5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (May 18)
All Or Nothing
Twitter's a blessing and a curse in times of pro wrestling tumult.
With shows, shocks and scandals seemingly around every corner in 2018, the business' new 'boom' period is so often bolstered or blown apart by the instant reactions of the social media commentariat. The good, bad and ugly below the line on this very site often offers everything from insight to indignation, but even with only 280 characters to play with, Twitter still houses a bottom half of the internet as derisory as every scathing comments section.
Fortunately, it's the best of times, as well as the worst.
Serial 'On This Day' poster @allan_cheapshot will furnish folk with clips of every kind of wrestling imaginable interspersed with hilariously futile efforts to get Big Daddy into Dave Meltzer's Hall Of Fame. Chris Charlton (@reasonjp) and Showbuckle (@ShowbuckleVids) are vital puroresu gateways from outside of New Japan's walls whilst current commentator - and comfortably the best in the entire industry at that - Kevin Kelly (@realKevinKelly) is as equally useful from the inside. Outstanding threads by @MithGifs have split some of the most outstanding plots in all of pro wrestling into 10-second visual chapters, breaking only to lip-read Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn hilariously analysing Roman Reigns' TitanTron video.
Debate literally raged this week on two separate Chicago shows. One sold out in minutes (29 of them, to be exact), but the other might fall woefully short, despite the shoehorned inclusion of one of the year's brightest new stars...
5. Money In The W*nk
Despite dangling the prospect of a logical trajectory for Ronda Rousey between now and her assumed spotlight clash with a chosen Women's Champion at next year's WrestleMania 35, WWE reverted to type this week with yet more booking that suited their hunger for positive perception rather than traditional business metrics.
And it was f*cking horrible.
'Performing' during their publicity appearances for the company at the recent NBC Upfronts for the television year ahead, Rousey and current Raw Champion Nia Jax talked each other into the building with a duelling promo that once would have sent fans careering in the opposite direction. Rousey's undeniable star appeal will reduce the chances of that happening, but the expedited need for this match is sure to only do her a disservice after an incredible WrestleMania debut.
Cringeworthy stuff it was, with the 'Rowdy' former UFC Champion still not the best talker and Jax still not the best...well...anything despite the countless opportunities she's received since graduating from NXT in 2016.
Don't mistake this criticism for petty pessimism - far from it. Rousey's debut formed what'll possibly be the WWE main roster match of the year, and she deserves ample lengths of proverbial rope whilst the proverbial iron is proverbially roasting hot. A defeat (or even clunky victory) against Jax is perhaps enough to hang herself with, proving yet again that WWE are as much to do with how a match looks beforehand instead of considering the grisly aftermath.