Brodus Clay's "Funkasaurus" Debut: Superstar or Superfail?

One of the most unexpected and most talked about stories of the week is the re-debut of Brodus Clay as a dancing, fun loving, "Funkasaurus."  For weeks there has been build up and hype for Clay who was being pushed as getting angrier and angrier every week that John Laurinaitis held off his debut.  There was even rumor that Clay would be the guy to come out in the Royal Rumble this year and clear the ring, making a huge impact.  When Clay finally debuted this past Monday, he was the exact opposite of everything that was expected.

As soon as the name "Funkasaurus" was announced and the music hit (which was the same music used by Ernest "The Cat" Miller in WWE for anyone that didn't catch that) it was clear that this new character was going to get some strong reactions.  In Run DMC-esque gear, smiling, dancing, it was an all new Brodus Clay.  My first thought was....."Wow, they have totally ruined this monster and given him a corny goofy character."  But after talking to some of our other writers and seeing the reaction its garnered, maybe a crazy over the top gimmick is a change that WWE needs.  As one of my fellow writers put it: "What else was he going to be?  Another Mark Henry?"

He's "funky," he's got dancers, he's got some Dusty Rhodes like lingo, but he's still a big man that can move in the ring.  Should Clay have been a monster that destroyed everyone?  Or is this crazy Funkasaurus gimmick going to make him a hugely popular star?  It's really to early to tell, but it seems WWE is happy with all the reactions it has brought so far.  What are your opinions on the new and funky Brodus Clay?

Edge and The Four Horsemen the first 2012 Hall of Fame Inductees

WWE kicked off Hall of Fame inductee announcements earlier than ever last night on RAW, when it was announced that Edge and the Four Horsemen were the first announced inductees this year.  A couple of months ago in Mexico, it was announced by Triple H that Mil Mascaras will also be inducted even though the segment wasn't shown on TV, so technically Mascaras was the first inductee announced.

Edge feels a little rushed, even though he is deserving.  I guess I personally feel like guys that are WAY overdue like The Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, and Jake Roberts should be going in before someone that retired a year ago.  None the less, apparently the WWE locker room voted on it and everyone feels good about it so it makes sense.  Christian will most likely induct Edge which comes as no surprise. 

The real surprise of the night was that The Four Horsemen will also be inducted this year.  Surprising mainly because Ric Flair, who was always the main guy in the group, currently works for TNA.  I don't see how it is even possible to induct the Horsemen without Flair there.  Judging by the picture shown on RAW, it looks like they will be inducting the Flair/Windham/Anderson/Blanchard/Dillon version of the Horsemen.  Of course Windham has had medical problems recently that have kept him in the hospital for a few months, so it will be interesting if he can make it.  If they don't expect Flair to be part of this, I hope they're ready for some thunderous "we want Flair" chants to erupt.

The 2012 WWE Hall of Fame is stacking up nicely with plenty more names out there to make it even bigger.  The event takes place as usual the night before WrestleMania, but no word yet on when the edited version will air on USA.

Joe Gagne's Funtime Pro Wrestling Arcade Videos

I've been sitting back enjoying these videos so I figured I would share here at PWR. Joe Gagne has taken to Youtube and is doing great (and hilarious) reviews of all the old classic wrestling games many of us grew up with.  From the arcade classics to some of the terrible Nintendo titles, this is a great series to relive all the magic from that era.

These videos bring back so many memories if you grew up playing each game and seeing how most of them improved over time.  The first wrestling game I remember playing at home was "Title Match" for the Atari 2600.  It was terrible...and made my next wrestling game (WrestleMania for NES) ALMOST seem good.  Looking back now, almost all of the first few games were on different levels of terrible.  As time went on there was an emotional roller coaster for wrestling game fans since the arcades had awesome games like "WWF Superstars" and "Wrestlefest," but the home consoles just couldn't capture the fun of the arcades until years later.

The late 90's/early 2000's were a glory period for wrestling games, and we're looking forward to Joe Gagne reviewing those games as well.  Check out the full series on Youtube where you can view the latest video, which is a review of King of the Ring for NES (quite possibly the worst wrestling game ever, seriously, it went FAR backward instead of forward.)  Below we will feature the review one of the most fun wrestling games ever that was way ahead of it's time, WWF Wrestlefest:

Chris Jericho Returns to WWE...and Says Nothing

Well the big "1-2-12" promos had sparked some interest the past few weeks, but most everyone was predicting either the return of Chris Jericho or The Undertaker.  If you saw RAW, you know that the promos were for the return of Chris Jericho.  As the final promo played with the little girl and the little boy, I was trying to figure out what it could all mean and what the significance of the girl was....but little did I know that the promos with the kids were only the BEGINNING of the night's confusion.

As the final promo ended, the screen started to shake and the lights went out, which definitely felt like The Undertaker was on his way out.  The crowd started a "Y2J" chant, and sure enough there was Jericho in his trademark pose while wearing an LED lit jacket.  The place went crazy and it looked like the over the top good guy Jericho was back.  He got in the ring smiling, and seemed to be ecstatic to be in front of the WWE Universe again.  The celebration continued, as Jericho got out of the ring and made the rounds high fiving fans.  Jericho got back in the ring, grabbed the mic, but then decided to work the crowd even more and keep the celebration going.  I think it was about 5 minutes into this when I started to feel like Jericho might be overdoing it, and he needed to go ahead and say whatever he was going to say....but that didn't happen.

When Jericho finally did grab the mic and ALMOST started to talk.......he dropped the mic in the ring, and for a second i expected a complete heel turn on the crowd as if he suckered them all in.  But then, Jericho started smiling and celebrating all over, and things just got more and more odd.  Jericho then proceeded to hop out of the ring, slap some more hands, and then he left.  The crowd didn't know what to think, but some boos could be heard and there was a definite vibe that there was more to this story.  We were expecting a "I'm back and I'm entering the Royal Rumble" type of promo, but it was almost like Jericho was making a mockery of wrestling returns. 

As odd as all of this was, I can at least say it was different.  The idea of Jericho returning didn't really interest me all that much since it doesn't feel like he's been gone all that long.  The way things were handled at least got people talking because it was so odd and different, but it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.  I have a feeling it was Jericho himself that came up with this, since he's talked in the past about reinventing himself and keeping things interesting.  One thing is for sure, Chris Jericho is back even though we don't know why or where he stands.  What did you think of Chris Jericho's return?  Was it stupid?  Or did it make you wonder where this story is going?

Brock Lesnar Retires from UFC

Just yesterday we previewed the Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem fight at UFC 141, and now tonight we can report that Brock Lesnar's career in the UFC is officially over.  Lesnar was defeated with ease by Overeem, and the once explosive Brock we used to see in UFC was long gone.  Leading in to the fight, tons of experts said that the key to Brock winning was using his wrestling skills and avoiding stand up with Overeem.  Brock pretty much did the opposite by trying to stand up with Overeem, and eventually a couple of knees to the body and finally a liver kick from Overeem sent Lesnar to the ground before the referee stopped the fight.

All of this happened in just over 2 minutes.  Lesnar barely got a couple of punches in, and failed at taking Overeem down at all.  After his horrible showing, Brock Lesnar announced his retirement from the UFC.  Lesnar has been given much credit from the MMA community and fans after the fight for even attempting to fight again after the surgery that removed a foot of his colon.  Lesnar also claimed that had he won, he had already promised his wife (Sable) that he would have retired after winning the title one more time.

Within seconds of Lesnar's retirement, the Internet was buzzing with rumors and predictions that Lesnar would be on his way back to WWE.  While I think that is definitely possible at some point, I don't think we will see it for a good while.  It would be hard for WWE to promote Brock's return so close to such a crippling loss.  I think when the time is right, WWE will use Brock for a big match but not for a full time return.  

Brock Lesnar had a good run in UFC that created a ton of interest whether fans loved him or hated him.  Brock created "must see" fights that made money for all parties involved.  Brock retiring is a big loss for many crossover fans from the wrestling world that may have tuned in just to see Brock's fights.  It will definitely be interesting to see where Brock Lesnar's career goes from here.

Brock Lesnar Returns to the UFC Tomorrow Night (12/30/11)

After 14 months away from the UFC due to surgery, Brock Lesnar returns tomorrow night to do battle with Alistair Overeem.  Overeem was the last Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion before the division was absorbed by UFC, and he will make his UFC debut tomorrow night.  I mention the date because UFC 141 isn't on the usual Saturday night, but is on Friday night due to the holiday. 

The heavyweight battle at UFC 141 will determine the number 1 contender for the UFC Heavyweight Title, and will be a battle of explosive beasts that isn't expected to go the distance.  Most everyone has said this will be a classic striker vs. wrestler battle, with Overeem going for a KO and Lesnar looking for a takedown.  Lesnar last fought 14 months ago when he was knocked out by Cain Velasquez, which has many questioning if he is fully prepared for this major fight.  Overeem hasn't lost a fight in 4 years, but UFC President Dana White pointed out that he doesn't feel Overeem has fought any of the best fighters in the world lately.  Can he hang with UFC's big boys in the heavyweight division?

The trash talking has been going on for weeks, with Overeem claiming he's going to send Lesnar back to WWE.  Lesnar claims he feels better than ever after his surgery, and seems hungry to get the UFC Title back.  Unlike wrestling these days which doesn't give us anything on holidays, UFC is giving us a great kickoff to the New Year's weekend.  Lesnar vs. Overeem will be explosive, and will give us a pretty clear view of the heavyweight action we will see in the UFC in 2012.

As wrestling fans we can't help but go for Brock in his big comeback fight, but one has to wonder if Overeem's striking will bring Lesnar down, especially if it's a body shot coming off such major surgery.  If your around the Las Vegas area, tickets to UFC 141 are still available, be there for this epic showdown tomorrow night!

Randy Orton Injured...or is he?

Randy Orton was injured at last friday night's Smackdown taping in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was in a Falls count anywhere match against Wade Barrett, where the finish of the match saw Orton thrown down a flight of stairs. Randy Orton's Twitter account posted a message last friday night that said "Randy was injured at tonight's Smackdown event and more details to follow on WWE.com as they become available."

Now the next question has to be "Is he really injured?" So often when WWE superstars get injured it's just so they can have some time off to spend with their family or so the WWE can workout the storyline. In Orton's case it's probably so the WWE can tweak the storyline a little bit. The World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan will be defending his newly won title against the Big Show. Once the Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show storyline is over you will probably see Orton make his return and be the new challenger for the title. So if you're a Randy Orton fan, don't worry, I'm sure that he's just fine. This "injury" is just so the WWE can do some creative work and so that Orton can take a break and spend some time with his family.

Daniel Bryan Wins the World Heavyweight Championship at TLC

The biggest news coming out of the TLC pay per view is the World Heavyweight Championship win by Daniel Bryan.  Bryan of course was not scheduled in a match on the PPV, but rather cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase after Big Show defeated Mark Henry for the title.  Just after winning, Big Show was attacked by Henry and laid out, prompting Bryan to hit the ring and cash in.

So Daniel Bryan is now officially the World Heavyweight Champion.  I use officially because just a few weeks ago WWE tested the waters by having Bryan "win" the title by cashing in on Mark Henry, only to have Teddy Long reverse it due to Henry not being cleared to wrestle. Well this time around word is that Henry is legitimately injured and the decision was made to do the title change tonight at TLC. 

Now the question is, how long will Daniel Bryan hold the belt.  My prediction....not very long.  I think Bryan could be pushed as a legit champion that even though small, has an arsenal of submissions that can defeat any one at any time.  But my gut feeling is that WWE won't run with a smaller guy as champion for very long, and I could see him dropping the belt to Big Show or even Henry soon. 

Other results from TLC:

CM Punk retained the WWE title over Miz and Alberto Del Rio
Cody Rhodes retained the IC title over Booker T
Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger
Triple H defeated Kevin Nash
Beth Phoenix retained the Divas Championship over Kelly Kelly
Randy Orton over Wade Barrett after an RKO through a table
Air Boom retained the tag titles over Epico and Primo
and Zack Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler for the United States Championship

Lita Arrested

Former WWE Diva Lita (Amy Dumas) was arrested December 9th in Columbia County, Georgia. She was pulled over for excessive speeding, then it was discovered that she was driving on a suspended/revoked license. She was arrested and taken to jail, she was later released on a $2,200 bond. So now all three former members of "Team Extreme"(Lita, Matt Hardy, and Jeff Hardy) have been in legal trouble this year.

But Lita isn't taking it too seriously, she posted a response on her Twitter account saying "You guys make a Team Extreme jailbird graphic yet? Get to work! Slackers!" She may make fun of the whole situation but one thing she can't make fun of is her upcoming trial. She will be facing the charges of excessive speeding and driving while her license was suspended/revoked. So from everyone here at the Pro Wrestling Roundup, we wish Lita good luck in her trial and we hope it all turns out well.

Lilian Garcia Set to Return to WWE

A bit of unexpected breaking news from WWE.com today, as it has been announced that Lilian Garcia has re-signed with WWE and will be the new full time Smackdown ring announcer. 

For anyone that isn't aware, Lillian was the WWE ring announcer for 10 years beginning in 1999 and retiring in 2009 to pursue other interests.  Lilian was also known for her powerful renditions of the national anthem that she performed on a regular basis during that time frame.  Since she left, WWE has tried out a few different female ring announcers but none of them had the presence of Garcia. 

Lilian Garcia had been hosting the RAW Aftershow on Afterbuzztv.com and featuring former WWE talent on the show, but it remains to be seen if she will continue in that role now that she is back full time with WWE.  While everyons is happy to see Lilian is returning, many wish Lillian was coming back to RAW and we can't argue that we would rather look at her every Monday than Justin Roberts, but time will tell how the ring announcer situation will work out.