ALWAYZ happens: Wrestling’s predictable patterns

A recurring theme in Matt Cardona matches: dude always loses shortly after starting his comeback. | (Photo: Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images) In today’s Main Event recap, I talked about a recurring pattern in Matt Cardona’s matches: within 90 seconds of hitting the Broski Boot, the former Zack Ryder ends up staring at the lights. That got me thinking: are there other similar constants in wrestlers’ matches? One I think most of us have noticed is that Seth Rollins has seemingly never hit a Phoenix Splash in WWE. This, despite attempting one in nearly every match he’s had. Instead, he lands on his feet, rolls through, and the match continues. In Rollins’ case, it’s not a sign of imminent defeat or even a hint that victory is right around the corner. But for Cardona, it’s especially noticeable because it’s the Bizarro version of Hulk Hogan’s signature ending. Unlike Hogan, who hit his big boot and immediately hit his finisher for the win, Cardona lands his boot, only to lose shortly after.