The Shield goes for Gold: With them feuding with Team Friendship over the past couple of weeks, it would seem that a shot at the tag team championship would happen soon for The Shield. The first question in this scenario would be which two of the three Shield members would be wearing the titles, but that question could be taken care of by other popular rumors that Dean Ambrose would be gunning for the USA championship leaving the other two to get the tag titles. Have all of this happen in a single PPV, and you’ll go have The Shield going from nothing to the holders of three belts all in the span of a matter of hours. Surely that would mean great things for the Shield? Well maybe not. First of all, while The Shield has technically been three guys all working together for a common goal, Dean Ambrose has always felt like the unofficial leader of the group. Maybe it’s because of all the hype the Internet was giving the guy before he ever came on, or maybe it’s because he has the best mic skills of the three, but whatever the reason, Ambrose seems like the voice, and therefore the brains of The Shield. Give him a title that’s different from the other two, and you’ll really cement the idea that they are serving as backup for Leader Ambrose. And if that’s what the WWE wants, to have Ambrose be the breakout star of the group, that’s fine, but the thing is, Having the USA title won’t really achieve that. In his time with the Shield, Ambrose has attacked and gone up against the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, Ryback, and The Rock. These are guys who, to be honest, can’t be concerned with who the USA champion is. The mid card title is probably a step sideways at best for Ambrose and won’t really help in the long run.

The Split-up: The eventual end of all groups of two or more wrestlers. In fighting and disagreements lead to mistrust in the ring, lead to betrayals, lean to more fighting and bickering, lead to an eventual showdown at a PPV to cement the breakup of the group. This usually results in one of the members turning face or heel depending on the circumstances, and it is very possible, in fact even probable that this could happen to The Shield at some point. The problem is, these breakups are rarely good for anybody. Alex Riley broke up with the Miz and has barely been seen since. Awesome Truth broke up and R-Truth went from facing the Rock at Survivor Series to his dancing bit again. The Corre imploded and now Wade Barrett is the only member who hasn’t faded away or been put in 3MB and even he can’t seem to break out of the middle of the pack. I guess you could say the one true breaking off of a group success story from recent years would be CM Punk and Nexus, but that involved no fighting amongst members, had no final breaking point fight at a PPV, and only resulted because of Punk moving on to bigger and better things.  So WWE, when the time eventually does come to dissolve The Shield, please remember which route CM Punk took and which route Heath Slater took.

The next NWO: It’s been said more than once that the worst thing that WWE can do with the Shield is to make them into a modern day NWO. After all, remember what a mess that became, and remember how badly it ended? While I don’t deny that NWO was a mess eventually, nothing in wrestling lasts forever, and more often than not, when it does end, it tends to end awkwardly and poorly. What WWE is much more likely to focus on is the crazy amount of money NWO merchandise was making during its height and that the name can still sell DVD documentaries all these years later. And hey there are worst things that could happen. If we start adding members to The Shield like crazy, maybe the NWO formula will be followed to the letter and John Cena can take the Hogan role of surprise member of the group. Hey, at least then we’ll all get that heel turn we’ve been begging for all this time.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg

Moon Bear Kickstarter
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-icon.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-banner.jpg

Now, there are good things and we can try and focus on those. We got more Undertaker action that I ever though we would. Ziggler is the World Heavyweight Champion. The Shield remains undefeated and a dominant force in the company. But I still can’t shake the feeling that we are fast headed toward a dark timeline within the next month or so.

And so, in an effort to avoid getting bummed out about the impending months of wrestling, I had myself a bit of a “treat yo self” moment and grabbed the new Mick Foley DVD. So rather than dread the doom and gloom of what could happen in the near future, I’d rather focus on the good stuff that already happened.

I’m sure at some point here, I’ve stated that Mick Foley sits comfortably atop my list of all time favorite Wrestlers. That’s not to say he’s the best in the ring, or really the best at any one aspect of the business really, but he is my personal favorite and because of that whatever small specific complaints I may have about the set later in the column, I can’t help but recommend it. Because, Mick Foley you guys.

First and foremost, we have to talk about the Documentary, the main part of the DVD. Like just about any of these WWE DVDs, the documentary takes us from Foley’s childhood years, through his early wrestling days and on into his time at WWE. (His time with TNA is completely glossed over and never mentioned, but really, that’s to be expected.) As somebody who’s read the first three of Mick Foley’s books there is no real new information, and in fact a lot of stuff is left out, because after all, over fifteen hundred pages of stuff can’t really be crammed into a two hour documentary without a few things getting dropped. However, all the important stuff is there. And there’s even more of it in the bonus stories on the second disc of the blu ray.

One nice moment, is when during the interview, Mick mentions that he had spoken to Vince about hiring an up and coming wrestler named CM Punk (and Samoa Joe, though he didn’t get picked up) It’s an easy thing to say “I saw talent there first” about CM Punk now that he’s one of the biggest names in the company, but the conversation was also mentioned in Foley’s book Hardcore Diaries which was written back when CM Punk was signed, but still in developmental. Much of the documentary plays out in that fashion. For those who have read Foley’s multiple memoirs, the doc serves as sort of a greatest hits, only this time with pictures. Not taking anything away from Foley’s ability to write, but at the end of the day, wrestling is a visual medium and you can write “He threw his opponent off of the cage” in as many different ways as you want, but seeing it happen with still leave the biggest impact.

As we move on to the matches, I do think I have to question some of their match choices, especially those that the decided to leave off. Even though they were discussed fairly thoroughly in the documentary, both his Backlash match with Randy Orton, and his WrestleMania match with Edge were not included in the collection. And yes I know that there are other DVDs I can get where I can see those matches no problem, but this DVD set is billed as the end all be all, all encompassing career reflection of Mick Foley, and while the documentary hits that goal, the match selection doesn’t necessarily do the same. On the documentary Foley stated that his match with Shawn Michaels at Mind Games in 1996 was his favorite match until his one with Randy Orton in 2004. This means that Mick’s personal two favorite matches are not included on this DVD. And that’s a problem. The documentary does a great job of making you want to see both of these matches again, and for someone who may have only bought this Foley set, they can’t just switch discs to watch a match. In fact, speaking of Foley’s personal favorite matches, in 2010, he posted a list on his personal blog of his favorite matches. Of Foley’s top ten, only the famous hell in a cell match makes it on the blu ray.

Not that the matches that were selected aren’t great. A lot of his work with the Rock and Triple H are featured, which if you will recall was some great work. But as I watched that Hell in a Cell match for the umpteenth time, I realized that this was the first time I was seeing the match without any giant obnoxious blurs trying to hide the WWF logo. There are a few more matches that I’d really like to have in a form free from unnecessary blur, now that that’s a possibility, and more than a few of those matches could have gone here.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg

Moon Bear Kickstarter Here
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/WWE-Raw-Logo-2012-120×120.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/WWE-Raw-Logo-2012-500×250.jpg

When Punk left last week, he spoke about achieving goals and milestones during his time in the WWE. And he spoke about having hit many of those milestones and wondering what was left for him. The speech was one that very much seemed to echo his genuine feelings behind the scenes as much as his in ring character. He’s successfully held the championship longer than anyone else in the last twenty-five years, though he didn’t win, he was given the opportunity to challenge The Streak at WrestleMania, something that could arguably be the current highest honor in the company.  To a lesser extent, he was the only one, other than John Cena, deemed worthy to go against the Rock for the WWE title when Rock was in the title picture. He’s been both a heel and a face, and very successful in both cases. There is genuinely not much new left for CM Punk to do in the company. So what options are there for Punk’s eventual return? As much as we know about CM Punk behind the scenes, it’s very likely that whenever he returns it will be for a storyline that he very much believes in, so what could it be? What will it be like a few months down the road when CM Punk does eventually return?

First and foremost, I find it very hard to believe that CM Punk won’t be returning as a face. For six months the WWE tried to get us to boo CM Punk and it never quite took as much as they wanted it to. Punk committed acts that would easily have turned whole crowds against anyone else, but every time his music hit, there were always audible cheers. Sometimes, more sometimes less, but you could always hear them. Add the fans determination to cheer the guy to the fact that he’ll get the standard returning superstar pop? This guy is going to get a massive pop the night he comes back and I don’t know if WWE will ever fully be able to get it to go the other way.

Obviously the dream reason for CM Punk to come back is to face Stone Cold. It’s a match that both men have said that they are interested in and one that the Internet has been clamoring for since who knows when? This even fits into Punk’s story of leaving because he has no more unaccomplished goals in the WWE. Stone Cold would be an opponent to defeat that he had never gone up against before, and one that could easily be checked off of the wrestling bucket list that Punk has been burning through these past few years. The only downfall to this idea is that if a Punk/Stone Cold match can be arranged, there is no way that it won’t be taking place at WrestleMania, and I don’t want to wait until then to see CM Punk again. Starting at SummerSlam I’m going to be impatiently counting the days.

Speaking of WrestleMania though, there is one other goal that CM Punk could return for. CM Punk has never been the in the Main Event match at WrestleMania. He’s gone into Mania as the WWE Champion and come out of Mania as the WWE Champion. He’s challenged the Undertaker for the Streak but in all that time, he has never been in the final match of the night. Last year when half the Internet was complaining that Punk never ended a show despite being the champion, Punk comment that he always made sure his match was the main event regardless of where it was on the card. And while that it true, and while Punk more often than not made his match the one worth remembering (most of his previous WrestleMania appearances included) the shot of CM Punk holding aloft his newly won belt after an amazing thirty minute match to close out WrestleMania is something we have yet to see, and something worth coming back for.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg

Moon Bear Kickstarter
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-icon.jpg

1. Undertaker vs Cena
I’m just going to continue to make this prediction until it happens because it just seems like it’s bound to take place before Taker calls it quits. I don’t think Cena should be the one to break it, Cena’s got enough to hang his hat on, but I just don’t know how many more years Taker can do this, especially if this summer is his alleged farewell tour.

2. Brock Lesnar vs Ryback
I was gonna have Brock and Rock but I really don’t buy the Rock injury angle and I think there’s a good chance we won’t see Rock at all at WM 30. I needed a match for Brock and this seemed to make sense seeing as how Ryback is the heir apparent to be the face of the company once Cena-mania dies down or retires. I don’t have too much logic supporting this as I needed a match for both guys.

3. CM Punk vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
It either happens at Wrestlemania 30 or it doesn’t happen at all.

4. WWE Championship: Randy Orton(c) vs Dolph Ziggler
To all of our displeasure, WWE will build Randy back into the championship picture and it did pain me to think he would be holding the belt but hey! Look! I put Dolph in a championship match! That makes it better right? Right? Hello?

5. World Heavyweight Championship: Wade Barrett(c) vs Daniel Bryan
I still think WWE wants Barrett to win a Money in the Bank match at some point in the near future and Daniel Bryan winning the Royal Rumble has a nice ring to it.

6. Double Ladder Match for IC and US Championships:
Kane vs Cody Rhodes vs Damien Sandow vs Kofi Kingston vs The Miz vs Sheamus vs Kassius Ohno vs Big E Langston vs Alberto Del Rio vs Fandango

This comes out of the rumored match WWE scraped for WM29 because Vince allegedly isn’t a fan of Cesaro but idea sounded cool so I’m hoping it comes up again. It’s a 10 man double ladder match with both titles hanging over the ring. All 10 men are eligible for both championships and the match ends once both have been retrieved and could, conceivably, be won by one person.

7. Divas Championship: AJ(c) vs Kaitlyn
Why not, right?

8. Dean Ambrose vs Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins
I’m fully expecting Shield to be active throughout the entire year but we all know WWE is going to break them up at some point, why not make it at Mania?

Rhett’s Picks:

John Cena vs. The Undertaker

I think this will happen just for the reasoning that who else does Undertaker have to fight? I guess he could technically go fight Punk again. Or Rock. Or Brock. But it seems like the WWE has their eyes set on Rock vs. Brock so that left only Punk and Cena to choose between. John Cena has done absolutely everything in the realm of a face so the only real challenges left for him are The Undertaker’s Streak and going heel. Who knows? It could be both. Doubtful so I say he challenges The Undertaker next year for the big 30th anniversary.

The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar
Although this storyline got scrapped at Raw, I still think this match will happen as it’s a big draw for both movie fans of The Rock and UFC fans of Brock. The Action Star vs. The UFC Monster. Sounds like money to me. Plus it keeps two part-timers together so they don’t drag down an additional feud by never being present.
WWE Heavyweight Championship: Randy Orton vs. Ryback
This one was kind of a shot in the dark, but they need to have some seriously over people in the WWE title match and who better than these two for being over? I say that Randy Orton will be the WWE Champion here and be a heel after turning on Cena and taking the belt off of him at Royal Rumble. They could have Undertaker cost Cena the match. Claim he’s the only real challenge left or whatever. So yes that means that Ryback will be back to a face next year. I don’t really find that surprising as attacking and challenging is almost a face move nowadays. I say that Ryback will start stalking Orton and the belt. Or y’know just let WWE have him win at Elimination Chamber. *sigh* That’s such a stale concept now.

World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus vs. Antonio Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler
So after Orton and Sheamus being out of the title picture for so long, I see them getting their belts back by the big show next year. Anyways, I see Dolph being the champ going into Elimination Chamber, but he loses it there to Sheamus in the Elimination Chamber. Dolph cashes in his rematch. You might be wondering where Cesaro fits in? I say he wins the Royal Rumble in somewhat of a surprise after they hype Ryback winning a ton. Heck the final four could be Sheamus/Ryback/Antonio Cesaro/CM Punk. Anyways, Cesaro would then choose the World Title in order to prove he’s more of a brute than Sheamus and more talented than Dolph.

Triple H vs. The Shield
Well. This would be a way to tie up Triple H and all it would take is a Cerberus Bomb (TM: Steven Berkman) to Vince McMahon. Triple H comes back to take out The Shield, but they keep running until WrestleMania. There we have this handicap match in which The Shield obliterates him. Of course this is a big gamble because who’s to say that these guys will even be together this time next year? Well if Triple H doesn’t pan out because he’s an unpredictable part-timer then The Shield will be fighting themselves in a triple threat.

CM Punk vs. Alberto del Rio
This would be the technical bout of the evening with Punk trying to prove he can make anyone tap out. (Punk is back to a face by here though) Del Rio (back to heel after the failed face run) bum rushes Punk and forces him into the Armbar thus igniting a feud that runs into Mania with a Submission match.

WWE Tag Team Championship: Wade Barrett and The Big Show vs. Fandango and Brodus Clay
Eh just some more creative thinking. Wade and Big Show could make an interesting team with both of them just want to knock people out with their elbows and fists. Fandango I think will go face due to how over the guy is. But he will have lost a lot of his following by this time. So Sweet T either disappears or gets taken out by Big Show and Wade leading to Clay incorporating Fandango as his partner.

Daniel Bryan vs. Chris Jericho
This could also be a technical bout, but I think both of these men have sort of moved past that territory into strictly high-impact entertainment. Therefore I see this happening just to see who can steal the show at WrestleMania. This is another gamble because I have no idea if Jericho will even be back by this time.

United States Championship Kofi Kingston vs. Evan Bourne
They talked about Kofi going heel so why not have Kofi and Evan join forces again when Evan comes back, but Kofi just walk out of the match and leaves Evan to Wade and Big Show to dismantle. Granted Kofi could have lost and regained the United States Championship by this time. Actually. How about they turn Kofi heel, have him fight some of the bigger dogs (Cena, Orton, whoever) lose to them decide to go back to the United States scene, win that belt, Evan comes back and ‘turns’ Kofi face. They team up for a few weeks before the big title match. He leaves Evan for Big Show and Wade in like December. Evan disappears for a month or two. Then they have a big battle royal for Kofi’s belt. Evan surprises returns and wins it. Kofi avoids fighting him until WrestleMania. Evan finally wins.

Titus O’Neil vs. Mark Henry
Well Mark needed a match and Vince is high on Titus and I think he would do better as a face. Here ya go. Our slow-bearhug-falling squash match of WrestleMania XXX.

Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kane vs. Christian vs. The Miz
Literally just a way to have the rest of the guard on the show. The Miz could just recently have lost the title to Cody and Kane and Christian could have a running feud with either of them. *shrugs* However they want to go with this. Just a way to have as many people on the card as possible. Sure beats the hell out of the 8-Man Mixed Tag Match.

Diva’s Championship: Kaitlyn (c) vs. AJ
Well it didn’t happen this year and who really cares at this point? Why not just let Kaitlyn hold the belt until that date? No one cares about it anyways and she could break the record or whatever. AJ wins for a big face moment.

Joel’s Picks:

Brock Lesnar vs. The Rock

A week and a half ago, this was an all but guaranteed match for Mania 30, but then Rock mysteriously up and left, leaving us to question what exactly had gone on backstage. Still, even if there is now bad blood between The Rock and the company, too much money stands to be made off of a Brock and Rock match. Think how many people we were should would never be in a WWE ring again because of behind the scene squabbles, only too see them return when the money was right for everyone.

John Cena vs. The Undertaker (WWE Championship)

This was actually a match that I wanted for CM Punk this year, with him putting his year long reign against Taker’s WrestleMania streak. But alas it was not to be. However having this stipulation next year will offer a small consilation prize, because if Cena should be the one to end the streak (boo) there is a very easy story to set up where Punk doesn’t want Cena’s title reign to be longer than his. It means we would have to put up with a Cena champion for a year straight, but imagine the payoff with CM Punk going after Cena in the main event of WrestleMania 31.

CM Punk vs. Stone Cold:

It’s now or never. Both men have said that they want this match to happen. WrestleMania 30 is the perfect time to pull the trigger. Any point after that and they’ve probably waited too long. The time is now.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Randy Orton (WHC)

While I would love a year title reign for Dolph, that’s not what I’m asking for. But if he could at least stay near the title scene throughout the year that would be great. That’s not too much to ask right? And maybe don’t have him job to Swagger on an episode of Raw the week after winning the title?

Bella vs. Bella

I actually had the same match as the previous two guys until I saw that we all were predicting the same thing. This way, if I somehow magically end up being right, I’ll look like a genus.

Rey Mysterio vs. Del Rio

I’ve predicted a Mask vs. Mask match for Mysterio and Sin Cara for a few years now. But with Sin Cara being the biggest disappointment in the WWE, this time, he’s out. But as it’s closing in on time for Rey to retire, one last glorious WrestleMania moment, is probably not out of the question for the guy, provided he won’t be injured this time next year.

The Team Friendship Fight:

Team Friendship honestly will most likely not be able to make it another entire year, but if they do this is the match I want. Kane vs. Daniel Bryan the winner is the undisputed tag team champions, and had to defend the titles solo at Extreme Rules next year.

Triple H vs. Vince McMahon (w/Ryback)

And what’s a celebration of thirty years of WrestleMania without a little bit of passing the torch? Vince returns to his heel persona, and then Triple H has to fight his father in law for control of the company. Ryback is also in Vince’s corner so that 1. Ryback gets a spot on the card, and 2. Triple H will actually have someone to fight in the ring.

Ladder match to unify the mid card titles (with: The Shield, Wade Barrett, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston, Miz, Christian, and Big E)

Based on an idea that was supposedly floating around backstage this year but never came to fruition, it’s a way to get a lot of the full times on a card that is usually crowded with part times. Plus as Chris points out, this type of match can really give Mania a shot in the arm, something that has been lacking since MiTB got its own PPV.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg

Link to WrestleMania Powerpoint
Link to Moon Bear Kickstarter project
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-icon.jpg

I’m a sucker for callbacks: Two favorite moments of WrestleMania, and they are my favorite moments for the same reason. One is when Daniel Bryan tried to beat Ziggler in eighteen seconds after he kissed AJ, and the other was when Cena started to perform the People’s Elbow on the Rock only to stop at the ropes. In case you weren’t able to figure it out, in both cases this was a direct reference to an incident that had happened at the previous WrestleMania. And in a type of entertainment where continuity is often the first thing to go, I will admit to getting a little giddy at seeing someone reference something so specific that happened the previous year. Plus Cena’s face when he pulled out of the People’s Elbow attempt was a perfect, smug “Suck It, Internet!” face. It probably won’t be anytime soon, but that guy’s going to make a great heel someday.

The importance of the next generation: If there was one true problem with WrestleMania, it was how undeniably predictable the three main event matches were. Sure there could have been an argument made that Triple H was in his retirement match this time around, but most were pretty much convinced that he would be the victor of the evening. See that is one of the biggest problems when it comes to guys that wrestle on a part time schedule. When they do come back, it’s for one specific reason. The Rock came back to pass the torch. Undertaker came back to continue to be undefeated at WrestleMania. Because we know that these guys are here for a limited time, it’s much easier to figure out exactly what WWE has planned for them, and where their storylines are going to go. From the moment that The Rock announced he would be competing for the title at the Royal Rumble, most people were able to figure out exactly what story beats WWE would be following between the Rumble and Mania. And they were right. Now think to some of the mid card matches, such as Team Friendship vs. Ziggy and Big E. That match could have ended in a number of different ways. Team Friendship’s dynamic continues to work, so it’s easy to see them continuing to carry the titles. However, the crowd is so hot for Ziggler, perhaps he will be tag team champion. Big E is new but has support back stage, what does that mean for the guy’s future. Add in the briefcase, which throws a constant wrench into any predicted booking, and you’ve got solid arguments for multiple outcomes happening. In this instance, each near fall is far more believable as, we don’t know, where WWE is taking this storyline in the next weeks.

 At the end of the day, the crowd is everything: Every now and then, a wrestler, usually one who has just won a championship or a hard victory, will get the mic and say to the crowd present, that this win is for them, and without the crowd they would be nothing. It’s a nice sentiment, but one that we don’t put much stock in. Sure the crowd has sway, but at the end of the day, there are a few very specific voices backstage, and if they want something to happen a certain way, that’s the way it’s going to happen, regardless of how much I complain about it on the internet. But every now and then there is a crowd, a crowd that’s so loud, so entraining, and works so well together, that they just can’t be ignored. In the past few years, we got to see, Chicago turn CM Punk face, and the guy continues to get cheers despite six months of the WWE trying to get us to boo him. In Miami, the crowd “YES”ed Daniel Bryan from losing his Mania match in eighteen seconds to the WWE Championship scene a few months later. But here’s what’s truly great this time around. The WWE is admitting it. Videos of people singing Fandango’s theme have appeared on WWE’s YouTube account, and official statements saying what a great crowd Raw had this Monday. This is the same company that in the past year tried to play off the “YES” chants as crowds mocking Bryan and having Lawler say that a loud and clear “Lets go Ziggler” chant was for Sheamus. Hopefully, this is a case where the crowd is just loud enough, and just rambunctious enough to make a difference.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg

Wade Barrett vs. The Miz: Winner of worst build this year, with a build that can be best described as more or less, nonexistent. Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago that Barrett was building to a feud with Sheamus? With the limited time that these guys got to face, each other recently, the best thing I can figure that this feud is about, is who was in the better movie recently.

Ryback vs. Mark Henry: Like the one above it, this match had no time to build. I guess were just supposed to be excited because these two guys are both pretty good at picking up weights.

The Shield vs. Some other people: This match might win the award for biggest missed opportunity. Had they actually settled on the team of “other people” in time, there might have been some time to buildup genuine heat between the two teams. But now, all of that time spent having The Shield feud with Ryback is wasted, because it turns out, we’re not getting to see them go at it after all. Ryback is apparently too busy having weight lifting contests.

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango: The critical downfall of this match is that they never let us see Fandango wrestle. And they had time, I mean, how many weeks did we see those dancing promo videos before he finally appeared. Whether or not the WWE has faith in his ability, I’m not going to get excited about a guy that I’ve never seen wrestle. (And yes, I could go find footage of Johnny Curtis wrestling if I really wanted, but the WWE should want me to be excited enough to spend money. They should be the ones doing the work here.) The saving grace however, is the fact that Jericho is involved. Give the man a mic and a few matches on Raw, and he will force any feud he’s in into one that’s worth getting excited about.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger: Where I spent the earlier entries complaining about how feuds were not given enough time to grow, here’s a case of one that got way too much time. Swagger came back with his new persona and Zeb in tow just a bit early, and while the initial heat on these guys was great, and probably exactly what WWE wanted, It’s worn off a bit. Instead of getting mad about Zeb’s rants, I really just started to get tired of them. There’s a sweet spot in building a match, and while WWE often never makes it that far, sometimes the get in wrong in the other direction as well.

Team Friendship vs. Big E and Ziggy: Another match with very little buildup, but this one gets by on the fact that we like all four (five?) people who are going to be involved in this match. The excitement from this match comes, not from anything that’s happened over the past month, but from all the work that these guys have been doing over the past six months that make us excited to see them wherever they are, and just glad that we’re going to get to see them at Mania

Mixed Tag Team Match: If we were grading the match buildups on effort instead of success, this one would actually get a very high rating. Those that are involved in this match have worked so hard ever Monday for the past several weeks to try and be as entertaining as possible. I mean, I’m still very, very, very, very, very much dreading this match, but maybe with one or two less verys than before.

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H: This is one of those matches where the men involved are such titans in the business that just announcing that they will be facing each other would be sufficient buildup. But then we hit an awkward snag. Because the last time these guys went at each other in the ring, it wasn’t very good. So as much as they tried to get over that hump, really the buildup to this one doesn’t so much result in “I can’t wait to see this match!” but more along the lines of “I just hope it doesn’t suck as much as last time.”

The Rock vs. John Cena: The bulk of this feud would have easily gone toward the worst end of this list. After all we heard it all last year. We saw it last year. What is there left to see or be said? Well I’m actually giving all the credit for this feud to Cena. And not for everything Cena’s done because most of that falls into the aforementioned recycle pile of last year’s stuff. But in the one promo were Cena spoke about getting cocky last year and beating himself, we actually saw, dare I say, some emotion coming from the guy. Yes I know that this match is supposed to be all about Cena’s one shot at redemption, but for that one promo, it looked like Cena might be aware of that fact as well.

The Undertaker vs. CM Punk: And now we get to this one. I think it’s safe to say that of all the matches this year, this one had the buildup that everyone is talking about. I think it’s safe to say, at this point, that from this point on, nobody should be allowed to turn heel without getting a how-to crash course from Punk. Everything Punk has done for the past month has worked to propel this storyline to the forefront of everyone’s mind whenever thinking about WrestleMania. I take nothing from Undertaker, or the situation that has resulted in this being the storyline for their buildup, but Punk is the one who has taken the ball (or rather urn) and ran with it toward the finish line that is WrestleMania. Weather, you a full Punk mark that still refuses to “boo” the man or can’t wait to see Taker give Punk his well deserved punishment for his actions this past month, I don’t think anybody is looking forward to a WrestleMania match as much as they are this one.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg

Cena and Rock earn their spot on the card: I think it’s fairly safe to assume that Twice in a Lifetime is going to be the final match of the night. And I think it is also fairly safe to assume that this will not be the match of the night. (An honor that I fully expect to go to Punk and Taker.) But even though it won’t be the best match of the night, it can still be one that earns it’s spot on the card. Last year the match between these two left something to be desired from me. Maybe it was just the fact that no match can live up to a yearlong build up, but whatever the reason, Rock and Cena didn’t quite fall flat but did severely stumble at the finish line there.  This week, for the first time, I’ve finally started to get invested in this match and all that I really hope is that this time around these two can put on a match worth of the pomp and circumstance that has surrounded their rivalry for these past two years.

The Shield wins: Ok so there is one win/lose wish on this wish list. But this is the match that I really do care what the outcome is going to be. The Shield is a storyline that has the potential to really cement these three guys as a genuine presence in the company both individually and as a group. A victory at WrestleMania is exactly what they need right now, and that can kick this whole thing to a new level. Or Team Other Guys can get the win so that we can cheer Randy Orton doing his group hug move for 30 seconds, then have The Shield fade away into obscurity while the other guys go back to mulling around on SmackDown every week, with nothing to show for their victory.

Do something with Ziggler: I won’t go so far as to say that I wish Ziggler will cash in at WrestleMania (though that would be nice) but If that’s not going to be the case. At least let the man truly shine on the grandest stage of them all, especially if he’s going to be in the ring with Daniel Bryan at some point. Don’t rush it. Give us some time to enjoy that matchup happening at WrestleMania. Speaking of which…

Let Daniel Bryan be amazing: I said it last year, but I have some friends who watch one wrestling show a year, this one. And they don’t understand why I like Daniel Bryan so much because their knowledge of him starts and ends with that eighteen-second match. While I wasn’t as up in arms about that match at the time (the way a very large portion of the IWC was) I will say that it is high time that the casual fan gets to see, and fall in love with the same Daniel Bryan we get to see every week.

No impromptu concert: Never have I paid for a PPV with the hopes that maybe this time, the wrestling that I am paying for will be interrupted by a singer I don’t care about sing a song I don’t like. While I do enjoy the grander entrances that come with WrestleMania, that doesn’t stretch to include full on mini-concerts that delay a main event I’ve already been forced to wait a year to see. WWE, don’t do that again.

One thing out of the blue: Now WrestleMania is more or less the season finale of WWE. All the stories that we’ve been following are leading to this moment. We know what to expect from the show. But I would like one thing, and it doesn’t have to be a huge thing, but one thing that comes truly out of left field. Something that will be truly unexpected, and will require us all to tune into Raw the next night so that somebody can get on mic and explain just whatever the crazy thing we saw last night was all about. (Punk breaking the Streak will qualify as fulfilling this wish, by the way.)
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg

 
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-icon.jpg

WHC Match

Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett

Wade Barrett was out on injury at the time but I thought surely he’d be back within the year. Bring him back in some big bad way, push him to the top, give him a compelling gimmick maybe a successful title run leading into Mania, and you’ll have a great opponent for your top face on SmackDown to go against by this time next year. Of course, when Barrett did actually come back, it was more or less as the same guy he was before, the one that floundered a bit in the middle of the card and is still struggling to break all the way through to the main event scene.

WWE Championship Match

The Rock vs. The Miz

Ok, I feel a bit stupid about this one looking at it now. It makes me feel better though that Rhett predicted the exact same match in his early predictions. At least we can both be dumb thinking that Miz would be in the main event match of WrestleMania this year. Ok, so the Rock part makes sense. After all, he basically all but promised us that he would be champion again the day after WrestleMania so we knew that was coming. The thing is that Miz had a great story just waiting for him. Pushed aside for the Rock vs. Cena feud at WrestleMania 27 even though he was the current champion, Miz has a legitimate gripe against Rock that could have played out for a very interesting feud. Or maybe I just didn’t want to believe that I was going to have to watch a Twice in a Lifetime match. That could be it as well.

Diva’s Match: Beth Phoenix vs. Kharma

Man, a year ago this match up seemed like the only thing the Diva’s division could offer that was worthy of WrestleMania. And now, a year later, both of these women are gone from the company. See what I mean when I say you can’t predict what the year will bring for the WWE?

John Cena vs. CM Punk

These guys got thrown together partially because I just love to see them against each other. But what I was secretly hoping was that at any point in the whole year after WrestleMania 28, Cena might make that long desired heel turn. Maybe the loss to the Rock would finally get to him, and then we could have a grand Cena vs. Punk match, only this time the roles would be reversed. If you’ll remember, Punk was still a newly turned face, and I thought surely they wouldn’t have Punk be the heel so soon after his face turn this past year.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Ryback

I’m actually a little proud of this one.  This past year, we made our predictions on April 11^th, only five days after Ryback’s debut. It would have been very possible that the whole Ryback gimmick would have wound up going nowhere. And for a while there after weeks and weeks of no name jobbers, it looked like that might be the case. But even though he’s not facing Del Rio, I’m excited that at the very I was accurate in prediction a five day old character would still be popular enough a year later to get a spot on the WrestleMania stage.

Rey Mysterio vs. Sin Cara

Two years in a row I’ve predicted this match and two years I’ve been wrong. But there is still a chance that I might put this in my predictions for WrestleMania 30. It just seems that as we near the end of Mysterio’s in ring career, and mask vs. mask match is the thing he should end on. Now if only the guy can keep from getting hurt long enough to get a retirement match.

Tag Team Match: R-Truth and Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger

This isn’t a match that I really wanted to see, but at this point last year, these guys were really the only tag teams that were getting any air time on Raw, so there wasn’t much to pick from. However, it looks like Ziggler will actually be in the tag team match, so I’m going to say I got this one 25% right.

Streak Match: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker

My basis for picking this match was that video that was floating around the web a few years back when Brock was still in UFC. Basically Taker was in the audience and said something to Brock as he walked by after the match. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to send the Internet into a speculative filled frenzy.  This isn’t a bad prediction and it’s still possible that it could happen in the future although the number of Streak matches is rapidly shrinking, and we may just never get around to letting Brock have a turn.

Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan

Not an actual prediction. Just pointing out that at WrestleMania 27, these two were the dark match. Then at WrestleMania 28, they had their infamous 18-second match. I was just hoping that maybe they would get at least two minutes this time around, and then let the pattern continue, until WrestleMania 38 when they can finally have a full length match.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg

 
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-icon.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-banner.jpg

The thing about Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania is that as the number of victories grows higher and higher, the idea of somebody breaking the streak in any give year seems more and more unlikely. As we approached the 20-0 mark it seemed that there was no way that the WWE would let the streak end before then, so Undertaker’s win was already guaranteed before the opponent was even announced. The same thing holds true as we approach WrestleMania 30. Surely there will be a streak match at that PPV so anything before then automatically is an automatic win for the Undertaker as well.

That being said, over the past few years the WWE has actually done a fairly good job of being able to plant a seed of doubt each year that maybe, just maybe this could be the end of the streak. The right things have gone into the buildup each time around that even though logically you knew that the Streak had to continue, that lingering “What if…?” question was still there. A special note needs to be made of the build up to the second time that The Undertaker faced Shawn Michaels in 2010. Even with the match being a career threatening one, meaning that we all knew Shawn Michaels was headed toward his final match, that seed of doubt still got planted. The buildup that took place over multiple months and the emotion in several promos from both competitors worked so well that that lingering “What if…?” question was still there. And that’s really all it needed. Sure it was a forgone conclusion that Taker would be walking away the victor, but as long as that tiny “What if…?” was in the back of your mind, each two count could get you that much more caught up in the match.

But this year, for the first time in several years, that seed of doubt isn’t really there. In addition to the fact that next year is the 30^th WrestleMania, and there is no way that a Streak Match won’t be a part of that, this year is the first time in several years that The Undertaker will be defending his streak against a heel.

And because of this week’s episode of Raw, CM Punk is more solidly a heel than ever before. And not just a normal heel that insults the current city in an effort to get chap boos, but rather a true monster of a heel, a person that genuinely deserves to get thoroughly defeated come WrestleMania. One of the things that has always been able to help plant that seed of doubt that Taker will continue his streak in recent years is that he has faced heroes, some of the biggest fan favorites in fact. The challengers are guys who split the crowd reaction because a huge number of the audience would genuinely love to see their favorite break the streak. Now obviously there are still going to be cheers for Punk come WrestleMania time no matter what, and my cheers will most likely be among them. But these are cheers for Punk the wrestler, and not the current Punk character. CM Punk has to lose at Mania now, because he has to be punished for the way he acted this past Monday (and I assume for the way he will continue to act in the coming weeks)

This is not to say that Punk and Taker won’t have a fantastic match come time for Mania. I’m fairly sure that in December, it will be one of the top choices for match of the year. This isn’t even to say that WWE creative shouldn’t have gone the way that they did with Punk or this storyline. There are undeniable advantages to Punk being able to get this level of heat for his actions, and I can see why creative would want to jump on that. But this year, the outcome of the Streak match seems to be a little more certain than years past, and that’s when Taker’s victory was pretty much a guarantee to begin with. And in a year where I want The Streak to be broken so badly, I just wish that that seed of doubt were a little bit bigger this time around.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg

 
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-icon.jpg

If you were to take a look at the next six months the most obvious situation to have Cena turn heel during would be his feud with the Rock. What else could drive former golden child to the dark side than two losses in a row to the Rock, both at Mania? This is the obvious choice but it doesn’t work for me for a few reasons. First of all, turning heel by attacking the Rock is more or less the way Punk turned heel at Raw 1000. The problem here is that once the Rock goes back to film Fast and the Furious 7: Engines of Evil, This leaves an angry Cena without a target for his newfound heelish attacks. The greatest heels are a result of those wrestlers being able to find a grain of truth that they genuinely believe in, and using that to justify all of their heel moves. CM Punk and Mick Foley’s heel runs are shining examples of this and A simple I can’t beat the Rock won’t carry the weight that the eventual Cena Heel turn should carry.

Another problem grows from the fact that once being a heel, Cena would have little to no face challengers. CM Punk, his current rival for top position would be a heel right along side the guy. Top guys from Smackdown (Sheamus or Randy Orton) could come over to challenge new heel Cena, but that leaves the already fairly strapped for talent Smackdown even emptier than before.

A face vs. face match for the belt is big money for the WWE, and though I grumble about it on the internet, I find it hard to really begrudge the company for milking this thing for all its worth. So Cena’s turn doesn’t come until after the match where he wins, reclaims the belt, sends Rock packing to make GI Joe: Trouble in Hawaii and all the little kids are cheering.

But here’s the thing, WWE fans have always enjoyed hating those in charge Mr. McMahon being the prime example of this, and Cena has always been a company man. A dramatic character change is not what is really and truly needed here. Right now John Cena is the WWE. We all know that, but as long as Cena’s a face, it’s all really for the fans. The second that John says it out loud, then the seeds of the turn have been planted.

And that would be my Cena heel. One who wears suits to the ring, one who declares himself both the present and the future of the WWE. One who has Mr. McMahon, re-heeled and by his side because Cena is the most important thing is his business. One who wins by playing corporate games, who won’t give up and coming guys a chance because they’re not worth his time. One who does publicly all the things that the loudest of Cena’s critics already complain about him dong. He already gets boos for exactly that anyway, they might as well get intentional heat for it as well.

Unrelated Thought: Undertaker Returning? Whatever. The true highlight of the night on Monday was when, even though it was only a second, Mark Henry and Mae Young were standing next to each other. A family reunited.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg

 
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-icon.jpg

Of the two big repeat matches that we all knew were going to inevitably be forced to watch this year, this one was probably the one that I was less excited about. Everything about the SummerSlam match between these two felt off to me. From the buildup involving multiple lawsuits, to the eventual in ring action, this whole feud never seemed to click between these two. At least with Rock and Cena, there was some pretty impressive mic work pulled off by both parties when it came to the buildup last year. Here, the promo work did nothing to get me excited about the match the first time around, and there was no reason for me to get excited about this whole thing starting up again. But then the opener for Monday happened.

It was probably the smartest idea to not have either of the guys say anything. The idea that there was no time for promos before attacking actually works for this feud and these guys. There will be plenty of promo time in the coming weeks, and if all is good, this will be handled for the most part by Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon, leaving the actual in ring action to these two guys. Despite having known that this match will be on the card for ages now, for the first time, I’m actually excited to watch the buildup. You can milk several weeks out of the handlers of these two guys struggle to keep them from killing each other before their mania match. And the fact that the talking part will most likely be going to other people, makes it all the better.

Example #2: Dat Match

I have watched the final match from this weeks Raw three times now, in its completion. And I honestly think that with two PPVs already in 2013, the current match of the year is still this free one from an episode of Raw.  There’s no point in going through the match moment by moment, when you can very easily find it, to watch again, which, by the way, you should totally do. The point is this, at no point before the bell rang to start the match, did I think for a second that CM Punk would be winning that match. I didn’t know how he would lose, and thought maybe some outside shenanigans would be to blame. Perhaps The Undertaker would come out to kick-start that feud that we’re assuming is planned. The point is that before the match even began, we knew how it was going to end, but the thing is, in this case, it didn’t matter. These two were able to put on a match where even knowing the outcome in your head, could still captivate you with it’s pacing, and it’s move set.

Of course we can’t get through an entire article without complaining a little bit (thanks Blair) and for this match here is the one complaint. It does nothing for Cena Vs. The Rock. In fact this match probably makes me less excited to see the main event of Mania that I was before, because it is very likely it won’t live up to this. Where the encounter between Brock and Triple H made me excited to see the Mania match that this feud will eventually lead to, Cena and Punk did the exact opposite. I’m now longing for a match that I know has no chance (in hell) of being anywhere on the card of WrestleMania 29. I guess it’s time to start making my fantasy card for WrestleMania 30.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg

 
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-icon.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CRA-banner.jpg

In much the same way, it feels like we’re really supposed to waiting for Elimination Chamber to get out of the way before getting full on into WrestleMania season. Sure the Rumble officially affects the WrestleMania card, but still pesky lingering filler feuds have to wrap up at the Chamber  (I’m looking at you Kane vs. John Cena from last year) before we can really start looking toward WrestleMania. But that’s all over now, and we can finally start to look at what Mania is going to shape up to be.

Already, two matches were decided at Elimination Chamber this week, the two main title matches. Now technically both of those could still change. Dolph Ziggler still has his MiTB case and Cena’s title shot could go to CM Punk in next week’s match, but I don’t think anyone really believes that either of these stipulations is going to have any effect. With Swagger’s new character, I find it very hard to believe that he would go up against Ziggler instead of Del Rio. And while I don’t especially care to see Twice in a Lifetime, I can’t fathom what else they would have for Cena to do. All the pieces have been falling into place for too long to have this end up as Punk vs. The Rock again.

So what about the rest of the card? Well, some speculation has CM Punk going against the Undertaker in a Streak vs. Respect match. While I would love to see Punk take on the Streak, I really don’t care that much for the stipulation. Unlike a Streak vs. Career match where both parties have something tangible to lose, I don’t think the cheers/boos for Punk are going to be any different after the match regardless if he wins or loses. Still there has been some thought that Taker might not even on the card this year. However, if this ends up being the case, it will be the first Mania he sits out since, WrestleMania 2000 so I would have to think that this would require some serious injuries for Taker not to come back and defend the Streak, especially if Triple H has all but promised that he isn’t ending at 20-0. However if this ends up being the case, then we have to assume that the back up is to have CM Punk make Twice in a Lifetime a triple threat match, which honestly I wouldn’t mind. After all, it would help to add something new to the buildup for the match, especially when we’ve already seen a year’s worth of buildup for just Cena vs. The Rock. And I don’t think Punk would allow himself to be pushed to the side the way The Miz was during the buildup to Mania 27. No, Punk could really be just the thing to make the championship match worth being interested in, but all that said, I would still really like to see him challenge the Streak as well.

We’ve also been informed that Brock Lesnar will be joining the Card in some fashion, with the common answer being that he will once again take on Triple H, who will get revenge for his SummerSlam loss. Now, this is a match that I particularly don’t need to see again. And with Vince and Paul Heyman starting to get into a feud, it’s very easy to see how this match will end up being Heyman vs. McMahon with Trips and Brock being the in ring stand-ins. However this really bothers me for one big reason. Vince always has, and always will work better as a bad guy. Sure the pop when he returns after a long absence makes sense, and the “Thank you Vince” chants work when appropriate. But when it comes down to it, Vince works best as the boss everyone loves to hate. Which is why Vince currently has a 0-5 record at WrestleMania. Should Vince enter this match as a face, it would risk undoing that perfect streak of watching the guy everyone hates finally get what he deserves. However, this is one outcome that could make all of this work. If the match between Triple H and Brock Lesnar is for control of the WWE between Vince and Paul Heyman, and Heyman wins, then the whole buildup and match will all be worth it. WWE, if this is your plan, then keep this moving right along as I have no desire to stop you. But if you just want to show me Brock and Trips part II, then maybe thing again. I have a feeling we’re going to get enough Part II this WrestleMania.
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-banner.jpg
http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/no-chance-120×120.jpg