Close Menu
    Wrestling

    Friday Fifteen – 28th July 2017

    TWMWrestlingBy Updated:5 Mins Read

    FROM THE SUMMERSLAM MAIN EVENT TO PRO WRESTLING’S NEXT BIG THING, DEREK HARMSWORTH RACES THROUGH THE PAST WEEK IN WRESTLING IN THE FRIDAY FIFTEEN!

     

    • The main event of this year’s Summerslam is going to be spectacular. Talk about a true big-fight feel, Reigns Vs Lesnar Vs Strowman Vs Joe is going to be nothing short of carnage, and this writer/fan is going to enjoy every single second of it.

     

    • I think Bray Wyatt squaring off with Finn Balor is also intriguing as all get out. The only thing I don’t know is how exactly I would book it.  Wyatt has seen his character severely neutered with multiple losses and a short, forgettable championship reign.  Surely a high profile win would do wonders for him.  All the same, Balor seems lost in the shuffle since his return and needs to get back on track as well.  Tough to figure out how both men come out of this programming achieving those goals.

     

    • I don’t have any idea what exactly was supposed to happen in the Battleground match between Kevin Owens and AJ Styles. And as it relates to the actual finish, I still don’t know what happened.  At least with the second thought, I am not alone.  Be interesting to see how WWE pivots out of what surely was a mistake (seemingly confirmed by reports of backstage “chaos” following the conclusion of the contest). (UPDATE: as I was writing this column, it appears WWE pivoted out of it by simply giving Styles the title back in a brilliant SmackDown Live! Match also featuring Owens and the returning Chris Jericho.  Talk about making lemonade out of lemons).

     

    • Are we being worked by AAA as it relates to Johnny Mundo/Taya Valkyrie and their animosity with Vampiro? Hard to tell in today’s reality era of professional wrestling.  Perhaps this is all legitimate and the parties involved are willing to reap the benefits of the hype created.  Or, perhaps were being worked on a multiple promotion scale (AAA does have a talent sharing agreement with GFW/Impact Wrestling, who Mundo and Valkyrie just happened to announce they’ve signed for).

     

    • Jinder Mahal, The Singh Brothers, and Great Khali actually make a decent and formidable stable. Still missing?  A mouthpiece to bring it all together.

     

    • And speaking of Mahal, would his Championship reign have more steam behind it if he was brought up the card in a different way? Even if he had spent this year as United States Championship before moving up, it would have been a more obvious trajectory.  As it stands it still looks like WWE put the title on him simply to do something different, and not because it made the most sense (and that’s a knock on the creative side of it more than it is one on Mahal, by the way).

     

    • I was really proud of my latest article, a two-part look at the rise and fall of Jack Tunney.  In writing the article, I ended up travelling down the wonderful rabbit hole that is the history of pro wrestling in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and specifically in the famed Maple Leaf Gardens.  As it just happens, WWE announced recently NXT would visit Toronto in September, putting on a show at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.  That, of course, is located inside what was Maple Leaf Gardens, since renovated and updated in conjunction with a local University.  Surely the likes of Eric Young, Bobby Roode, and others will marvel at getting to perform in the famous venue.

     

    • Fearless forecast: Bobby Roode retains the NXT Championship at TakeOver:Brooklyn III, but his post-match celebration is cut short by the debuting Adam Cole (baybay).

     

    • The NJPW G1 Climax has been nothing short of fantastic (surely to the surprise of no one). If you haven’t checked it out, you owe it to yourself to binge watch as much of it as possible (or at the very least seek out Elgin Vs Omega, which was spectacular).

     

    • Smash Wrestling’s debut television show on Fight Network in Canada simply has to be classified as a success. Great work from an in-ring standpoint, and for a first show it was incredibly smooth and polished.

     

    • ESPN just released their trailer for the Ric Flair 30 For 30 feature, and it looks like an absolute must see. I can barely contain my excitement to see the final product.

     

    • I honestly don’t know what to make of the rumours that Brock Lesnar is returning to UFC once his WWE contract expires. Certainly he remains a big draw there, and the big dude is a man who loves a challenge, but is it enough to lure him away from what is currently a plum gig with World Wrestling Entertainment?

     

    • Pro wrestling’s next big thing? Well, there’s plenty of competition for that title.  The man at the top of my list, however?  Shane Strickland.

     

    • WhatCulture Pro Wrestling have announced they will return to YouTube on August 3rd. Great news for a real good promotion.  Hope they can move past these issues once and for all and begin to rebuild the momentum they had.

     

    • When it comes to professional wrestling Social media, few do it better than Stokely Hathaway.

    Related Posts