Posted in: Hustle Is Posting Right Now Hustle Is Posting Right Now: Volume 40 ("Bracketology 3" Edition)
By Hustle
Apr 3, 2009 - 10:33:22 PM
Another Ro Masterpiece.
"I'm ahead of y'all, no breaks on the boy's wheels.. the difference between me and you is ya boy real.."
This week's intro line is brought to us by Ya Boy (the Bay Area rapper, not me). I don't even know how to use my breaks, and I don't intend on learning anytime soon. I continue moving forward. Welcome back to the 40th edition of the column that just can't keep its hands to itself.. Hustle Is Posting Right Now. I'm your host for these festivities, and it says "Hustle" on my name tag. How's everybody doing on this early-April day? I know I say this a lot, but damn, the days, weeks, and months are absolutely flying by. Sheer insanity, ladies and gentlemen. Speaking of sheer insanity, I think it's about that time. Shall I proceed? (Yes, indeed.) Less dew eet!!
It's here. It's actually here. Of course, I'm talking about the biggest event of the wrestling year.. WrestleMania. Approximately 48 hours from the very second I post this column, WrestleMania 25 will begin airing on pay-per-view, and as a wrestling fan, I'm excited as all hell for it. Is it shaping up to be the best WrestleMania ever? No, but it's still the event of the year, and I wouldn't miss it for just about anything. Even though you'll be able to read this in just about every wrestling column you read this weekend, I think it's only right that I tell you, my readers, exactly what I think will be taking place in Houston this weekend, as well as what I want to happen in Houston this weekend. I'll even give my brief thoughts on the way each match has been hyped up heading into the show itself.
"Miss WrestleMania" Battle Royal What The Hype Has Been Like: I hate to speak for the overall majority of wrestling fans out there, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that nobody really expected much for this match, hype-wise. Everyone knew the match wasn't going to get a whole lot of attention, outside of a comedy segment or two, and a huge tag match here and there. Santino has actually received more air-time and mic-time, or so it seems, than any of the participants in the match. That almost leads me to believe that he'll be thrown into the match at the last minute, but I wouldn't expect it.
What I Think Will Happen: It's hard to tell, really, because we don't know all the names of those who will be in the match. I think Beth Phoenix will be involved in the end of the match, though. I'm also thinking Santino will be involved, as well, whether he's an official entrant in the match or not. If he is in the match, I see him winning, eliminating Beth along the way, to further along the tension between the two. If he's not in the match, I can see him accidentally causing Beth to be eliminated due to some sort of backfired interference. Because I'm going to go with the names of those who have been announced for the match, I'll just say Santino causes Beth to be eliminated, giving the victory to Gail Kim.
What I Want To Happen: For the entire thing to be over quickly. Sure, it'll be nice to see some of the Divas from past years, but this is the definition of "Bathroom Break" match. No, not for that, you perverts. Well, for some of you, sure, but for everyone else, it's an opportunity to get yourself situated for the rest of the show, whether it be your bowel issues, or just to refresh your food and drinks. As far as the match itself goes, it would be nice if Trish Stratus was involved. I'd like to see her win, as a matter of fact, and I think a Trish Stratus VS Beth Phoenix program needs to happen soon thereafter. Trish seemed to be hinting at a program with Beth a while back, and I'd love to see it happen.
Chris Jericho VS Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, & "Rowdy" Roddy Piper - Handicap Gauntlet Match What The Hype Has Been Like: Well, it started off brilliantly, and it kind of ended with a fizzle. Originally, it was being suspected that we'd see Chris Jericho VS Mickey Rourke, and while that wouldn't have given us a five-star classic, it would've been the biggest "show" of the options being tossed around. For one reason or another, Rourke had to back out of actually wrestling at WrestleMania, but he'll still be making an appearance at the event, depending on where you're getting your info from, what day it is, and how full the moon is in connection with the polar ice caps melting to 80% of their original size as.. well, you get the point. Everything Jericho has been doing is top-notch. He's such an amazing heel, as I've mentioned on a few different occasions. Unfortunately, due to circumstances out of his control, he hasn't been given the best match to work with here, and that's a shame. I still say that Jericho VS Lawler should've taken place at WrestleMania, instead of a throwaway match on Raw. Live crowds love Jerry Lawler, so the atmosphere would've been better, and as a bonus, it would've given The King his own WrestleMania moment, win or lose. He deserves it.
What I Think Will Happen: You know, the biggest upset of the entire night would be if Jericho didn't make it to the final part of the gauntlet, regardless of which person he'd be facing at that point. However, it's pretty obvious, at least to me, that this will have a "feel good" ending. Jericho's the right person to have in a situation like this, as he won't lose any real momentum or heel heat if he loses here, and he won't have a problem in doing the j-o-b for the good of the storyline. Expect Ric Flair and Mickey Rourke to both become physically involved towards the end, and The Legends will pull off the victory in the end.
What I Want To Happen: Well, first and foremost, it would be nice if Snuka is in the ring for as little time as possible, as he's clearly in the worst shape of anybody in this match. Not that Piper is doing any better, but he seems to be on more of a hit-and-miss cycle, while Snuka always appears to be in some sort of physical pain. Therefore, it only makes sense that Steamboat gets the majority of the in-ring time. No matter who Jericho is in the ring with, it would be nice if he looked good for the duration of the match, until some wildness occurs and he loses. If he loses to this group of people, doing so cleanly and swiftly wouldn't do much for anyone.
Carlito & Primo VS The Miz & John Morrison - Tag Title Unification Match What The Hype Has Been Like: It's been almost non-existant, as far as the titles go. The main point of the entire storyline is the fact that Bella #1 is with the Colon brothers, while Bella #2 is with MorriMiz. It could be the other way around, but I couldn't give a shit less, really. Personally, I see no reason to even have the Doublemint Twins involved in the storyline. The fact that the tag team titles are about to be unified should be enough of a selling point, and the fact that these men have had some really good matches against each other in recent months is supposed to be the icing on the cake. I suppose Brie and Nikki Bella are more important than the tag belts, though, and we'll just have to deal with that. *sigh*
What I Think Will Happen: If you're going to go ahead and unify your tag team titles, you might as well put the titles on your best team. The team that has basically carried your tag division for the past year. The team that has seemingly been wrestling on every episode of Raw, ECW, and Smackdown every single week. The team that deserves it the most. I think that happens here, as The Miz and John Morrison win the match. Nothing against Carlito and Primo, as they've done some mighty fine work themselves, but even they would have to admit that MorriMiz is the best tag team in the world at the moment.
What I Want To Happen: I don't see it happening, but I'd really like it if these four men got between 12-15 minutes to go out there and put on a helluva tag match. They work so well with each other, and the WrestleMania stage would only have them trying that much harder to impress people. I'm expecting a match in the 8 minute range, though. Sure, that's plenty of time, and it's about as much time as they've had in their televised matches, but this is a special occasion and would be a nice reward for both teams.
John Bradshaw Layfield VS Rey Mysterio - Intercontinental Title Match What The Hype Has Been Like: Much like Rey Mysterio himself, this storyline has been rather short. Both men haven't been given a whole lot of time to get things going, and I feel the program has suffered because of that. Honestly, there really wasn't a whole lot that could've been done with everything else going on, and perhaps this match would've been better suited as a television feud, or even saved for a future pay-per-view, but both men are far too over to be sitting on the sidelines for the largest event of the year. JBL has constantly hyped something "historic" at WrestleMania, which has people all over the internet speculating.. beat Mysterio and retire as the Intercontinental Champion, perhaps? There's really not a whole lot of true "historic" things that can be accomplished in a match like this, so we'll see.
What I Think Will Happen: As evidenced by my prediction, several weeks ago, that Rey Mysterio would not only be entered in Money In The Bank, but would win the match, I think some sort of reward is coming Rey's way. In the past few months, he's been through some wild matches, with wonderful performances in the Royal Rumble match, as well as in the World Title Elimination Chamber at No Way Out. If they aren't going to give Rey another crack at World Title gold, it would only make sense to have him win the IC Title here. Rey Mysterio is my pick. At this stage in his career, JBL is almost like upper-level enhancement talent. He's able to go out and work as a formidable opponent for a young talent, or a talent that is in need of a victory, and he's still over enough to lose and not tumble down the totem pole. Honestly, it would've been better if CM Punk and Mysterio would've feuded for the belt, but with Punk being in MITB, it makes sense to have him drop the belt to someone, only for Mysterio to come along and beat that person. It leaves the door open for a Punk/Mysterio feud in the future if Punk doesn't win this weekend.
What I Want To Happen: A nice, hard-hitting match. Nothing more, nothing less. Obviously, JBL has no problems participating in a stiff match, and Rey has shown the ability to take a ridiculous amount of punishment in his matches. They can both turn it up a notch on the "stage where the lights shine so bright", as JBL puts it.
CM Punk VS Kofi Kingston VS Kane VS Finlay VS Christian VS Mark Henry VS MVP VS Shelton Benjamin - "Money In The Bank" Ladder Match What The Hype Has Been Like: I've seen some people say that they've enjoyed the way these men have been used in the last few weeks, but I'm not a big fan of just randomly throwing them in tag matches, six-man matches, and eight-man matches because you have nothing else to do with them. I would've preferred it if they were kept out of the ring for as much as possible leading into WrestleMania. Then again, you could say that with damn near every match on the card. It's one of the absolute worst booking decisions the company can make.. raise the price for a certain pay-per-view, and put just about all of your eggs into that one basket, only to give away various combinations of each match.. on TV.. for free.. every week. People will still order WrestleMania, sure, but I'd think it would make more sense to keep the competitors away from each other, match-wise, leading up to the event, save for an exception or two. Ah well, what do I know?
What I Think Will Happen: Well, judging by one of the oldest rules of booking pay-per-view matches, the person who dominates the storyline build-up on TV isn't going to win at the PPV, so I'm going to rule Kane out here. Finlay, in my opinion, is almost like a JBL, in that he's a veteran there to help out other talent and remain in the same spot on the roster, even with losses, so I'll rule him out, as well. Can anyone actually picture "The World's Strongest Man" making it to the top of the ladder without the assistance of "The World's Strongest Ladder"? I'll rule out Mark Henry. As much as I like him, I think Kofi Kingston is still a few months away, at least, from being in the right place on the roster to make a run at a World Champion, so I'll rule him out. As exciting as his performances in past MITBs have been, Shelton Benjamin has never won one, and I don't see how that will be any different this year, even with Shelton's improved work over the past year. Rule him out, as well. That leaves us with CM Punk, Christian, and MVP. I don't think Christian has been booked strong enough since his return to the company for him to just win a huge match like this right away, so rule him out. That's funny, because initally, I was going to rule Punk out, but after going down the list of people in this match, the others had reasons that had me ruling them out much quicker, and now I have Punk as one of the two "logical" choices to win. Had MVP not won the United States Title recently, I would've had him pegged to win MITB, but as it stands, I'm going to rule him out. That leaves my choice to win.. CM Punk, becoming a back-to-back MITB winner. Punk VS Triple H? Punk VS Orton? Punk VS Cena? Punk VS Edge? I'll take any of the above, thank you very much. Punk VS Big Show? Eh, not so much.
What I Want To Happen: Other than a victory for MVP or Shelton Benjamin, I don't necessarily have a lot of requests, as I'm sure the match will deliver on the excitement scale, no matter what happens. I think it would be pretty funny if Mark Henry got to hit a big splash from near the top of the ladder onto someone, and it would be especially funny if he hit the splash onto Hornswoggle.
The Undertaker VS Shawn Michaels What The Hype Has Been Like: Spectacular. I really don't know how else to put it. You'd be a fool if you didn't think these men would bring the motherfucking ruckus against each other, but their interaction since it was made official that they'd be going toe-to-toe has been top-notch. I love, love, love the way Shawn Michaels has been booked in all of this. He's coming across as unafraid of the man who has won countless matches before the opening bell even sounded because he had the "mind games" advantage. In fact, not only does he not look afraid of The Undertaker, but Michaels has had the clear-cut advantage in the "mind games" department, and he's pushed Taker to a level of frustration that none of us have seen him deal with before. Just great work by both men, but especially Michaels. He never ceases to amaze us as an elite performer.
What I Think Will Happen: I mentioned it earlier, and I think it stands here, as well.. when you're dominant during the televised part of your storyline advancement, chances are you're going to lose at the pay-per-view. Michaels has rewritten the definition of "dominant" thus far, which is why I have The Undertaker winning the match and pushing his undefeated WrestleMania streak to a mind-boggling 17-0. The atmosphere for this match will be one of the best in WrestleMania history. The Reliant Stadium crowd is going to be jaaaaaccccckkkkkeeeeeddddd for this one, but HBK and Taker will probably be even more amped up. If this isn't a four-star match, at least, I'll be shocked.
What I Want To Happen: Something beautiful. This will be the one match on the card where I'll be able to sit back and enjoy the whole thing, mark-style. No need for overanalysis. No need for complaints. It's Shawn F'N Michaels and The Under F'N Taker.. one-on-F'N-one.. at Wrestle F'N Mania. Sit back and watch the match as if you were 14 again, folks.
Edge VS John Cena VS Big Show - Triple Threat Match for the WWE Title What The Hype Has Been Like: Well, there's been a lot of hype, that's for sure. I just haven't figured out if it's a good or bad hype yet. I like Vickie Guerrero in her role as General Manager, because she brings in an insane amount of heel heat, but I think it was a mistake to have so much of the storyline revolve around her. On one hand, it's given Big Show a level of focus that he hasn't had in a long time, and he's "fighting for love" and trying to impress Vickie. On the other hand, it's a WWE Title match at WrestleMania, featuring some of the biggest names in the industry, so does it really need the cheesy "love triangle" storyline to bring it down? I'm sure they could've found a better way to get Show focused so that he isn't just "Giant Wrestler #8714".
What I Think Will Happen: I don't think the storyline between Edge, Big Show, and Vickie is done yet. They don't need the WWE Title to further the feud along, if you think about it, so I'm picking John Cena to win here. Cena wins the title, Edge is distraught, Show tells Vickie that it's proof Edge cares more about the title than he does about her, Edge tells Show to shut up, blah blah blah.. BOOM.. one-on-one match between the two down the line.
What I Want To Happen: A John Cena victory. What? Were you expecting me to say something else? Of course I'd like it if my favorite wrestler won a match. I'm not expecting a five-star classic here, but both Cena and Edge definitely know how to step their games up at WrestleMania, and I think Show has enough focus in his character now to be able to do so, as well, if for no other reason that he'll look bad if he doesn't.
Triple H VS Randy Orton - World Title Match What The Hype Has Been Like: I've been as vocal as any single member of the IWC has been since this storyline has begun. For the first few weeks, I was left shaking my head at what appeared, in my opinion, to be a storyline that was being booked to look terribly lopsided in favor of Triple H. Randy Orton had only come out "on top" in only a small handful of segments, for the most part, and one of those was with a three-on-one sneak attack, while the other ones saw him attacking non-wrestlers. The other times saw Triple H getting the upper-hand, and usually on the entire Legacy group, not just Orton.
The last two weeks have given me hope, and have changed my excitement towards this match for the better. Last week's Raw was the beginning, with Orton attacking Stephanie McMahon again. This was different, however, in that he appeared to be doing it on purpose, and not hiding behind the "I.E.D." story. This was confirmed this past week, when he revealed his "master plan" that has been in motion for nearly five years now, ever since Triple H turned on him on kicked him out of Evolution back in 2004. That's spectacular, and it's the type of heel that Orton should always be if that's the side of the fence he's going to be on.
What I Think Will Happen: They're going to take advantage of the "Triple H loses the title if he's disqualified or counted out" stipulation, that's for sure. Trips will be the more aggressive one, but will have to watch himself, wanting to hand Orton's ass to him, but not wanting to lose the title to him in the process. I think this one comes down to who needs the win more here, and if that's the case, it's a simple answer. Randy Orton wins the World Title here, with some shady dealings. The storyline will continue on, giving us a six-man main event for Backlash, with Triple H teaming with Vince & Shane McMahon to take on The Legacy, possibly inside the Hell In A Cell.
What I Want To Happen: A double-turn. Not a complete double-turn, with Orton coming out as a "goody-goody" type of face, but one similar to what took place at WrestleMania 13 between Steve Austin and Bret Hart. The fans were beginning to tire of Bret Hart's antics and attitude, and at the same time, they were also starting to get behind Steve Austin's "cool" heel ways. The ending to their match at WrestleMania only sealed the deal, with the fans loving the fact that Austin never tapped to Hart's Sharpshooter, and instead kept fighting the pain until he passed out. Add in Bret's post-match antics, where he refused to break the hold, and it was a picture-perfect turn for both men.
A turn like that could work, in my opinion, with Triple H having the rage carrying him into the match. Orton could keep fighting back, no matter what Trips tries to do, causing Trips to eventually begin breaking the rules here and there to try and gain the advantage. If Orton continues fighting, and refuses to back down, it could do wonders for the way he's looked at from the audience. He already gets a pretty decent face reaction, considering how dastardly he's supposed to be right now. However, refusing to back down while you're cutting a promo is one thing. Refusing to back down when you're actually going one-on-one is another thing altogether. The only problem with a double-turn is that, with everything else going on in the storyline, they might not have had enough time to get a full double-turn in motion, so it would more than likely happen further down the line than at Mania, probably at Backlash in the match I mentioned.
Another week, another big "thank you" to each and every single one of you that voted for this round of the Hustle Madness tournament. The number of voters in this round is up slightly from the number of voters in the first round, which is nice. I even got a bunch of people who decided not to vote on every match, due to not having seen both choices or just because it was far too tough a choice to make. Let's see if the number of voters for this next round goes up again. Here are the second round results, controlled by you folks, and nobody but you folks..
Red Bracket #1 Ric Flair VS Ricky Steamboat (WrestleWar 1989) over #8 Steve Austin VS Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 14)
This was a very hotly contested matchup, with the lead changing several times throughout the course of the week. In the end, though, Flair/Steamboat pulled out the victory by the score of 52-45. A part of me is actually surprised here, even though I had this particular Flair/Steamboat match as my #1 overall seed. Steve Austin winning his very first WWF Title is such a big part of wrestling history, though, and with it being nearly a decade more recent, I figured it would get a lot of the support from the "younger" fans.
#5 Shawn Michaels VS The Undertaker (Badd Blood 1997) over #13 Ric Flair VS Vader (Starrcade 1993)
This was a bit of a blowout, with the initial Hell In A Cell winning by a score of 79-23. No real surprise there, in my opinion, especially with Michaels and Taker sharing the spotlight again these days for their match at WrestleMania. Not only is the Flair/Vader match older than some of you reading this, but yeah, with us 48 or so hours away from Shawn Michaels facing The Undertaker in their biggest match together, it's only natural for people to look back at their previous encounters in a real positive light.
#7 The Rock VS Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania 18) over #2 Shawn Michaels VS Bret Hart (WrestleMania 12)
We have our first upset of the second round, with "Barry Bonds VS Babe Ruth" beating out Shawn Michaels' first WWF Title victory by a score of 53-43. At the time, the Ironman Match worked out quite well, but as I mentioned last time, the match really could've used another fall or two, instead of going 60+ minutes without anything. That leaves too much time for things like restholds and stalling. Stalling is something the Toronto crowd didn't do during Rock/Hogan, as they were electric for the entire match, from bell-to-bell.
#3 Steve Austin VS The Rock (WrestleMania 17) over #6 Shawn Michaels VS Triple H VS Chris Benoit (WrestleMania 20)
This wasn't a very good round for Shawn Michaels in the Red Bracket, as this was his third match to be eliminated, this time by a score of 74-29. Sure, Benoit's win at WM20 had the "feel-good" story, and the match was just fine, no doubt, but it just doesn't match up with the atmosphere that Austin/Rock had. It looked like there were 100,000 people in the building that night, and for that match, it sounded like it, as well. Add in the fact that Austin "sold his soul to the devil", and that makes this match a very tough "out" in this tournament.
Blue Bracket #1 Ricky Steamboat VS Randy Savage (WrestleMania 3) over #8 John Cena VS Triple H (WrestleMania 22)
This one wasn't even close, folks. By a whopping 91-14 margin, Steamboat/Savage moves on. As big of a John Cena fan as I am, even I wouldn't dream of advancing his match with Triple H over the Steamboat/Savage brilliance. No way, no how. You mean I can be objective and not just have blind markdom for the guy? Amazing, isn't it? Steamboat/Savage might just be the technical masterpiece in pro wrestling history.
#12 The Undertaker VS Mankind (King Of The Ring 1998) over #4 Kurt Angle VS Chris Benoit (Royal Rumble 2003)
The most talked-about match in the entire tournament pulls off another upset, winning here by a score of 55-46. Judging by the responses I received from a few of you, there are going to be some upset people over this result. Apparently, I should've had Angle/Benoit ranked higher than I did, and that "an argument could be made for the match being a #1 seed". Either way, it didn't have enough votes to advance here. People really love that HIAC, ladies and gentlemen. Mick Foley nearly killing himself for our amusement really stuck in our heads. Even as a #12 seed, it's a legitimate Final Four pick at this point.
#7 Ric Flair VS Terry Funk (Clash Of The Champions 9) over #2 Ric Flair VS Ricky Steamboat (Chi-Town Rumble 1989)
Damn, 1989 was such an amazing year for Ric Flair, and for professional wrestling as a whole. This matchup really could've gone either way, but the words "I Quit" helped push Flair's match with The Funkster to the Sweet Sixteen. It started off like it would be an easy victory for Flair/Steamboat, but Flair/Funk continued making up ground and eventually won, 60-42. "I Quit" showed people that Terry Funk wasn't washed up (sounds funny considering that it was 20 YEARS AGO and he's still going), and it also showed people that Ric Flair could wrestle a different style of match, especially coming off of his trilogy with Ricky Steamboat. Just a great brawl that may have been a career-defining match for both men.
#3 Bret Hart VS British Bulldog (SummerSlam 1992) over #11 The Rock VS Triple H (SummerSlam 1998)
Technical wrestling and a ridiculously hot crowd beat out a surprisingly good Ladder Match here by a score of 70-35. That's not a surprise to me whatsoever. It would be tough to convince me that Hart/Bulldog wasn't the best match here, and wasn't the best SummerSlam match of all-time.
Purple Bracket #9 Shawn Michaels VS Kurt Angle (WrestleMania 21) over #1 Hulk Hogan VS Andre The Giant (WrestleMania 3)
It didn't take too long for the first #1 seed to fall, as Michaels/Angle pulled out a last-minute victory by a score of 52-50. I just about mean "last-minute" literally, as this matchup was tied at 50 votes, and Michaels/Angle got their last votes within 30 minutes of the voting deadline. I'm quite thankful for that, actually, as I hadn't come up with a plan of what to do if a matchup ends in a tie. I would have to be the deciding vote, I guess, but since I came up with the matchups, I'd have to vote for the higher seed, almost by default.
#4 Dudley Boyz VS Edge & Christian VS Hardy Boyz (WrestleMania 17) over #5 Shawn Michaels VS Chris Jericho (WrestleMania 19)
By a score of 60-44, the TLC juggernaut continues on. These matches were virtually even, in my opinion, but I guess it shows that a lot of my readers prefer the gimmick matches to pure technical ones. That might be a problem for matches that go up against TLC in the future rounds. I really wouldn't have been surprised if either of these matches won, though.
#10 Ric Flair VS Sting (Clash Of The Champions 1) over #2 Eddie Guerrero VS Rey Mysterio Jr (Halloween Havoc 1997)
Another upset in this bracket, with the match that put Sting on the wrestling map taking this one by a score of 62-43. Of all the results thus far, this one might be the one I'm most disappointed in. I nearly had Guerrero/Mysterio as a #1 seed. Some of the things those two men were able to accomplish in that match almost seemed impossible, but they made it look so simple and effortless. However, I'm not taking anything away from how good Flair/Sting was. Sting was the up-and-comer who was able to meet Ric Flair at every turn, take his chops (and no-sell a lot of them, which was the coolest shit ever), and continue coming back for more. Sting became a star overnight because of this match, and he immediately became a legitimate World Title contender.
#6 Triple H VS Cactus Jack (Royal Rumble 2000) over #14 Shawn Michaels VS Triple H (SummerSlam 2002)
Shawn Michaels is now 2-5 in this round, but he still has a few more chances to advance in this tournament coming up. This was nearly another upset, which would've made the Purple Bracket absolutely bonkers, but in the end, the Street Fight at the 2000 Royal Rumble won by a score of 57-48. I guess people heading towards the end of their careers (so we thought) mean more to you folks than people returning to their careers for one night only (so we thought).
Orange Bracket #1 Steve Austin VS Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13) over #9 Ric Flair VS Terry Funk (Great American Bash 1989)
The Submission Match from WrestleMania 13 wins this one by a large margin, 89-16. It's funny, to me, that the 1989 Great American Bash is widely-regarded as the best pay-per-view of all-time, and yet this wasn't even the best and most well-known Flair/Funk match. Not that I think the "I Quit" match would have beaten Austin/Hart, but I think it would've fared a lot better, without question.
#4 Shawn Michaels VS Razor Ramon (WrestleMania 10) over #12 The Rock VS Mankind (Royal Rumble 1999)
Another blow-out, this time by the score of 87-18. Michaels/Razor is historic, folks. While it wasn't the first match in wrestling history to feature a ladder, it definitely put that type of match on the map for that generation of wrestling fans, as well as the current younger generation (thanks to DVD sets). I suppose it helps that it was a really good match, too. History is tough to beat in a tournament like this.
#2 Ric Flair VS Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 24) over #7 Bret Hart VS Mr Perfect (SummerSlam 1991)
To address a few of you that have mentioned it.. yes, I may have placed Flair/Michaels at a higher seed than most of you would have, but I'm slightly biased here. It was the final match for my favorite wrestler of all-time, and it took place at an event that I watched in person. None of that really matters much, in the end, as it wins again, so I'm not the only one that ranks it highly, apparently. We have another blowout in the Orange Bracket here, with Flair/Michaels taking it by a score of 85-18.
#3 Dudley Boyz VS Edge & Christian VS Hardy Boyz (SummerSlam 2000) over #11 Cactus Jack, The Rock, & Too Cool VS DX & The Radicalz (WWF Raw 2/7/2000)
The trends of the Orange Bracket continue here. First of all, it was another blowout, with TLC winning by a score of 94-11. It also made the Orange Bracket the only "chalk" bracket of the tournament, with the four top seeds advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. The 10-man tag was an above-average match helped along by an incredibly hot crowd, while the TLC match was a great match that had a great crowd to go along with it. Advantage: TLC.
With the second round out of the way, we have now hit the Sweet Sixteen. This is where business really begins to pick up, as a great philosopher once said. There are some reeeeealllllyyyyy interesting matchups here, and I actually feel bad for those of you who are forced to choose between them. Without any further adieu, here they are..
Red #1 Ric Flair VS Ricky Steamboat (WrestleWar 1989)
VS
Red #5 Shawn Michaels VS The Undertaker (Badd Blood 1997)
Red #7 The Rock VS Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania 18)
VS
Red #3 Steve Austin VS The Rock (WrestleMania 17)
Blue #1 Ricky Steamboat VS Randy Savage (WrestleMania 3)
VS
Blue #12 The Undertaker VS Mankind (King Of The Ring 1998)
Blue #7 Ric Flair VS Terry Funk (Clash Of The Champions 9)
VS
Blue #3 Bret Hart VS British Bulldog (SummerSlam 1992)
Purple #9 Shawn Michaels VS Kurt Angle (WrestleMania 21)
VS
Purple #4 Dudley Boyz VS Edge & Christian VS Hardy Boyz (WrestleMania 17)
Purple #10 Ric Flair VS Sting (Clash Of The Champions 1)
VS
Purple #6 Triple H VS Cactus Jack (Royal Rumble 2000)
Orange #1 Steve Austin VS Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)
VS
Orange #4 Shawn Michaels VS Razor Ramon (WrestleMania 10)
Orange #2 Ric Flair VS Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 24)
VS
Orange #3 Dudley Boyz VS Edge & Christian VS Hardy Boyz (SummerSlam 2000)
The Red and Purple Brackets are the most intriguing to me. In the Red, I'm very interested to see how the very first Hell In A Cell fares against Ric Flair VS Ricky Steamboat from WrestleWar 1989. The other matchup in the Red Bracket is fun, with The Rock's two best WrestleMania matchups facing off against each other. The Purple Bracket will be interesting, as a whole, due to the lower-ranked seeds advancing there. Choose wisely, folks. Just like last week, voting ends when the clock hits 12:00am EST on Thursday night/Friday morning.
Hustle Highlight Of The Week: I'd have to give the HHotW award to Shawn Michaels' "Light Over Darkness" promo from Smackdown last Friday. First of all, it was just cool to see the whole damned thing. Second, it helped along the "I'm not afraid of you" points that HBK has been making since this entire thing started. Fourth, I always seem to enjoy it when they play the chanting druid music. It was just a fun little segment to watch, and I love the fact that Michaels is basically taunting Taker every week, playing a bit of a "catch me if you can" game with him and then laughing directly in his face when he can't catch him. It's building up the tension quite nicely, and I'm glad they didn't have Michaels playing the "I respect the hell out of you and I hope we can go out there and have a helluva match" role. Fucking hell, I'm ready for this match already. Sunday can't get here soon enough.
Writer's Note: Even though I'm slightly disappointed that the 49ers couldn't go out and land him, I like the trade that sends Jay Cutler to the Bears for a package of picks and Kyle Orton. I like it for both teams, as a matter of fact. It helps the Bears because Cutler, even with all the baggage he might be bringing along with him, is the best QB they've had in a long time. He's the type of QB that won't be bothered by those late-season games in Chicago, Green Bay, etc, as his arm strength, a la Brett Favre, can carry him through the heavy winds and nature-related shenaniganery that games in that part of the country hand out. Sure, they gave up a lot to get Cutler, but at the spot they had in the Draft, they might not have been able to get any of the top QBs on the board. Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez would've been gone by then, for sure, and Josh Freeman has been moving up on people's boards, so he might not have made it that far, either, so the team needed to do something.
For the Broncos, it gives them a lot of pieces to work with in the Draft, whether they decide to use them or to package them together and move up a bit. There's already talk that they could be trying to package their two picks in the first round and send them to Seattle, in return for the Seahawks' #4 pick. That would put the Broncos in position to get either Stafford or Sanchez to be their QB of the future. If they stay put in the Draft and decide to stick with Kyle Orton, he's a nice fit with the offense that the Broncos will run, so the learning curve isn't anywhere near as steep as it would be had they brought someone new in. That would then allow them to use their first-rounders to help out their defense, which is in need of absolutely all the help they can get.
As a 49ers fan, I almost want the Broncos/Seahawks trade to take place. Seattle is one of the teams that a lot of people think will draft one of the top WRs with their first pick, and if they move down so that a team can step in and take a QB, it makes things slightly easier for the 49ers to land one of those top WRs. I'm telling you.. if Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, or Percy Harvin end up in San Francisco, I'll lose my mind.
Writer's Note Part Deux: Since people have been asking me for my predictions, these are my picks for the Final Four this weekend, both in the men's and women's tournaments..
In the men's tourney, I have North Carolina and Connecticut advancing. Michigan State would make for a fun title game, no matter who they face, as their hometown fans would make the atmosphere as electric as any title game I've seen in my years of watching college basketball, but I just think Connecticut pulls it out. Hasheem Thabeet, Stanley Robinson, and Jeff Adrien provide matchup nightmares for opponents, and they'll force Michigan State to live and die by the outside shot. North Carolina has the advantage over Villanova on just about every level. As much as I like Nova's Scottie Reynolds, he's no match for Ty Lawson, who will be able to control things to his liking. Nova also has no match for Tyler Hansbrough inside. I'm not saying it'll be a blowout for the Tar Heels, but they'll move on to the title game.
In the title game, I have North Carolina beating Connecticut to win the national championship. The UConn frontline will still have their way, but North Carolina is better suited to work away from the paint, in my opinion. They have the shooters to make things happen, and those shooters work well when the pressure is on. It'll be a great game, more than likely.
In the women's tourney, I have Connecticut and Oklahoma moving on, giving us the absolute marquee matchup that the sport could give us. On one hand, Connecticut is undefeated and has been absolutely dominant, winning every game by a double digit margin. On the other hand, Oklahoma features the most dominant player in the country in Courtney Paris, who has gone on record in saying that she'll give back her scholarship if the Sooners don't win the title this year. UConn will have no answer for Paris, who will put up her usual double-double, but it's all up to her supporting cast to help out. As much as I'd like to see some sort of history made, with an undefeated team losing in the title game, I just don't see it happening. UConn goes 1-1 in the title games.
What Hustle Is Listening To Right Now: "I Don't Care" by Apocalyptica.. "Da B Side" by Notorious B.I.G., Da Brat, & Jermaine Dupri.. "In The Still Of The Night" by Boyz 2 Men.. "Darling Angel" by Rebel Souljahz.. "Come On Pretty Baby" by City Side.. "No One" by Maoli.. "Burn" by Militia.. "Mr Potato Head" by The Game.. "Top Billin" by Audio Two.. "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" by Jay-Z.. "Motherless Child" by Ghostface Killah & Raekwon.. "Back At You" by Mobb Deep.. "All Uv It" by Big Mike.. "Don't Let Go" by En Vogue.. "Dayz Of Our Livez" by Bone Thugs N Harmony.. "Sex Is On My Mind" by Blulight.. "The Heist" by Da 5 Footaz.. "Meal Ticket" by Master P, UGK, Eightball & MJG.. "Come On" by E-40 & B-Legit.. "Don't Mess Around" by Fiend.. "Murder Murder" by Ghetto Twiinz.. "Lately" by Jodeci.. "City 2 City" by B-Legit.. "Check It Out" by B-Legit, E-40, & Kurupt.. "Ghetto Smile" by B-Legit.. "Ride Wit Me" by Ya Boy.. "100 Bars Of Crack" by Ya Boy.. "100 More Bars Of Crack" by Ya Boy.. "100 Bars Of Death" by Ya Boy.. "Right Here" by Ya Boy.. "Epic" by Faith No More.. "Block Lockdown" by Ludacris & I-20.. "Bang On" by Boo Yaa Tribe & Mack 10.. "Baller's Prayer/Hustler Like Me" by Boo Yaa Tribe.. "Juicy Juice" by Zion I.. "This Is The Girl" by Kano & Craig David.. "Loyal To The Sign" by Lil Troy & Ardis.. "Still A Bitch" by Lil Troy.. "Words Are Weapons" by D-12.. "One Blood" by Junior Reid.. "One Blood" by The Game.. "Look What I Got" by Playaz Circle & Ludacris.. "Hostile Gospel Part 2" by Talib Kweli & Sizzla.. "Save Room" by John Legend.. "Ordinary People" by John Legend.. "Stronger" by Kanye West.. "Wait For Love" by Luther Vandross.. "Between Angels & Insects" by Papa Roach.. "Can't Help But Wait" by Trey Songz.. "Because Of You (Remix)" by Ne-Yo, Kanye West, Krayzie Bone, & Layzie Bone
Put the chalk outline around another one, folks, because v.40 is finished. Thanks again to everyone who has been voting in the Hustle Madness tournament. Next week, I bring you the Elite Eight, as well as my WrestleMania thoughts. As for the "meat" of the column, I haven't decided on what it'll be, but damnit, it'll be something. For those wondering, yes, my NFL Draft preview is being worked on and will be delivered to the masses before the Draft takes place. My legs are getting numb from sitting here so long, so I need to get moving. Until next week, from Pearl Highlands Shopping Center, I bid you farewell. Aloha and Mahalo Nui Loa.
”I'm exceedin expectations, you barely meetin quota.. I give it to em straight, you cut it with baking soda..”
"I don't walk in fear. I walk as fear."
"See, that's the difference between you and I.. you get money, and you get crazy.. I get crazy, and I get money..”
"The same reason y'all could love me is the same reason y'all condemn me.."
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