Review, Recap, Results of WWE Elimination Chamber 2015

Tonight was the return of the Elimination Chamber and what a return it was. I love the Chamber matches and pay-per-view and tonight they proved why they are so phenomenal. Before I begin here the results:

-Pre-Show- Stardust vs. Zack Ryder
-Elimination Chamber Tag Team Title Match- The New Day defeated Cesaro/Kid, Los Matadores, Lucha Dragons, The Ascension, and Prime Time Players to retain the tag titles
-Triple Threat Divas Title Match- Nikki Bella defeated Naomi and Paige to retain the Divas Title
-Kevin Owens defeated John Cena
-Neville defeated Bo Dallas
-Elimination Chamber Match for the Vacate WWE Intercontinental Championship- Ryback defeated Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus, King Barrett, and R-Truth

I absolutely loved the tag team Elimination Chamber match but you have five legitimate tag teams and WWE dropped the ball on giving the tag team division more rivalries over those titles. I know they are trying to go with the heel heat with The New Day and build it up to where when they get beat it's going to be huge. I think tonight would have been great to have the Dragons or Players win the titles. Hopefully this match sparked the tag team scene into the spotlight again,

I love how the Divas are getting more time and being more aggressive. I honestly thought Naomi was going to be Divas Champion but they have obviously have bigger plans for the Divas Championship. I am so happy that Kevin Owens won cleanly. They just build their next mega star with that victory. I am absolutely static for the future of WWE. Finally the WWE did something smart by putting over a great young superstar like Kevin Owens. I was really shocked that Mark Henry returned to replace Rusev in the Elimination Chamber match for the Intercontinental Championship. I was also really shocked that new Intercontinental Champion is Ryback, Thought for sure Ziggler, Barrett or Sheamus would walk away with the title.

The Main Event for the WWE Title was a good solid wrestling match. Both Rollins and Ambrose are awesome performers. I absolutely loved the swerve at the end of the match. It built up for more of a story. Elimination Chamber was a great show. It makes wish for more WWE Network exclusives. In two weeks, Money in the Bank is taking place and the future of the WWE. Until then take in what you saw at Elimination Chamber!

The Meta Powers Could be Mega in WWE if Done Right

When I think of Damien Sandow and Curtis Axel I think of two of the most technically sound and underrated performers on the WWE roster. Sandow had a great run as the Intellectual Savior of the Masses but when he failed his Money in the Bank Briefcase cash in a couple of years ago it really derailed any momentum he had. He then began imitating people and eventually became the lackey for The Miz. As for Curtis Axel, he was Michael McGuillicutty for the longest time. I always thought he should have been Joe Hennig and used his fathers name to build his career. They eventually broke the McGuillicutty name and he become Curtis Axel, a Paul Heyman guy. His momentum with Heyman at first was very strong but eventually was killed by being CM Punk's punching bag after Punk's match with Lesnar at Summerslam 2013.

I truly believe when Curtis Axel start Axelmania it wouldn't have caught on and taken off. the way it has. It made sense once Damien Sandow broke away from The Miz to put him with Axel and play off two of the biggest WWE Legends in the history of the company. Some people think it's an insult and disrespectful but I truly believe it's keeping the legacies of both men alive and doing it in a comedic way. I think it's great that before Wrestlemania 31, Hulk Hogan got involved with Curtis Axel and had some fun with the character Axel was trying to pull off. It is no secret that Hulk Hogan had a lot of respect for Curt Hennig and probably wants to help Joe Hennig out anyway he can.

I believe if this story and these characters are done right I could see it going for quite awhile and letting this build both men's careers. I am not sure where Damien Sandow's career could go from here but Curtis Axel should eventually be in a singlet and doing the perfect plex to put his opponents away. I believe if Charlotte can be like her father, if Nattie and Tyson can be like Bret, then their is no reason why Curtis Axel can't be like his father. Right now this could be the perfect thing to get Sandow and Axel where they need to go. Only time will tell to see if The Meta Powers will become a mega thing in the WWE.

Samoa Joe Arrives at WWE NXT Takeover: Unstoppable

How ironic is it, that on the day Destination America is rumored to be cancelling TNA Impact Wrestling that one of TNA'S biggest superstars in history finally makes his WWE debut. At the conclusion of the Kevin Owens-Sami Zayn match, Samoa Joe came out rescue Zayn from any further beating. The arrival of Samoa Joe to WWE has been a long time coming. I believe WWE is really starting to head into a way different direction. They are signing on big guys who have more then five moves and can work circles in the ring. Samoa Joe along with Kevin Owens are two big men who have so much agility it's ridiculous. 

For those who don't know of Samoa Joe, he is a former ROH Pure Champion, ROH Heavyweight Champion, and held every title and honor you could think of in TNA Impact Wrestling. I considered him the face of Ring of Honor and TNA during his time at both places. He's been wrestling since 1999 and hasn't stopped since. I look at the Samoa Joe signing as a sign of what WWE did in the 80's. WWE took out all the territories and it seems that NXT is grabbing the absolute best of what is outside of WWE now. 

So you now have Zayn, Balor, Itami, Owens and Joe who dominated the indy scene for so long all under one roof. Guys like Punk, and Bryan really paved the way for a lot of this to happen. You can also thank Triple H, William Regal and the rest of the NXT coaches, trainers and scouts. They all know what the fans want. They are in tune with what today's wrestling fans would like to see. Signing Joe has definitely put NXT over the top as an elite and superior pro wrestling brand. I look forward to seeing what Samoa Joe does in the WWE Universe. I suggest you start watching NXT otherwise Joe is gonna kill you!

Review of Dave and Busters Grand Rapids, MI

When you travel to Grand Rapids, MI you have the medical mile, Van Andel Arena, Devos Hall and many lakes and beaches. Now adults in the city have even more entertainment now that the new Dave and Busters has opened. I decided to travel a few blocks from home to check out this fun filled environment and I was not disappointed. For an arcade freak and sports fan like myself this place was amazing on every level. 

From the beginning, there were people at the door greeting me and answering any questions I had. While I was in line for my Power Card came up and introduce themselves to make and shook my hand. Once I got my Power Card I started playing games like Monopoly, Spin the Wheel, Skeeball and Milk Jug Toss. I was also given a few free games by the employees asking me to tryout some of what they had. The points system is very rewarding and more attractive then Chuck E Cheese or West Michigan's Craig's Cruisers. I only spent 6 dollars and won 262 points which is unheard of in arcade setting such as this. My experience in the building didn't end there.

I went and sat at their beautiful looking bar that had quite a few big screens with sports on each of them. The bartenders were as friendly as the greeters at the doors. They introduced themselves, gave me a handshake and took the time to get to know me. I ordered a side of Mozzarella Sticks because that's my favorite appetizer and they were delicious. My experience was excellent on both ends of the spectrum. This is a great addition to the Grand Rapids community and better then going to Gun Lake Casino. The thing I love about places like Dave and Busters is when you spend the money you get something back. The prizes and rewards are unbelievable. They aren't out of reach at all and you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get something decent.

I would definitely recommend going to this wonderful place. I am super excited this place now exists in my hometown. As for Craig's Cruisers and Chuck E Chesse, my advice is to step up your game because Dave and Busters is a top notch, classy, and fun atmosphere. This place is going to be the place to be for fun, excitement and a good time. Check out Dave and Busters! Eat, Play and Have Fun!

Results, Review, Recap of WWE Payback 2015

Tonight was the annual WWE Payback pay-per-view and there was indeed some payback involved. There was some great matches and the crowd was pretty hot tonight was well. Before I begin with my thoughts here are the results:

-Pre-Show- RTruth defeated Stardust
-Pre-Show- The Ascension defeated Damien Sandow/Curtis Axel
-Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler
-The New Day defeated Cesaro/Tyson Kidd in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship
-Bray Wyatt defeated Ryback
-John Cena defeated Rusev in an I Quit Match to retain the WWE United States Champion
-Tamina/Naomi defeated The Bella Twins.
-Neville defeated King Barrett by Count Out.
-Seth Rollins defeated Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns in a Fatal Four Way to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Some of the things I didn't like is that the parody of Sandow and Axel should be winning matches especially if they are mimicking two of the biggest legends in the history of the WWE. I also hope Cesaro and Tyson Kidd win the Tag Titles because their one time 63 day reign is not good enough for how great of a team they are. I really hate how Tamina keeps playing the sidekick for everyone. She's good enough to be on her own and deserves to a shot to be on her own.

There really wasn't a bad match on the card. I really think the Cena-Rusev match was the best of their trilogy this year. The tag title match was as good as advertised. The tag team division is beginning to take shape again with atleast 10 teams in the division at the moment. The Main Event Fatal Four Way Championship was great. There were a lot of dynamics with Kane, teasing The Shield and Orton being always being Orton. That was one of the best fatal four ways I have seen in quite sometime. Rollins walked away still champ but in the end everyone got their highlights.

It was a decent pay-per-view but I believe that WWE is having to many pay-per-views too close together. It doesn't give much time to build up a great storyline and or major interest  in a card. I know WWE is trying to plug the network as much as they can buy having to many pay-per-views is going to kill any interest fans might have. In two weeks time we will see the Elimination Chamber show, and two weeks after that it will be Money in the Bank. Hopefully WWE can do their best to build good stories and matches for the next four weeks. As for tonight, I will give it 6.5 out of 10. Great matches but nothing epic or unpredictable. Check back in two weeks for my thoughts on the Elimination Chamber. Until then I hope you enjoyed Payback.

Revisiting Northern Little League Grand Rapids

In the early 90's I was inspired by how great of a pitcher my brother was. He was a great baseball player that loved to play the game. Having congenital heart disease I knew it was nearly impossible for me to play at such a high level. My mom knowing how much I loved the game of baseball signed me up for t-ball and I absolutely loved it. I played for two years with Screen Ideas where my coach was the late Jim Schmidbauer. I eventually had to stop playing because physically I could not keep up with the other kids my age. I always loved my time at Riverside Park whether it was watching my brother play or on the diamond playing myself. I looked up to my brother so much I even wore the same exact number as he did. At one time we both wore the number eleven. That number will always mean a lot to me. 

Many years later I revisited Riverside Park and watched today's youth play on the same ball-fields my brother and I did. Northern Little League has seven divisions for baseball and five for softball. The age range is from 4-18.  Riverside Park has always been a beautiful location and such a great atmosphere to be around. Northern Little League has been running since 1953 and on average has hosted baseball for 300 kids each season. It's so great that over 20 years later kids are still excited, and passionate about playing baseball by the river. It was so great to see these kids put their hearts and souls into making their family and friends proud.

The great thing about Northern Little League is that it's a non-profit organization that is ran by volunteers. Their seasons depend on sponsor donations, registration fees, concession stand profits, and several fundraisers. If you live in the Grand Rapids area I would suggest signing your kids up in this league, take some time to volunteer or even come out and watch a game. I have so many fond memories of my time in Northern Little League. I hope someday my children will be playing on those same ball fields.  For more info please go to www.NorthernLittleLeague.com Let's play ball!

Happy Mothers Day

Hollywood's World of Sports - 10 Questions

Mayweather-Pacquaio Already Talking Rematch?

The Fight of the Century on May 2nd 2015 is being called the Fraud of the Century a long with so many other things. A lot of journalists, celebrities and fans have called Mayweather-Pacquiao a complete joke, waste of time and waste of money. Others have also said that this joke of a fight has killed boxing once and for all. I tend to agree with a lot of the statements made but what if Money and Pacman fought again under different circumstances and more pressure to deliver.

It was widely reported the morning after the fight that Paquaio had an injured shoulder and now needs to surgery to repair. Aside from the fact he might be facing punishment for not reporting the injury the question has to be asked. What would have happened if Pac would have been 100 percent going into the fight? It's going to be a question that will be asked for a long time. A lot of people thought just because Mayweather threw and landed more punches doesn't mean he won the fight. From what I watched Mayweather was on the ropes, or backed into a corner the majority of the fight. Every time he was in danger he clinched and because of it the fight is being heavily mocked for how much hugging their was involved.

A rematch with both men 100 percent healthy could be good and bad at the same time. The good part of it would be they could redeem themselves for the first fight and put on one hell of a show. The bad part is they pissed off a lot of people who spent a lot of money to watch the fight so why would people pay to see another one? I don't believe boxing will ever die but it's really lost it's credibility, luster and value. This fight could have been the one thing to save boxing and put it back on the map but when you have even the sports media reporting negatively about it then you know it's not a good deal.

Whether or not these two have another fight remains to be seen. I think Manny is really going to be facing some adversity for not letting people know about his injury. I think it screwed the fight over, and the fans over who paid the money to watch was suppose to be a mega-fight. Only time will tell if everyone can come together and have the fight that everyone wants to see and be happy about.

The Corner of Controversy and Criticism: The Earnhardt Legacy- 5/3/2015

As I watched Dale Earnhardt Jr. win his sixth race at Talladega I kept thinking about how Junior will be remembered when he hangs up his helmet and skeleton gloves someday. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been NASCAR's most popular driver for 12 years running now. In my own personal opinion I loved Dale Jr. from the start of his career before his dad passed away. I have often heard the side that only reason Junior has all these fans is because he inherited them from his father. If he was normal driver without the last name he wouldn't be that special.

Those people who make that statement could very well be right about the matter however Junior has not done bad for himself. In the Sprint Cup Series he has 24 wins, 229 top tens and 13 poles. In the XFinity Series he has 2 championships, 23 wins, 87 top tens and 10 poles. In today's age of racing those are not bad stats and it's something that he can look back on and be proud of. Dale Sr. had an incredible career before has passed away. In the Sprint Cup Series he won 7 championships, 76 races, 428 top tens, and 22 poles. When he was in the Xfinitiy Series he had 21 wins, 75 top tens, and seven poles. If you put those stats together they are very impressive and it shows the father taught the son pretty well. 

When it comes to the Earnhardt legacy Senior and Junior should not be compared. They are two different men who raced in two different era's. What they have done as a father-son combo is better then what the Petty's, Allison's or any other family in NASCAR have done. Sure Richard Petty won a lot of races but Kyle never lived up to his name. Bobby Allison was very successful and unfortunately Davey not got a chance to eclipse what his father did. Dale Jr. has not win championship and he never does he shouldn't be considered a failure because of what his father did. 

Dale Jr. has done the best he absolutely he can do to carry on is father;s legacy. He's no longer searching to find himself as a person and driver. He's happy, he's consistently fighting for a win each week and I truly believe he will a championship before it's all said and done. The Earnhardt legacy will always be  apart of NASCAR and NASCAR will always be apart of the Earnhardt. With that being said be safe, be strong and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn't Come Without Criticism! 

The Rise and Fall of Jon "Bones" Jones

When Jon Jones made his UFC debut in August of 2008 a lot of people including myself thought he was going to be special and he did. In his MMA career he has a record of 21-1 with the one loss being by DQ for illegal use of elbows which some say weren't illegal. Before he defeated Shogun Rua for the Light Heavyweight Title he defeated the likes of Stephan Bonnar, Brandon Vera, and Ryan Bader. He proved he could mow down the competition. After he won the title he has went on to beat Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Alexander Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira and Daniel Cormier. It is truly sad that he held that UFC Light Heavyweight Title for close to four years and had eight title defenses. It is truly a major tragedy that he will lose that title never having lost a fight for the title. Unfortunately this is is all because of behavior outside the octagon.

In May 2012, he crashed into a pole with his Bentley and pleaded guilty to  driving under the influence. In January 2015, Jones failed a drug tested where he tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine. He paid some hefty fines but claimed he was not an addict or user of such drugs. He went to rehab after he tested positive but that stint only lasted 24 hours. The straw that broke the camels broke was on April 27th when he was involved a hit and run automobile accident that left a pregnant girl with a broken arm. Since then he has been stripped of the UFC Light Heavyweight and suspended indefinitely by the UFC which many feel was the right decision. 

There are people who are actually defending Jon Jones' actions. I believe that everyone is human and people mistakes. I also believe in forgiveness and second chances but if you have a significant other and children how do you justify supporting his actions? What if he would have killed the pregnant woman and her baby? I don't want to the hear about all the circumstantial crap. What he did was wrong no matter what the outcome was. From a spiritual point of view when I see that Philippians 4:13 tattoo on his chest I am almost offended. That bible verse is something I live by with all the open heart surgeries I've been through and too see a guy show that verse off and then do some of the things he's done. 

I honestly hope that "through Christ he can do all things" and rise above his lifestyle, legal and professional problems. I hope Jon Jones can rise back from his fall, and can overcome all of these obstacles. Everyone deserves a shot at redemption and even thought I am angry, disappointed and disgusted with him I hope he gets his redemption. When you're down and out, and have obstacles in your way remember that bible verse that is on Jones chest.  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"