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 NFL: The 5 Best Teams In The AFC

By @TrueGodImmortal

The AFC isn't as competitive now as we hoped, but one thing is clear, their playoff picture is starting to shape up pretty clearly. With that being said, I wanted to take a look at the top 5 teams on the AFC now, as we head into week 12 of the NFL. Who ranks at no. 1? The Steelers or The Patriots? Let's take a look.

5. Tennessee Titans
(6-4)

-As of this writing, the Titans hold a wild card spot. They might actually pull it off this season and make the playoffs, but they aren't a serious threat or contender. Marcus Mariota hasn't been very consistent, and their run game hasn't been very consistent either, but they are in position for a playoff spot and that is what earns them a spot on this list. Whether or not the Titans can close out the season well remains to be seen, but I wouldn't bet on them to win the division or even make any noise as we near playoff time. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

4. Kansas City Chiefs
(6-4)

-The Chiefs don't even deserve to be on this list after what I witnessed this weekend, but I'll let it slide I guess. They still lead the AFC West, but I have little faith in them. Alex Smith looks like Alex Smith again and Kareem Hunt has began to slow down some. The thing about the Chiefs is that they are like the rest of the AFC, inconsistent. They had a great offense at first and managed to get some big victories starting out, but now they look more pedestrian than ever. Will the Chiefs be a threat into the postseason? I doubt it, but due to the rest of the division not being very good at the moment, it is a possibility that they win the AFC West with ease unless a big turnaround by the Raiders and Chargers happens to go along with an even bigger Chiefs collapse. For now, they are here at no. 4.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars
(7-3)

-Honestly, I don't know how the Jaguars are 7-3, but they seem focused and confidence is the thing that will carry them into the playoffs. Their defense is making them reminiscent of the Broncos from two years ago, and Leonard Fournette is a solid runner that could do damage to the AFC defenses when the playoffs begin. The Jaguars have an issue at QB as I don't think Blake Bortles is going to be the man to lead them anywhere, but it remains to be seen how well things go when the playoffs arrive.

2. New England Patriots
(8-2) 

-I still don't have faith in the Patriots, but to be fair, I never will. Still, Tom Brady is still Tom Brady and their offense is ridiculous, but their defense has been inconsistent through the season. The defense seems somewhat comfortable right now, but come playoff time, one has to wonder how ready that defense will be. The fact of the matter is, the Patriots are exactly where we thought they would be and will likely remain in one of the top two seeds in the AFC when playoff time comes. Brady could be on the way to another ring... or another Super Bowl loss... whatever the case, the Patriots are firmly in the hunt for AFC supremacy and the first round bye.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
(8-2)

-I hate actually putting the Steelers here at the top, but they earned it. I'm not convinced that the Patriots are the best and although their defense has improved, I feel like the Steelers have a better defense overall and more dangerous weapons offensively, as they possess the best WR IMO with AB and one of the best running backs in the game with Bell. Big Ben has stepped it up after seeming like he was heading toward the twilight of his career. The Steelers are the best team in the AFC at the moment and it is very possible that they end up in the AFC Championship game across from the Patriots. It remains to be seen how well these Steelers play in the postseason and if they can stay healthy, but if they can... watch out.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 12:03 AM  No comment

Eyes On Survivor Series: 5 Underrated Matches

By @TrueGodImmortal

Well, Survivor Series will probably done by the time you read this. Regardless, when you look at the November PPV, we know of many matches that are popular and well known by all. I wanted to take a moment and look back at some matches that are actually slept on and deserves more credit as well. Let's take a look at 5 underrated matches from Survivor Series.

*The Rock vs Mankind
Survivor Series 1998

-A match that would alter the landscape of the WWF needs to get more credit. When we look back at Survivor Series 1998, one match that gets discussed the most is The Rock vs Mankind. However, the match is discussed more for the heel turn of The Rock and the start of the Corporation officially more so than the match itself. The match itself is actually pretty interesting from top to bottom, as both Rock and Mankind take each other to the limit in an attempt to garner a victory and the WWF Title to win the Deadly Game Survivor Series tournament. When all was said and done, The Rock walked out with the title and with Vince and Shane by his side..... for better or worse.

*Randy Orton vs Shawn Michaels
WWE Championship
Survivor Series 2007

-If anything, this match gets big points for trying to be innovative for the most part. There are stipulations placed on the match that make it intriguing and could have worked against it, but it actually made the match flow a little more natural. For Orton, he couldn't get disqualified or else he would lose the title, and for HBK, he couldn't use the Sweet Chin Music or else he would lose the match. The action was exciting watching HBK try to find more offense to put Orton down and at one point, he forgets he can't use the Sweet Chin Music and it ends up costing him the match. That was an amazing thing to witness and Randy took advantage to retain his title.

*CM Punk vs Alberto Del Rio
WWE Championship
Survivor Series 2011

-When we got to Survivor Series in 2011, there was only one man in the company who had the audience truly in the palm of his hand: CM Punk. After the botching of his Summer of Punk storyline, the WWE would see Punk fight his way back to the title scene and he got a chance to make things happen against Del Rio. This match wasn't perfect, but it had some fun action and the crowd was ready for Punk to win. After 17 minutes  of action, Punk pulls out the victory by submission, and begins his historic title reign that broke records. I think this match gets overshadowed by the return of The Rock, but it was the best match on the entire card and has gone underappreciated.

*Triple H vs Ric Flair
Last Man Standing Match
Survivor Series 2005

-I almost forgot this match took place until I went back and pulled up this event on the Network. Triple H and Flair had an old school style feud, with a few matches that gained my attention, but the biggest match they had was this nearly 30 minute battle that saw Flair give all he had and Triple H taking him to the limit. Triple H was the Last Man Standing, as he beat Flair bloody and utilized his sledgehammer to secure the win. When I look back at some great Triple H matches, this deserves more credit for sure.

*Shawn Michaels vs Triple H vs John Cena
WWE Championship Match
Survivor Series 2009

-The final run of DX was underway during the time of this match and it made for an intriguing idea of whether or not Triple H and HBK would fight each other and who would end up pinning Cena if it came down to it. That was put to rest when HBK started the match kicking Triple H out of the ring. After that incident, we would see a lot of fun action with all three, but in the end, Cena would retain his title and walk away with the victory of course. This is a fun match overall, and despite Cena winning, I didn't hate the result at all. This is probably the most underrated match at the event overall honestly. It's that good.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 12:36 AM  No comment

EOTR Previews: WWE Survivor Series 2017

By @TrueGodImmortal

A few weeks ago, I was not really interested in Survivor Series, and I really didn't plan on watching the show. WWE had given us lazy matches for the show like Brock Lesnar vs Jinder Mahal (who the fuck wants to see that?), Alexa Bliss vs Natalya (boring), and Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins vs The Usos (that wasn't bad at all). The problem with the card was that it highlighted all of the booking issues that both Smackdown and RAW had. For some reason, the WWE had a much needed change of heart, and they would end up switching over a lot of the matches and making changes to most of the card. Now, the Survivor Series card is looking like the best card for the event since 2002. With that being said, today I wanted to take a look at the card and provide a preview of the stacked lineup for the show. Let's take a look.

*Kickoff Match
Cruiserweight Championship
Enzo Amore vs Kalisto

-While this match isn't one I'm excited for, I'm glad they moved it to the kickoff show. The fact is, the WWE doesn't seem to know what to do with the division and for 205 Live. There are rumors of Hideo Itami coming over to join that brand and while a KENTA vs Cedric Alexander match really is appealing for the belt, that's not likely at all. The biggest issue here is that Kalisto is not popular, and while Enzo is really good for the division in terms of drawing interest, the biggest problem now is that the matches have taken a hit as Enzo isn't as good as the rest of the roster in the ring. Still, this match will be virtually insignificant and will see Enzo retain his title and move on to whoever is next, which should be a Cedric or maybe even an Itami if he debuts soon. It's time to move on from this unnecessary feud.

*Intercontinental Champion vs United States Champion
The Miz vs Baron Corbin

-While I did say this card is stacked, I think the biggest thing about this match is the promo ability of Miz. In terms of the actual in ring action, this match doesn't excite me at all and I'm sure a lot of fans feel that way. I would have loved to see someone else as US Champion to face Miz but Corbin is doing decent in his role so far, and with that, I think he might pull off the victory here. Miz should walk away with the win, but with my thinking, I expect the RAW side to dominate the wins in the matches, so Corbin hits his finisher after about 10 minutes and picks up a clean win over Miz.

*Women's Team RAW vs Team Smackdown Match
RAW (Asuka, Alicia Fox, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Nia Jax) vs Smackdown (Becky Lynch, Carmella, Naomi, Tamina, TBD)

-Charlotte was originally the 5th member, but she's now moved to the Smackdown team. What is intriguing about this match is the fact that they didn't just put Natalya in her place and there will be a 5th member decided this Sunday. A lot of speculation has it being Paige, while most think it'll be Natalya or even Lana, but that leaves this match in a bit of suspense.... for that reason only. The RAW side is stacked and to be very honest, they should win due to one name and one name only: Asuka. Asuka hasn't been promoted like she should be and I predict she will eventually win the Women's Title, so what better way to begin her push than to make her the sole survivor in this match? If the WWE wants to do the right thing, they need to make Asuka the sole survivor for RAW in dominant fashion.

*Women's Champion vs Women's Champion
Alexa Bliss vs Charlotte

-This is a match I'm definitely looking forward to. This should be an excellent match between the two biggest women in the WWE over the last year basically. Charlotte was the top heel on RAW all last year and Bliss has thrived in that role this year. Honestly, it's impossible to really know how this match will play out, as there is literally nothing behind it minus a brief encounter on Smackdown where Bliss lays Charlotte out backstage. I would assume that Charlotte rides this wave of momentum to a victory over Bliss, as I don't really see Alexa walking out with a big time win here. Still, all I want to see here is both of these ladies put on a show that we remember for months to come. I think they are capable.

*Tag Team Champions vs Tag Team Champions
Cesaro and Sheamus vs The Usos

-This could end up as a match of the night. This is a huge match in general, but it's made bigger by the fact that The Bar is at the top of their game. Cesaro is comfortable in his role and I think he's been responsible for the success of the team, but Sheamus isn't a slouch at all. The Usos are the best team in the company and with these four men in the ring, we could witness a possible classic. If these two teams are given about 16 minutes to go out and perform, I think we might be amazed by the final result. I expect this to outshine a majority of this card and be a diamond in the rough for the night. Be on the lookout for this match.

*RAW vs Smackdown
The Shield vs The New Day

-You know, in the heyday of The Shield, we saw them go against so many great teams and great trios including the Wyatt Family and Evolution. However, the biggest act in the WWE since The Shield disbanded is The New Day. The New Day have been one of the biggest acts in the company and with the reunion of The Shield, it's only right that we get The New Day vs The Shield since The Shield might not be together much longer. I think we all know what the outcome of this match will be, but I think they will give this match at least 18-20 minutes and we'll see a lot of great action and near falls. The New Day will for sure take The Shield to the limit and I actually think this match could be better than the contests between The Shield and Evolution, as well as some of The New Day vs The Usos matches, and that's exactly what you want. Give us a tough battle with an ending that comes out of nowhere and we might have a classic in the making. However, we know The Shield will win this match. It's pretty obvious. Just book The New Day strong in a losing effort and there are no complaints from me.

*RAW vs Smackdown 5 On 5 Match
RAW (Triple H, Kurt Angle, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe) vs Smackdown (Shane McMahon, Bobby Roode, Randy Orton, John Cena, Shinsuke Nakamura)

-In reality, this is the most stacked Survivor Series match ever. Ever. This is not up for debate. It's a fact. Finn Balor, former Universal and NXT Champion. Samoa Joe, former NXT Champion and a current legend. Braun Strowman, who is one of the hottest acts in the company. Kurt Angle in his 2nd match back, who is a former WWE Champion and a true legend in this business. Triple H, one of the greatest to ever do it. That's just on the RAW side. Smackdown has Shane McMahon and Bobby Roode, who are a bit of a weak link for the team, but truthfully, when you have legends like Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, and John Cena on your team, it makes up for it. The facts remain, this match is STACKED by itself and enough to sell this entire event, but I think there a ton of elements that will make this a clusterfuck that's still entertaining. There is the chance that Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens ends up interfering and costing the Smackdown team the match, along with an appearance from Kane to help eliminate Braun Strowman, and maybe, just maybe a heel turn from Jason Jordan on Kurt Angle. This match has so many elements to it that I expect something epic and also a disaster. An epic disaster. Still, that's going to be entertaining to watch, and I expect Team RAW to win this and lead to a storyline between Triple H and Kurt Angle, which I don't think anyone wants to see, but it's rare WWE gives us a lot of what we want in succession. Team RAW wins this match with the sole survivor being Triple H.... I'm calling it now.

*Universal Champion vs WWE Champion
Brock Lesnar vs AJ Styles

-Once upon a time, Brock Lesnar was a good wrestler. Once upon a time, Brock Lesnar was one of the best performers in the company. That time is gone. However, it's not they Brock can't perform at a high level, it seems like he just doesn't want to. His one on one matches have been standard and nothing special, and his best matches come when he's involved in triple threat or fatal 4 way matches. However, he's facing the best wrestler in the company, AJ Styles. Can AJ make Brock wrestle again? Can AJ force Brock to find something other than the F-5 and Suplex City moveset? That's going to be the real question. Brock hopefully doesn't get winded 7 minutes in, and we can get a good 15-20 minute main event from both of these men. I think Brock might win, but I actually think there is a bigger upside to this match if AJ wins. Brock gains nothing from a win and loses nothing in a loss, so I would say let these two have a really good match, and force AJ to hit three flying forearms in a row to pin Brock, which could be a great way to make Brock still look strong, but give the well deserved win to Styles. I mean, knowing WWE, Brock will win convincingly, but after all the work that AJ has put in, it's time for him to get rewarded even more. I hope AJ can get a great match out of Brock and I hope he wins this battle. Survivor Series is going to be a great show I'm sure, and I just hope we get enough great action to justify the hype now after they built it up much better recently.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 3:18 AM  No comment