Ozzie Guillen Suspended!!!

I guess Freedom of Speech really doesn't fly around the United States anymore.

The new look Miami Marlins are off to a mediocre 2-3 start and if that isn't bad enough, Ozzie Guillen has already lit a fire under his own behind.

A Time Magazine article that appeared last Friday online begins by quoting Guillen as saying, "I love Fidel Castro." But then he continues.

"I respect Fidel Castro." Guillen said. "You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that [expletive] is still here."

Because of his comments, Ozzie Guillen has been suspended for five games.

For those of who of you who need a little history lesson, Fidel Castro was the Prime Minister of Cuba serving under the Communist Party ruling for 32 years before finally stepping down in 2008. Let's just say, he wasn't a man of the people.

I like to look at this from both sides. I understand the frustration of certain people. Especially the Cuban people who lived during the the Fidel Castro rule. They don't take kindly to the comments Guillen said about Fidel Castro. Why would someone like Ozzie Guillen come out and say he respected someone like Fidel Castro? They feel hurt and disrespected.

Looking at Ozzie's point of view, who knows what drove him to say something like this? Maybe he respects the amount of time he stayed in power. Is it really that big of a deal? Will Guillen suddenly turn into a Communist and control his own country for an unlimited amount of time? I highly doubt it. The man was speaking his mind. Can he really be held at fault for that?

I think we are looking too much into this. I understand where people's frustration are coming from, but Castro is out of power, shouldn't we let this sort of thing go? In a country where free speech is backed up by the First Amendment, it really doesn't seem to be that way anymore. People can come out and speak their mind, and get in loads of trouble for it. I guess nowadays Freedom of Speech only counts if we keep it to ourselves.

Personally, I'm not a fan of what he said because as a manager of a Baseball team, he has a certain image to uphold. If he was retired or something, I wouldn't care as much. But he's in control of a new franchise and he has to watch what he says sometimes because something like this can happen and his words can ricochet and have an effect that everybody will notice. There are already enough eyes on him as it is being in control of the New Miami Marlins, but when you say things like this, you attract a whole bunch of unwanted attention.

He should apologize because it'd be the right thing to do, and he should be honest. He shouldn't come out and try to backtrack what he said, he needs to just say sorry and move on with the rest of his Life.

Ozzie Guillen is in Miami as I type this meeting with the media for a press conference at 10:30 a.m.


Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

Monday Night RAW Review!!! (4/9/12)

Back by popular demand, this is a special review for Monday Night RAW!

I guess we can call this an every week thing now. This was supposed to last until WrestleMania, but I guess a review for RAW every Monday couldn't hurt. The fans that left need to realize what they're missing and this is my way of bringing it to them.

Let's get right down to the heart of the matter. RAW starts with a HUGE Brawl between John Cena and Brock Lesnar. Lesnar was in the ring, Cena walked down and bitch slapped him, and one Lesnar punch later, Cena was busted open and the whole Locker Room cleared out to separate them. That was quite a mouthful. What a way begin the show!

And we now know that Cena and Lesnar will Main Event Extreme Rules on April 29th in Chicago.

Here's what's good and bad with this: First off, I loved the Brawl between Cena and Lesnar. It portrayed some sort of a real hatred between these two. If I'm not mistaken, I don't think Lesnar really likes Cena in real life, but that's besides the point. Great brawl and it's even better that the whole Locker Room had to tear them apart. Need more of that.

What I don't like is that this match is at Extreme Rules. Huh? Why have a match like Cena and Lesnar at Extreme Rules? My guess is they didn't want to keep the fans waiting to see when these two were going to collide and they're giving it to us sooner than later. That and I highly doubt these two are gonna be done after one match. It's John Cena and Brock Lesnar. No way these two are done after Extreme Rules. But I feel like it lessens the hype for a Marquee match doing it at a lesser ppv.

Then again, The Rock vs Goldberg was the Main Event at Backlash.


I didn't care too much for Laurinatis' and Eve's interaction. I was too distracted by how sexy Eve was looking.


Santino & Brodus Clay vs Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger


This was a pretty solid match. I'm confused as to what they're going to do with Brodus and Santino. Tag Team Champions maybe? I think this win is also just another driving force to separate Ziggler and Swagger. Also, Naomi is sexy.


Cena's backstage segment with John Laurinatis was ok because Cena looked legit pissed off after getting busted open by Brock Lesnar. Wouldn't be surprised if he was to be honest.


Cody Rhodes vs R-Truth


The Cody Rhodes/Big Show feud is still going on which is good and it's not disappointing. I like the whole Big Show giving Cody a taste of his own medicine thing. I wonder how long it'll be before Cody snaps and goes off on Show.


Lord Tensai vs Yoshi Tatsu


I'm not too interested in Lord Tensai so far. I mean, I like the whole character and everything, but this is not Japan. He's going to need to a lot more than spraying mist into his hands to get over. Then again, it worked for Tajiri. To the fans who actually know him, he's still Prince Albert. But he needs to upgrade his Squash matches. He's gotten better and more mobile in the ring, but he's not proving me anything by beating down guys 1/3 his size.


CM Punk/Chris Jericho/Mark Henry

CM Punk's promo was good. People are going to complain about how they miss the old CM Punk, but this is an interesting turn his character is making. He's getting more personal and being forced to revert to getting more emotional. You could tell he was getting more emotional when he mentioned his Father hitting him and so on. I'm loving this Punk/Jericho feud more and more each week.

Speaking of Jericho, the young guys need to take notes. THIS is how you make a feud personal and interesting. You tap into your best skills and tell a story. Jericho is hell bent on making Punk drink. First it was Whiskey, then it was Beer, what's next? Jericho's Heel work is even better than his last run in WWE. He's really tapped into some serious potential in his character. You can see it in the inflection in his voice when he cuts promos and how he acts when he's beating on CM Punk. This is how you get fans to pay attention to you.

Back on to Mark Henry, he's got a rematch with Punk next week for the WWE Title in a No DQ, No Countout match. I predict this is where Punk finally slays the Giant. I've enjoyed the air time Henry has gotten the past few weeks though. I'm more interested in seeing if Jericho interferes.


Alberto Del Rio vs Zack Ryder


Nothing really worth mentioning. Short match. Del Rio wins and moves up more as Ryder continues to fall more and more into obscurity.


The Three Stooges:


*Sigh* I really didn't like this segment. The Hulk Hogan impersonator made it watchable at least. Thank GOD Kane came out and ended this. I have no interest in seeing their movie.


Brock Lesnar Promo:


I liked Lesnar's promo. He could cut a decent promo when he has to sometimes. He mentioned the fact that Cena can't hold his jockstrap. That kind of made me laugh, but when you think about it, Lesnar leaving left the door WIDE open for Cena to be "The Man." Lesnar was "The Man" before he left without a doubt and he's back to claim the top spot. I'm interested in seeing if this feud gets more personal. All in all, very good.


End of an Era Recap:


I didn't get this, but it was good to relive that match one more time. One of the best moments in WrestleMania History and probably the best match at WrestleMania. It was really one of those matches and one of those moments, that you're never going to forget as a wrestling fan.


John Cena vs David Otunga


Usual John Cena match: Gets dominated, comes back and wins the match. The bright spot for Otunga is that he's getting a Main Event match on RAW against the company's top guy. That's gotta mean something, right?

Lesnar coming out and giving Cena the F-5 one more time was awesome. This feud already has me hooked. The brawl in the beginning of the show to the F-5 at the end of show; this feud is looking like it's going to be good. Can't wait for Extreme Rules already!


Overall, this RAW wasn't as good as last week, but still solid. Take away that horrid Three Stooges segment, and you have a great RAW. But disregarding that part, RAW wasn't too bad. A lot of major angles getting more build to it and hyping the next ppv. I'll say this much, this is a great time to be a wrestling fan again. It's things like this that made wrestling what it was. That excitement factor and the suspense that you can't wait to see what happens next week. Nothing will ever come close to the Attitude Era, but 2012 is already turning into a great year for the WWE.


Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

NBA PLAYOFFS : NIGHTMARE MATCHUPS

TEAMS THAT WILL SUPRISE YOU THIS POST-SEASON

         Its almost that time of year, when each possesion matters, each foul, free throw and decision is crucial to your team climbing to the mountain top, better known as the NBA playoffs. We all have our favorites that we believe that will win it from the beginning of the season  such as the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, OKC Thunder, and some believe the Lakers and Kobe "The Black Mamba" Bryant still has one left in them.  Though we believe the story to the NBA championship game is already written, the past has showed us we know nothing. Last year we saw the Dallas Mavericks take the playoffs by storm.The Memphis Grizzles also defeat the number one seed San Antonio Spurs, they even went seven games with OKC Thunder. 

    This year we have the same contenders but always guaranteed a few sleepers to shake things up. We are going to discuss those teams not to be "Slept on". 

EASTERN CONFERENCE 

        Celtics- (30-24)  The Celtics are currently 7-3 in their last ten games and playing with great intensity. The new found life in the Celtics has helped them to pass the Philadelphia Sixers for first place in the Atlantic division. The old veterans are 23-13 in the conference. With experience and a top five point gaurd this team will be a force. While Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and KG might have lost a step, they never fear the moment to step it up. The Celtics still play top defense and with the new found play of  the young gaurd Avery Bradley; a strong physical ball hander it just adds another weapon to a savy team. When Rajon Rondo plays focused, he's a top ten player in the league, able to shut down who ever he covers while setting the tone for his team. The Celtics will go as far as Rondo's mind takes them. Maybe the Celtics will run out of gas but "Dont Sleep" the veterans never go out without a fight. 

        Pacers-(33-21) If I ask who was the third best team in the east who would you say? Guess what, the answer would be the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are ranked 3rd overall in the eastern conference and are 7-3 over their last 10 games. Espn power rankings rate them the 8th on the list. The Indiana Pacers are a young team thats evolved over the years. A all-star big man in Roy Hibbert, a very good wingman in Danny Granger, a good point gaurd in Darren Collison and Paul George on the rise and a deep bench to match, the Pacers will be a problem in the playoffs. "Dont Sleep" we have been waiting for Danny granger to take that next step and be the go to guy. If he ever does watch out. 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

         Grizzles- (30-23) The Memphis Grizzles were last years playoff love and will be back this year but trust me they won't be surprising anybody. The Grizzles were without Rudy Gay last time this year, but they will have the whole band together even though Zach Randolph is coming back from injury, if he can get back to mid season form they will be a nightmare for any west match up. Zach Randolph was unstoppable last year and Marc Gasol won't be classified as a bum either.  The Grizzles have some thing only a handful of teams have: two big men that can dominate. The Grizzles have already shown that the top three western conference teams (Thunder, Spurs, Lakers) have trouble matching up. This team can  go toe to toe with any one "Dont Sleep". 

             LA CLIPPERS- (33-24)  The Los Angeles  Clippers also known as "Lob City" will be in the playoff for the first time since 2006. The Clippers have been one of the worst teams in any sport for years but have been showing growth since drafting Blake Griffin, but the trade of Chris Paul is the real reason  there is relevance to a team with only 7 franchise playoff appearances.  While the franchise history has been terrible, Chris Paul's history is far from mediocore. The best point gaurd in the league, many believe, has taken over the series on his own, and plays like a man on a mission every playoff game, so dont be surprised if this team goes on a run. The LA Clippers currently rank 5th on the power rankings, 4th in the conference, and playing with heart each game. A hungry team is a dangerous one and Chris Paul is ready to make that question of whos the best point guard? A unanimous answer of CP3 with key additions to the bench they are a nightmare match up, when playing focus and smart "Dont Sleep". 

by 

Phillip "Stats" Rodney 

Sources- ( http://espn.go.com/nba/powerrankings)

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Gregg Williams (The Story Continues)

Just when you thought this story was over, a new piece of evidence turns up and takes this story to a whole other level. According to some Audio released by Yahoo! Sports, Williams allegedly encouraged the Saints players to injure the 49ers players. The links below have some of the audio of the pregame speech Williams gave to his players:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8281a52a/article/gregg-williams-speech-takes-saints-scandal-to-another-level?module=HP11_hot_topics 


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8281a295/article/williams-speech-to-saints-pinpointed-49ers


Williams said some of the most disturbing things in this speech. Things like "Kill the head, the body will die" and he mentioned putting a lick on Kyle Williams, going after the ACL of Michael Crabtree, and making sure they "kill" Frank Gore's head.

Allow me to explain my side on this situation.

First of all, forget being suspended indefinitely, they should get rid of Gregg Williams. A man like this does not need to be in charge of a defense anywhere. He should be banned from coaching Football anywhere. I personally don't care about going out there and playing and bringing the pain, but when beforehand when you scheme about taking a player out and "killing the head", then you've gone too far.

I don't give a damn how good Gregg Williams is as a defensive coordinator, when you plan on "how" you're going to, for lack of a better term, "maim" the opposition, you are wrong. And for the people that say "Oh, it's just Football, it's supposed to be violent." Shut up, you sound ignorant. Like I said before, there's a BIG difference in coaching your team on how to play against an offense, but it's another story when you pinpoint parts of the body to take out. How would you feel if the opposing team's gameplan was to concuss your teammates? Not too good, right?

This is no accident, nor is it a coincidence. He knew what he was doing from the start. How long has he been doing this? From the sound of him, it's been a while. Not only should he be banned from Football, but he needs to be committed to a medical facility. We don't need his kind in the NFL. We don't need a man that's going to shorten the playing careers of some up-and-coming stars.

The news personally disgusts me. I just have a sinking feeling that Gregg Williams isn't the only man doing this. I bet you there's more than one Coach out there laying out bounties on other players, but they just know how to hide it better. This whole bounty scandal opened up a can of worms that people aren't ready for. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the NFL started an investigation based off what's happened.

Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

The Top 10

With the 2012 NFL Season fast approaching, several Quarterbacks like to lay claim to be the best and feel as if they have something to prove.

Joe Flacco has already come out and said that he thinks he's the best QB in the NFL. I beg to differ. It's a good thing to have that confidence though. It's one thing to think that way, but it's a completely different story to come out and say it. That takes confidence to speak out and put your name over guys like Brady, Brees, Rodgers, etc. Where does Joe Flacco rank in my QB Hierarchy?

Well, I'll let my list below speak for itself.

But before you read, the reason I don't have Peyton Manning in this list is because he didn't play last season.


1. Tom Brady


Speaking as a Peyton Manning fan, it pains me to put Brady at #1. But let's be honest. As of right now, Tom Brady is most decorated Quarterback in the NFL. That speaks volumes about his career at the moment. Brady is 16-6 in the playoffs including 3 Super Bowl Title and 2 Super Bowl MVPs. Let's not forget that he holds the 50 TD pass record set in 2007 and the highest completion percentage in a game against the Jaguars during their undefeated season before falling to the New York Giants.

Love him or hate him, but Tom Brady is the Golden Boy of the NFL. He's too nice to be ignored. He quietly continues to pile on numbers and stats in his career. He's consistently put up over 3,500 passing yards in his career and, just like Peyton Manning, can do more with less. He can make rookies look like superstars. Tom Brady has "It" Whether you want to believe it or not, he's the man right now.


2. Drew Brees


Drew Brees has been overlooked almost his whole career. Brees didn't come to New Orleans and just start throwing for 4,000 yards a season. He's been this way since his days in San Diego. He was consistently in the Top 5-10 in the passing yards category always throwing over 3,500 yards. He turned up his game to a whole new level when he came to New Orleans. He had more weapons and his passing ability skyrocketed and he started throwing for over 4,000 yards every season he's been in New Orleans. Also, in case you haven't heard, he owns the NFL Record for passing yards in a season with 5,476. That's kind of important.

The thing with Drew Brees is that he's consistent. That's what the bulk of this list is based on. Who's more consistent. Brees has taken the Saints to the playoffs 4 times and winning 1 Super Bowl in the process. His work ethic has not gone unnoticed either. He breathes the game just as much as the next guy. He's probably the best pure passer in the NFL right now, but he needs to overcome his road playoff woes. He's 0-3 in road playoff games.


3. Aaron Rodgers


When I think of Aaron Rodgers, I think a few things:

1) How mobile he is in the pocket.

2) The zip he has on the ball when he releases it.

3) The fact that the man is a machine.

Aaron Rodgers is a extremely talented Quarterback. He knows what he's doing before the defense can eve plan for it. He can find holes in zone defenses and throw to the open man. He's no fluke. If you remember back when Brett Favre was still with the Packers, they had a road game against the Dallas Cowboys in 2007. Favre got injured and Rodgers came in and played better than Favre did in that game.

Three years later, he leads the Packers to 3 road playoff wins in Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago before defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. Then next season, he nearly led his team to an unbeaten season. And no matter how you slice it, Rodgers came to play in that playoff game against The Giants. The only person who came to play with him was Donald Driver. Don't discount Aaron Rodgers.


4. Ben Roethlisberger


This was a tough choice for me here. I was wondering about whether to give this spot to Eli, but what made the choice is the main thing that Quarterbacks need to have: consistency. What separated Big Ben from Eli Manning is that not only is he consistent, but he doesn't use his defense to hide his faults.

Ben's strengths come from extending the play with his feet and arm strength. When he sees there's no option, he takes off and he's pretty difficult to bring down. Also, his accuracy plays a big part in this. Big Ben has a knack, that when he finds his man, he doesn't rush the throw or make dumb mistakes. His delivery is on time and damn near perfect.

Also, Big Ben is a clutch player. He's got a grand total of 27 comeback wins and game winning drives in his entire career, including his Super Bowl winning drive to win him his second ring. Big Ben may not be an ideal Quarterback, but he's got all the traits of a good QB: consistency, accuracy, delivery, and the clutch gene.


5. Eli Manning


I can hear The Giants Fans now: "That's not fair! Eli has TWO rings!"

Calm down and let me explain before you blow a gasket.

Eli Manning has proven to the world that he's a good Quarterback. It's kind of arrogant to not at least have him in the Top 10. What he lacks in mobility in the pocket, he makes up for in finding the open man downfield and hitting them in stride. He's come into his own last season and is definitely a solid Quarterback for the New York Giants.

His faults outweigh his strengths in this case. This is why I put Big Ben over him. The reason being is that Eli is too inconsistent. He'll have a great game against a great team one week, and stink it up against a lesser team the week after, repeat, repeat. He's too inconsistent at times and makes costly mistakes. But he's had the advantage of being sheltered by a very aggressive defense that get to the passer and cost turnovers. When his defense is nowhere to be found, Eli seems to struggle when the pressure is on him. When both sides of the ball are playing well, it's all good. It's easy to look good when you have a defense to back you up, but it's how you play when your defense doesn't show up that accounts to how good you are.


6. Philip Rivers


Philip Rivers suffers from playing on a dying team. Back in the days when the Chargers had L.T., Rivers would throw for a TON  of yards and his team would constantly make the playoffs and win the division. And when L.T. wasn't playing like he used to, Rivers would carry this team on his back and still lead them to the playoffs.

What puts Rivers in this list is that he always seems to lead the league in passing yards. He's been in the Top 3 for passing yards in the league for three years in a row! His only problem is that he has no team around him anymore. He lost L.T., Darren Sproles, Antonio Cromartie, Shawn Merriman, and now Vincent Jackson. Rivers looks like he's going to struggle, but this is why we play the games.


7. Tony Romo


Romo is one of the most underrated Quarterbacks in the league. He's better than most people give him credit for. Let's face it, if not for Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys would be irrelevant. With Romo at the helm, they have a chance to make the playoffs every season. One of Romo's strengths is that he can throw on the run and find receivers downfield with the long ball. His only problem is for some reason, he can't win in December. But despite what people might think Romo is single-handedly keeping the Cowboys relevant. He's going to win the big one someday.


8. Matthew Stafford


Stafford is also a vastly overlooked Quarterback. He's got one hell of a cannon for a throwing arm, mobile in the pocket and is throwing to arguably the best receiver in the league in Calvin Johnson.

His only problem is that he can never stay healthy. Look at what happened to the Lions when Stafford played a full season healthy: They actually made the playoffs. If Stafford can stay healthy, The Lions are a threat not to be taken lightly.


9. Matt Ryan


Matt Ryan took the NFL by storm in 2008 when, as a rookie, Ryan came out and played like he's been in the league for years. The kid was looking off the safeties, throwing in tight windows, and he led his team to the playoffs. In the regular season, Matty Ice is 18-2 at Home, but 9-11 on the road. He's pretty much unbeatable at Home, but mediocre on the road. Also, he's 0-3 in the playoffs. Ryan needs to get over the hump sooner or later. With as much talent as he has on the roster, it should be sooner, but he can't have the advantage of playing at Home all the time. He has shown road improvement, but if he's going to get to that next level, he's got to get better outside of Atlanta, or at least win a playoff game.


10. Matt Schaub


This is another one who can't stay healthy. Schaub has the distinct advantage of throwing to Andre Johnson and handing off to Arian Foster. With Peyton Manning out the AFC South, The Texans are primed to take control of that division for years to come, but only if Schaub can stay healthy. Last season, Schaub was going insane throwing for over 300 yards a game before he got injured. Dare I say, the Texans would've beaten the Ravens if they had Schaub. With a healthy Schaub, Houston is a scary team, but without, they're just another one of "those" teams. You know, average and mediocre.


Looks like Joe Flacco didn't make it. Too bad, so sad.


Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

WrestleMania 28 Reaction!!!

Another WrestleMania in the books! This was hyped as the Greatest WrestleMania of all-time and they sure delivered. This will most likely go down as one of the best WrestleManias ever, but with every positive, there is a negative. Let's go down the line of what I liked and didn't like about the show.

All the hype and all the fanfare brought us to this moment. The Rock vs John Cena. Well, let me say this match delivered on all levels: Excitement, atmosphere, and even a damn good match.

The concerts beforehand I thought were pretty good. It set the tone before each superstar's entrance. Although I find MGK to be dreadful, that's a point for another time. But as expected, the fans booed Cena and cheered for The Rock heavily.

Once the bell rang, the pop that the fans let out said it all. It was a match that was booked a year in adavance we were finally ready to witness it. That being said, the match started out slow and methodical, and the pace was picked up. The Rock showed that he still got it in the ring, but what was better is that Cena was looking better every step of the way. Rock made Cena look pretty damn good in this one and vice versa.

People are gonna say that Rock winning makes no sense, but when you really look at the big picture, it does make sense. Cena's suffered bigger loses than this. He's lost at WrestleMania twice before as a matter of fact. His career is so HUGE, that losses like this don't affect his career because he's still going to be wrestling until he can't do it anymore. Cena doesn't lose a thing from this loss, despite what people may believe. So, please take that noise somewhere else. WWE was set on making The Rock the biggest superstar ever and they gave him the win. It's confusing, but it's business. If anything, it makes Cena look better and he gained a hell of a lot of respect from me because he showed he can compete with The Rock on the big stage.

This match gets 5 Stars from me. All the hype and all the buildup was worth it. This match delivered in every way, shape, and form. Hats off to both men.

The last Hell in a Cell match was at WrestleMania 15 and it was horrible. THIS Hell in a Cell Match was the best match of the night. The story that was told, the passion, the fire, the energy in this match, all of this made it match of the night, maybe the year so far.

Let's start with entrances. Triple H was rockin, but Undertaker's was better. It may be the same old Undertaker entrance, but what made it was Taker's costume. We're already off to a great start. And I was expecting a disaster with Taker's hair, but it was actually pretty cool. I actually prefer it to his long hair a tad. Also, having JR call this match was a plus. If only we could have him back full time. *sigh*

Onto the match. These two are obviously past their prime so the match started a bit fast, and then slowed down. It picked up later and that's when we got to the meat of the matter. The storytelling in this was fantastic. HBK's constant taking of the chair away from HHH telling him to cool it. The match REALLY got turned up to a whole other level when HBK kicked Taker in the face and he turned around right into a Pedigree! After that chain of events, I thought it was over. But it wasn't. Freaking Amazing way to build suspense. Then towards the end, Undertaker started gaining new life. It started when he stepped on Triple H's hand preventing him from using the sledgehammer. And then Taker started dominating the ending of the match. When Triple H realized he couldn't go anymore, Undertaker ended it and went to 20-0.

And then, a great deal of respect was shown after the match and then all three of them standing at the top of the ramp truly was the End of an Era. Maybe we'll never see Taker and HHH wrestle again. If they truly are done, this was a superb way to go out. Great match, great ending, great aftermath. 5 Stars and more and best match of the night. Nothing even came remotely close.

Best in the World vs Best in the World. Loved the match, HATED the placement.

Let's be honest, this match was put in the wrong place. It went on right BEFORE Rock vs Cena. Which means nobody gave a damn about it because they were anticipating Rock vs Cena because it was the next match. Not only that but it came right after Hell in a Cell pretty much. The pace was slow, methodical, and a great technical wrestling match. I enjoyed the match, I just hated the fact that they had to put it right before Rock and Cena. I can tell throughout the match the fans weren't interested because they knew Rock and Cena were next. It should've been on much earlier. Sticking it between Hell in a Cell and Rock vs Cena did this match no justice.

How I would've done it was: IC Title, Orton/Kane, Punk/Jericho, Divas Match, Hell in a Cell, Team Long vs Team Johnny, Bryan/Sheamus, Rock/Cena. 

Punk and Jericho had a great match, and nobody will probably even remember it. Shameful.

Anyway, I don't think the feud between Punk and Jericho is over. Jericho is definitely going to want to some retribution. There were points in the match where I thought Jericho was going to win. More specifically that amazing spot where he reveresed Punk's  Hurricanrana into the Walls of Jericho. Punk and Jericho was a great match. I enjoyed it. Can't say the same for other people though.

I don't even know where, or how to begin with this match. I don't even think you can call it a match. It was 18 SECONDS LONG! Please excuse me while I rant.

So, all the time invested in Daniel Bryan really meant nothing? The man was the top heel on SmackDown and got over with the crowd so well. His character got great reactions and he improved on his promos. Sheamus was built as the strong face heading into Mania and the Royal Rumble Winner, but holy hell! Daniel Bryan turned around, got kicked in the face and that was it. I have no idea why that was the opener and why they disrespected the World Heavyweight Championship and Daniel Bryan in that manner. Last year at WrestleMania, Bryan and Sheamus don't even make the card, and this year not only are they the opener, but they get an 18 second match. Ridiculous.

I wonder where Daniel Bryan goes from here. The man lost in 18 seconds. I'm interested in Sheamus' reign as World Champion, but more interested in seeing where Bryan does after this.

At first I didn't get this decision, but I now I understand.

They made it too obvious that Show was going to win that it came to a point where you actually thought there was a chance that he might lose. But looking at the bigger picture here, I understand the story and why they gave Show the title.

First of all, what happens to a guy that runs his mouth and angers a Giant? Eventually, he gets what's coming to him. And that's what they did. Also, this win not only gives Show his first one-on-one win at WrestleMania, but with this win, he's now officially held EVERY single title there is to hold in the WWE. Proud of Show.

The match was pretty much how I expected. Rhodes stalled, Show dominated, Rhodes got in a little bit of offense, and Show put him away. Start to finish, it was what I expected. Well, except for the outcome of course. But what happens to Rhodes now? Does he move on to Main Event status now, or does he go back to Big Show?

The 12 Man Tag Team Match went on as planned. It was good, entertaining filler.

The match was nothing spectacular, but everybody got in some action and it seemed to flow very well. Nothing much to say after that.

The way it ended caught me by surprise. I didn't know Eve was gonna get involved and cost Team Teddy the match. And good for The Miz to get the pin. This was something he needed to get some momentum back. He got the pin for Team Johnny and Teddy is gone.

I'm sure this feud isn't over by a long shot, but for tonight, Johnny controls RAW and SmackDown, and Eve turned on Ryder......again.

Orton and Kane had a good match, and Kane won. o_O

This match played out looking like it was supposed to be a technical match, but that's not  a vibe that went well with this match. It was supposed to be a brawl type of match. Nonetheless, I actually enjoyed the match a lot. I just didn't think they were gonna go in that direction with it.

Kane getting the win is surprising. I would think that Orton would get the win here, but I guess they're taking this angle into a different direction. Or maybe this is the end of the angle. Who knows?

Kane's top rope chokeslam was pretty cool though.

The Divas match was actually.....pretty good.

It's sad that this match got more time than the World Title and IC Title matches combined, but I digress.

Maria looked pretty good in there for a woman with two broken ribs, but you could tell at the end they were bothering her. This was a good match with Kelly Kelly carrying most of it. A win for the face Divas team isn't all that surprising.


Overall, WrestleMania 28 surpassed last year's WrestleMania by leaps and bounds. This will definitely go down as one of the greatest of all-time. Simply put. Great show, I'd love to watch it again as a matter of fact. I can't wait for RAW! Well done, Mr. McMahon. Amazing show.

Feel free to Comment.


By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

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