Hi everyone, Lenny here, and I have to say that I am a bit more “tame” than you may be accustomed to tonight as I pen this.
I had a very disorienting encounter with my older brother Vinny (not oldest, but older than me) last Monday, and I still don’t know what to make of it going on a week later.
Additionally, I was sent a warning by Catherine and company after I sent a strongly-worded letter to AEW lambasting their graphics department for their screw-up wherein some moron behind the keyboard labeled THE world champion as “Mawell”. I understand that they have since corrected the “typo” in the version posted for replays, but I swear that I am on to them. This disrespect will NOT be tolerated!
Ok, well, since I have yet to see WWE’s Backlash from this weekend, I decided against my standard “top ten” and predictions formats. Instead, I will be covering the stars who I think we should all keep an eye on in the week to come, as well as reviewing what we saw from them this past week.
The preview for PWI and HCW programming will follow the review of the competition, as per usual.
WWE
Drew McIntyre
Drew had a very interesting week in WWE. He had two, that’s right: TWO, high-profile losses. First losing to Dominik Mysterio on Raw (which preceded the very confusing sudden twist of Dom Dom throwing Rhea and the Final Judgment away like a sticky nut rag), and then losing to the deceptively insurgent Kevin Owens on Smackdown (more on him shortly).
I may be reading too much into this, but I am thinking that Drew’s recent losing streak has been intentional either to prepare for his impending redemption or for the purpose of burying him en route to the 2024 Draft.
Either way, I think Drew will see a minor bounce-back from this slump in the week to come.
The Rock & Solo
I said I would discuss Owens again soon, and this is where that will happen. The now-longest reigning world champion in the industry today and his much-younger cousin Solo have been exceedingly dominant, and I am not sure that such will end before Starrcade at the rate we are going.
The only genuine threat to Rock’s reign right now is likely Drew, and this may be another explanation for Drew’s very bad week, but I think that the WWE-Bloodline has a little more cooking to do before that proverbial fat lady sings.
Lexis King
So, a funny thing happened on NXT. THE BIGGEST STAR on the brand declared himself for the WOW Draft!
He proclaimed that he was going to relinquish his NXT Title at the end of the era and take his talents elsewhere, and I am now left again digging a hole into my scalp in contemplation of what on Earth has possessed Murrey Entertainment.
I mean, first you completely dismantle what was arguably your best stable, and then you allow your developmental champion – who has been stealing the show for months over there – put himself of the menu??!!
I am not kidding when I say this, but I seriously think that Lexis has that long sought-after “it” factor that all promoters seek each and every era. This HAS to be a swerve, right???!!
Yes, I know that Brock Anderson has decided to step down briefly from the main roster to save NXT from the embarrassment of losing its champion, but that seems like small potatoes when the main attraction in this rivalry is seriously threatening to leave.
I am probably overreacting due to my Maxwellian withdrawals, but I feel like my head is going to explode here!
My prediction for this coming week is that we put this nonsense to bed and Lexis moves up to the main roster where he fucking belongs!
Nakamura/King
WWE has a genuine monopoly on uproarious comedy in this business, and right now I think that the leading comedy act there is Doc Brown! The insane rantings of this geriatric retired actor who is now convinced that he can time travel has been prepping Shinsuke Nakamura to win a title which – by rule – should exclude him.
The hilarious part is that Murrey made this rule which was meant to make this US title exclusive to Americans – an obvious knee-jerk reaction to Gunther leaving the company with the European title -, and he is letting Brown “Americanize” Shinsuke right in front of him so as to make him qualify for this title.
The EVEN FUNNIER part, though, is that I believe that Doc Brown will see to it that his prophecy of a surprise nut shot to Nakamura will cost him against Gable, making all of this preparation wildly and entertainingly pointless!
Lawrence
Now we move on to the greatest part of WWE: the dynamically entertaining Johnny Lawrence.
…wait a minute…
I just realized that the JWO was completely a non-factor when Lawrence was getting his ass beat at that bar. What the hell, you other Johnnies?!
Still, Johnny bounced back in epic fashion on Smackdown, and while I believe that the “last laugh rule” would doom Lawrence here with his title defense against Lashley, I can’t see this epic reign ending any time soon. It’s just too good!
AEW
Nia Jax
Moving on to All Elite Wrestling, and we find ourselves looking at the incredible streak of success which is still enjoyed by Nia Jax! AEW Dark has been very kind to Miss Jax’s rejuvenation as she has obliterated her competition left and right, and the former PWI Women’s Champion – Io Shirai, now known as Iyo Sky – was no exception.
I do believe that I have said this before, but Bianca and her cohorts need to avoid looking past Nia. The Irresistible Force is going to be a champion VERY soon, and it may even happen before this era is over!
Predictably, you should be able to see where I am going with how I see this next week panning out for Miss Jax: she will continue to enjoy massive success, making an undeniable argument for a shot at Bianca’s prize!
Rise of Sammy?
Sammy Guevara has had a rough start in AEW. Just a few months ago, he was part of a popular faction with the legendary Chris Jericho. Then, Genesis happened.
After suffering a humiliating defeat at the first AEW PPV, Guevara and the rest of the Inner Circle disappeared. Then, WWE seized Sammy’s mentor and leader via a monster trade sending Gunther to AEW. Sammy was arguably left rudderless after this deflating first quarter of the year!
Yet, to his credit, he didn’t give up. We saw him exhibit his talents in an impressive match with Ricky Starks as part of a response to Logan Paul snubbing him on Monday, and now Sammy is poised to challenge for the useless Internet Championship tonight.
Look, Sammy is a GREAT talent, but I don’t see him delivering Logan his first loss. If this was the last show of the era, perhaps I would think differently, but Logan is likely going to retire with the Internet Championship or retire that stupid hunk of metal before he ever suffers a defeat for it.
That doesn’t mean that Sammy’s rise stops here, though. Rather, I believe that he will so impress the masses that we will see more of him in the weeks to come. I have it on good authority that AEW management has always thought very highly of Sammy, and they see him going places! So, buckle up, buddy, because your ride has only begun!
Gunther v. Swerve
The Ring General and Swerve Strickland are finally going to clash for the opportunity to challenge Cody for the TV Title, and I am here to tell you that this match will be a painful reminder to PWI that we could have made this match happen just a couple years ago.
What could have been…
Anyways, Swerve had perhaps the most exciting build toward a debut that the industry has ever seen (well…except for Living Dead Girl, I suppose), and Gunther’s ship-jumping and tossing of his WWE European Title sent shockwaves that we have never seen before!
Both men see themselves as the rightful next in line to challenge Cody for his TV Title, but there can be only one!
Considering how much AEW had to sacrifice to get their hands on Gunther – which was more recent than their acquisition of Swerve -, I am heavily leaning in favor of the more relative newcomer. Gunther’s time to give Cody a heart attack has come, and it may even lead to this brutish Austrian toppling the American Nightmare to begin a new glorious reign!
Bianca v. Rousey
Speaking of glorious reigns, let’s talk about the EST of professional wrestling, the Knockout’s Champion, Bianca Belair.
Bianca is a woman determined to lose her title to Mrs. Rousey. Or she is at least seeking a loss of a vital limb, because she keeps trying to give Rousey a shot at the title that the world most dangerous woman “never lost”.
In my humble opinion, Rousey has twice failed to earn her shot at the gold, both by losing to Chyna a couple months ago, and when she lost this past Monday to Athena Star.
Yet, Rousey’s reward for losing fair and square is getting a shot from a woman who can’t leave well enough alone. I wonder what happened in this encounter in Doc Brown’s timeline? A surprise cooter shot? A tittie twister from hell? Does he need some ‘member berries to tell me?
Just to be clear, I am ok with this match happening. It will be a great match, and I do sincerely believe that Bianca will retain…unless AEW is desperate to give us an epic rematch between Star and Rousey to close out the era with the Knockouts Rivalry which kicked it off!
Hmmm.
Sami/Benny/Megan
I am in a difficult position right now.
…Seriously, I need to get up and stretch my legs a bit. One sec…
That’s better.
Where was I?
Oh yeah, talking about my messed up family.
While I was getting a very heartbreaking heart-to-heart visit from my sickly brother Vinny, my youngest sibling Benny was busy being disgusting by arranging a marriage between his catatonic daughter and his pitiful yes man so as to find a round about way to save his grip on power.
The wedding is set to become official in front of a repulsed crowd tonight, and I think this is going to start to show some signs of being a VERY bad decision for Benny.
Sami has been angling for true power since he stumbled into this role as Benny’s handler last year, and now we will see he true and carnal colors show tonight, as he even begins to make Benny regret siding with him.
In true Mouse Family fashion, the choice to exploit the reins of power and wealth for our own benefit will backfire time and again, and this farce of a wedding will be no different.
Just wait and see.
HCW
Shot at International Title: Hayter v. Yim v. Zevon
On to some HCW previews!
Tonight, the show will kick off with a match pitting three former champions against one another for a chance to challenge for the Women’s International Championship next week on what may well be the last installment of Monday Night Mayhem.
Each of these women will head into that match as a likely underdog for reasons that I will highlight in a few, but none of them should be so easily overlooked by the champion. They have all held gold in this era, and I have no doubt that they will all do whatever it takes to hold gold at least one more time just in case Mickey actually succeeds!
Tag Titles: The Neckbreakers © v. ???
Hans Gustav saw his training pay off last Monday when he and Kennedy shocked the world by defeating the Young Bucks to become the NEW Tag Team Champions! You have to feel for Mr. Perfect in all of this, though. That poor guy started this era tagging with Anvil, losing that partner, and now Kennedy betrays him to join the single-craziest wrestler in history, only to see his former partner then become a champion without him!
Back to the champions, though. Not shying away from a fight, Gustav asked Scott Nash to make this open challenge official, because they both want to be “fighting champions” as well as give HCW teams more of a chance than they have since the Fourth Era.
Tune in to see who accepts the challenge!
Main Event – Undisputed Title: Ted Dibiase Jr. © v. LA Knight
Bringing Mayhem to a close will be a match for the Undisputed Championship of the world. Dibiase’s first defense since ending the iconic 589-day reign of the arguable GOAT of all world champions will be quite the challenge as he defends against the resurgent LA Knight.
Knight is wanting to move on from the Extreme Title by getting to the top of the business, but he is up against a champion who is undefeated in PWI and HCW and riding a high unlike any other wrestler right now.
This will be a battle to watch, and one that I can’t wait to see!!
PWI
Premier Title: Attitude © v. Seth Rollins
Let’s move on to PWI, with the second to last installment of PWI’s Asylum. The bout kicking off the show will be Attitude generously defending his Premier Championship against Seth Rollins.
We have, tragically, not see Seth since the Epic Royale, and he is absolutely going to make the most of his shot at gold tonight.
Attitude, on the other hand, is ready to prove that he is the better half of the former Attraction by retaining the prize he claimed after winning the last men’s Premier Tournament.
The last time we saw the champion was when he was scorning Teo yet again, and telling him off. We saw their tag team die in front of us, and a defeated Teo left with his head held low. With Teo out of the picture, will Attitude finally be able to shine brighter than ever, or will his recent actions hang as an albatross around his soul, leaving an opening for an incredible upset at the hands of Seth?
Should be quite the bout to behold!
International Title: Charlotte Flair © v. Nikki Bella
The OTHER final Premier Tournament winner, and inaugural Women’s International Champion, Charlotte Flair, defends her title against the woman who defeated her to become the inaugural EWA Knockout’s Champion of the era at the conclusion of the first tournament of the era back at Hell Hath No Fury on November 30th, 2019: Nikki Bella.
I know that Nikki and her sister Brie haven’t been heavily featured as of late, but they are far from pushovers. They are mere victims of being lost in the shuffle of THE most stacked women’s division in industry history.
Make no mistake about it, this is NOT an opportunity that Nikki will take lightly, as she will do everything that she possibly can to get back to the top of the business, but the champion she is challenging is more laser focused on greatness than at any other point in her career.
Remember when I said that the HCW triple threat to determine the next challenger will likely be the underdog? Well, I said that because they will be going toe to toe with one of these two women, both of whom are near the top of the list of greatest women’s wrestlers of all time!
Paige v. Becky Lynch (2)
Speaking of the incredibly stacked women’s division, boy do we have a doozy for all of you?!
The next match is the product of the accidental rivalry which has spawned from Paige being caught in the crossfire of Becky and AJ’s drama. Paige first got involved in this by accident when she made the mistake of being a good friend to AJ Lee, but Lee snapped on her and made her regret her kindness. Then, as Paige was trying to exact some revenge on Lee, Becky intervened, costing Paige her match en route to Lee, but that eventually led to this battle, and now we have ourselves a little match between two women who’ve been accosted by the insane and highly manipulative AJ Lee!
It is hard to tell which of these incredible talented will win, but you can almost guarantee that AJ will be somewhere in the building watching as he precious Becky fights!
Main Event – No Holds Barred Match – Undisputed Title Shot at Armageddon 4: Randy Orton v. Matt Cardona (1)
Finally, we have the Main Event of Asylum, capped off by a high-stakes encounter between the Number One Contender Matt Cardona and the man he screwed over to win the Epic Royale, Randy Orton.
Orton is here because he insists that HE was the rightful winner of the Epic Royale, and that Matt owed him this opportunity to win Cardona’s shot at the Undisputed Title at Armageddon 4, but THAT wasn’t the start of all of this. Definitely not.
You may remember that Cardona has been nipping at Randy’s heels ever since they both got here. Cardona has always bragged that HE was the standard bearer of what a star looks like in this era after he led HLW/AXW to prominence back in the fall of 2022 and early 2023. He continued to poke the bear as he chided Orton for Randy’s setbacks a few months ago, and this whole thing exploded in an encounter back in the Main Event of the March 4th episode of Asylum.
Cardona, you will recall, won that encounter, and after he eliminated Randy in the Epic Royale (after Randy eliminated him behind the backs of the distracted officials), Randy has been steadfast in his goal of getting back at the former world champion who claims to be “Always Ready”.
Last time they fought one on one, it was for bragging rights. Tonight, it is for what may be their last chance at a world championship.
Let’s get ready for a classic match, a classic show, and a classic week in wrestling!
With all of that said, I am saddened to say that I won’t be producing another column for this weekend or early Monday. That will have to wait until next week, because I have been informed that I will be required to cover a press conference hosted by my brother, Chairman Mouse, which will occur within hours before Mayhem and Asylum air!
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 