PPV Preview: WWE SummerSlam 2015

It's the biggest party of the summer, but WWE NXT just had a pretty big party last night...so what exactly does SummerSlam have in store for us tonight, let's run down the card.

Promoted heavily on WWE television over the last five weeks, I'm still not completely sure how to feel about the upcoming rematch between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker. Like many, I wouldn't place myself as a fan of their WrestleMania 30 encounter, and whilst Undertaker seemed to be back to at least something resembling his former self at this WrestleMania, I'm still not exactly sure what we're going to get when the bell rings tonight. 


Brock Lesnar surely has to win this one and finally put his feud with The Deadman to rest, as a loss to the fifty year old WWE legend would surely take a large chunk off of the aura WWE have built for Lesnar over the last 18 months. For me this sets the wheels in motion for Undertaker in be inducted into the Hall of Fame and have one last match at WrestleMania in Texas. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a screwy finish here, with perhaps a run in to set up Taker's match at WrestleMania.


Prediction - Lesnar wins.

John Cena and Seth Rollins have proven that they are capable of working very well together in the ring on numerous occasions (most recently on 27th July episode of Monday Night RAW) and I expect this bout to be no different under the bright lights. Cena is coming off a blistering series off matches with Kevin Owens, that sure Cena add a number of moves to his arsenal, hopefully we'll get a few more little treats out of Cena here, with Rollins also known for his creative offence. I'm expecting a match of a similiar style to Cena's bouts with Owens, perhaps with a little more of sport-entertainment spin.


This is one of the most unpredictable matches that WWE has put on in recent memory, as with having both the World Heavyweight and United States Championships on the line, the company have given themselves a number of different routes to go down. Part of me thinks we may very well see both men walk out of SummerSlam with the same titles they walked in with, after some convoluted finish. There's also a strong possibility of a Money in the Bank cash-in from Sheamus here, but I'm not going to sit on the fence with my prediction...there is no real rhyme or reason to it though.


Prediction - Rollins retains the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and unifies it with the United States Championship.

Give this match time and you've got a show stealer on your hands. Will WWE give it enough time, I'm really not sure. Two tremendously talent wrestlers who have both been making a lot of noise over the last couple of months, a win here for either character puts them in a great place heading towards Survivor Series in November. For me, it makes much more sense for Cesaro to come out victorious, due to Owens competiting in ladder match last night, however WWE may be reluctant to have Owens lose two big matches in a row. Expect plenty of hard hits. 


Prediction - Cesaro wins.

I like Randy Orton, I like Sheamus, this will be a good match...I just don't care about it. These two have had numerous matches over the last year and they've all been acceptable, but there's nothing for me to get particularly excited about, because I can't see this one being much different from any of their other bouts. This would have been the perfect match on the card to slap a gimmick on, even if it was just No Disqualification. Sheamus took the fall at Battleground, so WWE's even-steven booking strategy would suggest that Sheamus takes the W here.


Prediction - Sheamus wins

The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family was bloody excellent, wasn't it? I'm not expecting this to reach the heights of that trilogy, but I am expecting these four to put on a very favourable tag team match. There's plenty of talent here and we know that these four workers have all worked well with each other in the past. There's the nagging thought that we could see some kind of angle between Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, but at the same time there's the idea that we may see a new Wyatt Family member crop up here, as well. I'm expecting shenanigans at some point of another.


Prediction - Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns win.

With Rusev's injured foot and then Dolph Ziggler swanning off to film a movie, this one has been building since May, so it's gotta be marvelous...right? Rusev and Ziggler are more than capable of putting on a solid mid-card encounter to bring their feud to a conclusion, with The Show-Off performing well in the underdog role. I'm pretty confident that we'll see some kind of cat fight between Summer Rae and Lana, and Lana will almost definitely play some part in the conclusion of the bout, seeing as the entire story has been centred around here. Storyline would surely dictate that Ziggler comes out on top...but this is WWE...


Prediction - Rusev wins.

If WWE wants to prove that they are truly having a "Diva's Revolution" then this match goes 20 minutes and tears the house down. The talent is in there to be able to do a spot-heavy match, that still tells a strong story, it's just whether WWE wants to show off that talent. Team Bella should be the first team eliminated, as it's the most interesting route to go down heading out of the show with the other performers vying for a chance to dethrone Diva's Champion Nikki Bella. It'll also allow some of the stronger performers in the match to shine (okay, let's ignore Tamina). I'm hoping for positive things, but I'm not expecting them.


Prediction - Team B.A.D. wins

Boy, did WWE want to present us with this Triple Threat or what? This feud has been bubbling since Ryback won the title at the end of May and still it hasn't made me want to see this match. It's just a strange combination of guys to put in a Triple Threat, isn't it? I don't even know. I'd love someone in WWE creative to explain the thought process they had when putting the match together. 


Prediction - Ryback retains the Intercontinental Championship

TAG TEAMS! TAG TEAMS! TAG TEAMS! TAG TEAMS! WWE continues the trend off refusing to build a tag team feud for a major PPV and opts for a funky four team bout instead. Just like all other incarnation of this match (with pretty much rotatable teams) I'm sure this will be a lot of fun with cool spots and a quick pace, but I'd much rather see two teams that hate each other battling over the titles on a big PPV like this one. Can't see the Prime Time Players dropping the titles here, just because no one else seems quite ready to take the straps away from them.


Prediction - The Prime Time Players retain

Arrow star Stephen Amell has bought a valuable deal of buzz to this match, which is fine by me as it allows the spotlight to be shared with three guys who otherwise may have been completely lost on this card. I'm much happier with this one being a tag team match, rather than a straight up singles bout between Amell and Stardust because it will allow for limited involvement from Amell and make sure that when he is involved it means something. Barrett doesn't really have a place in the match, other than that he had a fued with Neville a while back, but hey ho. 

Prediction - Amell & Neville win

Finally...

Ten matches on this show mean that we should see a lot of wrestling over the extended four hours and some of the match-ups would suggest it's going to be of a high quality. I'm most looking forward to seeing the World Heavyweight/United States Championship match and Cesaro vs. Owens, but there's a lot throughout the card that should provide a good variety of in-ring action for this. The thing I like most about this going in, is how hard this card was to predict, there's a lot of matches that could easily go either way, which should make for an exciting product.

Best of luck to all the performers and WWE staff working on the show and I hope that everyone at home has a great evening also. Enjoy ATPeeps.

Special Event Review: WWE NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

Over thirteen weeks removed from Takeover: Unstoppable, it was time for the highest attended event in NXT history, Takeover: Brooklyn, live on the WWE Network. The over 15,000 in attendance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York witnessed Kevin Owens chasing Finn Balor's NXT Championship in a Ladder match, as well as Jushin Thunder Liger, Samoa Joe, Sasha Banks, Apollo Crews, The Vaudevillains and more in action, but could it live up to the hype? Let's find out.

Kick-Off

The panel this time round saw Renee Young as the host, with 4 time WWE Women's Champion Lita, former NXT Tag Team Champion, Corey Graves and Byron Saxton joining as the guests. 


A video package for Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin piqued my interest, being very well put together and included some nice promos from each man, after I'd ripped into this match in my preview it actually had me believing the match could be interesting. Lita chatting about where Joe had come from made me chuckle as she had clearly been told not to mention TNA, because TNA. 


The same Apollo Crews promo that's been airing for the last few weeks was next, it was a shame that the panel didn't spend too much time talking about Crews' début following it.


Perhaps the pick of all the promo videos for tonight's show was the one looking at Bayley and Sasha Banks bout over Women's Championship, not only where the production values the usual high standards, but it told a relatable story with both women coming across very well. Whilst talking about the match, Graves cutting off Saxton in the middle of a sentence to disagree with his point, was a great touch and showed the passion both men had for their chosen performers. 


A link up outside to Greg Hamilton and Dasha Fuentes with some fans was the worst thing all night long, with the pair looking completely out of their depth. 


It was time to look at the main event, with another solid promo for Kevin Owens and Finn Balor's NXT Championship Ladder match, with a sound look at the build up heading in, including their bout at Live in Tokyo: Beast in the East. The panel got a little lost talking about this one, as Saxton started to talking about Mr. T for reasons that will never be fully understood.

Special Event

Triple H kicking off the show with a distinct off-mic promo to the camera was a great way to start the show, with The Game having complete control over his audience. 


Whilst it was surreal to see Jushin Thunder Liger make his way to the ring for his first ever WWE match, at the age of 50, Tyler Breeze's entrance, with a New York catwalk theme, was a simply ridiculous spectacle and set the tone for the intentions of the rest of the show.

As an opener, Tyler Breeze taking on the débuting Jushin Thunder Liger worked nicely, with the pair working well together to create a smooth encounter. Whilst the in-ring action was decent, the narrative took the match up a level, with Breeze quick to escape two Liger Bomb attempts, whilst Liger himself was busy mocking Prince Pretty's signature poses, which the crowd lapped up. Liger picking up the win was a big surprise here, just because I expected NXT to put over their regular Breeze, and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about Breeze coming out on the losing side. Having Breeze's arguing with the referee eventually lead to his downfall (and allowing Liger to finally hit a Running Liger Bomb) at least protected The King of Cuteville some what and losing to someone of Liger's calibre is hardly an insult, but it felt like this match was a missed opportunity to make Breeze.


Winner - Liger via pinfall in 8 minutes, 42 seconds.


As the replays ran, I couldn't help thinking if WWE plans to use Liger again soon, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a rematch between he and Breeze.

Before the Tag Team Championship bout began, it was time to find out who The Vaudevillains had found to counteract Blake and Murphy's valet, Alexa Bliss. It was only Blue Pants! The crowd went nuts for the SHIMMER regular, with the other talents building well to the reveal with some nice back and forth on the microphone and a call back to previous episodes of NXT with Alexa attempting to slap Aiden English. The segment got an even bigger thumbs up from me because English and Simon Gotch were both sporting blue wrestling gear.

In the preview for this show I talked about how it was time for the tag team division in NXT to really step up to the plate, and that they certainly did here. The two teams just seemed to click from the outset, with all four men looking very comfortable working with each other and knowing seemingly knowing each others characters inside out (Something to be expecting considering they've worked 25 matches on TV and Live Event since September 2014) The match built well on a solid foundation, with two very good false finishes, that had the crowd right where they needed to be, with English coming close off a Senton and Blake almost stealing a win with a school boy roll up. English picked up the win for his team, following the Whirling Dervish, and it definitely felt like the right time for the Vaudevillains to pick up the titles and bring this chapter of their feud with Blake and Murphy to a close. 


Winners - The Vaudevillains via pinfall in 10 minutes, 14 seconds.


The Vaudevillains reaction to winning the titles, framed by an appreciative crowd, really helped to put over the titles meaning further, and with William Regal announcing a Tag Team tournament in memory of Dusty Rhodes, it certainly set the ground work to build a stronger division on. 


A SummerSlam promo, centred around the rematch between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, reminded us that there was some other show on this weekend. 


It was a real treat to see Apollo Crews walk out, in-front of all those people, his ad-libs to the camera were a nicely touch that sold his moment well. His match with Tye Dillinger was an extended squash, but a very entertaining one that showed off what TAFKA Uhaa Nation can do. Believe me, there is a lot more to come from Crews, the crowd already seemed into him by the time of his victory celebration, so here's to more from the former Dragon Gate star.


A video package for Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin piqued my interest, being very well put together and included some nice promos from each man, after I'd ripped into this match in my preview it actually had me believing the match could be interesting. Seeing Samoa Joe walk out in front of 15,000 people in New York was a far cry from the last set of TNA tapings in the city in January. 

This SO much better than I thought it was going to be and was exactly what it needed to be. The back and forth between the two, with the pair almost mirroring each others actions, made for a satisfying start to the match. Both men managing to foil one another dive attempts, and latter spending a long time in one another's submission holds, made the pair look evenly matched in the ring and allowed Corbin to shine against the more experienced former ROH World Champion. My only real criticism would be neither man selling the submission they had been in later in the match, with Joe especially seeming to forget how long he spent in Corbin's heel hook. With the Lone Wolf unable to hit End of Days despite a few attempts, Joe turned a pin attempt from Corbin into a Kokina Cluth and picked up the win when Corbin passed out, in a strong finish that won't hurt Corbin, but also gives Joe some more momentum heading towards the next Takeover event in October. The best match either man has had in NXT.

Winner - Joe via submission in 10 minutes, 28 seconds.


With the replays running, I couldn't help but think what NXT are going to do with Samoa Joe next, they're still searching for the best way to use Joe, hopefully this is them turning the corner. 


Having Stephanie McMahon do a little intro for the Women's Championship match was a nice touch that gave the match some extra weight for those who aren't regular NXT viewers. Perhaps the pick of all the promo videos for tonight's show was the one looking at Bayley and Sasha Banks bout over Women's Championship, not only where the production values the usual high standards, but it told a relatable story with both women coming across very well. Sasha Banks came to the ring in fucking Escalade and surrounding by body guards, Bayley had wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men and lots of them, what more do you want.

WWE fans are used to having a Diva's match before the main event, it gives them chance to go to the toilet or perhaps exchange cash for delicious food stuffs. This wasn't a Divas match, it was a wrestling match. A bloody good wrestling match. Bayley and Sasha Banks worked their arses off from start to finish to create a compelling collision, that despite lagging from tiredness kept me completely engaged from start to finish. Part of me wishes that this had gone on last, because there was everything that you'd want as a main event, great physical action, a brilliant story, dramatic near falls and a red hot crowd.

Let's talk a little about that story, which stands out as the strongest element of the bout. Sasha's frustration at being unable to put Bayley away early, lead to her removing Bayley's protective gimmick on her hand (She broke her hand earlier in the summer) and then the fun really got started. Sasha's character really shone again in this moment, with a viciousness that a lot of WWE women's performers just don't show in matches, helped along by some tremendous spots focused on the hand, included drilling the steel steps into the hand. Sasha stamping the hand with Bayley locked in the Bank Statement was another fantastic touch, that allowed Bayley to look super tough when she made it to the ropes. The match built to it's conclusion tremendously, with Bayley hitting a SUPER REVERSE RANA, before hitting the second Bayley-to-Belly of the match for the victory. 


Winner - Bayley via pinfall in 18 minutes, 22 seconds *NEW CHAMPION!*

Following the match, Charlotte and Becky Lynch arrived to congratulate Bayley on her victory, making for a great moment, that fit in with the storyline leading in of Bayley feeling like she being left behind (as well as being able to defeat Charlotte, Becky and Sasha in consecutive matches). Even Sasha joined in the celebration (after some thought), which was an interesting development considering her issues with Charlotte and Becky in WWE at the moment. I have to admit to feeling a little bit emotional watching the four standing in the ring, having watched what they have helped to build over the last year or so, so I'll forget that it didn't make a lot of sense in kayfabe, because fuck kayfabe.


NXT is coming to the UK, hell to the yeah...if you're asking, I'm going.


It was time to look at the main event, with another solid promo for Kevin Owens and Finn Balor's NXT Championship Ladder match, with a sound look at the build up heading in, including their bout at Live in Tokyo: Beast in the East. Seeing Finn Balor's entrance on a big scale was pretty damn special, with added Demon's knocking around the entrance ramp, Balor looked like a star as he made his way to the ring.

A completely different match to Sasha vs. Bayley, Finn Balor and Kevin Owens' Ladder match over the NXT Championship was much more spot-focused, than it was a story-telling epic. Luckily the spots that were used were top quality, with Owens missing a cannonball and colliding with a ladder in the corner, Owens falling off the ladder onto another bridging from the corner, Balor taking a vicious powerbomb on the apron and a lot more. This style of match worked here, thanks to the intensity that the two performers bought to the match, with Owens especially doing some strong character work throughout. It was a real shame that the crowd just didn't want to get on Owens back, even with the former NXT Champion pulling out the old tease a cool move, then do an eye poke spot, as this could have added an extra element to the overall package.


The small amount of storytelling that was there was done well, with Owens seemingly losing his cool when unable to get the belt, delivering two big superkicks to Balor, before attempting a Fisherman's buster off the top of the ladder, of course, this didn't end well for Owens (see above). Having seen two other ladder matches this weekend already (Fight Club: Pro and Futureshock Wrestling reviews coming soon), I was probably one of the hardest to please fans watching this bout! But when Balor reached and grabbed the belt, following a silly Coup de Grâce off the top of the ladder, I'd been thoroughly entertained once more. Both men worked hard for each other and the fans and I'll always appreciate that.


Winner - Balor in 21 minutes, 26 seconds. *STILL CHAMPION!*


Balor's win completed a clean sweep for the babyfaces on the show, so it'll be rather interesting to see who steps up to challenge him next, with Kevin Owens seemingly rapping up in NXT.

Finally....

ATPW Scale Rating - 7.33/10


Another wonderful NXT show and this time in front of a ridiculously sized crowd. Without a bad match on the show, and two outstanding main events, Takeover: Brooklyn has left SummerSlam with a huge challenge. Sasha Banks and Bayley in particular deserve all the praise that is coming their way right now, for their superb encounter, maybe it's time for Vince to take notice and really allow his female performers to shine.

WWE NXT Takeover: Brooklyn Preview and Predictions.

In the shadow of SummerSlam and over THIRTEEN WEEKS since Samoa Joe debuted at the conclusion of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn's NXT Championship no contest at Takeover:Unstoppable, it's finally time for another NXT Takeover! With over 13,000 tickets sold, the first Takeover to emanate from outside of the Full Sail Arena is set to be the biggest one yet, but what exactly do we have to look forward to? Let's have a look.

Finn Balor and Kevin Owens picked up our Match of the Month award for July with their terrific bout from Live in Tokyo: Beast in the East, so to say that I'm a little bit excited about seeing a rematch is a bit of an understatement! Then simply because they can, they made it a Ladder match, because why the fuck not? Anyone who followed Owens' career on the independents will know the kind of matches he is capable of putting on when there's a ladder involved, and those that didn't are about to find out. Balor has shown he's one of the most creative wrestlers on WWE's roster since his début in January, so I'm expecting these two to put on something special in Brooklyn.


All the signs would seem to point to Balor retaining here, with Owens now a permanent feature on Monday Night RAW and Thursday Night Smackdown thanks to his blistering feud with John Cena. However, Owens having a match the very next night with former NXT favourite Cesaro makes things a little more interesting. Could we see Cesaro involved in the match to further the issue between the two? It's possible, but certainly not desirable in such a big match for the developmental promotion. But we may well see a finish that allows Owens to shine, to allow him to stay strong going into his match at SummerSlam.


Prediction - Balor retains the NXT Championship

How good is it to see a women's match promoted as a co-main event on a WWE produced show? Could anyone have imagined such a thing a few years ago, when Michael Cole was taking the piss out off everyone on the all female series of the original NXT concept? Sasha and Bayley more than deserve this spot after working their arses off this year, with both their in-ring performance and character work seeing a marked improvement. I expect the crowd could be red-hot for this one, as the likeable Bayley challenges the cocky and confident BOSS for the silver belt. 


Sasha is another performer who's working both Takeover: Brooklyn and SummerSlam this weekend, as she features in a big Three Way Nine Woman Elimination Tag bout on Sunday night, so that very well could play into this match as well. Hopefully we'll see Bayley and Sasha get to tell a story between just the two of them, rather than any of Team B.A.D getting all involved, as there just isn't really any need to overbook things here. I'm expecting Bayley to finally get her hands on the title after numerous attempts in a hard fought battle and a BIG reaction from the Brooklyn crowd. 


Prediction - Bayley wins her 1st NXT Women's Championship

The main question heading into this one is who The Vaudevillains will have in their corner to counter the presence of Blake and Murphy's valet Alexa Bliss, as has been teased over the last few weeks of NXT. It could easily be a debuting performer as WWE has a few fresh female faces waiting in the wings at the Performance Centre, but with the way it's been built on television I'm expecting it to be something a little more special. The match itself is a real opportunity for these four guys to make a mark on NXT and make a case for why they deserve to be stepping up above to the main roster. The Tag Team division is certainly the weakest division in NXT at the moment, so it's time for these boys to change that tonight.


Prediction - Blake and Murphy retain.

Still can't quite get my head around Jushin Thunder Liger being on a WWE show in 2015...it's going to be very surreal when Liger walks out for his match with Tyler Breeze. Prince Pretty is the perfect NXT opponent for Liger in my opinion, as his character should gel well with the 11 time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and, as we've seen in matches with Sami Zayn and Finn Balor, Breeze is more than capable of putting on a quality bout. It would make sense for the Lance Storm-trained star to pick up the win here and head towards an NXT Title shot at the next show, but I still expect this to be a hard fought battle, with a focus on allowing Breeze to shine.


Prediction - Breeze wins.

I've made it known before that I am not a fan of Bourbon Corbin with him still to show any signs that he's been in WWE developmental for FOUR YEARS! Samoa Joe is also yet to have a standout match since making the jump to NXT, so I can't say I'm holding out much hope for this one. Both men need a win here badly, so I'm at least interesting to see who is given the nod and get's the continued push in the brand. I do wish that I cared at least a little bit about this one, but I just can't do it.


Prediction - Joe wins.


We also have the long awaited debut of Apollo Crews (formerly Uhaa Nation in Dragon Gate and elsewhere). If you've never seen Crews before you're certainly in for a treat when he walks into the Barclay's Center.

Finally....

It's a big weekend for WWE and I expect that they'll kick it off in style here. With the exception of Joe vs. Corbin, there's something that I'm looking forward to in every match on the show, and this one has potential to be one of the greatest events in the short history of NXT. All the best to all the performers and production team on the show and I'll see you back here tomorrow for our review, as well as a preview of SummerSlam!

DVD Review: WWE Money in the Bank 2015

WWE Money in the Bank 2015 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on Monday (24th August 2015) in the UK. You can pre-order here at WWEDVD.co.uk and all other reputable DVD stockists. Broadcast live on PPV (and on the WWE Network) from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, USA on 14th June 2015. The show features Seth Rollins defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a Ladder match against Dean Ambrose as the main event. There's also five other matches featuring the likes of Kevin Owens, Neville, Kane, Randy Orton and Paige in action with a Money in the Bank Ladder match also on the card. The Intercontinental, WWE Tag Team and Diva's Championships are also up for grabs. The disc includes over ten minutes of special features, including one further match. Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and John "Bradshaw" Layfield provide the commentary.

Similar to WWE's last DVD event offering, Elimination Chamber, the show is slow to get going thanks to starting with a multi-man match, which means many entrances to kick things off. Luckily once the Money in the Bank Contract Ladder Match does get going it's a fun bout, that see's Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Neville, Sheamus, Randy Orton and Roman Reigns vying for the, now familiar, briefcase. With some nice storyline elements thrown into the mix, building towards the bouts conclusion, this is an entertaining start to the show. Paige challenging Nikki Bella for the Diva's Championship is a decent encounter for the most part, with a surprisingly good false finish, but it is hurt by a nonsensical closing sequence, that leaves even the commentary team confused. The Big Show and Ryback's Intercontinental Championship collision is a waste of time on an event like this, with The Miz on guest commentary being heavily involved in the contest. 

Kevin Owens and John Cena manage to top their previous Champion vs. Champion outing, creating a match that is everything the previous one was and more. Whilst there is, admittedly, a few clunky moments here and there, the storytelling is of a very high standard and shows off a new side to John Cena. The aftermath of the epic encounter is just as interesting as the bout itself, setting the stage for a third match to round off the trilogy at a latter date. There's an entertaining heel promo from The New Day's Xavier Woods and Big E, before their WWE Tag Team Championship encounter with The Prime Time Players, that works the Ohio crowd nicely. The match that follows is nothing special, but completely watchable. 

The main event is perhaps not what you'd expect when looking at the card and seeing Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins' Ladder Match over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in that slot. The bout shies away from the spot based antics of the earlier ladder match, although there are plenty of treats here also, to present a clash with a strong narrative thread, with both men playing their respective roles very well. The pair take the action all over the arena and manage to pull these brawling elements back into the narrative rather well, keeping a good mixture of styles throughout the bout. The main criticism has to be that the match is a little too long (it's just over 35 minutes long bell-to-bell) for what it is, it could easily stand to lose five or six minutes and not be effected at all. Following the bout, the winner's interview with Jo-Jo on the entrance ramp is curious touch for a modern WWE PPV, although it does work rather well in this case.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.52

This is the strongest WWE DVD event offering since WrestleMania 31, with both Kevin Owens vs. John Cena and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins improving on their outings at Elimination Chamber. The whole undercard is also a marked improvement, and if you remove the Intercontinental Championship match you've got a card that works from top to bottom. 

If you were to ask me which post-Mania show was worth splashing your cash on, to bridge the gap to SummerSlam, then Money in the Bank would be that show. You can pre-order here.

Wrestle Ropes Ready for the Weekend (21st/22nd/23rd August 2015)

In this week's edition of Ready For The Weekend we have events where returns will take place, careers and championships are on the line and opportunities are up for grabs.

On Friday night, HOPE Wrestling host a bumper 8-match card, Evolution 27: You Ask About My Consience and I'll Offer you My Soul, at the Forest Town Arena in Mansfield. In the main event of the evening, Jack Jester shall defend the HOPE Championship against Lionheart. Jester became the first-ever HOPE champion after defeating five other men in an elimination match at Evolution 25: Am I More Than You Bargained For Yet? last month, whilst  Lionheart outlasted 29 other men to win an opportunity at the title just a day later at Evolution 26: Boulevard of Broken Dreams. On August 21st we shall see which of these two men can overcome the other. A man who has overcome the biggest challenge of his life in the last 12 months is Kris Travis. In Mansfield on Friday night, Travis will make his in-ring return to HOPE Wrestling to face the winner of the Kings Of Flight tournament, Chris Tyler. Many have called Tyler the new Kris Travis, Travis is out to prove that wrestling doesn't need a new Travis, the original is still more than capable of stealing the show. Elsewhere in HOPE, there are no two men who hate each other more than LJ Heron and Ryan Smile. These men have competed in various matches for months with neither definitively showing superiority. However, this Friday they'll compete once again and the only way to win is to make their opponent say “I Quit!”. Add in another 5 matches that will feature El Ligero, Joseph Conners, Lana Austin, Martin Kirby & The Hooligans to name just a few and HOPE have a stacked show.

This Saturday will see Futureshock Wrestling celebrate their 11th Anniversary with Underground 12 at The Longfield Suite in Prestwich, where every championship will be on the line. A few months ago The Models were attacked and their Tag Team Championship belts were stolen by an unknown duo. It has now transpired that the duo in question were international tag team, The Wolves. Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards have now informed The Models that if they want their titles back then they'll have to win them and they'll have to do it in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match on August 22nd. Two men that have no love lost are Jack Gallagher and Zack Gibson. Both men have faced each other many times, delivering technical spectacles every time. On Saturday both men will come face-to-face once again, this time in a Submission Match. Either man could be argued as one of, if not THE best technical wrestler in the UK. Now it's time to find out who is superior. Every match has something on the line, be it respect, an opportunity or a championship. However, at this Saturday not only will Xander Cooper's Futureshock Championship be on the line but the challenger, Dave Rayne's career will be at risk. Dave Rayne is determined to end the reign of Cooper but 'The Man For All Seasons' wants Rayne's career to come to an end. Regardless of the outcome, Futureshock Wrestling is about to be changed forever. The Adrenaline and Women's Championship will also be up for grabs along with matches that feature Bubblegum, Ashton Smith, Sexy Kev and more as Futureshock Wrestling celebrating their 11th Anniversary in style.

Moving on to Sunday and IPW:UK are back at the Tap 'n' Tin in Chatham, Kent with another 18+ show, entitled If You Like Pina Coladas...and Getting Kicked in the Face. One match that presents an opportunity to all involved is a Four-Way Match between Damian Dunne, Chris Brookes, Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne. Remarkably, none of these four men have ever competed in IPW:UK before and this match not only has the possibility to steal a packed show but also gives all involved a chance to show why IPW:UK needs them in their ranks. A bout with an international flavour is the tag team match between The GZRS and the duo of Iestyn Rees and Robbie E. Sebastian and Tom Irvin have been tearing it up in the UK for the last few months doing things that a year ago had never been seen in a wrestling ring, such as a slip 'n' slip! Robbie E has won numerous championships and Iestyn Rees is a dominating powerhouse. The GZRS have a challenge on their hands when they face a team brimming with power and experience. When a show is for over 18s, there is usually a reason. One main reason for this IPW:UK event is undoubtedly the No F'n Rules Match between The London Riots and The Murkers. The Riots are known to do everything they can in matches to win when there are rules. Removing them will no doubt make them even more dangerous. However, their opponents love a fight. So much so that Jon Ryan's original tag team partner, Kurrupt is competing in his first match for over two and a half years. When a team reunite after being apart for so long you know that they are going to bring everything in their quest for victory. Riots vs Murkers, violence is a guarantee. Additional matches featuring Danny Duggan & Snare in a Falls Count Anywhere Match, a rematch between Toni Storm & Tennessee Honey and a lot more takes place this Sunday.


That wraps up this week's preview of the weekend's wrestling schedule. Of course, there are many more events taking place over the three days. To find out more about the shows we've highlighted here as well as all the others, check us out at www.wrestleropesuk.wordpress.com for the latest show and match announcements, British Wrestling event list and more.

DVD Review: WWE Monday Night War Vol. 1 - Shots Fired

WWE's Monday Night War Vol. 1 - Shots Fired is out now on four-disc DVD and three-disc Blu-Ray, available from www.wwedvd.co.uk and all other good home video stores. The main features ten episodes from the Monday Night War series that aired on the WWE Network between July 2014 and January 2015. Filling in between the episodes is a brand new interview conducted by Renee Young with Triple H and Sting. There is, however, no full matches included.

Disc One

Episode 1 - The War Begins

Aired - 7th July 2014


The series get's off to a strong start with a look at how the Monday Night War between WCW and WWF began. The episode features a sprawling story, beginning with the early days of cable TV and includes a nice glimpse into the relationship between head honchos Vince McMahon and Ted Turner. Hulk Hogan and Lex Luger both feature heavily, with both men's moves to WCW given a fair amount of coverage and making for a satisfying narrative. There's some nice inclusion of stuff that perhaps wouldn't have merited their own installment, such as the dirty tactics that both sides employed throughout the war. Vince McMahon and Lex Luger are the star interviews here for me, with McMahon's opinion on Nitro going head to head with Raw, as well as Luger's insight into his jump to WCW prior to the first episode. I'd have liked to have seen the documentary be a little more fluid in it's description of events between the two promotion, as things seem to cover WCW and then WWE, without comparing the two companies all that much. Still a good start for the series.

The interview with Triple H and Sting provides a good insight into both lockeroom's at the time of the first episode of Monday Nitro, whilst Triple H also discusses into areas that the documentary doesn't go, such as the infamous Curtain Call incident.

Episode 2 - The Rise of the nWo

Aired - 26th August 2014


The main problem with this episode is that it's been less than three years since WWE released the nWo - The Revolution three disc, which included a full length documentary, however if you haven't seen that documentary it won't be a problem. The feature, as the title would suggest, mainly focuses on the glory days of the nWo, which is a rather interesting choice. Hulk Hogan offers the best interview on this one, with the Hulkster noting his initial reluctance to join the group, presenting some sound reasoning. The inclusion of WWF's decision to use Fake Razor and Fake Diesel is one of the rare times throughout this series where WWE admit some kind of mistake on their part. Chris Jericho provides a glance at what it was like to be on the outside of the group and it's a shame not to have a few more outside voice chiming in on this. The episode works fine in it's position, following nicely on from the initial episode.

Sting completely no-selling Renee Young's question about potentially being the 3rd man in the nWo continues a frustrating theme with the Stinger, who seems reluctant to give away much about his time in the promotion.

Disc Two

Episode 3 - Embracing Attitude

Aired - 27th August 2014


Similar to the previous episode, if you've already seen The Attitude Era DVD set (released 2012) then there is nothing important here that you won't have already heard before. The biggest criticism here is that the timeline the episode follows is seemingly completely random, jumping at one point from the Hardcore division to the birth of the Mr. McMahon character. The Attitude Era is put over something fierce, as one would imagine, with the main points being that things were sexy and awesome during those days. The coverage of WWF's Hardcore division, as opposed to WCW's, is horrendously biased, with no real reason's given for why one was better than the other. My absolute highlight of the entire show is Daniel Bryan's impression of Sunny, which had me in bits for a minute or so. If this episode had been shuffled around to take a more linear review at the Attitude Era (and therefore it's effects on the ratings) it would have been all the better for it.

Episode 4 - A New D-Generation

Aired - 2nd September 2014


WWE's previous documentary releases on D-Generation X have, at least, The New and Improved DX and DX: One Last Stand have, at least, looked at the faction in years following the Monday Night Wars, although numerous releases on Triple H and Shawn Michaels have covered that time period. Shawn Michaels stands out of the talking heads on this, providing a frank description at his turbulent personal life during the time, although the documentary shies away from going into too much details. There's also some well thought out comparisons of the D-Generation X and WCW's nWo, with Michaels again standing out with some strong reasoning to back up his opinion. There's more of a focus on specific moments in the history of the faction, such as Rick Rude's defection to WCW and the infamous DX address, and therefore it's a shame that the ratings for these specific shows aren't brought up at the same time. Rude and Chyna are the only faces missing from the talking heads, and whilst Rude is sadly no longer with us, Chyna could have offered a different perespective into the time she spent with the group. This episode is where the cross over with previous episodes really begins, and it becomes a frustrating motif for the series from here on in. 

Disc Three

Episode 5 - Have A Nice Day

Aired - 9th September 2014


Another name with a number of previous DVD releases, including Mick Foley: Greatest Hits and Misses, Mick Foley - Hard Knocks and Cheap Pops and most recently, For All Mankind - The Life and Career of Mick Foley, a lot of the ground covered here will be familiar to most. For me, the documentary looks at a lot of content that it doesn't need to, spending a good deal of time peeking at Foley's career prior to the Monday Night War, and whilst certain elements like his time in WCW are relevant, I'd have preferred to see this focused on Foley's career during that period. Foley's ability to change throughout his career means that there's a good deal of different footage available and keep this episode feeling fresh. Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler provide fascinating insight at what it was like to be at ringside for Foley's infamous Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring 1997. There's also a fantastic look at Foley's WWF tenure from the other side of the trenches, as Diamond Dallas Page, Kevin Sullivan and Larry Zbyszko all give sound interviews on the subject. Once again the episode is hurt by covering previous ground, with the nWo again featuring heavily on an episode where they wouldn't have been missed had the not appeared.

The interview with Sting and Triple H quickly shifts off Foley onto something else entirely, however not before Sting imparts his most interesting story of the DVD.

Episode 6 - The Hart of War

Aired - 16th September 2014


Bret Hart is another wrestler who WWE have given a number of DVD releases over the years, Bret Hitman Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be, Hart & Soul: The Hart Family Anthology, Greatest Rivalries - Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart and Bret Hitman Hart: The Dungeon Collection have all graced video stores shelves. From the very opening of this episode, it's made clear that this is all about the Montreal Screwjob, with no real effort made to look at any other element of Hart's career during the Monday Night War. There's more content on the nWo, as well as the Attitude Era, which whilst both seem relevant, feature reused interviews from their own episodes, which is pretty lazy on the production teams part. There is a decent look at Hart and Shawn Michaels backstage problems, with Jerry "The King" Lawler and Pat Patterson telling an interesting story between the two of them. Where this episode really shines for me is in it's use of footage from the film Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (if you haven't seen it...go now), which provides some real life footage that grounds a number of the comments made. The juxtaposing opinions of Hart and Eric Bischoff on his WCW run also makes for good viewing.

Whilst Sting doesn't really have much to say about Hart, other than that the two have the same finishing hold, Triple H does offer an extra dimension to the episodes coverage of the Montreal Screwjob.

Episode 7 - Foundations of War

Aired - 2nd December 2014

The set jumps two months, in terms of when the episodes aired on WWE Network, for reasons. A slightly different approach to this episodes, see's The Undertaker and Sting become the focus of the piece, which is a breath of fresh air from previous episodes, and allows things to jump from one promotion to the other quite easily. From my knowledge, this was WWE's first documentary look at the career of Sting, and whilst The Undertaker has had multiple DVD sets, the gimmick means that The Deadman is never focused on for too long. Again, I'd have liked to have seen more focus on the pairs journeys during the Monday Night War, rather than their times in either promotion prior. The documentary lacking both The Undertaker and Sting as interviewees means that we never get a true idea of their mindsets for staying loyal for both companies, which is odd because Undertaker does turn up elsewhere on the set. One of the stronger episodes present here, because of the dual focus.

Sting is again slightly reluctant to reveal anything during the post-episode interview, which is a real shame, as with him not being present on the main feature, it would have been well received to hear him reply to some of the points made in the episode.

Disc Four

Episode 8 - The Austin Era has Begun

Aired - 29th September 2014


With six WWE DVD sets to his name, there isn't really much that isn't known about Steve Austin's career, is there? Throw in the fact that numerous episodes throughout the series so far, especially Embracing Attitude, have covered a good depth of Austin's relevance to the Monday Night War and by the time you've got to this episode it's already become a little bit of an overkill. With a strange amount of references to Hulk Hogan throughout, there is at least, some good comments from those in the industry at the time, as well as current WWE wrestlers. The moment Austin breaks his neck at SummerSlam 1997 is repeated at least three times here, which is lovely (seriously though, once was enough). There is some rare footage that I hadn't seen before included, like Austin's WrestleMania 14 press conference after winning the World Heavyweight Championship. Whilst the story is as fascinating as ever, it's nothing most won't have heard before.


Triple H and Sting have a great chat about wrestling being built on characters, rather than moves, with The Game in particular giving great observation.

Episode 9 - Who's Next?

Aired - 21st October 2014

Goldberg is someone who WWE have surprisingly yet to release a documentary on (although they did release a match compilation a few years ago), which means that this episode is one of the most interesting of the ten released here. Someone who's career pretty much all took place during the Monday Night Wars, Goldberg's story is covered in full and allowed to focus entirely on the Monday Night Wars themselves. William Regal offers a superb understanding into his infamous encounter with Goldberg from 1998, although it is a shame that we don't get to hear Goldberg's side of what went down. The comparison of Goldberg and Steve Austin, that is glanced at in the previous episode, offers some differing views and works well as the talking heads exchange opinions. CM Punk may quite possibly steal the show however, with a hilarious description of how Goldberg's streak came to end.

It's clear that WWE's opinion of Goldberg isn't particularly high, with "Two Moves, One Name" being used during the opening of his episode and therefore when the Sting and Triple H interview descends into talk of limited workers, it's not all that surprising.y 

Episode 10 - Flight of the Cruiserweights

Aired - 14th October 2014


The final episode on this Volume is, in fact, the shortest, which seems fitting considering we're talking about Cruiserweights (HA!). This episodes is one of the times when WWE admits that WCW did something quite good, with plenty of praise for the Cruiserweight division and the vision of Eric Bischoff for setting it up. There's a strong focus on individual matches again, as looks at Brian Pillman vs. Jushin Thunder Liger from the 1st episode of Nitro and Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero from Halloween Havoc, both getting plenty of praise. It's a shame that no data is provided for the kind of ratings that the Cruiserweight's got during episodes of Nitro as that would really have given some of the opinions given that extra bit of weight. Of course, WCW get's the blame for the downfall of their own division, whilst WWF comes out squeaky clean when they manage to make stars out of the likes of Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero and the status quo returns.

Finally...

A lot of what is covered here, is covered elsewhere and in more depth. There's not a whole lot of fresh stories, outside of, perhaps, the Undertaker/Sting, Goldberg and Cruiserweight episodes. Dust off your old DVD's on either Austin, Foley or the nWo and I'm sure you'll have a much better time.

If you don't own a single documentary from this period, then this is the set for you. You'll get coverage of some of the biggest names in the industry in one set and everything will be fine. However, I'd suggest you don't watch more than one episode in a fortnight (I watched this entire thing in just over a day) because there is surely only so many times you can hear about Razor Ramon and Diesel jumping to WCW before you go completely insane.

I can't help but feel that this whole series was a missed opportunity, as a linear look at the War, perhaps covering a few months at a time, could have been a much better way to chronicle one of the most popular periods in wrestling history.