Please don’t waste this.

Intercontinental Title: The Miz(c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor

This was almost a guaranteed layup title change (not sure who would have been winning) but then Miz became a father. Earlier this week on “Monday Night Raw”, Miz gave one of the most heartfelt speeches you’ll ever hear when he talked about looking at his daughter for the first time and wanting her to be proud of him. It almost turned Miz face on the spot and that made me wonder if things were as simple as they seemed. Throw in Miz being less than a month away from the most days as champion and it’s just not such an easy win.

I’ll take Rollins to win the title here though, as WWE seems like the kind of place that would forget what they did on Monday and go with their regular plans. Rollins getting the big win would be a nice boost for him, even though Balor needs the win more. I’d rather have Miz retain and set the record, but it would be a stretch to ignore that speech from Miz on Monday as it was that good.

With or without bonus toys.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. New Day vs. Bludgeon Brothers

There were rumors that this would be a TLC match and of course that’s always an option as WWE has added stipulations at the last minute before. The Bludgeon Brothers have looked like the most dominant teams in a good while despite almost never winning a major match yet. The Usos and New Day have been awesome against each other, but it’s hard to say what we might see with the monsters included.

I was going to go with the Bludgeon Brothers here but really, I could see the Usos retaining and then the Bludgeon Brothers taking the titles in a regular match. It wouldn’t make any sense and would be straight up dumb, but that’s the kind of thing WWE excels at. The Bludgeon Brothers are going to wind up with the titles at some point in the near future, but I just don’t think it’s here.

Pick from someone.

Wrestlemania Women’s Battle Royal

After all the controversy over Fabulous Moolah, it’s time to get down to the actual point…and it’s really hard to care. We just saw a much bigger and more important women’s battle royal about two months ago and now we’re supposed to get fired up for this. I haven’t been able to care about it for the most part as it’s just a match that we’ve seen recently without much else to it.

I’ll take…Bayley to win the thing I guess, as she and Sasha Banks are pretty clearly ready for a big time feud. Other than that though, who else is supposed to win the thing? A lot of the names in the thing (of fourteen announced) are just cannon fodder and that leaves a handful of options to win the match. Other than that the only real options (barring a big surprise entrant) are Banks and Becky Lynch, unless you have someone out of left field win it and then go nowhere as a result.

We have arrived. It’s FINALLY time for the biggest night of the wrestling year and that means we’re in New Orleans for “Wrestlemania XXXIV”. There’s a huge card with some top level title matches, Daniel Bryan’s long awaited in-ring return and a few questions about what we may or may not be seeing. The card is actually stacked, but it’s hard to say what we might be seeing with all of the wild cards that might be thrown our way. It’s time to break the whole thing down so let’s get to it.

Raw Women’s Title: Alexa Bliss(c) vs. Nia Jax

I figured I’d start with what should be the shortest match on the card. This story is built around the idea of Bliss bullying the much bigger Jax for both her looks and her size, which has gotten to Jax after having heard this all her life. It’s turned Jax into a monster who wants to destroy Bliss once and for all. Jax has never won a title and Bliss has taken out almost everyone else, but now it’s time for the showdown.

Based on the story that has been told, this should be Jax squashing Bliss in under two minutes. Bliss can get in a few shots, but Jax should just snap up, throw Bliss into the corner, and wreck her in short order. There’s no reason to believe that Bliss can hang with her in a straight fight. Jax needs to destroy her once and for all, which is exactly what this has been setting up for.

IMG Credit: WWE

It’s a big wrestling weekend and that means it’s time for another NXT Takeover special. As is almost always the case, that means NXT could steal the weekend again. It’s not like they haven’t done it before as their previous special featured one of the best matches WWE has produced in a good many years. This time around there’s a match that has been built up for the better part of a year and if the build is any indication, it could be a masterpiece. Let’s get to it.

Women’s Title: Ember Moon(c) vs. Shayna Baszler

We’ll get one of the easier ones out of the way first with this rematch. Moon won the title after Asuka moved up to the main roster and hasn’t exactly impressed as champion. She’s not very interesting and never actually beating Asuka didn’t do her any favors. Why should I buy her as the top star of the division when Asuka never lost and Moon gets to be the best of the ones still in NXT?

Naturally I’m taking Baszler to win here as there’s no reason not to. Baszler has been the best character in the division for a long time now and can choke people out for awhile until the next challenger is ready. There’s nothing left for her to do but win the title and dominate as champion, though I’m not sure where that leaves Moon. I’m not sure what she would do on the main roster other than just being another name, but there isn’t much left for her in NXT.

North American Title: Adam Cole vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream

Take six guys, put a ladder above the ring and see what happens I guess. This is for the inaugural title and there’s really not much else to say. Two of the participants are brand new and the match is wide open. I’d rather this be a pinfall or submission match with elimination rules but that’s never been WWE’s path forward on something like this. The match should be fun but there’s a good chance of it being a total mess, as is often the case in a big match with ladders involved.

That being said, I’ll take…..geez Dream I guess. There’s no wrong answer to this and while seeing Sullivan win the title would make sense, I’m seeing Dream going on to Brooklyn and winning the NXT Title so this is a good place to start. I’ll give NXT this though: they’ve put together six people and you really could pick any of them to win the title. That’s not the case very often and it’s really cool to see for a change.

NXT Title: Andrade Cien Almas(c) vs. Aleister Black

The more I think of this, the more unsure I am of the outcome. Almas is being presented as Black’s next victim but that was the same thing that was said when he faced Drew McIntyre. I’m not sure if that’s the case here as Almas winning and holding on to the title until “Takeover: Brooklyn” could be interesting. I could easily see Gargano getting one more chance in Brooklyn, but I’m not sure that’s where they’re going.

I’ll take Black winning the title and getting rid of Almas to send him to the main roster, but I’m almost thinking I’m wrong as I write this out. Almas and Zelina Vega are an amazing act together and having him give Black his first singles loss could be a great crowning achievement for him. This could be interesting, but they better not let it main event with a certain other match on the card.

Tag Team Titles/Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Adam Cole/Kyle O’Reilly(c) vs. Authors of Pain vs. Roderick Strong/Pete Dunne

This is one of those things that will be wrapped up by the time you read this and really, I’m not sure where to go here. Bobby Fish being injured throws everything up in the air, though Cole and O’Reilly continuing for months as a team would be just fine. This is getting more and more confusing the more I think about it as they really could go with any of the three teams here and get the right call.

I think I’ll go with Undisputed Era retaining and winning the tournament at the same time (ignore how ridiculous that sounds). The Authors don’t have anything else to win and I’m not sure if they’re going to go with a makeshift team winning to give Dunne a second title. The Era feels like the safe pick here but just like in the ladder match, it’s a wide open field where anyone could come out with the titles.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

This needs to main event the show, full stop. These two have put on one of the biggest rivalries in years, despite not actually having a match yet. This is unsanctioned and anything goes (as it should be) but it’s going to be all about emotion. If you have a match where they both come out looking to kill each other, it’s a complete pick em and could be one of the most heart wrenching matches NXT has ever done.

I’ll go with Gargano in what should be a layup. I’m scared of the idea of him going to the main roster and being the latest big star on “205 Live” because that place hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire in the near year and a half’s worth of chances it’s had. I want to see these two tear each other’s heads off and that’s not something you can put together over night. Let us see something special, and let it close the show.

Overall Thoughts

I’m looking forward to this, which is almost a weird feeling coming in to a Takeover. For some reason the build doesn’t always have me fired up for a show but this could be a classic up and down the card. NXT has stolen many a big wrestling weekend and there’s no reason they can’t pull it off all over again. This is what they do and I hope to see them pull it off one more time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

It’s almost the middle of March and for some reason we’re talking about a pay per view that isn’t Wrestlemania. Due to the calendar going the way it’s set up, we have a “Smackdown Live” pay per view to get through, leaving us four weeks to get ready for “Wrestlemania XXXIV”. WWE hasn’t exactly done much to make this show look good, but of course we have to deal with it as well. Therefore, “Fastlane 2018” comes off more as something that we have to do rather than something I’m likely to enjoy. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s Smackdown if you need a recap.

Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. New Day

I know this seems like little more than a way to fill in time before the Bludgeon Brothers take the titles but at least we should be having a great match on the way in. These teams have some of the best chemistry in WWE today and their previous matches have been nothing short of outstanding. I could go for watching these teams for days and thankfully they’ve taken some time off so the feud doesn’t get stale.

I’m going to take the Usos to win here, as the New Day just doesn’t need to win the titles. Above all else though, they’re better opponents for the Bludgeon Brothers down the line. They’re tailor made to get in the Brothers’ faces and then get beaten later on. New Day would make the team too much of a joke and that’s not the way you want to go with a team like the Bludgeon Brothers. Either way, great match, which is exactly why you put these four together.

Becky Lynch/Naomi vs. Carmella/Natalya

This is a match that was tacked on to the card earlier this week and I’m really not sure what the purpose is, aside from reminding us that Carmella and her Money in the Bank briefcase exist. Carmella hasn’t been much of a factor in recent weeks and this match doesn’t feel like the biggest deal in the world. At least it’s going to fill in some time though and we’re at a point where you can trust these four to give you ten minutes of good to quite good action.

I’ll take Lynch and Naomi for the win here as there’s not much of a point to the match. Odds are this goes on after Usos vs. New Day for the sake of letting the fans cool down a bit before the main event. Natalya is going to be fine for a spot here and Lynch/Naomi are both great at firing up the crowd. Carmella is a good character and passable in the ring so the match should be fine, albeit nothing worth remembering.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev

Here’s the second match that was added to the pay per view on this week’s “Smackdown Live” and that’s not the best thing in the world. Nakamura is coming up on a Smackdown World Title match at “Wrestlemania XXXIV” and for some reason this is his highest profile match since winning the Royal Rumble over a month ago. It’s like they’ve forgotten about him for some reason. Speaking of forgotten about, I won’t even bother getting into the rant about how Rusev has been treated like an afterthought since striking gold with Rusev Day.

Of course Nakamura wins here and there’s not much of a doubt about that whatsoever. Nakamura is just a bigger deal and Rusev is glorified cannon fodder for him at the moment. Let Nakamura get a big win (well, biggish) under his belt before he goes after AJ Styles and the title. He should be against a bigger name but take what he can get here, which is a sad thing to say about the #1 contender.

US Title: Bobby Roode(c) vs. Randy Orton

Now this one I’m not sure about. In theory this is designed to set up another match down the line with Jinder Mahal added to the mix (save us now) but at the moment, it’s just a solo effort. Roode is starting to find his groove as the champion but at the end of the day, Orton is Orton. They’re playing up the idea that Orton has never won the title, though the question is whether that’s enough to change things here.

I’m thinking no, as I’m expecting Mahal to interfere and cost Orton the match. Orton complains and a triple threat rematch is made for “Wrestlemania”. This isn’t exactly thrilling stuff as there’s little reason for Roode to want to face Orton, though at least Orton has a reason to go after the title. This could be a pleasant surprise, but it completely depends on which Orton shows up.

Women’s Title: Charlotte(c) vs. Ruby Riott

While I don’t see the ending as being in doubt, this one intrigues me quite a bit. This match is going to be a way to test Riott’s abilities in a big match and that could open some doors for her in the future. Charlotte is capable of having some of the best matches with anyone and it would be nice to see what she can get out of Riott.

Of course I’m going with Charlotte to retain here as most signs seem to point towards her defending against Asuka at “Wrestlemania”. This can be a nice tuneup for the champ before she heads to New Orleans, but again I’m more interested in Riott here. She’s done well on the mic and her matches have been better, so it should be interesting to give her a shot on a much bigger stage against a better opponent. Maybe she can make something of it and if that’s the case, well done.

Smackdown World Title: AJ Styles(c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena

If one match sums up every problem that I have with WWE’s booking in one long list of names, this is it. Instead of writing up a more interesting story or having two of these people in a singles match with a feud of their own or even having one of them face Nakamura, everyone is thrown into one mess of a match. Why have creative be creative when you can have them be, well, not creative?

Styles retains here, but the more interesting question is what happens to everyone else. You can almost guarantee Owens and Zayn having issues that are going to lead to something between the two of them, but the others are all just kind of there. Cena won’t be going to “Wrestlemania” because this is his LAST option (until a gong sounds of course) and that really leaves Styles as the best option (Ziggler and Corbin winning is laughable). This is all about Styles winning and a lack of effort otherwise, but that’s a rant for another time.

Overall Thoughts

I think I’ve made my take on this show pretty clear already. A week or so ago I dubbed this show Speed Bump because it’s slowing things down instead of moving us forward to something actually worthwhile. There’s some stuff on this show that interests me but at the same time, the show feels like something we’re getting through rather than something worth watching. I just want to get it done and move on to something actually worthwhile, like Wrestlemania for example.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

Since WWE can’t just let us go from the Royal Rumble to Wrestlemania without multiple pay per views in between, we now have “Elimination Chamber 2018” and that means a double shot of Elimination Chambers. Why bother making one of the matches work better when you can just do it twice and hope people will care more that way? It’s a rather slim card but a double Chamber match should help a lot. Let’s get to it.

In case you’ve forgotten it, here’s last year’s show.

And the go home episode of Monday Night Raw.

Kickoff Show: Anderson and Gallows vs. Miztourage

This feels like a way to extend (Or is it start?) Miz vs. Finn Balor, and that’s not the worst idea in the world. I can always go for a battle of the goons, especially when Miz’s goons are very good at what they do. There’s a good chance this sets up a six man or just a singles match down the line and for a match that doesn’t have a lot of meaning to it, that should be just fine.

I’ll take the Miztourage as this feels like the kind of match where they would set you up for Gallows and Anderson to win easily and then throw in a swerve. Miztourage winning via cheating would make sense and draw Balor in, which seems to be the goal of the whole thing. This should be fine for an opener though and that’s all it needs to be.

Asuka vs. Nia Jax

Now this one doesn’t do much for me. The whole thing has been about Jax being the one to dethrone Asuka and end the undefeated streak and…..why would I believe that? We’ve been here multiple times with Jax now and she just doesn’t win the big matches. They’ve built her up as an unstoppable monster in both NXT and WWE and it’s the same thing every time.

So yeah, Asuka wins here and does so in the same manner she’s done it every single time now: survive Jax’s impressive offense and then win in the end with some kind of a hold. They’re not going to give her the Women’s Royal Rumble win and then lose the undefeated streak six weeks before “Wrestlemania XXXIV”. That doesn’t make sense and we’ve been here before. Stop with the same story.

Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt

This is another match we’ve seen before and it’s already lost a bunch of its steam. Wyatt is the same person he’s been for years and Hardy is now feeling like he’s playing the Woken character rather than being the Woken character like he was back in TNA. The fact that we’ve already seen them fight doesn’t help either and now we’re watching them again, which doesn’t make me care about it any more.

I’ll take Wyatt to win here as Hardy is already down lower than he was when he became the new character in the first place. Wyatt could be built up for a “Wrestlemania XXXIV” match but Hardy is seeming more and more destined for some thrown together match. That’s not the most surprising thing, but maybe they’ll throw him a win here and give it one more try. I wouldn’t be stunned, but I’m really not expecting it.

Tag Team Titles: The Bar(c) vs. Titus Worldwide

This is a thing that’s happening too and while I get why (we’ll get to that in a minute), it’s not the most thrilling match around. Titus Worldwide has been built up as being able to beat the Bar (except that one time they didn’t) so there’s some drama, but it’s not like this is the most thrilling match in the world.

That being said, I’ll go with new champions in WWE’s effort to celebrate Black History Month. This wouldn’t be the biggest surprise in the world and that’s not a bad thing, as the tag division really needs some fresh blood. Giving Titus Worldwide the titles, even for a short while, would offer that fresh blood and you could always go back there later if necessary. For now though, the Bar loses but they’ll likely get the belts back soon enough.

Women’s Elimination Chamber

Here we have another of those firsts that WWE loves to do anymore and….yeah I really don’t see why they shouldn’t. The women’s division has been built up well enough to support something like this so why not do one? It’s not as big as the Royal Rumble last month but it also doesn’t feel tacked on for the sake of tacking it on. It’s better than the tag version in 2015 at least.

I’ll take Alexa Bliss to retain here because really, what other options are there? Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville are this match’s Carlito and Chris Masters, Mickie James isn’t winning anything anytime soon, and Bayley is a lost cause. I guess there’s a possibility of Sasha Banks winning it, but Jax vs. Bliss is about as logical of a match as you have for the title at “Wrestlemania XXXIV” so we’ll go with that.

Men’s Elimination Chamber

After this Monday’s insane gauntlet match, I can appreciate WWE trying to do something with this. Really, I can. The result has worked well enough too, as the obvious ending is still obvious but at least they’re giving us a reason to think something might be changing. The gauntlet match kind of gave it away, but at least they’re trying.

And of course Roman Reigns wins. Like really, what else are you expecting? It might take three or four spears to Braun Strowman, but Reigns is going to New Orleans whether we like it or not. Now, like I said, they’ve actually done a good job of making you believe it won’t happen and I completely applaud them for that. Before, ti’s been the most obvious result in the world from January on. Now it’s late February and we’re just getting to it, which should at least make things easier to sit through.

Overall Thoughts

I’m really not feeling this show, but that’s more to wanting to get to the big build more than anything else. We have six weeks to go before “Wrestlemania XXXIV” and all I ask for here is some good action. Yeah the booking is pretty obvious, but just let us have something fun along the way. The Chambers should be worth seeing, but the rest of the card doesn’t exactly thrill me. Still though, things might be ok.

Oh and Ronda Rousey’s contract signing. That’s certainly a thing that’s happening too. I’m betting Stephanie McMahon gets involved and that’s the setup for “Wrestlemania XXXIV”, because we’re ALL looking forward to McMahon getting that moment that has eluded her for….well at least a few days by this point.

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

The big day is here. We’re less than twenty four hours away from the “2018 Royal Rumble” and that means we’re in for one of the biggest nights of the wrestling year. In this case we have two Royal Rumble matches to go with two far less interesting World Title matches, but the double Rumble on its own should be enough to carry the show as far as it needs to go. Besides, even if the Rumbles are terrible, they’re still Royal Rumbles and that makes them entertaining by definition.

Kickoff Show: US Title: Bobby Roode(c) vs. ???

This is an open challenge with new champion Roode defending against an opponent to be named. In this case, that could be anyone and that makes this a little more interesting. It also opens the door for another Rumble name if a surprise shows up as there’s always the chance that someone will work two matches on the show, though that tends to not be the case most of the time.

I’ll take Jinder Mahal to answer the challenge and Roode to retain. The other options would likely be Tye Dillinger and Dolph Ziggler, though I would need therapy to get my head around the idea of Ziggler vacating the title and then coming back to try and win it in a regular match. Roode should of course retain and sadly enough, he has to do it on the pre-show.

Kickoff Show: Revival vs. Anderson and Gallows

You know, I’m already more optimistic about this match than I was when they fought Monday on “Raw”. Really, it can’t get any worse for the Revival than what happened to them there so it’s a nice relief to know we might actually get an interesting match. At the very least there isn’t likely to be a completely unnecessary legends beatdown, so things are looking up.

Unfortunately I’l take Anderson and Gallows to win here. Not that they need it more (though a win would be nice for them) but more laong the lines of WWE seems to like the idea of throwing someone out there and having them lose in a short match before having them lose in a longer match. This should be fine though, and if Revival can pull off the win, even better.

Kickoff Show: Kalisto/Lince Dorado/Gran Metalik vs. TJP/Jack Gallagher/Drew Gulak

Watch them put this on the pre-show second, leaving one of the other matches to get the empty arena treatment. This feels like any other six man tag you might see on “205 Live” and as luck would have it, the same three good guys fought TJP and two other partners on this week’s show. For WWE, this is impressive progress.

I’ll take the luchadors to win because really, it’s not like it matters one way or another. We’re still waiting on the new General Manager to take over “205 Live” and reset things (again) so sthere’s no way of telling what to expect at the moment. You’ll get some nice dives and flips, but really there’s not much to this one. It’ll serve its purpose of warming up the crowd, but that purpose is low when there are so many other matches on the card.

Raw Tag Team Titles: Seth Rollins/Jason Jordan(c) vs. The Bar

Jordan and Rollins have only been champions for a month now and it already feels like they’ve had them for a year. I’m not sure why I’m supposed to be interested in Jordan’s heel turn and move into a feud with Rollins in the injured Dean Ambrose’s place but that might suggest that WWE has to come up with something that fits instead of just writing a new story two months out.

I’ll take Rollins and Jordan to retain for now but you know they’re going to lose the titles in the near future. Sheamus’ injury issues would suggest that they’re not the best options in the world to take the titles so I’ll wait on Anderson and Gallows to win the titles, probably at “Elimination Chamber 2018” For now though, it’s more miscommunication as we wait on the heel turn.

Smackdown World Title: AJ Styles(c) vs. Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn

What a weird title match. Does anyone believe we’re going to have co-champions? I get that the idea is something about Shane McMahon vs. Daniel Bryan in their ridiculous power struggle story because WWE for some reason thinks that’s more important than the World Title situation, but for now we’re getting this match for the title on one of the biggest pay per views of the year.

I’m not sure how, but Styles retains here, possibly through interference from the two bosses. I mean, it’s hard to imagine that they’re not at ringside to keep the focus where it needs to be, but other than that we’re likely watching a lot of double teaming from some great heels while they try to make the match work. Styles can be great against either of them, but for some reason they’ve gone with the least appealing match they could choose. But yeah, Styles retains.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. Chad Gable/Shelton Benjamin

This is a 2/3 falls match, which seems like a smart idea on a show with so much time to fill. If they spend their time right, they can put together something very entertaining here as they all know how to fly around the ring and be very entertaining. The Usos have been the best team in the company for a very long time and that could make for a fun match, especially given the amount of time they should have.

I’ll take the Usos to retain here as their feud against the Bludgeon Brothers seems to be set in stone from here. Benjamin and Gable are almost guaranteed to win one fall and then we can move on to the teams going crazy in the third fall. The Usos are more than capable of rocking the house with good challengers and that’s what they have here. This should be a lot of fun.

Raw World Title: Brock Lesnar(c) vs. Kane vs. Braun Strowman

This is being written a few hours after Johnny Gargano and Andrade Cien Almas rocked the house for the NXT Title. Now why do I have a feeling that this one might not have the same level of emotion? The Universal Title has continued to be a thing that exists while we wait until New Orleans and there’s just no hiding that.

I’d like to say Braun Strowman wins here just for the sake of some false hope but it’s going to be Brock Lesnar pinning Kane (though pinning Strowman wouldn’t shock me) to retain the title and head on to the big title match with Roman Reigns. Hopefully this approaches the intensity of the hoss fights from late last year but I’m not exactly buying the idea of Kane being able to do that. Hopefully he doesn’t slow things down too badly, but he should just be there to take the pin.

Men’s Royal Rumble

The more I think about it, the more drama I think there might be in this. That’s a little bit of a change of pace as WWE has done next to nothing to hype this match. It’s really just been “hey it’s the Rumble” and we’ll worry about the rest later. There are a few potential winners and while some of them are more interesting than others, as usual, it’s going to boil down to just a few options.

I’m torn on this one but I think I’m going to go with Roman Reigns. It’s either going to be him or Shinsuke Nakamura (or maybe John Cena) but it would be better if they didn’t waste our time with the false hope of Reigns not going to the title match in New Orleans. Of course they could use this to make a new star but that doesn’t seem to be their cup of tea lately. Hopefully it happens here though, as they REALLY need that at the moment.

Women’s Royal Rumble

I’m starting to get more interested in this one as I’m curious to see what they might throw in here to fill in the spots. That being said, EGADS WHY MUST STEPHANIE MCMAHON BE ON COMMENTARY DURING THE ENTIRE THING??? I really could go without the announcers cowering in fear of her hatred of all things pronouns and trying to be all casual and funny while speaks the corporate line all match.

The more I think about it, the more I think Nia Jax takes this. Asuka seems to be a little too easy and hopefully it sets up Asuka vs. Charlotte. Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss II isn’t a Wrestlemania caliber match and they would be crazy to go there when Charlotte is an option. Go with Jax and see who she gets to face for the title while FINALLY giving her a big win at the same time. It’s a better story, but none of the options are really great.

Overall Thoughts

Like I said, they’ve done a pretty pathetic job of setting up this show. They’ve focused on the two World Title matches without realizing that there’s not much to either of them in the first place. The “Raw” match is the most obvious ending in the world and the “Smackdown” match is more about the bosses being passive aggressive to each other than the title match or the wrestlers involved. That’s not lost on the fans and it hasn’t helped make me interested in the show.

Other than that we have the two Rumbles themselves, which haven’t built up anyone but Asuka as a real threat to win either match. You could go for Nakamura or Reigns, but other than the two of them the thing feels like it could be anyone winning, even though almost no one has been built up for either match. Hopefully the matches do better than they seem on paper, which should be the case given that it’s the Rumble.

Oh and for surprise picks: Kaitlyn, Michelle McCool, Tommy Dreamer and for some reason, Ryback.

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It’s time, once again, for everybody to come about the NXT train. This weekend WWE is doing another one of its big multi-night marathons in a single city and it all starts with NXT “Takeover: Philadelphia”. As usual, there’s a five match card with all three titles on the line and two other matches to fill out the card. If this thing can live up to the rest of NXT’s Takeover efforts, this should be excellent. Let’s get to it.

Tag Team Titles: Undisputed Era(c) vs. Authors of Pain

I could have sworn that this was supposed to be a cage match. These teams (along with Sanity) have been feuding on and off for months with the Undisputed Era coming away with the titles for the time being. However, the Authors of Pain are arguably the most dominant team in the history of NXT so there’s a real chance that they could get the titles back here.

That being said, I’m taking the Undisputed Era as there’s no reason to keep the Authors of Pain in NXT any longer (save for a feud with the debuting War Machine). The champs retaining and finally establishing themselves as the best of the three teams is the way to go and makes whoever can take them down look that much better. The match should be fun with the Undisputed Era cheating to win like they’re supposed to.

Women’s Title: Ember Moon(c) vs. Shayna Baszler

This is an interesting one in that it’s not the most interesting thing in the world. Baszler has only been around for a few weeks now and is already one of the best characters in all of NXT. She knows exactly how to play the outsider bully, mainly because it feels so natural for her. Throw in the good looking choke and it’s hard to argue against her. On the other hand though, Moon doesn’t really have a character. She has intense eyes and that’s really about it, but she’s Asuka’s successor.

I’m going to take Moon retaining via DQ here, though seeing Baszler choke her out for the title wouldn’t shock me. More than likely though, Baszler chokes her out but won’t let go and loses the title as a result. The problem right now is that aside from Kairi Sane, there isn’t another face to put the title on so Moon is probably the best option. Baszler will get the title one day though.

Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream

Ohno is a very valuable thing to have on the roster: the grizzled veteran who can wrestle a solid match while putting someone young over and making them look good at the same time. Dream is in need of a big win at the moment, having lost at “Takeover: WarGames” to Aleister Black and last week on “NXT” to Johnny Gargano. I think you get where I’m going with this.

Of course it’s going to be Dream winning and there’s really no doubt about this one. Throw him out there in the opener and let him take a bunch of big forearms to the head before hitting the Purple Rainmaker for the pin. It’s a simple idea and the fans are going to eat up Dream’s stuff, especially after his previous two great performances. Easy winner here though.

Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole

Extreme Rules. This might be the most interesting match on the show and there’s a very good chance that it’s going to be the best as well. Black is one of the best acts in NXT at the moment with one of the best finishers but Black is more of an acquired taste. He’s a great talker, but at the same time he needs to be able to do something in the ring to back that up.

I’m going to take Black here but Cole winning is a possibility, especially with Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly available to run interference if necessary. I could see Black getting screwed out of the title, but Black getting an NXT Title shot in New Orleans makes a lot of sense as well, meaning he should win here. I’ll take Black in a match that really could go either way.

NXT Title: Andrade Cien Almas(c) vs. Johnny Gargano

This is a different kind of story as they have a past together and there’s a future for both guys but at the same time there isn’t much going on between them at the moment. Gargano won a competition to become #1 contender and is in the middle of a huge redemption story and Almas feels more like a transitional champion, even though he’s kind of redeeming himself at the same time.

That being said, Almas retains here when Tommaso Ciampa runs in for the interference and costs Gargano his chance at becoming champion. That sets up the mother of all grudge matches in New Orleans while Almas retains the title and gets to face Black, who can kick his head off and win the title….I think. It should be a fun match as they surprised me in Brooklyn, but I’m not sure they can top what they did there.

Overall, “Takeover: Philadelphia” doesn’t seem like the best show on paper. Nothing really jumps off the page at me but that’s been the case before and NXT has blown me away almost every time. Almas’ time on top hasn’t been the most thrilling in the world but they’ll set something up to get things going soon enough, because that’s how NXT does things. Let them show what they can do and everything will be fine.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

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Is it really a good idea to have a pay per view entirely about champions if you only have a few title matches to put on? Or when the real main event isn’t even about a title? WWE certainly thinks so, which is why we’re getting “Clash of Champions 2017” tomorrow night. This show isn’t exactly inspiring and seems like further proof that we don’t need single branded pay per views. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Zack Ryder vs. Mojo Rawley

This is the kind of thing you should be doing with the Kickoff Show. The match isn’t going to mean much but it gives you a match that was set up on TV a few weeks back. The Hype Bros weren’t exactly a top level team and neither of these guys is going to mean anything despite winning here, but at least they’ve being given a chance to do something with their story.

Rawley wins pretty handily here and I have no idea why that should even be up for discussion. Ryder is one of the most consistently cheered midcarders around and Rawley, despite winning the battle royal at “Wrestlemania XXXIII”, hasn’t had the big singles moment yet. Let him win here and maybe he could start something. I mean, he likely won’t, but at least there’s a chance.

Randy Orton/Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn

We might as well get the real main event out of the way here. There’s no reason to believe that anything is close to this on the levels of importance as it’s been by far the most featured story in recent weeks. The bigger question is who turns here as the winners aren’t really in doubt.

Of course I’m going with Owens and Zayn to win, but I think it’s due to Shane McMahon doing something screwy, likely that Daniel Bryan doesn’t see so he has to count the fall. They’re completely crazy if they try to turn Bryan heel in this whole thing but dumber things have certainly happened before. Just go with what the fans want and what makes sense here though and everything will be fine. You know, like most of the time.

Women’s Title: Charlotte Flair(c) vs. Natalya

This is a title match where the bigger question is what will the people outside the ring do, making it all the more odd. These two have shown that they have the chemistry to make a good match, but the Riott Squad is going to get a lot of the focus. That’s fine in theory as they’re more interesting than anything Natalya is going to do but it kind of misses the point of the champions idea.

I’ll go with Charlotte retaining and then a cash-in from Carmella. She’s going to be at ringside and you can almost guarantee some shenanigans either during or after the match. That makes more sense as she’s an easier target for the Riott Squad and can defend against Naomi while Charlotte handles the heavy lifting.

Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. New Day vs. Shelton Benjamin/Chad Gable vs. Rusev/Aiden English

Now this one could be fun, assuming the people can get out of each others’ way long enough. I’m not a fan of having so many teams (and especially so many people) being in one match but that’s how matches work in WWE these days. The Usos have been rocking the heck out of the division as of late but they’ve traded the titles with New Day for so long now that it’s time for some fresh blood.

I’m hoping that fresh blood is Rusev and English who have put together a shockingly good team in recent weeks. English has an excellent voice and that’s all he needs to keep himself relevant, even on a minor scale. Throw in Rusev for the heavy, hard hitting lifting and everything should come together nicely. Just keep the belts away from New Day for a change and everything should be fine.

Breezango vs. Bludgeon Brothers

This isn’t exactly how I expected to see this match happen but at least we’re getting it. Breezango has gone from the hottest thing on the roster to just kind of there, mainly due to almost never wrestling. That being said, they have no business beating the Bludgeon Brothers at the moment and I don’t think WWE is even considering going nuts here.

So yeah, the Bludgeon Brothers win and do so handily, as they should. Breezango is really just good for comedy at this point unless they actually get back in the ring more regularly. That’s quite the shame as they’re a talented team who come off like stars, but WWE isn’t the place to go with a team that got over doing creative stuff. One of these teams (or the Usos) could use a trade to “Monday Night Raw”, just for the sake of getting out of each others’ way. Bludgeon Brothers win and do so with ease.

US Title: Baron Corbin(c) vs. Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler

Then there’s this, which has to be one of the least inspired matches in recent memory. I see no reason for this to really be taking place as there’s almost no effort put into the thing. Ziggler is still one of the worst characters around (due to staleness more than anything else), Roode needs someone to work with and Corbin is just kind of there as the big power guy.

I’ll take Corbin to retain as he and Roode can have some more singles matches down the line. Neither of them are exactly inspiring though and I have little desire to actually watch the match. Maybe Ziggler will be interested in trying though I’m not getting my hopes up. It’s a bad match with a bad build though and that’s a scary combination.

Smackdown World Title: AJ Styles(c) vs. Jinder Mahal

We’ll wrap it up here, with a match that I don’t think will actually close the show. It’s pretty clear that the Mahal experiment is over and done with and if logic prevails, tomorrow night will be the grand finale as Mahal is done with the main event scene once and for all. I think you can guess my pick from here.

Styles will win this and certainly should. I was never impressed with Mahal in the first place and there was little reason to be. He’s just not that good and while he was certainly trying, he felt much more like an experiment that got out of hand more than anything else. Styles is a proven commodity though and one more win over Mahal will….well it’s not really going to do much for him but there are a lot of fans who would like to see it.

Overall Thoughs

this really isn’t doing much for me as it’s a one and a half match card with the rest of the show feeling pretty slapped on. The big problem of course is that EVERY pay per view features this many title matches, making the entire concept of focusing on the titles seem like a waste of an idea. It’s fine in theory, but when there are title matches almost every week, a pay per view about them doesn’t do it. The fact that the real main event isn’t about a title either sums the whole thing up perfectly well. There’s potential for some good stuff on here, but my hopes are pretty firmly down.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

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