Fans Forced to Change by WWE.



Photo from @Laufered

When we as fans attend a live WWE Event, we are told to have fun, bring your signs, enjoy the moment. That wasn’t the case this past Monday night. I wanted to talk about how great the main event build up was this past Raw which took place in Des Moinse Iowa, but there was something else that caught my attention.

For most of you who watched raw, I’m sure you noticed the 9 fans in the front row dressed as past WWE wrestlers. There were legends such as Ric Flair, IRS, Macho Man, Hogan, The Big Boss man… This was awesome. When I saw them I loved it, just a group of guys enjoying the moment and having fun… That’s what the WWE wants us to do at these live events right, have fun? 

Well later on I noticed these guys were no longer in costume. I noticed one guy went from IRS to wearing a Goldust shirt. As raw went on, I was was informed by a friend to check Twitter. These guys all dressed as their Favorite Wrestlers, were told by WWE officials to change if they wanted to stay at the Show because they were causing a distraction… 



I eventually found a tweet from one of the guys in that group, who tweeted out a picture of all of them with the saddest faces because they indeed were forced to take off their costumes. 

This is by far the saddest and most pathetic thing the WWE could possibly have done. How ridiculous this is for a company who’s thrives off of putting smiles on faces of their fans… Well they removed 9 smiles, 10 including my own. I just can’t believe that a group of WRESTLING FANS who were out having the time of their lives sitting front row dressed as their favorite wrestlers caused such an issue. I’m actually very upset that this was the action the WWE took upon 9 people who were there to just have a good time. Just imagine you were told that you’re having too much fun at a wrestling show, how would you feel?

Wasn’t Vince McMahon the one who used the term the “NO FUN LEAGUE” when criticizing the NFL? 

I was reading some of the comments about this and one person mentions “Its a TV thing.. don’t forget the audience is a part of the show. And if the audience is distracting to the show they will fix it. From signs to full out costumes.”  It’s a valid point on how The WWE is but these guys didn’t look hostile, they weren’t starting fights, they just simply wanted to have a good time. The WWE should be loving the fact that fans go out of their way for the product they love. Yes the viewers at home saw it, no there was not a negative reaction from viewers who noticed, I personally didn’t see a “distraction”. I still watched raw and payed attention to what was in the ring knowing they where there. However, I was distracted when I found out they changed. If anything with WrestleMania right around the corner, the WWE should love that these fans came as the traditional wrestlers who helped build the product.

 If I had front row seats on camera side at a Live PPV or televised event, you know damn well I’m thinking the same way those guys were. 

This isn’t the type of press you want your company to have, especially when you’re biggest event 2 weeks away. I can careless that it was “Distracting” or putting attention to theirselves, they paid to be there and they weren’t committing a crime. The WWE needs to be more concerned with what they are putting in the ring than how much fun people are having outside the ring.

I’m attending a live Raw April 20th and I encourage everyone who is attending to occupy the show by dressing up as your favorite wrestler. Someone please dress up like The Ultimate Warrior and just run around the arena the entire show, shaking the railings, gorilla press a friend. 

To think, I wanted to write something coming out of this weeks raw that was positive. Overall it was a good show but to me it was overshadowed by how the situation resulted. Worse part was a WWE Official promised to hook these guys up if they changed, that official was never seen again after. I hope the WWE makes it right with these 9 guy in some way because this could get ugly faster than you think. #TwitterWar. #TrendingWorldWide

That’s my Damn Heel Turn…

Heere the letter one of the guys wrote to the WWE…



The Journey to the IC Title Match

The Journey is just as big as the destination. Just when you thought there could be a chance for the IC title to actually feel special again, an over booked storyline pulls the carpet out from underneath you. The journey to the Intercontinental title ladder match had all the tools it needed for success and now it feels like creative has been rewriting the script everyday, constantly adding too much story.

Here’s the cast of characters involved in this mess thrown together. I am going to do my best to not get longwinded and drag on because there are now 7 participants… Yes 7…

Let’s start with the elephant in the room…
Stardust?!??

Why?
Where’s our Dustin VS Cody match we all want to see? They built that up so well and then it just disappears as if we didn’t even notice.
What’s his purpose and who really cares for him in this match? WE WANT THE BROTHER VS BROTHER MATCH!!! Watching him take out Daniel Bryan and steal the belt, I took a deep sigh of disappointment and shook my head.

Our current IC Champion Bad News Barrett…

Why is he losing every single week on TV? I feel every champion from top to bottom on the card should be booked strong ESPECIALLY building up to WrestleMania. Wade Barrett can be a great heel champion if booked correctly but instead, they make him look weak. Nikki Bella has been booked as a better divas Champion then Barrett as IC Champ.

Now here’s my most painful thing to talk about but it has to be done and that’s Dean Ambrose.

I want to love this guy, I really do. but lately he has just come off to me as this cheesy stone cold comedy act type character for the PG era. You look at the entire roster and then look at Ambrose and he stands out, he’s cool. But unfortunately, the way creative sees cool to fit their PG television is completely different from what we see cool as. It frustrates me because it’s not his fault, it’s how he’s been booked. And Who calls someone a turd by the way?

Speaking of that turd, let’s talk about Daniel Bryan.

The most popular guy on the roster, maybe in the world. See at first I was cool with Bryan adding himself to this match, it had potential… But after Smackdown, this has become a huge downgrade for him. He cut a decent promo about the Title and then it all went downhill from there. Let’s look at history:
Randy Savage- IC Title to World title
Bret Hart- IC Title to World title
Ultimate Warrior-IC title to world title
Daniel Bryan- World Title to IC Title?!
Daniel Bryan- 32 years old and still in his prime… IC Title match…
Do you get where I’m going with this?!?!

Then there’s R-Truth….

Now I didn’t see him defeat Bad News but This guy was more invisible than Little Jimmy himself until the night after Fast Lane and now he some how is on commentary every week and gets a WrestleMania match?!? Don’t get me going… And this #GiveTruthaChance, which Maggel Cole said was apparently trending world wide, WAS NOT trending world wide, it was just something planted into the story behind the story behind another story to help build R-Truth for this match.

The Companies most athletic guy in the Locker room Dolph Ziggler

Now if the Brass would have Stuck with pushing Dolph Ziggler from Survivor series on, maybe this match would have a better feel to it. Instead Ziggler has been drowning on the mid card. It also feels like Ziggler has fell victim to the rewrites as he one night praises Daniel Bryan and then this past Thursday agrees that with Ambrose that Bryan is a turd…

Luke Harper is just completely lost in the Shuffle. I honestly forgot he was even involved in this mess. Harper does not appose as the monster that he should be shown as and This is why he seems lost.

And The whole belt stealing game, it’s got to come to an end. It does nothing for this story anymore. Since when did stealing a belt make you a champion? It made no sense and every week it continues to devalues the belt more and more. If you want that belt, win it, prove you are just as good as everyone else who has earned to carry the name Intercontinental Champion.

I don’t want to complain, I hate complaining about stuff that is out of my control or being kind of negative but wrestling is about the journey, it’s not just the destination. It’s how you get there. It’s not just WrestleMania,its the build. I want to be invested into this process, I want to be excited and when it comes to this match I’m not. You look at this match and on paper it could possibly be a show stealer, but the story surrounding it is an absolute mess. We have two weeks left until WrestleMania, buckle your seatbelt because this road is going to be a rough one… Let’s hope they get it together.

Here’s a fun fact, this years WrestleMania is the 10 year Anniversary of the Debut of The Money in the Bank Ladder match…
That’s My Heel Turn!

The Future is NXT…



So I’m being sent down from the Main Roster to Developmental for today’s blog. Time to take a break from the serious writing and have some fun discussing the future of “Sports Entertainment”

NXT had stepped up and became a new alternative for wrestling fans. It has become professional wrestlings breath of fresh air. While NXT was simply suppose to be a place where talent got groomed and prepared for their arrival on the main roster, it has shown us that NXT isn’t just a stepping stone to the main roster anymore. NXT transformed into a completely different brand and its beginning to make the stars of tomorrow, house hold names today.

I decided to have some fun for today and just break down MY top 10 NXT Superstars who will make an impact in the future on the main roster and who I see them potentially feuding with in the future… Allowing Vince doesn’t Fuck this up.

Let’s Begin…

10- Enzo Amore and Big CassThese two are very entertaining and are great on the Mic. So far when the Mics are in their hands, people are Listening. They have a catchphrase that could be a big deal if they start getting hot on the main roster. These two won’t be a huge draw on the main card but can fill in the entertainment spots left behind by Santino or maybe take it further. I’m sure due to their connection with the crowd and their popularity, they will see some Tag Title gold in their future.

Future Rivalry: Uncertain… The Tag division lacks teams now, who now what the future holds.

9-Sasha Banks



If there’s is one Female on the NXT roster who has put in the work and had improved dramatically, it’s the Boss Sasha Banks. I remember when she use to get the “you can’t wrestle” chants during the early days of NXT. Now herself, along with Charlotte are the only divas since Trish and Lita where I saw a crowd give a standing ovation and a “this is awesome” chant during a Divas match. Bizarre right? Banks will help fill in the gaps some of the main roster Divas have trouble filling, creating some real competition in the division. 

Future Rivalry: Natalya

8-Alex Riley



Yeah I said it, Alex F’ Riley! When sent down to NXT and becoming an announcer, I was actually disappointed. I knew eventually Riley can be something in the WWE. After he parted ways with The Miz during his time on the main Roster, Riley struggled and I blame that on how he was booked. Now with a second chance at life, the build up to Riley’s return was set up perfectly. He not only has a purpose but now he has a mission and can’t fail. If Riley ever gets that second chance on the main roster I think he may surprise a lot of doubters and it also writes a good story for a guy who wants one more shot and has everything to lose.

Future Rivalry: Sheamus 

7-Hideo Itami



I have Itami so low on my list because truthfully he has yet to really find himself. Maybe it’s the transition to the United States or he’s just not use to the WWE style. Currently Itami is in the process of getting better and I promise you, when Itami finally finds himself you will see some of the best matches out of him. The WWE needs a guy like Itami to step up when he come to the main roster simply to attract an international buzz and draw huge numbers from Japan. Im not 100% sure if the Network is available in Japan yet but that would be your guy to help push it there. And who knows, maybe we will see a rematch with The American Dragon Brian Danielson or maybe his shinning moment happens when the move we all want gets hit.

Future Rivalry: Seth Rollins 

6-Tyler Breeze



Behind the Selfie Stick and the Supermodel gimmick, Breeze is a talent who is underestimated in the ring. We all saw first hand at NXT Takeover, Breeze VS Sami Zayn. If given a one on one opportunity, Breeze can put on match of the night style performances. If used properly, breeze can find himself in some interesting feuds. 

Future Rivalry: Dolph Ziggler

5-Adrian Neville



Not a typical Vince McMahon kind of guy, Neville has taken that type of Criticism, used it as a motivation in the ring and left all critics speechless. Neville  to me just seems so natural in the ring. I some times feel like this guy just makes up moves as he goes. And his finish is amazing to watch. Scratch the rumors that have been circulating about him wearing a Mighty Mouse suit, when this guy comes to the main roster, he’s going to add some excitement to the mid card.  

Future Rivalry: Cesaro

4-Charlotte



This is NOT your typical Diva, that’s why she’s so high up on my list… Charlotte is a future Divas Champion. She is one female who can bring wrestling back to the Divas division. I’m not downplaying any divas on the main roster because their are some talent up there, adding Charlotte to that Mix I feel will personally bring the best out of most of the divas. After saying all this not once did I mention that Ric Flair is her dad because there’s no reason to, she has build herself past that and has made a name without the Ric Flair rub. 

 Future Rivalry: Paige/AJ

3-Kevin Owens



With a dominating Indy career and an epic Rivalry with a familiar fan favorite, Kevin Owens comes in and has proven that he can reach for the NXT brass ring and do damage. With only 2 months in the company, Owens not just beat but destroyed former NXT Champ Sami Zayn. Kevin Owens is exactly the type of heel the main roster needs and I guarantee you, Owens will be voted in as Heel of the Year in no time! Just wait, if you followed him as Kevin Steen during his ROH days, then you know as best as I do that we haven’t seen nothing yet. Kevin Owens does what’s best for his family, don’t be surprised if he gets paid off by The Authority to be their Monster Hitman once in a while.

Future Rivalry: Dean Ambrose/old man John Cena

2-Sami Zayn



From a masked Man on the Indy scene to the face of NXT, I personally Feel that Sami Zayn has what it takes to be a potential Face of the WWE. From his entrance music to his connection with the crowd, you can’t deny the good impression Zayn leaves on us all. Just like Nevil, Zayn Also lacks that Vince McMahon size qualification, But we live in a generation now where size doesn’t matter. I feel that the kids will gravitate towards Zayn, and unlike Cena, you just can’t Boo this guy even if you wanted to. This will be another Daniel Bryan type underdog story.

Future Rivalry: The Authority leading into Kevin Owens… That rivalry will live in wherever those two go!

1- Finn Bálor



Finn Balor has that “It Factor” and the skills. He’s known for competing all over the world so we will never have to worry about him choking in front of a large crowd. He surprisingly has the Vince McMahon Stamp of approval which may help him avoid bad booking upon his arrival to the main roster. Not to mention the body paint gimmick that the kids will go crazy for. You thought his NXT entrance was good, wait to you see his entrance on the stage of a WrestleMania. We will see Balor on the main roster sooner than the others most likely and I have a feeling we will see an impact made his first day up there.

Future Rivalry: Bray Wyatt

Whether you Agree or disagree, that’s my top 10 NXT superstars who will make an impact layer on down the line. Regardless if my opinions stand or they don’t, we all have so much to look forward to as wrestling fans because the Future of the WWE is Shinning very bright! 

That’s my Heel Turn! 

Eat, Sleep, Paul Heyman promo, REPEAT!

So I was going to go on about the bumpy road to WrestleMania and the lack of build up, but there’s no reason why I should talk about the negative today when there’s one shinning star who deserves my full attention. While the build up for most of this WrestleMania card lacks motivation, there’s one program that has been carried by one man further than we all thought he could carry it on his own… That man is Paul Heyman

Not since the attitude era, have I seen someone top what they did the previous week, every time they were on TV. This main event, that most of the Mark Universe are so butt hurt over, has become more relevant and has brought more prestige to Mania and the two participants had nothing to do with the build. 

Paul Heyman took this main event program, put it on his shoulders and so far has made it must see TV. Not only is he making his Monster a believable champion in his own world and he doesn’t even wrestle, but Heyman is making us (or maybe just myself) invest more interest into Roman Reigns character. 

I give credit to either the WWE or to Heyman for taking real life drama and adding it to the story keeping it in the realm of Believability. I do feel that since Roman by himself doesn’t seem to be as hot as they thought, they are making the feuds main focus not just on Lesnar and Reigns, but focusing on Lesnar VS the company. We all know the rumors, we pay close attention to what’s being said. With Lesnar walking out, then seeing Lesnar on a UFC event, it makes this program more real because we are all familiar with his contact situation and how he’s this fighter that wants his UFC Title back. NONE of this would have gotten over so good without Paul Heyman. Heyman delivers so much passion and anger in his promos and every week there is more Fire behind his words that he could make you believe Santa Claus is real. It’s like he’s out there hitting us with shoot promos every week just keeping it real and that’s exactly what we want to see.  

If this program gets over at WrestleMania, Paul Heyman better get an incredible payoff because he has been the true star for this main event while the other two just took a back seat to their payoffs. Who knows, this match may put people to sleep or it could surprisingly steal the show, we won’t know until the bell rings. But we would have truly never given it a chance if it wasn’t for Paul Heyman. #HeymanMania should be trending World Wide next Monday night.

That’s my Heel Turn! 

 

Bill Demott Resigns as NXT Head Trainer

Well I’m Afraid I’ve Got Some Bad News… 

Bill Demott, World Wrestling Entertainment’s Head trainer for the NXT Developmental has resigned from his position due to the allegations of the abuse, homophobic and out of line behavior towards the wrestlers from 2013.  Now lets get this out of the way, I’m NO expert on the situation. I’m sure theres a lot of points I may miss or you might disagree with, But at the end of this blog, neither of us have ever been trained by Bill Demott. 

Breaking it down quickly since all you wrestling fans know the story: Former developmental guys who are no longer with the company have stood up and have made allegations of physical assault, verbally abuse with racial and homophobic slurs and putting the developmental guys and girls through dangerous drills.  Apparently these allegations have began being made around 2012-20013 and have finally been made public this year. WWE had no choice but to address the situation saying they were investigating the situation. To avoid the public backlash that the company could have gone through, Demott resigned as head trainer. 

Now I have never been through developmental so I don’t know what Demott’s Training Style is like except for what has been said.  I have however, Wrestled since I was 10 years old, throughout high school and college. I know what the term “Old School” training is like, I’ve lived it. When your Head Coach is a Military Vet and the Assistant Coaches are Army Vets or Fresh out, you know damn well practices aren’t going to be fun. I’ve been slapped around, I was told “You’re only on your knees if you’re sucking D**k”, I boarded the bus to hell and back and the coaching staff were the drivers. But they only did that to make us strong, tough and that we were. I can sit here and go over my wrestling credentials, My state titles, my 100+ career wins, but its not about me. 

Now I went through all that abuse, but in a different generation. Todays generation is much more sensitive than it was before. So I ask, was it a smart move by Demott to resign even though he denied these allegations?  I get it, you want to give what was given to you. You want these guys and girls to be strong both mentally and physically. But this isn’t your typical wrestling facility where you can cross the line. This is World Wrestling Entertainment, Which is a publicly traded company who strives off of a TV-PG image. A company who held a strong Be-A-Star Campaign, they have an Image to protect. Wrestlemania is right around the corner, this is the last thing they need on their plate. Back to my question, Was it a smart move on Demott’s part to resign? My opinion yes… it saves him some stress and he’s doing the WWE a favor by removing himself before it gets worse. Plus I’m almost certain that If Demott did stick around, he would have eventually been let go because it would have been too much of a liability to keep him around. Who knows if Bill Demott will ever rise above this Hate.

 

Matt Bloom, known to wrestling fans as Prince Albert, A-Train and Tensai was Named Interim NXT Head Trainer. Some Might find that a bit “Hugh Morrus”…. Such a bad joke

Thats my heel turn

The Phenom VS The Face of Fear.

This has been an intriguing topic because of the two people involved.

In one corner, you have The Undertaker. A Man who has made 22 WrestleMania appearances. His Entrances alone is worth the price of admission for most fans. Since 1990, The Undertaker has made his presence known. On March 24th, 5 days before WrestleMania, Taker turns 50 years old.

In the other corner, you have Bray Wyatt. WrestleMania 31 will be Wyatt’s 2nd Appearance on the big stage, just 20 shy of Taker. Wyatt’s Entrance in my opinion is the best entrance in the business only because that entrance is the only entrance made by the Fans. No pyro, no smoke, just a dark arena, a lantern and a sea of cell phones glowing representing his “Fireflies”. Wyatt has been magic in the ring and on the Mic since he’s arrived… And he’s only 27 years old.

Now who benefits from winning at Mania? Will this hurt Wyatt or will this hurt Taker? Taker losing two years in a row puts a tear in some people’s eye, but ask yourself this… What does The Undertaker have to prove? He had the longest streak ever to be held in Wrestling, going 21-0 at WrestleMania before he ran into That Paul Heyman Guy last year at WrestleMania 30.

Do you see Taker Sticking around if he win? Or is he heading back to Texas to be with his Hot wife and plan for next years Mania? Taker has been a household name for so many years, his entire career was a WrestleMania Moment. So this is why I say, it’s time to Pass the torch to the New Face of Fear. If Bray Wyatt, who is 27 years old, loses to The Undertaker, this WILL indeed hurt him and maybe his future.

Bray Wyatt’s stock has dramatically risen with the company and he’s been booked to be unstoppable. Did I forget to mention that he’s only 27 years old? Not even in his prime yet, Wyatt has proven that not only can he go in the ring but he can cut promos without the help of creative. This is why I believe it’s best for business that Wyatt wins at Mania. Everyone gets so mad when young talent ends up getting buried especially when they are in a roll. This isn’t any Different! Yes, Taker lost at last years event and many fear that him losing again will hurt his character. But Let’s be real here people, it’s The Undertaker. Nothing can hurt this man except for age. At his age, Doing what’s right for business doesn’t hurt him, it shows that he cares for the future. I mean the future is what we are waiting patiently for right? Let this be the first step into the future of the WWE. Now granted, Wyatt won’t come close to being who The Undertaker was. However, Wyatt can sure take the ball and run with it as the New face of fear for years to come and can be that next dark character who strikes fear in his opponents. A win over The Undertaker will make it happen. Regardless if you like it or not, Bray Wyatt is the guy, to beat the guy, in order to be that guy for the future of The Company.

Food for Thought: The streak is gone so this is just a regular match. You wanna know how you add more Mystic, more value to the match? Keep Taker off TV until Mania. Make the fans want it. Don’t spoil a return on Raw when you can have a special return at Mania without a Streak in the Line.

Make Sure you join the Facebook group Marks @ http://www.facebook.com/groups/prowrestlingmarks To get involved in some Live Feedback and interact in some interesting conversations.

Tired of Hiding behind a Keyboard to talk about wrestling? Get a Google Hangouts ACCOUNT and Join Mark’d Up Hosted by Angry Kuter every Wednesday night at 9PM

Listen and Subscribe to Another Wrestling Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and other sources.

And always Remember, Regardless if you Love it or hate it, You still read it!

Thats My Heel Turn, Thanks for reading!

The Road to #AxelMania

Curtis Axel Has finally Found himself…. For Now.

Before the Royal Rumble, just after the break up of RybAxle, The Only Gimmick The Son of Curt Henning had was anonymous. (Meaning, we just didn’t even know if he was still on the roster or not) We would See him every now and then on SuperStars Jobbing out to struggling Mid Card guys but lets be real here, Who Watches SuperStars?

Then Mr. Anonymous Shows up to Philadelphia, PA, The site for this years Royal Rumble and Little did Axel nor anyone know, This Rumble will be an Out of Body Experience for the 3rd Generation Superstar. As the Fans of Philly were ready to see who was the Number 6 Entrant, The Buzzer sounds and Out comes Axel. I’m not going to go into detail about what happens next because we all know what happens next. I remember Looking on Twitter to see if i could find anything on the apparent riots from the Philly fans and I stumbled across a picture worth a thousand words. Curtis Axel: 2015 Royal Rumble Winner! The Fans of the Reality era just got real! Who Cares about the Riots Trending, Cutis Axel was Never Eliminated from the Royal Rumble Match. Ok, Even though by technicality, he really was eliminated Due to the fact that he didn’t make it to the ring by the next entrant, It was damn cool to see all the Marks standing behind this.

I knew IMMEDIETLY when I saw this Trending world wide right behind the #CancelWWENetwork, that this was something I hoped they ran with. Regardless If it was Axel Pushing this to creative or Creative saying “lets give this a try”, This New Gimmick has not only gotten over with the WWE Universe, But has brought Curtis Axel Back to life. From his Opener, “Don’t Change the Channel” to his New red and yellow #AxelMania Shirt (which looks so damn familar to me, I can’t put my finger on it Brother..), This has truly Been a Blessing in disguise for Axel and something the Fans seem to be getting behind.

Here is “The Blow off” Wrestling Definaition term” The End Of a Feud, Heel turn term: MY Final Words!

The WWE Likes to “trim the fat” off the roster every now and then to make salary space for other things. If Axel Didn’t take #AxelMania to where it is Now, I’m Sure sooner or Later the 3rd Generation superstar Would have been Future Endeavored. Curtis Axel is More over with the crowd than your WrestleMania Main Eventer  and I truly believe this is Only The beginning. Get ready for that Snowball affect, especially when Axel is standing in front of a Smart Mark City Crowd… All Hail Curtis Axel! Even though he will Lose his Match, the Fans will Stand up and Cheer this man. Why? Because its Entertaining. The Road to WrestleMania is soon to become the Road to #AxelMania.

Make Sure you join the Facebook group Marks @ www.facebook.com/groups/prowrestlingmarks To get involved in some Live Feedback and interact in some interesting conversations.

Tired of Hiding behind a Keyboard to talk about wrestling? Get a Google Hangouts account and Join Mark’d Up Hosted by Angry Kuter every Wednesday night at 9PM

Listen and Subscribe to Another Wrestling Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and other sources.

And always Remember, Regardless if you Love it or hate it, You still read it!

Thats My Heel Turn, Thanks for reading!