Alternate Universe: What If WCW Had Survived?

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

In 2001, the wrestling business changed dramatically. Both ECW and WCW went under, the latter being purchased by the WWF. The short-term fall-out included the Invasion angle by what would become a WCW/ECW Alliance, followed by the Brand Extension split of the WWF/WWE which set the course of history on a new path. But what if WCW had remained in existence?

Although ECW had a loyal following, it simply would not and could not have grown into a mainstream powerhouse, unless it was acquired by a larger parent organisation; and if that had been the case, the vulgar style of the company may have been forced to change. However, WCW was a major mainstream wrestling promotion, even during its final months of life. Therefore, its demise had a much bigger impact. But it's interesting to consider how things might have transpired had the company managed to continue.

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Ranking Every WrestleMania From Worst To Best

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

It's WrestleMania Season again! With WrestleMania 33 almost upon us, it's worth considering which WrestleMania events, to date, have been the worst or indeed the worst, which is why I have provided my own personal rankings of every WrestleMania so far. I'm taking a few factors into account when ranking these from worst to best: historical significance, entertainment, the quality of the wrestling, and anything else which added or detracted from any of the 32 Manias so far. As ever, this is only my opinion, so alternative viewpoints are welcome. Nevertheless, here goes!

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The Top 50 Most Memorable Royal Rumble Moments

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

We are days away from the 2017 Royal Rumble event. It's officially the 30th Royal Rumble match (an appropriate milestone, incidentally), although there have been some non-televised Rumble-style encounters, and even some scaled-down Rumbles on Raw and SmackDown over the years, not to mention the many "homages" to the Rumble in wrestling promotions around the world since its inception. However, the annual January 30-man battle is the true original, and its legacy has only increased over the years. Besides the WrestleMania main events, it's the one match that still continuously provokes mass interest, even amongst those who haven't regularly watched the product for years.

This year's Rumble could be one of the very best, due to a star-studded cast that includes Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker making special appearances, all of whom could potentially win the thing, along with other big names such as Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose and The Miz. Even Sami Zayn could be a potential dark horse, since a Universal Championship match with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 33 is not an unthinkable prospect. That doesn't include the other surprises that could be thrown in, along with the Alamodome setting ensuring that the atmosphere could be the loudest ever for a Rumble match.

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This Isn't Awesome: Is This The End For TNA?

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

If you're a wrestling fan, you're probably aware that TNA Wrestling is currently in a state of flux. With the money having basically run out, a sale of the company must go through by tomorrow, or its Bound For Glory PPV event and its subsequent Impact tapings will not be held. Such a move would not only be embarrassing and calamitious (BFG was once TNA's version of WrestleMania, remember), but it would give PPV providers and television stations (like Pop in the US) a (completely understandable) reason to no longer broadcast TNA PPV events or the Impact television show. Hence, the company essentially ends if these events do not take place.

So, why doesn't TNA just sell up, then? Well, Billy Corgan - who was named TNA's new President not so long ago, but is not the majority owner; that remains Dixie Carter - is in negotiations to outright buy the company, and he is confident that a deal can and will be reached before tomorrow's deadline. But a combination of inflating the company's value, the debt amounted by the organisation and the willingness to listen to other offers has meant that a Corgan purchase of TNA is yet to go through. If Corgan buys the company and provides the money (said to be in the region of $600,000) required for its upcoming shows to take place, then the brand will live on, likely with Billy giving the organisation a complete overhaul (including the TNA name).

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WWE 2K17 Roster Breakdown

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

The full roster for WWE 2K17 has now been revealed, along with the available downloadable characters. As I will mention later, a number of alternate characters (think, a retro Kane for example) are still to be confirmed, but those aside, we now have the final line-up for 2K17.

This year, the roster is the largest yet; over 175 characters make up the crew. There are plenty of new faces who have debuted on Raw/SmackDown and NXT in the last 12 months who are here, as well as the return of some familiar faces who made a WWE comeback in 2015/6. In addition, the DLC treats us to some first-time legends and further series debutants who arrived in WWE earlier this year. So, it's a stacked line-up; but is it the best roster to date in a WWE game?

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Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (September 16 2016)

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Here are this week's Wrestling Thoughts: off-screen, not too much has happened, but a fair amount has gone down on-screen, so let's get to it!

• Backlash exceeded expectations greatly last Sunday. It wasn't the best PPV by any means, but considering the house show-esque line-up for SmackDown's first PPV in the modern era, further weakened by Randy Orton not being cleared to compete against Bray Wyatt, the show was pretty good. It was a simple, logical, well-paced show which highlighted everybody to a suitable standard. Of note, The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler was their best match to date, there were feel-good title wins for Becky Lynch and the team of Heath Slater and Rhyno, and AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose was a great main event with Styles becoming WWE Champion in a turn of events that seemed unfathomable a year ago. And with the main event for No Mercy, the next SD PPV, already set (AJ vs. Ambrose vs. John Cena), the blue brand has the chance to top this show on October 9.

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Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (September 9 2016)

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

This week's Wrestling Thoughts will be a little shorter than usual, as this has been a less eventful week after a whirlwind of events in and out of the ring since SummerSlam weekend. Nevertheless, here are my opinions on the week in wrestling, as well as predictions for Backlash this Sunday.

• Although Raw opened with a fiery debate that officially began Seth Rollins' babyface turn, and both Rollins vs. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn were very enjoyable matches, the rest of the show felt like a drag; there were four consecutive segments that achieved almost nothing or were painfully average, and the sound-on-paper pastiche of The New Day by "retirement home" geniuses Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (with three fake pensioners playing "The Old Day") turned out to be awful. The talent is there and the main event scene has plenty of potential directions, but Raw is still struggling to find its groove since the Draft; right now it's largely a mixture of the very good and the poor or, in some cases, very poor. With the NFL season having resumed in the States, the ratings have already begun their annual autumn slide. I hope that WWE can inject some excitement and find a way for the "new" Raw to succeed after a promising start the night after Battleground. If not, then the next few months could be a struggle on the red side. Perhaps Clash Of Champions on September 25 will establish what we can expect moving forward from the Raw team, hopefully for positive reasons. (Incidentally, I felt that many overreacted to the teased retirement by Sasha Banks; sure, some performers have retired due to injury, but how many people truly expected 24-year-old Sasha to call it quits from injuries that we were told would only keep her out of action for a limited time?)

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Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (September 2 2016)

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

I noted last week, during an extremely eventful SummerSlam weekend along with its wealth of fall-out, that this current week wouldn't be anywhere near as exciting. While that proved to be the case, there has still been plenty going on in wrestling, including a major angle and an unsurprising departure from the WWE roster, so let's get to my thoughts on another week in the wacky world of wrestling.

Before I begin, it was sad to hear that Mr. Fuji had passed away at the age of 82. Although Fuji was an accomplished wrestler and a multi-time Tag Team Champion in the WWWF, I knew him more as a devious, evil yet entertaining and almost lovable rogue manager from the boom period of the late 1980s for the WWF. He managed the likes of Demolition and Yokozuna to championship gold, playing a vital role in Yoko's first WWF Title win at WrestleMania IX, and cutting a humorous promo on Hulk Hogan to set up Hogan's impromptu title win ("Come on, ya yellow-belly, come on!"). He was also well-known for practical jokes, some of which went a bit extreme (Roddy Piper recounted one such tale on a Q&A tour in 2014, which involved Fuji, another Japanese wrestler and a dog, which is probably best not repeated here). But Fuji was unquestionably a legendary name, and fittingly entered the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2007. RIP Mr. Fuji.

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Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (August 26 2016)

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

So much has happened in the world of wrestling - or, more specifically, WWE - over the last seven days that it is almost impossible to keep on top of it all. Nevertheless, here are my thoughts on the many events of the last week, although this week's Thoughts will not refer to the Cruiserweight Classic or non-WWE promotions, just because of the sheer volume of activity in WWE in recent days.

• Working in chronological order, NXT Takeover: Back To Brooklyn was another fantastic showcase of the NXT brand. Of the six matches, three were very good or excellent, and even the other three were of a strong standard. We had Austin Aries provide No Way Jose with his best match to date, a good debut for Ember Moon against Billie Kay, a GLORIOUS! (Google it if you're unaware why this makes sense) first NXT match for Bobby Roode against Andrade 'Cien' Almas, an outstanding NXT Tag Team Title defence for The Revival against Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciappa, an exciting NXT Women's Title clash between Asuka and Bayley that was an improvement on their previous Dallas collision, and Shinsuke Nakamura unseat Samoa Joe as NXT Champion in a worthy main event (during which Joe suffered a broken jaw; Aries was also injured with a ruptured eardrum after a post-match GTS by Hideo Itami). All of that in one brilliant wrestling show meant that Takeover: Back To Brooklyn was another knockout evening for the brand. Concerns may be raised for the future with this marking Bayley's exit from NXT, and with speculation that Samoa Joe could also soon move up to Raw or SmackDown; however, NXT's strength has been its knack for finding perfect replacement when performers move on, and the wrestling product is as good as ever. Expect the NXT buzz to continue; this was incredible.

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Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (August 19 2016)

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

SummerSlam weekend is upon us, so my thoughts this week will heavily consist of predictions for the big supershow on Sunday, as well as the second annual NXT Takeover: Brooklyn the night before. In the meantime, though, there have been other wrestling developments which have caught my eye ...

• In one of the more unusual suspension-related stories, both Alberto Del Rio and Paige were suspended for violating the Wellness Policy on the same day. Why is this unusual? Because ADR and Paige are a real-life item, and because it just happened to be Paige's birthday when the news came through. We know that both Del Rio and Paige were Drafted to separate brands, and that injuries have kept Paige out of the ring. It is also rumoured that ADR is unhappy with his current status in WWE (can't blame him) and may leave the company as soon as next month. In other words, when you add it all up, there's more than meets the eye regarding this dual suspension. Did Alberto and Paige deliberately violate the system to get a month together away from wrestling? Could the two have gone a bit over the top in celebrating Paige's birthday? Have the two gone out of their way to receive a suspension because of unhappiness with their roles in WWE? Or is this one giant coincidence? I don't know; however, at this stage I would be very surprised if we saw ADR in a WWE ring again, and depending on the severity of Paige's injuries, it could be a long time until she resurfaces too - if at all. This should be interesting to follow, although I can't envision a happy ending for any of the parties involved.

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History of the Hardcore Championship 24-7 coming soon on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

After its inception in 1998, the WWE Hardcore Championship was sought after by some of WWE’s toughest and most unpredictable competitors. From deranged champions like Mankind, Raven and Al Snow to fighting champions like Rob Van Dam, Undertaker, Tommy Dreamer and Hardcore Holly, to unsung heroes like “The Lethal Weapon” Steve Blackman and Crash Holly, this set takes a comprehensive look at the greatest WWE Hardcore Championship matches in history. It’s unpredictable, it’s wild, it’s HARDCORE!

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Weekly Wrestling Thoughts (August 12 2016)

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Some quick comments about wrestling-related developments over the last seven days, and a few random ones too:

• Dean Ambrose accusing Brock Lesnar of being lazy in regards to their WrestleMania 32 match during his Stone Cold Podcast appearance is not without merit. Given Lesnar's lack of motivation inside WWE rings so far this year, his preference to fight in UFC again, his doping test failure and his continuous part-time status for which he remains highly paid, one has to ask if Lesnar is really worth the money to WWE anymore, and if fans would really miss him if he left? Unless Brock plans to utilise more of his once-excellent wrestling repertoire in the future, WWE might be best served having Lesnar finally lose cleanly for the first time since he ended The Streak no later than WrestleMania 33, and prepare for Brock's exit should he leave when his current contract expires after WM 34.

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The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased now available on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

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Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased is now available in the UK on both DVD and Blu-ray.

The third volume in WWE’s Attitude Era DVD & Blu-ray series, this time bringing together previously unseen material from the period between 1996-2000. Includes “dark” matches from Monday Night Raw, non-televised matches from pay-per-view events, live events, and more never-before-released moments from WWE’s most controversial era!

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The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased coming soon on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

Image Source:
Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The third volume in WWE’s Attitude Era DVD & Blu-ray series, this time bringing together previously unseen material from the period between 1996-2000. Includes “dark” matches from Monday Night Raw, non-televised matches from pay-per-view events, live events, and more never-before-released moments from WWE’s most controversial era!

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WWE Extreme Rules 2016 now available on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The New Era takes competition to the extreme at Extreme Rules! In a rematch from their epic encounter at Payback, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns puts the richest prize in sports-entertainment on the line against “The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles in an Extreme Rules Match! The family feud between the Flairs and the Harts writes another chapter as Natalya challenges for the WWE Women’s Championship against Charlotte in a Submission Match. And for the first time ever in WWE history, Chris Jericho and Dean Ambrose face each other in a match more twisted than “The Lunatic Fringe” himself… an Asylum Match!

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Five Reasons Why Every Wrestling Fan Should Be Watching Lucha Underground

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Written By: Dan Fitt-Palmer

Hi. The name’s Dan; I'm super-smarky. Introduction's done, so let me get on with telling why my taste is better than yours ... wait, no. Okay, try this: your taste is awesome, that’s why I know you’ll love this awesome thing.

This article should (in theory) serve as a way to introduce uninitiated wrestling fans to the insane and insanely cool world of Lucha Underground; or, if they are already au fait with it, an open love-letter to the product.

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Predicting WrestleMania 33

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

With WrestleMania 32 officially in the history books, the early speculation begins for WrestleMania 33. To be frank, the show isn't for nearly twelve months (obviously) and it will not even enter storylines until very late this year or in early 2017, but it's still interesting to consider what might go down on April 2 2017 at the Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida (which also hosted WM 24, which I attended).

I will base my predictions on the current roster and the most likely special guests at this point in time, since one cannot obviously not predict 100% who will be active a year from now (who imagined in early 2015 that AJ Styles would appear at the 2016 Mania?). So, here it goes ...

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WrestleMania 32 Predictions

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Having looked at the road to WrestleMania 32 a few days ago, I will now provide my predictions for all of the matches this Sunday at AT&T Stadium.

Before beginning with the bouts, I'll speculate on the potential involvement by legends and/or injured stars. The Rock is confirmed to be on hand, which I see most likely being as part of a talking segment with Steve Austin. I can also see Mick Foley being part of this to deliver a feel-good moment for the fans (albeit one not quite as memorable as the Austin-Rock-Hulk Hogan interaction at WM XXX). As for other stars, I can say Seth Rollins popping up in a backstage moment, and Shawn Michaels will probably appear at some point, although the Texas location means that Shawn will have to favour a babyface if his involvement is to leave the desired impact.

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WrestleMania 31 Predictions

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

With the biggest WWE show of the year less than 48 hours away, and the card set, I will provide my predictions for WrestleMania 31, in the order that I expect the matches to take place.

Kick-Off

1. Tag Team Title Match

For the second year running, the Tag Team Title scrap is a four-way on the pre-show. The Usos have had the most success as a team, but winning the titles again with no obvious new opponents seems a bit pointless. Los Matadores hadn't been on TV for months until a few weeks ago, and based on crowd reactions, The New Day are becoming the tag team division's answer to John Cena in terms of provoking the undesired response, so I don't see either of these teams winning. Which means a probable successful title defence for Cesaro and Tyson Kidd, which I would have endorsed had the other three teams had more momentum anyway.

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Predicting WrestleMania 32

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

After a lacklustre build-up and somewhat disappointing card for WrestleMania 31, the onus is on WWE to rebound when it comes to WrestleMania 32, especially given their hopes of breaking the all-time company attendance record at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. But what can WWE do to ensure that Mania 32 is a vast improvement on this year's offering?

The first thing is to deliver a match that fans truly want to see and, right now, there is no bigger dream match which could realistically happen than The Undertaker vs. Sting. This is a bout that people have wanted to see for many years, and with Undertaker fast approaching retirement and with Sting on a part-time basis himself, not only is WM 32 the best chance to hold this match, it may be the last chance. Plus, it is in Taker's home state, the Streak not being a factor means that the result could go either way, and it would be the perfect send-off for both, making what could be a double retirement match a massive potential draw.

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