The Ladies Prove Unstoppable in NXT and Hopefully Beyond

“The NXT Women alone are worth more than $9.99.” Lance Storm

Any wrestling fan worth their salt logged on to the WWE Network on Wednesday evening and watched NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable. It was a great night of action and excitement that culminated with the debut of former TNA star Samoa Joe. While Joe’s arrival means a plethora of dream matches for the energetic brand, the women’s championship match featuring Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch stole the show.

In fact, they didn’t just steal show, they flat out hijacked it at point blank range. Continue reading “The Ladies Prove Unstoppable in NXT and Hopefully Beyond” →

The WWE Debut of Kevin Owens

What appeared to be another U.S. open challenge suddenly turned into a much more exciting affair as the guitar riffs of the CFO$ song, “Fight”, coursed through the sound system of the Richmond Coliseum. For some, it was an audible invasion of the unknown. For others, it was familiarity at its finest as Kevin Owens unexpectedly emerged on Monday Night Raw. Continue reading “The WWE Debut of Kevin Owens” →

Secret Wars #2 Review

Enter Battleworld, a new plane of existence somehow created in the wake of the Marvel universe’s destruction. It’s a crazy, dark place where the characters we know have new lives and have taken on radically different roles. A seemingly medieval symmetry encapsulates the motif and lifeblood of this realm.

Various families and houses squabble, politic, and plot to expand their dominion under the watchful eye of one supreme monarch. While there are certainly no songs of fire and ice, I got the impression that winter is coming. Continue reading “Secret Wars #2 Review” →

Calling The Shots: Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber

The UFC makes its debut in the Philippines this Saturday as Frankie Edgar, and Urijah Faber will tango in the main event. While the card boasts what should be some fun fights, the five-round featherweight attraction between the two former WEC and UFC champions could very well be MMA’s version of the Thrilla in Manila.

Fight night is a term that encapsulates the evening’s combative festivities. However, this event has the unusual distinction of airing in the early a.m. to compensate for the twelve-hour time difference. One would wonder why such a big fight would be booked for this particular show, but the UFC’s aggressive push in the Asian market probably answers that question. Continue reading “Calling The Shots: Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber” →

WWE Network Revives The Elimination Chamber

Break out that big ’ol cage! The Elimination Chamber returns as an exclusive WWE Network offering on May 31. This will be the second pay-per-view this month, and will most likely overshadow this Sunday’s Payback event since the event often produces a fun night of wrestling with some memorable moments.

It was reported by the Wrestling Observer that almost nobody watches the older content (I do), so there is no rush to add more of it. However, the most popular offerings happen to be the newer stuff, such as monthly pay-per-views, network specials, and NXT. Last week, Chris Jericho’s interview with Stephanie McMahon was one of the most watched shows. Continue reading “WWE Network Revives The Elimination Chamber” →

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

My wife and I took in some superhero action as Avengers: Age of Ultron kicks off another summer movie season. The film under Joss Whedon’s direction showcased a lot of style and substance, although it lacks in some areas. Some of the diluted elements were easy to ignore, while others were kind of a head-scratcher. Continue reading “Avengers: Age of Ultron Review” →

Secret Wars #1 Review

Time has officially run out. Only two worlds remain.

This is the story that Jonathan Hickman has been building towards since Avengers #1 and New Avengers #1 kicked off the Marvel NOW initiative back in December 2012 and January 2013. Hickman has done something special here as he’s weaved a story that is easy to appreciate regardless of whether you’ve been keeping up with his Avengers’ books or jumped right into the deep end without knowing how to navigate the waters of this universe-ending event.

Secret Wars has been synonymous with Marvel comics since the inaugural series carrying that name occurred in 1984. The Mattel action figures based on the story coincided with the release of the famed limited series. There have been other limited runs using the name, but this 2015 edition promises to change everything……and it does! Continue reading “Secret Wars #1 Review” →

Secret Wars #0 Review

This was the most anticipated release of Free Comic Book Day, as Marvel kicks off its big event of 2015. Secret Wars looks to change the Marvel Universe as we know it, and it will include over 55 books between tie-in issues and special one-shots.

Jonathan Hickman has been the maestro wielding the creative force that has led to this moment, with almost two years of backstory in the pages of his run on Avengers and New Avengers.

Most of the story here shows Valeria Richards telling the Future Foundation about the world incursions the Illuminati tried to prevent. Hickman makes the book new reader-friendly while giving current readers some nice reminders. I loved the artwork in this issue. It was just right and conveyed a sense of world-ending calamity.

There was also a bonus, which included the Marvel Universe heroes battling the gigantic humanoids of Attack on Titan. Manga really isn’t my cup of tea, but the show gets recommended to me daily. Three episodes in on Netflix, and I’m hooked, gave me a greater appreciation for what I had read earlier. The artwork and color were the stars of this particular show and were well-realized.

If you’re a Marvel fan or have been out of the loop for some time, this is the book you need to read. The primer for Secret Wars more than did its job, and you just might find yourself enamored with a completely new franchise.

Meeting the Excellence of Execution: Bret Hart

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Bret Hart is my all-time favorite wrestler and he was my inspiration for trying my hand at professional wrestling. The “Hitman” appeared at a pop culture convention last weekend and I was offered press credentials to cover the event.

I really wanted to meet him. So for the sake of professionalism, I declined the offer. I didn’t know when I’d have another chance to rub shoulders with the “excellence of execution” so in the words of Mike Pono “Dude, be a fanboy for once.”

The thing is, I know so much about his career, I was concerned that I wouldn’t have anything to say or ask. On the drive to the convention center, my wife assuredly stated “Its Bret Hart, I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Continue reading “Meeting the Excellence of Execution: Bret Hart” →

Star Wars #4 Review

Star Wars #4 serves as the beginning of a new story arc dealing with the fallout of the Empire’s weapons factory on Cymoon 1 being destroyed.

The majority of the book takes place on Tatooine as Darth Vader arrogantly keeps Jabba the Hutt in check while maintaining the assurance of Imperial supplies provided by the mammoth gangster.

Jason Aaron was able to keep the dialogue between the two villains interesting. Vader was steadfast in his demands while Hutt surgically picked his spots to rub salt on the wound of recent Imperial damages. It reminded me of how one would book a match/story in professional wrestling with the idea being one person wins without the loser taking any damage to their credibility or character. Continue reading “Star Wars #4 Review” →