The Pro Wrestling Rant

The Pro Wrestling Rant

Firstly, I can’t believe the summer is over, and secondly, it’s creeping towards Halloween. What the heck is happening with time zooming by? At least we have wrestling to keep us calm… or do we? Let’s rant, shall we?

Andy “The Butcher” Williams and PAC pass away

I know death is a part of life, but it always stings, especially when someone is as young as The Butcher and PAC were.

Andy’s death was shocking but also heartbreaking, as fans and wrestlers that night saw this all unfold. It was so traumatising that Ganon Jones Jr., who had competed against Williams that night, decided to walk away from pro wrestling.

I absolutely loved The Butcher and The Blade characters and was honestly hoping WWE would have snagged them, since it’s been rumoured that the company is revamping the tag division. I think their characters would have been a hit with the WWE audience, and they could have easily played a major role in the reboot.

Unless I missed it, I was utterly gutted to see zero mention of him from WWE after the tragic news broke. I sincerely hope they did acknowledge him, as it would be absolutely disheartening to know the company is so high and mighty that it sees only WWE talent as the absolute best and all other wrestlers as beneath them. As so-called leaders in the sport, WWE had an obligation to acknowledge him and pay their respects to Andy, his family, friends and loved ones.

If WWE did choose to ignore this, then I hope they know that karma is an absolute bitch.

When the news broke that PAC had passed away, it caused my jaw to hit the floor. Two well-known names in the business passed away at such young ages, so close together. One passed away at a wrestling event, and the other passed away a day after putting on a terrific match.

PAC was an incredible talent for both AEW and WWE and should have had a lengthy major title run, as not only did he look the part, but his in-ring work was at main-event level. HHH used him like the talent he was, but as we all know, Vince’s usage of NXT talent stank.

As Neville, he wasn’t shown in the light he deserved. He knew his worth, so he left WWE. PAC was one of the AEW OGs, and his name helped shine a bigger light on the then-new company.

PAC’s style was a perfect fit for AEW and its fanbase. The NXT crowd loved him, but his body of work is what the AEW audience adores.

One thing we can take away from the world losing two incredible human beings is that we need to cherish every moment, hate less and love more, because nobody knows when it is their time to go.

Bayley returns to Raw

Oh boy, did we all think Bayley was going to become All Elite! Her bestie, Mercedes Moné, even played into it by using social media to have some fun.

Bayley has been a mainstay in WWE and has pretty much done it all. She is a shoo-in for a future WWE Hall of Fame induction and could easily jump into a behind-the-scenes role, whether on Raw, SmackDown or down at the Performance Center. Pretty much, Bayley has a lifetime career with WWE if she chooses.

For a hot minute, it seemed like that wouldn’t be the case. She vanished from WWE programming, then came the news of TKO messing with talent contracts. The door to AEW seemed to be opening.

Look, I am always the first to point out the fact that AEW has such a large roster that I am unsure how they make any money, but I do think Bayley, or should I say Davina Rose, would be absolutely fantastic.

Mercedes Moné would be her first target, as there is already a storyline there. It would just be a continuation of it with a new twist. Would I jump into that right away? No. I would use that as the main build-up to an All In event.

I would put her in with Thekla first. She is arguably the top female talent on the roster. Let them have a solid feud before moving on to the likes of Persephone, then I’d dive into the Moné story.

Their story, of course, comes from WWE, but you can still beat around the bush while pushing the history narrative. Let fans go back and rewatch their classic matches. WWE or not, it’ll still add that much more excitement to the build.

Time will tell if Bayley has truly re-signed or if she has one foot out, waiting for her contract to expire. Either way, I am looking forward to seeing Bayley continue adding to her legacy, all the while helping those who will take over from her when it is her time to bow out.

Chelsea Green is WWE’s MVP

Make no mistake about it: Chelsea Green is WWE’s Most Valuable Player. It doesn’t matter what she is featured in, whether it’s a backstage segment, an in-ring promo or a match itself; Chelsea always captures the audience and has them buying into everything she is selling.

If WWE gave her a full-on mega push, Green could easily be the hottest wrestler on the planet. Everything she touches turns to gold. She knows that, we know that, but WWE doesn’t fully know that.

WWE puts too much focus on just a few storylines, which causes audience fatigue. The Bloodline is a prime example. When you have something special in a once-in-a-blue-moon talent like Chelsea, you don’t wait for the “right moment”; you go all in right now.

We are only seeing a small portion of what she can do, and she’s already a huge attraction. She knows how to work any gimmick thrown her way, and believability is a major selling point of any gimmick. She believes what she is selling, and we, the audience, are always buying it.

For me, it is her mannerisms that really complete her character. Her reactions to others who are cutting a promo on her are in a league of their own. Once again, believability. What she says, how she moves and her little huffs and puffs all add magic to the stories the segments are trying to tell.

I would love to see her pull out the Hot Mess character she had. My God, it was spectacular. I feel like this character would be a money-making machine in WWE if they let her do it her way, with no handcuffs on, allowing her to show Creative just how creative she truly is.

I hope the company gives her a lengthy WWE Women’s Championship run, as she is truly the most deserving talent on the roster to receive a title run with a heavy push.

Maybe a WrestleMania moment is in the not-so-distant future… I sure hope so.

Penta vs Roman Reigns: WWE’s Match of the Year

This is in no way a knock on either of the two here, but Roman and Penta not only put on one of the best WWE matches in a very long time, they also blew my high expectations out of the water.

I wasn’t sure where they were going with this. With the match being held in Penta’s hometown, I figured it was just to set up a little feel-good moment for both Penta and the fans. Other than that, I expected very little, as WWE always finds a way to ruin things that could be exactly what is needed.

Not only did their styles blend perfectly, but Roman also made a point of making Penta look great. Penta himself showed not only the fans but also WWE management that he belongs in the main-event scene.

Personally, I would have had Reigns drop the belt to Penta that night, since Roman doesn’t need to hold the belt until Mania for his rumoured match with Oba Femi. That would have been the perfect time to make the switch and create a moment that would be hard to recreate.

Here is the thing with Penta: he literally has all the things needed to be the top guy. He is majorly over, his presentation is spot on, his in-ring work is incredible, and he can connect with all demographics through his entire package.

He didn’t need a long title reign. Have Roman regain it at the Royal Rumble. I think WWE dropped the ball by not having Penta win the title and creating something so special.

I do foresee him being moved up to the main-event scene quite quickly, and I do see him winning the World Heavyweight Championship within the next year, but I don’t think they can recreate the moment they missed. I know WWE could easily walk into Mexico tomorrow and have Penta win, but that night, everything just clicked. It is always hard to try to top a moment like that, and typically, the second round of a feud isn’t quite as good as the first. That magic is lost.

All I can say is that I am glad WWE gave Penta this moment, and I am glad they finally view him as one of the top guys in the company. See, all people need is the opportunity, and they will show you what they truly can do.

Time to get my arse back to work. Hopefully, in the next Rant, I will have some deets on the upcoming John Cena Classic, which has the potential to be quite amazing. If it’s put together like WWE’s—or, rather, Triple H’s—Mae Young Classic and Cruiserweight Classic, and TKO keeps its grubby hands off this, then we will all be in for a real treat.

Nick Whitworth