Fastlane 2016 Review

With a good number of the matches on the card, I headed into last Sunday's Fastlane PPV believing it could be the sleeper show of the year. Man was I wrong. I mean, this show had Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose going at it in a Triple Threat, AJ Styles going one on one with Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens defending his Intercontinental Championship against Dolph Ziggler, and the return of Edge and Christian to have a Cutting Edge Peep Show with The New Day. That card just screams "take my money and entertain me." So how did they mess up so hard? Simple, no surprises were to be had on this show. Odds are if you had a prediction for every match on the show, you'd walk away being correct on all but one. And the one you'd be wrong on is because nobody would bet on that match result happening because it would be one of the absolute stupidest booking decisions the WWE could ever do in the build towards WrestleMania 32. But I digress, sort of. Let's at least try to look at a number of the show's biggest pros, because there are a few good matches. But we'll also have to look at everything wrong that Fastlane did, and that's quite a bit unfortunately.


2 Out of 3 Falls for the United States Championship: Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio

This was a fantastic match! I can't believe they bumped this to the Kickoff show. This could have been a great way to open the PPV. You had great psychology for the falls and a lot less botches than their match at Royal Rumble. I'm really impressed at how much they are putting into Kalisto's stock. He's quickly becoming one of the most over superstars in the country and the WWE's best answer to being the next Rey Mysterio. I'm very intrigued to see what they'll do with him heading into WrestleMania.

Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch vs. Naomi and Tamina

Can anyone tell me the last time a Divas match opened a PPV? Ever?!?! Well, if they were going to have any two Divas open the show, it would be Becky and Sasha. The obvious story here was whether or not Sasha and Becky could be on the same page. The match itself is a fairly good opener, showcasing their talents heading into the obvious Triple Threat they'll be having with Charlotte at Mania. There's a few spots that are a little sloppy, but nothing too awful. I think a lot of that came from their opponents too. Naomi is one of the most underrated Divas on the roster, and she has some pretty good tag dynamics with Tamina. I wouldn't be surprised if they've been studying The Usos on tag team psychology.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler

This was a pretty solid Intercontinental Championship match. It's two of my modern favorites going at it, and they have pretty good chemistry together. I think the match really picks up at the end, with Dolph throwing everything he had into his moves, only to come up short. Owens retaining shouldn't come as a surprise, since this match was just thrown together the Monday before the PPV. Still, it's a fun match if you're a fan of either Owens or Ziggler.

The Wyatt Family vs. Kane, Ryback, and Big Show

What on Earth is WWE doing with The Wyatt Family? I wasn't expecting much from this match. How can you when one of the spryest guys in the match is Ryback? In all seriousness, this was an ok match for 6 big men. The MVP of the match was definitely Luke Harper, still proving to be the breakout performer in the entire Wyatt Family (you hear that Bray?!?!). But the most confusing moment of the night was having the Wyatt Family lose. Weren't they heading into a feud with Lesnar for Mania? It's obvious now that those plans have changed, but we were convinced since January that they'd be gearing up for a Bray vs. Brock match. What are they going to do now? Have one of them win the Andre the Giant Battle Royal? Talk about killing all momentum for a faction with such promise. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Divas Championship Match: Charlotte vs. Brie Bella

This match was a real mess. I wasn't expecting much, but I was at least expecting something better than this. I really hate that they decided to sideline Brie with a gimmick that is not only paying homage to her sister, but her recently retired husband as well. She just isn't feeling like her own character anymore, instead piggybacking off the success of the two closest to her. As for Charlotte, she did an awful job at selling whatever moves Brie was dishing out. Not to mention a ton of sloppy execution from both ladies' offense. This match was pitiful. Can we please just get to the Triple Threat at Mania now? Please?

AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho

I've seen a lot of people call this the Match of the Year so far. Guys, there's not much competition. And even so, this match was just alright. It's true that I've been a fan of AJ Styles since I became a fan of wrestling in 2007, and Chris Jericho is my number 2 favorite performer of all-time (right behind Shawn Michaels at number 1), so I should definitely be feeling some sort of magic with this match. I would have, if they hadn't already had 2 really good matches on RAW and SmackDown leading into this match. That made this match feel a little cheated when it came to the "dream match" scenario. Plus, there were a number of spots where I was fearing for AJ's safety. Yeah, a couple of sloppy botches here and there, but it doesn't take away from the match too much. It's still a very good match, but probably would've been more meaningful if it was the first time they wrestled each other.

The Cutting Edge Peep Show with The New Day

HOW ON EARTH DO YOU SCREW THIS UP!?!!? This is my favorite tag team today in the ring cutting promos with my favorite tag team for the Attitude Era. This isn't rocket science folks. Have them be hilarious and don't bring out the League of Nations. What this ultimately did was plug Edge and Christian's new show on the WWE Network and potentially get the wheels turning on the New Day's obvious face turn. But why the League of Nations? I kept hearing on the internet that Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy could debut during this segment. How great would that have been? I would've jumped off my couch had Enzo and Big Cass come out to interrupt the New Day. What a waste.

R-Truth vs. Curtis Axel

What was the point of this being right before the main event? I've actually been kind of partial to the skits involving R-Truth and Goldust, and I haven't been having that bad a time with the Social Outcasts, but this really could've been on the Kickoff show. Heck, this moment could've happened on an episode of RAW and SmackDown and I would've been fine. It kills about 6 minutes between the last segment and the main event, but it's not worth any time whatsoever. Moments and matches like this during the PPVs really don't make the $9.99 worth it.

Match to Determine #1 Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose

Maybe it's just me, but the booking heading into this match straight up bothered me. The whole "brother vs. brother" thing between Ambrose and Reigns just feels really forced. I mean, REALLY forced. Plus, they just throw Lesnar in there, feeling like an afterthought. Anyways, heading into the match, there were some pretty good booking decisions in the match. I like that Ambrose and Reigns teamed up to try and take down Lesnar, taking 2 announcer's tables out in the process. I liked how Ambrose took it to Lesnar physically, setting up their WrestleMania encounter. And of course, I loved when Lesnar got to dominate the other two in the ring. But my biggest problem was that the ending felt abrupt. I didn't mind that Roman Reigns won. We all knew that was going to happen, but it just kinda happened. There was no big payoff for the ending, it was just like they were saying "what did you think was going to happen?" Roman Reigns is going to WrestleMania again. Where I'm sure the fans will boo him...again. Will the WWE finally learn that this Roman Reigns babyface experiment just isn't going to work? I really doubt it.


Final Thoughts: With the exception of a few good matches, this is a completely predictable PPV from beginning to end. At the end of it all, I don't think I experienced anything new on the Road to WrestleMania. I'm going to go ahead and give this one a Skip It. Trust me, you won't be missing anything you didn't already know.


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Top 8 Favorite Daniel Bryan PPV Matches

I actually struggled pretty hard to find a Top 8 list to prepare for this week, and then I watched last Monday's RAW. If you're a wrestling fan, you know, like the rest of the world does, that Daniel Bryan has chosen to retire from professional wrestling. So, there's no better countdown this week than a celebration of his best PPV matches. Now, because someone is bound to bring it up, I'm going to address why there are no ROH matches on this list. I don't have easy access to all the Bryan Danielson matches in the world, so I don't want to be given the trouble of having to search through the archives and am solely sticking with the PPV matches he had under the ring name Daniel Bryan. Hence, this is a WWE only kind of list. With that out of the way, let's get to the countdown. These are my Top 8 favorite PPV matches in the career of Daniel Bryan.


Number 8: Team Hell No vs. Team Rhodes Scholars (Royal Rumble 2013)

I really wanted to include at least 1 match featuring Team Hell No, even if they aren't as technically sound as the other matches on this countdown. But it is such a focal point of his career and main event push that I felt inclined to place my favorite match of theirs at the Number 8 spot. The best feud they had was with Team Rhodes Scholars, the underrated pairing of Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes, and the match they had at the 2013 Royal Rumble is a true gem. The chemistry between the two teams was there, Daniel Bryan and Kane were very much in tune with each other during the match. But of course, they had their usual antics later on during the Royal Rumble match. So it's nice to see that a team like that could have their cake and eat it too. Put on a great tag team match where they can be on the same page, while also having some great comedic moments sprinkled throughout. Definitely up there with The Rock n Sock Connection and Booker T and Goldust as one of my favorite odd pairings.

Number 7: Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan (Extreme Rules 2012)

This 2 Out of 3 Falls match shows the fans what type of match these two could have had at WrestleMania XXVIII. We all know about their 18 second encounter, and you either love it or you hate it. I love that it led to the Yes Movement, but that doesn't mean I wasn't disappointed with a World Heavyweight Championship match that lasted 18 seconds at WrestleMania. This match really helps redeem that, showing off Bryan's in-ring psychology and a much more aggressive style that we weren't used to seeing yet. It also did favors for Sheamus, giving him a "never say die" attitude, as Bryan really wore him out by the time we got to the third fall. Add a rowdy Chicago crowd and you have a match that really showed the many layers Daniel Bryan had in the ring. It was a match that proved he could hang in the main event with some of the top players in WWE.

Number 6: Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt (Royal Rumble 2014)

This match opened the 2014 Royal Rumble and completely stole the show. This was a very heated feud at the time we got to this match, so fans were really hoping these two would deliver. But we never figured they would have delivered THIS much. The tone was set for the rest of the night and the other matches couldn't measure up to the standard they set. I especially enjoy how the last 10 minutes really kick the match into a higher gear. I've never been the biggest fan of the Wyatt Family in terms of the matches they put on, but this is most certainly Bray's best match to date and I think a lot of that can be credited to Bryan being the opponent. The fire was lit under both men to show why they're the future of the company, and they went out there and had a great match that helped get both men over.

Number 5: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan (Money in the Bank 2012)

Heading into this list, I felt I was going to have a tough time picking between their Over the Limit match and their Money in the Bank match. I knew one was going to be on here, but they are both very different in styles. Over the Limit had more of a straight wrestling feel, playing on the strengths of both men being Indy darlings who never thought they would get to perform at this level in WWE. The Money in the Bank match is superior because of the Over the Limit match. They know what they can do heading into this match, so they have to top themselves. They have to be more aggressive, have a quicker pacing, utilize a No Disqualification stipulation to up the stakes, and play to an actual storyline by including the love triangle with AJ Lee and having her be the special guest referee. The storyline is really what helps the match because it's showcasing a reason behind all the physicality and anarchy.

Number 4: Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler (Bragging Rights 2010)

I was in a tough spot choosing which of Daniel's early matches I was going to put on the list. On the one hand, winning the United States Championship from The Miz at Night of Champions is a good moment. But on the other hand, this match gave me goosebumps. The sequences in this match were sheer perfection. These two young guns really went out there and owned the show. I remember being in awe when this first aired, seeing that these were two of my favorite athletes to watch at the time. And to think, this was a match that opened the show featuring the two midcard champions. And they just went out there and said "Follow that!" And I believe it was the runner up for Match of the Year against Undertaker and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXVI. I think that speaks for itself.

Number 3: Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania XXX)

I didn't want to play a cop out and combine his two Mania XXX matches into one spot, so I had to measure the two matches individually. One match is better for the moment in Daniel Bryan's career, while the other is the better worked match, so it's a bit of a Sophie's choice which one outweighs the other. For me, Daniel Bryan winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is great, but the match with Triple H is just a tad better. This match has a lot of great moments and spots that build off of what the Triple H match established earlier in the night. It's obvious that this match owes a lot to the Triple Threat main event of Mania XX, but if you're going to emulate a WrestleMania match, choosing my favorite isn't a bad direction to go. The fans really helped make this a reality, since no one wanted to see a main event with just Orton and Batista going at it, so it's great to see and hear the fans stand behind Bryan for this moment in his career. Seeing him overcome the odds and become the "Miracle on Bourbon Street" is the perfect way to close the night and is easily his biggest career defining moment, but he also has a few matches that are better.

Number 2: Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H (WrestleMania XXX)

Like this match. This match felt like the culmination of Bryan's feud with the Authority, with an excellent video package to accompany the big fight feel. These two opened WrestleMania and put on the best match of the night. You've probably noticed that Bryan has done that a LOT in this countdown. Adding the stipulation that the winner would go to the main event WWE World Heavyweight Championship match really added an extra layer to it all. Daniel Bryan having to fight to even get to this match, heading in with a bandaged shoulder, and having to survive this instant classic with Triple H AND a WWE World Heavyweight Championship later that night, it all combines for an amazing night in the career of Daniel Bryan. While the payoff is sweet, I think the chase is a little more enjoyable, hence why I prefer him having to fight in this match in order to get to the main event.

Number 1: John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan (SummerSlam 2013)

But there's one match that's better. One that has the sweet payoff and the chase for the title all in one night, in the proper order, and did wonders for Bryan's career than any other match in my opinion. And surprisingly to most of the internet fans, it was against John Cena. These two put on an absolute classic at SummerSlam, with Cena having an injured elbow, Bryan being considered a serious underdog, and Triple H serving as guest referee. The result was one of the best main events I have ever watched. The fans were behind Bryan, but gave Cena enough credit for hanging with him for a wrestling match. The finish brought fans to their feet, cheering for Bryan in victory. Cena and Bryan have their nice little show of sportsmanship. Bryan has the chance to celebrate, and then Randy Orton comes out with the Money in the Bank briefcase. Triple H turns heel, Pedigrees Bryan and Orton cashes in and becomes your new WWE Champion. Talk about a perfect match and moment to end a PPV. You have a new main eventer established by beating John Cena, then you rip that title from him by the newly founded Authority. The result is you have given the Bryan and the fans a brief moment of validation, but also can have him be the superstar fans rally behind to chase after the title. Fantastic moment in wrestling history, and, in my opinion, the moment that Daniel Bryan truly arrived.

Are there any that I'm forgetting? Is there one on this list that you think isn't deserving of a top spot? Well, let me know in the comments and also suggest what type of wrestling countdown you'd like to see me do next.


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Top 8 No Way Out Matches

Since I'm pretty much caught up on all WWE PPVs, I need something else to do with my time. I've never really tackled a Top 10 kind of list before, so I thought I'd give it a try. Instead of 10, however, I wanted to go for 8. A lot of people go for 10, but 8 just seems right to me. It can be in a list of the greatest things or the most hated things. It just fits. With that in mind, here's my first Top 8 list.

We're not too far away from Fastlane, WWE's penultimate PPV event before WrestleMania. Before Fastlane, the classic February PPV was No Way Out. Starting in 1998, and continuing to be a yearly tradition after 2000, No Way Out has put on many classic wrestling encounters. The goal for this list was to look at my favorite 8 matches to watch in the No Way Out catalog. The only stipulation I have for PPV lists like this is to have one entry per PPV, just to add some variety. On with the list...


Number 8: Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho (No Way Out 2003)

I'll get things started with a simple opener. Jeff Hardy was on his way out from the company for the first time early in 2003, so I like that this was his PPV swan song against an opponent like Jericho. In Montreal, a place where Jericho can actually get some cheers while being a complete tool, this match served as a hot way to get the crowd going, as their back and forth action had the audience cheering for both sides. It kind of reminded me of a WCW Cruiserweight match, so it played to Jericho's roots in wrestling, while also utilizing Hardy's high-flying move set. There's nothing overly complex with this match. It's just a fun opener where their chemistry works really well.

Number 7: John Cena vs. Kurt Angle (No Way Out 2005)

I'll go on record to call this the gem of No Way Out. Like it or not, this match was probably the beginning of Super Cena. They did a good job of calling this a miss match situation. Everyone was building up Cena as an underdog, thinking he had no shot at beating Kurt Angle and going on to Mania. The match is a pretty good way to get Cena over as a credible Mania main eventer. Showcase Angle's wrestling abilities and give Cena the comeback victory. Cena really kicks it into a higher gear, pretty much Hulking up towards the end. By the end of the match, there were probably a lot of fans that said "if Cena can beat Kurt Angle, then he probably could take the WWE Championship from JBL at WrestleMania." Whether you like the formula or not, this is one of the first executions of that formula and not a bad way to introduce it.

Number 6: Batista and Undertaker vs. John Cena and Shawn Michaels (No Way Out 2007)

You don't get much more star studded for a tag team match. This match pitted the two WrestleMania 23 main events against each other, and for a PPV main event that was made 2 weeks before the show, this worked REALLY well. Every match in the ring was a dream match. Cena vs. Undertaker, Batista vs. Cena, Michaels vs. Batista, and Undertaker vs. Michaels. Add the psychology of whether they can trust their partners, the fact that neither team has an advantage, the momentum is always switching, and the ending adds a huge level of depth to one of the Mania main events. It's a great way to end a show on a note of uncertainty. You want to see the shows heading into Mania to see how the storyline progresses. You want to see how bitter and personal it can get. Because by the time you get to WrestleMania, tension and anticipation needs to be at an all-time high. This match got the build to Mania 23 on the right path.

Number 5: Edge vs. Vladimir Kozlov vs. Triple H vs. Big Show vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Undertaker (No Way Out 2009)

I really wanted to include only one Elimination Chamber match on the list, and this one is the best entry. Looking at that list alone, 5 of the greatest modern era performers are featured in this match. And at the time, these were the 6 most over and developed talents in the main event scene. It only made sense to include them in a match for the WWE Championship. This match really boils down to a lively Seattle crowd, the shock of the first elimination, and the final two men fighting for the opportunity to walk into The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania holding the richest prize in the industry. It's a Chamber match that keeps me entertained every time I watch it, and definitely the most star studded opening match in No Way Out history.

Number 4: Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (No Way Out 2000)

The story told in this match picks up from an amazing Street Fight between the two at the Royal Rumble, and adds a bigger stipulation. The Game put his belt on the line against Cactus Jack's career. From there, it's a great Hell in a Cell match that played to the strengths of the both competitors and the gimmick of the match itself. From the door being locked to prevent Cactus from escaping and jumping from the cell, to the flaming barbed wire 2 x 4, to Cactus falling through the cell and breaking through the ring, this match showed just how much Triple H wanted to keep his title and retire Cactus Jack, while also showing what Jack was willing to do to keep his career and headline WrestleMania as WWE Champion. Something had to give. That's quality storytelling, and if it wasn't for the obvious fact that Mick Foley went on to have a few more matches after this "retirement" match, this match would be higher ranked.

Number 3: Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker (No Way Out 2006)

This is one of the best main event matches I have ever seen on a PPV that had little to no actual build for it. There was no intense, bitter hatred for the other. There was no major stipulation added like a Hell in a Cell or a Street Fight, nothing like that. It was just two guys fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship. Kurt Angle wanted to keep his title, and Undertaker wanted to take it. Simple story, but the result is an epic match that could have main evented WrestleMania. There's near falls, multiple finishers, in-ring and out of ring psychology, and your standard crash through the Spanish Announce Table. The controversial ending also didn't conclusively settle things. It left the door wide open for a match down the road. True, that match didn't happen, but you could tell that there was a thought of "he won by the skin of his teeth" among the audience, the commentators, and the two competitors.

Number 2: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Triple H (No Way Out 2001)

This might be the match most people were expecting to be the number one choice, since it usually is on most lists. But this is my list and my opinions. The three matches work, the rivalry was insanely personal, and it features two of the all-time greats. I'm not questioning that. But where the match JUST falls short of being the top spot is in the actual moment. This match should bring full closure to the feud and it doesn't. They're fighting in a regular match, a Street Fight, and a Steel Cage match, and it's another match that has a "winning by the skin of your teeth" ending. The moment is there for an epic conclusion, but that doesn't come. Immediately after the match, the loser beats up the winner. So, in my opinion, nothing was really solved in this moment. The video package helped sell me on the conclusion more than the match did. It's still a great match with obvious chemistry from Stone Cold and Triple H, but wrestling is also about creating a moment and this is just a great match, not a great moment with the proper payoff.

Number 1: Brock Lesnar vs. Eddie Guerrero (No Way Out 2004)

THIS is a great mach with the great moment and the proper payoff. Despite the Goldberg interference, this is still an amazing underdog story of a former addict fighting for the greatest prize in wrestling history and winning it. Kudos to both Eddie Guerrero and Brock Lesnar for selling this match so well. There's chain wrestling, power moves, submissions, in-ring psychology, and insightful commentary. This match is just pouring with emotion and storytelling and is one of my favorites to watch. It's a match I will openly admit to shedding a tear for each time I watch it because you can just feel that raw, emotional moment of Eddie Guerrero getting handed the torch and rewarded for all of his hard work over the years. And that is why this is the definitive No Way Out match, in my opinion.

Are there any that I'm forgetting? Is there one on this list that you think isn't deserving of a top spot? Well, let me know in the comments and also suggest what type of wrestling countdown you'd like to see me do next.


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Royal Rumble 2016 Review

Trying something new here by reviewing the PPVs of the year while the year is still happening. I usually will wait til the year is over and do a retrospective review, but I'm going to see how reviewing them as they're happening goes and doing my Year in Review for 2016 with the mindset that a year has passed.

With that in mind, let's look at this year's Royal Rumble. The Rumble is my second favorite night of the year as a wrestling fan, next to WrestleMania of course. But the last couple of years have been utterly disastrous for the Rumble PPV. The WWE has not been giving the fans what they want, have pretty much gone the other way to keep the people we've wanted to win the Rumble down and have created hour-long snooze fests. So heading into this year's show, I was fairly impressed that there were a ton of matches I was looking forward to on the show. Add to the fact that for the first time since 1992, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was on the line in the Royal Rumble match. That to me signified that this was going to be a show to remember. And I'm thankful to say that I was not disappointed with the results.


Winners Qualify for the Royal Rumble Match: The Dudley Boyz vs. The Ascension vs. Jack Swagger and Mark Henry vs. Darren Young and Damien Sandow

An interesting idea for the Kickoff Show, the winning team would both advance to the Royal Rumble match. I think the heightened stakes of the Rumble match being for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship helped make this match feel more important. Although, I'm not so sure about the teams we had. The Ascension have been a joke for a while now, and I had no idea that Jack Swagger and Mark Henry or Darren Young and Damien Sandow were teaming. It seemed pretty obvious, on those accounts, that The Dudley Boyz should win. Yet, they didn't. Swagger and Henry won in a somewhat botched ending. If I'm going off booking logistics, it SHOULD have been The Dudley Boyz. Heck, based on work rate in the match, the argument could have also been made for Sandow and Young (who should definitely go with the "millions of scholars" gimmick). Oh well, Swagger and Henry were probably the bigger names to add due to some established main event credibility.

Last Man Standing Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens

Heading into the PPV, THIS was the match I was looking forward to the most. By the time we had got to the match, you could see how much Owens and Ambrose hated each other. This rivalry felt bitter and personal. They've put each other through announcer's table, beaten each other senselessly, and attempted to drive the other crazy. And that was all before the Last Man Standing match. This match felt like watching art unfold. They used steel chairs, kendo sticks, and tables (lots and lots of tables).

This match did wonders for both competitors and the Intercontinental Championship. I actually think this is one of the best IC title matches that we've had in years, possibly in over a decade. Ambrose and Owens are two of my favorite singles competitors in the WWE, and they simply brought it. They opened the show, but they darn near stole it.

WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. The Usos

With how much these two have been feuding over the past number of months, it was a no brainer that this match would deliver. However, I was also sure that the match wouldn't be able to convince me that The Usos actually stood a chance of winning. The New Day is the biggest thing in the WWE right now, there's no way they're dropping the belts before WrestleMania. But then they started wrestling and the teamwork and chemistry exhibited was off the charts. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. These are four of the best athletes the WWE has to offer and the two teams that are keeping the tag team division popular. Plus, it's pretty hard for The New Day to not keep me entertained at this point.

United States Championship Match: Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto

It's something to say that the weakest match on the show is still fun to watch. These two have had quite the little rivalry over the last couple of weeks, and this match was another entertaining chapter in their feud. A couple of noticeable botches here and there, this match still did wonders for Kalisto's single run. I gotta be honest, I didn't think he would be walking away with his second United State's Championship win. The company is seeing a lot of value in Kalisto as a single competitor and are pushing him through the stratosphere. But what will this mean when Sin Cara returns? What will they have him do next with the United States Championship when his feud with Del Rio is over? I don't know, but I'm excited to check it out now that we have a new midcard star on the rise.

Divas Championship Match: Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch

Now this is the right direction the Divas Revolution should be going in. I've not been a fan of shoehorning Ric Flair into his daughter's gimmick and I probably never will, but her feud with Becky Lynch has been enjoyable as sort of a slow burn building toward the match. In my opinion, they probably could've squeezed another month into it and have their payoff match at Fastlane, maybe even WrestleMania. But this match worked really well. I'm not too keen on Flair kissing a woman young enough to be his granddaughter, but that's the one minor gripe with the match. Probably the best main roster Divas match we've seen on a PPV in quite some time. And the post-match moment with Sasha Banks returning and attacking both Becky and Charlotte was pure magic. The crowd popped so loud for her, you'd think she'd won the title. It painted her as a great anti-hero character for the divas division, and I'm hoping a triple threat at WrestleMania is in the cards for these ladies. Only then, would this messy, convoluted, and underwhelming Divas Revolution be worth it.

Royal Rumble Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

For the first time in a while, the Royal Rumble match felt like it was booked to help a majority of the main roster. It's been easy in recent years to fill about 5 spots with legends returning for one night only. That works, somewhat, when you're planning for the winner to challenge the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania. But this match was different, because the winner would walk into WrestleMania as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. All but 3 spots in the match were for active roster competitors. There were barely any surprise entrants. But of course, the first person we should talk about in the Rumble match was the debut of AJ Styles. When I first became a fan of wrestling in 2007, I watched both WWE and TNA. In TNA, AJ Styles was like the Shawn Michaels of that company. He went out every night and gave it his all to deliver the best match possible. I never thought I would see him in WWE and when he showed up, I marked out harder than I have in a very long time. He lasted about 28 minutes, a strong debut, but I knew he wasn't going to win it. But I am interested to see how they book him. Will they build him up? Or will they regulate him to a midcarder lost in the shuffle? Time will tell, but I'm hoping we see some kind of gold around AJ's waist by the end of 2016.

Some other good stuff in the match included the booking of Kevin Owens. The man was able to continue his feud with Dean Ambrose, received immense heat for eliminating AJ Styles, and got a surprise of his own when Sami Zayn entered the Rumble match and eliminated Owens. This was all in the span of about 4 1/2 minutes but it told all that you needed to know about Owens. The booking of Brock Lesnar and the Wyatt Family was also great. They dominated everything in their path and really set the stage for a Lesnar/Wyatt match at Mania. I wasn't really feeling that confrontation at first. But with how they handled themselves in the Rumble match, I was able to get more on board with it. There were also some stand out moments for the returning Chris Jericho and Dean Ambrose, who both held their own for a lengthy amount of time in the match.

But the end of the match boiled down to what we all knew was going to happen. Entering at number 1, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns really had his back against the wall. Essentially having to tackle 29 opponents gunning after his title, I knew he would make it close to the end, but there had to be something that was going to screw him out of the belt only for him to win it back at WrestleMania. That's how it works, right? At entrant number 30, Triple H made his return and got his revenge on Reigns by eliminating him, promising a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Here's where things got interesting, the Orlando crowd booed Roman Reigns throughout the match. Normally, that's not surprising given last year's Rumble, but he had actually started to get some traction as the main event babyface if you've been watching RAW since TLC. Triple H is supposed to be the heel, but he's being cheered for eliminating Roman Reigns. His motivation is simple: Reigns attacked Triple H and his family, the McMahons. It's obvious that he should want revenge, but should WE want him to get his revenge? The booking staff might need to do some cleanup heading into this obvious WrestleMania main event being set up. It was pretty interesting though to see that Reigns was the second to last person eliminated in the match. The end came down to Triple H and Dean Ambrose. I was honestly surprised that they had faith in Ambrose to get the fans on board with the possibility of him winning the Rumble and beating Triple H. Still, I popped like everyone else did when Triple H did, I popped when Reigns was eliminated, and I popped seeing The Game wearing gold again. Congratulations to the Authority, you won me over again. Maybe you do know what you're doing.


Final Thoughts: An amazing opening match, a stellar midcard, and one of the best Royal Rumble matches I've seen in many years. Finally, the Rumble feels prestigious once again. This is a very easy event to give a Highly Recommended to. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.


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