DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – Edge As Champ, Hardyz + Judgment Day Predictions
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 12:16 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #231

Welcome one and all to the 231st edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Well, it’s been a big week or so in the WWE. In fact, it’s been a pretty hectic 5 or so weeks since WrestleMania 23 actually. We’ve had a 50+ minute television match, a couple of title changes, a heap of injuries & what will most probably turn out to be the PPV of the year! As they say in the classics; “It’s all happening”!

Today I will talk about some of the topics that have come up most in the feedback that I have received over the past month. Elsewhere, I will also predict the Judgment Day pay-per-view that is upcoming. In fact, just on that, it actually took me by surprise as I didn’t realize it was so soon & thought it was going to be on the 27th. But I forgot that this was the time of the year that the WWE bombard us with PPV events to the tune of 3 shows in the space of 5 weeks… But I have vented my displeasure of that fact previously, so I won’t go there once more.

Well, I may as a sidenote to one topic that has come up a lot of late which I will leave until next Wednesday. That is the topic of the recently introduced ‘Tri-Branded’ pay-per-views. I’m not yet totally certain of their worth & hope to learn more from this weekend’s ‘Judgment Day’. If I do, expect that topic to be discussed next week.

On with the show.....


APPETIZERS – Edge As Champ

We have a new World HeavyWeight Champion folks! And his name is Edge. I wish I can lay claim to calling it, but I can’t… sort of! Some of my loyal readers emailed me at the time of Mr.Kennedy’s Raw announcement that he would be cashing in his ‘Money In The Bank’ contract at WrestleMania 24. They basically wanted to know if this was a wise move on behalf of the WWE. My response was in 2 parts. Firstly, I thought that if it was true, it was most probably not the way to go as it was just too far away & approximately November would have been the correct time.

But I made the point in response that the announcement itself was so strange that something had to be up. Either Kennedy would cash in unexpectedly later in the year for the surprise effect, or the WWE weren’t even going to wait that long & the announcement was made due to The Undertaker’s arm injury & upcoming dropping of the World HeavyWeight Title. In fact, the timing of both things was way too coincidental for mine, so I called it; Mr.Kennedy would be our new World HeavyWeight Champion come the SmackDown episode to air on May-11. That would be the type of move that, even if people such as myself partially expected it, would still be significant enough to cause a stir & be considered a huge occurrence.

And then came the terrible news that Kennedy had also injured an arm muscle & would have to spend a considerable amount of time away from the squared circle. Damn it, my predictive skills would never be tested in this case & we would never get to find out (although recent rumors have suggested that Kennedy was indeed slated to become champion). Yet, the more amazing thing is that I never put the obvious 2 & 2 together and transferred the angle across to the new ‘Money In The Bank’ contract holder Edge. That was until loyal reader Trenners emailed me on the weekend before it happened & called it. Good call mate!

So what do I think of the move…??? Overall, it’s definitely a positive & logical one. SmackDown needed the help considering the numerous injuries that have struck the brand of late. The Undertaker, Kennedy, Rey Mysterio & King Booker are arguably the 4 biggest talent on the roster & to have them all be out due to injury at the same time is just too much. If anything, Edge replaces Kennedy out of that group as the highest ranking heel. The Undertaker’s spot will be taken by Batista, who will now have to renew his fully face character, while Mysterio & Booker will be returning sooner rather than later.

With just that one move of Edge to SmackDown, it gives the brand an immediate slice of freshness as there are some match-ups we haven’t seen for a while, if at all. Edge will clearly feud with Batista at first, while the rest of the year could see potential feuds with Mysterio, Benoit & the like. All of them seem fresh & should deliver as being quality feuds & match-ups presuming Edge can keep injury-free & continue on with his good performances.

The other important factor here is that Raw can almost afford to lose Edge right now. The brand has heels such as The Great Khali, Randy Orton, Umaga & Carlito who are all waiting to step up to the heel plate so to speak. That’s not even mentioning the WWE’s newfound liking to having Cena defend his WWE Championship against other faces, which automatically throws Shawn Michaels & a returning Triple H into the mix. Even if you are not too keen on many of those feuds, there are at least sufficient variations that could pass some time.

Almost as importantly, Edge’s move to SmackDown sets up some mouth-watering possibilities for the future, especially in terms of later this year & WrestleMania 24. I have been saying for almost a year now that it should be Edge to halt The Undertaker’s WrestleMania winning streak at 15 come March 2008, so maybe my predictive powers will be proven long range come that time. Furthermore, there is the option to turn Kennedy semi-face or fully face (if a little earlier than I really wanted to) to feud with the Rated-R Superstar. And that is one feud that I feel will be excellent.

But there is one thing I don’t want to see out of all this; A short title reign for Edge. This has nothing to do with Batista or anyone else on SmackDown. It’s more because of the length of his 2 previous WWE Championship reigns & their circumstances. Not only were both title reigns rather short, but they were almost impromptu (the first one was from memory). Due to The Undertaker’s & Kennedy’s injuries, this reign is also impromptu & most fans with access to the world wide web will know that. So it’s important for the sake of Edge’s future (& the SmackDown brand) that he be given a rather lengthy title reign, or else he may never remove the stigma that he is nothing but a stop-gap champion when things go wrong.


MAIN – The Hardyz

I’m not even going to put a timeframe on when I have received emails from fans asking me whether or not either of the Hardy brothers will ever get a push to genuine main-event status. I think it’s fair to state that it has been a sporadic question asked of me ever since both men returned from their individual hiatus’ away from the WWE. To cut to the chase, my answer would usually be that neither man is quite up to main-event level & probably will never be. And that is coming from someone that is a fan of both men!

But like a lot of fans ask themselves about The Hardyz, are we fans of either of them individually, or are we simply fans of them put together as a tag-team? It’s a tough question to answer actually & some of the answers seem to contradict facts, but I suppose it (like most things in the ever-changing world of professional wrestling) is a work in progress. And this “work in progress” is definitely on an increasing curve at this point in time.

A month or so back, I reviewed the episode of Raw where The Hardyz won the World Tag-Team Titles in the 2nd of two 10 team battle royals. At the time, John Cena & Shawn Michaels were the tag champs and this was the time where HBK possibly pulled off his most heel’ish action in his feud against Cena by eliminating them both from the match. This was a big occurrence at the time & occurred approximately mid-way through the bout. The crowd was rather stunned & there was that successful mix of cheers & boos from the live crowd dependant on what side of the HBK/Cena line each person stood on.

But it was the crowd reaction not to long after this that genuinely caught my attention. The big occurrence was quickly forgotten by the crowd as they seemingly all got behind The Hardyz to win the battle royal & tag-team titles. It was as if it was vitally important that they did get the win. And when they eventually did, there was a favorable pop that hasn’t been matched to many other times this year! Not only did this show how important The Hardyz were in revitalizing the mediocre tag-team division on Raw, but it also proved just how popular that these 2 men were full stop.

Ever since their title win, Matt & Jeff have been workaholics that have hardly put a foot wrong on. They have performed on all 3 brands, multiple pay-per-views & wrestled in both singles & tag-team contests. All this has often occurred in the same week & it’s arguable that no man has contributed more to the overall WWE product in 2007 than these 2 wrestlers!

But what does their current form mean for their futures? Well, in the tag-team ranks, I reckon they could anchor the tag-team division for as long as they or the WWE want them to. It’s really as simple as that! But what about their future as singles competitors? Could either man be a World Champion one day…??? I still think the jury is out, but would have to say that the chance of such an occurrence has increased over the past year! So let me take a brief look at each of The Hardyz as it pertains to being a potential World Champion, or at least a contender.

JEFF HARDY

Failures to deal with life on the road & injuries have conspired against Jeff in the past. Only a few people would know whether there are still issues, but let us presume there is not since he has been able to handle the heavy workload thrown at him by the WWE over the past 6 months or so. I still feel that there is a bit too much novelty about Jeff’s act to get him to genuine main-event status. In the ring, he can be a little repetitive & one-dimensional. He gets over that by being genuinely entertaining, but that’s a more difficult act to pull off when singles matches go past the 20 minute mark.

If Jeff was to become World Champ one day, it would have to have the Rey Mysterio type of story to fuel it. And I’m unsure that the WWE could pull that off as well as they did with Rey (even as critical as most people are of Mysterio’s title reign). Hell, I’m not even sure that Jeff is as good as Rey in the ring anyway. However, I wouldn’t totally discount Jeff as being a contender for a World Title… even at PPV level. It may be better as a multi-man match, but I couldn’t see why the WWE couldn’t at least build it up like he was a genuine threat…. Because you know the crowd would get behind him. And who knows what happens from there? If he comes out of that test successfully, he may just prove me & a few others wrong!

MATT HARDY

Matt has been trying to entrench himself in the WWE mid-card over the past 3-4 years, so the main-event has looked a long way away for him to most. There was a time when the WWE were badly under-using him & many people were even asking if he could survive in the WWE. Like most people, I never doubted that Matt could be a more than useful & solid midcarder. But, again like most people, I wasn’t too certain he could go any further. Once he returned from his infamous hiatus relating to Edge & Lita, it appeared as if Matt was certain to solidify his midcard position & even wrestle in a couple of (extraordinary) upper-card ppv matches. But after the dust settled on the Edge feud, it looked as if it was back to a lower-midcard position for poor Matt.

But I have to give it to him… Matt put his head down & just worked his a$$ off in the ring to improve & prove a few points. And by gosh, he has done it for mine. It wasn’t even one single moment or match that he was involved in that proved it to me. It has just been a constant & gradual grind against a number of varied opponents (Kennedy, MVP, Finlay, etc…) over time. Matt has added some nice variations to his repertoire, while mainly concentrating on a more mat-based offense. This is actually a positive, because if ever a big singles match was to pop up, he could then incorporate this into some of his older more high-flying work, thus providing a nice Shawn Michaels like mix.

I have also noticed that Matt is selling a little better of late. Again, this can only be a positive if a main-event match-up was to come along. So right now, when all is said & done, I’d have Matt closer to a main-event role than Jeff. But some of that may be due to the fact that he is on SmackDown where there is less main-event depth & the longer style of matches suit him. But fact is fact & that may mean that Matt will soon get an opportunity to wrestle for the World HeavyWeight Title. And who just happens to be the current holder of that title? His old nemesis Edge! They have proven they can work well together in the past, so while I am unconvinced that Matt would make an effective champ right now, I think he can be an effective challenger in the correct circumstances!


DESSERT

Judgment Day Predictions

CHRIS BENOIT vs MVP in a ‘2 Out Of 3 Falls’ Match for the United States Title: I am unsure whether a ‘2 out of 3 falls’ match is the best match type to open up a pay-per-view, but I will place it here anyway. In fact, seeing as though these guys have wrestled so many times over the past couple of months, I am unsure that having 3 more mini-matches is a good idea full stop. But in all likelihood, these 2 will get the job done in the ring come the night as they have done so previously. I have predicted an MVP win over the last 2 ppv events & I won’t be changing now. In fact, as much of a fan of Benoit that I am, I would almost say that I will be disappointed if he emerges victorious here. It will be interesting to see if these guys get 20 minutes here. Winner: MVP

CM PUNK vs ELIJAH BURKE: I actually feel that this feud could have played out a little longer… It’s almost as if the WWE have rushed straight to the climax. Hopefully, there is a reason for that & other ECW feuds & angles are ready to be started. This should be a solid bout… I can’t see it being given much more than 10 minutes, but if it is around that mark, I think they will both be able to show their skills. On face value & without any proof, their wrestling styles should be able to mesh well enough with each other. With ECW matches, it is always difficult to predict results as Burke could very well get the win here & then be dismembered by Punk come Tuesday night. But if logic plays any part here, the face will get the win. Winner: CM Punk

RIC FLAIR vs CARLITO: This feud has been months in the making… It’s sort of a little anti-climactic now! But it can still be saved as both men have talent of some kind & have the ability to make it (as well as individual matches with each other) work. The intensity between the 2 must be high here… Without it, the match simply won’t work. And hopefully, the WWE have a plan as to how this feud will progress. Whatever that plan is will influence the result here & I am only guessing that we will be seeing a win for the newly turned heel. I wouldn’t totally write off a DQ win to Flair either as the feud is certain to continue. Winner: Carlito

SHAWN MICHAELS vs RANDY ORTON: This bout falls into the semi-regular ‘tacked on upper-midcard’ match classification… But the WWE usually knows when they can get away with such a bout due to the talent involved. This match-up should prove no exception, if only because HBK is involved. But, if anything, Orton has looked quite good in the ring since his overseas trip debacle. Of course, that doesn’t mean he will go anywhere close to emerging victorious here. It’s a shame actually, as this should be a pretty good quality bout, but it may have been that touch better if the result was going to be a little more unpredictable. Winner: Shawn Michaels

VINCE McMAHON (with SHANE McMAHON & UMAGA) vs BOBBY LASHLEY in a Handicap Match for the ECW World Title: This match-up seems familiar! I wonder why that is? And to be honest, I can’t believe that the WWE couldn’t at least have thought up something a little different. Oh well, let’s hope that something different comes our way during the bout. But strangely, I get this funny feeling that the match won’t be all that different to the Backlash bout… Except with maybe a different result. And no, I am not holding out for a Shane or Umaga face turn. Speaking of that, if Shane or Umaga pin Lashley, do they win the title? Ahhh, the formalities of common-sense rules… The WWE doesn’t need them! Seriously, I have no idea where the WWE are going with this feud, but if we see a similar match to last month & the same result, I won‘t be overly pleased about it. So….. Winner: Bobby Lashley

EDGE vs BATISTA for the World HeavyWeight Title: As discussed earlier, I believe Edge moving to SmackDown & becoming World HeavyWeight Champion is a good thing for the WWE. But the circumstances & timing of it means that his first ppv title defense is very much a rushed affair with practically no build-up. Because of that, this is almost a feud starter rather than any sort of feud-settler. And it’s strange to see a feud starting on ppv & previously announced. Furthermore, while I actually look forward to this feud (which is sure to continue) with some interest, I am not so certain these 2 will mesh well in the ring. I can’t put my finger on why, but I really hope Batista is up for this or it could turn out a little ugly. As for the result, you may hear my scream from Australia if Edge is de-throned here (as per the reasons stated in the last paragraph of my ‘Appetizers’ section). Winner: Edge

JOHN CENA vs THE GREAT KHALI for the WWE Championship: I sort of placed this as the main-event of the night without really thinking about it. I suppose I feel that the Edge vs Batista bout doesn’t have the build-up to deserve such a prominent position, so this gets the spot by default. And it actually plays into the result as well, because I wouldn’t totally write off Khali winning by DQ here, but that would not be a wise way to close the show. Most people feel this will be a shocker of a match & I am definitely leaning that way myself. But remember that Cena vs Umaga exceeded expectations, so don’t be surprised if this does as well… But to what extent? Let’s just hope for the best, shall we! Winner: John Cena

Ok, so there is ‘Judgment Day’ as it currently stands. 7 matches have been announced & it just may stay that way if last month’s ‘Backlash’ (which contained 6 bouts) is anything to go by. If there is an addition, it will be one of the tag-team titles on the line & I will predict either champions to retain. Some of the bouts here may not go as long as the Backlash matches, but I think it’s easily stretchable with just the 7 matches above. Personally, I feel that the 2 duplicate matches here is lazy booking to some extent. Sure, it often happens that matches get carried over from one ppv to another, but neither of the 2 duplicates interest me all that much here. And to be honest, nor does much of the rest of the card. So if ‘Judgment Day’ can get anywhere near the quality of ‘Backlash’, then I will be pleasantly surprised… Fingers crossed.


Before I leave, just a couple of quick extra-curricular notes. Firstly, if James C is reading this, can you please email me when you get a spare moment? I have lost your email address & want to thank you for something. Secondly, I am attempting to branch out on my reviewing pursuits by reviewing 2 music albums (from the same artist) each & every week in the LOP Forums. I have already done 2 of these (ie: 4 reviews) if anyone is interested & they can be accessed by clicking on the following link & locating my user-name somewhere on the page: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=99&page=2

That is all for column #213. If you would like to send me feedback on any of the 3 topics that I have discussed today, you may do so by emailing me at DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com. My PPV Predictions are always popular in discussion, and I am sure that my thoughts on Edge & The Hardyz will also have some relevance. As per usual, I will reply to everyone. 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=6.

Next week in 'The Wrestling Menu', I will obviously have my ‘Judgment Day’ Review up for all to read. I also want to touch on these so-called “tri-branded” pay-per-views, even though I am not at all sure what kind of conclusion I am going to have on that topic. I’ve got a couple of ideas floating around for a 3rd topic, but am still to decide what will eventually make the grade. 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. 2002-2007

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