WWE Unreal S1 E1-E3

Spoilers

The new docu-series dropped on Netflix today called WWE Unreal. It was a series that takes the audience behind the scenes to see what happens to create the magic of the WWE.

The show focused on the time period starting around the Netflix debut of RAW through Wrestlemania 41.

WWE has always been great at documentaries and there was some definitely controversy about WWE pulling the curtains back. I did enjoy this, but I am going to say that Unreal was clearly too clean… too produced.

What I mean is that we do not really see any negative things that might happen or that was rumored to happen. They did not mention Seth Rollins’s absolute hatred of CM Punk, which feels like would be a major piece of what happened backstage.

However, I did like the few looks into the writer’s room with how they were putting together ideas for the matches.

The first three episodes featured in on CM Punk, Rhea Ripley, Chelsea Green, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Jey Uso, and Cody Rhodes (in particular with his matches against Kevin Owens).

What we got was fun, but it did feel very homogenized. I like seeing the wrestlers backstage out of character and how they bond with each other. Watching the group of female wrestlers heading out for the Elimination Chamber match praying together was fascinating.

The show did continue to show that this was not just scripted material, but that these men and women truly put their careers on the line every night they go out to perform. They talked about injuries to Rhea Ripley, CM Punk and Charlotte Flair. One of my favorite moments was when Kevin Owens was discussing a spot he had with Cody Rhodes during the ladder match when he gave Cody a fisherman’s buster off the second rope into a ladder. KO was worried because of the way the ladder had been set up and he was afraid Cody’s neck would be injured.

Another great moment was watching the backstage agents dealing with the matches. Chris Park, who used to wrestle under the moniker of Abyss, was in charge of the Netflix RAW debut main event CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins. The match is a great match and will be on a list of the best of the year, but Park was facing pressures because the match was running long. Park, trying to get approval from Bruce Prichard, who was pushing him to get the match to go to the finish. I felt for Chris Park because it felt like he was in trouble despite this being a classic match.

There are two more episodes of this docu-series that have dropped. One of them is focused in on the John Cena heel turn and another one on Wrestlemania 41. Both could have some major news, including an original match lineup for Wrestlemania 41 before things get switched around. This list was released as news from the series so I look forward to finishing up the series.

Wrestlemania IX: Becoming a Spectacle

June 7

Since today is a big WWE wrestling day with the Money in the Bank PLE, I thought it would be a good day for the June Swoon to go to the matches. There was a documentary on Peacock that came out this year around Wrestlemania time about the behind the scenes of Wrestlemania IX from Las Vegas at the Caesar’s Palace.

I was surprised when I heard about this documentary considering that Wrestlemania IX is considered by many as one of the worst of the Wrestlemania of all time. However, it was one of the first events that put the spectacle into Wrestlemania. With this year’s Wrestlemania also in Las Vegas, I can understand the choice made by the WWE.

The WWE has always done tremendous documentaries, and this behind the scenes doc at a time when going behind the scenes at a WWE event was not done was all the more special.

Wrestlemania IX also had its share of controversy as Hulk Hogan returned to the company and ended up winning the WWE Championship back in an unscheduled match with Yokozuna after the giant sumo had defeated Bret Hart. This controversy was not pushed aside. It was dealt with by the doc, which was impressive. Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart each commented on the situation which added to the doc.

We got talking head bits from the Undertaker, Brutus Beefcake, The Steiners, Jim Ross, Rikishi, Lex Lugar, and Shawn Michaels, among others. There were plenty of stars who have since passed away, so this behind the scenes images are all the more special.

The story of how Wrestlemania came to Las Vegas, specifically to Caesar’s Palace, was interesting and hearing the people involved with Caesar’s was also cool. Watching the transformation from basically a parking lot to a Roman coliseum was fascinating.

This doc helped me appreciate Wrestlemania IX more than I had before and listening to those who were there and discussing the concerns and the controversies were a good time. WWE always does a great job with their documentaries.

3.9 stars

Wrestlemania 41 Weekend: The Raw After Mania

The Wrestlemania weekend continued tonight on Monday Night Raw, which has become known as the Raw After Mania. It is a night where they reset stories, debuts some new talents and have a general amount of chaos.

John Cena spoke about his plans to leave with the belt after his final 27 dates scheduled. I’m still not sure how this was going to “ruin wrestling” as he claimed. We saw the next opponent for Cena as Randy Orton gave him a RKO out of nowhere.

Rusev made his return after five years and attacked the Alpha Academy, who were getting ready to take on the New Day. Rusev looked really great.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez regained the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship by defeating Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch. Afterwards, Becky flipped out and attacked Lyra. Did not seem to be the same person who went to the press conference last night after night two with her daughter on her lap.

Iyo Sky came out to celebrate her World title defense and she was interrupted by NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer, who wanted to congratulate Iyo and fight her. Then we got an impromptu match between them. They are two of the best women wrestlers in the world and they were having an awesome match until they were disrupted by Roxanne Perez and Giulia, resulting in a DQ.

Dirty Dom, the new IC Champion, pinned Penta. Yes, I typed that. There was interference from a returning JD McDonagh, but still. Of course, I would have hated to see how the crowd would have turned on Penta if the WWE would have done the one-day title reign to Dom.

Jey Uso came out to celebrate and Sami Zayn joined him. I was afraid that Sami was going to turn heel on Jey the entire time they were out there, but it did not happen. I do not want heel Sami. He is just too good of a babyface.

Gunther took this celebration badly as he was there after the commercial, confronting Michael Cole for comments Cole had made. He put Michael in the sleeper, but Pat McAfee broke it up. Then, Gunther grabbed Pat and choked him out while a bunch of security and backstage people tried to get him to stop. Pat sold this like he had been nearly killed.

Bron Breakker joined up with Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman and they destroyed CM Punk and Roman Reigns as the show went off the air.

Wrestlemania 41 Weekend: Night Two

Night Two of Wrestlemania 41 was considerably stronger than night one. There may not have been anything quite like Punk-Rollins-Reigns match, but there were a couple that came close.

John Cena won his 17th championship when he defeated Cody Rhodes with help from Travis Scott and by hitting Cody with the title.

The crowd in Las Vegas was much better tonight than they were Saturday. They were in the matches all night. However, some of their reactions were weird. They cheered for Cena. They booed Cody. They cheered wildly when Dom Mysterio became the new Intercontinental Champion. The crowd was bizarre.

The triple threat match with Bianca-Rhea and Iyo Sky was an amazing match to kick off the show. Iyo won and retained, and I am so happy about that. She had been shown as a third wheel of the build for this match and it seemed as if there was a lot of disrespect for Iyo. The crowd did love her, and her big victory was awesome. This is in the conversation for Match of the Year when December comes around.

I am also happy Drew McIntyre won the Street fight with Damian Priest. However, it looked liek Damian was injured. They apparently carted him off after the match, off camera.

Logan Paul defeated AJ Styles cleanly (for the most part). That was a sad moment of the night, though it was a really strong match.

Somebody must have said his name… because Joe Hendry answered the Randy Orton challenge. Of course, the TNA World Champion was defeated by the RKO, but Joe Hendry got a really great response from the crowd. It was short and sweet, but it was fun. Randy liked Joe Hendy’s theme song too, you could tell.

Becky Lynch returned as Lyra Valkyria’s partner and they became WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions by defeating Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez.

I had heard some rumors that they might be considering putting the IC title on Dominik Mysterio, but I never thought they would do it. Yet, it happened when he hit a frog splash on Finn Balor. Bron Breakker was not involved in the final, and he looked like a phenomenon during this match.

The whole cheering Dirty Dom blows my mind. I do not know where it came from. Same way the boos for Cody seemed to just materialize.

Night two was really great.

Best matches of the weekend (Not necessarily in this order)

  1. Rollins vs. Punk vs. Reigns
  2. Oba Femi vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Trick Williams
  3. Rhea vs. Iyo vs. Bianca

Wrestlemania 41 EYG Predictions

Night One match card (April 19, 7 p.m. ET, Peacock):

  • Triple-threat match: Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns vs CM Punk
  • World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso
  • WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
  • World Tag Team Championship: War Raiders (c) vs. The New Day
  • United States Championship: LA Knight (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
  • Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano
  • Jade Cargill vs. Naomi

Night Two match card (April 20, 7 p.m. ET, Peacock):

  • Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena
  • WWE Women’s World Championship (triple-threat): Iyo Sky (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair
  • Women’s Tag Team Championship: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria
  • Intercontinental Championship (fatal four-way): Bron Breakker (c) vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Penta vs. Finn Bálor
  • Sin City Street Fight: Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre
  • AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul

Shaheen Al-Shatti Uncrowned

It is that time of the year. It is Wrestlemania 41 weekend! Live from Las Vegas, two sensational nights of professional wrestling and sports entertainment. The glitz. The glamour. The spectacle. Wrestlemania 41 has had some people questioning the build to the card, but I think that will all go by the wayside when the event finishes. I am very excited about all of the events this weekend and I will be covering as much as I can for EYG.

Starting off, we will be looking at the official EYG Match predictions for Wrestlemania 41!

Night One:

  • Kicks off with Jey Uso vs. Gunther for the WWE World Championship. I’m torn on this. I do not really want Gunther to lose his title, and Jey Uso’s run has been spotty. However, Jey has been fire the last few weeks. I may be quietly rooting for Gunther to retain, but…

Predicted winner: Jey Uso, new World Champion. Yeet!

  • Jade Cargill vs. Naomi. This one-on-one match has had one of the best builds of any match on the card as it goes way back to the “who attacked Jade?” angle. I think Naomi needs the win more, but I think the babyface gets this one.

Predicted winner: Jade Cargill

  • Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano. It is so sad when a newcomer shows up and takes Chad Gable’s spot on the roster. *shakes head sadly*. Any way, I think this is a victory for the newcomer to eventually set up a Mask vs. Mask match down the road. I feel like this story is just beginning and that means a win for the heel.

Predicted winner: El Grande Americano

  • United States Championship Match: LA Knight vs. Jacob Fatu. Tough one to predict. I do not see LA Knight pinning Jacob Fatu, unless there is a direct interference from Solo Sokoa. I don’t know if it is time to take the US title back off LA Knight, though. There are not as many DQ finishes at Wrestlemania, but this would be an opportunity for one.

Predicted winner: LA Knight (with some kind of involvement with Solo)

  • WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlette Flair. This has been a mess of a build but I do think these two are talented enough to make the match special. While I would wish that Tiffy Time would continue, I think the Queen reclaims her throne to build up the Charlotte vs. Jade match that was teased a few weeks ago.

Projected winner: And New WWE Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair

  • WWE World Tag Team Championship: War Raiders vs. The New Day. The villainous New Day has been treading water since their epic heel turn against Big E. I think this is where that is straightened out. New Day wins their 12th tag titles at Wrestlemania.

Projected Winner: And New WWE World Tag Team Champions: The New Day!

  • Main Event of Night One: Triple Threat Match: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk. I legitimately can see this match going to any of the three of the men in the match. I am cheering for CM Punk, but, with what has happened in the build, I think the winner is going to be Seth Rollins. Will Paul Heyman leave with Seth Rollins? What a twist that would be. Or will Paul lead to either a victory for Punk or Roman? I just do not know what way they are going with, but I expect this to be a match of the year contender.

Projected winner: Seth Rollins

Night Two

  • AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul. This could be an exceptional match. The athleticism of these two are off the charts. I do think they should give this match to AJ Styles, but I am afraid that Logan Paul may get the nod. Probably using those brass knucks again.

Predicted winner: Logan Paul.

  • Sin City Street Fight: Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre. This match is one of those under-the-radar matches that could be excellent. Street fights tend to favor the good guys, but I think this is a reward to Drew for being such an MVP of the year.

Predicted winner: Drew McIntyre.

  • Intercontinental Championship (fatal four-way): Bron Breakker (c) vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Penta vs. Finn Bálor. This could steal the show. What a massive match up with some of the best up-and-comers in the WWE. Penta is awesome, but I think a title run is too soon yet for him. Dom would shock the world with a win, but I do not think it is out of the question. Finn has been winning a few lately, but my money is on Bron Breakker retaining.

Predicted winner: And STILL Intercontinental Champion: Bron Breakker.

  • Women’s Tag Team Championship: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria. I do not think there is any chance Bayley & Lyra win this match. In fact, I am leaning towards a Bayley heel turn to set up a future Women’s IC title match.

Predicted winner: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez

  • WWE Women’s World Championship (triple-threat): Iyo Sky (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair. This is another match that could be amazing. This has had a shaky build and the idea of bringing Rhea into the match did not work overall, but they are three of the greatest women performers in the company. I’d like to see Iyo Sky retain because of they way she has been treated in this build, but I do not think that will happen. Bianca does still have an unbeaten streak at Wrestlemania and, while she is years away, wouldn’t the company love to have another Undertaker-like streak?

Predicted Winner: And new WWE Women’s World Champion: Bianca Belair.

Randy Orton will have a match on this night too, I am certain. Not sure whom it will be as of yet. Randy wins though.

  • Main Event Night TwoUndisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena. All I see is people expecting John Cena to win his 17th World Championship to break Ric Flair’s record, and that could definitely happen. However, I think Cody Rhodes is going to send John into an even deeper spiral and get the victory here, setting up an even more desperate Cena down the road.

Predicted winner: And Still Undisputed WWE Champion: Cody Rhodes.

Year in Review: WWE Matches of the Year

It ha been a top notch year in the WWE. I have enjoyed every show that they have put on and there have been years where I could not say that.

Because of that, there are a bunch of Match of the Year contenders. I would guess that there are plenty of matches that could make this list from NXT or RAW and Smackdown that do not stand out as much as those on the PLEs.

I have made a list of the Top 20 WWE Matches of the Year.

#20. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes, Smackdown. Match number one of their best of seven series. Honestly, most of these matches between these two could have made this list.

#19. Axiom/Nathan Frazer vs. Andre Chase/Ridge Holland, NXT No Mercy. Axiom/Frazer are our tag team of the year, and this is one reason why. Ridge Holland turned on Chase U after their loss.

#18. Gunther vs. Sheamus, RAW. A King of the Ring tournament match and you never get a bad match between these two studs. They put on a BANGER… AFTER BANGER… AFTER BANGER!

#17. Cody Rhodes vs. Logan Paul, King & Queen of the Ring. Cody may not have had the greatest feuds of the year, but he put on some great matches. Logan Paul is a special star too.

#16. Bron Breakker vs. Sheamus vs. Kaiser, Survivor Series. Breakker defended his Intercontinental Championship in this hard hitting triple threat.

#15. Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles, Backlash. The French crowd may have helped this match, but these are two masters going at it. It was an amazing match-up, much better than their I Quit Match.

#14. Bayley vs. Iyo Sky, Wrestlemania 40. The first of several matches from this year’s Wrestlemania saw Bayley get a big victory over her former Damage Control mate. Bayley deserved this big Wrestlemania moment.

#13. Gunther vs. Randy Orton, King and Queen of the Ring. This was a brilliant match between two of the best, that was tainted by a messed up finish. However, that finish was used later in storyline so it helps this out.

#12. Men’s War Games, Bloodline vs. Bloodline, Survivor Series. A great story involved with Solo Sikoa’s rival group and Roman’s shaky alliance with CM Punk. Brutal match that led to three big injuries, but also an unbelievable moment with Bronson Reed off the top of the cage, and some perfect timing for Punk and Roman to avoid the splash.

#11. Axion/Nathan Frazer vs. MSK, NXT Great American Bash. Two of the fastest and most creative teams battled right in the midst of the NXT/TNA talent sharing. Amazing work, and a Wes Lee heel turn as well.

#10. Ilja Dragunov vs. Ricochet, RAW. This was another first round match-up in the King of the Ring tournament on RAW and these two put on as show. I wish Ilja hadn’t gotten injured because he is one of the best wrestlers in the WWE.

#9. Braun Stroman vs. Bronson Reed, Last Monster Standing, RAW. What a main event. Stroman and Reed had been killing each other for weeks and this was the way to put this feud to rest. It also saw the return from injury of Seth Rollins. Big man slapping man meat!

#8. Sami Zayn vs. Chad Gable, Clash at the Castle. It was for Sami’s IC title and Sami and Gable put on a classic matchup. Otis had enough of Gable’s behavior and headed for the hills, leading to Sami to defeat Master Gable.

#7. Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak, NXT. A defense of the NXT Championship, Dragunov was brutal as ever and Dijak lost after some secret interference from Joe Gacy.

#6. Sami Zayn vs. Gunther, Wrestlemania 40. Sami Zayn ended the 666 day IC reign of Gunther at Wrestlemania. What a great match this was with Sami pulling out a top rope brainbuster into the turnbuckle that just looked sick.

#5. Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, Money in the Bank. It is Tiffy-time as Tiffany Stratton won the ladder match for the contract. Chelsea Green took one of the big bumps from ladder through a table on the floor. Oh, and Iyo Sky nearly killed Zoey Stark… or else she should have. The women’s match really stole this show.

#4. Rock/Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes/Set Rollins, Wrestlemania 40. The first night tag team match that led to the night two match being contested under Bloodline rules. The Rock pinned Cody Rhodes. Seth was fighting through so much pain. This was such cinema. A great end of night one.

#3. Oba Femi vs. Josh Briggs vs. Dijak, NXT Stand and Deliver. An absolutely brutal match with three massive men. Oba Femi is a monster. Dijak deserved a lot better from the WWE. Oba Femi pulled off some insane power moves and this was epic. The NXT match of the Year for sure.

#2. CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre, Bad Blood. Inside the Hell in a Cell, Punk and McIntyre wrapped up their feud of the year with one of the best Cell matches ever. Bloody. Brutal. Hard hitting. And an amazing story. Most years, this would be the Match of the Year going away, but in 2024, it had to compete with the greatest feel good cinematic match ever.

#1. Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns, Wrestlemania 40. Cody Rhodes finished his story as he finally defeated Roman Reigns after an almost four years title reign for Reigns. The match was contested under Bloodline rules and so we saw interference from Solo, Jimmy and Jey Uso, John Cena, “The Final Boss” The Rock, Seth Rollins and The Undertaker. Finally, Roman Reigns succumb to three crossroads and Cody celebrated with all of the babyfaces in a scene right out of Wrestlemania 10. One of the best displays of wrestling and entertainment ever. Perhaps the greatest Wrestlemania main event ever.

2024 Year in Review: WWE

What a big year for the WWE! Their business is booming and the creativity is at a huge level. Vince McMahon is completely gone, and Paul “HHH” Levesque as head of creative works so much. Just a few years ago I was getting ready to not watch wrestling as much, but now it is can’t miss.

Male Wrestler of the Year: Cody Rhodes. Runners-Up: Gunther, Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jey Uso, LA Knight

Female Wrestler of the Year: Liv Morgan. Runners-Up: Rhea Ripley, Nia Jax, Bayley, Iyo Sky, Chelsea Green, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill.

Tag Team of the Year: Axiom & Nathan Frazer. Runners-Up: Motor City Machine Guns, Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill, DIY, Street Profits.

Manager: Paul Heyman. Runners-Up: Paul Ellering, Adam Pierce, Nick Aldis

On the Mike: Drew McIntyre. Runners-Up: Kevin Owens, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman

Feud of the Year: Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk. Runners-Up: Bloodline vs. Bloodline 2.0, Kevin Owens heel turn, New Day turns

Underused Performer: Shinsuke Nakamura. Runners-Up: Otis, DIY, Piper Niven, Chad Gable

Comeback of the Year: Roman Reigns. Runners-Up: Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, Drew McIntyre

Saddest Comeback: AJ Styles, who is promptly injured on his return.

Celebrity of the Year: Jellyroll. Runners-Up: Dwayne Johnson, Logan Paul, Jesse Ventura

Moment of the Year: The Wyatt Sicks “murder” Chad Gable and backstage crew.

Heel of the Year: Drew McIntyre. Runners-Up: Gunther, Solo Sikoa, Finn Balor, Dominic Mysterio, Liv Morgan

Face of the Year: Cody Rhodes. Runners-Up: Sammy Zayn, Bianca Belair, Jey Uso, LA Knight

Entrance Song: I Believe in Joe Hendry (Joe Hendry). Runners-Up: Kingdom (Cody Rhodes), Burn it Down (Seth Rollins)

Storyline of the Year: The Final Boss/Bloodline vs. Cody Rhodes. New Day Turns on Big E, Bloodline vs. Bloodline.

Best Broadcaster: Michael Cole. Wade Barrett, Pat McAfee, Joe Tessitore, Corey Graves

Breakout Star: Jacob Fatu. Runners-Up: Braun Breakker, Chelsea Green, The Wyatt Sicks, Tiffany Stratton

Heel Turn of the Year: Kevin Owens. Runners-Up: New Day, Shinsuke Nakamura, DIY

Shock of the Year: New Day turns on Big E. Runners-Up: Wyatt Sicks debut, The Rock shows up on WWE TV, #WeWantCody

Faction of the Year: Wyatt Sicks. Runners-Up: Judgment Day, Bloodline 2.0, Original Bloodline

NXT Male Wrestler of the Year: Oba Femi

NXT Female Wrestler of the Year: Roxanne Perez

Wrestlemania XL: Behind the Curtain

I was excited to see this documentary that aired tonight on the WWE’s YouTube channel that told the story of Wrestlemania XL, pulling back the curtain to reveal how one of the greatest pivots of all time came to fruition.

The doc told us how the main event of Wrestlemania XL went from Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns to Roman Reigns vs. the Rock and then back to Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns. It is a fascinating story and an intriguing look at how the stories of WWE are developed and presented.

The initial story being Cody vs. Roman was penciled in after Wrestlemania 39, when Cody failed to ‘finish the story.’ However, when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson became available, plans started to change. When it looked as if Cody Rhodes was going to be left out of the main event of the ‘Show of Shows,’ the fans of the WWE made their voice heard with the hashtag We Want Cody.

Hearing the outpouring of support Cody was receiving, despite the arrival of one of the biggest stars in the world, spoke to everyone making decisions and it led to a pivot that turned into one of the greatest stretches of storytelling in WWE history, the culmination of Cody Rhodes winning the WWE championship and finishing his story, a promise that he made to his late father, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

We heard a lot from Paul “Triple H” Leveque, The Rock, and Cody during the doc. We got some from Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins too.

They ran through the two main events of Wrestlemania, which was tremendous. I would have liked to hear more from others involved, particularly those involved in that final match, such as John Cena, the Undertaker, and Seth. Particularly Seth because his role in that main event was vital to the story (Seth being Cody’s shield) and I would have liked to hear from Seth to speak about the fact that he was injured and could barely get into the ring. We saw a pic of Seth, but I wanted some comments.

Other than that, I enjoyed this doc a lot. It was cool listening to the way things developed and how the WWE put together this incredible event even after things were put into a state of flux.

Wrestlemania XL Sunday

What a night.

After being somewhat underwhelmed by an entertaining Saturday night, Wrestlemania XL Sunday night absolutely rocked.

Cody Rhodes finished his story by defeating “The Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns in a dramatic main event that saw the Usos, Seth Rollins, Solo Sikoa, The Rock, John Cena and the Undertaker get involved. Emotions were everywhere as the “American Nightmare” finally won the title that his legendary father “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes could never win.

But that was not the only major title that changed hands tonight. Kicking off the show, Drew McIntyre defeated Seth Rollins for the World Championship. Drew went to taunt CM Punk, who was on commentary, and got jumped by Punk. This led to Damien Priest cashing in his long awaited Money in the Bank contract to become the new World Champion. Then Bayley defeated Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s Championship.

LA Knight defeated AJ Styles in a competitive match. The Pride defeated the Final Testament in a Philadelphia Street Fight refereed by Bubba Dudley. Logan Paul pinned Kevin Owens in the triple threat after KO took an impressive RKO from Randy Orton, who reversed the pop-up powerbomb.

Great night in the WWE as a new era gets underway…

Cody Rhodes celebrated with “Mama Rhodes” and the rest of his friends.

Cody celebrates with his wife, Brandi Rhodes.
Undertaker returned to choke slam The Rock.
Seth says to Cody, “Now it’s your time, baby”
John Cena faces off with The Rock in the middle of the main event

This could be, arguably, one of the best Wrestlemanias of all time. They kept saying that this would be the greatest Wrestlemania of all time and it always felt like hyperbole. However, I think this is in the consideration.

Wrestlemania Saturday

Night one of Wrestlemania XL is in the books and it has done some serious set up for night two.

The Rock and Roman Reigns defeated Cody Rhodes and Set Rollins in the main event of night one cheating like crazy and has ensured Bloodline rules for the WWE Championship match on Sunday night. The Rock threatened to fire the referee, Chad Patton, if he counted them out and he spent all night intimidating the ref, to the point where Rock would just hit Seth Rollins in the groin without even hiding it because he knew the ref couldn’t DQ him.

This just sets up Cody as an even bigger underdog so when he wins on Sunday, there will be a greater feeling. Seth Rollins has a bad knee (storyline wise) and will enter his title match on Sunday against Drew McIntyre far less than 100%.

The best match of the night was easily the Intercontinental Championship match which saw Gunther’s record setting reign of 666 days come to an end to Sami Zayn in an insane finishing sequence. The match was great and very hard hitting, providing one of the most satisfying results of the card.

Rhea Ripley defeated Becky Lynch cleanly after a solid match.

Much of night one felt less than I hoped. The Jey vs. Jimmy match was a disappointment. They tried a storyline section that did not work as well as intended. Jey won. The six woman tag team match was fine. Jade Cargill is a beast.

The six pack ladder match was fun with some crazy spots, especially from DIY. A Town Down Under won the Smackdown tag titles while Awesome Truth won the RAW titles, effectively splitting the titles apart, which makes sense considering how many effective tag teams they have right now.

It was an outdoor stadium and the temps hovered around 50 degrees early in the night. I don’t know how the colder temps influenced some performers, but they seemed to do well considering.

Wrestlemania XL Predictions

So I am preparing to make the predictions for the two nights of Wrestlemania.

Wrestlemania Saturday Night

  • Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch

This is a tough one. I can see it going either way, but since I see a lot of other title changes, I think this is the most likely retention of the weekend.

Prediction: Rhea Ripley, still Women’s World Champion.

  • Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn

Gunther’s record-breaking Intercontinental title run comes to an end at Wrestlemania 40.

Prediction: Sami Zayn, NEW Intercontinental Champion

  • Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso

Jimmy has taken a lot of beatings on Raw and Smackdown recently. Although I think Jey has the higher future as a single performer, I am giving this to Jimmy.

Prediction: Jimmy Uso

  • Six-Pack ladder match for Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Bálor) vs. Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth) vs. DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller)

I definitely think this will split the two tag titles apart so there is one on Raw and one on Smackdown, so I am picking two winners here.

Prediction: RAW Tag Champion: Awesome Truth; Smackdown Tag Champion: New Catch Republic

  • Bianca Belair, Naomi & Jade Cargill vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka & Kairi Sane)

This one is an easy one. Bianca is undefeated at Wrestlemania and we will not break that in a six-woman tag match.

Prediction: Bianca Belair, Naomi & Jade Cargill

  • Rey Mysterio & Andrade vs. Santos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio

Last minute change removed Dragon Lee. Carlito will definitely get involved, perhaps with a heel change. Think that is post match though.

Prediction: Rey Mysterio & Andrade

  • The Rock & Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins

I can see this going either way. There has been a lot of talk about Cody assembling the Avengers. I think that happens in Bloodline Rules. I think they have talked about Bloodline rules too much for it not to happen, and it sets up yet another hurdle for Cody Rhodes to overcome.

Prediction: Rock & Roman Reigns

Wrestlemania Sunday Night

  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre

Another one that I can see going either way. I believe CM Punk, who will be on commentary, will play a role costing Drew McIntyre, who has been going to new limits on his motuh with Punk.

Prediction: Set Rollins, STILL World Heavyweight Champion.

  • WWE Women’s Championship: Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley

It is time for Bayley’s Wrestlemania moment, and she deserves it.

Prediction: Bayley, NEW World Women’s Champion.

  • United States Championship Triple Threat: Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

I love this match. I love Kevin Owens so much. I wish I could give him the win. I will be absolutely be rooting for KO. I don’t think he will.

Prediction: Logan Paul, STILL United States Champion.

  • LA Knight vs. AJ Styles

An excellent match coming here. I think the win does more for LA Knight, but this could go any direction.

Prediction: LA Knight

  • Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) vs. The Final Testament (Karrion Kross & The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar)

A Philadelphia street fight… and I think that the faces get this one.

Prediction: Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits

  • Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes

Finish the story! I think it is time for Cody Rhodes to bring an end to the record reign of Roman Reigns. I believe it will be Bloodline rules and this could be all kinds of shenanigans going down. Expect Mama Rhodes to smack Rock across the face at some point.

Prediction: Winner and NEW WWE Universal Champion: Cody Rhodes

I am very excited about the Grandest Stage of them All.

Wrestlemania XL Weekend

One of my favorite weekends of the year has come around. It is Wrestlemania weekend, where there are a bunch of events over the next 48 hours +.

Wrestlemania XL takes place in Philadelphia this year and the two-night event is packed full of amazing rivalries and battles.

They revealed the Wrestlemania XL set, and it looks great.

The weekend kicks off right now with Friday Night Smackdown. Mere moments ago, Big Bronson Reed won the annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. There did appear as if there may have been a couple of mistakes in the battle royal, yet I enjoyed the match. It looked like Otis was supposed to have caught Tazawa on the floor but Ivar overthrew him and Tazawa hit hard on the floor. I am also not sure that Omos was intended to be eliminated during the commercial break. I think Omos lost his balance and tumbled out too.

After Smackdown tonight is the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Tonight’s inductees include Paul Heyman, the U.S. Express (Barry Windham & Mike Rotunda), Lia Maivia, Bull Nakano, Thunderbolt Patterson, and Muhammad Ali. It is an interesting group this year, headlined by Paul Heyman, whose ECW was a Philadelphia mainstay. Also notable is the induction of Mike Rotunda, father of Windham Rotunda aka Bray Wyatt who died this past year. That should be very emotional. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, I believe, will be inducting his grandmother Lia Maivia, the first woman promoter.

NXT’s Stand and Deliver kicks off the action on Saturday with the best of the NXT brand. Ilya Dragunov defends his NXT championship against the Don of NXT, Tony D’Angelo. Perhaps the biggest grudge match of this PLE is Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes.

Then Saturday night, Wrestlemania XL kicks off with Saturday night show, which is headlined by Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns and The Rock in what is being billed as the Greatest Tag Team Match of All-Time. If the faces win, then the Cody-Roman match on Sunday night is one-on-one, with no Bloodline, and Cody has a chance to win the match without any interference. If the Bloodline wins, then the Sunday night match is Bloodline rules, and anything goes. It is a remarkable build for this tag match with all of the stakes up for grabs.

Night One Matches at Wrestlemania 40

  • The Rock & Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins
  • Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch
  • Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn
  • Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso
  • Six-Pack ladder match for Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Bálor) vs. Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth) vs. DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller)
  • Bianca Belair, Naomi & Jade Cargill vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka & Kairi Sane)
  • Rey Mysterio & Andrade vs. Santos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio

Night Two Matches at Wrestlemania 40

  • Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
  • WWE Women’s Championship: Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley
  • United States Championship Triple Threat: Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens
  • LA Knight vs. AJ Styles
  • Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) vs. The Final Testament (Karrion Kross & The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar)

I’m going to be doing several posts over the weekend. I am very excited. I may do a prediction post some time tomorrow before the big night’s action.

UPDATE: Dragon Lee got jumped on Smackdown and now Andrade is in the tag team match. Calling it right no, Carlito did the attack hoping to be in the tag match instead. Count on it.

A&E Biography: WWE Legends- Roman Reigns

It is Wrestlemania week and WWE programming is kicking into high gear.

The weekly A&E Biography documentaries featured the current Universal Champion, the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns.

Usually I do not watch these A&E docs, not because they are not interesting, but because of time. However, I had seen an interview with Paul Heyman on the Rich Eisen show and Eisen commented about the A&E doc, saying that Paul Heyman was the director and producer of the doc. I have always been a fan of the genius of Heyman and it intrigued me to see him direct this doc about a performer that he had such a connection to.

Hearing about the rise of Joe Anoa’i, aka Roman Reigns, through the years of struggle with fans who did not want him shoved down their throats, to bouts of leukemia to his eventual ability to be himself and go to the top of the profession was excellent.

Again, there are many of Roman Reigns’ contemporaries that speak about our tribal chief during the documentary. Everyone from Seth Rollins, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn spoke about Roman.

But even more impressive was when Heyman brought together some of the greatest of all time to speak about Reigns. These legends included John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, the Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Some of the best interviews came from Reigns’ family, clips involving his late brother, who wrestled as Rosey in the WWE, and other family members of the Bloodline.

This was a fascinating look at one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling today.

2023 WWE Match of the Year

This was a tough year, because there were a bunch of great matches in 2023, but there was none that actually stood out as the obvious best match. 

What makes a match of the year? There are several things. Obviously there is a great performance between competitors with some great in-ring storytelling, compelling near falls, and a great storyline surrounding it. 

There can be a match that has all of those moments but the ending is not what I like, it can dampen the match. For example, almost every Roman Reigns match this year.

So, here are the top 15 WWE matches of 2023 according to EYG.

#15. Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijek (NXT Battleground). These two had great chemistry and seemingly killed each other. It started Ilja’s push in NXT.

#14. Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Last Man Standing (WWE Fastlane). Shinsuke’s heel turn was great, as was his Japanese promos leading up to this. It was a great match with Seth going over.

#13. Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn vs. Roman Reigns/Solo Sikoa (Night of Champions). Sami and KO overcoming the Bloodline team with Roman was great. One of the peaks for Sami/KO.

#12. Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus Steel Cage (Payback). Two legends of women’s wrestling putting on a classic cage match with a couple of insane bumps. Great work by both.

#11. The Usos vs. Roman Reigns/Solo Sikoa (Money in the Bank). Jey Uso pinned Roman Reigns to win the Bloodline Civil War match. Some great storytelling.

#10. Women’s War Games (Survivor Series).  Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, and Becky Lynch face Damage CTRL in an exciting War Games match. 

#9. Ilja Dragunov vs. Carmelo Hayes II (NXT No Mercy). Dragunov defeated Carmelo to win the NXT Championship and end his long reign. 

#8. Men’s War Games (Survivor Series). Team Cody vs. Judgment Day. Notable for the return of Randy Orton and for Cody Rhodes to compete in the match his father invented.

#7. Gunther vs. Chad Gable (RAW). I really thought Chad gable had a chance to knock off Gunther. He lost, but that did not take away from this amazing confrontation.

#6. Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes (Wrestlemania 39). Roman shocked the world by defeating Cody Rhodes at the main event of night two of Wrestlemania (thanks to Solo, of course). Major twist in Cody’s story.

#5. Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (Wrestlemania 39). Some have this as MotY, but I put it at #5. Yes, it was great. Best triple threat of th eyear.

#4. Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn (Elimination Chamber). Perhaps the most emotional match of the year as Sami battle Roman in Montreal. Sami battled as hard as he could, but succumb to the Bloodline’s cheating tactics.

#3. Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley (Wrestlemania 39). Best women’s match of the year, lead to the crowning of Rhea Ripley as champion. Flair and Ripley put on a banger of a match.

#2. Damian Priest vs. Bad Bunny, Streetfight (Backlash). In Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny knocked off Damian Priest in one of the best celebrity performances of all time. Crowd reaction was insane.

#1. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens vs. The Usos (Wrestlemania 39). Sami and Kevin ended the record setting tag team reign of the Usos in the main event of WrestleMania Saturday. The end of a long term storyline that had been running on WWE TV for months. 

2023 World of WWE

The WWE had a really strong year in 2023. It was not that long ago that I had really cut back on my WWE intake, skipping Smackdown most weeks and feeling more disappointment than enjoyment.

Then, things changed. Vince McMahon stepped down and HHH took over creative. Sure, Vince still had his dirty hands in the product, but it was better. Then, the purchase of WWE by Endeavor led to Vince’s total removal and the product became even better yet.

So some of these choices were difficult this year. I should say that I do not watch AEW or other wrestling promotions. I have nothing against any of them, but I just feel like a WWE guy. 

Male Wrestler of the Year: Gunther. A tough choice, but Gunther has been WWE Intercontinental champion all year and defended it regularly against all kinds of types of challengers. Runners-Up: Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, LA Knight

Female Wrestler of the Year: Rhea Ripley. She won the title at Wrestlemania 39 and has been the main star of the female division on RAW since. As a member of the Judgment Day, Rhea has been dominant. I would have liked more matches from her though. Runners-Up: Becky Lynch, Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair, Asuka, Charlotte Flair

Tag Team of the Year: Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn. One of the best storylines climaxed at Wrestlemania 39 when Owens/Zayn won the Undisputed Tag Team titles from the Usos. While their title reign was not as epic as their chase, Owens and Zayn were the best tag team for quite a while in 2023. Runners-Up: The Usos, Judgment Day, Pretty Deadly, The Creeds, the Brawling Brutes.

Manager of the Year: Paul Heyman. Or should I say ‘Wise Man’ of the year? Paul Heyman is the cornerstone of the Bloodline and the storylines. Runners-Up: MVP, Robert Stone

On the Mike: Cody Rhodes. So, what do you want to talk about? Cody did an amazing job telling his story on the microphone. Specifically, his work with Paul Heyman was special. Runners-Up: Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens, LA Knight

Feud of the Year: Ilja Dragunov vs. Carmelo Hayes. Three amazing matches from these two NXT stars over the NXT Championship. It lasted longer than some of the other feuds which is why it gets the nod. Runners-Up: Bloodline vs. Sami/KO, Judgment Day vs. Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins, Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar.

Underused Performer: Tazawa. Tazawa has just started to get a little TV time as a part of the Alpha Academy. He is really a stronger wrestler than he gets credit for. Runners-Up: Apollo Crews, Tegan Nox, Dexter Loomis, Xia Li.

Comeback of the Year: CM Punk. Geez, this was an easy one. His return at the Survivor Series was completely epic and shocking. Hell had to freeze over because this was never supposed to happen. Runners-Up: Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, The Rock, John Cena.

Celebrity of the Year: Logan Paul. Logan Paul became the US Champion and had a great match every time he stepped into the squared circle. He truly exceeded the idea of a celebrity in the WWE. Runners-Up: Bad Bunny, Pat McAfee, Snoop Dogg.

Heel of the Year: Dominik Mysterio. No one has more heat than Dominik Mysterio. When the crowd boos Dom, they mean it. And he can barely be heard. It never gets old. Runners-Up: Roman Reigns, the Judgment Day, Gunther, Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso.

Face of the Year: Cody Rhodes. Cody is the perfect face and he has been treated like one since his return to the WWE. Runners-Up: Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Rey Mysterio, Becky Lynch, LA Knight.

Show of the Year: Smackdown. With the Bloodline drama, Smackdown was must see TV every week. While it has come down a bit since the peak around Wrestlemania, it is still the most compelling show on WWE. Runners-Up: RAW, NXT

Entrance Song:Seth Rollins. His song basically turned Seth face. The fans love to sing Seth’s song. Runners-Up: CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, LA Knight, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens.

Storyline of the Year: Bloodline/Bloodline Civil War. Still the standout of WWE TV. Honestly, it gave us Emmy worthy work on a weekly basis, touching us in our tum-tums. Runners-Up: Cody’s story, Nakamura’s heel turn, Cracks in the Judgment Day.

Best Broadcaster: Wade Barrett.  He was so good that they promoted him from NXT to Smackdown. Wade is funny and enthusiastic. He is really excellent. Runners-Up: Corey Graves, Michael Cole, Pat McAfee.

Breakout Star: LA Knight. Yeah! He came from nowhere, via organic crowd support to a place where he is firmly entrenched in the main event scene. Runners-Up: The Creeds, Ilja Dragunov, Jey Uso.

Shock of the Year: CM Punk returns at Survivor Series. Nothing else comes close. There were rumors, but no one really believe it would happen. The internet was just getting ready to be angry over the no show, when “Cult of Personality” hit and the Chicago crowd, and everyone else lost their minds. 

Faction of the Year: The Judgment Day. The Judgment Day runs RAW. That is pretty much true as the storylines have completely centered around them for most of the year. Runners-Up: Bloodline, Damage Control, Team Cody.

NXT Wrestler of the Year: Ilja Dragunov. Dragunov never had a bad match. He is so real. You can never go wrong with Dragunov. He may be the best seller in WWE. Runners-Up: Carmelo Hayes, the Creeds, Bron Breakker, Wes Lee, Dominik Mysterio.

Saddest moment: Bray Wyatt dies. Bray was out most of the year with an undisclosed injury. It was a horrendous loss when we heard that he had passed away. He is missed.