Results Recap, Review of WWE Royal Rumble 2017

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

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

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

-Pre-Show Match: Nia Jax defeated Sasha Banks

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

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

-Neville defeated Rich Swann to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

-John Cena defeated AJ Styles to win the WWE Championship

-Randy Orton wins the Royal Rumble

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

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

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

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

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

-Eric Young defeated Tye Dillinger

-Roderick Strong defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results, Recap, Review of WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament.

This weekend marked a historic event for the WWE. It was the crowning of the first ever United Champion. The UK has such a rich history of wrestling. In terms of WWE two of the greatest matches in WWE history took place in the UK. The first match I think is Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith at Summerslam 1992. The second match is Shawn Michaels and John Cena on Monday Night Raw in April 2006. These matches set the bar very high for a WWE U.K. product. Could these 16 men raise the bar even higher in this tournament? Before I begin with my thoughts here are the results:

-Trent Seven defeated H.C.  Dyer in a First Round Match
-Jordan Devlin defeated Danny Burch in a First Round Match

-Sam Gradwell defeated Saxon Huxley in a First Round Match

-Pete Dunne defeated Roy Johnson in a First Round Match

-Wolfgang defeated Tyson T-Bone in a First Round Match

-Joseph Connors defeated James Drake in a First Round Match

-Mark Andrews defeated Dan Moloney in a First Round Match

-Tyler Bate defeated Tucker in a First Round Match.

The opening match of the tournament featured Trent Seven and H.C. Dyer.  Dyer has a lot of athletic ability to him and can really move around the ring.  I absolutely loved Trent Seven’s first impression in WWE. He has some brutal chops and a beard that is just impressive as his in ring talent. Seven is highly respected all over the U.K. and it shows. Finn Balor has his influence on this tournament with his protégé Jordan Devlin. Devlin took on Danny Burch on the first round. Devlin and Burch were both very hard hitting. This match ended in controversy because it looked Burch kicked out before 3 but Burch got busted up bad in the back of his head. Devlin made a statement early and superkicked Burch after the match was over. I was actually surprised Burch didn't go over considering he's been in NXT in the past.

Hometown boy Sam Gradwell took on Saxon Huxley in match that had the crowd very vocal and against Huxley the entire time. Gradwell finished off Huxley with a beautiful diving head butt. I like Gradwell's attitude and demeanor in the ring. The guy I was most excited to see in this tournament is Pete Dunn. Dunn has made a name for himself all over the U.K. and he definitely deserved to be in this tournament. Roy Johnson reminded of a cross between Rich Swann and R-Truth. He has a ton of charisma but it was no match for Pete Dunn's brutality. Dunn has an extreme submission style that hurt me just watching it. I really enjoyed Pete Dunn's first match on WWE programming .

Well if you want personality you have to look no further then Wolfgang and Tyson T-Bone. With names like that I had a feeling it might be a hard hitting contest. I really was impressed with Wolfgang's high flying ability. I always enjoy when the big men of this business can move like a Cruiserweight. I think that makes you more of a threat when you can move like that. Tyson T-Bone has a very intriguing story but I wasn't quite sold on him. I was glad to Wolfgang win the match and move on int the tournament. Another hometown boy James Drake took on Joseph Connors in a match that had similarities. I've seen storytelling and psychology on just about everything in a match but never on the ear. Connors is missing part of an ear and it was a focal point in the match. Drake dominated most of the match but Joseph Connors victory came out of nowhere. 

I thought it was brilliant of WWE to get Mark Andrews in this tournament. Andrews already has exposure from being involved with TNA Impact Wrestling. Andrews opponent was 19 year old Dan Moloney who was the youngest person in the tournament. This match definitely had a contrast of styles. Moloney is more of a power house while Andrews a true high flyer. I could see Mark Andrews heading to 205 Live or NXT to get some real mainstream exposure. Andrews moved on to the second round with an impressive Shooting Star Press. The Final match of the first round was between Tucker and and Tyler Bate. Tyler Bate is another 19 year old in this tournament and he has some of the same uniqueness that Jack Gallagher has. Bate and Tucker had the best overall match of the night. It sucked to see one of them get eliminated. Tyler Bate got the victory to end the first night of competition.

Before things could go off the air Pete Dunne attacked Sam Gradwell to send a message that he was going after the UK Title. Night two of the tournament would feature the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals. Before I begin with my thoughts on night two here are the results of night two:

-Pete Dunne defeated Sam Gradwell in a Quarterfinal Match
-Mark Andrews defeated Joseph Connors in a Quarterfinal Match
-Wolfgang defeated Trent Seven in a Quarterfinal Match
-Tyler Bate defeated Jordan Devlin in a Quarterfinal Match
-Pete Dunn defeated Mark Andrews in a Semifinal Match
-Tyler Bate defeated Wolfgang in a Semifinal match
-Neville defeated Tommy End
-Tyler Bate defeated Pete Dunn to win the WWE UK Championship

The opening match of the night was a continuation of how the tournament ended last night. Pete Dunne took on Sam Gradwell. Gradwell came out very full of emotion and dominated the early part of the match. I loved the story telling in this match when Dunne started focusing on the back of Gradwell. Dunne has proved himself to be the ultimate bad boy in this tournament flyer. We went from an ultimate bad boy to an ultimate high flyer. Mark Andrews took on a very intriguing Joseph Connors. Connors was trained by Robbie Brookside and Dave Taylor who were both very physical in their day. I saw a lot of their style in Connors during this match but the high flying antics of Mark Andrews proved to be too much in this match.

In another match of personalities we saw Wolfgang take on Trent Seven in a very entertaining match. Both are very agile, athletic and are very smash mouth on how they approach a match. I personally was very shocked to see Wolfgang get the win over Trent Seven. Many people including myself thought for sure Seven would be in the finals. I think Wolfgang has a great story and a great set of in-ring skills that will carry him a long ways, The final match of the quarterfinals was between Jordan Devlin and Tyler Bate. I really like Tyler Bate and what he brings to a match. Jordan Devlin and Pete Dunne established themselves as the two big heels in this tournament which made for very great storytelling. I am glad Tyler Bate moved on to the semifinals and they didn't go with a political move and make Devlin move on.

The Semifinals started off with Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews. Pete Dunne is such an aggressive heel and I think he is someone that Triple H has his eyes on. It should be known that Dunne and Andrews had their first match together so they knew each other really well before this tournament began. The familiarity made for a great match, Pete Dunne is easily the most disliked guy in this tournament but the fans love his style. Another couple of crowd favorites were Wolfgang and Tyler Bate. There was such a contrast in styles in this match but the young Tyler Bate proved his resiliency and determination might not be able to be matched. I was shocked that Bate was able to hit the Tyler Driver on Wolfgang for the win. After the match Pete Dunne attacked Bate to try and get an advantage for the finals.

Before the finals began Neville came out to address his countrymen and how he has been forgotten. Neville had to take on a big challenge in one of the newest NXT stars Tommy End. Tommy End made a first great impression on WWE programming. I loved this impromptu match and the fact it gave Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate a break. The break and wait was finally over and we moved on to the finals. Bate and Dunne had great matches leading up to this finals match. Dunne obviously was the ultimate heel in this tournament and Bate was really loved by this crowd. I feel like the UK Tournament had more storytelling in it then the Cruiserweight Classic and the finals along with the entire tournament showed it. It's hard to believe that the first ever UK Champion is only 19 years old, This kid has a bright future ahead as do all the other participants of this tournament. If rumors are true and WWE follows up with an Asian Championship and Latin American Championship then there are going to be some great things to come,

I am so glad I took the time to watch the tournament. It was such an educational experience learning about British Wrestling, their fans and their culture. It was also entertaining to hear Nigel McGuiness on commentary because he is such influence on how British wrestlers have been perceived in the last decade. WWE has made it's mark in the UK and it's a mark thats going to be felt for a very long time.