XWL.com Spotlight Series: Making the Most Out of the Divas Division's Absence.

Last edited by TheKrzyOne on Tue Jan 06, 2015 12:19 am; edited 4 times in total

The Curious Case of Eric Young

Eric Young should consider replacing the “Showtime” epithet with something along the lines of “Perpetual Underdog” for the sake of accuracy and precisely summing up the way things stand for him in the company as the new year gets underway—though it probably wouldn’t roll off the tongue quite as well. Is there anybody in XWL right now who has drawn more sympathy from the fans, who has scratched and clawed harder to create a legacy or who has fought longer than he has without really having anything to show for it? At least not exactly what he wants to show for his efforts: a championship.

You can’t place moral victories on a mantle. Pats on the back and utterings of “good job” as you dejectedly walk from the ring to the locker room don’t get you into the hall of fame. Your failures outweighing your successes don’t launch your name to the same tier as wrestling’s legends. As far as his legacy goes, Young is on the precipice of going down as one of XWL’s greatest “What if?” tales and it’s safe to say that nearly nobody wants to see him become that. Every time Young stood in the ring with a championship on the line, the fans were firmly behind him, cheering his name at the top of their lungs and doing everything in their power to will their beloved to a victory until the moment of crushing dejection occurred when Young ended up on the wrong end of a three-count.

Here is a man who has had so many opportunities to make 2013 his year, but for some reason or another he’s fallen short and each time he does his fans watch helplessly as a piece of his armor chips off, slightly exposing him to the poisonous elements of self-doubt and criticism that he’s been able to successfully brave or circumvent for most of his tenure in the world’s most recognizable wrestling company. The size of Young’s smile has fluctuated through the year, but rarely, if ever, completely disappeared from that bearded-mug of his and it’s truly astonishing how despite his shortcomings, he has not let it change who he fundamentally is as a competitor and, most importantly, as a human being.

If there was one thing you can count on seeing on XWL programming throughout the year—aside from Stephanie being a hard ass and somebody claiming to be the best in the company—it was Young being a treat to watch and being a breath of fresh air as the winds all too often carried the stench of machismo, corruption and hatred. For every wrestler that wanted to make a name for himself by leaving bodies in his wake and stepping on toes, there was Young to shake hands, show respect and display that sportsmanship in the business was still alive and well. He was happy when everyone else was bitter and sung a little ditty when everyone else was screaming over each other. Young dared to be different, in a good way, and it all played in his favor as he amassed a huge following that made him hard to ignore.

It was kind of easy to not take him seriously, but that only served to put his opponents at a disadvantage, because there was rarely a moment when Young wasn’t game to give it all in the ring and his spectacular showcases in the ring, win or lose, was proof that the worst thing you could do against Young was not give him the respect as a competitor that he deserved. Such a mindset brought Roman Reigns dangerously close to losing his coveted United States Championship to Young on more than one occasion. Still, despite his best efforts and the adoration of the people, Young could never really get the job done, but more or less maintained his chipper attitude throughout.

One has to wonder if Young is truly happy, though. How can he be the same man at the onset of 2015 that he was when 2014 was just rolling around after everything he’s gone through? When does his optimism stop being an endearing character trait and devolve into a crutch to prop him up when it feels like his world is crumbling and his career has no future? For all the great that the fans can do for a man’s career and ego, there comes a time when those life-giving cheers do more harm than good. Young probably felt like he was letting them down each time he came up short and that has to eat at you after a while. Even if it wasn’t the fans intentions, Young could have begun to wonder if those cheers meant the fans honestly believed in him or if they just felt sorry for him.

If there is anyone on the roster who desperately needed the time off provided by XWL’s hiatus, it’s Young and few even come close. He didn’t really have any momentum to be killed off by the untimely break considering he was on the losing end of a grueling Elimination Chamber match and a sickening Bullet Club beat down that put him on the shelf. He has been able to heal up, and has hopefully been using to the time to take a long, hard look at his career and try to figure out what’s been causing his string of bad luck so that the good times can start rolling—oh, and he better have been working on a couple of new duets with Matt Striker.

Eric Young is an exceptional wrestler, but his talent hasn’t translated to championship wins and while he’s managed to remain upbeat about his situation, it’s hard to say if he’ll be the same way if another year goes by without him having one arm raised in victory, and a title in the possession of the other. That day will surely be a beautiful one if it comes, and it couldn’t come to a more likeable, deserving guy. How much stock Young puts into making that day a reality and breaking through that glass ceiling that’s been spider webbed from previous ascension attempts will directly affect the man he’ll be. All eyes need to be on him because one way or another 2015 will be a memorable one for Young—whether it’s for a good or bad reason remains to be seen.

10/10 Article, would read again. Make more please.

A Bullet for My Club(entine?)

XWL is lucky it went on break when it did.

Bullet Club was primed to wreak havoc and destruction on a scale thought only possible on the silver screen and the only thing stopping them from making the real world their stomping ground was there being no company for them to destroy—how unfortunate that must have been for them. Or maybe dominate is the better word to describe to stable’s intentions, why they decided to band together and what they hoped would come from it all. Perhaps they didn’t want to reduce XWL to pile of rubble and smoldering ashes, but instead merely intended to reign supreme as they stood head and shoulders above their colleagues.

Their chilling threats and menacing promises have been reduced to harmless whispers over time and the company has been spared from whatever their endgame was… at least for a little while. In any case, the group certainly hasn’t been forgotten and the idea that they were only getting started is a truly terrifying thought and one that can’t be taken lightly.

If you’re a fan of law and order then you definitely have to be afraid of whatever Bullet Club has been cooking up while XWL was out of commission because it’s very likely that the forced vacation has only made their goals more selfish and sinister and the group itself more unstoppable. Though if chaos is more your cup of tea, then sit back and enjoy the carnage because there would be no bigger surprise upon XWL’s return than the Bullet Club taking a backseat and not making their presence felt in the most sensational way imaginable. If Devitt is the mastermind we’re being led to believe he is, then he’s going to want to pick up where the group left off sooner rather than later so they can go back to doing what they were before XWL went on hiatus.

What? Did it already slip your mind how they were practically on the verge of dominating every championship scene? AJ Styles more than held his own in the Elimination Chamber match with the World Title on the line and when he came up short in that, he made sure that by taking Eric Young out of the equation his road back to a championship match would be free of as many obstacles and nuisances as possible. Madison Eagles had a knack for winning the Diva’s Championship whenever she put her mind to it, and the black cloud of doubt will forever float over Bayley’s reign as some, including (read: especially) Eagles and her compatriots, will make the argument that in a one on one rematch the belt was as good as hers again.

While we’re dabbling in hypotheticals, that just leaves Prince Devitt and the Intercontinental Championship. All we can do now is breathe a little sigh of disappointment that we never got to see the two Irishmen go to war with the legendary championship on the line because that would have undoubtedly been one of the greatest championship clashes in recent memory based on what would surely have been ungodly hype surrounding the bout alone.

Since his return, Sheamus was an unstoppable monster—the kind of behemoth and force in the ring that we all feared he would become. Nearly everyone who crossed paths with the Great White had their jaw shattered with a Brogue Kick for their troubles while the rest were thrown through a table for the hell of it—the lucky ones ended up on the receiving end of both. Meanwhile, Devitt was not shy about showing that he could be just as destructive when he felt like it—which was often. Think about it for a second: Sheamus’ reign was ended by Tyson Tomko who managed to be part of a rag tag group—also featuring Johnny Gargano and Ted DiBiase, Jr.—long enough to dethrone the self-proclaimed king of XWL.

Sheamus promptly won the belt back the first opportunity he got, but the major takeaway is that he lost it in the first place when many thought he would join the ranks of Shawn Michaels and John Morrison as Intercontinental champions who eventually became synonymous with the belt over the span of a never-ending reign. If a group that had yet to properly gel was able to expose the weakness in the invincible, what could a well-oiled machine like Bullet Club have accomplished? Sheamus is merely one man and Bullet Club has shown that they aren’t afraid to use their numbers to their advantage. It felt like it was only a matter of time before Sheamus and Devitt butted heads, though now what would have transpired will forever remain a mystery.

The only thing set in stone is that Karl Anderson will never truly be alone when defending his United States Championship and that will pose a problem for the numerous superstars who will be lining up for a chance to remove the belt from Anderson’s possession. The deceptively agile big man who plays fast and loose with the rules can more than hold his own in the ring, but why should he have to expend all that energy when his pals are more than willing to lend a helping hand? An interesting riddle of how to win a singles match against a man backed by an army will be a tough one for XWL’s finest to answer and the longer it takes for them to solve it, the more attached Anderson will grow to the championship.

Along with their goals coming into XWL’s fresh start, Bullet Club’s composition also remains an enigma. The diva’s division being placed on the back burner as the company seeks to find it’s footing in the shifting landscape of professional wrestling puts Eagles’ status in the group in a precarious position. Then there are the rumors floating around that Bullet Club has extended invitations to anyone willing to join their ranks. How does it work? A blood pact? A deal with the devil? A superstar donning the black and white of their own volition does so knowing that the XWL fans may never forgive them and history may never forget them.

Only Devitt and his brothers know what Bullet Club has in store for the company, but does it ultimately matter when there’s nothing on the horizon that can stop them?

Does the band have another song left in it?

If you ever get into a debate about who the greatest wrestler of all time is picking Shawn Michaels almost feels like cheating.

Yet is there a better choice?

Who has accomplished more than the Heartbreak Kid or been as consistent for as long as he has been? The amount of accolades Michaels has managed to rack up throughout his incredible career is mind-boggling, but for as impossible as it may seem for one man to be so good, he has found a way to make it look easy. Just in XWL alone, Michaels has had a career many would kill for; you name a title and he’s won it. You name an award and he’s won it. You name a show and he’s either headlined it or had the best match on it. The only blemishes on Michaels’ otherwise impeccable record are his stints at the top of the dog pile with the World Heavyweight Championship, but even then you could look at that almost like karma for his legendary United States and Intercontinental Championship reigns.

Sometimes it’s hard to forget that, at the end of the day, Shawn Michaels is human and therein lies the rub.

Nobody wants to see him wrestle his final match, hang up his boots and ride off into the sunset, but how much more can this man take—physically or emotionally? It’s not even a matter of if he has anything left to prove, because he doesn’t, but rather if he has anything left in the tank to give. HBK is no spring chicken anymore, and we see it with the likes of The Undertaker and more recently Kurt Angle and William Regal, how hard it is to keep wrestling when your body is breaking down. You can love the sport to death, but if you’re in so much pain that you can barely get out of bed in the morning, then you’re going to have a rough go inside the squared circle.

HBK’s back problems have been well-documented, but he’s always found a way to fight through the pain and prove even his staunchest detractors wrong. One of those instances came as recently as last year when the 49-year-old won the World Championship. That was of course after he failed to score a decisive victory in his Intercontinental Championship defense against the 36-year-old Sheamus at Final Stand and afterward Michaels lost the World Title to the 37-year-old John Cena, then was pinned by the 31-year-old Alex Shelley inside the Elimination Chamber match when Michaels tried to recapture his hardware. Thirty-six and 37 may not seem too young in wrestling years, but that’s around a dozen fewer years’ worth of mileage that HBK was not able to overcome.

With all the physical wars Michaels has gone through how much more can his body take?

It’s been a while since HBK was in his true prime, but he’s been able to wield all the experience he’s accumulated in such a way that it has almost appeared as lethal as the Sweet Chin Music. Michaels has shown that he can keep up with the younger talent, which is all fine and dandy, but when you both get to the finish line and the other guy is ready to go another lap while you’re about ready to collapse, where does that leave you? HBK’s a step slower, his kip up is less explosive, his moonsault doesn’t arc as high and his superkick cracks jaws instead of shatters them, but he has been able to work around that and as impressive as that may be, there are only so many times you can slap duct tape on something in a patch job before it’s time to admit that it can never be fixed and restored to the way it was when it was brand new. Having to go it alone doesn’t necessarily help either.

With all the betrayal Michaels has been on both sides of, how much more can his conscious take?

The old saying goes, “Don’t trust anybody,” but Michaels was the happiest he’s ever been while he was goofing off with long-time friend, part-time enemy Triple H last year and he was certainly more tolerable than when he was while making Daniel Bryan’s life miserable. Having his buddy by his side also had some perks for Michaels as at one point Triple H’s Academy Award-worthy performance as Don West netted Michaels a big title defense over The Ryback. All that went out the window when Michaels decided that he didn’t want Triple H to get in his way when it came time to go on the hunt for The World Heavyweight Championship. It did pay off, but at that point in Michaels' life and career did he need the glory over the friendship? It’s not like he’s Chris Jericho who enjoys the company of his reflection for hours on end and believes everyone worships him. Michaels always came across as a guy with a soul, not to mention his reinvigorated religious spirit means things like turning on those you care about must be causing some conflicting feelings internally he must be sick of dealing with.

With all the hardships of the road, how much more can his family take?

They say wrestling is a single man’s game and some credence has been given to that statement whenever a wrestler’s significant other is forced into a storyline, instantly making a rivalry immensely personal. Michaels has done a swell job of keeping his family away from the wrestling business, but there has to come a point when he gets tired of hearing about his wife’s day over the phone or saying good bye to his kids who are begging him not to go with tears swelling in their eyes. There comes a point when he just wants to be there for them and spend time with them. XWL’s hiatus means Michaels has been at home for a longer stretch than he has been in forever, and you have to wonder if he has it in him to pry himself away this time around.

No one would fault Michaels for walking away from the business, not after everything he’s done for it, but only he can make that decision and hopefully it’s before an injury forces his hand. That's the problem with pride and ego: when you were as phenomenal as Shawn Michaels was it's hard to admit when you've arrived at the end of your run. Only time will tell if 2015 will be Michaels’ swan song or another captivating chapter in an already stellar career.

Making the Most Out of the Divas Division's Absence.

Heading into the new year and a new start, XWL is essentially the equivalent of a rusty car that has had a fresh paint of coat slapped onto it. A car with a loose wheel that prevents it from running as smoothly and efficiently as it used to. XWL’s loose wheel in this case is the absence of its robust diva’s division that saw some of the greatest talent all over the world—from the United Kingdom’s Layla and Paige to Japan’s Kana to Hugsville’s Bayley—compete under the same roof and put on some spectacular matches that sometimes rivaled that of their male counterparts.

This isn’t the division’s eulogy or a means of pointing a finger of blame for it being put on the shelf, but more so a reminder to the company of what it’s losing. While the hiatus of women’s wrestling under the XWL banner was truthfully out of XWL’s hands, it doesn’t change the fact that without it, a hefty portion of the fan base has been alienated and while women like Summer Rae appear to be hanging around, the experience will pale in comparison especially when we don’t know if there are plans to get her out of Dolph Ziggler’s arms and into the ring anytime soon.

The departure of the division for the foreseeable future leaves a void and while its size will be hotly debated by diva fans and those indifferent to them, it’s noticeable enough to raise questions about what, if anything, XWL is doing to address the gap left in their weekly programming.

The answer appears to be simple: replace one title with another. With the tag division perhaps forever doomed to be a pipedream that visits only the most optimistic in the dead of the night, XWL should look to reinstate one of its older single titles. Mind you, such a solution isn’t necessarily the panacea to remedy the issues of those who swore off XWL without their weekly dose of woman—they’re forever lost until the divas make their triumphant return, but bringing back an older title offers the fans an alternative to the standard, vanilla belts much like the diva’s championship used to. The only difference is the gender of the wrestlers competing for these belts.

The United States Championship and Intercontinental Championship arguably accomplish the same job, letting the fans know that whoever holds either title is on his way to the top, but making a pit stop until he spots an opportunity to take his career to the next level. While the Intercontinental Championship has always been viewed as the more prestigious of the two belts, the United States Championship has been gaining ground over the years to the point where many would argue that it rivals that of the Intercontinental Championship.

Reigns by men like Shawn Michaels, Alex Shelley and Roman Reigns helped put the title on the map and keep it there, showing that the belt is capable of lengthy, meaty runs that are compelling from start to finish. Then there were battles over the belt between the likes of Jeff Hardy and Ezekiel Jackson then later on Antonio Cesaro and Triple H that made the belt feel like it mattered and the trading of the belt elevated the title by showing that these men competing for it are the cream of the crop and are so evenly match that their battles could go either way, which all served as the catalyst for some exceptional matches that kept everyone on the edges of their seat.

Whether or not XWL planned for the U.S. Championship to make a surge in importance like that or if they just went with the flow doesn’t matter because at this point they’re in an interesting position to let the U.S. title usurp the status of the Intercontinental Championship and it wouldn’t feel quite as blasphemous as it may have years ago. The Intercontinental title being vacated by Sheamus during XWL’s hiatus would make this as painless a procedure as possible. The suits wouldn’t have to worry about stripping the Celtic Warrior or finding a way to compensate him with a shot at another title, now they can let the title go peacefully and go forward with replacing it and the diva’s title with one that spices up XWL programming with a little something different.

There are two feasible options if XWL wants to dig deep into its vault for that special something. The first of which being the XWL 15 championship (or medal) that ran into its demise with a lethal combination of too many champions being stripped and too many defenses. It also didn’t help that contenders were being stretched thin as the title had to compete with the three other belts. In theory and on paper, the XWL 15 was an interesting concept because it offered fans faster-paced matches that often packed a wallop in that timespan. Its run left a lot to be desired and whether the second run would be the charm is a matter of if XWl learned from its mistake.

The second option is the Xtreme Championship whose final months were marred by too-frequent defenses, absences of storylines and a weak talent pool as just like the XWL 15 medal, the contenders were stretched thin. The return of the Xtreme Championship also puts the “X” back in XWL because recently, the only thing extreme about the company were the politics and locker room drama the poisoned the atmosphere. Matches where anything goes offers disgruntled superstars the chance to take out their aggressions and frustrations in a healthy manner. This title making a comeback opens up the debate over whether fans are being overexposed to specialty matches, but there are folks who will never get tired of seeing the kind matches where the only rule is there are no rules and sickos who will never get tired of wrestling in them.

It remains to be seen what XWL’s plans are heading forward, but in an era where the likes of social media have brought consumers and companies closer together than ever before, transparency will be key. The divas can never be directly replaced, but XWL does have alternatives to humor, or it can make the most of out of the tools at its disposal to try and tighten up that wheel.

I REALLY love these, awesome topics, really gets you hyped for the return. I liked The XWL 15, and with the rebirth of sorts due to the hiatus The Xtreme title could be a welcome change as well. I look forward to the next article(s) to come <3

Also more people should comment on these, I'm sure Krzy would appreciate visual proof that people have read these and also think they're a nice thing to have.

ThatGuy wrote:: I REALLY love these, awesome topics, really gets you hyped for the return. I liked The XWL 15, and with the rebirth of sorts due to the hiatus The Xtreme title could be a welcome change as well. I look forward to the next article(s) to come <3

Also more people should comment on these, I'm sure Krzy would appreciate visual proof that people have read these and also think they're a nice thing to have.

Since you're finding that these promo's suck you in, Mind reading mine and giving constructive criticism if need be man? I know that I'm not bad at promo's that's unlikely but It's always nice to have your work appreciated.

KingWolf wrote:

ThatGuy wrote:: I REALLY love these, awesome topics, really gets you hyped for the return. I liked The XWL 15, and with the rebirth of sorts due to the hiatus The Xtreme title could be a welcome change as well. I look forward to the next article(s) to come <3

Also more people should comment on these, I'm sure Krzy would appreciate visual proof that people have read these and also think they're a nice thing to have.

Since you're finding that these promo's suck you in, Mind reading mine and giving constructive criticism if need be man? I know that I'm not bad at promo's that's unlikely but It's always nice to have your work appreciated.

If you could PM me them or direct me to them I could yeah. No one is ever bad at promos...well, I mean if you do a single sentence and try to pass that off as a promo then yeah that's bad...but otherwise it's all subjective. I always in the past did promos for characters most didn't care about, but I did. So just always keep that in mind. So long as you enjoy doing something, and have fun with that, don't let someone's opinion ruin your joy. But I like giving feedback to those that truly listen to what I have to say, so if you or anyone else wants to PM me their stuff I'd be glad to help out. I'm not around a whole lot so replies might take a couple days, but yeah feel free.

Now let's get back to marveling in the wonder that are these articles by based Krzy.

ThatGuy wrote:

KingWolf wrote:

ThatGuy wrote:: I REALLY love these, awesome topics, really gets you hyped for the return. I liked The XWL 15, and with the rebirth of sorts due to the hiatus The Xtreme title could be a welcome change as well. I look forward to the next article(s) to come <3

Also more people should comment on these, I'm sure Krzy would appreciate visual proof that people have read these and also think they're a nice thing to have.

Since you're finding that these promo's suck you in, Mind reading mine and giving constructive criticism if need be man? I know that I'm not bad at promo's that's unlikely but It's always nice to have your work appreciated.

If you could PM me them or direct me to them I could yeah. No one is ever bad at promos...well, I mean if you do a single sentence and try to pass that off as a promo then yeah that's bad...but otherwise it's all subjective. I always in the past did promos for characters most didn't care about, but I did. So just always keep that in mind. So long as you enjoy doing something, and have fun with that, don't let someone's opinion ruin your joy. But I like giving feedback to those that truly listen to what I have to say, so if you or anyone else wants to PM me their stuff I'd be glad to help out. I'm not around a whole lot so replies might take a couple days, but yeah feel free.

Now let's get back to marveling in the wonder that are these articles by based Krzy.

The way I set the promo up is un-pm'able but it's under XWL exclusives if you're ever interested in seeing how the new guy works his shift. I'm entitled to nothing until proven I get that, I do like that you're actually showing some love to your fellow members as I always try to. Put a better foot forward and see how they improve throughout the years. Note their progress so on so so forth. I'll heed your every advice and hang onto each word if it's worth my while and doesn't downgrade me.

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» so...Divas?
» Your best looking Divas/Superstars?
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