APTER CHATTING

News and opinions from Sportskeeda Wrestling's Senior Editor, Bill Apter

Here's What's Happening!

"NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS" -- IT'S STILL HAPPENING -- AND HERE ARE MY PICKS -- Bill Apter reporting

WWE Undisputed champion John Cena vs. CM Punk.

My Pick: Cena somehow returns and possibly by disqualification if and when Ron "R-Truth" Killings interferes.

King of the Ring Tournament Final: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes

My Pick: Did you notice a bit more of a heel attitude Cody showed in his match against Jey Uso? That same mindset will see him win -- anyway he can -- against the "Apex Predator." Orton and Rhodes are friends, but I think that ends here.

Queen of the Ring Tournament Final: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill

My Pick: Jade Cargill. It will be one of her toughest matches, and Asuka will look great in the process of losing, as it's Jade's time to rule.

United States champion Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa

My Pick: Fatu retains -- after defeating Sikoa, and a run-in by JC Mateo, and perhaps another new member of Solo's henchmen. Do we see a very unexpected run-in perhaps assisting Fatu, who happens to be an "Original Tribal Chief?"

Street Fight: Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez

My pick: A brutal, explosive brawl, and when it's over, Rhea proves she's still the toughest woman brawler in WWE.

Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

My Pick: Kross wins -- not cleanly -- and this goes further to prove his point to Sami that he cannot win without joining Kross as his mentor.

Q&A WITH ME

Q: What did you think of Penta getting pinned by Bron Breakker on RAW? Kind of surprised me. -- Ryan Lester, Portland, Maine.

A: More than kind of a surprise to me, Ryan. Since he came to WWE, the commentators have sold him as being so invulnerable and spectacular -- a man seemingly no one can defeat -- yet the character and the commentary don't seem to match up. With the new relationship WWE has with AAA, it seems strange to have him lose at this point. I did pop for the match and the ending with Breakker using a crushing spear, taking Penta out of the air, but somehow I would have done a double count out or a disqualification verdict instead of pinning Penta's shoulders to the mat for an official loss.

Q: Is Ron Killings done? They made a big hype over him when he was fired, and the fans demanded him back. Then he lost to John Cena, and now where is he? This sucks Bill. I am one of the millions that demanded he return and now I hear zippo about him. — Kevin Rubin, Astoria, New York

A: Totally agreed. The fans wanted him to beat Cena or have some sort of continuing storyline tied to Cena. Since Cena is not allied with anyone, there is no one for Killings to go after to exact revenge on his former hero. I hope he's not lost in the shuffle of so many WWE talents that have no stories going for them at this time. He was so over for the week after he came back, and now none of the commentators mention him, and we "Can't see him" either!

JOE WHATTADAY LOWRY RANTS

*The opinions expressed in Mr. Lowry's column do not necessarily represent the opinions of anyone related to this newsletter. They are the opinions only of Mr. Lowry. 

Liv Morgan’s injury and now subsequent absence will have ripple effects that will be felt for months to come. The current tag team title holder (with Raquel Rodriguez), as well as one of the most popular women in all of pro wrestling, suffered a shoulder injury last week on RAW.

Although reports are speculative, Liv’s shoulder injury may require surgery and a recovery timeline of up to 9 months. Yet there has been no confirmation from WWE Officials other than she is injured and is out for months. Naturally, the WWE will hold this injury and its details very close to the vest as Liv is a hot commodity. She is vested in numerous storylines and is always at the top of the merchandise-selling list.

As the WWE Universe holds its breath for any word on Liv Morgan, one thing will be felt in her absence. Her presence. Liv is an athlete and a talented worker both in and out of the ring. Her smile lights up the screen every week on television. And soon it will be lit up on the big screen as she has just finished filming a major role in the motion picture movie titled “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo.”

As Liv continues to recover from her injury, I certainly hope the WWE can be creative enough to use her at least on-screen in a non-physical role. Perhaps an assistant to the GM role can be bestowed upon her with Adam Pearce? No better person to oversee the women’s locker room than Liv Morgan. Imagine those possibilities! Either way, we will all be eagerly waiting for Liv’s recovery and return. Get well soon, Liv, you are missed!

Joe WhattaDay Lowry is an experienced broadcast journalist and has covered the world of pro wrestling for over three decades. Subscribe to his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ringsidewithwhattadayjoelowry

FROM MY PRIVATE FILES

January 18th, 1971 -- rookie Bill Apter -- me -- is at New York's Madison Square Garden, shooting pictures at ringside. One of the most historic title changes in history was right in front of me. I couldn't be closer unless I were in the ring. The "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff shocked the 21,000 fans in attendance as he defeated the legendary Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF (now WWE) title.

After the match, I ran backstage to interview Koloff and his manager, Louis Albano (long before he became "Captain" Lou). Here is a classic photo -- in magnificent black and white -- of me posing with the new champion. Yes, rookie me was a nervous wreck, but what a photo of me with the new champion!

BOB SMITH'S OUTDATED WRESTLING PODCAST

I WANNA BE LIKE HIM: WRESTLING’S COOLEST GUYS THROUGH THE DECADES

It didn’t matter what era fans lived in: In every decade, there have been pro wrestling stars that stood out from the pack because they were just plain different. Perhaps they were more aggressive, or more irreverent, or more suave, or simply had an indefinable charisma unlike anyone else in their eras. Let’s take a look back through five decades of stars that broke out in a big way since their unique, totally original visages were utterly undeniable.

The 1940s & 1950s – Gorgeous George: He wasn’t known for being powerful or fast or even world championship material … but during these decades, George Wagner was easily the most successful wrestler in America. He was not big (only 5’9” and about 215 pounds), yet he was considered a celebrity on par with movie and TV stars. It was a straight-laced era, and long-haired, blond George was anything but – preening in the ring, brushing his hair endlessly, and constantly acting like a dandy or a fop, Gorgeous George generated as much heat for his pre-match rituals as he did for his cheating ways. He was wrestling’s top money earner for several years, and to find out why, find clips of his bouts online – you’ll see why his influence is still felt by wrestlers today.

The 1960s – Buddy Rogers: This was a decade where the sport began to be populated by increasingly violent brawlers (Killer Kowalski, Bobo Brazil, and Dick The Bruiser spring to mind) – perhaps that’s what set the original “Nature Boy,’ Buddy Rogers, apart. Handsome and egotistical, this blond bomber could enrage fans simply by being cocky and vain. Fantastic with a microphone in his hand and even more so when he cannily outwitted his foes, Rogers started the decade as a WWWF champion who may have been wrestling’s first anti-hero – a surprisingly large faction of fans actually loved him.

The 1970s: Dusty Rhodes & “Superstar” Billy Graham: We couldn’t pick between these two charismatic champions, so we now give them both their dues. Rhodes was a hated ring villain until 1974, when a sudden feud against Kim Duk in Florida made the former buzz-cut sporting blond brute a sudden fan favorite, and that popularity grew for the next two decades. Funky and strutting around the ring like no one before him, Rhodes may have been the most popular star of the ’70s – unless it was “Superstar” Graham on the east coast, even though he was taking on fan favorites as WWWF champion for a full year. His interviews were compared to Muhammad Ali, and his ring style was all power and muscle – nobody ever had a more incredible physique. A quick glimpse of many wrestling stars of the 1980s revealed Graham’s influence – everyone wanted to look like the brawler from Paradise Valley, Arizona.

The 1980s: Roddy Piper & Randy Savage – When fans started watching the kilted Scotman in the ring in Los Angeles during the late 1970s, he was a skinny kid with a big mouth and a gift of gab. By the time the 1980s rolled around, the “Rowdy” one’s odd yet compelling interviews mixed with his cunning ring style made him a star of the highest order. He was never a world champion, yet he was easily one of the top draws in wrestling, whether he was a rulebreaker or a fan favorite.

Savage was another anti-hero, a raging, rampaging brawler whose flying elbow from the top turnbuckle made him a champion many times over. Even without his valet, Ms. Elizabeth, Savage’s guttural voice and his off-the-charts athleticism made him among the top superstars of all time. Consider this: He used to be featured on Slim Jim commercials years ago – and continues to be featured on them to this day. We rest our case: Savage was a cool dude and a true original.

Bob Smith is the former managing editor of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. He now hosts The Outdated Wrestling Hour, available on all podcast apps (outdatedwrestling.buzzsprout.com).

WHAT THEY’RE TELLING ME

Teddy Long on if he was working at WWE and they told him he had to go to Saudi Arabia to work "Night Of Champions" -- during this perilous time in the Middle East. "They would have to fire me because I would say no!"

POWER RANKINGS

These rankings are not official but are compiled by me. This week, I list my top 5 TNA stars. I hope you enjoy this, and let me know whether it's a thumbs up or a thumbs down in your opinion!

1-Trick Williams

2-Joe Hendry

3-Eric Young

4-Mustafa Ali

5-Moose

WRESTLER OF THE WEEK

The "American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and his opponent "Yeet Man" Jey Uso are both awarded this "Wrestler of the Week" honor. The two put on a beautiful showcase of professional wrestling, and even in loss, Uso raised his friend's arm in victory. So very classy.

No eye raking, no low blows, just back-and-forth pro wrestling at its finest!