WrestleMania Final Thoughts

WrestleMania 28 is tonight on PPV!! This Mania is being hyped as the Greatest WrestleMania of All Time, but will it live up to the hype? "Stats" Rodney and myself already went through our predictions, but on WrestleMania day, it's only fitting to have a few final thoughts before the show gets underway. I'm gonna go through each match, one last time and show you where I stand after the week that was.

The Rock vs John Cena. Team Bring It vs Team CeNation. The Attitude Era vs The PG Era. You look at it from all angles, and you have a history making match on your hands.

For months people have been talking about this match. As it got closer and closer, the hype grew more and more. And now, it's finally here. The match that fans have been clamoring about on Twitter for months and months. It's finally here! What makes this match really so special is the amount of people that are taking sides in this matter. You can see it on Facebook and on Twitter. The hype is all around us. This is what wrestling has been missing for so long: the atmosphere, the hype, the passion, the energy, etc. And now, with this show, and this match, it's back.

It's no question who I'm going for. I got The Rock. I'm on his side and I say he should win the match. Let's be honest, Cena's popularity is so HUGE. He's pretty much reached Legendary status. A loss is not going to hurt him as much as people think. There's no torch to be passed here. Cena IS the torch.

But I need to revisit a certain issue. For weeks Cena's been saying all this nonsense about The Rock which is actually quite ridiculous. I'm a John Cena fan, but I'm an ever Bigger Rock fan. Rock has done nothing wrong. There's nothing wrong in finding a different passion, wanting to make it on your own merits, wanting to see your family more, staying in good health, and still have a love for the business. When he said he was never leaving, that didn't mean he was going to be on every single RAW, SmackDown and house show. Get real. The WWE isn't his main career anymore, but that doesn't mean he doesn't still love the business. Most of you people need to get this through your heads before you start throwing stones at the guy.

Cena is also contradictory. He talks about how Rock being here takes away spots from the boys in the back. Then he says, he wants Rock back. Huh? He needs to get his priorities straight.

Anyway, enough about that. This is going to be a great match. Rock proved that he's still in great shape at the Survivor Series and Cena has proven on a number of occasions that he can work a match with the very best. Now, I'm gonna throw a little curveball in here. I think Brock Lesnar gets involved, costs Rock the match allowing Cena to win setting up Brock vs Rock next year. Brock Lesnar really has thrown a monkey wrench into things hasn't he?

The Rock vs John Cena. The atmosphere in Miami, The Rock's Hometown, will be absolutely electric. It's going down.

Will this be the night when Undertaker finally goes down?

Triple H is 2-0 with HBK as the guest referee. All signs point to some sort of screwjob that will take place, but it's hard. You really can't put your finger on just how this match will end. Will HBK screw Taker? Will HBK screw Triple H? Will he just call it down the middle? Will he attempt to screw anybody, but catch the wrong person? Will Brock Lesnar interfere? Etc. It's interesting no doubt about it.

But the story behind this actually caught me by surprise. I thought to myself, "Why would want to see another HHH/Undertaker match?" And then came the promo where Undertaker said he didn't want his last image in the WWE as him going out on a stretcher. It made sense. Now, we have this End of an Era moniker looming around this match that is now Hell in a Cell. The two masters of the Cell are going at it. It's going to get physical and it's going to be bloody.

I don't see Undertaker losing, nor do I see Brock Lesnar getting involved. I think Undertaker wins this match. I don't really have an answer as to what HBK will do in this one. Maybe he tries to screw Taker, but catches Triple H instead? Everything adds up to Taker losing, but no matter how you slice it, Taker is going 20-0. Anything otherwise would be ridiculous.

I got four words for you: MATCH OF THE NIGHT!

I'll get to the story in a second, but most people don't realize what we could witness tonight. These two are the best wrestlers right now. CM Punk has really improved his game since Summertime and Jericho looks like he hasn't missed a beat in the ring since his absence. These guys are literally the best in the world. I'm looking forward to a GREAT wrestling match between these two tonight. I will be damned if it's anything less.

Now, I've been wanting this feud ever since Jericho's return back in January. Best in the World vs Best in the World. But this feud needed another layer of depth added to it so that this Best in the World thing wasn't the only thing attached to this feud. This is why Jericho took it one step further and really kicked this feud into high gear. He talked about Punk's family and whatnot. Ever since his character change, Punk's always been the cocky, smart aleck, type of person, but now he's got no comeback for what Jericho is throwing at him. He needed to tap into his inner anger to show just what happens when he gets mad. I think THIS feud has been built up way better than Rock vs Cena and HHH vs Undertaker.

But after all is said and done, I got CM Punk pulling out the win in this one. It's almost a foregone conclusion as to who will win, but I know we are going to be treated to one hell of a wrestling match.

A lot of people aren't talking about this match which makes it the perfect sleeper pick.

Whether people like it or not, in the span of 4 months, Daniel Bryan went from being the underdog to the coward. The WWE has done a masterful job in making this guy the top heel on SmackDown. He's getting crowd reactions, his mic skills are getting better every week, and he's got AJ by his side all the time. Oh and let's not forget, he's the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION! I'm sort of happy Bryan won the title early and went through this heel turn. It really turned his career around as he was going nowhere.

Now, onto his opponent Sheamus. Well, I like Sheamus. I like how his face character has developed since Summer and I'm also happy with the fact that he won the Royal Rumble. But the only problem with this match is the lack of a build to it. This is actually a good thing to me. They didn't need to go overboard and make this into some personal conflict. It wasn't shoved down our throats is what I'm saying. It's simply, a man that wants to be Champion vs a guy that always seems to win. These two have some pretty good in ring chemistry and I'm expecting a good one with these two.

All that being said, I'm going with Sheamus to win the World Title. Simply because if he loses, there's really nothing for him to go back to. He can't get a rematch. This will be his only shot. Bryan, on the other hand, can take his character to the next level with a loss here. But what makes this interesting is the AJ factor. On RAW, she willingly jumped into harm's way to save her man. This begs the question: what role is she going to play in the World Title match?

And to think, these two weren't even on WrestleMania last year. Now, they're competing for the World Heavyweight Championship. My, what a difference a year makes.

I am VERY interested in this match. Allow me to explain.

I've been a fan of Cody Rhodes ever since his "Disfigured" Gimmick where he had to wear the mask and parade around as some ugly looking human being. It was some of his best work. Then, in November he came out with no mask and new music. Almost like a Rebirth type phase. The kid has talent. He's one Main feud away from Main Event status, and this may be it.

Let's be honest, nobody really thought much of this feud, but if you really look at the build, it's damn good. Rhodes has done some of the best mic work in his career so far: mocking Show, embarrassing him with all those WrestleMania videos, etc. He single handily has me interested in this feud. You don't know which way it's going. Either Show breaks his Mania streak and wins the title, or Rhodes continues to move up the ladder and retain the title.

Well, I see Rhodes retaining here. Why? Because Big Show doesn't need the Intercontinental Championship right now and Rhodes needs to be put over. I think he'll lose a great deal of credibility if he loses. The way I see the match going is that Rhodes is probably going to stall most of the time, Show will finally get his hands on him, and Rhodes will retain in heel fashion. I'll be surprised if this goes past 10 minutes. Maybe the opening match?

In a FOUR HOUR pay per view event, this should get a decent amount of time. But I have to say, ever since the match itself was announced, I've been disappointed with the build. Everything beforehand was so well done, and once the match was announced, everything just started to be built lazily. Then again, this is just my opinion. Basically, Team Johnny has a team of stars and Team Teddy basically has a team of Jobbers. Booker T. being added here is a breath of fresh air for Team Teddy, but I don't think it'll be enough.

The way Johnny and Teddy have been going at it for months, this match needs a good payoff. The winning GM controls both shows here! There's no reason why this match should get anything from 10, maybe 15 minutes. Nothing too long. Just enough time for everybody on the team to shine. With all that being said, I see Team Johnny getting the win here. I've been particularly impressed with the way David Otunga has been built all this time and I'm calling for him to get the pinfall to give Team Johnny the win. Sorry Teddy.

This one definitely won't be a technically sound match. It's going to be a brawl. There's not much of a story heading into this one, but the match itself should be entertaining. I don't see this feud ending after WrestleMania, and you can't have a top star like Orton lose at WrestleMania. I'm giving the win to The Viper.

And for those saying Orton should've been in the World Title match, just think about what you're saying for a second. Orton maybe the top face on SmackDown, but he doesn't need to be in the World Title picture at the moment. We've seen that already. Give him a break from the World Title scene and let Bryan and Sheamus get their match over without the use of a big name star added to it. According to sources, Orton wasn't going to be in the World Title match regardless of what happened. He was originally supposed to wrestle Del Rio, but he's not 100%.

I'm really not expecting much from this match. I think this is just one of those matches where people go to the bathroom or something. Kelly Kelly is probably going to do most of the grunt work and Maria is gonna come in and get the pinfall victory. After all, she can't do much with her two broken ribs. I still say it should've been Beth Phoenix vs Eve, but I digress.

If you aren't pumped by now, then look at this:

I'm sure there's gonna be a few more final touches added to it, but this is what the set will look like tonight at WrestleMania!!!

Enjoy WrestleMania 28!!! We know we will!!!

Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

Wrestlemania Spoiler?

HERE COMES THE PAIN! 

              According to sources, Brock Lesnar is in negotiations to appear at Wrestlemania 28, this Sunday. That's correct folks this sunday seems that Vince K. McMahon was not joking when he had in mind to make this the greatest wrestlemania ever. Brock Lesnar last appeared in the WWE eight years ago. His last match, ironocially was at Wrestlemania 20, which many believe is one of the greatest wrestlemanias ever.

          Brock Lesnar began his career with a bang and looks to jump back into the WWE with one. With many rivalries coming to a collision this Sunday, we see Brock Lesnar jumping in and throwing a curve ball into how we believed everything would play out. This is an exciting time to be a fan again. It looks like this show will bring back the suspense from the golden age of wrestling: The "Attitude" Era.

          According to Daniel Pena from wrestlingedge.com "A writer for the Associated Press stated in his article on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson that if  WWE wants to squeeze another potential blockbuster buy rate out of The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment, the last man standing to get the headline match would be Lesnar." Folks if you ask me, I smell a screw job for The Rock at Mania, thus leading to a blockbuster match between the two in the future. Mabye Cena will turn heel. That would just be genius, but what do we know? 

          The Negoiations are still goin on and they are 50/50 but the WWE is hoping to close the deal within 24 hours so here's hoping on Good News. Once he was the Next Big Thing but now he's the Prodigal son returning home. 

BY

Phillip "Stats" Rodney 

(Sources....

http://www.wrestling-edge.com/wwe-news-rumors/brock-lesnar-negotiating-wwe-wrestlemania-28.html)

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Monday Night RAW (The Go-Home Show) Review - 3/26/12

WrestleMania 28 is this Sunday on ppv from Miami, Florida and tonight's Monday Night RAW was the last stop before the Big Show this Sunday. There were some hits, but even more misses. This show was disappointing on a few levels, but I'm going to get to all that in this blog post.

Hits:

Randy Orton & Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan (w/AJ Lee) & Kane:

RAW started off with a HOT tag team match with Orton and Sheamus taking on Kane & Daniel Bryan. It's unusual for RAW to kick off with a match, let alone a tag team match, but in this instance, the match did just what it was supposed to do:

A) Get the crowd amped up and set the tone for the rest of the show.

B) Continued the build of the feuds between Orton/Kane and Sheamus/Bryan

Orton/Kane is going to be nothing more than a brawl, but Sheamus/Bryan is very intriguing. After tonight and what AJ did, no telling how this match is going to go this Sunday. Bryan getting the pinfall gives him loads of momentum as the Champion heading into Mania, but it also begs the questions: What role will AJ play? Already I'm excited for WrestleMania. Good start.


Triple H vs Undertaker - Hell in a Cell Video Package:


In my opinion, the promo last week between HHH, Undertaker, and HBK sucked out a good portion of life from this feud and the video package brought it all back.

THIS is one of the main things WWE has been missing: Great video packages that tie in every aspect of a feud. This Video Package alone got me hyped for this Hell in a Cell match more than the promos Triple H, Taker and HBK have been cutting for the past few weeks. After this promo, I wasn't upset that we didn't see HHH/HBK/Taker in another promo. The video package summed up everything perfectly. Once again: Great job WWE.


Chris Jericho/CM Punk Confrontation:


I've loved this feud since the first face to face meeting between Punk and Jericho. I am happy to say that I'm more excited for THIS match than Rock vs Cena and Undertaker vs Triple H. Yeah, I said that. We're talking about "Greatest match of All-time" potential between these two guys. Jericho took it to that next level and made this feud more personal. This feud needed that extra boost and now they have it.

Ever since Punk changed his character this past Summer, he's OWNED pretty much everybody in terms of mic skills. Now, he's come across somebody who has OWNED him. No longer is Punk the sarcastic, laid back character anymore: He's now serious. It was a smart idea to keep Jericho and Punk apart until WrestleMania. No need for these guys to touch each other with so much on the line. Make us want to see this match and tonight did just that.

The promo Jericho cut on Punk, basically going in on his family, Punk snapping and (kayfabe) re-injuring Christian, showed us a side of Punk we haven't seen before. Then, the interview Punk cut later on that night; you could tell in his voice that he can't wait to tear Jericho apart. WWE has done a masterful job building this feud. I can't wait to see this match. Can. not. wait.


Cody Rhodes:


I said it once, I'll say it again: This man is the best thing going on right now. Cody Rhodes has quietly become one of the best heels in the WWE, has brought prestige back to the Intercontinental Championship, and is one major feud away from Main Event status. This feud with Big Show just might be it. Rhodes' mic work during this feud and embarrassing Big Show with all these WrestleMania video packages have been perfect. They've built Cody Rhodes into a great heel. His promo tonight on Big Show was the final shot fired against the Big Show. Another great job at building up a major feud.

Another good job making these two not get physical. WWE is making us want to see Show finally get his hands on Cody this Sunday. I'm still up in the air as to who gets the win. The way they're building it, you'd think Big Show is gonna walk out the winner, but of course, Cody Rhodes is the future. Hard to tell.


The Rock vs John Cena:


The final showdown between Rock and Cena and it didn't disappoint. These guys went back and forth in a heated war of the words. Cena, for once, made me interested in what he had to say. He was selling the fact that he needed to win more than The Rock. The figures he was throwing out was true. Cena has been in the business longer, but this is an era where wrestlers' bodies went through much less than those of the Attitude Era, but that's beside the point.

These two sold the fact of how big this match is, what it means to them, and throwing personal jabs at each other. It's really nothing we haven't heard before, but tonight it felt more personal. Maybe because it was the last RAW before WrestleMania. I've already made a post about where I stand with these two, so I'm not going to go there again. And once again, there was no physical altercation. WWE wants to milk this cow for everything its worth and not give a single thing away before WrestleMania. This is smart business.

The verbal exchange and the staredown made this a great moment. The only thing bad about it was the way it cut away. It was rather soon and abrupt. But even if these two had a poor promo, it still wouldn't change my mind that WrestleMania is a must order ppv!

Misses:

Team Teddy vs Team Johnny:


Tonight was their last chance to make this feud actually important and mean something, and they failed....miserably.

First of all, you have a Captain vs Captain match with Otunga and Santino which was good, no complaints there. Then, you have Miz run out and drop Santino like a bad habit and FINALLY Miz gets added onto WrestleMania. It really took Miz all this time to get added to Team Johnny? Why did they prolong this for so long if they were just going to end up adding him to the team in the first place? It makes absolutely no sense.

But wait...there's more.

Christian gets "re-injured" and taken out of the match and replaced with Drew McIntyre? Really? I don't mind Drew because he has history with Teddy, but  if they weren't so sure that Christian was 100% ready to come back and compete, why waste a spot on him and actually build up Drew McIntyre an add him to the team earlier? The build for this match was so poor and tonight was just abysmal.

Then, here's the kicker: Booker T. of all people at the last minute gets added to Team Teddy after some nonsense brawl (if you can call it that) and takes out Mark Henry. I'm not upset that Booker got added, it was the way they went about it.

Their one chance to make this match important, and they tanked on it. Big Time. In a 4 Hour WrestleMania show, I would like to hope that this 12 Man Tag Team Match gets enough time to mean something.


The Divas:


Goodness....where do I start?

It's been a while since Eve came out and got Heat. Tonight, she came out and got crickets. This Divas tag team match Sunday is an absolute joke. I still don't understand why they couldn't turn Beth Phoenix face and feud with Eve. It absolutely boggles the mind.

Add to that, where was Maria Menounous? You would think that she would at least make one appearance with Kelly Kelly tonight to further this feud for Mania. Also, Kelly Kelly beat Eve.....why does Kelly Kelly need a partner again?


Brodus Clay:

Also, Brodus Clay. I like Brodus Clay, but if he wasn't going to be a part of WrestleMania, why was he on RAW tonight? There was no internal conflict that involved him. I would've preferred another Member of Team Teddy vs Member of Team Johnny Match instead.

Once again, it boggles the mind.


Overall, the only good parts of RAW were the opening tag team match, the Hell in a Cell video package, Punk going crazy, Cody Rhodes' promo and The Rock/Cena exchange. Everything else was horrible. Ok, not horrible, but barely not worth mentioning. Also, the crowd was bad.

But this has NOT swayed me from ordering WrestleMania this Sunday. You better believe I'm still going to make sure I catch it on Sunday. It's sure to be a great show despite that mediocre Go-Home show they had tonight.

Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete