WWE's NEW ERA THUS FAR

Only one episode in with each brand, but the new era has begun. I wasn't too focused on draft picks as it didn't really matter given different styles was all that mattered. I did question some picks though, such as Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens being on the same show after their feud having already gone on for so long. Like many, although only just starting things I have an opinion, and of course I typed it out for you haha Here it is...

RAW
I like how there will be a new title, WWE Universal Championship, and not a rehatching of the old World Championship. Not that I dislike the World title, it is just that it is well known to be #2 to the WWE Championship. Now the World Heavyweight Championship and Universal Championship can be on par. Universal is technically bigger than World.

I am hoping perhaps Cesaro's "dislike" of being on RAW, was actually part of the storyline. A feud against The Authority could work in his favor. If it was a shoot, here's hoping he isn't "too right" about it being about Steph and Mick.
Having the WWE Women's Championship change hands on the opening show was good to see, and hoping it is a look into the future of the womens division is a major part of the show.
Unlike Ric Flair, I am overly happy that Finn Balor was put over by Roman Reigns. I am a fan of Balor, and think Reigns should be out of the title picture for a bit. I can't wait to see The Demon make its way into things.
Although I used to like the Cruiserweight division, I saw how it pigeon holed some guys into being "too small" for the top titles. But, if they perhaps pushed the fact that someone like Shawn Michaels could have fit into the weight class, it could make sure that doesn't happen. I must say that I don't like how they always promote the division with mainly high flying vignettes, as it isn't just high flying as we see in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. Hopefully things go well when it debuts.

Smackdown! Live
With this show, I am taking mainly a wait and see approach. The initial brand extension had Smackdown! even with RAW, and at times surpassing it in some stories, and matches. So, the inaugural Smackdown! Live being good wasn't surprising. Even the WWE title going there wasn't shocking, as it was done the first time around.
Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan has seemed hyped about everything but the Smackdown! Live women's division. Sure, there was a match and then all the ladies came out, but nothing about the future. Is there going to be a new title? I pray that they don't bring back the Divas title, a new WWE Universal Womens Championship would be better. I am hoping it is simply a case of what happened on RAW, and things will be explained next episode.

Is Dean Ambrose about to set on a long run with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship? They say that there will be opportunity, but does that mean a lot of guys will get a title shot? And then will it be simply a shot or will the championship get "whorey" for awhile? Dolph is the new #1 contender, but that isn't something new. Ziggler has been on top before, and then reduced to simply being the overly good hand who can make anyone look better than they are. Is this the start of something, or again just a shot?
I like that Smackdown! Live is getting their own special events/ppv's, as at times it becomes clear as to which is Vince's preferred brand via main event (last match) in joint shows. Plus, keeping them separate allows for more stories from one brand. Which is always a matter of opinion, which feud one prefers, but that way we don't have to sit through something from say RAW when Smackdown! is why I am watching.

It is still too early to say how things will be of course. Especially since the rosters aren't "full" yet with some big names returning and some more NXT call-ups happening in the near future. I am curious as to how they will all fit, especially with Smackdown! Live still being a two-hour program. Of course, I am also already wondering how this affects the Royal Rumble haha

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WWE PAYBACK MATCHES & PREDICTIONS

TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP #1 CONTENDERS MATCH

The Vaudevillains V Enzo & Cass

Prediction: The Vaudevillains win.

-I am huge on Enzo & Cass, as are many others, so they are too obvious as well as being an over face team, which is an issue with The New Day being over as well. I can see The Vaudevillains possibly getting stale (unless the gimmick evolves over time), but would be a good opposition to The New Day given the difference in gimmicks. And, I see the Dudley Boyz getting involved and beginning a war with Enzo & Cass. Possibly taking the new team to yet another level.

Kevin Owens V Sami Zayn

Prediction: Sami Zayn with the win.

-Sami has been on the receiving end too many time for this not to culminate with a victory over his long time friend and antagonist, Kevin Owens. Regardless to who wins this or the main event, good chance the next Number 1 contender comes from this bout. Why? Both are over, and this is going to possibly be Savage/Steamboat at Mania 3 good.

Chris Jericho V Dean Ambrose

Prediction: Dean Ambrose defeats Y2J

-No offense to Jericho, who is a future first ballot Hall Of Famer, but after the beating Dean took at Wrestlemania 32 at the hands of Brock Lesner he deserves a win here. Jericho can make him look even better in the process like he does. Why not pass the torch of "talk shows" while they're at it too, Dean's Ambrose Asylum has been pretty decent in its infancy.

WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

 The Vaudevillains V The New Day (C)

Prediction: The Vaudevillains are new Tag Team Champions.

-Hard to pick given the height The New Day has reached in terms of being over, and The Vaudevillains are rookies with no real exposure on the main roster beyond their matches. So the shock value plays in here, and also shows a start of the supposed change happening.

WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Miz (C) V Cesaro

Prediction: Cesaro as new IC Champion.

-The title doesn't make the superstar, the star makes the title. Time to see the Swiss Superman begin his ascension into the main event picture, starting by having a good run with the Intercontinental Championship. Plus, I am already bored with Maryse's return. I hate them mostly, but time for a battle with another couple. I am pretty sure the Cesaro Section agrees.

WWE WOMENS CHAMPIONSHIP

Charlotte (C) w/Ric Flair V Natalya w/Bret Hart

Prediction: Natalya takes the title.

-Slightly bias being Canadian, but also although we're not looking for a direct Ric Flair clone, it would be interesting to see how Charlotte handles a loss. Naitch is a sixteen time World Champ, but that means he lost it that many times as well. Plus, Flair Country is on Hart Land haha

WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

AJ Styles V Roman Reigns (C)

Prediction: Roman retains.

-Even though I want AJ Styles to win, I don't see the Roman Empire's reign ending so quickly. Again. I have this gut feeling Anderson and Gallows are going to screw over AJ, add rumors of Finn Balor making his debut soon adds to that. The actions on RAW in London simply added to that feeling. Or maybe they try to help and the Usos get involved and start a war...adding Balor and Samoa Joe (not "Dynasty" but Samoan regardless, and respect has got to be there).

It is really hard to call as of late, and like DDP of old would say, that's a good thing. With Wrestlemania 32 I went perfect on the pre-show, and then got only the one I wanted to be wrong on correct. The new additions and proposed "change" has things highly unpredictable right now. It feels much better making guesses based more on likes and dislikes, instead of predictability in recent years.

WWE NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS 2015-MATCHES & PREDICTIONS

Neville & The Lucha Dragons Vs Stardust & The Acsension
Prediction: Stardust & The Acsension win
-It will interesting to see how long this feud drags out. Stephen Amell is adding some wrestling workouts to get inshape...for a rematch? One-on-One with Stardust? 
 
Rusev Vs Dolph Ziggler
Prediction: Rusev wins
-Hard to see where this is all going really. A Ziggler heel turn isn't that far fetched really. And it seems as though Lana and Rusev will reunite one day. So, perhaps Rusev wins and Ziggler turns heel by dumping Lana for Summer (who obviously dumps Rusev), starting a reunion storyline later on.

WWE Tag Team Championship
The Dudley Boys Vs The New Day (C)
Prediction: The New Day retain with help
-Can't see Devon and Bubba Ray losing, but can't see them winning the titles right off the bat. And maybe we'll see Spike make a return to balance out the playing field in a rematch.

The Wyatt Family Vs Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and ???
Prediction: Reigns, Ambrose, and ??? win
-Hard to pick really, not knowing the mystery partner is the reason. If it is someone who is "worthy' then they win, if it is a person who is a borderline "jobber" then Wyatt's should win with Braun Strowman destroying everyone.

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Kevin Owens Vs Ryback (C)
Prediction: Ryback retains
-Still too early for Owens to win gold, despite Ryback's weak mic skills (good memory, as it sounds like he's remembering a script at times).

WWE United States Championship
John Cena Vs Seth Rollins (C)
Prediction: John Cena wins via DQ
-If it doesn't happen immediately, it will happen later in the match. Someone will mention Seth saving himself for Sting.

WWE Divas Championship
Charlotte Vs Nikki Bella (C)
Prediction: Charlotte wins Divas title
-Nikki passed AJ Lee as longest reigning champion, now it is time to give it to someone else and begin to develop story lines beyond this 3-on-3-on-3.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Sting Vs Seth Rollins (C)
Prediction: Sting
-Usually wouldn't opt for the legend to win the top title, but this is Sting. Add the fact that many feel WCW guys got screwed over and held back when they went to WWE. Even if a one night only type deal, it would be nice to see. Rollins hissy fit will be quite the sight as well.

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WWE BATTLEGROUND MATCHES & PREDICTIONS

Sunday, July 19th, 2015 WWE brings us WWE Battleground. A decently booked card, with outcomes difficult to get a full read on. Which is both frustrating, and very refreshing given WWE's habit of predictability at times. Here are the matches and NGN's predictions...

R-Truth V King Barrett
Prediction: King Barrett
-Truth has been entertaining, but I'm afraid I've got some bad news (couldn't resist). Truth is likely not getting a WWE push of any kind. So, best for someone who has a shot at getting a push to win this one. Not a knock on R-Truth, it is just that much like Santino Marella, Truth can "go" in the ring and has more character range than WWE allows audiences to see.

Randy Orton V Sheamus
Prediction: Randy Orton
-It is kind of a "been there, done that" type of feud. Orton coming back, after Sheamus took him out can only be squashed with an Orton win. If this feud continues on, hopefully it will be with the Money In The Bank briefcase on the line. With Orton taking Sheamus out of the picture.

Roman Reigns V Bray Wyatt
Prediction: Roman Reigns
-Bray always seems willing to put over others and does it well. And WWE still wants to make Roman Reigns the top dog, so his winning wouldn't be surprising. Depends how long WWE wants to drag out the creepy storyline involving Reigns family.

WWE Tag Team Championships
The New Day V The Prime Time Players (C)
Prediction: The Prime Time Players
-It was hard to pick a winner. The tag team titles have been bouncing around a lot, but it would be nice to see them be retained a bit longer this time via The Prime Time Players. If The New Day Does win, it may be possible it is due to their ranks shockingly growing by one.

(this next match isn't happening due to an injury to Ryback, whether they still proceed with The Miz V Big Show remains to be seen, but here's the prediction regardless)
  WWE Intercontinental Championship
The Miz V Big Show V Ryback (C)
Prediction: The Miz
-Ryback seems over with the crowds, however, can never tell most times when WWE is filling the airwaves with "fake" cheers. Personally, The Big Guy is a tad stale already, and should have been built up to facing Big Show one-on-one for the Intercontinental title. Having to go through series with guys like Mark Henry before facing Show for the strap. Went with The Miz as his lack of physicality leading into this seems to trigger the "dark horse" vibe.

WWE United States Championship
Kevin Owens V John Cena (C)
Predictions: John Cena
-Wishful thinking surprisingly. The John Cena Open Challenge for the WWE United States Championship each week has been impressive, why end that now? To possibly help Owens maintain "status" have a returning Sami Zayn do a run in "failing" after KO is able to continue on, followed by a successful run in by Cesaro. Which leads to a feud between the two given Cesaro's recent performance. If he can maintain this run, he faces Cena for the title successfully down the road.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Brock Lesner V Seth Rollins (C)
Prediction: Brock Lesner
-This one was truly hard to pick. Seth Rollins is a great champion, but his current is starting to feel stale. Sure, a storyline change could fix that. But, another title run by Brock Lesner could be a new spin on a repeat of last year. If anything, it leaves the door open for two things; Sheamus getting squashed in a cash-in attempt and a reformation of The S.H.I.E.L.D. There is also room for Sting to thwart any Authority involvement, thus leading into a long build-up to something at Summerslam.

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CURRENTLY BACK ON THE BAND WAGON

For who or what? Shockingly, it is John Cena.


After dropping his original "Doctor Of Thuganomics" gimmick, and going with a more "real yet Hogan-esque" route, Cena had lost a large amount of his original fan base. The older crowds had grown tired of his current character, with only the children and ladies remaining. A heel turn would turn opinions around, however, Cena's reasons are as legit as they get. The work he does with children healthy and ill make it totally understandable. Until someone is there to "replace" him, why should he turn? We eventually grew tired of Hollywood Hogan if you remember. Although that could of been blamed on WCW booking.
So, why jump back on John Cena's bandwagon? His current run with the WWE United States Championship. The John Cena Open Challenge has been almost flawless. Why is this "shocking"? The flawlessness has come from the inring work of both the weekly opponents, and Cena himself. Even if your fandom of Cena has never wavered, it was likely nothing to do with him being a great wrestler. Sure, he had great matches against the likes of Jericho or Shawn Michaels but how were we to know that simply wasn't due to those wrestlers being as great as they are. Cena was "more" than Hogan in the ring, but was more known for his "3 Moves Of Doom". Which usually meant limited inring ability. The John Cena Open Challenge has shown us that Cena really can wrestle. Almost against anyone. Sure, he isn't "flawless" but he is a hell of a lot better than most would have thought.
It has been so good, that personally hoping Kevin Owens loses and Cena retains the WWE United States Championship at the upcoming special event, WWE Battle Ground. This way he can continue on and possibly have great matches every week and against a variety of people.

Even if you don't share the opinion of John Cena's current inring work, you have to agree that him holding the WWE United States Championship slightly hinders him from being WWE World Heavyweight Champion for a 16th, and 17th time.

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WWE MONEY IN THE BANK-PREDICTIONS

Forgot to do this for the "Elimination Chamber" special event (yes, it is only "ppv" when you order it that way). So, best to get on this for this years "Money In The Bank" special event. Here are Non-Geeky Nerd's predictions...

R-Truth VS King Barrett

Prediction: King Barrett with the win.
-Truth has been very entertaining, but mostly on a comedic level. And well, we've seen what happens to the "class clown" in WWE.

WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Big Show VS Ryback (C)

Prediction: The Big Guy beats The Giant.
-Don't see Ryback's feud with Bray Wyatt being fully finished yet. And would make much more sense for him to also drop the belt to Wyatt instead of Show. So, look for Bray to make an appearance at some point possibly.

Kevin Owens VS John Cena

Prediction: John Cena evens the series.
-Hard to really call. Owens is "in" with Triple H. But, John Cena has been making the US title "worth something". His open challenges have made for some really good matches. Showing both that up and comers have what it takes to belong on the main roster, and that John Cena CAN wrestle. So, why stop now? Being beat back to back would halt that.

WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Prime Time Players VS The New Day (C)

Prediction: The New Day retains.
-It may not be what we all expected, but The New Day is making things work in their favor. And the tag titles have been switching hands too much.

WWE DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP

Paige VS Nikki Bella (C)

Prediction: Nikki Bella wins.
-This one is hard to call also. If Nikki has surpassed AJ Lee for longest reign then Paige will win. If not, then look for Nikki to retain despite a failed "twin magic", and holds on until she sets a new record.

MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH

Roman Reigns VS Dolph Ziggler VS Sheamus VS Kane VS Neville VS Randy Orton VS Kofi Kingston

Prediction: Roman Reigns captures the contract/briefcase.
-Picking a winner was slightly hard to do, but figured WWE isn't done trying to push Reigns into a title run. Even though Kane winning actually makes sense given current situation, and of course Dolph Ziggler deserving another run. One thing is for sure, Neville and Kofi will likely do something to steal the show.

WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP-LADDER MATCH

Dean Ambrose VS Seth Rollins (C)

Prediction: Seth Rollins retains.
-Went with Rollins retaining the gold as either the problems amongst The Authority is a swerve, or Brock Lesner will get involved. Or both. Thinking that The Authority will get involved, Ambrose will over come them, only for Lesner to come out and attack Rollins. Which would mean once again that Dean would earn the "win" but not the title.

WE LOVE AND MISS YOU, DUSTY! THE DREAM WILL LIVE ON!

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