It's Not A Revolution Until The Queen Is Dethroned

At NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, fans witnessed another seminal moment in what appears to be a new era for women's professional wrestling in WWE. After defeating Sasha Banks for the NXT Women's Championship, Bayley was joined in the ring by Charlotte and Becky Lynch. All four embraced. Tears were shed. It was a fitting final sendoff to the main roster for three of the key forces in the exponential growth of women's wrestling in WWE.

The "4 Horsewomen" are shattering perceptions of what women can do in a wrestling ring, but on WWE's main roster, its Divas division has stood at a virtual standstill for the past 10 months.

I Miss Tyson Kidd

Professional wrestling isn't the same without Tyson Kidd.

The Mid-Week War Correspondent (6/4/15)

Subscribe to the Mid-Week War podcast on iTunes, or go to WrestlingMayhemShow.com. You can also get my random thoughts on the wide world of professional wrestling by following me on Twitter @MainstreamMat.

Let me just start by saying that 5 hours of professional wrestling on a single night is a terrible idea. I like to think of myself as a voracious consumer of the product in all its many, wonderful forms, but even I was overwhelmed. That said, here are my thoughts on the first night of the newly expanded Mid-Week War.

Say Hello To The New #2

Around the end of last year, I was asked to offer my predictions for professional wrestling in 2015. Now, I know none of you will believe this, but I really wanted to predict that by the end of this year Ring Of Honor will be widely, if not unanimously, considered the #2 American based professional wrestling company.

See? I knew you wouldn't believe me.

Kevin Owens: The Dream Match Machine

Kevin Owens is one the most remarkable talents in professional wrestling, and one the hottest things going right now in WWE.

Since his first appearance for NXT, Owens' popularity has grown at breakneck speed. As the theme of last night's live NXT Takeover special on the WWE Network suggests, Owens has been unstoppable.

In a matter of months, Owens established himself as the face of NXT. He's dominating and entertaining as its champion, but he hasn't stopped there. That thunderous sound you're hearing is Owens banging on the door of WWE's main roster.

The Final Battle Of The Mid-Week War?

Lucha Underground is the best. But that's just my opinion right now.

The former holder of that throne is NXT, and it still is in the eyes of a lot of fans.

That could change after Wednesday night.

Sami Zayn's Surprise Appearance Was Amazing, But...

I think I'm over John Cena's U.S. Title Open Challenges.

The Best Of The NXT Live Specials (a.k.a OMG!!! SAMI ZAYN!!!)

We're getting close to the one-year anniversary of NXT's debut on WWE Network. I don't think it's overstating things to say that this brand has been a revelation for a lot of professional wrestling fans who've been desperate for an alternative to the mainstream WWE product.

The NXT live specials have become the best bet for quality professional wrestling on WWE Network. They've certainly been more consistently entertaining than those hit-or-miss pay per views.

10 matches from those NXT live specials stand out as the best of the best. Here is the Top 10 I put together, with more than a little help from some of my cohorts at the Wrestling Mayhem Show and the Mid-Week War Podcast.

2014: The Year The Internet Won

"They cheer, they boo. That's how they tell us what they like, and we're good listeners."  -Vince McMahon, Playboy, Feb. 2001

It’s been said the fans that make up the Internet Wrestling Community are but a small fraction of the entire professional wrestling audience. At one point in time that was certainly true, but it feels laughably unlikely today.

It’s been reported World Wrestling Entertainment chairman Vince McMahon completely ignores the internet and the IWC. That also was certainly true in the past. It may still hold true today, but even if it does, McMahon’s opinion is irrelevant. Others in WWE are listening, and the IWC’s voice is more powerful and influential than ever.