Before I rant, I want to give my condolences to the family and friends of Terry Brunk aka Sabu. The sad news of his passing always stings because we all hope we live to be healthy and live to 100 and unfortunately life is life and that rarely happens.
I will do a rant on Sabu’s career once his passing has settled within the wrestling world but I would like to say that if you are unaware of his work or haven’t seen his matches in a while I highly recommend doing some research on YouTube and you will just how remarkable the Suicidal, Homicidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying Maniac was. OK, lets Rant shall we.
Releases/ departures are one of my favorite things about wrestling. I love seeing talent get a fresh start somewhere else as it gives them the chance shine under different restrictions. WWE is very story and character based whereas AEW is focused more on the in-ring side of things. Plus, with social media and the popularity of independent wrestling, a wrestler has more options when it comes to making moves to better their career.
When I heard The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch) parted ways with All Elite Wrestling I popped so hard, all because they would thrive in WWE if HHH uses the tag team division to its full potential.
Smackdown has an incredible tag division and while Raw has some great teams like War Raiders, New Day and the Creed Brothers, Smackdown’s is much more exciting and more of a priority. The Street Profits, DIY and MCMG have just clicked and have put on masterpieces (recent TLC potential Match of the Year).
Vincent and Dutch could be the ones who bring back excitement to tag team wrestling on the Raw brand. Their character work is incredible, and they can put on some great matches. They have the total package that screams WWE.
The Righteous still need their current theme music as it is spot on with their gimmick. The way Vincent walks and snaps his fingers and when Dutch flaps his tongue, perfection. WWE would be silly to change anything because the overall package, from start to finish is complete so all H would need to do is put them on the show. Easy Peasy.
Word on the street was a few years back; Hunter was interested in signing the duo. There were even pictures floating online of them at a NXT taping trying to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, it was shit or get off the pot for Hunter and The Righteous signed with AEW instead.
Recently Karrion Kross has been on fire, cutting incredible promos on the reg, using social media to his advantage and is becoming quite over with the WWE universe. Kross posted a video which had a few seconds of The Righteous theme playing then he sat there, snapped his fingers a-la Vincent and then said his line “TikTok”. The wrestling world has been going bananas ever since.
Kross linking up with The Righteous would be a great way to introduce them to the WWE audience due to Karrion becoming quite popular. WWE should also use vignettes (my absolute favourite way to showcase talent) to introduce the fans to this incredibly unique team.
Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Vincent and Dutch have the potential to be an ass kicking, dominating group using their eerie-ness to draw the audience in. I see nothing but money in this faction, but they will need to have all restraints off and allow them to be themselves and not so gimmicky as they already have the character portion solidified.
Trips missed out once, lets hope he didn’t drop the ball once again. My gut says they are coming and Kross is bringing them in. Once that happens, watch how quickly the WWE universe are hooked into everything they do. Shit is about to get real.
Sarah Stock’s release from WWE during the Covid era was a shocker to me. I thought with her background and experience that she would be with the company until she retires. Sarah was a perfect fit as a trainer down at the Performance Centre. Literally, her experience checks off all the boxes needed to make for a fantastic trainer.
The old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is how I viewed the situation of AEW signing Stock to a contract making her a coach and a producer. This was one of my favourite AEW signings as the value she brings to the table behind the scenes outweigh any other signees in-ring work. Kudos to Tony Khan for jumping at the chance to snag her up.
Her accolades and overall experience made her the right one for the job in AEW due to the company’s wide range of global wrestling styles. Their product matches perfectly with Stock’s resume. She knows the ins and outs of so many different styles that she is truthfully more beneficial behind the scenes then inside the ring.
Much like how I was when she was let go by WWE, her departure from AEW made no sense. When one person holds that much knowledge, and you don’t see the long-term gain then we need to chat. AEW and WWE, two of the biggest wrestling companies in the world whose product is shown globally and travel from continent to continent yet forgot the importance of someone like Sarah is baffling.
I literally hope Triple H has already reached out to her, especially with the company’s recent push to sign international talents and the acquisition of AAA. She knows the styles and knows how WWE operates. Stock knows how to mold a talent into a WWE superstar without having them lose their own identity.
If H doesn’t sign her then I quit. Seriously, I will be so confused. Unless she is snagged by TNA who as we know works with WWE, to get the ball rolling before bringing her back then I will be fine with that but if not, Triple H – we need to have a chat.
Again? Really? I must say I never thought I would be disappointed in the possibility of Ronda Rousey returning to WWE but sadly I am.
When Rousey first debuted for WWE when she surprisingly showed up at the end of the 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble match, I knew she was about to elevate the women’s division like no one else has. Even though her appearance stole Asuka’s thunder as she just won the match, Ronda is a main event draw with such an incredible amount of appeal to her. A massive name with worldwide recognition.
Her first match, ironically at the biggest show of the year, Wrestlemania, Ronda looked like a superstar. It was such a perfect way to showcase her inside the squared circle and she looked like she has been doing this for years. For her debut, it was 100% spot on.
With the popularity of the Women’s Division, due to the likes of Asuka, Bayley, Becky, Charlotte, etc, having a global sensation like Rousey not only elevates her opponent, it puts the women in a whole different environment. Having been busting their ass trying to show the world that the women should be on an equal playing field like the men, Ronda was the one who solidified that.
Without Rousey, WWE would not have had the pay per view Evolution. Sadly, I believe that. The plus side is that having her on the roster gave that division the boost it needed for the naysayers like Vince McMahon.
Her time with WWE came to an end and has criticized the company and its boss (Vince). I felt she wasn’t the same Ronda towards the end as she was at the beginning as she lost that appeal about her. Probably was due to Vince McMahon but in the end, she lost her steam.
Currently WWE has one of the best Women’s Division in the world, with Raw, Smackdown and NXT firing on all cylinders. Does WWE need Rousey? No, not at all. Could she do well if she returned? 100% but timing is everything as I would love to see her mix it up with the likes of Giulia, Stephanie Vaquer, Jordynne Grace and Zaria.
I think the newer signees are not just incredible athletes but would benefit from a Ronda rub. Not saying they need it, but where they are newer to WWE fold, a name like hers would do wonders on their resumes.
There are some major marquee matchups that could happen if she returned but if these could happen the world would explode. While I say Jordynne Grace is the future for WWE, any one of the ones I mentioned would put on a 5-star match with Rousey and could headline any major PLE and sell out stadiums along the way.
So, while I wouldn’t bring Ronda back, business wise I would, and I would have a plan to elevate as many of the newer, younger talent as possible along the way. Ronda Rousey vs Jordynne Grace screams Wrestlemania main event and I am beyond ready to see that.
When I got into wrestling, I was mesmerized with the characters and how believable they were. As a youngster The Wild Samoans scared the absolute you know what out of me. Their look, the way they would move around, everything about them visually was frightening and while scared I was 100% drawn in.
When Earthquake burst on the scene, much like The Wild Samoans, I was sold. This big man who would “physically” hurt the good guys was intimidating yet intriguing. A monster heel who had the entire audience glued to his work as we the fans knew our good guys were in for the fight of their lives.
As a youngster, when Earthquake whipped Hulk Hogan’s ass, that right there was one of the greatest moments I have seen up to that point. The biggest name in the business was just annihilated by this massive man and how easy it looked. While being a heel, I’m hooked.
I loved when Earthquake teamed up with Typhoon as The Natural Disasters as they were such a perfect tandem. The best tag teams are the ones who just click and form that bond that goes deeper then wrestling itself. Their work will be looked at for decades to come. Their styles were simple yet so effective. Also, their character work was just so spot on that whenever they appeared you knew someone was getting hurt.
Unfortunately, Earthquake passed away way too young, but his legacy will live on. The one thing I love about John’s work was hearing all the stories about how much of a wonderful person he was. You have this giant teddy bear who can transform into this massive beast, incredible talent.
When WWE inducted him and Typhoon into this years Hall of Fame, I was so beyond happy because of my memories of both competitors from my childhood. It brings me back to a place where I would watch wrestling and be so drawn in to the heel work and so into cheering on the good guys that it brings a huge smile to my face.
Recent news of Earthquake’s daughter training to become a professional wrestler caught my eye and piqued my interest. Being a generational talent is always tough due being constantly compared to the ones before you. While we should never put that much pressure on the ones following the footsteps of their family, it is hard not to especially when it’s a major name.
Joanna becoming a pro wrestler is not only a way to honour her father’s legacy but like she had said, she had formed a new bond with her dad. Talk about hit me in the feels.
Whatever happens in her wrestling career, only time will tell but I for one am looking forward to seeing her blossom into a professional wrestler knowing her father is proudly watching down on her with the biggest smile on his face.
For the past few weeks NXT superstars Giulia and Roxanne Perez have aligned and seemed poised to make a major splash on RAW. Having spent the past few weeks attacking WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY and now Rhea Ripley, the menacing duo have quickly become major players on the main roster.
Giulia has all the tools to be one of the top talents in WWE, she just needed to learn the WWE way of things. Perez, while young is so incredibly talented that you think she has been in the business for decades. The pairing of the two was a smart move by H as it gives them the chance to shine against the best of the best while leading to an eventual split which will main event many PLE’s because of it.
I always knew Giulia would be a future major player in WWE, Roxanne continues to impress me. Her maturity inside the ring shows you just how talented she really is while still have so much to learn. Giulia already has “it” while Roxanne is putting in the hard work to be viewed in the same light as her partner.
One thing I hope for is that WWE doesn’t split them too soon. They tend to jump the gun more often than not, damaging the outcome because they get too horny to hold off. It is all about timing and creating moments and by doing splits/turns using the slow burn method, 9 times out of 10 ends up with a masterpiece, having now 2 major stars.
While I would have rather them debut separately, if the main goal is Giulia vs Roxanne Perez on a major PLE then I am all for this. These 2 will play a major role in the Women’s Division for years to come and while I am in no rush to see them both shine, I am ready for this. To the women on RAW, shit is about to get real, real fast.
If WWE didn’t resign her then I would have wiped my hands clean and walked away from watching the company. No one else on that roster has risen to the occasion more then she has. Right from her WWE return under a “Karen” type gimmick, Chelsea has taken the ball and ran with it, turning everything she touches into gold.
I have always been a fan of her work. The “Hot Mess” character is one of my all-time favourite gimmicks ever. When she added being unhinged and maniacal into her character, I was 100% sold on everything she did.
While her character work is in a league of its own, it is her determination to turn any and every opportunity into money. Chelsea’s work is so far beyond her time, and I truthfully can see it being studied by future wrestlers for many years to come.
Don’t get me wrong, her in-ring work is legit main event level, but it is her strength and determination that makes her a rare talent.
WWE sees this as they made her the inaugural Women’s United States Champion. For them to put the title on her instead of a Becky Lynch or an IYO SKY showed me that they view Green in the same light as the ones mentioned.
Green set the bar high for future US Champions and has instantly made that championship feel important which is so nice to see since secondary titles have lost all of its prestige over the past few decades. When Zelina Vega defeated Green for the belt, it felt like a big deal and elevated Zelina in the eyes of the WWE universe. It is now up to her to keep that going but Chelsea played a major role in making this win feel like a major win.
Green was paired with Piper Niven and Albra Fyre and been used as her “Secret Hervice” which again has created a true gem. Chels can adapt, pivot (say it is Ross Gellar’s voice PIVOT) and come up with a gameplan to tackle whatever creative throws her way.
While I am not privy to inside information, but I’d like to think 2025 is the year where she takes the leap into main event level status. She has all of the tools needed to be at the top and it seems like she has the trust from management so with timing of everything I can see either a Money in the Bank win or a Royal Rumble win this year.
Being Triple H, I would pull the trigger on her by having her win MITB but instead of cashing in the typical way (after the champion has finished a match), I’d have her call out said champ and allow Green to win it without the need of any assistance.
If WWE did go with the usual cash in route, I still think the crowd would blow the roof off the joint but I just think she has earned her spot to win it gracefully. If WWE has the patience then a Rumble win would be even better if from here on out Trips continues to build Chelsea up and elevate her along the way.
Time to grab a coffee and attempt to start my day. The wrestling world keeps getting better every day and there has been so much to rant about which is a true testament to how well professional wrestling is doing. From watching wrestling in the 80’s to seeing where it is now and how it evolved has been truly incredible and it is only getting stronger. I love this business, and all of the intricacies involved.
Hungry for more rants? Catch Nick’s page here.
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