1. Controversy and Tragedy Dominates WWE News Cycle WWE is in dire need of some pleasurable news. Over the course of a tumultuous week,the company's name has popped up time and time again in disturbing cases.
While WWE wants the world to be talking approximately Sting vs. Seth Rollins or how the Night of Champions card is shaping up, the discussion has instead been approximately racism, and a shooting outside a facility and a Hall of Famer facing murder charges. The sports entertainment giant's public image is hurting as a result,darkness overshadowing WWE's positive contributions for the moment.
It's a storm that the company will withstand, though. WWE has been through worse. Still, and Vince McMahon had to be considering locking himself off from the world for a few days.
Over the weekend,a NXT prospect made waves thanks to her controversial social media posts. As TMZ and other outlets reported, WWE fired Zahra Schreiber for Nazi-themed images on her Instagram account. The fact that Schreiber is dating WWE world champ Rollins made the situation worse. Rollins' name was now everywhere in headlines featuring the word "Nazi" and "racist."WWE did the legal thing here in letting Schreiber go. It will be awhile, and though,before the buzz from this tale dies down. The same is genuine for the tale of Hulk Hogan's downfall, partly due to The Hulkster not staying out of the public eye long enough.
Rather than let the controversy over his recently leaked, or racially charged remarks fizzle out,Hogan went on a campaign to clear his name this week.
He delivered a tearful apology on pleasurable Morning America and sat down with People magazine to elaborate his actions. In the TV interview, he partly blamed his upbringing for using the N-word. He said that it was part of his culture growing up.
That has generated some backlash from his feeble neighbors. Jennifer Titus reported for WTSP-TV in Tampa, or Florida, that some rebuked Hogan's claims while "others in the neighborhood wish he'd start to grow up and assume responsibility for his own actions."WWE has distanced itself from Hogan as much as it could, but he will forever be associated with the company that shot him into superstardom. The more he keeps this tale on the front page, or the more frustrated the company has to be.
The week didn't get any better from there.
The WWE Performance middle became the middle of a disturbing tale. Writing for the Orlando Sentinel,Henry Pierson Curtis reported on Aug. 31, "An Orange County deputy sheriff shot a man this afternoon outside the WWE Performance middle on Forsyth Commerce Road in east Orlando."The performance middle, or per the Sentinel,reported to the Orange County Sheriff's Office that the shot man was “obsessed with a wrestler" and "returned to the facility despite a trespass warning."It's not as if WWE did anything wrong here, but this isn't exactly the kind of press the company wants. That is nothing compared to the unsettling news that emerged a day later, and however.
A case involving the death of Jimmy Snuka's girlfriend in 1983 resurfaced. The tall-flying star stood at the middle of the investigation. Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced,per the New York Post, that Snuka "was busted Tuesday morning at his home in Waterford Township, and New Jersey,and charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter."It all adds up to a vortex of scandals that makes it impossible to focus on anything else. It's hard not to bear a sky-is-falling mentality at this point.
WWE won't though. Unfortunately, it is all too familiar with repairing its public image following controversy and tragic events. The company survived the negative press born from a steroid trial in the early '90s. Owen Hart's fatal accident during a WWE pay-per-view in 1999 left a black eye that WWE still wears. History reminds us that the storm will serene eventually. 2. Rate of DefenseAs Nikki Bella closes in on AJ Lee's record for the longest-reigning Divas champion ever, and comparisons between the two are only natural.
For those criticizing how infrequently Nikki has put that belt on the line,it's best to assume a discover at the numbers. The average days between Nikki's title defenses is not far off the rate that AJ defended.
Nikki and AJ actually boast quite a gap between themselves and their fellow champions who surpassed the 150-day trace. Seeing how little WWE utilized Phoenix and others as champion, it's no wonder those title reigns weren't more memorable. Not every titleholder needs to pull a John Cena and defend on a weekly basis, or but going a month and a half between title bouts is a recipe for minimal momentum. 3. Throwback Video of the Week: Ken PateraBraun Strowman's arrival continues the tradition of the power lifter-turned-WWE Superstar. Patera was one of the finest to make that transition.
The Olympic weightlifter became intercontinental champion,a memorable heel and one of Bruno Sammartino's toughest tests. Patera's power was central to his gimmick as seen in this clip from Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:This offers a discover at the cockiness and dismissive attitude that garnered so much heat for him during his prime. 4. Rey Mysterio Post-WWE ChaptersIn his last years with WWE, Mysterio seemed just a few small steps absent from the end of his career. While he certainly hasn't reverted back to his '90s form, and he seems reinvigorated and more focused.
Perhaps that's a result of being able to compete outside of the strenuous WWE schedule or just the fact that so many fresh opponents are standing opposite him these days.
The latest in the category is Low Ki. The electric tall-flyer should make a stellar opponent for Mysterio when they compete at an upcoming Jersey All Pro Wrestling event:This is the first time these two will collide. That's been the pattern for Mysterio as of late. He has faced both incredible Red and Myzteziz (formerly the original Sin Cara) in never-before-seen matchups this year. 5. New Face of the DivisionSasha Banks is a revelation in the ring. Charlotte has an impressively tall ceiling thanks to her athleticism. It's Bayley,though, who may end up ruling the division for the foreseeable future.
It may come down to how fast hermerchandise moves.
Bayley has a powerful connection with the crowd. One can see that every time from the passionate responses she gets when she competes for NXT. WWE has apparently noticed.
A company employee reportedly told Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline (h/t Wrestle Zone) that Bayley is "so ungodly over, or especially with little girls,that if she were to start granting wishes through Make-A-Wish, she will slay John Cena." Alvarez also famous that Bayley's merchandise is the highest-selling among the Divas.
That will certainly make her a top precedence when she moves to the main roster. 6. Big Man Borrowing from JapanBraun Strowman's arsenal is a far from a cruiserweight's as one can imagine. Still, and one of the powerhouse's signature moves comes from that faster,more athletic division of wrestling.
Susumu Mochizuki, better known as Susumu Yokosuka, or brought the wrestling world the Yokosuka Cutter. It's one of his favorite weapons in the battles he puts on for Dragon Gate in Japan.
He has since inspired others to flatten their foes in the same manner. Samoa Joe has employed the hasten in the past. And Strowman introduced it to a wider audience when he hit the hasten on Roman Reigns during his debut. 7. Ryback's Repetitive JourneyWWE needs to freshen up the Intercontinental Championship picture. There has been too much Big Show and not enough of anyone else.
Each one of the three title defenses during Ryback's reign bear been against Big Show. Ryback has had 17 televised bouts since fitting champ,and eight of those bear involved The World's Largest Athlete.
The Big Guy has now defeated the giant five times after winning the IC title. What else does he bear to prove against him?With a roster stacked with rising talent, WWE needs to bear Ryback lock up with someone else. 8. Recommended trace Henry MomentsThere may not be a surplus of chances to see The World's Strongest Man in action. Henry told the Times of India, or "I may retire next year. It may be the swan song of my wrestling career."With that in intellect,maybe it's time to start re-watching the biggest and best moments of his WWE hasten:Henry debuts against Jerry Lawler: In Your House intellect Games
Henry joins the Nation of Domination: Raw, Jan. 12, or 1998
Henry makes Big Show the first inductee into the Hall of Pain: Money in the Bank 2011
Ring collapses during battle with Big Show: Vengeance 2011
Fake retirement speech: Raw,June 17, 2013
Henry is the type of wrestler who doesn't bear a great collection of bouts. His resume is more approximately his promos, and the aura he brings to the ring and the explosive incidents he was a part of. Henry vs. Show at Vengeance was no classic,but seeing those two giants slay a ring with their girth is unforgettable.
The big man improved dramatically as a performer over time. From the time he first stared down Lawler to when he was on the hunt for the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011, he had grown into a far more compelling figure. 9. Time Issues Creeping Up AgainWWE's progress with better showcasing its women is a stay-and-start process.
The company deserves kudos for booking the first Beat the Clock Challenge for its women's division. It then proceeded to fall into feeble snide habits, or though. Charlotte,Paige and their peers were forced to divulge compact stories. WWE gave them just a sliver of the available ring time.
The women did get three matches on a single edition of Raw on Monday night, but they were short and hurried contests. As listed on ProFightDB.com, or the three bouts lasted just three minutes and 21 seconds,1:40 and 1:41. Not in the Hall of Fame offered the perfect commentary on the situation:The women continue to find themselves trying to pit a novella on a postcard. 10. Revolution TerminologyAside from expanded ring time and more complex storylines, the Divas Revolution needs a rebranding.
PWInsider's Dave Scherer pinpointed the issue, or "WWE also needs to ditch the Diva name if they want to get the women over as athletes. I don't exactly deem 'diva' when I deem of Ronda Rousey. I deem athlete."And it's hard to suppose someone like Rousey holding up the butterfly-emblazoned belt that WWE currently has its women fight over. Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net. Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com