2014 Pro Wrestling Truth Awards Part 3 - Independent Wrestling & New Japan Year in Review

2014 was another amazing year for Independent Wrestling. The scene continues grow and promotions are drawing some of their biggest numbers yet. With mainstream wrestling not what it once was, many people have turned to independent wrestling (and puroresu/japanese wrestling) for their wrestling needs. I honestly can't say I blame them because ever since I began watching the Indies, I've been hooked.

None the less, this year in Independent Wrestling & Puroresu saw The Young Bucks & ReDragon bring tag team wrestling back to prominence by dominating every major promotion. From ROH to New Japan Pro Wrestling - these two teams had classics across the world against each other and just about any other team they stepped foot in the ring with. Matt & Nick Jackson and Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish were on another level this year.

Meanwhile, Uhaa Nation & Brian Cage continued to revolutionize what it means to be a big man in pro wrestling by showcasing a combination of power & agility that isn't often seen. Nation made waves in Dragon Gate & Evolve and saw his first taste of PWG action while Brian Cage had some setbacks in the form of injuries yet still provided fans with some memorable performances, made his return to TNA, and closed out the year with a huge win in PWG over Uhaa himself, Tomasso Ciampa, & Biff Busick. The days of muscular men solely performing power moves are over.

Speaking of revolutionizing, there are two women on the Independent scene that transcended stereotypes by delivering two equally awe-inspiring performances on the same night. In July, Candice LeRae and Veda Scott took to the ring in two different matches for two different promotions and left EVERYONE talking. Veda Scott (pictured above) went to war with Gregory Iron in a Steel Cage Match for Absolute Intense Wrestling and came out on top despite bearing the proverbial crimson mask.

 

Over on the west coast, Candice endured the same fate as she took everything The Young Bucks had to offer in the form of a piledriver on the floor & a thumbtack filled superkick yet she still came back for more and BEAT them! It was certainly a crazy year for women's wrestling.

2014 Pro Wrestling Truth Awards Part 2 - TNA Impact Wrestling Year In Review

2014 may have been the lowest point in the 12 year history of TNA Impact Wrestling. The guy they had built the company around, AJ Styles, left to New Japan & the Indies. The founder, Jeff Jarrett also made his departure. On top of that, they lost their TV deal near the end of the year although they thankfully would find a new one for 2015.

Despite all these negatives, there were several positives for TNA in 2014. The first being the signing of The American Wolves, Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards. The two had been tearing up the Independent Scene for quite some time and I'm sure everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they arrived in a mainstream company. Signing The Wolves was quite possibly the best decision TNA has made in awhile as they were a part of many of the best matches that took place this year. Most notably, the tag team title tournament with The Hardys & Team 3D which was without a doubt a classic series of bouts. The tag team division definitely shined this year aside from the idiotic decision to have James Storm & Abyss dethrone The Wolves in the latter part of the year. It's something that can be overlooked though because TNA was in a tight situation at the time.

The X Division also saw somewhat of a resurgence in 2014 as the Destination X TV Special on July 25th was one of the best events that TNA put on in the calendar year. It saw the returns of Low Ki, Homicide, & Brian Cage - all of which delivered in their respective matches. Samoa Joe also rose back to X Divsion prominence and reignited his classic rivalry with Low Ki by having several outstanding bouts. The most memorable one came at Bound For Glory where Joe, Ki, and Kaz Hayashi undoubtedly stole the show.

2014 Pro Wrestling Truth Awards Part 1 - WWE Year In Review

2014 WWE Year In Review

2014 was an odd year for WWE. It went nothing like most people expected coming out of 2013. The year started off rocky with the departure of one of their most popular stars, CM Punk which led to a protest from fans when Batista won the Royal Rumble instead of Daniel Bryan.

With this horrible start to the year, WWE changed course and gave Daniel Bryan what he rightfully deserved, his moment in the main event of WrestleMania. From the night after WrestleMania forward, it felt as if WWE had turned over a new leaf and fully recovered from the loss of CM Punk. It looked like Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Paige & Emma would be taking major roles on the roster alongside The Shield. However things would get turned upside down when Daniel Bryan suffered an unexpected career threatening neck injury and he was forced to surrender the WWE Title.

I guess the pressure of what to do after losing yet another top star due to injury caused WWE to totally lose focus on the stars they made at WrestleMania & the night after in the form of Cesaro & Paige as both wandered with little to no creative direction. Despite those two new stars beginning to flounder, The Shield stayed strong and arguably led the company through Bryan's injury as they main evented two PPV's thus being made into stars at the hands of Evolution.

Meanwhile, the guy that WWE can almost always count on, John Cena, took charge in the WWE Title picture only to be stopped by Brock Lesnar in August. Cena suffered two beatings like we've never seen him face before and soon after, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar rode off into the sunset, not to be seen again until December.

In the midst of this, each individual member of The Shield began branching out into their own. We saw Dean Ambrose become the lunatic fringe that all the fan's love while Roman Reigns earned his rep as the superman of the WWE despite suffering a groin injury that kept him out during the final few months of the year. As for Seth Rollins, 2014 was arguably his year moreso than Ambrose & Reigns as he became The Authority's protege, won the MITB briefcase, and ultimately defeated Dean Ambrose to end their feud. Rollins may have resorted to cheap and distasteful tactics, but they almost always led him to victory. Beyond that, Rollins delivered top notch performances throughout the year while Ambrose & Reigns had short periods of time off TV. Regardless of which member of The Shield succeeded most this year, the point is that they all came into their own in 2014.

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - December 15th, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - December 15th, 2014

Opening Segment - Raw is Jericho
I thought the opening segment tonight's show was great. It wasn't anything that will blow you away however the time flew by and it was something different. Rollins was the highlight of the segment for me along with Heyman. Both guys delivered fantastic promos and did a great job of foreshadowing things that would happen later in the evening.

1) Dolph Ziggler & Erick Rowan vs. Luke Harper & Big Show
After the hell that Ziggler & Harper put themselves through at TLC, it wasn't surprising that they didn't go all out here. Both guys seemed tired and worn out and rightfully so. This was a pretty short match with the only highlight being Ziggler and Harper brawling over the announce table. The two deserved any easy night after they stole the show and put their bodies on the line the previous night so I can't complain. One thing I will complain about though is that Big Show pinned Erick Rowan for the second evening in a row. I don't think that's a smart decision especially if they're trying to build up Rowan. They could have atleast had him pick up the surprise win here over Show to give him some sort of momentum.

The Highlight Reel with Rusev & Lana
This actually went better than I thought although it wasn't as eventful as I expected. Jericho ragging on Lana was pretty funny and this was a nice rub for Ryback to be introduced by Y2J as the guy who wants to stop Rusev. Basic segment that accomplished what it set out to do. Looks like Ryback & Rusev will be feuding going into the new year.

3) Xavier Woods & Big E vs. Gold & Stardust

ROH TV Review - December 15th, 2014 - Tag Wars 2014

ROH TV Review - December 15th, 2014 - Tag Wars 2014

Coming off their year end PPV Final Battle, Ring of Honor has graced us with airing some events from the past. The first of these is Tag Wars 2014 from a month or so ago. There are three first round matches and the winners will go on to face ReDragon in a four way elimination match for the ROH World Tag Team Titles.

1) The Briscoes vs. Jay Lethal & J Diesel
I wasn't sure what to expect here considering Lethal & Diesel aren't really a team and beyond that, I've never even seen Diesel wrestle before since his mainly been a body guard. None the less, I was surprised that this bout was as enjoyable as it was. It kept my attention from bell to bell and was a great way to get this show going. Fun opening bout that sees The Briscoes advance!

Match rating - **3/4

2) Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vs. BJ Whitmer & Jimmy Jacobs
Daniels & Kazarian have been on quite the tear since returning to the Independents however this match doesn't quite reflect that. Sure, they had some nice flurries here, but I struggled to really get into it. Not saying it was their fault or even The Decade's for that matter. This match just felt like it was there and nothing more. Decent match.

Match rating - **1/2

3) The Young Bucks vs. ACH & Matt Sydal

WWE TLC 2014 Predictions

1) Big Show vs. Erick Rowan
When Harper & Rowan were separated, I never expected to enjoy Rowan as much as I have. I know I've talked about this before, but the way they've added more dimensions to his character is a brilliant move. The rubix cube bit never gets old and now that he's got one of JBL's corny nicknames ("Big Red Rowan"), I think it's safe to say that Rowan is here to stay. This will most likely be the biggest match in his career as it's pretty obvious he'll be going over here. There's no reason for Big Show to win and I doubt WWE would book it that way. This is one of two matches that I expect to end rather quickly. Rowan for the win.

Who I think will win - Erick Rowan

2) Miz & Mizdow vs. The Usos - WWE Tag Team Title Match
I've really enjoyed this feud over the past few weeks. For one, Mizdow is gold. And two, Naomi getting more TV time is a plus. I hope this leads to her having a more prominent in-ring role because as unpopular of an opinion as it is, she's my favorite diva to watch wrestle. None the less, I think she'll have some sort of role in this match since it's been revealed that Miz is trying to mess with her just to distract her husband from this match. This is gonna be an interesting one for sure. Miz and Mizdow retain.

Who I think will win - Miz & Mizdow

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of December 8th, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of December 8th, 2014

 

1. “Bad Bones” John Klinger (@TheGermanPsycho) - On a week where ROH (perhaps the biggest independent in the U.S. by our standards…for the rest of 2014 at least) has their biggest show of 2014, it’s tough to take the top spot over the winner of the main event and ROH World Champion. That’s exactly what “Bad Bones” did as “The German Psycho” ran through the competition with 4 wins and no losses in Europe. The wXw Shotgun Champion defeated Chris Masters on 12/5 to retain the title, then defeated Brian Myers on 12/6 to retain again, then defeated Martin Stone on 12/6 at IPW:UK to win the IPW:UK World Championship, then defeated last week’s #1 Uhaa Nation on 12/7 to go 4-0 for the week. With 7 straight wins, it was almost impossible to deny “The Best in Europe” from the top spot this week. That being said, it wasn’t a straight sweep of the voters as there was a huge debate as to who should be #1.
 

2. Jay Briscoe (@jaybriscoe84) - The ROH World Champion defeated Adam Cole at Final Battle in a Fight Without Honor and many felt that was the win that would return him to the #1 spot for the first time in 2014. It was a spot that he had finally gotten to in 2013 before he was sidelined with the well-documented injury that kept him out for a few months. It wasn’t to be, unfortunately. Maybe it was due to his tag team losses in the UK last week. Maybe it was the fact that he had just ONE match as opposed to four like some of the other vote-getters, but regardless, a #2 ranking is nothing to sneeze at. Jay has been tearing it up in singles competition as of late, winning 8 straight matches in singles. Unfortunately for him, it was some of his tag losses that may have ultimately cost him the #1 spot. Not known for a lot of matches outside of ROH, it’s unlikely he’ll reach the #1 spot before the end of the year, but again, this ranking will definitely help his standing in the IPR 100 like Bad Bones before him.

The Evolution of Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens from a Fan's Perspective

Tonight, I sat down to re-watch the PWG farewell's of both Kevin Steen and El Generico in order to prepare for tomorrow night's NXT special. Needless to say it brought back many memories and got me even more excited about what the future holds for both men. However, before I get too deeply into this article, I'd like to give you all a little backstory.

I began watch Independent Wrestling and PWG in particular back in 2013 right around the time that Generico signed with WWE. The first show I got was All Star Weekend 9 which took place directly after Generico's farewell. Since I was knew to the Indy Wrestling world, I had no idea who he was although I heard his name repeatedly so I did my research on him & the history of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. That combined with my instant addiction to PWG led me to going back and watching Generico's rise to superstardom along with Kevin Steen's.

The first two DVD's I picked up to accomplish this were "Steen Wolf" which featured the classic Ladder Match between Steen & Generico and "The Many Adventures of El Generico" which chronicles Generico's entire career in PWG. Between those and the other PWG & ROH DVD's I bought to catch up, I instantly became a huge fan of both Steen & Generico. By the end of 2013, I owned all the landmark shows in both men's careers as well as obscure ones simply because I loved both guys and PWG so much.

I purposely left out Generico's final show, DDT4 2013, so I could watch it only after I had relived his entire career so I could realize the importance of him leaving the company. Needless to say, it was worth the wait because to this day, I get chills when watching that event which ends with his farewell speech where he states "This has been the best time of my life, you have no idea. This place will always be home, you will always be my family, I will never forget what you did for me, you made me. I love you so much, thank you." It's moment like that which remind me of why I loved wrestling in the first place.

While I didn't watch Generico's rise as it happened, I went back and watched it, so this final farewell had the same effect on me as it did most other long time fans of his. Beyond that, I didn't watch any of Generico (Sami Zayn)'s matches in NXT until I had finished reliving his PWG career. While that was mostly because I have shitty internet and don't have the WWE Network so I couldn't watch NXT without having to go through a bunch of stuff, I'm glad I didn't watch because now when I see him on WWE TV, it feels special because I've watched his work from as far back as 2004 and saw him grow into the performer he is today.

As for Mr. Steen, he's a guy that I was actually able to watch during his hottest period for nearly 2 years although I did go back and watch his previous stuff as well. In the process, I became a huge fan of his. I remember the evening that I realized how awesome he was. It was just after I had finished watching the Generico DVD and I recieved Night 2 of the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles in the mail. On that night, Steen shocked the world by aligning with The Young Bucks, the team that he & Generico feuded with years and the team that screwed him out of the World Title multiple times. After the event, he cut a promo that I've listened to multiple times since because of how awesome and passionate it is.

That's the one thing that always stood out to me about Steen. You could always tell how much he loved wrestling because he put everything into it. None the less, I watched him through 2013 and into 2014 up to his farewell at ELEVEN. Just like with Generico, this was a pretty sad one to watch simply because during all the PWG shows I've watched, he's been at the center of most of them. And to see him leave the company that he's been at the forefront of for many years brought alot of mixed emotions. It wasn't quite as tear jerking as Generico's, but there's one line that stood out to me tonight when I re-watched it. If you're a fan of Generico, Steen, & PWG, you know that the joke is that Generico went to Mexico to take care of orphans and that Steen went there to join him so basically when Steen says "the orphanage" and "orphan care takers", he basically means "WWE" and "Wrestlers". None the less, Steen said "I'm going to go help Generico show the world that the best orphan care takers in the world come from P W G!" As the crowd erupted, I thought to myself, man this is really going to come full circle pretty soon isn't it?

Speaking of coming full circle, let's get to the point of this post. The point of all this is that tomorrow night/tonight, depending on when you're reading this, Kevin Steen & El Generico are going to be main parts of a WWE show along with PAC (Adrian Neville) who is another guy I watched progress before checking out his WWE work. For someone who's seen these men wrestle in companies that not many people know about, it's beyond exciting to know that they are going to be out there for the whole world to see how talented they are.

I know that Zayn & Neville have been on NXT for awhile, but it still is crazy to think about for me. The main reason I wrote this is because of Kevin's debut tomorrow however I couldn't go through this without mentioning the other two, especially Generico/Zayn.

The main reason I went back and watched the farewell's of both men was because of two reasons. The first being obvious - because they're gonna be on a WWE show together. The second being the potential for tomorrow night to also be the start of their feud being reignited on a whole new level.

In the weeks leading up to this event, I've heard ramblings of Steen debuting to feud with Zayn by attacking him after the NXT Title match and honestly, if that happens, I'll probably mark out more than ever before. The Steen/Generico feud is probably one of the best feuds in pro wrestling history as it is, but just imagine how many more layers could/will be added to it if WWE decides to play into it throughout both men's careers? Especially if it begins in their debut.

I'm sure some of you are saying "You're giving WWE too much credit, they won't do that."

Yeah, it's doubtful however I'm not here to be negative. I'm sure no one expected Daniel Bryan to ever main event WrestleMania yet it happened. I'm sure no one expected CM Punk to become a top superstar, but it happened. With that being said, I think that Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens will be the next two guys to make it big. No, I take that back. Not big. HUGE.

The story that Steen & Generico told across the Independent circuit over the course of the past decade was amazing. Pair that already successful rivalry with the biggest sports entertainment company in the world and you've got potential for a feud that could reach the heights of Austin/Rock.

Regardless of whether or not they end up working together, we are witnessing the evolution of Kevin Steen & El Generico into Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn. The fact that they are both going to potentially have the biggest moments of their respective careers (Steen debuting in WWE & Zayn winning the NXT Title) on the same night in the same company - scratch that, THE company is completely mindblowing.

If you're a fellow fan of these guys' pre-WWE work, you probably feel the same way. If you're new to both men, there's no shame. Don't let anyone tell you that you're a fake fan because you started liking them now. The whole point of them being on WWE TV is to introduce them to a whole new audience and the only thing I'm more excited about than seeing them reach this success is the fact that the world is going to get to see one of the best talents in the world do what he does best.

None the less, thanks for taking the time to read this. Feel free to share it with your friends and get pumped about the event that is only hours away. It's almost time for the Takeover!

Follow me on Twitter @EthanPWT and this blog @ThePWTruth!

ROH Final Battle 2014 Review

While I haven't been all that into ROH lately, the card for this event was simply too good to pass up. Whether it was the six man tag that looked insane on paper, the Fight Without Honor that was a year in the making, or the highly anticipated rematch between ReDragon and Timesplitters - I couldn't miss this event. Thus, I ordered it which leads us to my review of ROH's final PPV event of 2014!

1) Mark Briscoe vs. Jimmy Jacobs vs. Hanson vs. Caprice Coleman - Four Corner Survival Match
At ROH's last PPV offering in June, Best in the World, a six man mayhem match opened the show. This go round, we got a four man match that was quite similar as it served it's purpose of getting the crowd pumped up. It started off a bit slow however soon turned into chaos near the end and the result was an overall enjoyable opening match. Hanson picks up the win in a match that he was clearly the star of.

Match rating - **1/4

2) Roderick Strong vs. Adam Page
I've said it many times before, but I'll say it again - Roderick Strong is the perfect opponent for young talent trying to make a name for themselves. Roddy rarely has a bad match and has been wrestling the independent scene for the past decade so he's very experienced. Adam Page is a guy who I've enjoyed watching over the course of 2014 so I was really looking forward to this match. Thankfully it lived up to expectations. Page got his chance to shine several times by hitting his signature moves including the vicious clothesline over the barricade on the outside. It was a pretty competitive bout with Roddy giving Page one hell of a hard time. In the end, Strong's experience would prevail as he defeated Page. It was definitely a good performance for Page though, I'd venture to say he came out looking better than he went in. Solid match.

Match rating - ***

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - December 1st, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - December 1st, 2014

Opening Segment
I actually really enjoyed the way the show started. We were left with alot of questions coming out of Raw last week which made this segment very interesting. I didn't quite realize where it was going until the brawl broke out and superstar after superstar hit the ring. Things like this normally come off as flat, but the array of new stars involved in the segment made it feel very fresh. Seeing Rowan, Harper, Ziggler, & Ryback all being positioned in the main event scene alongside John Cena is awesome. One other thing I'd like to touch on about this opening segment is the announcement made for TLC. It was announced that John Cena and Seth Rollins would face off in a TLC match and if Cena loses, he's no longer the #1 contender. I like the stipulation, the tables stip & the #1 contender stip, but this announcement left me wondering what would go on last at the TLC PPV.

I originally expected some sort of Ladder Match for Seth Rollins' MITB briefcase involving Dolph Ziggler (since he pinned Rollins at SS) and Roman Reigns & Randy Orton since they both have scores to settle with Rollins. You'd kill three birds with one stone and most likely get an epic match in the process. Then again, that'd leave Cena without major plans so that was probably the deciding factor in this dilemma. None the less, back to the point. Cena & Rollins have great chemistry together, but I'm not sure a tables match is the best main event for TLC. Tables match usually have the same basic format of each guy attempting to put their opponent through a table because having a pure wrestling portion of the match wouldn't make any sense. The stipulation limits what the competitors can do. Not to bash the stipulation though because I'm looking forward to the match, I just hope it's not the main event.

Overall, this was a great opening segment that got me hyped for the rest of the show and left me wondering what other matches would be announced for TLC.

1) Tag Team Turmoil Match - Gold & Stardust vs. Big E & Kofi Kingston vs. Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. The Usos vs. Adam Rose & The Bunny

Survivor Series Reaction / Monday Night Raw Preview

I'm writing this at 2am in the morning. I can't get to sleep simply because of how hyped I am about the ending of Survivor Series. The reason I'm so pumped however might be different than most.

Most people are excited simply over the fact that Sting made his debut tonight and rightfully so. I've never been a huge fan of his so I'm not gonna pretend that I marked out over his return. However, I will say that it was an epic moment in the history of professional wrestling. Whether you're a fan of Sting or not, you have to admit that. So while most are flipping out over Sting, the main reason I'm excited is because tonight we saw Dolph Ziggler get launched into superstardom.

For years, Ziggler has been deemed by many as the next big thing. He's got the look plus the in-ring skills and charisma to back it up. WWE has pushed him several times over the years, but never quite like they did tonight at Survivor Series. We've seen Dolph win the World Heavyweight Title and even defeat John Cena in a Ladder Match in the main event of PPV. However, none of that compares to what took place tonight.

Before we get into that though, let's take a step back and think about how much of a surprise it was for Dolph to be the sole survivor. The whole match was built around Ryback in recent weeks. So much so that if anyone was going to be the sole survivor, I expected it to be him. When Ryback was eliminated early in the match, I was confused and a bit aggravated because I thought things would end up like usual - the odds stacked against Cena. Well thankfully, I was wrong.

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of November 17th, 2014

 

1. Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano)-There was absolutely no debate this week among the official voters as to who was #1. This was as easy as it gets after Johnny Gargano went 4-0 at WWN Live in China and managed to dethrone Ricochet to win the DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Title for a 2^nd time to cap off the week. It’s really hard to believe that Gargano has yet to reach #1 in 2014 after being #1 FIVE times (tied with Kevin Steen for the record at the time) in 2013. That being said, he’s definitely had a very solid 2013, but this was the week that really put him back on the map. Redemption is his. Now, can he build on this ranking and continue to improve his ranking in the 2014 IPR 100? #3 in the online poll with 18 votes

 

2. Caleb Konley (@CalebKonley)-1/2 of the DGUSA Open the United Gate Champions was as impressive as you can possibly be last week without getting the #1 ranking. Tough to overcome Gargano for that award, but regardless, Konley also went 4-0 with THREE successful tag team title defenses at WWN Live in China. While he hasn’t reached #1 in 2014 and he doesn’t have the PWX and WrestleForce Titles to his credit anymore…he has had a fantastic year despite all that. This is tied for his highest ranking this year as he continues to be one of the true work horses of DGUSA and EVOLVE.

WWE Match Rating Archive

This is a list of all the WWE matches I've reviewed that ranked in at *** or above which basically means they're worth checking out. I will update this list as I review/watch more matches. Thanks for checking out and supporting this blog, I hope this list will be helpful for you!

1986:
The Hart Foundation vs. The Killer Bees - Madison Square Garden - February 17, 1986 - ***3/4

1996:
Shawn Michaels vs. Vader - WWE Championship Match - SummerSlam 1996 - ***3/4

1997:
Owen Hart vs. British Bulldog - European Title Match - Raw - 3/3/97 - ****1/2
Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania 13 - *****
Owen Hart & British Bulldog vs. Steve Austin & Shawn Michaels - Raw - 5/2/97 - ***3/4
Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels - King of The Ring - ***1/4
Terry Funk vs. Mick Foley - Falls Count Anywhere Match - Raw - September 22nd - ***1/2

1998:
Taka Michinoku vs. Pantera - In Your House: No Way Out - ***1/2

2000:
Triple H vs. Cactus Jack - Street Fight - Royal Rumble - ****1/4
Edge & Christian vs. The Dudleys vs. The Hardys - Triangle Ladder Match - WrestleMania 2000 - ****1/2
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit - 2 Fall Triple Threat Match for the IC & European Titles - WrestleMania 2000 - ***
Triple H vs. The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. Big Show - WrestleMania 2000 - ****1/4
Edge & Christian vs. The Hardys vs. T & A vs. Too Cool - King of the Ring 2000 - ***1/2
Triple H vs. Chris Jericho - Last Man Standing Match - Fully Loaded - ****
Dudley Boyz vs. Edge & Christin vs. The Hardys - TLC Match - SummerSlam 2000 - ****3/4

2001:
Steve Austin & Triple H vs. Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit - Raw - 5/21/01 - ****1/4
Edge & Christian vs. Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz - Smackdown - 5/24/01 - ****1/4
Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn - No DQ Match - Sunday Night Heat - August 2001 - ***1/2

2002:
Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle - Smackdown - ***1/4
Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit - Smackdown - ***1/2
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rob Van Dam - Raw - 5/27/02 - ***3/4
Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy - Ladder Match - Raw - 7/1/02 - ****1/4
Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero - No DQ Match - Smackdown - 9/26/02 - ****
Kane & The Hurricane vs. Rob Van Dam & Jeff Hardy vs. Bubba Dudley & Spike Dudley vs. Chris Jericho & Christian - Raw - 10/7/02  - ****
Rey Mysterio & Edge vs. Eddie & Chavo Guerrero - Smackdown - 10/24/02 - ***1/4
Triple H vs. Chris Jericho vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Booker T vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Kane - Elimination Chamber Match - Survivor Series 2002 - ***3/4

ROH TV Review - November 16th, 2014 - Lethal/ACH II

The big draw going into this week's show is the highly anticipated rematch between Jay Lethal and ACH for the TV Title. Their 30 minute time limit draw was a MOTY candidate. Now, the question is, can they top it? Let's find out!

1) Roderick Strong, BJ Whitmer, & Adam Page vs. Caprice Coleman, Tadarius Thomas, & Will Ferrara
The Decade has been having problems lately so I was interested to see how things would turn out in this match. Once again, Adam Page jumped the gun by trying to bring a chair into the ring which in turn pissed Roderick Strong off. This led to some miscommunication between the two that ended up costing them the match. That aside, this was a very fun opening six man tag with alot of action.

Match rating - ***

Match of the Week for November 9th - November 15th, 2014

It's been a few weeks since I've done a match of the week article, but a bout happened on Smackdown this Friday that I had to talk about. My last match of the week was a throwback, however as I mentioned before, this one actually happened just this week.

On Smackdown, The Authority continued stacking the odds against Dolph Ziggler by making him defend his title in a triple threat elimination match against Cesaro & Tyson Kidd. When I heard that this match was taking place, I was immediately excited.

I was excited simply because Dolph Ziggler & Cesaro have been producing quality matches over the IC Title for several weeks now and adding someone like Tyson Kidd to the mix would be a nice change of pace. Also considering Kidd's past history in multi-man matches (the NXT four way), I had a feeling these guys would steal the show.

As soon as the bell rang, that initial feeling of these three stealing the show came to fruition as we got a flurry of fast paced exchanges and roll ups to begin the bout. They cut to a quick commercial break which frustrated me because of how invested I was in the match. However, we return from the break and the match continues to unfold with a variety of double team maneuvers.

In fact, that's one of the things that made this match so good. They didn't follow the basic multi-man match formula by using the same old spots. We saw some unique moves such as a tower of doom variation, Cesaro suplexing Ziggler & Kidd at the same time, multiple submissions involving all three men, Ziggler holding Cesaro across his knees as Tyson came down off the top rope thus driving Cesaro's back further onto Dolph's knees, and Ziggler hitting a DDT/Facebuster combination on both Cesaro & Kidd.

Buyer's Guide for PWG's 5 for $40 Winter Sale

For the past several years, PWG has done a winter sale where you can get 5 DVD's for only $40. After months of waiting, the sale has finally returned! This sale is the perfect chance for you to save big on events (and compilations) from arguably the best wrestling company in America, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.

With this sale brings the question - what DVD's should I get?

I've had many people tweet me asking this question because most are aware that I'm an avid PWG fan and while I don't have every single show, I have alot of them. And the ones I don't have, I've done my research on. With that being said, I've decided to put together a buyer's guide for this sale to help new fans of PWG decide what shows would suit them best.

If you've never watched PWG before, but have heard how awesome it is, now is the best time to pick up some events and see the spectacle that is PWG for yourself. So, below I've put together certain packs that you can choose from that may help you decide what shows to get.

But before we get into it - you can take advantage of this great sale by visiting prowrestlingguerrilla.com/merch/winter!

Please note, these aren't official packs put together by PWG, you can get any combination of the DVD's included in the sale, these are just packages I've put together to give new fans something to go by when trying to decide what DVD's to get.

The Five Star Package - 2007 Battle of Los Angeles Night 3, Guerre San Frontieres, Steen Wolf, Threemendous III, & 2013 Battle of Los Angeles Night 2

Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of November 11th, 2014

Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of November 10th, 2014 

 

1. reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly @ROHOReilly & Bobby Fish @TheBobbyFish)-The ROH World Tag Team Champions and “best team on God’s green…” score their SIXTH #1 ranking this week after not only winning the New Japan Super Junior Tag Team Tournament vs. The Young Bucks (in the Finals on 11/3) but by adding more gold to their collection by defeating The Time Splitters for the IWGP Junior Tag Team Titles. This ranking puts them right behind Juicy Product (with 8) for most times in the #1 spot this year for a single tag team. They did everything any team could possibly do to get the #1 ranking yet again this week and they were rewarded among the official voters with a clean sweep of the ballot. Keep in mind our official voters consist of voters from across the world. reDRagon’s favorite quote may just be a reality at this point. Who can really argue with them? #3 in the online poll with 26 votes.

2. Young Bucks (Nick Jackson @NickJacksonYB & Matt Jackson @MattJackson13)-Had they defeated reDRagon in the finals of the New Japan Super  Junior Tag Team Tournament, the rankings could have looked a bit different this week, but their one loss cost them the #1 spot this week. Their week was still absolutely nothing to be ashamed of as they went 3-1 on the week. They have won 10 of their last 11 matches and the rankings the last few weeks have shown just how good they’ve been lately. Best tag team in the world? Possibly, but for the first time they’re not holding any major titles like they have in the past. Will that change before the end of 2014?

3. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson @machinegunka & Doc Gallows @ImpactDOC)-It’s been a few months since the IWGP Tag Team Champion cracked the top 5. They went through a slow period, but they have picked up their winning ways in a major way. They had a valid argument for #2 this week, but they end up with the #3 ranking as they have only 1 straight up 2 on 2 tag team victory in their last 10 matches. That being said, they’ve still been victorious in ALL of their last 10 matches, which is obviously easier said than done in New Japan with that level of competition. With the Tag Team Top 50 approaching, they’ll need to pick up some wins to really push themselves into one of the top spots before the end of the year.

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of November 11th, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of November 10th, 2014 

1. Adam Cole (@AdamColePro)-The former ROH World Champion hits #1 again! It was a quiet few months for last year’s #2 in the IPR 100 until this week when he picked up the pace by winning the 2014 ROH Survival of the Fittest. This big win not only earned him a #1 ranking this week, but it also earned him an ROH World Title shot at Final Battle. First, he defeated Delirious to move onto the Finals, and then he defeated Adam Page and Hanson and Matt Sydal and Roderick Strong and Tommaso Ciampa to win the tournament. Big win for a guy who was dominant in 2013 and is looking to return to the form in the waning months of 2014. #6 in the online poll.

 

2. Kongo Kong (@RealKongoKong)-The IWA Mid-South World Champion and resident “Monsta” continued to impress this past week as he once again turned away the challenge of the super popular John Wayne Murdoch on 11/6 at “What If?” and then added more gold to his collection when he won the Neo Pro Title in Canada on 11/8. Very few men have defeated Kong in 2014 and absolutely no one in IWA Mid-South have done it. Will his reign last the rest of 2014? With IWA running shows on a weekly basis, it will interesting to see if Kong can continue to defend his title successfully and in doing so, move up the IPR 100 ladder. Tied for #8 in the online poll.

 
3. Eddie Kingston (@MadKing_ston81)-Week after week we talk about how someone is being ranked and it’s long overdue. Perhaps no better example of that is Eddie Kingston who finally gets into the Top 10 this year after having a pretty good 2013. He had been snubbed on multiple occasions by the voters, but this week was different as he finally broke through as he once again defeated former #1 Shane Hollister to retain the AAW Heavyweight Title on 11/7. It’s been a long climb for one of the best talkers in independent wrestling, but his first ranking this year is a very high one. As the 2014 IPR approaches (12/29, 12/30, and 12/31) can he build on this ranking and move up the Top 100 before the end of the year?
 
4.  Jake Crist-The former #1 was probably a lock for an even higher spot this week had he not lost the RWA Tag Team Titles over the weekend. That being said, he gets in for the 3^rd straight week after defeating Ron Mathis at Rockstar Pro on 11/5 and then he defeated DJ Hyde for the Rockstar Pro Title on 11/7. He also had a successful CZW World Tag Team Title defense on 11/8. Pretty impressive week for a guy who we’ve said before is more known as a tag team specialist, but there’s no doubting his talents all around as he once again used those talents to get ranked again. As we continue to mention throughout every write-up the last couple of months (and will continue to do so) this just helps to add to his end of year ranking in the IPR 100. Tied for #4 in the online poll.
 

Who Should Round Out Team Authority & Team Cena at Survivor Series?

This Monday's episode of Raw featured one of the best closing segments in recent memory. We saw alot unfold in the form of Randy Orton turning on The Authority and Triple H allowing Kane & Seth Rollins to "finish" his long time protege. They told a phenomenal story and in turn got myself along with many others, excited about the upcoming Team Authority vs Team Cena match at Survivor Series.

The match has already acquired that "big time feel". That means there's only one thing left for WWE to do leading into this colossal main event - pick the right people for each team.

So far, things have went like many expected. Kane & Rollins are leading Team Authority and Cena has recruited the second most popular guy on the roster, Dolph Ziggler, for his team. That means there are three open spots left for each team.

WWE has two options in filling the remaining spots. They could do the predictable and put veterans like Big Show & Mark Henry in those spots OR they could take a chance with some younger talent and give them some big match experience.

Obviously, I think they should do the latter. It's no secret that the WWE roster is overflowing with talent, but it's also obvious that they are lacking "top stars" so to speak. With Punk, Bryan, & Del Rio leaving, it's came back to Cena & Orton as the only two true main event players. At Hell In A Cell, WWE took a chance with Ambrose & Rollins and I'd argue to say it paid off. That's why Survivor Series is the perfect time to continue building towards that next generation.

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of November 3rd, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of November 3rd, 2014 

 

1.   El Ligero (@Ligero1)-This has been a very long time coming! Not just the #1 ranking for El Ligero, but a high ranking, in general. There were a lot of close calls over the last few months that had him sitting in a lot of ballots at #1, but inevitably a loss on a Sunday would drop him down. This week he took it out of the hands of fate and just swept the week completely. The GPW British Champion/NGW Heavyweight Champion/PBW Heavyweight Champion/NEWS British Champion/SWE Champion/one half of Infinite Promotions Tag Team Champions defeated Robbie Dynamite at ASW on 10/27, then defeated him in a Ladder Match on 10/28 & 10/29. He then beat Mad Man Manson at PCW on 10/31 and then beat Rampage Brown to retain the PBW Heavyweight Title on 11/1 then beat defeated Damian Dunne, Ryan Smile & Chris Ridgeway in a Fatal Four Way at PAID Promotions on 11/2 to rattle off his 7th straight win. Well-deserved #1 for one of the best in the UK (Mexico?) and the world! #6 in the online poll.

 

2.  Ricochet (@KingRicochet)-The former EIGHT time #1 had a very solid shot at his 9^th #1 ranking this week, but it wasn’t to be. That being said, he still had a spectacular weekend after he took he defeated Low Ki to retain his HOG Title on 11/1 and then beat Josh Alexander to retain his DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Title on 11/2. His win over Low-Ki was particularly impressive as it’s rare that Low-Ki drops a singles encounter on the indies, but Ricochet is a obviously notch about most talent on the indies. It’s now onto China for the man who is looking to end the year at #1 in the IPR 100. Time will tell if he can leave China with the DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Title still in his possession.

 

3. Heidi Lovelace (@VintageHeidi)-The AAW Heritage Champion took her momentum from her recent title win to WIF! where she moved onto the Finals of the Young Lions Cup 2014 by defeating Eddie Smooth in Round #1 on 11/1 and then defeated Arctic Rescue Ant, Joe Black, Kimber Lee, The Proletariat Boar of Moldova, and Will Ferrara in the 6 Way Elimination Semi-Final the same night. She has been wrestling absolutely all over the U.S. throughout 2014 and yet this is her highest ranking to date. She has definitely proven that she can’t just compete with men, she can’t compel versus them. Tied for #8 in the online poll.

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of October 27th, 2014

 



1. Jake Crist-1/2 of OI4K becomes one of the first people to have been #1 in the Tag Team Top 5 and #1 in singles (others include Michael Elgin and JT Dunn). It was an amazing week for ½ of one of the best tag teams in the world as he beat Aaron Williams on 10/22 at Rockstar Pro to advance to the Semi-Finals of the 2014 Cicero Cup. He then teamed with brother, Dave, to defeat Alex Colon & Kyle Kraven at Rockstar Pro on 10/25 and then followed that up by beating Matt Taylor to advance to the finals of the tournament where he beat Dustin Rayz. He was head and shoulders above the rest this week and is undoubtedly a VERY worthy recipient of this week’s #1 ranking as he nearly swept all the official voters’ ballots at #1. #4 in the online poll.

2.  Kongo Kong/Osyris (@RealKongoKong)-What’s in a name? Clearly, when it comes to “The Monsta” the answer to that question is: nothing. He has been tearing a path of destruction through the Midwest (and even Canada) in 2014 and after beating Dale Patricks at IWA Mid-South to retain the IWA Mid-South World Title on 10/23, he put that very title on the line as Osyris at PWK vs. Lightning Bolt Johnson on 10/25, where he once again emerged victorious. Is he unstoppable? We certainly can’t answer that question, but what we do know is that he loses (especially in singles) on very rare occasions. This ranking once again pushes him closer to that #1 spot in the IPR 100 with just over 2 months left in the year! #5 in the online poll.  

3. Jay Briscoe (@jaybriscoe84)-Hard to keep the ROH World Champion out of a top spot this week after 2 victories at the ROH TV Tapings on 10/25 in Florida. He and Mark Briscoe defeated The Kingdom of Michael Bennett & Matt Taven and then he followed that up with a singles win vs. QT Marshall.Yes, he does miss out on the #1 ranking again this week but with big title defenses on the horizon, it’s unlikely that will be the case for very long. He has really started to get some momentum going as we march towards the end of 2014. Can he hang onto the ROH World Title and get ranked #1 for the first time in 2014?
 

WWE Hell In A Cell 2014 Preview & Predictions

I haven't done a preview/predictions article for a WWE PPV since Money In The Bank simply because they haven't produced a noteworthy PPV since then. To be completely honest, I didn't expect to be writing one for Hell In A Cell either until WWE produced an episode of Raw this past Monday that featured more intriguing storyline progression than any in recent memory.

For that reason, I'm going to make a bold prediction before we even get into discussing the matches on the card. That prediction is this - Hell In A Cell will be the best PPV of this year.

It's not a hard feat to accomplish because there haven't been many outstanding PPV's in WWE this year. Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania are the only two PPV's that had as much hype going into the show as this Sunday's Hell In A Cell does. That alone puts this one in the running for PPV of the year unless the show completely flops which I don't see happening. The card is extremely well rounded and despite not having a WWE Title match on the show, there are more high profile matches than any other PPV in recent months. You've got the blow off to arguably the feud of the year in Ambrose/Rollins, a decade long rivalry coming to a head with World Title implications in Cena/Orton, a 2/3 Falls Match between the two hardest working in-ring talents on the roster, and a newly intensified battle between Show & Rusev. Those matches combined with the unpredictability of their outcomes makes for a highly anticipated show.

Beyond the aforementioned unpredictability, there are alot of possible angles that could take place at Hell In A Cell. Of course these are all pure speculation, but I've been more interested in WWE this past week than I have been in months so I've come up with a few theories.

The first is probably the most likely based on what happened at the end of Raw this past Monday. I think Randy Orton will emerge from this PPV as an anti-hero babyface. His character took a turn for the better on Raw as he delivered one of the best promos I've heard from him in years during his segment with John Cena. With Rollins turning on him to close Raw, I think we are going to see Orton slowly become a fan favorite again which looks like the perfect thing to do with him right now because it worked extremely well on Monday night. How will Orton solidify this face turn/character change at Hell In A Cell? Find out later in this column.

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of October 20th, 2014

 

1. Kazuchika Okada (@rainmaker_chaos)-The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion gets his 2^nd #1 ranking this week after beating Tetsuya Naito on 10/13 to become the #1 contender to the IWGP Heavyweight Title once again. He was not content to rest on his laurels as he went to the UK and beat Joel Redman on 10/18 at Revolution Pro UK and then defeated Austin Aries (a HUGE win) on 10/19. A 3-0 week and a win over a former TNA and ROH World Champion made him the easy #1 choice this week despite strong competition from a lot of other competitors this week. There were a handful of wrestlers who arguably had a solid shot at #1, but Okada stood tall. Tied for #9 in the online poll.

 

2. Hiroshi Tanahashi (@tanahashi1_100)-The NEW IWGP Heavyweight Champion gets into the Top 10 for the very first time after winning the title from AJ Styles on 10/13. Had he built on that title win with just one or two more matches, it’s likely he’d be sitting in the #1 spot this week. Granted, he still has a strong argument that he should have been #1 this week, but his one (HUGE) win vs. others with multiple big wins made it a little harder for him to get that elusive #1 spot. That being said, he earned his way in this week and we hope to see what the rest of 2014 brings for one of the best wrestlers in the world.

 

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - October 20th, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - October 20th, 2014

Pre-Show Thoughts:
Last week's episode of Raw was a solid evening of wrestling and a definite improvement from previous weeks. This led me to have expectations for a show ATLEAST as good this week. To be honest, that's all I want. Considering how bad the past month or so has been, I would be content with a show that was on the same level as last week's. Although, WWE still hasn't really sold me on Hell In A Cell so I guess they need to have an outstanding show to persuade me to watch. The rumors of Cena/Orton main eventing with no build infuriated me over the weekend so I'm interested to see if they attempt to make us want to see the match or if they just let them have the main event because of their starpower. There's alot of questions to be answered on this go home show before Hell In A Cell, but they can all be summed up into one main question - Can WWE sell the audience on Hell In A Cell? Let's find out!

The Authority opens the show
Dean Ambrose has opened Raw for the past few weeks so it was a nice change to see The Authority come out to start the show. This was your basic Authority segment as we got some announcements with the biggest being that the Cena/Orton match at HIAC will be a #1 Contender's Match for the WWE Title. I was elated at this announcement because as I mentioned in my pre-show thoughts - we need a reason to care about Cena/Orton and WWE gave us a reason in this opening segment. Now all they need to do is make us want to see it, but I'm not sure they can do that so I'm happy with just that stipulation being added. We also saw some more tension between Randy Orton and Seth Rollins here as they argued over whose match will main event the PPV. All in all, this was a solid opening segment that set the stage for the rest of the show very well.

Segment Rating: B-

1) The Usos & Sheamus vs. Goldust, Stardust, & Damien Sandow/Mizdow

ROH TV Review - October 18th, 2014

ROH TV Review - October 18th, 2014

1) Hanson vs. The Romantic Touch
This was an odd match up from the start. Hanson is a big, powerhouse guy and Romantic Touch is the weirdest character on the ROH roster. Hanson took the fight to Romantic Touch and finished him off pretty quickly. This was a pretty dull opening match aside from Hanson's always impressive agility. I hope Ray Rowe returns soon because he & Hanson are a great tag team. As for this bout, it was just a prolonged squash.

Match rating - *3/4

Adam Cole, Michael Bennett, & Maria Kanellis made their way to the ring for a promo at this point in the show. The main objective of this segment was to note the tension between Cole & Bennett heading into Bennett's World Title Match with Jay Briscoe next week. They did a fantastic job of selling that frustration and we were left with the question of what did Maria tell Adam Cole to calm him down? Good segment.

2) Adam Page vs. Tadarius Thomas - No DQ Match

ECW Match Rating Archive

A list of all the ECW matches I've reviewed along with the rating that I gave them.

1994:

Shane Douglas vs. 2 Cold Scorpio - NWA World Championship Match - Hardcore TV 1994 - ***

1995:

Dean Malenko & 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Tazz & Eddie Guerrero - Heatwave 1995 - ****

Eddie Guerrero vs. 2 Cold Scorpio - ECW TV Title Match - Hardcore TV - April 8th, 1995 - ***1/2

Ian Rotten vs. Axl Rotten - Tapei Death Match - Hardcore Heaven 1995 - ***1/4

Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko - Hardcore TV - July 28th, 1995 - ****

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psichosis - Mexican Death Match - November 2 Remember 1995 - ***1/2

1996:

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera - 2/3 Falls Match - Extreme Bash 1996 - ****1/4

Chris Jericho vs. Shane Douglas vs. 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Pitbull - Heatwave 1996 - ****1/2

Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of October 13th, 2014

Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of October 13th, 2014

 

1. Joseph Schwartz (@HammerSchwartz) & Chuck Stein-This was honestly a shocker. Going into the weekend, it seemed that The Hystars or Hooligans would walk out as the PWAS Detroit Tag Team Champions, but after winning a 3 Way Tag Team Elimination Match vs. The Viking War Party and Nate & Wellington, they got put into the Tag Team Title Match that night. They then outlasted both the Hystars and The Hooligans to earn the titles and their first ever #1 ranking. In fact, it’s their first ranking as a team! Congratulations to a team that shocked everyone. Now let’s see how they build on this success. #2 in the online poll with 21 votes.

 

2. Paul London (@LondonFu) & Brian Kendrick-The ICW Tag Team Champions make their 2nd straight appearance in the Tag Team Top 5 after retaining the titles vs. The Sumerian Death Squad (a former #2 themselves) on 10/12. The former WWE Tag Team Champions have started making an impact at the most crucial point of the year as we are heading into the home stretch and the inevitable Tag Team Top 50. 2 straight weeks in the Tag Team Top 5 will undoubtedly help their spot when the end of the year rolls around, but with that being said, there’s still more time to build on what they’ve started. Tied for #3 in the online poll.

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of October 13th, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of October 13th, 2014

 

1. John Wayne Murdoch (@johnmurdoch25)-What a week this was! When the week began, it was expected that we would have another new #1, but most of the official voters had no idea who it would be. It came in the form of the Evolution Pro Wrestling Hardcore Harvest Winner, John Wayne Murdoch! “The Dick Murdoch of Death Matches” entered the 2nd annual tournament, defeated Josh Crow in the first round, then beat the formerly undefeated (in IWA and EPW) Lee Byford, before winning a 4 Way vs. Reed Bentley, Christian Skyfire, and Matt Tremont to not only win the tournament, but the EPW Openweight Title as well. It was just one more in a long line of great performances from “The Duke”. With him picking up bookings all over the Midwest, he could be an Indy Power Rankings mainstay for many months to come. One question remains though…if he had been able to make his match vs. Chase Matthews on Friday…would he still be #1? Would Matthews be #1? Someone else? What if? #2 in the online poll with 55 votes. Check out his awesome interview from last week here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weeklywrestlingpodcast/2014/10/08/indypowerrankingslive-w-john-wayne-murdoch-kaige-kuttler

 

2. Tessa Blanchard (@teamTblanchard)-One of the very few viable options at #1 this week (aside from Murdoch) when it came to the official voters’ ballots. She had a VERY impressive weekend as she won the ECWA Women’s Super 8 and became ECWA Women’s Champion. She defeated Tina San Antonio, then Renee Michelle, and then Jenny Rose in the Finals of the tournament. The first tournament showed immediate prestige to the winner as she grabs a #2 ranking this week as she contended for the #1 spot as well. On 2 voters’ ballots, she WAS #1. Great weekend for a talent that is only getting better and better as the year goes on. This will slip her into the IPR 100…can she build on her spot before the end of the year? #3 in the online poll with 28 votes.

 

3. David Finlay Jr.-He is the NEW POW Junior Champion after defeating Scott Saxon and Veit Muller for the title on 10/10 and then defeated Scott Saxon to retain the title on 10/11. He has been on our radar for a while, but had yet to crack the Top 10. This week was special as he did it and in a big way. He’s been having a very good year so far and this ranking just further cements that fact. If he can keep this roll going, he’ll continue to contend for the Top 10 for the rest of the year, proving that Europe has a strong claim for having some of the best talent in the world.

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - October 13th, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - October 13th, 2014

After a few weeks away from writing a review for Raw, I'm back and better than ever! I avoided writing a review for the past several episodes simply because I felt like it would come off as more of a rant than a review. No one looks reading rant after rant thus why I opted not to give my thoughts on the show. Thankfully, WWE improved with this week's episode of Raw so I'm back to give my thoughts on it.

Dean Ambrose/John Cena confrontation
These two have opened the show for the past few weeks and it's yet to get old. Ambrose is fantastic on the mic and Cena is the perfect opponent for him. They had another great exchange on the mic here which led to a triple threat tag team match being made. The only negative to these two opening the show every week is that the outcome is uber predictable - The Authority comes out and makes a tag match. None the less, that's a minor complaint. Fun opening segment.

1) John Cena & Dean Ambrose vs. The Usos vs. Stardust & Goldust
I liked the concept of this match simply because the action here was great, but I didn't like the idea of Cena & Ambrose going over the tag champions. When you have two main event guys beating the tag champs just for the hell of it, it makes the titles look bad. Questionable booking here, but still a very good match to start the show.

Match rating - ***

2) Paige & Alicia Fox vs. AJ Lee & Layla
This was your basic short Divas match that has sadly become the norm in WWE. These four women have so much more to offer

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of October 6th, 2014

 

 1. Karsten Beck-This one is kind of surprising, but if you dig deeper, you’d see why this was a no-brainer in the end. Karsten Beck, while he has not yet been ranked this year, won a HUGE tournament over the weekend as he won the wXw/CZW/BNJW World Triangle League 2014 and in the process knocked off Axel Dieter Jr., went to a draw with Zack Sabre Jr. (a former #1), defeated Jonathan Gresham, and then finally won the tournament by beating Biff Busick (also a former #1) and Rich Swann in a 3 Way on 10/5. It was an impressive and prestigious victory as he becomes the first German-born wrestler to get ranked #1. #9 in the online poll.

 

2. People’s Champ. Josef Von Schmidt (@JosefVonSchmidt)-The PWA CT International and FSW Heavyweight Champion (and Wrestling on Fire Heavyweight Champion, HWC Undaground Heavyweight Champion, CPW Champion, PWR Champion, XCW Champion, & DD Heavyweight Champion) had another good week. Had it not been for the World Triangle League, it’s very likely he would have been an easy #1 again this week, but circumstances dictated otherwise. That being said, his fans came out in bunches to vote for him this week once again as he secured 213 votes to win the online voting competition and become this week’s People’s Champ.

 

3. Candice LeRae (@CandiceLeRae)-2014 has been a career defining year for Candice as ½ of the World’s Cutest Tag Team has been picking up title over title throughout the year in tag team competition, but this week (after 2 wins in tag team action), she defeated female sensation Ivelisse to win the FWE Women’s Title on 10/4. A 3-0 weekend locks her into the #3 spot this week as she returns to the Top 10 once again. Look for her to place very high in the Tag Team Top 5 along with Joey Ryan after their 2 wins at FWE as well.