We’re in Albany, NY for the Season Two Finale of a show I’m so invested in that it took me three weeks to summon the energy to type about it!
Daniel Bryan
Smackdown – April 30, 2021
Smackdown
Date: April 30, 2021
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
We are rapidly approaching Wrestlemania Backlash and that means it is time to start hammering the card home. However, that is going to have to wait this week as there is a major main event. In this case, that means Roman Reigns defending the Universal Title against Daniel Bryan, who has to leave Smackdown if he loses. Let’s get to it.
NXT 08/24/2010 #27
The penultimate episode of Season Two. I thought this was going to be the last episode because it’s down to three remaining Rookies but instead we’ve got another week of uhhh….I don’t know.
Smackdown – April 23, 2021
Smackdown
Date: April 23, 2021
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
We’re less than a month away from Wrestlemania Backlash and it looks like we might be coming up on a big Cesaro match. The question now though is who that will be against, as the options seem to be Roman Reigns, who Cesaro challenged, and Seth Rollins, who interrupted that challenge last week. Let’s get to it.
NXT 08/17/2010 #26
Tonight it’s a double elimination as WWE continues to pour caustic soda down the NXT drain. But never mind that, check out Percy Watson’s new shirt:
Wrestlemania XXXVII Night Two
Wrestlemania XXXVII Night Two
Date: April 11, 2021
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Samoa Joe, Byron Saxton
America the Beautiful: Ashland Craft
It’s time for the second half of the show and hopefully it is just as good if not better than last night. This time we have the main event of Roman Reigns defending the Universal Title against Daniel Bryan and Edge, along with four more title matches. That should make this feel more like a complete Wrestlemania, though I’m still not sure on whether I like one or two nights better. Let’s get to it.
NXT 08/10/2010 #25
It’s the one with the punching machine you see in late night takeaways. There was a bit before the show with Michael Cole trying it out but he’s 100% in Pro-Miz heel mode so let’s make like blackface Piper and skip it.
Smackdown – April 9, 2021
Smackdown
Date: April 9, 2021
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
It’s the go home show for Wrestlemania and for once, there are some important things actually happening here. This time around we have the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, plus a Smackdown Tag Team Title match. Normally I would have an issue with the titles being defended on Smackdown instead of the pay per view, but considering they have not been defended since Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode won them in January, how important can they be? Let’s get to it.
Main Event – April 8, 2021
No this isn’t going to be a normal thing but here’s a bonus for Wrestlemania week.
Main Event
Date: April 8, 2021
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Byron Saxton
It’s the go home show for Wrestlemania so it’s time for the really important recap videos. I don’t expect anything new in the way of wrestling but there is no reason to think otherwise around here. This kind of show is about as perfect as you can get for Wrestlemania week, but they still need to do it right. Let’s get to it.
Smackdown – April 2, 2021
Smackdown
Date: April 2, 2021
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
We are running out of shows before Wrestlemania and the card is mostly set. WWE has already announced that the Smackdown Tag Team Titles will be defended (for the first time since they were won almost three months ago) and that we will get the Andre the Giant battle royal next week, but that leaves a lot of things to cover tonight. Let’s get to it.
NXT 08/03/2010 #24
We’re in Laredo, Texas for the post-Eli Cottonwood era. It’s only been a week and I already miss the blithering idiot. As people have explained, he made an appearance in the original FCW version of The Wyatt Family so thanks for letting me know he had One Last Bungle.
Smackdown – March 26, 2021
Smackdown
Date: March 26, 2021
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
It is time to start the real final push to Wrestlemania because we are finally done with Fastlane. There is a really strong possibility that Daniel Bryan is added to the Wrestlemania main event and after the pay per view, that is the best thing that they could do. Other than that, there is a good chance that we are going to be able to see something else added to the show, as we have three Smackdowns left. Let’s get to it.
Bryan Danielson vs. Reckless Youth (and other Dream Matches!)
Welcome to another column of Dream Matches! This one has some truly crazy “Wait, that was a thing?” cases, as the indie superstar of the 2000s meets the supposed indie superstar of the 1990s, in Bryan Danielson vs. Reckless Youth! Plus the two most bizarre “ECW guys looking out of place in WCW” cases, with the Sandman AND Mikey Whipwreck showing up, taking on Billy Kidman and a Villano, respectively! Watch on YouTube as Dusty Rhodes leads poor Scott Hudson through the most insane conversation in history to fill time. Oh, and remember that four weeks when you saw AAA luchadores on the main WWF TV shows? Well I do! And here’s the time they got sent out on RAW to die while they furthered other programs during their match!
ECWA SUPER-EIGHT TOURNAMENT (2001, second round):
BRYAN DANIELSON vs. RECKLESS YOUTH:
* Oh my god, I just wanted to find Reckless Youth stuff to snark on mid-1990s PWI’s obsession with him, and I found Baby Bryan! So at the time Bryan was just some nobody on his way up- short-haired and clean-shaven like every other Indie Dweeb at the time, but he’s now up against the GOD of the Indie Dweebs. The ECWA Super-Eight was kind of like the ultimate trophy of the indie scene at the time, which at this point was made up of wannabes to WWF & WCW, and wrestled more or less like those companies’ styles- it was either guys who were gonna make the big leagues, or guys who were too small and/or shitty for them. But the focus on Cruiserweight wrestling in WCW, Shawn Michaels, and New Japan’s Juniors, the new generation being fans of that style, and the fact that bouncers and failed football players were suddenly finding careers other than wrestling, meant that there was this massive culture shift that sort of birthed Ring of Honor and the modern style.
Fastlane 2021
Fastlane 2021
Date: March 21, 2021
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Michael Cole, Samoa Joe, Byron Saxton
It’s time for the show that doesn’t exactly seem like it needs to exist but actually doesn’t look too bad on paper. There are some matches here which could be pretty good, though you never can tell with a show like this. A lot of the promise might come from the fact that the expectations are so low, but take whatever you can get. Let’s get to it.
NXT 07/27/2010 #23
We’re in Corpus Christi, home of *googles* uhhh birds. Oh and also another elimination.
Smackdown – March 19, 2021
Smackdown
Date: March 19, 2021
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Michael Cole
It’s the go home show for Fastlane and that means we need to add a few matches to the card. I’m sure you can guess a few of them from here, which may or may not be the best thing. The big match tonight will see Edge wrestle his first singles match on Smackdown in ten years when he faces Jey Uso for the right to be the ringside enforcer for Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns at Fastlane. Let’s get to it.
NXT 07/20/2010 #22
It’s the obstacle course episode, so we get clips of Matt Striker doing it earlier today. The balance bars and push-ups weren’t challenging for him as not talking for forty seconds.
Smackdown – March 12, 2021
Smackdown
Date: March 12, 2021
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
We’re on the way to Fastlane and that means it’s time for a contract signing. You knew this was coming and while it is coming off of a good match, it is still one of WWE’s more annoying booking tropes. Maybe they can come up with something more interesting tonight but I doubt it. Let’s get to it.
Smackdown – March 5, 2021
Smackdown
Date: March 5, 2021
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
It’s time for a big fight feel as Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso is taking place inside a cage. If Bryan wins, he gets the Universal Title shot against Roman Reigns at Fastlane, so I’m not sure how much more they can telegraph what is going on here. I’m curious to see what Bryan can get out of him though so let’s get to it.
NXT 07/13/2010 #21
Cole opens the show with “There’s a feeling of impending disaster tonight” to really get the cat excited.
