RAW Deal: Crunch time leading into WrestleMania

PITTSBURGH, PA—Two weeks left until WrestleMania and it seems like this is the new high gear for the WWE: scattered, rushed in many places, focused in only a few (and I mean a few), although not even in the right stories. 

If you thought the build to last year’s event was bad, consider that a lot hardly know what’s happening outside of the biggest matches. At least last year, we knew what was happening from top to bottom, even though they didn’t always devote time to all of them; thanks to injuries this year, plans are getting finalized at the last minute, debuts that need a little more brewing get taken out of the oven a little too early, and there is just painfully little certainty about how it’s all going down. 

Some believe that WrestleMania is an experience that is all worth it in itself, but I find that that’s usually true only for the lucky ones that get to be at the event in the flesh. It’s a tougher sell for those who are deciding whether to spend the time, money, and effort to catch the show on TV or online. 

The prince is back 

Roman Reigns finally made his return from (legitimate) nose surgery this week, and the WWE machine continues to fail him. 

Unless they really are moving toward a double turn before or at WrestleMania itself, nothing about Reigns screams hero. He brought the wrong kind of energy to his beatdown of Triple H, which is funny because Reigns usually brings the right kind of energy to his matches. That makes me believe that someone somewhere is doing it on purpose. It could be him, or it could be Creative. 

That said, both Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler looked better as heroes that night than Reigns did. For some reason, writers have no problems scripting better lines and talking points for both men (although Ambrose’s delivery is objectively second only to Paul Heyman right now). Ziggler, who’s been cast aside for most of the past year, is reliving the glory days of his Survivor Series 2014 spotlight and is reaping the rewards. Although the endgame for him is still unclear, he’s managed to channel passion into newfound sympathy. 

Ambrose, on the other hand, looks like the first person to be a legitimate threat to Brock Lesnar since, well, John Cena. The no holds barred stipulation to their WrestleMania match certainly helps him, but everyone’s done a good job of protecting him as he heads into the show—which, again, begs the question: why can’t they do the same for Reigns? Vince McMahon’s coddling is backfiring, as usual. 

It’s official: Shinsuke Nakamura is now part of NXT

We’ve known this for a couple of months now, but to see it—him—on actual WWE programming is so surreal. Just think: a couple of months ago we were watching Nakamura and AJ Styles on Wrestle Kingdom 10, and now they’re part of the biggest wrestling events of the year. 2016 is a hallowed year for our beloved sport.

 

 

And if you need a quick primer, WWE’s got you covered: 

The chosen one fulfills the prophecy

For those who don’t watch TNA, former WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3MB member, and Vince McMahon’s personally-handpicked “Chosen One” Drew Galloway (ne McIntyre) has been with the company for a little over a year now. This week, on a live episode of TNA’s Impact Wrestling, he won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. (From, well, out of nowhere.)

He had the company’s version of the Money in the Bank briefcase for their world title, and although EC3 is apparently still pegged to be TNA’s top babyface, seems like they’re giving the big Scot a chance. For those who still remember him as either the plodding, overpushed Chosen One or the goofy 3MB member, he actually got a lot better since the tail end of his WWE career, his skill strengthened by top runs in the indies. He’s not going to totally light up the ring but he is quite the solid hand, and I don’t believe he’s reached his ceiling just yet.

 

It’s a great redemption story for a guy who seemed destined to be a comedy jobber, and it’s very much ironic that Vince McMahon’s original prediction—that Galloway was, as McIntyre, a “future world champion”—did come true. It just so happened that it was for a different company. Congratulations, Drew. You proved that anyone can make it with the right heart. 

Aztec Warfare II: still crazy, but looks way too familiar 

Lucha Underground’s shortened second season means that they’re bringing back what should be their annual traditions a little early: Aztec Warfare, their Royal Rumble analogue where luchadors are eliminated only by pinfall or submission, is coming back next week. 

There’s a twist, though. Can you guess what it is? 

If you said somebody was defending a championship in the match, you’d be correct. Fenix is set to defend his Gift of the Gods Championship (a midcard title and Lucha Underground’s version of a Money in the Bank title shot in one plot device) against the entire roster. 

Yes, it looks familiar, and although it’s way too easy to say that they’re biting the WWE’s stories, there’s a huge chance that they came up with the idea before McMahon made that call for the Royal Rumble, as they taped episodes back in December. Either way, it makes just as much sense: the authority figures in the temple are even more evil, and the heroic Fenix is one of the many protagonists locked in eternal battle with Mil Muertes and Catrina. 

If you’ve never seen Fenix—or any of Lucha Underground—here’s a free match to whet your appetite:

 

Do you listen to podcasts? Would you want to listen to a local podcast about pro wrestling? If the answers to those questions – especially that last one – are yes, then you should check out the cleverly-named Smark Gilas-Pilipinas Podcast, featuring Mellow 94.7 DJ and PWR General Manager Stan Sy, wrestling writer Romeo Moran, and all-around multimedia person and former voice of PWR Raf Camus! On this week’s episode, they boys speak to Ardo Miravalles, a Filipino who’s attended WrestleMania live not once, but twice! Listen to it here! – Rappler.com