Strike Three

Last night, I settled in to watch Raw as I usually do. After a bit of the same ol', same ol', I was starting to grow a little annoyed. At some point in the show, they announced a tournament to determine who would get the title match with Randy Orton at Night Of Champions.

As soon as I saw the brackets, my stomach sunk.

Miz vs Cena and HHH vs MVP.

I just couldn't imagine any other possible outcome. Sure, I hoped for it. The idea of a Miz/HHH or MVP/Cena match or god forbid, MVP/Miz match seemed intriguing and something that I'd be interested in seeing. My thought was that it benefited no one to see Cena vs HHH next week nor either of those guys in ANOTHER title match with Orton.

Then the first match happened and Miz lost. And I grew even more annoyed. The Miz/HHH option seemed far more likely to me than a Cena/MVP match. I immediately assumed the worst.

And not long after, I was proved correct. Cena vs HHH for the title shot.

That's bad, right? But somehow it got worse.

They announced a fifteen wrestler trade with five new superstars going to each show. Then they announced three of those guys would face Orton in the Main Event in a gauntlet match.

My immediate thought was "what a waste." Why book a gauntlet match when you essentially have no choice but to piss away the debuts of three new competitors since winning a gauntlet match gets you nothing and losing is a joke?

Then the wrestlers came out...

Evan Bourne - one of the most popular new superstars they've stumbled onto in years. They've handled him poorly for months and then decide the best way to book his Raw debut is to lose to Orton - a "badly beaten and hurting" Orton at that.

Jack Swagger - well, at least Swagger got to just walk out but... why? Is he going to get in Legacy? If he does, is he just another flunky for Orton? I'd buy into Swagger as the cocky kid who gets better and better and better and then surpasses Orton as the leader of Legacy. But I doubt that's happening.

And then... Mark Henry. Okay, I like Mark Henry. But I'm not feeling Mark Henry as a face at all. And that's how they positioned him.

Look, I'm not in favor of this gauntlet match at all but if you had to do it...

Henry comes out first, just destroys Orton with power moves, and somehow gets himself DQd when it looked pretty obvious he was going to win. Swagger refuses to take a win over a beaten up Orton, saying he'll see the champ when he's 100%. Bourne, of course, gets the win. It doesn't do much since he's beating a badly beaten champ but you get footage of Bourne beating Orton and send the crowd home happy.

Is it really that tough?

And the HHH/Cena thing? Fuck that. I'm so irritated at The Miz's run getting the legs cut out from under it.

I've made a decision!

When I was dreading Cena/HHH being the winners of their matches, I mentally told myself that I should stop watching if that happens...

...and so I shall!

For the first time in years, when Monday Night Raw hits the airwaves next Monday, I won't be watching it. I'd like to see Ted DiBiase as the "guest host" but I just don't care about the rest of the show. I'll probably still watch ECW and Smackdown - maybe even Superstars. But Raw will lose me a viewer...

...for one month! In true old school wrestling fashion, I am leaving Raw for 30 days with the hope that when I see it once again, things will be different.

I hope.

A Shocker

I had every intention of writing a little bit about The Brothers Bloom since we went and saw it tonight (excellent flick, by the by) but while we were at dinner, something came across my Google Reader that made my jaw drop. Apparently I gasped when I read it and startled the Missus.

Mitsuharu Misawa died last night.

The majority of people reading this probably have no idea who that is but suffice to say that if you're a wrestling fan, you know that it's a sad day for the business as one of the all-time greats has fallen.

But deaths in this business aren't usually so shocking. Misawa died in the ring in mid-match. He took a back suplex from an opponent and went into cardiac arrest. They performed CPR in the ring but there was nothing to be done. Misawa who had survived so many lethal looking moves through his career had died inside the squared circle.

Words can't do justice what an amazing in-ring performer this guy was. Soooooo...

Quick Mania Thoughts

I'll probably feel like going into detail a little more tomorrow or the next day but some quick thoughts...

** Michaels/Taker was all that I thought it would be and then some. They held nothing back and laid it all on the line. The building was absolutely electric throughout the whole match and that was certainly the match everyone had come to see. Nothing else came close.

** MITB was a lot of fun as usual with Shelton and Kofi bringing the insanity. Punk winning was a bit of a surprise and I was REALLY hoping he'd use the case tonight. Ah well.

** Whoever booked the finish of HHH/Orton should be future endeavored. I can not think of a worse possible "clean" finish than that. Absolutely terrible.

** STEAMBOAT~!

** If I'm Miz and Morrison tonight, I'm extremely pissed off. Two of the men who were consistently the most entertaining throughout the entire year and they don't even merit a match on the show? Bullshit. On the same topic, no one wanted to see Kid Rock... don't get that one at all. And after seeing Mickey Rourke milk his entrance to the ring, I think I'm pretty happy the Rourke/Jericho match didn't go down as planned.

That'll do for now. Overall, my initial impression was that it was a good Mania and could've been a great one if the match order had been shuffled slightly and with a few key changes.

Top 25 Friday: A Wrestlemania Edition (part 2)

Alright, alright, alright! Let's finish this!

Wrestlemania XIV
I really wish I could remember the Shamrock/Rock and Dumpster Match a little better but absent that, I'm going to have to assume that Austin/Michaels was my favorite match on the show. The interesting thing about that one in retrospect was just how amazing it was considering what condition HBK was in that night with the back injury. The other interesting thing is the long-time story that Shawn started to balk about losing to Austin the day of the match and Taker had to pay him a visit, firmly telling him that he WOULD be "doing the job" all the while taping his fists. Yep. I'd be convinced.

Wrestlemania XV
Man, that lineup looks horrid. I don't know if anything on that show would have been watching except the Main Event. I remember the Hell In The Cell being awful. A couple of DQs in key matches doesn't help. This was at the heart of the Russo Era so I can recall the Hardcore and IC Titles being switched like... the week before the show, killing all the buildup for both matches. Weird. Let's just assume Austin vs The Rock was the only thing worth a damn at all although I bet Shane vs X-Pac was fun too.

Wrestlemania 2000
The one and only Wrestlemania that I was able to attend in person and it's widely remembered as one of the worst Manias ever. Sigh. Just my luck. Everyone, of course, remembers the Main Event as it was one of the only times the show ended with a heel triumphing - just killing the crowd. I recall the IC Title Match being pretty solid but without a doubt, the show-stealer that day in Anaheim was the Tables and Ladders match with Edge/Christian vs The Dudleys vs the Hardys. This was the precursor to the TLC match and it did a damn fine job of setting the bar. I remember cringing and roaring with every nutty spot and being absolutely stunned when my brother-in-law's girlfriend decided to go outside to smoke in the middle of that match. Ahhh, good times.

Wrestlemania X-7
Damn it! One year removed from one of the worst Manias, they knock it out of the park with arguably the best top to bottom show in Mania history. There is very little on this show that wasn't absolutely awesome. Even stuff like the Hardcore, IC, and Euro Title matches at the bottom of the card were fun. There's so many choices here but I think I've got to go with the TLC match. That hanging spear by Edge still is one of my favorite spots in wrestling history and it had just the right amount of craziness with Lita, Spike, and Rhyno getting involved. Just a fantastically fun match that I could watch over and over easily.

Wrestlemania X8
Another really fun show where the Main Event was completely blown away by an undercard match [or two.] I really want to pick Taker/Flair here because my memory of that awesome Arn Anderson spinebuster out of nowhere is so damn vivid.



But in the end, I've gotta go with that amazing Hogan/Rock match. It was just surreal to see with Rocky riding such a huge wave of popularity - he got booed! And the hated Hollywood Hogan, for at least that night, was the hero of the masses one more time. The match itself is nothing fantastic but the atmosphere makes this one a must-see.

Wrestlemania XIX
Oddly, I barely remember this show. There are certain things I remember - Brock botching the SSP, Piper interfering in Hogan vs Vince, Triple H going over Booker after all signs pointed the other direction. But my brain won't process if any of those were great. But I seem to recall HBK vs Jericho being amazing. I'm going with that one.

Wrestlemania XX
Goldberg vs Brock! Just kidding. Man, how bad did that match end up being? This is one of those shows a lot of people have gone out of there way to avoid talking about in the hype leading up to tomorrow's show. Why? Chris Benoit. A lot of people still aren't able to face the fact that they were once entertained by a murderer. I've chosen to try and separate the athlete from the person... key word is "try" because it's a difficult thing to do and I'm not always successful. The three-way with HHH, Benoit, and HBK was easily the best match on this show. I can vividly recall screaming at the television for HHH to tap out and being so elated when he did. Plus, you get the post-match embrace with Eddie and Benoit and it's just a money, money shot. The hard thing to separate on this one is that part of the reason you wanted Benoit to win so badly was because he seemed like a good person who just always got the shaft. FYI, at Booker T's fanfest this weekend, there was going to be a presentation about the Benoit situation where they talked about some of the results of the brain exam they've done on him after the fact. Should be interesting.

Wrestlemania 21
I don't remember being wowed by HHH/Batista and I recall Rey/Eddie being disappointing. That leaves MITB, Taker/Orton, and Angle/HBK. I'm actually going with Taker/Orton although my brain recalls Angle/HBK being outstanding. Taker/Orton had something special to it because for the first time in quite a while, you actually could believe The Streak might end that night. So, on all the near falls, there was a little something extra. The RKO Spot off the chokeslam was amazing. The Cowboy Bob interference was golden. And all of this was before Orton got REALLY good. My new wishlist for Mania Taker matches? John Cena and Randy Orton. Both of those guys would look to have SUCH a legit chance to end The Streak, the place would be coming unglued on every near fall. BOOK IT!



Wrestlemania 22
It'd be easy to go with the really good Cena/HHH Main Event or the very memorable Shawn vs Vince No Holds Barred match but in the end, you've got to pick Mick Foley's Wrestlemania Moment. Foley vs Edge in a hardcore match was EASILY the best hardcore match that Wrestlemania has ever seen and it rivals TLC for the best gimmick match in Mania history. They pulled out all the stops... who the hell would have imagined a flaming table at a Wrestlemania? Completely and totally my favorite match on the show.



Wrestlemania 23
The 20 year anniversary of Mania 3 should have had the Hogan/Big Show showdown. I don't care what anyone says - it really would've added something special to the show. Not to say it wasn't filled with special stuff. Vince getting his head shaved was very cool for one thing. But I've got to go with Cena vs Michaels as the best match on the show.

Wrestlemania 24
Gee, I wonder. There was one match that was destined to steal the show on this night and it did exactly that. Ric Flair. Shawn Michaels. Can it end any other way?



And that's that!

But "wait!" you cry - that's only 24 matches!

It certainly is. But now, I'm going to pick the match most likely to join this list in a little over 24 hours.

Shawn Michaels.

Undertaker.

Mark it down!

For the record, if we look back at the list, MY Mr. Wrestlemania results...

Honorable Mention:
Ultimate Warrior, Roddy Piper, Steve Austin, The Rock, Christian, The Hardys, The Dudleys

5. Edge
4. Bret Hart
3. Hulk Hogan
2. Randy Savage

And the one and only Mr. Wrestlemania...

1. Shawn Michaels!

If I get time before the show tomorrow, I'm going to pop back in and do a little fantasy booking 'cause that's how I roll.

Top 25 Friday: A Wrestlemania Edition (part 1)

In honor of this weekend's big show, I thought I'd do a rundown of 'Mania past. Keep in mind that this list would probably change weekly... maybe even daily... but I went through each 'Mania and selected my favorite match from that show. Not necessarily the best match but my favorite. Also keep in mind that I haven't seen some of these shows in ages and I'm going off an admittedly dusty memory.

Enjoy!

Wrestlemania I
Honestly, with all the history behind it - Wrestlemania I didn't have very many matches to be all that nostalgic about. In fact, there were quite a few stinkers. But if I had to pick one, I'll go with the crazy spectacle that was the Main Event. Hulk Hogan & Mr. T teaming against Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff. You had Snuka in one corner and Cowboy Bob in the other. You had Ali outside the ring as a guest ref. There was Billy Martin and Liberace and the Rockettes. It truly was a WWF/E scene to remember.

Wrestlemania II
The match quality in the second 'Mania increased a bit even though the "feel" of the event was a bit off since it was broadcast from three separate arenas. While the Steel Cage Main Event of Hogan and Bundy was memorable for a couple of reasons - a] it was the only traditional cage match in 'Mania history [although I thought that was where Orton/HHH was heading a few weeks ago] and b] it was the blowoff to the nice little feud that started when Bundy busted up Hogan's ribs. It's also notable because I vividly remember seeing the results in my local paper the next morning with a picture of Hogan on the ropes booting Bundy in the chest. But even with all that nostalgia, my favorite match of the night has to be the Bulldogs winning the tag titles from Valentine and Beefcake. Even as a kid, I knew the Bulldogs were something special but I didn't quite realize how ahead of their time they were for several years to come.

Wrestlemania III
Now THIS is historic. This is the first Pay Per View I ever ordered and we didn't even get it at my house. My Aunts had to order it for me at their house while my grandpa dragged us out to Palm Springs to see the Angels vs the Red Sox in a spring training game. I didn't get to watch the tape until a week or two later although I couldn't resist sneaking a peek at the results in the newspaper the next day. I LOVE just about every match on the WM3 card so I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite but if forced to, I have to forgo the epic encounter between Hogan and Andre and go for one of the greatest matches of all time in Steamboat vs Savage. That was the match that made me realize there was more to wrestling than Hulk Hogan style matches. I was already starting to be convinced by the Crockett NWA shows and this just was the icing on the cake.

Wrestlemania IV
Ugh. This wasn't a good show. It was probably more memorable for the matches we DIDN'T get to see in the tourney like Steamboat/Savage II rather than the ones that we did. In the end, I guess I'd pick Savage vs DiBiase but even that wasn't anything I'm dying to revisit anytime soon.

Wrestlemania V
Alright, I'll admit it. I was a sucker for the Megapowers and their blowup. I was so anti-Savage that I'm surprised I didn't try to burn my Macho Man t-shirt - yes, I had that purple/pinkish shirt and wore it proudly to a house show that year with a Savage/Honky Tonk cage Main Event. So, Hogan vs Savage in the Main Event with Liz in neither man's corner? I'm sold. It didn't hurt that was a hell of a match to boot.

Wrestlemania VI
This one's kind of a no-brainer as I can only recall one match on the show being any good at all. Hogan vs Warrior was a million times better than it had any right to be and Pat Patterson is cemented in my mind as a wrestling genius because of it. And yes, I was rooting for Hogan in this one and to this day will slow-mo that three count at the end because damn it, Hogan got the shoulder up!

Wrestlemania VII
Well, it's definitely not the Hogan/Slaughter Main Event that suffers the indignity of being the only Main Event in 'Mania history to actually PUT ME TO SLEEP while watching it live. Incredible. No, the easy winner on this one was the magnificent Warrior/Savage "retirement match." My god, I didn't think it was possible to drag a better match out of Warrior than Hogan had a year prior but Savage did it and did it with style. Everything about that match is just golden from the Warrior's amazing jacket he wore to the ring that my friend Brian and I insisted we'd wear to school if we owned it to the surprise appearance of Elizabeth to the multiple flying elbows to the tearful reunion. Absolutely magnificent.

Wrestlemania VIII
Sadly, Wrestlemania VIII will always be remembered more for the match we didn't get - Hogan vs Flair - tan either of the really good matches we did get. I think I'd put Hart vs Piper a notch above Savage/Flair on that one. While Savage/Flair had that really great Liz angle going, Hart vs Piper just played out so beautifully. That spot where Piper is going to crown him with the bell and then tosses it aside because he doesn't want to win that way? Gets me every time.

Wrestlemania IX
This is one of the only Wrestlemanias that I can honestly say it took me years to actually see and I have very little recall of the show at all. I DO remember sitting at home "watching" it on Scramblevision and WTFng my head off during the Hogan post-match angle in the Main Event. But if I have to pick a match... uhhh... well... I seem to remember the Steiners vs the Headshrinkers being nutty. I don't really know though. Probably the Mania I've seen the least amount of times.

Wrestlemania X
This is really a two match show and you always see very split opinions as to which match was better. While I love Bret/Owen, I'm going with the ladder match simply because at the time, I hadn't seen anything like it and was absolutely amazed at the things those two men were doing to each other with that ladder. That was a star-making performance for both of those guys that night at MSG.

Wrestlemania XI
Weird 'Mania. There's not much to be excited about on this one since the I Quit match with Bret and Backlund was a turkey after it looked so awesome on paper. Diesel and HBK was solid as well but truth be told, I've got to go with the LT/Bigelow match. I just had absolutely zero hope of it being any good going in but in true WWE spectacle fashion, they "worked it out, dawg" into something very memorable.

Wrestlemania XII
Probably the 'Mania I've seen the second least amount of times. It was a long time before I ever saw this one either as I had a lot going on at the time and just never got around to seeing it for quite a while. I know that HBK/Bret takes a lot of heat for not being a very good Iron Man match but I remember liking it when I saw it. I'd definitely put it above anything else on this show which is generally considered notable because it had the Mania debuts of Austin and HHH.

Wrestlemania XIII
This is actually a show that I like quite a bit and I think it's more than the one match show most people see it as. I dug a handful of matches including HHH/Goldust as well as the Chicago Street Fight but in the end, it is without question Austin/Hart that takes the win. It's right up there in the list of the very best Mania matches of all time so it's an easy choice for this one.

I'll end Part 1 of this right here and pick up with Part 2 in the morning...

Ongoing 2009 Match Of The Year Blog

Welp, scratch that one. The angle continues though so I'll hold out hope for the classic.

Rey/Miz wasn't bad either. Not a MOTYC but it was okay.

Ongoing 2009 Match Of The Year Blog

So, I watched ECW this morning on the DVR.

Hardy/Henry was okay but fairly dull. The women's match was surprisingly decent. It's nice to see some women in the ring that don't usually get the chance. Boogeyman did his schtick and I didn't care.

BUT... there was a saving grace.

Jack Swagger vs Fit Finlay opened the show and had one hell of a match. Finlay was perfect as the tough-as-nails brawling veteran trying to outlast the up-and-coming arrogant youngster. Swagger worked Finlay's arm about as well as I've seen on WWE TV in a long, long while. There were some nice near falls sprinkled throughout and even your standard Hornswoggle comedy spot worked because Swagger got over on him right after it. They gave enough hope spots to make you think Finlay might take it but Swagger pulled it off in the end with a nice counter turned into the gutwrench powerbomb.

It was a fun as hell television match that I enjoyed a lot.

But was it a Match of the Year candidate? I've gone back and forth on that all day as I really liked it...

But... I think if I set the bar that low right away, I might be adding a lot of matches to this list throughout the year. I'm going to keep it on the DVR for a few more days while I think some more about it but right now, I'm leaning against it.

I also watched TNA Impact from last week... but fell asleep so I'm hoping I didn't miss anything of value. Sounds like there was a couple of matches on the TNA PPV from last night worth watching so I may need to check those out at some point.

But for now... Punk vs Regal is about to start. I've got high hopes for this one so I need to give it my attention!

Ongoing 2009 Match Of The Year Blog

I've always been jealous of those pro wrestling writer/fans that seem to have total recall over every match they've seen in a year when it comes time to pick the Match of the Year. And last year, I saw a great idea where someone actually kept an ongoing post where they picked their top matches of the year in order as they saw them.

Thus, I shall attempt to do the same this year.

So, I watched the January 2nd Smackdown and saw nothing that was horribly offensive yet nothing that was really MOTY-worthy either. I started watching Raw from 1/5 a couple of days ago and set out to finish it this morning.

To me, to be considered for this list, it has to meet two requirements:
1] I have to feel immediately after the match is over like I would really want to watch the match again in the future. I have to feel the motivation to drag a blank DVD out and record the match for my future viewing.
2] I have to feel like I'll remember the match in a week.

I went into Raw with some high hopes as they had announced Punk vs Regal and Kofi/Rey vs Miz/Morrison. Punk/Regal turned into a screwjob for the angle's sake to set up a rematch next week - I'm cool with that. The tag match was a lot of fun with a great extended beatdown on Kofi's leg. Kofi played a great face in peril but the hot tag left a lot to be desired to me although I dug Rey's moonsault armdrag muchly. The finish was awesome even though it was botched a bit and had to have Morrison crawl across the ring to put himself in 619 position. But Rey Rey going for the springboard and getting hit with the move Morrison calls the "Chuck Norris?" Golden.

Unfortunately though, I think I'm likely to forget the match very quickly. And to be honest, I'm not sure I'd actually want to rewatch it at some point either. So, while a solid TV match that I enjoyed, it's not making the list.

The Main Event did absolutely nothing for me. The intrigue over what HBK would do tried to carry it but I just wasn't feeling it.

So, we're 0 for 2009 so far with viewings of ECW and TNA still on deck.

Are You Tougher Than A First Grader?

DUDE! This kid is awesome.

The Tingle

I said a week or so ago that Wrestlemania this year didn't have the feel yet. It didn't have "the buzz."

Now, with hours to go, I've got the tingle. The feeling of anticipation. The hype going through the roof. The knowledge that we're just hours away from the once a year extravaganza.

It's slowly been building over the past week but sometime in the past two days, I just felt it. I could feel the tingle and knew I was ready for the biggest spectacle in "sports entertainment."

And with the tingle going strong, that leaves only one thing left to do.

PREDICTIONS AND FANTASY BOOKING!

Let 'er rip!

ECW TITLE BATTLE ROYAL
Lots of big bodies in there. Not too many that they'd want to put on PPV. With the outdoor setting, I gotta imagine the effects guys are going crazy with what they could do with Kane's entrance.
SHOULD BE: Kane - someone around that long deserves the big PPV bonus. My runner-up in a "he deserves better than he's gotten" is Stevie Richards.
WILL BE: Kane - gotta imagine they want the fire entrance on PPV and he's really the only guy they can put in with Chavo at Mania and have the crowd care.

ECW TITLE MATCH - Chavo Guerrero vs Kane
This seems like a good time to go away from the pretty bad Chavo push. Kane as the ECW champ doesn't do much for me but it might draw a few more eyeballs to ECW and at minimum, would seem to put the ECW Title on a higher level than it currently is.
SHOULD BE: Kane - not much left to do with Chavo in that spot
WILL BE: Kane - big men = ratings in Vince's mind

BUNNYMANIA - Ashley/Maria vs Beth Phoenix/Melina
I'm not about to go back and look but has the Playboy cover girl ever lost her Mania match? Ideally, this match is used to have someone pin Beth to set her up for a title shot. But Ashley and Maria aren't what I'd have in mind for that. Maybe a Mickie James interference? They kinda went away from that angle though. This match would've been a hundred times better if Lawler was on the face side and Santino was with the heels in the ring.
SHOULD BE: Ashley/Maria with outside help from someone ready to go for the title
WILL BE: Ashley/Maria with lots of bad wrestling and Snoop Dogg getting to lay out Santino.

BELFAST BRAWL - Finlay vs JBL
How do you not have the avenging father win here? Expect a Hornswoggle return to help Finlay... maybe. I saw somewhere online someone suggest the idea that Hornswoggle turn on Finlay because he's mad that Finlay never told him that he was his father... that he used him to embarrass Vince, etc. I'm not opposed to that idea but I just don't know where that goes. Hornswoggle with JBL? Hornswoggle with Vince? Actually, JBL playing Raven to Finlay's Sandman with Hornswoggle as Tyler would be pretty cool. Hornswoggle throwing little Clotheslines From Hell. Hrmm... I like it!
SHOULD BE: JBL wins with Hornswoggle interference to further the feud because I could watch JBL and Finlay face off for months.
WILL BE: Finlay wins with Hornswoggle interference

Batista vs Umaga
I think this match is going to be far cooler than anyone expects. Umaga is amazingly good and gets so little credit for it. I expect this one to be a potential show stealer if given the time and latitude.
SHOULD BE: Umaga wins through some nefarious means. Batista attacks him the next night on Raw. Raw trades Umaga/London/Kendrick to Smackdown for the returning Matt Hardy and a player to be named later.
WILL BE: Batista wins to give Smackdown a cookie

MONEY IN THE BANK
My dream booking of this has Matt Hardy run in right after the bell and start participating in the match. He goes straight for MVP and stays on MVP for most of the match. Security tries to force him out from time to time, but he keeps breaking free and re-joining the fray. Have him do some of the Jeff spots to pop the crowd.
SHOULD BE: A returning Matt Hardy to the push of a lifetime.
WILL BE: MVP [which is my backup "SHOULD BE" if Matt Hardy's not in the cards]

BIG SHOW VS MAYWEATHER
This could be spectacular or it could be a spectacular trainwreck. Basically, this match has become two heels squaring off and I just don't know what you do with that. My gut says they convinced Mayweather to lose to Show. I expect chaos, wild brawling, and a chokeslam. The only thing that sticks in my craw is Mayweather's people hyping a big swerve that no one will see coming. I just can't figure out what that would be.
SHOULD BE: Big Show - you don't pay all that money to bring the Show back and have him lose to someone three times smaller than him
WILL BE: Double DQ - I could see it getting thrown out with Floyd's posse hits the ring and some of the unused WWE guys on the show charge in to brawl with them.

WORLD TITLE MATCH - Edge vs Undertaker
I don't think anyone envisions a scenario where Edge wins this. It's interesting because so many people were picking Orton to beat Taker a few years ago because Orton "Was the future of the WWE." Isn't Edge closer to the future of the WWE than Orton is yet no one is picking Edge at all?
SHOULD BE: Taker
WILL BE: Taker

RIC FLAIR VS SHAWN MICHAELS
I just can't pick against Flair. It just seems wrong that Flair's career is going to end in such a foregone conclusion. Of all the predictions on the Internet, almost no one is picking Flair to win. It's just not right.
SHOULD BE: Ric Flair wins... and then retires in a tearful speech, saying beating Shawn Michaels on the biggest stage of them all is as good as it gets and he wants this night to live forever.
WILL BE: Flair goes out on his back and we all cry

WWE Title Match - Randy Orton vs Triple H vs John Cena
Triple H doesn't need the title and there's really no matches I'm dying to see him in with it. John Cena doesn't need the title and there's really no matches I'm dying to see him in with it. Randy Orton has been treated as an afterthought in this whole angle and deserves to sneak out the victory. So, imagine Orton sneaking in an RKO on Cena and getting the win. The crowd is stunned. Orton's music is playing as the show appears to be over. And here comes Matt Hardy, MITB case in hand. Matt grabs the mic, says this one is for Jeff... short five minutes match... Twist of Fate puts the gold on Matt Hardy and the place goes nutty as the show ends. Now _that's_ a finish.
SHOULD BE: Randy Orton leading to Matt Hardy winning the title
WILL BE: Triple H gets the gold back

And that's that.

See you tomorrow for a special MLB Opening Day post!

IT'S THE YEH-TAY!

For the next time someone tells you the WWE in 2008 is ridiculous...

WCW - Yeti à Halloween Havoc 95
Uploaded by scandy

Holy christ!

The title of this post was my exact comment when I saw this picture. This is a post-match photo of a Japanese wrestler named "RG" after a run-in with Japanese wrestling legend Toshiaki Kawada. Kawada, obviously, is known for being one of the hardest hitting guys in the business.

Next time you're play-chopping someone and yelling "WOOOOO!" think fondly of Mr. Kawada or he may show up at your house and do this to you.