SlamZilla

For the 4th match in the 80′s PG Stars vs their current counterparts, we come to the battle between The Snake, and The Viper.  Or as they are better known, Jake Roberts and Randy Orton.

Jake “the snake” Roberts.     When you think about the biggest, and most memorable names of the 80′s era of the WWF, one of the first names to spring to mind is that of Jake Roberts.  Known for his intense interviews, and being a master of ring psychology, Roberts quickly rose to fame as a top Heel in the WWF.  Part of what made Roberts so feared in the ring, was his use his snake Damien, to intimidate his opponent.  And of course his finisher, that he is still credited for inventing;  the DDT.  Jake did turns as both a Face, and a Heel through his tenure in the WWF, but in my mind he was always more effective as the bad guy.  Whether it was knocking out the Hall Of Famer, Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat, with a DDT on the concrete floor.  Or having a Cobra (devenomized) gnaw on the arm of Randy Savage,   Jake Roberts knew how to break down his victims both mentally, and physically.  Though he never won a Title during his time in the WWF, he was still one of the best, and most memorable figures ever.

Randy Orton.     This third generation wrestler had gone through a few changes over only a few years in WWE.  Starting early in his career back in 2002, he was a fan favourite, but quickly that changed after taking time off for an injury.   Upon his return, he joined the group Evolution, with Ric Flair, Batista, and Triple H.  It was soon after this that he acquired his moniker of “The Legend Killer”  He would use this name for some time, while attacking veterans, and Hall Of Famers.  But eventually Evolution broke up, and the former “Legend Killer” would be on his own.  He did form an alliance with Edge, in the form of the team knows as, Rated-RKO, and his own stable with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr, called Legacy.  But by by then, he had already become known as a loner, and an individual that could not be trusted by his peers.  Orton was somebody that could, and would, strike down anybody that crossed his path.  He had become, “The Viper”

     These days Randy Orton is one of the most popular men in WWE, despite the fact that he is still the same unstable loner that he has been for some time now.  And while he will never have the skills that Jake Roberts had on the Mic, he has racked up 6 World Heavyweight Championships, a Tag Team Championship, and an Intercontinental Championship.  And from the looks of it, he still has a long career ahead of him.

     So in the battle of “The Snake” and “The Viper”  I have to give the nod to Randy Orton.  This one was very close though.

Winner…..Randy Orton.

By Bruce Shearon.

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Dave Batista, a former multiple time World Champion in WWE.  Batista had done it all in professional wrestling, and now after 8 years he has stepped away from the ring and is making waves by announcing that he is taking on mixed martial arts.  From the sounds of it, he will be, or has already signed a deal with Strikeforce, and has gone into training with the Gracie camp.  But this isn’t the WWE, so how well will this animal do when put into a real cage?

     The obvious thing to do is draw a comparison to the two names that have paved the way for Batista.  Those names would be Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar.  Both have had success in MMA.  Lashley is 4-0 in Strikeforce, and is coming along at a slower pace, but is still a good draw with lots of potential.  And of course everybody knows about Brock Lesnars rise to prominence in the UFC.  After a bumpy start, Lesnar dominated and is the current Heavyweight Champion.  The thing that both of these men have in common though, is a very solid background in Amateur Wrestling.  Lesnar is a former 2 time NCAA All American, 2 time Big Ten Conference Champion,  and the 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Champion with a record of 106-5 in four years of college.  Lashley has also done well for himself in the amateur ranks, having won 3 national amateur wrestling championships between 1996 and 1998, and placing 4th in 1995.  He was also the NAIA National Wrestling Champion in 1997 and 1998.  He also continued to wrestle after joining the Army.

     So what exactly does Batista have in common with these two men?   They all competed in the WWE.  yes, that’s about it.  Dave Batista’s background is that of a former bodybuilder and sometimes bouncer.  Now this isn’t to say that having a great background in amateur style wrestling is a guarantee for success.  Many people with similar credentials to Lesnar and Lashley have failed.  But It certainly helps.  With zero training in any form of fighting, it will be a very tough road for Batista.  Yes he has some of the best people around helping him train, but that also calls something into question, and that would be The Animals work ethic.  To be Champions on the level that both Lesnar and Lashley have been in the past required, and still requires lots and lots of devotion, and stamina.  These are things that don’t seem to be a part of Batista’s vocabulary.  Not to mention the fact that he has been injury prone in the past, and is not getting any younger ( age 41 and counting) 

     But what does all this add up to?   Can Batista still make it in the World of Mixed Martial Arts?  I suppose it is possilbe.  He is targeting early 2011 for his debut, which still gives  him time to learn a few things.  But he is going to be getting into the cage with people who have devoted their careers to fighting.  This is what they do, and its the only thing they focus on.  So my guess would be that he will be fed some sub par competition so that he doesn’t get killed in his very first bout, but he is not going to go very far.   This is one Animal, that will eventually get tamed.

For another view on this subject, follow the link below.

http://www.hittheropes.com/index.php/component/content/article/37-htrmmacom/229-wwes-batista-in-strikeforce-why-it-works-why-it-doesnt

By Bruce Shearon

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Brock Lesnar.

     He is the King of the MMA World, after defeating Shane Carwin at UFC 116.  Lesnar is now the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, and he did this in his comeback fight, after recovering from a life threatening illness.  Sounds like the kind of storyline you would expect to see when watching Pro Wrestling, or a Hollywood Movie.  But this was real life, and the fact of the matter is, this incredible event has been very good to all Wrestlers in general, but especially in the WWE, where Brock first became famous. 

     For years Pro Wrestlers have been seen as nothing more than musclemen, throwing each other around in tights.  I’m sure they got a bit of credit  for being athletes, due to their size, and work regimen, but they never got the respect they deserved as legitimate tough guys.  Naturally the people in, and around the business could point out several men over the years that you would not want to mess with, but there was no platform for those people to show off what they could really do.

     Now we have the UFC, and a few other promotions, where the best fighters, and tough guys of the World can battle it out.   Brock Lesnar has paved the way, and following behind him has been Bobby Lashley, and if the rumours are true, Batista might even give it a shot.   But right now, Lesnar is showing the same kind of dominance he used to have back in his Pro Wrestling days.  And the WWE is quick to cash in on that success.  Right now they are offering The Best Of Brock Lesnar matches for $ 1.99 each.   Sounds a little tacky, but you can’t blame them for trying to make a little extra money from somebody they helped to make famous in the first place.

     But what about some of the tough guys of the past?  The ones  I mentioned earlier, that might have been able to compete in a UFC setting, had there been one at the time.  Let me name off a few guys that earned a reputation in the locker room for being the sort of tough guy, that even the other Wrestlers wouldn’t mess with.

From the very old school, there is Lou Thesz.  One of the best Champions ever, and considered a very legit, hooker/grappler.

Hiro Matsuta.   You have to give it up to a guy who broke Hulk Hogans leg when he was trying to get into Pro Wrestling.

Billy Robinson.   a hooker, and catch Wrestler who came out of Englands “Snake Pit”  a famous story tells of a bar fight he had with Chief Peter Maivia (The Rocks Grandfather)  which took out a window, and ended when Maivia gouged out Robinsons eye.

More recently, there has been…..Rick Rude.   Known as the toughest bouncer in Minneapolis, he boasted an open hand slap that knocked the lights out for more than a few of his peers.  Names such as Paul Orndorff,  Big Van Vader,  Tony Atlas, and even The Ultimate Warrior fell victim to it.  Even Kevin Nash backed down from a fight with Rude.

Dave Finlay.   The fighting Irishman isn’t just a character he plays in the WWE, it is pretty much who he really is.  Recognized as a legitimate tough guy, who is also an old school Wrestler, with a black belt in Judo, the common feeling backstage is that he is the Worlds Toughest Wresteler.

Meng.  You can call him Haku, or Meng, or even King Tonga.  Just don’t call him something that might piss him off.   Over the years it has been said that Meng is without a doubt, the toughest, and scariest man in Wrestling.  He is often the first name mentioned by other Wrestlers when asked who they consider the toughest of all time, and some of his out of the ring antics have cemented that legacy.  He is well known for biting off peoples noses, knocking men out with one slap or headbutt, and in one instance, pulling another Wrestlers eye out. (Jesse Barr)  One famous bar story, tells of Meng destroying five men who were foolish enough to make fun of him.

Of course if you want to read more about these tough men of Pro Wrestling, just follow the links bellow.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/415986-ufc-116-brock-lesnar-is-giving-wwe-legitimacy

http://www.mmafighting.net/forum/showthread.php?t=24762

http://www.thestrengthcenter.com/pygod_display.php?article_id=5

enjoy.

By Bruce Shearon

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Dave Batista.  Recently on RAW,  The Animal decided to call it quits.  Of course we know that this is part of the storyline for the big man to take some time off.  But now that he is gone, its starting to look like this time off, could be permanent.

     Recently at the Stikeforce, MMA show, The Animal made it clear that he left the WWE because he was unhappy with the direction of the company.  And when asked by Dave Meltzer if he would do something like Chris Jericho and return in a year or two, he said he did not want to be compared to Jericho, and had no plans on returning.  He did however say that he did not rule out a return one day.  He also joked that he was in L.A. looking for work, and that he was open to offers.

     Now, this might come as a surprise to some, but the fact of the matter is that Batista hasn’t been happy in WWE for a while now.  In my opinion, he had a great run in the company, especially considering his age.  Batista was the perfect fit for what Vince McMahon likes in his Wrestlers.  He was huge, and jacked up beyond belief, had some Mic skills, and could barely wrestle.  But he looked good, so that’s all that really matters.  Either way, The Animal did very well for himself, and I think its actually a good idea for him to move on while he still has a chance to do some other things outside of the ring.  The idea that he might follow people like Brock Lesnar, and Bobby Lashley into the MMA world is a bit of a stretch, but the acting thing might work out for him.  He’s pretty good at crying on camera. 

     Of course in the Wrestling business, nobody is ever gone for good.  And I am sure at some point, Batista will get bored with whatever he is doing, and will feel the urge to come back to the WWE.  I would say that he could try TNA, but they are way out of his price range.  For now though, I am glad to see Batista gone.  It just opens up some room for the younger talent to move up into that main event status.

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From Detroit Michigan, in my own back yard, we have another of the WWE’s new Pay Per Views, Over The Limit.

     The first match of the night saw a contrast of styles as the exciting Kofi Kingston faced the boring Drew McIntyre for the Intercontinental Championship.   In all fairness this was a decent enough match, with Kofi adding his usual high flying thrills to what would otherwise be another McIntyre snorefest.  In the end Kofi defeats Drew with his S.O.S. and we have a new Intercontinental Champion.  Of course after the match Drew whined that he wanted Teddy Long to reverse the decision, until Matt Hardy showed up and laid him out with a twist of fate.

     Next up was Ted Dibiase vs R-Truth.   Much like the fist match, we have Dibiase who may have the looks, and perhaps a bit of skill, but definitely none of the charisma of his father.  And R-Truth who is at the very least, entertaining.  From what I understand, Dibiase suffered some sort of injury during the match.  Some are saying a concussion.  Which would at least explain why he seemed to be woozy through half the match.  Thankfully this one was short, with R-Truth getting the win.

     C.M Punk vs Rey Mysterio.   Now we finally get to something good.  These two have had very good matches in the past, and this one was no different.  They also seem to come up with new moves and combinations that make each match a little different than the last.  The only low point in the match was a brief pause in the action when Punk accidentally got busted open and was being tended too. (please WWE, stop doing this during pay per views)  But aside from that, this was certainly one of  the highlights of the night with Mysterio getting the win, and Punk getting his head shaved.

     The Hart Dynasty vs Chris Jericho and The Miz.   There really isn’t a whole lot to say about this one.  It was a solid match for both teams, but you just know that Jericho and Miz were thrown together to give the Harts somebody to face.  Overall though, it was a good match, with The Hart Dynasty retaining the Tag Titles.

     Edge vs Randy Orton.    Good Grief, where do I start?  We keep coming back to this theme of good wrestler vs boring wrestler.  I like Edge, and this recent heel turn was a good idea, since I find he gets over more as a bad guy.  But then he is forced to have matches with a stiff like Orton.  I still can’t understand his popularity right now, but it is what it is.  Anyway, this one was about as good as you can get considering Randys frequent rest holds and such.  But its the ending that really had me laughing.  Ortons ritual of beating his fists on the mat just before he sets up an RKO actually ended up aggravating an injury that he got earlier in the match to the point where he couldn’t continue.  So, they ended up spilling out of the ring where Edge misses a spear and hits the retaining wall so they could both be counted out.  Wow!

     Big Show vs Jack Swagger.   In a match that could make or break the early career of Jack Swagger as a World Champion, this one would have to be considered a failure.  Big Show is one of those guys that is hard to have a match with because of his size, so its always interesting to see how his opponent handles this.  A really good Wrestler can pull off a decent match with anybody, even Big Show.  And for the fist part of this match, it looked like Swagger was doing just that.  He held his own, and was looking good even when he was taking a beating.  But then the thing that ruins a match.  Swagger takes the Championship Belt and blasts the Big Show with it, and gets DQ’ed.  Seriously, this was done on a Pay Per View?  So we have a quick ending to what was starting to look like an okay match. 

     Maryse vs Eve Torres.   I honestly could care less about the Barbie Belt, but I really like Eve.  She has the potential to be the next great Diva in the WWE.  And with Micky James gone, they need her more than ever to step up.  Which tonight she did.  Maryse is always fun to watch, but tonight even her awesome hair flipping couldn’t get it done.  Winner, Eve.

     Batista vs John Cena.     This one was being billed as Batista’s last match against Cena for the Championship.   Knowing that Batista was planning to take some time off pretty much told you in advance who was going to win this one, but finally tonight there was a match that was Pay Per View worthy.  I quit matches are fun because you can get away with anything, and brawl all over the arena, which these two did.  One highlight was Batista passing out to the STF, only to have Cena revive him with some bottled water.  Others included some brawling up in the crowd, and near the end, up on the stage where Batista tried to back a car into Cena.  (he can’t say I quit if you crush him with a car)  But the end saw Cena taking Batista up onto the hood of said car, and just as he set him up for an Attitude Adjustment, Batista quit.  But, Cena did it anyway and threw Batista off the hood of the car onto the stage….right through the stage. 

     In all, this was not a very good effort for the WWE.  But that ending was worth seeing.

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The biggest event of the year has come and gone.  Did it live up to the hype?  I would have to say so.  Sure, not every match  was the greatest, but the ones that  mattered really did deliver.  And this year in a stroke of genius, they put the Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels match….Last. 

R-Truth & John Morrison vs MizShow.

     Quite frankly I really didn’t think this match was Wrestlemania worthy, and after watching it I stand by that thought.  It really wasn’t a bad match.  Its just that there was no real expectation for it.  Thankfully It was short, with Big Show scoring a knockout punch to Morrison.

Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes vs Ted Dibiase

    After all the build up for this one, and the multiple run in’s and beatdowns, I could not wait for this feud to be over with.  But would it be Randys revenge, or would one of the Legacy boys get the big win?  This one started off exactly like you would figure, with Legacy simply beating down Orton.  And right out of the playbook, they eventually come to blows when they stop each other from pinning Orton.  Then, what comes as a surprise to nobody, Orton comes back.  With a boot to the head of Rhodes, and and RKO for Dibiase, The Viper gets his revenge.  Despite being totally by the numbers, this was actually a pretty good match.

Money In The Bank Ladder Match.

     What can I really say about this?  MITB has always been a highlight of Wrestlemania sinces its debut.  This one featured ten men, and a whole lot of carnage.  I am still amazed at how they find new and interesting ways to use those ladders.  There were lots of insane moments in this one, but the big shock to me was who actually won.  Jack Swagger !  This guy has done a whole lot of nothing for the better part of the last year.  Perhaps this will be the first year that a MITB winner, fails to win a World Championship.

Triple H vs Sheamus.

     I have to say that despite not being a very big fan of HHH, this match was really good.  And it proved that Sheamus is definitely on his way to that main event status, and he deserves to be there.  Lots of give and take.  But in the end, Triple H gets the win.  I would like to see more of this feud though.

C.M. Punk vs Rey Mysterio.

     I was a tad let down by this match.  Usually Reys matches are more exciting.  I just don’t think they had enough time to really do everything they wanted to in this one.  And with virtually no build up, this could have just been the main event on Smackdown on any given week.  But that isn’t to say this match was bad.  It really was good.  Just not as good as it could have been.  And of course Rey gets the win.

Vince McMahon vs Bret Hart.

This really wasn’t so much a match, as it was a beating.  As you would have guessed, Vince thought he had pulled a fast one on Bret by buying off his entire family to be on his side, and surround the ring.  Even having his brother Bruce as the referee.  But I guess the tables were turned when Vince was informed that Bret knew about his plan, and the family simply took the payoff, but weren’t going to do help Vince at all.  Poor Vince, got screwed.  Then he got what I can only describe as one of the worst beatings I have ever seen McMahon take in the ring.  after getting pounded by Bret, his family, and taking multiple chair shots (wow there were a lot of them)  He finally tapped out to the Sharpshooter.

Edge vs Chris Jericho

     I had a feeling that this would be one of the better matches of the night, and it certainly was.  These two are masters at telling a story in the ring.  very well paced, with a few twists thrown in for good measure.  But in what I thought was a bit of a shock, Jericho hits a surprise Code Breaker, and gets the clean victory to retain his Title.  I am sure this feud will go on for a while.

The Divas have a ten woman tag match.  Everybody goes to the bathroom.  We find out later that Vickie hit some sort of Hog Splash and got the win for her team. 

John Cena vs Batista.

I guess I didn’t do too well in my predictions for Wrestlemania. Originally I had said I thought Cena would win.  Then took a chance and went with Batista.  Silly me, this is a John Cena at Wrestlemania match.  Honestly, this was a very good match.  I think the build up for it was done very well, and for once they did a good job of telling that story in the ring.  The moments where Cena looked like he was beaten mentally and physically.  And later the look on Batistas face when he just couldn’t put Cena away.  All good stuff.  But of course, Super Cena finds a way to do what he does best.  Pull off the big win, and become WWE Champion again.

Undertaker vs Sean Michaels.

     I thought this should have been the closing match of last years Wrestlemania.  But with the added stipulation of The Streak vs The Career, it did give this one something special to end the night with.  But could they do it again?  Could the sequel be as good as the original?  The answers are Yes, and YES !  I would still rate their first meeting a bit higher as a match, but this one was off the scale in terms of emotion.   These two threw everything they had at each other, and tore the house down.  This will easily be considered the best match of the year again.  And the ending saw a battered Sean Michaels climb up The Undertaker, who is yelling at him to “stay down”  only to mock Taker by drawing his thumb arcross his throat, then slapping him in the face.  This of course ended the brief moment of compassion, as Undertaker gave Michaels one last Tombstone, where he actually jumped in the air to deliver it, and pinned Michaels for the 1.2.3.  Thus Ending his career.

My final thought on this one, is that this was one of the better Wrestlemanias that I have seen in the last 5 years or so.  If you haven’t seen it yet, then what are you waiting for?

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Well, it is just about here. Wrestlemania 26.  So I thought I would take a few moments to make some predictions.  Normally I kind of suck at these, so I will take a wild guess and say that I might get about half of them right.  That way if I do any better, it won’t seem like an epic failure.  So let me begin.

John Cena vs Batista. 

This one has been built up rather well in such a short time.  And seeing Batista get one up on Cena at every turn has been quite funny.  But what does that usually mean?  Normally it would mean that Cena will take a huge beating, yet come back to win the big one.  For some reason though, I want to say that Batista will win this one.  It would drag out this new feud for a while longer, and not be so predictable.  So, I will go out on a limb, and say that Batista retains.

Edge vs Jericho.

     As a Canadian, this one is just win-win for me.  I love both of these guys, and they have been doing a great job of building this one up.  I have stated before that I think that this match could steal the whole show.  But that depends on the Undertaker vs Michaels match.  Either way, this should be very good.  But in the end, I think Edge will come out on top.

Showmiz vs R-Truth and John Morrison.

     Really?  This is something that should take up time at Wrestlemania?  Well, I suppose since Miz has both the Tag, and U.S. title, that one of them should be defended.  So we get a team that was pretty much thrown together to face another one that isn’t much better.  I guess if I have to choose, I will predict Morrison and Truth.  With the draft coming up after Mania, both of these teams could face a split.  But this way, Miz only has one Belt to carry with him.

Money In The Bank.

     Wow, we have 10 guys in it this year.  And with the new PG rating, and no chair shots to the head, this might be a very watered down version of what is normally one of the most exciting matches on the card.  With so many people though, I’m sure they can come up with a few interesting spots.  My guess is, since they made such a fuss over Drew McIntyre even getting into this match, that he will win it.  You know, this is the guy that is “destined” to be a World Champion……ugh.

HHH vs Sheamus.

     Here is an interesting match.  Sheamus has a great upside as a future main eventer.  HHH, is his workout buddy, and as we have already seen, that means you get moved up the ladder a little faster. (Sheamus has already won, one World Title thus far)  But if you are HHH, do you put over your new friend at the biggest show of the year, or do you think about your own legacy?  Normally I would say that HHH pads his resume a bit more, but I am all about taking risks this year.  I will say Sheamus wins this one.  Even if its by D.Q.

Bret Hart vs Vince McMahon.

     Ah, the 12 year history of this feud is finally coming to a head.  Sort of reminds me of when Vince squared off with Hulk Hogan all those years ago.  Even with help,  he just couldn’t get the job done.  In fact, Vince’s Wrestlemania outings have been a bit of a disaster.  I don’t see this being much different.  He will have his outside interference, and some moments where he can gloat.  But in the end, Its Sharpshooter, and tap out.

Randy Orton vs Ted Dibiase vs Cody Rhodes.

     I honestly could care less about this match.  Orton bores me to tears, and his former friends are about as interesting to watch as grass growing.  Not to mention, they have been facing each other in some capacity for weeks now.  But I have to choose a winner, so I will say Orton one ups Dibiase and The Gargoyle….er, Rhodes. 

C.M. Punk vs Rey Mysterio.

     Despite having virtually no build up for this match, aside from Punk saying mean things to Reys family, and making them all upset, I think this one should be very good.  Rey is exciting, and Punk is great as the “Charles Manson” of the WWE.  And since there has been so little build up, I predict that Punk wins, and forces Rey to join his Straight Edge Baldies.  Hey, under the mask, he’s already a member.

Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels….part 2.

     I didn’t like the idea of this match, because you can never do something that amazing twice in a row.  But I know this will still be a damn good match.  They will try some different things, and since it has been stressed that you can only win by pinfall or submission, there should be plenty of, out of the ring action.  In all, this could once again steal the show.  But no matter what, Undertaker will come out on top. 18-0.

     Oh, and I guess the Diva’s are doing something too.  Um, I’ll just say the good guys/ladies win.

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The Elimination Chamber is over, and new Champions have been crowned.  And with that, we are now seeing Wrestlemania 26 begin to take shape.  The two main events are in place.  Batista will take on John Cena, and Edge will face Chris Jericho.  I have to admit, I’m a little surprised, yet relieved to see that HHH didn’t get himself put into the main event.  So how do these two Championship matches stack up?  I think the better of the two will be Edge vs Jericho.  Both of these guys have tremendous skill, and are very capable of putting on a good show, while telling a great story in the ring.  The built in story line that occured because of the injury to Edge just made it that much easier.  I don’t think this one will end the show, but it could very well steal it.  Then we have John Cena vs Batista.  I was lucky enough to go to Wrestlemania 23 in Detroit, and witnessed first hand the kind of energy that flows through an arena when Cena comes in.  Despite the mixed reactions he gets, he is still incredibly popular.  Batista being the bad guy in this one should mean more of a favourable response for Cena, but who knows for sure?  Either way, this one will most likely be the main event of the night.  Both of these guys are scary strong, but not the greatest Wrestlers.  I can see this being one of those, Cena takes a huge beating, yet comes out on top, type of matches.  What could be a good main event, but I don’t see it, will be the third match that has been announced thus far.  Sean Michaels vs The Undertaker…part 2.   Why on Earth they decided to try and replicate the great match they had last year is beyond me, but there it is.  This to me is like the feeling you get after you watch a really good movie, and knowing they will do a cheesy, money grab sequel that will never live up to the original.  I really hope I am wrong, but I have a feeling I won’t be.  The added stipulation that Michaels retires should he lose, does add to the drama, but thats about it.  The last thing that has been revealed so far, are some of the participants in the Money In The Bank, ladder match.  As of this post, we have Kane, Christian, Dolph Ziggler,  and Shelton Benjamin.  The ladder match was rumoured to not be happening at this years Wrestlemania, so I’m very happy to see that one being wrong.  And the field looks like Its shaping up rather well.  In fact, this years Wrestlemania in general is looking pretty good.  Lets see what they do to round out the rest of it though.

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This years Royal Rumble  was billed as being the most star studded lineup ever.  Granted they say this pretty much every year, but this was definitely one of the best groups Ive seen in quite a while.  But before we get to the Rumble match itself, there were a few matches before the big dance to talk about.  The first of which was for the ECW Championship.  I have always been a fan of Christian, but I didn’t hold out much hope for this being any good since his opponet was Ezekiel Jackson.  Thankfully I was surprised by how good this match turned out to be.  Big Zeke has improved quite a bit over the last few months, and with Christians ability to make just about anybody look good, this was a very good way to start off the show.  Next up was the United States Champion The Miz, taking on MVP.  For the most part this was very much by the numbers, and I actually found my attention wandering.  I’m not sure If Its because I find MVP boring, or because of my lack of interest in this feud, but I was just happy to see this one come to an end.  Thankfully the next up was Randy Orton vs Sheamus.  I was really interested in seeing how the crowd would react to two “bad guys” facing off.  It didn’t take long to get my answer.  The crowd was behind Randy Orton, almost 100%  As for the match itself.  I have to say, It was better than average.  Sheamus has great potential, and seeing two heels try to out do each other with who can be more destructive was fun to watch.  I would love to see these two have at it a few more times.  The only down side to this match,  was that it was short. But because of the Rumble match itself, this was the case for pretty much all the matches.   Naturally after something heavy like that, we need a bit of comedy relief, which brings us to the Womens Championship match between Michelle McCool and Mickie James.  Mercifully I think this will be the end of the whole Piggy James angle.  There wasn’t a whole lot to mention match wise, except that it was very fast, and kind of funny.  Now that we have had a laugh, we get serious again, and settle in for Rey Mysterio vs The Undertaker.  You know with Mysterio you are going to get a lot of fast action and some high flying, which is probably why he was given this shot.  Taker is rather beat up, and probably shouldn’t even be holding the Championship right now, but he is a big draw, so we have him going against somebody exciting, that can carry the match for the most part.  And all things considered It worked.  I’m not sure I would like to see these two work together too much, but for one night It was a good pairing.  Now this brings us to The Rumble.  I was going to list the order in which everybody came in, but I thought that would be too much of a spoiler for those that haven’t seen It yet.  So let me just say that I was happy to see a good collection of top stars this year, with a few funny moments, a couple of twists, and at least one good surprise.  Overall this was a very good Royal Rumble.  Now to see how things play out on the Road to Wrestlemania.

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With the Royal Rumble less than a week away, I thought I would weigh in with my thoughts on the overall card itself, and how I think things might play out.  Like many of you, I do like to check out the most recent rumours and gossip, but when it comes to Pay Per Views, I try not to read them just prior to the show, so I can be surprised.  Especially since plans change so rapidly.  What somebody thinks is a possible spoiler, turns out to be nothing at all.  That being said, some of the recent things I have read, and watching the show’s leading up to the Rumble have me wondering if we are going to be getting a show with zero surprise factor at all.  First off, we have the ECW Championship being defended.  Christian vs Ezekiel Jackson.  Why on Earth Christian has been forced to sit this long in ECW is beyond me.  Sure he has been the Champion for quite some time, but he deserves to be on one of the main shows.  I see Christian losing this match simply so they can take the Title off of him in preperation for a move come draft time. Next up we have the Womens Championship match.  Michelle McCool vs Mickie James.  Normally I would think that James would win this one, just to finally put an end to the whole “Piggy James” nonsense.  But with talk of her releasing a Country album of all things, I have my doubts.  This might turn out to be a half decent match though, since these two can actually wrestle.  The first of the two World Title matches is The Undertaker vs Rey Mysterio.  Taker is in pretty rough shape these days, so I don’t see this being a very long one.  Rey will be fast, and make this look exciting, but in the end Taker wins and moves on to the main event at Wrestlemania.  The second Title defense is Sheamus, taking on Randy Orton.  Earlier I did a post on how I felt that Sheamus would not walk out of this match as Champion, because I did not see him headling Wrestlemania.  I still stand by that, but some rumours are going around about the Rumble match itself that puts a bit of doubt in my mind now.  And so that brings us to the Rumble Match itself.  As per usual, the build up has highlighted how this is every man for himself.  People making bold claims that they will win.  Silly over the top rope challenges, and teams having words with each other.  Teams like D.X.  And here is where things get a little strange.  The whole notion that if Shawn Michaels wins, he can get his shot at The Undertaker again.  And HHH, basically just wanting to win, because…..well, just because.  One rumour out there, has both men winning in a Tie, so that they both get what they want.  I certainly hope this doesn’t happen, as it cheapens the whole point of ” I am the one”  John Cena winning would simply be par for the course, but this scenario works for my prediction of Randy Orton having the Title.  Then there is Batista.  No doubt if he wins, its a rematch with The Undertaker.  But for some reason, I think that the Sean Michaels rematch would be pushed first.  As for a surprise winner?  I don’t see it happening, but I see Edge making his return at the Rumble.  I doubt he will win, but I think he will eliminate Chris Jericho, thus setting up a fine feud that could last all the way to Mania.  So, who do I pick as the overall winner?  If I must choose a name, I’ll go with Cena.  Not exactly going out on a limb with that one, but I see this Rumble being pretty much by the numbers anyway. 

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