WRESTLING BOOM

We have all heard of the Charismatic Enigma Jeff Hardy and all know about his professional wrestling career, including the success he has had along the way, but for some reason he has never been held on the same level as John Cena and Randy Orton regardless of the achievements he has earned over the years. When Jeff Hardy broke out as a singles star in 2002 after a grueling ladder match with the Undertaker it looked as tough he would be launched into the spotlight he rightfully deserved but instead struggled to get a decent match of any show, being forced to sell beat-downs by Brock Lesnar and even teaming with the likes of 3-minute warning in low-end brawls.  After years of disappointment, and competing in TNA from 2004-2005 loosing to the likes of Jeff Jarrett, Rhyno, and Abyss, Hardy had still not been given a major title victory and returned to the WWE.  Throughout 2006 and 2007 Hardy had some title success by winning the Intercontinental Championship and also becomi...

Last time of Showcase we looked at the Intercontinental Championship and it's illustrious history.  This week we take a look at some of the standout times of the women, including Trish Stratus, Lita, and Melina, who played a central role in defining the Ruthless Aggression era. Melina and Candice Michelle start their match at Night of Champions 2007.  Candice won the match and captured the Women's Championship for the first, and only time, but lost the belt to Beth Phoenix 4 months later in October. Trish Stratus levels Lita with a huge kick to the head in the first ever Raw women's main event match.  Lita would go on to defeat Stratus and end the night as the new Women's Champion. Trish Stratus takes on Mickie James at Wrestlemania 22 in a match where James would win her first Women's Championship.  Stratus would regain the belt at Unforgiven 2006 for the last ever time.  A rare photo of Victoria and Torrie Wilson making their e...

Hello Boomers and welcome back.  Today we will be returning to the bank to look at some of the best matches the popular spring PPV has produced.  The only rules are that the match cannot be an actual MITB match and, of course, be flat-out amazing. Here are the top 5! 5)  CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan- Money in the Bank 2012 This was one of the the most highly anticipated matches of 2012 due to Daniel Bryan coming so close to defeating CM Punk at Over the Limit a few months prior.  With Punk and Bryan being such technical greats, and the addition of AJ Lee (Punk's real life wife) as the Special Guest Referee, the crowd knew what they were going to get, and what they got was excellence.  This match was No DQ and featured Kendo Sticks and multiple interferences from Lee before Punk managed to once again defeat Bryan after a Back Superplex through a table.  Punk held on to the title a further 6 months, leaving Bryan to go to the next best thing, a partner...

Last time of Rivalry Rewind we looked back on the feud between John Cena and CM Punk, one which proved that winning the final battle does not always win you the war.  This time around we look at possibly the greatest rivalry in Wrestlemania history....Steve Austin vs. The Rock. Before Wrestlemania XV The Rock was coming off a hot feud with Mankind, with whom he traded the WWE Title several times over the previous winter, and would be met with a new challenger, his name being 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.  Although not winning the Royal Rumble, Steve Austin did make his way to Wrestlemania after Mr McMahon forfeited his shot at the WWE Title (what a relief), and would go on to challenge Rocky for the Title.  The Rock was the arrogant heel Champion looking to keep the Title where he believed it rightfully belonged, where as Steve Austin was the determined face wanting to cement his legacy among the greatest in the company.  After a 16 minute brawl Austin was able to def...

Cruiserweights have been a staple on wrestling shows for decades, whether that be opening an episode of Nitro in the late 1990's, battling it out on a Smackdown exclusive PPV in 2004, or competing more recently on an episode of 205 Live.  Counterweights have often had a hard time trying to prove themselves to be as worthy of being on a show as the 200 plus pound brawlers that often get the main event slot.  In my opinion, however, it is the cruiserweights that are the talents that get the crowd going, often being used to start a show due to the enticement and attention they withdraw from the thousands in attendance and millions watching around the world. Cruiserweights really came to prominence in 1996 when they started to appear on episodes of Monday Nitro on a weekly basis, after the WCW Light-Heavyweight Championship becoming the Cruiserweight Championship.  During their time on WCW, wrestlers such as Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, and Ultimo Dragon p...

In light of Seth Rollins winning the Intercontinental Championship and being on his was to creating what is sure to be a classic reign, it is only right that we look at some of the greatest moments in the prestigious title's history. Seth Rollins ends his 6th Wrestlemania match as Intercontinental Champion after besting The Miz and Finn Balor in a near 5 star contest.  Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho battle for the title in a No Holds Barred match at Extreme Rules 2009.  Chris Jericho would defeat Mysterio and win the Intercontinental Championship for the 9th and final time. After a grueling Ladder match at Summerslam 1995 Razor Ramon lifts the arm of Shawn Michaels in a show of respect between two of the greatest superstars in company history.  This was the last time the two men would face off on WWE television.  The first ever Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson carries the belt towards the ring at Wrestlemania 31.  Daniel B...

Hello folks and welcome back to Wrestling Boom.  Quick fact, did you know that Chris Jericho created the Money in the Bank contest, yet Eric Bischoff often gets the credit.  With Money in the Bank 2018 under a month away I decided to re-watch some of the stipulations classic contests from over the years and have come up with my picks for the Top 5 Money in the Bank matches of all time....here they are. 5) Ladder Match- Wrestlemania 21 In the first ever Money in the Bank Ladder match Edge got the better of Chris Benoit, Kane, Chris Jericho, Christian, and Shelton Benjamin in an all Raw showcase.  This match really set the bar for all MITB matches that would follow, and concluded when Benoit had fought off Kane and looked likely to win the contest, only for Edge to hit the Rabid Wolverine with a chair and claim the briefcase for himself.  Edge cashed in against John Cena at New Year's Revolution in January 2006.  4) Women's Ladder Match- Smackdown, ...

Last time on Rivalry Rewind we looked back on the feud between John Cena and CM Punk, one which proved that winning the final battle does not always win you the war.  This time around we'll be looking at the time when the master and apprentice went head to head in a rivalry that began from jealously, that being Triple H vs. Randy Orton from 2004-2005. In the Summer of 2004 Evolution (Triple H, Ric Flair, Batista and Randy Orton) was running rough shot over the Raw roster and had been for the past 18 months and were looking stronger than ever, especially when the youngster of the group Randy Orton gained a WWE Title shot at Summerslam 2004.  When Summerslam was over, Orton walked out of his match with Chris Benoit as the newest, and youngest World Heavyweight Champion of all time, at the age of 24.  On the following night of Raw Triple H and the rest of Evolution would turn on Orton out of spite and lay a beating on him, with Triple H, a week later, becoming the first co...

Hello Boomers.  I hope you're enjoying the recent storyline developments on Smackdown, especially the intensifying rivalry between Styles and Nakamura, and the announcement that Asuka will face Carmella at MITB.  Now let's go from the positives of wrestling to the negatives, so grab a drink and join me as we drown in the misery of Brock Lesnar! The Best Incarnate, former UFC Heavyweight Champion, the 1 in 21-1, Brock Lesnar has now held Raw's Universal Championship for over 400 days and seems like he is on his way to adding at least 90 days to the number as no defense is in the pipeline until Summerslam in August.  Usually when a wrestler holds a title for so long they have built up credibility, or at least some form of respect as to why they still have gold around their waste, whether this is down to their ability to put on extraordinary matches time and time again or their endless capacity of charisma that keeps fans intrigued and wanting more.  Unfortunate...

Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Bayley ruled the roost within the NXT women's division for the better part of 2 years, so much so that they earned the name The 4 Horsewomen, a name that marks them as the best of the best.  Let's take a look back at some of the key moments in the history of the Horsewoman's time on the Yellow Brand. Charlotte retains the Women's Title against Bayley at the second ever NXT special, TakeOver: Fatal 4 Way. Sasha Banks attacked Bayley after the match only for Charlotte to make the save Bayley plants Charlotte with a Bayley-to-Belly Suplex on an NXT show in September 2014 Becky Lynch gets the best of Sasha Banks in their match on an episode of NXT in October 2014.  Lynch would never defeat Banks in a one-on-one match whilst at NXT A brawl ensues between the Horsewomen before they clash in a Fatal 4 Way at Takeover: Rival in early 2015 Sasha Banks finally captures the NXT Women's Ti...

CM Punk, the Straight Edge Superstar, the Best in the World, captivated the wrestling audience for 15 years before calling it quits and heading over to the UFC.  Throughout his wrestling career Punk had some spectacular matches against opponents such as Samoa Joe, John Cena, and Daniel Bryan that proved why, for several year, he was the Best in the World!!!! 10) Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk- Capital Punishment 2011 In an exciting 15 minute contest CM Punk and Rey Mysterio put on the highlight match from a pretty poor show, in a highly anticipated match which saw them lock horns for the first time in over a year.  The match was fairly even, with the ending continuing this theme, with Mysterio countering a GTS into a 619 only for Punk to counter Rey's finisher and finally connect with the GTS for the finish.  This was Msyterio's last impressive WWE match, and would be the start of Punk's rise to greater things.  9) Money in the Bank Ladder Match- Wrestlemania ...