In WWE Battle Royals, Beware The “Hidden Opponent”

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

A battle royal has come down to two competitors. The crowd buzzes as they stare at one another for a few moments. The intensity swells. Then, they go at it. Near-eliminations are teased as the drama builds. Finally, one competitor is able to send the other over the top rope and down to the floor.

The crowd roars as the apparent winner stands tall. But wait! There’s another battle royal entrant you completely forgot about. He/she reappears and steals the victory for him/herself.

It happened again during the Survivor Series 2020 Kickoff show.

If you’re starting to feel like you’ve seen this sort of thing before, you’re not alone. I saw some fans on Twitter saying exactly that.

First I Rant, Then I Research

What makes this more bizarre for me is that I had just unleashed my own rant over WWE’s tendency to run the “hidden opponent” finish in its battle royals just over a month ago.

Here’s what set me off, in case you’d already forgotten.

The morning after my rant, I wondered if I was the one who’s crazy. Is it all in my head? Are there really that many “hidden opponent” battle royal finishes in WWE? 

I combed through the results of every WWE-sanctioned battle royal I could find dating back to the beginning of 2015. It turns out I’m not crazy. But the situation may not be as bad as you and some other fans think. Before we begin I should point out that I’m excluding Royal Rumble matches from this exercise.

WWE Keeps It Clean…For A Bit

Up until The Miz and Lana got their battle royal wins, WWE had a clean slate in 2020, running five straight with NO “hidden opponent” endings. In fact, WWE had been on a pretty good run dating back to June 2019.

That battle royal on June 19, 2019 was TEXTBOOK “hidden opponent” booking. It was the NXT UK Women’s Title #1 Contendership Battle Royal. Kay Lee Ray quietly disappears early in the match with an apparent knee injury, only to reemerge at the very end to ambush Xia Brookside.

At WrestleMania, on April 7, 2019, we had a pair of “hidden opponent” attempts in BOTH battle royals! Neither worked out as intended. Carmella successfully surprised, and eventually eliminated, Sarah Logan. Later, Colin Jost and Michael Che tried to sneak up on Braun Strowman. It didn’t work out for them.

We also can’t overlook a 15-man battle royal at the Worlds Collide event that aired in February 2019. You may consider this a borderline entry under the “hidden opponent” criteria, but hear me out.

Jordan Devlin is in the final three, but he ends up down and nearly motionless in the corner for nearly 45 seconds while Velveteen Dream and Tony Nese do battle. Devlin only springs back to life after Dream eliminates Nese and a well-timed dropkick eliminates Dream. In my eyes, this is a “hidden opponent” finish. The key evidence is Dream raising his arms in victory after eliminating Nese. Not great awareness of his surroundings by Dream, but I’m counting this one.

For the next “hidden opponent” finish, we head back to Monday Night Raw on October 8, 2018. It’s the Global Battle Royal. It’s Kurt Angle disguised as The Conquistador getting the drop on Baron Corbin. It is TEXTBOOK “hidden opponent” booking!

Our next stop is April 8, 2018 for the first-ever WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal and another TEXTBOOK “hidden opponent” finish as Naomi surprised Bayley.

Defining “Peak Hidden Opponent”

Bookending Naomi’s “hidden opponent” victory at WrestleMania and Kay Lee Ray’s on NXT UK in June 2019 allowed me to frame a period in WWE history as “Peak Hidden Opponent”. Between Naomi’s win on April 8, 2018 and KLR’s on June 19, 2019, WWE held 15 battle royals. Six of them featured “hidden opponent” endings. And if my math is correct, that’s 40%. I believe this is where my frustration with more recent battle royal finishes was rooted.

As I mentioned, I dug through battle royal results from WWE dating back to 2015. Here’s how things stacked up for each of those years.

  • 2020: 2 “Hidden Opponent” Finishes, 5 Clean Finishes (29%)
  • 2019: 4 “Hidden Opponent” Finishes, 6 Clean Finishes (40%)
  • 2018: 2 “Hidden Opponent” Finishes, 7 Clean Finishes (22%)
  • 2017: 1 “Hidden Opponent” Finishes, 5 Clean Finishes (17%) (*There were also 2 “No Contests” that I did not count for either column)
  • 2016: 3 “Hidden Opponent” Finishes, 4 Clean Finishes (43%)
  • 2015: 0 “Hidden Opponent” Finishes, 3 Clean Finishes (0%)

Since 2015, WWE has been running the “hidden opponent” ending in about 29% of its battle royals overall. Those peaks in 2019 and back in 2016 really stick out.

So, while it may feel like it’s been happening a lot, WWE’s recent battle royal booking is not out of line with how the company has been operating since 2015. In fact, the past or month or so has been a course correction for the company.

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DUMP TRUCKS 101: HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE

Since early 1900s, children have been fascinated by dump trucks. The sheer size of this huge equipment plying up and down streets appealed to their imagination and young boys from every generation since have confessed to toy dump trucks being their favorite plaything.

Load King 10 ft. Dump Truck
Blue Dump Truck

In the real world of adults, dump trucks — often called `dumpers’ or `tipper lorries’ in the United Kingdom and `tip trucks’ in Australia — are no less fascinating when you think about how incredibly important they are to keep modern society in working order.

The large-engined truck with a deep, open bed in the back is used across so many industries – from construction to mining — to transport all kinds of material from one location to another. In fact, according to Hexa Research, the dump truck service market in the United States will reach $ 20.64 billion by 2025, owing to a growing rise in construction and mining activities in the country. About 15,000 firms are currently active in the US providing dump truck services, and they create over 100,000 direct employment opportunities at current service levels.

Below, we have prepared a glance-sheet with all the most relevant information you will need if you’re looking to buy a dump truck that will best suit your budget and performance needs:

Dump Trucks for Sale

LOAD KING’S 10 FT. DUMP TRUCK

THE LOAD KING 10′ DUMP BODY CAN HANDLE SAND TO MEDIUM AGGREGATES AND ASPHALT. THIS DUMP BODY CARRIES UP TO 7 CUBIC YARDS AND ITS HIGH STRENGTH STEEL BODY CAN DUMP UP TO A 50-DEGREE ANGLE. LOAD KING DUMP BODIES COME EQUIPPED WITH A STANDARD ELECTRIC MESH TARP.

LOAD KING’S 16 FT. DUMP TRUCK

WHEN YOU HAVE MORE MATERIALS TO TRANSPORT, CONSIDER A 16-18 FT. LOAD KING DUMP TRUCK. WITH A STANDARD LENGTH OF 16′-18′, THIS DUMP BODY HANDLES SAND TO LARGE AGGREGATES, RIPRAP AND ASPHALT AND HAS THE CAPACITY FROM 16 TO 19 CUBIC YARDS. LOAD KING 16’+ DUMP BODIES COME STANDARD WITH HIGH-LIFT TAILGATES, HEAVY DUTY APRONS AND AN ELECTRIC MESH TARP.

Dump Trucks for Sale

CHOOSING THE RIGHT DUMP TRUCK

Below, we have prepared a glance sheet with all the most relevant information you will need if you’re looking to buy a dump truck that will best suit your budget and performance needs:

  1. BODY STYLES

    There are 3 kinds of body styles on the market: traditional rectangle, half-round, and semi-elliptical.

    A dump box that is in the shape of a traditional rectangle will offer the most room on the floor of the bed, which means more spread. This shape is very popular for the strength and agility it offers with a low center of gravity when carrying a heavy load.

    The half-round style can handle impact better than the rectangular version, because the steel is shaped into a semi-circle. As it does not require cross-members for support, it offers a lighter total weight and greater payload capacity. The shape also makes it more difficult for material to stick to the floor, allowing for a cleaner dump cycle. However, the half round has limitations when it comes to hauling equipment or pallets in the bed, because it’s not flat.

    The semi-elliptical style – also called bathtub or tub style – is looked upon as a kind of hybrid between the traditional rectangle and the half-round. For example, this body style has floors like the traditional rectangle body style but has a haul shape like the half-round body style. Check the best deals at peterbuilt truck auctions.

  2. BODY METAL

    As all metals don’t have the same tensile strength, choosing the right one depends on the nature of the task the dump truck will be used for. There are two main options: steel and aluminum.

    Steel is ideal for carrying materials that are more abrasive (such as asphalt, gravel, and concrete) as it offers more protection than aluminum against potential damage. There are numerous types of steel that are used, and they come in many grades, ranging from A-36 all the way up to AR-450 or AR-500 depending on the application.

    Aluminum is a great choice when carrying non-abrasive materials because of its lighter weight. It offers a greater payload capacity, as well as more protection from corrosion. On the flip side, aluminum is more expensive and its repair costs are greater than steel.

  3. ENGINE

    Power output from dump truck engines typically ranges between 300 and 600 horsepower. A word of caution: do not overestimate your requirements and buy too much more horsepower than you actually need. This will cost you when you put the truck in operation. Consider the weight of the load you intend to carry and match an engine accordingly. You don’t want to be under-powered, but you don’t want to be over-powered either.

  4. TRANSMISSION

    Manual transmission offers a wide range of gear options in dump trucks. This allows operators to get more maneuverability, as well as match engine speed with the task at hand. An automatic transmission does not offer this advantage, but without multiple gears and clutch, they cause less operator fatigue during long haul jobs. A third option is an integrated automated manual transmission. This is becoming popular with dump truck buyers, because they offer both efficient energy expenditure and a comfortable operating experience at the same time.

  5. AXLE REQUIREMENTS

    Gross vehicle weight rating, or GVWR, is the maximum operating weight specified for a dump truck and includes the sum total weight of everything. This means chassis, body, engine, fuel, operator, and the cargo load.

    Federal laws are in place to protect highways and bridges from excessive damage caused by vehicle weight. These limits are based on the number of axles on a truck. The fewer axles a dump truck has, the lower the weight that truck can legally carry on public roads.

    This is precisely the reason why Super Dumps rule the heavy end of the market. A Super Dump has four to seven total axles and is capable of legal payloads ranging from 19-26 tons. Super Dumps carry payloads equal to trailers and transfers, while maintaining the maneuverability and quick turnaround time of a standard tandem dump truck. The unique combination of huge payload and speed is what makes the Super Dump the most productive and profitable dump truck on the road.

    Click this link for more information on local and federal laws regulating weight and axle numbers.

  6. CHOOSING THE RIGHT DEALERSHIP

    All dealerships are not made the same. But their participation in the purchase experience is extremely important – from evaluating specs and gauging the most suitable equipment to offering valuable customer support and financing options.

    “A lot of people like to stay minimal, but we take pride in building robust trucks that are going to have lasting value in their second life — when it is time to trade it or sell it,” says Chip Howard, Product Manager at Custom Truck One Source, the first, true single-source provider of specialized trucks in the country. “We have 26 locations all across the U.S., a deep network of service and support staff, and we have a 24-hour call-in center. Ninety percent of our dump truck business is sales and only 10% is rental, but our customer support offers the same level of assistance to both client categories.”

    Custom Truck One Source has the largest inventory of dump trucks in the United States, and carry a huge variety of specs. This includes region-specific options that will work anywhere from California to the Northeast. Our stock doesn’t even run low in the last quarter of the year, when people actually want to invest in equipment rather than taxes.

Mayhem Mania 2020: Round 5

Five tips for a healthy diet

Written by: Falon NeSmith
Media Contact: Adam Pope

Five tips StreamMaintaining a healthy diet is important for your body’s overall health, reducing risk from many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.  These are the best keto pills for weight loss.

In honor of National Nutrition Awareness Month, Amy Warriner, M.D., director of UAB Weight Loss Medicine and professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Lizzy Davis, Ph.D., assistant professor with the UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences, share their top five tips for maintaining a healthy diet.

Choosing the right foods

It is important to choose foods for their nutrient content most of the time. Similarly, Warriner recommends choosing food for enjoyment only some of the time.

“It is important to know what nutrients are in foods and how to work those foods into your daily diet,” Warriner said. “If you do not know how to do this, talking with a registered dietitian can be very helpful.”

Davis says food is used more than just to sustain life — it is tied to culture, feelings, community, memories and more. Check out these cortexi reviews.

“For these reasons, it should be enjoyed some of the time,” Davis said. “Most of the time, choose foods that are nutrient-dense, meaning they provide a lot of nutrients for each serving size.”

Amy W InsideAmy Warriner, M.D.,
Photography: Chris CarmichaelSome examples include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, peas, beans and nuts.

“Typically, foods that are closer to their natural form are going to be nutrient-dense,” Davis said.

No food is bad food

There are no specific foods that you should or should not eat to be healthy. Balance is necessary, and all is OK in moderation and with balance.

“If you are eating a diet full of healthy vegetables and lean proteins, eating a treat every now and again is not harmful,” Warriner said. “Alternatively, if you are eating fast food for most meals, adding a protein shake is not going to make you healthier.” Learn more about liv pure.

Increase vegetable intake in your diet

Warriner says increasing the number of vegetables you eat is something most people struggle with. The recommended intake for vegetables is five to nine servings a day. Davis says roughly 9 percent of adults meet intake recommendations for vegetables.

“Try sneaking this in for breakfast and snacks, as typically these are eating times people aren’t consuming vegetables,” Davis said. “Mix a variety of vegetables in with your eggs, throw some in your hash browns, or sneak some into your muffin or pancake batter.”

Elizabeth K InsideLizzy Davis, Ph.D.,
Photography: Lexi CoonPortion control is essential

Even if you are making healthy choices, you can eat too much of a good thing.

“Serve up one serving size at a time,” Davis said. “When you have a stopping point — besides the bottom of the bag, you make your brain stop and ask, ‘am I still hungry’? You can always go back for more if you want to.”

Do not give in to gimmicks

“If there were a miracle diet/supplement/vitamin, you wouldn’t be learning about it from social media first,” Warriner said.

Instead, she recommends using your money to buy nutritious meals.

UAB has several resources for healthy eating and weight loss; the provides many services for those looking to lose and maintain weight, such as visits with physicians and nurse practitioners, visits with dietitians, meal plans, and more. Call 205-934-7053 to schedule an appointment.

Mayhem Mania 2020: Round 3

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. (more…)

Mayhem Mania 2020: Round 2

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.

We’re entering Round 2 of Mayhem Mania. So, we can finally say that Mayhem Mania is in full swing, right? Is it too soon? Who cares. I’m debating myself. (more…)

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…)

Mayhem Mania 2020: It Begins

Welcome back to year six of 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.

The WWE’s talent pool has never been deeper. Combine that with the other talents on the fringes that they theoretically may have access to and there’s no excuse for them not putting together the greatest WrestleMania card of all time. We’re going to show what’s possible.

Our game began during the Wrestling Mayhem Show on Tuesday, January 21. Eight players were invited to each create a single match. As an added layer to this year’s game, we’re asking more people to eliminate names from being eligible to use in Mayhem Mania – sending them through the Forbidden Portal into Space Jail. But there’s a catch, unlike in previous years, this may not be a permanent. Each week a random spin of our newly acquired prize wheel will determine if one of them can escape from Space Jail and re-enter the game. No “double jeopardy”. Once someone escapes from Space Jail, they can’t be sent back.

So, let’s check out the 8 matches our crew created.

Match #1
(Created by BobbyFJtown)
Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
week1-1

Match #2
(Created by Ronnie Starks)
#DIY vs. Time Splitters
week1-8
Match #3
(Created by Sorgatron)
Elias vs. Tony Nese
week1-2

Match #4
(Created by Honey Badger)
Rhea Ripley vs. Mercedes Martinez

week1-5

Match #5
(Created by Dave Podnar)
Velveteen Dream vs. R-Truth
week1-4

Match #6
(Created by Tina Keys)
Mia Yim & Kay Lee Ray & Tegan Nox vs. Asuka & Kairi Sane & Io Shirai
week1-7

Match #7
(Created by Mad Mike)
WALTER vs. Keith Lee
week1-3

Match #8
(Created by Mainstream Mat)
Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong vs. Shayna Baszler & Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir
week1-6

And here’s who got sent to Space Jail…

SPACE JAIL!
BobbyFJtown: Randy Orton
Ronnie Starks: Enzo
Sorgatron: Lacey Evans
Honey Badger: Bayley
Dave Podnar: Triple H
Tina Keys: Ronda Rousey
Mad Mike: WeeLC
Mainstream Mat: Bobby Fish

So, Mayhem Mania 2020 is underway. We have an eight-match card and we have eight people/things now serving time in Space Jail. Next Tuesday, we’ll invite five players to each make a single change to the existing card. Remember, any match that survives three consecutive rounds without being altered in any way will graduate to the Mayhem Mania SUPERCARD. The creator of that match will get some rewards and we’ll create a new match to take its place on our “undercard”.

By the time this whole thing is over, we’ll have eight graduated matches on our SUPERCARD. Trust me, it’ll work. We’ve already done this five time, and we haven’t failed yet.

Which of our eight matches do you like the best? Which ones do you think need some work? Which ones need to be dumped entirely. Post a comment or hit up the Wrestling Mayhem Show on social media to share your thoughts.

Before we go, we want to mention our Royal Rumble Challenge. Email your picks for the winners of both Rumble matches to [email protected]. Each correct pick will earn you a ticket to send someone through the Forbidden Portal to Space Jail. So, if you get both picks right, you’ll get to send two people to Space Jail! What a deal!

Enjoy Mayhem Mania and we’ll see you next week!