Elimination Chamber has just finished and it was an all right show. I would have put up a column on Friday night, but the WWE decided to screw with me and they called an audible on the audible they had to call on Jey Uso winning the final spot in the chamber last Monday night. They had a chance to right a wrong and put Jacob Fatu in the chamber…but instead they went with Logan Paul. Now I’m not one of these people who’s like “Oh Logan Paul…he’s just a youtuber” I appreciate the unlikable person that he is and I think he’s a great heel. But everything that happened at Elimination Chamber could have been saved for RAW. I know…I know…we need “moments” Seth Rollins return at the Chamber was a “moment”.

Apparently Bronson Reed getting hurt on RAW threw everything into chaos and the WWE decided to call an audible and unmask the masked man on Smackdown as some random jobber (no offense to said random jobber). They had another one scale the chamber tonight as a distraction allowing Rollins to saunter in and take out Logan Paul before he unmasked himself. Now I know nothing about sports medicine so I have no idea if Seth is actually cleared to wrestle anytime soon. I guess they are hedging on Rollins being ready for Wrestlemania to face Logan Paul. Bron Breakker, I believe won’t be ready but at this point who the hell knows anymore.

The men’s Chamber match was good though and despite Logan Paul getting the lion’s share of the elimination’s in the match, thanks to Drew McIntyre trying to cost Cody Rhodes the match and failing, the final two of Cody and Randy Orton traded finishers on Drew before Orton caught Cody with an RKO OUTTANOWHERE for the win. In the original column I was writing, I had said this was Cody’s match to lose. The betting favorites had Cody winning so if he didn’t win I would be shocked. Well consider me shocked. I know Drew vs. Orton has been done before, but you now what…I am bored to death of QB1 Cody Rhodes. I know he has to be the face of the company and all, but we’re getting the same problems we had with Cody Rhodes in AEW. Cody overcomes almost all the odds and gets handed everything.

To illustrate this point, they kept making note that the chamber was the last chance Cody had to get a shot at the WWE Championship. Well, after the events of Elimination Chamber…Nick Aldis had other ideas and gave Cody another shot at the title next week on Smackdown.

I don’t expect Cody to win on Friday, but at this point…who the hell knows. Things need to change with Cody Rhodes. But they won’t. They’ll stay the same and we will be still complaining about this Cody for a long time to come. It’s like with John Cena during his prime as Super Cena about fifteen years ago (wait…even longer ago). People were begging for something to change and it never did. I fear we’ll be with this Cody Rhodes until he finally decides to sell his soul to The Rock and then it will be too late.

Okay, that Rock thing won’t happen but it would be nice to see some damn continuity.

In the other Chamber match things weren’t as set in stone with the women. It was a much more intriguing match with better possibilities for a match with Jade Cargil at Wrestlemania. Well that is until the ending when it came down to Tiffany Stratton and Rhea Ripley. I like both of them, but if I had a choice I’d rather see Tiffany vs. Jade at Wrestlemania since that is a rematch they have been sitting on for months now. But they went for the the bigger money match with Rhea. They just had her and Iyo Sky lose the Women’s tag titles on Smackdown. So I guess this was a thank you present for that run. On paper Rhea vs. Jade looks good. I mean it’s two powerful women fighting each other. I honestly can’t pick a winner in that match. On the one hand…Jade Cargil needs a long title reign. On the other Rhea hasn’t been champion in a while so she’s probably due. I’m sure it will be an interesting match to watch.

Speaking of things that was interesting to watch, we got the big reveal of WHATS IN THE CRATE at the Elimination Chamber. Unlike the betting on Cody and Tiffany winning their matches, if you bet on Danhausen debuting…you won. Yes, the worst kept secret in wrestling was finally opened as Danhausen made his WWE debut after being trapped in limbo for the last year or so of his AEW tenure. I’ll start off by saying I like Danhausen. I don’t get what the whole gimmick is supposed to be, but he makes me laugh and not everything needs to be serious in pro wrestling. From a money standpoint…Danhausen knows how to make it. Just like The Schwartz in Spaceballs, the guy has merchandised everything he could think of and with the WWE machine behind him I’m sure he’ll make a killing.

But things did not go to plan with his debut. The Chicago crowd was honestly “meh” to him and by the time he and his gaggle of dancing girls got to the ring they were loudly booing him. All I could think of in this situation was Dancin Homer on The Simpsons. Danhausen’s act works great in the small time. But this is the big time and the WWE all ready has a Capitol City Goofball in R-Truth. That might be harsh, but it’s the truth. Hopefully Danhausen can finally show off what he’s capable of. Underneath the painted face and cursing people… he actually is a decent wrestler. I mean you have to be with such an off the wall gimmick.

I just know that it’s a good thing Vince McMahon isn’t there anymore because he would take one look at Danhausen and be all WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS? Or maybe he would laugh his ass off. I’m guessing that’s how Triple H sees the gimmick. If he’s lucky, we’ll get a new Santino Marella.

On that note I am done for this week. Once again I apologize for the delay. But with the Road to Wrestlemania ramping up, we now have seven weeks before the big show. A lot can happen between now and then.

As always thanks for reading and you can leave feedback down below, on twitter or email me directly at phantomlordnyc@gmail.com

The post The Phantom Rant: Elimination Chamber thoughts and Danhausen too appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

The entire card that had several swerves, turns and some jaw dropping moments that we won’t forget. We now have all four major World Title matches set, a general idea about where Punk, Rollins and Reigns are headed and the return of Jade Cargill. All of those are major talking points as well as the return of Randy Orton whom I think we can all agree has been missed on TV.

But before I go on a longer rant, let’s just skip the pleasantries and dive into some of the biggest things that happened this week. Plus, the following thoughts and opinions belong to me and me alone (Don’t blame Aaron Rift who my columns because he has zero influence on what I write.)

JOHN CENA HEEL TURN IS FUN, FANTASTIC… AND A BIT RISKY.

For the following large group of fans who wanted a John Cena heel turn, you got your wish and hope your happy. Lord knows, John wanted to turn heel or freshen things up a long time ago but WWE was making bank of his merchandise sales as well as his large Make a Wish appearances.

Its reason #10,293 why the IWC and smart marks should never run a wrestling company; they would go out of business in a hurry.

On the plus side, let’s take at look at the immediate gains from the Cena heel turn; Cena vs. Cody actually has heat going into this WrestleMania. The Everyman Rhodes vs. Hollywood Cena for the World Title with The Rock in his corner. Instead of babyface vs babyface we get a devious heel who broke the hearts of fans trying to take the title off a beloved champion.

And let me go a step further and say that we didn’t see this coming and neither did the “dirt sheet writers” which is what I love.

But the biggest drawback is the John Cena schedule which is a tad more than The Rock’s schedule right now. So far, we have gotten Cena at the Netflix debut, Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber. The schedule was he would appear during the WWE European trip for RAW and then WrestleMania but outside of that it’s going to be limited.

Far as the Rock, who the hell knows as Fast X Part 2 is schedule to shoot and that means he won’t be taking anymore bumps for a while.

It means that Cody is going to have to do the majority of the work in this feud as he will be the only guy working weekly. It’s his cross to bear and that is why he is the champion but it also throws some cold water on everything with Cena-Rhodes.

Mr. Tito suggested that Cena wins at Mania and defends against Reigns at SummerSlam which sounds nice on paper but misses a big issue.

Cena isn’t going to be around often and Roman also has a very sporadic schedule. I know Paul Heyman is a miracle worker but asking him to carry this is like asking the Ukraine to win the war against Russia without the US support.

Ain’t happening folks.

The other worry is that we aren’t sure how the end of the John Cena retirement tour is going to end yet. Does John want to go out as a villain and retire that way?

Does the WWE want to have him work with a rising young star such as Oba Femi, Bron Breakker or Jacob Fatu to help “make them”?

And what happens if there are any delays or scheduling conflicts with his movie/tv schedule and he has to back out?

Sometimes we have no control over what happens in the real world and you have to adapt. WWE has learned and thrived on that time and time again and a lot of Cena’s future is still subject to change because of his dual schedule.

You can only plan for what you’re ready for and hope that nothing surprises you at the very last end. Which leads me to my one beef about the whole Cena-Rhodes-Rock angle.

TRAVIS SCOTT SHOULDN’T BE IN THE RING UNTIL HE IS READY.

Lost in the whole drama has been rapper Travis Scott coming down to the ring with The Rock, joining “Team Hollywood” and getting physical with Cody. Not only did he hold down Cody while Rock whipped him with the belt, he also threw a punched on a down Cody that landed right on the left temple cheekbone while he was standing.

Not talking a worked punch but a legit hard punch that if you watch the video, caused Cody to cover up and wince.

Imagine the outcry if Rhodes couldn’t wrestle because he broke his orbital bone due to a rapper hurting him by accident..

It’s been no secret that WWE since joining with Netflix has been leaning HEAVY on celebrity involvement and participation. I get it as they want to appear cool, hip and mainstream and anytime they get to work with music/entertainment/sports people they got all hot and bothered like a virgin at prom night.

And it has worked in the case of Bad Bunny and Logan Paul who have been fantastic.

But both men ACTUALLY had some training and understood what goes on in a wrestling ring. They didn’t get physical until it was clear that they could execute the moves and not hurt anyone including themselves. It all sherries and giggles until someone gets hurt and insurance and business mangers get upset.

Scott is not ready and should have been kept far away.

If it means he doesn’t want to do the angle, fine as the bottom line is majority of the celebrities are not going to bring in more money to the WWE than they are worth. Bunny and Paul were the outliers but even then, it was after a slow build, making sure that nobody got hurt and they were ready.

Next time Scott is at a WWE Event, unless he is ready to work in the ring and not get anybody hurt, treat him like a spectator at the circus and keep him away from anything dangerous.

JADE CARGILL RETURNS AND ATTACKS NAOMI

This is the Jade Cargill that I wanted to happen when she first came into the WWE; a legitimate threat who is vicious, dangerous and looks like the female Terminator meets Wonder Woman. WWE was put in a tough spot when they signed her because as many wrestlers and trainers told me, she wasn’t trained properly. Sure, AEW trained her, but the majority of her matches were squashes and under 4-5 minutes.

Its why for the past year she has teamed with Bianca Belair so she could get on the job training and be able to work a real match. We might never know why she missed Survivor Series and Royal Rumble but at Elimination Chamber, she came back in a big way

I am struggling to predict how the whole “Who attacked Jade Cargill” plays out as there are still a variety of juggling parts to this. I’d LOVE to see Bianca Belair end up being the one who took her out but I don’t think WWE is ready to turn her yet. Too much merchandise and she is a hit with young girls and female fans who view her as the ultimate role model.

Meanwhile Naomi needs some new momentum going and her being the heel could be great. It also allows Jade to work with someone who can actually go with her, knows how to call a match to make sure Jade doesn’t look bad.

But going forward, the best play for WWE is to make Jade the big villain that she is meant to play. Have her develop a chip on her shoulder for fans forgetting about her and her friends turning on her.

Babyface Jade was boring but bad gal Jade is someone that we know is going to be entertaining.

There is still work to be done with Jade, wrestling wise, as she is still not where the majority of her peers are at. But the woman screams money and right now is a huge boost for a women’s division that feels stagnant.

WHO HAD A WORSE WEEK: VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY OR TONY KHAN?

If you that you had a bad week, take solace in the fact that both the Ukrainian leader and AEW leader would tell you to hold your beer.

Both are living proof that sometimes it’s better to just do the smart play rather than as the cool kids would say “Fuck Around & Find Out”.

On one hand all Zelensky had to do was show up to the White House, wear a suit, sign a mineral rights deal that would guarantee US support, agree to peace talks and say “Thank You”. As my mother would say, “so simple a child could figure that out and do it”.

Instead, he decided to A) Try to renegotiate a deal already agreed upon B) Show up looking like he was going to Home Depot C) Demand the US continue to send weapons and money and D) cop an attitude.

Honestly, I don’t care if you like Trump or don’t like Trump but if someone did that to you, chances are you would throw the SOB out and tell him to take a hike.

I bring that up because its similar to Tony Khan and his productions antics which are going to an all-time low.

In the span of less than three weeks we had AEW decided to A) Show up to Australia without a ring or steel steps and then scramble to find a piss poor ring. B) Hang Thunder Rosa out to dry due to the Megan Bayne/Penelope Ford incident C) Let it be known that there are NO Production meetings which explains this crap D) Shoot an angle that had Christopher Daniels bleed after an MJF attack…. AND SHOW DANIELS BLADING HIMSELF.

Trying to figure out which clown is sadder is a challenge between these two.

I am going slightly with Tony simply for the fact is that the Daniels snafu is the 3rd screw up in three straight weeks. Three times Tony Khan and his leadership staff can’t execute what even TNA or NWA at its lowest could do.

It’s gotten now to the point where you openly root against AEW because defending them is embarrassing. From Tony’s verbal gaffes, bad wrestling angles, doubling down on bad mistakes, to now simple screw ups that a professional would have gotten right after a year in the industry would not do.

Now comes rumors that the final end to the Death Riders saga will be Death Riders vs. The Elite. That’s right, the two biggest stables that even AEW fans cannot stand, will be going against each other allegedly for “control” of AEW.

I’d rather watch kittens playing chopsticks with chopsticks that subjected to that dreck.

OBA FEMI MAKES DEBUT ON TNA WRESTLING TAPINGS

It’s not CM Punk or Drew McIntyre but this is a huge coup for TNA as it means WWE trusts them enough and cares about them to send a legit star. Yes, the NXT/TNA Partnership has been going on for a while and NXT has sent over their wrestlers and vice versa.

But Oba Femi is a much bigger deal than Sol Ruca, Charlie Dempsey and Tatum Paxley with no offense meant.

Femi is the guy that WWE sees as “The Next Big Thing” and with quite good reason as he is a monster of a man who already “gets it”. He is the NIL stud who came from track and field, has learned how to cut a promo, has a presence and looks like a super hero/ super villain.

Oba wrestling at the TNA Tv tapings doesn’t just mean that they like TNA but that they trust them. They trust that TNA is heading in the right direction and have solid and good people who know what they are doing and will do it right. That TNA has become a legitimate business partner that is worth them investing better wrestlers and time with

Vince buying the NWA and turning it around would be icing on the cake for him after defeating them in the past and now he’s buying them.

You don’t risk any top tier wrestlers or any business IP’s with just anyone as we have seen that even a star can be ruined by an idiot (cough, AEW, cough).

Sending Oba over to TNA is more evidence that TNA is on the road to better things. Which for TNA fans, WWE fans and especially wrestlers and wrestling fans is much needed.

ZAYDA STEEL DELETES TWITTER ACCOUNT DUE TO IWC THREATS

WWE ID wrestler Zayda Steel was announced to take on AEW talent Megan Bayne at GCW No Compadre at Chicago on March 29th. After a few days of getting threats and taunts by AEW “sickos” that they want to see Bayne cripple and take out Steel, she shut off her Twitter account.

File this under “why people view wrestling in the same breath as porn” due to a bunch of stupid idiots who couldn’t friggin behave. I hate to break the news to you sickos, but 99 percent of the wrestling community does not have any grudges if someone is in WWE, TNA, AEW or even NWA.

Wrestling is a business and the goal of getting into the business is to make a career, make money and walk away with your body intact. The majority of wrestlers have friends in different promotions due to working with them in the past, traveling with the or working out. The Tribalism starts and ends with the fans and in the past, it was not as toxic or weird as it is to date.

I feel terrible for Ms. Steel because her only crime is that she is a WWE ID prospect wrestling an AEW talent. There is no bad blood between the two, no racist or derogatory acts were committed, nothing that was even illegal done by Zayda. She just got booked to wrestle an AEW wrestler at a GCW event so she can make some money.

But again, the IWC reared its ugly head and now they drove off another female wrestler from social media.

I’d be cautious of any WWE ID wrestlers (especially female) doing anything with GCW going forward. The truth is its not worth the business as GCW has its own issues. The company has a nasty reputation of things getting out of control, wrestlers getting hurt and unable to get proper medical treatment.

To listen to interviews from fighters, sports reporters and more, check out the website at www.LastCallPodcast.com or follow me on www.twitter.com/LastCallwChrisC

The post WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 Thoughts, AEW Gaffes, and Ramblings appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Now, on to the recap.

First, I need to mention what happened on the pre-show because Pat McAfee made such a big deal about it. I don’t want to get too political here, but WWE should have read the room before sending that poor girl out to sing the American national anthem. Anyone who follows politics knows how controversial Trump’s policies have been and how the United States has become one of the most criticized countries globally, especially after what happened Friday with the Ukrainian president. Trump and Vance clearly sided with Russia, and now Trump is starting an economic war—not just with Canada but with the entire world—on Wednesday. This war will hurt not only other countries but also the U.S. economy. So, it might not have been the best moment to have someone sing the American national anthem in Canada, and I feel bad for that girl, who was just doing her job. This wasn’t about disrespecting America but rather about expressing how people feel about the man running the country.

The show kicked off with the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, and what a way to start! The match began with Naomi and Liv Morgan, and just as it started, Jade Cargill made her return, attacking Naomi. This surprised everyone and got fans invested right away. The reactions from the other competitors made the moment even better—especially Bianca, who was almost in tears in her pod. Now, the big question is: Why did Jade attack Naomi?

The rest of the match followed the typical Elimination Chamber format. The first elimination was Bayley, which shocked me since I expected her to last longer, but someone had to go first. Next was Roxanne, who proved she’s ready for the main roster. She was followed by Alexa Bliss, leaving Liv and Bianca as the final two. After a fantastic back-and-forth, Bianca secured the win and punched her ticket to WrestleMania.

I have to say, Liv was the MVP of this match, and it looks like she’s heading into a program with Bliss in time for WrestleMania. I’m thinking Bliss will return to the Wyatt Sicks soon, leading to a tag match at Mania—Bliss & Nikki vs. Liv & Raquel for the tag titles. As for Bianca, I understand that they wanted to set up the dream match between her and Rhea, especially since Iyo isn’t winning the title on Monday. However, I would have given the Chamber win to someone else and had Bianca spin into a feud with Jade.

The next match was Trish Stratus & Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax & Candice LeRae, and I felt bad for all four women because the crowd was burned out from the previous match. It took them a while to get back into it. This was your typical overbooked WWE tag match, and it dragged a bit, but the fans eventually got into it. In the end, the match made Tiffy look strong heading into her match with Charlotte at WrestleMania.

The third match was the unsanctioned fight between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, and this was my match of the night. These guys put on one hell of a fight, truly putting their bodies on the line for the fans. I kept asking myself, What is it going to take for one of them to lose? They went through tables, used chairs and trash cans, and fought all over the stadium. In the end, Owens won after hitting multiple powerbombs on the apron.

After the match, we got the return of Randy Orton, and what a pop! Now, we know what Owens’ plan for WrestleMania is.

The main event was the Men’s Elimination Chamber match, and I have to be honest—I need to rewatch this one because I zoned out for most of it. I saw the entrances and heard the bell ring with McIntyre and Rollins starting things off. By the time I tuned back in, CM Punk was getting curb-stomped by Rollins, and Cena took advantage to win the match. So, I can’t comment much on the action, but I do think they chose the right winner.

The post-match segment, though? Absolute perfection. Cena stood in the middle of the ring acting as he always does, and then we jumped straight into the Cody/Rock segment. Cody entered, shook Cena’s hand, and the two showed mutual respect. Then, The Rock, accompanied by Travis Scott, made his way to the ring.

Rock delivered one of his best heel promos in years, making himself look like the most egotistical boss in wrestling history, while Cena stood in the background looking confused.

Then, Cody gave his response to Rock: a resounding hell no. Fans went nuts. Cena played the cheerleader role, hyping up the crowd as Cody rejected The Rock. Cody and Cena hugged in the ring, and for a moment, it looked like the show would end with The Rock watching from the background as Rhodes and Cena showed respect. But no—that’s not what happened.

The Rock looked at Cena, gave him the signal, and bam—Cena hit Cody with a low blow. With that one move, we finally got something fans have been wanting for decades: a Cena heel turn. Cena went to town on Rhodes, and the segment ended with Rock whipping Cody multiple times with his weight belt, both men standing tall over the fallen champion.

Again, this was a masterpiece of a segment, executed to perfection. Now, there are two possible directions for WrestleMania:

* Cena wins the championship at Mania and holds it for the rest of the year while Rock throws obstacle after obstacle in Cody’s way, leading to Cody finally getting his rematch at Survivor Series—or even on Cena’s last night in the company.
* Cody beats Cena at Mania, and the feud continues for a few months, culminating at SummerSlam in August.

I don’t know which direction they’ll take, but suddenly, I’m very interested in what happens next. WrestleMania season is clearly heating up after last night.

The post Psyko’s WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 recap appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Let’s look what we’ve got now for Wrestlemania 41:

– Gunther vs. Jey Uso
– Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens
– Charlotte Flair vs. Tiffany Stratton
– CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
– Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair (HUGE upgrade to the event)
– Cody Rhodes vs. HEEL John Cena (with the Rock)

For the first time since 2003, John Cena is now a heel and appears to have sold his soul to the Rock. Honestly, this is NO WHERE NEAR close to Hulk Hogan’s heel turn during 1996 as Hogan took some time off and wasn’t expected for the Bash at the Beach 1996 WCW event. When I saw John Cena remaining in that ring, I knew something was up for that last segment of Elimination Chamber. But to see it actually pulled off was cool and makes Cody vs. Cena 1000000000 times more interesting than just Cena on his retirement tour getting one more chance.

Now, it’s John Cena “selling his soul” to win one more World Title reign to break the WWE/WCW World Title record of 16-times. That’s interesting and Cena can really play-up his Hollywood connection with the Rock.

Personally, I would have wanted CM Punk in the sellout role, but I’m guessing that WWE isn’t ready to give up on Punk being a babyface and pushing lots of merchandise out the door. That’s ironic, as John Cena wasn’t allowed to turn heel for years because he was selling so much merchandise.

Let’s just review the show…

Mr. Tito’s PHAT WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 Review

All of this drama over the National Anthem getting booed by Canadians, along with Pat McAfee shooting about it. See, the boos aren’t for the United States but for President Donald Trump who is harassing Canada with his tariffs on trade (March 4th is when they begin), attacking their leaders, wanting them to become their 51st state, and taunting Canada needing our military to survive. THAT is why they are booing. The truth is that the majority of Americans did NOT vote for this guy and his views on Canada do NOT represent the majority of us. They wouldn’t boo if our leader didn’t bully their country and have desires to perform a hostile takeover of their country.

First match was the Women’s Elimination Chamber and let me declare that it was the BEST women’s Elimination Chamber match of all time, BY A MILE. Match started with Liv and Naomi, but Jade Cargill came down and teased attacking Liz but then brutally attacked Naomi instead. Boy was this vicious, as THIS is the Jade that we’ve been waiting for in the WWE. LOVED her slamming Naomi into the pod’s glass walls and the massive sound it made. Then, crushing her head with the chamber’s door. Soooooo violent and I loved it, as this really set the tone for the entire match. But DAMN, that was Jade finally looking like a true star in the WWE.

This match was full of action by 5 solid workers who didn’t just lay around and wait for someone to do something… It was non-stop action and surprisingly violent with people getting slammed into the pods, into the gate, and taking hard slams outside the ring. The moves were perfectly sequenced by the ladies and the chemistry was strong among the 4 ladies. Loved every second of it and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of it. They had Bianca Belair win the match, so we’ll FINALLY get Rhea vs. Bianca unless WWE blows it on RAW (don’t know what Triple H sees in Iyo Sky). If you haven’t seen the clip yet, that ponytail whip by Bianca on Liv was brutal and loud!

Next up was the “piss break” match, but it was fine for what it is… Tiffany Stratton/Trish Stratus vs. Candice LeRae/Nia Jax did its job as an undercard match. I thought Candice looked out of her element when you look at her size and stature compared to the other 3 ladies. However, she helped keep the action going as the in-ring worker to allow for multiple “face in peril” situations while Nia could just come in and hit a high impact move. Like that Tiffany was presented as a babyface and she ended up getting the pin over Nia Jax. I’d build up a big match on Smackdown between Tiffany and Nia, possibly main eventing the show, to have Tiffany go over strong before Wrestlemania 41.

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn was very violent and intense… Usually, when 2 best friends in real life that we’ve all known were friends usually produces a disappointing match because you just cannot believe it. However, these two damn near killed each other… Maybe too much and I don’t know how either guy kicked out of several predicaments, but they did and just kept fighting. If this kind of match doesn’t get 6-stars on Dave Meltzer’s scale of multiple pin attempts and non-stop finishing type of moves used, then I don’t know what WWE match will please that idiot. Owens won the match and kept attacking afterward, then Randy Orton returned to set up Wrestlemania 41.

The main event was the Men’s Elimination Chamber… Overall, good, but I thought that Rollins, Cena, and Punk were primarily featured while the other guys were kind of there. Wasn’t a balanced Chamber between the 6 participants, though Logan Paul had some moments and even tried to troll Canadian fans by coming out with the American flag. What I really loved was seeing John Cena and CM Punk going at it for extensive periods of time and were the finalists of the match. If we don’t get Cena vs. Punk during the “retirement tour”, then this will have to do. John Cena won thanks to Seth Rollins hitting the stop and making Punk lose to Cena’s submission hold. Cena now goes to Wrestlemania and slips right into the Cody Rhodes WWE title match (because idiot Jey Uso went for the lesser title).

After the match, John Cena was celebrating inside the ring and then Cody Rhodes arrived… And then the Rock followed, coming out with Travis Scott who also turned heel tonight, I guess. Rock asked for an answer of Cody selling his soul and Cody then indicated that his soul was with the fans and that the Rock could go F himself. Wow… If you’re going to use curse words, less is more and use them when it counts. That was great… John Cena acted as if he was happy for Cody telling off the Rock, but I knew something was up. Cena had no business being in that ring. The second Cena hugged Cody, I knew… Then, the Rock made the throat slice signal and Cena went on the attack of Cody. Cena hit him with the Rolex watch and the WWE Title, while the Rock whipped Cody with the belt while Cena and Travis Scott held Cody down. I’ll take it… Makes Cena vs. Cody 100000000% more interesting with Cena going heel and selling his own soul for one more WWE Title reign. Major “sense of urgency” now pressed on Night #2 of Wrestlemania.

Now, you can have Cena win at Wrestlemania 41 and then build up Summerslam 2025 with Roman vs. John Cena for the WWE Title and then have Wrestlemania 42 as Rock vs. Roman for the WWE Title once and for all. Make it happen, WWE.

Great show, one of the best since Wrestlemania 40.

Wrestlemania 41 got a few upgrades, though I’m not entirely excited about Punk and Roman being stuck in a triple threat with Rollins. Like Rollins, but three is a crowd. But, I think with Cena turning heel, that makes for some interesting angles with Punk and Roman after Wrestlemania 41 as the rest of the 8 months of the year should matter too.

THE LAST WORD Great show overall, going with [ A ], strongly recommend this show. Like I said, one of the best shows since the great Wrestlemania 40 show and Wrestlemania 41 has now been upgraded. Should be interesting to see what happens and if Cena as WWE Champion will boost the Summer’s business.

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Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ

The post Mr. Tito’s PHAT WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 PLE Review with Thoughts and Show Grade appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

For example, last week’s column about Tessa Blanchard following TNA fans chanting ”she’s a racist” at her. While fans have the right to chant whatever they want, I found it ignorant to chant something like that rather than giving Tessa a second chance to succeed. She used a slur and spat on a fellow wrestler during 2017, which was reported on during 2020, and has been blacklisted ever since. My point was that she lost enough of her peak years as punishment and deserves second chances, JUST LIKE EVERYONE. Especially for words or just being an a-hole, compared to the many second chances given to people who have committed actual crimes.

Many wrestlers have been pulled over by the police for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) for driving a vehicle while impaired under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Why aren’t you chanting “D-U-I” at those wrestlers? Why aren’t you chanting “drugs” every times said person throws a punch?

And why aren’t those wrestlers cancelled for getting a DUI? Does it take actually hitting someone and then killing them, like Tammy Sytch, to cancel them? Is that what it takes?

So we’ll cancel Tessa for words, but not anyone using a vehicle as a potential weapon while using illegal substances or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol?

And let me go a step further… Everybody loves Jacob Fatu and I’m incredibly happy that he’s in the WWE… But it took a while for him to get there. Why? Not because of his wrestling talents, but for robbery at the age of 18. Everybody chalks that up to Fatu “being a kid” and “making a mistake” while he was younger. I 100% agree with that, as Fatu’s story is a great one of redemption and he’s a tremendous asset to the WWE. But why can’t Tessa Blanchard’s words and spitting at the age of 22 be forgiven?

I see tons of hypocrisy with pro wrestling fans and they have some bizarre trance that has them fully against giving Tessa a second chance. Maybe it’s because their indy darling female favorites hate Tessa and they’ve been given instructions to hate her?

Either way, my Tessa Blanchard column did well because it was a current events column that had an opinion that you knew was 100% legit and right, even if you had to swallow your pride and act like you disagreed with it. Right O’Shea Jackson Jr., who took a swipe at NoDQ and my column? You know, the guy who literally portrayed his father in the Straight Outta Compton film smashing up someone’s office with a baseball bat which happened in real life. Good thing that Ice Cube was given a second chance over those antics to continue making great music, that we all love, while positively contributing to society insomuch that we can just laugh at him smashing up someone’s office with a baseball bat. That and he was able to provide and be a great father to you. See how second chances work, O’Shea?

Everybody has made mistakes as a teenager and in their 20s as their brains are still fully forming through the age of 26. Thus, give them a second chance to prove themselves. Now, if Tessa continues past behavior, then I’m 100% in agreement with you that she’s unfit to exist in the wrestling business.

Guarantee that most of you reading this said or did horrible things to other people, or used language that is deemed inappropriate now. Hell, just spreading gossip on someone does a ton of damage to reputations. And again, I see what many of you monsters post on Social Media about other people and it’s repulsive and disgusting.

Have I made my point, especially to those who just over-react to the headlines without reading the F’N column?

On to your questions.

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What are your Elimination Chamber predictions?

I agree with a prediction said on the recent NoDQ Review with Cody Rhodes telling the Rock “NO” to his proposition and then the winner of the Elimination Chamber will become the Rock’s apt pupil for his new corporation stable. If that angle happens, I believe CM Punk will use his “Paul Heyman favor” to have Heyman negotiate a sell-out deal with the Rock to help him win the Elimination Chamber. Then, we’ll have major heat with Cody vs. Punk for Wrestlemania 41 and a credible reason for Cody to drop the title.

I see the pros and cons with John Cena turning heel and being the Rock’s buddy, but I just don’t see it being a long-term thing and seems like WWE wants to cash-in with Cena’s retirement merchandise.

CM Punk wins the Men’s Elimination Chamber…

I am struggling to predict the Women’s Match. Though I’d LOVE to see Bianca Belair win it and give us the big match with Rhea, I think their match needs more time to build it up. Just doesn’t feel right and I sense that Jade Gargill will cause something to happen. Rhea is a babyface, so I could see Liv Morgan sneaking out with the win and causing Rhea and Liv to be milked one more time. Personally, I’d love to see Alexa Bliss just get a bigtime match and see what she can do with a workhorse like Rhea. But I’ll predict Liv.

Kevin Owens will win in controversial fashion to prompt a rematch with Zayn at Wrestlemania 41. That or Randy Orton helps Zayn win and sets up Orton vs. Owens instead. Take your pick.

I don’t know on the Tiffany Stratton/Trish Stratus vs. Nia Jax/Candice LaRae. Congrats to Candice for getting a big PPV match… I could see Trish and Tiffany winning, but then Tiffany turning on Trish immediately after the match or maybe on the next TV show. I think that Tiffany vs. Trish vs. Charlotte could be a possibility for WM 41, as Charlotte just isn’t getting any traction. Plus, her and Trish mixing it up would be interesting.

Looks to be a good show.

*****

Thoughts on Ryan Nemeth’s lawsuit against AEW, Tony Khan, and CM Punk?

If you’re willing to put forth the legal costs and the time, anybody can file a lawsuit. But if you’re willing to waste money and time, you can also be laughed out of court.

Fact is that Tony Khan paid Nemeth the agreed upon money to provide wrestling services for AEW. That part has been fulfilled and thus AEW/Tony should be off the hook. Just because Tony didn’t use you as a wrestler doesn’t mean he didn’t pay you to literally do nothing. And at any point, you could have requested your release from said relationship with AEW and he’d probably let you go, given that anytime they used you, it just didn’t make any traction.

CM Punk was holding you down, eh? That’s funny, as wrestlers don’t have access to the creative process. Sure, AEW Collision was “Punk’s show”, but not really. It was just a brand split show and a terrible one at that. Tony and the EVPs make decisions around AEW, and so thus any lawsuits should be aimed their way and not a fellow independent contractor.

It will get thrown out of court, or Tony will settle it so that discovery of AEW won’t publicly happen due to this lawsuit.

*****

What do you think Vince McMahon’s next move will be?

He has formed his entertainment company and many are wondering what he’ll do… In my mind, he’s going to create a per-event promotion for pro wrestling and maybe consider boxing. I could see him purchasing the rights to NWA from Billy Corgan and then amplifying that with single-night Pay Per Views rather than a traveling promotion. Vince knows that it takes YEARS to build up a traveling event promotion, especially on the scale that he specifically wants it, but holding Quarterly Pay Per Views would work better for his energy and age while not fully competing with WWE.

Brock Lesnar would headline Vince’s periodical Pay Per Views, too… And if someone likes what they’ll see, they’ll make financial offers to Vince to make it full time. Plenty of billionaires out there, and will likely be growing those numbers in the next 4 years, for Vince to utilize and not specifically spend his money.

I also think that Vince sees potential on boxing to make spectacle events… If the Pauls can drive millions to watch their boxing events, then maybe Vince can do more with that sport. Plus, Vince tried to be a boxing promoter during the 1980s with his Titan Sports and didn’t do too well. Vince never forgets and loves to keep trying.

Vince buying the NWA and turning it around would be icing on the cake for him after defeating them in the past and now he’s buying them.

So, I’m predicting one-off wrestling Pay Per Views and maybe some boxing, only going weekly if a television partner is willing to join him.

*****

Do you think there is opportunity to do USA vs. Canada feuds due to recent events?

Actually, you may be able to get away with USA vs. the World based on what happened yesterday. Geesh. I can only imagine Ronald Reagan turning in his grave based on how his party now positions itself for Russia rather than calling them the “evil empire”.

Honestly, I wouldn’t bring international matters into the WWE at this point. People are way too sensitive today versus 30-40 years ago when most everyone was on the same page. And the Hart Foundation angle only came about because you had Bret Hart and he was legitimately getting cheered in Canada while Shawn Michaels was receiving boos. And Bret had deep and well known ties to Canada, while having his family members in the stable with him. You don’t quite have that infrastructure now.

A few years ago, they tried the “We the People” angle with Jack Swagger and while they tried to push him as a heel, many in the audience cheered for him. Then, you have a case with Hulk Hogan getting booed out of the Los Angeles Monday Night RAW on Netflix’s first night.

Wrestling needs to be a total escape from reality. Let’s worry about fighting over who is the “head of the table” rather than inserting international affairs into the equation. Besides, it’s cheap heat to mention world events, anyway, and shows a lack of creativity with your creative team. Watching the news is completely depressing, along with certain sports *cough*NBA*cough* injecting politics to make the experience miserable instead of enjoying the competition. Thus, Pro Wrestling needs to focus on being entertaining for anyone that tunes in and you can do a wide range of antics for heels to do rather than supporting a political cause.

With every vote now being 50/50, it’s not worth pissing off half of your audience with a political or xenophobic angle. Try being more creative than that.

*****

Should female wrestlers be allowed to keep their Only Fans accounts?

I think about OnlyFans the same way that I did with the Playboy deals… Does that answer your question? While WWE thinks websites like OnlyFans is inappropriate, one could argue that placing their talents in a magazine that reached more people than OnlyFans was inappropriate. Yet, during the 2000s, they did it often. And WWE got a piece of the action.

So if WWE got a piece of the OnlyFans action, then maybe it would be allowed… But WWE has morphed into a “family friendly” corporation since the late 2000s, notably when they began letting Comcast and their sponsors dictate their content and who was employed. Remember, it was Mattel who had a hissy fit when Mandy Rose was found out to be making OnlyFans content and then the WWE terminated her.

I have no problem with it… OnlyFans isn’t widely available and takes money to observe it… There’s enough protections there to keep the kiddies out of it.

That said, I’d be cautious of any WWE female joining OnlyFans if that were available. The more you open the door to the fans, the more stalkers that will develop. This is one of the reasons why I’m against wrestlers getting too close to fans on Social Media, as loners will begin to believe there is a relationship between someone liking their posts. That obsession only strengthens the more you bare it all on OnlyFans.

Many male fans can get too attached, as I mentioned above, Pro Wrestling is their escape from reality. When reality sucks and communicating via Social Media or tuning into OnlyFans are pleasing to them as escapes, that can create a dangerous emotional bonds. Hence why I understand why any female wrestler is very cautious when dealing with fans.

In the end, WWE and AEW just need to pay their talents more money and cover more of their travel, lodging, and food. Provide healthcare and create pension funds, too. Quit underpaying your talents who are sacrificing their bodies in the ring.

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Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ

The post ASK TITO: Follow-up on Tessa Blanchard, WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 Predictions, Ryan Nemeth, and More appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.