5/31/2016 - Tuesday Morning Quarterback
Tuesday Morning Quarterback
The Club is Back Together
We didn't quite know what it would look like when John Cena returned to RAW on Monday; but, no one suspected he would be involved in an angle that was this epic, this huge, and this central to the future of the WWE. We suspected that Cena would be thrust immediately into the United States Championship scene to face Rusev for America's honor on Memorial Day. That would be what we would typically get; but, this is a new era of wrestling for the WWE and that proved true Monday night. The American hero gig actually belonged to Titus O'Neil, who proved ala "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, that there's nothing more Americana than putting your hands on your boss. Cena, on the otherhand, is the Club's (Bullet Clubs) new main target. When Styles came to the ring to show respect for Cena and offer his hand (literally) in a display of Judas Iscariot inspired friendship, the two were interrupted by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. What looked like traditional booking for a tag team match (Cena & Styles vs Gallows & Anderson) quickly and shockingly turned the other way, as Styles shocked the world and repeatedly attacked Cena. As the Club stood united over Cena's limp frame, the wrestling world took notice. With the Club back together, led by a heel A.J. Styles, there's no telling what kind of impact (no pun intended) they can all make on the main roster. This makes each of them legitimate title contenders every time they step in the ring. Additionally, because of their unique bond, the Club must be considered favorites in every match they partake from here on out against anyone. Mainstream wrestling hasn't seen anything this ruthless or potentially dominant since the SHIELD; but, unlike the SHIELD, the Club aren't hired hands. They aren't mercenaries. They work for themselves and can dominate the wrestling world ala the NWO in the late 90s. Get ready.....times they are a changin'.
Quote of the Week
Stat of the Week
If you combine all of John Cena's United States Championship reigns and allowed him to have the U.S. Championship for only two more weeks, John Cena would be the longest (combined tenures) reigning United States Champion in history.
The It's Time Rhyme
You say Styles is a trustworthy guy
He always extends a helping hand
But be careful, you see, he is quite sly
He's an evil maestro conducting his band
The Club is Back Together
We didn't quite know what it would look like when John Cena returned to RAW on Monday; but, no one suspected he would be involved in an angle that was this epic, this huge, and this central to the future of the WWE. We suspected that Cena would be thrust immediately into the United States Championship scene to face Rusev for America's honor on Memorial Day. That would be what we would typically get; but, this is a new era of wrestling for the WWE and that proved true Monday night. The American hero gig actually belonged to Titus O'Neil, who proved ala "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, that there's nothing more Americana than putting your hands on your boss. Cena, on the otherhand, is the Club's (Bullet Clubs) new main target. When Styles came to the ring to show respect for Cena and offer his hand (literally) in a display of Judas Iscariot inspired friendship, the two were interrupted by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. What looked like traditional booking for a tag team match (Cena & Styles vs Gallows & Anderson) quickly and shockingly turned the other way, as Styles shocked the world and repeatedly attacked Cena. As the Club stood united over Cena's limp frame, the wrestling world took notice. With the Club back together, led by a heel A.J. Styles, there's no telling what kind of impact (no pun intended) they can all make on the main roster. This makes each of them legitimate title contenders every time they step in the ring. Additionally, because of their unique bond, the Club must be considered favorites in every match they partake from here on out against anyone. Mainstream wrestling hasn't seen anything this ruthless or potentially dominant since the SHIELD; but, unlike the SHIELD, the Club aren't hired hands. They aren't mercenaries. They work for themselves and can dominate the wrestling world ala the NWO in the late 90s. Get ready.....times they are a changin'.
Quote of the Week
“There was no better entrance in history than the Ultimate
Warrior. I hated Hogan growing up. He was too white meat for me. He was just a
guy in a ripped shirt and a bandana and silly moustache; but, my guy [Ultimate
Warrior] had face paint. Your guy didn’t have face paint or tassels; but, my
guy [Ultimate Warrior] did.” - Hornswoggle on the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin podcast
Five Things I Think I Think
1. The upcoming brand split is so intriguing and there are so many options, so many points of debate that all boggle the mind and keep true wrestling fans up at night with excitement and eager anticipation. Will they bring back two Titles? Will Cena lead a brand? Will the New Day be split up? Will the Royal Rumble get to chose who he faces at WrestleMania? Will they bring back Elimination Chamber for the other Title match at WrestleMania? All we can do is wonder right now; but, that's a good thing. The brand split gets people excited about wrestling again and gets us all watching so that we can see what will happen next.
2. As great as Seth Rollins had been in his previous three appearances since returning, he was just as awful on last night's RAW. His refusal to speak on the microphone along with his refusal to enter the ring was disappointing to watch on television; but, more disappointing to watch live in Green Bay, WI. At some point, Seth needs to transition from cowardly heel who can't win anything on his own to terrifying heel, who is capable of destroying any Superstar on any given night or all of his heel momentum may be swallowed up by the Club.
3. What happened to Seth's streak of blonde? I think it may have been stolen by TNA's World Champion Jeff Hardy, whose new hairstyle has him looking like a raccoon, who wandered into the road to be met by an oncoming semi. That semi was his own brother Jeff Hardy, who gave Matt such a beating in their last "No Rules Match," that Hardy returned with streaked hair and an English accent (no kidding, actual angle).
4. A.J. Styles works as a heel because we all loved him so much as a babyface. It's what makes his turn so shocking and so deplorable. With the Club aiding him ever step of the way, Styles will be as hated as a heel as he was loved as a face.
5. Roman Reigns is fine. Yes, half of the audience hates him; but, half of the audience hates John Cena as well and this has been managed for the better part of a decade. The other half don't just like Roman Reigns. They adore him. His tee shirts sell. He moves action figures and he is worshipped by kids and teen girls the world over. Like it or not, this is a significant portion of wrestling fans and an important demographic for the WWE. Plus you have to admit, it's been a long time since Roman Reigns had a match that wasn't enjoyable. As the IWC (Internet Wrestling Community) continues to hate on the WWE Champion, he continues to put on incredible matches each and every night. Reigns is worthy of much credit. While much of the wrestling fan base refuses to get on board with Reigns, he hasn't buckled, he's only improved. He's never caved under the pressure of the audience turning on him and has, night in and night out, proven to be just as he describes himself: the Guy.
Last Night's RAW was a Blow for Women's Wrestling
Women's wrestling is one of the greatest thing about the WWE today. Charlotte is the most believable and dominant women's champion in quite some time (possibly ever). She also does incredible heel work. As good as Charlotte is, in this new era of women's wrestling, each of her opponents are all very capable of beating her, which shows how strong the division currently is. Becky Lynch, Dana Brooke, Natalya, and Paige can all work their arses off and are routinely show stealers every night. Last night, WWE showed that it was, once again, out of touch with its fan base and out of touch with the times. There was only one women's segment on RAW last night and it was given approximately five minutes. WWE should know better and wrestling fans should demand more, which I am sure they will. If WWE continues to treat the women as garnish, rather than the main course, the Company will have difficulty building up the division for the future. If this is indeed a "new era" of wrestling, as the Company is constantly marketing, then the WWE needs to do better for its fans and for its female roster. Although it was bad for women's wrestling, this roster is talented enough to recover and it will, if the WWE is intelligent enough to let them.
House Shows are Still Great
I had the privilege of bringing my daughter to a WWE House Show this past weekend in Peoria, IL. Even though the show wasn't on television, nor on Pay-per-view, the show was amazing. No one puts on a better family show than the WWE, not even Barnum and Bailey, which falsely proclaims itself as The Greatest Show on Earth. I love the circus; but, wrestling fans know that only the WWE is the Greatest Show on Earth. The wrestlers all worked exceptionally hard, as if they were performing before a hundred thousand fans, rather than the couple thousand that were in attendance. No one worked harder than Roman Reigns or A.J. Styles, who main evented the show with a brutal back and forth affair. Reigns prevailed in the match; but, the match could be seen as a victory for both wrestlers, who left everything out there, in what was one of the best live matches I have ever seen.....at a non-televised house show.....in Peoria. If you're a wrestling fan and you pass up on the opportunity to see WWE Live, you're truly missing out. One thing should be noted from our experience there, wrestling fans need to be more cognitive of the fact that the majority of people at any WWE show are families with children. Swearing, attempting to smoke in a public building, intoxication, or trying to lead Chris Benoit chants are always wrong in every circumstance. Handle yourselves with class and people will think better of this crazy thing we all love called wrestling. The other thing is: WWE needs to loosen up a bit and allow lay people to use what they describe as professional cameras at their events. There's nothing wrong with a Nikon, which will only make the WWE product look better than it does using a traditional cell phone camera. Use discretion, everyone.
This Week's Sign of the Apocalypse
“I rode with Cowboy Lang. [He’d say] ‘Hey Flair, come on get me laid, get me laid, get me laid, get me laid’ It’s hard to get a midget laid Cowboy, calm down. I’ll do what I can. You have to put your hose in your cowboy boots and walk around naked in the bar and we’ll get it done, which he did for me on a regular basis. I could always get Cowboy Lang laid. He had a d*ck about a foot long and it got hard, he was tremendous.” – Ric Flair on the Talk is Jericho podcast reflecting on little person wrestler Cowboy Lang
Tweet of the Week
— Bill Goldberg (@Goldberg) May 31, 2016
Stat of the Week
If you combine all of John Cena's United States Championship reigns and allowed him to have the U.S. Championship for only two more weeks, John Cena would be the longest (combined tenures) reigning United States Champion in history.
The It's Time Rhyme
You say Styles is a trustworthy guy
He always extends a helping hand
But be careful, you see, he is quite sly
He's an evil maestro conducting his band
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