Over the course of the month of March, a number of stories have managed to get our attention in the business known as professional wrestling to some and sports entertainment to others.
While some of these stories took place in the ring, many of them took place outside of it.
Wrestling stories come and go, some capturing our attention for only a moment, but a handful stood out and seized the attention of fans on various social media platforms over the past four weeks.
This month, the news focused on a promotion feuding with former talent, a near fifty-year-old man capturing a championship, former WWE tag team champions capturing tag team titles for another promotion while still holding a different promotion's championship.
Three out of the five most discussed moments were all tied to one promotion. This month we examine the biggest and most prominent stories to happen in wrestling for the month.
A number of these stories create a buzz due to their circumstances and will continue to be discussed even after the posting of this column. What made the internet wrestling community collectively gasp? Which newsworthy items made fans stand up and take notice?
Five stood out above all others, including a former WWE Divas champion coming under scrutiny as her privacy was violated.
They also include stories that are tied to Impact Wrestling and the new parent company that has purchased it, including a public dispute where one side has been very vocal.
Here are the 5 biggest and best moments in professional wrestling for the month of March 2017.
#5 The Hardys capture the ROH tag team championship
The seeds were planted towards the end of 2016. Broken Matt Hardy's image came up on the screen at the end of the Young Bucks’ ROH championship match at Final Resolution 2016.
A successful defence by the Bucks and an appearance by the Hardys could mean only one thing: the teams were on a collision course to face one another some time down the line.
As the weeks and months passed, the story was built, and the Hardys' drone Vanguard 1 even made an appearance, though it was the victim of dual superkicks from Matt and Nick Jackson.
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Upon the end of their TNA contracts, Matt and Jeff Hardy made a surprise appearance at an untelevised ROH show on March 4th and captured the tag titles from the Bucks.
They were then slotted into an already booked match between the Bucks and Roppongi Vice at the ROH 15th Anniversary show. The Hardys were able to walk away from that triple threat match with the ROH tag team championships and remained the TNA tag team champions as well.
It is rare that a team will walk in and win a title, but the Hardys were able to achieve that.
#4 Christopher Daniels captures the ROH championship
One of the most exciting stories that were told recently was that of Christopher Daniels and his pursuit of the ROH World Championship. It was easy to believe, given Daniels' age and how Adam Cole has been booked in Ring of Honor, that the chance of a title change was unlikely.
At the age of 47, Daniels, for the last several years, has been considered a tag team specialist, capturing titles while alongside his friend Frankie Kazarian.
However, as Daniels has often been able to do over a career that has spanned nearly a quarter of a century, he proved once again why he is the smartest guy in the room. The story he and Cole told in the ring was not only memorable but meaningful.
Daniels bled for the majority of the match, and when it came to an end, he was victorious.
Congratulations Christopher Daniels, it couldn't have gone to a more deserving person.
#3 The Hardys and Anthem feud over Broken properties
For as much success that has come the way of Brother Nero (Jeff Hardy) and Broken Matt Hardy in the ring, it is out of the ring where they appear to have faced a great deal of stress.
Both have been fair in their dealings with whoever has been their employer, however, their departure from Impact Wrestling has been met with the most unfavourable of reactions.
While the company themselves have remained quite silent on the matter, Matt Hardy's wife Reby Sky has not been shy in the least about her displeasure with how the brothers were treated.
Her concern is that the intellectual and creative properties of the Hardys are in jeopardy of being kept from them. In fact, prior to the Hardys’ match for Ring of Honor, they were served with a cease and desist order, preventing them from using the Broken characters anywhere outside of Impact Wrestling.
While the Hardys did not use the names ‘Broken' or ‘Brother Nero,' that didn't prevent fans from referencing these characters, for instance, via countless DELETE chants. Matt and Jeff didn't pursue the matter on this occasion.
However, they seemingly have their characters trademarked, and it appears as though all bets are now off.
#2 Paige's iCloud photo/film hack
Paige had her private photos and videos hacked, and this very personal material was made available to the public online. It was met with a great deal of shock as it involved a former WWE Divas champion.
For as much support as she has received, there have been far too many that have pointed crude and unapologetic comments at the diva, who has been off social media since this occurrence. In her last tweet to date, Paige posted a video of the band Rag n Bones performing the song ‘Human'.
The lyrics simply reflect what had happened and how she was feeling at the time. ‘I'm just a human after all. Don't put the blame on me.'
It is unfortunate that her private images were released, that this led to criticism from many and that she was made to feel alone. As it stands right now, one suspects that when Paige does return to using social media, she will be much more guarded about who she acknowledges or interacts with.
#1 The WWE 2017 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
It was a terrific evening filled with pageantry, fun moments, plus engaging and incredible speeches that left fans in attendance and watching at home appreciative of what they were witnessing.
Whether it was Tony Chimel coming out and interrupting Beth Phoenix’s induction ceremony speech to introduce Edge, or the emotional and grateful speech of Diamond Dallas Page, the evening had many moments that stood out.
When Natalya said that she felt that her best friend Beth Phoenix was her uncle Owen being sent back as a gift to her, there couldn’t have been a dry eye in the house.
The late Ravishing Rick Rude’s son Rick Rood channelled his father’s spirit by even calling those in attendance the ‘Floridian sweat hogs’ and asking them to pay attention ‘So their ladies can see what a real man looks like’.
It reminded fans of the essence of the Ravishing One on this evening. However, the evening couldn’t be complete with the return without the return of Kurt Angle, who was welcomed into the 2017 Hall of Fame after being away from the company from an 11-year distance.
The reaction and response given to him by those in attendance was fantastic, as the fans couldn’t be happier to see that he is now home.
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