Saturday 31 October 2015

Bristol City v Fulham Review: Absolute Treat

Well, that was a pretty standard win overall. Whatever long-term issues there is with Kit Symons- on days like today we can put them to one side. The First-Half was truly great, and the thing is we weren't even ridiculously dominant/on-top- we showed another different side to us in that we were ridiculously clinical today. Between a combination of pressure we put Bristol City under in the First-Half and really pressure they put on themselves- the First-Half was just magical. We did let-up and sat back somewhat in the 2nd Half and we were practically inviting Bristol City to score at times, so the fact we didn't keep the Clean Sheet is a shame- but not really a surprise.

Right then, let's relive it all in great (not really great detail)- starting with the Goals. I should actually say I don't know the exact times of the goals because Bristol City didn't have a scoreboard (I mean really, how does a Championship team in 2015 not have a Scoreboard?!). What I do know for definite is Moussa Dembele is a special player. Husband if you're including winning the Free-Kick got three assists today- and his first one was by far his best. It was great work from Husband to work it through to Dembele and in the form he's in- he simply wasn't missing. I honestly thought we'd blown it for the Second Goal. When we got the break with the ball falling to Tunnicliffe and he laid it off to Cairney with him cutting inside I thought he was going to shoot or any pass he attempted would be intercepted. So when Cairney found Dembele with the pass he did it was a (very) pleasant surprise for Dembele to be found- and as already said, on the form he's on he simply wasn't missing. The Third and Fourth Goals were just "once in a blue moon" type occurrences. It may be because Bristol City were just laughably bad at times in the First Half- or because everything was seemingly "clicking" for us going forward, but I genuinely thought McCormack would score the Free-Kick. The angle for the Free-Kick was perfect, and it was just up to McCormack to actually follow through on it- and he did! Let me just type this out to comprehend it, because I'm running on about 2 Hours Sleep and I've been meeting with a load of relatives. Ryan Tunnicliffe, RYAN TUNNICLIFFE was put through on goal by James Husband and LOBBED the Goalkeeper SUCCESSFULLY and SCORED. Yup. It truly was our day. The Kodjia goal was unfortunate for us, but any realistic Fulham Fan would say the goal was coming. In the 2nd Half we were basically in 1st Gear the whole time, that in turn lead to quite a few mistakes and on another day Kodjia would have rounded Lonergan and just shot and scored a lot earlier than he did.

Speaking of Andy Lonergan, he has a right to be annoyed with the defence when it comes to the Bristol City goal and him losing the Clean Sheet- because by the time they did score we'd completely switched off. On the whole though I thought Lonergan did well, I won't say "good" because despite a few scares I wouldn't say he was properly tested at any point today- and definitely not tested consistently.

The Defence was really weird today, I think we ended up playing about 7 Defenders in the game by the time the Full-Time whistle went. It really is hard to make too much of a judgement on certain players today because Bristol City were generally dire. With that said, you can "only beat what you're up against"- and with that in mind I do have to say Dan Burn did well today. I think the point I've made throughout when it comes to Dan Burn is (through no fault of his own) he's been playing against almost exclusively Strikers who I wouldn't say are Championship quality. See Matt Derbyshire, Marc Antoine-Fortune, That 18 Year Old Blackpool had- and while he has somewhat dispelled that with the Clean Sheet against Boro (although I can't speak for his performance in that game) I think Aaron Wilbraham definitely falls into the prior category. I thought Stearman did pretty well as well today, Stearman and Ream were wearing multiple hats today, with Husband and Fredericks going off it wasn't exactly a settled back line- but for the most part it worked.

As with Stearman, Ream was wearing multiple hats today- but on the whole he coped fine at Left and Centre-Back. I'm not reading too much into it, and Burnley will definitely be a bigger test of us should Kit try and keep as many players who started the game today in the team as possible. Ryan Fredericks was of course coming up against his (very brief) former club today- and on the whole he did really well. I'm hoping he went off in a tactical change as opposed to an enforced one, I haven't looked at much with regard to Post-Match stuff at this moment in time.

The Midfield was quite weird today in all honesty, I was fully prepared to absolutely crucify Kit after he started with Husband at Left-Mid with Ream at Left-Back, but it definitely worked. Husband was absolutely quality going forward today, but that isn't exactly surprising news knowing what we all know. I know Husband went off with a knock, but hopefully it is just that- a knock as opposed to something too bad. I thought Ryan Tunnicliffe did really well today, he of course scored the goal- but then especially First-Half when we were putting the screws to Bristol City and forcing mistakes out of them he was crucial in doing so in the Midfield. I'm honestly not sure what to make of Jamie O'Hara's performance today. I'm in no way saying he played "badly" today, but at the same time I thought he was pretty shaky at times today and (not exclusive to him) he gave the ball away too much at times. Tom Cairney is just a special player really, looking back it may be underwhelming- but at the time I thought the vision from Cairney for the Dembele goal was great, and he just generally played really well going forward.

Right then, we're breaking new ground here- Moussa Dembele is great. I think I may be unique in that opinion- but I'm just going to throw it out there. Dembele is simply just a great Striker- and it's seriously amazing how much he's developed in such a short amount of time. Two or Three Months ago Dembele would have missed the two chances he took today, that isn't an opinion- you just had to be there for the Sheffield Utd game. Dembele really should have had a Hat-Trick today, I was a bit disappointed he came off today in all honesty- especially because it looked like McCormack had a bit of a knock. I wanted him to finally turn his "two goal games" into a Hat-Trick which was there for the taking today- but I won't be complaining too much. McCormack took his Free-Kick today and put it away to perfection- but apart from that he was quite frustrating in my opinion. This was almost perfectly evidenced in the Second Half when he cut inside and then attempted to take on all of the Defenders before actually attempting a shot and had he have just shot we may well have scored 5.

The Subs Kit made were "interesting", but with consolidation being the main priority in the 2nd Half I'm not complaining too much. I'm not sure if the Fredericks Sub was enforced, but either way Christensen came on and was generally fine. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with Stearman playing Right-Back based on today, but I'm definitely not going to focus on the negatives today. Bringing Matt Smith on was good, it gave him an ovation he deserved from the Bristol City fans and from a Fulham perspective it was definitely good to see Smith back on the pitch. As I've already said, I'd have preferred he came on for McCormack- but it's splitting hairs in the grand scheme of things. It was funny with Garbutt coming on, because it looked like we were about to bring on Kacaniklic before he went down and we had to quickly re-shuffle. Either way Garbutt came on and was generally fine, The last few minutes were sort of a blur to be honest- but the goal definitely came from his side although I'm not sure if he could have done any better from it. One for the highlights.

It's hard to read too much into this game, Bristol City at times didn't actually look like they knew what defending was- so while the win and the atmosphere and everything was great it's hard to say whether it'll turn into any long-term success. With that said, we've scored 8 Goals and conceded just 1 since that Orlando Sa goal went in- and some of the goals we scored today were just absolutely sublime.

Thanks for reading as always, we've got a quick turnaround at present- and the Burnley Preview will be going up on Monday so hopefully you'll stay tuned for that one. I stand by my statement that I think the Burnley game is a write-off even after the result today, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Thanks again for reading, have a Happy Halloween- it's times like when you're currently stuck on a Motorway, running on 2 Hours Sleep and just generally exhausted when you realise just how much Football means to you and just how great it really is.

Friday 30 October 2015

Bristol City v Fulham Preview: Cliché Halloween Title

Hello! That's right, the Match Previews are finally back. Unless you were one of the (un)lucky ones who read my Charlton Preview before I took it down this'll be the first Preview since the Wolves one. Heading into the Wolves game we were coming off a game where we scored 4 goals at Home and there was all this talk about us possibly putting a run together and pushing for Playoffs- that turned out well. I think we're (rightly) a lot more pessimistic this time, but at the same time- until the inevitable messing up happens there can be some optimism however misguided it'll most likely turn out to be.

I mentioned it in my Reading Review, but it's worth repeating here- the 4-2 win last Saturday is more of a stay of execution for Kit as far as I'm concerned. Kit bought himself some more time with last weeks win, although I'm not even sure how much of that win was down to Kit to be honest. That "more time" is most likely going to extend to the next three games before the International Break. We've got three really tricky games against Bristol City, Burnley and Birmingham and if we lose 2 out of 3- or all 3 then Kit's gone. Kit's position is so unstable at the moment it's really not fair, but at the same time that's Football- and with Kit failing to deliver consistent results the pressure will keep intensifying. In short, the Reading game gave Kit a "three game contract"- and the results will determine if he goes any further.

The game tomorrow is definitely going to be an interesting one, and despite Bristol City's league position they're definitely on an upswing at the moment and we have to be wary. On the Goalkeeper front, it's definitely going to be an interesting selection for tomorrow. I was definitely happy to see Joe Lewis keep his place in the team for Reading- but after Reading the debate definitely has to be revisited. With Andy Lonergan fit again and Joe Lewis not being a "stand out" against Reading I'd be leaning towards bringing Lonergan back in. That's not to say I'll be complaining if Joe Lewis were to continue, but for me Lonergan is still the #1.

The defensive selection is quite interesting, but at the same time also straightforward. With Jazz Richards out injured, Ryan Fredericks is the natural (and only) replacement to come in at Right-Back and hopefully continue what he was doing for the 2nd Half against Reading. A lot of praise has to go to whomever is in charge of transfers in-terms of squad depth- most likely Mike Rigg and we've been left in a situation where we can have someone like Fredericks fill-in and that's great. Last Week James Husband and Luke Garbutt both had 90 Minutes to "prove" themselves and stake a claim for the Left-Back position- and it's not even close. Husband is head and shoulders above Garbutt based on what I've seen from both, and should definitely keep his place in the team. At this moment in time the only way I see Garbutt getting back into the team is when Husband goes back to Boro- but with no announced expiration date on his Loan it's hard to say when that'll be. The one worry I've got with Husband is the fact he lets so many crosses coming in from his side, and with Wilbraham up-front for Bristol City that could cause us some problems. The Centre-Back pairing should continue as is, with Ream and Stearman and all we can do is hope for the best.

When it comes to going forward, with the Midfield and the Forwards- I don't see why Kit would do anything other than keep to the 4-3-3 we were playing for the 2nd Half against Reading. Especially with Bristol City playing on Monday, we should be doing everything in our power to start off in the way "that" 7(ish) minutes happened last Saturday. The obvious question is who Jamie O'Hara comes in for, and basing it entirely off performances it should be Christensen. A Midfield Three of O'Hara, Tunniciffe and Cairney would be ideal to me- although perhaps a bit too attack-minded for an Away Game. But as I've already said, given we've got a couple of days on them in-terms of preparation for tomorrow's game we should be trying to attack them. If we go to a 4-4-2 then Christensen should also be the one to drop out, it would just also mean Tom Cairney on the right. Tunnicliffe and Cairney can't be a Centre-Mid pairing as a two, and it's going to up to O'Hara to stay deeper than perhaps he wants to at times. I saw Kit saying he's going to "use the whole squad" in these next three games, most likely implying Parker will be getting some time in the next few games- and I'd be looking at bringing him on for the last 25-30 Minutes depending on how the game's going tomorrow.

The "rotating" 4-3-3 of Kacaniklic, McCormack and Dembele just "clicked" last Saturday, as such Kit would be an absolute idiot to not continue it as such. Kacaniklic hasn't had the best of it since he came back in January, there's been a few flashpoints but he just hasn't had a proper run in the team at any stage. After Saturday, there won't be a better chance for Kacaniklic to try and build on his last performance and try and turn it into a run. I'm not necessarily saying he will turn it into a run, but if Kit doesn't give him the opportunity to after last Saturday then he might as well start packing his bags. Then of course Moussa Dembele and McCormack will make up the other two of the three and we can only hope they make a similar impact on the game as they had in the 2nd Half last Saturday.

Dembele is going to be one of the main talking points for a long while, at the very least until he signs a new Contract (hopefully ASAP) and even then he'll be talked about with big clubs in the picture right up until he leaves. Dembele has the most genuine potential of any of our Youth Players to make it at a really big club since Chris Smalling. The sad fact is, we aren't a big enough club to keep hold of him forever- eventually he is going to be sold and we just have to hope that sale date is a bit of a way off.

Team for Bristol City

Tomorrow's game is definitely going to be an interesting one, and it really is hard to call as are most Fulham games to be honest. We're such a schizophrenic team there really isn't a "safe" bet with us most weeks other than a 2 Goals or more bet. If we can perform as a team as we did 2nd Half against Reading with players like Dembele performing to the level they did we'll score goals and we'll most likely win- but there's absolutely nothing to say that we will. In fact if we're going by our seeming formula this season, we've scored 4 Goals at Home and everyone's happy so we're going to absolutely abject tomorrow and lose 3-0. The sad thing is, would that honestly surprise anyone at this point? I know I've said this at various points throughout the season, but these next three games truly are make or break for Kit- and while I'd never want us to lose a game if us losing results in Kit going I definitely won't be complaining.

When I say Kit's effectively on a three game contract I truly mean it. Burnley is pretty much a write off from my point of view, which makes tomorrow's game even more crucial for Kit- because if we're coming back to the Cottage with 0 Points from these next two games and Birmingham get the upper hand (which they most likely will) at some point the crowd will be ready to turn after a small mistake. That in-turn will put further pressure onto the players and force further mistakes and just generally result in a bad performance. But that's for next week, and for tomorrow we just have to hope none of those issues will arise and we come out of the game with another 3 Points.

Thanks for reading as always, I really try to be optimistic- especially after a result like we had against Reading last week but with Fulham at this point I really just can't. With that said, there's always a chance the Reading game may give us a spark and we actually go on a run and climb the Table. Thanks again for reading, and can any of you honestly think of a better way to be spending Halloween than watching Bristol City against Fulham? No? Didn't think so.

Tuesday 27 October 2015

RAW Review: 29th October

Hello! 3 in 3 Days (4 if you read my Fulham ones)! It's crazy isn't it? I made my views clear in the Hell in a Cell Review, Hell in a Cell was great. As a result of said greatness I had a lot of goodwill built up toward the product, which will inevitably be eroded within a month. With that said, I may be a bit more lenient than usual in the Review today as a result of Hell in a Cell. However, it definitely helps that last night's RAW was actually pretty decent.

The Authority & Roman Reigns Promo
As far as opening Authority Promo's go this was far from the worst/most boring one of the year. I'm not sure how much of a positive that is, and it was still far from "good". The stuff with Rollins and his parents in Triple H & Stephanie was hilariously cringeworthy- but I'm pretty sure that was the point. Roman's Promo was, interesting to say the least. Roman Reigns can be a good promo, he has a personality- they just need to stop fucking scripting him and giving him bullshit dialogue.

Roman Reigns v Kofi Kingston- #1 Contender 4-Way Qualifier
This match was actually pretty good. You can tell Roman has a fucked up sense of humour, so him being opposite New Day with all of their wacky shenanigans is perfect. The New Day/Orton dynamic is better, but still. It was way too obvious Roman was winning at least the first match, and that did hinder the match somewhat. With that said, what actually went on during the match was good and it set-up Roman for the 4-Way by beating someone who's actually got some momentum. The one thing that I didn't like about this match, and Roman's performance in general last night was he wasn't selling at all from Hell in a Cell. I realise that isn't a "him" decision, but come on.

Miz plays 2K16 (Part 1)
I found this segment hilarious. Roman Reigns who will be the Face of the Company if those in power have their way has just wrestled. Miz's response is to stop watching RAW and playing a game.

Kevin Owens v Cesaro- #1 Contender 4-Way Qualifer
Would it actually surprise anyone to say this was a really good match? I think it would be more of a surprise if I'd come into this review and buried the fuck out of this match. Yes, Kevin Owens and Cesaro are in fact really good workers. I had one issue with this match, which was otherwise really good. Kevin Owens tried to run away, in a match with #1 Contender for the WWE Title permutations- why not just take the Count-Out Win? I know Cesaro's the "fighting Babyface" but come on. It was nothing on the "Stupid Babyface" scale that peaked later on in the night, but still it annoyed me.

Paige, Charlotte & Becky Lynch Backstage
I'm going to try really, really hard to not rant about this angle last night. This segment on it's own I was actually fine with, I thought all the Paige stuff would in-turn send Becky over the edge (which it still might) and Charlotte would be ending up on her own after Paige would turn in a few weeks. The Becky tease was good, because it opened up the chance of her attacking Natalya- but any goodwill/positivity I had toward the Divas/This angle went away very quickly.

Team Bella v Team PCB
Hate is a strong word. I hated this whole segment with a passion. A Babyface should NEVER be stupid. That's what Heels are for, nobody is going to cheer someone who comes off as stupid. So, the fact Charlotte made the decision to trust Paige- when even within kayfabe everyone knew Paige wasn't sincere makes Charlotte stupid. It's just mental that they actually had Charlotte look as stupid as they did. By the time Paige turned on Charlotte and put her in the PTO I was just thinking "she deserves this for being so stupid". Your Babyface Divas Champion everyone.

Zeb Colter & Alberto Del Rio Promo
This whole Promo made me laugh. I had no clue heading into tonight (and I still don't) when it comes to whether Del Rio is a Babyface or a Heel. The "Mexican America" label for them is hilarious to me because TNA already did that stable- but still, at least it's not something more XXX like the Submission Sorority.

Alberto Del Rio v Neville- #1 Contender 4-Way Qualifier
Again, this match was really good. The one thing that is always a constant with Del Rio is his ring-work. There can be a general level of disinterest in Del Rio as a character, but you'd be hard pressed to find a "bad" Alberto Del Rio match. So on that front, and with a number of exciting new pairings for Del Rio he's in for a good couple of months. The first of those "exciting new pairings" was Neville and it definitely worked out as one. This match was a lot of fun, and really good- but again, would anyone actually expect anything other than that? The finish for this match was perfect, not giving Del Rio a necessarily defined set-up for a finisher is perfect in my book. Obviously to a certain point, but Del Rio just having "brutal kick" as his finish is great for him and his character.

Sheamus, King Barrett & Rusev v Ryback & The Dudleys
This match was fine, it wasn't anything special- but it wasn't "bad" either. The lengths to which they went to establish Ryback & The Dudleys as superior before the finish annoyed me, and at the point Barrett rolled-up Bubba I'd have rather Ryback & The Dudleys just won. The thing that annoyed me about this match was just so stupid. Ryback & The Dudleys are the Babyfaces, so after establishing their superiority for easily 2 Minutes of "just need to get the pin" they decide to introduce A WEAPON which had they have been successful would have been a DQ. Sheamus then tried to get in the ring to stop said heinous illegal attack and that distracted Bubba and then Barrett won WITH A WRESTLING MOVE. Just a reminder, Ryback & The Dudleys were the Babyfaces.

Bray Wyatt Promo/Wyatt Family Attack Kane
I really liked this segment. It's annoying really, because Bray's had to do a rebuilding/reboot job with his character multiple times and he's only been on the Main Roster for about 2 and a Half years. With that said, the stuff with Undertaker being Bray's "resurrection" is great, and as long as the Family- even one of the Family (Strowman) is kept looking like a monster Bray's always going to be a dangerous character. The Promo was actually really good, and the stuff with Kane was good.

I'm not sure if the theme of the next few weeks will be The Wyatt Family dragging off whoever's going to be on Team Undertaker for Survivor Series, but with Reigns being separated from him now it's going to be interesting to see who they go after next. As I said in the Hell in a Cell Review, I want it to be the Dudleys.

Dolph Ziggler v Big E- #1 Contender 4-Way
Out of the 4 #1 Contender matches this was the weakest, but that's not exactly a criticism. I really liked this match on the whole. This was a good back and forth match, and it was actually good because this was the only match where I legitimately didn't know which way they'd be going with. Some people may be saying Cesaro and Owens, but if you thought Cesaro was winning that you're lying to yourself. With that in mind, the false finishes actually meant something. On the whole the fact Big E didn't win for his sake was probably a good thing because he'd have probably died of dehydration despite his refreshments courtesy of Tyler Breeze.

Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose Backstage
Are we even sure Dean Ambrose exists at this point? Are we sure he's not just a figment of Reigns' imagination. The Promo was fine, but Ambrose's character is even more so "Roman Reigns' friend" which is quite annoying. With that said all of these Backstage Promos are setting up DEAN FUCKIN AMBROSE TURNING ON ROMAN FUCKING REIGNS. I'M GOING TO KEEP FUCKING PREDICTING IT.

Komen Segment
This was weird. They had Titus O'Neil leading it which was weird in and of itself. I've got no interest in all the Komen stuff, so I basically turned this into a game of "What Jobbers still have to go to TV every week". I think the weirdest one was Fandango.

Miz plays 2K16 (Part 2)
I loved this segment, and not just because Steve Austin was in it. The first Miz segment was about 30 Minutes in, this one was about 2 and a Half Hours in. The Miz decided he could skip the RAW that was the fall-out from Hell in a Cell and play a game. When within kayfabe people don't give a fuck about the show, why should we?

Roman Reigns v Kevin Owens v Dolph Ziggler v Alberto Del Rio- #1 Contender Match
This match was so ridiculously fun, I loved it. 4-Ways always tread a fine line between chaotic (in a good way) and becoming a clusterfuck. This match toed that line perfectly, and I just completely loved it. Everyone looked great in this match, everyone got in a load of cool moves and even with Reigns winning everyone got in enough to get over from the match. Obviously Reigns was most likely winning- but I'd somehow convinced myself that Reigns wasn't going to win. So, for me all the false finishes actually meant something and with the last 5 or so minutes I nearly hit the roof. It was just so great.

Reigns as #1 Contender is interesting, I can't see them putting the Title on him at Survivor Series- or basically until Mania. So that of course means shenanigans, AMBROSE IS FUCKING TURNING.

This RAW was far from perfect, but it's literally impossible for a Three Hour RAW to not have any weak points. Even with the RAW of the year from my point of view (Montreal), there was one massive misstep (Stardust, R-Truth & Plastic Spiders). On the scale of Three Hour RAW's this was pretty good all in all. We got a number of good to great matches throughout and there was a clear main thread throughout the show. As I said at the beginning, I may just be being more lenient after Hell in a Cell- but I definitely enjoyed last night.

Thanks for reading as always, there's obviously not going to be a Post tomorrow- but please don't panic. I hope you've enjoyed these Posts coming back after a really disjointed month, obviously I'm not as fully "in the zone" as I was before this month- but I'm definitely getting back up to pace now so hopefully I haven't made too many mistakes. Thanks again for reading, as I said I hope you're enjoying these Posts. I don't have anything for my Thursday slot this week- and the suggestion box is still open for those going forward. Just remember, AMBROSE IS FUCKING TURNING.

Monday 26 October 2015

Hell in a Cell Review

Hello! Well, last night was better than expected wasn't it? There's no point holding off on it, last night's PPV was the best PPV that wasn't Wrestlemania this year. There was really only one massive weak point on the card, and that wasn't even necessarily down to those involved in the match. I said going into the PPV that while the build for last night was horrible (and it was), I had reasonably high hopes in-terms of match quality. The matches were good, but not only that- we've had a lot of storyline progression now. Anyway, there's a lot to discuss- so let's get this show on the road.

Pre-Show: Neville, Dolph Ziggler & Cesaro v King Barrett, Sheamus & Rusev
Firstly, it's mental that these 6 guys are wrestling on a Pre-Show- and this match proved as much. I'll talk about it a bit more with Del Rio and the way in which he's booked being key, everyone (including Sheamus) in this match is deserving of so much more than they currently have. Secondly, these Pre-Show matches are the bane of my existence when it comes to Predictions. I realise my Predictions for Main Cards are rarely 100%, but it's a piss take that my Predictions more often than not get fucked before the actual PPV's started. Thirdly, Cesaro was a fucking "superstar" in this match. He was looking so great in this match I was convinced he was taking the Pin- because that's just how it works. So the fact Cesaro not only didn't take the pin, but we had the really cool Triple Team on Barrett to end was a pleasant surprise, even if it did fuck my Predictions.

Alberto Del Rio v John Cena- US Title
I realise I didn't consider Del Rio in my Predictions yesterday, but I did list him as a possibility as a sort of throwaway statement a week ago. Obviously with no Internet last week I still watched RAW, so I thought it'd be a good idea to take notes and put them up once I got the Internet back. In those notes I listed off the 4 possibilities as Samoa Joe, Kofi, Slater and Del Rio. I suppose subconsciously I had that Meltzer thing in the back of my mind about "someone coming back who was unhappy during his previous run" or maybe I'm just psychic. Either way, it wasn't a 100% shock to me.

Now onto stuff that did 100% shock me. Zeb Colter is alive. I thought kayfabe he'd died on the Operating Table after Rusev attacked him. Not only that Zeb's been paired with Alberto fucking Del Rio. While I agree that Del Rio does need a mouthpiece/heater and Ricardo probably wasn't an option given what he's said about Triple H since he's been gone from the company, it's still bizarre. Now onto something that 101% shocked me, Alberto Del Rio beat John Cena- JOHN CENA... CLEAN... WITHOUT CENA KICKING OUT OF ANY FINISHERS. WHAT?! Cena doesn't lose clean often, but Cena's now lost clean as a sheet twice in about 5 Months to two people who are nowhere near the level to which Cena's clean losses are usually reserved for. It was just weird, usually when Cena's taking a loss he HAS to kick out of a million moves- but nothing like that happened. Del Rio just hit a Backstabber, Superkicked him and pinned him. It was the most nonchalant clean loss Cena's taken, probably ever.

Now onto what'll happen basically from tonight. Alberto Del Rio is not a "massive" return, as I alluded to a bit earlier- in many ways he's the Mexican version of Sheamus and/or Randy Orton. If they get a clear direction and an interesting story to supplement their without a doubt good to great ring work they can be one of the main guys in the company. Then, and this was a big problem for Del Rio in his last run- he can also get stale remarkably quickly- and with the way WWE are booking their TV at the minute that seems to be the more likely option going forward. With that said, this PPV has built up a remarkable amount of goodwill with me- so I'm willing to give it a go.

Roman Reigns v Bray Wyatt- Hell in a Cell
This wasn't "Hell in a Cell", as much as it being a Street Fight that just so happened to be in a Cage. I sort of said it in my Predictions when I talked about Strowman potentially ripping the door off- but they couldn't do anything massive or get out of the Cell because they had to protect the Stip for the Taker/Lesnar match later. That also ruled out Roman Spearing Bray through the Cage which I thought would have "made" the match.

With all that said, treating this match as a Street Fight in a Cage and this was great. Apart from the Table spots that blew the Dudleys match later I really liked this match. Roman and Bray both got a number of great spots in on each other- and overall it was just a really good match. In a way I'm happy they didn't match the pure violence of the Taker/Lesnar match later- and in quite a common theme of this PPV nearly all the finishes felt like they meant something. I'm not sure if this'll be the conclusion of this feud, it felt like it- and I'm personally hoping we get Ambrose & Reigns v New Day while The Dudleys enter into the new dynamic we got at the end of the show.

New Day v The Dudleys- Tag Titles
Speaking of New Day, this match was the perfect detox from the Wyatt/Reigns match- and in it's own way equally as good. New Day's gimmick is weird, because they're so good they actually make me happy when they're on TV- so their whole "positive" gimmick in a fucked up way actually works. The Unicorn stuff and their Promo beforehand were just amazing, with Cena taking some time off now depending on how Rollins does in these next two months New Day could legitimately be getting "Superstar of the Year"- yes, all three FREEBIRD RULE.  The match was a lot of fun, and it's left it open for them to revisit the match down the road- although for now I hope they're done given including MSG they've had a number of Title matches now.

Apparently Owens raked Ryback's eyes, but either Owens is such a good heel he managed to even deceive me or I was completely oblivious to it. Either way, New Day actually winning by being Heels on this card meant so much more- and Kofi was amazing in this match.

Charlotte v Nikki Bella- Divas Title
These Divas matches are nothing special, I'll open with that. With that said, in such a basic sort of way these matches are good. It's simple wrestling, The Heel works a body part and gets the heat followed by the Babyface making a comeback- some back and forth and then the finish. It's not hard to do, and especially after the Divas matches on Monday last week I do wonder if there's different agents for the PPV matches and the normal TV matches. There were some good spots in the match as well, but the stuff with Paige being all happy smiley after really pissed me off. Unless Paige's gimmick is that she's got some mental illness and Charlotte and Becky have just accepted that- what the fuck are they doing?

Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns Backstage
This little bit was fun, and it was good they didn't have Roman completely no-selling. The "you know what we've gotta do next" comment was interesting- but I suppose we just have to wait until tonight to find out what it means. I realise speculating is a lot of what Wrestling is- but there really is no use speculating on this front because they can literally do anything with them now. SO AMBROSE WILL FUCKING TURN ON ROMAN FUCKING REIGNS.

Seth Rollins v Kane- WWE Title
This was a Midcard Title match, booked as one- and had a Midcard Title finish. I won't go as far as saying them having Rollins beat Kane clean pissed me off, because I really don't have the energy to care about pretty much anything Rollins does at the moment. With that said, they've basically spent every possible opportunity over the last month to build up "Demon Kane"- and then they just had Rollins put him away clean with one Pedigree and presumably with what happened after Brock/Taker that's that in-terms of Rollins/Kane. I'm not saying they're wrong to do so, but it was just really weird.

Kevin Owens v Ryback- IC Title
This was the one big misstep last night. When the WWE Title match ended there was basically an Hour left, knowing Taker/Brock wasn't going to be ridiculously long given the level of violence there'd be in it and Taker being Taker I thought this match was actually going to get time. I thought it'd be treated as a Semi-Main Event as opposed to the "death spot" match. Then it actually happened. Without knowing the times I think it's a pretty safe bet to say it was the shortest match on the card, they didn't really "click"- and it was over "just like that". I honestly didn't catch the alleged eye rake, but looking back I think I may have just zoned out during this match. Either way, I think last night was the first time Owens Pop-Up Powerbombed Ryback- so at least that was something.

Brock Lesnar v The Undertaker- Hell in a Cell
Fucking hell, this was great. I was expecting a violent match, I love that style in general- so Brock is perfect. What I wasn't expecting was a legitimate Match of the Year contender. I'm not going as far as saying it is the Match of the Year, but it has to be in the running. Ironically next to two other Brock matches from the Rumble and Mania. There's of course others, and I never really settle on something properly until I do it- but for now those are my Top Three.

This match was just pure, amazing violence. I think the spot where it honestly looked like Brock just started to shoot on Taker with punches summed this match up. There were so many taboo elements in this match whether it was the blood (I'm convinced Brock is blading in these matches at this point), them ripping the ring apart (which judging from Bryan Alvarez's tweets was a shoot) and seemingly trying to break the ring it was just so fucking amazing. I was never on the boat of "Taker didn't have it any more" after Wrestlemania 30. He had a fucking Concussion and then went another 20 Minutes, but with that said- even I didn't expect Taker to perform to the level he did tonight. Brock is Brock, he's legitimately special and he needed this win.

The stuff after was just the Cherry on Top of the Cake. I've always been, and most likely always will be a Bray fan. Firstly, this was the first time we've seen all 4 of the Family together- and fuck me they look great as a unit. Bray losing earlier didn't have a massive impact on him, I said it on Twitter at the time him losing the way he did wasn't a massive thing. Then the way they ended this show was just amazing. I know it's Wrestling, but the Main Event legitimately felt a bit like a shoot- then with the Bray stuff and JBL the Heel Commentator basically going off on one about it sort of reinforced that theme. The Bray stuff with Taker is going to be interesting, because there's a number of ways they can go with it- but they've blown off the Bray/Kidnapping Angles like nothing before so I'm not expecting Bray to "condition" Taker or anything.

I think the likely outcome is Team Wyatt v Team Taker at Survivor Series, and while people will be expecting Reigns and Ambrose I think/hope it'll be The Dudleys if it's a 4v4. They can play up a sort of "New Breed" feel to the match given the obvious partner for Taker is Kane. Then if it's 5v5 (and this is 99.9% not going to happen) they may be bringing Sting in- and the 5th Wyatt can be a certain Leo Kruger. That's Fantasy Booking and simply not going to happen, but the thing is there's so many options for this now it's unreal.

Last Night's PPV was just great, in fact looking back over it all it's probably even better than I thought it was going to bed last night. As I've said already, it's developed a remarkable amount of goodwill with me toward the product- and heading into Survivor Series there's a lot to get excited about. In many ways it's like Survivor Series last year that sort of re-energised the Product (from my perspective), so I can't wait to see how they manage to fuck it all up- most likely tonight. With that said, and I use this analogy with Fulham quite a bit "you're only as good as you're last game (on in this case show) so I'm actually excited for a RAW for once.

Thanks for reading as always, I hope now that I've gotten two posts up in two consecutive days (three if you read my Fulham ones) the undoubtedly massive abandonment issues you've all experienced this month can slowly dissipate. As I said, I'm actually looking forward to RAW tonight- so hopefully the RAW Review tomorrow will be a positive one. The thing is after tonight there's such a broad spectrum in-terms of potential ideas/feuds that even the WWE will surely hit the mark on a couple. Thanks again for reading, as I said the RAW Review will be up tomorrow so stay tuned for that- but even on a great PPV like last night I feel somehow unfulfilled. JUSTICE FOR SLATER.

Sunday 25 October 2015

Hell in a Cell Predictions

Hello! It's not been quite as long as the gap between Fulham posts, but still- it's been too long. I don't have to do my Hospital story for this one, and I think I explained it in my RAW Review- but for those unaware I ended up moving the Friday before last and I didn't have the Internet for a week. I know October's been a bad month for Reviews, but all I can do is apologise. Anyway, we're now onto Hell in a Cell- and it's definitely going to be an interesting PPV tonight. I won't say the build has been necessarily "bad", but it's been bad. I don't care about anything on the card, I'm not claiming this statistic- but someone on Reddit worked out that every single match on the card has happened in the last two months. Combine that with just general bad TV and it's not exactly a recipe for success.

Anyway, let's kick this thing off because there's actually a lot of potential in this card.

Pre-Show: Sheamus, Rusev & King Barrett v Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro & Neville
It goes without saying that the unknown in this whole dynamic is Tyler Breeze. I was over the moon that Tyler Breeze got called up, it's been long overdue. I do have some worries about the Breeze gimmick translating onto the Main Roster- but for now I'm willing to push those to the back. With that said, I think they rushed this Breeze call-up. Actually, I don't think- I know. They wouldn't have put Dolph in this match if Breeze was pencilled in to start a feud with him before the PPV.

The fact it's on the Pre-Show is what's bothering me in-terms of the Prediction. The usual law of the Pre-Shows is the Babyface goes over. But, if they're going to do Breeze/Ziggler I can't see a scenario where Breeze and/or Summer don't cost Dolph the match. If this were on the Main Card I wouldn't have any issues with predicting it- as such I will, but I do have my doubts.

I personally can't see it happening, but there's always a chance the Breeze/Ziggler stuff was a one off and Breeze is doing the Open Challenge tonight- but as I said I can't see it happening.
Winner: Sheamus, Rusev & King Barrett

The Dudleys v New Day- Tag Titles
While it's far from a guarantee, I think the Dudleys are getting the Titles tonight. The fact that apart from last Monday they've built up New Day to the point they have makes me think New Day are losing the Tag Titles. I don't think it's necessarily the end of New Day's night (more later), but I don't know what else they can do with this New Day/Dudleys stuff other than New Day dropping the Belts. I know I wanted them to keep building it until TLC, but then I remembered it's WWE and they can't do a long build for anything. Also, this position on the card isn't a coincidence (again, more later). There's a possibility they open with the Reigns/Wyatt match so they can "top and tail" the show with Cell matches, but I don't think they will somehow.
Winner: The Dudleys

Kevin Owens v Ryback- IC Title
I'm praying that the WWE will put Owens over clean here. I said in my Predictions last month that I wanted Owens to go over strong, in the process establishing him as a credible champion and being a good building block to raise the prestige of the IC Title. That didn't happen, but it doesn't mean it can't still happen now. Owens is winning without a doubt, it's just a case of how he wins.
Winner: Kevin Owens

Roman Reigns v Bray Wyatt- Hell in a Cell
This is actually one of the more interesting matches on the card from an outcome perspective. I think Reigns is winning, actually he 99% is. Bray just doesn't win any of his "big" matches, I don't know if it's because he's young or whatever- but he just doesn't. Then you've got Roman Reigns who is, well Roman Reigns- and as we're fast approaching Mania season they're going to try and give him another mega-push most likely starting with a decisive win tonight. If this was the Main Event I'd be predicting shenanigans with Strowman ripping the door off and killing Roman, but it's not- and as such it's a safe bet Reigns will win.
Winner: Roman Reigns

Charlotte v Nikki Bella- Divas Title
While I think Charlotte's winning, or rather praying- I'm genuinely not that sure. Between the Paige stuff that hasn't really had a pay-off yet and the fact Charlotte's been made to look as bad as she has this month (I realise that could also mean she's winning tonight) has made me have doubts. As I say, I do think Charlotte's winning- and hopefully after this Nikki will start to be phased out and we can move forward with Charlotte/Paige or- well, anything else.
Winner: Charlotte

John Cena v ???- US Title
I don't like these sort of matches on a PPV. Especially for something big like Cena's last match in around 6 or 7 weeks. It's the main reason Cyber Sunday didn't work. With that said, I think there's a few different options so I'll look at the 5 possibles from my point of view.

Kofi Kingston- With New Day losing the Tag Titles earlier on in the night- combined with the weird "feud" of sorts between New Day and Cena this one makes a lot of sense to me. We've obviously already had Cena/Xavier and Cena/Big E, so in that respect it seems like a no-brainer that it'll be Cena against Kofi. Then you've got the obvious 3-on-1 dynamic which can come into play should Cena be losing the Title (which, as I've said I'm not sure he is). Overall I actually think this is the most likely option- and looking at Paddy Power they've got it at 20/1, so that might be worth a punt.

Samoa Joe- It's going to be really weird if Breeze and Joe are both called up in the same week given their current feud down in NXT. With that said, I think it could happen- and with Paddy Power as of writing this having him as the favourite to answer the challenge at 8/15 it could be happening. For those of you that don't know, Joe and Cena have some history and to the best of my knowledge they're friends- so with Cena going out for a period of time he may be more willing to drop the Title to one of his friends. I still personally think it'll be Kofi, but I can't say I won't hit the roof if Joe's music plays.

Dean Ambrose- With Orton out of the picture, Ambrose is free to do whatever tonight. SO HE'S TURNING ON ROMAN, but really- I think the idea that Ambrose is somehow going to "replace" Cena during his time off is just weird. They had to shift around the Live Event schedule because Cena was taking time off, and Ambrose is someone with some proper name value- that in no way means WWE are gearing up for an Ambrose push. While I'm not saying there won't be an Ambrose push, it's such a tenuous link that I can't see that as a reason for it. But, with Ambrose free you never know I suppose.

Daniel Bryan- Firstly, I don't want this to happen for a second. I've made my views clear whenever the topic of Bryan wrestling again has been brought up. I know Bryan wants to Wrestle again, but for me it'd be quite uncomfortable. With that said, I've seen it brought up- and he's joint 2nd favourite on Paddy Power so I thought it was worth mentioning.

Heath Slater- This one has bothered me quite a bit. The WWE are acknowledging this Slater stuff because they've been putting various skits up where Slater gets denied the chance. Would it have killed them to just do it? I'm not 100% ruling it out, because stranger things have happened- but this is one of the times where I feel they missed out on a really cool spot.

With all that considered, I think it's either going to be Kofi or Joe. I'm still convinced it'll be Kofi because he's the only one of New Day who hasn't faced Cena in an Open Challenge, combined with the fact the 3-on-1 advantage is enough cause for Cena to lose while still saving face.

I've already discussed Cena taking time off and him possibly not dropping the Title, but I do think he will the more I've thought about it. So, FREEBIRD RULE OVER THE US TITLE IT IS.
Winner: Kofi Kingston (Cena dropping to whomever answers)

Seth Rollins v Kane- WWE Title
I don't think this one needs much explaining. The fact it's not in a Cell means there's a lot of potential for shenanigans and they've already blown the whole "Korporate Kane" gets fired angle and it'll just mean we get Demon Kane 100% of the time. There is a small chance they give the Title to Kane and give him a "thank you" sort of run, but as I say- it's a small chance.
Winner: Seth Rollins

Brock Lesnar v The Undertaker- Hell in a Cell
This is obviously going to be the one that's going to be talked about the most. I'll start this off by saying how I'd book it. I'd literally have Brock kill Taker for 20 Minutes, basically the Cena match- but more violent given it's in a Cell. It depends a lot on how you look at things though. It's been nagging me to a point doing these Predictions that because Taker is most likely retiring at Mania in about 6 Months they might want him to go into it "looking strong". That of course means he'd win tonight, but at the same time Brock CAN'T lose tonight or he's fucked. I do think Brock's going to win, but what I've said about Taker is an idea I just can't shake.
Winner: Brock Lesnar

While the build for the PPV tonight hasn't exactly been great, I do think there's a lot of potential in quite a few of the matches on the card. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see really, but I do have reasonably high hopes for tonight- and that always goes well and never results in disappointment.

Thanks for reading as always, barring anything more annoying happening- these Posts are back now. Obviously with these Predictions, the other half is the Review which'll be up tomorrow so hopefully you'll stay tuned for that. Before that, I hope you tag along on Twitter for my first live-tweeting's in absolutely ages (or at least it's felt like that). Thanks again for reading, and let's hope the WWE does the right thing and HIT'S SLATER'S MUSIC!

Saturday 24 October 2015

Fulham v Reading Review: Boring, Boring Fulham.

Well, I definitely picked a good one to be bringing these Reviews back for. Hello! It's been too long, it really has. Through a variety of different reasons I've ended up missing out on the Charlton, Boro and Leeds Reviews- although you may have seen my Charlton Preview briefly before I took it down because I wasn't happy with it and I couldn't plug it anyway I had such little energy. So, anyway- I didn't see the Charlton game even though it was on Sky because I was in Hospital and I think it's a good thing I didn't given how we blew it. That Charlton game was the breaking point for me with Kit, especially going forward we've seen Preston and I think Brentford today go 2 Goals up against them and not blow it like we did.

Then of course we had the International Break- and coming off the back of it I was moving and therefore didn't get to see the Boro game either, but it was a good point without a doubt. I'll talk about this more a bit later on- but in the case of Boro and today's game we've caught them at good times and that can't go without mention when discussing the results. Then we moved onto Leeds, and very unfortunately I was actually watching that game- the less said about it the better. I was actually hoping to get a Preview up yesterday, but in short BT didn't want me to seemingly. Now we're moving onto today's game- and WHAT A GAME.

It was all business as usual for the first 46/47 Minutes. I suppose it helps we won, but you have to give a lot of credit to Reading for their first goal. It was a ridiculously fast-paced move timed perfectly and Piazon was in the right place to put it away. I'm honestly not sure how to feel when it comes to Reading's 2nd goal, again with hindsight. On the one hand it was a really bad goal to concede, Cairney and Ream have to take equal blame for it- Cairney for giving the ball away and then Ream for his shocking defending. Then in a really weird way that Orlando Sa goal was the best thing that could have happened for us.

I don't know if it was the fact Sa celebrated like he did or there was a "nothing to lose" attitude taken- either way that 2nd Goal was the catalyst for us. McCormack is always going to score goals, even when he isn't necessarily playing well he'll always pop up with goals. McCormack's goal today was just great, the level of skill for him to do what he did for the goal was just great- and in many ways summed up the 10 Minutes given the way it just seemed to work. On the theme of it just suddenly working for us in that little spell, Dembele's goals weren't 30 Yard Screamers today- or necessarily "impressive. However, what he did show for his 1st Goal was his desire to get stuck in for the team and it massively paid off for him today. I said earlier about how quick Reading's 1st Goal was, and Kacaniklic's goal was just great in that respect for us. The pace at which we won the ball and moved it forward was the primary reason Kacaniklic ended up being able to run into the space he did and put it away. The 4th Goal to cap it all off was another good move from us, McCormack's assist for Dembele was great- and in the form Dembele's in he was never going to miss it.

Joe Lewis had an interesting game today. He wasn't called on nearly as much as he was on Wednesday- and yet he's ended up conceding more goals today than he did against Leeds. I was actually happy to see Lewis continue, I can't speak for how he did when he came on against Boro- but he earned his place in the team after Wednesday, and it was good of Kit to pick him on merit for today's game. I don't think he could have done much for either Reading goal today- but in a definite positive for this season we've got competition for places and Lonergan may be coming back in next week.

The Defence was really weird today. Reading simply weren't good today, the move for their 1st Goal was good- but they were lacking quite a bit throughout. The Jazz Richards injury was obviously unfortunate for him, he's taken quite a few of those sort of tackles this season- and with the Peter Crouch one a Month ago and now this one he's been really unlucky. As I've already said, Tim Ream should have done better for Sa's goal- I don't know what he thought he was doing when he just stood off him to the degree he did. However, on the whole I thought Ream coped well although with Sa, Blackman and Vydra on the pitch I thought we'd be challenged a lot more than we were defensively. The same can be said for Stearman in-terms of on the pitch stuff, but it's just great to see how much it genuinely means to Stearman seeing him celebrate the way he does and just generally caring. I can't speak for how well (or not) Garbutt did at Boro, with that said Husband being left out for him on Wednesday surprised me- and Garbutt's performance didn't exactly help his cause. So to see Husband back in the team was nice, and he definitely put in a performance worthy of keeping his place for next week. It's not a new issue, but he does have to work at preventing crosses coming in from his side- but on the whole I thought he played well.

Ryan Fredericks is turning into one of our better signings this season. Kacaniklic has Pace undoubtedly- but he isn't necessarily a player we can rely on, with that in mind Fredericks really gives us another dimension. The fact he actually tries to take players on AND SUCCEEDS IN DOING SO most of the time is absolutely mind-blowing. Depending on Richards he may well be going back to his (brief) Former-Club next week playing Right-Back and I don't have any issues with that. I think the best way to describe Tunnicliffe today is "solid". Especially First-Half the lack of cover for the defence was an issue, Tunnicliffe and Cairney not really being able to play that role- but obviously as we went more attacking 2nd Half that became less of a problem. Cairney actually looked uncharacteristically unsure of himself at times today. I'm not saying he played badly today, and especially long-term him playing centrally will pay-off should we keep doing it- but relative to what he's shown he's capable of it wasn't his best game in a Fulham shirt. Christensen's been one of the more frustrating players this season. I think it's because he's shown he can actually perform to a ridiculously high level for an extended period of time as he did for Kit's first three months in charge. With that said, I thought Christensen played fine today, without being outstanding or anything.

Moussa Dembele is a truly special player. I know I've said it before- as has, well pretty much everyone else but it's worth repeating. The Leeds game really annoyed me, because the Ref basically tried to neuter him with the way he was punishing him for pretty much every ball he tried to challenge for. I'm not saying because he plays for Fulham let him do whatever, but some of the decisions made against Dembele on Wednesday were ridiculous and made his head drop. Dembele was great today. Players like Dembele win games, and given his age it's ridiculous how much he's developed already. Obviously not being on the Internet for a week I was sort of cut-off, I did see the thing about Dembele supposedly signing a new 4-Year Deal. All I can say is, I hope that's true- because the longer we hold onto Dembele the better. As with Dembele, players like McCormack win games. When we basically ended up with a rotating 4-3-3 of McCormack, Dembele and Kacaniklic I thought McCormack played really well and he made his goal look so much easier than it actually was and his assist for the 4th was great.

Kit only made one sub today, but it definitely made an impact on the game. As I've already said, Kacaniklic isn't someone we can necessarily rely on and as I've said repeatedly this season he's looked shot for confidence. That 2nd Half may well have given us a player capable of being as good as any in the Championship back. I'm not even sure what happened, but Kacaniklic in the 2nd Half was so far above anything he's offered since he came back in January. He was just great when he came on, and while it won't happen overnight- I'm praying Kit will start him in a "make or break" sort of run because if Kacaniklic can translate that 2nd Half into consistent performances to that level we'll massively reap the benefits.

Obviously it's not a big thing, but at around 80/85 Minutes I'd have brought on Scott Parker. He's got to start getting game-time at some point after all. Especially with Cairney taking the Advertising Board knock, being where I am in the ground I had nearly the perfect view for it and it was a bad one. We're going to need to put in a new Electronic Advertising Board thing, I think it traumatised a Ball Boy and Cairney will be feeling that one for the next few days.

Today's game, I won't say has saved Kit- I think it's more of a stay of execution. We've got the players capable of putting 4 past decent teams like Reading and QPR, but Kit's tactical knowledge- or lack thereof will be shown up more often than not. I've seen some people saying how we're "unbeaten in 4" which is factually accurate, however it's how you look at things- I say we're nearly in November and we've won 3 games since the start of September. It's still a week-to-week thing for Kit, which just isn't good for the Club, the Players, the Fans or him. If we lose to Bristol City next week the pressure will be back on, and after Burnley if we're back at the Cottage with 0 Points from 6 for Birmingham the crowd will be ready to turn just as they did today (albeit briefly with McCormack's goal) and the questions over his future will be as strong as ever.

Thanks for reading, obviously there's been a bit of an extended break- but barring trips to the Hospital these Reviews should be back now. Today's game truly was mental, and it featured without a doubt the best 10 minute sequence of Football there'll be all weekend. This Review could have turned out very differently to the way it has both going 2-0 down and then when Fredericks cleared the ball off the line at 3-2. Thankfully it didn't and we're moving onto Bristol City with a win. Thanks again for reading, I can only apologise for basically missing 6 Fulham Posts this month- but I hope you understand why. Kit's safe for another week.

Tuesday 13 October 2015

RAW Review: 12th October

Hello! That's right, the RAW Review's are back baybay! It's been a really weird week and a bit for me if you weren't aware, but the RAW Review's are back now. Well, I say they're back I may end up missing next weeks Review as well because I'm moving this Friday and I might not have the Internet for "up to a week". We'll put a pin in that one for the time being though, let's focus on last night's RAW- and it was definitely a thing.

Kane Backstage
First things first, I'm not going to do each Kane segment individually- I'll do this one and the Main Event. Kane was in SEVEN little Backstage Skits. SEVEN. They ranged from stupid to less stupid, but I did get some enjoyment out of a couple- so I won't say they were a complete waste. Kane "gets it" with regard to comedic timing, while last night wasn't his best work- it was still good. The stuff with Triple H and Stephanie not being able to get to the arena was weird, especially in hindsight because I thought the pay-off in the Main Event would have been different.

Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose & The New Day Promo
This was quite fun, as is the case with pretty much every segment New Day are in. When Ambrose and Orton were out there on their own I REALLY wasn't getting into it. Both Ambrose and Orton are good Promos without a doubt, but the dialogue they were given was just stupidly awkward and handcuffed both guys massively. New Day came out and were their usual selves, which of course made it great. One dynamic I'm praying they explore more is New Day and Orton. This was the case in the Montreal RAW as well, Randy Orton as the guy who doesn't take any bullshit opposite New Day being New Day with Orton sarcastically playing along is always money.

New Day v Randy Orton & Dean Ambrose
It's not that this match was bad, and to a point I wouldn't have minded Orton & Ambrose dominating New Day with their dysfunction. The point it crossed the line for me was when Kofi tagged in and ran into an Elbow from Orton and Ambrose who were arguing. Just a reminder, Kofi is a Tag Team Champion. I realise New Day are, well New Day- but come on. As I said though, on the whole this match was fine, and it had some cool spots with the finish they obviously wanted Hell in a Cell in mind. I'm honestly not sure who's going to turn at Hell in a Cell, I'm not sure if I'm saying Ambrose turning because I've been going on about it for a while. Either way, both guys would benefit from a Heel run so it's not a massive issue in-terms of who turns.

Nikki Bella v Naomi
This was the point I just checked out during last night's RAW and I didn't come back. How stupid are WWE? It's not a case of "if" WWE are stupid, it's a case of how stupid. WWE actively acknowledged the Sasha Banks/Bayley match and the video package they put together made it look like the best match ever. Then the match they give us is Nikki Bella against Naomi. The crowd didn't care about anything, except Sasha Banks- the one thing I have to give them is they acknowledged that would happen and used it for the finish. The problem with that, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED NOBODY WOULD CARE ABOUT ANYONE EXCEPT SASHA- SO WHY WASN'T SHE WRESTLING?! This is a rare occasion where two Wrestlers are sent out by people knowing that they'll fail.

Paige Backstage Promo
This whole thing was just odd. I hope for the sake of my sanity the idea to plug Payday in the way they did was Paydays idea. Also, I had no fucking clue what Payday was until last night. When they first said it I thought it was one of those Loan Companies that have ridiculous interest rates.

John Cena v Dolph Ziggler
I don't know what the plan is for Cena and the time off with regard to the US Title. It's funny how a lot of people have assumed Cena's going to drop the US Title, when really there's no guarantee- or really a need for him to do so. I don't see the need for Cena to drop the US Title when there isn't really someone who'll do anything apart from take the Title backwards until Cena inevitably comes back and wins it back anyway. That said, should Cena be dropping the Belt they've royally fucked up the Dolph stuff after last night. Dolph literally did every possible move and Cena kicked out of it all, Dolph even resorted to Heel tactics (which I thought was the finish) so that spot's blown should Ziggler be winning the Belt. Then Cena just needed 1 AA and pinned him. It was a really fun match, especially when the false finishes actually meant something- and the way it was presented made you think Dolph could actually win. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the match, but now Cena's won Clean even after Dolph Heel'd it up I don't know where they go now. IT'S SLATER TIME BAYBAY!

The Dudleys v The Ascension
This wasn't much, but for what it was it was perfectly acceptable and it put the Dudleys over. I'm not sure why the Dudleys need squash matches at this stage in their return- but hey.

Sheamus & King Barrett v Neville & Cesaro
This was a battle between 4 of the most misused guys in the company, and yes Sheamus is misused- that's not a debate. This match was good, but with these 4 guys if it weren't good I think that would be more noteworthy. I've got absolutely no clue where they're going with this, but as said I'm pretty sure that's the point of this whole thing.

Roman Reigns v Braun Strowman
Reigns' Promo was actually decent prior to this match. You wouldn't know it what with the Chicago Crowd basically being idiotic and trying to put themselves over. I said it last night and I'll say it again now, the Chicago Crowd is painfully overrated by some- seemingly entirely because of that Money in the Bank. I'm not saying they're not a good crowd, they're miles better than some- but they're no different to half a dozen other "smarky" towns.

I'm not saying Strowman's good, because he's not. With that said, he's improved every single time I've seen him- and a lot has to be said for that. You have to give a lot of credit to Reigns for how he worked the match, it got both guys over in the way they were meant to- and Reigns' offence looked good because they actually built up to it so when he did things like the Superman Punch it meant something. The Countout finish with Roman winning caught me off guard I will admit, but it was a good way to get Roman over while protecting Strowman to an extent because he was up immediately after the 10 Count.

Ryback v Rusev
I hated this segment. I hated it for multiple reasons. They've basically blown off the Rusev/Summer angle before Lana could even get back because of TMZ. Stupid. How they're going to explain Rusev doing his best to torment Lana and vice versa I don't have a fucking clue. This segment managed to actively piss me off, and I'll be even more pissed if they don't have anything for Summer after this thing blows over because she really deserves to be featured every week. This of course would have happened if they'd HAVE DONE THE FUCKING TURN WHILE ZIGGLER WAS STILL INVOLVED. A Heel Ziggler chasing Cena for the US Title with Summer in his corner would have been good TV, but no instead they just ignored the whole shoe angle and now it's all fucked.

Kevin Owens v Kalisto
All of this was fun, Owens is great- although I'm not sure if he should have been allowed to wrestling in his own words a "12 Year Old". The one thing that annoyed me about this, and it isn't anyone involved in this segment's fault. The WWE are supposedly trying to get Del Rio back because they need a Top Latino guy so they can get better penetration in Mexico etc. meanwhile Kalisto's losing in about 4 Minutes. Kalisto can be the next Mysterio, they just need to treat him as such.

Brie Bella & Alicia Fox v Charlotte & Becky Lynch
More stupidity! This time Charlotte was made to look like shit. DIVAS REVOLUTION! The actual match was tolerable, I can't say anything more than that because- well Brie. The finish just blew my mind with how monumentally stupid it was. Nikki basically slapped Charlotte, I think she was trying to do the Misawa Elbow but someone wasn't in the right place so it didn't look good. Then Brie does a Missile Dropkick, WITHOUT EVEN SCREAMING "BRIE MODE" and pins Charlotte. I hate this show. Paige was also there.

Rollins, Big Show & Kane Backstage
I thought I'd include this Backstage Segment as a separate one just because it wasn't Kane on the Phone. It was fine, I think the biggest talking point from this RAW in all honesty was the fact Rollins wasn't in 10 Billion Segments last night. Whether that's a good or a bad thing in terms of how the company view him I don't know. Although I get the feeling if the Ratings are up this week then it won't be long before Rollins is dropping the Title.

Kane v Seth Rollins- Lumberjack Match
I honestly don't know how to feel about this match. Kane pinning Rollins was weird, especially because "Demon" Kane has been ripping shit up since he returned he didn't "need" the win at all. Especially basically clean after multiple people tried to kill him. With that said, for what the match was- it was fine. The sit-up spot with Kane and Big E was really good. I'm not sure how Big Show's going to factor into it all, I hope his involvement is minimal. If there was a Betting Website that took this bet, I'd be telling you to put money on there being a "Cell Door ripped off" Spot at Hell in a Cell either with Big Show or Strowman.

The only thing that annoyed me about this whole match wasn't even something to do with the match. The thing with Steph and Trips telling Korporate Kane he wasn't allowed to be in the Main Event against Rollins and then Demon Kane being in the match has just blown their whole stipulation for Hell in a Cell. They're now firmly established Demon and Korporate Kane as separate entities, so when Korporate Kane is fired it has no effect over Demon Kane. What a great stipulation!

Overall this RAW wasn't very good, not much happened- which isn't fine but at the same time we're in the dead zone between the two PPVs. I'm not saying it's right that they do this, but WWE only really book the night after a PPV and then the week before the PPV. In between a lot of shit happens, and not much of it makes sense. Then when you factor in the bad crowd and there wasn't much to hold my attention last night. Next week does look interesting though, because judging by the Photos they used to plug next week Long-Hair Taker is back!

Thanks for reading as always, I know this won't affect some of you- but apologies for it being up later than usual. I had a Hospital Appointment that took longer than I thought it would hence the delay. Next Weeks Review is up in the air because I'm not sure if I'll have the Internet, so I'll let you guys know on Twitter when I'm moving and then hopefully when I'm back on in-time for the RAW Review next week. If I'm not, I can only apologise. With me being done with Impact I'm open to suggestions for the Thursday Slot which has opened up- I'm tempted to bring the Booking Blogs back because there's a few ones I think would be fun. However time might be an issue with those, especially if I wanted them to be weekly. So yeah, open to suggestions on that front. Thanks again for reading, I hope you enjoyed the Review and I hope you have a good week.

Thursday 8 October 2015

NXT Takeover: Respect Review

Hello! That's right, the Reviews are back. If you haven't been following along this weekend on Twitter, boy you've missed out. Obviously I missed out on the MSG, Bound for Glory and RAW Review's in the last few days, I won't get into too much detail because I want to move on now- but I was in Hospital over the weekend with a bad virus after collapsing. But now we're back for Takeover, and it was definitely a good one to come back in for- so let's just get this thing on the road.

Finn Balor & Samoa Joe v The Mechanics- Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final
This match was quite strange, or at least to me it was. Firstly, I'm not saying this wasn't a good match- there genuinely wasn't a bad match on the show last night. With that said, Finn Balor is the NXT Champion. Finn Balor was also the one taking all of the heat in this match, meaning DASH WILDER AND SCOTT DAWSON were dominating the NXT Champion in-ring for I'd guess 5 or 6 minutes. I realise this is all hindsight, but they did the leg angle which I thought was fair enough- but it really led to nothing which made it even worse for me. As I said though, this was a good match without a doubt and it did get The Mechanics over as legitimate threats going forward.

Rhyno & Baron Corbin v Chad Gable & Jason Jordan- Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final
This match was great. I will go as far as saying it was my favourite match on the card last night. No joke. It was actually so good that I didn't even really mind when Rhyno & Corbin won. Chad Gable as a full-on NXT developed guy could seriously be one of the best we've seen. Gable is a star. Hindsight is always 20/20, and after sleeping on it I'm especially in favour of the decision for Rhyno & Corbin to win. Joe & Balor needed to be the Babyfaces in the Final, so they really needed a "proper" Heel team to overcome in said Final which Gable & Jordan simply aren't- they're too good. So in short, Chad Gable is great and the finish wasn't that bad. Even Corbin looked really good, and it was by far and a way his best End of Days (most likely thanks to Gable).

Asuka v Dana Brooke
I genuinely really liked this match, and that wasn't just because of Asuka. Dana Brooke's learning curve is just ridiculous. People like to hate Dana, which I understand to a point- but nobody can say Dana wasn't good last night. I genuinely (and you can go back over my Tweets) saw something in Dana Brooke pretty early on, I think it was because of the No-Hands Flip she does which blows my mind- but still. This match was perfect for it's intended purpose, and established Asuka as a legitimate threat to- well anyone. The only thing that would have made this better would have been if Devin came out after Dana had been killed and patted Dana on the head.

Apollo Crews v Tyler Breeze
I'm starting to feel sorry for Tyler to be honest. I think someone had a statistic that he's Won 1, Lost 6 from the Takeover's. It's becoming pretty clear the Breeze is pretty much the Jericho of NXT- but without the prior success. That said, this match was still good. It's amazing to me how Vince didn't take one look at Apollo Crews and instantly call him up, because he literally has everything. Overall I'd say this match was the weakest on the card, but that's not in any way taking away from the quality of the match- and it's more to do with the lack of build/interest in it all.

Finn Balor & Samoa Joe v Rhyno & Baron Corbin- Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final
To be perfectly honest, this match was at the low end on the card in-terms of match quality. Granted, it was the second match of the night for all four guys- but still. It was funny because I thought this was the shortest match out of the three Tag Matches last night but going to Wikipedia it was the longest. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing though to be honest. As I said earlier, I'm happy with Rhyno & Corbin being in the Final for this thing because it gave Balor & Joe something to overcome. The simple fact is, Joe would make Gable look like a child if they stood next to each other. Contrast that to Rhyno & Corbin as the two "bullies" of the Tournament and the story fits. Overall this match was good, as every match on this card was- but it was less good than a number of the other matches on the card.

The stuff after with the Trophy and the Rhodes Family was nice. I know my minds been warped from too much Wrestling, but right up until they cut away I was expecting shenanigans. Whether it was James Storm or Balor/Joe turning on each other. I'm not saying it wasn't a nice moment, but with emotions being that high with all the Dusty stuff I would have had the turn happen then. It'll also be interesting to see if James Storm shows up at the NXT Tapings which are presumably happening in the next few days because I'm not sure if they're going to have Joe/Balor after last night.

Bayley v Sasha Banks- NXT Womens Title 30 Minute Iron-Man Match
I feel like there's a number of points that need to be made in this match. Firstly, the billing of it being an "Iron-Man" match. I saw some people questioning it- but it didn't bother me because it wasn't relegating it to a Womens Match, it was a clear message saying this is going to be treated the same as a Mens Match. This goes to my main point for this section, and it's a point I've ended up making a few times in these Takeover Womens Match sections. This wasn't a great Womens match, this was a great match. No conditioning on it being a Womens match.

The story they told for this 30 Minutes was just outstanding, the finish summed it all up perfectly- Bayley was trying to out Sasha, Sasha. All of the stuff happening basically getting Bayley to unleash a vicious streak was just phenomenal story telling. The stuff with Izzy was just next-level heat stuff, and when it happened it was a legitimate "holy shit, that happened" moment. The Izzy stuff was genuine, raw emotion that this business craves. This business lives off of it, and it was just all great.

As I've already said, however great it was- it wasn't my favourite match on the card. Note I've said favourite and not best, and this match was just great. I'm assuming Sasha's done in NXT now, which I think is a pretty fair assumption and it's amazing how she's developed from the girl in-front of the mirror with Summer Rae over her shoulder into without a doubt the best Heel going in WWE.

Overall this Takeover was definitely one of the better one's we've had. Everyone on the card had a fair chance to shine, and the majority of them did. Obviously some shone more than others, because they're great (and also Ready, Willing and Gable) but everyone to some degree shone last night.

You'll notice there's no Impact Review, and I think going to Hospital and watching a part of Bound for Glory with an IV in was what I needed for a moment of clarity. I'm officially done with TNA, the stuff with Matt Hardy and the Title just broke me with how monumentally stupid it was. There won't be any more Impact Reviews. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the Thursday Review slot, if anything- I suppose that's for next week. If you've got a suggestion feel free to, well suggest it.

Thanks for reading as always. I know it's been a weird week for these Reviews- but hopefully you understand why I've had to miss a few and you haven't missed them too much. They're obviously back now barring another trip/stay in Kingston Hospital, and hopefully you'll stay tuned for the future one's with Hell in a Cell fast approaching. Thanks again for reading, I hope you have a good weekend- it can't be much worse than the one I've just had.

Thursday 1 October 2015

Destination Impact Review: 30th September

Hello! That's right, the Impact Reviews are back baybay! I know I missed last week, and there's obviously people who do read them- so if you read the Impact Reviews exclusively then I can only apologise. The fact is, last week was just a nothing episode and the Review would have only been me getting angry. I simply can't care about Impact any more, so when it genuinely was a choice out of doing an Impact Review or doing a Preview for one of Fulham's biggest games of the season- Fulham wins every time. There's no time to waste, this Review is of course of the last TNA show before Bound for Glory- and it's also the last Review of the mammoth set of Tapings TNA did. After Bound for Glory depending on what they decide to air for the rest of their Destination America run these Impact/TNA Reviews may well be stopping. So, let's get on with possibly the last Impact Review for a while.

EC3, Dixie, Drew Galloway Promo
This segment was actually pretty good. EC3 is very good, and Galloway is decent as well. The problem I had with this segment, and really the show last night. IT'S STILL FOCUSED ON DIXIE FUCKING CARTER. I thought after the TNA/GFW angle she'd have moved to the back of the picture a bit more, but no- I'm pretty sure last night she was featured in more segments than the Impact's during the Invasion Angle. I said it two weeks ago, I simply can't care about a show where it's main focus is Dixie Carter. Also, this segment featured the worst and most blatant piped in booing ever.

James Storm Backstage Promo
Again, this was pretty good. I simply don't care about Shera- but Storm's still good and he's trying his best to get this angle over. I'm not saying he's succeeded, but he's trying.

EC3 & Dixie Backstage
That's two Dixie segments out of three.

Mahabali Shera v James Storm- No DQ Match
This match was all kinds of just stupid. I'm not going to blame either guy involved in the match, I'm going to blame whoever's writing the show and then the agent who put the match together. Before we reached the crescendo it was an above average match, I won't say good- but still it wasn't anything that I could complain about either. Then it all just went horribly wrong. Firstly, Storm got a Beer Bottle out and being the vicious Heel he is he decided to do a "beer mist" rather than hit him with the Bottle. Stupid. Then Storm did a Cow Bell to the Head and then a Table Spot with Shera Kicking Out. Great. Storm then smashed a beer bottle and was going to I suppose stab Shera, which in a No DQ match is of course a perfectly legal thing to do and obviously would mean Storm wins. The Revolution then come out, and what ensued was a 2-on-1 beat-down of the Heel to ensure that the Babyface would win. Stupid.

Nobody got over from this segment. Shera couldn't beat Storm on his own, Storm obviously lost and Abyss and Manik could only get the better of Storm in a 2-on-1 attack. Stupid.

Dixie Carter Backstage Promo
Three Dixie segments out of five. This one was funny because we were about 30 Minutes into the show at this point and the Table for 3 thing on the Network had just finished so I got up to get my remote to turn the Network off, and when I came back Dixie was still talking.

Bobby Roode Promo
I really like Bobby Roode, I don't think there's many who don't. But the King of the Mountain Title is just stupid, I don't care how much Roode tries to put it over- and fuck me did he try in this Promo. Roode and Lashley should be good on Sunday, so this segment wasn't a complete waste- but these two feuding over this Belt is just a waste of both guys.

Dollhouse Promo
This Promo was stupid. It did set-up what happened later on in the match in that Taryn said she had a "plan", but that was stupid as well.

Trevor Lee v DJ Z v Rick Ru- Tommaso Ciampa
The Ciampa stuff was funny, and in a rare event- TNA actually didn't do something stupid/get fucked over. That would of course have been the case if Ciampa had won and gone over two (I think Lee's signed) TNA Talents. The match wasn't much, all three guys tried their best and there was definite flippy shit. Again, the only problem I had to do with this segment isn't anything to do with the guys involved.

They put over the fact Trevor Lee was still around after the GFW stuff because Lee & Myers have a MANDATORY Rematch Clause for the Titles seeing as they lost them. This on the same show where they were hyping up Gail Kim v KONG after Gail beat BROOKE for the Title. Now that I think about it I'm pretty sure Taryn didn't even get her Rematch. Yay TNA!

The Beautiful People Promo
This Promo was strange, that's the only way I can really describe it. I'm not sure if it was strange in a good way though.

EC3 Backstage
This wasn't a Dixie Promo, but it was EC3 cutting a Promo about Dixie. Because, you see Dixie Carter is the main star on this show.

The Dollhouse v The Beautiful People
This match wasn't much. They had Velvet in there for most of the match and Madison as the Hot Tag which made no sense to me. I would say the Powder was a stupid spot, and well it was- and it was doubly stupid to do two "blinded" spots on the same show after Storm's Beer Mist spot with Hebner. But Taryn had a "plan", and the Dollhouse won. Good Plan.

Gail Kim/Kong Video Package
This was a good way to hype up the match, and AGAIN the issue I had with this wasn't due to either person involved in-front of the camera. Say Brooke waived her Rematch Clause, let's just say she did- how the hell did Kong get a Title Match?

Eric Young Promo
I hate this show. So, Eric Young comes out and calls out anyone from the back for a fight. I'm not sure why a Heel would be challenging anyone to a fair fight, but hey maybe he'd cheat. Robbie E comes out and get's completely killed, and don't give me about the Low Blow- because much in the way of the Storm stuff earlier there weren't any rules and Robbie knew that when he accepted the challenge. Then Melendez comes out WITH A WEAPON after Eric has just taken on one guy after he stole Eric Young's prosthetic leg from him. Because, it's still legally Eric Young's seeing as the match last week wasn't a "Leg Match".

So EY after already fighting off one man, get's out of the way of another because he has a weapon and then Mr. Anderson comes out and does a little Promo before chasing EY back into the ring for all three guys to hit their finishers. INCLUDING ROBBIE E. So, let's just put this in simple terms. Eric Young comes out and challenges someone to a fight, he wins said fight, Melendez needs a weapon in order to take on EY and then all three Babyfaces ganged up on the Heel and killed him. Especially in the case of Robbie E who lost a 1-on-1 and could only get his finisher in when he had a numerical advantage- what dicks.

Matt Hardy & Drew Galloway Backstage
I was fascinated by this Promo. It wasn't in the usual Interview area, it appeared as though they were doing the Promo in a Board Room.

Eric Young & Dixie Backstage
Yup, Dixie's back. This whole thing was EY complaining about getting ganged up on, which is fair enough in my book and Dixie basically saying too bad- which makes her a pretty shit boss. At least EY against Angle would be good. It would've been nice if they'd actually announced a Kurt Angle match before the week of the PPV seeing as he's the biggest star they've got wrestling at the show- but what do I know?

Matt Hardy & Drew Galloway v EC3 & Tyrus
This match was decent, but it wasn't anything more. I genuinely didn't know about this match/stipulation when I decided to miss the Review last week, but I'm glad I did because nothing from last week had any impact on the direction of the show. It was also good of TNA to only establish what the Main Event for their "biggest show of the year" is the week of the PPV.

Then we get onto another thing that pissed me off on the show last night. So DIXIE FUCKING CARTER comes out and says she wants to make sure the Main Event for Bound for Glory is FAIR. So to ensure said FAIRNESS she's gotten JEFF HARDY, MATT'S BROTHER TO SPECIAL GUEST REF THE THING. FAIR?! Not just that, they've completely blown off the Jeff quitting/firing already- and Jeff's back WHILE THE "PERSONAL ASSISTANT STIPULATION SHOULD STILL BE IN PLACE. The message here is, don't adhere to stipulations you agreed to and you get a spot in the Main Event. TNA.

So this show could have gone better, especially seeing as it was the last Impact they had taped. I genuinely couldn't tell you if these Impact Reviews will be back next week at this stage, and given Dixie's track record of "big announcements" I'm not even sure I'll be able to tell you after Monday.

Thanks for reading as always, this might end up being the last Impact Review- at least for a while. So, if it is thanks to all of you who have been reading these since I brought them back in Early May it's not always been easy- but I hope you've enjoyed my meltdowns. We're not far off from a pretty busy weekend now, I'll hopefully have the MSG Review up on Sunday- but I can't 100% commit to it at this stage. Then of course there is Bound for Glory and the Review for that will be up on Monday, RAW up on Tuesday and we've got the Takeover Review coming up on Thursday. All in all, it's going to be busy- but I hope you stay tuned for all of the Reviews. Thanks again for reading, and let's all look forward to Bound for Glory where JAY BRADLEY AND HIS BOOMSTICK ARE BACK!