The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks: 11.30.07
Posted by John Meehan on 11.30.2007
Now Leaner and Meaner than Ever Before!
Welcome back, all. Hope you like the new facelifted format, as the site has made a few tweaks across the board, and so we're leaner and meaner than ever before.
Alright, let's cut the jibber jabber and rock & roll... cuz' it's WRESTLING NEWS time!
The biggest news of the week from up in Stamford is that WWE superstar Ric Flair -- arguably the single greatest in-ring performer ever to have laced up a pair of boots -- is now entering the final stage of his career as an active member of a professional wrestling roster. According to Dave Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer newsletter, Flair recently signed a three-year contract with WWE that will keep him comfortably on their employed list long after his in-ring days have ended, and the plan (as it stands now, at least... but we all know these things can change in a second) is to have Flair's final "official" match be at none other than The Grandaddy of Them All, WrestleMania 24 in Orlando, Florida.
(Since I've already got my tickets, I'm thoroughly pumped!).
Anyhow --
The plan for the "Ric Flair Retirement Tour" angle, according to the usual suspects, was actually first suggested last year at WrestleMania 23 by none other than former WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin's idea (which is exactly what we saw begin this past Monday night) was for Flair to wrestle a "win or retire" match for each of his final bouts leading up to one final blowoff showdown at a WWE megashow (i.e. - WrestleMania 24). Now of course, since Flair is well into his late 50's, many a 'rasslin armchair critic has begun scratching their heads as to the prudence of this "go out on top" swansong. In their estimation, having Flair pull off a string of victories right before he walks away "for good" could very well leave the younger guys who he's beating on the way out the door looking pretty darned bad by the time the damage is done.
However --
If these critics learned ANYTHING from the recent blockbuster success of Sylvester Stallone's reprisal of the eponymous hero in last year's "Rocky Balboa," its that audiences have something of a soft spot for an old pro who can still hang with the young guns -- even if only for a short while, and perhaps because their hearts are bigger than their brains.
In any case --
Seeing Flair run the proverbial gauntlet of fresh and hungry WWE "up-and-comers" on his way to The Big Dance (the "last dance?") seems to be setting 'rasslin fans up for a similar treat. If the way Flair won this past week against Randy Orton is any indication, The Nature Boy isn't simply going to be walking into those matches and flat-out wrestling circles around his opponents and dominating them throughout. Quite on the contrary, the in-match psychology ('rasslin-speak for "story-telling") of the bout made it pretty freakin' clear that Ric was outmatched in each of the conventional categories (speed, size, strength, etc.), and that the only way he was able to pull out a victory was by outsmarting his opponent (thanks to Jericho's help, in this past week, at least). From a kayfabe perspective, this makes perfect sense for a number of key reasons:
1) It keeps the (usually HEEL) Flair opponents strong, as it acknowledges their superior size, strength and speed when squaring off against a vet nearing retirement.
2) It plays off of the relative "inexperience" of many a cocky young upstart Flair opponent, as these grapplers are (both in a storyline sense AND in real life) simply more prone to making "rookie mistakes" than their more-experienced 50-something opponent. This blink-and-you-miss-it approach to "it only takes three seconds to win or lose a match" adds depth and realism to each of these otherwise one-sided contests.
3) It gives each new Ric Flair matchup a heightened sense of drama and excitement. Even as early as this past Monday night when the "retirement tour" kicked off, PLENTY of 'rasslin fans (on this very site, no less) thought for sure that The Nature Boy was doomed for a Hometown Screwjob to unjustly bring his career crashing to a premature halt. In short? WWE has succeeded in making many of us believe that *every* single Flair match could indeed be the guy's last... and so when it comes time to plunk down some coin for a PPV, it stands to reason that fans wouldn't want to miss what might well be their last chance to see The Nature Boy in action (especially because 'net fans, in particular, are paranoid as all get-up, and we are ever suspicious that WWE will get impatient or anxious and scrap a storyline without notice).
4) This storyline -- if booked properly -- will gradually re-establish the credibility of Ric Flair in his own right just before he takes his final bow. Let's face it, folks -- for as good as The Nature Boy once was, he's had more than his fair share of "stinker" matches in the past few years, and he's been on the receiving end of a lot more losses and beat-downs than he's dished out. As a result, while a few of Flair's matches still manage to stand out as "quality" on their own merits (TLC versus Edge last year comes to mind), the bottom line is that more often than not, fans have pretty much resigned themselves to the fact that if we're paying to see Ric Flair fight, then we're probably paying to see him lose (kinda' like Mick Foley, come to think of it). Now that it's "win or go home" time for The Nature Boy, however -- there's a new and compelling reason to tune in for his matches. Not only is the guy fighting for his career (in storyline terms, at least), but he's also managing to rack up what should be a pretty impressive slew of victories along the way... which (again, in storyline terms) should logically result in him facing bigger, badder, and tougher challenges as he closes out the home stretch of his final months on a WWE roster.
End of the day?
The Flair retirement tour seems to promise a great deal of excitement and renewed enthusiasm for these closing weeks of the in-ring career of one of the (if not THE SINGLE) greatest performers ever to have set foot in a squared circle. Even if he's scoring high profile wins, the guy (and the booking) seems aware and savvy enough to make sure that everybody looks good along the way. That way, even in losing to The Nature Boy, opponents can continue to maintain and build their own momentum... and for the one guy who inevitably does best Flair when all's said and done, there's a MASSIVE payoff (and a pretty huge rub) just waiting to be had when this train reaches the end of the tunnel.
One of the more significant developments this week came in the form of former WCW and TNA champion Steve "Sting" Borden, who is reported to be sitting out the remainder of his current TNA contract until his deal with the company expires in January. According to most backstage sources, Sting has been offered a one-year extension to continue working with TNA through the end of 2008, but he has yet to accept the deal or sign the extension.
All in all?
If Sting really is "done for" in TNA, while it most certainly sucks that the guy didn't have one last hurrah to send him on his way in a proper fashion, MeeThinks the longterm loss of the Stinger is probably something that TNA not only should learn to accept, but also one that they can learn to succeed in spite of. For months, Sting has been working with just about everybody on the TNA roster, and the guy has proven more than willing to lend his star power to the up-and-comers and home-grown talents in order to make them look all the more important on the way out. Unfortunately, silly booking errors resulted in many of these feuds being turned into (yet again) ridiculous soap operas that did nothing to play off of the guy's in-ring legacy (think Kurt Angle: Child Abuser), and even sillier booking decisions saw the Stinger wind up on the winning end of at least two major feuds that could have easily been used to catapult his "up-and-coming" opponent into the main event stratusphere.
(Think Abyss and Christopher Daniels... remember *that* one!?)
Bottom line --
If this really is it for Sting in TNA, while it sucks to lose such a talented, established and veteran performer -- the long and short of things is that the guy's "veteran status" and reputation had actually been something of his very own worst enemy in the final months of his career. Namely, though Stinger wanted to "do what's right for business" on the way out, the TNA booking committee felt it'd be better to keep the guy on a winning streak (thus leaving potential feuds in the dust along the way) right up until his final match with the company at last month's PPV. On a personal note, as much as I most definitely wish Sting well in his retirement, I've simply got to say that TNA will probably be better off without him in the long run, as they'll no longer feel the need to squash or stifle the momentum of their up-and-comers out of some misguided fear that they might accidentally tarnish the Stinger's legacy in the process. It's bad enough when a performer's own ego prevents you from ever booking him in a match where he comes out the loser (think Hogan), but sometimes it's even WORSE when a veteran is willing to put his ego aside and do what's best for the guys hoping to follow in his footsteps only to have his "veteran" status turned right back around and played against him in a manner that benefits absolutely no one by the time everything's said and done.
If Stinger *does* happen to work out a contract extension, then, here's hoping that the guy manages to swing some creative control out of the deal. That way, when he aims to make his opponent look good by giving *them* the chance to get a big win over a legend and see their arm raised when the final bell is rung, his efforts wont be nearly as much in vain.
In something of a non-news-newsbyte of the week, former TNA backstage interviewer and Playboy covergirl Leticia Cline made her first public appearance after leaving the TNA fold earlier this week when she was a guest on Tuesday morning's Howard Stern show. In typical Stern fashion, talk ranged from dirty to completely irrelevant, and the girl managed to pretty much destroy whatever shred of "class" and credibility folks might otherwise have thought her to have had.
In the *wrestling*-related end of things, however...
Cline mentioned that she left TNA because she was considering looking for work with World Wrestling Entertainment. Unfortunately for her, the 'E just completed their latest incarnation of the WWE Diva Search, and so "plasticized blondes with fake boobs and little actual wrestling knowledge or talent whatsoever" aren't exactly in short supply these days.
All in all --
Though Howard Stern might have led his listeners (and Cline herself) to believe that an interview with WWE would be in Leticia's near future, MeeThinks we've seen the last of this former TNA starlett in the wrestling biz for a long, long time. As such, I really don't see the need to treat Leticia news from here on out as "wrestling related."
Big "other" news this week is that late last week, gossip site TMZ reported that Linda had filed for divorce from her superstar hubby of 23 years, professional wrestling uberlegend "Hulk Hogan" (real name: Terry Bollea). Not surprisingly, a slew of rumors have swirled surrounding this news in the past seven days (including at least one allegation that the Hogans divorce proceedings could just be a clever legal tactic to protect half of the family's assets from an iminent lawsuit from the parents of the boy who was critically injured in a booze/racing-fueled car accident involving Hogan's son, Nick).
WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, though...
Hulk Hogan came forward with a statement on the matter on Wednesday afternoon, telling media outlets and fans:
"Please respect my family's privacy at this time with all that we have been through. I care for my wife and my children are my world and I just hope this all works out."
Living in something of a glass house myself, I'm more than happy to let this one go by without any further speculation or conspiracy theories. Though many might disagree with the Hogans parenting style and/or attitudes towards celebrity and family values, the bottom line here is that there is a LOT more to this story than any of us as "casual wrestling fans" could possibly know based on what all we've seen played out in front of us in the tabloids and on our television screens. Out of respect for the family, MeeThinks we'd be better off *not* jumping to conclusions and pointing the finger of blame at either Terry or Linda on this one (or, for that matter, Nick or Brooke or whomever else) until more details come to light.
It's time once again for The MeeThinks PPV Poster Showdown! Sure, a lot of the reason why people order a big show is based on the actual makeup of the card itself... but sometimes all it takes to garner fans' attention (and take their $$$) is little more than a clever bit of marketing. This month? It's WWE's January offering, the Royal Rumble, against TNA's first big show of 2008, Final Resolution.
Information: Both posters deliver the goods when it comes to presenting time, date, and place for the event... so we're gonna' have to call this one a push.
Impact: Gotta' give the nod to the 'E here, as they made their poster look like an all out brawl, which really helps sell the energy and chaos that sets this particular show apart from so many others.
PPV Logo: Final Resolution has a look of it's own, where the Rumble's logo pretty much looks like little more than a militarized version of Arial Bold. Advantage? TNA.
On-Ad Talent: Though placing the Miz center stage kinda hurts the "star power" of the 'E's ad, TNA's poster focuses on two (.5) guys probably better known for their tenure in *other* 'rasslin companies, so I'm gonna' have to say WWE gets the win here.
Overall Effect: For chaos, energy and over-the-top wildness alone, WWE is the clear winner this go 'round.
This weekend, TNA closes out their PPV calendar year with Turning Point. So let's see how well we've fared in the PPV guessing game so far over the past 340 or so days:
WWE New Year's Revolution - N/A TNA Final Resolution - 3/7 WWE Royal Rumble - 2/5 TNA Against All Odds - 2/9 WWE No Way Out - N/A TNA Destination X - 4/9 WWE WrestleMania 23 - 4/8 TNA Lockdown - 7/9 WWE Backlash - 2/6 TNA Sacrifice - 5/9 WWE Judgment Day - 5/7 WWE One Night Stand - 7/8 TNA SlammiVersary - 3/8 WWE Vengeance - 8/9 TNA Victory Road - 5/7 WWE Great American Bash - 7/8 TNA Hard Justice - 4/9 WWE Summerslam - 4/7 TNA No Surrender - 6/8 WWE Unforgiven - 6/8 WWE No Mercy - 5/6 TNA No Surrender - 7/9 WWE Cyber Sunday - 11/12 TNA Genesis - 8/9 WWE Survivor Series 5/8
Cumulative Total: 121/186 Percent Correct: 65.05%
Barring any unforeseen screwups, I *should* be able to close the year out well over 60%. So let's hope this weekend's PPV brings Mee continued good luck as we wrap up the PPV calendar year!
Booker T & Kaz, MCMG's and Lethal, Black Reign & Rellik, Gail Kim retains, ODB & Roxxi, Joe and the Outsiders.
Jadd Naamani gets us started:
Yo Meehan, back again with another question for ya!
This is a pretty random one, but seeing the breaking of the walls (high-five for a Jericho reference?) of the brand extension to promote Survivor Series last week got me thinking -- back when Vince bought WCW, instead of pretty much filtering everyone out except for the couple handlefuls he kept and bringing over some WWE wrestlers to start the Alliance, do you think it would have been more beneficial to actually keep WCW as the way it was as a separate organization and still have it "compete" with the WWE instead of having WWE Raw vs WWECW Smackdown?
If they kept it WWE vs WCW, they could have still had multiple programs on just about every night of the week (RAW on Monday, move Nitro to Tuesday, nothing on Wednesday, have Thunder on Thursday to compete with TNA, and Smackdown on Friday), and they still could have worked in the invasion angle (every now and then have feuds between the 2 separate "companies" with WCW superstars invading Smackdown or RAW and vice versa). Plus they could have even set it up as Shane and Steph taking on Vince (and maybe Linda) since Shane "bought WCW" and shut his father out of it.Obviously they would have a tough time since some talent didn't want anything to do with Vinny Mac (Sting comes to mind the most), but do you think it would have been a good idea? I know there's the talk that Vince wanted to prove he destroyed his competition, and that's why he eliminated WCW all together, but I think everyone would have known that since he bought the company from Ted Turner in the first place.
Keep up the good work dude!!
- Jadd Naamani
Great letter, Jadd, and thanks for writing. WOULD it have been a good idea? Absolutely. There are literally hundreds of "good" and "better" ideas as to how the onscreen ramifications of Vince's offscreen purchase of WCW could have played out.
COULD it have worked? Tough call, because for as much blame as people have directed towards Vinny Mac's "ego trip" in burying the remains of his competition (and I'm sure there was some of that involved), word has it that as soon as the "real" WCW (meaning Ted Turner) went belly up, Vince really did try to shop his second batch of "WCWWE" programs to all of the usual suspects... but nobody wanted anything to do with 'em. Stuck with a roster of b-teamers (as most of the "A List" were riding out their guaranteed paydays), and a "brand" without a television deal -- perhaps it's not all that impossible to see why the WCW redux was fighting an uphill battle from the start.
Frank Vaughn shows some love:
Great article, bro. I agree with Mr. Bowerman. You've got the stuff to make it work. Take it from a guy who's been internet rag-writing for a while now (and going nowhere with it). Work it if ya got it.
- Frank Vaughn
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Frank! I've been plugging away on this particular incarnation of my very own internet rag-writing for the better part of three years now, so I can sympathize with you in that whole "going nowhere fast" mindset. On the bright side, I'm just one 15-page paper away from an M.A. in English! Which means a career working at a local bookstore/library is JUST WAITING FOR ME, no doubt ;-)
Anyhow, thanks for the support and best of luck in your writing as well.
Adam Nelson had a quick clarification regarding WrestleMania weekend in Orlando:
Actually, if TNA has shows around WrestleMania, they'd be the *other*"other" folks in Orlando that week, as ROH has already started selling tickets for a double shot March 28 and 29 (which I already have tickets to).
- Adam Nelson
Well scouted, Adam -- and thanks for pointing that one out. Fellow 'rasslin fans wishing to see the show Adam is talking about can log on to the ROH web site and purchase their tickets in advance. Starting at just $20 a piece, that's a pretty sweet deal.
Switching gears, Brad Garden shares some firsthand memories of when he ran into a wandering bunch of 'rasslers in The Land Down Unda:
Hey Mr Meehan, keep up the great work with the column.
Anyway, after reading the e-mails sent in by fellow readers about who they have met I thought I would just throw out three wrestlers that I have met. After attending my first ever wrestling show (WWE House Show here in Australia) I was energised as a fan. However the real buzz was earlier in the day...
While ordering at the local McDonalds near the airport a limo pulled up, didnt think much of it - Probably some D-Grade Australian celebrity *Cough* Rove McManus *Cough*. So when I turned back around who do I see - Beth Pheonix and Mr Kennedy ordering McDonalds!
Firstly, Beth Pheonix is HOT~! We all know the jokes about her being the GlaMANzon etc. And while she did have bigger arms then Kennedy, Beth is HOT, period. I got a picture with her and Kennedy. Beth was very friendly and Kennedy was really cool, saying to the gobsmacked fan wearing an Orton shirt (Oh wait, thats Mee) "Got the wrong shirt on there". Then after the event I managed to bump into all the Raw wrestlers while going home. I saw Shelton Benjamin (who I am a huge fan of) and proceeded to 'hail' him like a god, and saying "Shelton, your a legend". After looking around for a second he saw me and was taken back ... like he didnt know he had fans, finally he said "Really? Ok, thanks man". Shelton rules.
PS - Orton isnt a prick, after seeing him with Cody Rhodes and Co. (Good to see they break kayfabe by shaking hands) he seems like your average guy. Must be that evil dark cloud over his head know to us as "reputation".
Brad Garden, Australia
Thanks for writing, Brad. Pretty awesome that you had the chance to see the wrestling folks "out of their element" and plopped smack-dab into the middle of what might otherwise be considered as "normal, everyday life." If that Shelton story is true, you might well be in the lead for the single greatest wrestling one-liner I've ever heard.
Although (not to digress), I *did* have a friend one time who met Scott Hall during his "Razor Ramon" era. The kid went with his dad to meet the guy during an autograph signing, and he ran right up to Hall and told him how awesome he thought the guy was and how he wanted to grow up and be a wrestler just like him one day. The kid's dad (being a typical "responsible" adult) then leaned into the conversation and said to Hall something to the effect of "I told him he's welcome to follow his dream if it's what he really wants in life... just as long as he finishes SCHOOL first!" Hoping to get a sympathetic ear from Hall, the dad then ended his thought by saying something open-ended to the effect of "Wouldn't you agree? Tell 'em!"
Without missing a beat (so my friend says, at least), Hall looks up at the both of 'em, raises an eyebrow, and -- in full "Razor Ramon" mode -- says "School!? You don't need no school, mang."
Pretty freakin' awesome, if I do say so myself.
Scott Tucker also met a few wrestlers in his day, it seems:
My favourite wrestling experience was a Smackdown! show a couple of years back. We scored the Row 1, seats 1-4, so were directly on the entrance ramp, and kitty corner to the ring steps that everyone used. We got to see everyone up close and personal, some of the highlights were Mr McMahon (that swagger is nearly impossible to duplicate), Torrie Wilson (wow, just wow) and Brock Lesnar (holy sh*t, that guy was huge!!)
The absolute highlight of the night came when the Undertaker (still in the biker badass gimmick) rode down, squashed some random guy (I honestly can't remember who it was), posed for a while and then the time came for him to leave the ring. He had parked the bike a couple of feet from us, and the thing wouldn't start! It was awesome, because after completely flooding the engine, he chatted with us for nearly 10 minutes... massive guy, but softspoken and quite funny.
Just thought I would share...
Keep up the good work - I try to read everything you write because you don't always b-tch about wresting and the IWC...
- Scott Tucker
Awesome, and thanks again, Scott! I remember back in the "Biker" days one time seeing 'Taker at a house show (sitting in like row two on the floor or whatnot), and a bunch of punk-ass kids were heckling the hell out of him throughout the match. When The Dead Man set his opponent up for a Tombstone to finish off the match, the guy turned and directly faced the kids who'd been talking smack on him all night long... then he points to the ringleader of the bunch and sez "THIS ONE IS FOR YOUR MOTHER!" before totally laying his opponent out with a wicked piledriver to win the match.
Again, there really is nothing like seeing a wrestling event live. Thanks for sharing YourThinks to the ever-growing list of first-hand accounts!
Finally, we'll close with a rather long one from Johnny P:
Hey Meehan, been reading (and at one point) writing for 411 for years and you've somehow bubbled to the top of my must read article lists, so I figured you'd be the one I'd send my Wrestlemania 24 card predictions to. Right or wrong, every time I do one of these I always feel, if booked properly, that these are the matches that would simply make the most sense at this point in time to make it to the show, not just as fanboy hopefuls but more as in the context of current storylines and in keeping with what WWE usually puts on its biggest card of the year. Let's give 'er:
DARK MATCH DH SMITH AND CODY RHODES vs. KENDRICK AND LONDON vs. HIGHLANDERS vs. CADE AND MURDOCH (C) – WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES I always want every title defended at Wrestlemania and to not do so always breaks my heart. That being said, gimmick and grudge matches will always sell more buys in the eyes of WWE, and since the Tag Team Championships always get the shaft I see no reason to believe otherwise here. Smith and Rhodes teaming up is a pure guess, but feels like something WWE would do if the Hart Foundation is now no more, and for them to go over here.
CM PUNK vs. JOHN MORRISON (C) – ECW CHAMPIONSHIP/EXTREME RULES These two have had some good matches together, and I'm guessing they'll have one final blow off at Wrestlemania. I sense Morrison winning the title back at some point (perhaps even as early as Armageddon) and the consensus being the only way to settle things once and for all is to have an "old fashioned" ECW extreme rules match. CM Punk wins his title back here.
REY MYSTERIO vs. BOBBY LASHLEY vs. KEN KENNEDY vs. THE MIZ vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. KENNY DYKSTRA vs. KANE vs. RIC FLAIR – MONEY IN THE BANK I still think eight guys is too much, but WWE seems to feel eight is enough, and I suppose a sufficient way to get a lot of guys on the card. This may also be a way to give some rub to Miz (who is somehow gaining tons of momentum on ECW) and Dykstra. Look for Flair to come close to the emotional win but Kennedy cuts him off. Lashley takes out Kennedy, and goes up to grab the briefcase.
"STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN vs. SATINO MARELLA Blow off for the Condemned feud. This will be some kind of gimmick match to give Marella a distinct advantage and it could then go one of two ways. Either the way I think it will go where Stone Cold overcomes the disadvantage anyway and squashes Marella in a minute. Or the way I hope it goes in Santino getting disqualified anyway by snapping on Stone Cold and injuring him somehow. He's amazing on the mic and could be a very effective upper midcard heel, but faces should have a reason to fear him, not just laugh at his zany antics.
RANDY ORTON vs. JEFF HARDY – INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP They seem to be pushing Hardy now finally, and I feel this will be a step further in that direction. I see Jericho feuding with Orton very soon after his return and challenging for the title and Royal Rumble. Also leading up the Rumble I see Hardy and Orton starting to have issues with each other, and when Orton loses he'll blame Hardy for being inside his head. Hardy is number one in the rumble, with number 2 being a heel (Marella? Umaga?). Within 10 seconds, Orton sneaks up behind him and RKO's him, and number two dumps Hardy out. This leads to a a feud, with Hardy's title on the line, with Hardy going over (since I see Orton going back to challenge for the WWE Title again not long after, as always)
MVP vs. MATT HARDY – UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP Do I need to say more. Hardy wins the title in match built the way we all wish Wrestlemania feuds are built these days.
EDGE(C) vs. UNDERTAKER - WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP We've all heard the speculation on this, and I feel it will happen. Edge will feud with Batista for now and win the title at Wrestlemania. Undertaker challenges for the title. Edge finally beats the big man to get the uber-push to the top.
VINCE MCMAHON AND SHANE MCMAHON vs. FINLAY AND HORNSWOGGLE – IF MCMAHON'S WIN THEN HORNSWOGGLE GIVES UP PATERNITY SUIT, IF FINLAY AND HORNSWOGGLE WIN THEN HORNSWOGGLE GETS SHANE'S STAKE IN THE COMPANY It'll be fun, ridiculous, and advertised as a co-main event. McMahon's lose and we get weeks of Hornswoggle in tiny business suits at meetings and making random match stipulations with Finlay as his mouthpiece.
HHH vs. BATISTA – NO DQ I don't see either of these guys in the main event, so instead I think they'll fight each other in the upper card. HHH seems to be fine in his goofy but dangerous face role, so I see Batista being the heel of the feud (if not completely making the turn). This will be the one started by HHH being the one to eliminate Batista from the rumble, and Batista runs back in and eliminates him. Everyone's mad, HHH wants revenge, Batista tells him he's never beaten him, which of course gets rectified here.
BETH PHOENIX vs. CANDICE MICHELLE – WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP Bathroom break. Michelle wins her title back.
CHRIS JERICHO(C) vs. SHAWN MICHAELS (RUMBLE WINNER) - WWE CHAMPIONSHIP I do not think it will be Jericho vs. HHH at all. Two faces who aren't nearly at the level of Rock/Austin or Hart/Michaels main eventing won't draw as well as this, and I think they'll see that. I see the Rumble coming down (again) to Michaels and Undertaker, with Michaels going over this time. Jericho himself has said that his Wrestlemania 19 match against Michaels was his favorite of all time, and what with all the pull he'll have coming back under the circumstances he has, I can see this going over very favorably for him. Jericho wins the match to make up for losing 5 years ago, and we all win for getting to have an awesome Wrestlemania main event.
I may be wrong but I hope I'm right. Lemme know what you think. Gotta split, Jericho's coming to Save Us in about an hour so I'm gonna go take a look see.
- Johnny P
Thanks for writing, Johnnny. I'm not one for fantasy-booking (as I think a lot of times people simply get ahead of themselves and allow their autopilot creativity and personal favorites to get in the way of more logical and plausible matchups), but at least a few of the bouts you've listed here seem something like feasible, if I were a guessing type.
As for MeeThinks on 'Mania so far? Still WAY too early to tell, but if I were to book the card TODAY based on the matches and feuds we've seen brewing in recent weeks/months, I'd say:
MVP vs. Matt Hardy (US Title Match) Flair vs. Hunter (or) Batista (win, lose or draw to be Flair's final match) Undertaker vs. Edge (one-on-one, possibly World Title match)
Other than that, I don't really know. Obviously you'll need to account for guys like Michaels, Mysterio, Orton, Punk, Kennedy, plus Umaga and Lashley (assuming all are healthy and active by March 30)... and maybe a surprise return from somebody like Foley or JBL to round things out. As far as an in-ring Austin appearance? Doubtful. And a Santino MATCH at WrestleMania? ;-) Again... MeeThinks "The Condemned" storyline has pretty much run its course, and there are plenty of superstars more talented and capable of a WrestleMania payday than Santino Marella. But then again, "anything can happen" right?
And With That, I'm Outta' Here That'll do it for Mee again this week, folks. Thanks once again for reading. 'Till next time, get that holiday shopping done, good luck with those final papers and exams to those of y'all still in school, brace yerselves for a Monday night ROMP of the dreaded Ravens of Baltimore (12 and 0! Go Pats Go!), and always stay positive!
