One of my favorite nights of the WWE year is the Slammys. One thing about the Slammys is that it’s an excellent reflection of the highs and lows of the past year (which is still not even completely done yet). From shocking moments such as the Undertaker’s streak ending at WrestleMania and the WWE debut of Sting to happy moments like The Rock’s return to the WWE in New York and the tragedy of the untimely passing of the Ultimate Warrior days after his Hall of Fame induction, the deserving people won awards.

There was emphasis on the new generation, with a renewed interest in Dolph Ziggler in light of his Survivor Series victory, awards going to Dean Ambrose and nominations including the likes of Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt. Roman Reigns was Superstar of the year, showing that there’s still a want for him in light of his injury, and Diva of the Year AJ Lee gave a shout out to such NXT and newer WWE Divas as Bayley, Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Paige. Speaking of Charlotte, the NXT Women’s Champion made her WWE TV debut as well. Such a push for the new generation was exciting to see on one of the biggest nights of the RAW calendar year. Here’s to an excellent new year and the rise of even more up and coming young stars.

-Celine

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

TNA President Dixie Carter revealed the new Impact Wrestling logo, which you can see above. TNA will use the new logo beginning with Impact’s debut on Destination America.

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