Money in the Bank 2014 Review

Well I haven't watched a lot of WWE television lately but I never miss the Pay Per Views (hereby referred to as PPVs) and Money in the Bank (hereby referred to as MITB) is usually one of my favorite shows of the year. As we started out the year with one of the most disappointing events in recent years, they slowly got better until Extreme Rules (another favorite of mine that disappointing) and I was holding on to hope that MITB (see like I said before) would change the whole game. There was a lot riding on this PPV (see that's what I meant) with Daniel Bryan having to forfeit the titles and there also being a suitcase match. This was the night for WWE to push some new amazing talent. Unfortunately we got exactly what we didn't want. John Cena is a 15 time champion and Rollins holds the MITB case, which that second part isn't a bad thing.

So Rollins holds MITB which is nice but honestly I was pulling for Ambrose just for an upset. The first ladder match was the highlight of the whole show, which is disappointing considering there was an even bigger ladder match where a new champ would be crowned. MITB opened strong and lead me to believe to could be a great show. The tag team title match was pretty good with some decent spots for both the Usos' and The Wyatt Family. I was happy to see the Uso brothers retain. I think they have a lot going for them and haven't had many chances to show it yet but with their role in Payback where they really shined by taking some massive bumps, and now beating the Wyatts is a step in the right direction for them. I know they will eventually drop the titles but I hope they out on a good show in the process. Well the tag match was one of my favorites and next we had the first Diva match. Now I heard a lot of people complain, "Two Diva matches?!" But you know what, the first one was good. Paige and Naomi are both great workers who can wrestle very well. The second diva match actually was a waste of time, not that they can't wrestle, it was just bad booking. Just like the Adam Rose match. Or his entire character since coming to Raw. Adam Rose could be a fun gimmick, and maybe they should find something else for him to do besides wrestle for a while, especially against Damian Sandow who is just getting embarrassed every night for no reason. Did we all forget that Dandow was the same guy who cashed in last year's MITB case and had an amazing match with Cena? Here we are a year later and he's Paul Revere battling a dancing Brit. Sad indeed.

Now the WWE often adds unannounced matches to the PPV card but the Rhodes brothers vs Rybaxel was just a clumsy match. We all know that Cody and Goldust can work great together but everyone just seemed off here. No spots stodd out, the chemistry was off, and the finish was just flat. The crowd was silent almost the entire match and the whole thing felt boring. While Cody and Goldust had an amazing run as tag team champions I'd hate to see them fall to the wayside and I know Rybaxel could become great performers but they are still pretty green, mostly on the end of Curtis Axel. He has potential, he just hasn't found it yet. And am I the only one tired of watching Rusev or what? This felt like the hundredth time we've watched him beat Big E and none of these matches have made an impact on me at all. Rusev just feels like a dud. I'd rather see him go back to NXT until they really find out what to do with him.

The show stealer was the first MITB ladder match with some amazing numbs taken by Rollins. Honestly this guy went through hell in this match and I think the intent was "If we are going to give him the case he has to take the pain along with it and that will make the grab that much more spectacular" but it was ruined by having Kane interfere with the match. Kane's recent role has been questionable at best and while I get what they are going for with Kane as an unstoppable monster with. Shakes alliance, but it really isn't doing anything for me. Is feud with Daniel Bryan was understandably cut short but they should have just immediately found him a feud with someone else and maybe kept him off TV until there was a new champion. Or maybe even turn him into a face and have him attack Triple H for not being given the title stripped from Bryan. Regardless him interfering in the match was a bad move and interfered with what could have been a big moment for Rollins. I would have liked to have seen Ambrose grab the case in an upset but then the upcoming feud with Rollins probably wouldn't be as great as it hopefully will be. I'll also add that Kofi had the most convincing false finish by very convincingly almost grabbing the case. For a second I thought he might be the surprise winner. Bravo Kofi. Bravo.

And so we have a second ladder match where (shocker) John Cena becomes a 15 time world champion. Let's face it, facts are facts and despite everyone claiming that Daniel Bryan or (formerly) Cm Punk are more popular, John Cena sells the most merchandise and brings in the most money. When they need to fill a championship role he's their go to guy. Now I don't have a problem with Cena. He's a fine wrestler. We've just all seen it before. Its time for someone new to take the reigns (cough cough, hint hint!) now Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns were definitely the fan favorites to win, but honestly I don't think these guys have seen enough singles action to warrant a title run just yet. While Reigns and Wyatt are guaranteed future world champions, they should still have to earn a little more prestige. There's rumors going around that Wrestlemania 31 will have Reigns going over on Brock Lesnar (the one in the 21 and one) for the title which would be PERFECT. Imagine having a year to build up Reigns and then he beats the one who beat the streak. He could be the Rock of our generation, but first he was in a ladder match that was good but overshadowed by a previous, better ladder match. 

Overall MITB was kind of weak. This felt more like a set up for Battleground than it did a career changing PPV like it has the potential to be. While there were a couple solid matches, the PPV as a whole was rather disappointing. Hopefully with the set up from this show, we will lead into an amazing Battleground but that remains to be seen. So what did you think of MITB? Personally I rank it a 2 out of 5. Did you love it or hate it? Sound off in the comments below.

WrestleMania 30 Reactions

Without a doubt, WrestleMania 30 will go down in history as one of the most surprising WrestleMania's in history. This event will always have a love hate relationship and was the first time in a long time that I was left with my mouth gaped open in shock. So it's only right that I write some of my reactions. Now I missed the preshow so I'll just start off and say that I'm glad the Usos retained and I hope to see more from them in the future. Now let's look at the matches.

Daniel Bryan vs Triple H

-As a huge Mortal Kombat fan I was a big supporter of Triple H entering as Shao Kahn. This is a match, however, that I need to rewatch. It was solid but it didn't really blow me away so I think a rewatch will do me good. Triple H definitely felt out of practice and at this point I prefer him in a suit, but still a solid match and an explosive win that left me excited for the main event.

The Shield vs Kane and the New Age Outlaws

- This match was incredibly abrupt and therefore pointless, especially since everyone knew The Shield was going to win anyway. However te Shield always gives 110% so even though the match was short, their domination was well performed.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale

- I love a good over the top rope match. If not entertaining it's always a good oppurtunity for Kofi Kingston to perform a miraculous save and this one was pretty epic and looked incredibly painful. A launch over the rope onto the steps with a foot save, nice job! Now was there any doubt Cesaro was going to win? Cesaro is amazing and deserved the win but I didn't see him body slamming Big Show coming at all and that was just as legendary as when Hogan did it to Andre. That mans strength is impressive!

John Cena vs Bray Wyatt

- You know, if the WWE really wants to surprise us then John Cena should lose at Wrestlemania. I think everyone wanted to see Bray take this one. The match was good but predictable. Bray is definitely a highlight among the new roster and I hope to see him continue his great gimmick.

Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker

- I will probably write a whole post in this at some point, but there is no way that ANYONE saw this coming. 21-1 (while sounding really lame) is never something I expected to see. I was always on the side of Undertaker should retire undefeated but it's the kind of situation where after it's happened you dwell on it until you realize its okay. This will easily go down in history as one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history, and we will forever have one of the greatest reaction memes of all time.

Vickie Guerrero Diva Invitational

- I love a good mess of a match where there are too many people in the ring at once. This one was actually decently worked. There are really only two standout moments for me. When AJ and Tamina got pused to the center and surrounded and when the Bella twins faced off against each other. Other than that I was just mostly surprised AJ won but losing to Paige on RAW the next night was so much sweeter!

Batista vs Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan

- An amazing main event that lead to the end of one of the greatest underdog stories in wrestling history. Daniel Bryan HAD to win this match, especially after Taker lost. It was a great match and that Batista Bomb to RKO through the table was epic. This will be a moment to rewatch for years to come and ended one of the most influential WrestleMania's ever. Love it or hate, WrestleMania 30 made history and was one hell of a show.

Post Wrestlemania RAW

- We are clearly in a new era. Adam Rose, Bo Dallas, Rusev, and Paige all making their debuts, a young and worth champion, and The Shield standing against the authority (surrounding Triple H was amazing) proves that the WWE is heading in a new direction and I'm behind it 100%. So what did you think of WrestleMania and the post RAW? Leave your thoughts in the comments and as always you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

No Risk No Reward

So since I've gotten back into wrestling its always felt different and it's been hard to put my finger on why. I checked out around 2000 just before WCW went under. As mainly a WCW fan I lost interest after the company was absorbed into the WWF and formed the WWE. Well skip to 2011 and I turn on wrestling to seriously watch it for the first time in eleven years and I was sucked back in. I love wrestling all over again but it just feels like a completely different beast now. Like a lot of people, I have pined for the days of the Attitude Era but it wasn't until recently that I found out what I missed from modern wrestling. There's no sense of risk or danger anymore. Take out the fact that wrestling is way more PG now than it was before with the exception of indies. I also give TNA a lot of credit for still going bloody and edgy when they need to. That Storm vs Roode match last year was one of the bloodiest I had ever seen. TNA keeps me coming back for these reasons. Aside from the great roster it feels like TNA's struggle is leading to entertainment. You just want to tune in and see if it succeeds or fails. With WWE you always know what you're going to get.

Back in the 90's wrestling was at its highest peak and we had two giant companies that were direct rivals. We saw WWF and WCW superstars appearing on each other's shows, throwing away titles, calling out their respective leaders, it was like the Wild West and felt like war. Well like most wars there was an eventual winner and loser and the WWE was born. This the Attitude Era ended and we entered the era of Ruthless Aggression. This is probably where a lot of people checked out (myself included) but going back and looking at it in retrospective this was a pretty great era in WWE. We saw the rise of unconventional champions and the entrance of nobodies that are now today's superstars. I remember saying to myself "who's this Cm Punk guy? He's no Stone Cold or Rock!" Now I really believe he's the best in the world. Who would have thought a smaller guy like Rey Mysterio could ever be a world champion? These are moves of innovation that we really don't see anymore.

The WWE has become comfortable. We've seen John Cena and Randy Orton over and over, we've seen John Cena win the championship over and over, and we've seen a number of young, talented, and well deserving stars pushed aside over and over. We all know The WWE is in the John Cena business. He's been the number one guy for years. And I won't deny he's earned that spot back when there were other superstars to compete with but now Cena is the only superstar. The WWE has done a poor job of building up other performers to be just as big a star as Cena, so when a lot of the wrestlers we know and loved started to retire, we now have a much narrower playing field that has only recently started to widen but the ones in charge still love to throw objects into the cogs of a well oiled machine. Ziggler, Bryan, Cesaro, Sandow, are all examples of of wrestlers that have had short burst pushes that were shut down. Instead the WWE would rather concentrate on a "sure thing" rather than push what they have. There are some lights in the darkness, looking at the Shield and Wyatt family, but there are so many stars the WWE could trust as top guys if they only took more risks!

With out the need to compete with other wrestling companies (TNA is an alternative, not a competitor) the WWE has become lazy and comfortable at the expense of their talent. Why take a risk and put over a young talented wrestler when you can keep bringing in retired wrestlers or John Cena every chance you get? This is not what wrestling fans want, is to see the same matchups over and over. The WWE is a billion dollar company and they aren't going anywhere, and they know that. The only incentive for them to take any risk is to please the fans, which they haven't been in the business of lately. Guys like Daniel Bryan and Cm Punk have clawed their way to the top through shear talent and charisma and the WWE has failed to recognize the smart moves throughout the way. Hopefully in the future the WWE will see through their recent blunders and take some bigger risks to keep the wrestling business interesting. In the meantime TNA is putting on the biggest events they've ever done before in New York City and taking an exciting risk so I know where I'll be keeping my attention. So what do you think? Is there enough risk in today's wrestling or is everyone just too complacent? As always feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

Quick Wrestlemania 30 Predictions

So Wrestlemania 30 is this Sunday and I thought I'd run down some quick predictions for each match on the card. Not a lot of talk here, just some quick predictions.

The Tag Team Title match

- This match was moved to the preshow which is a bummer but I think/hope the Usos retain their titles. They're a great and entertaining tag team and with their presence as part of Total Divas (or at least one of them) I think they will want to keep the attention on the Usos for a little longer.

The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale

- This is a 30 man match with only 27 announced spots so I think we will have some surprise entrants (probably at least 1 legend) and one of the surprise entrants will probably take it. No I don't think Cm Punk will be one of them!

Diva's Championship Invitational

- I think we are all curious as to what this match will actually be but I'm betting AJ Lee will lose the title to one of the Total Divas. My money is on Brie Bella but if not then I would say Snooka's daughter since she's been AJ's muscle.

The Shield vs Kane and the New Age Outlaws

- The Shield, win or lose, will begin their split here. It's been teased for months and something will happen during this match to officially plant that seed. However I could see Reigns pulling out the win despite any mishaps.

Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar

- 22-0.

Triple H vs Daniel Bryan

- If Daniel Bryan loses this match then the  WWE should probably lock all of the doors to keep the rioting as contained as possible. The audience can't burn down the building they are trapped inside! This may be the show stealer match.

John Cena vs Bray Wyatt
- Oh how I want Cena to lose this match! Cena has won a lot of times in his career. Just once I'd like to see him put someone else over for once. Unfortunately I think Cena will win.

Randy Orton vs Batista vs TBD

- Bryan will be in this match, hands down. Do I think he will win? Absolutely not. Do I think he should win? Absolutely. The Yes Movement is very powerful. The WWE would be foolish to miss a chance to have thousands of people cheering their most popular superstar at a landmark Wrestlemania. Unfortunately I have a sick feeling that Batista will win since he originally came in as a face and was probably planned to win from the start. The WWE rearranged their plans to get Bryan in the event, but I'm. It sure they will change their planned outcome. It would be a great surprise if they did though. Either way, Orton is losing.

So those are my predictions. Do you share my opinions or feel another way? Sound off your thoughts in the comments and don't forget to follow me on Twitter @advent_crash.

Elimination Chamber and Why the WWE Hates You

Elimination Chamber was doomed to catch heat after the Royal Rumble. The Royal Rumble was a cluster of short sided ideas and just multiple backhands from corporate to the fans. Batista is back and catching heat for being a face and that is entirely the WWE's fault. They should have turned Batista heel the day after the Royal Rumble but then Wrestlemania would be a heel vs heel main event which is never good. With that being said, Elimination Chamber was their chance to rectify their mistake. Of course they didn't. In fact they made it worse. Orton is still champion and Batista is still going to the main event at Wrestlemania. I don't know what Vince McMahon is thinking, maybe that we will come around and see things his way, but Wrestlemania is going to have a main event that is booed from beginning to end. Probably sprinkled with some "Yes" and "Cm Punk" chants. When that happens will the WWE finally take notice? It's hard to bounce back afterwards. Especially because its most likely a lock that Batista will win. Are we expected to cheer for Boo-Tista's victory? Enough said.

That being said, Elimination Chamber was actually a decent PPV that was hindered by the fan reactions. Going in they knew what matches they wanted to see and were surprised by very little. The opening match was a big surprise as Big E (the artist formerly known as Langston) successfully defended his Intercontinental title against Jack Swagger. This match was a solid opener and actually had some impressive spots. I was mostly bummed that we had an Intercontinental title match at all because I'm ready to unify that belt with the US title already. With the unification of the WWE and World Heavyweight titles I don't know what the US and Intercontinental title are supposed  to mean anymore. This should have been their time to unify them but it was a lost opportunity. 

Speaking of lost opportunity, the Usos had a decent match against the New Age Outlaws, who are only exciting during their entrance, but the match just had an extremely dull ending with a roll-up pin for another NAO victory. The Usos have been a great tag team and have a lot going for them and I was hoping to see them take the titles instead of a bunch of old timers who's day is long past. The Usos will have their time I'm sure, it just should have been this PPV. Titus O'Niel and Darren Young was a match the fans clearly didn't care about, but these two are another example of underrated talent. Breaking up the Prime Time Players was a terrible idea, one because the WWE is lacking on good tag teams, and two because I don't feel that these two are ready to identify as their own wrestler yet. These two are very talented together and no one seems to see it. Hopefully as singles wrestlers they will be able to make themselves stand out.

And now the match that should probably be the real main event at Wrestlemania, the Wyatt Family dominated The Shield in a match that started slow and then exploded into a show stealer. We are clearly seeing the split of The Shield coming up, and there is a lot of push behind Roman Reigns as the stand out member of the group. I'll be sad to see them split because the Shield never lived up to the hounds of justice gimmick that they debuted as, but they are a dominate force for sure. The popularity of The Wyatt family and The Shield is so strong that the stare down before the match got "This is awesome" chants. Let it be known that this match alone is worth watching the PPV for.

So was there any doubt that Orton wouldn't win the chamber match? Was there any doubt that there would be interference? I'll admit I knew the Wyatt interference was coming to set up Cena vs Bray at Wrestlemania but Kane getting involved was a little too much, but even with the interference this match was awesome! Last year's chamber match was a complete dud, mostly because it was just a number one contenders match, but this year we had solid contestants who gave it their all and each had great moments. It's kind of sad that Christian is kind of taking a back seat now days but I was happy to see him get an elimination and he had some of my favorite moments in the match. Overall this was a match worth watching and a solid PPV that I would watch again, which is more than I can say for more recent Elimination Chamber shows.

So now we can see the path to Wrestlemania 30 and it's a pretty dark road. I don't care how many Hulk Hogan or Undertakers' you have there will be no way to counteract the reaction of the fans. They know what they want (and Hogan's time in TNA shows that it's not him anymore) and while the rest of the Wrestlemania card might turn out amazing, that main event is going to have people turning off the show or booing the entire time. One thing that seems strange to me is that no one is even talking about the post Wrestlemania plans, almost as if it's all coming down to this one show. Daniel Bryan will probably win the title before the year is over, that's almost a given, but the fans want it at Wrestlemania and the WWE has shown how stubborn they really are to their own plans. There's one other thing that no one is thinking about, Batista is probably going to win the title. How are people going to react to that? Honestly I'd rather see Orton win to go on and face another opponent opponent that's not John Cena or Batista. If it's not Daniel Bryan it's time to give out a push to someone else like Cesaro who has more than proved himself in the last few months.

So what do you think of Elimination Chamber and going into Wrestlemania 30? Sound off in the comments and as always you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

The Problem If Cm Punk Returns

So RAW came to Chicago, and there was some buzz (there always is) that Punk was supposed to come back. Well RAW ended, Punk didn't come back, and guess what he probably won't for more than a year. Fact is fact, Wrestlemania was Punk's goal, his desire. He has said many times that headlining Wrestlemania was the last thing he needed to achieve, and this year was just the last straw. For three years running we have had part time wrestlers stepping into the picture and taking the Wrestlemania main event spot. Guys who had their day and decided to come back for a short stint. Granted Batista is signed for two years but it's the same story. He just walked in and got the main event spot. It robs the younger, more deserving, talent their chance to shine and I can't fault anyone for being fed up with it. Punk held the championship for over a year and didn't even headline a lot of the PPVs in favor of part time wrestlers returning. He more than most had a reason to be fed up, and he left. 

So it's been a big mixed bag of feelings regarding the Punk situation. Part of me (as a Chicago area resident) throws my fist in the air and screams YES! Wrong wrestler I know. I love that Punk did what no one else really does. He saw his position in the company, evaluated his future, and said see ya. He knew the WWE just didn't care enough about him the way they should, they haven't been listening to their fans, and Punk saw no reason to stick around. I say good for him for standing up for himself. Now another part of me feels betrayed. I'm a fan. Punk is a very talented wrestler and it goes beyond home town love. He walked out on the company that belittled him but he also walked out on his fans. Yeah it's really unfortunate that I can't see my favorite wrestler every week. Should I be mad that he walked out? Sure. Should I be happy that he stood up for himself? Sure. Its a double edged sword no matter how you look at it. Now a lot of people don't want Punk back, most people do, among those that do is Vince McMahon who is smart enough to see the financial pull that Punk brings in. He was the number two seller of merchandise and the number one heel. Obviously Vince doesn't want to let that go. Well with RAW in Chicago it was the perfect time for Punk and Vince to have a meeting and work things out. Well it sounds like there was some kind of offer and Punk turned it down. My guess is for Punk it was Wrestlemania main event or bust. 

So chances are we won't see Punk until at least next year, maybe around Royal Rumble time. If I could sidetrack for a  second, my dream scenario is that the number 30 entrant to the Rumble wins and starts celebrating but the bell never rings. Suddenly another timer kicks on and Punk is a 31st entry. Then these two fresh wrestlers have a full match where Punk wins, winning his first Rumble and moving onto Wrestlemania. That would be an amazing Rumble wether you love or hate Punk, and dare I say best for business. Now we have some issues. Punk coming back is what we all want but it's not that easy. The guy turned his back and walked out while under contract. Some people backstage sympathize with him but there are plenty who were happy to see him go. It was no secret that Punk honestly felt he was the best and had a chip on his shoulder, it's the nature of the business he's a part of to show confidence. So let's say he does come back and gets the Wrestlemania main event. Most likely scenario it becomes a three way match that he loses. Fair enough. He forces his way into the main event through his antics, we can't expect him to win. The WWE has their clearly strict and laid out plan and that never included having Punk in the main event. They want Orton vs Batista and are in now way showing any desire to change it, though I'm unsure why. It really feels like they don't watch their own programming. I picture Vince McMahon leaning back in a chair in a dark room locking his fingers saying outloud "You'll all see at Mania." But I think he's going to be very surprised when his heel vs heel match is booed and torn apart. What a great way to end your biggest show of the year.

So would Punk being entered into that match fix it? Absolutely. The fans have shown that they want Cm Punk. We hear the chants. Naturally Daniel Bryan is the real go to for the crowd right now but Punk in the main event would solve so many problems for the PPV, but I'm guessing a lot of people in the back may have a problem with that. There are a lot of younger guys that deserve a main event shot just as much as Punk does. If he was handed the main event because of his temper tantrum it would probably cause a lot of bitterness among the talent. 

The real issue with the Punk situation is the crowd. Of course I want Punk back, and of course I love the chants for support, but the WWE didn't make him leave. He made his choice and did it on his own. Now you could argue that their decisions made him to leave, but honestly it really falls on Punk. Punk wants to be the number one guy but do we really believe that he would want to do the talk shows, and live events the way someone like Cena does? I highly doubt it. Now I love the support and fandom for Punk, but the chants are pretty disrespectful. As much as I love Punk, I love wrestling as a whole more. Now there are plenty of good matches and great wrestlers are performing to Cm Punk chants and not getting the recognition they deserve. Now I fully support Cm Punk chants when the authority is present, but when the Wyatt's and Shield are putting on one hell of a match, why would you want to rob their recognition? I don't get it. 

So do I want Punk back? Absolutely, but I think he should wait until next year. Things need time to cool down. Let his contract expire and come back next January with a contract garunteed for Wrestlemania. The only answer for this year is to put Daniel Bryan in the main event, otherwise Wrestlemania is going to get ripped apart. So what are your thoughts on Punk not coming back in Chicago and the prospect of his future? Sound off in the comments and as always you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

The Newest and Improved TNA

TNA is in a state of change. Again. For more times than we have been able to count, TNA has been in a state of change. I've never quite been sure what they have been trying to change into, like what is their ultimate goal, but TNA has always had the potential to just be a great alternative wrestling show. I have always felt that 2011 was the best year for TNA. Their roster was the best at the time, their wrestling was incredible (and to be fair still can be), and they had a decent story going on with Sting versus Immortal. Even 2012 wasn't bad with Jeff Hardy, Austin Aries, and Bobby Roode really holding things down. 2013 was a complete disaster! I've never seen a company take such a huge dip in quality and lose a good chunk of their roster. It seems like anyone who had a good idea was fired and we were left with not even the B team, but the F team making all of the decisions. They ruined AJ Styles but managed to turn Bully Ray into one of the greatest singles stars in their company but totally ruined what could have been an amazing stable in the Aces & Eights. If at all possible, we just need to forget 2013 as quickly as possible!

Well now 2014 didn't have the best start with AJ Styles gone and Sting's contract up, but in the last month TNA has been quickly picking up. So lets get the negative out of the way. TNA is losing money and we all know it. Their Pay Per View model, in my opinion, is a complete mess. I can't imagine they are gaining any money with their taped specialty Pay Per View episodes that don't tie into the story lines at all, even though it gives us interesting show options. So I watched the #OldSchool PPV and that was a show with some great matches, but the production was terrible! TNA really needs to invest in a production manager because a better looking show could go a long way, and this is one of their biggest flaws right now. When they had the Impact Zone everything had a nice look to it. I look back at those episodes and like what I see, but episodes recently just look like the were barfed out by a sick camera. Fix the look of your show!

So contracts are going to expire. It's bound to happen. Sting, AJ, and Kurt Angle are probably the three biggest names in the company and two are gone, and with Angle's contract ending this year the chances are they aren't going to be able to afford to renew. So Angle will be gone later this year but TNA doesn't need to rely on these talents to survive. Their recent strategy of signing younger and cheaper talent is actually working out pretty well. The roster is full of young wrestlers that are amazing like Zema Ion, and Kenny King (who has been absent for a while and hopefully not let go) but Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards were great gets for  the company. Ring of Honor is a company full of eager talent and if TNA winds up with any of them on their own roster it can only be a good thing. My only fear is that we may lose Christopher Daniels and Kazarian when their contracts are up. Hopefully TNA can bring in more money before then. Tommy Dreamer is also back in the company to an unknown extent which seems to mostly be in the back stage but having Dreamer involved in any way is always a good thing. The cross promotion with his House of Hardcore was genius and TNA is actually doing really good promotional crossover work this year and that can only be good for business. If promotions could work together more often then the wrestling business could become something special.

Now let me just say that I believe in MVP. This Dixieland story angle was killing TNA and fast. I was happy to see Magnus improve as much as he has and become a world champion, but Dixie being an onscreen villain was a horrible idea. That is until MVP and The Wolves stepped in. The Wolves are amazing wrestlers and MVP was always under appreciated in WWE and having these three work together has been a highly entertaining angle and they couldn't have chosen a better time to introduce it. With TNA over in Manchester, where TNA is loved pretty highly, they are getting great tapings with high energy crowds that love wrestling and it makes their show look that much better. I wouldn't mind if they taped over in the UK for an entire year just to make their show look that much better by performing for crowds that love them. Bored US crowds can do a lot to ruin a show and that's why they need to find the perfect Impact Zone and just stick there for a while to save some money and make their show look good.

So word is that there has been a lot of bonding between the TNA roster on their UK tour due to Samoa Joe giving a pretty heartfelt speech. Good! This is a roster that is extremely talented but for a long time it has felt like everyone has their own agenda. Now that they are on the same page it has really shown through on the show and everyone has kicked it into high gear. I can only hope that they can keep this momentum going. Samoa Joe is now one of the top tier veterans of the company next to guys like Christopher Daniels and word is that Joe and MVP are kind of leading a charge in the locker room and it certainly seems to be working. The last couple episodes of Impact have been legitimately great and if TNA can keep their act on track then they could get back to the success that they once had.

So what do you think about TNA's current status? I really don't care to hear the "TNA is terrible" angle because it's not the WWE. TNA is an alternative not a replacement. Either you love all wrestling or you love WWE. We all know that. As always you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

Royal Rumble, Cm Punk, and Best For Business

Well now. Things have sure gotten interesting haven't they? The Royal Rumble just happened and between the creative decisions and crowd reactions it was pretty intense, though no where near as bombastic as to what happened with Cm Punk on Monday but we'll get there. So let's just cut to the chase. The Royal Rumble happened and exploded right at the beginning (ignoring that preshow blunder) after Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt tore the house down! This match was brutal, and artistic, and just all around incredible! The Yes Movement is real and its time for the WWE to acknowledge this! As you'll notice I'm using a lot of exclamation points because its hard to not talk about the last week without extreme vigor. So let's just skip over the other stuff, (it was boring) and get to the title match. Now the real travesty here is that the match was actually good. Not great but good. But this was the beginning of the hijack. I'll be the first to admit, I'm tired of Cena and Orton too (though less with Orton) and it would have been nice to see Daniel Bryan in the match but I'm starting to feel like the WWE Universe just wants Daniel Bryan in EVERY match. I mean what's gonna happen when the people get what they want and Bryan becomes champion? Does it suddenly become boring? Eventually he will have to lose and will that start the cycle over? Its a dangerous road that I don't think anyone is thinking about.

So then comes the Royal Rumble. Batista won, like we all knew he would, and Daniel Bryan was nowhere to be seen. Now I already knew Bryan wouldn't be in the Rumble, mostly because that was the word on the streets, but Rey Mysterio really got the short end of the stick when he entered at the number 30 spot. This wasn't Rey's fault. He's a talented wrestler and this is where I have my issues with the WWE Universe. I love Daniel Bryan just like everyone else and I want to see him as champion, but I'm willing to wait for that special moment to finally come. I don't need it happening tomorrow. If he's not in the Rumble I always assumed he would be in the Ellimination Chamber anyway, which he is. Wether that's because of the Rumble response or not I don't know, that's the real question, but the fact is that he's there. So Batista won the Rumble, flipped off the fans (great baby face) and the show ended. The Road to Wrestlemania has officially begun. Then a bombshell was dropped. Cm Punk walked out of Raw, telling people that he was going home. This isn't a work, this isn't part of some elaborate story, Cm Punk quit the WWE. 

So there's a lot of mixed reports out there so I'll go on record in saying that not all of this may turn out to be true, but the fact is that Cm Punk finally became frustrated enough with his position in the company and just said screw it. Now his contract was expiring in July and he has been pretty open about not planning on resigning, but friends of his have said that they would be surprised if he made it to July and they were right. Punk has been saying for a while that the only thing he has left to accomplish in his career is to headline Wrestlemania and he has earned it many times over. At Wrestlemania 28 Punk was the champion and didn't even get to headline because of The Rock and Cena. I can completely understand his frustration about "part time wrestlers." The Rock headlines two years in a row and wrestles a total of 3 matches in those two years, and Batista returns after being gone for over four years and wins the Rumble for the main event spot. The WWE (like I have mentioned before) loves to bring in the older big names, and big guys, for their main event spot and continuously shove their younger talent to the side. Skipping ahead, Triple H feels insulted by Punk walking out, now skipping back I totally understand why Punk did what he did. Why stick around when you've earned that spot multiple times and you keep getting looked over. The same is said for Daniel Bryan.

At this point the big question is what happens next? The fans are clearly irritated and demanding a better product. However do the fans really know what makes a better product? Let's face it, the Internet has made wrestling fans extremely cocky because we have access to a lot of inside information, but regardless fans know what the want to see and that does fall onto the WWE. The WWE just announced their own network and are trying to sell it to their fan base. They may think they know what's best for the story and the company, but if you want people to buy your network you need to be kissing their ass until everyone has bought in! Now a lot of people are talking about boycotting the network, they won't, but I'm sure a lot of people are feeling the same way I am. Yes I'm getting the network, but I'm less inclined to be getting it right away which is when they need the numbers. So what does everyone else think? Did you enjoy the Rumble? Were you booing your television? Will you miss Punk? Who wouldn't? Sound off in the comments, share with your friends, and as always you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

HCW: Hardcore Championship Wrestling Episode 3.

The first Season of a new machinima series I am working on called HCW Hardcore Championship Wrestling. This series is meant to be played off as a small off shoot of the WWE. Here all originally created wrestlers, and some parody based wrestlers, will compete in completely undetermined matches controlled by the computer. I will set up the universe mode and let the matches and rivalries set themselves. I will use the story creator to create cutscenes and build the stories but I will craft the stories out of how the computer reacts to each other.

HCW will also have a user interactive component. Basically just by watching the show you can affect the future. As you may notice in this episode that the arena is fairly small looking. Well as the show gains views I will create bigger and better arenas to reflect the increased interest. The show will grow like a real company with rosters expanding and changing as well as the arena. Since HCW is also billed as a smaller part of the overall WWE family, as the show grows I will also include run ins from WWE superstars. So just watch the show and tell your friends to watch the show and let's bring in some changes!

This machinima is created using WWE' 13 and uses WWE imagery but is in no way licensed or affiliated with the WWE as a company. Hardcore Championship Wrestling is completely fictitious and inspired by true wrestling fandom.

HCW: Hardcore Championship Wrestling Episode 2.

The first Season of a new machinima series I am working on called HCW Hardcore Championship Wrestling. This series is meant to be played off as a small off shoot of the WWE. Here all originally created wrestlers, and some parody based wrestlers, will compete in completely undetermined matches controlled by the computer. I will set up the universe mode and let the matches and rivalries set themselves. I will use the story creator to create cutscenes and build the stories but I will craft the stories out of how the computer reacts to each other.

HCW will also have a user interactive component. Basically just by watching the show you can affect the future. As you may notice in this episode that the arena is fairly small looking. Well as the show gains views I will create bigger and better arenas to reflect the increased interest. The show will grow like a real company with rosters expanding and changing as well as the arena. Since HCW is also billed as a smaller part of the overall WWE family, as the show grows I will also include run ins from WWE superstars. So just watch the show and tell your friends to watch the show and let's bring in some changes!

This machinima is created using WWE' 13 and uses WWE imagery but is in no way licensed or affiliated with the WWE as a company. Hardcore Championship Wrestling is completely fictitious and inspired by true wrestling fandom.

HCW: Hardcore Championship Wrestling Episode 1.

The first episode of a new machinima series I am working on called HCW Hardcore Championship Wrestling. This series is meant to be played off as a small off shoot of the WWE. Here all orginally created wrestlers, and some parody based wrestlers, will compete in completely undetermined matches controlled by the computer. I will set up the universe mode and let the matches and rivalries set themselves. I will use the story creator to create cutscenes and build the stories but I will craft the stories out of how the computer reacts to each other.

HCW will also have a user interactive component. Basically just by watching the show you can affect the future. As you may notice in this episode that the arena is fairly small looking. Well as the show gains views I will create bigger and better arenas to reflect the increased interest. The show will grow like a real company with rosters expanding and changing as well as the arena. Since HCW is also billed as a smaller part of the overall WWE family, as the show grows I will also include run ins from WWE superstars. So just watch the show and tell your friends to watch the show and let's bring in some changes!

This machinima is created using WWE' 13 and uses WWE imagery but is in no way licensed or affiliated with the WWE as a company. Hardcore Championship Wrestling is completely fictitious and inspired by true wrestling fandom.

Other Bests of 2013

These are just some other topics of not that I don't have a whole lot to say about so these are simply just numbered lists. So without further adue here are my other bests of 2013.

Best Pay Per View

5. Extreme Rules

4. ROH 11th Anniversary 

3. Royal Rumble

2. Slammiversary

1. Summerslam

Best Tag Teams

5. Bad Influence

4. Team Hell No

3. Aces & Eights

2. The Shield

1. Rhodes Brotherhood

Best Moment

Ziggler cashes in Money in the Bank

Best Come Back

Chris Jericho at Royal Rumble

Best Fued

Daniel Bryan vs The Authority

Best Promo

Rock and Cm Punk spit game.

So there's just some extra lists to wrap up my thoughts on 2013. As always comment below and let me know what your thoughts are or what your tops of the year are. You can find me on Twitter @advent_crash. Tweet me up if you have some thoughts.

Top 10 Superstars of 2013

10. Goldust

It's 2014 and we are legitimately talking about Goldust as one of the best wrestlers of the year. What is going on?! Its true! Goldust has been putting in the best work of his life since coming back and teaming with his brother Cody, who also belongs on this list, but it was worth recognizing Goldust. He's been involved in some of the most high profile and best tag matches of the year and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. I never thought I'd see a crowd of Goldust shirts past the 90's but I'm glad I do now.

9. Big Show

I've never been a big fan of the giant sized wrestlers. They don't move well and hardly have matches that you would call great, but Big Show has really stepped up in my eyes this year. I was really hoping to see Big Show's bully story lead up to a match with Triple H but instead we got a lame duck Randy Orton feud but everything leading up to that was pretty great. A lot of people had trouble with the crying Big Show but him taking Stephanie McMahon's abuse just made his rebellion that much sweeter. Just a shame it fizzled out so quickly.

8. ACH

If you don't like ACH then I'm not sure I like you as a person! This guy debuted in March for Ring of Honor and has been killing it ever since! Every match he's in turns explosive pretty quickly and it just seems so effortless to him. They partnered him up with Tadarius Thomas and they have become one of the best high flying tag teams in the business and every match that he's involved in is garunteed to have the craziest flips you've ever seen. Seriously, check this guy out!

7. Chris Sabin

Unlike Derrick Rose, Chris Sabin came back from two torn ACLs' better than ever! Now I really miss Alex Shelley in TNA and the Motor City Machine Guns but Sabin has been putting in some amazing singles matches and even won the world title! TNA is doing one thing right and that's proving that the little guy can hang with the big dogs and it helps when you have someone as talented as Sabin in the spotlight.

6. Bully Ray

Bully Ray has been as successful as any tag team wrestler can hope to be. He's an incredible talent and has proven is worth time and time again, and 2013 was his year for singles competition. Bully Ray was the leader of a powerful and interesting (but horribly misused) faction called Aces & Eights. He won and successfully defended his first world title multiple times while putting in some of the best matches in his career. In my opinion this was a long over due push for a legendary talent.

5. Austin Aries

Austin Aries is easily one of my favorite wrestlers. He's got a good look, the right attitude, and some flashy moves. The guy knows how to work a crowd and can use his talents to be an perfect heel or a face. Even if a match isn't the best Aries is able to save it and hold up his end of the deal. He may he stuck in X Division limbo right now but the man is world champion material and already had a great championship run and even an amazing tag run with Bobby Roode. I only expect more great things from Aries. 

4. Brock Lesnar

Its hard not to include Lesnar on this list since he made it into multiple of my top ten matches, but more importantly he was in the best match if the year with Cm Punk. This man is a giant and still manages to put on a convincing fight against a wrestler half his size. I know Brock is kind of one note but he hit that note well in 2013.

3. The Shield

Oh The Shield I believe in you! The Shield is one of the best things to happen to the WWE in years and while they lost sight of their Hounds of Justice attitude they were still a formidable force to be reckoned with. Now all of these guys individually deserve a spot on this list but The Shield really stands together as a cohesive unit and it's better to recognize them as such. I will be very interested to see what's in store for all three of these superstars!

2. Cm Punk

Cm Punk could have easily been number one again. He had the top two best matches of the year, but didn't have the strongest year overall. He came into the year as the most dominant champion and put on the best show of his life and even took on his best friend Paul Heyman. Punk is always an expert in the ring and and a genius on the microphone and he fell oh so short of the number one spot but he still stole the show time and time again.

1. Daniel Bryan

Yes! Yes! Yes! Daniel Bryan has completely captured the WWE Universe and holds them in the palm of his hand! No one has been more over since Stone Cold. I have been left speechless by the crowds reaction to Bryan. He says one simple word and an entire stadium explodes! The WWE has something special here and hopefully they don't squander it and let it slip away from them. Daniel Bryan has overcome so much in the last year and performed in a number of mind blowing matches. Daniel Bryan is worthy of the number one spot and could easily hold this momentum!

So what do you think of the superstar of the year list? Sound off in the comments and you can always find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

Honorable Mentions: Jay Brisco, Sami Zayn, Jeff Hardy, Magnus, Bray Wyatt, Jimmy and Jey Uso,