NFL Conference Finalists and their WWE Counterparts (Year 6: 2015-16)

Oh, how I've missed this.

For those who didn't read my on-and-off wrestling blog when it was getting occasional updates, one constant was the annual article where I took the four teams who qualified for the AFC and NFC conference championship games and selected current WWE Superstars whose persona and performance best emulated those teams.

If you'd like more of a picture of what it looked like, you can check out my articles for 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Those who elected to follow these links will notice last year's was a bit of a chore because of WWE's lackluster booking making it so that I couldn't create anything resembling hype for the wrestling part of this wrestling-football equation.

I have solved the problem this year.

Don't get me wrong: The current WWE product is still an absolute nightmare. Awesome characters are being shoved down the card. The Authority is putting itself on the screen far too often. The "Divas Revolution" is the same nonsensical booking with a face-heel alignment that makes no sense (though at least the matches are better, I guess). And almost every notable Superstar is shelved with an injury.

So what have I done to fix it? Suck it up and just enjoy the product? Of course not!

Throw up a bunch of RKO Vine videos? Please, I was going to do that anyway.

Maybe some "And his name is JOHN CENA" videos? Heck no! I've got that page bookmarked. Here's a sample:

In all seriousness, though, I do have a solution: Use NXT's Superstars instead!

I thoroughly enjoy NXT and have tremendous respect for the product. It's still owned by WWE, so I don't feel like I'm cheating by going outside the company. And who knows? Some of these guys may end up in the Royal Rumble match.

The only rule I set for myself is that the competitor must have been an active member of the NXT roster for a period of time this past year. No one-shot deals or guest spots. NXT had to be their home base.

(For the record, if I'd gone with WWE guys, I'd have used Cena for the Patriots, Roman Reigns for the Panthers, Seth Rollins for the Broncos and Dean Ambrose for the Cardinals. I've used Cena far too often and while it would be cool to mention all three Shield members, I don't feel like all three are as fitting as the NXT competitors are.)

So let us move on to the main event!

New England Patriots - Kevin Owens

So when it came to finding an NXT force to take the Patriots' run, I asked myself a few questions:

Who won the title and proceeded to continue being a dominant force?

Who can win clean and yet insists on playing the cowardly heel role and putting themselves in obvious cheating positions?

Who loves to win, whether by technicality or brutality?

Who is identified by many fans as part of a unit (Belichick and Brady; Steen and Generico)?

The answer to all those questions is New England.

Though it continues to irritate me that this team is still showing up in major spots, and though I still stick to my guns that the Pats would not be the current defending champions had ball deflation never been an issue, I have no gripes with giving the former NXT Champion and easily the most successful NXT-to-WWE transfer in the last year to the champs.

And heck, Owens got famous in WWE by beating Cena, so this is just perfect in many ways.

Now for the opponent. And speaking of names joined at the hip:

Denver Broncos - Sami Zayn

If one thing on Twitter irritated me in 2015 more than anything it was those stupid Zayn hashtags. The reason being that it annoyed me that the most enjoyable male wrestler on the NXT roster gets zero hashtags in favor of a dude no longer in the now-defunct boy band who made him famous.

Denver, too, gets overlooked, though it's mostly been due to Peyton Manning being absent from the team for the middle of the season. His injuries were a plague on a Bronco unit seemingly destined for success early in the season.

Likewise, Sami Zayn's star, which had been rising into the main roster this past spring, hurled itself back to earth after his injuries forced him out of a roster call-up and NXT title reign.

Nonetheless, don't assume that Zayn and the Broncos both belong in the scrap heap. Zayn is back and making noise in NXT once again, and the newly-restored Broncos surged at the end of the season to take the No. 1 seed.

Zayn and Owens could have been the feud of 2015 had Zayn been healthy, and it's only fitting that their NFL analogues feature Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as quarterbacks.

One heck of a match-up awaits fans on Sunday.

Now for the NFC Championship Game:

Arizona Cardinals - Baron Corbin

I almost feel like I'm cheating here. Who should be the Cardinals' representative? How about the guy who actually played for them?

Kind of weird, right?

But let's be clear here: That is not the only reason I picked Corbin. It's the main one, but he works here in other ways.

Corbin is an absolute force and appears like he could be a real player at the main roster level. His offense packs an awesome punch and the man is deceptively nimble despite being known for power.

Likewise, the Cardinals' unit, built by head coach Bruce Arians, is a major threat. The team owns a suffocating defense (until they lost a linebacker, anyway) and an offense that can rack up the points.

The drawbacks for both is the inability to show success in major tests. I will grant that in Corbin's case it's because 90 percent of his 2015 matches were squashes and in Arizona's case it's because Carson Palmer simply hasn't had many playoff opportunities. Regardless, the comparison is fitting.

I would not be shocked to see Corbin or Arizona hold titles in 2016.

On now to the final team, whose counterpart is a trailblazer for this blog:

Carolina Panthers - Sasha Banks

Yes, everybody, after years of waiting, there is finally a female wrestler deserving of a spot on this blog!

In spite of WWE's attempts to kill any momentum NXT's ladies had when joining the main roster, there is no changing what we all saw during the NXT Takeover specials. What we saw was the dawn of a competitor worthy of being the next big draw in this company.

Though I don't consider Sasha's to be the top of the Four Horsewomen in terms of actual wrestling (Becky holds that mark), intimidation (Charlotte) or authentic likability (Bayley), Sasha is a master at getting the exact crowd reactions she desires and possesses the "X" factor that so few can claim to have. When her music hits and she walks in, there's no doubt who owns the room.

Over the last year, Sasha has produced five matches that topped anything the WWE Diva roster produced in the previous eight years. And it comes from her ability to push the pace, beat opponents in a variety of ways, and taunt in just the right way.

And geez, if any NFL star is getting under people's skin for taunting, it's Cam Newton. His touchdown celebrations are a thing of brilliance, getting on people's nerve in that 'right' way that makes him a must-see player.

The team can win through the air (though it's harder because of the receiving core), on the ground or through the defense. They are the total package and my pick to take the title this year.

I hope everyone enjoyed this year's entry in the NFL-WWE saga, and to close out I give you my picks for WWE's ill-timed Royal Rumble card! (Seriously, nothing is happening next week. Who the heck decided to run this during the NFC title game?)

WWE World Tag Team Championship - New Day defends successfully vs. The Usos

United States Championship - Alberto Del Rio defends successfully vs. Kalisto

Intercontinental Championship - Dean Ambrose defends successfully vs. Kevin Owens

WWE World Women's Championship (I refuse to call it Divas title) - Becky Lynch beats Charlotte by DQ, leaving Charlotte as champion

WWE World Heavyweight Championship/Royal Rumble Match - Brock Lesnar wins championship

UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz preview

Dominick Cruz came onto the UFC scene a few years ago when the company absorbed the WEC bantamweight division. He lost the title, not because he was bested by an opponent, but because he suffered an unfortunate injury. And then another. And then another.

Cruz has been a tad injury-prone since it was announced that he was a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. To date, fans everywhere still must wonder how the fight would have gone between Urijah Faber and him.

Nonetheless, the man who has fought one time in five years is finally getting a shot at regaining his title when he faces TJ Dillashaw for the UFC World Men's Bantamweight Championship.

Cruz's most recent fight was two years ago and it barely lasted a minute. He's going to be dealing with ring rust. The question will be whether Cruz's incredible ability to frustrate and out-strike his opponents has carried over after all these years.

In many ways, Dillashaw is the replacement for Cruz in terms of style. The two each have an unorthodox style and can frustrate their opponents. Cruz certainly has done it longer, but Dillashaw has earned his stripes since dominating Renan Barao twice in his last three fights.

Most of the time, my pick would be Cruz, but the gap in time is so great that I can't say he's the same fighter I remember. I'll take Dillashaw by decision, but take it with a grain of salt.

Also on the card is a clash between Anthony Pettis and Eddie Alvarez. The winner will most likely be in position for a title shot once fight is over between Rafael dos Anjos and...

Oh hi, Conor.

This should be a clash of strikers for certain, but Pettis is far from a slouch on the ground, so be ready for that. My pick is Pettis by KO 2 to earn his return match for the lightweight crown.

Rest of the Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Travis Browne vs. Matt Mitrione - Taking Browne on this one by KO 1.

Lightweight Bout: Ross Pearson vs. Francisco Trinaldo - Pearson wins in a secure decision.

UFC on FOX: dos Anjos vs. Cerrone II preview

There is a joke Stephen Colbert uses where he shows all the US presidential candidates piled up in a ridiculous display that eats up about three-quarters of the page. Then he'll bring up Donald Trump and Trump will absorb the space all the other candidates had taken up.

 Yeah, there it is.

Anyway, that's kind of how the UFC is dealing with their new World Featherweight Champion, Conor McGregor. Ever since he defeated the top pound-for-pound fighter in a fight so short it could fit on Instagram, McGregor has been the talk of the town.

It's now to the point that he's the most important conversation piece at the UFC World Lightweight Championship fight tonight.

McGregor has claimed that he will be moving soon to the 155-pound weight limit to chase a second title. There has been talk that his corner would really rather he not make the cut down to 145 anymore.

This may not be true anymore, though, as McGregor has an obvious No. 1 challenger for the belt he actually holds. Frankie Edgar, a former lightweight champion in his own right, is looking for to be a multi-division champion too, and he made his case for a match with a first-round KO win over Chad Mendes last week.

There is talk that McGregor would jump up a weight class, then move back down to fight Edgar at UFC 200, but that may not be likely when held up to scrutiny. This would require McGregor to cut to 155 around March, then conduct an additional weight cut - 10 pounds more this time - in July.

It may just be my own opinion, but when McGregor does choose to become a lightweight, if he succeeds, that's it for him at featherweight. And that is a shame because there are so many fights at featherweight worth making first.

A rematch with Aldo is there. Urijah Faber is ready, willing and able to jump back up to 145 for a fight. Dominick Cruz has probably stuck at bantamweight for far too long now...

And most of this blog is talking about McGregor instead of the fight that's actually happening tonight, isn't it?

See, this is exactly the point! And it's a shame because the fight between champion Rafael dos Anjos and challenger Donald Cerrone has all the makings of an absolute classic.

Cerrone is the fighter known for taking on all comers, whether he gets a full camp or not. He's been on an absolute tear in recent months (years, technically) and is riding an eight-fight win streak dating back to 2013.

The man who beat him, though, is Rafael dos Anjos.

It's kind of a unique situation where dos Anjos has beaten his challenger before, won a championship, and yet still has more losses in the last two years. (Cerrone has been 8-0 while dos Anjos is 4-1 with a loss to No. 2 contender Khabib Nurmagomedov.)

As for how the match-up shakes out, it's clear that while dos Anjos is an excellent striker, boasting a high rank in Muay Thai, he's outclassed by Cerrone's boxing and kickboxing background. A stand-up fight will almost definitely go Cerrone's way.

It will come down to ground game if the champion wants to win. Though he hasn't won by submission in a few years, dos Anjos has a 3rd-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Cerrone isn't any slouch on the ground thanks to Greg Jackson's training, but those are chops he's years from earning himself.

Looking at the fight as a whole, my guess is that the fight stays standing more than it's on the ground. Cerrone has good takedown defense and should be able to free himself without relying on the referee to stand the fighters back up.

I will say Cerrone takes the decision in this fight and moves on to face Nurmagomedov. Or Pettis. Or...

Dang it, McGregor!

Oh right, there are other fights on this card!

Heavyweight Bout: Junior Dos Santos v. Alistair Overeem - This may be a final gasp for the title aspirations of 'The Reem.' These gasps will go unanswered. JDS by KO in Round 2.

Lightweight Bout: Michael Johnson v. Nate Diaz - The Diaz brothers are never going away, are they? Well, at least Johnson is more than a match for the little Diaz. Johnson by decision.

Strawweight Bout: Randa Markos v. Karolina Kowalkiewicz - What is with all the Eastern Bloc fighters in the strawweight divison. You may remember Randa Markos as that woman who annoyed the crap out of EVERYONE in the TUF 20 house. Kowalkiewicz is undefeated, but I'll take the experience of the Iraqi-Canadian "Quiet Storm." Markos by decision.

Return of the Blog: UFC 194 preview

Well...

Hello again! I have returned with a single, fused blog and my picks for UFC 194.

Yeah, so the MMA blog is moving in with everything else, if only to make it easier to maintain. But enough talk, let's talk about the pair of title fights going on tonight.

I don't think it's possible for those who pay any attention to the fight game to not have heard about UFC World Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo's title defense against Conor McGregor. Brazil vs. Ireland may not be the national clash that comes to mind in the fight game, but needless to say, both nations will have their sights set on the MGM Grand Garden Arena tonight.

Aldo has not lost a fight in the time I've followed him, which dates back to my first viewing of a WEC event in the mid-2000s, so it's safe to say he's built up a Fedor-like aura of invincibility in the minds of many-a-fan.

This is not without good reason. Aldo's striking is known for quick finishes, as evidenced by the double flying knee he used to open a fight with a KO victory. But he also has a legitimate submission game and always has had the look of a man who should be at lightweight but instead chooses to dominate at 145.

And then there's the greatest fighter since Muhammad Ali in terms of both mouth and skill - or at least that's what McGregor and his handlers would have you believe. McGregor's ability to get people to pay attention to him has not been seen in MMA since Ronda Rousey talked her way into a Strikeforce title shot a mere three professional fights into her career.

But don't think for a minute that McGregor's mouth means he's all talk. He may well be a better striker than Aldo. His ability to angle himself perfectly for strikes and punishing power make him an incredible threat to the champion. His weakness is that he has yet to really be tested on the ground, and if he does prove to be too much for Aldo standing, that could be a location for the champion to rack up the points.

I'm not going to lie here - I REALLY want to see McGregor pull this out. An Irish champion with a mouth that can sell a million buys with minimal effort? Count me the heck in!

That said, I know what Aldo is capable of when he wants to win, and it's hard for me to take him as a failure on his biggest stage ever. I will pick Aldo by decision.

It's OK, UFC forgot this was on the card too.

In the other main event, Chris Weidman, most likely the second best in the world pound-for-pound, will defend against "I Really Am Not Interested In Watching" Luke Rockhold.

Yes, I made that nickname up, but can you blame me? The dude was about as bland as they came in his Strikeforce career (in spite of his title run near the end of the company's existence), and since then has come off as a fairly unlikable individual.

Weidman has a mouth, but he mostly lets his winning do the talking. This is the man who KO'ed Anderson Silva to win the title, then retained in the rematch by breaking Silva's leg with a shin-check.

From a match-up standpoint, I see Weidman as the clear superior. Rockhold's striking is legitimate, but Weidman's has been tested at the highest caliber. For wrestling, I'd also give Weidman the edge, and while Rockhold has looked solid on the ground, at best he's a match for Weidman.

I don't see this going the full five, and I'll take the World Middleweight Champion to retain via a 3rd-round KO.

Rest of the Main Card

Middleweight Bout: Jacare Souza (#2 MW) vs. Joel Romero (#3 MW) - Jacare by submission Round 2.

Welterweight Bout: Demian Maia (#6 WW) vs. Gunnar Nelson (#12 WW) - Nelson by decision

Featherweight Bout: Max Holloway (#5 FW) vs. Jeremy Stephens (#8 FW) - Stephens by decision

Comic Book Reviews: Batman Eternal #39

The 2014 year of comic book reviews ends with a single, mediocre issue of a solid weekly series.



Batman Eternal #39 - 6.8/10

Comic Book Reviews: Batman '66 #18 and Sensation Comics #5

My other book reviews for the Christmas week have arrived!



Batman '66 #18 - 8.3/10
Sensation Comics #5 - 9.6/10

Comic Book Reviews: Batman Eternal #38 and Batman Annual #3

Hope everyone had a good time with their Christmas Day! Here are some belated reviews from this week.



Batman Eternal #38 - 8.1/10 (revised from 8.5 in video)
Batman Annual #3 - 8.9/10