, The Uso's, and The New Day fill up a wonderful main event pool. The mid card is filled with guys ready to step up to main event status at a moment's notice. Bobby Roode, Dolph Ziggler, Rusev, Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin , Tyler Breeze and Fandango, Tye Dillinger, and Baron Corbin is a wonderful combination of all around top notch talent. Even the lower mid-card is good with guys like Ascension, Colons, Harper and Rowan. The creative is absolutely top notch and that is why it is by far the best show. Like Road Dogg said, "Give me fifteen more minutes and that would be all I need to feature everyone." 205 LIVEWell Neville... Neville left a big hole in the division. He was the best wrestler by a mile. Kalisto is a gifted high flyer but he is unreliable in big matches. Too many botches come from him. Enzo is a travesty in the ring but a great talker. Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann, TJP, Tony Nese, Mustafa Ali are unbelievable performers. Drew Gulak is awful. Lince Dorado, Arya Davairi, and Gran Metalik have a lot of potential. What they need is few guys like Hideo Itami and Roderick Strong. NXTThe best WWE show. Filled with some of the best athletes in the world. DrewMcIntyre, Aleister Black, Adam Cole, Andrade "Cien" Almas, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reily, Kassius Ohno, Hideo Itami, and The Authors of Pain are amazing. Not to mention Sanity is also terrific. They have many prospects like Velveteen Dream, Lars Sullivan, and TM 61. It is a great time to be a wrestling fan. Lio Rush is another kid with so much potential. The only problem is one hour of TV is not enough to feature everyone.
This has been Dom Bouchard's State of the WWE. Please make sure to follow @domghosthunter and @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter. The usually bland, storyline stalling event looks exciting this year. The epic event will see Brock Lesnar defend his WWE Universal Championship against Braun Strowman. Also on the card is a match that is worthy of WrestleMania. John Cena will be taking on Roman Reigns. Two matches that are considered dream matches for WWE fans have been made on the No Mercy card. The rest of the event could be trash yet these two matches could save it. That's how powerful these two matches are.
After Monday's vicious promo battle between John Cena and Roman Reigns it's safe to say this feud could be long term or even over arcing. Similar to when The Rock was a part timer in a feud with John Cena. They still were in a feud even though The Rock wasn't there. I feel like this is going to happen with Cena and Reigns. I'm all for it. When two performer blur the lines of what is real and what is fake. It makes for entertaining television. We have seen this in recent weeks with The Miz cutting a heartfelt promo on RAW. The product is so much better when they blur the lines. It becomes fascinating to watch. Other developments on RAW include Alexa Bliss feuding with former friend Nia Jax. The purple division is once again a must watch due to the antics of Enzo Amore. Will he be getting a shot at Neville? The booking of the battle royal was smart. Jason Jordan not winning protects him in the long run. If he gets rushed to the top without a pop then he will fail. There is no need to have him fail. The Miz will now get to defend his title against a worthy opponent in Jeff Hardy. See all these recent development are from RAW. Some of these might not even last until September 24th when No Mercy takes place. I just think the card looks promising with the two matches already booked. What is usually a "whatever" event has become a must watch event. WWE needs to utilize this surprise more often. Like fans complained when WWE gave away Nakamura VS Cena on free TV. The move was smart because I'm not a typical viewer of SmackDown and I watched SmackDown. Same thing may happen with No Mercy. Usually I wouldn't care if I missed a minor event like No Mercy but now I'm making sure I watch it. Not every match needs to be saved for WrestleMania. As long as it's a exciting match we will tune in and watch. WWE needs to keep up the surprises and storytelling. There is too much talent on the roster to be screwed up. Will see what happens in the following weeks of RAW but No Mercy looks promising. Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ZWrestleTalk |
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Triple ZCreator of ZWrestleTalk. This page I give you my thoughts on the current state of the WWE product. I look back at the history of WWE. Sometimes even predict the future. If your lucky you get comedic articles too. Archives
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