DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu #130 - Judgment Day Predictions, Rey vs Eddie + A New Poll
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 at 6:28 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #130

Welcome one and all to the 130th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

I received an interesting email from a reader about a week ago. It's actually a situation that, for curiosity reasons alone, makes me ask a question of anyone who is legally minded out there. I won't go into detail on the whole email, but this reader informed me that when he was on Amazon.com trying to buy a WWE DVD, he saw my review of the actual pay-per-view on the Amazon site.

So I wandered on over to Amazon & saw it for myself. I was flattered at first, but then a little surprised when I clicked on a link about the reviewer. No, the reviewer wasn't listed as someone else, it was me. But when I clicked on a certain link to see all of "my" reviews, there was practically every single one of my Pay-Per-View & DVD reviews on there. No-one asked me if my reviews could be posted there, nor was there a link to lordsofpain.net or wrestlingheadlines.com that I could see.

Hey, I'm still flattered, but a little unsure that this can be done without my, or Calvin's (as webmaster of LOP), permission. So, if anyone out there has the necessary qualifications to fill me in on this subject, I would be curious to know. Alternately, if anyone out there knows how my reviews could have possibly got onto Amazon, I will also be interested to know.

On with the show.....


APPETIZERS - Rey vs Eddie

I was initially going to write about Shelton Benjamin today, but I've decided to postpone that for the time being (or even cancel it depending on what happens over the next couple of weeks). The Rey vs Eddie feud has caught my eye for a number of reasons & I thought that this was too timely an opportunity to write about it.

The first thing that caught my eye was the rather mixed reaction that the feud has received from internet fans and/or columnists. This really does surprise me & I am thinking that the naysayers are critical for one of 2 reasons:

(1) They are more concerned about the future of the feud (& the 2 men), rather than what has gone down thus far, and/or

(2) They simply are against turning Eddie Guerrero heel.

I must say that there is an arguable case for both of those points, and I really can't disagree with either. However, I also must admit that I have been thoroughly impressed by the feud up until now.

I'll address the latter point first; If you had asked me 12-18 months ago, the question "Do you prefer Eddie Guerrero as a heel or face?" I would have answered "heel" immediately. It's a testament to Eddie's all-around skills that the question isn't so easy to answer these days. He finally succeeded in becoming one of the most over faces in the business. But if I had to make a choice, I would still answer that Eddie is better as a heel. Plus, I stick to the opinion that Rey Mysterio would fail as a heel, no matter how good the angles would be written for him.

Now, whether they both should have remained faces & had no feud is another question. Personally, I'm a little torn to decide. But again, I just fall on the side of the WWE here. I think that the potential here is amazing & this is a feud that could have many sub-plots & numerous great matches. Another plus is that I can see this feud lasting at least 6 months in one form or another. The slow progression from about mid-March has been beautifully paced, and while the matches have not been outstanding, they should get better.

In fact, when examined closely, up until the SmackDown episode last week, this feud has actually been booked quite predictably. But in this case, that's a good thing. It's helped the pacing of the entire storyline. And most importantly, it adds unpredictability to the feud's future.

I've actually been quite fascinated by the events of the last 3 weeks or so in this feud. Rey has really surprised me in a positive way. I have always been one of his greatest admirers, and I think he just added another notch to his belt. He has been the quiet achiever in this feud & it's going a little too unnoticed for my liking. His microphone work, intensity, facial looks & general ability to adapt to a situation has been nothing short of brilliant lately. This is the type of stuff which actually will see him climb up the card. Even his wrestling style has been effectively altered. Obviously, he hasn't gone the heavyweight route, but he has added subtle adjustments which has made him become a little more easier for the WWE to use against any type of opponent.

Over on the Eddie side of things, I have to admit that he went a little overboard with the 'crazy' side of things last week. It just wasn't quite spot on. But it's easily forgivable for 2 reasons: (1) He is still tweaking his new heel character, and (2) He is well & truly ensuring that he has turned heel in the eyes of the fans. I'm sure once the heel turn is fully entrenched (if it isn't already), then he will tone it down a little. Personally, I didn't feel that he needed to go that far, as the suplex to the steel steps & brainbuster to the chair did the job more than sufficiently.

Overall, like most, I am a little guarded as to the future of this feud & the 2 wrestlers' involved. It is indeed a risk. However, I personally feel it's a risk worth taking as the upside is huge, while the downside shouldn't be too catastrophic if things go wrong. With 'Judgment Day' only a few days away, let's hope that the first piece of the puzzle falls into place. But what is that first piece? Is it a 10 out of 10 match, or is it a storyline-driven bout...??? I don't know the answer, but I almost think that either of them may be correct.


MAIN - Judgment Day Predictions

MNM vs CHARLIE HAAS & HARDCORE HOLLY for the WWE Tag-Team Championship: I think this is a good way to showcase Haas & Holly as a team for the final time, before one of them gets sent over to Raw during the Draft Lottery. It's also not a bad match-up against the debutant champions who have found their feet on SmackDown pretty well. MNM should play off the technical Haas & brawling Holly decently, and if given 10 minutes or so, the quality of this bout could be better than expected. Without a doubt, the champs retain. Winners: MNM

PAUL LONDON vs CHAVO GUERRERO for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship: It's a bit of a shame that this feud hasn't received more attention than it's got. It started off well with the way Chavo lost (& London won) the title. It even subsequently got London some microphone time. But since then, Chavo has been too busy with the Eddie vs Rey feud to continue the momentum. But the fact that Chavo has earned 2 wins over London recently does at least give reason for this title bout. London's title reign has been a little disappointing thus far, and I'm getting the feeling that the WWE cannot book a face champion in this division. I'd still like for London to be given an extra month or 2 with the title, so the champ retains for mine. Winner: Paul London

THE BIG SHOW vs CARLITO: This 'Snow White' feud sort of appeared out of nowhere & all of a sudden, we have a ppv match. I sure hope there is no outside interference from the 7 dwarfs (although we haven't seen midgets for a while!). I'm unsure of the match-up to be honest, as both men have been doing quite well for themselves lately. I presume the comedy route may be the objective here, but I'm not so sure that's what Carlito needs in the ring right now. He has his Cabana segment to let that side of his character shine. The Big Show wins, but somehow, Carlito should still be made to look strong. Maybe a Disqualification win for TBS would be best here. Winner: The Big Show

KURT ANGLE vs BOOKER T: This feud, which emanated out of the 8 man tournament to crown a #1 contender, was going along great guns. Even Sharmell's part of it was good. That is, until last week when Kurt decided that he wanted to tell us about his fetishes! I'm unsure a feud has ever lost so much momentum in 1 show! I really don't see the point of stepping over the line like that, as similar motivations from the 2 wrestlers could have been achieved without it. So now, the intensity added to the actual ppv match should be nothing less than "off the charts". Last month in my column, I gave a quick house show recap of an event that I went to here in Melbourne. The match between these 2 was undoubtedly the (surprise) match of the night (even surpassing Eddie vs Rey), so I know they can get it done in the ring together. I expect nothing less here. The result is a toss up. Booker won the Melbourne match & other house show bouts around the U.S. He may well come out on top here as well, but I personally prefer Kurt winning so as to give him momentum to an eventual title chase against Cena. Winner: Kurt Angle

EDDIE GUERRERO vs REY MYSTERIO: See above ('Appetizers' section) for what I think about this feud as a whole. Providing Rey doesn't try out another new mask, this match should be great. And the unpredictable edge further adds to it. Eddie's character is already crazy enough, so he doesn't need further reason to go even crazier. Therefore, I think he will come out victorious here. Winner: Eddie Guerrero

JOHN CENA vs JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD in an "I Quit" Match for the WWE Championship: The rematch I initially didn't want (see my WrestleMania 21 review) is finally upon us. In all honesty, I've come around to expecting this rematch & am very willing to give these 2 another chance after their disappointing WM21 bout. I've never been a great fan of "I Quit" matches, but when done correctly, they do have the potential to be very good. I expect a few innovative foreign objects to get involved here, plus the usual lashings of chair shots, moves performed on the commentary tables, etc, etc, etc... I think Cena will actually hold onto the WWE Championship for quite a few months, so I have him retaining here. As for how he is going to make JBL say "I Quit"; I have no idea. The WWE wouldn't want to make JBL's character look too bad though. Winner: John Cena

Ok, so there we have Judgment Day as it currently stands. Only 4 matches have officially been announced, but I took a little liberty in presuming the cruiserweight title match & Big Show match would take place. Actually, The Big Show could wrestle Matt Morgan also, but who knows. Either way, a Big Show victory for mine. I am also presuming an extra match will be added. That will involve Heidenreich & will either be against Mark Jindrak or most probably a U.S title bout against Orlando Jordan. If the latter, I predict Jordan to retain. All in all, I actually don't mind the way this card has shaped up. That's not to say that the event will be great, as I have mixed expectations. But I am in some way, shape or form, interested to see how each of the 6 above matches turn out. I think that's always a good sign leading up to a pay-per-view. Now for the difficult job; Getting it done sufficiently on the night.


DESSERT - 'Gimmick Match' Poll

Well, it's been a while (last August) since I had one of my world-famous polls. I've done quite a few now & the number of votes I have received has steadily climbed & climbed. I expect the same to happen here, as it seems I have built on my readership this year.

I actually thought up this poll early last year & decided not to go for it because I thought the winner would be too predictable. But on second thoughts, I basically berated myself for thinking that way. While I do believe that there will be 3 or 4 types of gimmick matches that are miles ahead of the rest, I now don't believe that the winning type of match will be a foregone conclusion.

Needless to say, this poll is rather timely with all 4 of my leading contenders either having just taken place or about to take place. Add to that a gimmick match main-event at the upcoming pay-per-view, and I can't think of a better poll to have right now.

I'm not going to suggest any alternatives, as I don't think it's necessary in this case. I'm sure you all know what I mean by 'gimmick match'. So without further ado; Ladies & gentlemen, it's:

Voting Time

Which type of gimmick match is your most favorite...???


On that note, that's all I have for edition #130 of 'The Wrestling Menu. As per usual, please don't hesitate to let me know your opinion on the Rey vs Eddie feud or my 'Judgment Day' predictions. But most importantly, please vote in my 'favorite gimmick match' poll. Like I just said, it will be interesting to see which type of match tops the poll. I have always replied to all feedback & I will attempt to continue that streak this week. Just be patient though, as I'm hoping to be bombarded with votes. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

Please note that for LOPForum members, I will also reply to feedback and/or take poll votes on the following link: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=4889

What's on the agenda for next week's 'Wrestling Menu'...??? Well, apart from the all-important poll results, I'll probably also speak about a type of gimmick match that the WWE hasn't done for years, which I think could be effectively used every so often. Plus, I'll have my review of 'Judgment Day'. Look out for that column same Wednesday time & same LOP channel next week. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.












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