Author: celinewrites

Hollywood Hiatus

One of the perks of being a WWE Superstar is the fact that many top names have an opportunity to star in a movie. From John Cena, Ted DiBiase and The Miz in “The Marine” franchise to Dean Ambrose starring in the upcoming film, “Lockdown,” wrestlers make the transition to the movie industry rather easy. Some, like John Cena, are making mainstream jumps as he is set to star in the 2015 film, “The Nest”, featuring such stars as Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph.

While it’s wonderful to see wrestlers gaining mainstream attention, the other side of the coin is the time off that the wrestler has to take. It was just announced that Randy Orton will star in the sequel to the 2007 movie, “The Condemned”, which starred Stone Cold Steve Austin. After suffering a curb stomp injury from Seth Rollins on Monday’s RAW, similarly to how Dean Ambrose was put out of action to film “Lockdown”, Randy Orton appears to be written out of further story lines to film “The Condemmed 2”. While it’s necessary to take time off in order to film, would is still be possible for Orton to be able to take some time off to for certain events. He had been built up as a major character for Survivor Series but with him taking time off, how hard would it be to come back for one night to finish help better finish the storyline with his involvement. After all, the PPV is in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

Especially when the WWE is in lack of top name stars with the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar out of the television picture until perhaps the Royal Rumble in January, is this the right time for Orton to be gone? On one hand, it’s always a plus to your career when you have movie roles. On the other hand, someone like Orton is always needed to help build WWE’s shows to the best product it can be, especially with the situation with the potential disbandment of The Authority and multiple characters being a part of the Team Cena vs. Team Authority storyline. It’s something to think about the next time it’s announced a WWE superstar will be starring in a movie—how greatly will storylines be affected and how significant will the change be?

-Celine

The Off-Season? 

Some may consider the time from the end of SummerSlam to the Royal Rumble as the WWE off-season. With the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar missing from RAW and multiple Pay-Per-View events, many may wonder why Lesnar can stay not defending the title when Daniel Bryan was just stripped of his title earlier in the year. Why is this that Daniel Bryan has to defend his title every 30 days when Brock Lesnar may not return until the Royal Rumble in January. Without a championship, how can Seth Rollins’ storyline develop with his Money In The Bank briefcase without the title in the picture? While there have been excellent story lines, the Rollins/Ambrose feud coming to mind, along with the push of newer talent, such as the return of Ryback and bringing Bray Wyatt into a feud with rising star Dean Ambrose, there’s still exciting storytelling, but what about the champion? Isn’t that one of, if not the main goal of any WWE wrestler—to be the number one champion?

With John Cena back in the title picture, when will it happen? What about discussion of John Cena possibly breaking Ric Flair’s 16-time championship record? Where’s Paul Heyman to be around as a reminder for the fans that Brock Lesnar is the champ? Brie Bella reminds fans of Daniel Bryan by keeping the “YES” chant alive, so why can’t Heyman return to do the same? It’s an interesting time with many questions, but even if this may be the “off-season” for the WWE, that doesn’t mean that there has to be a lack of excitement and creative storytelling. Here’s to more pushing of the young talent and for whenever Brock Lesnar does return, it will be even more meaningful.

-Celine

The Mizdow Era 

One of the many qualities of the world of sports entertainment is just that—entertainment. One of the newest teams in the WWE is the pairing of The Miz and Damien Sandow, otherwise known as Mizdow. 2014 has been a unique year for Damien Sandow. From being the first wrestler eliminated in the Royal Rumble to a losing streak that began in May, Sandow began taking on a persona resembling that of Charlie Haas’ character in 2008 in which Haas would impersonate other wrestlers. Unlike Haas, Sandow would impersonate other individuals, including Sherlock Holmes and Bruce Springsteen. However, ever since August, Sandow has been in a much more stable storyline as the official “stunt double” of The Miz, who has taken on the persona of an A-list Hollywood movie star.

With Sandow imitating all of The Miz’s actions, literally, Mizdow has become increasingly popular, especially with Sandow mimicking ever single one of The Miz’s moves, including getting faux-punched in the same way that Miz is being attacked by his opponent. While some love this pairing, others call it silly. Some complain that they see Sandow’s talents going to waste as he is resembling a comic relief character like Santino Marella was or even TNA’s Eric Young. While some miss Sandow’s legitimate matches, the Mizdow story adds fun to the world of WWE. While others are in storylines  that are more intense, this is still sports entertainment. It’s good for the kids and gives a good laugh for the audience. It’s good to see Sandow on WWE TV and it’s good to see the versatility of the Superstars. It’ll be exciting to see what’s next for both Sandow and The Miz. Will we see Sandow back in the main event picture like when he had the Money in the Bank briefcase? Will we see The Miz back in the WWE Championship picture? Or are they forever in the mid-card? A wrestler can’t be in the title picture forever, so it’s always an interesting observation to see what wresters do to stay relevant and slowly but surely make their way back to the top of the WWE ladder.

-Celine

Thanks for the Memories, WWE Magazine

It was the end of an era when WWE Magazine announced that it would cease production on its print publication. The final issue in October featured Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns on the cover, symbolically showing a sort of passing of the torch of the next generation of Superstars as opposed to the previous Superstars to commonly grace the cover such as John Cena, Rey Mysterio, and The Undertaker.

It’s a hard time for the print industry in general, with bookstores closing and diminishing and stories moving from the shelves of Barnes and Noble to the screens of laptops and tablets. With the decline in circulation of magazines, there’s still a pro wrestling presence in the publishing world, as seen with Pro Wrestling Illustrated. With the end of WWE Magazine, its 30-year history ended as well. While wrestlers still get interviewed and photographed by WWE’s official website as well as television appearances, radio stations, online journals, etc., WWE Magazine will be forever remembered as an excellent niche for WWE’s unique world.

Even though the world of print is declining, storytelling is forever, as these tales are shifting to digital means. On top of magazines, books are still popular, with Chris Jericho’s third book, (and follow up to A Lions Tale and Undisputed) The Best In The World…At What I Have No Idea, released earlier this month to positive reviews being an example of pro wrestling’s presence in the world of storytelling. The Internet has brought another exciting and enriching dimension to the world of storytelling, especially when it comes to pro wrestling, but it’s nice to take a minute and reminisce and remember the years of amazing interviews, photos, Q&As, articles, lists, countdowns, and specials that WWE Magazine has brought fans over the years.

-Celine

The Same Song – The RAW Main Event

On this past Monday’s edition of RAW, the main event featured John Cena and Dean Ambrose against Kane, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton. While the actual main event was entertaining, filled with signature moves and the top of the line in-ring action that is typically expected of the WWE, there were some sentiments on social media sites about the action being repetitive and old.

On one hand, I can see where the fans are coming from. Those superstars can be utilized in other scenarios, namely competing against other wrestlers. Why not have Ambrose go against someone like Jack Swagger or The Miz to shake things up a bit? Perhaps have Seth Rollins interfere at the end of the match rather than as an opponent against Ambrose prior to the pay-per-view? Is it necessary to have essentially the same match pairings week in and week out?

On the other hand, recurring matches can help build up a feud. The intensity increases with each respective victory and defeat. When the feud cumulates at the pay-per-view, the victory will be even more meaningful. Feuds would take months and months to reach their conclusion in the past, especially in the 80’s. However, is it necessary to have a situation like the one that took place at Battleground in which Triple H ejected Ambrose from the arena for attacking Rollins prior to their match, robbing the fans of one of the most anticipated matches of the night? Does the story lose its meaning if it’s scattered with forfeit victories?

Some may wonder if this is the dawn of an era of reverting to the classic methods of storytelling with an exciting build up or whether or not the match pairings are dragging on a bit too long. Only time will tell and the pay off will come into focus, especially with the Cena/Ambrose/Authority storyline at Hell in a Cell this Sunday. And yes. For only $9.99 on the WWE Network.

-Celine

The $9.99 Deal

We’ve all heard it a million times. And it’s become a guilty pleasure. “The WWE Network…just $9.99”

When the network was introduced to the public in early 2012 (backed by a Skillrex remix of Benny Benassi’s “Cinema”) it took nearly two years for the Network to come out. Initially I was skeptical since I had preferred an actual television channel. However, in an era where Netflix and Hulu reign strong, I purchased a Roku device so I wouldn’t have to be restricted to enjoy the Network on a computer screen and instead on television. Like how I enjoy Netflix and Hulu, the WWE Network has been a thrill. It’s nice on my wallet where I can enjoy every PPV, including past ones for just (you guessed it) $9.99, alone with original series and specials.

People may complain on some of the technical glitches, and yes, I have experienced my share, but it really is a great deal. Give me the history of the WWE for $9.99 anytime I want on my TV as opposed to a one-time fee of nearly $60 for a random PPV.

Call this a shameless plug, but the lengthy wait for the WWE Network, amidst early skepticism, is definitely bang for your buck.

-Celine

Spoiling the Wrestling Fun

WrestleMania has been coined as a “global phenomenon”. The biggest pay per view event of the year is the WWE equivalent to the Super Bowl. Other companies strive to find their answer to the wrestling juggernaut’s annual super event. TNA’s Bound for Glory has been the WrestleMania of Impact Wrestling and while TNA is a smaller company, it is always able to serve as an alternative for WWE programming.

While Bound for Glory has historically remained in the United States, on October 12th, BFG is going overseas. Is it to the ever-popular United Kingdom? No. For the first time ever, BFG leaves the states for Tokyo, Japan. For years, Japan has been one of the most popular countries for showcasing pro wrestling talent. With companies such as New Japan Pro Wrestling and Japanese stars in TNA such as Sanada and the inclusion of stars such as The Great Muta and Tajiri, BFG looks to pay homage to the nation that has welcomed and supported pro wrestling with open arms. However, there is another side to the story. With the show airing at 7:30pm eastern, that would be 8:30am Tokyo time, TNA’s flagship pay per view won’t be live but rather on a taped delay for the United States. While it’s great to see TNA’s popularity reaches a global audience, what will be the reaction that Monday morning?

It’s one thing to leave the country, but for the biggest event of the year, especially when other PPVs have transformed into free events on Spike TV, is having a pay per view that’s in another country a smart decision, showcasing other cultures and TNA’s popularity, or will it be infested with complaints of rabid spoilers?

With multiple episodes of TNA being taped weeks in advance, one must be careful looking up any TNA information if they wish to avoid spoilers, especially in the age of social media and the “instant gratification” generation. While some may avoid TNA outside of television altogether to avoid spoilers, millennials help push a show’s popularity with fandoms and social media buzz. If people avoid social media to avoid spoilers, how can something like TNA reach a level of popularity to compete with any competition? Spoilers take away the surprise and joy of seeing something unfold, and with BFG being taped delayed, there’s a higher risk of being spoiled. While it’s best to avoid social media before the event airs, is this a risk of losing a part of the fan base or an alternative to how social media increases for, say, the WWE before a PPV (albeit live) such as WrestleMania?

On the other side of the coin, TNA spoiled their own product by announcing that Bully Ray actually did slam Dixie Carter through a table and it would air the next week. While some were turned off by the spoiler, others heard about the actions and flocked to Spike TV that next week. While some may look at it as an old way of thinking by wanting to avoid spoilers, maybe there’s still a strong desire to avoid spoilers. While both have been seen amongst fans, time will truly tell which way of presenting information and “spoilers” will thrive in the social media age.

With Bound for Glory in Japan, it should be an exhilarating event for the ages. However, will the threat of spoilers hurt buzz about the show, or encourage more to tune in and watch? We’ll have to wait and see.

-Celine

It’s a Divas World

In December of 2004, Trish Stratus and Lita made history with their innovative main event match on Monday Night RAW. The mid-00s were an amazing time for women’s wrestling, with the likes of Victoria, Jaqueline, and Molly Holly bringing life to the division. During the end of the 00s, after such feuds as the famous Trish/Mickie James storyline that culminated at WrestleMania 22 with Mickie James winning her first Women’s Championship and reaching the first major storyline of her decorated career, times began to change for the Divas Division with more emphasis on eye candy as opposed to wrestling ability.

From bra-and-panties matches to bikini contests, it was better for fans to venture to other companies or independent organizations if they wanted to see women’s wrestling. However, by the next decade of the first millennium, the Divas Division has been revived and there seems to not be any slowing down anytime soon. While there were impressive reigns during this time period, such as Maryse’s record-setting Divas Championship reign, and story lines such as the dynamic duo of Michelle McCool and Layla as Laycool, there appeared to be more discussion of the divas with the all divas season of NXT in 2010.

As the years progressed, viewers saw the rise of the next generation of divas who truly exemplified the WWE’s model of women who are strong, tough, and beautiful. With the likes of Kaitlyn, Naomi, and rising star AJ Lee, things began looking up for the Divas Division once again. While these strong, young women are extremely beautiful, they are also extremely tough as they show their incredible athletic talents inside the ring. 2012 was a year that saw the boom of AJ Lee’s career. From her many romantic story lines with almost every top WWE Superstar, to being included in main event story lines, becoming the General Manager of RAW, and eventually the Divas Champion, more and more fans were showing more respect to such an underrated division and demanding more. With the debut of the E! Network reality show, Total Divas, the divas began getting even more attention, from newcomers like Eva Marie and Summer Rae, to increased interest with the Bella Twins, who have improved in the ring dramatically since their WWE debuts in 2008 and have stolen the spotlight with their captivating personalities, it’s not uncommon to see the divas in high profile story lines or there to be multiple diva segments on any given Monday Night RAW.

From the Brie Bella and Stephanie McMahon feud leading up to this year’s SummerSlam (evolving into her current feud with her sister, Nikki), to the battle of the “psychos” between Paige and AJ Lee, along with other divas getting screen time, it’s the dawn of a new era. Just last night, you had Stephanie McMahon with The Authority, Layla defeating Rosa Mendes with Summer Rae at ringside for Layla (Tyson Kidd with Natalya for Rosa’s side, furthering events that unfolded on the previous night’s Total Divas episode), Renee Young’s interviews, Nikki Bella taunting Brie Bella before her match against Eva Marie and Cameron, Lana’s incredible promos on the mic with Rusev, and Paige cutting a promo before Divas Champion AJ Lee’s match with Paige’s “new best friend” Alicia Fox. It’s a great time for the Divas Division and it does not look like it is slowing down any time soon.

-Celine

Hey, everyone! Celine here!

Hey, everyone!

My name is Celine and I’m the newest contributor to VasquezSports.com. I’m a 21 year old journalist and writer out of Southern California who has a passion for all things sports, with professional wrestling and MMA holding a special place in my heart.

I was born and raised a San Francisco 49ers fan so I bleed red and gold. While I’m a writer, music lover, photographer, and film addict, pro wrestling especially holds special to me.

I remember growing up and hearing such legendary names of famous professional wrestlers as Hulk Hogan and Macho Man. They seemed so strong, amazing, and athletic, so I’d casually watch the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. As I grew older, the Attitude Era came and I fell in love with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. I remember learning about the Four Horsemen during the classic NWA era of wrestling and I have memories of the nWo and with the likes of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash along with Booker T and Goldberg.

But it wasn’t until the summer of 2005, July to be exact, when I fell in love with the WWE…World Wrestling Entertainment, with the Dominick storyline with the late, great Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. I saw familiar faces like Chris Jericho and the Undertaker from my youth, and some new ones, too, like John Cena and Randy Orton.

Soon, I was hooked and have been a proud fan ever since.

I received a shirt from my first WWE Live Event that said, “WWE…An Experience Like No Other” and I realized how amazingly true that was.

I admire, love, adore, and respect every single professional wrestler. Be it the WWE, TNA Impact, ROH, NJPW, the indies, I love them all. They are on the road around 300 days a year, putting their bodies on the line, away from their families, doing something that they love to do and doing it for the fans. Call it fake, call it scripted, call it stupid, whatever you want, but to me, it’s simply amazing. The blood, sweat, and even tears that they endure. All that goes into making this entertainment spectacle come to life. The thrill. The rush. The strength. The athleticism. The lessons taught to inspire all of us to be more hard working, focused, and dedicated, proving that such attributes can lead us to becoming amazing individuals in life with dedication. The passion alone. It is one of my many loves, so long live wrestling.

Currently, my favorites include Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar and the Wyatt Family, with AJ Lee and Paige among my favorite divas while Austin Aries, Bobby Lashley, and Gail Kim are my favorites from TNA Impact.

This is a lengthy introduction and I appreciate everyone who took the time to read this. I’m happy to be a part of VasquezSports and I want to send a huge shout out and thank you to Vanessa, one of my best friends who I have known for years. I am beyond happy and excited to be a member of this team and look forward to bringing you all exciting news, updates, and interesting thoughts, opinions, and various perspectives on the world of professional wrestling. Thanks for reading!