Ole Ole Ole Ole

Sami Zayn is quite simply brilliant.  As regular readers will know I usually like to build up to the point of my piece but not in this case.  Kevin Owens is without doubt the best heel in the company today but its always harder to get over as a face and the fact that Sami is outs a big smile on my face.

I'll be honest, before Sami Zayn answered John Cena's US Open Challenge last year I had never actually watched a Sami Zayn match. In fact I didn't even know what he looked like!  I was impressed by the match and the fact that he wrestled the entire thing injured but then he was gone for 6 months and gone from my mind.

In the meantime I became a regular viewer of NXT.  I very much enjoy watching the stars of tomorrow but I always felt that's exactly what they were and I wasn't watching the finished article.  Then Sami Zayn returned...

Very quickly I came to realise that Sami was the real deal. It wasn't just his in-ring style but the way he carried himself.  I remember the exact moment I knew I was watching a star.  I had been watching a regular episode of NXT.  Zayn didn't actually wrestle but appeared in a short backstage interview but for that few minutes I couldn't stop watching.  He has a natural charisma but also something that engages the viewer.   A true x factor.

I had been saying for weeks on my podcast that Sami was the stand out star in NXT and they could put him on Raw the next day.   Now they have and I am more than happy with the results.  I love his ongoing feud with Kevin Owens and it's been a while since we have seen a story with this much history behind it and WWE not blowing their load straight away.

However when watching Raw this past week where Sami faced off against the truly Phenomenal AJ Styles I realized that Sami Zayn  has it all and I saw a Randy Savage quality to him.  The fans reacted like it was a PPV main event and it was half way through Raw.  He may not be THE guy in the company's eyes but when it's all said and done Sami Zayn could certainly go down as an all-time legend.

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Why isn't Roman Over?

At the end of last year WWE finally thought they had cracked the problem of getting Roman Reigns over.  He had just won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in Philadelphia and the crowd were 100% behind him.  This was an example of perfect booking.  Bringing back the tyrannical boss Mr McMahon and using an unpopular heel Champion in Shaemus meant that Roman couldn't fail. However unable to build any substantial momentum after the victory, Roman's star quickly started to fade in the eyes of many of the fans including myself. 

 

A few weeks ago on Raw Roman Reigns returned to Philadelphia for the first time since his championship win but this time the reaction was very different.  In fact it was more reminiscent of his Royal Rumble victory last year in the same city where he was met with a chorus of boos.  

Roman goes into this year's Wrestlemania as challenger to Triple H's World Title.  As Trips has been one of the biggest heels of the last two years as part of the authority one would expect Roman to have the support of the WWE Universe firmly behind him.  However there seems to be some sort of block there with many of the fans refusing to support him.  I actually used to like Roman but have quickly started to resent him but couldn't work out why. But a few nights ago while driving home in the early hours it dawned on my why I can't support him; I don't know who he is!...... And neither does he. 

What does Roman Reigns stand for?  What does he believe in?  What are his values?  I don't know any of this.  I don't hear any passion in his voice and I don't see any in his eyes. 

For years I have slated John Cena but the one thing I can't knock him for his passion and commitment to the business.  I sure know what he stands for, what his values are and what he believes in.  John Cena established his character pretty early in his career and despite fan pressure has been unwavering in his commitment to it ever since.  Roman however has flip-flopped in his personality.  One week he is too cool for school, the next he is a Samoan savage, the next he is telling stories about beanstalks! 

WWE clearly haven't assessed the strengths and weakness of their new prodigy.  If he tries to be funny it fails because of his lack of commitment and if he tries to be sarcastic he just comes across as a dick.  Reigns was over as part of The Shield because he was the powerhouse and left the talking to Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.  After the split Roman's character should have pretty much stayed the same. In my personal opinion they should have gone the Goldberg route.  A character who simply exploded through his opponents with pure domination and without any smart ass quips or cool guy expressions.  Short matches, short promos, maximum impact!

That is my tip to WWE; just make him a straight forward ass kicking machine.  It hopefully isn't to late now but take away his microphone and for the love of God please don't ever let us see him cry again!!!!

AP

For more check out my weekly podcast with John Shoez on all things WWE - The People's Podcast

Wooooooooooooooo!

So I decided to leave it a few weeks before posting my views on WWE.  The reason for this is the Philadelphia show in which Roman Reigns won the WWE Championship was a real breakout from what we had been used to from Raw shows.  A quickening of the pace and a more intense product had everyone hyped about a possible turn in the tide.

I decided to give the next show a bye as it was the annual Slammy awards show which at best is snail paced and it certainly doesn't sound like I missed much.  But as I said its cool and I awaited the next Raw like I was 16 years old again.

Now this was a tough one as Raw shows between Christmas and New Year traditionally are not the best but this was a pleasant change.  This Raw picked right up from where the Philly show had left off.  I have to give Vince McMahon most of the credit.  Kicking off the show with his arrest worked well and helped set the tone for the rest of the night.  It's amazing what difference an unpredictable start can make to the rest of a show. I enjoyed most of it with stand out moments from Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose.  It's nice to see a feud outside the main event scene that actually matters.

So then we had this week's show which had been built up nicely by last weeks ending in which Vince McMahon named himself as the referee in this weeks main event where Roman Reigns would defend the WWE title against Sheamus.  The show was not as good as the previous week but still enjoyable and I think it's down to the little things.  Wins and losses seem to matter again.  Story-lines actually seem to be getting some traction as there was more with Ambrose and Owens and I am very much enjoying the feud between Charlotte and Becky Lynch.  I was a bit worried about Charlotte as champ but now as a heel she seems every bit the pro and the Flair.  Finally the announcement that the WWE title will be at steak in the 30-man Royal Rumble match throws everyone's theories up in the air.  I'm just going to sit back and enjoy.

And here's why I know I'm enjoying it more.  The little things are making me smile again.  I laugh at what ludicrous outfit the Miz will appear in or Ric Flair dancing to Charlotte's techno theme music which is almost infectious by the way.  Try not tapping your foot or bopping your shoulder next time you watch.  Actually Flair's whole performance at the moment is pro-wrestling at it's absolute bloody best and not an arm-bar in sight. And long may it continue....

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