DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – 4 WrestleMania 24 Matches Discussed in Detail
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 12:05 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #262

Welcome one and all to the 262nd edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

I ended up taking a week off writing last Wednesday. A little bit of this & a little bit of that ended up eating into my time & before I knew it Wednesday had passed by. I suppose that’s also a negative of writing 3 topics with each column; Sometimes I can think of 1 or 2 topics to waffle on about, but if I can’t think of 3, then it isn’t the Menu is it…???

Funnily enough, today I have sort of thought up less than 3 topics to write about & sort of thought up more than 3 topics to write about. How does that make sense? Let me (try to) explain... What I am going to do for the next 2 weeks (or at least 2 of the next 3 weeks) is not wait until my WrestleMania 24 predictions column on March-26 to begin looking into the specific matches on the card in detail. Today I will discuss 4 of the already announced bouts & then I will write about a further 4 matches in my next column.

These discussions may or may not include my prediction of who should and/or will win the match, what I think of the match-up, how the match has been booked thus far & how it could and/or should be booked in the remaining weeks until that big night in Orlando. Basically, I’m starting the hype machine earlier this year. And why shouldn’t I when we have quite possibly had the best 1-2 ppv punch (Floyd Mayweather pun not intended) to begin a year since ‘No Way Out’ came into existence.

Ok, it’s on with the maniacal show…..


APPETIZERS

Beth & Melina vs Candice & Maria

Is this a standard divas tag-team match or a divas lumberjill match…??? Oh Lordy no, the WWE publicity machine have labeled this as the first ever “Playboy BunnyMania Tag-Team Match”. Now since it is the first ever, it may be insinuating that there could be something different about this match come the night. But it also could end up being your standard Raw-like lumberjill tag-team bout, but just with the fact that the 2 face ladies have posed for Playboy. This latter scenario is most likely closer to the truth as I’m certain that part of the deal with having a WWE diva pose in the magazine is to specifically promote the product by name at the biggest event of the year.

Back on November-28 of last year in my column where I attempted to predict the WrestleMania 24 card 4 months before it actually took place (http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2007_/articles/1196244276.php), I had no hesitation whatsoever in stating that my preferred match-up was a singles bout for the Women’s Title with Beth Phoenix defending her title against a returning Candice Michelle. The only question mark I had over the bout was whether Candice would be ready to take on the responsibility of such a singles match due to her rather nasty injury suffered around that time. To cover for this possibility, I noted that it could become a fatal fourway also involving Melina & Mickie James.

Of course, what I did not take into account was the possibility of yet another WWE diva posing for Playboy. Silly me! With Maria getting her turn this year, it’s almost a given that she had to be included in the WrestleMania match-up. That is just a compromise that as fans we have to learn to put up with. So, keeping that fact in mind, I actually like the match-up here & the 4 women involved. While some fans will suggest that Victoria and/or Mickie James (even Jillian Hall) could have been used instead here, I think WWE have the better mix despite the fact that I am a fan of all ladies who have been left off this match-up.

As I stated, Maria is a given, so there is no point discussing her apart from the fact that she has been steadily improving in the ring of late to the point where she can at least hold up her end of the bargain in a tag match. As I thought back in November, the Beth vs Candice feud is the one that WWE should be basing their next 2-3 months on in the Women’s Division. By including them here, it simply acts as a logical catalyst to what will subsequently come after it. That left the 4th spot up for grabs for a 2nd heel & as my 2007 year-end awards suggested, Melina is the best lady for that spot simply because she is the current heel on the roster that can genuinely garner heel heat.

Making this a tag match not only means that the load can be spread amongst the 4 women, but also means that the greater variety of offense should result in the live crowd being more entertained over the match duration. It also allows the WWE bookers to structure the bout to last a little longer than the usual divas ppv bout if they choose to do so.

As for the result, it’s a no-brainer for mine. Not only does the face team include a lady currently posing for Playboy, but it is a non-title match involving a returning face that is currently chasing a heel champ. The face team will (read: should) win… It’s just a matter of who gets & takes the pinfall.


ENTREE

Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels

Just in case you have missed the past couple of month’s worth of WWE programming, this will be billed as a “Career Threatening Match”, just like Flair’s previous pay-per-view bouts opposite MVP & Mr.Kennedy were. And while there has been much conjecture over who will actually be the man to retire The Nature Boy, bookmakers have now shortened their odds that HBK could be the man to do the deed following the announcement of this match-up last Monday on Raw.

I don’t know why there was ever any question over who would be Ric Flair’s opponent at WrestleMania 24… I mean we all know that the smartest people on planet Earth are those that read “DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu” (suck suck… but thanks for reading). And who did the readers of my column choose when last August I asked the poll question of “Who should Ric Flair’s final match at WrestleMania 24 involve...??? (http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2007_/articles/1189569999.php) Well, the winner of the poll was none other than the Heartbreak Kid himself. Maybe WWE does read my column!!!

In that very same column on September-12 of 2007, I actually came to the conclusion that it should be MVP that should be the man to retire Flair. It was not an easy decision I made & it ended up being sufficient vindication for me that Mr.Porter even had the chance to do so at The Royal Rumble ppv earlier this year. I must admit though that as the emailed votes & explanations came in 6 months ago, I was clearly coming around to the idea that Michaels was indeed the correct WrestleMania opponent for Flair… This was despite the fact that I was very much over the long line of face vs face bouts that had occurred at the time.

So why do I have no issues with this face vs face match-up…??? It just seems like a sufficiently extraordinary circumstance to me. I mean, it’s got a 50-50 probability of being the final match of arguably the best wrestler ever. And even if you are one of those fans that don’t hold Flair anywhere near that esteem, then the fact that he has been wrestling for several decades cannot be ignored & is special itself.

In truth, as soon as Vince McMahon announced on an episode of Raw late last year that Flair would be forced to retire the next time he lost a singles bout, the angle has been booked rather disappointingly. As I just stated, this is something extraordinary… Something special. Yet some of the matches that Flair has been involved with of late have not had a special feel to them. There has not been the deserved anticipation existent in the match-ups. And while Mr.Kennedy & MVP aren’t exactly John Cena & Triple H, they are high enough on the pecking order to have such feuds be treated a lot better than they were.

Who knows… WWE may treat the lead-in to this Flair vs Michaels showdown disappointingly as well. It’s not a foregone conclusion that they will amp up the booking of it since there are so many other big match-ups scheduled for the same card. But in my opinion, no matter what the result, this match does deserve the time to set it up as a genuinely special attraction on the biggest card of the year. I have no idea if that should include some dissension between the 2, a short-term heel turn of sorts, or anything else that could spice up the feud… I’ll leave that to the writers who get paid to think up these things.

Furthermore, the WWE bookers along with Michaels & Flair themselves need to give the actual match every opportunity to be something special in the ring come the night. It cannot be a lazily booked 7 minute encounter similar to Flair’s last 2 ppv bouts. Everyone needs to pull out all the stops to make this a genuine attraction on the card. And all this is no matter what the result.

And what of the result…??? Should this be Flair’s final wrestling match…??? That’s a tough one to call & it wouldn’t surprise me either way. The only opinion that I am fairly strong on is that I believe Flair should be retired no earlier than WrestleMania & no later than the end of April. This leaves the door open for a Flair win here & a subsequent retiring by someone possibly more appropriate either on the night or weeks following the Orlando spectacle. Whether or not there is someone more appropriate is doubtful & I myself am not too sure of my own opinion here. Check back with me in my predictions column!


MAIN

Randy Orton vs Triple H vs John Cena

This is probably the most talked about match-up of WrestleMania 24 & there are a number of reasons for that. The most obvious is that it will most likely be the main-event of the night. I say “most likely” because there is a chance that WWE will pull a surprise & have Edge vs The Undertaker as the final bout of the night. But history suggests that isn’t a wise bet to make as SmackDown usually gets short-changed on these things. Last year, I genuinely thought there was a likelihood of Batista & ‘Taker ending the night. However, that was not to be.

The other major reason for the discussion concerning this bout is the match-up itself. Should WWE have decided upon a triple-threat match…??? Or should they have gone for what was most likely the original plan (after Cena went down with his pectoral muscle injury) of having Orton defend against Triple H…??? Or should Orton have done the traditional thing & defended the title against the Royal Rumble winning John Cena. Or finally, should WWE have made the title change at No Way Out, put the title around Cena’s waist & had him defend against Triple H in a WrestleMania 22 rematch…???

Well, I can tell you that if the emails I have received over the past couple of weeks are anything to go by, opinion on this is pretty much split 3 ways. So really, any decision that WWE made was likely to be unpopular with approximately two-thirds of their fans. Personally, I am in favor of the way that WWE have decided to go. While history suggests that WWE have not been in favor of a triple-threat match as a WrestleMania main-event, there is no real great reason for it. Sure, there is a bit of tradition there & there’s the old “mano et mano” defense (or whatever the hell the latin term is), but it’s not anything concrete to me.

Personally, if there is a half-decent argument against having a triple-threat match as your ‘Mania main-event, it’s that there are some inherent problems in the match type which could mean that a perfect 10 out of 10 rating is virtually impossible. But how often do we get a perfect bout anyway…??? Not very often is the answer. And the WrestleMania 20 main-event of Triple H vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit proved to us that in the correct circumstances, not only could such a match be very good, but it could be a successful WrestleMania main-event.

I do partially agree with some arguments that the match-up reeks a little of taking the easy road out to some extent. This is most specifically due to the lack of WWE’s confidence in Randy Orton headlining WrestleMania in a singles match. But it also extends to their confidence in Cena’s recently repaired pectoral muscle, as well as the old ‘Rumble winner must challenge at WrestleMania for tradition’s sake” argument.

But its “damned if you do & damned if you don’t” as far as I can see. Some fans will complain that Orton can’t headline WrestleMania in a singles match. Others will complain that we’ve seen Cena vs Triple H in this spot, etc, etc, etc…. So in this case, it’s fine to compromise as far as I’m concerned. Yes, I said it… The triple-threat match is a safe’ish compromise. Well, if that’s what it is, then that’s what is. The bottom line is that in my opinion it is simply the best match-up possible of the 4 choices. The rest is up to the booking of the feud & match itself… Over to you WWE.

I like the dynamic of the match. I like that there is a clear heel, a clear face & one guy who will probably be cheered by half the crowd & booed by the other half. I like the fact that it is the heel currently holding the title. I like the fact that both challengers have genuine history with the heel champion… & not too distant history. And I think that the added advantage of a triple-threat match of spreading the load can theoretically mean that the bout can be improved, both in terms of less dead time & added match duration.

Of course, it still has to come together on the night. And the feud still has to be booked well in the lead-up to make the naysayers care about the match come March-30. But I have confidence that all of this will come together well. A huge crowd, the outdoor setting, 3 very sharply defined characters & the huge event. It should be the formula for one hell of an atmosphere. Hell, it could even be sporting-like in that there will be tens of thousands of fans cheering on whoever they want to win. Sounds good to me!

And as for who will actually win, I am still undecided. I am fairly confident that Randy Orton will not retain. I just don’t see how that would be a great payoff since he will have the least people (of a huge crowd) supporting him. It could work if it was a heel who received super heat, but Orton is not that man. So will it be Cena or HHH. Right now, I am unsure, but leaning a little towards H, if only for the lingering question marks on Cena’s fitness & his upcoming film-making schedule.


DESSERT

Edge vs The Undertaker

Just like it’s placement in this column, could this match-up be the last of the WrestleMania 24 card. As I stated in the previous topic, the likelihood of that is low, but it would be a pleasant surprise come the night if it was to be. I just hope that instead of holding it mid card that it goes on no earlier than the 3rd last match of the night. It’s just too big of a match-up to under-play in any way, shape or form.

I am just so glad that WWE have decided to go with the match. I know that sounds rather silly to say, but it’s true & let me explain why. I know some people will be saying “Davey, what other match-up could they have gone with? Apart from throwing Batista into the mix, there was no other option!” And that point is valid too. The match-up has practically been an obvious one since the moment Edge returned & interfered against the dead man. Yet, I still had this bad feeling in my gut that WWE may have looked elsewhere to keep them apart on the biggest stage of them all.

Up until ‘No Way Out’, I liked the way WWE were progressing with regards to the feud. You could see it simmering in the background & there were hints here & there, but the 2 never got into what could really be called a full-blown feud. Batista, Rey Mysterio & a couple of others always stuck their nose in so that the load wouldn’t be blown on their feud too early. It was perfect for mine & the way things should be done leading up to a big WrestleMania match.

I can’t say I have been super impressed by what has occurred after ‘No Way Out’ though. Don’t get me wrong as nothing has been too awful & the feud has indeed progressed. But yet again, I don’t see that something extra special being added to the mix to make it into what basically is a WrestleMania main-event. There are a couple of weeks left though & I can see the possibility of a huge crescendo still being reached. So I will think positively for now.

Whether it gets treated main-event like in the next couple of weeks or not, I will be super disappointed if it’s not treated like one come the night (no matter where it is placed on the card). The Undertaker vs Batista match at WrestleMania 23 was almost akin to a midcard match stealing the show. I suppose I have to say that it did since I named it my 2007 Match of the Year! There is no reason why the same cannot occur again, as long as they don’t go the route they did in the year of the Angle-Orton-Mysterio triple-threat bout & give it a single figure minute duration.

In the ring, you have to have confidence that these 2 can get the job done. I can’t say their styles are a perfect match for each other & they may have to work around some awkward moments. But these 2 guys are great in making the best out of whatever situation they are put in & they most frequently do so under a huge spotlight. Well the spotlight doesn’t get bigger than WrestleMania.

Of course, one of the keys to getting around any awkward moments is also crowd interaction & that’s where the booking of the feud as a whole is so important. From what occurs before-hand & what occurs on the night, Edge must make 99% of the Orlando crowd hate him & it’s obviously the opposite for ‘Taker. The story & back-history is there… There are the WrestleMania streaks… There is Edge costing the phenom the title months ago. It’s all just a matter of WWE now making all the pieces fit.

And of course, to wrap up, there is that all-important result. It’s fair to suggest that the result in this match is more significant than in any other bout on this card. And so it should be with The Undertaker’s 15-0 WrestleMania winning streak on the line. Way back as early as mid 2006, I didn’t hide the fact that I thought 2008 & WrestleMania 24 was the right time for the streak to be ended. I just liked the sound of a 15 match winning streak… It was a nice round number. Even if you had asked me 2-6 months ago when it was becoming clearer that Edge was going to be the opponent, I’d still have said the streak was about to end. But with the days & weeks passing, I’ve slightly started to lean the other way. To be honest, I’m still unsure which way I’d prefer WWE to go. I’ll get back to you in 3 weeks time!


Ok, that's #262 done & dusted. I hope you all enjoyed the change of direction I have taken today… Especially since I am planning to double-up in my next column. It’s sure to generate a whole bunch of feedback on one or more of the detailed match-ups. As per usual, please do not hesitate to send some feedback my way by emailing me at DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com. Or 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=159

As already outlined, I will follow up with exactly the same structure to this column in my next one. It will most likely be discussing 4 additional matches, but it could be 3 or 5 matches depending on the circumstances. I am definitely planning on posting this column next Wednesday & I’d say there is a 90% chance that it will be on the 12th, but just in case something prevents me from posting on that date, I can easily follow up on the following Wednesday the 19th. Whichever week it is, 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.

In the meantime you can read a brand new album review by yours truly by venturing on over to the following website & simply clicking on the following link: http://www.feeltheword.net/magazine/music/


DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu. 2002-2008

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