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Fight Thoughts
As 2021 comes to a close, the combat sports world remains wide open and full of opportunity. This weekend of December 3rd and 4th of 2021 kicks off the final month of the combative year and it is a certified sleeper! From Bellator 272 between Bantamweight champ Sergio Pettis and RIZIN champ Kyoji Horiguchi, to UFC Fight Night Aldo vs. Font, as well as the return of Devin Haney against a game JoJo Diaz, this weekend should not be under any fight fans radar by any means. Let’s dive into each one of the events and breakdown exactly why I believe spectacle will deliver the goods.
Benjamin ReesePublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedCactus Jack vs. Big Van Vader
The match starts off with Vader entering the ring—traditional Vader attire, a mainly black one-piece wrestling getup, full-leg, red on the side. He’s wearing his usual mask that looks halfway badass and halfway like he’s got a pair of leather panties on his head. One word: Awesome. He struts around the ring like the badass he is. His theme music plays. He glares at the crowd like he could crush them all if he wished, and he probably could, the dude is huge…
Jack ReyPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedIs Serena Deeb Destined to Become Champion?
I have been a fan of Serena Deeb for over a decade now. I still remember her days in Ohio Valley Wrestling, which led her to WWE's main roster, where she served as the lone female member of the Straight Edge Society. Sadly, I also remember her long injury hiatus in 2011, but Serena returned with a vengeance, and she is now killing it in All Elite Wrestling.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedNew Champions Crowned in Raw's Women's Division
The fallout from Survivor Series began with Raw, and it was a crazy one. We saw the follow-up from the Cleopatra Egg theft, Austin Theory received a shot at the WWE Championship, and new champions were crowned inside the red brand's women's division. Let's start with the one I am more happy for: the 24/7 Championship.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedA Look Back: Team Orton vs Team HHH (Survivor Series 2004)
The very first Survivor Series event that I watched was the 2004 event; 2004 was a very fun year for me as a wrestling fan. Both Raw and SmackDown were on tap back then, and regarding the former, it was dominated, at the time, by Evolution--the faction led by Triple H and consisting of Randy Orton, Batista, and Ric Flair. Things came to a head on the Raw brand in the 2004 Survivor Series, but here's a look at the events that led to this bout.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedA Look Back: Team WWF vs The Alliance (Survivor Series 2001)
I truly love Survivor Series, and the main reason why I love the event is the signature elimination tag team matches. The matches are usually 5-on-5, though we have seen some 4-on-4 matches in some events. In the early years, the Survivor Series card solely consisted of these type of matches, but nowadays, we get singles bouts to go with the small number of these elimination matches. In some years, the traditional match (depending on the star power) served as the main event. 2001 was definitely no exception.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedReviewing an Unexpected Change to the SmackDown's Women's Survivor Series Team
So on November 6, the men's and women's teams were set for Survivor Series, and regarding the latter, it went as follows. The Women's Traditional Elimination Match was set to feature Rhea Ripley, Carmella, Queen Zelina, Liv Morgan, and Bianca Belair representing Raw, while SmackDown was represented by Sasha Banks, Aliyah, Natalya, Shotzi Blackheart, and Shayna Baszler. The latest edition of SmackDown saw Sonya Deville introduce the team to the SmackDown crowd, which saw Shotzi get her first bit of heel heat two weeks following her swerve. We would also see Naomi enter the scene and attempt to confront Shayna and Sonya, leading to a brawl amongst the team.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedShould Dana Brooke Turn Heel?
Eight years. Dana Brooke has been in WWE for eight years. That is a long time to be in WWE, especially for a woman, as most women don't really have long tenures in WWE. It is definitely too long to go without anything resembling elevation or a push, and that, sadly, is what Dana Brooke has gone through. Dana Brooke was signed by WWE all the way back in 2013, around the same time as WWE's Horsewomen, but in that time, the only good angle Dana has had was her role as the evil protégé for Charlotte Flair, who was up and coming at the time and not the top woman we know now.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedFight Thoughts
The weekend of Friday November 5th to Saturday November 6th 2021 brought an astronomical amount of anticipation for combat sports fans. From live crowds back in the O2 in Dublin, to Madison Square Garden completing another chapter in their endless epic of fight history, this star-studded weekend did not disappoint. With every contest came queries after. You could argue that for the fans and pundits alike, we were all left with more questions than answers once the dust had settled in regards to what’s next for some these athletes. With that said, let’s take a look at each major event throughout the weekend and try and make sense of the chaos that unfolded.
Benjamin ReesePublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedReviewing the NXT Women's Division's 1st Post-Release Showcase
Out of the 10 women who were released by WWE on November 4, six of them were from NXT. Franky Monet, Scarlett, Zayda Ramier, Jessi Kamea, Katrina Cortez, and former NXT Women's Champion and NXT Women's Tag Team Champion Ember Moon--all released that day. As the saying often goes, "The show must go on." SmackDown had their showcase one night later, then Raw, and now it was NXT's turn. Even with the massive hit to NXT's Women's Division, the female stars of the black and gold brand continued to dominate.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedReviewing the Raw Women's Division's 1st Post-Release Showcase
This week's edition of Raw comes just days after the Women's Traditional Elimination Match was set in stone, but it also comes just days after WWE's latest massive batch of releases, which saw 10 women let go from WWE. The releases effected all three shows; SmackDown had their first show after the fire sale. It was Raw's turn, and it was quite eventful for the red brand's women.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedWomen's Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match Set for Survivor Series 2021
Major League Baseball has the World Series. WWE has Survivor Series, their own Fall Classic. Since 1987, Survivor Series has been World Wrestling Entertainment's traditional autumn event, usually taking place days before Thanksgiving. It serves as one of WWE's "Big Four," and is chronologically the last "Big Four" event of the calendar year. Survivor Series is WWE's second-oldest event, just two years younger than their mega-premiere event, WrestleMania. It was at the 1990 event that The Undertaker made his memorable debut, and fittingly, the 2020 event saw The Phenom call it a career after 30 years.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in Unbalanced