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I'd like to start off this week by plugging the TNA Blog listed at the top of my links on the right hand side of the page. It's written by Slim, an old friend from Stroke City oop North, and is well worth a read. Seeing as the lucky, lucky swine is about to take off to Florida for a year to watch more live TNA than the human body can even deal with for FREE. That's more 'something-on-a-pole' matches than I can even get my head around. Thank you, Vince Russo. Thank you.
"hey, no sweat..."
Anyways, despite only being a month removed from Wrestlemania, and despite having been offered a once-hallowed tournament (KOTR) on an overpacked episode of Raw, this month's WWE Pay-per-view (or if you're in the UK, 'relief...- it's- on- sky- sports- 1- Per- View'), Backlash, is upon us. It's set to be a pretty good offering from what I can see, despite it's sardine-tin-like positioning, and indeed some have said that last year's Backlash upstaged even Wrestlemania. Can the boys replicate?
I have to say, I find it hard to get excited about these midway PPV's that are sandwiched between the 4 or 5 ones actually worth watching in a year. However, I'd like to personally thank Steph McM and the writers for turning Big Dave heel, if he does actually complete the turn. It would make it slightly easier to bear Smackdown...which I'm fast-forwarding through these days largely to get to the Wang Yang, Morrison, and MVP action...is it wrong that the Miz is so damn funny?
Before I get to the matches, here's a passage from Gerweck.net that I couldn't help but identify with:
"I also want to take a second to ask if Batista is turning heel? It sure seemed like it, but it’s been pushed away a bit. He still gets a face reaction on Smackdown, but if he says something bad about HBK he’s booed. On the other hand, is Jericho a heel or not? They’ve been leaning him that way for several weeks, but always do just enough to make you wonder if he is. Like having him wrestle Umaga who is a heel, but then they have him put his feet on the ropes to get the pin? Or is Umaga face now, since he put an end to that Obama and Clinton debacle and got cheered for it? Please tell me if you know."
If only my five-year-old brother had some creative sway in the WWE, "Joel...is Randy Orton a goodie or a baddie?" That's a matter of opinion if I ever saw it...
So, the card.
1. MVP v. Matt Hardy (US Title Match)
This is finally the one that has been teased for a long time, and now that Matt is back and 100% after his appendectomy, I'm fairly certain he'll take the gold at Backlash. MVP giving him a belt to the skull on Smackdown on Friday is evidence if any more was needed. The pair had worked up an excellent chemistry and feud last year, and most people, people much smarter than I, are expecting this to be the blowoff for the storyline. Matt comes back and establishes himself midcard with the title, and MVP does what I have mentioned many times already, and goes on to shatter that glass ceiling...main eventer before the end of 08? Just wait...
prediction: Matt Hardy Wins US Title
2. Big Show v. Great Khali
I'm making this predicition based solely on what the insiders are saying right now. Khali is set to go back to India for anywhere up to a month to have knee surgery and to open...believe it or not...a wrestling school. The Big Show is only just back from a lengthy leave of absence, and hence a PPV loss this early would not be good for him. Expect to see very little of Khali in the next month or so apparently....YAY.
prediction: Big Show Wins
3. Kane v. Chavo Guerrero (ECW Title Match)
With the beat-downs that Kane has recieved from Chavo and his new enforer Bam Neely over the past few weeks, it will not be a surprise to me to see Kane retain the ECW title. This storyline could go anywhere though, as Kane beat Chavo at Wrestlemania in 8 seconds...it just wasn't right. These were the actions of a heel. It's all a bit muddled...and it's all Chavo's fault for going to watch TNA. BAD CHAVO!
prediction: Kane Retains...but perhaps not clean
4. BETH PHOENIX & MELINA & JILLIAN & LAYLA & VICTORIA & NATALYA NEIDHART VS. MICKIE JAMES & MARIA & MICHELLE McCOOL & CHERRY & KELLY KELLY & ASHLEY
I predict the face team win. I also predict that my minimal typing approach to the WWE Diva's division rules.
5. Batista v. Shawn Michaels
I can see Batista winning this, but to be honest, I'm dissappointed by the build up to this match. It's been so here and there that its hard for fans to fully make up their mind about who to boo and who to cheer. See passage above. Shawn seems to have gotten the upper hand on Smackdown with his sneak-attack superkick, so I'm expecting Batista to win it with a big ol' bomb. The Jericho element is an interesting one, as he looks set to call it down the middle. If that's so, why have him in it? I remain adamant that Y2J is going heel...perhaps we'll see some advancement to this.
prediction: Batista Wins
6. Randy Orton v. JBL v. Triple H v. John Cena (Fatal Four Way Elimination WWE Championship Match)
As we saw at Wrestlemania, the decision can be made in the 11th hour to completely swerve a match, and to be honest, who even knows what's going to happen here? I know for sure that JBL is NOT winning, and seeing as it's an elimination match, I'm going to go with him being eliminated early, or at least before the final two. My gut instinct is for Orton to retain, just as Cena did this time last year...and I think Triple H is in line for the title (and a heel turn...I'll keep saying it)...just not yet.
prediction: Orton Retains (...but don't forget the CM Punk element)
7. Edge v. The Undertaker (World Heavyweight Championship Match)
The Undertaker is set to hold the belt for the best part of the year, up until he decides to call it quits. I'm absolutely certain that he's retaining here. No question for me, unless they pull a huge swerve.
prediction: Undertaker Retains
I've only got a week left at Uni, and hopefully after that I'll have more time to properly watch the weeklies and talk a little more about the newest of the news. I hope everyone who decides to watch Backlash has fun.
J
Okay, so it's been a while. I hope this finds everyone well. We're well on the road to Backlash now (preview blog/predictions to follow), and I thought I'd take some time (while I have time) to recap my Wrestlemania thoughts and set them against what actually happened at the Citrus Bowl on the night. Sorry it's a little late.
For me, WM24 was spectacular. I can honestly say that I enjoyed the PPV as a whole, and despite the obvious stinkers (ones you knew would bite before they even happened *cough*bunnymania*cough*mayweather) the card was strong and meaty. Well worth the fans money. This, though, is still relevant to the WWE's problem. It was Wrestlemania. I don't know if there has ever been a Wrestlemania that could be described as wholly 'bad'. As long as the company continues to spew out more Pay Per Views than there are months in a year, and continuously saturate the market with its product, WWE programming will stay as bland and disposible as it has become, save for magical nights like Wrestlemania, The Royal Rumble and Summerslam. For now, I suppose all we can do is appreciate those special nights and hope for better...or more accurately, less...from Titan Towers.
My predictions? Okay, I know they weren't as fine tuned as I'd like them to have been, but I feel there is justification with hindsight to my advantage. Isn't there always? Let's look at the results:
1. JBL def. Finlay (w/Hornswoggle): Belfast Brawl (Predicted: Finlay)
Okay, this one still makes no sense to me. The storyline had been built up so well (save for the rampant and blatant visual references to child abuse), with so much emotion on both sides. Finlay was due his revenge in order to wrap up the storyline, but it never materialised. Fair enough if creative intend to wind this storyline out for a while longer, but from what I can see post-Mania...there is no such intention. Why leave fans so unfulfilled?
2. CM Punk def. John Morrison, Y2J, Mr. Kennedy, MVP, Carlito and Shelton Benjamin: Money In The Bank (Predicted: Mr. Kennedy)
To quote myself "Punk will get his push someday...just not yet." Boy how wrong was I? I'm genuinely glad to see a pure wrestler, a proper-non man mountain wrestler, win a big money match on the grandest stage of them all. The ROH legend CM Punk deserves the recognition that this victory attains...but let me also quote myself on something else. "The concept of wasting such a big match for the sake of the ECW title just doesn't make sense, and the idea of one of these guys entering a main event programme makes even less." I am more than interested, even perhaps apprehensive, to see where this is going. What's encouraging though is that some of my smaller predictions for this match, notably involving MVP, were spot on.
3. Batista def. Umaga: Smackdown! vs. Raw (predicted: Batista)
Big Dave wins a match declaring SD's supremacy over Raw, and then quickly turns heel and enters a program with one of Raw's top guys...HBK. You show em', oul boy.
4. Kane (wins 24 man battle royal earlier) then... def. Chavo Guerrero: New ECW Champion (predicted: Kane to win Battle Royal/ Kane to win ECW title)
Watch, as I bask in the heat of my own big brain. The funny thing about this match is that Chavo was squashed in the match by Kane in around 5 seconds because he was reportedly filmed at TNA Impact tapings along with other WWE superstars (The Highlanders being two). What do you expect when you hold your biggest PPV in the same town as your employees old friends?
5. Shawn Michaels def. Ric Flair: Career Threatening Match, Flair retires. (predicted: Shawn Michaels)
No surprises at all here. An absolute show-stopper. One of the most memorable moments that I think I have ever seen since I started to watch wrestling at age 5. I sat choking back tears...and I don't know one person who saw it live and didn't. It was my girlfriend's first Wrestlemania...and I can't think of anything better to give a relatively new fan an idea of why long-term fans love the business so much. Thank you, Naitch. WOOOOOO!
6. Beth Phoenix/Melina def. Ashley/Maria: Bunnymania Lumberjack Match (predicted: Ashley/Maria)
Yes, Phoenix and Melina got the three count, but Maria and Ashley got the Snoop-Dogg tasting upper hand by the end of it all...that's what I was getting at. Let's not waste any more letters on a WWE Diva's match, however. Not when such things as the TNA Knockout division exists. That's for you, Slim.
7. Randy Orton retains and def. John Cena and HHH: WWE Championship Match (predicted: HHH)
Quoting myself again, "One thing is for sure, this will be an interesting match, and it's not unlike WWE to change their plans last minute." The mobile-poll taken during Wrestlemania asking fans who they thought would win this match said it all, Randy Orton got a whole 8% of the public vote. This was a classic swerve tactic. Give the fans a moment of disbelief in a match where it seemed like there could be none. It's also worth noting that as soon as I saw this match on the undercard, and not the main event, I knew the Undertaker would win clean.
8. Floyd Mayweather def. Big Show (predicted: Floyd Mayweather)
Absolutely no surprises here. None. Barely even any entertainment actually...
9. Undertaker def. Edge: New World Heavyweight Champion (predicted: Undertaker by DQ)
Edges streak comes to an end, and Taker's lives on. Early rumours have suggested that next years Wrestlemania, taking place in the Deadman's home state of Texas, will be his last. With the WWE title match having the swerve ending, this was the only logical conclusion to Wrestlemania 24, but it was still a great one. This is looking like the long term-title reign before his impending retirement that Taker was promised and had begun at last years WM, but his bicep injury put an end to that. Here's hoping she's a good-un.
Overall prediction result: 6/10
Not so bad, considering the nature of the ones I called wrong.
Finally, before I go, Smackdown debutant Vladimir Kozlov...West Brom manager Tony Mowbray's brother???
you can call that one...
