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Welcome to the Silverdome. A place where one man looks at the wonderful and intricate world of Professional Wrestling.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Gimmicks Galore: Preview of WWE Extreme Rules 2011

Starting out as one of the most extreme nights of the WWE’s rigorous schedule, Extreme Rules has become more tame and diluted as the years pass.  When WWE went PG, the violent nature of most hardcore matches such as No DQ matches, Last Man Standing matches or Hell in a Cell matches were lost.  What we were left with were a bunch of matches that no longer work in the WWE’s current climate.  Not saying that the WWE should just abandon all these once great match types, the WWE has just overused them over the years.  With the right booking and co-operation between superstars, the WWE can bring back the magic these gimmick matches had years ago.  The only way the Extreme Rules PPV (same goes with the Hell in a Cell PPV) can work is if the WWE gets rid of the PG rating for one night only and let their superstars bleed and go out there and put on something that is truly extreme.

Taking the place of Backlash, WWE Extreme Rules is the event where all the fallout from WrestleMania takes place.  As promoted by the WWE, Extreme Rules is the only night when the WWE goes “extreme”, so to say.  The truth is that Extreme Rules is the only PPV where every match contested is a gimmick match.  As we slowly make our way out of the looming shadow of WrestleMania 27, we start the next quarter of the wrestling year.  With the WWE Draft and Extreme Rules, it is a time of new beginnings.  New rivalries, new storylines and new personalities are coming in the months ahead.  It will all start this Sunday, May 1st from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida at WWE Extreme Rules.

Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio in a Falls Count Anywhere Match

Cody Rhodes got his victory at WrestleMania, but that is not enough for the Un-Dashing One.  He wants to put Rey Mysterio through all the pain and suffering he had to go through when Mysterio disfigured him earlier this year.  As Rhodes continues to sink lower and lower in his self-loathing despair, he becomes more ferocious and deadly.  A Falls Count Anywhere Match seems to benefit both Cody Rhodes’ ruthless aggression and Rey Mysterio’s high-flying theatrics, so we will be in for one hell of a barnburner.  Like their WrestleMania, this match can go either way.  Personally, I believe Cody Rhodes should win again to continue his push to the main event picture on Smackdown while Rey Mysterio heads over to Raw.

My Prediction:  Cody Rhodes wins

Layla vs. Michelle McCool in a No DQ, No Count-out, Loser Leaves WWE Match

A break-up between Lay-Cool has been teased for months now, so it has been cool to finally see it come to fruition.  Lay-Cool has been the most dominating force in the Diva’s division for the past year, so it is time for WWE to turn the spotlight on other more deserving Divas.  If Layla and Michelle go out there with the same intensity they did in their match on this week’s Smackdown, we are in store for one of the most enjoyable Divas match in a long time.  Expect Layla to win in order to push her towards the Divas title picture and give Michelle McCool some time off.

My Prediction:  Layla wins

Jerry “The King” Lawler & Jim Ross vs. Jack Swagger & Michael Cole in a Country Whipping Match

This feud should have ended at WrestleMania.  Yes, Michael Cole gets extreme amounts of heat from the crowd, but that is not a valid enough reason to prolong this program.  Everybody in the WWE Universe just wants Cole to get what is coming to him, nothing more nothing less.  So hopefully WWE does not pull another fast one on us and end this feud once and for all with Lawler and Ross beating the holy hell out of Cole.

My Prediction:  Jerry “The King” Lawler & Jim Ross win

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match

Two times revenge has just slipped out of CM Punk’s grasp.  Randy Orton has bested Punk at every turn and each time it has continued to frustrate the Straight Edge Superstar.  The animosity between these two will hopefully make for one entertaining bout this Sunday.  As at Extreme Rules, CM Punk hopes to put all his bad luck behind him and put Randy Orton to sleep for the foreboding 10 count.

My Prediction:  CM Punk wins

The Miz (c) vs. John Cena vs. John Morrison in a Triple Threat Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship

The Miz has had a very rocky road as WWE Champion.  He has faced the likes of Randy Orton, Jerry “The King” Lawler, John Morrison and John Cena and emerged every time with his WWE Championship around his waist.  With the odds clearly stacked against the WWE Champion yet again, chances of The Miz retaining his beloved title are slim.  Also John Cena has made it clear that he wants his match against The Rock at WrestleMania 28 be for the WWE Championship, so sadly Cena will be in the title picture for a long time.  In order to push The Miz as the new Face of the WWE, the Awesome One needs to have a long dominate reign as WWE Champion.  After losing some credibility due to the Cena-Rock feud, The Miz will step back in the spotlight by winning the Triple Threat Steel Cage Match at Extreme Rules with a little help from R-Truth.

My Prediction:  The Miz retains

Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Ladder Match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship

Originally scheduled to be Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship, all that changed when Edge announced his sudden retirement a few weeks ago.  With Edge gone, Christian would fill the void his best friend left when he won a 20-Man Battle Royal on Smackdown.  This match will mark Christian’s big chance to step out of the shadow of Edge and become a main event caliber superstar in the WWE.  The only person standing in his way is the fastest rising superstar in the WWE, Alberto Del Rio.  Del Rio has been preaching for months on end that his destiny is to win the World Heavyweight Championship and Extreme Rules will be his final chance of doing just that before moving to Raw.  So come Sunday once the dust settles, one man will climb the ladder and fulfill his destiny.  That man will be Captain Charisma, Christian.

My Prediction:  Christian wins the vacant World Heavyweight Championship

The Road to WrestleMania is long gone and now we are heading into the summer.  WWE Extreme Rules can either start the next part of the WWE year with a bang or a whimper.  This PPV has the potential to overshadow the very anti-climactic WrestleMania 27.  The only way to do that is for the WWE to bring the “extreme” in Extreme Rules.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Silverdome Match of the Week: Fortune Becomes Immortal

This week was much calmer than the last week.  The only big news was the announcement that the WWE Draft will take place this coming Monday on Raw.  If you would like to read more about the WWE Draft, please check out the Spring Jumble:  Top 10 Picks for the WWE Draft article also up here on the Silverdome.  Now let us move onto some other news in the World of Wrestling.  After earning a spot in the Triple Threat Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship, this week R-Truth put up his spot in that match against John Morrison.  These two superstars competed in an intense affair with John Morrison emerging victorious and the new third man in the WWE Championship match.  Once R-Truth lost the match, something snapped in Truth’s head as he brutally attacked his former tag team partner.  R-Truth ended his assault by lighting up a cigarette and blowing all over the defenseless body of Morrison to the disapproval of the crowd.  Right before our very eyes, R-Truth went from stale and boring to interesting and edgy.  Last Monday, we laid witness to one of the best heel turns in a long time.  One the flip side, TNA Lockdown was last Sunday and it was a rather forgettable PPV.  Only one match delivered while the rest of the matches were brought down by TNA’s poor booking or unnecessary need to overbook certain matches.  There were a lot of great matches this week.  CM Punk vs. Randy Orton for WWE Raw and Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio and Chris Masters vs. Drew McIntyre both from WWE Smackdown were all worthy nominees for the Silverdome Match of the Week, but the one that delivered on TNA Lockdown takes home the award.  The Silverdome Match of the Week is Fortune vs. Immortal in a Lethal Lockdown match.

The feud between TNA’s two biggest factions has been going on ever since Fortune broke away from the evil Immortal back in February.  Immortal is built on all around power and corruption while Fortune is built around the cornerstones of TNA, four men who built the house of TNA Wrestling with their sweat and blood.  Animosity between these two factions reached an all-time high when Bully Ray took out AJ Styles, the leader of Fortune.  With revenge on their minds, Robert Roode, James Storm and Kazarian sought the help of “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, AJ’s best friend to even the odds.  These two forces would battle in a bloody and barbaric war in the confines of a Steel Cage.  Due to the rules of a Lethal Lockdown match, two competitors from each team will start the match with another member of one of the two teams entering every two to five minutes.  Once ever member of each team is in the cage, the ceiling will lower and the first team to gain a pinfall of submission will be the winner.  This Lethal Lockdown started out with Kazarian and Abyss which was followed by the entries of Matt Hardy, Daniels, Ric Flair, James Strom, Bully Ray and Robert Roode respectively.  These two teams battled in a violent yet very entertaining match that saw many of the competitors busted open.  Once a new competitor was introduced to the match, the momentum would swing in the favour of his team.  The first 20 minutes of the match were really fun to watch, but there was just one moment that was truly the highlight of the whole match.  That moment was right when James Storm entered the match.  The Tennessee Cowboy hit a flurry of double knee facebusters and backstabbers which took out both Matt Hardy and Abyss.  That left a vulnerable Ric Flair who begged Strom to spare.  Storm ignored Flair’s groveling and took a sip of beer then bashed the beer bottle into the head of the Dirtiest Player in the Game.  That very moment caused the crowd to jump to their feet while many cheered at home.  It was nothing short of awesome.  Once everybody was in the cage and the ceiling lowered, all hell broke loose.  Everybody began to beat each other with the kendo sticks and trash cans.  While all that was happening, Daniels and Hardy managed to climb up on top of the cage.  Daniels and Hardy battled up there for a bit until Hardy hit the Twist of Hate on Daniels then decided to go back down to the arena floor.  While Hardy was making his way to the floor, Kazarian cut the Cold-Blooded One off by dropkicking the cage.  Kazarian’s dropkick set up Daniels to hit one huge splash from the top of the cage onto both Abyss and Matt Hardy.  Chaos would continue as right when Bully Ray and Ric Flair got the upper hand in the ring, AJ Styles made his triumphant return and took out Bully Ray.  AJ’s attack allowed Roode to get enough time to lock in the Fujiwara armbar for the submission victory thus ending this amazing match.  If there are a few matches you watch from TNA all year, make sure you watch this Lethal Lockdown match.  Personally, it is the most fun I had watching TNA all year.  It reminded me of the fun I had watching TNA all those years ago.

Well it is the calm before the storm.  Next week looks to be another hectic week in the World of Wrestling.  The WWE Draft, the go home shows to Extreme Rules and the possible reveal of “The Network”, we are in store for one big week.  That is all for this Holy Saturday.  So until next week dear readers, have a happy Easter and a wonderful week.  Cheers.  

Spring Jumble: Top 10 Picks for the WWE Draft

The WWE Draft is an annual event that the WWE puts on every year in order to mix up the rosters of both Raw and Smackdown.  The Draft is done to keep each show fresh.  With superstars and divas changing brands, it revitalizes the storyline possibilities and offers different superstars and divas to be elevated up the rankings of the WWE.  Originally the WWE Draft for this year was planned for June, but had to be pushed up due to Edge’s retirement.  The sudden retirement of Edge last week left Smackdown with a huge lack of main event caliber superstars that needs to be fixed fast.  So the WWE pushed the date of the WWE Draft to this coming Monday Night Raw.  Hopefully this WWE Draft will be rather exciting as WWE will have to move around some big superstars between the two shows.  To join all the excitement that the Draft is producing, here are my top 10 picks (5 for each show) for the WWE Draft.

10.  Jack Swagger to Raw
We do not know what will happen at Extreme Rules between Jack Swagger and his buddy, Michael Cole.  If it is leading to either a feud or Cole managing Swagger, it would make sense to have them on the same brand.  As another thing, it would keep Cole from having to do much on Smackdown other than commentate.  You can only put up with so much of Michael Cole in one week. 

9 & 8.  Evan Bourne to Smackdown / Daniel Bryan to Smackdown
Evan Bourne and Daniel Bryan are in the same boat on Raw.  They both have so much talent, but due to Raw’s focus on more promos than matches they do not really get their times to really shine.  Sending them both over to Smackdown, where it is focused more on the matches, will give these two plenty of opportunities to show off the excellent wrestling talent that sadly gets squandered on Raw.

7.  Beth Phoenix to Raw
Are you surprised?  It has been months since we have even seen the Glamazon in a match.  She is one the few divas on Smackdown and she rarely gets utilized.   A move over to Raw could possibly give a new spark of life to Beth Phoenix.  Also with the evident coming of Awesome Kong to Raw, Phoenix might possibly be the only diva to combat this destructive diva.

6.  Wade Barrett to Raw
The Corre is seemingly falling apart at the seams, time for Wade Barrett to finally have a go on his own.  As the current Intercontinental Champion, a move to Raw would give Barrett plenty of challengers for his championship rather than seeing him defend against Kofi Kingston for the umpteenth time.  Potential feuds with the likes of CM Punk could boost Barrett up to the main event status he had just a few months ago.

5.  Kofi Kingston to Raw
The last couple of months have not been so kind to poor Kofi Kingston.  He has been swept under the rug on Smackdown, which is depressing as he is one of the most exciting superstars on the Blue Brand.  A change of scenery will greatly help Kofi Kingston’s career because things do not look good for the Ghanaian Sensation on Friday Nights.

4.  Zack Ryder to Smackdown
Hard times have fallen on Long Island Iced Z, Zack Ryder.  With the introduction of his weekly Youtube show, his popularity with the WWE Universe is through the proverbial glass ceiling yet WWE will not give the man a push.  Moving to Smackdown may be the only way the millions that make up the Zack Pack will ever get to see their hero on TV.  A move to Smackdown could also bring about a reunion of Ryder & Hawkins, which would be great to see in the WWE’s current failing of a tag team division.

3.  Sheamus to Smackdown
Ever since winning the United States Championship, Sheamus has had a good stream of luck on Raw.  The question is how long will this good luck last for the Celtic Warrior?  Sheamus has really improved over the last year yet he is not in the main event challenging for the WWE Championship like he was a year ago.  Moving Sheamus to Smackdown will do wonders to rebuilding his main event status which the likes of Randy Orton, Triple H and John Cena did all to squash. 

2.  Randy Orton to Smackdown
With Edge gone, Smackdown needs a hero or anti-hero.  Smackdown needs somebody for the fans to get behind immediately and feud with the likes of Alberto Del Rio while they build new superstars.  The superstar that should take up the task is Randy Orton.  To be honest, Orton is growing rather stale on Raw.  A move to Smackdown would give some new opponents for the Silent Assassin to face.

1.  Cody Rhodes to Raw
So far this year Cody Rhodes has been the breakout superstar.  The transformation from Dashing to Un-dashing has been nothing short of phenomenal.  Each and every week a new darker facet of Rhodes’ new persona is revealed to the Smackdown audience.  Cody Rhodes’ rise to the main event is here and there will be no better way to do it than on WWE’s flagship program where he will get a lot more exposure than Smackdown.  Cody Rhodes would add a new edgy dimension to a show that needs that edge in Monday Night Raw.

In conclusion, WWE needs to make some big moves this Monday on the Draft or else Smackdown may be go into a downward spiral.  Since the WWE announced the Draft earlier this week there has been a lot of speculation.  There have been rumors going around that John Cena may be sent to Smackdown or the World Champion and WWE Champion, whoever they may be after Extreme Rules, may switch shows.  These rumors all make sense as WWE needs to fill the void that Edge left when he retired last week.  All in all, this year’s WWE Draft looks like it is going to be very exciting.  So make sure to tune in this Monday Night at 9 to see who gets drafted. 

Saturday, April 16, 2011

The Silverdome Match of the Week: Christian for Champ

The huge news coming out of the World of Wrestling this week was the announcement of Edge’s retirement.  Other than that the WWE started to build to their Extreme Rules PPV by making both John Cena vs. The Miz vs. R-Truth for the WWE Title and Jerry Lawler & Jim Ross vs. Jack Swagger and Michael Cole for the event.  While the WWE was building their next PPV, TNA has been building their first big PPV of the year in Lockdown, where every match takes place in a Steel Cage.  After the incredible failure which was last month’s Victory Road PPV, TNA needs to put on a great show this Sunday to please the TNA faithful.  So watch Lockdown this weekend to see what happens.  With both WWE and TNA’s build toward their next PPVs, we got a few matches worthy of the Silverdome of the Week crown.  Sin Cara’s debut match on Raw against Primo and Rey Mysterio vs. Drew McIntyre from Smackdown were both great displays of athleticism and sheer brutality, but neither of these matches could take the crown.  That honour goes to the No. 1 Contender 20-Man Battle Royal from Friday Night Smackdown.

With Edge retiring, he had to relinquish his reign as World Heavyweight Champion.  So on Smackdown, the WWE had to determine the other superstar who would battle Alberto Del Rio for the vacated World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules.  To determine such a superstar, Smackdown General Manager Teddy Long put together a 20-Man Battle Royal.  Like many Battle Royals before, this match started out with all 20 competitors fighting it out with one another.  This Battle Royal was very entertaining as it had a lot of very nice little match-ups and every elimination was very fun to watch.  It was nice to see Alberto Del Rio, who was sitting at ringside; every elimination he gave different facial expressions and gestures.  It gave a nice touch to the match.  Like all Battle Royals, it was very hectic with all the action that was happening in the ring.  Some stand-out moments were the Big Show charging Ezekiel Jackson which caused both superstars to be eliminated, the face-off between Kane and Brodus Clay, Barrett and Gabriel’s double clothesline to eliminate Kane and Justin Gabriel’s elimination of Wade Barrett.  The number of competitors continued to whittle down until we were left with Christian and Jack Swagger.  Christian and Swagger battled back-and-forth for a good minute or so before both superstars started battling on the apron.  The tension in this match was at an all-time high as these two battled on the apron.  Christian tried the hit Swagger with a Pendulum Kick in order to eliminate the All-American American, but Swagger would counter it into the Ankle Lock.  Christian rolls out of the Ankle Lock only to be sent back out to the apron by Swagger.  While on the apron, Del Rio grabs Christian by the ankle in order to eliminate Captain Charisma.  Christian would kick off Del Rio and then pull down the ropes on a charging Jack Swagger to win the No. 1 Contender Battle Royal and the chance to face Del Rio for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules.  Following the match, Edge came out and celebrated Christian’s victory.  It is great to see Christian finally getting his chance to be in the main event.  With Edge gone, it Christian’s time to fill the void Edge left and become the new World Heavyweight Champion.  The Peeps have been waiting years for this very moment.  So this is a calling to arms is to all the Peeps out there.  Time to show our full support for the Pontiff of the Peepulation, let us take the next two weeks before Extreme Rules to spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, whatever you want.  We want Christian for the next World Heavyweight Champion (#ChristianForChamp).  Let us make our voices heard.  Christain for Champ!

Well as you can see it has been a very exciting week and it is not the Road to WrestleMania.  Not much has been revealed for next week’s Raw, Smackdown or Impact so there is not much to talk about sadly.  For all those who have not got chance to watch the revival of WWE Tough Enough, it is some good television that is definitely worth your time.  Also it has been announced that The Rock will be back for the May 2nd edition of Monday Night Raw in Miami to celebrate his birthday.  That is all for this wonderful Saturday until next week my dear readers.  Cheers.

The Rated R Era Comes to a Sudden End: Adam “Edge” Copeland Retires

No one could have imagined that it would happen this week.  No one could believe that it was happening right in front of their eyes on Monday Night Raw.  When Josh Matthews announced that Edge would be on Raw to give what would be his retirement speech, everybody thought it was just another wrestling angle.  In all truth of the matter, it is 100% real.  As of Monday, April 11th, Canadian-born Adam “Edge” Copeland has retired from the WWE due to life-threatening injuries.

There have been talk for the last couple months that Edge would retire in the next couple years, but nobody thought this soon.  Nobody could have seen it coming.  Just a little more than a year ago, Edge had returned from a torn Achilles tendon that took him for about half of 2009.  So to say the announcement of Edge’s retirement was abrupt would be an understatement.   It completely blindsided everybody to the point that you just sat on in your chair in disbelief.  Edge’s farewell speech on both Raw and Smackdown were very heart-felt and emotional.  This is a man that put his very heart and soul into the wrestling business.  From the first few TLC matches and Money in the Bank Ladder matches, this man has truly revolutionized pro wrestling in a way that only a few men have done before.  Edge is one of the greatest heels of our time.  He has used his status to help other aspiring superstars such as Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder and create other heat magnets in Vickie Guerrero and Lita.  Starting from the tag team division with fellow Canadian and friend Christian, Edge’s rise to greatness has been well-defined in the annals of the WWE and pro wrestling.  Much like Shawn Michaels, Edge has undoubtedly stolen the show many a time.  You can depend on Edge to put on a great match, no matter how much pain he is.  There are very few WWE Superstars with a will and determination like Edge and it is sad to see him retire.  It is Edge retired now rather than see him take a big bump in a match and not get up.

In closing, as a big Edgehead it is very surreal to see Edge retire.  Personally, the feelings of sadness have not hit me yet.  I am glad he retired before being paralyzed or killed in the ring.  This retirement shows that in the wrestling business your career can end at anytime.  Even though with Edge gone, this gives all the younger superstars and a few ring veterans a chance to really step up to the main event scene in the WWE.  In my opinion, I do not believe Edge is done working with the WWE.  His time as an in-ring competitor is certainly over as reports have said he will never be medically cleared to compete again.  That does not leave the opportunity for Edge to return in a non-wrestling role such as being a part of WWE Creative, commentating or being a road agent for WWE.  There never has and there will never be another great wrestler much like Edge and we will never forget that.  Thank you, Adam “Edge” Copeland for everything you have done for us fans and the industry that we all love.  Goodbye for now and long live the memory of the Rated R Superstar!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Two Titans Will Clash in Miami: The Rock vs. John Cena WrestleMania 28

Out of the dust and rubble of the anti-climatic show which was WrestleMania 27 comes one match.  One match that we all have been craving for, one match we all have been wanting, one match we all have been eagerly anticipating.  That one match pits Icon vs. Icon in a battle between eras, the Attitude Era vs. the WWE PG era.  A battle of this magnitude has not been seen since The Rock and Hulk Hogan collided in front of an emotional Toronto crowd in the Skydome at WrestleMania X8.  Over ten years later, we get the next gigantic dream match, The Rock vs. John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania 28.  The most shocking thing about this match is that WrestleMania 28 is a year away.  For the first time in WWE history, the main event of a WrestleMania has been booked a year before it will happen.  You must be wondering to yourself, how is the WWE going to keep interest on this one match for a year’s time?  It is a question that cannot be fully answered.  You can speculate all you want, but that will not change what is going to happen.  Only time will tell.  But there is one thing that is written in the stars and that is the confidence the WWE has in both The Rock and John Cena to pull this incredible feat off.  Let us take a look back at how John Cena and The Rock got to this very moment and let us take a look ahead at what might come between these two icons.

There has been animosity between The Rock and John Cena for a long time, it just was not televised.  All the way back in 2008, Cena made some comments during an interview against The Rock and his focus on his acting career rather than giving back to the wrestling fans who have supported him for years.  These comments by Cena looked like the start of a war of words between the Great One and the Face of the WWE, but nothing came of it.  That was until February 14th of this year when The Rock was announced as the Host of WrestleMania 27.  Upon his return, The Rock addressed his feelings toward John Cena and his comments from three years prior.  The Rock made fun of John Cena in a way that nobody on the WWE roster could have ever done.  The Rock sparked the war of words that everybody thought would happen in 2008.  The following weeks leading to WrestleMania 27, The Rock and John Cena would go back-and-forth making fun of and trying to one-up one another.  Cena went so far to focus on his war of words with The Rock that he forgot of his opponent at WrestleMania, the current WWE Champion The Miz.  After weeks and weeks of build, The Rock and John Cena finally came face-to-face on the March 28th edition of Monday Night Raw.  The Rock and Cena exchanged some more words, but in the end John Cena would deliver an Attitude Adjustment to the People’s Champ.  An upset Rock would have to hold onto his anger for John Cena besting him on Raw until WrestleMania 27.  The WWE Championship match between The Miz and John Cena was getting really intense right when Cena would tackle The Miz over the barricade to the concrete floor of the Georgia Dome.  This act of desperation by John Cena would get both men counted-out.  Then The Rock would come out and restart the main event, but this time it would be a No DQ Match.  Immediately after the bell rang to restart the match, The Rock would get his revenge on the Leader of the Cenation with a thunderous Rock Bottom.  The Miz would then roll over and pin the downed John Cena in order to retain his WWE Championship.  The Rock’s actions at WrestleMania would be the catalyst for John Cena vs. The Rock that is now destined to happen a year from now in Miami.

In closing, we finally got the match we have waited years for in The Rock vs. John Cena.  Personally, I think that Summerslam would have been the safer choice.  It is much closer than WrestleMania 28 and WWE could build a rematch between The Rock and John Cena for WrestleMania 28.  It still could happen; we got a year of build ahead of us.  The thing WWE should be wary of is of putting this match off until next January.  You announced this a year in advance; there should be some sort of build from the moment the match was made last Monday all the way until WrestleMania 28.  John Cena’s sole purpose for the next year should be preparing to face The Rock and vice versa for The Rock.  It’s only one year away, The Rock vs. John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania 28.  Let the anticipation begin!        

Anti-Climactic Mania: Review of WWE WrestleMania 27

Sometimes the hype is better than the actual event.  That happened last Sunday with this WrestleMania.  WrestleMania is supposed to be the climax of majority of feuds that either causes them to end or launches them for feuds into the second quarter of this year.  WrestleMania 27 felt very anti-climactic.  Matches that were built up for months on end such as Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole, CM Punk vs. Randy Orton and The Miz vs. John Cena did not live up to the hype.  Also The Rock’s hosting gig at WrestleMania did not live up to the huge deal the WWE made about it.  The Rock had some very entertaining promos and backstage segments during the first half of the show, then seemed to have no presence whatsoever until the end of WrestleMania.  Speaking of the end of WrestleMania, like the topic of this first paragraph it was the very definition of anti-climactic.  Right when The Miz vs. John Cena match was getting good, they decided to have the match end by double count-out only to be restarted by The Rock, which killed all the momentum this match had gained up to that point.  Then immediately after Rock restarted the match, he gave Cena a Rock Bottom.  We got the catalyst for John Cena vs. The Rock, but in my opinion it could have been done much better.  The Rock stood tall at the end of WrestleMania 27, but it cost the credibility of The Miz and the WWE Championship.

Even though WrestleMania 27 did not deliver on the hype and momentum that was gained from the stellar Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber PPVs, it was still a pretty good show.  WrestleMania 27 will not go down in the history books as the Biggest WrestleMania in WWE History like WWE has been vigorously promoting, but there were quite a few memorable moments nonetheless.  The Rock’s intro promo, Alberto Del Rio hitting Edge with an enzuigiri on the top rope, Cody Rhodes smacking Rey Mysterio with his knee brace, Randy Orton reversing Punk’s Springboard Clothesline into a RKO, the Undertaker and Triple H beating the living hell out of one another and John Cena and The Miz’s video packages were all memorable moments from WrestleMania 27.  None of these moments could be defined as a WrestleMania moment though.  Among the many things the WWE did wrong, there was one thing that they excelled at.  It was the production values for this event.  Everything from the stage to the entrances lived up the grandeur and spectacle that WrestleMania has established over these last 26 years.  As a wrestling fan, it is worth your time to check out WrestleMania 27 because it is the biggest wrestling show of the year.  But the quality of WrestleMania 27 does not warrant you to go out of your way to buy the PPV or the DVD once it comes out.

Edge def. Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
My Rating:  8.5/10

Cody Rhodes def. Rey Mysterio
My Rating:  8/10

Kane, the Big Show, Santino Marella & Kofi Kingston def. The Corre (Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater & Ezekiel Jackson)
My Rating:  5/10

Randy Orton def. CM Punk
My Rating:  8.5/10

Michael Cole def. Jerry Lawler by DQ with Stone Cold Steve Austin as Special Guest Referee
My Rating:  3.5/10

The Undertaker def. Triple H
My Rating:  9/10

John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki def. Dolph Ziggler & Lay-Cool
My Rating:  5.5/10

The Miz def. John Cena to retain the WWE Championship
My Rating:  7/10

Overall, WrestleMania 27 was a pretty good PPV.  As wrestling fans, we come to expect a great to phenomenal show from WrestleMania each year.  So when WrestleMania does not live up to our lofty expectations it leaves us disappointed.  Yes, these are very high expectations, but there will be these high expectations when it is called THE biggest wrestling extravaganza of the year.  WrestleMania 27 had the glitz and the glamour in spades, but fell real short on substance.  There were good to great matches on this card, but there was no match or moment that made you feel that this was WrestleMania.  In the end, WrestleMania 27 is worth watching once, but not worth enough to validate spending 55 dollars for the replay or paying 30 to 40 dollars on the DVD once it come out.  My rating for WWE WrestleMania 27 is a 7 out of 10.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

The Silverdome Match of the Week: Two Bucks Collide

WreslteMania Week is coming to a close and there is a lot to talk about.  Raw was packed to the brim with excellent build-up to the Show of Shows.  We got to see CM Punk and Randy Orton kick off the show with a bang, the Undertaker, Triple H and Shawn Michaels put on one excellent promo in the middle of the show and saw the one moment we have been waiting weeks for, John Cena and The Rock in the same ring.  As mentioned before, it was one packed show that did a superb job in bringing us to WrestleMania 27 this Sunday.  With the mention of all these great promos, you are wondering where is all the great matches?  Well there were not many this week due to all the time being given to these promos, but there were still a couple of matches that shone above the rest.  The team of Edge & Christian would return to Raw for the first time in over five years to face off in a really good match against the likes of Alberto Del Rio & Brodus Clay, but the Silverdome Match of the Week goes to a match from TNA Impact.  The Silverdome Match of the Week goes to short, but oh so sweet Jeremy Buck vs. Max Buck.

The animosity between these two brothers stemmed from all the way back to the Ultimate X match at Victory Road.  Max being the older of the two Buck Brothers, he thought that he deserved to win the X Division Title and his brother Jeremy should help him win it.  With both Kazarian and Robbie E out of the way, Max would start to scale the steel contraption which was the Ultimate X only to have Jeremy stop him.  Feeling betrayed Max would start to take his frustration out on his brother.  The bickering between both Max and Jeremy cost both of them the X Division Title.  Now a few weeks later, they finally go face-to-face in order to end their sibling rivalry.  The match started out very even as Max and Jeremy with a series of lock-ups, wristlocks and leg sweeps.  Jeremy would get the first advantage in the match as he sent Max to the floor with a series of arm drags.  Being a good sport, Jeremy would hold the ropes for his older brother to enter the ring.  Max took Jeremy’s kind offer and the match continued.  Max and Jeremy would continue to hit high-flying move after high-flying move both trying to take out the other.  Then Max would send Jeremy out to the floor and in a nice gesture would hold the ropes for Jeremy to enter back into the ring.  Except this time Max would take Jeremy’s moment of vulnerability to take the advantage.  Max would throw Jeremy into the corner with a powerbomb in order to set up his top rope twisting Diamond Cutter finisher for the victory.  In the short time that Max and Jeremy Buck had to put on this match, it was just phenomenal.  The match had an excellent pace, and some great mat wrestling mixed with some stunning high-flying maneuvers.  Given more time these two could most likely put on one hell of match.  TNA needs to have more matches like this on Impact.  Matches like this one show the talent their roster really has and does a great job of showcasing their wrestlers.  Looking forward to seeing what these Young Bucks bring in their future singles careers.

With less than 24 hours until WrestleMania 27, every wrestling fan is in heaven with anticipation.  You can analyze all you want, you can predict all you want, but you cannot exactly see what is going to happen in those magical four hours.  When the dust settles tomorrow, history will be made.  All we know for certain is that The Rock will be live on Raw for the aftermath of WrestleMania 27.  All we can expect now is that there will be something big going on with the Host of WrestleMania 27.  Well until next Saturday dear readers have yourselves an excellent WrestleMania Sunday and enjoy the show.  Cheers.

The Road to WrestleMania 27 Part 5: Written in the Stars

Over the past months, there has been a lot of talk as to Vince McMahon wanting to push WrestleMania 27 as the Biggest WrestleMania in History.  To make this possible WWE brought the return of the two biggest stars of the Attitude Era in Stone Cold Steve Austin and the People’s Champ, The Rock, the return of greatest Diva in WWE History in Trish Stratus and the most popular reality star in the last couple years in Snooki.  Even with all the big name talent WWE has brought in to push up buy rates for WrestleMania, the matches on this card are going to be what sells this PPV.  WWE has collected some of the biggest feuds that have either spilled over from the end of 2010 or just started budding in these first three months of 2011 for WrestleMania 27.  Now the question has to be asked.  Is WrestleMania 27’s success written in the stars?  Or will it plummet straight into the ground like a shooting star?

The Road to WrestleMania started a good two months ago with the Royal Rumble.  Then our journey got a shot of adrenaline after making a pit stop at Elimination Chamber.  Now our journey to WrestleMania has finally come to a halt as we have reached our destination, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA.  All the build, all the surprises, all the WWE TV both good and bad have all come down to this one event.  It is our Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, World Series and World Cup all combined into one four hour mega-show.  This event is WrestleMania 27.  It is here, it is now!

Sheamus (c) vs. Daniel Bryan for the U.S. Championship

Over the past few months, Sheamus has been really come into his own.  He had a phenomenal feud with John Morrison, won King of the Ring and won the U.S. Title from Daniel Bryan.  Now here is the rematch and it looks primed to steal the show at this year’s WrestleMania.  Sheamus just won the U.S. Title so expect him to beat Bryan yet again, but Bryan will not go down without putting on one stellar WrestleMania performance.

My Prediction:  Sheamus retains

The Corre (Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater & Ezekiel Jackson) vs. Kane, the Big Show, Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov in an Eight Man Tag Team Match

For a while, the Corre just seemed like a sorry rip-off of the Nexus.  Few weeks ago that all changed when these four men completely destroyed both the Big Show and Kane in one impressive beat down.  With both the Intercontinental and Tag Team Titles in their possession, the Corre take on the team of Kane, the Big Show, Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov in their WrestleMania debut.  This match feels like it was thrown together at the last moment in order to get more superstars on the card.  The Corre will most likely go over and continue their reign of dominance.

My Prediction:  The Corre wins

Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes

Rey Mysterio made one huge mistake when he bashed in the face of Cody Rhodes with his knee brace.  Cody’s dashing good looks along with a chance to compete at both the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber PPVs were all taken away with one 619.  On his return, Cody Rhodes made it his mission to get revenge against Rey Mysterio.  During his time recovering, Rhodes made one surprising transformation from the ever confident “Dashing One” to the bitter, broken and “Un-dashing” man that he is now. Personally, this match is the one I am most looking forward to.  These two have had the best build-up to WrestleMania and it will be intriguing to see who goes over in this one.  It could go either way, but Cody Rhodes should win to push him to the main event.

My Prediction:  Cody Rhodes wins

Jerry “The King” Lawler vs. Michael Cole w/ Jack Swagger with Stone Cold Steve Austin as Special Guest Referee

Oh how we all have been waiting for this one.  Since the moment Michael Cole cost Jerry Lawler the WWE Championship against The Miz all the way back in November of last year, everybody has wanted to see Lawler get his hands one the snidely Cole.  Finally on Sunday, Lawler gets his hands on Cole and the roof will be blown clear off the Georgia Dome.   No matter what happens, we all want to see a Stone Cold Stunner by Austin, and a top rope fist drop and piledriver from Lawler all on Michael Cole.  It will be a WrestleMania moment that nobody will forget.

My Prediction:  Jerry “The King” Lawler wins

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton

One thing has been stirring in CM Punk’s soul ever since Unforgiven 2008.  That was Randy Orton costing Punk the World Heavyweight Championship.  Now the roles have been reversed as Punk would go on to cost Orton the WWE Title at Royal Rumble.  After Punk pissed off the Viper, Orton took it upon himself to eliminate each and every member of Punk’s New Nexus.  With nowhere to run and nobody to help, CM Punk has showed that a trapped animal is a dangerous animal.  For the last two weeks, Punk has brought the intensity to Randy Orton.  Come Sunday night at WrestleMania, Orton will go to sleep for the 1, 2, 3.

My Prediction:  CM Punk wins

John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki vs. Dolph Ziggler & Lay-Cool w/ Vickie Guerrero in a Six Person Tag Team Match

Looking at this match there is only one thing out of place and her name is Snooki.  What all started as a conversation between John Cena and Snooki on Twitter has snowballed all the way to a match on The Grandest Stage of Them All.  Yes, celebrities have been involved in matches at WrestleMania before, but for somebody as unprofessional as Snooki she should not be in the ring.  Hopefully WWE uses this match to showcase the great talent in the young superstars of John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler rather than focus on Snooki and all her shenanigans with the Lay-Cool and Vickie Guerrero.  They deserve this moment much more than she does.

My Prediction:  John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki wins

Edge(c) w/ Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio w/ Brodus Clay for the World Heavyweight Championship

Destiny is the one word that has been ringing throughout the hollows of the WWE.  It was Alberto Del Rio’s self-proclaimed destiny to win the 40-Man Royal Rumble match.  Now the Mexican Aristocrat believes it is his destiny to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania and make his first true step towards greatness.  Not if the World Heavyweight Champion, Edge thinks so.  Over the past month, Del Rio has continually attacked the arm of the Rated R Superstar.  One thing Del Rio has yet to learn is to never count out an injured opportunist.  Edge has not gotten a win at Show of Shows for past four years.  The Ultimate Opportunist is starving for a win at WrestleMania and Alberto Del Rio’s destiny will not get in the way of that.

My Prediction:  Edge retains

The Undertaker vs. Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match

Forced, that is what the build for this match has felt like since the very beginning.  The stare down on 2-21-11 edition of Raw between these two was really good, but nothing came about after it.  Triple H and the Undertaker would show up on either Raw or Smackdown and just talk about what will happen when they battle at WrestleMania.  Even with all the amazing video packages WWE has put on, you cannot build a match with close to no interaction between the two guys in the actual match.  It is frustrating to see a rivalry with so much history have little to no build whatsoever.  The match will most likely be another stellar outing for both men, but personally I am not fully invested in this match.  With the excellent promo we got on last Monday’s Raw between Triple H, the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, many people are finally invested in this match.  But where was this development weeks ago?  Triple H will come close to ending The Streak.  In the end though, he will become number 19 in the Undertaker’s long standing Streak.

My Prediction:  The Undertaker wins

John Cena (c) vs. The Miz for the WWE Championship

The current Face of the WWE versus the future Face of the WWE.  John Cena’s time as the Face of the WWE is coming to a close as the WWE has showed their full support for The Miz.  For John Cena, it is time to pass the torch.  Cena does not need the WWE Championship anymore.  So it is time for him to move onto the foe that is standing right in front of him, The Rock.  Cena has spent over the last month worrying about The People’s Champ rather than his WrestleMania opponent and that mistake will cost him.  To further legitimize The Miz’s championship reign, John Cena will fall in a match that should have everyone in the crowd and at home on the edge of their seats.

My Prediction:  The Miz retains

This last leg on the Road to WrestleMania has been quite the bumpy ride.  All in all, the show we have eagerly anticipated is finally here.  Everything that has happened since January 30th of this year has come down to four hours.  Four hours of big lights.  Four hours of huge displays of pyrotechnics.  Four hours of grand stages.  Four hours of gigantic match-ups.  Come 7 o’clock Sunday, April 3rd, there will only be four hours left of this magical season that we call WrestleMania Season.  It is the show we live for, the show we wait for, the Showcase of the Immortals, the Show of Shows, the Grandest Stage of Them All.  It is WrestleMania 27.  So sit back, grab your favourite beverage or snack and enjoy the ride.