Opinion
7 Days of ‘Mania: The Next Step For Samoa Joe
What road does Samoa Joe follow after WrestleMania?
David Levin continues his week long look at WrestleMania by examining the continual progression for Samoa Joe.
I’m glad WWE finally has seen the light and awarded Samoa Joe his first belt on the main roster. The United States Champion marches into WrestleMania 35 on Sunday with a match against Rey Mysterio. It could be one of the more underrated matches on the card from New Jersey.
Joe is one of my favorite wrestlers on the current company roster – a striker who moves like a cruiserweight with the strength of a giant. His success on the indy circuit, mixed with his time in ROH, TNA and then NXT has served him well. Now, with the United States Title over his shoulder, is this the next step toward a run with the WWE Title?
“It took a while but Joe finally won his first WWE title in early March when he defeated R-Truth, Andrade, and Mysterio to win the U.S. championship,” writes Brian Fritz of Sporting News. “He successfully defended it at Fastlane and Mysterio was named his WrestleMania opponent. If given enough time, this could be one of the better matches of the night.”
WWE has been too quick in the past to take a performer and immediately thrust him into headline status. Alberto Del Rio is a prime example. With Joe, it has been a slow and steady pace that has been interrupted by injuries. Now healthy and ready to take aim at potentially a bigger opportunity this year, does Joe grab the company title and run with it?
His recent work with A.J. Styles last year is a clear indication Joe can be that next top villain in a company that all too often pushes the bad guy to get over with the fanbase.
I am not sure even with setbacks because of injuries, WWE has effectively used the 40-year-old former NXT champion effectively. Now, with a new path set for him following his program with Mysterio, will Joe demand another shot at the top perch on Tuesday nights?
Joe has all the necessary intangibles to become “the man” the blue brand (until things change) can count on to deliver. And with the move of SmackDown Live to Fox upcoming, it would not surprise if Joe would become the top contender for the company belt should Kofi Kingston beats Daniel Bryan on Sunday.
I worry WWE will once again keep Joe in the mid-card after Sunday. It’s a move that for the short term could prove to be the right choice. In the long run, putting the company strap on Joe will be the right move to make.
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Opinion
Chris King: Is Brock Lesnar Truly Retired?
Brock Lesnar retired at WWE WrestleMania 42, right? Are we totally sure? Chris King asks…
Brock Lesnar retired at WWE WrestleMania 42, right? Are we totally sure? Chris King asks…
At WrestleMania 42, ‘The Beast Incarnate’ Brock Lesnar took off his boots and gloves following his loss to Oba Femi. Lesnar has done it all inside of his twenty-four-year career in professional wrestling. He’s a ten-time WWE Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion, and he’s one who ended The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania.
While Lesnar was in the ring, he was visibly overwhelmed with emotion and crying while he thanked the fans in his own way. The Beast even threw up an x to signal to Paul Heyman, his longtime friend and advocate, that this was not scripted and was real. There had been rumors that Lesnar and Oba were supposed to have a series of matches before everything went down at Mania.
‘The Career Killer’ Gunther was doing Heyman’s bidding as he faced Seth Rollins for a favor. For a while now since Gunther retired Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles, the rumor has been Gunther was set to retire Lesnar in his hometown at this year’s SummerSlam event. There’s been no confirmation if Lesnar is truly retired, but on this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, we saw Heyman talking with General Manager Nick Aldis. Later that night following Rhodes’ match against the debuting Ricky Saints, Gunther choked out the WWE Champion. Could this be the favor from Heyman?
I know in the world of professional wrestling we live by the mantra of “never say never,” but what if Lesnar is actually retired and this was WWE’s way of shutting down those rumors about Gunther and Lesnar? What if Gunther’s next program is chasing after the WWE title, and where is Randy Orton at in all of these plans? There are so many questions that need to be answered, hopefully soon!
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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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Opinion
Chris King: Defend The Intercontinental Championship At Backlash!
With WWE Backlash upon us, Chris King wants to see Penta defend the Intercontinental Championship in Tampa!
With WWE Backlash upon us, Chris King wants to see Penta defend the Intercontinental Championship in Tampa!
This year’s annual Backlash showcase is only a few days away, and while there are many big matches announced, one that definitely should be isn’t on the card. In my opinion, outside of Roman Reigns/Jacob Fatu and Seth Rollins/Bron Breakker, the Intercontinental Championship scene has been stellar over the last month.
Penta has been an excellent champion, especially after his triumphant title defense in a ladder match against JeVon Evans, Rusev, Dragon Lee, and the Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 42. Their ladder match at Mania was one of the best that WWE has produced in a while.
The momentum never stopped, as on the post-Mania episode of Monday Night Raw, ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page made his debut and was quickly inserted into the Intercontinental title scene. Page had a fantastic showing against his longtime NXT rival Evans and picked up a big win in his debut match thanks to an assist from Rusev.
All Ego immediately joined forces with ‘The Bulgarian Brute’ Rusev, who was also vying for the Intercontinental Title in his own right. On this week’s episode of Raw, Page and Rusev defeated Evans and Penta. All Ego pinned the champion, making a huge statement and putting him one step closer to getting a title shot. For the past few weeks I’ve been anxiously waiting to see if WWE was going to add this incredible fatal four-way match for the Intercontinental Championship, but it hasn’t happened yet.
As much as the WWE Universe enjoys witnessing great matches on free television, I truly believe all four superstars deserve the chance to showcase their talents on the PLE. While Penta has done a terrific job as the intercontinental champion, it’s time for a fresh face to hold the prestigious title. Page would make a great braggadocious heel that would help elevate the Intercontinental Championship to new heights!
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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