SummerSlam 2021. A day that will live in infamy. A sassy, lovable, American black woman was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the Empire of Ireland. This was a day of mourning all throughout the cesspool of the wrestling internet. Of course, this was because the internet wrestling crowd is a group of reactionary morons. "Bianca … Continue reading Bianca Belair vs Becky Lynch Truly Proves The Internet Fans Are The Dumb-EST
Deonna Purrazzo Looked Fat
A quick mini-blog. That title took quite a bit of time to come up with. Last night on Monday Night Raw, Deonna Purrazzo came out to face Asuka, and the Reddit community went up in flames at the live reactions. Apparently, Redditors were commenting that she looked "fat". /r/SquaredCircle had a fucking conniption about it, … Continue reading Deonna Purrazzo Looked Fat
WWE TLC 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Potentially the least anticipated PPV of the whole year that WWE remembered they had to host apparently 2 weeks ago. I am watching as I have Royal Rumble tickets this year and want to see if we start builidng to anything fascinating. WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship The New Day (c) vs The Revival Hard … Continue reading WWE TLC 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
One “Hell” Of An Awful Ending
Hell in a Cell is dead. It's over. Done. Oh, it isn't going away. The brand name still has juice in it and casuals are aware. But the awe of it - the anticipation - is fully dead. I truly believe that. This is the PPV that gave us Mankind flying off the Hell in … Continue reading One “Hell” Of An Awful Ending
Wednesday Night Bores
Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley have the greatest storyline in pro wrestling at the moment. That's right. You heard me. That nonsensical, ridiculous, absurd, sleazy, borderline incomprehensible storyline is better than anything else going on in all of wrestling. The internet, will of course, tell you different. I'm not even positive what is going on, … Continue reading Wednesday Night Bores
One Kofi To Go, Please
WWE has done quite a bit wrong over the past few months. The Fiend and Seth Rollins had a PPV main event that maybe quite literally was the worst ending to a main event on a PPV in the history of the company (Wrestlemania VIII main event ended in a disqualification, but the return of … Continue reading One Kofi To Go, Please
WWE Monday Night Raw: September 16th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Last night was an incredibly blah Clash of the Champions, that ended with a bang - a phenomenal Bray Wyatt reveal as Seth's new challenger. Let's see how (if) they capitalize on the delicious taste they left in everyone's mouths. Abbreviated version today as Bob had to watch the Browns game to make sure Odell … Continue reading WWE Monday Night Raw: September 16th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
WWE Clash of Champions 2019 “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up
I am actually fairly optimistic as this card seems pretty decent for a B-PPV. Also a set-up for Survivor Series season, if that's a thing, as well as wanting to have good momentum for the big Fox Smackdown. Let's see how it goes! Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman (c) vs Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode … Continue reading WWE Clash of Champions 2019 “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: September 10th, 2019
After a fairly lackluster Raw (especially for a supposed "big show" at MSG) we will see if Smackdown with a 55 year old man in a "spooky" party city hat and jacket will show up. The real play for the Saudi PPV in October should be The Undertaker vs The Fiend Bray Wyatt, with Bray … Continue reading WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: September 10th, 2019
WWE Monday Night Raw: September 9th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Raw returns to MSG tonight for the first time in forever. Good ol' "Cowboy" is NOT there, mainly due to laziness. Raw is usually a fucking SLOG to sit through live. Would be more than happy for WWE to make me greatly regret staying home. I instantly regret it as Raw in MSG starts off … Continue reading WWE Monday Night Raw: September 9th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: September 3rd, 2019
After last night's most entertaining Raw segment in recent memory, the heel turn of Bayley, hopefully we get a glimpse of a new, actually entertaining Bayley. Bayley comes out with same exact entrance and same exact inflatable tube men to massive cheers. This is a horrible sign. If they chalk this up to another failed … Continue reading WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: September 3rd, 2019
WWE Monday Night Raw: September 2nd, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
After an underwhelming-to-say-the-least AEW All Out, I wanted to add a few thoughts on NXT Takeover: Cardiff. It was a good show. Certainly better than AEW's show, which is fairly alarming, which I'll get into in a moment. NXT Takeover: Cardiff was good, but let's not get carried away. Nothing was bad, the tag match … Continue reading WWE Monday Night Raw: September 2nd, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
AEW All Out “Cowboy” Bob Mini-“Round-Up”
I watched this live at "Heartbreak" Biz's house, alongside No-Sell Drew and "Bayley" Bailey the dog. I didn't have the ability to write my minutia-infused thoughts, but here are some general mini-thoughts on a show that essentially HAD to be a gigantic home-run with a major TV debut on the horizon: Pre-Show: Casino Women's Battle … Continue reading AEW All Out “Cowboy” Bob Mini-“Round-Up”
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: August 27th, 2019
After a Raw last night that the internet found to be fairly pedestrian, let's see if Smackdown makes anybody give a shit. Personally, I think you're all incredibly spoiled and the wrestling alone last night was light years ahead of June Raws. Oh shit. I already forgot about the stupid fake bald guy with the … Continue reading WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: August 27th, 2019
WWE Monday Night Raw: August 26th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Public plea to WWE: Can we please make Clash of the Champions what Survivor Series currently is? Why isn't Clash of the Champions a, you know, clash of the champions? Why can't we go back to traditional Survivor Series 4 on 4 matches? Sasha Banks sure looks SASSY. Great cut to a 78 year old … Continue reading WWE Monday Night Raw: August 26th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: August 20th, 2019
Fresh off a surprisingly good Monday Night Raw, let's see if we finally learn who tried to murder Roman Reigns in cold blood, and find out why the police is not on the case. We probably won't find out the second part. Speaking of not facing police repercussions, remember when Randy Orton burned down a … Continue reading WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: August 20th, 2019
WWE Monday Night Raw: August 19th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
It's been a while since I've written a major analysis article. What can I say, the big 4 PPV weekends take a lot out of good ol' "Cowboy" Bob. On our podcast, The Protected Finish, I mentioned once that wrestling is like pizza. It can only be so bad. My podcast partner, Heartbreak Biz, commented … Continue reading WWE Monday Night Raw: August 19th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: August 13th, 2019
So now we are in the dregs of wrestling. Hour fucking 12 of the past 4 days after an excellent NXT Takeover, a fantastic Summerslam and a decent Raw. That pattern suggests Smackdown will be bad. Let's hope not. Hear that monster Kevin Owens face pop to start the show? Thanks Shane!Owens on King of … Continue reading WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: August 13th, 2019
WWE Monday Night Raw: August 12th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Fresh off a fantastic Summerslam (and an awesome NXT Takover) that saw Seth Rollins go from vanilla loser to at least a Cookies & Cream babyface, let's see if Raw can keep the momentum going. I think I'm starting to pinpoint why Seth Rollins rubs me the wrong way as a babyface. It's because he … Continue reading WWE Monday Night Raw: August 12th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
WWE Summerslam 2019 “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up
Scattered Pre-Show Notes After yesterday's glorious NXT Takeover, this show has a hard climb ahead of it. However, it can benefit from the luxury of low expectations. As "Cowboy" Bob has made no bones about, he is NOT hyped for this Summerslam at all. Literally not one of the main programs interests him. Maybe the … Continue reading WWE Summerslam 2019 “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up
NXT Takeover: Toronto 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Takeover time! I usually pride myself on not adhering to the internet hivemind, but the narrative that "Takeover is always better than the main roster PPV" is pretty valid. NXT, whether intentionally or unintentionally, allows these guys to put on the types of epic matches that we simply don't see with the standard WWE formula. … Continue reading NXT Takeover: Toronto 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: August 6th, 2019
TONIGHT - will we find out who attempted to literally murder Roman Reigns twice? Will they be arrested and face trial? I'm guessing instead of facing any charges via the legal system they will be placed in a wrestling match. Few better ways to kick off the show than with The Queen. Seriously. They should … Continue reading WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Bob Round-Up: August 6th, 2019
WWE Monday Night Raw: August 5th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Final Raw before Summerslam. I am old enough to remember when a go-home show for a major PPV was MUST-SEE television. Now it's basically "eh, I can get a recap in the video package before the matches." Would be nice if WWE made them seem special again. Let's see how it goes. Also, if you're … Continue reading WWE Monday Night Raw: August 5th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
The Protected Finish, Episode 3: “Fiends With Benefits”
Please have a listen to the latest episode of The Protected Finish! "Cowboy" Bob, Heartbreak Biz, Gabe "The Snake" and No-Sell Drew discuss the current state of WWE, the upcoming slate for Summerslam, Bray Wyatt, Becky Lynch and ask the burning question: Is AEW even good? Have a listen here!
One Last (Screw)Job: Vince, HBK, Bret & The Final Act of Kayfabe
Ocean's Eleven is one of the best action/heist movies of the 2000's. With George Clooney and Brad Pitt in their prime, it was funny, fast-paced and entertaining all the way through. The scene where George Clooney explains to Brad Pitt why they should rob 3 casinos for $150 million is one of my favorite film … Continue reading One Last (Screw)Job: Vince, HBK, Bret & The Final Act of Kayfabe
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Round-Up: July 30th, 2019
Hilarious start with Shane apologizing for not being at Smackdown. "I know this will disappoint a lot of people." Who says WWE isn't self-aware?Would love to know the numbers on a pro wrestler saying that he will definitely NOT be on the show tonight, yet of course show up.Trust me, I love that Kevin Owens … Continue reading WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Round-Up: July 30th, 2019
WWE Monday Night Raw: July 29th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Can the build to the least exciting Summerslam in history be saved? Will anyone, including all of those cats, possibly give a shit about Natalya getting another title shot? We find out - NEXT! End of Modern Family going on. Sometimes random clips I see are funny, but you know what always rubbed me the … Continue reading WWE Monday Night Raw: July 29th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Wrestlemania 35: The Most Important Women’s Match In Wrestling History Gets The Shittiest Finish
Good ol' "Cowboy" Bob has long been a proponent of the women's revolution in WWE. Sure, it's half-PR bullshit. But "Cowboy" grew up in the Attitude Era. He lived through Torrie Wilson and The Kat title reigns. The Bob routinely watched Raw in a world where Evening Gown matches were a perfectly normal match stipulation. … Continue reading Wrestlemania 35: The Most Important Women’s Match In Wrestling History Gets The Shittiest Finish
Summerslam 1992: The Hitman & The Crackhead
Ah, 1992. What a time to be alive. Jump by Kris Kross was taking the nation by storm. Al Pacino was yelling HOO-AH in Scent of a Woman. And a young 9 year old buckaroo named "Cowboy" Bob was glued to the screen to see one of his favorite wrestlers, Bret "The Hitman" Hart defend the Intercontinental Title against The British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith.
Defending Vince Russo
Please allow me, for a moment, to talk of a sport less legitimate than professional wrestling. NFL football. There is a famous playcall that Bill Belichick made in 2009 against the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots were winning this game handily heading into the 4th quarter, when Peyton Manning hit a rare clutch zone. He drove … Continue reading Defending Vince Russo
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Round-up: July 23rd, 2019
I'm old enough to remember when New Day was the hottest heel act in wrestling in a long, long time. Unfortunatley, when your heel act gets so hot that WWE turns you babyface, they take away all the edge that made you so popular to begin with. Why can't you just be the same act, except now directed towards heels?
WWE Monday Night Raw: July 22nd, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Tonight is the "Raw Reunion", which is an obvious and desperate attempt to get ratings by bringing back characters more compelling than Kofi's 20 minute weekly lecture telling us "I won the belt at Wrestlemania and damn life is crazy, man, wow."
Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace: Triple H Interrupts Stephanie McMahon & Test’s Wedding in 1999
We didn't know it back in 1999, but Triple H marrying Stephanie McMahon would legitimately end up being the defining angle of modern-day professional wrestling. At the time, we thought it was a fun, silly little segment. We also somehow immediately pushed aside that Triple H essentially made it sound as if he drugged a woman and raped her. But it was simpler times back then.
The Rock vs Hulk Hogan: A 5 star Match Featuring Half Star Moves
Imagine a world where Hulkamania did not ever exist. A cruel, desolate, cold world, to be sure. But dwell in it for a moment.
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Round-Up: July 16th, 2019
Following last night's Raw setting up one of the shittiest Summerslams in recent history, hopefully Smackdown does something interesting.
WWE Monday Night Raw: July 15th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
The night after Extreme Rules we kick off Summerslam season with what is also allegedly Paul Heyman's first Raw. After making AEW look like a show at Hackensack, NJ high school last night, WWE tries to capitalize on the momentum of a good show.
WWE Extreme Rules 2019: “Cowboy” Round-Up
We are LIVE from Philadelphia, PA, where the rabid fans of the city that gave birth to hardcore wrestling in ECW is sure to be HYPED for the bloodless, anti-septic X-Tr3mE inter-gender and handicap matches!
AEW Fight For The Fallen 2019: “Cowboy” Bob Round-up
A few months ago, I wrote an article about AEW as a legitimate alternative to WWE. I said that I would not follow it religiously, but would be there to see All-Out. Yet I have to admit, my interest in piqued. So I am watching tonight. However, I also understand that this is essentially a glorified house show put on for free. This show should serve as a nice little appetizer for next month's All-Out, and would be smart if it delivered on a few surprises. Let's see.
I Will Always BO-Lieve
Squandered Talent. You hear it often. Should Mr. Perfect or Million Dollar Man have been champions? Rick Rude? Jake "The Snake" Roberts? Did WWE squander a superstar with the poor booking of Asuka? No. I've debunked that. How could WWE not see Bayley as pure money?! Just untrue.
Nobody Was Ready For the Asuka Red Herring
WWE makes some booking decisions that are questionable, at best. One of the internet hivemind opinions is that WWE has "messed up" Asuka, or poorly booked her. The truth is, Asuka has been booked perfectly. That's right. Absolutely perfectly.
WWE Smackdown Live: July 9th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
Looks like the Kevin Owens face turn is finally a full-go, which is long overdue. Dude is an awful, awful heel. The comedic timing is too on point to fight how great of a babyface he can be. Guy can be the modern day Dusty Rhodes if they play it right.
WWE Monday Night Raw: July 8th, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
So we have INTER-GENDER ACTION on tap, which is so X-TR3ME that it feels like WWE Extreme Rules, live this Sunday at 7:00 ET exclusively on the WWE Network has come early! Notes and thoughts from "Cowboy" Bob as he watches...
Backlash 2000 & The Art of Comeuppance
Let's admit it: Most of the time we're secretly rooting for the bad guy to win.
Macho Magic at Wrestlemania VII
Longterm booking. It's essentially a meme at this point. When Kofi Kingston referenced the famous "stupid" incident recently with Randy Orton from 2009, people jumped to make the "longterm booking" joke. That's because the idea of WWE actually booking a storyline longer than a week or two in continuity and character growth is laughable. But what, actually, is real longterm booking?
WWE Smackdown Live: July 2nd, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
They are still treating Lashley/Strowman like it was the Trail of Tears. Kind of makes it a little lamer the more they hype it up like that. But at least they are trying to make it a thing.
WWE Monday Night Raw: July 1st, 2019 “Cowboy” Round-Up
I got a notification that Braun Strowman is facing Bobby Lashley, so you just KNOW we are in for ONE. HOT. NIGHT. All kidding aside, I believe this is the first official Raw under the Paul Heyman banner, so let's see if it's the same old bullshit or not.
Bray Wyatt: The Last Stand
Supernatural pro wrestling characters have always had a soft-spot with me. The Undertaker, of course. Kane. Papa Shango. Gangrel and The Brood. The Boogeyman. Finn Balor.
Shane-O-Mac: The Best In The World…Literally
It's not real heat, it's X-Pac heat, they say. Shane McMahon is awful. Shane McMahon is boring. How does WWE not see this?!
PODCAST – The Protected Finish, Episode 2: WWE Stomping Grounds Review
Please listen to "Cowboy" Bob, Heartbreak Biz, Gabe "The Snake", and No-Sell Drew break down WWE Stomping Grounds!
WWE Smackdown Live “Cowboy” Round-up: June 25th, 2019
In a weird way, it's kind of a testament to New Day that they've gone all the way from "UGH these jobbers" to "Hey, these guys are pretty good!" to "Wow, New Day are the hottest heels in WWE!" to "Is New Day the greatest tag team of all-time?" to "Wow, New Day literally was given the longest reign in WWE history. They are truly the best." to "Okay, this is getting a little stale" to "UGH it's fucking NEW DAY." It's come full circle. Pretty impressive really.
Jobber To The Stars 