DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – WM23 Feedback / Ideas + Armageddon Predictions
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 12:20 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #209

Welcome one and all to the 209th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Holy guacamole I have had a busy week. And it’s all your fault! That’s right; You, the reader of this column! Just kidding guys. But to say that my column from last week went over well is an understatement. Over 9,000 hits & an absolute $hitload of emails… & long ones at that. Seriously, the way my Inbox had been filled on Wednesday & Thursday of last week, I thought there must have been some new & improved version of Viagra out on the market. But no, it was only hundreds of wrestling fans wanting to share their thoughts about an event that is almost 4 months away! Seriously, thanks to everyone who took the time to read my column last week & double the thanks for those that went one step further & emailed me with their feedback & ideas.

As this week’s column is going to be heavily devoted to WrestleMania 23 as well, it may pay to read my booking ideas from last week before getting into this column. So if you have yet to read my well-received WrestleMania 23 booking, you may still do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2006_/articles/1165381443.php

Amongst all of that feedback that I received this past week, I had one interesting revelation from an obviously very bored person. He actually didn’t believe that my streak of posting a column on every Wednesday had reached 14 months. He was adamant that I had missed a Wednesday some time earlier this year. Well, he went to my column archives & proved himself wrong obviously, but he made up for questioning my journalistic integrity (LOL) by stating that I had recently achieved an interesting & noteworthy feat.

It seems that about a month ago, I overtook fellow LOP columnist Chris Dailey for number of columns written. Obviously, I will never ever catch the recently retired Mr.Tito in that category, while Chris has been writing columns for a longer time period than me. But being the current columnist on LOP with the most ever columns (& 2nd all time) is still an achievement that I am extremely proud of. And by the way, I have no plans to end my weekly streak anytime soon. I will be here over the Christmas & New Year period writing more & more about the wacky world of professional wrestling.

Before I get on with this edition of ‘The Wrestling Menu, for those that missed SmackDown last Friday, the JBL line of the night was: “You see Michael, I told you Benoit was a woman beater”. This was said as Chris Benoit was laying into Sylvan Grenier with right & left fists!

On with the show.....


APPETIZERS

WrestleMania 23 Booking Feedback

Before getting into some match ideas sent in to me by readers, I thought I would just provide the general feedback that I received regarding each of the 10 matches I listed last Wednesday. I must say that overall though, my card went over very well & I definitely got more “I would pay for this ppv card” responses than the last few years that I have attempted to book WrestleMania this far in advance. Sure, not everyone liked it, but everyone has their opinions on who rules, who sucks & who should wrestle who.

With regards to my booked main-event, many stated that it is unlikely that the WWE will get Eminem for the card. I agree that it is unlikely, but most readers felt this was a good idea to (a) get mainstream attention for the WWE, and (b) add to the Cena vs Orton bout. Kid Rock was suggested as a possible replacement & of course two or 3 of you couldn’t resist putting forward a 6 person bout pitting Cena, Kid Rock & Brittney Spears against Orton, K-Fed & Pamela Anderson! As for the Cena vs Orton match-up, many fans thought that it would occur by a process of elimination, but that it required something extra to sell itself as a possible main-event.

Triple H vs Edge went over well & many felt that the WWE Title was not required. Those against this bout felt that it reminded them too much of the Triple H vs Chris Jericho WrestleMania feud & match from a few years ago & didn’t want Edge buried in a similar way. I wouldn’t worry about that though, as I feel H was still establishing himself as top dog back then. He has done that now & would likely not bury Edge, whom he has always wanted to feud with if you believe some backstage reports. Some readers even stated that H was sure to win this match, but I am not so sure with Edge’s WrestleMania streak sure to play a part.

As predicted, my Batista vs Ken Kennedy match-up had some detractors purely on Kennedy not quite being ready for such a big match. I probably agree with this argument, but found no other balanced match-up for the Animal. Although, I am starting to get the feeling that the WWE do want to go ahead with a Batista vs Undertaker match. I will share another interesting idea for his potential opponent in the ‘main’ section of this column.

As per usual, I have great timing. Not even 24 hours after posting my column, it was reported that The Big Show is practically no longer a WWE employee. I wouldn’t totally write him off as appearing at WrestleMania 23, but reports are very sketchy with regards to whether or not we will ever see him in the ring again! Vince McMahon vs Mick Foley was quite a popular match-up, with the only naysayers suggesting that (a) Vince McMahon shouldn’t wrestle ever again, or (b) that Foley was required to help out the struggling ECW brand in some way, shape or form.

With regards to my Money In The Bank Ladder Match, the majority of readers felt that it would remain an interbrand match. I agree with that in all likelihood, but still maintain that its quality would be better if it was a Raw only match this particular year. I won’t go into all the participants listed by readers, because I feel that this match could be great with almost anyone in it!

My 6 man SmackDown bout that reveals Chris Jericho as a mystery partner went over decently well. Many said that it looked like a filler match & I agree with that, but it would be a pretty good one on the night at least. Even those that had totally different cards had some sort of filler multi-man match from the SmackDown brand. As for my ECW Title match, many felt that 4 faces in the one bout was simply too weird & preferred it to be kept as 1 on 1, with Lashley vs either CM Punk or RVD as the most popular match-up.

Undertaker vs Umaga was a fairly popular pick with readers for a big man match, presuming that Undertaker wasn’t used against Batista in a World HeavyWeight Title match. Many pointed out that Umaga’s streak would probably not be intact at that stage, which lessens the build-up, but not so much that the bout still couldn’t take place. As for a Women’s Title match, Not many people really cared, although keeping Mickie James as champion until April seemed a popular pick. Many opponents were put forward, as was the ever-popular battle-royal option.


MAIN

WrestleMania 23 Reader Match Ideas

I wasn’t quite sure how to structure this, but I’ve decided to write about 2 suggested matches in a little detail & then simply list a whole bunch of matches that were contributed by readers. Following the matches, I will list the name of the contributor in brackets, presuming there were no more than 3 readers who suggested the bout.

TAG-TEAM MATCH

The huge consensus about my card was that it lacked a big tag-team match, which would most likely be for one of the WWE’s tag-team titles. To say that I had many people suggest such a match is an understatement. It seems that this has been fueled by some degree of recent care by the WWE with regards to the division. There have been some good tag-team matches on both Raw & SmackDown, while The Hardyz vs MnM bout was the highlight of the ECW pay-per-view last week. Furthermore, we have just seen Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas reunite as the ‘Worlds Greatest Tag-Team’. So it’s hard to argue that the WWE aren’t putting more emphasis into the division. Personally though, I am not yet putting my life savings on it!

The only thing that had to be decided with regards to such a match was the number of teams involved & any stipulations. Perfectly, this would be a 4 team match involving The Hardyz, MnM, Haas & Benjamin, as well as London & Kendrick. However, I am fairly certain that London & Kendrick will not be still together come April, so they either get replaced, or the bout becomes a 2 or 3 team affair. Furthermore, does a match-type stipulation get added? The obvious one here is TLC, but I wonder if the WWE would have such a bout on the same card as a multi-man Ladder Match. I personally don’t see much problem with it!

Anyway, I have definitely come around to the idea of such a bout & agree that it should be on the card. Furthermore, my card wouldn’t require too much adjustment to fit it in, as participants of my Money In The Bank Ladder Match could be freed up by simply making that bout interbrand, which it is likely to be anyway.

JOHN CENA vs BATISTA

Actually, it’s been over the past 2-3 weeks that this match-up has been floated as a potential WrestleMania main-event. The idea came to me from 4 separate people (you know who you all are) & it pretty much stems from the Armageddon main-event that seems to have popped up out of nowhere. While that main-event match-up could simply be viewed as an attempted selling point of a pay-per-view that is notorious for low buyrates, some people are reading more into it.

That little bit more that people are reading into it is a possible spat between the 2 current World Champions that would begin at the Armageddon main-event. Neither man has an obvious bout lined up for WrestleMania, so maybe they will be each other’s opponent. Plus, it may be argued that now is the correct time for a Batista heel turn, seeing as though he seems to be getting more & more sluggish in the ring.

Personally, I think this could be an interesting way to turn, because if it is booked correctly, it could really work well in a similar fashion to Batista’s original face turn did. But me being a little on the conservative side gives me the feeling that this is nothing more than a floated idea that won’t be followed through with. Well, not before WrestleMania 23 anyway!

SUGGESTED MATCH-UPS

Please note that these are in no particular order, although I will try to work my way down from the top of the card if anything.

- Cena vs Triple H vs Edge for the WWE Championship (Matt B)
- Cena vs Triple H vs Orton for the WWE Championship (Jason F)
- Cena vs Edge vs Umaga for the WWE Championship (Tyler P)
- Cena vs Michaels for the WWE Championship (Andy F & Drew)
- Triple H vs Orton (Many)
- Edge, Orton & Kenny vs DX & Flair (Newt C)
- Triple H vs Shawn Michaels (Many)
- The Rock vs Shawn Michaels (Many)
- Hulk Hogan vs ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin (Many)
- Batista vs The Undertaker for the World HeavyWeight Title (Many)
- Batista vs Undertaker vs Kennedy vs Booker for the WHT (Chris F)
- Batista vs Kane for the WHT (Scott R)
- The Undertaker vs King Booker (Scott R)
- Shawn Michaels vs Ken Kennedy (Dewayne)
- Shawn Michaels vs JBL (Richard G & Chad M)
- Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit (Mark T)
- Lashley vs Umaga for the ECW Title (Drew)
- Lashley (turned heel) vs RVD for the ECW Title (Many)
- Carlito vs Umaga [possibly for the IC Title] (Skittlez, Jason F & Scott R)
- Undertaker & Kane vs Lashley & Umaga (Dewayne)
- Booker & Finlay vs Benoit & mystery partner Ric Flair (Glen R)
- Vince vs Bischoff (Jason F)
- Rey Mysterio vs Chris Benoit in an Eddie Guerrero Memorial Match (Many)
- HBK vs Edge vs RVD vs Jeff Hardy vs Chris Jericho in a King Of The Ladder Match Money In The Bank Match (Jason F)

I won’t comment on any of the above match-ups. Needless to say that pretty much all of them would be good if they (a) fit into the matches around them on the card well enough, and (b) were set up & booked well. It will be very interesting to see which of these matches pop up on our screens come April-1.


DESSERT

’Armageddon’ Predictions

PAUL LONDON & BRIAN KENDRICK vs WILLIAM REGAL & DAVE TAYLOR for the WWE Tag-Team Championships: This bout hasn’t been officially announced for the card, but it is most likely following the heels win on SmackDown a week back. It would make a nice opener & despite the contrasting styles of the teams, I feel that it would be rather entertaining & very effective in telling a good story. Regal has picked up his game since joining with Taylor, while the face team is almost always exciting to watch. The result is up in the air here with London & Kendrick hinting at a break-up over the past few weeks. While I don’t feel that they will actually break up here, I think another step will be taken & that most likely means that we will have new champs. Winners: Regal & Taylor

CHRIS BENOIT vs CHAVO GUERRERO for the United States Title: For one reason or another, I feel that this feud has lost steam over the past couple of weeks. It better be leading somewhere because it almost already feels like it has been dragged on for too long. Wherever it is leading probably has a major determining factor in both the result & the match quality here. I was disappointed with their Survivor Series bout & I have to presume that this won’t be too similarly structured to that match. Plus, this being a SmackDown only ppv would lead me to believe they will get a little more time here. Once more, the result can go either way, but for the sake of advancement & change, I am expecting another title to change hands. Winner: Chavo Guerrero

KANE vs MVP in an Inferno Match: Well, I suppose we haven’t seen an Inferno Match for a while & this was as good an opportunity to have one that we will get seeing as though this feud is almost over. MVP has been slowly getting better since his terribly booked debut match a couple of months ago. That’s not only in the ring, but also with all the little things associated in conveying his emotions. So I will actually look forward to see how well he can handle such an extraordinary match type as this. Of course, the Inferno Match is also a difficult one to perform in because it is very limiting, so the story factor is vital here. As for the result, the WWE could possibly put MVP over huge here, but I think he has had his fair share of victories over Kane already. Winner: Kane

GREGORY HELMS vs JIMMY WANG YANG for the Cruiserweight Title: This could open the show, but otherwise it will most probably be the lower card bout following the Inferno Match. Yang has proven that he is an entertaining wrestler over the past couple of months, while Helms has solidified his position on the card (unsure that is necessarily a good thing). The clash of styles should theoretically work here as Helms can also be fast-paced & high-flying when he wants, but I’m unsure the booking will allow both men to get the most out of this bout. As for the result, Yang would be a great person to pass the title to, but with Helms only about 6 weeks away from holding his title for a full year, I can see the champion retaining here. Winner: Gregory Helms

THE UNDERTAKER vs KEN KENNEDY in a Last Ride Match: I have genuinely liked this feud thus far, but putting them together once more in this kind of match may be stretching it. While the dynamics to the ending of the bout will obviously differ, I feel that for the most part this may resemble their Survivor Series First Blood Match too much. But this is once more a test for Kennedy to see how he can adapt & contribute some flexibility to such a match. As I have said a few times of late, I feel that Kennedy impresses the WWE a lot & the fact that Undertaker is having match after match with him practically proves that. As with MVP, the heel could be put over huge, but I think that has already happened anyway. As long as he isn’t squashed here! Winner: The Undertaker

THE BOOGEYMAN vs MIKE MIZANIN: This bout hasn’t been officially announced for the card, but it is likely following their feud on SmackDown of late. And what a repetitive feud it has been. Then again, hasn’t every one of The Boogeyman’s since his debut been repetitive? Hell, I was actually impressed when the match that the 2 had a few weeks back went for over 2 minutes! Who knows… They may get 3 minutes here! And it will be more of the same. I would love for the WWE to put Miz over, but how can you predict such a thing when he is up against the one move wonder I like to refer to as ‘Old Man Boogey’. I just hope this will be passable, but I won’t bet 1 solitary cent on it. Winner: The BoogeyMan

BATISTA & JOHN CENA vs KING BOOKER & FINLAY: I must say that the more I think about this match-up, the more I start feeling that something may be up. Could Batista turn heel on Cena? Could Finlay turn face on Booker? Or am I dreaming & importing Cena was simply a way of selling a few extra pay-per-views? My memory tells me that the WWE did a similar main-event for last year’s Armageddon & it fell flat. To be honest, I’m unsure this will be much better, but I suppose the addition of Finlay (and also Cena) adds a certain dynamic to the bout that could be worthwhile. If the booking is straight-forward & there is no turn involved, then I couldn’t see anyone but the faces winning. Otherwise, anything could happen. Winners: Batista & Cena

Ok, so there we have the 2006 version of Armageddon. I’m quite surprised, but just writing out all those match-ups tells me that this could actually be a decent pay-per-view. There is definitely enough on the card to suggest it is capable of being so. Then again, there are also enough question marks with the card to suggest it could be just another run-of-the-mill WWE event that we have grown to become accustomed to of late. Let’s just hope that the WWE realize that their strike rate hasn’t been good lately & put in a lot of effort to make Armageddon a quality show.


Ok, that’s another one in the books & I hope you all enjoyed it. If you would still like to provide feedback or ideas on WrestleMania 23, you can still do so. I probably won’t add anything to my column next week though. Otherwise, if you want to discuss Armageddon, you may do so by emailing me. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com. But if you are an LOP Forums member, it would be much appreciated if you could leave feedback on my thread at http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=217&page=2

Next Wednesday in 'The Wrestling Menu', I will obviously have my review of Armageddon. I am currently unsure what I will be writing about in my other 2 topics, but I have quite a few ideas floating around my head & it shouldn’t be too much trouble to pick 2 at random. One topic that could get a look in is what has happened to Carlito’s push of late! As per usual, my column will be posted at the same Wednesday time on the same LOP channel. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.


DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu. 2002-2006

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