411’s Roundtable Special: WWE in 2008 (PART I)

Posted by Larry Csonka on 01.09.2008

The 411 staff breaks out the tarot cards to see what will happen in McMahon land in the next year!



INTRODUCTION:
Welcome one and all to some 411 round table fun! No, we're not here to discuss a PPV as usual; we have something different in mind today. With the year 2007 in the books, there are a lot of "wrapping up 2007" columns, as well as award columns. But now the time has come to look forward and into the year 2008. Today I have assembled members of the 411 staff to come together and discuss 10-Topics relating to World Wrestling Entertainment in 2008. Sit back, relax and enjoy.


THE STAFF:
The Way I C It's Chris Lansdell!

Video Reviewer Mike Campbell!

Giving you his "Thoughts from the Top Rope," Daniel Wilcox

From the MMA Zone, Dustin James!

He writes the Impact Crater and the Custom Made News, he is Ryan Byers!

Column of Honor's Ari Berenstein!

Destiny's Matt Adamson!

The Shimmy's Andy Clark!

ECW Reporter Michael Bauer!

The High Road's SAT!

General Review Guru JD Dunn!

Truth B Told's Bayani Domingo!

And finally, the King Arthur of this round table, it is Larry Csonka!

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Your thoughts on WWE's break out star of 2008…

Chris Lansdell: Matt Sydal. He's already the OVW champion, winning it ahead of fellow RoH alumni Colt Cabana and Ace Steele, and numerous other developmental talent, despite being a newcomer. He has charisma, he has the in-ring glitz that fans love, and he can adapt fairly easily to WWE style. He might need a mouthpiece to start with, but I hear Ted DiBiase is not busy...

Mike Campbell: WWE has some serious potential with John Morrison. He's got the look, promos, and charisma, he really just needs to work on his in ring ability and the glass ceiling will be the limit.

Daniel Wilcox: I think that there were a hell of a lot of choices for this one. MVP is probably the obvious one winning his first major singles title, getting over as one of the most entertaining guys on SmackDown and having a very good feud with Matt Hardy. Hardy himself could be a contender for the award as well. So could his brother Jeff who finally seems to have become a main event player after getting some big wins at the back end of the year. Then there are guys like CM Punk, John Morrison and even Bobby Lashley who had tremendous years. However, I'd have to say WWE's break out star this year has been Randy Orton. That may seem strange when you consider he's been World Champion in 2004 and was already a main-eventer, but in 2007 he became WWE Champion and actually got a good run with it. His promo work has been very good despite what some might say, but most of all is in-ring performances have improved so much and that's probably got something to do with working alongside guys like Edge, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and John Cena all year.

Dustin James: There are tons of guys to consider for this award. People like Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, CM Punk, Santino Marella, hell, even Elijah Burke could possibly break out this year. But as far as the winner of the award....I would look no further than MVP. This guy had a great 2007 showing off his mic skills and improving his in ring skills. I truly believe it's only a matter of time before MVP is one of the top heels on one of the two big shows.

Ryan Byers: I don't think that we'll see a huge WWE breakout star in 2008, because WWE isn't in a position in which they need to bump somebody up in to the main event scene. There are enough exciting potential combinations of their existing main event and upper card wrestlers that nobody really needs to break through to a higher level. The Undertaker vs. Edge feud will be enough to carry the company through the first quarter of 2008, particularly when you combine it with whatever title feud the Raw brand comes up with and the Ric Flair retirement angle. After the first four months of the year wrap up, John Cena will be ready to return. Cena wrapping up his issues with Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and possibly Ken Kennedy should at least get the promotion through the summer if not the rest of the year. Combine that with a Lashley return in which he will most likely be competing towards the top of the card, and you've got a year in which there won't be much room for new stars to break out. It's also a rare year in which such a state of affairs is perfectly acceptable.

Ari Berenstein: Would I be too "ROHbot" if I said CM Punk? Yeah? Oh...okay, how about we go with some else instead...someone who is indeed a former wrestler from ROH. I think James Gibson from Smackdown is poised to break out and break through the WWE mid card. He's entertaining, has a great character and we know he's got the chops to have a great match. Finally WWE is paying attention to him again by including him in a storyline with Michelle McCool and in a feud with Chuck Palumbo. There seems to be positive reaction to these skits and with a little more time and TLC Gibson could truly make a mark on the SD brand. I agree with Ryan that the upper card and main events are a bit filled out, but you don't have to be in the main events to "break out", you just have to make significant impact, and I think Gibson can do that this year.

Matt Adamson: I can't say much more than that I think the seeds have already been planted for CM Punk to make a move to the A or B Show. He's more or less proven himself on ECW and is treading water on that show. I think when the move happens, he'll get become a huge star. I also think we could see John Morrison emerge in this role, and it's possible that this is more likely considering the number of top heels on ECW.

Andy Clark: Jeff Hardy has started his breakout momentum in 2007, but 2008 will be the year he really cements his status as full on main eventer, possibly even getting a World Title run. The reason I think Hardy is the best choice here is because a move to another brand wouldn't kill his momentum, as opposed to someone like MVP or CM Punk who could very well end up in mid-card hell on another show.

Michael Bauer: Well, I could be the ROHbot and say CM Punk as well, but he has already broken out. No, I'll go another route and say that the break out star will be Kennedy. Seriously, give him a real push after he blows off the feud with Shawn Michaels and let's see some magic on the microphone to help build him up. Besides, who else is there?

Sat: Man, this is a difficult one. I really have no idea what to say here. My definition of a breakout star is somebody who wins the world title. With that definition, I guess I would go with Mr. Kennedy because the WWE has put him in a high profile feud with Shawn Michaels. I don't see MVP winning the world title in 2008, so it is definitely Mr. Kennedy.

J.D. Dunn: This one is difficult to predict because so much depends on good booking. Punk, who I think has a great upside as a heel, is a bland baby face. Kennedy has yet to live up to the hype he had on Smackdown, and he's stuck in a crowded field. Smart money is on MVP, who I think will take a big step up to the main event. He's already received good booking, his character just seems to fit him, and he's backing it up in the ring so far.

Bayani Domingo: I'm going out on a limb here and saying … Colt Cabana. I can't imagine him not getting a shot to come up to ECW or Smackdown by Wrestlemania and given the options he stands the best chance of really breaking out. There really isn't anyone else on either rosters that I see jumping up another level or two that isn't already in the mid-card or feuding in the title scene. I wouldn't be surprised if Matt Hardy wins his first World title this year, but he's hardly a "breakout candidate" since he's a veteran.

Larry Csonka: Well now, that's a hard one. There are a lot of possibilities to consider. MVP is a guy who had a great 2007 and cold break out huge in 2008. Jeff Hardy is in the main event scene right now, but some feel it will be short lived, but there is potential there. CM Punk is another name mentioned when we discuss people breaking out. There are a lot of choices, and while they are all good choices, I have a similar thought pattern here as Byers. I think that a lot of people will have a very good year, but that no one will "have the rocket strapped to their ass" so to speak.

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Your thoughts on MVP winning the World/WWE Title in 2008…

Chris Lansdell: It would require a LOT of changes: Taker retiring, Edge stepping back from the title picture, and no major switches from Raw. It's possible, I suppose, especially if considered independently from the next couple of items. It would certainly not be a bad idea: he's over, he has improved tremendously in the ring, his gimmick is topical and he's gold on the mic. The only minor question is his heart defect. Does Smackdown really need another champ that could be on the shelf at any minute?

Mike Campbell: I'd personally love to see this, but I don't think this is ready to happen yet. The only faces who are on the level of the World Title are Batista and Undertaker, and I don't think either of them would be willing/able to work with MVP to give him that sort of rub. Look how long it took Benoit working with MVP to get to the point that it was believable to see MVP beat him. But as of now, unless WWE feels like elevating Mysterio or finally giving Matt the big push, MVP will be remaining in the upper midcard.

Daniel Wilcox: This is an interesting one because at first, it doesn't seem that plausible. But then I have to wonder where SmackDown is heading after WrestleMania when the Batista/Edge/Taker saga has played out. They'll need some fresh faces in the main event scene. This rumored post-Mania draft might provide that though, but that's only if it happens. I do think MVP is over enough to carry SmackDown. He's only behind Edge as the best heel on the show. Furthermore, he seems to have all the tools to be a big star. He's got the look, the charisma and the in-ring ability. It probably helps that he hasn't had any drug related issues so far. A lot can change in the space of 12 months but I do think that the only way is up for MVP right now. In saying that, by the time Matt Hardy comes back from injury and those two have had 2 or 3 matches for the United States Championship we could be half way through the year already, so it's not too likely. If I had to make a guess I'd say it'll certainly happen one day, but not in 2008.

Dustin James: I just mentioned that I could see MVP becoming one of the top heels on one of the two big shows, and capturing the big gold may not be far off. On Smackdown you have Edge as World Champ and I believe he'll be involved in some sort of program with The Undertaker til WrestleMania. What does the WWE do after that? They will need to freshen things up a bit and since I'm hearing rumors about another draft lottery, I could see MVP either winding up on RAW or winding up in the title picture on Smackdown even if that means a potential face turn to combat Edge.

Ryan Byers: I sincerely doubt that this will happen, though Porter should be on the verge of being a credible champion by the end of the year. The fact of the matter is that Edge is currently both in his physical prime and in the prime of his character, and he should be poised to hold the championship of whatever brand he is on for the vast majority of the year. Though it would technically be possible for Porter to switch shows and hold whatever championship is opposite of Edge, he'll run in to some stiff competition from the likes of Triple H, John Cena, and Bobby Lashley, all of whom remain higher on the pecking order than he is.

Ari Berenstein: Not this year, not yet. However, if his rise to fortune continues, he may get there in '09. I see MVP in the U.S. scene for a bit longer, definitely fighting it out with Matt Hardy. By the end of the year he could be elevated to the point where he is a true title threat to the Heavyweight championship and could even main event if a face like 'Taker or Batista holds the title.

Matt Adamson: It's still too early. While he had a breakout year and really tore it up, he still has a long ways to go to be a believable World Champion. I hate when they rush title wins like they did with Lesnar and Orton. I think they are beginning to learn that it's best that a wrestler has proven longevity and build him up to be champion before he actually gets the title. It worked extremely well for Edge, and I hope that's the route they go with MVP.

Andy Clark: Nope. I'd like to see it, and I think MVP being the person to unseat Undertaker for the World Title in the summer of 2008 would be great, but then I think about the draft. WWE is going to want to move people that hadn't been moved before, and MVP will be one of those people. A move to Raw will absolutely kill MVP's momentum (see: Kennedy, Mr.) and this time next year we'll all be wondering what happened to MVP.

Michael Bauer: MVP will be nowhere near a World Title in 2008, especially if he stays on Smackdown. They have just way too many people in front of him when you look at it. Otherwise, wouldn't he have gotten to be a part of the Smackdown Beat the Clock challenge? I see him continuing a very decent sized title reign to WrestleMania, but staying stuck in the mid-card for the year. Might he get a shot, yes, but not a win.

Sat: MVP is probably the second top heel on SmackDown, so it could happen, but I do not see it happening this year. I think that his time will come, but it will be 2009.

J.D. Dunn: My fear is that the MVP/Matt Hardy feud will just be folded into Money in the Bank, which I think would be a huge mistake. Winning MITB would be a great way for MVP to get an Edge-style win, though. But yes, I see MVP winning the title by the end of the year.

Bayani Domingo: Not gonna happen. He's still pretty green and from what I can tell he still has a lot of barriers to him winning the title in '08, namely bigger stars ahead of him on Smackdown like Batista/'Taker/Edge and possibly Lashley if he doesn't end up back on RAW. He's still at least another year away from proving he has what it takes to carry a brand.

Larry Csonka: I think that there is a possibility, a possibility, but I highly doubt that this will be the year for MVP. It's not that he couldn't handle it, but it is the fact that they have done well bringing him along and they should keep with that formula. That being said, if 2008 has an injury rate ala 2007, then he very well could fall into a world title run.

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Your thoughts on Matt Hardy winning the World/WWE Title in 2008…

Chris Lansdell: I'd love to see it, and I think it's more likely than MVP winning it. He not only has the MVP feud, which has been tremendous, but also the old standby Edge feud. That could be used to seamlessly transition MVP and Matt to the main event while sliding Edge to a back burner. Any injury to Batista or Edge would accelerate this. Matt has been consistently over, never more than during the Lita/Kane/Edge angles, has improved his mic work, and has been visibly groomed to take the ball and run: extended chases of a title, working with lesser talents to see if he can carry them, interview segments. He's passed the theory, now it's time for the road test.

Mike Campbell: There's a much better chance of this happening, because Smackdown has no shortage of upper midcard and top level heels. Both Hardys were highlights of the WWE in the year 2007, and due to, or in spite of, the attempts by the powers that be to keep him down, he just continued to tear down the house. CM Punk was able to rise up despite the backstage burial, there's no reason that Hardy can't.

Daniel Wilcox: You can pretty much copy and paste what I said for MVP in here. He's got all the tools to be a major player and he is certainly over enough. The fact that there are three more popular faces on SmackDown right now (Batista, Taker, Mysterio) might hold him back but again, a lot can happen in a short space of time. You'll remember back in Spring of 07 I did a big write-up of why Hardy could and should be World Champion by the end of 2007, but because of the MVP angle, that never materialized. And for the record, Matt Hardy read that write-up! Regardless, I'm not certain that those with the influence are willing to back Hardy enough to make him a World champ in 08. Hell, the guy has yet to win a major singles title yet (that's right, the Cruiser, Hardcore and European titles aren't "major") so I'd be surprised if we saw Matt Hardy holding either the World or WWE Championship within the next twelve months.

Dustin James: This could be the "different direction" that Smackdown needs to go in after WrestleMania that I was mentioning earlier. Edge could be the guy who ends The Undertaker's streak and then uses that heat to go on to face his newest challenger, a face that's very familiar to him.....Matt Hardy. Of course none of that will happen though and Edge will just go on to face Batista again after WrestleMania, or Undertaker will win at WrestleMania and end up feuding with Big Daddy V. Glorious!

Ryan Byers: I will eat my hat if this happens. I like Matt Hardy as a performer as much as the next guy, but I think that his US Title feud with Montel Porter is as high as we'll see him get on WWE cards for the rest of his career (barring some unfathomable occurrence like half of the roster dying in a plane crash). Though he's talented, I have a feeling that he burned too many bridges in the period immediately following his last release from WWE. Hell, I'm still a bit surprised that he managed to get his job back in the first place.

Ari Berenstein: Wouldn't that be something? I don't think there's a realistic chance of it happening this year, because Hardy won't be back in the ring for a few months longer and by then he should be engrossed within a feud against MVP that could eat up a bit of time. There's also quite a few other face wrestlers on the depth chart at this point (again, Batista and Taker) that remain main event level title threats. I've seen stranger things happen, but I don't think it happens unless Matt Hardy picks up major momentum...the kind of momentum his brother has at this point.

Matt Adamson: I don't think there is enough there for Matt Hardy to be a believable World Champion. While the same may have been said for Rey Mysterio, at least he had the smallest champion and latino champion thing going for him. What does Matt have? He's small, but not the smallest, he's over, he has waited a long time for a shot. I don't know, but I think it's highly unlikely.

Andy Clark: Again, no. I wouldn't mind seeing it happen for a very short run, but I don't think so. Matt's best shot at winning a World Title would be to win the ECW Title, a goal I think he may actually accomplish. He won't get anywhere near the WWE or World Title though.

Michael Bauer: Matt Hardy will finally get his chances to be champion, but I think he will come just short to winning the title from Edge sometime in the summer. He definitely needs to be considered for a main event talent, because he is just as over as his brother and the better talent of the two. (Yes, I said that.) If the WWE does not give him a serious push this year, he will never get it.

Sat: I think that Matt Hardy is better than Jeff Hardy, but I don't think that Matt Hardy will ever get a shot at the World Title. He is deserving of it, but it is not going to happen.

J.D. Dunn: Matt just seems to be stuck in perpetual mid-card status. I can see him challenging for the title against Edge because that is a natural feud, but actually winning the title would require a LOT of pectoral tears.

Bayani Domingo: I'd say he has a 50/50 shot of doing it. If Edge retains at Wrestlemania vs ‘Taker I think V.1 is the next feud for the Rated "R" Superstar. The man has obviously kept his working boots strapped since he got back with the "e" and I think it's only a matter of time before he's rewarded with the WHT. Besides I still think moving his brother Jeff to Smackdown during the lottery is almost a given and a title program between them could do decent business.

Larry Csonka: I think that they could have pulled a short term Matt Hardy run back when Edge was champion. Yes I know Edge is champion now, but it seems to far removed from the whole heat of the Edge/Lita/Matt deal. Matt is a good performer, he is good in the ring, always gets a pop and truth be told is the better of the two brothers in many aspects. But I highly doubt that he'll get a chance at the big gold.

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Your thoughts on Jeff Hardy winning the World/WWE Title in 2008…

Chris Lansdell: Considered independently of the previous 2 statements, I'd say it's looking good. Jeff's push has been amplified recently, and so far he's shown he can hang with the main eventers and maintain credibility. He appears to have solved his reliability issues, and improved on the mic, which were always his 2 biggest obstacles. Taken with the other 2 statements though, I think it unlikely that we will see 3 new main eventers win titles in one year. As things stand he's got the toughest route, with Cena, HHH, Lashley, Orton and HBK all ahead of him in the pecking order, and Umaga and Kennedy on a par. Although every one of those names could conceivably be the heel that Jeff chases, I don't see ALL of them doing it.

Mike Campbell: Never say never, but I don't think that this is going to happen. RAW has always been the HHH show, and add in Michaels, a returning Cena, returning Lashley, and a finally over Randy Orton. I don't see room for Jeff Hardy. A move to Smackdown in the draft wouldn't hurt, but I think that would only lead to a millionth Hardy Boys reunion rather than a legit singles push.

Daniel Wilcox: Jeff Hardy's main-event push has come at the wrong time. There's no way that he is going to be involved in the main-event at WrestleMania so soon into his main-event run. Had Hardy being getting this sort of push since the summer than there might have been a chance. So you can keep Hardy out of the title picture for at least 4 or 5 months. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see the younger Hardy brother winning Money in the Bank this year and capitalizing on that, though I think that's his only option. And when you consider there's at least Cena and Triple H (and maybe Michaels) higher on the baby face pecking order, you have to say it is unlikely. But then again I would have said the same about Rob Van Dam in 2006. I'd love to see it happen, but what are the odds it would turn into a Mysterio-esque reign? Who knows? This one is really something of a toss-up.

Dustin James: I can't see Jeff Hardy winning the big gold anytime soon. He's a risk with the Wellness policy and could become "unmotivated" again at the snap of a finger. He's just not the guy I would want to have as the champion of my company. However, if the WWE wants to do some sweet little sappy story where both Hardy's win the titles at like, Summerslam or something. Maybe then Shannon Moore will get a little more TV time!

Ryan Byers: I would say that Jeff is infinitely more likely to win a major championship than his brother in 2008, though he's not nearly as likely as Porter to bring home a big belt. A lot of people seem to have been duped in to believing that WWE wants to make Hardy in to a legitimate main eventer given his recent win over Triple H and his Royal Rumble title match against Randy Orton. However, many of us have seen this song and dance number before. Over the last six years of his wrestling career, WWE has periodically put Jeff over a major name and periodically given him a Heavyweight Title shot, only for nothing to come of it. I see nothing different about his "push" over the last couple of months.

Ari Berenstein: If WWE wants to create a major feel-good moment, then Jeff Hardy winning it all is the way to go. The unlikely comeback kid of 2006-2007, Hardy has the crowd support and the momentum to do so. I buy into his challenge for the title at the Royal Rumble. I expect him to lose there and for Triple H to win the WWE title from Orton and WrestleMania. However, Hardy still stays in the title picture, because lest we forget, he did pin Hunter at Armageddon. If WWE is smart, they can play off of this now established history between the two and have some interesting title matches in mid-'08. Hardy can chase the dream for much of the year and then finally accomplish it and a big PPV like Summerslam or Survivor Series.

Matt Adamson: If any of these three wrestlers we have discussed as possible champions in 2008, I think Jeff Hardy is the most likely. He is insanely over with the fans and has had tremendous success. In other words, unlike Matt, he doesn't look like a jobber. I can even see this happening at the Royal Rumble, but with him losing the title to HHH at No Way Out.

Andy Clark: YES! WWE SHOULD be booking Jeff's big title win for WrestleMania XXIV but I have a feeling they'll drop the ball there. Still, WWE is smart enough to follow through on this push. WWE has something here with Jeff Hardy and they need to capitalize on it.

Michael Bauer: Jeff Hardy, like Matt, will be getting chances. He will probably be getting more chances than Matt, but I think he will also fall short on Raw this year, due simply to John Cena's pending return. That said, I think Jeff Hardy will be a World Champ on Smackdown after the draft sends him there and he can feud with Matt Hardy. (Yes, I said that too.)

Sat: If you had asked me this question two months ago, I would have said no way. Now, I have to think about. I think that if he is going to win the title, it has to be at the Royal Rumble, but I do not see the WWE giving him the title this close to WrestleMania, so I will say no. If he does get the title, it will be a very short reign.

J.D. Dunn: I've actually come to buy Jeff as a main eventer, but I still can't see him carrying a feud as the baby face champion. He may get a reign as a transition champion to HHH or the next heal, but outside of that, I don't see him being the big baby face.

Bayani Domingo: WWE Title? Nope, probably not. World Heavyweight Title? Perhaps. I think his odds are just as good as Matt's of winning the WHT. In fact a program between him and his brother or him and Edge would be pretty decent. I think the "e" is going to suffer more injuries and "wellness" problems in the new year and Rainbow Brite is a proven fan favorite. I honestly think he might get a Rey Mysterio type title reign, but it's better than nothing. Barely.

Larry Csonka: There have been rumors and teases of a Jeff Hardy push for years. Some deemed him "the HBK" of the Hardy Boys, in that he would be the big break out guy. Unfortunately Jeff has had problems over the years, and aside from one bump in the road, he has been a good boy since coming back from the TNA stint. He has had a good run and has had good matches, but that doesn't promise him a title shot. I will say he has a much better chance than his brother to win the title, but I am not completely sold that they will keep him as a main event guy.

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Your thoughts on WrestleMania eclipsing 1,000,000 Domestic (North American) PPV Buys… (For reference, they did 760,000 domestic last year)

Chris Lansdell: It's WrestleMania. It's normally the only show I buy, although that's changed this year since I started here. I'm not alone in that. If they advertise it as possibly being Flair and Taker's last matches, or if Sting comes in, the 1 million mark will easily be surpassed. Otherwise, I foresee them coming up just short, possibly in the 900k range. Either way, I'll be one of them.

Mike Campbell: It'd be a feather in the WWE's cap, but a combination of wrestling still being on a bit of a downswing in lieu of the Benoit tragedy, WWE wellness scandals, and surge in popularity from UFC. I don't think this will happen.

Daniel Wilcox: Last year's event was the highest grossing in recent history, but I think a lot of that has to do with the Trump Factor and two really fresh main events. I don't see anything resembling that at Mania this year and I see no way they'll make up those extra quarter million or so buys. Unless they can get K-Fed to come back, bring in Britney Spears and let them go at it at Mania. Wow, this is bringing back memories of Fake Trump vs. Fake Rosie (*shudders*). It's a shame they're not still a couple because Britney/K-Fed vs. Balls/Kelly Kelly would have been great for Mania.

Dustin James: I just don't see it happening. Last year they had Donald Trump involved as well as some awesome main events. This year, what do we have? Edge/Undertaker? Orton/HHH? Ric Flair's last match? Eh. That's so-so. Not something that's going to break a million domestic though. In order to break a million domestic I believe the WWE would need to bring back a certain Hollywood actor to main event. Sign me up for that one!

Ryan Byers: WrestleMania XXIII got more mainstream exposure than any WrestleMania card in years given the involvement of Donald Trump. Despite this fact, it was still not able to crack the level of one million domestic buys. If WWE's core fan base PLUS casual fans that may have been gained by the Trump angle are not enough to pass that threshold, I don't think that any angle WWE can come up with its current wrestlers will. I do not think that we'll be seeing one million North American buys for a WWE show unless they somehow manage to get their overall viewership back up to what it used to be in the late 1990's and the early part of this decade.

Ari Berenstein: WrestleMania 24 is sure to have big moments, ones which six years from now we'll be thinking back about fondly. Triple H vs. Orton could happen, and Taker vs. Edge title vs. streak is likely. It will be Ric Flair's last hurrah and Hulk Hogan has once again teased a return to fight a big monster like Khali. WrestleMania has always done well in the last few years of getting huge buyrates and helping WWE's bottom line. A million buys is in reach and is feasible to achieve, especially with the right main event hype and the positioning of Flair's match as a special, can't miss sports moment.

Matt Adamson: I think last year was WWE's year to break the milestone of 1 million buys. They are going to have to pull off something truly original in order to draw that many more people. They can forget WrestleMania rematches, while it'll make for exciting booking, it won't draw extra people. Honestly, from everything that is rumored, I don't think there is one match that could possibly pull this off.

Andy Clark: Unfortunately no. I wish it would, but it won't. Wrestling just isn't that big of a deal anymore, and nowadays even the hardcore fans bitch about the WrestleMania card. Being in Florida WWE should have done everything in it's power to try and bring in The Rock for one match, but the only match that I think Dwayne Johnson would have returned for would be a big money match with John Cena (one that, given their movie history could have been publicized like crazy), but with Cena's injury the couldn't go that route even if they wanted. WrestleMania will do big business but not nearly that big.

Michael Bauer: No way in hell. What do we have to look forward to? Ric Flair's last match, the streak vs. the title as Edge takes on The Undertaker, Triple H going after the title and Randy Orton again, and no John Cena. That's doesn't make me want to buy the biggest show of the year, even if the fact that I won't spend a red cent on the WWE didn't exist. Plus, this is the first WrestleMania since the Benoit death and the dropping in buys and ratings, so that's not in the favor of the WWE.

Sat: I do not see WrestleMania eclipsing 1,000,000 Domestic buys this year. I think last year the WWE benefited from Donald Trump's involvement and some fresh main events. This year, we will probably not something like Trump's involvement and the RAW main event does not look that interesting. I actually see the WWE going down in buys this year.

J.D. Dunn: That would be an incomprehensible jump in PPV buys, and they'd have to do it without their biggest star (unless Cena is able to make it back in time). It's possible they could eclipse last year - WrestleMania has been the one PPV that has consistently grown in buys - but 1 million is kind of a lot to ask.

Bayani Domingo: I don't see it this year. I just don't see any huge feuds shaping up that are going to do big numbers. I don't see Orton and Edge being the guys to eclipse last year's numbers, let alone blow right past it. Usually by this time you have a good idea of the matches going into the Royal Rumble, but I really have no clue right now and that doesn't bode well for the "e". Still, 700K+ buys is totally attainable.

Larry Csonka: It won't happen. They had an ass load of mainstream publicity with Trump, and they got just under 800,000 buys, 760,000 or so. I just don't see anything they can do to get the buys over that. They may have Hogan back, and that will add some buys, but not enough. I will say that they could have done some good business off of Khali vs. Shaq, seriously, that had money written all over it, but as things stand today I am sure they will do good buys and make money, but they will not hit that 1-million domestic buy mark.

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What are your thoughts on these topics? Drop us a line in the comments section or shot an email to me if you feel like getting long winded!

And check out part two by clicking HERE!