2023, The Year of The Bloodline?

01/17/2024 03:00:00 PM

Okay. It's been close to three weeks as I write this series of essays, but I can only wonder: why only now? I guess it's because I now have the time needed since the past month and these past couple of weeks had been too busy for me to collate and compile all those thoughts that ran into my head for 2023.  

It is safe to say that after three years, the world is really back to its normalcy. In TV lingo, we call it “back to regular programming.” For what its worth, 2023 didn't just had a roller coaster ride – there's also a see-saw and a swing. It was a carousel-like experience. I'm just glad I still manage to get back into writing because after all, who still reads blogs today – at the era when reels and vlogs became the name of the game in content creation?

Well, never say never, as resilient people would tell; so that being said, here is just one of the pieces that contain my sentiments on whatever issue or event I have experienced during 2023.

The Pre-Take: WWE WrestleMania 35 (Part 2)

04/06/2019 12:49:21 PM

Sixteen matches for WrestleMania 35. Yes. 16. FREAKIN'. MATCHES. Yes, as if 14 weren't enough for a 7-hour wrestling sports entertainment show, right?

And they are back in a similar location – the one they held in 2013. It's strange because its development counterpart was named NXT TakeOver New York and not Brooklyn V. Same fate as Orlando and New Orleans on the recent years.

Is it worthy to put my predictions here? Probably yes and probably no. But anyway, since I have been writing this shit as of now, let's do this pre-take.

The Rundown Slam: WWE Royal Rumble 2018

01/30/2018 10:08:38 PM

Shinsuke Nakamura pointing at the WrestleMania sign (Photo from The Sun)

For the first time since 2141286418 years, we have probably seen a best product from the World Wrestling Entertainment. Hell, this edition of Royal Rumble delivered well, and in my opinion, just next to WrestleMania XXX in 2014.

We have nine matches slated in a somewhat 6-hour and 15-minute affair that has sent few people in either their respective homes or that viewing party at Skinny Mike's in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig  as Royal Rumble has become the first wrestling affair (in case they didn't attend PWR's first 2018 gig).

The Pre-take: WWE SummerSlam 2017 (Part 1)

08/20/2017 09:55:25 PM

Photo credits: WhatCultureWrestling

We may have been hours away from witnessing the second's biggest WWE pay-per-view event, the one they called “the biggest party of the summer,” and coinciding with an all-heavy music fetsival in the Philippines.

The 31st edition of SummerSlam is poised to take off on Sunday evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (Monday morning Philippine time), their third-straight tiume in staging the event at the said venue.  And for over the decade, SummerSlam were only situated in two venues: Barclay Center and Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The Rundown Slam: WWE Backlash 2017

06/30/2017 12:40:04 AM

Photo credits: WWE

It seemingly WWE Backlash came too early, with barely eight months since their laatest staging on September 2016, with the coronation of AJ Styles as the WWE Champion; thus, saving themselves from already the unstable-than-supposedly-unstable development of their previous kingpin Dean Ambrose. 

The Rundown Slam: WWE Backlash 2016

09/18/2016 06:40:14 PM

I must say SmackDown Live has been topping the competition wars against Monday Night RAW here in this new era of the WWE so far. At least, for now; unless Clash of Champions will pull off a monumental run this coming Sunday.

Look: their first pay-per-view called Backlash may have run a bit longer than the usual set-up (which is 3 hours long), but the show is packed like SummerSlam to say the least. The arrangement of cards were solid from start to finish. The story lines behind them were crafted well (not that very well but at least way better than their RAW rival). 

And before we put the verdict into the entirety, let's take the rundown.

The Pre-take: WWE SummerSlam 2016 (Pre-show)

08/21/2016 08:48:34 PM

SummerSlam 2016 banner (photo credit: heavy.com)

Looks like the World Wrestling Entertainment has been really serious in building SummerSlam as its second biggest show of the year, eh? Look at this: 13 matches in all, with ten of them happening at the four-hour main broadcast. Three main event matches: one that has been hyped despite controversies, and two title matches representing RAW and SmackDown brands.

Hey, it's even bigger than WrestleMania 32. And expect the live venue crowd's not large in numbers since it will be slated at the Barclays Center though we hope they will roll on a different stage design unlike the so-totally-generic ones they had for the past two years.

The Pre-take: WrestleMania 32 Pre-Show Matches

4/3/2016 3:59:06 PM

WrestleMania 32 had three stellar main events and a total of eleven cards. But three of them also comes with a hefty content known as the pre-show. With Mania featuring a two-hour prelude program, tehre will be three matches, with one of them coming as a network and social media exclusive. How is that, right?

The Rundown Slam: WWE Survivor Series 2015

11/30/2015 6:20:35 PM

Screengrab from YouTube

This year’s Survivor Series, according to many, was so lame. Yeah, like the way I wrote my first statement there.

But kidding aside, why a lot of people were disappointed in the product after watching the pay-per-view event last two Sundays ago? I mean, what went wrong aside from the book booking and feud build-up?

The Pre-take: WrestleMania 31 (Part 1)

3/27/2015 1:55:14 PM

Screengrab from YouTube

Since it’s gonna be another heck-of-an-event this coming Sunday evening in Silicon Valley (Monday morning Manila time), expect the millions (and millions!) of wrestling fans around the globe to witness the World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) 31st annual spectacle, popularly known as WrestleMania!

And what’s a WrestleMania for the SlickMaster – along with his followers (whom, by the way, are just countable by your fingertips!) without a “pre-take,” right? 

Talk about predictions, just like the way we have last year.

The Rundown Slam: WWE Royal Rumble 2015

2/1/2015 11:05:29 AM

wrestlingnews.co

From Pittsburgh (and the end-game disappointment), the World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) first annual pay-per-view (PPV) offering moved a bit closer inside the Pennsylvania state, as Royal Rumble awaits the return of Daniel Bryan, the eventual emergence of Roman Reigns, and moreover the triple threat match for the most coveted WWE World Heavyweight championship.

The Rundown Slam: WWE TLC 2014

12/30/2014 8:43:16 PM

Rant Sports

It was near Christmas, and the World Wrestling Entertainment pulled off their version of “Demolition Derby,” and it’s on the home of King James, the Hall of Fame of Rock and Roll, the place where the Q lives in – Cleveland, Ohio. Talk about the WWE’s Tables, Ladders, Chairs, and Stairs, or better known as TLC (TLCS term, though, sucks).

This is Awesome (The Notable Matches on the WWE PPV Events of 2014 Part 2)

12/30/2014 11:39:47 AM

Let me reiterate: this is sole my opinion alone, and not a reflection of views from any wrestling affiliations I belonged with. Yes, after all, I don’t consider myself a total smark, but an avid follower.

The arrangement of the matches listed in this article were chronologically, and not on a countdown-like basis. All matches were held on their Pay Per View (PPV) events.

For every WWE pay-per-view event, there were at least one, two, or few more cards which deserved this type of chant.

Hereby are the last of my part two series regarding my take on the best matches made in the World Wrestling Entertainment for 2014.

This is Awesome (The Notable Matches on WWE PPV Events of 2014 Part 1)

12/30/2014 11:39:47 AM

Let me reiterate: this is sole my opinion alone, and not a reflection of views from any wrestling affiliations I belonged with. Yes, after all, I don’t consider myself a total smark, but an avid follower.

The arrangement of the matches listed in this article were chronologically, and not on a countdown-like basis. All matches were held on their Pay Per View (PPV) events.

For every WWE pay-per-view event, there were at least one, two, or few more cards which deserved this type of chant.

Yes, and I intend to start this post with that “This Is Awesome” clip from the 2014 Slammy Awards. Not because of the nominees, but the hype the music brought on it. How I wish I could play that one minus the commentary as the background while you guys read this post.

The Rundown Slam: WWE Battleground 2014

7/29/2014 3:40:50 AM

After John Cena successfully climbed the ladder to ascension, he’s up for a new challenge: and that is defending his 15^th world title in a gruelling four-way clash. With perhaps the interesting here are something I can only describe in two things: another competitor on the rise by the name of Roman Reigns and an avenging heel in Randy Orton.

The Rundown Slam: WWE Money in the Bank 2014

7/12/2014 9:49:12 AM

I can only say nothing but few words for the last WWE pay-per-view event titled “Money in the Bank” ­— it’s really worth the “money!”

A lot of blockbuster-hyped match lived up to its expectations, with two ladder matches containing respective prizes at stake: one is for the Money In The Bank contract (which guarantees him for a contender spot for the big one), and the other is for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.