Can the cruiserweight classic change wrestling or wwe is catching on

 Braun strowman is a mountain of a man. To look at him is to see a physical specimen unlike most men. The big show is a spectacle to be seen. He could be picked out of any crowd solely based on his mass. Wwe has built its legacy mostly on the broad shoulders of larger than life size and strength of superheroes and monsters. There will always be a place for body wrestlers and big guys in mainstream pro wrestling but on the wwe network a different style is being showcased and receiving rave reviews from its fan base.
The cruiserweight classic exclusively on the wwe network is creating a shift on how wwe fans look at sports entertainment.  A 32 man international tournament is showcasing speed, technique, high risk and most importantly the character of sub 205 pound wrestlers who are performing high quality and psychological matches where each is better than the last. The strong style of japan, Mexican lucha, European catch are being melded into a wwe style of action and production could change the landscape of raw on Mondays and smackdown on Tuesdays. 
On Monday nitro WCW featured faceless luchadors doing a lot of random moves while the announcers talked about everything but the match in the ring. The cruiserweight division in WCW was clearly just a time filler and was rendered useless. The mismanagement of the smaller guys caused the leaving of future stars like eddy guerrero, Chris benoit, Dean malenko and Chris Jericho while WCW imploded from the inside out.
The cruiserweight classic has opened the door for the return of a cruiserweight division on raw. What is the major differences between wwe beginning this division and how WCW squandered it almost 20 years ago? First, triple h believes in this batch of lightweights; which is probably most important and secondly,  these cruiserweights are a far cry from faceless. These cruiserweights are having their stories told, backgrounds given and being allowed to showcase not only what they can do in the ring but also their distinct personalities. The crowds will know who they are be allowed to get behind individuals and have a vested interest in the talent squaring off in the ring. The tournament features wrestlers like Kota ibushi an incredible bona-fide star from Japan who has competed in ddt, Noah and new japan pro wrestling; zack sabre Jr a brilliant mat technician with a master level for reversals and grappling who has competed in Noah, wxw, new japan and pro wrestling guerrilla. Gran metalik with his superb lucha Libre style of high flying expressed in cmll in Mexico as well as TJ Perkins who may be best know as suicide and manik in tna wrestling was really not given the freedom to showcase all of his ability. Perkins has an indy style that blends all styles and does so with an American arrogance that keeps the crowd on the edge of their seats. Of the 32 combatants at least 25 of them are high level wrestling studs who utilize all the advantages of being under 205 pounds but demand the attention of any top heavyweight while entertaining any pro wrestling audience.
If wwe uses this cruiserweight opportunity to its fullest not only will raw have quality matches to fill part of a 3 hour raw but will also be able to easily create a fresh wrestling scene on its flagship show that could potentially build an audience. Wwe is being given a gift on a silver platter with multiple finely tuned veteran performers with unique talents and personalities and a ready made division that is made to keep fans on their feet and interested. Gone should be the dead skits that lull the live and tv audience to sleep or shaking their heads and arrived will be a fun energetic shot of adrenaline during a tough to fill three hours of sports entertainment.
Please, please, please wwe allow the new cruiserweight division to be what it should be: high quality in ring action that will blow the audience away, edge of your seat back and forth near falls that will have the fans ooohhhing and awwwing and it will be so fun to watch. Take advantage of this opportunity and make wrestling fun for the entire audience the way it should be. The pendulum is swinging in the wwe with champions like aj styles and Kevin owens.  I believe wwe should continue the changing of the guard while still focusing on the heavyweights but allow the cruiserweights to push wwe in its new direction where sports entertainment is more about character driven high quality in ring wrestling that fans can attach themselves too; but that is just this marks remarks.
That is just this marks remarks and if you like what I have to say or you would like to tell me what you think please subscribe to this blog, like the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/amarkremarks and follow on twitter @amarkremarks thank you very much and please keep supporting.

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Summerslam preview or what should happen at Summerslam

The wwe is offering us Summerslam next weekend and the card is stacked!  It is expected to be four plus hours of pro wrestling and the matches top to bottom range from should be excellent to at least good.  Summerslam also offers the rare occasion to really elevate some big names into top guy territory with correct booking.  This eleven match card has the potential to really help the wwe landscape and the outcomes necessary to do so seem very possible.
Brock Lesnar vs Randy Orton 15 years in the making:

This is the second 15 years in the making match this year (styles v cena) but wwe is really hyping this up to be an event.  Brock Lesnar should win to stay strong for a more important opponent (see samoa joe) but Randy Orton has to give the perception in this match like he could beat the beast.  I think this match should see your typical lesnar destruction early and have orton be resilient.  Keep fighting and fighting and fighting while lesnar keeps dominating and dominating and dominating.  Everyone loves a hero that never gives up, Orton should build momentum and set Lesnar up for the punt; which would almost certainly put down the conqueror, only to have lesnar catch him with a F5 outta no where for the win.  The announcers must do a terrific job of reminding the audience that Brock Lesnar won but Orton was closer than anyone to beating the beast.  It keeps lesnar strong by winning and destroying Randy but also makes Orton look strong by standing up to Brock and holding his own.  This match should be a win for both men if done right and the announcers tell the right story.
Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor to determine the first WWE Universal champion:

Seth Rollins is the man.  He is great. Probably pound for pound the best wrestler wwe has (or styles or nakamura or... well you get it).  But, as per Raw, tonight will be the debut of Finn Balor's demon king.  He will be dawning his body paint, awesome entrance and his killer instinct.  This means that Finn Balor has to win.  Finn Balor should win.  I think wwe should have saved the debut of "the demon king" for the pay per view but the match will far overshadow the mistakes this build has made. Two guys will become superstars but this is wwe's chance to really create a new top guy in balor and him reigning triumphant will be a great stamp on the "new era" of Monday night raw.
Dean ambrose vs Dolph ziggler for the world heavyweight championship:

Dean ambrose as a champion has made hay as world champion on smackdown live. He has become legitimate and should be seen as a real top guy. Dolph ziggler has been given a second chance of his wrestling career. He went from mid card enhancement to number one contender and I believe people bought into it. I do not see ziggler winning but I see these two guys putting on a very great match. I foresee ziggler putting it all on the line and maybe losing by something that wasn't his fault pushing him to turn heel and becoming a Shawn Michaels type heel that will probably lead to a big time face turn at some point. This match has to be excellent because if Dolph isn't excellent then this storyline doesn't work. Ziggler has the most at stake for this show and I hope he succeeds but if he is just good I think he will fall back to the mid cards.

Sasha banks vs Charlotte for the women's title:
These two ladies put on an excellent television match on raw a few weeks ago. They have excellent chemistry and there was a high level of emotion during that match. I am not sure that they will be able to top their TV match but I am hoping they can at least match it with a different dynamic being that Sasha is the champion. I hope they can have Sasha win while Charlotte stays strong because these two women are the top of the line of that division. If Charlotte wins it opens the door for bayley to debut but Sasha banks is due a long title run so I believe it is her time to retain.
John cena vs aj styles:

John cena doesn't have bad matches on big shows. Summerslam is a really big show. Aj styles is the best wrestler in wwe (maybe the world). This match is going to be incredible. The crowd will be so hot for it, the story is going to be excellent and the in ring will be top notch. The most exciting part of the match is that aj styles will win. John cena is the face that's runs the place who claims the future goes through him; at summerslam he is facing the right guy to beat him. What cena represents as the flag bearer of the company who is ready to pass the torch is finally, after all the attempts and fails (some unreasonable, see bray wyatt) will face the guy who deserves to beat John cena. Aj styles will be crowned the top heel at summerslam when he beats John cena clean in the middle of the ring. Styles should have a break out calendar year starting with summerslam where he will be the top guy on smackdown and it's champion. All of this starts by beating John cena and the crowd will go wild. Oddly enough this will probably also mark the turning point where the fans stop hating John cena for no reason and respect him for what he means to pro wrestling. By him losing to styles the wwe universe will finally praise him for "doing the right thing" even though he has been a positive staple of wwe for years.

Summerslam is a stacked show with very high expectations to be a tremendous show. There should be a lot of positives that come out of this show creating a lot of momentum for wwe moving forward. The only negative of the show is bray wyatt is not featured on the show at all and I really believe the time is now to push him through the roof but I will be happy if wwe does what is needed and summerslam weekend ends with superstars made, elevated and motivated to propel wwe into the new era.

That is just this marks remarks and if you like what I have to say or you would like to tell me what you think please subscribe to this blog, like the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/amarkremarks and follow on twitter @amarkremarks thank you very much and please keep supporting.

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Ambrose becomes legitimate or good guys on smackdown?

Dean ambrose cut a promo on smackdown to start the show that cemented him as a legitimate leader of the the smackdown roster. Ambrose had a cadence to his promo and a control over the crowd that resembled that of a prime dusty rhodes. I'm not saying that ambrose is on the level of Rhodes but that he cut a big time promo on Dolph ziggler that both elevated the champion and helped set the tone for an important smackdown main event at summerslam. Ambrose built himself up as fighter who constantly look adversity in the face and ran through every road block. He mentioned how ziggler was a complainer and used the crutch of people holding him down while ambrose never made excuses always pushing forward fighting to get to the top. Ambrose made himself feel like a true champion and a deserving top star, even it is on the "b show". I was very leary of ambrose being the face of the brand being that John cena will start slowly stepping back. However, Dean ambrose on the second smackdown of the new era made himself a legitimate top star based on the way he carried himself and conveyed an aura over the crowd. 
 

Dolph ziggler was ran down by ambrose as the guy who makes excuses, gets held down, doesn't focus on winning, only tries to pander to fans and steal the show. Ziggler tried to compare himself to ambrose with little success and was thwarted at every turn by the current champion. Ziggler talked about no one believing him and proving people wrong. The problem with this exchange is that ambrose was right about everything he said, all of his points about ziggler were right on the money and Dolph has really been set up for a few years as a second rate contender. Ziggler has been used to elevate guys and has lost quite a few (a lot) matches on television. So becoming a number one contender on smackdown is out of left field and doesn't seem that he should win the title. Therefore, based on the promos and Dolph saying everyone is against him ziggler should turn heel after he loses to ambrose at summerslam. Ziggler is a better "bad guy" than "good guy", it is a more natural fit for his attitude appearance. Dolph can be a chicken shit heel with no problem, he can take the heel bumps with no problem, and should be able to be disliked with no problem. During his career he has found more success as a cocky villain then being the sympathetic hero. His style will also be helped by working as a heel because it will force him to slow down, do less moves and sell.  Changing sides could potentially resurrect his career from being just another mid card guy to being a top tier rogue.
But, if ziggler turns (which is the better option) who is left on the good guy side of smackdown? Holy smokes will that roster be thin on hero's especially if cena becomes less of the focus. You'll have dean ambrose, who is a top guy, and then... Apollo crews? Smackdown does have randy Orton who is coming back hot but he is wrestling brock lesnar at summerslam and the odds of him looking strong at the end of that match are slim. So the top faces on smackdown will be ambrose, cena (becoming part time), Orton and crews? Those house shows will be something. The villain side would become aj styles, bray wyatt, ziggler, miz, and corbin. Aj styles may be the best wrestler in the wwe and bray wyatt could still be a very special type of villain but smackdown shaking up the sides really showcases how the brand split and draft did smackdown no favors to not be the best show. 

Smackdown needs more bodies, quality fan favorites that the wwe universe can get behind. The only guy in nxt that could walk in and be a top hero, immediately,  in shinsuke nakamura. Like, right now. He has charisma to spare, he is an international superstar and a great in ring performer. He is learning English very well and has that swagger in the squared circle that transcends language. Plus, he is fresh to the brand. Every feud he would have on smackdown would be new, unique and refreshing to the wwe audience. Nakamura could be and should be the savior of the brand because he solves a lot of current problems with depth, to many die hard he is a huge name and his styles lends itself to gaining popularity quickly.
If not nakamura to smackdown  (which I don't see in the immediate future) wwe will have to rely on bringing back older stars that are already established. Rumors are always circulating about Kurt angle and bill goldberg which would be a band-aid on the problem but does not benefit the brand long term. Now, if they use the older "legends" as a feature act while they build middle guys to become stars then that is a different story but history shows that doesn't happen  consistently. Smackdown is a work in progress. Hopefully they recognize the issues of top tier talent,  especially on the face side, and remedy the problem. The shows so far have been pretty good but if they want two "a shows" they need to start building likeable stars to become top baby faces otherwise a lot of these shows will revolve around the same stuff week in and week out and really expose a weak roster. I don't have an issue with Apollo crews or even zack Ryder being considered relevant faces but wwe will have to build them to that point. Nakamura is the key, in my opinion, but success will happen over time; which could prove to be smackdown live's toughest opponent. 

That is just this marks remarks and if you like what I have to say or you would like to tell me what you think please subscribe to this blog, like the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/amarkremarks and follow on twitter @amarkremarks thank you very much and please keep supporting.

A New Era of WWE or How Wrestling Could Change

The WWE's brand split and roster drafts had come and gone, most people accepted it with little fanfare and focused on how the draft had been done before.  It flopped then and it will flop again they said.  Too many titles they said.  Not enough stars they said.  But, something crazy happened on the way to Monday Night Raw this week.  I was in attendance at the show with my best friend and his 13 year old daughter.  She, so politely, asked me what had been going on because she was more caught up with Total Diva's then the recent episodes of Raw and Smackdown.  As I looked her in the eyes I told her a lie, I told her that this will be different then previous weeks because they separated shows and now there is a Raw roster and a Smackdown roster.  I explained what a great time it was to get back into focusing on the shows because it will be all new.  I didn't believe it would be all new, I kind of expected the same Raw formula from every other week just with less guys.  But, something crazy happened on Raw this week...

 Raw was live from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the show delivered.  Big time!  WWE used this brand split as a reset point and in one night laid out major plans for the future of the brand, created a new superstar and solidified a division ready to break out.  It was as impactful a Raw as I can remember in a long time.  Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon and GM Mick Foley announcing that two fatal four way matches would take place to determine the number one contender to the number one contender Seth Rollins to crown the first ever WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion at Summerslam.  The contestants were announced as Jericho, Cesaro, Rusev, Owens, Zayn, Sheamus, Roman Reigns and then Finn Balor and as he was announced he slid his way from the back of the crowd into the forefront of the stage and there was an eruption in the crowd.  A sensation went over the live crowd as if something special was about to take place.  Finn Balor!?! All of a sudden Raw had a feel like something new was happening.  Now Raw was going to be highlighted by Kevin Owens, Sammy Zayn, and Cesaro combined with the seasoning of Chris Jericho (who has never been better), Rusev and Sheamus.  But, Roman Reigns would clearly be the winner when it was all said and done going on to face Seth Rollins, again, at Summerslam.  Ho hum, the more things change the more they stay the same I guess.  Well, an odd thing happened on the way to the end of Raw this week; wwe did it all correct.  Finn Balor won an excellent four way to earn a spot in the nights main event taking on Roman Reigns.  Here it comes, the match where Reigns beats the new guy and takes his sit on the throne of his own empire.  But, that isn't what happened.  Raw ended with Roman Reigns, the heir apparent, getting pinned clean in the middle of the ring.  Pinned.  Clean.  In the middle.  You could hear the collective breath being taken away from the wrestling die hards and casual fans alike as they had just seen a star created in one night.  A star you could get behind, a change that you could get behind. 

Finn Balor won the main event on Raw over Roman Reigns.  This is the biggest move that WWE could have made to make the statement that they are ready for change.  The future is on its way.  Raw featured four very good wrestling matches all of which had championship ramifications and all of which delivered at a high level.  Raw also peppered in some squash matches to emphasize some of its new, and not ready for prime time, performers as well as entertaining interview segments and for the most part was a home run.  It was a very easy to watch and enjoyable three hours.  However, the Finn Balor stuff may have not even been the best action of the night.

Welcome back to women's wrestling!  Sasha Banks and Charlotte put the new crop of young, beautiful and talented women where they belonged in wrestling on Raw.  Banks and Charlotte had an emotionally charged and action packed wrestling match that solidified a division that is ready to take the next step into not being women's wrestling but just being seen as wrestling!  These two girls, who may be stand outs but are hardly the only capable wrestlers in the women's division, worked so hard while putting their bodies on the line for the sake of women's wrestling.  They were not divas or models or wearing their bras and panties; they were high quality professional wrestlers telling a story in the ring that created a roller coaster of emotion for the WWE universe.  Make no mistake, this was hot shotting a title change to create buzz for Raw's new era, but was the perfect type of hot shot because everything was made better for it.  A ton of eyeballs saw Raw give the deserved time to two women who busted their butts to put on an amazingly entertaining match.  Would the title change have meant more at Summerslam?  Maybe.  But having the women's title change hands like this on Raw may have meant more for the credibility of how WWE sees it's women performers and just how good those performers are. Sasha Banks delivered an emotional promo holding the title after the match and there was no question how much that moment meant to her.

Something awesome happened during Raw last monday.  As I stated I went with one of my best friends and his daughter.  While my friend used to be a die hard he really isn't anymore, his daughter likes wrestling but it is clearly not her life let alone one of her favorite hobbies; but she likes it.  Neither really knew who Finn Balor was, they were only slightly more familiar with Enzo and Big Cass and she is a bigger Total Diva's fan then of a divas revolution.  However, by the end of the show she gladly shouted "new...day rocks", "How you doin'?", she went bananas when Sasha Banks won the title clearly stating she was the boss and by the end of the night this 13 year old girl casual fan knew exactly when to throw her arms in the air like Finn Balor and the rest of the die hard wrestling fans.  She couldn't wait for the next show she could attend as she tried to convince her dad to take her to Summerslam in New York.
The new talent is being showcased on weekly television, there is still a large crop of talent in NXT ready to be added to the main roster (both male and female), most importantly the casual fans and young fans can and will get behind them.  Perhaps WWE is right this is the dawning of a new era; one that satisfies the whole WWE universe.  An era where they have the performers to showcase and the talent all fans can support.  If WWE keeps offering product like this then it will be a great time to be a wrestling fan, but that's just this marks remarks.
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SummerSlam is building to the future and well... it looks promising

If you are wrestling fan you have noticed a slight changing of the guard at the top level of WWE in the last several months. If you are a fan just coming back to pro wrestling then you have chosen a good time.  The future stars of Raw and Smackdown are being discussed recently and it is probably due to a huge influx on very talented young men and women being featured, or not so featured, on television every week.  Also, with the unveiling of the WWE Network fan are now able to have NXT at their viewership disposal, really getting a glimpse of the athletes as they are groomed for the big leagues.  I for one find the next wave of "superstars" as something to be very excited about.  But who really has a good shot at being the next top tier level stars in WWE?
Roman Reigns is clearly being groomed to be the next top superhero of WWE going into the future.  He was very protected by the shield as a performer being showcased in ways only to make him look strong.  He was seen as the power of the team and was has used his high level of athleticism to build a move set that is very popular with the crowd.  Reigns also has the look of a superstar, being big and muscular makes him stand out from the crowd.  It doesn't hurt either that his cousin is The Rock!  Samoan family genes can do wonders for a guy in WWE, unless you become a super hero in training.  However, Roman Reigns still has a lot of learning to do; his in ring timing sometimes leaves something to be desired and unless he is doing one of his "signature moves" it seems like he is lost at times.  Also, his work on the microphone is somewhat effective he always keeps in short and sweet, because he has to, he will need to start stepping out of his comfort zone to prepare for when he is the top guy and has to carry programs with his promos.  The foundation is there with Roman Reigns it is just a matter of how well they can fine tune him before they place him in a top position.  There is a big difference between Goldberg and Stone Cold; right now Reigns is Goldberg but that can change and hopefully will.
On the subject of The Shield breaking up SummerSlam, this Sunday, will do great things to propel Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose' names into the upper echelon of sports entertainment.  These two men are much more polished then Roman Reigns in every aspect of wrestling, be it in the ring, on the mic, or controlling a crowd; the two guys have "it" to be big time stars in WWE.  The only thing Rollins and Ambrose have going against them is that they are not Roman Reigns, who is WWE's pick, but as Daniel Bryan has show the wrestling universe you don't have to be WWE's pick to become the top guy.  I believe that Seth Rollins is settling into his heel character very nicely, he is so technically sound inside the ring and he has that look about him that you want to boo, that smarky jerk look, he has it and it works.  I see him very much in the same light as CM Punk, a natural heel, and if Rollins can emulate Punk's rise within the WWE that would be a major success; minus the leaving of course.  But, the true diamond is Dean Ambrose!  Ambrose has that "it factor" charisma pouring out of him and the fans are really rallying behind him.  His in ring style, his promo methods, his voice, his attitude it all makes him seem different from anyone else.  Different in a very very good way.  I could see Dean Ambrose stealing away the Daniel Bryan crowd reactions and adopting a Stone Cold type of following.  I AM NOT SAYING HE IS STONE COLD! Steve Austin was a once in a life time phenomenon, but Ambrose has all the characteristics to catch lightning in a bottle and I feel the only that could slow him down is the WWE machine but I really hope they give him the opportunity.

Ladies and gentlemen the future... It's here.  Bray Wyatt is the most unique character created since The Undertaker or Mankind and the man playing him has it all almost figured out.  There is not a misused minute of television time for Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt family, every movement, stare, laugh, gesture they are all perfectly executed.  Bray Wyatt turned 27 years old in May.  Did you read that?  What were you doing when you were 26 years old?  Were you in a headlining match with John Cena at Wrestlemania?  Bray Wyatt is 5 years away from his prime and he is this far ahead of the game and that is pretty unbelievable in my mind.  He has been able to more than hold up his end of the bargain in feuds with Daniel Bryan, The Shield, John Cena and Chris Jericho while also mesmerizing crowds with his promos and vignettes and wrestling history says the best is still yet to come.  This third generation star is in a league all by himself as far as potential is concerned and as a fan of wrestling for 30 years I am excited to see where he goes, if his current success is any indication then we are watching a legend in the making.  Just to put things into perspective to how ahead Bray Wyatt is; Roman Reigns is 29 and has a lot of learning to do.  Wyatt is the future.

See this guy doing the giant swing to an essentially immobile 450 pound man using no momentum and only his own strength?  That is Cesaro, he has been awesome on the independent wrestling circuit for the last almost 10 years; amazingly, coming into the wwe he is also awesome. Cesaro is such a technically sound grappler with the ability to be an effective heel or face that he demands any fans attention.  Not to mention he is probably the pound for pound strongest wrestler on the roster, a roster that includes Big Show, Mark Henry and Brock Lesnar.  Cesaro wrestles with such fluidity and grace that you almost forget how powerful he is and then he dead lifts a guy over the rope in a suplex or swings gigantic man for 30 rotations and you are reminded that Cesaro will be a major player in wwe as soon as they allow him.  The ability to do anything in the ring with any opponent is a skill that not many possess and that trait will be what separates Cesaro from every other superstar on the roster.  Cesaro is one of the few guys, as he is now, that would have been a star in any era of wrestling and will help lead wwe into it's next era for sure.

There are also a number of future stars just arriving from or about to break out from wwe's  developmental division NXT.  If you have the wwe network you should be tuning in Thursday nights to watch this show.  It is one hour long and easy watching and has featured the likes of Bo Dallas, Rusev, Wade Barrett, Sami Zayn, Big E, Aaron Neville, Tyler Breeze and so many more that are being molded to be on Raw and Smackdown very soon.  And, they deserve it because there are some excellent performers there honing their craft.  Wait, wait a minute, what is that smell?...

Oh that is the internet wrestling community collectively crapping itself with excitement.  This is Triple H officially signing Prince Devitt, Kenta and Kevin Steen and if this is a sign of things to come and how wwe is going to recruit talent then as far as the future of wwe is concerned we have nothing to worry about.  If you don't know them you will, and you will be very entertained.  But that is just this marks remarks.