1. Brighton Loves Bray, But Reigns Is Cena-Lite
After a plug for WWE2K16 and a 30 second highlight reel of a match on the game featuring our main eventers, it was time for Bray Wyatt v Roman Reigns in a No Holds Barred match. Wyatt was out first and received an almost babyface reaction. Maybe it was because hed done a Meet & Greet earlier that day, or maybe its just because Brighton has always been a city that has embraced the alternative, and you dont get much alternative than Bray Wyatt. There were only a few fireflies in the crowd for his entrance, but it is quite a chilling feeling as he walks down to the ring. Reigns then came out through a side door, right next to the stage side and hopped the rail to get to ringside. There was a distinct divide with adults cheering for Wyatt and kids cheering for Reigns (the kids around me seemed to love the Superman Punch, a move that most adults seem to hate). We even had a Lets go Roman / Roman sucks duelling chant reminiscent of John Cenas visit here last year. The match itself was very good, with both men putting in a lot of effort. We saw two tables broken, plus a chair and a kendo stick used. One thing that did bug me was that Wyatt got put through a table following a powerbomb off the top rope and kicked out. Considering that an earlier match finished with a sunset flip, this seemed to be a bit imbalanced to me. The crowd were engaged with the match the whole way, but Reigns only got what I would describe as a superstar pop when he hit Wyatt with a spear to win the match. Its clear that the WWE are trying to position Reigns as Cenas successor, yet I barely saw anyone wearing a Roman Reigns T shirt. There were a few Finn Balor shirts being worn, a few Dean Ambrose shirts, a few Stone Cold Steve Austin shirts and loads of Cena shirts, despite him not being on this tour. Buying someones merchandise shows that a fan has invested in that person, both literally and figuratively, and its clear to me that the WWE have a long way to go before Reigns is where they want him to be. Overall, this years show wasnt as good as last years, but it was still very enjoyable and, in line with the WWEs mission statement, everyone seemed to leave with a smile on their face.
Dean Ayass
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Dean Ayass is a well known name to British wrestling fans. A commentator, manager, booker and ring announcer who has been involved in the business since 1993, Dean's insight into the business is second to none.
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