Takeover: Brooklyn IV Predictions

   NXT's Takeover: Brooklyn has almost become NXT's version of WrestleMania and tomorrow night is the fourth installment.  Looking back, Takeover: Brooklyn had some pretty historical moments.  The first event featured the first and only WWE appearance by the legendary Jushin "Thunder" Liger, an amazing Ladder Match for the NXT Title featuring Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens, and the monumental NXT Women's Title win of Bayley over Sasha Banks.  Brooklyn II featured Shinsuke Nakamura defeating Samoa Joe for the NXT Title.  Last year saw Drew McIntyre win the NXT Title from Bobby Roode, only to be attacked by Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, and Bobby Fish, the Undisputed Era.  We're in for a treat once again!  Here are my predictions for the show!

NXT Women's Title - Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane

   Since Takeover: New Orleans over WrestleMania weekend, the Queen of Spades has dominated the competition in NXT's women's division.  Shayna overcame Nikki Cross at Takeover: Chicago II in June and bullied and brutalized Dakota Kai.  Now, she faces the woman that defeated her to win the first annual Mae Young Classic, the Pirate Princess herself, Kairi Sane.  However, the wrestler Shayna is now compared to then is completely different.  Since defeating Ember Moon, Shayna has caused chaos and knows she is at the top of her game.  Kairi may come off silly and happy sometimes but deep down there is a killer instinct.  In this outing, I'm picking Shayna to retain, with Kairi coming close, perhaps in a dirty fashion if it looks like Kairi may have her number.  Before I give my reason why, I need to address something.  This is not their rematch.  They already had their rematch on NXT television a few months ago with Shayna getting the win so this is the rubber match.  However, it won't end here.  I'm predicting Kairi to win the NXT Women's Championship from Shayna at the first ever WWE all-women's event in October, Evolution.  For now, Shayna will remain Champion.

NXT Tag Team Titles - Undisputed Era vs. Mustache Mountain

   These two teams have recently traded tag team gold in NXT.  It was Mustache Mountain's Tyler Bate and Trent Seven that won the Titles from their Undisputed counter parts at the UK Championship Special this year.  Barely weeks later, Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly won them back.  The War Raiders recently made a challenge to the winners in a Championship match for a future date.  With that being said, I'm choosing the Undisputed Era to retain here because the big money match is them against the War Raiders.  Plus, Mustache Mountain have the NXT UK brand for themselves and they'll no doubt be first in line at a chance for the brand's Tag Team Titles.  The winners tomorrow night will be Undisputed!

The Velveteen Dream vs. EC3

   This is going to be a very fun match and the back story here has been nothing short of entertaining.  At the UK Show in June, the two were teamed up against Aleister Black and Ricochet.  After EC3 accidentally knocked Dream off the apron, he didn't take too kindly to it.  In a fashion similar to Rick Martel and Tito Santana, the Dream walked out on his opponent, leaving him to the wolves, which prompted the Top 1 percent-er to demand a match.  The rivalry has been heating up lately and I'm looking forward to this match.  I'm wondering what crazy outfit Dream will be rocking and also if EC3 will have a more elaborate entrance, since this is his first singles outing at a Takeover.  It's anyone's game, honestly!  Though I can see EC3 needing the win, I'm taking the Dream here.  However, if there's a superstar that can still come out shining after a loss, it's the Velveteen Dream.  He's still my pick for this contest, though!

NXT North American Title - Adam Cole vs. Ricochet

   This match is going to be incredible, I'm sure!  Cole defeated 5 other superstars in a Ladder Match at Takeover: New Orleans to become the first NXT North American Champion.  While he has defended the Title, he hasn't done so on a Takeover.  Since Ricochet set his sights on the Title, he's been a target of Cole and his Undisputed Era cohorts, as they've left him laying one or two times.  Originally, my pick was Ricochet to walk out the new champion.  After thinking on it for a while, I've changed my mind, as they can extend this feud.  Also, I feel like Cole's reign hasn't exactly been cemented yet.  I'm going with Cole to retain, which will lead into Takeover: War Games II in November, which will hopefully pit the Undisputed Era against Ricochet and the War Raiders, with those men winning their individual Titles at a later date.  For now, the North American Championship will remain Undisputed.

NXT Title Last Man Standing Match - Tomasso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano

   This is a rivalry that has been going on for well over a year now, as Ciampa did the turn heard 'round the world at Takeover: Chicago in May of 2017.  This will be their third Takeover match.  As everyone is aware, this was originally going to be a Triple Threat match including former NXT Champion Aleister Black, who went down with an injury.  Fortunately, WWE has turned this into a "who done it" angle with a someone attacking Black, which I'm sure will be addressed soon.  The reason for the Triple Threat was when Gargano accidentally cost Black the Title against mortal enemy Ciampa.  I'm hearing many stating that this will be the end of the feud.  I can't disagree enough!  For one thing, I sincerely doubt Ciampa is losing the Title after just winning it last month.  Not only that; if he loses, he'll exercise his rematch clause.  There is still so much they can do without making the fans sick of it.  They can extend it without having them fight for a while, leading to their ultimate showdown, at least in NXT.  I've got Ciampa with the win over Johnny Wrestling.  As we've seen, especially at Takeover: Chicago II, Gargano has become what he hates, and it cost him dearly, which is what the Sicilian Sociopath wanted.  Gargano must reach deep down to that place that lets him become Johnny Wrestling once again.  For her own good, I'd suggest Candice LaRea stay far away from this match.  

   The next Takeover is War Games, where I see both men potentially on opposite teams in a War Games match, or they will go on with different opponents.  In the mean time, I see Takeover: War Games feature Aleister Black getting his revenge on the mystery man who took him out.  This means that I don't think either Ciampa or Gargano are responsible for the attack on Black.  At Takeover in January, I see Black getting his one on one Title rematch with Ciampa while hopefully Gargano wins some kind of NXT Royal Rumble, wins the Title from Ciampa during WrestleMania weekend, and finally puts it to bed at Takeover: Chicago III, culminating exactly two years after DIY exploded.  I have so many thoughts running through my head and honestly, I'm looking forward to this more than SummerSlam, though I'm not trying to compare NXT to the main roster shows.  So far, Takeover hasn't disappointed me and I'm sure this will be no different.  

 If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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Tribute to JIm "The Anvil" Neidhart

   I feel like we have to talk about this situation almost every week; for sure more often than we should.  The wrestling world has lost another legend in Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, who passed away today at the age of 63.  Where do I even begin?  In the last nearly 40 years, the amount of wrestlers that died has continued to increase and it's just really sad.  The Anvil was a great tag team wrestler, a legit athlete, and had quite a personality.  Since learning this today, I thought it would be fitting to do a little tribute.  

   Jim Neidhart was a star athlete in school and his incredible feat of strength in the anvil tossing contest gave him the nickname "The Anvil."  When he got into wrestling, he was trained by the legendary Stu Hart in the infamous Hart family Dungeon.  It was during this time that Neidhart ended up marrying into the Hart family when he tied the know with Stu's daughter Ellie.  When Stu sold his Stampede promotion to the WWF, Vince McMahon brought in Jim Neidhart, Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Dynamite Kid.  At first, Neidhart was a singles wrestler but he was paired together with brother-in-law Bret to form a team known as the Hart Foundation, managed by Jimmy Hart (who was not related).  

  The Hart Foundation started off as heels and quickly made their way through the tag team ranks of the WWF.  While Bret was known for his no nonsense and cocky attitude, Neidhart was a little erratic.  He had a memorable laugh, unstable in interviews, and had one of the most iconic beards in wrestling history.  By late 1986, they got into a rivalry with family members the British Bulldogs, Davey Boy and Dynamite.  Davey was also related as he married Diana Hart, and Dynamite was Davey's cousin, yet this wasn't portrayed in kayfabe.  In January of 1987, the Hart Foundation defeated the British Bulldogs for the WWF Tag Team Titles, thanks in part to crooked referee Danny Davis.  The feud would continue through the year towards WrestleMania.  Davis teamed with the Hart Foundation against the British Bulldogs and Tito Santana.  Santana's presence made sense, as Davis was also the reason why Santana was no longer Intercontinental Champion.  This led into a feud between the Hart Foundation and Strike Force, the team of Tito Santana and Rick Martel.  In October of that year, the Hart Foundation lost the Titles to Strike Force.  

   The Hart Foundation continued to team into 1988.  At WrestleMania IV, both participated in a Battle Royal.  Bret Hart was betrayed by Bad News Brown in the end and after he and Neidhart broke ties with Jimmy Hart, they became fan favorites.  They soon began feuding with the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who then embraced Jimmy Hart as their new manager.  After their feud with the Rougeaus ended in early 1989, they continued to feud with Jimmy Hart and his new team Rhythm & Blues, made up of the Honky Tonk Man and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.  At WrestleMania V, the Hart Foundation defeated Rhythm & Blues.  They soon got into a feud with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's Brain Busters, Arn Anderson and Tulley Blanchard, inadvertently gaining a shot at the Tag Team Titles, after the Brain Busters surprising upended the long reigning Tag Team Champions Demolition.  Unfortunately, the Hart Foundation were not successful in regaining the Titles against the Brain Busters at SummerSlam.

   After that, the Hart Foundation amicably split for a brief period, with both men trying to prove themselves as solo acts.  Neidhart found himself continuing a feud with the Heenan Family, as he joined the Rockers and the Ultimate Warrior at the Survivor Series.  In March of 1990, the Hart Foundation reformed and were focused on once again becoming the Tag Team Champions once again.  After defeating the Bolsheviks in less than a minute at WrestleMania VI, they showed how serious they were.  They were granted a Title shot against Demolition at SummerSlam in a two out of three falls match.  By this time, Ax and Smash of Demolition had added Crush to the team and would often defend their Titles under the Freebird rule, in which any of the two members could defend.  Unfortunately for Demolition, their problems with the Legion of Doom came back to bite them, as LOD foiled their plans to cheat, causing the Hart Foundation to once again reign as Tag Team Champions.

   The Hart Foundation went into yet another long reign as Tag Team Champions, taking on all comers.  This was also the first time they were Champions as fan favorites.  They had matches with several teams, such as the Rockers and Power & Glory.  In early 1991, their former manager Jimmy Hart once again stuck his nose in their business with his new clients the Nasty Boys.  The two teams went head to head for the Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania VII.  While the referee was incapacitated, Jimmy Hart assisted the Nasty Boys and helped them win the Titles.  After this, the Hart Foundation officially split up.   

   While Bret found success as a singles star, winning the Intercontinental Championship, Neidhart focused on commentary for a bit.  During a match with Ric Flair, Neidhart was ambushed by the Beverly Brothers and was injured.  Upon Neidhart's return, he had a new tag team partner in brother-in-law Owen Hart, and they became known as the New Foundation.  The New Foundation quickly disposed of the Beverly Brothers and at the 1992 Royal Rumble, they defeated the Orient Express.  Not long after, however, Neidhart was no longer with the company.

   Two years later, during Bret's WWF Title defense against Diesel at the King of the Ring, Neidhart seconded Bret to the ring.  He got into a scuffle with Diesel and Shawn Michaels and caused the match to end in disqualification, though Bret would retain the Championship.  Later that night was the King of the Ring finals between Razor Ramon and Owen Hart.  During the match, Neidhart showed up at ringside and attacked Razor, helping Owen to become King of the Ring.  Neidhart was now Owen's number one.

   At SummerSlam, Neidhart was spotted in the crowd.  This was during the falling out within the Hart family of Bret Hart and Owen Hart, who were to wrestle in a Steel Cage for the WWF Championship.  Neidhart was sitting alone, away from the rest of the Hart Family, who were also in the crowd.  In the front row, Davey Boy Smith, who now took control of the British Bulldog name, was there with wife Diana.  After Bret defeated Owen, the family stood up and applauded.  Suddenly, Neidhart jumped into the aisle and ran, clothes lining both the Bulldog and Diana over the rail.  Neidhart then locked himself and Owen in the cage with Bret to double team him, as the Hart family war raged on.

   Neidhart continued to be side by side with Owen throughout the rest of 1994 until he left the company again.  He returned briefly returned in 1995 but under a different persona.  He wore a mask was referred to as Who.  The reasoning was so that commentary could make "Who's On First?" jokes.  He made his official return in 1997 when he attacked Stone Cold Steve Austin during Austin's feud with Bret.  The Hart Foundation reformed with Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, and Brian Pillman.  Neidhart would mostly be used as an enforcer of sorts but would team with the Bulldog sometimes.  After the Montreal Screwjob with Bret leaving for WCW, Neidhart remained briefly before being humiliated by Degeneration X.

   Neidhart and Bulldog followed Bret to WCW in December of 1997 and the two would continue to tag together until Neidhart left WCW in 1998.  After that, he wrestled in the Independents and spent time at wrestling conventions, but retired shortly after to be with his family.  He appeared on Raw in 2007 for a battle royal and actually appeared in TNA in 2009, defeating Jay Lethal.  Neidhart may have been done in wrestling but his family name continued, as his daughter Natalya debuted in WWE and continues to wrestle to this day, having won a few Women's Championships along the way.  My sincerest condolences go to Nattie and the entire Hart family for this loss.  

   This really hits home for me for two reasons.  I read that his death had nothing to do with his recent battle with Alzheimer's, or even from his wrestling career, but that he fell and hit his head, never to wake up again.  Unfortunately, I know what that is like as I had a death in my own family under similar circumstances.  The other is that I had the pleasure of meeting him in person in March of 2017.  I took a picture with him and obtained his autograph as well.  I treasure these items and moments even more now.  Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart was a legend in the business and he will be sorely missed.

Mixed Match Challenge: Couples Only

   I can't take full credit for this idea.  This is the brainchild of everyone involved on the podcast I am a part of, as you may know if you've read my other blogs.  We all enjoyed the Mixed Match Challenge at the beginning of the year and think the concept should be brought back.  However, our idea for the next one would involve real WWE couples only, as there are several, some of which have been brought into kayfabe.  I'm going to break down each couple.  Fans already know about a majority of these couples but there may be some that fans didn't know.

Rusev & Lana

   We'll start with one of the teams from this year, the real life couple of Rusev and Lana.  Together, they competed in the tournament and did fairly well.  They are always quite entertaining together, as we've seen in both Total Divas and on WWE television.  I'd love to see Rusev Day continue and see them try to go the distance.

Jimmy Uso & Naomi

   Here is another real life couple that competed in this year's event.  For a long time, fans have known about this couple and were often seen together on Total Divas.  At times, Naomi has accompanied both her husband Jimmy Uso and brother-in-law Jey Uso to the ring.  I'd like to see them enter the tournament again and perhaps they can go further next year.  

Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella

 Brie is pretty much retired but she did show up in the Royal Rumble this year.  She may even participate in the all women's PPV Evolution on October 28th.  At the time of the Mixed Match challenge, Daniel Bryan was still retired but very close to being cleared to return.  Now that he is healthy and back in ring action, it would be nice to see him team up with his wife, where she can return to Brie Mode.  The heat between this husband and wife team and another in The Miz and Maryse would make for very entertaining television.  I'd even like to see them finally pull the trigger on Daniel and Brie and John Cena and Nikki.

John Cena & Nikki Bella

   Since I mentioned Brie Bella, it makes sense to mention the other Bella Twin, Nikki.  Nikki and John Cena have had an interesting relationship, in which its authenticity has been questioned on Total Bellas, as well as real life.  These two are really working the fans and it's pretty funny.  Whether they are still actually together or not is not quite known, as theories for both are around.  For WWE storyline-wise, let's assume they are a couple.  They did team before at WrestleMania and were victorious over The Miz and Maryse.

The Miz & Maryse

   That brings us to the "It Couple!"  With the success of their new show Miz and Mrs., they should be primed to compete.  Maryse was still pregnant during the initial Mixed Match Challenge but I could definitely see them playing a part next year.  Despite their WrestleMania loss to John Cena and Nikki Bella, I don't see why they can't be successful here.  The Miz actually won this year's tournament with teammate Asuka.  I wonder how he would do with his own wife!

Mike Kanellis & Maria Kanellis

   It's been an interesting time for this real life married couple.  Maria returned to WWE, this time with her husband Mike.  Mike did very well in both Ring of Honor and Impact.  Unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan in their WWE career.  Maria became pregnant, which took her out of action, while Mike was dealing with some personal matters in rehab.  Now that the baby has been born and Mike is back in action, they can win the Mixed Match Challenge with the power of love.

Buddy Murphy & Alexa Bliss

 This is a couple that WWE doesn't present on television, but does exist.  Also, this is not a couple that a majority of wrestling fans may know about.  Alexa competed in this year's event with a great partner in Braun Strowman and the chemistry was actually pretty great.  Buddy Murphy and his former partner Wesley Blake were managed by Alexa a few years back.  Buddy is now competing on 205 Live while Little Miss Bliss reigns as the Raw Women's Champion.  How would Alexa and Buddy do together?  Even though Buddy doesn't quite have the star power Alexa does, the team might actually surprise people.

Rowe & Sarah Logan

   This is a couple that I only just recently learned about.  Looking at them, I can see the connection.  Rowe is a destructive force, along with partner Hansen as part of the War Raiders.  Together, they dominated competition all over the wrestling world and are now in WWE, residing in NXT.  Logan is a rough and tumble female competitor and is currently part of the Riot Squad.  She's also been around the Indies a while before NXT with another character.  I'd love to see them compete together in their quest to be the Viking King and Queen.  As you can see, they seem to have fun together.  If they were to team up in the Mixed Match challenge, I'd look out for the pillaging powerhouse and the backwoods brawler. 

Johnny Gargano & Candice LaRea

 In NXT, Johnny Wrestling is one of the best competitors there and his underdog spirit gives his character life.  Currently, he's in a blood feud with former partner Tomassio Ciampa.  In a similar vein to Gargano, his wife Candice LaRea is starting to make a name for herself in NXT's Women's Division.  Last year, she participated in the Mae Young Classic, which got her signed to NXT.  They did team together to defeat Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega so I could see them doing well in the Mixed Match Challenge.

Montez Ford & Bianca Belair

   This is another NXT couple that recently got married.  Both are doing their own thing right now but placement in this tournament is a possibility.   Ford currently tags with partner Angelo Dawkins in NXT as the Street Prophets.  Meanwhile, Belair is carving out a name for herself in the Women's Division.  She caught everyone's attention in last year's Mae Young Classic and considers herself the EST of NXT.  Could these two be a force in the Mixed Match Challenge?

Roderick Strong & Marina Shafir

    There is definitely no shortage of wrestling couples in the current WWE landscape.  NXT Tag Team Champion Roderick Strong and Marina Shafir have been together a long time, as you can tell by the sight of the Ring of Honor Championship.  Shafir is one of the MMA Four Horsewomen and she is now a part of the NXT Women's Division.  She has been seen on NXT TV before when Strong was a babyface in a personal feud with Bobby Roode.  There's a very good chance we could see these two team up as well.

Tye Dillinger & Peyton Royce

   The Perfect 10 and an Iconic!  That could be quite the pairing in the Mixed Match Challenge.  Dillinger and Royce's characters would probably mesh well together, even though many people might not realize they are together.

Kassius Ohno and Rachel Ellering

    This would be a team to be reckoned with for sure.  You've got NXT's resident knockout artist, Kassius Ohno.  He's been wrestling for a long time and fans might remember him as Chris Hero in Ring of Honor.  Then there's the second generation sensation in Rachel Ellering.  Of course, she is the daughter of the legendary manager Paul Ellering.  She's been killing it on the independent scene and is now going into her second appearance in the Mae Young Classic.  Between Ohno's devastating KO's and Rachel's power lifting background, they could easily make their way to the finals.

Triple H & Stephanie McMahon

   Although I doubt these two would compete on the Facebook platform due to their star power alone, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.  Though they lost at WrestleMania to Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle, Hunter and Steph have been together for close to 20 years and have the pedigree, pun extremely intended, to get it done.  Both have been running the company despite their busy schedules, but I don't necessarily rule it out.  This is the ultimate power couple for sure!

Wild Card - Matt Hardy & Reby Sky

    Though there are rumors about a possible retirement for the Woken Warrior, what are the chances of this team being a part of the Mixed Match Challenge?  Though Reby is Matt's wife, she's a little erratic and doesn't exactly have the best relationship with WWE management.  Despite this issue, how entertaining would it be to see Broken Matt team with Princess Rebecca and try to delete their opponents?  Picture Matt and Reby classifying their opponents as obsolete!  It would be...Wonderful!

Commentary - Edge & Beth Phoenix

   In this year's event, the Glamazon was part of the commentary team, along with Corey Graves and Michael Cole.  It would be great to see Beth return to commentary next year, only this time with husband Edge by her side.  The dynamic would be great and I'm sure the chemistry would be there.  Edge would be more than able to carry himself on commentary with his personality and beyond the Hall of Fame, I haven't seen much interaction between the two. 

Hosts - Dean Ambrose & Renee Young

   This year, Renee co-hosted the Mixed Match Challenge with Byron Saxton.  The hosting duties would go way up in entertainment if Dean Ambrose was there in Byron's place.  Many fans knew Dean and Renee were dating but they were able to see the relationship play out on Total Divas.  Between Renee's great abilities and Dean's crazy antics, this should make for a great team of hosts.

 Other activities - Natalya and Tyson Kidd

   Since Tyson's unfortunate retirement due to severe injury, he hasn't been seen on WWE television, minus a few cameos on Total Divas.  Since Tyson was such a committed wrestler, I think it might be hard with him to be involved in something like this.  Then again, I'm sure there's a multitude of things for the two of them to do.  Nattie and Tyson could be backstage interviewers or play any number of roles.  

   There are so many ways WWE can go with this.  I know this is mainly for people who work strictly for WWE but there may be some other possibilities.  Mickie James could team with her husband, Nick Aldis.  Currently, Aldis is the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and works occasionally for Ring of Honor.  Wrestling fans will remember Aldis as Magnus when he worked for TNA.  He may not wrestle for WWE, but an appearance in the Mixed Match Challenge isn't the most out-there idea.  I mentioned Buddy Murphy before but as it turns out, his former partner, NXT wrestler Wesley Blake, happens to be married to and have a child with former Tough Enough winner, Sara Lee.  She's no longer with the company but her competing with Blake isn't that far fetched.  The one that I definitely don't see happening is the Undertaker and Michelle McCool.  While it's more than possible to see Michelle come out of retirement for a match, which she did at the Royal Rumble, the Undertaker's kayfabe character is a lot more important than seeing this real life couple in action on Facebook, of all things.  

   There are several couples that wouldn't wrestle but could be mentioned in passing.  I just learned that Finn Balor is dating WWE interviewer Kathy Kelly.  Aiden English has married into the legendary Guerrero family.  He could potentially team with his wife, former WWE wrestler and daughter of Eddie, Shaul Guerrero.  Zack Ryder is currently dating wrestler Chelsea Green, who is a Tough Enough alum and has played Laurel Van Ness in Impact Wrestling.  No one is sure if this is official or not, but just after Liv Morgan stopped dating Enzo Amore, it was rumored that she started a relationship with UK competitor Tyler Bate.  

   As I continue to write this, I keep thinking of more couples.  Cesaro is dating NXT trainer Sarah Del Ray, who was a former wrestler in her own right and has been crucial for the growth of female wrestlers.  Adam Cole is dating Indie wrestler Brit Baker.  Though she has been competing for a few years, I remember first seeing her as a part of Chair Shot Reality.  Bray Wyatt actually left his now ex-wife for WWE announcer Jojo.  However, I can't see Wyatt's character involved in this kind of thing regarding couples.  Not to mention, Jojo didn't fare too well in the ring.  The latest NXT signing and Mae Young Classic competitor Deonna Perrozzo is dating Bullet Club member Marty Scurl.  He may not be in WWE but his talent is definitely on their radar.  It would certainly be quite the team!

   As you can see, there is a lot to work with here.  It might be possible to gather up to sixteen teams to compete in this thing.  After all, if they do this, it would likely be one time only, so they can go back to the original format of the Mixed Match Challenge.  Overall, I think this would be a fun concept for next year's version.

 If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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Direction of Women's Division Towards WrestleMania

   We are about a week away from SummerSlam, where both Raw and Smackdown's Women's Championships will be defended.  On the Raw side, Alexa Bliss will defend against Ronda Rousey.  Over on Smackdown, Carmella was to defend against Becky Lynch, but now Charlotte Flair has been added to the match, making it a Triple Threat.  Any number of things could happen in these matches that could set where the women's division in WWE will go.  

   Many people think Ronda Rousey will win the Raw Women's Title but they thought that at Money In the Bank too!  How did that turn out?  I don't necessarily foresee another disqualification win, but if Alexa retains, it will likely be due to outside interference, whether that be in the form of Alexa's buddies like Mickie James and Alicia Fox, or by a trusted associate of Ronda's such as Natalya.  On Smackdown, I feel like Carmella's time should be coming to an end.  I hope Becky gets her moment once more but it's incredibly likely that Charlotte will reclaim her crown.  I really should be writing this blog after SummerSlam but I have some thoughts on how I'd like to see the women's division go from here towards WrestleMania.

   Although the next PPV is Hell In a Cell in September, one very important stepping stone in the women's division and in WWE's women's revolution comes the first ever all-women WWE PPV, Evolution, which will take place on October 28th.  This is a very important step in the evolution of women's wrestling, especially in WWE.  Well over 50 women will participate in the event with the Raw, Smackdown, and NXT Women's Titles all on the line.   We'll see several names of the past, present, and beyond.  We may also crown a new NXT UK Women's Champion as well.

   Not to mention, we are about to be in the midst of the 2018 Mae Young Classic, in which the finals will take place at Evolution.  The women involved in this year's tournament are all fantastic and the future looks bright for WWE's women's division.  Although it's easy to see Ronda Rousey walking out of SummerSlam as the Raw Women's Champion, I feel like it might be better if she wins it later on, perhaps at an event like WrestleMania.  Meanwhile, on Smackdown, I'd like to see Becky Lynch get some time to shine before the inevitable happens and Charlotte wins the Title once again.  Charlotte will get her moment again but right now I'm hoping Becky gets the spotlight that she truly deserves. 

   Let's skip ahead to the Royal Rumble in January!  In this timeline, Alexa is still the Raw Women's Champion and Becky is the Smackdown Women's Champion.  At the Rumble, Alexa retains but Becky loses hers to a now heel Charlotte.  Meanwhile, Ronda Rousey wins the Women's Royal Rumble match, which I feel might headline the Rumble PPV once more.  The next PPV is Elimination Chamber.  Since we already know Ronda is heading to WrestleMania, I'd have her sit this one out, perhaps on commentary during the Elimination Chamber match for the women.  Here's what I would do next.  It will be decided that both Women's Titles will be up for grabs in the Elimination Chamber, as the Titles will be unified.  Much like two World Titles and two sets of Tag Team Titles, I don't like having two Women's Titles either because it waters down each.  Three women from Raw and three women from Smackdown will participate.  Raw will produce Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, and Bayley.  On the Smackdown side of things will be Smackdown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Asuka.  Charlotte walks away as the unified WWE Women's Champion and will go one on one at WrestleMania with Royal Rumble winner Ronda Rousey, in a match many are already anticipating.

   The kicker here is that not only will this match take place at WrestleMania but it will be the Main Event.  For the first time ever, a women's division match will headline the granddaddy of them all.  If this is to take place, the biggest possible match to do that with is Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey.  As great as a match Ronda can have with Asuka, Charlotte is the bigger name.  Not only that, we can then build up to the Ronda/Asuka match at a future time.  This is definitely history making, which I'm sure Stephanie McMahon will be at the forefront of.  

   But that's not all!  Another announcement will be made regarding the women's division.  Now that there is only one singles Women's Championship, what happens to the rest of the women?  A tag team tournament will begin and culminate at WrestleMania to crown brand new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, a set of Titles that hasn't been seen in almost 30 years.  I would love for either the Glamour Girls or the Jumping Bomb Angels to be there for the announcement, seeing as they were the last two teams to hold the Titles.  The only way I would be okay with the addition of Women's Tag Team Titles is for a unification of the singles Titles.  If the Tag Team Champions will be free to wrestle on both rosters, it makes having two separate singles Titles redundant.  Back to the Women's Tag Team Titles, if they can somehow stretch this Sasha/Bayley thing until WrestleMania, how perfect would it be for one to turn on the other, making their opponents the new Champions?  That's just one scenario, because let's face it, that turn of events will happening long before WrestleMania.  

   One thing that needs to happen in the women's division is to develop other interesting feuds for the women that don't involve Championships.  It's much easier to book matches around Championships.  Right now, the Sasha/Bayely dynamic, whether they are teammates or opponents, is the most compelling non-Title story in WWE's women's division.  More of those kind of things need to happen.  These are just ideas of mine that I'd like to see take place.  I am slightly skeptical of Women's Tag Team Titles because WWE can barely handle their regular tag team divisions, so I wouldn't be heartbroken of they didn't come to be.  On the other hand, I'd still like the singles Women's Titles to be unified so winning it means more.  Then, WWE will be forced to develop non-Title stories for the women to be a part of.  The same should be done with the World and Tag Team Titles, but I digress.  What are your thoughts?

 If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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NXT Royal Rumble?

   I've been thinking about this concept since the end of 2017 and I wonder what people would think about it.  For well over two years, NXT's Takeover events have been attached to the "Big Four" PPV weekends, as well as Money In the Bank.  NXT has been the brand to bring War Games to WWE and are set to do it again this year, the night before Survivor Series.  I thought it would be interesting to do an NXT Royal Rumble at Takeover the night before WWE's Royal Rumble in January.  It would be smaller in amount of wrestlers but the concept would be similar to the regular Rumble in that the winner would headline Takeover the night before WrestleMania.  With the way storylines have been going since last year, this would be the perfect scenario for NXT.

   For an NXT Royal Rumble, I'd think it would have to be 15 men, considering how much smaller a brand NXT is compared to Raw or Smackdown, which also share PPV's, by the way.  10 would probably be too little.  I'd have NXT, Women's, and Tag Team Title matches on the under card with the 15-Man Rumble as the main event.  With the way the Johnny Gargano/Tomasso Ciampa feud is going, this would be a great way to help bring the story full circle.  

   Before I get to the Rumble, I want to bring up how I think the storylines might go from now until then.  For Takeover: Brooklyn IV in a little over a week, we were expecting a Triple Threat Match for the NXT Title between new Champion Ciampa, former Champion Aleister Black, and Gargano.  However, recently Black got injured and he's likely to miss this match.  Whether Black makes the match or not, he should eventually get his one on one rematch for the Title.  Either way, I see Ciampa retaining in Brooklyn.  What I noticed is that NXT made Black's injury into a storyline.  After last night's NXT show, which by the way, was taped at least a week before, fans were under the impression that Black was attacked by either the unlikely Johnny Gargano or the four members of the Undisputed Era.  While a Gargano turn would be a shock, it would mess up his feud with Ciampa.  So, it makes for sense for UE to be the culprits.

   That actually leads me to War Games in November.  For this year's match, I'm predicting Ciampa and all four members of the Undisputed Era against Black, Gargano, Ricochet, and the War Raiders.  Ricochet is already challenging Cole for the NXT North American Title in Brooklyn and the War Raiders made things clear that after Brooklyn, they will be gunning for the Tag Team Championships.  Black's team wins here and he gets his one on one Title rematch with Ciampa.  In the mean time, here is where my NXT Royal Rumble comes into play.  My card would be Ciampa vs. Black for the NXT Title, the War Raiders winning the Tag Team Titles from the Undisputed Era, and an NXT Women's Title match featuring Kairi Sane, who I have either winning in Brooklyn or at the Evolution PPV, against Bianca Belair.  Now, we come to a 15-man Royal Rumble, where the winner goes on to headline with the NXT Champion at the Takeover the night before WrestleMania.

   My Rumble includes Adam Cole, Ricochet, Bobby Fish, Johnny Gargano, The Velveteen Dream, EC3, Keith Lee, Lars Sullivan, Kassius Ohno, Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Wolfgang, Danny Burch, and Dijak.  In a likely but deserving outcome, Johnny Wrestling takes the win and goes on to face Tomasso Ciampa for the NXT Championship and wins in a great Cinderella story.  However, I'm not done yet!  Ciampa will want to exercise his rematch clause and here's where it comes full circle.  I would have it be not only for the NXT Title, but an I Quit Loser Leaves NXT match, ending at Takeover: Chicago III, exactly two years since Ciampa turned on Gargano.  Not to pat myself on the back, but, that is damn good story telling!  With that being said, would anyone be interested in NXT doing a mini Royal Rumble on Takeover the night before the actual Royal Rumble PPV?  It would almost be a way for fans to get pumped for both the 30-man and 30-woman Rumble matches.

 If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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Lack of Distinguished Identity Causes Brand Split Irrelevance

   The current brand split in WWE, in my opinion, is even less successful than the last.  One thing that is hurting the brand split is that the format for Raw and Smackdown are exactly the same.  With the exception of the superstars and colors, there is absolutely no difference between the brands.  If the idea of a brand split is for competition between the brands, at least in kayfabe form, why present the shows in the same way?  Even though Raw may be an hour longer and the USA Network allots for overtime, the format is exactly the same for Smackdown.  Though it is still developmental, NXT at times has been presented as its own brand, and is presented completely different.  I for one, never liked any brand split to begin with but that's neither here nor there.  For me, competition within the same company makes no sense and more than one kind of a Championship also makes no sense.  For the argument, though, how can Raw and Smackdown be defined individually?

   Now that I think about it, there is one glaring difference but it's not the right kind.  Let's be honest!  WWE cares more for Raw than it does for Smackdown.  Raw will always be the A show and will always be seen and presented as such.  Separate but equal is not a thing when it comes to each show's importance.  Don't misunderstand this as me being contradictory to my own argument. Separate but equal should mean not just separate superstars but separate formats.  The equal part has more to do with the way a brand's importance is presented.  If Raw is seen as superior, it kind of makes the point of having a brand split redundant.  Ideally, the brands should be of equal importance but have their own identities.

   When it comes to the brand split, either commit fully to it or don't.  By the way, with split brands, there's still a way for there to be one World Champion, one Women's Champion, and one set of Tag Team Champions.  The idea of free agents, other than Champions, also makes the brand split redundant.  For instance, I know people like John Cena and the Undertaker can go wherever they please, but their presence on both shows kills the concept of separate brands.  One idea to make the brand split seem like a better idea, as well as making sense having more than one of each Champion, is to have Smackdown as the television show for a specific brand, in kayfabe, making it seem separate from WWE.  In a way, NXT does this somewhat, as it's completely separate from Raw and Smackdown, almost making it seem like it's not even under the WWE banner.  I'm not necessarily saying WCW should make a comeback, but they have access to plenty of other former Territory names.  Otherwise, as I said, competition within the same company doesn't make sense.

   There's got to be yet another kind of format that either Raw or Smackdown could make its own.  Perhaps when Smackdown's deal with Fox in 2019 starts!  Both WWE and Fox put a lot of money into this deal and that could be how Smackdown distinguishes itself from Raw.  As for NXT, I hope the rumor of it going to cable is false.  What I like about NXT is that it's only one hour, the talent isn't overexposed, and they still manage to put out good storylines along with excellent wrestling.  Going to cable will take away everything positive and different about NXT and it will be a big mistake, in my opinion.  I can't imagine any network that picks up NXT keeping the format the same.  Ultimately, the lack of identity for Raw and Smackdown is taking away from the point of a brand split, especially if the goal is to make fans believe there is competition between the brands.

 If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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My Top 5 NXT Heel Turns

   Heel turns in wrestling have always interested me, especially when done well.  You've got the Rockers' breakup on The Barber Shop and Hulk Hogan joining the nWo as two of the top heel turns in the history of the business, for instance.  In its short time, especially on the WWE Network, NXT has really become a phenomenon and sometimes the moments that happen there get overlooked.  For this particular piece, I will be counting down my Top 5 NXT heel turns.  

#5 - Alexa Bliss helps Blake & Murphy

   When Alexa Bliss first debuted in NXT, her character was completely different than it is now.  She was very bubbly and basically dressed almost like Tinkerbell, with a sparkly blue outfit and a tutu.  When she turned heel, I didn't see it coming.  Blake and Murphy were NXT Tag Team Champions at the time and were set to defend the Titles against the popular Enzo Amore and Big Cass, who had Carmella by their side.  At that time, I felt Carmella didn't belong and thought she was going to turn on Enzo and Cass to join up with Blake and Murphy.  To my surprise, that's exactly what Alexa Bliss did.  She came out during the match and cost Enzo and Cass the Tag Team Titles, becoming the manager for Blake and Murphy, bringing up both theirs and her relevance.  Today, Little Miss Bliss is one of the biggest heels in the women's division.

#4 - Austin Aries says No Way to Jose

   Austin Aries was a beloved star from the Indy's and Impact Wrestling and the fans welcomed him with open arms to NXT.  In fact, I witnessed his NXT debut match at Takeover in Dallas two years ago.  Because he was so respected, he started there initially as a babyface.  Someone new making their way in was No Way Jose, who was both powerful in the ring and in personality.  He was a Dominican that loved to dance but he could get serious in the ring.  Jose was usually pretty good at getting others to dance and he tried to do so with Austin Aries.  At first, Aries politely declined but eventually Jose won him over and the two started to dance in the ring and towards the back.  Aries was really getting into it and seemed to be enjoying himself.  Both men made their way to the commentary table and climbed on top to dance some more.  Suddenly, Aries attacked Jose and gave him a beating.  Aries was there for one reason only and it certainly wasn't to be silly.

#3 - Roderick Strong becomes Undisputed

   Since his arrival in NXT, Roderick Strong was a fan favorite that loved his family.  One trait he had was the ability to gain respect from his peers.  After a strong showing in a challenge to United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne, who was certainly rough around the edges, Dunne came to respect Strong for taking the fight to the Bruiserweight.  They came together as a last minute replacement of Mustache Mountain in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.  Their Cinderella story brought the team to the finals against the previous winners, the Authors of Pain, with the winners to take on the Undisputed Era's Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly for the NXT Tag Team Championships at Takeover: New Orleans this past April.  However, during the match, the Undisputed Era, along with leader Adam Cole, attacked both teams with the intention of not having to defend their Titles.  However, this backfired, as NXT General Manager William Regal ruled that the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, as well as the NXT Tag Team Championships, would be decided in a Triple Threat Match between the teams at Takeover.

   The Undisputed Era ran into a problem when Bobby Fish was injured.  Adam Cole had his own match to worry about, trying to win the new NXT North American Championship in a six-man Ladder Match.  With Fish's injury, Regal wanted a decision from Cole.  Either the Undisputed Era would be forced to relinquish the Tag Team Titles or Cole would be forced to pull double duty at Takeover.  Cole chose the latter to save his stable.  Earlier in the night, Cole ended up winning the North American Title.  Later on, he would team with O'Reilly against Strong/Dunne and the AOP.  During the match, Strong suddenly turned on Dunne and helped the Undisputed Era retain the Tag Team Titles.  He then joined the Undisputed Era.  He took over Cole's spot as Tag Team Champions so Cole could concentrate on his North American Title.  The Undisputed Era was now stronger than ever and fans were legitimately shocked at the actions of Roderick Strong.

#2 - Best Friends No More

   Since his arrival in NXT in 2012, Sami Zayn was the ultimate underdog, as he fought and clawed his way into the NXT Championship picture.  He finally had a shot at Takeover: Fatal Fourway but came up short in the match against Tyler Breeze, Tyson Kidd, and NXT Champion Adrian Neville.  Zayn was able to get a one on one match for the Title against Neville at Takeover: R-Evolution in the main event.  Meanwhile, Zayn's best friend Kevin Owens was to make his NXT debut at the same Takeover to start out the show.  Owens impressed many in his debut by defeating CJ Parker to a great ovation from the crowd.  Later, after a tough battle, Sami Zayn defied the odds and became the new NXT Champion.  The first of many to greet him was his best friend, Kevin Owens.  Many others came out to celebrate with the new Champion and even Neville congratulated Sami.  After the hoopla, Zayn and Owens shared the ring together and embraced.  As they were leaving ringside, Owens suddenly nailed Zayn with a clothesline and proceeded to Power Bomb him onto the edge of the apron.  The best friends then became bitter rivals.  This was a great turn, as were the others I've mentioned, but there is one in NXT that tops them all.

#1 - DIY Is Dead!

   This, in my opinion, is the biggest and best heel turn in NXT history, which has led to arguably one of the best heels currently in the WWE landscape.  DIY was a tag team consisting of Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa, two men who have known one another for many years and were the best of friends.  While on paper, this sounds similar to the dynamic of Zayn and Owens, the turn involved here was much more impactful.  While the two competed against each other in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament, they had their sights set on tag team glory.  Undeterred by their failure to win the 2015 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, they tried again in 2016, losing to the Authors of Pain in the semi-finals.  DIY began a rivalry with The Revival in 2016 when they challenged them for the NXT Tag Team Titles.  Though they came up short at Takeover: Brooklyn II, DIY finally defeated The Revival to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions at Takeover: Toronto that November, and the underdogs' dream had come true.

   Unfortunately, their reign was short lived, as they lost the Titles to the Authors of Pain two months later at Takeover: San Antonio in January of 2017.  At Takeover: New Orleans, DIY failed to regain the Titles in a Triple Threat Match with the AOP and The Revival.  DIY had one more shot at the AOP's Tag Team Championships in May at Takeover: Chicago, this time in a Ladder Match.  The match was nothing short of spectacular, as both teams went toe to toe and tore the house down.  In the end, it was just not DIY's night, as they said goodbye to their hopes of once again becoming NXT Tag Team Champions.  Moments later, something unbelievable took place.  As Gargano and Ciampa made their way to the stage, arm in arm, Ciampa suddenly threw Gargano straight into the stage wall.  When Gargano came to and realized what was happening, Ciampa continued the attack with a running knee strike.  The impact this has had on NXT has been incredible.  Ciampa has turned into one of the best heels and Gargano has garnered even more fans for himself.  This feud began in May of 2017, is still going on today, and no one is tired of it yet, which is amazing considering the times we are in.  To me, this is by far the number one heel turn in NXT history.

 If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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