FROM CENA AND REIGNS TO THE GREATEST TAG TEAM IN THE GAME, DEREK HARMSWORTH COVERS THE WEEK IN WRESTLING WITH THE ‘FRIDAY FIFTEEN’!
1) Roman Reigns Vs John Cena will take place at No Mercy, not at a Wrestlemania or Summerslam as we all thought. Is this a sign WWE is moving away from the idea certain network Pay-Per-Views should be seen as less than others? Or are they simply concerned with how much the NFL will stagger their already unsteady ratings?
2) Unless they’re going to extreme lengths to make his underdog rise seem that much more dramatic, the approach the WWE is taking with Sami Zayn makes me sad. One can’t help but think of the top tier matches he could be having, either in WWE or elsewhere, instead of what they currently have him involved with.
3) Enzo, Cass, and Carmella all need to get back together down the line, right? When Cass is healthy again seems as good of a time as any to me.
4) NJPW, ROH, and the wrestling world dodged a proverbial bullet with the news that Kenny Omega’s knee injury isn’t super serious.
5) Big congratulations to Donovan Dijak who signed with the WWE earlier this week. Dijak was one of my first interviews when I was trying to become a wrestling writer, and couldn’t have been more gracious and accommodating. An absolute machine in the ring, as well.
6) GFW/Impact Wrestling are a mess. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. I don’t know whether to be baffled at how this company has continued to screw this entire operation up, or be somewhat impressed it has lasted this long without crumbling to ashes.
7) He will have his offers on the table, but one hopes the WWE would show an interest in Eddie Edwards, should he become available.
8) Smash Wrestling has added a slew of shows this fall, giving them more dates over the. Set few months than some companies have all year. Check out their site to see if they’ll be in your area.
9) Though it is born out of circumstances beyond anyone’s control, I’m a bit upset Asuka didn’t put over anyone in NXT before she left. Still, her exit was done right on television, and it gives her a great hook as she hits the main roster.
10) Lots of discussion about Big Show’s rightful place in pro wrestling history after his cage match with Braun Strowman Monday night. He’s been around so long we almost take him for granted, but he’s an incredibly athletic big man. For a real treat, watch his early WCW work available on the WWE Network.
11) Who is wrestling’s greatest tag team? For my money, it’s hard to top Legion Of Doom.
12) Still think WWE getting the main roster into a tournament is a great idea. If you don’t want to bring back King Of The Ring, just call it an all star event and have voted superstars of RAW and SmackDown Live square off head-to-head
13) An older clip of Vince McMahon explaining the outdoor acoustics to a young Shawn Michaels before Wrestlemania IX is making the social media rounds. Great to see such a candid clip. Vince, for everything people want to say about him, has always genuinely cared about putting out the best product. His passion and knowledge drip off the screen during this brief video.
14) I don’t know how serious (if at all) WWE is about purchasing GFW. But I do know it would be prudent (depending on the price tag, of course) for a few reasons. Not the least of which are 1) full use of the Hardy’s Broken gimmick, and 2) the tape library. WWE could have a field day with the amount of programming highlighting their current stars they could use from past TNA events.
15) Back to tournaments, the Mae Young Classic appears to be doing a fine job of making Stars and giving the women’s revolution its next, necessary step. Not only has the angle between Ronda Rousey/Charlotte been kickstarted in a big way, but Baszler and Sane look great, as did Tessa Blanchard, Piper Niven, and Bianca Bel Air to name a few.