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Author Affiliations
- Evelien Mets1,
- Gert Van Peer1,
- Joni Van der Meulen1,
- Michael Boice2,
- Tom Taghon3,
- Steven Goossens4,5,
- Pieter Mestdagh1,
- Yves Benoit6,
- Barbara De Moerloose6,
- Nadine Van Roy1,
- Bruce Poppe1,
- Jo Vandesompele1,
- Hans-Guido Wendel2,
- Pieter Van Vlierberghe1,
- Frank Speleman1,*⇑ and
- Pieter Rondou1,*⇑
- 1Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Belgium
- 2Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- 3Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- 4Unit for Molecular Oncology, Inflammation Research Center, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
- 5Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, Ghent University, Belgium
- 6Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- Correspondence: franki.speleman{at}ugent.be or Pieter.Rondou{at}ugent.be
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia arises from the leukemic transformation of developing thymocytes and results from cooperative genetic lesions. Inactivation of the PHF6 gene is frequently observed in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, suggesting an important tumor suppressive role for PHF6 in the pathobiology of this leukemia. Although the precise function of PHF6 is still unknown, this gene is most likely involved in chromatin regulation, a strongly emerging theme in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In this context, our previous description of a cooperative microRNA regulatory network controlling several well-known T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia tumor suppressor genes, including PHF6, is of great importance. Given the high frequency of PHF6 lesions in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the integration of PHF6 in this microRNA regulatory network, we aimed to identify novel oncogenic microRNAs in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia which suppress PHF6. To this end, we performed an unbiased PHF6 3′UTR-microRNA library screen and combined the results with microRNA profiling data of samples from patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and normal thymocyte subsets. We selected miR-128-3p as a candidate PHF6-targeting, oncogenic microRNA and demonstrated regulation of PHF6 expression upon modulation of this microRNA in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines. In vivo evidence of an oncogenic role of this microRNA in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia was obtained through accelerated leukemia onset in a NOTCH1-induced T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia mouse model upon miR-128-3p over-expression. We conclude that miR-128-3p is a strong novel candidate oncogenic microRNA in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia which targets the PHF6 tumor suppressor gene.
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematologic malignancy arising from leukemic transformation of developing thymocytes and resulting from cooperative genetic lesions. Collectively, these genetic aberrations affect processes such as self-renewal, proliferation and survival, and block differentiation of precursor T cells.1 Inactivation of the Plant Homeodomain Finger 6 (PHF6) gene is frequently observed in T-ALL. More specifically, deletions and loss-of-function mutations in PHF6 were found in about 16% of children and 38% of adults with T-ALL, indicating that PHF6 plays an important tumor suppressive role in the pathobiology of TALL.2–6 Although the function of PHF6 remains largely unknown, the presence of two plant homeodomain (PHD) domains in the PHF6 protein and the recent association of the protein with components of the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex suggests a role in chromatin remodeling and regulation of gene expression.7,8
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent an important class of small non-coding RNA molecules implicated in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Mechanistically, miRNAs suppress the expression of their target genes by guiding the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to binding sites complementary to the miRNA's seed sequence within the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of mRNAs. This interaction will result in mRNA degradation or inhibition of translation. Notably, many miRNAs are able to control expression of multiple targets, and inversely, many genes can be regulated by multiple miRNAs, underscoring the complexity of miRNA-mRNA interaction networks.9 During the last decade, it has been comprehensively shown that deregulated miRNA expression can contribute to cancer formation.10,11 In the context of T-ALL development, we recently established a cooperative miRNA-tumor suppressor gene network controlling several well-known T-ALL tumor suppressor genes, including PHF6, which drives malignant transformation of developing thymocytes.12
Given the high frequency of inactivating PHF6 lesions in T-ALL and the involvement of this gene in the miRNA regulatory network, we aimed to identify novel miRNAs that have oncogenic potential in T-ALL through suppression of PHF6. To this end, we integrated the results from an unbiased PHF6 3′UTR-miRNA library screen with miRNA profiling data from T-ALL patients' samples and subsets of normal thymocytes at different stages of T-cell maturation. Following this approach, we identified and validated miR-128-3p as a novel miRNA with a potential oncogenic role in T-ALL through targeting of PHF6.
Full details of the methods are provided in the Online Supplementary Methods.
PHF6 3′UTR-miRNA library screens
A complete description is provided in the Online Supplementary Methods. Briefly, HEK-293T cells were co-transfected with a reporter vector containing wild-type PHF6 3′UTR cloned downstream of Firefly luciferase and the pRL-TK control vector containing Renilla luciferase together with a library of 470 miRNA mimics. Forty-eight hours after transfection, luciferase reporter gene activities were assayed and Firefly activities were normalized to Renilla values, log-transformed and subsequently robust z-scores were calculated and median centered to the distribution of robust z-scores of 36 analogous screens for other genes on a per miRNA basis to remove potential systematic bias. The resulting interaction scores are thus more negative for miRNAs that interact with the 3′UTR. In order to determine the interaction score cutoff, the scores for a set of miRNA interactions validated in literature and re-evaluated in the analogous screens were used together with the scores for a set of negative control interactions from an empty 3′UTR vector miRNA library screen to perform receiver operating characteristic (ROC)-curve analysis and determine the point of highest accuracy (interaction score cutoff = −1.94, accuracy = 91%, specificity = 99%, sensitivity = 51%). PHF6 3′UTR-miRNA library screen results were replicated in three independent experiments.
MicroRNA nomenclature and annotation
During the course of this study, official nomenclature and sequence annotation as put forward by miRBase changed for the miRNAs investigated here. Briefly, at the start of our study, miR-574 and both miR-128a and miR-128b were annotated in miRBase (v9.2), and were included in the miRNA libraries for the 3′UTR screens and miRNA profiling of the T-ALL and thymocyte samples. However, at the start of our validation studies, miRBase merged the records of miR-128a and miR-128b into a single record, miR-128, of which the mature sequence is one nucleotide shorter. Furthermore, miR-574 was re-annotated to miR-574-3p, which is one nucleotide longer at the 3′ end. We used these newly annotated miR-128 and miR-574-3p sequences in our follow-up experiments. In the most recent release of miRBase (v20), the human mature miR-128 was renamed miR-128-3p. In this manuscript, we use the most up-to-date names at time of publication for miR-128-3p and miR-574-3p. For the miRNA over-expression studies in mouse, the human pre-miR-128-2 sequence was used, which gives rise to the mature miR-128-3p.
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia mouse model
All animal experiments were performed in accordance with protocols that were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Memorial Sloan Kettering. A complete description of the experiments can be found in the Online Supplementary Methods. Briefly, mouse fetal liver cells were retrovirally transduced with ICN1 expression vectors in combination with miR-128-3p expression vectors or empty vector controls, and subsequently injected in the tail vein of lethally irradiated mouse recipients. Leukemia onset in these mice was then monitored by analysis of lymphoblast counts in blood smears and physical appearance. At diagnosis, several tissues were fixed for histological evaluation (see Online Supplementary Methods). Time-to-leukemia onset data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test for statistical significance.
An unbiased PHF6 3′UTR-miRNA library screen identifies 23 miRNAs potentially targeting PHF6
Most of the functionally validated miRNA-target gene interactions are currently biased towards miRNAs that are predicted to target the gene under investigation. A major drawback of these in silico prediction algorithms is the large degree of false positive results and their inability to predict the full complement of miRNAs targeting a given gene of interest. In order to address the shortcomings of in silico approaches, we developed an unbiased, in vitro screening strategy to identify novel miRNAs targeting our gene of interest, PHF6. More specifically, a high-throughput miRNA library screen was performed, exploring possible interactions between 470 miRNA mimics and the 3′UTR of PHF6. In brief, HEK-293T cells were co-transfected with a reporter construct, containing the PHF6 3′UTR downstream of a luciferase gene, and each of the miRNA mimics in the library. Based on the relative luciferase activities for all tested miRNA-PHF6 combinations in three independent library screen experiments, an interaction score was calculated for each miRNA (see Methods). We identified 23 miRNAs with a high probability of targeting PHF6 (interaction score < −1.94, see Methods) (Figure 1 and Online Supplementary Table S1), with only 11 of these 23 hits being predicted from a total of 93 as determined through various target prediction programs (TargetScan, PicTar, miRanda, MirTarget2, Diana microT; see Online Supplementary Table S1). This effort was part of a large-scale 3′UTR screening in which the interactions of 470 miRNAs with 17 selected cancer/disease genes were probed (Van Peer et al., unpublished data). Interaction score cutoff values were determined as such to minimize false positive hits at the expense of missing a few true interactions (false negative results). This probably explains why miR-20a and miR-26a, the only reported PHF6-targeting miRNAs,12 were not retained as positive hits in our screen. However, our results underscore the value of an unbiased screening method to detect novel, predicted as well as non-predicted, miRNA-target gene interactions.
Integrated analyses identify miR-128-3p and miR-574-3p as top candidate PHF6-targeting miRNAs in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
As miRNA-target gene interactions can be highly tissue-and cell-type-specific, and as the 3′UTR-miRNA library screens were performed in HEK-293T cells, we aimed to select candidate oncogenic miRNAs targeting PHF6 in the specific context of T-ALL cells. We, therefore, evaluated miRNA expression levels in a genetically well-characterized cohort of patients (n=50) with T-ALL as well as in subsets of normal, flow sorted thymocytes (data previously reported data by Mavrakis et al.12 and see Methods). Following the assumption that miRNAs with a potential oncogenic effect should show significant expression in primary T-ALL samples, we identified seven of the 23 miRNAs selected from the miRNA library screen which were among the top 50% expressed miRNAs in the T-ALL patients' samples (Online Supplementary Table S2). Next, we reasoned that miRNAs with a putative oncogenic role in T-ALL would be more highly expressed in T-ALL samples than in normal T-cell counterparts. Using rank products analysis, we identified 37 miRNAs that were significantly (percentage of false predictions-value <0.05) more highly expressed in T-ALL than in normal thymocyte subsets (Online Supplementary Table S3). Based on the miRNA expression results and those from the 3′UTR-miRNA library screen, we prioritized miR-128b and miR-574 as top candidate PHF6-targeting miRNAs with a possible oncogenic role in T-ALL (Figure 2 and Online Supplementary Figure S1). During the course of this study, the annotation (and mature sequence) of miR-128b was updated in miRBase to miR-128 and later to miR-128-3p (latest miRBase release v20). Similarly, the annotation (and sequence) of miR-574 was updated to miR-574-3p. We, therefore, performed all further experiments with the updated miR-128-3p and miR-574-3p sequences (see Methods).
MicroRNA-128-3p interacts directly with the 3′UTR of PHF6, whereas miR-574-3p targets PHF6 through a non-canonical mechanism
In order to confirm the results from the high-throughput miRNA library screen for PHF6 (Figure 1), we performed independent single luciferase reporter assays for both miR-128-3p and miR-574-3p. Co-transfection of miR-128-3p mimics and the PHF6 3′UTR luciferase reporter construct in HEK-293T cells resulted on average in a 50% down-regulation of luciferase activity as compared to a non-targeting miRNA control (Figure 3A). The PHF6 3′UTR sequence was found to contain three distinct 7mer-m8 target sites and one offset 6mer target site for miR-128-3p (Figure 3B). To further validate the specificity of this interaction, we performed site-directed mutagenesis to generate a PHF6 3′UTR reporter construct in which all three 7mer-m8 and the offset 6mer binding sites were mutated. Upon transfection of this mutant construct, down-regulation of luciferase activity by miR-128-3p was completely rescued, demonstrating the validity of these binding sites for interaction (Figure 3C). Together, these results confirm that miR-128-3p interacts directly with its complementary seed regions in the 3′UTR of PHF6. For miR-574-3p, we also observed significant, yet weaker, down-regulatory effects in repeated independent luciferase assays with the wild-type PHF6 3′UTR construct (Figure 3D), confirming the results from the miRNA library screen. However, the 3′UTR of PHF6 does not contain any canonical target sites for miR-574-3p, indicating that miR-574-3p possibly targets the 3′UTR of PHF6 through an unknown, non-canonical mechanism.
Evaluation of PHF6 mRNA and protein regulation by miR-128-3p and miR-574-3p in HEK-293T and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells
In order to measure effects of miR-128-3p and miR-574-3p on the regulation of endogenous PHF6 expression, we transfected HEK-293T cells with either miR-128-3p or miR-574-3p mimics and measured the effect on PHF6 mRNA and protein levels. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction gene expression analysis revealed that both miRNAs were able to reduce PHF6 mRNA levels at both 48 h and 72 h after transfection (Figure 4A). In addition, western blot analysis confirmed that PHF6 protein levels were suppressed by both miRNAs (Figure 4B). Notably, although both miRNAs were able to regulate PHF6 expression in HEK-293T cells, the effect for miR-128-3p was more profound than that for miR-574-3p, in accordance with the observed effects in the luciferase reporter assays (Figure 3A,D).
Next, we investigated effects of miR-128-3p and miR-574-3p over-expression on PHF6 expression in the context of T-ALL cells. To this purpose, we selected two different PHF6 wild-type T-ALL cell lines, Jurkat and ALL-SIL. Over-expression of miR-128-3p resulted in a significant down-regulation of PHF6 mRNA and protein in both Jurkat cells (Figure 5A,B) and ALL-SIL cells (Online Supplementary Figure S2). On the other hand, we were not able to demonstrate significant repressive effects of miR-574-3p on PHF6 mRNA expression or protein levels in repeated experiments in both T-ALL cell lines (Online Supplementary Figure S3). Therefore, miR-574-3p was not studied further in the context of T-ALL.
Finally, we performed miR-128-3p knockdown experiments to demonstrate regulation of PHF6 upon inhibition of endogenous miR-128-3p in T-ALL cells. More specifically, we transfected Jurkat cells with oligonucleotides of locked nucleic acids (LNA) directed against endogenous miR-128-3p and observed up-regulation of PHF6 protein levels as compared to levels in control LNA-transfected cells (Figure 5C). Together, the miR-128-3p over-expression and knockdown experiments provide evidence that miR-128-3p is able to regulate PHF6 expression in T-ALL cells.
Evaluation of possible regulation of other validated and predicted target genes by miR-128-3p in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells
On the basis of the results of the above experiments, we speculated that miR-128-3p acts as an oncomir in T-ALL by targeting the PHF6 tumor suppressor gene. However, as many miRNAs can target multiple genes, we checked whether miR-128-3p could target other genes in the context of T-ALL. Considering the known miRNA-target gene network acting in T-ALL, we investigated possible additional interactions of miR-128-3p with other in silico predicted T-ALL tumor suppressor genes, including FBXW7, NF1, IKZF1 and SUZ12. However, miR-128-3p over-expression did not significantly suppress the expression levels of these four genes in T-ALL cell lines (Online Supplementary Figure S4). In addition, we tested other validated miR-128-3p target tumor suppressor genes in other tumor entities including BAX13 and E2F514 (and SUZ1215 and NF116). Again, no significant or clear effects on the expression of the latter genes by miR-128-3p were observed in T-ALL cells (Online Supplementary Figure S4), suggesting that miR-128-3p has oncogenic effects in TALL predominantly through targeting PHF6.
MicroRNA-128-3p accelerates leukemia formation in a NOTCH1-induced T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia mouse model
Given the consistent in vitro effects of miR-128-3p on PHF6 in T-ALL cell lines, and the fact that miRNA profiling data suggest a potential oncogenic role for miR-128-3p, we aimed to demonstrate the function of miR-128-3p in TALL oncogenesis in vivo. More specifically, we used a mouse model of NOTCH1-induced T-ALL,17 in which fetal liver cells (hematopoietic progenitors) are transduced with ICN1 (active NOTCH1) in combination with either a miR-128-3p expression construct or an empty vector control (co-expressing GFP). Subsequently, the transduced cells are injected into the tail vein of lethally irradiated recipient mice after which leukemia onset is monitored (Figure 6A). We observed significantly faster leukemia development in the mice over-expressing miR-128-3p (n=5, mean latency = 40 days, P<0.05) than in the vector control group (n=6, mean latency = 57 days) (Figure 6B), providing evidence for an oncogenic role of miR-128-3p in T-ALL development in vivo. Of note, all miR-128-3p-driven leukemia samples (from NOTCH1 and miR-128-3p co-transduced cells) showed GFP expression at the time of disease (data not shown). Pathological analysis of the mice demonstrated aggressive leukemia development with infiltration of highly proliferative Ki67-positive lymphoblasts in liver, kidneys, spleen and lungs (Figure 6C and Online Supplementary Figure S5). No drastic differences could be observed in the number of splenic Ki67-positive cells or in the systemic distribution and organ involvement upon miR-128-3p over-expression (Figure 6C and Online Supplementary Figure S5). Additional western blot analysis of the mouse tumors showed that Phf6 was down-regulated in the miR-128-3p-expressing mice compared to in the controls (Figure 6D). Notably, these results are in line with our previous observations that endogenous Phf6 knockdown by RNAi results in accelerated onset of leukemia in the NOTCH1-induced T-ALL mouse model.12 Together, these results further strengthen our hypothesis that miR-128-3p exerts its oncogenic effects in T-ALL at least partly through targeting the PHF6 tumor suppressor.
In recent years, many miRNAs have been implicated in a wide variety of developmental processes as well as diseases including cancer.18–22 MicroRNAs can function as tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes, depending on their regulation and their respective target genes in cancer cells.10,11 In a previous study, we demonstrated that miRNAs and protein-coding genes form intricate networks that are perturbed in cancer, as illustrated by the complex interaction between several oncogenic miRNAs and known tumor suppressor genes in T-ALL. This network included PHF6, which is a frequently affected tumor suppressor in T-ALL.12 Understanding more complete interactive miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks is currently hampered by the limitations of in silico miRNA-target prediction algorithms, which often fail to reveal all true targets and predict many false positive interactions. Moreover, these algorithms do not take into account the tissue-specificity and physiological relevance of most miRNA-target gene interactions. To obtain a more comprehensive picture of miRNAome-wide regulation of PHF6 in T-ALL, we performed an unbiased 3′UTR-miRNA library screen for PHF6 and integrated the results with the miRNA expression landscape from primary T-ALL samples and normal thymocyte subsets to identify novel oncogenic miRNAs targeting PHF6 in the context of T-ALL.
The miRNAome-wide 3′UTR screen, which was designed to generate a minimum of false positive hits, yielded a total of 23 hits for the PHF6 gene. Almost half of these hits (11/23) could not be predicted by different target prediction algorithms: this may be because of the presence of non-canonical binding sites, which are generally not predicted by in silico algorithms. Based on integrated data from an empty vector screen in our 3′UTR-miRNA library screen experiments (see Methods), we have evidence to rule out the possibility that the luciferase open reading frame is targeted by these specific miRNA hits. Together, these data underscore the power of an unbiased screening method to identify novel candidate interactions (that would not have been identified by prediction algorithms).
In order to refine the selection of candidate miRNAs relevant in the context of T-ALL from these 23 hits, we looked for miRNAs differentially expressed between primary T-ALL samples and normal thymocyte precursors. Using this approach, we selected two novel candidate PHF6-targeting miRNAs with a potential oncogenic function in T-ALL, namely miR-128-3p (formerly miR-128b) and miR-574-3p. Individual 3′UTR luciferase assays and rescue experiments upon mutagenesis of miRNA binding sites confirmed direct interaction of miR-128-3p with the 3′UTR of PHF6. Interestingly, the 3′UTR of PHF6 does not contain canonical binding sites for miR-574-3p, but multiple independent luciferase assays confirmed down-regulation of the PHF6 3′UTR luciferase reporter by miR-574-3p, suggesting that miR-574-3p potentially targets the 3′UTR of PHF6 through an unknown, non-canonical mechanism. One possibility is that miR-574-3p targets PHF6 through 'seedless' binding, a mechanism described for miR-24.23 Regardless of the mechanism of interaction involved, this observation further demonstrates that unbiased screening of miRNA-target gene interactions is able to identify novel interactions that would have remained undetected by current in silico prediction algorithms, most of which predict canonical interactions.
Whereas in vitro assays after over-expression of miR-128-3p and miR-574-3p confirmed that both miRNAs are able to target endogenous PHF6 in HEK-293T cells, only miR-128-3p was found to regulate PHF6 expression in the investigated T-ALL cell lines. Possibly, the miR-574-3p interaction with PHF6 is subtle or transient, or does not exist in T-ALL cells. We, therefore, further focused our attention on the in vivo oncogenic potential of miR-128-3p by using a NOTCH1-induced T-ALL mouse model.17 Mice over-expressing miR-128-3p showed accelerated leukemia formation as compared to control mice, demonstrating that miR-128-3p is a candidate novel oncomiR that contributes to T-ALL oncogenesis in vivo.
Previous studies have shown that miR-128(-3p) acts as an oncogene in malignancies such as acute leukemia,24,25 breast cancer13,26–28 and lung cancer.14 However, this miRNA has also been described to have tumor suppressive functions in other cancer entities (for an overview, refer to Online Supplementary Table S4). Such a context-dependent role has been described in cancer for several miRNAs as well as for protein-coding genes. In this study, we demonstrate that miR-128-3p could act as an oncomiR in T-ALL. Other studies reported in literature support a possible oncogenic function for miR-128-3p in ALL, as miR-128(-3p) was found to be significantly more highly expressed in ALL samples than in acute myeloid leukemia samples and normal control samples.24,25,29 Possible mechanisms that could underlie miR-128-3p over-expression in T-ALL remain to be explored in further detail. Although to the best of our knowledge chromosomal aberrations or mutations specifically affecting miR-128 loci have not been reported so far, there is evidence that miR-128-3p expression could be affected by perturbed epigenetic regulation [hypomethylation of miR-128 promoter(s)] in T-ALL cells.25,30 Finally, miR-128 over-expression was also demonstrated to result in increased resistance of Jurkat/R (T-ALL) cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis,30 indicating that miR-128(-3p) can have oncogenic properties in T-ALL cells. In line with these studies, we have demonstrated, using T-ALL mouse models, that miR-128-3p can indeed have oncogenic properties in T-ALL development in vivo.
Furthermore, we speculate that miR-128-3p exerts its oncogenic effects in T-ALL through targeting the tumor suppressor PHF6. However, as it is well known that many miRNAs are able to control multiple target genes, we investigated whether miR-128-3p could target other genes in the context of T-ALL. First of all, in view of the already established regulatory miRNA-target gene network acting in T-ALL, we investigated possible additional interactions of miR-128-3p with other in silico predicted T-ALL tumor suppressor genes, including FBXW7, NF1, IKZF1 and SUZ12. However, no significant effects on the expression levels of these four genes were detected upon miR-128-3p over-expression in T-ALL cell lines (Online Supplementary Figure S4), thus excluding miR-128-3p from broader interaction in the T-ALL regulatory network. Next, we also looked at other validated miR-128-3p target tumor suppressor genes in other tumor entities including BAX13 and E2F514 (as well as SUZ1215 and NF116), but no such interaction was observed in T-ALL cell lines (Online Supplementary Figure S4). From these results, we hypothesize that miR-128-3p exerts its oncogenic effects in T-ALL predominantly (or at least partly) through targeting of the PHF6 tumor suppressor gene. This hypothesis is further strengthened by the observation that Phf6 levels are down-regulated in mice over-expressing miR-128-3p in the NOTCH1-sensitized T-ALL model, and our prior studies demonstrating that endogenous Phf6 knockdown by RNAi resulted in accelerated onset of leukemia in this model.12 MicroRNA-128-3p over-expression thus mimics the phenotype of Phf6 knockdown in the NOTCH1-induced T-ALL model. Nevertheless, we cannot exclude the possibility that miR-128-3p has additional, yet unidentified targets that may explain its synergism in NOTCH1-driven murine T-ALL.
In summary, we identified miR-128-3p as a strong novel candidate oncomiR targeting PHF6 in T-ALL, thereby extending the established cooperative miRNA-tumor suppressor gene network that is involved in T-ALL. In addition, our study adds T-ALL to a growing number of cancer entities in which miR-128(-3p) is implicated.
The authors would like to thank the following funding agencies: the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders ('FWO Vlaanderen' research projects G.0202.09, G.0869.10N to FS, 3GA00113N to PVV and G0B2913N and 3G002711 to TT, research grant 220.127.116.11N to PR; PhD grant to JVdM; postdoctoral grants to TT, PM, PVV, SG and PR; BP is a senior clinical investigator), the Belgian Foundation against Cancer [FS, JV (SCIE 2010-177) and SG], the Flemish League against Cancer ('VLK') (PhD grant to JVdM); Ghent University (GOA grant 12051203 to FS; BOF10/PDO/140 to PR; BOF01D35609 to GVP), the Cancer Plan from the Federal Public Service of Health (FS), the Children's Cancer Fund Ghent (FS) and the Belgian Program of Interuniversity Poles of Attraction (IUAP P7/03 and P7/07). Additional funding was provided by the NCI (R01-CA142798-01 and U01CA105492-08 to HGW), the Leukemia Research Foundation (HGW), the Experimental Therapeutics Center at MSKCC (HGW), the American Cancer Society (HGW) and the Geoffrey Beene Cancer Center (HGW). We also would like to thank Aline Eggermont for excellent technical assistance.
↵* FS and PR share senior authorship
The online version of this article has a Supplementary Appendix.
Authorship and Disclosures
Information on authorship, contributions, and financial & other disclosures was provided by the authors and is available with the online version of this article at www.haematologica.org.
- Received October 12, 2013.
- Accepted May 6, 2014.
- Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation

subset: commoncrawl


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These people have planned to make a gift to the Malvernian Society or Malvern College from their estate. Click onto the photo to see what persuaded them to do so. If you are thinking of doing something similar and would like to discuss this with us in confidence and with no obligation, please contact the Development team on +44(0) 1684 581 653 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Richard Brinkman
Malvernian Society Malvern College College Road Malvern WorcestershireWR14 3DF Phone: 01684 581517 Email: email@example.com
Copyright 2020 Malvernian Society


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What You Need to Know About the Characteristics of the Top Accountants
The accounting career is one that very many people are preferring and this has led to its growth in terms of numbers. So as to have success in the accounting career, it is important to note that there are some traits that one needs to exhibit. This piece of writing seeks to shed some light on some of the very essential elements that need to be portrayed by those people who are longing to becoming accountants.
A lot of emphases is laid on the need for a person to ponder about their communication skills while thinking to become an accountant as good communication skills are a must have for an accountant. Both the written as well as the oral communication skills are needed in the case of an accountant. Due to the queries that might arise from the different users of accounting information, it is very essential that a good accountant carry this trait of being a good communicator.
Being detail oriented is one of the other characteristics that the best accountants need to have. It is worth noting that the reason as to why one needs to be very detailed oriented is due to the fact that a lot of accuracy is needed in this profession. It also means that accounting is not a profession which you will rush through work. Another example of the characteristics that a very good accountant needs to carry is that of being honest and also having integrity. The need for integrity and honesty arises from the fact that an accountant carries the financial records of a person or organization and you can look for outsourced accounting services. If such information is leaked, you could destroy the financial stability of a person or a company.
Being inquisitive is one of the other traits that a good accountant needs to have. This means that you should have the trait of questioning everything. By being very inquisitive, you can be able to take an undertaking on the correctness of your work. If you longing at becoming an accountant, a critical thing that you need to have is that of being able to endure to stress while working.
There are also some questions that people longing to become accountants need to ponder about rather than taking a look at this characteristic. Am I fine with a very busy question is one of the mandatory questions that one ought to ask themselves if you want to become an accountant. It is worth noting that the busy season kicks off at the beginning of the year up to when taxes are filled. A lot of emphases is laid on the need for people to also ponder if they are okay that their education will never end.


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Whether you are a full-time vegan or you choose to cut out animal products whenever possible, there's no need to miss out on your favorite cakes.
Baking without eggs, butter and milk is not only possible, but also easy and just as delicious as what you are used to baking. There are now so many alternative ingredients available from grocery and healthfood stores and with Dunja Gulin's recipes, you'll have all the inspiration you need to start baking. Simple Cakes and Muffins to try include Muffins with Summer Berries; Fancy Cakes like the stunning Chocolate Layer Cake are sure to impress; for a mid-morning snack, try Slices & Bars like Bean Brownies and Fruity Oat Bars; choose from Cookies such as Dad's Hazelnut Triangles and Coffee-Toffee Cookies; vegan Pies, Tarts & Strudels can be just as good as real pastry, so try an Aromatic Pear Strudel; bake vegan Herb Focaccia and you will never buy regular Bread again; and finally, Special Baked Treats like Plum Dumplings make mouthwatering desserts.
- Published : 24/07/2017
- Format : Hardback
- Imprint : Ryland Peters & Small
- Size (mm): 235 x 228
- Category: Cookery
- Pages : 144
- Edition :


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(By Herminia Ibarra) "Most of the "Harrises" I meet have great and large operational networks consisting of mostly internal contacts. They find these networks very useful
Tag: Reflection
What Introverts already know best: The 6 Virtues of Solitude
(By Kevin Daum) "Not all ideas sound great at first listen. They might sound insane at the second and third listen as well. But, that


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Responding to strong customer and market demand to recognize the architectural expertise of network designers, Cisco has introduced the Cisco Certified Architect, the highest level of accreditation achievable within Cisco Career Certifications.
The company says that advanced technologies such as Cisco Unified Communications, Cisco TelePresence and mobility are converging and increasing the opportunities for innovation and collaboration while adding to the complexity of enterprise networks.
According to IDC, "With many existing certifications focused on point technologies, architect-level certifications bring together project management, business needs analysis, and IT elements into a true solutions framework and validate a candidate's ability to address planning, design, interoperability, and connectivity issues."
Gartner reported in its 2008 IT market compensation study (U.S. based), that "IT organizations continue to have difficulty in finding skilled IT professionals, especially enterprise architects, network architects, project managers and Web application programmers."
Cisco Certified Architect:
The Cisco Certified Architect certification recognizes the architectural experience and competency of network designers who can support the increasingly complex networks of global organizations and effectively translate business strategies into evolutionary technical strategies.
Cisco channel partners play a critical role in enabling customers to deploy advanced new technologies supported by professionals with the skills required to use these innovative solutions.
The certification stands above the expert-level CCIE® certification in terms of difficulty, with an emphasis on expertise in network infrastructure architecture and a proven ability to work with executive-level customers to ensure that business requirements are incorporated into successful designs.
Certification Process:
The Cisco Certified Architect certification will be administered as a board exam.
Candidates will propose and defend an architecture solution to a set of business requirements, and the candidates will be asked to modify their proposals "on the fly," based on additional requirements presented by the board.
Prerequisites include a CCDETM certification, approximately 10 years of industry experience, and acceptance into the program via an application process.


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Unspoken words that we thought of but never said are powerful because by not speaking them, we are not planting those seeds in ground where they can grow. When we speak for what we want, when we express our desires, visions, goals and wishes, then there is an opportunity for someone to help us grow those seed thoughts into realities.
Just as putting a seed in the soil and watering it one day brings green sprouts up out of the ground, saying words that express our desires, visions, goals and wishes to someone else can help nurture those words until our outer world starts to reflect those inner thoughts.
If we have thoughts that are important to us and we do not put them into words, then others cannot help us realize our dreams.
So if we have thoughts that are important to us, ideas that keep coming back to us, visions of things we would like to do, expressions of desires that are as yet unrealized, we hold ourselves back from all of this by not speaking those words to others. If we do speak those words to others to express those desires, we greatly increase the odds that we will get them.
There are a few reasons why we do not speak. One is fear that others will not agree with us or support us. Another is that we do not trust our own strength to pursue our goals.
But we can never be certain of how receptive others will be of our thoughts and words. We just have to speak them and see how they respond, and of course, we do not need everyone to agree with us. Those who do will be the ones who help us achieve our goals.
As far as trusting in ourselves, sometimes saying words out loud helps give us the confidence to go forward. It is when we bring thoughts out from the inner world and place them into words in the outer world that they take on a new resonant power.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Desires in Words
Posted by Pan Dancing at 3:00 PM
Labels: abundance, aphrodisiacs, change, dreams, energy, feelings, free will, manifestation, money, playing, relationships, work
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New Hampshire temperatures have been below freezing and it snowed last night - not much, but enough to see. It's time to begin the countdown towards leaving for Arizona. With only 10 days to go, I really need to make a "to-do" list and start organizing myself for the drive. I spend Summers in New Hampshire near my kids, grandkids, and in-laws. I spend winters in Southeastern Arizona near my two sisters. The best of two worlds considering weather, and the fact that 6 months with either side of the family is just about the right amount of time.
This trip West will be about 15 days with stops in Tennessee and Texas to visit and bead with friends. Twice a year I get to spend a week beading with my best friends in Gilmer, Texas. We now call it the "Gilmer Getaway" as it is our time to catch up, laugh, drink lots of coffee, sleep at odd hours, get out hair done, and ...... most important.... bead and bounce creative ideas off of each other - a true "Bead Cave".
This trip, all but two of the group will be there and we are going to try our hand at needle felting. Of course, felting will only be the base for embellishment with beads. Bev Herman has already tried it and is bringing needles and foam to work with. I spent some time in thrift stores here in NH and found some wool sweaters to machine felt. So first on my list to get done is to start a box of craft & beading supplies that will be needed at the Gilmer Getaway. Second on the list is to finish and mail promised pieces of beadwork.
The rest of the organization for leaving is more mundane; oil changed in the car; wash & pack clothing; sort, organize and pack beads; get mail forwarded; wrap Christmas gifts; last doctor's visit; start winterizing the apartment; clean out the freezer and icebox; and a million other small details. Then there is Thanksgiving dinner in Cambridge MA with all of the extended family. Monday 11/28 I get on the road, headed South to escape any bad weather, until I hit Tennessee and go West.


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AdvertisementNEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel has launched its digital platform the "Online Store" which offers premium smartphones with down payments, instant credit verification and financing, and bundled monthly plans.
Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus variants will be available on Airtel's Online Store starting at a down payment of Rs 7777 and 24 monthly installments of Rs 2499.
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Airtel Digital HD Recorder / Kerala Vision Digital TV
Airtel Digital HD Recorder / Kerala Vision Digital TV


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A vanilla husband wants to please his kinky wife. Can Mistress Ava help?
A vanilla husband wants to please his kinky wife. Can Mistress Ava help?
Incidents, accidents, surprises, demises—Cheryl's in over her head dealing with a family emergency
The second hand never stops sweeping at the Railway Hotel
A would-be writer has trouble plotting the outline of his own romance; it's fear and loving in LA
Desperately searching for salve...and perhaps salvation
Darrel's got demons and a dead friend in What Are You Thinking About Right Now by Baird Harper
Unscripted! Raw! Rocketship rivalry! Reality TV takes to the cosmos
A cowboy in Harlem learns his code of conduct may not survive outside Texas—and neither may he
Secrets, silence and survival in What She Saw by Airel Dorfman


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Society for Acute Medicine comment on National Tariff Payment System
For immediate release
21 January 2014
Commenting on the 2014/15 National Tariff Payment System published by Monitor and NHS England today (21 January), Dr Mark Holland, vice-president of the Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) said: "The timing of today's announcement by Monitor and NHS England of proposed changes to the marginal rate for emergency admissions will be welcomed by all those working in acute medicine, coming as it does at the busiest time of year. Admission rates for acutely ill medical patients continue to rise whilst at the same time there is an imperative to improve patient care, especially in light of the Francis report.
"Allocating extra resources to acute medical care will not only fill the gaps in the current funding structure but always allow the development of better services for patients. For example, The Society for Acute Medicine has played a pivotal role in developing seven-day hospital working.
"Whilst SAM welcomes the proposed changes as a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen if the extra resources will adequately cover the cost of future the developments that we see as essential for patient care."
Notes to the editors:
- Acute medicine (also known as acute internal medicine) is the specialty which deals with the immediate and early treatment of adult patients with a variety of medical conditions who present in hospital as emergencies.
- The Society for Acute Medicine is the national representative body for the specialty of acute medicine and represents around a thousand members.
- The 2014/15 National Tariff Payment System can be accessed here.
Claire Charras
Communications and Marketing Executive
The Society for Acute Medicine
07 985 494 965


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Previewing WrestleMania 32Posted: April 2, 2016 Filed under: Wrasslin' | Tags: Becky Lynch, Brock Lesnar, Charlotte, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Sasha Banks, Shane McMahon, The Undertaker, Triple H, Wrasslin', WrestleMania 32, WWE Leave a comment
Hey, folks! In case you missed it, Wrasslin' Wednesday has a new home this week. Check it out over at Waiting For Next Year.
Bryan's Song: Wrasslin' Wednesday 2/10/16Posted: February 10, 2016 Filed under: Wrasslin' | Tags: Daniel Bryan, Monday Night Raw, Wrasslin', WWE Leave a comment
Derek: We're coming to you live (two days later) from Seattle! We have no choice but to dedicate today's wrasslin' analysis entirely to Daniel Bryan, who retired from professional wrestling Monday night at the age of 34. Will's thoughts originally ran on WFNY. I've included them here, and I'll jump in after that. Hope you've got your handkerchief nearby.
Will: Daniel Bryan has retired from professional wrestling. (If this does not matter to you at all, I will attempt to make an argument why it should.) He tweeted as much Monday afternoon, but fans held out hope that it was somehow untrue. Work me, they begged in wrestling parlance, hoping for it all to be part of a scripted storyline, let there be a swerve. But there was no script. There was no swerve. The unscripted nature of Daniel Bryan's retirement is what made it so compelling — and so heartbreaking. He had to retire, in short, because he'd had a lot of concussions.
Appearing at the end of Monday night's Raw in jeans in a flannel shirt, Bryan explained why he had to walk away. (There were two very good pieces of writing about Bryan that I intended to include excerpts of, but I got carried away and don't expect you to read another thousand words on the topic. One was by Brandon Stroud at Uproxx, and the other was by David Shoemaker at ESPN. They both know the business way better than me, and I recommend them both.)
I've been wrestling since I was 18 years old. And within the first five months of my wrestling career, I'd already had three concussions. And for years after that, I would get a concussion here and there, and it gets to the point that when you've been wrestling for 16 years, that adds up to a lot of concussions. And it gets to a point where they tell you that you can't wrestle anymore. And for a long time I fought that because I had gotten EEGs and brain MRIs and neuro-psychological evaluations and all of them said this: That I was fine and that I could come back and I could wrestle.
I trained like I could come back and I could wrestle. I was ready at a moment's notice if WWE needed me, I wanted to come back and wrestle because I have loved this in a way I have never loved anything else. But, a week and a half ago, I took a test that said that maybe my brain isn't as okay as I thought it was.
The mention of concussion, not to mention three of them within five months of an 18-year-old's life, brought solemnity to the proceedings. Even a couple years ago that might not have sounded like cause for retirement. Now it does. The crowd still pleaded with Bryan to stay, but more out of respect than anything. They follow the NFL, they know what's in theaters; they know the score. They understood why he had to go.
Wrestlers are meant to be superheroes. This was a rare moment in which the performers' very humanity was in the spotlight.
More than that, the spotlight was on the unique relationship between wrestlers and wrestling fans. I don't know how to explain it. It's its own thing, different than that between players and fans in any other sport. If you have the time and the inclination, a YouTube video called "Wrestling Isn't Wrestling" sums up wrestling's appeal as well as anything. One line captures it all: "Don't get me wrong, a lot of wrestling sucks. But when it's good, it's fucking great."
Daniel Bryan did a lot of good wrestling, most of it before he was ever on national television. He slogged away in the lower promotions, working high school gyms and bingo halls and armories. He was never destined for the world once inhabited by Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant — he's 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, if that. But as more fans discovered him, the more they learned about and disseminated his journey. They learned how he was a real-life Rudy. They saw how he left a bit of himself in the ring every time he entered. There was an ineffable joy in his work, a magnetic energy that took hold. What made him special, what connected him with fans, was this very real sense that he was living the dream. Once upon a time he was just a kid who loved wrestling, just like all of the other kids out there. Then one day, boom, he's winning the championship at WrestleMania.
Bryan is so beloved because he shared so much with the fans. Indeed, his very presence at the top of the WWE pyramid only happened because of his fans. WWE brass was not itching to put a guy the size of Doug Flutie in the main event, but the fans made it so. An entire television segment, and eventually an entire championship storyline, were derailed because the fans demanded it be. They demanded Daniel Bryan be given a shot at the title. They demanded to see him on the biggest stage. They demanded to see their underdog overcome the odds, because damnit, that's what wrestling is about. He did what every wrestler seeks to do with the crowd, and to a degree that few could ever replicate: He got over.
Bryan embraced the spotlight as much as he could when he got it, which people respected because the spotlight is the greatest wrestling currency there is. His passion and work rate never let up. What made Daniel Bryan great — and the past tense is regretfully necessary at this point — was how much of himself he gave in the name of his sport. You never watched him with a sense that you were being gypped. You never felt like he performed in a way that anyone else could. You never felt like anyone cared more than him. You never felt like anyone gave more than him.
Watching this, a man forced to walk away from the thing he loves the most, had me weeping like a baby Monday night. Precious few among us get the chance to realize our greatest aspiration, let alone actually do it. Daniel Bryan did — and he did.
Derek: Look, I get it. No one watches embedded videos in articles unless there's some stupid autoplay feature. But I'll tell you this: if you don't watch the videos I'm about to show, you won't believe anything I say. That's the beauty of Daniel Bryan's career. You could look at him, and he may not impress you. I could describe him, and he may not impress you. But when you watch him in the ring and see how beloved he is, and see how he has thousands of people with smart phones and gnat-like attention spans hanging on his every word, you'll know what I'm talking about. In the words of Morpheus, no one can be told how great Daniel Bryan is. You have to see it for yourself.
Watch 1:05-1:35 in the video at the top of the page, when he talks about potentially having kids and then makes one of the funniest remarks I've ever seen on WWE television. Watch the crowd's reaction at 3:29 when he talks about the Seahawks. Watch 5:27-6:30, when he talks about the people he's met, like Kane, William Regal, and Connor Michalek. Watch 7:50-10:30, when he talks about the time the Seattle crowd hijacked Raw in what would be the last time his father got to see him wrestle. Good luck getting through that without shedding a tear. God, just watch the whole thing. Any of you who wonder why I watch pro wrestling at my advanced age, watch the video and find out. Sometimes wrestling is so dumb and pointless that I watch for three hours and struggle to think of one interesting thing that happened. In fact, I'd say that happens most of the time. But sometimes you get nights like Monday, when something incredible happens that no sport could replicate. So much of what Daniel Bryan did I'll remember forever.
Let's start with that night Seattle took over Raw. I had just gotten back into wrestling at that time. Again, you need to see it for yourself.
As a Seahawks fan, I'm often told that the fans at CenturyLink Field are only loud because of the stadium's architecture and/or artificial crowd noise. My response is this video. I got goosebumps watching it then and I get goosebumps watching it now. Triple H talked louder to make them stop cheering, which usually works. Instead, they just cheered louder. In the words of Michael Cole, "WHAT A MOMENT!!!"
Then, just over a month later, Bryan had joined the Wyatt Family because it was the only way they would stop assaulting him. Bryan leaving the Wyatts was one of the best Raw main events I've ever seen.
Then there was the time he filled the ring with fans to secure a match with Triple H and a shot at the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXX.
He finally won the championship and, though it isn't in the next video, he took his new belts and hugged Connor.
It was mostly downhill for Bryan after that. Neck injuries and concussions put him out of action and led to Monday's retirement. All I can say is thank goodness there's video of what he accomplished. There have been so many wonderful words written about Bryan over the last 48 hours, but all of them combined can't say as much as a two-minute YouTube clip. He's the most beloved wrestler of at least the last five years, and I'm sad to see him go. I'm sad I won't get to see him feud with Seth Rollins, Brock Lesnar, or A.J. Styles. I'm sad his big farewell had to be a promo on Raw instead of a huge pay-per-view match. I'm sad that I didn't know the last time I saw him wrestle would be the last time I saw him wrestle.
But you know what would have been more sad? If his dad didn't get to see his son have one of the greatest nights a wrestler ever had. If he kept getting concussions. If he permanently injured himself before he could start a family. If he died well before his time, as wrestlers often do.
We're lucky. We get to look back on Bryan's career with reverence instead of guilt. We get to talk about what it was like to watch him command whatever building he went to. We get to talk about how he could hijack a segment just by silently standing. Then, when no one believes us, we can tell them to go to the tape.
The Monocleys: Wrasslin' Wednesday 12/30/15Posted: December 30, 2015 Filed under: Wrasslin' | Tags: AJ Lee, Asuka, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Finn Bálor, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Monocleys, Naomi, Paige, Royal Rumble, Rusev, Seth Rollins, Survivor Series, The Ascension, Wrasslin', Wrestlemania, WWE Leave a comment
We're coming to you live (two days later) from Brooklyn! Well, sort of. It's the last Wednesday of 2015, which means it's time for the Monocleys! It's the most Gentlemanly wrestling awards column on the internet. Without further ado …
Gentleman of the Year (WWE SUPERSTAR of the Year)
Derek: As indefensible as it may have been, I considered putting Paul Heyman here for a few minutes. But the clear winner is Seth Rollins. From his incredible match with John Cena and Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble, to his cash-in at WrestleMania, to his matches with Dean Ambrose at Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank, to his feuds with Lesnar and Sting … there was no one else who had as many big moments as he did. His ACL injury was a true wrestling tragedy. He can't come back soon enough.
Will: I'll make no argument against Rollins, but for the sake of variety I'll take The New Day. They took a nonsense gimmick and turned it into gold. I have some lingering fears that they'll start to grow stale after a while, but their collective mic work is still a draw unto itself. They are capable of being timely, topical, and funny in a way that WWE almost never is. Just this past week, Kofi threatened to fight your children. That's the stuff Gentlemen of the Year are made of.
Cad of the Year (Worst WWE SUPERSTAR of the Year)
Derek: I'm cheating a bit and giving it to two people: Konnor and Viktor of the Ascension. I reacted to every single second of watching them with either laughter or disgust. I've enjoyed their disappearance so much that I haven't thought about them in months, and the only thing that made me think of them was reflecting back on what made me roll my eyes the most.
Will: I was under the impression that those two were good in NXT, which I cannot begin to understand; they're just awful. I too will pick a duo: The Usos. This is being a little harsh on them, but I don't feel they've brought much to the table since returning. They were involved in the terrific Triple Threat match at TLC, and they pal around with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, all of which are functional wrestling things. I also have zero affinity for them whatsoever, and I'm not sure I would notice if they were to disappear again.
Lady of the Year (WWE DIVA of the Year)
Derek: This is a tough pick. AJ Lee left too early in the year to be considered, and my personal dislike for Nikki Bella's work disqualifies her. This is something of a legacy pick, but I'm going with Paige. She's managed to be a relevant Diva ever since her debut last year, which can't be said for any of the other Divas. Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte came into the fold too late to be considered. Paige stuck around at the top when others who got title shots, like Natalya, Cameron, and Alicia Fox, either disappeared or got relegated to sidekick roles. Paige wins by default.
Will: Paige all day. It took a while for her to regain her mojo/turn heel late this year, but she's been as good as anyone since. I'm also just not sure who else it could be. I am also not a Bella supporter; Sasha hasn't quite gotten there yet; and I fear that Charlotte is something of a charisma vacuum (although I have enjoyed her semi-heel work of late).
Shrew of the Year (Worst WWE DIVA of the Year)
Derek: I'm going with Naomi. I hate her music. I hate the Team BAD moniker. I hate that she's the apparent leader of that group, even though Sasha Banks is better in every way. She doesn't bring anything to the table in her current state. Nothing against her personally, but the only reason I'm ever happy to see her is because I might get to see Sasha do something.
Will: I gotta say, Naomi and Co. have grown on me a little. She's hardly a draw on her own, and "Team BAD" is still just the worst, but they've been more fun since they've taken a page out of New Day's book and taken part in some comedic bits. I also find it kinda funny that they wound up being the women's team with the most staying power. The Bellas have been hamstrung by Nikki's absence, while the former PCB fell apart due to infighting.
My pick is Alicia Fox. She might be alright on her own, but all I can judge her on is being a pseudo-Bella. Lame.
Quarrel of the Year (Match of the Year)
Derek: My criteria for this selection is simply the match I enjoyed watching most, and that's Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins at Royal Rumble. Rollins had put himself on the map by turning on the Shield and winning the Money in the Bank contract several months before, but this was the match that made me think "this guy really is the future." Brock Lesnar sold an injury really well. There was the added drama of Rollins possibly cashing in. People will remember his 2015 because of what he did at WrestleMania, and rightfully so, but this was the match in which Rollins outgrew the Authority.
Will: I'm not sure if my choice is true match of the year stuff, but I'm picking Cena-Owens I. Roughly 75 percent of that is just because Cena lost, and the other 25 percent is rooted in Owens becoming a sociopath lately. He destroyed Dean Ambrose on this week's Raw after losing to Neville, and he did so with an oddly sexualized sense of sadomasochism. My understanding is that as Kevin Steen he was billed as wrestling's antichrist, and I'm optimistic that he'll bring those sorts of bad intentions to WWE.
Donnybrook of the Year (Feud of the Year)
Derek: By WWE mandate, I'm required to give John Cena at least two awards. Therefore, Donnybrook of the Year goes to John Cena vs. Kevin Owens. I gave their match at Elimination Chamber consideration for Quarrel of the Year, and listening to these two cut promos on each other was outstanding. Of course it ended in CENAWINSLOL, but I'll still remember it fondly.
Will: Right about now I'm realizing how much wrestling I've forgotten this year, so I'm also going with Cena-Owens by default. I remember the Undertaker-Bray Wyatt mehfest. I remember the Rollins-Sting mehfest. I remember 700 Orton-Sheamus matches. I remember lots of Usos and Matadores. I suppose what I'm getting at is that no one feud truly resonated with me. Not in a good way, at least — hey, speaking of which…
Banal Squabble of the Year (Worst Feud of the Year)
Derek: There was really nothing worse than Rusev vs. Dolph Ziggler. My word, that was tough to watch. I thought of giving it to Ryback vs. Bray Wyatt because it was so forgettable, but Rusev and Ziggler win because they were unforgettable for all of the wrong reasons. Remember that time Lana and Ziggler "went public"? I sure do. Thank goodness they put a stop to this.
Will: Absolutely Rusev-Ziggler. Oh my god it was so bad. Let's move on.
Spectacle of the Year (Best PPV)
Derek: I apologize for the chalk pick, but there was nothing better than WrestleMania in 2015. We got Daniel Bryan winning the Intercontinental Championship, a legendary RKO, Sting vs. Triple H, AJ Lee's swan song, John Cena defending America, the Undertaker proving he can still go, and Rollins topping it all off with the biggest moment of the year. No other card came close to replicating that from top to bottom.
Plus, Michael Cole got an F5 the next day. I need to get around to sending Brock a fruit basket.
Will: Damnit, man, stop being so convincing. I'll take Mania as well. That RKO alone was worth the price of admission.
Ennui of the Year (Worst PPV)
Derek: It may not have been the absolute worst, but in terms of sheer disappointment, I'll say Survivor Series is the most deserving. The whole Brothers of Destruction storyline was botched, as well as the subsequent Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose match. We had to suffer through the absurd amount of confetti and the Sheamus cash-in. WWE had a good opportunity to do something wild in the wake of Rollins' ACL injury, and they didn't. I expected so much more from this show.
Will: I too am picking Survivor Series, though with the caveat that the next night's Raw was outstanding. Considered together, the two shows made for a nice back-to-back job. On its own, however, Survivor Series stank. There were no actual Survivor Series matches of consequence, and the final match ended early enough for Sheamus' cash-in to be a non-surprise. It was still fun. I guess. Whatever. Meh.
Wish(es) for 2016
Derek: I have several …
Finn Balor debuts after WrestleMania. And I hope he becomes Mr. Money in the Bank.
Sasha Banks turns on Team BAD. Sasha has a short feud with her former teammates, comes out on top, and finally gets to do her own thing. I will not mourn the end of Team BAD.
Asuka joins the main roster. I don't get to watch as much NXT as I would like, but what I've seen from her has been incredible. She's already one of my favorite workers in WWE, and she brings something new to the table. A Divas division including Paige, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Asuka, and eventually Bayley, would be a lot of fun if they're used somewhat correctly. They probably wouldn't be, but I can dream.
Rollins makes a full recovery. Sooner rather than later.
CM Punk and AJ Lee return. Because these are my wishes and you can't take them from me.
Will: Hmmm…
Brock Lesnar in the Royal Rumble. It would probably push everything else to the side, but screw it, I just want to see Bork wreck like 15 people in a row. I'd enjoy a Samoa Joe appearance as well, although I'm wary of anyone from NXT getting the call-up.
A worthwhile Wyatt Family feud. Pun not intended. Bray and the boys have gone from a fearsome foursome to, I don't know, just four weird dudes who talk a lot before losing? They have one of the most original gimmicks going, and they should be able to raise some legitimate hell. They don't need to be a new-era Ministry of Darkness or anything, but c'mon boys, fuck some people up.
[Insert Big-Name Face Here] turns heel. At this point I don't really care who it is, but I want a big name to break bad. Cena is a pipe dream, and Reigns might be too, but how about Dean Ambrose? Isn't he primed for one? Maybe Kevin Owens will knock some ill will into him.
Shane-o Mac returns. I miss Shane McMahon so much. Vince can't do it forever. Come on home, Shane-o. Bring the Mean Street Posse with you. It's time.
DON'T YOU DARE BE SOUR (on Christmas!): Wrasslin' Wednesday 12/23/15Posted: December 23, 2015 Filed under: Wrasslin' | Tags: Monday Night Raw, Wrasslin', WWE Leave a comment
Derek: We're coming to you live (two days later) from Minneapolis! If you missed our apology yesterday, sorry for the lack of wrasslin' coverage last week. It wasn't a great week to miss, seeing as Vince made an appearance and Roman Reigns won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on Raw, which was the first time such a title change has taken place since 2011.
But I guess we're not that sorry, because it's Christmas week and not too much happened on Raw except for Seth Rollins showing up on crutches to accept his Superstar of the Year Slammy.
So we're just going to wish you a Merry Christmas, and we hope you'll powerbomb someone you love through a table. We'll be back next week to pass out some yearly awards and discuss the State of the WWE. Merry Christmas!
Will: May you open something on Christmas morning that brings you as much joy as that chair brought John Cena. We've made it through another year of wrasslin', and the hope is that things will get better and better as we approach the Royal Rumble. The much ballyhooed WrestleMania 32 is just a few months away.
We'll be on the fast lane to Mania before you know it, Maggle!
Behold the League of Nations: Wrasslin' Thursday 12/3/15Posted: December 2, 2015 Filed under: Wrasslin' | Tags: Alberto Del Rio, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, King Barrett, League of Nations, Monday Night Raw, New Day, Roman Reigns, Rusev, Sheamus, The Dudley Boyz, The Wyatt Family, Tommy Dreamer, Wrasslin', WWE Leave a comment
Derek: We're coming to you live (three days later) from Pittsburgh! December is here, meaning we're now at the low point of the wrestling year. Yes, it's possible things can actually get worse than they have been. Even longtime company man Mick Foley was downright despondent talking about how he may give up watching wrestling on Steve Austin's podcast.
The good news is this week's episode of Raw … wasn't that bad. Granted, my expectations couldn't be much lower, and I still fell asleep watching and had to re-watch parts of it later, but there were some legitimately entertaining segments. Let's run through them in chronological order.
The New Day kicked off the show, and I'm now convinced they should kick off every show for the next month.
Now, I don't want to give WWE too much credit, but could there have been, dare I say, subtlety in this promo? The New Day entered the ring in a shower of confetti, which called back to Roman Reigns' much-mocked celebration at Survivor Series. Usually Michael Cole points out everything, no matter how obvious it is, but he didn't mention it. I imagined New Day asking Vince if they could have a bunch of confetti when they entered, to which Vince replied "Yes! More confetti, damn it!" while New Day snickered.
Will: We saw a whole lot of the New Day this week. As they briefly did with Seth Rollins, they have softly aligned themselves with Sheamus and his new friends, who we'll discuss more later. They thankfully are not explicitly Authority-approved. They're doing their same old thing, but on a bigger stage. I was worried that they might be overexposed or that being closer to the main event picture would necessarily sap some of their juice, but that didn't happen. Instead, they seem to have rejuvenated everyone they associate with; didn't the roster seem to be having more fun than usual Monday?
It started at the top of the show, when they celebrated Sheamus' championship win and mocked Roman Reigns' short-lived title — damnit, there's no other word here — reign.
Derek: Sheamus, with a new suit and a slicked back mohawk, came out to join the festivities. He got a Superman Punch (out of nowhere!!!!!!) for his trouble. That made Sheamus so gosh darn angry, that he didn't want to wait until TLC to fight Roman — instead opting to channel his inner Kane and have the match … right now. Well, later that night anyway. But there was a catch: to win the championship, Roman would have to beat Sheamus in less than five minutes and 15 seconds, which was how long Roman's championship reign at Survivor Series lasted.
Will: My first thought is that I could have done without that match. A common refrain is something to the tune of why give away your PPV main event on free TV, and I'm not a fan of beat-the-clock challenges. It didn't spoil too much, however, and it wound up serving a worthwhile purpose. The time limit and Authority-placed stipulations were silly enough to indicate that some shenanigans would be coming, and oh how they would come.
Derek: Next, Dolph Ziggler defeated Tyler Breeze, followed by Rusev and a returning Lana appearing on Miz TV. At last, the idiotic Rusev-Ziggler feud is over! But they had to get one last parting shot in, as Lana said she "never went all the way" with Ziggler (cheers to the Pittsburgh crowd for the "Yes you did!" chant), while Rusev also retained his purity in his brief Summer Rae courtship. Thank goodness.
Will: None of that segment qualified as "good" in my book. Woof.
Derek: The Dudley Boyz are entering a feud with the Wyatts, which should be an interesting clash. The Dudleyz, realizing that they wouldn't be able to beat all four Wyatts by themselves, decided to call in some help in the form of ECW legend Tommy Dreamer.
I was super excited for that, until I remembered this is the PG era and a predominantly hardcore wrestler won't be able to do anything hardcore. This was on full display as he brought a garbage can full of weapons to the ring and proceeded to not use any of them. I'm not excited for this Tommy Dreamer run.
Will: Nor I. With all of the kvetching about WWE's ability to develop and market fresh stars, I'm thrilled that they brought out a 44-year-old. I have to admit that I popped when he came out, just as the arena did. But…now what? He'll presumably be involved in whatever Dudleyz vs. Wyatts match happens at TLC, the pay-per-view for which he's best suited. But again, so what? Is there real beef between these two sides? Will their feud exist in three weeks? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to care about here besides, "Hey, Tommy Dreamer! Cool!"
Derek: Becky Lynch and Charlotte met backstage, and Becky convinced Charlotte to have a friendly match with her. Charlotte agreed, as long as Becky was cool with Papa Ric accompanying her to the ring. Becky said that was fine, which would prove to be her undoing. Charlotte faked an injury, which caused Becky to walk over to Ric with concern. Charlotte promptly shot up and rolled Becky into a small package for the win. I'm sure Daddy was proud of those sudden heel tactics. I approved of them, too.
It doesn't make a ton of sense with the way her character has been portrayed so far, since she's spent about as much time crying as she has wrestling. She hasn't given any indication that she would be so ruthless. Now Charlotte is going heel, but not as heel as Paige, while Becky is maybe considering joining heel Paige to get back at heel Charlotte. It's great! Reminds me of the Attitude Era. It's about time we have some intrigue in these characters. It may have been a small part of Raw, but it was also my favorite.
Will: Totally agree. The whole "it doesn't completely make sense" part puts a little kink in things, but it's undeniably the most interesting thing that has happened to these three since they named themselves after a porno flick. In just one night, we have a clearer idea of what distinguishes each of these women from each other. Charlotte is the purebred champion learning that it ain't easy to stay on top. Paige is the jaded veteran who is at peace with not having any friends in this business; she would do nicely on Survivor. Becky is all pure-hearted naivete. This could actually be something. In a related story, I don't think we heard the term "Divas Revolution" once. (Or maybe I've trained my ear enough to ignore it.)
Derek: While Roman Reigns prepared for his match with Sheamus, the Authority decided to go around and make mischief with all of Roman's buddies. If Roman didn't win his match in under five minutes and 15 seconds, then Dean Ambrose would lose his shot at Kevin Owens' Intercontinental Championship and the Usos would be cut out of the triple threat Tag Team Championship match at TLC. This led to the one acceptable outcome: Roman winning by disqualification in under five minutes and 15 seconds. That way, Sheamus retained the belt but Roman and Friends retained their title shots.
But the main story was how the match ended in disqualification. Sheamus' buddies — King Barrett, Rusev, and Alberto Del Rio — pulled Sheamus out of the ring and announced the formation of a new stable called the League of Nations. Thank goodness. Maybe the stable will become the bad guys instead of everything being run by the Authority. One of my complaints last week was that Sheamus was just getting shoehorned into Seth Rollins' role instead of being given his own. This is way, way better for everyone involved. Del Rio's directionless MexAmerica storyline is on the back burner. Barrett is doing something other than challenging soccer players half his size. Rusev's feud with Ziggler (I can't overstate how bad it was) is finally in the rearview mirror. I'm all-in on the League of Nations.
Will: As am I. The name is a little hokey — if only Woodrow Wilson knew what his creation would become — but it works just fine. Sheamus and Barrett already had a relationship, and Rusev fits in easily enough. Del Rio's inclusion is a bit stranger, but whatever. (Adios, MexAmerica?) The best part, as you said, is that they aren't just lackeys for the Authority. If only for one week, they existed on their own. Each player seems to have a clear role. Sheamus is the leader. Rusev is the enforcer. Barrett can do a bit of everything, including provide comedic fodder. I'm not sure how Del Rio fits in, but whatever. I buy these guys.
Derek: The Authority decided to make an eight-man tag match, with the League of Nations facing off against Roman, Ambrose, and the Usos. Just before the match, the New Day came out and revealed that they were joining the League of Nations for the evening, so it became a good ol' fashioned seven-on-four handicap match. The match ended with Sheamus giving Ambrose a Brogue Kick and pinning him in the middle of the ring. So the evening ended with a bunch of undeserving, cheating heels celebrating their victory in the middle of the ring.
A perfect ending for Pittsburgh.
Bray Wyatt and the Deathly Hallows: Wrasslin' Wednesday 11/4/15Posted: November 4, 2015 Filed under: Wrasslin' | Tags: Alberto Del Rio, Bray Wyatt, Charlotte, Jack Swagger, Monday Night Raw, Paige, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Tyler Breeze, Wrasslin', WWE Leave a comment
Derek: We're coming to you live (two days later) from Denver! Riding high (heh) after the Broncos' Sunday night win over the Packers, the people of Denver were awfully happy this evening. Everyone was happy about everything! I don't think I've ever seen a crowd so excited to see Roman Reigns.
Though I admire Denver's unexplainable (heh) happiness, I didn't totally share their enthusiasm. Sure, the episode wasn't a sleep aid like some of the episodes of Raw leading up to Hell in a Cell, but only some of the storylines advanced. Specifically, the Reigns-Rollins feud and the Divas Championship feud.
First, Triple H and Stephanie pit Reigns and Rollins against each other in a traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series match. Rollins recruited Kevin Owens and all three members of New Day. Only one of those four was recruited via sorcery.
Reigns recruited Dean Ambrose, Ryback, and the returning Usos. As far as I know, no sorcery was involved. But the Usos are indeed back, and it wasn't lost on me that they were opposing New Day. Perhaps they'll be the next group to challenge for the Tag Team Championship.
Anyway, the match ended with Ambrose, Reigns, and Rollins in the ring together. Presumably uninterested in receiving a beating, Rollins pulled out a chair and took a loss by disqualification. So there wasn't really a resolution and maybe I'm overselling the plot advancing, but it was at least an entertaining match. I can't remember the last time a match got nearly 30 minutes on Raw.
Will: The time allotted to various matches and wrestlers was an encouraging development. I was pleasantly surprised when New Day's music hit with a half hour left in the show. I wasn't in love with the 5-on-5 match — I could have done without Ryback, anyway — but it was nice to see a match loaded with talent get some time to breathe. I imagine I'll be changing my tune when someone (Reigns?) gets 45 minutes to cut an awful promo. Believe that.
The Lucha Dragons were another group that got an unusual amount of time and shine Monday. They were the subject of a brief video package — the sort that is more commonplace in NXT; Kevin Owens had a prerecorded promo as well — before their match against Sheamus and King Barrett. The Luchas put on a good show, elicited enthusiasm from the crowd, and beat the would-be ascendant tag team from the British Isles. The cynical side of me wonders if this was just a gambit aimed at winning over Hispanic-heavy Denver, but perhaps it signals a push for the Lucha Dragons. I'm intrigued, anyway.
And welcome back, Xavier Woods. Kofi and Big E held the fort admirably in his absence, but it is Woods who provides New Day's delightfully goofy foundation.
Derek: Before the evening's brodown, the Divas had a Fatal 4-Way match to see who would face Charlotte for the title at Survivor Series. Paige, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Brie Bella squared off, with Paige coming out on top as we predicted. I've enjoyed Paige as a heel, but I still feel like most of the Divas have nothing to do. Now that Paige has the title shot, how are the rest of them going to continue to matter? Are they going to continually be thrown in tag matches and tread water until someone else gets a title shot? Because that's been going on for a long time, and it hasn't been successful.
Here's something to consider: a Women's Tag Team Championship. If the belt is the only thing WWE can come up with for the women to fight over, then why not make some tag team belts? Paige and Charlotte can feud with each other, and all of the other Divas can fight over something else. I'd prefer that over every single Diva on the roster fighting for the Divas Championship to some degree.
Will: I don't know, on all counts. We're still hearing the phrase "Divas Revolution" entirely too much; I suppose I should stop worrying and love that bomb. I'm trying to map out potential angles for the rest of the women and having a tough time doing it. Becky Lynch has legitimate beef with Paige, but Paige is busy angling her way toward Charlotte. I suppose Becky could try to make Paige's life hell in the meantime, but that feels redundant. Sasha Banks is primed for a push one of these days — I have to think she'll get the next title shot once Paige and Charlotte run their course — but what to do with her now? I've been anti-Bella for the most part, but it would make some sense for Sasha to target Nikki and Brie as a means of making a name for herself in the big leagues. Where does that leave the rest of Team BAD? Who knows. A tag team title could go a long way.
(Also, Becky is going to have to explain her ring attire one of these days. The goggles are one thing. The copper-colored Tin Man pants are another.)
Derek: Hmmm, what else. Oh, the Wyatts have powers now! Bray Wyatt can make lightning strike and fire come out of the ring posts. He has decapitated Undertaker and Kane and absorbed their power. There can be only one!
This was the most disappointing storyline of the evening. It was unfortunately reminiscent of the buildup to WrestleMania, when Bray tried to carry the feud with Taker by himself. If they are indeed going to throw down at Survivor Series, I hope Kane and Taker actually show up. I have no interest in watching Bray come out to babble about nonsense every week and then they throw in a match on the final Raw before Survivor Series. Couldn't they talk and play mind games with each other like Sting did to Triple H? Come on, WWE — please, please, please advance the plot in this feud.
Will: I sort of liked this; someone has to conjure flames out of those turnbuckles. But I agree that Bray needs someone to work off of. He's as good on the mic as anyone these days, but I can only take so much one-man show. Whether it's Undertaker and Kane returning or Bray targeting someone else just for kicks until they do, we need to see some Wyatts in the ring. That old show, don't tell thing comes to mind.
One running subplot of the Wyatt Family fireworks show I enjoyed: Bray kept talking about how he had absorbed the souls of Kane and Taker. Commentator Byron Saxton said things to the effect of, "But did he really??" It was a wonderful bit of dissonance in a largely post-kayfabe era. Byron took no issue with the premise of one man stealing the souls of two others. He just wanted to know if he did it for real. Wrestling is the best.
Derek: As for the lower tier feuds, Jack Swagger returned to briefly confront Alberto Del Rio and his former manager, Zeb Colter. Seems like a placeholder feud for Del Rio, who will squash Swagger because he doesn't have anything better to do until Cena comes back. Swagger's a pro at this; he did the same for Rusev last year.
Will: Yes. Meh.
Derek: Finally, Dolph Ziggler and Tyler Breeze continued their feud of narcissism over a girl who looks like she has coconut Malibu breath 90% of the time. Breeze is probably going down the Adam Rose path, meaning he won't really do anything of note for a year until he feuds with a bunny and said bunny eventually turns into Frank from Donnie Darko.
Will Summer Rae be a serial killer at this time next year? Stay tuned!
Wrasslin' Wednesday 10/28/15Posted: October 29, 2015 Filed under: Wrasslin' | Tags: Hell in a Cell, Monday Night Raw, Wrasslin', WWE Leave a comment
Hey, folks! In case you missed it, Wrasslin' Wednesday has a new home this week. Check it out over at Waiting For Next Year.
Wrasslin' Wednesday 10/21/15Posted: October 21, 2015 Filed under: Wrasslin' | Tags: Hell in a Cell, Monday Night Raw, Wrasslin', WWE Leave a comment
Hey, folks! In case you missed it, Wrasslin' Wednesday has a new home this week. Check it out over at Waiting For Next Year.
The Last Straw: Wrasslin' Wednesday 10/14/15Posted: October 14, 2015 Filed under: Wrasslin' | Tags: Braun Strowman, Charlotte, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, John Cena, Kane, Lana, Monday Night Raw, Nikki Bella, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Rusev, Seth Rollins, Summer Rae, Wrasslin', WWE Leave a comment
Derek: We're coming to you live (two days later) from Chicago! Times are dark here on the wrasslin' corner of our website. As you may (or may not) have noticed, we didn't run Wrasslin' Wednesday last week. The unofficial reason for that was writer apathy. It was just so boring that I couldn't bring myself to say anything interesting about it, and I doubted anyone would want to read our attempts at manufacturing interest.
Well, wrasslin' hasn't really gotten better. A recap of Raw last week or this week (excluding the NXT PPV) would read very similarly to the one we wrote two weeks ago. So, that's a problem.
Will: I finished watching Raw moments ago. I wish I wanted to argue with you and explain why it hasn't been that bad lately. There are plenty of performers I like and a couple angles I'm interested in, but precious few things feel like they matter. One exception would be the impending Brock Lesnar-Undertaker bout, but even that has been neutered thanks to all the rehashing that's been done on-screen. Do we need multiple recap segments every episode of Raw? I'm growing weary of the coverage just like we have with FanDuel.
Derek: We're approaching Hell in a Cell, which is the first PPV we wrote about on this site last year. We've exhausted a good deal of our random novelty wrestling notes, so we need something to happen. If we were reviewing a TV show that was just repeating itself, we could make fun of it for a few weeks, but after a while we would either stop writing about it or the show would get canceled. Raw isn't getting canceled any time soon, so we may end up taking some occasional breaks between our pre- and post-PPV analysis on WFNY. I didn't get into the game of wrestling commentary so I could stare blankly at my computer screen for two hours once a week. Step up your game, WWE. No wonder your ratings suck.
Will: What, you mean the whole Rusev-Lana engagement angle didn't tickle your fancy? Kane and Triple H trying to have a phone call didn't do it for you? How about Cesaro teaming up with Neville against King Barrett and Sheamus? No?!
Derek: Before recapping Raw, I should say that if you still haven't watched the NXT PPV from last week, you need to get on that. Sasha Banks and Bayley were the main event, and I'd say they had a good chance to main event a WWE PPV if I wasn't so sure WWE would run them into the ground with an alarming quickness.
Will: (nodding)
Derek: Kane kicked off the show with a phone call from Triple H and Stephanie, who were running late. They decided to put their clearly insane Director of Operations in charge. What could possibly go wrong? (Laugh track.) Kane proceeded to book himself in a lumberjack match with Seth Rollins.
Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton followed with a telegraphed pissing match over who should be the follower and who should be the leader when the two face Luke Harper and Braun Strowman at Hell in a Cell. Dean called Randy "kiddo," which was pretty funny. Randy responded to this by discussing it rationally. What happened to you, Randy?
Will: Dean's hair is getting kind of long. That's exciting.
Derek: New Day interrupted to take a few heelish shots at the folks of Chicago. If there was one thing worth mentioning from Raw last week, it was the fact that New Day ended the show standing over the Dudley Boyz, Dolph Ziggler, and John Cena. That's a lot of star power for them to take down, especially when outnumbered.
Will: New Day is one of the few things that WWE has going for it right now, and the Federation — er, the Entertainment? — deserves some credit for that. New Day feel like actual people who actually respond to what's happening around them. They go out of their way to make their promos worth watching. They were the only ones to make use of their time ringside during the Rollins-Kane lumberjack match. Some of this is because they're heels, but would it be that hard for a face besides John Cena to show a little wit every once in a while?
Derek: After a few jokes at Chicago's suspense, Kane appeared on the Titantron to put Orton and Ambrose in a match with Kofi and Big E. That match was set to begin … right now. Kofi ended the match by pushing Orton into Ambrose, then rolling Orton up in a small package.
Will: It's the subtlety and nuance that I love most.
Derek: A match between Nikki Bella and Naomi followed, which featured a video package of the Bayley-Sasha match from NXT. WWE just wanted us to know good things could happen, but they won't. Thanks, guys! Brie Bella jumped on the announce table to mock the crowd's "We want Sasha!" chant, which ended with Sasha throwing her off said table. While this was going on, Nikki finished off Naomi with a Rack Attack.
Will: I kinda enjoyed the Brie-Sasha thing. The Chicago crowd was extra superduper smarky — were the "Husky Harris" chants at Bray really necessary, guys? — and acknowledging Sasha's insane overness was a smart move on Brie's part. The obvious path from here would be for Team BAD (my god, those team names won't die) to break up when Naomi and/or Tamina get jealous. Perhaps they'll do something more with it. A man can dream, can't he?
Derek: John Cena faced Dolph Ziggler in the US Open Challenge, which Cena of course won. I'm told that on the season finale of Total Divas, Ziggler revealed that he still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend (and Cena's current girlfriend) Nikki Bella. It's probably scripted nonsense, but maybe not. Those looking to read between the lines have some ammunition here. Ziggler could be Cena's next feud, and Cena went off the script by addressing a marriage proposal that took place in the crowd during his match.
Will: We love to rag on Cena, and rightly so. But is there anyone else in WWE who feels like a star? The whole CENAWINSLOL thing is tired, and perhaps that's the source of his power, but I'm at least interested when he comes on the screen. He can control the room and direct the conversation. Lord knows he's had enough practice.
Anywho, Cena-Ziggler was the match of the night. With Cena set to take a leave of absence, I hope the plan is to put the US Title on Ziggler — provided he turns heel first. His ring attire has taken a slight turn for the darker, and he raked Cena's eyes to escape an AA. I think Dolph's character has been stale for a lonnnng time, and this could be a way to shake things up a bit. (Big shout to Dolph's Kent State wrestling hoodie.)
Derek: In tag team action, the Dudley Boyz squashed the Ascension, followed by King Barrett and Sheamus defeating Neville and Cesaro. Lots of talented guys in that group, minus the Ascension guys. Naturally, they are given nothing interesting to do.
Will: There have been rumblings that Cesaro is getting buried, and his inclusion in this match sure supports that idea. Hey, remember when the Ascension were running with Stardust? Glad that storyline got wrapped up so nicely.
Derek: Roman Reigns came out for a promo, in which he addressed the crowd's "What?" chant and responded to their "Bo-ring" chant with "Chicago, this ain't boring baby, this is real life!" I … don't think it helped. Bray Wyatt and his cronies interrupted and threw Reigns a life preserver before Reigns' match with Strowman, which ended with a Reigns victory via count out. Strowman pitched a fit and accidentally disconnected Cole and JBL, leaving only Byron Saxton with a live mic. He didn't like that very much.
Ryback pinned Rusev after a Shellshock, and Summer Rae entered the ring to berate Rusev. Last week, Summer asked Rusev to marry her. This week, she acknowledged Rusev's real-life engagement to Lana and slapped him. Let's hope this storyline ends soon.
Will: Please, please, please let this story go the way of Lincoln Chafee's presidential campaign.
Derek: In a strange pairing, Kevin Owens defeated Kalisto. Then Charlotte and Becky Lynch faced off against Brie Bella and Alicia Fox. Surprisingly, Brie pinned Charlotte after a missile dropkick. Paige was present on commentary to make mischief, which consisted of shoving Natalya outside the ring. That's what counts as the plot advancing nowadays. Natalya wasn't even in the match!
Will: Remember when the Divas division had promise? Feels like a lifetime ago.
Derek: Kane revealed his proposed main event to Triple H, which Trips called off on the spot. So, Kane promised to find a suitable replacement. See, when Trips said Kane couldn't face Rollins, he was addressing Corporate Kane. He didn't say anything about Demon Kane. And with that, a silly subplot that I enjoyed crossed the line into utter nonsense. The Kane split personality story has been a divisive subplot, so the natural course of action was to make it even more silly and ridiculous. This is the main event, by the way. Dear goodness.
Demon Kane approached the ring, as Cole explained the story to those of us who still hadn't figured it out. Kane repeatedly threw Rollins out of the ring to be assaulted by the lumberjacks, followed by the lumberjacks fighting among themselves. After they all cleared out, Kane put Rollins away with a Tombstone. And thus, Raw ended, and we're exactly where we were two weeks ago.
Will: I did a lot of sighing and a lot of questioning myself during this week's episode. I don't have much more to add because it feels dumb to waste energy thinking and writing about it. I just don't know what there is to look forward to. We're set to get an appearance from Brock or the Undertaker next week. Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair will be there, too. So much young blood, so many fresh ideas, so little time. Good thing the show is three hours long.
Ugh, it's been so stupid lately. See you next week.