TNA Sacrifice 2014 PPV Predictions

Tonight is the night. TNA presents us with their PPV event, Sacrifice. There are several solid matches on the card and the event has potential to be very good. Below I review each match and give my thoughts on the story surrounding them as well as where each wrestler will go from here.

1) The Wolves vs. The BroMans - TNA World Tag Team Title Match
After months of feuding, I think The Wolves will finally win the titles tonight. I believe it will be the beginning of lengthy tag team title reign for The Wolves. I also hope there is some tension in The Bro Mans coming out of tonight as I would like to see Zema Ion venture back into the X Division.

Who I think will win: The Wolves

2) Mr. Anderson vs. Samuel Shaw
I've really enjoyed this feud in recent weeks and this will seemingly be the final chapter of it. Samuel Shaw continues to get better at portraying his character. He definitely has a bright future in TNA and the next step towards that is defeating Mr. Anderson tonight at Sacrifice.

Who I think will win: Samuel Shaw

3) Madison Rayne vs. Angelina Love - TNA Knockouts Title Match
With the way the Beautiful People have been built up since returning, I think Angelina Love will

ROH TV Review - April 26th, 2014

ROH TV Review - April 26th, 2014
The show opens up with the undisputed ROH World Champion Adam Cole. He is accompanied to the ring by Adam Cole. After Cole cuts a good promo on himself, he presents Matt Hardy with the title that Briscoe had been carrying around for months. Kevin Steen ends up coming out and talks about how he never got a rematch when he lost the World Title last year. Steen hits Cole, but Hardy jumps on him. Mike Bennett runs to the ring and the odds are too much for Steen as the three men beat him down. Cole, Hardy, and Bennett stand tall after a great opening segment. Steen and Cole are the two best Indy wrestlers today and they will clash for the ROH World Championship on May 10th!

1) Cedric Alexander vs. BJ Whitmer
I'm really enjoying the whole Decade storyline. Especially the Alexander/Strong feud that's been brewing for weeks now. I'm a big fan of Alexander so it's exciting to see him getting pushed in Ring of Honor. This was a solid match up. It had one botch that slowed the pace a bit, but it was still very enjoyable overall. The stuff that happened afterwards with Adam Page holding Alexander while Jacobs delivered a phenomenal heel promo mentioning Alexander's family was

WWE Friday Night Smackdown Review - April 25th, 2014

WWE Friday Night Smackdown Review - April 25th, 2014
The show starts with a hilarious 'debate' between Paul Heyman and Zeb Colter. As you would probably would expect with the names involved, this was a phenomenal segment. The two bickered back and forth for several minutes before trying to fight each other, but Cesaro and Swagger held back their respective managers.

1) Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger
Swagger and Cesaro are two outstanding athletes. They know each other very well since they are former tag partners so this was bound to be great. Needless to say, it was a really good match. Thankfully they got a good amount of time and were able to have a very competitive match up. Cesaro gets the win after hitting the neutralizer on his former partner.

Match rating - 7.75/10

After the match, The Shield hit the ring and

My Thoughts on the Current and Future State of TNA

Recently TNA has lost several of it's biggest stars including AJ Styles and the founder of the company, Jeff Jarrett. Beyond those two, the veterans Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, and Chris Sabin have apparently left the company as well. Most people see this is as a bad thing, but personally I don't think so.

TNA is at a cross roads. It's a point in time where a big transition is going to take place. A new era is about to being and it's a era that doesn't include Jarrett, Styles, Daniels, Sabin, and Kazarian. It's obvious that TNA wants to build a group of new stars and although I disagree with how they've done it so far (Magnus' horrible title run), I think it could still be very successful. With a new group of stars being put at the forefront, those veterans have slipped into minor roles in the company. With new stars emerging, there aren't room for as many veterans on the roster. All the names mentioned above are moving onto other things and as a pro wrestling fan, I'm glad.

I'm happy about it for two reasons: 1) TNA has a roster full of future stars that can fill the void that the absence of those top stars left. 2) The stars leaving can add to other companies and make the business as a whole even better.

AJ Styles has returned to ROH as well as competing in other various Indy companies. This is huge for Indy wrestling and ROH in particular. Styles has been on National TV for years now so people will want to keep up with him which will bring news to the product. Along with Styles, Chris Sabin has returned to the Indy scene as well as Daniels & Kaz who have recently become available for bookings and will be competing for Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore promotion in June.

Jeff Jarrett is starting his new company which is expected to grow quickly. I fully expect several former/current TNA stars to end up there. He's the guy who brought them into TNA originally after all. I'm sure they still have a good relationship with the guy who brought them to the dance. GFW is definitely something to watch. Jarrett has posted pictures with Daniels & Kaz which teases that they may end up there. There is also a rumor that Jarrett would like to acquire Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle from TNA which leads to my next point.

Joe and Angle are two other of TNA's biggest draws that I could see leaving the company before the end of the year. That's a huge void to fill, but as I mentioned earlier. If done correctly, TNA can get through this hard time and emerge successful. How can they do so? and Who will the new stars be? That's the whole point of this article so let's get to it.

If you follow me on Twitter, you know my opinion on the current state of TNA. Roster full of super talented individuals, but they are all cursed with bad creative direction from people within the company. Obviously I don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but the product is in front of my eyes every week so I can easily tell what the problem seems to be and as stated above, it's bad booking and terrible creative decisions.

The first and most important example of this that I would like to cover is Magnus' reign as TNA World Champion. To be brutally honest, it was horrible. If my memory is correct, he didn't win a single match without interference. How do you build a new star and champion like that? I understand him competing as a heel and earning cheap victories, but every time? That's nonsensical.

Magnus could have become a star in front of everyone's eyes on several occasions. From his match with AJ Styles which was an overbooked trainwreck to his match with Joe that ended with yet more interference - Magnus has been placed with outstanding opponents that could easily 'make' him so to speak, but the constant outside interference not only caused his in-ring performance to be overlooked, it also kept him from coming into his own as a main eventer.

Magnus could have easily put on a quality 20 minute World Title match against Styles or Joe that would have added prestige to his career and title reign. And yes, he could still do this and be a heel. Build him as the cowardly cocky champion, but when he has to defend his title and he backs up every word he's said about him being the best. It's that simple, but apparently people within TNA thought that a great World Champion should never have a title defense without someone interfering to help him win.

Enough of me ranting on TNA's creative direction. I just felt the need to express my opinion on why this new era hasn't been successful so far. Now let's look at the positives. What TNA has and how could they utilize it to make the product better and more successful.

TNA has a locker room filled with extremely talented and experienced individuals. Bully Ray, MVP, Abyss, and Jeff Hardy are among those names. These are nationally known talents that are respected across the board. The veteran role in the company could easily be filled by these five men over the next few years. Also in the company are several seasoned talents including James Storm and Bobby Roode who have been in TNA for many years. Both men are very good at what they do and seemingly have several more years of quality storytelling & wrestling left in their tanks. They can easily play a part in the veteran role and current star role in the company for years to come.

Beyond the veterans/current stars however, TNA also has a roster loaded with outstanding young wrestlers ready to break out. Among those names are Magnus, Ethan Carter III, Kenny King, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, Manik, Sam Shaw, Zema Ion and Brittany. Each of these great young talents bring something special to the table.

A name you might be surpised to see on this list is who I'll start with first - Magnus. Yes, he's a former World Champion, but if you read my few paragraphs above addressing his lackluster title reign, you will understand why I've included him on this list. I've never personally been a huge fan of Magnus, but he's good at what he does. His title reign was in no way a good reflection of what he's capable of. I still feel that Magnus has yet to have that big break out moment. He's tremendously improved, but I think he's yet to have that moment/match that everyone will look back on and say "That's the night Magnus came into his own." Hopefully he gets another run as World Champion and is actually booked in a logical, successful way.

The next outstanding talent I'd like to mention is a young man who was put under Magnus' wing for a period of time earlier this year, Ethan Carter III. I believe he could one of the biggest stars in TNA. He has IT. If Impact Wrestling doesn't capitalize on the gold they have in this young talent, they are missing a HUGE opportunity. Since debuting, EC3 has been booked in a very mediocre way. Almost every singles bout he's had hasn't reflected his tremendous skills. I'm not going to complain though because it's still early in his career. But if booked correctly, this guy could be the poster boy for TNA very soon.

The X Division is a TNA original concept so to speak. Sadly it's became extremely poor over the past year. X Divison Title matches are only given short amounts of time unlike how it used to be when X Division title bouts regularly lasted anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. The title has lost some of it's prestige, but there is one man that could bring the title and division back to life - Kenny King.

King is a STAR. Charisma, amazing athletic ability, loaded with talent - he's got it all. I've been waiting on him to take a big role in the company since he got signed, but it's yet to happen. I think TNA should use him as the guy to bring the X Division back to prominence. He's got the skill to do so and it could make him a huge star in the process. Kenny King is definitely a future main eventer in TNA, but before being sent into the World Title picture, I think King should be booked as The Savior of the X Division.

Speaking of the X Division, King would need some competition and I know just the two guys for the job - Manik and Zema Ion.

Many of you probably only know Zema Ion under his current persona "DJ Z", but the truth is he's a phenomenal wrestler. Despite not being able to showcase it weekly, Zema still uses part of what makes him an all around solid talent, his charisma. If TNA decided to put some serious effort back into the X Divison, Zema should definitley have a major role in it. Some of you may find him annoying, but if you go back and watch some of his matches, I guarantee you'll be impressed.

The other X Division wrestler that could help bring the Division back to prominence is Manik. For those who don't know much about him, he wrestled as "Puma" in TNA back in the early years and he also wrestles under his real name "TJ Perkins" in companies such as PWG. In fact, that was my first glimpse of him and I had no idea he played Manik on TNA. Manik has fantastic technical and highflying abilities. It's been sad to see him become less and less featured on Impact Wrestling in recent months. He's one of my favorite wrestlers to watch compete as he is so fluent in the ring. Manik could be one of the guys to bring more attention towards the X Division.

Now that we've discussed the X Divsion, let's take a look at a tag team.. The Wolves, Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. These two are something special. They could easily bring the tag team division in TNA to a new high, but they both also have the ability to have extremely successful singles careers in the company. I think after a few years of dominating the Tag Team Divsion, Davey and Eddie will go on to put on classic TNA World Championship matches. Both men certainly have the ability to do so. The possibilites are endless with Richards and Edwards.

In recent months, a new creepy character has emerged on the scene in Impact Wrestling in the form of Sam Shaw. Although I've been very critical of TNA in the creative/storyline department recently, I have to give them kudos for the way they've booked this young man. The character has brought out a whole new side of Shaw that I didn't know existed. I've always thought he was good in the ring, but never knew he was loaded with so much charisma. If Shaw continues to play his character as fantastically as he has so far, best believe he could be at the top of TNA before you know it!

The only area of Impact Wrestling that I haven't covered is the Knockouts division. So, you're probably wondering, who could be the next break out TNA Knockout? I've got the answer - Brittany. She made a name for himself before coming to TNA as an outstanding wrestler and now she has the opportunity showcase her abilites to a much wider audience. Brittany could very well be the future of the Knockouts Divsion in TNA.

From the World Title scene to the X Division to the Knockouts. From the veterans to the newcomers. I've given my insight on each part of Impact Wrestling as well as who I believe will be the major of stars of the company in years to come.

If TNA can get past their recent creative downfalls and begin utilizing the amazing talent they have on their hands, they could easily recover from the slump they've been in as of late. I think all the names I've mentioned above would make a phenomenal roster. They most certainly could produce quality television each week. The blend of new and young talent in TNA is exciting. The future is bright for Impact Wrestling, IF they capatilize on the opportunity to make these already extremely talented young stars into superstars.

Agree? Disagree? Tweet me your thoughts @StylesClashx on Twitter!

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - April 21st, 2014

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - April 21th, 2014

The show started with Daniel Bryan making his return since being gone last week for his honeymoon. Brie Bella was in the ring and they did the "Yes" chant together. Cool moment. Stephanie McMahon immediatly interrupted Bryan and announced he would face Kane at Extreme Rules. Kane proceeded to come out and lay a vicious beatdown on Bryan that consisted of three tombstone piledrivers. One on the floor, one on the steel steps, and one on the announce table. This was a phenomenal opening segment and a great way to bring alot of heat to Kane and add some fire to this feud. It was also an easy way to get Bryan written off TV for the rest of the night so he could head home to his family since his father passed away earlier in the day.

1) Wade Barrett vs. Sheamus - Semi Finals - IC Title Tournament
The first match of the evening turned out to be the best bout of the whole show. Barrett and Sheamus delivered a very physical back and forth match which garnered "This is Awesome" chants from the WWE Universe. That's the second week in a row that a match involving Barrett recieved high praise from the crowd in attendance. Barrett defeats Sheamus cleanly to advance in the tournament. Loving the hot streak Barrett is on. He's more popular than ever.

2) Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, & Hornswoggle vs. Los Matadores & El Torito
This was your typical fun/comedy match for the evening. I didn't get much of a kick out of it, but it served its purpose. I don't mind light hearted stuff like this every now and then. What got on my nerves was seeing McIntyre get

Fantasy Booking the April 21st Edition of Monday Night Raw

As the days grow closer, I become more and more excited for tomorrow night's episode of Raw. Mainly because of the matches currently lined up for the show. Cesaro/RVD and Barrett/Sheamus both have potential to be great. On top of that, Daniel Bryan is making his return. The show is destined to be great, but sometimes WWE falls short and gives us too much filler.

A three hour show can't only have three high points. You've got 180 minutes of TV to fill and that isn't counting the over run. This episode of Raw is already off on the right foot so I think WWE should really attempt to create a high quality episode of Monday Night Raw. There are several easy and sensible matches & segments that can be added to make the show possibly one of the best of the year.

The first thing that I would do is book The Shield in singles/tag matches. This could be set up simply by The Shield attacking Evolution in the opening segment. A brawl breaks out and security separates them. It teases their match at Extreme Rules and pisses off the angry boss Triple H.

Since Hunter is pissed, he forces The Shield to compete in matches tonight. Triple H forces Ambrose to defend his United States Championship against Damien Sandow while Rollins & Reigns will have to face Luke Harper & Erick Rowan in the main event.

That's two top notch matches to add to the already stacked card. The next bout that should be made is something involving the guys who lost in the IC Title tournament last week. I think Swagger vs. Ziggler would be

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of April 14th, 2014

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of April 14^th, 2014

1. Ricochet-The Dragon Gate Open the Dream Gate Champion and DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Champion went back to Japan this week and well, he was flawless. Is it the Ricochet Power Rankings or the Indy Power Rankings? He has now broken the record for most times at #1 in a single calendar year. He passes Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, and Kevin Steen for the distinction. After 2 weekend wins, he is 24-5 in his last 29 matches. #9 in the online poll.

 

2. Melvin Maximus-At this point you can start calling the OVW TV Champion the Rodney Dangerfield of the Indy Power Rankings, because he gets no respect. Yes, he’s a former #1 and a perennial contender each week, but despite 30 straight wins, he has been #2 the last 2 weeks. He won 7 matches over the last 2 weeks, but again, didn’t get the #1 ranking. One thing that several voters have complained about is his strength of competition. Perhaps OVW will start lining up some of their top guys to run into “The Marvelous One” and we’ll see what happens. Regardless, congrats on 30 straight wins and another top 5 ranking. #6 in the online poll.

 

3. Drake Younger-“The Ultraviolent Golden Boy” came just short of getting his first #1 on his farewell to the indies tour. What he did accomplish, however, is he is the first person to ever win CZW’s Tournament of Death AND Best of the Best, which he accomplished on 4/12 defeating Papadon & Timothy Thatcher in a Way, AR Fox, and then Biff Busick in the finals. Unfortunately, his loss to BJ Whitmer at IWA Mid-South on 4/13 may have cost him #1, but as always, he was a class act in defeat. Indeed, thank you, Drake. #7 in the online poll.

 

Two Young Stars That Should Be Added to the Newly Re-formed Evolution

Last night on Raw we witnessed the reformation of one of the most dominant stables in WWE history, Evolution. It was certainly a surprise that some saw coming while others didn't. Either way it has created alot of buzz . The feud that is building between The Shield and Evolution should be nothing short of awesome, but that's not what I want to address in this column.

As some of you may have noticed, a key member from the original fold was missing in the form of Ric Flair. It didn't shock anyone that he wasn't include in the reformation of the group as he isn't signed to a contract by WWE at the moment. Since Flair isn't involved in the resurgence of the group, that leaves an open spot in the group.

That open slot shouldn't be filled by a veteran like Flair though. This go round, Triple H seems to be taking Flair's original role as the veteran in the stable. Batista and Orton are in the role that Triple H was originally as they are the current top stars. For those of you that were around during Evolution's first tenure, you realize that this leaves an open spot for a young talent (or two) in the group. That was actually the whole basis of the name Evolution wasn't it? An evolution of stars.

That being said, there are several people on the roster that I think would fit the mold for this position. The first man that comes to mind is

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - April 14th, 2014

The show began with a wonderful video package and tribute to The Ultimate Warrior. A true legend that will never be forgotten. RIP Warrior.

1) Rob Van Dam vs. Alberto Del Rio
The first match of the night was a first round match in a tournament to crown the new #1 Contender to the IC Title. RVD and Del Rio had some great matches last fall for the World Championship so I expected this to be no different. Some solid exchanges and counters throughout this bout. It was a very good match and way to start the show. Despite giving Van Dam a run for his money, Del Rio fell victim to the five star frog splash. Van Dam defeats Del Rio and advances in the tournament!

Match rating - 7/10

2) Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel
As always, Cody and Goldust put in a very entertaining performance.

ROH TV Review - April 12th, 2014

ROH TV Review - April 12th, 2014

This week, ROH began showing us matches from their huge Supercard of Honor shows that took place during WrestleMania weekend.

1) Silas Young vs. RD Evans (w/ Veda Scott)
Fun opening style match. Evans isn't a serious competitor while Young is the complete opposite so this was a weird mesh of characters, but Young still impressed. The highlight for me was Silas hitting an electric chair on the ring apron! I've never seen anyone do that before. I hope ROH starts pushing Young because he's a physical wrestler with alot of talent and good gimmick as "The Last Real Man in Wrestling". Evans gets the win after screw job finish.

Match rating - 6/10

2) Tommasso Ciampa vs. Jay Lethal - 2/3 Falls Match for the ROH TV Championship
After these two tore the house down on two seperate occassions already this year, I was looking forward to this match when I heard about it. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the worst match they've had together. Their three way with Taven was awesome along with their singles bout from a few weeks ago, but it felt like something was missing from this bout. They kept it at a slower pace for the most part which was different. They started off slow and never really picked up til right at the end. Right when it started to get good - it was over. It was still a good match, but nowhere near as awesome as their previous encounters. Lethal turns heel and sides with Truth Martini and wins the TV Title!

Match rating - 7/10

How WWE should book Brock Lesnar since breaking Undertaker's Streak

How WWE should book Brock Lesnar since breaking The Undertaker's Streak

Brock Lesnar made history last Sunday by becoming the only man to EVER defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania. It was a moment in which time seemingly stood still as the streak was broken. During this moment, people were filled with various emotions - shock, sadness, disbelief.

Despite the mixed reaction to Lesnar breaking the streak, what's done is done. Now the question is - how will/should WWE book Lesnar after making history? I think the answer is simple. WWE should book Brock Lesnar how they should have booked him when he returned in 2012.

When Lesnar returned to the WWE in 2012, the company completely ruined his return. He came back and dropped John Cena in the middle of the ring. He was looked at as an unstoppable beast. The crowd truly felt that Lesnar was the real deal. Then in his first match back, he lost to John Cena.

Words can't describe how aggravated I was with the outcome of this. Lesnar dominated the majority of the match. Beating Cena in a way he'd never been beaten before. The WWE Universe was in awe at how much of a beast Brock was. Then he loses. HORRIBLE booking.

When Lesnar got beat,

Indy Power Rankings: Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of April 7th

Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of April 7^th, 2014

 

1.       BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson)-A first! This is not only their first time ranked #1 in the Tag Team Top 5, but also the first time that ANYONE has been ranked #1 in the Tag Team Top 5  after being ranked #1 in the Indy Power Rankings in 2013 (pre-Tag Team Top 5). That’s what type of year Gallows and “The Machine Gun” are having as they once again retained their IWGP Tag Team Titles on 4/6 vs. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata. With 8 of their last 10 matches being wins, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with potentially for the rest of 2014.

 

2.       Bravado Brothers (Lancelot & Harlem Bravado)- The DGUSA Open the United Gate Champions/WrestleForce Tag Team Champions had a hell of a weekend as they went 3-0 in straight up tags, but their one blemish in a 6 man tag may have cost them #1 this week. Nevertheless, The Bravado Bandwagon rolls on as they’ve won 5 straight 2 on 2 tag team matches. They are another team that are just starting to get their legs under them in 2014.

 

3.       The Decade (BJ Whitmer, Jimmy Jacobs, Adam Page)-Different pairing. Same result. On 4/4 at ROH they teamed to defeat Adrenaline RUSH & Andrew Everett. They are 8-1 as a stable since forming with the only loss being a 2 on 2 tag by Whitmer & Jacobs at IWA Mid-South. They are 8-0 as any type of unit at ROH. This was Adam Page’s first teaming with the group but once again they remain unblemished in perhaps the biggest independent wrestling promotion in the U.S. in ROH.

 

4.       Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)-Another week goes by and once again, arguably the best tag team on the indies are not #1. Despite that,

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - April 7th, 2014 : The Beginning of a New Era

WWE Monday Night Raw Review - April 7th, 2014 - The Beginning of a New Era

 

WrestleMania 30 symbolized the beginning of a new era in WWE and the April 7th edition of Monday Night Raw will be remembered as the first chapter in that new era. We saw the future of WWE standing tall throughout the show and it was without a doubt the best episode of Raw in recent memory.

The show began in awesome fashion with the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan coming to the ring to a huge ovation from the New Orleans crowd. This segment led to a rematch between Bryan and Triple H being scheduled for later in the night. The crowd was amazing as they chanted "You deserve this!" among various other things. Great way to start the show.

The opening match of the evening pitted The Wyatt Family against John Cena, Sheamus, and Big E. They put together a great closing sequence with alot of action and in the end, The Wyatt Family prevailed over Big E and the veterans. The Wyatt Family defeating two veterans like Cena and Sheamus shows that WWE has alot of faith in them. Here we also learned that the Wyatt/Cena feud

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of April 7th

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of April 7th 2014

 

1. Ricochet-The Dragon Gate Open the Dream Gate Champion wasn’t content with just being the champion of the promotion in Japan…he wanted more. With that being said, he came, he saw, and he conquered the over 800 day champion in Johnny Gargano to become the NEW DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Champion on 4/4. He then defeated Chris Hero, Masato Tanaka, and Roderick Strong on 4/5, before losing the 6 Man Tag Team Tournament Final in a 3 Way Elimination Match to The Premier Athlete Brand. He is 22-5 in his last 27 matches. Hail to the king once again as he has now tied the record for most #1’s (5) in a year and it’s only April! #2 in the online poll.

2. Melvin Maximus-The OVW TV Champion has proven once again that he is as unbeatable right now as anyone has been on the indies in 2014. After a 4-0 week this week at OVW, he has now won 27 straight matches. Let that soak in a bit. 27 up and 27 down for the champ. “Official” voters argued that strength of schedule hasn’t been up to par for him, but he beats whoever is in front of him. #4 in the online poll.

3. Matt Cross-“M-Dogg” would have been #1 on most other weeks with his win in the historic ECWA Super 8 Tournament, but this was not a normal week.

PWG Announces Date of Next Show + Matches

On Pro Wrestling Guerilla's official Twitter account (@OfficialPWG), they announced the date of their next show which will be May 24th. They also announced two matches for the show which are as follows:

• Kevin Steen & The Young Bucks vs. Cedric Alexander, Andrew Everett, & Trevor Lee
• Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly - Knockout or Submission Only Match for the PWG World Championship Title

 These are two huge matches as Alexander, Everett, and Lee become permanent parts of the PWG roster after an impressive showing at Mystery Vortex 2. What better way to welcome them to Reseda than going against Steen & The Bucks? Meanwhile Kyle O'Reilly gets one more shot at Adam Cole in what will likely be an incredible, hard hitting match. This is definitely a show to look forward to!
Visit http://www.prowrestlingguerilla.com for more details!

WrestleMania 30 - One of the Best Ever

Last night at WrestleMania 30, we witnessed the beginning of a new era. For the first time in many years, WWE made several new stars at WrestleMania. Among the stars made last night were Daniel Bryan and Cesaro. We also saw The Undertaker's legendary streak go down to the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar. It was an amazing night with numerous twists and turns.

Before I begin, I'd like to mention that I didn't order the show. For the first time in many years, I didn't order WrestleMania. And ironically, the one time I didn't order in the past few years turned out to be the night they decided to push new stars.

Although I didn't get to watch the show, I followed along consistently on Twitter throughout the evening so I have a good idea of how everything was. Despite not seeing it, I could tell one thing from WrestleMania 30 - it was one of the best ever.

A good wrestling show needs several things to be successful. Beyond great matches, a wrestling PPV should be a rollercoaster ride. Surprises, emotion, and drame are just three of those things needed to make an outstanding PPV. Last night, WrestleMania 30 had all of those things and more.

ROH TV Review - April 5th, 2014

ROH TV Review - April 5th, 2014

At the beginning of the show it was announced that we would be seeing matches from ROH's Raising The Bar weekend from last month. I was super excited as I heard there were many great matches on those two shows. The two matches that will be featured tonight are Chris Hero vs. Roderick Strong and ReDragon vs. The Young Bucks!

1) Chris Hero vs. Roderick Strong

As expected from these two ROH veterans, this was an outstanding match. Hero continues to live up to his nick name of being "That Young Knockout Kid" as his kicks and elbows seem to get more vicious each week. Strong once again lived up to his name of "Mr. ROH" by delivering yet another awesome match. Lots of great wrestling here. Both men put in a solid performance and the result was a great, hard hitting battle!

Match rating - 8.75/10

2) reDragon (Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) vs. The Young Bucks - ROH World Tag Team Title Match

These are arguably the two best tag teams in the world and seeing them clash in one ring was nothing short of amazing. The Bucks were making their return to ROH here and they certainly came back with a bang. Although Matt had a broken hand and was wearing a cast, The Bucks still put on a flawless match. O'Reilly and Fish targeted Matt's hand throughout the match with various submissions and kicks. Despite that, Matt fought back and managed to finally get Nick in the bout and when he did - it broke down! An incredible exchange between these four men took place with so many big moves. This phenomenal exchange was followed by a series of near falls that had me on the edge of my seat. The Bucks then went for More Bang For Your Buck, but Kyle catches Nick in a Triangle Choke! Nick rolls over and Kyle's shoulders are down 1-2-3! THE YOUNG BUCKS ARE NEW ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS! Amazing match.

Match rating - 9/10

Overall thoughts: The whole Raising The Bar weekend shows were awesome from what I've heard and these were two of the best matches from those events. Both bouts were outstanding! If you missed ROHTV this week, I highly recommend checking it out. Quality wrestling all around!

WWE WrestleMania 30 Predictions & Analysis

WWE WrestleMania 30 Predictions & Analysis

WrestleMania is only one day away and it's destined to be great. There are many intriguing matches lined up. Many of them are unpredictable which makes it even more fun to watch as you don't know what's gonna happen. Although several of the matches are hard to predict, I have my own theory on what will happen. So I'll start by looking at each match and making my prediction for the outcome.

The Usos vs. The Real Americans vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel vs. Los Matadores
While I'm disappointed that this bout was relegated to the pre-show, I still expect it to be really good. The Usos and Los Matadores will provide the highflying fast paced action, The Real Americans always put on outstanding bouts, and Ryback & Axel can hold their own. I'm expecting The Real Americans to win the titles eventually, but not here. The Usos will retain their titles by pinning either Ryback & Axel or the Matadores.

Who I think will win: The Usos

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
There are many superstars to pick from here and several prime candidates for victory. I'd personally like to see a young star like Titus O'Neil get the victory, but with the way he's been built towards this match, I don't see that happening. Another option I think WWE may choose is Alexander Rusev. It's going to be his debut and although I'm not a huge fan of him, it'd be a good way to debut him. The other big favorite to win is Big Show.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2014 DVD Review

WWE Elimination Chamber 2014 DVD Review
Since I wasn't able to see this PPV when it originally aired last month and I've heard tons of great things, I decided to pick it up for myself. With it being WrestleMania weekend, I figured now would be a good time to review it since it was the final PPV before Mania.

1) Big E vs. Jack Swagger - Intercontinental Championship Match
Both of these guys have amateur wrestling backgrounds so I expected this match to be really good and indeed it was. Swagger and E are both hard hitters so this bout was very physical. We saw new moves from both men such as spear from E knocking Swagger out of the ring and Swagger running up to the top rope and delivering a belly to belly suplex on Big E. This was a great match and way to start the show.

Match rating - 7.75/10

2) The New Age Outlaws vs. The Usos - Tag Team Championship Match
While the ending to the match was cheap, the match itself was very fun to watch. The Usos put in a great performance as always while the New Age Outlaws hung right there with them. Solid tag team match with some good action. It was fast paced while The Usos had the upperhand, but slowed down to an oldschool pace when the Outlaws took control.

TNA Impact Wrestling Review - April 3rd, 2014

TNA Impact Wrestling Review - April 3rd, 2014

1) Bully Ray & Willow vs. Bobby Roode & EC3 - Tables Match
The show starts off with a bang as these two teams clash in a tables match. It was a very entertaining and fast paced opener. Bully continues to impress me with how good he still is while Willow is.. intriguing to say the least. On the other side, you've got two guys who have the It factor in Bobby Roode and EC3. All four men put in a solid effort and it resulted in an awesome opener. Roode went crazy afterwards putting Bully through three tables. I'm so excited to see where this Bully/Roode feud goes. It has the potential to be amazing. This was a great way to start the show.

Match rating - 8/10

2) Mr. Anderson vs. Samuel Shaw - Strait Jacket Match
First off, Samuel Shaw is really impressing me lately. His gimmick is different and he cut a great promo here. The stuff they are doing with him is quality TV.

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of March 31st

Indy Power Rankings for the Week of March 31st, 2014

 

 

1. Melvin Maximus-The OVW TV Champion is unstoppable! He grabs his first ever #1 ranking after rattling off 23 straight wins! He joins Rockstar Spud and Randy Royal as previous OVW TV Champions to get the elusive #1. He’s been absolutely “Marvelous” during this run and this past week he defeated Clint Poe and Elvis Pridemore to continue that run. While he may be a fairly regional name in the Kentuckiana area, the amount of wins he’s racked up had the voters taking notice this week. Congrats to him. #5 in the online poll.

 

2. Chris Hero-This week “Chris is awesome” once again. After 3 big victories vs. Tommaso Ciampa at PWG on 3/28, Chris Masters at IWF on 3/29, and Tyson Dux at SMASH Wrestling on 3/30 to go 3-0 on the weekend, he makes his way to the #2 spot this week. It’s his 2^nd highest ranking to date as he was #1 just 2 weeks ago before falling out of the Top 10 completely. The EVOLVE Champion has really improved his win-loss record as of late (winning 8 of his last 10 matches) and if this continues, you’ll be seeing his name a lot more in the Top 10. #2 in the online poll.

 

3. Tommy End-“The Anti-hero” had a MAGICAL weekend with what he accomplished. He was a fantasy wrestling player’s dream come true as he defeated Mark Andrews at SWE on 3/29 and followed that up, by defeating The Starbux for the SWE Tag Team Titles, then defeated IPW: UK Champ Paul Robinson at PROGRESS on 3/30, and finally capped off the weekend with more gold by winning the ICW Tag Team Titles in a Ladder Match vs. The Buck Boys. He was a perfect 4-0 on the weekend. He has won 12 straight matches and his record is now 12-2 in 2014. There’s very little more you could ask from a competitor than what he did this week and he DESERVES his high ranking.

 

4. Matt Cage-After several week away from the Top 10 (and Top 5 for that matter), “Money” gets in again this week after going 3-0 as the SCW Heavyweight/AAW Heritage Champion defeated Marek Brave on 3/29 to retain the Heritage Title for a 4th time as champion. He then went to the Beyond Sleeper Cell taping and defeated Willie Richardson and Serge White. The former #1 has been OWNING the Midwest in 2014.

 

5. Dylan Drake-After being ranked #6 last week, “The Golden Boy” is back again! He is now 3-0 the last 3 weeks after making Buddy Royal tap out at PREMIER Wrestling on 3/30. With as much competition as there was this week, making the Top 10 with just one match and one victory is a hell of an accomplishment for this up and coming West Coast star. People’s Champ for the 2^nd time in 3 weeks as he was #1 in the online poll.

 

6. Ryan Howe-FINALLY he gets some of the respect he rightfully deserves. While he didn’t garner strong support in the online poll, the official voters saw what he’s been accomplishing lately and showed their appreciation with a lot of votes his way. He defeated Raul LaMotta on 3/26 and Paredyse (by DQ) on 3/29. Aside from the Nightmare Rumble, he has not lost since 12/11/13. He has won over 19 matches since then. No one has been more deserving of a Top 10 ranking recently than him and he finally breaks through.

 

7. Arik Royal-“Big” Arik Royal jumps back into the Indy Power Rankings as he defeated Marcellus King to once again retain the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title for get this…a 23^rd time! Yes, he has 23 successful title defenses and shows no signs of stopping. He has held the title since 12/29/12, dominating all the competition.

 

8. Shane Hollister-The AAW Heavyweight Champion returns to the Indy Power Rankings on the strength of a HUGE victory over last week’s #2 (and 2013 IPR 100 #1) Michael Elgin on 3/29. As champion, whether you love him or hate him, you have to respect his ability to meet some of the biggest challenges and come out victorious. This week was no different.

 

9. Nikki Storm-Voters gave this import a lot of respect this week as she was 2-0 on the weekend with wins vs. Angel Dust and Hania The Howling Huntress at AIW on 3/29. She has won 8 straight matches overall with a record of 8-1 in 2014.

 

10. Athena-What a week for Athena! She defeated Mia Yim on 3/29 and then followed that up by defeating Allysin Kay for the AIW Women’s Title that very same day. She is now 3-1-1 in 2014 and holds one of the most prestigious women’s titles in North America. #8 in the online poll.

 

Honorable Mention. Marcus Anthony-OVW Heavyweight Champion went 2-0 this week to continue his impressive string of victories.

 

Just missing out/Others Receiving Votes:

Andrew Everett

Ron Mathis

Brian Cage

Jack Thriller-#3 in the online poll

Roderick Strong

Thunderkitty-#4 in the online poll

Ricochet-#7 in the online poll

Veda Scott

Uhaa Nation

Jack Jester

Michael Elgin

Benjamin Kimera

Grado-#6 in the online poll

Jimmy Havoc

Prince Devitt-#10 in the online poll

Jaxon James

Jeremy Leary

Scotty McNair

Scotty O’Shea

Elvis Aliaga

Bubblegum

Chris Kadillak

Chase Owens

Jordan Blake O’Neal-#9 in the online poll

 

 

Our Website (where YOU can participate in the weekly online poll voting): http://indypowerrankingsipr.wordpress.com/

Our Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/IndyPowerRankings

Our Twitter: @IndyPowerRankin

 

My Reaction to WWE Monday Night Raw - March 31st, 2014

Instead of doing a typical review where I go through each segment and match of the show, I decided to just post my thoughts on last night's episode of Raw.

It was the final show before WrestleMania 30 and as I mentioned in my article a few days ago - WWE needed to put on a solid show. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The show had one or two high points, but was dull for the most part. Below I've created a list of the highlights and downfalls of the show.

Highlights of the Show:

• Bray Wyatt & John Cena segments
• Daniel Bryan's triumphant return at the end of the show
• The 8 Man Tag Team Match

Downfalls of the Show:

• Many segments/matches that felt like they were put together last minute
• Bad booking

As seen above, the same people that have been the highlight of Raw over the past few weeks continued to deliver the most entertaining segments/matches of the evening.