Now that I am back from my week-long trip to the Dominican Republic feeling all fresh to death I have some catch-up to do. First I have to watch Wrestlemania to its completion as I have seen quite a mixed bag of comments about the show.
After that, I have some diving into the rest of the wrestling world to see if I missed anything that would make me pop. That being said I had an overnight flight to ponder and process some of the little bit of news I did read down in the D.R and I am foaming at the mouth to rant, so lets go..
As soon as word spread of Fatu’s signing, fans were pretty stoked as Jacob had put in some serious work on the indie scene to make a name for himself. It wasn’t long after his WWE debut, aligning with The Bloodline obviously, people were talking about how he will leap over Solo Sikoa as the next big thing.
Organically Fatu got over with the WWE universe due to his incredible in-ring work, his immaculate character work with his ability to make us believe he will eat us all alive and his passion for the business. From the moment his music hits he owns the audience and for being so new to the whole WWE world himself, he has earned every bit of his gradual climb up the ladder to the soon to be main event level status.
Everything about him screams main event. When the fans talk about “aura”, he oozes with it.
While life hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Jacob. At age 18 he was sent to jail for armed robbery which can alter anyone’s future as jail can put you on the right path or push you further down the wrong one.
While in jail he watched his family (Jimmy & Jey Uso) on television wrestling for the biggest promotion while providing a wonderful life for their own families. That moment was the catalyst of what was to become as Jacob made the decision to get into the “family business”.
It wasn’t long before Fatu had a strong buzz about himself on the indie scene. He created something fans hadn’t seen before and it was exactly what the promotions needed as he became a draw quite quickly.
Fast forward to now and Fatu is fresh off his Wrestlemania debut winning the United States Championship for his first WWE title and it seems the wheels are in motion for that rocket to be strapped to his back.
Depending on which path HHH wants to put Jacob on but it’ll be either a MITB briefcase win at the Money in the Bank PLE this coming June or the winner of the 2026 Royal Rumble headlining next years Mania. Either or are great avenues to go down but I would spend the time really elevating not only him but also the US Championship and let him be an absolute menace at the Rumble.
He is already a major star, now I would just spend the rest of the year letting him simmer while slowly increasing the heat before turning it on full blast and watch him become the main attraction. He can easily be there now, but slow and steady will have the fans so hooked on his Rumble win (if WWE goes that route) and would make for a major money making Wrestlemania main event that WWE desperately needs as it has spent the past few years on the Cody-Reigns-Rock- Bloodline thang.
2025 will be the rise of Jacob Fatu and 2026 will be the year of Jacob Fatu.
When Kevin Owens announced his injury and had to withdraw from his Wrestlemania match with Randy Orton many wondered who would take his place.
WWE teased a possible Nick Aldis match which would have been incredible. I bought into this possibility but thought if that would have been the case then WWE should have showcased Aldis’ outside work through vignettes to show the WWE Universe Nick’s other side.
Solo Sikoa seemed like the next choice, especially with their in-ring segment and match. I know WWE needed to move quickly on this so I was convinced it was him taking Kevin Owens’ spot.
Then fans began to wonder if the Bulgarian Brute, who was rumored to have re-signed with the company would be the surprise challenger since WWE didn’t announce a replacement. While I am a major Rusev fan and would love to see that, Orton would have to be Ok with losing while putting Rusev over, since him defeating a returning star would deflate all momentum the audience would have of Rusev returning as a major player.
I think my reaction was the same as the 60,000+ in the Allegiant Stadium who went wild when the one to step up to the plate was none other than current TNA World Champion Joe Hendry.
That moment I think surprised not only the wrestling world but also Joe himself with how massive his reaction was. While many have voiced their displeasure of having Hendry lose in 3 minutes, I think the exact opposite.
It was Wrestlemania. WWE has a large pool of talent. They chose to use not only a current TNA star but current TNA Champion. Win, lose or draw this was a major win for TNA and Joe Hendry himself. Even a little WWE rub can go a long way, but this one set the tone for how WWE views its partnership with TNA and how they view Joe Hendry.
I never would have predicted Hendry to be the surprise and I also was blown away by the massive pop he received. While I knew his star power, I was obviously naïve to how large it was.
‘A la Jordynne Grace, Joe Hendry will be a WWE superstar in the not so distant future and with him having Triple H and Shawn Michaels in his corner, he is going to be a major player in the WWE game.
Maybe I missed the memo but I didn’t see this one coming at all. I know it was rumored that about a decade or so ago WWE was interested in buying the company but nothing came through but this one deserves the “HOLY SHIT” chant.
Paul Leveque is a big fan of Lucha Libre and it is obvious from his signings of Penta, Rey Fenix, Andrade, Dragon Lee, etc so I am hoping he doesn’t plan on changing AAA but only wanting to add more eyes to its incredible roster and style.
Truthfully if WWE is serious about AAA, this could really make Mexican Wrestling more mainstream than ever and make Lucha Libre one of the slickest wrestling styles on this globe. It’ll cause fans to dive deep into its amazing history and the importance of the masks. It will also cause even more influence into the wrestling world including future wrestlers. I truthfully enjoy watching a wrestler whose move-set is a blend of multiple styles.
If I were WWE and Netflix I would add a large AAA library to its bookshelf. I would also do a few Lucha Libre documentaries as well, to help educate the WWE audience more as we all know they can be very tunnel-visioned due to Vince McMahon’s view on the rest of the wrestling world.
AAA would be a major hit across the globe and a money-making machine just selling replica masks alone.
WWE would be smart to put Rey Mysterio in a high executive role much like Shawn Michaels/NXT. Rey’s experience will allow AAA to stay its true self while fine-tuning some things that make American wrestling so popular. He can show how you can blend a major fast-paced high-flying style into a calmer pace with many holds to sell the story more by allowing each sequence to breathe. To me, Rey is the right one to help take AAA to a more global audience.
Maybe HHH wants to keep AAA just how it is and that is perfectly fine. He could just add more resources to the company and really elevate its overall production. I don’t see that happening as I would want to get the most bang for my buck here and Mexican Wrestling is such a sight to see that I would bet all of your money currently in your bank account that AAA will become red hot reminicent to the Black and Gold NXT days where Takeover pay per views would absolutely slaughter main roster events with its in-ring work.
I think no matter what AAA will draw as the buzz of WWE’s hands on its product will cause fans to jump on board but it is up to Triple H and his team to not only maintain that but make that buzz grow to bigger heights the company has ever seen. Don’t believe me? Just check out the company’s roster and some of their matches and then tell me how drawn in you were…. You’re welcome.
Well, if you weren’t a Karrion Kross fan you sure are now. His recent promo where he told “the guy in the suit and tie in the truck to GFY” I was blown away. Again, proof WWE superstars have major restraints on their work.
My favourite part was when he called himself by his non-WWE Killer Kross and I am hoping since typically WWE wouldn’t do something like that if there wasn’t meaning behind it that going forward, he is going to be the absolute beast he was outside of WWE and be the guy HHH signed 5 years ago.
All you need is a moment that you can be yourself and showcase your true talent and boy o boy did he do that. That promo he cut will be talked about for years and I guarantee that. I am sure he let all his anger out with that fireball but for us fans, you got all of our attention now.
Kross and his wife Scarlett make an absolutely perfect team. Yes, they are married but it is their overall presence that is truly captivating. Both look the part but together they are the part. I still do not know how WWE has fumbled this far with the duo, but it seems like their dedication to trusting the process looks like it is about to pay off immensely.
Kross reminds me of CM Punk and how WWE viewed him until he was given a chance. Both are incredible promos, fantastic workers and both were being held down fighting for just a small opportunity. Karrion sat back and waited and was passed by repeatedly. He was given a mic and he let it all out. The fans felt every word he said whether truthful or not you felt his anger. It was incredible to watch, and it was his moment to shine.
You know once the producers yelled “cut” Triple H had to pick his jaw up off the floor. I just hope this is finally the start of Karrion Kross (hopefully Killer Kross going forward) main event-level push that should have already happened. Please dear lord baby wrestling Jesus, guide Triple H into his creative meeting with a major push for this well-deserved, patient wrestler. Amen.
So, WWE randomly pulled Bayley from Wrestlemania, replaced her with Becky Lynch all for Becky to turn on her Mania partner Lyra Valkyria. Weird and sloppy booking in my opinion. I understand there is a story that is unfolding, and I should let it unfold before judging but why couldn’t WWE leave Bayley in her scheduled match and push the rest out a week.
Since these fans have had her back and have been quite outspoken about the ridiculousness of this hopefully somebody high-up sees the stupidity in this decision. Bayley herself has done interviews going across as being deflated and even hinted at peacing out from WWE as fast as she can.
While I am sure this is all storyline-based, I can’t help but wonder how true her feelings are towards this as she made it known WWE has held her back (I disagree even if she is just speaking storyline-wise).
Bayley has shown whether a babyface or a heel she is an absolute gem. Hell, Stone Cold Steve Austin himself is a major fan of her which shows you just how spot-on her work is. Austin, a guy who is arguably the biggest draw in wrestling history (nobody will ever draw the television numbers he did), when he raves about your work you know you’re hitting all the marks needed.
While I do have to sit back and see where this goes, I just was caught off guard by her interview. I know I praised Kross for doing the same thing, but I view her as a talent WWE would do anything to not lose. Maybe her character needed this, I don’t know just yet, but I will say she has my full attention.
If things are legit and she wants out, Tony Khan would snag her up within one milli-second of her becoming a free agent. 100% she would be exactly what AEW needs to really elevate its women’s division. Mercedes Mone has taken a ton of heat from fans stating she peeked in WWE and has been a major flop, but I think Bayley would bring more excitement and add that extra star power that AEW needs.
Before I even start to draw up some AEW-Bayley dream matches, I will let her current storyline (hopefully it is only that) play out. My gut says she is going to elevate herself even more by using a more reality-based feel into her character.
Well, that is all she wrote for now. Time to shut down the ol computer, head to my car and officially start my weekend. I will be back soon as I already have a few topics locked into the noggin, just need to get back into reality mode as today was my first day back to work since my vacation. Until then make sure you pass these Rants on to your friends as we always love new eyes on your product. Until then, au revoir
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