Thoughts After Hell in a Cell

Just catching up on WWE programming and finished watching Hell in a Cell from this past weekend. Thought I'd share some random thoughts with you regarding the event, the talent and the state of the company.

Tag Teams Stole the Show
My favorite match was definitely the opening match. Triple tag team title match with the Rhodes brothers, the Shield and the Usos. Absolutely insane. A combination of old ECW, Attitude-Era tag action and even some early days TNA back when the X Division meant something. Huge highlight was when Cody suplexed Roman Reigns to the outside onto everyone else from the top rope! Great match with a great finish, although part of me was really rooting for the Usos.

Cena's Return
ADR definitely made that match for me. That's not a criticism on Cena, as the context called for him to really just sell his arm injury the whole time. Slow paced, but entertaining. Was fun to hear the crowd cheer for Cena as his music hit, started the "We love Cena, Cena sucks" chant, then chant strictly about hating him, then more split chants and finally a standing ovation as he wins the gold. Will be interesting to see where he goes from here and I like the change-up of having him holding the World strap.

Main Event
Overall, it was a fun main event. Lots of gimmicky spots, but then again that's the whole Bryan/Orton storyline anyway. A couple of missed spots, like a superplex onto a pile of chairs, but only Bryan's foot actually hitting them. HBK with the inevitable "special ref heel turn" to secure the match for Orton. All in all, not that surprising but fun to watch.

A decent event, but to be honest I'm glad I didn't see it live. Was nice to skip some matches, as much as it pains me to say. There were some brutally quiet moments as well where the crowd just wasn't into it. For example, there were crickets for most of the Punk/Ryback match. That's not to say that the match was terrible, just that the Heyman storyline has been going on way too long. Same with Orton winning the belt. The world conspires to put the gold on Orton and keep it off Bryan, which is basically where we were 2 or 3 months ago.

Also, by keeping the title vacant for so long and bringing in a special guest referee for the main event makes me wonder what the ratings are like these days. I don't believe 90% of the wrestling blogs when they report ratings so who knows. A vacant title and special guest seems like it's more in favor of selling Pay Per Views than it is about TV ratings so maybe that's it.

Enjoying the programming so far, in general, but I'm hoping that a lot of these storylines are coming to an end now so we can get some fresh new bookings in soon.

4 MMA Moves That Work In A Street Fight

Recently, while talking to a friend who is a martial arts instructor, we engaged int he age-old debate of how competitive sport fighting relates into street fighting. Obvious examples included the dangers of fighting off your back when you're at-risk of having your head bounce off the concrete or had floor, bobbing with the head in boxing when knees to the face are a real threat and the dreaded "soccer kick", made famous by Pride Fighting Championship. I asked him if he could list some of the more effective MMA tactics that could also be effective in a street fighting scenario. Without further delay, here they are:

1. Rear Naked Choke
To be specific, the rear naked choke is a blood choke, meaning that it interrupts the two large vessels in your neck that take blood to and from your brain. The chokes that are legal in MMA are designed to stop this process, as opposed to blocking the airway by putting pressure on the front of the throat, which is illegal just about everywhere. In a street fight, it's safer for you to perform any variation of the blood choke to render your attacker unconscious, as opposed to the lethal option of strangling him.

2. Side Control
Side control, or side mount, is great in MMA for working some ground and pound, while still being able to move quickly into a submission at any time. In the sport, full mount is a deadly position, although many fighters are now preferring side mount as a secret weapon as there are a lot more options from there. I'm one of those people. It's dangerous to commit to a ground fight in the street for a number of reasons (surface, weapons, multiple attackers, etc), but by establishing side control you can neutralize an attacker fairly well, while being able to spring back up to your feet quickly. A knee pin is also great for the same reasons.

3. Clinch
There are very specific clinch positions that are effective for the street. A double-over, for example, might seem like a good idea until your attacker finds himself an inch from your face and decides to bite your ear or nose or headbutts you until his arms are free again. Double plum or over-under are a safer bet and great for restraint in both the cage and the back alleys.

4. Knees and Elbows
Most street fights, at some point, end up in close proximity. Either the fighters run out of room or, more often than not, one fighter gets hit hard and feels overwhelmed and starts to grapple with their attacker. We see this in hockey fights all the time. Because of this, fighters who are comfortable with their close weapons, such as knee and elbow strikes, can cause a lot of damage when this happens. Combine this with a strong clinch, as mentioned above, and you've got a clear advantage both in MMA and a street fight.

Well, there are some of the many skill sets that translate from the cage to the street effectively. These aren't the only ones, of course, but a good place to start. 

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Jon Jones Is In Full Control

Jones vs Gustafsson was one of the most exciting fights of both their careers, one of the most exciting Light Heavyweight title bouts and one of the most exciting fights in UFC's recent history. Gustafsson brought the fight to the champ like no one else ever has. Jones retains his title in a close and somewhat controversial fashion. Recipe for a perfect high-selling rematch? You'd think so, but no.

This isn't the first time Jones has pushed through pressure from the company to do what he thinks is best for his career. He stated that he'd like to fight #1 contender Texeira and then have the rematch with Gustafsson. Although history has shown that delaying rematches is a bad idea, I like that he's going for the title defense record.

So, in the past, Dana White has blamed Jones for doing his own thing. The company even made a card so weak (UFC 151) that the entire event was canceled when Jones refused to defend his belt on short notice. White responded with an anti-Jones media campaign, which didn't make much sense. Shitting on your own fighter because you booked a bad event?

So I understand that fans are upset that the Gustafsson rematch isn't happening just yet. I get that. What confuses me is why fans never seem to agree on their opinion of Dana White's role in the fighters' careers. On the one hand, fans get furious when Dana involves himself too much and forces rematches on fighters. On the other hand, they get upset when he steps back and lets the fighters decide who they'd like to fight next. Not sure what people want here.

Personally, I like seeing fighters take control over their careers. It's the company's job to build a stage for these athletes to showcase themselves. I understand that this rematch is an easy money maker that the UFC kind of needs right now, but those are the perks of being the champ.

Randy Orton: Almost The Heel We All Want Him To Be

I think I speak on behalf of many wrestling fans when I say that I'm glad Randy Orton has FINALLY turned heel again. That being said, I was equally happy with Triple H's simultaneous turn. I have nothing against Daniel Bryan as a wrestler or as a champion, I'm just glad that Orton and HHH are back in the roles they were meant to play. This new and improved corporation-meets-th-MacMahon-Helmsley-era stoyline is long overdue and refreshing.

I'm loving the frustration of having Daniel Bryan win the title twice in a row, only to be stripped or robbed of it. This is making him the face that the company has needed for quite some time now. This is also establishing HHH and Orton as major heels. That's kind of where the problem is.

For one thing, people have been so anxious to have Orton turn heel again that they're now cheering him on in his new role, which I think is taking some steam away from Bryan (not to say that he's not super over with the crowd). Also, as long as Triple H is around, Orton will never be the top heel or even Bryan's worst enemy.

I'm a big fan of HHH, especially as an authority figure heel, but there's no room for Orton to take all the heat. I'm wondering if this is partly why he lost his title after a short run.

My current theory is that they're going to keep building this story of Orton becoming the psycho we all know and love again and then, as a super heel, he'll win the strap again. He needs to start getting more airtime than HHH, become Bryan's #1 priority and stop relying on the Shield to help with the dirty work. We need to see a wildcard unleashed in the Viper to give Daniel Bryan the nemesis he deserves.

What do you guys think about this Attitude-Era ant-hero that Orton seems to have become? What do you think of the title being vacated? I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys have to say about this.

Is WWE trying to bury Dolph Ziggler?

As a fan of Ziggler's, I'm growing concerned with his bookings lately.

It started at Night of Champions. Just the fact that the former World Champ lost his title, body guard and girlfriend was worrisome enough, but was understandable after his awesome face turn. I started getting worried for him when he was granted a US Title shot against Dean Ambrose. Going against the Shield is a must for a recent face, but getting that shot seemed like a lose-lose. Winning the belt would seal him in the lower-mid card level, which I can imagine is frustrating after being a main eventing champion.

Losing the title due to interference seemed like the most reasonable way out, but he lost fairly, which didn't help anyone really. Now, the former World Champ can't beat the US Champ? Not good. Then winning the non-title rematch the next night on Raw didn't help either. It just gave everyone the idea of a rematch for the strap...which I hope he doesn't win.

Even worse now he's clumped into a group of baby faces that brawl with the Shield and fight with management. Not exactly a great place for someone to break out. Hopefully we'll see him back on the path to the World belt and, hopefully, the WWE strap sometime soon.

I'm wondering if it's just bad booking, if he's not over as a face or some other reason the WWE seems to be burying him. I preferred him as a heel, as always, but seems like he's got tons of potential either way.

What Super Fight is Left?

Anderson Silva loses. Before that, Pacquiao get knocked out. While other champions in various combat sports continue to dominate their divisions, what challenge is left?

Who's going to give Floyd Mayweather a run for his money? Many are speculating what's next for the captain of the Money Team. Is a possible fight against Manny still enticing? Are there any up-and-comers that deserve a shot?

Meanwhile, in the Octagon, Jon Jones continues to dominate his weight class. Provided he wins this coming weekend, where should the champ set his sights. He has openly said that he's more interested in beating the title defense record before considering a super fight, which I think is more exciting anyway. Are streaks more exciting than super fights? Tough call.

Also in the cage, George St. Pierre will have his hands full in November with Hendricks. If, however, he successfully defends his title, what's next for him? Should he be considering a super fight or stay in his stacked division? Who would he even fight next, in either case?

Please leave comments below. These are questions I've been wondering as a fan recently and would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Is dominating a weight class more important than a super fight? It's all a show, really, so where should fighters go next?

Looking forward to your thoughts on this.

WWE Night of Champions 2013

WWE Night of Champions was an awkward, yet entertaining show. For most of it, I couldn't help but wonder what exactly I would have missed out on had I skipped it, but in the end I was glad I watched. There were some awkward booking spots, bad bumps and unnecessary amounts of people fighting twice, but everyone involved put on a great show...for the most part.

Opening Promo...Why?
Personally, I'm never a big fan of promos during a pay-per-view. I understand that when I watch Raw and Smackdown they're giving me quality content for free so I don't mind when they plug their work and show bad promos. When I'm ordering an even on PPV, however, I expect to get right to the action.
What was extra confusing about this, aside from changing the PPV card on the spot, was Triple H acting like such a face after all this heel buildup. I was so relieved to see him as a heel again, but then he comes out to tell Heyman to suck it up, plugs the crowd and books Curtis Axel in a match. Later in the night, he makes a stipulation that no one can interfere in the main event match also. Seems like he's flip flopping between heel and baby face, which is either completely intentional (for some reason) or just bad writing.

Did this PPV really need two doses of Curtis Axel?
To be fair, I have no problem with the current Intercontinental Champion. Also, by making him defend his belt it gave Kofi Kingston a chance to be on the PPV card, which I'm sure he was happy about. My problem with the booking was that no one really believed that Axel could beat Punk in the first place, so to make him fight twice really kind of made the rest of the night play out predictably. Seemed rushed and awkward.

Women's Fatal Fourway: Good effort, bad bumps
The effort put out by the four women in their title match was really impressive. Lots of wrestling chains and high spots. Sadly I felt like I was going to watch someone kill themselves in that match. Lots of awkward falls and miscues. Either they were just a bit off or I'm a total mark.

Ziggler's shot at the US strap
As a Dolph Ziggler fan, I was really hoping that he'd lose this match. Putting the US title on a former World champ, one that I particularly like, would have been terrible. Watching him lose every week leading up to this also made me depressed. My beef here is that you've got the perfect heel, Dean Ambrose, to have one of his buddies interfere and beat Ziggler while letting him save face. This way Ambrose could keep his belt and Ziggler can get back in the main event. Sadly, he lost cleanly, which is even worse. Seems like they're trying to bury him for some reason. From World Champion to losing in a shot for the US gold. Weird.

Del Rio and RVD 
This match was awesome. Sadly, it ended terribly. Amazingly brutal match that ends with a cheap DQ victory for RVD, letting Del Rio keep his belt. I get it, they're clearly going to have a longer feud with an eventual rematch. I still just didn't like the finish. Especially if you consider that the only champion that should have DQ'd himself that night was Axel since he had to fight twice. Felt like the wrong person doing this.

Main Event was great
So, up until this point, there were no belt exchanges and the only significant story was that Ryback interfered in the CM Punk match. Aside from the thought that Punk will now be tied into a feud that I really won't care about, at this point I'm thinking that I wouldn't have missed anything if I'd have skipped this event. The Orton/Bryan match was not only extremely exciting but made the whole night worth the wait. Great match no matter who would have won. The fact that Daniel Bryan pulled it off legitimately shocked me. Really didn't think he had a chance so soon. I had to keep watching him hold the WWE Championship over his head until the show went off the air just to be sure that it wasn't some kind of spot.

All in all, great show despite some awkward moments. Looking forward to seeing where they go from here.