Here I am not getting sleep so that I can get this analysis out for you assholes while my asshole boss-brother keeps sending me GIFs of Ticker Tape parades. Ugh.
WWE
Bronson/Lexis
Again, I have to offer some predictions for a series of shows without any previews to assist me. Damn it, WWE, will you get with the program?!
I kid…
…No seriously, give me a damn preview!
Anyways, while WWE isn’t making MY job any easier, they have definitely been making it easier to be a fan of their programming. I mentioned in this week’s “Wrestling with Lenny” about how much I have been enjoying these vignettes from NXT Champion Lexis King, and I suspect we will get another one this week, or Bronson Reed will send one last message before their encounter next weekend.
I strongly suspect that they are putting over Lexis a little too strongly for him to just retain at Stand and Deliver. King used his latest vignette to frame the beastly Reed (R Truth, THIS is the real Bronson Reed, the guy you are struggling with is BAM BAM!). I think we will likely get a face-to-face of some sort, and that will tell us all we need to know, but I think the smart money is on Reed taking the gold and sending King on to bigger and better things!
Jesse/Brock
With Jesse taking up all of their joint airtime this past Tuesday to promote their impending match, I foresee Brock reminding us that he is in this match, too. Regardless of what happens on NXT, though, I absolutely don’t see Brock losing next weekend unless this program is going to get extended into the summer. Crazier things have certainly happened, but I think it is smart to place your bets on Arn’s offspring getting the W!
Viking Raiders
I still have no clue as to whom this unstoppable tag team will be defending their titles against at April 10th’s Then Now Forever 2. Is this another case wherein I missed the build somehow? Am I losing my mind, or is the point here to prepare the Raiders to defend against the entire tag division at WWE’s biggest show of the year? Nearing a year as tag champions – and active champions at that – is unheard of outside of Mmouse Enterprises, but Murrey has really taken a liking to his juggernaut champions.
Could we finally see the challenger picture getting clear this week? Hmm.
Gunther/Drew/Priest
Gunther defeated Drew in the Main Event of Raw this past week and had an odd standoff with the Final Judgment alongside Asuka and Rey. I am assuming that we will get some sort of Mixed Six Person Tag match on Raw this week, and that will help create some chaos to help send us on our way to Then Now Forever.
I am intrigued by all of these rivalries and am excited to see what happens next here. Raw should be great this week!
Lawrence/Ryback
Ryback is bound to get his hands on his prospective stepfather this coming week, and something tells me that the beat down suffered by Thomas Griffith at the hands of Murrey’s Misfits last week will give Griffith more than enough reason to take Johnny’s side in this. I could be wildly wrong here, but I do think that WWE is going to tie these parallel stories together. Let’s wait and see.
Asuka/Rhea
For reasons mentioned above, I see the build for their Then Now Forever (from now on, it will be referred to as TNF2, sheesh) match being almost exclusively tied up in the likely 6 person tag. However, I do think it will become painfully clear that Rhea is speeding like an out of control freight train to a coronation as the new Women’s Champion!
Rock/Big E
Last week we saw a bit of a cool down after a hot as hell past few weeks building to the main event of WWE’s biggest extravaganza yet. However, I see The Rock coming at Big E with everything he’s got this week. As of right now, I am firmly in the “Big E is winning the title” camp, but this week could sway me super fast in the other direction. What a massively important show!
Murrey/Danhausen/Cross
Finally, for WWE, Jeff Murrey is coming into this as a homeless billionaire for the past week; that is, unless he hired the Amish to rebuild his mansion (he was rather calm about this when we saw him on NXT the VERY NEXT DAY)! Danhausen’s curse is in full swing and Cross has the ashes of Murrey’s dreams all over his hands.
Like I mentioned above, Thomas Ian Griffith is bound to respond in some kind of devious way to what he suffered at Murrey’s party. I have no idea what to expect except that this week’s Raw will be fantastic!
AEW
Swerve v. Styles
On to AEW, and THEY actually gave me a preview to work with! Hell, because it is an Easter PPV – called “New Horizons” -, I have the entire card to work with! YAY!!
Ok, back to business. Swerve Strickland marched into the ring on Dynamite this week and challenged the former AEW Champion, AJ Styles, to an exhibition match on tonight’s PPV. Styles accepted and now we have this exciting bout to look forward to!
Considering that this is Swerve’s debut (and a high profile one at that), it is tempting to say that he is going to win here, and I actually went into typing this entry thinking just that. HOWEVER, Styles already has a very recent loss against another high profile debuting talent in one Logan Paul. That changes my calculations here a bit.
Swerve is going to give it his all here and while I think he can survive barely losing to the former champion, I have my doubts that he is going to pull it off. The only way I see Swerve winning is if Styles is about to endure a full-on weeks-long (or even months-long) downfall just for the purpose of seeing him rise back out of the ashes.
Regardless, there is a lot to be excited for here. It will be a fun ride!
TV: Rhodes v. Darby
Darby’s emergence as a true threat to the singles division has been something to behold. He bested Brock Lesnar in a game of brains versus braun by securing the services of Undertaker and Kane as his backup. Now, the question remains: can he capitalize on this moment by using his newfound power to capture gold? I think so.
Yes, this should go against my better judgment and I will explain more a little later on why I am leaning so heavily in favor of this, but Darby is on too good of a roll to let off the gas here. If Darby loses, he will have had two consecutive PPVs without a victory, which isn’t likely.
Meanwhile, Cody is ready to move on from this title and he can absolutely survive a loss here without getting hurt.
Internet: Starks v. Paul
With all due respect to Matt Cardona – more on him later -, the Internet Championship is the most useless piece of crap in the industry today. Hell, I would be willing to go further and say it is the most worthless “championship” to EVER exist, and I am including a lineage of gold which encompasses the former USWA Galactic, Greenland, Number Two Tag Titles, and the Lightheavyweight Tag Titles.
No, I am not saying this to be harsh, but I wanted to get my thoughts on the “title” at stake here out of the way before I go to what really matters in all of this: Logan Paul’s push.
Logan, a man who earned fame initially by conquering the world of the internet as an influencer – whatever the hell that is -, is arguably the only human on Earth who should call himself the “Internet Champion”, and that’s the only reason that this makes sense beyond giving him another victory on his road to glory.
I have nothing but respect for Ricky, and I see him doing great things after this. Hell, he is going to give us a hell of a show here. But, Paul is going to win. He NEEDS to win here, and he NEEDS to throw that damn title in the trash and declare himself as the undisputed Internet Champion for life so that he could look towards challenging for the TV title next!
Rant/Prediction over.
Knockouts: Banks v. Belair
A match which is undisputed in its prestige, though, is the impending battle between Sasha Banks and her challenger Bianca Belair for the AEW Knockouts Championship. Not too long ago, I predicted that whoever won between Rousey and Sasha for the gold would have little time to enjoy the victory before face AND LOSING to Bianca, but I was forced to reassess some things once Rousey was knocked out of contention.
Belair has been having the run of a lifetime as of late, and was prominently featured on Dynamite this past week, but for the same reason that I think Lexis King is losing to Bronson Reed next week, I am leaning very heavily in favor of Sasha retaining tonight.
It’s definitely not that Bianca isn’t ready. Rather, its because Sasha just isn’t done yet. I thought previously that Sasha had run her course on top of AEW, but that was largely before I saw her bring Chyna on board, and now that she has dispensed with Rousey as a threat, I am seeing a great Spring afoot for Sasha.
For my fellow EST fans, I don’t want you to worry. Bianca’s day is coming very soon. Sasha will definitely cook as champion throughout much of the Spring and Summer, and once Bianca reemerges, it’s over. But for now, Sasha is holding on to the gold.
War Games: Bloodline v. High Minded
It’s crazy to think that the group of Savage, Hall, Nash, and Hogan have been entertaining us for over a year, and that things have evolved to the point that they brought Riddle and Midget Hogan aboard, but here we are. That already would have been good enough to keep me invested, but their success was so great that they managed to also raise the Bloodline’s stock just by virtue of their rivalry!
Last week’s night-long saga with High Minded trying to save M. Hogan from Roman and the boys was the most captivating part of the show, and that is saying something when considering how the show was otherwise stacked!
Now, Roman is getting his wish to trap High Minded in a cage enclosing all of these men within a two-ring spectacle, and I am salivating with anticipation. Honestly, I have been in an internal si-saw over my prediction with this one.
Yet, as I let myself calm down and think straight, I see the bigger picture: High Minded has walked right into this, on Roman’s terms. This isn’t going to end well for them. I know it is tempting to think that they are going to save the day, but this is the Bloodline’s moment to shine and they are definitely seizing the moment!
We will likely get some kind of sequel encounter – though not in the awesome War Games structure -, but right now the Bloodline will rule the day!
MAIN EVENT, AEW: Danielson v. MJF
Ah, the moment I have been waiting for has arrived! MJF’s coronation in front of his adoring home crowd will be one for the ages. Wardlow and Steiner will hoist the greatest champion of all time on their bulky shoulders and confetti will rain down like something out a great sports movie.
Oh…the thought of it is glorious. I am getting all giddy inside just thinking about it. I may even get out some of that new lotion out…er, I mean the chips and salsa. Yes, those tasty treats.
Unfortunately, a thought is great and all, but reality is often a cruel bitch. I occasionally have to take a step back from the veil of excitement that I often get immersed in and see what’s really going on here, and what I saw when I did this today made me want to throw that damn tub of oily goodness violently through my damn window!
This absolutely SHOULD be MJF’s coronation, but I knew it was too good to be true. I began to suspect that the gears had shifted once MJF helped Danielson defeat Styles for the gold at Genesis. A stroke of genius, I thought at the time, as per usual by the man I admire with my whole soul.
Then, the deck started getting stacked against Danielson. Danielson came out of every promo and encounter looking like an outraged and underestimated champion who was very much an underdog heading into his first major title defense.
Lastly, the real kicker was this past Monday. MJF exhibited his true in-ring mastery once more by outsmarting Danielson and getting him disqualified a mere six days before their encounter tonight. I jumped for joy at the sight of this and laughed as Danielson lashed out in frustration.
The contemplation of all of this a short while ago is what led to my sudden realization that Danielson will be the ultimate benefactor of a perfect storm of having been both the victim of the “last laugh” as well as other circumstances which make this favorable to him: first major title defense, and that there will likely already be a title change earlier in the night.
Remember how I said I would explain more later about why I am so confident that Darby is beating Cody? Well, part of that is also related to the War Games match as well as the Main Event. Let me explain:
Darby and his Brothers of Destruction spirited Brock Lesnar away at Genesis. We haven’t heard from the Beast Incarnate since, but with Lesnar’s Advocate Paul Heyman only recently joining and becoming subservient to the Bloodline, Lesnar is not likely to return for vengeance on Darby, Kane, and Undertaker until he is likewise ready to swiftly shift gears to confront a powerful Bloodline to thread this needle over the dual allegiances of Heyman.
Why does this influence the Main Event? Well, if Lesnar was ready to come back tonight, then he would most definitely cost Darby the TV title and even create a ripple effect with the War Games match just by having a presence in the same arena as Heyman. That would mean that we would have no title changes before the Main Event as well as a match prior with a likely babyface victory enjoyed by High Minded.
This cascading effect of Darby’s and the Bloodline’s victories in the absence of Lesnar make a “Heel” MJF far less likely to become champion over a relatively new antihero champion, especially when MJF had the last laugh after a month wherein he looked like the uncrowned champion.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
PWI/HCW
Spears v. Cardona
Alright, now we get to the preview for the Global Conflict Series Present: April Fool’s Brawl.
In the opening bout, Shawn Spears has demanded a match with the Epic Royale winner and Number One Contender, Matt Cardona. Spears may have unintentionally dissolved the Pinnacle and pushed FTR into the arms of Cardona at just the right time, as Cardona seized the moment, robbed Orton of what many likely thought was a guaranteed victory, and paved his path to being the final challenger for the gold.
Matt Cardona is ever more confident after he won the Epic Royale, and that is despite the fact that he should have been eliminated, if it weren’t for the officials being distracted by FTR’s attack on Spears.
This will be a great way to kick off the show as well as Cardona’s road to Armageddon!
Women’s Title Shot at WM X: Flair v. Maryse v. Storm
In another Triple Threat Match with Wrestlemania implications, the former champion Maryse finds her prospects at a title rematch at a disadvantage as she takes on two formidable opponents in Toni Storm and Charlotte Flair. Then again, Charlotte is still reeling from being tossed off the rafters this past Monday, so the real obstacle to Maryse getting a rematch against Alexa is likely Toni Storm.
Either way, the women are going to have a chance to steal the show and I am ready for it!
Tag: Bucks v. Beer Money Inc.
I suspect that Ted Dibiase had a hand in negotiating this challenge for the Tag Titles, because Robert Roode and James Storm are presently not ranked high enough to have earned this shot. The Young Bucks are riding high after an impressive series of successful title defenses and while they and everyone else may be tempted to look beyond Beer Money Inc. to the dream match between the Bucks and the Attraction at Wrestlemania, I would advise against sleeping on this challenge. Undeserved as it may be, Beer Money Inc. has held tag gold in two different companies, including here in PWI at the outset of this season, so Matt and Nick would do well to take this seriously and not lose focus!
Extreme: Crock v. Bigelow
Bam Bam Bigelow has been wreaking havoc in HCW ever since his debut when he joined the Million Dollar Corporation and attacked LA Knight as well as The Crock. After dispensing with Knight on the last installment of Insanity, Bigelow is ready to try and take this Extreme Title from The Crock. However, The Crock is no stranger to adversity and he is enjoying the revival of a lifetime.
This PPV-caliber encounter will be a fun one, for sure!!
MAIN EVENT, Undisputed: Dragonfly v. ???
Finally, it’s the main event and it seems as though Dragonfly will be defending the Undisputed Title in an open challenge! Always risky, but Dragonfly is not one to shy away from confronting any challenge, even if he is only still the champion right now because Randy Orton saved him at Global Conflict III.
The Champion is presently flirting with beating Teo’s PWI record as champion, which is the only record he has a chance at beating if Mickey’s plan comes to fruition. Can he do it, or will this latest pit stop put an end to his historic run?
Tune in on Monday to find out!
As for me, I have a vacation coming next weekend, so I am going to offer a special installment of “Wrestling with Lenny” for the 30th Installment sooner than usual, and it will be combined with the predictions and preview!
See you then!
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 