Initial Reaction to WWE 205 Live

Tonight was the first episode of WWE 205 Live which a new WWE Network Show solely dedicated to the Cruiserweight Division. I think this is a brilliant move by Triple H because of two reason. The first reason is because the Cruiserweight Classic was epic and inspiring. The second reason is because I think the division has been poorly booked and used since it arrived. I truly believe that Triple H is trying to outsmart and one up his father in law Vince McMahon. Since the beginning of the WWE Network, shows produced by Triple H have been way better then shows produced by McMahon and Kevin Dunn. Going into tonight I was hoping it wouldn't be any different.

I love at the beginning of the show they introduced everyone that's in the division because fans who don't have the WWE Network might not know who they are. The division looks solid and stacked with a lot of talent. The opening match of the night was the Bollywood Boyz taking on Tony Nese and Drew Gulak. I love the team of Nese and Gulak because they are hard hitting, bone breaking, and have some great technical wrestling. The Bollywood Boys got their first victory in WWE and it was very entertaining to see. Speaking of entertaining it was so good to see Jack Gallagher in WWE. This guy is so unique and innovative it's ridiculous. I could see this guy being a huge part of the future of WWE. In the Main Event, The Brian Kendrick defended his Cruiserweight Title against Rich Swann. It was smart of WWE to put Kendrick in the Main Event on the first show because most long time WWE fans know who he is. I love the fact they went over the time limit of what the show was suppose to because this was a really good match. This was an incredible Main Event to start of what will no doubt be an incredible show. Congratulations to Rich Swann on becoming the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

I really do like the concept of 205 Live. I enjoyed Austin Aries on commentary and he hinted that he could be in the Cruiserweight Division. He would be an awesome addition to the division. His experience and skills would benefit a lot of the young upstart competitors. I do wish that it was more then 45 minutes long and wish it was before Smackdown. I always enjoyed the flow of Talking Smack after Smackdown Live. I personally would love to see the show start at 6:30 and go an hour that way there was an intermission period for fans to get souvenirs and concessions. Other those things I would change I think the show is great. You really get to know the competitors in the division on this show which is a good thing, because they don't have much character on Raw. I am excited for this show, and I am excited to see where the division goes in the future. 

Was Goldberg's Win Over Lesnar Best for Business?

At Survivor Series 2016 we witnessed a shocking turn of events when Goldberg returned to defeat Brock Lesnar in 86 seconds. It was very epic, jaw dropping and left some perplexed and dumbfounded. There were a lot of different reactions, theories and thoughts about how and why this match went down. I am going to examine everything about this decision because there are lot of things to look at.

First and foremost you have to look at friendship and money. It is no secret that Lesnar and Goldberg are very good friends outside of the ring and off camera. When they left in 2004 they left together and purposely put on one of the worst matches in Wrestlemania history. Brock Lesnar is all about making money. Goldberg is all about making money.  I do have a feeling even though it's being speculated that Lesnar wanted the match to go the way it did; he probably got paid a lot of money to lose in the fashion that he did. Lesnar is about money, image and legacy so I think it took a lot of convincing from WWE's wallet to lose the quickly. I also think Lesnar see's a bigger picture in the fact that Goldberg is also a draw and he can make tons of money which is why I was not surprised to hear Goldberg signed an extension with WWE. I am not a big fan of either one because they have been very vocal in the past that they are in the business for the money and not because they care about it.

The one thing I question is the mentality of WWE basically saying no in their prime on our roster can beat Lesnar but a 50 year old man who hasn't wrestled in 12 years can beat him in 86 seconds. This is basically saying guys like CM Punk, John Cena, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins aren't good enough to beat Lesnar. It also makes me question now why The Undertaker's streak was broken. WWE doesn't think of the long term implications of certain things and this is potentially one of them. I am scratching my head thinking to myself that the biggest cornerstone in WWE History had his legendary streak ended by a guy who lost in 86 seconds. Everything Lesnar did after Wrestlemania 30 was rooted back to the fact that ended the most legendary career in sports entertainment history. You also have to question why they would make a man who dominated in the UFC lose to a guy who hasn't seen any form of competition in over a decade. Lesnar recently fought in the UFC again back in July and won. Despite him testing positive for banned substance he dominated Mark Hunt in a one sided fight. So a guy who can dominate in real fighting and has been presented to be dominate in scripted fighting lost to a guy 86 seconds. I can see why some are truly upset.

When I think of Goldberg I think of his WCW days. He finished people off in a quick fashion. I think WWE has learned from it's failures and it's successes over the last two years. I think WWE realized that they failed Sting. Even though Sting had a great match against Triple H at Wrestlemania 31, he lost both pay-per-view matches he was involved with. I think this put a little dent into Sting's legacy because of their pride. Sting was always WCW and TNA loyal in his career. What should have happened is Sting should have beaten Triple H then kept it where Rollins beat Sting. This would have advanced Rollins character and persona by using his victory over Sting as a way to better himself then Triple H. In the last 10 months, WWE has learned from it successes by putting AJ Styles where he is right now. AJ Styles is a non-WWE made star. It was mentioned on a few podcasts that Vince McMahon was going to keep Styles as a mid-carder and did not realize what type of performer he had. The powers to be realized how great AJ Styles is and they decided to put him in the spotlight. I think WWE realizes that the fans loved a lot of non-WWE made stars. They love CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Nakamura and Bobby Roode. Triple H realizes what the fans want. I think Triple H, Brock Lesnar and a few other realized people didn't want to see the WWE version of Goldberg. They wanted to see the destroyer, bulldozer and the man who annihilated  people when he was in WCW.

Those of us on the outside will never the money aspect, the creative thinking or why things went down they way they did at Survivor Series. I think the moment made for live shocking television whether people love it or hate it. I also think this was creative and the wrestlers finally sticking it to the dirtsheets, rumors mills and the IWC. WWE has gotten a bad reputation for being "predictable." The finish of Survivor Series was anything but predictable. In the future, WWE does need to look at long term effects on their decision making but at the same time looking at what their fans want. Whether you love it, hate it or are indifferent about it what's done is done. The question now is not only is what's next but who's next for Goldberg?

Results, Recap, Review of WWE Survivor Series 2016

Tonight was the 30th Annual Survivor Series and for the first time in 11 years we saw Raw taking on Smackdown to find out who was the better brand. I haven't been really excited for a pay per view in a long time but something about this show really had my blood pumping.

-Pre-Show: Rich Swann/TJ Perkins/Noam Dar vs. Ariya Daivari/Drew Gulak/Tony Nese

-Pre-Show: Kane defeated Luke Harper

-Bayley and Charlotte are the survivors of the Women's Elimination Tag Match
-The Miz defeated Sami Zayn to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
-Cesaro and Sheamus are the survivors of the 10 on 10 Tag Team Elimination Match
-The Brian Kendrick defeated Kalisto by DQ to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Champion and keep the Cruiserweight Division on Raw
-Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton are the survivors of the 5 on 5 Elimination Tag Team Match
-Goldberg defeated Brock Lesnar

The show started off with the 5 on 5 Women's Elimination Tag Match. Before the match started Nikki Bella was attacked backstage and therefore Natalya replaced Nikki in the tag match. I'll be curious in weeks to come to see if it was Carmella or Natalya that took Nikki out. Even though she got eliminated I have to say the star of the match was Nia Jax. She showed her force and her power during this match. It was great to see both divisions interact with each other. It goes to show you that both women's divisions have something special about them. Next up was for the Intercontinental Championship between The Miz and Sami Zayn. I was really hoping for a Zayn-Ziggler match but we got stuck with the C+ player in The Miz. I love how weak they made have made The Miz because he is weak. I really think the Maryse thing is getting old and needs to be done. It's time to bring prestige back to the Intercontinental Title and have it not be used for a sissy storyline.

It was cool to see WWE go back to what they did in the first two Survivor Series. They had a 20 man tag team match featuring 5 tag teams from each side. I wasn't surprised that Breezango got eliminated right away but I was really shocked that The New Day was eliminated right away. This was a great match. I was really shocked that it came down to The Uso's and the team Cesaro and Sheamus. I was even more shocked that Cesaro and Sheamus won the match. Raw continued their momentum by keeping the Cruiserweight Division on Raw even thought the way it happened was completely stupid. Baron Corbin was suppose to be "injured" and they blew that storyline. I feel like the powers to be are really sticking it to the dirt sheets with the how they went with the show.

With Raw heading into the final elimination tag team match with a lot of momentum I wondered how this match would go. Both teams are stacked and loaded with talent. It reminded me a lot of the WWE vs. Alliance Tag Team Match at Survivor Series in 2001. This match had a ton of carnage and even saw James Ellsworth get revenge on Braun Strowman. Braun absolutely destroyed Ellsworth afte the elimination but it was cool to see it come full circle. I am not sure how I feel about seeing Owens get eliminated as early as he did. I felt if you wanted to make both brands strong you have your champions at the end of the match. The match was just pure chaos and had some crazy spots including Shane McMahon. He took a vicious spear from Roman Reigns after diving through a table earlier in the match. When you didn't think things get any crazier Dean Ambrose came out after he was eliminated to reform The Shield and take out AJ Styles. This match was as wild as could be and I think it saved the pay-per-view a little bit. Even though it was predictable the action made up for the predictability.

The Main Event was almost 13 years in the making. Brock Lesnar and Goldberg faced each other at Wrestlemania 20 and it was complete garbage. They both left the company in such a negative way they didn't care about putting on a great match. I don't know what the terms were and who got paid so much money but the fact Goldberg beat Lesnar within 2 minutes. I am shocked and I am not sure what the story is here. It left me and many others in complete shock. For being a "Big Four" pay-per-view the WWE almost dropped the ball on this pay-per-view, The fact that Raw went up 2-0 in the elimination tag team matches made it so predictable that Smackdown was going to win the last elimination tag match. They made up for it by screwing over the dirt sheets and rumor mills with the Intercontinental Title Match, the Cruiserweight Title Match, and Goldberg versus Lesnar. At the end of the day I am going to give Survivor Series a 7.5 out of 10. We had plenty of shock at the end and very few people who survived.

Results and Recap of POG 100: 2016 Glory Cup Tournament

On Saturday November 19th, I traveled down to Coldwater Michigan to see the re-birth, re-debut and  re-establishment of Price of Glory Wrestling. It was also the return of the Glory Cup Tournament. I was expecting a good show and some solid matches, but what I got was so much more. Before I begin with my thoughts on the evening here are the results of POG Glorified:

-1st Round Match: Louis Lyndon def. Maltese Tiger

-1st Round Match: Sean Tyler defeated Officer Rod Street 

-1st Round Match: Noah Lott defeated Ames 

-1st Round Match: Chase Matthews defeated Dollar 

-Battle Royal: Final Four were Jack Thriller, Fabuzio, BAM, Johnny Dynamo 

-Fatal Four Way: Jack Thriller defeated Fabuzio, BAM, and Johnny Dynamo 

-Semi Finals: Chase Matthews defeated Noah Lott 

-Semi Finals: Louis Lyndon defeated Sean Tyler 

-Tag Team Title Match: Jack Verville/Jimmy Shawlin defeated Project Max by DQ to be declared the POG Tag Team Champions 

-Finals: Louis Lyndon defeated Chase Matthews and Jack Thriller to win 2016 Glory Cup Tournament and become the new POG Heavyweight Champion

The night started off with the POG Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The first three inductees were Keith Creame, Christian Abel and the "Alpha Male" Monty Brown. Brown cut an epic promo saying he was far from retired. The action kicked off with Louis Lyndon and Maltese Tiger. This was a fast pace match that had a lot of amazing action. I've been watching Louis Lyndon for awhile now so I was pretty happy to see him move on in the first round. When I think of over the top characters I have to put Officer Rod Street in that same category. His crew of The Police really took it to Sean Tyler before and after the match. No matter how hard Office Rod tried it wasn't enough for him to get by Sean Tyler

In the beginning of the night, Noah Lott was introduced as the Professional Operations Supervisor. I wondered if he would abuse and use his power in this tournament and he sure did in his match against Ames. He took every shortcut possible to move on in the first round. One match that intrigued me going in was Chase Matthew and $Dollar$. Both men have had a storied past in POG, so I thought for sure there was going to be bad blood. At one point in the match Dollar's former tag team partner Noah Lott made his way to the ring to try get him an advantage. Dollar wanted no part of it, but in the the slight distractions by Noah Lott ended up costing Dollar the match. Even after the match Lott attacked Matthews to try and gain an advantage into the next round

This year there was a third participant in the Glory Cup Finals and it was determined by a Battle Royal but there was a twist. The final four men in the match would move on to a one fall fatal four way match to determine a spot in the finals. The final four were Fabuzio, BAM, Johnny Dynamo and Jack Thriller. These four have poured their heart and soul into POG over the years, so it was only fitting they competed for the third spot. In the end, it was Jack Thriller who got the victory and a chance to compete for the POG Glory Cup. In the first semi final match Chase Matthews finally put an end to the threat of Noah Lott for the night much to the delight of the crowd. Noah Lott tried to shortcut his way again, but this time Matthews would have none of it. In the second semi final match the injuries to Sean Tyler would catch up to him as Louis Lyndon secured a spot into the finals. 

Before the Glory Cup Finals there was a match to determine the POG Tag Team Championship. It was scheduled to be Pretty Nifty versus The Popular Electronics. Mr. Nifty was unable to compete due to injury. Jack Verville proposed a one on one match but Max Morrison would have none of it. From the start of the match Morrison and his partner Jimmy Shawlin were fighting about everything. At one point in the match Shawlin walked out on Morrison, but was the attacked by members of Project Max. It was now a 3 on 1 match with odds seemingly against Verville. However we would see that Jimmy Shawlin had a heart and put himself in Verville's corner. Morrison eventually got frustrated with this move and got himself disqualified. As a result of these actions the Tag Team Championships were awarded to Jack Verville and Jimmy Shawlin. I guess going forward they are going to be "Pretty Hype."

Little did I know in the beginning of the night that the winner of the Glory Cup Tournament would be getting more then a trophy. It was announced that the winner of the tournament would also become the new POG Heavyweight Champion. Louis Lyndon, Chase Matthews and Jack Thriller all showed respect for each other and the fans before the match began. These three were having a classic match until once again Noah Lott interfered and influenced the outcome of the match. If you would have told me that he had Louis Lyndon in his back pocket I would have called you crazy. Noah Lott had help from Fabuzio and one of Rod Street's Officers to screw over Matthews and Thriller. The crowd was furious and Dan Severn was none to happy either. Once the match was over Dollar returned to aide Chase Matthews and threw down a challenge for the next show. At the next show it will be Dollar, Chase Matthews and Jack Thriller taking on Noah Lott and two partners of his choosing. Even though Noah Lott has the power he ultimately still answers to Dan Severn who made the match official.

This show was so fun and incredible to be a part of. My Fantastic Four Performances of the night go to Louis Lyndon, Chase Matthews, Jimmy Shawlin and Noah Lott. I am so glad I made the trip down to Coldwater to see the resurrection of Price of Glory Wrestling. For more info on Price of Glory go to https://www.facebook.com/POGwrestling/

Results, Recap, Review of WWE NXT Takeover Toronto

On Saturday night, the night before Survivor Series NXT invaded Toronto as part of a huge wrestling weekend for WWE. Every Takeover has been special and has always set the bar for the events of a huge weekend like this. Before I begin with my thoughts here the results from Takeover:

-Bobby Roode defeated Tye Dillinger 

-The Authors of Pain defeated TM-61 to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

-DIY defeated The Revival in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match to win the NXT Tag Team Championships

-Asuka defeated Mickie James to retain the NXT Women's Championship

-Samoa Joe defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win the NXT Championship

The first match of the night was two Canadians taking on each other and that was Bobby Roode and Tye Dillinger. This was a awesome match for Tye Dillinger. I think he's proven he can hang with the best. He has definitely overcome a lot in his career. Even though Roode won the match I truly believe this match elevated Dillinger in a great way. This was followed up by the Finals of the Dusty Rhodes Classic. Both teams in this match are fairly new regulars to NXT so it was great to see some new blood get the spotlight. It was no surprise to me that the Authors of Pain won but TM-61 is going to be a great tag team for the future. I believe both teams will eventually contend and compete for the NXT Tag Titles by the time it's all said and done. 

We go from one tag team match to another. This one was for the NXT Tag Titles between DIY and The Revival. When they faced off in Brooklyn it was one of the absolute best tag team matches I have ever seen. Soon after that Ciampa and Gargano faced off in the Cruiserweight Classic and proved they can be the best match on the card whether it be in singles or tag team competition.This match was incredible and it lived up to the standards they set in Brooklyn. I am so happy for DIY and the run they have been on together. When it comes to incredible runs no one has had the run that Asuka has had since she's been in NXT. Tonight she faced her biggest test in Mickie James. I was shocked on how well Mickie James performed. It's been six year since she's been in a WWE ring and she looked great. This was a great match for Asuka because she has not been tested whatsoever. She was tested tonight and she earned every bit of the victory.

The Main Event was for the NXT Championship which featured Samoa Joe trying to recapture the NXT Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura. These two had a great match in Brooklyn and they have been at each others throats since then. Nakamura had an epic entrance but I was surprised how well Samoa Joe was received by the crowd. This match was hard hitting, fast paced and completely insane. I am absolutely shocked that Samoa Joe has become the first two time NXT Champion. I honestly didn't see that coming. It makes you wonder who is going up and who is staying down. I will be very curious to see how this all plays out. With that being said I will give NXT Takeover Toronto an 8.5 out of 10. The crowd was electric as always, and the matches were very very solid. Everyone tonight should be proud if what they did tonight! All I got to say is good luck to Survivor Series. They are going to need it after what we saw at NXT Takeover Toronto!

Antonio Brown's Cleats are the Real MVP in the 2016 NFL Season

At the end of the season I have no doubt that many people will be talking about the rookie seasons of Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and the comeback of Tom Brady. Another thing people will be talking about is the the political crap that hurt the NFL in such a way that the ratings have been the worst they have been in years. What people should be talking about is the humility and respect that Antonio Brown has shown this season. Instead of expressing himself negatively he found ways to express himself positively. In a year where so many players have been negative, disrespectful and self absorbed Brown decided to take a positive route even if it meant being fined or removed from a game.

This year Antonio Brown has worn cleats honoring his children, Muhammad Ali, Kimbo Slice, Jose Fernandez, Arnold Palmer and Pat Tillman. A fine for violating the NFL uniform policy is a maximum of $9,115. Considering Brown is under a 5 year, $41,960,000 contract I am guessing that's pocket change for him. The fact that the NFL will allow players to kneel during the National Anthem but give Brown a hard time about honoring athletes who passed away is absurd and ridiculous. The problem with the NFL and now the NBA needs to allow it's team and players a little more freedom when it comes to paying respect towards others. It's not like they altered the helmet or the jersey. They are shoes and they are not disrespecting the team that Brown plays. If the Steelers had an issue with it then I might be able to understand that but it's just the NFL trying to act tough and play favorites. I think the NFL needs to leave what a player wears on his feet up to the individual team.

With just a few weeks left in the NFL I will be curious to see what else Antonio Brown does with his cleats. It's been fun watching him defy the league.  I personally would love to see him get duplicates of each tribute cleat and give them to the families of the athletes he paid tribute to. When I look back on the 2016 NFL Season I will remember what two Dallas Cowboys rookies did, I will try forget how disrespectful certain players were and I will remember how cool it was that Antonio Brown gave respect to athletes of different sports and acknowledged how great their accomplishments were! I hope more athletes in the future will pay homage to the legends before them and express who influenced them. Antonio Brown thank you for your humility and making us all aware that athletes can have a powerful and positive influence on someone if they use their status in the right way.

Jimmie Johnson and John Cena Have Something in Common....I Don't Like

Interview with Noah Lott: Return of POG, Concussions, WWE and More

On November 19th in Coldwater, Michigan wrestling fans will witness the return of Dan Severn's Price of Glory Wrestling. With this return comes a lot of changes in leadership, training and how the promotion will be ran. One of those changes will was the announcement of a new Professional Operations Supervisor. That position will be held by none other then a POG Original Noah Lott. Noah Lott trained under Dan Severn starting 2004 and has held all three titles that POG has had to offer. This will be the first Price of Glory event in three and ironically enough it will be their 100th show. With a lot riding on the line I reached to Noah Lott regarding his future, the future of POG, and what we can expect at the 2016 Glory Cup. I give you Noah Lott:

It has been over three years since Price of Glory Wrestling ran a show. It was left at 99 shows. What was the motivation to get POG to it's 100th show? 

Respect. Respect to Mr. Severn that has put so much into the company. Respect to the workers that had put fourth so much effort and sacrifices for us and our shows for the past 99. I guess also just because 100 is a milestone for independent wrestling and we just had to by any way possible. It was our goal, now our goal will be accomplished. 

In your position as The Professional Operations Supervisor what will be your duties? 

Just that; the day to day operations making sure we can put fourth the best possible product while also using the best talent within our reach. Who do you look forward to seeing return at POG? Wow that's a hard question, I don't know if there is someone more important or that I'd rather see more then another. Most original wrestlers that used to work for us have moved on to other things so I will be glad to see everyone. 

Who would you like to see come in to POG and make an impact? 

Let's just say we have many things in the works and fans will be pleasantly surprised by who we will already be bringing in. What can we expect from POG in 2017? Unique and meaningful matches, surprise new and old talent, and of course a great product. In terms of your own career how has POG helped you? POG was one of many places where I honed my skills and talent. It was a great place with great workers where I felt I got better and helped others as well. 

At POG Moment of Truth in April 2005 you had a classic match with Jack Thriller. In that match you suffered a pretty severe concussion. How have concussions effected your career? Effected my career? I've never heard it asked that way before. It has effected my life more so then anything else. Day to day life must be altered to deal with ongoing issues from concussions. 

What is your advice for athletes who get a concussion? 

Take the proper time away, follow the guidelines of your doctor and by all means don't return unless told your able to. 

You wrestled a Dark Match on WWE Monday Night Raw in Grand Rapids, MI. What was going through your mind throughout the day and when you walked through the curtain? Throughout the day was filled with excitement and joy. Going through that curtain for the first time will be something I cherish and will never forget. I was focused and ready to wrestle; what I was supposed to do with my life. 

You were also involved in the elevator brawl between Randy Orton and Wade Barrett. What was the experience like? 

It was still thrilling even though I had now been with WWE before. I was just glad to be apart of the planning process and see the overall outcome and angle become a success. 

Outside of WWE what do you consider your great accomplishment? I think going to Japan and being able to train and see other aspects of there style opened my eyes and also helped push my mind to stay focused. 

What is your favorite memory/match in your time at POG? 

I would have to say my no limits match against Dollar. I still hold the chaotic championship... technically. 

What does the future hold for POG? 

I'm not sure, I just want people, fans, and workers to remember POG for what it was. If we can continue more and more great, if not; at least we made it to 100. 

What does the future hold for Noah Lott? 

I'm in the process of transitioning and I hope to continue wrestling in some capacity but also help young guys and girls achieve their dreams like I got to. 

Any final thoughts? 

If you try hard enough for long enough your bound to succeed. Knowledge is power; study a lot, learn a lot, know a lot.

Noah Lott will all be apart of POG Glorified along with many past and future POG stars For more info on Price of Glory head on over to https://www.facebook.com/POGwrestling/

WWE should NOT reunite The Shield