Eyes On WWE: NXT's Mount Rushmore

By @AmeenKnows

I've been away from writing for a really long time. My notes even say my last article was October 29th of last year. Interesting. Well nearly a year later, I'm back to discuss something that I've never really thought of until today. For a bit of background on this, I saw a picture of Johnny Gargano's stats from a fan made sign that stated he was the greatest NXT Superstar of All Time. I'll get to the stats later and although as of today I can't say that I agree with that fan in particular, Johnny is well on his way.

Before writing this, a lot of thought was put into who I did or didn't want to include in this list. I wanted to add a tag team like The Ascension who was responsible for the most dominant win streak in the brand's history. I wanted to include Paige who was an absolute trailblazer for the Women's division. I thought of adding the Four Horsewomen who certainly had an amazing impact on NXT's Women's Division but I couldn't pick out which one to single handedly knock one name off my personal list to be included. I thought of adding Seth Rollins, who without a doubt was the standard for what NXT would become in the future, however he just doesn't compare to the others on this list to me and I will explain why.

*Honorable Mention: Asuka

The reason Asuka is my honorable mention is because not only did she not have a single loss in NXT but she was so convincingly dominant and brought the best out of every single opponent she had ever worked with. It was tough leaving her off the list knowing how much she meant to women's wrestling in NXT when Charlotte, Becky, Sasha and eventually Bayley, were called up. Now onto my Mount Rushmore

4. Sami Zayn

-Sami Zayn was the heart and soul of NXT from the moment he stepped foot in Full Sail University's hollowed halls. The reaction he garnered week in and week out is the stuff that my generation will tell their kids about what it was like watching The Rock in his peak. I'm not trying to say Sami Zayn was The Rock of NXT but the building went bat shit insane every time they heard the "LET'S GO!" part of his entrance. However, there's a reason beyond catchy theme music and an infectious smile that gave Sami that level of popularity. The man could go. His 2 out of 3 Falls Match with Cesaro at NXT Arrival is the direct launching point of the brand and the WWE Network. Losing every big match he ever had made fans more and more eager to see him finally grip that brass ring similar to Jeff Hardy in 2008. His title win over Adrian Neville is something you can watch over and over and over again and never get tired of it. If I could show any person looking to get into the brand one match that defines the greatness of the NXT, it would be Zayn vs Nakamura at NXT Takeover: Dallas.

3. Johnny Gargano

-The man affectionately known as "Johnny Wrestling" is everything that defines an NXT superstar. I selfishly believe that he should be the first ever NXT "lifer" just necause he epitomizes what NXT is. I mentioned a sign with his stats on it so I'll just rattle them off now:

⁃ Most NXT Takeover Matches in History with his 10th at Takeover Brooklyn

⁃ Most Takeover Main Events: 5 tied with Samoa Joe

⁃ Only man to appear at 3 Takeover Brooklyn events
⁃ Longest singles bout in Takeover history at 36:07

Those are amazing stats and none of them mentioned his two 5 star classics in 2018. Johnny can do it all. He's a part of one of the greatest tag teams in NXT history. He proved he belonged in the main event when given a chance to headline Takeover: Philadelphia. The one thing holding him back is he has yet to win the big one. The NXT Championship has eluded him the same way it had once eluded Sami Zayn and with each loss it only makes the desire to see him break through grow stronger within fans. There's a lot of guys with more impressive résumés than Johnny by virtue of holding the brand's top prize but very few can compare to the excellence he has shown since arriving at Full Sail.

2. Finn Bálor

-Finn Bálor has one of the strongest cases for being the number one guy here almost by default because even with as influential as Adrian Neville was, no one has the impact and reach that Prince Devitt does. Finn, like Neville, put the brand on his back and it led to the biggest surge in support that NXT had ever seen up to that point. His era of popularity made NXT so big that he headlined the final NXT Takeover to be filmed at Full Sail to date because the company realized that this brand is simply too big to leave in Florida. Already one of the world's best when he arrived, Finn brought all the stuff that made him well respected in Japan and turned himself into a Superstar in NXT. His matches delivered time and time again whether it be against Kevin Owens, Adrian Neville or arch rival Samoa Joe. His final match on the brand with Shinsuke Nakamura is truly a gem that hasn't been discussed in a long time. Imagine that, so many good matches that people forget about one of your best!

1. Adrian Neville

-I struggled very heavily with putting Neville here instead of Bálor at number one but the top guy has a very strong case for number one. Adrian Neville is what you would call a jack of all trades. He can work the midcard programs, becoming the first NXT Tag Team Champion, which is a big deal. He can also usher in a new era and carry the brand on his back, which is exactly what he did in 2014. Earlier, I mentioned Cesaro and Sami Zayn's match at NXT Arrival as the launching point for the brand but the first ever ladder match for the NXT Championship between Neville and Bo Dallas was right next to that match in kick-starting something amazing. Neville brought a struggling Tyson Kidd who was going through a reinvention with him to the first NXT Takeover and they delivered. At NXT Takeover: Fatal Four Way they put Kidd in there with 2 new challengers in Tyler Breeze and Zayn, and he still delivered a classic performance. When it came time for Sami Zayn to take his place at the top of the mountain, Neville stepped out of his comfort zone as a face and became the antagonizing tweener needed to give Sami that extra kick in the ass and they delivered the best performance of their careers, up to that point, at Takeover R-Evolution. There were no other stars. The World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Champion weren't coming down to give ratings a boost like they had done in 2012 and 2013. Neville put the brand on his back and set the standard for what NXT Takeover events should be and they got better and better even after he was gone. Neville is the strongest pillar of these four men in stabilizing the success of the brand without help so that the others could build off of it.

-Ameen

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Eyes on the Ring 11:45 PM  10 comments

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: The 5 Best WWE Tag Teams Today

By @TrueGodImmortal

With the WWE experiencing the best run of tag team wrestling in quite some time, it's only right we take a moment and list the best tag teams of today. These are the teams that have excelled the most in the WWE over the last 6-8 months. With a few teams breaking up, some being injured, and some just not being as important, we were able to narrow this list down to the five best, in order. Let's take a look at the 5 best tag teams in the WWE today.

5. Seth Rollins And Dean Ambrose 

-This team makes the list sort of by default. The Authors of Pain haven't been as consistent and the other teams who could possibly make this list haven't accomplished more than Rollins and Ambrose. Since reuniting in late July, the two most over members of The Shield have given the world a lot to cheer for, having an excellent feud with Cesaro and Sheamus for the better part of the last 4 months. They've had matches against The Hardy Boyz, and The New Day, with their success coming mostly in the form of their great matches against Cesaro and Sheamus. They were tag team champions for a little over two months and it seems as if they are heading towards another title run possibly as they seem primed to take on Cesaro and Sheamus for the titles yet again.

4. SANITY

-It is surprising that this group has grown on me in NXT, but the team of Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, and Killian Dain are absolutely great. They are the NXT Tag Team Champions and as a result, they alternate who defends the title between the three. Their gimmick is dark and it works very well for them, and they've been a part of some good matches, from their battles with The Authors of Pain to their inclusion in the epic War Games match, SANITY hasn't disappointed this year and they reign supreme currently in NXT. I can't wait to see how this group does on the main roster.... I hope the WWE actually gets this right when it's time to call them up.

3. The New Day 

-Three years. Three years. The New Day are still rolling. They are still one of the most over tag teams and they don't even seem to be getting stale, especially since they've found new life on Smackdown. It's amazing what a refreshing feud and new perspective can do for you. They've had some good matches against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, as well as The Shield, Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin, as well as Breezango, but of course, the highlight of the year came in the form of their epic feud with The Usos. The New Day have been excellent all year long and they might be one of the best teams ever when it is all said and done. There hasn't been a team as popular, as groundbreaking, or as important in this current era as New Day. They are the cream of the crop in the WWE over the last three years and they seem like they aren't slowing up anytime soon.

2. Cesaro And Sheamus 

-We discussed this team last week, so I won't get too much into the work they have done, but I never would have expected this team to even work. Two great solo performers put together in a makeshift team has turned into the best thing in tag team wrestling on RAW. They had a great feud with The Hardy Boyz this year, but the best moment of the year came with this team feuding with the Shield, Rollins and Ambrose. Over the last four months, these two teams have put in amazing work and as a result, Cesaro and Sheamus have proven why they are The Bar. There's no team on RAW better than these two.

1. The Usos 

-Day One Ish. Whatever that means. Honestly, when the Usos turned heel, I wasn't really sold on them as a top tier team, but they've showed that they can be that and more. They are far and away the best team in the WWE and they don't seem to be letting up anytime soon. After a great feud early in the year with American Alpha, The Usos arrived at the height of their year when they began a few with The New Day in the summer. We witnessed a ton of amazing matches from those two teams, including a Hell In A Cell match that was excellent to end their feud. The Usos are setting up to feud with Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin and due to their great in ring work, they seem to be more tweeners than anything, and that fits them. The Usos are the best team in the WWE and I don't expect anyone to take their spot.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 12:12 AM  2 comments

Eyes On WWE: The 5 Best Matches Of 2017 (So Far)

By @TrueGodImmortal

The year isn't quite over yet, but so far we have seen some great matches. From the Men's Money In The Bank match to the amazing triple threat match with Finn Balor vs The Miz vs Seth Rollins, WWE seems to have a ton of talent that rarely seems to disappoint. With the halfway mark of the year recently passing, I wanted to look at the top 5 matches so far this year. What makes the list? Let's get into it.

5. DIY vs Authors of Pain
Tag Team Title Ladder Match
NXT Takeover Chicago

-I wasn't excited about this match to be honest at first. However, I would be 100% surprised and happy with what I watched. The perfect storm led to this beautiful match with the most epic fallout. DIY gave The Authors of Pain their best matches and this is right there at the very top of that list, as DIY went above and beyond to make AOP look great. The match signaled the end of an era for DIY and I thought it meant they were heading to Smackdown, but the aftermath led to them breaking up with Ciampa turning on Gargano in one of the best ending scenes of a WWE event in a long time. This match was perfect from beginning to end and the aftermath.

4. The Revival vs Authors of Pain vs DIY
Triple Threat Tag Team Title Match
NXT Takeover Orlando 

-The fact remains, the WWE has some of the greatest talent in the  world and it mostly resides in NXT. The tag team division is a bit slim now, but this match is what tag team wrestling is all about. The elimination match showed that The Revival and DIY were the best teams in the WWE at the time. Authors of Pain played their position well, and when it was all said and done, they walked away victorious and still champions. This match is a classic and was the best match of the night on this PPV. 

3. Bray Wyatt vs John Cena vs The Miz vs Dean Ambrose vs Baron Corbin vs AJ Styles 

WWE Elimination Chamber 2017
Elimination Chamber Match 

-I was unsure of how good this match would be, but I'm glad this match turned out to be a near classic. With these 6 man in the ring, it was bound to be interesting, but this might be the best Chamber match since the very first one. It set up Ambrose vs Corbin, gave us the set up for Cena and Miz feuding, And put Bray Wyatt in the driver's seat. The truth be told, this is exactly what you want in a main event. Bray walks away with the victory and the title finally after 30 minutes of amazing action. What a match.

2. AJ Styles vs John Cena
Royal Rumble 2017

-I still think their Summerslam 2016 match is better than this match, mostly due to the outcome, but AJ and Cena put on one of their greatest contests. Both of these men left it all out there, and after a number of finishers, Cena ends up taking the win and his 16th World Title. Cena and Styles have the best chemistry together on the roster right now and they have the best chemistry that Cena has had with any wrestler since CM Punk. This match is a testament to that.

1. Tyler Bate vs Peter Dunne
UK Championship Match
NXT Takeover Chicago 

-It should come as no surprise that the majority of the best matches on this list come from  NXT events. NXT has the best matches and the most consistency and sure enough, this UK Title Match stands as a top 15 match I've ever witnessed, maybe higher. Tyler was the champion, but the crowd seemed to be behind Pete most of the match and the Chicago got treated to a true classic. Pete Dunne became a household name after this match and the UK Champion, and I can't see a match knocking this off the top spot this year. It's THAT good.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 2:51 AM  1 comment

Eyes On WWE: The 5 Best WWE Events Of 2017 So Far

By @TrueGodImmortal 

The year isn't close to being over, but much like we did with the top 5 wrestlers so far this year, I wanted to take a look at the top 5 WWE events of the first half of 2017. Let's get into it.

5. Wrestlemania 33

-While this Mania had one of the worst main events ever with one of the worst finishes ever, the majority of the undercard was truly superb. With 13 total matches on the night, including the three on the preshow, there was a huge margin for error, but for the most part, the matches didn't disappoint. Neville vs Austin Aries was great, and the opening match of AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon stole the show without question. Seth Rollins vs Triple H was a really good match as well, and I definitely enjoyed Chris Jericho vs Kevin Owens. The Raw Women's Fatal 4 Way was solid, and the return of the Hardy Boyz is one of the best moments of the year and the Ladder match for the tag titles were fun as well. I was even pleasantly shocked by the short but fun Goldberg vs Brock III match as well. Wrestlemania was average for a big time Mania with a roster like this, but so far this year, it ranks in the top 5, but with the stacked card for NXT Takeover Brooklyn and Summerslam, it'll likely fall out of that top 5 in the next month or so.

4. Extreme Rules 

-I debated on putting the NXT Takeover in San Antonio or even the Money In The Bank PPV in place of the 4th or 5th selection, but couldn't justify it due to finishes and the overall card. There wasn't a consistent flow on those cards, but I can confidently say that I really enjoyed this event surprisingly enough. The Miz vs Dean Ambrose was solid, the Tag Team Steel Cage match was solid for the most part as well minus the strange ending and rules, I liked the mixed tag team match, the submission match for the Cruiserweight Title was good, and the main event was excellent. With a solid card match wise, Extreme Rules was better than expected.

3. Elimination Chamber

-This is actually the best WWE main roster event so far during the year. Surprisingly enough, this was a mostly solid card that saw some matches shock me. The tag team turmoil match was solid, I enjoyed Becky Lynch vs Mickie James, Naomi vs Alexa Bliss was solid, Randy Orton vs Luke Harper was a damn good match, and the Elimination Chamber Match was easily one of the best matches so far this year (more on that match tomorrow). While not a perfect event, this was one of the best of the year without question and my favorite WWE main roster event of the year.

2. NXT Takeover Orlando 

-It was tough choosing between the most recent NXT events because they were both so good. The reality is, this event is on par with my top choice as well, and if you chose this event, I wouldn't be mad at you. The opening 8 man tag match was a lot of fun, along with the Aleister Black match, the epic triple threat tag team title match, and of course the slept on main event between Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura. Overall, this event doesn't have a bad match, and that's what earns it the no. 2 spot. Why can't I give it the no. 1 spot? Well, let me get into that with my top selection.

1. NXT Takeover Chicago 

-The absolute best event this year and only one has come close. This event blows every WWE PPV out of the water without question and it proves once again that even as their talent roster loses vital members that they can replace them with viable stars. With Shinsuke Nakamura, Tye Dillinger, and The Revival gone, NXT recovered and delivered the best event of the year so far. The opening match of Roderick Strong vs Eric Young was actually a pretty good contest, and I enjoyed the Women's Triple Threat match very much too. While some criticized it, I really enjoyed the Bobby Roode vs Hideo Itami NXT Title Match as well. However, what gets this event at no. 1 is having two of the best matches of the year on the card. The amazing Tag Team Title Ladder Match between DIY and Authors Of Pain and the classic between Tyler Bate and Peter Dunne are two of the best matches that we've seen this year without question (more on that in the next article), and that solidifies NXT Takeover Chicago as the best event of the year so far.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 1:47 AM  No comment