The Road To Wrestlemania 29: Jack Swagger & Alberto Del Rio

The most intensely personal feud on the card has all the potential to steal the show.

This is the most old school good guy vs bad guy matchup on the card.  This match has a heated build on par with heavily anticipated Wrestlemania rivalries such as Triple H vs Randy Orton, Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage and CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho from last year.  Both men have had big wins in the past, but this may be perhaps the most prominent mania match each will ever compete in.  With that said, let's take a look at what both look to accomplish on April 7:

Awesome! Photo of the week! April 1-7, 2013

The Rock (@TheRock) posted this photo on twitter today of him with enough pizzas to feed a whole family for a week.  If we could all eat like this and still look like that, the world would be a much happier place.

CM Punk Speaks On Wrestlemania, The Streak, Dream Opponents & More!

IGN recently interviewed former WWE champion CM Punk. Punk spoke on who his true dream WrestleMania opponent is and much more. Below are some highlights:

The G9Z Wrestling Honor Roll: Class Of 2002

Welcome to another edition of the HONOR ROLL. Every year during my "Year End Awards" I give out roughly 15 awards. Of those awards, "the big four" are the Wrestler, Woman, Tag Team & Match of the year. The winners of these awards were generally the most awesome performers of the year and with hundreds of prominent wrestlers worldwide, it's a true honor to be able to snag one of the four. This section of the blog will be dedicated to the winners for every year dating all the way back to 1990 (roughly the time I first began watching wrestling)! Every week I will add another year's winners until the database is up to date. This is just a fun series that will give you an idea of what the best of the best was in any year you may have missed. Any current and/or future winners will also be added to the honor roll and join the most prestigious group in all of blogging!

This week, we're announcing the class of 2002!

The Road To Wrestlemania 29: Chris Jericho

These two dancing queens are set to battle it out at the show of shows.  My guess is the winner gets the right to wear shiny jackets & the like...

 

 

Here we are again folks with yet another article in our Wrestlemania XXIX preview series!  Today, we're going to start by taking a look at Chris Jericho's RTWM and his outlook heading into his match with Fandango:



Just A Quick Thank You

 

 

You know it's little nuggets like these that make every second of my writing worth it.  When I started this blog just over a year ago, I had hoped to provide a voice for the group of fans who'd like to read about wrestling on the Internet without constantly reading how much everything sucks and how this or that could make the product "better".  The fact is, it HAS gotten better.  If you find that wrestling's still a disappointment in 2013, then you're in need of some enlightenment, my friend.  Maybe if I reveal to you my story, it may help....

The Road To Wrestlemania 29: Part Timers

Do guys like The Rock have too many distractions to maintain focus for Wrestlemania XXIX?

Welcome to the third article in my new RTWM series!  In the past few years, the WWE has gone through one of the most confusing talent movements the business has ever seen.  On one hand, they've got a great crop of hungry young talent that's just waiting to get the chance to show & prove.  On the other, they've got a handful of reliable main event stars who can come in and pop the ratings whenever they're in a bit of a creative slump.  Men like The WWE Champion The Rock, The Undertaker, Triple H & Brock Lesnar have all been gifted the opportunity to work a very limited schedule that mostly has them working the biggest shows of the year.  Obviously, we can't track their RTWM the same way as the others, so instead I'll just do a brief overview of each man's direction heading into Wrestlemania XXIX starting with....

The Road To Wrestlemania 29: CM Punk

CM Punk heads into his clash with The Phenom with a huge mental advantage.

 

Welcome to the second article in my new Road To Wrestlemania series!  Next up, we're going to be taking a look at CM Punk's journey over the past year and seeing how he'll likely approach his match with The Undertaker at Wrestlemania XXIX:

The Road To Wrestlemania 29: John Cena

Last year's Wrestlemania may have been Cena's darkest hour.

I know there's a certain portion of you who've been clamoring for more Wrestlemania preview goodness similar to last year, but I've got what I believe to be a better formula for deciding just who we want to root for at the biggest show of the year.  What follows is the first article in my new Road To Wrestlemania series.  Each day over the next week you will see new additions to the series that will spotlight each major competitor's journey to the big stage and we will take a look at just what they will be looking to accomplish at the show of shows. 

Who better to start with then the man with perhaps the most prominent journey of the past year, John Cena:

The G9Z Wrestling Honor Roll: Class Of 2001

Welcome to another edition of the HONOR ROLL. Every year during my "Year End Awards" I give out roughly 15 awards. Of those awards, "the big four" are the Wrestler, Woman, Tag Team & Match of the year. The winners of these awards were generally the most awesome performers of the year and with hundreds of prominent wrestlers worldwide, it's a true honor to be able to snag one of the four. This section of the blog will be dedicated to the winners for every year dating all the way back to 1990 (roughly the time I first began watching wrestling)! Every week I will add another year's winners until the database is up to date. This is just a fun series that will give you an idea of what the best of the best was in any year you may have missed. Any current and/or future winners will also be added to the honor roll and join the most prestigious group in all of blogging!

This week, we're announcing the class of 2001!

The Mark Out Hall Of Fame: Angry Miz Girl

Sure, adults have marked out for guys like CM Punk and Steve Austin over the years, but there's another side of markdom that rarely gets praise.  Children and adolescents are for my money, the most committed and emotionally invested WWE fans around.  They care so passionately about the results of matches that it could potentially ruin their lives for a week or two.  Such is the legacy of the Angry Miz Girl.  Her name lives in infamy as the single most iconic representation of the entire collective of WWE fans during the most important and meaningful moment of The Miz' career to date.  So congratulations to The Angry Miz Girl for being the second ever inductee into the Mark Out Hall Of Fame!.  This is an honor that is well deserved.  And I'd deliver the trophy and flowers to her personally, but to be honest, she scares me a little.

The New Japan Cup Round 2

The Second Round of the New Japan Cup was last Sunday and was yet another solid effort by all involved.  It pales in comparison to Round 1, but there was still some quality here.  Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii [****] was the match of the night and the Okada/Anderson [***3/4] main event wasn't far behind. 

I've provided links to both matches below and be sure to check back for a full review of the both the finals and the Invasion Attack PPV in the coming weeks. 

Goto/Ishii



Okada/Anderson

Chris Masters Should Join The Justice League

Find out how Chris Masters saved his mother's life Superman style after the jump!

The G9Z Wrestling Honor Roll: Class Of 2000

Welcome to another edition of the HONOR ROLL. Every year during my "Year End Awards" I give out roughly 15 awards. Of those awards, "the big four" are the Wrestler, Woman, Tag Team & Match of the year. The winners of these awards were generally the most awesome performers of the year and with hundreds of prominent wrestlers worldwide, it's a true honor to be able to snag one of the four. This section of the blog will be dedicated to the winners for every year dating all the way back to 1990 (roughly the time I first began watching wrestling)! Every week I will add another year's winners until the database is up to date. This is just a fun series that will give you an idea of what the best of the best was in any year you may have missed. Any current and/or future winners will also be added to the honor roll and join the most prestigious group in all of blogging!

This week, we're announcing the class of 2000!

2013 New Japan Cup Round 1

The good folks over at Youtube have uploaded the first round of this year's New Japan Cup in it's entirety in case you were looking for it.  There were three very good matches on this show.  Two of which I've added to the Top 25 section of the blog.  The opener between Ishii & Kojima [****] was very good, the Suzuki/Nagata grudge match (starts - 1:47:40) [****] and was just as awesome as their WK7 bout & one of my personal favorite matches of the year thus far Okada/Archer (2:03:45) [****1/4] was the match of the night for me.  I'm a sucker for David vs Goliath matchups and this one was unique in the fact that Okada is not a very small man.  Lance Archer has come along quite nicely as a performer these past few months and Okada makes him look like an absolute monster here.  He throws all of his trademark offense at him to no avail and Archer just returns fire with some brutal slams every time.  Good stuff.  I think this guy could be great if he's given a Mark Henry-like push at some point because the people are legit afraid of him and his moveset is unique to any other giant in the business today.  The CHAOS vs. Suzukigun turf war makes anything the North American stables are doing pale in comparison.  It's the best stable rivalry I've seen in ages.  And it's this feud that shined in what was a very solid event overall.  Be sure to order the finals at the upcoming iPPV if you enjoy what you see here.

Awesome! Photo of the week! March 11-17, 2013

Got sent a link to this one via email and I have to say you guys are amazing for this haha.  Sometimes memes can be a bit cheesy and make no mistake about it, this one is cheesy as hell, but it made me laugh endlessly.  Maybe it's the fact that I could actually see WWE Films attempting to make a dumbass flick starring these two with a similar concept. 

The ESSENTIALS: The Professional Wrestling Viewing Guide

Hey, didya know that the WWE wasn't the only promotion out there?  Imagine that.

Welcome fans to perhaps the most essential edition of the ESSENTIALS.  Lately, there has been somewhat of an ongoing debate in the pro wrestling world with a wide variety of opinions on just which promotion has the absolute finest product out there.  Ironically, even though the WWE stands alone as the largest and most successful promotion in the world, amongst purists here on the Internet, it's arguably the most critically panned.  Over on the G9Z Wrestling twitter, I always see the usual smart fan argue that "WWE sucks and that this or that indie promotion is the best in the world".  And there are also the loyalists who praise the company under any circumstances.

And then there are those fans who're just total marks for everything.  If you're wondering, yes, that is an expression of joy and yes, if you frequent live events you're going to have to sit next to these guys once in a while.  Don't let the crazed pug face freak you out though.  Generally, they're great guys.

Now that the five minutes you've spent chuckling at that screencap have passed, we're going to have to get back to the task at hand.  We've got to figure out just how we are to determine what we should give our hard earned money to.  Shouldn't there be some kind of way to decide just which company rules the wrestling landscape?  Well what I've done here is make the damnedest attempt at helping you find the company that best suits your tastes.  We're going to be taking a look at some of the biggest promotions around (WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW, SHIMMER, CHIKARA & PWG) and after a brief overview, I will be spotlighting the target audience of each company in hopes to help you find out what you want your eyes on right now.  Upon finding the right promotion, hopefully, you will then live happily ever after.  Sound good?  Well then, take a leap of faith after the jump.  Just remember, this is sort of a way for you to "speed date" each promotion.  Whether or not you get your feelings hurt is just a part of the game my friends.

The G9Z Wrestling Honor Roll: Class Of 1999

Welcome to another edition of the HONOR ROLL. Every year during my "Year End Awards" I give out roughly 15 awards. Of those awards, "the big four" are the Wrestler, Woman, Tag Team & Match of the year. The winners of these awards were generally the most awesome performers of the year and with hundreds of prominent wrestlers worldwide, it's a true honor to be able to snag one of the four. This section of the blog will be dedicated to the winners for every year dating all the way back to 1990 (roughly the time I first began watching wrestling)! Every week I will add another year's winners until the database is up to date. This is just a fun series that will give you an idea of what the best of the best was in any year you may have missed. Any current and/or future winners will also be added to the honor roll and join the most prestigious group in all of blogging!

This week, we're announcing the class of 1999!

The Mark Out Hall Of Fame: Brock Lesnar Guy

I found this video tribute to the Brock Lesnar "Mark Out Man" and I damn near died from being overwhelmed with joy.  Seriously, this video is fucking amazing!  Now I know that this vid was made as a parody, but someone really should honor the men and women who make watching wrestling awesome through their overwhelming capacity to nerd out.  With that said, I'd like to congratulate the "Brock Lesnar Guy" on being the first ever inductee into the G9Z Wrestling Mark Out Hall Of Fame!

Legendary Wrestling Manager Paul Bearer Passes Away

Bearer left us as one of the most unique managers ever

William "Bill" Moody, better known by his ring names Paul Bearer and Percival Pringle III, passed away yesterday and it's news that has left many (primarily those close to him) with a great deal of sadness.  Growing up, I always popped huge for Bearer because he was so distinctive from any other wrestling personality at the time.  His facial expressions, voice and chemistry with both The Undertaker and Kane (both whom owe a great deal of their initial success as characters to this man) are all traits that have earned him the admiration of millions.  My personal favourite Paul Bearer memory took place at Wrestlemania XX. 

For months the WWE had teased the return of The Undertaker.  He had at the time spent the last three or so years in his "American Badass" persona and fans had been clamoring for the phenom to return on the grandest stage of them all.  It was a moment everyone had been waiting for, but I had kind of overlooked the hype and was more drawn into the main event.  However, I'll never forget the second the lights went low and the crowd went near silent for a second.  In that second a familiar voice let out a bone chilling "Oooooooh Yesssssss" and the crowd went nuts.  It was surreal.  And for me, it was in that moment that The Deadman's return was made official.  One of my favourite Wrestlemania moments ever and a true example of just how subtly brilliant Paul bearer was. 

Rest In Peace to a true wrestling icon.  My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. 

WWE Monday Night Raw: 3/4/2013

ERHMAGERD, IT'S THE DERDMERN!!!!!

Last night was "Old School RAW" and being that it's usually one of the most star studded nights of the year, the WWE did everything they could to make this a memorable affair.  The highlight of the evening was the return of The Undertaker, whose appearance allowed us to exhale after weeks of playing "He loves me, He loves me not".

The ESSENTIALS: My Top 10 Favorite Mic Workers Part One

CM Punk is today's gold standard, but where does he rank amongst my all time favorites?

Welcome to part one of a very unique edition of the ESSENTIALS.  Talking trash has become one of the most underrated art forms in the world of sport, but to us wrestling fans, it's damn near the most essential tool to getting over.  There is absolutely NO better way to connect with fans and build hype for a match than on the microphone.  That being said, only a select few men were so good on the stick, they made every other talent nervous anytime they were caught in the crosshairs.  What follows is part one in a recollection of such great talent based on the consistency, timing, quotables and ability to cut memorable and believable promos without batting an eyelash.  In part two, I will post a video of one of each wrestler's most famous promos.  Now I know that after the WWE posted their top 25, seemingly everyone has done a "best of the best" list.  However, these are the top ten talented talkers who captivate me personally.  When these men pick up a mic, I always listen.  And whether or not you agree, I promise you, this will be the most unique list of mic men you'll find around the net.  Enjoy.

The G9Z Wrestling Honor Roll: Class Of 1998

Welcome to another edition of the HONOR ROLL. Every year during my "Year End Awards" I give out roughly 15 awards. Of those awards, "the big four" are the Wrestler, Woman, Tag Team & Match of the year. The winners of these awards were generally the most awesome performers of the year and with hundreds of prominent wrestlers worldwide, it's a true honor to be able to snag one of the four. This section of the blog will be dedicated to the winners for every year dating all the way back to 1990 (roughly the time I first began watching wrestling)! Every week I will add another year's winners until the database is up to date. This is just a fun series that will give you an idea of what the best of the best was in any year you may have missed. Any current and/or future winners will also be added to the honor roll and join the most prestigious group in all of blogging!

This week, we're announcing the class of 1998!

Shut Up, Dumbass!

 

Ricardo Rodriguez (@RRWWE) posted this hilarious Beavis & Butt-Head inspired photo of CM Punk & Paul Heyman on twitter and I just had to share.  Whoever made this is a certifiable genius!

CM Punk Title Reign Tribute - 434 Days

I was watching a couple of matches on Youtube and came across this tribute to CM Punk's WWE title reign.  It's very well done.  Also, if you missed my very own recap where I review every major match in Punk's title run, you can find that article here.



Best Of The Month: February 2013

The Rock's new WWE Championship arrived to much controversy

Here are the highlights from February 2013:

Awesome! Photo of the week! March 4-10, 2013

 

Being the Xbox 360 aficionado that I am, this may very well be my favorite wrestling meme ever.  Though I have to wonder how many points surviving the inevitable Vince McMahon ass chewing they undoubtedly received was worth....