EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: Cesaro And Sheamus

By @TrueGodImmortal

There are some teams that you never know about. When I say that, I'm referring to teams that come about and you're unsure about from the outset. Cesaro and Sheamus are exactly that. Now collectively known as The Bar, when they had Mick Foley put them together, I wasn't sure what to expect. It seemed like a short term thing. It was supposed to be. Cesaro deserved a solo run and Sheamus had been a singles run his entire career, so why should Cesaro and Sheamus become a full time tag team? I wasn't sold on this team and after they had their first few matches together, I didn't expect them to last. Fast forward a year later, and they might be the best team in the entire WWE. Perhaps this is for the best. Perhaps this means this team will be an important duo going forward and etch their name in tag team history. Whatever the case, The Bar has solidified themselves as a top tier tag team in the game today.

However, it wasn't all smooth sailing early on. After a solid 7 match series that ended awkwardly, these two were put together much to the confusion of the audience. After some early matches against the New Day, Cesaro and Sheamus would get a big victory at Survivor Series 2016, ending up as the surviving team in the 10 on 10 match, which seemed to signal a longer run ahead for The Bar. After losing a match to the tag team champions The New Day again, they had a turning point segment where they would end up working together as a cohesive unit all of a sudden and this would lead to the two defeating the New Day and ending their historic tag team title reign and making this the first title reign for Cesaro and Sheamus as a team. They would beat the New Day in a rematch before dropping the titles to Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, and that seemingly led them to a period of stagnation heading into Wrestlemania 33.

After Wrestlemania 33, Cesaro and Sheamus would end up fighting against The Hardys, who won the titles at Mania. This would set up for the biggest turning point for The Bar, as Cesaro and Sheamus came up short at Payback and then decided to turn heel, making their team more in sync than ever. With their ring gear now matching and their heel run kicking off on the right note, Cesaro and Sheamus would end up winning the tag team titles in a solid Steel Cage match at Extreme Rules making them two time champions at the time. They would embark on a solid feud that saw them go to the limit with the Hardys in a two out of three falls bout on RAW, which then led to a pretty good 30 Minute Ironman tag team title match at Great Balls Of Fire, which Cesaro and Sheamus won. After retaining the tag titles over the legendary Hardys, Cesaro and Sheamus would follow that up with yet another great tag team feud, one of which that's still going on as of this writing. Cesaro and Sheamus began to feud with the newly reunited Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, as the two most popular members of The Shield came back together. This would lead to what I think is the 2nd best feud of 2017 between two amazing teams.

The first match took place at Summerslam and it was a near classic. Ambrose and Rollins won the tag belts, but The Bar put in a great performance that can't be denied. They would continue the feud at No Mercy, but come up short yet again, and at this event, we would see Cesaro suffer a brutal injury, as two of his teeth got pushed into his gums, but they finished the match anyway. After a few more matches between the two teams, Cesaro and Sheamus finally won the belts back for a third time from Rollins and Ambrose a few weeks ago thanks to interference from New Day. This set The Bar up for a clash with the other best team in the WWE, The Usos, at Survivor Series. The champion vs champion tag team match was actually pretty damn good and proved yet again why The Bar is one of the best and why The Usos are the best. Cesaro and Sheamus took a situation that many of us were confused by and turned it into gold. They took their singles struggles and combined to become a team that are currently three time tag champs and have been involved in main events of PPVs and huge matches and feuds. For that, Cesaro and Sheamus deserve all the credit in the world. Not only have they found something that works, they've become more comfortable in their roles than ever, and it's only a matter of time before these two go down in history as one of the best teams of this era.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 3:26 AM  No comment

Eyes On WWE: 5 Underrated Matches

By @AmeenKnows

I've been away from writing for a while and decided while I have a day to myself to supply you with premium content which you can find only on EOTR. I'll try my best to limit generic commentary but every now and then, I may or may not throw in some government mule talk and a Jerry Lawler dad joke. A few of these are critically acclaimed matches that the hardcore fan may easily remember but still they are great matches that don't get talked about consistently. This isn't necessarily my top 5 as I've seen way too many to just remember all of them off the top of my head but I feel like I've put a solid list together.

*Shelton Benjamin vs Christian: TLC 2009

-This match is criminally underrated and I can't seem to figure out why. Maybe it's because of the stigma that came with being associated with the WWE/ECW reboot but nonetheless this match delivers. The match was built up by the theme of friendly competition including Christian ruining Shelton Benjamin's promotion of the all new Smackdown vs Raw 2010 video game simulation of their match. Now it was time to put down the controllers with the ECW Championship hanging high above the ring under a ladder match stipulation. It featured a fair amount of spots that didn't seem rushed or overbearing including a fabulous turnbuckle powerbomb onto a ladder by Benjamin. Benjamin was his natural great self using athleticism to pull off a flip onto Christian who was on the floor being treated by trainers. It provides everything a ladder match should: random commentary (Matt Striker knowing Texas Athletic State Commission Rules), good spots with ladders, and a lack of pretending like they can't unhook the belt while waiting for the next spot (there was one spot but Striker does a great job of saving it by mentioning an injury suffered earlier in the match).

*CM Punk vs Rey Mysterio: Capitol Punishment 2011

-I have no idea why WWE created this event and why they thought the fake Obama apperance would appeal to the crowd but nonetheless we were blessed with a fire Stage Set and a great showing from two former rivals. After trading wins on Monday Night Raw, the only logical thing for WWE creative to do is to throw the same match on PPV once again! This match being one of the first steps in the Summer of Punk was nothing short of your standard "This is Awesome" chant in 2015-Present. I don't remember a lot from their previous encounters because they were okay showings, but during Punk-Morrison's 15 minutes of fame, Punk finally found the magic with WWE's resident underdog. With the New Nexus banned from ringside, it was all Punk that night. It was the standard slow build mixed in with good counters from two guys who knew each other well. It climaxed with Punk reversing the 619 in to a GTS for the 3 Count. The lack of crowd reaction hurt it thus knocking it down a peg in the normal fan's memory.

*Sheamus vs Cesaro
Night of Champions 2014

-This match is the true definition of a gem and if this list had a set order. I would most likely have put this at numéro uno. Heading into the contest, the focus was all on Brock vs Cena rematch. However, the match you feel like you've seen a bazillion times would be the one to steal the show. Cesaro was in the midst of what was, unfortunately, the biggest singles push of his career. I say unfortunately because it wasn't really a push but that's a story for other days! Sheamus was still in the midst of his corny "I'm Irish and Love to Fight" shtick he stole from Finlay and had won the United States Championship in May of that year, but that is unimportant to  what he did leading up to here. Two guys. Nothing to lose. A solid time limit. What could possibly go wrong? Sheamus winning. That's what. Yet it was another notch on the belt for both of these guys as to how underappreciated they were. It was really a hard hitting and technical bout with smooth counters (check the number of times I've mentioned good counters in this article). Cesaro, showing off an impressive feat of strength, hit Sheamus with a glorious dead lift superplex from outside the ring. The match was truly great from start to finish and would have been even better if Cesaro was rewarded with the United States Championship.

*Seth Rollins vs Neville: Raw August 3, 2015

-This match will go down in Raw history as one of the best show openers. You have an arrogant WWE Champion in Seth Rollins who showed up to the same place he won the title to brag about breaking John Cena's nose a week earlier. And with Seth wanting to prove that anything Cena could do, he could do better, he decided to issue an open challenge for the WWE Championship. The call would be answered by none other than the Man that Gravity happened to Forget, who fit the unique requirements the champion demanded. From there, we got an exciting back and forth between the NXT Alumni. At the height of the match, Neville hit an incredible Red Arrow which sent the crowd into a fever pitch. Neville rolled the champion up for a 3 count but the referee did not ring the bell on the account of Neville accidentally placing the champion's foot on the rope (You have to see it to get it). Neville's complaining to the ref gave Rollins just enough to time to come to his senses when Neville went for a second Red Arrow. Rollins dodged it and ended it with a Curb Stomp dashing hopes of seeing Neville as WWE Champion.

*CM Punk vs John Morrison: ECW August 7, 2007

-There was a few contender's for this spot, among those being Gargano vs Ciampa at CWC, but I can do a 6-10 gem/underrated matches article another time. Over the course of the summer, Punk and Morrison put on some really, really bad matches. Morrison clearly wasn't ready to be face of a brand. That being said Punk was but WWE wasn't ready to pull the plug on Morrison's reign just yet. One of the best tidbits of Morrison's run was his 15 minutes of fame. If you can beat him or last 15 minutes with the Champ, you get a title shot. Punk would earn this opportunity and with a hot crowd ready to see his ascension, the stage was set. The crowd was into Punk's every move from beginning to finish. Every near fall began to mean so much more as time had worn on and the crowd had completely forgotten that all Punk really had to do was survive the 15 minutes of the match. It was hurt by a random commercial break which cut out 4 minutes of the match from the viewing audience at home. However, it did not damage the finish with Morrison desperately trying to beat Punk. Another great thing about it is there was no sloppy transitions or botched moves (actually Morrison did botch a springboard kick, but he still connected after regrouping) that completely fucked up past bouts. With a ECW Championship opportunity hanging in the balance, Punk went for broke as he reversed a Moonlight Drive into a GTS and got the three count ensuring he would get a shot at gold. Punk would go on to lose the title match at SummerSlam, but this match had the atmosphere and desperation the feud had lacked leading up to it and it didn't disappoint.

-Ameen

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Eyes on the Ring 1:39 PM  No comment

The Significance Of The Beast

Brock Lesnar has resigned to the WWE for a multi-year deal. This is the second time in a row that Brock has signed a multi-year deal with the company, and who could blame him? Vince drops millions of dollars in his bank account, Brock works 25-30 days a year, wrestles 4 times a year, and gets to be home with his family 90% of the year. Who wouldn't take that deal? To be fair, having Brock back in WWE hasn't seemed to provide the huge ratings or merch sales boost that WWE expected, but I think Vince sees Brock as a worthy investment regardless. Brock has never been a big media guy, and that doesn't seem likely to change, but his announcement on ESPN that he has closed the door on a MMA return, and would be staying with WWE for multiple years rocked all social media and delighted wrestling fans all over.

The question remains, what does this mean for WWE going forward? Who are some potential opponents for Brock? How many years is included in this particular multi year deal? With regards to the amount of years in Brock's resigned contract, I'm going to guess 2-3 years, with 2 years being the logical option as WrestleMania 33 is rumored to be in Minneapolis, Brock's hometown.

"Brock re-signs with @WWE." #CongratsToUs pic.twitter.com/nltmx4UCsp

— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) March 24, 2015

As far as what's next? And potential opponents? Here's my view:

There is no reason for Brock to lose to Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 31. The most bland main event in WWE history, in terms of excitement for the match and build, should end with Brock victorious. Last year, Brock ended the Undertaker's streak and I cannot imagine throwing that away just to put Reigns in a title picture that he obviously isn't ready for. However, knowing WWE, Reigns will win, Rollins will cash in, and we get Rollins vs Reigns for the title afterwards as Brock takes his normal three-month vacation with great pay. This does nothing for the company in essence, if Brock is going to stay in WWE for another two years. I would like to see Brock vs Daniel Bryan at Summerslam for the WWE Title, and Brock even said himself that he looks forward to working with Bryan in the future, getting us closer to the reality of seeing the match we all really wanted at WrestleMania 31.

Now, we don't know if Brock's contract calls for a few more dates than before, but if I'm WWE, I'm making sure that this investment is 100% worth it, and using him as much as we can within the 2 years. Unlike The Rock, Brock's part time schedule isn't because he's busy doing 45 other things, its because he just doesn't want to work that much. Now, at 25 dates a year, that's no way to really build a huge feud, so if I'm WWE, I'm asking for 35-40 dates along with 5-6 matches per year.

Vince is backing up the money truck, the least Brock can do is add 5-10 more dates to the contract and 1-2 extra matches. I would say that its more than necessary at this moment. Brock returning initially made him a special attraction, but now that effect has wore off some. He is still a huge attraction, but the wrestle once, disappear for months, wrestle once, repeat disappearance shit has gotten old after three years.

Brock has committed to WWE for multiple years and canceled out MMA, so I believe that he should give the WWE a bit more as far as appearances go. Brock wrestling at Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Extreme Rules (or Money In The Bank), Summerslam, Night of Champions (or Hell In A Cell), and Survivor Series is what's best for business. It gives the fans more Brock Lesnar, which they want, while not over saturating his appearances/matches. A strategy that if utilized correctly, will be perfect. Now, the final question, and most important question would have to be, who can Brock face over the course of these next few years?

Daniel Bryan

This is the match that everyone wants. Bryan vs Brock. David vs Goliath. This is the money match. Bryan vs Brock could end up as an all time classic and if anyone should hand Brock his first loss since WrestleMania 29, it should be Bryan.

Randy Orton

In all seriousness, this match needs to happen. It should have happened at the Royal Rumble instead of Cena getting a shot at the title. But, WWE and their usual bullshit comes to mind. However, I fully expect a Brock vs RKO match, and I can't wait to see it. It will be extreme and intense.

Rusev

In the future, after say the Orton and Bryan matches (Ed. Note: and potentially barring Rusev losing to Cena at WrestleMania), a big match between a face Brock and mega heel Rusev could provide a great showdown.

The Rock

This match needs to happen as well. A lot of people are saying "this isn't 2002," and you're right. It isn't. Brock Lesnar is a mainstream household name, The Rock is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and both are considered legends in this business. Yes, we saw Brock vs Rock in 2002. We also saw Undertaker vs Brock in 2002 and 2003. We saw Brock vs Cena in 2003 as well. The Rock was the one who helped get Brock over the top by losing cleanly to him, some 13 years ago at Summerslam 2002. Their careers since have both taken an interesting turn, and with all those years passed, I think it'd be perfect for one last match between the two in front of 100,000 plus at WrestleMania 32.

Dean Ambrose

Dean is one of the most over guys in the company period and he's positioned as a lunatic character wise. He's also selling merch considerably well, and has the vocal chops to spar with Brock's advocate Paul Heyman. The match between the two would be physical, brutal and I would love to see these two go at it.

Bray Wyatt

This might be the most exciting potential feud here. Heyman vs Wyatt on the mic? The New Face of Fear versus The Beast? This is MONEY. I'M SOLD!

Seth Rollins

I rather enjoyed the interactions with Brock and Seth Rollins leading up to the Rumble and would love to see him go one on one with Brock. That match would be great.

Cesaro

The ship hasn't sailed on this. With proper booking, decent build up, and more, I think Brock vs Cesaro could be a classic.

Closing thoughts:I'd keep Brock away from Cena, HHH, Taker, Sting, Ryback, Big Show, Kane, Mark Henry, and even Sheamus, to be honest. Let him work with the majority of the new blood, the quicker guys, the more sound wrestlers, with one huge attraction match against The Rock and call it a career. Brock is best with booked with great in ring performers, as this was evident in 2002-2003. Brock excelled against the Benoits, Edges, Rocks, Takers, Guerreros, and of course Angles of that era, but bored against the bigger men or older wrestlers. It is vital to keep Brock with fresher talent and let the magic happen.

Where does Brock go from here? Only he and the WWE know, but the whole world is intrigued. And that is special in its own right. Long Live The Beast.

@TrueGodImmortal

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Eyes on the Ring 2:40 PM  No comment

CJ's Top Five: NXT Matches

5. Seth Rollins vs. Big E, NXT Championship

Seth Rollins became the first-ever NXT Champion after defeating Jinder Mahal in the finals of an 8-man "Gold Rush" tournament. While Rollins was riding high as champ, a new face on the scene by the name of Big E. Langston was bulldozing his way through the competition. The 290-pound behemoth was demolishing opponents to the point of demanding that the referee count to 5 instead of 3 when he pinned his opponents. It was only a matter of time until Big E. and Seth Rollins would collide over the NXT title. On the December 6, 2012 edition of NXT, these two finally faced off for the gold in a no-disqualification match. Both men went at each other with everything they had, but in the end, it was Langston who had his hands raised in victory. It cemented Big E at the top of the food chain, and freed up Rollins to continue his role as one-third of The Shield.

4.  Charlotte vs. Natalya, NXT Women's Championship, NXT Takeover

It's been quite a while since WWE has produced a strong and all-around competitive women's division. The match between Charlotte and Natalya proved that the women could tear the house down just as well as the men. Both women come from wrestling royalty, Charlotte being Ric Flair's daughter, and Natalya being a member of the legendary Hart family, so both went in fighting for their family's legacy. From the opening bell, these two went right at each other. A good, solid pace throughout the entire match, and showing levels of skill and athleticism that haven't been seen in the women's division in quite some time. Sharpshooter after sharpshooter, figure four after figure four, the match ended when Charlotte landed a seated blockbuster on Natalya for the pinfall victory to become the new NXT Women's Champion. The ovation from the crowd was all the proud you needed to see that the women of NXT were there nut only to look beautiful, but to put one hell of a wrestling match.

 
3. Finn Balor vs. Adrian Neville, Number 1 Contender's Match, NXT Rival

The description sounds as simple as it looks. This was a straight-up number one contender's match for the NXT title. When it comes to Adrian Neville and Finn Balor, however, nothing is plain and simple. These are two of the most athletically gifted wrestlers on the planet, and they left it all in the ring that night. This match was full of hard-hitting and high impact moves and reversals, all performed at break-neck speed. Everything from Neville's missle dropkicks and German suplexes, to Balor's neckbreakers and unreal suicide dives, these two held nothing back. The match ended when Finn connected his dagger-like diving double foot stomp for the pinfall victory. This was my personal match of the night, and just goes to show that the future is very bright when it's in the hands of NXT.

2. Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville, NXT Championship, NXT Takeover

The rivalry between Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville has been a staple of NXT ever since they debuted. It's one of the most hard-fought and emotionally charged feuds in all of WWE in the past few years, with Sami always coming so close to taking the NXT title from Neville, but always falling short. The culmination of this feud at NXT Takeover was put under the stipulation of title vs. career, meaning that if Sami beat Neville, he would finally obtain the championship. If Sami lost, he would voluntarily leave NXT forever. You want to talk about a fight, this was a FIGHT. it seemed like these two never slowed down or even took a breath, it was the definition of a knock-down, drag-out brawl. After many attempts, and interferences by of all people the referee, Zayn was finally able to connect with the most vicious Helluva Kick he's ever hit, and pinned Neville for the victory. He was finally able to break the glad ceiling and obtain the championship that had eluded him for so long. This match was the perfect ending to a perfect feud, and it's one that you can watch over and over again.

1. Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro, 2-out of-3 Falls Match

This is an absolute marathon of a match, and was the choice of a lot of people for match of the year. Zayn and Cesaro have always had an electric chemistry since their days in ROH, and that chemistry shone through on this night. An unreal pace showed the true athleticism of these two men, stringing moves together that give me flashbacks of the old WCW cruiserweight scene of the 90s. The brute strength of Cesaro blended perfectly with the speed and acrobatics of Sami Zayn. Sami won the first fall with a devastating Helluva Kick. Cesaro was able to pick up the second fall by working on Sami's head and neck, and eventually choking him out with a sleeper. These two warriors put every ounce of energy they had into this third and final fall. The ending of the match came when Sami attempted a Tornado DDT, but Cesaro caught him mid-air and countered with his Very European Uppercut. Cesaro then capitalized by hitting the neutralizer for the pinfall and the 2-1 victory. Matches like this are what fans hunger for in WWE, and matches like this are what pro wrestling is all about.

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Eyes on the Ring 2:40 PM  No comment