Month: July 2018

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The 7 Greatest WWE Matches That Almost Happened

WWE’s stated mission is as follows: “Put smiles on people’s faces.” The WWE Universe is, by and large, a just universe. The bad guys lose (eventually). The good guys triumph (eventually). And if WWE books it properly, the biggest heel and the biggest babyface will clash on a grand stage. Nothing puts smiles on fans’ faces more than the spectacle of a dream match.

Wish fulfillment is a huge part of professional wrestling. Fans will wait for months, even years, to see an anticipated match, especially if it’s a cross-generational “passing of the torch.” But sometimes, even with all the time and all the compromise, there are matches that have never taken place. And many of them, owing to retirement, circumstance, or tragic death, never will.

Here are the 7 Greatest WWE Matches That Almost Happened. And if enjoyed this gallery, check out 27 WWE Movie Cameos and our up-to-date roster coverage of WWE 2K19.

7. “Dr. Death” Steve Williams vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin

When “Dr. Death” Steve Williams arrived in WWE, he signed up for the Brawl-For-All Tournament, an unscripted, televised toughman contest that anyone on the roster could enter. Williams was a collegiate athlete and had a reputation as a legitimate tough guy; he was expected to breeze through the tournament, establishing him as a legitimate threat to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (link contains explicit language).

Unfortunately, Bart Gunn knocked Williams out in the semifinals of the Brawl-For-All; Williams had torn his hamstring, and he couldn’t move to defend himself. His WWE career never recovered (link contains explicit language), and he never got his match against Austin.

6. Umaga vs. Jackass

In 2007, Steve-O and Chris Pontius appeared on WWE television, and Umaga beat them into next week. It was supposed to be the start of something bigger; WWE wanted the entire Jackass Crew to participate in an 9-on-1 match versus Umaga at Summerslam.

But then, the Chris Benoit tragedy happened. And Johnny Knoxville, the de facto leader of the Jackass crew, pulled out of the match. The match was then cancelled entirely. It would have been a silly match, no doubt, but silly in a good way.

5. Shawn Michaels vs. Eddie Guerrero

“The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels had a fast, hedonistic lifestyle during his first tenure with WWE. But when he returned to the company in 2002, he was a born-again Christian: squeaky clean, humble, and devout. So devout, in fact, that his faith affected his booking. At some point, WWE asked Michaels to move to from Raw to Smackdown–Eddie Guerrero’s brand–and Michaels declined, explaining that the schedule would affect his and his wife’s bible study group.

There were preliminary plans to have Guerrero and Michaels fight at WrestleMania 22. But then, Guerrero died in 2005, leaving Michaels to fight Vince McMahon instead. Michaels would later retire from in-ring competition at WrestleMania XXVI, after a Career vs. Streak match against the Undertaker.

4. Dean Ambrose vs. Mick Foley

Back when Dean Ambrose was still in developmental, he pitched the idea of feuding with Mick Foley. It would be two hardcore wrestlers, matching each other blow-for-blow. The two of them tweeted insults at each other, confronted each other in public places, and even posted the footage on social media.

But ultimately, WWE cancelled the match. Foley could not pass the impact tests that doctors gave him, due to previously sustained concussions. Fortunately for Ambrose, he went on to debut with The Shield, and the rest is history.

3. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Brock Lesnar

When Brock Lesnar debuted in 2002, WWE strapped a rocket to his back. He pulverized everyone on the card, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was booked to be one one of his victims in a King of the Ring qualification match on Raw. Instead of losing to Lesnar, Austin opted to quit WWE.

The situation forced Vince McMahon to give a speech on Raw, explaining to fans that Austin left the company. Austin, for his part, claims he had no problem losing to Lesnar. He just wanted to do it at a pay-per-view instead of at Monday Night Raw, which was the plan. Austin has since called the decision his biggest career regret.

2. Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair

Ric Flair won the Royal Rumble for the vacant WWE Championship in 1992. The potential storyline nearly wrote itself; Flair could now compete against challenger Hulk Hogan in the main event at Wrestlemania VIII. After years of working for opposing promotions, the two most popular wrestlers were finally under the same roof. And not a moment too soon; both men were at the ends of their respective primes.

But Hogan’s relationship with Vince McMahon was at a low point. Hogan wanted to shoot his new TV show Thunder in Paradise, and Vince worried that Hogan might leave the company for Hollywood. So, at Wrestlemania VIII, Hogan fought Sid Justice. Flair fought Randy Savage, and dropped the belt to him instead of to Hogan. And the match every WWE fan wanted never materialized until the two met up years later in WCW. They finally fought on WWE television in 2002, but by then, neither man was in his prime, and the moment had passed.

1. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Hulk Hogan

The Rock battled Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania X8, and it was an instant classic. But why was Rock the chosen opponent and not Austin? It was a matter of both timing and booking. The common sentiment in WWE Creative was that Austin vs. Hogan was a bigger match than Rock vs. Hogan. So, WWE decided to book Rock first and save Austin for further down the road, perhaps even at Wrestlemania XIX.

But the night after Wrestlemania X8, Austin no-showed Raw. And two months later, Austin quit WWE entirely, on account of the aforementioned Lesnar drama. By the time Austin mended bridges and returned in early 2003, the storyline had moved on. And the long-awaited dream match never came to pass.

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Comic-Con 2018: Our Favorite New Trailers, Ranked

What was the best trailer at Comic-Con?

It was a heck of a year at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. It may have felt smaller than usual, thanks to the absence of usual heavy hitters like Marvel, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and Westworld, but there was still plenty to get excited about at SDCC this year.

Whether you were hunting for rare Funko Pops, trying to find the best cosplay at Comic-Con, or wanted to watch the latest exclusive footage from upcoming shows and movies like Titans, Doctor Who, Iron Fist 2, The Walking Dead, Netflix’s Disenchantment, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Shazam, Wonder Woman 1984, Aquaman, or any other of the massive future hits that showed up to engage directly with fans, there was something for everyone at Comic-Con this year. You could even visit the Taco Bell from Demolition Man, and if you did, it was probably your favorite meal of the entire week.

Some of the trailers that debuted over the weekend were truly incredible. If you want to see them all in one place, we have a breakdown of every Comic-Con trailer all on one page for you. But if you want to know which ones were the best, click through the following slides. We ranked all our favorite Comic-Con 2018 trailers from good to better to best, ending on the best trailer of the whole show–a surprise contender that we never would have expected to be so awesome.

What was your favorite trailer from Comic-Con 2018? Let us know in the comments, and check out the rest of our SDCC coverage below.

San Diego Comic-Con 2018 Coverage

17. Supergirl

Watch it here.

Supergirl is making some serious moves in terms of powerful, positive statements about on screen diversity with the announcement of the world’s first live action trans superhero, Dreamer, played by Nicole Maines–but the trailer itself was seriously lacking any upbeat flare. Between the ominous voice over of Agent Liberty and the brief glimpses of a National City under siege, we’re hoping that season 4 of Supergirl manages to keep up the show’s powerful optimistic vibe as things continue.

16. Legends of Tomorrow

Watch it here

Legends of Tomorrow closed out its third season earlier this year with the promise of magical shenanigans to come and that’s exactly what the season four trailer delivered. Kind of. With only a few new scenes cut in among clips from last year’s story, it’s difficult to tell exactly what’s going to be happening for the Legends’ and their new series regular, John Constantine. But apparently there’s going to be unicorns, so, hey. That’s a win in our book.

15. Preacher Season 3 teaser

Watch it here

The new Preacher trailer shown during the Hall H panel at Comic-Con was pretty awesome, although we can’t rank it too high, considering it was just a mid-season teaser (Preacher Season 3 is currently airing). Despite that, it was awesome to get looks at the Children of the Blood, Grandma’s meeting with Satan, and, of course, the Allfather himself.

14. Young Justice: Outsiders

Watch it here

Fans of Young Justice have been waiting a long time for new content so it’s probably fair that half of this five minute trailer was set up to recap the events of last season, but it’s hard to feel like the extensive cliff notes weren’t spinning their wheels at least a little. That said, the new stuff we did get looked pretty dang cool from Apokolips and Darkseid to Vandal Savage, Young Justice is definitely poised to start season three off with a bang.

13. The Walking Dead

Watch it here

As The Walking Dead prepares to say goodbye to star Andrew Lincoln, the trailer for Season 9 hints at a very different zombie apocalypse. With Negan locked up in prison, Rick is trying to keep the peace between the surviving groups. It’s not easy though, as the clip teases tension between himself, Daryl (Norman Reedus), and Maggie (Lauren Cohan). Most importantly, though, the trailer gives the first look at Alha, the next big bad to be pulled from the comics. Get ready for the Whisperers.

12. The Flash

Watch it here

Let’s be honest. The past couple of seasons of The Flash haven’t been great, and a lot of that is due to weak villains. However, the first look at Season 5 shows the series will be adapting the villainous cult leader Cicada this year, as played by American Pie’s Chris Klein, and it looks great. Cross your fingers that as The Flash reaches its 100th episode, it’ll turn a corner and return to its former glory.

11. Doctor Who Series 11 trailer

Watch it here

For existing Doctor Who fans, the Series 11 trailer shown at Comic-Con was exciting because it gives us a glimpse not just at Jodie Whitaker as the new Doctor, but at her three new “friends,” played by actors Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill, and Tosin Cole. Even if you’re not a fan, though, simply seeing more of the first ever female Doctor in action should be enough to pique anyone’s interest.

10. Arrow

Watch it here

If you like the Green Arrow on your Arrow, you might not be a fan of this trailer. Oliver Queen has gone from city hall to prison and now he’s surrounded by a bunch of villains he locked up with no team at his back. If this first look at Season 7 teases anything, it’s that Oliver is going to spend a lot of time bruised and bloody with no escape.

9. Alita: Battle Angel

Watch it here

Whether you think Alita: Battle Angel looks like the greatest manga adaptation ever or even worse than the live action Ghost in the Shell movie, chances are you still can’t tear your eyes away from hers. Based on the movie’s Comic-Con trailer (well, technically it’s a post-Comic-Con trailer, since it debuted the Monday after), Alita is going to be cheesy, grandiose, and filled with manga-inspired action.

8. Riverdale

Watch it Here

Riverdale continues to hold its unofficial title as the most buckwild CW TV show close to its heart as it barrels into season three with the promise of a cult storyline to follow up on season two’s serial killer. Who could have guessed that the candy coated Archie Comics of old were the go-to place for totally off the wall teenage melodrama? This trailer was mostly recap–understandable since the cast has only just started filming–but we can forgive that since it did a pretty good job of distilling all of Riverdale’s patent absurdity into a two-minute roller coaster ride of bloody murder and wholesome swimming hole dates.

7. Glass

Watch it here

When Split hit theaters, nobody expected it to be a pseudo sequel to Unbreakable. Now, Glass is bridging the two movies into one of the most bizarre-looking superhero tales yet–which says something, given the deluge of comic book movies that come through theaters. Set largely in a psychiatric hospital, the trailer for Glass teases the idea of a showdown between Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) and the Beast (James McAvoy), which should be an incredible sight.

6. Fantastic Beasts 2

Watch it here

The original Fantastic Beasts was a massive disappointment. Its world had all the charm that Harry Potter fans expect from the series, but the characters were seriously lacking. With its focus on young Dumbledore and Grindelwald–not to mention the alchemist Nicholas Flamel–the sequel is looking a whole lot better.

5. Star Wars Clone Wars

Watch it here

It’s been five years since Star Wars: The Clone Wars ended. While fans were excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the premiere at Comic-Con, chances are they weren’t expecting a new trailer announcing the series’ return. It became one of the highlights of the entire weekend, though. Now fans have to eagerly await its return. In the meantime, check out the audience reaction to the trailer–it’s everything you’ll need to feel good about Star Wars fandom for a moment.

4. Titans

Watch it Here

It’s an impressive feat to get a brand new meme off the ground on Comic-Con weekend when the whole internet is flooded with so much new content from so many angles but by god, the Titans trailer managed to do it. Featuring a brutal and bone crunching look at the DC Universe streaming service’s new live action take on the classic comics team, Titans gave us the instantly iconic “fuck Batman” line from the Boy Wonder himself, cementing it as one of the con’s most memorable moments–for better or for worse.

3. Aquaman

Watch it Here

We’ve all been waiting in the wings for the Aquaman trailer for what feels like years and, finally, at long last, they have something to call their own–and, thankfully, it turned out to be well worth the wait. With a suitably larger-than-life look at everything in Arthur Curry’s world from the saddled sharks of Atlantis to Jason Mamoa’s now trademarked (mah man!) witty quips (yeah-uh!) and interjections, Aquaman seems like it has the potential to be the start of a brand new era in the DCEU.

2. Shazam

Watch it here

This was one of the biggest surprises of the weekend, as nobody was sure what to make of Shazam. After all, the DCEU isn’t exactly the brightingest or happiest place in the cinematic universe. How could a little kid that says a magic word to become a superhero fit in? Thankfully, along with Aquaman, Shazam seems to be ditching the dark and gritty first phase of the DCEU for something new and fun. The trailer is funny and imaginative, the cast looks like they’re having a god time, and so much of it happens during the day. If the movie manages to match the tone of this first trailer, perhaps DC’s film universe isn’t doomed after all.

1. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Watch it here

It takes some serious star power to one-up actual cape-and-cowl superhero movies at SDCC, but Godzilla: King of the Monsters proves it can be done. With a truly bone-rattling presentation in Hall H, we were presented with our very first look at the next generation of Toho Kaiju on the big screen from Mothra to King Ghidorah and their human costars like fan favorites Millie Bobby Brown and Sarah Paulson. To really sweeten the pot, it was all set to the beautiful (and suitably majestic) classical stylings of Debussy’s Claire de Lune making King of the Monsters easily the most awe-inspiring trailer of the con. Long live the king.

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Grab A Free PC Game For Steam Right Now

The Humble Store has a nice surprise anyone with a gaming PC can take advantage of between now and July 28. If you head over to the Guns of Icarus Alliance page, you can get a copy of the game on Steam for free. It’s compatible with PC, Mac, and Linux, and you can keep and play it forever. All you need is a Humble account and a computer powerful enough to run it.

Guns of Icarus Alliance is a game of team-based airship battles set in a steampunk world. Much like Sea of Thieves, it has you and your teammates work together, taking on roles of pilot, gunner, and engineer to control the ship and engage in sky battles against enemies.

Alliance is an expanded version of 2012’s Guns of Icarus Online. While Online was a PvP-only game, Alliance adds a number of PvE experiences to the mix. So now players can team up to fight other real-life opponents or run base assaults, convoy raids, and escort missions against AI-controlled enemies.

While you’re at the Humble Store, you can also take a look at the CI Games Humble Bundle that’s currently available. You can spend as little as $1 to receive three older games, or pay more to get additional tiers of games. Paying $15 gets you six games and a couple of expansions, including the entire Sniper: Ghost Warrior series and Lords of the Fallen: Game of the Year Edition.

Also available at the online retailer is the Humble Monthly for August 2018. It costs $12, and right when you subscribe, you can download A Hat in Time, The Escapists 2, and Conan Exiles. More games in the bundle will be revealed and made available to subscribers on August 3, after the subscription window has closed for the month.

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Some Of Hearthstone’s Boomsday Project Cards Needed Heavy Testing

Hearthstone‘s next expansion, The Boomsday Project, is packing a lot of new mechanics into its 135 new cards. Like all new expansions, that means it’s going through a lot of play-testing, but one card type in particular needed more attention than most. The powerful spell “projects” were a particularly tricky card type to build and balance.

Projects are spells with symmetrical effects. Instead of just hitting the caster with a positive impact or their opponent with a negative one, it grants both players the same benefit. The idea is to build your deck to make sure you take the best advantage of the project effect, as opposed to your opponent who won’t have optimized their deck around it.

“I like to think of projects as kind of like the science projects that you did in school,” engineer Cat Morgan told GameSpot. “So there’s a team and of course one person always does the work, but you want to get the most benefit from the project, so you want to get that good grade. When people play projects, they really need to think about, ‘Am I going to get more benefit from it right now than my opponent might?'”

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So far only two have been revealed. The Druid’s Biology Project, which gives both players two Mana to ramp up to the limit of 10 that much faster; and the Warlock Demonic Project, which turns a random minion into a demon. The latter is expected to be a combo breaker for facing off against decks like Shudderwock Shaman that depend on one or two key minions to pull off.

“Druid doesn’t have a lot of ways to catch up once they’re behind,” said lead designer Mike Donais. “Biology Project certainly is a risky card though. It’s accelerating a class that can maybe take advantage of it the best because they have very expensive cards, like Ultimate Infestation and big minions. But there are gonna be some match-ups where the opponent also has really expensive cards and then they’re gonna be certainly paying the cost here, and they’re gonna be down a card from playing Biology Project.”

Donais continued, “The project cards, probably of all the different mechanics, got some of the most play-testing. We recently hired another play tester, Keaton, or ‘Chakki’ Keaton Gill. He’s helping us out there, and that’s been great.”

Not every class has its own project. Donais said it will be roughly an even split between Projects and another new card type–Omega cards that grant big effects if played once you’ve reached 10 Mana.

The Boomsday Project launches on August 7.