Author: erikbeaston

Adam Page, All Elite Wrestling, AEW, All Out
Featured, Uncategorized, Wrestling

HUNGman: How Being The Elite Prepared Adam Page for All Out Title Opportunity

For “Hangman” Adam Page, Saturday night’s All Elite Wrestling heavyweight championship match against Chris Jericho Saturday night at ALL OUT represents the culmination of a long, hard journey to the top of the wrestling industry that otherwise may not have existed without a dick joke and the creative freedom of Being The Elite. Before appearing as part of the fan-favorite webshow started by The Young … Continue reading HUNGman: How Being The Elite Prepared Adam Page for All Out Title Opportunity

erikbeaston
Wrestling

In Defense of Doink: Matt Borne’s Haunting Masterpiece

The frequent topic in any “worst gimmick ever” discussion, Doink is oftentimes remembered for the caricature he became rather than the extraordinarily haunting heel he was early in his run with WWE. To remember him in that form is to do the masterful work of the great Matt Borne a great disservice. According to Bruce Prichard’s Something to Wrestle With…, Doink was conceptualized by Road … Continue reading In Defense of Doink: Matt Borne’s Haunting Masterpiece

erikbeaston
Wrestling

WWE SummerSlam Eclipses WrestleMania as Company’s In-Ring Showcase

The mass marketing machine that is WWE has convinced us for years that WrestleMania is an annual showcase of everything that makes the sports-entertainment juggernaut special. It is grandeur and spectacle, glitz and glamour. What it is not is an annual showcase of the company’s best in-ring offerings. That title belongs to SummerSlam, an event introduced in 1988 that has routinely featured some of the … Continue reading WWE SummerSlam Eclipses WrestleMania as Company’s In-Ring Showcase

erikbeaston
Featured, Wrestling

It Is Time For The Undertaker To Rest In Peace

Father Time waits for no man. Or Phenom, for that matter. Sunday night at Extreme Rules, The Undertaker returns to WWE pay-per-view, teaming with Roman Reigns to battle Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre in what is little more than a desperate grab for WWE Network subscriptions and television ratings. Beyond the transparency, though, is a Superstar whose reputation as one of the greatest icons to … Continue reading It Is Time For The Undertaker To Rest In Peace

erikbeaston
Wrestling

Drew McIntyre Has Earned Opportunity To Be Focal Point Under Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff

There is a wealth of talent currently populating the WWE Universe that has been underutilized and mismanaged by the crack creative staff behind Vince McMahon’s sports-entertainment world, yet none are as ready to run with the proverbial ball than Drew McIntyre. Despite arriving with a ton of momentum on his side after a phenomenal NXT run, McIntyre has been saddled in a tag team with … Continue reading Drew McIntyre Has Earned Opportunity To Be Focal Point Under Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff

erikbeaston
Wrestling

Examining Alexa Bliss’ Legacy in the Women’s Revolution

Alexa Bliss wrestled her first championship match on pay-per-view since August 2018 at Stomping Grounds, then was the subject of a spectacular edition of WWE 365 that looked at her recent concussion history, her journey back to the squared circle and her triumphant turn as hostess of WestleMania 35. The exposure she received on WWE Network raised a compelling question that has not been visited … Continue reading Examining Alexa Bliss’ Legacy in the Women’s Revolution

erikbeaston
Featured, Wrestling

Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler Proof That Hard Work, Persistence Pays Off

There was a time that Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler were booked against each other what seemed like every single week on Raw or SmackDown and all weekend on house show loops. Left for dead by a WWE Creative team that had nothing for them, but too talented to be ignored completely, they wrestled each other in meaningless singles match in which Kingston usually emerged … Continue reading Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler Proof That Hard Work, Persistence Pays Off

erikbeaston
Wrestling

WWE Stomping Grounds…or In Your House 2.0?

What if WWE held a pay-per-view event and no one cared? Did it really happen? Does it actually count? By Erik Beaston | On Twitter @ErikBeaston The biggest wrestling promotion in the world is about to find out Sunday night as it presents Stomping Grounds, a show as lazily compiled as its stupid-ass logo. Full of rematches from Saudi Arabia, a grudge match between Roman … Continue reading WWE Stomping Grounds…or In Your House 2.0?

erikbeaston