April 20, 2020: RAW is Women's Wrestling

April 20, 2020

4/20 is a day that celebrates people getting high. 4/20/2020 will be remembered for something...bigger. For the first time in the history of Monday Night Raw, the longest-running weekly episodic show in television history, had five women's matches. Yes, I said...FIVE WOMEN'S MATCHES. There have been times in the past where we would barely get even ONE women's match on Raw, and when we did those matches would last a cup of coffee and not be respected by the WWE Universe. Times have clearly changed where fans now seem to look forward to what the women do moreso than tmany of the men. What's crazy about this historical evening is WWE Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch wasn't even there. But in the end, as much as The Man was missed, it didn't matter as folks were pleasenly suprised by what we got in what turned out to be the most female-heavy Raw of all time.

The first women's match of the evening was Shayna Baszler vs NXT upstart Indi Hartwell. Side note about Indi: she literally became a wrestler because she was inspired by the legendary encounter between Bayley and Sasha Banks for the NXT Women's Championship at the first NXT Takeover: Brooklyn. If any one match inspires you to become a wrestler, it's definitely that one. Fresh off her qualifying match last week for the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match on May 10th on the WWE Network, Shayna would end up winning very decisively and punishing the everlivng hell out of Indi after the match, including breaking her arm with a ladder. OUCH!

The next women's match would be a rematch from the previous Raw: Kairi Sane vs Nia Jax. Nia beat Kairi the previous week to qualify for this year's Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match, and Kairi wanted payback. Kairi tried her best but Nia was too much once again as Nia soundly defeated Kairi for the 2nd week in a row, building momentum for Money in the Bank in a couple of weeks.

The third women's match would end up being (to me) the most competitive and personal of the five that took place: Liv Morgan vs Ruby Riott. WWE did a good job setting up this match, speaking on the history of the Riott Squad, which also included Sarah Logan, who was released along with many others due to the coronavirus pandemic yet was mentioned a LOT on the program despite the release. Liv and Ruby held nothing back in a very back and forth encounter that saw Liv beat Ruby in a physical showdown. In my honest opinion, Liv has ridiculous upside about her and could be a massive star in the women's division down the line.

The fourth match of the night was a non-title bout between NXT Women's Champion Charlotte Flair and Kayden Carter. I'm glad WWE commentators made it clear that the first NXT match for Charlotte in an NXT arena will be against Mia Yim rather than having Charlotte vs Mia Yim right away, and obviously we will be getting Charlotte vs Io Shirai for the NXT Women's Championship down the line. Kayden held her own, but like everyone else before her...she bowed down to The Queen. Charlotte is on a different level right now as far as confidence goes, and she knows it.

And just when we thought "well..that's it for women's wrestling tonight" because no one expected to have that many women's wrestling matches...SUPRISE! We get one final women's match: Bianca Belair vs Santana Garrett. This was a nice way to end the night for the women in the ring with someone who I KNOW is gonna be huge for WWE in Bianca and someone who COULD be big in WWE if the cards are played right in Santana. Santana showed why she is highly respected in the indies but Bianca proved why she's the EST of WWE, showing off her combination of strengh, speed, agility, and overall confidence that you just can't teach. Either you have it or you don't, and Bianca has IT!

In addition to those matches, I have to give a shoutout to Asuka, Zelina Vega, Lana, and Charly Caruso who left their prints on this female-heavy RAW in their own right, especially Zelina. For women's wrestling fans, outside of no Raw Women's Champion, you couldn't have asked for a better night. While WWE has done a lot of questionable things when it comes to their women's wrestling past (and you can argue present as well) and during this quarantine period, this is something that women's wresting fans and fans of wrestling as a whole can look back on and go "This was a special night." And it was. Take a bow, women's wrestling fans. On April 20, 2020, the biggest weekly show in professional wrestling history belonged to you.

My thoughts on Trish Stratus

Me meeting Trish for the first time at Wrestlemania 30 Axxess 

Pro wrestling has been part of my life for so long. In fact, it's hard for me to think of a time when pro wrestling HASN'T been part of my life. I've been a fan since the days of the Monday Night War and Attitude Era (when it was WWF (now WWE), WCW, and ECW). I grew up a traditionalist, liking the faces (good guys) and hating the heels (bad guys). At the time, I didn't know it was scripted (I refuse to call it fake) at the time, and I didn't care. I just found it on TV and found myself enjoying it. I wish more fans would just sit back and enjoy it, but that's another story for another time. What I want to talk about...or more spefically WHO I want to talk about is a woman that I instantly became a fan of 20 years ago: a woman by the name of Trish Stratus.

On March 19,2000, on Sunday Night Heat, Test (R.I.P) faces off against Gangrel. No one remembers the match itself, but instead remembers who showed up DURING the match. Sporting a pink skirt, top, and cowboy hat with a black trench coat and black boots, Trish introduced herself to the wrestling world for the first time and grabbed people's attention without saying a word. She would leave with Test after his victory. Folks would see Trish again during Prince Albert's match with Joey Abs of the Mean Street Posse. She would have a different attire, sporting a blue top and skirt but have the same trenchcoat and boots but no cowboy hat. Again, she made her presence felt without saying a word as Prince Albert won despite the entire Mean Street Posse at ringside for backup. But can you blame them for being distracted by Trish's beauty, though?! NOPE! You catch her WWE debut here and see for yourself how her mere presence captivated the wrestling world (Credit to WWE.com for the video) https://www.wwe.com/videos/trish-stratus-debuts-sunday-night-heat-march-19-2000

Trish's debut looks (credit to WWE.com)

At that point, Trish was the hottest woman I've ever seen in my life. Crazy beautiful and a body that video game creators WISHED they could create, you couldn't ask for anything better from a woman. And the thing is...she could have had a great career just by her looks alone. But the more I followed her career, it was clear as day she wants to be more than a woman with great looks. She wanted to be a respectable wrestler and performer in a world that was ruled by men. She evolved as a wrestler and performer and in turn, I evolved as a fan of hers. I watched a girl become a woman right before my eyes, and I was rooting for her to succeed. I got excited seeing her not just because of her beauty, but because I knew she was going to fight her heart out for the fans. She wanted the world to see her as a wrestler, and boy she did she succeed! A 7x WWE Women's Champion, a one-time WWE Hardcore champion, Diva of the Decade, youngest female WWE Hall-of-Fame ever, first female Cauliflower Alley Club Iron Mike Award winner, and future George/Lou Threz Professional Wrestling Hall-of-Famer (first female to receive the Lou Thesz Award, BTW). She helped changed the stigma regarding how women are looked at when it comes to being serious athletes.

She helped changed the world forever by challenging our viewpoints in many ways, and along the way she helped changed ME in how I viewed women in athletic settings, and for that I'm forever thankful for that. For what it's worth, if anyone asked me who I feel is the greatest female performer in wrestling history, I will gladly respond with the words TRISH STRATUS. Thank you for everything you have meant to women's wrestling, wrestling as a whole, and women in sports as a whole. The fight for respect for women in sports still continues but the battles are being won because you helped make it happen.

SPOILER-FREE Review/Reaction: Avengers: Infinity War

In awe.
Shocked.
Perplexed.
Disbelief.
Near loss of words.

That's how I (and many others) felt watching Avengers: Infinity War this weekend. A ten-year culimnation that has expanded 18 films came to a head in the biggest movie of the year, and easily THE biggest movie in Marvel and quite possibly superhero history. To me, Infinity War lived up to the hype and then some, and there's no telling what will happen with the MCU going forward after this movie. While I will admit that as far as movies go, I'm a far bigger fan of the MCU than the DCEU. I still enjoy a great superhero movie regardless of who makes it and where it comes from, and this is definitely one of those great superhero movies.

I won't spoil anything, but I'll say this much...the first five minutes or so will easily set the tone for what will happen going forward. DC Comics does NOT hold the monolpoly in darkness in superhero movies, let me tell you. The way they bring all the heroes in on this movie was done practially perfectly. They somehow someway manage to take the best of the Marvel films as far as personality of the heroes and movies themselves and made it work. The funny characters brought their own unique funny, while the serious characters brought their own unique seriousness. No two heroes felt the same to me. This was something I feared would happen with so many heroes in one film, but again Marvel did an amazing job of HOW they used their heroes and it didn't feel overdone. I was quite pleased with how the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy met each other, as well as how some characters didnt't meet...or didn't even come face-to-face after certain events prior to Infinity War (and what COULD be a potential key moment in the next Avengers movie).

Thanos...my goodness. If you don't know why Thanos is considered one of THE baddies of the entire Marvel universe, this movie proved why practially from the get-go. The MCU did an incredible job making him into a pompous prick that needed to be dealt with. I understood his reasoning for wanting to do the things he wants to do, but it didn't make me want him to succeed. He is clearly full of himself and had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He's only in it for himself, and the hell with whoever stands in his way, and it's made abundantly clear throughout the movie. IMHO, he is THE definitive Marvel villian and I can see why he could easily be this generation's Darth Vader (but trust me, Thanos is in his own league). The Black Order, BTW, were definitely sickos in their own right, and the Avengers vs the Black Order were pretty intense as well in the many battles they had throughout the movie.

As with all Marvel movies, definitely stay for the post-credit scene, even though your head will be on a swivel at the end of the movie (mine definitely was). It will go a long way toward what (or MINOR SPOILER...WHO) is on the way in the next Avengers moves, which will be coming out next year.

I will close with this, there has never been a war without casulties. Every beginning has a end, but no end is as forever as it may seem to be. The end of the movie will be hard to take for some, and while it will be for this guy...I'm now more intriqued than ever of what comes next. Misson accomplished, Marvel. Minus a few minor personal issues on my part, easily Marvel's best movie to date. Worth the wait. VERY happy we won't have to wait a whole 10 years to see what happens next. 9.75 out of 10 for ya boy.

Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War is playing in theaters now.

Update on my creative projects

After some serious thought, I've decided to make a few creative changes to my projects. First off, My fanart project is now going by the name Creations by C-Ray Designs. It might seem like a small change to most of you, but it better fits my overall objective with my fanart. Also, when I get everything together for my sports/fitness photography business, the name will be Creations by C-Ray SportsFitography. Again, the name fits what I'm hoping to accomplish with what I'm setting out to acheieve. 

For Creations by C-Ray Designs, my email (creationsbycray@gmail.com), Twitter (https://twitter.com/craycreations) and Instagram (https://instagram.com/creationsbycray) are still the same. I have also decided to end my Facebook page and create a GROUP instead: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creationsbycraydesigns.
Creations by C-Ray SportsFitography doesn't have a social media presence yet, nor an email, but as soon as it does, I'll make a post about that as well as show you some of my work. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Why the NHL Should Thank The NBA

The championships are here. The two best teams in the world are squaring off for the one of the most coveted prizes in sports. The Best in the East and the Best in the West are fighting in an all-out war to determine who is the Best in the World at what they do. Yes sir...The National Hockey League (NHL) is hosting a Stanley Cup Finals classic between the Nashville Predators and the defending champion Pittsburgh Penquins that has been nothing short of a classic.

Wait...you thought I was talking about the OTHER playoff series going on, didn't you. Yes, The NBA Finals are going on. Yes, the two best teams in basketball are squaring off for the one of the most coveted prizes in sports. But anyone who has followed this season knew before PRESEASON who was heading to the NBA Finals. The Warriors have created an All-Star juggernaut consisting of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and now Kevin Durant. The Cavs have LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and other good players. The Warriors have yet to lose in the playoffs and could very well become NBA Champions on Friday should they beat the Cavs on Wednesday. When you take drama out of sports, it becomes boring real quick, and despite the amount of All-Star talent in the NBA Finals alone, the suspense and competition has been taken away and the NBA (in my honest opinion) is at the lowest its ever been in terms of people actually REALLY caring about it. It hasn't stopped ESPN and Fox Sports One for shoving the pathetically boring Finals down out throats. All they have been focusing on has been the NBA Finals and even have brought up the possibilty of past top teams beating this year's Warriors (95-96 Bulls, Showtime Lakers, etc.). For ESPN to be called "The Worldwide Leader in Sports", it's a joke that they are giving so much attention to them rather than focusing on what looks to go down as a classic in the Stanley Cup Finals between Nashville and Pittsbugh. Heck, even the Women's College World Series is getting more coverage than the Stanley Cup. No disrespect to those in it (that 17th inning battle between Oklahoma and Florida was INSANE!!!), but the Stanley Cup is one of the oldest and most presitious titles in pro sports and deserves far more respect than what ESPN and mainstream media has shown them.

But apparently, you can't stop people from hearing about it and tuning in by the numbers. According to the Cellblock 303 Facebook page (Cellblock 303 are the SUPER LIT Predators fans), Game 4 was a ratings goldmine. Here are some of the stats

1) 5.7+ million viewers across the nation. It was the #1 viewed program in America.
2) This was the second highest rating for a Game 4 in NHL history.
3) This Game 4 was up 34% over last year's Game 4, and surpassed every one of the 6 games in last year's finals.
4) Digital viewing was up 66% over last year's finals.
5) In the Nashville market, the rating was a new record of 28.0, which equals about 280,000 households watching.

More details here: http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2017/06/06/game-4-of-penguins-predators-2017-stanley-cup-final-is-second-most-watched-game-4-on-record/

Over the next 2-3 games (Thursday in Pittsburgh, Sunday in Nashville, (if necessary) Pittsburgh next Wednesday) expect these numbers to increase. Also, Twitter has been ablaze anytime there has been a Stanley Cup Final playing, especially after Games 3 and 4. With a big thanks to social media and word of mouth, people are beginning to see that hockey is a CRAZY sport and it's fun to watch and experience. I can speak from experiecene that Tennessee has been taken over by the Smashville fever. ESPN can tout all they want to about the NBA Finals, but in all truthfulness, they are focusing on the wrong championship. When a NBA Legend like Sir Charles Barkley rather attend Nashville and talk about the Stanley Cup Finals and the atmosphere of Smashvile more than the SPORT THAT MADE HIM A HOUSEHOLD NAME IN THE FIRST PLACE...you have a problem, and I don't think this problem is going away anytime soon.

This article is kinda painful for me to watch because I love basketball. But the way the NBA is and the way it looks like it could be for a while, I personally can't support it right now. If I want competitive basketball, thanks to Ice Cube, I won't have to wait too long to see it thanks to the BIG3 Basketball League (coming to Fox Sports One on June 26th).

I'll close with the following:

ESPN, thank you for showing that you have no right to call yourself the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" by practially ignoring the Stanley Cup and only focusing on the NBA Finals.

NBA, thank you for being the superteam-loving, competition-lacking league you have become so others can find something else to enjoy what they wait for football to begin. The NHL owes you a debt of gratitude.

Social media, especially Twitter, thank you for spreading the word about the Stanley Cup through your hashtags and memes. You have done the sport justice getting these teams noticed.

NHL, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penquins...from the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving sports fans a show. You have been awesome. The way the Stanley Cup Finals have been played thus far, I expect one epic, GLORIOUS conclusion. The world can't wait.



One last thing...GO PREDS! 😁

My Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 Review

Another homerun for Marvel Studios

For the first time in my life, I attended a big-time movie during opening weekend. Thank goodness this movie had played several times already so I wasn't in such a massive crowd. It also didn't hurt that it was the 9pm showing.

I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 on Friday. I watched the first one and didn't expect to love it so much, but I did and couldn't wait to see Vol. 2. The wait was worth it, as I enjoyed the movie from top to bottom. Marvel Studios just knows how to put on pretty enjoyable superhero movies these days and have done it to near perfection. On to the movie itself: if you wondered why Dairy Queen played a big role in the promotion of GotG: Vol. 2, you will find out your answer real early in the movie, trust me. The action didn't take long to begin either, and some of it you DID see in the trailer. Speaking of trailers, Marvel did a heck of a good job keeping the BIG baddie a secret. I won't spoil it for you, but yeah, it's a doozy. The main characters that you fell in love with in the first movie kept their likable personalities (Drax is the king of savage). And yes, Baby Groot was as adorable and hilarious as advertised, maybe even better. But despite that, HE was not the show-stealer. That honor goes to Youdu, and while I won't spoil it for you, it will be hard for you not to be in your feels for him once the movie is over. That's all I'll say on that.

Mantis was a pretty good addition to the movie, as was some cool cameos in it as well, including a few from the upcoming Thor Ragnarok, coming out in November. Ego and Star-Lord's relationship is going to start one way and end a completely different way when the movie is done, it will have to do with the reveal of the death of Peter's mom. As we all know, we saw Peter's mom die at the beginning of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but we didn't know why. We find out why in this movie...and let's just say DC does NOT hold a monopoly of being dark in their movies. And in one scene involving (minor spoiler alert) Youdu, Rocket Raccoon, and Baby Groot, I promise you if they were not aliens and if there was blood involved, this movie would have gotten a rated R for that one scene alone. Who know a whistle and an arrow could be that lethal in the right hands?! In the trailer, you can probably guess that Ayesha, the High Priestess, is definitely a bish, but trust me, you don't know how much of a bish she is until you see the movie. I was hoping that someone, anyone would have smacked the taste out of her mouth but (minor spoiler alert), it didn't happen. Thanos is mentioned once in the movie, and based off the end of the movie, at least one of the main characters will be going after him, maybe even show up in Infinity War next year.

While the first one may be viewed better, the sequel was very enjoyable. Worth the money, and I'm looking forward to Volume 3 in the sooner-than-you-think future. If I had to give it a rating, I would give it a 7.5 or 8 out of 10. I'd watch it again, but I would definitely watch the first one to truly appreciate this movie, even though it's not bad on its own.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 is currently playing in theaters worldwide. Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and brief suggestive content.

Creations by C-Ray

Over the last year or so, I've decided to test out my creative side. Apparently, I'm kinda decent at it. So much so that I want to share it with all of you. I'm calling it Creations by C-Ray. I make fanart of pro wrestlers and fitness women, two things I'm extremely passionate about. At some point in 2017 (more details as I get things finalize) I will be adding fitness photography to the mix in addition to the fanart. But for now, my focus will be fanart only. The fanart is for fun, as I make no profit out of it whatsoever, nor will I ask for any donations to do this.

Here's a few examples of my work thus far:

I'm currently posting my work on DeviantArt (http://craychosen1.deviantart.com/), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/creationsbycray/) Twitter (http://twitter.com/craycreations) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/creationsbycray/) In due time, I will have a website for all my work.

If you have any requests for any fanart (I don't do nudes or topless of any kind, FYI), email me at creationsbycray@gmail.com and I will do my best to make something special.