If you would have told me in 2010 that one of the most exciting story lines in the WWE would be the feud with the divas, I would have only imagined it in my dreams. However, that’s the case with feuds such as the AJ Lee/Bellas one generating a lot of attention. After AJ Lee made comments about both Brie and Nikki Bella that were not in the realm of PG, Nikki shot back on the 11/28 SmackDown with her rebuttal. However, according to recent tweets by her and real-life boyfriend John Cena, some of the content was edited out. Perhaps Nikki appeared too much like a face defending herself against AJ’s words to fit with her heel character? Social media sites such as Tumblr were quick to judge the comments, but keep in mind they are only doing what they are told to do—cut promos to help propel story lines forward. It’s an interesting turn but in the end, it helps to generate buzz for what can be argued as one of the most exciting divisions today.

-Celine

Two weeks ago, TNA Impact programing began to broadcast only on YouTube as Impact Wrestling parts ways with Spike TV in preparation for their jump to Destination America. Year-in-Review shows soon followed on the channel but only after the YouTube night, an interesting move. In the meantime, if your cable or satellite provider has it, Lucha Underground is an excellent alternative along with various televised independent organizations. Back to TNA and its TV deal, the decision to move TNA highlight shows to YouTube can almost compare to the WWE’s Network—programing focused on media formats other than traditional TV. Would it have been better to keep TNA shows on television for an extra week even with the deal ending soon or is it best to move the content to YouTube to help spice the appetite for TNA’s triumphant return to television in January? Such is another sign of the changing times of the distribution of not only pro wrestling but television and entertainment content in general. Here’s to a bring 2015 for TNA Impact.

-Celine

For the last few months, WWE PPVs have seemed to be very repetitive. The feud not only gets pushed back to the next PPV event, but even matches on RAW and SmackDown seemed to constantly repeat myself. While I was excited for some matches at this year’s Survivor Series PPV event, like Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt’s intense yet exciting feud and to witness the Divas match to see the state of AJ Lee amidst rumors that she was planning on leaving, I was beyond happy to be greeted with perhaps one of the biggest surprises in recent history in the WWE.

When I heard the music, I wasn’t sure who’s it was. Was it a new NXT Superstar debuting on the main roster? A new character that will be introduced to the public for the first time tonight? As soon as the camera panned to the Titantron I gasped, my heart racing. Was this it? Is he finally here? I recognized that black and white paint anywhere. He walked out. It took a minute for the crowd to register what was happening before their eyes and before we knew it, it was true. Sting had made his WWE debut.

The pop from the crowd was insane. The Twitter and Tumblr internet wrestling communities exploded with words in all capital letters, expletives, and a lot of exclamation marks. The rumors of Sting’s arrival have been running rampant ever since he was included in the WWE 2K15 video game and made WWE appearances at such events as the San Diego Comic-Con. Some speculated he would debut at Summerslam (nope), Night of Champions (nada) or Hell In A Cell (it didn’t happen). Whenever I would hear more rumors about, “Sting’s coming back tonight!” I would blow it off like the little boy who cried wolf. However, that element of surprise and honestly not knowing when he was to debut, especially in the era of spoilers and rumors, made his debut that more magnificent. The stare down in the ring with Triple H, who was explicitly not happy to see him. The first time seeing the Scorpion death drop in a WWE ring. Like when The Rock returned announced and the crowd went wild, Sting coming to the WWE for the first time (the former WCW and TNA superstar had long been reluctant to sign with the WWE), can easily be listed as one of the best surprises and greatest moments in recent WWE memory. Now, what’s next for Sting? Was it a one-time thing? Will he have a match with Triple H at WrestleMania 31? The only thing I can say is that my interest is definitely sparked and I, along with many others, am beyond excited for what’s to come.

-Celine

For the last few months, WWE PPVs have seemed to be very repetitive. The feud not only gets pushed back to the next PPV event, but even matches on RAW and SmackDown seemed to constantly repeat myself. While I was excited for some matches at the Survivor Series PPV event, like Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt’s intense yet exciting feud and to witness the Divas match to see the state of AJ Lee amidst rumors that she was planning on leaving, I was beyond happy to be greeted with perhaps one of the biggest surprises in recent history in the WWE.

When I heard the music, I wasn’t sure who’s it was. Was it a new NXT Superstar debuting on the main roster? A new character that will be introduced to the public for the first time tonight? As soon as the camera panned to the Titantron I gasped, my heart racing. Was this it? Is he finally here? I recognized that black and white paint anywhere. He walked out. It took a minute for the crowd to register what was happening before their eyes and before we knew it, it was true. Sting had made his WWE debut.

The pop from the crowd was insane. The Twitter and Tumblr internet wrestling communities exploded with words in all capital letters, expletives, and a lot of exclamation marks. The rumors of Sting’s arrival have been running rampant ever since he was included in the WWE 2K15 video game and made WWE appearances at such events as the San Diego Comic-Con. Some speculated he would debut at Summerslam (nope), Night of Champions (nada) or Hell In A Cell (it didn’t happen). Whenever I would hear more rumors about, “Sting’s coming back tonight!” I would blow it off like the little boy who cried wolf. However, that element of surprise and honestly not knowing when he was to debut, especially in the era of spoilers and rumors, made his debut that more magnificent. The stare down in the ring with Triple H, who was explicitly not happy to see him. The first time seeing the Scorpion death drop in a WWE ring. Like when The Rock returned announced and the crowd went wild, Sting coming to the WWE for the first time (the former WCW and TNA superstar had long been reluctant to sign with the WWE), can easily be listed as one of the best surprises and greatest moments in recent WWE memory. Now, what’s next for Sting? Was it a one-time thing? Will he have a match with Triple H at WrestleMania 31? The only thing I can say is that my interest is definitely sparked and I, along with many others, am beyond excited for what’s to come.

-Celine

The Survivor Series PPV stood out for many reasons, but the one common reason would be simply the element of shocks, twists, and surprises. While both WWE television shows and PPVs have been repetitive in recent months, the WWE turned that off immediately with the Survivor Series event. With the PPV being the first one offered for free to new subscribers of the WWE Network as a part of the Network’s month long free trial period, it seems to be that the company wanted to make sure that this PPV was as amazing as possible. While I watch the Network on my Roku device on my television, there was not one single glitch—the first time that has happened for me.

There were returns, like the bearer of bad news with Bad News Barrett and Fandango with a new dancing gimmick. With the massive success of his last gimmick, he hasn’t been the same since his dancing partner, Summer Rae, and him parted ways. Hopefully him and Rosa Mendes will have a new type of chemistry that will push him back towards the top.

While The Miz and Damien Mizdow have gained popularity, I was not expecting them to win the tag team titles so soon. While it is unclear what the outcome was supposed to be, Miz’s stunned reaction, his eyes wide with shock and then excitement at the realization of his team’s victory, added more to the PPV’s element of surprise. The Divas put on an impressive Traditional Survivor Series elimination match. Lasting nearly 15 minutes, the days of the 2 minute squash matches from not to long ago seem like a distant past. It’s so refreshing to see the Divas shine as they use a wide array of their talents. On the other hand, the Divas Championship match with AJ Lee and Nikki Bella lasted only 35 seconds. However, it added to its storyline with Brie Bella giving AJ Lee the “kiss of death”, causing her to get pinned by Nikki almost immediately after similar to how AJ gave Daniel Bryan a kiss of death only to lead Bryan to get defeated by Sheamus in 18 seconds at WrestleMania 28 in 2012.

Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose put on an exciting match and there was that humorous element with Adam Rose and the Bunny defeating Slater Gator (Heath Slater and Titus O’Neil). Finally, the biggest surprise of the night was easily the debut of Sting in a WWE ring. From the sounds of the audience, no one saw it coming and those type of surprises help to make WWE so exciting, encouraging old viewers to come back for more while inviting new ones to join along for the ride.

-Celine

With the future of TNA being in limbo recently, until finding a new home on Destination America, many people are wondering and thinking about its future. While the WWE is the “granddaddy” of them all, it’s always nice to have another option to look at. From independent organizations to smaller companies like Ring of Honor and the new up and coming Lucha Underground, what would the wrestling world be like without a TNA? The WWE is easily the most popular professional wrestling company, but would that mean the quality of its product will go down with no fear of “major” competition, or will it remain the same, being aware of any new promotions on the block. Even so, WWE is, as of now, miles ahead of the competition. However, who’s to say that there won’t be another WCW springing up in the coming years with that amount of steam and praise? It’s good to have multiple options to choose from if the main one offered (this case the WWE), is doing something that you don’t necessarily like or find entertaining. Here’s to hoping the best for TNA and much success to the future of other professional wrestling promotions.

-Celine

A recurring segment that has been seen on WWE television recently is that of the Adam Rose Bunny. Without spoiling, there has been a lot of speculation about who exactly is playing the Bunny. Like many hot topics in the WWE, this one can be seen as under debate. Some may think the gimmick is silly and childish while others love the idea of it being fun and a key part of the “Entertainment” aspect of the WWE. Has it run its course or are you looking forward for more? Remember, there were even “childish” moments in the WWE prior to the PG era. Story lines with Doink the Clown, anyone? Here’s to many more fun times with the Bunny and Adam Rose. Like every story line, it’ll be interesting to see where one like this goes.

-Celine

When I woke up this morning, the first thought to enter my mind was that of one Eduardo Gory Guerrero, better known to the world as Eddie Guerrero. Today was November 13th, and it has been nine long years since he left the world at the young age of 38. And it still hurts.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. Well, all of it actually. Let me explain…

It was July 2005 and I hadn’t watched wrestling for years…probably since the end of the Attitude Era. One day, my father decided to see what was up in the world of wrestling, and I saw this man with a smug look on his face and an evil little grin. He was talking about how he was going to reveal a dark secret involving a young boy, Dominick, to his supposed father, a masked man by the name of Rey Mysterio.

I found out that this was Eddie Guerrero, and his storytelling and promo cutting skills were phenomenal. The Dominick custody feud, reaching a boiling point at SummerSlam 2005, became known as the storyline that got me completely hooked on wrestling. I then learned of the technical moves and was blown away by Eddie’s skills in the ring. His promo skills and the fact on how hard he made me laugh also added to this fact that I was yearning to see what would happen the next week, tuning in to SmackDown, and eventually RAW as I learned of the other superstars and divas of the WWE. Names like Triple H and Shawn Michaels I had remembered from my childhood. I was introduced to newer guys like John Cena and Randy Orton, and I began falling in love with this spectacle-all started from the allure I received from Eddie.

I soon became a 110% addict of pro wrestling, and Eddie was by far my favorite. He was just perfect and I loved him so much. As the storyline ended, I learned more about Eddie’s past accomplishments, his friendship and feuds with the likes of Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, and many cherished stories of the Guerrero’s history. I had never been attached to anything so much, and Eddie was the center of my love of pro wrestling.

Then that Sunday fall afternoon, I logged onto my computer to see the latest updates on WWE.com. Eddie still had me rolling from that Friday night when he feigned a chair injury at the hands of Mr. Kennedy. Classic Eddie.

I was delighted to see his image on my screen, thinking, “Oh, what did Eddie get himself into now, haha?”

My heart stopped. I could feel my pulse pound and I began to breath a little heavier. No! I read it wrong…right? No. It’s a joke. What?!?!

“WWE is deeply saddened by the news that Eddie Guerrero has passed away.”

1967-2005.

I was in too much shock to immediately cry. Eddie. My hero. The man who got me hooked on this new passion in my life just months earlier was gone. Had died. Never to come back. I was heartbroken.

At first, I was hoping that it was some sick storyline and he was really away on vacation, since as a new wrestling fan, I wasn’t sure of what to believe and what not to believe. I then saw it on news outlets and realized how real it was.

It still didn’t hit me.

And then, that Monday Night, when I saw his belt, the “I’m Your Papi” tribute shirts, and the tear-stained faces of the wrestlers, I knew it was real. He was gone. And then the tears started flowing.

It was so hard to watch. CM Punk’s words. Cena’s words. Batista’s. The hardest one to watch now is Chris Benoit, knowing what would tragically happen with him. Their hug from WM20 is still one of my favorite moments of all time, even mores o with the extra emotion involved.

However, that 3 hour show reflected positively on the life of one of the greatest men to ever step in the ring. Even though he may be gone, I was thankful to have been lucky enough to watch him perform in his prime. It was beautiful.

Eddie,

Thank you for everything. Without you, I may have never found one of the greatest passions in my life with pro-wrestling. You were my favorite, one of my heroes growing up. You made me laugh, you made me angry, you made me happy. No matter what, I always supported and loved you. You lied, cheated, and stole all of our hearts, Eddie. I wish I could have met you to tell you how much you mean to me and how much of an epic impact you made on my life. Every wrestler that I love and inspires me today…well, I never would have found them or have been as in love with them without you being the wrestler to introduce me to such an incredible world.

Even my friends, friends I’ve made in real life and on the Internet…this never would have happened if there was no you to get me into wrestling the way that you did.

Your skills in the ring. The way you cut promos. You were a husband. A father. A friend. An uncle. A brother. A nephew. A cousin. An amigo. A wrestler. A great. A LEGEND.

I miss you so much, Eddie, but I know that you are in a better place. You may be gone from Earth, but you live on in our hearts. Always and forever.

Gone too soon, but never forgotten. A true legend. Thank you so much for the memories, Eddie Guerrero. We love you, and we miss you.

Rest In Peace ❤

Viva La Raza 

-Celine

With dwindling amounts of subscribers to the WWE Network, it wasn’t a shock to see Vince McMahon make his WWE television return to announce that the Network would be free for the month of November. This would include the Survivor Series PPV and suggests that the company is looking to get as many subscribers hooked on the Network as possible to make it more successful.

Something that was introduced on Monday night was the idea of a bonus match being exclusively on the Network. With no commitments and a need to pay, it was like a “Money-Back Guarantee” for people new to the Network to see not only more wrestling action, but a title match with a character who has been undefeated.

(For those who haven’t seen it yet keep scrolling).

It didn’t come as a shock to see Rusev reign victorious over Sheamus in the Network’s US Title match. The idea that he could have potentially suffered his first loss was a tempting factor to people to check the match out on the Network, making him the best choice to one half of the first bonus match on the service.

(For those avoiding the potential spoiler, you may resume reading).

Add in that it’s a title match and there’s a chance for great success. However, for some people who want to see the WWE in HD, some cable providers only offer an East Coast feed to West Coast viewers. The bonus match couldn’t be seen until 11pm Pacific Time after it would have been shown live at 8pm Pacific Time using the East Coast HD feed. There was a risk for spoilers and the chance of some people even forgetting to see RAW on the normal West Coast feed after seeing it live (legally) hours earlier.

While that would be the biggest downside for some fans, a 3 hour wait isn’t enough to get rid of an interesting deal to spice up WWE Network interest. Here’s to seeing how successful the post RAW bonus match exclusively on the WWE Network will be.

-Celine