Road to WWE Wrestlemania 33: Week 5

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania we are heading towards Fast Lane which is Raw's final pay-per-view before Wrestlemania. Monday Night Raw opened up with Goldberg addressing the WWE Universe about his match against Kevin Owens. Both Goldberg and Owens went back and forth on the mic but never got physical. Someone who has been very physical since his arrival is Samoa Joe. Joe took on Cesaro and they had a pretty aggressive battle. After the match was over Sami Zayn brawled with Joe and then said he would not back down from him. It seems The Authority is slowly creeping their way back into to the scene. Triple H has been poking at Seth Rollins and using Joe as his instrument of destruction. Meanwhile Stephanie McMahon has been at odds with Mick Foley. As we all know Mick has to undergo hip surgery and this is just the beginning phases of him quitting or getting fired. Stephanie has also been trying to stir the pot between Sasha Banks and Bayley. I have a feeling if their is a new formation of The Authority that one of the women of Raw will join them. Raw ended with an all out brawl between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman. Security Guards were taken out, the ring broke and both men looked defiant as ever. Heading into FastLane this is the match I am looking forward to the most. I think both are going to bring the most aggression they possibly can, 

Smackdown started off with an explosive segment between John Cena and The Miz. They rehashed their history and let loose about the present. MizTV ended with Maryse slapping Cena which resulted in Nikki Bella coming out to stand by her man. I am glad they are not blurring the lines of reality and what's not. The reality is Nikki and John are a couple and The Miz and Maryse are married. I think it's great storyline because it brings more exposure to Total Bellas and Total Divas. I really felt like Smackdown was pretty stacked this week. They had a 2 out of 3 Falls match between Mickie James and Becky Lynch which ended up being a great match. There was a chairs match between Dolph Ziggler and Apollo Crews that was really interesting and physical. The match of the week for all of WWE was definitely AJ Styles versus Luke Harper. We all know Styles is a great performer but people are starting to see just how great Harper is. Not to many big men can move like a Cruiserweight and have the power that he does. It's actually a shame that he had to lose. I almost wish the match would have went to a draw so they can both be in the title match at Wrestlemania. However the title picture was really put into chaos during the final segment of Smackdown. Bray Wyatt began to address to WWE Universe when Randy Orton showed up on the titantron. He was at the Wyatt Compound and expressed his true intentions that at Wrestlemania he is coming for Wyatt's title. He then proceeded to burn the compound right down to the ground. For me this leaves a huge question about the matches at Wrestlemania. Styles rightfully won the number one contendership that Orton gave up but now Orton has changed his mind. Should Orton face Wyatt alone or should it be a triple threat match? I hope those questions are answered next week.

The 205 Live show should be the Alicia Fox show. I swear she's more over then the entire Cruiserweight Division at times. I am waiting for the day they have a match for the right to date Alicia Fox. One of things I have loved about 205 Live is the commentary of Austin Aries. I hope even when he returns to the ring that he continue to do commentary. He's been very entertaining outside of the ring which is going to make for a great return inside the ring. When I look at 205 Live the best all around performer in my opinion is Tony Nese. He should not be in six man tags that are meaningless. He should be competing for the Cruiserweight Title or competing against competitors on the main Raw roster. I love the Cruiserweight Division but it's very frustrating not seeing them compete non-Cruiserweights. I think if they competed against the bigger stars then more people would get behind them. I think that's part of the reason they put Neville on the show. Neville has been involved with superstars on the main roster and has had some success. I also think 205 Live has been the best thing for Neville. He was wasting away on the main roster and now has a purpose. I would really love to see Kalisto come over as well as some veterans of the Cruiserweight style. This Sunday Neville defends the title against Jack Gallagher which will be interesting match of styles. 

NXT featured two title matches this week. The first being for the Women's Championship where Asuka took on Peyton Royce. I was actually really impressed with Royce. Her in ring skills are really improving and her partnership with Billie Kay. Even though Asuka is still undefeated I have this feeling that she will be called up to the main roster really soon. The other title match was for the NXT Tag Team Championships and it was rematch from TakeOver San Antonio. The Authors of Pain defended against DIY. The tag team division is in a tough spot right now. You basically have DIY, The Revival, and The Authors of Pain. DIY and The Revival both deserve to be moved up to the main roster but if they do who is really left in the NXT Tag Team Division. DIY and The Authors of Pain had another great match until The Revival interfered. They ended clearing the ring of both teams making their intentions very clear. Heading into TakeOver Orlando I got this feeling we are going to see a triple threat match for the tag team championships. I hope Takeover is just as good as Wrestlemania is. Judging from previous years it probably will be. 

This Sunday is FastLane which means next week I will have the fallout from the pay-per-view and recap what twists and turns we get on the Road to Wrestlemania. 

Matches of the Week

Raw- Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro and Bayley/Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte/Nia Jax

Smackdown- AJ Styles vs. Luke Harper

205 Live- TJ Perkins/Cedric Alexander/Mustafa Ali vs. Tony Nese/Drew Gulak/Ariya Daivari

NXT- The Authors of Pain vs. DIY

Beth Phoenix to be Inducted Into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame

Long before the Women's Revolution started there were great women wrestlers who never got the recognition and spotlight they deserved. Beth Phoenix had a really awesome presence in the ring. She had beauty, power and a passion for pro wrestling. Prior to her WWE days she spent time on the independent scene and ended up landing at OVW. In the three years she spent in OVW she learned a lot from Paul Heyman who she credits for developing her character and promo skills. During her time in OVW she became the Women's Champion for a short period of time. Once her championship reign was over she moved her way up to the WWE where many great things happened for her.

During her time in WWE she was a three time Women's Champion and a Diva's Champion, She also became the second women in WWE history to compete in the Royal Rumble. My favorite Beth Phoenix moments is when she was doing the angle with Santino Marella. Her seriousness with his comedic act was the perfect match. I love how he was some intimated by her and always did what she said. The other feud I enjoyed her in was when she feuded with Lay-Cool. I absolutely could not stand Lay-Cool because I felt they were a ripoff off of The Beautiful People in impact wrestling. I also felt Michelle McCool was put in the spotlight because of her relationship with The Undertaker. Beth Phoenix did not have a wrestling relationship until her career was over. She is married to Edge and they have two children together. 

Beth becomes the youngest person ever to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. She was a bright spot in the Women's Division when there wasn't much spotlight on the women of WWE. Congratulations to Beth Phoenix on becoming the newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism: Daytona 500 Edition

This weekend was the return of NASCAR as the three touring series returned to Daytona. The action kicked off Thursday Night with the qualifying races for the Daytona 500. Chase Elliott won the first duel race and Denny Hamlin won the 2nd duel race. For the last month I've been wondering how NASCAR was going to be since they made all these rules changed. Friday Night the Camping World Truck Series kicked off and what a wild race that was. Johnny Sauter won the first two stages but wrecked in the closing laps of the race. Kaz Grala made some history on Friday night becoming the youngest truck driver to ever win the pole and win the race at Daytona. The stages also played a huge factor into a wild race on Saturday. Elliot Sadler won the first two stages in the Xfinity Race but was also wrecked in the closing laps. I do like the stages because they reward the effort of the drivers during all parts of the races. Sauter and Sadler are perfect examples this weekend because they dominated most of their respective races but unfortunately didn't make it to the finish line.

The one thing I don't agree with is the five minute clock to make repairs to your car or if you end up going to the garage you are out of the race. This really effected the Daytona 500 because only 17 cars were on the lead lap when it ended. Most of the big names like Earnhardt, Johnson, Keselowski, and Kenseth were all knocked out early and were not able to come back into the race. I really think the five minute rule needs to be re-evaluated. The last couple of laps of the Daytona 500 were intense. At one point it looked like Chase Elliott had it won but he ran out of gas which allowed Kurt Busch to make an incredible run to win the race. Kurt Busch's NASCAR career has been a wild roller-coaster ride with a lots high's and a lot of lows. There was a time where I didn't think he would be in NASCAR due to his behavior on and off the track. For Tony Stewart it has to be bittersweet. He never won the 500 as a driver but this is his first Daytona win as a car owner. 

A lot of people were disappointed in this years Daytona 500 due to so many of top names wrecking out but in a way it was great to see some new names in top ten. Aside from Busch you had Ryan Blaney, AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Paul Menard, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Michael Waltrip, Matt DiBenedetto and Trevor Bayne rounded out the top ten. These are names you normally don't see in the top ten on a regular basis which makes it to watch if you truly enjoy the sport. I think the new format is going to make every race exciting. I really hope fans give this a chance and not just base it on the first race. Viewers have to understand that things at Daytona and Talladega are two of the craziest tracks on the circuit which makes the strategy much more difficult to plan out. I personally enjoyed the race today even if my favorite driver didn't finish the race. I like that drivers have to be more aggressive and crew chiefs have to be more strategic then ever. This is only the beginning of what is surely going to be a crazy 2017 season. 

Congratulations to Kurt Busch on his Daytona 500 win and congratulations to Michael Waltrip on a great career. He started in his 30th and final Daytona 500 today, and ended up finishing 8th. Today was full of emotions with Busch's win, Waltrip's final start and the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. I expect to see a lot more emotion as the year progresses. Welcome to a new NASCAR ladies and gentlemen. You're in for a wild ride this season. Until next time remember Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism. 

Road to WWE Wrestlemania 33: Week 4

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania there was a major twist in the WWE Title picture, and two men are showing no remorse on Monday Night Raw. A lot of people are talking about what happened after Raw. The Rock was in the middle of the ring and called CM Punk to leave him a voicemail. It has a lot of people wondering why and has the McMahon's left furious. I also find it ironic considering a week ago Samoa Joe revealed that he and Punk have been talking recently. He said Punk congratulated him and left the possibility open to have one more match with him.

Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens have show no remorse these couple of weeks with their actions. Sami Zayn has been inserted into the Seth Rollins storyline for the time being and he's taking some beatings for it. Owens is trying to send a message to Goldberg and Joe is doing whatever Triple H wants him to. It feels like The Authority are quietly making a return. Stephanie has had issues with Mick Foley these last few weeks which will probably ultimately lead to Foley's demise. Stephanie also tried getting Bayley to relinquish her title after the controversy that occurred last Monday. Sasha Banks talked her out of it and proceeded to beat Charlotte in a match afterwards. It seems to be that Charlotte, Sasha, Nia and Bayley are all on a collision course to Wrestlemania. Speaking of collision courses I absolutely love the match between Big Show and Braun Strowman. It looked like The Big Show was facing his younger self as The Giant from WCW. When The Big Show was The Giant in WCW he was super athletic and agile. He could kip-up and throw a dropkick like a lightweight. I was shocked to see Strowman do it himself. Raw ended with the Strowman standing tall and being a force to reckon with. It's nice to see a fresh face main event Raw.

Tuesday Night on Smackdown Live started out with some bad news. Naomi was forced to relinquish her Women's Title due to a knee injury. This led to a match between Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch to crown a new Women's Champion. Bliss captured the title for the second time but it really does leave the title plans up in the air. The women of Smackdown are much better booked then the women of Raw. There are always multiple women's matches on Smackdown and their pay-per-views. I have enjoyed the rivalry between Natalya and Nikki Bella. It's been so personal and so fun to watch the insults and physicality. This match planted the seeds for the rumored match between Nikki Bella/John Cena taking on The Miz/Maryse at Wrestlemania. Maryse ended up costing Nikki the match by attacking her with a led pipe. The seeds grew even more when Cena threw The Miz out of the Battle Royal in the Main Event of Smackdown Live. It continued when The Miz came back and threw out Cena to cost him a shot to go to Wrestlemania. The last two participants in the Battle Royal were AJ Styles and Luke Harper and they both went out at the same time which left us without a winner. Daniel Bryan came out and announced that next week Styles and Harper will fight for the right to challenge Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania. I personally enjoy the storytelling on Smackdown and they making the Road to Wrestlemania fun to watch on their side of things. 

Following Smackdown the stars of 205 Live took the ring and are continuing to make their mark in WWE. The Brian Kendrick has been an interesting feud with Akira Tozawa. My prediction is that somehow Taijiri will find his way into this feud and pass the torch to Tozawa. Noam Dar was without Alicia Fox this week but that didn't stop him for defeating Mustafa Ali. I really love when Alicia Fox is on the show because it makes for fun TV. She's not being used properly on Raw so her involvement on 205 Live perfect. The show closed out with Tony Nese and Jack Gallagher in a match that had a contrast of styles. I think Gallagher is entertaining and it's great that he is getting rewarded for his popularity. I do think Tony Nese needs to be elevated even more because he has the look and the skills to be a big time superstar. I almost think he would be better off on the main roster. For now Gallagher has a date with Neville at Fastlane and we have to wait to see how it plays out. 

NXT started off with a triple threat to determine the number one contender to Asuka. They are trying their best to build the women's division back up with the likes of Peyton Royce, Liv Morgan and Ember Moon. I was really surprised to see Peyton Royce get the victory. I thought for sure Ember Moon would be challenging Asuka for the title. We got another taste of the United Kingdom this with Mark Andrews and Pete Dunne. Andrews was a crowd favorite during the UK tournament but Pete Dunne made the most impact. I love what Pete Dunne brings to the ring. He has no remorse, no compassion and he doesn't lighten up on his opponent. I think this is another competitor who would do well on the main roster. I also think Mark Andrews could go back and forth between the UK division and 205 Live. I really hope Triple H continues to put the UK competitors on regular programming. The Main Event was No Way Jose against Bobby Roode. It's really good to see Jose get some TV time against a great veteran like Roode. They need to start getting the NXT made talent more involved with the indie talent that they bring in. After the match was over Roode proceeded to beat down Jose until Kassius Ohno made his return to confront Roode. I am really glad Kassius Ohno is back in NXT because he can bring so much knowledge and experience to a young group of talent. I will be curious to see how Ohno affects the title plans heading into Takeover Orlando.

Another week has passed on the Road to Wrestlemania. There have been quite a few seeds planted for matches at Wrestlemania. I've seen a lot of complaining among fans about how this years Wrestlemania looks terrible. Well sometimes the best cards on paper are complete garbage and the worst cards on paper turn out to be the best. I say before you start knocking a pay per view take the time to watch it and let it play out. I am enjoying this years buildup to Wrestlemania especially on the Smackdown side. Within the next couple of weeks some of the card for Wrestlemania will become clearer. I am excited for the buildup because when it comes time for Wrestlemania they are going to bring their absolute best. Tune in next to find out to what happens on the Road to Wrestlemania. 

Matches of the Week

Raw- Braun Strowman vs. Big Show

Smackdown- 10 Man Battle Royal for the Number 1 Contendership to WWE Title.

205 Live-  Jack Gallagher vs. Tony Nese

NXT- Pete Dunne vs. Mark Andrews

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism: NBA All Star Weekend and the Return of NASCAR

This weekend was a wild weekend in sports with the NBA All Star Game and the return of NASCAR. The festivities started on Friday with the Celebrity All Star Game which was a lot of fun to watch. You had the likes of Nick Cannon, Mark Cuban and Master P. I always enjoy the fun and trash talk among the teams and coaches. Following the Celebrity game I watched Chris Paul's Celebrity Bowling Invitational. I did not realize that some of these athletes like Terrell Owens, Mookie Betts and even Chris Paul are really great bowlers. It was cool to see Chris Paul being paired with Chris Barnes and Terrell Owens with Pete Weber. Ir was great to see Pete Weber on the TV finals this past weekend. Even though he was eliminated in the first game I never get tired of PDW. 

One thing I am tired of is how lackluster that NBA All Star Saturday Night has become. I was not impressed with any of the events. The Three Point Contest and the Dunk Contest use to be such a monumental event and now it's lackluster. Sure the guys involved are talented but they are not the big name superstars that people want to see. The NBA needs to put some big time incentives on these events in order to lure the big names back into these events. If they keep this pace up of having terrible All Star Weekends then the ratings are going to decline and it's going to be pointless. The actual All Star Game itself is also becoming pointless. When the score is 192-182 you know it's ridiculous. There is no defense, no effort and no one cares. The only thing that drew people in to this years game is the tension between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook which I think was very fake. The NBA might consider doing what baseball did and that is putting home-court advantage on the line to actually make this game mean something. Unfortunately it will probably never happen because baseball isn't doing it anymore. I also think the voting process needs to change because the lineups were so funky and did not represent the stars who have shined so far this year. There wasn't many highlights this year during NBA All Star weekend and I hope someday that changes.

The highlight of my weekend was the return of NASCAR at Daytona, The Clash was suppose to be on Saturday Night but was forced to move to Sunday due to the rain. Seventeen cars took to the track for 75 laps and some of NASCAR's best got to get some early momentum for the Daytona 500. Joey Logano ended up winning the race but it wasn't easy. It took Logano and his teammate Brad Keselowski to break up the four cars of Joe Gibbs Racing. If the four Toyota's of Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Daniel Suarez get together during this race they are going to be hard to beat. A few hours after The Clash NASCAR's best attempted to qualify for the Daytona 500. At the end of qualifying the front row was determined for NASCAR's biggest race. Chase Elliott captured the pole for the second year in a row and he will be joined by his teammate Dale Earnhardt. If Hendrick Motorsports can get some of their handling issues figured out then the rest of the field should be worried. There are three teams that have four cars and those teams are Gibbs, Hendrick and Stewart-Haas. It would not surprise me one bit if a car from one of those teams wins the Daytona 500. Speedweeks at Daytona continue with racing Thursday and ending Sunday. 

This coming week we have the Daytona 500 and we also have the NBA Trade Deadline. Hopefully the trade deadline will be more exciting then All Star Weekend. There was a trade that took place late Sunday night into Monday morning that was very shocking and lopsided. The Sacramento Kings traded Demarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans for a few role players and a couple of draft picks. I think this is great for the Pelicans because Anthony Davis is a phenomenal player who now has another phenomenal player to work with. If this works out and the Pelicans can get a few more caliber players they could be a team to contend with. Who will be wheeling and dealing this week and who will win the biggest race of the year? Tune in this week to find out. Until next time remember Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism!

Diamond Dallas Page to be Inducted Into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame

The WWE Hall of Fame is about to feel the BANG! I am personally so happy that Diamond Dallas Page is going into the Hall of Fame because he deserves it so much. DDP proved that it's never too late to pursue your dreams. He did not make his debut in pro wrestling until he was 34 years old. He started managing a year before he came an active competitor and managed the likes of The Fabulous Freebirds and Diamond Studd(Scott Hall). My earliest memories of DDP were in the mid 90's when I first started watching WCW. He had the Diamond Doll by his side and feuded with the likes of Johnny B. Badd, Dave Sullivan and The Booty Man. He was always great in the middle of card but thankfully Kevin Nash and Scott Hall thought otherwise. They believed in him and that led to the fans believing in him. 

In 1997, DDP was being courted by the n.W.o. and after a huge buildup he turned them down with a Diamond Cutter. His rivalry with "Macho Man" Randy Savage really put him on the map as a main event player. DDP also got to work with Karl Malone and Jay Leno when he feuded with Hulk Hogan in 1998. All of these events finally led up to DDP winning the WCW Heavyweight Championship in the spring of 1999. This was the first of his three WCW Championship reigns. WCW shut down in 2001 and DDP was an initial part of the the invasion when ECW and WCW feuded with WWE. During is time in WWE he was a Tag Team Champion and European Champion. DDP's injuries caught up with him in WWE and never reached the heights that he did in WCW. However this wasn't the end of DDP because he made much more of an impact once his in-ring career was over.

DDP started doing yoga during his prime in WCW and founded a program called "Yoga for Regular Guys." It eventually became DDP Yoga, a program that has saved so many lives. Some of the people who have benefited from DDP Yoga include AJ Styles, Dustin Rhodes, Lex Luger, Edge, Chris Jericho and many others. However the biggest story involving Page and DDP Yoga are the lives of Scott Hall and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. The documentary of "The Resurrection of Jake the Snake Roberts" showed the heart of DDP. He helped saved the lives of two men that fans loved and adored. His hard work has been rewarded the surprise appearances in the Royal Rumble and the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

I am so happy that one of the hardest working men in wrestling is going into the WWE Hall of Fame. He brought Jake and Scott out of obscurity and into the WWE Hall of Fame in the same year. Now DDP will rightfully join them and be celebrated for all that he's done. Congratulations to Diamond Dallas Page for being the newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame!

Road to WWE Wrestlemania 33: Week 3

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania titles changed hands, friendships were shattered, and the feuds for Wrestlemania are becoming are more obvious. On Monday Night, the Festival of Friendship was the big thing that was being promoted. Chris Jericho looked like he was having a good time but Kevin Owens wasn't. The segment ended with a vicious beat down that sent Chris Jericho to the hospital. The other beat down that took place in that segment was Owens attack Gillberg. Gillberg returned as part of Jericho's jokes. Earlier in the night the cameras caught Kevin Owens talking to Triple H in what looked like a pretty serious conversation. I wonder if Kevin's conversation Triple H had anything to do with the attack on Jericho. Speaking of Triple H and attacks, Samoa Joe made his presence known again when he attacked Sami Zayn. Samoa Joe is being pushed very heavily right now and I will be curious to see where his career goes from here. Monday Night ended with a highly contested Women's Title match between Charlotte Flair and Bayley. This was another classic encounter for the Women's Division and the night ended with Bayley holding the championship high. My worst fear is that Bayley will drop it Fastlane and they play hot potato with the title for 5 months like they did with Sasha Banks and Charlotte. Fastlane is just a few short weeks away so hopefully things will be different. 

Tuesday Night we felt the fallout from the Elimination Chamber where the new WWE Champion Bray Wyatt addressed the crowd. Before he could really start his celebration John Cena and AJ Styles came out  and both demanded their one one rematch for the WWE Championship. Daniel Bryan came out and made a triple threat match for title as the main event of the night. Before the match began Luke Harper came out and attacked Bray Wyatt which left little doubt that he's definitely on his own. This was incredible Wrestlemania worthy main event and title match. Styles and Cena have some of the best chemistry I've seen in a long time. It's almost disappointing that they won't be involved in the WWE Title match at Wrestlemania. The night ended with Randy Orton coming out stating that as long as Bray Wyatt is WWE Champion he will not fight him at Wrestlemania. I will be curious to see how this story plays out over the next few weeks. One thing I always enjoy about Smackdown is the fact that they use all of their women on a regular basis. Even Carmella who isn't wrestling right now is in a comedic storyline with James Ellsworth. I just enjoy the Smackdown Women's Division as a whole more then I do Raw's. The one feud that is intriguing heading into Wrestlemania is Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin. I feel like Dean will be able to do more with Corbin then he did with Lesnar last year during Wrestlemania season. Ambrose and Corbin are both intense individuals and it will make for a great Intercontinental Title match at Wrestlemania.

Following Smackdown we moved over to the WWE Network for 205 Live. I love how Alicia Fox is involved with some of the main stories on the show. I think it's a great fit for her considering she's not highlighted on Raw as much anymore. She makes Noam Dar's matches really fun and entertaining to watch. Even though Dar lost to Rich Swann it's just so funny to see Dar and Fox together. Gran Metalik who was in the finals of the Cruiserweight Classic made his much anticipated debut against Drew Gulak. I can honestly say that I was not very impressed. I don't know if it was the different styles or what but I couldn't get into it. Neville continued his reign of terror by defeating TJ Perkins in a highly contested bout. I really love that Neville and Jack Gallagher are feuding. Both show different sides of the U.K. culture and have very different personalities. I can't wait to see how the Cruiserweight Division plays out heading into Wrestlemania.

Speaking of the United Kingdom, it was really great to see WWE UK Champion defend his title against Trent Seven. This was a treat to see and a really entertaining match. I hope we start seeing more use of the UK stars soon. The tag team division in NXT is in need of some serious depth. The Authors of Pain, The Revival and DIY are the only teams really being highlighted right now. TM-61 is out of action, and Sanity have feuds with multiple singles wrestlers. I truly believe The Revival and DIY are ready to be on the main roster and when that happens whats left of the NXT Tag Team Division. The same thing could also be said for the Women's Division. Eventually they are going to have bring some new women into the fold because Asuka, Petyon Royce, Billie Kay and Ember Moon are all going to be main roster ready within the next year. I have a feeling after Wrestlemania is over it's going to get tough for NXT because so many are ready to be called up. 

We have saw three titles change hands, a friendship destroyed and a Royal Rumble winner refusing to challenge the champion at Wrestlemania. These next few weeks are going to interesting. I am looking forward to the Battle Royal on Smackdown next week to determine the new number one contender to Bray Wyatt and the WWE Championship. Check back next week to see how it all unfolds.

Matches of the Week

Raw: Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley for the Women's Championship

Smackdown: Bray Wyatt vs. AJ Styles vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship

205 Live: Neville vs. TJ Perkins

NXT: Tyler Bate vs. Trent Seven for the WWE UK Championship

Teddy Long to be Inducted into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame

Holla Holla Playa the WWE Hall of Fame has it's newest member. Teddy Long has been in many roles during his thirty year career. Many fans know him for his time as Smackdown General Manager. His legacy and impact in sports entertainment long before he came to WWE. From 1985 to 1998 he spent time as a referee and manager in NWA and WCW. He was the replacement referee for the Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat at Chi-Town Rumble where Steamboat won the title. Long became a manager later on that year. The most notable tag teams that he was with in his time were Doom (Butch Reed and Ron Simmons) and The Skyscrapers(Sid Vicious, Dan Spivey and "Mean" Mark Callous). Long managed Callous before Paul Bearer managed The Undertaker which is something most people forget in the history book. He did end up managing Doom to the Tag Team Championships in WCW. It was a title reign that last 281 days which was the longest tag title reign in the 90's for WCW.

Once his time in WCW was over he went to WWE and started off as a referee. His time as referee had some tragic moments. He was in the ring the night Owen Hart died and when Darren Drozdov was paralyzed. Fortunately Teddy Long briefly resumed the role of a manger for names like Mark Henry, Rodney Mack and Jazz. In late 2004, he became the Smackdown General Manager which last on and off for nearly 10 years. His feuds for power included Eric Bischoff, Vickie Guerrero, and John Laurinaitis. He became well known for the "Teddy Long Tag Match," a term that was developed because whenever wrestlers interfered or brawl he would put everyone involved in a tag team match. Teddy Long always had a great presence and energy whenever he was in his role of General Manager. He made it fun to watch Smackdown and was never at a loss for words. Teddy Long has earned his place in the WWE Hall of Fame. He worked his way from the bottom to the top and he did it with class. Congratulations to Teddy Long on being the newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Teddy Long with Doom(Butch Reed and Ron Simmons) during their time as WCW Tag Team Champions

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism: Charles Oakley, Kevin Durant and UFC 208

This week was undoubtedly a crazy week in the world of sports especially in the NBA. This past Wednesday Charles Oakley was in attendance at Madison Square Garden for a Knicks game. Oakley is a legend in New York, giving ten years of his career on the Knicks team. He was sitting a few rows from court-side where reportedly being a little loud. Not even four minutes into the game he was asked by security to leave and that they were under orders to remove him from the building. Oakley did not leave quietly as he proceeded to shove security guards which led to his arrest. The Knicks have been in utter chaos the entire season. They have big contracts that no one wants and they have a President who constantly slams their franchise player. I thought the problems between Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony were the worse thing that could go on with the Knicks until Oakley showed up. The way that James Dolan and the Knicks P.R. department handled the situation was absolutely pathetic. They are making assumptions that Oakley has an alcohol problem when there has been absolutely no proof of such a claim. Then we fast forward to the weekend when James Dolan had Latrell Sprewell sit by him court-side in the Knicks game against the Spurs. In my opinion this move was made to save face since there is so much heat on him. As far as I am concerned Sprewell is a coward for playing into Dolan's horrible mistakes. I really wish the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver would step in and take some action against the Knicks before things get even more out of control. 

Another highly covered situation that took place this past week was Kevin Durant's return to Oklahoma as a member of the Golden State Warriors. He left the Thunder this past season after spending eight years with the team and having a great teammate with Russell Westbrook. The Thunder already traveled to Oakland twice and lost both games. Durant has had great performances all three times he's played his former team but then again he has three other superstars to back him up. The reception that Durant got from his former home crowd was less then loving and warm. I couldn't have expected any less. It's no different from when Lebron left Cleveland for Miami. What did Durant think was going to happen? More importantly what is Durant's mom thinking? I have no doubt that Wanda Durant is a really good person but for her to come out and say it's not right the way Thunder fans treated him this weekend when he made his return is absolutely absurd. Your son makes millions and millions of dollars playing a sport that he excel's at. He is set for life and probably has made sure you and other family members will never have to worry about anything financially. I am sure being his mom you never want to hear son be called names or treated poorly but he turned his back on a team and city that was very good to him. He had it made in OKC and he turned his back on all of that just so he could join the team he couldn't beat. The reason I will never fully respect Durant and LeBron James is because they had to leave their respective teams to get help from other superstars to win. If they are as great as everyone thinks how come they can't make those around them better? They should have been able to win with whoever they had around them. In his entire career Michael Jordan never asked to be traded, never demanded that the Bulls sign someone and he made everyone around him better. Years from now are people going to be able to say the same thing about Lebron James and Kevin Durant?

The angriest person this week wasn't even Charles Oakley or the Thunder fans. Dana White was less then thrilled about how UFC 208 went down on Saturday Night. It was suppose to be a historic night at the UFC crowned the first ever UFC Women's Featherweight Champion. The fight was between Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie. There was some controversy in this fight due to the fact Randamie struck Holm after the bell in multiple rounds. Each time looked pretty intentional and may effected how Holm approached the rest of the fight. Holm wants an immediate rematch and I think Dana should give it to her. Dana was not happy about the decision of Anderson Silva and Derek Brunson. It was a good fight but Brunson was clearly the aggressor and had more significant moments in the fight. This is why you can't leave the fight in the hands of the judges. You never know what they are going to decide. I really wish there was a different way to determine a clear cut winner in these fights because so many times the judges get it wrong. I feel like ever since UFC changed ownership in July things have not been as good as they were when the Fertitta Brothers owned it. I also feel like this was a very lackluster card which I hope is not a sign for the future. Hopefully the company can rebound with UFC 209 which looks like a really great fight card that will not having any controversies like UFC 208 did.

What a crazy week with lots of emotion that consisted of anger and disappointment. There is a lot to look forward to this week like the return of NASCAR with The Clash at Daytona. The sports world will also be watching to see if the UConn Women's Basketball can win their 100th straight game. It will be a history making week with NASCAR's new rules and format. It will be a celebration if UConn can win 100 straight. Until next week remember Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism! 

Results, Recap, Review of WWE Elimination Chamber 2017

Tonight was Smackdown's last major stop before Wrestlemania and it took place at the Elimination Chamber. The Elimination Chamber and No Way Out were once monumental pay-per-views that would lead up to Wrestlemania. Smackdown has been considered the land of opportunity so who would seize the opportunity to shine on the grandest stage of them all? Here are the results of tonight's Elimination Chamber event.

-Preshow: Mojo Rawley defeated Curt Hawkins 

-Becky Lynch defeated Mickie James

-Apollo Crews/Kalisto defeated Dolph Ziggler

-American Alpha wins the Tag Team Gauntlet to retain the Smackdown Tag Team Championships

-Nikki Bella and Natalya ended a double count out

-Randy Orton defeated Luke Harper

-Naomi defeated Alexa Bliss to win the Smackdown Women's Championship

-Bray Wyatt wins the Elimination Chamber to win the WWE Championship

The opening match was the veteran Mickie James taking on  Becky Lynch. James had a great match back in the Summer with Asuka at Takeover which led to her getting a WWE contract once again. Mickie James looks great and still can get it done in the ring. I love how Smackdown does the complete opposite of Raw. Smackdown brings stars from the past to help get the younger stars over where Raw brings old stars to make money an beat the younger stars. We go from the women to what was suppose to be a 2 on 1 handicap match. Before Kalisto could join Apollo Crews in the ring Ziggler attacked the masked superstar before the match started. I like the Ziggler heel turn because it was long overdo. Before Ziggler could defeat Crews, Kalisto came back out to help Ziggler get the win. After the match was over Ziggler attacked Kalisto and Crews leaving his mark on the night. 

The one thing I enjoyed about this pay-per-view is that all the tag teams and all the women were involved. The tag team gauntlet proved that Smackdown has a little more depth then Raw does. I don't like how they made The Ascension look so weak. Right before they came out The Uso's put a big time beat down on American Alpha which didn't make sense. You should not be able make a come back that quick after a beat down like that. I hope The Ascension can get some momentum rolling after this week and eventually win the tag titles. They were one of the most dominant teams in NXT and since they got to the main roster things have not been good for them. One thing that's been fun to watch is the rivalry between Natalya and Nikki Bella. I love when rivalries have a personal twist to them because it brings more reality to the show. It looked like Nikki was struggling for a minute but she finished match strong. I am glad they left this rivalry open for an exciting conclusion.

One of the best stories that has taken place in recent memory is the Wyatt Family story. I love that Randy Orton joined Bray Wyatt because Orton needed something to get his momentum going again. Orton's career has been sub-par since Wrestlemania 30 when he last held the WWE World Championship. Orton won his second Royal Rumble last month which added to his of accolades. I also believe that it's time Luke Harper goes on his own. When Harper was on the independent scene as Brodie Lee he proved to be a top notch performer that can hang with the best. Harper proved tonight that he can definitely go at it alone. Since the NXT call-ups during the draft I feel like Alexa Bliss has been the most successful. She is really coming into her own as a performer and has gotten the most out of her opportunities. I am so happy for Naomi in her victory but the last couple of minutes of the match was a bit of a botch fest. Hopefully when they have their rematch it won't end in multiple botches.

In the main event, six men entered the new Elimination Chamber for the WWE Championship and the right to be in a prime spot at Wrestlemania. I like the new set up of the chamber but the one thing I was disappointed that they covered up the surface outside of the ring. However they made up for it a little with some of the spots they did in the match. I was really surprised to see Styles and Cena start off the match. Each man that was in the match had some great highlights. Baron Corbin was eliminated first by Dean Ambrose which didn't set well with The Lone Wolf. Corbin attacked Ambrose after the elimination allowing The Miz to pin Ambrose. The Miz was the next one eliminated after Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment, The final three came down to Cena, Styles and Wyatt. Cena surprisingly wasn't the last man eliminated. It came down to Bray Wyatt and AJ Styles which was actually a good match-up. I would mind seeing more of Wyatt and Styles in the future. At the end of the night it was Bray Wyatt walking out the WWE Champion. 

The Elimination Chamber was a good pay per view and the matches were decent.but there was nothing that stood out for me. As of right now the WWE Championship will be Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton. However there are seven weeks left until Wrestlemania and anything can change. I am going to give Elimination Chamber a 6 out of 10. I applaud the effort of the Smackdown roster but in my opinion they are making Smackdown looking like the B show headed into Wrestlemania. I will be curious how the Smackdown side of things go until Wrestlemania. In three weeks we go to the Raw side of things with WWE Fast Lane. 

Road to WWE Wrestlemania 33: Week 2

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania there were things that I was happy to see and things that just make me shake my head. Monday Night Raw saw the in ring debut of Samoa Joe. In the opening segment he signed his contract and cut a really great promo. He was interrupted by Roman Reigns who challenged him to a fight which took place later in the night. I think Joe had a great in ring debut on Monday Night. He got the win after Braun Strowman interfered in the match. Earlier in the night Mick Foley made Reigns vs. Strowman for WWE Fastlane. The biggest disappointment is that Goldberg will be challenging Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal Title which no doubt set up Goldberg vs. Lesnar 3 at Wrestlemania 33 for the title. I feel like this does nothing for the future of the business and this is the part of Wrestlemania season I despise. The one thing that I enjoy is watching Sami Zayn and Chris Jericho. They have had good matches and I foresee Jericho defending the United States against Zayn at Fastlane. The tag team division is slowly starting to heat up again. The Club is feuding with Sheamus and Cesaro but interference from Big Cass cost Sheasaro a chance to win back the tag titles on Monday Night. Next week we will see another title match as Charlotte defends the Raw Women's Title against Bayley. 

Tuesday night Smackdown took place from Seattle which is near the hometown of Smackdown GM Daniel Bryan. He was cutting a great promo before he was interrupted by The Miz, Baron Corbin, Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles. Bryan set up a fatal four way between the four that Corbin ended up winning. I like that they are pushing Corbin because he's hungry and wants to be the best. Another thing I enjoy is all the women of Smackdown being involved in high profile feuds. There will be three women's matches at Elimination Chamber which is really unheard of but it's great to see them getting a chance. The Main Event of Smackdown featured the legendary rivalry of John Cena and Randy Orton. I love how overtime Orton has been able to evolve himself a little bit here and there. He was in Evolution as the Legend Killer and had some really memorable matches. He led Legacy and became the Apex Predator that became one of the all time greats in WWE history. Now he is in the Wyatt Family and making a push towards the WWE Championship.

Once Smackdown was over it was time for 205 Live. At the beginning of the show we learned that Tony Nese was injured on Monday Night Raw and was unable compete in the fatal five way. Mustafa Ali and Ariya Daivari competed to see who would replace Nese in the match. Ali won and moved on to the main event later in the evening. The fatal five way ended up being a really great match. I was pleasantly surprised that Gentleman Jack Gallagher won the match and earned himself a Cruiserweight Title shot against Neville. I think Gallagher is the most entertaining person in the Cruiserweight Division. I honestly hope he becomes Cruiserweight Champion and gets a match at Wrestlemania.

The fallout from Takeover San Antonio continued as Sanity attacked Tye Dillinger after he refused to join them again. Tye had some help in the form of Roderick Strong and No Way Jose which led to a 6-man tag later in the evening. Sanity ended up winning the match but I think a feud between Roderick Strong and Eric Young might be brewing. The Revival had an awesome 2016 but were left off Takeover. They are still down in NXT but this week they called out The Authors of Pain and got a sneak attack on them to make their point. The new NXT Champion Bobby Roode came out and celebrated his glorious win. I will be interested to see who his challenger is at Takeover Orlando. Nakamura is currently injured and there is no one that really stands out as the number one contender. Next week on NXT, the United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate will defend against Trent Seven in what should be an excellent match,

This concludes weeks two on the Road to Wrestlemania. This Sunday is Smackdown's final pay-perv-view before Wrestlemania. Everyone on the show will be fighting to get a spot on the biggest show of the year. Tune in next week to find out what takes place in week 3 on the Road to Wrestlemania. 

Matches of the Week

Raw: Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho and Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns

Smackdown: Baron Corbin vs. AJ Styles vs. The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose

205 Live: Jack Gallagher vs. Noam Dar vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali vs. TJ Perkins

NXT: Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong/No Way Jose

Review of The Hurt Business

In 2016, a documentary was released to theaters for one day only. It was a documentary similar to a wrestling documentary that came out years ago called Beyond the Mat. This documentary was about the world of MMA. The documentary focuses on the origins of MMA, the violence and the struggle. When I saw the documentary was listed on Netflix I knew I absolutely had to watch it. The documentary features the stories and lives of 50 mixed martial artists, their families and other personalities in the business. I did not know how deep MMA ran and how hard the life of someone trying to make it really is. One notable name that was not in this film is Dana White. I think the reason for that is because I think he wants people to be ignorant and think this is a glorious lifestyle where you can make a great living. This documentary proves that mindset couldn't be anymore wrong.  It's very disheartening to see what some of these fighters go through. The documentary was filmed at points from 2012 to 2015 so some of the big stories that happened in 2016 were not in the documentary. However this was a very powerful documentary.

One of the main stories were the careers and lives of Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. Jones and Evans were once teammates at Greg Jackson's MMA Academy. When Evans went down with an injury back in 2011 Jones stepped in and took Evans title shot. Jones ended up defeating Maurício Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title and held the title for nearly four years. One of his title defenses was against Evans which ended the bad blood that they had over Evans feeling betrayed. Since the loss it seems like Rashad has had a lot of struggles with multiple fight losses and injuries. From watching the documentary it seems like he's not the same person he was when he was with Greg Jackson. Another person who has struggled in life is Sara McMann who had a successful career lost her brother in 1999 and lost her fiance in 2003. She raises a daughter and wants to make sure she is around to raise her daughter. These are just a few of the fighters who have struggled and paid the price in all aspects of life.

After watching the documentary I realized that MMA is a lot like the NFL in terms of injuries because of the violence. I almost think MMA injuries are worst because of the lacerations, broken bones, and the violent blows to the head. The NFL doesn't allow helmet to helmet hits anymore which has made it safer. You're not going to eliminate punches to the head in MMA otherwise it would be all submission and grappling. Guys like Mike Guymon and Gary Goodridge suffer all the time with depression, thoughts of suicide and memory loss. This is one of the many reasons why politicians use to be against the UFC and some still are today. The UFC made many changes like weight-classes and rules on what you can and can't do in a fight.

When it comes to MMA, making a livelihood it is really hard. Fighters on the preliminary card make an average $30,000 a fight. Those on the main card make an average of $50,000 a fight. If you're the main event the average pay is $500,000. Obviously some fighters make more then others depending on their star power and how much they can draw. The revenue split in the UFC is 85% to the company and 15% to the fighters. This is the largest gap of any of the sports organizations in America. The big of four of MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL the revenue split is almost 50-50 across the board. The question I always asked is how a one dimensional fighter like a Floyd Mayweather can make into 10 and 100 million dollar range per fight but a multi-dimensional fight who has train harder can't even make one million dollars a fight? It really does not seem right or fair that the fighter of the UFC are not taken care of like athletes in the other sports organizations. The documentary of The Hurt Business showed me how real the struggle is for these men and women who devote their lives to this sport.

If you are an MMA fan I would highly suggest you watch this awesome documentary. It really gives you a whole new perspective on the UFC, Bellator and MMA in general, I think once you are done watching this it will give you a new appreciation and respect for what these fighters do for a living. The Hurt Business is definitely in my top 5 of all time sports documentaries. If you have Netflix this is one documentary you should take the time to watch.

Rock N Roll Express to be Inducted into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame

Before there were the Young Bucks, the Hardy Boys and The Rockers there was the Rock N Roll Express. Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson started tagging together in 1983 down in Memphis. Their first big rivalry was against The Midnight Express who was managed by Jim Cornette. During the mid 80's The Rock N Roll Express feuded with the Four Horsemen until their departure in 1988. They headed to the AWA where they had a brief feud with The Midnight Rockers(Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty).In the 1990's the Rock N Roll Express traveled all over. They went back to the NWA, Smokey Mountain Wrestling, UWA, WCW, and the WWE. During that time they feuded with the Heavenly Bodies, The Gangstas, Harlem Heat, The Faces of Fear, and the Dynamic Duo. During their time as a tag team they had over 30 tag team title reigns in the various promotions they worked at. They were also named Tag Team of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 1986. 

The Rock N Roll Express recently appeared on Total NonStop Deletion at the Hardy Boys compound. It was a very nice tribute to the team who paved the way for some many great tag team you've seen over the last twenty years. They competed in TNA once before in 2003 where they feuded with an up and coming team called America's Most Wanted. They made everyone they worked with better and developed some of the first really good tag team moves. Even though the Morton and Gibson did not spend much time in WWE they made an impact over the last 30 years. They deserve a spot in one of the best hall of fame's that there is. Congratulations to the Rock N Roll Express on being the newest members of the WWE Hall of Fame.

The Corner of Controvery and Criticism: Super Bowl 51 Edition

On Super Bowl Sunday, a lot of history was made and a lot of people are talking about it. Tom Brady solidified himself as possibly the greatest Quarterback of all time. He has won 5 Super Bowls, a 4 time Super Bowl MVP and had the most passing yards in the history of the Super Bowl with 466 yards. This adds to his resume of being a time MVP and two time Offensive player of the year. Bill Belichick is also in the history books as quite possibly the greatest NFL coach of all time. It doesn't matter who Belichick coaches and what type of player they are. He can make a nobody into a superstar. Before this year most people did not know much about Chris Hogan, James White, and so many others in the past. Look at the year Brady went down with an injury. In 2008, Matt Cassel filled in for Brady and took the Patriots to an 11-5 record. After Cassel left New England he never played as well in Kansas City, Minnesota, or Dallas. It's the Bill Belichick system that makes these players so great and which led this years Patriots team due the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. This was the first overtime game in Super Bowl history which as many fans calling it the greatest Super Bowl game in the history of the NFL. There are others though who aren't so convinced or enthused by the result of Super Bowl 51.

Each year I hear more and more that the NFL is rigged and I hear plenty of conspiracies about how sports are ran. This year really had me wondering. How does a dominant Falcons team blow a 25 point lead in the fourth quarter? Did they forget how to play football for the last 15 minutes? What people don't understand the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and every other sports organization is just like any other business. They have to do what makes them the most money. Many people thought the Patriots were the favored to win the game. Well the Falcons got a 25 point lead making viewers very shocked including myself. By the fourth quarter it seemed the game was over and people I talked to said they shut the TV off. They turned if off because they thought the game was over. Throughout the fourth quarter the Patriots became the unfamiliar underdog and forced the game into overtime. How can you script that any better? The Patriots sent the game into overtime and won the very first overtime game in Super Bowl history. They had scored 31 unanswered points to win the game. It's funny that the numbers 3 and 1 stand out because of what's gone on the last year in sports. In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors blew a 3-1 series lead which resulted in the Cavaliers won the NBA Championship. In the 2016 MLB World Series, the Cleveland Indians blew a 3-1 series lead which resulted in the Cubs won the World Series. Maybe the NBA and MLB found a formula to draw ratings, and the NFL decided to follow the trend. I don't know if sports are rigged or not but a lot of people think otherwise. Sports are entertainment but they are also in the business of making money. I've seen a lot of situations where the conspiracy theorists might be on to something. Super Bowl 51 will go down as the most history making Super Bowl of all time capping off a crazy 2016 NFL season. 

My bold prediction for the 2017 season is that the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys will be in Super Bowl 52. Both teams have a lot of great young players which put both teams in a position to win for a long time. Until then there a lot of things to look forward. In three weeks time the Daytona 500 returns. The landscape of NASCAR has complete changed and the sport had a complete overhaul in the offseason. Major League Baseball is starting up soon as well and last season ended in incredible fashion. The Cubs ended a 108 year drought of not winning a title. They built a young team that will be great for the foreseeable future, My early prediction for this season is that the World Series will be the Cubs returning to take on the Boston Red Sox. Lastly, we have WWE's version of the Super Bowl in April. Wrestlemania 33 will be taking place in a legendary football stadium in Orlando. The Citrus Bowl will play host to it's second Wrestlemania. The last time they hosted was in 2008 where the legendary career of Ric Flair came to an end. Whose career will be defined and whose will come to an end? Before you know it these events will have come and then the debut of the NFL Spring League will be here. For the first time ever the NFL will be hosting a spring league featuring notable NFL free agents. There will be names like Vince Young, Johnny Manziel, Ray Rice and others. Maybe one of these free agents will be playing in Super Bowl 52. Until then, remember controversy doesn't come without criticism. 

WWE honors every team or athlete who wins a major championship. It's a gesture representing the greatness of sports and the athletes involved! 

Road to WWE Wrestlemania 33: Week 1

This week began the Road to Wrestlemania and on April 2nd the WWE will be in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl. The Road to Wrestlemania started on Sunday at the Royal Rumble. I can say I was honestly disappointed with how the Royal Rumble turned out. I really felt the Rumble match was a let down and the booking of it was absolutely terrible. I kept telling myself that I hope the end of the road would be better then the start of the road to Wrestlemania. During these next couple of months I will be bringing you in-depth coverage of Raw, Smackdown, NXT, and 205 Live on the Road to Wrestlemania. Each week I will be talking about the storylines, matches, dirt-sheets and more leading up the biggest day of the year for WWE.

On Monday Night Raw, things kicked off with Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho and Braun Strowman. Strowman interfered the night before during Owens match with Roman Reigns. Strowman showed video of Owens promising him a title shot if he retained the title against Reigns. Strowman got his title match but before it happened he took out Chris Jericho at the commentators title leaving Owens all alone. Before Strowman could win the title Roman Reigns came out and laid waste to both Strowman and Owens. Speaking of Jericho, his night was already bad due to his loss to Sami Zayn in a non-title match. It appears that Jericho could be defending the United States Title against Zayn presumably at Fast Lane. One thing that's been talked about for a long time is Seth Rollins versus Triple H. At Takeover Rollins interrupted the show which led to him not even being on the Royal Rumble show. That was part of the disappointment but it made to a good ending for Raw. As Rollins was about to get in the ring, he was attacked out of nowhere by Samoa Joe. Raw ended with Joe standing tall over Rollins. The most obvious story going into Wrestlemania is Goldberg versus Lesnar 3. Lesnar showed up to Raw to challenge Goldberg for one match at Wrestlemania. It was announced that Goldberg would be on Raw next week. 

The following night on Smackdown the show started off with a huge announcement for the Elimination Chamber. John Cena will defend the WWE Championship inside the chamber against AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, The Miz, Baron Corbin and Dean Ambrose. John Cena came out to discuss his championship victory until Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton interrupted him. Wyatt and Orton were going to attack Cena until Luke Harper intervened. This setup a tag match between Orton/Wyatt and Cena/Harper. I loved the psychology and story behind this match. The Wyatt Family is the best thing that is happening on Smackdown right now. The one thing that sticks out to me on Smackdown is how better the Women's Division is from an overall standpoint. All the women are involved each week and it's just not centered around 2 or 3 women. I think Alexa Bliss is the most improved out of any of the NXT call ups since the WWE Draft. Hopefully this Wrestlemania season she is rewarded. The Main Event of Smackdown was Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles who have had some great matches in the past. I still believe Styles should have been the WWE Champion heading into Wrestlemania but unfortunately the powers to be don't think so. I personally would love to see Styles in a big time match that he deserves. Dean Ambrose also deserves a big time moment and the match they had on Smackdown proves. it. Smackdown ended with Corbin taking out Ambrose and The Miz following an incredible match between Ambrose and Styles.

Tuesday night concluded with 205 Live which is a great show but reports are saying viewership isn't so great. One thing I noticed from Monday is Austin Aries was taking some shots at Tony Nese on the mic. It carried over on 205 Live where Aries has been a regular on commentary since he's been injured. I think an Austin Aries-Tony Nese match-up would be incredible. The Main Event of 205 Live was a tag team match with Cedric Alexander teaming up with Jack Gallagher and Neville teamed up with Noam Dar. All four men have some great stories going right now. Gallagher is arguably the most entertaining part of 205 Live while Neville has seen his career resurrected due to this show. I absolutely love the storyline between Alexandar, Dar and Alicia Fox. For awhile there were no storylines on the show but the stories are getting better and more intriguing. Towards the end of the match Neville walked out on Dar which I like. It shows Neville doesn't need anyone and he is doing it all on his own. I like the way 205 Live is headed but other people need to get behind it as well.

On Wednesday night the NXT tapings aired and they recapped the events of Takeover San Antonio. The one thing that caught my eye was the debut of United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate. He took on NXT standout Oney Lorcan.  This was a very physical match which is good because it needs to be more physical. I like enjoyed the aggressiveness of both competitors. I really enjoyed the tribute they paid to Corey Graves time in NXT. He turned a huge negative into a huge positive and has become one of the best commentators WWE has ever heard. It was fitting that Graves last night featured an Elias Sampson match. He gets so worked up about Sampson it's so funny to listen to. NXT ended with Sampson losing to No Way Jose and ending Graves time in a NXT on a high note.

This concludes the first week on the Road to Wrestlemania 33 in Orlando. Each week I will list my favorite match of the week from each show so people can see who is putting in the work and making the most out of their opportunities. With that being here are matches of the week:

Matches of the Week:

Raw- Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho 

Smackdown- Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles 

205 Live-Neville/Noam Dar vs. Cedric Alexander/Jack Gallagher

NXT- Tyler Bate vs. Oney Lorcan

Check back week for more on the Road to Wrestlemania 33. 

Results Recap, Review of WWE Royal Rumble 2017

Tonight was the 30th annual Royal Rumble. I have always loved the Royal Rumble match because it starts the Road to Wrestlemania. This year's Royal Rumble match was absolutely stacked and going into it I was hoping for some surprises. Before I begin with my thoughts here are the results of the Royal Rumble.

-Pre-Show Match: Naomi/Nikki Bella/Becky Lynch defeated Natalya/Mickie James/Alexa Bliss

-Pre-Show Match: Luke Gallows/Karl Anderson defeated Cesaro/Sheamus to win the WWE Raw Tag Team Titles

-Pre-Show Match: Nia Jax defeated Sasha Banks

-Charlotte Flair defeated Bayley to retain the Raw Women's Championship

-Kevin Owens defeated Roman Reigns to retain the WWE Universal Championship

-Neville defeated Rich Swann to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

-John Cena defeated AJ Styles to win the WWE Championship

-Randy Orton wins the Royal Rumble

The opening match of the night was Charlotte and Bayley for the WWE Raw Women't Title. Charlotte and Bayley always have great matches but this match was very anti-climatic. I personally think this was a blow-off match in preparation for Wrestlemania so hopefully when Wrestlemania rolls around that Women's Title match for Raw will be epic. The Universal Championship between Kevin Owen and Romans had some very memorable spots. I don't understand why people keep hating on Reigns. The guy has improved so much and he deserves to be where he is at. I was really surprised to see Braun Strowman interfere in the match, I thought for sure that Chris Jericho was going to find a way out of the cage and help Owens out. It was good to see a little shakeup in the how the match ended.

When it comes to shakeups, I absolutely love how Neville has turned his career around being a heel. A lot of people are sour on the Cruiserweight Division and 205 Live but it's guys like Neville and Swann that make the division fun and exciting to watch.  I am glad to see Neville finally be put into the spotlight in some way, shape, or form. Last year at the Royal Rumble AJ Styles debuted and he's been in the spotlight for the last year. This last year Styles has been solid and I never thought he'd win the WWE Championship that quick into his WWE run. AJ Styles had a great first year but John Cena has had a great 15 years.  I respect what John Cena has done but I hate when guys who work a reduced schedule or only show up a few times a year get the spotlight. John Cena has now tied Ric Flair for the most World Championships. I have got mixed emotions about it because Ric Flair worked his ass off in the ring whereas Cena works hard outside the ring. I really felt Styles deserved to be WWE Champion heading into Wrestlemania.

In the Main Event, the 30-man Royal Rumble Match would determine who would go on to be in a title match at Wrestlemania. The Royal Rumble had some interesting participants like Jack Gallagher, and James Ellsworth. I was shocked that we didn't see any real surprises. I am strongly disappointed that there was no legends and no NXT call ups. Something about the Royal Rumble match was very lackluster. There was nothing epic about it. The Royal Rumble usually has a lot of great moments but this year there wasn't anything that stuck out. The Road to Wrestlemania be a lot better then what the start of it did. I am giving the Rumble a 6 out of 10. Hopefully Elimination Chamber and Fastlane will provide us with some better moments.

Results, Recap, Review of WWE NXT: San Antonio 2017

Tonight NXT took over San Antonio and as always NXT Takeover usually have the habit of setting the bar for the weekend. During the pre-show Corey Graves announced that would no longer be the commentator for NXT. His duties include Raw, 205 Live and hosting various specials on the WWE Network. Graves will be replaced by former ROH legend Nigel McGuiness who recently signed with WWE and did the play by play for the WWE UK Championship Tournament. Before WWE I begin with my thoughts here are the results of tonights show.

-Eric Young defeated Tye Dillinger

-Roderick Strong defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas

-Authors of Pain defeated Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa to win the NXT Tag Team Title

-Asuka defeated Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce and Billie Kaye to retain the NXT Women's Title

-Bobby Roode defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win the NXT Title.

The opening match of the night was longtime NXT veteran Tye Dillnger against Sanity's Eric Young. Tye Dillinger is such a great performer. He makes whoever he faces look so much better. Tonight he made Sanity look really great. I think it's time for Tye to move up to the main roster. He's done everything there is to do in NXT so it's time for him to go to Raw and Smackdown. Andrade "Cien" Almas and Roderick Strong are two veterans who are going to help the brand in a lot of ways if they are used the right way. Strong and Almas had a great match and showed why they are in NXT. With performances like that they can bring a lot to the brand and teach something to younger talent. 

Since their arrival in NXT Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano have been two of the best performers in the company. From their match at the Cruiserweight Classic to their rise in the tag team division they have been absolutely fun to watch. The tag team division is very interesting right now. TM-61 is out with an injury and the Revival should moved up to the main roster. Other then The Authors of Pain there is really no one left in NXT Tag Team Division. With the Authors of Pain winning the titles I will be really curious to see who dethrones them because as I said there is really no tag teams left. The women's division is in a place where the tag team division is and that is the depth is not where it should be. The WWE Draft really hurt NXT's depth but they are slowly rebounding with Peyton Royce, Billie Kaye and Nikki Cross. You also have Ember Moon and Liv Morgan who are not to far from behind. Asuka continues her undefeated streak and I think it will be awhile before she's dethroned.

In the Main Event, NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defended the title against Bobby Roode. Both men deserve to be on the main roster. I personally did not care Bobby Roode's entrance. It was a complete rip off of what Ric Flair in the late 80's. I think they could have done better with both entrances. This match up was intriguing because the styles and personalities are so different. Unfortunately for NXT stanards this was not the greatest NXT Title match that they have ever had. The match started off really slow but got more intense as time went on.  I really felt like this main event along with the rest of the show was really toned down. A friend that I watch with said he thinks Vince is telling Triple H to tone it down so the main roster doesn't look bad on the big pay-per-views. I am going to give NXT Takeover San Antonio a 7 out of 10. It was a solid show but not the typical quality of a standard NXT show. Hopefully they can rebound for Wrestlemania weekend.

Kurt Angle to be Inducted Into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame

It's true! It's True! The first inductee named to the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame is a man who personified intensity, integrity, and intelligence. Before Kurt Angle broke into a WWE he was already a legend. He was a NCAA Division 1 Champion in 1990 and 1992 along with being an All American during his time at Clarion University. His greatest achievement outside of pro wrestling took place in the 1996 Olympic Games where he won a Gold Medal in freestyle wrestling. Once his Amatuer Wrestling career was over he began to think about the world of pro wrestling. He attended an episode of ECW shortly after the Olympics but had no interest in ECW due a controversial angle they did while he was in attendance. This would not be the last time we saw Kurt Angle in a pro wrestling setting.

Kurt Angle made his WWE debut at Survivor Series 1999 where he defeated Shawn Stasiak. In Kurt Angle's first full year in WWE he won the Intercontinental Championship, European Championship, WWE Championship and won the King of the Ring tournament. Not to many in pro wrestling can have a great first year like Angle did. He took on the likes of Austin, The Rock, Triple H and The Undertaker. King of the Ring played host to some of Angle's most classic encounters. In 2001, he had an incredible street fight with Shane McMahon that left both men with multiple injuries One year later he did something that very few people have been able to do. He made fellow Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan tap out to his famous submission the ankle lock.

When I think of Kurt Angle in the middle of his prime I think of his battles with Brock Lesnar. He and Brock had the amateur background in common which made them fierce competitors inside the ring. His matches with Brock at Wrestlemania 19, Vengeance 2003, Summerslam 2003 and their Iron Man Match on Smackdown are matches that will always be remembered as classics. He also had classic matches with the likes of Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Shawn Michaels. He did not have a bad match any of these guys. Angle had an incredible 7 year run in WWE but Angle's career was very far from over.

In a shocking move Angle debuted for TNA Impact Wrestling in October 2006. He instantly feuded with Samoa Joe and ended Joe's undefeated streak. During his 10 years at Impact Wrestling he feuded with Sting, Scott Steiner, Christian, AJ Styles, Bobby Lashley and many others. His most intriguing rivalry was with Jeff Jarrett because it was so personal. Even though it was personal they kept it professional and ended up having some great matches. He also wrestled in New Japan where he worked with the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura, Masahiro Chono, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii. Since his departure from TNA Impact Wrestling early last year he has been on the independent scene taking on the likes of Zack Sabre Jr. and Cody Rhodes.

Kurt Angles accomplishments are many in his 18 year career. He has had 22 championship reigns, won the King of the Ring, King of the Mountain, and is recognized by many pro wrestling publications. I am personally excited that Kurt Angle has returned to the WWE family and is taking his place into the WWE Hall of Fame. It is something that is well deserved and well earned. Congratulations to Kurt Angle on becoming the newest inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame.