Wrestling

When Hollywood Hulk Hogan lost the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) heavyweight title to Sting at Starrcade 1997, it marked a turning point for the world's leading pro wrestling company (at that time, at least). The New World Order (nWo) that had dominated the landscape of the promotion for more than a year and a half started seeing cracks in its armor. Indeed, while Hogan was embroiled in an ongoing feud with Sting over the world title, he was also fending off Randy Savage, who ultimately decided he no longer needed the nWo and splintered off on his own. He was soon joined by Kevin Nash and the two formed a second faction of the supergroup that would wear red and black and was known as the nWo Wolfpac. Hogan would head up the rival black and white version of the group that came to be known as nWo Hollywood. Because WCW didn't know how to get away from its cash cow, every major storyline was booked around the nWo. And because there were now two groups to service, that meant more and more WCW members who had feuded with the heel faction throughout its run would start joining up. After all, the choices boiled down to becoming a member of one or the other or get left behind in the main event scene. The Wolfpac would become the babyface side and nWo Hollywood would become the heel side. On the May 4 edition of Monday Nitro, the Wolfpac was officially born with new merchandise led by Nash, Savage and Konnan. Over the following weeks, new members would join up in the form of Curt Hennig, Miss Elizabeth and Rick Rude. And on this date in WCW history (May 25, 2012), the Wolfpac added one more member -- longtime WCW supporter Lex Luger. The segment that led to this began with The Giant coming out with Vincent and Brian Adams. He called out Kevin Nash, who answered by walking out alone and getting into a scuffle with the three men. He was quickly overwhelmed, of course, but suddenly Luger hit the ring with a chair and cleaned house. Konnan, Hennig, and Savage all followed and after a brief period of anticipation, they tossed Luger a black and red nWo shirt. He put it on to a thundering ovation from the fans at Robert Memorial Stadium in Evansville, Indiana, and officially joined the Wolfpac.

There's a certain segment of the pro wrestling fanbase who couldn't care less about television ratings. And while I can understand why that might be the case, we know WWE often makes knee jerk decisions based solely on the numbers they get back from Nielson. That alone makes them important. So let's look at the numbers from this week's (May 20, 2013) episode of Monday Night Raw (estimates come by way of the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, which you should have a subscription for): The Miz & Chris Jericho vs. Fandango & Wade Barrett lost 360,000 viewers after Ryback's opening segment on the ambulance setting up the Payback match against John Cena. Surprisingly enough, though, Sheamus vs. Titus O'Neil gained 206,000 viewers back in the very next segment, which is really good for that slot and those two in particular. Paul Heyman introducing Curtis Axel gained 365,000 viewers, so there was buzz for that. Triple H came out to set up the match later in the night as the top of the second hour segment and that only gained 13,000 more viewers, so the viewers who would have tuned in then came early for the big reveal. Alberto Del Rio vs. Big E. Langston and AJ Lee vs. Layla -- featuring that ass grabbing tapout -- lost only 47,000 viewers. Cody Rhodes vs. Zack Ryder and Ryback kidnapping Ryder lost a whopping 358,000 viewers right after. The Shield vs. Team Hell No & Kofi Kingston gained 298,000 viewers at the top of the third hour, which isn't spectacular but is right around normal ranges these days. What's surprising is Randy Orton vs. Jack Swagger gaining 237,000 viewers in the next segment leading into the main event. Finally, Triple H vs. Curtis Axel gained 551,000 viewers to a 3.4 overrun. That's pretty damn good, all things considered. There's been a pattern the past couple weeks that the third hour has been the most watched of the show like it always used to be. That could explain the viewership numbers for Orton vs. Swagger, but we'll have to stay tuned to see how that looks in the coming weeks. For complete results and the live blog click here. For reactions to the show click here. And for a playlist of the entire night click here.

Welcome to another edition of "Slapstick Saturday," Cagesiders, where your old pal Hulk Holland pokes fun at every botch, blooper and bomb the world of professional wrestling has ever given us. So, who was the brains behind this WCW promo? Well, it certainly wasn't Sid Vicious. Sure, the big galoot was twice the wrestler Kevin Nash was, but he only had half the brain. Hey, that's not me talking, that's Siddy himself in this surprising confession on Monday Nitro: "It all stops tonight. See Nash, you can wear any Halloween costume you want to, but you know and I know that you're only half the man that I am. And I have half the brain that you do! But week after week you've tried to make me look like a jackass, but it stops tonight. And for you Hall, the road to WCW, the heavyweight championship of the world, well, it ends tonight. Look at you, Nash. Even though I'm already scheduled to wrestle here tonight, if I can get your chickenshit ass outta retirement, it'll be you and me, one on one if ya' got the balls -- which I doubt -- and I will show you who the master is." I believe he was looking for, "twice the brains you do." Poor Scott Hall can hardly contain himself. Sid does a nice job of covering it up with some profanity later on, but alas, the power of YouTube has betrayed him. However, in fairness, I included his side of the story, because who wants to miss out on another opportunity to hear the talent bag on Vince Russo? And it sure beats the last video of Sid we posted. Ouch.

We've got a great edition of After Dark Radio for you tonight. Over and hour of your phone calls and emails on every topic under the sun, from haunting to local legends, plus a discussion on the topic of the week, would you go on a one-way trip to Mars knowing you'd be one of the first humans in history to do so, but also knowing you'd never come back. A really fun show as always so check it out~! {radioShow dmdocuments/052413afterdark.mp3}

The first round of the Cageside Seats Greatest Finisher Tournament continues today with a match-up pitting number eight seed the Ankle Lock, as performed by Kurt Angle, against number nine seed the Million Dollar Dream, as performed by Ted DiBiase. Remember, voting closes at midnight CT. In order to cast your vote, leave a comment and in the subject line make sure you adhere to the guidelines as follows: To vote Ankle Lock simply write: Vote - LockTo vote Million Dollar Dream simply write: Vote - Dream Here are videos showcasing each move. Ankle Lock: Million Dollar Dream: Updated bracket: (Click Image to Enlarge)

In case you missed any of WWE 'Friday Night SmackDown' last night (May 24, 2013), here's a playlist of the entire show, as released by WWE on its YouTube Channel.

Jee-S’ NXT And Main Event Review 05/23/13 Sami Zayn defeats Curt Hawkins with an amazingly executed Tornado DDT. Thoughts: Very good match that ended way too quickly! I’ve always been a fan of Curt Hawkins’ work and I’m disappointed that he doesn’t get his chance in the midcard. One thing is for sure: he was the ideal guy to book against Sami Zayn for his debut. The former El Generico looked fantastic in the ring and I guess it’s no surprise. I was very excited for Zayn’s debut and it lived up to the expectations. I can obviously see him do great things in the WWE, I mean, can’t we all? Antonio Cesaro squashes Yoshi Tatsu in a minute-match and cuts a promo putting himself over, saying he’s lacking competition. Enters Sami Zayn again to set up a match between both. Thoughts: This squash made a lot more sense after the bell when Zayn came back. It was a great surprise to see him again right after his match and it’s even better that he’s having a match against Cesaro. This should be REALLY good! Sami Zayn beats Antonio Cesaro with a roll-up out of nowhere. Cesaro beats up Zayn after the bell. Thoughts: What an awesome match! These two men have wrestled multiple times against each other in the indies and they can now say they brought the house down in NXT! For me, this has possibly outdone all the matches from the past NXT episodes in 2013. I would love for this rivalry to develop (preferably on RAW but I’ll take it on NXT) so we could see more matches from them; this finish lets us believe that it will indeed happen and I can’t wait to see it unfold! Also, as a Montrealer and a hardcore wrestling fan, I’m proud of my hometown boy Sami Zayn tonight and I’m really happy he got both wins! Interview with Emma and Audrey Marie building a rivalry between them. Emma plays dumb and Audrey Marie is fed up. Thoughts: I really liked Audrey Marie, she was a good prospect and it sucks that she had to go, but business is business. I really like the buzz Emma is creating with her dance and her gimmick but she really needs to improve her microphone and interview skills. Nice segment to promote the NXT divas. Mason Ryan defeats Enzo Amore with a torture rack to neckbreaker finisher. Thoughts: Squash match here to put Mason Ryan over. The reports say that the Welsh powerhouse has been making progress: I see it right away. He brought a ring psychology to this match that he didn’t have before; he tried to connect with the crowd and talked a lot of smack during the bout. He also looks quicker in the ring which is something he lacked in the past; therefore, he looks a lot better than at anytime he has in his career. I’m excited to see what lies ahead for him. Enzo Amore cut a nice little promo before the match; hopefully sometime soon he’ll get more offense in his matches so we can see his in-ring skills. Bray Wyatt defeats Corey Graves with the Sister Abigail after interference from the Wyatt Family. Kassius Ohno comes after to fight but Wyatt, Harper and Rowan beat him down. Thoughts: And the main event delivers! I’m a fan of both Graves and Wyatt; I see them doing wonders on the main roster soon (hopefully). The finish doesn’t hurt Corey Graves seeing as he lost because of the interference and it’s perfect. Ohno coming back was nice; I’m excited to see what this face turn has in store for him. A rivalry with Bray Wyatt sounds like a great idea to start! Overall, this was a highly entertaining episode of NXT! We had very good wrestling (besides the squash) and the storylines keep on being developed as usual: this all makes me a satisfied writer and critic! WWE MAIN EVENT Alberto Del Rio defeats Big E Langston with an enzuigiri to the back of the head followed by a roll up. Thoughts: Solid match. Big E Langston continues to impress with his natural strength and his considerable and consistent improvement in the ring since beginning on NXT. The fact that he gave a serious world title contender a run for his money definitely makes Langston a threat, es

Straight from our Cageside Features Section, we bring you the results for our fifth CSS Pro Wrestling Championship Series of tournaments here at Cageside Seats. Our latest match-up in the first round of our tourney is complete, and so are your results. Yesterday, (Fri., May 24) our number three-seeded 3D was defeated by our fourteenth-seeded Vadersault by 13 votes! Thus bringing the Vadersault one-step closer to being crowned the Greatest Finisher of All Time. The final tally was: (Click Image to Enlarge) Be sure to vote today (Sat., May 25) as the CSSGFT continues our next first round match: (8) Ankle Lock vs. (9) Million Dollar Dream. Voting will remain open in the comments section of the new match thread from 6 a.m. ET today, right up until midnight-CT tonight -- with the results announced tomorrow (Sun., May 26). Our bracket will continue to be narrowed down by you, the Cagesiders, in order to determine which finisher CSS believes to be the Greatest Finisher of All Time.

WWE NXT May 23, 2013 LIVE! From Full Sail University by Emerson “I bought several bottles of liquor for the party I am throwing tonight. In other news, I am the only person invited to the party I am throwing tonight.” Witner Any questions, comments concerns or emotional outbursts? Contact me: e-mail: ewitner@yahoo.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Krazy.E.Man Twitter: @TheReallyRealEW Here's what you need to know about NXT: -They have a champion, it's Big E. Langston, who defeated Seth Rollins for the title on January 10. The show was taped after The Shield debuted at Survivor Series, but before Big debuted on Raw. Big originally refused to go to Raw when Vickie Guerrero offered him a spot, but did go to Raw once AJ lost power. Go figure. -They also have Tag Team Champions, The Wyatt Family (Erick Rowan and Luke Harper, managed by Bray Wyatt). They captured the titles on May 9, defeating Bo Dallas and Adrian Neville -Dusty Rhodes is the Authority Figure, but his job title seems to change from week to week. -The insanely popular Paige, Emma and the love of my life, Sasha Banks were the only three NXT Diva's until February 7 when ring announcer Summer Rae (not Summer Rain) attacked Paige. -Rae, now referred to as the First Lady of NXT, shelved Paige with a debilitating shoulder injury. Paige recovered and is now trying to whoop Rae like a red-headed step child. Rae, instead of fighting, is too busy Fandango-ing -The Shield still make random appearances on the show, causing chaos. -Kassius Ohno is turning face, while Bo Dallas is starting a heel turn. And that's everything you need to know about NXT. (Now we know!) (And knowing is half the battle) (G.I. Joe!) -There is a lot of Cena gear and signs in the crowd. I will assume this was when he visited Orlando. 1.) Sami Zayn pinned Curt Hawkins in 4:14. This is the debut of Zayn on NXT, who is best remembered as El Generico. Hawkins hasn't really been seen since Tyler Reks left. The fans already starting the “Ole!” chant, so it's no mystery to the fans. Hawkins recently got a haircut and ditched the cane that he held for over a year. Sami is from Montreal, so if Curt wants to win he needs to slap on the Sharpshooter. Or hit the Pele Kick. Wasn't quite as nice as AJ Styles' but nice nonetheless, but the not-so-generic Canadian kicked out. I have to laugh because they keep talking about Zayn's reputation, but don't bother to mention what that reputation is. There is a dueling chant during the match, which just seems weird. Anyway Sami won with a Springboard Tornado DDT. El Sami is 1-0! -Corey Graves video package aired. He is wrestling Bray Wyatt in the main event. 2.) Antonio Cesaro pinned Yoshi Tatsu in 0:50. Cesaro is no longer retroactively defending the United States Championship. Yoshi had that great series of matches with Tyson Kidd. Cesaro had that great match against Kofi Johnson. Obviously both men bring nothing to the table. Cesaro flung Yoshi in the air and nailed him with a European Uppercut on the way down. One Neutralizer later and Cesaro is the winner. After the match Cesaro took the mic and mocked WWE for not giving him better competition. This brought out Sami Zayn, who said that he is competition. Sami spoke French at him, which apparently was accepting a challenge....for right now! 3.) Sami Zayn pinned Antonio Cesaro in 5:02. Cesaro is worn down after his 50 seconds of action. Mr. Regal points out that Zayn could lose all of his credibility if he loses this match. Cesaro is quickly sent to the outside while we quickly go to and come back from a commercial. The story of this match saw Cesaro knock Zayn down time and again with brutal moves, but Zayn would kick out each time. Zayn went up top for a cross body block, but Cesaro caught him and dropped Sami with a tilt a whirl back breaker! But Sami kicks out at 2! Sami kicks out again after a running European Uppercut. Sami went for a small package, but it was b