Tonight, WWE celebrate 20 memorable years of Monday Night Raw LIVE in Houston, Texas. It is set to be a very special night, marking various special moments, and the WWE Universe can also expect the unexpected, because we are sure to see some shock appearances!
The Rock will take the stage in Houston, and ROCK the WWE Universe in "Rock Concert." The renowned Rock Concert is sure to have the WWE fans excited, as this superb spectacle from the Great One takes place. The Rock looks to capture the WWE Championship in 13 days at the Royal Rumble. The WWE Universe are intrigued to what The Rock will say, and now that his victim is CM Punk, wondering what insults and great lyrics he will have in line for the WWE Universe.
On this night, we will also see the return of Dr. Shelby! Dr. Shelby is well-known for helping Kane and Daniel Bryan (Team Hell No) to deal with their anger management issues. However, Bryan and Kane have been having some problems with coexisting, so Vickie Guerrero has requested the return of Dr. Shelby. This is going to be awesome, and hilarious to see how Daniel Bryan and Kane react this time round.
CM Punk is just 13 days away from defending his WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble, and he must still have quite a lot to get off his chest at The Rock. As the war of words continue between The Great One and The Best in the World, things are to go to another level tonight.
Kaitlyn has a grand opportunity on a grand stage as she challenges Eve for the Diva's Championship. Following months of rivalry, could this finally be the culmination with Kaitlyn's first Diva title reign?
The hungry superstars anticipating the Royal Rumble are set to take it one step further again, as competition increases and intensifies, who will gain momentum going into the Rumble?
All this, and much more. Celebrating 20 years of TV history on one special night. Raw's 20th Anniversary comes LIVE from Houston tonight, and the WWE Universe are ready.
Thanks for reading. Follow me on Twitter: @iNisarKhan
Apple technologies are some of the most popular and innovating pieces of technology on the planet. The marketing skills of the company have developed technology for many years, and as they continue to gross, one can only wonder, is it only a matter of time until their demise?
With Apple selling well in both the tablet and phone markets, is it ever possible that they could run out of ideas? Apple's technology is great, but could we soon be opening the door for Android? Android have also caught fire, developing great technologies, and having a variety of tablets and phones that run Android. Android and Apple both target the user-friendly approach, but it seems like Android's innovation could catapult them above Apple.
The opinion of consumers is very varied, some think that Apple is better, because of it's simplicity, yet ability to do such great things. The branding of Apple also seems to be a great sellpoint, as it is well known, and many assume that Apple is always good, is this the case?
However, Android systems can be more practical. And many choose Android because the technology is much smoother, and it also depends on what layout you prefer. Apple's products are known to have glitches, and it is frustrating sometimes for Apple products owners when their technology freezes. Apple's high expense is to justify how good their technology is, but personally I think it is just taking advantage of brand popularity.
As Apple and Android continue to battle at the top of the market, something has got to give. And while Android continues to gain momentum, could they catapult themselves into a firm frontrunner ahead of Apple? It's all about innovation, but who will be more innovative? We will have to wait and see.
We are deep into the season now, and this weekend's matches included Arsenal vs. Manchester City, Manchester United vs. Liverpool, and a weekend of football that had more cards than goals. There were many dramatic events, especially on the Super Sunday.
Saturday's Action
The first featured game kicked off the matchday. As Queens Park Rangers played host to Tottenham. Going into this match, there was a lot of speculation on the managers situation, as Harry Redknapp hosted his former club. In all, the game ended 0 - 0, with 20 shots at goal and two bookings. It was not exactly an exciting match.
Reading and West Bromwich Albion had quite a close game, ending Reading 3 - 2 West Brom. They were much more efficient with their shots, as the total shots in the match were 18, with 13 on target. Reading had 100% of their shots on target and were very efficient in that respect. West Brom were leading 2 - 0, but Reading went full throttle and scored 3 goals from the 82nd minute to the 90th. A great game, and superb comeback from Reading. Chelsea cruised to a 4 - 0 victory against Stoke City. The scoring began in stoppage time of the first half with Walters' Own goal. This own goal was to be one of two own goals. Lampard scored a penalty, and continues to silence critics. Eden Hazard scored Chelsea's 4th goal in the 73rd minute. Super Sunday: Sunday's Action It really was a Super Sunday. Two dramatic games, Manchester United vs. Liverpool and Arsenal vs. Manchester City. We were to see 13 cards (2 reds, 11 yellow) given out in this match. And 5 goals scored. Manchester United managed to do the league double over rivals Liverpool FC. Robin van Persie opened the scoring with a well worked goal in the 19th minute. 9 minutes into the second half, Manchester United doubled their lead with Nemanja Vidic's goal. Liverpool were quick to respond, with Sturridge scoring on his Premier League debut for Liverpool in the 57th minute. Frustration took it's toll on Liverpool FC in the second half receiving 5 bookings. Glen Johnson came close to a sending off, and many fans thought he deserved a red. Liverpool did however show signs of improvement and developing competition. It was promising for Liverpool, but also disappointment that they could not even savage a point from the game. Meanwhile, Manchester United got 10 points clear in the table, and Manchester City were to respond in Part 2 of Super Sunday...
Manchester City defeated Arsenal with a 2 - 0 victory. Manchester City scored their first two goals at the Emirates in the Premier League since April 2007, and they continue to try and apply pressure to United at the top. There was a significant event just 10 minutes into the game, as Laurent Koscielny fouled Eden Dzeko receiving a red card. I in fact made light of the foul and made several perspective images of it in another article. Dzeko missed the penalty, but the missing man was to take it's toll on Arsenal, as James Milner scored the first in the box where he had plenty of space. Dzeko got redemption for his missed penalty by scoring a goal 11 minutes after. Arsenal picked up two bookings in the match and surprisingly, Manchester City received three bookings towards the end of the match, which is hard to understand why they would need to make risky tackles when they had a secure lead. Vincent Kompany was sent off in the 75th minute, and Mancini may have been frustrated because it was unnecessary for the captain to have got sent off in that situation. Quite a dramatic game, which got the Arsenal fans frustrated and annoyed at times. It was exciting to watch from the neutral perspective for sure.
Interesting Stats
There were more bookings than goals in the matchday.
There were 30 cards given out in the 10 games played, two of them were red cards, and occured in the same game (Arsenal vs. Manchester City).
20 goals were scored.
Manchester City received the most cards with 5 in one game.
236 shots were taken at goal in the 10 games.
Reading were the only team to have 100% shots on target.
Out of the 236 shots taken, 124 shots were on target.
38% of shots taken at goal were on target.
Results Aston Villa 0 - 1 Southampton
Everton 0 - 0 Swansea
Fulham 1 - 1 Newcastle
Norwich 0 - 0 Newcastle
Reading 3 - 2 West Brom
Stoke 0 - 4 Chelsea
Sunderland 3 - 0 West Ham
QPR 0 - 0 Tottenham
Manchester United 2 - 1 Liverpool
Arsenal 0 - 2 Manchester City
Conclusion This matchday in the Barclays Premier League was not full of goals, more cards and sanctions. There were some dramatic moments, and many will take the headlines in the morning. The two Super Sunday games were very enjoyable to watch, and there were a few moments which left me baffled. Overall, cards did dominate the goals, there was some sloppy moments, but it was some tense action too, and moving on to the next weekend, there are some interesting games too. The top of the table finishes with Manchester United 7 points clear of Manchester City, who are 7 points clear of third place Chelsea. Things still look bad for QPR, and the drop zone is beginning to take shape, as the point margins from outside the drop zone increase. As we continue to approach 'crunch time' in the season, everything is beginning to get more important, which can only mean good for the football fan...
Thanks for reading this article. Share it around the web, and follow me on Twitter, @iNisarKhan!
During the Arsenal vs. Manchester City game in the Barclays Premier League, Laurent Koscielny fouled Edin Dzeko and received a red card. Dzeko was to miss the penalty, and Manchester City were however to go on and win 2 - 0.
The nature of the foul was something I thought I could shed light on, and make some funny images out of it. So I got to work and here is what I created. Sit back, and enjoy...
1) Dzeko is about to be ran over by a train, but wait, he is saved by Koscielny! Koscielny has saved Dzeko's life. Dzeko said this after the incident "He saved my life, I am forever grateful"
2) 128,000 feet above the Earth. "We Go Down Together" - Koscielny and Dzeko reach supersonic speeds.
3) WWE Hell in a Cell. The structure known to shorten careers. Undertaker throws Dzeko and Koscielny off the Cell! - "BAH GAWD HE'S KILLED THEM!"
4) Dzeko is stuck in a house on fire, but wait... Koscielny saves him!
5) WWE' Hall of Famer Edge was known to utilize the Spear, and Koscielny pays homage as he does the Spear to Dzeko. "SPEAR! SPEAR! SPEAR!"
6) WWE superstar Ryback is about to unleash on Dzeko, but here is Koscielny, and he gets him to safety!
7) Mo Farah is about to win the 10,000m final at the London 2012 Olympics, NO! Dzeko runs on to the track, he is about to ruin it. Then here comes Koscielny! Gets Dzeko off the track!
Friday Night SmackDown was held in the American Airlines Arena in Miami this week. The jam-packed show was to witness a new World Heavyweight Champion, and The Rock's first appearance on the blue brand in 10 years.
SmackDown General Manager, Booker T kicked off the show by making two blockbuster announcements. Randy Orton was to face Antonio Cesaro, and Alberto Del Rio was going to challenge for The Big Show's World Heavyweight Championship.
This announcement was met with disarray by Big Show, who attempted to attack Booker T before Del Rio came to the safety.
Randy Orton def. Antonio Cesaro via DQ The opening contest of the night was Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro. The two were to square off for the first time ever in WWE, and we saw a superb match which went back and forth, including Cesaro's devastating uppercut, and a lethal DDT from Orton. Ultimately, it was to be The Shield who crashed the match, attacking Randy Orton. Orton made his return a few weeks ago after being injured by The Shield. The action between Orton and Cesaro means we could be seeing this match again in the near future, but with the Shield lurking around, this could not be the case.
Dolph Ziggler and AJ def. The Great Khali and Natalya
Two mixed-gender tag teams were in action next. Great Khali began the match squaring off with Ziggler but Ziggler retreated, tagging AJ into the match. AJ and Natalya then squared off, and after AJ (bizarrely) bit Natalya's ear she went on to win the match. Great Khali was then attacked by Big E Langston, and Hornswoggle was also to fall a victim.
The Rock returns to SmackDown for the first time in 10 Years It's the show he named, and after a 10 year hiatus, The Rock finally returned to the Blue Brand. The Rock returned to SmackDown in Miami, Florida, just 4 days after returning to WWE on Monday Night Raw. The Rock entered to a huge ovation of which he was later to Tweet was "One of the loudest ovations he ever received" via Twitter. The Rock addressed CtM Punk's videos where he sent messages to The Rock from the Sunlife Stadium, home of WrestleMania 28. The Rock blew the roof of the American Airlines Arena when he said "FINALLY... THE ROCK HAS COME BACK... Home." The sentence which the whole WWE Universe had anticipated for a long time, and The Rock finally returned to his show. The Rock was to be interrupted by Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes, who tried to outsmart the Great One, but to no avail. The Rock did "LAYETH THE SMACKDOWN" on Rhodes Scolars, as he rolls on to the Royal Rumble in 2 weeks.
Sheamus def. 3MB As quick as a match could ever get, one would suppose. Following a rematch of the match on RAW, 3MB were up against Sheamus in a 3-on-1 handicap match. The three men tried to run in the ring to get an advantage on Sheamus, but Heath Slater received a devastating Brogue Kick, and Sheamus pinned the One Man Rock Band for the win.
Team Hell No def. Prime Time Players
Up next, was some tag team action. Daniel Bryan and Kane, the tag team Champions took on the Prime Time Players. And despite Team Hell No's lack to coexist, they still picked up a victory, as Kane chokeslammed Darren Young for the win. The WWE Universe will get to see how fair Kane and Daniel Bryan have come, when Dr. Shelby returns on the 20th Anniversary of Raw to assess their anger management progress.
Alberto Del Rio def. Big Show (NEW World Heavyweight Champion)
The main event was next, as Alberto Del Rio was to seek redemption for his ring announcer and best friend Ricardo Rodriguez (who the Big Show attacked). Del Rio received a beating throughout the match, but had glimpses and sometimes spells where he took control. Del Rio has to persevere on several occasions, having to get up from the ruins of a barricade, being broken through a table and more. Del Rio managed to power through, and finished the job when striking Big Show with the steel steps. Big Show fell near the announcers desk, and Del Rio managed to put the announcers table on him, so he could not get up. Del Rio embraced glory, as the referee counted to 10, and declared Alberto Del Rio as the "NEWWW.... World Heavyweight Champion!" which was met with a great ovation. The many Latinos in Miami stood strong that night, and Del Rio realized his dream of becoming World Heavyweight Champion, Opinion, Review and Thoughts
After recapping this show, I actually think that it was a great edition of SmackDown. The Rock's return drew in many ratings (I hope) and there was plenty of great action. Many rivalries and storylines developed on this show, and I hope we will see Cesaro vs. Orton again but with a conclusive finish. Ziggler continues to gain momentum, and so does Sheamus. The Rock and CM Punk's rivalry continued to build and explode as we move forward to the Rumble. But standing tall at the end of the night was Alberto Del Rio, the NEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION! What a night, and this opens up yet another great week for WWE... Thanks for reading Follow me on Twitter @iNisarKhan
It's shaping up to be yet another memorable matchday in the Barclays Premier League, with a Super Sunday, controversial games and more. Sunday's highly anticipated games will feature Manchester United vs. Liverpool, and Arsenal vs. Manchester City, two great games.
Fixtures Saturday 12th January
Queens Park Rangers vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Reading vs. West Bromwich Albion
Sunderland vs. West Ham United
Stoke City vs. Chelsea
Norwich City vs. Newcastle United
Fulham vs. Wigan Athletic
Everton vs. Swansea City
Aston Villa vs. Southamption Sunday 13th January
Manchester United vs. Liverpool
Arsenal vs. Manchester City
Featured Games Queens Park Rangers vs. Tottenham - LIVE on Sky Sports There is definitely going to be some interesting dialogue (if any) taking place between the managers on the sidelines in this game. Harry Redknapp hosts the club of which he used to manage, as he looks to defeat Villas Boas' Tottenham side. Harry Redknapp claimed that he is not "Bitter and Twisted" following his sacking as Tottneham boss last Summer. However, Villas Boas may have heard things differently, and despite what they are saying in the press, one can only wonder if there is some heat between these two managers. The topic of managers seems to be overshadowing the game as such, but as QPR lie at the bottom of the table, it seems like Tottenham will have intent to win this, in 3rd place in the table, they will look to capitalize and take the three points.
Manchester United vs. Livrpool -LIVE on Sky Sports It is arguably one of the greatest footballing rivarlies ever. Excellent footballers, clash of big personalities, controversial refereeing and more. This match has all the combustable elements for a magnificent game. With the racial allegation against Luis Suarez fading to the background, things can still be blown out of proportion, as these big derbys tend to bring out the best in both teams (sometimes the worst too, behaviour wise). But the atmosphere is going to be great in Old Trafford, and everyone will be looking forward to this, one of 2 Super Sunday games. Howard Webb has his work cut out for him, and I also predict some touchline controversy. This is a hard one to call, but I will call this as a draw.
Arsenal vs. Manchester City - LIVE on Sky Sports
Another game filled with footballing talent, a bit of bad blood but a game that always is one I remember well. Manchester City and Arsenal play very good football, and their matches have been very enjoyable to watch in the past, and no doubt that they will be this time. This will be a cracking end to a great matchday in the Premier League, I see Arsenal taking the three points at home.
Predictions Saturday 12th January
Queens Park Rangers 0 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur
Reading 2 - 2 West Bromwich Albion
Sunderland 0 - 1 West Ham United
Stoke City 0 - 2 Chelsea Norwich City 0 - 1 Newcastle United
Fulham 2 - 1 Wigan Athletic
Everton 0 - 0 Swansea City
Aston Villa 0 - 2 Southamption Sunday 13th January
Manchester United 2 - 2 Liverpool
Arsenal 1 - 0 Manchester City
My predictions will be put to the test in some great Barclays Premier League action this weekend! It's going to be a superb matchday.
Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @iNisarKhan
2012 was a year full of many special memories. A year that evoked emotion in many ways, and a year that we saw the triumphs of many, but the downfall of others. From a 128,000 feet skydive to an awe-inspiring Olympics and a Diamond Jubilee, this year really had many great moments to reflect on. It lived up to the anticipation.
The Queen celebrated 60 years in reign with her Diamond Jubilee Celebration. It was a superb achievement and was celebrated well. The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, despite some mixed opinions on the Queen, was a very respected accolade. The Diamond Jubilee weekend itself involved a marvelous boats pageant across the River Thames, an excellent concert, and much more.
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee was part of a very special year, which was a
year of magnificent sport. Manchester City's Barclays Premier League
victory was a very special moment in football. It was a superb
culmination to a superb season, and the tense ending made it even
better. In the final minutes of the match, when Aguero scored and Martin
Tyler screamed "AGUEERROO". It was indeed an incredible moment, and a
great end to a great season.
Chelsea winning the Champions League was yet another great moment for English football, and a fitting end to Dider Drogba's career at Chelsea FC. Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea was a tense and highly anticipated match, but Chelsea had their moment and won. Roberto Di Matteo was a great manager, but was to be sacked from the job later that year.
Euro 2012 was co-hosted by Ukraine and Poland. And despite some controversy about the fans behavior, it proved to be a great tournament. Spain triumphantly won the tournament, once again proving why they are the best football team in the World. England football fans were heartbroken when England crashed out the tournament following a defeat to Italy in a penalty shootout. It was painful to watch, and once again England had not gained glory. There is always next time. Another shocker in the tournament was Holland's early exit in the group stages. I expected them to go on to the final, but this was not the case. Euro 2012 ended with a magnificent showcase of football by the Spanish, winning their two European Championships in a row just 2 years after winning the World Cup. The Summer of Sport had began.
Wimbledon was up next, of which Roger Federer won after defeating Andy Murray in the final. Many felt sympathetic for Andy Murray as he cried after his loss, but I felt that all the media attention on it took something away from Federer. Federer deserved to win, and he is still the greatest. However, Murray was to get redemption, in the London 2012 Olympics...
There were so many incredible moments at the London 2012 Olympics, many athletes did their nations proud, shocked the World and much more! The unique Opening Ceremony that highlighted the best aspects of Britain was a great way to kick off the Olympics, and it also featured The Queen make her acting debut with Daniel Craig. The Opening Ceremony really set up well for what was an amazing Olympics.
There were many significant triumphs throughout both the Olympics and Paralympics, and they really did Inspire a Generation. There was brilliant turnout to most of the events, and the whole Olympics went smoothly, and were fantastic. Michael Phelps finished his career emphatically at London, winning yet more Golds. Meanwhile, Usain Bolt proved to the World that he still is the fastest, by winning the 100m finals. Team GB had various successes, but especially on the night of Saturday 4th August, when Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Greg Rutherford all won Gold medals within the space of one hour. It was The Finest Hour in British Athletics. In the Paralympics, Team GB's Ellie Simmonds delivered for her country, and many Paralympians including Oscar Pistorious had some successes. The success of many Olympians and Paralympians Inspired a Generation, and the legacy of London 2012 will be ever lasting.
The London 2012 Olympics were one of the biggest highlights of the year, and the most anticipated event really did deliver. The Olympics were amazing, London took to the World stage, and showed that they are one of the best. Generation Inspired.
This was a huge year in sport. So many significant events happened, that it is hard to condense it all into one article. But what a year for sport. What a year. And now I cannot wait for 2013 in sport.
Felix Baumgartner's extraordinary 128,000 feet skydive from the stratosphere was a huge highlight in 2012. His extraordinary feat was World renowned, and the whole World were thrilled and shocked. What a moment it was.
The mission itself took over 5 years to prepare for, full of ups and downs, a very expensive pressurizes suit and some advanced technology. But it was all worth it for those amazing moments. When Baumgartner stood on the platform, 128,000 feet in the air, it was as if the whole World gathered in one special place, to witness an incredible moment. They held their breath, as Felix jumped, and when he landed we were all relieved. During his ascent to the stratosphere, Felix Baumgartner discovered a serious problem, he discovered that his face heater was not working. It continued to fog up, but Felix wanted to continue the ascent (as this could have been his final chance). And after all the preparation, it paid off. Felix successfully completed the mission, breaking the record for highest freefall, and he went supersonic too. It was an incredible achievement, and an amazing inspirational moment. Felix Baumgartner helped us develop an understanding of human capability. For the younger generations who did not witness the moon landing, many said this was like a special moment for them to witness, and I would agree. This is a great memory. What an event, one big highlight of the year. One incredible feat. One incredible moment of which will be remembered for a very long time.
What an amazing year it has been. Full of special memories, inspirational moments, and events that have evoked emotion like no other. What a great year, 2012 will be remembered for many things. Reliving the best parts brings back the memories. Now it is time to move on to 2013. Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!
Nisar Khan Twitter: @iNisarKhan More articles to come soon, thanks for reading.
The Rock will take the stage in Houston, and ROCK the WWE Universe in "Rock Concert." The renowned Rock Concert is sure to have the WWE fans excited, as this superb spectacle from the Great One takes place. The Rock looks to capture the WWE Championship in 13 days at the Royal Rumble. The WWE Universe are intrigued to what The Rock will say, and now that his victim is CM Punk, wondering what insults and great lyrics he will have in line for the WWE Universe.
On this night, we will also see the return of Dr. Shelby! Dr. Shelby is well-known for helping Kane and Daniel Bryan (Team Hell No) to deal with their anger management issues. However, Bryan and Kane have been having some problems with coexisting, so Vickie Guerrero has requested the return of Dr. Shelby. This is going to be awesome, and hilarious to see how Daniel Bryan and Kane react this time round.
The hungry superstars anticipating the Royal Rumble are set to take it one step further again, as competition increases and intensifies, who will gain momentum going into the Rumble?
When Baumgartner stood on the platform, 128,000 feet in the air, it was as if the whole World gathered in one special place, to witness an incredible moment. They held their breath, as Felix 