WWE Payback Predictions

A week on Sunday, WWE Payback will take place and as the first Pay Per View since Wrestlemania 32, there is a lot of intrigue as to how the new characters will shape up following the traditional introduction of fresh performers following Wrestlemania. There are some fascinating match ups including AJ Styles taking his first shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship since he joined the WWE in January. In this piece, I will offer my thoughts and predictions for the matches of Payback.

Match 1: Kalisto (c) (with Sin Cara) vs Ryback- Singles match for the United States Championship

This match is the one that I assume will be on the pre-show and hence I can't see a title change happening. Kalisto is a popular character who is seen as the heir to Rey Mysterio and is currently enjoying a lengthy US title reign after a feud with Alberto Del Rio. At Wrestlemania 32 Kalisto beat Ryback in the first match of the pre-show and I can see a similar result happening at Payback. Additionally Ryback has recently been publicly slating the direction of his character in WWE, which will surely not sit well with the higher-ups. The only way I can see Kalisto dropping the belt is through Sin Cara double crossing him and turning heel, and whilst I believe this will happen, I don't think it will be at Payback.

My Winner: Kalisto

Match 2: The Miz (c) (with Maryse) vs Cesaro- Singles match for the Intercontinental Championship

Despite not winning the seven man ladder match as Wrestlemania, the Miz somehow comes into Payback as the Intercontinental Champion. Through interference from the returning Maryse and the general squashing of Zack Ryder (who deserves better), the Miz has managed to win the belt and brings it to Payback to fight the also returning Cesaro. This match seems to be a little rushed in its booking to me, as I felt that Ryder should have got a real feud that at least resulted in one PPV match, however WWE chose to give that honour to the excellent Cesaro, who is a real fans favourite. With the Miz being one of the last truly despised heels, I wouldn't mind seeing him have a serious run with the belt, especially since Cesaro should really be fighting for the world title at this stage. I think it would do no good to have Miz drop the belt at this stage and WWE knows this too, so I believe he will defend his belt with some help from Maryse.

My Winner: The Miz

Match 3: Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady vs The Vaudevillains (Simon Gotch and Aiden English)-

Tag Team match to determine the #1 contender for the Tag Team Championship

The introduction of these two tag teams has been a real breath of fresh air for a tag team division that was really being carried by the New Day. Both teams have already got over, Enzo and Cass with their Jersey Shore, loud-mouth gimmick, and the Vaudevillains with their old-school throwback style. Whilst it is important to remember that Enzo and Cass never won the NXT Tag Team Championship, something which Gotch and English did achieve, despite this I believe that it is the team of Enzo and Cass that will win at Payback. I think that WWE is pushing Amore and Cassady a little more that the Vaudevillains, as shown by them debuting on the first Raw after Wrestlemania whilst the Vaudevillains debuted on Smackdown. For me, Enzo and Cass are being primed for a big feud with the New Day that WWE know will get over in a big way.

My Winner: Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady

Match 4: Charlotte (c) (with Ric Flair) vs Natalya (with Bret Hart- Singles match for the Womens Championship

The build to this match has felt as if the WWE is giving the Women's division a cool-down following the thrilling matches with Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch whilst climaxed with a fantastic match as Wrestlemania. There is no doubt that Natalya is an excellent worker, but she recently lost to Charlotte at Roadblock and if seems as if this match will be more about the return of Bret Hart, who is recovering following an intially successful battle with prostate cancer, and the comeuppance that he can give to Charlotte's father, Ric Flair, who has been getting involved in a number of his daughter's matches. Overall, I can't see Charlotte dropping the title to Natalya, and thus I have to predict a win for the "Dirtiest Diva in the Game".

My Winner: Charlotte

Match 5: Dean Ambrose vs Chris Jericho- Singles match

This feud began somewhat at Night of Champions when Jericho shoulder checked Ambrose following the their loss in the the 6 man tag match against the Wyatt Family (they teamed with Roman Reigns). However, WWE dropped the angle until now and ,following Jericho's win at Wrestlemania and Ambrose's loss, it seems like a great time for Ambrose to go over. Jericho is 45 years old and coming towards the end of his career, whilst Dean Ambrose is arguably the most over babyface on the roster. Ambrose, in my opinion, should have won at Wrestlemania over Brock Lesnar an now feels like a great time for him to bounce back with a win that won't really hurt Y2J, who is already secured in his status as a legend. 

My Winner: Dean Ambrose

Match 6: Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens- Singles match

This is will be WWE's first main roster instalment, in a feud that started when Owens arrived in WWE at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution in 2014, and has continued intermittently ever since. These two wrestlers are both excellent performers in the ring and on the mic, and are destined to be contending for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the future. In the meantime, however, this is an excellent substitute and the match will almost certainly be one of the best of the night. The build up to the match has featured a number of brawls between the two men, which has given the contest a real emotional factor. For me, this is the hardest match of the night to predict, but since this is a night in which a number of faces will take victories, I have Kevin Owens winning the first of what I can see as being a series of at least three PPV matches.

My Winner: Kevin Owens

Match 7: Roman Reigns (c) vs AJ Styles- Singles match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

It came as a huge shock to me when WWE had Styles win the fatal four way on the Raw following Wrestlemania, since Styles had just lost at Wrestlemania, and is one of the most popular babyfaces in the company, Roman Reigns is WWE's big project, however fans have responded in a less than perfect way, booing the champ out of the building. Therefore it seemed at first to be a poor step to have his first contender since winning the title to be the insanely popular AJ Styles. With the introduction of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson of Bullet Club to the storyline, this match is enthralling even if the result is a foregone conclusion. Reigns will win, but how? I believe that Finn Balor, who has just lost the NXT Championship on a house show to Samoa Joe, will make his main roster debut as Bullet Club double cross AJ Styles, giving Roman a big win and setting up a Balor vs Styles feud. It is doubtful that this will be a great match as ,despite AJ's huge in ring talent, Reigns is still a relatively average performer with a limited move-set, however, it is the choice of storytelling that WWE take that will make or break this clash.

My Winner: Roman Reigns

So there are my predictions for Payback, check back after May 1st when I'll look back at how the event went and how my predictions fare. 

Thanks for reading,

James

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Wrestlemania 32 Review

On Sunday evening, from 12 until around 5am I watched the spectacle that is Wrestlemania. WWE's flagship event, which was held in Dallas in the AT&T Stadium in front of a record attendance of over 101,000, was the event that the whole of the year was building up to and it promised to be a thriller after the great showing on Friday by NXT at TakeOver:Dallas. So, in this piece I will offer my views on each of the main show matches and the event as a whole.

Zack Ryder defeated Kevin Owens (c), Dolph Ziggler, Sami Zayn, Sin Cara,Stardust and The Miz Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

The first match of the evening saw Zack Ryder defeat six other men to become the new Intercontinental Champion in what was an thrilling opener. There were some excellent ladder spots, as expected out of a match like this, and the tribute to Dusty Rhodes by Stardust through his outfit and the custom ladder was touching. It was also amazing to see Sami Zayn, who it is clear to see will be a great star, and Kevin Owens face off  in a rivalry that is set to enthral for years to come. Overall this was a brilliant way to start the show, with a shocking result to boot.

Overall grade: 9/10

Chris Jericho defeated AJ Styles Singles match

The next match featured WWE's newest blockbuster signing: AJ Styles, face off against veteran Chris Jericho in a rivalry that saw Y2J turn on AJ due to Styles' great popularity amongst the WWE universe. This was a great technical match that saw some impressive aerial ability and chain wrestling. Furthermore the sight of AJ kicking out of a pin after a Codebreaker then Jericho after the Styles Clash was shocking. However despite this, the overall impression that the match left me with was disappointing. Don't get me wrong  Jericho winning with a Codebreaker on a flying AJ Styles was an impressive spot, however having Jericho win seems pointless as it is AJ who has just arrived and would have surely benefited more from a Wrestlemania win than an ageing Chris Jericho. However it seems that Vince gave AJ the same treatment as Sting, punishing them for their stint in TNA.

Overall grade: 6.5/10

The League of Nations (Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and Rusev) (with King Barrett) defeated The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods) Six-man tag team match

The following clash saw the League of Nations beat the reigning Tag Team Champions; the New Day. This was an odd match as it was billed as a 3 vs. 3 match with King Barrett accompanying the other 3 League of Nations members, which surely means this could have been a match for the Tag Team Titles? Overall the match was sound but not exhilarating, with New Day's entrance being a particular highlight.  The result of having the League of Nations win seemed strange at first but it led to Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley coming out to provide an amazing Wrestlemania moment. This meant that I was OK with the result of the match as it was a set-up to an insane moment, however it will be interesting to see how this rivalry. This match also showed why WWE will miss King Barrett when he leaves at the end of his contract. Overall the legends saved this match from being irrelevant.

Overall grade: 7.5/10

Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) defeated Dean Ambrose No Holds Barred Street Fight

Brock Lesnar vs Dean Ambrose had a great build up with the plucky contender who refused to give up going up against the seemingly unstoppable champion(of course Lesnar isn't actually a champion but you get what I mean). It had the feeling of a Rocky movie and it promised to be a great contest in which it seemed Ambrose would finally get his big moment. However, I found the match itself to be a deeply disappointing spectacle. Lesnar gave Ambrose 13 suplexes but had little other offence, whilst the match largely relied on the shock factor of the appearance of weapons such as Kendo Sticks, Steel Chairs, a Fire Extinguisher, a Chainsaw and the Baseball Bat wrapped in Barbed Wire that Mick Foley handed down to Ambrose. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to give Dean a moment against a part-timer who wrestles a handful of times a year. However in the end, Lesnar won with an F-5 and left Ambrose to pick up the pieces on Raw tonight. This was another result that I found was pointless as if Dean, a crowd favourite, would have won, it would have given him a great push and potentially kick-started a title challenge,but in reality Lesnar won another match that he didn't really need to and he will now head off back home until Summerslam, whilst Ambrose will be back on Raw tonight with another lost feud to his name.

Overall grade: 5.5/10

Charlotte (c) (with Ric Flair) defeated Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks by submission Triple Threat match for the inaugural WWE Women's Championship

The next match was one of the most exciting bouts of the night. In the pre-show Hall of Famer Lita announced that the Divas Championship (a sexist name with a sexist belt design) was to be replaced with the WWE Women's Championship which was fantastic news and showed that WWE is finally moving with the times. This added to the hype of this match, which featured three excellent women's wrestlers and promised to be a great match. The entrances were fantastic with Charlotte wearing an outfit reminiscent to Ric Flair's Wrestlemania 24 attire (one of my favourite events) and Sasha's entrance being performed by her cousin and now Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg as she wore an outfit that paid tribute to the late, great Eddie Guerrero. The match itself was a brilliant show of just how good the women's division is and proof that despite the revolution faltering at first, it has now has firmly taken effect. There was some excellent chain wrestling with a plethora of submissions and some great agile moves including Sasha's frog splash (another tribute to Eddie) and Becky Lynch's dive to the outside. In the end, Charlotte picked up the win by submission whilst her father Ric held Sasha Banks from entering the ring. All in all, while it was annoying to see Ric interfering again, the quality of the match and the importance of the leaps made in women's wrestling made this result acceptable, with the match being one of the highlights of the night.

Overall grade: 8.5/10

The Undertaker defeated Shane McMahon Hell in a Cell match; had Shane won, he would have gained control of Raw and Undertaker would have been barred from competing at WrestleMania.

Next up was what was probably the most intriguing match on the card. There were so many questions coming into the match such as how would Shane perform after seven years away?  and would this be the last Wrestlemania for the Undertaker? Before the match, it seemed as if the match was tailor-made for Shane O'Mac to win. With the bout being held in Texas, Taker's home state, it seemed perfect for him to retire there. Furthermore it would make sense if both Shane won and Roman Reigns won (as it would almost certain that he would) as it would get rid of the Authority, usher in a new era and keep viewers tuning in. Furthermore, it looked perfect for Taker, in his last match, to eventually lay down for Shane and in his final act, rid WWE of the Authority.  The match itself was good, with the two participants making a combine age of 97, no-one expected great technical wrestling and as such the match relied heavily on big spots such as the Coast to Coast and Chokeslam onto the Steel Steps. However, once Taker put Shane through the Cell wall and the match spilled to the outside, the match went from good to great. This was two ageing stars of yesteryear, putting it all on the line one final time. The absolute, undoubted highlight of the night was a true OMG moment as Shane McMahon leapt off the top of the 20ft high Cell and dropped straight through the announce table below, with Taker rolling out of the way just in time. At this point, I thought it was clear that Shane had to win, and as he signalled for more, I thought that Taker was about see what Shane was going through and lay down for him. However, he quickly Tombstoned him and won, leaving me thoroughly disappointed and making it clear that this match was arranged about a month before Wrestlemania and that Shane was only brought back as a final resort. It was a truly ridiculous result that ruined what was a great storyline and a potentially classic Wrestlemania match.

 Overall grade: 8/10

Shane McMahon steals the show.

Baron Corbin won by last eliminating Kane 20-man Battle Royal for the André the Giant Memorial Trophy

This next bout was essentially a cool-down match between the main events that gave the fans some cheap cheers and time to settle down for the main event . As a result there isn't really much to say about this match, the appearance of DDP and Tatanka was cool (despite DDP getting a special entrance and Tatanka not for some reason) whilst the appearance of Shaq seemed desperate as WWE tried to progress a storyline that started almost 7 years ago, just to get some more mainstream media attention. Overall, the result was refreshing as NXT performer Baron Corbin won, which was an interesting result and nice way to build up a new star (even if it was at the expense of one of my favourites in Kane) and the match did what it was intended to do as wrestlers got their Wrestlemania pay-check and fans got some time to relax.

Overall grade: 6.5/10

The Rock defeated Erick Rowan (with Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman) Singles match

So, next up the Rock came out and did his usual thing for what seemed like forever, before announcing that the attendance was a Wrestlemania record. He was then interrupted by the Wyatt Family (minus Luke Harper ) before he engaged in the usual Rock bravado, making some sex jokes and accusing the Wyatt's of incest (*yawn*). At this point it was painfully clear that a forty something year old actor was about to squash one of the WWE's brightest stars. And eventually he did, as he challenged any Wyatt to an impromptu match which was answered by Erick Rowan who then was beaten in 6 seconds. Then just as the three Wyatt Family members were about to attack the Rock, he was saved by a returning John Cena. Whilst this was a nice, if predictable, moment it made no sense as The Rock and John Cena had a two-year feud and two Wrestlemania matches, and now we are supposed to believe they are allies? Also, what was the point in squashing Bray Wyatt again? No-one is ever going to see him as a credible threat if he constantly gets beaten up by part-timers. Overall this was a stupid segment and another reason why the Rock is nothing to get excited about anymore.

Overall grade: 2/10

Roman Reigns defeated Triple H (c) (with Stephanie McMahon) Singles match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Finally, it was time for the main event, the world title match, the big time clash. And at this point, I was extremely tired and ready for the most predictable main event ever to be over. Triple H had his usual grandiose entrance which was actually a little bit creepy, however Stephanie did provide some actual heat for the man, who despite being the heel, was being cheered. Then Reigns entered to a chorus of boos and the match begun. This match was largely forgettable as Roman Reigns reminded us that despite his massive push, he is still massively average in the ring, showing little technical ability at all. However, the boos weren't as massive throughout the match as expected, and some of the crowd even played along and cheered him, although most just seemed not to care. The most interesting moment came when Triple H moved out of the way of a Roman Reigns spear which meant that Stephanie, standing behind him, got hit. This was a) the largest cheer of Roman Reigns' night and b) a rare use of man on woman violence, albeit accidental. In the end, Reigns won, shocking absolutely no-one, and providing a fitting conclusion to one of the worst Wrestlemania main events of all-time. The crowd reacted with exhaustive impartiality to the finish, with many not even bothered enough to boo. The main problem with this match was that nobody wanted Reigns to be in the main event, however once he was the rest of the card was stacked in a way that if certain people won, then it wouldn't;t be a disaster. However what WWE decided to do was to have all of the babyfaces lose in a vain attempt to make people cheer for Reigns which in the end just resulted in people being disappointed already before the main event even began and so Reigns had no chance of a good reception. Overall, this match was not worth waiting 4 hours for and wouldn't have been out of place in the mid card.

Overall grade: 4/10

So overall this four and a half hour Wrestlemania was a largely mixed affair. Whilst the wrestling was mostly of a very high standard, the results showed that WWE and Vince McMahon still have no idea what fans really want. All in all this was a night of great wrestling but frustrating endings leaving fans to think of what could have been.

Overall show grade: 6/10

Thanks for reading,

James 

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BPL Predictions

Back before the start of the season I made my predictions on what the Premier League table would look like at the end of the season in May. Now in February, after 26 league games, I feel it is a good time to check on how my predictions are holding up with just 12 games to go.

As you can see from the table on the left I have got most of my predictions pretty spot on, with 3 correct predictions, and 13 predictions that are within 5 spaces of the team's position in the real Premier League table.

However there have been 4 teams which I predicted to finish more than 6 places from where they actually are. I will now attempt to explain the reason for each of these 4 teams being so far from where I thought they would be.

First, there is Swansea who I predicted to finish in 9th, however in real life they sit down in 16th place. This is largely down to a lack of goals from Gomis, Ayew and particularly Eder, who I thought would achieve much more than he has. Furthermore a change in manager has meant that the team has lacked stability and therefore any streak of good form.

Secondly, there is Chelsea who I thought would finish 3rd but are actually languishing down in 12th. This is because I, much like the rest of the footballing world, could not see last years champions falling so far in such a short spell of time. Mourinho's poor spell as manager at the start of the year has meant that my prediction has ended up being far from correct.

Thirdly, there is Watford, who as a newly promoted team with a new manager, who didn't get them promoted, I believed would struggle and so I predicted them to finish dead last in 20th. However, the great form of Ighalo and Deeney, combined with a sound tactical approach has meant that Watford actually sit in 9th place with 12 games to go.

Finally, there is Leicester City, who after nearly being relegated last season, I predicted to finish 14th in Premier League. However, they have spent the entire season proving critics wrong and have, with the help of Vardy, Mahrez, Okazaki, Morgan, Huth, Drinkwater and Schmeichel (among others) under the guidance of Claudio Ranieri, found themselves leading the Premier League, and head into March with a great chance of winning the Premier League.

So that's how my predictions sit after 26 of the 38 Premier League games. At the end of the season I will make a similar article to see how I end up doing overall.

Thanks for reading,
James
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Why WWE's next signing should be EC3

WWE has been consumed recently with the rumours that it has signed four of Japanese wrestling's hottest stars in AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura and tag team Doc Gallows and "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson. Whilst these rumours are unconfirmed as of yet, if they prove true, then the WWE will have acquired some of the top performers in the world. However, once the fan-fare is over and the stars have settled in,  the fans will be looking to the next hottest acquisition and in my opinion TNA's Ethan Carter the Third should be the answer to that question.

Suited to the role... 

EC3 or ,as he previously appeared in WWE's NXT, Derrick Bateman is one of my favourite current stars in North American Wrestling. He currently plies his trade at TNA who have recently moved to Pop TV, and he is one of the mainstays of the main-event scene. He is, as of writing this, the undefeated two-time TNA world heavyweight champion after winning the TNA world title series. He is an excellent technical wrestler and a great physical specimen. He plays the heel character phenomenally and is one of the top reasons people even watch TNA. But why should WWE sign him you ask? Well let me tell you.

EC3 could be an excellent member of the authority. He's charismatic, he has the heel talents already and could easily slot in to the best for business, cheating to win, Ric Flair mixed with Randy Orton type character who is lifted to the title by Triple H and has a fantastic main event feud with, say, a Face Seth Rollins. 

In reality it is unlikely that TNA will give up one of their top young main event stars, so EC3 in WWE is unlikely to be seen in a 4 sided ring for a while yet. Until then, lets hope that the 4 new boys can shake up the stagnating WWE scene.

Thanks for reading,

James

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2016: an update and a confession

First, I want to start by saying Happy New Year and that I'm sorry for the lack of content. Whilst I'd like to say that this is due to me being busy, simply put I haven't been writing because I've been taking some time to rediscover the spark that makes writing this blog more of a hobby than a chore. Hopefully, this post will be the first of many in 2016 as I'm glad to say that I (and hopefully other writers in the future) am ready to start really pushing this blog again. In the meantime however, I thought I'd start of the year by talking about a sport that I very much enjoy and have recently began re-enjoying from a whole different perspective, and that sport is Professional Wrestling.

Professional Wrestling- Blending Physicality, Entertainment and
Showmanship.

Now before you all get out your pitchforks, I am well aware that Professional Wrestling is not really a sport, rather sports entertainment. The outcomes are pre-decided and the moves done inside the squared circle are choreographed. However notice that I do not call Professional Wrestling "fake" and I never will. It may not be as brutal and real as UFC but I can promise you that the ring apron is no trampoline, and those moves still hurt. The risks are real and the absolute physicality required to be a Professional Wrestler is phenomenal. In my eyes, Professional Wrestling deserves to be respected as if it were a sport rather than ridiculed as being fake. Just because there are story lines, some of which even I cannot stand, does not mean that the performance and the talent is any less impressive. The art of Professional Wrestling is quite brilliant when perfectly executed and is as entertaining as any combat sport I can think of. Recently I have began to start watching Professional Wrestling again, however now I am older and wiser, I can appreciate and enjoy it from a whole new level as well as being able to interact with the wider Wrestling community. And it is for that reason that Professional Wrestling, no matter how fake people may say it is, is one of my favourite sports, and indeed one that in the future that I will no doubt be writing about.

Thanks for reading,

James 

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PDC World Darts Championships 2016

JC- This is the first of hopefully many posts by new writer George Lovatt, and he has started his writing career by giving his take on the upcoming PDC World Darts Championship. Enjoy!

With 2015 coming to a close, there is only one thing on everyone’s minds, Christmas. But what would Christmas be without the darts? The PDC World Darts Championship begins on the 17th December at the Alexandra Palace. Barry Hearn has turned Darts from a Smokey pub sport into something as fundamental to Christmas as tinsel and turkey. The question on everyone’s lips is who will take home the Sid Waddell trophy for another year. This is my take on who could be in with a chance:

Michael van Gerwen: World Number 1

For years, the Green Machine was a failed prodigy. A player who in his youth was billed as a future World Champion, seem to slowly fall down the World Rankings until he was just scraping into the Major events. This all changed in 2012, when MVG won the World Grand Prix in Dublin despite the fact he was the bottom ranked player in the tournament. Since then he hasn’t looked back, going on to win the Premier League, World Matchplay and Grand Slam of Darts to name a few. His crowning moment came in the 2014 World Championship when he beat Peter Wright in the final, 7 sets to 4. After a disappointing defeat in the Semi-Finals of last year’s competition to eventual winner Gary Anderson, Mighty Mike will be keen to make amends. Van Gerwen, who is still only 26, has experience of winning and losing at the Alexandra Palace which could prove invaluable. Ranked Number 1 in the World, naturally he is the favourite, but he can be prone to lapses in concentration and over-confidence as shown in his World Grand Prix defeat this year to Robert Thornton. I’m predicting him to reach the final, but just fall short of the title. Just.

Prediction: Final

Gary Anderson: World Number 2

The Flying Scotsman can be one of the most frustrating players on the PDC Circuit. Sometimes, he looks like the greatest player ever, smashing the darts into the treble 20 like he’s got the force. However on other occasions he plays like a man who has never even held a dart, let alone thrown one. In recent years, he has managed to iron out some of his inconsistencies, which is why he was able to go on a tremendous run last year, going on to win the competition by beating Phil Taylor 7-6. If he is able to play on top form this year, then few would write him off, but if he has one bad game then the dream of winning back to back World titles would be gone. His scoring has never been a cause for concern, but he regularly lacks the composure to hit the doubles and actually win the match. He’s World Number 2 so he is obviously a fine player, but I think winning consecutive World Titles will just be too difficult a task.

Prediction: Quarter-Finals

Phil Taylor: World Number 3

Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor is arguably the greatest sportsman of all time. A sixteen time Champion of the World, it is hard to think of any player with such long-lasting dominance, in any sport. Being 55, he is the senior citizen in a young mans’ game, but something tells me that Taylor has got one more World Championship victory in him. However he hasn’t had the best year of his career, far from it, he is down to World Number 3 and without a major tournament to his name; many are saying that he won’t be able to stop the rot and that he will continue to slip down the rankings like greats before him such as Bristow, Part and Dennis Priestley. I reckon that Taylor will be extra motivated this year, as this could be his last run as a real contender for the trophy. Perhaps Taylor can’t keep up with big scorers such as Anderson and MVG, but his finishing is far superior to other players on the circuit. Taylor says he is practising more than ever so he’s not leaving anything to chance going into the tournament. Maybe this prediction is more out of hope than stone cold facts, but I’m backing Taylor to win number 17.

Prediction: Winner

Peter Wright: World Number 4

“Snakebite” has become one of the most controversial, talked about and recognisable players in darts due to his outlandish hairstyle and personality when on the oche. Whilst he may face criticism for being a clown, this clown can play darts. He’d been knocking around the circuit for a while when he reached the 2013 World Championship Final and became an instant fan favourite. He always appears to be in contention for the big tournaments but never seems to reach the next level and win the major ranking events. This year, it is important that he doesn't get carried away with entertaining the crowd, and focuses more on his darts. Wright is a very good player, but I would be shocked to see him become a World Champion.

Prediction: Quarter-Finals

Adrian Lewis: World Number 5

Perhaps Phil Taylor’s greatest legacy is in his protégé, Adrian Lewis. Spotted by Taylor in a pub in Stoke they soon began to train together and Taylor passed on to Lewis everything he knew. By 2011 Adrian Lewis was World Champion and by 2012 Adrian Lewis was a two time World Champion. His World Titles came earlier than most pundits thought, leading to expectations of many years of dominance. Lewis hasn't quite delivered on these expectations, only going onto win the European Championship and UK Open since then. Lewis is now down to a relatively low rank of World Number 5, compared to how much of a skilled player he is and has had a fairly uninspiring year; but his experience at the Alexandra Palace could prove crucial, especially as he is not one to go down without a fight.

Prediction: Semi-Finals

James Wade: World Number 6

During the years 2007-11, James Wade was seen as the future of darts and a sure-fire multiple World Champion. But since the Wade glory days the ‘Machine’ has faltered with barely any notable silverware to his name except for the fairly minor Unibet Masters tournament in 2014. It is no secret that Wade has had mental health problems which explain his dip in form and we all hope that he can fully recover from them and once again be a major tournament winner. However, his recent troubles mean that I think Wade will struggle to have a big impact on this year’s competition.

Prediction: Quarter-Finals

Robert Thornton: World Number 7

For many years Thornton was a fairly anonymous player on the PDC Circuit, this was until a shock victory in the 2012 UK Open Final against Phil Taylor. Since then Thornton has continued to get to the later stages of the major tournaments and has also played a role in the Premier League. Thornton added the World Grand Prix to his Trophy Cabinet this year and I believe he has a good chance of getting to the latter stages of the 2016 World Championships.

Prediction: Semi-Finals

Michael Smith: World Number 8

Bully boy’s star continues to rise. A former World Youth Champion, it hasn’t taken him too long to adjust to the main stage. He was thrust into the darting elite when he shocked the Darts Universe beating Phil Taylor in 2nd Round of the 2014 World Championship, when this is combined with his recent exploits in the Grand Slam, making it all the way to the Semi-Finals , many can see how he is becoming a force to be reckoned with. My only criticism of him is that many a time in long distance matches, when he goes behind he just gives up and basically surrenders the game, he doesn't have that fighters instinct like Taylor and Lewis, and it’s that reason that means I can’t see him besting the 3rd round.

Prediction: 3rd Round

Simon Whitlock: World Number 10

The man from down under is a real fan favourite due to his long beard and quality walk-on music but it’s not just his popularity that makes him a big name. He is himself a very impressive player who reached the 2012 Premier League Darts Final and won the European Championship. However a surprising defeat in the 1st Round of last year’s World Championship meant he became the Darting equivalent of Rufus Smalls (JC- See Mike Bassett: England Manager for reference). This year has been very disappointing and I can’t see him improving his form by December. Therefore I predict another early exit for the Wizard.

Prediction: 2nd Round

Kim Huybrechts: World Number 12

Since I've been following Darts, Kim Huybrechts has been making a steady rise up the rankings. In 2014 he had his breakthrough year, not only carrying the Belgium National team to the later stages of the World Cup, but also reaching the Semi-Finals of the Grand Slam. He was rewarded with a place in the Premier League a year later, but it proved as more of hindrance than a help, as he finished bottom. Huybrechts has had a steady year but nothing spectacular; therefore it is unlikely that the Hurricane will have a major impact on the Alexandra Palace Stage this year.

Prediction: 3rd Round

Dave Chisnall: World Number 15

Chizzy has had arguably the finest year of his career in 2015. He was regularly part of the top 4 throughout the Premier League, and was unlucky to get knocked out in the Semi-Finals. Chizzy also hit a Nine-Darter during the Grand Slam in Wolverhampton. He is a steady, down-to-Earth player who spent years having little impact on the PDC Circuit, hence now, after working so hard, he deserves all the plaudits he receives.

Prediction: 3rd Round

Stephen Bunting: World Number 16

‘The Bullet’ has a major namesake on the BDO stage since he began his darting career in 2002. Following a win in the BDO World Championship, the Liverpudlian decided to seek a new challenge and cross codes into the PDC. It appears when players move to the PDC they either sink or swim; Bunting did the latter, having a very successful début season, reaching the Semi-Final of the World Grand Prix and moving himself further up the PDC Order of Merit. 2015 has been another solid year for the Bullet and he has managed to consolidate his relatively high ranking in the PDC World Rankings. Bunting should make it to the 3rd Round at least, however, he is likely to have Michael van Gerwen in the last 16, and so unless he can improve his ranking in time for the Worlds, he is almost certain to come up against one of the big guns in the middle stages of the competition, which would pose a serious threat of a piercing blow, to the Bullet.

Prediction: 3rd Round

Raymond van Barneveld

We couldn't have a darts post without mentioning ‘Barney’. The Dutchman has been a firm fan favourite ever since he joined the PDC in 2006. RVB’s early years in the PDC were the greatest of his career, as he won the World Championship in 2007 and back-to-back UK Opens. However, Barney’s trophy cabinet started to dry up, with a five year barren spell, many were doubting whether we would see the Dutchman lift another piece of silverware on a PDC stage. Fortunately for the ‘Barney Army’, van Barneveld went on a terrific run in the 2012 Grand Slam, going on to win the tournament by beating fellow compatriot Michael van Gerwen in the Final. A Premier League win followed suit two years later and with it  the Dutchman was once again one of the big names on the PDC Circuit. Sadly, Barney is hampered by illness due to his Diabetes, which makes it much harder for him to play at his full capacity and make it to all the venues for the smaller events such as Players Championship Qualifiers. Due to his lack of involvement in the smaller events, his PDC ranking has suffered, meaning he is now out of the top 16 in the World which means he has to play better players in the earlier rounds. Very much a form player, if Barney’s head is in the right place then he can dominate, but when his confidence drops then he is unlikely to get very far in the competition. Due to the fact that his likely to play Dave Chisnall in the last 32, it looks like an early departure from the tournament is on the cards for van Barneveld.

Prediction: 2nd Round

No matter whom the winner of this years’ PDC World Darts Championship is, the 2016 tournament will certainly be a memorable and exciting one. I think it will be great to see if one of the young players such as Rowby-John, Keegan Brown or Max Hopp can go far in the tournament. As always, there I’m sure there will be an unknown foreign player who takes the world by storm, getting into the later stages and upsetting the odds. You can see all the action on SKY’s dedicated channel, Sky Sports Darts. I hope when all is said and done, we can all reflect on what should be a thrilling spectacle.

Special thanks to chief Writer and Editor James Coston, for giving me the opportunity to write this article.

JC- I'd like to extend my own thanks to George for taking the time to write this excellent piece, and I look forward to working with him in the future.

Thanks for reading,

James

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Match Review- Miami Dolphins 7- 36 New England Patriots

As last night's Thursday Night Football match-up featured my Miami Dolphins, I was indeed one of the many awake at 3am GMT watching New England categorically dispatch Dan Campbell's exciting new Miami team, and despite the fact I am not an expert in American Football, I believe I can offer a few of my insights into why the Pats won and why the Dolphins lost, and what this result means for the rest of the season. 

1. Tom Brady is as good as ever and the Patriots are a very strong team 

Tom Terrific is looking as formidable as he ever has. Last night he bolstered his already phenomenal stats by passing for 364 yards with 4 TDs and no interceptions. That takes his number after 7 games to 2,410 passing yards with 20 TDs and just 1 interception. Even by Brady's standards, he is having a fantastic season. This is made even more impressive by the fact that he is 38 years old, but he is showing no signs of slowing up, with Brady himself recently stating in an interview that he hopes to play for another 10 years. Perhaps this is a little optimistic but with Brady in this sort of form, retirement may not be for some time yet. Another thing to consider is also that New England have one of the most inexperienced offensive lines in the league, which considering Brady's age, would appear to be a major issue as he cannot be allowed to take too many hits. However the legendary New England quarterback has solved this issue by getting the ball to his wide receivers in roughly 2.5 seconds on average, the fastest of any quarterback in the league. All of this has come in a season following Deflategate, which has been perhaps the biggest challenge in Tom's illustrious career. Many thought that this controversy would harm Brady and knock his confidence however all it has done is made him want to prove himself even more, leading to what many are calling "Tom Brady's revenge tour" which so far has rolled into 7 matches and come out with 7 wins. With Tom in this form, WR Edelman playing fantastic, TE Rob Gronkowski dominating the league, and a very strong defence, all coordinated and pulled together by top head coach Bill Belichick, the Pats are on course for a very successful season and certainly another Super Bowl challenge.

2. Miami are not quite elite yet and may struggle for the rest of this season

Fins' fans have been in dreamland for the last two weeks since Dan Campbell coached his first game in Tennessee against the Titans which Miami won 38-10 . Since then Miami have also played the Houston Texans at home winning 44-26, after scoring 41 unanswered points in the first half and these are just some of  the incredible stats from those two victories: 

41 points per game on average

18 points against per game on average

9.3 yards per pass on average

6.6 yards per rush on average

10 sacks

& Ryan Tannehill completed 25 consecutive passes, an NFL record.

With these two wins and some great performances from the likes of Lamar Miller, Jarvis Landry, Cameron Wake, Rishard Matthews and most importantly Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins looked like a new team that could seriously pose a play-off challenge, like many experts said they would in pre season. However, New England was their first big challenge and they were played out of the game. In the first half, the offence was uncoordinated (even giving up a safety) and ineffective , with the strong defensive performance keeping them in the game. At the start of the second half the Dolphins offence began with a strong touchdown drive however after that the offence went back to being futile. And as the defence succumb to the constant pressure, the score got away from the Dolphins and the game became essentially a practice match for the Patriots. The main reasons for the Dolphins poor performance was their inability to stop the run and their repeated use of the outside running game which the Pats are very good at defending against.

And the Dolphins may continue to struggle as they lost WR Devante Parker, OT Ju'Wuan James and star LE Cameron Wake. Wake is especially a big loss as he is essential to the pass rushing game, and will miss the rest of the season with an Achilles tear. This will make the 3-4 Dolphins' rest of the season even more of a struggle, especially if they want to reach the play-offs. 

Thanks for reading,

The next post will be on football (soccer)

James 

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