New WWE Title and a Rundown of My Favorite Championship Hardware

This past Monday on Raw, The Rock unveiled the new WWE championship belt. Some like it, but most seem to hate it. Truth be told, I will take anything over that awful spinner belt. Sure, the diamond encrusted center plate looks a little bedazzled and is a far cry from a traditional design. It will take some getting used to but I think people will grow to like it.

As a kid, I hated the Winged Eagle belt that Randy Savage won at WrestleMania 4. I was at WrestleMania 14 where Steve Austin beat Shawn Michaels in the last match contested for the title. The next night on Raw, Vince McMahon presented Austin with what became known as the Attitude Era belt which is my favorite version of the championship. Today, I’m fond of the Winged Eagle belt as I’m ushered back to my childhood whenever I see it

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as some belts look better than others and carry more prestige. Here are some thoughts the belt designs I’ve always enjoyed:

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Star Wars #2 Review

It is a great time to be a Star Wars fan. J.J. Abrams is directing Episode VII, Han Solo, and Boba Fett will reportedly get their own film, and Brian Wood knocked it out of the park with last month’s debut issue that captures the true essence of this franchise and has gone back to press for a 3rd printing.

Deception clouds the Rebel Alliance as a spy is rumored to be lurking about. Princess Leia has been charged to assemble a stealth team to flush out the mole so they can find a new hidden base.

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Dutch Mantel is back and has heat with Illegal Immigrants

Dutch Mantel’s second trip into World Wrestling Entertainment has caused quite a stir with his new managerial role. Jack Swagger is a talented in-ring performer but he doesn’t have the chops on the microphone. Mantel, now Zeb Colter, might be just what the Division I All-American needs.

Mantel’s previous run in the WWE was in 1995-1996 under the name, Uncle Zebekiah. He managed Jacob and Eli, The Blu Brothers, and Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw who went on to become main event star, JBL.

My newest gerweck.net column titled The Colter Conundrum, explores the use of racist story arcs in the WWE in regards to this new character. Click here to check it out!

Injustice: Gods Among Us #3 and #4 Review

Tom Taylor hasn’t pulled a single punch in this video game prequel. In Fact, in this issue, he has thrown an armada of over hand rights to the jaw with the latest developments building towards a world of injustice. Lex Luther is usually the guilty party trying to destroy Superman through physical means with various LexCorp gadgets. The Joker, on the other hand, plays a different game and test the mettle of the Man of Steel like never before.

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Pro Wrestling booking fails UFC

ufc156_09_bigfoot_vs_overeem_014 — **Photo by Donald Miralle/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC**

UFC 156 served as a lesson for long-term planning in the fight game. Two anticipated mega fights that hinged upon a particular set of results were incinerated for the foreseeable future and may never materialize. Rashad Evans and Alistair Overeem had one task: to win.

Instead, Evans treated fans to a fifteen-minute exhibition of fakes and faints. At the same time, Antonio Silva flipped the script and made Overeem pay the price for taking him lightly using the currency of a devastating knockout. A boulevard of broken dreams has thrown water onto a fire that was supposed to signal the year of the mega-fight.

Anderson Silva will probably end up fighting Chris Weidman, and Cain Velasquez will either have to wait for a new contender to emerge or fight Antonio Silva, whom he literally beat to a bloody pulp the first time they fought in the summer. Both of those fights are lackluster and have little box office appeal.

When the dust settles and the smoke clears, fights like Overeem vs. Silva make Vince McMahon happy; his stuff is fake.

Ben Fowlkes of MMA Junkie.com, wrote an outstanding piece about the downside of MMA booking in regards to Alistair Overeem’s loss at UFC 156 titled Bigfoot and The Reem: A Cautionary Tale

Piledriving introduction to the National Wrestling Alliance

Professional wrestling consumed my life at the early age of 8. In fact, as far as I was concerned, the WWF was the only game in town. This idea that other wrestling promotions existed never dawned on me until a random Sunday afternoon of channel surfing. Fate brought me to TBS and I got my first taste of the National Wrestling Alliance.

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Calling the Shots of UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar

Super Bowl weekend traditionally plays host to one of the biggest UFC events of the year, and this card is no exception. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am for UFC 156. Every fight on the main card could be a main event and is reminiscent of the early Zuffa cards before the sport’s ascension. All of the bouts have important divisional ramifications and it is all topped off by what could end up being the greatest fight in the history of mixed martial arts.

-Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall

It’s takes a clever fighter with the ludicrous speed to dethrone the likes of Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall. That fighter’s name is Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. Joseph Benavidez was the odds on favorite to win the Flyweight tournament and was kept guessing and off balance for the entire five round affair. Ian McCall had more hype than anyone, going into the tournament and fought Johnson fought twice due to a judging error in the first bout that was scored a draw and some felt McCall won.

Benavidez brings to the table his explosive wrestling ability along with his power and athleticism. McCall is the more technical fighter who is very crafty and could catch Benavidez going in wild for a takedown or a submission. Both have tremendous cardio and are hungry to get back in the mix as they are the number 2 & 3 contenders in the world. McCall is preoccupied with personal issues outside of the cage in the form of childcare issues and separation from his wife which he feels will lead to a divorce.

McCall is a charismatic individual who could go a long way in the UFC, but he needs to find a way to put his personal issues aside to handle the razor sharp Benavidez. While McCall is dangerous on the ground, Demetrious Johnson was able to take him down pretty easily in their second fight. There will be some close calls in this bout, but Benavidez will have an easier controlling where the bout takes place.

The Pick: Joseph Benavidez by decision

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Randy Couture signs with Spike TV and will coach for Bellator MMA

Randy Couture has signed a multi-year deal with Spike TV and will be a coach on the new Bellator MMA reality show. Dana White cannot be happy about someone with such strong UFC colors working for their only competition. This doesn’t surprise me at all. Couture’s tumultuous past with the Ultimate Fighting Championship is well documented. Couture would not sign off on his likeness being used for merchandise purposes due to the absence of compensation.

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The Examination of CM Punk in a Post Royal Rumble World

-Wrestling Soap Box: The Examination of CM Punk

434 days of championship bliss was ended by the people’s elbow on Sunday night. The 26^th edition of the Royal Rumble is officially in the books, and The Rock is your new WWE Champion. If you are a hardcore wrestling fan who scourers the internet, you were probably bored with the predictable nature of this show. If you are a casual fan who stays away from the internet, or one who used to watch wrestling and came back for the Rumble, you probably loved this show. I spoke to a boat load of former fans leading up to the Rumble and here are some of their poignant comments in regards to CM Punk.

“He is not all that”

“This Punk guy is a joke”

“He is not believable at all”

“Why would this guy be your longest reigning champion?”

“The Rock is fighting that guy???”

“He looks like a skinny crack head”

Click here to read the rest of my column at Gerweck.net: Pro Wrestling News Since 1997

2013 WWE Royal Rumble Thoughts: The Rock Captures WWE Title

The Rock is your new WWE champion and John Cena is the 2013 Royal Rumble winner. The two are on a collision course for their rematch at WrestleMania 29 on 4/7/13. While folks online are ragging on the predictable nature of the card, you have to remember that sometimes, predictable is what’s best for business.

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