Hey guys, Armbar Express heading your way. I’m Tom Robinson.
This week’s edition of TNA Impact Wrestling saw interesting developments in the world title picture. It was announced by MVP that there would be a TNA World Championship would be defended by Magnus against not one wrestler, not two… but THREE! We got Magnus defending against The Samoan Submission Machine Samoa Joe, The Monster Abyss and last but not least… “Showtime” Eric Young!
Now one would question whether Eric Young’s character can allow him to elevate up the ranks and into the World Title picture. I think this promo can answer that question clearly. It’s time….
Now we all know Eric Young is a very entertaining guy, but this is one of the rare times where Eric is cutting a dead serious promo and he can deliver. He’s as serious as he’s entertaining and that’s saying an awful lot! But is he seriously ready to step it into the big leagues? In my opinion with his storyline with Abyss, he’s a lot more of a deal now and I like how this has lifted him up the ranks, especially considering Abyss’ affiliation with Magnus. Now there’s no guarantee that Eric will capture the title, but keep in mind Chris Sabin’s World Title reign. Out of the blue Sabin went from X-Division Champion to World Champion. It was great to see at the time, but he went absolutely nowhere after he lost. He found himself right back where he began and I don’t want that to happen to Eric. I think Eric should capture the belt, don’t get me wrong, but not right now. I think Eric needs a proper program with the champion now before he finally captures the belt at like Slammiversary or something.
By the way, in the segment why did MVP stand around for 30 seconds and THEN ask for security? Did he just have slow reflexes? XD
What do you guys think? Who should win the World Title match next week? Should the reign of Magnus continue? Should Samoa Joe recapture the title he once had? Should the monster reclaim the holy grail? Or is time for Showtime?
NEWS! Another match has been announced for the granddaddy of them all Wrestlemania XXX! It’s another title match for you guys to feast your eyes on as the newly crowned WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos are defending their titles against not one, not two but THREE different tag teams at the event!
And those tag teams are….
“The Real Americans” Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro….
“Los Matadores” Fernando and Diego (along with El Torito… the greatest midget in wrestling history!)
and “Rybaxel” Curtis Axel and THE BIG GUY Ryback!
I think it’s safe to say that we were all expecting the tag team titles to be on the line at Wrestlemania. The tag team division has received a lot exposure in WWE in the last couple of years and it would have been unjust not to have the belts on the line. I’m surprised that the Real Americans are in the match considering the storyline involving Swagger and Cesaro. I would have figured that either Swagger or Cesaro would fight for the Intercontinental title… or each other. Then again, if the Shield has proved us anything is that you can’t assume that a team is gonna split up or not anymore. Hell, Cesaro and Swagger might both turn face on Zeb Colter. Los Matadores are also a team I never expected to be in, largely due to WWE hardly ever utilizing them on RAW or SmackDown! these days. I will allow these teams to be in the match because I know there’s now a possibility that Antonio Cesaro is gonna swing around El Torito! I should open a pool of how many times or how long Cesaro is going to swing that bull around! I’m going to mark out if Cesaro actually does it!
And lastly… Rybaxel! Let’s be honest… we’re all here to see THE BIG GUY! Curtis Axel is a class wrestler but Ryback… is Ryback! Speaking of things I really want to see… I really want to see Ryback give El Torito a Shellshock! He could do it with on arm if you think about it! At least have Ryback attempt because I really want to see what it looked like! I just want to state for the record that I’m a huge El Torito mark! But I’m an even bigger mark for the Big Guy!
This seems a forgone conclusion of a match, but I still think it’ll be a nice little match for us to enjoy. We’re gonna get high-flying action! We’re gonna get THE BIG GUY! We’re gonna get people being swung around! And we’re going to see El Torito! I think this fatal four way will be a great addition to the PPV!
The bodies of Benoit and his wife and son, were discovered by police in the afternoon of June 25th 2007.
Police claimed that former World Champion Benoit had strangled his wife Nancy suffocated his young son Daniel before taking his own life – days before he was due to compete in a WWE pay-per-view championship match.
The incident caused the WWE to immediately distance themselves from all association with Benoit, removing any merchandise connected to him – only recently airing footage of Chris on their newly released WWE Network service, for the first time since the double-murder and suicide.
Thomas Robinson takes a look at the life of the wrestler, both in and out of the ring.”
Thomas Robinson, at your service. The Robinson Rumble column is back in full swing and in an very important time for wrestling. Wrestlemania XXX is fast approaching and the future of TNA has taken a completely different turn with a new authority figure taking the reins. With many things changing in such a short amount of time, this is as interesting time as ever in professional wrestling. In the Robinson Rumble NoDQ.com column I discuss the apparent face turn of the Shield, the return of The Underaker and the feud between Bobby Roode and Bully Ray. The link to the column is at the bottom of the blog and I’d really appreciate it if you guys could check it out!
Here’s a bit of a preview of my column about The Shield!
“The WWE are owed a very well deserved applause. We all sensed that some juicy drama was in place in regards to the Shield’s status in WWE. Having been beaten not once but twice by the Wyatt Family and having be dethroned as the top stable in WWE, we figured that this would lead to a clash between all three members at Wrestlemania XXX as the three would go their separate ways. However, following The Shield summit on SmackDown!, the Shield have a new mission… and a new sense of justice.”
WARNING: This is NOT a review of this week’s episode of Impact. That review is coming soon, but this is just me uploading the review for last week’s Impact episode.
Very interesting little storyline for the episode. Bully Ray screwed over Team Dixie at Lockdown and Team Dixie were not happy about! Bobby Roode in particular was looking for revenge against the former leader of Aces And Eights after missing out on 10% control of the company. The team vowed to take out Bully as soon as he arrived, which they did after the distraction from Rockstar Spud. Bobby Roode in particular was incensed over Bully and laid in a brutal beatdown.
However, the Bully wouldn’t stay down for long and saught revenge for the attack. He took out the Bro-Mans single-handedly, Rockstar Spud and Ethan Carter III before fighting Roode at the end of the night. After a nice little brawl, Bully put Roode through the table to successfully get his revenge on the entire group.
A lot of intensity involved in these segments. Bobby Roode is awesome when he is pissed. Few wrestlers can bring intensity to a storyline like Bobby. While Bully Ray taking out the entire team does seem to be putting him over a bit too much, this storyline does have the potential to go far. I think Roode and Ray could be feuding for longer than you think…
Willow… WTF
MVP interrupted Rockstar Spud’s tribute to madam Dixie Carter (which was a quality tribute by the way!) to motivate Spud into a match with Willow later on that night while making Ethan Carter III vs Bobby Lashley for next week. It’s a bit nice to see that Bobby is going to be back in TNA for more than one night and ECIII’s unbeaten streak could be in jeopardy.
Willow got himself disqualified after hitting Rockstar Spud with his umbrella (why does that sound like innuendo to me?). Willow laid in a brutal post-match on Spud while screaming like he just sat on a porcupine. While the beatdown was actually pretty decent looking, I cannot get into this Willow character. The screaming is just creepy and annoying, and the fact that the announcers kept referring to him as the “alter-ego” of Jeff Hardy was just ridiculous. What’s the point of the Willow gimmick if they’re just going to keep calling him Jeff Hardy? Why don’t they just call him Jeff Hardy all the time? I like the Jeff Hardy alter-ego idea, but it does not need that screaming and a new name to incorporate that into his character. I don’t even think this Willow thing will last. I’ll give it a month until they drop the Willow name completely.
Sanada and Tigre Uno – YES!
Two international high-flyers that debuted in impressive fashion at Lockdown, teaming up against the tag champions the Bro-Mans in a non-title match. These two were great together. After a minute of the Bro-Mans in control, the duo turned things around and pretty much stole the rest of the match. Great displays and I hope this team becomes a thing. However considering Sanada is X-Division Champion, I don’t see this team fully-forming just yet. Bad day at the office for the Bro-Mans though! Got beat here, got beat up by Bully Ray. Gotta feel for them a little. 😥
The Abyss Problem
Magnus interuppted MVP at the start of the show to introduce his new bodyguard Abyss. Magnus and Abyss teamed up at Lockdown to screw Samoa Joe out of the title, and Joe was pissed. In order to calm Joe down, MVP let Joe fight Abyss at the start of the show. This match between Abyss and Samoa Joe was an all-out brawl which I personally loved. Eric Young got involved to prevent Abyss from hitting Joe with “Janice”. I like the way all of this is heading. Joe vs Magnus for the TNA Title is set for the next Impact and I can’t wait. I hope Joe, Magnus, Abyss and Eric Young all come together as I like how Eric Young looked serious when he was talking to Joe. It makes look much more of a ideal and while we all love the comedy side of Young, I like the serious side of him just as well.
2014 Lockdown Review. No Time For Intro! Review Now!
TNA vs Wrestle-1
So if TNA wanted to provide an advertisement of their new partners Wrestle-1 and to showcase some of the best X-Division stars around… THEY SURE AS HELL DID! A very slick six man tag team between Wrestle-1 and TNA. The six man duo of Christopher Daniels, Kazarian and Chris Sabin just ooze chemistry between themselves. The three-man moves that were pulling out in this match were quality to see. The only complaint that I’d have is that it kinda overshadowed the Wrestle-1 guys, who TNA were supposed to showcase in this match! Speaking of Wrestle-1, I loved watching the Wrestle-1 guys. Yasu looked decent in there. Sanada looked amazing in this match. He was able to keep up with the pace of the X-Divsion stars if not surpass it, and he looks to be a great fit for the X-Division. It’s always great to see The Great Muta in action and the fans were so hyped for him. And he’s hardly lost a step. When he entered the fans just ate it up. You’ve got love this appreciation of wrestling legends like the Great Muta. What I loved at the end of the match was Sanada getting the win for hs team rather than Muta. It kinda felt that Muta was kinda putting Sanada over by having him being able to get the pin was a great way to “pass the torch” if you will and introduce Sanada to the TNA scene.
Sam Shaw vs Mr Anderson
A nice match to put Sam Shaw over. This guy’s got a real good thing going right now. I was half expecting a heel turn from Christy Hemme mind you to bring some kind of dignity to Christy after all the ridiculous screaming and cheer-leading she was providing. It was a slow-paced match but it was still an entertaining match. Obviously a lot of drama with Earl Hebner being knocked down and Samuel Shaw dragging Christy into the cage. Nevertheless, the right man won and I think Sam will get a lot out of this victory.
Bobby Lashley Returns To TNA
Ethan Carter III made his way to the ring to challenge any member of the TNA roster to a match a Lockdown since his scheduled opponent Kurt Angle was obviously out of the picture. And the man who answered the call was a real shocker… BOBBY LASHLEY! Yes, Bobby Lashley returned to TNA and basically kicked Ethan Carter’s ass. The man never took place, but it was an impressive beatdown regardless. I don’t know what TNA’s plans are with Bobby considering his MMA career, but it might be real nice to see Lashley in mainstream wrestling again. I doubt he’ll be going after the title due to his other commitments but he can provide a lot of star power for TNA that can still go in the ring – at least that’s what I’d like to believe is the case.
Tigre Uno vs Manik
Damn, these two put on a show. The star attraction of this match was obviously the debuting Tigre Uno, but Manik looked impressive as ever and the two were able to match each other very well with pace. Especially with the fast paced chain wrestling at the start of the match. Really well coordinated. A lot of cool moments from both athletes. Tigre Uno looked really good in this match and I just love his finisher the Sabretooth which got the win on Manik. I really hope that Tigre Uno does well in TNA because he honestly has the skills to have a fantastic career in the impact zone!
Gunner vs James Storm in a Steel Cage Last Man Standing Match!
I love a good old fight with a lot of intensity involved and this certainly provided that intensity. Hell it started outside the cage when Storm and Gunner came to blows during Gunner’s entrance. They did a bit of damage outside the cage including a suplex to the floor by Gunner. With a low blow and a steel cage door slam to the head, Storm takes advantage and the match begins. A lot of hard-hitting shots involved…. instead of that one bit where I think Gunner hit Storm with the side part of the steel steps and Storm sold it as if he got hit by bulldozer. I think Gunner actually did a F5 during this match. A sloppy one mind you, but I appreciate the effort. It had a bit of a lame ending with the superplex to the chairs which didn’t look that effective of a finish to me. It was Gunner that hit it and was able to beat the 10 count while Storm was down for the count… literally.
Madison Rayne (c) vs Gail Kim for the Knockouts Championship
Better than average women’s match is all I can about this match. It was much better than anything that WWE could deliver even on their best day these days. But of all the gimmick women’s matches TNA has done over the years, this doesn’t stack high in them matches. Other than the neckbreaker off the ropes, I don’t remember much special moments from the match. Kinda disappointed Gail didn’t pick up a win but Madison rolls on.
Magnus (c) vs Samoa Joe for the TNA World Championship
I’m sorry but when I was watching this match back, I had so many difficulties watching it. I could barely watch it in sync that much and it was proper annoying sitting through it. Regardless, it was an OK match which the fans ate up. A lot of brutality from both men but a lame ass ending with Abyss getting involved and helping Magnus. I would have liked it if Magnus got a clean victory once in a while. I mean for Abyss to come and bail Magnus out was so annoying to me because it happens over and over again. Abyss being the corporate tool – like I haven’t seen that a dozen times already in TNA.
Lethal Lockdown: Team MVP vs Team Dixie for Control of TNA Operations
I’m not going to lie… does NOT stack up to previous Lethal Lockdowns at all. I mean the Wolves, Aries and MVP did their best but there wasn’t much exciting points to the match. And the Bully Ray twist as the special referee and the double cross was not exactly surprising once we saw him come out. I prefer Bully Ray as a heel to be honest. It’ll be interesting to see Bully go up against Dixie, but after that I don’t know how affective he’ll be as a face.
Not a lot of words from me, but it was a decent Lockdown event. Definitely a watch. I’m sorry I didn’t go into much depth with this. As of publishing date, I’ve haven’t had any sleep at all (And trust me. That’s NOT an exaggeration)! Also Uni work has proper limited my work rate for wrestling stuff. I haven’t been able to do columns for NoDQ.com as frequently as I hoped and I do apologize to any readers of the Robinson Rumble. I don’t think I’ll be able to do much more any time soon. Fortunately I’m off in April, so expect a lot of content during that month. 🙂
Wooooaaaaaahhhhhhh Ooooooooooooo! Making predictions on Saturday! Woooooooaaaaaahhhhh Oooooooooooo! Making predictions on Saturday TONIGHT!
With every match taking place inside a steel cage, a lot of carnage is to be expected. Who will walk away with the TNA World Championship? Which promotions will get the bragging rights? Who’ll be the last man standing? And who’ll have control of TNA after tonight?
Ethan Carter III vs ??????
Background: The history between Ethan Carter and ?????? has been brewing for quite some time. But for last month or two, EC3 has been targeting the Olympic Gold medalist Kurt Angle, attacked Angle and injuring his leg. At Kurt Angle’s Hall Of Fame ceremony, Angle challenged EC3 to a match at Lockdown which was booked for Lockdown. However, there was a slight change of plans when Angle suffered a torn MCL once again at the hands of EC3. However, EC3 was still on the Lockdown with opponent being the mighty ??????? this sunday!
What Should Happen?: Well why not give Ethan Carter III the big win on the PPV he was likely due in the first place.
What Will Happen?: I personally believer that whoever TNA put in Ethan Carter III’s way will get beaten because of the fact they’re still putting him in a match on the card. If Angle was fit and healthy, I assume EC3 would have won so unless they have something out of the blue lined up for him, I don’t see the outcome being any different. Ethan Carter III beats ??????? 😉
Tigre Uno vs Manik
Background: No real background to this match other than the fact that it’s Tigre Uno’s debut in TNA.
What Should Happen?: Give the new guy the victory. Tigre Uno wins.
What Will Happen?: Tigre Uno wins. NEXT!
Interpromotional Six Man Tag Team Match: Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) and Chris Sabin vs The Great Muta, Sanada and Nakanoue
Background: A talent exchange between TNA and Japanense promotion Wrestle-1 is underway, and Lockdown will be able to showcase some this talent in action. Among these in action in a six man tag team match include Nakanoue and Wrestle-1 Owner and legendary wrestler The Great Muta. Teaming up with them is Sanada, who defeated Austin Aries at the interpromotional Kaisen: Outbreak event to win the X-Division Championship. The next day, Sanada was confirmed to be a mainstay in TNA. However, he still represents Wrestle-1 in a six man steel cage match against “Bad Influence” Christopher Daniels and Kazarian, and former X-Division Champion Chris Sabin. Can the Wrestle-1 stars topple TNA’s top X-Division stars?
What Should Happen?: It’d be a REAL dick move for TNA to invite Wrestle-1 over for them to kick their asses. Give the new X-Division and his teammates the victory to get this partnership off on a bang.
What Will Happen?: The Wrestle-1 guys win.
Gunner vs James Storm in a Steel Cage Last Man Standing match
Background
What should happen?: I’d like to see Gunner get the win, considering it would be cool for him to look strong despite failing to win the title.
What Will Happen?: I’ve got a gut feeling that James Storm will win because I see this feud PROPERLY starting off with Storm getting a cheap victory over Gunner. I know you’re asking “How can you get a cheap victory in a last man standing match?” and my only answer is interference from Bobby Roode, which I think could happen.
Madison Rayne (c) vs Gail Kim for the TNA Knockouts Championship
Background
What Should Happen?: I’m not gonna lie, Madison Rayne has never really been a girl that impressed me that much. I’m a huge Gail Kim mark and it does seem weird to have her without that title. However, the new champion should be the one who wins this. I think a month long title reign will not do the Knockouts title much justice.
What Will Happen?: Normally, I’d say the new champion would win. However, with all the title changes with the X-Division title it’s not that clear-cut for me to say. I’ve got a gut feeling that Gail Kim is going to regain the gold somehow, so I’m going with my gut. Gail Kim wins.
Samuel Shaw vs Mr Anderson
Background
What Should Happen?: Damn, this thing with Samuel Shaw has been good. It definitely makes sense for Samuel Shaw to win. They’ve got something… beautiful – with a character like his.
What Will Happen?: Sorry Ken. I don’t see anything else happening other than Samuel Shaw picking up the win.
Lethal Lockdown: Team MVP (MVP, Eddie Edwards, Davey Richards and Jeff Hardy… or is it Willow?) vs Team Dixie Carter (Bobby Roode, Robbie E, Jessie and Austin Aries) – Winning Team Gets Control Of TNA Operations
Rules: Two men from each team will start off the Lethal Lockdown match locked in the cage. Then, after every 5 minutes, each team will take turns in having a member enter the cage. This will continue until all 8 men have entered the cage. Once all 8 guys have entered, the first team to get a pinfall or submission wins. Team Dixie will have the “man advantage”, meaning that they will gain an advantage on Team MVP by having their men enter the match before the MVP guys do. Basically, the entrant order will be – Team Dixie, Team MVP, Team Dixie, Team MVP, Team Dixie, Team MVP, Team Dixie, Team MVP.
Background
What Should Happen?: Team MVP wins.
What Will Happen?: It’d be awful strange for TNA to bring MVP in and not have his team win.
Magnus (c) vs Samoa Joe for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Background
What Should Happen?: I’m a bit torn. I’m fans of both guys. It’s been too long since Samoa Joe last won the TNA World Title, but Magnus’ reign has been really good so far. I’d like to see that continue, so I’m going to have to go with Magnus. But if anyone’s going to dethrone Magnus, it has to be Samoa Joe.
Vegeta, what does the stats say about the Armbar Express’ view count?
Yes, we’re over 8000 all-time views on this blog. 8000 of you have clicked on the Armbar Express and helped it get noticed around the world including the likes of Bulgaria, Estonia and the Philippines! And I just want to say thank you very much.
Now I’m sure all of you are saying “Tom, you didn’t do it right!” with regards to saying “It’s Over 8000”. Technically according to the Japanese Dragonball Z manga, Goku’s power level was over 8000. In the original Funimation dub, there was a mistake in translation which resulted in Vegeta shouting “IT’S OVER 9000!” In the above video you watched, the Kai redub corrected the mistake. Sorry for completely killing the joke for you guys. -.-
But no fear! I have a new quest… TO GET OVER 9000 hits! Lets do this! Tell your friends! Get the views for the Armbar Express pouring in! @ArmbarExpress! Spread the word!
NXT has definitely had a huge affect on the WWE with a number of NXT stars over the years becoming stars in the WWE. In my beloved “Robinson Rumble” NoDQ.com column, I look back at the stars of NXT that have become stars and assessing just how big a role NXT has had on the WWE.
Down here below is a sneak peak of the column and the link to the rest of the column is down below enjoy. Also while we’re on the subject of NXT, please read my review of NXT Arrival which the link for is here at THIS LINK!So what are you waiting for?
“NXT’s inception was intended to be WWE’s way of giving us a glimpse into the future of sports entertainment. We saw 8 “rookies” put through their paces in WWE with a chance to shine when the lights were on bright. Those 8 rookies became part of the Nexus group but the success of these stars didn’t stop there. We saw stars ascend to WWE stardom and many of those wrestlers are stars today.”
Ladies and gentleman, tonight it’s time for RAW IS WAR!
Aaron Paul On RAW…. BITCH!
Yes. Star of the greatest TV show of all time Breaking Bad and lead in the upcoming Fast And Furious show will be on RAW tonight! Now of all the shitty guest hosts on RAW we’ve had over the years, Aaron has to be among the best. He’s bound to provide a lot of laughs and I will be gravely disappointed if I don’t here this word at least once on RAW….
Batista’s Quest
The now heel Batista has begun a quest to destory every single hero in WWE on route to Wrestlemania to prove his dominance over all of them. While a HEEL vs HEEL Wrestlemania main event is something unheard of, any intercation between Batista and the WWE World Champion Randy Orton will be a most interesting one. Who will the fans cheer for? And who will be Batista’s next target on the road to Wrestlemania?
Daniel Bryan’s Challenge
Daniel Bryan threw out the challenge last week on RAW – him vs COO Triple H for a match at Wrestlemania XXX! Will Triple H accept the challenge or continue to dodge the leader of the YESMovement?
Shield vs Wyatts II!
Oh yes! After tearing down the house at Elimination Chamber, these two factions are going to go into battle again as the war is far from over! Can The Shield exact revenge or will the Wyatts prove themselves to be the biggest faction around?
Undertaker and Brock Lesnar both here!
After their encounter on RAW last week and their match at Wrestlemania signed, sealed and delivered, these two behemoths are both on RAW again! In 5 weeks time, Brock Lesnar and Undertaker will clash. But what will Brock Lesnar’s response to being chokeslammed through a table and being stabbed with a pen be?
Will CM Punk be there?
There’s been a lot of talk about Punk’s status for this event held at his home town in Chicago. Punk’s been in sabatical ever since the Royal Rumble. However, recent reports coming out suggest that Punk could be on his way back in Chicago tonight. According to NoDQ.com…
“CM Punk is expected to return at tomorrow night’s Raw in Chicago, Illinois, according to Dave Meltzer on today’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. While Meltzer won’t say he’s 100% sure Punk will be at the show, his source, who he says is “one of the biggest stars in the industry,” said that it’s 100% certain.”
Apparently, Dave is one of the best wrestling sources out there. However, we CANNOT take a single report these days to be granted. Dav ecould be having us on. I don’t think he’ll be there but you never know….
The Armbar Express 