By Rick Morris
Twice in the leadup to WrestleMania 24, I put in my two cents about how best to book the year's biggest 'rasslin card. I have long believed that the best way to set up this card, especially since it essentially marks the end of one year of setup and the beginning of the next, is to set it far in advance and back up from there in terms of the year's entire booking. Having said that, here's my early recommendation of how to book what will surely be one of the biggest cards of all time in Houston's Reliant Stadium next April:
^ WWE Championship match: John Cena vs. The Undertaker. The streak ends here. You wanna hear crowd heat? Picture Cena beating Taker cleanly in his hometown in the biggest event of the year! I think that the WWE should have had UT end his streak at 14-0 against Batista in '07 or at 15-0 against Edge this year, but I'm convinced that the company should have him lose to Cena next year if they are serious about promoting him as the company's cornerstone (stopping the neutering of Cena's character would be a nice move also, but you can't have everything!). I can't get behind the Mark Markerson sentiments of those such as my SportsTalkNetwork.com colleague Paul Belfi who think that Undertaker should never lose at WrestleMania. For a promotion that cares first and foremost about perpetuating future success, equity is built up to be spent eventually and the priceless value of Taker's streak has to be transferred sometime and somewhere. Houston in '09 is the time and the place.
^ World Championship match: Edge vs. C.M. Punk. I'm in favor of Punk getting another run atop ECW, then moving on to new horizons when he drops the title again. A Mania match against Edge should be fantastic and should really help put him on the map. While I would pull the trigger on a Punk World Title run, I think that should be held off for a few more months as Edge has yet to have the heel World Title wins that have only ever been bestowed on HHH and (undeservedly) on Randy Orton. He needs his moment and should get it next year.
^ ECW Championship match: MVP vs. The Big Show. When MVP moves on from the U.S. Title scene later this year, he should be the man to take the ECW Title from Punk when it gets transitioned back to him. Then, at WrestleMania, the WWE can work out a deal to bring back Floyd Mayweather in a "special adviser" role for MVP as the "man who knows how to beat The Big Show." With the similarities of "Money May" and the MVP character, the heat for this angle could be insane. I'd keep the belt on MVP, with Show dishing out post-match chokeslams to both of his adversaries.
^ Texas Beer Hall Brawl: JBL vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin. We keep hearing rumors that Austin "may have one match left in him." Supposedly, these two Texans wouldn't mind working a match together -- remember the tease for it on Saturday Night's Main Event back in 2006. Mania in Houston would be the perfect atmosphere for the kind of no-DQ brawl that could perfectly camouflage the kind of limitations that would have to be built into a match given the state of Austin's neck. With Austin having a variety of weapons at his disposal, he could get the feel-good win that would energize the crowd without doing any damage to JBL's main-event viability.
^ Legend of Legends Match: HHH vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton vs. Kane. This match would be contested for a "WrestleMania Legend of Legends" trophy by competitors who had won a main event match at one of the previous Mania shows (main event for these purposes to include the title match for any of the brands in the post-'02 era, which would include Orton and Kane). This would be a good place to give HHH some credibility back as a main-event player as he continues down the back nine of his career.
^ BunnyMania Match: The Glamazon & Nattie Neidhart vs. Cherry & Candace Michelle. Frankly, the contestants in such a match don't matter. Utilize the "Lumberjill" format again to cram all the Divas into one segment and get them out of the way, have the heels win and provide some comedy to lighten up the show a bit. In other words, pretty much do what they did this year.
^ Money In the Bank 30-man battle royal. Because the multi-man format is being used for the "Legends" match this year, substitute the battle royal for the "Money In the Bank" designation. It also keeps the match a bit more fresh and gives the wrestlers a one-year respite from trying to top the previous spectacle (and it might be futile to try to top the one from this year). I'd have Vladimir Kozlov as the winner and use this as the embryonic stage of a main-event push.
^ WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Miz & Morrison vs. The Hardys. WrestleMania should have some fun nostalgia moments, especially the 25th edition, and seeing the Hardys in there against a team that could be regarded as one of the most entertaining in a long time by then -- wow, that could be excellent. Give the Hardys the win and watch the roof get blown off.
^ United States Championship Match: Chris Jericho vs. Rey Misterio. I'd like to see Jericho get moved to Smackdown and have some time with that program's secondary title also (well, actually, if I had my druthers he'd be booked as a main event face, but I'm trying to deal in the realm of the most they will get out of somebody). He could have some nice matches and some good entertainment in a Misterio feud and as with the Hardys, he'd pop the heck out of the crowd with a title win.
Showing posts with label Floyd Mayweather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Floyd Mayweather. Show all posts
Monday, April 21, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
It's still real to me, dag-nabbit!
By Rick Morris
This was published a day early, so I don't think it's Wade Keller's idea of an April Fool's Day joke. Bitter Indy Guy has risen up in all his glory to unleash a bitter rant on Vince McMahon for booking Floyd Mayweather to win the match against The Big Show at WrestleMania 24.
"[Did] Vince McMahon ever consider the fact that the people who bought tickets to WrestleMania might actually be wrestling fans and that they just might want to see a wrestler win? Did anyone notice that Big Show was being heartily cheered when he was thrashing Mayweather?"
Wow. The people actually cheered for the wrestler pushed as the babyface and booed the heel. Stop the f'ing presses.
I wonder if Bitter Indy Guy expressed similar outrage at the WWE's sham of a "wellness policy" or any other one of the countless crimes against decency perpetrated by Vinny Mac in his quarter-century atop the business. No, that's a stupid question, of course he didn't. "BIG's" priority in life is defending the image of pro wrestling against those from other industries who want to come in and get their hand raised.
As the old saying goes, the biggest marks are the ones behind the curtain.
For infinitely more sane and comprehensive coverage of the show, check out our good buddy Russ Cohen at Wrestleology.
This was published a day early, so I don't think it's Wade Keller's idea of an April Fool's Day joke. Bitter Indy Guy has risen up in all his glory to unleash a bitter rant on Vince McMahon for booking Floyd Mayweather to win the match against The Big Show at WrestleMania 24.
"[Did] Vince McMahon ever consider the fact that the people who bought tickets to WrestleMania might actually be wrestling fans and that they just might want to see a wrestler win? Did anyone notice that Big Show was being heartily cheered when he was thrashing Mayweather?"
Wow. The people actually cheered for the wrestler pushed as the babyface and booed the heel. Stop the f'ing presses.
I wonder if Bitter Indy Guy expressed similar outrage at the WWE's sham of a "wellness policy" or any other one of the countless crimes against decency perpetrated by Vinny Mac in his quarter-century atop the business. No, that's a stupid question, of course he didn't. "BIG's" priority in life is defending the image of pro wrestling against those from other industries who want to come in and get their hand raised.
As the old saying goes, the biggest marks are the ones behind the curtain.
For infinitely more sane and comprehensive coverage of the show, check out our good buddy Russ Cohen at Wrestleology.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
WrestleMania 24 review
By Rick Morris
This was a tremendous show, one of the most entertaining WrestleManias ever. Great moments were interspersed all throughout the four hours, continuing the trend of recent years ended. Ever since the first post-boom WrestleMania of this decade (18), the company has taken advantage of their depth of "names" by trying to present several super-attractive matches on each show. They succeeded more than at any other time this decade.
^ JBL defeated Finlay in a Belfast Brawl match. Excellent brawl to open the show with several STIFF shots from each man. Hornswaggle made his return by accompanying Finlay at the outset. Finlay did a dive to the outside at one point, only to have JBL swing a garbage can lid right into his head. The "Clothesline from Hades" gave JBL a surprising clean win, surprising in the sense that the match seemed to be built toward the "Finlay family" getting revenge after a month of JBL's cruelties. This was a super-stiff match and both guys are going to be sore tomorrow. (3 stars)
^ C.M. Punk wins the Money In the Bank Match. This was probably the best of the "Midcard Spotfest-Mania" matches in its four years of existence. There were several insane spots: John Morrison moonsaulting out of the ring onto several participants HOLDING A LADDER, Carlito giving Chris Jericho a backstabber off a ladder and the worst of them all, Sheldon Benjamin getting pitched off a ladder and landing flat on his back on a ladder stretched out from the ring to the apron. Benjamin never got up from that and could well be seriously injured. Matt Hardy made the obligatory run-in when MVP was about to win and Punk & Carlito did a nice spot jumping onto ladders that their competitors were climbing. In the end, Punk got Y2J tied up in the ladder once he fell backward and Punk claimed the prize. (3 3/4 stars)
The Hall of Fame inductees were then recognized, with Ric Flair's family standing in for him.
A backstage skit with Snoop Dog and Festus then aired, with Santino angrily approaching Snoop, who then reached around to ring a bell to get Festus to chase Santino. Mick Foley then popped up for a cameo with a sock with bling-bling on it.
^ Batista defeated You-Mang-A in the "brand supremacy" match. This was a fairly basic match, nothing horrible or special about it. (2 1/4 stars)
Highlights of the battle royal that only aired on WWE.com earlier tonight were shown, as Kane emerged the winner.
^ Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero for the ECW Title. This one was short and sweet. Kane snuck into the ring behind Chavo and chokeslammed him when he turned around. Just like that, Chavo's run on top of ECW is done. (not applicable for star rating)
^ Shawn Michaels defeated Ric Flair in a "Career Threatening Match." Purely in terms of raw emotion, this match would have to be in anyone's all-time top five. They pulled out all the stops. Relatively early, Michaels missed a moonsault outside the ring in a planned spot -- well, I'm guessing the ringside table not falling apart as it should and likely breaking several of Shawn's ribs was not planned, but the spot itself was. Minutes later, Michaels tried another one and Flair botched the catch, causing HBK's knee to bounce harshly off the ground. There was a tremendous back-and-forth in the ring, with several false finishes. Michaels hesitated the first time he went for the superkick, allowing Flair to hit the figure-four leglock. Flair kicked out of another superkick and almost won several times with the figure-four or some rollup nearfalls. Flair actually hit a flying bodypress tonight as well. These two pulled out all the stops and were only hampered by their limitations: age in the case of Flair and Michaels suffering as a result of the first moonsault. In the end, Michaels mouthed, "I love you. I'm sorry," right before he swiftly hit another superkick and covered Flair for "Little Naitch" Charles Robinson's final three-count. Just like that, Ric Flair's career as an active wrestler ended. Michaels embraced Flair quickly, then left the ring, allowing Flair an extended exit. Flair, his family at ringside and many fans in the stadium were crying. Quite coincidentally, I had a piece of dust fly in each of my eyes at the moment, giving the illusion to the naked eye of manly tears welling up in there. (4 1/2 stars)
^ Beth Phoenix and Melina won the BunnyMania match. Against all odds, Maria had The Glamazon beaten, but Santino Marella broke up the three-count and Phoenix got the duke. Afterwards, Snoop Dogg clotheslined a gloating Santino, who had also been punched earlier by Jerry Lawler. (1/2 star)
^ Randy Orton retained the WWE Title by pinning John Cena in the three-way match. This match was decent, but nothing terribly memorable. Each wrestler got in several of their trademark spots and pinfall attempts were routinely broken up by the third wrestler in there. The finish came when HHH reversed the FU into a Pedigree and Orton came back in out of nowhere with the punt to HHH's head to steal the three-count on Cena. (2 3/4 stars)
^ Floyd Mayweather defeated The Big Show. This match exceeded the justifiably low expectations. Mayweather successfully worked the "stick and move" early on, frustrating Show. In perhaps the funniest moment of the night, Mayweather took a drink from one of his cornermen not in the standard fighter's water bottle, but in an ornate chalice! Show charged the corner, started beating up on Floyd's posse, and the mayhem was on. Mayweather got in a version of a sleeperhold on Show, but eventually the big man took over to the point that the fighter and his entourage tried to bail. Show chased them up the aisle, beat up the crew and took Mayweather back to the ring. Once there, Mayweather was able to use a chair to soften up Show before resorting to brass knuckles for the legal three-count in this "anything goes" match. Decent action at times (2 1/2 stars)
^ The Undertaker defeated Edge for the World Heavyweight Title. This match began at a slower pace and built tremendously. At one point, Edge took a sick bump outside the ring when Taker pushed him off the top turnbuckle, then later Edge just dumped Undertaker right onto some shocked fans in the front row. The progression of the match featured the old All-Japan pattern of repeated false finishes. Edge kicked out of a chokeslam and a Last Ride, then the Undertaker kicked out after Edge waffled him with a TV camera during a ref bump, then Edge survived a Tombstone. When Edge's lackeys interfered, Taker chokeslammed one on top of the other one outside the ring, allowing Edge to set up a spear that did not result in a three-count. Edge hit another spear, but then Undertaker reached up and locked on a modified sleeperhold that got Edge to tap out. It was an outstanding ending to an amazing night of wrestling. (4 stars)
This was a tremendous show, one of the most entertaining WrestleManias ever. Great moments were interspersed all throughout the four hours, continuing the trend of recent years ended. Ever since the first post-boom WrestleMania of this decade (18), the company has taken advantage of their depth of "names" by trying to present several super-attractive matches on each show. They succeeded more than at any other time this decade.
^ JBL defeated Finlay in a Belfast Brawl match. Excellent brawl to open the show with several STIFF shots from each man. Hornswaggle made his return by accompanying Finlay at the outset. Finlay did a dive to the outside at one point, only to have JBL swing a garbage can lid right into his head. The "Clothesline from Hades" gave JBL a surprising clean win, surprising in the sense that the match seemed to be built toward the "Finlay family" getting revenge after a month of JBL's cruelties. This was a super-stiff match and both guys are going to be sore tomorrow. (3 stars)
^ C.M. Punk wins the Money In the Bank Match. This was probably the best of the "Midcard Spotfest-Mania" matches in its four years of existence. There were several insane spots: John Morrison moonsaulting out of the ring onto several participants HOLDING A LADDER, Carlito giving Chris Jericho a backstabber off a ladder and the worst of them all, Sheldon Benjamin getting pitched off a ladder and landing flat on his back on a ladder stretched out from the ring to the apron. Benjamin never got up from that and could well be seriously injured. Matt Hardy made the obligatory run-in when MVP was about to win and Punk & Carlito did a nice spot jumping onto ladders that their competitors were climbing. In the end, Punk got Y2J tied up in the ladder once he fell backward and Punk claimed the prize. (3 3/4 stars)
The Hall of Fame inductees were then recognized, with Ric Flair's family standing in for him.
A backstage skit with Snoop Dog and Festus then aired, with Santino angrily approaching Snoop, who then reached around to ring a bell to get Festus to chase Santino. Mick Foley then popped up for a cameo with a sock with bling-bling on it.
^ Batista defeated You-Mang-A in the "brand supremacy" match. This was a fairly basic match, nothing horrible or special about it. (2 1/4 stars)
Highlights of the battle royal that only aired on WWE.com earlier tonight were shown, as Kane emerged the winner.
^ Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero for the ECW Title. This one was short and sweet. Kane snuck into the ring behind Chavo and chokeslammed him when he turned around. Just like that, Chavo's run on top of ECW is done. (not applicable for star rating)
^ Shawn Michaels defeated Ric Flair in a "Career Threatening Match." Purely in terms of raw emotion, this match would have to be in anyone's all-time top five. They pulled out all the stops. Relatively early, Michaels missed a moonsault outside the ring in a planned spot -- well, I'm guessing the ringside table not falling apart as it should and likely breaking several of Shawn's ribs was not planned, but the spot itself was. Minutes later, Michaels tried another one and Flair botched the catch, causing HBK's knee to bounce harshly off the ground. There was a tremendous back-and-forth in the ring, with several false finishes. Michaels hesitated the first time he went for the superkick, allowing Flair to hit the figure-four leglock. Flair kicked out of another superkick and almost won several times with the figure-four or some rollup nearfalls. Flair actually hit a flying bodypress tonight as well. These two pulled out all the stops and were only hampered by their limitations: age in the case of Flair and Michaels suffering as a result of the first moonsault. In the end, Michaels mouthed, "I love you. I'm sorry," right before he swiftly hit another superkick and covered Flair for "Little Naitch" Charles Robinson's final three-count. Just like that, Ric Flair's career as an active wrestler ended. Michaels embraced Flair quickly, then left the ring, allowing Flair an extended exit. Flair, his family at ringside and many fans in the stadium were crying. Quite coincidentally, I had a piece of dust fly in each of my eyes at the moment, giving the illusion to the naked eye of manly tears welling up in there. (4 1/2 stars)
^ Beth Phoenix and Melina won the BunnyMania match. Against all odds, Maria had The Glamazon beaten, but Santino Marella broke up the three-count and Phoenix got the duke. Afterwards, Snoop Dogg clotheslined a gloating Santino, who had also been punched earlier by Jerry Lawler. (1/2 star)
^ Randy Orton retained the WWE Title by pinning John Cena in the three-way match. This match was decent, but nothing terribly memorable. Each wrestler got in several of their trademark spots and pinfall attempts were routinely broken up by the third wrestler in there. The finish came when HHH reversed the FU into a Pedigree and Orton came back in out of nowhere with the punt to HHH's head to steal the three-count on Cena. (2 3/4 stars)
^ Floyd Mayweather defeated The Big Show. This match exceeded the justifiably low expectations. Mayweather successfully worked the "stick and move" early on, frustrating Show. In perhaps the funniest moment of the night, Mayweather took a drink from one of his cornermen not in the standard fighter's water bottle, but in an ornate chalice! Show charged the corner, started beating up on Floyd's posse, and the mayhem was on. Mayweather got in a version of a sleeperhold on Show, but eventually the big man took over to the point that the fighter and his entourage tried to bail. Show chased them up the aisle, beat up the crew and took Mayweather back to the ring. Once there, Mayweather was able to use a chair to soften up Show before resorting to brass knuckles for the legal three-count in this "anything goes" match. Decent action at times (2 1/2 stars)
^ The Undertaker defeated Edge for the World Heavyweight Title. This match began at a slower pace and built tremendously. At one point, Edge took a sick bump outside the ring when Taker pushed him off the top turnbuckle, then later Edge just dumped Undertaker right onto some shocked fans in the front row. The progression of the match featured the old All-Japan pattern of repeated false finishes. Edge kicked out of a chokeslam and a Last Ride, then the Undertaker kicked out after Edge waffled him with a TV camera during a ref bump, then Edge survived a Tombstone. When Edge's lackeys interfered, Taker chokeslammed one on top of the other one outside the ring, allowing Edge to set up a spear that did not result in a three-count. Edge hit another spear, but then Undertaker reached up and locked on a modified sleeperhold that got Edge to tap out. It was an outstanding ending to an amazing night of wrestling. (4 stars)
WrestleMania 24 preview
By Rick Morris
Earlier plans to live-blog this momentous event were shelved when the joint SportsTalkNetwork/FDH viewing party was scrapped by STN President Paul Belfi in favor of viewing the event at Harpo's Sports Cafe. Now, Harpo's is one of the greatest sports-themed restaurants in the world and it's within about two miles of my home, so my disappointment at not being able to live-blog is tempered by the anticipation of enjoying some great Harpo's wings and taking in the specter of the mark fans who invariably overrun Harpo's for every PPV.
On to the predictions ...
^ Battle Royal to determine #1 contender to ECW Title: This three-brand battle royal, which was moved from the broadcast to an online-only venue, demonstrates precisely what an afterthought the ECW (World???) Title has become. My guess, for the record, is that Kane emerges and gets the title shot on the PPV against Chavo Guerrero.
^ ECW Title Match: Chavo Guerrero vs. ???: Again, I think Kane will be facing Chavo and my guess is that Chavo walks out with the title by some nefarious means, setting up a spring feud between these two that will continue. Regardless of who Chavo faces, I don't believe WWE is giving away a title change with no buildup tonight.
^ BunnyMania Lumberjack Match: Ashley & Maria vs. WWE Women's Champion Glamazon Beth Phoenix and Melina: There's a certain percentage of the card that is going to have to contain heel wins just to even out the emotional high-spots, and the women's match has often been a place to do just that. In a match that means very little, and is almost certainly meant to do nothing but highlight celebrity participation, Melina and The Glam get their hands raised.
^ Brand vs. Brand, Umaga vs. Batista: Both of these guys are fringe main-eventers at this point, but You-Mang-a is probably fated (due to not getting to show any interview skills in his role as a "savage from the islands") to remain in the upper-upper midcard while Batista is on his way back to the main events at some point. Umaga is bulletproof in his role, having jobbed repeatedly to John Cena, HHH and Jeff Hardy, so a loss won't hurt him here. Batista wins.
^ Belfast Brawl, Finlay vs. JBL: This is a tough one to pick. JBL has gotten almost all of the heat on Finlay throughout this feud, from the abrupt (and botched) transition from a looming Finlay/Hornswaggle vs. McMahons clash to this battle. JBL seems to need a win more, since he's likely to get some WWE Title shots on PPV this summer due to the scarcity of top-level heels on RAW, but I think Finlay gets the win that the storyline has been pointing to, likely with Hornswaggle making a surprise return to help him in the end.
^ Money In the Bank Ladder Match to claim match at WWE Title, World Title or ECW Title, John Morrison vs. Kennedy vs. Chris Jericho vs. MVP vs. Sheldon Benjamin vs. C.M. Punk vs. Carlito: In the fourth annual MidcardMania match, one of these contestants will be crowned a future main event player -- which is sad for Jericho, who had alternated between the mid-card (mostly) and main event (occasionally) for more than a half-decade, before coming back last winter as a heavily-pushed main-eventer and then sliding quickly back into the midcard. Kennedy won last year and would have become a main-eventer already had he not gotten injured. His year was fairly star-crossed overall, in some ways because of his own stupidity, but I think he's a good candidate to win -- not as good as MVP, though, who is showing signs of living up to the hype of his character and becoming a legitimate player. I see MVP winning and ascending to either the World Title or ECW Title in the next year.
^ The Biggest vs. The Best, The Big Show vs. Floyd "Money" Mayweather: This heavily -hyped match will produce some memorable moments, largely because of a style clash that is actually being embraced by the promotion as some kind of surreal theater of the absurd. Mayweather will clearly have to take some big bumps here, and the guessing is that Show will be poised for victory when a member of his "posse" cheats him out of victory. Remember, the only stipulation is that there must be a winner. Mayweather will "dip into his $20 million" to get a WWE wrestler to turn on Show, setting up a subsequent feud for TBS. The only relevant point when trying to guess the outcome of this match is that Floyd Mayweather didn't sign this contract to end up losing.
^ World Title Match, Edge vs. The Undertaker: "The Streak vs. The Title" is the centerpiece of the "Smackdown Main Event," as Edge (who is also undefeated at WrestleMania in singles matches) takes on the 15-0 Dead Man. I disagree strongly with my friend Belfi, who on his PRO WRESTLING INSIDER show on STN (Tuesday nights, 7-9 PM EDT) expressed the markish (yes, I said it!) sentiment that 'Taker should keep the streak going and that Edge "didn't need the win." The very point of building up equity like The Undertaker has been able to do is to transfer the cache of it to another star at some point. Edge is the best main-event heel the company has had in years, probably since "Fac-Gime Era HHH," and his character can benefit immensely from the rub here. As you can tell, this is the outcome I am the most likely to disagree with, as all signs are that 'Taker will go 16-0. I have no problem with them giving The Undertaker another decently-long title reign, I just disagree with starting it here as opposed to a month or two down the road.
^ WWE Title Match, Randy Orton vs. HHH vs. John Cena: Three years after it was initially envisioned, we're seeing Orton vs. HHH for the title at 'Mania. One year after it was initially envisioned, we're seeing HHH vs. Cena for the title in a WrestleMania 22 rematch. We're getting both of these scenarios in one match, plus the hottest part of the match in terms of feud qualities in Cena vs. Orton. This should be a fantastic match, with all participants motivated to live up to the atmosphere and deliver a 3 1/2 or 4-star match. In the end, I think HHH "gets his wins back," after having finished the main event of the last three 'Manias he participated in looking up at the lights. He may be taking a lighter schedule later in the year when his "second McMahon heir" is born, so this is a way to strike while the iron is hot with him before he has another hiatus or semi-hiatus. Cena will still be waiting in the wings as the heir apparent to the title and I expect him to be protected here with Orton doing the job. For the record, although I'm a huge critic of HHH's positioning of himself during large stretches earlier this decade, I think this is the right move to make as he is having the best solo face run of his career (thanks to no storylines this time involving "his dog").
^ Career Threatening Match, Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels: I'm listing this match last in the vain hope that the company will do the right thing and put it on last. Good luck following this emotional moment! I don't believe it's a 100% lock that this will be Flair's last match, as a fairly elaborate swerve could be underway, but I do think it's probable that they will go in the anticipated direction and that Michaels will lead one heck of a great match. My biggest problem with Flair having this match on this card was the notion that his retirement match should headline a card and I thought it was improbable at WrestleMania, but this storyline has been such a huge part of the overall event that some of my objections have faded. Michaels probably wins after "The Dirtiest Player In the Game" fights and claws for his life.
In the interest of helping people to remember the greatness of Ric Flair, who was probably the greatest wrestler of all time, here's the excellent tribute to him that the company aired this past week:
And here's some of his great mic work from back in the day:
If this is the end, thanks for the memories, Ric.
Earlier plans to live-blog this momentous event were shelved when the joint SportsTalkNetwork/FDH viewing party was scrapped by STN President Paul Belfi in favor of viewing the event at Harpo's Sports Cafe. Now, Harpo's is one of the greatest sports-themed restaurants in the world and it's within about two miles of my home, so my disappointment at not being able to live-blog is tempered by the anticipation of enjoying some great Harpo's wings and taking in the specter of the mark fans who invariably overrun Harpo's for every PPV.
On to the predictions ...
^ Battle Royal to determine #1 contender to ECW Title: This three-brand battle royal, which was moved from the broadcast to an online-only venue, demonstrates precisely what an afterthought the ECW (World???) Title has become. My guess, for the record, is that Kane emerges and gets the title shot on the PPV against Chavo Guerrero.
^ ECW Title Match: Chavo Guerrero vs. ???: Again, I think Kane will be facing Chavo and my guess is that Chavo walks out with the title by some nefarious means, setting up a spring feud between these two that will continue. Regardless of who Chavo faces, I don't believe WWE is giving away a title change with no buildup tonight.
^ BunnyMania Lumberjack Match: Ashley & Maria vs. WWE Women's Champion Glamazon Beth Phoenix and Melina: There's a certain percentage of the card that is going to have to contain heel wins just to even out the emotional high-spots, and the women's match has often been a place to do just that. In a match that means very little, and is almost certainly meant to do nothing but highlight celebrity participation, Melina and The Glam get their hands raised.
^ Brand vs. Brand, Umaga vs. Batista: Both of these guys are fringe main-eventers at this point, but You-Mang-a is probably fated (due to not getting to show any interview skills in his role as a "savage from the islands") to remain in the upper-upper midcard while Batista is on his way back to the main events at some point. Umaga is bulletproof in his role, having jobbed repeatedly to John Cena, HHH and Jeff Hardy, so a loss won't hurt him here. Batista wins.
^ Belfast Brawl, Finlay vs. JBL: This is a tough one to pick. JBL has gotten almost all of the heat on Finlay throughout this feud, from the abrupt (and botched) transition from a looming Finlay/Hornswaggle vs. McMahons clash to this battle. JBL seems to need a win more, since he's likely to get some WWE Title shots on PPV this summer due to the scarcity of top-level heels on RAW, but I think Finlay gets the win that the storyline has been pointing to, likely with Hornswaggle making a surprise return to help him in the end.
^ Money In the Bank Ladder Match to claim match at WWE Title, World Title or ECW Title, John Morrison vs. Kennedy vs. Chris Jericho vs. MVP vs. Sheldon Benjamin vs. C.M. Punk vs. Carlito: In the fourth annual MidcardMania match, one of these contestants will be crowned a future main event player -- which is sad for Jericho, who had alternated between the mid-card (mostly) and main event (occasionally) for more than a half-decade, before coming back last winter as a heavily-pushed main-eventer and then sliding quickly back into the midcard. Kennedy won last year and would have become a main-eventer already had he not gotten injured. His year was fairly star-crossed overall, in some ways because of his own stupidity, but I think he's a good candidate to win -- not as good as MVP, though, who is showing signs of living up to the hype of his character and becoming a legitimate player. I see MVP winning and ascending to either the World Title or ECW Title in the next year.
^ The Biggest vs. The Best, The Big Show vs. Floyd "Money" Mayweather: This heavily -hyped match will produce some memorable moments, largely because of a style clash that is actually being embraced by the promotion as some kind of surreal theater of the absurd. Mayweather will clearly have to take some big bumps here, and the guessing is that Show will be poised for victory when a member of his "posse" cheats him out of victory. Remember, the only stipulation is that there must be a winner. Mayweather will "dip into his $20 million" to get a WWE wrestler to turn on Show, setting up a subsequent feud for TBS. The only relevant point when trying to guess the outcome of this match is that Floyd Mayweather didn't sign this contract to end up losing.
^ World Title Match, Edge vs. The Undertaker: "The Streak vs. The Title" is the centerpiece of the "Smackdown Main Event," as Edge (who is also undefeated at WrestleMania in singles matches) takes on the 15-0 Dead Man. I disagree strongly with my friend Belfi, who on his PRO WRESTLING INSIDER show on STN (Tuesday nights, 7-9 PM EDT) expressed the markish (yes, I said it!) sentiment that 'Taker should keep the streak going and that Edge "didn't need the win." The very point of building up equity like The Undertaker has been able to do is to transfer the cache of it to another star at some point. Edge is the best main-event heel the company has had in years, probably since "Fac-Gime Era HHH," and his character can benefit immensely from the rub here. As you can tell, this is the outcome I am the most likely to disagree with, as all signs are that 'Taker will go 16-0. I have no problem with them giving The Undertaker another decently-long title reign, I just disagree with starting it here as opposed to a month or two down the road.
^ WWE Title Match, Randy Orton vs. HHH vs. John Cena: Three years after it was initially envisioned, we're seeing Orton vs. HHH for the title at 'Mania. One year after it was initially envisioned, we're seeing HHH vs. Cena for the title in a WrestleMania 22 rematch. We're getting both of these scenarios in one match, plus the hottest part of the match in terms of feud qualities in Cena vs. Orton. This should be a fantastic match, with all participants motivated to live up to the atmosphere and deliver a 3 1/2 or 4-star match. In the end, I think HHH "gets his wins back," after having finished the main event of the last three 'Manias he participated in looking up at the lights. He may be taking a lighter schedule later in the year when his "second McMahon heir" is born, so this is a way to strike while the iron is hot with him before he has another hiatus or semi-hiatus. Cena will still be waiting in the wings as the heir apparent to the title and I expect him to be protected here with Orton doing the job. For the record, although I'm a huge critic of HHH's positioning of himself during large stretches earlier this decade, I think this is the right move to make as he is having the best solo face run of his career (thanks to no storylines this time involving "his dog").
^ Career Threatening Match, Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels: I'm listing this match last in the vain hope that the company will do the right thing and put it on last. Good luck following this emotional moment! I don't believe it's a 100% lock that this will be Flair's last match, as a fairly elaborate swerve could be underway, but I do think it's probable that they will go in the anticipated direction and that Michaels will lead one heck of a great match. My biggest problem with Flair having this match on this card was the notion that his retirement match should headline a card and I thought it was improbable at WrestleMania, but this storyline has been such a huge part of the overall event that some of my objections have faded. Michaels probably wins after "The Dirtiest Player In the Game" fights and claws for his life.
In the interest of helping people to remember the greatness of Ric Flair, who was probably the greatest wrestler of all time, here's the excellent tribute to him that the company aired this past week:
And here's some of his great mic work from back in the day:
If this is the end, thanks for the memories, Ric.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
How money is Mayweather?
By Rick Morris
My good friend Russ Cohen, contributor to a couple of different programs in the FDH family (including The Lounge!), posited a take on his Wrestleology website about the incomprehensible decision of World Wrestling Entertainment to procure the services of Floyd “Money” Mayweather for WrestleMania for the cool sum of $20 million. I would suggest strongly that anyone looking for cogent analysis of their mind-boggling decision go over to that particular wing of Russ’s Sportsology media family to check out his breakdown of why this move is as financially stupid when you examine it deeply as it appears on the surface.
He’s completely right that Oscar de la Hoya would have been perfect for this role, if indeed a boxing crossover would be a winning proposition (a dubious concept for me to believe in the first place). De La Hoya coming to the rescue of Rey Misterio wouldn’t have been unbelievable in the manner of notorious Latino-baiter Mayweather attempting to play the hero. Mayweather is a natural heel and the fact that he is getting transitioned into that role slowly over time (at least he appears to be, but who knows with their style of “booking?”) makes more sense than continuing to shoehorn his unlikable, arrogant persona into that of a fan favorite. But this acceptance of reality opens up its own can of worms: how can the match possibly draw any heat if David is the heel and Goliath is (by default) the babyface? The Big Show is three times the size of Mayweather: the ONLY way this concept could ever work would be for the fish-out-of-water boxer to be somebody the public could embrace. Setting up The Big Show as the defender of all things WWE, which he will have to be if Mayweather continues with his “MME” schtick, would compromise his effectiveness and reduce the already small chance that people would pay to see this spectacle. What a catch-22. Plus, this match will be in the midcard, so if it’s not going to be promoted above the Edge/Undertaker World Title match or Cena/HHH/Orton WWE Title match, how the heck can any participant in it be worth 20 mil?
Russ also recaps some memorable boxing/wrestling crossovers. Here are a few more, none of which added anything to the bottom line of their respective promotions (ignoring the obvious Mike Tyson angle at WrestleMania XIV that did actually work):
Joe Frazier refereeing the Dusty Rhodes/Ric Flair NWA World Title match at Starrcade ’84. Frazier stopped the match due to excessive blood loss on the part of
Buster
Evander Holyfield boxing Matt Hardy last year on Saturday Night’s Main Event. In this angle, U.S. Champion MVP recruited Holyfield to box Hardy on his behalf. After taking it to an overmatched Hardy, Holyfield turned on an ungrateful MVP and knocked him out. The incident put Hardy over as a never-say-die battler and MVP as the epitome of the obnoxious heel, but it didn’t have any lasting impact on business going forward.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
UFC legend amazes yet again
By Rick Morris
As the UFC continues its move into the American sports mainstream, one of the key factors has been the fact that the marquee fighters have been able to establish a long body of work, comparable to the top athletes in other sports. Certainly, even before last night, three-time UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture had earned a place in the sports pantheon comparable to Peyton Manning or Floyd Mayweather, Jr. based on his accomplishments. But his stunning defeat of young gun Gabriel Gonzaga last night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas may be the crowning achievement in one of the greatest ultimate fighting careers ever.
Both fighters came into the match with incredible momentum from the first half of 2007. Couture emerged from a year's retirement to upset Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight crown in March, while Gonzaga seized his place at the head of the line in the division with a shocking win over the feared Mirko Cro Cop in April. Fighting a man infinitely younger and more athletic at this stage of the game, Couture's odds were long, but his performance was strong from the outset as he reestablished himself with a flourish as the man to beat in the heavyweight division. As UFC continues to expand into the Big Time of professional sports after the acquisition of its main rival, Pride, it's only fitting that Couture lead the way for the heavyweights.
In other UFC news from Vegas, former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre shook off the effects of his title loss to Matt Serra in April by upending Josh Koscheck. St-Pierre must now be considered a strong challenger to the winner of the Serra-Matt Hughes championship fight to be held before the end of the year.
On the undercard, there was one figurative black eye delivered to the sport when light heavyweight Renaldo Sobral refused to immediately break a chokehold after defeating David Heath, citing Heath's alleged disrespect before the fight. UFC has come too far in terms of cleaning up the sport and delivering solid regulations for it and has too much potential in the future to tolerate this kind of pathetic conduct from Sobral. He'd be wise to be expect quick sanctions from UFC.
As the UFC continues its move into the American sports mainstream, one of the key factors has been the fact that the marquee fighters have been able to establish a long body of work, comparable to the top athletes in other sports. Certainly, even before last night, three-time UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture had earned a place in the sports pantheon comparable to Peyton Manning or Floyd Mayweather, Jr. based on his accomplishments. But his stunning defeat of young gun Gabriel Gonzaga last night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas may be the crowning achievement in one of the greatest ultimate fighting careers ever.
Both fighters came into the match with incredible momentum from the first half of 2007. Couture emerged from a year's retirement to upset Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight crown in March, while Gonzaga seized his place at the head of the line in the division with a shocking win over the feared Mirko Cro Cop in April. Fighting a man infinitely younger and more athletic at this stage of the game, Couture's odds were long, but his performance was strong from the outset as he reestablished himself with a flourish as the man to beat in the heavyweight division. As UFC continues to expand into the Big Time of professional sports after the acquisition of its main rival, Pride, it's only fitting that Couture lead the way for the heavyweights.
In other UFC news from Vegas, former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre shook off the effects of his title loss to Matt Serra in April by upending Josh Koscheck. St-Pierre must now be considered a strong challenger to the winner of the Serra-Matt Hughes championship fight to be held before the end of the year.
On the undercard, there was one figurative black eye delivered to the sport when light heavyweight Renaldo Sobral refused to immediately break a chokehold after defeating David Heath, citing Heath's alleged disrespect before the fight. UFC has come too far in terms of cleaning up the sport and delivering solid regulations for it and has too much potential in the future to tolerate this kind of pathetic conduct from Sobral. He'd be wise to be expect quick sanctions from UFC.
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