fighting
From MMA, wrestling, boxing, and more, fighting satisfies your hunger for a good KO.
Reviewing AEW Collision's Premiere Episode
I remember being excited over the premiere of AEW Collision, especially due to what would come with the show. Based on what I read, this show is part of AEW's equivalent of a "brand split," if you will. The idea is due to some growing tensions between some members of the AEW roster, so the company decided to add a second two-hour program with a separate roster from their flagship show, Dynamite--with the move also including the shutdown of web shows Dark and Dark: Elevation. The last few weeks prior to the premiere saw announcements regarding future destinations for the show, as well as the site of the premiere episode: Chicago.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Pros and Cons: Bianca Belair's Slow Burning Heel Turn
I've been a fan of Bianca Belair since she started in WWE, and it's hard to believe that she's actually been in WWE for seven years now! She started out in NXT as a villainess, proclaiming herself as the "EST of WWE," using every superlative to describe herself in the brash-EST (see what I did there?) of fashion. Though she never won the NXT Women's Championship, Bianca built one hell of a tenure on NXT before getting her call-up to the main roster. In her debut, Bianca became a babyface and came to the aid of the Street Profits, consisting of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford (the latter half being Bianca's real-life husband).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Virtuosa: A Look at Deonna Purrazzo's Career (So Far)
You know, time really flies fast, doesn't it? It's hard to believe that the first time we saw Deonna Purrazzo on a grand stage was nine years ago--it seems like yesterday! The year was 2014, and Impact Wrestling (under the TNA label) was doing their "One Night Only" events--I loved those. One of their yearly events was the iconic Knockouts Knockdown, which was solely focused on the Knockouts--Impact's Women's Division. The first event took place in the fall of 2013, but the focus is on the second one, which saw Impact's regular Knockouts and a mixture of talent from all over the independent circuit. Among the indy talents was 19-year-old Deonna Purrazzo, a New Jersey-based wrestler who was just getting started.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Should Xia Li Go Back to NXT?
I am a huge fan of Xia Li--an absolutely huge fan. She's been one of my favorites ever since she made her WWE debut via the Mae Young Classic (which they still need to bring back). I literally beamed every time Xia Li appeared on NXT. I love everything about her; her look, her moveset, her upbeat demeanor, everything she brings to any and all gimmicks she plays, all of it. Any time Xia Li's on, it's the highlight of the evening.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The World Heavyweight Championship is Back!
Hours prior to Monday Night Raw's beginning, it was reported that Triple H had a huge announcement as part of the episode's synopsis. My first two thoughts: the upcoming WWE Draft was involved, and I figured/hoped that he would address the World Title situation. Sure enough, Triple H did address Roman Reigns, adding that Reigns' near 1000-day reign as WWE's Undisputed Universal Champion was mentioned, as well as the fact that he hasn't defended the title as much. After stating that the WWE and their fans deserved more than that, Triple H then mentioned the Draft--saying that in the upcoming Draft, when Reigns is drafted by either Raw or SmackDown, he'll take his title and stay there.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing Trish Stratus' Villainous Explanation on Raw
April 25, 2005. What's so significant about that date? Simple. That date was the last time that Trish Stratus appeared on Monday Night Raw as a heel--coming six days before that year's Backlash event, which was Heel Trish's last overall appearance. Trish's latest return saw her as an ally of her fellow Hall of Fame bestie Lita, as well as Becky Lynch, and the three of them even teamed together in defeating Damage CTRL. Becky and Lita were set to defend the Women's Tag Team Championship against Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan on April 10, 2023, but prior to the match, Lita found backstage, having been attacked.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing Trish Stratus' Heel Turn; What Happens Between Now and SummerSlam?
So we finally got it. We knew this was coming, we were waiting for it, and it came. A lot of us thought we'd see this happening at WrestleMania. I mean, it was the proper forum. Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus, and Lita against Damage CTRL, and it would have been the perfect opportunity. We didn't get that, and I'm glad of that, because we needed to wait just a bit. We would not wait too long, and it leaves this fan, among others, wondering what will be done in the many months leading to the inevitable clash.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing Taya Valkyrie's AEW Debut
I started to notice something as I was still leagues above Cloud Nine over what I watched on AEW Dynamite: AEW's best moments seem to happen either on my birthday, or days before it. It was on my birthday (March 18) in 2020 that the late, great Brodie Lee made his AEW debut. On March 16, 2022--two days before my birthday, Thunder Rosa captured the AEW Women's World Championship in a thrilling main event against Britt Baker. The trend continued on the evening of March 15, 2023--three days before my 38th birthday, as one of my all-time favorites in women's wrestling made her All Elite debut.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing Becky Lynch and Lita's Epic Night on Raw
What a night! The latest edition of Raw ended with a huge main event pitting Damage CTRL's Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky against Becky Lynch and WWE Hall of Famer Lita, with the Women's Tag Team Championship up for grabs. This bout was the latest chapter in the rivalry between Becky Lynch and Bayley, which started all the way back at SummerSlam last July. So with all of this, how did a four-time Women's Champion and a Hall of Famer get involved in this main event? And how did a second Hall of Famer get involved? To properly tell this, we have to go back a few weeks.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at Sahara Spars' Heel Turn in WOW - Women of Wrestling
As a diehard women's wrestling fan, I absolutely love WOW - Women of Wrestling! It's been around for over two decades, yet I started catching this a few years ago on AXS TV. A lot of good talent from WWE, AEW, and Impact Wrestling have worked in WOW; women such as Santana Garrett, Diamante, Kiera Hogan, and Nikkita Lyons (who was in WOW as Faith the Lioness). AXS TV dropped WOW in 2020, and the promotion was largely affected by the pandemic, but they are back and have been since the fall of 2022, and their weekly series airs every Saturday evening.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Women's Royal Rumble: 5 Years Later
The 2023 Royal Rumble event will take place on the exact five-year anniversary of the very first Women's Royal Rumble match. Hard to believe that this historic and amazing phenomenon happened five years ago; it seems like yesterday that this announcement was made and I was nearly in tears of joy when I heard it. I had been wanting a Women's Royal Rumble match for years, and on January 28, 2018, we finally got it. It was perfect for this fan; women's wrestling and the chaos of the Royal Rumble match all in one fell swoop.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look Back: Victoria and Christy Hemme's Brief Feud
It's been a while since I wrote about a wrestling feud, and I thought I'd break my hiatus with a women's wrestling angle that I remember very well. Of course, back then, the storylines and feuds in women's wrestling were usually brief and didn't get a lot of good attention as compared to now, but even so, there were a lot of good moments, and this short feud between Victoria and Christy Hemme in 2005 was one of them. I remember this storyline very well, and I also recall the weird moment that led to this happening. But without further ado, the players involved:
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
