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Tag Archives: Jon Moxley
So I think I'm just going to claim this "Most Fascinating People" thing as my own. Barbara Walters doesn't do it anymore. And I've been doing it on WWE personalities for years now…
Speaking of which, we've got some repeaters this year, as we always do. One of which I never thought we'd see again. (You'll know him when you see him.) I'm sure a lot of them are obvious choices when you think about it. But I'd say two or three of them aren't.
So once again, let's get fascinating!
No? Not a good catch phrase? Just trying it on…
1. CM Punk
So yeah, this is happening.
After years of bad blood between Punk and WWE, including a lawsuit filed by WWE doctor Christopher Amann (Punk won), the old adage of "Everyone comes back eventually" was once again proven true. Well, kinda…
After weeks of speculation, on November 21 Punk did indeed become a part of WWE Backstage on FS1, serving as a frequent guest analyst. However, Punk's deal is with Fox, not WWE. Ergo, he finds himself in the unique position of being able to critique the product as he sees fit, with seemingly no repercussions from the company. He's already managed to stir things up with Seth Rollins. There's no telling whose feathers he may ruffle next. Which is, of course, the point of bringing him on in the first place.
Naturally, this opened the floodgates for fans to make assumptions about an in-ring return. Truth be told, there is an aura of inevitability about it. It's all guesswork as to when it could or would happen, but a Wrestlemania seems like an obvious choice. I wouldn't expect "clobberin' time" to come in 2020, though.
Punk is in a position to do things on his terms. That's not a dynamic WWE is used to in 2019. But if there's one person who's been able to make this company squirm in recent years, it's CM Punk. Seeing him do it again, even if it's only in a storyline, would make for interesting TV.
This is CM Punk's third appearance on the list, having been on it in 2012 and 2013.
2. Dean Ambrose
Before Jon Moxley became one of AEW's hottest acquisitions, Dean Ambrose had perhaps the most amicable departure in WWE history.
In January, WWE put out a press release announcing that the real-life Jonathan Good would not be renewing his contract when it expired in April. The release continued: "We are grateful and appreciative of all that Dean has given to WWE and our fans. We wish him well and hope that one day Dean will return to WWE."
This was, in many ways, unprecedented. WWE barely, if ever, calls attention to one of their top guys leaving the company. But there it was, right out in the limelight. Ambrose reportedly turned down a significant offer from WWE, citing all the "hokey" material he'd been given as of late. If you go back and watch some of what he was doing at that time, it's not hard to see what he means…
The announcers usually danced around it on Raw. But most fans knew it was happening. To the further surprise of many, Ambrose wasn't buried or jobbed out during his remaining months with the company. Yes, he was left off the Wrestlemania card. But he was also given a proper send-off via one more Shield reunion with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. WWE even made a network special out of his last night, calling it The Shield's Final Chapter.
When you get right down to it, that's got to be why they were so nice to Ambrose on his way out. Despite being open about his frustrations with the WWE creative process (including a scathing appearance on Talk is Jericho), the Shield has become one of their most bankable commodities of the last decade. They want to keep that door wide open for Ambrose to come back someday However, as Moxley has signed a multi-year deal with AEW, don't expect that to happen any time soon.
This is Dean Ambrose's second appearance on the list. He appeared on it last year.
3. Shayna Baszler
This year, Shayna Baszler became one of the key components in elevating NXT to cable television, and thus the same level as Raw and Smackdown. But before that happened, she dominated the entire NXT Women's Roster. With the exception of a brief hiccup last year, Baszler has been the most dominant NXT Women's Champion since Asuka.
We recently heard her run down the list of names herself. But this year alone she beat back Bianca Belair, Io Shirai, Mia Yim, and Candice LeRae. But her true crowning moment came at Survivor Series, when she defeated Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch and Smackdown Women's Champion Bayley in a Triple-Threat Match. And although she just recently lost her NXT Title to Rhea Ripley, Baszler has a legit claim to being the top female wrestler in all of WWE.
Furthermore, there's no shortage of bad blood between Baszler and Lynch. While it may trace back to Lynch toppling her friend Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania, Baszler has been adamant that she's not Rousey. She has her own legacy to create. My guess? That legacy continues with a victory in the 2020 Women's Royal Rumble Match, and a title match against Lynch at Wrestlemania this spring.
4. Baron Corbin
Simply the name "Baron Corbin" is enough to make some people's skin crawl. People hate this guy. Some fans think he's boring. Others say he can't wrestle. While some just see him as the smug prick he's trying to come off as.
Either way, he may very well be one of the only true heels in all of wrestling. In an era where everybody wants to be a cool heel, a la Bray Wyatt or Adam Cole, Corbin isn't afraid to draw legit heat from a crowd. And one of the oldest rules in the book is that if you can get people to hate you, they'll pay to see you get beat up. That's why they had him beat Kurt Angle in his final match. That's why they had him win the King of the Ring. That's why he's feuded with the likes of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns this year. They see him as a commodity. Or at least a commodity in the making.
Granted, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Corbin in 2019. The program with Rollins didn't exactly leave us wanting more. Quite the opposite, in fact. And older fans have balked at some of the more childish antics he's employed against Reigns. But mark my words, folks: At this rate, Corbin will be a Heavyweight Champion down the road. Possibly even this year.
5. Rey Mysterio
It's no coincidence that Rey has been featured much more prominently since Paul Heyman became Raw's executive director. He brought Rey into ECW in the mid '90s. Years later, when Heyman was writing Smackdown, he gave Rey a key role. So this is clearly a winning combination, and it was no different in 2019.
Rey obviously wants to set up some kind of "passing the torch" moment with his son Dominic, who is currently in training at the Performance Center. Father and son would share a sentimental moment backstage, when Dominic convinced Rey not to retire after a disheartening losing streak.
But there was nothing sentimental about the beating they'd both take from Brock Lesnar. After a brief detour involving Cain Velasquez, we got the obvious match: Brock vs. Rey for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series. Like so many before him, Rey failed to defeat Lesnar. But regardless, Rey Mysterio was once again in a marquee match at a major WWE pay per view. And to his credit, he did some damn good mic work along the way. The promo where he's looking into the camera and has the pipe in his hand was simply awesome.
6. Rhea Ripley
Ripley has created her share of headlines. She was part of the infamous Mae Young Classic match where Tegan Nox's knee exploded, and then famously mocked her on Twitter. She would go on to become the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion, and ultimately stay tucked away on that show for more than half the year.
Then in August, she made a surprise return to Full Sail, confronting then-NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler. It was a moment that created instant buzz and speculation about Ripley challenging, and possibly becoming the one to finally dethrone Baszler.
In November, Ripley would lead her team to victory in the first-ever women's War Games Match, defeating a team led by Baszler. Ripley would close out the year by doing what many expected, and defeating Baszler for the NXT Women's Title on December 18.
Over the years, a select few have not only held that title, but in essence become the face of the NXT Women's Division. Bayley played that role, as did Asuka. And for about two years now, Baszler has been the face of the division. Now, Rhea Ripley has an opportunity to make her mark on the ever-growing legacy of the NXT Women's Title. I've got a feeling she won't disappoint.
7. Bray Wyatt
This could have gone really, really wrong. Thankfully, it all worked out. Mostly…
C'mon, this is WWE we're talking about. They could easily have fumbled the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde persona Bray took on when he finally returned to television with his "Firefly Funhouse" segments. Wyatt would take on a Mr. Rogers-like demeanor, complete with a red sweater and puppets. But there were obvious sinister overtones, which would lead to the debut of Bray's new alter ego, "the Fiend." Sporting a mask designed by famed horror and special effects guru Tom Savini, the character quickly became a hit, despite still playing a heel. After years of repetitive promos, and being virtually booked into oblivion, Bray Wyatt was experiencing a full fledged career resurrection.
WWE's first major misstep with the character came when they rushed him into a title match with then-Universal Champion Seth Rollins. A Hell in a Cell Match, no less. To make matters worse, the match inexplicably ended via ref stoppage, resulting in a massive uproar among fans. WWE attempted to correct the misstep by putting the title on the Fiend at Crown Jewel. But the match would leave a stink on both Rollins and Wyatt for weeks.
Bray continues to reign as Universal Champion, as both he and the title have been moved to Smackdown. He's once again embroiled in a feud with Daniel Bryan, which fans seem to be into. I have a sneaking suspicion he'll come face to face with a certain Big Dog come Wrestlemania season. But in any event, Bray Wyatt has become what so many of us knew that he, with this character, could be: A top guy. He's the Heavyweight Champion on a show that airs weekly on Fox. Now that's a comeback story.
8. Kofi Kingston
Kofi had a comeback story of his own in 2019. One that, ultimately, would end in disaster.
Kofi Kingston was not supposed to be challenging for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania. My guess is he and the New Day would have been involved in some sort of multi-team tag match on the undercard. But fate stepped in when Mustafa Ali was injured in February, and Kofi replaced him in the Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship. The fans fell in love with him all over again as he came within an eyelash of finally winning the big one after 11 years in WWE. He became an instant underdog sensation, as "KofiMania" was born. To WWE's credit, they altered their storyline plans, and at Wrestlemania 35 in New Jersey, Kofi would steal the show with WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. The match culminated in an emotional victory celebration in the ring.
Kofi would keep the championship longer than many anticipated, retaining it against the likes of Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Dolph Ziggler, and even his old rival Randy Orton.
Then, along came Brock Lesnar. On October 4, in the main event of Smackdown's debut broadcast on Fox, Lesnar would squash Kingston in less than 10 seconds to win the title. He hasn't even sniffed a Heavyweight Title since then, having returned to tag team competition.
It's debatable whether Kingston could have played that top guy role longer. In the end, the real injustice here is that he's seemingly been swept under the rug. Could Kofimania rise again? Perhaps. But it doesn't seem likely, does it?
9. Seth Rollins
This was supposed to be Seth Rollins' year. And in a lot of ways, it was. He won the Royal Rumble, and went on to defeat Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Wrestlemania. Shockingly, he'd beat Lesnar a second time at Summerslam. As if that weren't enough, he got engaged to Becky Lynch, and the two would become an item both on and off screen.
But oh, the power of social media. Of all things, it was a series of ill-conceived tweets that started to turn the fans against Rollins. Throw in a post-Wrestlemania feud with Baron Corbin that went far too long, and the finish to his Hell in a Cell Match with Bray Wyatt, and he was dead in the water as a babyface. What's more, I don't think the pairing with Lynch did either of them any favors. The closest thing I can think to equate it to would be when they put The Undertaker's wife Sara with him on television. It just wasn't a side of him that people wanted to see. Ditto for both Rollins and Lynch here.
WWE would, once again, do the right thing by changing their plans and turning Rollins heel. Now aligned with AOP, he finds himself jockeying for the top heel spot on Raw against AJ Styles, and ironically enough, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
This is Seth Rollins' second time on the list, having made it in 2015.
6. Becky Lynch
As far as I'm concerned, Becky Lynch was the face of WWE in 2019. And there isn't even a close second.
Lynch rode a wave of momentum into the Royal Rumble, where she would tap out to Asuka, but then win the Women's Royal Rumble Match. After an injury forced her to miss out on her chance to wrestle Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series, fans desperately wanted to see those two collide. To their credit, both ladies made it feel like there was legit bad blood between the two. It was a match worthy of the Wrestlemania main event. To the dismay of many, Charlotte Flair was added to the match, and it became a three-way for both the Raw and Smackdown Women's Championships. Becky would pin Ronda (albeit clumsily) to win both titles, victorious in the first women's match to headline a Wrestlemania.
In the months that followed, we learned just how much a great hero needs a great villain. With Ronda gone, and the Charlotte feud played out, Lynch was put with Lacey Evans. With respect to Lacey, the matches were about as thrilling as they sound. Thankfully, the freshly heel-turned Sasha Banks would come to Becky's rescue. Their program would culminate in an excellent Hell in a Cell match in October.
At Survivor Series, Becky wrestled Smackdown Women's Champion Bayley and NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler in a Triple-Threat Match. During the build-up, we saw some really nice tension between Lynch and Baszler that was reminiscent of what Lynch had with Rousey. Baszler was adamant that she is not Ronda Rousey, and I suspect she'll be in a position to prove that to Becky in the near future. But for now, Baszler is licking her wounds after losing her title to Rhea Rhipley, and Becky wants to avenge her loss to Asuka at last year's Royal Rumble.
Becky was always extremely likable. A natural babyface. Ironically, it was when they tried to turn her heel last year that the fans truly rallied behind her. Becky got angry, and they got angry with her. From a storytelling perspective, there were a lot of comparisons to Stone Cold Steve Austin's rise to the top. That's not entirely unjustified. But I think the similarities are superficial at best. I think one of the reasons fans got behind Becky so much is because she showed us something most modern babyfaces don't: Legitimate passion and fire. So many wrestlers are struggling to memorize lines, and make the schlock written for them into passable television. All Lynch really had to do was go out there and be herself.
In the end, I think that's something almost everyone has to do if they want to get over to any large extent. You show people who you are, albeit with the volume turned up and certain things exaggerated, and either they like you or they don't. It's not nearly as complicated as it seems, or as WWE makes it.
That's something to keep in mind as we head into 2020…
This is Becky Lynch's second time on the list. She was on it last year as well.
Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.
This entry was posted in Wrestling and tagged "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, AEW, All Elite Wrestling, Baron Corbin, Becky Lynch, Bray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar, Brock Lesnar vs. Kofi Kingston, Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio, Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Dean Ambrose heel turn, Firefly Funhouse, Fox, FS1, Jon Moxley, Kofi Kingston, NXT, NXT on USA Network, Paul Heyman, pro wrestling, professional wrestling, Raw vs. Smackdown vs. NXT, Rey Mysterio Jr., Rhea Ripley, Roman Reigns, Ronda Rousey, Royal Rumble 2019 Winner, Seth Rollins, Shield reunion, The New Day, The Shield (WWE), Wrestlemania 35, Wrestlemania XXXV, WWE, WWE Backstage, WWE Friday Night Smackdown, WWE Hell in a Cell, WWE Hell in a Cell 2019, WWE Monday Night Raw, WWE Raw, WWE Royal Rumble, WWE Royal Rumble 2019, WWE Smackdown, WWE Smackdown on Fox, WWE Survivor Series, WWE Survivor Series 2019, WWE Year in Review 2019 on 12/31/2019 by primaryignition.
Strowman is Out, Balor is In, Plus Ponderings From WWE Raw
Yeah, I had fun last week, so I'm back this week. Not a bad night for it either, as the Royal Rumble got a hell of a shake-up….
Braun Strowman opens the show, and announces he's "all healed up." Baron Corbin interrupts to taunt him. Strowman chases Corbin backstage, ripping apart Vince McMahon's limo in the process. As punishment, McMahon cancels Strowman's Universal Title Match at the Royal Rumble. When Vince and Braun had their scene next to the wrecked limo, I was literally saying out loud: "Braun, please don't back down from the 73-year-old man who's half your size." Thankfully, he didn't…much.
I'm wondering how much of this had to do with that horrible segment Braun and Brock had last week. Another Brock vs. Braun match wasn't exactly red hot. But that segment practically put it on ice. IF there's a silver lining here, it's that Braun won't have to lose to Brock again. At least not yet. Plus, it made this show that much more interesting.
Perhaps fittingly, Braun had yet another verbal flub here. He referenced "WWE World Cup" instead of WWE Crown Jewel. Although given all the nasty press that show got, maybe they actually scripted him that way.
Ronda Rousey and Sasha Banks def. Nia Jax and Tamina. Rousey and Banks get into a verbal spat after the match. After last week, I couldn't help but be nervous when Sasha went up for that 'rana on Nia early on. That image of Sasha going splat on the floor is going to stay with me awhile.
They did pretty well with the post-match verbage. Sasha managed not to come off like an obnoxious brat, which is always a plus. Expectations are high for them once we get to Phoenix.
The Revival def. Lucha House Party. I had flashbacks of "Lucha House Rules" Matches when the Revival's music hit. Frankly, I didn't ever need to see these two teams wrestle again. But at least this time, the right team won. And at least Dash and Dawson have a story nowadays.
John Cena, Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, and Finn Balor all pitch themselves as Brock's new opponent at the Rumble. Vince McMahon makes a Fatal Four-Way Match later in the show to decide the new top contender. We got some pretty good mic work here. Cena played his veteran role to perfection, transitioning into McIntyre's angry stuff. The stuff between Vince and Balor was interesting. They played right into the whole "Vince loves big guys" stereotype. Not bad at all.
Nikki Cross makes her Raw wrestling debut, teaming with Bayley, and Natalya to defeat The Riott Squad. So they're letting this new crop of call-ups wrestle on both shows until they decide where to put them? That just tells me they still haven't decided what to do with them yet. Some of them, at least. That's somewhat understandable, given how abruptly they were apparently summoned. But they announced this a month ago. You'd think they'd have figured it out by now.
All that said, Nikki had a good outing here. Kudos to Ruby Riott for selling her ass off for her. And on a related note…
EC3, Lacey Evans, and Heavy Machinery have cameos during the broadcast. EC3 and Lacey both wrestled dark matches before Raw last week. At least this week they made TV.
I'm sure EC3 will be fine on the main roster. Though hopefully they don't do what they did with Bobby Roode, and bring him in as a babyface when he's such a natural heel. Heavy Machinery should do well too, so long as they don't make Otis a comedy act. As for Lacey Evans, I'm curious to see how her persona plays on a national level. It could go either way.
Finn Balor def. Jinder Mahal to retain his spot in the Fatal Four-Way Match later in the night. When they made this match, the story for the four-way became pretty obvious. But it's a good story, so I can't fault them for it.
I can't imagine what it feels like to take that double stomp off the top rope. Balor stuck that landing right in Jinder's stomach. Ouch.
Bobby Lashley def. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a Triple-Threat Match to win the Intercontinental Championship. Really good match. For my money, they could have had this as the main event and been perfectly fine. Great work by all four guys, Lio Rush included. And a great rub for Lashley.
I like this move. It's got a bit of an old school WWF feel to it, with the big muscular champion and his mouthpiece. It's a hell of an endorsement not just for Lashley, but for Rush, who literally helped turn the big man's career around. Let's face it: Lashley was floundering as a babyface. But they've slowly turned him into a commodity on that show.
On "A Moment of Bliss," Alexa Bliss announces that at Elimination Chamber, six teams will compete to become the first WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. Paul Heyman is interviewed. Otis Dozovic makes a bizarre interruption. They went a little Attitude Era with that guy walking in on Alexa changing. Not complaining. Just saying…
So the big news here is, of course, the Women's Tag Team Titles. I can't say I'm a fan of the Elimination Chamber being used to crown the champions. You'd think this would be the kind of thing they'd save for Wrestlemania. Nevertheless, here we are.
Now it's just a question of who the six teams are. I'm going to guess Sasha Banks and Bayley, Nia Jax and Tamina, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, the Riott Squad, Naomi and Carmella as a throw-together team, and let's say…the Bella Twins? If they were doing this at Wrestlemania, I'd have pitched doing something with Trish Stratus and Lita. But that seems unlikely here.
Finn Balor def. John Cena, Drew McIntyre, and Baron Corbin to earn a Universal Title Match against Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Cena endorses Balor after the match. Mrs. Primary Ignition, like everyone else, was appalled by Cena's hair. She actually called it upsetting. I mean, people used to make fun of Shawn Michaels' bald spot. But Cena's got him beat by a mile and a half.
I said this finish was obvious after the match with Jinder was made. But actually, it was probably when Balor and Vince had that back and forth. Either way, I'm glad we're finally getting this match. Not that I think Balor's going to win. If anything, I think this is confirmation that Lesnar is indeed going to Wrestlemania, where hopefully he'll drop the title to Seth Rollins.
This entry was posted in Wrestling and tagged Alexa Bliss, Baron Corbin, Bayley, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, EC3, EC3 Raw, Elimination Chamber Match, Finn Balor, Heavy Machinery, Jinder Mahal, John Cena, John Cena haircut, Jon Moxley, Lacey Evans, Lio Rush, Lucha House Party, Natalya (WWE), Nia Jax, Nikki Cross, NXT, NXT call-up, Otis Dozovic, Paul Heyman, pro wrestling, professional wrestling, Ronda Rousey, Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks, Ronda Rousey WWE, Ruby Riott, Sasha Banks, Seth Rollins, Tamina Snuka, The Revival, The Riott Squad, Tucker Knight, Vince McMahon, Wrestlemania, Wrestlemania 35, Wrestlemania XXXV, WWE, WWE Elimination Chamber, WWE Elimination Chamber 2019, WWE Monday Night Raw, WWE Raw, WWE Raw results, WWE Royal Rumble, WWE Royal Rumble 2019, WWE Women's Tag Team Titles on 01/14/2019 by primaryignition.
Hulk Hogan's Return, and Other Ponderings From WWE Raw
I couldn't resist the chance to do a Raw write-up this week for old time's sake. It's the first show of the year, and the name of the game (supposedly) is shaking things up. Making Raw a fun, entertaining show again after its ratings fell to record lows during the holiday season. As the first show of the new year, this was an ideal opportunity for them to make good on that, and really give us something to remember.
Long story short, while I would consider what we got this week to be a good show, the Earth didn't exactly move for me. We did, however, get two big returns and a touching tribute to an icon that we lost last week. So let's take a look…
The show opens with a backstage pull-apart brawl between Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley. John Cena returns to Raw, enters himself into the Royal Rumble Match, and then gets challenged by Drew McIntyre. A larger brawl then erupts, which turns into a Six-Man Tag. Cena, Rollins, and Finn Balor defeat McIntyre, Lashley, and Dean Ambrose. Good opener. Kick things off differently with an angle to grab their attention, then go right into Cena's entrance to keep them. The segue into the six-man was kind of a groaner, as that's been a staple of their lazy writing over the last decade or so. But the crowd was happy to see Cena, and the babyfaces got a nice win. So no harm done.
Hulk Hogan makes his first TV appearance for WWE in several years, paying tribute to Mean Gene Okerland. First and foremost, nothing but respect for the life and legacy of Mean Gene Okerland. His iconic voice was a huge part of many of our childhoods, and he's forever linked with the global expansion that made the World Wrestling Federation into the juggernaut WWE is today.
WWE continues to be in an awkward position as they try to bring Hulk Hogan back into the fold. It feels fairly to say they used Okerland's death as a chance to bring him back to TV in a relatively safe fashion. But that's more or less what they did. They even got a bit of backlash for plugging his merchandise on Twitter.
But on the flip side, if you're going to do a live tribute to Mean Gene, you almost have no choice but to bring in Hogan. When you think of Okerland, Hogan inevitably comes to mind. "Well let me tell you somethin' Mean Gene," and all that.
In the end, what they did ended up being really nice. The video package was great. And even though it seemed like much of the crowd didn't know how to react to Hogan given the controversy, I didn't hear any booing. So I'd say this went about as well as it could have gone.
When Hogan mentioned all those names from the golden age of WWE, it really hit home just how many of those guys left us too soon. Randy Savage. The Ultimate Warrior. Roddy Piper. Mr. Perfect. Andre the Giant. Gorilla Monsoon. Bobby Heenan. Now Mean Gene. Make no mistake about it, if you were a wrestling fan in the '80s, those names are indelibly etched in your heart. Thank you for the memories, gentlemen.
Bobby Roode and Chad Gable def. The Revival in a Lumberjack Match to retain the Raw Tag Team Titles. I can appreciate that they didn't just toss the tag titles on Dash and Dawson right away. Based on the screwy finish they're going with, this is clearly going to be a drawn out thing. We may even get a Bobby Roode heel turn in the process. So I'm on board.
Baron Corbin def. Elias. Baron Corbin has…something. Yes, he has his critics. But he's also extremely easy to dislike. So while WWE used him as the on-screen scapegoat for the crappy shows we've been getting, I'm pleased they haven't tossed him by the wayside completely. The "constable" role was great for him. Now lets see if he can transition some of that into the ring.
Brock Lesnar refuses to get in the ring with Braun Strowman. This was just brutal. The awkwardness was palpable almost from the get-go. It felt like Braun forgot his lines or something. What the heck happened?
This match was already tarnished going in, as we've already seen it several times, and Strowman has yet to pick up a win over Lesnar. But this segment just added insult to the whole thing by making him look like a moron.
I'm getting pretty nervous for Strowman here. If he doesn't beat Brock at the Rumble, I'm not sure what you do with him. We're venturing dangerously close to Ryback territory…
Apollo Crews and Ember Moon def. Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox. Happy to see Ember Moon get a win. But while I've always loved Apollo Crews' athleticism, until he either gets a mouthpiece or a personality, I'm not interested.
After Ronda Rousey appears announces she wants to prove herself against Sasha Banks, Banks defeats Nia Jax to earn a Raw Women's Title Match at the Royal Rumble. That botched Powerbomb spot from the apron didn't do Nia any favors. There was also a spot in this match where she dropped Sasha on the top rope. It looked like Sasha took a bad fall. But in all honesty, Sasha takes a lot of bad falls in these big matches. I can't even tell which ones are accidents and which ones are on purposes. Either way, not the best showing for Nia.
I've talked a lot about my distaste for Sasha's attitude. But I won't deny I'm very curious to see what she and Ronda do at the Rumble. It could be a lot of fun.
Dean Ambrose def. Seth Rollins in a Falls Count Anywhere Match to retain the Intercontinental Title after Bobby Lashley interferes. Really good main event. Enjoyed Ambrose's heel work here, particularly the Three Stooges eye poke to Rollins, and they way he sold the Curb Stomp.
The finish to this match was plain as day the second they announced the match. Even before the Falls Count Anywhere stip came into play. They opened with Rollins and Lashley, and they closed with them. It was the right move. Lashley had some nice heel fire during the beatdown here too. They may have beaten that "Almighty" nickname into the ground. But don't count heel Lashley out just yet.
This entry was posted in Wrestling and tagged Alicia Fox, Apollo Crews, Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Bobby Roode, Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman, Dash Wilder, Drew McIntyre, Elias (WWE), Ember Moon, Finn Balor, Hulk Hogan, Hulk Hogan return, Jinder Mahal, John Cena, Jon Moxley, Lumberjack Match, Mean Gene Okerland, Nia Jax, pro wrestling, professional wrestling, Rob Siebert, Ronda Rousey, Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks, Ronda Rousey WWE, Sasha Banks, Scott Dawson, Seth Rollins, Shorty G, The Revival, WWE, WWE Monday Night Raw, WWE Raw, WWE Raw results on 01/08/2019 by primaryignition.
Top 10 Raw Moments of 2018: Stone Cold, John Cena, Becky Lynch, and more!
There's been a lot of talk lately about how Raw sucks. Not just from the fans, either. Last week, the McMahons themselves had to come out and, in so many words, admit their creative failures of late. For all this talk about "shaking up" the show, it seems like very little is actually going to change. Which is a damn shame, as the show desperately needs a revamp. Like, this sucker needs major renovations from the top down.
But as we're taking time to look back on 2018, it's only fair that we pay tribute to the things Raw got right. One of their buzzwords is "Raw moments," i.e. moments or matches on the show that fans continue to look back on with fondness, awe, sadness, or whatever emotion it happened to evoke. Stone Cold and the beer truck, Eric Bischoff's debut, that game-changing CM Punk promo, etc. The moments that made us love Raw in the first place, and are the reason we stick with it, despite all the frustrations and disappointments.
And so, with the disclaimer that these are all based on my personal opinion and viewing experiences, these are my top 10 Raw moments of 2018, in chronological order.
A few honorable mentions..
– January 29: Asuka vs. Sasha Banks.
– July 30: Brock Lesnar puts his hands on Paul Heyman.
– August 6: Ronda Rousey's first match on Raw.
1. January 22: Austin's got McMahon!
Raw 25 kicked off old school. Shane and Stephanie McMahon came to the ring to present a plaque to their father. What followed was classic Vince, as he proceeded to heel on the Brooklyn crowd, and then take all the credit for Raw's success. The crowd even broke out in an "Asshole!" chant, just like old times.
Then the glass shattered, and the crowd erupted as Stone Cold Steve Austin emerged. In a skit that included Vince throwing Shane to the wolves, Stone Cold Stunners to both McMahon men, and the throwing back of a few Steveweisers, suddenly Raw was great again. Just listen to that crowd. While I wish Austin would have gotten on the mic, in the end this segment was exactly what it needed to be: A quick nostalgia trip. It was also a reminder that even in his 70s, Vince can still deliver gold on the mic.
2. February 19: Seth Rollins steals the show in a Gauntlet Match.
This match featured all seven of the men who'd be involved in the Elimination Chamber Match to decide Brock Lesnar's Wrestlemania opponent. We had John Cena, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, The Miz, Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, and Elias. Strowman would be the eventual winner. But the man everyone was talking about after this match was Seth Rollins.
Entering at the number two spot, Rollins wrestled for over an hour and five minutes, pinning both Roman Reigns and John Cena in the process. That's a stellar accomplishment in and of itself, on par with Chris Jericho pinning Steve Austin and The Rock in one night back in 2001. By this point, Rollins had noticeably cooled off as a babyface. But this match was the catalyst for his reemergence as a contender for the top spot on Raw, if not the entire company.
Rollins didn't get his shot at Lesnar in 2018, but this year might be a different story…
3. February 26: "Ladies and gentlemen, Braun Strowman!"
WWE loves to try their hand at comedy. Emphasis on the word "try." While certain performers have natural comedic timing and abilities, most of WWE's attempts at humor feel lame, forced and awkward.
But once in awhile, you get one out of left field that inexplicably works. The Vince McMahon "Are you ready for some wrestling?" skit, that first Daniel Bryan/Kane anger management skit, and now this. Braun Strowman coming out and strumming a bass on stage to make fun of Elias. And to make matters worse/better, mere seconds in, the instrument breaks. So Braun has to go on without it. For what it's worth, the big guy's voice isn't so bad.
To cap it all off, the ensuing beatdown ended with Strowman lifting the bass up by the neck, and smashing it over Elias' back. For yours truly, this segment embodied almost everything there is to love about Braun Strowman. It gave us his charisma, along with the brute strength and violence that he allows us to live vicariously through. This is the guy who could have headlined Wrestlemania.
4. March 19: The Ultimate Deletion.
This was the moment we'd been waiting for since the Hardys returned to WWE. A lawsuit with Anthem, the parent company of Impact Wrestling, had prevented Matt Hardy from using his "Broken" persona for most of 2017. But late in the year, we were introduced to "Woken" Matt Hardy, i.e. Broken Matt with one letter swapped out. He feuded with Bray Wyatt, culminating in this match, the "Ultimate Deletion."
Akin to the other "Deletion" matches we saw on Impact, the match had a more cinematic, campy presentation. Most of the trademarks of the Broken universe were there. It took place at the Hardy compound. Matt's wife and son made appearances, as did his real-life father-in-law, "Senor Benjamin." Jeff Hardy also made a cameo. Hardy would win by sending Wyatt into the "lake of reincarnation." Wyatt would not emerge again until the Wrestlemania pre-show, where he helped Hardy win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
The Ultimate Deletion belongs on this list because, like the Broken/Woken universe itself, it dared to be different. It was also great validation for Matt. Not just because of the Anthem lawsuit, but because WWE once tried to do their own version of this match. You'll recall the time the New Day visited the "Wyatt Family compound." The results looked a lot like what the Hardys were doing on Impact at the time. We haven't seen a match like this on Raw since, and we may never see one again. But it's certainly not outside the realm of possibility.
5. John Cena's scathing promos on the Undertaker.
Undertaker no-showing the build-up to Wrestlemania 34 was extremely frustrating at the time. But in hindsight, it was the right way to go. Cena's desperate, angry attempts to bring the Dead Man back made for great drama. The highlights of which included…
– "…stop hiding behind your lame excuses. You are not too old. You are not washed up. You are not broken down, 'cause if you was broken down, you wouldn't be posting workout videos on your wife's Instagram."
– "You are not the god that [the fans] made you. You are the man you've allowed yourself to become. And that man, Undertaker, is a coward. The Undertaker is a coward."
– "Hey Undertaker. It's obvious that you left your hat in the ring. But it's clear to everybody here that you left your balls at home."
Then the match went two minutes, with Undertaker going over. I interpreted that as being because, in storyline, Undertaker surprised Cena. That's why I think these two have unfinished business, and should go another round at Wrestlemania this year.
6. April 9: Paige announces her retirement.
Calling this one of Raw's best moments feels a little weird. Obviously, if I had my way Paige would still be wrestling. But I have to tip my hat to the pure honesty, emotion, and bravery exhibited by Paige here.
Many of us were expecting this. The previous November, Paige had returned after a lengthy absence that included neck surgery. But just over a month after her return, Paige suffered another neck injury, forcing her to stay out of the ring. So the word "retirement" was being thrown around by fans online.
Still, it's never easy to hear confirmation like this. Paige spoke very eloquently, and the crowd showered her with "Thank you Paige!" chants. But while retired, Paige wasn't gone long at all. She showed up the very next night as the new general manager of Smackdown.
7. April 30: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
Seth Rollins was Raw's resident artist this year. If you look at the best matches in this show in 2018, he's the one constant in most of them. He turned in epic performances with Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, among others.
But in many ways, this was the best TV match Rollins turned in all year. It earned 4.25 stars from Dave Meltzer, was for the Intercontinental Title, and the two men had a loaded history together. They were, of course, wrestling to become the first Universal Champion when Rollins injured Balor, forcing him to give up his newly won title.
Champion and challenger gave us a combination endurance/chess match. It was a collection of counters, dodges, kicks, and kick-outs from big moves in a prolonged game of "Can you top this?" Rollins would ultimately pin Balor using the Curb Stomp. Both these men can easily slip back into the Universal Title picture in 2019, and this match is one of the many pieces of evidence we have.
8. October 22: Roman Reigns announces he has leukemia, Dean Ambrose turns on Seth Rollins.
We got two shockers on this show. One was a storyline. The other was very, very real.
I had no idea Roman Reigns had ever battled leukemia, or any kind of cancer. So when he walked out at the top of the show and announced he was relinquishing the Universal Title because his leukemia had returned, I was floored. I think we all were. To their credit, the fans in Providence, many of whom had been booing Reigns when he came out, immediately switched gears. On his way out, Roman got the support that some would say he's deserved all along.
Naturally, emotions were running high when Roman's Shield brothers, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, challenged for the Raw Tag Team Titles in the main event that night. Which made what happened next all the more explosive…
After winning the titles, Dean Ambrose made his long-awaited heel turn, nailing Rollins with the DDT. The fans watched in stunned silence as he continued to destroy his partner. Ambrose had unraveled, and the Shield was no more.
9. November 5: Drew McIntyre destroys Kurt Angle.
This was Angle's first match on Raw in over a decade. To his credit, it was memorable. Just not for the reason we thought it would be.
In a battle to decide whether Angle would captain the Raw Men's team at Survivor Series, the Olympic Gold Medalist and WWE Hall of Famer put up a fight, even catching McIntyre with the Angle Slam. But in the end, McIntyre was simply too much. The "Scottish Psychopath" would hit an Angle Slam of his own, and later end the match by tapping Angle out with his trademark Ankle Lock. The match will no doubt go down as one of the definitive performances of McIntyre's current WWE run.
What makes this a little bit more special is that supposedly this was Kurt Angle's idea, at least partially. The two had worked together in Impact, and Angle wanted to put McIntyre over for the WWE audience. It'd call the attempt successful, wouldn't you?
10. November 12: Becky Lynch invades.
Yes, technically it was the entire Smackdown women's roster that invaded. But the part everyone remembers is Becky, blood on her face, standing victorious in the crowd.
This is an angle that's been done time and time again. Wrestlers from Smackdown invading Raw, or Raw invading Smackdown, or whatever it is. But a wild punch changed everything.
It started out strong, with the camera rushing into the locker room to find Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey in Becky Lynch's Disarm-Her. Lynch would then go to the ring to confront the Raw Women's Survivor Series team. Lynch's Smackdown cohorts would then ambush from the crowd. In the ensuing battle, Nia Jax would punch Becky in the face, breaking her nose and concussing her. WWE would later simply call it a "broken face."
But the then-Smackdown Women's Champion would find victory even in injury. The ensuing footage of Becky fighting with blood on her face only rallied fans to her cause. She had to bow out of a match against Rousey at Survivor Series. But this angle may very well have opened the door for her to be one of the first women to headline Wrestlemania. So all in all, I'd say things worked out for her…
This entry was posted in Wrestling and tagged #Raw, Attitude Era, Becky Lynch, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Broken Matt Hardy, Dave Meltzer, Dean Ambrose heel turn, Drew McIntyre, Elias (WWE), Finn Balor, Impact Wrestling, John Cena, John Cena vs. The Undertaker, Jon Moxley, Kurt Angle, Matt Hardy, Paige, Paige retirement, pro wrestling, professional wrestling, Providence, Raw 25, Rhode Island, Roman Reigns, Roman Reigns leukemia, Ronda Rousey, Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey WWE, Seth Rollins, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Top 10 Raw Moments of 2018, Ultimate Deletion, Vince McMahon, Woken Matt Hardy, Wrestlemania, Wrestlemania 34, Wrestlemania 35, Wrestlemania XXXIV, Wrestlemania XXXV, WWE Elimination Chamber, WWE Elimination Chamber 2018, WWE Monday Night Raw, WWE Raw, WWE Raw results, WWE Smackdown, WWE Smackdown Live, WWE Survivor Series 2018 on 12/24/2018 by primaryignition.
WWE's 10 Most Fascinating People of 2018
What we have here is a bit of a tradition here at PI.
It started as a take-off of something Barbara Walters used to do. She'd choose and profile the 10 "most fascinating people" of the year. I've borrowed that concept several times over the years, and the lists can be found in our archives.
(For your convenience: 2012. 2013. 2015. 2016. 2017.)
So once again, we're back. On this year's list, we've got a UFC Hall of Famer turned WWE Champion, a heroic underdog turned monster heel, a new hot babyface taking the company by storm, among several others…
1. Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey was always going to be a marquee player for WWE. That was blatantly obvious from the get-go. And why wouldn't she be? But realistically, Ronda could have put in half the effort she does, and made less than half the appearances, and still gotten by. She could have coasted on her name, a few suplexes, and some armbars. She could have taken many would consider to be the Brock Lesnar path.
Instead, Rousey has consistently over-delivered. Whether it was her debut match at Wrestlemania, her match with Charlotte Flair at Survivor Series, or even her title bout with Nia Jax at TLC, this has unquestionably been the best-case scenario.
Rousey has her critics, who would have you believe she doesn't deserve the spot she has. While so much of wrestling is relative based on one's personal taste, many of those critics need to be reminded that much of the so-called "Women's Evolution" can be attributed to Rousey's success in the UFC. If she doesn't become the box office draw that she does, WWE has no reason to revamp its own women's division. Without Rousey, women like Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Asuka wouldn't have the chance to headline pay per views or steal the show at Wrestlemania.
What's more, Rousey may be about to knock down yet another door. It's looking more and more like she'll be part of the first women's match to headline the show of shows…
2. Daniel Bryan
This is Bryan's third time on the list, and it's not hard to see why. His performances spark a ton of emotion, and fans definitely ran the emotional gambit with him this year. In March, we were thrilled to hear he was cleared to return to the ring after more than two years in a WWE-imposed retirement. The move raises a number of questions regarding other wrestlers thought to be permanently retired due to injury. Among those names is Paige, who thanked Bryan in her retirement speech, adding "…you give me hope."
Bryan made his emotional and genuinely inspirational return to the ring at Wrestlemania. For several months, Bryan was once again one of the company's most popular acts. Then, less than a week before Survivor Series, Bryan shocked the world by winning back the WWE Championship, turning heel on AJ Styles in the process.
Since then, Bryan has condemned fans for their consumerism, and lack of regard for the environment. In one of the year's most talked about promos, he promised to replace the leather strap on the WWE Title belt. He's literally gone from one of the company's top babyfaces, to perhaps its top heel. At this rate, it's likely he'll once again find himself back in the WWE Title Match at Wrestlemania this year.
3. Asuka
Asuka is also returning to this list, having made it last year. The "Empress of Tomorrow" started her 2018 at the highest of highs. Since arriving on Raw in October 2017, she'd kept her fabled undefeated streak alive. She would go on to win the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble Match, earning a title match at Wrestlemania. She would face Smackdown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair in a match that, for my money, stole the damn show.
But that's where her luck began to change. Flair shocked the world when she ended Asuka's undefeated streak. A strange move in hindsight, as she'd simply drop the title to Carmella. The same Carmella that would later defeat Asuka in back-to-back pay per views. Mere months beforehand, it had been unthinkable that Asuka could lose to anyone. She'd beaten the likes of Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Mickie James. But suddenly, here she was losing title matches to Carmella, and subsequently being mired in mediocrity, forming an alliance with Naomi. The two would lose to Peyton Royce and Billie Kay at Super Show-Down.
And yet, Asuka's popularity has endured. Apparently, that's what prompted Vince McMahon to add her to the Smackdown Women's Title Match at TLC. Now, Asuka can add Smackdown Women's Champion, and winner of the first Women's TLC Match to her resume. It's like the last 10 months never even happened…
So at last, Asuka has made it to the top. It didn't happen the way any of us thought it would. But she is there. Now it's just a question of whether she can stay at the top, or she'll be lost in the shuffle again. One way or another, we'll get our answer in 2019.
4. Shawn Michaels
It's tough to remember HBK coming out of retirement, isn't it? As big a deal as it is, it was drowned out by all the controversy surrounding WWE Crown Jewel. Not to mention the announcement that Roman Reigns would be stepping away to fight leukemia.
But indeed, Degeneration X reunited in Saudi Arabia to face the Brothers of Destruction. While many cried that Triple H, the Undertaker, and Kane showed their age out there, even after eight years away Shawn still managed to look pretty damn good. And while Shawn himself indicated he'd be going right back into retirement, there's been plenty of speculation about "Mr. Wrestlemania" making yet another appearance at the show of shows. Another Undertaker match seems like the obvious route. But Shawn has no shortage of other options. I myself floated six of them.
In hindsight, I still wish Shawn hadn't done this match. I really wanted him to be the one guy that stayed true to his word. But what's done is done.
5. Tegan Nox
This one hurt. Like, it really hurt. You just wanted to reach through the screen and comfort this poor woman. She'd already been through hell, and now she was going to have to do it all over again.
Tegan Nox, whose real name is Steffanie Newell, was supposed to be in the first Mae Young Classic. But a torn ACL kept her out of the ring. For this year's tournament, they were telling that story with her. In fact, she was one of the favorites to win the whole thing.
Then, mere seconds into her second-round match against Rhea Ripley, her other knee goes out. We later learned she'd torn that ACL as well. It was a legitimately heartbreaking moment for not only Newell, but everyone watching.
The only upside in all of this? We seem to be on the road to yet another redemption story for this character. In the aftermath of all this, Rhea Ripley, who has gone on to become the NXT UK Women's Champion, started a war of words with Nox on Twitter. So assuming Nox will indeed be back in the ring, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see her wearing that title in 2019.
So get well soon, Miss Newell. Great things are waiting for you.
6. Johnny Gargano
As cliche as it is, I've got to go with the classic Harvey Dent quote from The Dark Knight on this one: "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
Former tag team partners Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa have put on some of the best matches in all of wrestling this year. But the feud has transformed Gargano, arguably one of the last old school babyfaces in the business, into a man consumed with destroying Ciampa. So when Ciampa wrestled Aleister Black for the NXT Championship in July, Gargano attempted to interfere and cost him the match. It ended up backfiring, as Gargano hit Black with the belt, and essentially handed the title to Ciampa.
A Triple-Threat Match was made for the championship at NXT Takeover Brooklyn IV, but a mysterious attack took Black out of the match. Gargano failed to win the title, at it was later revealed the he was the one who attacked the former champion. Naturally, a feud ignited between the two, culminating in a steel cage match this past week on NXT, which Ciampa would help Gargano win. This has lead to rampant speculation that this blood feud between Gargano and Ciampa has ultimately led them to team up all over again.
This slow journey of Johnny Gargano's, from victim, to heroic avenger, to fallen hero consumed by revenge, to villain, is a textbook example of pro wrestling done right. Deep, emotional stories, told through amazing in-ring action.
Ambrose was absent for much of 2018, healing from a torn triceps. But when he returned in August, he was once again part of the Shield. But seeds of dissension were quickly planted by rivals Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler. We all sensed a turn was coming. But there was no way we could have predicted what actually happened…
Mere hours after Roman Reigns announced he was stepping away from the ring to fight leukemia, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins successfully challenged McIntyre and Ziggler for the Raw Tag Team Titles. With emotions still running high after the Reigns announcement, Ambrose shocked Rollins with a DDT, and then a brutal beatdown. While many would cry foul over the timing, for my money it was ultimately one of the best things WWE did all year. It did what pro wrestling is supposed to do: It sucked us in. Got us invested in the characters and their stories. It sparked raw emotion in the audience.
However, WWE's handling of Ambrose since the turn has been hit-or-miss. While I actually like the new Bane-inspired gas mask look, Vince McMahon's influence on some of his promos has been quite evident. He's talked about how the fans smell, how they're all lazy and unmotivated, etc. Very little with any emotional weight to it.
Still, Ambrose is an awesome performer. Given the right material and the right opportunities, he's as capable of delivering the goods as anyone. And they have a potentially hot storyline practically gift-wrapped for them, as Ambrose's real-life wife Renee Young is sitting there on commentary every week. She might just be the ticket to him becoming the vile, despicable heel we all know he can be.
8. Drew McIntyre
Daniel Bryan may have had the comeback of the year, but Drew McIntyre had an epic comeback story of his own. McIntyre reinvented himself after being released by WWE in 2014. He found success in Impact Wrestling, Evolve, and PWG. When he returned to WWE via NXT in 2017, he was almost unrecognizable.
When McIntyre finally returned to the main roster this past April, he formed an unlikely alliance on Raw with Dolph Ziggler. The pair would ultimately up each other's game, and be a dominant force on the show for most of the year. McIntyre would prove to be one of the show's most consistent performers, both in the ring and on the mic.
Now a solo act again, the "Scottish Psychopath" will almost certainly challenge for the Universal Championship in 2019. McIntyre's near five-year journey from the bottom of the wrestling may culminate with him standing at the very top. Frankly, it would be foolish to bet against him at this point.
9. Shinsuke Nakamura
Nakamura is back on this list this year, but unfortunately it's for the wrong reasons. He and Asuka were very much on parallel journeys this year. They each won their respective Royal Rumble Matches, but failed to win gold at Wrestlemania. While Asuka failed to win the Smackdown Women's Title from Carmella on two different occasions, Nakamura was unable to take the WWE Title from AJ Styles several times before finally dropping out of contention. He found a little bit of new life as a heel, and won the US Title from Jeff Hardy as a consolation prize. But his run has been fairly unremarkable, highlighted by a losing effort against Seth Rollins at Survivor Series. And while I won't spoil this week's Smackdown, the odds of Nakamura walking into 2019 with the belt are slim to none…
It would be easy to blame Nakamura's failure as a main-eventer on WWE creative. The guy didn't book himself to lose, after all. WWE also didn't seem to know how to convey his unique persona, other than simply calling him "the Artist." Losing multiple title matches to Jinder Mahal in 2017 didn't help either.
But at the end of the day, Nakamura simply didn't connect with mainstream American audiences well enough to justify the push he got. Yes, he's a bona fide legend in Japan. Yes, he did very well in NXT. But on Raw and Smackdown you're catering to the casuals and the average joes. And while we saw flashes of Nakamura's greatness, over the long haul we never really got a good reason to invest in him emotionally, be it as a heel or a babyface. You can't chalk all of that up to creative. Much of it, in fact, a majority of it, is about what happens in when the cameras are rolling.
Supposedly, Nakamura's contract is up next month. If I'm in his shoes, I'm headed back to Japan. Because I'm at something of a loss as to how you build him back up at this point.
10. Becky Lynch
Up until recently, Becky Lynch was "always a bridesmaid, never a bride." While her talent, charisma, and likability have been apparent almost from the start, WWE always seemed reluctant to fully get behind her. She was the only one of the "Four Horsewomen" of NXT to never win the NXT Women's Title. While she did indeed become the inaugural Smackdown Women's Champion, she only held the belt for two months. She more or less became a second-tier babyface afterward. This, despite fans clamoring to see her in a more prominent role.
We got our wish. Now, Becky Lynch may very well be the most popular wrestler in all of WWE.
Many of us, myself included, balked when Becky turned heel at Summerslam. But in hindsight, it gave her the creative freedom to become the defiant badass she is now. She's often compared to Stone Cold Steve Austin, and that's not entirely unjustified. Fans feel she's been overlooked, and now they're rooting for her to conquer the system that's held her back for so long. Even when she was injured by Nia Jax and pulled out of a match against Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series, the fans stood behind her, every bit as outraged as she was. Now, she may be in a position to make history by headlining Wrestlemania with Rousey.
For more than a decade now, we've been in the era of forced babyfaces. Wrestlers we're told we should cheer for, rather than heroes who earn those cheers organically. John Cena and Roman Reigns are both extremely talented, and great at what they do. But for most of their careers they've been going against the grain in terms of fan reception.
Becky Lynch is the exact opposite. No one told us to cheer for her. If anything, it's been the exact opposite. But like Daniel Bryan before her, she's started an uprising from the audience. And such uprisings should never be ignored, lest the main event of Wrestlemania be drowned out by chants of "Becky! Becky! Becky!"
This entry was posted in Wrestling and tagged AJ Styles, Aleister Black, Asuka, Barbara Walters, Becky Lynch, Carmella (WWE), Charlotte Flair, Daniel Bryan, Daniel Bryan return, Dolph Ziggler, Harvey Dent, Johnny Gargano, Jon Moxley, Mae Young Classic, Mae Young Classic 2017, Mae Young Classic 2018, NXT, pro wrestling, professional wrestling, Rhea Ripley, Roman Reigns, Ronda Rousey, Ronda Rousey WWE, Royal Rumble match, Royal Rumble Winner, Seth Rollins, Shawn Michaels, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tegan Nox, The Dark Knight (2008), The Shield (WWE), The Undertaker, Tommaso Ciampa, Triple H, Wrestlemania, Wrestlemania 34, Wrestlemania XXXIV, WWE, WWE Crown Jewel, WWE Monday Night Raw, WWE Raw, WWE Royal Rumble 2018, WWE Smackdown, WWE Smackdown Live, WWE TLC, WWE TLC 2018, WWE TLC results on 12/23/2018 by primaryignition.
A WWE TLC 2018 Preview – Looking Ahead to 2019
Fair warning, folks: I'm going to complain a lot in this one. Of course, that doesn't make me unique. Wrestling fans essentially do two things: Watch wrestling, and complain about wrestling on Twitter.
But to be fair, it's not like there hasn't been anything to complain about lately. Hell, they had Seth Rollins come out on TV Monday and verbally castrate Baron Corbin, the on-screen authority figure. He said things like…
– "Under your leadership, Monday Night Raw has sucked, and it has sucked because of you."
– "That roster, that locker room back there, that is some of the most talented men and women that Monday Night Raw has ever seen. And you've got no idea what to do with it."
– "…talent support, morale from backstage, the fan support, and the TV ratings, are all at an all-time low, and it is all because of you."
It's like he was reading Tweets directed at Vince McMahon.
To be fair, at least there's an aura of honesty about this segment. But every year they go through some version of this creative drought. I call it the "autumn slump." It usually hits some time between September and December, and ends around Royal Rumble season.
If you believe the online buzz, much of this latest slump has to do with Vince himself re-writing the shows shortly before they go on the air. It's always boggled my mind. WWE has only gotten bigger and bigger as the decades have gone by. And yet the creative for this three-hour flagship show can still be run like a little mom and pop operation.
You know what I'm really interested to see? Not so much what happens to Raw, as it's staying on USA Network for the next five years. But rather, what happens with Smackdown. WWE just got more than $2 billion to bring Smackdown to Fox next year. As such, there are going to be more new eyes on the product than there've been in a long, long time. So what happens when they get to Fox, and these new viewers are subjected to all this contrived, scripted dialogue? This awful, childish bathroom humor? These rushed, and not thought out segments? It really makes you wonder…
That being said, let's get to TLC…
MIXED MATCH CHALLENGE FINALS:
Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox vs. R-Truth and Carmella
Between wrestler injuries, having to be consistent with storylines, and the needless change to a round-robin format, the MMC has been an absolute mess this year. I still dig the concept, though. But they need to go back to single-elimination rules next year. More importantly, establish a rule that if a team member can't compete on a given night, that team forfeits their match. This swapping and replacing of wrestlers can't be a thing again. The team of Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss morphing into Ember Moon and Curt Hawkins is pure stupidity.
So we have these two…ehem…legendary tag teams, facing off to decide the season two victors. If these are the only two choices we have, I say we give it to R-Truth and Carmella. The people are into their dancing act. So throw 'em a bone.
PREDICTION: R-Truth and Carmella
WWE CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH:
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Cedric Alexander
Not making this a Ladder Match feels like a missed opportunity. There's already a decent chance these two might have the best match of the night. But in a Ladder Match, they could really give us one for the ages.
That's assuming they're not on pre-show duty, of course.
My opinion has not changed on where the Cruiserweight Division should go heading into Wrestlemania. All roads should lead to Mustafa Ali winning the belt. It could realistically be either one of these two dropping it to him. But I'm going to go with Murphy here, as he and Ali would give us a more compelling story. If I'm Cedric, I'm looking to get away from 205 Live altogether. He's climbed that mountain already. Find a tag team partner and go to Raw or Smackdown.
PREDICTION: Buddy Murphy
TRIPLE-THREAT MATCH FOR SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM TITLES:
The Bar (c) vs. The Usos vs. The New Day
All three of these teams are great. But you won't find a better illustration of just how bad Smackdown needs new tag teams. It feels like we're rinsing and repeating, rinsing and repeating, rinsing and repeating. If I'm Jimmy and Jey Uso, I'm pushing to go to Raw next year, just for a change of scenery. Hell, I wanted them to go to Raw this year!
I'll say the Bar retain here. Because…why not? They've got just as much right to to be champs as the other two teams do.
PREDICTION: The Bar
Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre
As much as I hate the way Finn Balor has become a whipping boy for larger opponents like Kane and Bobby Lashley, he's got no business winning this one. Drew is on a major ascent. And with any luck, they've learned an important lesson from Braun Strowman: Nothing cools a hot commodity like big losses. McIntyre already ate a pin from Dolph Ziggler last week. He doesn't need to be losing to Balor in what is essentially a throwaway match.
Balor is another guy I wanted to switch shows this year. Hopefully he'll find himself on Smackdown in 2018.
PREDICTION: Drew McIntyre
TABLES MATCH:
Natalya vs. Ruby Riott
People shouldn't be upset about this Jim Neidhart storyline because it's tasteless. They should be upset about it because it's been so damn silly. I'm a big Ruby Riott fan, and I'm thrilled she's getting a pay per view spotlight like this. But what has she really done to disrespect the Anvil's memory? Break a pair of plastic sunglasses and put his picture on a table? Gimme a break…
There's definitely such a thing as going too far. WWE has crossed that line more than a few times over the years. But in this ultra-sensitive era we live in, people forget that pro wrestling is meant to stir up emotion. To get you to hate the villain and cheer the hero. That's all they're doing here.
Still, the sad truth is Jim Neidhart is gone. This whole story is designed to give Nattie a feel-good win to pay tribute to her dad. So let's give her a nice win and move on.
PREDICTION: Natalya
LADDER MATCH:
Elias vs. Bobby Lashley
I've enjoyed what Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush have been doing lately. And of course, Elias has a great act. One that might even deserve to be featured more prominently. But I have to ask: Why does this match deserve the ladder stipulation?
Not AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan. Not Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. Not the Cruiserweights. Not even the three-way tag match, where you could spread the big bumps out between six or seven guys. But this match. I don't get it.
As I assume Rush will be ringside here, it would be easy to justify giving Lashley the win due to interference. But an Elias win is the right move here. The crowds are eating out of his hand, and he's got a cool factor to him that so few have nowadays. Plus, he doesn't have to pin Lashley to get the win here. It's practically gift-wrapped for him.
PREDICTION: Elias
CHAIRS MATCH:
Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio
Thank God! A Chairs Match! I was worried we wouldn't get one this year! Who could ever forget all those classic Chairs Matches from years past! Ones like…er…um…John Cena and Wade Barrett had one, didn't they?
As the Smackdown title picture is essentially anybody's ball game right now, there's a decent chance one of these guys will be going for the WWE Championship come Wrestlemania. AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton? What aboutDaniel Bryan vs. Rey Mysterio? Don't rule it out, folks. It's more likely than you think.
I went back and forth in picking a winner for this one. But in the end, Randy Orton has a good thing going with his current heel run. While I have no desire to see him wrestling for the title at Wrestlemania again, it makes sense to keep him a credible threat to the babyfaces.
PREDICTION: Randy Orton
STIPULATION TLC MATCH:
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
If Corbin wins, he becomes the permanent General Manager of Raw.
If Strowman wins, he gets a Universal Title Match.
Don't let 'em fool ya, kids. This is not the main event. I don't understand why this match is still being advertised. I assume Strowman will be at TLC in some capacity, or they wouldn't still be promoting him. So either they're going to do a quick squash and get this overwith quickly, or they're going to put him in an extremely dangerous match mere weeks after elbow surgery.
What's more, it's not like this match was going to wow us either way. Frankly, on paper Strowman vs. Corbin kinda sucks. Even with the TLC stipulation. So why not just do another multi-man TLC brawl like they've done in years past? Book Strowman, Balor, and Elias against Corbin, McIntyre, and Lashley. And if they want to keep Strowman out of the ring, plug Dolph Ziggler in there as his replacement. Or better yet, what about Kurt Angle? He's got built-in heat with both Corbin and McIntyre.
As for who wins, I was originally inclined to say Corbin. But I just can't justify having Strowman lose another pay per view match. Realistically, this guy should have been challenging for the Universal Title at Wrestlemania this year. Now, it looks like he may finally be in a position to be in that title picture. So for crying out loud, lets not have him lose this one. Lets oust Corbin from power, and shake Raw up a little bit. While this year's autumn slump can't be attributed to Corbin alone, hopefully removing him will be a nice palette cleanser for everybody so we can all move on
PREDICTION: Braun Strowman
WWE RAW WOMEN'S TITLE MATCH:
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Nia Jax
I can't say I had a particular desire to see this match again. But at least now that Nia has all that heat for punching out Becky, this match has some heat to it. People will cheer like hell when Ronda taps her out to the arm bar. And yes, that's exactly what needs to happen here. May as well do it quick, too. I hate to pile on, but God forbid Nia throws another stiff punch and hurts Ronda.
For Ronda, it seems like all roads lead to the main event of Wrestlemania. The question is, against who? Becky Lynch? (Yes.) Charlotte Flair? (No.) Becky and Charlotte in a three-way? (If you must.)
PREDICTION: Ronda Rousey
WWE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH:
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
You know what? I like Dean Ambrose's Bane look. (Bane Ambrose?) It's different. At least he doesn't have the silly accent, right?
Along the same lines as the Ruby Riott/Natalya thing, Ambrose doesn't deserve to be crucified for making thinly veiled comments about Roman Reigns these past several weeks. Is it in poor taste? Yes. Was it over the line? I personally don't think so. I did, however, think it was rather stupid on Monday when Charly Caruso basically asked him: "What would Roman think if he knew this was happening?" If Roman knew? What, does he not have a TV? Or a smartphone? Or, you know…these guys' phone numbers?
If Seth Rollins' comments this week about Brock Lesnar are any indicator, they are indeed moving forward with Lesnar vs. Rollins at Wrestlemania. Assuming Lesnar is keeping the Universal Title until then, that means they're probably going to have to get the IC Title off of Rollins. Ambrose is as good a person for him to lose it to as anyone.
By the way, don't write off Renee Young's on-screen involvement in her husband's storyline. They're already having Corey Graves address their real-life marriage. So it's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when.
PREDICTION: Dean Ambrose
WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH:
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles
Well, whaddaya know? It's the Daniel Bryan heel turn we never knew we wanted.
A return to the title picture seemed like a natural direction for Bryan to go in as we headed toward Wrestlemania. So his heel turn came way out of left field. It's been a very pleasant surprise, though. As much as fans like myself love to armchair quarterback this stuff, this was a good decision. It gives Bryan so much more creative freedom. I'm sure that feels great after so much time on the sidelines.
Styles vs. Bryan in a pay per view environment has been a dream match for years. Now they finally have a chance to do it. But these dream match scenarios have not been kind to AJ this year. Case in point, his Wrestlemania match against Shinsuke Nakamura. Still, these two are bona fide in-ring artists. So naturally, there's a lot of intrigue going into this match.
Bryan's heel turn has left me at a complete loss for what the WWE Title picture will look like as we get closer to Wrestlemania. So I'm somewhat at a loss in terms of predicting this one. I'm going to go with the whole "they wouldn't give him the belt just to take it off him" approach, and say Bryan wins. But there's still time for AJ to once again walk into Wrestlemania with the title.
PREDICTION: Daniel Bryan
TRIPLE-THREAT TLC MATCH FOR WWE SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S TITLE:
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
Supposedly, Asuka was added to this match because WWE was pleasantly surprised by her sustained popularity. I can't say I disagree, given all the nothing they've done with her since Wrestlemania. But hey, she's back in the title picture, and working with two of the company's hottest stars. That's nothing to sneeze at.
Not that I think she's winning. My assumption is this match turned out the way it did so they could get the title off Becky Lynch without pinning her. Throwing a third person in there, no matter who it is, muddies those waters a little bit more.
Plus, I think they're kinda throwing us a bone on this one. How Asuka has not won either the Raw or Smackdown Women's Championships by now is a mystery the likes of which I can't even begin to solve. And yet, here we are. I'd love to see her get another title shot at Wrestlemania this year. Perhaps this is a good sign in that respect.
Either way, one thing we know for sure is they want Charlotte kept strong. That's why I see her taking the belt here. That will give her momentum heading into Wrestlemania season. And again, it's simply a question of how they want to proceed with her, Ronda, and Becky. Maybe Charlotte winds up in a completely different match. Against maybe…a certain Empress of Tomorrow? Charlotte broke Asuka's streak, and she hasn't been the same since. If there was ever a reason to seek revenge…
PREDICTION: Charlotte Flair
This entry was posted in Wrestling and tagged AJ Styles, Ali (WWE), Alicia Fox, Asuka, Bane, Baron Corbin, Becky Lynch, Big E., Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, Buddy Murphy, Carmella (WWE), Cedric Alexander, Cesaro, Charlotte Flair, Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose heel turn, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Elias (WWE), Finn Balor, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, Jinder Mahal, Jon Moxley, Kofi Kingston, Kurt Angle, Kurt Angle TLC, Lio Rush, Natalya (WWE), Nia Jax, Nia Jax vs. Ronda Rousey, pro wrestling, professional wrestling, R-Truth, Randy Orton, Renee Young, Rey Mysterio Jr., Roman Reigns, Roman Reigns leukemia, Ronda Rousey, Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey WWE, Ruby Riott, Seth Rollins, Sheamus, The Bar (WWE), The New Day, The Usos, Twitter, Vince McMahon, WWE, WWE autumn slump, WWE Mixed Match Challenge, WWE Raw, WWE Smackdown, WWE TLC, WWE TLC 2018, WWE TLC predictions, Xavier Woods on 12/11/2018 by primaryignition.
WWE Survivor Series 2018 Preview – What One Punch Can Change…
It's pretty damn rare that you see an entire pay per view turned on its ear with less than a week out. But low and behold, that's where we find ourselves with this year's Survivor Series. It's amazing just how much one punch can change…
Even having already covered the women's matches, we've got a lot to get to. So let's dive in!
SURVIVOR SERIES MATCH:
Bobby Roode and Chad Gable, the B-Team, the Revival, Lucha House Party, & the Ascension,
The Usos, the New Day, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, SAnitY, & the Colons
Ugh. I hate these matches. I really do. Way too many people. It's a cluster.
What's more, there's a built-in way for them to clean this thing up. Both the New Day and Lucha House Party are three-man groups. So just have it be The Usos and the New Day against Lucha House Party, Bobby Roode, and Chad Gable. See? We just trimmed all the fat.
Not that it matters. This match was thrown together because they felt like they had to do something with the tag teams. It's a complete and utter toss-up as far as who wins. I'm going to say Team Smackdown because….they have the Usos and the New Day?
PREDICTION: Team Smackdown
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Mustafa Ali
At some point, Mustafa Ali is winning the Cruiserweight Championship. It's just a question of when. Survivor Series wouldn't be too soon. Heck, Wrestlemania wouldn't have been too soon. But I get the sense they're not done with Murphy yet. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. He's earned this spot. So we'll let him keep it for now.
CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION:
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Back in July, I said that Shinsuke Nakamura needed a big win to help him rebound from all those losses to AJ Styles. He got that win, and the United States Championship. But all these months later we're back in the same spot, even though Nakamura still has the title.
I think we've officially reached the point where we can call Nakamura an underachiever on the main roster. I take no joy in saying that, as he's obviously got no shortage of talent or charisma. And I don't think there's any one thing to point to as far as why. For whatever reason, he just hasn't connected with mainstream audiences in the way we all hoped he would.
But I'm grateful they haven't given up on him. And in fact, I don't see any reason why he shouldn't get a big win over Rollins here. The IC Champ has a perfect out, as he's still feuding with Dean Ambrose. So they can just have Ambrose come in and cost him the match.
PREDICTION: Shinsuke Nakamura
CHAMPIONS VS. CHAMPIONS:
AOP vs. The Bar
I almost would have rather seen them keep the titles on Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose for this match. They could have had Rollins face Shinsuke Nakamura earlier in the evening, then go into this match with Ambrose having deserted him. He'd have lost both times, but looked like a bad ass in the process. That story is a lot more interesting than the one we have here. I'd say the most interesting thing we have to look forward to here is some kind of spot between the Big Show and Drake Maverick.
WWE has just started to book AOP like the unstoppable force they should have been from the start. So if we must have this match, they should be the ones to walk out victorious. However, this is one of the few times I'd be okay with a non-finish for a pay per view match.
PREDICTION: AOP
Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan
Supposedly, AJ Styles dropped the WWE Championship to Daniel Bryan because Vince McMahon didn't want him losing to Brock Lesnar two years in a row. I find that logic somewhat confusing. Roman Reigns, who until recently was the company's top creative priority, took two consecutive pay per view losses to Brock. Still, at least Vince is trying to take care of AJ.
Adding Bryan to this match, as a heel no less, obviously adds an element of intrigue that wasn't there with Styles. I'm very interested to see what these two do together. It's been well documented over the last several days that Bryan has wanted this match for years. Regardless, whether it's Styles or Bryan, I still don't see Brock losing on this show. Nor should he, quite frankly. Hopefully Bryan can come away with an artistic victory, if not a literal one.
PREDICTION: Brock Lesnar
Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler, Finn Balor, & Bobby Lashley
The Miz, Shane McMahon, Rey Mysterio, Samoa Joe, & Jeff Hardy
One of the stories going into this match is that if Team Raw wins, Braun Strowman gets a Universal Title Match down the road, as well as a big match with Baron Corbin. With Roman Reigns now on the shelf indefinitely, the course of action going forward should be rather obvious: Build Raw around Braun. What's the best way to do that? Give him the Universal Championship at Wrestlemamia. Mind you, it doesn't have to be another singles match against Brock. They can do a Triple-Threat that also includes Drew McIntyre. Or if you want to go way into left field, a Fatal Four-Way with somebody like Dolph Ziggler or Seth Rollins. Either way, Braun should walk out of Wrestlemania with the big red belt.
But if you want to give him the title in April, then there's no logic in giving him a title shot now. That's why I think Team Smackdown wins here.
I see Braun somehow getting counted out or disqualified, most likely because of something Corbin does. But have him eliminate a couple of Smackdown guys (Shane and Jeff?) on his way out, just so he still looks strong. Then you do some kind of finish where Miz survives in the end. He's the only one I really feel strong about surviving here.
This entry was posted in Wrestling and tagged AJ Styles, Ali (WWE), AOP, Authors of Pain, B-Team (WWE), Baron Corbin, Bo Dallas, Bobby Lashley, Bobby Roode, Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, Buddy Murphy, Cesaro, Curtis Axel, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Drake Maverick, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor, Jon Moxley, Karl Anderson, Lucha House Party, Luke Gallows, Primo & Epico, pro wrestling, professional wrestling, Raw vs. Smackdown, Rey Mysterio Jr., Rob Siebert, Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, SAnitY, Seth Rollins, Shane McMahon, Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura, Shorty G, The Ascension, The Bar (WWE), The Big Show, The Miz, The New Day, The Revival, The Usos, Wrestlemania, Wrestlemania 35, Wrestlemania XXXV, WWE, WWE Raw, WWE Smackdown, WWE Smackdown Live, WWE Survivor Series, WWE Survivor Series 2018 on 11/17/2018 by primaryignition.


text:
Marcel Flückiger (Bern, 1929. június 20. – Bern, 2010. november 27.) svájci labdarúgóhátvéd.

Források

1929-ben született személyek
2010-ben elhunyt személyek
Svájci labdarúgók
A Young Boys labdarúgói
Az 1954-es világbajnokság labdarúgói
Labdarúgóhátvédek

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
DTIM è l'acronimo di Delivery Traffic Indication Message.

Un DTIM è un tipo di messaggio di indicazione del traffico atto ad informare i client della presenza di dati multicast/broadcast e/o memorizzati nel buffer dell'Access Point. Tale messaggio viene generato dopo ogni periodo DTIM specificato nel beacon, cioè nei pacchetti inviati dall'Access Point per la sincronizzazione della rete wireless. I normali messaggi di indicazione del traffico (Traffic Indication Message, (TIM)) che sono presenti in ogni beacon servono a segnalare la presenza di dati unicast bufferizzati. Successivamente ad un DTIM, l'Access Point invierà i dati multicast/broadcast sul canale in accordo alle normali regole di accesso al mezzo (CSMA/CA).

Wi-Fi


text:
Hudevîceve (în ) este un sat în comuna Konopleane din raionul Berezivka, regiunea Odesa, Ucraina.

Demografie

Conform recensământului din 2001, majoritatea populației localității Hudevîceve era vorbitoare de ucraineană (%), existând în minoritate și vorbitori de română (%) și rusă (%).

Note

Hudevîceve, Konopleane, Berezivka, Odesa
Hudevîceve, Konopleane, Berezivka, Odesa
Hudevîceve, Konopleane, Berezivka, Odesa


text:
Khnumhotep II
Khnumhotep II (ẖnmw-ḥtp, "Khnum is pleased") was an ancient Egyptian Great Chief of the Oryx nome (the 16th nome of Upper Egypt) during the reign of pharaohs Amenemhat II and Senusret II of the 12th Dynasty, Middle Kingdom (20th century BCE). He is well known for his tomb at Beni Hasan and its decorations.
Nomarch
of the 16th nome of Upper Egypt
Khnumhotep II depicted while hunting birds in the marshes
Netjernakht?
Khnumhotep IV
12th Dynasty
Amenemhat II, Senusret II
Neheri
Baqet
Khety; Tjat
Nakht, Khnumhotep IV, Khnumhotep III, Neheri, and others
Beni Hasan tomb 3 (BH3)
1 Biography and family
2 The tomb BH3
Biography and familyEdit
Khnumhotep
in hieroglyphs
He was a member of a powerful family of nomarchs and officials which was likely founded by his grandfather Khnumhotep I and housed in Men'at Khufu. Khnumhotep II held many titles such as hereditary prince and count, foremost of actions, royal sealer, sole friend, member of the elite, overlord of Nekheb, and also overseer of the Eastern Desert, a position which he held from Year 19 of Amenemhat II until at least Year 6 of Senusret II i.e. the date which appears in Khnumhotep's tomb. Like most nomarchs of the time he also held some priestly charges.[1][2]
His predecessor as nomarch was probably his relative Netjernakht, and Khnumhotep honored him by building his tomb. His mother was Baqet while his father was an official named Neheri. Khnumhotep had two wives, the main of them was Khety, herself a daughter of the unnamed nomarch of the neighbouring 17th nome with Hardai as capital. Like her husband, Khety held a remarkable number of titles such as daughter of a governor, king's acquaintance, foremost of actions, lady of the house, and was also a priestess of Hathor and Pakhet. Khnumhotep's secondary wife was Tjat who held few, modest titles such as sealer, lady of the house and one who knows her lord; she is the only known female sealer at the court of a local governor. Those peculiarities and the fact that both consorts appears several times in Khnumhotep's tomb suggests that the one between him and Khety was likely a politically arranged marriage while Tjat could have been his true love who was appointed sealer by him in order to have her closer.[3]
From his two consorts, Khnumhotep II had several children:[4]
Nakht inherited his maternal grandfather's charge of nomarch at Hardai
Khnumhotep IV, followed his father as nomarch of the 16th nome, but does not appear in his father's tomb and is only known by his unfinished tomb at Beni Hasan
Khnumhotep III entered to the royal court where he managed to become high steward and later vizier
Neheri was buried in a small tomb at Beni Hasan where a stela of him was found
another son is known for being a "mayor" in a contiguous nome.
For more about Khnumhotep's genealogy, see "Nomarchs of the Oryx nome".
The tomb BH3Edit
Exterior of the Tomb BH3
Khnumhotep II is buried in Beni Hasan in the rock-cut Tomb 3 (BH3), one of the most notable of the whole necropolis. In ancient times, the tomb would have been approached via a path that was distinguishable by dark brown boulders on either side; the path extended from the open outer court down the hill to the edge of the cultivated land.[5]
The tomb is fronted by a columned portico and a small courtyard; the courtyard would have been surrounded by mud-brick walls. The small columned portico is on the west side of the courtyard, directly in front of the tomb entrance.[6] The ceiling of the portico is curved similar to the shape of a segmented barrel. The rock around the doorway leading inside the tomb to the chapel was smoothed and flattened, on which a fourteen line inscription is giving the list of the festal days for the services of funeral offerings, called percheru, along with the name and titles of Khnumhotep II.[7] The floor of the main chamber (also referred to as the chapel) is sunk into the ground below the level of the open outer court and is descended into by three steps.[7] The chapel is the main chamber cut straight back into the cliff almost symmetrical with 4 columns and two large shafts (that lead to burial chambers) are cut into the floor. These four main columns support a ceiling that is divided by three segmented barrel shapes.[8] These vaults are painted in a pattern that may be referencing a tent.[9] The only light for this chamber would have come from the doorway to the portico and originally a door, between the portico and the chamber, could have been used to close the tomb to the outdoor elements.[5] Percy Newberry notes that the only remain from the inward swinging door is the pivot-hole. On the doorjambs are prayers to Osiris and Anubis above a seated Khnumhotep II who is facing inward.[10] At the back of this main room (east wall) is a small rectangular shine approached by a step about 13 centimetres (5.1 in) high. Newberry mentions that from his survey of the tomb there was a statue here of a seated Khnumhotep II, but the entire statue had been cut away and only a portion of the seat remains.[7]
On the wall are also depicted Khnumhotep's most notable officials and employees at his local court, which somewhat resemble a downscaled version of the royal court with a local treasurer and many stewards and overseers.[11]
In the main chamber there is an autobiography of the deceased; it begins to the left of the entrance to the shrine and runs counterclockwise around the walls of the main chamber, ending to the right of the doorway leading to the shrine.[12] The main types of information included are about the actions Khnumhotep II performed during his lifetime, his family and their lives, as well as the close relationship of his family to the royal house, Khnumhotep's excellent character, and his request to visitors that offerings are made to him.[13]
Drawing of the famous depiction of the Aamu group
On the west wall of the chamber are scenes showing mainly the preparations for the funeral and the resurrection of the deceased.[14] This is exemplified by the boat voyages making a connection between Khnumhotep II and the god Osiris. The orientation of the boats within the tomb literally has them travel south to Abydos (right of the entrance) and north to return (left of the entrance).[15] The wall collectively ensures the tomb owner of rebirth in the afterlife where he will be sustained through cult activities.
On the eastern end of the north wall there is a large-scale standing figure of Khnumhotep II receiving offerings primarily of several types of animals and birds. What makes this tomb stand out among the 39 large rock-cut tombs at Beni Hasan is the well known scene of the Aamu group, Asiatic nomadic traders who are sometimes considered Hyksos or at least their forerunners; the group, led by a man called Absha (or Abisha, Abishai), was bringing offerings to the deceased.[16]
The west end of the wall has another large-scale figure of Khnumhotep II only here he is facing right and using a bow to hunt in the desert which is on the edge of the Egyptian world, the boundary between order (maat) and chaos. It has been interpreted that in this scene Khnumhotep II is assuming the role of the king dominating over the chaotic power of the desert.[17]
Many of Khnumhotep's relatives. The sitting woman in the top-middle is his wife Khety
The east wall houses the entrance to the shrine, as well as two large depictions of Khnumhotep II hunting in the marshes, one on the north side and the other on the south side. To the south he is harpooning two fishes and to the north he is fowling with a throwing stick.[18] These hunting in the marshes scenes help protect the deceased in the afterlife as well as guarantee his rebirth through connotations of sexuality.[19] Beneath him, north of the door, there are pictures of several people fishing and beneath him on the south side are representations of fighting boatmen. Collectively this wall represents the perpetual renewal of Khnumhotep II.
The fourth wall of this tomb, south wall, was dedicated to the celebration of the cult meal of Khnumhotep II and his wife Khety.[20] The east end of the wall features the deceased seated in front of an offering table covered with offerings holding a flail, traditionally seen as a symbol of royalty or divinity, in his right hand.[21] At the west end of the wall there is an illustration of Khety sitting in front of a full offering table. She is facing left and participating in her husband's meal presented by his cult.[22] The shrine portrays a smaller version of the offering cult and in many ways can be seen as an expansion from the false door of the Old Kingdom, where a statue inside a niche could have been integrated.[23] The placing of statues in the chapel itself is a new funerary art style that appeared in the Middle Kingdom tombs.[24]
^ Grajetzki, pp. 110-11
^ Kamrin, p. 1; 26.
^ Grajetzki, pp. 136-38; 160-61
^ a b Newberry, p. 52
^ Kamrin, p. 30
^ a b c Newberry, p. 53
^ An illustration of this by George Willoughby Fraser is available in Newberry's book.
^ Grajetzki, p. 132
^ Illustration from Newberry
^ Kathryn A. Bard, An Introduction To The Archaeology Of Ancient Egypt. Oxford, United Kingdom: Blackwell Ltd, 2008, p. 190
^ Kamrin, p. 105
^ Gay Robins, The Art Of Ancient Egypt. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1997, p. 102
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Khnumhotep II.
Wolfram Grajetzki, Court Officials of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom, London 2009.
Janice Kamrin, The Cosmos of Khnumhotep II at Beni Hasan. London, England: Kegan Paul International, 1999.
Percy Newberry, Beni Hasan. Part 1. London, England: Kegan Paul, Trench, Tubner & Co., Ltd., 1893. Available online
Lepsius, K. R. (1849). "Altes Reich. Dyn XII. Benihassan". Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien. Tafelwerke Band IV. Berlin: Nicolaische Buchhandlung. pp. 124−133.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Khnumhotep_II&oldid=932495145"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


One man pulled a gun and knife; one bit the other in the ear and head in the parking lot of the Gettysburg Walmart on March 24.
A fight about a shopping cart in the parking lot of the Gettysburg Walmart became physical, and two men were charged after one pulled a gun and a knife and one bit the other in the ear and head.
At about 3:30 p.m. March 24, Glenn Kessler, 56, of Fairfield, and Jake Douglass Bylsma, 34, of Idaho, got into a verbal altercation about the placement of a shopping cart, according to affidavits filed with District Judge Matthew Harvey.
The altercation became physical, Kessler got knocked to the ground, and Bylsma continued to punch Kessler in the head.
Kessler attempted to get into his vehicle, but Bylsma followed him and bit Kessler in the ear and head area, police said in the affidavit.
While Kessler was in his vehicle, he reached for his concealed carry handgun and attempted to pull it out, but Bylsma pulled it out of his hand.
Bylsma walked toward the front of Walmart with the gun and gave it to a bystander who asked him to hand it over, the affidavit states.
When Bylsma walked away from Kessler, Kessler began to follow him with two knives.
Bylsma then grabbed a cigarette holder and started to hit Kessler in the head. Kessler then stabbed Bylsma in the arm, police said in the affidavit.
Both Bylsma and Kessler were transported to a hospital for their injuries.
Bylsma was held at Adams County prison in lieu of $35,000 bail, which he posted through bond on March 25.
Kessler was held at Adams County prison in lieu of $10,000 bail, which he posted his 10 percent in cash on March 28.
Both were charged with disorderly conduct. Bylsma pleaded guilty and must pay a $773.75, and Kessler is awaiting a formal arraignment on May 21, according to online court documents.


Hearthlands is a real-time strategy game in which you take a role of a king in your own medieval/fantasy realm. You can not control your subjects directly. Instead you focus on city-building, resource management, diplomacy, heroes, magic and other things a typical king deals with on a daily basis. The world of the game, maps, characters and opponents are procedurally generated.
The game is very flexible: you can build up a powerful realm and rule the lands with an iron grip, or establish a humble fishermen's village. Or create a trading empire. Or found a small, bur well-defended outpost or raider's camp. Or become a host of a wizard's manor.
All characters, from a hauler to a hero, have their own minds and behavior patterns. Sometimes it is interesting just to watch people scurry about minding their own business.


My warm up is really key for Beethoven 4. All those low f's need some good attention before I sit down in rehearsal. I need to get my air in front of my tongue. It's too easy to have my tongue get in the way. It requires active and constant attention to keeping my air first and the tongue as just a highlight. When I am able to play the low f's short and repeated is when I am doing it correctly. The short ones are easiest to use too much tongue so when those feel correct everything feels correct.


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"Dinner conversation should not feel like a police interrogation under a harsh spotlight.


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