Impact Stress Test: Blood, Sweat, Tears

PASSED

This past Friday IMPACT aired an EPIC broadcast. This was easily the Impact of the year, and perhaps the best show they have put forward in the last two years.

It had literally almost everything one would want from a wrestling show: Limited Promos, beat downs, returns, titles on the line, blood, sweet, tears, hard hitting matches and it opened with a Last Man Standing match! The only thing missing was Austin Aries, and the show was so good it didn’t even need him!

From top to bottom this show was near perfect. Bobby Roode faced off against Eric Young in a great last man standing match, which saw both men rise up from pile drivers. Roode won the match, but I doubt Young will let the feud die here.

Drew Galloway entered the ring for the second time, this time against MVP. He was dominating when the BDC ran in, beat him down and left him bloody at ring side. Is this a quick end to the ‘chosen one,’ or will this just fuel him even more to fight for wrestling?

Magnus finally returned to face Bram in a brutal hard hitting match that Magnus won by DQ due to a Bram low blow. Bram won the night though, tying Magnus up in the corner and forcing him to kiss Bram’s boot while he had Mickie James in his clutches.

This feud isn’t going to end any time soon and promises to get more violent.

Okay, the low point of this near perfect show, Robbie E versus Brooke. I like both performers, but I really don’t like intergender matches. This one wasn’t very good.

Main event, Hair versus Hair match. EC3 and Rockstar Spud put on a great main event, and we finally have seen Rockstar Spud arrive as a wrestler. He showcased what he could do in a wrestling ring, and it better not be the last time in TNA.

There was some interference, but it didn’t affect the match.

Rockstar Spud put everything on the line and almost won the match. In the end though EC3 was too much, leaving Spud a fallen, blood soaked broken shell.

EC3 never cut Spud’s hair. Instead he cut a passionate promo, praised Spud and raised Spud’s hand. A feel good moment.

Until he bloodied Spud again and left him hanging upside down in the corner. EC3 then proclaimed that the world ‘is his.’

EC3 = heel best in wrestling.

Final thoughts: More shows of this caliber please!

IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: The entire show. But to choose one moment it would be, Magnus kissing Bram’s boot – because that is going to have long term impact.

LOW POINT OF THE NIGHT: Intergender Match.
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Hair v Hair, EC3 v Rockstar Spud.
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Rockstar Spud.

RATING: 9

SMACKDOWN SALVO: Will the real Intercontinental Champion please stand up?

Welcome to the newly renamed Wrestlementary coverage of WWE Smackdown, The Smackdown Salvo. Where, just like the RAW 500, I will cover Smackdown in around 500 words or less, is possible.

This edition of Smackdown wasn’t great, but it did build up WrestleMania and retained its recent Raw recap crap.

Will the real Intercontinental Champion please stand up?

How awesome is it that the IC title is getting the Love that is right now? It has a great build up heading into Mania, and right now feels more important than the World Title. Seven people are fighting over the IC title and six of them keep stealing the belt and claiming it for their own.

Then we have R-Truth, who has been doing great on commentary, who considers each ‘steal’ a title change.

Of course we all know Wade Barrett is the actual champion, but don’t tell that to Dean Ambrose, Luke Harper, Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth, Daniel Bryan and Stardust (Not Cody Rhodes).

We started the show with Daniel Bryan talking about former IC champions at Mania, how he has never won the title, but he plans to at Mania. Of course everyone else involved had different plans leading to another IC Melee!

This also directly led into the Smackdown Main Event: Ambrose, Bryan and Ziggler versus Barrett, Harper and Stardust.

What else happened on this show?

We had a very good tag match with The Usos and Kofi/Xavier of A New Day teaming up against Los Matadores and Cesaro/Tyson Kidd, which saw one of Los Matadores pinning Kofi after a switch.

This was another good tag match, and they are building up the tag team division and titles nicely heading into Mania. I am thinking we may get a four-way match for the Titles.

Roman Reigns cut a promo about being tired of being told he can’t be Brock, and about the comment concerning his family being one generation away from being savages. Almost anyone else could have delivered this promo better. Reigns has absolutely no emotion, so what should be a passionate promo, falls flat.

Mark Henry came out, cut a promo on Reigns, saying he can’t beat Brock, leading to Reigns laying out Henry. Henry later said he lit a fire under Reigns and he now believes Reigns can beat Brock.

Someone needed to light a fire under Reigns’ ass. What he needs to do is go savage. Right now it really seems like he doesn’t care.

The Divas portion of the show was poor, as usual. We had AJ and Paige easily beating Cameron and Summer Rae, while the Bella’s did they normal poor shtick on commentary. AJ and Paige are great, the Bellas are not.

Main event time! More IC Title love, six of the competitors in the ladder match in a six man tag match that saw Bryan pin Harper, but what happened after was the real story.

Ziggler, congratulated Bryan on ‘stealing’ the victory from Ziggs. Ambrose shot on both of them, saying that Ziggler is jealous of Bryan because he’s not as good as Bryan. He then said that Bryan isn’t the good guy people think he is, everyone in the back knows, and he (Ambrose) knows the truth: Bryan is a Turd.

Ziggler joined in, saying he doesn’t always agree with Ambrose, but Bryan is a turd.
As I said in the beginning, this is great build up for the IC Title.

FINAL THOUGHTS: A watchable broadcast of Smackdown, for once. If not for the matches, then for the buildup leading to WrestleMania. Hopefully this is a good sign of things to come in the next two weeks.

MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Main Event Six Man Tag
WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Daniel Bryan
LOW POINT OF THE NIGHT: The Miz versus Ryback in a throw away match.
IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: Ambrose and Ziggler calling Bryan a Turd.

RATING: 5.5

THE RAW 500

Welcome to the first edition of my Monday Night Raw coverage under its new name THE RAW 500. A new logo is coming soon.

Let's discuss this week’s Monday Night Raw shall well? In approximately 500 words. 

I actually missed the first hour of RAW this week because of the (damn) time change. But I caught it on Hulu earlier today.

I have to start by saying that this was one of the better and more entertaining editions of RAW in a long time. One reason for that is that they are actually building up WrestleMania! 

From top to bottom this was a solid broadcast, there were a few bumps along the way, but nothing major. We started out strong with the Authority and ended strong with Randy’s turn. Along the way we had a melee for the IC Title, a good promo from Heyman and two giants bossed around by a girl!

There were some solid matches as well, but Bryan v Barrett was the best.

Are any of the rumors about Brock true? Or is the WWE playing everyone. I was glad to see Brock, and the title, on RAW even if he didn’t do anything but stand there. Heyman’s promo was strong, and touched upon some controversial points, such as the UFC. It was a nice touch to have Heyman’s mic be cut a few times as he was ‘censored.’

Am I the only one who thought Kane and Big Show being kicked out of RAW by Stephanie was lame? I do like the Kane/Show mini-feud and hope it boils over into a feud or them turning on the Authority and reforming their one tag team championship duo.

Speaking of Tag Teams, it is nice to see the Tag titles getting more time and I solid build up. Could we be looking at a three-way dance for the Titles at Mania?

Cena fans rejoice. After Rusev mouth off, Cena demolished him and locked him in the STF. Lana, fearing for him man, agreed to give Cena a match at Mania.

I love the fact that the IC Title has such a spotlight on it right now. Yes, I know that Wade is losing all his NON-TITLE matches, but look how many people are gunning for the title. How many times has it been stolen now? How often has R-Truth been on commentary talking about, and stealing, the IC Title? I am looking forward to the IC Title Ladder match at Mania more than any other match. It should steal the show.

Speaking of stealing the show, how Awesome was the Viper on RAW. This is the Randy we need, the tweener who doesn’t give a dam about anyone, even the fans. His beat down of Rollins was awesome and overdue.

Now, there were three things that disappointed. No Hunter, Sting or Undertaker. Yes, I know we had promo videos from both, but how much better would the build be if both came out to face Hunter and Wyatt? Far better.

My biggest issue with the Sting promo is I don’t even think that was his voice on the voiceover.

Final Thoughts: This was the best RAW in a Long Time.

MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett

WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Daniel Bryan

LOW POINT OF THE NIGHT: No Hunter, Sting or Undertaker.

IMPACT OF THE NIGHT: Randy Orton making Seth Rollins his bitch.

Rating: 6

State of the WWE-Part 1 Opening Thoughts

This is the first piece in a 10 part State of the WWE. We are on the road to WrestleMania, so what better time to break down the WWE.

Part 1, this post, is my open thoughts to where the WWE is at, why, and leads into the series of State of posts.

The best way to describe the WWE at the moment is Lackluster at Best or Worst. They have failed to put on any reasonably good edition of RAW or Smackdown since Summerslam. Along those same lines Summerslam was the last passable PPV they produced.

To be blunt 2014 was creatively the worst year I have ever seen in the WWE. The three reasons for this are Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.

Daniel Bryan start 2014 off on fire, rightfully winning the title at Mania. If not for his injury, Bryan would have been the Reigning and Defending World Champion we knew he could be. But his injury cut that short, forcing a change in plans.

This was by no means his fault, nor is it his fault that WWE creative didn’t have enough creative sense to do anything but drop the ball.

The problem with Reigns isn’t even Reigns himself, or his injury. It’s his push. He was getting a big push before being sidelined, then received an even bigger push after returning to get him back on track. The problem is Reigns is being shoved down the universe’s throat.

Listen to the reaction, fans just don’t care about the guy. He shows no emotions, can barely talk, has no personality to speak of and there is very little for people to emotionally invest in. If Daniel Bryan was Reigns, no one would like him either.

Reigns injury sidelined his push and slow build into ‘the man.’ To make up for that did the WWE modify and go a different route? No, instead they fast tracked Reigns, pushing everyone to the side for him.

The fans are letting everyone know their opinion of that.

Brock Lesnar is a beast, but a beast at what? It sure as hell isn’t being a beast of a workaholic. He has defiantly conquered not showing up for work. Brock Lesnar is the biggest reason the WWE has been on a massive slide.

Two, TWO, title defenses since Summerslam. That is two title matches in seven months. Without a defending champion, what does the top of the roster have to fight for? Wait, for their jobs against the Authority, that’s right.

Not having Bryan or the WWE Title around lead to the Authority’s massive rise in a more prominent role, which lead to all feuds revolving around the Authority. There was no title to fight for, so they had to do the next best thing – fight for control.

Cause and effect. The cause: No Bryan, No Title with Brock not around, Reigns injury; The effect: The Rise of the Authority. The Cause: The Rise of the Authority; The effect: the slide of the WWE.

NEXT TIME – STATE OF THE WWE PART 2 – CREATIVE

Ace Masters.

Don't get me wrong I am a WRESTLING FAN

Anyone who may have read my Burning Mind Column when it was at Comicsbulletin.com, or my current Burning Mind blog, would know I occasionally go on rants. I have avoided doing much in the way of rants on Wrestlementary, but I am going to let this one fly.

I watch Hulu a lot, including WWE Programming. On Hulu is a commercial about some idiot getting a WWE logo tattoo, and saying “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a wrestling fan, I’m a WWE fan.”

I don’t know if this is a Hulu produced commercial, WWE produced, or co-produced.

I do know that it is fucking insulting to the WWE fan base that are Professional Wrestling Fans. Why would one watch the WWE if they were a wrestling fan in the first place? Despite the fact that Vince has tried to distance the product from wrestling, its core business and main draw is still wrestling, no matter what they brand it.

Let’s say you are a WWE fan, and not a pure wrestling fan, this commercial is still an insult to you. It makes ALL WWE fans looks like losers. How? At one point in the commercial the idiot talked about quitting his job because it prevents him from watching WWE! That is a good and positive way for Hulu/WWE to present WWE Fans. Great job!

Yes, I know the commercial is a promo for WWE on Hulu and the guy is an actor (I’m not bashing the actor, just the character and commercial). It’s an insulting one that it not funny or humorous. It presents WWE fans in general in a poor light, as having no life outside of WWE, and blatantly pisses on wrestling fans.

- Ace Masters

Dave's Battle Ax: With just days to go before Wrestlemania 31

With just days to go before Wrestlemania 31, the WWE is finally starting to turn up the heat on its network shows.  I was beginning to wonder if the company even cared to have a build up it’s marquee event this year, given the tepid lead ups to the past 3 PPVs they've attempted.  You see, it’s easy to forget that for all the drama and armchair predictions, that WWE is still just a TV show, with writers and directors and sound guys and grips and trucks out front making it all happen.  Only this year, it hasn’t been a very good show to watch.

Don’t get me wrong, the talent in the back ARE busting their collective asses out there every night, it’s just that the writers have let them down.  You see, every season of WWE has a narrative.  Last year was about the rise of the Shield, the year before that was all about CM Punk.  These crucial storyline elements are what ties the whole show together and somehow has to play out across 2 televised shows and 2 WWE Network shows to be cohesive.

This season, injuries messed up that narrative, big time.  If Daniel Bryan hadn’t been out for 6 months and Roman Reigns 3, the narrative leading up to Wrestlemania this year could have been epic.

Instead it feels cobbled together - and the main reason is that the writers/bookers were winging it, badly.  So what we’ve got to supposedly cap off the narrative is a somewhat muddled march to the biggest night of the year.

I’ve seen other shows go thru injuries, cast changes etc. thru the years and it can either make or break a show going forward.  This year, the WWE ended up broken and it’s going to take more than a Superman punch to set things right.

The reality is that this show has been running for as long as I can remember and has gotten so big, it’s like a leviathan - unable to make sharp turns when it needs to, unable to adapt to the needs of both wrestling fans and WWE fans (there is a difference) in an ever-splintering world of social media distractions and gewgaws to bring everything back home again.

I truly hope that in the year coming up AFTER Wrestlemania 31, WWE TV has a better season. With all these other channels and shows to choose from, more will find other things to watch if it doesn’t.

- Dave Parrish

--
Ensuring a better future, for ALL
http://www.operationsavetheearth.com

The State of Wrestlementary - A Restructuring of the Faction

Listen up wrestling fans, and WWE Fans who are not necessarily wrestling fans, Wrestlementary is back. We had to take some time away to look at the bigger picture, the smaller details and restructure our faction to make things smoother and better.

To that end some things have changed across the board, but our faction is stronger than ever now.

(Sneak peak at the in-the-works new logo)

First off let me announce our members – The fearless leader, Ace Masters (who is I), the cutting edge Dave Parrish, the NXT in line Chris Rose and the Diva guy himself, Wes Kozalla.

We may even have a new member or two in the future.

Speaking of the future, we all know what is in the immediate future, right? What time of the year it is right? RIGHT!? WRESTLEMANIA!

The Road to WrestleMania is going to factor into Wrestlementary in a very big way this month. We are going to have a number of WWE articles with a focus on discussing Mania, breaking down the matches and editorials on what direction WWE needs to go in AT and coming OUT of Mania.

With the massive slide WWE has been on, this WrestleMania is crucial.

Now, about the Changes ‘Mentary is going under.

THE STATE OF DAVE’S BATTLE AX (DBA)

This is going under absolutely no changes. Over the last three months DBA has been the one constant. It will continue on its monthly schedule, on the first Wednesday of each month. Dave will continue his straight to the point, cutting edge pieces, with no fear to ‘go there.’

THE STATE OF DIVA DISH

Every one of us has commitments and projects outside of Wrestlementary, plus we have lives ((). Because of such commitments it had been agreed that Wes’ Diva Dish will now be a monthly article rather than weekly.

We are currently planning for it to be online the second Monday of each month.

Considering how the Divas are used, or underused (#GiveDivasAChance), this will be beneficial. Wes’ pieces tend to be longer than others on Wrestlementary, a monthly schedule gives him more time to break down the Divas.

THE STATE OF CJ’s SIGHT

For the same reasons mentioned above, our NXT coverage by Chris Rose is going to a monthly piece, with possible other articles in between. NXT coverage will now come your way on the last Friday of each month.

THE STATE OF ACE MASTERS COVERAGE

Okay, I used my name here because I cover a little more than the other guys, and even my coverage is going to change a little bit.

TNA COVERAGE

My TNA coverage will probably stay the same, except now on Saturdays or Sunday as Impact is on Fridays. It will still be the IMPACT STRESS TEST.
Expect to see a STATE OF TNA this weekend.

WWE COVERAGE

Here is where I am making a few changes, I am dropping the name Ace’s Answer and branding my coverage differently.

Raw coverage will now be the RAW 500. As I have in the past, I will keep my comments and reviews of RAW to 500 words or less, making it concise to the point and not wasting your time. I will still name the High Points, Low Points and Best/Worst of the show.

Smackdown Coverage will now be the SD Salvo, and will keep to five hundred words as well.

IN GENERAL

In the past I have tried to get my pieces up the day after the shows. That has not always worked. Starting now, expect to see my coverage online within two days. RAW on Tuesday or Wednesday, SMACKDOWN on Friday or Saturday, and TNA on Saturday of Sunday.

Do not expect to see any coverage of WWE or TNA broadcasts from me this week. In their place expect a series of ‘State of’ articles breaking down different aspects of TNA and the WWE.

WEEK IN REVIEW

The Week in Review is going away, as I find it redundant. In its place will be the Wrap Up. The Wrap up will consist of listing the best and worst of the week, and thoughts on the upcoming week.

That is it for the restructuring of Wrestlementary, there may be more coming, and they will be announced as needed.

However this piece is not the official relaunch of Wretlementary.

The official relaunch of Wrestlementary comes in one hour and is courtesy of Dave’s Battle Axe “With just Days to go before WrestleMania 31 . . .”