If you have never read these reviews before, here’s the deal: I go to randomppv.info, and I review whatever PPV has come up. You can read my other two reviews here (Unforgiven 2004) and here (Halloween Havoc 2000). These past two reviews have been fun, but I kind of want to do a show that I can actually recommend to people.

The show I will be watching today is...

Well, I guess we’ll try again next time. Sigh.

It’s February 2005. We’re on the Road to Wrestlemania 21, and WWE Champion John Bradshaw Layfield has drawn the ire of both Big Show, and Royal Rumble winner Batista. Now, JBL has to defend the WWE Championship against Big Show in the most diabolical of matches: a Barbed-Wire Steel Cage Match. This is bordering on WCW-levels of WTF. Let’s get through this, shall we? Our announcers are Michael Cole and Tazz. Live from Pittsburgh, PA, this is No Way Out 2005!

"I was born to be an entertainer" - Brock Lesnar

Yesterday evening Brock Lesnar revealed during an interview with Michelle Beadle on ESPN that he had re-signed a fresh WWE contract. This happened sometime on Monday while he was in LA for RAW and the WWE champion confirmed that the decision officially draws his MMA career to a close. He will presumably continue to work a similarly light schedule and has confirmed that the new agreement will see him with the company for a number of years.

A man done with MMA.

This is, obviously good news for WWE. They've retained the services of a significant ratings force and the outcome of the WrestleMania 31 main event is now about as far from obvious as it can get. With Lesnar staying put there's every chance he'll retain the world championship against Roman Reigns on Sunday.

The news does raise questions about the closing moments of the Monday 23 RAW though. The show went off the air with Lesnar and Reigns playing tug-o'-war with the championship belt, looking like a pair toddlers squabbling in the playground as they did so. It was an unimpressive finish that will remain memorable for all the wrong reasons. As Lesnar had almost inked his new deal by this point you have to wonder why this was what closed one of the most important RAWs of the year. The suggestion that WWE didn't want to commit to making one man looking overly strong in case he left doesn't cut it with this news.

Saving a significant match for this week's episode of NXT was a clever move on WWE's part. It allowed them to get the WrestleMania weekend festivities off to an impactful, memorable start. Not that WWE are concerned with the unaffiliated shows that will take place over the next few days, of course. If they had their way those wouldn't be happening and we'd all now be looking forward to a SmackDown heavy on Axxess coverage and Saturday night's Hal of Fame ceremony.

The significant match that this week's NXT revolved around was Finn Bálor versus Kevin Owens. It was notable for a couple of reasons. Probably the biggest is the fact that it was a first time ever match. That wasn't a lie concocted by WWE or an overly accurate statement playing on name changes, the two men really hadn't ever faced one another. As genuine international stars away from NXT this first meeting was a big deal.

Secondly, the match was for the NXT championship. Despite supposedly being a title for developmental talents (i.e. not full-fledged WWE Superstars™) the NXT championship has become one of the most meaningful prizes in wrestling. It's treated with importance by the wrestlers. It's presented as important by the writing team. As such it's seen as important by fans and that ensures that it means something when it's defended. This being Owens' first defence only added to that.

Finally, there was a secondary match for the NXT women's championship. Like the men's title, the women's championship has been portrayed as something important and desirable by and to the women who compete on the show. After a lengthy journey to winning the title (it lasted over a year, for the record) Sasha Banks has been positioned as a fighting champion poised to dominate the division. It made sense for her second defence (the first was a one-on-one rematch with former champ Charlotte) to take second billing on such an important episode.

Bliss and Banks opened the show. The challenger started off with a series of flash pin attempts, trying to win early or wear the champion out trying. Banks put a stop to that by kicking Bliss as she flipped herself into the air using the corner ropes, following up with a mocking curtsey and the rope hung double stomp before applying her straightjacket surfboard.

Bliss bridged out of that and got another flash pin but Banks kicked out and quickly rammed her foe into a turnbuckle. Bliss surprised Banks with a headscissors and then sidestepped a charge, sending Banks tumbling out of the ring. Banks took an eight count before she was thrown back into the ring to be walloped with a slap by the challenger.

One mistake and Banks is still the champ.

Bliss dropped Banks with a string of clotheslines and hit a Glitz Flip (a knees-first standing moonsault which I'm convinced must have started out as a botch). Sasha kicked out and was immediately dropped again, this time with a sunset bomb. She escaped as the crowd began chanting for Bliss, who was climbing up to the top rope. That would be her undoing: the champion yanked her down to the mat and applied the Bank Statement for a submission victory.

The match could easily have been a throwaway affair with Bliss being sacrificed to make emphasise how dominant Banks is. By allowing her to control the pace of the match Bliss was elevated even though she lost. Banks also benefited, being portrayed as a woman savvy enough to capitalise on her opponent' sole mistake. It was another good women's championship match.

Here we go again. I go to randomppv.info, and review whatever show comes up. One pay per view down (Unforgiven 2004, check it out here), one that I didn’t recommend. Let’s try and get a good one this time. Big bucks, no Whammys.

The pay per view I will be watching today is...

AW YEAH WCW 2000! I am so excited for the crapstorm I am about to see. No intro, let’s do this!

On Monday 23 February Stephanie McMahon took to Twitter to congratulate Patricia Arquette (1) on striking a blow for women's rights by speaking in favour of equal pay for actresses. It was the sort of thing Steph does from time to time, designed as much to try and capitalise on the latest trending topics on social media as to express any genuine sentiment. It was a non-issue.

Sasha Banks and Charlotte get to headline the show with their women's title match, plus more Kevin Owens attacking Alex Riley, the return of Adam Rose, and further hints of a new character for Emma. It's yet another very strong wrestling show from NXT. Thumbs up, guys!

Intro

Tweet 1: You wanna talk about the roar of the crowd? You wanna talk about NXT!
Tweet 2: Recap of Owens being champ and getting himself ready for Finn Bálor. This is out of the ordinary no?
Tweet 3: It's another move that sets NXT up as its own thing.
Tweet 4: Recap of Riley's hilarious "I'm a man" line from last week.
Tweet 5: Hoping the commentary team talk about how Bálor and Riley are mates this week.

William Regal and Alex Riley in Regal's office

Tweet 6: Riley and Regal having a chat. A-Ry basically saying he can do anything Regal can. Lolno, mate.
Tweet 7: Regal carried that. Riley is awful. I really hate that his irritating Twitter campaign got him some attention from Trips.

Adam Rose v Tyler Breeze

Tweet 8: Marking out for the Ninja Turtle in Rose's entourage. Very CHIKARA.
Tweet 9: I also like the guy who's gimmick is nothing more than looking vaguely like Byron Saxton.
Tweet 10: Selfie stick. #swoons
Tweet 11: WWE should play up the similarities between Rose and Jason King.
Tweet 12: "Ninja Turtle!" chant. Those guys get it.

This is the environment in which Rose works best.

Tweet 13: They've done more stalling than you'd get in the average Kevin Nash match so far.
Tweet 14: Breeze won. Before this segment ends I'd like to suggest putting someone in Rose's entourage dressed as Leo Kruger. #meta

In his debut episode T-Mac invites Turner Davis to sit in the studio with him and help introduce The Heavy Hitter Network into the octagon!

Click HERE to listen directly from HeavyHitterNetwork or click HERE to download EPISODE 1 of The GLORY MMA Podcast!

Artist Rob Schamberger captures one of the all-time great WrestleManias — X-Seven — where the Dudleyz, Hardys and Edge & Christian fought in an epic Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, Triple H first tried to end The Undertaker's streak and The Rock and "Stone Cold' Steve Austin met for the WWE Championship.

Want to own a piece of WWE art? Visit http://auction.wwe.com or http://shop.wwe.com. Also be sure to check Rob out on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/robscham...

When Cody Rhodes transformed into Stardust last summer I thought it was a massive step backwards. It was a knock-off of the near enough two decade old Goldust character and a gimmick it was impossible to envisage WWE taking seriously. In other words it was exactly the sort of thing that was going to keep Cody tethered to the mid-card. He wasn't exactly on the cusp of main events before the change but he was even further away after it.

Cody made the best of a bad situation. Which is hardly surprising as the Stardust character was apparently his idea to begin with. He changed up his entrance and in-ring mannerisms, going out of his way to try and establish Stardust as a distinct entity. Even more impressively he switched up his move set, something WWE performers are generally not encouraged to do. These changes helped to establish Stardust and make the change easier to accept.

What A Good Looking Man

Over the last two weeks former mid-carders have returned to WWE to appear on developmental show NXT. The February 18 episode saw Rhyno decisively beat Elias Sampson in his short comeback match while the February 25 show featured the return of 'The' Brian Kendrick, complete with video package to let anyone not familiar with him know exactly what he's about. Unlike 'The Manbeast' he lost his match, but it was a much more high profile deal, a main event bout with number one contender to the NXT championship Finn Bálor.

Understated red jacket on Kendrick there.

While neither Kendrick nor Rhyno have signed new contracts with WWE both have had profiles added to NXT's website roster section. Neither man wrestled more than the one match lready mentioned at the most recent set of tapings so this indicates that they're going to be involved with the show long-term. Without a contract they remain free to accept bookings elsewhere, essentially making NXT another indy on their schedule. Which benefits them as they remain free agents with their profiles being raised with the NXT appearances. It should see them get more non-WWE work. Meanwhile it benefits WWE because they get two guys who appeal to NXT's target audience of "smart" fans and gives the relatively inexperienced roster two well-travelled lads to work with and learn from.

Ring of Honor's anniversary shows fall t an awkward time for the company. They come just two months after Final Battle, generally the company's biggest card of the year, and around a month before WrestleMania weekend, at which ROH always has a presence (usually with a show called Supercard of Honor). It makes the pacing of storylines difficult and can result in a show which is more about bridging the gap between the bigger shows on either side of it and not giving too much away.

I have so much other better shit I should be doing with my time than watching RAW for three hours.  Not exactly, better, mind you, but responsibilities which I am putting off to bring YOU this RAW recap so that YOU can save three hours of your time.  It’d be nice to throw me a few bucks via PayPal on jasonrivera@gmail.com – that’d be cool of you.  Some other personal hardships are arising in my life as of late but I’ll save discussion of those things for later in the week on Asked or something along those lines.  Anyway, it’s time for a RAW recap while I try to figure out the best way to multitask so that I’m feeling like I’m slacking on other things which need to be handled or accomplished.

Dad Made Ribs.

Seth Rollins is out here probably because for some reason WWE is running some kind of Seth Rollins/Jon Stewart crossover which people like me don’t give a shit about.  This started with promos, then Seth Rollins appearing on the Daily Show, and now Jon Stewart is going to appear on RAW.  And I’m going to appear in the bathroom. 

Rob Schamberger captures the iconic moments from WrestleMania XIX in 2003 where Hulk Hogan clashed with Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho locked up, The Rock and Stone Cold battled for the final time and Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar battled for the WWE Championship.

Want to own a piece of WWE art? Visit http://auction.wwe.com/ or http://shop.wwe.com/. Also be sure to check Rob out on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/robscham...

http://auction.wwe.com/iSynApp/showPa...

http://shop.wwe.com/on/demandware.sto...

Justin Gabriel's out. 'Darewolf' PJ Black is in.

Pointing to the sky shows you mean business.

It's not exactly breaking news that the artist formerly known as Justin Gabriel has been released by WWE. Apparently frustrated with his lack of direction and the nonchalant way his TV appearances were being handled Gabriel left the January 19 RAW and informed the company he wanted to be released from his contract. His status as a free agent was confirmed on January 25 when WWE announced he'd been released. 

 

“Creative has nothing for you.” This phrase alone seems to be a death sentence in the world of wrestling and this logic bothers me beyond belief. When a writer for a television series has nothing for a character, one of two things happens: (1) the actor is not brought in nor remains on the show or (2) the writer is replaced with one who can come up with something different for the talent. For as much as we argue that wrestling is a sport –which it is, TMac – the weekly programs are television shows; the creative aspect should be treated as such.