Wrestlemania Predictions... But Not Mine!

I am excited for Wrestlemania and RAW as a fan.

I can honestly say I haven't stated anything like that in a long time without actually attending a show. The WWE has me interested as a fan. Not just as an analyst. Not just as the "Genius." As a fan.

It's obvious that i enjoy wrestling. The fact that i spend time blogging and analyzing a business that i have no connection or affiliation with is proof of that. But the things about wrestling that interest me are a little different than what might interest others. I love being able to tell where the story or angle is going to go (Genius, remember?). I love watching talent grow and develop into a superstar. I also love watching people not reach the potential that they should have. I love seeing that an Indy wrestler that i watched in an gymnasium in Elizabeth, PA is now a multi-time former world champion. I love the physicality and athleticism of wrestling. I love the entertainment value it brings with it. But most of all, I love the BUSINESS of wrestling. However, i haven't been a fan in a very long time. I haven't LOVED the actual product as a fan. Until recently.

This road to Wrestlemania has me looking forward to RAW on Monday every week. It even has me watching Smackdown on occasion, which is unbelievable. Recently, I find myself watching the show as a fan and feeling cloudy on what the outcome might be. 3 weeks ago, I thought for sure John Cena would walk out of Atlanta the champ. Now, I'm not so sure. This new found "fandom" has clouded my genius abilities a bit. It could even be that, for once, I don't want to know ahead of time. I want to be surprised like every other fan. I attended RAW last week and enjoyed it as a fan. The show wasn't all that great, to be honest. It was damn entertaining live though. I found myself cheering for C.M. Punk and John Cena and HHH. Hell, I don't even really like HHH. I found myself being frustrated when Michael Cole was ripping into Lawler yet again. It felt... personal. I was caught up in the moment and it was impressive to watch these professionals do their job and do it well. They have their own mystique.

The Wrestlemania card is shaping up to be a very strong show. The Rock will be present for the entire 4 hours. That'll be entertaining itself. However, the WWE has me caring about the storyline and matches, too. I want to know what happens between Cena, The Miz and The Rock. The Randy Orton and C.M. Punk feud is definitely my favorite and i expect it to be one of the best wrestling matches of the night. HHH and The Undertaker are 2 superstars I don't particularly care for but I think their match at Wrestlemania could steal the show. Is it Del Rio's time to shine? Even the under card looks entertaining.

This would be the blog that would contain my predictions for Wrestlemania. Instead, I am going to let you guys voice your opinions on who you think will win each match. Everyday, i will post a poll in "The Wrestling Genius" Facebook group and you all pick the winner. Post comments in the Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_142956149101477&ap=1). We are one week away from Wrestlemania and i want to hear your thoughts. Your predictions. Your opinions. Of course, i know you love hearing my predictions and opinions. How could you not? But this time, I want to give you all the floor. Let your voice be heard.

Make it happen.

Wrestler... Or Performer?

There is a difference.

So, my last blog sparked some interesting conversation with a friend as it relates to wrestlers. In the blog, i claimed that The Rock wasn't a good wrestler but was a great performer. I was called out because The Rock, in fact, is a great wrestler. We just don't get to see it. The WWE had The Rock perform the same "gimmick" moves every match because the fans go nuts for them. Forget about the fact that the "Five Knuckle Shuffle" and "People's Elbow" are ridiculous wrestling moves. They are entertaining. They are a signature of that particular wrestler and fans identify with those types of moves. They are just as signature as the finishing maneuvers.

I do not retract my previous statement. The Rock is a terrible wrestler. Whether it was because of a lack of talent or because it was creative control by the WWE is irrelevant. What we saw was poor wrestling but great performances by The Rock. Great entertainment. He could steal the entire show and only perform three or four actual wrestling moves. Charisma takes you far in the wrestling world. It always has and it always will. You have to have talent. Ability. But you don't have to be the best wrestler to be an unbelievable performer or to be successful. There are also rare cases when a wrestler shows both great wrestling skills and performing skills at the same time. John Morrison is not one of those cases. Neither is Sheamus.

So, this whole conversation started a brainstorm on my part. Being a "Wrestling Genius" and all, this happens quite frequently, as you would expect. I created two top 10 lists: Performers and Wrestlers. The lists are created based on wrestlers that i have seen live. These are also MY lists. They are not the be-all-end-all of lists, although they should be. This is personal opinion. These lists also include wrestlers outside of the WWE.

Wrestlers:
1. Bret "The Hitman" Hart (WWE)
2. Christ Benoit (RIP)
3. Kurt Angle (TNA)
4. Chris Hero (ROH/Indy)
5. C.M. Punk (WWE)
6. Chris Jericho (WWE)
7. Christopher Daniels (ROH/Indy)
8. Mr. Perfect (RIP)
9. Alex Shelley (TNA)
10. Chris Sabin (TNA)

Performers:
1. Shawn Michaels (WWE)
2. Hulk Hogan (TNA)
3. The Rock (WWE)
4. Ric Flair (TNA)
5. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (WWE)
6. Kurt Angle (TNA)
7. Chris Jericho (WWE)
8. C.M. Punk (WWE)
9. John Cena (WWE)
10. A.J. Styles (TNA)

So, what do you think? Give me your lists. If 10 wrestlers and 10 performers is too hard, give me 5 of each. I understand that not everyone is a "Wrestling Genius" like myself. It would be foolish on my part to hold you to my own standards. Post your lists or discuss mine on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_142956149101477&ap=1). Also, feel free to find me on Twitter (@unamiable09) anytime.

Q&A and Quick Hits

First, i would like to thank Alissa again for providing "The Wrestling Genius" with it's first guest fan blog. It was received well and i hope to have more guest blogs in the future. In addition, i may have some regular bloggers besides myself contributing to "The Wrestling Genius" in the near future. I look forward to releasing more information on that as it develops.

Second, sorry for not updating the blog recently. I had to catch up on all things wrestling. I asked on Facebook for some questions and received some via private message especially after this past weeks RAW. I am keeping names anonymous. In the future, if you would like your name posted with your question, just let it be known.

Q&A's:

Q: Is The Rock going to wrestle at Wrestlemania?

A: Nah, he's done wrestling. Thank god. He was a good performer but a terrible wrestler in my opinion. He will get involved though. He will probably hit a Rock Bottom or the people's elbow for the fans, but that's it. No matches. Check out quick hits below for additional information on The Rock.

Q: Is JBL back with the WWE too?

A: Unfortunately, no. He had a hell of a promo on RAW. I love seeing the stars come out around Wrestlemania. JBL is retired. He actually said so himself on Twitter. He lives on an island. Would you want to travel and wrestle if you lived on an island?

Q: Are Edge and Christian back together?

A: Again, no. They have a tag match scheduled for tonight's Smackdown (spoiler alert!). They won't be a tag team in the future. Be thankful for that, too. The WWE could give 2 shits about tag team wrestling so both talents would be wasted if they did become a team. Kazoo theme songs again would kick major ass though.

Q: Will Chris Jericho make a Wrestlemania appearance?

A: I am starting to feel awfully negative here but i'd have to say no. He has way too much going on now with Fozzy, his book and now Dancing With the Stars. I really don't see him showing up, although i would love it. There isn't an angle where he would fit, either.

Q: Will The Miz keep his WWE championship at Wrestlemania?

A: I know in the past i have said Cena will win, but i am changing my mind. I think The Miz WILL keep his WWE title and shock the WWE universe. He made a bold statement last week on RAW and i think The Miz is the only one actually focused on what's important. Plus, i don't see both major championships changing hands at Wrestlemania. I do expect Del Rio to defeat Edge and win the World Title.

Quick Hits:

This is just some quick information I've come across related to recent and upcoming WWE situations. Enjoy.

- HHH is scheduled for his IN RING return this coming Monday at RAW. However, as of now, it won't be televised. He is scheduled for the local dark match which is HHH, Cena, and Orton VS. Punk, Miz and Sheamus. This is also the dark match advertised for Pittsburgh's RAW the following week.

- The Rock is scheduled to make a LIVE appearance on the RAW following Wrestlemania. I personally didn't expect that to happen especially since he has a tough time making it to RAW live now. Cena wins because of the satellite comments, by the way.

- Again, JBL will NOT be returning to the WWE. It was nice to see him for his one-time only deal and i am extremely happy that he kept his shirt on.

- Trish Stratus will be live on RAW this coming week as she is scheduled to face Vicki Guerrero. Unfortunately, Trish will also keep her shirt on.

That's the last of it for now. Thank you for your questions and keep them coming! Contact me via Facebook under The Wrestling Genius group or private message me. Feel free to text questions to me if you have my number.

Just as a quick note, i will be attending RAW when it comes to Pittsburgh on March 21st. My blog following that event will contain my final predictions for Wrestlemania. I can sense your anticipation.

Pussy Ass Bitches (2-28-11)

This is the first guest blog here at "The Wrestling Genius." This one comes to us from Alissa. I'll be back in a few days with my next blog. Until then, here's what Alissa had to say:

As we all know, last night was epic and unepic all within itself.  Firstly, Triple H: He should not have been talking at the beginning of the show. He talked about nothing and it was an annoying way to start the show. He may have been in the WWE for 16 years, but I personally think that it is time for him to retire, or at least back down and not look so creepy on the screen. I understand that he is intimidating and wants to end The dead man’s streak, but I would personally like to see the newer guys fight. With all the talk that he is doing, he better put up one hell of a fight at Wrestle Mania.

Which brings me to King Sheamus: I was very happy to see him tackle Triple H during his speech, however King Sheamus’ legs are way too white for the public eye to see. He should not have taken on such a large man because he had the drop coming to him when Triple H annihilated him against the announcers table (Which made Jerry “The King” Lawler’s face priceless, haha). Which leads me into the fight with Michael Cole. His fight was completely pointless against Jerry “The King” Lawler. First of all, he got someone else to fight The King, and all that Cole said was “What do you think about that Lawler?” Then he repeated it over and over again, which just goes to show that he has no smack talk good enough to actually bring it. I personally do not like The King, however it was wrong of Cole to think that he is the shit when he really isn’t. They could have cut that completely out of life. I would rather listen to Triple H smack talk Cena (Who is one of my favorites) than listen to Michael Cole who looks like a chipmunk. I understand that The King is trying to make a comeback, but let him be. We all know that he is not going to win at Wrestle Mania, but let’s at least give him the ability to try. Bringing in Jack Swagger to do your dirty work, Michael Cole, that was a pussy move.

I know I am jumping out of line here, but that also leads me to The Miz. The Miz is such a pussy when he went off on John Cena. I am so glad that John Cena made the bet with The Miz about firing Alex Riley. I don’t know much about Alex Riley, but I hear that he is worthless, so in the end that whole situation worked out.  The Miz totally could have fought in a suit. He totally could have taken John Cena. However, the dumbass had Alex fight Cena himself. So dumb. I liked the fact that they were in the cage. I disliked how The Miz said he was not going to interfere and he ended up interfering. Taking pictures of John Cena was uncalled for. However John Cena retaliated by taking a picture (on The Miz’s phone) of Alex Riley, which I find a little funny. And as a side note, I just want to say that I LOVE how John Cena wrestles in jean shorts. But anyways, the fight wasn’t bad. Alex Riley was afraid of heights which gave Cena an advantage, however Cena did not take the advantage correctly. There were so many opportunities that Cena could have just hopped over the cage or pushed the door open. Despite the fact that they wanted more money and a “better” fight, it was past eleven and I was already tired of watching the show since it was quite boring. The Miz took a chair and tried beating Cena down like an animal. The Miz is just crazy. He is NOT awesome and he needs to shut his mouth. I believe that he is all talk and no play (which he displayed by making his poor assistant fight for his own job). Meanwhile, I really hope that The Miz fails due to his lack of help from assistants. He should not have had the place in the commentators chair and The Miz just needs to learn how to fight his own battles. I would like to see the cage again but I would like to see a better fight.

I unfortunately happened to miss the fight with Randy Orton. Needless to say, I love him. He, to me, is the greatest. I believe that he is fighting a Nexus member every week in order to see if C. M. Punk will have his fellow Nexus members with him at Wrestlemania or not. Needless to say, Randy won the first fight, leaving the Nexus member out for a long time. So, we still have yet to see where this goes. I have faith in Randy.

The fights between the divas wasn't as entertaining last night as they usually are. One girl, however, did hit the floor outside the ring. That was pretty decent. I dislike the Bella twins or whatever their names are. They are sneaky cheaters, and I feel that if you are going to be in the profession, fight your own fights. They are caddy and I like the other tag team better. I like the blonde fighter, she’s a good one to watch. But the twins, they need to step up their game. Eve was commentating last night and said she would like to fight the Bella twins one on one. I agree with Eve, I would like to see a match like that where they step out of the tag team fighting.

I suppose I shall move onto The Rock. I am glad to see that The Rock is back. However, I dislike the fact that he is back via “Live” video. Uhh what the hell? Why can’t he be there live and not over a damn camera. Meanwhile, I do not feel that he was even live. It was pre recorded, obviously, and I just feel that if “his blood is WWE” and that he “was born into WWE, that he IS WWE,” then he needs TO BE AT THE WWE. It is one Monday night, and people would pay to see him. I know that I would. Meanwhile, he dissed Cena, and some of the other guys. He delivered his speech well, he’s a good speaker I must admit. I just can’t wait to see what happens when he actually does fight. We might not be able to see him, but I know John Cena will be seen (that was a pun, by the way) and John Cena is more WWE than The Rock because he actually comes and gives his all while he’s there.

Alberto Del Rio, um I’m not even going there. He needs to donate one of his cars to someone who doesn’t have them and he needs to just die. Someone should beat his ass and never let him back on the show ever. His assistant is more pleasant to watch than he is. Alberto Del Rio, blah.

And one last note, I would just really love to see someone, ANYONE, pull out C. M. Punk’s lip ring. I would love it.

Thank you for reading. If I forgot anything, I’m sorry. Leave me some comments and I’ll give my input on anything.

~Alissa