WWE WrestleMania 36 Night 2 Review

This night was fantastic. A heck of a night of wrestling, regardless of the lack of an audience. I had low hopes for this after night one, but man did WWE was it wonderful. This night had some of the most anticipated matches on the card, and each of them delivered in some way, shape, or form. Thank you WWE, for a great night of wrestling to cap off a positive weekend that we needed. Here’s my review for night two for WrestleMania 36.

Prediction Score: 10-6

Overall Score:

Preshow: Liv Morgan def. Natalya

I know the Liv twitter stans are happy about this one. Natty takes Morgan down with a side headlock,  and Natalya just toys with Liv in the beginning. Natalya and Liv continue to have some grappling and rollup attempts before Morgan hits a hip attack. After yelling at the ref, Liv continues to be outclassed by Natalya. Natalya locks in a surfboard, and Morgan got a near fall after a knee to the face. Liv countered a sharpshooter attempt with an inside cradle, then hit an enziguri before an exchange of rollups before Liv got the W.

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte Flair def. Rhea Ripley (c) to become the new NXT Women’s Champion

I didn’t expect this match to kick off the night, but be somewhere in the middle or even the semi main. RHea and Charlotte lock up, but Charlotte overpowers Ripley in the corner, and lights her up with chops. Rhea kicked CHarlotte in the face in the corner, then hit the riptide for a nearfall. Rhea taunts Charlotte while she’s just chillin on the outside, and takes Ripley down. The action continues on the outside, including a senton off the apron. They get back in at a 7 count, and Ripley continues to be the aggressor. After getting her leg caught in the rope, Charlotte attacks Ripley’s knee. Ripley catches Charlotte in a rollup, and her knee buckled on a slam. After a series of kicks, Rhea takes Charlotte down with a series of clotheslines. Ripley flipped out of a back suplex attempt and hit a top rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. Rhea locked in the standing cloverleaf, but Charlotte picked the leg and Ripley kicked away from a Figure Eight attempt. After an exchange of rollup attempts, Charlotte throws Rhea down off the top rope, and ate a boot from the moonsault. Charlotte hit a spear for a nearfall. Ropley countered the Figure Eight with an inside cradle, but Charlotte locked it in and Rhea Ripley tapped out.

Aleister Black def. Bobby Lashley

Black’s demon vest was pretty cool. What isn’t cool is Lashley’s tights and Lana just sitting there. Speaking of Lana, did anyone else notice Lana dyed her hair? Lashley quickly overpowers Aleister, throwing him to the ground. Black sent the Almighty over the top rope, then immediately ate a belly to belly on the outside. Lashley sends Black back inside the ring and grinds his knee into Blacks face. Lashley continues to use his power to have his way in this match. Black countered a spear with a knee to the face. Lana gets up on the ring steps as Lashley gets ready for the dominator, but Lana tells him to hit a spear. Lashley acquiesced, and ate a Black Mass for his troubles.

Otis def. Dolph Ziggler

Mandy was in Dolphin’s corner, and Otis came out by himself. Otis goes right after Dolph, flattening him in the corner and eating a superkick. Dolph got the big boy in the ring for a near fall, and a standing dropkick. After raking his eyes, Dolph continues the attack on Otis, locking in a sleeper hold. Otis launches Ziggler in the corner, then he starts jiggling and beats Dolph down both inside and outside the ring. While Otis hits the caterpillar, Mandy distracts the ref so Ziggler can kick Otis in his little Dozers. Mandy Rose comes out and beats Sonya up, then hit Dolph in the nads. Otis hit the caterpillar and got the win. He even got to kiss the girl and carry Mandy up the stage.

Last Man Standing Match: Edge def. Randy Orton

Orton’s music hits, and immediately hits an RKO from behind after he was disguised as a cameraman. The ref rang the bell and Orton hit another RKO and gets up at a count of eight. Orton grabbed a ringside camera and clocked Edge with it. Edge finally gets back to his feet as they brawl all over the performance center and a brief glimpse of Triple H in the back. Orton continued to beat Edge down and choke him with some gym equipment. Edge kicked a weight into Randy’s face, and Edge finally gets some offense in. He propped Orton into a chair, then launched himself from the pullup bar. Orton grabbed a sled and threw it at a steel wall, then the two legends just started slugging each other. The action spills further out into the performance center, with Edge chucking Randy into steel doors before heading back to ringside. Orton chucked Edge into the barricade as Edge got back up at a count of nine. The action goes towards the office area of the performance center. The camera guy ran into the conference room to see Edge and Orton continue to kill each other, even hitting an elbow drop on the conference room desk. Orton shoved Edge into the camera guy and knocked him over in what was a hilarious spot. Edge and ORton continue fighting in the storage area, throwing each other into the steps and some ladders. Edge sets Orton up on a table, then climbs up a ladder while the ref counts. Edge hits an elbow through the table. Both men get to their feet and the brutality continues. Edge grabs a trailer of a pickup truck to get back up, and now the fighting goes to the pickup. Orton hits a draping DDT onto the tunnel cover, but Edge makes it to his feet. The former Rated RKO go on top of the NXT production truck. Orton lined up for the punt, but ate a spear while Orton wailed in pain. They get up, and Edge eats an RKO. Orton made it to his feet, and Edge did too, then immediately fell. Orton grabs two chairs, then right as Orton was about to hit Edge, Edge locked in a reverse rear naked choke, then with a look of anguish in his eyes, hit Orton with a conchairto for the win.

Rob Gronkoski wins the 24/7 Championship

There was a bunch of guys beating up Mojo Rawley, then Gronk did a dive off of the perch and pinned Mojo to win the 24/7 title and run away.

Raw Tag Team Championship Match:

Austin Theory starts the match with big Angelo Dawkins, and the heels get the advantage after Garza snuck in a superkick. Garza gets the tag and continues to beat Dawkins down. Ford gets the tag, and hits a suicide dive where he doesn’t eat it this time. Garza continues to beat Ford down, and now Dawkins eats a kick from Austin Theory, and Theory hits the TKO.  Ford hits the splash to break up the pin. Then Dawkins flipped over and that was the finish. After the match, the heels beat Ford down to get their heat back. Bianca Belair makes the save for her husband, and beat up Vega.

Fatal Fiveway Elimination Challenge for the Smackdown Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) def. Lacey Evans, Sasha Banks, Naomi, and Tamina to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship

Everyone gangs up on Tamina, and the Superfly’s daughter takes everyone out. Then Sasha and Bayley take out Lacey Evans and Naomi. Tamina goes on another rampage, after trying to pin everyone, then Tamina takes out Sasha and Naomi after offering a reunion of Team Bad. Naomi hits a stunner, and Lacey hits a moonsault for a nearfall. Sasha hit a 619, Bayley hit the elbow, Sasha hit a frog splash, Lacey hit a moonsault, and so did Naomi to finally eliminate Tamina. Bayley takes control of the match, double teaming Naomi with Sasha Banks. Naomi hits a double sunset flip and takes the action to Sasha and Bayley. Bayley hit a knee to the back of Naomi’s head, then Naomi tapped out to the Bank Statement, leaving it down to three as Bayley flipped off Naomi. Now Sasha and Bayley double teamed on Lacey Evans, but Bayley accidentally kneed Sasha in the side of the head. Lacey tried to capitalize, but failed. Bayley tried to save Sasha from a Women’s Right, but Lacey hit Banks with one and she’s eliminated. Bayey beats Evans down, shoving her shoulder into the ring post and Bayley continues to target Lacey’s shoulder. Lacey kicked Bayley in the face, and started to get some comeback offense in. Lacey hit a top rope moonsault for a nearfall. Sasha hit Lacey with a backstabber, giving Bayley the opportunity to pin Lacey and retain.

Firefly Funhouse Match: ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt def. John Cena

John Cena showed up on the ramp, said welcome to WrestleMania, then cut to the Firefly Funhouse, where Cena is immediately transported to. Cena talked to Ramblin Rabbit, and Cena went through the door. It’s surrounded by darkness, and the Vince McMahon puppet showed up and gave him a pep talk about Ruthless Aggression, where it cut to clips of Cena’s debut, where he cut to Cena’s debut, and out came Cena in his old tights. Cena shouted Ruthless Aggression, and Bray kept ducking Cena’s punches and kept referencing Nikki Bella, and him almost being fired. Mercy the Buzzard and Mr. McMahon pupper was on commentary while it cut to Saturday Night’s Main Event, and Muscle Man Bray cut a Hogan style promo, with Cena doing curls with dumbbells. Then came Thuganomics John Cena with the other puppets dancing. Cena referenced the no audience, and Cena spoke in rhyme. He even referenced Husky Harris and destroyed Wyatt in rap. Wyatt brought up that Cena’s the golden goose and that he’s all alone, then Wyatt clocked Cena with the gold chain Carlito style, and it cut to cult leader Bray cutting another brilliant promo, reverencing their WrestleMania match. Wyatt attacked Cena from his rocking chair, and gave Cena a chance to hit him, but Bray disappeared. Then it cut to Nitro, with Bray Wyatt going full Eric Bischoff, and introduced full on Hollywood Hogan John Cena, with the McMahon puppet saying this is good s**t. Cena attacked Bray, then he was punching Huskus the Pig Boy. Then The Fiend showed up behind Cena, locked in the Mandible Claw, hit Sister Abigail and the Claw, then Funhouse Wyatt counted the pin.

WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre def. Brock Lesnar (c) to become the new WWE Champion

Mike Rome stealing Heyman’s gimmick of introducing Bork isn’t cool. The bell rings and Bork goes right after McIntyre, and Drew hits the Claymore kick for a nearfall. Then Bork takes Drew to Suplex City. Brock hit an F5, but Drew kicked out at 1. Bork hit another F5, and Drew kicked out at 2. Then Brock became an angry tomato, and hit a third F5. Drew hit three Claymore Kicks, and won the WWE Championship.

Match of the Night: Last Man Standing

It came very, very close between this, and the Firefly Funhouse Match for me. But this match had the most brutal action, along with fantastic storytelling. That storytelling is that two former best friends who wanted to murder each other. Edge, working nine years to get back to the WWE, and Randy Orton taking it away from him. Even without the crowd, being able to hear what Edge and Orton say to each other added even more to the story of the match. 

Overall Review

Night two blew the first night out of the water. This is how the first night should’ve been. A great empty arena night of wrestling. Now, to break it down. The preshow match was a pedestrian affair between Natalya and Liv Morgan, and I’m glad that Liv won. Good for her. There was a backstage segment with Dolph Ziggler and Sonya DeVille. The second night opened with Setphanie McMahon and the same video package as night one. After a short promo from Gronk, the NXT Women’s Title Match kicked off the show. It was a great match, but in my opinion the wrong person went over, in that Charlotte beat Ripley. I get why she won, because Charlotte would pop ratings in NXT, but Ripley deserved the win more. Aleister Black came out in a demonic vest, but the match itself was meh. It was a typical match you’d see on Monday Night Raw. After that came a backstage segment with Kayla Braxton with Sasha and Bayley. Gronk talked with Charly Carusso about the 24/7 Championship before OTis vs Ziggler happened with Sonya in his corner. It wasn’t a great match, but I’m happy that Otis got his moment and finally won the girl. Then came what was my favorite match of the night, if not the whole weekend in the last man standing match. It was brutal, had great spots and amazing storytelling. Edge’s win was a great feel good moment, and I can’t wait to see where this feud goes next, or who Edge’s next feud will be. Following up that brutal contest, were the Street Profits and Angel Theory. There was a 24/7 title sketch, and Rob Gronkowski is the new 24/7 champion. The tag title match was alright aside from the finish. At least we got a Bianca Belair cameo. Before an advert came on, a wild Titus O’Neil showed up and replaced Gronk as the host. The next match was the fatal five way, and we all thought that Sasha would betray Bayley or vice versa, but it didn’t happen. Sasha helped Bayley retain her title, and she told Jables and Maggle that nobody can touch her. Then came the Firefly Funhouse Match. Wow. It was one of the most brilliant, and insane matches I’ve ever seen. The references were savage. Cena’s failed proposal, Husky Harris, and every stage of John Cena’s career. It got bonus points from me for the Smackdown fist. Then it cut to Titus O’Neil saying he had no idea what he saw. The main event wasn’t much. Just a few claymores and F5s, but at least we got a new WWE Champion. If you guys remember, I rated last night’s show at a 5. Not only am I gonna rate night two, but I’ll also be rating the show itself as a whole. The second night was a lot better than the first, with almost all of the matches were fantastic. The Charlotte match, the Funhouse match, the last man standing. The night really delivered, and I’d rate it at a 7.5 out of 10. Now to rate the weekend as a whole. The first night was weak, but the second night more than made up for it. As a whole, I’d rate the night at a 7 out of 10. It was an interesting WrestleMania to say the least, but it’s hard to compare it to other ones because none of the others dealt with a global crisis. WrestleMania delivered, and despite people saying that it shouldn’t have gone on, it gave us a couple of nights where we could sit back and be entertained. I’ll say it one more time, thank you WWE. Thank you to the wrestlers who performed and gave us a good weekend in the midst of a terrifying global pandemic. Now what happens here, I have no idea. AEW is indefinitely shut down, and Florida is on lockdown. If WWE goes in hiatus, we’ll be waiting for you to come back.

WWE WrestleMania 36 Night One Review

Tonight was certainly a memorable night of wrestling, one way or another. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t the best night of wrestling, but it wasn’t the worst. This WrestleMania is going to be next to impossible to say whether it was bad or good when comparing it with other WrestleManias because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, WWE did the best they could. Here’s my review for night one for WrestleMania 36.

Prediction Score: 4-4

Preshow: Cesaro def. Drew Gulak

Gulak takes Cesaro down, but immediately gets overpowered by Cesaro. Gulak locked in a crossface, but Cesaro got to the rope. Guak continues to focus on Cesaro’s arm. Gulak locked in the GuLock, but Cesaro overpowered him, and hit an uppercut. Cesaro hit the airplane spin, then hit a pin for the finish.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Bliss/Cross def. The Kabuki Warriors (c) to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions

I missed you on commentary Jables, I’m glad you’re back. Alexa and Kairi started the match, with Sane putting a bow in Alexa’s hair, only for Alexa to continue taunting the champions. Bliss made the tag to Nikki Cross, and Asuka tagged in as the action went outside. Nikki hits a crossbody to the outside as she hugs her partner. Sane gets the tag, and Alexa fights Asuka on the outside. Kairi headbutted a camera while the champions screamed in Japanese. The champs continued to beat down Nikki Cross, but she almost rolled Sane up and made the hot tag to Alexa. After a quick sequence, the champs continued their beatdown on the challengers. Nikki got a hot tag, hit a bulldog and hit a crossbody for a nearfall. Nikki had it won, but Kairi broke it up with an elbow. Asuka locked in the Asuka lock, but Alexa hit Twisted Bliss, then immediately ate a spear. Asuka made the tag, then there was a tower of doom spot for a nearfall. Nikki hit the swinging neckbreaker, then Alexa hit the Twisted Bliss for the win.

King Corbin def. Elias

Corbin came out and cut a heel promo, and out came Elias who kicked the crap out of Corbin before the match could start. After continuing his attack, Corbin chucked Elias over the top rope and Corbin used his power to beat Elias down. After Corbin yelled at the commentary team, he chucked Elias’s shoulder into the post, and Elias started to come back and stomp Corbin into the corner. After whiffing on the elbow, Corbin hit a Deep SIx for a near fall. Corbin tried to put his feet on the ropes, but while Corbin was arguing, Elias rolled Corbin up for the win.

Raw Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) def. Shayna Baszler to retain the Raw Women’s Championship

Becky drove her ‘The Man’ semi truck into the arena before Shayna came out. Becky and Shayna start out swinging, and Shayna almost immediately went for the clutch, but Becky escapes. The queen of spades beats Becky down on the outside, and Becky regains momentum. Becky almost locked in the DisarmHer, but Shayna countered it and slammed Becky to the ground. Shayna and Becky exchange forearms on the apron, then Becky hit a rock bottom on the apron. Then Shayna locked in an armbar, then transitioned into a DisarmHer.  Shayna locked in a Kirifuda Clutch on the ropes before dropping Becky to the floor. Baszler bashed the side of Becky’s head on the table, then locked in the Clutch, but Becky rolled through to retain the women’s title.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn (c) def. Daniel Bryan to retain the Intercontinental Championship

Sami goes on the outside, and Bryan continues to run into Cesaro and Nakamura, then Bryan finally gets his hands on Sami Zayn, who begs for mercy. Bryan lights Sami up with kicks, and pummels the Intercontinental Champion. Zayn suckered Bryan in and hits a big clothesline. Byan hits the Yes kicks again, but isn’t able to capitalize. Sami hit a variant of the Helluva kick on Bryan in midair and Zayn got the win.

Triple Threat Ladder Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships: John Morrison (c) 

This is the first match that I can tell which Uso is in the ring. The action got froggy early, and each man gets a ladder, Jimmy falls off the ladder, and throws Morrison down and Kofi flys with a crossbody. Morrison and Kofi do some springboard flips before knocking Jimmy Uso off the ladder. Kofi had the titles in grasp, but Morrison knocked him down. Johnny Mundo knocked Jimmy out and put the ladder up in the corner. More acrobatic action ensues, and Kofi laid Jimmy Uso on a ladder. Morrison  hit a Spanish Fly from the top rope, and Jimmy hit a splash. Kofi and Jimmy Uso fight on the ladder, along with more bone crunching spots. All three men pull down the tiles, and after hitting Morrison with a headbutt, the ref just said that Morrison won the match and retained.

Kevin Owens def. Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins brought back the white ring gear for this match, and honestly, I’m glad he did. Owens went on the aggression right away while Seth tried to run away. Owens got backdropped on the apron, and Rollins hit a Falcon Arrow on the apron as well.  Rollins hit two suicide dives on the outside and a slingblade. Owens avoided the stomp and hit a DDT, then Seth avoided the popup powerbomb as well as a stunner. The whole time, we’re able to hear Seth and Kevin taunt each other, and it adds to the story of this match.Rollins countered a superplex attempt with a buckle bomb, then Owens countered a stomp attempt with a sitout popup powerbomb for a near fall. After Seth tried to hightail it out of there, Seth clocked Owens in the head with the ring bell, then cut a promo goading Seth into restarting the match. Rollins beat the crap out of Kev with a chair and the steps. Owens clocked Seth with the bell a couple of times, then Owens climbed on the WrestleMania sign, then hit an elbow drop through the announce table. Owens gets Rollins in the ring, then hit a stunner to get his first win at WrestleMania.

WWE Universal Championship Match: Braun Strowman def. Bill Dadberg (c) to become the new Universal Champion

Goldberg and Braun circle each other, then Goldberg hits three spears for a near fall. Goldberg hit another spear, then Braun hit four powerslams to finally win the Universal Title.

Boneyard Match: The Undertaker vs AJ Styles

AJ Styles came out of a casket with druids. Then as Metallica’s Now that we’re Dead played, up came The American Badass on his harley. After jaw jacking, Taker started laying in right hands to AJ Styles, and slamming him on the casket. He gashed his arm on the window, and continued to have his way with AJ Styles. Taker pummeled AJ Styles on top of the hearse, then  Styles kicked Taker right in the tombstones. Styles and Taker exchanged right hands as Styles fell into the grave. Then out came Gallanderson, and an army of druids. The druids surround The Undertaker, then Taker got beaten down by Gallanderson, before AJ Styles attacked him from behind. AJ tacked Taker through a fence. Styles told Taker that ‘you’re no phenom,’ then Taker gave him the one finger salute and begged AJ to bring it on. AJ grabbed a shovel and knocked Undertaker in the grave, and gets in the John Deere, then Undertaker appears right behind him and AJ runs away onto the creepy barn roof. Taker summoned pyro, and beat down Gallanderson some more. He chucked Gallows off the roof and hit Anderson with a tombstone, then chokeslammed Styles off the roof onto some wooden fencing. Taker dragged Styles over to the grave, kicked him into it, then the match just ended I guess. Then Undertaker rode off in his harley as a holographic symbol and pyro while Now that we’re Dead played.

Match of the Night: Seth Rollins vs Kevin Owens

This barely beat the spectacular madness that was the boneyard match. This match had it all. Great action, storytelling, and a fantastic moment. I get that this mania didn’t have any fans, but hearing what Seth and Kevin were saying helped tell the match’s story. And that story is that Kevin Owens overcame everything Seth threw at him, to get his WrestleMania moment. Plus, that elbow through the table was amazing

Overall Review

Night One’s preshow was kicked off by Corey Graves and Peter Rosenberg, who finally let us know which matches are on the first night. Then came a super cheesy Miz & Morrison rap video. The first match of the night was Gulak vs Cesaro, and it’s criminal that Cesaro is on the preshow. The finish, was stupid. Airplane spins aren’t a finishing move in 2020. After an adbreak, there was a backstage interview with King Corbin hyping up his match. Then it cut back to the WWE backstage crew to hype up Becky vs Baszler. After more banter from Corey and Rosenberg, came an advert for WWE Shop. The show kicked off with Stephanie McMahon talking about how different this WrestleMania will be and talked about how this Mania is a message of hope. After that came a montage of Aretha Franklin, John Legend, Boyz II Men, Ray Charles, Michelle Williams, Fantasia, Little Richard, Aloe Blacc, and many more singing America the Beautiful. The pirate themed video package played that had a voice that sounded a lot like Captain Jack Sparrow. Rob Gronkowski hyped up the night, and he was joined by weirdy babyface Mojo Rawley. JBL and Maggle Cole on commentary made my night. I missed you Jables. The first match was the Women’s Tag Title Match. It wasn’t a bad match, and we have new champs. After that match, there was a backstage interview with the Artist Collective. Elias got a win at WrestleMania! That’s pretty nice, although he was originally supposed to face John Cena. I guess Corbin is still good. I didn’t expect Becky-Baszler to be the third match on the card. And… Becky won? Seriously? Who is gonna beat Becky now if not Shayna Baszler? They had it handed on a silver platter, and they messed it all up. The next match on deck was the IC Title match. This should’ve been match of the year, but instead was just an annoying match thanks to Zayn being a cowardly heel. Next match was the ladder match for the Smackdown Tag Titles. It was a good match filled with bone crunching spots. Then came the match of the night, Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins. It was great with in-ring action and storytelling. Especially that elbow spot through the table. After that, came a backstage interview with Paul Heyman. Then there was a segment with Gronk, Mojo, and R-Truth. Gronk tried to pin Truth, then Mojo pinned Truth, and won the 24/7 Championship. The Universal Title Match was next, and I thought it would’ve closed the show. And it was just 4 spears and 4 powerslams. Braun won the Universal Title, only three years too late. They did as good as they could’ve considering dadberg doesn’t wrestle long matches. The Boneyard match was both one of the best things I’ve ever seen, and a thing of nonsense. It was this kind of final deletion style amalgamation of weird, but at the same time it was great because it was The Undertaker being himself. His real self, while also being the deadman and the American Badass. I loved it if I’m going to be completely honest with y’all. Now it’s time for me to rate the show. Given the circumstances of Covid-19 and everything, WWE did the best job they could. But as a wrestling show… it wasn’t that good, I rate this at a 5. They did the best they could in an empty arena. But overall, it should’ve been better. Like Shayna Baszler should’ve beaten Becky Lynch. This was tailor made for her to win, and of course they screwed it up. Daniel Bryan and Sami Zayn should’ve been match of the year, but it was just Sami running away. I don’t have a lot of high expectations for tonight, but after tonight, I have next to no expectations for night 2. What did you guys think of tonight’s show?

WWE WrestleMania 36 Predictions

With the COVID-19  pandemic, WWE’s hand was forced and they will no longer host WrestleMania in Tampa, Florida,  but it will be at the WWE Performance Center and an undisclosed second location without an audience. For the first time ever, WrestleMania will be a 2 day event, on Saturday April 4, and Sunday April 5. Coincidentally, it’s the same year that New Japan’s answer to Mania, Wrestle Kingdom was a two night event. WrestleMania will also be hosted by 3x Super Bowl Champion tight end, Rob Gronkowski. WrestleMania, the biggest show on the planet in an empty arena will be interesting to say the least. Here are my predictions for WWE WrestleMania 36. 

Note: at time of writing this, WWE haven’t announced which matches are going to be on which night with the exception of Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins. 

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn (c) vs Daniel Bryan

Sami Zayn vs Daniel Bryan? Yes please. I initially thought that Braun Strowman would be continuing his feud, but it looks like he’ll be facing Dadberg. Honestly, of all the matches on here, this one could easily be the match of the weekend. I wouldn’t mind if they went maybe 15-20 minutes of just pure wrestling. Although I’d want Sami to have a genuinely decently long title run, Daniel Bryan is winning the title here.

Prediction: Daniel Bryan wins the Intercontinental Championship

Elias vs King Corbin

The only reason this match exists is because Gronk made it so. And honestly, I don’t really care about this match. Not to say that it’s a bad thing that Elias is finally having a match at WrestleMania. He deserves it. But when it comes to this match, if there is a preshow for WrestleMania, then I definitely see this match being there. This is one of those matches that got thrown together randomly just to add another match. Anyway, I’ll be picking Elias to beat King Corbin.

Prediction: Elias 

Otis vs Dolph Ziggler

I kid you not, the Otis-Mandy Rose-Dolph Ziggler love triangle has been one of the best storylines in WWE. The apparent original plan was a six person tag with Mandy tagging alongside Heavy Machinery, but instead it looks like she’ll be in Dolph’s corner. Ughh. I think that Mandy should’ve been the special guest referee, but still. I don’t think that this is going to be the proper blowoff yet. I think WWE drags this out for the next month or so. I’m going to be taking Dolph to beat Otis thanks to some shenanigans from Sonya.

Prediction: Dolph

NXT Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs Charlotte Flair

I didn’t expect Charlotte to win the Rumble, but this is one of the biggest WWE dream matches. I like  the build this has had, in that Charlotte had some great moments in NXT, and Rhea Ripley slapped Charlotte in the face. Outside of that, this match’s build has been meh. Nonetheless, I think this’ll be a pretty great match because Charlotte is arguably the best women’s wrestler on the planet, and Rhea Ripley is also amazing. I could feasibly each one winning this match, and I’ll be taking Charlotte Flair. Her winning actually can happen, to help pop some NXT ratings and have some dream matches with Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, and Io Shirai while she rules NXT.

Prediction: Ripley wins

Fatal Five Way Elimination Challenge for the Smackdown Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) vs Lacey Evans vs Tamina vs Naomi vs Sasha Banks

This was originally a six pack challenge, but Dana Brooke dropped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This match could be the vehicle to plant the seeds for a great story, and that story is Sasha Banks and Bayley. I’m sorry, but nobody else really has much of a chance in this match, Sasha and Bayley are going to be the final two. Maybe Sasha eliminates say, Naomi with the Bank Statement, then clunk! Bayley hits her bestie with the title and gets the W.

Prediction: bayley

Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins

For a feud that was just in a bunch of multi-man matches, that promo on the 3/23 Raw made me super invested in this match. I really wish that it was built as more of a singles feud rather than put them in a bunch of multiman matches. The Authors of Pain will be involved I’m sure, and this is going to be a pretty great match. Another fun fact about this match is that this is the only match that we know where it’ll be on the card, with Kevin saying that it’ll be on night one. I’m going to pick Kevin Owens to finally get his WrestleMania moment and beat Seth Rollins.

Prediction: Kevin Owens

Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits (c) vs Austin Theory & Angel Garza

On the go-home Raw, Zelina Vega announced that since Andrade is injured, he got replaced by former Black Gate  Heavyweight Champion & Evolve Champion Austin Theory. I think that this is going to be a pretty fun match, and hopefully Montez Ford doesn’t eat it on the metal ramp like he did on Monday. This match will be pretty fun because all four of these guys are amazing, and I think the Street Profits retain their titles for a nice feel good win.

Prediction: The Street Profits retain

Aleister Black vs Bobby Lashley

So much for a happy Rusev Day. Instead of Rusev facing Bobby Lashley, we’re getting a randomly thrown together match between Aleister Black and Lashley. I’m sure that this is going to be a serviceable match, but this should be Rusev’s match. This match, I’ll be honest, I don’t really care for. I’ll be picking Black to pick up the win in a physical match.

Prediction: Aleister Black

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: The Kabuki Warriors (c) vs Bliss/Cross

For the first in four months, the Kabuki Warriors are finally defending the Women’s Tag Team Championships. The thing is, outside of these two, the women’s tag division is nonexistent since the Iiconics are out of action. I don’t think this match lasts very long, and could even be the ‘pee break’ match of one of the nights. With that said, I don’t really see this being a fantastic match, or a long one. Since rumors are circulating that Kairi Sane may be out the door soon, I’ll be taking Bliss/Cross to win the belts and become the first two time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Prediction: Bliss/Cross win the titles

Last Man Standing Match: Edge vs Randy Orton

The Rated R Superstar is back. I’m not gonna lie to you, I never thought I’d be able to write that sentence, but here we are in 2020. And this has been one of the best built stories in WWE in quite a long time. Outside of the Bryan and Kofi Kingston stories, this is the most I’ve been invested in a storyline in years. And all praise to Randy Orton, because his character work was top notch in this feud. Claiming that he did what he did because he loves Edge like a brother, and wants to make sure he continues to be a father to his kids and a loving husband to Beth. Now he’s facing his former partner in a last man standing match. Personally, I think that this match should be the main event for night one, because it’s the most intense storyline in all of wrestling.

Prediction: Edge

Triple Threat Ladder Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships: ??? & John Morrison (c) vs The Usos vs The New Day

There are rumors that Miz isn’t even going to be at Mania after he allegedly showed up to the tapings sick, which could mean that John Morrison could be without a partner. Rumors are saying that it could possibly be Joey Mercury coming back for an MNM reunion, but I doubt it. Whichever night this match takes place on, I see this being the first match, as well as the longest match on either night. It’s gonna be weird to see a ladder match without a crowd, which means that we’ll get to hear every bone crunching spot and scream of pain. In what’s going to be a chaotic affair, I’ll be taking The Usos to put the tag division in the Uso Penitentiary.

Prediction: The Usos win

Boneyard Match: The Undertaker vs AJ Styles

Here’s a fun fact for y’all: The Undertaker is the first wrestler to perform at WrestleMania in four different decades. This is one of the biggest dream matches that WWE can offer, and despite it being tied to a Saudi show, I’m still pretty excited for this match. AJ got pretty real in his promos, calling the Deadman by his real name and referencing his marriage to Michelle McCool, even referencing a charity video The Undertaker did. But the thing is, AJ kinda has a point. He should’ve retired years ago. I love Taker, but despite the fact that he can still go, I don’t think he should. Like Ric Flair, Taker needs to know when enough is enough. Another thing. What’s a boneyard match? Is it another name for a buried alive match? It’d be interesting to see how that works in the WWE Performance Center. That promo Undertaker cut on the go-home Raw might have been my favorite in his entire career. This was the first time he directly referenced his marriage, and even brought up that Michelle and AJ have the same move, and referenced the American Badass. I’ll be taking The Undertaker to beat AJ Styles in a great match.

Prediction: Taker wins

Raw Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs Shayna Baszler

I seriously don’t get why Shayna didn’t win the rumble. Like, I get that Charlotte is WWE’s golden gal and everything, but she didn’t need to win the rumble. I digress, but here we are. A year after Becky made history in the first ever all-women WrestleMania main event, is defending her championship against the vicious Queen of Spades, Shayna Baszler. Speaking of Shayna, she basically tried her best vampire impression when she bit Becky’s neck. It shows how cruel and sadistic Baszler is. Then she murdered everyone in the Elimination Chamber, and is the unstoppable monster taking on the woman who won last year’s WrestleMania main event. I think this match could be the show stealer, and I want nothing less than Shayna Baszler to murder Becky, then rule the Raw women’s division with an iron fist.

Prediction: Baszler wins the title

WWE Universal Championship Match: Bill Goldberg (c) vs Braun Strowman

Although it was originally going to be Dadberg vs Roman Reigns in a battle of the spears, Reigns announced that he won’t be competing at WrestleMania due to the coronavirus epidemic and fear for his compromised immune system. Who’s next? Rumors say that it’s the monster among men,  Braun Strowman. This match is probably going to be 5 minutes max, and it’ll be full of spears and powerslams. It’d be cool to see Dadberg hit a jackhammer on Braun, but I don’t really trust it. I don’t see Goldberg holding the championship past WrestleMania, even if he isn’t fighting Roman Reigns. I’ll be taking Braun Strowman to do something he should’ve done three years ago and win the Universal Championship.

Prediction: Braun Strowman wins the title

Firefly Funhouse Match: ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt vs John Cena

Everything comes full circle. Six long years since Wyatt was derailed at WrestleMania XXX, Wyatt gets a chance at revenge. This time, he doesn’t have a cult behind him, but a Fiend. Speaking of, I don’t think that losing to Dadberg was the death nail that most people are saying it is. The Fiend is still one of the most over acts in wrestling, and this is the opportunity to FINALLY get Wyatt’s career back on track. Now, what on earth is a Firefly Funhouse Match? I don’t know why, but I’m getting some House of Horrors vibes, and I don’t like it. Nonetheless, I think Wyatt rights that wrong from six years ago and get his big Mania win.

Prediction: Wyatt wins

WWE Championship Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs Drew McIntyre

If you told me six years ago that one member of 3MB would win the WWE Championship, and another would be headlining WrestleMania against Brock Lesnar, I’d have called you crazy. Six years later, and both of those statements have become a reality. Drew McIntyre looks like a proper main event babyface, and he is white hot at the moment, claymore kicking Lesnar’s head off multiple times on Raw. Brock has gone out of his way to make McIntyre look like a proper main event badass. This match is going to be a knock down, dragout brawl, and Drew McIntyre is going to FINALLY take his place among the greats and become WWE Champion

Prediction: Drew wins the WWE Championship

2020 NFL Free Agency Recap

This year’s free agency period has been wild, and something that can truly shift the NFL’s paradigm for years to come. There are many big name players that are going to be on new teams this next season. Tom Brady, Calais Campbell, DeAndre Hopkins, to name a few. There are some big names who haven’t found a new team yet, like Jadeveon Clowney, Jameis Winston, and Cam Newton. We’ll have to see where they end up, but for right now, here’s my 2020 NFL Free Agency Recap.

Amari Cooper signed 5 year, $100 Million Deal to stay in Dallas

Amari Cooper isn’t going anywhere. After franchise tagging Dak Prescott, the Cowboys decided to break the bank for Cooper and give him a nine digit payday with at least $60 Million of it being guaranteed. With that, Byron Jones left in free agency, leaving the secondary without a leader. Even so, Amari’s contract is the second highest in football behind Julio Jones, and while he is a great weapon for Dak in Dallas, I’m not sure that I’d pay a receiver THAT much money. Either way, Dallas would’ve been in a tough spot if they paid Dak or Cooper. The thing is, Cooper turned down a very substantial offer from the Redskins, even more than what Dallas offered him to stay. Dak and Cooper have very good chemistry, and for their sake, I’m glad Cooper’s in town. Dak on the other hand, we’ll have to wait.

Tom Brady signed a 2 year $50 Million Deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tom Brady stranglehold of the AFC is officially over, and he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which means that Jameis is out of a job in Tampa. The 42 year old’s contract is fully guaranteed, along with an extra $13.5 in incentives. This could shift the paradigm in the AFC, meaning that New England’s reign of terror could finally come to an end. The Bucs offense could be terrifying now, because Brady doesn’t turn the ball over on an enormous rate. All he has to do is try not to get killed by Tampa’s O-Line. Now, the question is, why Tampa Bay? Everyone was thinking that Brady would go to the Chargers. It would’ve made sense because they have a much more complete roster, and they’re closer to a run than Tampa Bay is. One reason is that Raymond James Stadium is going to be the host site for Super Bowl LV next year. To truly prove that he’s the best ever, he could be the first quarterback to not only make it to ten Super Bowls, but start one in their home stadium. Similarly to LeBron James, there are lots of players who are wanting to get a ring in Tampa Bay. If Tampa truly is ‘all in’ with Tommy Touchdown, then the NFC South just got a lot more interesting.

Philip Rivers signed a 1 year, $25 Million Deal with the Indianapolis Colts

Looks like Rivers wanted a change of scenery, and he will get just that with the Colts. After having consistently one of the worst offensive lines in the league, to one of the best. This will most likely be Philip Rivers’ ‘Swan Song,’ with him trying to get one final run at the Super Bowl before calling it a career. Honestly, I feel kinda bad for Jacoby, having to sit on the bench yet again after assuming the mantle of leader in lieu of Andrew Luck’s retirement. Maybe Rivers can get one last playoff run before retiring.

Calais Campbell traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a 5th Round Pick

I get he’s 33 years old, but the 2017 defensive player of the year is still a productive pass rusher, getting 31.5 sacks in his three seasons in Duval. Now he will be the anchor of what was already the league’s fourth ranked defense. Calais Campbell has the best chance to win a ring now, and he’ll fill that veteran leader role that Terrell Suggs played to a T. He still has some fuel left in the tank, and he’s going to prove that as the premiere pass rusher in the Charm City.

Ryan Tannehill signed a 4 year, $118 Million Deal to stay with the Tennessee Titans

After franchise tagging the league’s rushing champ Derrick Henry, they paid Ryan Tannehill nearly $120 Million. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Tannehill and I’m happy he got that extension, it’s just that I think he may have gotten a bit too much money. I hope he keeps up the momentum from last season, and he can truly be the leader of this team. After letting Marcus Mariota walk away to free agency, he is truly their guy. As long as they can keep Derrick Henry long term, then Tannehill should have a productive future in Nashville.

Darius Slay traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 3rd and 5th Round Pick

Big Play Slay is heading to the City of Brotherly Love. After a rift formed between him and head coach Matt Patricia, alongside the Lions signing Desmond Trufant, Slay was very adamant and vocal about wanting a trade. Well, he got his wish. He will have to be the big name DB that the Eagles desire, as well as the leader of the secondary after Malcolm Jenkins signed with New Orleans. Let’s hope that Big Play Slay can still make big plays with a coach he likes.

Todd Gurley signed a 1 year, $5 Million deal with the Atlanta Falcons 

Todd Gurley is coming home. One day after getting released, the 25 year old is going to one of the most potent offensive attacks in football. It’s astonishing to me that over the course of a year, Todd Gurley went from the highest paid running back in the game, to a free agent signing a one year deal. While part of that is due to him developing arthritis in his knee, Todd Gurley is still going to be the lead back in Atlanta after the Falcons released Devonta Freeman. He has the potential to be a very dangerous weapon with Matt Ryan at the helm, but we’ll have to see thanks to his knee. 

Nick Foles traded to the Chicago Bears for a compensatory 4th Round Pick

After reports of possibly trying to trade for Cam Newton, and even having a deal with Teddy Bridgewater in the works, the Chicago Bears have traded a compensatory fourth round pick. That’s a pretty good deal considering the albatross of a contract he signed last year with the Jaguars. Now he is going to compete for the starting job with Mitchell Trubisky, who may be on his way out of not just Chicago, but the NFL as a whole. If Foles does win the job, we’ll have to see if he still has some magic left in him. 

Kirk Cousins signed a 2 year, $66 Million extension to stay with the Minnesota Vikings

Captain Kirk is under contract until 2023. And with this extension, Cousins will walk away from Minnesota with at least $145 Million in guaranteed money. He played well last year, posting a career high 107.1 QBR. However, I think his production is going to take a bit of a hit after Diggs got traded. Outside of Adam Theilen, Dalvin Cook and Kyle Rudolph, the Vikings don’t have a lot of pass catching weapons. They need to address their receiving corps in the draft with one of the two first round picks they have this year after trading away Diggs. 

Stefon Diggs and a 7th Round Pick traded to the Buffalo Bills for a 2020 1st, 5th, and 6 round picks and a 2021 4th round pick

This was one of the bigger deals of free agency because it was so unexpected. Although there were rumors of Diggs being traded, nobody really thought it’d happen, especially with the Bills. Now Josh Allen has a big time #1 receiver, and hopefully that’ll help him develop as a passer. Honestly, a top receiver is something that the Bills haven’t had in years, and will hopefully take Buffalo’s offense to the next level.

Austin Hooper signed a 4 year $44 Million deal with the Cleveland Browns

Baker has another weapon in Austin Hooper. Although they have promising tight end David Njoku, Hooper is a reliable pass catcher, but he is also a great blocking tight end, and that’ll help in the run game with arguably the most explosive running back tandem in the NFL. I do think it’s interesting that he signed an $11 million a year deal, but let’s hope that he can help Baker develop and rebound from his disastrous sophomore season.

DeAndre Hopkins and a Fourth Round pick traded to the Arizona Cardinals for David Johnson, a 2020 Second Round Pick, and a 2021 Fourth Round Pick

This has got to be one of the most boneheaded decisions not just that Bill O’Brien has ever made, but in the history of the NFL. In the past 3 seasons, Hopkins has had 31 TDs. David Johnson has had 33 in his entire career. I know they Texans signed Randal Cobb, but he isn’t a #1 receiver. Now, as for the obvious winners, their offense just got a lot more deadlier. Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald will be the most sure fire pass catching duo, because they almost never drop passes. What makes this deal even more ludicrous, is that the Texans didn’t even get a first round pick for Hopkins. They don’t even have a first round pick this year after trading for Tunsil and Stills. Even with a deep class of receivers, they won’t draft one with the caliber of someone like DeAndre Hopkins, or even a true #1 receiver. Bill O’Brien should’ve been fired after the divisional game, and this trade magnifies that fact.

DeForest Buckner traded to the Indianapolis Colts for the 13th Overall Pick

The Colts needed an anchor on the defensive line, and now they got one. They traded for DeForest Buckner, who was a key piece in the most loaded defensive line in the league. Buckner will be a huge piece of the Colts’ run defense, and the second highest paid defensive tackle in the league behind Aaron Donald. He is also a great pass rusher and generates tons of pressure, getting 19.5 sacks over the past two seasons. I think he’s going to have a very productive tenure in Indy, and try to get Philip Rivers one last playoff run.

Byron Jones signed a 5 year, $82.5 Million Deal with the Miami Dolphins

Byron Jones got all of the money he wanted after walking out of Dallas, becoming the highest paid corner of all time with 54.5 Million guaranteed. He’s a decent corner, but for that much? Jeez. I mean, the guy can break up passes, but he hasn’t gotten an interception since 2017. Nonetheless, he’s going to make a good CB duo with Xavien Howard. Maybe Miami’s secondary won’t get completely torched next year. If Miami uses one of their first round picks on a safety, then maybe their defense will be slightly better than being completely atrocious. 

Teddy Bridgewster signed a 3 year, $63 Million Deal with the Carolina Panthers

Looks like Carolina has found their new guy, and after Kyle Allen got traded and Cam got released, Matt Rhule is fully behind Teddy Bridgewater. After proving he can still play, I’m glad that Teddy is getting an opportunity to start again. They’ll have to address tight end and offensive line, but I’m sure that Teddy is going to do just fine with Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore. I’m not sure how well the Panthers are going to do next year after completely rehauling everything and the retirement of Luke Keuchley, but I’ll be rooting for Teddy Bridgewater.

Jimmy Graham signed a 2 year, $16 Million Deal with the Chicago Bears

He may not be as high profile of a player as he was in New Orleans, but Jimmy Graham could help out Trubisky/Foles as a good option. He had a flat season in Green Bay, but he still averages around 50-60 catches, and could be a good check down target. Hopefully Graham can have a couple of good, productive seasons in Chicago. I think that this is going to be Jimmy Graham’s last stop, and maybe he’ll get to end his career on a high note.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2020 Review

We are officially on the home stretch now. With Elimination Chamber behind us, it’s time to prepare for WrestleMania 36, and we now have confirmed what we knew would happen almost a year ago: Becky vs Shayna for the title. Nonetheless, it was still a pretty good show, and the chamber matches weren’t complete trash for a change. Here’s my in-depth review for WWE Elimination Chamber 2020.

Prediction Score: 5-1

Preshow: The Viking Raiders def. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder

Hawkins and Ryder have a pay per view match? Well color me surprised. Erik and Zack Ryder start off the match, and Erik immediately runs Ryder over as Curt Hawkins makes the tag. Ryder gets floored, and hits a high knee and even a back suplex. Ryder tags in and throws Erik out of the ring. Howkins hits a clothesline before an advert for the main event. After the advert, Hawkins and Ryder continue working over the Viking Raiders. Ivar gets the hot tag and goes on a huge tear before tagging Erik back in, who accidentally hits Hawkins with the Rough Ryder, then the Viking Experience, and the Raiders win.

Daniel Bryan def. Drew Gulak

The last time Drew Gulak was in his hometown of Philly, he successfully defended the Cruiserweight championship.This time around, he lost to Daniel Bryan. Gulak takes Bryan down with a fireman’s carry before they exchange arm holds, and Gulak takes Bryan down with a shoulder tackle. Bryan transitioned to a side headlock, and locks in a half crab. Gulak taunts Bryan as the American Dragon gathered his thoughts. Bryan picked Gulak’s ankle and Gulak countered the surfboard, and Gulak locked one in himself, but Bryan escaped. Bryan rains down punches as Gulak locked in a head scissors hold. After more exchanging of holds, Gulak and Bryan fall out of the ring, but they both get back in at a count of eight. Gulak hit a back suplex for a near fall, and Bryan started selling his neck injury as Gulak locked in a full nelson. Bryan hit a Dragon Suplex for a near fall. Gulak takes Bryan to Suplex City, including a German where Bryan landed hard on the back of his head as he rolled out of the ring. Bryan gets back in the ring at a count of nine, and Bryan mounts some comeback offense. Gulak hit an inverted superplex into the Gulock, but Bryan transitioned into the Yes Lock. Gulak passed out, and that was it.

United States Championship Match: Andrade (c) def. Humberto Carrillo

Before the match, they hyped up their history leading up to this point, but skimping over Andrade’s suspension. Andrade hits the ground running with stomps to the corner and an elbow to the face. Humberto hits a dropkick and finally manages to get some offense in. The action starts to pick up, and Andrade takes control with a jawbreaker and a kick to the face. Andrade holds Carrillo down with an arm crank, and sends Humberto to the outside. The champion was going to pull up the protective padding, but Andrade counters and sends the challenger into the ring post. Carrillo finally gets back in the ring, only for Andrade to take Carrillo down. Carrillo dumps Andrade to the outside, and Carrillo finally manages to get some comeback offense. Humberto hits a top rope hurricanrana for a near fall. Carrillo missed the moonsault and ate the double knees for another near fall. VEga got the padding up off the floor while also shoving a cameraman. Humberto countered a Hammerlock DDT attempt with a backdrop, and hits a suicide dive over the top rope. After a series of roll-ups, Andrade retains the United States Championship thanks to some shenanigans with the tights.

Tag Team Elimination Chamber Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships: The Miz & John Morrison (c) def. The Usos vs The New Day vs Lucha House Party vs Heavy Machinery vs Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode

The New Day and The Usos are the first two teams to start out the match and the fighting starts out right away as Kofi goes for an early cover. Kofi had a rare botch, but covered it with a pinfall. The two teams are at a standoff as in comes the Lucha House Party, who botch a couple of hurricanranas and start flying. The Usos light Metalik up with chops, and the LHP get a near fall after three rapid fire moonsaults. E throws both members over the top rope as he throws Kofi onto the LHP. Dorado dodges a Big E shoulder charge, and gets caught in the chamber as he climbs up to the top of the pod. Kofi and Dorado fight on top of the pod, as LHP kick Kofi off the pod. Dorado takes out the Usos, and Metalik takes out New Day. Everyone is down as the next team to come in are the tag team champs, who go right after New Day. Miz and Morrison take out everyone else, and hit a double Alabama Slam for a near fall. Miz hits the IT kicks in the corner as Miz and Morrison continue to decimate the other teams. Metalik goes up to the top of the pod and hits JoMo with a hurricanrana for a near fall. Kofi catches fire and hits the Boom drop to Miz, but The Moz dodged Trouble in Paradise as Morrizon takes Big E down. Kofi hits the Double Stomp-Powerbomb onto Miz as Heavy Machinery make their way into the match and start chucking everyone around. Heavy Machinery are standing tall as he looks right over at Dolph Ziggler. Otis hits the caterpillar as Lince Dorado goes off the top of the chamber to splash on everyone. Heavy Machinery hit the compactor to eliminate Lucha House Party. Ziggler, Roode, Miz, & Morrison team up to take down Heavy Machinery as the crowd chants for Otis. Otis hulks up, but Ziggler escapes. Tucker chucks Dolph down to Otis, and Tucker hits a swanton off the top of the bomb as Otis dances. Otis overpowers Roode and Ziggler, and the big man trucks himself out of the match, through the pod wall as Tucker looks on in horror. Then Tucker is enraged and goes after Roode and Ziggles.  Dolph hits a superkick, Roode hits a Glorious DDT and Heavy Machinery is eliminated. Dolph does the princess wave goodbye as Tucker carries out Otis. Kofi hits Trouble in Paradise, Big E hits the Big Ending, and the Usos hit a double splash off the top of the pod to bring the match down to three: New Day, Usos, and the champs. The first two teams shift their focus to Miz and Morrison. Usos hit superkicks and an alley-oop Samoan Drop for a near fall. Kofi hits a crossbody off the top of the pod and whiffs it, but Miz and Morrison get the pin, eliminating New Day. The last two teams start fighting, and Miz got the knees up on the Uso splash for a near fall. Miz shoves The Usos into each other, hits the Skull Crushing Finale, then transitioned into the Figure Four Leglock as Morrison hits Starship Pain for a near fall. After an assist with the sunset flip, Miz and Morrison retain the Tag Team Titles.

First two teams: The New Day & The Usos

#6: Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode (confirmed)

Most Eliminations: The Miz & John Morrison

No DQ Match: Aleister Black def. AJ Styles

Styles and Black circle each other before AJ goes for a takedown, which Black shrugs off. Black starts to pick AJ’s leg apart while fending off Gallanderson, giving AJ the chance to take out Aleister’s leg. AJ locks in a leg crank, and wallops Black’s leg with a kendo stick. Styles hit a dropkick that sent Aleister all the way out of the ring, and Black countered a forearm with a knee strike. Black must’ve heard Bully Ray because he brought out a table, then got immediately levelled with a chair. AJ hit an enziguri kick and continued to target Black’s leg. Black started to hit some stiff strikes, then AJ manages to lock in the calf crusher, but Black escapes thanks to the kendo stick. Black lefeles AJ with the kendo stick, lighting up the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion. AJ hits the Péle kick. Styles hits a forearm smash and a brainbuster for a near fall. Styles heads up to the top rope, but Black catches him with a knee to the face. Black hits more stiff strikes and the moonsault for a near fall. AJ catches Black midair, and Aleister rolled through the attempted Tombstone, then kicked AJ into a chair that was propped in the corner. Styles sent Black over the announce table. AJ tried to suplex Black through the table, but ended up eating the desk after getting his feet kicked out from under him. Then Black pulled a Sasha Banks and hit a Meteora through the table.Black goes for Black Mass, but Gallanderson come in for the save, who beat Aleister down. Gallanderson hit the Magic Killer, then right as AJ was gonna hit the forearm… GONG! In comes The Undertaker, who hits AJ with a chokeslam, just like Super ShowDown. Then Taker disappears and Black hits the Black Mass for the win.

Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits (c ) def. Seth Rollins and Murphy to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships 

I loved the Street Profits’ entrance as the tag champs, it was pretty fun and got the crowd hyped. As the match started, Murphy and Seth had an exchange of words as Murphy started out the match with Angelo Dawkins. Dawkins lays out Murphy, and makes the tag to Montez Ford. The Profits use quick tags to target Murphy’s arm, even leading the crowd in a ‘we want the smoke’ chant. Murphy manages to make the tag to the Monday Night Messiah, who stomps Ford in the corner. Ford quickens the pace before tagging Murphy back in. Ford continues to target Murphy’s arm and tags in big Dawkins. Dawkins brings Murphy back in the ring, who makes a tag to Seth. Seth capitalizes and hits a chop block. Seth continues to dismantle Dawkins as he tags in Murphy. Big Dawkins throws Murphy over the top rope and makes the hot tag to Ford, who goes on a tear with tons of cool jumps, including a suicide dive over the top rope. With Seth distracting the ref, the Authors of Pain throw Montez into the barricade, only for the Viking Raiders to even up the odds and chase off the AOP. Seth hits a Falcon Arrow for a near fall and tags back in his disciple. Ford fights his way out of the corner, and manages to make the hot tag to Angelo Dawkins, who takes out everyone. Seth hits a slingblade, then the challengers hit double superkicks for a near fall. Murphy almost hits the pedigree, but Rollins tags himself in, then Ford hits a splash and almost got rolled through by Seth. Seth missed the stomp, but hits a buckle bomb, and Dawkins caught Seth mid-suicide dive, and suplexed him on the floor. Ford tags in Dawkins, and Seth does that avalanche spot in the corner. Kevin Owens comes in through the crowd, and sits on the table eating popcorn. Owens shoves popcorn in his face, only for Dawkins to run Rollins over. The Profits catch Murphy mid dive, chuck him in the barricade, then Ford hits the splash for the win. After the match, Kevin Owens hits Seth Rollins with a stunner and continues to eat his popcorn, even dumping some on Murphy.

3 on 1 Handicap Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Sami Zayn def.  Braun Strowman (c), Sami Zayn is the new Intercontinental Champion

I laughed when Braun’s music interrupted Greg Hamilton and he briefly stopped. Sami Zayn told his partners that he was going to face Braun head on. Speaking of, he started the match out against Braun, who immediately tags in Nakamura, who gets floored, and Braun throws Nakamura across the ring. Remember how cool Nakamura was in NXT and New Japan? That seems like an eternity ago at this rate. Thanks to a Zayn distraction, Nakamura hits Braun with a chop block as he tags in the wrestling purist, Cesaro. And Sami kicks Braun while he’s down. Nakamura locks in a sleeper hold on the monster, who fades out to the ground, but Braun powers out. Braun gets some comeback offense in on Cesaro, and runs over Nakamura and rams Cesaro into the crowd, as Zayn hides under the ring. Braun counters the Neutralizer, but Cesaro avoids Braun’s charge, who lands on post. After a Kinshasa, the trio hit a triple team and Sami Zayn is the new Intercontinental Champion. Sami Zayn pinning Braun was his first pinfall victory since May 2019, and his first championship win since he was in NXT.

Elimination Chamber Match where the winner gets a RAW Women’s Championship Match at WrestleMania 36: Shayna Baszler def. Asuka, Liv Morgan, Natalya, Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan

I like how the video package hyped up each of the competitors in the match, as anyone else had much of a chance in the first place. The two women who start out the match are Ruby Riott and Natalya. Natty and Ruby both taunt Liv Morgan as Natty shoves Ruby’s face into the chain, and Natty hits a sharpshooter early. Riott broke it up, shoving Natty neck first into the pod as Becky watches on. Riott shoves Natty’s face into the chamber as she taunts the former members of the Riott Squad. Natty hits an Electric Chair to Riott as in comes the next competitor, Sarah Logan. She immediately hits Natty with the double knees into the pod and then chases after Riott. Natty powerbombs Ruby onto the floor, then Sarah takes everyone out with a crossbody off the top of the pod. Natty powerbombs Sarah and Ruby as the clock ticks down 0. Who comes in next? It’s Shayna Baszler. Everyone dies. Everyone dies. Shayna demolishes Natty, then locks in the Clutch on Sarah, who taps out immediately. Baszler locks in the Clutch on Ruby, who taps out immediately. 2 eliminations in 20 seconds. Shayna kicks the tar out of Natalya, slamming the door onto Natalya and locking in the Kirifuda Clutch. Natty taps out, and Shayna is all by herself as she paces around the ring and taunts Liv Morgan and Asuka. The crowd are booing as the time continues to tick down. The clock hits 0 once again, and it’s Liv Morgan’s turn to die. Morgan puts up a fight, but Shayna literally throws Morgan into the chain wall and the pod. Shayna continues to taunt Asuka while the camera panned back to Becky, who is paying very close attention to Shayna Baszler dissecting Liv Morgan. Shayna chokes Liv out in front of Asuka’s pod, and Morgan passes out as Shayna continues to taunt Asuka while Asuka is mocking the Queen of Spades. Asuka is finally let out of her pod. Two of the longest reigning champions in NXT History finally square off. Asuka knocks Baszler down with the hip attack, but Shayna catches Asuka’s leg, and dissects the Empress of Tomorrow. Asuka hits a kick and even locks in the Asuka lock, but Baszler rolls through, and Asuka locks in the Asuka Lock again. Baszler breaks out and Baszler targets Asuka’s injured left arm, then Asuka powered out of the Clutch. Baszler locks in the Clutch this time around, and Asuka passes out, giving the win to the Queen of Spades and making the Raw Women’s Championship match official at WrestleMania.

First Two: Natalya & Ruby Riott

#6: Asuka

Most Eliminations: Shayna Baszler

Match of the Night: Styles vs Black

Yes, there were the shenanigans with The Undertaker, but that doesn’t change the fact that this was a great match. It was full of great action, and how fantastic Aleister and AJ Styles are. I would really be invested in a proper feud between these guys, but it looks like Styles is going to have his hands full with The Undertaker. The story of both guys working on each other’s legs, trying to neutralize the others’ biggest weapon before the OC comes in and attacks Black, summoning The Deadman.

Overall Review

Not a lot happened on the preshow, except for how weird Peter Rosenberg looks bald. Oh yeah, the Viking Raiders killed Hawkins and Ryder. I guess that happened too. I don’t like how competitive this match was, because the Vikings should be demolishing teams, but this is a case of their huge decline since losing their tag team titles.The show properly kicked off with Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak. It was a pretty good match, and that German was pretty concerning since Bryan landed right on the back of his head. After that match, came a backstage interview with Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. The TV behind Kayla’s head glitched a little bit, and Dolph kept mentioning Mandy Rose, which brought some boos. Next up was Andrade vs Humberto part 123456789. I don’t know what’s next for Humberto. According to a tweet I saw from Sean Ross Sapp, Humberto hasn’t had a pinfall win since December, and has lost four US title matches in the past four or so months. It was a pretty decent match, but it’s getting harder to take Carrillo as a serious contender if he keeps on losing. After the match, Charly Carusso interviewed AJ and we found out that Gallanderson would join AJ at ringside in his match with Aleister Black. After that came an advert for WrestleMania, which is in 28 days. Next up was the Tag Team Chamber match, and it wasn’t even that bad, in fact it was pretty good. Of all the teams to start the match, they couldn’t have picked any better two than The Usos and The New Day. It was a pretty solid match, with Dorado’s shooting star from the top of the pod, and Otis destroying the pod being top highlights of the match. Another backstage interview, this time with Natalya who hopes Edge kicks the crap out of Randy Orton. Next up was the no DQ match between Black and AJ Styles. It was a pretty good match, and we even got a rare sighting from The Undertaker. Looks like AJ is going to make the challenge tomorrow night. The Raw tag team title match was decent. It really made stars out of the Street Profits, who should hopefully have a good, decently long reign as Raw tag champs. Then…. came the handicap match. I mean, I’m happy that Sami Zayn FINALLY has a championship in WWE, but they once again neutered Braun Strowman, who only held the championship for 37 days. The fact that this was Sami’s first pinfall win since May of last year is very concerning. Now came the main event, where Shayna Baszler went on a murdering spree. She eliminated everyone, single handedly. Sarah Logan, Ruby Riott, Natalya, everyone died at the wrath of the Queen of Spades. The crowd were booing the whole time, but I liked it because it makes the most sense. Shayna should murder everyone, because Shayna Baszler is the most legit fighter in the women’s roster, and should be a killing machine.  Now it’s time to rate the show. Honestly, it was a pretty decent show. Outside of the Intercontinental Championship Match, all of the matches were good. The Raw tag title match especially, proves how great the Street Profits are. The AJ-Black match was really good, and this show also had some great moments. Shayna killing people, Undertaker showing up, Otis making the pod explode and Sami Zayn winning his first main roster championship. It was a good show. Not necessarily a great match, but it was still a good match. I’ll rate this show at a 7.5 out of 10. Now nothing else is in our way from WrestleMania. Let’s load up the ships and hope it’s a great show.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2020 Predictions

After the chaos that was WWE Super ShowDown, it looks like we completely forgot that we have a pay per view on Sunday. The last pitstop on the road to WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber is looking to be a very hastily thrown together show that won’t really impact much of the grand WrestleMania picture. Here are my predictions for WWE Elimination Chamber 2020.

3 on 1 Handicap Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: Braun Strowman (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn, and Cesaro

Although I heard that Sami Zayn is still struggling with his shoulder, this is his sixth or so match since he got jumped last year at Money in the Bank, if he’s been cleared, why hasn’t he wrestled more matches? Here’s my question. Since this is a three on one handicap match, should any of them win, who gets the Intercontinental Championship? I think that Cesaro and Nakamura could beat Braun down, and have Sami get some cheap shots in, but Braun is going to overpower them.

Prediction: Braun Strowman retains

United States Championship Match: Andrade ( c) vs Humberto Carrillo

Welcome back Andrade, we missed you during your suspension, although your replacement Angel Garza has done a pretty good job. This is a continuation of after Carrillo wrote Andrade off with a Hammerlock DDT on the concrete way back in January. Of all the matches that are listed on the card, this one would most likely take place on the preshow.

Prediction: Andrade retains

Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits (c ) vs Seth Rollins and Murphy 

Well then, I didn’t expect the Street Profits to win the tag titles on free TV. All seriousness though, I’m glad they’re champions, but I expected them to win the straps on a pay per view. In this hastily thrown together match, they take on Seth and Murphy, who are cashing in on their nonexistent rematch clauses. I think this’ll be a fun match, and what I also think will kick off the show. It’d be a good way to get the crowd going, and a solid way to start the show. I’ll be taking the Street Profits to retain the belts, and go into WrestleMania as the tag team champions. 

Prediction: Street Profits retain

Tag Team Elimination Chamber Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships: Miz & John Morrison (c) vs The Usos vs The New Day vs Lucha House Party vs Heavy Machinery vs Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode

Rather than have a chamber match to see who faces Dadberg at WrestleMania, we’re getting a tag team chamber. If y’all remember the last one, it was a hot mess. Will all of the Lucha House Party be in the chamber? Will Otis kick the tar out of Dolph Ziggler? I really hope so for that second one. As for the predictions, I’ll pick who starts out, who enters last, and who will walk out with the straps. 

First two teams: Lucha House Party vs Heavy Machinery

I don’t expect two big name teams to start out the match, but Lucha House Party could get the action going early with some flippy stuff, but I think that the Lucha House Party will be the first team eliminated because the Lucha House Party haven’t done anything relevant since ever.

#6: Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode

I don’t really know why, but they just feel like a #6 team, ya know? I can see them coming in and trying to get some quick eliminations before getting eliminated by a team like The New Day or the Usos.

Prediction: Miz & Morrison retain

No DQ Match: AJ Styles vs Aleister Black

This match is my personal pick for match of the night. AJ Styles and Aleister Black didn’t really have a proper match thanks to Gallanderson, but I’m hoping that this match gives them a more proper showing because this is a proper dream match. If they give these guys like 15-20 minutes, then this match could be absolutely amazing.  I’m sure this match will have some Gallanderson shenanigans thanks to the no DQ stipulation, but everyone’s expecting an appearance from The Undertaker, but I don’t think he actually shows up. I think AJ will have the match won, but will hear the tolling of the bell, and after he gets distracted, Black capitalizes and gets the W.

Prediction: Black wins thanks to The Undertaker

Elimination Chamber Match where the winner gets a RAW Women’s Championship Match at WrestleMania 36: Liv Morgan vs Ruby Riott vs Sarah Logan vs Shayna Baszler vs Natalya vs Asuka

This is the first time the Riott Squad have been in the same match since last year’s superstar shakeup. But seriously, this is the most predictable chamber match ever. Does anyone else really stand a chance of winning besides Shayna Baszler? My question is whether or not she murders absolutely everyone in the match.

First Two: Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan

Honestly, I’d want the first three people to be the original members of the Riott Squad. It’ll give them all a moment, and a brief preview of what I hope would be a payoff to the breakup of the Riott Squad.

#6: Shayna Baszler

I don’t want any eliminations up until Baszler comes in. Everyone is beaten down, then oh no. The harbinger of doom is in at #6, and everyone dies.

Most Eliminations: Shayna Baszler

Honestly, this chamber match should build just how much of a killing machine Shayna Baszler is. Preferably, she’d eliminate everyone then walk over their carcasses on the way to WrestleMania. 

Winner: Shayna Baszler

2020 XFL Week 5 Predictions

This week means that we’re past the halfway point in the inaugural season for the revived XFL, and that means we’re five more weeks away from playoff XFL football. This should be another good weekend of football as we get ready for spring to fully arrive. Here are my picks for this weekend’s games for the XFL.

Seattle Dragons (1-3) @ Houston Roughnecks (4-0)

The Roughnecks are officially the top team in the state of Texas after narrowly escaping Globe Life Park with a win. They are still the only unbeaten team left for another week, but anything can happen. They are also the only undefeated team left standing as they take on the Seattle Dragons. I’ll give the Dragons credit where credit’s due. They hung in there with St. Louis, at home. They have my respect for that. The Dome isn’t an easy place to play on the road, so they have my props. As for how this game will go, I think Houston stays unbeaten. Maybe by a lot, maybe by a little, but they stay unbeaten.

Prediction: Roughnecks

New York Guardians (2-2) @ Dallas Renegades (2-2)

New York bounced back after that blowout loss in St. Louis with a poor display on offense, but still managing to pick up the win. A win’s a win, but hopefully they’ll have a better performance in Arlington. The Renegades are starting to pick up steam, but unfortunately, Landry Jones hurt his knee on a quarterback sneak, and he’ll be out for at least two weeks. That means it’s either Eric Dungey or Philip Nelson’s time to shine. I’ll be taking the Guardians thanks to some more bad QB play.

Prediction: Guardians

St. Louis BattleHawks (3-1) @ Washington D.C. Defenders (2-2)

I don’t get it. DC’s been terrible the past few weeks. They’ve only scored nine points in their last two losses, and given up 64 points. 64 points in two weeks. They go from one of the hottest starting teams in the XFL to one of the poorest playing teams in the blink of an eye. Things won’t get any easier for them as they take on the BattleHawks, who have won their second straight game. They’re white hot right now, and I think they’ll keep up that momentum with a big win in the Nation’s capital.

Prediction: BattleHawks

Tampa Bay Vipers (1-3) @ LA Wildcats (1-3)

Although the Wildcats had almost 100 more yards of offense and were better all across the board, they lost in a close game to the New York Guardians. Well, the Wildcats are battling another team that’s riding the first year tank in the Tampa Bay Vipers, who finally got their first win of the year last week against the Defenders. This is what I guess will be our version of the Tank Bowl in the XFL, so expect a game of the crappiest quality. I’ll be taking the Wildcats because I think they have the better quarterback, and the Vipers are just plain awful.

Prediction: Wildcats

2020 XFL Week 4 Predictions

Last week was a good week for the XFL, with the first professional football game in St. Louis since the Rams left to return to Los Angeles. The Roughnecks are the only undefeated team left standing, and the question is: how much longer can they keep it up? Let’s see if they manage to escape this weekend unscathed with my predictions for this weekend’s games. 

LA Wildcats (1-2) @ New York Guardians (1-2)

The Wildcats finally got one in the win column, and they did it in dominant fashion. Josh Johnson looked dominant, living up to the preseason MVP hype that was given to him. Another player who was dominant was Martez Carter. Carter had 97 total yards, but scored three touchdowns and was vital for the Wildcats’ dominance. As for the Guardians…. Yeah. They have a problem at quarterback. They played three different quarterbacks in a blowout loss to the BattleHawks. At the rate things are going, this is going to be a long season in the Big Apple. I’m picking the Wildcats to get their second win in a row and keep their momentum going.

Prediction: Wildcats

Seattle Dragons (1-2) @ St. Louis BattleHawks (2-1)

 The Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis was LOUD. The BattleHawks were welcomed back with open arms and the crowd noise played a factor in their big win. They also recorded the first XFL kickoff return TD, and it was a fantastic highlight. I hope that the St. Louis crowd keeps up the noise and intensity, because they were a town that loved football. As for the Dragons, they lost to the Renegades despite a good offensive performance. Although the Dragons have a decent offense, they aren’t winning in St. Louis. The BattleHawks are going to win in a dominant fashion.

Prediction: BattleHawks

Houston Roughnecks (3-0) @ Dallas Renegades (2-1)

Houston is the only undefeated team left, and they look very dominant. Despite that, they look mortal. In the past two weeks, they’ve had very close games, but they still picked up the W. PJ Walker threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns, further proving his candidacy for MVP. The Renegades are rolling after winning back to back games, with Landry Jones throwing for 275 yards and three scores. It’s fitting that the two teams in Texas have the best records in the XFL thus far. THis game is going to be a close fought battle, with the game coming down to whoever has the ball last.  In this Texas civil war, I’m going with the Roughnecks.

Prediction: Roughnecks

Washington D.C. Defenders (2-1) @ Tampa Bay Vipers (0-3)

What the heck happened last week? After riding high for the first two weeks, the Defenders got their teeth kicked in by LA. Now they get the chance to prove that last week wasn’t a fluke against the winless Tampa Bay Vipers, who struggled with Taylor Cornelius and Quentin Flowers while Aaron Murray is recovering from his foot injury. The Vipers need to do something because at this rate, the XFL could have its first winless team in its inaugural season. I’m picking the Defenders to rebound from their loss last week with a dominant win over the Vipers.

Prediction: Defenders

WWE Super ShowDown 2020 Predictions

WWE is returning to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia again, and this time it’s on the Road to WrestleMania. A week and a half before Elimination Chamber. Oh well, I guess this is gonna replace Fastlane or whatever. Either way, this should be forgettable, but who knows, maybe it could set up some WrestleMania programs. Here are my predictions for WWE Super ShowDown 2020.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day (c) vs The Miz & John Morrison

This was a match that everyone was expecting at the Royal Rumble, but I guess it’s happening at Saudi. The Miz and John Morrison have been pretty well as a tag team, they haven’t missed a beat. As much as I like The New Day, and the idea of an Usos-New Day match at WrestleMania for the straps, they have to strike while the iron is hot and give Miz and Morrison the straps.

Prediction: Miz & Morrison win the titles

Tuwaiq Trophy Gauntlet Match: Erick Rowan vs R-Truth vs AJ Styles vs United States Champion Andrade vs Rey Mysterio vs Bobby Lashley

For those of you wondering what Tuwaiq is, it’s an escarpment (a narrow cliff or slope basically) that cuts through the Najd peninsula in central Saudi Arabia. Why is there a trophy named after it? I have no idea, and this gauntlet match seems random. As for who wins this trophy, I think it’ll be AJ Styles because he needs momentum to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania.

First Two: Rey Mysterio and Andrade

If you’re going to have anyone start out this match, it might as well be Rey and Andrade, because they work so well together.

Last One: Bobby Lashley

I just feel like Bobby is going to come out last. I don’t know why, but I just do. Originally, I had him starting the match with Rusev, but Rusev got replaced.

Winner: AJ Styles

Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (c) vs Naomi

This is going to be a really historic match, as for the first time ever women are wrestling a championship match in Saudi Arabia. For those who watched crown jewel, you’ll remember that the crowd was really hot for the match between Natalya and Lacey Evans, and I expect nothing less this time around. Now, I thought this match was going to be at WrestleMania? I thought that Bayley would face Carmella here, but looks like I was wrong. I’m sur that this is going to be a good match, and it’ll be made even better thanks to the Saudi Crowd, and I think they’ll go all-in on the history making and give Naomi the belt here.

Prediction: Naomi Wins

WWE Universal Championship Match: ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt (c) vs Bill Goldberg

If there’s one thing I can guarantee, is that the entrances will be longer than the match itself. This match seems forced, although you can technically say that it’d make sense because The Fiend attacked legends, but still. The only interaction the two have had, Goldberg gutted The Fiend with a spear. For the match itself, it’s going to be maybe 1-3 minutes long. Tons of big moves, and I think the Fiend wins, so he can face maybe Roman or John Cena at Mania. One more thing. Goldberg is getting his rematch, so does that mean Kevin Owens gets his rematch after three years? Knowing WWE? Probably not.

Prediction: Wyatt retains 

Raw Tag Team Championship Match: Seth Rollins & Murphy (c) vs The Street Profits

I was figuring that Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe would be challenging for the titles at SSD, but the Street Profits are a welcome change of pace. Also, why did they drop Buddy Murphy’s first name? I know that Buddy isn’t an ideal first name for a disciple of the Monday Night Messiah and his original name in NXT was Murphy, but still. I think that this’ll be a decent match, and as I stated earlier, I’m glad that the Street Profits are getting a title shot. I think that Seth and Murphy are going to retain the titles thanks to some heel shenanigans.

Prediction: Rollins and Murphy retain

Steel Cage Match: Roman Reigns vs King Corbin

Ugh. I thought this feud was over at the rumble. Why are they keeping this going? There isn’t anything new added to the feud, it’s just Corbin complaining that Roman Reigns should leave Smackdown because he sucks. I don’t care about this match at all, and Roman is going to win because of course he is.

Prediction: Reigns

WWE Championship Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs Ricochet

I’m always down for a new Bork Lazer match, and this has the potential to be a great one. Ricochet is one of the best workers on the roster, and I think he could fit well in this ‘David vs Goliath’ type match. I would be more invested in this match if not for the fact that this is just a pitstop before Mania. We all know that the person who beats the Beast is going to be Drew McIntyre.

Prediction: Lesnar retains

2020 XFL Week 3 Predictions

The XFL season is now in full swing, and it’s obvious that the fans are loving it, and I am too. What I like about the XFL is that it’s giving guys who flamed out in the NFL a second chance, and there are talks of an expansion starting next year. Let’s see how this week is going to play out with my picks for this weekend’s games.

Houston Roughnecks (2-0) @ Tampa Bay Vipers (0-2)

Have you noticed that the XFL’s undefeated teams are playing the XFL’s winless teams? The Roughnecks continued to look impressive after a narrow victory against the BattleHawks. PJ Walker is looking like an early favorite for the league’s MVP. In my opinion it comes down to him and Cardale Jones. Now there’s the Vipers. Once again, the Vipers had more yards, better third down %, and almost 20 more plays, yet they only put up nine points. Aaron Murray got injured in this game, and as a result, former Oklahoma State standout Taylor Cornelius had to finish the game, throwing for 154 yards and two interceptions. The Vipers need to be able to finish drives if they’re going to stand a chance in this league, and I don’t think they stand a chance against the Roughnecks.

Prediction: Roughnecks

Dallas Renegades (1-1) @ Seattle Dragons (1-1)

The Renegades got their first win thanks to Landry Jones, who threw for 306 yards, and a good performance from Cameron Artis-Payne. As long as Jones plays well, the Renegades could be a playoff team. The Renegades are taking a road trip to the Northwest to take on the Seattle Dragons. The Dragons got in the win column last week against the Vipers, despite the struggling Silvers. Seriously, dude only completed seven passes. Still, I think this game could be close because these offenses aren’t exactly consistent, and I’m picking Dallas. 

Prediction: Renegades

New York Guardians (1-1) @ St. Louis BattleHawks(1-1)

Oof. Not a good day to be New York. Not only did they get completely shutout, but QB Matt McGloin badmouthed the game plan at halftime, resulting in getting benched for Marquise Williams. I’m not sure of McGloin’s future in the XFL after throwing his team under the bus like that, but I’m sure his days are numbered. The Guardians take a road trip to St. Louis to take on the BattleHawks. For the first time in more than four years, there will be a pro football game in the city of St. Louis, and I’m sure the stadium is going to be packed.  They hung in there with Houston, putting up 390 total yards and narrowly losing, 28-24. The BattleHawks have potential, and I think they have another strong performance this weekend. I’ll be picking the BattleHawks to win in their home debut. 

Prediction: BattleHawks

Washington D.C. Defenders (2-0) @ Los Angeles Wildcats (0-2)

The beer snake is one of the reasons why I like the Defenders. The DC community has welcomed them with open arms, more than most of the other fanbases. Speaking of the Defenders, DC had another historic performance, putting up the first shutout in league history, beating New York 27-0. The Defenders are looking like the real deal, and could be a force to be reckoned with. On the other side of the coin, the Wildcats are in trouble. Despite a decent performance from Josh Johnson, the Wildcats lost in a close game, 25-18. The Wildcats are going to continue struggling as the Defenders crush them in their first road game.

Prediction: Defenders