Captain Awesome and T-Mac cover the hottest news, results, and rumors of the world of professional wrestling. This week they talk a lot about Great Balls of Fire and even take a ride in the Spanish Announce Time Machine.
Captain Awesome and T-mac bring you 205 LIVE. If you missed the live feed, here's your chance to catch up on the whole show including, their special guest, The Most Hated Man in Mexico, Sam Adonis!
T-Mac tells us about how he got his face nearly bitten off by a dog, and they discuss all the hottest news, results, and rumors in the world of professional wrestling this week!
Captain Awesome and T-Mac have a fun time discussing everything that happened in wrestling this week, and even take some time to preview and make picks for Money in The Bank!
Portions of the show were recorded on-site at Up Down Kansas City for the NWL Nintendo 64 No Mercy Tournament and there are special cameos throughout the show from Marti Belle, Major Baisden, The Iceman, Michael Stider, Jeremy Wyatt, and Jack Foster!
Captain Awesome and T-Mac are getting excited for the big Episode 200! They give you details on the special event they will be doing to celebrate, and even talk about all this week's news and rumors
You can stream the show with the player above or you can download it directly to your device by clicking THIS LINK.
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Captain Awesome and T-Mac interview Ron the Show Hughleuy of 610 Sports in Kansas City. Hughley, a long-time professional wrestling fan discusses WrestleMania and the economic impact it has on the host city. He then discusses why, and how, Kansas City should build a new stadium capable of hosting WrestleMania. Also, they break down the results, news, and rumors of this week of professional wrestling as well!
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To start, the pre-show matches are fluff and should bare no more attention than a passing glimpse where they presumably will have no real impact leading into the draft in June other than to watch the RAW tag team titles be further hot potatoed to Enzo and Big Cass. The same can be said about A Double taking the Cruiserweight title.
Another kickoff match that will offer little, but could offer much more would be the Smackdown's women division championship free-for-all. With the combined return of Naomi to Smackdown, and WrestleMania being in her home town this year, the odds are heavily stacked in her favor to win. With that being said, what could happen is a stroke of brilliance that the WWE will not come up with -- letting Tyler Breeze as 'Breezey Bella' to compete in the championship match and steal the title.
Let's face it, Smackdown's women division is hitting rock bottom at this point. The only saving grace would be Mickie James. The rest of the women's roster is still very green and unrecognizable to anyone that isn't an avid fan. The juxtaposition here is that Raw's women division is very much in the same boat, yet have someone so talented and courageous enough to take both divisions upon her shoulders in the likes of Charlotte Flair.
So as hackney as it might be to utilize such an homage to Adrien Street, Gorgeous George, Lodi, Lenny Lane, and Bruce (Bruce having won the women's title back in the NWA TNA), it would give the WWE time between Mania and the draft to build up some of the female stars all the while getting more gym time for others. I agree that it seems crazy, but yes, of all the people to help revitalize the women's division, it comes down to Tyler Breeze.
In spite of the fact that there was no build up for this next match on the going home Smackdown, the fight between Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin has the potential to set the pace and intensity for the night. Because of which, I like to see Dean retain the title, but without a clean victory. This feud has some meat to it, and is worth exploring maybe up to Summer Slam if it is played right.
For as bad as it potentially can be due to the involvement of Nikki Bella and Mareyse, this next match pitted John Cena and Nikki Bella against The Miz and Maryse has all the potential to be that show stealing match that will leave people talking about for weeks. The nuclear heat that has been building thanks, in large part, to the Total Divas spoof segments, has provided a must see quality to an otherwise lackluster Mania lineup. Of course Miz has to go over where you are filling vacancies after Mania. Such a move just prior to Cena leaving to film his latest movie, will catapult Miz back into that top one or two spots as your headlining B side. The question remains however, who will step up to take that top A side spot -- Ambrose, Reigns (post draft), Rollins? More on this later.
If the previous match isn't the show stealer that it could be, the fight between Jericho and Owens for the United States Championship is it, hands down. My concern however, given the thirteen matches taking place on Sunday, is that time per match is going to be a factor. Naturally, Owens and Jericho can pull off a brilliant 15 to 20 minute match, but if matches are getting shortened, it could alter the flow leading into this one, and those that succeed it.
Next is the Raw's women division 4-way for the title. The only one in this match that is 'big enough' to showcase WrestleMania are Charlotte and Sasha on Raw, and Natalya and Mickie James on Smackdown. I say this where the women's division on both sides have that potential to ignite a revolution within the sport that can carry over into other mainstream vehicles. But to do this, you need a foundation to build from ... Charlotte versus Sasha, but not that where its been done before and needs time to breathe before pouring from that same vintage again. This leaves one of two options available -- either Sasha goes over in a heelish manner allowing for a double turn between her and Charlotte, or Charlotte goes over only to enter into a short program with Nia Jax until Sasha makes the heel turn. Either way, Charlotte has to have a face turn; whether its short, or long term is yet to be determined.
Granted, there are rumors floating around the twitterverse that Charlotte and Nattie will be swapping places come the draft. This makes no sense where you would take away from the flagship show the one woman carrying both women's divisions. If anything, Sasha would be relegated to Smackdown long before Charlotte, and in spite of how weak the NXT women's division currently is, Aska and the Aussies would be pulled up prior to such an occurrence.
As I previously reported, this next match could have had some legs to it rather than being a one shot, but clearly the WWE intended this as a means of giving AJ Styles a safe match, and Shane the continued legacy of why-in-the-hell-are-you-doing-
Dead Man Walking ... In what will hopefully be the final match for the Undertaker, he is going to put Reigns over to further attempt to alter the perception of fans toward Reigns. Will it be successful? Or, will it even be worth the severe risk of injury befalling a man that should have retired when the streak was ended? Probably not by both counts, but hey, we get one more Taker Mania match ... He'll more than likely die in the ring, but whatevs. Its another Taker Mania match, maaaannnnnnnn!
And to follow a match with no real pay out, you need another match with little reward but great risk of injury to happen as well in the like of Seth Rollins fresh off the injured reserves, versus Its-Time-To-Hang-Up-The-Tights Triple H. God willing, Hunter will put Rollins over where there is no real payout for Triple H to win. That being said, one is instantly reminded of the Triple H versus Sting match, and so on. So this finish is anyone's guess at this point a few days out from the Granddaddy of them all.
Goldberg versus Lesnar is going to be a redemption match for Lesnar. Because of which, this match will not be polished by any stretch of the imagination, but two big guys bouncing one another around for about 15 minutes or less until Lesnar goes over winning the Undisputed title. However, there was some speculation that such an ending wasn't going to happen if and when Goldberg would have committed to more dates post Mania. The opposite took place where Goldberg instead, hinted at this being his retirement match which makes complete sense now that his kid has seen his daddy wrestle, and Goldberg has landed some lucrative paydays.
From fantasy to the fanatical, this main event pitting Randy Orton versus Bray Wyatt has been a roller coaster ride through some Timothy Leary type acid trips and then some. With that being said, this one is perfect to regain the lost momentum through the two previous matches, giving fans that takeaway from Mania that they are wanting. Ultimately, I forsee Orton going over though this could be a mistake where Orton remains a tweener at this point when WWE needs to establish their A and B sides (Face and Heel) coming out of Mania that will sustain them until the draft in June. The definite loss of Cena, Jericho, and Rusev combined with the questionability of Goldberg, Balor, and Rollins leaves the WWE in a precarious position where they have to make a massive shift in order to retool the SmackDown brand, and slide some of the top players on Smackdown to Raw. Because of which, NXT presumably will lose Nakamura, Aska, D.I.Y., the Revival, and maybe Authors of Pain in a pinch. I would also like to see Peyton Royce and Billie Kay start the transition to the main roster, preferably Smackdown's in order to give some heft to a women's division that is sorely lacking.
Captain Awesome and T-Mac record the show from Up Down KC for the NWL Nintendo 64 No Mercy Tournament. Amid all the chaos, they managed to review the week of wrestling and preview WrestleMania!
We snagged a great interview with Roscoe Leech of the Leech Talent Agency at last night's NWL KC show!
Despite his losses, Gil is eager to get back out there and try again!
Captain Awesome and T-Mac cover the biggest news and rumors in the week of professional wrestling, including the Paige sex tape scandal.
Stream it with the player above or download it directly from THIS LINK!
T-Mac and Captain Awesome interview Jeff Ashworth, Editor in Chief of the new book The WWE Book of Rules (And How To Break Them), about the unique format of the book and his time working for WWE Magazine.
They also break down the week of wrestling like only they can.
T-Mac and Captain Awesome are back in their studio(s) for this episode and they review Fastlane, Raw, and Smackdown and many other pro wrestling topics of the week.
Stream it with the player above or download it directly with THIS LINK!
Artist Rob Schamberger paints the legendary, high-flying and always entertaining Eddie Guerrero!
Captain Awesome and T-Mac apologize for the late show and the echo you will hear throughout. We did the show in a room at the Scottish Rite Temple before the latest National Wrasslin' League show. But lateness and echo will not degrade the level of entertainment you are used to from The Spanish Announce Table.
Artist Rob Schamberger gets inspiration from Becky Lynch's straight-fire war cry.
T-Mac and Captain Awesome discuss the week of wrestling, and the challenge to bait T-Mac out of battle rap retirement continues.
Stream it with the player above or download it directly from THIS LINK!
by Trent Anderson
twitter.com/grapple_this
facebook.com/goldenageofwrestling
Not since Vince McMahon tore back the curtain on the sport as a means of sidestepping athletic commissions, and the regulations that would be implemented through which, has wrestling been considered anything more than a grand show full of fanfare and fractured fans. The fallout from which has been minimal from a business standpoint as Network buys have hit the 1.5 million mark, but as is the way with the WWE, where Vince's hubris leads him, destruction is soon to follow.
Right now Japanese, Mexican, and UK based wrestling each are experiencing a much needed renaissance while American based wrestling continues to wane both in ratings and ticket sales. As a means of rectifying the situation, the WWE has branched out into markets that perhaps they dare not venture. Examples of which would be the new cruiser weight division '205 live,' a soon to be named UK based show, and an upcoming woman’s tournament in the same vain as the UK tournament which was moderately successful.
There are a variety of reasons as to why such ventures will fail, but at the center of these is over saturation. Where a year ago the WWE network was scrambling to create new content to increase the network buys, it now has too much content and not enough staffing to consistently contend with, which leavs fans of each sub-genre within the sport disenchanted. Granted, this is uncharted waters, where no one has complete foresight on the direction or the pitfalls that will arise, as the WWE struggles to maintain its global dominance. That alone, however, doesn't grant Vince free license in further watering down a sport that he has a monopoly over.
No, the sands are shifting as both New Japan Pro Wrestling and World of Sports are building to compete internationally. NJPW is looking to begin tours abroad with extended tours in the United States over the next couple years where Sky Sport is working to create a basic cable show featuring local talents that fans will be able to watch for free rather than having to pay ten dollars a month for the WWE Network. Both of which has left Vince scrambling to keep his hand in the proverbial cookie jar with such new content. However, where the WWE was late to the table in trying to capture the upsurge in British based wrestling, or that of the ever growing Indy scene, Vince McMahon had to fend for whatever leftovers he could slap a developmental contract on.
The big gets for the WWE are clearly those fleeing from the sinking ship that is TNA, and then also Nigel McGuinness, but otherwise the talent remains very green, lacking charisma, all the while leaving Smackdown, rather than NXT, to be the post graduate schooling for those that have completed Wrestling 101. And both Smackdown and NXT have far more shades of the indies than the traditional WWE style of wrestling that has further sent non millennial fans elsewhere for their particular wrestling fix.
Less is always more when applying wrestling's trade craft. One of the most recent examples of which could be garnered from NXT Takeover San Antonio. It had all the trappings of a Ring of Honor show but with a larger production budget. Most of the matches where spot fests leaving a forgettable response from its diehard counter culture fans. It wasn't until the main event that fans were treated to a classic match featuring two shining stars -- Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura -- in a traditional heel versus face fight. It was everything that a wrestling match should be -- featuring great psychology, good pacing, and all the trade craft that one would expect to illicit a visceral response from the crowd.
There was no need for a lot of high spots where both competitors knew how to gauge the raucous crowd, draw them into the story that they wanted to tell, and sell the believability of a full on fight. But as the match began, without a word being said, you instinctively knew who was the good guy and who wasn't. There was no need for a video package setting up the fight, nor a back story leading up to the here and now. No, this was a fight for the NXT championship by two athletes that were diametrically opposed in culture, in styles, and every other way imaginable. And this was achieved simply enough by utilizing the time honored traditions and trade craft that has worked for over a hundred years.
Arguably, two of the best in-ring workers in the modern age are John Cena and Roman Reigns. Both of whom are consistently booed by supposed smart fans who wouldn't know a great wrestling match, or the very machinations that makes one such because they grew up within the sport after the territorial days. Such a fact is regrettable, but forgivable nevertheless where the culture has strayed so far, and has since adopted this Indy scene mentality that spot fests equal paychecks.
Because of which, 205 Live has failed in its efforts thus far to appeal to a ready made fan base. The reasons for which are varied –
Issues for WWE's Cruiser weight Division that will ultimate lead to the same painful end as the Light Heavyweight Division during the Monday Night Wars are man, but lets address the top three:
- No recognizable top guys (face or heel) to build the franchise around. Austin Aries, having been cleared to wrestle recently, has yet to do anything more than announcing. But once he returns to the ring, he would fill that top heel spot, potentially carrying the title for awhile, thus lending credibility to the division. The question remains who can step into that top baby face spot … Jack Gallagher? For all of his antics, the show needs credibility and not campiness.
- To date, everything on 205 Live is a carbon copy of what you would either see on Smackdown or Raw – conventional, plodding in ring work by athletes that aren't necessarily ready for prime time. 205 Live should be its own thing .. in brand and in production values, but it hasn't achieved that mark. If anything, 205 Live should have the look, the feel, and the grit of a Ring Of Honor show because ultimately that's the type of niche wrestling crowd that you are wanting to appeal to with this gimmick.
- Perception is everything, and 205 Live lacks it in glaringly unimpressive ways. The bulk of the roster fall well short of the 205 mark which, combined with the aforementioned issues surrounding this failed venture, lowers the ceiling on how far this show can go from this point forward.If the WWE were serious about making 205 Live a legitimate presence on the Network, and something that would appeal to a niche audience – Progress, Lucha Underground, Chikara – it has get those stars like Ricochet, Osprey, Rey Mysterio, that can shoulder this tumultuous burden long enough to groom the rest of the roster as NXT has done. Until the WWE makes this transition, 205 Live has no longevity nor appeal … niche or otherwise.
by Trent Anderson
twitter.com/grapple_this
facebook.com/goldenageofwrestling
For months the WWE has slow burned animosity between Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens only for it to end in a brutal beat down during this past Monday Night Raw with the inference that Triple H ordered it. Did the WWE pop this cork too soon or does it suggest something more coming out of Mania where and when Mania has always served as that great reset button?
Kevin Owens is slated to face Bill Goldberg at FastLane for the Universal title. Because of the beat down on Jericho this past week, Jericho will no doubt interfere in the match costing Owens to lose the title. From this we can speculate with some certainty that Goldberg will drop the title to Lesnar at Wrestlemania where it is highly rumored Goldberg will be taking time off after the the grand daddy of all pay-per-views. Now here is where it gets interesting, with Lesnar all but retired from MMA fighting at this point, and slated to work some house shows, does this suggest that he will play a more proactive role, or will his here-today-gone-tomorrow limited schedule remain in tact?
With so much speculation surrounding Wrestlemania at this point, it baffles me as to why the WWE would prematurely pop the cork on such a strong angle between Jericho and Kevin Owens. For as good as the inevitable conclusion was, the WWE would have been better served to cook this one a bit longer, perhaps until the Raw after FastLane. Ultimately, it comes down to how much money you are willing to leave on the table at this point. As suggested, Owens is going to drop the title to Goldberg at FastLane. This is going to relegate the Owens versus Jericho fight to a midcard U.S. Title shot. At best, this has the potential to be that Savage versus Steamboat show stealing match. At worse, what should have been a one shot 'title for title' fight hearkening back to Jericho becoming the first ever undisputed champion, has had the thunder stolen from such a potentially epic match with all the implications and historical homages therein.
What I surmise moving forward are a series of run-ins and backstage brawls in true McMahon fashion going into and coming out of FastLane between the former best friends. But is this paint-by-numbers archetype necessary to generate more buzz, or even more heat than what has already been established? I would suggest that it isn't necessary, and has all the potential of over saturating what has been a money maker up to this point. The old adage 'less is more' reigns true in sports entertainment as it did back during the territorial days. I fear that this angle will become over produced and predictable with no great payoff going into Mania.
Lastly, the implications of Owens putting Goldberg over at FastLane, and then Jericho over at Mania, leaves him in a precarious position as the WWE continues to hot potato all the major titles. With Goldberg leaving, and Reigns making that long overdue heel turn, who or what angle do you put Owens in? Do you relegate him to Smackdown, or do you shove him to the midcard where the push he was given as the Universal champion is further squandered? There seems to be far more questions than answers at this juncture in the Road To Wrestlemania. And perhaps that is how it should be. But what I wonder is whether this austere road is a path to nowhere, or can creative find the direction it needs with the top guys leading out of the grand daddy of them all? Time will tell.
Captain Awesome and T-Mac interview Ryan Loco about his new project called the Two Way Dance Podcast, designed to help ECW stars with things like medical bills.
Stream the show with the player below, or download it directly from THIS LINK!
Captain Awesome an T-Mac discuss all the biggest news, results, and rumors in the world of professional wrestling.
Stream it with the player below or download it directly using THIS LINK!
Captain Awesome and T-Mac bring you another Fight KC special highlighting some of the biggest and most shocking moments from the NWL KC show this past Saturday.
Stream it with the player below or download it directly with THIS LINK!
Captain Awesome and T-Mac have been putting their Journalism degrees to good use at the NWL KC shows every other Saturday night.
This is a video/photo highlight video of the latest show.
Make sure to check out the National Wrasslin' League at www.nwleague.com.
Also check out their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/channel/UCFzJXWTxb_l55zDLrmszgMg
Captain Awesome and T-Mac call up Major Baisden, President of the National Wrasslin' League and interview him about some business aspects of starting a new wrestling company. They also make some Royal Rumble predictions and talk about a whole week's worth of wrestling topics.
Stream the episode with the player above or download it directly by clicking THIS LINK!
Captain Awesome and T-Mac attended the 2nd NWL KC show and got some great audio from some of their stars, including The Monarch Jeremy Wyatt, Thor Theriot, The Brand Chad Barstow, The Howletts, Roscoe Leech, and The Royal Blood. Don't miss some of these exciting interviews from the latest Fight KC!
Steam it with the player above or download it directly by clicking THIS LINK!
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