The Man Comes Around! Becky Lynch is the top wrestler of 2018!

Becky Lynch by Rob Schamberger.

Rarely can I say a talent topping the year end list made a mark on only part of the calendar year. Sasha Banks, Broken Matt Hardy and AJ Styles had career defining years with matches and stories that reshaped the wrestling world for much of 2015, 2016, and 2017 respectively. The same cannot be said for Becky Lynch.

Becky first came on my radar when she was still Rebecca Knox. In the earliest days of Shimmer, she worked for the promotion yet her career seemed to be speeding to an end. She retired from in ring activity in 2008, a perplexing decision for me as she seemed to be one of the best women on the independents at the time.

In 2012 she returned to wrestling and almost immediately signed with WWE, as the promotion clearly had something in mind for the woman they renamed Becky Lynch. If you look at those early days, she clearly seemed positioned to serve as a training body for the talents WWE wanted to bring up. She wrestled regularly against Bayley, Carmella and Sasha Banks. But even as she became a more important figure in NXT, she was the one member of the Four Horsewomen never to hold the title.

Even when she was called up to the main roster, it seemed like she was destined to forever be the bridesmaid but never the bride. Even when called up to the main roster, the Divas and then Women's title eluded her grasp until the new brand split. She seemed mostly defined by betrayals during this period, with both Paige and Charlotte turning on her at one point or another. She became the inaugural Smackdown Women's Champion, but no one saw her reign as anything exceptional, and Alexa Bliss quickly stole her thunder as the next "in" star.

She spent much of the first part of the year as a body in various battles with the Riott Squad. The Iiconics became her next regular feud, but one confined only to television, and one frequently interspersed with random battles with Mandy Rose or Sonya Deville. She seemed stuck in a rut.

But SummerSlam... well, it changed a few things. In the lead up to the match between Becky Lynch and Carmella, Charlotte made her return to the roster. She won a match that inserted her into the SummerSlam title match. Becky was none too pleased that her friend turned enemy turned friend was inserted herself in Becky's chance for the title.

Things came to a head at SummerSlam. Charlotte stole a victory and became Women's Champion, only to be brutally assaulted by Becky Lynch. Thus, The Man was born.

Image credit: WWE.com.

Since that time, Becky has become a dominant force on Smackdown. She would win the title at Hell in the Cell and defend it against Charlotte twice more. It's hard to argue that she's the top female wrestler in the company when she went on to put on multiple amazing matches for the remaining pay-per-views of the year. Her new personality came with a cutting wit that she was only allowed to show rarely before. Even dropping the title at TLC (without being pinned) just set her up to continue a dominant streak in the months ahead.

Yet the most interesting thing about Becky throughout her WWE career is that she's carried a narrative through-line. She's always been the good person, the one that wants a better division, a better place on the card and friends. Yet even since NXT, she's always the one being betrayed by those friends. Even in her turn to the Man, she continued to be the face in her own story. Charlotte betrayed her by inserting herself in the match and taking Becky's victory. The Man is just Becky finally letting her old friendships go in favor of a better her and a better women's division.

Perhaps no place shows this better than Smackdown's invasion of Raw before Survivor Series. While it would cost Becky a place at the pay-per-view, the invasion marked her as the leader of an entire division. Her dominance made it clear she could main event anywhere and the inadvertent injury may very well end with her facing Ronda Rousey in the first ever women's main event at Wrestlemania.

Becky Lynch is the Man. And we can all be damn glad she came around.

To NXT and beyond!: the Top 100 Wrestlers of 2018 #10-6

Today, we enter the Top 10 portion of our wrestlers of 2018. We've got a plethora of talent today, from arguably NJPW's top star to two women wrestlers ranked higher than most of their male counterparts and as the title might clue you in, a pair of the best and brightest in NXT.

Image credit: WWE.com. 

10. Johnny Gargano

Johnny Wrestling had a hell of a 2018. He main event all but one NXT Takeover event in the year. That started out with an epic encounter for the title against Andrade "Cien" Almas in January, one that in other years might have been considered an early match of the year contender. But that was just a warm up for Gargano. The attack from Tommaso Ciampa post-match would reshape the rest of his year.

His rematch with Almas would come with his career on the line and Ciampa would interfere to cost Gargano the title and his livelihood. Instead, Gargano started to assault Ciampa at NXT events. This lead to an Unsanctioned Match between the two of them in the Takeover main event in April. Gargano beat Ciampa to be reinstated into NXT.

Their feud continued in a Chicago Street Fight that he lost. Their next encounter would be for Tommaso Ciampa's newly won NXT championship, in a match also featuring Aleister Black. But an attack would take Black out of that match and Ciampa would barely retain.

Black's return came with the search for his attacker. And we soon learned that the desperate Johnny was the man that attacked Aleister Black to increase his chances of beating Ciampa. Johnny's new pension for doing whatever was necessary didn't secure him the win at Takeover: WarGames, but it did set him up for a major run in the new year. As contributor Christopher Cummings puts it, "One of the very best workers in the world right now, it’s a matter of time before he enters another match-of-the-year contender. He doesn’t seem to struggle with providing us with those."

Image credit: WWE.com.

9. Charlotte Flair

Charlotte was certainly involved in some of the most notable matches of 2018. Yet as I look at the six names below her on this list, I certainly feel like the voters might have attributed too much to her. Being significantly pushed by WWE is not the same as being a super-talented in ring competitor and I personally don't see Flair as ranking above Gargano, Penta or Cody. But this is your list, not mine, so let's talk about the Queen.

She entered 2018 as champion which meant she sat out the Royal Rumble. She beat Ruby Riott at Fastlane the month before her shocking victory over Asuka at WrestleMania. She would drop her belt to Carmella the next night. She lost to Carmella in her rematch before disappearing for television to deal with nagging injuries.

She would then insert herself into the SummerSlam title match between Becky Lynch and Carmella. She won the title that night and in the process set up a car crash storyline for the rest of the year as she feuded with former friend Becky Lynch. This would bring out a much darker edge in Charlotte, one she would carry into her match with Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series.

Charlotte seems to perpetually be in the SmackDown title picture. I don't expect that to change in the New Year either. But with the company admitting it needed to make changes, hopefully we will get to see more range from Charlotte rather than the same old title matches again and again.

Image credit: NJPW.

8. Kenny Omega

The sad part of this being a democratic list voted on by fans is that here in the number eight position we get our highest ranked non-WWE contracted talent. For a man with multiple great matches including a match of the year contender at Dominion, I argue it's not the right spot either.

Omega entered the year with the hottest feud in wrestling. Chris Jericho came out of nowhere to make his New Japan return and set up the amazing match that took place at Wrestle Kingdom between himself and Omega. Omega walked out of that match the winner, even if he left at odds with Bullet Club and Cody. He did receive support from another source though, his old Golden Lovers partner Kota Ibushi.

Though he would drop the United States title in a shocking upset to Jay White, he would score wins over almost ever major New Japan star over the course of the year, from the Young Bucks (with Ibushi at his side) to Kazuchika Okada in that aforementioned match of the year at Dominion. Days later, he would retain the title against Cody at the G1 Special in the United States. The two would embrace after that match, ending the divide between the Bullet Club, until Tama Tonga introduced the world to the BC Firing Squad.

He would go on to score six wins at the G1, beating names like Naito, Sabre and Goto. Though he lost matches to Ishii and Ibushi, he would retain against both men later in the year (along with another victory over Cody in the Ibushi match.)

He put on an amazing match at ALL IN against Penta El Zero M, only to be attacked again in the aftermath of the match. This set up yet another battle, as Jericho teamed with the Young Bucks to fight Omega, Cody and Marty Scurll on the Jericho Cruise.

Omega ended the year as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, but he would lose it three days into the New Year. He announced a hiatus from wrestling shortly thereafter and has now officially become the hottest free agent in professional wrestling. AEW seems like the clear leader for his future, but his history with NJPW and a reported huge money offer from WWE makes his future an open question for the next few weeks.

Image credit: WWE.com.

7. Asuka

While Charlotte felt like she was over-pushed for most of the year, Asuka spent a large chunk of the year feeling like WWE just didn't care. Though she won the Royal Rumble and beat Nia Jax, her loss to Charlotte at Wrestlemania seemed to derail her. She went on to lose two terrible title shots against Carmella over the summer. From there, she formed a team with Naomi, seemingly built around the fact that both like to use a hip attack as a major part of their arsenal. Though it kept both in rotation on Smackdown television, it seemed like she was just treading water until TLC. At that event, she finally scored a win in a TLC match over both Becky Lynch and Charlotte, albeit with a strong assist from Ronda Rousey.

Though she ended the year finally Smackdown Women's Champion, it truly feels as though Asuka isn't in WWE's title picture for too long. Of course, that could always be wrong, especially with the announcement of Women's Tag Team titles in the future.

Image credit: WWE.com.

6. Aleister Black

No one shows the difference presentation can make in a talent better than Aleister Black. I knew Tommy End as a talented competitor on the indies, but one that seemed very limited in personality. WWE immediately changed that by presented him with a unique entrance, a unique theme and a new attire that fit him perfectly. It helped the Dutch performer get off the ground and he capitalized at Takeover: New Orleans by beating Andrade Almas almost exactly after he did in his debut, this time to win the NXT title.

He would defend against Lars Sullivan just a few months later in Chicago, only to drop the title to Tommaso Ciampa on NXT television. His rematch would be lost due to a backstage assault, which in turn would lead to a new feud against Johnny Gargano to close out the year.

As the New Year dawned, the three men seemed locked in a storyline together, one that also looked to pull in NXT North American champion Ricochet.

With all likelihood, Aleister Black will see a WWE call-up in 2018, but like Lars Sullivan, I'm hoping they hold back such a debut until the exact right time to make it count. Black is a one of a kind talent, the kind of star that when booked correctly could easily be an important main event player. Whether or not that occurs remains in fate and WWE bookers' hands.

Tomorrow, we unleash positions 5 through 2 onto the world! Stay tuned and be sure to let me know your thoughts here or on social media!

Post-Wrestlemania Weekend Thoughts

I have read a number of mixed reviews about Wrestlemania this weekend. Most have been positive for the most part. I don't like focusing on the negative myself, so I'll keep most of my thoughts on what I did like about the weekend.

Unlike previous weekends, I didn't take multiple days off nor did I make sure to purchase as many events as I could watch. I actually kept my viewing to three shows and three shows only: Lucha Underground vs. Impact Wrestling, NXT Takeover: New Orleans and Wrestlemania itself. While Bloodsport and Spring Break 2 both sounded epic, I'll have to check them out some other time.

Lucha Underground vs. Impact Wrestling

Image credit: Impact Wrestling.

• Impact Wrestling frequently gives away main event pay-per-view quality matches on television, so it's no surprise they did the same on Twitch on Friday night. The crossover event with the pay-per-view-less Lucha Underground made for some stellar battles. 
• The weakest match of the night was probably Eli Drake and Brian Cage, and it was pretty solid. The announce team failed completely to cover the history of the two men. They have been tag team partners off and on for over a decade, but though Eli brought it up, it was ignored completely by Mathews and Striker.
• Teddy Hart teaming with Scott Steiner is just plain weird. And the match itself felt out of place on the card that otherwise featured only crossover battles (even if some of the crossover stars are also Impact talents.)
• The tag match between LAX and the team of The Mack and Killshot was a bit sloppy, but those four men went hard, probably far harder than they needed to at their place on the card. 
• Eddie Edwards versus Jeremiah Crane was built pretty much as perfectly as an I Quit match at that point on the card could be built. This wasn't meant to be the end of the feud between Edwards and Callihan, so Don Callis ending things worked perfectly. These two have tons of chemistry and I honestly could watch this blood feud go on for several more months. 
• The loss of Alberto El Patron made the main event three way a far stronger match than it probably would have been. Though Aries, Fenix and Pentagon didn't pull out their full stop arsenals, I suspect their rematch now scheduled for Redemption will be epic.

NXT Takeover: New Orleans

Image credit: WWE.com.

• The card didn't have a bad match on it, but the opening bout really set the pace for a great night. While it does feel like EC3 and Ricochet's debuts were a bit wasted in the ladder match, it did everything it needed to do to make every man look like a million bucks.
• The women's title match was the weakest on the card, but was far better than the last battle between Shayna Baszler and Ember Moon. I was very happy to see Ember appear on Monday night because a fourth match in this series is the last thing NXT needs. Both are talented in-ring competitors, but they just don't quite click against one another.
• The tag match featured a bit in it that points out everything wrong with WWE booking. The Strong turn was a sensible move for The Undisputed Era, but  earlier in the match he attacked Kyle O'Reilly to keep him from getting the win. It made no sense for Strong to wait in order to betray Dunne if his true goal was to make sure Cole and O'Reilly retained.
• I hoped Andrade "Cien" Almas might make his Smackdown debut on Tuesday night. He didn't, which means we have a rematch coming between him and Aleister Black. Almas has shown why he was hired in 2017 and I suspect a third match between him and Black will only deliver again.
• Fight forever. Seriously, Gargano and Ciampa put on a great match and I hope the feud keeps going for a few more months.

Wrestlemania

• The pre-show battle royals were messes, but I think Matt Hardy and Naomi were both good choices for the winners.
• Mustafa Ali versus Cedric Alexander was good, but half of what their match a couple months ago on 205 Live was. They should have been given ten minutes and a chance to go all out.
• If the opening match had set the tone for the night, I'd have enjoyed Wrestlemania a lot more. The triple threat was a great trainwreck of a match between the three men. They should keep their feud going for quite awhile longer in my opinion.
• I can accept Asuka's streak ending at Charlotte's hand. I cannot accept it ending in only thirteen minutes. That match needed ten more minutes and it would have been talked about in the same breath as the two classic Sasha / Bayley NXT title matches.
• I hope the mixed tag proved most of the Rousey nay-sayers wrong. She is far from perfect in the ring, but she seems to be a natural much like her Four Horsewomen stablemate Shayna. 
• Daniel Bryan, Undertaker, and Nia Jax were all feel good moments, but I'm not sure why they were all on back to back. 
• I predicted AJ versus Shinsuke would end with a turn, but I expected AJ to be honest. I think this feud isn't over yet by a long shot, but I feel Shinsuke needs a new CHAOS if he's going to make it as a major WWE heel.
• Anyone that hated Nicholas Cone's tag title win hates fun. That's all I'll say about that match.
• The main event deserved most of the chants it got. It was slow and plodding, but in the main event position, it ended exactly the way it should have ended.

Post-Wrestlemania debuts

• I know Smackdown already has a packed roster, but they got three new talents on the roster versus the plethora Raw got. Paige, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce are all perfect additions to Smackdown, but it's hard not to look at the show as WWE's b-product when Raw brought the return of Jeff Hardy and Lashley, plus the main roster debuts of Ember Moon, No Way Jose and the Authors of Pain. 
• Smackdown should have seen either Andrade Almas or Sanity appear. Hopefully, Sanity will debut after the Usos / Bludgeon Brothers match. 

The most dominant wrestler in the world: Asuka comes in at #4!

There's only one person you can say is the absolute most dominant wrestler in the game today. Her name is Asuka. While her NXT Women's Title reign ended after 510 days (a record unlikely to be beaten,) it ended because she left NXT for the main roster. (First champion Paige actually did the same thing, although she won the Divas title before she dropped the NXT Women's belt.)

Image credit: WWE.com.

Before she did that though, last year's third best wrestler put on some of the most devastating matches in the history of NXT. She picked up brutal wins against Ruby Riot and Nikki Cross in triple threat battles. She fought an epic Last Woman Standing match against Cross that was one of the longest women's matches in WWE history. She showed heelish tendencies in her final victory over Ember Moon. But a minor injury made the switch to Raw a wise decision. She chose to walk away from NXT and her title rather than see it stripped from her.

From there, she arrived on Raw with twin victories over Emma, followed by utter dominance over the likes of Alicia Fox and Dana Brooke. Even on the house show circuit, any team with Asuka on it never dropped a win.

But perhaps it was the Raw versus Smackdown Survivor Series match that marked her biggest achievement in 2017. In a match with eight former champions on the roster (and the always lackluster Tamina), Asuka ran the gauntlet, even overcoming two on one odds at the end of the match for the win.

2017 was built around dominance on NXT and a slow burn to prove herself on Raw. That implication came at the first Raw of the year as she took that dominance over a woman that has grown exponentially since they last met in NXT. Alexa Bliss took a stiff loss to Asuka, which leaves everyone to question whether or not even this year's number nine pick can stand up to the onslaught of the woman once known as "Most Dangerous."

It's very clear the "Empress of Tomorrow" dominated in 2017 and looks to repeat that dominance in 2018. But the real question is... can anyone at all beat Asuka?

Let's end the week with a look back at one of her world class butt-whoopins to Dana Brooke, perhaps the perfect person to get smashed by Asuka.

Alexa Bliss: the baddest bliss in the business at #9

"You're welcome."

Alexa Bliss delivered the phrase this Monday on Raw. But as the most decorated female wrestler of WWE in 2017, she deserves the accolade.

Image credit: WWE.com.

She opened the year as Smackdown Women's Champion, just six months into her tenure on the main roster. The Smackdown women's division revolved around her until she jumped to Raw. She almost immediately entered the title picture there. Having already beaten Becky Lynch for the title on her previous show, she took out two more of the Four Horsewomen to take her titles on Raw.

With victories over every Horsewomen but Charlotte, she seemed to be cemented as the top woman of Raw. As 2018 opens, the looming presence of the undefeated Asuka clearly puts her in danger, but no one can argue she spent the year defining what it meant to be a top wrestler in her division.

The interesting part of Alexa's career is just how much better she fit on the main roster than the microcosm of NXT. She never made it far on that roster, only getting a lackluster title match against Bayley that showed the Full Sail crowd at their worst. With her sudden arrival as a force to be reckoned with on the main roster, she's opened up huge storytelling possibilities in the years to come. Even with a Raw roster with Nia Jax, Bayley, Sasha, Mickie James, Asuka and all of Absolution, she still seems poised to be a top talent for years to come.

The Top 10 Stars of NXT, Post-Dallas Edition

It has been seventh months since the last NXT Top 10, so an update to the list seems more than overdo. Seven of the ten entries on that list are no longer NXT wrestlers, now regularly plying their talents on the Raw and Smackdown brands. The other three return to the list, but you will just have to see who and when a bit down the page.

As always, the wrestlers all have a pair of numerical entries behind their profile. The first number represents their last place on the list. The second represents the number of repeated Top 10 lists each wrestler has been on. Got it? On to the list!

Image credit: WWE.com.

1. Billie Kay and Peyton Royce: The bad girls of NXT have been working their way around the roster for years now. But these leggie Aussies are finally getting their do as they try to establish their dominance of the NXT women's roster. Of course, they have several other dangerous talent to contend with, including Ember Moon and the other two women on this list. (U/1)
2. The Revival: Injuries and storylines have limited The Revival's NXT appearances in the weeks leading into Dallas. But never underestimate Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder. The old school beatdown they bring make them two of the most dangerous men on the roster and with two NXT Tag Team titles in their history, even the current champions should be wary of the pair. (8/4)
3. #DIY: Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano may have dropped their tag titles, but it is hard to argue that they've secured their place as the show stealers of NXT. They put on amazing match after amazing match, even against talents greener than they (such as the new tag champions.) Both men should have solid main roster careers in the near future, whether on 205 Live or the main brand. (U/1)
4. Roderick Strong: Strong still suffers from the same problem he had in ROH: lack of a strong gimmick or personality to match his amazing in ring abilities. NXT is a great place to help round Strong off to a world class performer. And if they're looking for gimmicks, may I suggest frat boy whose cruel to midgets? (U/1)
5. Authors of Pain: It's amazing to see how far the new NXT Tag Team champions have came in in ring proficiency. They are slowing turning into talented monsters and the presence of Paul Ellering continues to lend legitimacy to their dominating run. While I am not as sure they will be as dominant now that they hold the titles, I suspect both men to have a solid run in NXT and a huge showing on the main roster in years to come. (U/1)
6. Nikki Cross: While the rest of Sanity seems almost directionless, focused pointlessly on Tye Dillinger joining their cause, the completely insane Nikki Cross has in just a matter of a couple matches established her place as one of the top threats to the NXT Women's Champion. She has a huge upside ahead of her in the months to come. (U/1)
7. Shinsuke Nakamura: A big loss at Takeover: Dallas cost Nakamura his NXT title and left him with an injured leg, but he is still one of the biggest stars the promotion has to offer. Even a roster as stacked as NXT is hard pressed to match up with the former New Japan star. (1/2)
8. Tye Dillinger: It is hard to believe that a year ago "The Perfect 10" was barely a jobber on the NXT roster. After making his Royal Rumble debut, he seems intent on staying in NXT to continue his feud with Eric Young. While I suspect his days in NXT are numbered, with a call up to Smackdown coming by the post-Wrestlemania season, he still has a lot to offer the brand especially as he settles into the role as the company's most likable star.  
9. Bobby Roode: Not since the days of Bo Dallas could I argue a wrestler wasn't established enough to take the NXT title. But despite years in TNA, Roode still seems less than established in NXT. I suspect he will have a "Glorious" reign as NXT champion however and cement himself as something of a Triple H like figure on the brand. It will be especially interesting if his spot on the top of the card might mean a face turn for his old rival Eric Young and Sanity. 
10. Asuka: She is now the longest running champion in NXT history. It seems unlikely she will lose the NXT Women's title until at least Takeover: Orlando. Even against three other women, she showed her total dominance in Dallas. With Royce, Kay, Cross and Ember Moon in the wings, she has plenty of challengers, but I suspect Asuka will continue her dominance of the NXT women for several more months. (3/4)

Image credit: WWE.com.

Asuka: #3 in the Top 10 Wrestlers of 2016

116 matches. 0 losses.

In sheer dominance, no one holds a candle to the woman once known as Kana. She has dominated the women's division of NXT since the year began. Not even Bayley's road to glory could slow her down. She dominated Bayley, Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss and Mickie James over the course of the year. She handed multiple talents losses in under a minute.

Image credit: WWE.com.

And let's get this out of the way: Goldberg never looked this good as he dominated his way through WCW.

For while Asuka's win streak in NXT is impressive, perhaps it is her uncanny in ring acumen that should really get the most talk here. You can count on one hand the number of WWE talents as gifted as she is in striking and technical prowess. She can even pull out high flying moves when necessary although with her kicks and the Asuka Lock, she rarely needs to even think about the ropes.

At 35, she's older than almost every other woman on WWE's roster. (Only Tamina and the recently re-signed Mickie are older.) But though she's wrestling for over a decade, she's always worked a far more limited schedule than a regular WWE talent. Mixed with a style that looks aggressive but is built to limit much of the wear and tear a wrestler faces in the ring, she still has a lot of years ahead of her. With few injuries in her background, she seems built to be a dominant player in WWE well into her 40s.

Of course, when she arrives on the main roster will be anyone's guess. But in the mean time, expect her to be dominant on NXT until she's ready to be called up. And even if she loses the title, don't expect it to be by pinfall. WWE has triple threats and fatal four ways specifically to keep characters like Asuka dominant for many more months to come.

Takeover took the weekend... again

Last year, NXT Takeover: Brooklyn stole the show over SummerSlam. Though the card was drastically different, NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II did the exact same thing. From top to bottom, the show was a rousing success.

Image credit: WWE.com.

The biggest point that can be made about the show is that it has been made clear that the influx of Japanese stars will be drastically important to the NXT roster. Whether it was Kota Ibushi making an appearance backstage, Hideo Itami reclaiming the finish he created when he hit Austin Aries with the Go To Sleep, Asuka knocking out Bayley or Shinsuke ascending to the top position, the heroes from the land of the rising sun shined in Brooklyn.

The weakest matches were also the spotlights for two new stars, though both were far from bad. Ember Moon versus Billie Kay never quite felt like it got out of first gear, but the O-Face (which I'm guessing will be renamed the Crescent Moon right now) created a spectacular finish. Andrade Almas still doesn't seem ready for the spot he's in, nor has NXT's booking done him any favors as a babyface against far more popular villains. But he held his own even if his position was as a jobber in the in ring debut of Bobby Roode.

And that debut was definitely one thing: glorious.


The newly named team of #DIY, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, had an epic match-up with The Revival, which explained why they were far higher on the event card than basically any other tag title match ever. Both teams have legs as the throwback heel unit continues to sore more fans and the face unit continues to gel as a cohesive team. With Gargano and Ciampa now full time NXT roster members, I expect this feud is far from over, though a heel turn for Ciampa could happen sooner rather than later, especially with TM61 and The Authors of Pain waiting in the wings to challenge The Revival.

Asuka looked stupendous in her victory over Bayley, though I remain a bit surprised WWE still hasn't turned her heel, as NXT definitely has a lack of heel women to challenge her. Though Bayley got in far more offense in this match, her role in the future of the main roster is clear, while Asuka still has plenty of time to shine on the developmental brand as she works on her English.

And while Roode had a glorious entrance, Shinsuke Nakamura had one of the most uniquely awesome entrances in the history of professional wrestling. A shortened version is below, but I highly recommend everyone check out the replay to get the full five minute entrance as the opening alone is truly breathtaking. Big ups to the powers of be at NXT and violinist Lee England Jr for their work on it.


When all is said and done, maybe the show won't be as important as the crowning of the first WWE Universal champion. But it will remain a show that I can watch highlights from forevermore. And while no match quite captured the greatness of Sami Zayn versus Shinsuke Nakamura, NXT still delivered another in an absolutely epic series of great supercards.

NXT takes over Brooklyn again!

Just like last year, NXT takes the Barclays Center just a day before Summer Slam for Takeover: Brooklyn. And while only two competitors from last year's Brooklyn visit are still around for the return, the event promises major consequences for the developmental brand that recently lost a huge swath of their talent to Raw and Smackdown.

Image credit: WWE.com.

• Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Title: This one screams dream match, but Joe is in a tentative place as champion, only having beat Balor in major title matches so far. Nakamura enters undefeated, so a loss here does neither man any favors. Expect the loser of this match (or this feud, should it continue) to make a main roster jump before the end of the year. 
• Asuka vs. Bayley for the NXT Women's Title: Bayley finally gets her rematch with Asuka and again, this match offers little reward for either star. Asuka winning will burn her popularity with fans even more while Bayley's winning feels almost like a demotion for the star that should have been main roster bound months ago. Either way, if they really go this could be match of the night.
• Andrade Almas vs. Bobby Roode: Typing Bobby Roode's name on an NXT card still feels strange, but it really feels like he outmatches Almas in every way. Almas isn't bad, but he's not at Roode's level. A victory for Almas would almost certainly turn him heel against the "Glorious" former TNA star.
• Austin Aries vs. No Way Jose: Speaking of former TNA stars, former TNA champion Austin Aries has been at war with No Way Jose for weeks. Jose has shown some solid wrestling chops and really got the Full Sail crowd behind him. It will be interesting to see if that support continues as he takes on Aries in New York. 
• The Revival vs. Gargano and Ciampa for the NXT Tag Titles: Gargano and Ciampa are both permanent NXT residents from all indications, complete with a new tag team name coming soon (and hopefully a better entrance video.) I'm not sure they win this match, but I suspect they will continue to feud with The Revival, hopefully straight through a new edition of the Dusty Classic at the next Takeover.
• Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay: While I'm happy to see Billie Kay finally gaining some character on NXT television, this is all about showing off Ember Moon's talents. Hopefully she gets to retain her O-Face finisher at her new home. 

Overall it doesn't have the pizzazz of Summer Slam's top matches, but just like last year's show, it could very well outperform the big night in every way. Watch it live at 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 Central on Saturday.

Shimmer adds a huge name to next round of shows

While the next round of Shimmer Women Athletes tapings doesn't happen until November, the tickets are already on sale. With more international fans than many independent bookings, the company often sells out quickly on front row seats. But this time around, they're doing with a big name coming to join the festivities.

Back at the dawn of the 2000s, independent women's wrestling was not nearly as well respected as it was today. WWE still had semi-trained wrestlers regularly working their women's division and the indies had only a handful of talents that actually could wrestle a ten minute match. Into that fray walked a young woman named Alexis Laree. Starting in the Washington, D.C. area, she quickly expanded to work most of the west coast as news of a major women's talent started to spread.

Image credit: Shimmer Wrestling website.

In many ways she helped innovate women wrestling on the indie scene and in her wake more young stars started to appear. She worked the earliest TNA tapings, before finally signing a WWE contract where after over a year in development, she would debut as Mickie James.

Since that time Mickie's career has been legendary, as she's become the most decorated women's wrestling champion of the modern era. With 5 WWE Women's titles, a Divas title and 3 TNA Knockout titles under her belt along with a bevy of independent titles, she's easily one of the most rewarded female wrestlers ever.

And now she'll be at three of the five shows of the Shimmer weekend.

This comes in the wake of rumors of a possible return to WWE for Mickie James as a recent article on WWE.com named her "one of the hottest free agents" in wrestling.

Shimmer remains on my bucket list of shows to see live. I'm not a fan of their sales structure with DVDs of full shows and matches sold separately through the mediocre ClickWrestle service (with only one streaming show a year being made available past the first 20 events.) But they put on some epic events with some amazing talents. They were the first promotion to bring Asuka and Paige to the US after all.

Mickie and Shimmer seem like a match made in heaven. Expect great things come November 11th and 12th.

The NXT Top 10 for May 2016

It is that time again. It was December when the talents of NXT last appeared in a Top 10 list, and since that time four names on the list moved up to the main roster. With six new slots open, NXT talent have a chance to make a big debut on this month's list!

Alexa makes her debut in the NXT Top 10 this month. Image credit: WWE.com.

1. Alexa Bliss: Though her allies Blake and Murphy seem to have no luck whatsoever, over the last few months Alexa has become a true veteran of the women's division. Outside the three other women on the list, she's also one of the few signed talents to regularly be featured now that Emma and Dana have moved to the main roster. Her chances at another title shot right now seems slim, but she could have a great match with the new Women's Champion. (U/1)
2. Austin Aries: Aries made a splash in Dallas, but still hasn't really done anything of huge significance on the roster. Until that happens, he will remain a solid midcard player. I wouldn't be surprised to see a heel turn for him in the near future, hopefully as a move towards a feud with the top star on this list. (U/1)
3. The Revival: The former tag team champions are still on a tear as they seek to regain their former titles. Dash and Dawson are strong enough talents for the main roster already, but I suspect they will have a continued path on NXT for the next several months as they help cement a strong tag division without Enzo, Cass and The Vaudevillains. (6/2)
4. Nia Jax: Nia has mostly been the star of squash matches since she lost to Bayley in December. But even with one loss under her belt, she has been a major player in the women's division. Though she still is far from the strongest female star on the roster, the slow brewing feud between her and Asuka promises a huge match in the future of NXT. (U/1)
5. American Alpha: Jason Jordan and Chad Gable may be the most over stars on the NXT roster if it wasn't for a major signing that has electrified the company. Jordan and Gable have the potential to be huge stars either as a team or, eventually, singles stars. A long tag team reign is the perfect role for them now as they continue to electrify the roster with stellar match after stellar match. (7/3)
6. Bayley: The former women's champion took a large hit to her push when she passed out to Asuka in Dallas, but she really embodies Sami Zayn's old moniker: the heart and soul of NXT. While her future with WWE's secondary brand seems limited, she still stands as one of the developmental brand's biggest talents ever. Wherever she goes, she has a bright future with WWE. (3/2)
7. Finn Balor: Last time around, Finn was the number one man on the list. The loss of his NXT title at a house show hurt his standings, but his greatest problem right now is his failure to connect with NXT's audience as strongly as other faces on the roster. Arguably Bayley and American Alpha get more cheers than Balor, but they aren't as highly featured. Still the number four position is as high as Balor honestly can be featured here. (1/3)
8. Asuka: The #3 and #2 spot were hard to judge, but the lack of regular appearances by Asuka since her big title win in Dallas dropped her to the three spot. Asuka is an unstoppable beast on the NXT roster and hugely over with the live audience. She gets tons of cheers (at least outside of matches with Bayley) and her dominant run in the women's division marks her as a star to watch in the future of NXT and WWE. (4/3)
9. Samoa Joe: The new NXT champion lacks a strong storyline right now, with only the continuation of his feud with Finn Balor keeping his story going. While the unexpected debut of Eric Young (still not a signed NXT talent) changed things up a bit, Joe still needs a few more strong victories and new foes before he really starts to look like the champion and main event player we all know he can be. (2/3)
10. Shinsuke Nakamura: "Fight forever." Nakamura instantly electrified the NXT audience with his debut match against Sami Zayn. Subsequent beat downs of Tye Dillinger, Alex Riley and Elias Samson have kept that streak going. He easily gets more cheers than any other talent on the roster. A major player if he should stick around NXT, WWE already has him signed to the Hawaii Bash at the Beach show with the main roster. While we won't see him reignite his NJPW feud with Brock Lesnar in NXT, the match between the two could easily jet Nakamura to the main roster quickly. Right now, it will be hard to top him as the new most beloved star of NXT. (U/1)

The former IWGP Heavyweight and IC champion made a huge debut in NXT.
Image credit: NJPW.

NXT Takeover: Dallas stole the show before the weekend began

I watched four different wrestling pay-per-views over the weekend and this week I am going to give my thoughts on them from best to worst, day by day. Which means the best place to start is pretty obvious.

Takeover: Dallas debuted Friday night and made the rest of the weekend look bad in comparison.

These two could wrestle ninety minutes and I think we would all still
love it. Image credit: WWE.com.

The booking team knew how to start the show out hot as The Revival defended their tag titles against American Alpha. Someone backstage understands the draw of Chad Gable and Jason Jordan, and this match was booked to all of their strengths. That's not to say that Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder didn't also look great, because both teams truly brought it in a fifteen minute classic. Jordan and Gable ultimately picked up the win with the always awesome Assistplex and began what is hopefully a long reign as NXT Tag Team Champions.

ESO-PRO presents the Wrestling Weekday Top 10 Wrestlers of 2015: Honorable Mentions Part 1

While the Top 10 list kicks off with #10 later today, I also wanted to focus on the other wrestlers that gained votes from our wide range of judges. In all, 41 names made it on to this year's list from our panelists and they all have reasons to be there (well, outside maybe one in this humble blogger's opinion, but more on that one in a few days.) I will cover these honorable mentions a few at a time in between posts about the winners over the next couple weeks. For now, let's take a look at forty-one through 37.

Image credit: Wikipedia.

41. Princess Kimber Lee: I was the only one to vote for the new Chikara Grand Champion, but I don't think the importance of Kimber Lee's 2015 should be ignored. She became the first top champion of a major US promotion by beating Hallowicked at the end of the season finale. And she will likely have a lot more exposure in the next year. Already an incredibly talented performer, I suspect she will make a huge name for herself in 2016.

NXT Advent Calendar Day 24: The NXT Top 10 for the end of 2015

Another Takeover is behind us, and that means it is time to take a look at the top ten stars in NXT once again. Last time Bayley took the top spot. This time several new stars and teams have changed the complexion of the list entirely. Just a reminder: The first number in parentheses is the wrestler's previous rank (a U means unranked) and the second number is their number of times ranked on this list consecutively.

1. Sami Zayn: Having just returned to NXT during the UK tour, Zayn's position as part of NXT's future is still a bit unclear. But just his presence changes the complexion of NXT for the better. (U/1) 
2. Apollo Crews: After an amazing run since Takeover: Brooklyn, it is hard to argue that his first in ring loss to Baron Corbin hurt a lot of Apollo's momentum. It remains to be seen whether he can pick himself up again and re-enter the NXT title picture sooner rather than later. (5/2)
3. Emma: Takeover: London can only be described as a success for Emma, even in a loss. For the first time since Arrival, she looked like a seriously contender for the NXT Women's Title. She might not be first in line, but that opener cemented her as an important part of the current NXT roster. (U/1)
4. Jason Jordan & Chad Gable: The mat wrestling masters are in a great place now as the fan support since Takeover Respect has transformerd them into a team everyone wants to see. They have nothing but upside going into 2016 and the Assistplex is easily the move of the year in 2015. (6/2)
5. Dash & Dawson: Dash & Dawson proved their ability as an old school wrestling machine in their battle against Enzo & Cass in London. And while they might not be the biggest stars NXT currently has, more moves like the amazing Super Shatter Machine they pulled off could up their profile even more. (U/1)
6. Baron Corbin: Love him or hate him, Baron Corbin finally looks like a superstar rather than a man being forced down fan's throats. While his attitude both in ring and out of it (as shown on Breaking Ground) is the kind of thing that rubs people the wrong way, he certainly seems ready to take his place in a main event feud with Finn Balor. (9/2)
7. Asuka: The fans love her, she's completely convincing in the ring and her crazy demeanor makes every move work to perfection. The former Kana is poised to innovate women's wrestling in WWE come 2016. After a potential battle with Nia Jax, she seems poised to challenge Bayley at Takeover: Dallas come Wrestlemania weekend. (7/2)
8. Bayley: After two classic matches against Sasha Banks, her match with Nia Jax can only feel like a demotion. But her fight from behind babyface win over Jax continues to help Bayley grow as a top star and finally gives her a submission move to match the other Four Horsewomen. (1/2)
   
9. Samoa Joe: Samoa Joe looked dominant against Finn Balor with only luck seeming to allow the champ to walk out as the winner in London. While it is anyone's guess where their feud goes next, I suspect Joe and Balor are not done by a longshot. A future program with Apollo Crews could also serve to make both men shine brighter in 2016. (4/2)
10. Finn Balor: Back atop the NXT roster firmly after his Jack the Ripper entrance and astounding victory over Samoa Joe, Finn is in a strange place in NXT. No one can argue he's not ready to become a massive star on the main roster with an entrance second only to the Undertaker at this point and a wrestling style that could make him the next Daniel Bryan or CM Punk in ring. Now it seems to be just a waiting game for Finn to take his place as a top star of the main brand as he has NXT. (3/2)

Finn takes on Jack the Ripper. Image credit: Uproxx via WWE Network.

NXT Advent Calendar Day 22: Asuka plays with sexuality in SMASH

I first learned of Kana during her time working for the SMASH promotion in 2010 through 2012. Her high impact style quickly drew my interest. Already a fan of the deep American independent women's wrestlers regularly competing in Shimmer, she sparked my interest in modern Japanese joshi. Her character was pure evil, but it also introduced some undertones that were not very traditional in wrestling, especially when she came into contact with Lin Bairon.

Bairon was a longtime independent female star as Ray, but she unmasked for SMASH as a supposed international traveler returning to Japan to wrestle for the company. She even spoke English to hide her background as Ray. She worked for awhile as one of SMASH's core stars alongside Tajiri, Akira, Syuri and Kushida. But she would soon turn on that unit after jealousy for Syuri got the best of her and joined the Finnish star Michael Kovac. She actually used the nickname "Bitch" at the time as she tried to get over her international bad girl image.

Unfortunately for her, she ran into an even badder girl in the form of Kana. Kana had named herself the one true great female wrestler in the world with only her Triple Tails partners as even close to her equals. Calling herself the World Famous Kana, she beat several men on the SMASH roster before she entered their Divas title tournament. This brought her into battle with Lin Bairon in a match that would emphasize the more sexual side of Kana's gimmick.

Image credit: JoshiFans.com

Throughout the match, Kana clearly shows interest in Lin, even if she wasn't going to let Bairon leave with the victory. It was after the match though that things got really strange. Kana wanted to embarrass Bairon and she decided the best way to do so was to take the jumpsuit off her opponent. It's a weird scene and if you're interested in it, you can watch the video of it on Youtube.

The lesbian overtones of Kana's style aren't completely gone from Asuka's gimmick, but they've certainly been downplayed. But with WWE hiring their first openly lesbian talent in Daria Beranato, it remains to be seen if that might change as Asuka becomes more and more of a fixture in NXT.

NXT Advent Calendar Day 17: Takeover London review

Takeover London closed out NXT's special event schedule for 2015 with five explosive matches. And while the show lacked for surprises or big reveals, it did bring two full hours of solid wrestling action from top to bottom.

Image credit: WWE.com.

The show opened with an impressive fifteen minute battle between Emma and Asuka. While Emma and compatriot Dana Brooke tried to pull out every shady tactic they could to pick up the win, including a chain and a distraction during the Asuka Lock, but Asuka continued her streak of dominance in NXT with a win after an explosive kick.

NXT Advent Calendar Day 15: Takeover London preview

Takeover London finishes up the NXT event calendar for 2015, but much like R Evolution last December, it looks to send out the WWE's top brand with a huge end of the year event.

Image credit: WWE.com.

The card is shorter than most recent Takeover cards, shortened from the usual six matches to five despite a longer showtime of 2 hours 30 minutes. This could mean an added match or it could mean an extended Sami Zayn return segment or it could really mean just about anything. But with only five scheduled matches, I would expect each of the announced contests to get at least ten minutes of in ring time, certainly up from a lot of match times at recent NXT supercards.

Alexa Bliss is ready to replace the Four Horsewomen

With Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks now main roster regulars, NXT’s divas roster was left depleted in the aftermath of Takeover: Respect. But with the advent of Asuka at the same show and the continued presence of Dana Brooke and Emma, Bayley wasn’t without contenders.

But instead of going with any of those three women, NXT is pushing Alexa Bliss. Two weeks into her feud with Bayley, she seems ready to take over as the top mean girl of NXT.

Alexa Bliss is perfectly bad. Image credit: WWE.com.

Alexa wrestled a solid match with Peyton Royce on this week's NXT. Peyton got in far more offense than I think I’ve seen before, but Alexa Bliss looked like a million bucks as she did everything she needed to pick up the win over Royce. Blake and Murphy surprisingly remained only as ringside spectators, though one suspects they will become far more important once she regularly starts wrestling Bayley.

The NXT Top 10

The Wednesday Top 10 is back and this time we check in on the aftermath of NXT Takeover: Respect with a list of ten best wrestlers or tag teams in NXT. In the aftermath of the Dusty Classic, the women's title match main event and the continued dominance of Apollo Crews, there's a lot to talk about. But who will take number one? Better start reading to find out!

The Vaudevillians. Image credit: WWE.com.

NXT's roster earns their "Respect"

I've spent two days talking about the importance of last night's NXT Takeover: Respect main event but Sasha Banks and Bayley were not going to sit idle with their shot at the top of the card. They put on a match every bit as epic as their 18 and a half minute classic in Brooklyn.

Image credit: WWE.com.

While Bayley retaining against the now main roster star Sasha Banks wasn't overly surprising, the result didn't matter as much as the quality of two women clearly forming a rivalry that will last for years to come. Bayley and Sasha have been perfect opponents and I suspect we will see much more of both women when Bayley eventually gets her main event call up.

For now, Sasha has the WWE Divas title to focus on, while Bayley has threats from Alexa Bliss, Dana Brooke, Emma and Asuka. It looks like Alexa will be her next major foe, which may prove interesting if Blake & Murphy get involved from the outside.

The other big story of Respect was the Dusty Classic. Finn Balor & Samoa Joe overcame Dash & Dawson while Baron Corbin & Rhyno beat Jason Jordan & Chad Gable in a match that should put Jordan & Gable into bigger roles in the near future.

The finals brought a big win for Finn Balor and Samoa Joe and a touching speech about his father by Cody Rhodes, speaking publicly for the first time about the loss of his father. It was a fitting tribute to the late American Dream.

Apollo Crews got a somewhat surprising win over Tyler Breeze in a match that felt a bit too thrown together to be as good as it should have been. But both men are so athletically gifted that they both have a strong future as both opponents and major NXT stars, so I suspect we will see this matcch again.

My favorite match of the night though was witnessing the WWE in ring debut of Asuka. For all her weaknesses of a few months ago, Dana Brooke has improved leaps and bounds in the last few weeks. She worked as a great foil to Asuka, but everyone knew the results of this one going in. Only interference by Emma gave Dana any advantage, while Asuka picked apart her foe before making her tap to the Asuka Lock in a stunning debut for perhaps the most athletically gifted star now in WWE.

Takeover: Respect was an amazing card from top to bottom, giving us yet another amazing special event for WWE's secondary brand. With one more Takeover before the end of the year, it will be anyone's guess if the amazing stars of NXT can top their already amazing 2015 events.