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

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

Eyes On WWE: The 5 Best Wrestlers In WWE Today

By @TrueGodImmortal

Today, I wanted to do a quick look at the 5 best wrestlers today in the WWE. When deciding my list, I had to look at what each wrestler brings to the table in terms of matches, in ring ability, promos, and overall entertainment value. With that criteria, these are the top 5 wrestlers today in WWE. Let's get into it.

5. Samoa Joe 

-Now, I debated putting someone like Miz or Ambrose on this list, but Joe has all the tools to be one of the best and he doesn't disappoint promo wise or in the ring. After good matches with Seth Rollins, a solid but short match with Brock Lesnar, and nothing but gold promos since his arrival on the main roster, Joe has been top tier since he stepped on to the RAW scene.

4. Seth Rollins 

-I wanted to put Seth at no. 2 for the stride he has made since returning from injury. He has been great in the ring since his return and he had one of the best matches at Wrestlemania with Triple H. He's had some great TV matches and has finally settled into his comfort zone as a babyface, earning the WWE 2K18 cover. He's got some gold promos as well, but his best work is in the ring. Seth is still one of the best. That won't change.

3. Kevin Owens 

-The Face of America is no longer the US Champion, but he's still one of the best wrestlers today. Owens has the total package and should be the WWE Champion sooner than later. Promo wise, he might be the absolute best, and his promos never get old. Owens is entertaining in the ring as well, as he allows his personality to shine even in a match. His matches with Sami Zayn, Chris Jericho, and of course AJ Styles are some of the best this year.

2. Neville 

-I would have never expected Neville to be the savior of the Cruiserweight Division, but he's found his comfort zone as the most consistent performer in the company. He's put on countless great matches and I enjoyed his feud with Austin Aries. Neville never disappoints and his heel character is the most comfortable I've seen him since he's been in WWE. Neville remains one of the best in the business and he's easily top 3 in the WWE today.

1. AJ Styles 

-Make it clear: AJ Styles is the best wrestler in the world today. Simply put. So, naturally, he makes the no. 1 spot on this list. The truth be told, AJ has been the best wrestler in WWE since he came into the company. He had an excellent 2016, and though 2017 has only seen him steal the show with Shane McMahon at Wrestlemania, he also put on great matches with everyone he stepped in the ring with from Kevin Owens to Dolph Ziggler to John Cena to Baron Corbin and more. Thbe biggest future match in the making has AJ involved in it and should be a Wrestlemania or Summerslam main event. AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura. AJ is the king of the WWE castle and that's not likely to change anytime soon. The current US Champion needs the WWE Title back.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 1:51 AM  1 comment

Eyes On Extreme Rules: PPV Preview

By @TrueGodImmortal 

Baltimore, MD will get another PPV and it happens to be the Raw exclusive Extreme Rules. Usually, Extreme Rules comes with a lot of great matches and excitement and honestly, this year it is devoid of it. Why is that? Well, aside from the absence of a Universal Title match, it lacks the star power, the actual Universal Champion, good stipulations, and it feels like a forced card honestly. With a few rematches that came from Payback, this PPV doesn't look too promising, but could we be wrong? Could we see the next chapter of Goldust and R-Truth and their breakup? More Enzo/Cass vs The Revival business? Only time will tell. Let's take a look at the announced card so far.

*Rich Swann and Sasha Banks vs Noam Dar and Alicia Fox

-This feels like an attempt to get Sasha's help in getting the Cruiserweight storyline over. I'm not interested in this match at all, but I think it could really have some good momentum and could be a fun watch for all. Swann and Noam have in ring chemistry and this could be fun to see. I don't expect Sasha and Alicia to get much ring time, but I do expect Swann and Sasha to pick up the win. Hopefully Swann gets another shot at the Cruiserweight Title, but I find it unlikely after this match. Swann and Sasha pick up the win.

*Submission Match 
Cruiserweight Championship
Austin Aries vs Neville 

-Aries and Neville have a solid feud. I like both and I think they could put in quite the classic feud if given the right push and promotion. However, it's been relegated to not being as prominent and honestly I hate the idea of a Submission Match instead of the other two choices I had. A Ladder or TLC match sounds like the perfect culmination to this feud or any title feud in the Cruiserweight Title picture, but unfortunately, that's not the plan here. I think Neville ends up retaining unfortunately, and Aries somehow gets one more rematch, in a 2 out of 3 Falls contest at "Great Balls Of Fire" in which Aries finally wins. Neville retains.

*Steel Cage Match 
Tag Team Championship
The Hardy Boyz vs Cesaro and Sheamus

-The Hardyz aren't Broken yet. They need to be. It seemed like we were getting the Broken Hardyz after Cesaro and Sheamus turned heel, but they've held off due to the Impact lawsuit and battle. Honestly, I'm surprised Cesaro and Sheamus are still together, and honestly, I don't expect them to win this match. I think the team to defeat the Hardyz are the team that is currently out of commission until the next month or so, The Revival. I predict the Hardyz retain here in a solid yet slightly sloppy contest and then Cesaro and Sheamus move on to feud with another face team, or they do what I thought they would have by now and broke up. The Hardyz will retain the championships.

*Kendo Stick On A Pole Match
Women's RAW Championship 
Bayley vs Alexa Bliss 

-There's not a match on this cars that been horribly built quite like this one. After the terrible promo between the two on RAW this past Monday, and the lack of empathy for Bayley as a main roster face, one has to assume that the eventual plan is going to be Alexa vs Sasha Banks, the biggest star on the roster for women. Bayley just isn't working as the sympathetic face and while I expect her to get her share of "revenge" in this match, I think we see Bayley come up just a tad short and Alexa continues her blissful reign.

*Intercontinental Championship 
The Miz vs Dean Ambrose 

-Nothing says Extreme Rules like a match that could end in a disqualification..... and cause the champion to lose his title. It's honestly a stupid stipulation and that's the basis of this entire card really. Nothing on this card really sticks out to me as being solid minus the mega main event and this match was one we watched for months on Smackdown just a few months prior so it was very pointless for it to be here yet again. The stipulation makes me believe Ambrose will win cleanly and retain, making the Miz look weaker by design since he couldn't even get Ambrose to get himself DQed. However, I'd rather Ambrose retain cleanly than to lose it on a disqualification. So, I predict Ambrose to retain.

*Fatal 5 Way Match For No. 1 Contender Spot
Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt vs Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins 

-The only match I'm interested in seeing on this show really. This match will be the MOTN and in reality, there's essentially nothing about this match that is predictable. The booking has been done very well, and it seems that even after unnecessary wins over Finn Balor and Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns still isn't a favorite to win. Samoa Joe has momentum, Bray Wyatt has momentum, and even Finn Balor had momentum too. This match essentially could go either way, but based on the Heyman and Balor promo, there's a small feeling within me that Balor will end up walking away with the victory and going on to face Brock at the next PPV. Still, there's money in a huge Samoa Joe vs Brock match as well, and those two are my top choices. Either Joe or Finn win, and we get an actual dream match of sorts no matter how it turns out with those two. If Reigns or Bray actually do win, it would actually feel slightly like a waste, but you never know with WWE. Seth is the long shot to win, but he could pull out the victory too in a slight swerve. However, I predict Finn Balor wins, with Samoa Joe as my fallback pick. It should be a great match regardless.

There may be more matches added as the week progresses, but as of now, Extreme Rules doesn't seem to be very enticing, but who knows, WWE tends to surprise from time to time. Will this end up as a great event? I guess we'll have to tune in and find out.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 1:44 AM  No comment