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The TLT Edition Welcome back, Metalheads and pussies to the latest edition one of the old staples of good ol’ Lords of Pain dot net, the infamous FACT or FICTION. This time, those ****s at the Teachers' Lounge have taken over this shindig (Get it? TLT – Teachers' Lounge Takeover! I'm ****ing brilliant!) and brought the funk for all of you to read up in this piece. That's right, we've got KMA_Jackson, Mean Mark, and Sean_Taylor bringing some old school schooling to the FoF train this month, and it's certainly good to have them aboard. When all is said and done, it's up to you to decide whether they brought the funk or brought the suck. We've got three more people rounding out our Spectacular Six in this edition. Alphabetically first among them, as well as first among them in all other conceivable ways, is Morpheus, who enjoys writing the greatest column in the storied history of awesome, Enter The Dream Realm, right here on the LOP Main Page. Next up we have Prime Time, who many of you will remember as former LOP Main Page Columnist pt2, writer of the recently deceased Take Up They Wrestling Boots and Walk. PT's new column series is called Prime Time on Wrestling where he tries desperately to relive his former days of glory as a wrestling fan with marginal success. Last and almost certainly just barely not least, we have RVV who is an avid reader of LordOfPain.net and frequent responder to FoF and The Dream Realm, so of course I abused my power and brought him on board for this one. Nepotism rules! Now you know the players, so let’s get on with the game. FACT or FICTION is a go! Topic 1 (from KMA_Jackson): Wade Barrett will win the World Heavyweight Championship on Smackdown sometime in the next two months and head into WrestleMania as defending Champion. FACT or FICTION. Mean Mark: Hold on as I resize my windows so I can still see my Maryse desktop background… There. Now I get down to business. Wade Barrett has already started his new version of Nexus having been run out of Raw by CM Punk. Their first target is the Big Show. This feud, in order to be worth their while, will need to run long enough that a Kane feud cannot happen before WrestleMania. FICTION. Morpheus: So many possible scenarios, so little time and space to discuss them in. I suppose, especially now with the formation of The Core around Barrett, that he is firmly cementing himself as an upper echelon player on the blue brand right now, which I think is a good thing. Despite his relatively short tenure, he has managed to turn some heads, including mine, so I don't mind him being in that position. The question then becomes can he stand on his own merits? This is one we do not yet have the answer to. Luckily, when a good stable is involved, you don't necessarily have to be able to answer that one in order to make a decent champ. I'll go with FACT here just to split the field, I suppose. Stranger things have happened, for sure. Prime Time: FACT. WWE can't resist putting the world title on people as soon as they get the chance, and now that Barrett isn't heading up Nexus, they'll feel like they need to give him something shiny in order to keep him relevant. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they couldn't resist and did it first thing on a Tuesday morning. RVV: I would absolutely love it if this happened. I’m a Wade Barrett fan and moving him to Smackdown would make a lot of sense, however, without the help of his former Nexus buddies I feel he needs to establish himself first. The big question will be finding out who Wade Barrett really is and what he can do on his own. I believe Barrett is ready to stand on his own, but with Edge just winning the World Heavyweight Championship is there any realistic chance of this happening? Edge can easily hold the belt until WrestleMania and while I might see Wade Barrett (either him or Alberto Del Rio) challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania I don’t see him winning it in the next two months. I wish I could have said fact but I have to go with FICTION on this one. Sean_Taylor: This one is a FICTION for me. I have to think that the only reason there's a SmackDown Nexus is so Undertaker can exact his revenge for the Buried Alive Match and therefore, there's no need for Barrett to be champion going into WrestleMania. There's enough of a draw with Taker wanting revenge. Having a Nexus behind Barrett allows Taker to do the standard "go through all of them" storyline to get to Barrett. It might seem like it's going to be a bland build but I have to think that Barrett doesn't need the title to make it watchable. Hell, Barrett's such a good heel that he might even create the illusion that he might win. Besides that, there's too many guys that would be better off going into a championship match at Mania. KMA_Jackson: Without a doubt Wade Barrett has been one of the most successful newcomers the WWE has seen in recent years. His push to the top of the WWE in such a short time has been pretty interesting to watch even if it hasn't lived up to our expectations. The sudden move to Smackdown for the founding father of Nexus is no doubt a smart one. After several months atop Raw only to lose each week to the likes of John Cena and Randy Orton, Wade Barrett can now start anew on Smackdown. Fresh feuds with the likes of Big Show, Rey Mysterio and Edge will only serve to solidify Barrett's position as a top tier talent. If Wade Barrett is ever going to win a Heavyweight Championship, Smackdown is the place he can do it. As World Heavyweight Champion on Smackdown, Barrett can have some pretty intriguing feuds with Edge, Rey Mysterio and others all while keeping himself strong and his opponents making him look like a million bucks. Meanwhile, Raw's top stars don't lose face at all while Barrett is being put over as a main talent. If Wade Barrett wins the World Championship at Elimination Chamber, it stands to reason that he would then face the Undertaker at Wrestlemania for his part in the dead man being Buried Alive last fall. The downside to all of this is that Barrett's title run would serve as a placeholder to award the Championship to Undertaker. Without a doubt, the Phenom will continue his undefeated streak, but a series of matches with the Undertaker could cement Barrett's position atop the Smackdown locker room. For this one, I am going to go with FACT. Topic 2 (from Mean Mark): Maryse will stumble across a recording of the teacher's lounge, learn of my undying affection for her, and invite me to meet her. It will be at that point when, among other things, I will inspire her to bring back managers to prominence in the WWE. She will be the first to start a stable. FACT or FICTION. Morpheus: Ok, there are a few statements in here, so let me attack each one individually because I think they can go different ways.. 1) Maryse finding the Teachers' Lounge – Possibility. 2) Maryse learning of Mark's undying affection – FICTION; finding and listening are two different things. 3) Maryse invites Mark to meet her – FICTION; stalkers are creepy, not cute. 4) Mark inspires anyone – FICTION. (Sorry, too easy.) 5) She will be the first to start a stable – FICTION; she's hot, but she's not got the talents required of a stable manager. Wow, I guess I could have just said FICTION after all… Prime Time: Does this mean that Maryse will be the catalyst for managers being prominent again, or that she'll have a stable before long? In either case, I'll take FICTION. Maryse doesn't have enough of 'Bobby Heenan' about her to restart that tradition, plus McMahon has shown no inclination to have real managers over the past few years. On the subject of stables, WWE are still running the Nexus angle, and I'm not sure they are going to run another big one anytime soon. RVV: Maryse could be the 2011 version of Bobby Heenan, only “slightly” better looking and a French accent. I definitely miss having managers at ringside during matches regularly like back in the old days, so I’m all in favor of making managers more important in wrestling again. Guys like Slick, Bobby Heenan, Lou Albano, Freddie Blassie, Jimmy Hart and many more made matches and promos that much more interesting than some of today’s promos. Sherri Martel is probably the most famous female manager but it shows that female managers can be successful and more importantly can be much more than eye candy. What better way for Maryse to start this journey than by listening to the teacher’s lounge and brainstorm together with “Mean” Mark. This one is a resounding FACT. Sean_Taylor: I'm so demoting you from "graduate student" to "senior" for not capitalizing "teacher's lounge" in your question, Mark. I think Maryse would make a great manager for a stable. If she played an intelligent femme fatale as a combination of Sunny and Sherri Martel, it would be completely believable and a great way to launch a lot of young guys and play them off against veterans who need to stay away from the title picture like Edge or a heel Cena. I think this could work and I'd like to see it. But Mark said, "She will be the first to start a stable." so FICTION. KMA_Jackson: Without a doubt this is pure unadulterated FICTION. Maryse will never invite Mean Mark to meet her. Mean Mark: This one is mine so, duh! FACT! Topic 3 (from Morpheus): ROH has just announced the end of its TV deal with HDNet. Despite all of the bandwagon love for ROH touted by the IWC, about 17 people will actually know the difference. FACT or FICTION. Prime Time: M, this hurts. As an RoH fan, I'll certainly notice. I'm going to go with FICTION, on two counts. Firstly I think RoH are more popular than people actually give them credit for, and second, I've heard a rumour that they are already looking at getting on a bigger network than HDNet anyway. So, fans will either miss the show, or more people will be able to see the best American wrestling today. Either way, people will notice. And yeah, I know I could have made this funny, but if you ask me that's what the WWE is for. RVV: Let me start off by saying that I’m not a huge ROH fan. I’ve bought some of their DVD’s last year and wasn’t blown away by any of them. Maybe I expected too much due to all the IWC hype about ROH, but while they have delivered some superstars to TNA or WWE, I still have too much of an “indy” feeling when watching ROH. Therefore I feel that while there seems to be a lot of bandwagon love for ROH I’d say this is a FACT. To me ROH is just another indy promotion and I don’t think many people will actually notice the difference. Sean_Taylor: My first reaction is to say fiction because ROH doesn't have 17 fans who watch on HDNet. But it's actually amazing how many times the number 17 and ROH come together. 17 is the amount of dollars ROH spent on their cameras for filming their shows. 17 is the number of times a meaningless high-spot is planning in the first ten minutes of each match. 17 is the number of tickets that are sold for ROH events and used as autograph paper because McDonald's doesn't pay enough for a ticket AND a piece of paper. 17 is the number of actual stars ROH has been able to hire for a short-term basis in its entire nine year history. Ok, ok, I'm sorry. With all joking aside, FACT. KMA_Jackson: R...... O.... WHO?! Truth be told, this is an opportunity for ROH to shop their product around to a network that will get them more exposure than HDNet ever could. While I wouldn't watch ROH all the time, I would tune in occasionally if they were on a channel in my current cable package. The easy answer is FACT. Nobody watches ROH now, and nobody will miss it when it's gone. The fun thing about ROH is they have their own niche. They have their own fans. They are perfectly happy being the company they are. ROH doesn't have to get bigger in their eyes. Fantastic from a fan standpoint, but from a business standpoint, it sure as hell is not ideal. Who doesn't want to succeed?! Who doesn't want to exceed their own expectations and become a profitable company worth billions. Vince McMahon rolled the dice and made billions of dollars. If ROH doesn't wish to do the same, that is their decision. Nobody will miss ROH on HDNet, but perhaps some would welcome it on another network. Mean Mark: Isn't Maryse just a beautiful sight to behold? And that French accent! Wow! See, I would rather talk about her than ROH. Count me out of the list of ROH fans. Remarkably, I actually know one ROH fan, and even he has recently admitted that even he doesn't know what is going on anymore. So, that should bring the number of interested people down to 17 which I believe is the size of their production staff. FACT. Morpheus: I hate to say something like this, in all honesty. I am a big ROH fan. I should rephrase that. I am a fan of the action and whatnot that ROH presents. I'm not one of those super fanatical douchebags who swear that ROH is the cure for cancer or some shit. I own a couple dozen ROH DVDs, and they are always a good watch, even if the production quality is worse than most amateur porn shoots. The fact of the matter is, however, that 99.99% of ROH's fans were getting their fix before the HDNet deal through a variety of other sources, and they probably all continue to do so. I have never seen an episode of ROH on HDNet. I am willing to bet that the vast ****ing majority of you here on this site haven't either. Prove me wrong. Post here if you've actually seen an episode of ROH on HDNet and will miss it now that it's gone. Until you're able to convince me otherwise, this one is a Sad But True FACT. Topic 4 (from Prime Time): John Morrison is on the verge of becoming the next generation's Shawn Michaels. FACT or FICTION. RVV: I know a lot of people are claiming that John Morrison is the next HBK, but I’m going with FICTION. Shawn Michaels was just a one of a kind performer who could get good/great matches out of basically everybody and while John Morrison gets compared a lot with HBK he is nowhere near the level of HBK nor will he ever be. Morrison’s biggest strength is his unbelievable athletic ability, but every time he starts talking I want to press the mute button. The guy can’t deliver a good promo if his life depended on it. HBK wasn’t the greatest on the mic either, but he was a hell of a lot better than Morrison. Besides, I also feel that one should never label a wrestler as “the next ….” whomever he might resemble. It will only create more comparisons between the two wrestlers and it will disable a lot of people to look at the newer guy objectively. Does that mean JoMo can never be a true main eventer? No, but he will never fulfill the same role or whatever you want to call it as HBK did. Sean_Taylor: FICTION. I just don't understand what people see in John Morrison. I really don't. Morrison is good, don't get me wrong, but he's nowhere near Michaels in any way of measurement. Sure the in-ring style is close but that's it. The work rate goes to Michaels, mic skills go to Michaels, "it factor" goes to Michaels. Michaels is one of the most charismatic superstars not because it sounds good in a sound byte, but because is ****ing true. When Michaels was in the ring, you instantly knew you were seeing something good. When Morrison steps into the ring, you know you'll be entertained but it's only because he does a few cool kicks and jumps. I never believe a single word he ever says in a promo but Michaels had me hanging onto his every word. Although I think it's honourable to Michaels to want to find "the next Shawn Michaels" because of what he did in the business. But Michaels wasn't "the next" anybody. He became his own man and set a new bar. That's what Morrison should be trying to do, not becoming "the next Shawn Michaels." KMA_Jackson: People have been throwing around the moniker of “the next HBK” for years. From Chris Jericho, to RVD, to Edge, dozens of superstars have been labelled the next Showstopper. For an HBK mark such as myself, it is a tremendous compliment to my all time favorite superstar. After a while though, it gets to be a little maddening. Truth be told, those who were labelled the next HBK have become even bigger stars in their own way. During a feud in 2003, Chris Jericho said he always wanted to be the next Shawn Michaels, but had changed his mind and now wanted to be the first Chris Jericho. Those words struck a nerve with me and turned out to be an amazing prophecy from a man who walked his own path in a world of constant comparisons. John Morrison becoming the next HBK is FICTION. Will John Morrison become the first JOHN MORRISON is another subject entirely. While Morrison certainly has the in-ring skills and look to help him along that path, he continues to suffer from issues on the microphone. His mic work isn't the worst I've ever heard, however it is far from the best. When Morrison feeds off of the right partner or opponent, he can be an amazing voice. However when that person doesn't fit into a particular role, Morrison struggles on the stick. While the series of matches between Morrison and Sheamus were top notch, the promos were lacklustre to say the least. Meanwhile, when someone like The Miz stands across the ring, Morrison shines. I think JoMo has the potential to be a main player on the WWE stage, but he needs to overcome some issues with the microphone that will allow all fans to get behind him each and every time he walks through the curtain. Mean Mark: It seems to me that whenever someone is touted as the new (insert old person here) that one of two things happens, either they don't make it, or they become something that may have similarities with (old person), but don't become exactly that. Just someone who is trying to imitate (once again....well, you get it). Let's take an example from TNA for a moment. AJ Styles. If I am not mistaken, they were gearing him up to be the next Ric Flair. Look at him now, he may be the next Ric Flair if there just happens to be a preliminary bum or janitor at TNA by the same name. Besides, why would you want that in the wrestling business anyway? Oh, don't get me wrong, it is an amazing compliment to be compared to someone you admire. Believe me, if I ever get to experience that, I will be amazed, as will a lot of other people, like KMA and Sean. That being said, in a business like professional wrestling, should one settle for that? Should the Rock have been happy just to be the next Hulk Hogan? No, he shouldn't have, and I don't think he did. I didn't see the Attitude era in its entirety, only bits and pieces, but there if there is one thing that arose from it, it spawned from ambition. As heard on the teacher's lounge, the debate rages on as to who is the greatest of all time. I won't get into that debate here, but the debate happens because the likes of the Rock, Austin and Micheals didn't settle for being the next (old guy again!). They believed in themselves and had the drive to be the best on their own, to stand out and stand beside (one more time), and not in the shadow of them. So, John Morrison, I think it is FICTION that you will be the next Shawn Micheals, those are some big band boots to tune up, but then again, you shouldn't want to be. You should be looking forward to the day when a young guy, coming up in the business is touted in awe as "the next John Morrison" Morpheus: KMA hit a lot of this on the head. SloMoJoMo has a lot of skill, without a doubt, and there are plenty of parallels between the two men and their careers. However, there are some very important differences. Michaels, while early in his career was far from a stud on the microphone, always possessed an important characteristic in his promos: cadence. He might not have been the best, but he had the timing down from the get go. SloMo doesn't have that. On the flip side of the coin, while Shawn was dubbed the most flamboyant superstar, JoMo works a style that is flashier than Shawn did, so I think he outdoes him a tad on that scale. With HBK being a legit contender for G.O.A.T., there is no way that this type of comparison can end well. No one will ever be the next Shawn Michaels, because as a total package, he was truly one of a kind. In that sense, this has to be FICTION. However, if you were to say that John Morrison is the superstar on the current national scene that has the potential to break out and have a spectacular career in the vein of Shawn Michaels, then you might get a different answer. Prime Time: I'm going to go with FACT here. I'm not saying he's as good as Shawn Michaels, based on charisma or in-ring ability. What I mean is, when he becomes a top level player, he'll be the workhorse of the main-event. He won't be as good as Michaels in that role, but WWE superstars do seem to trend downwards anyway, when it comes to their ability. Anyway, Morrison can go, he's got enough charisma to get by, and probably only needs one defining feud to put himself into the top tier for the rest of his career. Again, he's not as good as Michaels, but he will have a similar role. He's got the best skill set of all potential main eventers currently on the roster, and for that, he will be the Shawn Michaels of the next generation. Topic 5 (from RVV): Replacing Wade Barrett as leader of Nexus with CM Punk will actually do nothing but hurt Punk and the remaining Nexus members. FACT or FICTION. Sean_Taylor: I like Punk leading the Nexus on Raw but I'm actually going to say FACT for this one. I think Punk is a great choice to lead the new Nexus but I think that ultimately, Nexus is going to delay Punk as a main event level superstar. Punk's ready to do it now and I don't think he needs Nexus to go up against the likes of Cena or Orton. Punk has within him the ability on the mic, the character, and talent to be huge and while it's nice to see him get a second chance to run a stable, it's not needed. KMA_Jackson: With Wade Barrett as leader of Nexus, the main focus was always on Barrett. Michael McGillicutty and Husky Harris were members in name only. Sure they were there to participate in beat-downs, but I can't recall a single match they were in off the top of my head. With CM Punk at the helm of a smaller version of Nexus, these two guys may get a chance to shine. Meanwhile David Otunga will most likely get a decent push towards the United States Championship. To me this is pure FICTION. While the original thought of Punk leading Nexus disappointed me, this new smaller version has me intrigued. The coming weeks will be a huge factor in determining the staying power of the stable. As leader of the SES, CM Punk's stock in WWE rose considerably. As leader of Nexus, I believe Punk could blow up, all the while bringing the younger stars along for the ride and giving them a pretty priceless education in the business. For the first time since Shawn Michaels retired last year, I find myself hanging on every word, and every move a superstar says or performs. That superstar is CM Punk. If anyone can get Harris, Otunga and McGillicutty to the next level, it is CM Punk. P.S. - Cena calling Punk “CM Sucks” is childish and more annoying than the “WHAT?” chants. Enough already. Mean Mark: I wish I could comment on Punk's career from inception, but I sadly did not see it. I say sadly because when I did start watching wrestling again, I had one reason to watch Friday Night Smackdown, and that was Punk. His run as leader of the SES, while squandered in its potential kept me coming back each weekend to see what was next. It makes me wish I had seen his career from his debut. This FoF question really teeters on the question of whether or not they learned their lesson. It is too bad that they have started off on the wrong foot by excommunicating not only Barrett, but two other members so Barrett has friends on Smackdown. Leaving Punk in charge of an army, instead of a gang, would have, in my mind, been the right move to help all of them. Now, I am sadly going to have to say that lightning rarely strikes twice, but history, if forgotten is doomed to repeat itself. FACT. Morpheus: I can't believe that WWE has missed the boat on having Cena call him CM Putz. That's WAY better than CM Sucks. I am and have been very torn about this one, perhaps more than any of the other topics. However, seeing the progression of it, I have to say that I am leaning towards favoring the entire angle as a whole. There is potential there for some true greatness, and I am hoping that, with any luck, we will see just that. The addition of Mason Ryan pushes this over the edge for me: FICTION. Prime Time: Mostly FACT. I'm not sure it'll particularly hurt Punk. He's got skills enough to make pretty much anything work, and he'll be in the spotlight. He'll recover pretty much unscathed. It does, however, damage the angle. Barrett made sense as leader of Nexus, I'm not sure I see the logic in Punk being there. He doesn't fit, he has no obvious connection to the rest of the Nexus. The focus will have to be on him for the 'regime change', if you like, to take hold, and that will mean the character development of the others will be pushed to the backburner. They will become drones again. Plus, haven't they been building Cena vs. Barrett for months, only for Punk to step into the breach, completely nonsensically, before the Barrett feud is satisfactorily blown off? So yeah, this will hurt much more than it helps. RVV: I have been a big supporter of the entire Nexus angle and think it has been done very well. The group of rookies led by Wade Barrett did a very good job especially considering they were immediately placed in some big spots (Ex: Summerslam main event). What I liked about it was that it was a group consisting of rookies only and they stuck together trying to make a name. Now Wade Barrett is out of Nexus and presumably on his way to Smackdown and CM Punk has taken over as a leader. I’m going to go with FACT. CM Punk has already been a World Champ on his own and now he all of sudden needs the help of 5 rookies to take on John Cena and others? That will only make him look weaker. The other thing this shows is that the remaining Nexus members are worthless without a leader and while that may be true it does hurt their small amount of credibility. This will probably get me some hate mail, but for the remaining members it doesn’t matter if their leader is Wade Barrett or CM Punk. Maybe this was the right time for the WWE to find out if Otunga, Slater, Gabriel, McGillicutty & Harris could have kept Nexus afloat on their own. Maybe WWE needed to pull the plug on Nexus after TLC or should have kept Barrett as their leader and while this might freshen it up a bit I do think that it can only hurt Punk and the other Nexus members in the end. Topic 6 (from Sean_Taylor): Triple H would better served to stay behind the scenes instead of returning as a full-time wrestler. FACT or FICTION. KMA_Jackson: Easy FICTION here. While I haven't necessarily missed Triple H, there is no doubt in my mind that having The Game back on Raw each week would certainly increase general interest. There enough new stars in the WWE to allow for some fresh feuds and matches. H has unfinished business with Sheamus that could result in some pretty intense matches. Plus just the thought of a feud with CM Punk or the Miz gives me chills. In a perfect world, Triple H would stay at the helm of the backstage duties all while performing on camera each week. Without a doubt, Triple H has one of the greatest minds in the business. With him running the booking duties, the shows quality will increase. However with him on television as well, ratings could potentially go through the roof. The thought of another Triple H heel run gives me a chubby. Nobody is better than The Game, and since Ric Flair has pissed all over his own legacy, it would be nice to see Triple H eclipse Flair's record of 16 World Title reigns. Mean Mark: This one sparks an issue that I have seen a lot of in professional wrestling as I watch from an adult point of view. It is one that is common in sports in general and that is how old is too old? The only answer that seems to fit so far is, it depends on the person. Some say Randy Couture is too old to fight in the UFC, but is now the person to beat in the lightweight and sometimes the heavyweight divisions, if you want a career there. He fights guys half his age with, admittedly varied results, but always entertaining and he can always keep up. He even recently made boxing superstar James Tunney submit and tip his hat to Ultimate Fighting (writers note, for those who listen to the teachers lounge, it should not come as a shock that I mention the UFC at least once). On the flip side, it was heartbreaking watching guys like Hogan and Bret Hart try to give it that one last try when their bodies clearly don't have what it takes to perform anymore. So, when it comes to Triple H, while he will no doubt be a huge asset backstage, and I certainly hope he does that, I don't think he is done with the ring yet. Depending on the severity of this most recent injury, he should come back to be the Randy Couture of the WWE. For the next couple of years (injuries permitting), he should be the gate keeper, the guy that says, if you really want to make it in this business, you will have to go through me. He can still be a great asset in the ring, and I would rather see him do that now while he is still physically capable, than leave too early and then try to make that late in life comeback when it is physically too late. For now… FICTION. Morpheus: Any of you ****ers say FACT, and you're dead to me. Kiss goodbye any future FoF appearances. You've been warned. While HBK is a possible contender for G.O.A.T., Triple H actually is the Greatest Of All Time. I have made it no secret around these parts that H is my favorite wrestler of the ever, and I stand by that statement wholeheartedly. By all accounts, he is doing a great job behind the scenes, but his ring life is not behind him just yet. He has a lot of life left in him, and with the new faces and possible directions available to him right now, he has a lot of fresh things he can do, whether or not it involves the title picture. But it should. HHH 4 ChamP! Oh yeah. ABSOLUTELY ****ING FICTION. Prime Time: This one is much tighter than the other answers, but honestly, I've no interest in seeing Triple H wrestle anymore. I was a big fan, back in the day, and rated him as the best all-round package in the wrestling world in the year 2000. Today, he couldn't get me to buy a ticket for any match he might have. He is increasingly injury prone as he gets older, and he has a young family. If I were him, I'd step away from the spotlight now, go with grace, allow Sheamus to be the man who retired him, and take the time to enjoy his children growing up while he is groomed to become the man I think he will eventually be - the heir-apparent of the WWE empire. FACT. RVV: Eventually Triple H would be the one to take over from Vince McMahon along with Stephanie and WWE has done a decent job in building up more stars in Trips’ absence. The Nexus angle has been exciting and guys like Miz, Sheamus & Morrison have all evolved into bigger stars, in my opinion. However, I still feel that RAW needs Triple H at this moment. Nobody wants Triple H to take up as much space on RAW as he might have done in the past, but RAW can only improve with the return of Triple H. As long as Vince can still do his job and Triple H can combine his behind the scenes duties with his duties as active wrestler I think RAW would be better if Triple H would come back as a full-time wrestler. So I’m going to say FICTION. Sean_Taylor: Ok, here's the deal. Triple H's "imminent" return has been the talk of wrestling fans for a long time. Let's look at the pros and cons: Triple H coming back as an active wrestler gives Raw (let's face it that's where he'd go) another big name in time for WrestleMania. He goes against Sheamus and avenges his forced absence and then goes after the WWE Title. Yes, he's one of the best in the business right now but I can't help but think that it would be the same Triple H as before. Triple H stays behind the scene as the second-in-command and creatively changes the direction of the WWE slowly over the next year or so. The only downside is that Triple H is a great leader by example. He can make others better by wrestling them and that's really the best way for others to improve. Should Triple H stay behind the scenes? FICTION. Right now, the WWE needs the star power and drawability of Triple H, especially for WrestleMania time. I just hope he doesn't make a clichéd return at the Royal Rumble. And that about does it for this month’s edition of Fact or Fiction. A big thanks to everyone involved, except for Prime Time who is now dead to me, and another big thank you to those of you who took the time to read it. Agree? Disagree? Don't give two shits? If you have any thoughts, feel free to send them our way at the email addresses below, or be lazy and (ab)use the Facebook Comment option even further below. In the meantime, Stay Metal, and I’ll catch all you non-gender-specific ****ers at a future juncture. E-Mail KMA_Jackson E-Mail Mean Mark E-Mail Morpheus E-Mail Prime Time E-Mail RVV E-Mail Sean_Taylor
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