Our Favorite Matches Of The Pandemic Era

July 2021 is a big month for professional wrestling. WWE and AEW are returning to live touring. Impact Wrestling and Ring Of Honor are welcoming back live fans for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Somehow, professional wrestling survived more than a year of uncertainty, lockdowns and empty arenas.

The Wrestling Mayhem Show wanted to celebrate the wrestlers and the other creative minds who helped us get through the past year and a half. Here are some favorite matches of our hosts, guests and listeners from the “Pandemic Era” – the period of time that began in the middle of March 2020 and stretched into July 2021.

Mayhem Mania 2021: Round 2

It must be Mayhem Mania season!

Every year, we bring together fans, wrestlers and other folks. Our goal is to construct the BEST WrestleMania card that’s currently possible. Everyone under a WWE contract is eligible to use, as are those who are within the orbit of WWE’s influence. If Vince McMahon can do it, we can do it!

If you’re just tuning in, here’s how we got to this point.
Mayhem Mania 2021 – Opening Round
Mayhem Mania 2021 – Round 1

Not every WWE wrestler is eligible to us. Under the rules of Mayhem Mania, everyone comes in their current physical, emotional and contractual state. That means anyone out with an injury is NOT eligible to use. (We are ignoring COVID-19 diagnoses because this is supposed to be a fun diversion, not a reminder of the terrible things happening around us.)

Others are not eligible to use for a different reason. Some of them are locked in SPACE JAIL. We added to our inmate population before Round 2 of Mayhem Mania 2021. Winners of our Royal Rumble contest got “tickets” to lock away individuals they don’t want to see.

Mad Mike sent Goldberg to SPACE JAIL
Tina Keys sent Randy Orton to SPACE JAIL
Dave Podnar sent Charlotte Flair to SPACE JAIL

SPACE JAIL is not a life sentence. A lucky spin of our prize wheel can free one of them, and that’s exactly what happened before Round 2. The prize wheel freed Goldberg moments after he was put in SPACE JAIL. There’s no “double jeopardy” so Goldberg can not be locked up again during Mayhem Mania 2021.

Here’s who is still in SPACE JAIL and not eligible to be use, at least for now.

* “Cell numbers” correspond with the numbers on our prize wheel

5 players were invited onto the Wrestling Mayhem Show for Round 2 of Mayhem Mania 2021. Each can make ONE of the following changes to our card:

– SWAP one wrestler or team with one in another match on the card or replace them with a wrestler or team not currently on the card
– ADD a wrestler or team to an existing match
– DELETE a match in its entirety and replace it with a new match using entirely new wrestlers
– MATCH SWAP: This year, we have a designated “cinematic match” slot on our card. A player can choose to swap an existing match on the card for the match currently in that “cinematic match” slot.

With all that business out of the way, let’s take a look at the changes made during Round TWO of Mayhem Mania 2021!

Move #1 (by Ronnie Starks)
SWAP Mercedes Martinez for Goldberg

Move #2 (by Tina Keys)
DELETE Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner & Alexander Wolfe) vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch & Pat McAfee and CREATE Raquel Gonzalez vs. Beth Phoenix

Move #3 (by Dave Podnar)
SWAP Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal for Daniel Bryan & Nikki Cross

Move #4 (by Chad The Shad)
ADD Ilja Dragunov to Samoa Joe vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Timothy Thatcher

Move #5 (by The Rizz)
SWAP Walter vs. Goldberg into the “cinematic match” slot

With Round 2 in the books, we now have FOUR new matches on our card.

Walter vs. Goldberg
(Created by ???)
(*Designated as “cinematic match”)

Raquel Gonzalez vs. Beth Phoenix
(Created by Tina Keys)

Bray Wyatt & Alexa Bliss vs. Daniel Bryan & Nikki Cross
(Created by ???)

Samoa Joe vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Timothy Thatcher vs. Ilja Dragunov
(Created by Chad The Shad)

The “???” after two of the matches listed above is because there is debate currently underway over who is the rightful creator of the matches that Rizz swapped in and out of the “cinematic match” slot. Should Rizz get credit for both matches (that would mean the Alex Kahrs Rule would be applied to Dave Podnar and Ronnie Starks because their move did not survive the round), or should the credit remain with the original creators of those matches? Please send us your feedback if you have any.

Here are the four matches that survived Round 2 without being changed.

Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston & AJ Styles vs. Tyler Breeze & Adam Cole & Cesaro
(Created by The Rizz)

The IIconics vs. Riott Squad
(Created by Mad Mike)

Finn Balor vs. Karrion Kross vs. Aleister Black
(Created by Bobbyfjtown)

Pete Dunne vs. Keith Lee
(Created by Brandon)

If a match survives THREE rounds without being altered in any way, it will GRADUATE to our SUPERCARD. The creator of the match will receive rewards, including creating a new match to fill the open slot on our “undercard”. Our goal is to GRADUATE eight matches to our SUPERCARD by the time Mayhem Mania 2021 comes to an end.

What will happen next? The only way to find out is to keep following Mayhem Mania 2021!

2021: Round 1 – From A Chore To A Hobby: Making Cooking Fun

Cooking Guide

Many people tend to be too busy with their daily life activities. This is why they tend to run away from cooking. I mean, when you have a demanding job in spite of the fact that you are working from home and children’s busy schedules, cooking will definitely slide down your list of priorities. It could be worse even if you are single or live alone because you could be content with getting some processed or fast food. Shifting one’s perception about working with food and creating a meal alone may not appeal to everyone because some people do not just like going to the kitchen. So how about including striking features in your kitchen to make you want to go there. Let’s see some tips on making cooking fun.

Create an inviting aura in your kitchen

This can help a great deal but it could be quite subjective to say the least. What may appear to be singularly uplifting for someone may not make another get motivated to go to the kitchen. However, there are some common features that appeal to the majority of people. It is all about creating a warm environment that makes you feel excited about going to cook. For example, you can make the surroundings cozy with some plants in vases. There may be a problem here with a lack of sunlight which is supposed to help the plants grow. LED grow lights could prove useful here. They won’t only be assisting with the growth of the plants but also help beautify the surroundings.

Introduce some soft music to enliven the proceedings

If you are the type that loves to listen to music almost every free time, why not take the music to your kitchen. You could put a small mobile Bluetooth speaker in your kitchen and play your choices of music and dance to them while waiting for some simmering or something to get fried. Music has a way of motivating the soul. It lifts one’s spirit and gets you up and about things you didn’t have the motivation to delve into earlier. 

Music is the Food of the Soul

After all, it is not for nothing that music is called the ‘food of the soul.’ This is why it is such a great idea to nourish your soul even as you whip up culinary delights to nourish your body as well.  You don’t have to dance to the groove while tossing stuff in the pan, but there is no harm in enjoying a little humming and tapping while your food is cooking, So you can try it today and see how things get for you. With a little experimentation, you too will learn to enjoy the beat and the tasty dishes you whip up. 

Have friends over to cook with you

It may sound like too many cooks spoiling the broth but when you are not in the mood to do something, there is the option of doing it with friends around so you can be better motivated. There is another catch here, you can learn some kitchen skills from any one of them who loves cooking and is very good at it. Apart from the fact things get done faster, there is better bonding with your friends and there could never be any dull moment with this arrangement.  There are plenty of recipes that you can try out and cook as a group. This will definitely get you a step closer to making cooking a hobby. 

Cook for and with your partner

You can also give it a shot with your partner. Cooking for each other is probably one of the most romantic things you can do. Add to that the fun of participating in such a wholesome activity. You can try to compete with each other to see who has the best taste for the sublime. It does not matter who cooks what. You will both come out as winners. Especially when the goal is the same. I.e. To please each other by making the best dish possible. Check out the best Charcuterie Boards.

Always make allowances for mistakes

One of the reasons why people get less motivated is because they feel it has been a long time since they cooked and so their cooking skills may have become very rusty. It will be a feeling of why cook when it will probably taste horrible? Well, you won’t be able to find out if you don’t try, would you? You have to give room for mistakes like the food not being well seasoned, getting your food burnt, or forgetting to add seasoning at all. It is okay to make mistakes and it should encourage you to try again. With more trials, you will get to perfection. You have to remember that there was never any handbook of cooking in the beginning. The different meals that are known today around the world were eventual products of many trials and errors until the most tasteful edition came about. 

 Reasons why it’s important to hire a professional event photographer

Updated: Aug 15, 2020

You spend weeks or even months of your time to prepare for your event. When the big day is finally there, time flies by at lightning speed. Before you know, the event has already ended and you can look back at a successful day. It would be great to be able to look back at your event in a visual way; seeing the crew work as hard as they can, seeing smiles on the faces of your visitors, seeing the speakers excel. Luckily this is possible when you hire a professional event photographer. If that hasn’t convinced you, here are some other reasons why you should hire an event photographer.

1. A professional event photographer has the right gear

A professional photographer owns the right camera and the right lenses to capture every moment perfectly. With the right gear you can create good photos in both light and dark environments. Besides owning the right gear, a professional event photographer has the knowledge to use the settings on a professional camera in the best way to get the best photos possible.

2. A professional event photographer delivers good quality photos

Everyone with a smartphone can take a photo on every moment of the day. But what is the difference of the quality of a photo taken with a smart phone compared to a professional photo? The quality difference is huge. A professional event photographer can capture every important moment at the highest quality. Do you want to use the photos to be printed on a big banner or poster? No problem, they’re big enough.

3. His profession is based on creating a good reputation as a professional event photographer

A professional photographer makes a living out of his photography, so it’s really important that he or she retains a good reputation. One unsatisfied customer can lead to bad word of mouth publicity and can cost future photography jobs. That is why a professional photographer is always eager to deliver their best work at every single job. This will lead to good reviews and eventually will lead to more work. Visit prostockmaster.

4. A professional has the right experience in photographing events

If you’re working with a professional event photographer, you’ll know he/she has the right experience to help you creating memories of your event that will last for a lifetime. An experienced photographer knows what to do, what is expected from him/her and knows how to behave on an event.

5. An event photographer can focus on your event, while you can focus on your guests.

If you have agreed to do business with each other and have discussed all the necessary things, you can take care of the most important thing: making sure the event goes as planned. With a professional photographer, you don’t have to worry about the visual aspect anymore, because you’ll know everything will be taken care of.

Mayhem Mania 2020: Patreon In The Bank!

This. Is. Mayhem Mania!

This is the ultimate fantasy booking game/competitive thought experiment. The goal is to create the best WrestleMania card possible – not necessarily to predict what WWE will do. That means we must play by the rules of our current reality. Everyone comes in their current (physical, emotional, psychological, etc.) state. Bottom line, if Vince McMahon can do it, we can do it. (more…)

Mayhem Mania 2020: Round 8

This. Is. Mayhem Mania!

This is the ultimate fantasy booking game/competitive thought experiment. The goal is to create the best WrestleMania card possible – not necessarily to predict what WWE will do. That means we must play by the rules of our current reality. Everyone comes in their current (physical, emotional, psychological, etc.) state. Bottom line, if Vince McMahon can do it, we can do it.

Catch up on the lore! Check out the previous rounds of Mayhem Mania 2020!
It Begins! – Round 1 – Round 2 – Round 3 – Round 4 – Round 5 – Round 6 – Round 7

Mayhem Mania feels like it’s been flying by in the blink of an eye. We’re already into the penultimate round and on the verge of Patreon In The Bank! More on what to expect in a moment, but first let’s get down to this week’s business.

The goal is to get eight matches onto our SUPERCARD. All matches start out being created on our “undercard” where they can be tweaked, improved or outright deleted in favor of something else by our players. If a match survives three consecutive weeks without being altered in any way, it graduates to the SUPERCARD where it’s locked in. That also opens a slot on our “undercard” to create another match. Seems simple enough, but if you’ve been following along over the years you know it can get complicated.

Heading into Round 8 of Mayhem Mania, three matches had graduated to our SUPERCARD!

MAYHEM MANIA 2020 SUPERCARD!

MIA YIM & KAY LEE RAY & TEGAN NOX VS. ASUKA & KAIRI SANE & IO SHIRAI
(CREATED BY TINA KEYS)

week1-7

EDGE VS. MATT RIDDLE
(CREATED BY CHAD THE SHAD)
week3-1

BIANCA BELAIR VS. JAZZ
(CREATED BY TINA KEYS)
week5-5 (1)

This is much more than simply “fantasy booking”. All individuals come in their current contractual, physical, emotional, etc. state. So, if Vince McMahon can do it, you can do it. However, if Vince can NOT do it that means that individual is off limits. There’s room for some flexibility if you’re creative enough, and our players usually are.

Not every individual available to Vince is actually eligible, however. A select few have earned the ire of some of our players and been banished to SPACE JAIL. That means they can not be used in Mayhem Mania, but it’s not a life sentence. Every week we spin our special prize wheel to see if one of them can escape. It happens more often than you’d think, but this week SPACE JAIL remained secure and no one escaped.

With all that fun stuff out of the way, let’s get into the moves from Round 8 of Mayhem Mania 2020.

MAYHEM MANIA 2020: ROUND 8

MOVE 1 (by Thee Rizz)
SWAP Samoa Joe for Shinsuke Nakamura

MOVE 2 (by Mad Mike)
SWAP Keith Lee and Drew McIntyre

Move 3 (by Rob Brown)
ADD Samoa Joe to WALTER vs. Keith Lee

Move 4 (by BobbyFJtown)
DELETE Finn Balor vs. Aleister Black and CREATE Akira Tozawa & KUSHIDA & “American Dragon” Daniel Bryan vs. Angel Garza & Andrade & Jorge Bolly

Move 5 (by Kyle from Pitt Fight)
ADD Finn Balor to A.J. Styles vs. Adam Cole

So, after those latest moves here are the five newly created matches following Round 8 of Mayhem Mania.

Akira Tozawa & KUSHIDA & “American Dragon” Daniel Bryan vs. Angel Garza & Andrade & Jorge Bolly
(Created by BobbyFJtown)
week9-5
WALTER vs. Keith Lee vs. Samoa Joe
(Created by Rob Brown)
week9-1 (1)
Big E Langston vs. Drew McIntyre
(Created by Mad Mike)
week9-4 (1)
A.J. Styles vs. Adam Cole vs. Finn Balor
(Created by Kyle from Pitt Fight)
week9-2 (1)
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Pete Dunne
(Created by Thee Rizz)
week9-3 (1)

And here are the three matches that survived Round 8 without being altered in any way.

LIGERO VS. SAMI ZAYN
(CREATED BY ALEX KAHRS)
week8-3 (1)

JOAQUIN WILDE VS. JORDAN DEVLIN VS. ISAIAH SCOTT VS. JOHN MORRISON VS. RICOCHET
(CREATED BY BILLY JOHNSON)
week8-6

REVEREND D-VON & DEACON BATISTA VS. PAUL LONDON & BRIAN KENDRICK
(CREATED BY “COUNTRY HAMMER” JAMI JAMESON)
week6-4 (1)

Guess what? That last match has survived three consecutive weeks without being altered in any way and it is now the FOURTH match to GRADUATE to our SUPERCARD! Congratulations to “The Country Hammer” Jami Jameson for creating such a great match. He’ll be invited back next week to receive his rewards. Those include:

1. One ticket to send an individual to SPACE JAIL (*Those in SPACE JAIL are not eligible to be used during Mayhem Mania, but have a chance to escape as you’ll see in a moment)
2. Name an entrant for the 2nd annual Mayhem Cluster Battle Rumble, to be held during the Mayhem Mania preshow. (*Individuals who are entered into the Mayhem Cluster Battle Rumble can still be used in another Mayhem Mania match)
3. Hand out a dose of punishment to one of next week’s players! (*I can not in good conscience allow any Patreon supporter of the Wrestling Mayhem Show to be punished during Patreon In The Bank, so this portion of the reward system is being suspended in this instance)
4. Create a new match to fill to open 8th spot on our “undercard”

Also, Mad Mike’s move for Round 8 did not survive to the end of the round. Thus, the “Alex Kahrs Rule” must be invoked. Mad Mike is invited back next week (He was coming anyway since it’s Patreon In The Bank) and he will be granted the FINAL move of the Patreon In The Bank round!

Some of you may be asking yourselves, “What in the hell is Patreon In The Bank?”

Patreon In The Bank is the dramatic, cataclysmic finale to Mayhem Mania. Every Patreon supporter of the Wrestling Mayhem Show is invited to participate. That means we’ll have many more than our standard five players for the “normal” rounds. Also, those players will receive enhanced abilities to alter matches, including adding stipulations, special referees and more!

I know you’re all wondering what awesome powers you’re being granted, so here they are!

Patreon Tier 1 (Fan Of The Show)
– Name an entrant for the Mayhem Cluster Battle Rumble 2
– Nominate an individual to be the host of Mayhem Mania
– Make one “standard” move
– Add a stipulation/special referee/etc. to any “undercard” match

Patreon Tier 2 (Poppy Club)
– Name an entrant for the Mayhem Cluster Battle Rumble 2
– Nominate an individual to be the host of Mayhem Mania
– Nominate a musical guest for Mayhem Mania
– Make one “standard” move (ADDED move option: SUBTRACT)
– Add a stipulation/special referee/etc. to any match on the “undercard” or SUPERCARD

Patreon Tier 3 (Pizza Club)
– Name an entrant for the Mayhem Cluster Battle Rumble 2
– Nominate an individual to be the host of Mayhem Mania
– Nominate a musical guest for Mayhem Mania
– Nominate an individual to be part of the Mayhem Mania announce team
– 1 ticket to send one individual to SPACE JAIL (can be used at any time during Patreon In The Bank. *Previously incarcerated individuals ineligible to be sent back to SPACE JAIL)
– Make one “standard” move (ADDED move options: SUBTRACT and SWAP-A-STIP)
– Add a stipulation/special referee/etc. to any match on the “undercard” or SUPERCARD
– AUTO-GRADUATE any match from the “undercard” to the SUPERCARD
– Player may name a proxy to make their moves on their behalf if they are unable to attend Patreon In The Bank

Patreon Tier 4 (Manager Level, or higher)
– Name an entrant for the Mayhem Cluster Battle Rumble 2
– Nominate an individual to be the host of Mayhem Mania
– Nominate a musical guest for Mayhem Mania
– Nominate an individual to be part of the Mayhem Mania announce team
– 1 ticket to send one individual to SPACE JAIL (can be used at any time during Patreon In The Bank. *Previously incarcerated individuals ineligible to be sent back to SPACE JAIL)
– 1 court order to free one individual from SPACE JAIL (can be used at any time during Patreon In The Bank. *”No Double Jeopardy” rule applies to all parolees)
– Make one “standard” move (ADDED move options: SUBTRACT and SWAP-A-STIP)
– Add a stipulation/special referee/etc. to any match on the “undercard” or SUPERCARD
– AUTO-GRADUATE any match from the “undercard” to the SUPERCARD or UN-GRADUATE any match on the SUPERCARD back to the “undercard”
– Player may name a proxy to make their moves on their behalf if they are unable to attend Patreon In The Bank
– REALITY STONE! Break the rules of our universe and use ANYONE you wish. (*One-time use only and can be applied to only ONE individual)

So, start making your plans for your big moves during the Patreon In The Bank round of Mayhem Mania!

Thanks as always to Antonio Garza from TheWrestlingRevolution.com for the awesome match graphics he creates for us every year.

Thanks for supporting and enjoying Mayhem Mania and we’ll see you next Tuesday night on the Wrestling Mayhem Show for Patreon In The Bank!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayhem Mania 2020: Round 7

This. Is. Mayhem Mania!

This is the ultimate fantasy booking game/competitive thought experiment. The goal is to create the best WrestleMania card possible – not necessarily to predict what WWE will do. That means we must play by the rules of our current reality. Everyone comes in their current (physical, emotional, psychological, etc.) state. Bottom line, if Vince McMahon can do it, we can do it. (more…)

Monday Mayhem Wrestling Wrap Up LIVE: 2/17/20: Completely Not Religious


Mad Mike and Sorg are talking pro wresting on Monday night like it’s a novel concept! We chat up RWA PRO- Renegade Wrestling Alliance, NXT Takeover Portland, who is AJ Styles going to face at WrestleMania, and who would John Cena WANT to face at WrestleMania.

Mayham Mania 2020: Round 1

This. Is. Mayhem Mania!

This is the ultimate fantasy booking game. The goal is to create the best WrestleMania card possible – not necessarily to predict what WWE will do. That means we must play by the rules of our current reality. Everyone comes in their current (physical, emotional, psychological, etc.) state. Bottom line, if Vince McMahon can do it, we can do it.

It’s Round 1 of Mayhem Mania 2020. We have 8 matches on our card and it’s time to let our players start making some improvements (we hope) to it. Each of them get to make one change. That can be as simple as swapping out one match for another with entirely new personnel. Or, our players can get a little more creative and swap just one person or team out and into the existing matches. They can also add a person or team to an existing match. The only real limit is the imagination of our players. (more…)

What 5 Years Of Mayhem Mania Reveals About Our Changing Pro Wrestling Tastes

Over the past five years, the Wrestling Mayhem Show has celebrated the weeks leading up to WrestleMania with Mayhem Mania. It’s kind of a competitive thought experiment that challenges players to make the best WrestleMania matches possible. WWE’s pool of talent has been historically deep in recent years, and our goal is to demonstrate the full potential of their roster.

The ground rules are simple. Only the talents that WWE can realistically book for the real WrestleMania are eligible. Current injuries, contract statuses and other factors help us decide who can be booked. We start by creating an 8-match card. Over the weeks that follow, players make changes to the card, swapping individuals or event entirely new matches. As the weeks go by, some matches survive long enough to graduate to a permanent supercard, opening up room for new matches.

At its most basic, Mayhem Mania is a popularity contest. The matches created over its first 5 years are like a time capsule, revealing who fans wanted to see in the biggest matches on the biggest show of the year. But, as most of us know, the tastes of pro wrestling fans are fickle. A talent who is hot one year can cool off quickly. The name we’re all fighting to book in Mayhem Mania this year may not be mentioned in the next.

Over the first five years of Mayhem Mania, 220 different names have been used to create a wide variety of matches of varying levels of quality, but no name has been used more often than Finn Balor.

That’s 35 weeks when Balor has been booked in a match in Mayhem Mania. He’s been one of the most consistently used names over the past five years, something that will become even more impressive as we take a closer look at his history compared to other names.

Finn Balor

Although Balor’s usage was down slightly in 2019, a recent heel turn and well-received return to NXT sets the stage for a likely resurgence in 2020. Despite his ups and downs in WWE over the past five years, Balor has remained one of the most consistently popular personalities among fans.

It took a down year for the former holder of the top spot, Brock Lesnar, to open the door for Balor to claim it in 2019.

Brock Lesnar

In the 2019 edition of Mayhem Mania, Brock Lesnar was booked in a match just once. That’s an alarmingly sharp decline for a name that was among the most popular in Mayhem Mania. It will be interesting to see if Lesnar bounces back or remains on the sidelines.

Balor and Lesnar are among an exclusive group of eight individuals who have been booked in a match for at least one week during every year of Mayhem Mania.

  • Bray Wyatt
  • Brock Lesnar
  • Charlotte Flair
  • Daniel Bryan
  • Finn Balor
  • Roman Reigns
  • Sasha Banks
  • Triple H

Bray Wyatt‘s history in Mayhem Mania is probably what you’d expect. He was extremely popular from 2015-2017, but he barely made it into a match in 2018 and 2019.

Bray Wyatt

A lot has changed for Wyatt since the 2019 edition of Mayhem Mania. He’s now “The Fiend”, the WWE Champion, and more popular than ever in the eyes of many fans. A big bounce-back should be expected in 2020.

Among the “Five For Five” group, the most interesting name to me is Daniel Bryan. He spent a sizable portion of the past 5+ years retired from in-ring competition. Yet, somehow he kept finding his way into Mayhem Mania. Did we allow a little too much leeway in allowing our players to book a guy who wasn’t medically cleared by WWE? Maybe. It’s still a testament to Bryan’s enduring popularity and the hope fans always held onto that he would one day resume his in-ring career.

Daniel Bryan

As for the two women in this group, Charlotte Flair leads all female competitors with 23 weeks being booked in a match over the five years of Mayhem Mania.

* “Michelle” refers to Michelle McCool. “Stephanie” refers to Stephanie McMahon

Charlotte’s position on top may not be surprising, but she may not hold it for much longer. Despite being used in just the past four years, Asuka has nearly caught her. Also, a closer look at Charlotte’s history shows that her popularity has declined.

Charlotte Flair

As for Sasha Banks, she was popular during three of the first four years of Mayhem Mania, but her usage took a dramatic dip in 2019.

Sasha Banks

Now, let’s take a look at a slightly larger group – those who were booked in a match for at least one week during four of the first five years of Mayhem Mania. Included in parenthesis is the year they were not booked.

  • AJ Styles (2015)
  • Asuka (2015)
  • Bayley (2015)
  • Bo Dallas (2019)
  • Big E (2018)
  • Braun Strowman (2015)
  • Cesaro (2016)
  • Chris Jericho (2019)
  • Dash Wilder (2015)
  • Dean Ambrose (2018)
  • Eric Young (2015)
  • Harper (2017)
  • Jey Uso (2017)
  • Jimmy Uso (2017)
  • John Cena (2016)
  • Kevin Owens (2019)
  • Kofi Kingson (2018)
  • The Miz (2016)
  • Rowan (2017)
  • Rusev (2019)
  • Samoa Joe (2015)
  • Scott Dawson (2015)
  • Seth Rollins (2016)
  • Tommaso Ciampa (2015)
  • Undertaker (2019)
  • Xavier Woods (2018)

Some of the missed years are easily explained, and most deserve a place (with an asterisk) in the top tier list of those booked in all five years of Mayhem Mania. AJ Styles, Asuka, Eric Young, Samoa Joe and Tommaso Ciampa were not yet full-time competitors in WWE in 2015. Others were under contract with other organizations, meaning they were not eligible to be used. The absence of others in certain years is the result of them being off television due to injury: Cesaro, Dean Ambrose, John Cena and Rowan.

John Cena

Despite each missing a year, AJ Styles (31) and Cesaro (29) are not far behind Balor for the top spot on the list of all-time most booked names in Mayhem Mania. Styles has been a very popular name, but can he sustain that popularity? It’s easy to be doubtful after taking a closer look at his Mayhem Mania history.

AJ Styles

As for the reason why some other names are on the “4 Out Of 5 Years” list instead of the “5 Out Of 5” list…

Bayley was left out of the first edition of Mayhem Mania in 2015. She was still in NXT at the time, and was in the NXT Women’s Title picture for part of year. She competed in a fatal 4-way match for the championship in February 2015 at NXT TakeOver: Rival, but the best was yet to come. After Mayhem Mania 2015 concluded, “Peak Bayley” arrived with her championship victory at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in August 2015. You can see the reaction. Bayley was a popular choice in Mayhem Mania in 2016. However, her popularity has eroded since then.

Bayley

Dash and Dawson were teaming regularly in 2015, but they were not yet The Revival. They won the NXT Tag Team Championships for the first time in November of 2015.

Braun Strowman was rarely seen in NXT. His popularity didn’t start to rise until he debuted on WWE’s main roster in August 2015. He’s been a fairly consistent choice in Mayhem Mania ever since.

Braun Strowman

Chris Jericho likely would’ve been booked again in 2019 if he hadn’t signed a contract with All Elite Wrestling. Over the first four years of Mayhem Mania, he was a reliable option for our players.

Kevin Owens returned from injury in time to be eligible for Mayhem Mania in 2019, but he was never booked. In 2018, he was booked only once. Owens was one of the most popular names in Mayhem Mania in 2017 and 2016. So, what changed? Early 2017 marked the end of Owens’ reign as WWE Universal Champion. That appeared to mark the beginning of his slide. Owens seems to be in a much better place in early 2020. Perhaps a comeback is in the cards? According to injury lawyers in Crown Point, losing opportunities because if injuries is one of the major reasons to deserve compensations.

Kevin Owens

Undertaker‘s absence in 2019 after appearing in the first four years of Mayhem Mania is clearly a sign that fans are less interested in seeing him perform in the ring.

Undertaker

Bo Dallas is an interesting case. Inexplicably, he was booked in at least one match during the first four years of Mayhem Mania. But in 2019, his slowing momentum came to a full stop and he was not mentioned once. The high point of his modest success was in 2017, when was booked in a match during three weeks of Mayhem Mania. During that time Dallas was still a member of The Social Outcasts.

Now, we’ll look at some of the one-year absences that are less easily explained.

The Usos not being booked in Mayhem Mania in 2017 is somewhat puzzling. They were newly crowned SmackDown Tag Team Champions in March of 2017. But the titles were not defended at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida. Instead, The Usos participated in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Just like WWE, the Mayhem Mania players couldn’t find anything interesting to do with The Usos.

Another tag team worth looking at is The New Day. All three members were left out entirely during the 2018 edition of Mayhem Mania. What makes this so unexpected is the fact that The New Day were still riding the wave of a hot feud with The Usos over the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. The two teams were in a three-way match for the titles, with the Bludgeon Brothers as the third wheel, at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans. For some reason, The New Day in early 2018 wasn’t what the Mayhem Mania players were looking for.

In early 2016, The Miz was the WWE Intercontinental Champion, but he wasn’t capturing the imagination of the Mayhem Mania players. Perhaps WWE sensed that as well. After seeing Zack Ryder win the IC Title at WrestleMania 32, The Miz teamed up on-screen with his real-life wife Maryse to reclaim the title the following night on Raw. The addition to The Miz’ act worked. He’s been booked in every year of Mayhem Mania since then.

The Miz

Rusev is a sad case. He was booked in the first four years of Mayhem Mania. His popularity and the “Rusev Day” phenomenon made him one of the hottest names heading into WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans in 2018. But Rusev’s star faded not long after that. In 2019, he wasn’t booked in a single Mayhem Mania match. His Mayhem Mania history is an uneven pattern. Rusev has been a big part of Raw recently. Maybe he’ll bounce back again.

Rusev

Luke Harper‘s absence in 2017 may be the most baffling omission of all. During the months leading up to WrestleMania 33, you could argue he was having the biggest run of his career. He was in the middle of a long-simmering Wyatt Family breakup story line involving Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. At the 2017 Royal Rumble, Harper turned on both Wyatt and Orton. He followed that up with some memorable in-ring encounters with AJ Styles. Unfortunately, it didn’t resonate with the Mayhem Mania players in 2017. Harper’s name wasn’t used a single time. For all his hard work, something about Harper’s run didn’t click with us or WWE. He found himself in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33.

So, we’ve been able to pinpoint a good amount of names that started hot in the early years of Mayhem Mania before fading. Now, let’s try to find some “Ones To Watch”. There’s a group of names that have burst onto the scene and surged in popularity over the recent years of Mayhem Mania.

  • Ricochet: 14 weeks booked over the last 2 years
  • Aleister Black: 12 weeks booked over the last 2 years
  • Velveteen Dream: 12 weeks booked over the last 2 years
  • Nikki Cross: 9 weeks booked over the last 3 years
  • Johnny Gargano:  8 weeks booked over the last 3 years

There’s another group that made a big splash in their Mayhem Mania debuts in 2019.

  • Io Shirai: 7 weeks
  • Zelina Vega: 7 weeks
  • Ali: 6 weeks
  • Rhea Ripley: 6 weeks
  • Lio Rush: 5 weeks
  • Walter: 5 weeks

Io Shirai and Zelina Vega both benefited from being attached to a trios tag team match booked in 2019 that included The IIconics on one side and Asuka and Kairi Sane on the other. To me, their popularity individually is still something that needs to be proven in Mayhem Mania.

On the other hand, Ali and Rhea Ripley made far bigger impressions during Mayhem Mania 2019. Both kept finding their way into matches. Since the 2019 edition of Mayhem Mania, Ripley’s stardom has grown dramatically. She won the NXT Women’s Championship in December 2019. I’m proud to say we were on her bandwagon nearly a year earlier.

As for Ali, his momentum feels like it’s stalled since the early part of 2019, when he was orbiting the WWE Championship picture. We’ll see if the Mayhem Mania players remember him in 2020.

There are many more names we could break down. Producer Missy and Mad Mike deserve a ton of credit for helping to bring all the Mayhem Mania data together and organize it into spreadsheets. It’s really interesting to look at years of data and the trends that emerge. But as I mentioned earlier, this is pro wrestling. No one knows for sure what fans and our Mayhem Mania players will want to see in 2020.