The Bushwhackers to be Inducted into the 2015 WWE Hall of Fame

Back in the 80's and 90's there were two crazy lads from New Zeeland who went around licking and stomping their way through the competition. They were savages, the were fun and they were one of the most underrated tag teams in the history of the pro wrestling business. Butch Miller and Luke Williams were best known as The Bushwhackers and had a tag team career that spanned over forty years. Before they were the Bushwhackers, they were known as the Sheepherders and they were one of the most savage teams around the wrestling world. They feuded with Ted DiBiase/Steve Williams, Badd Company (Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond), The Fabulous Ones, and Mike Graham/Steve Keirn

In 1989, they signed with the WWE and spent the next seven years entertaining everyone who watched. They had some great skits with Mean Gene Okerlund and Lord Alfred Hayes. They feuded with The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, Rhythm and Blues (The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine), The Natural Disasters, The Beverly Brothers, The Headshrinkers, The Blu Brothers, and The Bodydonnas. The last appearance of the Bushwhackers in the WWE was at 2001 during the Gimmick Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 17.

Even though they never won tag gold in the WWE they had 22 tag title reigns in the various promotions they worked in. Some question whether or not this is deserved but if you ask me I would say very well deserved. The had a different style, unique on screen presence and a lot of longevity. No one before or after has been like the Bushwhackers. I am excited to see Luke and Butch lick, stomp and whack their way into the WWE Hall of Fame. Congratulations to the Bushwhackers.

Live Reaction to Cesaro/Tyson Kidd vs. The Uso's at WWE Fast Lane

Recap, Results, Review of 2015 WWE Fast Lane

Tonight was the final major stop on the road to Wrestlemania 31. It's weird not seeing the Elimination Chamber hanging above the ring. It was a huge thing heading into the biggest show of the year so I think they need to come up with something new because a normal pay-per-view before Mania doesn't do the buildup to Wrestlemania any justice. Before I begin with my likes and dislikes here are the results of the show:

-Big Show/Kane/Seth Rollins defeated Erick Rowan/Ryback/Dolph Ziggler
-Goldust defeated Stardust
-Cesaro/Tyson Kidd defeated The Uso' for the WWE Tag Team Championship
-Nikki Bella defeated Paige to retain the WWE Divas Championship
-Bad News Barrett defeated Dean Ambrose by DQ to retain the Intercontinental Championship
-Rusev defeated John Cena to retain the United States Championship
-Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan

I really enjoyed the fact the Randy Orton's return gave an initial boost to the show and hyped the crowd up right away. I really enjoyed the storytelling between the Rhodes family but the referee really screwed up the ending of the match. I do hope Cody Rhodes goes back to his normal character for Wrestlemania. The WWE tag title match was awesome for me for personal reasons. Kidd and Cesaro are finally getting the great recognition they deserve as performers. I enjoyed that they are actually trying to build a story between Ambrose and Barrett. I think it's setting up for something special at Wrestlemania. The storytelling that Bray Wyatt is doing for his match against The Undertaker is phenomenal. The fact he came out in a coffin and The Undertaker's music was awesome and chilling at the same time. I look forward to their match in five weeks. I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about the John Cena-Rusev match but I am happy that Cena did not win the United States title. I think Rusev's push is a great sign for the future.

I am on the fence about Sting not saying anything. He has great mic skills but they are booking him the way WCW did when he was doing his crow gimmick. Either way Sting vs. Triple H at Wrestlemania will be great on all levels. As normal the Divas match was not good at all. I truly believe that Paige needs to be champion with the Divas that are coming up. The Divas coming up need great Divas to work with.

The main event was very interesting between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. Both put their hearts into the match. At times it felt like they were both using some heel tactics to get the crowd reaction but I feel like the crowd wasn't into the match. Even though I am a Bryan supporter I think the decision was the right one. WWE caved in last year and put him in the Main Event. They also would have tarnished the legacy of the Royal Rumble. Fast Lane was really solid to watch and it had some good buildup to Wrestlemania 31 in five weeks. Keep tuning in to the Road to Wrestlemania 31 column each week to keep up to date on coverage of Wrestlemania 31.

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism- 2/22/2015

Before I begin, I just want to send my thoughts and prayers out to Kyle Busch and his wife Samantha. Kyle was involved into a serious crash at Daytona during the Xfinity Series. The result of the crash ended with Kyle having a broken leg and foot. He missed the Daytona 500 and no one is sure how long he will be out. Kyle's older brother Kurt has been indefinitely suspended due to overwhelming evidence of a domestic dispute between he and his ex girlfriend last year. Kurt has had a history of lashing out and been punished for it in the past. If found guilty I truly believe his career is over.

As for the race itself, the Daytona 500 was a very epic race. The last 20 laps of the race were probably the best laps of racing I have ever seen. It was action packed, and very tense. In the end Joey Logano won the 500 plus mile race. Some of the bigger names like Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, and Jeff Gordon did not fair to well. I was really hoping if my personal favorite Dale Jr. didn't win that Jeff Gordon would have won. Gordon captured the pole, ran great most of the race and really did have a chance before he wrecked to win the race. The NASCAR season has started and is now in full gear.

A season that's halfway over would be the NBA season, The trade deadline featured some interesting trades. I think the Mavericks, Pistons, and the Cavaliers have all made great moves heading into the deadline. My bold prediction is the Eastern Confrence Finals wills be the Atlanta Hawks against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the Western Conference I think it will be the Golden State Warriors against the Dallas Mavericks. The teams that didn't make moves at the deadline will struggle throughout the last half of the season. I guess I will have to wait and see if my bold prediction comes true.

The match of the century was signed this past week on and May 2nd 2015 Manny Pacquiao will take on the legendary and undefeated Floyd Mayweather. This will undoubtedly be the biggest fight in the history of boxing, HBO Sports and pay-per-view. The restless boxing fans have waiting a long time for this big fight and I truly hope it lives up to the hype.  I believe this fight can help boxing rise out of the ashes and become as popular as the UFC is now. I have felt since guys like Lewis, Holyfield, Tyson and Foreman left the ring the sport hasn't had many people to behind. PacMan and Money is the generations dream match and it's going to be a long time before we see a fight of this magnitude again.

Speaking of the UFC and their organization, they implemented a new drug testing policy this week. Every fighter will now be tested the nigh of their fight no matter what the costs are. The UFC has had a lot of problems with failed drug tests lately and this is a good way to resolve the problem, I believe if this doesn't resolve it I think the UFC will be infront of the United States Congress much like baseball, football and basketball were. I am going to keep monitoring this topic throughout the year and keep you updated on if any more controversy occurs.

It's been a fun weekend that was highlighted by the Great American Race, the NBA trade deadline and the signing of the biggest boxing match in over a decade. Remember be safe, be strong, and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism.!

Reaction to the Ending of the 2015 Daytona 500

Road to Wrestlemania 31- Week 4, WWE Fast Lane Preview

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania we are on the Fast Lane to the biggest show of the year. There was a lot tension in the air on Monday Night Raw. The heat boiled over between Rusev and Cena at the beginning of Raw and there match is going to be one to watch at Fast Lane. Dean Ambrose zip tied Bad News Barrett into a title match, Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns collided at the end of Raw and Triple H lost his temper with Ric Flair. Also on Raw Stardust and Goldust have split and it looks like the feud between them has just begun. Also on Raw the Prime Time Players reunited and Paige was dressed as a fairy in her match against Summer Rae. Needless to say Raw had some interesting elements to it. Some one close to me that it is very smart on WWE's part to have Roman Reigns working with Daniel Bryan because it's only going to elevate Reigns in the end. I really think Bryan can teach him a lot of things and get a great match out of him which hopefully we will see Sunday.

Smackdown  had a different feel to it. It seemed to me they were more focused on the under card which is good thing. I feel like Raw is where the major stars are highlighted and Smackdown is where the young talent is being highlighted which is good. The big thing coming out of Smackdown is that a 6-man tag was made for Fast Lane which should be a great match with a lot of different styles involved. 

Bray Wyatt's promos are still targeting The Undertaker and one has to wonder if Taker will respond. I still have my doubts about him being on Wrestlemania with all the photos of him out there and the reports of him being in bad shape. I hope they do find something great for Bray because those promos would be such a waste if they didn't give him something great. A lot of questions will be answered this Sunday at Fast Lane and I must say the card doesn't look too bad. Here are the matches and my few thoughts for each match.

Diva's Championship Match: Nikki Bella vs. Paige

I feel like Paige has matured a lot since her initial run and I feel with the group of women coming up from NXT she is the best fit for the title and to lead the way for the future Divas.

Six Man Tag: Dolph Ziggler/Erick Rowan/Ryback vs. Seth Rollins/Big Show/Kane

I feel like at some point The Authority storyline has to end. I feel like Kane and Big Show are going to implode and Ryback and Ziggler are going to have a breakout night. I really feel Dolph should be in the main event picture and Ryback should be competing for the United States title.

Goldust vs. Stardust

Fans have waited a long time for brother versus brother and now they have it. They had an awesome run as a tag team but it's time for Cody Rhodes to shine. Goldust has had a wonderful career spanning over 25 years but it might be time to hang them up.

WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Uso's vs. Cesaro/Tyson Kidd

I truly believe that Cesaro and Kidd are two of the most underrated talents on the WWE roster. Their tag team reminds me a lot of when the Hollywood Blondes were put together in WCW. No one expected much out of them but they are killing it in the ring. Don't be surprised if you see a Nattie heel turn to help her boys win the tag titles.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose

I love Bad News Barrett but they have done nothing with him since he regained the IC Title. Many feel Ambrose should be where Reigns is at because of his in-ring style, character and mic skills. I believe Ambrose will be rewarded with his first reign as Intercontinental Champion.

United States Championship Match: Rusev vs. John Cena

Should John Cena win the United States Title? No. Is there a chance he will win it? Yes. I could totally see WWE dropping the ball with Rusev on Sunday when really it should be someone young and upcoming that beats him. The other point is Cena wins at Fast Lane and Rusev gets it back at Wrestlemania. Either way I don't like the idea of John Cena winning the United States title.

Winner Faces Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 31: Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan

This match is a lose-lose situation. If Roman Reigns loses then you discredit the integrity and legacy of the Royal Rumble. If Daniel Bryan loses then you upset all the fans and they get into an uproar. I believe that at this point WWE has no choice but to make it a triple threat match at Wrestlemania 31. I just don't see it going down any other way.

Triple H and Sting meet face to face

This is definitely the focal point of the show this Sunday. This is a dream match that fans would love to see and they are going to get it at Wrestlemania 31. I can only imagine what the intensity is going to be like when these two are in the ring again. 

The Road to Wrestlemania 31 is full speed ahead and A lot of questions will be answered on Sunday as to where the direction of Wrestlemania is going. Stay tuned for the WWE Fast Lane recap and next week's edition of the Road to Wrestlemania. 

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism- 2/15/2015

This weekend was a busy weekend in sports with so much happening on Saturday Night however my focus was on the first racing action of the year at Daytona International Speedway. Saturday Night was the Spring Unlimited race which is an exhibition race to kick off Daytona Speedweek. There were a couple of big crashes in the race and that was only with 25 cars. Imagine what the Daytona 500 is going to be like with 43 cars. On Sunday they had qualifying and taking the front row is pole winner Jeff Gordon and teammate Jimmie Johnson. I am so glad Gordon got the pole in his last Daytona race. He's a legend and will definitely be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame when his time comes. A lot of the drivers were unhappy with the group qualifying on Sunday afternoon. It caused some wrecks and more work for the teams. I am super pumped for the 500 next Sunday and hope it's a great race.

When it comes to fun festivities I always enjoy NBA All Star Saturday Night. I have won some money when I was kid betting on Glen Rice so the three point contest has always had a special place in my heart. Saturday night I only caught the Slam Dunk Contest and it was awesome. Zach Lavine was on fire last night and really made a name for himself. The actual All Star game itself is a joke and always has been. It's right up there with the NHL All Star Game and the NFL Pro Bowl. I've always said that the only All Star Game worth anything is Major League Baseball. They have something on the line as well as big name hitters competing in the Home Run Derby. You don't see the superstars you use to in the NBA All Star Festivities which I think has hurt it to some degree. Even though I am critical of the game itself, the festivities on Saturday night make for entertaining TV.

Even though it was a fun weekend we are still in the heart of winter and the waiting for NASCAR and baseball is coming to and end. Both seasons are getting ready to be in full swing. NASCAR obviously begins officially next Sunday and the regular season in baseball starts in six weeks. I hope we have another great NASCAR season and baseball season. There were a lot of surprising things in both sports last year. Some good and some bad but it made for a great summer. With all that being said be strong, be safe and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism!

Road to Wrestlemania 31: Week 3

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania 31, Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan teamed up and had to work together on both Raw and Smackdown. On Raw they faced Kane and Big Show which ended in a No Contest so later that night they were in a 5 on 2 tag match against all the members of The Authority. The other results from Raw include Ryback defeated Seth Rollins by DQ, Paige defeated Brie Bella, Bray Wyatt defeated Dolph Ziggler, The New Day defeated Gold and Startdust, Cesaro and Tyson Kidd defeated The Uso's, Sin Cara defeated Damien Mizdow, and Dean Ambrose defeated Curtis Axel. The tension between John Cena and Rusev has definitely escalated and I have a feeling this will be Rusev's biggest match to date. Also Dean Ambrose continues to call out Bad News Barrett for an Intercontinental Championship match.

On Smackdown, Reigns and Bryan were involved in tag team turmoil and they defeated Miz/Mizdown, The Uso's, Los Matodores, SlaterGator, and Kane/Big Show. Kane and Big Show imploded when Big Show knocked out Kane allowing Reigns and Bryan to win. Also on Smackdown Bray Wyatt defeated R-Truth, Paige defeated Summer Rae, and Fandango defeated Adam Rose. Smackdown was not a very good show this week and it didn't help one match went 45 minutes.\

The bright spot of the week was the live NXT special which I wrote about in a separate post. Everyone on the NXT roster had great performances and there new champions across the board. Sasha Banks is the new NXT Women's Champion, Kevin Steen is the NXT Champion and just a couple of weeks ago Blake and Murphy became the new Tag Team Champions. NXT is the hottest thing in WWE right now and even reports are coming out that the main roster is very frustrated with how they're being compared to the guys from NXT. I will reiterate what I said earlier in the week. NXT deserves a spot on Wrestlemania 31.

Next Sunday is WWE Fast Lane and only three matches have been announced which makes me wonder what they're doing with the buildup and how it will effect Wrestlemania. The problem with WWE is they don't have the depth that they use to put on an all around great show. This is why they need to make more use of NXT and it's roster. With another week down and six more go WWE has to start really start making it's selling points for Wrestlemania otherwise people aren't just going to care. For more on the Road to Wrestlemania 31 keep tuning into Hollywood's World of Sports every week until the big event happens.

NXT is a Must for Wrestlemania 31

After watching NXT Takeover Rival and hearing the rumors of a multi-man NXT match for Wrestlemania I truly believe that NXT having a match at Wrestlemania needs to be set in stone. The proposed match I have heard talked about is a 5 man Ladder Match involved for Hideo Itami, Finn Balor, Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and new NXT Champion Kevin Owens. Ever since the WWE Network started the NXT specials have blown what the main roster does out of the water. I have not heard a bad thing about NXT since it has been heavily featured on the network. When I see legends, hall of famers, celebrities and sports media praising NXT more than they do Raw or Smackdown then you know you're doing something right.

Having these five men involved with Wrestlemania would make a lot of sense from trying to gain viewer and a larger audience. You would have the loyal Ring of Honor fan base and the loyal fan base of New Japan tuning into to see how their big stars do on the biggest show of the year. Triple H, William Regal, and the rest of the NXT crew has done a great job scouting and developing talent from around the world. However when thinking about the possibilities of NXT being on Wrestlemania and other pay-per-views it should not just be limited to these five guys. The women of NXT have really been tearing the house down with their matches. I've stated for the last year that the only Divas who can hold a candle to the NXT Divas are Naomi, Natalya and Paige. The rest of the Divas on the rosters are glorified models who wouldn't know what a great wrestling match if it bit them in the rear end. 

There are so many great things about NXT. The main thing I enjoy about NXT is that Vince McMahon and his Hollywood writers have nothing to do with it. The main people running NXT are Triple H, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, William Regal and Dusty Rhodes. Wrestlers writing wrestling shows? What a novel and logical idea. I like that NXT is like ROH, New Japan and other indie promotions out there. A lot of the guys who came with previous wrestling experience were allowed to keep some of their characters intact. That in itself has help draw a great fan base for a great wrestling product.

Whether NXT is on Wrestlemania 31 and future Wrestlemanias remains to be seen but their place on the show would be best for business. I truly believe that NXT is the best wrestling show out there right now. They have the production of WWE combined with the styles of ROH, New Japan and Lucha Underground. It's an all around great one hour wrestling show each week. When it becomes two hours, it gets dialed up even more. NXT is the future and what better way to test the future than putting them on the biggest show of the year. NXT is taking over and it's time for NXT to showcase it's immortality, and it's start to a long lasting legacy. Wrestlemania is the place to shine and no one is shining brighter than the stars of NXT right now.

"Headshrinker" Rikishi Fatu to be Inducted into the 2015 WWE Hall of Fame

Solofa Fatu, Jr. started his professional wrestling career at 20 years old and has gone on to span over 25 years. Fatu started the first part of his career teaming with Samu which they started out at the Samoan Swat Team. They traveled all over the world including Japan, World Wrestling Council, World Class Championship Wrestling, and AWA. They were destined for greatness as part of the legendary Anoa'i family and in 1992 they got the shot to put their name in the history books.

In 1992, Fatu and Samu arrived to the WWE as the Headshrinkers where they were managed by Afa and Mr. Fuji. They were closely aligned with Yokozuna and as heels they feuded  with The Natural Disasters, High Energy, The Smoking Gunns and Men on a Mission. Eventually they became faces and won the Tag Team Championships against The Quebecers. Shortly after Samu left the WWE and Fatu would go on to do some great things in his career.

He held two gimmicks for a brief time with him showing his real side and then eventually became The Sultan. It was in 1999 that he returned as Rikishi. He joined with Brian Christopher and Scotty 2 Hotty who became the faction popular hip hop dancing group Too Cool. He won the tag team titles with Scotty 2 Hotty and won the Intercontinental Championship on one occasion. One of his most famous storylines is when he became the accomplice for Triple H in running down Stone Cold Steve Austin. He is also the second man to be thrown off the Hell in a Cell by The Undertaker. 

Rikishi was a fun and entertaining part of the Attitude Era. His legacy now continues on with his sons Jimmy and Jey Uso. Both have made quite the name of for themselves and honor their dad and uncle in a lot of the moves they do. Rikishi is now the fifth member of the Samoan family to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He joins Peter Maivia, Yokozuna, Afa and Siki. Congratulations to Rikishi for being the latest legend to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism- 2/8/2015

Cheating in sports. Is it right or is it wrong? Does it require punishment or should it be overlooked? There has been a lot of talk ever since the alleged deflate gate was brought to the forefront of the NFL. Jerry Rice admitted he used an illegal substance called stickum. He said everyone cheated in his era and no one ever got caught. You can add this to the list of spygate and the bounty scandal. The problem is the NFL gets away with it because the NFL is protected by the government. The reason they are is because the NFL gives the largest donations to political organizations and it also employs a lot of people. It also brings in a lot of money and people would be lost without football. Why do you think the federal government stepped in when the NFL referees were on strike. The message that it's sending is that you if you cheat in football you can get away with it. If you cheat in any sport you will be punished. Look at those who have cheated in baseball. They have been severely punished. Cheating needs to be viewed equally across the board in every sport. To those people saying everyone does or what's the big deal, what kind of message is that sending your children? Do you want your children to think cheating is okay and live a life of being dishonest? In the working world if you try cheat or shortcut your job you get fired. It should be the same exact way in sports 

The other big problem I have been having is that the amount of drug use going in the UFC. You first had Jon Jones testing positive for cocaine a month before his fight. Then Anderson Silva tested positive for steroids pre-fight, and Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana post-fight. Punishment needs to be across the board on this. I am sure Diaz will be the scapegoat again and Silva will get off easy like Jones. Eventually if this keeps up the UFC is going to end up in front of congress like baseball was. Dana White, key executives of UFC, past and present fighters will be called to testify which won't be pretty. I am pretty passionate about not cheating, equality, and fairness in all things especially sports. Sports is an outlet that people look to so they can be distracted in life. People love sports because it's competitive and gives them something to cheer for. How can it be competitive when athletes are cheating. That's not competition, it's trying to get ahead. Athletes do it in every sport whether it be the NFL, NHL, NBA or in the MLB. 

Hopefully next week we will go a week without hearing about cheating. It gets old hearing about it after awhile and it tarnishes the sports where it takes place. If you want to lie, cheat or steal get into to politics and not sports. Until then, be strong, be safe and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism!

Road to Wrestlemania 31: Week 2

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania we had some shocking revelations about the main event of Wrestlemania 31. Daniel Bryan will take on Roman Reigns at WWE Fast Lane after Bryan defeated Seth Rollins on Raw. The winner of Reigns and Bryan will face Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. The other big news for Fast Lane is the Rusev will now have to defend the United States Title against John Cena. Also on Raw Big Show defeated Roman Reigns, The Ascension defeated Goldust and Stardust, Ryback defeated Luke Harper, Cesaro defeated Jimmy Uso, Bray Wyatt defeated Dolph Ziggler, Paige defeated Alicia Fox, and Sin Cara defeated The Miz.

Some of the the things that have caught my attention with this Raw are that Cesaro and Tyson Kidd are in line for a tag title shot at WWE Fast Lane. I also two teams spitting up in the near future. I think Stardust is going to end up being Cody Rhodes again and retire his brother Goldust at Wrestlemania. I think Mizdow will be going to back to being Damien Sandow and becoming a huge face when he goes over on The Miz. It would be stupid not push Sandow with the reaction he's been getting from the crowd. It also sounds like Dean Ambrose wants a shot at Bad News Barrett and the Intercontinental Title. When and where that will take place remains to be seen.

On Smackdown it was a repeat all over again from last year. Daniel Bryan getting beat down at the end of the show by members of The Authority. He was in a three on one handicap match with Seth Rollins, Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble, which was set up after Rollins interrupted Bryan and Reigns on Miz TV. Also on Smackdown, Dolph Ziggler/Ryback defeated Goldust and Stardust, Dean Ambrose defeated Curtis Axel, Fandango defeated Adam Rose, Roman Reigns defeated The Miz, Rusev defeated Erick Rowan, and Paige defeated Alicia Fox. 

On Raw and Smackdown Bray Wyatt had some eerie promos that were directed at one man. I believe that man in The Undertaker. There a lot of mixed feelings on if The Undertaker should come back or not. I personally say no because his streak has ended and the man can no longer carry a match. The Undertaker did not look good last year and in my opinion his career has ended. I would not even give him a second thought at this point. Now stars that I would give a lot of thought too are these two:

Next week Sami Zayn will defend his NXT Title on NXT Rival against his longtime friend and in ring nemesis Kevin Owens. I will be talking a lot about NXT next week because it will be running live in conjunction with Raw and Smackdown. Other matches at NXT Rival include Baron Corbin vs Bull Dempsey, Murphy/Blake vs. The Lucha Dragons, Adrian Neville vs. Finn Balor, and Charlotte  vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch. This show is very important because if NXT has another good showing then we could very well see NXT featured on Wrestlemania. I personally believe NXT needs to be featured on Wrestlemania. They needed to be tested to see if they can handle the big pressure and the big crowds.

Wrestlemania season is really beginning to heat up. I think the WWE is very unclear on what they want to do for Wrestlemania which could make for really good TV or make for really horrible TV. Keep tuning for each week on the Road to Wrestlemania.

Chasing the Stream: Episode 2 on EPNetwork w/ Joe Williamson 02/04 by EPNetwork | Wrestling Podcasts

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The Corner of Controversy and Criticism- 2/1/2015

Ladies and Gentleman we have a Super Bowl champion and they are the New England Patriots. I will say that the Seattle Seahawks played really well on both ends of the ball. Chris Matthews, a virtual unknown for the Hawks was a difference maker and a play maker for them in first half. Tom Brady threw two interceptions that were costly. There were a lot of mixed reviews on the halftime show. Some people loved it, and many others hated it. I personally thought the commercials were a let down. I remember in the early 2000's the commercials were must see and it's not like that anymore. There were a few good commercials but not quite like they use to be. The Seahawks played like wanted to win the Super Bowl. Wilson, Lynch, Baldwin, Sherman, Chancellor, and others really have solidified this team. All the problems they had in the beginning season were squashed and they got back to playing great football. The Patriots who have been the center controversy for two weeks now made a comeback in the fourth quarter and Tom Brady showed signs of his greatness that he's known for. He picked his spots and used great time management. Despite deflate-gate you cannot take away how well the Patriots during the fourth quarter. The Patriots played smart, played hard and made key moves when it counted to win the game. I also thought the fight at the end of the game was a bit ridiculous. I think the fact the Seattle talks a lot of trash and acts cocky all the time finally caught up to them. They had to eat crow and like it. It was a crazy ending to a crazy season and now we have the NFL Draft to look forward to in a few months. 

In other NFL news, there are seven new men going into this years Pro Football Hall of Fame. They include Junior Seau, Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Charles Haley, Will Shields, Bill Polian, Ron Wolf, and Mick Tingelhoff. All of these men are very well deserving of the Hall of Fame. My person favorite has to be Tim Brown. I thought Brown was an amazing Wide Receiver and will never forget the year he and Jerry Rice were on the same team. Tim Brown was the face of the Oakland Raiders for many years and that deserves a lot of credit because Al Davis was a crazy man and difficult to work under. Junior Seau was one of the greatest defensive players that ever played the game. His life should not be remembered by how it ended but by how he lived. I personally am happy that he is being put into the hall of fame and the voters judged what he did on the field, not off the field. Some of the notable names who did not make this years cut are Kurt Warner, Terrell Davis, Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace, John Lynch, Morten Andersen, Tony Dungy, Jimmy Johnson, and my personal all time favorite Kevin Greene. Eventually all these men should be in the hall of fame. They all definitely deserve it.

One Hall of Fame ceremony that took place this past week was the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Those that were inducted include Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly, Rex White, Fred Lorenzen and Bill Elliott. When  think of Bill Elliott I think of the McDonalds car. I think of the nicknames Awesome Bill from Dawsonville and Million Dollar Bill. He has 44 wins, and a NASCAR Championship to his credit. He is still active in sons career which is getting brighter each day. Chase Elliott won the 2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series and starting in 2016 he will be the new driver of the number 24 car which Jeff Gordon will retire from after this year. There is a lot of pressure on Chase because of the legacy Jeff Gordon had in that 24 car. However I think he will do far much better then Austin Dillon who is driving the legendary number 3 car. The Elliott family has made their mark and I am sure their legend will continue to grow.

When I think of legends this week I think of the legend that is Anderson "Spider" Silva. Silva made his return Saturday night after a leg injury that could have ended his UFC career. He defeated Nick Diaz by unanimous decision and picked up right where he left off. Chris Weidman, who took the title off of Silva is injured and is now off of UFC 184. The UFC had called Lyoto Machida too take on Vitor Belfort but Belfort declined the fight which has quite a few fans upset. I think Dana White and the UFC need to change their contracts where that if a fighter signs to fight on a certain date then that fighter will fight on that date no matter what happens. There is no reason Belfort couldn't have fought Machida. It not only screws the company up but it also screws the fans out of what they thought they were going to see. A lot of great fights coming up this spring and summer but the UFC has a lot of things they need to sort out with sponsorships and fighter contracts. Some of the things going in the UFC have been very questionable so I will be curious to see how things are handled in the future.

One of the biggest news stories of the week is that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao met face to face first time ever at an NBA game. They briefly met and talked which now has rumors circulating about their meeting. Some are saying they exchanged numbers, others are saying the fight is finalized and it also being suggested they would negotiate among themselves. Regardless of what was said and how things are handled I truly believe a fight between the two is going to happen. They both need it for their careers and the sport of boxing needs it because it is a dying sport with a not a lot of big stars in it. They need to make this fight happen and it needs to happen soon. I am sure there will be much more on this topic for weeks to come. 

It's been a busy week in the world of sports with championships being decided, legends being honored and futures that are looking brighter each day. Remember be safe, be strong, and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism!