Quick Observations From the Chamber/RAW

I just wanted to post some observations and opinions from both the Chamber PPV and the following RAW. I will preface the observations by saying that the PPV was predictable but served it's purpose. I will also say that RAW, to me, was a disappointment on most accounts.

Chamber Observations:

I missed the Del Rio/Kingston match. I heard i didn't miss much except Del Rio showing a mean streak. Good for him. He needs to be built up somehow to where people care that he is going to Wrestlemania.

Justin Gabriel looked excellent in his match against the tag team champions Santino and Koslov. He is the Shawn Michaels of the team. Unfortunately for Heath Slater, he's the Marty Jannetty. 

Hi Trish. Nice try in heels. Better luck next time.

Rey Mysterio looked 10 years younger in the Smackdown Elimination Chamber. He carried that match. Excellent spot where Kane goes for the Tombstone on Rey and Edge hits a double spear.

Need a reason to watch Smackdown? I know i do. Christian's return at the chamber will help. Especially if they plan to use him as a main eventer.

Is there a better heel in the business than C.M. Punk? Not only is he probably the best wrestler on either roster, but he also plays his character the best. The spot with the pod door not opening, whether intentional or not, totally worked because he sold it.

John Morrison is such a star. He did an amazing job in the RAW Elimination Match and hit some unbelievable high spots during the match. We knew he didn't have a chance, but that didn't stop him from stealing the show.

Did anyone honestly care about The Miz VS Lawler? I didn't. We knew Lawler wasn't going to win. Why would they give him the belt now? The unfortunate passing of his mother added to the storyline but there was still no hope. It was all just to set up a match with Cole or Riley to give King his Wrestlemania moment. Still... who cares?

It's time for The Miz to drop the title. I don't care if it's to Cena but it has to happen. I care less about the champion on RAW and more about what C.M. Punk or John Cena are going to do. Even Randy Orton carries more interest to me than The Miz right now. That's saying something considering Orton doesn't really do... anything.

RAW Observations:

One week ago, the most electrifying man in entertainment returns to the ring after 7 long years, blows everyone away with the best promo in years, promises us he will never leave the fans again... and then doesn't show up to RAW the next week. Nice.

2-21-11 came and went. Yes, it was just The Undertaker. Yes, it was cool to see HHH come back. It'll be an interesting enough match at Wrestlemania. But, two of the best wrestlers on the mic come back in the same night and are scheduled to fight each other and don't say a word? They have a 10 minute staring contest? Fail.

I love Josh Matthews on RAW.

Cole/Lawler feud is good. It would be excellent if Cole wasn't the main commentator for RAW because his fan boy antics are getting old. Time for Cole to be a character and for Josh Matthews to take over. OR bring JR back. I'm fine with that too.

John Cena's rap was refreshing to see. Unfortunately, it's a one time only deal. I like Cena with more attitude.

WWE actually got the main event right. I was worried they were going to let The Miz and Cena keep the belts. I enjoyed how it all played out. 

It did, however, make the Corre look week though. Also, aren't they equals and individuals? Why do they escort each other to the ring? Also, why is it advertised as "Wade Barrett and The Corre" in commercials and ads when they clearly stated they don't have a leader? Nothing like a little consistency.

That's it. If i didn't comment on anything it's because i didn't find it memorable. I was unsurprised with the PPV and disappointed in RAW. It's nice to see the stars coming back but it's time for some real angles. It's time for characters to be built, feuds to escalate and matches to mean something.

Make me care, WWE. I'm sick of doing it myself.

Elimination Chamber Predictions

WWE's Elimination Chamber PPV is tonight so i figured i would dispense some wrestling genius just hours before the PPV begins. I'll predict each match for you and tell you how i made my choices. Think you can keep up?

Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov(c) VS. Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel (Tag Team Championships):

Who would have thought the Cobra would be so over. Sometimes the simplest things get you the biggest bang. Anyways, these teams have been going at each other recently. I doubt it will be a long match but it will be useful as Santino brings a lot of fun and energy to the ring and, therefore, to the PPV. I think the Corre gets some gold here with Slater and Gabriel picking up the win. It could set up Marella and Koslov chasing into Wrestlemania. But I think it could produce more heat for The Corre VS. Nexus battle that's been eluded to in the past.

Kofi Kingston(c) VS. Alberto Del Rio (Non Title):

This will definitely be an entertaining bout as both wrestlers have the ability to go at a pretty high level. I am not a huge fan of Kofi but he has brought it as of late. The Royal Rumble winner, Del Rio, will need some momentum going into his Wrestlemania main event. It will be a very close bout with Tequila JBL getting the win over the IC champion without making Kofi look bad and still giving Del Rio that credibility and momentum he needs. As much as i hate to say it, I am looking forward to this one.

The Miz(c) VS Jerry Lawler (World Heavyweight Championship):

So... yeah. Really? I get that this is a setup for The King to finally get his Wrestlemania moment. I respect The King and agree that he deserves one after all he does. But do you honestly think, especially at this point in time, that the WWE would put the belt on a 61 year old color commentator? There is a difference between genius and insanity. Hopefully Vince McMahon understands that. The match will unfortunately be close but it will serve it's purpose. Someone will cost king the match whether it be Alex Riley or Michael Cole. That will set up The King VS. whoever screws him over at Wrestlemania. Maybe even Ted DiBiase? That's an outside shot.

Edge(c) VS. Kane VS. Wade Barrett VS. Rey Mysterio VS. Drew McIntyre VS. ??? (WWE Championship):

So, Ziggler got fired on the 600th episode off Smackdown. Who takes his place? I don't see it being The Undertaker with all his hype for Monday. I could see the Big Show taking the spot considering he carried Dolph Ziggler out at the end of Smackdown. I can also see Ziggler somehow getting reinstated back into the match somehow. Either way, it doesn't matter. Dolph Ziggler nor his replacement will win the match. Dolph has had his time and he'll have it again but Wrestlemania's main event is not a stage he is ready for yet. Drew McIntyre is the R-Truth of this chamber match. He'll be a non-factor. Kane is only really in the match because of his recent title run. He may have some impact but he surely won't win. Wade Barrett is gaining momentum. I have a lot of respect for Barrett and his work thus far. He came in as a rookie and was the center piece for one of the best and most dominant factions in wrestling in quite some time. That being said, sorry Wade. Not today. Rey Mysterio will provide some entertaining high spots during the contest and will be a huge fan favorite in the match. I still think he will come up short (pun?). When it's all said and done, The Rated R Superstar, Edge, will retain his title and defend against Alberto Del Rio a Wrestlemania.

John Cena VS. C.M. Punk VS. Randy Orton VS. R-Truth VS. John Morrison VS. Sheamus (#1 Contender for World Title):

I'll  be surprised if R-Truth even makes it into the chamber to participate. With being said, he has 0 chance of winning this match. That's "What's up." Sheamus will not win the match because he is going to have to start his  angle with HHH leading into Wrestlemania. Wonderful. But it least it keeps both of them out of the main event. Randy Orton and C.M. Punk will find ways to eliminate each other. With this angle brewing the way it's been, neither of them will move on to face The Miz at Wrestlemania. John Morrison may be the highlight of the night again tonight. This match can feature his entire skill set and i think he will be a focal point of the match. If everything goes as planned, Morrison will look great coming out of the Chamber match... but he won't be the winner. John Cena will walk out of the Elimination Chamber and headline Wrestlemania against The Miz. The Rock will be involved in that match in some form or fashion.

So, there you have it. What do you think? Leave a comment or join us on Facebook and talk a little wrestling.  Who knows... you may actually get to talk to a Wrestling Genius.

Hope i didn't spoil the show for you...

A Less "Rocky" Road to Wrestlemania

So, were you surprised on Monday? Surprised... not excited. There's a difference. If you were surprised then that's unfortunate. It's unfortunate because that means you didn't believe me. You didn't follow my logic as to why The Rock was the best choice to host Wrestlemania. You didn't see what i saw when i said that The Rock brings more publicity to Wrestlemania than just wrestling fans, followers and writers. He is arguably one of the most popular wrestlers EVER in the wrestling industry. In addition, he has eclipsed that popularity with his success in Hollywood. Now, not just "Sports Entertainment" media, but ALL entertainment medias will be covering Wrestlemania. It's already started with ET getting involved. It's what the WWE needed. Hell, it's what wrestling as a whole needed. Monday was exciting to remember what used to be with The Rock and to look forward to what he will do. We're still six weeks away from Wrestlemania. That's a lot of Rocky from now until then.

Exciting? Absolutely. But i am insulted if you were surprised. "The Wrestling Genius" isn't just a gimmick. Next time, you'll know better.

He doesn't have to wrestle to make an impact. He'll get involved, sure. But he won't have a match at Wrestlemania or RAW or anywhere else. His wrestling days are done. That doesn't really matter though. That's not The Rock's expertise. He is a master on the microphone and he proved that on RAW. He has been gone 7 years from the wrestling business. 7 years away from live television. There was no rust, no hesitation and no uncomfortability. He proved why he was able to carry the company so long ago and why he is able to instill life back into a mundane and boring product that's currently being offered to the fans. In one night, after 7 years, The Rock made every wrestler on the current roster look terrible on the mic. I know John Cena, the Miz and CM Punk are great on the mic. Cena has the ability to improvise very well. Punk is very methodical in his deliveries. The Miz is starting to sound like a broken record now, but he is still strong with the mic. However, are they 10's because the rest of the wrestlers are 5's? We had a saying where i used to work: "Don't make a 5 an 8 just because of the environment." The same rings true with the current talent pool in the WWE.

The Rock is a legitimate 10. He was on the mic for 25 minutes. HE was the main event of Raw. No one cared that there was no main event match. Why would they? Why would they want to see another tag team main event of Cena and Orton vs Punk and the Miz? How many times can the fans care that Alex Riley won another match for The Miz or that Orton had to fight off all of Nexus again? The best part of RAW was the main event... and it wasn't a wrestling match. This ties back to my previous blog about a lack of talented wrestlers and main-eventers.

The Rock made some comments and promises that were surprising. He called out The Miz and, to my surprise, John Cena. I expect Cena to win the Elimination Chamber and go on to fight The Miz at Wrestlemania for the title. I also expect the Rock to involve himself in that match somehow. He will probably be the guest referee or special enforcer for the match and be a major factor in the outcome. I think he will finally stop Alex Riley from protecting The Miz's title and Cena will be crowned champion. The Rock also said that he would never leave again. Those are pretty strong words after leaving and never returning for 7 long years. I doubt he will stick around forever like he said but they could develop an on-air role for him on either show. I don't have a prediction on that as of yet, but an obvious choice could be the GM position on Raw. 

I do hope that The Rock can bring back some of the "Attitude Era." This PG garbage has got to go. I don't want to read John Cena tweeting because he said the word ass, damn or shit. This is wrestling and it's not traditional. Punches are thrown. Blood is spilled. It's physical and barbaric. I don't want to watch the participants apologize because they said shit instead of crap. You don't see the UFC guys apologizing when they swear. Most cartoons and movies have more graphic content than a full contact, physical event like a wrestling match. What's wrong with people? It's okay to watch Family Guy or South Park but if John Cena says ass it's the end of the world? Please. John Cena used to rap promos about oral sex among other things. You may be shocked or offended when he first says it but next week you'll forget and cheer like a mindless zombie again. Just like the rest of us.

Oh... the new 2-21-11 video aired. Doesn't everyone feel silly for saying it's Sting. Well, not everyone. I don't. Like i said last week... It's just The Undertaker. The video is at the end of the blog if you missed it.

So, what have we learned today?

1. The Rock is a 10. Especially in this era of wrestling.

2. Attitude Era > *

3. Listening to me will raise your wrestling IQ.

4. I told you so.

2-21-11 and Wrestlemania Host speculation

Buzz, buzz, buzz. The wrestling internet world is buzzing over 2-21-11 and the Wrestlemania host that is being announced next week. Let's take a look at both of the situations individually... and maybe even logically. The rumor mongers are losing their minds.

The 2-21-11 video that aired is something the WWE hasn't done in a long time. It was put together well by the WWE and received well by the fans. The internet is swirling with speculation as to which star could be returning or coming to the WWE for the "Road to Wrestlemania." Unfortunately, the fans are letting their imaginations get out of control. Actually, most of the internet seems convinced that the video is announcing that Sting is coming to the WWE. And, like most of the time, the internet fans... fail. I've even heard that some people think it marks the return of Chris Jericho. That makes total sense since we all know Jericho's love for darkness and trench coats. Jericho has had a contract on the table from the WWE for him since September. He has been touring with Fozzy and just put out a book called "Undisputed" (which almost made the best sellers list just in presales). The fans are starting to get more outrageous than some of the WWE storylines. At any rate, the obvious choice is The Undertaker. I know, I know... obvious is boring. But seriously, who else would have a video like this? His return is normally marked with some type of hype and i would expect this one to be no different. It's Wrestlemania, folks. The Undertaker has to be there to defend his precious streak. A streak, by the way, that will never be broken. In addition, the WWE has already announced that the Undertaker WILL be returning at the 2-21-11 show. It's confirmed. So... why do fans continue to speculate it's someone else? Hope? I want or need for something newer? Something more exciting?

Sorry. It's just the Undertaker.

Now we move from one rumor hot bed to the next. The Wrestlemania host. I've heard all sorts of names dropped. Aaron Rodgers, Donald Trump, Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, Vince McMahon and The Anonymous Raw General Manager just to name a few. I would love to find out who the Raw GM is but i have a feeling the WWE doesn't even have that answer yet. There are some crazy names being posted out there as well that i won't even get into. Absurdity. Stone Cold or HBK are more obvious choices. Vince McMahon promoting himself is also an obvious (funny) choice. Basically, it has to be a wrestler or celebrity that is a face. Personally, i would love it if it did spark a Chris Jericho return as a face but there's a better chance of Sting showing up on 2-21-11 than "The Lionheart" hosting Wrestlemania.

So who do I think is the host? I'm going to go with The Rock. He loves the WWE still. He has made some "successful" movies and is still a WWE name even though he has been gone for years. He also just recently did an interview and stated that he would love to return to the WWE... in a non-wrestling role, of course. What better role than the special guest host of the biggest stage of them all, Wrestlemania. He has eclipsed his WWE popularity with his Hollywood success. This makes him a celebrity in Vince's eyes which will draw more attention to Wrestlemania than by just having a Hall of Fame wrestler return to do it. He is recognizable and charismatic. He is my choice and probably the best choice for Wrestlemania's guest host.

I could be wrong. Sting could be the 2-21-11 surprise and Snoop Dogg could host Wrestlemania.

But I doubt it.

Who's in the main event again?

With the Royal Rumble and the following night's RAW behind us, the WWE has begun to pave the "Road to Wrestlemania." I must say, however, that it might be a rocky road to smooth over. The main reason I say that is because the WWE is lacking star power now more than it ever has in the past. When i bring this topic up, most people tell me it's because of injuries and wrestlers retiring. But who all is injured? The Undertaker and Triple H come to mind... but that's it for the main eventers.. Christian and Evan Bourne are a far cry from main eventing even though they are both very valuable to the company. Who retired? Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair are all i can think of. Shawn Michaels can never be replaced as a performer. I don't even think that's really a discussion.

So who does the WWE have as legitimate main eventers? On Raw, i see Randy Orton, John Cena, The Miz and CM Punk. On the outside looking in are John Morrison and Sheamus. I doubt either of those guys will be called legitimate main eventers again. On the Smackdown side, i see Edge, Dolph Ziggler, Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio now. I would say that Kane, The Big Show and Wade Barrett are sufficient plug-ins when necessary. Of all of those names, Edge, Alberto Del Rio, John Cena, The Miz and CM Punk arguably have the best mic skills. But seriously, this is the list of main eventers and mid card stars. Remember when Wrestlemania had blockbuster matches? Remember when great wrestlers were held off the card because of time constraints? They actually had too many good matches that some couldn't be added to the card. That's definitely not a problem in this era.

So what happened? Where did the star power go? Chris Jericho took his normal time off to tour with Fozzy and recharge his batteries. Yes, The Undertaker and HHH are injured which definitely hurts the main event. Booker T, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy and RVD all went to TNA. I understand the last 2 had additional baggage that helped in their departure from the WWE. However, these are major names that weren't able to be replaced. And the main reason for that? A diminishing pool of talent to choose from. Jim Ross has even mentioned this a few times on his blog (jrsbarbq.com). The WWE has done the best it can with the talent that's available. However, very few pushes to the main event seem to work out. Jim Morrison, MVP, Sheamus to a point, Jack Swagger and Ted DiBiase have all had opportunities at one point or another to main event. None of them are main eventers now.The jury is still out on Wade Barrett. I get a beer and nachos when Sheamus comes out.

Only 3 wrestlers seem to have taken advantage of their main event opportunities. The Miz, CM Punk and to a lesser extent so far... Dolph Ziggler. CM Punk and The Miz are legit. They are here to stay. I hope Dolph Ziggler can keep going. He has tremendous energy in the ring. Will Alberto Del Rio take advantage? He is being given an opportunity to not just main event... but to main event Wrestlemania. He gets this opportunity basically on faith and hope. He has decent in-ring ability from what I've seen so far and has very strong mic skills. However, does that make him ready for the main event at Wrestlemania? And can he and the WWE make the fans care that he is going to be there?

The weight on his shoulders is monumental. Let's see if he is up for it. Let's see if Del Rio can be one of the few success stories in recent WWE memory.