Samoa Joe Makes Surprise Debut On NXT Unstoppable

Kevin Owens after laying waste to Sami Zayn with their match ending in a no-contest of sorts was confronted by Samoa Joe. Yes you heard that right Samoa Joe, not Joe Samoa or some other WWE re-branded name. He would come out and save Zayn from even more of a beating and get in the face of Kevin Owens.

Add him to the list of people on Owens plate, as Owens will face John Cena in a week and a half at Elimination Chamber. This all set up by his attack on Cena as he shocked the world coming out confronting him during Cena's U.S Open Challenge. Finn Balor has also earned the right for another shot at Owens being named the number one-contender last night defeating Tyler Breeze. Even William Regal might be a potential Owens opponent as he was headbutted by Owens in the chaos of people trying to stop Owens from continuing his attack on Sami Zayn.

If all of that isn't enough they had Hideo Itami get attacked in the parking lot and gave the impression that Owens may well have been the attacker. Setting up an Itami vs Owens match when he returns from shoulder procedure that is expected to put him on the shelf for 6 months.

As for Samoa Joe the day prior Triple H played things very cool admitting Joe had been to the performance center but he said they may have only talked for about five minutes. Joe also had independent bookings that went into June. This made many feel that all the speculation around Wrestlemania was perhaps not going to happen with him signing in the WWE. He had a brief run with ROH that ended just after that weekend.

What we didn't see on the NXT special was Joe speak but he did address the live NXT crowd after the show went off the air. Here is what he had to say in this WWE.com exclusive video.



Triple H was also asked about if he felt that NXT with developing and touring this new brand was not competition for Ring of Honor. He denied it was and that WWE's success helps all wrestling thrive. Tell that to ROH that is watching all of it's top stars become even bigger stars with WWE. The list grows longer with perhaps arguably the greatest ROH Champion of all in Samoa Joe who also has wasted many years working with TNA. The only feud that TNA ever had that was a huge draw saw Joe matched up with former WWE star and still with TNA Kurt Angle.

Joe is gonna kill you rang out from the NXT crowd as Owens decided he would wait for another day to deal with him. It really seems like NXT is becoming this super independent brand that is far from independent. I heard what Triple H said but you have to wonder how places like ROH and other top companies on the independents can hope to keep talent if NXT continues to move in such big and bold steps. Joe might not be the only one killing things at the end of it all. 

Happy Birthday Kevin Steen: It's Been A Big Year

To say it has been an exciting and eventful thirtieth year for Kevin Steen. He started the year finishing-up a long run in Ring of Honor and being a part of their first ever-live PPV. He from there would go onto what amounted to a good will tour from independent company to independent company across the North America.  A notable stop in the journey was in PWG where he claimed he was off to help El Generico with the orphans in Mexico. Other claims were he was going to be a whale trainer at Marineland.

In reality none of these was the truth, everyone was in on the gag as rumors of Kevin taking his talents to Florida, and NXT to be a part of the WWE had been flying around before this exodus tour began. Kevin left everything he knew for a chance to cash in a dream in the WWE. He packed up his family and moved to Florida.

Many of his fans worried what the WWE could do to screw up Kevin and thus lose the performer they loved. To be honest not a lot has changed he is still Kevin to this day now with the last name Owens instead of Steen. This was in tribute to his son and the late Owen Hart. Once in the system Kevin really worked hard, embraced the training, and has transformed his body to some degree. He looks in the best shape he has in a long time. He would enter NXT to heroes welcome and despite getting his nose busted up would defeat C.J Parker and it was a familiar sight with a bloody faced now Kevin Owens with his hand raised. He would end that night coming out to congratulate Sami Zayn who he had wrestled with for almost his entire career. It was a genuine and real moment between the two.

We got the happy conclusion that I don’t think many expected but in an instant that would not be the case. He would attack Zayn and lay out the New Champion and demand a title match, which he would get two months after his debut.

Along the way, Kevin showed all his talent in and out of the ring. He was still very much the same guy we had all seen in ROH and elsewhere in his independent career. He would alter his move set and have to do away with several of his moves he used on the independents.  The Package Piledriver is not happening in a WWE ring. F-5even said in French belongs to a guy named Brock Lesnar. He would still have his corner cannonball and a pop-up power-bomb as his finish. He also was given a devastating Power Bomb to the ring apron that he used to take out Sami Zayn and has used it since on several NXT performers.

It would shock everyone when Owens would win the NXT Title in a match where he dominated in such a dominate fashion that it rivaled the beating that Brock Lesnar put on John Cena to win the WWE Championship at Summerslam. Fitting enough the many being marked with a simple K.O T-shirt won the title by TKO laying out his best friend with no remorse.

Owens motivation for what he is doing he has claim is a better life for his family. This is the part where the story of the wrestler and the real life of the wrestler have merged.  Kevin is clearly a heel but he speaks a real truth in what he is saying.

Aside from a minor knee injury, it has been all systems go for the Champ. His upcoming re-match with Sami Zayn is now up in the air with an injury to Zayn this past Monday. Kevin has been great at everything he was \before he got to WWE. The real shock it WWE is letting him do it all and so quickly. He has appeared on commentary many times and it led to a side feud with Alex Riley. He verbally killed Riley on show, on commentary and even on Twitter completely owned him.

It has been an eventful and great year for Kevin Steen. Having met him, he such a wonderful and nice person it makes the smile you have for his success a little bigger. Kevin Steen has deserved all of the success that has come his way.

So... with all this said we wish the NXT CHAMP a Happy Birthday and look forward to what he will do in the next year to top this one. Trust me when I say he will find a way to top it. It wouldn’t shock anyone to see him make his way to the main roster in this next year. When that moment happens, Kevin will rise to the challenge as he always does. Kevin Owens is not going anywhere anytime soon.  

Raw Talking Points Returns

It has been awhile since a Raw has warranted conversation to any degree. Last night’s Raw in Montreal was easily the best of 2015 and the best in a long time in general. You had a crowd in Montreal that is always ready to be a part of the show good or bad. We had a massive debut, a couple great in-ring matches and a return of a forgotten Diva. A Raw show that actually managed to entertain throughout the three hours.

A whole lot of New Day: It seems the WWE has a brand new shinny toy in the NEW DAY. While their transition to full out heels has been enjoyable, there is something to worry about still. I fear the WWE could over expose them and eventually burn out what is a pretty organic and fan invented concept. WWE is famous for these kind of things. Want proof we are talking about the New Day and not the Bray Wyatt promo he cut on Ryback. Wyatt was pumped out there weekly cutting promos and now what was special has become played out. New Day was on more segments than almost everyone short of Kane and Seth Rollins. I am in the spirit of New Day going to try to stay positive, but I see a problem with them being used as much as they have been. Less is more at this point now that fans get the gimmick and are on board with it.

John Cena vs. Montreal: The moments we give John Cena credit in Condo on the Moon have been few and far between. Maybe I am getting soft with all of these open challenges but I really thought Cena did a great job with his promo faced with a hostile Montreal crowd that hated him. He allowed the crowd to have their voice but patiently stuck to his plan and points and even used the audience to drive home that point. I actually thought Cena did a great job at getting the crowd to calm down only to explode later when his opponent would be announced. A serious John Cena is better than an attempting to be funny one. This program with Rusev has seen for the most part that serious John Cena. The telling jokes and not taking things serious John Cena is why crowds of people love to chant he sucks. Well it is one of the reasons they do anyway. I admit that Cena with this U.S challenge has tapped into something where I am not wishing him not be on my television screen. He has also been a very giving performer in matches allowing his opposition to get the full benefit of being in the ring with him. I am not running to Shop WWE to buy my John Cena T-shirt but I do respect what he has done on T.V since Wrestlemania. 

Sami Zayn Gets a Hero’s Debut: In retrospect, it seemed logical but it really was genuine surprise to see Sami Zayn be the one to answer the Cena challenge for the U.S title. Not just John Cena, but also having Bret Hart introduce him gave him the rub. It made for an instant Canadian hero that we have been missing for a long time. Sami was able to get in an almost all of his spots and kicked out of a Cena attitude adjustment. It was a debut that was handled excellently and even better than the recent debut of Neville. I would imagine the shoulder injury that seemed to be “worked,” will see if it factors into the Owens vs. Zayn match coming up on the NXT special. Once that is done I think that will be the end of Sami on the NXT roster and he will move full time to the main roster. He clearly did everything right to earn a spot on the roster tonight. He also is a guy that can fill the role that is lacking with Daniel Bryan out for who knows how long. Sami like Bryan is that rare underdog baby face that in 2015 people are willing to get behind. It was a great debut for Zayn that has been long overdue but given the circumstances was worth the wait.

Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins Never Gets Old: some match-ups never get old, you can go back to them repeatedly, and they produce. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose is one of those combinations for the WWE. We often complain how feuds drag on in WWE with the most recent example of that being Cena and Rusev. When Seth and Dean were paired together, they had a feud of similar length and it never got stale or boring. Having a solid break and bringing this rivalry back from out of the blue was welcomed. These two guys had perhaps the best T.V match of the year on this show. I could watch these two guys go any night of the week because they find a way to make every match unique and enjoyable. In Ring of Honor, I have said the same about the tag team feud between ReDragon and the Young Bucks. Certain guys just have magic when they hook-up in a ring and Dean and Seth are two of those guys.

Divas Family Feud: The Bellas got jumped from behind as the strange attempt to make the Bella’s baby faces. Naomi came out with a returning Tamina took out the Bellas. Naomi is related to Tamina by marriage, which is the reason for two coming together. Tamina was last paired with A.J Lee and suffered an ACL tear and has been on the shelf for about a year or a little more. I am not sure what I think of this new pairing but Naomi has really embraced this heel turn and inside of three weeks has really re-invented her character and she deserves a lot of credit for that. Making the Bella’s faces is the real issue with all of this. I just can’t buy Nikki or Brie as babyfaces.

There was actually more than five points to talk about from this show. When is the last time we could say that? Cesaro gets an honorable mention for his in-ring work in a match with The Ascension who came out of the mothballs in Montreal. He was on fire landing European uppercut after European uppercut from corner to corner. It was one of the more unique spots we have seen in the WWE in-ring on a longtime.

It was an exciting night that reminded us all why we watch this stuff. I would love to say this is turning a corner but I suspect it will be back to the usual program that bores us to tears most weeks. I would love to be wrong but tonight was one of those perfect storms where you had a great crowd and WWE booked a show that would thrive in that environment.   

I am sure a few weeks from now will have forgotten this show and be back to wondering why Dean Ambrose was even given a shot at the title. Where did that Sami Zayn guy go on Raw? How many times as Neville lost now? Why on earth did they break-up Lana and Rusev? On this night, we got a great show and should be thankful for that, I guess. The key is stringing a few of these shows together and building some momentum. This is what has been lacking in the WWE for a long time. They have failed to put together a solid week-to-week product or stringing together a few special events in a row.

One last thing am I the only one that finds Ryback's promos strange and just don't make me like him at all? 

Kevin Owens Has Conquered NXT Faster Than Anyone Could Have Imagined

Kevin Steen was one of the top talents on the independent scene for years. He was often thought of as a guy that would never make it to the WWE simply based on his size. Kevin is never going to be confused with a bodybuilder. He has since arriving in NXT done a lot of work in terms of his body and has dropped some pounds and his arms are not looking like the Hulkster but are looking more buff. It was how Kevin connects with a crowd and what he can do in the ring at his size that makes him standout. The fact Kevin even got to the WWE was amazing and perhaps the success of Bray Wyatt helped open the door for him. Wyatt is another guy that will never win a body building competition but it his great psychology and in-ring work that has elevated him in the WWE system.

I don’t think the biggest Kevin Steen/Kevin Owens fan could have written a script better than what WWE has done with him. It has been an amazing ride and Kevin Owens is remarkably the NXT Champion as he won the belt in just his third match on the WWE Network as part of the NXT product. He has been build as an ass kicker that fights with a single motivation to make life better for his family. This is the true motivation for Kevin Steen as an actual person. It has been said many times the best wrestling characters our people just being themselves and turning up the volume. This is what they have done with Kevin taking his real life story as a man with two young children and a wife and wanting to provide a great life for them.

It would just be a natural assumption that Paul Lévesque aka Triple H has been or become a fan of what Kevin has to offer. The success of Sami Zayn likely is a contributing factor to how well things have gone for Kevin. Zayn has been a standout for the NXT brand from the start since he arrived on the scene in the last couple of years. He has been the MVP of that brand and likely more talented than many of the recent call-ups from NXT. The story of Zayn and Owens real friendship was used to build the feud that elevated Kevin to instant success in NXT and the brand’s champion. Triple H prior to the NXT event that crowned Owens as Champion said it would have been foolish to ignore the real life back-story between Zayn and Owens. It sure seems that Kevin has become fast friends with his boss Triple H and been given a tremendous push to start his career in WWE.

Kevin has been turned into an NXT version of Brock Lesnar in terms of his presentation. He is going out and mauling people not just winning matches but literally knocking people out. It fits with the merchandizing they have done Steen based on the initials of his character’s name KO aka Kevin Owens. 

It makes all the ringing of hands that fans of Steen had when he was going to WWE seemed silly now. Kevin has been treated like the big deal he was in Ring of Honor and the independents. I honestly don’t know how anyone could have any beef with what WWE has done with him to this point.

The fear will now shift to what happens when Kevin eventually makes his way to the main roster. There is a lot of worry for people like Sami Zayn, Charlotte and Adrian Neville who all seem on verge of heading to the main roster. We are still a ways off from worrying about Kevin jumping to that main roster and I would just suggest enjoying the here and now with Kevin. There is nothing to complain about right now. In terms of Kevin, there is zero to complain about right now.

Having had the chance to interview many of Kevin’s friends and colleagues, they all had confidence that Kevin would be a success. In speaking with people since there is a lot of just genuine happiness for how well things have gone for Kevin.

If I have learned, anything about Kevin is how much not just his fans but also many of the people he has shared a ring with love and respects him. It has been a dream like start for Kevin Owens in WWE and the man Kevin Steen is very deserving of it. 

Fight Owens Fight…..is something very easy to root for. Even if he is playing the bad guy as he said on the most recent NXT he has not told a lie about anything since arriving in WWE. He is really at his core someone that you can’t help but root for him to succeed.  

Condo On The Moon Podcast #47

We are back for another week of podcasting fun. We talk Roman Reigns big night on Raw leading to his match with Daniel Bryan on his Road to Wrestlemania. We also preview the NXT Takeover: Rival card coming up this Wednesday. Headlined by Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens for the NXT Title.


If you are unable to listen here on the site head over to Podomatic and listen or download from there. Thanks for joining us and next week we start to look ahead to the ROH PPV in Las Vegas. That and reaction to the NXT show from Wednesday and whatever else the week provides.

Owens and Zayn The Best Feud In Wrestling Right Now?

The best feud in pro wrestling today is not building towards Wrestlemania. It is a recycled feud from Ring of Honor happening in NXT. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens had a long feud as El Generico and Kevin Steen that ended in one of the craziest matches I have ever seen. Ladder War IV is one of the most insane ladder matches that I have ever witnessed. If you have never seen it, you really should go seek it out.

Almost as soon as rumors came out that Kevin Steen was coming to the WWE and NXT it made fans excited at the prospect of another feud between him and Sami Zayn. Often what fans want they seldom get in wrestling today but this has been the exception. Owens debut and Zayn finally winning the NXT title set up the starting point for this epic match-up to resurface under the WWE banner.

It started with a bang and they have slowly let it simmer between the two stars. We have yet to have any explanation for why Kevin Owens did what he did. They sold an injury angle for Zayn who just returned to NXT in the last two weeks. Instead of jumping into it with the two, we got a title re-match with Zayn and Neville only to have Owens show up and attack Sami again after a successful title defense.

Kevin has done such a great job at being a heel and Sami is so loved that you have a real babyface against heel dynamic. Which is hard to pull off especially at NXT where the audience tends to cheer for whatever entertains them rather than who is good or who is bad.

This match-up might be more exciting than anything we get at Wrestlemania this year to be honest. It is a match-up that is so good it belongs to be on a Wrestlemania some day. Two guys from Quebec, Canada together poised to be the next two big Canadian stars for the WWE. Canada was always a hot bed for creating WWE stars, but really, the numbers of guys that have come in the last decade have been few and far between. No offense to Tyson Kidd but we have lacked that giant Canadian star for sometime. Now we sit on the verge of having two huge stars potentially.

WWE has had their issues of late so it might be best for business to have this feud going on in NXT and keep both away from the main roster for now. The last thing people want to see is Zayn or Owens quickly be ruined like some other hot NXT acts have been once arriving on the main roster.

WWE’s next NXT Special which likely will be somewhere along the road to Wrestlemania and there has even been talk it could be during Wrestlemania week will feature most likely the Zayn vs. Owens showdown. It might blow the majority of Wrestlemania out of the water. Zayn and Owens have a great chemistry and a decade long relationship that will guarantee they will knock it out of the park as they have in the past.

It is the most compelling match the WWE has to offer at the moment. They made R-Evolution for of the best special events the WWE has put on in years. It was incredible and created a buzz that over shadowed WWE TLC later in the week. Not that they could over shadow Wrestlemania with their match but they will put on a match that will be better than almost everything you could likely see on that card.

Have we reached the point we root for guys not to leave NXT out of fear of what will become of them on the WWE main roster. The lack of faith in the creative on the main roster is justified at this point with Roman Reigns cutting Saturday morning cartoon promos.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are survivors and I think will have bright and long futures in the WWE. Ironically this might be some of the best stuff they will ever do though as they will not have the limitations that come with the WWE main roster these days.

So enjoy it the slow burn to an awesome match-up. Cue the crowd to OLE and chant this is wrestling because it is and it isn’t complicated. A friend turns his back on his buddy and he wants what he has. Pretty basic, simple, and something we all can relate to in our everyday lives.

More talk on this and all that is going on in the world of wrestling coming up later tonight as we do every Friday night. Condo on the Moon Podcast will be talking Savage finally in the Hall of Fame and a lot more. So make sure to come have a listen and join us every Friday.  

NXT Takeover [R] Evolution Preview + Predictions

If you have been living under a rock, tonight is the WWE NXT Special "Takeover R Evolution". Tonight's show hails from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Tonight show will be on the WWE Network at 8/7 CT with a pre-show with Renee Young, Alex Riley and Jason Albert. I think this NXT special may be the most anticipated NXT Special this year and what a way to end the year on a high note for these young and up and coming talents in the WWE developmental system.  We'll give you a preview for tonights show plus our predictions.

1.) NXT Tag Team Championship Match 

The Lucha Dragons (c) vs. The Vaudevillans 

Josh: Out of all the great matches that we'll see tonight I wouldn't be surprised if this match stoled the show and it should since it's for the NXT Tag Team Championship. I enjoy the wrestling style of The Lucha Dragons and at the same time I love the team of The Vaudevillans. I think this will be a good back and forth match, but at the end of the day I think the title of reign of The Lucha Dragons will come to an end tonight. I'm rolling with the Vaudevillans 

James: Dragons just won the belts recently and the NXT crowd loves them. They do like the Vaudevillans too. Still give me the guys in the masks to retain.

2.) WWE NXT Women's Championship Match 

Charlotte (c) vs. Sasha Banks w/Becky Lynch 

Josh: I've been personally looking forward to this match for a long time. Sasha and Charlotte have split up from their partnership for about 5-6 months now and this match has brewing to happen ever since Charlotte won the NXT Championship at NXT Takeover over Natalya. Despite her losing on Raw this week, Charlotte is one of most skilled technical female performers I've ever seen. Not only is she beautiful, but she's unique in her own way. Sasha Banks another beautiful and talented performer who naturally comes off as a heel and I like the work she's been doing over the last couple of months. I'm going with Sasha Banks because I think it's her time and also the fact that Charlotte may be going up to the main roster very soon. 

James: Many feel Charlotte will lose this match as she is going to be heading to main roster soon. I think she will retain and lose the belt as part of the T.V taping after the special event. Her lose on Raw adds to my belief she needs to win and retain her championship.

3.) Finn Balor & Hideo Itami vs. The Ascension

Josh:  This has the makings to being a match of the year candidate and plus now we finally get to see Balor and Itami perform without being interrupted by commercials I'm going with Hideo & Finn, because they’re both guys I’ve been watching for a very long time. I know what they’re capable of. I wouldn’t want to be The Ascension. They’ve just been needling them, like two tigers in a cage. That’s not a team I’d want to mess with. Plus I think the Ascension will be heading up to the main roster to go after the WWE Tag Team Championships. I seriously can't wait to see this match and just one of those matches that you sit back and it reminds you of why you enjoy watching wrestling 

James: The Ascension is on the move to the main roster. Balor and Itami are still being built for the WWE audience that doesn't know them. It equals a win for the former Prince Devitt and Kenta.

Kevin Owens Debut: 

Josh:  I'll keep this short and sweet, I'm so happy for Kevin Owens and he's going to make a big impact in the WWE in my opinion. You're going to have alot of sour grape ring of honor fans that are going to nit pick every single thing the WWE does with him, but I'll tell you this I think Kevin is the perfect guy for the WWE environment and if you give it time and see how his character evolves then this is going to be a fun experience. I don't think we'll see Kevin cost Zayn the title and that leads to the WWE version of Ladder of Wars, I think Kevin will come out cut a promo about who he is and will challenge somebody to a fight 

James: Kevin Steen has transformed into Kevin Owens. Both guys are pretty much the same and Kevin will no doubt in my mind cost his long-time friend Sami Zayn the NXT Championship. If you have never seen Steen vs El Generico Ladder War you have missed out. WWE is aware of the history and made new fans to Owens aware of it so if WWE does not pair these two they have missed the boat.

4.) WWE NXT Championship Match 

Adrian Neville (c) vs. Sami Zayn 

Josh: I know alot of people may have seen this match already before a WWE televised taping, but now we're in a different environment, I've been loving the story telling aspect of this feud and Sami is doing some of the best work of his career right now. Neville is on top of his game and don't count him out, Neville deserves as much as praise as any NXT Superstar out there. I think this match may have the opportunity to surpass the Zayn vs. Cesaro matches, but at the end of the day I think we'll see Zayn finally win the NXT Championship. 

James: Based on my Steen Debut thoughts Neville wins and continues to be a tweener that is heading to the heel side of the equation. Owens vs Zayn is on and I suggest you get your popcorn ready for this one.

This should be a fun night maybe we see some appearances from Enzo & Cass, Baron Corbin, Bull Dempsey and this may be the best NXT show of the year.

Speaking of Kevin Owens who will be debuting tonight, one of his mentors and best friends Steve Corino the color commentator from Ring of Honor wrestling will be on the podcast tomorrow with James and Chris Walder.

NXT On The Eve of Kevin Owens (Steen)

On the eve of Kevin Owens in the WWE is about as exciting for Kevin Steen fans as Christmas Eve. While the WWE has been taking a deserved butt whipping about a variety of topics of late Kevin Steen’s build up to his debut is not one of them. This has been perhaps one of the best build-ups to the arrival of a NXT wrestler in the short history of the promotion. Part of why that is comes from who Kevin Steen is as a person and a performer.

I heard all the rumors and this past May decided that I owed it to myself to go see Kevin Steen live in both Toronto at ROH’s Global Wars and at an independent show for Alpha-1 Wrestling. I figured this would be the last real chance I would have to go meet a guy that I had enjoyed for many years prior in ROH and PWG. Meeting people you admire is always a big risk you take. Often they don’t live up to the overblown expectations you have of them. Kevin was not one of those experiences. He is a very nice, humble and genuine person. I had a brief interaction with him at the Ring of Honor show. He was kind, generous with his time, and thankful of the fact I thought so much of him. In reality, it was like a two-minute exchange but it made me feel good about supporting this guy. On the next day in Hamilton, I got to have a more lengthy conversation in a smaller setting. He was just as kind with his time and interaction with me. I found myself watching him interact with everyone that day. He was just as gracious with everyone else so it wasn’t anything unique to me. The time he would take with children was the most touching. He himself has a son and recently welcomed a daughter into his family just prior to coming to WWE.

In fact, his son is named after the late Owen Hart and the reason behind his WWE name of Kevin Owens. Steen’s love of his family has always been at the core of his desire to succeed at what he loves being pro wrestling.

The promos he made leading up to his debut illustrate just how much this moment means to him. He summed it up perfectly in saying that 14 years of his wrestling career have been for this moment. He has detailed for people who are not familiar with him how he has been involved with various NXT and WWE stars over the years.



I have until this point described Kevin as this amazing family man that loves wrestling and his fans. Which he is but once he hits that ring he is a wild crazy man that does things for a man of his body type seem impossible. He is never going to win a bodybuilding contest even though he seems to be in great shape for him after being at the performance center since the end of the summer. He is a mad man that inspired his fans to chant Kill Steen Kill. He has a toned down version of Fight Steen Fight and I guess will now be Fight Kevin Fight or Kill Kevin Kill for the hardcore fans.

I thought it was classy of his former company ROH to recognize his departure in the opening to Final Battle this past Sunday. Steve Corino even giving a shout out as well to “Kevin in Orlando” watching the show which knowing Kevin he most definitely was. Kevin is now looking towards his first battle as a part of WWE. Many feel he will some how be involved with his former tag partner and rival Sami Zayn who teamed with Kevin as El Generico for years. They put on a match in ROH called Ladder War that will rival any WWE TLC match you care to compare it too. It makes a lot of sense to make this happen just prior to Zayn likely heading to the main roster.

Court Bauer a former WWE Writer and consultant for ROH currently in talking about Steen called him a mix between Canada’s Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mike Awesome. Steen has just a great ability to connect with people that is something that you just don’t learn at NXT or anywhere. You just have it or you don’t and he has it in large amounts.

Mike Bennett a current ROH wrestler in an interview we did with him said that if Kevin is not a huge success in the WWE it will not be his fault it will be the WWE’s. So far, the WWE and Kevin have worked together and not really changed much about him and created a great platform to introduce him to a much larger WWE Universe. 

If you have never seen Kevin Steen, you are in for a treat. If you have, it appears Kevin Owens will likely not be some great departure from the wrestler you have come to love and enjoy over the years. I firmly believe Kevin Steen will be a success and echo what Michael Bennett said that if he isn’t the WWE will have dropped the ball some how. I have faith though based on the success of Sami Zayn that Kevin will be able to thrive in the WWE system and given the opportunities to do so.

Christmas has come early for Kevin Steen fans on 12/11/14. We are on the Eve of Owens and I can’t wait.

10 Canadians We're Thankful For

It is Canadian Thanksgiving so instead of our normal Raw preview I share with all of you my 10 wrestlers that I am thankful for in pro wrestling that are from my country of Canada. There have been many great Canadian's over the years in wrestling. We are keeping this list light and fun so you will not be seeing any Canadian Cripplers on this list. What you will see is a group of talented people that share the same flag and homeland and have had a major impact on wrestling as a whole.

Honorable mention goes out to Canadian Football League that allowed some wrestlers to stay employed in football for years and earn a living. While showing others that football was not their calling like Roman Reigns and The Rock. Many other names like Brian Pillman, Lex Luger and countless others have called the CFL home before hitting a squared circle.

So here is my list of great Canadians to be thankful for and it is only based on my personal opinion and nothing else. Not ranking on ability or looks although you have to admit Trish Stratus does look good in red and white. So with that said here we go with the list.


1. Kevin Steen
2. Trish Stratus
3. Owen Hart
4. Sami Zayn
5. Chris Jericho
6. Edge
7. Bret Hart
8. Tyler Breeze
9. Tyson Kidd
10. Christian

I am sure many will debate the order and it is not based on accomplishments. I just wanted a mix of the past present and future. I am not a huge Bret Hart fan to be honest. I also don't like hockey so Canadians might not all fit your stereotypes to the letter. Who is your top 5 Canadians in wrestling let us know @Condoonthemoon. Send them to us and give us a follow there.

To all my fellow Canadians enjoy the holiday and if your having turkey it will make a boring episode of Raw easier to fall asleep too. 

Rumors Already Surfacing For Next NXT Special

Seems the next NXT special is already taking shape with the main event expected to be Sami Zayn challenging Adrian Neville for the NXT title in a one on one match.

Both Zayn and Neville were front and center at an event for the WWE 2K15 game as they will be characters in the game along with former NXT alumni like Bo Dallas, Rusev and Bray Wyatt. Cory Graves is also said to be in the game as well but his career has been in much doubt with concussion problems and has not been seen in NXT in many months. Below are some links to interviews with various talents from that 2K15 event.




Brian Fritz with Sami Zayn
Sam Roberts with Sami Zayn
Brian Fritz with Adrian Neville
Sam Roberts with Bo Dallas
Brian Fritz with Bo Dallas 
Brian Fritz with Bill DeMott 


In addition to that the Lucha Dragons the new Tag-Team Champs will defend against favorites of NXT crowd the Vaudevillians in addition we will see Hideo Itami and Finn Balor better known as Kenta and Prince Devitt have a tag-team match with the Ascension. The two teams did face off at the television tapings recently in Devitt's debut so this would be a re-match of that encounter.

What still is up in the air is if Kevin Steen will be on this show with a set of T.V tapings between now and the proposed early December 11th date for the NXT special event. Steen has yet to debut and he like the other two is expected to have his name altered as well. Adam Cole a recent guest on our podcast spoke about his great relationship with Steen and his belief in the success he will have as part of the WWE. Cole himself has been talked about as perhaps going to NXT come the end of his current contract with ROH. In talking with Cole he just would state that you never know what the future would hold for him going forward. Cole was recently ranked number 9 in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated top 500 wrestlers. A list that saw WWE have the top 3 ranking stars with John Cena at 3, Randy Orton at 2 and Daniel Bryan topping the list.

Steen was seen in photos prior to the 2k15 event looking in tremendous shape and that was the one issue his detractors had about him being a success in the WWE. Kevin while still a large guy has certainly come a long way in the last year in getting into better shape and that has increased since coming into the WWE fold at the end of August.

Baron Corbin has recently debuted and is making waves the competition level and just level of talent in general at NXT is growing by leaps and bounds. Guys like Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze and Adrian Neville have been touring on various WWE house show loops. This in addition to the surprise appearance of those three along with Tyson Kidd on Raw a few weeks back. Kidd is being used currently as part of the angle with his wife and Summer Rae on the main roster. Rumors of some sort of love triangle being at least teased.

So, NXT is on the rise and once Steen officially joins the fold it should lead to some interesting potential match-ups going forward depending on how long guys like Zayn, Breeze and Neville remain on the roster.

You can follow us on Twitter @Condoonthemoon for all our latest on the world of pro wrestling.

Is NXT Better?

The jokes have started about NXT being the superior brand to WWE on social media. You would never hear something like this said about the NBDL the developmental league of the NBA. Lebron James is better than anybody they have in the NBDL and that is fact. 

Could we say the same about John Cena and NXT? Is John Cena a better in-ring worker than Kenta, Kevin Steen, Sami Zayn, Prince Devitt and Adrian Neville? He isn’t really is he? John Cena does have experience of working on a much larger stage for almost a decade. You can love him or hate him but that is a fact.

NXT while it is suppose to be a view into the future it also is a glimpse into the past. Just an hour of weekly television and four major events in a year is how NXT works and how the WWF use to be. Could NXT be as compelling and great a show if they had to provide a 3-hour show and 9-10 hours of content overall in a week? The answer is probably not.

Triple H has talked about building NXT into its own brand and they have been relatively successful to this point. This is something that Paul Levesque has been hands on with and has totally changed the direction of the developmental of this company. This company suffered a major gap in finding and developing between when Jim Ross was in charge of talent relations and Triple H. That gap was when John Laurinaitis who did the company a huge disservice for its future. Seems Johnny legacy was hiring a lot of hot women that can’t wrestle. Jim Ross has a legacy of getting guys like Foley, Austin, The Rock and even Paul himself as part of the WWE Roster. The list of talent Paul Levesque is bringing to table is impressive as well. When we look back on it will see if it is as successful as the one J.R compiled but it is clearly better than the one Johnny Ace came up with in his time.

In a fantasy world, would it be cool to see a show with NXT vs. WWE? Absolutely, if you are expecting NXT guys to go over in such a situation though that probably is not going to happen.   You could have some great matches though. Let’s fantasy book a little below:

Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins
Tyler Breeze vs. Dolph Ziggler
Adrian Neville vs. Dean Ambrose
Kevin Steen vs. Bray Wyatt
Kenta vs. Daniel Bryan
Prince Devitt vs. John Cena
Ascension vs. Usos
Tyson Kidd vs. Cesaro

That is a card I would watch, as I am sure many would. NXT has had three huge names in Kenta, Steen and Devitt, you add them to the existing Zayn and Neville, and you have the NXT 5. This might be the term we use for these guys for years to come.  A Sami Zayn tweet led to WWE.com doing a sit-down interview with all five that was truly a great read. Seeing names like Adam Cole, The Young Bucks and John Gargano on that site kind of nuts. If you don’t know those names, you just do not have any clue of independent wrestling. Steen, Cole and the Bucks made Mount Rushmore in PWG. I hope to see them all in the WWE in 2015 they are all deserving.

WWE has really created their own super-independent show with WWE’s money and production values. At the same time, they are training staff in all aspects of a broadcast with their partnership with Full Sail University. They have given hardcore fans an option under the WWE umbrella to see the stars they have watched in outside promotions like ROH, NJPW and other places under their system on their WWE Network. Paul Levesque smartly is not ruling anything out in terms of NXT’s future.

WWE since they ended WCW in 2001 has been searching for competition. They attempted to create their own with the brand split but that never really worked in my opinion. Now in 2014 they may have found their competition in NXT. A group of hungry wrestlers that most of whom already have long resumes looking to bust open the doors to the main roster. If that doesn’t light a fire under the butt of people on the main roster, nothing will. I remember the first NXT Takeover that was their second special event. That week the NXT show had more buzz than the Payback show coming up on the Sunday. As expected, the NXT show delivered but it took a “B” level pay-per-view and lit a fire under some of the people on that card to make it one of the more unexpected great shows of the year.

The tag line for NXT being: The Future is Now. People are buying in even more than they are the WWE with the hardcore audience of wrestling in general and the WWE.

So for a certain type of fan NXT already is and to some extent always will be better than WWE. Ultimately, though NXT is about creating stars on that next level and so far, it has which is ultimately the job it is meant to serve. Having it become a popular and even more popular with some brand may not have been part of the plan but now it is. WWE can make money off NXT just as easily and they will still cash the checks.

NXT has become something greater than what one could have imagined as its goofy reality show origins.  It is now a brand that sports a roster than can compete with any company in the world. Even the one that owns it at times could be included in that. 

Next time you go to say something bad about Triple H remember that Paul Levesque created all of this that you love and can’t enough of in NXT. So maybe he is not the idiot or interested in burying people, as the internet would have you believe.

He is taking pictures with all of these guys and truly reveling in their success as he would his own maybe more so. Ultimately, their success is his success as is true for NXT as a brand and the Performance Center they train those NXT stars. It is all about the game and growing it for the next generation. This according to Sami Zayn already has the future of the WWE in 5 years ready to roll.

He makes a good case that is hard to argue as he has some talented friends to play with currently.

NXT Takeover 2: Post Show Podcast

We did not have a Hangin on the Moon today think all our audio issues are solved but decided to do an NXT Takeover post game show with myself and Josh Lopez. We break down the card and share our thoughts as well as have a couple interesting sidebar conversations along the way. So sit back and enjoy as we bring a little NXT into your life.


Still will have the regular podcast on later tonight as always with Chris Walder talking all the rest of the wrestling news of the week. Walder might give his two cents on Takeover 2 as well so make sure to come back and listen to that.

NXT Takeover 2: A New NXT Champion To Be Crowned?

 NXT is set to have there third special event on Thursday night on the WWE Network. On paper, this card does not live up to previous two. We will have the introduction of Kenta to NXT officially scheduled but also have Prince Devitt and Kevin Steen now as part of the mix at the performance center so who knows if we see them as well? We did see the participants in main event on Raw this past Monday. They seemed to get over pretty well with both the live audience and the viewing audience. Ole chants rang out on Raw for Sami Zayn and for once, the commentators did a great job of getting over all four guys in the match.

Singles Match
Mojo Rawley vs. Bull Dempsey

I have no interest in this match at all. Mojo Rawley is a classic example of what the WWE thinks will draw compared to what the audience actually wants. Which is not Mojo with his lack of experience in the ring combined with his over enthusiastic character makes him annoying as hell to most and me. While Bull Dempsey is old school, wrestling gimmick is not a hit with me either. Some thought this gimmick would be great for Kevin Steen. It is a death sentence and nothing is great about it. Someone has to win the match that should be a boring yawn festival so I will go with Bull by default.


Hair vs. Hair Match
Enzo Amore vs. Sylvester LeFort

Has a babyface ever lost a haircut match in the history of wrestling? If they did, it was terrible booking of the highest order. Still despite this being, a very predictable outcome of this still should be a fun match. It is a big match for Enzo who has been out with injury for a long period and this is the first big match since his return from injury to his leg. LeFort knows about injuries himself; he as a result was booked as a manger in NXT when he debuted.  Both have a lot to gain from a high profile match like this and it should be good. Enzo Amore will win but it will be all about the journey and post match haircut that makes or breaks this contest. 


NXT Tag Team Championship Match
The Ascension (c) vs. Kalisto & Sin Cara

We saw Kalisto with a different partner go against this team of The Ascension as he teams with Sin Cara who also is new under his mask from the original. The Ascension has long been rumoured to heading to the main roster. They did pop up this week on WWE Main Event so maybe finally they are off to the main roster. Does this mean that automatically means they will drop the titles? It could but I would not call it a lock at all at this point. I have never been a fan of The Ascension. They have size and an entrance as well as the support of the great NXT fans. Still for me, I see them as a team destined to flop on the main roster. I think they will retain the titles regardless of their status in terms of the main roster.
 

NXT Women’s Championship Match
Charlotte (c) vs. Bayley

Charlotte Flair was able to capture the NXT Women’s Champion in a match with Natalya that many are calling one of the best women’s matches in years. Bayley up until getting this title opportunity was booked as a far less serious character that seemed to be geared at kids. She was a star struck fan girl but in the last month or so has been down played and she has been more serious in her actions. The reason for the change is to build her as serious contender.  Some think Charlotte is going to be rushed to the main roster based on her fast improvement but also to give her father something to do on the main roster. Who knows if this is true but if it is they have set a precedent that would suggest she should lose if moving up to the main roster. Will see what happens but both women will have a huge mountain to climb to live up to Charlotte’s last match. I think Bayley is going go over here but not sure, if that is a good move to make. 

NXT Championship Match
Adrian Neville (c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Tyson Kidd

Let’s start by saying this is easily the best match on the show with some of the best talent on the NXT roster currently. I also think you could make a compelling argument for all three challengers to win this match. I also feel that as a fan I am ready to see a change of this title and have methods to protect my baby face current champion. Sami Zayn has been chasing the title for a long time and has been the MVP performer on NXT since he arrived. The four-way gives him a way to win without turning his character. Tyson Kidd is doing a great job with his NXT heel run. He could certainly make a great champion. My choice to win this contest is however, Tyler Breeze who I think is deserving and is the best fit for the role. Breeze likely is not coming to the WWE roster with his current gimmick or at least should not. It is two similar to what The Miz is currently doing. I think he can really learn from a run as a heel champion as well. I still think regardless the title needs to change. We will see if in fact we get a new NXT champion on Thursday. How people view this show will be largely be based on this match. Nothing else on the card has a chance to challenge this match on paper for match of the night.

I think this will be the greatest challenge in terms of one of these shows so far. The first two have created quite a short but great legacy to live up to for NXT roster. This show still can be very entertaining it is just how great the other two shows have been that makes the challenge for this show to live up to it. Triple H is extremely proud of what he has created with the NXT brand and Performance Center and rightfully so.

Our friends at Between the Ropes sat in on Paul Lesveque's conference call to promote tomorrow's event.   

 

Condo on the Moon is on Twitter and Facebook and check out our weekly podcasts Every Friday! 

If you have questions/comments for our NEW Weekly Google+ Show Live Thursday's 7:30 pm EST use hashtag #AskMachoMoon. You can find us now at Condoonthemoon.com. 

Steen Signs with WWE And Reports to Work August 24th

Sometimes in life, good things still can happen to good people. This is what I am filled with hearing the news that Kevin Steen is now going to be a part of the WWE and NXT. Having heard the rumours of his great tryout in WWE that happened in March of this year it served as motivation to go see him live. I felt it might be my last chance to see him in that intimate setting that independent shows and Ring of Honor.

I was witness to Kevin tearing down the house at the Ted Reeve Arena in front of a capacity crowd over Adam Cole. It was an incredible match in an incredible atmosphere. What will sever Kevin well is his ability to connect with people. There is something Kevin has that you just can’t teach in his ability to connect with people and have them genuinely care about him as a performer. He can do that and has proved it for years and now is getting the chance to take that talent to the next level in NXT and in the WWE Developmental System.

It has been perhaps the worst kept secret in wrestling that this was happening but still there were unfounded rumours of if Steen might have not been able to pass the physical to sign his contract. All of that unfounded speculation can be put to bed as Kevin Steen is coming to Florida on August 25, 2014. He did an interview with WWE .Com in which he talked about a desire to eventual work with or against Bray Wyatt. This is something we here at the Condo on the Moon had speculated could be a good fit for him.

For the moment he gets to re-unite with long time friend Sami Zayn who even in his time in WWE made a few cameos on Kevin’s You-Tube show Weekend Escapades. Steen joins Prince Devitt and Kenta as part of this new arriving trio that should really up the level of competition in NXT.

It will be interesting to see if all three are involved in the NXT live special that is set for early September. There was talk of them coming in as a faction and working together but all of this remains to be seen.

NXT might not be done either as Nick Jackson of the tag-team the Young Bucks was teasing a move to NXT with his brother Matt. As we speculated add in the former ROH and PWG champion Adam Cole and all the members of Mount Rushmore a faction in PWG could be in WWE in 2015. Cole has ROH contract that ends in December after Final Battle the big ROH show of the year that is anticipated to be on traditional pay-per-view this year.


 

Condo on the Moon is on Twitter and Facebook and check out our weekly podcasts Every Friday! 

If you have questions/comments for our NEW Weekly Google+ Show Live Thursday's 7:30 pm EST use hashtag #AskMachoMoon. You can find us now at Condoonthemoon.com. 

New Wave Of NXT Talent: But Keep Things The Same

NXT is about to get a major shake-up with three major stars about to arrive. It should be interesting to see how this will impact on the show. Part of the joy that is NXT for an older fan like me is the fact it is just one hour which is delightful. Things on NXT just seem far more simplistic and easier to digest on a weekly basis.

The fight for real estate on that show is about to get fairly interesting when add Kenta, Prince Devitt and Kevin Steen all potentially about to arrive. It will be interesting to see how this will change if at all the show that is NXT. Some guys that are being featured now might want to look over their shoulder because some serious talent is coming in the door.

Think the three major guys that have little to worry about are Neville, Breeze and Zayn. In addition I think the ladies will always have a place on the show. After that it is open season in my view. You see someone like C.J Parker as an example getting another chance with a re-packaged gimmick as this heel environmentalist. After getting a lot of air time in the past Mo Jo Rawley seems to have been cooled off. He may have been hyped but the reviews on him from people like me were not that kind with good reason.

My hope is there will be a battle for time and position on NXT and not WWE thinking that we just need more time on this show with the amount of top talent we have. Keeping things at the one our mark is fine with me. If they attempted to extend NXT and make it longer I think you would be making a major mistake. The path it is on now with a one hour show and an expected 4 special 2 hour events on the Network seems fine to me.

Note, this is mere speculation on my part but with the WWE Network struggling and new influx of talent I could easily see the idea of a longer NXT be kicked around as it has been one of the more popular shows on the WWE Network consistently.

Tyler Breeze has said in a recent interview on Between the Ropes that his injured finger is almost back to 100% and he is of course the number one contender to the NXT Title. I would suspect Breeze and Neville will headline the next special event. Nothing is for certain with the arrival of Kenta, Prince Devitt and likely Kevin Steen. Steen refuses to acknowledge the WWE signing directly as in his last independent date in Toronto he claimed to have indeed taken a new job as trainer of whales at Marineland. In any case he likely does show up and re-united with Sami Zayn who in a similar fashion refuses to acknowledge that he was and is El Generico. Maybe it is a French thing. I don’t have this part of the French gene though.

This is really a big time for NXT as we have in a sense started the second wave of NXT talent to make up this roster. Bull Dempsey is the latest new character to come around. Some were upset that this gimmick which is basically a throwback old school wrestler was not given to Kevin Steen. I am not one of them as I see this as horrible gimmick that will need some serious work to get over.

In any case keep NXT as it is as the old saying goes if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. Something the WWE should learn to do more. I do have faith with Triple H firmly in control of all that is NXT he will not have any dramatic changes to the product. This in a sense has become like his fourth child. You can tell how much he loves NXT and all the young performers in it.

 

Condo on the Moon is on Twitter and Facebook and check out our weekly podcasts Every Friday! 

If you have questions/comments for our NEW Weekly Google+ Show Live Thursday's 7:30 pm EST use hashtag #AskMachoMoon. You can find us now at Condoonthemoon.com. 

Kevin Steen Confirms His Last Date in ROH

It is now confirmed that Kevin Steen's last date in Ring of Honor will be on July 19th in Dearborn, Michigan. His opponent in that match will be Steve Corino who has been out of wrestling for last while working as a commentator with Kevin Kelly. Steen will also face Silas Young in a no DQ match on July 18th and will face his good friend Tommasso Ciampa there will mark the last 3 matches in Kevin's Ring of Honor career. Kevin has been a fixture in the company for years and is one of only 20 men that can say he in fact was a Ring of Honor World Champion. He now by all indications will be heading to WWE Developmental to join his long time partner El Generico who is tearing it up on NXT as Sami Zayn. Kevin is one of there huge stars set to arrive in NXT very soon. It should be interesting come the fall in NXT



Times have varied on when exactly Kevin will be reporting to WWE Developmental there has been date like August 1st talked about and as late as September. I would say the August 1st is the more likely as Ring Honor was trying to figure out a way to get him on the "Field of Honor" event in NYC that they took over from TNA doing this year. That event takes place in the middle of August. In any case Kevin has earned a farewell tour and parade if he wanted it for all the hard work he has done for Ring Honor Wrestling and Independent wrestling in general.




Condo on the Moon is on Twitter and Facebook and check out our weekly podcasts Every Friday! You can find us now at Condoonthemoon.com

Still A BOliever in NXT System Producing Talent?

Is it time to re-evaluate how NXT is doing at producing talent on the next level? No one will question the earlier returns from the NXT system have been fantastic. The Shield and Wyatt’s are big players on the main roster. Daniel Bryan being on mend will mean either the Shield or Wyatt’s will be in the main event of this PPV.

Looking closer at more recent NXT call-ups you see nothing but trouble. Xavier Woods was paired with R-Truth his former tag partner once upon a time in TNA. He was given the music of Brodus Clay and been on a free fall to jobberville ever since. Can’t always hit a homer no worries the sassy little Aussie Emma will make people smile. Not exactly as she started as a fan in the crowd with signs and would be plucked from that by Santino. Her dance the 400 strong at NXT do each time she comes out does nothing for the WWE Universe. A teased romance with Santino and pink cobra later this poor girl is not over as much as the red head that can’t wrestle on Total Divas.

Time to call on the big guns as Paige has been long anticipated to make her way to the main roster. The strong Anti-Diva of NXT has become the weak lucky girl that some how got a fluke win on A.J Lee. Where is she? She is gone to watch the Blackhawks with CM Punk back in Chicago. Not doing much for Paige. Even little used Alicia Fox rubs Paige’s face in the mud verbally and physically despite not winning.

What now well let’s have a party with a man dressed in a bunny suit rumoured to be Zack Ryder and a bunch of other freaks from the back not working matches dressed in crazy costumes. All part of Adam Rose’s Exotic Express that has had two times to make us all rosebuds but instead Rose has been a dud. Sorry to be a lemon but this whole act is not ready for prime time.

What has gone wrong? Bolieve it or not NXT is on a heck of losing streak at debuts. That is right Bo Dallas you better “REALLY BOLIEVE,” because things are not going well up here at the big boys table. How long before Bo Dallas is the lead singer of 3MB singing don’t stop Bolieving?

You wonder how gimmicks like Tyler Breeze and Bailey will do in the big time on the main roster. It seems just because it works at NXT is no indication that it will get over on the main roster.

Sami Zayn and Charlotte Flair might be the two best chances left in NXT at the moment. This is at least in the immediate future.

Well someone from NXT has gotten over on main roster lately actually…..Lana. To bad the one they are trying to get over is, Alexander no more, just call me Rusev. Once the Bulgarian Brute now an illegal immigrant to Russia. Well maybe he is marrying Lana. They two actually do date and believe it or not that is a shoot. The most jumbled and confusing debut I can recall in the WWE in a long time.

Triple H’s baby of NXT is not having a great success rate in the last few months. No doubt he can’t be thrilled about that and it should have an impact on how fast they are to look at any other new stars. You can take that as bad or good news for current members of the NXT roster depending on how you look at it.

It maybe time to re-access how they are debuting these talents cause the care that was taken with The Shield and the Wyatt’s has not been afforded to these recent NXT call-ups.

The Debut Of "The 10 Count"

Topic: 10 Things that will happen before Wrestlemania 31:

#10- Zack Ryder will be fired: His last resort will fail and he will no longer be part of the WWE. This roster is getting full of competition with so many stars on the rise. Zack Ryder had brief self made run that never really was suppose to happen without that he likely would have been fired long before now.

#9- Sami Zayn will be on the Main Roster: Why it hasn’t happened already is a good question but there is no way he remains in NXT for another year. It will not happen, this guy is just too talented and Triple H already sees it with having him in a match with Csearo as the first match to launch NXT on the network.

#8- U.S and I.C Titles will be Unified: Both these titles mean so little combining them and keeping the I-C Title will allow a chance to rehabilitate these dead championships. It is the only way to save them you need to kill one to make it happen. The U.S title is an old WCW belt and will be the one the bites the bullet.

#7- John Cena will NOT hold The WWE World Championship: First reason is he really doesn’t need it at this point. The second might be that do we really want to see John Cena replace Ric Flair as the mas with the most times as champion in wrestling history? Triple H’s idol is Ric Flair or at least one of them. If the Game himself didn’t break 16 times safe bet he is in no hurry to see Cena do this. In addition with all the new stars you could see battle for the belt that need it really makes no sense for Cena to have it.

#6- Paul Heyman will turn on Cesaro: We all know Paul Heyman guys never last other than one guy and that is Brock Lesnar the one in 21-1. So at some point expect Paul to turn his back on Cesaro leading to a Lesnar vs. Cesaro match at one of the major PPV’s (Sorry Special Events...WWE is killing term Pay-Per-View)  this year. It makes perfect sense and would be a great match to show off Cesaro’s freakish strength.

#5 Roman Reigns will be Mr. Money In the Bank: Everyone says he is the next big star and it is hard to debate he has all the tools to be. Getting the briefcase would be a great way to break him off into singles and maybe will be the ultimate reason for The Shield to finally break apart. It makes sense and so does the idea of Roman Reigns being a World Champion sometime within the next 18 months.

#4 Adam Cole will be signed by the WWE: If there is one guy out on the independent scene that I am going to bet on making it to the WWE it is this guy. I could see other guys like Kevin Steen, Mike Bennett also being in the WWE system. The safest bet is Adam Cole as he has a style of wrestling that already looks like a WWE wrestler to some extent. His run with the ROH title has been tremendous and like many other former ROH Champions he will make his way to the WWE this year.

#3 WWE Commentary Will Change For Raw and Smackdown: They are working to hard at developing broadcasters to not shake things up on commentary on Raw and Smackdown. It may not be change for the better depending on who they decide to run with but the King, Cole and JBL show is getting old fast. J.R is not walking back through that door it would seem so WWE needs another answer.

#2 Batista will not finish his WWE Contract: His return has been horrible and he will have options to do movies and other things so I don’t think he makes it to Wrestlemania 31. He really doesn’t need to be bothered with WWE and his in ring skills are not at level they were 4 years ago. Bye Bye Batista we never wanted you back to begin with.

#1 Rey Mysterio Will Be Done with WWE:  When you can't even get your baby face pop that you have had for decades and your body is breaking down it is time to go. Rey’s contract is set to expire in the summer and I do not think the WWE will offer him another one. Well, at Least not as an in ring competitor. As mentioned this roster is getting pretty full and Rey will be one of the first to realize the youth movement is underway in the WWE.

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IWC Podcast - Special Guest Brian Fritz From Between The Ropes

Excited to have a guest this week who has covered the wrestling business for 16 years. Brian Fritz has been covering the pro wrestling buisness for both radio and print outlets over the years. He currently runs a great website that I mentioned in a post on podcasts that I love. So it a great pleasure to have Brain from Between The Ropes on our IWC podcast here on Condo on the Moon.



Chris Walder will be back next week along side me for the podcast. I want to thank Brian for coming on board and being our first guest. Trying to work at getting more guests you'll enjoy and maybe even get some wrestlers at some point? I hope so, I learned from my experience in basketball if you work at you can build relationships and get guests. It just takes working hard at it and some people being willing to give you a chance. Brian did that for me and I thank him for that and for not mentioning Kobe Bryant scoring 81 points against the Raptors.

Follow Brian on Twitter: @BrianFritz
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