Due to the rousing success of TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) season one, specifically the TV ratings for the finale, which featured the famous Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar match, TUF season two was produced quickly and came on the air only a few months later. The finale for season two would set a ratings record doing a 2.0 (2 million viewers), edging out the season one finale, which did a 1.9 (1.9 million viewers). (You can read “Retrospective: TUF Season One” here)
Season two was basically the exact same as season one. Season two was also the only season (until recently) where all the house fights were considered professional bouts by the NSAC. Typically, the “in-house” fights are only considered “practice” and don’t effect a fighter’s record. These fights counted.
The Ultimate Fighter – Season TWO
Airdate: Spike TV, August 22, 2005 – November 5, 2005
Weight Classes: Heavyweight and Welterweight
Coaches: Matt Hughes (blue), Rich Franklin (green)
Team Hughes: Joe Stevenson (w), Josh Burkman* (w), Sammy Morgan (w), Luke Cummo (w), Mike Whitehead (h), Dan Christison (h), Rob MacDonald (h), Tom Murphy (h) *Burkman was replaced by Jason Von Flue due to injury on episode 2
Team Franklin: Jorge Gurgel (w), Marcus Davis (w), Anthony Torres (w), Melvin Guillard (w), Keith Jardine (h), Seth Petruzelli (h), Rashad Evans (h), Brad Imes (h)
The Finale:
Joe Stevenson beat Luke Cummo by unanimous decision in three rounds to become the TUF welterweight winner
Rashad Evans beat Brad Imes by split decision to become the TUF heavyweight winner
In the main event, Diego Sanchez beat Nick Diaz by unanimous decision
This season was pretty uneventful. It really became clear about half way through that Chris Leben should have been hired to be on every season, just to hang out, get drunk, and cause problems. These fighters seemed to get along much better. However, there were some interesting things that happened this season:
Heavyweight Kerry Schall was eliminated due to a knee injury
Eli Joslin chose to leave the show, citing his reasons as not being able to handle the camera environment at the house (as an aspiring fighter, this made me so mad)
Dan Christison joined the show to replace the injured Schall
Josh Burkman was forced to leave the competition after breaking his arm in his match with Melvin Guillard
Jason Von Flue joined the show to replace Burkman
Evans caused controversy by showboating in his fight against Tom Murphy
Coach Hughes sent Von Flue over to Team Franklin for reshuffling, which made Von Flue mad
Even though Cummo and Imes were both the last picked for their respective divisions, they both made it to the finale
There wasn’t much memorable that happened, but I do remember when Rashad won the heavyweight finals. It made me fall in love with him as a fighter. Here was this smooth talking undersized athlete taking on this monstrous rugged cowboy. Rashad was clearly too small to be a heavyweight, but he won anyway. I’m not sure when he took the nickname “Suga” but I gave that name (Sugar) to my third dog in his honor.
Where are the champions now?
Joe ”Daddy” Stevenson: Stevenson’s last fight in the UFC was a loss to Javier Vazquez on June 26, 2011. It was his fourth loss in a row. He was cut by UFC and has since lost two more times putting his losing streak at six. He most recently fought one year ago on January 30, 2015, for Swarm Entertainment at Super Brawl 1 losing by split decision to Dominique Robinson. My guess is that there was never a Super Brawl 2. His current record is 31-16 and rumor has it that he’s retired from active fighting at age 33, which is probably a smart decision.
“Suga” Rashad Evans: Evans’ is still in the UFC. He is 36 and was most recently seen being defeated by Ryan Bader at UFC 192 on October 3, 2015. Rumor has it that he will be facing Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC on FOX 19 on April 16, 2016. His record is 19-4, and he actually had a brief light-heavyweight title reign taking the strap from season-one alum Forrest Griffin, only to have the title taken from him in his first defense against Lyoto Machida.
Terri Runnels has been a recognizable face in the wrestling industry for well over 20 years. From her early days as Alexandra York in WCW to managing the enigmatic Goldust as Marlena in WWF/E, she has seen, and done, it all.
In this 30 minute interview, I talked to Runnels about a variety of topics:
– How she got into the industry
– How she feels women have been treated by fans and workers alike
– How the Goldust and Marlena characters developed from hated heels to beloved babyfaces
– Her feeling that Brian Pillman was in a dark place the evening before he passed away
– How Dusty Rhodes initially thought she was a gold digger when she began dating Dustin (something she found ironic, given that out of her and Dustin she was the one who owned a home and had money in the bank).
– We discuss what she will be up to at this year’s WrestleCon, whether or not we’ll ever see her and Dustin’s daughter Dakota in a wrestling ring – and even what her favourite breakfast is!
This is a fun, insightful interview that I think everyone who is a fan of Terri’s will enjoy.
This month and for only the second time ever, WWE will present Fastlane, the now yearly traditional February PPV, I guess. The show takes place on February 21 from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, headlined by a triple threat match between Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Dean Ambrose for the number one contender slot to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
This year, WWE threw tradition out the window and made the Royal Rumble match a WWE World title bout in which Reigns had to defend his title against 29 others, from the number one position no less. Of course, he got tossed by the boss (HHH), but don’t worry, he’s getting a rematch at Fastlane, sort of.
Let’s look at how each competitor got here in storyline:
Reigns: He lost in the Royal Rumble so he is due a rematch. One would think he would simply demand his rematch at Wrestlemania, but The Authority made this Fastlane match before he thought of that, I suppose.
Ambrose: He was the runner-up to HHH in the Royal Rumble, and is ALSO the current Intercontinental Champion. If this were the 80’s, that would make him the number one contender automatically. That’s valid enough to put him in the match, kinda.
Lesnar: He had an average showing in the Rumble, and prior to that, was last seen beating the Undertaker at Hell in a Cell in October. He’s the biggest draw, so yeah, he’s in, but in storyline, he hasn’t earned it. Why did The Authority do this? It makes no sense to put the former UFC champion in this match because he’s clearly a major threat unless… he’s joining The Authority. Speculation on my part would suggest to me that Lesnar is winning at Fastlane and turning heel, and will be gifted the title from HHH on Raw. Somehow this will lead to Reigns vs. Lesnar at Wrestlemania with HHH in Lesnar’s corner and The Rock in Reigns’ corner. But that’s purely speculation…
Prediction: Ambrose and Reigns team up to take out Lesnar early, but then both become consumed with hurting / one-upping each other and forget about Lesnar, who recovers and destroys Ambrose before turning his sites to Reigns. Reigns looks like he’s on the verge of defeat, but makes his comeback only to have HHH come to the ring and throw Lesnar the belt which he uses to put Reigns away, probably.
My guess is that the real reason they are doing this match as a three-way is because they remember the excellent three-way match with Lesnar, Rollins, and Cena from last year’s Royal Rumble and think that this match will be able to top that one.
I hope they are right, because the storyline is pretty stupid unless The Authority is just banking on the fact that this match will be so brutal, it won’t matter who wins because they’ll be too badly beaten to put up a fight against HHH at Wrestlemania. From The Authority’s perspective, why give Reigns a chance? They hate him! Why give Ambrose a shot? He is Reigns’ best buddy! Why put Lesnar in there? He is the most dominant force in the WWE and broke HHH’s arm! All this adds up to something fishy smelling.
Here’s what should have happenend: the day after the Royal Rumble, Reigns should have taken Vince McMahon hostage in the ring and demanded his rematch right then. That’s what “Stone Cold” Steve Austin would have done. Instead, just like John Cena would have done, Reigns just eats his crow and gets back in line. He’s so impotent! He put HHH out for a month! He KO’d Vinny Mac! He battled the beast and got screwed at Wrestlemania last year! WHY ISN’T REIGNS MAD? If they are trying to make the next John Cena, they’re doing a good job of it by having Reigns not really care about losing the belt.
This guy is fighting The Authority! Yes, the storyline from 16 years ago is still happening, only instead of an ass kicking, beer swilling, bird flipping madman, we have a cool guy trying to remain cool by not caring. That’s not cool. In fact, that’s decidedly un-cool! Stone Cold didn’t care what Vince wanted. Stone Cold didn’t bother to ask. Stone Cold didn’t wait in line. He took what he wanted, and he was the coolest! Rebels are cool, not guys who take turns.
Hey WWE, we’re not thrilled with the character development of Roman Reigns. He’s mediocre at best. Please listen to us wrestling fans. It’s not that hard. If you’re hell bent on rehashing the storyline from 16 years ago, that’s fine, but go back and look at what worked then and start from there. It’s really simple WWE, just ask yourself one question: what would Stone Cold Steve Austin do?
The Octagon returns to Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night for UFC On FOX 18. The event is headlined by a five-round light heavyweight bout between Anthony Johnson and Ryan Bader. Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid for UFC On FOX 18 to help you fill out your line-ups for your daily fantasy games.
STUDS
Sage Northcutt ($11,000)
Sage Northcutt has the highest salary of all 26 fighters on the card, and for good reason. He enters Saturday night with a perfect 7-0 record, with all wins by finish, and five in the first round. He fights a short-notice replacement, and is up a weight class due to the late switch, meaning no need to cut as much weight. He should be plenty fresh, which is good coming six weeks after his most recent fight. He has a real opponent in this bout in Bryan Barberena, who is 10-3 and has won seven of his last eight fights. This is Northcutt’s biggest test, but he has passed them all so far, and Barberena is taking the fight on short notice after starting preparations to fight in a month. If Northcutt is as good as he has been, he should get a finish here.
Randy Brown ($10,500)
Randy Brown is coming into his UFC debut with a little bit of fame after being featured on the first episode of Dana White’s “Looking For A Fight” television show. He has a perfect 6-0 record in less than two years as a professional fighter, and all six wins have come by stoppage. He is a very solid prospect, but he may be in the UFC just a little quick, but that is to be expected within the next several months. He gets a lower-level opponent in Matt Dwyer, who is tough but is just 1-2 inside the Octagon. Brown is a good bet to score some solid points and get a finish, and he is one of our top plays on an action-packed card.
VALUE PLAYS
Jake Ellenberger ($8,800)
There is zero question that Jake Ellenberger is struggling in the Octagon. He has just one win in his last five fights, and that was over a past his prime Josh Koscheck. Worst of all, Ellenberger has been finished in his last three losses. It’s a skid like that which makes Ellenberger an underdog on Saturday against Tarec Saffiedine. Saffiedine hasn’t fought since October 2014, and big injury issues have limited him to just two fights in the last three years. Ring rust could be a pivotal factor for Saffiedine, but Ellenberger’s chin, or perhaps lack of, could be a major factor as well. If you’re looking to spend up and need a cheap option, Ellenberger has good value at his salary.
Ryan Bader ($8,500)
It is crazy to think that Ryan Bader has the second lowest salary of the fighters on the card even though he has a five-fight win streak. He is getting greatly undervalued, especially considering he is in a five-round bout, which gives him more of an edge when it comes to scoring points with the extra ten minutes. He has a tough opponent in Anthony Johnson, who has knockout power. Johnson also tends to crumble when he is pressured by a wrestler, and Bader has a style to grind the fight out. Bader can also find submissions if there are openings, and Johnson leaves himself open a lot if he is being dominated on the mat. Bader is definitely worth looking at with his salary, and he has a good chance at scoring the upset.
FIGHTERS TO AVOID
Olivier Aubin-Mercier ($10,400)
Let’s start this off by saying that odds are pretty good that Olivier Aubin-Mercier walks away with a win. He is fighting a short notice opponent, has looked good in winning three straight, and is a solid prospect. Here is why I would avoid him. I see the fight going like his last bout, a win over Tony Sims. He won by a decision and scored six takedowns, all getting solid points. However, he landed just three significant strikes in that fight, good for 1.5 points. There are a lot better options with a similar salary. I don’t see him finishing Ferreira, but a grinding win is likely here. Being the case, I’m avoiding him on my rosters.
Kevin Casey ($9,500)
Kevin Casey has a middle of the road salary for Saturday night, and he is unbeaten since returning to the UFC. Granted, two of his three fights have been no contests- one, which was a win that was overturned after a failed drug test, and his most recent fight ended in a no contest after just 11 seconds after he was poked in the eyes. That happened just six weeks ago, and it remains to be seen if there will be any lingering damage. He has a tough opponent in Rafael Natal who is climbing up the middleweight rankings. Casey has a tough matchup, is coming back from tough circumstances, and is unlikely to finish Natal, even if he may get a win. I suggest avoiding him in your lineups.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK- Sage Northcutt ($11,000), Randy Brown ($10,500), Josh Barnett ($10,100), Rafael Natal ($9,900), Ryan Bader ($8,500)
I like Sage Northcutt to continue his undefeated streak and score a finish against a late replacement. Bryan Barberena will be tough but Northcutt really is a skilled fighter. It’ll get tougher from here for sure. I see Randy Brown getting a finish in his UFC debut. He has a good skillset and is a good prospect. Josh Barnett is another pick as I have him winning over Ben Rothwell, and I think a submission win is a good bet as he should be able to take Rothwell down. Rafael Natal is a pick I had to think about. I have him winning, but I don’t know if it’ll be by decision or a finish. I think he has a good shot at submitting Kevin Casey, but not overly confident he will finish him. I just see him as the best option with what I had left. Lastly, I’m going with Ryan Bader. His salary helped pick some higher-priced fighters, and I think if he can push a grinding fight, he has a good shot at submitting Anthony Johnson, or at worst, getting a decision win, and the extra ten minutes would add to the point totals.
PAUL FONTAINE- Sage Northcutt ($11,000), Olivier Aubin-Mercier ($10,400), Dustin Ortiz ($10,300), Felipe Olivieri ($9,400), Jake Ellenberger ($8,800)
Sage Northcutt is going to finish Bryan Barbarena. Everyone watching this show knows this and he’s a no-brainer for the team. Fighting at 170 could be to his advantage as he should have more power at that weight and his frame can certainly sustain it. Barbarena is taking the biggest fight of his life on short notice here and it should be a quick win for Zach Morris 2.0. Aubin-Mercier has been constantly improving since losing to Chad Laprise in his official UFC debut by split decision at the TUF Nations finale. He should grind out a late submission or possibly a dominant decision win here as he continues his rise up the lightweight rankings. Ortiz is one of the few flyweights with KO power and I like him to finish Wilson Reis. Ortiz’ only two UFC losses were to Joseph Benavidez and John Moraga and Reis isn’t in the class of either of those two. Ellenberger-Saffiedine is interesting. Ellenberger has been the more active fighter recently but he’s also on a slide. Saffiedine hasn’t fought in 15 months since suffering a KO loss to Rory McDonald. I like Ellenberger to rebound with a KO but I am going on a bit of a limb here as you sometimes have to do to get everyone in under the $50,000 cap. My last pick is someone making his UFC debut in Felipe Oliveri. He’s a finisher, having ran up 4 first round KO’s in his last 5 fights. His opponent Tony Martin has been finished in two of his 3 UFC losses. Oliveri scores another quick win here and probably sends Martin packing from UFC.
PEACH MACHINE- Anthony Johnson ($10,900), Alex Caceres ($10,800), Jimmie Rivera ($10,200), Jake Ellenberger ($8,800), Bryan Barberena ($8,400)
I like Johnson to KO Bader. As in, I’d love it. Bader has been such a disappointment. That said, I could see him exposing Rumble if he can make this a grinder. I don’t think he will though… Barbarena is tough and I was thoroughly unimpressed by Northcutt’s most recent outing… Bruce Leroy Caceres should be able to handle the guy on Sherdog who doesn’t have a profile pic. He has to, as he’s lost 3 in a row and needs a win badly here… I really like Jimmie Rivera. He’s on a 16 fight win streak, and Alcantara is not that good… I’m taking Ellenberger because I’m low on cash and don’t really like anyone else I can afford.
If WWE’s objective with the 2016 Royal Rumble match was merely to improve on 2015, it had an undeniably low bar to hit. Even looking past any issues related to Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns, the 2015 Rumble match stands out as a failure to me because it was unable to do two key things that any good Rumble should: 1) advance or create undercard storylines heading into Wrestlemania and 2) generate a handful of legitimate title contenders for the year to follow.
This year’s Rumble will not go down as one of the greatest of all time, and it was certainly not without its own issues and lapses in logic, but it was a considerable improvement over last year’s hollow affair if only because it was able to do at least those two things successfully. By the time Dean Ambrose was eliminated by Triple H this year, several launching points for new storylines had been created, and the viewer was left believing that a few new names could potentially occupy better spots on the card by the time next year’s Rumble rolls around.
Starting new story threads for Wrestlemania and creating a platform for emerging stars should be the minimum expectation for a Royal Rumble, and by achieving that modest standard, the 2016 Rumble succeeded in all the ways that last year’s match did not. What’s more, it helped create the impression that next year’s Rumble could be yet another marked improvement.
What didn’t work: Roman walking out, Triple H coasting to a win
The best place to start weighing the components of the 2016 Rumble is with the first and last entrants. The payoff of Reigns entering at number one, only to be eliminated by Triple H, was the necessary step to take in order to advance toward their inevitable clash at Wrestlemania. The specific story told in the Rumble, however, was hamstrung by counterintuitive booking that had both men looking far too strong at points where the story demanded that they look weak.
Call it predictable or egocentric, but Triple H had to win the championship here to accommodate the direction that the story of Reigns vs. The Authority has taken. The bigger issue is not necessarily that Triple H won the match and the title, but how he won it: eliminating Reigns and then Ambrose, ostensibly the company’s two top full-time babyfaces, clean as a whistle and without so much as a single underhanded advantage. To give Roman legitimate cause to cry foul and get his rematch, Triple H should have been presented less as a crushing force of nature and more as a nefarious heel who cheated to screw over the heroes. Why this approach wasn’t taken is yours to presume.
As for Reigns, taking him out of the match ultimately proved important in that it created time to advance a number of secondary stories that will likely pay off at Wrestlemania—namely Bray Wyatt vs. Brock Lesnar and Owens vs. Zayn, with teases for Strowman vs. Undertaker and Ambrose vs. Jericho. What was highly questionable: having Reigns refuse to leave on a stretcher so that he could walk out under his own power, only to return 20 minutes later not selling any injuries whatsoever.
Presumably, this was done to perpetuate the idea of Reigns as a badass, but that goal would be accomplished just fine by having him return to the match after being completely incapacitated by three heels and taken away by paramedics. Having Roman voluntarily remove himself from a championship match looks substantially less heroic, especially considering Kevin Owens valiantly dragged himself down to the ring to compete only moments after the fact. Even a brief brainstorming could have conceived a dozen different (and vastly better) ways to depict Reigns valiantly fighting against dire injury and being undone by a conniving Triple H, making it all the more confounding that this was the chosen direction.
There were other noticeable issues with booking during the match, not the least of which being the League of Nations’ satisfaction with temporarily incapacitating Reigns as opposed to actually eliminating him from the match, as well as having Lesnar merely walk to the back after being eliminated without laying waste to everything in the ring. Given that the direction heading into the Rumble heavily portended a Reigns/Lesnar showdown, Reigns’ loss could have easily been facilitated by returning to the ring during a Lesnar rampage, which would have also created a logical reason to include Brock in the three-way at Fastlane.
Had the booking of Roman and Triple H been different, there would not have been the need for the considerable leap in logic that took place on Monday’s WWE Raw when Stephanie, who only a few weeks prior vowed that Roman would never get another shot at the championship after he lost it, felt compelled to put him in a number one contender’s match anyway because he had “impressed” her. This lack of attention to detail is sadly nothing new, but given how important this storyline is for the company moving forward, one might think that it would be the exception to the rule in terms of minding the finer points.
What worked well: making eliminations matter, setting up the Wrestlemania undercard
The effectiveness of this year’s Royal Rumble can be determined by looking at a few key elements: how well its parts and pieces flowed together, whether it laid the foundation for any additional matches at Wrestlemania, if it protected major stars and elevated others, and if it served as a successful launching pad for the debuting AJ Styles. By achieving those metrics, the match can easily be considered a success on the whole.
One of the biggest shortcomings of the 2015 Royal Rumble was a lack of overall cohesiveness. Specifically, there was a dearth of connectivity between major events in the match that caused a great deal of it to feel unimportant, largely necessitated by the quick introduction and elimination of Daniel Bryan. This year, it was easy to see where the match was broken down into segments and segues, helping to create a better sense of flow: Reigns’ shine and Styles’ debut, a pair of comedy spots, Reigns’ injury angle, spotlighting Strowman, spotlighting Owens and building his feud with Zayn, establishing the dominance of the Wyatts, establishing the dominance of Lesnar, setting up the Wrestlemania feud between Bray and Brock, reintroducing Roman to the match, Triple H entering at number 30, and the closing sequences.
While not every single participant in the match served a major purpose, many satisfied some role in connecting the pieces of the bigger picture. Rusev coming out second, for example, continued the idea of The Authority looking to grind Reigns down, and despite being eliminated quickly, he was protected insofar that he was also the man to put Reigns out of the match for a period of time. This also cleared the deck for Styles’ debut, allowing the crowd to draw out the moment more, and the subsequent appearances of Tyler Breeze and Curtis Axel kept both AJ and Roman involved in the match without forcing them to give up too much offense to one another.
Throughout the match, any time the ring would fill with perceived dead weight, it was either for the purpose of providing fodder for quick eliminations or to slow down the pace during Roman’s injury angle. It’s valid to critique this year’s Rumble field for a lack of viable contenders, but these matches have always been rife with a fair amount of padding. At least this year, that padding was used for the purposes of connecting the bigger pieces.
Excluding Roman and Triple H, this year’s match spotlighted a few wrestlers in particular with their Wrestlemania roles in mind. With Reigns out of the way for a time, Strowman was positioned as the monster du jour by eliminating Kane, Big Show, and Mark Henry in rapid succession. Even despite being clubbed halfway to death by Lesnar and taken off of his feet by multiple clotheslines, Strowman was the only man in the ring with Brock who didn’t take a single suplex, possibly so that a spot of some similar magnitude could be saved for Wrestlemania, likely for a match with The Undertaker (for better or worse).
Bray Wyatt was put into a big spot as well, orchestrating the elimination of Lesnar and setting that Wrestlemania match in motion. While he may not be the most ideal candidate for a showdown with Brock, the match nonetheless did its part in setting up a motive for that match to take place, and it gave a valid enough reason for Brock to seek revenge.
Also getting a fairly substantial limelight in this year’s Rumble was Kevin Owens. Understanding that eliminations matter relative to when they occur and who is involved, the decision to have Owens eliminate Styles was an intelligent one. If the heat generated from a big elimination is a transitive property, then having Owens throw Styles out only to then be eliminated by Sami Zayn is a fine example of keeping that energy in the match and harnessing it in an effective manner. This chain of events not only kept the crowd invested in the match in spite of AJ’s early departure, but it also set up two potential programs for Owens in the near future (the feud with Zayn almost certain to play out at Wrestlemania) and allowed the match to segue into its next point of focus.
As far as introducing Styles, everything (apart from the camerawork) clicked. Immediately positioning AJ as a perceived threat to the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, coupled with JBL pointing out to the home viewing audience that his status as a former IWGP Champion puts him on common ground with Lesnar, established right away that Styles is a big-time player. Also surprising is the decision to merely tease the Styles Clash during his 28-minute appearance and in his singles debut against Jericho on Raw, which not only builds the anticipation to when he does finally hit it, but also theoretically protects it as a killer finisher and not just another move.
On the whole, the match was comparatively well-booked and intelligently-paced, particularly when held up against the 2015 match, and while some may deride some elements of execution or the predictable finish, it at least provides cause to hope that next year’s match will be yet another step forward.
How to improve the Royal Rumble in 2017: exploit roster depth
If there is any lesson to be gleaned from the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016, it’s that injuries are the enemy of best-laid plans. Injuries to Seth Rollins, John Cena, and Randy Orton threw the planned top six matches for this year’s Wrestlemania into disarray, and it once again begs the question of why WWE isn’t leveraging the depth of its roster in the event that so many of its top stars should wind up on the shelf.
There is a long precedent for using the Royal Rumble to set up wrestlers for bigger things in the year to follow. One need only look at Roman Reigns’ dominance in 2014 and how it foretold his rise as a singles star the following year. Of the most protected and best presented stars in the 2016 Rumble, only a few—Wyatt, Strowman, Owens, Styles—are not longstanding bona fide main eventers. By this time next year, if the precedent holds, those men should be closer to a top spot than they are now.
If WWE can follow up by positioning at least Wyatt, Owens, and Styles closer to the top of the heap than they are today, and if Dean Ambrose is solidified as a main eventer, there will be at least four potential first-time world champions in the hunt for a spot in the Wrestlemania main event. If one were to assume that Shinsuke Nakamura will be booked to the level of his talent (and his probable paygrade), and if it is also assumed that Finn Balor would debut sometime between now and next year’s Rumble as a top guy, one-fifth of the men in the 2017 Royal Rumble would be fresh talent with legitimate shots at getting one of the top matches at Wrestlemania.
Add to this the likelihood that established main event names like Cena, Orton, and Rollins will be available for the Rumble, as well as the continued presence of Reigns and Lesnar in the main event scene, and one-third of the Rumble would be feasible picks to win. If names like Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Rusev, Alberto Del Rio, Kalisto, and Cesaro are pushed consistently (a big if) or at least put in the position to be elevated by the Rumble itself, then more than half of the 30 men involved in the match would have at least some claim to stake.
*****
If WWE uses the Royal Rumble as the measuring stick for the success of its roster over the course of a calendar year, there is great potential for 2017 to be the deepest and most credible field in the match’s history. In order to get there, however, it must be understood that building the legitimacy of its talent is a year-long process. If the winner of next year’s Royal Rumble is a fresh face or an unexpected name, then it will likely be a strong indication that 2016 was a success, never mind a further hint of more promising years to come.
The Royal Rumble is the most fun show of the year. It’s better than WrestleMania, way better than SummerSlam, and don’t get me started on Fast Lane… But it could be much better. WWE treats the rules of the Royal Rumble so flippantly it weakens the match, and thus draw, of the entire event.
This year, the Royal Rumble match was booked exactly as one would expect. Reigns started strong and was looking like he could go the distance, but was taken out by the dastardly Vince McMahon and the League of Nations (what year is this?), and then made a valiant comeback, only to come up short. Reigns took home the bronze while HHH took home the gold. (Dean Ambrose won the silver.) The story was well executed, and they got where they needed to be in terms of progression, but good Google people, the rules, what happened to the rules?!?!
WWE needs to enforce the rules of the Royal Rumble. As it is explained to the fans, the only way to win is to be the last man in the ring after all 30 (ish) members have entered. Elimination occurs only when a participant goes over the top rope and both feet touch the floor. No DQ, no anything else. It’s a free-for-all. There’s no time limit, there’s no “wrestling” rules. This begs the question… WHY EVER GET IN THE RING!
The huge loophole in the rules is that the wrestlers actually CAN get out of the ring, as long as it’s not over the top rope. Reigns was pulled out of the ring and attacked by the League of Nations and stretchered out. However, since his body never went over the top rope, he was never eliminated. A similar thing happened last year with Curtis Axel. He was never eliminated (yet most didn’t notice). VInce McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin pulled a similar stunt like this in 1999, and it was stupid then. This year, Reigns was carted off, only to re-enter, seemingly fine, and nearly win. Hmmm…. Why wouldn’t EVERYONE get out of the ring, under the rope, and NEVER be eliminated? It’s important, because just like Santino in 2011 hiding under the ring and nearly winning at the end, why wouldn’t everyone use this strategy? It’s so glaring that it’s frustrating. I understand that this is the WWE Universe and every competitor has a larger than life ego and thus wants to ALWAYS fight and ALWAYS win and ALWAYS be the best, but if it were real, even slightly, the obvious strategy would be to wait to actually enter until the very end, then roll in as the fresh man and toss out the final guy.
Obviously, we don’t need to hash out every little detail to really put it on the level but here are some rule changes that would make this match more legitimate and more of a draw.
Amendments to the Bill of Royal Rumble Rights:
1) Make the time a complete shoot.
We need a clock, a real clock, on the Tron / TV at all times. Make it transparent. I realize that they are trying to hit certain spots at certain times and it’s easier to do if WWE works the time, but that’s on the performers. Plus, I hate guessing what number they are on and trying to count backwards. “Was Dolph number 7?” Just tell us! Put all that info up as it happens! The WWE claims this event is all about the numbers, but really it’s just about two numbers, 1 and 30. How cool would it be to see Rey Mysterio’s longest run streak on the Tron and see everyone’s time in comparison? “Oh wow! If AJ Styles lasts two more minutes he’ll break the record!” Instead, we have no clue. The announcers are doing a better job of telling us cool stats than in the past, but why not show us the numbers?
2) Once the time is up and the buzzer sounds, you have 10 seconds to get to the ring.
If you dilly dally, and don’t make it, you’re out. Or make it even simpler and explain that if you’re 23 and number 24 gets in the ring before you because you were jaw jacking with the fans, you’re out.
3) If any part of your body touches ANYTHING (including people) outside of the ring, you’re out.
Screw the top rope. You can still eliminate guys over the top, but it’s just not necessary. None of this hopping on one foot, riding Big E’s shoulders, or putting a cookie sheet on the floor, if you’re outside of the ring at all, you’re out. I’m waiting for the year when someone protests, “My shoes touched the floor, not my feet!” As it stands, get yourself a good lawyer, and you could possibly wind up in the main event of WrestleMania.
4) Yes, you can lose by DQ!
Why don’t these guys enter the ring with guns and knives or steel chairs? Why not enter the ring as a gang? There’s no DQ.
5) No managers or posses at ringside.
There’s enough to keep track of already. We don’t need more distractions.
Of course, WWE will do whatever it does, and ignore all of these suggestions and even their own rules because then they could not do the stupid Kofi Kingston plate spinning juggling act spot which is why we all watch. Right.
Hey WWE, rules are important. We need to know the rules of your universe or else it doesn’t make sense and it feels totally contrived. Imagine if we woke up and the rules of our universe just changed. “Uh, red lights now mean green, but just for today. Oh, and when you spit, gravity takes your loogee up.” That wouldn’t end well. Consistency is important when telling a story, and the consistency lies within WWE enforcing the rules of professional wrestling.
The Octagon makes its’ way back to Boston, Massachusetts for UFC Fight Night 81 on Sunday night, airing on FOX Sports 1. It is the second event of the month of January, and another opportunity for daily fantasy players to score some profit. Below are our studs, value plays, fighters to avoid and our advice for you in setting your line-ups.
STUDS
Charles Rosa ($10,800)
Charles Rosa might just be 1-2 in the UFC, but he has been impressive in all three bouts. His debut was a close loss to Dennis Siver in a short-notice bout. He came back to submit Sean Soriano before dropping a close split decision to Yair Rodriguez in June. Having been born in Massachusetts, Rosa is back fighting in front of a home crowd and looking to score an impressive win. He will fight Kyle Bochniak, who takes the fight on three days’ notice. That is a lot to ask of someone, much less a fighter who just fought last week. This is set up for Rosa to get a win, and props to Bochniak for stepping to keep Rosa on the card, but Rosa should be getting a finish here, and is our top play because of the circumstances surrounding the fight.
Rob Font ($10,600)
Rob Font is another local fighter on the card, having been born, living and training in Boston. He is a good prospect at 135 pounds with an 11-1 record and ten straight wins. He has been out of action for a long time, not having fought since scoring a first-round knockout of George Roop in his UFC debut in July 2014. That performance, though, showed what he is certainly capable of delivering inside the Octagon. He has well-rounded skills, and he fights an opponent making his UFC debut as an injury replacement in Joey Gomez. Gomez is 6-0 in his career but has yet to have the exposure of the big stage. Font’s striking should be enough to score a finish, and he is a good bet to score a lot of points on Sunday.
VALUE PLAYS
Matt Mitrione ($9,200)
Matt Mitrione looks to have something to prove as he heads into the last fight of his contract on Sunday night. That makes him a good contrarian pick for the event. He is fighting Travis Browne, who comes in as the favorite, but there are a lot of question marks surrounding Browne, especially how he comes back from his last loss and whether the distractions of dating Ronda Rousey get to him. Mitrione is good on his feet and quicker than Browne, but he does make mistakes that cost him fights. It is heavyweights and a finish is likely. Mitrione at his price makes him an interesting value.
Sean O’Connell ($8,500)
Sean O’Connell is a sneaky play at his $8,500 salary. He has won two straight fights by knockout, including a 56-second win in his last fight. He lost his first two UFC fights, but one was a short-notice bout and the other was a split decision. He scores a good amount of points in his fights, and 205-pound fighters have a lot of power. He faces a tough opponent in Ilir Latifi, who has won all three of his UFC fights by finish in the first round. He was also finished recently in the first round. If you are looking for a fighter with a low salary so you can play contrarian and spend up, O’Connell is of solid value.
AVOID
Francimar Barroso ($10,000)
Francimar Barroso is 2-1 in the UFC, but all three fights have gone the distance and he hasn’t been overly impressive. He is a grinder who doesn’t land a lot of strikes and leaves himself open for counters. He is fighting a short-notice opponent in Elvis Mutapcic, and Mutapcic is taking the fight in a higher weight class. Mutapcic is talented, though, and he has a very good chance of defeating Barroso. He also has a style that can beat Barroso. Short notice or not, I give Mutapcic a good chance of winning, therefore I am fading from Barroso.
Daron Cruickshank ($8,700)
Daron Cruickshank is an exciting lightweight fighter, but he has hit a real rough patch in recent UFC bouts. Eye pokes, rough weight cuts and tough competition has seen him win just once in his last five fights, and his back is against the wall. Also with his back against the wall is his opponent, Paul Felder. Felder is more talented of the two, and there will be a lot of strikes thrown. Felder has the better shot at finishing Cruickshank, and a distance fight favors Felder as well. I will be shying away from Cruickshank on my roster.
OUR LINEUPS:
RYAN FREDERICK: Charles Rosa ($10,800), Rob Font ($10,600), Travis Browne ($10,200), Dominick Cruz ($9,300), Francisco Trinaldo ($9,100)
I have Charles Rosa and Rob Font as my two big plays for this card. Both are local fighters who will be willed to win in front of the home fans, and both are fighting short-notice opponents. I like both winning by finish and getting maximum points. I have Travis Browne despite thinking Matt Mitrione is good value. Someone is getting finished in that bout, and Browne is too naturally talented to look as bad as he did against Andrei Arlovski. Dominick Cruz is my interesting play. I am picking T.J. Dillashaw to win, but I’m not confident on that. It is five rounds, which means ten more minutes to score points, and I think they are going the distance. Cruz is good value for his salary. My last pick is Francisco Trinaldo. He has won four straight, has good value, and fights a beatable Ross Pearson. He is a good contrarian pick.
PAUL FONTAINE: Ilir Latifi ($10,900), Rob Font ($10,600), Travis Browne ($10,200), Francisco Trinaldo ($9,100), Daron Cruickshank ($8,700)
Gotta be honest….I’m not really thrilled with my team this week. I went through and picked the probable winners and finishers and I just couldn’t work them all in under the cap so I had to make some tough choice. Browne is clearly a class above Matt Mitrione and as long as the out of the cage stuff he’s been dealing with aren’t too much of a distraction, he should finish Mitrione fairly quickly. Trinaldo is an often overlooked fighter who is a submission specialist and has won 4 in a row. Pearson is tough but he’s taken a lot of punishment and is due to start showing the effects of his age and the damage over the year. Cruickshank is the one I’m not terribly thrilled with having on my team but he’s got power and could score a KO at any point, although his opponent Paul Felder has never been finished. Latifi has first round finishes in each of his last 3 fights and I think he overpowers Sean O’Connell en route to another quick win. Font-Gomez could be a sleeper fight as both are finishers that usually get the job done quickly. Gomez is making his Octagon debut and could have some jitters so I look for that to be the difference here and Font should wipe that “0” from Gomez’ record.
PEACH MACHINE: Anthony Pettis ($11,000), Paul Felder ($10,700), Ben Saunders ($9,800), Dominick Cruz ($9,300), Ed Herman ($8,900)
I think Cruz is too smart and too good to get beat by Dillashaw. All Dominick Cruz does is alternate between getting better and breaking his knee, and his knee is healthy. I like Pettis to rebound and smash Alvarez. I like Alvarez, but I think Pettis is too fast. I’m taking Herman because Boetsch is coming off a bad KO. So is Herman, but I think Boetsch is closer to being done than making a run. Saunders has a lot of reach here. Cote’s fighting age is much greater than 35. I like Saunders to get this to the ground and get the submission. Felder is a killer and has a tough out in Cruickshank, but Felder is tougher and younger and is looking to get back into that win column. I like my picks again this week. I went 4-1 in my DK picks last week, and 11-1 in my tapology picks. Good enough for number 2 over all in tapology. Am I bragging? Yes. Will I ever get another chance to brag at this level? Unlikely. Holtzman blew my perfect pick night. It’s my fault for believing in someone.
After a successful TV taping the other Sunday – at which they bizarrely announced they would be producing action figures! – Revolution Pro-Wrestling is gear up for their first big show of the year, next Saturday’s High Stakes at the York Hall in Bethnal Green. Main eventing the show is what will likely to turn out to be the final non-WWE appearance in the UK by AJ Styles, who is defending his Undisputed British Heavyweight title against Zack Sabre Jr, who seems to be upping the amount of dates he’s doing in the UK of late.
RevPro run the York Hall three times a year, and last year’s final show – Uprising – featured eleven New Japan stars as part of a formal agreement between the two promotions which should hopefully see some of the UK’s top wrestlers get a chance to go over to New Japan. Also on the High Stakes card is a rematch from the TV taping’s Undisputed British Cruiserweight tournament final, as champion Pete Dunne takes on “Flash” Morgan Webster, a Will Ospreay versus Marty Scurll warm-up before their PROGRESS title match a week later, and the UK debut of “Speedball” Mike Bailey. As one of the UK’s “big three”, RevPro’s shows are always worth looking out for, and the results of this one will be eagerly awaited.
2) If you liked “one fall!”, how about “one show”?
Yes, for some odd reason, in the middle of blockbuster January – the last weekend in the month alone has over 25 shows scheduled – there was only one show this week – another of Insane Championship Wrestling’s Friday Night Fight Club TV tapings at the Garage nightclub in Glasgow, Scotland. The exclusive content taped for their ICW On Demand service – which, I’m reliably informed is actually unexclusively free to non-subscribers for the first 24 hours – has been a shining light in the winter gloom these past few weeks, and this week’s show was no different.
The latest taping was dominated by heel stable The 55 (who, for the uninitiated, play on the percentage of Scots who rejected independence in 2014’s referendum), with tag-team champions Sha Samuels & Kid Fite retaining their titles against Mikey Whiplash & Tommy End, and the whole group attacking not only babyface hero Joe Coffey after the main event, but also ICW owner Mark Dallas. With Grado & Galloway over in Pennsylvania, the rest of the roster got the chance to step up and shine, and by the sounds of the slobberknocker between Jimmy Havoc and Big Damo, they did just that.
3) The Brits returned on TNA.
Although we’re very much focussed on what goes on over here in the UK, we also like to keep an eye out for what our talent is up to overseas. This past week’s TNA tapings heavily featured Drew Galloway, who formed an alliance with the soon-to-depart Kurt Angle, as well as the usual antics from Bram, Rockstar Spud, Mark Andrews (who did a must-see spot with a skateboard that will make you forget the Dynamic Dudes ever existed), and Grado in a Monster’s Ball match with Abyss, which included barbed-wire and thumb tacks (or “drawing pins” as we call them in the UK).
While all but Galloway (and, to a lesser extent, Bram) are used in a way that disappoints most British fans of their work, the exposure they receive benefits both them and the promotions they work for in the UK, and so we swallow it down like bad medicine (cue Dr Wagner Jr earworm). In the case of Andrews, and after a year in which he based himself in Nashville and did few UK shots, he’s upping his UK dates this year, appearing regularly for the ATTACK!-Pro promotion he helped to create and getting a shot at the PROGRESS tag-team titles at the upcoming Chapter 25: Chat Sh*t, Get Banged.
4) I get things wrong.
I told you last week about the ultra-ambitious (in a good way!) upcoming show from Pro-Wrestling Chaos, running a 3000-seater hall in Bristol for an exclusive English date by The Young Bucks. Well, in amongst all that, I got the date wrong. The show is on April 9th, not April 8th as I wrote last week. Apologies for that, Chaos lads. They have another show coming up next month, with Grado, Trevor Lee, and UK legend Johnny Kidd joining all the usual regulars, and you should check their website for details.
Chris Jericho’s podcasts are an acquired taste for some, but when he gets a good guest with lots to say, they’re essential listening. This week he had British wrestling legend and NXT trainer Robbie Brookside on the show, and gave his guest the room to speak at length about his career. It must have been an eye-opener for US fans of the show to hear tales of Terry Rudge and Scrubber Daly, as well as a spot-on impression of All-Star promoter Brian Dixon, but long-time UK fans will have emerged from it basking in the warm glow of nostalgia. One day someone will write a proper book on all this, and I hope they go to Brookside for first-hand material.
The worrying sign coming from the hype on WWE.com is that they may group all four men with Finn Balor as part of a NJPW alumni group. This would be a grave mistake. Styles, Balor and Nakamura are all headline acts that shouldn’t be playing second fiddle to anyone else in a faction – putting them together just means you’re inevitably failing to maximise the potential of at least two of the stable’s members.
The pathway for the two Americans is clear: Anderson and Gallows should be reunited with Finn Balor as part of Balor Club. They have a natural chemistry together from their time in Bullet Club, and two big heavyweights acting as muscle for the smaller champion is easy heat. Also, together they may be able to plug the gap in WWE programming created by the asinine decision to break up The Shield.
For A.J. Styles, I would recommend WWE looks more closely at his TNA run than his more recent success in NJPW. Styles only truly convinced fans he was a heel in Japan because he was paired with already hated heels and matched against genuinely beloved babyfaces. WWE has neither of these and so should go with the grain and book him as a babyface. Styles had his most success in TNA as a modern-day reimagining of a mid-eighties WWF Intercontinental Champion, the secondary champion that is the connoisseurs’ favourite, and WWE should book him accordingly. Part of me thinks they’ll book him against Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania.
The more interesting, and challenging, person to successfully introduce into the WWE Universe is Shinsuke Nakamura. As somebody who only came aboard the New Japan bandwagon when NJPW World was launched, I’m confident that if presented properly he can become a huge star in WWE. While he may not be as verbally eloquent as the typical WWE superstar, he is a man who oozes visual charisma that naturally draws fans in. Don’t just take my word for it — my seven year old son has been similarly impressed with the matches he’s watched with me.
What’s more, the fear that WWE fans won’t accept someone from Japan is overblown. Vince McMahon may never have treated Japanese pro-wrestlers seriously, but that didn’t stop Taka Michinoku, Yoshi Tatsu and, above all, Yoshihiro Tarijii from getting far more over than their pushes. Likewise, indie fans have regularly accepted visitors from New Japan as big stars, and the success of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan shows that indie sensibilities are not as far removed from WWE fan tastes as some on both sides of that divide may wish was the case.
However, there’s no doubt he needs to be introduced very carefully by WWE if he’s to be successful. As crazy as it sounds, I believe the man he should be programmed with is none other than Brock Lesnar.
Nearly four months after the strangely rushed climax of his feud with Undertaker, we are still no nearer to knowing who Lesnar will face at Wrestlemania. Worse, there seems to be no good options given that the WWE can’t risk pro-Lesnar fans turning on Roman Reigns if they were rematched while the rest of the roster is a sea of mid-carders. The natural response is therefore to bring an outsider in to face Lesnar. Alas, even here there are slim pickings. The dream match of him facing Steve Austin has been emphatically ruled out by all concerned, while no one is entirely sure whether actors The Rock or Batista would be available to wrestle.
Nakamura is the perfect man to step into this breach, not just because he’s a terrific pro wrestler who has not been defined down by inept WWE booking but because there’s a ready made story. For the uninitiated, Lesnar and Nakamura have already met with Lesnar crushing Nakamura to successfully defend his then-IGWP title. At the time, Nakamura promised to regroup and hone his skills by wrestling all over the world, so that eventually he would be strong enough to avenge his loss.
Using this backstory is the perfect springboard to introduce Nakamura. It gives him a clear rationale for moving to the WWE, and immediately slots him in as a top star. By revealing that Lesnar once held the IGWP belt, it would also validates the credentials of both Nakamura and Styles. But above all else, a feud with Lesnar is the best chance to hide Nakamura’s limitations and extenuate his positives.
Nakamura’s key limitation is that there’s nothing to suggest that he could deliver the monologues that WWE believes are effective promos. That can’t be solely blamed on the fact English isn’t his first language as even his Japanese promos seemed less smooth than some of his contemporaries. What’s more, New Japan rightly doesn’t place any emphasis on talking for 20+ minutes. However, it’s fair to say that Lesnar also lacks the verbal diarrhoea that WWE usually demands of its headliners.
So, pairing them together would allow the emphasis to be moved away from in-ring verbal confrontations that do neither man any favours. Just as Lesnar’s best promo work was in sitdown interviews before his match with Cena, both men would be able to deliver quick quips to put into video packages. Just as Lesnar relies on Paul Heyman to act his advocate, you could easily use either Mauro Ranello or Jim Ross to explain how great Nakamura is based on their previous roles with New Japan. Indeed, there may be an argument for doing a ‘Jim Ross meets Mick Foley’-style series of interviews.
And in a battle of two former MMA fighters (ahem), you could work to expand the build beyond the sometimes claustrophobic environment of RAW by using a HBO 24/7 style series of documentary segments to present a richer narrative of both men’s preparation for the fight.
Such an approach would allow you to introduce Nakamura as a big deal i.e. have him deliver his challenge to Lesnar to a (maybe worked) press conference in Tokyo, work with New Japan to splice in footage of their erstwhile Intercontinental Champion in action (maybe in return for allowing him to work Dominion), showcase his genuine presence in Japanese pop-culture and bring in outside figures (such as Kurt Angle) to vouch for how good he is. Given both are legitimate athletes, you could showcase their training preparations in the same way fans were given a look backstage for Lesnar’s preparations for his match against The Rock.
Done right, such a match would allow the WWE to build interest for the match without wasting too many of Lesnar’s dates or exposing Nakamura. Keeping the debuting Japanese superstar away from the WWE ring would also build intrigue for the match — as long as the pretaped hype packages have convinced people he’s a big deal, the fact they won’t see him until his characteristically elaborate entrance is only a positive. And of course, Lesnar vs. Nakamura is as sure to be as good a match as you could book.
A throwaway show was transformed when they put Kevin Owens against John Cena. Whilst they wasted the momentum generated from Owens’ victory, the lesson was clear, WWE fans want fresh matchups and for new superstars to prove their worth against the biggest stars. Shinsuke Nakamura has drawn more money than anyone the WWE has hired since Goldberg speared Rock, and they should treat him as such. Put him straight into a featured match, protect him during the build, and watch him immediately repay the faith shown in him.
Once Upon A Time, in a Business Far, Far, Far Away…the idea that Vince McMahon could push main eventers who had never experienced success outside of the WWF was absurd given how aggressively they had poached the biggest and the best pro wrestlers from rival promotions. Indeed, with only two exceptions, the WWF did not own the exclusive rights to their champion’s gimmick until “Stone Cold” Steve Austin won the title in 1998.
Even then, at a time when McMahon’s main even roster was arguably at its weakest, it was still focused on guys such as Mick Foley and Austin who had won championships in WCW. Even The Undertaker had a notable run in WCW as part of The Skyscrapers. But Triple-H and The Rock were different; the former had achieved nothing during a short-stay in Atlanta whilst the latter didn’t even get that far south after leaving the Canadian Football League. Instead, they were WWF-lifers, men who debuted to much fanfare, suffered a vicious yet deserved backlash, only to finally grow into the shoes they had been given upon entering the Titanverse.
It’s a journey that most of WWE’s late Attitude era draws have trodden. Whether it’s John Cena, Randy Orton, Dave Batista or Edge, they are all were similarly devoid of pro wrestling accomplishments away from the McMahons, and were all strongly pushed upon their debut only to temporarily falter due to the promotion and performer having failed to perfect their persona away from the main stage. Yet, they all eventually achieved real success after tweaking their characters.
It has been more than a decade since the promotion has found the same success in ‘hothousing’ talent in this way. Whether that’s due to the developmental system not recruiting the right performers or creative not letting talent grow into more marketable personas is up for debate. What cannot be argued is that the inability of WWE to grow its own superstars has had the most profound impact on the product they present.
The careers of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose are all evidence of how the WWE has been forced to reach into the very same independent scene they used to dismiss to find the next generation of superstars. Still, at least, the promotion was able to console itself with the fact that these men all needed the McMahon Family to get them to the big stage. After all, without the WWE, they wouldn’t be performing in arena shows or on national television.
Indeed, it seemed that this became WWE management’s collective egos’ Maginot Line; anybody could be hired provided they had no national television exposure and weren’t so infamous that WWE couldn’t remould them. Kevin Owens was the first to hint that this defence was creaking. Sure, he was given a slightly different name but he was essentially playing the same character as he had in Ring of Honor. Worse, he had appeared extensively on ROH syndicated television and had even had his own action figure produced.
But that was nothing compared to this week’s news that A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura are on their way to WWE. While both men are just as revered by smart fans as the ‘indie darlings’ that WWE has been busily signing to NXT in recent years, they have far more tenure in “mainstream” pro wrestling.
Styles was not just regularly featured on Spike TV rom 2005 to 2014, but was the TNA champion during the period Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan tried to turbocharge TNA to new heights. A show Styles appeared on as champion was watched (at one point) by more than 3 million people. His merchandise includes action figures, t-shirts, DVDs and video games. He’s wrestled all over the world, and so while the WWE could insist on renaming him, it would likely hold them up to ridicule and lessen the impact of his debut.
Styles has also been the highest profile foreign star in New Japan Pro-Wrestling for the past two years. However, his impact there has been nothing like that of Shinsuke Nakamura. An art-college vision of bad-ass, he is easily the flashiest character and most dynamic performer in New Japan’s main event scene. Not even Sting could boast having headlined a show with as high a paid attendance as Wrestle Kingdom 8, where Nakamura’s Intercontinental Title defence went on last in front of more than 30,000 people.
To underline how significant a change in WWE’s recruitment policies these signings are, consider this. The last person to be recruited by WWE having successfully drawn more than 10,000 buys on pay per view for a rival pro wrestling promotion within a year of their debut was probably Hulk Hogan in 2002! Other than the ill-fated Mistico, WWE has simply not recruited anybody with the success or profile of either Styles or Nakamura since they cemented their dominant market position.
And the reason they are doing so is not because they want to, but because they’ve finally acknowledged that they can’t grow their own talent. That they are being forced to face up to his failure does raise questions about what the millions of dollars being invested into NXT are actually achieving.
