NWL - National Wrestling League

[Kermit]

Any specifics can be found here: NWL.com​

ESPN Spots Minute with Jim Ross​

Ross: The season is almost ready to begin and I think that everyone is having the early jitters. However, League Commissioner Vince McMahon should not be afraid about whether or not this new project will succeed, but rather how it will turn out now that it is out of his hands. Vince is no longer pulling the booking strings, so every wrestler will literally have to fight for every win. In a company where a win and loss record meant little, it is everything now.

Let's look at the first week's schedule.

Week 1 Schedule:

Spoiler

Kane at John Cena
Daniel Bryan at Antonio Cesaro
Jack Swagger at Santino
Mark Henry at CM Punk
Christian at Cody Rhodes
Zack Ryder at Kofi Kingston
Tyson Kidd at Curt Hawkins
Sheamus at Randy Orton
Wade Barret at Damien Sandow
Sin Cara at The Great Khali
Big Show at Alberto Del Rio
The Miz at Dolph Ziggler
Rey Mysterio at Ryback
David Otunga at Heath Slater​

Ross: We have some great matches lined up and I think that we are in store for some shockers. We have our main-event talent squaring off against their division foes. This will ensure early division dominance for the winners of those matches. However, the season is long and we will still have another 12 long weeks before either of them can call themselves king of their division.

Don't forget that after the sixth week of the season I will post up a continual top ten power rankings for the men on the roster. I'll see you next time, this is Jim Ross and this has been an ESPN Sports Minute.

 

[Kermit]

Week 1 Results

Kane at John Cena
Daniel Bryan at Antonio Cesaro
Jack Swagger at Santino
Mark Henry at CM Punk
Christian at Cody Rhodes
Zack Ryder at Kofi Kingston
Tyson Kidd at Curt Hawkins
Sheamus at Randy Orton
Wade Barret at Damien Sandow
Sin Cara at The Great Khali
Big Show at Alberto Del Rio
The Miz at Dolph Ziggler
Rey Mysterio at Ryback
David Otunga at Heath Slater

Interviews with two superstars after the show​

Zack Ryder on his win over Kofi Kingston

Ryder: Yeah, it was a great back and forth match, but in the end it was just my night. I think that the new league throws a lot of opportunity out there for guys who didn't really get it in the old-fashion WWE. I look forward to the rest of the season.

John Cena on his loss to Kane

Cena: To answer your question, no I do not think that this is a sign of things to come. There is still twelve more weeks in this season, and I can guarantee you that I am going to come out faster, harder, and stronger. There are wins and losses in every season, and one of my losses just happened to be tonight. All credit goes to Kane on the win.

 

[Kermit]

ESPN Sports Minute with Jim Ross​

Ross: The season kicked off this past week and I think we can all agree that John Cena was the projected favorite going into the season. Now, things have changed. Yes, it was only one loss, but it was a divisional loss against his main-event rival Kane. Kane now controls his own destiny, and I don't see the big red machine ever slowing down.

Let's take a look at the Week 2 schedule.

Spoiler

Antonio Cesaro at Kane
John Cena at Daniel Bryan
Jack Swagger at Tyson Kidd
Cody Rhodes at Mark Henry
CM Punk at Christian
Curt Hawkins at Kofi Kingston
Santino at Zack Ryder
Damien Sandow at Sheamus
Randy Orton at Wade Barret
Sin Cara at David Otunga
Dolph Ziggler at Big Show
Alberto Del Rio at The Miz
Heath Slater at Ryback
The Great Khali at Rey Mysterio​

Ross: I will be watching all of these matches, but there are a couple that I think everyone should be paying close attention to. Sheamus vs. Sandow and Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio. The stakes are high in both matches. Sandow is coming off an impressive win over Wade Barret, and Sheamus is 0-1. Now is the time for the intellectual savior to strike. Miz and Del Rio both share a loss apiece, so that means that one of them will be walking away from week two with a poor start of 0-2.

Week 1 was great, but let's get ready for Week 2. Remember that records will be kept on the official NWL.com website. As always, I am Jim Ross and this has been another ESPN Sports Minute.

 

[Kermit]

Week 2 Results

Antonio Cesaro at Kane
John Cena at Daniel Bryan
Jack Swagger at Tyson Kidd
Cody Rhodes at Mark Henry
CM Punk at Christian
Curt Hawkins at Kofi Kingston
Santino at Zack Ryder
Damien Sandow at Sheamus
Randy Orton at Wade Barret
Sin Cara at David Otunga
Dolph Ziggler at Big Show
Alberto Del Rio at The Miz
Heath Slater at Ryback
The Great Khali at Rey Mysterio

Interviews with two superstars after the show​

Dolph Zigger on his win over Big Show

Ziggler: I just went out there and threw statistics out of the window. He was a big guy so I knew that I would have to wear down his legs if I wanted to have a good chance of winning it. In the end I won and I'm feeling pretty good after taking down a billed main-event talent in my division. I hope that I can capitalize on the momentum going forward.

Wade Barret on going 0-2

Barret: I knew that tonight would be an uphill battle from the start. I really got my momentum plugged last week after dropping a win I should of got against Sandow. Orton is a tough competitor, and it is really difficult to win against a high-caliber opponent like him when you have no gripping behind you.

 

[Kermit]

ESPN Sports Minute with Jim Ross​

Ross: Otunga, Kidd, and Ziggler. What do these three men have in common? They all are coming off upset wins and are currently 2-0. However, I think the storm is coming. I predict that all three men will take a loss this coming week. They will each face an upper-tier foe and I don't see either of them carrying the momentum to Week 4.

Speaking of 2-0, how about CM Punk and Rand Orton? Both men are main-event mainstays in their division, but why does there seem to be no buzz surrounding these two? Perhaps it is because we have come to expect the elite level that they are currently playing at. Both men look like strong leaders in their division, and I don't see that letting up.

Let's take a look at the Week 3 schedule.

Spoiler

Antonio Cesaro at John Cena
Kane at Daniel Bryan
Tyson Kidd at Santino
Cody Rhodes at CM Punk
Christian at Mark Henry
Jack Swagger at Kofi Kingston
Curt Hawkins at Zack Ryder
Damien Sandow at Randy Orton
Sheamus at Wade Barret
David Otunga at The Great Khali
Dolph Ziggler at Alberto Del Rio
The Miz at Big Show
Sin Cara at Ryback
Heath Slater at Rey Mysterio​

Ross: It is shocking for me to say this, but I will go ahead and just blurt it out. Khali vs. Otunga is the match to watch. Both men are undefeated and this match could drastically affect where they will end up in the post-season. However, if you are interested in higher star power with your cup of tea, then Kane vs. Daniel Bryan should be what you are looking for. This match up has all of the makings of an epic encounter, and I won't give either man the edge here, even though Kane is the higher tier opponent.

Final thoughts? Look for a lot of 2-0 records to turn into 2-1 this week. I'm Jim Ross and this has been another ESPN Sports Minute.

 

[Kermit]

Week 3 Results

Antonio Cesaro at John Cena
Kane at Daniel Bryan
Tyson Kidd at Santino
Cody Rhodes at CM Punk
Christian at Mark Henry
Jack Swagger at Kofi Kingston
Curt Hawkins at Zack Ryder
Damien Sandow at Randy Orton
Sheamus at Wade Barret
David Otunga at The Great Khali
Dolph Ziggler at Alberto Del Rio
The Miz at Big Show
Sin Cara at Ryback
Heath Slater at Rey Mysterio

Interviews with two superstars after the show​

Daniel Bryan on his loss to Kane

Bryan: Kane came out aggressive tonight and I came out aggressive tonight. I thought I wrestled a good pure match, but Kane just brought it all the more harder tonight. He just has a clamp down on the division and is red hot at the moment. Hopefully this won't be the last time we meet this season.

David Otunga on his upset win over The Great Khali

Otunga: I am feeling extremely well after the win tonight. I went out there and didn't listen to all the hype that surrounded me in the media this past week. I stayed focused and overcame a huge obstacle tonight. This league is a league of opportunity for anyone. It doesn't matter who you were in the old WWE; you can make it here in the new one if you put the effort into it.

 

[Kermit]

ESPN Sports Minute with Jim Ross​

Ross: What did I tell you? Out of the eight wrestlers who had a 2-0 record, half of them now have a loss. But, someone did prove me wrong. David Otunga improved to a 3-0 start with a huge win over The Great Khali. What is even more impressive is that Otunga is a lower tier talent.

Now, I know that the league is young, but I would like to take a look at the strength of divisions. Division C has two 3-0 teams and two 2-1 teams. Now we all knew that Randy Orton was a top talent, but were we really expecting this? Not only that, but were we really expecting the division that John Cena is in to be the second worst division in the league?

All of this shows us that the league is unpredictable. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a 3-0 team and a 0-3 team do a role reversal by the end of the season. With that, let's take a look at the schedule for week 4.

Spoiler

Santino at Kane
Cody Rhodes at Antonio Cesaro
John Cena at Jack Swagger
Daniel Bryan at Tyson Kidd
Zack Ryder at Mark Henry
Curt Hawkins at Christian
CM Punk at Kofi Kingston
The Great Khali at Sheamus
Dolph Ziggler at Damien Sandow
Randy Orton at Sin Cara
Wade Barret at David Otunga
Rey Mysterio at Big Show
Heath Slater at The Miz
Alberto Del Rio at Ryback​

Ross: Right now the wrestler to watch is Otunga. Only because he is such a lower level talent and undefeated. However, I would argue that everyone will be glued to their seats to watch anyone who is still undefeated regardless. Punk, Orton, Kane, and Otunga all have big targets on their chest going forward.

Santino vs. Kane will be a big role player in the shaping of Division A. Can you believe that Santio will be leading a division that Kane and John Cena are in if he wins his match this week? Crazy.

I'm Jim Ross and this has been an ESPN Sports Minute.

 

[Kermit]

Week 4 Results

Santino at Kane
Cody Rhodes at Antonio Cesaro
John Cena at Jack Swagger
Daniel Bryan at Tyson Kidd
Zack Ryder at Mark Henry
Curt Hawkins at Christian
CM Punk at Kofi Kingston
The Great Khali at Sheamus
Dolph Ziggler at Damien Sandow
Randy Orton at Sin Cara
Wade Barret at David Otunga
Rey Mysterio at Big Show
Heath Slater at The Miz
Alberto Del Rio at Ryback

Interviews with two superstars after the show​

Santino on his win over Kane

Santino: It twas a great win tonight! I never would of dreamed that I would be leading the division in the fourth week of the league. Kane and John Cena are great wrestlers, but luck has been in my favor and I have stepped up my game this year. Now all I have to do is remain focused and a playoff spot will be mine.

CM Punk on going 4-0

Punk: It has just become blatantly obvious that I control the chips in my division. I go out there and produce and the wins just keep on coming. It is as simple as that. I am a man on a mission, and as long as my competitors continue to have weaknesses, I will exploit them.

 

[Kermit]

ESPN Sports Minute with Jim Ross​

Ross: Remember these words: "A diamond in the rough". Across the NWL there are a total of 11 teams that are currently 2-2. Sure, we can applaud the likes of Punk, Orton, and Otunga (especially Otunga) because all three men have a 4-0 record. However, I don't think we will be spotlighting them come post-season. I believe that one of the current 2-2 teams will be the league leader by the end of it all. Why would I make such a bold prediction? It is simple: You can learn more from losing than you can from winning. With two losses, the 11 superstars who fall into the category of 2-2 have something that Punk, Orton, and Otunga don't have. They have the ability to go out there and wrestle with nothing to lose. Because of that they have no limits, so therefore they have the edge.

Santino pulled off the upset win over Kane this past week in a truly stunning fashion. With the win, he now leads the Division A. With that he also showed us that the Division A might be a better division than all of us thought. Right now there is only one wrestler who does not have 2 or more wins. That trumps every other division. With four out of seven members having a 2-2 we can only continue to watch as the Division A heats up. Winning your division will guarantee a first-round bye and could make all the difference come post-season.

Let's take a look at the week 5 schedule.

Spoiler

Santino at John Cena
Christian at Daniel Bryan
Kane at Jack Swagger
Antonio Cesaro at Tyson Kidd
Zack Ryder at CM Punk
Kofi Kingston at Mark Henry
Curt Hawkins at Cody Rhodes
The Great Khali at Randy Orton
The Miz at Wade Barret
Sheamus at Sin Cara
Damien Sandow at David Otunga
Rey Mysterio at Alberto Del Rio
Ryback at Big Show
Heath Slater at Dolph Ziggler
​

Ross: Cena vs. Santino will be one to watch come week 5. All Santino has to do is slay one more giant and he should be home free to run away with the division. You heard that from me first. Miz vs. Barret will be a battle of the awfuls as they both try to keep away from falling out of post-season contention. Finally, I will be highly anticipating the Ryback vs. Big Show match. Both men are heavy hitters and Show needs a little more validation to convince me that he can make a run at the first WrestleBowl. Ryback will be a good test for him and hopefully indicate to us if he is worthy of all of the pre-season hype.

 

[Kermit]

Week 5 Results

Santino at John Cena
Christian at Daniel Bryan
Kane at Jack Swagger
Antonio Cesaro at Tyson Kidd
Zack Ryder at CM Punk
Kofi Kingston at Mark Henry
Curt Hawkins at Cody Rhodes
The Great Khali at Randy Orton
The Miz at Wade Barret
Sheamus at Sin Cara
Damien Sandow at David Otunga
Rey Mysterio at Alberto Del Rio
Ryback at Big Show
Heath Slater at Dolph Ziggler

Interviews with two superstars after the show​

Randy Orton on his loss to The Great Khali

Orton: Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong for me tonight. He was blocking the majority of my punches and I just could not get a rhythm going. When you face off against a big opponent like Khali, you have to be able to wear him down and capitalize on everything. I just couldn't do that tonight.

Kofi Kingston on beating Mark Henry

Kingston: Mark is a big dude. I knew that tonight was make or break for me. I was sitting on a 2-2 record, so I didn't want to be on the bottom of side of a .500 win percentage. I just put it into the highest gear that I could and didn't let up. Eventually he wore down and I think he kind of just seceded at the end. It was a great win and I am going to use this to build myself up going into the next match.

 

[Kermit]

Ross: For one week, and one week only, David Otunga will get to bask in the glory of leading the Division C. However, his days are numbered. Next week he will go one on one with the viper, Randy Orton. Perhaps I am getting a bit too far ahead of myself in the segment, but this is the hottest topic in surrounding the NWL right now. However, the incredible 5-0 start of Otunga is overshadowing what was a great week in the NWL.

Kingston, Khali, Mysterio, and Slater all pulled off great upsets. Who am I the most proud of? Rey Mysterio. He has came back from a 0-2 start to cap off a three win streak against the upper-tier Alberto Del Rio. With Ziggler's loss to Slater, we now have ourselves a four-way tie for the top spot in Division D.

As expected, Cena put an end to Santino's celebration and actually helped his division rival, Kane, take back the number one spot. With that it means that all of our main-event talent have a record that is above .500. I am sure that League Commissioner Vince McMahon is thrilled about this.

Let's take a look at the week 6 schedule.

Spoiler

Mark Henry at Kane
Santino at Antonio Cesaro
Daniel Bryan at Jack Swagger
John Cena at Tyson Kidd
Kofi Kingston at Christian
Zack Ryder at Cody Rhodes
CM Punk at Curt Hawkins
Big Show at Sheamus
The Great Khali at Damien Sandow
Wade Barret at Sin Cara
Randy Orton at David Otunga
Ryback at The Miz
Rey Mysterio at Dolph Ziggler
Alberto Del Rio at Heath Slater​

Ross: Mark Henry vs. Kane and Big Show vs. Sheamus are two matches that people should clamor around their television for. This type of main-event competition is something that we have not got since week 1. Despite these two big league encounters, I am sure that David Otunga vs. Randy Orton will get the most views and coverage. Otunga is a hot topic that everyone is excited about. I won't go as far to say that Otunga has been untested, but the viper is on a whole other level than all of his other opponents. I am putting my money on Orton in this one. It would be a monumental shocker if Otunga caps off the first half of the season with a win over Orton.

Don't forget that I will be posting up the first Top 10 Rankings after Week 6. I am Jim Ross and this has been an ESPN Sports Minute.

 

[Kermit]

Week 6 Results

Mark Henry at Kane
Santino at Antonio Cesaro
Daniel Bryan at Jack Swagger
John Cena at Tyson Kidd
Kofi Kingston at Christian
Zack Ryder at Cody Rhodes
CM Punk at Curt Hawkins
Big Show at Sheamus
The Great Khali at Damien Sandow
Wade Barret at Sin Cara
Randy Orton at David Otunga
Ryback at The Miz
Rey Mysterio at Dolph Ziggler
Alberto Del Rio at Heath Slater

Interviews with two superstars after the show​

CM Punk on his narrow win over Curt Hawkins

Punk: I don't know why it is such a big deal that the match was closer than anyone expected. A win is a win. Hawkins stepped up his game tonight, but it still didn't matter. I am now the only wrestler with an undefeated record. People won't remember the closeness of the match when it comes time for the playoffs. They will only remember what is in the win and loss column.

David Otunga on his first loss of the season

Otunga: I went out there and gave the best effort that I had, but Orton is a strong opponent. I hung in there with him and I don't think it was a dominant win for him by any means. I think that says a lot against the way that I was judged before this season started. In the end, I only have one loss and I have a whole other half of a season left.

 

[Kermit]

News Article On ESPN.com

NWL Top 10 Power Rankings
Posted by Jim Ross​

Ross: This is the debut of the NWL Top 10 Power Rankings. I will give brief explanations for why the Top 5 are who they are. Everyone else will just be posted with there position.

1. CM Punk (6-0)
-Was there ever any doubt that CM Punk would top my list? He is the only undefeated wrestler left in the league and I don't see him losing any time soon.

2. Randy Orton (5-1)
-With only one loss, Orton is the perfect fit to slot as the #2 man in the league. Even though Otunga is a lower-tier talent, his win over him was still an impressive one.

3. Mark Henry (4-2)
-Mark Henry is one of the most underrated talent in the league right now. That is partly because he is in CM Punk's shadow in Division B. Expect him to sneak into the playoffs and make a ruckus while everyone praises Punk.

4. The Great Khali (4-2)
-The only man to beat Orton, and my favorite to steal the #2 spot in Division C before it is all said and done.

5. Kane (4-2)
-He suffered a tough loss to Henry, but it was one that he could give away. Expect him to bring the fire in the second-half of the season.

6. Big Show (4-2)

7. Antonio Cesaro (4-2)

8. Dolph Ziggler (4-2)

9. Sheamus (4-2)

10. Alberto Del Rio (4-2)

 

[Kermit]

ESPN Sports Minute with Jim Ross​

Ross: I have been receiving letter after letter this week. All of it is hate mail. There seems to be a lot of controversy over the fact that David Otunga was completely omitted from my inaugural Top 10 list. Perhaps I should of explained myself at the time of the release, but better late than never, right? David Otunga is without a doubt the hottest story of the first half of the season, but now that chapter in the NWL is over. He has suffered a lost, and I think it is only a matter of time before his season implodes and we find him barely missing the playoffs.

To be quite honest, the fact that Otunga was not on the list is an oversight. It is an oversight because I completely forgot about him when making the list. If you are not a main-event talent, then the only thing you have going for you is remaining undefeated. If you cannot do that, then you are yesterday's news.

Moving on, Punk climbed to a 6-0 record with a narrow defeat over Hawkins. Because of this, a lot of fans are ready to jump off of the Punk ship. To these people I say that you are crazy. Punk right now is the only guaranteed playoff piece in the puzzle. Even if Punk does pick up a loss or two by the regular season end, he will still most likely be the favorite going into the playoffs.

Let's take a look at the schedule for week 7.

Spoiler

CM Punk at John Cena
Santino at Daniel Bryan
Antonio Cesaro at Jack Swagger
Kane at Tyson Kidd
Curt Hawkins at Mark Henry
Zack Ryder at Christian
Kofi Kingston at Cody Rhodes
Alberto Del Rio at Randy Orton
The Great Khali at Wade Barret
Damien Sandow at Sin Cara
Sheamus at David Otunga
Heath Slater at Big Show
Rey Mysterio at The Miz
Ryback at Dolph Ziggler​

Ross: Say hello to the trap match. CM Punk is going into Week 7 with a highly inflated ego thanks to my rankings and his perfect 6-0 record. Cue John Cena, the man that has been marred in controversy since his regular season debut. Hell, I could not even justify putting him on my top 10 for Week 1. This match won't make or break either superstar, but that doesn't mean that it isn't arguably the biggest match of the season so far.

On top of that, there are two other matches that are worth following extensively. Orton vs. Del Rio and Sheamus vs. Otunga. I know that I gave Otunga a hard time in the first part of my segment, but a win over Sheamus would shut me up indefinitely. Orton needs to keep his momentum up, but I think that Del Rio may have his number.

The second half of the season is about to kick off. I am Jim Ross and this has been an ESPN Sports Minute.

 

[Kermit]

Week 7 Results

CM Punk at John Cena
Santino at Daniel Bryan
Antonio Cesaro at Jack Swagger
Kane at Tyson Kidd
Curt Hawkins at Mark Henry
Zack Ryder at Christian
Kofi Kingston at Cody Rhodes
Alberto Del Rio at Randy Orton
The Great Khali at Wade Barret
Damien Sandow at Sin Cara
Sheamus at David Otunga
Heath Slater at Big Show
Rey Mysterio at The Miz
Ryback at Dolph Ziggler


Interviews with two superstars after the show​

Antonio Cesaro on his loss to Jack Swagger

Cesaro: It was a divisional match that I really needed to win, but I just couldn't capitalize. I think I may have overlooked my opponent, but you can guarantee that I would pull out the win 9 times out of 10. I am sure that I will drop in the rankings now, but those type of things don't really bother me.

Ryback on his win over Dolph Ziggler

Ryback: *laughs* In the end Dolph is Dolph, and Ryback is Ryback. I know that I have a lot of ground to make up for before the playoffs get here so Dolph was just the first of many in the second half of the season. Nothing personal, but I just have an appetite that is only going to be filled by a championship. Simple as that.

 

[Kermit]

News Article On ESPN.com

NWL Top 10 Power Rankings
Posted by Jim Ross​

1. CM Punk (7-0)
-Another win means staying at the top. Heck, even a loss at this point would mean staying at the top for Punk. It doesn't hurt that the win was against John Cena, though.

2. Mark Henry (5-2)
-Henry stayed dominant against Hawkins, despite coming off a high-energy win over Kane last week.

3. Alberto Del Rio (5-2)
-Beating the #2 man from last week will give you instant credibility on my list. Del Rio is already on my list of superstars to watch, so I have no problem giving him this spot.

4. Kane (5-2)
-A comeback win over his tough loss from Henry made things a little easier for Kane. It landed him in the Top 5 and hopefully he can continue to build off of it.

5. Big Show (5-2)
-A lot of big men in the Top 5 this week, but I am just fine with that. Show squashed Slater, but I don't think the carnage will stop yet.

6. Randy Orton (5-2)

7. Sheamus (5-2)

8. Christian (5-2)

9. Ryback (4-3)

10. The Great Khali (4-3)

 

[Kermit]

ESPN Sports Minute with Jim Ross​

Ross: Week 8 is almost here. After this upcoming week we will be able to piece together eight of the 12 playoff spots. That means that a win this week will be crucial. Expect the unexpected. It is time to find out who will sneak into the divisional spots in the playoffs.

Today I would like to take a look at the strength of conferences. It has been awhile since we have done so. Right now, Smackdown holds 60% of the Top 10. However, does that mean that they are the best conference? Yes, I think so. From top to bottom, the conference is stacked. How else can you explain a 5-2 lower tier opponent in Otunga? A measly 0-7 Curt Hawkins and 2-5 Tyson Kidd on the Raw side cannot compete. Raw's only highlights are a perfect Punk and a forgotten Henry. Other than these two, there is not a lot of hope in the conference. Expect those two to be competing for a Conference Championship come playoff time; Where as there will be six competing for the Smackdown one.

Let's take a look at the week 8 schedule.

Spoiler

Cody Rhodes at Kane
Zack Ryder at Antonio Cesaro
Mark Henry at Santino
Tyson Kidd at CM Punk
John Cena at Christian
Daniel Bryan at Kofi Kingston
Jack Swagger at Curt Hawkins
Dolph Ziggler at Sheamus
Big Show at The Great Khali
David Otunga at Alberto Del Rio
Randy Orton at The Miz
Wade Barret at Ryback
Damien Sandow at Rey Mysterio
Sin Cara at Heath Slater​

Ross: Week 8 looks like a total mess. There appears to be only a few fair-leveled matches and you can bet that everyone will be scrounging for wins. Expect a dirty week 8 with a few surprises here and there. My pick for match of the week would have to be Ryback vs. Barret. Barret is going to try to pull a Cinderella story out of his hat, but I don't see Ryback letting that happen. My name is Jim Ross and this has been an ESPN Sports Minute.

 

[Kermit]

Week 8 Results

Cody Rhodes at Kane
Zack Ryder at Antonio Cesaro
Mark Henry at Santino
Tyson Kidd at CM Punk
John Cena at Christian
Daniel Bryan at Kofi Kingston
Jack Swagger at Curt Hawkins
Dolph Ziggler at Sheamus
Big Show at The Great Khali
David Otunga at Alberto Del Rio
Randy Orton at The Miz
Wade Barret at Ryback
Damien Sandow at Rey Mysterio
Sin Cara at Heath Slater

Interviews with two superstars after the show​

John Cena on his loss to Christian

Cena: What do you want me to say man? The wins have just not been coming in for me. This is obviously not where I expected to be at this point. I apologize to my fans. I just have to go out there and hope that I can turn around this season before it is too late.

Dolph Ziggler on his win over Sheamus

Ziggler: It was great to bounce back and defeat a main-event talent. I hope that Vince was watching from his sky box and taking notes. This is not a fluke or some early season match where one guy just had the jitters. I beat Sheamus in week 8 of this league. I think the win speaks for itself.

 

[Kermit]

News Article On ESPN.com

NWL Top 10 Power Rankings
Posted by Jim Ross​

1. CM Punk (8-0)
- He is 8-0. Baring no faults is a great way to keep yourself at the top of the list.

2. Mark Henry (6-2)
- As I have said since day one, Mark Henry is in the shadow CM Punk. These two men are the biggest double punch that any division has to offer.

3. Alberto Del Rio (6-2)
- Del Rio is really showing his endurance in the latter half of this season. I am impressed by him and I look forward to see what he does in the last 5 weeks.

4. Randy Orton (6-2)
- He has lived up to everything that we thought he could be. Not everyone can have a perfect record, but Orton still has what it takes to win a Championship.

5. Christian (6-2)
-Christian has been quietly sneaking up the ranks. Now, he is showing us that the Division B is without a doubt the best division in the league.

6. Ryback (5-3)

7. The Great Khali (5-3)

8. Kane (5-3)

9. Dolph Ziggler (5-3)

10. Big Show (5-3)

 

[Kermit]

Playoff Picture​

Key:

Gold - Division Winner
Gray - Division Runner Up
(Open) - Spot not yet filled

*Author's Notes: The best division clinched a first round bye, and the runner up clinched a first round spot. The final four open spots will determined by my wildcard rules. I will pick the remaining spots at the end of the season off of the following in this order: (Best Record > Head to Head Competition > Highest Power Ranking > Best Judgement)

Raw Conference

---

Kane (5-3)
Bye

John Cena (4-4)
(Open)

---

CM Punk (8-0)
Bye

Mark Henry (6-2)
(Open)

---

Smackdown Conference

---

Randy Orton (6-2)
Bye

Sheamus (5-3)
(Open)

---

Alberto Del Rio (6-2)
Bye

Ryback (5-3)
(Open)

---

 

[Kermit]

ESPN Sports Minute with Jim Ross

Ross: Eight pieces of the playoff have been revealed. The only big surprise has come out of Division D. We were left with a four-way tie for best division record and it seems that Ryback got the edge over Big Show and Rey Mysterio. Also, it is sad to see a 4-4 John Cena get in over a 5-3 Daniel Bryan, but Cena had the advantage in head-to-head competition.

Now, we only need to fill two spots from each conference in order to have a complete playoff picture. That means that we will have five weeks of the most cut-throat competition we have seen yet. I'll go ahead and predict that Daniel Bryan and Christian will emerge as the two wild-card victors in the Raw Conference, while Khali and Show come out alive in the Smackdown Conference. Regardless, all four men will have to really push on to gain those spots.

Let's take a look at the week 9 schedule.

Spoiler

Kofi Kingston at John Cena
Curt Hawkins at Daniel Bryan
Cody Rhodes at Santino
Christian at Tyson Kidd
Jack Swagger at CM Punk
Antonio Cesaro at Mark Henry
Kane at Zack Ryder
Ryback at Randy Orton
Heath Slater at Wade Barret
Dolph Ziggler at The Great Khali
Sin Cara at Alberto Del Rio
Damien Sandow at Big Show
David Otunga at The Miz
Sheamus at Rey Mysterio​

Ross: Cara, Miz, Barret, Slater, and Hawkins are the only five who I would pretty much rule out of playoff contention. So what does that mean? Watch everyone else. Time is definitely ticking, but that doesn't mean there isn't enough of it to see some borderline miracles. I wouldn't be completely shocked if a 3-5 Sandow, Kingston, Santino, or Swagger snuck up on all of us and snagged a spot.

A key match to zone in on this week would be Ziggler vs. Khali. Both have the same 5-3 record, but a loss for either of them could spell defeat for the season.

It's all downhill from here folks. I am Jim Ross and this has been another ESPN Sports Minute.

 

[Compound_Lotus]

I sat down and read your whole thread so far and I am really enjoying it. It is a unique concept I am fond of. I have no idea who is gonna win the league championship although I am pretty convinced it isn't gonna be Henry or Punk. Almost anyone else could win however. Kudos to you on an innovative idea.

 

[Kermit]

Because I have been behind, but still want to finish this thing. I am going to post the results for several weeks so that we can get into the playoffs. There will be no comments from wrestlers this time, but I will try to quickly follow up with Jim Ross' rankings and preview for the playoffs.

Week 9
Kofi Kingston at John Cena
Curt Hawkins at Daniel Bryan
Cody Rhodes at Santino
Christian at Tyson Kidd
Jack Swagger at CM Punk
Antonio Cesaro at Mark Henry
Kane at Zack Ryder
Ryback at Randy Orton
Heath Slater at Wade Barret
Dolph Ziggler at The Great Khali
Sin Cara at Alberto Del Rio
Damien Sandow at Big Show
David Otunga at The Miz
Sheamus at Rey Mysterio

Week #10
CM Punk at Kane
Christian at Antonio Cesaro
Mark Henry at Jack Swagger
Kofi Kingston at Santino
Daniel Bryan at Cody Rhodes
Tyson Kidd at Zack Ryder
John Cena at Curt Hawkins
Alberto Del Rio at Sheamus
The Miz at Damien Sandow
Big Show at Sin Cara
Ryback at The Great Khali
Wade Barret at Dolph Ziggler
David Otunga at Rey Mysterio
Randy Orton at Heath Slater

Week #11
Alberto Del Rio at John Cena
Big Show at Kane
The Miz at Daniel Bryan
Dolph Ziggler at Antonio Cesaro
Rey Mysterio at Santino
Wade Barret at Christian
The Great Khali at Zack Ryder
CM Punk at Randy Orton
Mark Henry at Sheamus
Cody Rhodes at Damien Sandow
Kofi Kingston at Sin Cara
Curt Hawkins at David Otunga
Jack Swagger at Ryback
Tyson Kidd at Heath Slater

Week #12
The Miz at Kane
Ryback at Antonio Cesaro
Rey Mysterio at Jack Swagger
Randy Orton at Curt Hawkins
CM Punk at Sheamus
Mark Henry at Wade Barret
Christian at Damien Sandow
Cody Rhodes at Sin Cara
Kofi Kingston at The Great Khali
Zack Ryder at David Otunga
Tyson Kidd at Alberto Del Rio
John Cena at Big Show
Daniel Bryan at Dolph Ziggler
Santino at Heath Slater

Week #13
The Miz at John Cena
Ryback at Daniel Bryan
Heath Slater at Jack Swagger
Big Show at Tyson Kidd
Wade Barret at CM Punk
Damien Sandow at Mark Henry
Sin Cara at Christian
The Great Khali at Cody Rhodes
David Otunga at Kofi Kingston
Randy Orton at Zack Ryder
Sheamus at Curt Hawkins
Santino at Alberto Del Rio
Kane at Dolph Ziggler
Antonio Cesaro at Rey Mysterio​

 

[Kermit]

News Article On ESPN.com

Final NWL Top 10 Power Rankings
Posted by Jim Ross​

1. CM Punk (10-3)
-In the last five matches of the season, CM Punk suffered three losses to top tier opponents. However, with only Randy Orton matching his record at 10-3, I just couldn't put the viper over him in the final rankings. Punk has just been too consistent during the bulk of the season. I won't hold three losses to good opponents in the part of the season that means little to nothing against him.

2. Randy Orton (10-3)
-Perhaps the biggest threat to Punk in this whole entire thing. I would of most likely put him over Punk in the final rankings had he not fallen in the shocking upset to Curt Hawkins.

3. John Cena (9-4)
-No superstar has gone under more scrutiny this season than John Cena. However, we have now reached the end the regular season and it appears that everyone has worked out in the end. Cena won 5 out of 5 to bring him to a respectable 9-4 record heading into the playoffs.

4. Kane (9-4)
-Kane started it all by knocking off the undefeated CM Punk, which would lead to three straight losses. Not only that, but he clinched 4 out of 5 wins in the last stretch of the season.

5. Alberto Del Rio (9-4)
-Del Rio is keeping a tight leash on Division D. I expect him to make a final four appearance, but I am not convinced that he walks out as Conference or NWL Champion.

6. Daniel Bryan (9-4)

7. Mark Henry (9-4)

8. Christian (9-4)

9. Sheamus (8-5)

10. Big Show (8-5)

 

[Kermit]

Playoff Picture​

Key:

Gold - Division Winner
Gray - Division Runner Up
(Open) - Spot not yet filled

*Author's Notes: The best division clinched a first round bye, and the runner up clinched a first round spot. The final four open spots will determined by my wildcard rules. I will pick the remaining spots at the end of the season off of the following in this order: (Best Record > Head to Head Competition > Highest Power Ranking > Best Judgement)

Raw Conference

---

Kane (9-4)
Bye

John Cena (9-4)
Christian (9-4)

---

CM Punk (10-3)
Bye

Mark Henry (9-4)
Daniel Bryan (9-4)

---

Smackdown Conference

---

Randy Orton (10-3)
Bye

Sheamus (8-5)
Big Show (8-5)

---

Alberto Del Rio (9-4)
Bye

Ryback (7-6)
The Great Khali (7-6)

---