As I will express in this article, the news is certainly exciting, although I have to say my enthusiasm comes tempered with the concern that, frankly, we have been here before. This article is a plea for WWE to learn from their previous mistakes and give Carmelo Hayes the best chance of ascending the faction to success, not getting stuck in an immovable rut under the guise of having time on their side. 

Why am I excited?

My immediate reaction to Carmelo’s reappearance is of joy and excitement, especially given the frustration at decisions gone by. Coming to the main roster from NXT with all the potential in the world, Melo’s main roster run has seen a flurry of ups and downs. Hayes’ run with the US Title through late 2025 to early 2026 brought hope of a sustained push, before he promptly vanished from TV. Given the trajectory of Ilja Dragunov, with whom Melo beat for the US Title, it was not hard to see the same fate befalling another beloved young midcarder. It is therefore terrific to see Carmelo get a fresh start, a chance to further the potential fans have seen in him for so many years. 

On the surface the combination of wrestlers within 946 feels like a great fit for Carmelo. He certainly fits the group’s performance, bringing a swaggering charisma that makes him so inherently watchable heel or face. This also adds a dimension of energy and high flying to the faction, who to this point are mostly hoss brawlers on the male side. Finally it cannot be denied that, at least in the short term, Carmelo is now part of one of, if not Raw’s biggest heel faction, which will get him main event exposure every week and undoubtedly a more prominent position on the show.

This will also almost certainly put Carmelo into the WarGames match as a result of this alongside his cohort, where he will probably steal the show, and the push for Main Event Melo will renew in abundance. 

Why am I nervous?

Yet as I look around Raw at a flurry of factions either fractured beyond measure or past their sell-by-date, the optimism can’t help but be twinged with a sense of deja-vu. WWE have a history of trapping people into stables long past the time they should be there, slowly flanderising their position as a top draw.

Though some may disagree, I would view Bron Breakker’s time in the Vision post-Seth split to be an abject failure, dragging him down the card and making him feel less important than he would have done otherwise. You could also argue the same happened with Dominic Mysterio in The Judgement Day, who beat John Cena last Survivor Series and yet is spinning every wheel in America while even his Mexico work doesn’t excite like it did. Young stars ready to blossom are becoming locked into factions with no end in sight, and with more and more members joining 946 my fear of a repeat only rises higher, 

If I am being honest, I do feel the positioning of all 4 other members of the 946 is the best way to get them over. OTM are in a stronger position on the main roster than I ever thought they could be, Keys now feels like he is operating with purpose and direction, and Jaida Parker will inevitably stand out in the upper mid-card womens division.

While adding Carmelo Hayes fixes WWE’s own mistakes by taking him off television and neutering his momentum, I feel that had they built upon his Post-US Title Run hype months ago, moving him into the main event scene on either Raw or Smackdown, it could have benefitted both Hayes, who has proven his main event prowess in NXT, and WWE who would have had more challengers in its sometimes sparse main event scene on Raw. This, I feel, would have done Hayes more good than now being thrust as another cog in a faction wheel, especially if the faction’s hierarchy remains as is with Keys as leader.

How it can work!

My concerns are, I admit, based on assumptions of things which have yet to happen or ruing that which has come, gone and cannot be undone. For now we have only the reality of the present, which is that of all the options to rehab Carmelo’s character, this was probably the best option, and there are certainly possibilities where this can really work and shine.

If Melo either gets hugely over in the faction, breaks away and feuds with Hobbs, or surpasses Hobbs as group leader, we could see a legitimate main event elevation for one of WWE’s brightest talents. I want this to succeed for the sake of all involved, most of all Hayes who is one of the very best young stars in the industry. This is why I plead not to do what is always done, not to drag out Mid-Card Melo for another year while telling me about the big opportunities you are claiming to give him. Learn from your mistakes with Breakker and others, make a storyline with energy and momentum and use this to genuinely elevate Hayes into something befitting his astronomical talents. 

But what do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo Credit: WWE on YouTube

The post Honestly: Carmelo Hayes in ‘946’ has me excited but nervous! appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

“Every day is a gift…There’s two kinds of eulogies or funerals…one of them is ‘This is what this man did’. The other is ‘who this man was’…when it’s all said and done, I know what kind of funeral I want” – Jon Moxley

Loss & Connection:

These eerie and prophetic words were spoken by the leader of the Death Riders, Jon Moxley after his match at AEW All Out and less than 24 hours one of the men, Ben “PAC” Satterley, that stood behind Moxley during this segment would be gone and he would also be the last person to walk of that segment. It maybe cliche to say but life is truly precious and tomorrow is never guaranteed. 

This is sadly not the first time that I have had to write one of these pieces and even worse it will likely not be the last time that I’ll have to do this either. Although I have written pieces on Brodie Lee, Jay Briscoe, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero and Scott Hall, all who passed away shockingly, unexpectedly and gone way too soon.

Although we may not personally know these people, we as fans feel this deep connection to them, nonetheless. Week after week, show after show, we feel invested and that bond continues to grow so when something like this happens, we are shocked and saddened the loss is felt deeply as if we lost a friend or loved one even though we may only know them from TV. Just knowing them from TV does not lessen the pain and feelings of loss that we feel as they are genuine feelings.

That is part of the magic of what the men and women of this industry have done for many generations especially since the invention of television where the legendary Gorgeous George was the first in this business to build a connection with the audience as he was beamed into their homes. The magic of professional wrestling at its core is getting the audience to care about the characters and the stories being told. 

We as fans become invested in the characters and stories being told and for many fans the weekly shows become an escape from the pain or stress that they may be dealing with in their everyday lives. Part of the success of the Austin vs McMahon feud of the late 90s was that whether you were a teenage or college student dealing a difficult teacher or professor or you were an adult with a difficult boss you could vicariously live through Austin beating up his evil boss. That connection that exists isn’t just one way, as the wrestlers feed off of our energy and passion as much as we feed off of the entertainment that they provide us. 

Being a wrestling fan is a unique experience, even though we may not personally know these people on our TV or even all of our fellow fans we are connected by our love of professional wrestling. Like any family there are always siblings or relatives that may have disagreements and that exists in a world of toxic fandom known as the IWC. Where fans are accused of being a WWE Drone if you support or say anything positive about WWE or being accused of being a AEW Sicko if you support AEW. Unfortunately, I have certainly been accused of these things because of either something I have written or something I have said on a Wrestling Republic show over the years. I’m neither a drone or a sicko, I’m a wrestling fan and I love this business as a whole. 

The truth is the tribalism and divides that are exacerbated by some toxic fans in the IWC or certain so-called “journalists” in this business push the us vs them narrative in order to serve their own agenda or to turn a profit on hate and discord is what exposes the darkest sides of the fandom. However, when tragedy happens that is when fans need to come together and most typically do and that has been shown a lot this week.

The Past Few Days:

I wasn’t able to watch AEW All Out when it aired Saturday, so I watched it Sunday morning, the show opened with Andrade vs PAC. Only a few hours later after I finished watching the show, I was scrolling Instagram and saw the news and immediately that knot in the stomach formed hoping that it was untrue and was some sick hoax being spread. We couldn’t have lost yet another young performer this early in his life, but unfortunately, it was not a hoax.  

Other than shock, my mind immediately went to the thought wait he just wrestled last night…how could this be?!? I began thinking how eerily similar this felt to the passing of Ultimate Warrior in 2014, he entered the HOF days before and had one last appearance on Monday Night Raw cutting a promo about legacy and 24 hours later he would be gone. Obviously, we would find out on Wednesday that PAC’s last segment also had a mortality take that was sadly prophetic.

The industry and fans around the world immediately flooded social media with their love for PAC not just the wrestler, but Ben Satterley the person. The made up tribalistic walls came crashing down as none of that garbage matters when we as a wrestling fan community when one of our soldiers loses their lives at only 40 years old. As someone that only knew PAC the performer, every indication from what has been written or said by the people that actually knew Ben Satterley, he was truly beloved by every single person in this industry that came across him.

I want to share a poem with you, that immediately came to mind when I was reading the tributes from PAC’s brothers and sisters in this business across the wrestling landscape that I think sums up the Man that this world lost:

“Measure of a Man (Author is Anonymous)

Not “How did he die?” But “How did he live?”

Not “What did he gain?” But “What did he give?”

Not “What was his station?” But “Had he a heart?”

And “How did he play his God-given part?”

Not “What was his shrine?” Nor  “What was his creed?”

But “Had he befriended those really in need?”

Not “What did the piece in the newspaper say?”

But “How many were sorry when he passed away?”

Was he ever ready with a word of good cheer, to bring back a smile, to banish a tear?

These are the units to measure the worth,

Of a man as a man, regardless of birth.”

The Wrestler:

My first exposure like many fans to PAC was on NXT Arrival, the first major live event airing on the recently launched WWE Network in 2014. It was on this show that the man then known as Adrian Neville would challenge for the NXT Championship against Bo Dallas in a ladder match. I distinctly remember being unable to watch this match live, but I was not alone as the network feed crapped the bed just in time for the main event. Fans immediately began saying they better figure this out before WrestleMania in a few weeks, which they did.

When I finally got to see the match, I was blown away by Neville. He was like a cross between WWE HOFamers, AJ Styles and Sean Waltman. The fluidity in that ring that he possessed in every action he did. Simply flawless in that ring and I remember thinking this kid is special and he isn’t even thirty. Neville was one of those performers that no matter who he was in the ring with they were better for it. He put on absolute classics night in and night out. 

 I think his feud with Sami Zayn is my favorite of his NXT/WWE run as two real life best friends bought the absolute best out of one another and painted a masterpiece in that ring whenever they touched. This was the black and gold era when NXT was just so unique and special, and there is no question that was because of the roster of men and women that had a passion and a drive to show the world that they have arrived.

As Neville he was billed as the Man that Gravity Forgot, but the truth is even though gravity may have forgot him, no one that saw this man in that ring perform would never forget him. From the moment I saw this man deliver his Red Arrow finisher for the first time to when I saw him deliver his last Black Arrow, I always had the same thought my mind can’t process how he is doing the move that my eyes are witnessing. 

I knew he was a special talent, but I also knew the odds were against him in a WWE led by Vince McMahon, who would look at his size and think he is too small to push. Luckily, there was another place for PAC to apply his craft to a global audience and that was in newly being launched AEW.

Neville was in the rear-view mirror as he was once again PAC, a name that he established on the independent scene prior to WWE and a silent tribute to a nickname his father gave him. PAC was the mirror opposite of the Neville character, like his new moniker PAC was Bast***. This aggressive version combined with his unmatched athleticism eliminated any thoughts that he wasn’t credible and dangerous to his opponents regardless of his size. My favorite PAC match in AEW was at All Out against Kenny Omega. I remember going into this match thinking no way they will allow PAC to beat Omega, but they not only had PAC win but in dramatic fashion as Omega passed out to the brutalizer submission. This was such a masterpiece that they painted in that ring and exposed that WWE screwed up letting this diamond go.

PAC never got the singles run to be AEW World champion, which now puts him on the list of one of the best in ring talents to never to have held a world championship. However, he excelled in every role he was given in AEW, but even though he wasn’t given the world title run, he absolutely delivered as a member of the Death Triangle with the Lucha Bros and his final stable the Death Riders. AEW Trios champion legend holding that championship for 360 days across two reigns. PAC never doubted his worth in this business and chased his dream and excelled everywhere he went.

Tributes:

WWE opened RAW and NXT with this graphic in tribute to Neville and as I this writing I assume they will air this graphic on Friday as well to open Smackdown. A few talents did wear arm bands in tribute to their fallen brother. I didn’t expect them to do the ten-bell salute as traditionally they let the home promotion do it when an active performer passes. Out of respect it makes the most sense for the first ten bell to take place in AEW his home. 

However, even though I commend WWE for airing the graphic and allowing the arm bands my personal opinion is you allowed AEW to do the ten bell on Wednesday night, they should do the ten bell on Smackdown especially since the reigning WWE Champion, Sami Zayn was incredibly close to PAC and won the NXT Championship off of PAC. 

The AAA/WWE Worlds Collide show shouldn’t have aired in competition of AEW Dynamite after PAC’s passing because they knew the moment PAC passed that Dynamite would be a tribute show the same way WWE would have done it. It was a classless act by TKO in my opinion; you’re the industry leader act like it! They could have moved it so it would be over before Dynamite aired or better yet aired it after Smackdown airs on Friday especially since it was a taped show anyway. Making it worse they didn’t edit in the Neville graphic for it, but they at least let Neville’s former NXT tag champ partner, Corey Graves pay tribute on commentary.

 AEW did everything correct here; they paid tribute to their fallen brother in the classiest way any company could have done it. Sadly, in its relatively short existence AEW has suffered through four active talents passing and tributes needed to be done. The video packages of all the talents talking about PAC/Ben broke your heart as a fan. The talents gave everything they had in that ring in tribute to the man that they loved. 

I believe it was Cody Rhodes who said it after his legendary father, Dusty Rhodes passed away that he wanted to be out in that ring because he felt connected to him when in there. Over the years talent have said they want to be in the ring for tribute shows as they feel at peace doing the thing that they love as a way of coping with the grief. 

Bryan Danielson coming out of his retirement/hiatus to team with the Death Riders or the former BCC which he was a part of with PAC was so fitting and touching. You saw the pain on Bryan’s face the entire night and you felt how much pain every performer was going through as we all in the wrestling community try to process the loss.

This lasting shot of the empty chair is the saddest yet most fitting way to have ended Dynamite. 

I have discussed this a little in previous pieces, four years ago I suffered two back-to-back tragic losses in my personal life in a matter of a few weeks. Losses that cut so deep that you have no idea how you can ever put the pieces of your life back together. Watching and talking about wrestling helped me feel a sense of normalcy and a sense of peace when I desperately needed it. There is a quote from the movie, Rocky Balboa that comes to mind and is a quote that I actually have hanging up as a motivator whenever the pain pops back up:

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are… it will beat you to your knees and keep you there if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit… and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.” – Rocky Balboa

Your loved ones and in this case, PAC would want all of us to keep moving forward in our lives and pursue of dreams and to live every day to the fullest. It isn’t about how much time you are given on this Earth as none of us know when our number is up, it is about making everyday count and a reminder to tell those that matter to us how we feel about them. 

RIP “PAC” Ben Satterley and thank you for every moment that you gave me and fans around the world. My thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to his family, friends and fans around the world.

ITTMP   

The post Honestly: We Will Never Forget PAC appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

“If you are a heel and you’re doing your job right, you are most hated” – “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

 Professional wrestling is an industry that many have made their profession over its long history and generations of fans have come to love this business. At its core it has survived this long on a very simple formula characters and storytelling. You give the audience characters to care about and stories to be invested in involving these characters. 

This is a quote that I always go back to especially on the Wrestling Republic Daily Broadcast, so for those that I have heard me say this before, I apologize for repeating myself but it is the best explanation I’ve heard in what makes a successful story in wrestling? The WWE HOFamer and ECW mastermind, Paul Heyman stated, “You need to answer three questions in every story in order to have a successful story and to generate money:

1) Who are these people fighting?

2) Why are they fighting?

3) Why should I as an audience member care enough to watch the show or buy a ticket or buy the PPV?

This seems like such a simple concept, but so many stories fail to hit all three especially number three, but when they do hit all three, they become legendary. 

Who truly drives the story? It is the heel. The heel’s job is to not only make the audience hate them but to also care about their babyface opponent enough to be invested in them. 

I started with a quote from Roddy Piper because in my opinion there has never been a better heel in the history of the business. Piper understood the art of being a heel was to get the audience to rally behind his opponent in hopes that he the dastardly heel gets what is coming to him. He often said when the conversation turned to the success of WrestleMania 1 and was asked who was most responsible for its success, he would say it was ME. He believed and I think he was right; more people bought the show to see Piper get his butt kicked than paid to see Hogan being the one to do it, as the person beating up Piper was less important.

Piper generated heat like no other before or since, this is a man that caused as riot in LA when he was feuding with Chavo Guerrero Sr, when he got on the mic and said he wanted to apologize to the Latino crowd for his actions against the Guerreros by playing the Mexican national anthem on his bagpipes and proceeded to play La Cucaracha instead causing the crowd to literally rip up bolted down seats and launching them towards the ring. The man was stabbed on three separate occasions by fans. He literally started wearing the leather jacket lined with Kevlar because of the heat he generated.  

To be a true heel like Piper very few have truly mastered it to reach their true potential in this business and there really isn’t many in this business right now that is a true heel. MJF in AEW has obviously modeled himself off of Piper and CM Punk and truly gets the importance of the heel persona both in and out of the ring. Gunther in WWE has mastered the art of the monster heel that manhandles and belittles his opponents in the ring and on the mic. 

Most heels are just playing the cool heel these days. The cool heel is yeah; you’re the bad guy but you are doing things to pop the crowd not just generating boos. However, Gunther, MJF and Roman Reigns have reached a level where they are respected so much that they are going to get cheers regardless from a portion of the audience, like great actors admired for their work as the bad guys. 

This maybe a controversial statement, but in my opinion, there is only one man in this business today is the true embodiment of a true heel and that is Charles Mason.

Wrestling’s One True Heel:

For many of you, you may not even be familiar with Charles Mason, but he is probably the hottest heel on the indies that for some reason that I am unaware of remains unsigned by the major promotions. The man knows how to generate heat that is downright nuclear like MJF used to because he became the heel that is respected to the point that he generates pops out of respect. Charles Mason calls himself the root of all evil and exemplifies that from everything from his look, presentation, his entrance and his overall vicious style inside the ring.

Doing research for this piece, I couldn’t even determine what his real name is, so it is possible that he chose the name Charles Mason to have a similar sounding name to someone was a real life root of all evil in Charles Manson. Considering how Mason is meticulous with his presentation and style I would like to believe that he chose the name for that exact reason. Mason will never be a babyface in his career and is going full in on the heel persona.

The man knows how to generate heat is the simplest explanation because he exemplifies the worst qualities that every human being has inside of them if they were let out of their cages. His moniker the root of all evil which is usually attributed to money is directly tied to his entrance theme which is a version of Shania Twain’s Ka-Ching. Taking a look at the lyrics of the song which is all about greed and pointing out the worst in all of humanity. You typically don’t hear them over the special chant he receives upon his entrances, but here they are:

We live in a greedy little world,
That teaches every little boy and girl
To earn as much as they can possibly,
Then turn around and spend it foolishly
We’ve created us a credit card mess
We spend the money that we don’t possess
Our religion is to go and blow it all
So it’s shopping every Sunday at the mall
All we ever want is more
A lot more than we had before
So take me to the nearest store

Can you hear it ring
It makes you want to sing
It’s such a beautiful thing, ka-ching
Lots of diamond rings
The happiness it brings
You’ll live like a king
With lots of money and things

When you’re broke, go and get a loan
Take out another mortgage on your home
Consolidate so you can afford
To go and spend some more when you get bored

All we ever want is more
A lot more than we had before
So take me to the nearest store

Can you hear it ring
It makes you want to sing
It’s such a beautiful thing, ka-ching
Lots of diamond rings
The happiness it brings
You’ll live like a king
With lots of money and things

Let’s swing
Dig deeper in your pocket
Oh, yeah, ha
Come on, I know you’ve got it
Dig deeper in your wallet
Whoa

All we ever want is more
A lot more than we had before
So take me to the nearest store

Can you hear it ring
It makes you want to sing
It’s such a beautiful thing, ka-ching
Lots of diamond rings
The happiness it brings
You’ll live like a king
With lots of money and things

Can you hear it ring
It makes you want to sing
You’ll live like a king
With lots of money and things
Ka-ching

Every mannerism and move he does in the ring is with purpose to reinforce his role as a heel and in the storytelling of the match. He was until recently the HOG Heavyweight Champion with a reign of terror as champion for 453 days, where he would barely escape as champion which further incensed the crowd that was desperate for him to lose the top prize in the promotion. 

During one of those title defenses he went against AEW’s Andrade, at one point Andrade was doing his spot where he takes a selfie with an attractive woman at ringside, well it didn’t go as planned as Mason booted the woman in the face as seen below.

Every match that Charles is in on HOG or GCW or JCW, instantly feels like a bigger deal because he is the heel that you love to hate and want to see get beaten up. Much like Piper would frequently say it isn’t so much who beats him up as long as he gets beaten up, that is what the fans are paying to hopefully see. He plays with the emotions of the crowds, by giving them hope that the babyface will beat him and frequently squashes those dreams like a bug on the sidewalk. His in-ring style is to beat and wear his opponents down mentally and physically.

Charles Mason fully understands and gets that he is the driving force to generate interest into a match to get audiences to buy a ticket to the show or watch the show online. People find the bad guys more interesting because they are embodying the worst qualities that 99% of us will never allow ourselves to become. The reason Stone Cold Steve Austin exploded in the Attitude Era was because he was the anti-hero and he had a relatable story of a boss he hated and he would beat him up every week…well the people watching at home had a boss or co-worker or bully in their life that they wish they could do the same to and they lived vicariously through Austin.

Star Wars is a perfect example, as a kid watching it you are more drawn to Darth Vader than you are to any other character. It is the complexity of the character as the trilogy goes on that you are more invested in him than you are even Luke through most of the trilogy. The bad guys are typically more compelling and interesting in all forms of entertainment especially in wrestling.

Charles Mason fully gets and embraces this and every opponent that he faces and every show that he is on is better for having him being a part of it. 

Final Thoughts:

There is no question in my mind that TNA or MLW or NWA would be in better position by having Charles Mason as their top heel in their promotion as their world champion. He would likely get lost in the shuffle of WWE or AEW, who already have more talent than they know what to do with as it is. Charles Mason could be a massive heel draw for any of these three promotions and could be a massive improvement in TNA as he could obviously work multiple divisions in that promotion and offers the biggest stage for him of the three.

ITTMP

The post Honestly: Charles Mason Is The One True Heel In Wrestling appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

Although many things have changed in this business since its humble beginnings there are a few things that will always remain constant: good vs evil, storytelling, characters and providing the audience with pure spectacle and entertainment. Even though the audiences of today know it is all part of a show, the goal is still all the same to be an attraction, to get the audience to pay to see the show and to leave the audience with a sense that they were glad to have watched the performances.

Finding The Character:

There have been a lot of wrestling persona and characters over the years with many of them drawing inspiration from perhaps wrestling’s past like Ric Flair taking over the Nature Boy gimmick from Buddy Rogers and making it his own with his own interpretation on it. One could argue that the gimmick of flashy robes which has been used by Buddy Rogers, Ric Flair, Macho Man Randy Savage, Seth Rollins, Dalton Castle, Goldust and so many more can trace their roots back to Gorgeous George. 

It isn’t so much that you are stealing or copying off of a previous gimmick, it is all about finding a character that you can fully embrace and make into your own. Finding that persona that you believe in so strongly that you embody it and the audience can see and connect with it too. Arguably, the greatest gimmick of all-time is the Undertaker. Mark Callaway may have been given the gimmick by the WWF, but he embodied it and made that character everything it could be. The character was so beloved that even now all these years later his 1990 debut, if that gong hits the crowd will lose its mind.

Almost five years ago, I wrote a piece on Danhausen, a character and gimmick created by Donovan Danhausen on his own on the indies. The character was unique and different and he fully embraced the delusional character and had fun with it and in turn the audience was entertained and had fun watching him. He used social media in a way no one else did to find an audience and to connect with the fans in a unique way. So, fast forward to today he is one of the biggest merch sellers in WWE for 2026 when he just debuted in February and arguably no one has had a better year in wrestling. Danhausen knows his character and refuses to compromise it as the character you see on WWE television is the same one I first saw in ROH, AEW and the indies prior just with a bigger stage and more production.

I say all this because just like Danhausen five years ago, there is another talent on the independents that I have seen that has the same commitment to the character and gimmick that he has created, and his name is “The Spectacular” Charles Crowley. Crowley obviously has drawn his inspiration for the character from wrestling’s true origin and roots the circus, yet he has found a way for the audiences of today to be connected and entertained by it. He has also like Danhausen did, he uses social media to further expose the character to a wider global audience outside of the UK independent scene and to promote upcoming shows and matches he will be a part of just like the talents of the circus era he is the huckster or ringmaster recruiting the audience to join him under the big top.

Crowley Knows His Character:

My first exposure to Charles Crowley took place the weekend of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, I have told this story before on the Wrestling Republic Daily Broadcast but for those that are unfamiliar with the story, I flew into Las Vegas on an early morning flight from the east coast so there is a three-hour time difference in Las Vegas so when WR’s Clark Taylor came to me that everyone wanted to go to the midnight Progress show, to say I really didn’t want to go would have been an understatement. Since I was both incredibly gassed knowing that by the time the show was over, I will have been up for 24 hours straight with the time difference, and I really didn’t follow Progress to know any of the talent or stories going into the show. 

However, Clark was very persuasive, and I didn’t want to be the only one that didn’t go to the show since everyone else was going. As I sat there through the first couple matches barely keeping my eyes open, there was one moment that snapped me out of my sleep deprivation from the music to the crowd chanting “T**T” at the man making his way down the aisle. I couldn’t help but laugh and wonder who is this guy? The look and the presentation from the entrance alone had me hooked and even though I had no clue who this “Spectacular” Charles Crowley was I knew from the “T**T” chants that I was likely in for an entertaining experience. 

Sure, enough I was beyond entertained and even though I walked into the Palms Theatre not having any clue who any of the talent on this show was, I became a fan of one in particular and that was Charles Crowley. At first, watching him I remember thinking oh he is a comedy character, but the more you watch him he is so much more than a just for laughs character, he is much deeper than that, he is a performer that knows his character better than pretty much everyone else on that show that night and arguably better than a lot of performers in this industry as a whole. 

After that match, the exhaustion I was battling came right back for the rest of the show unfortunately, I did get a chance to catch the replay on Triller once I was more well rested and enjoyed it more than the first time. However, I was still left with that same feeling that Charles Crowley was a unique and special performer that has mastered the art of a compelling unique character that use his trickster persona to not only entertain the crowd, but to play mind games on his opponents. His promos and videos all over social media is a masterclass in delusion and mind games against his opponents as he is both entertaining and unhinged in many of them, but he can also tap into pure emotion. 

There is promo that he cut as part of his feud with Spike Trivet for Riot Cabaret, where it was nothing but pure emotion as he tapped into real life pain that had a way to connect with an audience as anyone that has suffered loss of a loved one could connect with and relate to. Crowley was obviously the face going into the match against the dastardly heel Spike Trivet, but after that promo you end up pulling for Charles even more. His mind games in a lot of ways remind me of the original Goldust character where he is able to make his opponents uncomfortable as they have no clue what they are up against not who they are up against.

Crowley continually evolves the character by adding a toy monkey as seen in the picture above, known as Sebastian. He has full conversations with Sebastian much like Al Snow used to have with Head. Yet another layer of mind games to mess with his opponents. He has used Sebastian to help distract opponents even during matches by tossing Sebastian at his opponents, who typically catch the monkey only to leave them open for Crowley to land a move such as a cutter on them.

However, the specialness of the character is that the depth of the character and the way the audiences have taken to it is that he has a character like WWE HOFamers Ric Flair’s “Dirtiest Player in the Game” or “Lie, Cheat & Steal” Eddie Guerrero in that the character works as both heel who cheats that you can boo or as a face that cheats but you love it anyway.

After being denied entry in last year’s Progress Wrestling Super Strong Style tournament due to not being medically cleared, Crowley had plenty motivation to not only to be in this year’s tournament, but to win it all. However, it wasn’t just Crowley who had the motivation to do it, he had the hot wave of the crowd through every stage of this tournament as they began chanted Super “T**T” Style at him from the very beginning. Crowley not only made it to the finals against Charles Sterling, but the “T**T” did the impossible and won it all. Of course, he did it with a little help from Sebastian, but in fairness he was only defending himself against Sterling.

This set Crowley on a collision course against the reigning and defending Progress Champion, Cara Noir as the winner of the tournament is guaranteed a title shot. However, like Crowley, his opponent also as a mysterious character that unlike Crowley has embraced the dark side. Crowley pulled out all his trademark mischievous trickster antics from purple nurple.

Unfortunately, despite the absolute devastation this move has caused throughout school yard playgrounds for generations it had little to no effect on the black swan the trickster was up against. Crowley used every trick up his sleeve to achieve his long-desired Progress Championship. Every time Cara Noir thought he had Crowley, the audience, his willpower and his trusty balloon kept Crowley alive.

 Unfortunately, Cara knew what he had to do, he couldn’t kill the crowd support, but he knew he needed eliminate the balloon, beat Crowley down, and kill Crowley’s will to fight. Cara Noir targeted the thing Crowley treasured most in this world and that was Sebastian.

Like a certain WWE HOFamer Cerebral Assassin, Cara Noir destroyed Crowley’s best friend with a sledgehammer. The sadness and anger were written all over Crowley’s face, but with Crowley operating just on rage it gave Cara Noir the opening to catch Crowley with just the right move to end the match and keep his championship.

Crowley’s look of devastation for his destroyed monkey reminded me of wrestling’s past whether it be Perry Saturn losing Moppy or Chavo Guerrero Jr. losing Pepe. The question is now how Crowley evolves the character again; how does he capitalize from having the tragedy fuel his revenge and possibly does this lead to him finally attaining the Progress Championship.

Final Thoughts:

In an industry where so many independent wrestling talents think the thing they need to do is take unnecessary risks like jumping off a high structure or use every weapon imaginable or do 7,000 different moves in a match without them meaning anything, Crowley is smarter than all of them as he is putting his energy into developing a character that can get people’s attention today and give him a payday long after his career is over. Crowley doesn’t do things to just do them or because he can, everything has a purpose and it fits the character and the match’s story. 

Just like I said five years ago, I strongly encourage anyone reading this to check out Charles Crowley, you won’t regret it. I would love for TNA or NWA or MLW to pick him up because I think he would truly excel in those promotions. I think WWE or AEW, he’d just get lost in the shuffle. Although WWE would merchandise him like Danhausen, the difference is unlike Danhausen he is a character that isn’t just comedy. He might thrive in AAA since they are over the top and there are clowns there for the whole circus ringmaster gimmick, I think one of the smaller US indie companies like the three I mentioned he could really thrive.

ITTMP

The post Honestly: Charles Crowley Embraces Wrestling’s Original Roots appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

As a wrestling fan, you’re probably wondering how this is even possible, and you’re probably rolling your eyes, but let’s explore which wrestler has a K-Pop counterpart.

Roman Reigns and BigBang

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Roman and BigBang have a lot in common. Newer generation K-Pop fans don’t appreciate BigBang and newer generation of wrestling fans don’t appreciate Reigns. They also go through lengthy periods of not doing much, but they’re still doing something. They’re both iconic and their fans will tell you that you must like and respect them. Perfect song for Roman Reigns: Still Alive. 

Liv Morgan and Twice

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Liv Morgan and Twice both are chameleons – they know how to adapt to anything that they’re given. They have proven that with a dedicated fanbase there is no end in sight. Their careers have been compared to the people before them, but they keep improving and showing that they can find their own way. Perfect TWICE song for Liv Morgan: Icon.

Rhea Ripley and Jennie

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Have you ever seen two women get hated for breathing or doing anything? That’s Ripley and Jennie. Like Morgan and Twice, they both dedicated fanbases that stick by them through anything. No matter what people say, they have proven that they are successful due to hard work and determination. Perfect Jennie song for Rhea Ripley: Like JENNIE.

Willow Nightingale and Hearts2Hearts

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They both have this bubbly vibe, and you can’t help but like them. You can’t help yourself when you see them doing their thing and be happy for them. They’re both very girly-pop, and we love that. Perfect song for Willow Nightingale: Rude. 

Merecedes Moné and Lisa

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Since leaving their respective companies – WWE and YG Entertainment – they’ve been killing the game. Despite outside noise, Moné and Lisa always know how to captivate an audience. They’re here to prove that nothing and no one will stop them from achieving their goals. Perfect song for Mercedes Moné: FUTW.

John Cena and BTS

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They are considered the GOATs of their respective industries. Some people might argue they paved the way, while others will argue they didn’t pave a way and that they walked along the paths of those before them. They also have classics that even non-fans can’t deny. Perfect song for John Cena: Run BTS

Jey Uso and Jay Park

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They are a very acquired taste. You either love them or you hate them. They also love saying the first thing that comes to mind on social media. They were also able to find solo success, although Park was kicked out of his group in 2009. Perfect song for Jey Uso: To Life.

Jon Moxley and G-Dragon

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Jon Moxley and G-Dragon are two people who know what they’re worth and know who they are. After leaving WWE and YG Entertainment, respectively, they have proven time and time again that their talents are the reason they’re successful. They are able to be true to themselves now. Perfect song for Jon Moxley: Power.

Dominik Mysterio and ATEEZ

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Having charisma is a must in K-Pop and wrestling; both Mysterio and Ateez have the crowds in the palms of their hands. ATEEZ has this mentality that it’s all of them or it’s none of them, much like Mysterio’s allegiance to The Judgment Day. They both don’t fit the stereotypical image you want them to be. Perfect song for Dominik Mysterio: Work.

CM Punk and Wonyoung

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These two individuals are watched so closely that even their haters know what they’re doing. Every move they make is overanalyzed by everyone who’s watching. Punk and Wonyoung are also very girly pop, which basically means they’re both fierce, and people don’t like that. Whether you love them or hate them, they have your attention. Perfect song for CM Punk: 8.

See? Wrestling and K-pop go hand in hand.

The post Honestly: Wrestling and K-Pop go hand in hand appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

What Happened?

On Wednesday, Create-A-Pro Wrestling owner Bryan Myers took to Instagram to announce that the dream match between MJF and Nic Nemeth, scheduled for their May 1st show, would not go ahead. Both men would still participate on the card, but in separate matches, with Nic Nemeth facing Bear Bronson and MJF issuing an open challenge.

It was a bitter blow not only for fans looking forward to the encounter, but clearly to the wrestlers themselves. Nemeth told Youngstown Studios on Friday he was “crushed” the match had been pulled, while MJF called into Busted Open Radio and delivered a foul mouthed tirade against the decision, labelling the move “disgusting” and arguing it stunts young talents opportunities for growth and limits opportunities for wrestlers to provide for their families. “If anyone supports him (Silva) or that company at this point” he proclaimed “it is very hard for me to wrap my head around.”

Nemeth was not the only TNA talent to have his upcoming match pulled. Initial fears of a changing relationship began on Tuesday when Fightful Select reported Moose had been pulled from an upcoming appearance at Maple Leaf Pro on April 18th. The situation worsened again as Wrestlecon announced on Thursday that the advertised main event of next week’s Mark Hitchcock Memorial show between Ricochet and Leon Slater would also not go ahead, despite, as they argue, it having been previously agreed to by both parties.

TNA President Carlos Silva in a statement to Fightful attributed the decision to “Partner Conflicts”. Wrestlecon appeared to take aim at TNA’s stated reasoning by separately posting to X “it may be partner conflicts and politics to you, but it’s very personal to us” alongside a video of Hitchcock’s memorial package from a previous event. Maple Leaf Pro have yet to address the decision publicly as of this article’s publishing. 

Why Has This Happened?

The parties involved have confirmed the facts above as we currently understand them. The reasons for this decision, by contrast, are much more up in the air and, beyond the public statements, can only be a matter of speculation and opinion. There has been no official word from TNA that the decision is a blanket ban on TNA vs AEW matchups, but given the pattern of cancelled matches that conclusion is what many, myself included, have come to.

Extrapolating from Silva’s assertions of partner conflicts, the immediate assumption I would draw would be WWE, whom TNA have had a formal working relationship with since January 2025, and a seeming collaboration since then TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace appeared at the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble. With TNA’s new AMC TV deal bringing fresh eyes to the product, and amid its hostility toward AEW, WWE may seek to avoid portraying affiliated talent as weak against its competitor.

It is worth considering how WWE might benefit from this decision for TNA to sever working ties with AEW entirely. Not only would it be a blow to their biggest rivals, but would also allow TNA talents to be more protected in the world of the independents, which if WWE wished to use their talents or bring them in at the end of their contracts, would keep them looking stronger against their own stars and demonstrate superiority. That said, TNA talents have not fared especially well against WWE talents in past collaborations, as Randy Orton memorably squashed then TNA World Champion Joe Hendry in just over 3 minutes at Wrestlemania last year. Nemeth himself suffered a loss to Solo Sikoa when returning to face him in the Last Time is Now tournament in December.

I have consistently felt frustrated that TNA has not received more reverence in the partnership and has clearly played second fiddle to its larger partners. If therefore WWE have in fact made this decision to halt TNA associating with AEW it is a perhaps bullish indication that the only stars WWE have no problem with continuously and convincingly going over the TNA talent is their own.

The same could be said of AMC, another potential partner that would want to keep its property as strong as possible. Last Thursday saw AEW Collision air on the same day as TNA Impact due to a one off schedule change forced by Warner Brothers Discovery because of NCAA Basketball. The result? TNA dropped from 256,000 viewers the previous week to 200,000 thousand viewers, the lowest Impact rating since January. There has been speculation that this could have given Silva heat with AEW that influenced the decision, prompting MJF to respond on X calling Silva a “dumb motherf****r”.

Silva has not confirmed or acknowledged this himself and I personally find it hard to believe that even if it is true it would’ve influenced such a drastic decision from Silva. Instead,  based on his statement I think it is far more likely to be an imposed decision than something bore from the spite of TNA’s president. Therefore, could it instead be an act of revenge not from Silva, but by AMC for AEW encroaching on their territory. Unlikely but certainly not impossible.

What Impact Could This Cause?

The question I would propose, quite simply, is whether the perceived harm that this stance could cause TNA outweighs the benefit gained. Does it cause huge harm to the TNA brand for Leon Slater to fight, and potentially lose to, Ricochet on a memorial event as part of a slew of other shows on Mania weekend. Is it detrimental to the selling potential of 45 year old Nic Nemeth to lose to the AEW World Champion 15 years his junior. Just last week Jody Threat scored a huge victory over Mercedes Mone to reclaim the WPW Women’s Championship in Winnipeg, demonstrating that the TNA vs AEW matchups are not a dominant one way streak and present huge potential benefits for TNA. 

Some may argue that such matches create slippery slopes for bigger, more harmful TNA losses down the road, but companies sign off interpromotional matches for which their athletes are contracted. If a match does more harm than good for a company, they are well within their rights to refuse it. In this case though, signing off on these matches and then furiously backtracking because of some form of outside interference is frustrating and makes TNA as a company appear untrustworthy, when I honestly firmly believe that their influence on the decision is more limited than the surface suggests.

This is already coming to fruition with West Coast Pro Wrestling’s owner Scott Bregante remarking of the situation “Working with talent on an independent level, after clearing everything, and doing business, only to have said talent pulled after the fact, high or low profile, gives me zero reason to work with anyone from said company making said arrangements.” With WWE’s deal with TNA locked in it is hard to see TNA crying into their cornflakes over this right now, but for TNA talent it demonstrates a potential future resistance to the company’s workers being booked for crucial independent dates, which could worsen their possible takings.

I would question whether talents eyeing up future contracts would be willing to go to TNA over, say, AEW who have demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with other promotions in a way TNA are publicly showing themselves unwilling to do. In his press conference for AEW Dynasty Tony Khan seized the opportunity to play up his own relationships with New Japan and CMLL and express confusion at the decision from TNA to pull the matches. Those relationships are certainly imperfect, but this display will do little to endear fans or promoters to the idea that TNA is a welcoming and forthcoming place for displaced talent to seek refuge, especially with the wealth of collaborative options available elsewhere in the industry

What Could TNA Stars Lose?

If this decision is indicative of a blanket ban on the interpromotional relationship between TNA and AEW then the most affected party will almost certainly be the talent. Many younger stars like the recently debuted Ricky Sosa could gain so much from the additional exposure against a variety of big name stars in their native independents. While some, like Leon Slater, will no doubt get huge opportunities against top WWE stars in the future, WWE seems to see many TNA stars’ ceiling as bodies for NXT talent or low-level main roster talent to defeat.”

Those such as Moose, Mustafa Ali, Rosemary, and Kazarian may all be veterans at this stage, but they can still develop their own standing and reputation, and WWE shows no interest in using them as main roster acts.. Yet this decision has or could freeze them out of massive paydays elsewhere, instead consigning them to a ceiling of NXT if they wish to branch beyond TNA’s borders.

This is not mutually exclusive to talent benefit either. I honestly believe allowing Nemeth and MJF’s match to go ahead would, quite the opposite to damaging Nemeth’s stock, instead put his name in the spotlight in a way that, with utmost respect to his talented new opponent, Bear Bronson is unlikely to do. Nemeth, who is currently in a program with AJ Francis heading into Rebellion, could’ve benefitted hugely from the additional publicity already raised by the match even in defeat. Nemeth already has name value and can still go at a high level, so an encounter of that magnitude would’ve reminded people of his talent and hopefully brought fans back to TNA, raising Nemeth’s domestic stock within the company further. Instead he is returning to a program that, while I’m sure will be fine, won’t scratch the sides of the potential exposure left on the table.

Conclusion

Whoever is responsible for severing TNA’s ties, I believe TNA itself will be the biggest loser in this situation, as I cannot imagine it imposed this restriction on its own talent and prospects without influence from another party, a point the company’s president has all but confirmed. I fear the result will damage TNA’s reputation in the wrestling sphere, which is crucial if this partnership breaks down, as well as its image for future prospects and potential defectors.

I struggle to foresee enough benefit for TNA and its alliances in WWE to make up for the potential setbacks. Most of all, it sucks for fans who want to see top quality wrestling, as we have lost out on current and future dream matches. With those prospects shattered, let’s hope Rebellion delivers a top quality product, otherwise TNA could quickly find itself in a sticky situation in and out of the ring. 

The post Honestly… TNA Cancelling Interpromotional Matches Could Seriously Backfire appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

Bella and her twin sister, Brie, paved the way for a women’s revolution in wrestling and have inspired many young girls to chase their dreams. The Bella Twins were the top women wrestlers in WWE and you couldn’t escape them, especially Nikki Bella.

“You Can Look But You Can’t Touch”

With her iconic backward red cap and unforgettable entrance, Nikki Bella became an icon during the “Total Divas” era. She was the mean girl. She was the woman you wanted to hate, but you were always rooting for her. With a title reign of 301 days, Bella became the longest reigning Divas champion, which proved to everyone watching that she was more than just a “diva”. 

Total Divas Era

“Total Divas” premiered in 2013 and became a popular reality show. The show allowed audiences to see what it’s like to be a woman wrestler while balancing relationships and life changes. It also showed clips of the wrestlers’ lives backstage at the shows and at home. Bella became a star overnight. She is credited with turning many women into wrestling fans during that time, and her star power grew bigger and brighter. 

Evolution, Hall of Fame, and sporadic appearances

On July 23, 2018, during an episode of “Raw”, Stephanie McMahon announced the first women’s PPV within the company, “Evolution”. During this PPV, fans would see Bella facing off against Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women’s Championship in the main event. Several months later, Bella would end her in-ring career due to a cyst found on her brain. About a year later, Bella and her twin sister, Brie Bella, would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Despite retiring, Bella would continue making sporadic appearances before leaving the WWE in 2023. 

Netflix Raw Premiere and the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble

On January 6, 2025, WWE fans were surprised by Bella appearing at the Raw Netflix premiere on the red carpet and on-screen. Her appearance was met with praise and a lot of talk online about her possible future with the company. At the 2025 Royal Rumble, Bella was a surprise entrant at number 30, facing off with Roxanne Perez before Perez eliminated her.

Future WWE Plans

Bella has appeared on many podcasts, discussing her future plans with the company. During Wrestlemania weekend, she is due to make her appearance at WWE World.

Whether she has a part-time run or a one-time appearance, Bella deserves one last final run in the WWE. She could face Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte, and any number of stars to show that she wasn’t just a total diva, but a true pioneer in the business.

The post Honestly: Nikki Bella Deserves One Last Run In the WWE appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

It’s safe to say, the story of John Cena’s debut is pretty well known. Answering the open challenge by Kurt Angle, and vocalising that iconic line of ‘ruthless aggression’ before slapping the taste out of Angle’s mouth, earning himself major endorsement from The Undertaker in the process. Ever since emerging from that iconic OVW class of 2002, it’s been a long and successful road for Cena to becoming one of the most beloved wrestlers in the history of this business.

It seems strange to think of a world in wrestling without John Cena, but that is almost what we got. If it wasn’t for Stephanie McMahon, it is very likely Cena would’ve gotten fired in WWE’s next set of releases. Luckily he was able to showcase to Stephanie his freestyle rapping skills, and the rest was history.

This article isn’t a reminder about Cena’s entire career though, everyone reading this is most likely already more than familiar with this icon’s legacy in the ring. But to quickly run through his achievements: 16-time World Champion, five-time United States Champion, two-time Tag Team Champion, two-time Royal Rumble winner, former Mr. Money In The Bank, Hollywood megastar, the undisputed face of WWE for over a decade and of course, always and forever the poster boy for Fruity Pebbles. 

Instead of running through his whole career, this article will go through a few of his career highlights, emphasise his connection with the fans, while also sharing my hopes for his farewell tour. 

The first of 16

John Cena currently ties Ric Flair for most World Title wins, so it is only right we kick things off talking about the win that started things off. 

Just a year after beating the Big Show at Wrestlemania 20 for the United States Championship. Cena was competing for the opportunity to win his first ever WWE World Title against the dominant champion in JBL. While the match did get mixed reactions from fans, there was no doubt that WWE had a new top star on their hands, and this title win helped launch Cena to superstardom. 

Perhaps the most controversial thing to come out of this title win though was the introduction of a new title design, the spinner belt. The reaction from fans to this was… divided to say the least. My feeling is the belt fit Cena’s character at the time very well, but some people might say the design made the title look more like a prop rather than a symbol of achievement. But no matter the fans’ view of the championship design, it was yet another iconic part of Cena’s career. 

2008 Royal Rumble Return

In October of 2007, John Cena suffered a major setback in his career as he tore his right pectoral muscle in a match against Mr. Kennedy. Cena ended up finishing the match, but the injury was supposed to sideline him for 6-12 months. 

But in probably one of the biggest very real examples of Cena living up to his saying ‘Never Give Up,’ he made an incredible comeback and recovery in just 4 months. Setting up one of the most iconic returns in WWE history, as John surprised fans as the Number 30 participant in the 2008 Royal Rumble match. Cena eliminated Triple H to win the Rumble, capping off a landmark moment in his career. 

His greatest rival

There are quite a few candidates for the role of John Cena’s greatest rival. His iconic battles with The Rock, CM Punk and AJ Styles have made their mark on Cena’s career. But I don’t think many would disagree that his greatest ever counterpart, was the Rated R Superstar, Edge, or who is now known as Adam Copeland in AEW. 

The iconic moment of Edge cashing in the first-ever Money in the Bank contract on Cena after his brutal Elimination Chamber match at New Year’s Revolution 2006, started this feud of pure hatred culminating at Backlash 2009 that included: eight title changes, a Spear with a motorcycle helmet, Edge slapping Cena’s dad, a new title design, Cena tossing Edge into the Long Island Sound, love triangles and some very brutal matches.

This was a rivalry that put both guys on the map in WWE as main eventers, especially Edge, who cemented himself as one of the best heels in wrestling history in being the ‘Ultimate Opportunist.’ They truly brought out the best in each other and I’m not just talking about in terms of match quality, but storytelling as well. Every time they re-visited this feud, they always added a new layer to their story. They were just the perfect foil for each other and it is a shame that someone so important in Cena’s career won’t be a part of his farewell tour.

Twice in a lifetime

The story of the biggest star in the world, up against the man that took his spot since he went away. The phrase ‘dream match’ gets thrown around a lot these days, but The Rock vs John Cena undoubtedly slotted perfectly in that category at the time. The battle between these two icons was a year in the making, with the match being made official on the RAW after Wrestlemania 27. I remember watching that segment as a kid and just being glued to the screen. I wasn’t a regular watcher of WWE at the time, but the face-to-face with Cena and Rock definitely played a vital role in making me one. The story was more than just two icons from two generations clashing though, Cena often mentioned Rock’s status in Hollywood, while mocking his part-time schedule. Which is amusing looking back on it because that is exactly the position Cena is in now. 

The build to Wrestlemania 28 was special, you had Cena and Rock going toe to toe on the microphone, both one upping each other every time they interacted. This rivalry was probably what opened a lot of people’s eyes to just how good of a promo John is, despite losing the eventual match, I personally think he won the battle of the trash talking. Of course him infamously calling out Rock for writing his promos on his wrist was one of the more iconic moments in this feud, but every bullet Rock hit him with, Cena hit him with five back. 

The match should’ve stayed as a Once In A Lifetime, but of course WWE had to milk it even more and run it back a year later for the WWE Championship. But the rivalry is something that is remembered fondly by a lot of fans, including myself. It was also what helped win over a lot of Cena’s critics at the time as well. 

The infamous US Title Open Challenge

Probably many fans’ favourite period of John Cena’s career was his United States Open Challenges. Where he defended the title regularly against anyone who decided to step up to the champ.

This run of Cena’s as United States Champion brought a new-found prestige to the title. Not only was Cena having some of the best matches of his career with these open challenges, but perhaps the most influential part of this title reign was the talent he elevated on the way. Cena always wants to leave the business better than he found it, which was evident in the way he was able to give wrestlers like Sami Zayn, Cesaro and Neville (now PAC in AEW,) a platform to showcase to a big audience why they deserved more title opportunities in the company. The open challenge even gave perhaps the best introduction on the main roster you could ever ask for, for one of WWE’s biggest stars today in Kevin Owens. KO was able to beat the 16-time world champion clean on his main roster debut, as the NXT Champion. 

This title reign will definitely be fondly remembered even by some of Cena’s biggest haters, and it was the perfect example of Cena understanding his duty as a veteran to help mould the superstars of tomorrow.

Number 16

To be recognised as one of the GOATs in this business, you have to make your mark. John Cena was seen as hovering on that line, but at the Royal Rumble in 2017, he was able to truly cement himself among the greats in this industry by tying the legendary Ric Flair’s world title record. 

Where this record-tying moment stemmed from was one of the best trilogies I’ve ever seen in pro wrestling, between AJ Styles and John Cena. All three of their matches got better as they went along, and all of them had natural storytelling development. The first was about the dream encounter between Cena and Styles, 15 years in the making. The second developed into the story about Styles having to prove he didn’t need The Club to beat John. The third, and their best in my opinion, was about Cena potentially tying Flair’s record. 

Everything about this moment was perfect, the storytelling, the opponent and of course the match as well. Will Cena finally break the record during his Farewell Tour? I hope so.

Cena’s unbreakable connection with the fans

There aren’t many wrestlers in this business that have had the connection with fans quite like John Cena has had. This is a bond that has only been found by people before him in Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin, as well as one after him in the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes. 

The way he has gained this connection with so many members of the WWE Universe is simple though, his motto ‘Never Give Up.’ We’ve heard jokes like Super Cena multiple times, because even when there should be no way back for him, he always finds a way to pull through. Wrestling to me has this magical ability that allows you to just sit down, get lost in the action and stories, and just forget about any troubles you have in life outside of it. Cena has always been someone who just gets that power wrestling has, and the phrase might sound corny or cheesy to some, but to a lot of people it has helped carry them through the toughest of times. 

To this day, Cena is still trying to inspire fans through his words and actions. Perfect recent example of this is when he appeared on popular content creator Kai Cenat’s Twitch stream. It would’ve been easy for Cena to turn up, have fun for a bit and leave. But he knew the audience watching the stream would’ve been from a younger generation, remembered his responsibility as a role model and made sure to leave the audience with some wise words to take forward into their future. 

There is a reason Cena holds the world record for most wishes granted for the Make-A-Wish foundation at 650. Throughout his career he has shown he cares about his fans, leaving memories to last a lifetime and making sure he takes responsibility for being a role model, inspiring his fans to Never Give Up. 

What I hope for in his Farewell Tour

This article could have just been how I would book John Cena’s Farewell Tour. I have so many ideas for what they could do as Cena gets closer to retirement. But instead I am just going to say some bullet points of what I hope to see in this tour, otherwise this article would probably be about 10 pages long. 

I’d like to see a mix of playing some of his greatest hits and fresh rivalries, I think that is the best way to go around it. For me personally, I hope to see him and CM Punk either lock up one more time or maybe team together. My main gateway into me becoming a regular watcher of wrestling was Money In The Bank 2011, Punk and Cena made magic together that night and what followed after that was one of Cena’s greatest rivalries. 

It is also vital he gives lots of talent the Cena rub on his way out as well guys like Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Jacob Fatu and Oba Femi are all talents I would like to see Cena work with. But the biggest question is, does he win number 17? My answer will probably differ from a lot of fans’ but I honestly think he should get one last world title win and break the record. 

Final Thoughts

Whenever someone asks me who are the wrestlers that made you a fan, I always have the same five answers for them. Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, CM Punk and of course, John Cena. I would say Cena played the biggest role in getting me into this crazy world we call professional wrestling, and I will always be thankful to him for that. To me Cena will always be my GOAT, and when the trumpets play for the last time, he gives one final toss of his hat to the crowd and the sun sets on his career, you can’t deny he has been one of the most influential wrestlers in the history of this business, and without a doubt one of the best to ever do it.

To finish off the article, here are some words of appreciation from some of the team here at Wrestling Republic. Thank you Cena!

“Throughout the entirety of my childhood John Cena was THE top guy in WWE, and his feud with AJ Styles in 2016 was truly the moment I went from being a casual wrestling fan, to a wrestling fanatic. His ability to make you invested in his storylines, even when they were poorly written at times, is unmatched, and his in ring ability is often underrated as well. There’s easily an argument for him to be on the Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling.” – Ben Allison (WR Owner)

“Although I have never been a Cena fan as I grew up during the Attitude era with Austin and Rock so the cartoonish 80s Hulk Hogan 2.0 that Super Cena represented was not for me. Looking back on it you have to respect the longevity that he had as the face of the franchise and carrying the brand on his back as they went TV-PG as the product was not exactly having its creative or popularity highs that they once had due to lack of true wrestling competition and creative leadership. 

Whether you love Cena or think Cena sucks, you have to respect all the Make A Wishes that he has granted and despite having the audience booing him out of the building he never once lashed out at fans and simply said they paid for their ticket and if they want to boo me it’s their right. 

We never got a heel run out of Cena like Bash at the Beach 96, Hogan, which may have helped his career but for his entire run he was the hero to the target kids audience who are now adults seeing their hero one last time.” – Anthony Ricciardi (WR Head of Opinions and Podcaster)

“I’ve not always been John Cena’s biggest fan, but even I can acknowledge his undeniable legacy as an icon of WWE and crucial in the mainstream perception of wrestling worldwide. He was an integral part of my favourite piece of wrestling storytelling ever in Wrestlemania 36’s Firefly Funhouse Match alongside Bray Wyatt and his work between 2015-2017 stands out as one of the best renaissance runs I can recall. At his best, Cena is a captivating presence and a huge draw, his love for the craft is infectious and his incredible work outside the ring through charity and humanitarian work has earned my eternal respect. I wish him all the best in his final year, and hope for one hell of a final outing for Big Match John.“ – David Sheldon (WR Podcaster and AEW Reviewer)

And last but not least… some words from probably the biggest Cena fan here at WR.

“The Last time is now, but John Cena’s legacy will live on forever. While Cena’s career may not resonate with everyone, his impact on me has been profound and deeply personal. His presence in WWE has always been about more than championships and accolades—though his record in those areas is undeniable. For me, it’s the values he has embodied—hustle, loyalty, and respect—and his unwavering mantra to never give up that have left a lasting mark on my outlook towards life.

Growing up, there were times when I struggled mentally, moments when I felt like I couldn’t push forward. But Cena was always there—a constant reminder of resilience and determination. Watching him overcome countless odds in the ring gave me the motivation to rise each time life knocked me down. He wasn’t just a larger-than-life WWE Superstar; he was a source of strength and inspiration when I needed it most.

Now, as I’ve grown older, my appreciation for John Cena has deepened. It’s not just about the iconic sweatbands and the “You Can’t See Me” taunts—it’s about the man behind them. Through interviews and podcasts, we’ve come to know more about Cena’s work ethic, humility, and dedication. His ability to make the best of any situation, to embrace challenges and turn them into opportunities, is a lesson not only for those in the wrestling industry but for all of us navigating life.

As we approach Cena’s farewell tour, it’s a bittersweet moment. There’s excitement for the incredible journey ahead, but also an undeniable sadness knowing it marks the end of an era. I’m certain this tour will be a celebration of everything he has given us—fun, emotional, and unforgettable. Still, I know when we come to the end and hear those trumpets blare out for the last time that my eyes will instantly fill with tears.

Thank you, John Cena. For the unforgettable moments, the lessons in resilience, and the example you set both in and out of the ring. Your legacy isn’t just what you accomplished—it’s the lives you’ve inspired along the way and I’m proud to say I’m one of them.” – Jordy In The Bank (WR Podcaster)

The post Honestly: Thank You John Cena appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

Professional wrestling has been a part of my life longer than it hasn’t been a part of it. For 26 plus years I have had a passion for this crazy business that we call professional wrestling. I have always viewed professional wrestling as an escape from the stresses of life whether it was from the pressures of school back in the day or the stresses of work today or the stresses of everyday life that can hit so incredibly hard at times that it can bring you to your knees.

Wrestling has always been that escape for me that no matter how hard things may seem, it gives me a few hours each week to just relax and be entertained. I certainly have been very fortunate to have gone to a number of historic events in wrestling especially the past few years including back-to-back Manias, which is still surreal to me and got to experience those with some very important people to me, friends that are more like my brothers.

I certainly didn’t expect Philly to get yet another major wrestling event in 2024 after WrestleMania 40, but the moment the rumblings came out that NXT maybe holding a show in the 2300 Arena or as it will forever be known in South Philly as the ECW Arena, I knew I had to be there. So, the moment the pre-sale was announced I pounced and got lucky ending up with tickets second row right behind the announcers.

Side note I even made it on camera during the moment Bubba Ray Dudley made Booker T. an honorary Dudley.

I was certainly stressed going into the show, even though it was on Wednesday, let’s just say it was already a stressful and long week and all that stress went away as soon as me and buddy, Chris got to the 2300 Arena. There is just something special being in line with fans that you don’t know, but you all have a love and a passion for this business. I was so looking forward to this show and they absolutely delivered and without any further delays let me get into it.

Before the show even started the crowd was chanting, they aired a Cody Rhodes ad for his Peacock documentary and the crowd started singing his song including the WOAH! Then as the lights were out and they began showing the special NXT 2300 intro with the iconic ECW theme, the crowd chanted ECW, but as soon as the NXT logo popped up it changed to an NXT chant.

Opening Match – Jaida Parker vs Lola Vice – Hardcore Match – Special Ref: ECW Legend Dawn Marie

Dawn Marie got a great pop from the crowd as they showed love for the ECW Legend, including a “you still got it!” chant as she made her way down to the ring. Jaida Parker and Lola Vice totally lived up to the legacy of ECW in this match and between this and the main event, is exactly why the hard to please Philly crowd showed their approval chanting “Women’s Wrestling”. This match was the start of a theme throughout the entire night, honor the past, but embracing the future of this industry.

These women were laying their shots in especially when Lola started swinging that Singapore Cane, they didn’t catch all of it on TV, but Lola was swinging that cane like Jaida owed her money. They were viscous shots, and Jaida was firing right back with shots of her own. 

This match had all the physicality that absolutely laid the gauntlet down to everyone in the back of go ahead and just try and follow that. When you start a show with a match this good and a tough crowd like no other in Philly praising it, you know the bar has been raised for the rest of the show to live up to an already huge hype around it. 

My only criticism for this match is I think they made a mistake not having the finish be the brick spot. A brick spot in general is very unbelievable to begin with if you aren’t selling it as some injury angle, but when Jaida hit Lola with the brick for Lola to kick out that was a massive mistake in my opinion especially since you had Jaida going over anyway. Jaida didn’t need to hit her finisher to end it in my opinion. I think the smart play would have been to hit the brick spot. Dawn Marie do the infamous X gesture signaling they need help. Have Jaida demand Dawn count the three and then stretcher Lola out. That way you can continue this feud because these women have a lot more in the tank for this feud and the future cannot be any brighter for both women.

Side note, neither there at the show or even watching the match back, I have no idea where the brick came from and no one around me knew either at the show.

They did have some exclusive show merch, which I picked up the NXT 2300 shirt and hoodie. It was 80 degrees in Philly in November so needless to say the hoodie wasn’t needed that night. They smartly didn’t put the special Dudleyz shirt for sale until after D-Von appeared later in the show. 

Match 2 – Wes Lee vs Je’Von Evans  

Before this match began, we got to see a little easter egg in the backstage assault of RVD by Wes Lee shot in a very old school ECW style only showing RVD’s feet at first. I’m not sure why WWE didn’t want RVD to wrestle in the building that made him famous, but maybe it leads to a Wes Lee feud for RVD, with the HOFamer putting Wes over down the road.

Je’Von and Wes are two of the brightest young talents in NXT. Although Wes has been in this business for a while, this heel run of his has been on another level for him. His reunion and subsequent feud with his real-life brothers in the Rascalz, Zachary Wentz and Trey Miguel, has helped elevate Wes Lee’s trajectory in this business. It helped light a spark that was missing. Then when you look at Je’Von, it is like Wes is looking at his younger self staring back at him. The sky is the limit for Je’Von and he is delivering in that ring no matter whether it is the future HOFamer in Randy Orton a month ago or Wes Lee in the ECW Arena. His gear tonight was inspired by the ECW Legend, New Jack as well.

These men absolutely followed the hardcore match before them by delivering a hard-hitting, high-flying match that was reminiscent of ECW’s past in this building with Mysterio vs Psychosis. Je’Von crashed into the announce table with his dive that TNA and NXT reviewer, Archie Carter messaged me that he thought Je’Von was going to land in my lap. 

This was a truly special match that showcased both men and the finish with RVD giving Je’Von the rub of a legend and Je’Von attempting a 5-Star Frog Splash that literally myself and everyone around me in unison all went he isn’t going to make it; Wes is too far away from the corner. Je’Von made the best of it and the Philly crowd was so impressed with both men’s performances in the match that they gave him a pass from the “you F’d up” chants. Here is the thing people outside Philly that criticize the Philly’s sports fans calling us as too hard on the athletes, we are not hard on those that show they are giving it their all. We expect and respect those that leave it all on the field. When the audience feels like you’re mailing it in or not giving it your all that is when the crowd will turn on you. To put it simply, we boo because we care and as long as the audience feels that you care then we got your back.

RVD raising Je’Von’s hand was an awesome passing of the torch moment for the young man and considering he has gotten the rub from both Randy Orton and RVD recently, it shows that WWE has a lot of faith in this kid and see a very bright future in him.

The light’s out surprise is an iconic ECW staple, where someone makes a surprise appearance on the show and for it to be the recent TNA HOFamer and last true ECW World Champion in Rhino being the surprise was an awesome move. The NXT/TNA partnership is easily one of the biggest and best things to come out of the year 2024 in wrestling. Getting to witness Rhino in the 2300 Arena twice this year, once wrestling Mustafa Ali in a hardcore match for the TNA X-Division Championship in March and now Goring Robert Stone for disrespecting Philly in the same building on NXT is wild. 

Hearing a TNA chant in the ECW Arena on an NXT show is surreal, especially on a WWE show that had ECW, TNA and NXT chants throughout the night.

Match 3 – Trick Williams & Bubba Ray Dudley vs Ethan Page & Ridge Holland

Next up was the tag match featuring the TNA & WWE HOFamer and ECW Legend, Bubba Ray Dudley returning once again to wrestle in his home, the building that will always hold a special place in his and the other ECW Alumni’s hearts, the 2300 Arena. Trick Williams the reigning NXT champion, playing the role of Bubba’s tag partner and there is no bigger shoes to fill when Bubba’s brother and longtime tag partner, D-Von Dudley were the greatest tag team in the history of the business, the Dudley Boyz/Team 3D holding tag team gold everywhere they went. 

The crowd gave an awesome pop to both men as “Whoop That Trick and ECW Chants” rang out in the building with the hot crowd. Bubba even had a moment anointing another tag team legend and fellow HOFamer, Booker T. into the Dudley family. 

Their opponents tonight are Ethan Page, someone that I have been a big fan of his work for years, but first time seeing him wrestle in person and his tag partner, Ridge Holland, appears to be the person that the company is getting behind to be Trick’s next opponent. They had a great heel video segment with them insulting Philly while the iconic Rocky statue was behind them. 

There were little things that you can only catch when you are there in person, like Ethan’s heel work on the apron making faces at his opponent’s expense and at one point a fan yelled “I love you Bubba” and without Bubba even looking at him yelled back “I love you too”.    

This match was everything it needed to be, and Ridge picked up the surprise win, which makes sense since that appears to be the direction that they are going that Ridge and Ethan both have eyes on Trick’s NXT Championship. However, in order to also give the fans what they want they did a post-match brawl that gave the fans the What’s Up spot with Trick playing the role of D-Von and then as the crowd demanded tables, outcomes D-Von with a table when conveniently none were under the ring.

 As Bubba and Trick did a double chokeslam putting Ethan through a table to a pop from the audience. The question was why not a 3D and the answer is RESPECT. That was the Dudleyz finishing move and only one team has ever kicked out of it and that was the MCMG at the Dudleyz request. Doing the What’s Up is one thing but the 3D is sacred and no one other than D-Von should do that move with Bubba. 

Post match the visual of D-Von anointing Trick as an honorary Dudley was an awesome moment.

Match 4 – Tony D’Angelo vs Nunzio – NXT North American Championship

The pre-match vignette with Don D’Angelo’s Family crossing paths with ECW’s FBI’s members Nunzio (Little Guido) and Tony Mamaluke in front of South Philly’s Tony Lukes (now known as Tony and Nicks) it was done for a cheap pop for the Philly crowd and it being right down the street from the 2300 Arena there is a lot of history of it being a common eating place of the ECW Alumni. 

To see the Don of NXT, who as an Italian I’ve loved the gimmick and character and loved to see the crowd so strongly get behind him. Unlike at NXT Stand and Delivery, I got to see Tony pick up the win. It was a quick match, which is what it needed to be. Nunzio couldn’t do a long match, but he got his little bit of offense to satisfy the ECW fans and yet put Tony D’Angelo over.

Post match it was great to see almost the passing of the torch as this was a great visual moment of the embrace between the FBI and The Family.

Main Event – Giulia, Stephanie Vaquer, Kelani Jordan, Jordynne Grace & Zaria vs Roxanne Perez, Cora Jade & Fatal Influence

On paper this is an unbelievable match up and had a ton of hype to begin with and on a show that had a lot of hype and expectations from a very hard to please the crowd. This match absolutely delivered a phenomenal main event on a card that genuinely satisfied the audience. The face team is an absolute dream team that can best be compared to the 1992 Team USA Olympic Basketball team. The heels aren’t push overs either and these women created something truly special whenever the two teams came face to face.

This was an amazing showcase for all the women involved as the crowd was thoroughly behind all the women. It was a match that was absolutely physical and that is exactly what the fans wanted. As ECW Legend, Francine sat at ringside watching the women of NXT showcase that they are the best in the world. 

 Kelani popped the crowd with her amazing outside the ring moonsault. During the match when Kelani was looking for the hot tag, the crowd started chanting “Heeeyyy Heeeyyy we want some Jordynne”. It wasn’t picked up much on TV, but from where I was seated, I could see her smirking and saying to Zaria on the apron, ok then and she gave the one-minute signal to the crowd. The dream team picked up the win, but not before Zaria didn’t accidentally nail a viscous spear to Jordynne. They teased a potential feud between the current TNA Knockout, Jordynne Grace and NXT’s Zaria. If Jordynne does make the jump to NXT, I think there is a good chance that is her first major feud possibility. They were purposely on the opposite sides of the celebration and Jordynne and Zaria were staring at one another.

Final Thoughts:

This show was everything that it was supposed to be as not only a tribute to the past and also continue to push the future of this industry. The crowd was hot all night including during commercial breaks, during one with the lights out someone yelled “it’s too quiet in here”, which resulted in a ECW chant breaking out.

As Paul Heyman said during his WWE HOF speech in April, that ECW did not die in a courtroom 23 years ago, the spirit of ECW continues to live on in this business. ECW was a revolution in this business, it changed the business forever as the style and presentation that is still seen in WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, ROH and others. It was a phenomenal show that I’m so glad I was privileged enough to see it live and hoping we get another NXT 2300 show possibly an NXT Barely Legal or NXT November to Remember.

ITTMP 

The post Honestly: NXT 2300 Was Everything It Was Supposed To Be And More appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

I am such a fan of Zakher’s that (and I promise this is true) I had already written a draft of this article before she was signed to this deal, and have subsequently had to amend it as a result. I want to use this article to highlight to a mainstream audience just what a gem WWE may have on their hands, someone who I genuinely believe to be one of wrestling’s biggest young prospects.

Zara Zakher’s Run In TJPW Tokyo Princess Cup

I first encountered Zara Zakher in this year’s TJPW Tokyo Princess Cup and was immediately blown away. Despite it not being her first time in TJPW, having wrestled company stalwart Mizuki back in February as well as several undercard tags, her participation in the prestigious tournament was undoubtedly her biggest exposure to the worldwide stage. Swaggering into the Shinjuku FACE Arena and up against the promotions world champion Miu Watanabe she looked entirely at home, stunning the champion in a shock upset and shattering Watanabe’s year long undefeated run.

It was an excellent match, possibly the best of the second round, and Zakhers combination of power, agility and charisma shocked me and put her immediately on my radar in a big way. She continued her strong momentum in the quarter final, a rematch with previous opponent Mizuki. Despite Mizuki being one of the best in the company, as well as the tag champion at the time, Zakher again put her away in another great showing, avenging her loss to Mizuki back in February.

Her run in the tournament came to an end at the Semi-Final stage, losing to eventual runner up Yuki Aino. It was a slight shame, given a final showdown with the transcendently charismatic Ryo Mizunami would’ve been a blowaway hit for Zakher, but she had nevertheless proved herself as a huge breakout star. The strength of her booking through the tournament, as well as the willingness of top stars to make her look strong and Zakher’s undeniable promise, firmly cemented her as one to watch in my eyes.

Translating To A Larger Audience

The driving force behind this article however was seeing her success in Japan begin to translate to a wider US fanbase. Appearing at GCW’s Monster Bash Event on Halloween night, Zara Zakher proved her acumen in a show-stealing match with current TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich. The match, a ferocious piece of strong style wrestling from two exquisite power athletes, saw some impressive development from Zakher, adding some hints of acrobatic flair as well as some strong bumping and selling as she fell at the sword of the champion. Slamovich is of course one of the very best in the world, but Zakher matched her brilliantly and her physical charisma has me already fantasy booking her against other top stars across the wrestling world.

Zaria, Athena, Jordynne Grace, Bianca Belair and Bozilla are all names I would love to see wrestle Zakher, a testament to her immediately impressive performances. I only hope that, under the ID program, Zakher is still provided the opportunity to wrestle a diverse list of opponents, as the exposure and experience she will get in continuing to diversify her portfolio is invaluable.

The Future Is Bright For Zara Zahker

Whether or not the WWE ID pathway works out for Zara in the long term, her talent is so undeniable that she will be a credit to any major wrestling organisation that acquires her services. Her combination of agility, pace and power is frightening, and her radiant charisma shines through the second she walks through the curtain. She has proven her skill against a diverse range of opponents, so I doubt she would have difficulty fitting into any company, country or style in the world.  With this level of promise after less than 2 years experience on the independent wrestling scene, I truly believe that in the coming years, if her career trajectory continues to soar as I feel it can, we could be looking at a future megastar!

The post Honestly: Zara Zakher Is The Next Big Thing In Pro Wrestling appeared first on Wrestling Republic.