KOTR Subverted Expectations

After the dust settled last Monday on Raw, Baron Corbin became the 2019 King of the Ring (KOTR).

Yes, the same Baron Corbin who was blamed for the show’s record-low ratings over the summer.

Yes, the same Baron Corbin who diehard fans believe is absolutely atrocious in the ring.

Yes, the same Baron Corbin who reportedly only Vince McMahon sees as a star.

The criticism is fair, but I don’t agree with a lot of it. Corbin’s win capped off a KOTR that was highly entertaining while subverting expectations.

Baron Corbin and Chad Gable were the last two people anyone expected to make it to the KOTR finals, much less, win the whole thing.

Gable was brought up from 205 Live and saddled with a sympathetic babyface character who people look down on because he’s short.

Corbin returned for the tournament after being off of television for the first six weeks of the Paul Heyman booking regime, which reportedly didn’t plan on using Corbin much going forward.

When KOTR began, Ricochet, Ali, and Buddy Murphy were each in the midst of a newly minted push. Meanwhile, Samoa Joe, Drew McIntyre, and to a lesser extent, The Miz are always in the mix for a significant win.

Elias had some momentum due to his alliance with Shane McMahon. While Kevin Owens would have been a popular choice to win, everyone expected him to be screwed out of the tournament via Elias/McMahon, which is precisely what happened.

Corbin and Gable put on strong performances through the tournament, and their match in the finals was highly entertaining. Corbin got the win with a beautiful finishing sequence where Gable spun into Corbin’s End of Days finishing maneuver.

Last night, on Raw, Corbin, and Gable had a rematch that expanded their story and made for another fun outting. Corbin debuted a Game of Thrones-inspired crown, robe, and specter after Gable destroyed the chintzy looking crown and royal garb WWE had reserved for the winner.

WWE has received a lot of slack over the past year for their monotonous storytelling and homogenized presentation of the product. Creatively, KOTR served as a big win for the company. They were able to subvert expectations with the tournament while keeping it interesting throughout with excellent matches and several twists and turns along the way.

Now, Chad Gable is a prominent character on television, and Baron Corbin proved he doesn’t suck as a wrestler while his character has a fresh coat of paint, now dubbed King Corbin. The Kansas City native is the seventh consecutive heel to win KOTR. While it would be nice to see an up and coming babyface win the crown, bad guys always make for a better king.

Late to the Party King of the Ring Brackets

Welcome to my late to the party King of the Ring brackets. Since 1985, nineteen wrestlers have held the distinction of being King of the Ring. This year’s tournament will be the first in four years with sixteen wrestlers vying for the crown. The first, second, and third-round matches will occur on Raw and SmackDown. The finals will happen at Clash of Champions on September 15th.

As you can tell by the official bracket pictured above, I’m late to the game when it comes to predicting the field. Four matches have already taken place. I swear on my great grand pappy’s soul I predicted Samoa Joe and Cedric Alexander would win their first-round matches.

On the SmackDown side of the bracket, I predicted Elias and Andrade would advance to the second round. However, unlike the Raw matches, I have proof of my SmackDown picks I made before the show began.

With one minute to spare!

King of the Ring has done a lot for wrestler’s careers. It helped launch Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H into superstardom, kept Bret Hart a hot commodity after losing his first WWF Title, and revitalized Booker T’s career as he became the most entertaining KOTR winner (All hail King Bookah!).

So, who will reign supreme in 2019? My complete bracket is posted below.

Buddy Murphy and Drew McIntyre are set to have a fantastic tournament. Murphy, representing SmackDown, got a massive win over Daniel Bryan last night. WWE is not going to squander all of the former cruiserweight champion’s momentum.

His first-round match with Ali will be a show-stealing affair. Kevin Owens will get his revenge on Elias and cost him the match against Murphy. Andrade and Murphy will tango in a SmackDown finale that will be nothing short of amazing.

Drew McIntyre will beat Ricochet in an explosive contest. In round two, “The Scottish Psychopath” will stop Samoa Joe in a hard-fought battle. McIntrye and Cedric Alexander will meet in the Raw finale in what will be a repeat performance of last week’s amazing match in Toronto.

Murphy is on fire right now; however, McIntyre has been the apple of WWE’s eye. He’s has everything going for him as a performer. Clash of Champions will be the time when they begin the main event ascension of Drew McIntyre by crowning him King of the Ring.

WWE SummerSlam 2019 Review

SummerSlam | August 11, 2019, | Scotiabank Arena | Toronto, Ontario | WWE Network

WWE’s biggest party of the summer has a special place in my heart. SummerSlam 88 was my maiden voyage with professional wrestling and I’ve been a diehard enthusiast ever since. No Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, or Drew McIntyre on the lineup. While there are no must-see matches, this is the first pay-per-view of the Paul Heyman era.

 

-Pre-Show

Drew Gulak defeated Oney Lorcan to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Good effort by Gulak and Lorcan. It’s hard to get the fans to care about 205 Live when the brand’s biggest matches tend to open up the pre-show.

Buddy Murphy defeated Apollo Crews is Disqualification:

Murphy dropped Crews with a flying knee right out of the gate. Fast-paced action between the two until Rowan came out of nowhere and beat down Murphy. After power bombing Murphy against the ring post, Rowan yelled: “Keep my name out of your mouth” in response to Murphy dropping Rowan’s name to Roman Reigns on SmackDown.

Elias sang a melody scathing the city of Toronto until Edge made a surprise appearance. Edge claimed into the ring drilled Elias with a spear.

It’s the first time Edge has done anything physical since he retired several years ago due to injury.

Is Edge coming back?

Alex Bliss & Nikki Cross defeated The Iiconics to retain the Women’s Tag Team Titles: It was Meleficient versus Toy Story as far as the in-ring attire was concerned. Bliss took advantage of a hissy fit by Peyton Royce and hit Twisted Bliss for the win.

 

-Main Card

Becky Lynch defeated Natalya to retain the Raw Women’s Championship in a Submission Match:

The Canadian crowd respected Natalya, but they were firmly behind Becky Lynch. Becky went for an armbar early and transitioned into a triangle choke. Natalya went for the ropes, but there are no rope breaks in a submission match.

Natalya threw Becky between the ropes into the post and applied the Sharpshooter from the top rope. This resembled a street fight more than a submission match at times with some brawling outside the ring and Natalya trying to wear down Becky’s leg, which she injured on Raw.

Natalya hit Becky with a top rope superplex. Becky came back and locked Natalya in the Sharpshooter. The pro-Becky crowd booed this one a little bit until Natalya escaped. Natalya returned the favor and applied the Dis-Arm-Her.

Becky broke free but got caught in the Sharpshooter. Becky crawled under the rope and fell to the floor to escape. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter again, but Becky caught her in the disarmed Dis-Arm-Her. Natalya tried to fight it, but she eventually had no choice but to tap out.

I wasn’t sure if this was a good choice to open the show. I was wrong as both ladies set a great pace and told a fun story.

 

Goldberg pinned Dolph Ziggler:

Ziggler drilled Goldberg with two superkicks out of nowhere, but Goldberg kicked out both times at one. Goldberg came back with a vicious spear and followed up with a Jackhammer for the win in under two minutes.

A beaten Ziggler got the mic and said anyone can get lucky. Goldberg came back and speared Ziggler again. Ziggler said anyone can get lucky twice. Goldberg pretended he wasn’t going to spear Ziggler, only to run off the ropes and leveled him with a final spear.

This match was exactly what it should have been. Gave the fans what they wanted while giving us some post-match action to extend the time the affair without having a long match.

 

AJ Styles defeated Ricochet to retain the U.S. Title: 

Anyone who thought they were going to get a New Japan style wrestling match here was sorely mistaken. Styles worked over Ricochet’s leg with some nice offense between the two. AJ got the win, and a post-match beatdown ensued with Gallows and Andreson hitting Ricochet with the Magic Killer.

 

Bayley pinned Embar Moon to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship:

This was a good match that was hurt by a severe lack of crowd interest. Ember Moon hit a sweet Stormbreaker/Codebreaker combo for a near fall. Bayley came back with a nice Bayley to Belly off the middle rope for the three count.

 

Kevin Owens defeated Shane McMahon – Owens Quits if he Loses:

This match had all of the bells and whistles of a high stakes affair involving a McMahon. Elias was announced as the special guest enforcer by Shane. They teased Owens getting disqualified and counted out throughout the match. It was stated that Owens could not hit Elias because he was an officially licensed referee for the evening. Later on, Owens had enough and whipped out Elias and the referee with a cannonball off the apron. The finish came when Owens hit Shane with a top rope senton followed by a top rope frog splash for the pin.

 

Charlotte beat Trish Stratus vis submission:

This was much better than I anticipated. Trish more than held up her end. Trish tried to beat Charlotte with the figure four leg lock and figure eight. Charlotte ended up making Trish tap out to the figure eight and left the ring for Trish to get the ovation from the crowd in her final outing.

 

Bret Hart made a cameo appearance wishing Seth Rollins good luck in his match against Lesnar. This got a nice pop from the Canadian crowd. I thought it was funny since Hart has been critical of Rollins’ in-ring work over the years for injuring people.

 

WWE Championship – Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton went to a Double Count Out:

This match was worked at a deliberate pace that failed to draw heat from the crowd. There were dueling chants of “Kofi’s Stupid” and “Randy Sucks,” which was surprising. Orton tends to work slower-paced matches these days. In wrestling, the faster wrestler always works to the speed of the slower wrestler. Orton caught Kofi coming off the top rope for an RKO, which popped the crowd.

Orton, however, didn’t go for the pin and Kofi rolled out to the floor. Orton went outside the ring and started taunting Kofi’s family who was sitting in the front row. Both men were counted out as this unfolded. The commentary team ultimately failed this match because they didn’t mention and identify who it was Orton was mocking until after the fact.

Kofi snapped and beat Orton down with a Kendo stick repeatedly and finished him off with Trouble in Paradise. This was one of the more lackluster WWE Championship matches in recent history. It looks like the feud will continue, and hopefully do better next time.

 

“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt defeated Finn Balor:

They say you only have one chance to make a first impression. Well, Bray Wyatt proved them wrong as the spectacle of his new character was top notch. He came out with an eerie severed Bray Wyatt head lantern along with a new version of his theme music. The match was quick. Wyatt dominated. Balor missed the Coup de Grace and got caught in the mandible claw. The fans absolutely loved this.

photo credit wwe.com

Seth Rollins defeated Brock Lesnar to regain the Universal Championship:

I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong. I had no interest in this match, but they won me over. It was all action with big moves. Lot’s of near falls with Lesnar working over Rollins’s injured ribs with seven German suplexes. Lesnar swung Rollins around by the medical tape around his ribs, which made for a great visual. Rollins made a herculean comeback with a top rope splash onto Lesnar through a table. Rollins hit three curb stomps for the win. I didn’t believe putting the Superman cape on Rollins would, however, I was wrong. It came off well, and the crowd loved it.

 

Final Thoughts: Overall, SummerSlam 2019 was a thumbs in the middle show. Some of the matches that over-promised, under-delivered. On the flip side, some of the matches that under-promised, over-delivered. Rollins ended the show as the hero of the day, and hopefully, WWE can sustain this sentiment long term. Trish Stratus deserves props for the match she put on after being out of the ring (in singles action) for eight years. Bray Wyatt came off like a superstar. This was not the best SummerSlam show, but it was far from the worst.

AEW TV Debut Set for October 2nd on TNT.

It’s official folks, All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) live television show will air weekly beginning on Wednesday, October 2nd, from 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm on TNT. The show will emanate from the Capital One Center in Washington DC, the site of the Sting vs. Hulk Hogan (formerly named the MCI Center) match from Starrcade 1997. AEW looks to be the first major promotion with the ability to absorb a significant piece of the pro wrestling market share from WWE since WCW during the Monday Night Wars in the mid to late ’90s.

AEW already announced a tournament to crown their inaugural tag team champions will be the focal point of their show during its initial launch. Their pay-per-view on August 31st, All Out will run some angles promoting to their TNT debut.

Also, with rumors of WWE moving NXT to Fox Sports 1 on the same day and time as AEW’s Wednesday time slot, this could be the genesis of a new wrestling war. The show will be preempted on Christmas Day, which is usually when TNT airs A Christmas Story in a loop for 24 hours.

The term “Dynamite” has been trademarked by AEW for several months with all signs pointing to it being the name of the show. Ticket information is expected to be announced on July 29th for the history-making show. TNT, the former home of WCW Monday Nitro, is available in an estimated 89 million homes.

Matt Jackson, Kenny Omega and Nick Jackson

AEW will mark the first time a major pro wrestling show will air consistently on Wednesdays. Raw and Nitro cemented the genre’s place on Mondays. SmackDown has spent long periods of its twenty-year history on Thursday, Friday, and currently on Tuesday with a return to Friday nights in October with the move to Fox.

ECW on TNN aired on Fridays during its run, WCW placed Thunder on Thursdays, and TNA/Impact also made Thursday night their home. Wednesday has been mostly untouched by televised wrestling content on cable and TNT is an excellent platform for AEW to launch.

Superstar talent will be vital for AEW’s long-term success. Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley (formerly Dean Ambrose) are the two most recognizable names on the roster. Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, SCU, Pentagon, and Fenix are the most prominent stars with the diehard audience.

MJF is a name on the rise and a high level heel in the making. Jungle Boy has the potential to be a star, and AEW is going all-in with their women’s division. CM Punk is appearing at the Starrcast convention adjacent to the AEW pay-per-view. Rumors are running rampant that Punk is signing with the promotion, which would be a game-changer.

Ever since WCW went out of business in 2001, fans have been wondering if a wrestling centric alternative can thrive on a mainstream level. It is clear Vince McMahon is out of touch with what the audience wants. There has never been a better time for a new promotion to enter the space, and AEW’s potential is white-hot.

Favorite Matches #2: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega III

Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada have engaged in what many have called the greatest in-ring rivalry of all-time. Four bouts with 25 ¼ stars ratings between them have changed the conversation on what makes for a stellar wrestling match. You can’t go wrong with picking one match over another. However, one encounter tickles my fancy more than most due to its simple and compelling story. Continue reading “Favorite Matches #2: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega III”

Kofi is Champ!

Four weeks ago, Kofi Kingston became the first black WWE Champion at WrestleMania 35. While other wrestlers of color have held the world title, Kofi’s win was the first time a person of his ethnicity held the industry’s most coveted prize. What makes this accomplishment special is that it had nothing to do with race or color.

At the beginning of 2019, Kofi Kingston was nowhere near the WWE Title picture. On the way to  Elimination Chamber, the newly featured cruiserweight Ali suffered an injury. Kofi was his replacement, and the news was met with faint praise. Kofi’s cool and all, but come on now. It’s not like he was going to win, right?

Then, something amazing happened. Kofi reminded everyone how good he is by putting on an incredible performance in the gauntlet match to determine the last entrant to enter the chamber. In one hardworking hour, Kofi went from placeholder to the guy everyone wanted to win the title. Despite WWE’s lack of ability to keep things hot over a long period, Kofi’s popularity increased.

Augmented by the story of his eleven-year journey on the roster, the audience’s desire to see Kofi Kingston win the big one was irrefutable. The company switched plans, and we saw the result at WrestleMania. Kofi not only went over at the biggest show of the year, but he had the best match, which produced the most heartfelt moment at ‘the granddaddy of them all.’

The story of Kofi’s ascension, again, had nothing to do with race. Instead, the genuine question of a mid-card act becoming champion was used to develop the story. The hypocrisy of Daniel Bryan branding Kofi as a B+ player was the perfect ingredient. While many fans felt the race card would rear its ugly head, thankfully, it never did.

As a lifelong wrestling fan and a person of color, seeing Kofi Kingston win the title put some concerns to rest. Before Kofi, the fact there had never been a black WWE Champion made some people wonder if Vince McMahon was or is racist.

No one actually “wins” the championship; however, being booked as champion puts that wrestler in the lead role. Sports, television, music, and movies can have a person of color in the top spot; however, WWE never had?

What about The Rock? What about Booker T? Both are valid questions, but allow me to elaborate.

Booker T was the World Heavyweight Champion, which is not the same thing. The Rock was the WWE Champion. However, he is half African American/half Samoan and primarily identifies publicly as Samoan. Therefore, you cannot call Dwayne Johnson the first black WWE Champion.

President Barack Obama is half African American/half Caucasian. The reason why Obama is the first black president is that he identifies as African American.

In 2019, we have an African born WWE Champion who wears afro pigtails with pink accents, skips to the ring on a yellow brick road, throws pancakes out into the crowd and is all about that unicorn life. On paper, that sounds like a recipe for disaster. In reality, a fabulous performer name Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah made it work exceedingly well due to his undeniable talent.

WWE Halftime Heat 2019 Review

Twenty years ago, the inaugural Halftime Heat aired live on the USA Network during the Super Bowl halftime show. The event saw Mankind defeat The Rock for the WWE Title in an empty arena match and it was a rousing success.

The second Halftime Heat occurred the following year with an exclusive interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin. At the time, Austin was recovering from neck surgery in conjunction with the infamous hit and run angle involving Rikishi.

Last night, WWE held another Halftime Heat special, which aired on all social media platforms, YouTube and the WWE Network. The company’s developmental system NXT took center stage with a live 6-Man Tag Team Match from the Performance Center.

Aleister Black, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream teamed up to take on NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole. Vic Joseph and Shawn Michaels called the action on commentary.

Triple H said in an opening video package “If you’re all in on sports entertainment, NXT is for you.” Athleticism personified is the best way to describe this twenty-three-minute match. All six men delivered a high energy affair that you will not see on WWE’s main roster.

WWE.COM

The match had an odd cadence to it. At times it felt rushed, which is understandable because, well, the Super Bowl. Some moments told a clear story. Other moments came off as a mere exhibition of moves with each wrestler getting their stuff in.

Extremely fast-paced action anchored by several callbacks to amazing spots on TakeOver shows such as Adam Cole meeting a moonsaulting Ricochet in midair with a superkick. The finish came when Adam Cole received in succession Black Mass, Dream Driver and a springboard 450 splash from Ricochet for the pinfall.

Astatically, the room was poorly lit, and there was a mixture of genuine and phony reactions from the crowd. As a former independent wrestler, I’ve sat in the audience for my share of poorly attended shows. It’s a tradition for workers in the crowd to boo and cheer accordingly as a way to get the fans into the show.

Reports indicate the Performance Center contained 400 people for a family and friends Super Bowl party. Not counting the WWE Network, the overall live streaming numbers are 86,190 viewers.

Despite elements of the match lacking a narrative with rerun envy, the show was a success. The goal here was to expose NXT to a broader audience, which is why going back to the well with familiar spots is perfectly fine. The social media numbers could have been better, but those who saw the match loved it. (Fast forward video above to 6:03)

2018 Wrestler of the Year: Becky Lynch

In the current landscape of professional wrestling, women’s wrestling is more prominent than ever before. WWE, ROH, Impact, and the Indies are producing longer matches, better matches, and main event matches. This is becoming the norm instead of the exception. In 2018, one name rose to infinity and beyond. My pick for Wrestler of the Year is Becky Lynch.

Becky Lynch is a talented wrestler who consistently puts on strong performances. However, WWE booked Charlotte Flair to be the queen bee of the women’s division. Going into last year’s SummerSlam, inept booking that shoved aside Lynch, in favor of Flair, created a perfect storm of opportunity. Lynch capitalized on it spectacularly to become the most popular wrestler in WWE today.

What makes Lynch’s ascension even more gratifying is she did it while embracing a heel role that everyone thought she was too sweet to pull off. Gone is the happy go lucky “Irish lass kicker” and now we have a gives zero f%$#* persona of “The Man.”

Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey in the main event of WrestleMania is the current marquee match of the industry. Let that sink in for a moment. A subgenre once considered bathroom break fodder is now the apple of everyone’s eye.

Lynch attacking Rousey on Raw: 11/12/18

Most of the wrestlers in the division lack the believability to beat the former UFC champion. Lynch exudes attitude and the requisite authenticity to dethrone Rousey, which makes the match even more intriguing.

While the word on the street says the aforementioned match will end up a Triple Threat with the inclusion of Charlotte Flair, Lynch is too popular for the WWE to not only ignore but to not push as the featured attraction. On SmackDown, Becky Lynch got the better of John Cena, who WWE just started marketing as the greatest of all-time.

Topping off a fantastic 2018, Lynch had a career-defining match against Charlotte at WWE’s first all women’s pay-per-view event Evolution. Their Last Women Standing encounter has received match of the year accolades and told a gripping story from beginning to end.

Lynch was marginalized for the first half of 2018. She capitalized on a creative blunder, which yielded maximum results. A growing social media presence, match of the year caliber performances, a character people love, a hot selling t-shirt and one-half of the biggest match in the industry gives Becky Lynch the blue ribbon.

While other wrestlers such as Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Seth Rollins are more than worthy of this distinction, Lynch’s story is truly unique, and her impact is undeniable.

All Elite Wrestling Officially Announced

After weeks of speculation, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and All In sequel “Double or Nothing” has been officially announced. The announcement came at the end of the latest episode of the popular YouTube show Being the Elite (BTE).

There is a “Double or Nothing” rally at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida on Tuesday, January 8 at 5:00 pm. A special announcement is expected to be made at this rally, which is free to the public.

Jacksonville Jaguars co-owner Tony Khan is President of the company and the money behind AEW. Tony is a longtime wrestling fan and the son of billionaire Shahid Khan.

Wrestling Observer reported earlier today Cody Rhodes has officially signed with the company and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson), while not signed yet, are expected to sign within the next 48 hours. All three wrestlers reportedly turned down offers from WWE.

 

Kazarian, Daniels, and Sky

 

Hangman Page, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky are all staples of Being the Elite and are also expected to sign with AWE. All four wrestlers turned down offers to resign with Ring of Honor as their contracts expired at the end of December. Page reportedly turned down an offer from WWE back in October.

The final three members of the BTE crew are spoken for to various degrees. “The Villain” Marty Scrull is reportedly under contract to ROH until the end of April. Flip Gordon recently signed a new two-year contract, which takes him off the board for the foreseeable future.

 

Kenny Omega – credit Sports Illustrated

Then there is Kenny Omega who is under contract to New Japan Pro Wrestling until January 31st. It will be interesting to see what happens on Friday when Omega defends the IWGP Heavyweight Title against Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Omega is highly regarded by many as the best wrestler in the world. He is in the driver’s seat from a financial standpoint. New Japan, under their new leadership, is offering more significant money contacts than ever before. WWE wants zero competition, has more money to play with than ever before due to their massive TV contracts beginning this year, and are signing anyone with name value.

WWE traditionally doesn’t offer high six or seven figure contracts to wrestlers who made their name outside of the company. The last time they did was for AJ Styles, and it worked out exceptionally well for both parties. Omega can command such a dollar amount. While AEW would be the emotional favorite to sign Omega, WWE could very well sweep in with an offer too good to refuse.

Make no mistake about it, from a talent perspective, Kenny Omega is the ace in the deck While it wouldn’t derail AWE if they couldn’t sign him, it would be a big blow that would almost have them walking uphill coming out of the gate.

 

Hey Kids, it’s Chris Jericho.

Wow, I almost forgot about Chris Jericho.

Y2J has done a fantastic job of reinventing himself in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He holds their Intercontinental Title and will defend it against Tetsuya Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Jericho wrestles on per date basis and is currently not under contract to any promotion.

Over the last year, Jericho has lessened the reigns on his self-imposed restriction to not work for any other promotion except for WWE. He worked for New Japan, appeared at All In, did guest spots on Being the Elite, and helmed a successful wrestling cruise. AEW being able to land both Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho will make it a lot easier for the company to get a television deal, which is already rumored to have several offers.

It is an exciting time in the wrestling industry. AEW could be the first promotion to compete with the WWE in eighteen years. It will be interesting to see where everything ends up between now and when the first bell rings on the inaugural episode of AWE television.

Christopher Robin: Review

 

When I was seven years old, I had a heartfelt conversation with my Mom at the dinner table. I told her I didn’t want to grow up with tears in my eyes and that I always wanted to be a kid. The idea of not being able to play anymore made me sad.

Disney’s newest entry into their live-action adaptations, Christopher Robin is a 104-minute reminder that growing up is hard; however, taking time to smell the roses is necessary. Continue reading “Christopher Robin: Review”