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.

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.

Introduction and Unification

Hello everybody. My name is Jeremy Meyer and I'm an editor for the video game website Darkstation.com but more importantly I'm a huge wrestling fan, a mark for wrestling if you will. Now that I've proved my wrestling worth (nailed it) I thought you should know a little about me. Yes I'm a video game journalist, no I'm not involved in the world of wrestling aside from being a fan, but I believe wrestling lives inside the fans. So I'm writing this on December 15, the night the pay-per-view Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) airs, though I am writing this before it goes live. Tonight is hopefully a moment of change for WWE as it marks the first time since 2002 that we are having title unification. John Cena vs Randy Orton both hold the World Heavyweight title and the WWE Championship respectively but the winner of tonight's match will walk away as the sole Undisputed Champion. This is an event I have been waiting and screaming for years!

 The title picture in the WWE has been in dire straits for a long time. One thing I feel that TNA has always done well is making their titles matter. They have a limited number of titles and I feel like they do still hold some prestige within their company, thigh TNA is something I will write a separate post about in the future. The WWE, for a long time, has had too many titles. This is something that has affected their company in some pretty negative ways. It's left a weird perception of the different levels of the roster and almost completely changed the game for the mid-card in some positive and negative ways, depending on your own opinion (mine being negative.)

 Let's face it, the Intercontinental and United States Championship mean very little. What do these titles mean when compared to each other? It's not like only US wrestles compete for the US title. It's meaningless. The US title needs to go! The Intercontinental title has been around forever and holds some prestige. The name even has some meaning, Intercontinental, a title that travels or is competed for by competitors from around the world. You can bring in feuds about a wrestler from one country trying to prove he's better than a wrestler from another, tons of compelling story ideas. However this name only works if we eliminate the name for the World Heavyweight Title. Weight classes don't mean anything in wrestling anymore. Take a guy like Bully Ray in TNA who weighs in at over 300 pounds, and then we look at someone like CM Punk who comes in about 218 and both have been great world title holders. We look at guys like the Big Show, AJ Styles, Great Khali,Rey Mysterio, Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry, Chris Jericho: Weight limits don't matter anymore, it's all about the talent. Unless you are going to have a title for the little guy, we don't need a title for heavyweights. The Undisputed Champion, or the Undisputed WWE Champion (my personal preference) is the perfect way to signify the best of the best. Its undisputed after all so we know they are the real deal.

 The idea of a unified championship title in 2013 is a major step in the right direction for the WWE. It's time to start weeding out some of these belts. The way I see it you only need about five different championships. One Upper tier championship, one mid-tier championship, one set of tag team titles, one women's championship, and then one specialty title (EX, Hardcore, Television, Cruiserweight)Though a Cruiserweight title raises the weight class argument again so that one shouldn't be brought back into the mix. As much as I like the idea of splitting up the roster, we have to remain consistent. This is something that TNA has pulled off with their X Division and I say let them handle as they already do a good job of that. I say we need the Undisputed Title, the Intercontinental Title, the Tag Team Titles, the Diva's Championship, and I would love to see the return of the Hardcore Championship but with this new PG era of wrestling I think we have to go with the Television Title. This would give us more title matches on Monday Night Raw and Smackdown and also open up some interesting story concepts. TNA has actually done some great TV Title vignettes if you watch Eric Young's 2011 run. But this is all we need. Five titles, that's it! So what does this do? Well it narrows the field first of all. That Undisputed Title already gains a great amount of prestige as the one top title in the company. We have harder competition and winning it is more likely to put over a wrestler in the fan's eyes. Two, it makes the mid-card title more prestigious. Now we will care who holds the Intercontinental Title because he will be the next person we can see aiming for the top championship instead of just handing these belts across the roster for any reason at all like they are doing now. Again it's about the oversaturation! If we have less titles they mean more to the holders. Maybe next we can eliminate the US Title.

 I don't think WWE will be the only company to benefit from this. NXT is also going to get a boost. The point of NXT is to develop performers into the next level, being the WWE, and bringing them in to a narrower playing field puts them into a whole new spotlight. It's a tighter competition so a win for them on RAW or Smackdown is huge. Competition will appear a lot tougher just from the idea of having fewer chances at championship gold. So tonight we go into TLC with a match that hopefully unify the titles and creating one of the most significant events in modern WWE history (since the last time Jericho did the same thing!)

There are multiple ways the WWE might try to go about this and hopefully WWE avoids the obvious title switcharoo option just to get the WWE Title back in Cena's hands. In fact the whole backing of Cena by the WWE is another post to talk about in the future. I love Cena, but it's time to mix things up! Well needless to say I'm looking forward to TLC tonight and will probably post my thoughts about it tomorrow night if I have time. I hope to post as often as possible and would like to do some TNA and Ring of Honor coverage as soon as possible just to get my opinions known on all of the products and so repeat readers can understand my general feelings on wrestling. So what do you think of the idea of this title unification? Do you agree with me that it's a great move for the company? Or is this a doomed venture that's destined to backfire in their face? Feel free to let me know what you think. We'll talk more wrestling soon!