Mr. Bonesaw and Spaceman Frank go over WWE Night of Champions.
Topics include, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker’s upcoming Hell in a Cell match, Charlotte’s Divas Championship victory, the Tag Team division, Sting’s injury, and their thoughts on Seth Rollins next opponent – Kane. Frank gives his account of WWE’s Rochester live event.
By Frank Lucci
The WWE has managed to sneakily put together a pretty stacked card for Night of Champions, and on paper this pay-per-view has the potential to be one of the best of 2015. However, the key words in the previous sentence is “on paper,” and the company could ruin any of these exciting matchups faster than you can say exploding monitors (seriously, did we ever see that thing ever again?). Anyway, on to Spaceman Frank’s Night of Champions 2015 predictions.
Preshow match: The Lucha Dragons and Neville vs. Cosmic Wasteland (Stardust and the Ascension)
Can Stardust, Neville, R-Truth and King Barrett form a group called The Protectors of the Preshow and just be done with it? The WWE does not seem willing to push these wrestlers higher up the card despite the four doing the best with the scraps they are given. WIth Neville winning at Summerslam I see Stardust and his new henchmen getting the win in what can be a very exciting match. Hopefully then all those involved can find a more worthy spot on the card (Cosmic Wasteland harassing Rybak and Neville challenging for the US Championship with an actual storyline attached would be grand).
Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev (with Summer Rae)
So Rusev is a heel because he dumped his girlfriend, shacked up with a new girl (who looks suspiciously like the old girl, least we know he has a type), and then acts like a pig. Ziggler on the other hand is clearly the face cause he…um…makes out with a dude’s ex in front of him and and dresses like a bully from any 80’s movie ever? Sure why not. With Lana hurt and a mixed tag match seemly not gonna happen, hopefully this feud between Eskimo brothers dies after this and everyone can move on. My prediction: Damien Sandow shows up, gets both girls, and struts out of the building like a boss. Real Prediction: Rusev wins and starts regaining some of the momentum he had as US Champ.
Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and TBA vs. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and Braun Strowman)
The last of the matches at Night of Champions to not have a title involved, this match largely depends on the mystery man joining Ambrose and Reigns. With names such as Randy Orton, Jimmy Uso, and a returning Erik Rowan being thrown out along with surprises such as Chris Jericho and The Rock(!!!), this is the match that could be a dark horse or a flop. If the sixth man lives up to the hype and everyone does their part this could be a very good match. On the other hand, if the live crowd turns on the mystery man and the shenanigans that seem to follow Wyatt leak into this match this could be a major disappointment. Look for the Wyatt Family to sneak out a win after the Summerslam loss (barring a major surprise return) and perhaps a six man tag Hell in a Cell match?
The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, and/or Xavier Woods) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) (WWE Tag Team Championship Match
The New Day simply are the best reason to watch WWE’s weekly programming, but the Dudley’s have been red hot since they returned the Raw after Summerslam. The champs deserve to retain based on their stellar work, and with Woods most likely waiting on the outside to cause a distraction or perhaps use the trombone as a foreign object to cause the DQ it is probable they will. That being said, the WWE might want to strike while the iron is hot with the boys from Dudleyville, and either outcome will be welcome to me. With all the talent involved this may sneak in as best match of the night.
P.S TRICEP MEAT YO
Ryback vs. Kevin Owens (Intercontinental Championship Match)
With the WWE giving the least amount of hype out of the four championship matches to this match, it is hard to feel as much excitement for Owen’s chase of the IC belt as the US belt. The sad part is that Ryback has been doing well as champ, and it will be interesting to see if Ryback can build upon his momentum with an opponent that will force him to step up as oppose to an opponent that is largely immobile and sweats gallons after five minutes (cough). Bet on Ryback retaining in a decent match that will most likely be the best match for Ryback as champ and Owen’s worst pay-per-view match since joining the main roster.
Nikki Bella vs. Charlotte (Divas Championship match)
With the DIva’s Revolution stalling, this match needs to deliver. Now that all the drama surrounding if Nikki Bella would become the longest reigning Divas Champ of all time is in the books, it seems likely the WWE legitimizes the revolution with Charlotte winning. However, despite the Bella’s not being able to retain via DQ Team Bad may interfere or a member of PCB (cough Paige cough) could cost Charlotte her chance at the title. At this point i would be happy to see the three teams disband to pursue the title individually to keep things fresh, as there is only so many times the teams can face each other with nothing on the line and keep things interesting.
Seth Rollins vs. John Cena (US Championship match)
Keeping with the theme of “this could be good unless the WWE writers screw this up” this match could be good…unless the WWE writers screw this up. With Jon Stewart out of the picture these two could have a stellar match with a much cleaner finish, especially if my pick to win John Cena walks away with the belt. WIth Rollins having to work two matches the quality could be down somewhat, but with Captain Crossfit and his bag of tricks nobody will notice if he saves some energy for later. Cena winning is almost guaranteed considering Rollins seemingly giving two shits about the secondary title and Cena being who he is, but the journey should be fun.
Seth Rollins vs. Sting (WWE World Heavyweight Championship match)
Will Sting become the oldest champ in WWE history? Will Sheamus cash in? If he does, who will be champ? Will Ric Flair betray Sting after hitting his head and waking up thinking it is 1995 again? Will Triple H slap Sting with a bill for the destroyed statue? All these questions could be answered Sunday night. Rollins winning seems likely, but if the WWE decided to either A) give Sting a win and put him in the history books as one of their champs or B) have Sheamus cash in and walk out champ to try and drum up interest in the product during football season could very well happen. The crowd will certainly be into this match to start, but if Sting shows his age or if Rollins is fatigued from working two matches this could be a Taker vs. Lesnar situation. Expect decent but underwhelming work with most of the interest with what happens post-match rather than what happens during the match.
Mr. Bonesaw and Spaceman Frank chat about the recent incidents regarding the Jimmy Snuka murder trial, Zahra Schreiber’s inappropriate photo, and the build to WWE Night of Champions so far in the second installment of this podcast.
In the words of WWE Hall-of-Famer Pat Patterson, Chris and Frank “go banana” on WWE Battleground and the current state of affairs regarding Hulk Hogan and the untimely death of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper (for whom this episode is dedicated to). The boys are also joined briefly by former college roommate Marques “Box” Younger for his thoughts on the subjects in this no-holds-barred podcast.
After a much needed five-week break, WWE starts up the second half of its calendar year this Sunday with Battleground.
Taking place at the Scottrade Center in Saint Louis, MO; the event looks promising. Here are our predictions for the evening.
Kickoff – King Barrett vs. R-Truth: Barrett started the year as Intercontinental Champion and became the first King of the Ring in years. To most people this meant big things were on the horizon for the Bare Knuckle Brawler. Creative on the other hand, had other plans. Barrett has become in a meaningless opening cared feud with R-Truth over R-Truth mocking his kingship. While we think Barrett is going over in a decent match, he deserves better.
WWE Tag Team Championships Match – The Prime Time Players (c) vs. The New Day: The two teams have a decent rivalry going and have the full attention of the WWE Universe. If the two teams get decent time they will put on a clinic. It would have been better to see The New Day lose their titles at SummerSlam, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. The Prime Time Players are a hot commodity and are going to successfully defend at Battleground.
Randy Orton vs. Sheamus: Even though this match comes off as filler, Orton and Sheamus will push each other to the limits. Since winning the Money In The Bank Briefcase Sheamus has not really done a whole lot and a win over The Viper would elevate the Irish brawler. However benficial that may be, we think Orton is still going to walk away with the victory.
WWE United States Championship Match – John Cena (c) vs. Kevin Owens: This is the match we’ve all been waiting for. These two modern day gladiators have put on two classic matches and creative have carefully built this beautiful feud. The only concern everyone has is the payoff. If all this was is another Cena “defying the odds” angle, the Saint Louis crowd could riot. For the love of God, win Owens, win.
Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt: The promo work has been better than expected between these two as the Eater of Worlds has chosen to make this feud personal for Reigns. Threatening family and friends, Wyatt is looking to torture Reigns. It would be interesting to see Wyatt walk away with the three count, but it’s a little more likely he will be doing the job after an exciting encounter.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match – Seth Rollins (c) vs. Brock Lesnar: Why couldn’t WWE wait for SummerSlam to pull the trigger on this one? The build has been incredible. Watching Lesnar destroying J and J Security’s car was priceless. Rollins is playing the excellent ass-kissing heel to a t. Paul Heyman has been visceral in his promos. It would have made more sense for this to take place at WWE’s number two show of the year, but we’re getting it a month early instead. Lesnar is going to dominate, but Rollins is going to pull all the stops a-la Ric Flair and win. It won’t be clean, but we don’t see Lesnar repeating his title reign of last year.
Chris and Frank continue to push the envelope as they sound off on this year’s WWE Money In The Bank Pay-Per-View. Our hosts discuss what they enjoyed, question a few angles, and pay tribute to the late, great Dusty Rhodes in this whimsical podcast.
What was once thought to be just another ladder match has transformed into not only its own Pay-Per-View, but one of the most exciting storylines the WWE has ever come up with.
While its unclear whether the chase to the cash-in or the winner of the match itself creates the most buzz and anticipation, this years Money in the Bank will be full of surprises.
Here are our predictions for the event.
Kickoff: R-Truth vs. King Barrett – The two have been crossing paths over the past few months with no real angle even during the Intercontinental Championship hunt. Seeing as this is a Kickoff match for the sake of a Kickoff match, (which Truth has been doing a lot of lately) we’re expecting a Truth win with no repercussions for the 2015 King of the Ring winner.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day (c) vs. The Prime Time Players – It’s about time The Prime Time Players started getting a push and their chemistry with The New Day has proven to be pretty lucrative for both teams. The Players are going to come close, but The New Day are on their way to becoming a great heel stable and need the heat. It would only make sense for them to drop the titles at a bigger event. With SummerSlam several months away, it seems that The New Day will retain for the time being.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Ryback (c) vs. The Big Show – The Big Show is now just a stepping stone for young talent. “The Big Guy” has proven night after night that he can handle Show’s mass and still want seconds. Ryback is going to go over clean without even breaking a sweat.
Divas Championship Match: Nikki Bella (c) vs. Paige – While we feel that Naomi should be champ, she isn’t. Paige and Bella are going to put on another impressive bout, but we’ve seen this one before and we’re pretty sure we know how it ends. After a hard fought battle, Bella is going to either cheat or come back in order to retain her coveted championship.
Champion vs. Champion: United States Champion John Cena vs. NXT Champion Kevin Owens – As impressive as their first match was, this one may not be able to live up to the bar Cena and Owens have set for themselves. Owens going over clean in their first outing was amazing in itself. Unfortunately for the fresh faced NXT monster, he is in a feud with Cena, which means it will indefinitely go to a rubber match. Very few (if any) Superstars beat Cena twice in a row and for those reasons alone Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect is a lock to win round two.
Money In The Bank Contract Ladder Match: Neville vs. Sheamus vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Kane vs. Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler – As always, the Money In The Bank Contract match is always fun to watch and even more fun to predict. Neville and Kingston are going to give us some of the highest high spots we’ve seen an a long time, but these two are not going to win (although we would be shocked if Neville was the dark horse victor). Kane and Sheamus are always there to provide the necessary carnage, but it’s a long shot for them also. That leaves Ziggler, Reigns and Orton; who have been built as possible candidates to hold the contract for a guaranteed WWE Championship match anytime, anywhere for an entire year. Ziggler is more likely to wind up feuding with Rusev upon his return, but still has a chance (although slim) while Reigns and Orton are pretty evenly matched as far as their winning odds. Reigns is being highlighted, which gives us reason to believe WWE is going to have Orton win the contract.
WWE Championship Ladder Match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose – These two are going to pull all the stops in another clinic that will end in similar fashion – and with good reason (have you seen these guys work?). Ambrose is going to come close, but former champion Brock Lesnar is rumored to make an appearance the following night on Raw – and The Beast Incarnate wants nothing more than to decimate Rollins upon regaining the title he never lost. We feel that Lesnar is going to lay waste to both men and leave, with Rollins somehow pulling off the win in the aftermath.
With a name like Payback, you have to imagine someone is going to get their comeuppance and you can believe it with tonight’s installment of WWE’s “what goes around comes around” themed Pay-Per-View.
Here’s who we feel is going to get (and receive) their payback.
Kickoff – Macho Mandow & Curtis Axel vs. The Ascension: Ever since their debut, The Ascension have played the fools as opposed to their NXT dominance. This outing will be no different as they take the fall from Axel and Damien Sandow’s latest personality.
Divas Tag Match – Naomi & Tamina Snuka vs. The Bella Twins: Naomi is gunning for Nikki Bella’s Divas Championship again, this time utilizing Snuka as her in-law powerhouse. The Championship is not on the line, so we feel that Naomi and Snuka will assert their dominance against The Bella’s in this chaotic family outing.
King Barrett vs. Neville: These two are no strangers and will meet again inside the Elimination Chamber on May 31st along with four other WWE Superstars for the now vacant Intercontinental Championship. Barrett has been the aggressor in this feud so far but Neville is one tough son of a gun. While Barrett is on a roll lately, it seems that there are greater things on the horizon for this year’s King of the Ring than the Intercontinental title. Barrett will win the match at Payback, but we think Neville is next in line for Intercontinental gold.
Bray Wyatt vs. Ryback: While wins and losses do not mean much in the world of Sports Entertainment, Wyatt needs to start winning the feuds he starts for the credibility of his character. A loss in Ryback’s column will not hurt The Big Guy at all. For this reason alone Ryback is our pick to be the sacrificial lamb Wyatt needs to rejuvenate his persona as The New Face of Fear.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus: This is going to be better than their Extreme Rules encounter, but the end result will be the same: Ziggler will win the match but Sheamus will be the one getting his payback after.
Two Out of Three Falls Match WWE Tag Team Championships – Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. The New Day (c): We saw an interesting double turn last month as Cesaro & Kidd are now the faces and The New Day have officially transitioned to heels by tapping into their inner Freebirds. Cesaro & Kidd are a treat to watch and have some of the best chemistry we’ve seen in a long time, but they’re better on the chase. The New Day are starting to come into their own and get some real heat. We feel it would be in the WWE’s best interests if The New Day retain their titles to grow into some much needed villains and we think a long title run for them will start at Payback.
“I Quit” Match for the WWE United States Championship – Rusev vs. John Cena (c): Cena is undefeated not only at Payback but in “I Quit” matches. For Pete’s sake, the words “Never Give Up” are on every piece of merchandise bearing his name. Cena’s “open challenges” have also elevated the United States Championship greatly over the past two months, so why stop now? While the odds are clearly in Cena’s favor (aren’t they always?) we think that this is why WWE is going to throw the ultimate curve ball and have Rusev take the gold back to the USSR.
Fatal Four Way Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship – Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins (c): While The Authoroty’s “golden boy” Rollins has the odds stacked against him (he does not have to be pinned or submitted to lose his title), he is going to keep his WWE World Heavyweight Championship due to Kane getting involved for the sake of his job (if Rollins does not retain Kane will be fired). Seeing as Ambrose is going to participate for the Intercontinental Championship inside the Elimination Chamber at the end of the month, it’s pretty likely that WWE’s Lunatic Fringe will be the contender Rollins pins.
Episode 6 goes off with a bang as Chris Butera is joined by Frank Lucci once again to talk smack about the ‘wrasslin. Listen in as the boys go off on their favorite (and least favorite) Wrestlemania 31 and post-‘Mania Raw moments. New Jersey thrashers Condition Critical are featured.
Help Chris and friends out with their Thrash Metal Barbecue: www.kickstarter.com/projects/206782…ash-bash-bbq-iv
Like Condition Critical here: www.facebook.com/ConditionCriticalNJ
Sunday we saw a plethora of a Wrestlemania moments including Triple H defeating Sting, The Undertaker’s redemption, and Seth Rollins make history by being the first Money in the Bank winner to not only cash in his contract at the show of shows, but during the championship match as well.
Long story short, pretty much all of the right people won with the exception of Sting. While the match itself was alright for two legendary competitors, there were too many theatrics involved with the finish (and the entrances to boot) and this tainted Sting vs. Triple H instead of it being the clinic it could have been. With all this buildup, Sting should have received the victory but it was not to be by way of the sledgehammer.
The Undertaker’s victory over Bray Wyatt was one of his better ‘Mania matches due to the innate psychology that the match was built around. The exorcist/sit up spot was something fans must have been dreaming about for some time as there were definitely chills up the spines of those watching.
Daniel Bryan is going to boost the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship and deserved the win. The headbutt war with Dolph Ziggler was questionable and probably looked better on paper, but overall it was a very good ladder match. All competitors did a great job especially Luke Harper and Dean Ambrose who put their bodies on the line.
Paige and AJ winning without any issues between the two was good but it was interesting that there was no animosity involved in the match.
Like Bryan with the Intercontinental Championship, John Cena is going to boost the United States Championship like never before. Cena’s “Rocky Balboa” got the story book ending against Rusev’s “Ivan Drago” which was much needed and doesn’t taint the Bulgarian Brute at all. We’ll just have to see how his character is handled from here on to see where he goes but the man can work. His omega-Russian entrance was one of the highlights of the night.
The Rock and Triple H’s segment started off well but dragged for far too long. After awhile it became obvious that they were waiting for Santa Clara to get darker for The Undertaker’s arrival. If you’re watching on the network it’s best to just skip to the end where Ronda Rousey gets involved. This should have been saved for Raw with a match or two being inserted in its place.
Who chooses Wrestlemania’s musical guests and why do they have them perform at all? It’s clear that WWE’s demographic does not care when there is minimal participation in the act and maximum participation at the concession stands and/or restrooms.
Big Show wining the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal was surprising from a storyline standpoint but not from a logical one. Show is after all, a giant and it would have been a shame if he didn’t win one of these. Miz vs. Mizdow is still happening and that’s all anybody wanted out of this match anyway.
Randy Orton’s victory over Seth Rollins moves the feud nicely especially with the events that unfolded later on. WWE is striking this feud while the iron is still hot with greater stakes and kudos to them. Check the height on that RKO again, Rollin’s must be at least eight feet in the air before he hits the mat for the three count.
Last but not least Brock Lesnar looked as dominant as ever and Roman Reigns looked decent as well. This was the most believable match WWE could have had with the outcome being the only realistic scenario to get the title off the champion. Reign’s comeback was a nice touch and Lesnar’s bloodshed is proof that WWE needs more of it (but not too much) in there product. Save the non-PG stuff for the Pay-Per-Views and it’ll be all right. Rollins is already going to be one of the best heel champions ala Ric Flair’s weasel tactics.
We can’t wait for next year.
The Bonesaw 