QUICKIE -- Dracula Untold (2014)

Dracula Untold (previously known as Dracula: Year Zero) is a 2014 American dark fantasy action horror film directed by Gary Shore in his feature film debut and written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Rather than focus on Irish novelist Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, the film creates an origin story for its title character, Count Dracula, by re-imagining the story of Vlad the Impaler.

Cast:

Luke Evans as Vlad III Țepeș, the man who becomes the mythological Dracula
Sarah Gadon as Mirena / Mina Murray, wife of Vlad
Dominic Cooper as Mehmed II
Art Parkinson as Ingeras, son of Vlad / Dracula
Charles Dance as Master Vampire, the one who turns Vlad into a vampire. Charlie Cox was originally cast in the role but was replaced by Charles Dance and as a result his scenes as Master Vampire were reshot.
William Houston as Cazan
Ferdinand Kingsley as Hamza Bey
Noah Huntley as Captain Petru
Paul Kaye as Brother Lucian
Zach McGowan as Shkelgim, a gypsy chief
Ronan Vibert as Simion "The Wise"
Diarmaid Murtagh as Dumitru
Thor Kristjansson as Bright Eyes, a former slave who is now an assassin in the Ottoman Army
Joseph Long as Ömer
Samantha Barks as Baba Yaga; her scenes were later cut from the film

The Plot: (FULL Spoilers)

In the Middle Ages, Vlad the Impaler is the prince of Transylvania. As a child, he was enslaved by the Turkish Empire and trained to be a soldier in the Sultan's elite Janissary corp, where he became their most feared warrior, nicknamed the Impaler, after slaughtering thousands. Eventually sickened by his acts, he put aside his past and returned to rule Transylvania in peace. One day in the forest, Vlad and his soldiers discover a Turkish helmet in a stream, and fear that a Turkish scouting party is preparing the way for invasion. They follow the stream to a high mountain cave. Inside, the ground is carpeted in crushed bone, and they are attacked in the dark by an unknown creature. While his men are killed, Vlad escapes the cave into the sunlight, and the creature does not follow. Returning to his castle, Vlad finds out from a local monk that the creature is a vampire, once a man who made a pact with a demon in return for special powers.

The next day, as Vlad celebrates Easter with his wife Mirena, his son Ingeras, and his subjects, a Turkish contingent arrives unexpectedly at the castle. Vlad offers them the usual tribute payment of silver coins, but the emissary notes that a battalion of Turkish scouts has gone missing, implying that Vlad has had them killed, and demands an additional tribute of 1,000 boys for the Janissaries. Vlad refuses, but his army is small and no match for the Turks. He approaches the Turkish Sultan, Mehmed the Conqueror, offering himself in place of the boys, but the Sultan refuses, and demands Vlad's son in addition. In desperation, Vlad returns to the vampire's cave to seek help. The vampire offers him some of his blood, which will temporarily give Vlad the powers of a vampire. If he resists the intense urge to drink blood, after three days, he will turn back into a human. Otherwise, he will remain a vampire forever, and will one day be called upon to help his maker. Vlad accepts the offer and drinks the vampire's blood.

Waking up in the forest afterwards, Vlad discovers he has been granted heightened senses, increased strength, and the ability to transform into a flock of bats, but his skin slowly burns in direct sunlight. When he returns to Castle Dracula, the Turkish army attack, but Vlad single-handedly kills them all. He then sends most of the castle's subjects to Cozia Monastery, which is situated on the edge of a mountain. During the journey, Mirena learns of Vlad's curse, but accepts that he will regain his mortality once the Turks are defeated. A gypsy named Shkelgim, who knows Vlad is a vampire, proclaims himself as his servant and offers his own blood, but Vlad resists. As they near the monastery, the Transylvanians are ambushed by Turkish soldiers, and while Vlad and his men successfully repel them, Vlad's sudden increased strength arouses suspicion among his subjects. The next day at the monastery, a monk learns of the curse and leads the Transylvanians to turn on Vlad, trapping him in a burning building. Black smoke blocks out the sun, allowing an outraged Vlad to escape the fire, and he angrily reveals that he became a vampire for the sole purpose of protecting his people from the Turks.

That night, the Turkish army marches on the monastery. Vlad commands an enormous swarm of bats to repel them; however, the soldiers are actually a decoy force, allowing a handful of Turks to infiltrate the monastery and kidnap Ingeras. Mirena tries to defend her son, and falls from the edge of the monastery wall. Dying, Mirena pleads with Vlad to drink her blood before the sun rises to give him the strength to save their son. Vlad reluctantly drinks her blood, triggering his final transformation into a full-blooded vampire and granting him even greater powers. Vlad returns to the monastery and turns a small group of survivors into vampires as well. At the Turkish camp, Mehmed prepares for a massive invasion of Europe. Vlad's vampires arrive and massacre the soldiers, while Vlad himself goes after Mehmed, who is holding Ingeras captive. Aware that vampires are weakened by silver, Mehmed has lined the floor of his tent with silver coins and fights Vlad with a silver sword. He overpowers Vlad and prepares to impale his heart with a wooden stake, but Vlad turns into a flock of bats and evades him. Taking the name "Dracula, Son of the Devil", he kills Mehmed and drinks his blood.

As they leave Mehmed's tent, Dracula and Ingeras are confronted by the other vampires, who demand that his son be killed because he is human. The monk who had previously led the Transylvanians against Vlad appears and keeps the vampires at bay with the Christian Cross. Dracula orders the monk to take Ingeras away, then uses his power to clear the black clouds in the sky. The sunlight burns the vampires into dust, while Dracula collapses into a charred corpse. With Europe saved from invasion, Ingeras is crowned the new Prince of Transylvania, and Vlad the Impaler is presumed dead. However, Shkelgim secretly takes Dracula into the shadows and revives him with his blood.

In the present day, Vlad meets a woman named Mina, who strikingly resembles Mirena, in the streets of a modern city, and they have a conversation about a line of poetry they have in common. The vampire who cursed Vlad watches them from afar, and anticipates what he has planned for Dracula in the future, saying, "Let the games begin".

The Verdict:

Let's watch that awesome trailer for this film one more time before I get to the actual review:

Now that's out of the way, let's get down to business shall we? Don't worry this review is going to be a quickie - short and sweet.

Pros

Insert some iconic Castlevania music and give Luke Evans a whip and
we have a film adaptation of Castlevania on our hands...

Dracula Untold is a film that doesn't drag along nor beat around the brush. It has a tight, cohesive narrative that gets straight to the point without any filler or unnecessary bullshit to extend the runtime. Yeah, I'm looking at you, Transformers: Age of Extinction. However, any gamer who has played Mercurysteam's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trilogy that featured Hideo Kojima's personal reimagining of the classic Castlevania lore, you can easily identify a lot of the influences on this narrative. I refuse to believe that this film was made out of pure coincidence when there are far too many similarities to Dracula's origin story here and Gabriel Belmont's fall from grace in that video game. I would love to know how Hideo Kojima felt about this film.

You cannot help but adore Luke Evans and Sarah Gadon's natural romantic chemistry onscreen. The duo makes a charming yet captivating couple that assists in drawing viewers into their romance. Luke Evans effortlessly swaps from between a merciless warrior to compassionate and loving husband as Vlad/Dracula throughout each scene while Sarah Gadon's Mirena acts his emotional anchor to aid him in maintaining the last remnants of his humanity. When Mirena is lost, that is when Vlad truly transforms into a monster - mind, body, and soul.

Great action sequences, tons of Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit flashbacks and nostalgia.

Luke Evans makes completely believable Dracula. He is empathetic as anti-hero and terrifying as a villain when needed. That being said, this film had a great cast from top to bottom. Marvel's Agent Carter and Captain America: The First Avenger's own Dominic Cooper stars as the villainous Mehmed II in this film while Game of Thrones' Charles Dance rounds off this stellar cast.

Cons

The film is a little TOO short. It barely comes close to a 90 min. runtime, leaving a huge "That's it??" impression on most viewers.

Sadly, the narrative is VERY predictable, especially if you have ever seen a Dracula film over the last 30+ decades you know how his origin plays out. From the start, viewers should know that you have known this film wouldn't have a "happy" ending.

Last but not least, the film's ending/cliffhanger teaser shows next to NO originality. Whether you are in the same boat as me with this film ripping off elements from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow or not, the teaser just confirms that any possible sequels will just merely recycle more Dracula/Nosferatu lore and literature that has been done over and over again by Hollywood. I don't know about anyone else, but I was looking for something a bit more fresh here in terms of a tease for a sequel. A part of me was quietly craving that they would confirm the connection to the Castlevania video game franchise and make the sequel an appropriate live adaptation of that video game.

Hey... that's a MUCH better idea than those rumors of letting Paul W.S. Anderson direct a possible Castlevania film... (shudders)

Buy It, Rent It, Or Don't Bother?

I'm honestly floating between rent it or don't bother. It's a rather short film and I'm pretty sure it would be shown on television in no time, but if you want that vampire fix that doesn't involve the "sparkly" vampires of Twilight then give this a shot. 

The cliffhanger ending teases a sequel, so it wouldn't hurt to see this first entry in a potential trilogy.

Late Night Ramblings (Feb. 1, 2015) -- NSFW Edition (Ages 18+ Up ONLY)

Okay, this is a discussion/rant that I wanted to have with my mature older peeps for a while now as it's driving me nuts as I fail to understand it in my 30 years of life. I'm sure there's going to be a TON of people laughing after this article, so go nuts.

To protect people's privacy I won't say any names,  but I'm going to open with a story.

I know this one guy in particular (I really can't call him a friend as I honestly can't call him that it's more of an acquaintance) who I had some classes with in college, who PROUDLY boasts about his collection of smut and pornography - a whopping 9+ terabytes of videos and photos. The guy spends most of his free time finding more content to save onto his multiple hard drives and burn onto CDs, DVDs, and even now Blu-Rays. He does the same with ALL of his pirated games, movies, and TV shows as well, but that's not the point of this discussion. The thing I want to know is why in BLUE HELL do you need that much porn in your life when you have a fucking girlfriend? Please, can someone explain that shit to me. I just don't get why is that a necessity.

This was the same guy complaining about Lisa Ann "retiring" while I'm going, "If you run out of her videos to watch then something's CLEARLY wrong..." Lemme stop, you guys are prolly busting a gut by now laughing.

This isn't the only individual I've ran into with this puzzling dilemma. I have worked with guys over the years who have just as much porn or are living encyclopedias on the stars like I am on 70s to early 90s Marvel Comics' factoids, yet they are happily married. One of the them said it honestly keeps him from infidelity since his wife and/or fiancee literally won't allow him to touch her after having kids, which is TOTALLY understandable when you're already juggling a kid or two.

This even brings me to that Don Jon (2013) movie with Joseph Gordan-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson, where the protagonist was jerking off to porn after banging Scarlett Johansson. Hello! Shouldn't you be waking her up for round two if you're THAT damn horny? (Laughs) Seriously, watch that movie if you haven't people. It's hilarious on a LOT of levels - something for both men and women to relate to there.


Don't get me wrong. I'm NOT knocking anyone who does or does not watch porn. What I'm getting at is why the hell do you need THAT much of it? If you have THAT much porn, I'm surprise your "equipment" down there even STILL functions - let alone if you aren't already blind in both eyes.

Since we're still talking about porn, there's another issue I have a problem with...

Why the fuck there's STILL people in this day and age who go to a public library or educational facility (such as a college campus) and jerk off to porn in a public setting after using the computers there? I've even heard stories about people looking at porn at work and jerking off in their cubicles. In the words of Jim Cornette, WHAT THE FUCK!!!???

That kinda shit is just all kinds of wrong. I can understand people have their own things that gets them off but c'mon... Do that shit on your own time AT HOME. It pisses me off more and more as I get older when I notice that humanity is becoming more and more uninhibited about not having any shame in public. Show some respect for yourselves people.

A few weeks ago CollegeHumor put up a hilarious article (link is VERY NSFW, so you've been warned) that I had me falling out laughing at. The guy has a point y'know...

Then this past week, MTV's Guy Code did an article facial expressions after "accidentally" clicking on porn at work. Like how that shit can be a damn accident? Most jobs I've worked had kiddy block in most offices or enough firewalls, barriers, Internet blocks that you would be lucky to be able to check your email or even load up Facebook.

(Laughs) C'mon, you can't stay in the bathroom applying "ointment" and shouting forever, folks. Okay, rant over. Back to our regularly scheduled programming...

REVIEW -- Strider (2014)

Strider, known in Japanese as Strider Hiryû, is the fifth entry in the Strider franchise. As with previous Strider games, it is a 2D side-scrolling action platformer; however, this game introduces a semi-open world and exploration elements. The game was developed by Double Helix Games, while working closely with the Capcom team in Osaka, including the designer of Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts and the enemy artist on Strider 2.

The game was released through digital distribution in February 2014 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and on PC via Steam.

Story Overview: 

The game is said to be a retelling of the "classic Strider story", or the basic setting used in both Strider and Strider 2 focused in the confrontation between Hiryu and Grandmaster Meio, but intended for a modern audience[5]. Set in the year "Meio 0048" in an alternate dystopian future Earth under the oppressive iron-fisted rule of the mysterious and all-powerful Grandmaster Meio. Hiryu, the youngest agent to reach Special-A Class in the hellish Striders training program, is sent on a mission to eliminate Grand Master Meio, as he is the only one capable of carrying out such a mission.

Gameplay: 

Strider is described as an intense side-scrolling action platformer, in which the player controls Hiryu and freely explore the expansive metropolis known as "Kazakh City", gaining new abilities and support items which, in turn, can be used to open up previously-locked areas of the city. Hiryu retains his acrobatic movements and ability to climb through any surface. Also, he inherits techniques from previous Strider games as well as his fighting game appearances. In addition, he can acquire powers that are new to the Strider series.

The game's main mode, "Story Mode", includes three selectable difficulties. There are two unlockable "Challenge Modes" to be found in-game: "Beacon Run" is a race-style mode where players are challenged to reach checkpoints across enemy-infested areas as fast as possible; while "Survival" test a player's fighting skills against waves of enemies. All three modes have ranked scores for fastest times and global leaderboards.

There are also a set of 11 costumes to be unlocked, and a customization option after all are found that lets one alter the colors of Hiryu's uniform.

Controls

Unlike previous games in the series, Hiryu's health is represented by a Health bar positioned at the top-right side of the screen. A Plasma Energy bar below it represents energy required for some of Hiryu's techniques. Left of both bars is a circular gauge marked with Hiryu's "Hi" kanji, known as the Charge Strike Meter; this gauge fills up as Hiryu hits enemies and decreases when he's hit himself, and when filled up Hiryu goes into Charge Mode: he starts glowing and his attack and range are increased for a short period of time. The top-left side of the screen includes a mini-map which shows Hiryu's exact location and his current objective. During boss fights, the map is replaced with the boss' health bar.

Hiryu's trademark freedom of movement and agility remains intact in this game. Hiryu can jump, cartwheel, slide, dash, perform flips and move across any direction, as well as climb through almost any surface and angled platform in his way to maneuver around and reach new areas. During the course of the game, Hiryu will unlock several moves which further expands his mobility options, such as the "Double Jump" or the "Plasma Catapult".

Hiryu retains his iconic Cypher as his sole weapon of choice. His attack options have been greatly expanded, now being able to swing at different angles, below and above him as well as perform an overhead uppercut slash that sends enemies flying upwards. The Cypher can also be upgraded with several new moves found throughout the game. Hiryu can also perform his signature Slide attack and later obtains throwing Kunai, which lets him attack enemies at a distance or who are otherwise difficult to approach.

Techniques

Hiryu can unlock several different techniques and modes for his Cypher as he progress in the game. This time, however, they are also vital for stage progression as they are required to open or break through closed areas. These techniques need to be obtained from special pickup containers or "cradles" scattered across the game, hidden away and/or protected by boss fights.

Physical Techniques

Slide Assault/Assault Fang - An upgraded Slide kick which destroys any enemy in its way. It can also break through closed ventilation shafts.

Double Jump - Hiryu performs a second jump in mid-air.

Plasma Catapult - Hiryu does a quick dash in mid-air. This technique can be aimed at any direction and can be used to pass through traps like laser grids, or to perform a swift evasive dash. It can also be used to traverse through warps. When unlocked, a small circular blue meter appears next to the Charge Strike Meter, which depletes after each use and refills automatically.

The Plasma Catapult has four unlockable upgrades mimicking the four Cypher forms: "Reflect" grants the plasma trail the ability to deflect bullets, "Explosive" damages any enemy in its path, "Ultra-Cold" freezes enemies in place and "Magnetic" stuns enemies and attracts bullets towards them.

Charge Mode: A super mode activated after filling up the Charge Strike Meter. Hiryu's body is wrapped in white plasma and both his attack range and strength are doubled. All action is shown in slow-motion as well. This mode last around 5 seconds.

Cypher Techniques

Charged Cypher/Charge Attack - Hiryu charges up the Cypher and swings with twice its normal range. This technique is the only one that can destroy the big defense shield carried by certain enemies and is required to charge the "Eye Gates" to open up closed doors.

Down Strike - In mid-air, Hiryu charges up and then dives downward to strike the ground with a powerful shockwave attack. This can destroy any enemy in close proximity and break through weak/damaged floors.

Cypher Upgrades

Reflect Cypher - Indicated by the scarf turning a deep red/crimson. Hiryu deflects any shots he hits away, and if hit with perfect timing, the shots will reflect back at enemies.

Explosive Cypher/Burst Cypher - Indicated by the scarf turning orange, it increases the strength of the Cypher and sets enemies on fire, draining their life further. It also breaks through doors of the same color.

Ultra-Cold Cypher - Indicated by the scarf turning blue, the Cold Cypher freezes any enemy it attacks in place, creating a temporary platform for Hiryu to use. It can also break through doors of the same color.

Magnetic Cypher - Indicated by the scarf turning purple, the Magnetic Cypher lets Hiryu shoot plasma waves as projectiles which later return to him like boomerangs. It can also break through doors of the same color.

Kunai - Hiryu throws 3 Kunai at enemies. Can be done from standing or while climbing, but they use the Plasma Energy bar. They are also used to open special locked doors. There are upgrades for the Kunai as well: 4 Kunai upgrades (increasing number of Kunai thrown up to 8), 3 Range upgrades and 4 Plasma forms like the Cypher:

Reflect Kunai: The Kunai bounce off surfaces when thrown.
Explosive Kunai: In this form, Kunai become sticky bombs, sticking onto enemies and exploding after a short time.
Ultra-Cold Kunai: Provides the throwing knives with the same freezing power of the Ultra-Cold Cypher.
Magnetic Kunai: Kunai gain homing capabilities when thrown, swarming enemies before returning to Hiryu.

Options

Hiryu also gets access to his three support robots, the Options. They have been updated with new attacks, inspired by their behavior in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, and functions. When obtained, a small square icon below the energy bar indicates which Option are active. They can be summoned at the same time now, but each summon uses up part of the Plasma Energy bar.

Option-A (Dipodal Saucer): The Satellite Option. Once active it produces two satellite bots that spin around Hiryu, protecting him from projectile attacks as well as shooting yellow plasma orbs whenever Hiryu attacks. They can also be used to hack through computer-protected control devices.

Option-B (Tetrapodal Robo-Panther): The Panther-type Option. Once obtained, Hiryu can summon it to attack crowds in front of him, doing more damage with each slain enemy. When used near the Panther monuments, the Option will perform a speed-dash or "Panther Run" to carry Hiryu across long distances.

Option-C (Robot Eagle): The Eagle-type Option. Once obtained, Hiryu can summon it to perform a quick swoop attack from above at enemies in front of him. When used near Eagle Perchs, the Option will carry Hiryu across the stage to another perch.

Pickups

Pickups in Strider are meant to be found and collected rather than being temporary power-ups or score-up items, like in its predecessors. As such, these items are often not readily visible or they require backtracking and using a skill that's unlocked as the game progress.

The map found in the Pause Menu shows the total percentage of items collected in any one of the game's 10 areas.

Capsule
Small floating containers that can be found in large numbers all over Kazakh City. Destroying these restores a bit of Hiryu's health. They're not a collectable item.

Large Canister
Larger version of the Capsule, this item restores Hiryu to full health. There are a total of 61 Large Canisters, and destroying them all unlocks a Trophy/Achievement.

Pickup Cradle
A large plasma container that upgrades several of Hiryu's stats as well as unlocking his techniques. There are 53 Pickup Cradles, either hidden away or protected by the game's bosses.

Item Unlock Pickup
A small floating "Pow"-shaped item. Finding them unlocks bonus content such as concept art, Challenge Mode courses and storyline info. There are 97 unlock pickups in the game.

Fallen Striders
A small floating item using the original game's "1UP" item sprite. There are 11 of them, each one unlocking an alternate color costume for Hiryu. Besides the Trophy/Achievement, finding them all unlocks a Color Customize mode.

Version Differences

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version of Strider provide an increase of resolution and frame-rate over the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, 1080P and 60FPS over the latter's 720P and 30FPS. These versions also include extra graphical upgrades such as increased character model fidelity, "Screen Space Ambience Occlusion" (SSAO), better shadow filtering and lighting, and larger and more expressive particle effects.

The Japanese PlayStation 3 version received an exclusive retail/physical release alongside the worldwide digital version. Both Japanese versions also include additional exclusive content: a custom "Strider" PS3 theme, a special video with an interview with the original coin-op director Kouichi Yotsui, and download codes for "Game Archives" versions of the PlayStation ports of Strider and Strider 2. The physical version was also issued in a limited edition bundle called Strider Hiryu Special-A Class Limited Edition with several extra goods, sold through Capcom's "e-Capcom" online shop.

At the time of this writing, there are no plans to release any exclusive/additional content for the game's English release.

The Verdict:

This isn't going to be a long review as this game is pretty straight-forward. 

God I love the remixed NES Strider music in this game. Much like the Killer Instinct revival, Double Helix knows how to respectfully pay homage to previous iterations of a franchise while simultaneously leaving their own unique mark. 

If you're a fan of old school games such as Metroid, Mega Man, or Castlevania, then you're definitely going to get your Metroidvania fix of days of gaming yore. There's tons of exploration to do to acquire all of the items, upgrades, and additional costumes if you're looking to end the game with 100% completion. I humbly suggest backtracking after you acquire every new upgrade and ability or you're going to forget where you saw that one particular door or area that you needed a new upgrade or ability to access later. Also, don't be afraid to venture outside of the suggested path towards your next destination. In terms of exploration, I wish there was an option like in Castlevania: Lord of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, to write personal notes about hidden items and such on the World Map. While I do appreciate that the World Map does have icons to remind players of what upgrades/abilities to acquire hidden items, it's pretty vague on everything else, especially the Fallen Striders that you need to collect to unlock new costumes for Strider Hiryu.

In terms of action, there's plenty of that to behold here. You will glide Strider Hiryu through each area, hacking and slashing your way through any and everything in your way. One thing I love that's a throwback to classic Castlevania titles is the ability to direct your Cypher strikes with the d-pad much like the Belmont family's whip attacks. If I had one major complaint about this game is how the difficulty isn't consistent here. I completed the game on Normal on my first playthrough with the game juggling from cheap as fuck (specifically that area where you acquire the Ultra-Cold Cypher where the cyborgs in the laboratory have those machine-gun plasma rifles that wear down your health bar to zero in seconds) to brain-dead easily, with little to no challenge. Fortunately, ALL of the boss encounters were a blast to endure and overcome, but I felt there were FAR too many recycled bosses from previous Strider titles and not enough original foes. I understand this is a reboot/remake, but come on. The biggest disappointment was the final boss being almost a COMPLETE rehash from the final confrontation from Strider 2. 

Rent It? Buy It? Or Don't Bother?

Definitely buy it. It's available for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Steam for a reasonable price. It's a great concise narrative that's truly a blast to play. This is a game you won't just play once and walk away from it. More of this, please, Double Helix. 

Capcom should trust these guys to remake or retool more of their classic properties.

WWE Royal Rumble 2015 -- Results, Afterthoughts, AND Fan Backlash

Royal Rumble (2015) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on January 25, 2015 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the twenty-eighth annual Royal Rumble event and the first to air on the WWE Network.

Like the previous year's event, it was marked by an extremely negative audience reaction to the main Royal Rumble match. However, there was high praise for the event's WWE World Heavyweight Championship triple threat match between Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Seth Rollins.

Let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room and talk about all of the negativity surrounding this event shall we?

Pre-Show: Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (with Natalya and Adam Rose) defeated The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) (with Xavier Woods)

Some of the Rosebuds working WWE Royal Rumble in Philadelphia were former TNA Knockout Taeler Hendrix, Ring of Honor star Mandy Leon and other women's stars Heather Lynn, Renee Michelle and Jenna Rose.

By the way, I'm LOVING the new shirts worn by Adam Rose and Cesaro for this stable. Where can I get one, WWE?

I think this has been one of the better matches that both of these teams have had since starting this feud. It's a damn shame that it was reduced to being on the preshow, littered with commercials like it was on RAW or SmackDown! Great exchange from both teams at the end for the finish. If WWE wants to make this into a serious, legitimate feud then I'm all for it.

Speaking of the Bullet Club, it was reported that members of that gaijin stable in New Japan Pro Wrestling were supporting Tyson Kidd and Cesaro on social media after the event. If I were to pick two Superstars who I know who would be able to transition and be successful in NJPW it's Kidd and Cesaro.

The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) defeated The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn)

Pretty bland match, but I can't complain. After jobbing out to every tag team on RAW Reunion a week prior, it was good to see the Ascension pick up a win. I personally thought those guys were boring in NXT and it's more painfully obvious on the main roster. If I were WWE, I would have brought the Ascension in as the Authority's bodyguards, much like how the Shield were during their infancy of their careers.

The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) (c) defeated The Miz and Damien Mizdow Tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship

If you've seen one Usos vs. Miz/Mizdow match, you've seen them all. I felt this match was a complete throwaway and a complete waste of time. This should've been on the preshow and the New Day vs. Brass Ring Club match should gotten this air-time.

Now I know what some of you would say something negative about the WWE Tag titles being defended on the preshow, but if they are going to treat that title along with that division as filler then it might as well be on the preshow. I'll just say this much - Miz/Mizdow deserve better than this shit, and the Usos - the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions - deserve even better.

The Bella Twins (Brie Bella and Nikki Bella) defeated Paige and Natalya

This wasn't a bad match at all, but the Philly crowd weren't into it in the least. It did feel like a match that should have been on either RAW or SmackDown! the following week, but I thought the Bella Twins showed some great teamwork from start to finish. I only had two gripes about this match: 1) why did Paige have little to no involvement in the in-ring action? That seemed a bit odd that she was screaming to get in to no avail when the finish came up. 2) Speaking of the finish, that was just awkward. Natalya got pinned off a Running Forearm Smash? That was just too lame to end the match with there. Everything else about the match was solid until that one point. It seemed like they were pressed for time and told the Divas to wrap it up ASAP for they could move onto the WWE title match and Rumble matches.

That being said, I wouldn't mind if they continue this feud until WrestleMania 31, where it turns into a Fatal 4 Way for Nikki's Divas Championship after Brie Bella shows her true colors as she was waiting for the opportune moment to stab her sister in the back after being reduced to her sidekick and servant while Paige and Natalya fall out and it turns into a rather heated rivalry between all 4 women involved.

I for one would be all for this as we don't have AJ Lee anywhere near the Divas Championship as I think she's worn out her welcome in that position over the past two years and it gives the Divas Division the opportunity to have a legitimate SERIOUS match on the grandest stage of them all instead of a piss-break match.

At the same time, it frees up AJ Lee's agenda if WWE were to do that Stephanie McMahon vs. AJ Lee feud that people have been clamoring for. In my humble opinion, it would be overkill as it would pretty much DEMAND that Triple H and CM Punk get involved at some point or another. I doubt both sides would be comfortable airing that dirty laundry in storyline this close to his UFC debut and on top of that, it would do nothing but start the "CM PUNK" chants that have died out for the most part.

Brock Lesnar (c) (with Paul Heyman) defeated John Cena and Seth Rollins (with Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury) Triple threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

This was easily the match of the evening, topping the Rumble Match itself. While I wish there was more "wrestling" to it, it was a superb match and easily the best WWE title defense in a LONG time. Let's be serious here though - from start to finish, this match was a spotfest.

I'm guessing that Seth Rollins is going to cash in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania 31 after Brock Lesnar defeats Roman Reigns in a post-match assault. 

Roman Reigns won by last eliminating Rusev in the 30-man Royal Rumble match for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 31

(Whistles) You KNOW it's bad when you're booed out of the building even after The Rock joins you in the ring. Unlike the live audience in attendance and most fans watching around the world, I wasn't pissed off. Instead I was disappointed. I was disappointed mainly in the fact that WWE (namely Vince McMahon) hasn't learned his lesson from last year. Vince refuses to listen to the fans. Instead, he insists on shoving who he wants us to cheer for down our throats. I still find it pretty ironic that a year ago, everyone was clamoring for Roman Reigns to win the Rumble. If you go back and read my write-up on last year's Rumble match I even named him the MVP for the match last year. After the Shield's break-up Roman Reigns is the only one who remains stagnant. I'm not saying that's a good thing. Previously, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins didn't have anything I could credit them for as individual characters. Now they both have come to their own after refining their own individual gimmicks and personas. As for Roman Reigns, he's the same character that he has been since the Shield's debut. I think fans (myself included) are waiting for Roman Reigns to leave the Shield gimmick behind and become his own Superstar, but instead WWE (namely Vince McMahon yet again) wants to keep him as this one-dimensional character with no substance. That's why fans aren't buying into him as WWE's next big star. Roman Reigns needs more time to grow on us. A World title win this early into his career is only going to doom him to a bland career that Sheamus can easily relate to.

As for this match itself, it wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. While it was cool to see Bubba Ray Dudley (Bully Ray from Impact Wrestling) back home in WWE, Diamond Dallas Paige (who looked like he was getting quickly winded in the short duration that he was in this match), and The Boogeyman (even better to have him confront Bray Wyatt in a Biggest Weirdo stand off), I wish WWE spaced out these "surprises" a bit further apart instead of jam packed in the beginning with the Wyatt Family reunion tease/swerve.

I wasn't mad with the Roman Reigns being the winner I was more disappointed with how this match (starting with the moment Daniel Bryan came into it to the finish) played out. In my opinion, I felt like the final six survivors in this match should have been Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, and Daniel Bryan. Out of those 6 Superstars, they could have had the brief Shield reunion to eliminate the reunited tag team of Big Show and Kane (whom I wish WWE does something with long-term as it would be a great challenge for the Tag Team division if they were pushed like they were in 2005 as legitimate threat). This would have been a more climatic finale to this match between those six Superstars as they represent the future of WWE. No matter who you were pulling for out of those six Superstars, it would have been a nail-biting dynamic to have the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner (Cesaro), the man who vanished the Authority (Dolph Ziggler), the former Shield brethren (Ambrose & Reigns), the Eater of Worlds (Bray Wyatt) and the man with the Cinderella-style return story (Daniel Bryan) all butting heads in this finale.

Hell, there was an even better option. Don't even have Daniel Bryan in this match at all and spare everyone the disappointment of him getting eliminated prematurely. I personally didn't see the point of even having him in this match when he got eliminated quicker than most of the jobbers and guys in midcard hell (Kofi Kingston, Big E, Jack Swagger, etc.) in this match. That would have lessened the blow and outrage of Roman Reigns picking up the win.

I still find it hilarious that after all of the time that WWE insults our intelligence as fans, THIS was the straw that broke the camel's back. On top of that, most of these "upset" fans were the same people wanting Roman Reigns to win the Rumble LAST year when Batista won. Damn, can't please everyone huh?

If I'm completely honest, I feel that WWE shouldn't have split up the Wyatt Family nor the Shield over the past year. Think about how long the Hardy Boyz, Edge & Christian, Too Cool, D-Generation X, and several other stables stayed together before going their own separate ways. There was still a lot of good both of those factions could have done as a single unit but WWE is in such a panic mode to create the next John Cena, or rather CM Punk, in his absence instead of allowing these guys to mature first. To be quite honest, that's exactly who Ambrose reminds me of with a sprinkle of Steve Austin and Brian Pillman.

To be fair, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have come into their own and I'm cool with that, but I think the tag team division and the entire landscape of WWE as a whole would have benefited as a whole with those two stables still in mix for competition, especially with the sudden formation of all of these 3+ member groups popping up left and right: Los Matadores (Epico & Primo w/ El Torito), New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, Xavier Woods), Brass Ring Club (Cesaro, Tyson Kidd, Adam Rose, Natalya), The Usos (Jimmy & Jey, Naomi), and even Big Cass, Enzo Amore, and Carmella down on NXT.

Closing Thoughts

Truth be told, I was sitting at my computer laughing at the entire #CancelWWENetwork hashtag's popularity after this event Sunday night - even more so after word got around that  the amount of unsubscribes crashed the Unsubscribe page on the Network's site. I think some of the reactions were a bit overboard and blown out of proportion, but whatever as long as people stop telling me how or what I should be spending my money on as a wrestling fan. Just to clarify, I had one or paid for a WWE Network subscription in the first place outside of the free trials. My $9.99 is currently going towards NJPW World.

To those who are truly fed up with WWE programming, consider it a blessing in disguise. Now you have a bit more free time to check out a lot of the alternatives out there in professional wrestling today - that is IF you're willing to take the time to look for them. Much like the #RAWlternative event on social media last week, a TON of independent promotions, such as FWE Wrestling and even CHIKARA Pro held free streams (or continuing to offer free samples of their programming) to draw in new viewers. If you have the El Rey Network you can check out Lucha Underground, or if you have the AXS Network you can check out New Japan Pro Wrestling's new programming block that just started. Unlike most people on social media, I'm not going to make fun of those who are fed up because I was there before. I took a break from WWE programming shortly after the Invasion angle ran its course. I took the time to explore what else was out there outside of WWE's kingdom. When I eventually came back to WWE's product, I had a deeper appreciation for what I like and dislike in professional wrestling as a whole - not just limited to WWE's product.

As for the interview between Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns, and Brock Lesnar, I applaud WWE for this as the snow day cancellation of Monday Night RAW was a blessing in disguise and forced them to think outside of the box to sell this match for WrestleMania. Reigns gave his best promo to date (that's not saying much I know...) while Paul Heyman set the stage for a match that should be monumental, if not historic for both of these Superstars careers. I'm personally pulling for Reigns to lose here, but in the back of my mind I feel like Lesnar will lose the title here regardless to Seth Rollins cashing in Money in the Bank at the last moment after Reigns does all of the work to wear Lesnar down. On top of that, I would not be surprised if The Rock is in Reigns' corner at WrestleMania. I can't be too surprised that this segment was good - after all, Paul Heyman was attached to it. 'Nuff said.

Where do we go from here?

There's some buzz and rumors floating around about the following four matches:

• Triple H vs. Sting

• Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler

• Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker

• Another Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Triple H vs. Sting

Even though I don't even want to see this, it seems like it's going to happen either way. I just hope that this sets the stage for Sting vs. The Undertaker next year at WrestleMania since they confirmed it's in Taker's home state of Texas. 

Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler

These two have been reportedly teasing this across social media over the last few days, but I don't see any benefit from this rather than being the "show-stealer" match that has no purpose on the undercard.

Dolph Ziggler's career has pretty much gone back straight onto the back burner, despite his win at Survivor Series, only to be overshadowed by Sting's debut and everyone else getting a chance to move up the ladder but him. Daniel Bryan's renewed Cinderella story already got derailed before it even started again, so I would love to see how they try to sell this match outside of the wrestling aspect of it, which I know is going to be awesome no matter how stupid the build is. 

Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker

I think it's time that Taker passed on the torch of being WWE's iconic haunting figure to Bray Wyatt. I would love to see how these two figures interact with each other in a WrestleMania build-up.

Another Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

I honestly don't see a point with this. Cesaro got next to no push nor opportunities after this and he's still in the same spot he was at last year before winning it. If the winner got a title shot or something that would move them up the ladder or through the glass ceiling instead of the trophy, then I'm all for it. Otherwise, use the time to for huge Tag Team Turmoil match or something. 

My Wrestling Wishlist for 2015

Happy New Year here on Let's Talk Wrestling and it's that time again. Another year, another new wrestling wishlist.

As you all know, I did this last year as well, so let's start off by looking back at my wishlist for 2014:

• Daniel Bryan gets the babyface push that he has deserved since WWE Payback 2013
• SEVERAL midcarders need to break the glass ceiling - especially Kofi Kingston, Antonio Cesaro, Damien Sandow, and Dolph Ziggler. -- Ziggler and Cesaro have their face's pressed against the ceiling, banging, and begging to break through. They aren't quite there YET.
• AJ Lee loses the Divas Championship
• WWE finds a consistent creative direction for BOTH WWE Tag Team and Divas Divisions
• Make me give a damn who is holding the Intercontinental and/or United States Championships -- Rusev vs Ryback and Ziggler vs Luke Harper are a good start.
• John Cena Challenges The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX and Ends The Streak Brock Lesnar ended the Streak at WrestleMania XXX and I can live with that
• Sting to induct The Ultimate Warrior into Hall of Fame Class of 2014 -- At least Warrior got inducted. Rest in peace.
• "Macho Man" Randy Savage to be inducted into Hall of Fame Class of 2014 -- Vince McMahon confirmed that Savage will be in the HOF at a later date, namely the centerpiece of the Class of 2015.
• No Celebrity Involved in any Bullshit Matches at WrestleMania XXX
• All of the remaining WWE Divas are added to the cast of Total Divas -- The only Divas not on Total Divas are Naomi (removed after Season 2), JoJo (removed after Season 1), Emma, Layla, Lana, Renee Young, Eden Stiles, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Stephanie McMahon.
• The Divas Championship to be defended at WrestleMania XXX

• Better Finishers on NXT -- This happened in a way. The only lame finisher is CJ Parker's high five to the face, a poor man's Shotei. 
• Sami Zayn and Leo Kruger to move to the main WWE roster -- Leo Kruger was repackaged as Adam Rose on the main roster to lackluster results.
• Find a direction for the NXT Tag Team Division -- Between the Lucha Dragons, Vaudevillains, Enzo & Big Cass (w/ Carmella), Buddy Murphy & Wesley Blake, Tye Dillinger & Jason Jordan, The Legionnaires, and Hideo Itami & Finn Balor, NXT has more than enough tag teams to keep this division fresh.

• TNA signs more women to the Knockouts division -- We saw Santana Garrett join as Brittany and Jessicka Havok join as the new female powerhouse, Havok. 
• Reinvigorate the X-Division
• Reinvigorate the TNA Tag Team Division -- There's only a few tag teams left, but good Lord, TNA went out of their way to keep tag team wrestling alive in 2014 with the Best of Three Series between the Wolves, Hardyz, and Team 3D.
• Push Samoa Joe as a main eventer again
• End the Joseph Park/Abyss angle
• If Magnus truly is going to be the future of TNA, then he shouldn't have the entire locker room of Dixie's cronies to bail him out of potentially losing title matches

• Ring of Honor obtains a mainstream audience with a consistent primetime TV slot
• Decade needs a better direction with their goals than coming off as a mediocre replacement to S.C.U.M.
• The Top Prospect Tournament needs more exposure -- ROH are doing a better job with advertising this tournament this year with some strong candidates in the tournament this year, including Ashley Sixx and Will Ferrera.

My Wishlist for 2015

I wish to maintain my wishes from last year that didn't pan out and build onto them with the following.

Daniel Bryan wins the 2015 Royal Rumble

In 2014, it's was Daniel Bryan's year to take the reigns and drive the momentum and hype to WrestleMania and end with the biggest win of his career. It almost didn't happen but we got HALF of that last year after CM Punk's departure followed by angst . Sadly, it was deterred even more after Daniel Bryan's injury that almost put him on the shelf for good.

I just hope and pray that Daniel Bryan calm down a bit on his reckless fighting style a bit and take it easily. He's not invincible.

If there's any justice in the world, Dolph Ziggler or Antonio Cesaro would win the Royal Rumble, but I think there's a better chance of either Hulk Hogan, Sting, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker or even John Cena himself winning the Rumble than that. 

Keep Total Divas from influencing storylines and feuds in the Divas Division

Cool. I get the reality TV show draws in new viewers and interest to the Divas, but WWE doesn't have to cater to those fans. Focus on the WRESTLING aspect. That's why everything the girls on NXT do shits on everything the Divas on the main roster have done in the past 2-3 years in comparison.

Keep AJ Lee FAR away from the Divas Championship this year

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm sick of seeing AJ Lee at the top of the division for the past two years. Let's allow some of the other Divas to grow and have opportunities to shine.

To create something truly special at WrestleMania for the Divas, I would love a Four Corners Divas & NXT Women's Championship Match between Natalya (w/ Bret Hart), Charlotte (w/ Ric Flair), Paige (w/ Saraya Knight), and Stephanie McMahon (w/ Vince McMahon)

This is HIGHLY unlikely but I'm throwing it out there. I know the AJ Lee marks want their Steph vs. AJ match but I decline to that feud namely for the fact that it would pretty much demand that CM Punk get involved and that's not happening as long as he's in UFC. Alternately, Tamina Snuka with Jimmy Snuka could replace Stephanie and Vince here.

WWE keeps Sting and Hulk Hogan FAR away from the WWE World Championship

I implore WWE not to do what Impact Wrestling did with Hulk Hogan and Sting and try to hand them the strap to add some sense of prestige to it just because it would give one of the "Big Four" PPVs a sense of nostalgia. WWE already made this mistake with handing the title to The Rock (effectively ending CM Punk's length title reign) only to drop it back to John Cena two months later.

Enough with the stupid and silly gimmicks

Los Matadores (Epico, Primo, and El Torito need to be RUNNING to Lucha Underground after their contracts expire), New Day (the black fraternity crossed with a stereotypical black church isn't clicking with me at ALL and I'm black... It comes off as more of WWE's typical stereotypical stupidity), Adam Rose (despite the fact that I love how a ton of names from the indies have appeared as Rosebuds, Leo Krueger deserves better), Damien Mizdow (it's long past due that Sandow becomes his own star...)

Less commercial breaks in the middle of matches (RAW, SmackDown, NXT, etc.)

As a media form, WWE is failing to keep their viewers immersed into their on-screen spectacle. All media wants to keep their viewer/spectators immersed into what's going on on-screen. Commercial breaks in the middle of the matches isn't doing anyone any favors. Wrestlers aren't getting over, fans have a reason not to care (even less than they already are), and it's distracting - even disrespectful at times - to the in-ring talent.

Monday Night RAW becomes less of a chore to watch

As it currently stands, this is the most mentally draining broadcast to watch out of ALL of WWE's weekly events.

Oh the irony... The company that put WCW out of business is literally transforming into WCW Nitro with their flagship show.

Friday Thursday Night SmackDown becomes must-see programming as part of WWE's line-up again

Remember how SmackDown was actually GOOD back when Paul Heyman was in-charge of it, around roughly 2002-2004? That's how I want it to be again. Heyman doesn't necessarily have to be in charge, but goddammit WWE, make me give a damn about the blue brand instead of reading spoilers and not watching altogether.

More fans and namely more wrestlers realize that there's more wrestling out there than WWE

I think the biggest story of 2014 was the phenomenal (no pun intended) year that AJ Styles had once he broke away from TNA and became the hottest commodity to hit the indies in a long-time. AJ Styles proved that you don't have to be a part of WWE to have a successful career.

Wrestle Kingdom 9 proved that there's great wrestling OUTSIDE of WWE's kingdom. The only thing you have to do is be willing to find it.

NXT maintains their high-standard they have set for their product in terms of wrestling and storytelling in both their weekly programming AND with the future Takeover events

All eyes have been on NXT since Takeover: [R]Evolution, but I honestly don't think that the weekly tapings have been as great as that monumental event. That being said, they are still miles and beyond better than the weekly episodes of Monday Night RAW and Friday Thursday Night SmackDown!

I hope NXT continues to live up to this high-standard. I would hate to see them flop and crumble underneath the pressure.

Sasha Banks wins the NXT Women's Championship

I want this to happen sooner more than later, but as long as Flair's daughter is on the NXT brand, I have a feeling that she's going to have a longer title and more dominant reign than Paige & AJ Lee combined. 

More Alexa Bliss on weekly tapings please

She's cute as a button and has a VERY marketable gimmick, plus let's not forget that she's a great worker. Why haven't they pushed this girl to the moon?

More tag teams get a chance to shine in the NXT Tag Team Division

With the word getting around that Kalisto of the Lucha Dragons getting moved to the main roster soon, it seems like that more teams will get a chance to shine. NXT has a lot to work with too: Buddy Murphy & Wesley Blake (NXT's poor man's hybrid of The Wolves and the Motor City Machine Guns), Tye Dilinger & Jason Jordan, the Vaudevillains, Enzo Amore & Big Cass (w/ Carmella), Sylvester Lefort & Marcus Louis (if they get over that whole bald thing...), and Hideo Itami & Finn Balor (if NXT plans on keeping them together as a team anyway...).

Impact Wrestling continues their strong series of events since their NYC tapings during the end of their deal with SPIKE TV

Destination America is a network that isn't available by many people, so TNA are going have to work even harder to draw in people to want to have this obscure network from their television providers. I personally have DirecTV and I have this channel, the local networks that air Ring of Honor, El Rey Network for Lucha Underground, and even AXS for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Sadly, not everyone are as fortunate as I am to have all of those networks to check out all of the wrestling that's out there. 

TNA signs some of the female wrestlers from Knockouts Knockdown 2014, such as Veda Scott, Deonna Purrazzo, Marti Belle, and Mia Yim.

Mia Yim might be wishful thinking since she's currently reigning and defending SHINE Champion, but it's not a far stretch to see Deonna Purrazzo, Marti Belle, and Veda Scott in TNA later down the road. With the departure of Velvet Sky, they are going to have a pretty big gap that needs to be filled in the division. 

Taryn Terrell doesn't allow the return of Awesome Kong and the potential feuds between Kong and Havok/Gail Kim to make her into a forgettable Knockouts Champion

Taryn didn't pin Havok to win the title, so she has a HUGE bullseye on her back now with Awesome Kong in the picture. We know that Kong, Havok, and Gail Kim will have great matches. Now is NOT the time for Taryn to allow herself to be forgotten in the shuffle. If she wants to make a definitive impact on the Knockouts division with her premiere title reign, she's going to have to overcome every single one of these roadblocks standing in her way.

With or without Brittany (Santana Garrett), Samuel Shaw needs to continue being a Creepy Bastard

He doesn't even need to stalk Knockouts anymore either, set him loose against Bram's crazy ass or give us a definitive ending to his feud with Gunner.

Don't make the Beat Down Clan dominate/terrorize TNA as long as Aces & Eights or Main Event Mafia did in the past

The last thing TNA needs is another nWo style stable to weigh the company down. I personally rather see that faction dissolve over the World Championship as Samoa Joe, Eric Young, Low-Ki, Kenny King, and MVP all want to be the top guy.

Better Television Deal at a respectable hour/timeslot

All I ask is some consistency. Their talent deserves a better platform to shine. Sinclair Broadcasting needs to have a foot shoved up their asses for not taking the initiative to do this themselves sooner more than later. 

As for the time slot, I don't know about anyone else, but I have to wait until either midnight or 1AM on Saturday evening/Sunday morning to get my weekly ROH fix.

Cohesive Storylines on TV Tapings

Same as on my wishlist last year. Some angles would start but won't continue for weeks on end.

Lock talent to legitimate contracts

This way their talent won't be so easily swept up by Impact Wrestling, WWE, or even Lucha Underground. 

Seriously... how the HELL does Alberto Del Rio/El Patron have a contract with Lucha Underground yet he's appearing on Ring of Honor? Sinclair Broadcasting is a bit TOO flexible on their contracts...

Give fans more information on their partnership with NJPW

If they aren't full-time talent exchanges, then I believe that ROH should save some of these bouts for iPPVs and NOT shown on TV tapings for free. This goes double for some of their title matches.

Give women more of a presence on ROH TV

Every broadcast doesn't have to be a sausage fest - highlight or show an occasional match from Shimmer (maybe once a month).

As much as I loved Veda Scott and Maria Kanellis as valets over the past year, I wouldn't mind seeing more women actually wrestle on ROH's programming. From what I've heard about their TV tapings for last weekend I may be getting my wish here already as ODB has been working TV tapings, siding with the Briscoes in their feud against the Kingdom.

Independents

All I ask is that more fans give the indies a fair chance 

Instead of whining about WWE 24/7, reach out and give the MANY alternatives in wrestling a chance.

Lucha Underground sticks around longer than Wrestling Society X

I honestly consider Lucha Underground to be that show's spiritual successor. I hope they continue with more success and draw even more viewers and fans in 2015.

New Japan Pro Wrestling secures the #2 (or even the #1 spot from WWE...) spot as best wrestling company in the world

After Wrestle Kingdom 9, they are off to a great start. WWE deserves to be knocked off their pedestal to improve their product for generations to come. 

Ring of Honor Final Battle 2014 -- Results & Afterthoughts

Final Battle 2014 is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). It took place on December 7, 2014 at the Terminal 5 in New York City, New York. Final Battle is ROH's biggest event of the year, similar to WWE's WrestleMania and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Bound for Glory.

Four Corner Survival Match - Hanson defeated Jimmy Jacobs (with B.J. Whitmer), Mark Briscoe, and Caprice Coleman

I've been a fan of Hanson since the Top Prospect Tournament at the beginning of the year and it's been a joy to watch him transform into his own star by the end of 2014. It was a bit lame to see Jimmy Jacobs and Mark Briscoe in this filler opening match, but they all looked strong here with the younger talent, Hanson and Caprice Coleman.

Roderick Strong def. Adam Page via referee stoppage

A part of me wishes that Roderick Strong would be the one member of the Decade that would be competing for the World Championship to give that group a sense of purpose other than feuding among themselves, but this match wasn't bad at all. Adam Page is growing into a man of his own right and I can tell that he's being groomed to take Strong's spot once Strong decides to splinter away from the rest of the faction.

The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) and ACH def. The Addiction (Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian) and Cedric Alexander

I love ALL of these guys in this match and you put them all together in ONE bout, you know it's going to be magical. It doesn't top most of the Bucks' other bouts from throughout the year, but it's definitely worth a look. If you're not a believer that ACH and Cedric Alexander have a bright future in this business, you will be a believer afterwards. I wouldn't be surprised if either WWE or TNA will be trying to scoop them up sooner more than later.

Michael Elgin defeated Tommaso Ciampa

I love seeing Elgin compete against ANYONE as I personally see him as ROH's Kurt Angle. He go toe-to-toe with anyone and make it look like one hell of a match. When he was squared up against Tommaso Ciampa, I knew this was going to be golden. I was surprised that Elgin came through with the win though as I was convinced that ROH would give Ciampa the win to balance out his kayfabe issues with authority over the last few months.

Tag team match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship - reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) (c) defeated Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) via submission

If there's anything to learn from this match, it's that Alex Shelley doesn't need Chris Sabin anymore as a tag team partner. Fuck a Motor City Machine Guns reunion. Kushida has all of MCMG's old moves down and then some new ones with Shelley. I'm glad to see Shelley still making a name for himself out there in Japan. As for reDRagon, this was another solid outing for them in their tag title reign. I have to be honest. At the start of 2014, I thought reDRagon were just two losers who just lucked out to win the gold by a fluke, but they have won me over throughout 2014 with their continued success - each match being better than the last. reDRagon and Jay Lethal are among the best champions that ROH have seen in quite some time.

Moose (with Prince Nana and Stokely Hathaway) defeated RD Evans (with Veda Scott)

This match ended up being a squash as Veda Scott played RD Evans for a fool and betrayed him to join up with Prince Nana, effectively ending their partnership and taking on Moose as their sole client. Much like Brock Lesnar, Moose ended #TheNewStreak after whatever number of wins that RD Evans made up with zero losses. The joke was funny while it lasted. Now for all of these individuals to move onto bigger and better things in 2015.

After her exposure on TNA's Knockout Knockdown and FWE ReFueled, I hope Veda Scott is picked up by Impact Wrestling. I would love to see her as part of that roster once she decides to branch out from Ring of Honor.

Singles match for the ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal (with Truth Martini and J Diesel) (c) defeated Matt Sydal

To say this was Matt Sydal's first PPV bout back in ROH, he definitely hasn't skipped a beat. If you thought his match against AJ Styles was amazing then you will be impressed here. Great match from top to bottom. Lethal's Lethal Injection (RKO) counter to Sydal's Shooting Star Press would make Randy Orton proud. Jay Lethal ended 2014 on a strong note as professional wrestling's best mid-card title holder of 2014, defending his title around the clock and overcoming EVERY challenge thrown his way. Whether you love or hate him, you have to admit that Lethal's reign has been impressive.

Fight Without Honor for the ROH World Championship - Jay Briscoe (c) def. Adam Cole

From start to finish, these guys gave each other everything they had and then some. I honestly thought that Adam Cole was going to walk away as ROH World Champion again. Boy, was I wrong. Adam Cole is definitely ROH's best pure heel and I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't wind up with the title by the end of 2015. That being said, I'm sure the bad blood between the Briscoes and the Kingdom is FAR from over.