Royal Rumble Apocalypse 2015

This has got to go down as one of the most chaotic Rumbles in WWE History. Since at least 2010, the Rumble has started to lose it's luster. To add to the backlash of last year's Rumble with Batista winning, it is safe to say that the Rumble is no longer Royal. Sunday was further confirmation, with the venom that the Philadelphia crowd shot at Roman Reigns. I admit that I am not the biggest Roman supporter as a result of his recent promos and programs with Big Show, but I felt bad for him. He could not enjoy his biggest moment of his rising career. Even though the match did not turn out the way that many people wanted, I along with other fans knew Reigns would be the number one contender since last Summer. Everyone saw the writing on the wall, but many people in the IWC Clan have been in utter denial. The fans in Philly gave Roman no Brotherly Love AT ALL. He received more boos than John Cena in his match with RVD at One Night Stand in 2006. Even Roman's legendary cousin The Rock could not stop the outrage of the fans when he came out to save him from the attack by Big Show and Kane. Rock even admitted in an Instagram video that the fans booed his cousin out of the building in a humorous kind of way. There were some nice surprise entrants like DDP, Bubba Ray Dudley and The Boogeyman. Unfortunately, the fans that night ruined the experience of the rest of the match with their boos once Daniel Bryan was eliminated earlier in the match. As far as the fans go, they are the biggest reasons why the match went sour in my view. It was very immature and disrespectful to the wrestlers in the ring, along with their fellow fans who paid money just to enjoy the overall PPV.

 The Daniel Bryan zombie fans hated everything and everyone who was not Daniel Bryan. Speaking of them, the Daniel Bryan obsession has put a very bad taste in my mouth. I did not really want to express my opinion at first, because I respect how good he is in the ring. However, the craze about him has turned me sour from wanting to really support Daniel Bryan. I find myself not wanting to be a fan of his, BECAUSE of this ridiculous legion of fans. Daniel Bryan fans and CM Punk fans are the equivalent to the Kobe Bryant and LeBron James fans in the NBA. They put him on this insanely high pedestal, and discredit everyone that is not him. The world does not end, just because someone you like does not win all of the time. Daniel Bryan is very good at what he does, but honestly I don't see myself building a single brand around him. I did not cry when someone like Bret Hart or Stone Cold lost. If you ask me, they are much bigger stars than Bryan. I just cannot find myself connecting with him on that level. I understand that he represents the underdogs and the social outcasts of the world. I get the point, but this trend is nauseating. People complain about John Cena being shoved down everyone's throat. Honestly, I feel the same way when fans force feed Daniel Bryan on The Internet. You people are doing the same thing that you accuse the WWE of doing. That crowd reaction spoiled the rest of the show for the most part, because fans got so bitter and jaded that the hashtag: #CancelWWENetwork trended all over the Internet that night. Fans like these are very childish, and are humiliating to say the least. This is why I don't waste my time and energy doing RAW reviews. IWC fans cry for new talent to be pushed. Yet, when WWE finally pushes someone new, they STILL complain because it is not who THEY want. You don't always get what you want. Daniel already had his shining moment last year, when he defeated 3 Future Hall of Famers (HHH, RKO, Batista) in one night at WrestleMania 30. I thought that was WWE's way of making it up to their fans for not adding Bryan to the Royal Rumble. Unfortunately, he got injured and they needed to fill that void in some way. I have no personal issue against him or a guy like Dolph Ziggler, but at the end of the day it is about marketing value. Zigs and Bryan have a niched fanbase that clearly does not support enough with the wallet to really make enough noise. There is more monetary potential in someone like Roman Reigns. Vince McMahon's formula of ring presence and persona has never changed from the moment he purchased the company from his father. The faces have changed, but the concept has not. Besides, I don't see a guy that looks like Teen Wolf beating the man that broke The Undertaker's Streak.

Last year, Roman Reigns was on fire at the Royal Rumble, when he broke Kane's elimination record before being thrown over the top rope by Batista at the end. People were behind him at that point. Now, he wins and fans boo him to no end. People could not seem to make up their mind. He is not what everyone may want, but I am not losing my mind just because he won.

The Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship between Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Seth Rollins is what carried the show. That match was tremendous, and an early candidate for "Match of The Year". Everyone was amazing in this match, as they all kicked out of each other's Finishers. Seth Rollins nailed Brock Lesnar with a great left Elbow Drop on the Announce Table. Rollins showed his flashes of brilliance and put everyone on further notice that he will take that top spot for years to come. Cena nailed Lesnar with 3 Attitude Adjustments. Brock showed once more why he is Truly a Beast. After Rollins took care of Cena, he was ready to nail another Curb Stomp on the Champ. Then, plans changed as Brock rose quickly to catch him to nail the final blow with The F-5 to retain his WWE Championship. The stage was set for Brock Lesnar to main event WrestleMania as WWE Champion the moment that he broke the Streak, and defeated John Cena at Summerslam. It only made sense for Lesnar to hold it this long considering what he had accomplished. There have been twists and turns in the plot leading up, but overall this has been the course that WWE has set their minds on taking. At least, for once the IWC takes their hate off of Cena. He could at least relax for now. This is the marquee caliber Main Event that WWE has set in stone for WM 31. This is a battle of the Young Lion taking on the Veteran Lion. The Original Next Big Thing versus the Current Next Big Thing. Overall, I give this PPV a C+.

By the way, congrats to WWE for shutting up the haters by reaching 1 million subscribers.

2014 Year End Awards (Wrestling)

Happy New Year Everyone! As we close out a very noteworthy year, I would like to present my Awards for the best performers in the last year. I would like to recognize who stood out the most, best matches, etc. My criteria for the awards are as follows:

Consistency
Match Quality
Storyline Quality
Innovation
Rivalry Chemistry

I am doing my best to model my awards after the blueprint of PWI, while adding my own creativity with my own twist. May you enjoy. 

Diva of the Year: Paige
Paige has done an incredible job carrying the Divas Division from day one when she made her debut the night after WrestleMania. That night on RAW, Paige put herself on the map when she scored an upset victory over AJ Lee to become the new WWE Divas Champion. The win ended AJ's 295 day title reign, the longest of the Modern Era (Women's version of CM Punk's title reign). Paige continued to carry the ball with her ongoing feud with AJ, along with strong performances to hold up the sinking ship known as Women's Wrestling.

 

Tag Team of the Year: The USO's
This was an undisputed choice. In an Era where the Tag Team Division is a shell of what it once was, the USO's have been the most consistent team in an otherwise lackluster era. Jimmy and Jey started their year of dominance by defeating the Legendary, Hall of Fame New Age Outlaws to become the new World Tag Team Champions. They would go through the Wyatts before losing the titles to the Dust Brothers. Not long after they won the Slummy for Tag Team of the Year, the USO's would defeat The Miz and Mizdow to regain the belts. The USO's would end the year strong as Tag Team Champions.

 

Dominant Performance of the Year: Brock Lesnar winning the WWE Title

This deserves recognition. We have NEVER seen a WWE Champion lose the title this way in his prime. Not Austin, Rock, Hogan, etc. Brock Lesnar continued his momentum from breaking the streak by demoralizing and dismantling John Cena. When you watch this match, you would think that you were watching a longer version of King Kong Bundy vs SD Jones at WrestleMania I. Lesnar wiped the ring and Staples Center with Cena. John only got at least four moves of offense as Brock drilled him with 16 German Suplexes and 2 F-5's to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Lesnar made Cena look like  This is clearly the start of the change of the guard as Cena became the transitional champion. Brock will now be the channel that the title passes through once Wrestlemania comes around.

 

Surprise of the Year: Brock Lesnar breaking the Streak

The Superdome in New Orleans was dead silent the night of April 6, 2014 at Wrestlemania XXX. There were many surprises this year, but this stands out because of the historical impact. Brock Lesnar did the unthinkable. He CONQUERED hallow ground, as he ended the Undertaker's Wrestlemania Streak. The Streak was the last larger than life, heroic spectacle that fans had to look forward to. The match itself was subpar, but the finish is what elevated it overall. When Brock hit the F-5 for the last time as the ref counted to three, the world stood still. The victory was earth shattering. This is not a lame cliché, but it is how things really were in the world of wrestling. This made headlines all over the globe. The Internet went insane. Brock Lesnar made history on the 30th Anniversary of Wrestlemania. Not only was it historic, but career redeeming for Lesnar as well.

Inspirational Wrestler of the Year: Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan without question was the biggest inspiration this past year. He had the watershed Wrestlemania Moment when he defeated Randy Orton and Batista in the Triple Threat Main Event of Wrestlemania to become WWE/World Heavyweight Champion. This moment was made even more special, because of how Bryan was excluded from the Royal Rumble. The WWE eventually gave in to the momentum of Bryan because of the demands of the fans.

Return of the Year: Ultimate Warrior's Return

This was something we as fans had all been waiting to see for 18 long years. When the Ultimate Warrior returned to WWE with his commercial for WWE 2k14, it was the moment where the seeds were planted for him to make his long awaited return. After years of bad blood against each other, Warrior and WWE finally made peace. WWE had made the pitch to him before in 2010 for him to return for WM 26 in Arizona (his hometown). However, Warrior refused, because of his displeasure for their Self-Destruction DVD. By the end of 2013, WWE promised Warrior that they would rewrite his story and tell it right. Warrior finally agreed. The events of Wrestlemania weekend were amazing. His Hall of Fame speech was tremendous as well as his journey to make peace with Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan and others. His last appearance on RAW was the perfect way to top off his momentous return. Even though he passed away the next day, Warrior made amends and WWE repaired the bridge that they burned.

 

Rookie of the Year: Rusev

There was no one better to win this award than Rusev. His momentum has been strong from his feud with America. Rusev's wave of heat was rewarded when he won the US Championship.

 

Heel of the Year/Most Improved: Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins did the unexpected as he turned his back on his comrades Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. The night after an epic match where they were victorious over Evolution, the Shield were destroyed. Rollins took a major step in his career by joining the Authority. Rollins was very consistent in his run as a heel in 2014. After winning MITB, Seth scored a number of noteworthy victories over the likes of Dean Ambrose as well as John Cena. Rollins elevated his heel status on the final RAW of 2014, when he forced John Cena to bring back the Authority by threatening to break Edge's neck permanently. Thankfully it never happened, but the torch was passed that night. Rollins has garnered comparisons to Edge, so it was only fitting for Seth to make his mark at the expense of his legendary predecessor.

Babyface/Most Popular Wrestler: Daniel Bryan
It speaks for itself.

 

 

Who's Next? Award (Breakout Show of the Year): NXT

This award is appropriately named after legend Bill Goldberg. This goes to the show that has had the biggest breakthrough impact. NXT wins this award, because of the moves that they have made this year with the acquisitions of Kevin Owens, Hideo Itami, and Finn Balor. Triple H deserves plenty of credit for the time that he has invested to make this product. NXT has fired on all cylinders as the place to be for you to get your pro wrestling fix without the bells and whistles from RAW and Smackdown. The show delivers when it comes to the pure quality and in-ring substance that the wrestling purists crave. The pinnacle of NXT came at NXT REvolution. This was the Wrestlemania of the show. From start to finish, the show was incredible. The show ended in great fashion with Sami Zayn defeating Adrian Neville to win the NXT Championship. Kevin Owens would go on to attack Zayn to make his heel turn. This is only a sign of things to come.

 

Breakout Star of the Year: Dean Ambrose

Since the breakup of the Shield, Dean Ambrose has found a way to make his presence known. Ambrose has been involved with the biggest feuds of this year. From the Shield vs The Wyatt Family, Shield vs Evolution to his feuds with Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt. Ambrose has been a great improviser with his incredible mic delivery. He main evented HIAC with Rollins and TLC with Bray. No matter what, Ambrose knows when to deliver no matter who he is with.

 

Interview of the Year: CM Punk on Colt Cabana's "Art of Wrestling" Podcast

There is no debate about this award. This was the biggest bombshell of the year away from the ring. After 10 months, CM Punk shattered the Internet with this ground shaking interview on his best friend's podcast. Punk aired his grievances and exposed the inconsistencies of WWE for the world to hear.

Feud of the Year: Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins
This was the premiere rivalry of the year and will be in the future. The seeds were planted when Seth Rollins betrayed The Shield causing the breakup. Immediately, Ambrose was on his path. Dean would hinder Seth's cash-ins every chance that he got. They had a trilogy of matches that were showstoppers (BattleGround, Summerslam, Night of Champions, Hell In A Cell). The natural chemistry between them made this feud even more intense and amazing.

 

Match of the Year: The Shield vs Evolution (Payback)
This match stole the show and the year in general. The match cemented The Shield as not only the best faction of their era, but one of the best factions ever. The match was phenomenal from start to finish, as both factions fired all of their guns at each other. This cemented an incredible run of dominance by The Shield. The match was Falls Count Anywhere, as they literally went everywhere in this battle. The action was simply electrifying (if I may use The Rock's line). Evolution showed that they could still go at a high level together, with their natural brutality with how they whipped Roman Reigns. The Shield rallied back as Ambrose and Rollins showed what kind of madmen they can truly be. All three members were dynamic as they swept Evolution by eliminating all three members. This was the ultimate pinnacle of The Shield's success as they took down three future Hall of Famers. Trips, RKO, and Batista have a combined 31 world championships between them. This was also the last night that both teams were together. Talk about ending with a bang.

 

PPV of the Year: Wrestlemania 30

The 30th Anniversary of the Greatest Event in Wrestling History. The Celebration of an Empire that has stood the test of time. When you look at marquee value, match quality, characters involved, and historical significance, nothing surpasses the pomp and circumstance of Wrestlemania. This show was a great way to commemorate such tremendous history. The show kicked off to a great start. Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, and The Rock all in one ring. That was the segment of the year. The three megastars that built Wrestlemania into what it is today. The stare down with Austin and the Hulkster was epic, as all three men celebrated. In the opening match, Daniel Bryan defeated Triple H to earn a spot in the Triple Threat Main Event. John Cena would defeat Bray Wyatt. Brock Lesnar would silence the wrestling world by Breaking Undertaker's Streak. In the main event, Daniel Bryan captured the WWE/WHC in a thrilling match. The night ended on a very high note.

 

Wrestler of the Year: Seth Rollins
When you come down to it, this is the most deserving choice. When you look at the variables, no one has been more consistent than Seth Rollins from bell to bell. Rollins has been the consummate workhorse and ring general. He has been the most successful heel as Mr. MITB. Seth was also part of the MOTY (Match of The Year: Shield vs Evolution), along with candidates such as Shield vs Wyatts and his match vs Dean Ambrose at Summerslam. He was in the Main Event of HIAC with his chief rival. Rollins emerged victorious in each match with Ambrose. He has also scored a huge victory over John Cena. No one expected Seth to be this great when The Shield disbanded. Greater things await him and his fellow comrades.

 

 

I hope that you enjoyed this presentation. I look forward to doing more of these in the future.