Thursday, March 31, 2011

WrestleMania: Leftovers, part 2

We all knew what The Big Show would be doing April 3 when Wade Barrett attacked him on that first Smackdown of January. But, did we know Kane would be thrown in the mix?

How about Santino and Kozlov?

Okay, why is Money in the Bank a separate PPV again?

The Nexus was quickly becoming a great heel stable. Then, it sort of branched out to creating The Corre. On Smackdown.

Which would have been great if Undertaker was healthy...

If you remember, Taker has a reason to not be happy with the former members of The Nexus since it was they who attacked him causing him to be buried alive in his match with Kane over the summer.

So, why isn't Taker's streak up against The Corre? It would make more sense than Triple H right now, and allow next year's possible 20-0 to be against the bigger name Triple H.

It may be because Taker had just started physical therapy in January and it was uncertain what his WrestleMania status would be. Plus, if you are injured, you don't want to be wrestling against someone fresh out of the gate-- you want someone who's experienced and is smart in the ring, and nobody fits those qualifications more than Triple H.

So, The Corre is in a back-up match with good supporting guys. Who wins?

Doesn't The Corre have to win to solidify their status? Plus, we already saw Kane join Big Show, Kozlov and Tamina in Santino's celebration dance on Raw this week.

I mean, if The Corre wants to be big and bad enough to be Taker's 20th victim, they have to win Sunday night.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

WrestleMania: Leftovers, part one

What do you do if you have Randy Orton, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Kane and The Big Show all healthy, not holding a belt, not in contention for belt and you've already axed the Money on the Bank?

Well, you give Orton a feud with CM Punk over something that happened, oh, two years ago. Then, you get Mysterio to accidentally injure the pretty boy. Kane and Big Show? We'll talk about the big guys tomorrow...

Orton punted Punk as he was being interviewed at Unforgiven in 2008. Punk was defending his title, but because of the injury to his head, had to drop out of the match, and, as a result, lose the title. So, since he has nothing better to do at WrestleMania this year, Punk took over The Nexus to get his revenge on Orton.

One by one Orton has taken out Punk's accessories so it will be a fair match. So, what's going to happen Sunday night?

Eh, Punk could simply because Orton has had the upper hand in eliminating The Nexus. That would make The Nexus stronger, and perhaps that's why we don't have a Nexus v. The Corre match this year (once again, lack of confidence in the future?).

When Cody Rhodes starting calling himself "Dashing," we knew it wouldn't be long until somebody did something to damage his face. Enter Mysterio and his 619...

The 619 broke Rhodes nose, keeping him out of the Royal Rumble, and keeping him out of contention for World Heavyweight Champion. So, what's the next best way to get that WrestleMania paycheck? Get Daddy's help and seek revenge.

Now, I'm pretty sure Dusty won't interfere with the actual match, but I won't be surprised if he's backstage and put on camera prepping his son. However, I don't think it's going help.

What may help is interference of another kind: Sin Cara. There has been a lot of observer talk about the similarities between the two masked wrestlers since WWE acquired Sin Cara, and even questions over whether he is replacing Mysterio.

It's very likely Sin Cara will not make his debut until after WrestleMania, but that's what we're expecting. If he will be put in an angle with Mysterio, I think it would be interesting to see it start Sunday night either during the match or immediately following the match.

And who knows? Maybe all that observation is wrong, and the two won't be rivals, but best buddies who eventually end up facing Kane and Big Show in a double David and Goliath match...

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

WrestleMania: Reunion Special

Ten years ago, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were headlining WrestleMania X-7. The match leading into theirs was a never-before-seen-in-a-PPV match of The Undertaker taking on Triple H.

Wait, so does that mean this year's WrestleMania is a reunion of sorts? Does that also mean Triple H will see the same fate?

Well, some things are different. Ten years ago, it was Taker who challenged Triple H after he complained that he should be in the main event since he had beaten everyone on the roster. Taker reminded him that wasn't true, and eventually we had our second biggest match for the PPV.

This year, Triple H is challenging Taker's record-- one, in fact, buddy Shawn Michaels attempted breaking twice...

That WrestleMania was the one Triple H got Motorhead to perform his entrance theme live. Triple H went through the Spanish announce table. While the ref was unconscious, a sledgehammer, steel chair and even the scaffolding got involved.

This year, the two are in a No Holds Barred Match. So, a lot can happen. We may even see Taker's Hell's Gate hold...

So, will it end with Johnny Cash playing? Yes. Really, do you think a win for Triple H is more important than keeping Taker's record intact? Plus, Triple H is a McMahon, and McMahons rarely win at WrestleMania...

Monday, March 28, 2011

WrestleMania: Special Matches

Like I mentioned yesterday, there are some special guests for WrestleMania, and they are getting in the ring.

First, Stone Cold Steve Austin will be the special guest referee for Jerry Bawler's WrestleMania debut against Michael Cole.

Now, I think we all know that no matter who wins, somebody is getting stunned. We know Jack Swagger, who will be in Cole's corner, will do his best to interfere. However, the rest is all questions.

What happens to the announce team after this match? Why do we have announcers in a match?

Well, I believe one answer is one of the biggest heels in the company is Cole. I mean, the only person hated more by the fans is Vickie Guerrero. You don't repay your biggest heels by keeping them in the background at WrestleMania.

Which brings me to the other special match of the night. Vickie will be escorting Dolph Ziggler and Laycool to the ring when they take on Snooki, Trish Stratus and John Morrison in a mixed tag match.

Snooki says she wants to have a career as a WWE Diva when her Jersey Shore commitment is complete, and this will be her chance to show us what she's got.

Oh, and we get some Stratusfaction.

I think with the combination of Trish and Morrison in the match, we'll be blown away. Really, because of the two of them and their talent in the ring, I'm betting this will be a match we'll remember when we think back to this WrestleMania.

So, who will win?

In Lawler vs. Cole, I predict the King will win simply because he's been beaten down enough over the past two months and this appears to be the finale in their story.

In the mixed tag, I'm actually taking the heels. I think this is the beginning of their story and they'll continue to use Trish to build the hype for Tough Enough. Yes, the good guys will overpower in the ring, but the bad guys being bad guys will somehow use Vickie to interfere and get the win.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

WrestleMania confusion

WrestleMania 27 looks pretty awesome if you just look at the special names involved: The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Trish Stratus and Snooki.

Unfortunately, the biggest match being hyped, well, isn't on the card.

Every week since The Rock was announced as guest host of WrestleMania, you'd think the main event was Rock vs. John Cena. The promos have been entertaining, and it gives the Cena haters someone who is not a heel to cheer.

But, The Miz is champion. And, although it appears he needs to be carried in the ring, promos are what he's good at.

So, I'm confused. Why is The Rock filling in for someone who is actually good at what they do for this stage in game?

Recently, The Miz made clear he didn't want to be ignored. Unfortunately, I think the WWE missed out on an opportunity to prevent The Miz from being ignored.

The Rock said he would like to get in the ring again. So, why aren't they going with the match they're promoting? Why is The Rock simply a guest host instead of giving us what we want to see now. Is The Rock under contract with somebody else through WrestleMania preventing him from activity which could injure him?

That's the only thing I can think of.

If I were Vince McMahon, my main event title match would be my champion, The Miz, vs. John Morrison and the non-title match leading in would be Rock vs. Cena.

Yes, on paper Rock vs. Cena is a bigger match because they are who the fans are paying to see, but Morrison will make them stay to see the end with outstanding moves. I believe I've said before he is the new Shawn Michaels, and no matter what comes before him, he is ready to steal the show.

And, as a result, next year, it will be The Miz and Morrison we are paying to see. (but, you know, against other guys, not each other again) WrestleMania is where your star rises.

If you saw Morrison face The Miz back in January, you know how great a rematch of these two future stars of the company (and, yeah, I know Miz is champ and, therefore a star, but Sheamus was also champ once, and with the way he's being treated, the future ain't here yet) could have been at WrestleMania.

I was sick to stomach watching Morrison last week on Raw wondering why his talent was being wasted on a match involving Snooki as one of his teammates. (Yes, he gets to spend time with Trish, which is a plus for him, I'm sure, but I think spending time as WWE Champion would be sweeter...)

Did Morrison piss off the wrong person? What does he have to do to prove himself other than what he's already done? What does The Miz have do to prove he doesn't need The Rock or Cena to sell his match? Why does he even have the belt if the confidence isn't there to back him up?

In closing, WWE, yes, we love the stars we grew up with, but if you don't give us a chance to love the future, you might as well have Hulk Hogan in the ring every week.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Monday Night DVR

We all know Raw is on Monday night, but apparently two shows featuring WWE stars may not be aware their guests' audiences will have their eyes on USA...

First, former WWE Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho will perform his debut dance on Dancing with the Stars on ABC sometime in their 2-hour premiere starting at 8 pm. If I understand correctly, the contestants are each doing two dances on the premiere, so we may get to see Jericho's first dance before Raw starts at 9 pm, and will just have to tape the second hour to see his second.

Which brings us to our next competitor to Raw-- Jersey's own Cake Boss on TLC at 9 pm. Who could be getting an extreme cake? Why, Santino Marella, of course. Fortunately, TLC re-airs all their shows later the same night for the West Coast, so you can tape the midnight episode of Cake Boss so it doesn't interfere with Raw/Dancing with Jericho.

With WrestleMania 27 getting closer, expect the guest appearances to get crazier and more conflicting. If you find an upcoming appearance, make sure I know about it by e-mailing me at redmask.trenton@gmail.com.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Twist of Fate?

Thanks to the NC State Bureau of Investigation, Jeff Hardy will continue to wait to plead guilty to drug charges from the Sept. 2009 bust on his home.

Hardy was scheduled to appear in Moore County, NC, court today, and pled guilty, according to the Fayetteville Observer. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) the SBI didn't have the lab results available yet.

To read the full story, see the link at the bottom of this post.

In related news, TNA is offering free TNA On Demand to fans disappointed in Sunday's PPV. The main event was less than 90 seconds thanks to Hardy's state.

FayObserver.com - Jeff Hardy's drug case expected to be continued again in Moore County

Monday, March 14, 2011

Jeff Hardy strikes again

There's plenty going wrong in the wrestling business lately, but the latest black eye comes from a familiar source.

There was plenty of speculation about Sunday night's big scandal at TNA Victory Road, where Sting beat Jeff Hardy in 88 seconds.

Huh?

That's pretty amazing for a 52-year-old guy, even for The Icon. The rumor around the internet world is that Hardy was in "no condition to wrestle." From his checkered past of drug arrests and suspensions, you can make your own conclusions there.

The question is, when does Hardy run out of chances? When does he become Scott Hall and just get ostracized from TV wrestling for good? (I should never say for good, since Hall always seems to re-emerge, too, but maybe for good.)

Sting was allegedly seen agreeing with the fans that the match was "bulls**t."

In any case, the folks who bought that pay-per-view or a ticket to the show got stiffed out of their money.

Hardy, meanwhile, has a court date coming up. No telling what his future is, but TNA takes a big hit here and is relying on a declining Sting's residual pop from NOT going to WWE to keep them afloat.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Copycats

TNA, for once, is not the one copying! TNA has had J-Woww and Angelina for MTV's The Jersey Shore to interact with Cookie and Robbie E. Next Monday Jersey will be hitting WWE's Raw in the form of Snooki...

Yes, the best-selling author riding a rocket on the cover of Rolling Stone. The New York chick best known for partying on the Jersey Shore. Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi.

Will she be calling out TNA's Cookie? Will she have a drink before going on camera like Angelina claimed she did for Impact last week? Don't know, but I do know she will be guest hosting, which means she could have control over matches.

Will Snooki really help Raw? One thing she will do is distract from the already reduced wrestling aspect of show, which keeps more guys fresh for WrestleMania. It also rubs it TNA's face that they can get arguably the biggest star from MTV's hit show. But, then again, WWE isn't really concerned about TNA, anyway...

One thing I can't wait to see is her interacting with John Cena-- he basically Twitter-begged her to follow him, and she eventually did. She even said last week maybe that she'd be seeing him soon...

Friday, March 4, 2011

The Great Date Hype

So, not only did Sting come back last night (or last week, since it was taped a week ago), but he did so in a jacket that would rival any of Ric Flair's robes. Oh yeah, and he won the TNA World Heavyweight  Championship Title.

Not only did TNA "steal" WWE's promo, but, in my opinion, they also stole the show.

Even though WWE's 2-21-11 promo revealed The Undertaker was the one coming, the figure outside (and certain media reports) made many Sting fans want to believe he would be coming, too.

But then, there were also reports Triple H was making his comeback soon and, in fact, his WrestleMania opponent would be Taker. As we now know, this became fact.

But, the stare down wasn't exactly what we wanted to see from these two. Yes, Taker can be quite menacing with just a look, but you can't A) have Triple H come out after him like he was The Miz, and then B) not say a word.

I think it would have been better if Triple H had entered the ring first, cut one of his promos, and then get interrupted by Taker, and then do the stare down.

Fast-forward to 3-3-11...

Sting's return, on the other hand, was the icing on the cake for a jam-packed (return of Hulk Hogan, debuts of Bart Scott and Angelina, and the wedding of Karen Angle Jarrett and Jeff Jarrett) TNA show in which he was Jeff Hardy's mystery opponent in a title match. After three scorpion death drops (one off the ropes), Sting wins the title.

Did I mention this jam-packed TNA show was the same week WWE promised both The Rock and Shawn Michaels, but neglected to mention both would be appearing via satellite?

So, even though Sting didn't come out to the pop he deserved since he was wrestling a half hour away from Hardy's hometown, I'd say TNA is winning.

For the time being, at least.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Dancing with Jericho

On Monday night, it was announced the rumors were true and Chris Jericho, former WWE Superstar (although, if you read or listen to reporters who obviously don't watch wrestling, not only is he a current wrestler, but the champion) will be one of the stars on Season 12 of Dancing with the Stars.

The show premieres Monday, March 21.

Yup, Monday, the one night of the week most of Jericho's fans will most definitely be watching something else... you know, Monday Night Raw.

You know, probably the reason Stacey Keibler, who is probably just as talented as Season 11 Winner Jennifer Grey, only won 3rd place in the competition.

The curse of Jericho?

Well, I'd only say the curse has struck again if he ends up getting eliminated first, like his last reality show stint, Celebrity Duets. With the likes of Kirstie Alley, Mike Catherwood and Romeo also in the competition, I would hope he dances well enough to make it to Week 4.

He also has the beautiful Cheryl Burke as his pro. She has won the competition twice, partnered with singer Drew Lachey in Season 2 and with NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith in Season 3.

However, win the disco ball trophy? I think that's one championship the once Undisputed Champion of the WWE won't get his hands on, no matter how well he dances.

My proof is Stacey. According to score rankings on Wikipedia, she is one of the top dancers on the show overall, even getting perfect scores twice. She didn't take home the trophy though because her primary fan base was watching wrestling, not dancing, and as a result, she didn't get the fan votes she needed to win. It's just as much of a popularity contest as a dancing contest.

So, even though I really don't want to watch Dancing with the Stars, I will to keep you updated. I wish Jericho luck, because he'll need it, you know, after Week 3...

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