Royal Rumble 2019 Weekend

I am going to chronicle the Royal Rumble 2019 on this blog. Pre-ordered the Velveteen Dream Elite 67 Figure which is my favorite ever.

I'll do an network update later on.

WWE Network Watch List

What I watched tonight:

1) 60 Man Battle Royal From World War 3 (1998)
2) Starrcade 1998 Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash
3) Starrcade 1999 Goldberg vs. Bret Hart

San Diego Comic Con 2018 Preorders (Goldberg, Sting, Braun Strowman)

I'm watching the Goldberg "Who's Next" Collection on WWE Network to celebrate my Goldberg preorder from Ringside Collectibles.

Here's another look at the Goldberg figure.

It comes with that WCW Big Gold Belt that is coveted by collectors.

Dude was an awesome talent. I was in awe of his streak in 1998 and 1999 when it was ongoing. But I was in High School and busy with other things. I couldn't savor it like I wanted to. Here is his first match vs. Hugh Morrus, which is impressive as hell.



I also picked up the Braun Strowman.

And I got the Sting Surfer version I've always wanted. I watched Starrcade 1989 last night until I fell asleep. Where Sting became the "Wrestler of the 90's".

Elias Elite 60 Video

I got my Elias Elite 60 in the mail today. Great figure. Love what they're doing with him, just give him a belt and watch him roll like The Rock.

This is a work that can work for a lonnnng time in the WWE.

Gearing up for MITB 2018

Seth Rollins vs. Elias for the Intercontinental Title.

Elias on Monday Night Raw 3/5/18

I missed this while watching The Bachelor. The shame. Still, good to see Elias is still hot.

The first Sympony of Destruction Match in the history of WWE.

Elias' Finisher is "Drift Away"

Alright, I love this guy. Between WWE Network adding Coliseum Home Videos and giving Elias a push, they're sucking back in. I may extend my network coverage here beyond Sunday. Today, WWE dedicated a tweet to Elias:

WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH @IAmEliasWWE?!

Not these opponents, because they've drifted away... pic.twitter.com/fYDtwwrBV7

— WWE (@WWE) February 21, 2018

Elias is a great character that pays homage to the great rockers of the past. His finisher is no doubt, in honor of this classic. One of the all time great songs in music. The classics never fade.

Walking With Elias

So I'm discovering a guy who could save my membership to the WWE Network, which I cancelled following the Divas battle royal at Royal Rumble 2018 closing the show. 

Elias.

I listened to his podcast with Steve Austin tonight. The guy is very likable and easy to root for. His gimmick could be as big as The Rock in my opinion. 

I first took notice of Elias when I got a text from my buddy James that made no sense. He said "I am Elias." Then I watched Elias in the Royal Rumble, and his intro just intrigued me. I had not been watching WWE programming at all. All the sudden, the bell went off and it all made sense to me. The guy had a huge physique that I liked and reminded me of Bruiser Brody.

Today I was talking to my buddy James at work about why old heels worked, and why he liked Elias. The guy has 'it'. And no sooner do I hang up with James but I get a blast e-mail from WWE that is promoting Elias for the 2018 Elimination Chamber. WWE is smart. At the moment they're losing me, they do just enough to pull me back in and get me to watch the PPV that I otherwise wouldn't have considered tuning into just before my membership expires.

Elias beat Braun Stroman and John Cena for the right to be last in the Elimination Chamber. He's going to play the guitar in the Chamber if WWE lets him.



This gimmick - there's just something about it that's throwback if they don't fuck it up like they always seem to do - and if they do it right I'll tune in as long as Elias is running the ranks of WWE's main event picture.

Maybe; just maybe, the slow build WWE is doing with Elias will work and they'll book the guy right.

More DM Wrestlemania 3 Macho Man

The headscan is beautifully done. Really everything is perfect except people are not happy that Mattel made these the lilac purple trunks instead of the true color pink that Macho Man wore in the greatest match of all time. 

Macho Man Randy Savage - Wrestlemania 3 Mattel Defining Moments Preorder

I owed myself this one, and preordered it last night from Mattel. It's Randy Savage from his greatest match of all-time, Wrestlemania 3 against Ricky the Dragon Steamboat. 

That match is largely considered by many to be the greatest match ever in the Wrestling Bible. His figure is based on his beautiful attire from that night. You'll remember the pink trunks, yellow boots and robe. He didn't come with his Intercontinental Title strap that he dropped that night; but he is supposedly a new head scan. 

I just had to have this one. This was my biggest want of all-time, for many years. Macho Man was my favorite other than Bret Hart; so I am happy to have ordered this one and ordered a protector case for the figure. 

WWE Network Watch Log

Last night, the feature was Macho Man Randy Savage. This has become my new project. 

1. Tuesday Night Titans Episode 42: July 19th, 1985. 

2. Wrestlemania XII: Macho Man vs. Ultimate Warrior (Retirement Match)

The Tuesday Night Titans was purely awesome. It was Randy Savage fresh out of the territory he was working in, coming into the WWF for the first time. Billed as "the biggest free agent" out there, having managers like Fuji, Freddie Blassie, Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart all clamoring for his services. 

He cut a promo of foreshadowing - almost amazing to hear the words he said. He said he was going to be the greatest; even 1000 years into the future. He said he was going to take the World Heavyweight Title belt from Hulk Hogan and gave his first mention of 'Macho Madness'.

Then he beat some poor jobber named Aldo Marino.... 

RIP Mr. Fuji

Another figure from my childhood passes away. Mr. Fuji, in my opinion; one of the greatest managers of them all, passed away last week in his 80's. A cause of death was not determined.

Good God, Fuji had all the bad guys. I remember him with the Powers of Pain; I remember him with Demolition. I remember him alongside Yokozuna, throwing salt in the eyes of Bret Hart.

Thank you Fuji for the great memories.

I can still hear him saying he's going to torture his opponent and make him suffer.

White Ranger Mattel Seth Rollins

I bought this today, had to. It was my San Diego Comic Con WWE PPV weekend present to myself. It's Battleground 2016 on Sunday. Triple threat match for the World Heavyweight strap, the New Day against the Wyatt Family; and Kevin Owens vs. Sammy Zayn. 

I watched the 2016 WWE Draft the other night half dead from strep throat, so it will be interesting to see the first PPV since that's taken place and what the ripple effect will be. 

WWE Payback 2016

I'm writing a little bit about the "pay per view" tonight, the fallout show from Wrestlemania 32, WWE Payback. 

Enzo & Cass v. The Vaudevillians 

Uh, I thought Enzo actually DIED, I ran to twitter since this is the replay and he apparently just had a concussion. Seriously, it looked like that match in which Rey Mysterio Jr. killed a man when Enzo's head snapped against the bottom rope and he was breathing funny. It scared the shit out of me. 

Kevin Owens vs. Sammy Zayn

Nice opening segment with Zayn and Owens' rivalry being replayed and how far they go back. My guy Owens begins the match dominating, big rally by Zayn. Huge clothesline on Owens. They have to let Owens go over clean here, right? Owens with some insane moves following near falls. Frog splash tribute to Eddie Guerrero, two cannon balls with Zayn sitting int he corner. Near fall off a Zayn counter with Owens going for his finisher. Owens counters with Sammy going for the tight-rope. Crowd was going nuts during the match with pops while both guys laid on the ground. Backdrop after exchanging blows on the apron. Insane move by Zayn outside the ring through the second ropes for a DDT. But Owens catches him with a kick inside the ring and the pop up powerbomb to finish it. 

The Miz vs. Cesaro (Intercontinental Title Match)

Owens stays down at ringside for commentary after pulling Byron Saxton into the ring after his win. Cesaro has the shoulder thing on, and Owens points out that he injured Cesaro's shoulder. 

Wrestlemania 32

My Wrestlemania 32 Thoughts:

• Ladder match did not have enough Kevin Owens. I really wish he could have had a 1 on 1 match. Owens is my favorite talent on the roster right now overall, and I would like to see him start getting some one on one battles 
• My favorite part of the night was when The Rock told Bray Wyatt he had it all, all the talent to be a top guy. Thought that whole segment was extremely entertaining. It seems like WWE knows they have something in Bray Wyatt yet have absolutely no clue how to utilize him. 
• The main event with HHH and Roman Reigns just lacked sizzle. I want to be into this but can't. That's how many of the last few Wrestlemania I've had to watch old HHH be in the main event mix? It's ridiculous. 
• Shane McMahon's bump off the Hell in a Cell against Undertaker was completely insane. 

There are also these images of my boy Owens in Elite 43 from Mattel, along with two of my childhood favorites. 

Elite 41 Finn Balor MOC

This is definitely the best figure that Mattel has ever made. 

Cannot wait to see Balor on the main roster to see what he can do. I am hoping it comes this Sunday in the Royal Rumble.

NXT Takeover: London

I turned this event on live on WWE Network in time to see the main event; Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Heavyweight Championship.

Balor came out in his typical Demon attire for a big match but added a tophat in honor of London and perhaps the Christmas season. But would he play Ebenezer Scrooge to Samoa Joe's title hopes?

I just had to get a cool close up screen shot of Balor with the top hat and the belt for maybe the last time. 

Joe seemed to have a following in London, many of the fans chanting the typical "Joe's gonna kill you" and mixed 'Lets go Balor - Lets go Joe' going back and forth. 

The match featured quite a few counters and submission holds. 

In the end, Balor held onto the belt in the best Finn Balor match I've ever seen. Any plans for Balor to be in the Royal Rumble are obviously on hold with him retaining the belt with a top rope Coup de grace. This was NXT traveling overseas for the first time ever, and it was a historic ending.

ECW and Mainstream Music Examples

God, I wish we could go back to this time in life....

November to Remember - Guns N' Roses, November Rain


Terry Funk - Desperado

Survivor Series 2015

This could have been my last Survivor Series. I guess it was mostly met with disappointment. I'll recap with some screens.

Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose met with a match that most said should get high reviews. Of course, Owens lost. He's also sporting a new t-shirt. I thought Owens had a chance tonight; but with the turn of my head all hopes were lost. He's still in IC champ. But an angle with Owens as the corporate champion while he's hot would have fit much better than... well we'll get to that.

Dolph Ziggler came out channeling his inner Shawn Michaels with a new wardrobe. And he lost to Tyler Breeze. Ziggler is pretty much irrelevant these days. Oh, what could have been (yet again). 

The Wyatt Family match vs. Undertaker and Kane was next with disappointment number three on tap. I figured that Bray Wyatt had a chance to score a victory over the Undertaker and Kane because it was a tag match. But again, I gave WWE Creative a little too much credit. They have no imagination. 

Undertaker's entrance was of course; as epic as ever. As JBL said on the announce table "it's like watching Wyatt Earp walk into Tombstone". 

Let the record state that Bray Wyatt hit the Sister Abigail on Undertaker in this one with what I thought would be the win, but Kane jumped in and made the save. And then a double choke slam to the Wyatts and a Tombstone piledriver later, and Undertaker and Kane were the victors. 

The title match wasn't what everyone thought it would be. Reigns goes over clean on Ambrose in the middle of the ring. The confetti starts to fall and it's seemingly like Daniel Bryan winning the title, including HHH coming out to the ring and spoiling the party. 

At the end of the day, with Sheamus walking away with the belt, no one wins. A real fuck finish and once again I'm left feeling as I usually do with WWE pay per views. It had so much promise and potential and WWE just kind of went with the 'blah' from start to finish. 

Survivor Series Sunday

It's Survivor Series Sunday 2015, and ISIS rumored threats have people on edge for the event at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

This brings back a lot of memories. Survivor Series was always one of the big four events when I was a kid growing up. There are so many things that could go down tonight on the PPV that would be huge things. A Roman Reigns heel turn, Kevin Owens title win, Dean Ambrose heel turn, Kane turning on the Undertaker, Bray Wyatt getting a win over the Undertaker are just a few of them.

I will try to write a full recap after the event. For now, I take you back to the Hartford Civic Center 25 years ago where it all began for the Dead Man: