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LPW 36: That’s Why You Leave A Note Preview

by Pluggo
written by Pluggo

In an unfortunate situation, Zoe Sager is injured and will not be competing, and also has vacated the LPW Grand Championship. I want to wish Zoe Sager a speedy recovery and can’t wait for her to make her return to the Rec Room soon.

“So what happens now?” you might be asking. Well, chaos was the action plan LPW is implementing. I believe this is a first; every match on the card has title implications. How it works is, you win your regularly scheduled match, you are entered into the LPW Grand Championship Gauntlet at the end of the night! The stakes couldn’t be higher for the LPW roster. So if you’re in a tag match, your partner could be standing across from you at the end of the night with the top prize on the line. It’s pure chaos, it’s unhinged, and honestly, I’m here for all of it. 

So let’s run through the matches and I’ll do my best to figure out who our next Grand Champion will be! 

TY Jackson vs Reid Matthews vs Marz the Specialist 

Talk about some bad luck here. All three of these guys have the right to be in the gauntlet at night’s end, especially given what transpired at the end of LPW 35 and Zoe walking out as champion. Reid Matthews fits the part in my opinion as a Grand Champion but just hasn’t quite gotten over that hump. Marz the Specialist is coming off one of the best reigns in company history. Then there’s the People’s Champion TY Jackson, who at every turn has had to overcome roadblock after roadblock to get his opportunities and has yet to get that 1-on-1 chance he had long ago. Well, if TY wants to get his hands on Grand Championship gold, he will have to beat eight people to get there, potentially.

I have a feeling the Short Kings are going to cancel one another out, and TY Jackson will get another shot at Grand Championship gold. 

The RADz vs Para Lira(c)

Tag Team Championship Match

Remember when I said LPW chose Chaos? Well, business just picked up. Two teams that simply don’t like each other are in action here, and everything is riding on this matchup. You win, not only are you Tag Team Champions, but you also earn your spot in the Gauntlet. That could mean we see a scenario where The RADz not only take Para Lira’s titles, but also their opportunity at a Grand Championship. I expect this match to be a highly competitive one. The RADz has a new attitude with Rich King taking point and desperate to regain the Tag Titles they helped make must-see in their heyday. Add in the extra incentive for a possibility of Larry Woods becoming a 3-time Grand Champion or Rich King getting another shot at a title that has eluded him so far, and you have drama, friends.

My feelings of Para Lira aside. They are firing on all cylinders after becoming Tag Team Champions last month and continue to prove everyone (mostly me) wrong (someone make it stop). Hopefully, the RADz can right this wrong so I don’t have to listen to Berat Goroni and Sheik Shabaz gloat about being Double Champs. SO PLEASE ON EVERYTHING GIVE ME THE RADZ! 

Ride Or Die vs Eliot Tyler & The Canadian Goose 

We are about to live in a world where 6 of the 7 spots will be filled by the Clandestine Wrestling Society and The RADz, two of the most decorated factions in LPW history. Spoiler alert, I don’t see anyone stopping Michael Richard Blais, but more on that later. Also, my apologies to the super fun tag team of Elliot Tyler and Kyle Shaw, today’s just not your day, boys. Plus, everyone knows who has read my LPW material, I’ll never pick against them. Ride or Die for better or worse! 

LPW SCRAMBLE CHAMPIONSHIP!

Casey Ferria is a special talent that has consistently impressed in LPW, and after dethroning Eli Surge last month, he will look to be successful in his quest to retain his Scramble Championship and make his way into a faction Heavy Gauntlet Match. Christian Starr, William Taylor, and Nasty Nate Nixon will be looking to make me eat my words, but I just have a feeling we are I for a wild ride. There is a mystery opponent in the mix, but that hasn’t swayed my opinion that it’s Casey’s match and time to shine. 

Michael Richard Blais vs Ginha

LPW Challenge Championship!

There are few things in this world that MRB loves more than the LPW Grand Championship. Heck, I was interviewing him the day he debuted it, and he proclaimed he’d never lose it. Well, fast forward, he did lose it, but MRB  has settled in nicely as our Challenge Champion. He has proven throughout this reign that he’s willing to go to any lengths to keep the Challenge Championship. Could you imagine what will happen if he gets past Ginha? Of course, that’s easier said than done. The mindset of God’s Gift To Wrestling is to hold two of the top prizes in LPW. We could be in for a wild rest of 2025. 

So I’m looking at the RADz, the Clandestine Wrestling Society, and Casey Ferreira to make the Gauntlet, with the People’s Champion TY Jackson holding the LPW Grand Championship by night’s end! When the wrestling world gives you lemons, LPW makes lemonade and will give us the moment we have all been looking for since day one! 

Tune in tonight at 7 pm MST on IWTV to catch what is sure to be a wild and historic night in LPW history. As always, keep it locked here for the latest writings from all your favorite Love Wrestling contributors! 

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Pluggo’s Top 5 of the Week: Raw After Mania Edition

by Pluggo
written by Pluggo


Is the Raw After Mania back? I wouldsay absolutely without a doubt. Last nights show hit on so many different levels for me. After a few duds over the last couple years, this Raw After Mania hit so well, it deserved its own Top 5. Considering it’s Tuesday and there is so much wrestling left in the week it would have been tough to fit any hint else in. So instead of making you all wait to read about it next week, let’s dive head first into my favorite moments from last nights epic show: 

Becky Lynch Turns on Lyra Valkyria!

One Night after winning the Tag Team Championships Lynch and Lyra Valkyria lose them back to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. The match itself was a really good one and Liv and Raquel are now 4 Time Champions. What’s even crazier is Becky turned on the Intercontinental Champion post match and left her laying in the ring. For me Heel Becky is always a fun ride and I can’t wait to see what her explanation is down the line. Also that IC title match will be without question a banger! 

Rusev has Returned!

After Ich rumor and speculation that RUSEV had resigned with the WWE he has finally returned to the company. As rumors ran wild that he would potentially be Randy Ortons Partner at Mania but instead it’s the Raw After Mania where he lands. Rusev puts the whole roster on notice after wrecking an impromptu Tag make between the New Day and Alpha Academy. 

Women’s Wrestling Is Alive and Well! 

Sure, Thunder Rosa held up the sign on an AEW Program but that statement reigns true throughout the business. The RAW After Mania showcased just how damn special their roster is.

Iyo Sky came out to celebrate her WrestleMania victory and none other than the faster rising star in wrestling NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer stepped up and made the challenge and Iyo accepted. A banger of a match ensued until Roxanne Perez and Giulia of NXT busted up the match. To only be met by Mami herself Rhea Ripley saving Iyo and Vaquer! Oh and by the way Mami reminded Iyo she’ll be back for that title! What a great segment to showcase unbelievable talent! 

Gunther is Unhinged! 

Gunther is slowly becoming the most dangerous person on the planet, if that’s was even possible. He lost his title to Jey Uso at WrestleMania. So after the Jey Uso Celebration Gunther was not happy with the way Micheal Cole and Pat McAfee spoke about the Ring General. Listen, it was pretty bold of Cole to tell Gunther to his Face “I’m not the One Who Tapped Out” which cause Gunther to attack Cole and McAfee wasn’t having it and jumped in to the defense of Cole only to get laid out. Shoutout to Cole for coming back to commentary and standing on business after Adam Pearce offer to give him the rest of the night off! M

Another Paul Heyman Guy!

Last nights Raw After Mania ended in spectacular fashion. As Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman were just about to explain their actions from WrestleMania. CM Punks music hits and he beelines for Rollins. Seth ultimately fought him off. Then Heyman looks to end the show putting over Rollins while standing over Punk. Hell, that would have made for an epic ending in itself. Well, the OTC Roman Reigns arrives and spears the crap out of Rollins then Superman Punches Heyman. Now again that would have been a killer ending to a great show. As Roman stands tall a spear from a gentleman in a hoodies lays out Reigns! It’s none other than former Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker! Rollins and Breakker proceed to decimate Punk and Reigns to the enjoyment of Paul Heyman, as the kids say these days “Cinema” what a way to end a fantastic Raw After Mania! 

Another day and another five in the books. Friends let me know in the comments what you felt was your favorites moments from the Raw after WrestlleMania. As always keep it locked here at Love Wrestling for more amazing content from your favorite creators and we will see you next week for another Top 5! 

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So. About Wrestlemania 41.

by Omar MA
written by Omar MA

Wrestlemania 41. What a show, eh?

Now. I would describe the build of this entire season as French Fries. It tasted good when it was hot and fresh (John Cena’s heel turn and a few great segments like the Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi segment), but quickly turned stale if not untouched after a couple of hours at room temperature.

If you can’t tell by the analogy that let’s admit made y’all extremely hungry, I’m disappointed with the build, mainly because it didn’t have that spark going into it and the ones that do often have that spark quickly turned off. It didn’t have that “Will Cody finish his story” kinda of angle where you were invested in like

I’m not saying it’s a bad wrestling build to a show, but rather, it’s a bad Wrestlemania build, and based on the past few months, you can tell that the creative juices were already finished.

However, did the 41st edition of Wrestlemania deliver, or is it Wrestlemania 27 part 2? It isn’t the latter, thank God, but it isn’t great either. It’s just like eating cheesecake from Pizza Hut. Enough to satisfy your craving but it’s not gonna blow you away. In other words, it’s aight and here’s why:

Jey Uso finally defeated Gunther, winning the world title and is now 3-1: Also known as my typical Tekken win-loss streak. 3 losses and a single win. A decent opener, though.

The New Day (booooo) became the 13-time tag team champions, defeating War Raiders: Bless the WWE video package team because they made this match believe it had an actual build. Nevertheless, the match was solid.

Jade Cargill wins her first singles match at Wrestlemania against Naomi: This is probably the greatest Jade Cargill match in her WWE tenure so far. She did good. Pretty good in fact.

Jacob Fatu is now the US champion, defeating LA Knight: Hey. There’s something Fatu loves other than Solo. A decent encounter.

El Grande De Americano beat Rey Fenix using a metal object on his head: To quote Jeezy, “CTE. You know what it is”. I will say. This match actually ruled, and “El Grande” did a fantastic job embodying himself as a luchador.

Charlotte Flair cashed in her “Charlotte In The Bank” and lost her chance to win the women’s title: To my surprise, Charlotte actually lost a match. Hopefully, their second match is even better.

CM Punk finally main evented Wrestlemania and went to dick kick city (to quote Brian Zane) alongside Roman Reigns. In return, Seth Rollins wins the bout, aligning himself with Paul Heyman: Fantastic match. Look. Heelish Seth Rollins vs Jey Uso for the world title? I’m just saying, man.

Iyo Sky pinned Bianca Belair to retain the women’s world title in a fantastic 3-way dance: Honestly, way better than last night’s main event triple threat match. It’s so good that I rewatched it 3 times after the show ended.

Drew McIntyre finally got his year-long revenge, beating Damian Priest: Long-term booking if you count unintentional and coincidental ones.

Dominik Mysterio followed his “deadbeat dad” as he won the Intercontinental title at Wrestlemania against 3 other guys in Bron Breakker (c), Finn Balor and Penta: Damn. Finn Balor is like his favourite team, Tottenham. Taking Ls like it’s nothing. A solid bout with a satisfying ending.

Wave your hands from side to side and say, “Oh, I believe in J….. and he lost to Randy Orton with an RKO and then took another one: If you told me in 2010 that the TNA world champion faced Randy Orton at Wrestlemania and lost. One, I wouldn’t believe you, but the last part of a TNA world champion losing at Wrestlemania? Now that I would believe you, besides, there’s a reason why LOLTNA was a thing for a while.

Logan Paul defeated AJ Styles: John Oliver’s voice cool.

The man is back as she teamed up with Lyra Valkyria to beat. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez and win the tag belts: Why wasn’t Bayley teaming with Valkyria instead? Why can’t they wait another night for Becky Lynch to return? RAW After Mania is literally the day after night 2. A strange booking. Almost as strange as watching an AJ Styles match and saying, “meh”.

John Cena is officially 17 time world champion, beating Cody Rhodes with the help of the guy who doesn’t want you to open up that window: I was fiening for Travis Scott to leave the ring as soon as he showed up. The right man won, which is the best part about this main event. Also, if this is how John Cena “ruins wrestling” by delivering this match, then he did his job, I guess.

Well, that was a long weekend. Hoping you loved Wrestlemania 41. See you next time!

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Pluggo’s Top 5 of the Week: Wrestlemania 41 Edition

by Pluggo
written by Pluggo

What a weekend for the WWE – they went big for WrestleMania! The two-night event kicked off strong with Jey Uso winning gold! The crowd got their Yeet on and we were off to the races! There were plenty of moments throughout the weekend that could have made this list but I am a man of my word and stuck to just five. If I was going to do honorable mentions: Jade and Naomi rocked, the Sin City Street Fight was great, and a shout-out to Dirty Dom for getting his flowers and becoming your new Intercontinental Champion! Oh yeah and John Cena won his 17th World Championship but this is about things I like so let’s move on! However you looked at this weekend, I hope you found some things that you loved about the biggest show of the year! Here are my Top 5 from the weekend: 

A New Paul Heyman Guy!

That main event from Night 1 was an all-timer and sure, maybe there’s a little recency bias in there. From Seth Rollins coming out with a freaking flamethrower to CM Punk’s video package and entrance, the match itself was spectacular. It’s no secret these guys have amazing chemistry together and it showed the entirety of the Main Event. Then business picked up as Heyman was faced with a decision – does he throw that chair to Punk or Roman? Well, my dude threw it to Punk only to low blow him and make it seem like he’s aligned with his Tribal Chief. Then h hit Reigns with a low blow and helped Seth Rollins leave WrestleMania as the winner. A brand new Paul Heyman guy has risen. What a fantastic performance and finish to night 1. 

Jacob Fatu is Special!

There is just something so unique and different about your new United States champion. Everything about Jacob Fatu just hits differently. Fatu defeated LA Knight to become the New United States Champion and I think we are just scratching the surface of what Fatu brings to the table. His offensive move set is one of a kind and his mic work is one of a kind. Now that he’s out of the shadow of the Bloodline it’s going to be a super fun title reign for the Samoan Werewolf. 

Afterthought No More! 

What a way to kick off Night 2 of WrestleMania! This match was one that a lot of people felt was worthy of a main event spot. That said if you aren’t Main Eventing you should go on first and set the tone for the night and they did just that! It was a fast-paced, hard-hitting affair. It truly felt like Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky had a chip on their shoulder and were out to steal the show! in the end, the Genius Of The Sky retained her championship and ended the WrestleMania undefeated streak of Belair in the process. 

The Man Is Back!

Saturday ahead of Night 1, Bayley was laid out by a mystery attacker, which lead to Lyra Valkyria not having a partner for the Tag Team Title Match on Night 2. In stepped the returning Becky Lynch, who has been out for almost a year. Big Time Becks made the most of this return by capturing Tag Team Title Gold for the 2nd time with her countrywoman Valkyria. Becky Lynch is my favorite of the Four Horsewomen and having her back in the mix is fantastic. Sure, it came at the expense of Bayley getting on the Wrestlemania card, but I have a feeling that we are in for a wild summer as they tell that story now that The Man is back!

Say His Name and He Appears!

“Who’s going to face Randy Orton at Mania?” was a hot topic throughout the week as Kevin Owens. his original opponent, is out due to injury. We speculated everyone from Aleister Black, Miro to even GM Nick Aldis but ultimately they went with TNA World Champion Joe Hendry, who got a massive pop. The match itself was a bit of a squash but that perfect camera shot of the RKO was worth it all. Plus it felt like Randy was living his best life out there, just having fun and RKOing fools like he does best.

There you have it, friends. It was tough to land on just five things from a two-night extravaganza but that’s what stuck out to me the most. If you agree or disagree, let me know in the comment section. As always make sure you keep it locked in right here for more writing from your favorite Love Wrestling personalities! 

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Pluggo’s Top Five of the Week!

by Pluggo
written by Pluggo

Even when I’m down, the show must go on. I ask during this difficult time that you just bear with me. The difficult time, you may be wondering, is Para Lira are LPW Tag Team champions, which means I now have to listen to Berat Gorani run his mouth until they lose those championships. Thankfully there was a lot more good this past week in professional wrestling, so let’s get right into it! 

CM Punk is Officially a WrestleMania Main Eventer 

We found out this past Friday on Smackdown that finally CM Punk will get his first opportunity to star in the main event of the biggest show of the year. It’s the only thing CM Punk has wanted in his illustrious career that he has yet to accomplish. As a CM Punk guy, I couldn’t be more excited for him to cross this goal off his list. Now can the Second City Saint put the cherry on top and defeat both Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins? Here’s hoping! 

Double Duty for the Double Champ

I love the fact that Stephanie Vaquer, one week after winning the NXT Championship, is out here defending her North American Championship and the NXT Championship. She’s been presented as an absolute force in a women’s division that is widely considered one of the best in wrestling. 

Proceed With Caution

Holy smokes, this was easily the best promo of Naomi’s career. Those that love Naomi knew she had it in her. Those that didn’t believe, what do you have to say now? I know for me it would have been a crazy moment had we found out it was Bianca that attacked Jade Cargill. That said, if this is the Naomi we are getting as a product of her attacking Jade, then sign me up twice and I’ll happily shout it from the rooftops that I was wrong. Keep the foot on the gas with Naomi – that promo was special work and I need more! 

Swerve Strickland bodies Jon Moxley on the mic

No surprise to AEW fans that Swerve Strickland is that guy. He went toe to toe with the leader of the Death Riders Wednesday night and I think he came out on top. It was a great back and forth between Moxley and himself. Even Moxley himself put Strickland over in the segment, saying, “Seeing a guy like you makes me want to keep going and all my hard work in this business run by billionaires and YouTubers is not going to waste.” I’m still not sold on Swerve winning at Dynasty, though I think he should. It wouldn’t shock me if  Moxley held it until All In. 

LPW 35 Into The Void

Normally I try and stick to moments on these lists but I’m hard pressed to not sing the praises of the entire LPW 35 card. It was one of my favorite LPW shows of all time. We saw three title changes, an absolute classic in the other title match (MRB vs Miles DeVille), plus that ending. Zoe Sager, the Intangible Opportunist, may have lost her tag title to Para Lira to open, but she made damn sure she left with gold as she becomes a 2-time Grand Champion beating TY Jackson and Marz The Specialist. Not only that she set off a chain of events amongst the roster that now has the anticipation for LPW 36 at an all time high! Head to IWTV or Love Wrestling on YouTube to catch all the action. 

Another week another 5 in the books. We are just heating up to as the Road to WrestleMania continues and AEW Dynasty is next week. So keep it here and see what moments from the week that was stood out to me. As always, feel free to drop your favorites in the comments and keep it locked here for the latest from everyone at Love Wrestling. 

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Pluggo’s Top 5 of the Week.

by Pluggo
written by Pluggo

We are back baby! After taking a few much-needed weeks off to recharge my batteries, so to speak, I am happy to be back after it.  I picked quite the week to write about. From AEW Revolution, RAW at MSG and NXT Roadblock, I had plenty of options for this weeks Top 5 so let’s get right into it: 

Timeless Toni Storm vs Mariah Hollywood Ending Street Fight AEW Revolution

Mariah May and Toni have been nothing short of brilliant since they came together. This past Sunday at AEW Revolution was the Hollywood ending to the best storyline In the company, and it did not disappoint. How this was not the main event of the evening is beyond me – it was perfect. Storm & May left everything they had in that arena. Closing out the match with Toni Storm nuzzling up to a defeated and bloody Mariah May as the screen shows “The End” – we talk about cinema in wrestling all the time. This match set the standard for me. 

Kyle Fletcher vs Will Ospreay Steel Cage Match AEW Revolution 

This match was pure insanity and I loved it. I was on the edge of my set with every false finish. They upped the ante throughout the entirety of the match. The opening shot of both Fletcher and Ospreay standing on top of the cage was fantastic stuff. From there they proceeded to have one of the most brutal and intense matches in AEW history. Ultimately William Ospreay got the win, but in the end I think it was Kyle Fletcher who truly shined. Fletcher continues to add layers and layers to his rising star and he’s proving there isn’t any spot too big for him to succeed in. 

CM Punk vs Seth Rollins Steel Cage on RAW 

Two men who absolutely hate one another enter a steel cage. What’s not to love? Rollins and Punk’s well documented history made this a surefire can’t miss. They delivered. The match had it all: great wrestling, suspense building with every finish, the verbal back and forth mid-match. It was simple and effective. Then you add Roman Reigns returning and yanking Rollins out of the cage, which gave Rollins the win. That didn’t matter, as Reigns laid waste to Rollins then turned around to see Paul Heyman in the cage checking on Punk. Roman lost it and destroyed Punk to end the night. The road to WrestleMania is cooking with gas right now. 

Stephanie Vaquer Double Champ at NXT Roadblock

I admit, I was concerned it was too early for this match. Giulia and Vaquer are new to NXT and the Women’s North American Championship is brand new. So putting both titles on one of them, I had concerns. Well, throw my concerns out the window…for now. That match ruled and Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia have amazing chemistry, and I wish that Main Event would have gotten 10 more minutes. The WWE has a blue-chip no doubt superstar in Vaquer and I’m here for the ride. Now let’s hope she’s not going to just relinquish the NA like they have in the past and let her truly shine during what is already a historical reign. 

Speedball Mike Bailey Debuts on AEW Dynamite 

You love to see when good things happen to even better people. Speedball Mike Bailey has finally debuted in AEW after months of rumor and speculation. Speedball is easily one of the best wrestlers on the planet and him getting this opportunity on a big stage is fantastic. He won his match against the Beast Mortos and is one win away from a date with Kenny Omega for the International Championship. I can’t wait to see what Speedball will do in AEW! 

There you have it folks, another week another Top 5 in the books! Keep it locked in here for more writing from yours truly as well as all the other amazing contributors here at Love Wrestling! 

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Elimination Chamber Power Rankings

by Pluggo
written by Pluggo

For 12 superstars, the only thing standing between them and a guaranteed spot at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas is the most unforgiving structure in professional wrestling, the Elimination Chamber. 

So per tradition I like to think of these matches in terms of a power rankings ahead of the actual matches March 1. I’ll breakdown both mens and women’s matches, ranking them from 6 to 1, which will act as my predictions on how each competitor will fare in Toronto. Ultimately #1 in each ranking will be my pick to win the opportunity to go to WrestleMania. 

Men’s Elimination Chamber

6 Damian Priest 

Talk about just how loaded this field is, that Priest, a former World Heavyweight Champion, is in the 6 spot. For Damian Priest, he’s still trying to figure his way back into the main event title picture since Finn Balor screwed him out of his championship against Gunther at SummerSlam. A win here would do that, but I just don’t see that happening.

5 Drew McIntyre 

Sure, Drew is doing some of his finest work over the last year, and a program with him and Cody Rhodes on the road to WrestleMania would be fun. The promo work alone would be top-notch. That said, there is something so fun about Drew getting screwed out of a big-time spot, and the man I’ve got at 4 will have a hand in just that. So, better luck next time Drew. 

4 Logan Paul 

The Maverick isn’t much of a fan favorite by any stretch, so a deep run in the Chamber could put a damper on the match. Now, could I see them having it come down to Logan Paul in the last two and making us the fans sweat out his ultimate elimination? Yes. That’s not what I am manifesting here, though. A solid showing where Paul is the 1st in and lasts awhile but he eliminates Drew and that spawns a program for them, is ultimately where my head’s at. Paul does have some issues with CM Punk now as well. Logan will have a massive target on his back Saturday, I think he prefers it that way. That doesn’t mean it’s a great strategy.

3 Seth Freakin Rollins 

This is tough for me to put Rollins here, as at some point he needs to get the leg up on CM Punk. Rollins has been spiraling ever since losing to Punk on the debut Raw on Netflix show, and I don’t see that stopping here. Rollins will have to find another way to Mania as well as figure out his Punk problem.

2 CM Punk 

How ironic that Punk’s last shot to reach the Main Event WrestleMania this year comes in the same year John Cena is on his farewell tour. Will Punk coming up just short once again cause him to take his ball and go home, as Seth Rollins brings up all the time? I don’t think so. It would be an epic way to end the Chamber match if it came down to Punk and Cena as the last two left and Cena somehow pulled out the upset. Talk about some long-term storytelling cinema.

1 John Cena

After coming up short at the Royal Rumble, finishing 2nd to Jey Uso, Cena declared he would be in the Chamber Match, knowing this is his last opportunity to be in the Main Event of WrestleMania. They wouldn’t possibly take this moment away would they? Rhodes vs Cena at Mania is an epic marquee match that we all want to see happen. So don’t get too cute on us, WWE – make the match happen. I’m here for a Cena win at Mania, then CM Punk, who was just slighted, challenges him at MITB for said championship. Tell me that wouldn’t rule! 

Women’s Elimination Chamber Match 

6 Naomi

Naomi always shows out in these opportunities, yet they rarely let Naomi win these high-profile chances. It’s unfortunate because she’s fantastic, but ultimately Naomi has other things on horizon, as I expect the return of Jade Cargill sooner than later. 

5 Bayley

The Role Model has been on a run as of late, appearing on seemingly every show and sprinkled in a NBA Celebrity All-Star Game appearance as well. It’s odd putting a future first-ballot Hall of Famer this low on a list for a championship, but a certain Prodigy has been giving Bayley a problem, which may cause her an early exit at the Chamber.

4 Alexa Bliss

Welcome back Alexa, you have been missed. Bliss returned at this year’s Royal Rumble, though she came up short in punching her ticket to the big dance. While Bliss and Rhea Ripley or Iyo Sky would be a fresh matchup for Mania, I don’t think we are quite ready to make that leap considering she has just returned. It feels like an opportunity to remind everyone just how good the “Five Feet of Furry” is.

3 Roxanne Perez

She will 100 percent eliminate Bayley from this match, thus furthering their storyline. I’d love to see Bayley and Roxanne Perez at WrestleMania. Coming off the heels of being the Iron Women of the Royal Rumble, I expect Perez to have another big showing as they look to continue to push her to the moon! 

2 Liv Morgan 

Half of the new Women’s Tag Team Champions has all that history with Rhea Ripley, so it would make sense for them to run it back one more time. I ultimately don’t think they will do that, as the Liv/Rhea fatigue is still there, for me at least. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate their feud; it was just long, and I think it’s too quick to go back to the well. That said, I can’t rule it out as a real possibility. Everything is already built in.

1 Bianca Belair 

Losing the Tag Team Championships on Monday now frees up the EST for other things. Those “other things” of which I speak include giving us a a Women’s World Championship match at WrestleMania against Rhea Ripley. Who says no to that? It’s two of your greatest non Horsewomen talent on the roster. This would be a great way to showcase that the future is bright as ever in the women’s division! Plus you throw in their NXT history, and we are off to the races for what could be a very special match.

There it is folks, from six to one on both sides of the coin. I know on the women’s side I erred on the side of Rhea winning her championship match against Iyo Sky the day after Chamber. I’m going to just assume she retains. Honestly though, if Iyo does win, I don’t think I’d change much on the women’s side. Anyways, how did I do? Do you agree with my rankings? Let me know in the comments and as always keep it right here on Love Wrestling for more of my writings and much more! 

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The Last Dream Match ⎸ by Michael Richard Blais

by Staff
written by Staff

Guest feature written and contributed by Michael Richard Blais

March 7th, Calgary, it’s the last dream match on my list…

It’s always been weird for me when people have asked about my dream matches because I think I’ve always viewed them differently than other people do. I could talk about a dream match with wrestlers of years past like Eddie Guerrero, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, etc. I could talk about a dream match with current-day wrestlers who are at the highest levels like AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, etc. My brain was never wired like that though. I’d love to wrestle those guys, I’d love to test myself against them, but my dream was always just to be a wrestler. That was the dream because it meant something to me. Dream matches would need to mean something to me.

So whenever people have asked me my dream match, from the very beginning I always answer TJ Wilson. He’s my trainer, my mentor, someone I have looked up to, and has helped mold the way I am, not just in wrestling, but in life. He was always the answer but I just never dove into the others because there was never time when I was asked to spout off the truth of why I’d say these are dream matches and I’ve already had many of them.

When I first started wrestling as a kid the top wrestlers around here were TJ Wilson, Harry Smith, Apocalypse, Duke Durrango, and Randy Myers. All of them had such an influence on me, just watching them but also being lucky enough to learn from them all. These were THE GUYS if you came around pro-wrestling in the mid-2000s all the way into the early 2010s these were the guys you wanted to be like. They all had their own qualities to them but there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that they were the guys leading the rest of us.

Every one of them had a hand in creating “Michael Richard Blais” the pro-wrestler. They were all so gracious with their time and knowledge. None of them had a reason to ever want to help this 13-year-old, unathletic, chubby kid who didn’t look like he had a future but they did. Sometimes they were tough, sometimes they were very critical…but ultimately, always supportive and the reason I ever had the courage to do any of the stuff I have. If it wasn’t for every one of them I wouldn’t have kept doing this for 20 years. I wouldn’t have wrestled guys like Samoa Joe, Cody Rhodes, Christopher Daniels, etc. I wouldn’t have gotten to wrestle on WWE RAW. I wouldn’t have wrestled coast to coast or for major indy companies like GCW. If it wasn’t for them, I would have never been able to do the Infinity Gauntlet raising $10,000+ for the Stollery wrestling for 8 hours. If it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t know I existed. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where I’d be but I probably wouldn’t have ever moved to Edmonton, I probably wouldn’t have my own family and I wouldn’t have ever been on the ground floor of LPW helping build it to the level it is and will climb to.

They’re the dream matches, because of those things. They’re the dream matches. TJ Wilson, Harry Smith, Apocalypse, Duke Durrango, and Randy Myers. Those were my dream matches because I wanted to show them they didn’t waste their time with me. There is this saying in wrestling that the money and the miles are the only things that are real, but the respect of your peers is real, too. Their respect means a lot to me. I wanted to wrestle them to show them they did good, that I could hang with them…they didn’t waste their time with that chubby kid.

I’ve been lucky. Unfortunately one of those will never happen, I won’t get that dream match with TJ on a show, but I was lucky I got to have it once in practice. I’m lucky that I get to talk to him about wrestling the way I do. I’ve checked off almost everyone else though. I got to wrestle Harry Smith multiple times, and I know I took him to the limit. I got to wrestle Duke Durrango, earn his respect, and ultimately retire him which is an honour I’ll never take lightly. I’ve gotten to wrestle Randy Myers multiple times and share a hug with him that at a time in our lives, felt like we never would. There’s only one left that is possible that I haven’t checked off…

March 7th, Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino at LPW: Press Start. It’s Michael Richard Blais vs Viktor…Viktor, the former Apocalypse back in the day here. That’s the last one. He was always known for his intensity, unmatched, enough so it would elicit fear in not just fans but a lot of the other wrestlers. I’m not shy on intensity though: maybe that’s one of the things I learned from him without even knowing it at the time.

I need this match to be special, I need this match to be great, I need the best crowd we can get there for it, I need to earn his respect…and I need to win…because to me, this is as real as it gets.

God’s Gift to Wrestling, Michael Richard Blais.

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Pluggo’s Top Five Of The Week

by Pluggo
written by Pluggo

Wrestling is in such an amazing place right now. Anywhere you look, you can find something to get excited about. It’s incredibly exciting to be a fan of the most fun sport on the planet. That said, it’s also very difficult to narrow this list to five things from the week that I thought stood out the most. Luckily this week was a packed slate of wrestling, with the J-Cup starting up to NXT Vengeance Day and everything in between. So let’s not waste any more time – we’re going to jump right into things. 

Gahbage Daddies Square Off!

Alec Price and Cole Radrick, your GCW Tag Team Champions squared off this past Saturday in the opening round of the J-Cup, a collaboration between Jersey Championship Wrestling and GCW. 

You could tell just how much advancing in the tournament meant to these guys. Each move was met with a counter and vice versa, as both Price and Radrick know each other so well. I highly recommend you go check it out. Ultimately Alec Price got the win to move on to round two. 

Stephanie Vaquer wins North American Championship!

At NXT Vengeance Day, Vaquer took on Champion Fallon Henley.  With Henleys Fatal Influence running mates at ringside, it seemed that Stephanie Vaquer would have an uphill battle for gold. Fatal Influence threw everything they had at Vaquer, but they couldn’t stop the inevitable. It’s been very clear how NXT has felt about Vaquer. During her short time in NXT she has been booked flawlessly and now with gold around her waist, the sky is the limit. 

The “Absolute One” Debuts in NXT!

In a move that sent shock waves throughout the wrestling world, Ricky Starks arrived in NXT a day or two after his AEW contract had run out. I don’t think it was any secret that Starks was going to end up in the WWE once he became available. Talk about a perfect fit, and perfect timing for Starks as NXT could use another bona fide star in the main event picture. I can’t wait to hear what Starks has to say this Tuesday night when he officially signs his contract. 

Harley Cameron Does it Again!

Sure, Harley lost to Mercedes Moné at Grand Slam for the TBS Championship. Even with that loss, though, her promo was a masterpiece. Cameron is becoming a mainstay in my top 5s. She’s earned it with the ability to do anything, from serious to comedy and everything in between. And she does it all in two minutes, flipping that switch effortlessly. Let’s hope AEW realizes what they have in Cameron and she gets more opportunities to shine. This was just another challenger for Moné and on to the next. 

Kenny Omega & William Ospreay Together is Awesome!

At first when this pairing had their staredown when Omega returned, like most of you, I wanted that match so bad. I wasn’t sure how a buddy-buddy partnership would work out, but so far it’s been a lot of fun. They seem to play well off each other and are constantly leveling up in a healthy competitive way. They really look to bring the best out of one another and it shows. That match at Grand Slam vs Kyle Fletcher and Takeshita was simply amazing and couldn’t have happened if Kenny and William didn’t put their differences aside to take out the Don Callis Family.

There you have it, another week another top 5 in the books! Who was your standout from this past week? Let me know in the comments! Like always, keep it here for my latest writing and more Top 5s to come! See you all next week! 

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NXT Vengeance Day Preview

by Pluggo
written by Pluggo

This Saturday Night at 6pm est is NXT Vengeance Day. The 1st stand alone PLE of the NXT calendar. This past Tuesday night debut of the “Absolute One” Ricky Starks has the intrigue for this PLE at a fever pitch. Will we see him get involved and make it known who he has his sights set on first in NXT? There is so much potential for Starks on this roster. Even tonight’s card could be telling for where Starks begins on the NXT Ladder. So let’s get into the card and breakdown it down match by match. 

NXT Championship Match: Oba Femi vs. Austin Theory vs. Grayson Waller

A-Town Down Under got the upper hand on Big Oba Femi this past Tuesday night. They had teased a possible split before taking out the NXT Champion. The only real question I have is when the going gets tough and that opportunity to win the NXT Championship, will Austin Theory and Grayson Waller be able to remain a team and allow one of them to dethrone Oba Femi. My guess is not a chance, the cracks in the A-Town Down Under foundation will grow bigger and Oba Femi will Retain with ease. 

Pick: Oba Femi Retains 

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Giulia vs. Bayley vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Cora Jade

The proof of just how successful NXT has been on the business is right here in this match. Bayley got her start in NXT and is now a sure fire Hall of Famer and one of the most decorated Superstars in the business. She’s going after 2nd NXT Championship. Against a group that would give anything to have the career Bayley has had. Cora Jade looks to finally be hitting her stride coming off a recent knee injury and earned her way into this match up with a win over Bayley this past Tuesday. That win came with an asterisk as Roxanne Perez has been a Thorne in Bayleys side for weeks, culminating in a Bayley Cosplay dissertation to help Cora win. Roxanne the former NXT Champion held down the division thus far in her career and looks destined for the Main Roster sooner than later but for now she looks to add to her already impressive NXT Championship resume. 

If you stopped right there, you’d say what a great triple threat match. Well, NXT Women’s Champion and international superstar Giulia is in the match up and with the odds stacked against her will look to retain the title she won off of Roxanne Perez at New Year Evil. I’d be surprised if they took the title off Giulia this early in her reign. That said the odds aren’t in her favor but if for just hypotheticals if I had to pick on to take it off Giulia, give me Bayley for the simple fact that it would eat at Roxanne Perez and further that storyline. 

Pick: Giulia 

NXT Women’s North American Championship Match: Fallon Henley vs. Stephanie Vaquer

Much like Giulia, NXT hit the jackpot with another international star. They have presented Vaquer so well thus far in her WWE career the only thing missing is some Gold. No disrespect to Fallon Henley or the the rest of her Fatal Influence Stable Mates but this is Vaquers moment in the sun. 

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Fraxiom vs. Josh Briggs & Yoshiki Inamura

Fraxiom continues to Impress and level up with each title defense. Saturday night should be no different. Briggs continues to try and find himself after they spilt up of him and Jensen. Insert Yoshiki Inamura as his new running mate and you have yourself a very interesting dynamic. That’s will only get you so far against Fraxiom. Sure Biggs and Inamura looked impressive in there win to get here but they still have to work on that chemistry, that Fraxiom has mastered. This feels like a stop gap for Axiom and Fraser’s next program heading into Stand and Deliver, which could he see the much Speculated Hardy Boyz step to the NXT Tag Team Champions? 

Pick: Fraxiom Retains

Strap Match: Trick Williams vs. Eddy Thorpe

I love me a good old fashioned strap match. I did not however have Trick Williams and Eddie Thorpe on my list of must needed Strap Matches. Don’t get me wrong NXT has a great track record of putting on PLE matches that maybe didn’t belong there and it ends up being an absolute banger, so I’m not completely down on this match up. I’m just not that invested in it and it feels like an excuse to give Trick Williams something to do in the card, which is never a bad thing. 

Pick: Trick Williams 

Ethan Page vs. Je’Von Evans

If this match doesn’t end with Je’Von Evan’s proclaiming he beat Ethan Page with a “Broken Freakin Jaw”! Then what are we doing here? Evans got himself “Cleared” by a “Real Doctor” to have the match happened. I use air quotes here because that Dr. on Tuesday looked like he runs his practice out of a storage unit. Either way Ava requested Evan’s sign a waiver and the match is being unsanctioned so Ethan Page can lose and no harm is done to his standing but maybe some damnit his Ego and we get another match from these two. 

Pick: Je’Von Evans

There you have it, all my picks and thoughts ahead of Saturday’s Vengeance Day! What matches are you most excited about and who do you think will stand out the most? Also will Ricky Starks involve himself in the action? Let me know in the comments! 

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