Why Wrestling Isn't Fake

If you're an open wrestling fan with fans who don't follow the sport, I can almost guarantee that you've heard the following phrase:
"Wrestling? You know that's fake, right?"
Ignoring the obvious sense of superiority and narrow-mindedness it contains, this statement is not only an ignorant dismissal made by people who don't understand the sport of pro wrestling, it's just plain wrong.
Firstly, yes, if we're talking about wrestling, there is a very, very high likelihood that we understand it's "fake." You're not delivering any earth-shattering news or shattering the unbreakable walls of kayfabe. Nope. In fact, these walls have already been battered so much by shows such as Total Divas, as well as the recent explosion of social media and other forms of online communication that you'd be hard-pressed to find a single fan over the age of 10 who doesn't understand that the sport is staged. Just because it is staged, however, doesn't mean it's fake.
By that logic, Breaking Bad is fake too. So is Game of Thrones. So is Grey's Anatomy, and so is almost every single major television show of the past 20 years. Just because something is scripted doesn't mean that it's "fake". All it means is that the outcomes are predetermined in order to (ideally) maximize entertainment. In fact, I'd venture to say that WWE is a great deal more real than all those shows I just listed. While these shows have an insane production value, stuntmen, and take breaks that are often months long in between filming, WWE wrestlers perform live almost daily, often calling a larg majority of their matches while they're in the ring. They do their own stunts, and although they do attempt to perform without actually hurting one another, there's only so much you can do to prevent that, simply given the nature of the business. You watch Mick Foley fall 20+ feet off HIAC and tell me that's fake. There's no way to make that not hurt. The same goes for pretty much any suplex or slam you see, as well as a large variety of strikes and kicks from performers who work "stiff". Sure, it probably doesn't hurt as much as WWE wants you to think it hurts, but it's certainly far more than any non-trained civilian could take. As the saying goes, wrestling sure ain't ballet.
In addition to this, not only are the stunts much realer than many people seem to think, but so are the emotions. Even if, by the strictest definition of the word, WWE is "fake", its fake-ness only serves to help create some of the greatest feel-good moments in all of sports. For example, Daniel Bryan's title win at Wrestlemania 30. For a fake sport, it sure created a huge, huge moment when D-Bry tapped out Batista to finally become the man in WWE. After all, at the end of the day, WWE is entertainment. Isn't any form of entertainment supposed to create emotion? When it comes down to it, that's what WWE does. It creates emotion.
So, non-wrestling fans, this is my plea to you: give wrestling a chance. For the small price of the brief suspension of your disbelief, wrestling can give you back so much more than you ever expected. That moment when the wrestler who's been your favorite ever since you were a kid finally reaches out and grabs that brass ring...wow. There's just no feeling in the world like it.

Best Wrestling Moves

Three disclaimers before this article begins: 
1) This list does NOT include finishers. That's a whole other list in itself
2) To be eligible for this list, a move must be used reguarly by an active WWE Superstar
3) This list is, of course, subjective. I personally enjoy these moves and the ways they look. I'm definitely going to miss out on some quite excellent moves, so feel free to tell me all about it in the comments or on Twitter @wwereview2. Thanks for reading!

As easy as it is to forget sometimes, at the core of it all, WWE is a wrestling company. Despite all the convoluted storylines, backstage segments, authority figures, and a litany of other non-wrestling related activities that take place on TV, at the end of the day, the product is meant to revolve around wrestling. Therefore, one of the most important elements of WWE programming is the moves that matches consist of. From moves that absolutely everyone uses, like headlocks and suplexes, to more exclusive moves like the Five Knuckle Shuffle or the Superman Punch, let's take a subjective look at the top 10 best wrestling moves currently in WWE. For an interesting twist, though, this list will be comprised only of non-finishing moves! Let's get into it.

10. DDT
Used by: a lot of guys, notably Randy Orton
Famously popularized by Jake "the Snake" Roberts following a botched front facelock in a match against Len Denton, the DDT has now become an essential part of many modern wrestlers' arsenals. From Randy Orton's vicious elevated DDT to Sami Zayn's tornado DDT to everything in between, the DDT finds itself on this list in large part because of its versatility. Simply look on its Wikipedia page, and you'll be astounded at just how many variations of this simple move exist. Not only is it extremely versatile, however, but if performed correctly, it's also a very believeable move that legitimately looks as if it will cause the performer taking it brain damage—much like its chemical namesake, DDT.

9. Enzuigiri
Used by: Seth Rollins

Frankly, when I say that the enzuigiri is one of the best moves in wrestling, a large part of that is due to recently-departed Superstar Alberto Del Rio. When the Mexican Aristocrat left his feet to deliver this devastating kick to the head, it was always a joy to watch. The perfectly-timed cracking noise when his foot made contact with his opponent's head was just the icing on the cake. While Seth Rollins carries on the legacy of the move quite admirably, there's never going to be another enzuigiri quite as crisp and devastating as Del Rio's.  

8. Superplex
Used by: a lot of guys

Based on pure logic alone, the superplex is one of the most devastating moves we regularly see inside a wrestling ring. With both guys falling from the top rope, one of them generally reaching as high as 10 feet in the air, simple physics dictates that this move is not only incredibly aesthetically pleasing to viewers, but incredibly painful to experience. No matter how "fake" you may think wrestling is, there's just no way that doesn't hurt. Of course, since we're in the twisted world of professional wrestling here, the more it hurts, the more amazing the move looks. Therefore, the superplex does a phenomenal job of combining showy spectacle with legitimate wrestling acumen in the form of a modified suplex.

7. Clothesline
Used by: everyone
When done correctly, a simple clothesline can be one of the most devastating-looking maneuvers in all of wrestling. Case in point: Dean Ambrose. Sure, his rebound clothesline may be a bit predictable at this point, given that he does it in every match ever, but that doesn't diminish the fact that it looks absolutely vicious when he pulls it off. There's something so satisfyingly simple about just watching a man thwack (that's the technical term) another man as hard as he can, and seeing him go down. The main reason the clothesline is on this list, however, is because of the amazing visual it creates when a Superstar truly lets loose with a clothesline. Watching Bray Wyatt, the aforementioned Ambrose, or even some old clips of JBL letting their opponents have one is just so enjoyable, particularly when the move is sold well. For example, clotheslines where the person receiving the blow does a full 270 degree flip onto their face? Possibly the greatest thing ever.

6. Cesaro Swing
Used by: Cesaro. Duh. 

Quite possibly the most popular non-finisher in all of WWE, and for good reason too. By now, we've all been told a thousand times that, pound-for-pound, Cesaro is one of the strongest guys in the company. This move simply validates that, and in an extremely entertaining way to boot.
Cesaro is a uniquely talented Superstar inside the squared circle, and this move is a prime example of why. However, the biggest strength of this move (no pun intended) lies in the pure excitement it draws out from fans. When the Swiss Superman picks up his opponent and begins swinging them around, the always-out-of-sync crowd goes wild. Few other singular moves in the business, especially non-finishers, generate a positive reaction quite like that.

5. Topé con hilo
Used by: multiple guys, especially the cruiserweights and traditional high-flyers

There's a reason why high-flying, energetic offense is as popular as it is in the world of professional wrestling today. Who doesn't love seeing a guy risk life and limb to win a match? For real, though, any sort of topé, including the popular topé suicida, is sure to bring an instant burst of energy to any match and any crowd. The topé con hilo is, in my opinion, particularly amazing to watch simply because it entails doing a front flip onto one's opponent, adding in an extra element of danger to an already awesome move. Just like in the case of the superplex, gravity isn't something you can fake. Flying 10+ feet in the air, no matter how much your opponent may cushion your fall, hurts both you and the guy catching you, and it creates an awesome visual spectacle.

4. Big E's spear
Used by: Big E. Again, duh.
When you think about it, it's kinda odd that this isn't Big E's finisher. After all, it involves a 285-pound jacked unicorn launching himself at an opponent through the ring ropes, sending both guys tumbling to the concrete floor with relatively little control over where they land (especially Big E himself. Ouch). Frankly, it makes not only the Big Ending, but even the legendary finishing move of stars such as Goldberg and Edge (not to mention good ol' Roman Reigns) look tameby comparison. That's no small feat, and this move is highly underrated as one of the most dangerous-looking—and therefore exciting—in the entire business. Kudos to Big E for being brave enough to do it. Seriously. I'd be terrified.


3. Ura-nage slam
Used by: Bray Wyatt
This is by far the most exciting move that nobody knows the name of (it required extensive Googling for the purposes of this article). To be perfectly honest, the awesomeness of this move mainly lies in its sheer brutality. Much like the aforementioned clothesline, there's just something so barbarically pleasurable about watching a man pick another man up, essentially by the throat, only to slam him down again with an incredible amount of force. In addition, with all due respect to the Undertaker and Kane, you don't know a forceful chokeslam until you've seen the Eater of Worlds deliver a uranage slam. Unlike the Brothers of Destruction, Wyatt carries out this devastatingly dynamic move with just one hand, meaning he has no way to brace his opponent's fall. The result, of course, is some absolutely brutal-looking slams that look like they could legitimately leave an opponent out cold, as well as quite susceptible to some amount of brain damage.


2. Sami Zayn's tornado DDT thing
Used by: Do I even have to say?
Just stop for a second and take a moment to think about just how difficult this move must be to pull off. A tornado DDT is an incredibly difficult move in its own right, one that takes years and years of wrestling training to perfect. However, when you add in the fact that, for this move, Sami Zayn has to accurately send his entire body flying between two ropes that are about 1-2 feet apart, at the maximum, this move goes up yet another notch. He essentially takes the most difficult part of a suicide dive, then adds on the fact that the dive is done diagonally right in front of a ring post (which is another obstacle that must be avoided), as well as having to perfectly catch his opponent in a front facelock when emerging from the ropes, followed by the spin and subsequent planting of his opponent's head into the ground. This move not only looks even cooler than a traditional tornado DDT, but also adds an incredible degree of difficulty that justifies this maneuever as number 2 on our subjective list of the best moves in WWE today.

1. Scoop powerslam

Used by: Randy Orton, Goldust, etc.
Before you go complaining about how a move as plain and boring as the powerslam is ranked number one on this list, hear me out: the quality of the move lies in its simplicity. Yes, it may not look as legitimately life-threatening as a full ura-nage slam, exciting as a topé con hilo, or technically sound as Jack Gallagher literally tying his opponents into a knot (literally one of my favorite things in wrestling—ever. I love Jack Gallagher), but a perfectly-executed powerslam is just so smooth that it's impossible not to love it. Just watch Randy Orton flawlessly scoop his opponent right off the mat, then effortlessly slam them back down all in one fell swoop, and tell me that's not a thing of beauty. In one continuous motion, your opponent goes from standing running towards you to flattened like a pancake, wondering what just happened to them. The ease with which veterans such as Orton and Goldust pull off this move is nothing short of astounding, and just watching how easy they make it look is an absolute joy to behold. Therefore, on our subjective list of the best wrestling moves currently in the biz, the scoop powerslam takes the cake as our number one.


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Why Smackdown is currently better than Raw

Ever since its inception all the way back in 1999, WWE Smackdown has almost always been considered the "B" show. Despite stars like John Cena, Batista, JBL, the Rock, and the Undertaker (just to name a few) all gracing the blue brand, Monday Night Raw has always been, and most likely always will be, the flagship show. From garnering higher ratings to generally being the site where megastars such as Brock Lesnar and Goldberg make their returns, Vinnie Mac and company seem to have a vested interest in keeping Raw as the "A" show, leaving Smackdown as the show that's traditionally more wrestling-oriented.

However, just because Raw is the "A" show, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's been better. In fact, since the brand split first came to fruition about three months or so ago, despite a red-hot start, Raw has undoubtedly continued to drop in quality, to the point where Smackdown now continually produces a far superior product to Raw week in, week out. Let's look at some of the ways how Smackdown is indeed better than Raw:

Better depth in the women's division—When it was initially announced that Raw had acquired both Sasha Banks and Charlotte, many people (including this writer) were left wondering: how would Smackdown fare? With arguably the top two female wrestlers in the company heading to the red brand, would Becky Lynch be able to step up as the central cog in the women's division? Moreover, how would the wealth of young talent on Smackdown such as Alexa Bliss and Carmella be able to step it up? In recent weeks, however, it's become more and more clear that Smackdown know exactly what they're doing with the women's division, creating multiple quality feuds that fans have a reason to get emotionally invested in. Raw simply cannot make the same claim. While Dana Brooke vs. Bayley has been built absolutely horridly, greatly endangering the potential of a woman whom many thought could become the company's female John Cena, and Nia Jax is nowhere to be found as of late, Smackdown has breathed new life into Naomi, showcased the massive potential of Alexa Bliss and (to a slightly lesser extent) Carmella, and even gotten Natalya on television! Granted, they could still do much more with Nattie, one of the most experienced women in the division, but as a whole, Smackdown is doing a phenomenal job making ALL their women relevant and giving them interesting feuds/TV time. Raw, on the other hand, has much work to do in this department. 

IC title feeling valuable again—If I had told you four months ago that the Miz would be one of the hottest acts in the company, you'd have said I was crazy. However, after winning the IC title from Zack Ryder the night after Wrestlemania, Miz's never-ending Intercontinental Championship World Tour was consistently one of the best things on WWE programming for a solid two months. The Miz would come out, delivering quality promo after quality promo, all the while displaying all the tools an excellent heel needs to get himself over with the fans. Add to this the fact that he was able to put on excellent matches along the way, as well as engage in a fantastic feud with Dolph Ziggler, helping the Show-Off return to relevancy for what feels like the first time in years (more on that below), and Miz was easily one of the best acts in the company, all while holding a traditionally midcard title. 

Midcard feuds people actually care about—The likes of Baron Corbin, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, and even Heath Slater are all engaged in meaningful pushes/storylines that fans have actually been given a reason to care about. While Corbin's has arguably been more about him simply squashing whoever he feels like squashing than anything else, it's still an extremely effective way to slowly build him up as a threat. Meanwhile, guys like Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton have been embroiled in a bitter rivalry that's contained some unique storytelling and psychological warfare. While, yes, there have been elements of this feud that have been hard to watch, it's also contained more than its fair share of compelling moments, such as Harper returning during No Mercy and Randy seemingly aligning with the Wyatts on this past week's episode of Smackdown. No matter what you think of Wyatt's booking up until now, this is an interesting twist that will undoubtedly get fans to invest and tune in. Finally, when you get Heath Slater over as one of the most popular superstars on the brand, you know you're doing something right. The charismatic one-man brand had been a directionless (albeit entertaining) jobber for years, but arguably no one has benefited more from the brand split than Heath, babayyyy! Essentially, while Raw generally treats secondary storylines and midcard performers such as the Club, the Cruiserweight division, Neville, Sami Zayn, and countless others as if they're unimportant, Smackdown gives fans a reason to be invested in many superstars at once, simultaneously making them all feel important. (Side note: they could still do better with some tag teams, as well as a few singles guys, but as a whole, Smackdown is much better than Raw is with regards to this).

Remaking/creating stars—Pre-brand split, it's fair to say that guys like the aforementioned Dolph Ziggler, Miz, Jack Swagger, Baron Corbin, Heath Slater, basically the entire women's division, and many other current Smackdown superstars were floundering on a roster stacked to the brim with talented guys and gals. There just wasn't space for all of them to show off their considerable skillsets. However, as they now find themselves on a much less crowded, two hour-long platform, superstars like the ones mentioned above have a much greater opportunity to form a legitimate connection with the audience. By placing a large majority of these guys in at least somewhat meaningful feuds, WWE provides them with a chance to showcase themselves to fans, which should ultimately be the goal of any wrestling promotion with its performers. Again, despite the fact that there are some exceptions to this rule (especially tag teams—they need to work on that), Smackdown has done a much better job of not only rejuvenating older stars like the Miz and Ziggler, but also establishing ones like Carmella, Bliss, Corbin, and more. 

Authority figures are not overbearing—right after the brand split, one of the things that Daniel Bryan made clear was that, on Smackdown, authority figures would not be a major part of the show. For the most part, thankfully, he's been right. While Raw continues to parade Mick Foley and Stephanie out on a weekly basis, generally multiple times per show, Daniel Bryan and Shane O'Mac have generally allowed the superstars to get a majority of TV time, only making appearances themselves when necessary. Frankly, this is how it should be. Fans don't tune in to wrestling to watch authority figures exert their dominance over beloved superstars. They tune in for the wrestlers. WWE has relied far too much on the overbearing authority crutch over the past few years, and while Raw continues to lean on that crutch, giving Foley and McMahon more TV time than a majority of its roster who are performers, Smackdown gives its performers a chance to shine, not allowing larger-than-life bosses to steal the spotlight in the manner that the red brand does. 

Much fewer instances of awful segments—Let's look at this from a logical standpoint: if you're WWE, you want to produce as much high-quality television as possible, with the lowest amount of low-quality, cringy television possible. Therefore, you'd want to avoid purely awful, unimportant, cringy segments as much as possible, right? Somehow, the booking team behind Monday Night Raw apparently fails to understand this, regularly providing fans with some of the worst pieces of television on the show in years. For example: the Old Day *shudders*. That sort of stuff is what sometimes makes me legitimately ashamed to be a wrestling fan, and it has absolutely NO place on WWE programming. For a company that tries so hard to prove that it's not out of touch, horrific segments like this seem to suggest otherwise. While Raw has consistently been producing moments like that week in, week out (Bayley vs Dana two weeks in a row, the Club for a solid month straight, etc.), Smackdown has avoided such cringefests, stead focusing on producing quality television that both WWE and fans of the business as a whole can be proud of. 

Mauro—with all due respect too Corey Graves, Mauro Ranallo is easily the best commentator on WWE TV right now. The man's just untouchable. Armed with a seemingly never-ending arsenal of relevant pop culture references, legitimate wrestling knowledge, and a litany of awesome catchphrases, Mauro is the epitome of what a commentator is supposed to be: an element that enhances the product. While other commentators are often guilty of taking too many irrelevant sidebars, and often making themselves the focus of the broadcast more than the wrestlers, which is the opposite of what should be done, Mauro generally does a good job avoiding this, instead helping the audience to focus on the talented performers in the ring, something that a large majority of WWE's other, more experienced commentators could learn a thing or two from. While Kevin Dunn is undoubtedly in the ear of all the commentators, often acting as the driving force behind some of the worse elements of commentary, Mauro does an excellent job of covering what he needs to cover, all the while enhancing the product and lending a genuine enthusiasm that the product truly needs. 

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Why Sasha vs. Charlotte Should NOT be Main Eventing

First and foremost, let's get something straight.

Charlotte and Sasha Banks are two of the most talented superstars (male or female) in WWE today. However, the fact of the matter is that their current feud, no matter how "groundbreaking" it may be, does not deserve the honor of being not only the first ever women's match to take place inside Hell in a Cell, but also the first to main event a pay-per-view.

Now, in all likelihood, the match probably will go down as one of the better women's matches in history, if not the best. In fact, I hav

e full confidence that WWE and these two talented wrestlers will be able to pull something spectacular out of their collective derrières and make the night as incredibly memorable as it should be. However, one of the most important elements of any WWE feud is properly setting the stage. In this aspect, WWE has failed miserably with regards to this feud. Let's explore the reasons why:

In the olden days, back before the product was as overexposed as it is today, Hell in a Cell matches were used to provide a truly definitive end to a feud that had been going on for an extended period of time. They were used for feuds where it truly felt like a normal 20' by 20' wrestling ring couldn't contain the emotions and brawling of two superstars who legitimately hated one another. When you look back at all the great HIAC matches in history—Shawn Michaels vs the Undertaker, Triple H vs the Undertaker, even the infamous Mankind vs Undertaker—that's what they all had in common. In each of these cases, the build before the match was extensive, containing lots of dramatic, effective storytelling coupled with some high-intensity brawling. As of the writing of this article, the Sasha vs Charlotte feud has had...none of that. Other than the admittedly excellent title match that main evented Raw when Sasha won the championship back, this feud lacks any moments that truly got fans buzzing about the dynamic between the two stars. Simply put, with a buildup like this, no matter the star power involved, putting the two inside a cell just feels wrong. In fact, much like the other two cell matches on the card right now, it feels like WWE is madly scrambling to make HIAC in order to justify having an entire PPV themed around that type of match (a mistake in itself).

To reiterate, the issue here is not the superstars or the match itself, just the fact that it feels like it's been extremely rushed and forced. While WWE has done well in legitimately trying to implement a real women's revolution within the industry, true revolutions don't come about when they're this forced. Like so many other storylines in the company's history, the timing of the payoff here just isn't right. Rather than rushing the match—which is going to be looked back at 20 years from now as one of the most significant matches in history, mind you—the much better option would've been to go for the slow build.

If WWE is intent on having these two main event, why not go for gusto and have them main event Survivor Series? The less-appreciated runt of the Big Four PPVs, Survivor Series has long been in need of a kick in the butt to get it going again, so why not knock out two birds with one stone and have the women main event there? This would give Creative time to build a storyline that actually deserves a match designed to be the most brutal the company has to offer, as well as to allow fan hype to slowly rise until it's reached an absolute fever pitch. That sort of excitement from the crowd, coupled with the palpable tension one will be able to feel between the two performers, would make an absolutely unforgettable match.

Even if you're not willing to jump on the bandwagon of these two main eventing Survivor Series (understandable, given the huge matches already announced and seemingly in the works), what's preventing these two from main eventing Roadblock in mid-December? The PPV is minor enough so that this feud will certainly be deserving of the main event, and that gives Creative another solid two months to provide legitimate background (how about some video packages, or even a reference or two, to their NXT days? Little stuff like that can make a huge difference in helping a feud to truly feel personal), as well as a moderate amount of physical contact to build intensity. Heck, why not wait until Wrestlemania, and even get Bayley involved? Or, by some crazy convoluted logic (hey, they've done dumber things before), why not get Becky in there too? At that point, if the story is effectively told, the poetic justice of all Four Horsewomen getting to wrestle a high-profile match at Wrestlemania would be absolutely incredible, and more than deserving of a cell match (to be fair, a main event slot would still be hard. It's Wrestlemania, after all).

Overall, though, as much as the match would be better-served had it been delayed even a month or so, we are still just a couple of weeks away from one of the most significant matches this industry has ever seen. For all its failures and nonsensical elements, this match is very likely going to be incredible, and here's hoping these two women go down in history for the right reasons, and, as forced as it is, truly further the women's revolution in wrestling!

Note: the point of this article isn't to complain and act like I 100% percent know what WWE should and shouldn't do. It's simply to produce content containing my opinions on matter within WWE.

If you liked this article, please feel free to share it with your friends, as well as to subscribe to the blog by email so you never miss an article! You can catch us on Twitter at @wwereview2, thank you very much for reading!

Most Misused WWE Superstars of the Past 10 Years

For every story the WWE gets completely right, there's another that it gets oh-so-wrong, For every CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, or Shield, there's a Ted DiBiase Jr., a Damien Sandow, or a Cody Rhodes. Simply put, as great as WWE can be sometimes, they're not perfect. Even when a superstar seems destined for greatness, sometimes a combination of unlucky timing, and poor booking sends them out the door, even when they've accomplished nowhere nearly as much as their potential dictates they should have. So, since we're feeling quite negative today, let's take a look at the top 5 wasted (in this case, we're using "wasted" to mean released) talents of the past 10 years.

Honorable Mention: Ted DiBiase Jr. (had the look, obviously had the pedigree, had a surefire gimmick built into his name), Abraham Washington (remember him? Doubt it, but considering the upwards trajectory he seemed to be on before his premature release, I truly believe he could've made the Primetime Players a force to be reckoned with. However, with his release, now both Titus and Darren find themselves directionless, both currently saddled with rather...interesting gimmicks, to say the least), Beth Phoenix (excellent female performer during a time when the roster was littered with Divas as opposed to wrestlers. Certainly wouldn't mind her making a reappearance sometime soon.)

5. Wade Barrett- Just take a look at his body of work, and you'll understand why Wade Barrett (real name Stu Bennett) is on this list. Not only did this former King of the Ring winner (remember that? Me neither) somehow make one of the most ludicrous-sounding gimmicks I've ever heard into something watchable with his incarnation of Bad News Barrett, but he was also the main driving force behind one of the best storylines in recent memory, the Nexus. While there's no denying how that storyline went downhill pretty quickly, there's also no denying that Barrett did a phenomenal job in his role as leader of the degenerate group, and he should've been catapulted up the card as a result. Instead, he seemingly suffered from a lack of true direction, and other than a quite good feud with Randy Orton and a few reigns as IC champion, Barrett frankly lacks any sort of truly memorable legacy in the WWE barring the Nexus. Given his talent both in the ring and on the mic, this is a shame, because the former bare-knuckle boxer could've been a major player in the company for years to come, especially considering how thin the two rosters are in the post-brand split era.

4. Kharma- Considering how much initial hype there was behind her debut, it's actually quite remarkable when you think about just how little Kharma actually did during her time in WWE. After getting pregnant at literally the worst possible time, she eventually came back during the Royal Rumble match (which was an awesome moment, by the way), eliminated Michael Cole, and... well, that was about it. Given how different Kharma was from all the other women wrestlers in WWE at the time—remember, this was still during the era of models being called "divas"—it's truly a shame that she never got an extended role in the company, because she could have provided a truly unique aspect to the division that we haven't really seen since then. Plus, imagine the sorts of battles that she and the likes of Nia Jax could have.

3. Ryback- "Wait, Ryback is on this list?? I thought the Internet hated Ryback!"

You may be surprised to recall that, just a few years ago, there was a time when Ryback was actually quite possibly the most over superstar in the entire company. Just watch this clip (complete with commentary from Good Ol' JR!). During his brief feud with CM Punk in late 2012, the Big Guy was absolutely red-hot, winning over a ton of casual fans with his high-energy, exciting offense and incredible power. While, yes, CM Punk's reign was awesome and WWE probably made the right decision to keep the title on him, just imagine what it could've been like if Ryback had actually won the title. Much like the clip above, frankly, the atmosphere would've been absolutely electric. Unfortunately, after being screwed out of the title by the Shield, Ryback never quite regained his initial momentum, despite a few more good showings against the Hounds of Justice. While some seemingly valid concerns have been raised about his wrestling ability and in-ring safety, there's no denying that, had he been booked better, Ryback could've been one of the top stars in the company for years to come, the muscle-bound monster a hero to casual fans and children alike.

2. Damien Sandow- When you are the only man in history to ever win the Money in a Bank briefcase, cash it in, and lose, that's a pretty solid hint that things just aren't going your way. Despite proving how good he was numerous times by repeatedly adapting his character to fit whatever Creative threw at him, for some reason, Damien Sandow was never quite given the push that he so
richly deserved. Now, let's get one thing straight: in this writer's humble opinion, Sandow was never going to be a consistent main-eventer. Given the limits of his initial gimmick, as well as his relative talent, we all understood that he'd never be a John Cena-type of guy who's at the top of the card for years upon years. However, that doesn't mean that he had to be saddled with ridiculous gimmick after ridiculous gimmick, as well as made to be the only man in history to lose when cashing in his MITB briefcase. The logic behind that decision is just absolutely ridiculous. While I understand why the WWE might want to make it seem like the MITB briefcase isn't always a 100 percent guarantee, proving that using Sandow, a relatively young up-and-comer in desperate need of some momentum, is just stupid. Then, after Sandow somehow recovered from that defeat to get over once again as the Miz's stunt double, an extremely entertaining role, WWE yet again failed to capitalize on the momentum he created after inevitably splitting from the Miz. Instead, Mizdow was then partnered with Curtis Axel in the Meta Powers, making him to look like a joke in the eyes of fans for the umpteenth time. While he undoubtedly did provide a littany of memorable moments during his time in the WWE, from his role as the Intellectual Savior of the Masses to Team Rhodes Scholars to Damien Mizdow, ultimately, WWE failed to cash in (pun intended) on the popularity of the former Idol Stevens to the extent they should have. Now, speaking of Team Rhodes Scholars...

1. Cody Rhodes- Seriously, does Vince have some kind of fetish that involves embarrassing the Rhodes family in as many ways as he can come up with? Despite the polka-dotted greatness of his father and the remarkable success his brother has had with one of the most bizarre gimmicks in the company's history, Cody Rhodes seemed destined to accomplish even greater things in the wrestling industry than his Hall of Fame father or his veteran brother. He had it all: the look, the charisma, the ability to pull off a huge variety of gimmicks (from a dashing narcissist to a tortured, mask-wearing freak to a cosmic superhero...wow. Wrestling, everybody), the wrestling ability, and a pedigree that few could match in the entire industry. When you take all of Rhodes' considerable aforementioned talents' and add on the fact that, before the age of 25, he had already worked with the likes of John Cena, Batista, Randy Orton, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and many more future Hall of Famers, you seemingly have the recipe for one of the greatest careers in the history of the business, perhaps even one that surpasses that of his father, one of the greatest of all time. However, for whatever reason, that was not the case. Despite succeeding with whatever ridiculous gimmick WWE threw at him, Rhodes was repeatedly passed over when it came to main-event storylines, instead claiming the midcard area, particularly the IC title, as his own. Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with this, as Cody was still relatively young at that point, and he still had time to flourish. However, it's after this period, as well as after his phenomenal match with his brother against the Shield at Battleground in 2013, that things truly started to go downhill. Following a storyline in which Cody and his brother would continually lose tag team matches, Rhodes eventually told Goldust that he needed to find a new partner, and Cody knew just the thing for him. Unfortunately, that new partner would turn out to be Stardust, which, far from the excellent storyline it could've actually been, carried on for far too long with far too little payoff, eventually resulting in Rhodes asking to leave the company this past summer. Rather than eventually staging a storyline where Cody realized how insane the whole "Stardust" character was, slowly turning back into his old self, which would have gotten him incredibly over and could've been extremely exciting, Creative basically didn't do anything with the character, forcing Cody to go out every night and further lower his credibility in the eyes of fans. Ultimately, Cody Rhodes is a superstar who very well could have been utilized as a building block for the New Era, a guy who was still relatively young, but had enormous amounts of experience, and most certainly could—and probably should—have been a world champion by now. Ultimately, Cody Rhodes is undoubtedly the most egregious example of WWE wasting a talent in the past 10 years. Frankly, his debut in TNA and the way they treated him like an actual star was what inspired this list in the first place.

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Thoughts From Clash of Champions, Raw, and SmackdownLive

With the current PPV model WWE seems to be adopting as a result of the brand split, simply put, there's just a TON of content. For example, in order to keep up with all the main roster storylines this week (not to mention the hour-long NXT on Wednesday), one would've had to watch a solid 8 hours of content by Tuesday. Therefore, in an effort to help make reviewing all that content in a more manageable way, here are my thoughts from the last 7 days of WWE main roster programming!
*Side note: they're in no discernible order or anything like that, just in whatever order came to mind. Also, I'll only be talking about things that stood out to me. For example, the Jericho vs Zayn match was very solid, but it was nothing especially noteworthy. Therefore, it will not be on this list.
Enjoy!


Sheamus/Cesaro match at Clash of Champions and resulting angle on Raw: Personally, I'm a fan of the whole thing Sheamus and Cesaro have going right now. While, yes, I feel like it would've been cooler to have them go at it one final time inside HIAC, this partnership also has potential to be entertaining. Also, the backstage Foley promo with these two to explain it further was extremely good, in my opinion (not matter how cringe-worthy the one in the ring was. Please keep Cesaro away from any and all mics in the future). Essentially, a majority of people have reacted in two ways to this development: they're either 1) annoyed that WWE has once again gotten around giving fans what they were promised or 2) excited about the potential of an unwilling partnership—sort of like a new team Hell No—between two of the company's most reliably excellent performers. I'm a part of the latter group, and I'm excited to see where it goes. Frankly, if it succeeds the way I'm predicting it will, I could see this duo being the ones to finally take the titles off the New Day.

Gallows and Anderson vs New Day at COC and Raw: Unpopular opinion: Gallows and Anderson aren't that great. Frankly, they're not even good. Not charismatic, not that good in the ring, not entertaining as a whole. Meanwhile, somehow, the New Day is STILL entertaining after 400 days. As far as I'm concerned, they don't deserve to lose the titles yet. The fact that they took a gimmick that seemed so doomed from the start and turned it into the most over act in the company for more than a year speaks volumes about the talent of these guys, and they should be rewarded for it. At this point, I hope Gallows and Anderson either get a full character revamp, turning into remorseless monsters (which I suppose I could bear), or that they stay far away from the tag titles. Simply put, there's a multitude of teams much more deserving than these two, including the aforementioned Sheamus and Cesaro.

Reigns vs Rusev at COC and Raw: I'm sorry, but this Reigns vs. Rusev feud isn't doing it for me. I don't know if I'm the minority there, but it's just not entertaining. Neither match excited me, or got me emotionally involved. In addition, it also feels like WWE jut refuses to let Reigns look anything less than unstoppable. While that does make some sense, given that he's clearly being groomed as the company's next golden boy, it also certainly won't do him any favors when it comes to winning over hardcore fans. When more fans are cheering for Rusev, a guy who consistently gets more heat than just about anyone on the roster, than Reigns, something isn't right. That being said, Rusev is also extremely good as a dominant heel champion, and I certainly believe it was too early to take the belt off him here. 

Owens vs Rollins at COC: While there were many elements of this match that made it excellent, Kevin Owens' trash-talking during his title match was INCREDIBLE. Too good. I saw a tweet that summed it up quite nicely: Owens was doing color commentary as well as Bobby Heenan, all the while wrestling. He's just so, so good. He was doing a better job commentating than Byron Saxton was, and he was wrestling a match at the same time. It's stuff like this that ultimately convinces me that he's arguably the greatest professional wrestler alive today. Yes, there are some guys who are arguably better in the ring than he is, but his ability to rile up the crowd and provide pure entertainment during the match is absolutely unparalleled. 

Foley on Raw: Personally, I'm enjoying the character of Foley as GM. I know some people don't like it much, but he can still deliver a great promo. My only criticism is that he's sort of becoming like Dolph Ziggler as of late: that is, displaying a ton of emotion in every single promo, constantly raising his voice. The problem with that is, when you do that in every single promo you give, it takes away from that special feeling the added emotion is supposed to give. Also, Ziggler's added emotion actually goes along with his character right now. Speaking of which...

Ziggler and Miz's feud: Somehow, a feud for the Intercontinental Championship between two perennial midcarders (albeit very good midcarders) currently feels more important than a three-way feud between AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, and John Cena for the richest prize in the industry. That speaks volumes both as to how red-hot the Miz is right now, and how much Dolph Ziggler has simultaneously upped his game, as well as the stakes. Frankly, even though it'll never happen, I wouldn't mind this match closing off No Mercy. That's how important this feud, and more importantly, the IC Title, feels right now. Everybody and their grandma knows that the Miz is absolutely on fire right now, and a great majority also know just how good Ziggler can be when he's on. Combine that with the intense drama of Ziggler's career being on the line—side note: this is when a losing streak actually makes sense, booking-wise. Kudos to the Smackdown creative team for actually utilizing some relatively long-term booking here—and you have the recipe for an excellent, emotional match that's legitimately unpredictable. Will WWE take the belt off the hottest performer in the company right now? Or will they actually axe one of their more perenially over performers, a man who's been passed over time and time again? I honestly cannot wait for this match, which is exactly how fans should be feeling. Very well done. 

TJ Perkins vs Brian Kendrick at COC: TJ Perkins and Brian Kendrick are both incredible talents (Kendrick is an amazing heel). However, I just don't like Perkins' music. It's way too joke-y. With regards to the match...it was ok, I suppose. Certainly not bad, but by the standards set during the Cruiserweight Classic, it wasn't great either. Then again, I guess not many matches going forward will meet that standard either, since the talents are reportedly being told to decrease the amount of high-flying, exciting spots they do. 

Cruiserweight action on Raw: Prediction: Cedric is gonna become a star. Fans are already starting to become emotionally invested in him, he's got a great look, and he just feels like a natural babyface (plus, just like all the other Cruiserweight competitors, he's excellent in the ring). Also, Tony Nese is excellent. If he's not officially signed to the division yet, he definitely should be. 

Jericho...drink it in, maaaaaan: The fact that Chris Jericho debuted almost 20 years ago and he's STILL relevant (involved in the main event, no less) speaks volumes to his talent. Y2J truly is a special, special performer. Also, his segment with Owens on Raw was very good. Shoutout to the Raw creative team for seemingly using long-term booking here to set up a feud that looks likely to be red-hot once it finally occurs (assuming Jeri-KO does actually implode at some point).

Bliss attacking Lynch on Smackdown: Alexa Bliss did an excellent job here of showing that, if effectively done, two minutes of TV time can be more than enough to advance a storyline. Both women are very talented, and, admittedly, I'm a bit of a Bliss mark, so I'm excited for this match.

Tag Team match on Smackdown: The only thing I really wanted to mention here was how sad it is that the Ascension have been turned into a joke. Looking back at some of their old stuff on NXT, it's ridiculous how popular they were. Unfortunately, their treatment on the main roster just goes to show you that once you make the jump from Full Sail to Raw/Smackdown, you truly do have to start all over. Here's hoping that, by some miracle, they're eventually made to look decent again. Also, I like the Usos' new entrance music. Not sure about the ring gear necessarily, but, hey, at least it's a change. Little things like that are what differentiate the good superstars from the great ones.

Those were my major takeaways from Clash of Champions, Raw, and Smackdown this week! You may have noticed that there's nothing about the WWE World Championship there, and that's because frankly, I just had nothing to say about it. The current feud for it is moderately interesting, but nothing more than that for me (although that may just be because, by comparison, Miz vs Ziggler was so so so good). Hopefully that changes next week, because on paper, this match is incredibly important, seeing as Cena could end up tying Ric Flair for most world championships won. Regardless, hope you enjoyed this article!

WWE Backlash Review

Well, that was better than anyone expected, don't you think?

Despite a majority of fans feeling rather underwhelmed coming into the first Smackdown-exclusive PPV since the brand split this July, Backlash delivered a number of high-quality wrestling matches and storylines. From the crowning of three new champions (two of those being inaugural) to the continued evolution of another into one of the company's most consistent performers, if this PPV is any sort of indicator, Smackdown Live has a bright future ahead. Let's get into it:

Firstly, I'm sorry, but if you want to expose more fans to quality performers like Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews, you can't put them on the pre-show every single PPV. There's already an absolute ton of good programming WWE puts on every week, and sometimes a pre-show just feels like overkill. I understand the concept, producing more programming for those dedicated enough/able to watch it, but if you keep putting the same superstars on it over and over, a majority of the audience won't ever get to see them wrestle in a high-stakes situation. Just my two cents.

Now, the first match on the official card: the Elimination Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship. Again, this may be largely a result of a lack of hype going in to the show, but I was pleasantly surprised with this match. Especially considering how, in the past,WWE has simply thrown a bunch of marginally talented women in the ring with essentially no storyline and just told them to go at it, this match seemed very well-thought-out, with some pretty solid wrestling thrown in as well. Of course, it also helps that the right woman won. Someone like Nikki Bella or Natalya could probably have pulled a title reign off successfully, but frankly, Becky Lynch is the most talented woman on the Smackdown roster, and she's simply most deserving of the title. Kudos to WWE for not overbooking this match, and giving multiple women a chance to shine. Carmella looked to be settling in to her new heel role and subsequent feud with Bella quite nicely, and despite being eliminated first, Alexa Bliss put in a strong showing.


On to the first tag team matchup of the night, the "Second Chance" semifinal between the newly-heel Usos and the Hype Bros. As much as the whole "GET HYPED" gimmick can be kind of annoying, you've got to give credit to Mojo Rawley for staying dedicated, as well as pulling it off rather decently. Even though I hate that this is what they've relegated Zack Ryder to, at least it keeps him on TV. The Usos, on the other hand, were instantly injected with a breath of fresh air the moment they turned on American Alpha to attack them a few weeks back, and they compounded that newfound interest with a strong showing in this match. They did well to tinker with their rather babyface-like high-flying offense in order to make it more heelish, and the new outfits did a good job of accomplishing that too. Overall, solid match, even if the result seemed pretty obvious. It seemed as if the Usos were saving some for the upcoming title match later on in the night.

Continuing with the theme of surprisingly good matches, this is probably my match of the night. On the same night that AJ Styles won his very first championship within WWE, that's definitely saying something. After a rather lackluster Summerslam showing, Dolph Ziggler showed us why so many people have long touted him as one of the company's best overall performers, while the Miz continued his absolutely red-hot streak right now. Frankly, this is what the Intercontinental Championship should be about. Good workers putting in a great match (by the way, thoughts on the opening of the match being a nod to CM Punk's UFC loss?) with high-quality storytelling. This match got all the little things absolutely spot-on, from Ziggler's predictably amazing selling to Miz's mocking of Daniel Bryan's old moveset.
Even the brief pre-match interaction between the IC Champ and the GM was great, further establishing the Miz as a cocky, unlikable egomaniac. The ending to the match was excellent too, a great way to grab even more heat for Miz and Maryse. Overall, this was an excellent match that did a phenomenal job of getting the viewer emotionally invested, which, at its core, is what WWE is all about. I'm very interested to see where Miz's reign as champion goes, because his performances have been ridiculously good as of late, and he's done a great job of making the Intercontinental Title feel important again. Is it perhaps time for another fantasy booking scenario soon?

*Sigh* WWE was doing so well...and then we got to Bray Wyatt versus Kane. Man. It's not the fact that Kane was chosen for the match, mind you. I suppose now that's why they've been giving hima  mini-push over the past few weeks, having him appear on Smackdown to chokeslam a jobber here and there, just in case Randy ended up not being ready to wrestle (which he wasn't). Kane is a bona fide legend who was established as a Hall of Famer years ago, and he's still a decent enough performer today. Moreover, a win over an established veteran like Kane could have done wonders for the Eater of World's confidence, as well as his perception among fans. Not only that, but a win seemed like a sure thing! It's not like Kane needed the victory, after all. Therefore, I don't even care about the interference, having Bray lose here was a bad move. It was just absolutely unnecessary. I know Randy hit him with an RKO, and I know they've been heavily pushing that move as of late, but there are simply many other ways they could've chosen to do this. Why not have Randy simply distract Bray, then have Wyatt still manage to come out on top? Or simply have Randy hit an RKO while Kane was incapacitated, allowing Wyatt the chance to recover and still manage to win the match? Or even have him take Wyatt out after the match was already over?? Simply put, Bray Wyatt has the potential to be one of WWE's standard-bearers for years to come, sporting one of the most unique gimmicks in the history of the company, and if bad booking prevents him from reaching that level, WWE should feel absolutely ashamed. I don't think we've quite reached that point yet, but with every stupid loss and threat that's not followed up on, we teeter dangerously close.

On that unfortunately condemning note, let's move on to something much more positive: Heath Slater got a contract! While Bray Wyatt is something WWE got absolutely wrong at Backlash, the whole storyline arc with Heath Slater is something they got absolutely right. Despite being used as the company's go-to jobber for years, Slater managed to get himself over simply using his charisma, taking this storyline that easily could've gone nowhere and running with it. A lesser man could've easily quit and gone home with the big fat paycheck he's surely obtained over the years after being humiliated so many times. However, Slater stuck with it, and this tag team title reign is definitely his just reward. The fact that Heath Slater has been quite possibly the most entertaining aspect of the brand split is undoubtedly a huge surprise, but it's also a very welcome one. Rhyno, of course, has done well in his role as the veteran muscle of the team—and let's face it, who doesn't love yelling, "GORE" whenever he crushed the ribs of an unsuspecting opponent?

Finally, we get to the main event of the night. I have to admit, the whole dichotomy going into this match was very interesting. About three months ago, when Dean Ambrose first won the WWE World Championship on the night when all three former member of the Shield held the belt at one point, fans rejoiced. He was far and away the most popular member of the former Hounds of Justice at that point, popular with casual and hardcore fans alike. However, during the title match this past Sunday, fans seemed to be very much pulling for his opponent AJ Styles to win the belt. Whether this is a result of the former's slightly heelish tendencies during his reign, or the fact that something simply felt as if it was missing throughout, we can't truly say. However, what we can say is that the man who left Richmond carrying the biggest prize in the industry Sunday night is more than deserving of that honor. AJ Styles has a legitimate argument to be the best professional wrestler in the world right now, and the belt he currently holds backs that claim up. Their match itself didn't necessarily tear the house down in Match of the Year-type fashion, but then again, very few do, and it was still an extremely solid matchup. Both guys are extremely good at what they do, and this match confirmed that. Ambrose showed us what he's capable of after a slightly disappointing matchup at Summerslam, and Styles continued what would have to be called an MVP-caliber year for the squared circle veteran with another "phenomenal" showing. This match had all the drama a world title match should have, and although some may be disappointed with the way it ended, here are the facts:
1)AJ Styles is a heel.
2)Heels cheat to win. It's one of the most basic elements of being a villain.
3)Regardless of the outcome, the two best wrestlers in the company as of right now hold its top two championships. I'm not going to complain.

That's what we thought of Backlash! Feel free to leave any comments or responses down below, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter at @WWEreview2