Brackets Revealed for the New Japan Cup

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the brackets for this year’s New Japan Cup tournament. This will mark the 13^thannual Cup where the winner of this single elimination tournament will earn a title shot at any singles championship they wish to challenge for at Sakura Genesis (formerly Invasion Attack) on April 9^th at Sumo Hall.

The first round matches will begin on March 11^th (The right side of the brackets) and March 12^th (The left side of brackets) the quarterfinal matches will occur on March 13^th and March 17. Semifinal action will take place on March 19 and the finals on March 20^th. The Wrestling Observer has confirmed that the last two days will air live on New Japan World while the rest of the shows will air on a delay.

These matchups make for some interesting possibilities. I’d expect Hiroshi Tanahashi to at least make it to the finals of his bracket. Besides Toru Yano, who he’ll face in the finals is anyone’s guess.

Katsuyori Shibata vs. Minoru Suzuki in the first round is just all sorts of awesome. Booking their match in this position is the right call because placing them anywhere else in the same bracket makes the outcome too predictable.

O Kenny! My Kenny! What do we do with Kenny Omega? “The Cleaner’s” white-hot popularity makes him the easy pick to win the whole enchilada, however, does New Japan plan on having the Okada/Omega II on April 9^th?

If not, how do you beat Omega? Continue reading “Brackets Revealed for the New Japan Cup” →

Is Shinsuke Nakamura Ready for WWE’s Main Roster?

If you’re an NXT fan, there is one question that comes up in every conversation: “when will Shinsuke Nakamura make his WWE main roster debut?” Those who appreciate the work of this ultra-charismatic and super talented superstar want to see him on either Raw or SmackDown, sooner rather than later.

Conventional wisdom says that Nakamura should be on the main roster by now. He’s a great worker who, unlike most Japanese wrestlers. is tailor made for WWE and the showmanship it requires to be one of their performers. I mean, come on…anyone who can dress as a hybrid of Michael Jackson and the Statue of Liberty, and make it work, is a performer through and through. Continue reading “Is Shinsuke Nakamura Ready for WWE’s Main Roster?” →

Split: Review

Holy crap…Holy Crap!

Those were my thoughts while I was immersed in the physiological horror that is M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, Split. The plot revolves around Kevin, played by James McAvoy, who suffers from dissociative identity disorder and has 23 personalities.

While Kevin is being treated by his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, one of his personalities becomes dominant over the others and has a compulsion to abduct three teenage girls. Continue reading “Split: Review” →

Braun Strowman Passed the Test

Braun Strowman took a test on Raw last Monday when he worked the Big Show in the main event. It happens to every wrestler who’s been groomed for a featured role. Yes, he can bump, he can sell, he is a towering colossus but can he tell a story in the ring that is worth the price of admission? Continue reading “Braun Strowman Passed the Test” →

Thoughts on DDP Joining the WWE Hall of Fame

The master of the Diamond Cutter will enter the WWE Hall of Fame as Diamond Dallas Page joins Kurt Angle, the Rock & Roll Express, and Teddy Long as a part of the 2017 class. There are those who question and completely dismiss the legitimacy of WWE’s HOF. Regardless of one’s position on the matter, it’s good to see these great performers getting a celebrated recognition with a payday to boot.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer brought up an interesting point regarding DDP’s pending induction into the Hall of Fame. Page’s one year run in WWE was a far cry from the heights he reached in WCW. In fact, backstage gossip made the rounds with rumors that Page couldn’t work (wrestle) and was made to look less than stellar on television as a result. Continue reading “Thoughts on DDP Joining the WWE Hall of Fame” →

How I (Not So Much) Defended the Honor of Pro Wrestling

Growing up, I absolutely hated it when people said that wrestling is fake. Now, I knew damn well that what happened in the ring wasn’t actual combat. However, the word “fake” belittles the talent and dismisses the hard work that it takes for wrestlers to perform in the ring. So, I categorically denied wrestling’s predetermined nature. I didn’t know how else to defend the business as a kid but eventually came up with a ridiculous way do to so… Street Fighter. Continue reading “How I (Not So Much) Defended the Honor of Pro Wrestling” →

La La Land: Review

I like to watch all of the films that are nominated for best picture before the Academy Awards ceremony, so I went into La La Land with a critical eye. I exited the theater, however, with a sudden urge to dance in the stars while humming some inspired musical numbers. Continue reading “La La Land: Review” →

Wrestling Soapbox Preview: Apollo Crews is Not Getting Over

Here is a preview of our Elimination Chamber review show as Atlee Greene and Adam Kohn discuss Apollo Crews’ failure to get over on WWE’s main roster.

2017 WWE Elimination Chamber Review

WWE Elimination Chamber brought about some crazy results as the event emanated from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Pheonix, AZ. Atlee Greene and Adam Kohn review all of the action as a new WWE World Champion was crowned.

2017 WWE Elimination Chamber Preview & Predictions

Atlee Greene and Adam Kohn give their preview and predictions for 2017 WWE Elimination Chamber, which emanates from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Pheonix, AZ.

The main event features a chamber match where John Cena will defend his WWE Championship against AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Baron Corbin, Dean Ambrose, and The Miz.

American Alpha will also defend the SmackDown Tag Team Champion against five different teams in a tag team turmoil match and Royal Rumble winner Randy Orton will take on Luke Harper.

WWE only had two weeks to promote and build this SmackDown Live branded pay-per-view. With WrestleMania on the horizon, will that be enough time to deliver a stellar event?