Showing posts with label natalya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natalya. Show all posts
Monday, 16 January 2012
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Friday, 21 October 2011
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Toronto Sun PIece on WWE Natalya
OTTAWA - Nattie Neidhart may have had a recent in-ring attitude change — as one half of the Divas of Doom.
But she hasn’t lost her way.
The WWE superstar, part of the storied Hart Family, can’t wait to come home, as part of Tuesday’s Smackdown! TV tapings at the Saddledome.
“I’ve been in WWE three years and I’ve evolved ... I’ve grown a lot,” said Neidhart. “There’s been an evolution and that evolution turned into the Divas of Doom, with Beth Phoenix.
“We stand up for what we believe in. It’s our point of view that we’re role models and we’re revolutionizing what Divas should be, much the same way as Trish Stratus did.’
“We’re not Barbie dolls. But we are still strong, bold and beautiful. It’s like Beth said, ‘We’re here to stop the stinkfaces and booty popping.’ “
Attitude aside, she’s still a proud Canadian — passionate about what she does passionate about her country ... and passionate about her hometown. She knows that Canadian wrestlers usually get a hero’s welcome, no matter how hated they are by fans in the U.S.
“Going back to the Saddledome is like going back home,” she said. “I lived in Calgary for a good part of my childhood. My grandfather (Stu Hart’s) home was like Grand Central Station (with people coming in and out). We felt like Calgary’s version of royalty. We go to so many places, more than 250 days a year. But when I go home to Calgary, there’s just a certain smell in the air. It’s hard to find an unfriendly person and I have so many childhood memories.
“I was a student at Vincent Massey junior high. My whole family went to that school. My grandfather would drive myself and my sisters to school in an old Cadillac.”
Neidhart later went to high school at Bishop Carroll. When she was younger, while other kids found comfort in the sandbox, the aspiring wrestler found hers in the infamous Hart Dungeon.
With the Hart bloodlines come expectations. And Neidhart does her best to live up to those, throwing everything she has to not only her in-ring persona, but being a good person away from the business.
On a recent visit to an orphanage in South Africa, she was approached by a young girl, who had made herself and was wearing a Nattie Neidhart costume.
“She said I had inspired her. It was extremely touching to know I had that kind of impact,” said Neidhart.
“My grandfather was given the Order of Canada and he was recognized for all of the things he did outside of the business. And my uncle Bret Hart was named the WWE’s fourth-greatest wrestler of all-time.
“I knew when I started this, I would have to be excellent. My grandfather told me to find something I loved and I would never have to go to work.”
No question she has found something she loves. Something she pours her heart and soul into. And she has proven to be a great ambassador.
Diva of Doom or Calgary sweetheart ... Canadian fans will love her just the same.
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/19/diva-of-doom-happy-to-be-home
But she hasn’t lost her way.
The WWE superstar, part of the storied Hart Family, can’t wait to come home, as part of Tuesday’s Smackdown! TV tapings at the Saddledome.
“I’ve been in WWE three years and I’ve evolved ... I’ve grown a lot,” said Neidhart. “There’s been an evolution and that evolution turned into the Divas of Doom, with Beth Phoenix.
“We stand up for what we believe in. It’s our point of view that we’re role models and we’re revolutionizing what Divas should be, much the same way as Trish Stratus did.’
“We’re not Barbie dolls. But we are still strong, bold and beautiful. It’s like Beth said, ‘We’re here to stop the stinkfaces and booty popping.’ “
Attitude aside, she’s still a proud Canadian — passionate about what she does passionate about her country ... and passionate about her hometown. She knows that Canadian wrestlers usually get a hero’s welcome, no matter how hated they are by fans in the U.S.
“Going back to the Saddledome is like going back home,” she said. “I lived in Calgary for a good part of my childhood. My grandfather (Stu Hart’s) home was like Grand Central Station (with people coming in and out). We felt like Calgary’s version of royalty. We go to so many places, more than 250 days a year. But when I go home to Calgary, there’s just a certain smell in the air. It’s hard to find an unfriendly person and I have so many childhood memories.
“I was a student at Vincent Massey junior high. My whole family went to that school. My grandfather would drive myself and my sisters to school in an old Cadillac.”
Neidhart later went to high school at Bishop Carroll. When she was younger, while other kids found comfort in the sandbox, the aspiring wrestler found hers in the infamous Hart Dungeon.
With the Hart bloodlines come expectations. And Neidhart does her best to live up to those, throwing everything she has to not only her in-ring persona, but being a good person away from the business.
On a recent visit to an orphanage in South Africa, she was approached by a young girl, who had made herself and was wearing a Nattie Neidhart costume.
“She said I had inspired her. It was extremely touching to know I had that kind of impact,” said Neidhart.
“My grandfather was given the Order of Canada and he was recognized for all of the things he did outside of the business. And my uncle Bret Hart was named the WWE’s fourth-greatest wrestler of all-time.
“I knew when I started this, I would have to be excellent. My grandfather told me to find something I loved and I would never have to go to work.”
No question she has found something she loves. Something she pours her heart and soul into. And she has proven to be a great ambassador.
Diva of Doom or Calgary sweetheart ... Canadian fans will love her just the same.
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/19/diva-of-doom-happy-to-be-home
Friday, 12 August 2011
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
WWE DVD Review: Live in the UK November 2010
WWE DVD Review: Live in the UK November 2010
By Phil Allely
On general release from March 28th 2011 this two disc set from Silvervision gives UK fans an insight into the atmosphere and quality of matches the WWE bring to the plate when they record their live shows weekly TV shows here. This is of course the ideal DVD for anyone wishing to relive the event they attended or for those of us who were unfortunate enough to miss out this time around.
Taking place last November in Manchester (at the Evening News Arena) where the venue was packed full of rabid fans, the matches, storylines and level of enthusiasm brought the proceedings that were on offer over the two days were well up to a par with their U.S. counterparts.
First up on disc one is the RAW Live show were hometown boy Nexus’ leader Wade Barrett took centre stage and tried his best to keep things in his factions favour. On offer here are some nice segments with Nexus, John Cena, Randy Orton and a comical set-piece where Vladimir Kozlov and Santino Marella attempt to have a typically English tea party (featuring Sheamus).
Match wise there are some nice bouts including The Hart Dynasty against The Uso’s, Goldust versus Ted Dibiase and a six Diva match where the girls all compete in football strips.
The ten man main event was a belter too, featuring Randy Orton’s (RAW GM selected group) against Barrett’s Nexus.
We then can see the entire episode of NXT as well, which featured Goldust, an arm wrestling challenge, Vickie Guerrero and much more.
On the extras front there is a very enjoyable brawl between an in their prime Undertaker and Kane, this was recorded during the April 1998 UK tour also held in Manchester.
Disc two is chock full of matches and loads more as well. Kicking off with an episode of Superstars featuring three matches that helped build up the crowds anticipation for Smackdown, all of which happened a mere two days after the previous Raw/NXT recording.
Smackdown itself was strong episode, offering up some nice scraps between Alberto Del Rio and Kofi Kingston, Natalya versus Layla, Edge battling Dave Otunga and Dolph Ziggler tackling the underrated MVP. There were like the previous discs Raw show all of the usual links, interviews and backstage segments that make WWE TV so watchable.
The main event saw the big men takeover as Kane took on the mighty Big Show, which sent everyone home happy and ensured the same sell-out crowds will be on hand for this year’s tours too.
This set really is a must have for anyone who has ever wondered what a live WWE event is like and especially how much effort the company put into these things and the respect they have for fans here in the UK.
WWE Live in the UK November 2010 is available from www.silvervision.co.uk and all good retailers.
Saturday, 5 March 2011
WWE Survivor Series 2010 DVD Review
WWE Survivor Series 2010 DVD Review
By Phil Allely
The annual WWE Pay-Per-View Survivor Series is a thanksgiving tradition in th US, the event itself usually consisting of many Survivor matches (where teams of five fought for survival). The matches were often between people who rarely if ever met in the ring and saw some great combinations of unlikely team mates, creating excitement and a very different format than every other event offered by the company during the year. The 2010 effort saw only one such match feature and whilst not on a par with previous years the card was decent and continued some of the years greatest storyline threads with ease. Not bad when you consider the fact that the WWE itself had announced last year that the event would cease to exist after 2009.
The Nexus/John Cena alliance factored highly in proceedings and Cena’s WWE carer lay on the line in the main event, swhilst many of the company’s big hitters (Undertaker, HHH, CM Punk) were out with injuries the rising faction saw itself pushed to the hilt to fill the void.
The opening match saw United States champion Daniel Bryan tackle third generation star Ted DiBiase. Bryan locking on his LaBell lock for the relatively easy win, to retain his gold. Post-match The Miz and Alex Riley attacked Bryan.
Celtic Warrior Sheamus fell to John Morrison next, the Irishman and the high flyer worked very well together, each getting the chance to shine and tease their finishers. A nice looking running knee by Morrison after some back and forth action ended this one perfectly.
Dolph Ziggler and Kaval had a blast in the following Intercontinental match-up. Both seemed to be on fine form and blended well in the ring. Kaval was impressive in his style and Ziggler stepped up to the plate to meet him. A Ziggler tights assisted roll-up saw him retain his belt however.
The Team Del Rio versus Team Mysterio Survivors Series Elimination bout had some terrific in-ring action. The eliminations came thick and fast and number advantages swapped place regularly before the inevitable two-on-one situation loomed its head. The oddity here being it was the face team of Rey Mysterio and Big Show who had the advantage of heel Drew McIntyre. A 619/choke slam combo saw the Scot fall and the little and large duo stand tall as survivors for their team and match winners.
Hart Dynasty member Natalya took on the WWE Divas Championship co-holders LayCool (Michelle McCool/Layla) next in a handicap match for the title. No matter what the devious LayCool threw at her Natalya’s skill and determination saw it fail. The talented young lady was more than fit for them and won the title to boot, following a few heated exchanges and a good looking Sharpshooter submission hold.
Kane’s World Heavyweight Title defence against Edge was a well paced and heated encounter that showed both at their best. The only problem here was the end, as both men attempted their finishers, Edge seemingly pinned Kane to win the gold, however the ref then overturned his decision and stated that both men had their shoulders down for the three-count and the result was a tie. Kane retained his belt for another while, whilst Edge got some form of revenge by battering him after the match.
The Tag Team Title match was a no-brainer really, not many thought that the team of Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov could wrestle the straps from the Nexus duo of Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater. Marella and Kozlov had some nice moment in the ring, but this really was all about Nexus and the factions members (minus Cena) did prove to aid the decision, distracting Marella for a Slater pin to keep their prized belts.
The long-awaited main event came next, with Nexus banned from ringside it was up to special referee John Cena to hold order in this one, he also had the stipulation that if Wade Barrett failed to win the title hewould be fired for the WWE.
Barrett did hold his own well against the more street smart and savvy WWE Champion Randy Orton. The stipulations and Cena’s presence did help maintain crowd interest throughout. A few near falls occurred and both combatants hit their respective finishers. It was Cena who would seal his own fate though. Barrett was too busy arguing and shoving Cena that he lost track of Orton and walked into the match winning RKO.
A shocked Orton watched on as Cena acknowledged his fans and walked away from the ring, perhaps forever.
Survivor Series had a good blend of matches and exciting storyline developments throughout the card. The Survivor Series match was nice to see, Natalya winning the Diva gold and Beth Phoenix return will boost that division and Kane’s win will keep his Edge battles ongoing until some more guys come off the inured list. The big story was of course the (storyline) firing of John Cena, his feud with Nexus has yet to meet its natural conclusion and he is mentioned on future event blurb, so we must assume the WWE has some interesting twists and turns to offer up as this one moves on.
The events of the following evenings Raw were special too, as The Miz did the (dis)honourable thing and cashed in his Money in The Bank case to win his first World Title. So in the space of a few days the WWE clawed back some very valuable fan interest with some solid events. The return of some top names soon and the eventual reveal of who the mysterious Raw General manager is may well be the icing on the cake for them.
This DVD release features not only the Survivor Series in its entirety, but the events form Raw where Miz cashed in his MITB title shot.
All in all a very worthy addition to anyone’s collection.
Survivor Series 2010 is available now from www.silvervision.co.uk and all good retailers.
Coming soon on WWE DVD are:
WWE Raw - The Best of 2010
WWE Tagged Classics - Wrestle fest ‘88/Wrestelfest ‘90
WWE Live in the UK -2010
WWE Top 50 Superstars of all Time
By Phil Allely
The annual WWE Pay-Per-View Survivor Series is a thanksgiving tradition in th US, the event itself usually consisting of many Survivor matches (where teams of five fought for survival). The matches were often between people who rarely if ever met in the ring and saw some great combinations of unlikely team mates, creating excitement and a very different format than every other event offered by the company during the year. The 2010 effort saw only one such match feature and whilst not on a par with previous years the card was decent and continued some of the years greatest storyline threads with ease. Not bad when you consider the fact that the WWE itself had announced last year that the event would cease to exist after 2009.
The Nexus/John Cena alliance factored highly in proceedings and Cena’s WWE carer lay on the line in the main event, swhilst many of the company’s big hitters (Undertaker, HHH, CM Punk) were out with injuries the rising faction saw itself pushed to the hilt to fill the void.
The opening match saw United States champion Daniel Bryan tackle third generation star Ted DiBiase. Bryan locking on his LaBell lock for the relatively easy win, to retain his gold. Post-match The Miz and Alex Riley attacked Bryan.
Celtic Warrior Sheamus fell to John Morrison next, the Irishman and the high flyer worked very well together, each getting the chance to shine and tease their finishers. A nice looking running knee by Morrison after some back and forth action ended this one perfectly.
Dolph Ziggler and Kaval had a blast in the following Intercontinental match-up. Both seemed to be on fine form and blended well in the ring. Kaval was impressive in his style and Ziggler stepped up to the plate to meet him. A Ziggler tights assisted roll-up saw him retain his belt however.
The Team Del Rio versus Team Mysterio Survivors Series Elimination bout had some terrific in-ring action. The eliminations came thick and fast and number advantages swapped place regularly before the inevitable two-on-one situation loomed its head. The oddity here being it was the face team of Rey Mysterio and Big Show who had the advantage of heel Drew McIntyre. A 619/choke slam combo saw the Scot fall and the little and large duo stand tall as survivors for their team and match winners.
Hart Dynasty member Natalya took on the WWE Divas Championship co-holders LayCool (Michelle McCool/Layla) next in a handicap match for the title. No matter what the devious LayCool threw at her Natalya’s skill and determination saw it fail. The talented young lady was more than fit for them and won the title to boot, following a few heated exchanges and a good looking Sharpshooter submission hold.
Kane’s World Heavyweight Title defence against Edge was a well paced and heated encounter that showed both at their best. The only problem here was the end, as both men attempted their finishers, Edge seemingly pinned Kane to win the gold, however the ref then overturned his decision and stated that both men had their shoulders down for the three-count and the result was a tie. Kane retained his belt for another while, whilst Edge got some form of revenge by battering him after the match.
The Tag Team Title match was a no-brainer really, not many thought that the team of Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov could wrestle the straps from the Nexus duo of Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater. Marella and Kozlov had some nice moment in the ring, but this really was all about Nexus and the factions members (minus Cena) did prove to aid the decision, distracting Marella for a Slater pin to keep their prized belts.
The long-awaited main event came next, with Nexus banned from ringside it was up to special referee John Cena to hold order in this one, he also had the stipulation that if Wade Barrett failed to win the title hewould be fired for the WWE.
Barrett did hold his own well against the more street smart and savvy WWE Champion Randy Orton. The stipulations and Cena’s presence did help maintain crowd interest throughout. A few near falls occurred and both combatants hit their respective finishers. It was Cena who would seal his own fate though. Barrett was too busy arguing and shoving Cena that he lost track of Orton and walked into the match winning RKO.
A shocked Orton watched on as Cena acknowledged his fans and walked away from the ring, perhaps forever.
Survivor Series had a good blend of matches and exciting storyline developments throughout the card. The Survivor Series match was nice to see, Natalya winning the Diva gold and Beth Phoenix return will boost that division and Kane’s win will keep his Edge battles ongoing until some more guys come off the inured list. The big story was of course the (storyline) firing of John Cena, his feud with Nexus has yet to meet its natural conclusion and he is mentioned on future event blurb, so we must assume the WWE has some interesting twists and turns to offer up as this one moves on.
The events of the following evenings Raw were special too, as The Miz did the (dis)honourable thing and cashed in his Money in The Bank case to win his first World Title. So in the space of a few days the WWE clawed back some very valuable fan interest with some solid events. The return of some top names soon and the eventual reveal of who the mysterious Raw General manager is may well be the icing on the cake for them.
This DVD release features not only the Survivor Series in its entirety, but the events form Raw where Miz cashed in his MITB title shot.
All in all a very worthy addition to anyone’s collection.
Survivor Series 2010 is available now from www.silvervision.co.uk and all good retailers.
Coming soon on WWE DVD are:
WWE Raw - The Best of 2010
WWE Tagged Classics - Wrestle fest ‘88/Wrestelfest ‘90
WWE Live in the UK -2010
WWE Top 50 Superstars of all Time
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Friday, 4 February 2011
Royal Rumble 2011 Review
Royal Rumble 2011 PPV Review
By Phil Allely
The annual Royal Rumble event is a great one for fans of wrestling, the main event being one of those things that we all love simply for the spectacle of it. This year the Rumble itself was its biggest yet, featuring 40 performers all of which were to enter the ring at 90 second intervals and take their chances against their peers for a shot at winning a place in a Wrestlemania Main Event for a WWE World Title.
The fun part of the rumble as always is the trying to work out who may win the over the top battle royal and head to this years Mania. Of course along the way there are usually a few shocks, surprises and perhaps even a mix up or two. This year was no exception as some surprise entrants joined the match and a man nobody thought would win the match did just that.
Things started with a bang as World Heavyweight Champion Edge put his belt on the line against Dolph Ziggler. Edge was on top form as usual here and opened proceeding well against his younger and quicker opponent, Vickie Guerrero at ringside to assist Ziggler helped things along too. After many near falls, underhand tactics and outside interference from Vickie all things went to pieces, the ref went down, Vickie fell too and Edge struck a nice spear to put Ziggler away and keep his gold.
Next up Randy Orton challenged The Miz for his WWE Title, of course where there The Miz is, normally there are a few people to help him out too. Miz having not only Alex Riley by his side, but Nexus and CM Punk on his side too. Orton was all over Miz for most of the bout, each trading the advantage and vying for the win, but the numbers game and eventual Nexus run-in caused Randy to lose his place in things and miss CM Punk’s appearance. As Orton RKO’d Miz, Punk ran in and hit his GTS finisher to allow Miz an easy pin and to retain his strap.
The planned Diva’s title handicap match became a fatal four way brawl thanks to the e-mail-aholic Raw General Manager , leaving champion Natalya to face not only the team of Layla and Michelle McCool, but Eve Torre as well. Lay-Cool worked as a unit for most of the bout, attacking both Natalya and Eve, although McCool did accidentally nail her partner at one point. After a nice looking double sharpshooter by the champ and some near falls, the finish came when Eve’s moonsault put down Layla down for the three count (controversially at precisely the same moment McCool was pining the defending champion), the referee spotting Eve’s pin and awarding the gold to her.
Finally it was Royal Rumble time and it started well as CM Punk and he found himself in between a gang war as his Nexus group took on the recently formed Corre faction. The Raw GM luckily sent an e-mail to ban both teams from ringside and competitor number two Daniel Bryan entered the fray. The action went back and forth and as each new man entered alliances and old feuds began to rear their heads. It was fun to see guys like William Regal, John Morrison and Mark Henry face off against Nexus up and comers like Michael McGillicutty and Husky Harris as well.
Eliminations were timely and as the ring filled there was a distinctly Nexus heavy side to things. The surprises were this fewer in number, but overall better than expected, first up Booker T made his return to the WWE (he will now work as a colour commentator and sometime wrestler), Hornswoggle took to the ring and alongside John Cena had a fun series of exchanges working in tandem with Cena. The biggest pop of the night came as Kevin Nash strolled down the aisle as his former WWE incarnation Diesel (complete with old ring outfit and jet black hair).
Booker and Diesel were never going to threaten the outcome of the match, but it was good to see them back in the WWE (especially since both were heavily hinted for a TNA return this very month). Diesel’s face-off with Big Show may lead to a match down the line, perhaps alongside one with Wade Barrett who he also took a disliking too during the match, plus Booker is now back for another run it seems.
Back to the match itself and the biggest Rumble in WWE history quickly started losing people as they got sent packing over the top rope to the floor, some hanging on for dear life and scrambling back in, others falling to hit the unforgiving floor and see their dream Wrestlemania match gone for yet another year.
As the numbers lessened a few fan favourites remained, Rey Mysterio, Cena and Kane amongst them, but that soon changed as Kane fell to Rey, and he went out to Barrett, Cena got taken out by a run-in from Miz leaving Barrett, Alberto Del Rio and Orton. The match itself form there seemed to be Orton’s, he threw Barrett out, scuppering his plans for a Mania title shot and then he went to Del Rio. Del Rio’s celebrations were short lived but, Santino Marella (who had slipped under the ropes earlier was still and active participant and tried to sneak in and steal the win. Santino of course had bitten off more that he could chew with Del Rio and soon he went sailing over the top rope to leave the shock winner of the rumble to be relative WWE new boy Alberto Del Rio the man who can pick and chose his WWE Championship match at the biggest PPV of the WWE calendar.
The 2011 Royal Rumble was a great way for the WWE to open its PPV year, the matches were all very good and built nicely to the battle royal main event. The rumble itself had it all, thrills, spills, surprises and a shock finish that few saw coming. It was also good to see the younger and newer roster members get a look in over the more established ones, the returns of Booker T and Diesel were fun too. Let’s now see what else we get as the road to Wrestlemania rolls on.
The planned Diva’s title handicap match became a fatal four way brawl thanks to the e-mail-aholic Raw General Manager , leaving champion Natalya to face not only the team of Layla and Michelle McCool, but Eve Torres.
By Phil Allely
The annual Royal Rumble event is a great one for fans of wrestling, the main event being one of those things that we all love simply for the spectacle of it. This year the Rumble itself was its biggest yet, featuring 40 performers all of which were to enter the ring at 90 second intervals and take their chances against their peers for a shot at winning a place in a Wrestlemania Main Event for a WWE World Title.
The fun part of the rumble as always is the trying to work out who may win the over the top battle royal and head to this years Mania. Of course along the way there are usually a few shocks, surprises and perhaps even a mix up or two. This year was no exception as some surprise entrants joined the match and a man nobody thought would win the match did just that.
Things started with a bang as World Heavyweight Champion Edge put his belt on the line against Dolph Ziggler. Edge was on top form as usual here and opened proceeding well against his younger and quicker opponent, Vickie Guerrero at ringside to assist Ziggler helped things along too. After many near falls, underhand tactics and outside interference from Vickie all things went to pieces, the ref went down, Vickie fell too and Edge struck a nice spear to put Ziggler away and keep his gold.
Next up Randy Orton challenged The Miz for his WWE Title, of course where there The Miz is, normally there are a few people to help him out too. Miz having not only Alex Riley by his side, but Nexus and CM Punk on his side too. Orton was all over Miz for most of the bout, each trading the advantage and vying for the win, but the numbers game and eventual Nexus run-in caused Randy to lose his place in things and miss CM Punk’s appearance. As Orton RKO’d Miz, Punk ran in and hit his GTS finisher to allow Miz an easy pin and to retain his strap.
The planned Diva’s title handicap match became a fatal four way brawl thanks to the e-mail-aholic Raw General Manager , leaving champion Natalya to face not only the team of Layla and Michelle McCool, but Eve Torre as well. Lay-Cool worked as a unit for most of the bout, attacking both Natalya and Eve, although McCool did accidentally nail her partner at one point. After a nice looking double sharpshooter by the champ and some near falls, the finish came when Eve’s moonsault put down Layla down for the three count (controversially at precisely the same moment McCool was pining the defending champion), the referee spotting Eve’s pin and awarding the gold to her.
Finally it was Royal Rumble time and it started well as CM Punk and he found himself in between a gang war as his Nexus group took on the recently formed Corre faction. The Raw GM luckily sent an e-mail to ban both teams from ringside and competitor number two Daniel Bryan entered the fray. The action went back and forth and as each new man entered alliances and old feuds began to rear their heads. It was fun to see guys like William Regal, John Morrison and Mark Henry face off against Nexus up and comers like Michael McGillicutty and Husky Harris as well.
Eliminations were timely and as the ring filled there was a distinctly Nexus heavy side to things. The surprises were this fewer in number, but overall better than expected, first up Booker T made his return to the WWE (he will now work as a colour commentator and sometime wrestler), Hornswoggle took to the ring and alongside John Cena had a fun series of exchanges working in tandem with Cena. The biggest pop of the night came as Kevin Nash strolled down the aisle as his former WWE incarnation Diesel (complete with old ring outfit and jet black hair).
Booker and Diesel were never going to threaten the outcome of the match, but it was good to see them back in the WWE (especially since both were heavily hinted for a TNA return this very month). Diesel’s face-off with Big Show may lead to a match down the line, perhaps alongside one with Wade Barrett who he also took a disliking too during the match, plus Booker is now back for another run it seems.
Back to the match itself and the biggest Rumble in WWE history quickly started losing people as they got sent packing over the top rope to the floor, some hanging on for dear life and scrambling back in, others falling to hit the unforgiving floor and see their dream Wrestlemania match gone for yet another year.
As the numbers lessened a few fan favourites remained, Rey Mysterio, Cena and Kane amongst them, but that soon changed as Kane fell to Rey, and he went out to Barrett, Cena got taken out by a run-in from Miz leaving Barrett, Alberto Del Rio and Orton. The match itself form there seemed to be Orton’s, he threw Barrett out, scuppering his plans for a Mania title shot and then he went to Del Rio. Del Rio’s celebrations were short lived but, Santino Marella (who had slipped under the ropes earlier was still and active participant and tried to sneak in and steal the win. Santino of course had bitten off more that he could chew with Del Rio and soon he went sailing over the top rope to leave the shock winner of the rumble to be relative WWE new boy Alberto Del Rio the man who can pick and chose his WWE Championship match at the biggest PPV of the WWE calendar.
The 2011 Royal Rumble was a great way for the WWE to open its PPV year, the matches were all very good and built nicely to the battle royal main event. The rumble itself had it all, thrills, spills, surprises and a shock finish that few saw coming. It was also good to see the younger and newer roster members get a look in over the more established ones, the returns of Booker T and Diesel were fun too. Let’s now see what else we get as the road to Wrestlemania rolls on.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
WWE Hell In A Cell 2010 DVD Review
WWE Hell In A Cell 2010 DVD Review
By Phil Allely
I have mentioned this before but the new WWE PG rated era has had a knock-on effect on the companies output and general product, cage match and gimmicks have especially suffered at the hands of this new family friendly approach to wrestling. A match such as Hell in a Cell of course is somewhat hampered by the remit of no blood and less violence. Luckily sometimes whilst we all wish for some blood and overt/gratuitous behaviour from our in-ring warriors, there are times we don’t miss it too much after all.
The 2010 HIAC pay-per-view had some really interesting matches on its card, three of them inside the cage. The main one being the ten year anniversary of the first HIAC encounter between Kane and Undertaker. Back then Kane was a non-speaking mask wearing monster who had no compassion or fear. Their meetings then were violent, bloody and awfully entertaining. In 2010 the roles were pretty much reversed as Kane defended his World Heavyweight Championship inside the steel structure, taking on the man whom he has battered, abused and almost dismembered over the past decade (also his storyline brother), Taker was of course realigned with his former manager (Kane’s storyline father) Paul Bearer for this battle.
As is now traditional the match of the night contender opened proceedings, with Daniel Bryan defending his United Sates Championship against John Morrison and the Miz in a ‘triple threat submissions count anywhere’ brawl. This was a fine example of how to work the crowd, showcase your talents and allow the crowd into the bout.
Next up WWE Champion Randy Orton took on former title holder Sheamus in a fairly decent and involving HIAC scrap. Orton carrying the lesser seasoned Irishman to a superb match. Both used the cell to their advantage and you cold certainly feel the brutal blows as they hit them. The chair shots and use of the steel structure were perfectly utilised to elicit the desired reaction from the crowd in this one.
Edge versus Jack Swagger was an impromptu challenge match, the idea behind it being that Edge had flattened the man dressed as an Eagle (Chavo Guerrero) who accompanied Swagger to the ring and Swagger wanted revenge. Both put in good efforts here and of course Edge’s involvement ensure things ran smoothly.
The John Cena and Nexus battle was in flow still and the following match displayed the way the flow of battle was going for the feud. The stipulation being that if John Cena won Nexus disbanded, if he lost however he had to join the invading group of NXT entrants, all he had to do was beat their leader and NXT winner Wade Barrett . The match was fun, exciting and at times hard to call, the finish was well worked out and worth viewing or two to spot fully.
The Unified Divas Championship cat fight between co-champ Michelle McCool and Natalya had its fair share of exciting moments as well, Natalya leading the way for the always improving McCool. McCool’s co-champion Layla hanging about ringside did have an impact on the ending though.
The aforementioned main event was an at times violent and brutal affair, Kane and Taker battering each other about the ring, cage and anywhere else they could. The years may not have been kind to both men, age and wear and tear on their bodies have limited them, but they did put forth a good match. The returning Paul bearer (after a six year break) and his trusty urn were the only downside as the finish came not only out of the blue, but lost the plot with it’s delivery. However that can’t really diminish just how well the PPV played out.
WWE Hell In a Cell 2010 is available now from www.silvervision.co.uk and all good retailers.
The event is available as a single disc DVD and as a double disc Blu-Ray set.
By Phil Allely
I have mentioned this before but the new WWE PG rated era has had a knock-on effect on the companies output and general product, cage match and gimmicks have especially suffered at the hands of this new family friendly approach to wrestling. A match such as Hell in a Cell of course is somewhat hampered by the remit of no blood and less violence. Luckily sometimes whilst we all wish for some blood and overt/gratuitous behaviour from our in-ring warriors, there are times we don’t miss it too much after all.
The 2010 HIAC pay-per-view had some really interesting matches on its card, three of them inside the cage. The main one being the ten year anniversary of the first HIAC encounter between Kane and Undertaker. Back then Kane was a non-speaking mask wearing monster who had no compassion or fear. Their meetings then were violent, bloody and awfully entertaining. In 2010 the roles were pretty much reversed as Kane defended his World Heavyweight Championship inside the steel structure, taking on the man whom he has battered, abused and almost dismembered over the past decade (also his storyline brother), Taker was of course realigned with his former manager (Kane’s storyline father) Paul Bearer for this battle.
As is now traditional the match of the night contender opened proceedings, with Daniel Bryan defending his United Sates Championship against John Morrison and the Miz in a ‘triple threat submissions count anywhere’ brawl. This was a fine example of how to work the crowd, showcase your talents and allow the crowd into the bout.
Next up WWE Champion Randy Orton took on former title holder Sheamus in a fairly decent and involving HIAC scrap. Orton carrying the lesser seasoned Irishman to a superb match. Both used the cell to their advantage and you cold certainly feel the brutal blows as they hit them. The chair shots and use of the steel structure were perfectly utilised to elicit the desired reaction from the crowd in this one.
Edge versus Jack Swagger was an impromptu challenge match, the idea behind it being that Edge had flattened the man dressed as an Eagle (Chavo Guerrero) who accompanied Swagger to the ring and Swagger wanted revenge. Both put in good efforts here and of course Edge’s involvement ensure things ran smoothly.
The John Cena and Nexus battle was in flow still and the following match displayed the way the flow of battle was going for the feud. The stipulation being that if John Cena won Nexus disbanded, if he lost however he had to join the invading group of NXT entrants, all he had to do was beat their leader and NXT winner Wade Barrett . The match was fun, exciting and at times hard to call, the finish was well worked out and worth viewing or two to spot fully.
The Unified Divas Championship cat fight between co-champ Michelle McCool and Natalya had its fair share of exciting moments as well, Natalya leading the way for the always improving McCool. McCool’s co-champion Layla hanging about ringside did have an impact on the ending though.
The aforementioned main event was an at times violent and brutal affair, Kane and Taker battering each other about the ring, cage and anywhere else they could. The years may not have been kind to both men, age and wear and tear on their bodies have limited them, but they did put forth a good match. The returning Paul bearer (after a six year break) and his trusty urn were the only downside as the finish came not only out of the blue, but lost the plot with it’s delivery. However that can’t really diminish just how well the PPV played out.
WWE Hell In a Cell 2010 is available now from www.silvervision.co.uk and all good retailers.
The event is available as a single disc DVD and as a double disc Blu-Ray set.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
TLC Divas Match 2010 Pics
Friday, 31 December 2010
Awesome Kong to WWE!
According to many sources former TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong has inked a deal with the WWE. A recent arrest could not sway the WWE it seems and Kong will surface there soon. Whether this means a career reignition for her former opponent and fellow ladies division rejuvenator gail Kim is yet to be seen, but signing someone like Kong is a great decision for the WWE, she may not be standard Diva material, but her in ring abilities and skills will help elevate the Divas and give Natalya, Beth Phoenix and Kim the chance to shine.
Thursday, 23 December 2010
WWE TLC 2010 PPV Review
WWE TLC: Tables Ladders & Chairs 2010
WWE TLC 2010 PPV Review
By Phil Allely
Considering the WWE’s current PG orientated programming an event that features tables, ladders and chairs as a theme is one that should justifiably raise a few eyebrows. This year’s effort was a thoroughly decent one and whilst a few of the matches missed their mark, most did the job.
Things kicked off well as Dolph Ziggler put his Intercontinental Title on the line in a ladder match against Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger. All three had their work boots on and happily risked life and limb to entertain. Vickie Guerrero even stepped through the ropes to assist Ziggler. A slightly botched ending couldn’t harm proceeding s, as Kingston and Swagger battled for the belt atop the ladder the strap slipped to the mat between them and into Ziggler’s hands to retain his gold.
Next up the Divas got their teeth into stunt matches, Michelle McCool and Layla facing formidable teammates Beth Phoenix and Natalya in a table match. Both pairings had a great brawl, trading the advantage and proving that the Divas division of the WWE has got some decent workers in it. The ending came after the table refused to break and Natalya had to hit a nice double cross body to put LayCool down through it to ensure the win for her team.
The nexus showed their force in the WWE tag Team Title match, champions Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov were kept on their toes as opponents heath Slater and Justin Gabriel (with assistance from fellow Nexus members Husky Harris and Michael McGillicuty) pulled every rule braking tactic they could out of their arsenal. Kozlov and Marella managed to retain their belts via DQ after a Harris and McGullicuty run in. The Nexus boys beat down the champs afterwards too for good measure.
With a WWE title shot hanging above the ring Sheamus and John Morrison assembled a rather good match up. Battling in and out of the ring they soon took to using a ladder as a weapon and both taking some risky ladder oriented bumps. Morrison pulled off the surprise win and takes one step closer to winning the prestigious WWE Title in doing so.
WWE Champion The Miz (with Alex Riley in tow) faced challenger randy Orton in a Tables match, putting his belt on the line against the unpredictable Orton. The combatants may not have gelled as well as planned, but with Riley in the mix and the table based nature of the bout, there was enough going on to disguise the failings. With Riley’s help Miz was able to retain his gold and take one more win in his quest to defend the belt at Wrestlemania, a re-start couldn’t help Orton’s fate as he finally found himself lying amongst a shattered table courtesy of Miz.
In a TLC match World Heavyweight Champion Kane saw his latest title reign end, but with a decent calibre of opponents to face (Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio) and a very hungry Edge chomping at the bit to win back the belt, the end was pretty much inevitable. With tables, ladders and chairs at their disposal the foursome had a blast tearing down the house with as many set-pieces, dangerous moves and high spots to keep all those in attendance and at home on the edge of their seats. Considering Mysterio’s knee issues and other injuries he played a blinder, Del Rio is fast proving himself to be main event material and Edge and Kane did their veteran bit to perfection. Edge overcoming the competition to climb the ladder and nab the title.
After a brief interlude with The Bella twins, Cody Rhodes and Big Show (as Santa) the action switched to John Cena versus Wade Barrett in a chairs match.
With Cena systematically knocking nexus members down throughout the show Barrett had no one to help him here (even CM Punk on colour commentary sat back and watched). With chairs in hand the Nexus frontman and Cena had a good looking brawl around the ringside area and arena, sometimes slipping back into the ring for a while to rest up and contemplate their next move. The fun ended with a ring full of chairs and a nice looking attitude adjustment by Cena on a prone Barrett for the win. A post match beat down by Cena saw the show end with Barrett lying beneath the ring ramp and Cena celebrating his win.
TLC was a good way for the WWE to round off a year of ups and downs. It was great to see Edge win the Title, John Cena perhaps end his nexus feud and the Divas Division rise to the occasion with a fine tables contest. The lack of blood and overt violence on WWE programming has hampered many match concepts, but the viewing figures are still high and with many big names due to return soon things are looking good for 2011. Roll on the Royal Rumble.
WWE TLC 2010 PPV ReviewBy Phil Allely
Considering the WWE’s current PG orientated programming an event that features tables, ladders and chairs as a theme is one that should justifiably raise a few eyebrows. This year’s effort was a thoroughly decent one and whilst a few of the matches missed their mark, most did the job.
Things kicked off well as Dolph Ziggler put his Intercontinental Title on the line in a ladder match against Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger. All three had their work boots on and happily risked life and limb to entertain. Vickie Guerrero even stepped through the ropes to assist Ziggler. A slightly botched ending couldn’t harm proceeding s, as Kingston and Swagger battled for the belt atop the ladder the strap slipped to the mat between them and into Ziggler’s hands to retain his gold.
Next up the Divas got their teeth into stunt matches, Michelle McCool and Layla facing formidable teammates Beth Phoenix and Natalya in a table match. Both pairings had a great brawl, trading the advantage and proving that the Divas division of the WWE has got some decent workers in it. The ending came after the table refused to break and Natalya had to hit a nice double cross body to put LayCool down through it to ensure the win for her team.
The nexus showed their force in the WWE tag Team Title match, champions Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov were kept on their toes as opponents heath Slater and Justin Gabriel (with assistance from fellow Nexus members Husky Harris and Michael McGillicuty) pulled every rule braking tactic they could out of their arsenal. Kozlov and Marella managed to retain their belts via DQ after a Harris and McGullicuty run in. The Nexus boys beat down the champs afterwards too for good measure.
With a WWE title shot hanging above the ring Sheamus and John Morrison assembled a rather good match up. Battling in and out of the ring they soon took to using a ladder as a weapon and both taking some risky ladder oriented bumps. Morrison pulled off the surprise win and takes one step closer to winning the prestigious WWE Title in doing so.
WWE Champion The Miz (with Alex Riley in tow) faced challenger randy Orton in a Tables match, putting his belt on the line against the unpredictable Orton. The combatants may not have gelled as well as planned, but with Riley in the mix and the table based nature of the bout, there was enough going on to disguise the failings. With Riley’s help Miz was able to retain his gold and take one more win in his quest to defend the belt at Wrestlemania, a re-start couldn’t help Orton’s fate as he finally found himself lying amongst a shattered table courtesy of Miz.
In a TLC match World Heavyweight Champion Kane saw his latest title reign end, but with a decent calibre of opponents to face (Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio) and a very hungry Edge chomping at the bit to win back the belt, the end was pretty much inevitable. With tables, ladders and chairs at their disposal the foursome had a blast tearing down the house with as many set-pieces, dangerous moves and high spots to keep all those in attendance and at home on the edge of their seats. Considering Mysterio’s knee issues and other injuries he played a blinder, Del Rio is fast proving himself to be main event material and Edge and Kane did their veteran bit to perfection. Edge overcoming the competition to climb the ladder and nab the title.
After a brief interlude with The Bella twins, Cody Rhodes and Big Show (as Santa) the action switched to John Cena versus Wade Barrett in a chairs match.
With Cena systematically knocking nexus members down throughout the show Barrett had no one to help him here (even CM Punk on colour commentary sat back and watched). With chairs in hand the Nexus frontman and Cena had a good looking brawl around the ringside area and arena, sometimes slipping back into the ring for a while to rest up and contemplate their next move. The fun ended with a ring full of chairs and a nice looking attitude adjustment by Cena on a prone Barrett for the win. A post match beat down by Cena saw the show end with Barrett lying beneath the ring ramp and Cena celebrating his win.
TLC was a good way for the WWE to round off a year of ups and downs. It was great to see Edge win the Title, John Cena perhaps end his nexus feud and the Divas Division rise to the occasion with a fine tables contest. The lack of blood and overt violence on WWE programming has hampered many match concepts, but the viewing figures are still high and with many big names due to return soon things are looking good for 2011. Roll on the Royal Rumble.
Monday, 29 November 2010
More Smackdown European Tour Nov 2010 Pics
More of my own pics taken during the recent WWE Smackdown European tour, November 2010 @ Odyssey Arena Belfast.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
WWE Live Pictures: Nov 2010 Belfast
A selection of pictures taken during the 2010 European tour by the WWE, at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast November 2010.
By Phil Allely
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