Seth Rollins: Redesign, Rebuild, Reclaim

Out of the many returns post WrestleMania, the return of Seth Rollins is the one that I have been the most excited about. Recently, WWE did their 24 Special on Seth's road to recover as it was appropriately named "Redesign, Rebuild, Reclaim". It was a behind the scenes look into Seth's journey to recovery. His peers from AJ Styles, Kevin Owens to Sami Zayn were all amazed at how exceptional Seth is as a performer. Styles mentioned the story of when he wrestled Rollins 10 years ago. At that time, he knew that Seth would be a big deal. Even though he is a heel, I felt bad not seeing him around for so long. Seth's injury was so severe that he obviously missed out on WrestleMania 32 in Dallas, TX (a record breaking crowd of 101,763). In the special, you can tell that it was eating away as Rollins himself let everyone know. It is sad for anyone who is a top star to lose their momentum with one bad injury. John Cena gave encouragement by saying that Seth will not have to worry about missing WrestleMania like that anymore. He said that Rollins  has many more WrestleManias ahead of him. Cena is right. The footage was tough to watch. Seth's motto is "Redesign, Rebuild, Reclaim". In a way, Seth also said it was needed so that he could regroup and appreciate what he already had. Rollins is on a mission to Redesign who he is as a performer. It is time for him to Rebuild that which was broken as he is out to Reclaim the WWE Championship that he did not lose by pinfall or submission. He was the Undisputed MVP last year. Not only was Seth "Superstar of the Year" but he was also the PWI "Wrestler of the Year" as well as "Most Hated Wrestler of the Year". This past week also marked two years since the Shield disbanded. In the aftermath, no one expected Seth to break out the way that he did.

As we quickly approach "Money In the Bank", let's look forward to finally having the chance to see Seth and Roman start the war we have been waiting for. I'm looking forward to big things from Rollins as I expect to see The Architect build something even greater than what he built over the past two years.

Reigns Retains; Rollins Returns

After defeating AJ Styles in yet another phenomenal match (no pun intended), Roman Reigns retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. In these two recent battles with Styles, Roman has proven that he has what it takes to dance in a high quality match by bringing his very best as AJ brought his best. Roman proved that he is no slouch despite what the IWC critics say, and that he has improved gradually as an in-ring performer. The match at Payback was very thrilling, even though they had to restart thanks to Shane and Stephanie. However, I would say that this match tops it just because it did not have those interruptions. Roman is truly an athletic stud in the ring, and he let it be known with what he pulled out of his arsenal. He even turned a Razor's Edge into a Sit-Out Powerbomb. This match was a straight-out war. The veteran AJ Styles did the Styles Clash not once but twice and Roman kicked out. I'm not surprised because that is how WWE likes to book someone that they have chosen to be the franchise star. That is why fans are tired of John Cena. Then again, if Roman gets criticized, look how many times Styles kicked out of Roman's signature moves. It's all about adding suspense to the match and telling a story and both of these men did that. The USO's and "The Club" would get involved, but "Super" Roman survived the onslaughts and won with a Spear. This was easily a candidate for "Match of the Year".

I am not the number 1 Roman Reigns fan, but I am willing to give him a chance. I see plenty of upside in him to make it as the Marquee Star that WWE desires him to be. After Roman emerges victorious, Seth Rollins surprises everyone by attacking Reigns from behind. Seth ends the night by giving him the Pedigree. Rollins would stand over his former Shield partner while holding the WWE Championship. The sight of Seth holding the title in the air was reminiscent of when he held the gold high at the end of WrestleMania 31. The fans cheered Seth for attacking Roman, even though Rollins is naturally a heel. Seth colored most of his hair black as he has gotten rid of the "Rogue" hairstyle with the streak in his head. Seth's injury was so severe that he was expected to be out for 9 months going into Summerslam. Instead, he returned in 6 months.

The next night on RAW, Shane McMahon set up the match between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Seth missed out on WrestleMania, which was a huge void for the overall match card in spite of the 101,763 fans in attendance that night. I believe that Mania STILL would have reached that number with Rollins healthy.

Either way, I believe WWE still had big plans for Seth going into the Summer. It seems as though Roman has moved on from this chapter with AJ Styles. The feud with Styles was beneficial in the sense that it challenged Roman to improve as an in-ring worker.

Now that this chapter with AJ Styles has come to an end, Roman can now transition to his primary rival, his former brother in The Shield. The match with Seth at Money In the Bank could be the launching pad for bigger matches down the line. This chapter with Rollins is what is "Best for Business" for both Roman and Seth.

My WrestleMania Experience

This past weekend, I had the pleasure and honor to be at WrestleMania 32 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. I am a lifelong fan of wrestling, WrestleMania has always been a special event that I treat like an unofficial holiday. WrestleMania is the Super Bowl of Wrestling, because it transcends pop culture. People that don't even watch wrestling or know anything else about wrestling know about WrestleMania. I became a fan shortly after the Golden Era phased out, and as the New Generation made its rise. My introduction to wrestling came through Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. The Attitude Era of Austin, Rock, etc is what cemented me as a fan even more because of how great the product was and the impact it made on the industry in the future. Those wrestlers were my foundation as a fan. Even as they have come and gone, I continued to support the product as my Dream was to always go to WrestleMania. I am also a Dallas Cowboys fan, so that was only the icing and cherry on top of my cake. Thankfully, I got both monkeys off of my back.

The Atmosphere in Dallas was spectacular, with so much to see and so much to do in a short amount of time. The Convention Center was filled with fans from all different circles. You had fans from nearby Dallas and other parts of Texas. You had fans like myself flying from Washington, DC, as well as other parts of the country. Of course, there were the International fans. This mixture of people coming together in one place, the Palace of Dallas (AT&T Stadium) to be a part of potential history. That weekend, I wore my Undertaker and Shawn Michaels T-shirts to represent the greatest stars in WrestleMania history. Plus, they are from Texas so it was only right. I also came with my Intercontinental Title. When you are at Mania, you have to do things big especially in Dallas. I came with my A+ Game. The only issue I had the day of Mania was the extremely long line to get into the building. It all paid off in the end. I was in the Standing Room Only Section in the West Plaza of the Stadium (Party Pass), so I had a great view. The Screen was right in front of me as I walked inside. My section was filled with people standing together, but I still had a nice view. It was on the same level as the Cowboys Pro Shop and WWE Shop at the Entrance. No bad seats anywhere.

However, things were starting to look bleak going into WrestleMania or as I like to call it Hospital Mania. WWE took a huge bite from the Injury bug as their most valuable names were out for the biggest show of the year: John Cena, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Sting, Daniel Bryan, etc. Dream matches were thrown out of the window, and WWE was desperate to make the most out of the mess that they helped to create. As a result, WWE produced a card that involved lower level players in mixed matches. For example, Zack Ryder and Sin Cara were put in a 7-man Ladder match for the IC Title with Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Stardust and The Miz. The Divas Pre-Show match was a 5-on-5 that featured the debuts of Lana and Eva Marie. All for the sake of giving everybody a Mania payday.

One of the other big issues for me was when The Dudley Boyz and the USO's were on the Pre-Show. I know New Day is the hot new flavor, but the USO's were reduced to a spot beneath the main card. I guess Roman must be the main Samoan they want to focus on. Apparently their cousin Dwayne (The Rock) did not push for them to be on the main card. I'm not sure if this is Vince's way of punishing the Dudleyz for being in TNA for so long. Either way, they made the most of this match.

WWE also had to improvise by placing Dean Ambrose in a match with Brock Lesnar. The biggest surprise was when Shane McMahon not only made his return, but he was placed in a match with The Undertaker. The storyline about Shane possibly taking over RAW if he won was the loophole that they needed to use to make up for Taker not having a match with Cena or Sting. Overall, Shane was far from my ideal opponent for Taker. Triple H vs Roman Reigns was another alternative since Roman did not have a Seth Rollins or John Cena to depend on for the ideal match. If the roster was healthy, the card would look totally different.

As far as the show itself, it was a spectacle in spite of the card. Surpisingly, Zack Ryder won the IC Title. I stood in disbelief wearing my Belt along with many other fans in the building. Other surprises included Chris Jericho's win over AJ Styles in a very good match (arguably their best). I was not upset about it. Charlotte defeated Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in the Triple Threat Match for the newly revealed Women's Title. I picked Sasha, but it was still a great match especially with Sasha paying tribute to Eddie Guerrero in her own way. She was also accompanied to the ring by her cousin, WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg (I know. I want to laugh too).

The League of Failed Nations defeated the New Day. Big E, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston dressed like the Ginyu Force from Dragon Ball Z. It is very appropriate because they are the wrestling equivalent of that group. After the match, the League of Nations issued an open challenge. Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it. They got a huge surprise with Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Texas sized surprises as they cleaned house and proceeded to dance with New Day before Austin gave Xavier Woods the Stone Cold Stunner.

Brock Lesnar defeated Dean Ambrose in their Hardcore Match. Whenever Dean reached for the toys that Mick Foley and Terry Funk gave him, Brock would stop him every time. Lesnar turned Dallas into Suplex City.

Shane vs Undertaker went without interference. Taker slowed the match down to his pace, since he was already moving slow to begin with. Shane got his share of offense in, but still was not lighting the match on fire. Taker gave him The Last Ride, Hell's Gate and a Chokeslam, but Shane did not give up. The highlight of the match was when Shane jumped off of the Cell for his Elbow Drop, but Undertaker quickly moved out of the way as McMahon crashed through the announce table like Mankind. Undertaker closed the match by picking up Shane and rolling him back into the ring for the Tombstone Piledriver for the victory. There was no surprise interference involved on Shane's behalf from John Cena, Sting, or even the Balor Club. It was a straight up match with Undertaker having the obvious advantage. As I have said before, the fans that picked Shane to win, congratulations the April Fools Joke is on you. The fans that screamed Shane O'Mac became silent. It was music to my ears.

Shaquille O'Neal made a surprise appearance in the Battle Royal. Baron Corbin won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

The Rock made the announcement that WrestleMania 32 broke the Attendance Record with 101,763. He was introduced with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. The Wyatt Family interrupted The People's Champ. The Great One turned this into a match and his surprise partner was John Cena himself. Rock and Cena destroyed the Wyatt Family.

Finally, Roman Reigns challenged Triple H in the Main Event for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Stephanie's introduction of The Game reminded me of the first Ghostbusters movie. The match was decent. The highlight of the match came when Roman accidentally speared Stephanie. Triple H went for the sledgehammer, but Reigns countered with a Spear to win the title. Hopefully, this sets things in motion to end the Authority storyline and clean up the giant mess that it has created.

The match card was not the best, but it was a dream that I wanted to realize at my favorite Stadium. No matter what things looked like, my goal was to go to WrestleMania in Dallas. Mission Accomplished.

I give the show 3 out of 5 John Cena WWE Title Reigns.

Cowboys Stadium: 5 out of 5 WWF Winged Eagle Title Reigns.

Royal Rumble 2016: All About The Game

As everyone knows, the Road to WrestleMania has been very bumpy to say the least. The Roster has recently been depleted with the losses of major players like John Cena, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Cesaro and Sting due to injuries. There are still questions about the WrestleMania Card itself. However, WWE found a way to call an audible while things have been breaking down around them heading into the Royal Rumble.

In the midst of their drought of talent, WWE signed NJPW Stars such as former TNA franchise player AJ Styles, Nakamura, Doc Gallows and Carl Anderson. The group was famously known as the Bullet Club in NJPW.

Another major twist for this year's Royal Rumble was that the title was on the line in the Rumble Match itself. This was the second time in WWE History where the title was on the line in the Royal Rumble. As we know, Ric Flair won the Vacated Title as the Rumble Winner in 1992. However, the difference between then and now is that the WWE Champion was involved in this year's Rumble.

This PPV exceeded expectations in many ways. Here is the breakdown.

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match (Last Man Standing): Dean Ambrose (c) def. Kevin Owens

The opening match of the night was for the IC Title. This could very well have been the match of the night outside of the Rumble itself. It was very intense and told a great story between two brutal rivals. Just when it looked dark, Dean Ambrose came through in the clutch. Kevin Owens set up 5 or 6 chairs in the ring to deliver his backward Splash on Ambrose. Dean pushed Kevin off the top rope and onto the tables set up outside. Ambrose retained the title as Owens did not answer the 10 Count.

WWE Tag Team Championship Match: New Day (c) def. The USO's

The New Day and the USO's are the teams that have carried the Tag Team Division from 2014-2015. On their way to the ring, the New Day introduced Francesca II since Chris Jericho killed the first trombone. The Orlando crowd gave New Day a nice reaction. Even though they were chanting "New Day Sucks", it sounded like there were many that were chanting "New Day Rocks". This goes to show how entertaining they are even as goofy heels. The USO's got next to no reaction from the crowd whatsoever.

In the end, the New Day squeaked out the win to remain champions.

WWE United States Championship Match: Kalisto def. Alberto Del Rio (c)

This match was a do-over from two weeks ago, when Kalisto defeated ADR for the title before it was hot-shotted back to Alberto. It was a decent match, but I am not a big fan of how WWE creates comparisons between Kalisto and Rey Mysterio. Kalisto is the Dollar Store version of Mysterio.


WWE Divas Championship Match: Charlotte (c) def. Becky Lynch

In typical Flair fashion, Charlotte used heel tricks and tactics to defeat Becky Lynch. This was a rather underwhelming Divas Title match because of how Charlotte did whatever she could to carry this match.

The real highlight came after the match when Sasha Banks made her return. Sasha kicked Becky out of the ring to confront Charlotte face to face. As Charlotte would make her exit, Sasha hit her with the Bank Statement and rolled her into the Crossface Submission. Expect this to be Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte for the Divas Title. With the Road to WrestleMania, hopefully this is their way of cleaning up the dirt of the Divas Revolution.

The Royal Rumble for the WWE Championship: Triple H wins the Rumble to become WWE Champion

• From the start, this Royal Rumble was strategically planned for Triple H and Roman Reigns to be the Central Figures. The Authority made Roman the first entrant into the Rumble to stack the deck. Rusev would be the next entrant. Things started off between them before the biggest surprise made his debut. TNA Cornerstone AJ Styles made his long awaited debut in the match to an ecstatic crowd at the Amway Center in Orlando, FL. I guess it was also natural because they were in Florida, home of TNA. I respect the way that WWE recognized him as AJ Styles instead of giving him a corny, generic name. AJ was able to keep his character original and the fans loved it. Styles was very impressive in his first Rumble ever. He remained in the match for more than 27 minutes to showcase his talent before being eliminated by Kevin Owens. This could be a sign of big things to come for Styles.

• Chris Jericho entered the Royal Rumble at number 5. I must honestly say that physically he has been letting himself go as of late. It felt like Jericho was in there for at least a day because he lasted for a very long time. Kofi Kingston avoided elimination as long as he possibly could like he always does in the Rumble. This time, he sat on the shoulders of Big E while drinking a fan's soda and eating popcorn. When it was time to get back in, Jericho was the one to eliminate him. It looks like the Y2J vs. New Day feud continues.

• Brock Lesnar came and dominated in true Beast form. He eliminated the Wyatt Family before standing face to face with Bray Wyatt. The rest of the Wyatt Family returned to eliminate Lesnar. This continues to set the stage for Brock Lesnar vs. Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania. 

• Midway through the Rumble, Roman was attacked by the League of Foreign Losers (I mean League of Nations) outside of the ring. The assault was completed with Rusev running from two or three announcers tables to do a big splash on Roman through another announcers table. 

• The comedy spot was R-Truth pulling out a ladder and placing it inside of the ring as if it were a ladder match. Silly comedy to say the least. 

• Sami Zayn made his long awaited return as an entrant of the Rumble. Zayn immediately set his sights on long-time rival Kevin Owens. Sami would eventually eliminate Kevin from the Rumble match. Clearly, there is still unfinished business between them. 

• Kevin's opponent from the first match was Dean Ambrose. Dean was very impressive in the Rumble as he came within an inch of winning the title. This was similar to when Roddy Piper was in the '92 Rumble as IC Champion. Things looked bright until the number 30 entrant joined the match:

• In the ultimate swerve, Triple H entered the Royal Rumble as the final entrant as Reigns was number 1. This goes to show how WWE made this entire Rumble revolve around Reigns vs. The Authority. Reigns returned in strong fashion as he knocked out Sheamus before wiping out the League of Nations. Roman would meet his end with an elimination from Triple H. 
• When it was Ambrose vs. Triple H, it was only a matter of time before the Game would win. 

Overall, I was satisfied with the Royal Rumble. The biggest surprise was the debut of AJ Styles and how impressive he was. Like many fans, I did not agree with Triple H winning, but it was "Best For Business". Considering the circumstances with the injuries to the major stars on the roster, Triple H is the only one that is truly capable of being the heel that could carry Roman Reigns and get him over with the fans. This is used to ultimately set up Roman's WrestleMania moment. Heading into WrestleMania, The Game is the best dance partner for Reigns, and it is time to take the ride. Remember, in the words of Mike Knoxxx (@MIKEKNOXXX) #WrestlingIsStoryline. This is simply for the purpose of strengthening a Storyline.

I give the Royal Rumble 4 WWF Winged Eagle Titles out of 5.

2015 Year End Awards (Wrestling)

Welcome to 2016. I hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays and kicked off the New Year strong. Now is the time to present my Awards for the previous year. This is a tradition that I started last year, and I would like to continue by once again recognizing the wrestlers that stood out the most. My criteria is still the same as before:

Consistency
Match Quality
Storyline Quality
Innovation
Rivalry Chemistry

Diva (s) of the Year: Nikki Bella/Sasha Banks
This may not be the most popular choice, but Nikki gets the award for Diva of the Year. However, this was not as convincing of a choice as Paige last year. Nikki's biggest claim to fame is the fact that she broke AJ Lee's record for longest Title reign as Diva's Champion. Of course, the biggest criticism of her is the fact that she was only the champion because of the following reasons:

1. AJ Lee retiring
2. Relationship with John Cena
3. Ratings for Total Divas

Nikki has improved very much in the ring compared to where she was before, but that is not saying much. She is still leagues behind female legends like Trish Stratus, Lita, Madusa, Sherri Martel, etc to contemporaries like Natalya, Paige, Sasha Banks and AJ herself. In the long term, I think Nikki will just be seen as a placeholder Champion with not much to offer. However, she was the most consistent due to her run as champion in a fledgling Divas Division and a failed "Divas Revolution". The standards have not been high for the Divas to begin with lately, and Nikki was pretty much all that they could offer from a Main Roster standpoint.

This award was tough, but I have to call it a tie as Sasha Banks was the female MVP for NXT. Sasha proved night in and night out that she was truly the Boss. Banks carried the NXT Women's Title with respect and her own personal swagger. The Boss knew how to bring it as NXT Women's Champion. The highlights of her time in NXT were here matches with the likes of Becky Lynch, Charlotte and Bayley. Their match at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn is considered by many to be the best Women's match ever, or at least in the Top 5 somewhere. Sasha won in epic fashion. This match put the "Divas" to shame as it was typical Wrestling 101 for Women. They followed that with the Ironman/Ironwoman Match at NXT Takeover Respect with Bayley winning in Sasha's NXT farewell. Both of these matches have become modern day classics as they add to Sasha's NXT legacy.


Tag Team of the Year: New Day

This was clearly the best choice hands down. Ever since the USO's stepped away due to injury, the New Day has carried the Tag Team Division. They are truly the ultimate entertainers on the Main Roster of WWE. Initially, this was looked at as a joke, but they struck gold with this gimmick. This has been a great vehicle for them to not only showcase how entertaining they really are, but it is a great boost to each of their careers. Their segments have been excellent, and they have been able to back up their words with their work in the ring. By nature, the New Day are heels but their comedic timing keeps the fans from truly hating them. Even though they chant "New Day Sucks", this team continues to prove that "New Day Rocks". The biggest feather in their hat has been their victory over the Legendary Dudley Boyz. Don't be sour.

Dominating Performance of the Year: Brock Lesnar destroys New Day at Beast in the East

What else needs to be said? Brock Lesnar doing what he does best. Arrive, Destroy, Leave, Repeat. WWE held their exclusive Network Event "Beast In the East" live in Japan on the 4th of July at 5 am. I did not wake up that early, but I caught the repeat. Brock Lesnar was the marquee attraction as he was heavily advertised in the promotional photos. Lesnar destroyed Kofi Kingston almost like King Kong Bundy destroying S.D. Jones at the first WrestleMania. after defeating Kingston in easy fashion, Lesnar wiped the ring with Big E and Xavier Woods as he left a trail of destruction in the ring.

Surprise of the Year: Seth Rollins cashing in at WrestleMania

Seth Rollins turned heads and created the much needed headlines for WrestleMania as he cashed in the MITB Briefcase to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Rollins ran in to cash in the Briefcase as he focused on Roman Reigns. Seth cashing in at Mania is what helped save an otherwise middle of the pack WrestleMania and making it a headline success. Even though Seth had the briefcase, nobody expected WWE to pull the trigger for him to cash in on the Grandest Stage of them all.

Inspirational Wrestler of the Year: John Cena
This may not seem like the popular vote among the IWC, but John Cena has been a huge inspiration just from this year alone. From the time that he reclaimed the US Championship from Rusev at WrestleMania, John has not disappointed. The way that Cena has elevated the value of the United States Championship while raising the bar for younger talent (ex: Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins). Cena's status as champion has done miracles for that title. In fact, one can make the case that this has been Cena's best year when it comes to in-ring work. From his series of matches with Rusev, Kevin Owens, Rollins and even Cesaro, John has stepped up to the plate from one match after another. John is an inspiration simply from the way that he rises above his lifetime critics in the IWC. If anything, Cena looks more like the good guy as the IWC looks more like villains.

Return of the Year: The Dudley Boyz

After a 10 year absence, the Dudley Boyz made their long awaited return the night after Summerslam to an electric crowd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was a natural homecoming not just from WWE, but from the New York crowd as well considering how legendary they are in that area as well as around the world. Bubba and D-Von did not waste time as they interrupted the New Day by giving them the 3-D Dudley Death Drop. The Dudleyz started their return run by feuding with New Day for the Tag Titles. They came up on the losing end, but they elevated the hottest Tag Team today. Anytime you are considered worthy of the Dudleyz attention, you have to be special.

Rookie of the Year: Kevin Owens

Without question, Kevin Owens has made the biggest impact from the NXT Class that is being called up to the Main Roster. Kevin is very impressive both in the ring and on the mic. Owens knows how to cut a great promo not only in WWE, but on Social Media (look at how he owns the trolls on Twitter). Even though he has spent many years on the Indy Scene (ROH), Kevin is still considered a rookie by the WWE standards. Owens made a giant splash of momentum from the time that he first arrived on the Main Roster to feud with none other than John Cena himself. Owens did not break under pressure. In fact, Kevin brought his game to another level as his trilogy with Cena has raised his stock within WWE. Kevin made waves when he defeated the legendary 15-time champion by pinning him cleanly (no interference). Even in his two losses to Cena, Owens still looked like a star ready for bigger things. The best thing about this is the fact that Kevin has not had to change what has made him a star. He has stuck to his guns, and the fans and executives have learned to respect him for that. Kevin Owens is a true original, and his performance against the franchise of this era has been outstanding. Even though he was robbed of the Slammy Award in favor of Neville (bad idea), Kevin Owens has proven that he is the true MVP of NXT.


Most Improved Wrestler of the Year: Roman Reigns

2015 has been a roller coaster year for Roman Reigns. It has been a tale of two cities. In the first half of the year, Reigns won the Royal Rumble in front of one of the most hostile wrestling cities ever (Philadelphia). From there, he was prematurely launched into the Main Event scene for WrestleMania. Clearly, the heat from the fans forced WWE to push the panic button for Seth Rollins to save the main event of Mania. I'm sure that WWE knew that Roman needed to make improvements, but they did their best early on to be as optimistic as possible when they put Reigns in that position. They were clearly in denial about what he seriously needed to improve on. Then, he goes into the feud with the Wyatt Family. That ultimately culminates in their HIAC match with Roman winning. In between that time, Reigns worked hard to make improvements and smooth out the edges to develop and become sharper. It has not been an easy process by any means, but it has paid off with him winning the title at the end of the year.

Babyface/Most Popular Wrestler of the Year: Cesaro

Ever since Vince McMahon said that he could not connect with the fans and could not grab the "Brass Ring" in his Interview on Stone Cold's Podcast, Cesaro has answered the challenge to prove his doubters wrong. Each time an opportunity comes, Cesaro has stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. After that "Brass Ring" statement, Cesaro's fans support has risen to a new level. Even Austin himself has gone to bat to defend him. This has been a turnaround for Cesaro after his identity was ripped apart once he won the Andre The Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX. We know how that story went. First, he turns heel. Next, his Big Swing is taken away. Then, he aligns with Paul Heyman only to be naturally overshadowed by Brock Lesnar himself. Then, he splits from Heyman only to go on a losing streak. When 2015 hit, Cesaro made a turnaround. He teamed with Tyson Kidd with Natalya as their manager. I call them the "Brass Ring Club". Together, they won the Tag Team Titles before Tyson got injured. Cesaro has provided great quality matches and has shown that he is capable of making the best out of whatever opponent he has been given to work with. Soon, he was given his Big Swing back by creative. Cesaro has proven to be a top notch performer. He is a remarkable athlete as a man his size has been able to do incredible things during his matches. As time goes on, Cesaro has continued to add new weapons to his arsenal. From the Sharpshooter to the Crossface and even a flying forearm. Whatever you need, Cesaro can deliver. From John Cena, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens to Big Show and Ryback. Cesaro has proven that he can bring the best out of himself and his opponent. His matches with Cena for the US Title have been some of the biggest highlights of RAW this year. They created masterpieces together. They were not only the best of Cesaro's career, but they can rank among the best of Cena's career as well. Cesaro's popularity has grown to the point where he has his own fan section in every arena that he goes to. Cesaro is a wrestling machine in every sense of the word. He is a throwback to the legendary technical wrestling that fans have been used to for years. His momentum was put on hold from an injury as this leaves him out for WrestleMania. This is one of the many huge blows that WWE has suffered going into the biggest show of them all. However, you cannot deny that Cesaro has made a great rebound compared to where he was a year before.

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

This was the most power packed event of an already loaded Summerslam weekend. Many can say that this was even better than Summerslam itself which says a lot. NXT Takeover took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn the night before Summerslam. The Main Event was Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor in a rematch for the NXT Title in a ladder match. Finn Balor defeats Owens to remain champion in a spectacular encore of their match in Japan. Other matches included Bayley vs. Sasha Banks for the NXT Women's Title, Japan legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs Tyler Breeze, and Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin. The show received widespread critical acclaim. It has received reviews from 8/10 to 9.5/10. This was by far the best NXT show of the year. You can even say that this was the best show of WWE overall this past year.

Breakout Star of the Year: Kevin Owens

Enough said.

Feud of the Year: Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker

This was a story of unfinished business from Brock Lesnar's groundbreaking victory over Undertaker at WrestleMania 30. Taker took a full year off to heal. He returned for a cup of coffee at WrestleMania 31 to show that he still has it. Fast forward to July. Brock Lesnar was on the verge of defeating Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship. Suddenly, the lights went out. As soon as they came back on, it was The Undertaker. Taker wasted no time in destroying Lesnar as he made the exclamation point using the Tombstone Piledriver. This was a highly intense feud, so much so that the entire locker room had to hold them back from each other. It was a clash of the titans. This would lead to their match at Summerslam, where Taker defeated Brock with "Hell's Gate". During the feud, Undertaker went a different route by constantly giving Brock a low blow. It has even become a punchline. The series would conclude with their vicious "Hell in a Cell" match with Brock getting the victory.

Match of the Year: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (Royal Rumble 2015)

This match was in fact a Showstopper. Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Championship in a great Triple Threat Match at the Royal Rumble to kick off 2015. He defeated John Cena and Seth Rollins. One thing that made this so special was that it was the polar opposite of the Royal Rumble match itself. People were worried about Brock as Champion because of his limited schedule. Cena was reinventing himself as a Workhorse, and Seth was still "Mr. Money In The Bank" as he was the Wildcard in this match. This did not disappoint at all. In fact, it went beyond expectations. Seth showed Lesnar, Cena and the WWE Universe that he could hang under pressure in the Prime Time Main Event spotlight. Rollins and Cena threw everything including the kitchen sink. This match further established Brock is a Superhuman mutant that can withstand multiple assaults and still come out as the conqueror. He went back to the well with the German Suplexes. Those are Cena's Kryptonite (watch Summerslam 2014). Seth's arsenal as a showstopping workhorse was on full display. He brought his A Game and took it to two of the all-time greats. The highlight of the match was when Seth gave Brock an Elbow Drop through the announce table. Rollins pulled out moves that were never seen in the Shield. Lesnar withstands everything as an overpowered monster and finishes things off with the F5 to remain WWE Champion.


PPV of the Year: WrestleMania 31

This WrestleMania came as an unexpected surprise. WWE did a great job of turning the corner when it comes to being too predictable. The highlight of this as I have said before was Seth Rollins becoming champion. Earlier in the show, Rollins lost to Randy Orton in a spectacular match. The highlight for me was when Orton countered the Curb Stomp with the RKO. Daniel Bryan won the Intercontinental Title in a great Ladder Match. Sadly, he could not hold onto it because of injuries. Triple H defeated Sting in the WCW Icon's debut match. It was still special even though Sting came out on the losing end. Undertaker returned to defeat Bray Wyatt to bounce back from his loss to Lesnar the year before. John Cena defeated Rusev to reclaim the United States Championship in honor of America. These were the things that made WrestleMania 31 a hidden gem in the history of Mania.

Wrestler of the Year: Seth Rollins

Once again, Seth Rollins has been the MVP of WWE. With his ups and downs, Seth has been the lightning rod for highlights and high-quality matches. Very few people have raised their game the way that Rollins has. Seth finished what he started in 2014 following the breakup of the Shield. He won MITB, had the top feud with Dean Ambrose and was without a doubt the top heel and most improved of the three. 2015 was the completion. Rollins cashed in his MITB Briefcase at the most opportune time at WrestleMania to become the new WWE Champion. Rollins defeated each challenger that came his way, big or small. He defeated Shield members Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns along with future HOF'er Randy Orton in a Fatal Four Way match. He retained the title against Brock Lesnar at Battleground (thanks to Undertaker). Rollins defeated another future HOF'er and modern day legend in John Cena at Summerslam to become the WWE Champion and US Champion. At Night of Champions, he defeated WCW Icon Sting. Rollins is a hybrid of Edge and HBK and their influence continues to shine in his performances. Other than Cena, nobody has been as consistent as Seth Rollins. He has been consistent, has great match quality, innovation and chemistry in the ring. When you add everything together, Seth Rollins was the Wrestler of the Year without question.

2015: Year of the Shield

When you think of 2014-2015, the most frequent players in WWE have been the rising stars of the Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose). Throughout their tenure, these three have made a huge impact in their own way. As the Shield, they were a dominant force to be reckoned with. They left a trail of destruction. From John Cena, The Rock, Undertaker, etc, the Shield spared no one. The Shield won every title except for the WWE Title and the IC Title. Even when the group split, they were still highly featured in storylines. As we know, Roman was the muscle of the group. Ambrose was the voice. Rollins was the workhorse.

Fast forward to 2015, each star has made their own separate mark as singles competitors. With the exception of John Cena, Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar, the former Shield members have been the biggest standouts from start to finish. Now, time to take a look at their journeys through the year.

Roman Reigns:

Roman Reigns has been a central figure for the WWE throughout the year. From the time that he won the Royal Rumble, Roman has been under the microscope of the Wrestling Community. Like him or hate him, Reigns has been a talking point. Reigns went from being prematurely positioned as The Rock/John Cena 2.0 by being in the Main Event of WM 31 to enduring a roller coaster ride to the top of the mountain. Fans in Philadelphia booed Roman out of the building when he won the Royal Rumble. Even when The Rock raised his hand, the fans still were not happy because they looked at Roman's journey as too predictable. The fans all across the IWC could clearly see Vince's plans for him to be the face of the company and they rebelled. The backlash against Roman was among the most intense that I ever witnessed for anyone besides John Cena. They felt that WWE was forcing Roman to become a megastar when in their eyes he was not their ideal choice (ex: Daniel Bryan). Like the year before with Batista, the fans were dissatisfied because WWE did not let their Internet Hero Daniel Bryan win the Rumble. Fans even threatened to cancel their Network Subscriptions (how many REALLY did it?). To make matters even worse, Reigns defeated Bryan at Fastlane to keep his spot as number 1 contender for WrestleMania. People that were anti-Roman were only supporting him because they did not want to see Brock Lesnar hold the title any longer. As a result of the heat from the fans, WWE pulled the plug on crowning Roman as WWE Champion. Instead, they pulled the trigger for Seth Rollins to cash in his Money In The Bank Briefcase as he pinned former Shield colleague Roman Reigns to win the WWE Championship. After the carpet was pulled from under his feet at WrestleMania, Reigns participated in the MITB Ladder Match. Instead, Bray Wyatt cost him the match as Sheamus won the Briefcase. During this time, Roman was severely scrutinized by the IWC for his lack of mic skills. They continued to make fun of him and count him out because they thought he was too green. Fans thought he was more style than substance and heavily compared him to Cena. After losing his shot to be the number 1 contender, Roman went into a feud with Bray Wyatt that reached its culmination at Hell In A Cell as Reigns conquered his enemy. Along the way, Roman worked hard to improve himself in the ring as he delivered better quality matches compared to where he was after the Shield split. Many fans still were not satisfied. When Rollins was sidelined due to injury, people started to put their stock in another Ring Of Honor Alum, Kevin Owens. The Roman hate was so out of control that fans cheered when Sheamus cashed in his MITB Briefcase at Survivor Series to defeat him for the Title. I can understand someone supporting a Kevin Owens, but Sheamus?! That is ridiculous. People were so bent on hating everything about Roman that they picked someone who is basically a caricature as WWE Champion. Clearly, Sheamus was not the answer as WWE went back to the drawing board with Reigns. The night after TLC, Roman Reigns wrestled Sheamus in Philadelphia. Vince McMahon booked the match with the stipulation of Reigns being fired if he did not win. So, it was meant for him to win that night. After multiple times of being close and falling short, Roman finally reached the mountain and stayed there. That night, Reigns defeated Sheamus to recapture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Roman won the title in the same building where the fans booed him at the Royal Rumble 11 months earlier. Roman's journey came full circle from winning the Rumble in January to winning the Title in December in the exact same arena. Instead of boos, Roman was greeted with cheers from the crowd. Roman's friend Dean Ambrose and his cousins The USO's came to the ring to celebrate with him. Not to sound like a cliche, but it was great to see this journey reach a happy ending at the end of the year. Losing at WrestleMania turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Reigns, because it gave him time to make adjustments to improve. The WWE probably wanted to test Roman to see how he could handle adversity and he has clearly passed this test. 2015 ends with the rise of the Roman Empire.

Seth Rollins:

The Self-Proclaimed "Architect" of the Shield has enjoyed a banner year as he has built upon his success from last year following the Shield's breakup. Seth entered the year as the MITB Winner with the opportunity to cash in at any event. He was involved in the Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble involving Brock Lesnar and John Cena. In that match, Seth brought everything he had to the table and put everyone on notice about his abilities. Even in a loss, he showed how effective he can be in the Main Event. However, Rollins was caught in a controversy earlier in the year when he was caught in a Twitter Scandal. Seth's girlfriend leaked out nude pictures of him on Twitter. He became the Social Media Punchline all around the world. It looked as if the biggest push of Seth's career would be derailed because of this controversy because of how ignorant this mistake was. However, Vince McMahon, Triple H and the higher ups still stuck with their plan of keeping Rollins in their back pocket as future Champion. If this happened to anyone else, their career could be over. Not in the case of Rollins because WWE did not issue any punishment towards him. Instead, Seth apologized on Twitter. Even though Seth was not punished, this was a lesson for him to "Keep his Money In the Bank". Fast forward to WrestleMania. WWE is in panic mode from the outrage of the fans towards Roman Reigns. At the last minute, they push the Panic button by sending Rollins to the WWE Title Match to cash in his Briefcase. Seth delivers the Curb Stomp to Roman as he pins him to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. It was a crowning moment and a form of redemption for Rollins as he closed the show holding the WWE Crown above his head. It created the spark that WrestleMania needed to create headlines for their main event. WrestleMania is all about the unexpected and this was the right moment. Rollins would fight off challengers from Dean Ambrose to Randy Orton. However, the big issue that faced Seth was how he was made to look weaker with J & J Security and Kane bailing him out. It made him look like he could not win any of his battles on his own. It felt like WWE was going to have them by his side forever to cover him. Rollins always had the ability, but the booking was weak. To make things worse, WWE banned the Curb Stomp. Instead, he had to use the Pedigree. Seth was becoming one of the heel champions that was made to look weak instead of looking strong while cheating. (Ric Flair, Edge, etc) Things changed when Brock Lesnar stepped into the picture and destroyed J&J Security and Kane. Seth proceeded to turn on Kane going into his title defense with Brock at Battleground. Once the chains came off and Rollins was on his own, his matches could be more respected. Seth's match with Brock ended in No Contest as Undertaker returned. Seth's next opponent was John Cena. Rollins had a fantastic match with Cena at Summerslam as he defeated him for the US Championship, making him the WWE World Champion and US Champion. Seth's reign as US Champion was short lived as Cena defeated him at Night Of Champions to win back the title. On the other hand, Rollins defeated Sting that same night to keep the WWE Title. Rollins would defeat Kane at Hell In A Cell to remain Champion. At this rate, it seemed as if he could have broken CM Punk's record of 434 Days as WWE Champion (I was supporting him). Unfortunately, Seth's reign came to an end thanks to an injury at a House Show during a match with Kane. Rollins spent 221 Days as WWE Champion. Nonetheless, Seth enjoyed an outstanding year. For much of the year, Seth was World Champion and dominated the Main Event Storylines. He proved that he could perform an outstanding match even in the midst of poor storylines and booking in between. When J&J Security were taken away, Rollins was able to shine brighter and carry himself better as Champion.

Dean Ambrose:

Dean Ambrose has been on quite a roller coaster in 2015. Early in the year, Ambrose was in the chase for the Intercontinental Title. The booking was awful (as usual lately) with multiple wrestlers stealing the title from R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler, Bad News Barrett to Ambrose himself. This was to set up for the IC Title Ladder Match at WrestleMania 31. Daniel Bryan ultimately won the title, but would forfeit due to injury. Dean would then set his sights on John Cena's US Title as he entered the Open Challenge. From the time that the Shield split, Dean could not win a Pay Per View Match. Finally, he defeated Luke Harper at Extreme Rules. Dean would then have a great match with former Shield member Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber. Ambrose nearly had the match won, but Rollins got himself disqualified for shoving the referee. At Payback, Ambrose wrestled in a Fatal Four Way Match for the WWE Championship that included Seth Rollins (Champion), Randy Orton and Roman Reigns. Dean would soon team with Roman Reigns to feud with the revamped version of the Wyatt Family (w/Braun Stroman). At Night of Champions, Dean and Roman added Chris Jericho as their mystery partner. However, they would lose to the Wyatt Family. When Seth Rollins vacated the WWE Title due to injury, Dean joined the Survivor Series tournament for the vacated title. Ambrose would lose to Roman Reigns in the finals. Ambrose recently became the number one contender for the IC Title as he feuded with Kevin Owens. At TLC, Ambrose defeated Owens to become the new Intercontinental Champion. 

In August 2014, WWE Network aired a special about each of the Shield members on the start of their singles journey since they disbanded. This would lead up to Summerslam. Their was also a DVD called "The Destruction of the Shield". Dean Ambrose himself said that they would own this business. So far, you can say that they have owned 2015. Collectively, they have dominated. On their own, they are on their journey to greatness. I have always been a fan of the Shield, and I would like to see them do great things on their own. 

Night Of Champions Review

Last night, WWE held their annual Night Of Champions PPV at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Every championship was on the line. The show had its share of historic moments along with its share of bizarre moments as well as returns. This was the very first time that Sting ever competed for the WWE Championship, as he was a mainstay around the WCW World Title.

Here are the matches that took place:

Neville & The Lucha Dragons vs Cosmic Wasteland
Winners: Cosmic Wasteland

This was the only Pre-Show match that was advertised for the show. Fairly decent opener to kick things off as Stardust picks up the win for his team with his finisher "Queen's Crossbow". Maybe he still has a score to settle with Stephen Amell (Arrow). I am guessing that this is why he gives his move that name. Neville and the Lucha Dragons got their high spots and excitement in during the match, but the Ascension get the "W" thanks to their leader Stardust. This was my prediction and I was on point.

Kevin Owens vs Ryback (Intercontinental Title Match)
Winner: Kevin Owens

The first title match of the night is for the IC Title as Ryback defends against Kevin Owens. It felt as though Ryback was not going very far as IC Champion. He has not been someone that I can look at fondly in the history of that Title. Instead of doubling down and keeping him as Champion, WWE decides to change the guard by having Owens win the title. I am not like those fans that accuse Owens of getting buried by Cena because I already knew that he could not get much higher than that. However, this feud with Ryback has not done many favors for him. Kevin had enough momentum going into this match to become the champion.

Certainly, it was one of Ryback's better matches, which is not saying much. Owens was the ring general for this match. Ryback relied more on his power and brute strength, as Kevin worked more technically by wearing down the arm. This created a more diverse element so that it would not be just a power vs power match. Owens found a way to escape from both of Ryback's Shellshock finishers. When Ryback went for the second Shellshock, Kevin raked the eyes and rolled him up for the win. I am not holding my breath, but I am hoping Kevin brings a certain level of value to that belt. It has gone through its share of an identity crisis. I was right on another prediction: 2-0.

During the break, it was announced that Brock Lesnar would fight the Undertaker inside of Hell In A Cell.

Dolph Ziggler vs Rusev
Winner: Dolph Ziggler

I did not care about this match, so I did not care to make a prediction. This has to win the award for Worst Storyline of the Year. The only good thing about this match was that there was a winner. The downside is how ridiculous the overall story is. It was already from the start with Lana joining Ziggler's side as Summer Rae was sadly dragged into the equation. Now, Lana has been sidelined from an injury that came from her training. Now Ziggler is playing weird games with Summer and it has just gone from stupid to terrible.

This definitely deserves a Razzie for how horrible it is. Dolph tapped into his inner Rick Rude with his ring attire last night. A very poor version of Ravishing Rick, I might add. The only highlight of the match was Summer Rae throwing her heel into the ring as she distracted Rusev so that Dolph could pick up the win. I can't talk about this anymore. Moving on.

New Day vs. The Dudley Boyz (WWE Tag Team Title Match)

Winners: Dudley Boyz (By DQ)

I think WWE was caught between a rock and a hard place. On one side, many people including myself wanted to see the Dudleyz make history by winning their 10th WWE Tag Team Titles. They were featured in the montage before the match about the history of the Tag Titles. 

On the other hand, the New Day is the Most Popular Tag Team in the current state of a division that has seen better days. With the USO's out of action, New Day is all WWE has to really build on. With that said, people did not want to see them lose the titles. 

New Day took center stage with their typical antics as Xavier Woods played the trombone with his Rufio from Hook hairstyle. Woods played the Rocky theme with his trombone too. Overall, it was a very good tag team match, as it was a clash between a comedy team and a team of legends that play no games. Xavier played the trombone through much of the match and even broke up a Dudleyz pin following a 3D. 

New Day turned the tables (pun intended) when they ripped a page from the Dudley Boyz book by calling for the tables. The plan backfired as Woods went to Dudleyville as Bubba and D-Von gave him the 3D through the table. 

This storyline naturally elevates the New Day in a way that they would have never been elevated. It says something about them because WWE clearly sees them as a team worthy of the Dudley's attention. The Dudley Boyz must see something special in them as well. 

I predicted the Dudleyz to win, but not this way. 

Nikki Bella vs Charlotte (WWE Divas Championship)

Winner: Charlotte

Next to the Double Main Event (Rollins vs Cena/Rollins vs Sting) I was looking forward to this match because I could not wait to see Nikki Bellas title reign come to a crashing end. It would have been nice to see Charlotte win the gold on Monday Night Raw, but I also understood the reason why she did not win that night. It was all for the purpose of the bigger picture, which was Night Of Champions. I am a student of Wrestling Booking 101. This Divas Revolution was ultimately about taking Nikki out of the picture by having her lose the belt. 

On RAW, Stephanie McMahon made it clear that no shenanigans from Team Bella were allowed. So the writing was on the wall. In the midst of the rumors flying around that Charlotte was supposed to win the belt sooner, I still figured that Nikki would hold it long enough to break AJ Lee's Record. WWE stuck to that plan, and it paid off with Charlotte dethroning Nikki Cena. 

In the opening montage for this title, they showed women like Fabulous Moolah, Trish Stratus, and others. It made you think about how far the Women's Division has fallen from the days where those legendary females ruled the ring. 

This was a match where Charlotte was the underdog with little offense. The story that she told was that she would build a comeback after twisting her ankle. Nikki worked on the leg through much of the match until the door was open for her to get distracted. The match was not really Charlotte's best because we know that she could run circles around Nikki in the ring with her eyes closed. 

In the end, Charlotte finished her off with the Spear and Figure Eight Leg Lock. Now, we can finally move on. 

The Shield w/Mystery Partner (Chris Jericho) vs Wyatt Family (w/Braun Strowman)

Winners: Wyatt Family

We move on to the next match. The Brothers Shield has been in desperate need of a new partner. There have been several names thrown out as potential choices. From The Rock, Randy Orton, Cesaro and even Erick Rowan. 

Even Edge gave a clue about Cesaro being the mystery partner on Twitter. For a week after week, The Wyatts have destroyed Reigns and Ambrose with the new Black Sheep Braun Strowman. No matter what they have tried, Roman and Dean have failed each time. 

The mystery partner was finally revealed to be none other than Chris Jericho!! A spoiler revealed that he was going to be at Night Of Champions, but it never revealed what role he was going to play. Jericho is all about mysteries and surprises. 

After all, he is one of the greatest trolls in wrestling history. I joked about Chris Jericho being the mystery partner. I just happened to be right in a non-intentional way. Ambrose, Reigns, and Jericho put up a good fight, but the Wyatts were too physically imposing for them as Braun caused Y2J to submit. After the match, Jericho bumped Dean and Roman on purpose. This could plant the seeds for a Jericho heel turn. 

Seth Rollins vs. John Cena (US Championship Match)

Winner: John Cena

Here is the first part of the Double Main Event. Seth Rollins finds himself defending both of his titles against two of the all-time greats in the history of wrestling. Cena invoked his rematch clause for the US Title after Rollins defeated him at Summerslam thanks to Jon Stewart. 

In the opening montage, they show the previous United States Champions from Harley Race, to hometown legend Booker T, to another Texas legend Eddie Guerrero. During the match, the Eddie chants were heavy. 

Seth was the first wrestler to hold both the US and WWE/WHC at the same time. Rollins and Cena tore the house down again at Night Of Champions just as they did at Summerslam. John shows once again how he rises to the occasion on the Big Stage and Seth proves himself even more as to why he is the best In-Ring Performer of the Current WWE Roster. 

This was another spectacular match in both of their libraries. In the end, Cena regains the US Title making him a 5-time US Champion. 

Seth Rollins vs. Sting (WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match)

Winner: Seth Rollins

Seth goes into the second half of his Double Duty when he defends the title against Sting. Before the match, Seth tries to escape with the US Title. John Cena meets him at the ramp to give him the Attitude Adjustment. Rollins goes back into the ring before Sting's music finally hits. 

This night was rather historic for Sting since this is his first match for the WWE Title. WWE presented Sting with a title shot as a token of appreciation for his lifetime work. This could have been a tribute for his years of service as a legend in another promotion. Then again, it was Sting's choice to stick in TNA for so long. Nobody forced him to stay there. 

WWE has promoted Sting as the Icon. However, his debut did not come off on a high note. At WrestleMania 31, the WCW Franchise lost to Triple H making him 0-1 in WWE. People have been critical of Sting receiving a title shot after losing his first match. Sting gave Rollins all that he had, and Seth proved himself to a legend of wrestling as well as to the fans. Rollins brought nothing less than his A game against Sting. 

Going into this show, I predicted that the match with Cena would be a better quality match and I was right. This match was not bad because Sting did what he could at his age (56). On the other hand, Sting did take some heavy risks for a man in his mid 50's. Sting took a serious fall through the announce table. He locked in the Scorpion Deathlock before Seth broke free from the hold.

Rollins Powerbombed Sting into the corner. Sting suffered severe injuries but kept fighting before Seth finished off the match to retain his WWE Title. 

Following the match, Sheamus ran into cash in his MITB Briefcase before Kane returned. The Big Red Monster Chokeslammed both Rollins and Sheamus. Kane finished off Seth with a Tombstone Piledriver. This was a mirror image of what the Undertaker did to Brock Lesnar at BattleGround. 

Overall, I give this Show a 7/10. As far as a Belt Rating, I give it 3 out of 5 United States Title Belts. 

WWE 2k16 goes 3:16

This week of wrestling started off with the bang as WWE Shattered The Glass across the Wrestling Community by revealing Stone Cold Steve Austin as their Cover Star for WWE 2K16. With WrestleMania 32 in Dallas, TX (Austin's home state), WWE is pulling out everything at their disposal to create enormous buzz for a WrestleMania filled with historical potential. As we know, Vince McMahon & Co have been on a mission and media frenzy to break the WrestleMania III Attendance Record of 93,173 from the Silverdome. Along with Undertaker, Stone Cold is seen as the man that could be the Ambassador for next year's Mania in the Lone Star State. Lately, Austin has been creating his own waves across the wrestling world with his recent Podcast with Paul Heyman. He went from the mild-mannered, working man Steve Austin back to Stone Cold within a moment once Heyman threw out the idea of wrestling Brock Lesnar at WM 32. Austin's reaction to a match with Lesnar went viral. 2016 could be a very big year for Austin with a possible match at WM in front of the largest crowd in WWE History and being the cover star for the next game. It came as quite a surprise by many that the Biggest Star of the Attitude Era made the cover of the latest game. Austin was the Central Figure for WWE '13 because of the Attitude Era Mode. If you pre-ordered the game, you received the Limited Edition version of WWE 13 that included exclusive Stone Cold content from posters, shirts, and even a DVD. With this game, there could possibly be a 3:16 Mode similar to "Path of the Warrior" from WWE 2K15 where you take a journey through the Career of The Ultimate Warrior.

On the flip side, there are people within the IWC (Internet Wrestling Community) who have an issue with Stone Cold being on the cover of the latest WWE 2k Video Game that will be released this Fall. They look at this as part of the WWE pattern of sticking with familiar names (legends/veterans) to promote their product. Ever since WWE moved away from the Smackdown vs. RAW Era, the Superstars that have been the biggest promoters of their games have been established stars. Fans will quickly grow tired of someone that is familiar.

WWE 12: Randy Orton (The Rock was DLC)
WWE 13: CM Punk (Austin 3:16 Limited Edition, plus The Attitude Era Mode)
WWE 2k14: The Rock (30 Years of WrestleMania Mode)
WWE 2k15: John Cena
WWE 2k16: Stone Cold Steve Austin

I am sure that you have noticed a pattern with the latest WWE Video Games. They have been promoted by the nostalgia for the most part. Even with CM Punk as the Cover Star for WWE '13, I will still say that Stone Cold was the biggest reason why I purchased the game. The Attitude Era Story Mode was the strongest marketing tool for the game, even though Punk was gaining incredible momentum during the summer on his way to becoming Champion. Randy Orton and John Cena are the names that make the IWC cringe because of how much of the spotlight that they receive. 2k14 was completely about nostalgia, because The Rock was on the cover as they also featured the 30 Years of WrestleMania Story Mode to celebrate the History of WrestleMania. The Ultimate Warrior also played a major part in promoting the game. Another reason why The Rock was on the game was because he became the WWE Champion earlier that year. Even though The Rock gets criticism for his part-time status, he still did great business during his return. He deserved it. Now, Stone Cold is the latest legendary star to promote the game.

When you look at the current WWE Roster of Main Event Talent (Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt), those are generally the names that come to mind for today's fans. However, I think that people would still find something to complain about with either one of them. I also believe that each of those names have their share of flaws when it comes to being the face of a product.

Roman Reigns: Everyone knows about Roman's flaws on the mic and the way that he has been booked. The Internet has grown tired of him. Fans killed WWE for booking Roman to win the Royal Rumble as he was showered with boos. WWE went through a PR Nightmare heading into WrestleMania 31 because the fans threw dirt at them for making it too predictable for Reigns to defeat Lesnar. That is why they went with an alternative by sending Seth Rollins out to cash in the MITB Briefcase to win the WWE Title. I believe that WWE has learned from that mistake, and they don't want to repeat the backlash they created by putting Reigns on the cover.

Seth Rollins: Seth may be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but I don't see him as doing enough to warrant the cover of the game. Even though he is a heel champion, I think his credibility as a great heel has been hurt by having the Midget Squad help him win his matches for the most part. Rollins as Champion is not enough to draw the numbers they are looking for to promote this game. I think WWE recognizes that which is why he was not chosen to make the cover.

Dean Ambrose: Since the Shield went their separate ways, Dean has lost every PPV match that he has been involved in. The closest that Ambrose got to win the "Big One" was at Elimination Chamber. However, the decision was reversed since he won via Disqualification. Seth kept the title. While Dean may be very popular, his losing streak does not help his case for being on the cover.

Bray Wyatt: Wyatt has been promoted as the "New Face of Fear". However, no one is really afraid of him since he has lost so much steam in the eyes of the wrestling community. After losses to John Cena and Undertaker, Bray is generally seen as someone that cannot be taken very seriously. He is booked as someone who does not back up what they say. As a result, Wyatt is disqualified.

The only other star that I could see making the cover would be Brock Lesnar. Lesnar is a Box Office Attraction in his own way, even on a part-time schedule. He is the only wrestler that I see right now that makes the best case next to Austin. NXT is also on fire, but they do not cater enough to casual fans that are not familiar with their work outside of WWE.

Right after this news went viral, Austin got involved in some heat with Roddy Piper in regards to their Podcasts on Podcast One. Piper claimed that Austin got him fired from PodCast One after an episode where he had former Mad TV Star Will Sasso as his guest. Sasso did an impression of Stone Cold, as both he and Roddy went into some very personal information that Austin did not want to be shared over the Internet. Steve addressed Roddy's claims with facts and denied that he got Piper fired. Following this controversy, WWE fired Piper from their Legends Deal. Vince McMahon will always find value and dollars behind Stone Cold Steve Austin, and he has to protect one of his most valuable stars. Vince could not afford to have Austin's name involved with any kind of controversy while promoting the release of this game along with the promotion of the biggest WrestleMania of this generation.

Overall, Stone Cold Steve Austin is still a strong commodity in the world of marketing as I have no problem with him marketing the latest WWE 2k Video Game. WWE has been on a crusade to promote the Attitude Era as of late. They are just responding to the requests of a legion of fans who have been crying for it and now they have what they wished for. There could be a possible Monday Night Wars Mode where you could relive the events of the greatest War in Wrestling History. And That's The Bottom Line 'Cause Stone Cold Said So!