It’s that time of year again as wrestling seems to be giving way to the Ultimate Thrill Ride on a show that seemed to be a final farewell for the Dead Man.
Browsing: Austin Aries
WrestleMania weekend kicks off for WWE on Friday night, with a NXT Takeover event that many feel will overshadow the big show itself. During last year’s WrestleMania festivities, NXT held a (non-televised) show that many felt should have received some coverage outside of Stephanie McMahon’s Periscope account.
It was the division that brought eyes to WCW, even during the company’s dying days. It was the division that WWE never really attempted to recreate, and a division that TNA managed to turn from a potential diamond, into dust. Now, WWE’s looking once again to the smaller guys.
In the week since Bryan Danielson announced his retirement, I’ve experienced a wide range of emotions, as have quite a few wrestling fans. From the initial shock of the announcement, came the denial – the internet rumour mill had been saying for weeks that the only thing holding back his return was the WWE’s own doctors. Even without an official statement from Danielson, WWE or anyone connected to either party, the rumour was so prevalent that fans were taking it as the gospel truth.
Since relaunching NXT in August 2012, we’ve seen a lot of different faces going through the black-and-yellow brand. Originally intended as a developmental group, the television product has slowly morphed to the point where it’s now getting easier than ever to decry the show as “Triple H’s vanity product”. (Warning: NXT spoilers lie ahead – even though WWE’s advertising it)