Fantasy Match: Hollywood Blondes vs. Cesaro & Tyson Kidd

Mayweather-Pacquiao Preview

Are Veterans Good for WWE NXT?

Over the last couple of months we have seen the returns of Rhyno and Brian Kendrick to WWE television in the form of NXT. Kendrick took on Finn Balor and Rhyno has faced Sami Zayn. Rhyno has made it clear he is back for the NXT Title. I think the idea of having veterans come back to help and elevate the younger talent is great strategy and business move by Triple H. There is no doubt in my mind that Triple H knows what the fans want and it shows how much better the NXT show is then Raw and Smackdown. The idea of bringing veteran talent caught my attention in 2014 when Too Cool came back to NXT to take on The Ascension. It really helped get the Ascension noticed when they defeated a legendary tag team.

There are a lot former WWE talent that would fit the NXT mold and there would be one great way to show it. The WWE has their King of the Ring talent to push current talent on the main roster. Well WWE NXT should have a one night live special called  NXT Redemption where you take 8 former WWE stars in put them in a tournament. The winner of the tournament would a WWE NXT Title match and would receive a spot on the main roster. The runner up of the tournament would receive a spot an NXT. I took at WWE.com and picked out eight superstars who I would choose for an eight mean tournament. Here they are:

Brian Kendrick

David Hart Smith

John Morrison 

Ken Shamrock

Shelton Benjamin

Ted Dibiase Jr.

Rhyno

Tajri

Now this should not be limited to just singles competitors. I believe they should do the same thing with the tag team division. The winners get an NXT Tag Team Title shot and a spot on the main roster and the runners up should get a spot on the NXT roster. Here are eight tag teams that I would use for the tournament if I was booking the tournament:

Dudley Boys

Hardy Boys

Harlem Heat

New Age Outlaws

Paul London and Brian Kendrick

Rob Van Dam and Sabu

Too Cool

World's Greatest Tag Team(Haas and Benjamin)

Now I am not saying you have to use these individuals or tag teams on a regular basis. Some of them it could be a one time only deal and others if they perform well bring them back when needed. I think veterans in NXT would beneficial if they were booked and used the correct way, Eventually I would love the man behind NXT get into his ring gear and step into an NXT ring. I think if the situation was right Triple H versus Kevin Owens would be a huge match and would prove Triple H is really out to push the younger talent.

Whether or not more veteran talent beyond Rhyno and Kendrick remains to be seen, but I for one would be excited if they did. There is a lot of talent out there that really never got the chance because there wasn't an NXT to go down to and work on what they needed to improve  on,  WWE NXT is the breeding ground for the future, but it can also be the redemption that others need. I am very much excited for the future of WWE and NXT for years to come. a

Results, Review, Recap of WWE Extreme Rules 2015

Tonight was the annual Extreme Rules event and I am always curious to see how the pay-per-view after Wrestlemania does. I will always remember when the show was called Backlash and that show was epic. Before I begin with my thoughts here are the results for the evening:

Neville defeated Bad News Barrett

Dean Ambrose defeated Luke Harper in a Chicago Street Fight

Dolph Ziggler defeated Sheamus in a  Kiss Me Arse match

The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) (with Xavier Woods) defeated Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (c) (with Natalya) Tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship

John Cena (c) defeated Rusev (with Lana) in a Russian Chain match for the WWE United States Championship

Nikki Bella (c) (with Brie Bella) defeated Naomi Singles match for the WWE Divas Championship

Roman Reigns defeated Big Show in Last Man Standing match
Seth Rollins(c) defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in a Steel Cage

I can honestly say I hated that Cesaro and Tyson Kidd lost the tag titles and Naomi did not win the Divas title. I think heading into the show the Lucha Dragons had a lot of momentum and should have had a tag title show. I understand they are trying to play into the New Day hate but Kidd and Cesaro are solidly the best tag team on the roster right now with The Uso's on the shelf. I liked what they tried to do with Ambrose and Harper but it wasn't as wild and crazy it should be.

I have never been the biggest John Cena fan but I love what he's doing with the United States Championship. He's defending the the championship on a weekly basis and bringing prestige back to the belt. I am also glad that Neville is getting pushed and possibly could have Intercontinental Championship run in the future. With the future of Daniel Bryan in question. A guy like Neville could really have a bright future with an early title run in his main roster career. 

The pay-per-view itself had solid matches but was very un-epic, and lacked the luster that the show after Wrestlemania should have. I am giving it 6.5 out of 10 and I hope in three weeks time at Payback they deliver better. Until then we will have to see how the buildup is for Payback.

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism: Unleashing the Kansas City Royals- 4/26/2015

Not since the pin tar incident with George Brett have I seen that much fire from the Kansas City Royals. They won the World Series in 1985 and for the next 29 years they would be the laughing stock of the American League and Major League Baseball. Last season they shocked the world by winning an AL Wildcard spot and the AL Pennant which led them to the World Series.  I honestly thought it was going to be a one year wonder and it would go back to the way it has been the last 30 years.

They have started out the year strong having 12-6 record. However over the last 10 days the have been in four bench clearing situations. Three of them were in a three game series against the Athletics. and the other one against the White Sox. There have been tempers flaring, multiple ejections and suspensions for their actions in the these bench clearing brawls. I really think the message that they are sending s just because they are a small market team does not mean they are going to be bullied and intimated.

For so long small market teams couldn't compete for multiple years at a time. They are not even in the top 10 for highest payrolls in Major League Baseball. Other low payroll teams that are off to a hot start are the Astros and Rays. Whether or not the Royals make the playoffs or not remains to be seen. I think the Royals are fired up in so many ways it's going to be hard to bat them. They have outscored their opponents 89-59, and have four players with 10 or more RBI'. They are filled with pride and joy for their city and want to prove that a small market team can win a championship again.

The Royals look a team that do not want to be messed with this year and I feel sorry for anyone who tries to pick a fight with them. This could be the year of the Royals and if it is then baseball fans should love that money ddn't buy a championship, and recognize talent won it for them. With that being said be safe, be strong, and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism!

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism: The Detroit Tigers are on Fire- 4/19/2015

When I am wrong I can admit I am wrong. If someone would have told me that the Detroit Tigers would have started of 10-2 I would have called you absolutely nuts. As a resident of Michigan I have been extremely frustrated for the last ten years as a Tiger fan. For a decade now they have had very talented teams, evolved as a franchise, and have made moves when they were needed,  They went to the World Series in 2006 and 2012. They have also won the AL Central since 2011.  For a team that I thought was going struggle on both ends of the ball they have out scored their opponents 68-35 in the first twelve games. I truly find that remarkable 

Just to prove how great the offense is here are some of the early states leaders:

Batting Average: .436 (Jose Iglesias)

Home Runs- 5 (J.D. Martinez)

RBI's- 10 (J.D. Martinez)

On the pitching side of things here are some early states leaders:

Stikes Outs: 20 (David Price)

ERA: 0.39 (Shane Greene), 0.40 (David Price)

Wins: 3 (Shane Greene) Saves: 4 (Joakim Soria)

Now I know it's only the first two weeks of the year but for Tigers fans who are wanting a good season and hopefully a playoff berth it is a good time to be a fan. This is where my thinking has went wrong over the last couple of years. I thought getting rid of Fister, Porcello and Scherzer were very horrible moves but they have gotten younger. They average of the team is 27 with the oldest member of the team being 40. I will say that I wish Fister and Scherzer well because they are in the National League and I do like the Washington Nationals.  How would that be for a World Series? The Tigers versus Nationals. If both teams stay healthy and focused it is a huge possibility.

My biggest issue with the Tigers has been Justin Verlander. The guy is getting paid 28 million dollar and last year his record was 15-12 with 4.54 ERA. Ever since he has been with Katie Upton he's let the celebrity life get to him. People can say that it's not an effect on him but look at what it did to athletes like Tony Romo, Chad Johnson, Kris Humphries, and many others. If Verlander can separate his celebrity life from his baseball life the Tigers are going to be very tough to compete with.

Two weeks into the baseball season and the Tigers are off to one of the best starts in recent memory. I personally feel like I inserted my foot in my mouth when I wrote my baseball predictions a few months ago. I didn't even give my team a thought. When I am wrong and I am wrong. I hope I stay wrong and the Tigers dominate the 2015 Major League Baseball season! Be safe, be strong, and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism!

Photo Taken By: Bri Goodyear Luginbill of The People Picture Company

ESPN Needs to Fire Britt McHenry for Offensive Comments to Many, Not Just One

In my lifetime I do not have many regrets but the one thing I do regret is not finishing college and getting my degree. It was because I didn't have a job to support paying tuition and my parents made supposedly too much money to get loans, I was born with congenital heart disease and have degenerative arthritis in my feet. My options in life are limited. I knew as a sophomore in high school I wanted to be a journalist in professional sports or professional wrestling. It was because of money and my physical limitations to work for the money I could not attain a degree to pursue my dream. In the time I started Hollywood's World of Sports I have worked a 3 gas stations, 1 casino, 1 call center and was an industrial cleaner.

When the news broke of how Britt McHenry treated a female worker at towing company my emotions were filled with anger, and disbelief. Who is she to judge what someone does for a living? Who is she to poke fun of someone's looks or how much they weigh? Who is she to to think the she is better because she had an education and  someone else didn't? Not everyone is rich, a good looking blonde and was gifted with the same abilities as her. Not everyone in this country is afforded the luxuries that she has had. I honestly feel so bad for the lady that was affected by these comments because working in customer service is not always fun and customers get treated like garbage at times whether it's a celebrity or not. People who work at gas stations, grocery stores, or any other type of customer service like that are human too. They have emotions and feelings just like the rest of this world. Maybe that job is all they have and that job is what they need to support themselves or family.

The fact that McHenry tried using her "celebrity" status to bully this employee is absurd. I am sorry honey but you are no Erin Andrews, Hannah Storm, Linda Cohn, Cindy Brunson, Sage Steele, or Rachel Nichols. These women have credibility, class and I am sure they have respect for others. McHenry will never have the credibility these women have and whatever credibility she could have had has been flushed down the toilet with her actions and words. If I were ESPN I would fire her in heartbeat. I've seen reporters be punished harder for a lot less. She should be terminated and not allowed to come back until she completes anger management, sensitivity training. and 500 hours of community service. I personally have zero tolerance for ignorance and neither should ESPN or any other place of employment.

In closing, I pride myself on being a decent journalist of sports and pro wrestling. I may not have the degree but many friends, family members and teachers told me I am a gifted writer. If by chance I make it big and become famous I will never abuse that privilege and will never treat people the way Britt McHenry treated this lady that was waiting on her. I hope ESPN takes further action and others who are considered a celebrity will learn from this. There is no room for ignorance in this world and there's no room for foul mouth sports news reporters that disrespect others. I for one will not be looked down at for how I live and what I do for a living.

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism- 4/12/2015: Concussions in WWE

When you think of concussions in professional wrestling, everyone thinks of Chris Benoit, but in my opinion, the issue of concussions goes way beyond the tragedy of Chris Benoit and his family. One of the people I think about the most is Mick Foley, who wrestled as Dude Love, Mankind, and Cactus Jack. Foley has stated many times that it took years off of his life and obviously stated that once he realized he was having a memory problem, Vince McMahon cut him off and said he would never compete again. I always took this a sign that Vince McMahon does care about his performers and does value them as human individuals. One thing that needs to be addressed though is that Foley did all of his crazy moves on his own power with his own decision-making behind. So the question that should be answered is, should Foley sue the WWE, or any other promotion he worked, based on the wrestling he had?

In the minds of Vito LoGrasso, Evan Singleton. Luther Reigns, Russ McCullough and Ryan Sakoda, you should be able to sue the company that gave you employment and a well being, knowing it was a physical profession to get into. These men cannot honestly sit there and say they didn't realize the dangers of professional wrestling before they entered the ring. Some of the statements I've heard are:

''Under the guise of providing entertainment, the WWE has, for decades, subjected its wrestlers to extreme physical brutality that it knew, or should have known, caused created latent conditions and long-term irreversible bodily damage, including brain damage,''

Or WWE has been described as "egregious mistreatment of its wrestlers for its own benefit, as well as its concealment and denial of medical research and evidence concerning traumatic brain injuries suffered by WWE wrestlers"

In the past I do think WWE has not taken care of their wrestlers and let them perform with serious injuries. That was almost eight years ago before the Benoit tragedy occurred. Since then, WWE has increased their wellness policy, their physical examinations and also works with many doctors. The other thing that needs to be noted is that WWE partners with Christopher Nowinski's Sports Legacy Institute, which focuses solely on head injuries and brain trauma in sports.

Eight years ago, do I think these five former WWE stars should have sued the company for bodily injury? No. Do I think they should now? Absolutely not. These five claim that WWE is in the business of "selling violence." Guess what guys? You were a part of selling it, so how does that justify your case? This is no different than the NFL, UFC or boxing. They all have risks, and anyone who participates knows the risk before they do it. I do think think that WWE should provide funding for these wrestlers to get treated and tested for any concussion-related issues. I think it would go a long way in showing the company cares and takes care of past and present talent.

I think in some weird, twisted way, the tragedy of the Benoit family has come full circle. The person Chris Benoit was supposed to wrestle the weekend he killed himself, his wife, and his child was supposed to be CM Punk. As we all know, Punk went on Colt Cabana's podcast and made it very clear the doctors did not treat him. I really think this was Punk's way of standing up for himself and the boys and was trying to prove that WWE has not changed since the Benoit tragedy. 

I applaud CM Punk for trying to stick up for his friends and former co-workers, but WWE has proven that if you suffer a concussion or major injury, they don't let you perform. Ask Randy Orton, Wade Barrett, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, and Roman Reigns. All of them have had significant injuries in the last few years, and none of them were put at risk.  If you're in the WWE, NFL, UFC, or professional boxing, I don't have much sympathy for you, unless you sign a contract that states that your sports organization or team will cover your medical expenses. 

These athletes know the risk involved when they sign up to perform or play a sport. If they don't want to get hurt, then don't participate or learn to take better care of yourself. If a judge rules against WWE, this will set an ugly precedent for pro wrestling in general. It would allow independent wrestlers to go after independent promotions anytime they got hurt, when clearly it was the choice of the wrestler to go perform for that promotion. It's going to get to a point that independent wrestling promoters are going to have their performers sign waivers not holding them liable for injuries that occur in the ring. 

Whether or not these five wrestlers win their lawsuits remains to be seen. I think it's a way for them to get money and a little bit of attention. I noticed that a couple of these wrestlers are still taking bookings and working on the independent scene. How is a judge going to look at that? My guess is not very favorable. Concussions are a very serious issue and should not be taken lightly. They should be treated and dealt with at the time of the event, not many years later. If these five wrestlers filing a lawsuit had an issue, it should have been dealt with during their time with the company, not ten years after the fact. Stay tuned for more on this issue as hopefully we reach a conclusion in months to come! Be safe, be strong and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism!

UFC Spotlight: CM Punk and Ronda Rousey

Wrestlemania 31 Fall Out Show

Is UFC Gearing Towards Sports Entertainment and Working with WWE?

Before everyone gets in an uproar I in no way think the fights in the UFC are fixed, staged or fake. I believe they are one hundred completely real. Back in the day there some great UFC real rivalries. You had Ken Shamrock vs. Dan Severn, Rampage Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva, Frank Mir vs. Brock, and Tito Ortiz vs. the world. Over the last few years you don't see that much bad blood between opponents up until the last six or eight months. Before Jon Jones defended Daniel Cormier there was a lot of trash talk and fighting at press conferences. After the fight and in weeks that followed Cormier complimented Jones and wished him well. So was their bad blood real or was it all for show?

One fight that is very intriguing is the fight between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor that is happening July 11th. McGregor has been talking so much trash, and pulling a lot of antics on Aldo which makes me believe he's trying his hardest to sell the fight. I am sorry but if someone said the things that McGregor was saying to Aldo I'd be swinging regardless if I was suppose to be professional or not. The fact of the matter is when an audience sees a fight they don't want to see two guys being friends and hugging it out after the fight. They want to see two men or women who cannot stand each beat the crap out of each other. I really think they are tapping into what WWE does and using it to promote their real life fights. It makes sense because people want to see a story or a feud behind a big fight.

When it comes to working with the WWE I know nothing will ever be announced publicly or officially but one has to wonder about a few situations. The first thing you have that comes to mind is CM Punk and his situation. He breached his contract and quit the WWE in January 2014. After he blasted the WWE in a podcast, joined the UFC. Once he joined the UFC any talk of a lawsuit against Punk was dropped and hasn't been talked about since. Then you have the appearance of Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania 31 and the fact she got physical in a WWE ring. Dana White has always said that non of his fighters would ever be physical involved in WWE.

Has Dana White decide that are some things that are best for business. Lets face it a lot of people are now bored with Rousey because she has cleaned house in her division. By appearing and be involved with a WWE storyline and match, she could attract a whole new set of fans that may have never watched the UFC. It also would benefit WWE because you know loyal Rousey fans are going to tune in to see what she does.

I am sure many will think this is far fetched, crazy and impossible but keep in mind Dana White and Vince McMahon are friends have a ton of respect for each other. They also do not consider each other competition so having a partnership would be beneficial. Both Dana White and Vince McMahon have some things common. UFC rules the MMA world, and WWE rules the wrestling world. UFC put PrideFC, WEC, and Strikeforce out of business completely. WWE put the NWA, ECW, WCW and AWA out of business. As I said before neither company would ever publicly acknowledge a partnership because loyal fans of both companies would be extremely upset with it especially the pure passionate fans of MMA.

Keep an eye within the next year on what happens with Ronda Rousey, her reign as a UFC Champion, and if she has anymore involvement in WWE. If so, I think it will put even more stock into the points I've made regarding a silent partnership to help both companies. Sometimes breaking out of your bubble is best for business. It's all about money and an audience and both McMahon and White will do whatever brings them the most money and the most viewers. Eventually it's not about popular business anymore and it becomes about whats best for business.

Review of Fast and Furious 7

When I sat down to watch Furious 7 at M-89 Cinema to see former WWE Star The Rock and current UFC Champion Ronda Rousey I didn't know what to expect. The last 18 months I've wondered about how this movie was going to go. This movie had a star studded cast that many would only dream of having. The one thing I enjoy about movies four through seven is that they tell more of a compelling story then the first three did. I love how some local writers and professional movie critics blasted this movie and gave it horrible reviews when clearly the franchise topped themselves once again with the action and story in the movie.

Bad to the bone characters always make a good movie a great movie and there is no badder to the bone character then the ones Jason Statham plays. He is so phenomenal at what he does and the accent that he carries makes it much more intense on the bring screen. I also love the additions of Kurt Russell, Tony Jaa and Djimon Hounsou. All have had legendary careers in their own right. The one thing about the franchise that will never get old is the comedic scenes between Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson. Every time you think the whole movie is going to be serious, they provide the viewers with some laughter.

I can honestly say that I teared up the last 5 minutes of the movie and if you don't then you have pretty tough skin. All I can say is what a tribute to a great actor and man who devoted himself to this movie franchise and to a lot of great causes. Paul Walker's presence will be missed not only in movies but in life as well. He was a humanitarian and did so much for sick children in poor parts of the world. Goodbye Brian O'Conner, Rest in Peace Paul Walker.

Speaking from the truth I can honestly say when I saw The Rock and Ronda Rousey together at WWE Wrestlemania 31 my mind turned off wrestling for a second and thought Fast and Furious. Seeing those two together got me even more excited to see the movie. For all the haters, bashers, and horrible critics out there I give this move 4.5 stars out of 5 for continuing a great story and becoming more innovative with their actions scenes. If you can't appreciate cars parachuting out of an airplane then I don't how else to please you. Go check out Furious 7 today. If it's your first time seeing one of these movies watch the first 6 beforehand. It will be well worth your time. So get fast, get furious and go see the movie if you haven't already.