On the eve of the WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view, the Big Show delivered a big message to wrestling fans at Sacramento’s Comic Con: don’t bank on the winners automatically having success or the losers being doomed for failure.
“It depends on who gets the opportunity and what they do with it.”
This PPV is a great example of the transition period the WWE is experiencing right now as it continues to mix in an influx of new faces, and young wrestlers. Many of those newer guys will square off with the more established stars this weekend.
“Does (someone like) Chris (Jericho) need the win, I don’t know. Will Chris make the most of that opportunity to win? Absolutely. That’s the opportunity that if a younger guy gets, he needs to make the most of that opportunity.”
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
A. J. Styles photo: WWE
The Big Show was specifically asked about who he thought would or should win between John Cena and AJ Styles. He understands that many fans want to see Styles win because he’s new and exciting to the audience, as opposed to Cena who’s been on top for a long time. The 7-foot giant says winning or losing is not as important as what the wrestlers do with the chances they get– particularly in Styles’s case.
“Getting wins over a guy that’s done as much for our industry, as much for the guys in the locker room, as much for the WWE as John Cena has, you don’t get a win over John Cena easily.”
“I would love to see him (Styles) get that opportunity. I think that opportunity would do him a lot more than it would do John. If he doesn’t that doesn’t mean that AJ is dead. It means AJ will still get more opportunities, he just isn’t quite where they feel confident enough in him yet.”
The first wrestler to capture the WWE, WCW and ECW Championships says fans probably care more about wins and losses than the wrestlers do.
“You guys put a lot of faith in winning and losing. I think, that’s never been a big deal for me in my career. I was never the guy ‘oh I’ve got to win’. It’s all entertainment I get paid regardless.”
Welcome to the Turnbuckle Bandwagon, our semi-regular column on professional wrestling, sports entertainment, and everything in between. This weekend brings one of the more unique WWE pay-per-views in ‘Money In The Bank’.
Introduced in 2005 by Chris Jericho, the Money In The Bank match has become one of the more popular matches in WWE. A Wrestlemania attraction for 5 years, MITB was given its own show in 2010. The match is the equivalent of a demolition derby. It is a multi-man ladder match, typically 7 competitors, and above the ring is a briefcase. Getting the briefcase is the only way to win. There are no pinfalls, submissions, or disqualifications. That briefcase gives the winner a match for the WWE title at any time and any place for up to a year. The cash in for the title has happened at other pay-per-views, on RAW, and in 2015 was cashed in by Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania, in which he walked away with the WWE Championship.
The field for this year’s Money In The Bank is one of the most talented in recent years. We’re going to take a look at the competitors and their chances for walking away victorious.
Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is entering his first Money In The Bank match photo: WWE
Just back from injury in recent months, the Underdog From The Underground is coming into his first Money In The Bank ladder match. While no stranger to ladder matches and other unconventional battles, this is his first opportunity to get near a chance for the WWE title. Zayn has proven he can achieve when given a chance and that he has the talent to do so, but his first time in may be a large mountain to climb.
Chances Of Winning: About as good as a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest
Cesaro
Cesaro photo: WWE
Another WWE superstar just back from a shoulder injury, Cesaro is on the cusp of being a HUGE star in the WWE. He has all the tools needed but just needs that one signature performance to launch him into orbit. He has had some great matches recently and with the ‘Cesaro Section’ behind him, this may be his chance.
Chances Of Winning: Not bad, not great, but a good chance if things fall the right way
Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho invented the Money In The Bank match photo: WWE
Creator of the MITB match, that is the least of Jericho’s many accomplishments. He is a multiple time WWE champion, 9 time Intercontinental champion, and by his own proclamation, one hell of a sexy beast. All of that, and he has yet to win the match he invented. Jericho is a veteran competitor and normally would be a favorite, but in this field, he is middling at best.
Chances Of Winning: Better than Sami Zayn, but that isn’t saying much
Dean Ambrose
The Lunatic Fringe photo: WWE
Dean Ambrose is on fire, he’s got a talk show and a big win over Chris Jericho in their ongoing feud. A former Intercontinental champion, Dean is setting his sights ever higher, as he is the only member of The Shield to not hold the WWE Championship (as both Seth Rollins and current champion Roman Reigns have done).
Chances Of Winning: Better than most, mainly because of a healthy disregard for his own well-being
Kevin Owens
Owens’ sense of brutality favors him at MITB photo: WWE
Kevin Owens is finally hitting his stride in the WWE. After debuting on the main roster last year with a win over John Cena, Owens would languish for a bit, but would claim the Intercontinental Championship. Owens has had solid matches with all the men in this contest and his almost decade long feud with Sami Zayn has made its way into the WWE. Big, mean, and brutal is how Owens fights and that may just win him the briefcase.
Chances Of Winning: Above average provided he doesn’t get distracted by his blind rage for Sami Zayn
Alberto Del Rio
Del Rio has won MITB before photo: WWE
While Del Rio is not the only competitor in this year’s match who has competed in MITB before, he is the only performer who was won the match and cashed in. El Patron has been a world champion before, and is hungry to be one again. He has a budding rivalry with Cesaro that may prove an obstacle to that goal.
Chances Of Winning: His previous experience should be a benefit, and even if he loses, he’s dating Paige now, so he still wins.
Wild Card
Money In The Bank matches tend to have 5-7 participants and there are only 6 this year. Considering how there is an upcoming brand extension and some superstars ready to return from injury, do not be shocked if a surprise entrant is added to the card. Perhaps an NXT call up like Finn Balor or a returning superstar like Randy Orton.
Look for a full preview of all of the matches on the Money In The Bank card coming later on today.
WWE Money In The Bank airs Sunday June 19 @ 8pm on the WWE Network.
Box Office Guru is reporting that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has ended its domestic box office run after twelve weeks after earning $330 million dollars.
NorthAmerican #boxoffice reporting on #BatmanvSuperman is now final. Domestic run finished at $330,360,194. 50% was from opening wknd.
Batman v Superman has an estimated budget of $250 million and has earned $872.6 million worldwide. The movie earned 63% of its domestic earn over the course of the first week of run. It’s currently the 5th highest earning movie of 2016 behind Captain America: Civil War, Deadpool, Jungle Book and Zootopia.
That seems to go along with the fact that Batman v Superman dropped considerably, 69%, its second week at the box office. Experts also say that to get the actual budget of a movie you need to double it putting the actual budget of Batman v Superman closer to $500 million. The movie is still out in some overseas markets but it seems unlikely that the second entry into the DC Cinematic Universe is going to pass the one billion dollar mark.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 director and writer James Gunn is probably one of the more open directors in Hollywood. He’s very good at replying to fan questions, within reason, and has made sure that we know that anything he posts on social media are his words. Now that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is done filming a fan asked Gunn about whether or not there would be equal representation of his male and female characters in merchandise.
The toy and merchandise debate within nerd culture is a contentious one but it looks like Gunn is aware of the worries and is willing to address them directly. Guardians of the Galaxy was a huge hit for Marvel so it’s safe to assume that they would likely listen to anything Gunn has to say.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is directed by James Gunn and comes out May 5, 2017
With another E3 come and gone little information has been released for Kingdom Hearts III. There is some talk of a possible release date somewhere in 2017 but more final details won’t be announced until this winter. The third installment of the widely popular Kingdom Hearts series has been in the works for quite sometime now. The occasional rumors and eventual sets backs have resulted in fans having varying degrees of hope and disappointment. This leaves us to ask an important and bitter question: “Is Kingdom Hearts III in development hell?”
The Secret Endings
At the end of Kingdom Hearts II, a secret trailer was revealed, showcasing characters in armor wielding Keyblades in a graveyard of discarded and broken Keyblades. This ending was extended in Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix and showed the three characters in an intense battle against a mysterious man with great power and with his own armored Keyblade warrior. Surely, this was the preview for the third installment of the Kingdom Hearts franchise.
Sadly, not. This footage would turn out to be Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, a game for the PSP and served as a prequel to the actual story. Its released would come after Kingdom Hearts: Coded for mobile phones (in Japan) and Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days for the DS both of which served as side stories to the proper game. It would be followed by Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance for the 3DS which does actually take place after the events of Kingdom Hearts II but is not the official sequel. This along with the release of previous versions of titles such as Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories for the PS2 (originally released on the Gameboy Advance) and Kingdom Hearts: Re:Coded for the DS along with HD versions of the two original PS2 games (Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD and Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD) would become the standard for what to expect from the Kingdom Hearts franchise for a decade.
Where is the game?
At this point you are probably asking, “What happened to Kingdom Hearts III?” The first “official” word of development which was not rumors or comments would come from a trailer released during E3 in 2013. It showed Sora running carelessly through streets, no longer requiring a fade to black for the game to load the next scene. Fans thought there was a slim possibility the game would be released on the PS3 but now with the PS4 in full swing this chance is gone.
Right before E3 this year, a trailer was released for another game, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 HD Final Chapter Prologue. It revealed gameplay featuring Aqua (a character from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep), the Foretellers (who were introduced in a mobile game called Kingdom Hearts: Unchained x), and ended with showing the Kingdom Hearts III logo and the words “Upcoming announcements this winter” below it. The game is finally coming…eventually…maybe.
What is development hell?
Though there is no specific date which qualifies a product to be in development hell, any property which has been in production at least a minimum of five years with hype sustained by rumors and conjectures usually gets this label. Kingdom Hearts III has been in development for a decade if you count the initial announcement as the starting point. Even then some properties which haven’t been in development this long have been accused of being in development hell. Just go ask those who gave to the original Kickstarter for Mighty No. 9 if they feel the property hasn’t been in this long suffering limbo.
Why hasn’t this game been put in the category of “Development Hell” sooner? Frankly, because of the negative association such a title has. Putting something in development hell means admitting the release isn’t right around the corner and won’t magically be announced within a few months. It also plays into the fear the product will never be released. This is why fans weren’t willing to admit at any point Kingdom Hearts III was in development hell.
The lesson which can be taken from this experience is Kingdom Hearts III is indeed in development hell. It has been for quite a while. Its own director, Tetsuya Nomura revealed in an interview they announced the game too early and this three years ago. Perhaps the faith fans have put into the company will be rewarded and Kingdom Hearts III will get released sometime in 2017. For now though more HD re-releases are on the horizon but for Kingdom Hearts III itself, there is still more waiting ahead.
Details are out for the upcoming Spider-Man: Dead No More. With the full title being Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy, connections are evident to the 90’s Clone Saga.
While many hold differing views on the saga’s story, its legacy is still potent. In short, during the mid-nineties Marvel went with the idea that Peter Parker was not Peter Parker. Instead, the then real Spider-Man was a guy named Ben Reilly. Reilly took over web slinging duties for some time until tests came back saying Peter Parker was the real McCoy and Reilly was the clone.
You can see how this could confuse people easily.
Reilly eventually died off and Parker was the main spider for New York City. At least until Doc Ock decided he wanted a piece of the action, but that’s another story.
From the release we know the Jackal will be the main villain. Fitting as the Jackal gave Peter all the cloning troubles during the 90’s. Personally I think the Jackal may want to find a new hobby, but I doubt any of them will take up knitting presently.
Dan Slott and Nick Lowe allude to the Jackal moving past cloning and try to manipulate the boundaries of life and death.
The stand alone series will launch in October with a total of five issues.
According to their website, Andrew and Val Stimpson set up shop at the abandoned Crystal Springs Brewery in 1997. Operating for the better part of two decades, these award-winning brewmasters have brought their British roots to bear in giving the world Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale from Neustadt Springs Brewery. Two British ex-patriates’ take on an American version of a unique Scottish flavour …
Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale – First Sip
Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale pours nicely into my glass: it’s an almost cloudy orange-brown with a thin layer of head. This beer is malty. It has a sweet-and-sour flavour that fades to a grainy finish. Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale has a smooth but crisp mouthfeel that gives this brew an easy-drinkin’ quality while accentuating its unique sweet-and-sour taste.
Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale – Last Sip
I’ve never had a Scottish pale ale before so this is all new to me. But, if Scottish pale ales are generally malt-forward and grainy then this is an excellent version of one. Its sweet-and-sour taste make it a great beer to enjoy ice cold or at room temperature. My very limited research into Scottish ale has taught me that it’s essentially a North American take on what’s generally referred to as Scotch ale (Innis & Gunn being a popular brewer of such). Wikipedia also reports that Scottish or Scotch ales are great chasers for Scotch whisky. I decided to put wikipedia’s statement to the test.
Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale – As a chaser for Scotch
I admit my inferior Scotch whisky selection but expect no flack for drinking this unique brew as a chaser for Johnnie Walker Red Label. Here we go (I raise my shot glass to the victims of the Battle of Culloden). Hoots mon! Aside from the obvious, drinking a wee bit o’ whisky is a great way to set off the flavour of this brew. Its sweet-and-sour taste complements well the earthy flavour of the Scotch. Just don’t perform this alcoholic combination too often, Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale’s relatively low alcohol percentage (4.5% ABV versus Innis & Gunn Original‘s 6.6%) notwithstanding. Although, I may try it again with a single malt during Outlander’s Season Two finale, ye ken?
AMC is feeling mighty protective of its zombie drama plot twists. Especially considering how polarizing the finale was. If you aren’t caught up with Walker World, the latest season ended with Negan’s bloody beatdown of… someone. We don’t know who was killed in The Walking Dead’s sixth season finale, and AMC want to keep it that way.
First off, AMC allegedly issued a cease and desist to The Spoiling Dead, a website/Facebook page. In recent years, the page has become very accurate in its projections. On Tuesday, the page posted that “.. After two years, AMC finally reached out to us! But it wasn’t a request not to post any info about the Lucille Victim… it was a cease and desist and a threat of a lawsuit by AMC Holdings, LLC’s attorney, Dennis Wilson. They say we can’t make any type of prediction about the Lucille Victim. Their stance is that making such a prediction would be considered copyright infringement.” You can read the whole statement here, but long story short, The Walking Dead is looking to keep its secrets locked up tight.
Then, it was reported today that more than one ending was filmed. In fact, every possible lead has filmed an execution. That’s 11 gruesome death scenes, where only one will actually be used. Whoever it is that may be getting killed, The Walking Dead doesn’t want you to find out. It’s the same sort of secrecy Game of Thrones pulled with the fate of Jon Snow, albeit taken up a notch or two. If nothing else, all the rumor mills are spinning extra press for the show. The more they try to protect it, the more people will want to know. Until the show comes back on in October, we’ll just have to make our own conjectures. They just better not be too right.
In the meantime, we’re free to make conjectures about what certain death will mean for the show. Read about our thought on what would be good about the deaths of characters like Daryl, Maggie, or Carl.
After realizing how Chili Pepper will be able to kill Joseph Joestar even while he is still arriving by boat, the team split up in an effort to stop him in time. This leads to Josuke fighting against a man who wants to kill his father. Is it possible for Josuke to defeat a being who has insane electrical powers and is able to move in the blink of an eye?
After the dull return of the Chili Pepper, this episode takes the time to make up for it by finally having an all out brawl between his controller and Josuke. Akira Otoishi, Chili Pepper’s Stand user, arrives wielding a guitar which he plays like a pro. If you are asking why a bad guy brought a musical instrument to the fight instead of a weapon, remember this is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, this kind of thing happens every episode. As a matter of fact, his behavior is tamer than a majority of the characters this series has introduced this season. Sure he’s on a mission to assassinate someone but at least he has more ambition than simply killing on his mind unlike the first villain of the season, Angelo.
The episode has a very touching moment near the end where Josuke finally meets up with Joseph, his estranged father. Considering there are so many animes where characters have wayward and absent fathers, it always entertaining to see a moment of bonding like this. It warms the heart and helps to top off a pretty action packed episode. From here thought the show will have to reveal who is really pulling the strings in the background and show who really is possession of the bow and arrow which causes people to manifest Stands.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable is streaming at Crunchyroll.
Lady Gaga is starring in a modern remake of A Star is Born. Makes sense. For several years, however, Warner Bros. has been stuck trying to find the male lead opposite Gaga. It appears now they’ve killed two birds with one stone, as Bradley Cooper will star opposite Lady Gaga as well as make his directorial debut.
The Playlist broke the news earlier today. According to their report the two stars “get along famously, their tests went well, and the studio is super excited.” This is a huge step for Lady Gaga’s blossoming acting career, and she’s set up to be the next Barbara Streisand, Madonna, or any other pop superstar who crossed over successfully into film.
As for Bradley Cooper, well, this seems like a risky first-time directing job for the superstar. Some people think he might direct a smaller project first to get his feet wet. There is no doubt he can handle the male lead, Norman Maine, an alcoholic who helps Vicki Lester become a star. James Mason and Kris Kristofferson nailed the role in the previous two adaptation.
And who knows, he won’t be the first actor to turn director and he could do a marvelous job. Either way, this is turning into a delicious project.
