Five-Star Conversation 04.14.09: 2008 Draft Report Card, 2009 Draft Predictions and More!

Posted by Geoff Eubanks on 04.14.2009

I gotta pop this sucker in the system so I can get home and watch The 2009 Draft! We look back and look forward, plus respond to last week's WrestleMania comments!

It's like Christmas…or tax time, depending (speaking of which, I need to file!) The 2009 Draft will have already occurred by the time you read this, with The Supplemental Draft slated to commence tomorrow afternoon at noon. The timing sucks for purposes here in 5SC, but, regardless, let's get this donkey show on the road! Your referee…Bronco Lubich!

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: As Vickie Guerrero was announcing herself as Raw's new General Manager (as I predicted!), Comedy Central was airing the new "queef" episode. Coincidence…?

2008 WWE Draft report
Before we look ahead at what might transpire on Raw, let's take stock of the goings-on from last year's Draft and see how the changes made benefitted (or not so much) those affected. (By the way, throughout this article, I will refer to the interim between Drafts as a year, although I know the 2008 Draft occurred in June. It's just easier…let's not freak out or anything, okay?)

Mister Kennedy, drafted from Raw to SmackDown!
It strikes me that this was the least effective move, and actively so. Kennedy barely had time to get out of the SmackDown! chute before having separated his shoulder at a house show in a match against Shelton Benjamin, barely a month-and-a-half after returning to Friday nights. This was still another rough break for the Superstar hailing from Green Bay, Wisconsin, because he was just starting to regain some momentum after having been MIA from WWE-TV while filming "Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia". WWE used his injury to its best effect, though, sending Kennedy on the media trail to promote the film as he rehabbed, then used him as a political liaison at the 2008 Republican National Convention as part of WWE's SmackDown! Your Vote campaign.

Since then, however, we've really yet to see hide nor hair (including those creepy ass chin pubes he grew during his absence) of Kennedy in an active capacity on television, leaving one to wonder two things: 1) How long does it take to mend a separated shoulder?! 2) Does McMahonagement seem to find more value in Kennedy as an ambassador/spokesperson as opposed to an actual in-ring talent…?

Umaga, drafted from Raw to SmackDown!
With similarly unfortunate luck in the health department, Umaga was sidelined barely a month after having been drafted to SmackDown!, suffering a torn posterior cruciate ligament, shelving him through late January, basically the entire interim between The 2008 Draft and The Road to WrestleMania. He was initially reintroduced to Friday nights, winning a couple squashes, but to overwhelming cheers, which may have thrown Creative, thus encouraging them to leave him off The Grand-Daddy until the big event's denouement, where greater focus and attention could be devoted to him…? That's merely speculative on my behalf, so don't set your proverbial watch by that statement!

As such, though, Umaga's tenure on SmackDown! has been a disappointment, although completely unavoidable…I'm sure he'd much rather have been active and performing as opposed to spending the better part of the year rehabbing a nasty injury! Hopefully, the remainder of 2009 will be kinder to The Samoan Bulldozer.

Kane, drafted from ECW to Raw
God bless Glenn Jacobs. He's easily been one of WWE's most consistent franchise players of the last dozen years, but McMahonagement has him on a "creative" treadmill by which one could almost set one's calendar. Just as it appears as if Kane is in danger of being made completely redundant, he arbitrarily freaks out and starts beating the shit out of anyone and anything within reach before settling into a tired, meandering program with someone he inevitably puts over, his madness quelling some with each loss until his heat dwindles and the cycle repeats.

This most recent cycle was, in particular, quite bad in Kane's regard, considering his chosen foe was Rey Mysterio. Really, how the mighty have fallen. I know, Mysterio is a former World Champion, but the only glory he managed to take from that victory was the victory itself, as his run as champion was so bad it had Chris Jericho sending him sympathy cards. Granted, the premise and logic behind the feud was actually in tact, for the most part, but, in execution, Kane couldn't buy, beg, steal or borrow a convincing win over the much smaller superstar, which did nothing to make Mysterio look any better in anyone's eyes and made Kane look like a puss. To make matters worse, when Mysterio stepped in against Mike Knox for an injured Evan Bourne, both Mysterio and, by proxy, Kane looked all the worse when Knox continuously laid waste to Mysterio.

Kane was finally starting to regain some respect when he not only won a spot in WrestleMania's $itB Ladder match, but was being viewed as a front-runner to take home the briefcase; and, no, after all the face he'd lost the better part of the year, the fact that he pinned Knox to secure that spot in $itB counts for little in the grand scheme. However, Kane, although coming up short at WrestleMania, turned in a fine performance, standing up quite well against the other big man in the contest, Mark Henry (who also brought his best game). Although disappointing in specific respects this last year, at least Kane was a consistently visible character, and hopefully, he'll continue to be such following 2009's Draft.

Batista, drafted from SmackDown! to Raw
I deliberated placing Batista before Kane, simply because he, too, spent a good deal of the interim knitting yet another muscle back onto his body. What swings The Animal, though, ahead of Kane is the fact that he and John Cena won the World Tag Team Titles from SIMPLY PRICELESS as a part of his and Cena's program over the World Title, as well as Batista's having defeated Chris Jericho for the World Title later in the year. Of course, it also stands to be mentioned that Batista carried each title for only a week before they were dropped back to those from whom they were won. A step up from his old SmackDown! ways, being "Mr. Close But No Cigar", but, all things considered, pretty pathetic.

Of course, now Big Dave is back and involved in the biggest story in the company, siding up with Triple H and The McMahons against LEGACY, evening the odds (until DH Smith makes his LEGACY debut, or Batista turns on his allies, but that's another matter!), so it appears as if The Animal is in line for a banner year…provided he can keep his muscles attached to his bones, and, decidedly not a Spring chicken, it's quite conceivable that he may not.

Jim Ross, drafted from Raw to SmackDown!; Michael Cole, drafted from SmackDown! to Raw
It makes sense to discuss the Play-by-Play announcer's swap in tandem.

This really is a different call than measuring the success or lack thereof where a particular performer's concerned, because there are no titles to be won or lost and I don't believe there have been any significant ratings fluctuations, and, even if so, it'd be pretty difficult to attribute such, one way or another, to the PBP guys.

One thing I will say in terms of Jim Ross' migration to the Blue & Silver desk is that it was my take that his quality of call greatly helped to make Vladimir Kozlov's legitimacy that much more authentic and believable, as opposed to that which Cole had previously provided. It's just tiny things like a nickname, in this case, The Moscow Mauler, that help to make a new talent all the more marketable and not just reminding us week after week about the athlete's background in Sambo. (Of course, an announcer can only do so much to help get over a new talent, as we've also seen on Fridays, too, but that's another discussion.)

If anything has hurt JR's commentary it's the musical chair next to him. After having sat next to Jerry Lawler for over a decade on Raw, the fruits of that long-standing relationship showing benefits in myriad instances, he was moved to Fridays and sat next to his long-time friend Mick Foley, an immediate symbiosis forming, but sadly in short-lived fashion, as Foley opted out of his WWE commitments soon thereafter. The relationship gelling between JR & Tazz was less pronounced, but, IMO, grew over the months into an odd combination that seemed to work quite well, even if there were no sparks, if there was no magic. Now, with Tazz leaving, too, Ross finds himself in the unenviable position of having to click with another broadcast colleague, the third inside a year after having been unceremoniously removed from his comfort zone. Being the professional he is, I have perfect confidence that, whoever his new partner turns out to be, we'll be in good hands on Fridays, but at a debilitating cost to Boomer Sooner.

Michael Cole is just Michael Cole. We've gone over his pros and cons myriad times in the past and if you like him, peachy, bless you and your low standards. For what I have to believe is the vast majority of The IWC who can practically hear him being coached in his cans at which point in the early going of a match to ask his partner what the face involved has to do in terms of strategy and make the "VINTAGE" call right along with him, we're all a little sick of it. The only thing that saves his neo-Schiavone PBP is the pregnant possibility of a drinking game in his honor, but who among us can stand to be that shitfaced on a Monday night…?

Triple H, drafted from Raw to SmackDown!
This has been an odd transition for HHH. Now, sure we all figured he was moved to SD! to lend the "B-brand" a little more name prestige as it moved into the driver's seat on My Network TV following the demise of WWE & The CW's partnership and that he would have a comfortable year as the Friday night standard-bearer. Having been on Raw since January 2002, there likely were some fresh competition to meet and new stories to be told.

True, he was the incumbent World Wrestling Entertainment Champion at the time the switch occurred and is such again, Tri took on all comers, including The Great Khali, Jeff Hardy, Edge and Vladimir Kozlov, and not always just one-on-one. He didn't sweep the interim as champion, however, as he dropped the title to Edge who then lost it to Hardy when his time finally came around to be the top man on the brand. Many of Trip's myriad critics wouldn't budge to give him the credit, but HHH worked hard to give a rub to Hardy & Kozlov, and that is to be commended.

However, there's a flip side to this coin, unusual in The Game's regard in that, as he can always be relied upon to deliver consistent, solid matches at a top-of-the card level, not only was the short-lived Khali feud booked well in HHH's favor, such that it was no small foregone conclusion that he would walk out the winner of the WWET match with the belt in tact, the PPV showdown against Kozlov was a dull disappointment, as well, surprising given both men's genuine wrestling ability and HHH's reputation as a ring general.

Most surprising of all, though, was the virtually unanimous opinion that The Cerebral Assassin's WrestleMania headlining match against Raw's Randy Orton was "average at best" and one of the most disappointing and anti-climactic endings in the event's 25 years history, and not simply because it was overshadowed by the stellar Taker/Michaels match for the ages elsewhere on the card. Granted, HHH retained his WWET, after having won it in the Elimination Chamber match at NO WAY OUT, but when the match is deemed an utter disappointment, does anyone care?

Jeff Hardy, drafted from Raw to SmackDown!; Matt Hardy, drafted from SmackDown! to ECW
We discuss the brothers together, as well, as their individual years have mirrored the other's somewhat. Both enjoyed top title reigns on each respective brand, although Matt won his in the Championship Scramble at UNFORGIVEN, despite having never been able to defeat prior champion Mark Henry for the belt one-on-one, whereas Jeff pinned Edge for his WWET at ARMAGEDDON in a Triple Threat match also involving Triple H. Matt's tenure as champion was longer Jeff's, but Jeff's title carries more prestige. With Matt, we enjoyed a Hardy championship, whereas we thrilled more to Jeff's story because the chase was such that we weren't sure if he was ever going to actually get his hands on the belt.

Of course we also witnessed the various attacks on Jeff that first prevented him from competing for the WWET, then the final, face-to-face shot that cost him the belt when Matt turned on and eventually disowned his brother, smashing him in the face with a chair, allowing Edge to steal still another world title. From there, one of Vince McMahon's favorite stand-by stories, brother versus brother, was born, only to find itself deflating in a hurry.

There are many reasons this could be so, I, personally, blame some cringe-worthy promos delivered by both parties that failed to maintain the heat required to keep the fire lit under this program. I also have trouble believing the fans want to side against Matt and the decision to change his ring gear came a little too late to make a difference. Now the program is being rushed along, giving me the impression McMahonagement may be disappointed and want to force it to prematurely run its course, putting this behind them and moving them along, despite having had one of the better thought of matches at WrestleMania.

Nonetheless, both men have proven they can be successful and popular champions and have thrown themselves into their work, Jeff, especially is to be commended for getting himself right and, apparently, taking himself out the running for termination due to Wellness violations.

Rey Mysterio, drafted from SmackDown! to Raw
We've already discussed Mysterio's disappointing year in terms of storylines since having been reassigned to Mondays, still again being forced into one of Vince McMahon's favorite storylines, David & Goliath, not once but twice, first against Kane and then Mike Knox, making for a difficult year in Mysterio's regard. This is speculative on my part, but it seems to me, as I mentioned, that Mysterio was standing in for ECW sensation Evan Bourne once he dislocated his ankle, tearing the deltoid ligament, McMahonagement determined to push Knox.

Plotlines aside, though, and this is certainly not meant to diminish the spectacular performances of Bourne prior to injury, it's my belief that a good portion of Bourne's meteoric rise to popularity has a lot to do with the rub he received by being paired up with perennial fan darling, Mysterio. Too, I think more people sat up and paid attention to Knox because he was facing off against Mysterio and was, thus, taken more seriously as a consequence, thus, it seems to me that Mysterio's celebrity and passionate fan base was utilized to great effect, which is actually supposed to be one of the main components of the brand split and The Draft, so well done!

It should also be mentioned that Mysterio has been an unsung rock star when it's counted this year, most notably in the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber matches in January and February of this year, respectively. Considering his age, style of performance and history of knee problems, to have been turning up the burner at this point in his career makes him an asset to his brand.

Then there's the matter of having won the InterContinental Title from John Layfield at WrestleMania, a belt he's never before held. Granted, the "match" itself was bullshit, but as it stands in the books, Mysterio won a title steeped in tradition on the industry's biggest stage, so kudos are definitely in order for The Biggest Little Man!

CM Punk, drafted from ECW to Raw
Did anyone have a better year than Punk, PERIOD? After having scored the briefcase at WrestleMania 24 (basically Jeff Hardy's loss, as it's pretty well acknowledged that match was Jeff's to won, but, due to Wellness violation #2, he was suspended and missed out on WrestleMania), Punk cashed in his world title contract just a week after having been drafted, defeating a debilitated Edge for the World Title. Granted, his inaugural reign was tainted by shady booking, making him appear as if he couldn't win another big match when it counted (at least without some sort of extenuating circumstance), before being punked out of his chance to defend his belt in the Championship Scramble match at UNFORGIVEN by Randy Orton and SIMPLY PRICELESS. This, however, means that Punk was never defeated for his belt.

The next month, Punk and partner Kofi Kingston were afforded a measure of revenge by unseating SIMPLY PRICELESS for the WTTTs, dropping them to the top team in WWE today in The Miz & John Morrison, no shame in having lost to the best. The next day, Punk defeated Mysterio on PPV for the right to challenge William Regal for his InterContinental Title. The ensuing feud was spectacular, as Punk and Regal displayed some deadly chemistry, Punk ultimately relieving the veteran of his ten-pound burden, putting Punk in some rarified air as being one of only a few men to ever win Tag, InterContinental and World Titles in under a year. He would lose the ICT to JBL, but a short month later, he went on to WrestleMania to become the only man to win $itB twice and two years in a row. It was indeed a golden year for Punk.

As mentioned, Punk's WT match earned almost universal criticism for the manner in which he was booked to look weak and that same unrest has been resurrected with this second $itB victory, but I disagree with the cynics. It seemed to me that WWE felt it had little to lose in pushing Punk as high as it did, since he wasn't the original intended winner of the $itB match in the first place. Rather, Punk was allowed a trial run with Big Goldie, which served as a means to introduce fans to this new, young upstart, to make him a sympathetic character who fans want to see succeed, then, when the time was right, screw him out of the belt by someone it knew it wanted to push (Orton), using that screwjob as a means to keep him away from the big belt, but still gain a measure of revenge.

This is why I disagreed from the beginning with the popular sentiment that putting Punk in a tag team with Kingston was a massive downhill plunge for his "spot". Rather, he got even with SIMPLY PRICELESS for the beat down, gave a rub to fellow Raw noob Kingston and ended up with gold, regardless. Every step of the way, the fans cheering Punk have steadily increased in number and, now that he's in line to take another world title, his situation isn't that of the plucky stranger, but of beloved fan favorite who has proven how tough he is and how hard he'll fight to get what he wants.

And let's never forget that, considering his straight-edge lifestyle, he guarantees McMahonagement no unwanted surprises after the piss tests come back from the lab. Barring something incredibly left-field in his regard, I think Punk and WWE are a marriage we're going to see flourish for years to come.

A quick look at The 2008 Supplemental Draft
Being left off television, these are the less spectacular switches, and, although more hit or miss than that which we see on Raw, can still yield favorable results:

First, we can obviously discount Deuce, Chuck Palumbo, Trevor Murdoch, Big Daddy V and Super Crazy, as, for one reason or another, they no longer work for WWE.

Jamie Noble's Raw tenure was predictably brief, as was switched to ECW before The 2009 Draft was even announced, during that period where a few subtle and understated roster changes were made with, in true McMahonagement fashion, little to no explanation. Noble was being wasted on Raw anyway, so being sent to ECW where he can work with less established talent is a good thing anyway. We give this a thumb's up. Now if he could just get in the ring and perform!

DH Smith to SmackDown!...oh really?! We all know the deal here. Smith was sent down to developmental for some fine tuning and promptly forgotten about by Creative until Vince McMahon, in an especially grumpy mood, realized the oversight and had a tantrum when he discovered that a second-generation talent wasn't being utilized on television. Rumor has it he'll be debuting with LEGACY on Raw soon. The question is, since virtually no one knows him from Adam, will he just "appear", or will he actually be acknowledged as a member of the SmackDown! roster and traded properly…?

I suppose we could refer (or "reefer") to Brian Kendrick as The Anti-Punk. Ripe with promise following the demise of the spectacular team he comprised with Paul London, Kendrick found that the higher he got, the lower he found himself on the card. I suppose I can see McMahonagement's point, considering the infamous RVD/Sabu incident. It's a damn shame, though, because Kendrick is one of my favorites.

Playing the part of arbitrary Diva Draft, Maria! She made a splash on SmackDown!, learned three moves, served as the foil to turn Michelle McCool and then both were promptly forgotten about once Vince realized Maryse gives a better blowjob.

In this year's example of how Vince's idea of punishment is a push, Carlito came back from the dead this year with the arrival of his younger (and much more talented) brother, Primo. As we've seen, the smart-mouthed ingrate was rewarded for his petulance by being allowed to go over the far superior team of Miz & Morrison to unite the tag belts proving that if you're a moderately-talented asshole who fits the target audience, there's always gold waiting for you in the House of Vince.

We've talked quite a bit about Matt Striker here as well. It's actually a shame we can't clone him, since he's an effective manager, able to make a well-passed-his-born-on-date Big Daddy V seem interesting, while somehow weaving a magical spell in his verbal symbiosis with long-time annoyance Todd Grisham and produce some of the most pleasant and fresh commentary the company's seen (heard?) since JR took sole control of the PBP desk on Raw.

Layla hasn't really done a whole lot for me as William Regal's second, mainly because he doesn't need one and, aside from both being English, really have little in common. He sure hasn't been teaching her any pointers in the ring (although, to her credit, she sells well and gets psychology, but it ends there).

Kofi Kingston is perhaps last year's draft's biggest success story. Here again was an unknown kid transferred to the big stage from the "televised developmental" who really stepped up and made people take notice. As I mentioned, I think tagging with Punk really allowed him a valuable rub at just the right time, but if he didn't have the goods to keep them cheering, he'd not still be as highly regarded as he is, so well done. We might have some new blood elevated yet.

What can be said about Mark Henry? He pretty much is what he is, although I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that he had a pretty successful year on Tuesday night! He was a dominant ECWC who was never actually defeated for his belt and the addition of Tony Atlas displays that McMahonagement has their eye on him. He also gave a hell of a performance in the $itB match at WrestleMania, like Kane, being favored to win take the briefcase home.

Finlay & Hornswoggle have become a fun little novelty act, even if it's disappointing that The Fighting Irishman isn't being utilized in a greater role higher on the card. However, considering he's already retired once in his career and was brought out of his road agent role backstage to return to full-time active duty, the fact that he's able to give as well as he has been these last 3.5 years.

Too, Shelton Benjamin has excelled in his role as a heel, learning another way to work aside from the spotastic face who almost kills himself to get a reaction. It's a shame that Benjamin is so limited in the verbal chops/charisma department, because his current role as mid-card champion could very well be about as high up the card he's likely to advance. However, learning to work more safely, as he has since becoming The Gold Standard, will likely prolong his shelf life as a performer (barring that he doesn't throw it all away by landing on his head in his annual losing effort in $itB).

Altogether, I think, in retrospect, this was one of the more successful Drafts in its six year history, all things considered. So let's move on and have a look at #7:

2009 Draft predictions
I hope you guys don't find this to be a cop out this year, but, considering the rumors that, brand notwithstanding, talent is still going to be allowed to appear on Raw on an "as-needed" basis, it kinda takes the wind out of the sails. There's no word regarding whether or not the other two brands will enjoy the same treatment, but one has to assume that if McMahonagement is being so gleefully hypocritical about Raw, can the next installment of WWE Fucks the Brand Split be far behind? It has unfortunately made me cynical about this year, which bums me out because I truly love playing with the rosters and having my little Play God moment. At any rate, here we go. Whee.

Chris Jericho, drafted from Raw to SmackDown!; Edge, drafted from SmackDown! to Raw
It seems to me these guys cancel one another out in terms of heel factor. Both are so good and in such similar ways, to have them on the same roster would be superfluous, leaving one roster really lacking, especially with Randy Orton on Raw getting his heel on, too. With La MooMooCita having been transitioned into the role of Raw General Manager, it strikes me that Edge should follow her, with Vickiekins likely pulling strings such that she and her beloved can be together. Therefore, Jericho jumps to SD!.

Triple H, drafted from SmackDown! to Raw
I just have a feeling, with the My Network TV deal being a disappointment, I have a sense that McMahonagement is going to be looking to re-establish the utter dominance and superiority of the flagship broadcast, therefore, back to screwing SmackDown! and glorifying Raw. All the players in the top story, Batista, LEGACY, the McMahons, are all associated with Raw, so it makes sense to bring back Triple H (all the more reason why it will likely not happen), and it's all the easier to bust out a feel-good DX moment if they so desire. Besides, a big name move generates excitement.

Evan Bourne, drafted from ECW to Raw
This seems to be a no-brainer to me. This kid is insanely over and already has ties to Rey Mysterio, as well as a score to settle with Mike Knox. If I have ONE pick correct, I think it's this one.

John Morrison, drafted from ECW to Raw
Although I'm pretty comfortable with this one, too. If McMahonagement meant to keep Miz & Morrison together, they would have the Unified tag Titles, not LOS COLONS. It's Morrison's time, and I think he's going to be allowed a shot on the big stage.

The Miz, drafted from ECW to SmackDown!
The Miz was one of the greatest odds-on favorites to never make the transition from reality TV to WWE-TV, but look who's made it this far. I, too, think McMahonagement means to strike while the iron is hot and give Miz a shot at flying solo (and to fill the role for which Kendrick was intended). I think it's totally up to him with respect to how far he goes as a solo act. We'll see. If not, they could always team him up with Kendrick and treat them like Jesse & Festus.

Kane, drafted from Raw to SmackDown!
Kane generally tends to be transitory in these things and, in keeping with the bolstering of Raw's ranks, they need to make some room, because we know Kane will do anything asked of him and not make any waves about it. Besides, in keeping with the cycle of Kane I spoke of earlier on, we're about due for our annual BROTHERS OF DESTRUCTION reunion and this makes it all the easier.

Vladimir Kozlov, drafted from SmackDown! to ECW
I think we're in the cool-down period with Kozlov after that disappointing go-round with HHH. He's simply not catching on, though has talent and that foreign heritage going for him, so keep him in ECW and bring him out if we find we should need him later.

William Regal, drafted from Raw to SmackDown!
Again, another talented veteran with a lot to impart and a foreign background.

Dolph Ziggler, drafted from Raw to ECW
After another injury, I think company faith in Ziggler, so I can see him being shipped to ECW where he can be used…or not. If he should manage to put together a couple months without hurting himself or failing a Wellness test, why then, maybe we'll give him another shot, but at the moment, it's looking as if Ziggy might just be looking back to the salad days of THE SPIRIT SQUAD with fondness and yearning.

I know there's scheduled to be 12 changes on Raw and I've suggested ten. Fit in a Diva Draft (really, pick one, because, honestly, it won't make a shit of difference, because, brand notwithstanding, the one's with talent, like Natalya, Mickie James, Jigglin Hall and Michelle McCool will all be jobbed to the bimbos like Melina, Maria, Maryse and The Bella Twins.

Finally, we need to settle our commentator conundrum. How about reuniting Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on Raw, then pairing up Michael Cole & Matt Striker on SmackDown!, with Todd Grisham pairing up with Josh Mathews on ECW?

As far as names eligible for the supplemental draft on Wednesday, I'm seeing the following as eligible to find a new home: Jim Duggan, Goldust (even though I think they'd be fools not to capitalize having Goldust, Old Dutht & Cody all under contract at the same time), Charlie Haas, Sim Snuka, Shelton Benjamin, Chavo Guerrero, Hurricane Helms, Khali and R-Truth.

COMMENTPALOOZA!
Taker-HBK truly carried the card. I feared McMahon would futz with it because he's been known to screw up easy wins. I wish HHH and Cena learned the Flair/HBK lesson that once a top draw is truly over, he can take a clean pin from an up-and-comer or other top carder and lose no prestige. Imagine how much better Mania would've been if we saw edge cleanly pin Cena and Orton take out HHH.
Posted By: Iron Knee

Agreed on all points, Iron Knee. As I said last week, HHH going over and retaining wasn't what I wanted to see, but it was the correct prediction. Two things now rule being the times we're in now where WE is concerned: 1) Good ultimately prevails and 2) Good especially prevails at the big show where we all go home with the warm fuzzy. Had either Edge or Orton gone over in the show closer, it would have been totally "Empire Strikes Back" as opposed to "Return of the Jedi". That's what happens when Vince starts marketing to children…cue the Ewoks.

They could have had at least one heel go over provided Taker/HBK went last. It was most satisfying, crowd-pleasing match of the night, plus you were guaranteed a face win. I mean, really. Duh.

I was a bit disappointment in WMXXV but I wouldn't rip the down just b/c of my disappointment. I share with you the disappointment of making the Tag Titles the dark match while lending significant time to the Miss WM comedy spot match. Looking back at my prediction - I totally understand the temptation of breaking apart Morrison and getting him more involved in singles action. I just feel for Miz in all of this. He will be tossed aside, ala Jannetty (yes...i know the drug issues) or Gilbert in WCW or The Anvil! Miz just doesn't have "it" without a really solid compliment and front runner of the team. The Colons washing out wouldn't bother me because both of them do zippo for me and from being at house shows - serve a good purpose for a run for refreshments or a deposit in the tiled room.

I enjoyed UT/HBK a lot! I understand your criticism of my theory regarding the build for the match. I just didn't see the point of making HBK is jerk and have him in pseudo contrast to his "belief" system. HBK is just fine on his own merit as a character. You don't need to dumb him down to fit a scenerio or ramp him up either. They allowed UT to just be himself in the whole process and it worked just fine. Allow the legends or the "Mr. Wrestlemania's" to be just that (how is HBK Mr. WM if he loses more than he wins, shouldn't UT be Mr. WM)!

Orton/HHH sucked...painful to watch really. Like night wasn't much more enjoyable either.

Overall though, good show. I enjoyed my time with it and I will fondly remember Steamboat still looking more cut and smoother than 5 years worth of AWA rosters.

I disagree with Iron Knee on his "WM would have been better if Cena and/or HHH ate pinfalls". The ability to job and the willingness to job doesn't mean that you need to job.

A top draw is really over when he is at the top.

Since WM is a show of happy endings, it made virtually no sense for them to book Orton over HHH given the storyline unless someone was going to turn traitor that wasn't booked in the ring. If you have someone turn traitor, either men's abilities to job, is nullified. They didn't really job at that point, someone else did it for them.

The Flair lesson is a solid one and one that I wish would be properly seen. Flair jobbed when it was expedient to do so. Flair lost a lot of non-title affairs (especially to Windham) but he did just go out and drop the belt because he was a top draw. For instance:

Kerry Von Erich beat Flair for the title at the David Von Erich Memorial Show. It made sense to drop the title then, however Kerry wasn't remotely on a decent level to carry the mail at the time. Kevin was EASILY the better of the Von Erich's but he was wiry and didn't have the frame of Kerry. However, Kerry got the belt, at the right time in history. Flair did the correct thing and the timing was solid (match wasn't very good though - and Geoff thinks Flair carrying Luger was bad).

Fast forward to present - HHH should have dominated WMXXV since we weren't going to have a McMahon swerve. HHH did, just as it should have been. My prediction of Orton winning was shortsighted b/c I thought this might be the time that Vince disowns the son-in-law. I really thought Batista would be involved Sunday night in getting HHH a softened defeat.

I am glad I was wrong.

The match wasn't good but the booking was correct. HHH should triumph over Orton given the storyline and the venue.

Regarding Cena - I thought Cena would win but turn heel in the process. I figured Vickie would aid Cena in victory somehow and Cena would take the "reluctant" charity. By the time the May PPV would surface, Cena would be a full fledged heel running away from subtle prickness to outright smugness.

In support of your theory, Edge didn't need the title to solidify who he already is - a top draw. TBS continues to be booked as a big joke, so elevating him made little sense in the long run. Once again - the WWE got it right (in my eyes).

Overall, they do a good job of keeping the top draws on top. Iron Knee, keep in mind that you can only have so many at any level before it becomes too cloudy to book them all well. If someone goes up, someone must usually comedown. Injuries help but w/o them, you just have a mess.

Ask Russo about this.
Posted By: thegunisgood

gun,
I see your point about HHH winning. I just feel that they've totally wasted Orton's build by having him cleanly lose. Maybe a tainted win followed by an HHH beatdown would've made us both happier.

As to Cena, I too would've loved a heel or conflicted Cena. He's run his course as uber-face and it really wastes his talent on the mike and in the ring. You're spot on about Edge. His loss doesn't really hurt him at all.
Posted By: Iron Knee

Lots to comment upon there! I'd have liked to have seen Edge pin Cena clean because I really think it's time for Edge to step up and win a title sans chicanery. I know how he wants to be remembered as the skankiest, oiliest heel in history, but he needs to establish that role without making himself a cheap-ass Honky-Tonk Man "luck be a lady every night" to do it. That's one of the reasons Flair was so hated; even though he was The Dirtiest Player in the Game, he still rose to the occasion and could get a clean win on a beloved face when it counted…and how much more do we hate to admit those we hate really deserve the belt they took from our favorite? (BTW, I didn't want Edge to pin Show cleanly, because then we're giving him the role of giant killer, and that's inappropriate for a heel, especially Edge's kind of heel.)

Too, I don't think Orton's roll of evil has been diminished by being pinned by HHH at WrestleMania…it wasn't a clean win! HHH bashed him in the head with Sledgey! Orton should be more motivate than ever to get Tri's belt and wish harm on The McMahons now.

Great example using Flair, Kerry and Windham, gun!

And, as I said above, I have more faith in The Miz than you do. Not nearly as much as I have in Morrison hold world title gold within the next couple years, but I think he'll have a decent run in him.

Great dialogue, my friends!

Any chance that Jack Swagger is thinking to himself that maybe Orton and HHH will get the next PPV off given their lackluster performance in a championship match on a PPV?

Were the lack of swerves actually a third-level swerve?

If JBL is in fact retiring, he needed to have some type of send-off on TV. Now I'm not talking about a Flair type send off, but at least a few minutes to kayfabe on live TV (similar to his blog entry), followed by the guys coming out on the main stage with a nice ovation. The guy was a World Champion and a mainstay with the WWE for over 10 years. Or do you think there is some hard feelings regarding his involvement with OVW.

I think it would have been funny if one of the Cena-clones tripped him. It's not like all of them are somehow involved in the industry and would be shooting themselves in the foot.

Dear Big Show - if you could get yourself in a little better shape, we'll give you another title run (and this time, not the ECW title).

Smackdown GM? Did JBL say he wasn't interested in wrestling anymore nor in being behind the mike? I'm pretty sure his statement leaves this open as a possibility.

No to JBL? Teddy Long can be the fall back position - but who else? Active wrestlers - Jericho? HBK? William Regal? Or how about an announcer - JR? Lawler? Or give Michael Cole the Adamle treatment?
Posted By: BobbyC

Bobby, with respect to the first observation, NOOOOOOO SHIT!!! LMAO! Your Slammy's in the mail for that one, dood.

Yes, Vince's lack of swerves this year was a result of his studying surrealism. Ceci n'est pas une swerve.

I've not heard of any hard feelings in JBL's regard, but who knows? If nothing else, though, I'd think Vince would likely be considering making that a second developmental, or the primary if Florida goes under. JBL has money and is a hell of a smart businessman. I'd think Vince would be very happy to keep very close tabs on him and keep their business minds together, unless he's a better businessman than Vince is and he gets jealous and treats him the way he treats Ross for being a better PBP man than he ever dreamt of being.

I'm ambivalent about the whole JBL send-off, though. I don't give a moist fart about it, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt.

I don't think Vince has a lot of interest in pushing Show no matter what kind of shape he gets into; and, incidentally, has anyone noticed how that 400 pounds at which he returned is steadily climbing from being on the road? Maybe here's a reason:



And, dear Lord, no…no Michael Cole/Mike Adamle business!!! Could you imagine him actually trying to ACT on camera?! Let's move on before I feel the sting of tears…

As far as Santino goes, maybe I get partial credit for at least guessing a woman. What's wrong with me? That's Santino's "sister". (slaps head)

When it comes to whether HHH and Cena should have gone over, I think both were handled well. HHH got to avenge his family and I don't bye Edge beating people clean anymore. He's been some type of help for so long that he doesn't seem like that much of a threat to me. It's a shame, because he is too talented and deserves better.

I too liked Joker Rey. How about WolveRey? He can even do the Snikts19. That was bad and I feel ashamed, but somewhat proud at the same time.
Posted By: The Great Capt. Smooth

This ridiculousness with "Santina" should not be working, but it is, big time. Gee whiz, the guy's hilarious at everything he does. This is another example of the stupid shit Vince cranks out and miscasts, thinking just anyone can make material like this work, not realizing or caring that, no, it takes proper casting in certain situations to strike that perfect balance with success (remember what I said about the love triangle among Christian, Chris Jericho & Trish Stratus? The same applies). I know I shouldn't laugh, but I can't help it. That dance last week on Raw was out of control. You know who's really the unsung hero here, though, is Beth Phoenix for not Harvey Korman-ing all over Santino's Tim Conway.

WolveRey? Say it with me, Schmoove…NO.

Probably the worst Wrestlemania Ive ever ordered, only one match was any good and thats because we all had great expectations for it.

Not having Orton win is just stupid, he got burried more so than Jericho did at WM18. He didnt look good losing, but looked like the biggest bitch ever. But the one thing about the match that baffles me is the DQ, count out stipulation and where the fuck was the interference - If Rock/Austin from the almighty loved Wrestlemania X-Seven had been a normal match with DQs and count out would it have been as good? GOD NO!
Posted By: Brad

You must not have been around for WrestleMania 9 then, Brad. The only really good match was the opener when HBK carried that lump Tatanka to a watchable screwy finish. Beyond that, you had Bret Hart working his mysterious chemistry with Yokozuna, only to lose the title back to him. Oh, but we can't have a heel close WrestleMania, so here comes fucking Hogan to throw away all of Hart's ass-busting hard work with a typical Brother squash.

Agreed…if you're gonna throw out a DQ-stip, threaten for the heel to get away with some before you display the heel bringing out a friggin sledgehammer and keeping his title with it! At least Gorilla Monsoon could retort to Jesse Ventura, "Sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire, Jess!"

What ? You're GAY ?!
oh no, i feel so, so... So? I like petite brunettes, can we move on now?

WM25 disappointed me to no end, it felt like a looong episode of raw, with a few remarkable mark-out exceptions: Pipers dropkick, Ricky F*N Steamboat bringing it with heart and soul, Taker v HBK and the Hardys end-game.

Also Stone Cold sharing one last cold one with JR, classic.
Posted By: casual_monday_mayhem

CMM, that was fucking AWESOME. Thanks!

Piper's dropkick…what a hoot! I hope he didn't land flask-side down on that prosthetic hip.

You know, I think this is the first time in eons where almost the entire 100% IWC sentiment post-WM is the same. Taker/HBK, Steamboat, Hardys, Austin. The rest? Meh.

Jesus. 4 for 9 in my picks? Horrible. No wonder I never win my bets (even if they are blind draws). Lost $5 on the MITB when I drew Christian and Kane. Lost another $5 when I drew Show in the World Title match. At least I got my $5 dollar bet returned for the Diva battle royal because Santino wasn't in the pot. The Homewrecker won $35. Bullshit. First he wins the rumble, then WM. I haven't won shit since HHH's return win. What was that, 8 years ago?

I'm glad you enjoy my tales of "unbridled hedonism (MAH GAWD!, that term sounds so JR-ish). At 38, with wife and kid, those stories about my stupid experiences bring me great joy in my otherwise "Al Bundy" lifestyle. Who wants to hear about some tired old guy that falls asleep around 10 pm? When something jars a memory, it puts a little smile on my face when I'm sharing it with you guys. I've done (and forgotten) so much stupid shit in my life, it makes me wonder how I ended up where I'm at now in my life. Good luck I guess.

As for WM25, it was solid, but did not WOW me. HBK-Taker was without a doubt the highlight. The 3 way was entertaining, no more, no less. MITB was subpar compared to years past. Rey/JBL & Divas was garbage. I still think the Ms. Wrestlemania battle royal could be a good staple if they took 10-12 divas and actually, you know, let them put on a match. Have qualifying matches on raw, sd, ecw for a month. Make it a big deal. But, we see how serious the E takes their divas. Was kind of bummed no tag team match on tv. Hardy-Hardy was ok, but to me it lacked emotion for a blood feud. I dig Matt's new tights look (Homewrecker said that would be a good idea while we were at the bar before WM), but he better not cut his hair until he gets married because that dude ain't gettin' none with out that long hair. As the saying goes, "No curls, no girls" for him.

As usual, Geoff, I appreciate the effort. I'm doing a shot (jackbomb, of course) in your honor later tonight. Have a great week.

I must have left out (freudian slip) my thoughts about Orton-HHH because it was so forgettable. The E really has to do a better job of "ending on a high note."
Posted By: Angry Bear

Yeah, Bear, maybe betting's not your thing…? And here I am with the majority score and vehemently against gambling myself…hahaha!

"Santino wasn't in the pot." Glorious.

I hear ya with respect to the "stories of olde", my friend. Believe me, I've got more than my share, such that I kinda can't believe some of the shit I've done when I recall it. I have a couple co-workers who can't wait for me to write my memoirs. Thegun knows what I'm talking about from some of our old school discussions. As you might guess, he's no angel, either.

I agree with the potential the Divas battle royal may possibly hold as a WM staple, it just needs a little tweaking (make your own nipple joke), but I think you're on the right track. How bout we put all the dim bulbs in this one where they just have to pretend to be tossing one another and allow the real wrestlers cut loose in a title match?

Homewrecker is right, but you greatly underestimate the power of money to open a pair of female legs. That and a Jackbomb!

Yeah, I was at the Raw after Fully Loaded, too. My mom was none too happy when, after Raw ended, it was announced they'd be taping another hour of programming. That, or the two chicks Triple H got to flash. 1998 WWF was ka-razy!
Posted By: neverAcquiesce

Of course, that's why you look so familiar…!

Triple H is a glorified suit. He is like the boss at work that pretends to hate the bigger boss and be a slacker like you, but really he is worse because he acts like your equal. Steamboat is a punk for having gone out of his way to mention Triple H during his HOF induction, just like Flair. Is that now part of becoming part of the HOF---putting over Triple H?? Punk-ass Triple H Marks!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: JOE

I'm not sure what was going on in Steamboat's regard, but apparently, Haitch & Naitch are really tight buds, that wasn't a gimmick, so Flair getting his Woo on in HHH's regard is fuh rill.

As for the "middle management" HHH, I think there's a hint of truth in that, as far as HHH being a McMahon by marriage, although, on the other side of the coin, he also has to respect Stephanie's position in the company. I think that would be a very precarious line to toe, even though it seems to me that Tri actually really loves the position he finds himself in. Too, you have to bear in mind that he stands to inherit part of the company at some point, so there is a certain way he needs to carry himself.

I think as far as Edge getting a clean win over somebody. I'm going with you won't see it till Wrestlemania 26 over the undertaker.
Posted By: the dude

As I said above, Edge needs to start winning cleanly, at least part of the time and he will absolutely have to up his game before being the one to end Taker's streak. Quite frankly, I think someone who needs that quality of a rub should be allowed that honor, and Edge, even at this point, doesn't need it.

That's all for this week! Thanks for reading, drop some comments on your take of this and last year's Drafts and don't forget to check me out in this week's Fact or Fiction! RESPECK!