Is It Time to Stop Complaining about Jericho's Treatment?

With the spoilery news I posted earlier today, all the catcalls started to come out about the way the WWE treats Chris Jericho. Another short title reign, they say. They had to have him lose to Jack Swagger, they say. Then, this footage shows up:



It's Triple H doing a half-assed superkick on Jericho after RAW went off the air, humiliating the then-World Champion in front of the live audience. More catcalls come out. It's Triple H playing politics again! Will they never let Chris Jericho grow and get over for himself?

Now, I am the world's biggest Jerichoholic. I blindly defend Jericho sometimes to the point of devotion, yet I'm not on board with any of the latest round of criticisms. You know why? Because I don't think Jericho is being treated that bad. Yes, there was a time where I scrutinized every move the WWE made vis a vis Jericho and tried to read something more into it. Most of the time, it was deserved. I mean for crying out loud, the guy was picking up dogshit when he was the Undisputed Champion while the crux of the feud was on a real life married couple going through fake marital issues.

Now though? Not so much. I honestly think people reading too much into the WWE's treatment of Jericho are wearing their mark hats a little too tightly. Ever since entering into (and really dominating) his feud with Shawn Michaels last year, Chris Jericho has been treated as well as anyone could ever be treated. Firstly, he was able to punch Michaels' wife in the face with little-to-no comeuppance. Think about it, if that were back in the day, Jericho would have been made to tap out for three months after the incident. He basically made Shawn Michaels his bitch in kayfabe... who else has been able to get that kind of storyline treatment? Even in recent memory, only Undertaker really comes close, and both their matches were WrestleMania classics where the storyline wasn't really much about comeuppance but about competition.

Secondly, he's been given big amounts of exposure, among the most in the company. Last year, Jericho was on Smackdown and RAW regularly. HE even made a couple of appearances on ECW, one of those times to put Christian over. Right now, he's one of the more prominent pros on NXT. You think the sheer amount of time this guy has been on television in the last two years is a sign of a lack of faith? If they didn't believe in him, he wouldn't be on TV. He was the top heel on two brands, and he's been paired with one of the top three guys on NXT.

But then there's the complaint about his latest title reign being a short one. Well, what title reigns in the WWE are all that long any more anyway? Batista's WWE Championship reign was one day shorter than Jericho's, and he's fucking Batista, one of Trips' buddies and a bona fide heat magnet and past draw as a face. Sheamus' title reign of three months is a long reign in today's WWE. Undertaker's recent long title reign might as well have been the modern equivalent to Hogan's year-plus run with the belt from yesteryear. You know what else he got during that short title reign that heels almost never get? A WrestleMania main event-caliber win. Steve Austin, Triple H and Randy Orton the only other heels to walk out of WrestleMania as Champion, and Austin turned heel during the match. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty rarefied company.

And yeah, the Triple H Sweet Chin Music attempt was pitiful and terrible, and it served to humiliate Jericho. But you know who would have seen that had that Youtube never been posted? The people at the arena. If it happens in a dark match, it doesn't happen. It was a treat for the live crowd, an infinitesimal fraction of the entire WWE audience, to follow up on the emotional farewell made by Trips' best friend. It doesn't hurt Jericho any more than him getting speared to end a Smackdown taping would.

There's a reason why the WWE has been easy to watch over the last two years. The best overall performer in the world of wrestling today, Chris Jericho, has been prominently featured across the board. Instead of looking at ways that Jericho has been wronged, we should be sitting back and enjoying his epically entertaining production. If you're a true fan, that's what you're doing right now. Picking up dogshit is a faint memory. The Jericho we have in front of us right now is not only appreciated by his Jerichoholics, he's appreciated by the people for whom he works as well.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

The Best Moves Ever: The Doctor Bomb

In honor of today's spoiler, here's the All-American American's finishing move, only done by its innovator, the late, great "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. Love the gutwrench powerbomb, or as puro geeks know it, the Doctor Bomb.

HYOOOOOGE Smackdown Spoiler

A picture is worth a thousand words

I think Smackdown just became must-see, don't you?

Wrestling Six Packs: Shawn Michaels Best Post-2000 Matches

Between 1993 and 1997, it was almost inarguable that Shawn Michaels was the best wrestler in America. Okay, you could make arguments for Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Bret Hart or Vader, but Michaels got high marks for his workrate from nearly everyone who followed such things. After he came back in 2002 though, he still wowed crowds despite having lost some of his mobility. Here's a list of my favorite HBK matches from after his comeback, in no particular order.

1. with Triple H vs. Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam 2009

The Degeneration X tag team has had its annoying moments since reforming countless times after HBK's return. However, there's no doubt that Michaels and his best friend Trips have great tag team chemistry as shown in several great matches with Miz and Morrison, JeriShow and here, against Legacy. Everyone knew DX was going over, but the journey to that point was shockingly well done with the rooks being given a lot of credibility in the process.

2. vs. Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XIX

Michaels and Jericho tore the house down in 2008 when had the best feud in wrestling for that calendar year. However, their original match was the event that proved not only did Jericho have better performances in him for the big stage than his stinker in 2000 against HWSNBN and Angle and the year before in an uninspired, deflated match against Triple H where the build included Y2J picking up dog shit, but it proved that yes, Michaels was still Mr. WrestleMania and still could rise to the occasion. Fantastic match. I remember it more fondly now that I've matured a bit and don't care about whether Jericho wins or loses at the PPV anymore.

3. vs. John Cena at WrestleMania XXIII

This was the match that really sold me on John Cena, but it didn't hurt that he was in there with Michaels. The finishing sequence was amazing, and it really put Cena over strong. Fantastic closer match and underrated in the context of history given his three WM matches that followed this one.

4. 2010 Royal Rumble

The Rumble match was awesome for a number of reasons - Edge's return, Punk's tirades between eliminations, Beth Phoenix eliminating Great Khali and then eating a GTS like a Champ. However, HBK provided the big drama in his quest to get that one last match with Undertaker. My jaw dropped when he gave Trips Sweet Chin Music at the time he did. His tirade after his elimination was even better.

5. vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV

I know I dogged this match as being overrated, but it was still good and still one of the two best matches on the card last year. Despite WM 25 being a down card, I thought this match was strong enough that it would have pushed THIS year's WM over the top from solid card to all-time great card. An instant classic and a top five WM match ever.

6. vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI

I had a few matches in mind for this spot. Obviously, the Flair match was drenched with emotion, but really, if the stakes weren't as high in that match and Michaels didn't say "I'm sorry, I love you" before the final SCM, would anyone have thought it to be as good as it was? There were any number of the HBK/Jericho matches in 2008 that could have made it. There were the aforementioned tag matches that I could have gone with, as well as the excellent Cena match from last January.

I went with the second Undertaker match because it had all the emotion of the Flair/HBK match but it was actually a great wrestling match out of that context as well. Yeah, I harped on the moonsault, but whether it was a botch or whether you're one of the ones swearing it was meant to be that way, it still didn't take anything away from the drama. The final sequence was amazing and a fitting end to HBK's career. He knew he was going down, but he still went down irreverent and brash, and it took a move that Taker hadn't done in more than a decade to keep him down (the leaping variant of the Tombstone).

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Bill Simmons' WrestleMania XXVI Running Diary

Courtesy of ESPN.com

For those who don't know Bill Simmons, he's an "every-fan" sports columnist from the Boston area who entrepreneured his way from humble sports blog to national prominence and a gig with ESPN.com. I've been a fan of his for over five years now, although recently, he's started to grate on me a bit. His analyses on baseball or football or when he makes a stupid comparison that really is dumber than all hell can be hit or miss. Hell, I disagreed with him enough after the NFC Championship game to write a response to him that the folks at The 700 Level were gracious enough to publish. However, there are three subjects where I infallibly enjoy whatever he has to write: basketball, his mailbags and pro wrestling.

Simmons isn't a smark like me or the majority of you guys reading this by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, reading this running diary is a refreshing look at the event through the eyes of a casual fan or a "regular" fan so to speak (since I don't doubt Simmons' credentials as a long-time fan and wouldn't put him in the same category as the fugazi trendsters who hopped on in 1998 because the top guy in the company said "ass" a lot). I enjoyed it a lot, even if he got some of his facts wrong. Hopefully you will too.

Instant Feedback: The Heartbreak Kid Has Left the Building

I was never the biggest Shawn Michaels fan. I openly admit that. I've always admired his work, but there were things about him that always rubbed me the wrong way.

That being said, tonight, the WWE has lost one of its all-time greats. The world of wrestling lost one of its all-time greats. Sure, HBK isn't going to go away completely. I don't doubt for a second that he'll be back on the microphone to put Triple H over or to be a guest referee, a guest host or something in an announcing or promotional capacity in the future. But the Shawn Michaels I saw in the last three months, starting with his heartfelt and seemingly genuine reconciliation with Bret Hart made me realize that maybe he's a changed man, that maybe all the bullshit, the Montreal screwjob, the primadonna antics, the rumor that Undertaker had to threaten him with glass glued to his fists to put over Steve Austin... none of that really matters right now. Here's a guy who turned his life around, legit, and poured his entire being into the ring after coming back from career-threatening injury.

Yeah, there are guys who are more mobile than he is right now. Guys more athletic, more charismatic, but is there a guy in the WWE right now who knows how to rise to the occasion? I mean, his moniker of Mr. WrestleMania is not undeserved. From the ladder match against Razor Ramon, the IronMan match, losing the title to Austin, the classic against Chris Jericho and against Kurt Angle, the emotional match with Ric Flair, the passing of the ring general torch to John Cena and these last two years against Undertaker... That's not a commodity that's easily replaced.

I was set to come on here and rant about how Rob Corddry's comedic charm doesn't work in a PG setting or tell you how happy I was to see the Hart Dynasty getting a meaningful angle or wax about how amazingly over Randy Orton is as a face with such little effort from creative, but really, after seeing that final segment, after seeing Shawn Michaels pour his heart out one last time for people who've happily paid his salary and given him their undivided devotion over the years, I can't. Tonight was all about Michaels for a reason. He may not be the greatest of all-time to me, but there's no denying that the WWF/E wouldn't have been the same without him, and it was a richer company for having employed him.

Godspeed, Shawn. Good luck, God bless and Godspeed.

TNA with Three Releases

Courtesy of Dot Net

Consequences Creed and the Nasty Boys have all been released by TNA. The former is not surprising given the absolutely bloated nature of the roster and the little TV time they have to spread around. They need to cut costs, and Creed really wasn't being used. I expect him to matriculate into the indies, although I suppose signing a WWE developmental deal isn't out of the question either. The Nasties are a bit more of a surprise to me because they were Hogan cronies. I'm not weeping for their unemployment though. Their presence on the roster was holding back the more talented Young Bucks/Generation Me from getting TV time, among other teams.

Personally, I expect more releases soon, since from what I'm hearing, TNA is having trouble with expenses and financials. With a roster of nearly 70 wrestlers and again, only two hours of original run TV time a week, yeah, they had better cut a bunch of guys and quick.

WWE.com Exclusive HBK Post Match Vid

Courtesy of WWE.com

Nice little post-match video posted at WWE.com showing Shawn Michaels' walk to the back after his career-ending loss to Undertaker last night. Nothing really Earth-shattering here, but for a fan and for people who appreciate HBK's career, it's really cool. In it, he embraces Ricky Steamboat, his wife, jokess about returning to the WWE as a cable dragger and finishes up talking to his old-friend-turned-bitter-enemy-turned-friend-once-more, Bret Hart. Really, really cool stuff.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

What They're Saying About WrestleMania, Plus Why John Cena's Cooler than Your Favorite Wrestler

Thanks to blog fan KoppoKick for finding that .gif

There's your visual proof of why John Cena is a great guy and deserving of any fame he gets. Not only is he a great wrestler, but he's got a great sense of humor. I ask you, would anyone else pose with his haters? Well, actually, Shawn Michaels would and did last night as well, interacting with the guy who brought the "This match was brought to you by the AARP" sign as he was doing his farewell back up down the aisle. Still, that wasn't nearly as cool as Cena doing this. Anyway, here's what the pundits, talking heads and RILL FANS were saying about last night's Super Bowl of Wrestling:

Chris Shore

The crowd has died…along with my interest in this match. Put the damn sharpshooter on already!

A chair? Really? We need a chair in this match?

It’s over, thank you God. At least we got to see Natty and her awesome rack.

Whatever the official time for that match was, it was at least twice as long as it needed to be.

From Shore's "stream of consciousness" thoughts on the show as they happened. If you couldn't ascertain, it was from the Hart/McMahon match, and I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed the crowd deflation during the match. Complete and total overkill.

Rich Twilling

They did it. Was it as good as last year? Who knows and who cares? It was different and while it had high expectations, it lived up to and exceeded them. I loved it. I'm glad they went with a clean finish because this one was about the two biggest legends in WWE history. They captured the audience and took them on an amazing ride. When it was all said and done, it was almost surprising that Taker won and Shawn lost. That is how great both of them are. Shawn leaving afterwards did not have the same pomp and circumstance as Ric Flair did two years ago, but it had even more emotion and meaning to it.

Well, in retrospect, the Flair match doesn't have any meaning to it because he's busy blading his forehead every other Monday and Tuesday doing TNA Impact. At the time though, the Flair aftermath felt special, felt like it was more charged with emotion. My guess is that HBK will get the farewell treatment tonight and it'll sink in that it's really over for him. That is, if it really is over for him.

Steve Austin

tipping a glass of wine to the main event at wrestlemania 26. two veterans show the young guns how it is done at the grandest stage of all.

I can say all I want about Taker/HBK, but really, it doesn't mean nearly as much as what Austin says about it. The guy spilled blood, sweat and tears with both men on a regular basis during his heyday. Michaels gave him his first World Title reign, and Taker's feud with Austin helped define the Rattlesnake.

Ted DiBiase

This has been a very special weekend. The Hall of Fame, Wrestlemania, and my son's first Wrestlemania match! Priceless!

Hell of a weekend for the Million Dollar Man, eh?

James Caldwell

WINNER: Jericho at 15:48. Good, but not great World title match. Just not a whole lot to say about this one. The crowd was dead early on, but came to life for the first teased spear by Jericho. The finish was fine to keep heat on Jericho before Edge stood tall at the end. Edge is mis-cast as a babyface, though.

I really disagree with the good-not-great match moniker. The more I think about it, the more I thought this was the best match of the night (and not just because Jericho won, asshats :p). I especially loved Jericho's flying donkey punch from the top rope, as well as some of the pin sequences and reversals from both guys. I will say this - I agree Edge is miscast as a face, although we'll have to see how the crowds continue to react to him, as they're the ones who ultimately decide who plays what role.

Justin Henry

Batista lands the Batista Bomb for 2, and makes the greatest face in the history of faces. Cena then lands the Attitude Adjustment for another 2 count. Another Batista Bomb fails, and Cena hooks the STF to make Big Dave tap and to give Cena his ninth World Title. Really good match, up to the standard of the Summerslam match. Cena cheeses next to a fan in the front row who’s wearing an anti-Cena shirt. Say what you will, but John Cena knows how to roll with the punches. It’s why I like him.

Just reinforcing a point.

Torgo of A1Wrestling.com

I liked it well enough. Didn't really have the big classic match that some recent ones have had, but it was solid.

Depending on whom you talk to about HBK/Taker, this seems to be the consensus on the show.

Stephen Gray

Money in the Bank was another fun stunt show like last year - the 1st MITB is still the best but I would put this one and Mania 25's version up there. 10 guys was just too much to let everyone get spots in though, so that hurt it.

Yeah, my feelings exactly. Maybe they'll go back to 8 next year, but then again, that would probably mean some guys are gonna have to be future endeavored so they don't have to feel like shoving guys on WM to get them a payday.

Weekend Wrap-Up: ...Wait, There Was Other Wrestling This Weekend?

Contrary to popular belief, WrestleMania wasn't the only thing going on this weekend.

- DGUSA's two shows ran to pretty sparse crowds this weekend. The reported attendance was something like 350 people in a 2500 seat theater, which is pretty bad. The consensus on match of the weekend seemed to be Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw vs. the Young Bucks in a match that will not make the PPV because of the Bucks' contractual obligations to TNA. Also notable is that Gabe Sapolsky's checkered luck with Teddy Hart continued as Hart broke his collarbone on the first show. Also, YAMATO defended his newly won Open the Dream Gate Championship against Susumu Yokosuka successfully.

- ROH got better attendance, but they were bit by an injury bug as well, as Chris Hero seemingly got hurt on Friday night in the Kings of Wrestling's win over Scorpio Sky and Scott Lost. Roderick Strong also seemed to have hurt his shoulder, but I'm not sure if that was a work or a shoot. Anyway, whatever it was, it led to the gauntlet for Saturday to be turned into a three-way for the title among Strong, Tyler Black and Austin Aries.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Botches, Awesome Signs and JACK SWAGGAH~!: WrestleMania XXVI

I thought this could have been the best WrestleMania ever coming in. Did it deliver? Well, I do think that it was well worth the money, and it was up there with WMX-7 and WMIII, but I'm not prepared to call it the best ever. That's not a bad thing, as it was really, really good. I thought what brought it down were the number of botches from guys you don't expect them from. I mean, yeah, Kofi Kingston whiffing on the ladder spot in the corner was expected coming in that kind of situation, but there were others that were head-scratchers. Cena and Batista had one in their match with the recreation of the Batista Bomb that injured Cena at SummerSlam '08. I could have sworn I saw one in the Jericho/Edge match too. The most egregious one though? Shawn Michaels' moonsault that barely hit Undertaker's shin going through the table. Yikes.

Still, I don't want to focus on the negative, since I did like it. First up, I'm glad they gave Yoshi Tatsu the shoutout with the BR win. He's over and he's a really fun wrestler. Hopefully, this is the gateway to bigger things.

I would have liked to have had a longer Tag Title match, but it was a fun sprint, and the right team won. Morrison's kicks were on point, Truth wasn't too bad, and Show as always looked crisp. They didn't really give Miz much to work with outside of selling, but hey, he sold well.

Orton winning over both his former minions was expected for me, but it was the right call. I liked the match for what it was, although egads, Cody, they found a way to make you look even more naked than you already do. Need. To. Wash. My. Brain. With. Lye. I liked the punt on Cody and the RKO sequence. Anyone else notice Cody doing the Alabama Slam? A nod to his former tag partner? Nice.

Money in the Bank was the expected spotfest, but outside of the Kofi botch, it was a good spotfest. I thought Evan Bourne shone in this match with his limited opportunities. It seemed like there were more "oh shi..." moments in this with some of the big, dangerous looking spots than normal, which took the focus off the clutter somewhat. Another really awesome thing was the spot where Kofi used the broken ladder as stilts. Made up for his earlier botch. Still, I didn't like how there were points where you were looking for guys and they were just not to be seen. Too much Matt Hardy, not enough Christian.

Despite the fact that he took like 5 minutes to do what should have took 30 seconds in unhooking the briefcase, I liked that Jack SWAGGAH~! won in that it was a surprise and that they seem to show faith in him. I got worried a bit after they booked him like utter dogshit post his mini "feud" with Miz over Eve Torres that he'd be lost in the shuffle, but hopefully, this means a true, in-earnest elevation for him is upcoming. I also liked his ring attire. Finally, a nod to the "American" part of his All-American American nickname.

Trips beating Sheamus was predictable, but at least he looked strong in defeat. I liked the match. Sheamus is a much better opponent for Triple H, mainly because he's physically credible to inflict major damage on him (and Trips would sell for his BFF, right?). The best part of the match wasn't anything to do with the match itself, but it was the sign above the lefthand ringpost that said "HHH fears divorce". One of many awesome signs on the night. The Phoenix crowd deserves major props for bringing out some clever, creative and quirky signs for the biggest event of the year. What I didn't like about the match? Yeah, that was easily one of the worst Pedigrees I've ever seen thrown.

Punk and Mysterio was a really, really good match. It was probably the match of the night, but it didn't steal the show like I hoped it would. Still, there were some pretty good spots, including Punk countering the wheelbarrow bulldog on the outside with a face-bomb on the steel steps and ReyRey hitting a sort of shiranui/Sliced Bread #2 type move later on. Rey winning was the right call here I thought. The whole indentured servitude angle is played out and it works when done years apart, not months. There are so many other things that they can do to extend the feud without putting Rey in the SES.

Bret/Vince went on about 10 minutes more than it had to. I liked the bit with the double-cross, as it really worked well to close out the feud given the way it started. I also liked that the Hart Dynasty was given a rub as they should have been. Still, for it being a glorified squash match, it should have been a lot shorter. Seriously, when Bret teased the Sharpshooter the first time, he should have gone through with it. The crowd was hot for the move, but you could feel them deflating when he went to get the crowbar again. And the chairshot overkill? It was just that, overkill. I understand they had to put over the revenge factor, but it could have been done in a shorter period of time.

I don't think any of us fanboys on the Internet can complain about the way they treat Chris Jericho anymore. He got a borderline clean victory (okay, clean-ish) over the Royal Rumble winner and got to retain his title at WrestleMania. Any memories of him picking up dogshit are just that, memories. That being said, I thought it was a strong match although the best spot came afterwards, when Edge speared Jericho through the guardrail. That was also only the first time that a spear looked good coming from Edge. I'm also not sure it was the right call, unless they have Edge turn heel soon after. The only way I'd have booked Jericho to win that match is if he dropped the title right afterwards to the MitB winner, which I was hoping would have been Christian. Maybe SWAGGAH~! would have worked too, but then again, I'm guessing they want to keep him heel.

The Divas match... well the less said about it, the better. Really? They had to shoehorn that into the match just so Vickie Guerrero could do her husband's memory the biggest disservice ever with that? I fucking hate the WWE sometimes it's not even funny.

Of course, they then go onto redeem themselves with the Cena/Batista match, which wasn't anything super special, but it was a solid, heavyweight WWE main event style match. Again, the Phoenix crowd amused me with their signs, including a nonsensical but funny sign that said "Batista likes fishsticks". lolwut? Also, John Cena haters can suck my balls. I loved how he celebrated with the people in the front row after the match who were wearing the "we hate Cena" shirts. The dude gets it. He's the kind of guy who deserves to be a celebrity, a guy who appreciates his fans and takes his ribbing with good humor.

They closed the event with Taker/HBK, which wasn't surprising, but at the same time, it took me off-guard a little bit. It bothered me that they centered the match around the table moonsault when Michaels botched it so badly, but I thought the rest of the match was okay enough. It wasn't as good as last year's match by far, which isn't surprising. The crushing weight of expectation can be unbearable. But they've closed WMs in the past with far worse main events. IF this really is HBK's last match ever, then hey, he's had a great run. It didn't really feel like his last match though, which makes me think he'll be back. I mean, he didn't cry, he kinda yukked it up with the crowd. Even the interaction with Taker at the end felt forced. There seemed to be a lot more emotion from HBK's end when he said farewell to Flair two years ago. I don't know.

Anyway, this year's event was a huge, huge step up from last year. Outside of the dreadful Divas match and the Bret/Vince slogfest, there really wasn't a bad match on the card. It had surprises, big spots, and despite the botches, it did have a big-time feel. Good work, WWE.

Also, thanks to blog-fans Tom K., Sean, Phil, Adam B. and Brad for coming out, watching the show and enduring my dog's awful farts.

From the Archives, WM Weekend Edition: Savage (c) vs. Steamboat, WM III

I set out looking for Savage/Warrior from WM VII (one of the two greatest carry-jobs in WM history, along with Rock/Hogan), but I found something a lot better - the greatest WrestleMania match of all-time, maybe one of the greatest matches of all-time period. Randy Savage. Ricky Steamboat. Intercontinental Championship. Enjoy:

Part 1:


Part 2:

WrestleMania 26 Countdown: Epilogue - The WWE HOF Class of '10

The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony has become a WrestleMania weekend staple, a WrestleMania eve tradition if you wiiilllllll. It'll be broadcast tonight on USA, and like WrestleMania itself is shaping up to be, this class is a good one. Let's break it down:

Ted DiBiase

The Million Dollar Man is perhaps the crown jewel of this Hall of Fame class, and for good reason - he's probably the best pure heel in WWF/E history. His kayfabe accomplishments come up short. HE never won a World Championship. His only singles title in the WWF was one he created and bought for himself. Still, you have to consider the times - the only real heel Champion in the the 1980s was one who began his reign as a babyface. Despite all that, he was important to the company, both as seen by the fans and by management. Think about it; he was the guy tasked with turning Andre the Giant, one of the most beloved wrestlers ever and a bona fide draw back in his salad days, into a heel. He was given loads of face time on TV into the mid '90s despite the fact that he couldn't wrestle due to injury. And the most important and honorable note on his resume - he was given the character that Vince McMahon would have played had he been an active character. Imagine that conversation, the chairman of the company coming up to you and telling you that you were going to be his surrogate in the company. Quite the honor. My only problem is that DiBiase wasn't inducted years ago. This is overdue, but still well-deserved.

Stu Hart

Another deserving candidate and possibly the co-headliner this year, Hart's influence on the business is indelible. THe sheer amount of guys he trained or had pass through Stampede are immense and influential in the grand scheme of the industry. I still would have loved to have seen Owen be inducted with his father this year though. Owen deserves to be there as much as anyone left to be inducted. It's not just because he died during a live show. Well, it is, but the guy gave so much to the industry, was well-liked by all and he was a complete professional. I mean, if his former tag partner Koko B. Ware is inducted, then we can stand to gather that kayfabe accomplishments aren't really that important in the grand scheme of things. I dunno, maybe they're saving Owen for the next time WrestleMania is in Canada.

Antonio Inoki

I like this induction a lot. Inoki has been known as the Vince McMahon of Japan, and honestly, McMahon himself has a debt of gratitude to Inoki for doing business with him in the early '80s. It's very rare that the worlds of sports entertainment and puroresu intersect, but when it does, it's very cool.

Mad Dog Vachon

He's a guy before my time, but from the footage I've seen of him, he seems like a guy I would have thoroughly enjoyed.

Gorgeous George

Another one before my time, George was probably one of the most important wrestlers of the '40s and '50s. He was the epitome of the cowardly heel, although his effeminate mannerisms seemed to have set the tone for homophobia keeping any gay character heel, but still, he was one of the greats. Long overdue.

Wendy Richter

I think it's hilarious that on the weekend where the most famous double-cross victim in WWF history gets his revenge in kayfabe, they're honoring another double-cross victim with a HOF induction. Peace offering for a woman who was a big part of WWF/E history, but ultimately up there with Koko B. Ware in terms of importance of induction.

Bob Uecker

I wonder if they'll have a celebrity be inducted every year. Be that as it may, Uecker's speech should at least be amusing.

WrestleMania 26 Countdown: WWE Championship Match

Before I get to the last countdown item, big thanks to Josh Zerkle (PUNTE) and WithLeather for linking yesterday's Vince McMahon interview piece on their Morning Meat links feature. Always good to get a shout-out from one of the most popular sports blogs on the 'Net. I've linked them on the sidebar since I started the blog, so if you haven't visited and you like sports and irreverence, then what the hell are you waiting for? GIVE THEM YOUR PAGE HITS!

Now, back to the Countdown:



World Wrestling Entertainment Championship
Champion Batista vs. Challenger John Cena

How: Batista won the title from John Cena right after Cena won it in the Elimination Chamber, thanks to a deal he made with Mr. McMahon. Cena won number one contendership the next night by taking a kick to the nutsac from Batista.

Heat Check: On January 4th, Vince was approached by Randy Orton for security just in case things got out of hand with Bret Hart. Orton, nodding to his former Legend Killer character, wanted to get his hands on the Hitman, but Vince had his own security in place. He didn't need it on that date, but when the Hitman was about to put Vince in the sharpshooter February 1, that security made sure it didn't happen. Yep, Batista not only took out the Hitman, but when Cena made the save and was checking on the legendary former Champion, he was repaid with a Batista Bomb on the steel steps.

To make matters worse, Cena fought his way into the RAW Elimination Chamber, won the title and thought he was heading into WrestleMania as WWE Champion. Wrong. In exchange for being his personal manservant, Vince granted Batista a sort of Money in the Bank pass at any title he wanted a shot at, which explained why Batista forfeited his EC qualifier for the Smackdown Chamber against CM Punk.

Of course, Cena was steamed, but he was given an opportunity to get his way into WrestleMania by beating Batista in a non-title match. Which he did. By disqualification. After Batista intentionally got himself disqualified by kicking Cena in the low-hangers. Batista would continually assault Cena at every opportunity, including after Cena had fought through three of McMahon's hand-picked cronies and Mark Henry (implied to be in there against his will). Drawing back on their personal history, all the way back to SummerSlam '08 when Batista broke Cena's neck, it was sold that whenever they were in the ring together, bad things would happen to Cena.

But why was Batista so eager to help Vince and decimate Cena? Resentment. In the excellent promo when Batista came out dressed like a cross between Rob Halford and Kanye West, Batista claimed that there were no two bigger stars post-Attitude era than he and Cena, but he always hated that it was Cena who got the torch passed to him from Steve Austin, that it was Cena who got the movie roles and that it was Cena who got the preferential billing. So he takes it out on Cena physically for his mental anguish.

Whatever happens though, bad things will happen to one of these men at WrestleMania in the match that will most likely close the show.

Analysis: This was rumored to be the big match for last year's event, but Batista got hurt, so it got pushed back. I'm glad it did, because it wouldn't have gotten the proper build. Batista needed to turn heel before Survivor Series to get his momentum going, and I have to say, him as a heel, as I've raved on here before, has been an absolute revelation.

This is a total 180-degree shift from last year's WWE Championship build, when Triple H was breaking into Randy Orton's house and Orton was feigning mental illness to try and get WrestleMania cancelled. This feud is built on pure, good old-fashioned hatred and the drive to be THE MAN in the company. It's the simplest of wrestling feuds, but it's been executed so well.

It's not surprising though; Cena is the ultimate babyface and Batista is the ultimate heel. In a way, this mirrors the sort of impactful matchup we got at WrestleMania VI between Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. Yeah, both guys in that match were face, and it was more an attempted torch-passing that ultimately didn't work out, but it was the same idea. The two biggest stars in the company, the egos that could not be contained in the same room, facing off with the balance, the soul of the company if you will hanging precariously.

With all that emotion and all that aura going into the match, I expect the heat for this match to be off the charts. I also expect this to be a very good match. You all know the regard I hold Cena, and if you don't, well, I think he's one of the most proficient WWE main-event style workers ever. He gets it more than anyone, and he's a treat to watch any time he's in the ring and not squashing someone. Batista is the other part of the equation, and his evolution as a worker in the last five months has been pretty epic. The guy is far, far better as a cocky monster heel. His babyface style was so paint-by-numbers; you can tell he has a much better feel and desire to get in the ring and just play the villain. I think this match will be the capstone for what is shaping up to be the best WrestleMania ever.

Who Should Win: Cena. I'd love for this angle to continue, or moreover, I would have loved for this angle to have started more than just two months ago. However, in the short amount of time, they've built up the Cena-as-underdog angle better than they have when they'd make Michael Cole scream about Cena having to overcome the odds when the odds clearly were never against him.

Who Will Win: Cena. Honestly, you send the crowd home happy at the end of WM moreso than any other PPV. Notice that a face has gotten his WM moment every year after the two years in a row they've ended with a heel winning (2000 and X-7, which was the bullshit of Trips winning the four-way and Austin's awesome but rejected-by-the-fans heel alignment with Vince respectively). They know you close with a face getting the big win, so unless they end with Edge over Jericho or the Streak/Career match, your final image of WrestleMania XXVI will be John Cena holding the spinner belt over his head, finally vanquishing the Animal.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Friday Five: WrestleMania!

Our Super Bowl is upon us!

1. Who would you say is the greatest WrestleMania performer of all-time?

2. Does the move to the big stadia add to the aura of the big event, or was it better in the famous arenas like Madison Square Garden?

3. Should Undertaker ever lose his streak, and if so, to whom?

4. What do you think of this year's WWE HOF class?

5. What was your favorite WM of all-time?

WrestleMania 26 Countdown: World Heavyweight Championship Match

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Champion Chris Jericho vs. Challenger Edge

How: Chris Jericho defeated Undertaker in the Elimination Chamber to win the World Championship. Edge won the Royal Rumble and chose Jericho as his target.

Heat Check: Back in July, Vince McMahon placed Smackdown GM Teddy Long on double secret probation and told him he had to make some MOVEZ~! to shake things up or else he'd be out a job. Long's first attempt at a shake-up was to insert Chris Jericho and Edge as a team into the Unified Tag Team Championship match between the Colon Bros. and Legacy. Naturally, Jericho and Edge won. A few weeks later, Edge tore his Achilles' tendon. Rather than be stripped of the titles, Jericho was allowed to choose a new partner, The Big Show.

During his partnership with Show, Jericho took random shots at the injured Edge here and there, with the jabs increasing in frequency towards the end of the calendar year. Well, Edge didn't quite take kindly to being poked fun at, so he came back at the Royal Rumble, tossed Jericho out on his ass and then proceeded to win the whole thing. Thanks to some HBK shenanigans that not only helped out his own storyline, but the Jericho/Edge one, Y2J won his sixth World Championship at Elimination Chamber and Edge's choice as to whom he'd face at WM was academic.

Of course, now, the story's all about Edge landing a spear, since the crowd chants for it and shit. I think Jericho's gonna eat a spear, what about you?

Analysis: Honestly, I've been underwhelmed with the tone this match has taken, despite the excellent promo work by both Jericho and Edge to set it up. I didn't think a few random jabs here and there were enough to set up WrestleMania levels of heat. I thought Edge easily eliminating Jericho in the Rumble cooled that heat off well enough for the time being, with Jericho and Edge being a hot program to start up post-WM. For me, Edge vs. CM Punk and Edge vs. Big Show were two more tantalizing options. Edge and Show had the residual heat from Vickie Guerrero last year, something that I don't think was fully explored, and Edge also had a bit of an issue with CM Punk as he was turning heel.

Even then, the focus of the match went from that antagonism to Edge hitting one move, a weak-looking one coming from him at that. I mean, I'm glad the crowd is into it, but... wait, no I'm not. I hate that Edge's spear is over. Still, it's a hot topic, but to me, it just submarines every other nuance to this feud, with Jericho questioning Edge's conditioning and his decision to come back when he did, and Edge's motivation, opportunism and his desire to be the guy who has a WrestleMania moment, not the guy whose expense another wrestler's WM moment comes at.

Still, this is what we have, and I think it'll be a good match. Jericho is one of the best wrestlers in the company, and Edge, finisher aside, is always a good hand. My biggest concern is how he'll play out as a babyface here. He's spent so long playing the opportunistic heel type that I'm not sure how he'll play out as a face. I guess we'll find out Sunday.

Who Should Win: Chris Jericho should win if for no other reason than to eat a Killswitch and surrender the title to a cashing-in Christian right afterwards. Honestly, that's how I'd book things, and bam, you have a hot three-way title feud post-WM which would lend itself to a lot of good free TV matches, a nice triple threat match at Extreme Rules and three guys who know each other, who are comfortable with each other in the ring and who have a shitload of history among them.

Who Will Win: Edge. I see him getting his WrestleMania moment here, which will solidify him in the Cena/Orton/Trips/Batista echelon of elite WWE superstars.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

What I Learned from PWG Sells Out, Vol. 1, Disc 1

- Samoa Joe looked much better when he had his Elvis Presley hair-do

- In the same token, CM Punk looked weird with bleach-blond hair

- Adam Pearce likes to make gay slurs a whole lot

- The Styles Clash looked as weak as a finishing move then as it does now

- If I were big into the indie scene back when these matches were first taking place, Joe would probably have been my favorite wrestler

- Super Dragon looked like he was ready to go right to a pajama party after his matches were over

- I could watch Bryan Danielson and Joe all day long, in any environment, any stipulation

- Frankie Kazarian is a better brawler than he is an X-Division spotmonkey

- Pearce could play Arn Anderson in a Four Horsemen Tribute Band (if that makes any sense)

- I wouldn't want to take a Psycho Driver anytime, anywhere, at all

- Punk was as effective a heel to the indie crowds as he is to the WWE today

- In fact, Punk should never, ever be a babyface, ever

- The boot scrapes into the running boot scrape in the corner may be Joe's best spot, and he's got more than a few great spots

- Jack Evans has a face that even a mother would want to punch

- It's acceptable to have your main event title match end on the challenger getting counted out, but don't expect the Reseda crowd to see it your way

- Christopher Daniels has to be a fallen angel for real, for real, because he made Evans look good

- PWG is definitely an awesome fed

- TNA really doesn't know how to put on a wrestling promotion

I can't wait to dive into the next two discs on this set. Really, really good stuff. A caveat though, I really didn't like the commentary. It seemed too low-key and boring. The two guys didn't sound enthused at all, so I just had it off for the most part. It really doesn't diminish the quality of the matches, especially on the disc opener, Joe vs. Danielson. The banter, especially in that match, is awesome. It's also funny how good the TNA guys on this disc look here and how shitty, rushed and blatantly choreographed they look on Impact (if they're lucky to snake time away from Bischoff, and before he got there, the MEM and others).

Vince Lays into TNA and Awesome Kong Lands in ROH

McMahon Interview Courtesy of the Torch

Kong News Straight from the Horse's Mouth

A couple of wrestling news and notes for your perusal. Firstly, Vince McMahon recently spoke to Acorn Newspapers in Connecticut, and two things of note came out of it. One, McMahon criticized TNA's move to Monday nights, calling them "not [their] competition" and their product "tawdry and blood-soaked". Again, he infuriatingly said he wasn't in the "pro rasslin" business either. I agree with the sentiment that TNA isn't competition to them, but here's the thing - what's so wholesome and family-oriented about Big Dick Johnson? Or about a segment implying that one of Bella Twins was a transvestite and Kelly Kelly a huge slut? Or an act whose biggest catchphrase is telling authority figures to "suck it"? I really wish McMahon would come off his high horse and just level with people. I could even live with him never referring to the WWE as "pro rasslin" forever, but just quit the charade of being this family friendly program when it's not the case. You can't half-ass market to the kids and to the hormone-washed adolesecent-to-young adult male crowd at the same time.

The second interesting note is that McMahon said that the Bret Hart match could be his final one. Of course, he says here that he claims that after every match, but if it's the case this time, how historic would WrestleMania be if it had the last matches ever for Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon?

Finally, Awesome Kong has signed on to wrestle in ROH for the time being. She'll debut in New York on May 8th against Sara del Rey. I like the signing not because ROH really has a kickin' women's division. It doesn't, and it would be importing a whole lot of talent from SHIMMER to feed to Kong as challengers. That is, unless their idea of having Kong on the roster is to go through SDR, Daizee Haze, MsChif and Rayna von Tosh over and over again. That would be stupid. Especially throwing Rayna in there. Not because she's a bad wrestler - I can't claim to have watched her - but because she's smokin' hot and I would rather see her be ROH's SoCal Val than get used up by the constant bumping of the pro wrestling lifestyle.

What I'd like to see is Kong challenge the men. It's time for this to happen at a level above Chikara. ROH is pseudo-national, it would be a huge angle. For the love of God, please do this, let Kong throw around Right Leg Ridge and trade strikes with Davey Richards. PLEASE!

And just so you can't say I never gave you anything, Rayna von Tosh:



Rayna von Tosh Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

This Week in Off-Topic: A Change of Scenery

It seems to be a rule that if you're a wrestling blogger, you're also a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. I mean, just look at the crew over at the Camel Clutch Blog. I'm no different. I live and die each fall through winter with the Birds. The team is coming off its most successful decade in franchise history, racking up .500 or better seaons in all but one campaign, the injury-riddled 2005 season. They appeared in 5 NFC Championship games and 1 Super Bowl, one they lost to the Patriots in heartbreaking fashion.

The franchise has been synonymous with not only success but with player flux, as player after player gets acquired for their prime years and then jettisoned when it doesn't make financial sense for the front office. There was one player though that everyone thought would escape that kind of talk, and that was the quarterback, Donovan McNabb. Of course, everyone thought Brian Dawkins would be an Eagle for life too, and look what happened last offseason. Still, the QB is different. He's the face of the franchise. Inquirer columnist Stephen A. Smith thinks its disgraceful, even.

Well, if it's disgraceful for a franchise to want to move on from a tenure that isn't working out for both parties, then hell, let's revel in the shame. If the QB is the face of the franchise, then McNabb's face will be forever immortalized in the nausea he experienced during the Super Bowl in crunch time.

Yeah, count me in the camp that wouldn't be sad to see McNabb get traded this offseason. I'm not ungrateful for what he's done for this team by a longshot. Don't get it twisted. Unlike the sanctimonious and controversial-for-controversy's-sake Smith, I don't believe that it would be a knife in the back of McNabb if he were to be traded, and you can appreciate what he's done and still want to start over. I certainly like that he brought us to a Super Bowl. What I don't like is that we haven't broken through and won the Super Bowl, partially because of what he can't bring to the table in this offense.

The West Coast Offense is predicated on short passes, like slants, curls and screens. These passes for the most part rely on timing and accuracy, two things that were never up McNabb's alley. Even this past year, he's struggled with throwing balls at the receivers' numbers rather than at their shoelaces. To his credit, he's developed into a good West Coast passer, but at the same time, a lot of his biggest plays have come not from hitting a receiver in stride on a slant and getting a ton of yards after the catch (YAC), but hitting the long bombs that Andy Reid put in the offense to play to McNabb's strengths.

It's not just the mechanical stuff that's the problem, and I'd say that they're far from the biggest problems he has. I don't think McNabb has the mental makeup to play QB in a city like Philadelphia. He's not "clutch", so to speak. A guy like Tom Brady is clutch. He doesn't have the athletic pedigree of McNabb, but the guy has steely nerves and is able to seal the deal. Well, at least he used to be able to seal the deal, but his loss of clutch over the years is more accepted by the Boston faithful because Brady is white led the Pats to three Super Bowl titles.

Even with the Phillies winning a World Series, our title thirst hasn't died down. We're a city with 4 teams, so naturally, we want to see all of them win titles every year. More realistically, we don't want to wait 25 years between each title like we had to do between the Phils title and the most previous one before that, the "Fo'-Fo'-Fo'" Sixers in 1983. For a team that's been as close as the Eagles have been, they've been frustrating as much as they've been rewarding.

So, to allay the frustration, it's time for both parties to move on and have a change of scenery. It could do both the team and the beleaguered QB some good. McNabb can start off fresh in a city like St. Louis, where the fans aren't as tough and where he can start a new relationship with a new head coach and front office. For the Eagles, we can try a new QB to play with this exciting and talented corps of skill players, perhaps the best group we've had ever in DeSean Jackson, Mike Bell, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, LeSean McCoy and Jason Avant. Of course, that's only if the QB in question is Kevin Kolb or really anyone but Michael Vick. The only way I want Vick in the game is if it's the preseason or if he's splitting out wide or taking a reverse. Guy is a TURRIBLE QB.

The Eagles aren't being ingrates or treating McNabb terribly. In fact, they're giving him the opportunity to start over and still be an NFL QB and still make a shitload of money for playing a kid's game. I fail to see how that's terrible treatment, Screamin' A. It's just a relationship that needs to end for the betterment of both parties. Trust me, a change will do everyone good.

*ugh* Goldberg Negotiating with the WWE

According to the big galoot himself, Bill Goldberg is in negotiations to return to the WWE, a company he said that he'd never work for again after leaving, proving that no bridge in wrestling ever stays burnt if the money's right. This isn't necessarily a deal for him to come back and wrestle (thank Christ... although to be fair, I'd rather see him spear guys like crazy than Edge). Read this blurb from the Observer's pay site that friend of the blog and past guest contributor Todd Yates posted over at A1:

WWE contacted Goldberg some time back with an offer for an affiliation, not as a wrestler but for merchandising and a legends type of contract, perhaps using his likeness as a character in the video games, but at a completely different level than the normal legends deal.

So... yeah, still vague.

My disdain for everything Goldberg does in the ring outside of the SPEAR/JACKHAMMER combo aside, it could be a good deal if Goldberg comes in limited. For example, there's history between Goldberg and Bret Hart, who's sticking around after WM. Goldie's also got history with Steve Austin and Triple H. Hell, there's even dream match potential between the Hebrew Hammer and John Cena, and if anyone in the WWE can drag a good match out of Goldberg, it's Cena.

So don't be surprised if you see Goldberg's shiny bald head on WWE TV in the near future. Keep your groaning to a minimum too, or else they'll hear you in Stamford and probably team him with Hornswoggle just to spite you.

WrestleMania 26 Countdown: Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker II

This time, it's SOMEWHAT PERSONAL~!



Streak vs. Career
The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

How: Undertaker finally caved and accepted Michaels' challenge, with stipulations of Michaels putting his career on the line and that the match cannot end in disqualification or countout being added afterwards

Heat Check: Remember that match everyone talked about last year? Y'know, the first UT/HBK WrestleMania match? It was so good that the WWE Uni... I CAN'T BRING MYSELF TO COMPLETE THAT TERM. Ahem, I mean, WWE fans voted en masse to give it the Slammy for Match of the Year. Michaels accepted the award alone and took the opportunity to call out the Undertaker for a rematch. Taker made an appearance on RAW 1/18 just to shoot Michaels down, so HBK made it his goal to win the Royal Rumble to get a shot at the then-World Champion at the time, risking his sanity and his friendship with Triple H in the process. Michaels even eliminated Trips in the Rumble before getting tossed by Big Dave Batista with three guys to go.

Michaels then turned around to obsession with Undertaker, finding a way to goad him into a match, further risking his sanity and again teasing dissention with Triple H. Eventually, Michaels found his in, interfering in the Smackdown Elimination Chamber and costing Taker the title to Chris Jericho. This forced Taker's hand, but Taker wasn't going to step into the match the only man with something to lose. He demanded HBK put his career on the line, with Michaels gladly obliging. Because in his words, if he can't beat Taker at WM, he has no career.

What followed was the normal match build, mind-games, interference, sneak attacks, and probably the best of all, a series of really cool video recap retrospectives set to some kickass music, including Johnny Cash's "Ain't No Grave".

Analysis: While I wasn't as high on last year's match as others were, I liked their tilt enough to put it in my list of the top 25 matches I watched last year. The problem is that there'll be so much pressure on them to equal or surpass what they did last year. Will they be able to perform? Even the best wrestlers sometimes buckle under the pressure of demanding or even unrealistic goals. Just look at WrestleMania 2000, the double-three way with Jericho, Kurt Angle and He Who Shall Not Be Named was supposed to be the best match BY FAR on the card. Both halves were big disappointments.

Still, if you're going to count on two guys in the company to deliver when the stakes are high, well, Taker and HBK are on the shortlist. While last year's match was built fantastically, it is nowhere nearly as emotionally charged as it is this year. Not even close. While I feel they didn't do as good a job this year, they didn't have to. The career vs. streak stip gives the match that much more gravity, and a worker like Michaels will most certainly use it to his advantage. He was on the other side of the coin two years ago against Ric Flair; now he finds himself potentially in his last match ever and has to draw on that mindset to give a unique performance.

Who Should Win: Taker. I don't think he should ever lose his streak as a thank you for being a rock in the locker room without ever really demanding to be given the Hogan push like some other people have. While Michaels winning wouldn't leave as sour a taste in my mouth as it would have last year, c'mon... this is Taker's legacy. He should be able to take it with him.

Who Will Win: Taker. I've heard rumblings that HBK is going to retire, and honestly, the guy can't go on without doing the kinds of things that degrade his body and make him The Showstopper. It'll be a good match though, a great match even.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

The Best Moves Ever: Sweet Chin Music

Sweet Chin Music is a move that took a while for me to warm up to. Back in the day, I thought it was too weak to be a finisher, mainly because as an ignorant youth, I saw finishers as either elaborate top rope moves or as grapple holds. Only recently have I realized the simple beauty of a knockout kick to the jaw as a death finisher.

In keeping with the week's flavor, this one comes from WrestleMania 24, Flair vs. Michaels. It's hard to quantify the best SCM of all-time, but this one may be the most famous, the most emotional and the most effective. "I'm sorry. I love you." One of the top five WrestleMania moments ever, easily.

Wrestling Six Packs: Dream WrestleMania Matches That'll Never Happen

I've been on the WrestleMania theme for the last month, and for good reason. WrestleMania is the Super Bowl of wrestling. No matter what stateside promotion you follow, you have to admit that there's no bigger northern North American wrestling event than the WWE's flagship program. Continuing with that theme is another six pack. This one is for dream WM main events, but with a twist. Unlike the ones we think about happening in the future, these are ones that can't ever happen because of death, permanent injuries or a gap in time between primes. Regardless, these are matches that deserve the spotlight of being in the top two or three matches anchoring WrestleMania.

1. Shawn Michaels vs. Eddie Guerrero

Two of the finest workers in WWF/E history squaring off under the bright lights and scrutiny that come with the main event of the biggest card of the year? Yes please! Imagine 1996 Shawn Michaels and 2004 Eddie Guerrero facing off with the World Championship on the line, two guys whose lifelong dream it was to be the best but who took two remarkably different paths to get there. I think this match would probably force Meltzer to add a sixth star to his match rating guide.

2. Vader vs. John Cena

Vader was a guy they never gave his due in the WWF, but I think he'd have gotten mega over had they given him the chance. I guess his biggest issue was timing. He came in right after the decline of Yokozuna, and although Vader was a superior wrestler (if not a superior character), the crowds tired of him. Given a fresh start and big push, Vader would be an awesome Champion and an ideal opponent for one John Cena. Vader is one of the few guys with the fearsome presence and physical credibility to overpower John Cena and really give him some odds to overcome. This would be the ultimate feud for Cena.

3. CM Punk vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

Speaking of ultimate feuds, Punk would have a field day with Austin. Given how much heel heat Punk can generate and how wildly supportive the crowd even now still is of the Texas Rattlesnake, this match could very well be the hottest match in wrestling history. Not only that, but give me the 1998 Austin, the one whose neck wasn't deteriorated enough for him to be able to last in the ring and look damn good doing it, to throw in there wtih Punk, and the quality of the match mixed with the heat and theatrics would be historic.

4. Hulk Hogan vs. The Undertaker

The one thing about Undertaker's streak is that he's never really beaten anyone who could be considered a top dog at the time. The closest he came was Triple H at WM17, and even then, Rocky and Austin were still around to sponge up the overness and dispense to the company the cash money. He never beat Andre the Giant, Bret Hart, Austin, Rock, John Cena, and when he beat Shawn Michaels, it was when HBK was a special attraction wrestler. Undertaker needs that signature win, and honestly, who'd be better to give it to him than the Immortal Hulk Hogan, circa 1990, back when he was actually ready to pass the torch to the *shudder* Ultimate Warrior? Hogan was still mobile, at the height of his heat and had a lot of rub to give. Undertaker, circa middle of the Aughts, would be able to do things that would add a whole new dynamic to the average Hogan opponent from back then. A career defining win for Taker here is what the doctor ordered.

5. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Savage

Imagine Chris Jericho, one of the best mockers and heat-drawers of all-time, against one of the most insanely charismatic and possibly legitimately insane wrestlers ever in Randy Savage? Not only would the build be electric, but the match itself would phenomenal as well, since both men are/were not only great performers, but guys whose games elevated at WrestleMania as well. The best would be watching Jericho mock Savage's taunts only to see him turn around and stare down a wild-eyed Savage, ready for the kill.

6. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart

I know what you're thinking. This match already happened at WrestleMania X, with Owen scoring the win in one of the greatest matches of all-time. Here's the thing; it jerked the curtain and was more of a subplot match to the main storyline of Bret climbing the top of the heap. I imagine this match more of a culmination of a storyline, one where Owen finally has clawed his way to the top of the heap only to find his brother reigning there. It would be a match fraught with emotion, charged with so much intensity that it would make their WMX affair look like a walk in the park.

WrestleMania 26 Countdown: Money in the MF'ing Bank

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Shelton Benjamin vs. Evan Bourne vs. Christian vs. Matt Hardy vs. Kane vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Scrooge McPoyle Drew McIntyre vs. MVP vs. Jack Swagger vs. Dolph Ziggler

How: All of them had to earn their way into the event. Here's how each guy did:

• Christian def. Carlito Colon


• Ziggler def. John Morrison and R-Truth


• Kane def. McIntyre


• Benjamin def. CM Punk


• Swagger def. Santino Marella


• MVP def. Zack Ryder


• Hardy def. McIntyre


• Bourne def. William Regal


• McIntyre def. Aaron Bolo


• Kingston def. Vladimir Kozlov

Heat Check: Uh, there's not really a whole lot in the way of heat for the match. This is one of the few matches where the story isn't what leads into the match, it's what happens in the match and more importantly, what it means for the winner going forward. It's not the end of an angle but the beginning.

Analysis: A field of 10? It does seem excessive. The match had humble beginnings with six guys, half of whom had main event flirtations and the other half being real up-and-comers. Now, it just seems like a midcard talent dump where only three guys realistically have a shot of winning, if you're going by how hard they were pushed in the last six months. Last year's total seemed a bit much, but the match turned out alright, if you ignore Benjamin almost committing involuntary manslaughter on MVP with that powerbomb to the outside of the ring. AND O HAI THERE BOTH IN THE MATCH DIS YEAR 2!!111

I wonder if they're just putting more and more people in the match until they see that the crowd doesn't care about it anymore. Honestly, I'm hoping that they haven't messed too much with a good thing, because let's face it, Money in the Bank has become the surest thing on the card each year (except this year, since most people are admitting, begrudgingly or not, that Taker and HBK is the surest thing on the card this year). It keeps the crowd enthralled, it elevates a new guy and it gets a bunch of guys a chance to appear on WrestleMania who wouldn't have had the shot otherwise. And personally speaking, you'd hope that they'd all want to make the most of it.

Given the make-up of the lineup this year, I think there is going to be a lot of stuff going on. A lot of roles are filled. Kane is the bully, Bourne and Kingston provide the fireworks, Swagger and Benjamin the athleticism, Christian the pure workrate, and so on and so forth.

The real conundrum comes when realizing that 70 percent of the field probably has no shot of winning. Let's face it, if they were going to give Benjamin a shot at a World Championship, he'd have beaten Christian at TLC. They didn't even give him that bone. What makes you think that after years of being in the match that they'd finally pull the trigger on him? Bourne's airtime in the last three months has been limited to mostly making Sheamus look good in squashes on RAW and wrestling in really good matches that no one sadly sees on Superstars. Swagger may have a future, but I think they realize they booked him like dogshit since his undefeated streak ended at 1 and that he's not a good choice to win. MVP is another guy they repeatedly miss the boat on, and I don't see them having hte faith to pull the trigger on him either. Kane is strictly a jobber to the stars anymore. Ziggler has also been given the afterthought treatment, but at least he was given some high-profilish wins over Kane lately. And Matt Hardy has about as much a chance of winning this match as I do of not only nailing Scarlett Johannsen, but convincing my wife to make it a three-way. Which is to say no chance at all.

That leaves three guys - Christian, Kofi Kingston and Scrooge McPoyle. Yeah, McPoyle's been losing his ass off lately, but at the same time, he's still Vince's chosen one, and he's still the IC Champion. Kingston has had his half-ass push go full-ass the other way lately, but he's still a fresh enough name with a recent enough big-time win over Randy Orton to make the cut. Finally, there's Christian for whom I think they have big plans after asking him to salvage ECW last year (and he did a fine job, if you ask me).

Who Should Win: Christian, Christian, for the love of God, Christian. The guy has always been among my favorites and he's always shown to me that he's got the charisma and working ability to make it on top, and really, a title program between him and Edge, him and Jericho or all three of them writes its-fucking-self.

Who Will Win: I want to say Christian, I really do, but I have this feeling that they might also give the briefcase to Kingston. Either way, it's not a bad call. If I were booking though, I'd make it Christian and then have him cash in the same night over a tired and worn down Chris Jericho, who retains his title after a grueling affair of dodging spears and pulling a win over Edge out of his ass. Then again, what do I know?

Photo Credit: WWE.com

EVOLVE Loses Its Second Consecutive Headliner to an ROH Contract

From the horse's mouth

Chris Hero, who headlined EVOLVE 2: Hero vs. Hidaka, signed a contract with ROH, which if you remember the whole Davey Richards fiasco, Gabe Sapolsky doesn't book guys with ROH contracts. I guess that's something I never got around to posting on here the last time, as the last words I wrote here had me firmly in Camp Gabe. Now, I still admire Gabe and love the promotions he runs, but with everything known, I think he did overreact, as there was no hesitation from ROH's end from letting DR get booked in EVOLVE and DGUSA.

So again, Chris Hero probably wrestled his first and only EVOLVE show given that policy. It's a shame, but hey, that's the business, one full of caustic relationships and big egos. Still though, good for Hero. This probably means big things for him, including a long overdue run at the ROH World Heavyweight Championship.

Also, I'm wondering if Gabe now will be hesitant to book anyone outside of Jimmy Jacobs for his EVOLVE mains now for fear that they'll be the next guy to sign with ROH ;)

Speaking of ROH, they revamped their website. It looks slicker, but I think I liked the old look better. I guess I'll get used to this one though.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

TNA Impact Drinking Game

Normally, I don't encourage the reckless abuse of alcoholic beverages... oh who am I kidding? Getting drunk is something I actually encourage as long as you know your limits and don't become an alcoholic. Yes, our lord and savior, CM Punk, frowns upon that sort of activity, but really, alcohol is needed in some situations. For example, if you're playing wingman for your buddy and have to keep his potential conquest's annoying and possibly unattractive best friend at bay so he can score? Yeah, you'd either have a high tolerance for mental anguish if you're the DD, but if not, yeah, you need some sort of legal intoxicant. One place where I think it's almost mandatory that you're slugging back beers watching TNA. It's the only way you can enjoy the product, unless you like seeing WrestleCrap before your very eyes. So, without further ado, here's my TNA Drinking Game:

Drink
- Whenever Eric Bischoff is on the screen
- ECW is referenced
- The nWo is referenced
- Hulk Hogan says "brother"
- The crowd "woos" at a Flair chop
- Anyone refers to competing or beating the guys "Up North" or making TNA #1
- Mike Tenay refers to a move by its initials and then less than a minute later says the full name of the move
- X-Division match goes less than 5 minutes
- Heel turn
- Anytime tag team dissention is teased
- Lacey von Erich botches a move
- Someone juices
- "It's real, it's damn real"
- Any match where a guy beats an opponent 15 or more years his junior
- A guy running in gets taken out immediately
- Any time the graphic urging you to follow Dixie Carter on Twitter pops up
- AJ Styles loses in a non-title situation
- The PPV main event isn't announced until two weeks or sooner than the actual event takes place
- Ken Anderson sneaks a peek at Christy Hemme's chest.
- Jay Lethal makes an appearance
- Someone over the age of 50 wins a major title

Chug
- If someone other than Bischoff makes an insider reference
- Taz unironically says someone "crosses the line"
- The crowd "woos" at Ric Flair cutting a promo
- Whenever a "This is wrestling!" chant goes up
- Tara pops out of her wardrobe enough to cause pixellation
- Backstage segments in Bischoff's/Hogan's office
- "Is that _______ here in the Impact Zone?"
- They show a crowd sign that denegrates the WWE or have a fan/plant get on camera and badmouth the WWE
- Anytime tag team dissention is teased in a team that's been together for less than two months
- Flair or Hogan juice
- Dixie Carter appears on camera in any storyline capacity

Finish a Full Drink
- If Eric Bischoff makes an insider reference
- Taz spoils the next segment with the subtlety of a baby seal clubber
- Whenever a "You still got it!" chant goes up for someone who clearly doesn't still have it
- Samoa Joe gets buried (again)
- Anytime tag team dissention is teased in a team that was just formed last week
- Brooke Hogan appears on camera backstage with a speaking role
- Kip James makes an appearance

Try it out next Monday, and if you aren't dead from alcohol poisoning or out of a job for showing up to work the next day still drunk, then let me know of your success story!

Instant Feedback: San Jose Mutants and Recaps Make My Eyes Bleed

"You can't wrestle."

Really? Really, San Jose? Quick, name your favorite wrestler. Odds are, unless that guy is Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Christian, Bryan Danielson or CM Punk, John Cena is better than your favorite wrestler. This "you can't wrestle" bullshit is not only patently false, it's one of those self-serving, TNA-Impact-Zone mutant chants along the lines of "This is wrestling!" Fuck that. I thought WWE crowds were better, especially West Coast ones. I was wrong.

Anyway, there were some gems on this show, but you had to wade through a bunch of recaps to get to it. God, my eyes almost bled from the sheer amount of recaps, and that's saying something. I'll tell you what was good. Miz/Morrison was one of the best RAW matches they've had all month, mostly because of Miz. That neckbreaker during the commercial break was sick. Show was great on commentary. R-Truth not as much. Sheamus going over Orton clean was great but it was about two months overdue, and it probably didn't fit in the context of the build to WM. Still, it was about as good as a handicap match could have been. Shawn Michaels' show opening promo was pretty good, and Taker's rebuttal video was excellently placed and timed. Kinda wish HBK wouldn't have no-sold it, but hey, I guess he had to fill out a few more minutes before Pete Rose (who was turrible) waddled his way out there. The end segment was pretty good too, although Cena and Batista have set the bar so high with their out-of-match segments that this seemed pedestrian. Also, I want that Batista fathead. Whoever made that sign is awesome and I hope they're one of the dozens... AND DOZENS of people who read this blog. If they are, I want a Batista fathead. IT WILL BE MINE!

I thought the Bret Hart promo was okay, even if I'm almost positive WM isn't going to be the last we see of him. His delivery sounded like he was doing intentionally unfunny standup comedy though. Weird. I kinda liked the Legacy promo too, although both of them are still awkward on the mic and need some more seasoning. Being apart from Orton will help them. Why do I get the feeling that's not happening for a few months though?

But yeah, the recaps just killed the show on the whole. They're lucky that TNA was producing dreck for the most part, or else they might have... lost me to... Spi... oh, I can't type this without busting out laughing. The WWE is lucky TNA is pathetic right now, and also that they didn't need the show tonight to make me buy the PPV. Then again, everyone buys WM. This year especially won't be a problem.

WrestleMania 26 Countdown: Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon in a STREET FIGHT~!

Grudge Match Street Fight
Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. Vincent Kennedy McMahon

How: They officially signed the contract last week on RAW after McMahon and Hart goaded each other into a match.

Heat Check: The seeds for this match were sewn at a time that makes the beginning of the build for the Legacy dissolution look like yesterday. Twelve-and-a-half years ago, Bret Hart was on his way out of the WWF for WCW. Problem was, he was the Champion. Normally, the Champion jobs the belt on the way out. Vince McMahon wanted this to happen at Survivor Series in Montreal. Hart didn't want to lose in his home country, so the most famous double-cross in wrestling history was set up and executed to get the belt off Hart and onto the waist of one Shawn Michaels.

Time passed. Hart was misused in WCW at historic levels, treated as an afterthought to the nWo circlejerk (which by the time Hart got there had reached circlejerk levels). Then, when he finally was beginning to be treated with the respect he deserved, Goldberg potatoed the shit out of him and ended his career via concussion. Add in the fact that he had to watch his brother Owen die while working for the company he hated and then suffered a stroke after a motorcycle accident, well, many people, myself included, would be skeptical as all hell if someone years ago told us this match was going to take place.

Meanwhile, Vince used that singular incident to launch the Mr. McMahon character, possibly the only effective heel authority figure ever. Embracing his now public role as evil dickhead boss, he used it to help enhance the overness of everyone from "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to *shudder* Bobby Lashley.

Of course, in wrestling, no bridge stays burnt forever if the parties involved think they can make money. The first overtures of Bret coming back to the fold happened when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and actually showed up to the ceremony. Then, the company hired his protege, niece and nephew to nice developmental deals (although the three of them are floundering right now, but hey, that's the lot of every tag team in the WWE right now... now excuse me while I go cut myself...). Finally, January 4th, Bret Hart, hosting Monday Night RAW.

The historic segment saw Bret bury the hatchet with Shawn Michaels in what many people think is a reconciliation that looked too real to be a work. My thoughts? Work or shoot, it was well done. If it was a shoot, then good for both of them. If a work? Then both guys are absolute professionals and should be applauded. Later on, the reconciliation with Vince McMahon was looking like it was going to happen until Vince kicked Bret in the dick. As Heath Ledger's Joker would say... and here we go.

Bret has made several appearances on WWE TV since then, looking to get everything from closure to a proper farewell to the WWE to a fight with Vince. Vince played chicken with him until John Cena helped Bret stage a car accident to fool Vince into thinking that the Hitman was hurt. At the time, it seemed cheesy and dumb. IN retrospect, it was still cheesy, but hey, at least the goofs in Creative actually tried to craft a decent storyline device, so... uh okay?

Anyway, the bad blood runs so deep in this feud that Bret insisted it become a street fight, and Vince acquiesced. So here we are, Bret Hart's final match in his long, illustrious career will not be a techincal wrestling affair, but a brawl against a man a decade years his senior. Say what you want, but there's no denying the heat will be off the charts for this match.

Analysis: I fear for Bret Hart's safety. Vince McMahon isn't quite known for being the safest worker out there, and the guy thinks that it's just his Irish heritage that makes him hand out the potatoes like it's St. Patrick's Day. That being said, you would hope that with Bret's concussion and head trauma history that Vince would pepper him with kicks, body blows and other assorted shots to the body. I don't want to see Bret die in the ring or become a vegetable. Yes, a little melodrama, but at the same time it's a real possibility.

I'd book the match not to have Vince have any offense whatsoever, but then again, I'm an unabashed Hitman mark who probably overrates the crowd's desire to see a guy who left before they started watching squash the genetic freak of an owner who's looked credible against guys such as Triple H and Randy Orton. Still, that might be the best path. The best way to keep Bret out of harm's way would be not to even think of putting him there in the first place. Obvious, I know, but hey, someone has to point it out, right?

Who Should Win: Bret Hart, and if anyone says otherwise, they've got brain damage. Hell, I don't even think Vince McMahon thinks he should go over in this match.

Who Will Win: Bret Hart. Again, McMahon isn't that delusional. He knows that the crowd wants to see him lose, even if a good portion of it barely understands the whole Montreal dynamic. I expect a short brawl and Vince tapping like a schoolboy caught in the playground bully's noogies to the Sharpshooter.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

All You Need to Know about Destination X

IN OLD-TIMEY SILENT FILM STYLE!



Also, this:



I really don't think I need to say anything here.

Thanks to blog-reader and A1 forum member KoppoKick for finding these!

Weekend Wrap-Up: The More Things Change, The More Things Stay the Same

- CHIKARA ran two shows this weekend, one in Easton, PA Saturday and one in Fairfield, CT Sunday. To no one's surprise and the chagrin of more than a few Chikara fans, including birthday boy and blog-fan Sean Williams, it was a whitewash of BDK dominance, punctuated by the team of $wi$$ Money Holding, Claudio Castagnoli and Ares, winning the Campeonatos de Parejas. It's been three months so far, and the BDK has shown major levels of dominance. What I can say as a rebuttal (in almost a Devil's advocate style, since I'm a bit worried at the heel dominance, although not as worried as most) is that in three months, Chikara has run 5 shows, which is what a company like, say, TNA runs in an entire month, or the WWE in two weeks. Angle progression therefore seems slower, but is really moving along at the same rate if you look at it by the number of shows rather than the amount of time.

- ROH also ran two shows this weekend, Friday in Detroit and Saturday in Mississuaga, ON (Toronto area). The lineups looked good. The Detroit show got middling reviews, with most of the praise coming for the six-man main (Briscoes and Black vs. Wolves and Hero) and Strong/Omega. For the Ontario show, well, in a funny bit of business, neither Roderick Strong nor Mark Briscoe were allowed across the border. Seriously, Jay was allowed but Mark wasn't? And what did Roderick Strong do so bad that Canada doesn't want him? Maybe he smuggles cheap prescription drugs out. I can't find a report on that show, but again, the lineup looked pretty good. With no title defenses until The Big Bang, it really looks like they're putting all their eggs into the same basket for that Charlotte show.

- TNA ran a PPV last night called Destination X, implying that the X-Division would be the spotlight. Yeah, about that... the last X-Division match finished with three matches left to go on the card. If you want to read about it, Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline has a recap. He's accused of being a ZOMG H8R by the TNA mutants, but I found this to be even-handed, well, as even-handed as a guy who clearly didn't enjoy the show could make it. Wade Keller's review of the show also noted that Kurt Angle started off a blood-feud with a 2-minute side headlock. He's reputed to be a great wrestler anymore why?

- RIP Baron Mikel Scicluna. One of the (W)WWF's biggest stars in the '60s passed at age 80 after a prolonged battle with liver cancer. Condolences to his family and friends.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

From the Archives: WrestleMania 22's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

No WM Countdown today. I have five matches left to cover and five weekdays before WrestleMania, and I'd like to leave one day for whatever thrown-together Divas match they're going to do so that it ends on Saturday, WrestleMania's eve. Anyway, today's From the Archives continues the theme of WrestleMania matches in preparation for the big event. This one is the Money in the Bank Ladder match from WM 22, the second year it took place. RVD ended up winning this one, which he used to cash in on John Cena at One Night Stand later on in the year. Enjoy!


WWE Wrestlemania 22 Money In The Bank Ladder Match (2006)
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WrestleMania 26: Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Cody Rhodes

The Dissolution of Legacy Triple Threat
Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Cody Rhodes

How: I think one of the guest hosts made the match or something.

Heat Check: The seeds for this angle actually reach all the way back to 2008 when Randy Orton began scouting for his new stable of second generation superstars. The running came down to four guys. He kept the white ones and kicked the brown ones to the curb (zomg racism?). One of the white ones, Ted DiBiase, joined the stable despite the fact that Randy Orton instigated an injury angle that allowed him to finish filming the cinematic masterpiece known as The Marine 2 punted him and put him on the shelf for a few months. They help Orton win the Royal Rumble in 2009. For their efforts, they're repaid with jobbing their eyes out to Triple H, Batista, Shane McMahon, hell, anything that moved and wasn't named Santino Marella (although at the time, Santino was Santina and actually had a much more credibility with the transvestism to boot... go figure). Cody Rhodes even got to get super-squashed in less than a minute twice, once to Trips and once to Batista.

After Orton's feud with Triple H segued into one with John Cena, the writers Orton and his minions (note, my wife knows them only as "minions", and she often calls Evan Bourne "minion" too because he and Cody look like doppelgangers to her) forgot they were affiliated, as Legacy moved on to feud with DX. Meanwhile, when Orton needed backup against Cena, he called on JeriShow more than he did his own lackeys.

Well, after the "final" meeting between Cena and Orton, and the rubber match between Legacy and DX, Legacy was all like "shit what do we do know? We know! Let's be Randy's henchmen again!" And so they were. They first reminded us of their role by buying Orton a stock car until *record scratch* Kofi Kingston destroyed it! Oh no!

So, Legacy settled back into their roles as lackeys, but they actually won matches this time. I guess this started them off on the notion that they were actually better than Orton at this point and they started planting seeds of dissention against each other. Orton told them to buzz off about that and not to get involved in any of his matches. Rhodes doesn't listen, he gets Orton DQ'ed twice, and then a third time, he fakes Orton out and helps DiBiase eliminate him at Elimination Chamber. This sets Orton off over the edge, and he goes on the warpath, although with not much success to date.

Analysis: As they've done with this stable all along, they've handed the build to this match so ham-handedly that Porky Pig comments about how ham-handedly they've handled it. The plan was that Ted DiBiase would come out of this as a megaface, because hey, heels don't star in major-release straight-to-DVD feature films. Well, that didn't happen. Orton was the one who got face pops, which proves what I've been saying all along - the fans have been wanting to cheer Orton for at least a year, if not longer. Honestly, if they really wanted to keep Orton heel, they shouldn't have programmed him against Sheamus, a guy the crowds really wanted to hate, but hey, I'm not the one in charge. They must know something I don't. Meh.

At the very least, they've given an out for themselves to finally turn Orton fan-favorite and see what kind of mileage he gives you on, say, Smackdown as a top face opposite CM Punk, Chris Jericho and Sheamus, post-draft of course. Meanwhile, whither Legacy? Well, who knows at this point. Whatever happens, I think they need to stay together as a heel tandem, maybe find some other lackeys and stay on the opposite brand Orton is on.

As for the match itself, triple threats are hit-or-miss, mostly miss. All three guys in the match are decent enough, although I'm not sure DiBiase or Rhodes have the experience to know what to do in a three-way. Orton does, but I'm skeptical at his ability to be a ring general. Although he's improved drastically now that he doesn't lean on chinlocks and other restholds anymore, I still think he has a ways to go before he can be counted amongst the Cena/Punk/Christian/Mysterio/Jericho/Danielson (how's that for an Elimination Chamber match, eh?) number of elite workers in the company. I guess we'll see.

Who Should Win: Orton. Right now, he's more ready to draw money as a face than either member of Legacy is to draw heat as a heel. As much of a trendy smark answer it is to say DiBiase should win, well, that'd be just stupid at this point. He needs to be rebuilt and dissociated from Orton for at least two years.

Who Will Win: Orton. They could have a surprise DiBiase win here, but I think Orton's getting the duke.

Photo Credit: WWE.com