The Wrestling Menu - Raw, Oz Tv, Loving the Rumble & RR Predictions
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 at 1:44 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #31

Welcome one and all to the 31st edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Today, I'm going against my closing rule & giving you an extra course. That's right; 4 courses today!!! Why? Please read on...


APPETIZERS - Raw

I was extremely happy with the feedback to my last column. I'm glad some of you still saw it as a mini milestone column, as I took a good look at Raw's past, present & future within edition #30. The amount of feedback I received was truly overwhelming & I once more thank all those readers that took the time to e-mail me their thoughts. I know that the more feedback that I get, the better my column-writing becomes. I appreciate any time taken by my loyal readers.

Because of this, I have decided to do a very brief follow up revolving around Raw from this past Monday night. If you recall the first Raw from 2003, it was definitely a show that could have been missed. There were no standout segments or matches, and storylines were not really moved along further. If you ticked off my guidelines from last week's column against that Raw, there wouldn't have been much ticking done at all.

However, this past Raw was completely the opposite in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the best Raw I have ever seen, but it was most definitely a step in the right direction. Let's briefly go through the guidelines once more: The 'What will happen next' factor wasn't high, but it did exist with regards to the Vince McMahon segment. Wrestlers who get good fan reaction such as Hurricane Helms, Chris Jericho & The Dudley Boyz were used decently & may be pushed in the near future. There was no shock tv & without there being any real new ingredients or surprises (possibly with the exception of the return of Raven to Raw), the Vince-Bischoff-Shane segments do plant seeds of angles that will be talked about in the upcoming weeks.

The final & most important guideline I stated last week was for the show to 'entertain us'. I believe that this past edition of Raw did achieve this. Did you notice how some matches were a lot shorter than others? This was because that the womens & Lawler match did continue a storyline, but wouldn't play a huge part overall in entertaining us. They still did their job, but didn't take too long to do so. More time was correctly given to the main event & the Booker T vs Lance Storm match. Like I said, this was a step in the right direction & I can now only hope that the WWE takes advantage of this by continuing the little momentum they have & pursuing appropriate long-term angles all the way through to WrestleMania X9.


ENTREE - The WWE & Oz Tv

Speaking of loyal readers (whether they are Australian or not); Week after week I got asked by them, when am I going to blast the WWE about the situation regarding WWE wrestling on Australian television. Well, as much as I wanted to sound off immediately, I held back. I wanted to let what has happened sink in & for myself to calm down. Truthfully, I wanted to wait another week until after the Royal Rumble, but I cannot wait any longer.

If I had to describe my feelings on the situation in one word, I couldn't. There are just way too many negative adjectives that sum up the situation perfectly. That's right, DaveyBoy said "negative". The column-writer who concentrates on the positive is going to be negative for once. But as per usual, I'm going to back up my reasoning & prove to you that the Australian situation has ramifications for the WWE worldwide.

For those wondering what I am going on about, us Aussies used to be able to watch Raw, SmackDown, Tough Enough, Bottom Line, AfterBurn & each Pay-Per-View on cable television. Within the space of a 2 month period (October-December), all of the above with the exception of Raw & Bottom Line have been removed from our television screens. Why...??? I can sum it up in 2 words; Greed & Stupidity. You see, the WWE raised the price to the Australian television carrier (Foxtel) by 400%. That means they would have to pay 4 times the amount they were paying before, to air it. Even if Foxtel raised the prices to it's customers, they cannot get close to the amount the WWE are asking.

So what brought this about? If you recall about a month ago, the WWE boasted about International Revenue increasing in 2002 by over 540%. This news item was posted on LOP & plastered all over WWE.com. So it should too, it's a positive for a company with a generally declining product at present. However, a huge chunk of that increase in revenue came on August-10 in Australia, when despite the astronomically high prices the WWE charged, both the live event which drew a record 56,734 people & other related events were all sold out. The Australian fans (including myself) basically swallowed everything that the WWE fed us. In other words, we showed our loyalty. I don't know about you guys, but I feel that 'loyalty' is a very important trait to have as a person.

So what did we get rewarded with for showing our loyalty...??? Well, let's just say that I don't think it's a coincidence that this tv rights price-raising by the WWE occurred just after they toured here. They made a $h!tload of money from that tour which saw people from all states of Australia & New Zealand fly to Melbourne just to watch their product. So the WWE have thought that Aussie fans would do anything to watch their product. They're probably right too, but if no-one's carrying the product, then how can we watch?

What disappoints me most is that the WWE are punishing a group of people who have showed loyalty to them. I hate it when any type of loyalty is taken for granted. It's condescending & hypocritical (at best). Bottom line; there's a fine line between being 'loyal' & being a 'sucker'. Right now, I feel like a sucker. I feel naive. I feel disrespected. Disrespecting loyalty cannot be a good thing for any business (or individual, for that matter) to do. In fact, in a business sense, the WWE are showing their stupidity. Why...??? Have a guess what has replaced SmackDown on Australian tv? UFC. Have a guess what has replaced the WWE pay-per-views? NWA-TNA pay-per-views. By taking a foolish gamble, the WWE have played right into the hands of arguably their 2 biggest competitors.

To those of you who might be saying; "Well DaveyBoy, do something about it". Well, I can only do what I did almost a month ago now & voice my displeasure maturely to both Foxtel & the WWE. Foxtel have written back to me explaining that the price rise was just too much. While WWE Fan Services have still not replied to my e-mail from December-21, where I was a lot kinder to them than I have even been today. I no longer expect a reply, because I am a loyal fan. It's like politics; Those in areas where the vote is marginal will have a lot more done for their community, than those that are always loyal to the ruling government.

Finally, I'll end this section by paraphrasing Kurt Angle from SmackDown two weeks ago (I read the results on LOP now that I don't get to watch the show). In a timely reminder, he reminded us all that the second 'W' in WWE, stood for wrestling. I ask Vince & Linda McMahon what the first 'W' in WWE stands for...????


MAIN - Why We Love The Rumble

It's not really enough to just say that the Royal Rumble is one of the most popular pay-per-views that the WWE puts on for us, without further examining the reasons. So I've had a think about it & come up with what I think are the 7 main reasons why most fans anticipate this event almost as much as WrestleMania:

1. Tradition: A plain & simple first reason; The Royal Rumble has taken place in mid to late January every year since 1989. As fans, we know when to expect it each year with confidence & can therefore look forward to it.

2. Individuality: What I basically mean by this, is that the Rumble is a different format to all the other pay-per-views. While it involves some normal singles & tag-team matches, the event is pretty much dominated by the unique over-the-top-rope format main event which usually lasts over an hour. Fortunately (& correctly), the WWE haven't used this format many times on other ppv's, nor on it's weekly television shows. Thus, the format remains fresh & anticipated.

3. Anyone Can Make an Impact: I almost called this reason "anyone can win", but that's pretty unrealistic. However, I think it's fair to say that any wrestler entered into the Royal Rumble can have some sort of an impact on proceedings. An example of this is when rookie Maven eliminated The Undertaker practically a year ago to this day.

4. Suspenseful: In more ways than one, I find the Royal Rumble match itself very suspenseful & intriguing. The obvious example is the 10 second countdown to who is about to enter the contest. But furthermore, I am always interested about the way the WWE books the match. Sometimes the main eventers are predominantly left until the end, while at other times, they are evenly dispersed among the 30 positions. I don't believe that too many of the ordered entries are random. No matter what the status of the wrestler, I feel that there is always an underlying reason as to when each person enters.

5. Opportunity to Push Wrestlers: The Rumble match often is used as a way to elevate undercard or midcard wrestlers. Whether it's done by way of the individual eliminating many opponents, or by lasting a long time (commonly referred to as the 'iron-man of the Rumble'), it is both an effective & convincing way of giving that wrestler a push.

6. Winner Gets a Title Shot: Just in case anyone thought this was a Mickey Mouse event which did nothing but provide fun & entertainment for us viewers, there is always the all-important stipulation for the winner of the match. For quite a few years now, the WWE have wisely added that the winner of the Royal Rumble goes on to face the World Champion at WrestleMania. Despite the split, this situation still exists this year. It's a good idea in my opinion, as it adds that touch of seriousness to such a fun match.

7. Entertaining Fun: Finally, the overall entertainment & fun aspect of the Rumble cannot be left out. The match itself is just fun to watch. It's one of the few pay-per-views where you feel comfortable inviting a few friends over to watch, as you just know it will deliver the goods to some extent. While you're inviting your friends over to watch the Rumble, I suggest some sort of sweep/draw/competition, where each person gets a wrestler (whether by name or entry number) & either wins money if their competitor wins, or drinks shots of alcohol when their competitor is eliminated!!!


To conclude, I feel the above 7 reasons are why most WWE fans look forward to January with enthusiasm, expectation & anticipation. Hopefully, 2003 will not provide the exception to the rule, as the WWE are most definitely in need of a shot of positiveness, after what can fairly be described as an average 2002 (at the very best). The Royal Rumble could be the perfect remedy & should, in conjunction with the approaching WrestleMania, turn the company's fortunes around.


DESSERT - Royal Rumble Predictions

While on the LOP Columns Forum, I used to have 2 separate column editions where I would within the space of 4-5 days, list my predictions for each pay-per-view & then follow up with my 'PPV Review'. Since I only post my columns weekly (each Wednesday) now, I haven't had the opportunity to do this. With my PPV Review unable to make an appearance next week (for the reasons stated in the 'Entree' section of this column), I'm going to experiment with my pre & post-ppv columns. I thought that the first thing I should do was bring back my 'PPV Predictions' section. It will be difficult, as I would not have viewed the final SmackDown (before the event) at the time, but it's worth a try.

My predictions will only be on the matches that I am 100% sure will be on the card. I will give my general thoughts on the match, such as the effectiveness of the feud so far & how good a match I think we will see. Of course, who I believe will win the match will always be included. Ok, here goes nothing:

TORRIE WILSON vs DAWN-MARIE: I really thought about just putting "I don't care" & leaving it at that, but I suppose I shouldn't do that. As with most other fans out there, I cannot believe how long this feud has gone for & cannot see where it is headed. Wherever it is headed will determine the winner of this match, but I really have no clue as to the answer. DaveyBoy flips a coin & it says... Winner: Torrie Wilson

BROCK LESNAR vs THE BIG SHOW to see who takes part in the Royal Rumble Match: This rematch from Survivor Series better be superior than the 4 minute original. Lesnar was injured at the time, so I am expecting it will be. I actually have some confidence that these 2 can put on a fairly good 10 minute match for some reason. It would make sense for Lesnar to win this match, so that he could have some sort of an impact on the Rumble match itself (if not win it). Winner: Brock Lesnar

LANCE STORM & WILLIAM REGAL vs THE DUDLEY BOYZ for the World Tag-Team Titles: I picked that this was the feud that the WWE wanted way back at the start of December. It probably should have been built up a little better though. There is no doubt that it will be The Dudleyz taking the titles off Storm & Regal, but the question is when. I'm predicting that this is too soon. Winners: Storm & Regal

KURT ANGLE vs CHRIS BENOIT for the WWE Championship: These 2 have had many great matches over the last 3 years or so & I can see this one being another classic. Let's hope they can better their previous efforts, as the most prestigious title in the company will be up for grabs this time. I feel this match has purely been made to test out the effectiveness of Chris Benoit at main event level. If he gets the crowd reaction the WWE want, I'm sure his next shot will be a successful one. But this time around, I believe he has practically no chance. Winner: Kurt Angle

TRIPLE H vs SCOTT STEINER for the World Heavyweight Title: This could be a chore to watch if the rumors of Steiner's lack of fitness are true. I can see this being one big slugfest, with all sorts of excuses popping up for both combatants to take the occasional breather. As much as I think it may be possible for Steiner to emerge victorious from this match, past experience with Triple H & newer wrestlers that he faces, suggest we won't be seeing a title change just yet. Winner: Triple H

ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH: I expect the split & there being 15 competitors from each show actually helping to make this Rumble one of the best ever. I like the unpredictability aspect of it. I think we all know that it is the long-term plan to have Brock Lesnar & Kurt Angle face off at WrestleMania. But due to the rules, Lesnar can still get that shot without winning the Rumble. I think the WWE will have Lesnar defeat Big Show earlier in the night & then have him eliminate the most competitors in this match. It will appear as if he has this won, but whether by hook or crook, I think he will come up short & the victory will go to a Raw competitor.

So let's look at our options remembering that the winner will most probably go on to face Triple H at WrestleMania. The top faces on Raw right now (apart from Scott Steiner) are Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Booker T & Kane. Of those, I can only see HBK winning the Rumble. But surely, the WWE have already played the HBK card & will not go back there. So apart from a returning superstar such as The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock or Bill Goldberg winning the Rumble, where does that leave us? It's possible that Steiner could also take part in the Rumble & win it. But his lack of fitness leaves that a little too improbable.

So I'm probably showing my naivety here & going to say that the next best heel will win the Rumble & then lose the WrestleMania title shot at No Way Out to either Steiner or a returning superstar. That next best heel in my opinion is Chris Jericho!!! His feud with HBK is apparently not leading to a match anytime soon, but has to be leading somewhere. My guess is that the somewhere is Jericho proving HBK & his doubters wrong, and taking his second step toward genuinely reaching main event status. HBK could then cost him the title shot at No Way Out, leading to a match between the two at WrestleMania X9. I know my pick of Jericho is mostly in hope & is very much an outside chance, but I believe it to make sense & be timely. He is in a potentially main-event status feud with HBK & the rule change that sees each competitor entering The Rumble every 1 minute (as opposed to 2 minutes) this year will mean a shorter Rumble, and therefore more chance for an early entrant to win. Winner: Chris Jericho


So there you have it, my Royal Rumble predictions for 2003. I'm sure it is a possibility for an extra match or 2 to be added at the last minute, but I'm not even going to hazard to guess what the WWE could come up with. I recommend that each of you join me in the 'Official LOP Royal Rumble Predictions Contest' on the LOP forums. They should be posted toward the end of the week & will be as fun as ever. Just a word of warning that you need at least 50 LOP Forums posts to enter. If you register immediately, you may just get 50 posts up by close of voting on Sunday afternoon.


As per usual, please feel free to send me an e-mail letting me know what you thought of this column. I would be extremely interested in knowing how you think the Royal Rumble will pan out this year, and/or why you like the event so much. For any Australian readers of mine, I'd also really like to hear your take on the current television situation as well. I don't think there has been one e-mail that I have received thus far, which I have not responded to. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com.

As for next Wednesday, I can honestly say that I'm a little confused as to what will be part of The Wrestling Menu. I think I'll have my usual post-ppv Raw review, plus some thoughts on the WWE Anthology cd which I've now had the pleasure of listening to quite a few times. Apart from that, I may integrate some sort of Rumble Repercussions topic in there. It's going to be really hard for me, as this is the first WWE pay-per-view I will have missed for over 18 months. Oh well, hopefully I can provide a different, yet perceptive perspective (say that 5 times quickly) to the Royal Rumble happenings. Look out for the column same Wednesday time & same LOP channel next week. Until then, this is Davey Boy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses. However, the occasional 4 course dinner can't hurt!!!









*NEW GALLERY* Very CONTROVERSIAL Shots of Randy Orton in His Hotel Room!!

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