Dream Match: Nakamura vs. KENTA!

Hideo Itami's Path to Redemption...

...Leads to A Heel Turn!

While NxT gets prepared for their latest Takeover, a redux at Brooklyn where they had possibly one of their best PPV's [it's hard to tell when NxT keeps on producing such goods every single time]; One man is left out in the cold but prepares for what could be an intriguing storyline that could catapult him to the NxT championship.

I'm speaking of none other than the former KENTA; Hideo Itami. In the past year Itami saw himself in the back seat soothing an injury as NxT took another step towards WWE domination reaching out to fans worldwide and growing a base that has officialy signified it as the third brand of the juggernaut company. For a lengthy time it hasn't just been about developmental, but the past year or so with Takeover after Takeover, NxT has become a phenomenon unlike anything else attracting main event level world superstars.

Itami himself was the first of many. Post the Seth Rollins reign, Itami along with the likes of Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Finn Balor was handpicked as a special Triple H pet project for his baby; NxT and was set to be a big player not just with the yellow brand but beyond in his inevitable Main Event Debut.

However an injury threw all that away and has in fact left a hungry Itami part of a new land, his compatriots have walked the threshold and are now making their names on a larger scale on Monday Nights.

Itami brought Balor for back up, Itami also lost to Balor, Itami saw Balor become champion...

Now Itami wants Payback! 

Itami thus returned to NxT in the past couple of weeks with a chip on his shoulder and a fire in his belly, dolling harder kicks than thought possible to his opponents. Something that the commentators have caught hold off and run with, signifying that Itami is due a major transformation. With his antics and personality, it might not seem so; but the right move for Itami would be a strong heel turn that sees him dominate NxT in a different fashion past from the brands current champion Samoa Joe.

Joe has been a ruthless monster ever since he turned his back on the fans and taken the title in his quest for utter dominance. His next match at Takeover Brooklyn sees him face the as of yet undefeated Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura should win this match, allowing Joe to deservingly move on to bigger things and make an Impact either on Raw or Smackdown Live.

These names are a bit of an itch for Itami, along with them; featured bouts in NxT's latest pay per view include the likes of world class athletes such as Bobby Roode, Andrade Cien Almas, No Way Joes and Austin Aires.

These are competitors along with Shinsuke and Joe that made their debuts well into Itami's stint and have most likely pushed him down the pecking order. It should be the final straw for the talented performer to take a turn to the dark side and take down all those who have wronged him; face and heel.

Not only that, the turn can fecilitate his eventual promotion to the main roster and reignite him to chase former friends Zayn and especially Finn Balor, the man he actually introduced to the NxT [in storyline] and who ended up overshadowing him.

A Japanese Dream Match that has never come to fruition. NxT is the breeding ground of Dream Matches!

Itami's quest first would be to capture the NxT title that has eluded him from none other than Nakamura, who is most likely to win the championship. It also adds another layer for the former Japanese star, after all Shinsuke Nakamura since his debut has been touted as not only the biggest acquisition but possibly the first ever Japanese star that could be a WWE World Champion and Wrestlemania Main Eventer. It would make Itami wonder, where he went to in the conversation.

A forgotten man creates for a great story of resurrection and redemption, add a twist of darkness to it and it boils with passion and intensity. That kind of story could do wonders for Itami as the Underdog tale or the Monster tale has done for Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe on the growing brand.

After all wasn't he the one who made his Wrestlemania debut first?

Anyways, while one can argue what value Itami holds to the company or that NxT is top heavy in terms of Heels [Bad Guys], this is indeed the best course of action for the man with the stiff kicks until it eventually leads him to realize his own self worth and become the man we know, love and respect.

Until then Itami is at an interesting juncture in both his character and the brand, so look to NxT's creative to fully utilize this to our collective entertainment. 

The Cleaner Sweeps it and The Elite Rule!

Kenny Omega's G1 Climax Victory;

A sign of absolute loyalty, a sacrificial chess move or 

Perfecting the Art of Making A Main Eventer

As of Sunday night, New Japan Pro Wrestling concluded their much chaotic and much confusing 26th Annual 19 day G1 Climax tournament. 

In what was to be a fairly predictable race to the top just a few months ago, turned out to be one hell of a shocker with two unexpected finalists and an unexpected win with no chance of looking back. 

Kenny Omega, the former Cleaner of the Bullet Gang and current leader among the Elite; managed to despite an injured knee bring a ferocity unlike seen to be the first Gaijin [Foreigner] superstar in the history of the G1 Climax tournament to win. Only two others have reached the finals [Rick Rude and Karl Anderson, his former faction mate].

Kenny Omega's victory comes as a surprise due to a number of factors.

Though on top form, AJ Styles and the Club have been a mixed bag in WWE so far, where as Omega has run with the leadership of the Bullet Club in Japan

Earlier this year, while Omega was carrying the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship into the storied Wrestle Kingdom X, three of his senior Bullet Club members and one of the trio of NJPW's top homegrown stars were signing the dotted line that would forever change their careers, his career and the Japanese scene.

Top stars Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Shinsuke Nakamura and The Phenomenal AJ Style would go out with a bang at New Japan's annual Tokyo Dome Show [the latter two against each other in a match of the year candidate] to then join the juggernaut that is WWE.

It left a huge hole in New Japan's upper echelons that saw Omega relish the opportunity unlike anyone else. Omega would go on to make gains to move from the Junior's division into the Heavyweight division.

His first big move came by taking over the leadership of Bullet Club and ousting the "traitor" AJ Styles. Within that time frame as the tag duo of Anderson and Gallows segued away; Omega and the Young Bucks became what is known as The Elite of the Bullet Club.

Nakamura is on course to becoming WWE's first Japanese World Champion having already wowed the NxT crowd!

Omega would soon see new rival; Shinsuke Nakamura leave for the supposed greener pastures, the IWGP Intercontinental Title left vacant and in a shocker of a move he would beat none other than the Ace of the NJPW; Hiroshi Tanahashi for the title. #LOLTANADOESN'TWIN 

This obviously felt like a top class move and to add to that, the MVP of the first half of NJPW's new year scored big by also holding the Never Openweight Trios Titles with the Young Bucks. Things were looking up for Omega and then both titles slipped out of his hand.

In an epic Ladder Match encounter; Michael Elgin beat Omega for his Intercontinental Championship which he holds to this day.

Elgin breaking ground in NJPW would put a stop to Omega's historic Intercontinental reign, where in he took the title to new heights post Shinsuke's departure

However the magical year while well deserved for Omega was more or less a move made in consideration to New Japan's great exodus. Not to take anything away from him, Omega is a terrific talent and would eventually make the considered big leagues of the company within the year most likely but the fact is it helped that Styles and the boys went packing.

Even then; what comes as a surprise more than the rise of Omega is the shot that sees him most likely to main event next years Wrestle Kingdom; the equivalent of WWE's Wrestlemania.

With the departure of Shinsuke Nakamura, the true heavy lifting was expected by none other than last years breakout Japanese star; Tetsuya Naito. Naito who floundered as a babyface for most of his career, reignited himself with a second tour to Mexico joining their infamous Los Ingobernables faction and developing a personality unseen from him before.

His return heralded a great change with his work rate excelling and his character and showmanship on form. AJ Styles exit early this year and the rebuild needed with Bullet Club under the Elite brand predicated that Naito's faction Los Ingobernables Japan could become the big dogs.

Naito's meteoric improvement from his Mexican exodus catapulted him to the World Title; however what seemed like a set main event. Only time will tell where the LIGS Japan leader will stand at 

Wrestle Kingdom XI

Naito was seen as a future star and a most likely replacement on the level of Shinsuke. While he did end up winning the Heavyweight title during the year and even losing it back to Okada, it was expected that the not so fresh world title match would headline next years Wrestle Kingdom 11.

With Okada and Naito busy, Tanahashi and Omega would probably take on each other for the Intercontinental title with Omega getting a big win and an eventual push that could see him contest for the World title at a later date and most likely main event Wrestle Kingdom 12, 13 or more.

In relatively short time despite their booking; AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke [Doc] Gallows have made a hard hitting impact on WWE. The same can be said for Shinsuke Nakamura, who has been an unbelievable god send for NxT TV. The WWE Cruiserweight Classic has also sought to highlight WWE's interest in another top Japanese independent star; Kota Ibushi.

NJPW are losing serious ground to a company that would irk from mentioning or poaching talents from outside of their own gigantic sphere. WWE has truly gone global and smart.

The next man on their list?

Bullet Club's very own Kenny Omega.

The Elite are future WWE prospects no doubt, but for now they are the top trios of the world [Ssh don't let New Day hear that].

So it begs to question?

Is Omega's latest win a sign of NJPW trying to appease the electric anime-esque villainous star to remain or it it a victory due to a sign of loyalty from the man who has on many an occasion rejected the advances of the Big E [not the New Day superstar, the company; New Day by the way have a fun rivalry going on with The Elite].

It's no conincidence that after his monumental victory Omega spewed a shoot mentioning the WWE and its poaching of recent NJPW stars to a rancous roar from the crowd. Kenny Omega is a terrific find for the company after all, a Gaijin warrior who has all the skills necessary to be a top star and connect with the oft elite [pun intended] Japanese crowd because unlike other foreigner he fluently speaks Japanese.
      
I'm not questioning Omega's talent. He is by far the best thing in New Japan right now but so is Naito. Naito's hard perseverance and improvement deserved an acknowledgment for at least a Wrestle Kingdom Main Event. Omega could have been primed for a bigger turn soon enough.

It's not like the Bullet Club brand was waning that Omega's push needed to boost them again. Sure it was a heavy loss, early this year but the Elite seemed to have anchored the ship especially with some awesome State side acquisitions to the growing faction.

Omega is going to be terrific in the Wrestle Kingdom Main Event no doubt and a fresh match up for the World Title against Okada is an exciting prospect. Despite this; Naito is my guy, all I can be satisfied with is that Naito especially after the Day 19 show is likely to take on Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 11 and win [Naito's an upside for now] hopefully even for the Intercontinental Championship.

Omega is bound for the big Tokyo Dome show, as per regulation he must defend his G1 Climax Briefcase against the men he lost against in the tournament. His opponents are; Shibata, Yoshi-Hashi and big time rival Michael Elgin. Elgin being his toughest challenge.

Omega beating Elgin for the briefcase will be a redemption and closing of that chapter onto his main event.

The greatest rivalry in modern pro wrestling came to an end at last years Wrestle Kingdom with Okada gaining a measure of redemption and finally moving out New Japan's Ace's shadow. He may have lost the title within the year [only to regain it] but you best believe Okada's reign at the top ain't coming to an end so soon. 

Once again I want to stress this; I adore Omega's abilities. His promo after kicking AJ Styles from the Club was one of the best this year and my personal favorite. He is an intriguing character and even with a bum knee; he pulled of one of the best matches of the year and a hell of a main event at the G1 Climax. He deserves a world title shot and despite my favored contender and what I do consider is the involvement of backstage politics [yes it also happens in NJPW]; Omega and Okada promises to be a hell of a match that opens up the Wrestle Kingdom card for other top class exciting contests.

Kudos to Omega but even then after his epic win at this years Wrestle Kingdom main event and cementing his legacy; Kazuchika Okada is going to walk out champion, my prediction!

As for Omega, with this match; he will become a bigger star than he already is.

He will truly become; The Elite!

InZayn Redemption: Exorcising the Demons

Battleground 2016

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

I hate to say it, but at the end of what was by far and wide Battleground's finest match; Michael Cole put it aptly. 

Sami Zayn had just managed to exorcise his demons. 

Despite the fact that former best friends turned bitter rivals were headed into the same brand post the draft, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens had a hellacious encounter billed as their final fight...for now. 

We all know Zayn and Owens are just one of those rivals destined to do this forever. 

Still despite whether this is their last encounter, or whether their on the same draft. Their greatest match against one another even since their days as Kevin Steen and El Generico added a sense of release for both competitors as the next night on RAW truly heralds a new era and new direction for both men. 

I'm not going to say much of the match, because I want to save a complete analysis of it for a complete retrospective on the Zayn./Owens rivalry which I might end up writing about forever until the two men obviously end up inducting one another into the Hall of Fame. 

Considering their repetoire around the world and the fact that Zayn and Owens are such fantastic artists and storytellers in a new age of pro wrestling, I am sure to unearth great details and gems within this one match as a call back to their storied rivalry that goes beyond the borders of WWE. 

Whenever these two men step into the ring, no matter who wins [as is the cliche] it is the audience that walks out the winner. But alongside them this night, both men in some fashion walked out champions. 

For Zayn, as he delivered the first of two Helluva Kicks that would down the man he once called friend, he stood tall and stared into the beaten face of his former friend. Owens was too rattled to retaliate, unlike the last countless times; Zayn finally stood up to the man whose shadow he has not only been shrouded by but whose shadow he has chased and been chased by like a demon. 

He showed signs of a man disgusted by what his friend has become, what has happened to their friendship and more importantly how far Owens has pushed him to go to bring out the necessary violence to destroy him. 

Zayn vs. Owens is a spectacular tale of brotherhood and betrayal, one that fits in with the theme of Sunday's Battleground PPV and while this isn't the final chapter, it's definitely the Zayniest for finally Sami Zayn has risen above his demons and both men have been freed from the shackles of this rivalry that threatened to poison their careers. 

Ironically Zayn's victory is Owen's victory and in a New Era the two are bound to move on and one day become champions and hopefully that will add a new dimension to this fight when they inevitably square off at the Grandest stage of them All. 

Brock Lesnar: The Ultimate Crossover Star that Can Legitimize The WWE

Lesnar vs. Hunt

UFC 200

Just like those black cards at the end of every Marvel Movie, UFC 200 should have had one that simply stated;

BROCK LESNAR WILL RETURN...TO THE OCTAGON!

Whatever redemption Lesnar was seeking, he found it in last night's fight against Mark Hunt. Ever since he was forced to retire from the Octagon in 2011, due to a serious disease; Lesnar returned to WWE but has been anticipating a return to UFC and MMA.

Brock Lesnar declined an offer to return to UFC and chose to resign with WWE in 2015, prior to Wrestlemania 31 and in an emotional heartfelt interview seemed to close that chapter of his life.

A year later, it seems through Brock Lesnar's Beast like insistence the WWE and UFC have come together to make a deal for the global icon to compete in both the Octagon and The Squared Circle.

Well it seems to have rubbed off well for both parties.

At UFC 200, Brock Lesnar made his return in epic style winning his first match [and most likely not last] back against top 10 heavyweight contender Mark Hunt, by unanimous decision.

Not only that but during the event UFC managed to also promote WWE 2K17, the next in line video game for the wrestling juggernaut starring cover star Brock Lesnar.

Also they promoted the huge Summerslam main event;

BROCK LESNAR VS. RANDY ORTON

for the first time on PPV.

It's not co-incidence that WWE announced their blockbuster summer match just a week before the event and that too in a style befitting the legitimacy of UFC.

Despite Vince McMahon placing emphasis on the entertainment of Sports Entertainment and also believing due to that; he and UFC are not in contention, there's no denying the legitimizing flavor Lesnar brings to the WWE as a hard hitting sport.

It helps in building Lesnar as a character who transcends the WWE image as a tough legitimate fighter, a UFC character in WWE.

It's an interesting aspect that allows the story for the Summer between Orton and Lesnar to not necessarily follow the prototypical linear story and focus itself as more of a first time bout in the making. [Bout being a key word].

Of course coming back to the main topic; I'm sure WWE and UFC are bound to work out future dates so that Brock Lesnar as both a UFC and more importantly WWE special attraction will bring more eyeballs to both products.

Indeed it is a great time to be a Brock Lesnar fan. The man is bound to wrap up his HALL of FAME WWE career in style as well as bring his A-Game back to the UFC Heavyweight division and possibly take the top title home, once more.

If he does so, just imagine that title strapped around his waist as he walks into a Monday Night RAW arena, the hoopla is bound to make Vince McMahon and Dana White some great money. WWE could do with the legitimacy of the UFC and despite what some may MMA fans may feel about the "fake sport" WWE could add a lot to UFC's pockets and visual appeal as long as Brock is committed in their corner. 

So Onward to Summerslam and more UFC's ring fights for the newly minted cross over global star; the Beast.

Brrroooockkkk Lesnaaaaarrrrr!!!

[PS: Imagine if this could build more future cross over stars; maybe a Ronda Rousey or Connor McGregor Wrestlemania appearance and match up?!]

When it Reigns, it Pours

On the Terrific, Awesome, Bombastic

Monday Night

SHIELD Reunion

This Monday Night WWE killed it with an exciting episode of RAW, the go home show to Sunday's Money in The Bank PPV. 

Billed as a PPV with noteworthy Wrestlemania Main Event Dream Matches, the latest offering of the MiTB looks to be a riot. 

Aj Styles vs. John Cena is 15 years in the making! The MiTB match is small but stacked with top class challengers looking to break the ceiling!

Finally the world is just inches to getting that much anticipated top class PPV singles match between; Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, no less for the WWE World Heavyweight championship. 

It's a match truly 2 years in the making!

And on Monday Night it went to a whole other gear as Dean Ambrose hosted his former SHIELD mates in an electric Ambrose Asylum talk show segment. 

While Ambrose played trickster to the duo, we got some rising tension not just building towards the monumental title match but also the inevitable clash of the titans of the three former stable mates. 

As usual, despite his abandonment of the fans; Rollins came out to a rancorous roar amidst Ambrose's venomous hate filled introduction marked by his sardonic wit. While Ambrose's bro for life, came to a spat of boos. 

A spat of boos that continued despite Rollins relished statement that he stabbed his brother in the back. 

You just have to imagine how badly WWE and its creative has fucked up Roman Reigns, that he gets booed for an event where in he was the victim. 

Since before the segment, WWE presented video packages of the SHIELD highlights that began with their infamous introduction in 2012 and ended with that cold hearted act that Rollins committed on his former brothers. 

So I'd like to take you back to that event and the snowballing effect it had on the careers of the three men that are now legitimately the cornerstones of WWE's new era. 

The SHIELD debuted at Survivor Series 2012 and went on a two year tear of the company in which it dominated in six man tag matches, beating some heavy duty teams including The Wyatt Family and and the reunited Evolution.

In the midst of all this, all three members became champions with Ambrose securing the United States Championship and keep this in mind; Roman and Rollins becoming tag team champions. 

On June 2nd 2014; the inevitable happened! The SHIELD broke up as Rollins, the architect destroyed his own supposed creation. Planting steel chairs across the back of his two friends and joining Triple H's Authority, to secure his position as the future of the company.

A heinous act bar none, Rollins bought in but the fans and his former mates knew he sold out. 

While yes the situation would have been two broken friends against one conniving traitor with the ruling power behind him; would have been a bit convoluted. WWE decided to make a huge mistake that I think till this day, is what affects Reigns standing in the eyes of fans. 

It's a subtle but powerful action that is masked by all the haters claiming Roman Reigns isn't worthy. Yes, he isn't a top class wrestler yet and neither is he top class on the mike, but when asked to step up; Reigns has been on many occasion, stellar!

But the subtle action is the follow up to this betrayal. While Rollins basked in his new found status, Dean Ambrose completely broken, deranged and now going by the 'Lunatic Fringe' chased his former friend through hell. 

What did Reigns do? 

He set his sights on the WWE World Championship instead. 

It just didn't make sense. While yes, it pit Reigns as the more emotionally stable of the two characters, it endeared Dean to the audience; as a victim underdog who couldn't let the betrayal side. 

Look at every promo Dean delivered in the midst of his two feuds post betrayal against Rollins, the core drive of the character comes out; a man who loved his brother like anything, only to see it torn down.

Reigns only entered the picture when need be; when Ambrose was out with an injury or when Rollins managed to steal Reigns world title from him. Never once did the betrayal affect him and it eventually made Reigns look both stupid and selfish. 

It took away from the Big Dog's mystique among other mishaps by WWE Creative. 

Reigns, SHIELD's Big Dog was neutered the day he decided that steel chair to the back meant nothing to him. Now he's paying the price for it. 

It's why this two years in the making match has found a tepid response. 

Sure fans will say it's also because Rollins returned from injury to a huge ovation but quickly turned down the fans, allowing Reigns to remain top face despite fans complete disregard of him. But that was a superb move as it maintained character consistency but also the situation [of no Authority] allowed Rollins to evolve but still remain the same conniving traitor from 2014. 

That character consistency shown through with Ambrose's introduction of Rollins and subsequent harsh teasing of him, that hides his deeper wounds. 

Onto Dean Ambrose, the only man to not be a world champion among his SHIELD brethren stole the show on Monday Night as the host. As Stephanie McMahon put it clearly; Ambrose made the show all about himself. He teased his involvement in his two brothers title match, via the Money in the Bank contract. 

I'd urge WWE to save that match for Wrestlemania 33 and not just on any PPV. 

Anyways while Dean was the MVP of the segment, Roman Reigns wasn't far behind. 

Yes that Roman Reigns!

After nearly two years, Reigns cracked and presented a fine promo that highlighted the pain caused by Rollins breaking up not their group, but a brotherhood.

Now this is a Wrestlemania worthy Main Event!

Kudos to Reigns, he held his own; presenting that he has since evolved as a performer even though if slowly in comparison to his quick fire push to the top. Reigns was a highlight through out as for a moment he lost himself in the SHIELD's reminisce of their glory days as well as the pain he reflected in remembering how many times Rollins has screwed him over against the fact that it was Rollins who was more of his partner and even mentor that his good brother Dean Ambrose. 

His teased dissension and regard for Ambrose's claims to the title were also on note. 

In a moment that found the rarely laid out Roman Reigns, laid out; he reminded us why at one point he was tracking big ovations before the brass cut his wings. 

Let's face it, whether we like it or not; Roman Reigns is the next if not already, the face of the WWE. Now we just need creative and Vince McMahon to allow him to do what he did this past Monday, cause on this night he truly proved to be...

...The Guy!

The Next Face of WWE is...Bayley!

The NxT face of WWE is...

BAYLEY!

 

 

The so called Divas Revolution may have begun last year in the WWE, but it hadn't take shape at least in the frontiers of the company by the time Wrestlemania 32 kicked in and we were witness to a career and division defining match between; Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte for the newly christened WWE Women's Championship. 

It's a slow process but it's happening, I mean when was the last time that Divas had two genuinely captivating stories play out on TV, yet the fans wanted more especially of the "missing" Sasha Banks.

But the revolution truly began like much of the revolution of the new WWE era at the grassroots of WWE's developmental [can we still call it that?] brand; NxT, where the fostering of young capable women into champion calibre material was based on the inherent importance of equality and the fact that the women should compete not just strut their stuff, in a manner of speaking. 

This mantra truly began to take shape when four blossoming wrestlers became the front and center of not just their division but also NxT as a whole [albeit on a shared platform with the men]. 

These four women began to be known as The Four Horse Women [take that Ronda Rousey!] of the WWE. 

The Four Horse Women of the NxT [from left to right]: Becky Lynch, Bayley, Charlotte and Sasha Banks

It began as a revolution and it turned into a brand as these women tour the house down together in their bid to claim NxT Women's Gold as well as prove that they belonged in the Main Event; and they eventually did when Bayley [the champion at the time] took on her arch rival Sasha Banks at NxT Takeover: Respect in an unprecedented 30 Minute Iron Woman's Match in the Main Event, the final match on the card. 

A sense of vindication for all the hard work that not just these four women had accomplished but a whole host of those behind them. 

It made perfect sense that the match that took place was between these two rivals. 

While NxT's womens division story in a meta fiction sense was about the dissolution of the typical WWE Diva and the reinstatement of competition in the Women's division through the rise of the Four Horse Women. 

The story line at the center of NxT's women's championship was about the culmination of the 'every woman' Bayley's dream of accomplishing her goals to be the best and prove she could hang with the top dogs of her division without losing a hint of who she was in the process. 

Bayley entered NxT as an odd little sister type character of the division, who was always cloyingly annoying and put down when push came to shove. She transcended into the lovable 'Hugger' who's naivety came in the way of her inability to see all the odds stacking up against her as well. 

Each time she'd face a betrayal or a set back she'd be back up to fight the good fight, her underdog status as well as nice clean likeable persona endearing her to the young inspirable girls as well as the Full Sail adults who could appreciate her superb wrestling talents. 

In came Sasha Banks, having developed her snarky, snobby and vicious Boss character to a whole other level; Banks provided the great foil to Bayley, a complete opposite of what the plucky hero was. Yet Banks also maintained a dignity to the division and her wrestling abilities shown. 

Thrown in the somewhat susceptible to trust and alternate Becky Lynch as well as tough as nails bully big sister Charlotte and here was the perfect recipe to see the rise of Bayley for a storyline that over reached and simmered in the NxT for the next couple of years building a brand out of the talented women especially Bayley. 

 

At The Granddaddy of Them All, Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch for the new WWE Women's Championship...A culmination of the past year's Women's Revolution!

Watch any NxT event, heck any WWE event and there will be a plethora of young girls dressed as Bayley with their colorful bands, one side pony tail and loose purple shirts [signifying a casual fun demeanor]. Everyone is already becoming a Hugger. 

That brings me to my next point. 

The other side of finding equality in an industry is to not forget that while men can release the load, they deserve just as much of the spot light. Right now WWE's main event is in such a stasis despite the abundance of talent, that's it's hard not to see WWE allowing the women to main event a PPV one point down the line. 

Bayley in my opinion should be forebearer for this along with of course the women that have slowly opened the gates and pioneered the way with her including fringe peripherals such as Nikki Bella, Paige, Naomi and Natalya. Talents that should not be forgotten. 

But Bayley should be more than that. 

Since near the past half a decade, WWE has known one thing in their hearts; they need to look for a new face for the company. No matter how much love and passion their current face John Cena has for the product, eventually he is going to retire and leave a big whole that can't be filled with the way Vince McMahon and Co. have been running their product. 

Don't get me wrong? The current WWE roster is probably the most talented it has been, in ages! Yet due to poor decision making, booking and all general writing of content; WWE have truly failed in their pursuit of the next big thing. 

Rocky roads in the early 2000's after the end of WWE's Attitude Era, saw a bunch of stars make the leap from the company's then developmental brand OVW. 

Five stars were pegged for the future with one front and center; One's talent was wasted to horrendous results and now remains a veteran of the Indie scene, Another quit when the company changed directions and is on his way to becoming a huge movie star, The third; a generational superstar made headways as the big bad of the company but never reached his true potential, The fourth not a fan of the industry quit and became a fighting phenomenon before returning as a special attraction. 

The fifth was never looked upon to carry the company but has probably become synonymous with WWE and the biggest star to be known worldwide since The Rock and Steve Austin. That man is John Cena. 

John Cena has indeed transcended sports entertainment and you know what he is; a clean cut, fan friendly superstar who hits the ring to huge ovations [including boos] from a crowd wearing colorful shirts and singing a good tune for the children especially the boys that imitate him and are inspired by him. He is a company man thanks to his numerous press outings with a buoyancy that promotes the company in the best light and his numerous charity works. 

WWE have tried, but due to their own misguided failings haven't found the perfect replacement, here's a look see at what they couldn't get that they happened to find in Cena; 

Randy Orton-As aforementioned, a stellar villain in his heyday for the company but not one that can carry the company as a hero. They tried to shuffle between the two at the top once Batista left, but his initial issues and failures never helped. 

CM Punk-Punk made himself a star but his alternate Indie persona as well as WWE's hesitance in allowing Punk to settle in as the top dog and hesitance on giving him space cost the company heavily. Today he maintains a sour relationship with a place that could have made millions of of him.

Daniel Bryan-Another Indie sensation that the fans fell in love with but WWE refused to acknowledge until they were forced to pull the trigger. Injuries set him back all the way to a tragic early retirement, but even if they hadn't all Bryan would have been is a necessary stop gap for the company despite his white hot popularity.

There were others that they tried with namely; Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and Ryback, all WWE pet projects unlike the above two that just couldn't cut it. 

Finally the biggest mess ever made; Roman Reigns. 

 

With the talent available including Reigns, The load of the company should be shared among talents rather than search for the one note indestructible character that Roman Reigns has become. He needs to refine his skills no doubt but Reigns isn't a bad guy, yet he's not the Guy, yet!

Vince McMahon wants Roman Reigns to be the face of the WWE. Where it went wrong is a story for another time, but the summary is that in his bid to repeat the formula and blindly go ahead with his plans despite learning from the history of his successes and failures; McMahon ruined what could have actually been a potentially great face of the company in Roman Reigns. 

The difference between the kind of backlash that say Reigns gets as compared to other pet projects is that despite also the plethora of talented wrestlers on the roster at one point Roman Reigns was belove unanimously and fans believe with time he could have become the next big thing; yet WWE's rush to pull the trigger killed him. 

The rush came due to WWE's own past reliance on the decade on part time/retired talent rather than building their current roster up. So now with the waning list of veterans, a rush was required and it has bombed; it can still be salvaged. 

However even then, a better alternative is required. The current billing of WWE is that their is a new era on the horizon. It's definitely not the Roman Empire or The SHIELD era but rather a culmination of that whole saga as well as the changing face of WWE's evolution known as the;

The NxT era!

The future is now!

And why not make that future one such colorful heroic face like John Cena, the kind Vince McMahon is so desperate to emulate. She's right in front of him, what's great is she's different in her manners, her genuine underdog attitude as well as already an accomplished performer while for some reason she's liked unanimously unlike Cena who brings in a mixed crowd [albeit one that has become a part of his act wonderfully]. 

 

The story of Bayley and her biggest fan Izzy goes to show what an inspiration she and the new division of women's wrestling are becoming. 

If WWE truly as about the Women's Revolution and believe that a great change is necessary and if the world is truly moving towards a true gender equal state than Bayley as the face of the company should not come as a shock but rather a fact, not a statement just because for the sake of equality but statistically Bayley is the definite next big thing they have waiting in the wings!

[Currently Bayley sits pretty as the veteran in the NxT women's locker room despite having lost her championship to upstart Asuka, yet news is she's not headed up to the main shows yet. It's a good thing as NxT still needs a bit of balancing and the WWE's main Women's division should be more of a normalcy than a revolution by the time the Hugger makes her way up]

I'm A Hugger, you should be too...

Bayley for The Face of the WWE!

And that's the bottom line, Cause, 

Aneesh

Said So!

Evolve 61

Evolve 61

The week in independent wrestling has been a fascinating one with both Evolve 61 and ROH Global Wars taking the world by storm with some interesting developments in the two promotions biggest story lines in recent times. 

While ROH saw the shocker of a star join the already legendary Bullet Club, Evolve made some headway and faced some in house roadblocks towards its eventual consumption by juggernaut WWE. Hence why it becomes a must watch for me to catch  my first ever EVOLVE event and now try my level best to review it. 

Remember I'm not a wrestling writer with adept knowledge of moves and all that, so forgive me if I take references and/or make mistakes. 

Here goes, Coming to you live from Queens, New York...