Opinion
NXT Year in Review: Awards!
Brad Abel continues his look at (most of) 2021 in NXT with his personally chosen special awards!
Brad Abel continues his look at (most of) 2021 in NXT with his personally chosen special awards!
I’ve got some random accolades to give out before we get to the main event.

Rivalry of the Year: Meiko Satomura versus Kay Lee Ray
Talk about quality over quantity. They fought two times, and both are MOTY candidates. Normally I would want more from such a flawless pairing, but in this instance I’m happy with those two matches frozen in time.
Mama Mia! Award: Bronson Reed flattens Santos Escobar through the security wall at In Your House
Reed is the first and only repeat winner of the Mama Mia, given to the one moment I could watch on repeat. He actually squished Escobar through a wall on two separate occasions. Does that make him a three time winner? It’s fun watching big guys throw their weight around.

Self Burn of the Year: Cameron Grimes
“I’m so rich I live under two bridges!”

Most unappreciated match of the year: Meiko Satomura versus Aoife Valkyrie, NXT UK Television 04-29
In general, unless your name is WALTER, NXT UK doesn’t get the love it deserves. This featured some absolutely amazing ground work from both women. It’s easily Valkryie’s best showing yet, which is to be expected against a pro like Satomura. The end was a bit disappointing as each woman spent extended time in submission holds that they no-sold, but once you’ve checked out the typical top 10 this match is very much worth your while.

Actual Burn of the Year: Adam Cole
“You know what they do to make Adam Cole feel special? They ring the freaking bell!” In hindsight, that line might have been the one to seal the fate of Karrion Kross.

Faction/Stable of the Year: The Way
I could not in good conscience have a superlatives list without Johnny Gargano. Hit Row came on strong but got 2.0’ed. Legado Del Fantasma had their moments. Overall, no group was as consistently entertaining as The Way. It’s a shame Gargano never got to pass the torch to Austin Theory, but we’ll always have the No-Look High Five.
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Best Takeover: Vengeance Day
It feels like this happened a lifetime ago. I am so sad that we’ll never get this again from NXT, but so happy that we got what we did. Five matches, and four came in at 4.3 stars or higher: Kai & Gonzalez/Blackheart & Moon, Gargano/Kushida, Balor/Dunn, GYV/MSK. And it ends with Adam Cole throwing a one-man superkick party! Oh wrestling, I’ll always be your bitch.

The Most NXT Match of the Year Ilja Dragunov versus Sam Gradwell NXT UK TV 03-04
This is not the best match of the year. It is the match that best exemplifies what NXT is (was) all about. In 2021 NXT UK absolutely perfected the one-week storyline, and this match is a master class. It started out with really interesting grappling and broke down to a savage brawl. Post-match, Gradwell is laughing because he got knocked out and Dragunov is attacking a ref. Top notch action. Beautiful characters. Insane drama. This was as good as a mid-week match could be with minimal build and nothing bigger on the line. Good. Things. Happen. When. You. Let. Wrestlers. Wrestle!
Next Up: Wrestlers of the Year
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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!
Chairshot Radio Network
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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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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)
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
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