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Submitted by Wevv Mang on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 9:26 PM EST
Ridin’ With The Bossman – Wrestlemania, Who Will Win? Greetings! Welcome to another edition of Ridin’ With The Bossman! Contrary to WWE management’s fervent hopes, the thugs hired by Johnny Ace are NOT responsible for my column’s disappearance last week. I took the day off due to birthday celebrations, my own included, and Raw to go to that night. The muscle showed up at the house across the way, beat up the old lady who lives their, stole some fresh cookies, and then locked themselves out of their car, only to be arrested a few minutes. The helpful description of “five short blond haired, heavily muscled dudes at least six foot six” must have come in handy. Well, they did go door to door asking where Wevv Mang was, so they could beat him up, like Johnny told them to. It was quite a show, and all the neighbors agreed, the old woman threw better punches and knew how to work more than all of those guys combined. So, that made for a fun week. Raw was also a great show. I loved the Jamaican character, though his cheap Boogey Man wiggle move should be dropped. Just have him yell out “RAST-AH-FAR-I!” instead. But from beginning to end, I had a blast at that show. A much better show than the Lita-Edge wedding or the “raping of Big Show’s dignity”. Not as good as the first Elimination Chamber (even though the ending for that one sucked balls), but still a show worth the money I paid. Yesterday was my birthday, and I felt a little lazy. So, instead of the recaps, which is just an excuse to cover the fact that I barely watched any wrestling I wasn’t at live this week (both ECW and Smackdown. Though I should say I did watch Smackdown, but I was totally hammered when I did and remember very little of it), I’d like to just do an in-depth piece that I was thinking about when I drove out to Lake Havasu this weekend. Dark Soul, it was great to meet you, and you are a very cool guy. I had a blast and the town looked great, though I spent less than 24 hours there. Hey, I’m nomad, and I like to travel. I also have to work tomorrow. So, since Wrestlemania is just a few short weeks away, lets take a look at the card, and offer some ideas of who is going to win. I’ll say it now though, when it comes to predicting winners, I am horrible. Wrestlemania 23 Wrestlemania is the biggest PPV WWE puts out each year. It’s the show that gets the most buys. It’s the show that generates the most interest. It’s also the show that makes the most money. Wrestlemania is the show that WWE spends months in advance looking for a venue large enough to hold all the fans that want to attend. It’s the show that has angles build for months. It’s also the show, that when it’s all said done, that seems to suffer the biggest let down afterwards. Oh, maybe not emotionally, at least, I don't think intentionally. It’s just that when the matches are done, it seems like creative is left scrambling to come up with something to do. So, let’s take a look at the announced matches so far, and see where WWE can go, and what the ramifications might be once the winners are finally chosen. The schedule for PPV’s after Wrestlemania are: Backlash – April 29 Judgment Day – May 20 Vengeance! – June 24 Great American Bash – July 22 SummerSlam – Aug 26 John Cena vs Shawn Michaels – WWE Championship John Cena John Cena has been the WWE champion for almost two years, this coming Wrestlemania being the anniversary of his win over JBL in 2005. Edge and RVD have both held the title, but for only a combined total of roughly 3 months (slightly over). It’s been nearly two years of Cena as champion. And he could go for a while yet. When Cena first got the belt, he was considered crap. Yet Cena always sold well, it was just his offense that totally sucked. He’s adapted and his time working the ECW angles last summer solidified him as a worthy champion. Cena sells merchandise. The fans react to him. And I’d say when he first comes out, the crowd is fully for him. Only later do the negative chants surface. When his fans are tired after yelling for him for over five minutes straight. Cena has come into his own as a champion. The guy works tirelessly for WWE, representing them, and representing them well. His current angle with Shawn Michaels is a good one. HBK and Cena are keeping the audience interested, and excited to see the match. The twists and turns have been well paced, and well done. If Cena wins at Wrestlemania, what then? Cena has been a defending champion. He’s put his belt on the line plenty of times. Just no recently, his latest being against Umaga. Well, I mean a serious challenge on a PPV. If Cena keeps his title, the obvious direction is to keep the HBK vs Cena going, but does it have the legs to stretch to SummerSlam? If it’s at the next PPV, then that makes a Wrestlemania victory kind of pointless. While the WM match may be off the charts, in the realm of angles, it puts them pretty dead in the water. After months of building, to not have a satisfactory ending could run the risk of alienating fans. If Cena loses, the rematch would make more sense for Backlash, but again, the continuation might be beating a dead horse by then, after the emotional conclusion of the angle at Wrestlemania. The bottom line is, Cena without the belt, will still have the Cena effect going for him. Fans will still cheer for him. His merchandise will still sell. The underdog role is no longer an option however. Hard to say you have something to prove, when you just spent two years proving it. But, Cena will not be going to the midcard anytime soon. Then, there is the tag team championship to consider. Shawn Michaels HBK has been doing fantastic work. No question about that. It just amused me to no end to yell Hogan at Shawn last Monday. The angle has had a steady pace, keeping on track, and pacing the twists and turns excellently. The obvious conclusion to this angle is that HBK will win at WM, and when he does, it will be as a heel. So it seems. But that could change. If HBK does win, and is a heel, then the Cena feud can go for a little longer, but again, I think this angle is nearly played through. The mistrust can only go so far, and the constant aura of suspicion is a hard one to maintain. In fact, it’s been there since day one, but was allowed to fade into the background. Now it’s coming to the fore, as the show is only weeks away. So, if not Cena, then who? There’s Edge and Orton, but they seem to have a back up plan. Feuding against each other. HBK could be a third in that feud, but then, what about Cena? There is an option for Cena, in Umaga. See, while this may be the match most people are looking forward to, it’s not the biggest match on the card. This one is. Donald Trump vs Vince McMahon – Umaga vs Bobby Lashley This is the feud that will be the one that determines what happens for the next four months. Umaga or Lashley, or both, will be the big names, needing big angles, and main event level talent to feud against. Trump Trump getting his head shaved will not have that big an impact on WWE. See, Trump will more than likely say no to getting his head shaved, and even if he does say yes, he’s not going to be on TV every week. We’ll get a picture. Which we have been getting for two weeks now. It’s impact is little to none, even if folks see it happen on the PPV. Trump just won't show up on TV until he can get a new hairpiece made. Vince If Vince loses, that’s a big deal. Vince getting his head shaved will make for great TV. Vince WILL be on TV that Monday, that Tuesday, that Thursday, and then again on Monday. And so on, for weeks. It’s a great angle. It is. It’s gotten the hype, it has the interest to back up the hype, and the stakes are great. If it was just about money, it wouldn't pack nearly the punch it does. It has two younger wrestlers in the spotlight, and ready to make the jump to the next level. The Swerve It’s there. Folks are thinking it, but may not be saying it. Vince and Trump emerge with hair intact. And some one else gets shaved. But since one wrestler is already bald, and the ref is bald, that just leaves Umaga and Armando to get shaved. Which is a big disappointment if it does happen. Armanado would be entertaining, and Umaga, well, a bald Umaga will just look stupid and really hurt a great character. But it’s no bald Vince. There is the possibility it could end in a double DQ, and no one gets shaved. That would be worse. After hyping these stakes for months, some has to get the razor. The best outcome in my opinion would be Vince. But what about: Lashley Lashley can be part of the outcome of the Undertaker vs Batista feud. Umaga Could be a great addition to the outcome of the Cena vs HBK match. Undertaker vs Batista World Heavyweight Championship There’s really only one way to end this and make everybody happy. Undertaker wins, but by DQ, and Batista goes heel. Taker keeps his streak, but doesn't get the belt. Undertaker See, if Undertaker wins, that means he has to stick around, and actually wrestle, and not just at PPV’s to defend the title, but also in all the other matches that champions get. You know, the tag matches, the six man matches and so forth. Undertaker has been on TV for a long time. It’s about time to take some time off. It’s going to happen. And to have a champion be off TV is not a good thing. Even with the rumor of stacking the next few PPV’s with both Smackdown, ECW and Raw talent, that’s still four weeks of no TV for the belt. Skits won't cut it. We could go back to the old “everyone runs away from Taker” but that has been played out as well. The next opponent for Taker, if he does win, hasn't been made clear either. There’s some potential in Finlay, Lashley, and Kennedy. But trying to make the Batista angle stretch for more than a month is going to be tough. With a heel Batista, it might be done, but, well: Batista If Batista wins, and goes heel, that will breathe some life into his character. I get the feeling that the tide is about to turn on Batista. IT would be better to guide that change, with a turn, then to let the crowd turn Batista. A face Batista, with a win, I do think will be booed. Maybe not, but after beating Taker, the cast of next opponents is thin. A re-match would probably be a gimmick match, and the outcome of that one is pretty certain. Taker. A heel Batista does add some dimension to his character, and could prolong his championship life. But I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Injury is bound to strike, sooner, rather than later. I’m not wishing ill on Batista, just playing the odds. So, there’s a good chance that the two main guys could go down with injuries and that means no one filling the championship void. Tournament? Sure, why not. But for this match, I think the results will hinge heavily on the Money In The Bank match. But if Trump wins, that means that Lashley will be the man. Lashley vs Batista would be a good feud. Hero of the People vs Villain who betrayed them for his own selfish needs. Lashley needs to beat a name, to keep his push alive, and Batista, well, two big guys, with belts no less, is a good way to go. Money In The Bank Title Shot Contract, Executable At Any Time, Good For One Year The match that regularly is one of the top matches on the show. This year, we have eight entrants. Seven have been announced, and due to my being behind schedule, the eight has possibly been announced. The rumor mill, and it’s hard to refute, is that the eighth man will be Randy Orton, so that’s what I’m going to go with. Edge He’s undefeated at WM. He could win again. He certainly deserves to. Giving him the Wild Card as it were, would not be a bad move. He’s currently hatching a feud with Orton, and those two going back and forth, for the MITB contract is a feud that would be solid. The MITB stip is as good as a heavyweight title, because frankly, if some one wins that match, I can't see them going for a lesser title. It just defies logic. Randy Orton The suspected Eighth Entrant. It wouldn't be a bad thing. It would add to the match, heightening the tension between he and Edge, and if he won, Edge would go ballistic. Randy could move towards being more of a face. He’s the one that has been left out to dry, and taken the big losses. Chicks do dig Randy. Finlay I don't see him winning, but I do see him wrestling a lot of the match. The guy is good. A win would help solidify him as a main event level threat. The problem is, there is no big feud set up for him. In a year there might be, however, and his wrestling skills can be depended on. Kennedy A guy I would love to see win. Kennedy is ready to be a big time player. He could feud against Batista. He could feud against Cena, which, come to think of it, has a chance to be really good. Kennedy is kind of stagnant on Smackdown, but there’s still plenty for him to do there, and he is one of their recognizable and accepted stars. Kennedy vs Batista would be good, but if Batista goes heel, would take a bit of explaining. Kennedy vs Undertaker has been done, and well, if there's still a grudge over Hogan beating HBK, well, Taker has beaten Kennedy… Matt and Jeff Hardy I doubt they will win, and if they do, they’ll go after lesser titles, and that would make the whole thing moot. I do expect them to really shine, but after that, no clue what they have in store for the Hardys, either separately, or together. Booker T One of my favorites, but I can't see him winning. It wouldn't be bad. Booker could go against Taker and/or Batista. It would take some setting up, which would allow for the aftermath of WM to be played out, and then could be a solid Summer run. Only it has been done before. So, sadly, I don't see Booker winning. CM Punk HAHAHAHAHA! No chance in hell Punk is winning. Oh, not a knock on his talent, but on how management sees the guy. Punk could go after Lashley. Punk could go after Cena or HBK or even Taker and Batista. But he’s not positioned for that level of feud yet. It would be a big jump for him, no doubt about that, but no. It would take time, and in a year, he could be. He might be. But again, a year is a long time, and anything could happen between then and now. There are a few guys, which given nearly a year, could be ready to be portrayed as credible challengers to whatever title is available. But with this group, I expect a good match, but I just don't think there’s any plan for what to do with the winner. Edge and Orton seems to be the only one that has a chance of making something out of it, right off the bat. Anyone else wins, they get short-term bragging rights, and then to whatever slot needs filling. Booker would be great with it, and add to his legacy of accomplishments. Matt and Jeff could try and do a poor man’s Edge and Orton, and I say that only because it would be out of the blue and would require Jeff to speak, and frankly Jeff has been doing just fine without talking. In fact Jeff has been doing great. Both men are worthy of winning, and Matt would do a great job, but again, it’s the time factor, and with management and Matt, he may not be there in a year. Hey, you just never know what side of the bed Johnny Ace is going to wake up on. Or next to. Except it will have short blond hair and be tall. And big. Vince ain't the only one who likes em’ big. Finlay, well, he’s almost in the same boat as Matt. Given a long build, he could be a serious challenger. He could be the guy who goes from show to show, eyeing up the competition, and biding his time to strike. But frankly I think short term needs will overcome long term potential. ECW Originals vs New Breed You know what I noticed? No date set for One Night Stand 3. So, this is their shot. Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, Sabu and RVD will take on Elijah Burke, Monty Brown, Kevin Thorn, and Kristal’s boyfriend Matt Striker. The outcome doesn't mean much to me, frankly, because I haven’t been following ECW. I expect a good match, and nothing else. If was more familiar with the storylines, and could see where they were going, I might be more interested. With the future of ECW in doubt, even with the Sci-FI contract, it might indeed mean the future of the promotion is on the line. Melina vs Ashley Woman’s title match Ashley She has Playboy, and it’s a good way to sell a couple of extra magazine, but given the fate of those who do indeed get the shoot, and the track record of Diva Search Contestants, well, it might be the beginning of the end if she loses. She’s done very well as a character. As a wrestler, not so good. She has some skills, and seems comfortable speaking in front of crowds, and has a degree of charisma. Melina I’m not sure what the deal is with her and her supposed attitude. Melina is one of the top divas, period. Maybe a low in the top ten, but still up there. She is the complete package. A talker, presence, looks, and wrestling skill. She’s a fantastic valet as well. It’s not her fault that there is a lack of skilled Diva wrestlers. I don't know how true the rumors are, so I can't judge, but I will say that every once in a while, a diva gets the Sable Vengeance treatment. They get singled out, and pissed on. Melina just got the championship, and her reign is still in it’s infancy. She could prestige back to the belt, or be just another chick with a big gold belt. However, Melina has Nitro going for her. Nitro is good. He still needs some work on the mic, but his basics are solid. So saying, I see this match more as a stepping stone than a completion of an angle. If Melina wins, Ashley can seek revenge, with a champion of her own to face off against Nitro. Who that could be, and since she’s on another brand to boot, could be tricky to pull off. However, if WWE is serious about crossbrand feuds, they need more than just names showing up to make the concept work. It’s about angles, and the Ashley vs Melina feud is a good undercard angle. So, my predications, and apparently Orton is indeed in the MITB match. Cena vs HBK – HBK Batista vs Undertaker – Undertaker via DQ. Trump vs Vince – Trump Money In The Bank – Orton ECW vs New Breed – Um, New Breed Melina vs Ashley – Melina There are a few other things to consider when taking into account who will win. If the current angles are just dragged out for a few PPV's then there’s the returning stars to consider. Triple H Triple H is due back around SummerSlam, but with the way he trains, he could make an early return. And, of course, there is nothing stopping him from showing up on TV, able to wrestle or not. Whoever wins the Cena vs HBK match will be with or against H, that’s almost a certain. HBK is still using the Degeneration X theme. But that doesn't mean that H and HBK won't feud. H loves to work with HBK, as he is assured of looking good, and after missing all that time, that will be a concern. H does want to beat Cena. But H vs Cena was done, and done poorly. This time, if it did happen, it might be different. Who knows? Rey Mysterio He will be returning this summer, if not pressured into coming back early. But, there is no guarantee that Rey will re-enter the title scene, like there is with H. Rey could drop down the card. He might go with Benoit and Vickie Guerrero angle. The Chavo incident is still there, but that doesn't mean it has to be used. There is also the Vince incident but I don't think anything will really be made out of that. Against Umaga, it’s a long shot. Big Show Big Show took time off to heal, and he’s been out for a while. The summer would be a good time for him to come back. If he comes back at all. There are some contract issues to be worked out. Who could Big Show feud with upon his return? Not sure, but I would love to see him back on my TV. And not necessarily on WWE, if those contract negotiations don't work out. Mark Henry Yes, Mark Henry is scheduled to make a comeback, and I am probably the only person in the world looking forward to it. Why? I want to see if he can still work like he did on his last stint. Mark was good last time. And Mark still being employed by WWE for over ten years, and he wasn’t very good for most of them, well, he’s earned my respect as quite a negotiator. So, there you have it. This summer looks to be pretty exciting, at least when it comes to returning star power. Angle-wise, well, it’s a crapshoot. But this time of year, with Wrestlemania just around the corner, well, I don't want to think too much about wrestling. WWE has put together some very solid angles, and I’d like to just sit back and enjoy the shows. And anything can happen in those two weeks. I mean it. Khali could run in for the Cena vs HBK match and become the World Champion by beating up both of them. Think it can't happen? Then you don't know much about wrestling. Never forget, Vince is nuts, and the plans for Wrestlemania change by the minute until the match actually happens, and even then, it could change. Wrestlemania is still two weeks away. So, for my next two columns, I’d like to sit back and have some fun. I’m thinking of doing a Kane’s House, and, brace yourselves, a return to Ridin’ With The Bossman Audio show. Well, this column is pretty damn late, so I think I’ll call it a night and get this sucker up. Quick Plugs, and that’s a wrap. QUICK PLUGS! LOP Forums Sports! Political Discussions! Video Games! Wrestling! Sign up now! LOP Column's Forum The next generation of wrestling writers. The Project Creative Writing, polotical discourse, social topcs examined, and a forum for intelligent discussion The Movie Bar Currently under contrastruction, but stop by and email Monkey about the movie he's working on. Maybe we can persuade him to show some behind the scenes footage or start a production blog. The Rose Reports Excellent site for political news The PWA Best E-Fed on the net. Period. That's all for today. Thanks for Readin' and thanks for Ridin' Wevv Mang Please label all feedback as "FEEDBACK". Thank you. Email: MrWevv@mac.com *NEW GALLERY* Must See Hot Shots of the TNA Knockouts CROSSING THE LINE!
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