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OPINION -- Adi Shankar Presents: POWER/RANGERS


Unless you have been hiding underneath a rock for the past 24 hours, then you have heard of this fan-made "bootleg" reboot of the beloved Power Rangers franchise. It has caused a lot of buzz on social media and I have heard a lot of mixed reactions to it. A lot of you know me personally as I still geek out to Power Rangers in my old age, so I want to weigh in on my thoughts on this film as well. 

First of all, if you haven't seen the film I have the full video linked below if it hasn't been taken down by YouTube or Saban yet. 


Secondly, why does this fan-made film exists? Simple, listen to the man behind this project himself below.


My Thoughts

If you have 14 minutes to spare and you consider yourself a fan of Power Rangers' original iteration, you should definitely take the time to check this short film out.

I can totally understand why Saban is going out of their way to remove this footage from online, as it could potentially damage the perception of how they want to continue market Power Rangers in America as a family friendly product.

I'm currently watching Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger in Japanese out of my own curiosity of the differences between that series and its English adaptation, Power Rangers Super Megaforce, and the mature tone here is very similar. Gokaiger doesn't take the violence up to this level but there's a lot more mature themes as it's evident that minds behind Super Sentai don't want to shelter their children from the truths of the world. Villains openly attack innocent bystanders and people get killed - a LOT, in their iteration. Characters have a lot more depth and more believable instead of the campiness that we have come accustomed to in their American counterpart.

The fight sequences in this were stylishly choreographed. I guess everyone is taking lessons and ideas from the choreographers from Raid: The Redemption nowadays. I'm not saying that's a bad thing either. If I had any complain during the action scenes, it was that I wish the Rangers' outfits didn't look so cheaply made. It's apparent they have a decent budget for special effects - let alone hiring Katee Sackhoff and James Van Der Beek to do something like this, so it wouldn't have killed them to dump some cash into the pot for some decent looking outfits. How do you end up getting costumes looking worse than the original Power Rangers movie costumes is a mystery to me. The costumes here looked like cosplay gone horribly wrong.

I understand this is the director's own unique vision and take on the Power Rangers lore, but at least get the source material right please. Otherwise, you're ruining mine and many others' childhood in the process. Depending on how you feel about this film, he might have already done that already...

Continuity Issues

Clearly, this guy hasn't see an episode of Power Rangers outside of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and maybe an episode or two of Power Rangers Zeo (the English adaptation of  Japan's Chouriki Sentai Ohranger) as there's a TON of continuity issues with this that don't add up at ALL.

  • Tommy and Kimberly were married? Since when? After Kimberly (Amy Jo Johnson) left shortly into the third season of MMPR, she was replaced by Katherine Hillard (Catherine Sutherland) who filled in as Tommy's new love interest. Katee Sackhoff looks more like Katherine than Kimberly if they was trying to cast this properly. Even during the events of Power Rangers Dino Thunder, where Tommy Oliver returned as an adult to aid this generation of Rangers, he still wasn't married.
  • The opening sequence was reminiscent of the Legendary War from Super Megaforce or the opening battle between the residents of Terra Venture and the evil forces of Scorpicus from Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. 
  • Bulk and Skull are villains and meth addicts? After high school, they both joined the police force to do good (Power Rangers Zeo and Turbo for proof of that...) In one of the newer seasons (Power Rangers Samurai - English adaptation of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger), Skull is a wealthy businessman while Bulk is training Skull's son in the noble ways of the samurai.

    If you don't believe Bulk and Skull to be good guys, watch this clip. 

  • Zack, Trini, and Jason all left for an opportunity to do humanitarian work on the UN as part of their write-off from the 3rd season. They were replaced by Rocky DeSantos (Steve Cardenas), Adam Park (Johnny Young Bosch), and Alisha Campbell (Karan Ashley) for the duration of MMPR's run. I literally busted a gut laughing that Zack was reduced to selling cheap Tae-Bo knock-offs called "Hip Hop Kido" in his adult years. 
  • Trini Kwan's death has NEVER been referenced within the continuity. While her character has never been referenced in the continuity after MMPR, her actress' (Thuy Trang) death has been acknowledged publicly by her former co-stars. 
  • During the end of Power Rangers Zeo, Billy Cranston left Earth to stay on the planet Aquitar after falling in love with one of the aliens there, Cestria. According to the continuity, he has not returned to Earth since other than to aid the Megaforce Rangers against the remnants of Emperor Malvo's forces in the finale of Power Rangers Super Megaforce. 
  • James Van Der Beek portrays Rocky DeSantos (played by Steve Cardenas, who ends up replacing Jason/Austin St. John in the third season of MMPR) but I see no way how he could have turned out this warped and demented over the years. If he aligned himself with the Machine Empire then why he was aiding the other Zeo Rangers against them?
  • While it was cool to see Carla Perez don the old Rita Repulsa outfit again since she somehow still manages to look gorgeous in her old age, but anyone who has seen the finale to Power Rangers In Space can tell you that EVERY Ranger and villain either lost their powers or was destroyed after the defeat of Dark Specter and the death of Zordon.
  • While remnants of the Machine Empire have continued to pop up in future seasons of Power Rangers (namely Power Rangers Wild Force's beloved "Forever Red" special, that brought back EVERY Red Ranger to that point in history for a special team-up) after the death of Zordon supposedly wiped out all evil from the universe from that time, it makes sense that Rita Repulsa was behind this charade all along since her and Lord Zedd had a hand in bringing a downfall to their Empire during the finale of Power Rangers Zeo.

The Verdict?

Not bad at all, but I don't think America is ready for a "mature" version of Power Rangers - yet. If you want that, watch the Super Sentai seasons before Saban butchers them to hell in editing and Americanizing them.


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I think I want to be a "Kingsman" - REVIEW -- Kingsmen: The Secret Service (2015)


It’s always easier to concoct a review, when you leave the movie theater absolutely appalled. At that moment you just want to rant your heart away and save every single living soul from the abomination you suffered through. But when you find a 129 minute screening to be an amusing little thing, it is a lot more complicated to write everything down in an elaborate manner. I can just feel the temptation to post a poster of the film and write “I liked it”. Okay, enough of my dramatic inner turmoil. I’ve watched “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and found it to be stylishly exciting.


Tapping into the genre of comedy spy action flicks, director Matthew Vaughn presents us the story of Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton), potentially smart youngster with a terrible sense in fashion (I’m sorry, I’m just allergic to men in sweats, sneakers and snapbacks), whose father was untimely killed during a secret mission in the Middle East. Wanting to help the family and redeem himself, his fellow agent Harry Hart a.k.a “Galahad” (Collin Firth) takes Eggsy under his wing and proposes for him to go through tests and auditions to become a Kingsman. A member of a very old and elite club of secret agents, who just go around saving the world in extremely well tailored suits. Of course, I can’t forget to mention that like most cinematic pieces of modern day, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” is based on a comic book series. This time - “The Secret Service”, created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar.

As the movie started, I was quite skeptical to say the least. I have a big problem with the current state of comedy in film. Don’t know if its my posh nature or I’m just dead inside, but very rarely I find films to be funny. Well, this wasn’t “ha-ha” funny, but it did manage to make me chuckle once in a while, which I already consider a great achievement. Also, the movie started out with “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits. And I’m a sucker for nostalgic rock tunes. While writing this review I can just hear the song in my head. The jukebox style score was noticeable through the entire film. I know that it can be annoying, but it gives this extra layer of cheesiness, which I really like. If the movie is really bad, at least I can hear a few old school tunes that I forgot I knew.
Also not of the biggest importance, but I have to at least mention the costumes. Or to be more specific, I have to mention the suits. ”A suit is a modern gentleman’s armor” was said by Mr. Firth during the film. My God, did that armor look jaw-droppingly amazing. Brogues, double-breasted suits, eyeglasses and woven ties. Nearing towards the climax of our espionage comedy Eggsy gets to dapper up and finally appears on screen looking like the stuck up elitists that made fun of him during training. And I must say… Dear Gentleman, if you want to melt a girls heart, please wear a nice suit. I can’t remember the last time I’ve made an “Sooo sexy” reference during a screening. Here, shamefully, I said it more than once. Interesting sidenote: Matthew Vaughn decided to cash in on the fashionable and always classic outfits seen on screen. Now, you can buy most of the pieces on the site of the web-retailer “Mr.Porter”. Sadly, the shoes won’t include blades. Shucks.

Okay, those were the smaller elements. What about the acting? Or even more importantly, what about the storyline, you poor reviewer you! The acting was… Okay. It truly was decent, but truly nothing mind-blowing. It wasn’t cringe worthy or uncomfortable, without any breakout performances or scene stealers. Now, if talking about the storyline, it gets a bit more interesting. The story is pretty generic: a young smart guy hangs out with the wrong crowd, gets a mentor, scuffles around with him, understands his wrong doings and becomes a new man. Seen it, heard it. But with Collin Firth as your dashing mentor, who provides you with some of the best fight scenes I’ve seen in quite a while and quite the charismatic trainee in the up and coming Egerton, the plot doesn’t seem as dull. Some witty remarks, tidbits of British humor and you have yourself a upper class version of Austin Powers. And I truly stand by this statement. “Kingsman: The Secret Service” is a modern version of the “International Man of Mystery” trilogy. More wit, better looking cast and the visual aesthetic is just revamping a well-known concept of espionage comedy.

I did notice the current trend in action films (“The Equalizer”, “John Wick”) to make everything extremely gory, yet artistic. TV series like “Hannibal” shows off this style best, yet “Kingsman” tries its hardest to make the most out of the deaths of villains and civilians, creating this inner urge in you to freeze frame after frame and just take photographs of it. The epitome of the gorefest killings was Collin Firth going wild in a hate group church. Speeding up most parts and slowing down specific ones made this massacre the stand out moment of the entire film. Oh, and also the gorgeous Gazelle (Sofia Boutella) using prosthetic legs (“blades”) as the coolest weapon seen in recent times. Stylish violent gore, everybody.

Now, the only problem I had with the film... Character development. Sure, our main twosome were okay, had some background story, had time to warm up to each other, all is fine. But what about the others? Mostly all of the supporting characters (except for probably Eggsy’s mother) were awfully underdeveloped and mostly acting as stepping stones for the plot. Even Roxy, the outcasted female, who managed to become a part of Kingsmen and took part in the rebel three person mission, didn’t have any human qualities. A typical female character, who tries to get her way in a man’s game, yet ends up being a nervous girl who constantly needed support and motivation through every task. Even the villain was more of cartoon character, who simply decided to cleanse the world. Why? Because stuff and things. Man is killing Earth. That is why we kill man. Except, for the ones I like. Good enough reason? Great.

But that is only one true miss through the entire thing. Fun, a bit cheesy and not taking itself too seriously, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” is a great way to spend an evening in the movies, moving to Dire Straits, admiring fine craftsmanship in the world of tailoring and some visual treats in the form of artistic killings. Definitely, an honest recommendation to check this one out.
You see, I told you this would be one mess of a review.

ZX Weighs In

I have to agree with everything Auguste has said above, along with my own tidbits I would like to throw into the kettle of this review. I had the pleasure of seeing this film over the past weekend in the movie theater and I will admit that I enjoyed every second of this film. 

It's great to see a director kick back and give the audience a lot of laughs along with tons of crazy, over-the-top action that reminds me a lot of the cinematic style from the cult-favorite Shoot 'Em Up (2007). That sense of style and class goes above and beyond in this film as I haven't seen a group of gentlemen kick this much ass in a sophisticated suit since Roger Smith in The Big O (anime TV series from 1993-2001).  

This film sports not one, but two of the craziest (not to mention, VERY well choreographed) fight sequences that I have seen in recent memory in the church riot and the sequence leading up to the film's climax. If Matthew Vaughan wants to do a sequel to this film, I won't stand in his way at all and support that endeavor 110%.

The gore and violence may be a bit too much for some viewers, but sadly Matthew Vaughan is catering to the desensitized masses who eat this type of action up since the Quentin Tarantino set the standard for that type of action in cinema since Kill Bill (2003) or any director that has produce any blood-filled horror film in recent memory. 

She hit the nail on the head about the lack of character development. I was hoping for some kind of explanation to why Valentine's assistant had the kick-ass blade prosthetic on her legs or any kind of a backstory for her but nope, we got nothing. Then we got even less for Roxy and the other Kingsmen candidates. The devolution of Eggsy's mother was rather jarring too. I can understand her being depressed after her husband died but to reduce her to the neighborhood whore was just... wow. With Valentine's assistant being an absolute bad-ass in combat, I can forgive the lack of character development for the ladies for the most part. I went into this expecting mindless action (i.e. The Expendables trilogy) and some cheap laughs, so I got pretty much what I was looking for here.

I couldn't help but laugh that Mark Hamill was playing as scientist James Arnold. The dead giveaway was his iconic Joker voice (made famous from Batman: The Animated Series in the 1980s), which seems to be his default speaking voice nowadays in his old age. The irony of that is that he stepped down from voicing the character partially because he stated in interviews in the past that doing that voice was damaging his vocal cords. 

Watch It or Don't Bother? 

Definitely watch this film. It gets that nod of approval from both myself and Auguste. It's an unique and refreshing take on the spy genre. This change of pace is more than welcome if Matthew Vaughan wants to ever step down from directing/producing the superhero films and do something else, y'know like a sequel to this film. 
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WWE Fast Lane -- Results & Afterthoughts


WWE Fast Lane serves as WWE's replacement to the Elimination Chamber and serves as WWE's final stop on the road to WrestleMania between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. The main event pits Daniel Bryan against Roman Reigns in a match to decide who will face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.

Preshow - MizTV (The Miz & Mizdow) interview with Paul Heyman

Great back and forth here, but I swear, Paul Heyman is WAY too good to be limited to these preshow events. If you're going to fly him out to the PPV, at least give him mic time on the actual card. I think we're going to see Miz and Mizdow dissolve before or at WrestleMania. I'd even bet money on that

The Authority (Seth Rollins, Kane, and The Big Show w/ J & J Security) def. Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback after Kane held up Ziggler for a mock Superman Punch variation of the WMD by The Big Show. Randy Orton returned post-match to take out J & J Security while Rollins fled the scene.

I understand that they had to give Rollins and the other faces feuding with the Authority something to do, but c'mon. I was expecting a little better than this. I thought Dolph Ziggler would be going places after being the lone survivor of his Survivor Series team versus the Authority, but nope. Ziggler is in the SAME exact position as he was previously. Vanquishing the Authority became an afterthought as John Cena reversed that decision a few weeks later while Sting garnered all of the attention and praise instead of Ziggler.


There's a similar trend with everyone on the opposing team of babyfaces. It's a team of guys who should be in better elevated positions on the roster than this. Erick Rowan should be part of the many teams chasing for the tag titles as the Wyatt Family shouldn't have split up to begin with. Ryback should have been the one in a high-profile feud against Rusev but got the rugged pulled out from underneath him prematurely. Then we have Dolph Ziggler for reasons I mentioned already.

I don't understand the hate for Big Show and Kane. These are two veterans doing their jobs, putting over younger stars. They are damn good at their jobs too - consistent, great work despite being rather stagnant after all of these years. I rather see them putting people over instead of newer guys getting buried before fans have a chance to even garner an opinion about them. I personally wouldn't mind seeing them as a tag team in the tag team division like their domination period from 2005. If they are supposed to be the Authority's "muscle" then let's see it then with a show of force.


As for Orton's return... about damn time I say. Now we know what WWE has lined up for Rollins for WrestleMania to keep him out of the title picture for the time being. To be quite honest, they could have had Orton come out weeks ago and did this but whatever.

Goldust def. Stardust via roll up counter to the Cross Rhodes.

I honestly marked out for Stardust's new gear. He totally stole Batman's gloves though.

Great storytelling here, but pretty average match. I can kinda see why WWE didn't save this one for WrestleMania if that was the effort they were going to put into this.

I'll add this too. I wish some of the younger fans show some respect for Goldust. That guy has come a LONG way to say that he's up in age now and still putting on great matches. If he doesn't get a HOF spot sooner more than later, then I'm going to be pissed.

Jon Stewart (host of the Daily Show) calls out Seth Rollins

Lame... Why even waste anytime on this? Moving on...

That's pretty fucked that WWE allows a celebrity who's not even on the roster shoot a promo when 70% of the active roster don't get that much mic time.

Stardust snaps backstage and assaults Goldust before declaring that he's living in his own shadow now to Dusty Rhodes.

I don't mind THIS Cody Rhodes/Stardust at all. Give us more of this, WWE.

The Brass Ring Club (Tyson Kidd & Cesaro w/ Natalya) def. The Usos (w/ Naomi) for WWE Tag Team Championship

I was really starting to fear for these two teams. If anyone can turn this division around for the better, it's these two teams. Throw in the dynamic between the teams' ladies at ringside and you potentially have a goldmine of a feud here. I was a little disappointed that Naomi and Natalya didn't get involved at all in this match, but I suppose they can save that for the inevitable rematch at WrestleMania. Speaking of the valets, damn BOTH Naomi and Natalya were slaying with those outfits tonight. Meow...

Is it just me or the BRC showing a few shades of the Beatdown Clan from Impact Wrestling? That's EXACTLY what I was thinking during their segment that was recapped before the match started.

As for the match itself, I could watch these two teams fight each other all day. Great chemistry between these two teams. If they want to get the Lucha Dragons and the Ascension involved and do tag team turmoil at WrestleMania then I'm all for it.

If I had any complaint about this match it was the finish, just like with 80% of the matches on this card. Why did Kidd finish it with a Swinging Fisherman's Suplex? I thought the BRC would've pulled off that double team move that they have been showing off lately.

Triple H confronts Sting in the ring

I guess I'm the only wrestling fan who isn't giddy as a girl with a new vibrator (thank you Jim Cornette for that phrase...) off Sting in WWE and facing Triple H at WrestleMania. Seeing Sting in HD is jarring enough and shows that he looks WORSE than his final days during his run in Impact Wrestling. I understand that it's a dream for a lot of his fans to see him in a WWE ring, but the novelty has ran its course for me. WWE, just give us Sting vs. The Undertaker and allow these guys to ride off into the sunset for good.

I see no benefit for Triple H facing an "ancient" Stinger other than stroking his ego.


Don't get me wrong. The moment where Sting shoved his baseball bat into Triple H's face and forced him to drop the sledgehammer was iconic. Even more magic was added to this moment as Sting didn't say a WORD. He maintains his aura of mystery for new fans.

I couldn't stop laughing at that convenient "STANG" sing in the crowd and the fact that Triple H keeps calling himself the "lifeblood" of WWE - while dressed up in his 2002 return attire. Bitch please. The lifeblood of WWE is the Undertaker - always has been if we're going that route from the Monday Night Wars.

If I wrote this segment I would've had Sting about to be assaulted by HHH and do the same turnaround then have the lights go out once Sting had Triple H cornered. The lights come back on and The Undertaker is behind Sting. Sting releases Triple H and faces Taker. Both icons stare down until Triple H tries to get in the way. Both men hit their finishers on Triple H then look up at the WrestleMania sign in unison. There, you've sold the PPV off this one segment ALONE.

Bad News Barrett def. Dean Ambrose via DQ to retain the Intercontinental Championship

While I personally find ALL of Dean Ambrose's matches to be at a snail pace that drag along, I thought Ambrose deserved a win here. It was rather pointless to end this match with another loss for Ambrose. That guy can't ever cut a break at PPVs. Dean Ambrose is already over with fans, so why can't WWE get behind this guy?

Nikki Bella (w/ Brie Bella) def. Paige to retain the WWE Divas Championship

Good Lord, there was enough people butthurt after that match.


Listen, I love Paige as much as everyone else and I want to see her succeed, but I rather see this feud continue into WrestleMania instead of a meaningless title change prior to the big event that they will more likely flip around or reverse by then. To these Divas' credit, this match wasn't bad at all outside of the lackluster finish.

Nikki is doing a good job of integrating some power moves into her arsenal, especially the Alabama Slam and Rolling Powerbomb from the corner. I have to applaud her for having answers to not one but ALL of Paige's finishers (RamPaige, Paige Turner, and PTO) as well. I don't want to discredit Paige here either as she is becoming an even better worker.

Bray Wyatt openly challenges The Undertaker at WrestleMania


I'm on both sides of the fence on this one as I personally feel like it's going to be lose/lose for both Superstars. Don't get me wrong - the match itself along with the build will be full of all kinds of win for the fans, but let's look at this from a long-time standpoint.

The Undertaker HAS to win to shake off that stench of failure after losing to Lesnar last year and show that he's still "got it". Bray Wyatt HAS to win to show that he's ready to be a main event player in the future WWE landscape. The guy has been in WWE for roughly two years now and hasn't even been considered for ANY championship of any kind. Hell, even his former followers in the Wyatt Family, Luke Harper (former Intercontinental champion) and Erick Rowan have had more title opportunities than him.

I'm just wondering what is going to be the payoff for both Superstars (outside of fan service) for this match. I guess this is going to be WWE's way of stalling and saving The Undertaker vs. Sting for next year in Texas.

Rusev (w/ Lana) def. John Cena to retain the United States Championship

A great back and forth contest between these two and I was relieved to see Cena give Rusev the rub instead of going over as the first Superstar to beat Rusev. Now I hope the marks can quit saying that John Cena buries everyone who steps in the ring with him. 



Extra credit props goes to Lana for playing the job of the manager/valet flawlessly here. Just watch her facial expressions throughout this match. Less means more. She only got involved at the most vital point of the match and did enough to help Rusev win. I thought that the low blow was a tad bit overkill as Cena already was out. 

Roman Reigns def. Daniel Bryan to defend his #1 Contender spot for headlining WrestleMania versus Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship


To say that people were booing Roman Reigns out of the arena last month at Royal Rumble during the conclusion of that event, it's easy to say that Reigns and Bryan threw down tonight in this main event. Great action from bell to bell. If that doesn't convince the haters and remove all doubt that Roman Reigns can and deserves a fair shot against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, then something's wrong. Daniel Bryan was the perfect person to serve as the measuring stick to see if he was ready for Brock Lesnar. 


I only fear if WWE can continue to carry this momentum for the next five weeks going into WrestleMania. 

Closing Thoughts

Here's the thing I can't stand when going into these events that follow one of NXT's Takeover live specials. Everyone goes in either with the (extremely high) optimism that it's going to rival that event or go in shitting on the show before it even starts. Hello, people - we should ALL know that these PPVs aren't going to live up to those extremely high-expectations and high standards that the NXT specials have set the standard for, so we need to stop tormenting ourselves trying to expect the same from these PPVs on the main roster. 

That being said, this event wasn't that much better than your average run of the mill episode of Monday Night RAW or Friday Thursday Night SmackDown! but it did serve it's purpose as the last stop on the road to WrestleMania. It managed to set the stage appropriately for what is yet to come on the grandest stage of them all.

At the end of the day, Jesse Collings of Wrestling Inc. hit the nail on the head when he called the show a "glorified episode of Raw", adding that "there were a few highlights, but there was not a single thing that took place on this show that couldn't have been done on an episode of Raw."
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NXT Takeover: Rival -- Results & Afterthoughts


NXT TakeOver: Rival took place on February 11, 2015 and served as NXT's premiere event to kick off the 2015 season of NXT programming and storylines in the wake of the critically acclaimed and praised NXT TakeOver: [R]Evolution. Did this event live up to the hype and high-standard that it's predecessor set the bar for? Let's find out shall we?

Hideo Itami defeated Tyler Breeze. Itami pinned Breeze after a running kick.

Not bad for an opening match. I still feel like Tyler Breeze has been reduced to an afterthought or rather, enhancement talent, after the monumental signings of Prince Devitt (Finn Balor), KENTA (Hideo Itami), and Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens), but at least he put on a stellar showing in this match with Itami. I wonder where they will go from here as NXT has to be VERY careful how they push Itami and Balor from here on out. I personally would have kept them both as a tag team a bit longer before dissolving their partnership, but apparently NXT wanted to split that up and push them to the moon as singles competitors.

I'm not taking anything away from Itami in the least but I can't help but feel sorry for Tyler Breeze who constantly seems to be getting the short end of the deal.

I'm guessing that NXT are going to keep teasing the Go To Sleep by Itami until his first big title win as a singles competitor. I'm already shocked that they are still letting him use the Busaiku Knee Kick while Daniel Bryan already had first dibs on that as a finisher. CM Punk isn't coming back anytime soon so WWE should go ahead and give Itami one of his iconic moves to his NXT arsenal.

No Disqualification Match: Baron Corbin defeated Bull Dempsey. Corbin countered a chairshot attempt into the End Of Days for the win.

To be quite honest, NXT lost my interest in this feud the second these two fought each other for the first time after all of the hype and anticipation, only for Bull Dempsey to lose CLEAN. No bullshit, no count out, nada - just a CLEAN loss. Apparently, Bull Dempsey is the 2015 edition Mojo Rawley after losing not once but TWICE to Corbin prior to this match. Corbin's match against Adrian Neville two weeks ago on NXT's weekly broadcast, but I'm skeptical how they are going to continue to build this guy off squash matches.

I honestly don't see how this guy is being garnered as "the next big thing" (no pun intended), when we haven't see him do much in an extended bout that's not a squash match. Neville can work a stellar match with a paper bag so you can't garner judgment on Corbin's single match against him.

As for this match itself, it was better than what I was expecting going into this. If this event had any piss break match, it was this one for sure. This match was littered with "been there, done that" spots and a more than obvious finish.

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Blake & Murphy (c) defeated the Lucha Dragons. Blake & Murphy retained after a frog splash. After the match, we got more teases for Solomon Crowe’s debut.

I have been saying it since they debuted but Blake and Murphy are NXT's poor man's version of the American Wolves sprinkled with a little of the Motor City Machine Guns, but without their flair and charisma. It disappointed me to see this match filled with botches to start off, but they were fortunate to shake off those shortcomings and turn this match around for the better during it's latter half.


I feel like the Lucha Dragons are trying to overcompensate and compete with what the guys down in Lucha Underground are doing every time they perform on NXT over the last few months. If I were Kalisto, Hunico/Sin Cara, Primo, Epico, and El Torito, I would be racing to Lucha Underground without hesitation once my contract expires. They are talented without a doubt, but their talents pale in comparison to the folks in Lucha Underground as a whole.

I have been believers of Blake & Murphy's abilities for a while now, but I wish they had a better storyline that secured them tag team gold instead of a fluke win after they were one of (MANY) teams fed to the Ascension religiously over the past year in squash matches. In the words of Jim Cornette, it's going to take a while to wash that smell of funk off of them.


#1 Contender Tournament Final: Finn Bálor defeated Adrian Neville. Bálor pinned Neville after a top rope double-stomp.


I'll give you guys a second to recover from your orgasms from Devitt's entrance again...


Great match from start to finish. This match marked the point of this event where business really picked up big time. I'm glad that WWE are allowing Devitt to keep using the Bloody Sunday (and it's variations) as signatures/finishers, but I rather he end a match with that than the double foot stomp.

On a side note, wasn't it ironic that New Japan Pro Wrestling's weekly show made sure to highlight Devitt's match against Okada this past week? I thought that was perfect timing given that this was one of the three high profile matches on this event's card.

Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks defeated Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Bayley. Bayley hit a second-rope Bayley-to-Belly on Charlotte and went for the pin, but Sasha pulled her off. Sasha locked in the Banks Statement on Charlotte, who refused to tap. Ultimately Sasha turned the crossface into a crucifix pin to win and become the new NXT Women’s Champion.


(Stands up and applauds)

The ladies had the infamous "death spot" before the main event and managed to COMPLETELY blow Balor and Neville's match out of the water from start to finish.











If you're a fan of women's wrestling, you MUST see this match. If you don't believe women are just as talented as men in this sport, watch this match. If you're just a fan of professional wrestling in general, PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch this match. It's that damn good.

With Sasha Banks being crowned as the new NXT Women's Champion, it looks like Charlotte could be bringing a little Flair to the main roster sooner more than later. I'm all for her on the main roster as long as she doesn't steamroll over the already battered Divas division. This is the time to rejuvenate the division not dig it into the dirt even further. Both AJ Lee and Paige's title reigns over the past year have done enough damage to the perception of the division.


As for the NXT Women's division, Sasha's title reign was LONG overdue in my humble opinion. She should have gotten it over Charlotte in Paige's absence if she wasn't riding her Daddy's coat tails to stardom. Sasha has more than capable opponents to keep her busy for the duration of 2015 and beyond -  Bayley, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss (why hasn't she been on any of these events??), and Carmella to name a few.

The sky is the limit for these girls down here on NXT. I can see why even the main roster Divas are saying the NXT girls are better off staying down there after this wrestling showcase that these girls put on this event.

NXT Championship Match: Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn (c). Owens repeatedly powerbombed Zayn, causing doctors to check on Zayn. Owens was relentless, repeatedly powerbombing Zayn until the referee stopped the match and awarded him the NXT Championship. Title change by TKO.


I'm going to get heat for saying it but here goes...





This match was a bit of a letdown.


Allow me to elaborate. I have watched this event about three times now and while I cannot fault NXT for their masterful storytelling with this narrative with this match, I cannot get behind putting the strap on Kevin Owens immediately like this. Sami Zayn losing in his first second defense is a bit jarring, but I suppose it added more shock and awe to the Streak being ended-style reaction from the live audience. A part of me felt like Sami Zayn got the rug pulled out from underneath him prematurely, but at the same time, the guy has based his ENTIRE NXT career on bouncing back from screw jobs and shortcomings. He's better at being Daniel Bryan (i.e. the underdog babyface) than Daniel Bryan himself.

I had to ask a friend to clarify, but the title change via KO hasn't been used in decades as a finish. That alone is a milestone for NXT's storytelling here. Plus that is a rather ironic way to win your first title when your moniker/gimmick is "KO", Mr. Owens.

At the same time, I was expecting something a bit more graphic (i.e. some blood in there...), especially given Owens/Zayn's history on the independent scene that NXT are playing off of here. I had my fingers crossed for a Package Piledriver spot, but I guess we're all going to have to get used to Owens' finisher being the Snap Powerbomb in WWE's playground.

Closing Thoughts 

This event was great, but at the same time, it was NOWHERE as good as NXT Takeover: [R]Evolution back in December. If you ask the WWE marks who eat and worship all of the shit that comes out of WWE's ass with a shovel, they will tell you that this show or ANY NXT event was the hottest thing since sliced bread.




There's one huge glaring weakness to NXT and I have to admit that they are doing a fine job at covering it up, but it's their tag team division. I'm not really surprised as WWE as a whole doesn't know what to do with tag teams anymore. As soon as something gets hot, they want to split a team up and push them as singles stars. The Dubstep Twins (the smarks' name for Blake & Murphy) aren't doing much to change that mindset while the Lucha Dragons failed to provide something new and fresh in a division that seems completely lost after the Ascension got called up to the main roster. Enzo Amore and Big Cass are excellent on the microphone but as exciting as watching wet paint dry in the ring, while Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger showed some promise, but they were currently split up and reduced to squash/jobber matches as of late. The Vaudevillains haven't been seen for weeks, despite their strong outings throughout 2014 and their recent failure to capture the gold from the Lucha Dragons. Like I mentioned earlier, NXT would have benefited from keeping Itami and Balor as a tag team after they disposed of the Ascension. It was rather strange that they didn't challenge for tag titles at least once. Instead they quickly split up and went their own separate ways.

I personally wouldn't rate this event higher than [R]Evolution, but it ties with the ArRIVAL event from last year in terms of quality. The ladies truly stole the show from the boys on this one and as a fan of women's wrestling, it makes me beam with pride from that fact. This just makes me wish that WWE would have more confidence with their women on the main roster and give them similar opportunities to shine like this. Contrary to popular belief, it's not that the main roster's Divas "suck" in comparison, it's the fact that they have little to nothing to work with. Try getting yourself over, tell a story, work some psychology, AND create a character for yourself within 3-5 minutes (entrances included in that time), if THAT much once every other week on WWE programming? Not every Diva is AJ Lee, who gets a lot more screen time to get herself over on the camera than most of the other girls - in and out of the ring.

The last three matches of the show really saved this show from being a flat out average event. Neville/Balor threw the home run pitch while the Fatal 4 Way for the Women's Championship knocked it out of the park big time. The main event was great, without a shadow of doubt, but it just left me craving more.

I guess I'm a little disappointed to see Sami Zayn go from his show-stealing performance at [R]Evolution only to find himself in the same position as John Cena at Summerslam last year against Brock Lesnar, mounting little offense against Kevin Owens. It seems like every major North American-based promotion is going for their own Brock Lesnar archetype that is systematically destroying everything in their way - Bobby Lashley (Impact Wrestling), Brian Cage (Lucha Underground), Moose or Hanson (Ring of Honor), and now Kevin Owens on NXT.

Then again, babyfaces always need to be chasing something so I'm anxious to see how Sami Zayn bounces back from this defeat as we know that this feud is far from over. As for Finn Balor as the next #1 contender, NXT have to play that match VERY carefully as they don't want to tarnish his credibility prematurely. I'm guessing that Owens will retain against him via DQ or count-out without the title changing hands. Once again, NXT have to be careful how they weave the narrative of Owens vs. Balor as they don't want to damage either rising star's credibility at this point.
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