This Past Week in Pro Wrestling: Hook and Danhausen tensions, Asuka's wild return and insane matches

So last week in professional wrestling was solid for WWE, but AWESOME for AEW. I enjoy both promotions as I believe they are the tops of the business. Just sometimes, one has a better week than the other. This week the nod for excitement and entertainment went the direction of AEW. Let’s talk about WWE first.

It’s all RAW dog, craziness

RAW led off with the celebration of probably one of the most iconic wrestlers of all time. Riddle led the the celebration of the Viper Randy Orton. It was great to see everyone there just showing support to the Viper. Randy gave a huge thank you to the fans and those around the ring. Riddle had one last surprise. Cue up the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes, and the reunion of Legacy. It was a great moment. And then it happened. Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins jumps in starting the snowball effect, for things to get out of hand. It was pretty much an Attitude era type spot.

Seth Rollins called out Cody. Kevin Owens showed up and continued to call Ezekiel a liar that he is really Elias (which is still funny IMO) and then the Usos showed up. It just kept piling on. This led to an 8 man tag match to end the show.

Before we get there we have to talk about THE RETURN OF ASUKA!!! That’s right, she’s BACK!. She’s got her sights on the Man Becky Lynch who is just trying to get out of her current funk after the loss at Mania to Bianca Belair. Becky was lost and didn’t know what to say or do but knew she had to get back in the title picture. She has to overcome the Empress of Tomorrow first. Asuka’s return is big news for the division. There’s another challenger for the title, and now we wait to see if we get a Belair/Asuka feud. I can’t wait!

Speaking of returns, what about the return of Ali? He recently asked for his release and had not been on television for some time now. He returns to confront Theory on MizTV and put his name at the top of the list for the United States Championship. Ali and Miz had a hard promo segment, which resulted in a match between Ali/Miz. He defeated Miz in a really good match, hopefully putting him in position to take on Theory here soon.

Back to the 8 man tag match. This was an awesome main event. Everyone took advantage of their spots, and killed it. Randy Orton hit some killer RKO’s and eventually got the pin over the Usos. Setting up the contract signing on Smackdown.

Time to Layeth the Smacketh Down

Drew beat down Sami Zayn in a steel cage to open up Smackdown. This wouldn’t be the last time we see Drew on Friday. The contract signing went about as we could expect. The promos cut deep. They were some fighting words leading to a, shocker, a fight. But, plot twist, the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns shows up because he clearly is pissed the Usos haven’t yet taken care of RK-Bro. Roman starts beating down Riddle, only for……Drew McIntyre to show up. Yes, Drew McIntyre. Not Shinsuke who we thought was up next, it’s Drew. He laid down the challenge without having to say a word, just throwing haymakers. Let’s see how this develops.

The Ronda Rousey/Charlotte Flair feud heated up as their ‘I quit’ challenge ended up in Drew Gulak getting beat up yet again. Still funny, but not really enough to push the story for these two along. It all comes to fruition next week at Backlash.

AEW madness

AEW killed in this past week. They started with something fans have never seen before, Dax and Cash of FTR going at each other in the Owen Hart memorial tournament. If you’re into professional wrestling, and not all the glitz and glamour around it, this match was amazing. The most technical showcase of wrestling I think I have seen since i watched their mentor Bret Hart. They were awesome. Dax came out on top but it was phenomenal.

After the match was over, it became official. AEW Double or Nothin’ main event, for the AEW World Championship, Hangman Adam Page/CM Punk. It’s a done deal. This inspired Punk to cut a promo hyping the match, and I may not be his biggest fan, but I know it’s going to be awesome. He always finds a way to deliver in these moments.

Wardlow had another heavy hitting match with Lance Archer. MJF with his stranglehold contactually over Wardlow has been some of the best storytelling in the business. Best thing about it, there is no title involved. It’s just a really good way to tell the story. Wardlow was victorious only for MJF to bring in an unknown, who is really big, really strong, ‘and you can’t teach that.’ Any WWE fan can tell you who that is referring to, but I won’t spoil it for you if you don’t know. It may be the break he was looking for to get back in the business at the big level.

Lastly, what about Danhausen and Hook? It looked like Hook was about to just destroy Danhausen only for Tony Neese to get involved. Hook and Danhausen seemed to work together to dispose of the interruption. Is this the start of a new tag team? I don’t know, but I tell you want, the AEW fans in attendance were all about it. It’s up to you now Tony Khan. Is this the new Rock n’ Sock?

Quite a bit happened this week in professional wrestling. If I didn’t cover something you wanted to talk about like Sammy losing his TNT title to Jay Lethal, or Bianca Belair and Sonya Deville, continue the conversation in the comments section. Or also hit me up on social media, Twitter: @Zero2Hero or IG: Rproctor23. Talk with you next week ATC fam!

This Week In Pro Wrestling: Stone Cold's back-back, MJF/CM Punk aftermath, RK-Bro's far from over

Injuries just keep happening lately. No one is more beloved than Big E. He took a bad bump this past week and ended up with a broken neck. He’s kept his fans in the loop, doesn’t require surgery, but still going to be sidelined for a while. He will be missed during that time. Prayers up to the one and only Big E.

This week in Professional wrestling built upon the madness of last week. Let’s start with AEW first as we got the results of a wild Revolution pay per view.

The PPV was loaded with bangers. From the opening match of Jericho/Kingston, to the main event of the battle of the Adam’s. Jericho v. Kingston was a good as advertised. Kingston got the W tapping out Jericho, and finally proving he “could win the big one.” Jericho didn’t hold up his end of the bargain though in shaking his hand. But, on Rampage, not only did Jericho shake his hand, him and Jake Hager beat the living hell out of Kingston to send a bigger message. Heel Jericho > Face Jericho.

MJF and CM Punk put on one of the most physical matches I have ever seen in professional wrestling. The dog collar match got violent, explicit, and bloody. It was amazing storytelling from those two and they deserve to be recognized for such an amazing match which seemed to wrap up the story between the two best in the world as they would have you say. Wardlow was the one who tipped the scale in favor of Punk. Wardlow breached his contract with MJF, so what does that mean for him as he goes into his match this week against the new TNT champ in San Antonio. (Can’t wait to see it!)

The story of the night to go along with the AEW title match, the arrival of William Regal during the Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson match. Another match which was amazing in every aspect. They beat the hell out of each other. With Mox picking up the W, and now having the manager in Regal. We are looking at one helluva a stable going forward. Two alpha dogs in AEW get the opportunity to leave a huge mark on the company. I can’t wait to see where this goes and who decides to go after them first.

Lastly, Adam Page was able to retain against Adam Cole. Was definitely surprised at the outcome because Adam Cole has been on such a tear lately, I definitely saw this match going the other way. But, that’s the art of AEW. Cole is a superstar the caliber of Shawn Michaels. His time is coming, but will it be at the expense of Adam Page? We will have to see as they are going to run it back this week in a six man tag match this week on Rampage. Adam Cole is clearly not ready to move on from the AEW title picture, Page seems willing to keep going as long as he keeps giving Cole the attention he desires. Seems like we are in for the long haul with these two. If you enjoy pro wrestling, you are as excited as I am for this to continue.

It was insanity for the WWE, too…

Yes, a lot happened in AEW. I couldn’t get it all. But, we can’t ignore WWE and what they did this week. The triple threat tag match for the Raw tag team titles. Randy Orton hit one of his best RKO’s EVER on Chad Gable. I mean, if you haven’t seen it, HOLY SH*T it was awesome. With that, the match was up for grabs and it appeared KO/Seth were on their way to capturing those titles, until Riddle stole it right from under them. Sending both KO/Seth into madness. So much so, Kevin Owens wants a Wrestlemania moment so desperately, he wants the legend ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin to show up in Dallas for the KO show. To which ‘Stone Cold’ responded, he’s got one more can of whoop a$$ to hand out.

Smackdown focused on the Roman attack on Brock at Madison Square Garden. The Bloodline drew blood on the Beast and he wants his vengeance. He is going for blood now until they meet at Wrestlemania. Roman wasn’t in the building, but he will be this coming week. What does Brock have in store for the Bloodline? Brock is in the mindset of destroying them, and to get to Roman, The Usos may be in trouble.

Continuing with the Usos, they now have an opponent for Wrestlemania, Shinsuke and his name is RICK! BOOGS! While not much time to build a great story, the match on paper is one capable of stealing the show on Saturday night. Can’t wait to see it develop.

Ricochet defended his title against Sami Zayn. The funny story behind this is, Johnny Knoxville had a flyover of Hollywood broadcasting Zayn’s phone number to the world. It was hilarious. Zayn is selling this match brilliantly because many purists are against it, but come on, it’s entertainment. Let’s be entertained for a bit. This was clearly heavy on Zayn’s head as Ricochet put in work and retained his belt. Ricochet is realizing his potential and doing things we knew he was capable of. He’s an amazing performer and it should make everyone happy he is getting his chance with an upper level title.

Ronda and Charlotte had another standoff. Charlotte staked her claim as the top dog in the Smackdown women’s division. They had a really good promo battle which, I believe Charlotte is the best in the business along with Sasha Banks. The show ended with Charlotte flexing her muscle on Ronda on a car with a unique submission move which left Ronda laid out. How will Ronda respond this week?

A lot happened this week in wrestling. Jeff Hardy was a big piece I didn’t cover. If you want to continue the discussion hit me up on the social media, Twitter: @Zero2Hero or IG: Rproctor23.

This Week In Pro Wrestling: Elimination Chamber shocks the world w/ Bobby Lashley injury and AEW goes all in

Before I get into this week in professional wrestling, wanted to send a get well to Bobby Lashley who ended up in concussion protocol on a stunt went wrong. Will explain more later. 

What a really entertaining week of wrestling over the last seven days! WWE came full circle with most of their stories at the Elimination Chamber, and AEW went ALL IN for their upcoming pay per view next month. Let’s start with the Elimination Chamber.

Not to anyone’s surprise, Roman Reigns retained against an aging Goldberg. I want to get this straight. I have no issues with Goldberg, and all he contributed to wrestling over his career. He was a great performer at one point in time. Now…not so much. Roman took a couple spears, but the match was never in question. Roman got the guillotine in and put him to sleep. We now have confirmation of at least the Universal Champ Roman Reigns will hold his spot going into Wrestlmania. 

After that, the show got pretty interesting, setting up other storylines for the show of shows. Miz may have lost to Rey Mysterio, but he’s had to make a call to a soon to be tag partner going forward. There is rumor swelling around the return of Cody Rhodes. I seriously hope they do better than that for him. It would be an AWESOME reveal, but I am thinking it will be someone like one of the Paul brothers. The Women’s chamber match was great as well, with Bianca Belair finding a way to win among Raw’s top women. I was rooting for Liv, but her time just isn’t there yet. It will be, just keep watching.

Becky defended her title in typical Big Time form, as she has done many times. Setting up the much anticipated rematch between her and Bianca. Will that live up to last year’s match with Sasha? Have to wait and see. They are more than capable of stealing the show. The build is going to be fun for this one. Guess what, the road to Wrestlemania is in full effect. Raw and Smackdown are going to be must see television as the build up is growing. 

 Circling back to Bobby Lashley. He did not even get to compete in his title defense in the Chamber. A stunt gone bad with Seth Rollins and Austin Theory took a bad turn as Bobby was hit with the plexiglass as Theory was thrown into Bobby’s pod. As the match continued for me it was Riddle who stole the show. This guy has a HUGE future in front of him. He has had many instances of wanting to build something with Brock Lesnar, and after that performance in the Chamber maybe he has something with him in the future. But, Brock understood the assignment once Lashley couldn’t compete. Lashley’s pod was set to open but Brock kicked his way out of his and squashed EVERYONE. Even went as far as to hit Austin Theory with an F5 off the top of a pod. Super dope spot, and then we have a new WWE Champion. Setting up Brock v. Roman, Champion v. Champion. 

 …and then there was AEW

AEW came through in the clutch this week as well. CM Punk went with a pipebomb style promo against MJF. He got personal breaking out the viral picture of MJF as a kid taking a picture with his then hero. After winning last week, Punk got to pick the stipulation and location of his rematch with MJF. And now we have a Dog Collar match at AEW Revolution. MJF for the first time in his career was left speechless. 

Bryan Danielson went to war with Lee Moriarty, and it was fantastic. Danielson wanted to send a message to Jon Moxley. Message was received and Mox came out to address Danielson about his proposed team up. Mox didn’t say yes or no. More so, it sounded like he wanted to fight him first to see if it’s worth his time and energy. Did you all get the same vibe? The wild card wants a fight, shocker. I hope we get it too, because those two are capable of setting a place on fire.

The return of Eddie Kingston put the Inner Circle in shambles. Jericho was all sorts of distracted and Jack Hagar couldn’t get it back on track. After Santana/Ortiz picked up the victory, Jericho went straight after Kingston. The time is coming for these two to settle it on the mic and in the ring. So, if you’re a fan of deep cutting promo’s and shoot style comments, you’re in for a treat. It’s coming. Just sit back and enjoy the chaos. 

Lastly, Darby/Sammy. They just continue to set the bar for quality matches. Just such a well done and put together match. The match hit its peak when Andrade SMASHED his tablet across Darby’s head setting up the GTH for Sammy to pick up the victory. Andrade has time after time said he will be the one to take the TNT title. Andrade is making his claim to be next in line. Is Sammy going to take on the challenge? If that’s what’s next, AEW is going to get nuts during this build to Revolution. 

As always, if I missed anything this week you wanted to discuss, hit me up on the social’s or in the comments section. Twitter: @Zero2Hero IG: Rproctor23 Until next week ATC fam. 

This Week In Pro Wrestling: Ronda Rousey's really back, Brock Lesnar's intentions are known and CM Punk's out for blood

What’s up ATC fam? This week in professional wrestling was NUTS! From the mighty return of a former WWE powerhouse and a couple of current women’s champions flexing their muscles to what’s happening in the AEW with CM Punk. There’s a lot to get into with a new week of professional wrestling here.

Now Ronda Rousey is back in WWE, we’ll start with her. Rousey came in spitting fire on both shows at both champs Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Not someone who is known for killing it in promos, but whatever work she put in was fire! She made her choice for Mania, and it’s the Opportunity, Charlotte Flair. This was supposed to happen a few years back but the wave of Becky inserted her into the match. Rousey/Flair is something to look forward to over the next two months for sure. I am sure tomorrow night Becky is going to have something to say about being ‘snubbed’ by the baddest woman on the planet. This may be another chance for Liv Morgan or Bianca Belair to take their shot at the Big Time.

Brock Lesnar made his intentions known. He wants Roman Reigns. But, where does this leave WWE Champion Bobby Lashley? Brock still has no respect for Lashley and only see’s the All Mighty as a place holder. With the Elimination Chamber coming up, the field is LOADED. To include Brock and Lashley. The endgame appears to be Title v. Title at Mania assuming Brock wins the Chamber and Roman, well, Roman was surprised to see the return of…Goldberg.

Now I have my feelings about Goldberg, but that’s not the point. Roman has a huge opportunity to look strong AF if he can make light work of WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg. I don’t know why Goldberg was able to jump to the top of the line like this, but I would be lying if I said this may be a good move for short term for the Tribal Chief. Roman stood toe to toe with Goldberg. He starred him down without a word. After the Paul Heyman promo, I am sure Roman won’t let Goldberg off easy without at least speaking his piece about the legend. The Bloodline doesn’t bow to anyone, Goldberg is no different.

Those are the top storylines for WWE, but what’s the deal with the Miz working his heelish ways over on the Mysterio family? Is this the next story for Miz and the Mysterios? I hope so, this strikes me as something that could be fun and a good way to put over a rising star in Dominick. Same can be said for RK-Bro and The Alpha Academy. The scooter race turned out to be pretty entertaining, especially with R-Truth dropping the “Bengals are going to win” line. 

The AEW craziness isn’t slowing down anytime soon

AEW did not disappoint per usual. The opening segment with Mox and Bryan Danielson was AWESOME! Danielson was spitting facts at potentially teaming with Mox. We all know Mox has a history of just killing it in stables, (The SHIELD) as well as with Eddie Kingston. There has to be more at play though because I am sure this will lead to a monster size match down the road. 

Did you see Pac start his match BLINDFOLDED?! The Bastard was dope. The whole match with House Black was incredible. Malakai Black and Brody King are working their way up the tag ranks slowly but surely. I can’t wait to see where that story goes next, or if House Black just moves on. Speaking of tag teams, what’s happening in the Inner Circle? Jericho calling a family meeting this week? He’s clearly pissed about how he’s being treated by the group he created. Is heel Jericho on his way back, if so, we know the GOAT will deliver his best performance as a hell.

The BIGGEST story in wrestling right now is MJF and CM Punk. It finally came to one of its peaks as I am sure this isn’t over yet. MJF did what I was only guessing would happen, pinning CM Punk. It wasn’t clean as we saw Wardlow hand off the ring. I really was not sure how Punk was going to let this match play out and the momentum of a truly rising star in MJF. He put him over. Punk was able to put over MJF and still hold his mystique about him. From the false ending to the eventual punch with the ring, the match delivered. Those two told an amazing story, and we all know Punk is not going to let MJF off that easy. The next match has to be some sort of stipulation. The direction of this one can go so many ways. I can’t wait to see it unfold. 

So much happened this week and I didn’t want to bore you with some of the other side stories. If I missed anything and you want to continue the conversation more, leave a comment or hit me up on the social media. Twitter: @Zero2Hero or IG: Rproctor23. Should be a dope week as we hit the Road to Wrestlemania!

This Week In Pro Wrestling: AEW madness but it's all about the Royal Rumble moments

Holy sh*t! What a week is professional wrestling! Lets start with AEW. Maxwell Jacob Friedman made his HUGE announcement as he will finally throw down with CM Punk in his hometown of Chicago! If anyone was built to embrace the hostility of Chicago and get the job done, it’s MJF. Let’s be honest, he’s just better than you and he knows it. It’s not the outcome you want, but it’s the outcome we deserve.

Sammy Guevara and Cody Rhodes tore the house down in putting on possibly the match of the year and it’s only late January. Super intense from start to finish. Where does the TNT champ Sammy go from there? Someone has to step up to the champ this week on Dynamite. I’m rooting for someone like Miro to make a return and comeback for his title.

Hangman Page had to make a stand too against Lance Archer. Sheesh, the tall task of taking down Archer may be much for the Hangman. He need to send a message to Archer, but how? He’s physically outmatched.

Now… about the Royal Motherf**king Rumble

So, the Royal Rumble, was a relatively good show. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins opened the show, and everything was great, until the DQ happened. Roman exorcised his demons of the SHIELD and Rollins with extreme chairman like precision. It was great to see, just the finish was just…unfortunate.

The Rumble matches were both relatively good. The womens match had some really good spots but some really bad ones too, like, Ivory. BUT, the baddest woman on the planet made her comeback, Ronda Rousey was in the house and she came out on top by eliminating the champ Charlotte Flair, giving her the choice who she will face at Mania. My money is on unfinished business with Becky Lynch who held her title in a hard fought match against Doudrop.

Lashley and Lesnar held up their end as they had a (Jim Ross voice) slobber knocker. And just as Lesnar was about to secure the victory, DOWN GOES THE REF, in typical WWE fashion. It was hilarious, and great for storytelling purposes because we got the plot twist. Can you ever trust Paul Heyman? Here comes Roman with the Superman punch, and Paul Heyman, SPECIAL COUNSEL, hands the Tribal Chief the belt and smashes Brock’s face in, securing the victory for the All Mighty Bobby Lashley. AND NEW WWE CHAMPION.

That set up the men’s Royal Rumble. Okay, the match was fine. There were no really big returns, or surprises except for maybe Bad Bunny, who held his own. My favorite going into the match was Big E. And he looked to be on his way to a victory as he was gaining momentum. Then….it happened. Number 30. Usually reserved for the BIG spot in the match.

The music hit….and here comes as pissed off BEAST INCARNATE. BROCK LESNAR! Once his music hit we all knew the outcome. He wouldn’t be denied his opportunity to get vengeance on Roman at Mania. He eliminated the field with ease. It’s all but a forgone conclusion it’s Roman/Lesnar closing out Mania weekend in Dallas. But, now, who goes after The All Mighty? I hope we get a hint tomorrow night. I’m high on Big E getting another shot at the All Mighty on the big stage. 

There were so many other moments this past week and things to look forward to this week. If I missed anything you wanted to discuss, hit me up on the socials. Twitter: @zero2hero and IG: Rproctor23 This week should be dope as we hit the road the Wrestlmania and AEW’s big time PPV.

Introducing... 'This Week in Pro Wrestling' - Brock Lesnar's collision course, Roman Reigns' last laugh, RK-Bro's stiff competition and more

I’m going to be trying something new this time with a preview into the top storylines in the world of professional wrestling. Let’s first take a look into what’s going on this week in the WWE.

Brock Lesnar’s collission course might be set

The main storyline is Brock Lesnar on a potential collision course with the Head of the Table Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania. Before we get there though, Brock Lesnar takes on the All Mighty Bobby Lashley at the Royal Rumble. This is a match Lashley has been chasing his entire career, both in MMA and in the WWE, now he finally gets his chance. Even I’ll admit, this is a match worthy of main eventing Mania, but to kick off the road to Mania, should be an interesting one. The only issue, we are not reaping the benefits of a MVP/Paul Heyman promo to build the match. WE DESERVE IT!

Roman Reigns set to have the last laugh?

Roman Reigns ended Smackdown being laughed at by Seth Freakin’ Rollins. Does this mean Adam Pearce picked Rollins for Roman at the Royal Rumble? The A show, Smackdown has been carrying the company this past year, and I believe we can trust where they are going with this particular challenger for the Universal Championship. The fans win if it is indeed the Visionary is next to challenge the Head of the Table. 

RK-Bro’s championship run is getting intense

How are RK-Bro going to respond defending their titles against the Alpha Academy? Are we seeing the demise of the loveable odd-couple? HEY RAAANDY, please don’t ruin this for us by turning on our bro, Riddle. Did you not see what he was able to do with MSK last week against Imperium on NXT. Just give us a few more months of RK-Bro before you do what you do as the Viper.

Everyone loves a Becky

Lastly for WWE, who is up next for Big Time Becks a.k.a. Becky Lynch? Does Liv Morgan get a third shot in a row? Or the EST of WWE in Bianca Belair. Doudrop may be the surprise to get such a big opportunity. I just don’t know if she has the star power of the other two just yet. If you want my opinion, I think Belair gets the W tonight to drive her story from Summerslam and the loss to Becky. We all love Liv as the feel good story, but Belair has to be the favorite going into the triple threat tonight.

But, what about what is going on currently in AEW?

Holy sh*t, the Bryan Danielson/Adam Page match was incredible. With Kenny Omega still sidelined, who steps up to go after the Hang man next? Page showed he could hang with two of the best performers in the world and have the clout to come out still as champ. Consider me super impressed, now where do we go from there.

The MAIN story currently is sitting with Maxwell Jacob Friedman, MJF and the nostalgic CM Punk. The promos have been nothing but nuclear these last few weeks, with MJF getting the best of CM Punk. MJF is proving to be the top heel in all of professional wrestling if you hear some of his interviews outside AEW like on Busted Open Radio. He is very much the heel we deserve. He is the type of heel that generates such heat, it’s like Roddy Piper. He throws bombs on the mic. When will Punk get his hands on MJF? Punk has to go through Wardlow this week.

The Undisputed Era has reunited under a new banner in AEW. I must say, it’s pretty dope to see as they KILLED it over on NXT. Adam Cole is just, great. I know I wanted to see him take on AJ Styles before he left but hey, just be happy we got to see some great matches during that amazing run in NXT. The feud brewing with the Young Bucks and Omega should be entertaining as hell to see. And when he gets back, we could see Omega/Cole (BABAY). Fingers crossed. 

Let’s see how this week pans out. If you want to hit me up with your thoughts for this week in pro wrestling or have thoughts you want to share with me, hit me up on twitter: Zero2Hero or on IG: Rproctor23.