Legends of the Ring September 2014

Hello again wrestling fans;

          My brother and I attended September’s 2014’s, Legends of the Ring 19, a wrestling convention in Monroe, NJ. And once again the team at LOTR hits a grand slam. This amazing card was headlined by Rob Van Dam, Team 3D, Michael PS Hayes and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat.

The WWE Has Many Of Their Top Talent On The Disable List

Randy Orton is serving a 60 days suspension for violating the Talent Wellness Program for a second time. His suspension begins today; he is due to return late July. Orton was scheduled to wrestle Chris Jericho at No Way Out, but Jericho is also serving 30 days suspension, after his desecration of the Brazilian flag during the South American tour this past weekend. This is a major blow to the WWE. They've lost a top babyface and a top heel all in the same week. The WWE has many of their top talent on the disable list, such as Wade Barrett, Ted Dibiase and Evan Bourne. Plus Rey Mysterio is not due back until late June. This brings up a huge question; is the WWE schedule too grueling, that it leads their superstars to substance abuse and/ or injuries?

Harrington Bayas

The Strange Cases of 7 Missing Titles

Here is another list put out by WWE, recapping seven titles from the past that are no longer being used. The titles on this list are so old that many of these younger wrestling fans wouldn’t remember them, there are two titles that I have never heard of, and I have been a wrestling fan for 27 years, so I don’t know why they are giving us this history lesson?

Evan Bourne is Suspended for 60 days

Apparently Evan Bourne does not get it; you can’t use any illegal substance while you’re under a WWE contract. Bourne is suspended for 60 days for his second violation of the company’s ‘Talent Wellness Program’. If you remember he was suspended for 30 days back in November for smoking Marijuana. This is the main reason that Primo & Epico won the WWE Tag Team Titles last week in a house show. I don’t know who should be more upset about Bourne’s suspension, his fans or his tag team partner Kofi Kinston. If you can recall Kinston was left holding the titles while Bourne was out of the picture. I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second chance, but this guy just doesn’t get it! Stop smoking bro, you have a dream job and you’re going to lose it over for a couple of hours with the munchies!

Harrington Bayas

The Wrestling Fans Review awards for 2011

Wrestle of the Year

Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio is my pick for wrestler of the year for 2011. He won the WWE Heavyweight Championship twice this year. Del Rio won the 2011 Royal Rumble. What made this Rumble special was that there were 39 other men in this match, and he out lasted all of them. He was Raw’s Money in the Bank winner for 2011. Del Rio defeated The Miz, R-Truth, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, Alex Riley and Evan Bourne, to win a grantee contract for the WWE Heavyweight Championship. Del Rio also was in the co-main event of WrestleMania 27, in which he faced Edge in his final match. What else can I say about the Del Rio, he had an awesome year, but of course you already knew that!

Break Out Star of the Year

Zack Ryder

I pick New York’s own Zack Ryder for Breakout Star of the year. Ryder was better known as Brett Major a member of the Major Brothers. The WWE changed their names to Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder. They used to help Edge during his matches while they were part of “La Familia”. They were referred as the ‘Rated-R-Entourage’ during this time, they captured Tag Team gold, and surprisingly this was one of his highest honor. Ryder was at the brink of getting fired from the WWE and he started a YouTube channel called “Z! True Long Island Story”. This channel changed his career, fans & wrestler started to support him, and he finally made his debut no Raw. I have attended two live shows this year and the crowd always chanted “we want Ryder”. His popularity has grown so much that the WWE has so many items available for purchase on WWEshop.com, like the Broski T-shirt, Broski head band, and even the Broski wall clock. The high light of 2011 was when he defeated Dolph Ziggler for the United States Champion. 2012 looks so bright that he needs to wear shades, which is also available at WWEShop.com, Woo Woo Woo, you know it!

Harrington Bayas

Wrestler of the Year

CM Punk

I must say CM Punk. I also known about CM Punk from Ring of Honor and from some matches in TNA. Fun fact: He started in backyard wrestling with his tag team partner, CM Venom as the Chick Magnets. Hence, CM stands for Chick Magnet. But I've never really watched any backyard wrestling. It wasn’t my thing. I must also admit that I was never a huge fan of his. I respected his work and his mic skills. It wasn’t until he started the Straight Edge Society, that I began to really notice that he's better as a heel. He later began commentating and did an amazing job doing so. What I loved about Punk commentating is what I loved about Matt Stryker commentating, and that is the view of a wrestling fan. They would often reference wrestling legends, un-forgetful moments, etc. He then began leading the New Nexus but it wasn’t until his contract was up that he decides to cut a "shoot" promo live on Raw. He was suspended but the WWE just could not ignore the buzz that CM Punk created. To me, it brought back the realism to wrestling. I also must admit that his idea of him being the "Best in the World" is kind of a stretch and very arguable to say. Maybe now that Shawn Michaels is retired and Chris Jericho (who might come back) isn’t around right now, CM Punk might be the best. But none the less, CM Punk has also come a long way in his career and is doing a good job being the WWE Champion.

Hello wrestling fans, so my vote for Breakout Star of the Year is Daniel Bryan.

Daniel Bryan

As I said before, I've known about The American Dragon Bryan Danielson since I started watching Ring of Honor. His battles with guys like Lowki and The Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels were amazing. What true wrestling fans need to understand about Independent wrestling shows, is that those wrestlers will do anything to put on a great match. They work their asses off to get noticed and appreciated by the fans. When WWE NXT started, the first and only guy I noticed was Daniel Bryan. We all know he didn’t win NXT but WWE still gave him a chance. He had a rivalry with Michael Cole which I believe started Cole's gimmick as the new heel commentator and it made new fans notice Bryan's skills. I must admit, his mic skills needed to be a little better but he's grown to hold his own on the mic. He later became the U.S. Champion for a few months until he lost it to Sheamus. But that was all in 2010. His career really took a big step when he won Money in the Bank 2011. When he started saying that he was going to cash the briefcase in for WrestleMania 28, I believed that was how the WWE was going to screw him out of the World Championship. He then had a long list of losses against guys like Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, etc. They even had him job for Sin Cara because they knew Bryan could work well with the Mexican Luchadore style of Sin Cara. He finally cashed in the briefcase at WWE TLC, pinning Big Show and becoming the new World Champion. I believe he's come a long way in his career and he deserved the championship.

Ernesto Heleno Jr.

With CM Punk and Daniel Bryan starting 2012 as the WWE Champion and World Champion, it goes to show that the future of the WWE is now in the hands of the young talented Superstars of today. The future is now, wrestling fans. Who do you think are the Wrestler of the Year and Breakout Star of the Year for 2011?

The Future of the WWE is Now!!

Hello wrestling fans. A few weeks ago, I was asked by my good friend and follower of The Wrestling Fans Review, Sheena, what were my predictions for the future of the WWE? The New Year is almost here and after seeing the picture of all the new champions, I couldn't help but be inspired to talk a little bit about the young talented Superstars of the WWE.

Divas Champion, The Glamazon Beth Phoenix

Let’s be honest, the WWE Divas are Barbie’s. The Divas of Doom, Beth and Natalya are the only two actual female wrestlers in the WWE. Everyone else, I’m sad to say, are more "eye candy" than they are "in-ring performers." I haven’t actual sat and watched a Divas match, since the Divas wrestled in thongs and had occasional "nip slips." So I believe Beth Phoenix is a great Divas Champ.

Tag Team Champions, Air Boom

I actually like Air Boom. I honestly believe the match they had with Primo and Epico on WWE TLC was a perfect example of a great tag team wrestling match. Maybe even the best match of the night, in my opinion. I’m assuming they didn’t know what to do with Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne (aka Matt Sydal), and decided to put them together as a tag team. But they do have great chemistry, agility and their "high flying" styles go well together.

I like Primo and Epico. They’re cousins, so they have great chemistry as well. Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler are good too, but I see other plans for Dolph. The Usos have great chemistry too, since they’re twin brothers. They also are keeping that Samoan legacy alive. I honestly hope they bring back more tag teams.

U.S. Champion, Zack Ryder

We all know charisma is a huge factor in becoming a top superstar in the WWE. Zack Ryder has a whole lot of charisma. I’m glad he's the U.S. Champ. His "Z, True Long Island Story" show is not only hilarious, it also lets some of the guys show their skills, cutting promos.

#Heel, the Showoff, Dolph Ziggler cuts amazing promos and I believe is definitely a potential for a spot as a top heel. I've said it before, I see him as the new Shawn Michaels when HBK first started as a heel. HBK was cocky and had his "cougar" valet, Sensational Sherri. Dolph has Vickie Guerrero and is coined, "The Showoff." Plus, they both sell for their opponents so well. I also believe Wade Barrett has potential to be a top heel. His rivalry with Randy Orton is pushing him to a higher level. Jack Swagger could be better but I don’t know why he's being held back. Sheamus is good too, but I don’t know if him being a baby face will help his career.

Intercontinental Champion, Cody Rhodes

Ever since Cody Rhodes was with Legacy, he was always my favorite. The simple fact that he wrestles without kneepads shows his "old school" trained abilities. He's the son of The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes. He has big shoes to fill and I believe he's making a name for himself. And I love, love, love that Cody brought back my favorite championship title design. The one, that the greatest of all time, the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels made famous, the white classic IC belt. Cody has what it takes to be great.

World Champion, Daniel Bryan (aka the American Dragon, Bryan Danielson)

My earliest memory of Daniel Bryan is from Ring of Honor and other Indy shows. His hard work really paid off. The kids love him because he's such a "white meat baby face" but he still has the respect of the hardcore wrestling fans because he's such a great wrestler. I’m so glad to see him as the new World Champion.

The Miz is another guy who gets held back. If you notice, The Miz is like the new Rock. The Miz, The Rock. The Miz is wonderful on the mic, delivers catchphrases, and also idealized The Rock. He's good but can be better, and live up to being the most "must-see" superstar in the WWE. Alberto Del Rio has charisma as well. But I must admit, his promos have gotten very repetitive and can be crucial to his career.

WWE Champion, CM Punk

I see CM Punk as the new Macho Man Randy Savage. Kind of an "anti-hero," more like Randy Savage than Stone Cold Steve Austin. Having that "anti-hero/rebel" role makes him loved by the hardcore wrestling fans. Not to mention, the fact that we've followed his TNA, Ring of Honor, and Indy career. His famous "shoot" promo, shot him straight to top superstar status. I only wonder if the WWE office would accept a tattooed/pierced CM Punk as the "poster-boy" for WWE. Only time will tell.  

-Ernesto Heleno Jr.

Picture of the Week (December 22, 2011)

These are the newest Champions in the WWE, and my bro believes they are the future of the WWE. What do you guys think?  & Who is missing in this picture?

Monday Night Raw Part 2 (August 15, 2011)

Jack Swagger and John Morrison finally gain a victory on Raw. Since his return Morrison has lost every match that he was involved in, I guess this was because of all the back stage politics. I am assuming that he is still upset that his girlfriend Melina

My thoughts on Money in the Bank

Money in the Bank

Hello wrestling fans. I just wanted to post the results and of course my thoughts about each match. First off, I believe the whole CM Punk situation just had this vibe going around the arena. WWE Money in the Bank was probably the best WWE pay per view I've seen in a while. I say the best because most of the matches were good matches. Here are the results:

Daniel Bryan

The first match was SmackDown's Money in the Bank ladder match featuring Kane, Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, Sin Cara, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus and Cody Rhodes. Everyone in this match was on top of their game. No one slacked off. This was a really good match, with each superstar with their own highlights. Sin Cara started cleaning house, until Sheamus powerbombed him onto a ladder on the outside. If you see closely, you can see the paint covered crack on the ladder right before it "breaks" when Sin Cara lands. He was brought to the back by the EMTs. So he'll be out of action for a while, hence his suspension. An awesome high spot was Sheamus and Kane doing the Doomsday Device on Bryan, paying homage to The Road Warriors since they were in Chicago that night. Just as Sheamus was about to grab the briefcase, he was chokeslammed by Kane onto another ladder. Rhodes, Bryan, and Barrett ganged up on Kane and ends with Gabriel delivering his 450 splash from on top of a ladder. Then Bryan gains the upper hand, by kicking Barrett off the ladder to grab the briefcase. Yes, it is true. Daniel Bryan (The American Dragon Bryan Danielson) is now the Money in the Bank winner with a contract for a World Championship title match at any time for one year.

Kelly Kelly defeated Brie Bella to retain her WWE Divas Championship.

Mark Henry defeated Big Show. Henry did a great job playing the heel, constantly beating on the injured leg of Big Show's. Henry is getting a big push to being a top heel for WWE SmackDown.

Alberto Del Rio

Raw's Money in the Bank ladder match was next, featuring The Miz, Alex Riley, Jack Swagger, R-Truth, Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston. It seems like these guys wanted to top SmackDown's ladder match, because this match had some awesome high spots. First Riley flips over the top rope onto Swagger and Miz, and then Truth flips over the top rope onto them. Finally Mysterio and Kingston were on opposite turnbuckles jump off, landing on top of the guys. Then Bourne delivers his finisher Airbourne from the ladder, landing on top of everyone. Bourne and Miz end up reaching for the briefcase, but Del Rio pushed the ladder from under them, causing Miz to land and hurt his right knee. There's a point in the match where there are four ladders in the ring and all seven superstars are all on top reaching for that briefcase. Each man falls off one by one, when out of nowhere, The Miz returns hopping on one leg but is cut short by Mysterio. The fans at the arena were not pleased by that, booing Mysterio for stopping Miz and almost grabbing the briefcase. Mysterio and Del Rio go back and forth for the briefcase, on top of the ladders, but Del Rio unmasks Mysterio and causes all the ladders to fall. Del Rio quickly puts the ladder back in place and grabs the briefcase. He's officially Raw's Money in the Bank ladder match winner. But of course, you already knew that.

Christian

For those who follow The Wrestling Fans Review blogs site, know that I'm a Christian fan. I must say, I am not happy with how he became World Champion. A stipulation in the match was that if Randy Orton was disqualified, he would lose his World Championship title. Christian ends up spitting on Orton's face, making Orton so angry that he kicks Christian below the belt and loses the match and his title. He then gives Christian the RKO on top of the Spanish announcers table, and then follows up with another RKO. To be honest, it seemed that they were trying to break the table but couldn’t. I don’t like this ending because Christian's debate was "I can beat you Randy!" and winning the title by disqualification doesn’t prove that he can. I feel like it doesn’t make Christian look good at all. It was a cheap way to win.

CM Punk

Finally we get to the main event of the night and from the moment CM Punk's music started, the fans went wild. The match started out slow with John Cena shadow boxing and surprisingly chain wrestling with Punk. I don’t think anyone was sitting down this whole match. It was very suspenseful, keeping everyone on their feet. Cena had the upper hand for the most part, but Punk did not want to stay down. They're later joined by Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis. McMahon signals for the time keeper to ring the bell. Just as Laurinaitis starts running down to the bell, Cena clotheslines him and tells McMahon that he didn’t want to win that way. He goes back into the ring and Punk catches him with the GTS and gets the 1, 2, 3. I was completely shocked. I believed Cena was going to win, not get fired of course, and Punk would leave like he said he would. Vince then calls for Alberto Del Rio to cash in his contract but gets kicked by Punk before the match ever started. So CM Punk is now the WWE Champion and he jumped over the railing, on to the fans and left the WWE with the prestigious yet ugly looking WWE Championship.

On that note, it was a good pay per view event with a few surprises and good matches. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for WWE now that there's no WWE Champion and Vince McMahon being fired. We shall see next week on Monday Night Raw.

-Ernesto Heleno Jr.

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