Smackdown Date: January 31, 2014 Location: Huntington Center, Toldeo, Ohio Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield Reviewed by Tommy Hall We're past the Rumble now and two third of the Elimination Chamber are already filled in. There's a chance we might actually get something to happen tonight with the final two spots being taken. On top of that there's the interesting case of CM Punk who has walked out on the company which may or may not be a work. Let's get to it.

Here is the preview http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2014-01-31/five-point-preview-26179111

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azwCIezpWzI Our 50th episode!  And yes, there was a video game version of Suburban Commando. I actually watched this video last night and then went to Hulu to watch No Holds Barred, but amazingly the video would not play, as I can only surmise that my PS3 had enough of Hulk Hogan for one night.  

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2240046/?ref_=nv_sr_1 God DAMMIT, I knew that Shane Douglas would unleash the zombie apocalypse one of these days.  He is just the worst.  At least we've got Roddy Piper and Jim Duggan on our side.

This is the second and final disc of the shoot. It runs for one hour and forty-seven minutes. If you have not read the recap for Disc One yet, click on the link below. http://www.rspwfaq.net/2014/01/highspots-presents-brian-kendrick-paul.html

Happy Friday BoD'ers! Surely Punk has been catching up on his sleep and his video games this morning while frantically looking for Kelly Kelly's number since apparently she always wanted him to apply the anaconda vice. Yep I bet you this time off thing is going just as planned. As for the rest of us, we'll just watch some of the matches we gave him and hopes he gets sick of running through some past flings. Speaking of which, I saw somewhere that apparently Maria is a smoker...and that surprised me a little. Be warned, she might not age well. Anyway back to this match. Sometimes Punk didn't win the match but he was the story of the match due to his charisma and the brilliance of his heel persona. Here is one of those cases as he's locked in the 2011 Elimination Chamber with Sheamus, John Cena, Randy Orton, R-Trtuth and John Morrison. Speaking of Morrison...please...come back...thanks. Enjoy.

Scott, With all the hub-bub about Punk and expected speculation, I went the opposite route for Eric Gargiulo's CCB and looked at his past, his WWE resume of best matches. Thought it'd be good debate fodder (which is, admittedly, a good reason to write anything) http://camelclutchblog.com/cm-punk-best-wwe-matches/

Potential WWE On-Screen Role For Sting If Sting does in fact choose to sign with the WWE, one idea being pitched is for him to be the RAW GM. Credit Bryan Alvarez, F4WOnline.com Fans Chant for CM Punk at Last Night's NXT Taping At last night's tapings, there were loud chants for Punk and all signs about him were being confiscated. At one point, the producers of the show tried to lead the crowd into an "NXT" chant and instead they chanted for Punk. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com WWE Stock Prices Continue to Rise Yesterday, the stock closed at $23.22 per share, among the highest it has been since the company went public. Credit Dave Meltzer, F4WOnline.com KENTA To Make Announcement About His Future Monday Night He will address the crowd at the Pro Wrestling NOAH show in Korauken Hall in regards to his future in pro wrestling. Credit Dave Meltzer, F4WOnline.com

CM Punk Still At Home Likely banging hot chicks and possibly playing Battlefield with Kofi Kingston. Source: Your Mom Daniel Bryan Likely Involved In A Match At Wrestlemania. Or maybe not. Whatever. Source: Common Sense There, that should be good for a few thousand hits off Google.

Impact Wrestling Date: January 30, 2014 Location: Hydro Arena, Glasgow, Scotland Commentators: Mike Tenay, Jeremy Borash Reviewed by Tommy Hall Now stop me if you've heard this before, but tonight we find out who the new power is in TNA to oppose the current power. The big question is who will it be, with names such as MVP, Sting, AJ Styles and Billy Corgan being thrown out as possible storyline investors in TNA. Either way they seem to have the American Wolves as backup so they can't be all bad. Let's get to it.

What is the proper way for the wrestlers to react when the crowd is brutally turning on their match a la Brock/Goldberg or Sunday's Orton/Cena? Just going about your match as if it's not happening doesn't seem like the way to handle it. Neither does clamping a chinlock or bearhug for a while and hoping it blows over. So from the performers' perspective, what's the best thing to do in that spot? And do they get any direction from Vince/HHH either before, or during the match via the referee?   Signed, Dave Batista (just kidding)   Signed, Randy Orton There are actually a lot of varying ways for guys to deal with it.  Generally guys will in fact just clamp on a headlock or chinlock, because part of the deal with being a main event guy is that you dictate the crowd reactions and not vice-versa.  If it's a case like Benoit v. Malenko at Hog Wild where the crowd just doesn't give a shit and aren't fans to begin wit...

Hey Scott, Curious about the Vader/Simmons title switch in 1992. WCW/NWA always had long heel runs as chance, or at least normally. The face runs seemed to be pretty short. So why the Vader/Ron Simmons switch? Vader had just destroyed Sting not even a month prior and was a huge monster. In less than a month, Ron Simmons wins giving us him vs. Barbarian at Halloween Havoc? Doesn't make any sense. My only guess was either a: Vader's Japan schedule, or b: Watts was so sick of the racist talk that Simmons was given the strap as political play (not saying Simmons didn't deserve a run, the pop was pretty big after he won the belt). He was trying to recreate the magic of the Junkyard Dog from 10 years before in Mid-South, where the black champion turned the territory around.  Needless to say, Ron Simmons did not have the charisma that JYD did.  Plus, as you noted, Watts was trying to show how not racist he was.  As with most things in Bill's reign in WCW, the whole d...

Here are your choices as selected by your BoD Rumble Winner, Cultstatus: Scott Hall, Volume 1 http://www.rfvideo.com/shootwithscotthall.aspx 1993 WWF Timeline as told by Lex Luger http://kayfabecommentaries.com/DVD_TL_1993.html The Outsiders http://www.rfvideo.com/shootwiththeoutsiders.aspx Voting by clicking on the link below. Voting ends at 8pm Saturday Night. http://poll.pollcode.com/8423713

Tonight, the new investor is revealed as TNA is broadcasts from Glasgow, Scotland

h ey Scott, I know it sucks that punk is gone for awhile and we all miss out as fans, but if the most recent up to the minute reports are true that he walked away because hhh wasn't good enough for his mania30 match, and now hhh is legit pissed while Vince doesn't really care and is willing to work with punk again anytime 1)how beautiful of a slap in the face to hhh is that, punk just completely no sold that dudes whole career and 2) how great would it be if hhh tries to bury him on raw and the crowd shits on him again 3) does this make punk the iwc GOAT Thanks man, you're the best! There is a certain hilarity to Punk having his dream match with Austin denied and thus leaving over having to face HHH instead.  Although like Meltzer was talking about this morning, Punk is a bit of a crazed perfectionist, and he's been frustrated in the past by things not going exactly the way he wants them, so this could be something playing into that.   Also, while the idea...

Hey Scott,  I wanted to go a different direction than all the CM Punk/Daniel Bryan talk just for a change of pace.  1) Why would KENTA want to sign with WWE? He's already one of the best wrestlers in the world and has held every belt in NOAH. If he wanted to change direction, why not go to NJPW? Wouldn't that fit his style better rather than go into the WWE developmental system, have all his strengths turned into weaknesses, have Go 2 Sleep taken away, and be Joe McKenta?  2) Why would Prince Devitt seriously consider the WWE? He's one of the top stars of NJPW and I can't imagine the WWE just putting him on the roster without going through the developmental process.  Since you're a NXT fan, here's a bonus question...have you had a chance to see Kalisto or Solomon Crowe yet? If so, what are your thoughts on them? Why haven't Sami Zayne and Kalisto had an epic best of three series yet?  1.  Because he's getting older and WWE is where the mo...

NXT Date: January 29, 2014 Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida Commentators: Tom Phillips, Alex Riley, William Regal Reviewed by Tommy Hall We're coming up on the big live show in about a month with Neville earning a title shot against champion Bo Dallas by surviving last week's Beat the Clock match. Other than that we've got Sami Zayn trying to get another 2/3 falls match against Antonio Cesaro but Antonio doesn't seem all that interested. Let's get to it.

As C.M. Punk is surely enjoying his first bath in healing salts and hoping to find that cattle prod before Lita stops by, the rest of us are still distraught over his departure and must look at old matches to get our fix. Today we'll go back a few years and go to Summerslam 2009 where CM Punk was wearing the awesome taped fist shirt (one of which I am a proud owner of) and trying to regain the World Heavyweight Championship from Jeff Hardy in a TLC Match. Oh my.

> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYxv72zHYWc Well you knew this would happen.

This is a two-disc set that was released in 2010. This post only contains disc one as I will post the second disc tomorrow. Disc One runs for one hour and thirty minutes The interview starts with both men passing around a joint, already stoned. They are also drinking.

> > Why did Curtis Hughes always have a job for a major company in the 90s? I don't get his appeal, as it seems there were plenty of other guys who were better than him whom could fit his desired role. Whether it was bodyguard (Nash, Sid), big man (Vader, Kamala), or tough black guy (Ron Simmons, Butch Reed, Michael Hayes). So do you have any idea who he knew and what he witnessed to always be employed? > I don't know how you can call Nash or Sid better workers than Hughes with a straight face. Hughes was fine for a big man. And he had friends.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/pro-wrestling/toby-keith-jeff-jarrett-camps-tight-lipped-on-possible-pro-wrestling-partnership-1.6907113 It's Nashville Wrestling, where the lead babyface has a cheating wife, drives a Ford truck, and drinks a lot of beer!    Come to think of it, that worked pretty well for another guy...

I have no idea what's happening with Disqus and I've tweeted their helpdesk for assistance, but it seems to be happening to other Blogger sites using them as well.  Although apparently some people on this very site CAN access comments because they're showing up in the moderation panel here and there.  So I'm confused.   Oddly, I can also access comments when I'm using the mobile version via 3G.  So I'm double confused.  

CM Punk Update There has not been any word as to what the definite reason was that led to Punk leaving. Punk had been upset over creative differences and money, as well as being unhappy that he was being programmed in a feud with HHH. As far as the rumor about him leaving over Batista, Punk likes Batista and is not mad that he is coming back and challenging for the belt, because unlike The Rock, Batista is coming back for a full-time run. The reason that the Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio match on RAW lasted as long as it did was that they used that to cover the time that was originally laid out for Punk's interview. The consensus among the WWE is that he left due to a combination of burnout and injuries. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hulk Hogan's WrestleMania Role Revealed As of right now, Hogan is scheduled to be the host of WrestleMania. Hogan is not allowed to do anything in the ring and a source told Dave Meltzer that it was due to Hogan n...

The Masked Reviewer takes a look at two Scooby Doo cartoons that share the same name.

Monday Nitro #153 Date: September 7, 1998 Location: Pensecola Civic Center, Pensecola, Florida Attendance: 6,379 Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, Bobby Heenan, Mike Tenay Reviewed by Tommy Hall It's the go home show for Nitro and the main story is of course the Warrior taking out the NWO with his sleeping gas that doesn't work on either himself or Hogan. The big story coming into tonight is Page giving his answer to the Wolfpack who gave him until tonight to decide about joining. The main event for tonight is Dean Malenko vs. Curt Hennig in a cage, which is a pretty smart idea actually. “You think this is awesome? This Sunday it's twice as much carnage!” Let's get to it.

The SmarK Rant for WWE NXT – 01.29.14 First rant on my new (for me) Vaio! I hope you’re as excited as I am. Taped from Orlando, FL Your hosts are Alex Riley, Tom Phillips & William Regal

In this new episode of the PTB Podcast, Scott & Justin are in the Vintage Vault and joined by Scott Keith to chat SummerSlam 2001. They discuss X-Pac, Edge, Rob Van Dam, Undertaker, Steve Austin and much, much more. So fire up this action packed episode and join Scott and Justin because it is time for another edition of the PTB Podcast! http://placetobenation.com/place-to-be-podcast-episode-289-summerslam-2001/ Check out more from the Place to Be Podcast right here at Place to Be Nation including interviews with Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino, J.J. Dillon, Scott Keith, Christopher Robin Zimmerman, Christopher Daniels, Gary Michael Cappetta, Scott Hudson, Bruno Lauer, Stevie Richards, Eddie Edwards and many, many more. Don't forget to check out our other great podcasts - only at Place to Be Nation! http://placetobenation.com/podcasts/ Also, the PTB Podcast is available on the Stitcher Radio app! Visit www.stitcher.com for more information! Don’t forget to follow...

And I wanted to take a break from this until after Elimination Chamber, damn you Phil! As a send off to our favorite pipe-bomb laying, diva-fucking, straight-edged wrestling savant, here are a few of CM Punk's greatest hits. First up, what else but 2011 Money in the Bank vs. John Cena. A five-star affair if there ever was one. Rest up Punk, we'll be here when you get back.

And away we go…

Seems like WWE is going full heel with Batista, judging by that popped pink collar.  http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2014-01-27/the-coolest-things-batista-has-ever-worn-photos Yeah, Batista basically sunk all his money into his closet.  But then you can't argue with the results, Diva-wise.  

CM Punk Update As of right now, the belief among many in the company is that CM Punk is no longer factored in company plans going forward. Vince McMahon also called the writers in at 6pm to re-write the show, which originally had Punk lose an Elimination Chamber qualifying match due to interference from Kane. Punk's contract is set to expire in July. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com Wrestlers Worried Over Payouts When the Network Launches? According to Wade Keller's sources, lots of wrestlers are worried that the pay structure will change when the network begins. Most of them believe that PPV bonuses will no longer take place. Also, WWE mangement has yet to address the issue to the locker room. Credit Wade Keller, PWTorch Newsletter Matt Hardy and Reby Sky Arrested They were both arrested for a domestic battery incident that took place at a hotel in Virginia. http://www.examiner.com/article/matt-hardy-and-reby-sky-arrested-for-domestic-battery

Hi Scott, When did WWE forget how to film wrestling matches? I'm sure you know what I'm referring to: for quite a while now, whenever someone is about to hit a big move (even certain finishers) the camera angle changes right at the point of contact so that you don't really see the move happen. This happens way too much to be an accident. Do the directors in the booth (or Vince) really think this is appealing? Hope you can shed some light on the subject. Sorry about the lack of Daniel Bryan in this email. Yeah, I've noticed the ADD camerawork in the HD era as well, and I think it has to do with a change in the directing staff.  It'll probably get worse when Hunter takes over and turfs out Kevin Dunn as well.  I think the real problem is just like with the lack of indies, in that they're running out of experienced cameramen and directors who know how to shoot WRESTLING and not just whatever WWE tells them to.  

http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/96-wwe/35188-more-on-cm-punk Punk decided to take his ball and go home, obviously jealous of all the attention that Bryan has been getting here on the blog as of late. WE STILL LOVE YOU TOO, PHIL!  C'mere, big guy, let's hug it out. I bet HHH is walking around Stamford right now being all "Fuck, I was gonna put him over at Wrestlemania so huge, too.  Oh well, his loss."  

http://www.cnet.com/laptops/sony-vaio-f-series/4507-3121_7-34122581.html Bought for $150 from my friend at work to replace the Asus because the power connector is too loose to charge reliably.  

October 5th, 1985 Your hosts are Jesse Ventura and Vince McMahon Tonight, Hulk Hogan defends his World Heavyweight Title against Nikolai Volkoff in a Flag Match. Also, Uncle Elmer takes on Jerry Valiant then later on in the show, he will get married. Plus, Roddy Piper vs. Paul Orndorff, The Dream Team against Lanny Poffo & Tony Garea, and Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy vs. Andre the Giant & Tony Atlas

Or is there massive money in Batista/Bryan for the belt at wrestlemania?  When Bryan won the WHC, Batista had that whole twitter rant about Bryan being good, just not world champion material.  Throw in his bro hug with HHH, and it's like the story is writing itself.  Batista as a heel is far more a believable avatar for HHH/Vince then anything else they've had in the while.  It's almost like they don't just hate the fans , but they hate money, apparently. Sent from my iPhone I feel like they've been hating indiscriminately lately.   But as noted, rumors are currently Bryan v. Orton v. Batista for WM in the "Match booked to shut up the smart fans" column.  Which is fine by me.  

According to Dave Scherer of PWInsider.com, the WWE is now considering Daniel Bryan facing both Batista and Randy Orton at WrestleMania for the Heavyweight Championship. This is reportedly the result of the overwhelming response for Bryan the past two shows and also partly due to fear that the crowd will hijack the show with Daniel Bryan chants. One big thing to note is that Batista was promised the Rumble and a main event match at WrestleMania when he re-signed with the company. There is also some speculation that Bryan winning the belt and being on RAW the day the network debuts would boost ratings.

Hi, Scott! Today is my 20th anniversary as a pro wrestling announcer. You reviewed one of my shows (ROH Glory By Honor). You'll be happy to know that last time I called an MMA show, I used the phrase "AIRHORN OF DOOM." To celebrate, I made this video called "The Four Steps to Becoming a Great Pro Wrestling Announcer." Would you mind sharing it with the BoD? Thanks. http://bit.ly/1jnIZuZ   Jeff Gorman 

Original Plan for Last Night's RAW The original plan was for RAW to feature qualifiying matches for the Elimination Chamber match. Reportedly, there were ten different versions of the script throughout the course of the day Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com CM Punk Update Originally, Punk was planned to cut a promo on Kane about being attacked at the Royal Rumble match but that idea was dropped at some point yesterday. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com Why Did Daniel Bryan's Promo Lead off RAW? According to a source, the decision was made to put Bryan in the opening segment with the idea that if the crowd saw him first, they wouldn't hijack other portions of the show by chanting his name. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com

- A video package recaps the big events at last night’s WrestleMania pay-per-view. - Jim Ross and Michael Cole are in the booth and they are live from Albany, New York.

http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/35175-1983-snuka-case-goes-to-grand-jury Having read that book about Nancy recently, I'm glad that Snuka might finally be facing justice.

If you don't count battle royals and celebrities, the only people to headline a WCW PPV in their last three years that never had before are Goldberg and Kronik (who were squashed by Goldberg in a three minute match). Since The Miz headlined WrestleMania XXVII roughly three years ago, the only fresh face WWE has put in a PPV main event is John Laurinaitis. That's probably not good, right? ​Well, and Daniel Bryan as well, let's not forget to mention him a million times today. But really, isn't there a famous saying about how if you do the same stuff over and over again and expect a different result then something really good happens?  I forget how that one goes.  

> > Frankly, I'm getting tired of the constant bitching about D-Bry. In three and a half years with WWE he's gone from being an undersized indie worker to the most popular performer in the company and a three time world champion, tag team champion, money in the bank winner, and US champion. I'm not saying "give it time", but give it time. > > Now, on to totally random hypothetical questions that I'd love your/the board's thoughts on: > > 1. What if Magnum TA didn't get into a car accident? > 2. What if Brock Lesnar signed with WCW instead of the WWF (if I recall correctly, WCW was heavily scouting him as well). > 3. What if the Radicals (I refuse to use the "z") didn't leave WCW when Bischoff gave them their releases? > As a wise man once rapped, your time is up, my time is now. 1. He would have done well. 2. Given he spent 2001 in the WWE developmental system anyway, not much would h...

Update on Last Night's RAW Changes According to Dave Meltzer, He got a text from a source stating that the writers were called in at 3:09pm to re-write the show. Bryan Alvarez also reported that a source told him that the original script did not include the opening promo by Daniel Bryan. Credit Dave Meltzer & Bryan Alvarez, Wrestling Observer Radio Sting Update As of right now, the WWE is negotiating with Sting. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, they are discussing how he will be used, the schedule he will work, and what he is willing to do. He states that the WWE would like for him to make a decision about the offer in the next few weeks. Johnson also reports that there have been no discussions about Sting wrestling the Undertaker this year and there is a feeling among those in the WWE that Sting is the face of WCW and he can be used to help sell the network. Johnson reiterated the fact that Sting to the WWE is not set in stone. Credit Mike Joh...

Hi Scott, Whether you answer this or not, I'd like to pose a quick question about Batista. Under the kayfabe assumption, what exactly is there for the casual fan to like about this guy?  What should give the "casual fan" any incentive to root for a guy that has: A) Been gone for four years and immediately demands a title match 2)  Looks/talks/sounds like an asshole D) Hugs HHH At least with even John Cena, you can point to reasons why a "mark" should like the guy...but BATISTA? Joe Finding a reason to root for ANY of the selfish assholes who inhabit the WWE main event scene has been a real problem for years now, which is probably why people like Daniel Bryan so much.  

WARNING: Due to the unanimous feelings about the reaction to last night's Royal Rumble, this RAW will contain what is certain to be a running gag that will get old fast. If you don't like it, I won't do it again, but I just want to make sure I get the temperature of the Internet correct.

Well that was heck of a PPV wasn't it. No matter what side of the fence you were on about it, it definitely proved not to be boring thanks in part to a crowd that just wasn't going to have it. So a couple of thoughts coming out of one of the more interesting cards in a while. -- No problem with the NAO holding the tag straps for a transitional period but get it off of them before Wrestlemania please. Probably was the right time for the Brothers Rhodes to lose the belts but probably not the right team. I don't think anyone wants to see them fight either and I don't think there's room for Cody to be a heel again and gain any traction. -- Bray Wyatt has game and I'm actually excited to see him work with Cena now. I think they can have a hell of a match and I believe Cena will work his ass off to get the best of out Bray. -- I'm worried about CM Punk. He was really off his game last night from what I've come to expect. hHe was holding his knee and grim...

Daniel Bryan Plans for the Royal Rumble Match? At no point was Bryan considered as a participant for the Rumble match. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com Vince and HHH's Reaction to Crowd Noise from the Rumble? Vince and HHH both acknowledged the noise backstage. However, there are no current plans to change their WrestleMania plans as a result. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com Who Put Together the Rumble Match? Jamie Noble was the agent for the Rumble match. They did not go through the match until 6:00pm last night, with some wrestlers stating that they could have done a better job if they had went through the spots earlier in the day. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3qYOyH8JE Hey Scott, Episode #50 of the Funtime Arcade drops this Friday, but we have a special week of bonus content, including a podcast, audio commentaries, and this video, a look at what wrestler has appeared in the most games (spoiler: it's not Hulk Hogan).  Thanks for the support! Is it Daniel Bryan?   It's Daniel Bryan I bet.  

> > Appreciate that there's a big difference in scale, sequence of events and the players involved but how does the current revolt for Daniel Bryan these days compare to the "We Want Flair" chants in WCW/NWA during the Jim Herd era? Just in terms of the crowd rejecting the product in front of them in favour of a specific person - the outpouring of support and chants during TV and pay per view. Was it as disruptive and overwhelming as the Bryan stuff is today? I didn't see a lot of that era growing up, was a staunch WWF kid. > Not so much in the Herd era, no. Everyone knew Flair was coming back eventually. The real damage was in 1998 when Bischoff tried to fire him and the fan base revolted on live TV every week. THAT was a bigger embarrassment.

> Over the last couple of years, we've seen that the die hard fans who have traveled from all over to come to WrestleMania stick around for the following night's Raw. > > If the Royal Rumble was a harsh lesson in crowd psychology, what the hell are we going to get the night after WrestleMania if anybody but Daniel Bryan walks into that building with the WWE Title? Smarkageddon.

Hey Scott. I just posted a blog entry on my site discussing last night's crowd reaction, and I thought it might be worth sharing with the BoD: http://toddlorenz.com/thoughts/listen_to_your_audience/ Best to you and yours, as always. Todd Lorenz toddlorenz.com

Writing about Raw on a weekly basis became tiresome within a couple of months because after a few weeks of awesomeness of Daniel Bryan fighting the machine, it stopped being interesting enough to give me an angle from which to approach it. (That, and I prefer to drink with my friends while watching wrestling. It's not only more fun, but ensures I'll fall asleep at a decent time when I have to work the next day. But that's another story.) 

Last night's Royal Rumble was...how shall I put it....controversial? Polarizing? However you want to put it, it sure did create a stir on the internet and other media sources. I, personally, thought that the show as a whole was a mild thumbs up, with Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt giving us match of the night honors. It also stirred a question in my mind that I thought would make good blog conversation fodder. Would we rather have a very high match quality, or would we rather have booking decisions that make sense? If you had just seen a ***** match where the wrong guy went over, are you more or less forgiving? Conversely, if you had seen a DUD where the right guy went over, are you still disappointed that the match stunk? I'm a match quality guy, and that's all I want to see when I watch a show. It doesn't matter to me who goes over because in the end, I can rewatch an excellent match. But the Blog of Doom is filled with contradictory viewpoints, and I welcome yours h...

Scott,         Here's an idea to tie up every loose end and actually save face for Bryan.  On Raw, the Authority hosts a celebration for Batista, which of course is SHITTED on by the live crowd.  Out comes Bryan who immediately gets chastised by the H's.  Batista says the fans ruined his moment and he blames Bryan.  Bryan says he's only out because he got a message from @realauthority to be out there.  Suddenly a G-TV type video plays showing Triple H hand Batista the #28 and telling him "dont worry about anything, I got Kane on it, and Bryan wont be there."  Triple H is obviously furious and demands to know who it was playing the video when, "NO CHANCE!!!" starts playing.  Vince struts out and says the only time he never "fixed" a Rumble AND he won one!  He says due to the footage he has no choice but to VOID the Rumble!   He says that Batista will be one of 6-men in the Elimination Chamber match with the winner facing the WWE World Heav...

How much would have the building & Twitter exploded if @reymysterio took off his mask & it was @WWEDanielBryan #RoyalRumble — Tommy Dreamer (@THETOMMYDREAMER) January 27, 2014

Sure you're inundated with Bryan emails today. My reaction is really that I'm surprised I was surprised. I don't know why I keep thinking they're going to do anything different. http://stholeary.blogspot.com/2014/01/vince-mcmahon-is-not-this-stupid-right.html Like I said before the show even started, Vince is just gonna dig in even harder now.  

The D-Bry burial has reached mainstream media over here in the UK with first the BBC and now the independent (a reasonably respected paper) running stories on it http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/mick-foley-disgusted-with-the-wwe-after-royal-rumble-2014-do-they-hate-their-own-audience-9088076.html?origin=internalSearch http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/25911039 They're not the type of outlets that run non-death wrestling stories so for them to run these is pretty crazy.  Any chance that a) Its all a work b) Vince sees the negative publicity and re-writes the next few weeks of TV to build to Bryan leaving XXX with the belt?  (I'm assuming no but like Cena, I'm never giving up)   Honestly, at this point they should just have him go out there and beat Orton for the title tonight so that everyone can get it out of their system.  Because otherwise this is gonna get worse and worse for them.  

WWE.com RAW Preview http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2014-01-27/raw-five-point-preview-jan-27-2014-26178028 Casting Change for "Total Divas" Jo Jo has been replaced by Summer Rae http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/96-wwe/35145-new-cast-member-for-total-divas Royal Rumble Injury Notes As of now, there have not been any injuries reported from last night's show. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio

The SmarK Rant for WWE Royal Rumble 2014 Aka A Harsh Lesson in Crowd Psychology. Live from Pittsburgh, PA Your hosts are Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler & JBL I’m trying this on the WWE app, even without Michael Cole instructing me how to do it! In the pre-game match, the New Age Outlaws actually get a sixth tag title in a decent match, thus ending the reign of Cody & Goldust in the most underwhelming way possible. But first, to the mailbag! So far, everyone seems to think it's a surefire bet that Batista is winning the Rumble, and then going on to headline Mania against either Cena or Orton. But Batista, in his skinny jeans, Justin Bieber sweater, and nose stud looked like King Douche of Douche Mountain last week. If he wins the Rumble, that will be going against everything the fans actually want to see.  That seems like a recipe for the fans to almost immediately turn on the guy.  And Batista vs. either Orton/Cena as the main event of Mania seems like the most boring t...

Yeah, it's just a bunch of whiny smarks who love Daniel Bryan and Batista is the real star and ratings mover.  Sure.   Rant coming right away, but I have to rewatch Bryan v. Wyatt because I missed most of it.  

Pre-show is less than a minute away.  IT'S TIME TO RUMBLE!

Its now time for the BoD Rumble After multiple attempts, I have shortened this and basically trashed everyone, myself included. If you are offended, you shouldnt be.

okay scott, please continue predicting everything DB-related: 1) how many IWCers are gonna threat to never watch WWE again if Bryan doesnt win/enter the rumble? 2) how many are gonna cry about Vince not listening to the fans? 3) how many are gonna jump off a bridge if Bryan doesnt win/enter the rumble? 1.  Lex Luger. 2.  No, I didn't see the latest NJPW PPV yet, sadly.  Heard it was awesome. 3.  Frank Stallone, although the original plan was Horace Hogan. With that out of the way, I will in fact be trying the new hotness by ordering the Rumble via the WWE App on iPad, so we'll see how that goes in preparation for the network.  I was a little annoyed in that I tried to order on WWE.com directly, but they don't take Paypal for online PPV, only credit card.  Since I have Apple monies at the moment, I figured I'd try that.  

Go nuts with anything Royal Rumble related.

October 5, 1985 Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon Tonight, the Tag Team Titles are on the line as Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake defend their titles against the British Bulldogs. Also in action are the Missing Link, Cousin Junior, the Hart Foundation and the team of Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy.

Scott, I think the blog might appreciate this one: Holy SHIT, why have I never seen this one before?

**WARNING - The following topic is NOT about Daniel Bryan. Please be warned.** Hey guys, Found this cool interview with EZ E back from 2001. For any of you anoraks out there (would there REALLY be any wrestling anoraks in a place like this?), you'd understand the significance of this date. Eric was in the process of buying out WCW with the assistance of Fusient Media Ventures. He planned on closing WCW for a short period, then re-opening with a PPV known as 'The Big Bang - The Creation of the New WCW'.

I know you are probably tired of this topic but I still can't believe this company wouldn't capitalize on Bryan's popularity at Mania.  It is about 99% that we are getting Orton vs Batista for the title at Mania and it boggles my mind that they would rather run that match when they have a huge rematch in Cena vs Bryan right there for the taking on a silver platter(Cena wins Sunday, Bryan wins Rumble...simple).  The Mania crowd would go absolutely insane for that main event.  And we all know Orton vs Batista will be Orton vs H and Jericho vs H all over again.  There is no way this company DOESN'T think the fans, especially the Mania crowd, will take a huge dump on that match.  I just can't believe they would bypass a huge opportunity like this.  Bryan finally winning the title would be a huge 'Mania moment'  I can't think of a better way for Mania to end other than all those fans chanting 'YES' as loud as they can as the show goes off the air. ...

Let me preface this by saying I am in no way claiming that Bryan is capable of being a breakout star the way Austin was; he isn't.  That said, the Sheamus/Bryan rumor has me thinking that WWE is really, truly, not-working-us missing the point. Austin got huge because he tapped into something basically everyone could identify with: he wanted to kick his boss' ass and drink beer. So did we, only in real life that's less of an option. Now, in the current economy, you know what people really identify with and latch onto? The guy who busts his ass and tries his hardest, but keeps getting screwed over by a system that caters to rich, corrupt assholes. There's a reason Bryan's getting the biggest crowd reactions in a decade, and I'm pretty sure that's it; he taps into something real, just like Austin did.  The problem, then, is that WWE doesn't get the last part of that formula (at least not yet). We loved Austin from the jump, but what REALLY made him a ...

On tap for tonight: UFC on Fox NBA Action NHL Action College Basketball HBO Boxing with Mikey Garcia vs. Juan Carlos Burgos SNL is new tonight with host Jonah Hill and musical guest Bastille Also, the London & Kendrick shoot interview won the poll with 54% of the vote. The recap will be posted Thursday afternoon.

Accepting that Boretista probably wins, I'm still intrigued by the off chance they listen to the crowds and go with Bryan.  However, if he's not even going to be in the Rumble match, I don't see a reason to spend $55 and find out.  Is this a buy or no buy? I'll probably get it. It's just such a hard show to fuck up. You really need to be dedicated to doing so.  

> > I've got it! A Royal Rumble finish that's never been done before! > > The final two men in the ring are CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. Suddenly, > the lights go out, and the Wyatt Family storm the ring, throw both > Bryan and Punk out of the ring THROUGH the ropes, and kidnap them. > The show goes off the air with the announcers wondering what the hell > was going on. > > Immediately after the show, HHH releases a message on WWE.com saying > that, because there was no winner to the Royal Rumble, they would redo > the entire thing tomorrow night on Monday Night Raw to decide the > person that will MAIN EVENT WRESTLEMANIA! > > Since there will be, in essence, no more PPVs to worry about selling > after this show, this would be the perfect way to both end the PPV era > and pop a rating for the next night's show (plus fill a large swath of > three hours with some content) > > Thoughts on this b...

This from a Rob: Here's a mulitpart WRESTLING question for you to use.  Hopefully it'll break the odd direction the QOTD has been trending. With the Grand Poobah upon us, what is your favorite Wrestlemania story line?  There are so many, Austin/Rock, Savage/Hogan, Warrior/Savage, Taker/Shawn, Austin/Tyson/Michaels and so on.   Part 2: Wrestlemania used to be a culmination of the WWEs storytelling year.  Now it seems that it's primarily a show that's booked within the normal context of storyline developments, just with more star power.  Is this a good move?

Thunder Date: September 3, 1998 Location: Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Illinois Attendance: 7,128 Commentators: Lee Marshall, Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan Reviewed by Tommy Hall It's a taped show this week, meaning odds are there isn't going to be much in the way of storyline advancement. Then again this is Thunder so it's not like anything ever really happens here anyway. We're closing in on Fall Brawl with just ten days to go, meaning we can start to fill in the rest of the card. Let's get to it.

Watched the new DC animated movie "Justice League: War" last night, and it really felt like a weaker version of their universe after blowing through better stuff on Netflix like "Doom" and "Batman Year One".  The voices really threw me off, with the awesome Nathan Fillion replaced as Green Lantern by some guy, and the usual crew of George "Superman" Newbern and Kevin "Batman" Conroy nowhere to be found.  Instead we got Wash as Superman and the guy from Life On Mars as Batman.  Really off-putting.  It's very very faithful to the terrible first arc of Justice League, complete with Hal Jordan being a total douchebag for some reason.  Oh, and they replaced Aquaman with Shazam, which I don't get.  Also, this wouldn't normally bug me, but it's REALLY violent.  Like, Wonder Woman graphically murders hundreds of Parademons in some pretty scary ways and they just treat it like it's no big thing.  Not to mention the League...

The deluge of e-mails continues…

Daniel Bryan's WrestleMania Plans Set? Right now, the plan for Bryan is to face off against Sheamus at WrestleMania. Credit Mike Johnson, PWInsider.com Ultimate Warrior Wrestling in the WWE? Right now, there is talk within the WWE that the Warrior will be working one match as part of his new deal with the company. One opponent being discussed is Ryback. Credit Bryan Alvarez, Figure Four Weekly Newsletter Kurt Angle to Return to the WWE as a Trainer for NXT When TNA Contract Expires? There is a belief in the WWE that Angle will be returning to the company when his contract expires as a trainer, with the reason being that he would not be able to pass the company physical to wrestle. Credit Bryan Alvarez, Figure Four Weekly Newsletter Vince Russo Back in TNA? Several sources have told PWInsider's Mike Johnson that they believe Russo is back with the company in some aspect, possibly as a creative consultant. Johnson himself reported that he e-mailed Eric ...

I have no idea when or if you'll get around to reading this. Something I find slightly humorous is that since Summerslam maybe slightly before when they really starting going strong with this Daniel Bryan push is that all of the fanboys on the internet are VERY invested in this guy. Its almost like they're eight years old and its the eighties again.  Daniel gets a title shot and they all love and cheer it as the greatest thing ever, HHH turns on him and they all despise him, Daniel Bryan does a heel turn and joins the Wyatts and they react how five year olds would have reacted if Hogan joined the Heenan Family.  Its very funny to me to watch these proud smarks get reduced to nothing more than marks when it comes to their favorite wrestler. Also I don't remember ANYONE getting this invested in CM Punk and say what you want but CM Punk got a lot stronger of a push and never got the reactions Bryan got. Of course the last year or so he's just a guy going through th...

Smackdown Date: January 24, 2014 Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan Commentators: John Bradshaw Layfield, Josh Matthews Reviewed by Tommy Hall It's the go home show for the Rumble and not a lot changed this past week on Raw. Batista is back and apparently people are still interested in him, meaning I can't imagine anyone else taking the Rumble at this point. Since it's Friday, I'm guessing we'll be getting a big tag match to close out the week. Let's get to it.

Post your comments on the last WWE show before the Royal Rumble.

Hey Scott! Steven Graham ranked his top 25 Royal Rumble matches of all time! Thought it would be a good discussion topic for the old blog. Talk to you soon! http://placetobenation.com/the-top-25-matches-in-royal-rumble-history/ Indeed, I will be on the Place To Be podcast January 29, discussing Summerslam 2001.  

So we all know Batista's winning the Rumble, BUT if they wanted Bryan to do it, it actually sets up a great Batista/Bryan program.  Have Batista enter early and dominate. Have him beat on Bryan when Bryan comes in around 20-whatever (since Bryan already had a match). Have him get distracted by Alberto (or whoever you want him to murder on RAW) and Bryan gets him from behind, goes on to win the Rumble.  Batista's furious, cuts a promo the next night on Raw about how he's gonna kill Bryan, blah blah blah. Real heel promo too, whining and playing exactly the entitled upper-carder the internet paints him as. Have him bitch about his "spot", and just really lean into the entitled douche thing. HHH puts him in the Chamber, for the title, to placate him. Meanwhile, Bryan has to fight whoever at EC. Or, Hell, if they're dead set on having two Chamber matches, have one be for the belt and the other be Bryan having to defend his Rumble Title Shot (because HHH). Th...

How Did the Warrior Reach a Deal With the WWE? The WWE first made contact with Warrior in July at the 2K Sports press event, when HHH had a conversation with him. Vince McMahon then had a meeting with Warrior in August which led to them finally reaching a deal in December. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Brock Lesnar Update Lesnar is booked for the 2/10/14 RAW in Los Angeles Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Bad Influence Update The contracts of both Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels are set to expire in April. There is a strong feeling within the company that Daniels will the next to go as his contract is one of the biggest ones left on the books. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observe Newsletter

From: Jesse Baker  1. Internet access has been hit or miss these last couple of weeks. 2. If the WWE is terrified of Batista being a casualty of their war against the fans who want Bryan, why not fucking pair them up? Especially since that means Kane vs Batista, which would sell far more than Batista versus Alberto Del Rio 3.Similarly, they should have done the following for how Batista came back: The entire show is basically HHH and Steph going "Batista is coming! Batista is coming!" and Orton panicking out of paranoia that HHH and Steph are going to fuck him over and get the belts onto Batista. Also, we get told Bryan is "banned" from the arena because of his concussion, which HHH is using as an excuse to get rid of him for as long as humanly possible (see his interaction with Edge early in the current storyline). Finally, the show ends with Batista apparently jilting HHH and HHH being furious, until Batista appears on the big screen.... WITH Danial Bryan. Bati...