Im Back And Better Than Ever

DONT FORGET TO CATCH THE SHOWDOWN! PODCAST ON THURSDAY AT 6PM EST. 

DEAN AMBROSE IS GOD. CM PUNK IS GOD. AJ LEE IS A GOD. 

This sort of thing appears on my twitter feed too often and the worst part is is that those who post it truly believe it. This idea that a wrestler can become a deity is more confusing than Swoggle being the anonymous GM. I understand that you can believe in whatever and whoever you choose but going this far is unnatural. So I ask, "Has Fandom gone too far?"

As I write this I guarantee that there is at least one argument on my feed about the newly announced UFC fighter CM Punk and about how he is amazing or how he is the worst thing to happen to wrestling in ten years. The fact is fans, in my opinion, have become part of the problem with wrestling. Well, I say that but they always have been a big issue in wrestling. Since the IWC was, shall we say, dead, during the 90's there was never any real focus on the arguing between fans and it was just that wrestling was pushed at those in the arena. Now it seems that wrestling is pushed at the wider market and rightfully so but there is one issue. The fans. The fans believe that they impact the product much more than they actually do. Take the AJ/Paige fiasco for example. Fans began demanding a Paige/AJ feud and the WWE gave it to them and all this did was prove that Paige wasn't ready for that level of feud. Regardless of what people think Paige was not ready and AJ was held back. That being said the writing was never great so that impacts it. But this was all added to by the fact that fans couldn't just learn to watch the damn product. 

You have a voice. Use it. But DO NOT abuse that gift. When you abuse that gift you ruin teh product for yourself and everyone else. Take the CM Punk chant, The WHAT chant, The BORING chants. Just because you want something doesnt mean we all do. Fans seem to think that by worshiping stars such as Dean Ambrose that WWE will pay attention and put him in the main event spots. Well guess what kids, DEAN DOESNT WANT TO BE YOUR HUSBAND AND WWE DOESNT WANT HIM THERE YET. Dean could be ready for years, nae, decades and WWE wouldn't use him in the main event until they feel he is ready. They may give him some spotlight for sometime just to keep you amused but that doesn't mean he is primed to be pushed. Look at Ziggler. Try tell me I'm wrong. I dare you. 

On top of that you have the fans who believe that if they bombard their favorite wrestlers with tweets and affectionate sayings like "BAE" "MY HUBBY" "INSPIRATION" that they will get a RT, Follow or a FAV. Wrestlers, while they may appreciate your fandom, do not appreciate the constant attention. They are people too. Your tweets may "inspire" them but I also guarantee that they ignore more than 90% of your messages. Im sorry to burst your fan bubble but it's true. 

CM Punk, Ambrose, AJ Lee, WWE. None of them care. Seriously. All WWE care about is that you watch their product and get invested enough to buy a tshirt or some other kind of merch. Its sad but true. 

Don't get me wrong. You have a right to voice how you feel and you have a right to let WWE know what you think but be realistic. Take a step back and look at what happens when other people do it and you might see how you are reacting. Its a harsh and cold reality but sometimes when you step back from the product like I have recently you begin to see some of the real problems. Would you say Captain America is a God? Would you say Joker is a Deity? Is Batman........ok Batman is but we all know that. The point is, these wrestlers, these characters, are all people on the inside. Even people can feel pressure. So why not just step back and observe. Be immersed but not to the point you are drowning. Trust me, you will be thankful for it.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO NOT USE SOCIAL MEDIA THIS WEEK BEFORE AND AFTER WATCHING WRESTLING. DONT READ SHEETS, DONT READ RUMORS AND DONT TWEET YOUR FAVORITE WRESTLER.


Want to give me your thoughts? Get in touch on twitter at @LevellerLOW.

Guest Blogger - Yellow Brick Road

Is there an emerald castle at the end of WWE’s yellow brick road or are we heading to the witch’s
castle? The general complaint coming from the camp of the diehard fans is the lack of direction in current WWE storylines. More to the point is this…Is there even Storylines period? Because it sure doesn’t look like it from here…

But then again I am a diehard fan of Pro-Wrestling; I tune in every week in some way. However, the juggernaut that is WWE is not really writing for the diehard fan. Their audience is now the casual fan, that fan that perhaps tunes in every 2 out of 4 RAW shows, and skips Smack Down (I will be honest; I sometimes skip SmackDown in favour of trolling the internet for some indy stuff I haven’t seen yet…or scouring DIY sites for ideas I will probably never do…or trying out a new recipe).

They are writing storylines that should the casual fan miss a couple of Raw’s they’ll be able to catch up on the doings; much akin to the afternoon soaps – you can always figure out what is happening with everyone by the end of the hour in the soaps; the same goes for WWE.

Probably one of the bigger issues is there is too many ‘cooks’ in the ‘kitchen’ and the ‘executive chef’ (Vince) swoops in right before the ‘dish’ is served, tosses something totally opposite to what the dish is – think whipped cream on beef wellington – and sends it out for consumption. So any so called storyline pretty much goes tits up as it leaves the ‘kitchen’. I think the storylines suffer greatly from the situation that seemly could be so easily rectified and that is to have the writers sit down with the wrestlers they are writing for. This would give them a sense of who the wrestler is trying to portray. If they are the Heel (aka the Villain) of the piece then they need to be villainous; not acting like a toddler who didn’t get a treat when his mom took him to the store. The Face (aka the Hero) needs to seem heroic not wishy washy. Wrestlers portray larger than life personas; they need to do so convincingly. Think of the iconic characters in tv and film, and the actors who portrayed them; if they half-assed it those portrayals would not have resonated or stood the test of time. Promos are Ads; and Wrestlers are the Ad Men/Women. They need to sell what they are saying, with everything
they have. 

If I get the impression they would rather be in the rear making puppies I am going to lose
interest really fast…especially since one of my other favourite shows airs in the last hour of Raw. It’s a fine line in selling this from Dolph Ziggler at one end of the spectrum with the oversell…to John Cena at the other with the No Sell. Cena is superman to the WWE universe, but even Faster than a speeding bullet had his weakness (Kryptonite); Cena will also have his Kryptonite; and when that happens; Cena will need to sell it. Lesnar could have been Cena’s Kryptonite or at the very least his Lex; the WWE Universe would have bought that. Especially since Lesnar defeated ‘Taker at Wrestlemania 30. I am pretty confident that people would have totally bought into it; and they could have had Cena battle back after a break from the ring and our viewing pleasure – stick his bland ass in another movie…do vignettes showing him working out to get back to peak form. Ziggler at the other end oversells everything…EVERYTHING…even the botches where it’s blatantly obvious that they didn’t even connect and there’s Ziggler writhing around on the mat or the floor or wherever he happens to be. Ziggler does have his moments I will admit that; like when he was the last man in a battle royal for the IC contender spot only to be dumped from the ring by Miz who sat most of it out; the look on his face was heartbreaking. But Ziggler also suffers from staleness; sure he’s the show off and he steals the show…but it needs to evolve again (remember he was a member of the spirit squad). The rest fall somewhere in between; including the ladies…who seem to sound like they are involved in a high school spat in the locker room as opposed to the squared ring. It makes it hard to suspend belief when they miss the mark. No different than going to a much anticipated movie only to have it suck donkey wang (Horror movies are exempt for as every horror buff knows…you will sift through a lot of shit before you find ‘gold’.)

Storylines lose their direction and thus the investment we as spectators put in when someone in the back chickens out on pulling the ‘trigger’ on the feud; or when they decided to have random feuds resulting from two random wrestlers thrown together in a tag team as a way to set up for a feud. It becomes frustrating to the viewer who invests anywhere from 3 to 6 hours per week; every week when this occurs. I used to watch 3 hours of Raw; 1 hour of NXT (before Sportsnet 360 decided to stop showing it in favour of Main Event…thanks a lot Rogers…dicks); and SmackDown. Now those 3 to 6 hours are devoted to maybe two hours of Raw…maybe…and then scoping the Net for some Indy stuff to see what’s going on and who is making consistent noise.

Sadly there doesn’t seem to be a change in the direction…or lack thereof in storylines. Because they don’t have too; there are enough fans of the casual variety tuning in every week. As I said in a previous post; they write for TV…and the casual fan.

So diehards…keep a look out for those flying monkeys…the witch’s castle is hoving into view…

Let Krysta know your thoughts on twitter at @Krysta_Ibach and be sure to catch her on Lowdown and Showdown giving her opinions each week from 6pm EST. 

Gunning On The Level - Hell In A Cell Predicitions 2014

About This Post

On this blog we are doing things slightly differently. Once a month myself and @LoveLostGunfire will be providing you our predictions for the monthly PPV. This month we crawl back into the devils playground, the skin tearing structure, Mick Foley's best friend - HELL IN A CELL

Brie Bella vs Nikki Bella - (Be A Star/Be A Bitch)

LLG - "This was probably my least favorite "feud" from two months ago, and it's still my least favorite thing right now. The entire thing has been riddled with less than B-grade acting and cringe-worthy scripting. It's not just the delivery of the scripts, it's the scripts themselves. Granted, I haven't seen everything, but what I have seen has made me wonder which recreational drug WWE Creative has been using. Does anyone really care about this? Anyone who isn't a Cena fan, I mean. I think it's obvious Nikki will win this. I know I've been out of the game for a while, but c'mon... Nikki takes it. As if the WWE would miss a chance to promote their anti-bullying campaign by having a good person get rundown over and over by a meaner person. Nikki wins, okay?"

LOW - "So apparently I'm meant to give a serious prediction for this match? Ok. Nikki out wrestles Brie by miles, Nikki wins. Makes sense. But it's not gonna make sense because she is better in the ring. Its because storyline makes it look better for Brie to play the underdog much like her husband. To be honest I'm really not sure what more can be said. I have had zero to no interest in this feud. I just don't care about this match."

The Dusts vs The Usos - Tag Team Championship Match

LLG - "Err...I guess I should call them the "Dust Brothers" now, hmm? I feel like not many people are excited about this and that sucks. You have two stellar teams, BUT they have been (unfortunately) booked incorrectly. I don't know why WWE can't seem to focus on all the divisions with equal amounts of attention and effort, but whatever. Most fans know that WWE have dropped the ball (again) with the Tag Team division, and so here we are at another PPV where the build up hasn't exactly been there. I've read that The Usos are riding high with the wins piling up behind them. On the other hand, I've read that The Dust Brothers are being stomped on quite consistently since Night of Champions. How does that make sense? Having The Dust Brothers lose the belts would not make a lick of sense, in my opinion, because as far as I know, there isn't anything "better" or more exciting lined up yet for this division. The Dust Brothers haven't had the belts that long and if the losing streak is true, that's a shame. That's bigger than a shame. They deserve an amazing reign and I feel they haven't had the chance to do everything they are capable of doing. There should be a mix of ups and downs for everyone when you're trying to lead up to a PPV. It shouldn't be win, win, win for one team and lose, lose, lose for another. Shake it up a bit! When I say "amazing reign" I don't mean a reign without its obstacles. I just mean something with twists and turns and something which doesn't make it completely obvious. Bring in some new meat to the division. Bring in some challengers. Make us sit on the edge of our seat and wonder, truly wonder, who will win... Final word: Dust Brothers retain, or so help me gods, I will send baking soda in an envelope to Stamford, CT."

LOW - "I love these teams. I do. But I'm bored of it already. The Usos have been in the title picture for too long but realistically there are no teams ready to come up and join the main roster or even challenge the Dusts for the titles. Want to make me interested? Make it personal. Simple. Make me care about why they need to continue this feud. But anyway on to my predictions. Dusts have to win, plain and simple. If the Dusts lose then their championship run seems silly. If The Usos win, who faces them? Only other feasible team is The Dusts. The Dusts have to win and teams like RybAxel have to reappear , The Ascension (as much as I currently dislike them) have to show up and my god GIVE ME THE NEW AGENDA (Big E, Xavier and Kofi). IS IT THAT DAMN HARD!"

AJ vs Paige - Divas Title Match

LLG -"I gather that this belt has been passed around more frequently than... Never mind, I'm not going to finish that particular sentence. Is it true - Alicia Fox is still insane? Well, I don't know much about what's going on with these ladies right now, but I do know that AJ holds the belt going into this, right? With Survivor series coming up after this PPV, I would love to see more of a mixed match for the ladies, and by mixed I mean something like a Fatal Fourway or a Triple Threat, etc. One on hand, perhaps the belt will change hands at Hell in a Cell, seeing Paige walk away victorious, and the lead up to Survivor Series will bring in some other challengers. I suppose a multiple contender match could still be done even if AJ retains, but since the belt has switched ownership so many times already, what's one more switch? On the other hand, I've heard Paige will be filming Total Divas (kill me right now...NOW!) and so she'll probably appreciate taking a step back. On the OTHER hand (because I have more than two hands, duh) Stephanie McMahon made it clear that a Total Divas star could definitely win a belt and it was ridiculous how the internet seemed convinced otherwise. Hmm...I'm going to say that AJ Lee retains. Why? Paige (although I love her to bits) wasn't really a fan favorite. AJ Lee has the ability to gather the fans behind her, even when she's doing really odd and insane bits. I think WWE will want to keep the belt safe with her while Paige is trained on the "arts" of being a Total Diva."

LOW - "So this is still going? Oh that's right because no other divas can currently step up and be on the level of these two. THIS IS BAD. Naomi could quite possibly out wrestle both. I want AJ to retain the title here. And it's not because I prefer her but it's because I believe Paige needs yet more character development and she can't get that by working with the same person over and over again. Plus if AJ holds the title there is a bunch of new pairings that can happen. Emma, Charlotte and my wildcard Tamina (who will be back soonish) can all have feuds with AJ. Now don't get me wrong, I DO NOT LIKE AJ. I do not believe that she can hold her own. She is too small (let the internet come at me) and she looks unbelievable as a wrestler."

Sheamus vs The Miz (with Mizdow) - US Title Match

LLG - "I have no idea what's going on here. Mizdow? Really? Apparently he's more over than the real Miz, so that's saying something. It's fully possible that The Miz wins the belt and then goes on to feud with Mizdow. That would be smart considering Sandow always gets reactions no matter what he's doing, but he seems to be garnering even more attention with this particular role of his. Miz vs Mizdow. Would you watch it? I think it's more believable than Sheamus vs Rusev. At least, I hope they're not going USA vs Russia...AGAIN. I can't roll my eyes enough at that. Two months of not watching any WWE programming, and WWE is still on that. Seriously? Moving on - so we have a few options here, right? Sheamus could retain because that's the most predictable outcome. WWE doesn't dislike him and although he isn't the most
dazzling champion in the history of champions, he's also not the worst. For whatever reason, he's likable and he has a decent following. That being said, I'm going to say that The Miz wins the belt. Why? Because I like the idea better. I don't even have a technical reason behind it, haha!"

LOW - "Ok. Peaked my interest. I have two solutions for this match. Either Mizdow gets the pin or Sheamus retains. If Mizdow wins he goes on to fight Miz at some point and gets more over (however this may end with an Alex Riley situation and no one wants that). He could even claim he outsmarted Miz and thus bringing him back to the intellectual thing. Option 2 involves Sheamus winning because Mizdow screws Miz out of the belt. He gets a face pop and Miz gets heal heat for beating him down. This results in Miz vs Sandow and Sheamus vs Rusev. Rusev then wins the US title and retires it saying its a piece of trash and he doesnt want to wear garbage, he just wanted to prove an american champion wrong. END of the day I think Sheamus retains"

Big Show vs Rusev - Pride match 

LLG - "Oh gods, do I need to get into this? Don't make me talk about this. FINE, I'll talk about it. Rusev needs to remain undefeated until WWE figures out what the hell the end game is. They haven't as of yet, which is clear to see considering the same damn "story" has been washed and rinsed repeatedly throughout the last two months. I seriously doubt Big Show is the end game. Rather, I seriously hope Big Show isn't the end game. While I'm ready to see Rusev and Lana in different roles and whatever, I'm not ready enough to sacrifice that moment to Big Show. Rusev wins, that's it."

LOW - "Rusev wins. He deserves to. Yup. Said it. Rusev, after kicking the "soldier", can be edgy and I want to see how far they are going to push it. However, Rusev wins because Henry is going to screw it up for Big Show. After the last few promos I will be shocked if Henry doesnt screw Big Show out of a win. Let me set the scene, Big Show breaks The Accolade, gets up, knocks out Rusev and then Henry attacks Show before he gets the pin. Mark Henry goes heel after being embarrassed by Rusev and because Big Show did better than he did. A man with hurt pride has nothing to lose. Rusev wins by DQ."

 Ziggler vs Cesaro - IC Title Match

LLG - "This particular match has me wringing my hands and looking up at the skies, yelling "Gods, WHY!?" at the top of my voice. A loss can hurt both men, considering Cesaro has been looking a bit lost since that random-ass Andre the Giant thing, and Ziggler...well, we know the story with Ziggler. I genuinely like both of these performers and I want nothing but great things for both of them. The problem is, they can't share the belt. There has to be a loser and a winner. When I look at everything going on right now at WWE (or, not going on) it makes more sense that Ziggler would win. When I was doing my "research" for these predictions, I came across some Bleacher Report articles which talked about the lack of faces in the midcard right now. That means that Cesaro, because he is apparently super badass with his weird sirens and gnarly post-Heyman attitude, wouldn't have much to do if he won the belt. What would he do? Out-bad the heels? No, that makes no sense. But Ziggler, well, Ziggler is the sweetheart of WWE, isn't he? He's the internet's treasure. We love him and baby him and he's precious to us. Since there are so many heels right now, that makes it a perfect setup for Ziggler to retain and have a busy title reign. I hate to say it, but I feel like Cesaro needs to take a backseat right now, at least until WWE figures out what the hell is going on with the midcard. I get that some people feel Ziggler is washed out and Cesaro should win as he's the "fresher" option...but, I don't know. It just doesn't make much sense. I feel like Ziggler going through a roller coaster reign makes for better TV. He's the kind of champ I could get invested in, and even though not many people are feeling the hype of this match (even though from a technical wresting POV this match should be damn good) I am feeling it. Ziggler is like the hero in a Denzel Washington sports movie. Ziggler for the win."

LOW - "Ziggler wins. This match may well be good but the lack of charisma makes me roll my eyes. I can't even describe how much I dislike these characters. With this in mind, Cesaro loses because I think this sets up a Ziggler vs Cesaro series much like that thing we got with MVP and Matt Hardy. Imagine if you will a set of challenges where Cesaro tries to help Ziggler to up his game every single week until Ziggler snaps. He snaps and Cesaro tells him that he is now ready. Both men begin tagging together and the internet is happy for a week." 

John Cena vs Randy Orton - Number One Contenders match

LLG - "Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I do have a few things to say here. The best thing for TV would be for Orton to win this match. Cena and Lesnar, yawn! Am I right? But Orton vs Lesnar could be better...by a bit. But that little bit would be enough, no? If that doesn't do it for you, how about Orton vs Rollins at a future PPV after Hell in a Cell? If Rollins screws Orton at Hell in a Cell and cena wins, it might not be the end of the world. I mean, it hasn't been the end of the world every other time Cena won a PPV, has it? We should be used to this by now. I WANT Orton to win, but I would not be surprised if Cena won because he is, after everything is all said and done, the safest bet. The belt is literally safe with him; he knows how to do his job and Orton would have things to keep him busy if he lost this particular match (especially if he loses through outside interference). I don't care all that much for this match, to be honest. Maybe that's why I'm sitting here and shrugging. Let it be."

LOW - "Better by a bit? Lesnar vs Orton would be great provided we get mean and violent Orton. I demand Orton wins. You hear me WWE? But with current plans in place Cena could win. COULD. But I hope he wont. I want to see Orton punt Cena and give him a month or two off to go film his movie "Train wrecked". It must be so difficult to be in WWEs position. A face making you millions and no one ready to replace him. I get that but fans need fresh products in order to stay around. As one of our panelists said "pasta, like wrestling, gets stale". I wont be surprised if Cena wins because WWE have seen that that match sells but I would like Orton to win."

Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose - Grudge Match

LLG - "THIS! The reason I wanted to see this PPV at all... Okay, relax. Breathe. Predictions, right? Okay. Well, Orton and Rollins are up for a feud together, right? That means they'll keep each other busy enough should both men lose their respective matches. As far as I know, Rollins has been racking up the wins and Ambrose has been the one under Seth's Power Ranger boot. Therefore, Rollins can afford a loss. He's Mr. Money in the Bank, he's got another feud lined up, and he's been riding a wave of wins AND he's garnered some considerable heat. Then there's Ambrose who has worked his ass off for this feud. The support from fans is amazing, isn't it? Ambrose has fans eating out of the palm of his hand, and for good reason. Both men would be relatively unscathed by a loss, but why not reward Ambrose? After everything that's happened in this feud, isn't it about time for Ambrose to come out on top? As much as I want a clean win for my beloved Dean, I can definitely see some interference from Orton, which would soften the loss for Rollins and allow Orton and Rollins to move into their feud. Apart from the storyline possibilities, this match should be yet another contender for Match of the Year. Ambrose and Rollins together have already brought us to the edge of our seats multiple times; many of their matches could be MotY winners, but this...THIS...these two men locked in a cell, damn! My final word: Ambrose for the win."

LOW - "Could this match be any more hyped? Its crazy. I don't expect the greatest match ever but no doubt the internet marks will be creaming over this and ovaries will be exploding all over the place but I worry that this match won't be as good as we imagine. Let me put this to you, If a big moment such as Kane tearing the door off or a destruction of the cell happens then this match would have to go last. So imagine that WWE put this match on second to last? It wont have a lot of high spots. It won't be anything more than a PG match in a structure that blocks the view of fans in the arena. However if this is the last match, I suspect we get some ridiculous spots where Mick Foley may even worry for the guys. In the end I imagine Ambrose gets the win or we get a screwy finish to protect both guys. I pray that its a clean finish because HIAC is meant to be the be all and end all of all feuds. (say that 5 times fast). So either Ambrose or a screwy finish. I want a throwback to Kane tearing off the door but just for nostalgia sake. 

What do you think? Let us know your predictions on twitter at @LevellerLOW and @LoveLostGunfire

Guest Blogger: Dean Ambrose - The face of nothing

EDITORS NOTE - dont forget to hear our guest blogger Chris Lamb on LoWdown on Tuesday night between 6/8pm EST. Our shows are completely interactive and we love hearing your feedback so please feel free to leave a comment below or speak to Chris on twitter at @Lambey332 

Ok so let me start this off by saying I’m a huge fan of Dean Ambrose. But for the people in the IWC saying that Dean Ambrose should be the face of the company... I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news!

The simple fact of the matter is that Dean Ambrose is one hell of a guy, both in the ring and on the microphone. However, what people forget about most is the image. Dean Ambrose simply doesn’t have “the look”. Think about the faces of the company. Austin had the look. Hogan had the look. Rock had the look, Flair did, Cena does, Michaels did. Ambrose is simply not one of the individuals with an impressive image. That much belongs to one man – roman reigns (cue groans from the IWC).

Ambrose does have one thing going for him though. He is essentially CM Punk. A man that can talk on the mic and go in the ring. He understands ring psychology and will play a better heel than a face. He is perfect to have as a number 2 face or a number 1 or 2 heel (only second to Bray Wyatt potentially). Even Dean Ambrose’s character at the moment is practically a heel. He is deranged, creepy, doesn’t seem to care and acts like a bit of an ass hole. On Monday Night Raw for 20th referred to by Cena as “The Joker”, which would agree with what I’m saying. Over the next year I fully expect Dean Ambrose to be a heel to Roman Reigns, Bad News Barrett, Bryan or Cena. He is likely to be pushed as a top heel, with Randy Orton playing in just below.

HOWEVER I will state this much. Can the IWC make a difference? NO. This is not the same as it was with Bryan. You can cheer all you like, but Roman Reigns will be the top guy. This is because it is BEST FOR BUSINESS. You need a guy in the company who looks like he can be in charge. At the moment that is Cena. It used to be Austin or The Rock. In future it will be Reigns, and that’s not the say he will be a god in the ring. He won’t be, but that isn’t what matters in business. Business is image. Lawyers wear expensive suits to impress clients and opposition, and wrestling companies pick a guy to be on top who LOOKS impressive. There is a certain professional image to be had for the company, and Reigns looks the part. Dean Ambrose (especially his hair) does not.

Guest Blogger - Wrestling with meatballs

EDITORS NOTE - Dont forget to get in touch with our guest blogger Krysta and be sure to tune into LoWdown on Tuesday between 6/8pm EST to get interactive with us and share your thoughts. Give Krysta your feedback on twitter at @krysta_ibach 

Wrestling, much like pasta, can get bland...

Spaghetti, Fettuccini, Fusilli, Ziti, Cavatappi, Macaroni, Penne, Rotini, Rigatoni, Fiori, Rotelle. 
All kinds of pasta; usually made from wheat; each shape is well suited to a specific sauce. But if eaten naked; shapes mean little as it all tastes the same.

So it is with wrestling; regardless of what the wrestler looks like; if they all do just a 5 move set (AKA the five moves of doom [FMOD]) and do them in the same order (and some of them do...don’t deny it!). Then regardless if the wrestlers are killing it in the ring; it comes across as stale and uninspired. 

John Cena would be a prime example of this; even with his recent programs with the Wyatt’s, Lesnar...even with Randy Orton – who contrary to popular belief they actually haven’t faced off as much as people claim they have; but the matches are always the same...STU (STFU); Attitude Adjustment (AA); RKO...RKO...RKO...RKO (Handy that it’s also Randy’s initials...incase a AA scrambles his brains); Five Knuckle Shuffle (You Can’t See Me); Kick out...kick out...kick out...RKO...RKO (Out of nowhere...thank you Maggle) STU ...AA...Clothesline...clothesline...drop out of the ring... run around the ring... sneaky move ...RKO ...RKO ...RKO...AA...Five Knuckle Shuffle...Pin for the win. RKO in retaliation. So regardless of how little they actually do face off; it’s all the same shit so it begins to feel as if we have seen this tired old story more often then we actually have. 

This argument can be applied to almost any ongoing pairing on the roster both current and past. However it shouldn’t matter how often two wrestlers face off; it’s more about the kind of match they produce, which lends itself to the argument of allowing wrestlers in WWE have an expanded move set. Like all good pasta dishes you’ll always have the ‘Go-To’ sauce that will get the job done; but you also have the ‘WOW’ sauce recipe to pull out when you have return guests, because you don’t always want to be serving the same marinara when a white wine sauce would be the better offering. Same with wrestlers; if they face off against someone they have wrestled a few times and they trust one another in the ring; then that should be the time to pull out some of the stops in the match; to ‘WOW’ the 
crowd...wowing the crowd will bring them back for more, and will keep them talking. Don’t believe me, just track the twitter-verse under #RAW and see what people are talking about. It’s pretty safe to say they aren’t raving about Orton’s RKO...Sheamus’ Brogue Kick (outta nowhere!) or even Cena’s AA. It’s why Bray Wyatt got as over as he did; he was fascinating; Daniel Bryan too...he mixed it up. Cody Rhodes doing flips off the Steel Cage; people talk about that. 

WWE may be the only big name game in town but even so; they need to break out the white wine sauce...because the Marinara is just not razzing the berries anymore. I’m here all week...try the chicken tika...

Out With The Old In With The New

EDITOR NOTE - THIS TUESDAY ON LOWDOWN WE WILL BE TELLING YOU THE FIRST THREE CATEGORIES FOR THE LOWIES. TUNE IN AND HAVE YOUR SAY. 6PM EST OR 11PM GMT ON YOUTUBE AND GOOGLE HANGOUTS. 

Stale. One hell of a word. Its a word we have began to throw around all to often as a collective community as well. So without trying to use that word again I ask "Is it time for a new breed of star to rise?".

On the current WWE roster there are, according to WWE.com, 90 current roster members (this includes commentators, interviewers, little people and injured stars). How many of these stars would you say have the stardom that the majority of wrestling fans want to see? I would say less than 50%. We have stars, legit stars, such as Big Show, Mark Henry, Kane, Khali (star in India regardless of most peoples ignorance), Randy Orton and John Cena who have all been there for years. Is it it time for these stars to move on? 

For my personal preference I would say that something needs to happen. Something needs to change. WWE take so little in the way of risky moves now that it's becoming increasingly difficult for the lifelong fans like myself to watch even with the knowledge that "sometimes things happen for a reason". A lot of fans are saying that guys like Ambrose and Rollins should be THE mani guys at the moment. The fans clearly want to see new stars. So, is it time WWE began using their current stars to make new ones? 

Every year for the last 3 years on the anniversary of his debut we are subjected to a history of John Cena. Hell WWE even made 10 Year strong t-shirts. But do we need to be reminded of how long we have seen the same guy? Surely that must make some heads turn and fans realise how long we have seen the same stars face each other? Look at Big Show. He has been a full time roster member since 1999 and Mark Henry and Kane even longer. How often can we see a Big Show heel/face turn? How often can we see Cena/Orton (by the way they have faced each other less on PPV than you'd think)? How long will it be before we demand WWE replace Kane with another monster?

Im beginning to believe that time is now. It's time for WWE to use these older stars to start putting over the "new breed" and to start creating the future that they can mold in their hands. Ultimately WWE has been in this position back in the early 90s and they got out of that just fine. I want to see matches like Seth Rollins vs Jericho, Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton, Stardust vs Goldust. Wrestlemania 31 needs to be about the changing of the guard. We had our nostalgia filled Wrestlemania 30. NOW WE NEED TO SEE THE CHANGES. We need the time for 6 months of chaos. Let the new guard run the show. I expect at least one retirement match at Wrestlemania 31, I expect 1 big showcase match (STING vs Taker) or at least a moment, I expect a big tag match and all the belts to look important as the new stars fight the old stars to cement the beginning of their legacy? Is it too much to ask that by Wrestlemania 32 we see 4 new stars headline the card? I don't think it is and I know there are so many of you out there wanting the same thing as me. 

This week gives us HIAC and we have been told we are having a co-main event. Ambrose and Rollins will face off and then Cena and Orton will face off. Its so far rumored that Orton/Cena will close the show. DO YOU FEEL THIS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE? Should the new breed be showcased or should the old dog be teaching the class? Let us know your thoughts on twitter at @LevellerLOW and as always. THANKS FOR READING. 

Bunnies and Gators and Bulls OH MY

EDITOR NOTE - Be sure to tune in to #LoWDown on a Tuesday night and join in with the interactive, wrestling talk LIVE and get all your questions answered. Show starts at 6pm EST/11pm GMT. ALTERNATIVELY why not tune into Thursday night #SHOWDOWN and get some un-rated, un-controlled, un-rivalled controversial wrestling discussion? Show starts 6pm EST/11pm GMT.

As of late WWE has fallen back into the routine of providing the audience with what can only be described as hilarious attempts to provide humour within an already fun product. There is nothing wrong with this and it's something that has been going on for years. Look back and you will see segments with Moppy, Mr.Socko, Cheese from the infamous team of Head and Cheese. The list goes on but people seem to forget that wrestling is meant to have a fun element to it. This is something that more than likely will be pushed a little harder in the current product due to the age ratings. I will be the first to say that I am not fond of it but I understand why it is there so I do my best not to moan or bitch about it. 

In the last year WWE have provided us with a 6 foot bunny rabbit, a miniature version of Manataur and a leprechaun in a Gator suit (which I argue looks more like a crocodile). Now while these attempts at entertainment "humour" have been less than interesting there is a market for them. While many of us may have grown up watching wrestling we forget that there are children who now watch the product. Yes, before you say it I know we had the attitude era and everything was chairshot this and "bah gawd King" that but WWE have created an audience that is now dying for more violence and more innovation by doing that. So now they have the opportunity to ensure that the younger generation can grow up and appreciate when something hardcore happens rather than saying "well when i was a kid he would have been bleeding everywhere". The best part is that by doing this they are also ensuring that children pander their parents into letting them watch the show. This brings me to the problem. 

Having children friendly segments is fine and they are needed to break up the serious segments. They can add humour and sometimes light heartedness into a show that can have too many serious promos and heavy hitting matches. However, with RAW now being a three hour show is it wise to put the child friendly segments in the final hour? Look back at last week and you will find at least 2 child friendly moments in the last hour of the show. For me, I feel there is no way that if I was still 5 or 6 that I would have been allowed to stay up to watch TV at 10pm. According to the "british sleep council" (yes its a real thing) over a third of British people go to bed between the hours of 10-11pm and that out of those aged 6-15, 65% go to bed before 10pm. 
With this in mind is it wise that WWE place their child friendly segments in the final hour and risk losing viewer ship from the older generation? I would think that in order to keep in line with deals with sponsorship they have to include at least one child friendly segment per each hour of the show. So why not put a small segment at the beginning of the third hour just after the break? These segments last between 5-7 minutes on average. That would mean that the last hour could be generally edgier and not have to worry about appealing the younger generation and that they can spend some time completely focused on the older generation. I mean it is a family based show after all. 

Im all for the bunnies and gators and bulls but there needs to be a good balance. Last nights show (6/10/14) was a good example of this. They had serious moments, they had funny moments and hell they even had creepy moments. WWE are trying to cater to everyones needs and they can't always manage that but we, as fans, can try and recognize what they are trying to do for us. So lets not moan about the "kids stuff" or whinge about the stuff that makes Vince giggle (you all know what I'm talking about and if you don't please speak to Farting Natalya). Lets try and appreciate the show as a rounded product. If needs be why not look back at the ridiculous stuff in the attitude era and remid yoursefl of just how stupid some of WWEs ideas can really be. *cough* NAKED MIDEON *cough*

So what do you think? Is WWE too child friendly or do you want more fluffy animals? Let us know on twitter at @LevellerLOW

Guest Blogger - The Channel Is The Thing

It came up on an episode of #LoWdown... (Every Tuesday...check it out!)Booking a RAW card...and I had put forth that the way to do it would be to have the Low Card in the first hour; Mid Card in the second hour and Main Event in the last hour. It was debated that it could not be done that way because of viewers and ratings.It was only today that I realized my hubris... In Canada WWE RAW (and SmackDown) airs on Rogers' SportsNet 360, which is a sports channel. That is all they show...Sports. Where as in America, RAW is on the USA Network and SmackDown is on SyFy, which are cable network channels, and the American audience, not the Canadian viewers (or international viewers), measures the ratings.   I am no different then any other fans; I find myself frequently thinking that I could book a better show then the creative team at WWE. I even went so far as to look at WWE's Corporate site to see what the job description is; (and it is pretty detailed) to see if I could qualify for a job in the creative section...and after reading the description I can honestly say...No Chance...at least not yet. The creative team has a hard job, they not only have to appeal to us diehard fans; but they also need to hook the casual fan in for 3 hours; that is longer than most Hollywood Blockbusters (except for Peter Jackson Trilogies...which I love by the way). While my original thought of having the show progress from low card through mid card and up to main event holds some merit, it does not hold water. For WWE to sustain 3 hours of RAW (and 2 hours of SmackDown) there does need to be ebb and flow. Yet as of late, the ebb is not flowing so well. The RAW after Wrestlemania was amazing; but it is steadily sliding downwards despite the occasional blip of wrestling goodness. It gives the impression that creative - whom get their marching orders from the authorities - are running willy-nilly. As we know the powers that be *cough* Vince *cough* like to make those seriously annoying last minute changes like I change my socks; this would test the mettle of anyone. We do not normally hear from the majority of the creative souls that work for WWE, but I suspect that they too are at times frustrated with the normal run of things. One could speculate that there is a power struggle behind the scenes where the left hand is battling the right hand for supremacy; with the talent (including creative) and the fans caught in the maelstrom. However, regardless of what is going down behind the scenes; the cable networks care little for that, what they look at is ratings, to sell advertising, which is what keeps the networks and programs on the air, advertisers. So while creative writes for the fans of the product; they also need to write with the networks in mind as well. Cheers,Krysta

The Bratpack

First up - please be sure to check out our weekly, episodic wrestling entertainment shows (LoWdown and SHOWDOWN!) on youtube or hangouts. These shows can be seen on Tuesday and Thursday at 6pmEST/11pmGMT. 
Secondly - please make sure to follow our panelists on twitter as well. @Fallout_WWE @Wrencis @y2stump and @Lambey332 

With that out of the way the following is an issue that I have been waiting to write about for some time and may leave an unpleasant taste in many peoples mouths but its the facts that hurt most I guess.

Time to embrace the hate

The IWC has a huge problem. That problem is that we believe we are always correct and that we know the best way to book a show. Now WWE has not always put on the best show but that does not mean you book better than them when 4 of your friends say "WOW DUDE YOUR IDEA WAS MUCH BETTER." Maybe it was but no one cares. This problem then runs down the unruly path that is "thisguyshouldbepushed alley". Many people are of the opinion that fresh new stars need to be created and pushed and I wholeheartedly agree. New is sometimes good. But is it right to forget about or just push that older talent aside?

When CM Punk became the voice of the voiceless many people believed he should have replaced John Cena as top dog but to the disappointment of these individuals he was always second fiddle and they demanded he must be placed above the proverbial brass ring that so many are told to reach for. CM Punk was then given the top heel role in the company at that time and was on TV for so long that people slowly began to give him less reaction and pay less attention to him. This is when "the little train who could" Daniel Bryan began his rise in WWE. While Bryan had been WHC he had never been WWE champ and as most of the IWC know, the WWE champ is the "real" prize to aim for. Now while many Punk loyalist stood by him they also began to wish for change in WWE. They wanted a new face and they had dubbed Bryan as the guy to do so. Bryan was called "the best wrestler in wwe" "the most underrated star" and "the best since benoit" on his rise by so many fans. And sure enough "the little train who could" got his push. But then as he reached up and grabbed the brass ring one voice in a sea of billions said "Is Daniel Bryan too small to be heavyweight champ?" This then set the internet off. The internet then decided that this was probably a true statement and that Bryan was "over rated". So now with an over rated Daniel Bryan in the main event the wwe universe took it upon themselves to take to their computer chair horses and suit up as the keyboard warriors to let Vinnie Mac know that Cesaro must be THE guy. As Royal Rumble came about people saw that CM Punk and over rated Bryan were becoming "stale" and repeating the same matches over and over again. But then it happened. The Voice of the Voiceless ran away home. He left and the keyboard warriors were left wondering "who shall replace him"? Then the keyboard warriors rose to the challenge, they knew Bryan must be champ and that Cesaro must get his push and The Shield must disband. 
Wrestlemania came and went and all of a sudden The Shield looked close to splitting, Cesaro got a push and Bryan was champ. The keyboard warriors relaxed in their chairs and watched raw without a single complaint...........for the whole of ten seconds. Daniel Bryan was now feuding with Kane, Cesaro was in a meaningless relationship with Heyman (who just promotes Lesnar) and Punk was gone.

4 months on and the shield have split, Bryan is gone/injured and Cesaro is in the midcard. That was some great booking keyboard warriors! 

See, I speak like the keyboard warriors have any influence on the product. The fact is these so called "booking experts" need to learn that they arent right and cant always get their way. Sometimes a guy has to stay on top for a while and get a push. For instance, most recently, Roman Reigns. Reigns looked ready to be pushed as a star. The internet loved him back in January stating "he IS THE GUY" and now, on the day he is injured they claim "its just a work cause wwe has gone off him." Have WWE gone off him or have you? 

The fact is new guys can't get a push without the internet feeling force fed. There is no singular way to be given a push that doesnt result in someone being force fed down your throats. There just isnt. If you demand that someone be pushed then you sure as hell better be ready to put up with them being on top 98% of the time. WWE needs to build stars to look strong and there isnt always a credible way to do so without having them win matches. My favourite situation goes a little like this;

CENA = THE GUY
ROMAN REIGNS = CENA REPLACEMENT
CENA WAS PUSHED HARD
OMG THEY ARE GIVING REIGNS THE CENA PUSH

Now how in the blue hell do you have an issue with this? Cena, who is arguably the most over star since Austin and Rock, had a strong blue print for his push. If you label Reigns as the next Cena WHY THE HELL WOULDNT WWE FOLLOW THAT BLUE PRINT?! 

The end of this story is that fans need to make up their minds and stop changing them so frequently. Its like todays fans have been spoilt by the previous eras and now expect that everything should be the same. Learn that sometimes its ok to be green and that its ok to be stale. This isnt something that i say often but if you dont like a product go find an alternative. The funny thing is, all those who claim that they are loyal wwe fans dont even trust the company to book the guys right.But hey, they would probably say that was stale in the end too right? Time to acknowledge them for what they are, THE BRATPACK.

So keyboard warriors I offer you an open challenge. Go one month without complaining about the product and find the good things about it. If you find less good things than bad then maybe the wwe product isnt for you and you dont know as much as you think you do.

Share your thoughts by leaving a comment or by getting in touch on twitter at @LevellerLOW

The choices now

Just one day before Night Of Champions Roman Reigns has been taken into hospital to undergo immediate surgery. This procedure is prevent any further damage happening to Mr.Reigns after doctors identified that he had a incarcerated hernia. For those of you who don't know this is essentially a hernia that has, in the most simplified way, imploded on itself. This would have been something that Roman may have been unaware he had but it is certainly a good thing that it has been caught early and with that being said this now leaves Night Of Champions one match down. So where do WWE go from here;

OPTION 1

Have Seth Rollins go out and cut a promo and demand that referee count Roman out. Seth is declared the winner and gains serious heel heat as Kane congratulates him. 

OPTION 2

Same as above but before the Ref gets to the ten count have Reigns' music hit and then have Ambrose attack both Kane and Seth from behind. Ambrose gets a pop and Seth gets the heel burn.

OPTION 3

Have no match at all and just replace it with another throw away slot

OPTION 4

Debut someone in their first match against Seth on the PPV. Why not use the current NXT champ?

In all honesty I see WWE taking either option 1 or 3. I would love 2. What do you want to see happen? Let me know on twitter at @LevellerLOW

(side note)
HILARIOUSLY A SELECT BUNCH OF IDIOTS ARE CLAIMING THAT THIS IS A WWE PLAN TO WRITE ROMAN OFF BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE HIM................ These people are idiots. 

Building A Beast

Right now Brock Lesnar is the most dominant force in WWE. FACT. He beat Undertakers streak (which if kayfabe is to be believed is the most sought after goal other than the wwewhc at wrestlemania) and then beat the face of the company, John Cena, upon his return match. Now while this is all well and good WWE will need to keep his momentum going or the pay off when Brock is finally beat will be lackluster to say the least. Let's take a look into how we would book Lesnar as dominant going forward. 

1. Competition

In order to remain a dominant champion Brock Lesnar needs to have viable opponents who can challenge him and look believable while doing so. None of this fantasy booking of Bryan vs Lesnar upon his return or Dolph vs Lesnar. It just doesnt work. Now, if rumour is to be believed then Big Show could be Lesnars next viable opponent. Many people still think of Big Show as a monster who was wasted away by suffering too many face/heel turns and especially after the whole crying situation. Big Show is currently in a program with Harper and Rowan and if WWE really want to make Show look imposing again they will have him beat both guys on his own. I warn you in advance that over the coming months you WILL see some of the smaller guys that you all chant for get beaten. THIS IS NOT BURIALS ITS JUST BUSINESS. 
After Show you have Mark Henry who still has unfinished business with Lesnar. Again, if they want Henry to look strong have him beat Rusev and go on the war path by opening up the hall of pain to anyone and everyone. If Henry beats Rusev then he has just got the crowd behind him, he has beaten someone who hasnt been pinned and he gets to face a bigger named opponent. Hell make it his retirement feud. 
Kane is also an option. Yes. He is. Think of it this way. Lesnar beats all those that HHH throws at him and then he decides he can leave. This breaks contracts and HHH gets pissed so he struggles to find anyone willing to step up to the plate except for Orton, Kane and Reigns. HHH doesn't want Reigns involved due to the fact he "dislikes" him, Orton could feud with Lesnar first and then Kane can be built to want revenge for HHH and for Taker. The story is there and all "monstrous" guys are viable candidates for a Lesnar opponent. IF WWE WANTS TO MAKE MONSTERS THEY WILL USE THESE GIANTS IN ORDER TO MAKE BROCK LOOK BIGGER. All it takes is one month and a video package from quite possibly the best promo/production guys on the planet and they will have the average fan believe that these men could be challengers. Lesnar could even retire Kane. It works and gives new space on the roster.

I would also say that each challenger should only be allowed one match and one rematch. 

2. Story line

While Lesnar does not need to be on RAW every week there still needs to be some form of mention of him. The pretaped videos are great and they are really showing Lesnar at his best but they wont work forever as the fans today get bored far too easily. In order to make these feuds meaning full they need to make sure they have strong plots that push the main event and not just "hey! LESNAR! I CAN BEAT YOU!" I suggest the following storylines (let me know your thoughts on twitter as to which you would want to see best)

• Orton vs Lesnar - never happened on the main roster and would be fresh
• Henry vs Lesnar - redemption/retirement angle
• Show vs Lesnar - redemption angle for royal rumble
• A Returning Kurt Angle vs Lesnar - great throwback to a previous feud
• Sheamus vs Lesnar - a huge brawl/HIAC match.

There needs to be a mixture of matches as well to ensure that Brock isnt just going to show that he can suplex every guy that comes at him. I really wish they had given Cena/Lesnar at NOC an I Quit stipulation. By adding gimmicks to every couple of matches it shows that Brock is dominant in every sense of the word. 

3. A twist

If the plan truly is to have someone go over Lesnar at Wrestlemania 31 then there needs to be some kind of twist that gets the fans to stop cheering for Brock. Going into NOC this week I can say 75% of the crowd will cheer for Brock. THIS NEEDS TO STOP. Brock needs to be a heel. No arguements. Just a straight up heel. Maybe have Brock tease that he may go back to UFC with the title or that he may just refuse to wrestle because he feels his opponent beneath them and thus making the audience lose out. My favourite option would be to have Brock turn on Heyman and then go into business for himself. Give Heyman to someone who needs him. Brock doesnt need to say anything to get heel heat. His actions can do it so why not give Heyman to someone who needs it and then have Brock just destroy everything and everyone until he gets his way. 

Lets re-cap 

• Whatever happens over the course of the next 6 months Brock Lesnar needs to remain undefeated if they plan on having a huge pay off at mania.
• Lesnar needs to be a heel. Not a tweener but a heel
• The matches he is involved with need to have big fight feels
• There needs to be genuine threats to Brock or at least in the eyes of the casual fan
• Each challenger needs to be given 2 PPVs max

Oh and last but not least. Lesnar needs to be untouchable. Only in his last few months as champ should there be some kind of weakness shown on this behemoth. This would add new dynamics to matches and teach Brock what its like to feel like he is the hunted and not the hunter. This weekend at NOC will determine how strong they want Brock to look. I dont expect the match to go longer than 15 minutes and I suspect Brock comes out on top. 

Lets us know your thoughts on twitter by getting in touch at @LevellerLOW and be sure to keep an eye out for all of our new features that will be happening very soon.