2013 brought us some great games and even a new generation! There were reboots, sequels, and new IPs but which were the top of the year? What was the Game of the Year? This won't be as long as the WWE post but expect a lengthly read. Oh, and SPOILERS FOR SOME OF THE TOP GAMES OF 2013 AHEAD! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!
If there are spelling errors, I apologize. I tried to get this out as soon as possible and didn't check over my work. Just go with it...
Top Gaming News of 2013
3. Grand Theft Auto V smashes records, Activision is butt hurt - I could have NEVER guessed that GTA V would have smashed the records like that did. GTA V made over $800 in the first day AND 1 BILLION in the 1st three days! That......is insane. That basically means everybody and their Grandmom played GTA this year! Now that's all good but apparently, Activision wasn't too pleased by this, rendering this quote about the success of GTA V;
"Congratulations to the team at Rockstar for their success. We look forward to getting the record back before the next GTA title."
Really? Are you serious? COD Ghosts obviously didn't past the mark but that was blamed because of the impending releases of XBO and PS4. Then, after they released, Activision had the NERVE to say that Ghosts was the top selling PS4 game yet. IT HAS BEEN OUT FOR A WHOLE FREAKING MONTH! What kind of record is THAT? Anyway, it seems Activison only prides itself on its records and not on the fact that it has been releasing the same old rehashed shooter every year. Make some new IPs Activision! Start taking chances! And would it kill you to NOT release a COD game EVERY year? It really kills the overall name of the name you're making. Just saying...
2. Super Smash Bros Wii U/3DS - The Blue Bomber is coming - Mega Man being announced for Smash Bros was a dream for many Nintendo fans for due reason. Mega Man got his start on the NES way back when and once Sonic, who was a rival to Nintendo and Mario was in a Smash Bros game, gamers clamored for an appearance by Capcom's blue star. It's going to be a reality now! With Mega Man added in the game, we now have Mega Man, Sonic and Mario in the same game for the 1st time ever. Three of gaming's biggest icons in one game. Now, only if we could get Pac-Man in this game, we would be SET!
1. JRPGs Live! - Persona 5, Tales of Zestiria, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Final Fantasy XV ALL announced - JRPGs are a dying genre. Gone are the days of the 90s where there were a vast amount of cliché RPGs available for each console. If we're lucky, we guaranteed maybe 2 a year. This year, it seems like they are making a small, but not unnoticed comeback. At E3, Square Enix announced that the previous announced Final Fantasy Versus XIII would now be the next entry into the long running series, coming to next generation consoles eventually. Minutes after that, the equally long waited numbered sequel to Kingdom Hearts was announced for next gen consoles as well. Both of those game were confirmation that the genre will continue onto the next generation. If you know anything about Square though, those games won't be out for awhile but that's good because there are two other major RPG series still to release titles on this generation.
Just recently, it was FINALLY announced that Persona 5 was coming out and we got a release window; Winter 2014. Now, this is only in Japan right now but the SMT series has been one of the most successful JRPGs series in the west so a release over here is inevitable. The Tales series has been the most consistent JRPG of the 360/PS3 console generation. They've released Vesperia, Graces, and Xillia ALL on this generation, and for us Americans, Xillia 2 and the Symphonia Chronicles are coming next year. They by all right should be moving on to PS4 and XBO but that didn't happen as the new Tales, Tales of Zestiria, will be releasing for the PS3. This was already confirmed for a worldwide release as well. When I see this many JRPGs in development, I can't help but think the genre is still very much alive and well. I can't wait to get my hands on all of these great adventures.
Greatest Moments in Gaming/2013
5. DmC - Capcom's Inside Joke - DmC is my favorite in the series. I'm not one of the fanboys who was upset by the simple change of hair color of the protagonist but apparently it affect'[ed it enough because it didn't meet its sales expectations. That's ashame. Thanks to this, we may not see Ninja Theory make a sequel. Regardless of that, the game has a little play on that whole debate in the 1st chapter in the game. Basically, a white wig floats onto his head and he looks in a mirror and says, "Not in a million years." It was a nice but not very subtle way to joke about a stupid debate that doesn't make sense anyway.
4. Grand Theft Auto V - Paleto Bay Score - GTA 5 had some amazing moments and it was hard to just put one on my list. Though the last two were amazingly epic, the small town heist was easily my favorite. I just liked the feeling of mowing down all of the opposition with the awesome power suit. ......that's all. It's always awesome being an unstoppable force.
3. The Last of Us - Ellie's Section - I wasn't really looking forward to playing with Ellie when they presented it but it turned out to be one of the finest moments in the already spectacular experience. It kind of felt like a separate game. She even had a nice little boss battle within it, something that wasn't present in the whole game. It had a satisfying conclusion as well, with Ellie completely obliterating David. It wasn't pretty for David but it showed more character development for Ellie, which was one of TLOU strongest points.
2. Saints Row IV - Saints of Rage - I didn't see this coming one bit. Streets of Rage is one of my favorite games and I wasn't expecting to ever see a homage to the series. When I played through this, I couldn't help to just smile. It was just great to see. SR4 was full of moments that made any fan of any medium happy but this one was the one for me. Thank you Gat!
1. Bioshock Infinite - The last half hour - I never finished the original Bioshock but I knew how it ended. I didn't allow that to happen again. I'm glad I didn't. After the last bullet fired, you're treated to a long explanation of everything in the game. How awesome is it when you transported straight to Rapture? It was the start of the mind blowing...ness. Elizabeth is Booker's daughter, Booker is Zachary Cole Comstock from a different timeline, it was all just amazing to see come together. I liked the line from Elizabeth when you're walking by the various lighthouses, "There's always a lighthouse. There's always a man. There's always a city." It's then when you realize what the title of the game really means; there are an infinite amount of universes. It's something that's so subtle that it blows your mind when you realize what's it referring to. Infinite's mind blowing ending is my moment of the year.
Games I Want Most in 2014
This list doesn't feature games that have been announced with no release windows given, like KH3, FFXV, Tales, Zelda Wii U, and such.
10. Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z - Ninja Gaiden is one of my favorite hack-n-slash series. They are challenging and feature a ton of weapons. And also gore! Yaiba looks a bit more cheesy than its earleir counterparts but I hope that's all. Hopefully, the gameplay is just as solid as the others and just as hard.
9. Hyrule Warriors - One of the bigger surprises of the year, a collaboration between Tecmo Koei and Nintendo to put Link and the Zelda universe in a Dynasty Warriors gameplay experience. It sounds simple and I hope that it's not only as deep as the DW games but also features the trademarks of the Zelda series, such as puzzles and dungeon crawling. Hey, crazy collaborations work. Right Kingdom Hearts?
8. Bravely Default - The 3DS has been THE system for RPGs so it's no surprise that another great entry is coming to the Nintendo console. I don't know too much about the game but it has been compared to early entry Final Fantasy games, so it must have something going for it. I like going into playing games blind. It makes me appreciate that much more, which you'll see pretty soon.
7. Professor Layton VS Ace Attorney - The two greatest series introduced on the Nintendo DS come together for a truly amazing mash up. Combining the puzzle solving elements of Professor Layton with the court room antics of Ace Attorney is genius! I just hope it pans out as well as I think. Dual Destinies was a great return for Phoenix Wright and I hope that this crossover will live up to the expectations.
6. Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 - The long awaited sequel will finally release in February! I loved the original LOS though many said it was just a God of War clone. Was it original? No. Was it fun? Yes. And Alucard is going to be in it! And it's set in modern times! This is going to be a great game early in the year.
5. Tales of Xillia 2 - TOX was a great Tales game. Not my favorite, but this an enjoyable experience so I'm obviously looking forward to the sequel. This is a first, but it looks like the main character can equip various weapons and not just swords like many JRPG protagonist usually do. I'm also hoping for a casino and battles with former Tales characters in the coliseum in the game.
4. Super Smash Bros Wii U - Nintendo's fighter is always fun with friends. Ever since the 1st game, I've bought the Nintendo system specifically for Smash Bros. The tradition continues. With the current technology the Wii U has, this could be the best Smash Bros yet. Plus, Mega Man is in it!
3. Dark Souls II - My GOTY in 2011 was Dark Souls because it made me feel like a gamer again by never giving up even when I wanted to most. I expect DS2 to be more of the same. I eagerly await to travel back to hell in DS2.
2. X - Xenoblade is the best JRPG of the 7th generation. Hands down, unless Persona 5 hits one out of the park. Anyway, my expectations for X are insanely high. Xenoblade was an amazing experience that crushed the competition with its break of RPGs traditions. If X can follow suit and have an amazing story and addictive battle system, X could be the game hardcore Wii U gamers are looking for.
1. Persona 5 - A 2014 release for the states is probably unlikely but Atlus has surprised me before! Persona 4 is easily one of my favorite PS2 games of all time. It did so many things right, from the addictive mix of socialization to its difficult battles, it had it all. I'm really just waiting to see what it will look like, especially since we haven't seen a Persona title on PS3 yet. I'm just super amped to see what kind of game we'll get. Here's hoping for an early look at the game next year.
Gaming News I Want to Hear in 2014
3. Surprise titles - Hyrule Warriors was such a great announcement because it was unexpected. There were no rumors about it at all. Persona 5 and Tales of Zestiria were fantastic announcements, but inevitable. I don't want to take anything away from them but I would like to see more unexpected titles come out. How about something new from Ninja Theory? WayForward? A company I haven't heard of? Something!
2. More titles for XBO/PS4/Wii U - The reason why I've been so hesitant to take the step to the next generation is because of the lack of games. It's like a endless feast of games right now. There are barely anything out that make the consoles worth owning. 2014 needs to see the release of fresh games for all 3 of the consoles. And games that aren't on past generation consoles. Once those games come out in large numbers, I'll make the official jump.
1. New Zelda on Wii U - Wii U has been out for a year now. We have a 3D Mario but no other Nintendo mainstay series have made it just yet. With confirmation that the Wii U Zelda WILL be revealed at E3 2014, the show just became even more must see. What will it look like? Will it retain the same rules as past Zelda games or will it follow in the non-linear path of A Link Between Worlds? No matter what approach it takes, we'll definitely see the first look at Link's next console adventure in June.
Game of the Year
5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - Zelda games always have a special place in my heart. I try to play every entry in the series and I'm glad I played this one. ALBW is a fine addition to the highly regarded series. Many of the previous Zeldas had you go through the games 8-12 dungeons in order, picking up items you needed for your journey along the way. This game does away with that. You can now rent or buy your items from the character Rovio. That's the only way to get the game's traditional items, such as the bow, boomerang and bombs. There are also upgrades available but you can only apply those after buying the items. This system for the Zelda series is very innovative. It's the step in the right direction. Zelda games are always great don't get me wrong, but they're linear as heck. I remember when I was done playing Skyward Sword I just felt glad that it was over. The gameplay is classic Zelda and it's in the same world as A Link to The Past so if you've played that game, you'll see some familiar places. Death Mountain is still in original position as is your house. The dungeons are very well done in this game as well. Challenging but never to the point of being unfair or impossible to traverse. There are some boss rehashes from LTTP but it's few and doesn't outshine the other amazing bosses in the game, particularly the lass boss. If you're a fan of Zelda, there is no reason to not play this now. The only thing is your time will be pretty short as I managed to finish the game in 13 hours flat. And that's the only downside. Once you start getting into the great dungeons and classic gameplay, you're facing Yuga-Ganon. I think this is the step to future Zelda games. Let the players explore the world more and complete the game how they want to. The Wii U Zelda needs to take pointers from this game. There is no going backwards now that ALBW has established this new formula.
4. Tomb Raider - Tomb Raider is a great adventure into the origins of Lara Croft. This reboot strays away from the series a bit and takes notes from other great series, such as Uncharted and Resident Evil 4-6 by making gunplay and gore the vital parts to focus on. In the first hour of the game, you play as a survivor, trying to adapt to what has happened. After you get your first gun, survivor Lara is gone and she becomes a complete bad ass. It's kind of crazy how fast they jump from survivor to hardcore killer but it doesn't really affect the game's overall greatness. The exploration is nice and it's fun to use Lara's tool effectively, like the pick ax, rope and bow and arrow. The upgrade system is very rewarding and you feel like you have different equipment once you implement those upgrades. The game is straight BRUTAL as you'll be mauling enemies and getting mauled by them and various things in the environment. When playing this, let Lara die a couple times, just to see what I'm talking about. The way they make her die on countless occasions are graphic and remind me of Dead Space at times. The gunplay is simple, yet effective and if you've played any third person cover shooter, you'll be fine. The story does take some supernatural twists near the end but that's Tomb Raider style. This game is a success because it takes notes from other series and incorporate them so well to make them feel fresh and amazing. Reboots are usually hit or miss but this was a definite hit.
3. Grand Theft Auto 5 - GTA5 was the most anticipated game of any generation. EVER. It lived up to the expectations of everyone. Everything here is what GTA has been known for but the way it's done here is amazing. Los Santos FEELS like a living breathing world. The city just grips you every time you go into the world. What really stands out for me are the three contrast main characters, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. Michael feels like Tommy Vercetti after Vice City is over. Franklin embodies everything about GTA San Andreas. Trevor is the rampaging psychopath inside all GTA main characters. And they all just CLICK together. Some of the best moments in the game come between interactions between them. Another thing I like is the fact that dialogue can be different during missions. Ever fail a mission and hate listening to the same thing over and over again? Not in GTA 5. There is now different dialogue so when you fail a mission, you might here things go down a different way. It's a very small thing to add but much appreciated regardless. Shooting and driving, two of the main problems for me behind GTA4, are great. The special abilities the characters have help out in a pinch and even the supporting characters are fun. Lamar almost upstages the main characters. The only glaring issue for me and it's on a personal level, is the way that it ended. I took the save everyone route and read the other endings where you kill Michael or Trevor. I didn't like any of them. For me, when I finish game, it's all about the how the game makes me feel afterwards. When I beat Dark Souls, I felt a great deal of accomplishment. When I beat this, I felt cheated. There was such a buildup in the story that killing all their enemies without repercussion felt unrealistic. It felt like a cheap way out. Death was inevitable but I just didn't like the way it all went down. The ending is my only flaw with this game as it is a true masterpiece of this era and pushed the consoles to their respective limitations. GTA5 is basically the swan song for the AAA titles as they begin the transition over to next gen but Rockstar went out in style.
2. The Last of Us - No game has caused me to feel reason emotion since Persona 4, and that took 25-30 hours. The Last of Us thrust you into this world and made me feel for Joel within minutes. Never been done. When his daughter was killed, my heart sank. I knew she wasn't real but at that moment, I felt raw emotion for a video game character. The Last of Us is an amazing achievement in video games. The gameplay is great, it never ever feels like Naughty Dog's previous series Uncharted ever. The environments are post apocalyptic but in their own way feel beautiful and distinct. The game is fantastic to play and amazing to progress through but the key element that make TLOU #2 on my list is the story and the fantastic character development of the main characters Joel and Ellie. Joel gets wrapped into escorting Ellie across the US for this group called the Fireflies so he can get his weapons back. Along the way, he finds out she may be the cure to saving the world, which is overrun by disgusting mutated creature. Joel and Ellie, who are at first cold and distant toward another, begin to really connect and to me at least, Joel begins to look at Ellie as the daughter he lost. The ending is pretty good as well. Once Joel gets Ellie to the Fireflies, he finds out she has to die to save the human race. Joel, not content with that, breaks her out, killing all that stand in his way and lies to Ellie about it. It's such a tragic ending and it once again makes you feel for Joel. I could go on and on about how the gameplay is but it's really the emotion provoking story and characters that keep you coming back for more in this game. TLOU is an accomplishment just because of the story and character alone. It proves that a game can be an emotional roller coaster ride and still have a complex and satisfying end. A sequel to this game shouldn't be done. The ambiguous ending is perfect for the game. In a year where endings in game disappointed me, TLOU stood high and mighty over all. All but one of course...
1. Bioshock Infinite - I bought Bioshock Infinite for 13 bucks on GameFly 7 months after it came out. I never completed Bioshock 1 or even played 2 but I decided, after hearing everything about the game, to give it a chance. It surprised me. It surprised me because I was going into the game, expecting to get Bioshock 1 but what I got was a completely original experience. While the characters or story didn't make me feel emotion, like TLOU did, it had one of the greatest conclusions in all video games but I'm getting ahead of myself. The gameplay is phenomenal. The Skyhook is such a great tool in the game. The Vigors were fun to use on enemies. One of Infinite's strong points as was the original's, was the city of Columbia. The crazy city in the sky. The tyrant, Zachary Hale Comstock, is a worthy antagonist is his own rights and make for an awesome villain to hate. The story of Infinite is the best part of the game though and it really starts to pick up once Elizabeth starts to open rifts into different times and universes. This is where the Infinite parts comes in. Who would have thought that the Infinite title tie in so nicely with the story. The mind numbing ending is the most satisfying ending I've ever experienced in a video game. Once you get to Rapture, the game takes you on a crazy journey that you won't soon forget. The fact that Elizabeth is Booker's daughter and not know it, the fact that there are plenty Bookers trying to stop Comstock, and the fact that Booker is in fact Comstock all come together nicely in the last 30 minutes. They throw so much information at you, you become so overwhelmed, but in a good way. The decision to make this my Game of the Year over the other two big blockbuster, GTA5 and TLOU, was difficult but my choice was made clear when I was looking up story explanations a week AFTER I beat the game. The game's ending affected me so much to continue to look into it way after the story ended. It's the lasting appeal the game had over me that makes me love it so much and why, though I wasn't even looking forward to this game in the first place, made my Game of the Year decision so easy.
WOW! Both of my entertainment needs 2013 lists are done! I'm going to fully enjoy this vacation now! Happy New Year everyone and God bless!
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
2013 in WWE
Welcome to my very condensed version of the Best of WWE in 2013! Usually, these are my BIG GRAND posts, but this year, I'm going to keep it simple, since I didn't even finish my 2012 one from last year. 2013 was another good year in WWE. There were returns, meteoric rises, and the two World Titles were of course unified together. What were some of my favorite moments? What was the best match of the year? Who stood out from the roster? Let's delve into it in this long post!
Biggest Disappointments
3. Ziggler/Bryan pushed then de-pushed - Both Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan won World Championships this year in spectacular fashion; Ziggler cashed in his MITB to a HUGE crowd reaction and Daniel Bryan defeated Super Cena cleanly to win the WWE Title. These were both fantastic moments from this past year but unfortunately, they didn't last long. Ziggler was quickly injured after winning the strap and lost the title while turning face only after two months of holding the title. Bryan defeated both Cena and Orton at back-to-back PPVs while winning the WWE Championship, but both titles reigns were less than 24 hours. After that, Bryan lost in his battle against The Authority and was placed in a program with the Wyatts. Ziggler, on the other hand, hasn't had direction since his World Title loss. It's really ashame because both of these guys are superbly talented and deserve to be and STAY in the top spots but aren't because of their size, not their talent. Bryan looks to be starting to gain stream again but time will tell if that's just to start with his rumored program with HBK or because they realize they need to capitalize on his popularity now. Ziggler is still without direction though, but we can only hope that something gives in creative that puts Ziggler back in the main events like he deserves.
2. Cena/Rock main event AGAIN!/Rock wins WWE Title, not even on Raw/Punk's reign ends - Once The Rock announced that he would be receiving a WWE Title shot at the Royal Rumble, speculation of a Cena/Rock rematch began. When it was confirmed that Punk would be defending against Rock, it looked like the rematch wouldn't happen at the Rumble, but again at Wrestlemania. Once Cena won the Rumble, it was all but confirmed that Rock would be taking the belt off Punk, which is of course what happened. We ALL knew the rematch was inevitable as long as The Rock stayed on good terms with WWE, but to see it happen was a little underwhelming. Don't believe? Re-watch the main event from Mania again. The crowd was pretty much taken out of it. I would've much preferred a Triple Threat with Punk/Cena/Rock but Punk had a fantastic match with Taker so I can't complain. While it was a great match, it didn't have the same energy as the first match. Rock and Hogan had a rematch, but it was on a smaller PPV, to build to Wrestlemania. Why couldn't they have just done that?
1. Titles unified on B PPV/Death of World Title - Randy Orton VS John Cena for both World Titles was one of the main events that I thought could end Wrestlemania XXX, simply due to the star power and the amazing build to the match. What we got instead was a rushed 3 week feud which led to a horribly boring ending, though it had steam the last Raw going into it. Why was this pushed up? The only real explanation I have is that WWE has battle main events in store for us. MUCH BETTER than Orton/Cena but only time will tell. The 2nd point is the death of the secondary World Title. The World Heavyweight Championship was like the starter World Title. Many guys held that championship first before going onto bigger and greater things, INCLUDING the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton. I hope down the line that WWE will split the titles again because it's going to be hard for guys like Ambrose, Rollings, or even a hopefully soon to be coming in Prince Devitt to succeed.
Best Things WWE Did in 2013
3. Tag Division - For the past couple of years, the tag division keeps growing and growing. Honestly, I remember when I could count all the tag teams in WWE on one hand but now, there seems to be a huge number of them. You have The Brotherhood, The Usos, The Prime Time Players, The Real Americans, Woods and Truth, Ryback and Axel, Harper and Rowan; the list goes on. It's really the most open division right now. And there are still more tag teams to be made in the future. Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards could come up and wrestle as a tag. The Ascenscion from NXT could make their debut, the options are infinite. What about guys who aren't doing anything wity a lot of potential, like Tyson Kidd, Fandango, Wade Barrett? This division is very exciting and will definitely be something to watch in 2014.
2. Year of the American Dragon - There was no other superstar as hot as Daniel Bryan in 2013. His Yes chants were heard all throughtout the year and even derailed a segment on Raw a couple weeks ago. He was in the tag team title match at Wrestlemania and fought for the WWE Title at SummerSlam. The kid just kept rising higher and higher and it's hard not to see why. His in-ring ability is top notch, he's exciting to watch and he's good on the mic. His promo with Cena where he called him a parody was probably his best work. He was also the guy to end The Shield's undefeated streak in 3-on-3 matches. He beat WWE golden boys John Cena AND Randy Orton in back-to-back PPVs and won the Superstar of the Year award as well. Unfortunately, creative wasn't always behind him, especially at the end of the year, but the fans won't stop chanting Yes at every arena. Daniel Bryan's popularity is insane and WWE needs to capitalize on it more in 2014.
1. Young Talent Rejuvenated - The youth really shined this year didn't they? The Shield DESTROYED everyone who came in their path. They defeated the Super Team of John Cena, Ryback, and Sheamus BEFORE Cena had a match with The Rock at Wrestlemania. Are you kidding me? If that doesn't show that the youth is coming through, I don't know what will. The Shield weren't the only youth to succeed as guys like Fandango had some spotlight for a bit, Swagger and Cesaro resurged by forming a team together, Michael...excuse me Curtis Axel was repackaged abd won the IC Title within a month of coming back, The Wyatts terrorized the WWE locker room and Big E Langston looks to be the next big man face of the company. With 2014 looming, will more youth come through? There are PLENTY of NXT guys just waiting to get called up and join the main roster. Adrian Neville maybe? Sami Zayn? Solomon Crowe? Who's going to be the next guy to get a break-out?
Superstar most likely to win 1st World Title in 2014
3. Bray Wyatt - Some people can't be repackaged correctly. The transition from Husky Harris to Bray Wyatt has been fantastic. Not since he first joined the main roster have I remembered that he was Husky Harris and that's a good thing. His gimmick is so bizarre, so creepy, so different than anything else WWE has right now so I'm really excited to see how far he gets. Wyatt hasn't really had a breakout one-on-one match and I hope he get that with Bryan eventually because that will determine IF he gets the eventual shot at the title. Bryan will bring out the best in Wyatt. Whatever wrestling skills Wyatt has will come out. Anyway, Wyatt will probably win the WWE World Title mainly due to his intriguing gimmick and size. I can't say for sure about his wrestling ability just yet, but don't be surprised if you see the guy holding that WWE Title or titles I guess sometime next year.
2. Cody Rhodes - To be honest, they kind of missed their opportunity with Rhodes plenty of times, most recently with this whole Authority storyline. Why couldn't Cody have been in Big Show's shoes? This guy should have held the World Title already. From his great gimmicks back on Smackdown, to feuding with Mysterio, to his eventual IC Title reigns, the kid has proven himself. And he's only getting started. Rhodes has the pedigree that says he'll be champion but his in-ring skills is what backs it up. Rhodes isn't the best on the mic but he's very fun to watch in the ring and can play either a heel or a face. The only thing holding him back is his size. Had Rhodes been 3 inches taller and 30 pounds heavier, I wouldn't even be typing this entry. Rhodes will win a World Title in 2014 due to his time in the company. It has to happen soon and why not when you have plenty of momentum?
1. Roman Reigns - Surprise surprise huh? When The Shield first formed, Reigns was the last guy I thought would win a World Title first. Ambrose and Rollings were proven guys from the indies, internet darlings even. Surely they would get the nod before a green rookie right? Wrong. Reigns has been on an absolute tear lately. He's the monster of the group and went as far as basically eliminating the whole opposing team at Survivor Series. 4/5 members from the other team ain't bad at all. There's really no reason WHY Reigns won't be World Champion in 2014. He has the look, the wrestling heritage flowing through his blood and the ability. This guy could potentially have a mega break-out year. The Royal Rumble will let you know how Reigns will do for the rest of the year, trust me. Do I smell 12 eliminations from the big man? The best way to capitalize on him is to turn him face and have him win at Wrestlemania in a Triple Threat against his other Shield members unless the rumored Goldberg match actually happens. Roman Reigns will be World Champion during 2014. It's not a question of if, but WHEN.
Best Matches of the Year
3. Punk/Cena - Raw - Winner faces Rock at WM - I've said it before and I'll say it again, these two guys are incapable of having a bad match with each other. They really pulled out the kitchen sink for this one though. I think what makes matches between these two so amazing are the storylines going into them. This felt like a PPV quality build for a Raw main event. Punk claimed Cena couldn't beat him, Cena put everything on the line, winner faces Rock in the main event for the WWE Championship; it really doesn't get much better than that. Everything about this match was great. The reversals, the outlawed piledriver, and of course, the absolutely horrible hurricanrana. It was symbolic though. Cena was willing to pull out all the stops to retain his right to face for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania. It was a sight to see. Cena won and of course won the title at Mania but not without having another classic with CM Punk.
GIFSoup
2. Bryan/Cena - SummerSlam - This was easily the match I wanted to see most in WWE since last year and their meeting was really inevitable. The hottest superstar since CM Punk against the top guy in the company for the richest prize in the business. Many say John Cena can't wrestle but he damn sure puts on great matches with guys who can. Bryan showed that he belongs in the main event with this match alone. One thing I like when two big faces wrestle is that they like to interrupt each move combinations. Like when Punk kicked Cena during the Five Knuckle Shuffle? Bryan did that to Cena. It's just nice to break the norm once in awhile you know? I loved the sequence from Cena's STF to Bryan's Yes Lock. It's just the little things that make me appreciate matches like this. How about Bryan's superplex to Cena, only to keep his legs entangled on the ropes so he could deliver a flying headbutt? Everything in the match flowed well and you could just fell the chemistry between the two. Cena stopping Bryan's running corner kicks with a haymaker of a clothesline was sick. The ending of the match is probably my favorite part just due to the unexpectedness of it all. I didn't expect Bryan to introduce a new move to beat Super Cena but he did and it was just as unexpected as Bryan beating a top guy like Cena. The rush, the build, the match. This is what pro wrestling is ALL about. 2014 needs to see the rematch between these two.
GIFSoup
1. Punk/Lesnar - SummerSlam - This was an absolute war. Leave it to Punk to give Lesnar his best WWE match since Wrestlemania XIX. These guys pulled out all the stops to even upstage the main event. It was just a hard hitting fight. Though it was a No DQ match, they barely used any weapons but they STILL managed to have a fantastic match. This is how David VS Goliath matches should be in WWE. This is the quintessential example of one right here. Punk willingness to not give up, even though he's throwing everything at Lesnar is admirable and makes you root for him. Lesnar has Heyman, which makes you hate Lesnar for just being associated with him. And add the fact that Heyman keeps interrupting, it just made for a good dynamic in the match. The ending was a brutal one, like most of Lesnar's matches since he's returned. A F5 right onto a chair. And it was landed PERFECTLY. It was the perfect ending to the brutal match. WWE couldn't have done it better. They struck gold with this match. Why there hasn't been a rematch yet is beyond me but hopefully these two gladiators meet again. Not at Wrestlemania though. I think we've had enough of the same matches happening at big PPVs correct?
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BOLD Predictions for 2014
3. Big Attitude Era Star gets inducted into Hall of Fame - The 1st person who is announced for the HOF is usually the class leader. Edge and HBK come to mind of big names who deserved their HOF ballots. With Wrestlemania coming around, it's almost time to see who will be the top ballot. With this being the 30th WM, it has to be a BIG NAME. Someone the ENTIRE WWE Universe knows. While Macho Man Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior are big names, I think a star from the Attitude Era will get the nod and man, are there still some major names left from this era. Triple H, Kane, The Rock, and Undertaker are still not in the HOF, mainly due them still wrestling on a part time basis. I think it's time to change that. I'm going to say The Undertaker FINALLY takes his rightful position in the Hall of Fame. He can't keep going forever so why not have his final match at Wrestlemania 30 WHILE getting the ultimate honor of being entered into the Hall of Fame?
What a Class this would be. Could match 2013's amazing class. Maybe...
2. Roman Reigns wins WWE World Championship - I've already sung the praises of Reigns and mentioned that he will win the World Title in 2014. I can't make that more clear than by saying it again. Roman Reigns will hold the World Championship in 2014. It doesn't get more blunt than that. With his size, look, and wrestling pedigree, it's bound to happen.
1. Wrestlemania card will feature current stars VS past stars - Wrestlemania 30 will feature the best from the past versus the best of today. Batista will return to challenge former Evolution member Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Daniel Bryan will clash with his mentor Shawn Michaels. CM Punk will continue to buck authority by facing his boss Triple H. John Cena will try and do what no man has done and end the undefeated streak of The Undertaker. If we're lucky, two massive titans of men will clash when Big E faces his father, sorry, Mark Henry. Yes, these are all very unlikely matches right now but how AMAZING of a Wrestlemania would it be to see all these matches?
What to look for in 2014
3. What acquisition will WWE acquire next? - WWE needs to acquire some talent from different companies. Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards are two potential guys coming over in 2014 but who else will join the biggest wrestling company in the world? Prince Devitt has apparently been on WWE's radar but he definitely won't show up until sometime after Mania. He's got a big match this January. Look him up when you have the chance. What about someone like Matt Morgan? Maybe even Adam Cole? Who knows? The sky's the limit.
2. Will part timers compete at other PPVs BESIDES WM? - Triple H and Undertaker are legends, no doubt, but they only wrestled at Wrestlemania this year. I understand the draw of the part timers so why not feature them on B PPVs? It would most certainly drive up the buy rates. Hopefully someone like Batista will be on the smaller PPVs as well. Triple H wrestling a couple PPVs after Wrestlemania would be best for business! And PPV buys!
1. Will WWE capitalize on Bryan's popularity? - The big thing to see is if WWE will pull the trigger on Bryan again. SummerSlam's buyrates were low and they blamed Bryan for that. I'm sorry, I guess he was wrestling HIMSELF in the main event. And his size doesn't help him either but the WWE Universe is solely behind Bryan and he's fantastic in the ring! Shouldn't that count for something? It doesn't as he only had two very short WWE Title reigns before being put in a program with The Wyatts. Bryan is the most over superstar in recent memory. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to do the right thing. PUSH BRYAN!
Superstar of the Year
DANIEL BRYAN
Was there really ever any doubt? The man had an absolute tear this year. He went from being in the tag team title match at Wrestlemania to the main event of SummerSlam. Bryan had many great matches this year from Cena to Cesaro. Put him in the ring with a broomstick and it would be great. No superstar has been as OVER as Daniel Bryan has been. It has been amazing to see him rise from NXT Rookie to WWE Champion. Nobody deserves the honor more that this man. Daniel Bryan has many great years to come in WWE and hopefully, WWE doesn't let his size distract them from his natural in-ring ability and amazing connection with the crowd.
Well, that's it. My 2013 in WWE post, condense version. Hope you enjoyed! Please continue to follow me all throughout next year and comments are ALWAYS appreciated! God Bless you all and have a safe and Happy New Year!
P.S. My 2013 in Video Gaming post in coming soon! Be sure to look for it!
Biggest Disappointments
3. Ziggler/Bryan pushed then de-pushed - Both Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan won World Championships this year in spectacular fashion; Ziggler cashed in his MITB to a HUGE crowd reaction and Daniel Bryan defeated Super Cena cleanly to win the WWE Title. These were both fantastic moments from this past year but unfortunately, they didn't last long. Ziggler was quickly injured after winning the strap and lost the title while turning face only after two months of holding the title. Bryan defeated both Cena and Orton at back-to-back PPVs while winning the WWE Championship, but both titles reigns were less than 24 hours. After that, Bryan lost in his battle against The Authority and was placed in a program with the Wyatts. Ziggler, on the other hand, hasn't had direction since his World Title loss. It's really ashame because both of these guys are superbly talented and deserve to be and STAY in the top spots but aren't because of their size, not their talent. Bryan looks to be starting to gain stream again but time will tell if that's just to start with his rumored program with HBK or because they realize they need to capitalize on his popularity now. Ziggler is still without direction though, but we can only hope that something gives in creative that puts Ziggler back in the main events like he deserves.
2. Cena/Rock main event AGAIN!/Rock wins WWE Title, not even on Raw/Punk's reign ends - Once The Rock announced that he would be receiving a WWE Title shot at the Royal Rumble, speculation of a Cena/Rock rematch began. When it was confirmed that Punk would be defending against Rock, it looked like the rematch wouldn't happen at the Rumble, but again at Wrestlemania. Once Cena won the Rumble, it was all but confirmed that Rock would be taking the belt off Punk, which is of course what happened. We ALL knew the rematch was inevitable as long as The Rock stayed on good terms with WWE, but to see it happen was a little underwhelming. Don't believe? Re-watch the main event from Mania again. The crowd was pretty much taken out of it. I would've much preferred a Triple Threat with Punk/Cena/Rock but Punk had a fantastic match with Taker so I can't complain. While it was a great match, it didn't have the same energy as the first match. Rock and Hogan had a rematch, but it was on a smaller PPV, to build to Wrestlemania. Why couldn't they have just done that?
1. Titles unified on B PPV/Death of World Title - Randy Orton VS John Cena for both World Titles was one of the main events that I thought could end Wrestlemania XXX, simply due to the star power and the amazing build to the match. What we got instead was a rushed 3 week feud which led to a horribly boring ending, though it had steam the last Raw going into it. Why was this pushed up? The only real explanation I have is that WWE has battle main events in store for us. MUCH BETTER than Orton/Cena but only time will tell. The 2nd point is the death of the secondary World Title. The World Heavyweight Championship was like the starter World Title. Many guys held that championship first before going onto bigger and greater things, INCLUDING the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton. I hope down the line that WWE will split the titles again because it's going to be hard for guys like Ambrose, Rollings, or even a hopefully soon to be coming in Prince Devitt to succeed.
Best Things WWE Did in 2013
3. Tag Division - For the past couple of years, the tag division keeps growing and growing. Honestly, I remember when I could count all the tag teams in WWE on one hand but now, there seems to be a huge number of them. You have The Brotherhood, The Usos, The Prime Time Players, The Real Americans, Woods and Truth, Ryback and Axel, Harper and Rowan; the list goes on. It's really the most open division right now. And there are still more tag teams to be made in the future. Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards could come up and wrestle as a tag. The Ascenscion from NXT could make their debut, the options are infinite. What about guys who aren't doing anything wity a lot of potential, like Tyson Kidd, Fandango, Wade Barrett? This division is very exciting and will definitely be something to watch in 2014.
2. Year of the American Dragon - There was no other superstar as hot as Daniel Bryan in 2013. His Yes chants were heard all throughtout the year and even derailed a segment on Raw a couple weeks ago. He was in the tag team title match at Wrestlemania and fought for the WWE Title at SummerSlam. The kid just kept rising higher and higher and it's hard not to see why. His in-ring ability is top notch, he's exciting to watch and he's good on the mic. His promo with Cena where he called him a parody was probably his best work. He was also the guy to end The Shield's undefeated streak in 3-on-3 matches. He beat WWE golden boys John Cena AND Randy Orton in back-to-back PPVs and won the Superstar of the Year award as well. Unfortunately, creative wasn't always behind him, especially at the end of the year, but the fans won't stop chanting Yes at every arena. Daniel Bryan's popularity is insane and WWE needs to capitalize on it more in 2014.
1. Young Talent Rejuvenated - The youth really shined this year didn't they? The Shield DESTROYED everyone who came in their path. They defeated the Super Team of John Cena, Ryback, and Sheamus BEFORE Cena had a match with The Rock at Wrestlemania. Are you kidding me? If that doesn't show that the youth is coming through, I don't know what will. The Shield weren't the only youth to succeed as guys like Fandango had some spotlight for a bit, Swagger and Cesaro resurged by forming a team together, Michael...excuse me Curtis Axel was repackaged abd won the IC Title within a month of coming back, The Wyatts terrorized the WWE locker room and Big E Langston looks to be the next big man face of the company. With 2014 looming, will more youth come through? There are PLENTY of NXT guys just waiting to get called up and join the main roster. Adrian Neville maybe? Sami Zayn? Solomon Crowe? Who's going to be the next guy to get a break-out?
Superstar most likely to win 1st World Title in 2014
3. Bray Wyatt - Some people can't be repackaged correctly. The transition from Husky Harris to Bray Wyatt has been fantastic. Not since he first joined the main roster have I remembered that he was Husky Harris and that's a good thing. His gimmick is so bizarre, so creepy, so different than anything else WWE has right now so I'm really excited to see how far he gets. Wyatt hasn't really had a breakout one-on-one match and I hope he get that with Bryan eventually because that will determine IF he gets the eventual shot at the title. Bryan will bring out the best in Wyatt. Whatever wrestling skills Wyatt has will come out. Anyway, Wyatt will probably win the WWE World Title mainly due to his intriguing gimmick and size. I can't say for sure about his wrestling ability just yet, but don't be surprised if you see the guy holding that WWE Title or titles I guess sometime next year.
2. Cody Rhodes - To be honest, they kind of missed their opportunity with Rhodes plenty of times, most recently with this whole Authority storyline. Why couldn't Cody have been in Big Show's shoes? This guy should have held the World Title already. From his great gimmicks back on Smackdown, to feuding with Mysterio, to his eventual IC Title reigns, the kid has proven himself. And he's only getting started. Rhodes has the pedigree that says he'll be champion but his in-ring skills is what backs it up. Rhodes isn't the best on the mic but he's very fun to watch in the ring and can play either a heel or a face. The only thing holding him back is his size. Had Rhodes been 3 inches taller and 30 pounds heavier, I wouldn't even be typing this entry. Rhodes will win a World Title in 2014 due to his time in the company. It has to happen soon and why not when you have plenty of momentum?
1. Roman Reigns - Surprise surprise huh? When The Shield first formed, Reigns was the last guy I thought would win a World Title first. Ambrose and Rollings were proven guys from the indies, internet darlings even. Surely they would get the nod before a green rookie right? Wrong. Reigns has been on an absolute tear lately. He's the monster of the group and went as far as basically eliminating the whole opposing team at Survivor Series. 4/5 members from the other team ain't bad at all. There's really no reason WHY Reigns won't be World Champion in 2014. He has the look, the wrestling heritage flowing through his blood and the ability. This guy could potentially have a mega break-out year. The Royal Rumble will let you know how Reigns will do for the rest of the year, trust me. Do I smell 12 eliminations from the big man? The best way to capitalize on him is to turn him face and have him win at Wrestlemania in a Triple Threat against his other Shield members unless the rumored Goldberg match actually happens. Roman Reigns will be World Champion during 2014. It's not a question of if, but WHEN.
Best Matches of the Year
3. Punk/Cena - Raw - Winner faces Rock at WM - I've said it before and I'll say it again, these two guys are incapable of having a bad match with each other. They really pulled out the kitchen sink for this one though. I think what makes matches between these two so amazing are the storylines going into them. This felt like a PPV quality build for a Raw main event. Punk claimed Cena couldn't beat him, Cena put everything on the line, winner faces Rock in the main event for the WWE Championship; it really doesn't get much better than that. Everything about this match was great. The reversals, the outlawed piledriver, and of course, the absolutely horrible hurricanrana. It was symbolic though. Cena was willing to pull out all the stops to retain his right to face for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania. It was a sight to see. Cena won and of course won the title at Mania but not without having another classic with CM Punk.
GIFSoup
2. Bryan/Cena - SummerSlam - This was easily the match I wanted to see most in WWE since last year and their meeting was really inevitable. The hottest superstar since CM Punk against the top guy in the company for the richest prize in the business. Many say John Cena can't wrestle but he damn sure puts on great matches with guys who can. Bryan showed that he belongs in the main event with this match alone. One thing I like when two big faces wrestle is that they like to interrupt each move combinations. Like when Punk kicked Cena during the Five Knuckle Shuffle? Bryan did that to Cena. It's just nice to break the norm once in awhile you know? I loved the sequence from Cena's STF to Bryan's Yes Lock. It's just the little things that make me appreciate matches like this. How about Bryan's superplex to Cena, only to keep his legs entangled on the ropes so he could deliver a flying headbutt? Everything in the match flowed well and you could just fell the chemistry between the two. Cena stopping Bryan's running corner kicks with a haymaker of a clothesline was sick. The ending of the match is probably my favorite part just due to the unexpectedness of it all. I didn't expect Bryan to introduce a new move to beat Super Cena but he did and it was just as unexpected as Bryan beating a top guy like Cena. The rush, the build, the match. This is what pro wrestling is ALL about. 2014 needs to see the rematch between these two.
GIFSoup
1. Punk/Lesnar - SummerSlam - This was an absolute war. Leave it to Punk to give Lesnar his best WWE match since Wrestlemania XIX. These guys pulled out all the stops to even upstage the main event. It was just a hard hitting fight. Though it was a No DQ match, they barely used any weapons but they STILL managed to have a fantastic match. This is how David VS Goliath matches should be in WWE. This is the quintessential example of one right here. Punk willingness to not give up, even though he's throwing everything at Lesnar is admirable and makes you root for him. Lesnar has Heyman, which makes you hate Lesnar for just being associated with him. And add the fact that Heyman keeps interrupting, it just made for a good dynamic in the match. The ending was a brutal one, like most of Lesnar's matches since he's returned. A F5 right onto a chair. And it was landed PERFECTLY. It was the perfect ending to the brutal match. WWE couldn't have done it better. They struck gold with this match. Why there hasn't been a rematch yet is beyond me but hopefully these two gladiators meet again. Not at Wrestlemania though. I think we've had enough of the same matches happening at big PPVs correct?
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BOLD Predictions for 2014
3. Big Attitude Era Star gets inducted into Hall of Fame - The 1st person who is announced for the HOF is usually the class leader. Edge and HBK come to mind of big names who deserved their HOF ballots. With Wrestlemania coming around, it's almost time to see who will be the top ballot. With this being the 30th WM, it has to be a BIG NAME. Someone the ENTIRE WWE Universe knows. While Macho Man Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior are big names, I think a star from the Attitude Era will get the nod and man, are there still some major names left from this era. Triple H, Kane, The Rock, and Undertaker are still not in the HOF, mainly due them still wrestling on a part time basis. I think it's time to change that. I'm going to say The Undertaker FINALLY takes his rightful position in the Hall of Fame. He can't keep going forever so why not have his final match at Wrestlemania 30 WHILE getting the ultimate honor of being entered into the Hall of Fame?
What a Class this would be. Could match 2013's amazing class. Maybe...
2. Roman Reigns wins WWE World Championship - I've already sung the praises of Reigns and mentioned that he will win the World Title in 2014. I can't make that more clear than by saying it again. Roman Reigns will hold the World Championship in 2014. It doesn't get more blunt than that. With his size, look, and wrestling pedigree, it's bound to happen.
1. Wrestlemania card will feature current stars VS past stars - Wrestlemania 30 will feature the best from the past versus the best of today. Batista will return to challenge former Evolution member Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Daniel Bryan will clash with his mentor Shawn Michaels. CM Punk will continue to buck authority by facing his boss Triple H. John Cena will try and do what no man has done and end the undefeated streak of The Undertaker. If we're lucky, two massive titans of men will clash when Big E faces his father, sorry, Mark Henry. Yes, these are all very unlikely matches right now but how AMAZING of a Wrestlemania would it be to see all these matches?
What to look for in 2014
3. What acquisition will WWE acquire next? - WWE needs to acquire some talent from different companies. Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards are two potential guys coming over in 2014 but who else will join the biggest wrestling company in the world? Prince Devitt has apparently been on WWE's radar but he definitely won't show up until sometime after Mania. He's got a big match this January. Look him up when you have the chance. What about someone like Matt Morgan? Maybe even Adam Cole? Who knows? The sky's the limit.
2. Will part timers compete at other PPVs BESIDES WM? - Triple H and Undertaker are legends, no doubt, but they only wrestled at Wrestlemania this year. I understand the draw of the part timers so why not feature them on B PPVs? It would most certainly drive up the buy rates. Hopefully someone like Batista will be on the smaller PPVs as well. Triple H wrestling a couple PPVs after Wrestlemania would be best for business! And PPV buys!
1. Will WWE capitalize on Bryan's popularity? - The big thing to see is if WWE will pull the trigger on Bryan again. SummerSlam's buyrates were low and they blamed Bryan for that. I'm sorry, I guess he was wrestling HIMSELF in the main event. And his size doesn't help him either but the WWE Universe is solely behind Bryan and he's fantastic in the ring! Shouldn't that count for something? It doesn't as he only had two very short WWE Title reigns before being put in a program with The Wyatts. Bryan is the most over superstar in recent memory. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to do the right thing. PUSH BRYAN!
Superstar of the Year
DANIEL BRYAN
Was there really ever any doubt? The man had an absolute tear this year. He went from being in the tag team title match at Wrestlemania to the main event of SummerSlam. Bryan had many great matches this year from Cena to Cesaro. Put him in the ring with a broomstick and it would be great. No superstar has been as OVER as Daniel Bryan has been. It has been amazing to see him rise from NXT Rookie to WWE Champion. Nobody deserves the honor more that this man. Daniel Bryan has many great years to come in WWE and hopefully, WWE doesn't let his size distract them from his natural in-ring ability and amazing connection with the crowd.
Well, that's it. My 2013 in WWE post, condense version. Hope you enjoyed! Please continue to follow me all throughout next year and comments are ALWAYS appreciated! God Bless you all and have a safe and Happy New Year!
P.S. My 2013 in Video Gaming post in coming soon! Be sure to look for it!
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Randy Orton is the Champion!
It was a great feeling seeing Randy Orton holding both World Titles this past Sunday at TLC. With that win, Randy Orton becomes a 12 time World Champion and THE man in the company. With 6 weeks until the Royal Rumble, it's going to be interesting to see what WWE does with Orton going into Wrestlemania. It seems a Triple Threat match maybe the headline for the Rumble, which could mean we could see someone who isn't John Cena win the Rumble. If that's the case, the only viable option would be CM Punk right? Punk/Orton at Wrestlemania IS a rematch, but it would be a really great match. Main event of Wrestlemania 30? I don't think so.
So where does WWE go from here? It looks like WWE is setting up for a fantastic Triple Threat match between Bryan/Orton/Cena at the Royal Rumble. With rumors of Triple H and Punk wrestling at Mania along with HBK coming out of retirement to face Daniel Bryan, that leaves Cena and Orton without dance partners now. There are two big guys left in Undertaker and Brock Lesnar. If we're to follow what Twitter and such says, it looks like Heyman and Lesnar may be targeting WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton, which would leave John Cena to face Undertaker. There are two problems I have with these four matches.
1. All these matches include part timers. Hey, I'm not saying that the current WWE workers can't deliver, but with only three months left to sell the biggest sport entertainment PPV extravaganza of all time, they need big names. HHH, HBK, Lesnar, and Taker are all names that have main evented past Wrestlemanias and have the star caliber that people are attracted to. There are more buys likely if these names are included than the current ones unfortunately.
2. Who wins the Royal Rumble? Going by the way I set the matches up, it would have to be either Lesnar or Taker. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but honestly, who could win it? My pick from earlier this year was Daniel Bryan, but I can't see it happening now, especially if he's going to be getting a shot at the Royal Rumble. CM Punk is another likely candidate but that would probably mess up the match he has with Triple H. For the first time in awhile, I don't have a clue who is going to win the Rumble. Cena was the obvious favorite last year but it's open for anyone this year.
Obviously, these 4 main events can ONLY happen if HBK comes out of retirement and if that happens, then at least two of the four would be confirmed, but it's still TOO early for anything. Plans could change in a wink of the eye so it's all just speculation until at least 2014.
Coming by the end of the year will be by Year End posts for BOTH Video Games and Pro Wrestling! What was my Game of The Year? Did any game this year effect my overall Top 10 list? Find out in the coming weeks!
So where does WWE go from here? It looks like WWE is setting up for a fantastic Triple Threat match between Bryan/Orton/Cena at the Royal Rumble. With rumors of Triple H and Punk wrestling at Mania along with HBK coming out of retirement to face Daniel Bryan, that leaves Cena and Orton without dance partners now. There are two big guys left in Undertaker and Brock Lesnar. If we're to follow what Twitter and such says, it looks like Heyman and Lesnar may be targeting WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton, which would leave John Cena to face Undertaker. There are two problems I have with these four matches.
1. All these matches include part timers. Hey, I'm not saying that the current WWE workers can't deliver, but with only three months left to sell the biggest sport entertainment PPV extravaganza of all time, they need big names. HHH, HBK, Lesnar, and Taker are all names that have main evented past Wrestlemanias and have the star caliber that people are attracted to. There are more buys likely if these names are included than the current ones unfortunately.
2. Who wins the Royal Rumble? Going by the way I set the matches up, it would have to be either Lesnar or Taker. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but honestly, who could win it? My pick from earlier this year was Daniel Bryan, but I can't see it happening now, especially if he's going to be getting a shot at the Royal Rumble. CM Punk is another likely candidate but that would probably mess up the match he has with Triple H. For the first time in awhile, I don't have a clue who is going to win the Rumble. Cena was the obvious favorite last year but it's open for anyone this year.
Obviously, these 4 main events can ONLY happen if HBK comes out of retirement and if that happens, then at least two of the four would be confirmed, but it's still TOO early for anything. Plans could change in a wink of the eye so it's all just speculation until at least 2014.
Coming by the end of the year will be by Year End posts for BOTH Video Games and Pro Wrestling! What was my Game of The Year? Did any game this year effect my overall Top 10 list? Find out in the coming weeks!
Friday, December 13, 2013
TLC Predictions 2013
This is really a one match PPV to be honest. Yeah, we have our Internet darlings CM Punk and Daniel Bryan in separate handicap matches, but all eyes on are the main event; the Champions of Champions TLC match for BOTH the WWE and World Titles. After Raw's insanely awesome ending, one should expect a great ending to this huge match to start the road to Wrestlemania right? Right?
AJ and Big E retain their titles. AJ's reign is most in jeopardy. One of those Total Divas girls are going to dethrone her and it might happen Sunday. Big E is just going to keep building up momentum heading into Mania, hopefully he gets a big payoff. The Rhodes Brothers are suppose to defend their belts against Ryback/Axel, The Real Americans, and Big Show and Mysterio. (what?) I guess the Usos or the Prime Time Players were busy. I would like to see the Real Americans take this one so they can start the build to Rhodes/Goldust in 2014 but they haven't planted the proper seeds yet. Maybe start this Sunday with a loss. I'm going with The Real Americans.
Punk has his hands full as he faces The Shield. Daniel Bryan is in the SAME boat as he faces The Wyatts. In wrestling terms, both Bryan and Punk can't win. One's gotta lose. Or maybe in this case, both have to lose. I really don't see the point of these matches. I mean, why did they stop The Best and The Beard feud with The Wyatts? I guess they did it that to build to Punk/HHH at Mania? I'd like to see it! Anyway, I think The Shield beats Punk and The Wyatts beat Bryan. Sorry, I'm going against my own logic on this one but the odds are not in either of the guys favor, especially Bryan. He's facing three monsters in the Wyatts. The 3 man teams win.
The main event is one for the ages, which is strange that it's on a B PPV. Cena VS Orton could be one of the biggest matches in the PG Era. This match will set the tone for Wrestlemania. It should be a good match. Orton and Cena, while the IWC won't admit it, has had some good matches, sans the Unforgiven 2007 match. Their Iron Man match was their best. There should be some nice spots, maybe an RKO from the ladder but we're all looking at the ending. What will WWE do? Is Cena siding with The Authority? Is that just a red herring? Can Orton regain Triple H's confidence after hurting his wife? Just HOW will the match end? It will be interesting to see say the least, but I'm STILL going with the choice many have stated before; both Cena and Orton will switch belts; Cena wins the WWE while Orton wins the World. It just makes better sense, unless Cena turns heel and wins both Sunday. That would be awesome, but this isn't fantasy world. I'm going with the golden boys to switch titles.
Whatever happens this Sunday, it's going to be very interesting heading into Mania. What will be the show ender for Mania? Who wins the Royal Rumble? How does Sheamus, one of the golden boys, fit in in all this? Answers will come in the upcoming months!
AJ and Big E retain their titles. AJ's reign is most in jeopardy. One of those Total Divas girls are going to dethrone her and it might happen Sunday. Big E is just going to keep building up momentum heading into Mania, hopefully he gets a big payoff. The Rhodes Brothers are suppose to defend their belts against Ryback/Axel, The Real Americans, and Big Show and Mysterio. (what?) I guess the Usos or the Prime Time Players were busy. I would like to see the Real Americans take this one so they can start the build to Rhodes/Goldust in 2014 but they haven't planted the proper seeds yet. Maybe start this Sunday with a loss. I'm going with The Real Americans.
Punk has his hands full as he faces The Shield. Daniel Bryan is in the SAME boat as he faces The Wyatts. In wrestling terms, both Bryan and Punk can't win. One's gotta lose. Or maybe in this case, both have to lose. I really don't see the point of these matches. I mean, why did they stop The Best and The Beard feud with The Wyatts? I guess they did it that to build to Punk/HHH at Mania? I'd like to see it! Anyway, I think The Shield beats Punk and The Wyatts beat Bryan. Sorry, I'm going against my own logic on this one but the odds are not in either of the guys favor, especially Bryan. He's facing three monsters in the Wyatts. The 3 man teams win.
The main event is one for the ages, which is strange that it's on a B PPV. Cena VS Orton could be one of the biggest matches in the PG Era. This match will set the tone for Wrestlemania. It should be a good match. Orton and Cena, while the IWC won't admit it, has had some good matches, sans the Unforgiven 2007 match. Their Iron Man match was their best. There should be some nice spots, maybe an RKO from the ladder but we're all looking at the ending. What will WWE do? Is Cena siding with The Authority? Is that just a red herring? Can Orton regain Triple H's confidence after hurting his wife? Just HOW will the match end? It will be interesting to see say the least, but I'm STILL going with the choice many have stated before; both Cena and Orton will switch belts; Cena wins the WWE while Orton wins the World. It just makes better sense, unless Cena turns heel and wins both Sunday. That would be awesome, but this isn't fantasy world. I'm going with the golden boys to switch titles.
Whatever happens this Sunday, it's going to be very interesting heading into Mania. What will be the show ender for Mania? Who wins the Royal Rumble? How does Sheamus, one of the golden boys, fit in in all this? Answers will come in the upcoming months!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Death of the World Title
Remember the summer of 2004 for WWE? Chris Benoit was still champion and Randy Orton was IC Champion. Both guys on absolute tears of their respective divisions. Benoit holding the title since Mania, and Orton held his IC Title for 7 months before losing it to Edge. Orton got the opportunity of a lifetime and went to face Benoit at SummerSlam 2004. He actually got to main event over JBL and Taker in his first ever PPV main event. Randy Orton won his 1st World Title that night. CLEAN. He was the heel in the match everyone, not the point though. It only lasted 28 days but now, 9 years later, he's an 11 time champion and has the chance to hold both titles this Sunday.
What I'm trying to get at is that the World Title was like the IC Title was in the 80s. Well, all good things must come to an end. The World Heavyweight Championship, which has been around WWE since 2002, will most likely cease to continue after Sunday's mega Wrestlemania quality main event. The World Title held a very special role in WWE. It was the stepping stone for bigger and better things in WWE. Orton won that title first and went on to main event Wrestlemanias, win 10 more World Titles and become one of the top faces in the company. Punk first major championship in WWE WAS the World Title. So was Bryan's. Without that stepping stone trial title, what will happen with guys like Bray Wyatt and members of The Shield? Will WWE be scared and not even give those guys shots or will we be treated to some quality matches down the line? I think guys are more likely to win the WWE Championship if they do well with the World Title first but that luxury of trial is now gone. I feel bad for some of the stars in NXT because that means, to win a World Title, you're going to have to face the only champion there and that guy is most likely going to be a big face, like Cena/Orton/Punk/Bryan. I just don't see a guy like El Generico or Davey Richards just coming up and beating John Cena for the WWE Championship without being proven first. Maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe WWE will eventually bring back the World Title if it does go away. And I keep saying that because I think some kind of shenanigans is going down Sunday. Maybe Orton and Cena just switch titles? Cena can't hold the B World Title for much longer, especially seeing how Wrestlemania season is starting. Speaking of that...
That Raw ending was VERYYYYYYYY interesting wasn't it? Punk attacked Triple H AKA his boss, HBK retaliates and kicks Punk and then Bryan gets revenge on HBK by hitting the running knee. Did they just set up two big matches for Wrestlemania? I've been on the HBK/Bryan bandwagon since HIAC so I'm good with that and I've always felt like Punk and HHH didn't really settle their feud from 2011 so both of those matches for Mania would be awesome. Or, just a tag match would suffice for me. I just hope WWE didn't just do that for nothing. How HBK going to kick two of my favorite superstars and NOT wrestle either one? That's wrestling blasphemy!
Is Cena going to turn heel with The Authority? It seems like that's the route WWE is going but, come on, this is John Cena we're talking about here! The FACE of the WWE! Mr. Goody Goody! Super Cena! Turning Cena heel at a B PPV would be HORRIBLE. Do it at Mania, on a grand stage where EVERYONE will see. I'm not saying that it will happen, but it's very unlikely it will. We've been clamoring for the turn for years now. If Cena was to turn heel now though, I would be all good for a Cena/Taker title main event for WM 30. It would be the only main event that makes sense. The Authority side with Cena, Cena gives in, gets some shady wins at the next two PPVs. claims he's the ultimate being in WWE and gets the attention of The Undertaker and there you go! You have a main event big enough for Wrestlemania. I mean, honestly, what else can close the show? The only other thing I see is a multi man match for the belt including Cena/Orton/Punk/Bryan but I'd rather see one last Title VS Streak match. Maybe Taker wins the Rumble again? Cena did! Whatever happens, it's going to be an interesting WM season. It might be the best ever
What I'm trying to get at is that the World Title was like the IC Title was in the 80s. Well, all good things must come to an end. The World Heavyweight Championship, which has been around WWE since 2002, will most likely cease to continue after Sunday's mega Wrestlemania quality main event. The World Title held a very special role in WWE. It was the stepping stone for bigger and better things in WWE. Orton won that title first and went on to main event Wrestlemanias, win 10 more World Titles and become one of the top faces in the company. Punk first major championship in WWE WAS the World Title. So was Bryan's. Without that stepping stone trial title, what will happen with guys like Bray Wyatt and members of The Shield? Will WWE be scared and not even give those guys shots or will we be treated to some quality matches down the line? I think guys are more likely to win the WWE Championship if they do well with the World Title first but that luxury of trial is now gone. I feel bad for some of the stars in NXT because that means, to win a World Title, you're going to have to face the only champion there and that guy is most likely going to be a big face, like Cena/Orton/Punk/Bryan. I just don't see a guy like El Generico or Davey Richards just coming up and beating John Cena for the WWE Championship without being proven first. Maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe WWE will eventually bring back the World Title if it does go away. And I keep saying that because I think some kind of shenanigans is going down Sunday. Maybe Orton and Cena just switch titles? Cena can't hold the B World Title for much longer, especially seeing how Wrestlemania season is starting. Speaking of that...
That Raw ending was VERYYYYYYYY interesting wasn't it? Punk attacked Triple H AKA his boss, HBK retaliates and kicks Punk and then Bryan gets revenge on HBK by hitting the running knee. Did they just set up two big matches for Wrestlemania? I've been on the HBK/Bryan bandwagon since HIAC so I'm good with that and I've always felt like Punk and HHH didn't really settle their feud from 2011 so both of those matches for Mania would be awesome. Or, just a tag match would suffice for me. I just hope WWE didn't just do that for nothing. How HBK going to kick two of my favorite superstars and NOT wrestle either one? That's wrestling blasphemy!
Is Cena going to turn heel with The Authority? It seems like that's the route WWE is going but, come on, this is John Cena we're talking about here! The FACE of the WWE! Mr. Goody Goody! Super Cena! Turning Cena heel at a B PPV would be HORRIBLE. Do it at Mania, on a grand stage where EVERYONE will see. I'm not saying that it will happen, but it's very unlikely it will. We've been clamoring for the turn for years now. If Cena was to turn heel now though, I would be all good for a Cena/Taker title main event for WM 30. It would be the only main event that makes sense. The Authority side with Cena, Cena gives in, gets some shady wins at the next two PPVs. claims he's the ultimate being in WWE and gets the attention of The Undertaker and there you go! You have a main event big enough for Wrestlemania. I mean, honestly, what else can close the show? The only other thing I see is a multi man match for the belt including Cena/Orton/Punk/Bryan but I'd rather see one last Title VS Streak match. Maybe Taker wins the Rumble again? Cena did! Whatever happens, it's going to be an interesting WM season. It might be the best ever
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
There can only be one...
First, let's talk Survivor Series. Many have called it the worst PPV they have ever seen and to those people, you have never seen Over the Limit 2011 or Capitol Punishment 2011. THOSE were horrible PPVs. Survivor Series was fair to say the least. The traditional Survivor Series match exceeded my expectations and was the match of the night. It came down to one guy. A guy I wasn't expecting, but should have. Roman Reigns ends up being the sole survivor and while I was initially surprised, I see why they did it. The Shield aren't going to last for too much longer. I'll give them until the Royal Rumble and then all hell will break loose between them. I would love to see a Triple Threat between the three at Mania, but I'm getting ahead of myself. With the bigger guys looking to get the push, it's no surprise the biggest guy on the team gets the win. I like Reigns, he's becoming one of my favorite young guys on the roster and I can definitely see him being the top babyface WWE severely needs. And him being related to the Rock doesn't hurt either. I'm going out on a limb here and saying that Roman Reigns will be a World Champion by the end of 2014. It's bound to happen but it might be harder for him and I'll explain in a bit.
The Wyatts definitely held their own in what was the main event for me. They kept up with Bryan and Punk and had one of the best tag matches of the year. Although they lost, they looked fantastic and I hope we see some kind of extreme rematch at TLC. The real main event on the other hand, was terrible. Of all the PPV main events this year, this was by far the worst one. It was embarrassingly bad and WWE should be ashamed of themselves for putting it on. It did, however, lead to an interesting predicament on Raw.
After 11 years of having two World Champions, at TLC, there will be one. And it only makes sense that the two golden boys get to do it. It will be John Cena VS Randy Orton in a TLC match for BOTH World Titles. Sounds something straight out of WWE 2K14 doesn't it? I'm not like many of the IWC complaining why it has to be Cena/Orton but I do have two complaints about the match.
1. This, to me, is a Wrestlemania XXX main event. Hell, it's a show ender. Why have it on the last PPV of the year? Why have this be the start of the Road to Wrestlemania? Ever since I saw that WWE Shop commercial with the black kid dancing, I knew Orton/Cena was going to happen again. That means whoever wins the Rumble HAS to main event Wrestlemania. That means a superstar who has credentials is going to win, if they decide to unify the titles. That's another thing. I'm not sure if it's a unification match OR if it's just for both belts. If it's for both belts, cool, that means more young guys can gun for the World Title. If not, then Rhodes, Barrett, Reigns, and Wyatt are going to have to work EXTRA hard to get over or they won't get shots. While the match was bound to happen, why at TLC?
2. Like I said before, younger guys are going to have to work harder if the titles are unified. That means, there is only ONE World Title in the company. Everyone is going to have to be on their A game if they want a shot at the belt. Maybe if the titles are unified, they'll bring the NXT Title up so that will be like the second tier World Title. Then, they could do what TNA does and have the person exchange that title for a shot at a PPV or Raw or something. That was one of TNA's brightest moves. The World Title was the title you gave to young guys who were up and coming but weren't ready for the spotlight. Orton, Punk, Bryan, and Ziggler ALL won the World Title first. Now, three of those guys went to main event PPVs. That just tells you the importance of the World Title. This argument would be put to rest if they just treated the IC Title the way they did in the 80s and early 90s but I guess time will tell.
I'm all behind a Champion VS Champion match, just as long as the winner gets to defend BOTH titles. Don't only have one title! It's stupid and gives less guys an opportunity at greatness. So TLC could be packed with some interesting matches. We already have Cena/Orton and with how Raw went, we'll probably be treated to Punk VS A Shield member and Bryan/Wyatt. If those three matches happened, I would buy TLC hands down.
What do you think? Is it time to unify the titles?
The Wyatts definitely held their own in what was the main event for me. They kept up with Bryan and Punk and had one of the best tag matches of the year. Although they lost, they looked fantastic and I hope we see some kind of extreme rematch at TLC. The real main event on the other hand, was terrible. Of all the PPV main events this year, this was by far the worst one. It was embarrassingly bad and WWE should be ashamed of themselves for putting it on. It did, however, lead to an interesting predicament on Raw.
After 11 years of having two World Champions, at TLC, there will be one. And it only makes sense that the two golden boys get to do it. It will be John Cena VS Randy Orton in a TLC match for BOTH World Titles. Sounds something straight out of WWE 2K14 doesn't it? I'm not like many of the IWC complaining why it has to be Cena/Orton but I do have two complaints about the match.
1. This, to me, is a Wrestlemania XXX main event. Hell, it's a show ender. Why have it on the last PPV of the year? Why have this be the start of the Road to Wrestlemania? Ever since I saw that WWE Shop commercial with the black kid dancing, I knew Orton/Cena was going to happen again. That means whoever wins the Rumble HAS to main event Wrestlemania. That means a superstar who has credentials is going to win, if they decide to unify the titles. That's another thing. I'm not sure if it's a unification match OR if it's just for both belts. If it's for both belts, cool, that means more young guys can gun for the World Title. If not, then Rhodes, Barrett, Reigns, and Wyatt are going to have to work EXTRA hard to get over or they won't get shots. While the match was bound to happen, why at TLC?
2. Like I said before, younger guys are going to have to work harder if the titles are unified. That means, there is only ONE World Title in the company. Everyone is going to have to be on their A game if they want a shot at the belt. Maybe if the titles are unified, they'll bring the NXT Title up so that will be like the second tier World Title. Then, they could do what TNA does and have the person exchange that title for a shot at a PPV or Raw or something. That was one of TNA's brightest moves. The World Title was the title you gave to young guys who were up and coming but weren't ready for the spotlight. Orton, Punk, Bryan, and Ziggler ALL won the World Title first. Now, three of those guys went to main event PPVs. That just tells you the importance of the World Title. This argument would be put to rest if they just treated the IC Title the way they did in the 80s and early 90s but I guess time will tell.
I'm all behind a Champion VS Champion match, just as long as the winner gets to defend BOTH titles. Don't only have one title! It's stupid and gives less guys an opportunity at greatness. So TLC could be packed with some interesting matches. We already have Cena/Orton and with how Raw went, we'll probably be treated to Punk VS A Shield member and Bryan/Wyatt. If those three matches happened, I would buy TLC hands down.
What do you think? Is it time to unify the titles?
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Survivor Series 2013 predictions
I'm not going to lie, but I'm not AS excited for Survivor Series as I usually am. The main events are weak and the 5-on-5 match is just a thrown together but much welcomed mess! This Survivor Series is going to confirm one thing; it will show whether the big man push is really happening or not. Let's get started with the predictions.
Big E Langston won the IC Title on Raw and got a HUGE ovation. It was one of the best of the night honestly. And now he has a rematch with Axel at SS. Axel's stock in WWE has fallen fast and it's ashame. He just doesn't have what his father did. I don't think WWE took the title off of Axel JUST to give it back to him so soon, so I'm going with Langston for the win. I'm really hoping this is just the start of big things for this kid. He's one of the guys I really want to succeed with this 'big man' push.
Total Divas exploitation time! 14 Divas in one ring is a big fantasy for any male WWE fan. While the match will most likely be fast and boring, it will be great seeing all those sexy bodies in the ring. Total Divas win.
Cena and Del Rio is not the World Title feud I wanted. What happened to Damien Sandow saying his whole reason was to end Cena's title reign? I thought at least they would do a Triple Threat and make it a little interesting. I don't see the value in doing a rematch at a big event and when I say rematch, I mean like a match that has happened at the last PPV. How are you going to really sell that? Del Rio will look good in the match and will easily dominate his opponent John Cena bur in the end, SuperCena will show up and finish what he should have ended at HIAC. Cena wins and hopefully moves onto his next feud. Sandow or Barrett please.
The 5-on-5 match is nice but it could have been SO much more. What we are getting though is a showcase of great talent in the match that has made Survivor Series famous. Both teams are rounded out pretty nice and it should be a great match-up. If you've been counting, the heels have won the main SS match the last two years with Barrett/Rhodes surviving in 2011 and Ziggler being the sole survivor in 2012. I don't know if the heels will get another win this year. I think a Shield meltdown will begin here unless they're going to feud with The Wyatt Family. I'm going with the face team winning with Mysterio and Cody surviving or one of them being the sole survivor. I think it's time to start to push Rhodes as a single wrestler. I would love to see Rhodes/Cena in 2014 with the World Title up for grabs but not before the Rhodes/Goldust match!
The match I'm really buying Survivor Series for; The Wyatts VS The Best and The Beard. This WILL be match of the night. I've heard nothing but good things about Rowan and Harper's in-ring abilities, even though they are bigger guys. This is probably one of my more favorite feuds of the year simply because it's simple. You have two well established guys who are over with the crowd and you put them against the next up and coming guys. It's really not that hard. It's also interesting to see if they ever reveal who this 'Devil' is that made Wyatt attack Bryan and Punk in the first place. Regardless, I hope this leads to a couple of matches in this feud. I think to get over, The Wyatt Family will pick up the win after interference from Wyatt and maybe even a new member of the faction. Apparently, NXT star Judas Devlin posted something on Twitter relating to Sister Abigail and the guy has the look associated with the Wyatt Family so maybe it's only a matter of time. I want a TLC tag rematch at TLC! Wyatts get their first big PPV win.
This is the most pointless Survivor Series main event since...well, since the PG Era started. I know, that's a bit extreme but I have no care for Big Show at all. Yes, I marked out when he helped the Brother Rhodes win the tag belts but I don't think he's deserving of a title match! If you're going to push a big guy in the main event, let it be a younger guy! I really could care less WHO wins this match but I guess I'll go with Orton. I want this to be one and done but I think they're going to stretch this out until TLC unless Show/HHH finally wrestle! It's ashame the WWE Title while is the biggest title in the company is the least thing I care about on the show and it's not Orton's fault. It's just the opponent he's facing. I don't feel any connection to Show or what he's gone through. It's stupid and irrelevant and I want change for the WWE Title picture. I don't know what change seeing how the top faces are all preoccupied at the moment but something has to happen and soon.
Survivor Series is weak this year. WWE doesn't seem to know how to build to a PPV unless it's named Wrestlemania and even then it's shaky at best. Punk and Bryan will shine with the Wyatts and I'm really looking to see the talent on display in the traditional SS match. The golden boys though, Cena and Orton, have to really step their games up to prove me wrong come Sunday. Let's go Wyatt Family, time to shine on the semi big stage!
Big E Langston won the IC Title on Raw and got a HUGE ovation. It was one of the best of the night honestly. And now he has a rematch with Axel at SS. Axel's stock in WWE has fallen fast and it's ashame. He just doesn't have what his father did. I don't think WWE took the title off of Axel JUST to give it back to him so soon, so I'm going with Langston for the win. I'm really hoping this is just the start of big things for this kid. He's one of the guys I really want to succeed with this 'big man' push.
Total Divas exploitation time! 14 Divas in one ring is a big fantasy for any male WWE fan. While the match will most likely be fast and boring, it will be great seeing all those sexy bodies in the ring. Total Divas win.
Cena and Del Rio is not the World Title feud I wanted. What happened to Damien Sandow saying his whole reason was to end Cena's title reign? I thought at least they would do a Triple Threat and make it a little interesting. I don't see the value in doing a rematch at a big event and when I say rematch, I mean like a match that has happened at the last PPV. How are you going to really sell that? Del Rio will look good in the match and will easily dominate his opponent John Cena bur in the end, SuperCena will show up and finish what he should have ended at HIAC. Cena wins and hopefully moves onto his next feud. Sandow or Barrett please.
The 5-on-5 match is nice but it could have been SO much more. What we are getting though is a showcase of great talent in the match that has made Survivor Series famous. Both teams are rounded out pretty nice and it should be a great match-up. If you've been counting, the heels have won the main SS match the last two years with Barrett/Rhodes surviving in 2011 and Ziggler being the sole survivor in 2012. I don't know if the heels will get another win this year. I think a Shield meltdown will begin here unless they're going to feud with The Wyatt Family. I'm going with the face team winning with Mysterio and Cody surviving or one of them being the sole survivor. I think it's time to start to push Rhodes as a single wrestler. I would love to see Rhodes/Cena in 2014 with the World Title up for grabs but not before the Rhodes/Goldust match!
The match I'm really buying Survivor Series for; The Wyatts VS The Best and The Beard. This WILL be match of the night. I've heard nothing but good things about Rowan and Harper's in-ring abilities, even though they are bigger guys. This is probably one of my more favorite feuds of the year simply because it's simple. You have two well established guys who are over with the crowd and you put them against the next up and coming guys. It's really not that hard. It's also interesting to see if they ever reveal who this 'Devil' is that made Wyatt attack Bryan and Punk in the first place. Regardless, I hope this leads to a couple of matches in this feud. I think to get over, The Wyatt Family will pick up the win after interference from Wyatt and maybe even a new member of the faction. Apparently, NXT star Judas Devlin posted something on Twitter relating to Sister Abigail and the guy has the look associated with the Wyatt Family so maybe it's only a matter of time. I want a TLC tag rematch at TLC! Wyatts get their first big PPV win.
This is the most pointless Survivor Series main event since...well, since the PG Era started. I know, that's a bit extreme but I have no care for Big Show at all. Yes, I marked out when he helped the Brother Rhodes win the tag belts but I don't think he's deserving of a title match! If you're going to push a big guy in the main event, let it be a younger guy! I really could care less WHO wins this match but I guess I'll go with Orton. I want this to be one and done but I think they're going to stretch this out until TLC unless Show/HHH finally wrestle! It's ashame the WWE Title while is the biggest title in the company is the least thing I care about on the show and it's not Orton's fault. It's just the opponent he's facing. I don't feel any connection to Show or what he's gone through. It's stupid and irrelevant and I want change for the WWE Title picture. I don't know what change seeing how the top faces are all preoccupied at the moment but something has to happen and soon.
Survivor Series is weak this year. WWE doesn't seem to know how to build to a PPV unless it's named Wrestlemania and even then it's shaky at best. Punk and Bryan will shine with the Wyatts and I'm really looking to see the talent on display in the traditional SS match. The golden boys though, Cena and Orton, have to really step their games up to prove me wrong come Sunday. Let's go Wyatt Family, time to shine on the semi big stage!
Monday, November 18, 2013
My favorite games of the 7th Generation
Well, Playstation 4 has finally released which means the 8th generation of gaming is in full swing. It feels like just yesterday that I got my Xbox 360. I was so excited to finally play some next Gen RPGs like Eternal Sonata, Blue Dragon, and of course the epic Lost Odyssey. After 5 years with that and 3 years with my PS3, I've accumulated many gaming memories and epic moments. I'd like to talk about 10 games from this generation that either made me proud to be a gamer, were fantastic games, or a bit of both. It was very hard for me to confine this to 10, let alone put in order so I do have some honorable mentions.
Uncharted - Usually when I play games that are hugely anticipated, I feel they fall flat on their faces or don't meet the huge expectations that publications claim they set. Uncharted wasn't like that at all. It set the bar for all actions games to come this generation. It had great action, fun gameplay and something little AAA releases have, humor. I found myself laughing with Nate in all 3 console games. Uncharted will be remembered by me for being the archetype action adventure game of the generation. I mean just look at Tomb Raider from 2013.
The Last of Us - Lightning struck twice for Naughty Dog as they released this amazing gem earlier this year. It's very rarely developers release two different triple A series on consoles but that's what we got from them. As what could be described as PS3's swan song, TLOU did NOT disappoint. The game itself was fantastic, but what hit home was the realistic narrative. Now, I'm not a gamer who gets emotionally attached to characters and I don't care about who dies in the course of a story but I did in Last of Us. When Joel's daughter dies in the beginning I instantly felt for him and started to care for him as a character. I don't do that. Ever. Naughty Dog made me feel emotions like that. It's that reason alone that makes the ending so powerful. After all that Joel has done to get Ellie to the climax of the story only to not let her sacrifice herself for the world. You can relate to Joel. You might feel bad for the world but you understand why Joel would do what he did. Naughty Dog succeeded with Uncharted. They reached new ground with The Last of Us.
Oh and I won't be doing certain games from a series. Like if I out Final Fantasy on the list it includes ALL the FFs released in the generation. Also, this is an opinion based list. While I think all of these games are amazing in their own right, many will probably think I'm crazy for not having Halo or Gears on this list. Hey, I don't care. It's my blog and my opinion.
10. No More Heroes - The Wii was the weakest 7th generation console only because there weren't many games for the hardcore gamer. Sure there were some usual suspects here and there but that was it. Not a lot of third party support. There was this one game though that captured my eye as soon as it was announced and that was No More Heroes. The graphics were sick and the amount of violence for the Wii was alarming, but I loved it. So you know I had to play it. Once I got a taste, I couldn't stop. It used the Wii motion controls right. There wasn't much waggling and when there was, it was to finish off an enemy. The game had a simple structure as well. Fight, get money from side jobs fight some more. Simple. It won't win anything for narrative but it was flipping amazing. The bosses were crazy! I still remember some of the names, Holly Summers, Harvey, and Darkstar (who you never face) to name a few. And then, the ending! The reveal of Jeane being your sister, the way Travis kills her, and the crazy back story that broke the 4th wall. But if you got all the beam katanas you know there's the real ending you have to fight hard for by fighting Henry, who turns out to be the husband of the hot girl you're lusting for and your twin brother. Just the whole cut scene after the fight gives me goose bumps, about how they have to wrap up the game and then the ending picture. So amazing. Unfortunately after completely knocking it out of the park with One, NMH2 felt like it was lacking. It was way more serious than the 1st and it misled me as well. You start at rank 51 but don't fight nowhere near that many bosses. You jump so many times it's insane. And there was no epic boss fight at the end either. Obviously there's a last boss but he sucked compared to Jeane and Henry. NMH will stand out for being the 1st game I'm glad I had a Wii for. It was edgy, awesome and abstract and the Wii didn't have that before NMH was released. Most memorable moment - Henry battle in 1. Stupid hard long and cheap but the payoff was worth it.
9. Dead Space - I've never been a big survival horror fan. I played RE4 and it changed my mind. I know it's not really survival horror compared to the others in the series but whatever it scared me at times. I remember just falling in love with DS for just its ambience. I looked at it in Game Informer and was really intrigued by the space horror setting. I still remember playing it for the 1st time and genuinely being scared. And then, after 3 hours of play I got the Red Rings of Death. 1 month later I started again. To get the full experience I played at night. I had to, it just didn't feel right to play it without darkness. Anyway, Dead Space was a reboot of the survival horror franchise. It was the breath of fresh air it needed. It was such an amazing experience. The feeling of fear I felt was intense. You remember the big boss in 1 that you fought in zero gravity? I remember being terrified of getting close to that thing. DS was a thrill ride from beginning to end and the end scares me still till this day. I remember knowing the ending going into the game but it still got to me. Ah, so creepy! As with NMH, the sequels couldn't reach the original. For DS, it was the horror that couldn't be duplicated. 2 had little scary parts and 3 felt like more of an action romp than a horror game. Despite that, DS still stands out as this generation's top console survival horror game. I say console because I heard good things about Amnesia and still haven't played it. Anyway, it's a great game series that lost its way down the line but I'm hoping that in this generation it gets back on track. Can you imagine the scares it can produce with the graphics of PS4 and XBO?
8. Xenoblade Chronicles - For me, this is the swan song of Wii. Not Skyward Sword or Galaxy 2, Xenoblade. What a massive game to release on the Wii. And in the end of its lifespan too. Xenoblade was AMAZING. I'm a huge fan of RPGs and in this day and age, they don't come along that often. And they certainly don't release on the Wii. This game was just an amazing experience. From the non clichéd story to the excellent mix of real time and turn based battle styles, Xenoblade had it all. I was literally addicted to this game when it came out. I once played this for 12 hours straight. I haven't done that for an RPG since Persona 4. It was just something about the gameplay that came be coming back for more. I just liked leveling up, getting stronger, changing my equipment, killing monsters, it all just clicked. Xenoblade is my favorite Wii game, yes, even better than NMH. It beckons back to the days of old RPGs that broke the mold. Xenoblade is a sign that RPGs can still be successful in a generation filled with war shooters. I'll be getting a Wii U once they announce a release window for X.
7. Mirror's Edge - I remember seeing Mirror's Edge at E3 one year and being completely blown away. The free running, the graphics, just the overall feel of the game made me want it. It was one of the reasons why Microsoft sold me on Xbox 360, even though the game was available on PS3. When I played the first level like they did in the E3 demo, I was still memorized by it all but it wasn't an overwhelming feeling, I just wanted to explore the world more and find different ways to get to the end. Eventually, I played through the whole game again just to do that. I also enjoyed the combat quite a bit as well. Sometimes first person combat can make me dizzy and confused, but all the punches and kicks felt realistic and I actually felt like I was apart of the game itself. Mirror's Edge is on this list because it was the first game I played that made me really feel like it was a next gen game. I played this during the summer of 09 and was blown away then. This is another series that I can't wait comes to PS4 and XB0.
6. Dead Rising - This was originally why I wanted an Xbox 360. Capcom doesn't disappoint when it comes to zombie games. Well, at least they didn't at the time. So when it was announced that they were making a game with zombies that didn't have Resident Evil in the title, I was excited. Let me get something straight, Capcom was probably my favorite company growing up. They made some of my favorite games in my youth. Megaman Legends, Tron Bonne, and Dino Crisis just to name a few, so I trust Capcom when it comes to new games. I got this game two months after I bought my 360 and I loved every single bit of this game. It was challenging at first, but once I got the hang of it, I was in love. The time and survival structure of the game was awesome. I played the game the first time not knowing exactly who I could save or how and after beating it, I saw I missed a lot of people since some people only appear at certain times at certain places. That made a 2nd playthrough worth it because there was so much content I skipped on. If a game can make me it through twice, that usually means it's a winner in my books. Another great thing about the game was the psychopaths AKA the boss fights from the game. This fights genuinely felt like boss fights and I died plenty of times fighting these guys. My favorites include Cliff and Stephen. DR2 was also a great entry into the series and even added the ability to make weapons, which made for awesome weapon combinations. Dead Rising is on this list because it was fun and showed that games don't have to take themselves too serious to be good.
DR3 is just a week away and hopefully it can keep up with its predecessors.
5. Tales of Vesperia - Let me start this off by first saying that Tales of Vesperia is my favorite Tales game ever. I've played Destiny, Symphonia, Phantasia, Abyss, and Legendia but for me, this one just stands high above them. I also recently beat Xillia as well and while it's very good, it just didn't capture the same magic that Vesperia did for me. I got it for a graduation gift in 2009. At this time, I was a fan of the Tales series and the last RPG I played to completion was Persona 4 so expectations for the next RPG were high. I played Abyss, and I'll probably be hated for saying this, and I wasn't that big of a fan of it. I just don't know what didn't click for me but I just couldn't get into. I've always wanted to try it again since I have a 3DS but I'm getting off topic. Vesperia was just epic. The battle system is just so fun and it was actually a little challenging. I also liked the Secret Missions that accompanied boss battles that gave you the extra edge but what really made Vesperia the game for me was the coliseum and the casino. I LOVE gambling in video games. Like, A LOT. Metal Saga had a game where you had to gamble and find out what 3 numbers were up. I spent HOURS playing that. I just like making digital money and I spent many a hours in Vesperia's casino as well. The coliseum was fantastic as well. Fighting many of the bosses over again and even facing characters from past Tales games is always amazing. It was awesome being able to go through 200 enemies with just Yuri. Xillia was great but didn't have either of these two features. Yes, there is a coliseum but it's nowhere on the level of Vesperia's. It doesn't have the best story or best characters, but somehow, it manages to be my favorite JRPG of this generation. Vesperia is on this list because it proved JRPGs AREN'T DEAD! They may be releasing slowly, they are still coming. I'm highly anticipating TOX 2 next year but I'm even more excited to see Tales on PS4 or XBO.
4. Catherine - No game has made me ever think about my life more than Catherine. It made me question my very existence, the decisions I made, and who I really was and it was all due to the fantastic story that Catherine presented. It featured a man who was feeling trapped in his relationship with his girlfriend when this hot vixen comes along and starts making his life difficult. If you haven't played it, please go and try it out. It's really an interesting experience. I'm upset that Persona/SMT missed the 7th generation home consoles (or has it? There are some teasers from Atlus) but Catherine makes up for it a little bit. While the story is the game's strongest point, that doesn't mean the gameplay is lacking. It's definitely not for everyone though. When I first heard about the game, I was turned off but once I got the game in my hands, I felt stupid for even feeling that way. It's a puzzle game, where you back to pull and push blocks and try to climb up the tower before you die. It sounds easy, but there are different kinds of blocks and the game really throws you to the wolves early. It's a tough game no doubt but it's very rewarding. There's even a game within the game, which has its own little story and exact gameplay but to be honest, it feels totally different than Catherine. It even could have been its own game. After you beat this amazing game, there's an extra mode with superbly hard towers. Harder than ANYTHING else in the main game. It was so hard, I couldn't even beat the first one. I would get close, but always fail. Anyway, it's a fantastic game that deserves to be played just because it's DIFFERENT. And that's why it's so high on this list. There's no like Catherine in the 7th generation. With all the war shooters and cover based shooters out there, Catherine took a chance and wanted to be different and exciting and it succeed on both accounts. There's currently a teaser with from Atlus USA that shows an ultrasound. Maybe either Catherine or Katherine is pregnant? Maybe I'm stretching too much? I just would love to see a sequel to one of the most abstract games of this generation. If you like different games, before you make that switch over, please give this game a try. You won't regret it.
3. Heavy Rain - Decisions. That's what Heavy Rain is all about. With many games, if you do something incorrectly, the game will stop and force you to do it again to get it right. It's nothing wrong with that but Heavy Rain doesn't follow that. There is no failure in the game. Whatever you choose to do, you can do and that's what makes HR unique! You can finish the game without bringing the killer to justice and have all the characters have 'unhappy' endings or you can bring the killer to justice and bring the characters closure. It's really a fantastic experience just for that. The story is obviously the hook for this game. There characters are realistic and I felt for each character as they went through the game. Spoiler, but when Ethan is going through one of his trials and has to cut off his finger. I flipping went crazy when they told me I had to make that choice and then they had a nerve to put a timer on it. They make you walk around the room to find an instrument to cut the finger off. It's really a tense experience if you let yourself get lost in the game. Heavy Rain has many moments like this. Ethan's story is easily my favorite because each of his trials challenges a different ideal but they all deal with sacrifice. Would you sacrifice everything to save someone you love. It's stunning. I thought the reveal of the killer was a little out there but it was still shocking nonetheless and I enjoyed the endings I got for each character. I was a huge fan of Indigo Prophecy when it first released so it's only natural that I play this. I was blown away. It's just something you have to play for yourself. Heavy Rain is simply something you must play to get for yourself. It's hard for me to explain but trust me, it's worth the time. Quantic Dream had another successful hit with Beyond but it didn't have nearly as much control as Heavy Rain did. Can't wait to see what they do with PS4. The graphics were amazing for both games for PS3. Beyond pushed the PS3 to its absolute limit. Just imagine what's they'll do with a full game.
2. Dark Souls - Dark Souls is the most frustrating game I have EVER played. When you have trouble with the first couple of bosses, you know you're going to be in for a long ride. The thing that made Dark Souls so great was the I didn't care how much the game destroyed me, I kept coming back for more. The more times the bosses killed me, the more determined I was to come back and kill them. I would try different strategies, see what I could get away with and seeing what I couldn't it. It was a trial and error kind of thing but it felt great. Once you finally fell a boss that beat you 23 times before is a satisfying feeling. I remember feeling SO relieved after beating the Capra Demon. They make you fight this boss with NO REAL SPACE AT ALL! I died so many times but eventually, I got him. How about Chaos Witch Quelaag? That spider chick kept me busy one morning from 6:00AM to 8:30AM but after her defeat, IT FELT AMAZING. And who could ever forget beating Ornstein and Smough? One Dark Souls boss is hard enough but two and then the one gets stronger AFTER defeating the other? It was crap but the feeling afterwards it so great. But Dark Souls doesn't let you hold onto that feeling too long. No, it puts you through a lengthly dungeon that makes you feel weak all over again. And that's why Dark Souls is #2. It literally MAKES you continue on. Even though it beats you down to your lowest point, it just forces you to be better. It made me want to quit so many times, but I wanted to feel what it would be like if I could actually BEAT Dark Souls. That's what kept me going all 50 hours of my journey into the Hell known as Dark Souls. Dark Souls is the defining experience of my gaming life. It's something I kept with, despite having other games at the time and despite all the struggles, I can say I completed Dark Souls. Dark Souls is on this list because this game made me feel like a gamer again. I had to use EVERYTHING I learned from gaming to beat this game and it's the most rewarding feeling in the world. Dark Souls II drops March 11th and you damn right I'll journey into Hell again.
1. Deadly Premonition - Let me explain how I found out about this game. I'm a cheap gamer. When I see a game releasing for $20 on the first day, I run right to get it. If a game is $20 on 360, I'll give it a go. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be playing my favorite game from the 7th generation when I first put that game in my 360 tray. Why though? Why is Deadly Premonition such a good game? Because it's such a mess. The controls, when I first played it at least because the PS3 controls are great, are clunky, the visuals are 6th generations and the sound is horrible. Sometimes the music would be too low or too loud and the character voices would be inaudible. The good thing though, the presentation is the only thing that makes this game 'bad.' The story and characters in the game are fantastic. The story is a murder mystery whodunit and you'll be just like Francis York Morgan trying to figure out who the murderer is. It also has things not a lot of games has. You have to actually take care of your character. York's suit will start to smell if you don't change it regularly. He'll start to grow a beard if you don't shave. He'll get hungry and tired. The characters have their own schedules. There are dozens of side quests. It's open world, it's the triple the length of most games that came out in the 7th generation. It's just a memorizing game. It's like the survival horror of Silent Hill mixed with the sandbox world of GTA mixed with the TV Show Twin Peaks for one crazy amazingly epic game. Deadly Premonition is not for everyone. Many people will be put off by it's looks and dated feel but for those who stick with the game will find an intriguing story with memorable characters and horrifically funny and inappropriate upbeat music played during the game's darkest point. Deadly Premonition is my favorite game of the 7th generation simply because it's insane. There's no game that can quite match what DP puts on the table because it's so unique. And that's why I love it so much. I love gaming and I've played some of the top releases of each year this generation but I just love what DP does, how it does it, and how everything comes together for one glorious beautiful trainwreck as Destructoid once called it. It's so different and that's what matters most.
Well, the 7th generation isn't over JUST yet. There's still Castlevania, Dark Soul II and South Park just to name a few. These 10 games give me hope for the future of gaming. I just hope there's some kind of Deadly Premonition sequel! Thanks for reading!
Uncharted - Usually when I play games that are hugely anticipated, I feel they fall flat on their faces or don't meet the huge expectations that publications claim they set. Uncharted wasn't like that at all. It set the bar for all actions games to come this generation. It had great action, fun gameplay and something little AAA releases have, humor. I found myself laughing with Nate in all 3 console games. Uncharted will be remembered by me for being the archetype action adventure game of the generation. I mean just look at Tomb Raider from 2013.
The Last of Us - Lightning struck twice for Naughty Dog as they released this amazing gem earlier this year. It's very rarely developers release two different triple A series on consoles but that's what we got from them. As what could be described as PS3's swan song, TLOU did NOT disappoint. The game itself was fantastic, but what hit home was the realistic narrative. Now, I'm not a gamer who gets emotionally attached to characters and I don't care about who dies in the course of a story but I did in Last of Us. When Joel's daughter dies in the beginning I instantly felt for him and started to care for him as a character. I don't do that. Ever. Naughty Dog made me feel emotions like that. It's that reason alone that makes the ending so powerful. After all that Joel has done to get Ellie to the climax of the story only to not let her sacrifice herself for the world. You can relate to Joel. You might feel bad for the world but you understand why Joel would do what he did. Naughty Dog succeeded with Uncharted. They reached new ground with The Last of Us.
Oh and I won't be doing certain games from a series. Like if I out Final Fantasy on the list it includes ALL the FFs released in the generation. Also, this is an opinion based list. While I think all of these games are amazing in their own right, many will probably think I'm crazy for not having Halo or Gears on this list. Hey, I don't care. It's my blog and my opinion.
10. No More Heroes - The Wii was the weakest 7th generation console only because there weren't many games for the hardcore gamer. Sure there were some usual suspects here and there but that was it. Not a lot of third party support. There was this one game though that captured my eye as soon as it was announced and that was No More Heroes. The graphics were sick and the amount of violence for the Wii was alarming, but I loved it. So you know I had to play it. Once I got a taste, I couldn't stop. It used the Wii motion controls right. There wasn't much waggling and when there was, it was to finish off an enemy. The game had a simple structure as well. Fight, get money from side jobs fight some more. Simple. It won't win anything for narrative but it was flipping amazing. The bosses were crazy! I still remember some of the names, Holly Summers, Harvey, and Darkstar (who you never face) to name a few. And then, the ending! The reveal of Jeane being your sister, the way Travis kills her, and the crazy back story that broke the 4th wall. But if you got all the beam katanas you know there's the real ending you have to fight hard for by fighting Henry, who turns out to be the husband of the hot girl you're lusting for and your twin brother. Just the whole cut scene after the fight gives me goose bumps, about how they have to wrap up the game and then the ending picture. So amazing. Unfortunately after completely knocking it out of the park with One, NMH2 felt like it was lacking. It was way more serious than the 1st and it misled me as well. You start at rank 51 but don't fight nowhere near that many bosses. You jump so many times it's insane. And there was no epic boss fight at the end either. Obviously there's a last boss but he sucked compared to Jeane and Henry. NMH will stand out for being the 1st game I'm glad I had a Wii for. It was edgy, awesome and abstract and the Wii didn't have that before NMH was released. Most memorable moment - Henry battle in 1. Stupid hard long and cheap but the payoff was worth it.
9. Dead Space - I've never been a big survival horror fan. I played RE4 and it changed my mind. I know it's not really survival horror compared to the others in the series but whatever it scared me at times. I remember just falling in love with DS for just its ambience. I looked at it in Game Informer and was really intrigued by the space horror setting. I still remember playing it for the 1st time and genuinely being scared. And then, after 3 hours of play I got the Red Rings of Death. 1 month later I started again. To get the full experience I played at night. I had to, it just didn't feel right to play it without darkness. Anyway, Dead Space was a reboot of the survival horror franchise. It was the breath of fresh air it needed. It was such an amazing experience. The feeling of fear I felt was intense. You remember the big boss in 1 that you fought in zero gravity? I remember being terrified of getting close to that thing. DS was a thrill ride from beginning to end and the end scares me still till this day. I remember knowing the ending going into the game but it still got to me. Ah, so creepy! As with NMH, the sequels couldn't reach the original. For DS, it was the horror that couldn't be duplicated. 2 had little scary parts and 3 felt like more of an action romp than a horror game. Despite that, DS still stands out as this generation's top console survival horror game. I say console because I heard good things about Amnesia and still haven't played it. Anyway, it's a great game series that lost its way down the line but I'm hoping that in this generation it gets back on track. Can you imagine the scares it can produce with the graphics of PS4 and XBO?
8. Xenoblade Chronicles - For me, this is the swan song of Wii. Not Skyward Sword or Galaxy 2, Xenoblade. What a massive game to release on the Wii. And in the end of its lifespan too. Xenoblade was AMAZING. I'm a huge fan of RPGs and in this day and age, they don't come along that often. And they certainly don't release on the Wii. This game was just an amazing experience. From the non clichéd story to the excellent mix of real time and turn based battle styles, Xenoblade had it all. I was literally addicted to this game when it came out. I once played this for 12 hours straight. I haven't done that for an RPG since Persona 4. It was just something about the gameplay that came be coming back for more. I just liked leveling up, getting stronger, changing my equipment, killing monsters, it all just clicked. Xenoblade is my favorite Wii game, yes, even better than NMH. It beckons back to the days of old RPGs that broke the mold. Xenoblade is a sign that RPGs can still be successful in a generation filled with war shooters. I'll be getting a Wii U once they announce a release window for X.
7. Mirror's Edge - I remember seeing Mirror's Edge at E3 one year and being completely blown away. The free running, the graphics, just the overall feel of the game made me want it. It was one of the reasons why Microsoft sold me on Xbox 360, even though the game was available on PS3. When I played the first level like they did in the E3 demo, I was still memorized by it all but it wasn't an overwhelming feeling, I just wanted to explore the world more and find different ways to get to the end. Eventually, I played through the whole game again just to do that. I also enjoyed the combat quite a bit as well. Sometimes first person combat can make me dizzy and confused, but all the punches and kicks felt realistic and I actually felt like I was apart of the game itself. Mirror's Edge is on this list because it was the first game I played that made me really feel like it was a next gen game. I played this during the summer of 09 and was blown away then. This is another series that I can't wait comes to PS4 and XB0.
6. Dead Rising - This was originally why I wanted an Xbox 360. Capcom doesn't disappoint when it comes to zombie games. Well, at least they didn't at the time. So when it was announced that they were making a game with zombies that didn't have Resident Evil in the title, I was excited. Let me get something straight, Capcom was probably my favorite company growing up. They made some of my favorite games in my youth. Megaman Legends, Tron Bonne, and Dino Crisis just to name a few, so I trust Capcom when it comes to new games. I got this game two months after I bought my 360 and I loved every single bit of this game. It was challenging at first, but once I got the hang of it, I was in love. The time and survival structure of the game was awesome. I played the game the first time not knowing exactly who I could save or how and after beating it, I saw I missed a lot of people since some people only appear at certain times at certain places. That made a 2nd playthrough worth it because there was so much content I skipped on. If a game can make me it through twice, that usually means it's a winner in my books. Another great thing about the game was the psychopaths AKA the boss fights from the game. This fights genuinely felt like boss fights and I died plenty of times fighting these guys. My favorites include Cliff and Stephen. DR2 was also a great entry into the series and even added the ability to make weapons, which made for awesome weapon combinations. Dead Rising is on this list because it was fun and showed that games don't have to take themselves too serious to be good.
DR3 is just a week away and hopefully it can keep up with its predecessors.
5. Tales of Vesperia - Let me start this off by first saying that Tales of Vesperia is my favorite Tales game ever. I've played Destiny, Symphonia, Phantasia, Abyss, and Legendia but for me, this one just stands high above them. I also recently beat Xillia as well and while it's very good, it just didn't capture the same magic that Vesperia did for me. I got it for a graduation gift in 2009. At this time, I was a fan of the Tales series and the last RPG I played to completion was Persona 4 so expectations for the next RPG were high. I played Abyss, and I'll probably be hated for saying this, and I wasn't that big of a fan of it. I just don't know what didn't click for me but I just couldn't get into. I've always wanted to try it again since I have a 3DS but I'm getting off topic. Vesperia was just epic. The battle system is just so fun and it was actually a little challenging. I also liked the Secret Missions that accompanied boss battles that gave you the extra edge but what really made Vesperia the game for me was the coliseum and the casino. I LOVE gambling in video games. Like, A LOT. Metal Saga had a game where you had to gamble and find out what 3 numbers were up. I spent HOURS playing that. I just like making digital money and I spent many a hours in Vesperia's casino as well. The coliseum was fantastic as well. Fighting many of the bosses over again and even facing characters from past Tales games is always amazing. It was awesome being able to go through 200 enemies with just Yuri. Xillia was great but didn't have either of these two features. Yes, there is a coliseum but it's nowhere on the level of Vesperia's. It doesn't have the best story or best characters, but somehow, it manages to be my favorite JRPG of this generation. Vesperia is on this list because it proved JRPGs AREN'T DEAD! They may be releasing slowly, they are still coming. I'm highly anticipating TOX 2 next year but I'm even more excited to see Tales on PS4 or XBO.
4. Catherine - No game has made me ever think about my life more than Catherine. It made me question my very existence, the decisions I made, and who I really was and it was all due to the fantastic story that Catherine presented. It featured a man who was feeling trapped in his relationship with his girlfriend when this hot vixen comes along and starts making his life difficult. If you haven't played it, please go and try it out. It's really an interesting experience. I'm upset that Persona/SMT missed the 7th generation home consoles (or has it? There are some teasers from Atlus) but Catherine makes up for it a little bit. While the story is the game's strongest point, that doesn't mean the gameplay is lacking. It's definitely not for everyone though. When I first heard about the game, I was turned off but once I got the game in my hands, I felt stupid for even feeling that way. It's a puzzle game, where you back to pull and push blocks and try to climb up the tower before you die. It sounds easy, but there are different kinds of blocks and the game really throws you to the wolves early. It's a tough game no doubt but it's very rewarding. There's even a game within the game, which has its own little story and exact gameplay but to be honest, it feels totally different than Catherine. It even could have been its own game. After you beat this amazing game, there's an extra mode with superbly hard towers. Harder than ANYTHING else in the main game. It was so hard, I couldn't even beat the first one. I would get close, but always fail. Anyway, it's a fantastic game that deserves to be played just because it's DIFFERENT. And that's why it's so high on this list. There's no like Catherine in the 7th generation. With all the war shooters and cover based shooters out there, Catherine took a chance and wanted to be different and exciting and it succeed on both accounts. There's currently a teaser with from Atlus USA that shows an ultrasound. Maybe either Catherine or Katherine is pregnant? Maybe I'm stretching too much? I just would love to see a sequel to one of the most abstract games of this generation. If you like different games, before you make that switch over, please give this game a try. You won't regret it.
3. Heavy Rain - Decisions. That's what Heavy Rain is all about. With many games, if you do something incorrectly, the game will stop and force you to do it again to get it right. It's nothing wrong with that but Heavy Rain doesn't follow that. There is no failure in the game. Whatever you choose to do, you can do and that's what makes HR unique! You can finish the game without bringing the killer to justice and have all the characters have 'unhappy' endings or you can bring the killer to justice and bring the characters closure. It's really a fantastic experience just for that. The story is obviously the hook for this game. There characters are realistic and I felt for each character as they went through the game. Spoiler, but when Ethan is going through one of his trials and has to cut off his finger. I flipping went crazy when they told me I had to make that choice and then they had a nerve to put a timer on it. They make you walk around the room to find an instrument to cut the finger off. It's really a tense experience if you let yourself get lost in the game. Heavy Rain has many moments like this. Ethan's story is easily my favorite because each of his trials challenges a different ideal but they all deal with sacrifice. Would you sacrifice everything to save someone you love. It's stunning. I thought the reveal of the killer was a little out there but it was still shocking nonetheless and I enjoyed the endings I got for each character. I was a huge fan of Indigo Prophecy when it first released so it's only natural that I play this. I was blown away. It's just something you have to play for yourself. Heavy Rain is simply something you must play to get for yourself. It's hard for me to explain but trust me, it's worth the time. Quantic Dream had another successful hit with Beyond but it didn't have nearly as much control as Heavy Rain did. Can't wait to see what they do with PS4. The graphics were amazing for both games for PS3. Beyond pushed the PS3 to its absolute limit. Just imagine what's they'll do with a full game.
2. Dark Souls - Dark Souls is the most frustrating game I have EVER played. When you have trouble with the first couple of bosses, you know you're going to be in for a long ride. The thing that made Dark Souls so great was the I didn't care how much the game destroyed me, I kept coming back for more. The more times the bosses killed me, the more determined I was to come back and kill them. I would try different strategies, see what I could get away with and seeing what I couldn't it. It was a trial and error kind of thing but it felt great. Once you finally fell a boss that beat you 23 times before is a satisfying feeling. I remember feeling SO relieved after beating the Capra Demon. They make you fight this boss with NO REAL SPACE AT ALL! I died so many times but eventually, I got him. How about Chaos Witch Quelaag? That spider chick kept me busy one morning from 6:00AM to 8:30AM but after her defeat, IT FELT AMAZING. And who could ever forget beating Ornstein and Smough? One Dark Souls boss is hard enough but two and then the one gets stronger AFTER defeating the other? It was crap but the feeling afterwards it so great. But Dark Souls doesn't let you hold onto that feeling too long. No, it puts you through a lengthly dungeon that makes you feel weak all over again. And that's why Dark Souls is #2. It literally MAKES you continue on. Even though it beats you down to your lowest point, it just forces you to be better. It made me want to quit so many times, but I wanted to feel what it would be like if I could actually BEAT Dark Souls. That's what kept me going all 50 hours of my journey into the Hell known as Dark Souls. Dark Souls is the defining experience of my gaming life. It's something I kept with, despite having other games at the time and despite all the struggles, I can say I completed Dark Souls. Dark Souls is on this list because this game made me feel like a gamer again. I had to use EVERYTHING I learned from gaming to beat this game and it's the most rewarding feeling in the world. Dark Souls II drops March 11th and you damn right I'll journey into Hell again.
1. Deadly Premonition - Let me explain how I found out about this game. I'm a cheap gamer. When I see a game releasing for $20 on the first day, I run right to get it. If a game is $20 on 360, I'll give it a go. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be playing my favorite game from the 7th generation when I first put that game in my 360 tray. Why though? Why is Deadly Premonition such a good game? Because it's such a mess. The controls, when I first played it at least because the PS3 controls are great, are clunky, the visuals are 6th generations and the sound is horrible. Sometimes the music would be too low or too loud and the character voices would be inaudible. The good thing though, the presentation is the only thing that makes this game 'bad.' The story and characters in the game are fantastic. The story is a murder mystery whodunit and you'll be just like Francis York Morgan trying to figure out who the murderer is. It also has things not a lot of games has. You have to actually take care of your character. York's suit will start to smell if you don't change it regularly. He'll start to grow a beard if you don't shave. He'll get hungry and tired. The characters have their own schedules. There are dozens of side quests. It's open world, it's the triple the length of most games that came out in the 7th generation. It's just a memorizing game. It's like the survival horror of Silent Hill mixed with the sandbox world of GTA mixed with the TV Show Twin Peaks for one crazy amazingly epic game. Deadly Premonition is not for everyone. Many people will be put off by it's looks and dated feel but for those who stick with the game will find an intriguing story with memorable characters and horrifically funny and inappropriate upbeat music played during the game's darkest point. Deadly Premonition is my favorite game of the 7th generation simply because it's insane. There's no game that can quite match what DP puts on the table because it's so unique. And that's why I love it so much. I love gaming and I've played some of the top releases of each year this generation but I just love what DP does, how it does it, and how everything comes together for one glorious beautiful trainwreck as Destructoid once called it. It's so different and that's what matters most.
Well, the 7th generation isn't over JUST yet. There's still Castlevania, Dark Soul II and South Park just to name a few. These 10 games give me hope for the future of gaming. I just hope there's some kind of Deadly Premonition sequel! Thanks for reading!
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Is the smaller guy push over?
Has anyone been reading the dirt sheets lately? I know that we shouldn't follow it like it's guaranteed but the recent rumors that the small guy push is ending scares me. Guys like Punk and Bryan are going be basic mid carders having great matches while guys like Ryback who only have the look will main event PPVs and be successful. That's scary when you consider most of the NXT roster are smaller guys. It's also scary considering WWE are scouting Prince Devitt. I don't want to see a guy like Devitt, who's extremely talented, fall into mid card hell when in NJPW, he's the leader of his own stable. I want to see Devitt feud with the top guys in the company. Yes I want to see Devitt/Punk with all my being but not as a mid card feud. They deserve the superstar treating as well. What about talented stars like Xavier Woods and Adrien Neville? Are they just doing all this hard work in NXT to be jobbers on the main roster? Heaven forbid. What about Rollings and Ambrose? What's life after The Shield going to be like for those two quality stars? A main event on Superstars? It's just not fair to guys who have busted their asses so hard.
If you're going to focus on bigger guys, fine that's cool, but push guys who haven't had a chance yet. I'm liking The Wyatt Family push. Those are all some big dudes. I hope Wyatt himself can use this to get pushed into the WWE Title picture. Big E Langston is another one I like. Each week I'm starting to become a fan of his and his match with Orton this past week wasn't that bad. If he becomes a World Title contender in 2014, that would be pretty sweet. And if we're talking about big guys who deserve pushes, can we not forget about a man who led his own group called Nexus in 2010. Wade Barrett has every tool needed to be a power player in WWE. They've already proven that when he main evented all the PPVs he did in 2010. I think Barrett and Wyatt are the two big guys WWE have that can most gain if the small guy push is over. That could even be a PPV main event down the line, you never know.
Survivor Series is one of my favorite PPVs of the year, behind Wrestlemania and my all time favorite, Royal Rumble. The reason being, the SS Traditional 5-on-5 matches. And I'm not talking about the earlier ones. I'm a fan of the ones with major implications on the line. Who could forget the 2001 match between WWF and WCW/ECW? Winner gets control of the company. It had all the tension a main event should and came down to two of the biggest stars in WWE history; Rock and Stone Cold. 2003 had Stone Cold's job up for grabs which easily could have been the main event. Orton's Survivor Series dominance would begin there. I miss those days. Sure the last couple SS matches have been good, like Rhodes and Barrett surviving in 2011 and Ziggler in 2012, but where are the implications?!?! They need to do one with the title on the line. Like if Cena captained a team against Del Rio. Let's do Cena/Punk/Bryan/Rhodes/Goldust vs Del Rio/Harper/Rowan/Swagger/Cesaro. Let it be for Cena's title with whoever pins Cena for the title to become champion but if that person is pinned, then the person who beat him is champion. That would go on until there is a World Champion. What if Cena retains with his whole team intact? Those guys would be subject to title matches on upcoming Raws. Same goes for Del Rio and his team. If Cena is eliminated and the last guy remaining on his team, Goldust, wins, then Goldust would be World Champion. It's really a crazy idea but I think it would work in the end. It would pit teammate against teammate and add tension back into Survivor Series. It would be my most anticipated match of the night and with due reason. Anything could happen. Anyone could walk out as champion. Anyone could turn for the shot of being champion. Who would survive? What a match idea!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
My goodness...
THIS IS A GAMING POST!!!!!!!!
This month alone, I've played and beaten Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, and Bioshock Infinite, three easy candidates for Game of the Year for me and yes, the post will come late December. Let me talk about each game one by one.
GTAV was easily the most anticipated game of this generation and with good reason. It was a simply amazing experience. The three main characters were a breath of fresh air that the GTA games needed and no character really felt the same. The characters felt believable and the gameplay was fun. The heist were original and were all fantastic. I liked the one where the trio robbed the bank at Paleto Bay and had to fight their way out. There is only one problem I had with the game and it really hurt the overall feeling for the game. SPOILERS AHEAD!!
I absolutely hated the ending. There was such a great build-up. All the story missions were AWESOME. And then, they just ended up killing all the people in their way and with no repercussion whatsoever. It just ended. That's it! Are you kidding me? If these guys killed all of this big people, there is no way that they would get away scotch free. Come on. It was such a dry and anticlimactic way to end one of the best games of the year and for me, it's all about how I feel after I finish the game. And after I finished GTAV, I felt empty afterwards, like the last 30 hours were a waste even though it was an awesome ride. Just my opinion.
The Last of Us is perfection in terms of gameplay and narrative. I like the stealth mechanics and the overall difficulty of the game and an important aspect for me is for the game to not feel like the studio's previous installments. Last of Us didn't feel like Uncharted AT ALL. The gunplay was different and even the hand to hand combat. LoU did have a satisfying conclusion and an equal awesome narrative. It was an ending that made Joel feel like a flawed character but it was realistic, humanistic ending. It was deep and thought provoking. In short, it stands tall as a GOTY candidate.
Bioshock Infinite. MAN!!! What a complete mind blow that was. For me, I came in with low expectations. Bioshock 1 was a good game but I didn't have the fantastic experience with it like everyone else seemed to have and of course, I went in with that mindset. Boy was I wrong. It just had everything you wanted from a game. I won't delve too deep into it but I'm surely convinced Bioshock will be in the Top 2 for my GOTY.
This has been a pretty good year for gaming not only these greats, but I also had the pleasure of playing Ni No Kuni, DmC, Tomb Raider, SMT IV, Tales of Xillia, Saints Row IV, Diablo 3, Rayman Legends, and Phoenix Wright as well. I'm still waiting to play Remember Me, Batman, A Link Between Two Worlds, and South Park but I'm pretty sure I have my #1 pick this year.
As for WWE, I fully expect HBK to start his WM 30 program tonight. Whether he costs Bryan or Orton is irrelevant. I'm just hoping that this leads to just one more Wrestlemania epic for the 2nd greatest performer in WM history. I'm also hoping there's a big 5-on-5 match next month as well. Give Orton/Bryan one-on-one a break. This is the 3rd time (well 4th counting SummerSlam) they main evented a PPV. Let them and 8 other guys main event a PPV that's all about survival and teamwork. Just some thoughts before the PPV.
This month alone, I've played and beaten Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, and Bioshock Infinite, three easy candidates for Game of the Year for me and yes, the post will come late December. Let me talk about each game one by one.
GTAV was easily the most anticipated game of this generation and with good reason. It was a simply amazing experience. The three main characters were a breath of fresh air that the GTA games needed and no character really felt the same. The characters felt believable and the gameplay was fun. The heist were original and were all fantastic. I liked the one where the trio robbed the bank at Paleto Bay and had to fight their way out. There is only one problem I had with the game and it really hurt the overall feeling for the game. SPOILERS AHEAD!!
I absolutely hated the ending. There was such a great build-up. All the story missions were AWESOME. And then, they just ended up killing all the people in their way and with no repercussion whatsoever. It just ended. That's it! Are you kidding me? If these guys killed all of this big people, there is no way that they would get away scotch free. Come on. It was such a dry and anticlimactic way to end one of the best games of the year and for me, it's all about how I feel after I finish the game. And after I finished GTAV, I felt empty afterwards, like the last 30 hours were a waste even though it was an awesome ride. Just my opinion.
The Last of Us is perfection in terms of gameplay and narrative. I like the stealth mechanics and the overall difficulty of the game and an important aspect for me is for the game to not feel like the studio's previous installments. Last of Us didn't feel like Uncharted AT ALL. The gunplay was different and even the hand to hand combat. LoU did have a satisfying conclusion and an equal awesome narrative. It was an ending that made Joel feel like a flawed character but it was realistic, humanistic ending. It was deep and thought provoking. In short, it stands tall as a GOTY candidate.
Bioshock Infinite. MAN!!! What a complete mind blow that was. For me, I came in with low expectations. Bioshock 1 was a good game but I didn't have the fantastic experience with it like everyone else seemed to have and of course, I went in with that mindset. Boy was I wrong. It just had everything you wanted from a game. I won't delve too deep into it but I'm surely convinced Bioshock will be in the Top 2 for my GOTY.
This has been a pretty good year for gaming not only these greats, but I also had the pleasure of playing Ni No Kuni, DmC, Tomb Raider, SMT IV, Tales of Xillia, Saints Row IV, Diablo 3, Rayman Legends, and Phoenix Wright as well. I'm still waiting to play Remember Me, Batman, A Link Between Two Worlds, and South Park but I'm pretty sure I have my #1 pick this year.
As for WWE, I fully expect HBK to start his WM 30 program tonight. Whether he costs Bryan or Orton is irrelevant. I'm just hoping that this leads to just one more Wrestlemania epic for the 2nd greatest performer in WM history. I'm also hoping there's a big 5-on-5 match next month as well. Give Orton/Bryan one-on-one a break. This is the 3rd time (well 4th counting SummerSlam) they main evented a PPV. Let them and 8 other guys main event a PPV that's all about survival and teamwork. Just some thoughts before the PPV.
Friday, October 18, 2013
I got a T-Shirt!
Check it out! The awesome people over at AlliedShirts.com provided me with this amazing shirt. I messed up a little though as my dumb stuff put FatmanStephens as the same color as the shirt. I botched bad, BUT, the shirt is worth it alone for having Daniel Bryan's face and his famous catchphrase on it. I'm wearing as we type. It feels pretty good like I'm wearing nothing! I'm going to parade around in this going to work, going on dates (with my wife), and on church events. As a small church, we already have t-shirts with our church logo on it but since then we have had new members. I look forward to talking with my Pastor and doing more business with these great people. Be sure to check them out at
So Rhodes and Goldust are the tag champions! I hope this once again starts the revitalizes of the tag division. I hope the PTP get back in the race, as well as the The Real Americans. The Cesaro swing is one of the best thing going right now and it will probably lead to the face turn of Cesaro. I also hope we see some random guys be put together. Aren't Ezekiel Jackson and Mason Ryan still employed by WWE? Put them together. Bring up some dudes from NXT. Make this work. Tag wrestling is exciting and Raw's main event showcased just that. I would like to see it. It will give the undercard talent something to do. Do it!
I may be alone, but I'm not excited about the so-called reports that say that WWE are focused on getting Sting and Goldberg to perform at Wrestlemania XXX. With those two, HHH, and possibly Taker, it looks like another WM filled with part timers. Hopefully WWE doesn't neglect some guys who have worked hard all year, like Bryan and Punk. I don't want them to be put into filler matches. I don't think that would HAPPEN but the thought itself is bad.
Thanks for reading this small post! Be sure to check out and for more awesome thing, like signs and business cards! Tell them FatmanStephens sent ya!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Super Cena returns! World Title Picture
Well, it was nice while it lasted. Alright, it's not the end of the world but John Cena's expected January return has now been unexpectedly pushed to the Hell in a Cell PPV, where he'll be competing for the World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio. Wow. I don't think he'll win it and if he does, Sandow will be cashing in right? With Cena back though, my dream 5-on-5 match can actually happen! Orton, HHH, The Shield VS Bryan/Cena/Show/Rhodes/Goldust. I had to change a few players in the match but it can still happen! Cena's return should be interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how he fits in this whole storyline. Will this finally be the time that John Cena will turn heel? Whatever happens, I'm looking forward toward Cena's build to Mania. Hell, I'm just looking forward to seeing any of Cena's matches with the top 3 guys on Raw (Punk/Orton/Bryan).
The World Title picture is a flipping mess. Alberto Del Rio has been busting his hump since getting the strap, putting on consistently fantastic matches and stealing the show a couple of times on PPV. There's only one problem; while they are good matches, there's no storyline or emotional involvement at all and that's where you lose some fans. Not to mention that Del Rio just can't seem to get over with the crowd. I think Del Rio needs a mouthpiece, not saying he can't talk but when he does, the fans don't react. I don't know who, just someone who can get the crowd to make us care more about Del Rio. If I was WWE, I would just have Del Rio sit out some time and think of a new gimmick for him. This aristocrat thing isn't working anymore. Now, what the heck should the WWE do with the World Title? Well, I have some ideas, as usual.
Cody Rhodes is the hottest young guy they have right now. I don't put Bryan in this category as he has been pushed to a main eventer now. WWE was VERY smart for getting him sympathy by having him get 'fired' weeks before his wedding and then very smart for allowing him to get the pin to get their jobs back. I think this may very well be WWE trying to finally pull the trigger on Rhodes. I don't think Rhodes will be put right into the WWE Title hunt so why not start slow, like all young guys and give him a shot at the World Title? I think a Del Rio/Rhodes match would be interesting and could eventually lead to the unfinished Sandow/Rhodes feud. Rhodes has high stock in WWE after this storyline and I can only see a World Title in his future. And a heel turn if his brother doesn't. Oh come on! With Goldust back, we're all thinking the Rhodes/Goldust match could happen now. Why not leave it until Wrestlemania XXX and have it for the World Title? Can't be any worse than the last 3 World Title matches right? Push Cody Rhodes!
Where is Wade Barrett? It feels like yesterday where Barrett was in the spotlight, facing Orton and Cena and terrorizing the entire WWE. Those days are over. Barrett is one of the brightest young WWE superstars they have. He has the look, good mic work and a solid hard hitting in ring style. Why wouldn't he be a World Champion? Barrett has yet to have a full out feud with Sheamus and I think a World Title feud between the two would be amazing for the blue brand. How would Barrett get the title from Del Rio? I haven't really put much thought in. All I know is Barrett needs to be featured in the World Title picture soon or even the WWE Title picture. Barrett's too good of a talent to let go to waste.
Wrestlemania XXX is right around the corner. Unlike this year, where we basically knew that Rock VS Cena II was a certain thing, there's a little mystery on the main event. All eyes will be on the Royal Rumble. Although it's early, I'm picking either Bryan or Punk. Punk hasn't been champion since January. This would be his triumphant return to the main event picture. Bryan is the hottest guy they have so it only makes sense for him to win. Though I would love to see Taker/Cena, I would take Cena/Punk as well at Wrestlemania 30. It's THE feud of the PG Era. As good as Edge/Cena was, they never fought at Wrestlemania. This would defy the feud's legacy forever. Either that or Bryan/Punk. It would really show how far both those guys have come.
It's too early to really predict the main event as who knows what part timers are going to come compete. Will Goldberg face Ryback? With HBK coming back at HIAC, will this lead to a Bryan/HBK match? Will The Rock compete or will his schedule not allow him to? Is Triple H going to face someone to show his control over WWE? Will someone challenge Undertaker's legendary streak and will he answer? It's going to be a very interesting next 6 months...
The World Title picture is a flipping mess. Alberto Del Rio has been busting his hump since getting the strap, putting on consistently fantastic matches and stealing the show a couple of times on PPV. There's only one problem; while they are good matches, there's no storyline or emotional involvement at all and that's where you lose some fans. Not to mention that Del Rio just can't seem to get over with the crowd. I think Del Rio needs a mouthpiece, not saying he can't talk but when he does, the fans don't react. I don't know who, just someone who can get the crowd to make us care more about Del Rio. If I was WWE, I would just have Del Rio sit out some time and think of a new gimmick for him. This aristocrat thing isn't working anymore. Now, what the heck should the WWE do with the World Title? Well, I have some ideas, as usual.
Cody Rhodes is the hottest young guy they have right now. I don't put Bryan in this category as he has been pushed to a main eventer now. WWE was VERY smart for getting him sympathy by having him get 'fired' weeks before his wedding and then very smart for allowing him to get the pin to get their jobs back. I think this may very well be WWE trying to finally pull the trigger on Rhodes. I don't think Rhodes will be put right into the WWE Title hunt so why not start slow, like all young guys and give him a shot at the World Title? I think a Del Rio/Rhodes match would be interesting and could eventually lead to the unfinished Sandow/Rhodes feud. Rhodes has high stock in WWE after this storyline and I can only see a World Title in his future. And a heel turn if his brother doesn't. Oh come on! With Goldust back, we're all thinking the Rhodes/Goldust match could happen now. Why not leave it until Wrestlemania XXX and have it for the World Title? Can't be any worse than the last 3 World Title matches right? Push Cody Rhodes!
Where is Wade Barrett? It feels like yesterday where Barrett was in the spotlight, facing Orton and Cena and terrorizing the entire WWE. Those days are over. Barrett is one of the brightest young WWE superstars they have. He has the look, good mic work and a solid hard hitting in ring style. Why wouldn't he be a World Champion? Barrett has yet to have a full out feud with Sheamus and I think a World Title feud between the two would be amazing for the blue brand. How would Barrett get the title from Del Rio? I haven't really put much thought in. All I know is Barrett needs to be featured in the World Title picture soon or even the WWE Title picture. Barrett's too good of a talent to let go to waste.
Wrestlemania XXX is right around the corner. Unlike this year, where we basically knew that Rock VS Cena II was a certain thing, there's a little mystery on the main event. All eyes will be on the Royal Rumble. Although it's early, I'm picking either Bryan or Punk. Punk hasn't been champion since January. This would be his triumphant return to the main event picture. Bryan is the hottest guy they have so it only makes sense for him to win. Though I would love to see Taker/Cena, I would take Cena/Punk as well at Wrestlemania 30. It's THE feud of the PG Era. As good as Edge/Cena was, they never fought at Wrestlemania. This would defy the feud's legacy forever. Either that or Bryan/Punk. It would really show how far both those guys have come.
It's too early to really predict the main event as who knows what part timers are going to come compete. Will Goldberg face Ryback? With HBK coming back at HIAC, will this lead to a Bryan/HBK match? Will The Rock compete or will his schedule not allow him to? Is Triple H going to face someone to show his control over WWE? Will someone challenge Undertaker's legendary streak and will he answer? It's going to be a very interesting next 6 months...
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Battleground talk and such
WWE Battleground is Sunday. (Sigh) It's more like Night of Champions Part II. To be honest, the match I'm looking forward to most is the tag match featuring the Rhodes boys VS Reigns & Rollings. Though RVD/Del Rio will most likely steal the show and Orton/Bryan will be another good showing between the two but storyline wise, I'm already heavily invested in this and as the WWE Title picture starts to focus on bringing back Orton's despicable side, I'm just more focused this. I really care about Rhodes getting back into the WWE so I'm all in for this match. I see all the main events having wacky and bizarre endings.
Punk/Ryback is just WWE's way of continuing this Punk/Heyman feud. Ryback has the WWE look but I'm just bored with him. I would like to see a Ryback/Sheamus feud eventually and that's probably when I'll start to be a fan of his. Or if he FINALLY feuds with Barrett. Speaking of Barrett, I would have really loved if Barrett was the one working with Heyman. It would have been the big push the guy needs. And they're talking about repackaging the guy so why not put him with Heyman? Makes sense to me. Anyway, I don't think Punk's getting the victory this Sunday but what's going to be next for the feud? Are they really going to do Punk/Ryback AGAIN in the HIAC? I hope not. However this goes, I'm sure Punk will eventually come out on top and most likely will be back in the title hunt for Wrestlemania season. Who knows? We might be treated to a clash at the Royal Rumble with Punk and Bryan becoming the last two two, fighting for a shot to main event Mania. Anything can happen....
RVD/Del Rio has another interesting storyline going. RVD is, of course, a part time superstar which means his schedule doesn't really reflect that of a full time like Del Rio, meaning if RVD does win, it doesn't mean he'll hold it long. That being said, it would only mean that Mr. Money in the Bank Damien Sandow would cash in and win the World Title. There's a rumor going around that RVD's short term contract is almost up which probably tells you he won't win. If he does win, Sandow would cash in shortly after but the problem with that is the fact that that just happened at SummerSlam! Del Rio has been a fighting champion, believe me, but what's left for him? I would like to see Rhodes/Del Rio or Del Rio/Christian again but that doesn't look likely. If Sandow is to cash in, would he turn face in the process? Hmmmmmm.......
The main event. Someone is going to win the WWE Title. Bryan, for a 3rd time or Orton, for an 8th. Crazy. Big Show is most likely going to play a role in the outcome of the match. Will Show redeem himself or prove to be a corporate lackey? That's it!
It should be a good lead PPV into HIAC. It should be awesome
Punk/Ryback is just WWE's way of continuing this Punk/Heyman feud. Ryback has the WWE look but I'm just bored with him. I would like to see a Ryback/Sheamus feud eventually and that's probably when I'll start to be a fan of his. Or if he FINALLY feuds with Barrett. Speaking of Barrett, I would have really loved if Barrett was the one working with Heyman. It would have been the big push the guy needs. And they're talking about repackaging the guy so why not put him with Heyman? Makes sense to me. Anyway, I don't think Punk's getting the victory this Sunday but what's going to be next for the feud? Are they really going to do Punk/Ryback AGAIN in the HIAC? I hope not. However this goes, I'm sure Punk will eventually come out on top and most likely will be back in the title hunt for Wrestlemania season. Who knows? We might be treated to a clash at the Royal Rumble with Punk and Bryan becoming the last two two, fighting for a shot to main event Mania. Anything can happen....
RVD/Del Rio has another interesting storyline going. RVD is, of course, a part time superstar which means his schedule doesn't really reflect that of a full time like Del Rio, meaning if RVD does win, it doesn't mean he'll hold it long. That being said, it would only mean that Mr. Money in the Bank Damien Sandow would cash in and win the World Title. There's a rumor going around that RVD's short term contract is almost up which probably tells you he won't win. If he does win, Sandow would cash in shortly after but the problem with that is the fact that that just happened at SummerSlam! Del Rio has been a fighting champion, believe me, but what's left for him? I would like to see Rhodes/Del Rio or Del Rio/Christian again but that doesn't look likely. If Sandow is to cash in, would he turn face in the process? Hmmmmmm.......
The main event. Someone is going to win the WWE Title. Bryan, for a 3rd time or Orton, for an 8th. Crazy. Big Show is most likely going to play a role in the outcome of the match. Will Show redeem himself or prove to be a corporate lackey? That's it!
It should be a good lead PPV into HIAC. It should be awesome
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